Meltdown (BRANCH IS SPIDER-MAN AU)

How to Gossip

Branch walked close behind clay as they entered his office. It was spring break, and he was supposed to ride with Clay to Rhode Island. They had picked up Poppy and Viva to go with them too. But unfortunately, Clay still had paperwork to turn into his supervisor before leaving for vacation. Branch had offered to go with him, so here he was, sitting at Clay's fancy desk, waiting for him to come back from his supervisor's office.

Branch looked at the things on his desk. Everything was placed nice and neat in a spot that was made for it. There was a cute cat cup that held pens and pencils. There was also a desktop file organizer that held these thick manilla file folders.

Branch's eyes caught a picture frame with Viva smiling carelessly. Branch admired the photo, her eyes at rest were just like Poppy's but when she smiled, it changed. They shared a similar nose and lingering freckles. But as he learned later, Poppy had gotten a mix of their father and mother's hair. Their mother was a blonde like viva, but their father had had ginger hair (which he found out he dyed black).

Branch noticed that the picture didn't exactly fit in the frame. And there had been a picture in the back of it.

He carefully picked it up and gently moved the photo over to see the Photo behind it. His eyes went slightly wide when he saw what it was. He'd seen the photo a million times in his grandmother's house. It was of him taking his first steps, his dad following him close behind and his mother opening her arms wide.

He always remembered the way his siblings would always talk about that moment, how they were too young to grasp the greatness of first steps when it came to Bruce, Clay, and Floyd. So when they witnessed Branch have his, they described the room as jubilant.

Branch always replied that he didn't remember.

He quickly moved the photo back where it was and

He heard Clay approach the office and he quickly put the picture back.

Clay walked peaked his head through the door way and made eye contact with Branch.

"You ready to go?"

Branch quickly stood up and nodded, following clay silently to the elevator. When the elevator doors had closed, Clay began to speak.

"You can tell her, you know."

Branch huffed out a laugh and sassed a response. "Why do you do that?"

Clay looked at Branch, confused. "Do what?"

Branch made a purposeful dumb sound in mockery of Clay. "Uh- I don't know, maybe when you talk to me like I can read your mind even though I can't and the first sentence you say sounds like a response to a question."

Clay just pursed his lips and shrugged, Branch scoffed and rolled his eyes. "I though you were supposed to be smart."

"I never said I was smart,"

Branch furrowed his brows and mumbled his words, parroting him in a mocking way. The elevator doors opened and as they walked toward the lobby Clay continued.

"What I meant was, you can tell Poppy, about me proposing." Branch looked over at his brother's face. "It would probably be best, so that way she can know the plan and help."

Branched raised a brow. "Help with what, I though you were going to do it on a walk on the beach?"

Clay winced and tensed his shoulders. "Okay, don't get mad." Branch raised both his brows, seemingly unimpressed. "I just- don't want her uh, to interviene?"

"You don't want her in the way."

Clay panicked as they exited the building. "No! I just think that if she knew, she would know to not ask to be there when I do it."