"Peter! Someone left a message for you." Carol called into his bedroom.

"I thought you were in the shower." Pete responded as he entered the living room.

"I was, but I like to have a shower then a snack afterwards."

"Well OK. Hey, there's no messages on the machine."

"It's not on the machine."

"Wha…" Pete turned to Carol in confusion but she was simply pointing to the window with a smile on her face.

Pete looked out the window and was immensely shocked to see giant flaming letters spelling out the message: WEBS, RENDEZ-VOUS POINT

"Oh my God… he's, he's alive!" Peter turned to Carol with a tear in his eye. "And he learned a new word."

"Johnny, I can't believe it. You're alive. Oh my God." The web-slinger said as soon as he landed atop the statue of liberty and pulled one of his best friends into a hug.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm amazing. Your life was terrible without me. You can't believe you've got your brother back. Blah blah blah." Johnny said brushing him off almost nonchalantly. "Tell me about Ms. Marvel."

"It's actually captain now and… woah, how did you know about that? We've only been going out a couple weeks and barely told anyone."

"Peter, Peter, Peter." Johnny said patronizingly. "You can't hide anything from me. I resurrected, I'm like the second coming of the Messiah."

The disbelieving look on Peter's face was distinguishable even beneath his mask.

"Well as you know you usurped my place on the team." Johnny began accusatorily.

"Which you asked me to do."

"Yeah, in the event of my death, which we can quite clearly see did not occur."

"OK, so what's my usurping your position got to do with you finding out?"

"Sue worked it out."

"Sue worked it out?"

"I believe that's what I just said. And when I asked what had been happening in your life I could see she was hiding something and it didn't take me long to worm it out of her, I'm actually an expert at gathering intel from reluctant sources."

"But she hasn't told anyone else?"

"Nah, it took her brother coming back to life to reveal it to one person, so I'm sure you're safe."

"Great so now three people know, even though we waned no one in on it."

"I bet she was the one who suggested it be kept a secret."

"What makes you think that?"

"Oh please, I've seen you, and I've seen Carol Danvers, I'm surprised you haven't been shouting about your relationship from the rooftops."

"Well thanks."

"I mean it's all wrong. You're the geeky side-kick, you don't get the girl."

"Hey!"

"The wingman who settles for the less attractive friend. Hey wait a second you said three people now know. Who's the third?"

"Well, there's you, Sue, and Krypto the Superdog."

"Wh- LOGAN? You told some short, old x-man before your best friend?"

"You were dead. And best friend?"

"Yeah, like you have another friend." Johnny taunted. Spider-man just gave a noncommittal shrug. "Go on then, who is your best friend?"

"Erm… Carol?" Peter said with a smirk.

"No. NO! You don't do that to me, webs. What happened to the bro who used to mug attractive women so I could swoop in and be the hero and get a phone number."

"We've never done that."

"We should, I came up with it while I was dead, it's great don't you think?"

"It wouldn't work, I'm popular-ish now."

"Yeah, and Carol's into you for your looks."

"At least I have something else to offer."

"Yeah, no money and a crappy apartment."

"At least my head isn't too big to fit between a woman's legs."

"When you look like this." Johnny gestured to himself. "You don't need it to."

"Look like what? The poster boy for Nazi youth?"

"No, like a girl's wet dream."

"Yeah, girls in Antarctica maybe. But that has nothing to do with your loo..."

Peter was cut off by a loud horn and both heroes turned to see a large boat that was perilously close to shore.

"Looks like people are in danger, what say we postpone this chat?" Johnny commented lackadaisically.

"Way ahead of you, flame-brain." Spider-man said as he jumped off the statue of liberty, needing only one web to allow for a landing on the boat. "Come on, guys, somebody's trying to sink your battleship and it won't be long before someone calls D4." Spider-man said as he webbed the crew and slung them over his back.

"Is that the Human Torch?" Sure enough Johnny was flying in front of the boat attempting to slow it down.

"You can ask for autographs later." Spider-man said as he leapt off the boat and brought them down to safety on land.

"Thank you."

"Not time for celebrations yet, there're still people on there." Spider-man said as he jumped back into the fray and went back to the boat.

"I don't understand; we were miles from shore." The Captain said, more to himself than anyone.

"Evidently not, now come on. I know they say a Captain goes down with his ship, but that's ridiculous if everyone can get to safety."

"Uh, webs."

"Not now, Johnny."

"No webs, he's right, they didn't reach the shore, the shore reached them."

"Wha…" Spidey turned to see the beach rise and form the shape of a smirking Flint Marko. "Sup, Sandy, still dating Danny? You guys are so cute."

Johnny and Pete were standing in front of a glass sculpture of Flint Marko.

"Sandman, you've been served. Yeah you thought Neil Gaiman wouldn't notice you slandering his work." Spidey said as he webbed a piece of paper to Flint Marko.

Johnny bent down to read it. "'Courtesy of your friendly neighbourhood Spider-man'. Jeez, Webs, you're so lame."

"You're just jealous you didn't think of it first. Anyway thanks for the assist." Pete said.

"Assist? I did everything."

"Well who kept all of the civilians safe and told you how to beat Sandman."

"Please, without me you might not have even won this fight."

"Yeah, because that's what all of the history books say."

By this point people were rushing up to them, congratulating and thanking both the heroes.

"See, told you people were coming 'round on the Spider-man."

"Please they're just here for me, you're just getting some of my reflected adulation. But come on, we're off."

"Don't want to announce your return theatrically?"

"With a win against the Sandman? Please, I fight better villains during breakfast, your rogues gallery is weak and I will not use be using one for my return." Johnny said as he flew away, though slowly enough for Spider-man to catch up. "Besides we didn't finish our conversation earlier. How is Carol?"

"Way too good for me."

Johnny scoffed. "Tell me something I don't know."

Spider-man landed down in his apartment and was overjoyed to find his girlfriend still there.

"How was it?"

"Just like old times!" Pete said enthusiastically. "We insulted each other, fought a super-villain and had a heart-to-heart."

"Did you tell him about us?" She asked worriedly.

"He already knew."

"Oh."

"Oh? You don't sound surprised. Oh my God she didn't work it out, you just told her." Spider-man said, as though this was an act of betrayal. "But why didn't you tell Jess or someone, isn't she your best friend?"

"She is. I just wanted to speak to someone outside of the Avengers. And Sue knows what it takes to make a superhero relationship work, and she's not likely to gossip about it."

"Can't wait to tell Jess you said that."

"You do and you'll wake up vapourised." Carol threatened.

"So did Sue have good advice?" Peter said, changing the subject.

"Yeah, she said to wait before going all the way."

"Oops."

"Yeah, but there was other stuff too. It helps that she's married to a scientist."

"I'm no Reed Richards."

"If you applied yourself you could be."

Peter scoffed and Captain Marvel was next to him in a flash, cupping his face in her hands gently.

"Peter you're one of the smartest people I know. I've seen your mind work in ways that Tony Stark or Reed Richards could only dream of."

Peter tried to look away, to the floor, the wall, anywhere but the penetrating eyes opposite him, but his girlfriend wasn't allowing it. He looked at her and saw she was being completely earnest and his heart swelled.

"I also wanted to talk to Sue because of how much I like you. I'm sorry I didn't tell you or anything. I really want this to work out Peter."

No words were coming out of Peter's mouth, he wanted to say so much to her but had no idea how to. So he kissed her, with more passion than he ever had before. He led her to the bedroom and they spent the most intense night of the relationship together, alone in the room. So wrapped up as they were with each other neither noticed when Carol's boot crushed a small gold robot with eight spindly legs.