In The Meantime... (Various x Reader)

keeping to tradition 🎄 peter parker

Exhibit A of why I can't do oneshots

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Peter made it halfway through a particularly uneventful day at Midtown High School. He stood in the lunch line trying hard to keep to himself. It was always busy in the cafeteria, and a lot of his fellow peers were very territorial when it came to their personal space. He just wanted to get his sandwich, bag of chips, and milk and escape to the safety of his table.

Just when he thought he was going to get out fine, he felt the hairs on his arm stand on edge. Peter hurried to move out of the way of whatever danger was threatening him, only to see a girl falling to the ground, her tray clattering loudly and sending her meal flying.

"I-I'm so sorry!" Peter apologized, even though he had nothing to do with her falling. He still felt like he should've done something to prevent it.

"Wow, way to go, Parker!" Flash looked like he was having too much fun. He offered the girl a hand to help her up. "You seriously just tripped the new girl?"

Once she was on her feet, Peter did find the girl was new, after all. Midtown was a big school, but this girl was even more beautiful than Liz, and Peter was sure he would recognize her. He remembered the situation he was in when she reached down to gather her food and tray.

"I didn't trip you!" He insisted. "I wouldn't do that, I was--"

"It's fine," She interrupted him. "I tripped over my own feet."

"You should offer to buy (Y/N), here, a new lunch, since you're the reason her's is spilled." Flash said.

Peter knew he was only saying it to get under the boy's skin, but he did feel guilty that her lunch was ruined because she fell. He nodded. "Yeah, okay,"

"You don't have to." (Y/N) contended. "I've still got money, I can buy my own."

"He insists," Flash clasped a hand on her shoulder. "We just want to make sure you feel welcome here at Midtown."

Even (Y/N) began to look suspicious of what the boy was up to. Still, she gave in. She wasn't one to pass up a free lunch.

Peter followed her back through the line and a few dozen eyes lingered on them from the events that just unfolded. He could tell she felt embarrassed, and Peter, himself, was a bit flustered, too.

"I-I'm Peter, by the way." He said, trying hard to make conversation.

"(Y/N)," She responded.

"So, you're new?"

The girl nodded, moving forward with the line. "My brother and I just moved here from San Fransisco."

"Really?" Peter found himself growing excited. "That's awesome!"

"Yeah, a lot of people seem to think so." (Y/N) said. "But it actually kinda sucks. All my friends are on the other side of the country." She realized what she said brought the mood down and hurried to correct herself. "I'd rather be here than there, though."

"Why?" Peter asked.

(Y/N) hesitated. "It's sorta depressing. My dad--just wasn't the greatest. Now we don't have to deal with that."

"Oh,"

"But it's all in the past. I don't usually dwell on it."

"Sorry," Peter should've known better than to ask questions like that.

He only just met her, and he already managed to embarrass her in front of the school and invade her privacy. But (Y/N), in that short amount of time, already made Peter increasingly curious about her. And if he didn't know any better, he might've thought he already developed a little crush on her. Perhaps it was because she was nice to him when Flash was clearly looking for trouble, or because she was kind after they had a horrible first impression.