Here We Go Again

30: Family

Family was always fun. Almost always fun. Okay, most of the time fun. Maybe sometimes fun. Occasionally fun, actually. Family was occasionally fun. And luckily for Peter, this was one of those occasions.

It was the last day of his fall semester! He was finally coming home (for more than a few days, at least) and would be spending just about a month in his old room before heading back to college for the spring semester. He was just as excited as everyone else, perhaps even more so. It was going to be nice to be able to actually swing around on tall buildings. Cambridge and Boston had tall buildings and space for Spider-Man to swing about, sure, but they were nothing compared to New York skyscrapers. Peter was wildly excited about the skyscrapers.

Peter slid his laptop into his backpack, tucked it safely in the little laptop pocket, and zipped the bag up, making sure its contents stayed inside. He didn't want anyone to see any red-and-blue spandex poking out. Jerry was pulling on his newest sweater and Peter couldn't help but smile. Peter has convinced Jerry to get a Spider-Man hoodie. Spider-Man merch was popular already, but sales spiked when Spider-Man decided to personally pop into every Newbury Comics he could find and sign as many Spider-Man things as he could. Despite his "shut up I don't care" demeanor, Jerry was a pretty sweet guy. He had almost been kicked out for being drunk on campus but they didn't find any alcohol in the dorm so he was able to stay. Thank god for Peter's false-bottom drawer.

"Have a good break," Peter grinned at his roommate. "I hope the weather isn't too bad." Jerry straightened his hoodie out and scoffed.

"The weather I'm Maine is always too bad. Thanks though. I hope New York doesn't fully suck."

"Thanks! I'm sure it won't. It'll just get negative thirty degrees even though there won't be any snow."

"Gotta love New England," Jerry laughed, shouldering his own backpack. Peter slung his on as well and double checked he had all his necessities. Keys, wallet, phone, backpack with the laptop and the suit and his notebook, chargers in the front pocket of the backpack. Yup! He had it all.

They walked out together. Their RA has already checked the room, so they were simply free to go as soon as they locked the door. Peter slid down the railing outside, his giddiness really getting the best of him.

"Calm down, dude. It can't be that exciting," Jerry laughed.

"Come to New York over break, I'll take you out. Then you can see how exciting it is," Peter invited. "It's awesome, I promise."

"I might have to take you up on that. If I don't get snowed in, of course." They both laughed. Some distance away, Peter was acutely aware of his dads standing next to their car, both in their stupid baseball hats and jackets; as if that one specific outfit somehow made them less recognizable. Peter didn't even have to look over to know that Tony was signing autographs.

"I can't get over them," Jerry huffed, throwing an arm in the direction of Peter's parents. "They're so fuckin' famous and they don't even care."

"Yeah. God, they're so annoying," Peter chuckled. "They really think the hats and jackets are good disguises. They're so dumb."

"Can't believe you have the power to call Captain America annoying and dumb," Jerry sighed, astonished. "You're the most badass guy I know, honestly."

"Aw, shucks," Peter quipped, batting his eyelashes dramatically. Jerry laughed and lightly punched his arm, then pulled him in for another hug.

"Have a good break, man. Don't break anything, either. I don't want you to come back all fucked up and stuff. You know how much the ladies appreciate," he leaned in and whispered the next part, "Spider-Man." Peter nodded, a stupid grin spreading ear-to-war. He let Jerry in on the secret after just a few weeks of rooming together. There were a few reasons behind it, the main one being it was hard to keep a red and blue spandex suit from the guy you share a bedroom with. Another reason, the one that really led to Peter telling him, was that Jerry was up later than Peter thought he would be one time and saw Peter walk into the dorm in his suit. It would've been too tricky to explain himself out of it, so Peter just told him.