Cause we're in love, I just don't know it yet.

VI.

Today was a big day, for Elly and even more so for Peter. Today, sixteen years ago, Peter Parker was brought into the world. Despite their relationship only being less than a week old,. She wanted to do something special for him. She would feel awful if she didn't. So Elly had made dinner reservations earlier on in the week, essentially just after she had dropped Peter off the day they had made things official. Now, here she sat directly across from him with his aunt May to his right and Tony Stark to his left. For some unfathomable reason, Elly thought it would be a great idea into a familial affair. Her dad proved her wrong when he kept hitting on May. Multiple times, Elly kicked him from under the table, silently asking her father to stop embarrassing her and Peter. He wouldn't. May almost seemed completely oblivious, to which Elly was incredibly thankful for. Dinner was coming to a close as their server brought over a slice of Tiramisu with a singular candle stuck in it.

"Make a wish, Peter!" Aunt May cheered softly as the dessert was placed in front of him. Absentmindedly, his hand reached for Elly's across the table as he blew out the candle. Desserts for the rest of the group arrived and chatter continued until Tony closed their check, ready to head back home to swamp himself with more work, no doubt.

"Happy birthday, kid." He said with a small genuine smile, patting Peter on his back. "And it was wonderful to see you again, May. Hopefully I'll see you soon." Elly pretended not to see the wink that her dad had just given. Tony turned to his daughter, giving her a hug and a kiss on the cheek. "I'll see you at home, squirt. Love you."

"Love you too, dad."

"Thanks for dinner, Mr. Stark!" Peter called after Tony's already retreating frame.

"Mm, so do you two have any plans after this?" May asked, swallowing a bit of cake.

"Uh..." Peter looked to Elly with questioning brows.

"I mean, it's a bit late already, May. Unless you're giving me permission to kidnap him for the night." The Stark daughter responded with a chuckle, entirely joking.

"Sure, if you want to. I want Peter to spend his birthday with how he wants it." The boy's eyes nearly fell out of their sockets in shock—did his aunt seriously just give him permission to be with his girlfriend all night?

"W-wait, May, I was kidding. I-I'm sure you two have some trad—" May shook her head and waved her hands up.

"No, no. It's totally okay. It's the first time Peter has ever gotten to spend a birthday with his girlfriend. It's the first time he's ever even had a girlfriend; I just want him to do what makes him happy. Just let me know what you two end up doing, and I'm gonna head home!" Elly finally noticed that her mouth was hanging wide open, shock flowing through her veins. Was that a normal parenting tactic, or was aunt May just being super nonchalant? It was strange to Elly and, judging by the look on Peter's face, it was foreign to him too. But May was already gone and left the couple alone.

"Uhh...okay…?" Peter had finally spoke. "Well. D-did you have any other ideas for us tonight?" He tried to ask casually but felt his awkwardness cause his voice to tremble.

"I mean, I wouldn't be opposed to watching a movie or something. Or—ooh, I know!" Elly reached into her purse to grab her car keys, nearly rushing out the door. Peter followed after her, incredibly confused.

"What's the hurry?" He asked as they got into her white Audi.

"Nothing, actually. I just came up with a great idea though! Let's go back to the Tower and watch a movie or take a nap or something while we wait."

"Take a nap?" He couldn't hide the incredulous tone in his voice.

"Yeah, I have a plan. But it's still only nine, and if were going to do this the way I'm imagining it, we have to do it later tonight." Elly had been so excited for her plan that she hadn't realized that her words sounded borderline dirty. And, while he knew she hadn't intended for it come out that way, nerves began to fill Peter's gut. Should he say something? Or should he just wait and play it cool and pretend that his blood didn't just start rushing? Quickly weighing out his options, he easily chose the latter. Elly had filled the interior of her car with sounds of quick working acoustic guitars and a raspy voice as she made her way back home.

"No EDEN tonight?" He commented. She had been playing the same artist for the place month, it was a little surprising to hear her put on something else.

"Nope," Her lips popped on the last syllable for emphasis. "Not yet, I'm feeling rebellious tonight. Johnny Hobo always gets me riled up." She was singing along, not even attempting to sing in key and somehow managed to harmonize with the track, spewing words of anarchy with the artist. It was a different side of Elly that he was observing; she was always so collected and prim and proper—grooming from her parents no doubt. She was sarcastic and playful but the girl beside him had a fire in her soul and Peter had never been so intrigued in another human. They arrived back at the Tower relatively quickly, thanks to the lack of traffic. The anticipation of Elly showing him one of her favorite places gave her a revitalized energy.

"Okay, you're making me nervous with this surprise. What's the plan tonight?" He had asked as they took the elevator to the fourth floor of the Tower, which gave him no hints. All he knew was that the family office was on this floor.

"It's a surprise, duh. I can't tell you!" She teased, though she grabbed his hand and entwined her fingers with his to help ease his tension. "Just trust me, okay? I promise it's nothing super extravagant and definitely not something to freak over." They strolled through the hall hand in hand, stopping outside of first door on the right. Elly pulled open the door on flicked on dim lights. The entrance lead to another hallway before spilling into a home theater.

"H-holy shit, this is awesome!" Peter remarked, bee-lining for the short rows of extravagant theater chairs. He picked the center seat in the row furthest in the back. "These recline?!" He exclaimed as he discovered the lever and immediately made himself comfortable. His excitement brought laughter to Elly's lips without fail. While he was geeking out over the home theater, Elly was setting up the projector with A.A.R.O.N.'s help to pull up the first Harry Potter movie. After the feature had started, she had taken the seat to the right of him, reclining back and curling into his side. Peter's instinct kicked in as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Thank you, by the way." He whispered, looking down at his girlfriend. It still felt foreign to him to call her that. "For spending my birthday with me, and thinking to include aunt May."

"Of course, Peter. She's family, and it's not that hard to tell that family is just as important to you as it is to me." His heart skipped a beat, noticing the way she said family sounded so inclusive. As if they were already one big happy family. Instead of speaking further, Peter pressed his lips into her hairline before turning his attention back to the screen. Elly's cheeks burned softly at the sweet gesture but she kept her eyes focused on the movie. An hour had lapsed by the time he heard a gentle snore coming from his girl's nose, making him grin in amusement. He refused to wake her even long after the movie had ended and opted to sit with his thoughts and enjoy her company. Without prompting, the projector rolled the following Harry Potter movie in sequence—Elly had slept through the movie in its entirety, but he wouldn't tell her that.

"Elly~" He hummed softly after the movie had come to end. "The movie's over." A small groan escaped her lips as she lifted her head off of his shoulder.

"Shit, what time is it?"

"Almost two in the morning." Elly perked right up, standing from the theater seat slightly rushed.

"Perfect! Let's get going." Before Peter could ask a single question, she was exiting the theater. There was a bit of pep in her step as she headed towards the elevator.

"Are you gonna tell me where we're going?"

"Nowhere." She chimed as they exited the elevator and got back into her car. Once again, the gruff voice of Johnny Hobo played on the speakers and Elly began singing along. This time, the windows were down as they lulled through the streets, allowing the cool summer evening air blowing around their hair. "Have you ever seen the city during dead hour?" She asked. Peter shook his head, making Elly smile. "This used to be one of my favorite things to do. Just drive up towards the pier and cruise around the city, listening to music. It's about a two and a half hour round trip." Already, Peter could see the beauty of New York City lights as they merged onto the freeway.

"I almost wish I had a camera." He mumbled to himself as he watched the city go by.

"A.A.R.O.N., please activate windshield cam." A faint red light began to glow around the rim of the windshield after an affirmative beep was heard. "Now we can watch this very moment back on my phone."

"Woah, that's amazing! Do you have any older videos from when you used to do this?" Elly grew quiet, debating whether or not she should tell him.

"This is something Rebecca and I would always do." She murmured, ultimately deciding that there was no reason to keep her past life a secret to Peter. "She would be having one of her episodes and the only thing I could ever really do to get her away from drugs was to take her on these drives." He listened very intently, unsure of what to say. "Despite all those long, crappy nights—I always made sure to appreciate the beauty of home."

"It's peaceful. It's hard not to see the beauty of home when it's like this." Peter said as he mindlessly reaching for Elly's hand closest to him. A slight grin touched her lips as the word home ran through her mind.

"I like you, Peter." She responded, squeezing his hand for emphasis. "I don't think I got to actually tell you that the other day."

"I think you might have failed to mention that. Maybe say it again, just in case." He teased. Elly rolled her eyes; he could tell from the illumination of the dashboard lights.

"Just in case I wasn't entirely clear then, I like you. I like the feeling I get when I'm around you, like I can just be me, whoever that is. I feel like I am free to discover who I am as an individual without repercussions or judgment."

"Are you not allowed to do that without me?" He asked, genuinely curious. While still trying to focus her attention on the road, she looked at him with offended eyes.

"Peter, my dad keeps my car keys so I don't sneak out anymore. Nobody at school even knew my real name. I wasn't allowed to join any after school activities, I never got to go to any of the dances, nothing. It was strictly go to school and go home." It was a sad life to outsiders looking in, but Elly never wanted to appear ungrateful. Her dad was great, her mom was great, and sure, she never had to worry about a single payment for the rest of her life. But none of that was worth not having individuality—it wasn't worth just being Tony Stark's daughter and being under constant assessment by the few people that knew of her existence. She wanted to be whoever Madelyn Joyce Stark was meant to be.

"Well, now when you come home, I'll be there."

"Coming home to Spider-Man? Sounds like a dream."

"Glad I can make your dreams come true." Peter gripped her hand just a little bit tighter, offering genuine words but left the conversation as is. The music began to take over the volume of the vehicle. The view of the pier coming into sight cause memories to flood back into Elly's mind. It was almost as if she were sixteen again riding around with her best friend, smoking cigarettes and dreaming of better days. Better days had finally come, but she was gone. "El, you okay?" Peter asked carefully. She gave a few hard, rapid blinks before turning to him with slightly furrowed brows.

"Yeah, why?"

"You're crying." Elly let go of his hand, immediately wiping away tears she hadn't realized had fallen.

"Yeah I just...I haven't made this drive since the funeral. Just kind of feels like she's here right now." Peter was itching to feel the warmth of her hand clasping his once again, but she was still wiping her tears so he settled with placing a hand on her thigh to offer her comfort.

"Hey, Rebecca. I-I'm Peter. I'm dating your best friend now, so I guess that kinda makes us friends, right?" He said carefully, just loud enough for the two of them to hear. Elly looked at him confusion, wondering if he was going crazy to think there was somebody in the car. Or maybe he was really talking to her late best friend. She hoped Rebecca could hear him. "I just wanted to say that Elly is amazing. She's smart, and funny, and really talented, and beautiful, a-and I'm sure you miss her. She misses you a lot." Sobs began to wrack through Elly's chest as she listened to his every word. She was doing her best to focus on the roads, but the tears welling in her eyes blurred her vision. Her gut was telling her to pull over; it ended up bringing them to the parking lot of the pier. As soon as she parked the car, Elly put her head on the steering wheel, not wanting Peter to see her makeup staining her cheeks as she bawled. "Elly? Anything you want to say to her?" His voice came as a whisper. She hadn't even realized that he was unbuckled until she felt both of his strong arms engulfing her frame.

"Y-yeah." She sniffled at an attempt to clear the mucus from her voice. "I hate you, bitch. Making me cry and shit. I actually felt cute today!" Elly laughed awkwardly, not an ounce of hatred backing her malicious words. Silently, she shrugged Peter off of her before reaching for the glove compartment. She pulled out a nearly full pack of menthol cigarettes and a lighter. "Sorry to ruin the rest of her birthday, Peter. I thought I could handle doing this for you." He just looked at her in wonder, watching as she took a drag of her freshly lit smoke. Her hands were beginning to tremble less, he noticed, with every exhale.

"It's not ruined, Elly. I got to talk to your best friend, finally. She said misses you, by the way." She gave a half smile and reached for his hand with her empty one. They sat still for a brief second, just watching the reflection of lights in the water dance in the moonlight.

"I am sorry, though. This night wasn't supposed to be about me, I shouldn't have taken you on this drive." She said, barely loud enough to be heard over the rough acoustic strumming.

"D-don't be. Really. You shared something so private with me, something that's hard for you to talk about and it just makes me feel like you trust me and you actually want to spend time with me."

"I do trust you and I do want to spend time with you." Elly pointed out. She flicked her cigarette out the window before partially turning to face him. "Thank you for letting me be me."

"I don't want anything less, Elly. I-I want you." Overwhelmed with emotion, her hands wrapped around Peter's neck before bringing him in for a kiss. A real kiss; not a peck on the cheek or a chaste press on the lips. A kiss that had Elly's emotions flowing through them, and he could feel every ounce of her. He felt her sadness, her passion, her confusion—every bit of it. Peter kissed back with urgency, his lips instantly swelling due to the force. He hoped she could feel what he was feeling in that moment. The joy, the adoration, and the pride he felt being able to call her his. His fingers threaded into her wavy brown locks as her tongue licked at his lower lip, attempting to deepen the kiss. Elly pulled him closer until they were nearly chest to chest while his tongue meshed with hers. She was the first to pull away after what had only felt like seconds to take a breath, her forehead resting on his.

"L-let's go home." She mumbled, attempting to turn her attention back to the steering wheel to hide her forming blush. Peter wouldn't let her. Instead of allowing her to turn away, he placed a hand gingerly on her cheek, guiding her lips back to his. He didn't want their first kiss to leave her feeling embarrassed, ashamed, or anything of the sort. He was unsure if he succeeded upon seeing the confused look contorting her facial features as he pulled away.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

"Probably not the most attractive thing, kissing a smoker." Cigarettes had been a habit Elly had picked up from hanging out with her late best friends, and had only worsened with her passing. She still did her best to keep it hidden so her parents would never know, only smoking when her emotions became unbearable.

"It's kinda funny. I've been wondering why you always smelled a little minty even though you weren't chewing gum or anything, and now I have my answer." Elly burst into laughter at his response; she should have figured he would say something was just so characteristically Peter. His hand found hers once again, cradling it in reassurance. "Let's go see the rest of the city." He said after her laughter died down. Elly nodded before backing away from the pier and merging onto the freeway once again.

"Okay, so now let's turn on EDEN, cruise, and watch the city lights go by." They did absolutely just that. Peter's breath was caught in his lungs as viewed their home in a new light. Dimly lit yellows and blues rolled by them, giving life to the city. A small smile touched Peter's lips as the red light around the windshield caught his brown eyes—A.A.R.O.N. had never once stopped recording. He would be able to forget his sixteenth birthday.

Author Note: Hiyo~ This story has already been posted to my Tumblr, Tom-Hollandaze but I figured I would share this here.