Previously...

Sam flopped back on the bed with a noisy sigh. Peter followed him down. Squirming around, Sam tried to get comfortable. Half asleep, Peter nibbled at his neck.

"Webs! Stop it!" Sam barked. The nibbling stopped, but Peter remained firmly latched against him. Legs finally up on the bed, Sam adjusted his boxers and sighed again, "At least you're basically a space heater."

Peter hummed sleepy agreement.

Now...

Chapter 21: Spider-Man's Mad Growls Terrorize! Steals Food From Good Citizens

Sam woke up shivering, personal space heater, aka Peter Parker, missing. The bed was still warm though. He made an 'ew-yuck' face at the tacky-crunchy feeling of dried snot and tears on his skin. He could hear the sound of running water.

He sat up, yawning and stretching. If Peter was showering this early he was probably going to head out on patrol. Normally, Sam would happily sleep in, but with this whole mess involving Harry and their identities… Sam rolled out of bed and grabbed his helmet.

He hastily threw his plain clothes for school together into his sports bag. He slung it around his shoulders and pulled on his helmet, bag and night clothes disappearing in a blue-white flash. Should he risk grabbing a bite for breakfast? Peter usually didn't take that long in the shower, and he was usually out without even a 'see ya later' when he was really worked up.

Sam's stomach growled, and his helmet radiated stern disapproval at his thought of skipping breakfast. Sam sighed, then peeked out the door. No one in the hallway. He flitted down to the kitchen in a blue blur. He grabbed some fruit off the counter and a few homemade, peanut free, granola bars. He stuffed them in his space suit's pockets [92], and darted back upstairs.

The shower had stopped running and the window was open. Peter usually closed it behind him though, huh.

Sam floated outside and quietly pulled the window closed. His helmet's HUD pinged 'Spider-Man' up on the roof. He hovered up above him. Peter, fully suited up, was sitting in his 'spider crouch' on the chimney, face turned towards the eastern horizon.

"Show off," Spider-Man muttered as Sam 'reclined' against the air next to him.

"It's okay to be jealous Webs. Just between us, we both know my powers are the coolest," Sam said with a smirk. Then another yawn overcome him and he stretched out his arms and legs, arching his back. The soft glow ever present when Sam used the Nova Force to fly, became even softer with his yawn. Spider-Man turned his head to watch Nova stretch, then turned back to the night sky as Sam finished.

"Oh, hey! Look! The star is out!" Peter said, pointing at a bright light in the sky.

Sam frowned and tilted his head, looking towards the light, "Sorry, Webs, that's no star. It's a plane."

Peter drooped with disappointment, "Aw, really?"

"MMMmmm-yep. United, Boeing 767 descending into Newark from Edinburgh, about three hundred and seventy civilians on board," Sam said, casually rattling off the data from his HUD.

"About? What, your space powers can't be more exact?" Peter teased.

"Pshh, of course! But it's over American airspace and technically a violation of their privacy rights, so nya," Sam said, sticking out his tongue.

"Mature," Peter said, as he tilted his head and moved his shoulders in such a way that Sam definitely felt his eye roll from behind his mask.

They 'sat', perched on the chimney and floating in the sky, in an easy silence. Eyes tracking the plane together across the night sky. At a rather loud growl from Peter's stomach, Sam pulled a banana and two granola bars from his pocket. He tossed the two granola bars Peter's way and started peeling his banana.

Peter caught the granola bars effortlessly. He rolled up his mask to reveal his mouth and chomped down the first bar in two big bites. Sam nibbled at the tip of his banana, looking off towards the city skyline. Peter chewed noisily for a moment, then crammed the second bar in his mouth. A few more noisy chomps later, he swallowed the mouthful in one big gulp. Sam absentmindedly mouthed the tip before taking his bite. Peter let loose a mighty belch.

"Hah, nice," Sam said, around his mouthful of fruit.

Peter grinned and held out his hands as if receiving applause from an imaginary audience, "Thank you, thank you! I'll be here all night!"

Sam chuckled and continued eating his banana at his leisurely pace. Peter's stomach growled again.

"Uh… got anything else, Buckethead?" Peter asked sheepishly. Sam snorted and reached into his pocket, pulling out another banana.

Peter plucked it out of his hand and started peeling it. Sam swallowed his current mouthful of sweet fruit, almost absently he said, "You know MJ has a massive lady boner for Spider-Man, right?"

Half a banana went flying at Sam's declaration, as Peter flailed in surprise. He made alarmed, strangled noises as he unintentionally tried to choke on his own spit. Sam reached out with his free hand to slap his back.

"Webs, you okay? I think I've got something to drink in this suit, besides warm water, I mean," Sam said after swallowing his food. He crammed the rest of the banana in his mouth and reached into his suit pockets, rummaging around. After a few moments he pulled out a liter bottle of violently violet liquid. Opening it he shoved it at Peter.

Peter drank a good third of it before pulling the bottle away and staring at the label.

"Don't worry, it's just ngbok juice."

Peter studied the bottle, it was some kind of clear plastic. The label had at least two different scripts on it, possibly even three. A spiny, purple-black-pink berry cluster was displayed prominently.

"Sooo, space blackberries?" Peter asked with a frown, turning the bottle this way and that as he examined it. Sam laughed.

"Pfft, dude, no way. Did you even taste it?"

Peter took a mouthful of juice and held it there, thinking. He swallowed it down with a gulp, "Yeah, no. Nothing like blackberries. Not as sweet, little more sour."

"Yeah, it's everywhere this quadrant. Grows well in micrograv aeroponics and tastes okay to great for basically all carbon based life," Sam added, then with another chuckle, "And blackberries are a Terran Delicacy," Sam carefully pronounced the capital letters for extra emphasis, "They're super expensive out there. That cheap body splash Petra got is easily worth a few hundred units. Even more to the right buyer."

Peter turned his head to stare at Sam. Sam tilted his head as if in question. Peter offered him back his juice.

"You really do talk about space all the time," Peter said.

Sam took his juice and raised the bottle in a mocking toast, "Nice of you to finally notice, Webs."

Peter looked away, wringing his hands together and sighing.

"So. MJ. Lady boner. Spider-man," Sam said after a long draught of juice. He gestured with the bottle, "You want I should say something to her for you or—"

"We've dated before, it was weird," Peter cut him off. Sam shrugged, surprised.

"Okay, I'll try to convince her it's not in the stars," Sam said, offering the juice back to Peter. Peter took it and finished it off, tilting his head back as he chugged it down. Sam admired the fine lines of his throat as he swallowed.

"Ready for patrol?" Spider-Man asked, flattening the bottle as he stood up.

"Yeah! Let's go!" Nova said, flying about Spider-Man in an excited loop.

"Just a secs, uh sec!" Spider-Man said, taking aim at the recycling bin with the squashed bottle.

"Loser does the winner's chores for the weekend! See you at Throggs Neck, Webs!" Nova called, racing away north, out of Queens.

"Nova, you Buckethead! You'll be doing double duty this weekend, you wait!"

／/＼｡｡／\＼ミ to be continued 彡／/＼｡｡／\＼

Footnotes:

92 Pocket pocket dimensions were extremely handy.