Stark And The Spider

Revealed (Part 4)

"Hey, dad," I say, walking into his workshop. He's tinkering on yet another one of his suit designs. "Do we...do we have any plans for this Christmas Eve?"

He takes a break from working and turns around to look at me. "I don't think so, why?"

"Well," I shuffle on my feet slightly, suddenly getting nervous for no apparent reason.

It's just Peter's house. Why are you so nervous?

"I got invited to a Christmas Eve party and I was wondering if I could go," I state.

"A party?" He repeats. "I don't know, (Y/n), your last party didn't go so well," he teases.

I groan. "It's not gonna be like that! It's just over at Peter's! Besides, I have a suspicion that Peter won't ever let me near alcohol ever again."

My dad laughs. "Sure, you can go." He leans forward and raises his eyebrow. "But there will be no standing under mistletoe, understood?" He teases.

"Dad!" I shove him off the stool he's sitting on.

"I'm serious! Even if this Peter kid is your boyfriend--"

"He is not!"

"--I still don't like the idea of you over at his house, making out in the hallway!" He finishes anyway.

"Dad! What the hell!" I kick him in the butt. "You're awful!"

"I'm honest."

"Peter and I are just friends!"

He raises his eyebrows. "Are you sure about that?"

"Yes, I am sure! And you better stop teasing me about it!"

"Or what?"

I put on a fake serious expression. "Or you'll get nothing but coal in your stocking, mister."

We glare at each other before bursting out into laughter. My dad pulls me down with him so I'm laying with him on the floor.

"So," he says, once he catches his breath. "You really don't like this Peter kid?"

"Well, I like him. I just don't...like like him. Y'know? We're just....friends."

"Like how Pepper is 'just my assistant'?"

I swat his shoulder. 

"You called?" Pepper sticks her head in the doorway.

"Pepper! Save me! He's trying to talk to me about boys!" I jump up and run over to her, flinging my arms around her shoulders.

"Oh really?" She raises her eyebrows at my dad, who just shrugs in response. "Which boy would this be, specifically?"

"Peter Parker," my dad answers. I groan in annoyance.

"Ah," Pepper nods in understanding. She links her arm with mine. "This seems like the type of thing that should be discussed in girl talk."

"Or not discussed at all," I say. "Since there's nothing to really say."

"What's girl talk?" My dad asks.

"The name is pretty self-explanatory." Pepper starts to drag me away. "Nat is currently out, so you'll have to make do with just me."

Despite my protests, Pepper drags me to my room and makes me sit down with her on my couch.

"So, start talking," she says.

"There's nothing to talk about!" I protest. "We're just friends!"

"Bullshit." I glare at her and she laughs. "Oh come on. I see the look in your eye when you talk about him. And he's probably completely in love with you."