Author's Note: I'm not even going to lie- I have already written two of these drabbles in a single day.

I think it's easier to do that for this story than another because I switch fandoms so much. For instance, today I wrote for the Flash and Outer Banks and now I'm onto Spiderman. They've all got such different vibes that it makes for a unique experience every time I write a chapter.

Ned was wearing his confidence hat, and Peter didn't have the heart to tell him that it clashed with his outfit.

"A Christmas party, man!" he gushed as the two of them loaded into the back of Aunt May's car so that she could feel like an Uber driver. "A legit Christmas party!"

"Hey, my Christmas party last year was legit, too!" Peter cried, affronted.

Ned scoffed, reaching for his belt buckle as he got settled into the seat. "Dude, it was literally you, May, me, and my family, it went until approximately 8 o'clock, and we played video games for 90% of the time."

"Yeah, yeah," Peter mumbled, waving him off. "I guess we're lucky that you and Betty were able to break it off as friends, because clearly I'm not going to help you get into the social scene. Also- they were Christmasy video games so you could technically say it was all a part of my party plan."

Ned shrugged dubiously as Aunt May began to pull out of the driveway. "I thought it was a very nice party," she put in from the front seat. "But I am glad that you boys are getting out of the house tonight and going to hang with some kids your own age. It's good for you."

Now it was Peter's turn to flash a dubious shrug. He didn't argue, though, just settled back in the backseat and gazed out the window.

When they arrived at the party, Ned hopped eagerly out, adjusted his hat, and barely waited for Peter to follow him before he was heading up the front walkway to Betty's house. It was a nice house of a modest size, though the Christmas blowups scattered across the lawn were a little garish to Peter's taste.

"Bye, May," he said, and was about to start a conversation to stall a little more when Aunt May waved and drove away.

Peter let out a sigh and turned reluctantly towards the house. It wasn't that he didn't want to be here, exactly- he was excited to go to a 'legit Christmas party'- but the idea of stepping into that building and being with people and having to keep up conversations… it just wasn't very appealing.

He found Ned waiting impatiently for him right outside the door. "Come on, man!" he cried, grabbing Peter's arm and dragging him inside.

They walked in to find some popular Christmas music playing and a few dozen people spread across the kitchen and living room. "Ned!" Betty cried when she saw them, hurrying over. "Thanks for coming."

They exchanged a brief hug and quickly fell into conversation, and Peter shook his head in wonderment at how not awkward they were. To amuse himself, he glanced around and took in the room and the guests.

There was a tap on his shoulder. Peter jumped and spun to find Michelle Jones standing behind him, arms crossed over her surprisingly festive sweater (surprising because it was MJ, not because the holiday spirit was out of place at Christmas party).

"Hey, loser," she said with an awkward half-smile.

"Michelle!" he cried, flustered. "I, um, I didn't expect to see you here!"

Ned glanced over from his conversation with Betty and frowned slightly. "Dude, you were literally there when she got the invitation and said 'sure, I'll come, whatever'."

"I think it was actually 'sure, whatever, I'll come'," Michelle corrected with a barely restrained smirk. "But yeah, Peter, you were standing right next to me. Care to explain?"

"I- um-" Now even more flustered, Peter looked around for support. Finding none, he offered Michelle a weak grin and put his hands in his pockets. "Sorry. Couldn't think of anything else to say."

"You guys are adorable," Betty declared, and Peter's eyebrows furrowed as he wondered exactly how she could find anything but 'cripplingly awkward, embarrassing, and etc' in their latest interaction. "Ned, why don't you help me grab some more crackers? I think we're running a bit low."

Ned saluted to Betty, waved to Peter and MJ, and then followed his ex into the kitchen. Michelle frowned slightly. "Did they get back together or something?"

"Nope," Peter replied, sure that he would have known if that'd been the case. "No, they're just really that chill."

Someone turned the music up a bit and Peter began to hum awkwardly, unsure of what else to say. Michelle side-eyed him. "This is when we're supposed to make conversation, I guess," she mentioned awkwardly. "So, um… how was your day…?"

"Well, you were there for most of it," Peter replied, clearing his throat slightly. "I had Calc and then English and then APUSH and then… this isn't interesting at all."

"Interesting name for a subject," Michelle joked, then added. "My day was fine, thanks for asking."

The flustered-ness was back… if it had ever even left. "Oh!" Peter cried. "I was going to ask, you just didn't give me- well, anyway. How was your day, MJ? Ha, that rhymed."

"It was- it was fine," Michelle repeated, nodded. "As I might have mentioned a couple seconds ago."

"Right." Peter looked around desperately for a means of escape. Instead, his eyes landed on what seemed to be a slight confrontation going on in the entryway of the kitchen.

Michelle caught sight of it, too, and abruptly started walking over. Peter hurriedly followed her while trying to make it seem like he wasn't following her and they quickly came within earshot.

"Kiss!" Flash crowed from a short ways inside the kitchen. "Kiss! Kiss!"

A chant was taken up. Frowning, Peter scanned the area and found Betty and Ned frozen uncomfortably under the entryway of the kitchen, a spring of mistletoe over their heads. He winced sympathetically.

"We're actually not together anymore," Betty was trying to explain as her cheeks darkened rapidly.

"We're not going to kiss," Ned added. "Just to, you know, clarify that a bit."

The partygoers were still chanting, though, and Ned looked desperately to Peter. "What do I do?" he mouthed.

Peter shrugged cluelessly. "Run?"

"I've got a better idea," Ned said aloud. He darted forward, grabbed Peter and Michelle's arms, and pulled them underneath the mistletoe in his and Betty's place.

The chant died down and looked were exchanged. "A forfeit, huh?" Flash mused. "That's not bad thinking for a nerd."

Peter gulped, unable to look Michelle in the eyes. Everyone was watching them expectantly, now, and he felt heat starting to take over his face.

"Get on with it!" Flash yelled. "Or is everyone here too chicken to just kiss, already?"

Peter finally turned back to Michelle. "I mean, it's not like we've never kissed before," he said, babbling slightly as he tried to figure out if he should put his hands on her waist or her face or her shoulders are just not touch her in any way at all.

"Who're you telling?" Michelle asked blankly. She didn't seem to be phased at all of this but Peter had a suspicion there was some turmoil hidden carefully under the surface.

"Myself…?" he tried in answer to her question. "I'm telling myself?"

"You guys don't have to kiss if it makes you uncomfortable," Betty butted in. "I don't even know why I put up that stupid mistletoe. It's such a cliché."

Part of Peter wished he could just let himself take the easy out. But Michelle was looking at him with slightly raised eyebrows, seeming down for a kiss under the mistletoe. Who knew? Maybe a quick romantic Christmas kiss could magically erase the awkwardness he'd been wrestling with since she arrived at the party?

Taking a deep breath, Peter made up his mind and dove forward to kiss his girlfriend.

A cheer went up from around the room, and a picture may have been taken. Peter pulled back quickly and nodded at Michelle.

She nodded back, flushing. "Cool," she said. "I always wanted to live a cliché." Then she turned to Betty. "Did you say you were refilling the crackers?"

And just like that, the moment was over and Peter was left to regain whatever composure he might have once had.

Author's Note: Good grief they're so awkward XD

So, I'm currently cross-posting these drabbles onto AO3, and it's kind of hilarious going back and reading the earlier chapters because they were so short compared to what I'm writing now.

They were also quite cringy, but we don't need to talk about that XD