Wings || Peter Parker

14: Awkward

"So, guys, how did flying practice go?" Mr. Stark asked. He glanced at me as he put a plate of spaghetti in front of me at the table.

I shrugged.

"It was awesome!" Peter exclaimed. "She went so high-"

"You got off the ground?" Mr. Stark pulled his chair in, sounding puzzled.

I nodded.

"She got a coupled hundred feet up!" Peter added. "It was amazing!"

"Really?" Mr. Stark asked. "Impressive."

I smiled. I was sitting at the end of the table, my wings resting on the floor behind my chair.

"Do the suits fit okay?"

I nodded again.

"Great." He paused. "Are you going to be flying around the city a lot now?"

I shrugged again. 

Hopefully, If you'll allow it.

"Oh yeah, I don't mind. It's good practice, but the real problem is the citizens."

"They're not gonna know what the hell you are," Harley said. "They'll probably think you're the vulture or something."

Vultures are nowhere near the size of me.

"No, The Vulture," Peter explained. "He was the first supervillain I fought. He had giant metal wings, kinda like The Falcon, but they had fans instead of jets."

I nodded.

"We'll have to introduce you to the world." Mr. Stark said. "Or you won't be able to fly around in public."

"Does that mean a big press conference?" Peter asked.

"Well, we've got a show coming up," Mr. Stark answered. "And we have some announcements then, and we can bring you in during it." He pointed to me.

"What's it for?" Harley asked.

"Avengers updates." He replied. "It's going to work out perfectly because everyone we're going to need to be there will be coming."

What will this require?

"It's just a couple of announcements about how the avengers are growing. Hopefully, we're going to get all of them to come, which includes you Peter, and Harley you're coming as my assistant. Max, you'll be our newest avenger."

I'm not an avenger.

"Addition to the tower." He explained. "Soon to be an avenger."

I nodded.

"When is that?" Peter asked.

"The tenth." Mr. Stark replied. "Just two weeks away."

"Cool."

We finished dinner, and everyone left to go to their rooms. It was already eight at night when I finally settled on my bed, laying on my stomach preparing to continue reading my current book. There was a mess of feathers on my floor because the shirt I'd put on was inside out, and getting them off my wings was always hard. 

Just as I read the first sentence, a loud thud came from the room next door. It was Peter's room, and the noise was quickly followed by him giggling.

I decided to get up and investigate, closing my laptop and exiting my room. I knocked on his door. After three times there was no response, so I carefully opened it. 

Peter and Harley were against the wall, kissing. I did not expect that when I opened the door, and quickly shut it and turned around.

"Max!" Peter shouted. "It's not what you think it is!" He opened the door, face red, and hair messy.

I raised an eyebrow.

"I-" He stammered. "I just, we were just-"

"I can hear you," I spoke quietly.

"Sorry." He said. "We were just, y'know. Hanging out."

I shook my head.

"Do you know what dating is?" Harley asked from inside the room.

I nodded. I knew enough from what I'd read in my books.

"Yeah, umm." Peter rubbed the back of his neck. "You can't tell anyone."

I nodded.

"Okay?"

I nodded again.

Is that why Harley was sleeping in your bed?

"Yeah, we get nightmares. Y'know, from everything." Peer whispered.

I nodded. I got them too. Specifically, after I left the lab, and realized what real life was like.

"She saw that?" Harley asked.

I nodded again.

"Yep." Peter pursed his lips. He stayed silent for a moment. "Okay, is that all?"

I nodded.

"Okay." He slowly closed the door, letting it shut with a soft click.

The rest of my night was boring, just me reading books and trying to fall asleep. Peter and Harley were very loud, which was annoying. I couldn't sleep and kept glancing at the cases on my floor, of the two training suits. Every time I thought about being up in the air like that, I got chills. It felt so normal to be up in the clouds, and I couldn't wait to do it again.

I woke up the next morning at seven-thirty, this time F.R.I.D.A.Y. wasn't around to wake me up at six. I hopped out of bed and raced to the kitchen, hoping to find Peter or Harley. I didn't hear anyone in their rooms, and there was no trace of them in the dining room either. I checked the labs, and no one was there. 

Finally, I found everyone on the roof. Mr. Stark had a telescope he was setting up, and Peter was in his spider-suit. Harley was glaring at a notebook he was holding.

I made my presence known by standing behind the until someone noticed. Peter saw me and immediately shot me with a web.

"Sorry!" He exclaimed. "I didn't realize it was you!" He yanked the web off my shirt, his eyes narrowing when it stuck. "Sorry."

I smiled. 

"How'd you sleep?" Mr. Stark asked.

I gave him a thumbs up.

"Good. No distractions, I hope." He glanced at Peter.

I shook my head.

"If you two are up to anything-"

"Oh my gosh!" Peter exclaimed. "No-"

I stared at him.

"I can assure you, Mr. Stark, that will not happen," Peter added.

"Alright." He nodded. "Well, I've set up your telescope Peter. You can use that tonight. And call me outside when you start flying again. I want to see." He pointed to me.

I nodded.

"Thanks." Harley smiled and waved him away.

The two boys both turned to me. 

"Do you want to fly again today?" Harley asked.

I nodded.

"When?"

"Now," I replied, my voice scratchy.

"Okay." Harley grabbed a pair of binoculars from behind him.

"You want to change or just go in that?" Peter asked.

I nodded.

Five minutes later, I returned to the roof with feathers in my hair and in one of my training suits.