venus ⋮ peter parker

6.

S i x

✷

The trip back home was rather uneventful, thankfully. After having to put a drunk Penelope to bed in her apartment, Calliope quietly snuck back into her own apartment and found herself incredibly thankful that her parents were such heavy sleepers.

Calliope was just about to change out of her dress when she heard a gentle knock on her newly-fixed window. When she pushed open the curtains, she saw Spider-man crouched on her rusty terrace. "Nice to see you not crash through my window this time around," She joked as she lifted up the window. "What's going on?"

"Can I stay in here for a little while? I just need to warm up before heading home – no need to bust out the first aid kit or anything like that."

Calliope was slightly confused, but she let him inside regardless. "Why do you need to warm up?"

"I got beat up and thrown into a freezing cold lake. Nearly drowned."

"You said that so casually that's its almost concerning."

Calliope grabbed a towel out of the bathroom and blanket off her bed and handed it to him – one for the wet suit and the other for the cold. "I would offer you tea or hot chocolate, but that would mean you would have to lift up your mask," She said with a small laugh as Peter wrapped them both around himself. "Not sure if you wanted to do that."

"Very considerate of you."

"I try," She responded before asking, "Is the cold really the only reason why you're here?"

After a few seconds of silence, Peter lied, "That's the only reason I'm here."

Peter didn't want to admit it, but part of the reason he had shown up there tonight was because he was still feeling down about what Tony had said. How Peter should stop trying to fight all these criminals because he wasn't ready, despite Tony dragging him to Germany only a few months before to fight against the Avengers. How Peter was too immature and should stick to petty criminals and small tasks, when all Peter desperately wanted to do was protect more people. He felt he was ready for more.

He didn't want to go back home where he knew he'd have to spend the rest of his night in his room alone. So, Peter decided to see if Calliope was home yet. He knew he could easily warm up in the comfort of his own room, but he liked being around Calliope.

In an attempt to change the subject, Peter said, "You look really nice tonight, by the way."

"Really?"

Peter had been wanting to say it since he had laid his eyes on her at the party that night, but he didn't have the courage to until he was hidden by his mask. The way she smiled after he complimented her made it worth it to Peter. "You're sweet."

"I'm just stating the truth. Did you just come back from somewhere?"

"Went to a party tonight," She shrugged. "Not the worst, but not the best. I still had some fun, at least. Apparently you were even supposed to show up."

Spider-man winced. While Calliope just thought he felt bad about skimping on his responsibilities, Peter was already dreading how the following Monday would be and how Flash Thompson would probably torture him endlessly. "You go to school with Peter Parker, right? The Stark intern?" He said, trying his best to lie and play dumb. "I've only met him a few times, but he seems like a pretty good guy."

"Peter is a good guy," Calliope agreed, and Peter grinned with delight under his mask. "I'm guessing that whatever you got caught up in tonight was the reason you didn't show up."