Disclaimer: I do not own the original canon nor am I making any profit from writing this piece. All works are accredited to their original authors, performers, and producers while this piece is mine. No copyright infringement is intended. I acknowledge that all views and opinions expressed herein are merely my interpretations of the characters and situations found within the original canon and may not reflect the views and opinions of the original author(s), producer(s), and/or other people.
Warnings: This story may contain material that is not suitable for all audiences and may offend some readers. Please exercise understanding of personal boundaries before and during reading.
Author's Note: I occasionally see references to Starker (Tony Stark/Peter Parker). I finally broke down and wrote the only way that I could see that happening. (Spoiler Alert: This is not a romance.)
Challenge/Competition Block:
Stacked with: Seriously Important (Not); Terms of Service; By Any Other Name; Fem Power Challenge
Representations: Teenage Drama; Superheroes; Parkers; May Parker
Bonus Challenges: Second Verse (Not a Lamp); Second Verse (Nontraditional); Second Verse (Middle Name); Second Verse (Unwanted Advice)
Word Count: 603
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Crush
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May kept a weather ear on the pitch of the whispers coming from the other room. Peter was a good kid, but she knew just how quickly his brilliance could lead him into trouble. Ned and MJ weren't really deterrents to that. Ned was prone to getting caught up in Peter's enthusiasm and MJ seemed to thrive on the chaos. It was always better to head things off at the pass before they got too far.
Still, May remembered what it was like to be sixteen and excited about something. Hence why she was currently in their apartment's tiny kitchen preparing tea and cookies while the kids were in the living room supposedly doing a bit of last minute studying before their ride picked them up for the trip to the new observatory in Flushing Meadows. She smiled to herself as she thought of the surprising waiting for them.
Tony Stark and Jane Foster was going to be giving the teens a personalized tour of the facility. Peter was going to be besides himself, just like he was any time he actually did anything with the man. Dr. Foster's assistant, Darcy Lewis, had promised to record the whole thing for her. The woman had also assured her that she knew how to wrangle genius scientists and was capable of keeping the group from wrecking too much havoc in the few hours they'd be together.
That meant that May was possibly safe to enjoy a relaxing afternoon of refreshments and laughter with her own new friends. James Rhodes and Helen Cho were her secret conspirators in laughing at the obvious celebrity crushes that the trio of teens nursed for Tony. The fact that the pair was oblivious to the mooning just made it even funnier. It was all so completely normal, and after all the nastiness and worry involved in superhero business, normal was just what the doctor ordered. Having other adults who thought the same was very reassuring.
Hours later, a dejected Peter collapsed face-first onto their couch. Ever the supportive friend, MJ plopped onto his back. Ned slumped down in the adjacent armchair. In the kitchen, May could hear Helen and James choking on laughter in response to Tony's frantic whispers.
"So," May started. She didn't know if it was a particular good time to deal with her distressed charge or if asking would be enough to send him crawling out the window. As if to reassure her, MJ seemed to sit harder on her living cushion. "What happened?"
"Peter blurted out that he would die for Tony," MJ answered with glee.
"I see."
"There's more," Ned said, prompting Peter to groan like he was dying.
"Tony freaked out," MJ continued. "I think I counted six different languages in the explanation about why that was a terrible idea, and I'm fairly certain that some of those gestures were sign language."
"I see," May repeated. It was a struggle to not devolve into the same sort of laughter she could hear still happening in her kitchen.
"There's still more," Ned said. His grin only widened when Peter gave another groan.
"It was around that time that Peter confess his undying love," MJ said, getting a groan of her own out of Peter. "Tony was really sweet as he let him down. It was cute."
"Kill me," Peter begged. The words were muffled by the couch that his face was still in.
"Nah," MJ denied. "Too messy. Besides, I wanna see what Pepper Potts does to you when she finds out that you were trying to steal her fiance."
Peter gave a terrified whimper.
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The End
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