disclaimer: do not own mcu or their characters
restart my heart
the peace offering
time frame; september — same day ; afternoon
Latte Da
"A whole box of almond croissants? And my favorite latte waiting for me? You are really pulling out all the stops this time, Harley." Sophia slides into the half booth of her favorite coffee shop. Instantly reaching for her favorite pastry with a sma happy wiggle in place.
"Think of it as a peace offering. And an apology for being such an ass."
"How did you know these are my favorites? This craving is relatively new. I didn't expect you to know." She pulls a small piece off. Humming to herself after popping the buttery bread into her mouth.
"I take offense to that." Harley stared her down from over his own glass mug.
"Well, that is why we are here. I have been leaving you high and dry. Especially during my new craving era. It's to be expected you don't know all my new quirks and habits." Sophia rips a small piece off the flakey croissant before popping it in her mouth.
"There's no need to take offense. It's just our reality at the moment." Sophia continues.
"Sophia, I know this is your new craving just like how I know it used to be their pecan cinnamon rolls and before that it was the cream cheese danishes. I know you better than anyone else, Sophie. That will never change. Don't forget it." Harley teases from across the table. Leaning his chair onto its back legs.
"Is that so?" Sophie watches as he leans back. One elbow propped on the back of the chair and the other flat against the table. "Because I feel like things have been weird and that we've been different . A lot different. We're trekking into new territory for the both of us."
"Of course I do, Sophia. We practically grew up together - albeit, it was mostly through video calls. But that didn't stop me from noticing all your quirks. And now, I get to learn them in person just like you get to know mine."
"I believe your quirk was to be a bully during our first few meetings." Sophia gives him a pointed look. Placing another torn off bite of her croissant. "You were the biggest jerk I have ever met and that says a lot considering the company dad kept."
"And that's why you love me. It caught your attention didn't it? That I was different and didn't kiss your feet." Harley replies with a smirk.
"What got my attention was you burning my Barbie dolls outside in the snow." Sophia says dryly. "Honestly, that alone should have told me to not come near you again. I cried for days over that. That's psychopathic behavior from you, my friend."
Harley barks out a laugh. Blonde curls bouncing with the movement. Narrowing her eyes, Sophia drags her eyes across his face. Nails tapping against her coffee mug.
He seems lighter. More genuine and less…threatening for a lack of a better word. Not the same person that caused Peter's senses to go into overload.
Very strange indeed.
"It was for science. It was a noble cause. We even had a proper funeral, remember? My Ninja Turtles were gracious enough to give the eulogy."
Sophia scoffs playfully. A hint of a smile on her face. "Yes but only after you were forced into it. Then you realized the local recycling program would give you money for them and dug them back up. You were such a bully to your sister and I."
"Hey! I bought you another Barbie with that money!" Harley points a finger at her. Slamming the chair back down on all fours.
"That makes it worse! Huge red flag behavior. You were a bully. It's a miracle we became friends." Sophia laughs. Faint memories of winter snow and sliding down a hill outside a luxury hotel flash through her mind.
"I wouldn't have to be a bully if you weren't such a whiner and so…prissy. I gave you character. Helped you build up some walls and prepared you for the world outside of your tower." Harley gave her a wink. His whole face lit up with amusement.
Sophia leans back in her booth with a scowl. "I was not prissy."
She's just fashionable and practical. Dirt and snowy mud? Not practical. Or hygienic.
"You were and are, but that doesn't make me like you any less. You are still my best friend despite that minor flaw." Harley grabs a croissant from the box. Taking a huge chunk off with his teeth.
"And as your best friend I'm contractually obligated to accept your flaws." Harley continues.
"Well, as your best friend, I do have to remind you that I have kept up with my promises. I am here and completely yours. You have my undivided attention." To back up her statements, Sophia places her phone in the middle of the table. A peace offering in a way. She won't be answering her phone for anyone but her mother or Happy.
"I'm sorry for not being here for you. You did move here for me. I shouldn't have ditched you. I promise it wasn't a conscious decision on my part. There was no malice behind it. Honest." Sophia looks up at him earnestly.
"Straight to it, huh? You really don't beat around the brush. I admire that. Always have." Harley gives her another playful wink. Sitting up straighter in his chair while gripping his hot mocha with both hands. "Really nice segway into that by the way. Nicely done."
"Thank you." Sophia gestures a mock bow with her hand and a nod of her head.
"Look, Sophie." Harley starts with a sigh. "You've apologized enough. I should have communicated better with you instead of letting it fester. I'm sorry for that. It caused me to act out. But we're here now so let's enjoy it. Let's move on. I don't like fighting with you." Hadley reaches a hand out. "Truce?"
"I don't like fighting with you either, Harley." Grabbing his hand in hers, Sophia shakes them before letting go. "Truce."
This really can't be the same person Peter's spider senses tried to warn them against.
There's no way. Sophia shakes her head slightly. She's known Harley for so long. Being here with him, talking to him like this…if he wanted to hurt her he would have a long time ago.
Not Harley. She's known him longer than she's known Peter. She's had more conversations, more memories, with Harley than she does anyone else outside her little misfit family. It just doesn't make sense.
Maybe she should get Peter to make an appointment with Dr.Cho to get recalibrated. He definitely has to have it wrong. All he felt was Harley's insecurities and jealousy rolling off him and directed at Peter. She can't blame Harley for feeling that way. She is the one that caused it.
She can only hope she didn't cause too much damage and that things are not irreparable between the two teenage boys.
"Why do I feel a 'but' coming on?" Harley's voice cuts into her thoughts.
"Because there is one." Sophia inwardly cringes. Harley waves his hand in the air. A motion to continue.
"I feel like a lot of our miscommunication issues stem from you refusing to get to know my friends. Instead, you quite literally walk the other way when you see them in the halls. I promise they're all great when you get to know them. I'm sure you can find some common ground."
"Didn't know you noticed that." He rakes his hand through his curls. Looking off to the side with a slight twist of his lips.
"You're not the only one watching. I watch you too. I just didn't want to push your boundaries by constantly approaching you with people you can't stand for reasons you won't tell me." Sophia huffs.
Just because he wanted to blend in the shadows didn't mean she forgot his existence. Being who she is, whether she wants to be or not, she'll forever be surrounded by people wherever she goes. Center stages for the world to see.
It wouldn't be fair to push someone who is even more introverted than herself into the same situation she has a love-hate relationship with.
But that didn't mean he could go on forever hiding away from her. He had to put some effort in too. They both did if they didn't want this five year old friendship to end.
"That's a really big ask from me, Sophie. I will do a lot of things for you. Above and beyond what I would do for most people if we're being honest here. But I don't think I can do that." Harley's mouth flattens into a straight line. Face made of stone.
"Why? What's so wrong with my friends that you can't be friends with them too?" Sophia asks in confusion. A few unfavorable encounters shouldn't be the downfall of a relationship before it can even begin. It's not like they started out badly. The few conversations between the boys just didn't end great is all.
They were mostly stiff and awkward and silent. Sophia can confidently say she never once thought they were hostile.
"I want to be here for you. I do. But I think we should focus on repairing our friendship first before you force me to jump into the deep end of other friendships."
"Isn't this a way of being here for me? If you want to be here for me and be by my side, this is the way to do it. By listening to me. I'm telling you very clearly what I need from you in this friendship. I need more than just this." Sophia pleads. Motioning between the two with her fingers. "I need to be set free."
"You need more than just me is what you mean." Harley scowls. Pulling back from her with crossed arms.
Signing, Sophia leans her head against a propped hand. Teeth pulling at her lips. "No. That's not what I mean."
"Then what exactly do you mean? Before we came here that's all you needed. Us and the tower and the people who resided in it. You were happy."
"I don't think I was. Or I might have been happy just unfulfilled. Or maybe it's because that tower is now empty and lifeless." Sophia takes a deep breath. Slowly exhaling. "I mean I'm not exactly ecstatic given these circumstances either. I miss dad like crazy but…" Sophia trails off. Eyes staring down at the half eaten box of pastries.
"But I think I could be happy, I mean, here with you. Going to school, joining clubs, field trips, and doing normal teen activities. Together. I don't have many ties left to the 'before' times and I don't want to let you go, Harles. Not over something as stupid as suits, untouched tools, and school friendships."
"Maybe. Eventually. Right now I'm not exactly a fan of your bodyguard. For a multitude of reasons." Harley's brows pinch together and green eyes take a hard edge to them. Staring out the window behind her.
"Why? You never gave me a straight answer."
"Do we have to get into this?" Harley groans. "What happened to moving on? Enjoying our day. Restarting. I even gave you a peace offering. So let's make peace and move on"
Sophia shoots him a look that had Harley instantly deflating with an exasperated eye roll.
"Fine. He's just —"
Her phone vibrating against the table cut his sentence short. Peter's face and nickname shining bright.
"He's just always there." Harley finishes. Glaring down at her phone.
Sophia taps the red circle. Effectively ending the call while pushing down the side button until she heard a click. Hands moving quickly to put the device on silent and flipping the phone over face down. Purposely leaving it in the middle of the table once again.
"Stupid Spider Pesky Parker? What's that about?" Harley munches on another croissant. Almonds flying onto the table with he aggressive bite.
"He's just as annoying as a spider. Always popping up unexpectedly and unwelcomed. Giving me a jump scare. Plus it rhymes. That's what the original thought of it was, anyway." Sophia waves her hand in the air. Dismissing the question as unimportant when in reality her heart starts to skip a beat.
Mentally crossing fingers Harley doesn't think too much into the nickname.
She would be mortified if the world knew Spider-Man's identity over something as stupid as a phone contact name. Aunt Nat would roll over in her grave if that were to happen. Probably come back from the dead just to scold her on her stupidity.
"But now you're okay with it?" Harley questions slowly with confusion.
Sophie shrugs.
"He's always there. Hovering around you like a freelance bodyguard. I can barely get a word in with you anymore. I barely see your face. I'm not even someone you rely on anymore. You don't come to me with your problems or fears. I feel like he's trying to force a wedge between us. It was always supposed to be just you and me. Not you, me, and Parker." Harley rants. Eyes blazing with emotion
"But Harley, not to sound blunt, we have never had that type of relationship. Ninety percent of our conversations have always been science based or just us sitting in silence in the workshop. This is the first time we have ever truly opened up to each other. Have you not realized?" Sophia sits in a mixture of confusion and sadness.
Sad that he always seemed their relationship high and confused as to why she hasn't felt the same.
Had Harley always wanted more than being pen pals and she was just blind to see it? Stuck inside her own head to not notice others around her.
"But I want to be that person now. I want to be here for you from now on. When you have nightmares. When you're struggling to get through the school day when socializing becomes too much. Or even when you get excited about being able to get through a full conversation with that Michelle girl. I want to be the person you call. That's what best friends are for right? To be there to support during highs and lows."
"How do you know this? I haven't told anyone but my therapist how I was feeling most days." Sophia breathes out. Pulling her hand back to lean into the cushions. Suddenly uncomfortable to be sitting here with Harley. Not because of him but because she suddenly felt exposed and hyper aware of how many people began mingling around them.
"Because I know you. I know you better than I know myself. There's nothing you can't hide from me, Sophia. When I look at you it's like I'm reading a book. For me, you're like an open book I can lose myself in." Harley pauses. Green eyes scanning her face.
Sophia can't help but squirm under the intensity. Fingers tearing and pulling at the remains of her snack. This Harley is so much different than the one she visited on holiday vacations. Different from the one that came to visit her. This isn't the same Harley she moved out to New York.
If she can't even recognize the person across from her, how is he able to recognize her? This move seems to have changed them both without them realizing it.
"Why do I get the feeling you don't believe me?" Harley asks. Tone more curious than upset.
"How can you claim to know me when I don't know myself, Harles? I am literally in therapy two times a week trying to figure out who I am now. How could you possibly know what I don't?"
"I just do." Harley shrugs with a smile. "I'm just waiting for you to catch up."
"Well, you should at least fill me in then. I think it's only right for my best friend to indulge me about myself." Sophia tries to take on a teasing edge. Hand carding through the top of her head.
She could still feel her heart beat faster than it should.
"Alright. I'll play the game. For every fact you give about me, I will give one about you. Think of it as the remix version of twenty-one questions." Harley throws back the rest of his mocha.
Nodding along, Sophia looks him up and down. Unsure if she's able to know anything about him that isn't outdated or painfully obvious.
She really has been a bad friend.
"Okay." She says finally. "But don't get offended if my 'facts' are outdated."
"I'm stronger than you think. Give me your best." Harley motions for her to continue.
"Well, let's see. Your favorite food is Mexican, the subject you're struggling the most in is history, and your comfort show is Modern Family or Breaking Bad depending on the day. Oh!" Sophie sits up straight in her seat. Face beaming and hands gripped the edge of the tabletop.
Harley raises an eyebrow. Amusement dancing in his green eyes.
"This one is new! I bet you didn't know that I know you have been spending time with a blonde want-to-be reporter." Sophia brings her mug to mouth to hide her triumphant smirk. The smell of caramel and espresso wafting through her nose.
"A few of those were pretty easy ones. Nothing too deep or personal." Harley clicks his tongue. "But I wouldn't say I'm hanging out with Betty. She's more of a 'pesky spider' as you call it than an actual person to me. How did you know about Betty? You don't even share a class with her."
"I have my ways. You're not the only one who knows things." Sophia teases. Placing her hands against her cheeks and elbows on the table, she leans forward. "It's not much of a fact but it's still a fact nonetheless. You have a new friend."
Harley lets out a scoff. "I wouldn't call her a friend. Like I said, she's just a pesky spider. She'll give up eventually and see I'm not interested. She isn't anything to worry about. She won't be getting in the way."
"Get in the way of what? Having a normal high school experience and broadening your horizons? I think it's nice you're making new friends and making your circle bigger."
Perhaps Betty Brant could be the Trojan horse to allow others into his life. Hope rose in Sophia's chest, causing her to grin. Harley deserves more friends than just her. She can't uphold being his only support while running around with Spider-Man and maintaining normal relationships.
It would also help lessen the guilt that she's had less and less time with Harley the busier life gets.
Harley waves her off again. "You are more than enough for me." He takes a sip of his coffee. Black and one sugar. "You and Friday and Dum-E."
His words don't fill her with the fuzzy feeling of love and warmth like they used to. Instead his words bring discomfort. Shifting in her seat, Sophia takes a long sip of her latte. Harley may be okay with just her but she wasn't. She needed more.
Maybe she's selfish but she's not content with just him. Not anymore. Not even close. She doesn't want to be his whole world. She wants an equal.
"Your turn." Sophia reminds him. Gently placing her cup down.
"A fact about you most people won't know." Harley hums. Contemplating an answer.
"Okay. I got you." Harley cracks his fingers. "Sophia fact number one: you're working on quantum computing and analytics while dabbling in environmental friendly solar paths. Very odd projects to be working on simultaneously by the way."
Sophia gives him a flat stare. "Anyone can read that in any article or magazine. We're giving off personal facts not google search engine results."
Harley leans towards her with a smirk. "Yes but all of the articles are missing one very important fact."
"And what is that, Harley?"
"Sophia fact number two. While you are indeed working on quantum computing and analytics, while innovative, has ulterior motives. You're trying to bring your dad back."
Luxe Leaks Magazine
Sophia Stark is Playing the Field!
Sophia Stark is seen following in her late father's footsteps. Not too long ago she has been spotted with her former babysitter— Peter Parker but now she has been seen cozying up to a new man!
Sources say his name is Harley Keener, a childhood friend that has followed her to New York from Tennessee! Sources close to the couple say that Harley couldn't keep his love a secret anymore after seeing her with Peter Parker, traveled to New York, and finally confessed. The two are now happily dating and keeping to themselves…
Peter tore his eyes away from the article with a low groan. Swiping his thumb across his phone screen to make it disappear. A photo of May, the Stark family, and himself smiled brightly at him from his home screen.
Weird danger sense around Harley aside, Peter wasn't comfortable with Harley's presence lurking around the two. With or without Sophia around, Harley makes his skin crawl. Unsure if it was Harley's tough exterior or the blatant disdain Harley has for Peter that causes it.
He just knows Harley puts him on edge and frustratingly doesn't understand why or what Harley could possibly be doing to set it off.
Harley Keener, as far as Peter could tell, isn't some super villain hellbent on tearing the world apart. Nor is he a petty thief aiming to steal the measly five dollars he has left in his wallet. Yet something seems off.
Horribly off.
Every time the blonde is with him and Soph, he has to resist the urge to pick up her, swing her away and then scold her for being friends with someone his spider instincts screams is dangerous. Forbidding her from ever talking to him again despite not having an actual reason or proof to back himself up. Just a gut feeling.
When he told Ned this, he was quick to point out that there was much too babysitter and not enough platonic friendship in that game plan. That and Sophia doesn't like being told what to do. She would just take the information and hit him with it before doing the exact opposite of what he wanted out of spite.
He personally strongly disagrees about what Sophia's reaction would be. Much more leaning towards she'll consider it and listen to him for at least a few hours before deciding to run off with Harley out of pure spite but he isn't willing to face Sophia's wrath in case he's wrong and Ned is right. It would be hard to see out the mask if she gives him a black eye.
Besides, who is he to tell her who she can and cannot see? Even though being in the same room of that very person makes him want to claw himself out of his own skin with how intense the danger alarms inside his head go off.
It's uncomfortable and itchy. Likes he's being covered in wool or that god awful, pointy metallic silver dish sponge Mai uses on her stainless steel pots.
Maybe his spidey senses are broken.
"Hey, Peter, where's Sophia? It's only the second day of team meetings and she's already missing." Betty asks from her seat. Three chairs down with MJ.
"Penis Parker! Your girlfriend seems to be getting around. Guess you weren't man enough!" Flash shoved a sleek phone in his face before Peter could answer. Cackling with laughter.
Sophia and Harley shine in the thumbnail of the article beaming from Flash's phone.
"I knew it was only a matter of time before she realized you were a loser and hopped onto the next guy's lap. Just like I knew that internship was a lie. Like you could get a job working with Tony Stark. You were just a glorified babysitter." Flash sneers. Towering above him.
"Don't talk about her like that, man." Peter warns him, voice restrained. Peter shoved his backpack over his shoulders, looking around. Most of the decathlon team members have cleared out the room. Betty, MJ, and Ned linger at a back table.
Hardly any witnesses if he just happens to accidentally web him upside down from the ceiling. Just a small accident he's sure Happy and Sophia could cover up easily. He could probably trust Betty to keep it a secret,
Probably. Maybe, hopefully?
"Can't handle the truth? She probably realized how creepy you are. Drooling over her and following her around like a dog." Flash taunts.
Peter stands out of his seat with a sigh. Careful to avoid brushing against Flash. "Go away, Flash."
He's not worth it. Peter repeats over and over. Don't hang him from the ceiling. You're a superhero not an avenger against high school bullies. Happy would ground him from his suit.
Even worse — Sophia would kill him. Bring him back to life and then kill him again for dragging the Stark and Avenger's name through the dirt over such a pathetic taunt.
"You know, I think you're the first person to ever be babysitter-zoned by a girl they're chasing." Flash chunkles. Scrolling through his phone to show off more photos of Sophie and Harley.
Sophia being escorted down the street with a grinning Harley. Both sporting a matching pair of sunglasses.
Sophia sitting across from Harley in a booth at her favorite coffee shop and sharing her favorite pastry.
Sophia and Harley the first day of school. Sitting together in Harrington's class. The photo is blurry and taken behind a backpack.
"Well, that explains where Sophia is." Betty around Flash. Eyeing the phone in distaste. "Just because she's famous doesn't mean she can come and go as she pleases. We're still a team and need to practice together. We need to be able to rely on her."
"Look at this one. Says here, Sopher is No More! I like the photo they chose. You look like a drooling mess." Flash zooms in on the phone.
Peter couldn't help but look despite the constant advice Sophia gave him what felt like a lifetime ago: if you're going to stick around — never read the tabloids. But curiosity got the best of him.
He just had to know.
Sophia stood defiantly to the side. Arms and ankles crossed as she waited on the curb outside his apartment building. Hair not as perfectly curled and voluminous as she would have liked and in a rare sight; her face was void of make-up. She had complained and moaned all morning about what photos would come out when seen.
No amount of compliments had cheered her up.
"You don't understand. I'll be plastered over every magazine and picked apart for weeks." Sophia whined.
Peter remembers that day; having it been not that long ago. Peter had stood beside her. His eyes were wide and mouth slightly open, staring off at what it looks like to be Sophia but in reality is listening in to their surroundings. An attempted robbery that morning slowed them down and they didn't have enough time to stop and grab coffee and make it to school even with the ability to swing across the city.
"If anyone is drooling after her, it's you Flash. You quite literally kissed the ground she walked on yesterday." MJ slides over, pulling Peter effectively out of his thoughts.
"Hey! Better me than her babysitter. I'm at least showing her respect. Did you help her with addition and subtraction then take her out on dates to Chuck E Cheese?" Flash spits out with disgust.
Peter rolls his eyes. Pushing his rising annoyance far, far down. "It's not like that Flash. We're just friends. Just like before the blimp. That was never going to change."
"The age difference isn't even that huge." Peter mumbles under his breath. More for his benefit than the others.
"Best friends!" Ned shouts from a few rows down. Running up to the trio, grinning ear to ear. "They're pretty much family. Peter here might as well be a Stark! He practically lives with them." Ned claps him on the shoulders.
Peter winces at his overzealous friend. "Ned."
The last thing he needs is for him and Sophia to be under more scrutiny. For Peter Parker to be hounded by paparazzi equals a fast track to unmasking Spider-Man.
Anyone could tip off the paparazzi for an easy paycheck.
"Hey, Mrs.Potts-Stark said it herself. Tony told her and she told him that Peter was practically a son to him." Ned puts both of his hands on his shoulders. Give a quick shake.
Peter takes a hand and rubs a fist into his chest. Ned's words are like a straight stab to the heart.
"Ned, shut up." Peter moans.
"Are you serious? None of you see how weird it is? He blinks and she went from an eleven year old to a teenager and then he tries to get with her? None of you really don't see how creepy that is?" Flash questions with eyes wide in disbelief.
It was — is, but Peter isn't going to admit that to Flash of all people. Having to get reacquainted with the ten (or was she eleven?) years old he used to take on food excursions between training simulations was an out of body experience. It didn't feel real. Or possible.
It feels like an alternate timeline. Something he wasn't supposed to witness or see or even be around for. Sophia being his age? It was almost laughable. When he first saw her he almost went into hysterics with shock.
Where was the short, overly confident brat that made him swing her everywhere? How could she have been replaced with a silent, nervous, and self doubting young adult?
He woke up on an alien planet and was pushed into a battlefield of fallen comrades. Sophia, an almost fully grown Sophia, flew overhead. He remembered how his heart stopped. Body frozen in terror while taking in how much time had gone by in literally a blink for him as she tore apart the battlefield.
It was like all the air had left his lungs when he walked into the cabin after the funeral. Seeing what should have been a ten year old girl sitting on the cabin's wooden floor. Heart broken into pieces. She never should have been old enough to be on the battlefield. She shouldn't have had to make her own suit. Never should have been there for him to hold while she watched Tony die.
Looking at grown up Sophia Stark sitting on the cabin floor, holding family pictures, instantly made him (much to his regret) turn around and try to run away. Hell bent on pretending he never saw her (desperate to pretend this isn't a new reality) but May shoved him back in with no hesitation. So he did the only thing he knew how to while standing awkwardly in front of her.
Cry, attempt a Steve Rodger's worthy speech, or try his best to support those around him as the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man.
Except the pure hatred in her eyes when he first saw her was enough to want him to crawl into a hole or beg for forgiveness. Maybe both. She had every right to hate him. He kind of hated himself. His presence, or lack thereof, during an alien war is what killed Tony Stark.
He wasn't around to help.
Being gone, dusted, snapped, blimped, whatever people want to call it, was the catalyst of everything going wrong around him. Gaining superhuman powers, busting the beginnings of an alien tech war exchange, going against Captain America, fighting in space and helping end war with a purple alien led invasion….
When taking all of that into consideration, Sophia and himself being the same age was the least weird thing that has happened to him since becoming Spider-Man.
Watching her laugh, glide the school— high school, halls of all things, and talk to Ned about movies and trending music they missed as a peer and not a child made the world tilt underneath his feet and his stomach flutter all at the same time. In a weird way, it felt natural with Sophia. Normal. But he knows logically it should feel weird. It should be unnatural. He should feel gross and disgusted and weirded out. Distance himself.
She shouldn't technically be here. Or he shouldn't technically be here. He should have been left to literal dust. If he had, Sophia would still have her family but for some reason a billionaire, playboy, philanthropist took pity on him. Bringing Peter back to life at the cost of his own.
Sacrificing seeing his children grow up.
Sacrificing many years with his wife.
All for a random kid from Queens to be able to live out his life.
A life that now revolves around Sophia Stark. A life, he truly hates to admit, because he comes off as such a creep, he's learning to love.
He never should have been able to transition from older family friend to best friend so easily. So smoothly. There was only a slight bit of hesitation before he dived fully into this new role. Something had to be wrong with him. He was sickening and every time he took time to process it he wanted to leap back into the roll of babysitter at full force. Even though they both know that was never his true role in her life. A farce created by Mr.Stark to keep the paparazzi entertained. To keep Spider-Man close and under wraps.
It was easier to pretend their friendship is strictly unfinished work for Mr.Stark than admit the truth.
He truly enjoys having Sophie Stark in his life.
Feels less lonely. Knowing that he isn't the only one dealing with the same nightmares.
"Flash, just back off. Even if we didn't snap out of existence, it would barely be a four year difference. It's not that big of a deal." MJ tells him blandly. Placing her crossbody bag strap over her head to drape across her shoulders.
"It's not like they're actually dating, Flash. They're like…siblings right? Like how Ned says. Tony saw him as a son. " Betty chimes in. Giving a wink to MJ.
"More like a son-in-law." Ned whispers. Jabbing Peter in the ribs.
"Stop it, Ned." Peter hisses hinder his breath.
The last thing he wants is to find magazines starting a new rumor mill between the two teens.
Ned brings his hands up in defeat. "I'm just saying, how cool would that be." Ned whispers under his breath with a smirk.
"Well, if you're just friends then you won't mind me asking out Sophia when she's done playing with Harley." Flash grins while shoving his phone away.
"Who says she would even give you the time of day? And if she got bored enough to even talk to you, it's not like it would be serious. This is what, the third guy she's been linked to and the school year just started." Betty rolls her eyes. Walking away from the group to grab her own bag.
"I don't mind being a toy for someone like Sophia Stark." Flash wiggles his brows. "Bet I would get a lot farther than Penis Parker over there. She got tired of you after a week before hooking up with the other new kid."
"Hey, none of those articles are true! She's never met any of the Wayne's and she and Harley are just friends so stop talking about her like that." Peter spoke out before he could stop himself. Voice booming in the classroom.
Looking at everyone's wide eyed gaze staring at him in silence, Peter can't help but cringe into himself. "I, I mean…what I'm trying to say is that it's just not fair to judge her for something people that don't even know her are writing for a paycheck."
MJ weakly smiles at him and puts a hand on Betty's shoulder. "Peter's right. The Sophia I know isn't like the one written in articles and gossip channels. People are just bored with their lives and have to entertain themselves by making up one for her."
Betty gives the group a weak smile. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't be judging her based on random articles. She is really nice, Peter. MJ. You guys are right."
When the chatter picks up and everyone slowly moves out of the classroom, Peter says in relief. Mouthing a thank you to MJ when she turns back to look at him from the doorway.
end of the peace offering
word count 6.080