Secret Santa - Peter Parker x Reader

Chapter 10

Only a few minutes pass by before we finally make it to the apartment building and Peter’s in the middle of telling me about Ms. Grove's class and her vote session today.  I listen patiently as we ride the elevator up, and all the way until we’re in the living room of his apartment.

"So... We basically just wasted our time all period having a debate over if a hotdog was a sandwich."  Peter laughs, finally letting go of my hand as we sit on the couch next to each other.  He finally gestures to the present I had just set next to myself.  "You didn't give your gift to your Secret Santa?"

“Oh— I completely forgot!”  I exclaim, picking up the present and shoving it into his arms. “It’s actually yours.”

“You got me?”  Peter asks, looking genuinely shocked as he takes the gift bag.  A huge grin spreads wide across his face right after.  “That’s such a coincidence because I got you!”

“Wait, seriously?"

“Yeah, hang on,”  he says, carefully setting my gift to him on the floor before standing and running back to the entryway of the apartment where he’d left it when we got back.  He reappears a moment later with a small gift bag and takes his seat next to me again, handing it to me.  “Open yours first.  It’s not much, but I didn’t want to be suspicious if you noticed I’d bought a lot.”

“It’s just enough,”  I assure him as I take out the tissue paper to reveal a couple different things inside.  He’d gotten me some of my favorite chocolate, and a few more of my favorite candies.  There’s a folded piece of paper at the bottom and as I pick it up and unfold it, I realize it’s a note.  Handwritten.

Y/n, I drafted out this entire letter about fifty times before I had it just the way I wanted it.  You wouldn't believe how relieved I was to see your name on that little piece of paper that Mr. Krel had me choose.  I’m so relieved because I don’t really know anybody else in our speech class and I was so happy that this assignment would be made easy.  Y/n you're my best friend, and we've stayed that way ever since we were really little. I'm grateful for everything you give me.  Your trust, your friendship, your genuine caring nature for me.  You’re the person I look forward to seeing all the time.  And who I look forward to seeing after I wake up in the morning.  Just seeing a text from you makes me so happy and I love the closeness that we have together.  I hope you enjoy your gift!

                     —Peter :)           

As I read his note, I can't help the bright, happy feeling in my heart that’s telling me this will be the last letter he gives me, calling me his "friend" inside.  I know we haven’t quite said that we’re anything more just yet, but I have a feeling that we will be after today.

I look up from the note, smiling softly at him.  "Awe, thank you, Pete."  I put the note back into my gift bag, grabbing the gift I have for him.  "Now it's your turn."

He takes the bag, pulling out the tissue paper to reveal the contents of the bag.

Peter stares at the painting inside with big eyes, pulling it out of the bag.  It’s a sunset full of reds, oranges, and purples, with two figures—one a man, one a woman, supposedly us—standing on top of a building.  The scene in front of the silhouettes of the sunset is dotted with various other buildings, the sun barely peeking through them.

“I swear,”  Peter begins quietly, his smile a hundred times louder than his voice as he stares at the canvas.  “Every painting you make gets better and better.”

I smile, relieved that he likes it.  “Thank you.  It took me hours.”

“Is it weird if I tell you again that I love you?”

I shake my head, taking his hand as he sets the painting I’d made him back into the gift bag.  “No, it’s not weird at all.  I love you too.”

He turns his head back to me, smiling as he slowly threads his fingers through my own.  “I guess the only weird thing about it is we haven’t talked about..us.  I know we’re counting our next movie night as a date, but I wanted to know if maybe— if you uh— well, if you wanted to be—”

I laugh.  “Yes, Pete.  I’d love to be your girlfriend.”  As he blushes, I place my other hand on his cheek.  “...If that's what you were trying to say.”

“It— It was.”  He nods, smiling bigger.

"Okay, you two lovebirds, we have some pictures to take!"  My attention is brought to the doorway between the hall and the living room. May’s standing there, her camera in hand with a wide grin on her face. She’s wearing a Christmas sweater and when she tilts her head towards the fireplace to gesture for us to go there, her antler headband jingles.

Without a second thought, I let go of Peter’s face to stand, pulling Peter up with me.  I don’t give him a chance to follow me as I drag him to it.  I turn to face him as he’s regaining his balance, grabbing onto his other hand.

"Do I look okay enough for pictures?"  I whisper to him as May’s adjusting things on her camera.

“

You look stunning like always,”  Peter replies.  He pulls me closer to him and lets go of my hands, turning to May and wrapping an arm around my waist.  I have no choice but to believe him and I lean in closer to him and smile as May finally finishes making her adjustments, holding up the camera towards us.  I try frantically to push down the racing of my heart and the heat in my face as I slide my own arm around Peter’s back.  He’s got his arm around me.  And it’s not just friendly; It’s as my boyfriend.

May takes a few pictures of us like this, then helps us to switch it up to other poses.  She spits out ideas and Peter and I have no other choice but to oblige.  May is very serious when it comes to pictures.  She likes to take them every Christmas, and if she’s denied, she’ll force you to do it anyway.

Finally, after around fifteen minutes, May sets the camera down on the coffee table.  “Alright, all done.”  As she says this, Peter and I begin to step away from the fireplace, holding hands.  May stops us by holding her hands up.   “Hey—Before you guys move, look what’s above you!”  She winks at you as Peter looks up, turning and whisking away to the kitchen, picking up her camera to take with her.

I’m pulled back by Peter tugging on my hand.  I look up at last, my eyes widening as I see what’s hanging from the top.  My face turns into what feels like a ball of flames as I stare for a moment.  A mistletoe.  Did May seriously just set us up?

I look back to Peter as he takes my other hand in his.  "Is— Is this okay?"  he asks me shyly, holding on tightly to my hands. "May can be a bit much but we can just—"

I shake my head, a soft smile crossing over my face.  Maybe this push from May is just what we need, though I’m sure she’s had this planned for months. "Everything's just fine, Pete."  And with that, I do something that I don't think either of us are expecting.

I take his face in my hands and pull him in, my lips meeting his as soon as I close my eyes.  I feel Peter’s body stiffen from the unexpected bold move, but it doesn’t take him long to return the kiss, his hands meeting my lower back as he pulls me closer.  I rub his cheeks with my thumbs before relocating my arms around his neck.  When we finally part, there’s a sudden bout of laughter from the opposite side of the room.

Peter and I turn to look, letting go of each other as we both find May standing there with the camera, laughing evilly.  "Just wait until I show your mom these pictures, y/n!" she says excitedly, clicking through the pictures she'd just got done taking of us a few seconds before.  Wait— She took pictures of us kissing?

"No!" I practically leap for the camera, Peter not far behind me.  We spend forever chasing May around the apartment for her camera, and eventually, after coming to an agreement that I would tell my mother about Peter and I before May shows her the pictures, all three of us settle on the couch to watch Christmas movies together.  Peter has his arm around me and I have my head on his shoulder as we cuddle.  As we cuddle for real.  Not just “as friends.”

And it’s safe to say that I really love my new boyfriend.

1542 Words