Pepper helped me with my hair, and encouraged me to wear a dress- but I was much more comfortable in jeans. I looked at myself in the mirror a million times, making sure I looked perfect- the closer it got to when Peter was supposed to be there, the harder my heart would beat.
"You look perfect, Rubes." My dads voice surprised me.
I didn't expect to see him, I knew he didn't approve of any of this, but yet there he was, standing in my doorway, a smile on his face. "Thank you." I said.
"You know, I may not be thrilled about this, but if you are insistent on dating, I guess I'm glad it's Peter."
I chuckled as I turned to face him, "Why? Because he's afraid of you?" I asked through my laughs.
"That is exactly why." He said, and smiled as he entered my room. "So, I know this is your first date, but I would much rather be safe than sorry in this situation." He sucked in a deep breath as he sat on my bed, and I went to sit next to him.
"About what?" I asked, concern suddenly washing over me.
"Well, Ruby, about being safe." He said, his voice shaking.
"Whoa! Dad, no!" I said as I shot to my feet, "You don't need to do that, trust me. I know how it works!"
"Well, Ruby, I just don't want-" He started.
"Neither do I!" I exclaimed. "None of it, I want none of it!"
He sucked in a deep breath, "So you'll be safe then?"
"I will do you one better, I won't do it, period!" I said.
"You say that now, but-"
"But NOTHING, I have no intention of having sex for a very long time!" I said.
"Alright…" He said with a sigh, "I'm not trying to make you feel uncomfortable. I just want this to be an open conversation."
"I will make sure to be safe whenever it happens, with whoever it may be." I said, praying this conversation would be over.
He sat in silence for a few moments. "Alright." He finally said, and then the doorbell rang, "I believe that would probably be your date. Can I walk you down stairs?"
"I would be honored." I said with a smile. He returned the smile and I looped my hand around his arm. He walked me down the stairs, where Pepper had just let Peter in. Peter wore a nice dress shirt and jeans.
"Mr. Stark," He said then turned to me, "Hey Ruby." His eyes became softer, more relaxed when they landed on me.
"Where are you two headed tonight?" Pepper asked.
"I have reservations at a nice chinese restaurant, and then I thought we could go see a movie if you wanted?" Peter asked.
"That sounds great." I said, and smiled.
"Be home by 11." Pepper said. "9" Tony quickly interjected. Pepper rolled her eyes, "Be home by 11." She said, then quickly escorted us towards the door before Tony could object again.
We took a cab back into the city. The ride was mostly silent, uncomfortable. "So…" I finally said, "Your mom is cool with you doing all of this?"
"My parents died when I was little. I live with my Aunt May. She… She doesn't really know I do this. She thinks I intern with your dad, which is what she thinks I'm doing now while I take care of this." He said and pointed to his arm, which was casted still, "The rest of my injuries are pretty much healed. What about you? How do you feel?"
"Me? Oh, I feel fine. Much better." I said, gently touching where one of the many bruises still lingered, but was masked well with makeup. "So where do you usually live?"
"In Queens. Forrest Hill." He quickly replied.
"Oh! I was in a foster home around there once! In Richmond Hill, corner of 123rd and 103rd, just a couple of blocks from Hibiscus!"
"Yeah, I think I know where you're talking about." He said, his voice slightly higher, "I forgot that you were in foster care."
"Oh… Yeah. Weren't you? When your parents died?"
"No, my aunt and uncle took me right away. I was actually staying with them when it happened. They died in a plane crash, I was only 6."
"Oh. I'm sorry, Peter." I said.
"Nah, it's alright. I moved on from it. I barely remember them anymore." He said, and then the cab pulled up to the restaurant.
Peter held the door for me as I stepped out of the cab, and again for the restaurant. It was nothing extravagant, just a quiet, cozy, little chinese restaurant. Clouds were covering the sky when we stepped in, and by the time we took our seats at the table by the window, rain was beginning to fall.
"So, are you going to go to school around here in the fall?" Peter asked after we placed our orders.
I thought for a second, "Well, I don't know. Maybe. I was going to an alternative school at the center for a while, and before that I was going to William, but I don't know if my dad will have me go to school or not." I said.
"There is probably a special school for the rich and famous kids." Peter said with a shrug, "And you're very famous right now." He gestured subtley to look around.
I did, and I hadn't noticed until that moment that everybody was either starting or glancing in our direction. Infact, I didn't notice that there was even anybody else in the restaurant until he pointed it out. "I guess you're right." I said as I slid down slightly.
"Do you wanna get out of here?" He leaned in and asked me, recognizing I was uncomfortable.
I looked at him and nodded slowly. He threw some money on the table, then told the waiter to cancel our order. He took me by the hand and we basically ran out the door into the pouring rain. "Where are we gonna go?" I asked as the rain began soaking my clothes.
He pulled his mask from his pocket just enough so I could see it, "I know a place." He said with a grin, then stuffed it back in his pocket.
He hailed a cab and we quickly crawled in, he pulled me close, he was warm and I was shivering from the rain. He guided the cab driver to the south side, where there was less light pollution, and big abandoned buildings and very few people. Once the cab was out of sight, under the cover of night fall, he made a giant web. He grabbed my waist and went to hoist us onto it, but I quickly stopped him, "Peter your arm."
"It's alright, the cast is reinforced so I can work and heal as long as it's nothing too heavy or too straining." He said, and then suddenly we were soaring up to the web. We laid on that web, watching the stars come out one by one. "This is beautiful." I said.
"Thanks. I love it out here. There is so little light, you can actually see the stars."
"In Brazil, where we lived, there is no light pollution. At night the sky is lit up with bazillions of little and big stars. They're beautiful. My mom used to tell stories about what some of them were, and what some of the constellations meant and how they got there. It's a different sky down there, though. We see different stars." I said.
"I bet it's not near as beautiful as this view." He said.
I scoffed, "There are hardly any stars you can see here!" I said as I turned to look at him, but he wasn't staring at the stars, he was looking at me. I felt my cheeks get red hot. "Thanks." I said, "I don't really think I'm that pretty."
"What?! You're beautiful Ruby!" He quickly said.
I shrugged, "My eyes are different colors, my skins a funny color, my face is too long, and my hair as a mess." I turned back to look at him, "It's not a big deal to me, I don't really care about looks."
"All that stuff, it's part of what makes you so beautiful. That, and you're a beautiful person. Like on the inside. You forgave Tony for everything, you care about people, I mean look at me, you saved my life and still sat by my bedside even though you didn't know me, just so I wouldn't wake up alone. Ruby, you're so beautiful, inside and out. Even I can tell that, and we barely know each other."
We sat in silence for a few moments, "Maybe you think I'm beautiful because you don't know me." I said.
Before I could say anything more, Peter grabbed me and pulled me into his arms in a tight hug. "Ruby, whoever made you think you weren't beautiful, I wish I could meet them, so I could tell them how wrong they were."
"Peter, you're great." I said as I hugged him back.
He went to say something, but then his watch started to beep, "Shoot, I need to get you back so Mr. Stark doesn't kill me." He said, grabbed me by the waist, and then lowered us both to the ground.
"Peter, it's only just past 9." I said with a small chuckle, "We have until 11."
"No, Mr. Stark said 9, Pepper said 11, so obviously the right answer is 10." He said.
"Peter, there aren't going to be any cab's out here." I said, the realization finally hitting me.
"Don't worry, I have it covered." He said with a grin, then quickly grabbed my waist, and shot a web to the tallest nearby building, and suddenly we were soaring through the air. I clung tightly to him as I looked all around, watching the lights of buildings soar past us. The cars looking like little toys, and the people looking no bigger than dolls.
We landed safely in an ally. We quickly hailed another cab and directed it to my home. We made it at 9:55. We stood by the front door, holding hands, an uncomfortable silence lingering over us. "So listen," Peter finally said, "There's this dance, at my school, on the first Saturday after school starts in two weeks. I know it's really short notice-"
"I would love to." I quickly said.
Peter's eyes shot up to mine, "Really?" He asked, stuttering slightly.
I couldn't keep the giggle that bubbled up from coming out, "Yeah, really. I had a great night." I said as I shifted my weight.
Peter smiled, "So did I." I leaned towards him, when suddenly a loud alarm started going off. "Shoot!" Peter said, and suddenly my dad shot out the door.
"Come on kid, that's us!" He said, and waived the cab away as he began guiding Peter to the garage.
"It's masquerade ball! I'll talk to you soon!" He yelled over his shoulder before fully turning away from me.
I sighed as I turned to go inside. I took my shoes off at the door and Pepper came around to greet me. "Did it go okay?!" She asked excitedly.
"It was really great. He invited me to his school dance." I said, and smiled.
Her eyes got big as let out an excited gasp, "We'll start dress shopping in the morning! What's the theme?"
Ugh. A dress. "Masquerade ball. Not really sure what kind of dress you get for that." I said.
"A beautiful one. Oh, that sounds so romantic!" She gushed.
"Yeah, it does." I said.
"Are you alright honey?" She asked as she walked up to me, pushing my hair out of my face.
"Yeah, I'm okay. Where are they going?" I quickly asked.
"To the tower, it was an internal call. Peter can't fight or anything like that, don't worry. And your dad's more than capable to take care of himself." She replied.
"I could have went." I said.
Pepper was silent for a moment, "Ruby, I think I know why you want to do that, and I don't want you getting hurt because that's not doable. I think, maybe, you should set more realistic dreams for yourself." She wasn't trying to be hurtful, she was being sincere.
"I don't think that dream is too unrealistic." I said, "I think I have what it takes."
Pepper smiled at me gently, "Why don't you come inside and we will put some tea on the stove and start a movie and see if we hear anything from your father about what is going on."
I nodded and she guided me inside, knowing I was upset. I knew it was something I could do, and I would just have to prove it to them.