Pretense Chapter 2 Teaser - Full Chapter coming 06/02Chapter summary: Chasing Spider-Man is anything

Pretense Chapter 2 Teaser - Full Chapter coming 06/02Chapter summary: Chasing Spider-Man is anything but easyFull chapter warnings: SwearingWords: 1,587Peter nods and he holds the sheepish smile. “Internship.” It’s a bold faced lie. While Peter still hates lying, after all of these years of lying to pretty everyone, he’s gotten quite good at it. And while he doesn’t really want to lie to you, he doesn’t have any other reason for him to out a coffee shop this late when he classes in the morning. Internship is a lot better than vigilante.There’s a soft laugh you both share and a warmth spreads throughout Peter’s chest. “Can…I sit?” Peter asks, gesturing to the open chair in front of you.“Sure,” You close your laptop and move a few things out of the way.You always liked this coffee shop. It’s far enough away from your home that no one really comes to bug you but it’s a well-lit and high trafficked area so you’re not too uneasy about being here late at night. Plus, Harry’s within walking distance so you always have him you can go to. This place also actually has pretty good coffee, not something tastes overly processed like Starbucks or bottom tier coffee like McDonalds but coffee that actually tastes good.“What’s your internship?” You ask as Peter takes a seat. “I…I just mean if it keeps you up at a coffee shop at eleven at night, it must be tasking.” You ramble, not wanting to intrude on Peter’s business if he doesn’t want to share his work.“Oh…uh, yeah.” Peter stutters, he hasn’t gotten this far in the lie in a few years. Does he still say Tony Stark? It’s really has been brought up in ages, if that’s the excuse he should still use when people ask questions. But the longer Peter’s taking to figure this out, the more you’re just staring at him, waiting for a response and now he just feels dumb. Maybe he could just pretend he didn’t hear you. No, that would not work, he already started to answer. Okay, now he has to say something. Anything. Anything at all.“UM,” Peter shakes his head while your brows knit together. “Tony Stark.” He blurts it out finally and he’s swearing it should not have been that difficult. He really could have just said Stark Industries. Why must he name drop and sound like a total nerd? It takes everything in Peter not to facepalm right there until he hears voice turn high-pitched.“Really?” Your eyes widen as you lean forward. “Wait. So you know….like, Iron Man?”Someone you just met, knows Iron Man? That has got to be the wildest thing you’ve heard and there are millions of thoughts racing through your mind like F1 drivers. If he knows Iron Man, maybe he knows Hawkeye? How cool would that be? THE Hawkeye? Clint Barton? But if he knows Iron Man, maybe he knows Spider-Man? Maybe you can get lucky and Peter will hate Spider-Man and can help you unmask him. Okay, now you’re getting a bit ahead of yourself and that’s kind of a shitty thought anyway. So, you stick with Hawkeye.Peter nods. “Yeah.” He’s voice is a bit flat but holds the smallest touch of questioning.“So…do you know the other Avengers?” You ask with so much excitement it brings a genuine smile to Peter’s face. Your leg bounces beneath you as a smile splits your face. “I mean, do you know Hawkeye? Clint Barton?” Your eyes hold so much hope and Peter would normally just…lie and say no. If it were anyone else but you have much hope, he can’t just crush you.“Well, uh,” Peter shrugs and he tries to find words between stutters but you don’t seem to mind. “I, uh, I mean…I…yeah, I’ve…met him. A few times.” Peter swallows thickly, taking another drink of his coffee.“That’s so cool!” You nearly squeal. “Is he cool? What’s he like? I mean, if you can tell me….or if you want to. It’s okay if you don’t want to. I’m sure you get asked all the time about the Avengers so maybe you don’t want to talk about it which is totally fine. This is fine. It’s okay, never mind. I’m rambling. I’m sorry.” You immediately become taken over with embarrassment.Everyone loves the other Avengers and you get it. They are cool and everything, Thor is a God for crying out loud. That’s pretty awesome but…they’re not Clint to you. Someone he seems pretty ordinary, mostly, and is the best archer to exist. And he’s deaf. And he saved your life once. Clint’s always the biggest hero to you, not Iron Man or Captain America or Spider-Man.“Sorry, uh, it’s just…ya know? He’s cool.” You make a very weak gesture towards your right ear where a hearing aid sits.Peter remembers the first time he met Tony, the Stark Expo. Well, he didn’t really meet Tony but Tony saved him and told him “nice work, kid” so, it kind of counts. He was little then but he remembers never shutting up about it. May has a video of Peter relaying the whole story to Ben and how his face lit up the entire time. That’s what you look like. Same excitement and you haven’t even met Clint. It’s just talking about him.“Yeah, yeah, no I get it.” Peter says in a rush. “He’s really cool.” Peter beams. “He drinks a lot of coffee though and he adopted a one-eyed dog. His name is Lucky.” There’s a chuckle that escapes his lips and you’re completely captivated, hanging out to every word like a tightrope. “Mood.” You state, laughing softly and taking a sip of your own coffee. “That’s so cool he adopted a dog. Bet that dog has the best life.”“Yeah, he does.” Peter lets out a chuckle and he figures this could be a good way to get out that conversation before he starts saying too much and it becomes suspicious. “So, uh, what’s your internship?” Peter asks.“I intern at the Daily Bulge under J. Jonah Jameson.” You say softly. “Definitely nothing like yours.” You let out a quiet laugh.Peter’s heart drops with the name of both the newspaper and the reporter. JJ has been out to unmask Spider-Man for over three years now. He’s always publishing stories about how Spider-Man is what’s wrong with New York. He’s a vigilante who does more harm than good. The takedown of bad guys and villains should be done by those equipped, like US forces and police, not some scrawny kid in a blue and red spandex suit. But, Peter, in this coffee shop with you, is Peter Parker. He’s not Spider-Man here, so he doesn’t say a word about it.“What’s it like? I mean,” Peter starts. “What do you do? D-do you enjoy it?”A sad smile comes over your face. “I mean, yeah, I-I guess?” Your words come out as a question while your whole demeanor switches like a light. “Usually, he’s a good reporter. I have a lot to learn from him and he has connections, ya know? But,” You chew on your bottom lip. “Sometimes, it kind of sucks and he’s a bit…” You pause, not really wanting to speak ill of your boss but you feel there’s a sense of confidence between you and Peter in this coffee shop. “Vengeful? Spiteful? Kind of insane?”“Why, uh, why do you say that?” Peter asks and he feels bad. No one should feel like their work or internship sucks or that their boss is any of the things you just listed. It should be something someone enjoys, especially with most internships not even being paid internships. If you’re going to do something for free, you might as well enjoy it.“I’m always running around everywhere, day and night. I never get enough sleep because of it. I fell behind in a few classes when I started interning and I have never fallen behind before. I lost most of my friends because I’m at his beck and call, ya know, people kind of get tired of you always bailing on them last minute.” You say quietly, looking down to your half-empty coffee cup.But, Peter understands. Always running around night and day, losing sleep, falling behind, losing friends. He’s lucky that he still has Ned and MJ but he did lose them before and he’s lost a handful of others because he can’t always commit to show up. That said, there have definitely been times where he’s seen both Ned and MJ disappointed because he can’t make a birthday event or a movie night. It’s not exactly easy sometimes but he has extenuating circumstances, like the greater good, that’s what he tells himself. So, what’s JJ got you doing that’s making you lose friends and sleep?“I-if you don’t wanna talk about it…it’s okay…but what’s he always have you doing?” Peter asks, his hands wrapped loosely around his to-go cup.You sigh and take a small sip of your coffee. “I have to follow Spider-Man around, try and catch him unmasking himself or doing something incriminating to make New York hate him.” A tinge of guilt cascades over you with your words, you’ve never really said that out loud before and it goes against everything you believe in. Peter’s eyes widen and his jaw falls open a little. One thought comes to his mind is big, red, flashing letters like an exit sign: Well, shit. Tag list: @badhollandfluff​ // @spiderboytotherescue​ // @watsonparker​ // @softholand​ // @nocturnalms​ // @babyspiders​  // @whatbuckywrote​ -- source link

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