Field trip. Joy. And what better place to go than the zoo? You know how it is when your super secret S.H.I.E.L.D agent principal pairs you up with a complete moron and takes you to a place where dangerous and killer animals lurk? So here I am, working my ass off to finish the exam on animal adaption and what-not, while my 'team mate' is busy yelling spiteful comments at Ava as we pass the big cats. Ava Ayala, the White Tiger, he'll regret that later when she's not so powerless.
"Your buddies don't seem to like you very much." He giggled as the contained Tigers began growling abruptly, but not at Ava. He's such an idiot. "Did you show them how much of a failure kitty you are?" Okay, is jokes and insults were always bad, but this just sounds like he ran out of ideas. And I think the 'kitties' agree with me, considering one decided to let out a relentless roar at him. I tried to suppress the laughter at his highly unmanly scream and failed honourably as I doubled over from the fit of laughter that overcame me.
"Pleaasee tell me someone got that?" I managed to blurt out through the lack of air, and turned 'round to see my old pal MJ holding up her camera for her school blog. "Have I ever expressed how much I love you~?" She raised an eyebrow at my comment and smiled.
"Enough times Pete." She faced the camera back at the 'mighty Nova'-of course, she didn't know that, which made it all the more amusing to myself- who was now cowering behind the girl he was shooting horrible insults at earlier.
"Not so tough now, are you Sam?" Ava smirked, pushing him away as she rejoined Danny. Lucky her, she got someone who will actually help with the work. Me? I got Captain Bucket Head and his army of brainless insults.
"Yeah, well... Face me without your kitty minions!" He yelled obnoxiously. I tugged him by the wrist and away from the girl who looked like she wanted to claw his, uh, only hint of manliness off, and took him to the café.
I sat down at a free bench and began noting down the defensive customs of the Tigers for their own kind -as we experienced a moment ago- while Sam was off getting ice cream for the two of us. It gave me time alone and to work on our, rather my essay. The rest of the group was at the arachnid's section, but of course I didn't need to be there! I might as well stick a web to the page to express my knowledge of... myself. But that would be stupid. That would be like sitting in the middle of Latveria without my gear, holding a signpost saying 'I'm your friendly neighbourhood Spidey! Come at me bro!' I cringed at the thought.
"Tigers watch over their young by hiding them in safe places like tall grass so they won't be killed by predators. They will protect their young until they are two years old, when they can go and find a territory of their own." I was quoting out loud as I wrote. I couldn't help but scoff at the idea of Ava being considered a Tiger's young. She's like the queen of hormones and sure as hell doesn't need protecting. Maybe it's the amulet that makes them feel like she's family? My trail of thought was cut off, though.
The sweet scent of mint and chocolate surrounded the area as Sam returned. I'd almost forgotten how hot it was. The sun was blaring at the top of the sky, causing everyone to sweat in the blazing heat, including me. We were both wearing a shirt and shorts yet still surrendered to the flaming sun.
"Thanks again." I smiled, taking the ice cream from him with one hand and closed my notes with the other. He gave a devilish smirk, and I feared he'd poisoned my ice cream or something. He began licking his own then looked back up at me.
"No probs, Parker." The grin returned. "It wasn't my money anyway."
"Wait... what?"
"Yeah I kinda found it lying on your desk so I thought I'd use it for today." He continued licking away at his ice cream, and I just found the source of evil.
"Why the hell would you do that?!" I hissed. "If it was on my desk then it's mine and you shouldn't touch it!" He gave me an innocent look and I shrugged it off, no matter how cute he tried to look. "I was saving that to get the next issue of Daredevil!"
"Calm down, Web-for-brains. I got you yummy ice creams out of it so you wouldn't burn to death, what more could you want?" Why. Why do you have to live with me?! 'You should kick him out! He's depriving you of your Daredevil - of your personal space!' 'But, what about his home? The hellicarrier was burned down and he'll be left alone.' My conscience battled with itself in the form of mini-spideys. Man, my mind is weird. But I decided on the latter. Everyone was still adjusting and I suppose he did kind of help. Not to mention the fact that he looks damn cute with that ice cream—wait what?
I realised the past few minutes I'd been staring at Sam and my own ice cream had melted all over my hand. Oops. He snorted at me as I realised and tried to lick it off, resulting in worse. I'd stuck my nose in the ice cream accidently, and it was covered in freezing cold chocolate.
"Could this get any worse?" I muttered, trying to find a napkin to wipe this off with.
"Yes it can." Sam was giggling uncontrollably, trying to keep his camera steady, and had taken a snapshot of me looking stupid and dumbfounded up at him. Stupid mouth, why ya' gotta' talk?
"Thank you." I grunted sarcastically, wiping off the ice cream with a napkin. "Maybe you should send that into J.J.J. and show him how innocent I am."
"Heck yea'. We can show the world what a moron you are, too." He blurted out, apparently sending the image to friends as he fiddled with his phone.
A few minutes passed of total silence. The two of us were too hot to even say anything, and the rest of the group were still wandering around, we couldn't leave without them. Sam was sprawled out on the bench and I licked at the last of my ice cream. I started nibbling at the cone before the moment of bliss was ruined by a shriek.
"OH MY GOD WHY WOULD THEY HAVE SOMETHING LIKE THAT HERE?!" I looked up at the source. Sam? He had bounced up onto the table and was keeping eye contact with the ground.
"What the hell are you doing, bucket head?" I stood up to see what he was so terrified of.
"Get it away, Parker!" He sounded genuinely scared, what the hell? I walked over to the other side of the bench to find a—
"Bunny?" I picked it up and smirked. Ever since my encounter with Dr. Strange, I found out that Sam was horrified of white rabbits. Now this was priceless. "What's wrong with him? Why don't you pet it?" Sam shrieked again as I edged closer and bolted off the table. He remained hidden behind the corner of the café, and I took a revenge snapshot on my phone.
"Please get rid of it, Peter." He pouted, quietly. Did he just use my first name? Like, genuinely my name? - And not an insult or just 'Parker'? I couldn't help but let a smile tug on my lips, and I let the bunny hop away.
"He's gone now." I reassured.
"Positive?"
"Yup." This was too cute.
"He doesn't have any minions hiding about?"
"Not that I can see." I reached out my hand in gesture that it was safe to come forward and he shuffled out of his hidey-corner, cautiously. "He's all gone." I hummed, taking hold of the boy. What the hell was I doing? I had no clue, but I kinda went with it. My arms found themselves wrapped around Sam as he clutched to my shirt. All this because of a rabbit? I began hushing him gently and I heard his pulse slow down. A moment passed like this, and it seemed Sam realised what he was doing, and shoved me away.
"Don't mention this to anyone!" He yelled. His obnoxious self had returned - yay.
The rest of the group joined up with us, and thus concludes my trip to the zoo. Although, there's one thing I swear I'm forgetting, it just hasn't hit my mind yet—I didn't finish the essay!