STEPPING UP [BOYXBOY]✔️

INTRO

PETER PARKER
Present

I flickered through the news channels, searching to see if there were any that weren't about me. And I know that makes me sound like such an egotistical, ungrateful jerk. Hell, maybe I am. That doesn't make it hurt any less.

Mysterio found dead!

Spiderman isn't a hero after all!

Tony Stark made a huge mistake!

The TV suddenly switched off. "You know watching that bullshit won't make you feel any better, right?" Happy asked me and plopped down on my bed next to me. I had been staying in Stark Towers the past month with him.

Where else was I supposed to go? He's the only person I can trust, anyway.

"Nothing's going to make anything better," I mumbled into my pillow and faced away from him.

He sighed in discontentment and tried to figure out the right words to soothe me. Happy had become like a father figure to me ever since Mr Stark died. I shivered at the thought. If he were here, he would know what to do. But he isn't, so I'm left to pick up the pieces that I dropped in the first place.

All of this is my fault.

"Kid, you don't know that." Happy awkwardly shifted next to me on the bed, "every superhero has their identity known, it was something that had to happen eventually. It just happened a little bit faster than anticipated." He scratched the back of his neck.

"I'm just a sixteen year old kid from Queens." I sat up to face him, "I'm not ready for this. I'm no Ironman, Captain America, Thor, Hu-"

Happy interrupted me, "no, you're not," he agreed as my heart twisted painfully in my chest.

Ouch. You're not supposed to agree, Happy.

"You're Spiderman. Peter Parker. You're not like anyone else and you shouldn't want to be." He consoled, "you're who Tony picked."

My eyes watered as I swallowed down the tight knot in my throat. I blinked up at the ceiling as I tried to force the tears to go away. "Everyone told him he was crazy for picking such a young kid, but he didn't listen. Not that he listens to people normally," he chuckled.

I gave up as the tears trickled down my cheeks, "listened," I corrected, "not listens."

Happy rubbed my shoulder with a pitiful frown as I sniffled and silently degraded myself for being such a baby. "He chose you for a reason, Peter. There's obviously something special about you, even if you don't know it yet. Tony Stark had higher standards than you would ever believe."

I looked away from him again and shrugged his hand off of my shoulder. "He made a mistake," I whispered quietly.

"You're not a mistake, Peter. And neither was his faith in you."

I buried my face into my pillow for the second time and suppressed the sob trying to escape my lips.

I miss him.

Happy slowly stood up from my bed and made his way to the door. "You should talk to your Aunt May. She's worried about you."

I nodded against the smooth surface, deciding not to respond.

I got up once I heard the door shut with a click. I looked around the room and found my suit. I marveled at the fabric and design. The temptation was too much and I had it on before I could stop myself. I hadn't put it on ever since my identity leaked.

I opened the window and climbed out, searching for some fresh air. I made my way up the wall outside and got all the way to the top of the tower. I sat on top of the structure, my legs dangling off of the ledge as I looked down at the moving vehicles below.

It's funny how much everything had changed. Just a year ago I was sitting in my bedroom with Ned building the Lego Death Star. Mr Stark's death nearly killed me myself, and after Beck died the pain just intensified.

When I first met Beck, I was in awe. He was big and strong and handsome. He understood me. It felt so nice to be able to talk to someone about superhero stuff that actually got what I was going through.

Someone that cared.

I guess he didn't really care either in the end. I hated that guy. I hated his soft lips and muscular body. I hated his beautiful eyes that lit up in the moonlight and the way his smile made my heart race in my chest. I hated that he betrayed me. That he lied. That he didn't care about me even half as much as I cared about him. He was so focused on getting back at Tony, wanting the world to finally listen to him. He thought the only way to get people to listen was by being a superhero.

But I could've been his world, and I would've always listened.