You Heard Me Correctly, Mr Parker

thursday feels

THURSDAY

Peter could feel the bruise blossoming over his abdomen. He needed to get home, quick.

Even though it was only 7 pm.

Even though there was more crime to stop in his city of Queens.

Peter knew this bruise would only get worse if he didn't tend to it and lucky for him, Ned would be at his apartment when he got there.

Their late-night phone call last night had ended with Ned agreeing to come to Peter's after school the next day and not in the middle of the night.

Peter arrived in the alley behind his apartment building with his abdomen on fire. This wasn't a bruise that would go away by tomorrow.

He climbed up the brick wall, one arm cradling his stomach in an attempt to ease the pain. It didn't work.

Eventually, he made it to his bedroom window and Peter knocked. At once Ned appeared behind the glass and helped him inside. 

His eyes traced over Peter's posture and once Peter's fire truck red sneakers touched the carpet, Ned ran to get the first aid kit.

"Dude, what happened?" he said, pulling the cream and bandages from the box.

"Just a mugger, Ned, I'll be fine."

"Just a mugger? A mugger couldn't have made this sort of bruise with his fist, Peter. What did he hit you with?" Ned asked.

"Hit hit me with ... a ... lamp ... pole?" Peter offered, carefully not making eye contact.

"A lamp pole? As in those long metal poles with a lamp on the end that provides the street with light? A pole that weighs over 30 pounds?" Ned's eyebrows were practically in his hairline.

"Yes?" Peter said, "It's not that bad. I've been in worse situations."

"Well, this one's pretty bad. How did the mugger even get it out of the ground to use it?" Ned frowned.

"You don't wanna know," Peter replied, "I don't even want to remember it."

"You're gonna have to for a few days, this bruise is bad. I don't know much about your healing, Peter, but this bruise, it's bad. Maybe you shouldn't patrol tomorrow?"

"I can't not patrol, Ned!" Peter exclaimed in a hushed voice. May was home, after all.

"Fine, whatever. All done. Let's get started on this project!" Ned said, gesturing to the bandages that covered the bruise cream on Peter's stomach. Ned was a legend.

"Thanks, Ned."

"Yeah, no problem. Ask what it is you wanted me to help you with? You never told me, because, you know, I can't exactly travel across Queens at 11 o'clock at night and you refused to tell me anything at school."

"Yeah, that was silly of me to ask, sorry Ned. I was just enthusiastic," Peter explained, "I've been working on a new suit."

Ned's jaw dropped,

"No way! I thought you said all you could afford was a tracksuit?"

"I was- uh- in a bad mood. But I thought it was true! I can't afford anything more, that's why this-" Peter gestured to what he was wearing, "- is all I've got. I needed something new, you know?"

"Uh-huh."

"So, Leslie and Kayla approached me the other day as Spider-Man and gave me these," Peter said and removed a layer of books from his desk to reveal the original notes from Leslie and Kayla, "And I've been fiddling with these for the past two days." Peter pulled his 'suit-ideas notebook' from his bag and passed it to Ned.