Orphic | Spider-Man

TWENTY-FIVE

YOU LIKE PEPPERMINT bark?" Octavia asked Peter when he sat down with their baked goods.
Octavia sat in her wheelchair, waistband free, across from Peter at the small round table in the café. Octavia eyed the thin chocolate and candy-cane treat the baristas had wrapped up for Peter in paper as he handed the chocolate croissant she had ordered.
Peter shrugged. "I started liking it around Christmas time since it was everywhere in stores and bakeries."
"Hm." Octavia grimaced, as she hated chocolate and peppermint treats. She then turned to look at the back of the big bodyguard Otto had sent with her and Peter. "Darius, do you like peppermint bark?"
The bodyguard turned around, holding his bottled water he had bought at the café. Darius was the only bodyguard who could stand Octavia's phase of trying to get rid of him: cracking bad jokes all the time, talking all the time, trying to roll away from him in the wheelchair and cause trouble to get him into trouble; however, Darius indulged in Octavia's jokes and conversations, to which he had funny and witty responses as well, and to Octavia, having a big man have such a soft spot and humor with muscles that could rip a car apart told her that Darius could stay.

"My mother makes the best peppermint bark," Darius told Octavia. "Taste recognizes taste." he then looked to Peter and nodded.
Peter laughed as Octavia rolled her eyes.
"I don't love it, but it's a nice treat to get when you want something sweet, ya know?" he said.
Darius scoffed, "You wouldn't be saying that about my mom's peppermint bark."
Peter and Octavia laughed as Darius smiled, still standing next to their table. He needed to stand in case anyone wanted to try and grab Octavia for questions like the news reporters had when it was leaked that she was Eight.
When the barista called out Peter and Octavia's orders, Peter got up so Darius could stay and watch out for anyone.
A small silence went by before Darius said, "So, that's the famous Peter Parker I've heard about."
Octavia smiled as she bit into her croissant, and covering her mouth to speak replied, "Don't ask me any questions about a relationship."
Darius shrugged. "Well, it is interesting that he asked you to come to a café, a nice one, in fact other than a trendy place like Starbucks."
"This place is trendy, Darius," Octavia smiled after swallowing part of her croissant. "I recognize a lot of Peter's Science Club friends here."
"Science Club?" Darius asked. "He's a nerd?"
Octavia laughed. "The biggest one I know."
Darius playfully scoffed then smiled as his focus went back to scouting the café.

Octavia did the same, scouting around Sweet and Sugary, the café Peter took her to in Queens that was just a ten minute walk from Midtown, and as she had said, many of the customers here were students. It was Saturday, but by their bookbags, Midtown High School crewnecks, and a group working on homework--all having the same Midtown High water bottle, the café was a hotspot for the students. Octavia and Peter had other matters to attend to with making more recordings, to which Octavia planned to sneak out and meet up with Peter later in the night for. But for now, it was a date of their old antics, chatting about whatever and laughing louder than anyone else in the room. The only new things were the actuators and Darius, both that didn't interject or ruin the outing.
It was perfect. Octavia watched as Peter exchanged words with the barista behind the counter, gesturing to one of the coffees. It looked like a mistake had been made, and with a smile the barista took the wrong coffee, held up a hand and turned around. Peter set his hot coffee cup down and looked back at Octavia, but even then she knew what was happening and smiled at him, winking. Peter turned back around and politely waited on the side for the barista to return with the right order.
For a small little date, or whatever it truly was, it was perfect. Finally, something perfect and not crazy for Octavia. Something that finally felt normal.
However, this feeling of normalcy was going to quickly vanish as soon as Octavia realized who was marching up to the table.