𝐕𝐈𝐋𝐋𝐀𝐆𝐄 . [peter parker]¹ ✓

i.

𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵: 1,283

with a book bag slung over his shoulder, colin sent a small glare at his father before following happy to the car. colin was fine being homeschooled, considering he was across the country from his best friend.

but unfortunately, tony wanted colin to go back to school so he has some sort of normalcy. as colin left the house to make his way towards midtown high school, he rehearsed the story over multiple times in his head.

he is now colin clark, a cis male who also happens to be a gay mess. his mom died during childbirth, which wasn't a complete lie. his father is a businessman who was rarely home, also semi-true, so his older sister watched over him. that part was false. he had the avengers watching over him, although natasha and dara took the initiative of taking care of colin.

colin who was frustrated out of his mind spammed texted dara, who in return was laughing at the poor boy's misery.

looking out the window, colin watched as the buildings blurred, nothing staying clear for more than a second. he was nervous, and had been since leaving his home. as the car got closer to school, those nerves only worsened.

"kid, are you ok? you look like you're about to pass out." happy called from the driver's seat, having glanced in the rearview mirror at the young boy. gulping away some anxiety, colin nodded his head. he didn't trust his voice to not waver and give away his feelings.

happy shook it off, believing it to be first day jitters when in reality, it was anything but that.

colin was a stark. he didn't care about being some new kid. it was who went to that school that terrified him. they hadn't spoken since that night when his family had been fighting ultron. colin assumed the worst and blamed himself, naturally.

once forming his bond with dara, he was quick to confide in both his mothers about the boy he had unknowingly fallen for. the girls tried their best to reassure colin, but to no avail. in true stark manner, he was too prideful to admit to his crush and fears.

colin didn't realize they had arrived until happy was yelling his name to get his attention. 'now or never.' colin thought, opening the door to where he would be miserable for seven dreadful hours.

entering the school was easy, made his way to the main office, collected all the information he'd need to survive high school, then he was on his way. finding his locker was the easy part, despite it taking him five minutes to actually find it. that doesn't include the two people he asked for directions.

so far, he hadn't bumped into peter or his friend ned. the only person who approached him was this dude named flash. straight away colin had an ill feeling towards the kid. mostly because he recalls peter's stories about flash harassing ned and peter now taking all the fall for the bullying so he could protect his friend.

colin's heart throbbed at the thought of peter and how amazing he was as a person. too precious for this damned to hell world.

with little help this time, only one person and three minutes, he was able to find his first period classroom. biology ap. without saying, colin was in many ap classes.

english and history weren't his strongest subjects so he stuck with ap math and sciences. history wasn't the worst, considering he had steve help him out for a while, but it's still a chore nonetheless.

walking into class, he wasn't prepared to see peter parker. it was bound to happen eventually. he just didn't think it was gonna be this soon. casually, he sat down in the empty seat next to peter.

"i met flash. that idiot you were talking about. any time i see him i get the feeling he's about to call me a slur. and i'm gonna throw hands." colin spoke nonchalantly, as if the two hadn't been ignoring each other for almost half a year. peter didn't get the chance to process colin's presence or the fact that he just insulted flash because their teacher had started class right as he opened his mouth.

the class period went by slowly. colin could feel ned's eyes on him as he whispered with peter, and not so quietly. colin smirked as he made out some of the words. peter rolled his eyes, dismissing anything ned said, knowing that it would go straight to colin's ego.

it wasn't a secret between the two that they harbored feelings for the other. they just never acted upon it other than that one kiss. taking after his father, colin wouldn't let anybody know that it hurt. peter stopped answering and it was devastating.

sitting down across the table from peter, colin placed his tray in front of him. ned looked over to the boy next to him with wide eyes, mj sat further down the table not reacting. she looked up for a split second before going back to her book.

"so, mr. parker. care to fill me in?" colin asked sarcastically, hiding his pain. ned seemed confused but sat quietly, letting the two hash it out.

"huh?" peter feigned confusion. he knew exactly what colin was talking about. he just didn't know if he'd be able to pull himself together to explain.

"dude, you know exactly what i'm talking about. that night happened and suddenly a few months later i never heard from you again." colin explained what peter already knew. the boy sighed, wringing his hands, anxious as can be.

"i didn't want to ignore you. i thought ms. pepper would've told you." colin raised an eyebrow.

"she would've told me what?"

"uncle ben died. i closed myself off from everyone, this is the first time i've spoken to anyone since it happened." peter was brutally honest. no matter how much it hurt him.

hearing those words broke colin. that was something he wasn't expecting. he knew peter wouldn't have made that up or used something like that as an excuse.

"you probably don't wanna hear anymore people say this but, i'm sorry, i am. i feel so horrible now. i was so rude to you when you were going through that?" colin was destroyed. uncle ben had loved him as if he was his own. ben supported him when he came out to the parker family.

"it's ok. i thought ms. pepper would have told you. she was there for the funeral. i figured she didn't when you weren't there. i just didn't have it in me to reach out to anyone. and that included you." the way peter spoke terrified colin.

colin felt guilty. here he was, crying over some boy when that same boy was going through an extremely hard time. he felt even worse knowing that he could've been there for him, just like peter had been there for him when he decided to come out to his father.

"i'm still sorry." colin sadly replied, now pushing around the food on his tray, no longer feeling hungry like he had when walking to his seat.

colin didn't really like pepper. she will always be an aunt to him, and for that he's grateful. she helped raise him when his father couldn't. but, she hurt his father and left them. not only that but she never told him about ben. he couldn't quickly forgive that.

"i'm uh, i'm gonna go. it was nice seeing you pete..." colin dragged on slowly, grabbing his full tray, throwing it out and walking out the cafeteria doors.