#i just realized i never posted this on here jsdfkjdf

[whisperoftheheart1995]

An Unexpected Moment- Chapter 5

(Also posted here)

(Chapter 1 / Chapter 2 / Chapter 3 / Chapter 4)

“Who are you texting?” MJ asks, trying to peek over his shoulder, but Peter moves away quickly, angling his screen so it’s obscured from her vision. They’re all crammed into a booth in the back of their favorite bubble tea place, the one MJ introduced them to a few months ago. It’s quickly become a regular after school hangout.

“That’s really none of your business,” he says smoothly, taking a sip of his tea.

Ned, on the other side of him, glances at Peter’s phone before he can stop him. “‘Human’ Torch,” Ned reads. “Why is human in quotations?”

“It’s a joke, Ned.” Besides, he knows for a fact he’s in Johnny’s phone as “Web Head.” It’s just how they joke with each other.

“Since when do you text Johnny Storm?”

“I dunno, we’re friends.”

Ned and MJ exchange glances.

“What?”

“Oh, nothing,” MJ says, even though it’s clearly something.

MJ plucks his phone from his fingers, and he's about to protest when he realizes it doesn’t matter anyway. His phone is locked, so there’s nothing to see.

Peter nearly chokes on a tapioca pearl when she types in his code and starts scrolling through his texts with Johnny.

“What the hell, MJ? How do you know my password?”

She shoots him an unimpressed look. Right. This is MJ. Of course she knows his password.

MJ reads through his messages in silence. “You’re an idiot, Peter,” she finally says.

“So you tell me. What did I do this time?”

“This guy’s obviously flirting with you.”

Peter blushes. “What? No he’s not.”

“Lemme see,” Ned demands, reaching for Peter’s phone. MJ hands it to him, laughing at the annoyed look on Peter’s face.

Ned stares down at the screen intently. “Oh my god, he totally is.”

“Shut up,” Peter mumbles.

“Peter,” Ned starts again. “You can’t possibly be this oblivious.”

“I’m not, okay? He isn’t flirting. And even if he were, it wouldn’t matter. This is Johnny Storm we’re talking about. The longest relationship he’s been in lasted three days. He flirts with everyone. It doesn’t mean anything.”

It’s a sore spot for Peter, ever since they’d become closer friends and his own feelings for Johnny became harder and harder to ignore. He doesn’t need Ned and MJ getting his hopes up. He knows he doesn’t have a shot.

He sighs, frustrated. “Can we just talk about something else?”

They don’t mention Johnny for the rest of the afternoon.

Peter is laughing as he and Johnny enter the apartment, bags full of junk food in each hand.

“Flame Brain, please tell me you’re joking. You didn’t actually tell Trump to go to hell.”

“I totally did. Ask Sue, she heard the whole thing.” He pauses. “Actually don’t ask her. She’s still pretty pissed about that. Said it’s ‘unprofessional’.”

“It kind of is.” Peter shrugs. “But it’s also kind of awesome.”

They settle into the couch, and Peter pulls up a movie for them to watch.

“Seriously? The Shining? ” Johnny groans when he sees Peter’s movie selection. “You know I hate horror movies.”

“Yeah, but that just makes it more fun for me.”

“Give me that remote,” Johnny says, reaching to grab it out of Peter’s hand.

“No!” Peter laughs, holding the remote out of Johnny’s grasp. Johnny topples over, landing on top of him. He’s laughing too, as he makes another desperate attempt, but is still unsuccessful.

Johnny’s laughter dies out, leaving them staring at one another, breathing a little heavily. Peter wonders for a moment when their faces got so close. Johnny’s arms are braced on either side of him and he’s staring at Peter with a look he can’t quite place.

“Hi,” Peter says quietly.

“Hi,” Johnny repeats back, then leans in even closer. Peter’s heart starts to race. They’re only inches apart when he sees something move out of the corner of his eyes.

“May,” he cries, eyes widening, as he shoves Johnny off of him and scrambles into a sitting position. “I- I didn’t hear you come in.”

May is standing in the doorway, arms folded and eyebrows raised. “I just got back,” she says, dismissively. “Are you going to introduce me to your new… friend?”

She must already know who he is. How could she not, when Johnny’s face is constantly plastered all over the news? “This is Johnny. Johnny, this is my aunt, May.”

“It’s nice to meet you,” Johnny says, sounding a bit nervous as he holds out a hand for her to shake. It’s so out of the ordinary from his usual confidence. It’s kind of cute, Peter thinks, somewhat resentful.

“You, too,” May says, smile genuine as she shakes his hand. She turns to Peter. “I’m going to bed, you boys have fun with your movie.” She kisses his hair, then walks off.

Peter sits in shocked silence. Sure, May has never been one to pry or make him talk before he’s ready, but considering what she just walked in on, even if it was out of context, he’d assumed he’d at least get a stern talking to.

Johnny seemingly reads his mind. “Dude. You have the coolest aunt ever.”

“I know. We’re still watching The Shining though.”

Peter laughs when Johnny flips him off. And if he secretly enjoys the way Johnny spends the rest of the night pressed against him, cowering behind Peter’s arm, no one needs to know that part.

Peter lands on the floor with a solid thud.

“How’s that binder feel?” Mr. Stark calls.

“Good,” Peter says, looking down at his suit. “Better. Thanks, Mr. Stark.” He pulls off his mask and gives the older man a big smile.

“Glad to hear. I need to pop into one of the other labs for a minute, you keep working on those web shooters until I get back.”

Peter takes a seat at one of the lab tables, pulling off his web shooters and placing them in front of him. He has a few ideas for modifications he’d like to make, and luckily, plenty of time to make them.

“Hey,” a voice calls out and Peter turns around, surprised to see Johnny leaning against the doorframe. He hasn’t seen the other boy since their movie night. He’d finally managed to put their almost kiss (if that’s even what that was) out of his mind, but seeing the other boy brings back the same nagging thoughts he has to push back down. He’s reading into things, that’s all. Just more wishful thinking.

“Hey!” he replies enthusiastically. “What are you doing here?”

“I came with Reed. He’s here for-” The other boy pauses. “Well, I actually don’t know what he’s here for.”

“Top secret, huh?” Peter asks, turning back to his work.

“No, he told me, I just wasn’t listening,” Johnny says with a shrug, then props himself up onto the lab table where Peter is working.

“He made you come with?” Peter asks, looking up at the other boy.

“Nah, I wanted to come. Thought if I was lucky, I might run into you.”

Peter swallows. “Guess you must be lucky, then.”

“Guess so,” Johnny says, leaning closer and staring at him with an intense expression. Peter feels his cheeks warm under his gaze.

“Parker!” a voice snaps and Peter jumps, almost falling off his stool in the process. “I’m not paying you to sit around and flirt,” Mr. Stark says, an amused look on his face. “Keep it in your pants, kid.”

He feels his face flush at the implication. “B-but I’m- You don’t pay me, sir.”

“And I never will with that attitude.”

Peter wants to argue, but he looks back over at Johnny, stifling laughter into his hand and can’t help but smile, too. “Come here,” he says finally, patting the space next to him. “I’ll show you what I’m working on.”

Johnny kisses him for the first time at the Statue of Liberty. Peter’s mask is rolled up to his nose, a half eaten hot dog sitting beside him, when Johnny leans over and presses their lips together. Peter is so shocked he doesn’t respond, and Johnny pulls away quickly, running a hand through his hair nervously.

“Sorry. Should I… not have done that?”

Peter shakes his head, then reaches up and pulls off his mask the rest of the way. “No, it’s not that. You just... surprised me.”

“Come on, it can’t have been that surprising. I’ve been flirting with you for weeks.”

Peter turns red, thankful once again for his mask. “You have?”

“Well yeah,” Johnny says sheepishly. “Did you really not pick up on that?”

“But- but you flirt with everyone! It doesn’t mean anything!”

“It does when it’s you,” Johnny says, staring deep into his eyes.

“Oh,” is all Peter can come up with.

“Yeah,” Johnny says. They fall silent for a moment, the awkwardness between them almost tangible.

“Do that again,” Peter says after a moment.

“What?”

“I said,” he starts again, summoning all his courage, “you should do that again.”

Johnny breaks out in a grin. “Where are your manners, Pete?”

Peter elbow him gently. “Shut up.”

“Make me.”

Peter doesn’t have to be told twice. He leans forward and presses their lips together, feeling satisfied with the small gasp of surprise Johnny lets out. Johnny responds quickly, maneuvering himself into Peter’s lap and deepening the kiss. Peter’s hands find Johnny’s waist, warm under his touch.  

They break apart after a moment, foreheads pressed close together. Johnny stares at him, breathing heavily, eyes wide, speechless for probably the first time since they’d met all those months ago.

“If I’d known this was all I had to do to get you to stop talking, I would have kissed you a long time ago,” Peter says with a small laugh.

“Yeah, yeah, whatever.” Johnny wraps his arms around Peter’s neck. “Kiss me again.”