Chapter Text
June, 2024. Queens, New York, Earth-914.
‘Y’know, at some point I’m gonna get used to this place.’ A 15 year old Peter Parker thought to himself as he hung his head back, staring up at the ceiling of the local police station, mostly because he was trying to stop a nosebleed. ‘Not now, though. Still some other shit I’m getting used to.’
He tried to scratch at his bandages but was stopped by the fact that his right hand was handcuffed to Captain Stacy’s desk. ‘Crap, right.’
Off to the side, Aunt May was talking to the Captain himself who, at this point, was already very familiar with the two Parkers.
First, after Uncle Ben’s death last year, then repeatedly after Peter’s… incidents.
“May, you gotta understand.”
“I know, George.”
“I’m not gonna be able to keep him out of juvie for long. This is the fifth fight this week alone, not to mention in the past year, and at some point, the ‘self defense’ excuse isn't gonna cut it.”
“It’s the truth, though.” Peter interjects.
“Zip it, troublemaker.”
“He needs help, George, he really does. He’s always had a bit of a temper but it's never been to this extent.” Aunt May pleaded with the man.
“I understand that. I know it’s been hard on you two since Ben passed, especially on Peter but we can’t keep doing this.”
“Is there really nothing else you can do?” Aunt May pleaded with him.
Captain Stacy sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Maybe I can get him a counselor or something, a therapist even.”
“Would you be up to that, Peter?” Aunt May turned to him and asked.
“Huh? Uh, yeah. Sure. Whatever. Can I go now?”
Captain Stacy turns over to Peter, glares at him and says “You’re lucky my daughter thinks you're cute.”
“Yeah, yeah. I’m adorable. Can we get this over with?” He said sarcastically, raising his handcuffed hand up. “I got places to be.”
“Where exactly?” Aunt May asked suspiciously. “You’ve all but flunked out of school and I know you don't exactly have many friends.”
‘...Ouch. That actually kind of hurt. Damn.’
“Would you believe me if I said I had a date?” Peter asked as Captain Stacy uncuffed him.
“I’m sorry but no.”
“Too bad, it's the truth.” He said as he got to his feet and walked to the door.
“I didn’t hear anything from Gwen about a date.” Captain Stacy said, sounding confused.
“Wasn’t Gwen who asked me out.”
“Then who?” Aunt May asked.
“No one, I asked Carlie out.”
“ Cooper ?” They actually both asked in sync.
“No, Rae Jepsen.” Peter responded sarcastically. “Of course I’m talking about Carlie Cooper.”
“Oh, boy. Gwen isn't gonna like that.”
“Please, it’s a crush. It’ll pass.” Peter said before finally walking out the office.
‘Thank god, didn't think I’d ever get out of there. I mean, seriously, I love Aunt May but do I really need therapy? I’m perfectly fine other than getting into the occasional fistfight or pickpocketing wallets… Okay, she doesn't know about the second one but still. I am perfectly well adjusted.’
Immediately after finishing that though, he accidentally crashed into someone, making them drop a pile of files and folders onto the floor.
“Crap, sorry.” Peter apologized, getting down to help pick up the dropped paperwork.
“It’s okay, Don't worry about it.” They said.
Peter looked up to hand some papers to them but was pleasantly surprised to see who it was.
“Oh! Hey, Carlie.” He said with a smile.
“Hey, Pete.” She responded, smiling back.
“Helping your dad down in the lab?”
“More or less. You?”
“Can’t tell from the…” He trailed off, pointing at the bruises and bandages on his smirking face.
“Didn’t notice, I was too enamored by your eyes.” She said jokingly.
“Hey, hey. I’m the flirty one here.” Peter responded lightheartedly, pointing a finger at her.
Carlie gave a small laugh which was apparently contagious as Peter started laughing too.
“Anyway, I should get these to Detective DeWolff.”
“Yeah, sure. Go ahead.” Peter said, getting out of her way. “We still up for dinner?”
“Not if you’re dressed like that.” Carlie joked as she walked passed him.
“Like a cool guy?”
“Like an e-boy.”
‘E-boy!?’ Peter thought, offended as he walked into the elevator, looking down at his clothes.
Black and white Converse sneakers, black socks, black ripped jeans held up by a black leather belt, black My Hero Academia shirt that he actually did get from Hot Topic, and a few chains here and there.
The fact that he buys from Hot Topic probably should've been enough.
‘Crap, I am dressed like an e-boy.’ He realized. ‘All I’m missing is a fuck ass haircut.’ He thought as he combed his fingers through his hair. Though, his hair was already naturally curly. All he would've needed to get was an undercut.
2 Hours Later, Mall.
‘Nope, nope, nope, definitely not, nope…” Peter repeated in his head as he sifted through the clearance bin of a clothing store. ‘These are definitely here for a reason.’
“Pete?” Someone called out to him from the side, garnering his attention.
“Hey, Gwen.” He greeted her before going back to sifting through clothes.
“What are you doing?”
“Carlie said I dress like an e-boy so I’m getting some new clothes.”
“That wasn’t intentional?” She wasn't being sarcastic with that question, she genuinely thought that. “You were the one that told me I dressed like an e-girl.”
“You were going through a phase.”
“You think you’re not going through a phase?”
“Phase? What ‘phase’?”
“I mean, you’ve been ditching school, getting into fights, and you’ve grown a habit of randomly disappearing out of nowhere. Hell, Flash still carries a bat around in case you” and she used air quotes here. “Ever showed his nerdy mug around here ever again.”
That actually got Peter to stop and think about it for a moment. ‘Crap, am I going through a phase?’
“Okay, even if I am going through a phase then it’ll pass, right? I’d eventually grow out of it.”
“If you wanna graduate then you better grow out of it fast, Pete.”
“Please, I’m still top of the class, aren’t I?” He asked arrogantly.
“Not since I took over that spot.” She responded proudly.
“Wha- Seriously?! When?!” Peter asked in complete shock, turning back to her.
“This morning.”
“Oh, no, no, no, no, no. I’m not letting you beat me.”
“Whatever you say, second place.” She said with an eye roll before turning around and walking away.
Peter gave a chuckle before looking down and realizing he still had to get new clothes.
“Crap. Hey, wait a minute! Gwen! Help me out here!” He yelled, jogging towards her.
2 And A Half Hours Later, Parker Household.
For the past while, Peter’s been trying out different outfits in front of a mirror with the help of Gwen.
First, they decided to go ‘old-school’, so to speak. Brown loafers, blue slacks, a white button up under a black vest, a red bowtie, and even his old square framed glasses.
“You look like a nerd.”
“More or less than you do?”
“I look like a nerd?”
“Crap, you didn’t know?”
Gwen glared at him for a moment before giving her answer. “More, I guess.”
“That’s a no go, then.”
“I didn’t say it was bad. It actually looks pretty good.”
“Yeah but I’m not going back to being a nerd.”
Second, something more casual. The same loafers, blue jeans, and a green and white polo shirt with a blue line across the middle.
“I think I’ve seen a picture of my dad in an outfit like this once.”
“He dressed nicely, then.”
“Not feeling this one, though.”
“Too bad.”
Currently, something a little more comfortable. Black and white sneakers, brown pants, and a gray long sleeve shirt under a blue T-shirt.
“So…?” Peter asked, standing in front of Gwen with a set of new clothes he bought earlier.
Okay, technically Gwen paid for them but he’ll pay her back.
Eventually.
Maybe in a few years.
Probably.
“Hmmm…” Gwen, sat on his bed, hummed in thought, looking him up and down, trying to make her judgment. “It’s… not bad.”
“But not good either.”
“No, it’s just kinda boring. What was wrong with what you usually wear?”
“I already told you, Carlie said I looked like an e-boy.”
“What's wrong with that?”
“I dunno, just felt kinda wrong.”
“So you’re not going back to that look?”
“Nah.”
“Shame, I kind of liked it.”
“You sure you’re out of your goth phase?” Peter asked sarcastically as he looked at himself in the mirror, Gwen just smiling and rolling her eyes at him.
“What are we even picking outfits for, exactly?”
Peter froze at the question. Probably not the best idea to tell her about the date. ‘Crap, I gotta think of something fast.’
“I got a date.”
‘FUCK.’
“Wait, seriously? With who!?”
Peter sighed as he pressed his head against his mirror, dreading whatever type of reaction Gwen would have. “Uh, Carlie. I'm going out with Carlie.”
“Oh.”
…
Silence.
Just a solid thirty or so seconds of complete and utter and kind of awkward silence.
Peter turned back to her, his confusion completely evident on his face.
“What?” She asked.
“Nothing, just expected a bigger reaction.”
“Why?”
“I dunno, I just thought you had a thing for me.”
Gwen’s eyes widened with surprise as she flew off his bed onto her feet. “YOU KNEW!?” She yelled, loud enough to make Peter flinch.
“Uh, yeah?” He responded nervously.
“You knew I was into you and you still asked Carlie out!?” She asked, furious at him.
“I-I mean, it’s just a crush, right?
“Oh, don't give me that crap. You’re smarter than I am, Peter.”
‘Oh, craaaaaaap. She only calls me Peter when she's mad.’ He thought to himself. “I didn't think it was that big of a big deal.”
“It was to me! I’ve been in love with you for years!”
“Seriousl-Wait, in love?”
“Yes, you dumbass!”
“And what do you mean by ‘years’? We met last year.”
And the next thing he knew, Gwen slapped him in the face, hard enough to leave a red, stinging mark.
After that, they were just frozen. They went quiet again. No words, not even any actions.
After that, Gwen grabbed her bag and stormed out but not without saying “Good luck with your date.” with great pain in her voice.
After she left, Peter stayed frozen, still quiet, not even any thoughts going through his head.
He brings his hand up to where Gwen slapped him, feeling how warm it was and how much it still hurt.
He eventually broke the silence with just five words.
“I’m a piece of shit.”
An hour later, Ditko’s Diner.
“You okay, Pete?” Carlie asked the clearly distracted Peter, who had settled on the first outfit but without the glasses, bowtie, and with the sleeves rolled up.
“Hm? Yeah, why?” He answered, putting his attention on her.
“You’ve been staring at that box of napkins for the past five minutes so either something's up with you or that's a really interesting box.”
Peter looked at the aforementioned box of tissues with a raised brow, picked it up and looked around it, sarcastically saying “It is actually a very nice box.”
It got a small laugh from Carlie but she immediately went back to being serious and back on topic. “Seriously, Pete. If something's up, you can tell me.”
Peter placed the box back down and clicked his tongue. “Nothing gets past you, does it.”
“Not in a million years, no.” It was Peter’s turn to laugh this time. “Spill, what's up?”
Peter brought his hands together and rested his head on them by his forehead, like he was praying. “It’s Gwen.”
“Oh, God. What happened?” Carlie asked worriedly.
“I kinda let it slip that we were going out…”
“And?”
“...And that I knew that she was into me.”
“Oh crap, Peter.” She said sympathetically. “She didn’t take it well, did she?”
“No, no she did not.”
“Did you apologize at least?”
“No, she stormed out when I tried to explain myself.”
“Oh, no.”
“After she slapped me.”
“Oh God, no.”
“And telling me that she was actually ‘in love’ with me.”
“Oh dear God, no.”
“And that it was for years, apparently.”
“Oh dear fucking God, no.”
“Yeah, things are not looking good.”
“They really, really aren’t.”
“God, what do I do?” He said in a desperate tone.
“Start by actually apologizing.”
“I feel like I’m gonna make things worse.”
“You might.”
“You gonna help me?”
“Of course.”
“Might get awkward.’
“Very but I’ve dealt with worse.”
“You’ve dealt with something worse than teenage drama?”
“My dad once thought it was a good idea to bring a seven year old me to the police morgue.”
“Jesus.”
“Yeah, he got an earful from mom.”
“You had fun, at least?”
“Surprisingly, other than the smell, yeah. It was pretty fun.”
“Still think it’ll be better than what we’ll have to face?”
“Could be.”
“We should do it as soon as possible.”
“Tomorrow, though. We’re still on a date.”
“Yeah, of course.”