"Peter, don't forget to get the groceries while you're out!"
Peter momentarily halted on his way out the door and tapped his pants pocket to make sure his aunt's list was still there. "No worries, May!" he called back and then closed the front door behind him.
He made quick work of the stairs and was out onto the streets that he knew so well. Summer in the city - there used to be nothing that he loved more. However, recent events had changed his outlook and now the bustling city and endless days of sun didn't hold the same appeal. He'd had a taste of the adventurous life of a superhero and he was itching for more. School had been out for a few weeks and he'd been spending a large part of every day since preparing himself for when Mr Stark would get in contact again to take him on his next mission.
Peter walked a couple of blocks and then ducked down an alley to change into his suit. Within minutes, he was suited up and scanning for opportunities from the rooftops. For over an hour, he leapt, somersaulted and swung from building to building without any luck. The only good he managed to do was to rescue a cat from a precarious ledge that jumped there only because he had scared it with his abrupt arrival. He gathered a few bits of trash to do some target practice shooting his webs and then just sat on the edge of a roof, gazing over at the tiny glimpse he had of Avengers Tower.
"No wonder you spend so much time on rooftops when the views are this good," someone commented behind him. Peter leapt around at the sound of the voice. He'd been taken by surprise which didn't happen often thanks to his heightened senses: whoever it was seemed to have popped out of nowhere. When he saw that it was Hermione Rogers, he realised that was a distinct possibility.
"Oh, hey, yeah, they're kinda neat," he said, a little flustered by her abrupt arrival. He hadn't seen her since she'd been bundled away by armed men after something had gone wrong with her magic. Peter had been extremely worried about her and the fate of her unborn child, but nobody had told him anything. It was only when Mr Stark arrived to take him back to Queens that he was told, very curtly, that 'everything was fine' and he'd sensed that he shouldn't ask any more questions. He would still find himself wondering about the whole Rogers family most days but the radio silence from Mr Stark meant that he only had what was portrayed in the news to go on - and the sensationalist headlines of Captain America being a war criminal weren't very accurate in Peter's opinion.
"So, um, how are you?" he asked, removing his mask because it felt a little weird to talk to her when he was fully suited and she was just dressed in a casual summer dress. Her laidback attire also doused any hopes he'd had that she was there to bring him in on a new mission. "I was kinda worried about you but you look, uh, well." He tried not to wince at his stumbling words and told himself that he hadn't been staring at her body - and if he had it was only to compare it to how it had been when she was about to give birth.
"I'm OK, Peter, thank you for asking," she replied. "I'm sorry for what happened in Germany - I don't usually lose control of my magic like that. I hope I didn't hurt you."
Peter waved a hand dismissively. "No, Mrs Rogers, I was totally fine," he lied, not prepared to tell her about the fractured collarbone or burnt fingers he'd received when he'd stuck by her side during the initial stages of her ordeal. Besides, he recovered from injuries much more quickly than normal people so it wasn't a big deal.
She smiled at him "Good - but please call me Hermione."
He nodded. "Uh, sure."
"I just wanted to thank you for staying with me when everything started to go wrong," she explained and then reached into her purse to pull out a couple of wrapped bundles. "And I brought you some lunch to make up for putting you through such a terrifying ordeal."
"Wow, that's awesome, thank you," Peter said, "You didn't have to do that."
Hermione shrugged, handed him the heated sub and then took a seat on the edge of the roof next to him. "I wanted to," she replied simply, beginning to unwrap her own lunch.
Peter had been desperate to reconnect with the world of the Avengers but he hadn't expected one of them to pop onto one of his favoured roof tops to join him for lunch. He sat down eagerly, trying to play it cool despite the fact that he was casually hanging out with the Sorceress.
They sat in silence for a while, content to tuck into their subs. "Mhhmm, this is really good," Peter said. "Thanks."
"You're welcome," she said from behind her hand as she finished her mouthful. "I wanted to come and see you sooner but, well, my life has been rather hectic these last few weeks," she told him.
"Yeah, I'll bet," he said, eyebrows raised. "Looking after a newborn baby must be crazy."
He didn't think it was his spider-senses that alerted him that he'd said something wrong, maybe it was just an intuitive empathy that he hadn't realised he possessed, but his stomach clenched in panic almost as soon as the words came out of his mouth.
"Actually, my daughter doesn't live with me," Hermione told him calmly. Peter wanted to throw himself off the ledge in his mortification but he could only stare at her with wide eyes, his lunch grasped limply in his hand, as she continued to talk. "Her prognosis wasn't good when she was born and, for a few different reasons that I won't go into, the safest thing for her was to send her to Wakanda."
"Wakanda?!" he repeated in disbelief, unable to help himself. Peter had never really heard of the country until the incident in Lagos, but when he'd suddenly found himself alongside the new king as part of a superhero team, he researched the reclusive nation once he got home. What little he found wasn't particularly impressive: a mostly agricultural country with a very weak GDP and minimal international links. Hermione would've had to be very desperate to send her baby there.
"Despite what you may have heard about Wakanda, I knew that she would be well cared for there," Hermione continued. "But I also knew that their preference for isolation would mean I'd have limited opportunities to see her."
Peter was certain that his eyes looked like they were about to fall out of his head but he couldn't help being so astonished.
"T'Challa invited members of the UN to Wakanda for the first time and I was amongst the party last week." Hermione reached into her purse and pulled out her cellphone. She unlocked it, swiped a couple of times and then held it out to Peter. "Here, I wanted you to know that she's doing well."
Peter quickly put down his half-eaten sub and wiped his hands on his suit before carefully taking her phone. The screen showed a photo of a tiny baby gazing up at him complete with tiny fists, chubby cheeks, big brown eyes and a button nose. Hermione made a flicking motion with her hand and the phone played a clip of the baby girl lying in her cot as Hermione gently rocked the cradle and sang a soft lullaby to her daughter. He wanted to freak out a little that not only was this the baby of the Sorceress and Captain America, but he was also surely one of the only people in the world to have seen her, but he was determined not to embarrass himself in front of Hermione. "That's awesome," he managed to make himself say. "I'm so glad she's OK. What's her name?"
"Lucy," she replied warmly. "Lucy Natasha Rogers."
He enjoyed seeing the other clips as he finished his lunch (momentarily awed again when he recognised that the man holding Lucy in some of the photos and videos was actually Colonel Rhodes) but then he remembered what Hermione had said. "But she still doesn't live with you?" he asked tentatively.
She shook her head. "Unfortunately, I'm effectively a single parent in a dangerous, demanding and unstable job. Until that changes, Lucy will probably stay in Wakanda where she's safe and looked after by people who love her dearly."
Hermione was trying to put a brave face on it but Peter could tell how much the separation was hurting her.
Peter didn't really know what to say. Half an hour ago, his mind had been focused on his boring morning and deciding where to grab some lunch before he picked up Aunt May's groceries. Hermione was firmly established in the world he wanted to be a part of and her problems were so overwhelming that he wondered for the first time whether he was actually ready for it. "I wish there was something I could do to help," he told her truthfully.
"Is that an offer to babysit?" she asked, looking at him hopefully.
His eyebrows flew upwards in mild panic. "Uh, well, I've never, I mean, maybe, uh, yeah, if you really want me to," he spluttered.
She smiled. "Relax, Peter. I'm only teasing you."
He tried not to sag in relief.
"But if I do ever get to bring Lucy back home, I think you'd be a pretty safe pair of hands," she said.
"Uh, thanks," he replied, grinning.
"Anyway, enough about me," Hermione said. "How have you been since Germany? I imagine it was quite difficult to transition back to civilian life after that."
He thought about it. "I'm getting kinda used to keeping a big part of my life a secret but, yeah, that mission was on a whole other level."
"It seems like it's given you an appetite for more adventures," she said, nodding at his suit.
"Well, yeah," he said slowly. He sensed that she disapproved so he said, "I've got these gifts - why wouldn't I want to use them to help people? I know you think I'm just a kid but I showed that I can look after myself, didn't I?"
Hermione seemed to be considering her words carefully. "Peter, I was exposed to dangerous situations from a young age - younger than you are now, so my caution comes from experience. When you're young, you just want to be treated like an adult and make your own choices, but what many don't quite comprehend when they're desperate to be grown up is that those choices have consequences. You've seen the fallout that myself, Steve, Tony and all of the Avengers have had to face from the decisions we've made. If you step into our world, your age won't protect you from those consequences, and as much as Tony or I or someone else will do our best to help you out, sometimes there's nothing that can be done."
Peter listened in silence, feeling every word she said throb through his brain. He knew that Hermione's words came from a good place; that she was looking out for him. He had questioned his readiness for such a life only moments earlier but he couldn't imagine not being Spider-Man: he had found his calling in life and his age was irrelevant.
"Your abilities don't define you, Peter," she continued, almost in response to his thoughts. "Having these gifts doesn't mean you're destined to put yourself in danger - there are other paths that you could choose that will utilise your abilities. You always need to remember that you have a choice."
"The same could be said for you," he pointed out, "but you've put yourself in those situations time and again."
Hermione nodded solemnly. "And I've suffered for it. The people I love have suffered too. Anyone who wants to follow this path deserves to know where it leads."
Her words sank into his gut like a stone. He didn't mind if he got hurt trying to help others but he couldn't bear the thought of something happening to May or one of his friends. He turned to her, feeling a little deflated. "So, I'm supposed to just sit on the sidelines for a few years, ignore anything bad that's happening around me and pretend I'm just like everyone else?"
Hermione looked at him with sympathy. "Honestly, that's what I'd prefer you to do but I know that's neither a realistic hope nor one that's fair to you. Another thing I learned from my own experiences is that exposing someone to this sort of danger and then leaving them shut out in the cold while the adults 'deal with it' will only lead to resentment and rash decisions."
He looked at her in surprise. Part of him wondered what she'd been involved in when she was his age, but the rest of him was trying to figure out what this was leading to.
"Look," she sighed, possibly sensing his burgeoning hopes, "I rarely know what my next week is going to look like, let alone the coming months, and everyone is still getting used to life after the Accords. But I want to be able to keep you in the loop, help you hone your skills, be there for you if you need any advice - that sort of thing."
"Maybe stop some crime together?" he suggested.
"If we happen to come across any," she agreed after a moment's pause,
"And take me on missions?" he asked optimistically.
The hesitation was a lot longer this time. "Unlikely," she eventually admitted, but Peter didn't hear a definitive 'no' so he was actually very pleased. Besides, he had a feeling that Mr Stark was really the one that called the shots and he'd promised Peter that someone would get in touch when the time was right.
"OK, thanks," Peter said, genuinely grateful that someone like her would go out of their way to make time for him. "That all sounds really awesome."
Hermione nodded. "Just promise me that if you see anything really dangerous you'll get in touch. Here." She picked up her cell phone and made a different swiping motion in his direction. "You've got my details now."
"Really?" He had a direct line to the Sorceress? That was insane. He pulled his phone out from within his suit and, sure enough, a new contact had been added under her name. "Thanks."
"No problem." She got to her feet and he did likewise. "I've got to go to a meeting at the UN now but I might be able to drop by and see you later in the week. What day are you free?"
"Yes," he said instinctively and then rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment. "I mean, all of them. I'm totally free." And even if I wasn't I'd cancel all my plans, he added mentally.
"All right," she said, smiling a little, "I'll be in touch when my schedule is a little clearer."
He nodded, trying not to get his hopes up given that he'd yet to hear anything from Mr Stark - neither personally nor through his pointman, Happy Hogan. "Thanks again for lunch."
"You're welcome." She waved a hand in farewell. "Bye, Peter."
"Wait!" he said suddenly, forcing himself to speak before he lost the nerve. She looked at him quizzically. "Uh, could I maybe have a selfie?" Hermione regarded him in silence for a few seconds and Peter could feel himself shrivelling up with embarrassment. "It's OK if you don't want to - I know you're pretty secretive."
"We can have a selfie on one condition," she said serenely.
"Uh, OK," he replied, a little apprehensive of her stipulation.
"Put Spider-Man on hold for the next few days. Don't go chasing your next dangerous mission but spend time with your friends and family, just being Peter. You're never going to get your youth back - don't wish it away," she advised.
He nodded solemnly, showing her that he was taking her words seriously. "Yeah, I will, I promise."
She smiled. "And, here, this might be a wise precaution." She waved her hand in his direction and his senses tingled wildly. When he looked down, he saw that she had swapped his suit for something much more conspicuous.
"Oh, yeah, that's probably a good idea," he murmured, feeling a little foolish. He tentatively stepped a little closer to her and held up his phone. She put her arm around his shoulders and he grinned for the camera despite his awkwardness.
When he stopped in the store on his way home, he picked up a few extra items so that he could bake May some cookies. He also phoned Ned and organised a retro gaming marathon for the next couple of days.
May loved her cookies and Ned duly kicked his butt on most of the games.
"Peter, you've got a message," Ned said dully. They had been playing various versions of Mortal Kombat for nearly four hours and their brains were slowly deteriorating into mush. Ned had taken pity on his best friend and was trying to teach Peter how to improve his combinations to give him a chance of beating Ned the next time they played.
"It's probably May," Peter said, not taking his eyes off the screen as he furiously clicked different buttons on the controller. "What does she want?"
Peter sensed Ned pick up his phone and click the home screen. "Who's Hermione?"
Peter dropped the controller and grabbed the phone out of Ned's hand.
"Hey, whoa," Ned protested.
Hi, Peter. Hope you're well. I should be free for an hour tomorrow morning. Want me to give you a tour of the Midtown skyline?
Soaring around the top of Manhattan with the Sorceress? Hell yeah, he wanted to do that. Peter punched in a quick reply.
"Peter!"
He looked at his friend, surprised at his insistent tone. "What?"
"Who's Hermione?" Ned repeated. "Have you got a girlfriend?"
"What? No!" he denied, suddenly realising that his response to her message had been a little too enthusiastic. "Hermione - she's my cousin," he claimed, hoping that he was being convincing.
Ned looked very sceptical. "Your cousin?" he repeated flatly.
"Yeah, she's in town and I've been waiting for her to tell me when she wants to meet up."
"I call bullshit - no one's ever that excited to get a message from a relative," Ned retorted. "Come on, it's a girl you like, isn't it?"
"No, she's my cousin," Peter insisted and drew up the selfies he'd taken with Hermione. "Look!"
Ned studied the photos for a few moments and Peter held his breath.
"Why didn't you tell me you had a hot cousin?" Ned asked at last.
"Dude!"
"What?"
"That's weird - she's my cousin."
"So? She's not my cousin?" Ned pointed out.
"She's, like, ten years older than you."
"Age is but a number, Peter."
"She's married with a new baby, dude."
"Oh."
"And her husband could totally kick your ass," Peter told him truthfully.
Ned sighed, shrugged and handed the phone back to Peter. "She's still hot."
"Stop it, Ned."
A/N Short but (hopefully) sweet, right? I really enjoyed this chapter so I hope you all did too. The relationship between Hermione and Peter was hinted at in the Doctor Strange chapter in the first chapter in case you were wondering who the 'cousin' was that she mentioned.
I've been struggling with this series lately - I'm ahead of you but haven't written anything new since the New Year so any motivating reviews would be much appreciated! Thank you to all those who drop me a comment, even if it's just one word. Your kind words always make me smile.
Until next time,
Lil Drop of Magic