Spider-Son & Iron Dad two shots

Study Buddies

Spooktober 12: Mutation

a/n: in no means is this the longest or best oneshot ive ever written, but by golly was it fun to write, and thats what counts

In all honesty, it would be a stretch to say that Peter Parker's study habits were the gold standard, or anywhere on the regarding spectrum. He procrastinates. He spends a lot more time ricocheting himself across the city than he does reading his textbooks. He scrapes by doing everything as fast as he can and taking every shortcut he can find, and then miraculously passes his tests the next day.

It isn't perfect. He's not saying he's proud of it, either, but it works, sort of, so he hasn't been inclined to change it yet. That being said, he does like studying. Well, okay. He doesn't like studying, but he-- he doesn't mind if, say, he finds himself studying in the library after school, instead of doing something else.

It's nice in the library, that's all! It's quiet, and the focus is contagious, you know? He's never been more concentrated (Peter's knee hasn't stopped moving since he's sat down). It's the environment, that's why he likes studying. No other reason.

"You almost done?" MJ asks, looking up from her laptop. "I mean, I'd assume so, because you've just been staring at me for like, five minutes."

Peter's ears go red and he ducks his head down. "Yeah, I'm almost done. I mean, with the-- with the introduction, I'm almost done with the introduction."

MJ hums disinterestedly. "Do you want help?"

"No!" Peter says quickly. "No, that's alright! I'm almost..."

He trails off when MJ leans over to look at his work. Her eyes scan over his feeble document, all randomly strung sentences and half-finished questions. Peter remains very very still and tries not to breathe in too much, because then that would be creepy, even if MJ smells like vanilla and coconut and old books, and Peter is definitely not  creepy.

"I would recommend finding your evidence first," MJ says after a beat of reading. "I mean, do you know what you want to say?"

Peter stares at her, mouth open uselessly. Not a thought behind his eyes.

MJ slowly begins to look amused. She leans back in her seat. "The Patriot Act, Parker. Do you remember learning about it? You know what it is?"

"Uh, yes," Peter shakes himself out of his stupor. "Yeah. Passed by President Bush, it gave permission for the government to listen in on conversations they thought were dangerous, and stuff."

"Great," MJ said, shrugging. "Okay, so, explain that in your intro here," she pointed to his screen, "and then state whether you think it was a good idea or not."

"Right..." 

"Then go through the sources and pick out evidence that fits why you think its good or bad. Make sense?"

"Yeah," Peter nods. "Yeah, of course. Thank you."

"Mhm," MJ turns back to her laptop. "Let me know when you're done, I'll proof read for you."

Michelle has already finished her history essay. She finished it in class, actually, the day the sources and instructions were handed out. She was in the library today to finish some extra credit thing for a teacher she didn't like.

("Out of spite," she had said, glaring as her fingers typed furiously on the keyboard. "I'm making him read this entire essay on the homoromanticism of Achilles and the literary power of subjectivity whether he wants to or not."

Meanwhile, Peter looked on with stars in his eyes.)

So, he starts working again, typing a few words every few seconds, a real snail's pace. It doesn't matter so much to him, though, because they aren't planning to leave the library until five, and it's not even three. He has plenty of time for his brain to kick in and suddenly decide the grade is worth it.