mended 🕷️ peter parker [3]

7

Back in the hotel, the whole group assembled in the lobby to watch the news talk about the incident. Everyone paid close attention to the small TV, even if the reporter spoke in Italian. Everyone except Jessica. She was sitting in the back with her helmet on. The protective glasses showed everything F.R.I.D.A.Y. had found on this man. There were news, recent articles and fan theories about the man with the fishbowl, but there was nothing that helped Jessica get closer to his true identity.

Peter approached her as she took off her helmet. The nanoparticles dissolved in her hands and restored themselves in the housing units on her bracelets. Jessica then looked up at the boy.

"I don't know about this guy, Peter..." She said standing up. "F.R.I.D.A.Y. has run over the footage we have and there's no previous record of him. It's like he just appeared out of nothing."

"He helped us. That's what matters." He said. "The world needs heroes to protect it. The more the better."

Jessica frowned at him. "But how do we know he's a hero?"

"Because he fought the bad guy!"

"So?" She asked in disbelief. "Maybe he fought it because he's even worse."

Peter didn't reply because just then his phone started ringing with an incoming call from May. How convenient, thought the platinum hair girl. She walked towards the rest of her classmates, who were still watching the small TV in the lobby.

"It's aliens, it has to be." Ned said as they showed a closer look at the water creature Jessica had fought.

"Buzzfeed says there's a sailor named Moris who was exposed to an experimental underwater generator and got hydropowers."

"Yeah, you should definitely believe everything you read on the internet."

"Spider-Man could take him." Jessica could hear Flash almost talking to himself.

"What do you think, Jess?" MJ asked her.

"I don't know. I've never seen anything like it." She said while still looking at the images on the screen. Then the fishbowl man appeared again. Now she could see what he was doing while fighting the thing. "He kind of reminds me of Doctor Strange, but I've seen him use the mystical arts and this was nothing like them."

"Who is that guy?" Betty asked while standing close behind Ned.

"He's like Iron Man and Thor rolled into one." Brad commented. Jessica didn't say anything, but she had the impression that they hadn't seen how the God of thunder looked like these days.

"He's all right..." Flash was the one to reply to him. "He's no Spider-Man."

Jessica raised an eyebrow at him. It wasn't the first time he had said something like that. "What is it with you and Spider-Man?"

"What? He's just awesome, okay? He protects the neighborhood and, you know, he's inspiring. He inspires me to be a better man." That took everyone by surprise. A moment after he had said that, Peter came back from talking to his aunt on the phone. Flash nodded at him. "Sup, dickwad? Thought you'd drown. Thank god Cadmia was there to save all the damsels in distress."

That sounded more like him.

"Seems like his name is Mysterio." Ned picked up from the TV but MJ cleared that out.

"Il uomo del misterio is Italian for the man of mystery. They don't know who he actually is."

"Mysterio..." He said. "Cool name." When him and Betty realised they had said the same thing at the exact same time, they smiled ta each other. "Babe!"

The next time they gazed at the TV, Jessica appeared while fighting the monster in the canal. Some of her classmates cheered for her.

"Hey, there's Jessica!" Brad looked at her and she couldn't keep a smile from forming in her face.

"Look at you go, Stark." Flash said and stared at Jessica a bit longer than he should have. He then turned to Ned, sitting next to him, but although he leaned in he was basically talking to himself again. "I'm gonna do it."

He approached the platinum hair girl. "Jessica, I know I'm just a regular cool guy with no super abilities." He started, getting on one knee. "But will you make me the happiest man alive and go on a date with me?"

Nobody said anything. The only sound in the room was the TV playing in the background and still showing the events that had happened earlier that day. Jessica looked at Flash uncomfortably. A part of her really wanted to roll her eyes at him, tired of his endeavors. Yet, another part looked at him with sympathy since he had gathered the courage to ask her out. Anyway, she had no doubt she was going to reject him. But before she could open her mouth, Peter broke the silence.

"Flash, get up. You're being ridiculous-"

Jessica flared up when she heard the rudeness in Peter's voice. He had been incredibly crude. Flash wasn't the greatest, they all knew that, and he had just insulted Peter in front of everyone. But to get on his level wasn't like Peter at all. "Hey, don't be mean!"

"What?" Peter chuckled, incredulous. "You're not actually going on a date with him, are you?"

"Hey!" Now Flash snapped at him, still in one knee. "Why not?"

"Yeah, Peter. Why not?" Jessica pressured him. "Tell me one reason for which I shouldn't go on a date with Flash." She didn't know what to expect. She didn't know if Peter was finally going to admit in public his feelings for her or if he was going to keep it hidden. Jessica was waiting for him to choose.

"Because..."

But Peter said nothing.

"Alright..." She nodded, obviously disappointed. She turned on her heels and started to climb the stairs out of the lobby.

Peter looked at Ned for help when he saw her leaving, but his pal just shook his head. "Dude..."

And right when Jessica was about to turn the corner to get to her room, she finally heard what she'd been waiting for.

"Because I love you!" Peter shouted, letting everybody know, but not looking at anyone but Jessica. "And you love me, and we're dating."

Nobody said anything for a few seconds. Everybody was shocked by Peter saying that. Jessica turned around and slowly stepped down the staircase.

"Finally!" Ned exclaimed as he clapped his hands together.

"Are you for real?" Betty asked with the biggest smile. "This is amazing."

"What?" Flash wouldn't believe it as he contemplated the scene from the ground, still. "I don't buy it."

Without breaking eye contact, Jessica started moving towards Peter. He finally had done it and it felt so good. Not only for her, but he also felt a weight lifted up from his shoulders. She picked up her pace, skipping the last two steps and running into his arms. And he waited for her with his arms open, wrapping them around her and holding her close to him before kissing her in front of everybody. Maybe he was mistaken, but this didn't feel wrong at all. Nothing had ever felt so right.