STEPPING UP [BOYXBOY]✔️

CHAPTER 28: HARD CHOICES

ART BY: pinkpipedream

QUENTIN BECK
Present traveling to the past

Peter made me sit on the opposite side of the room as he talked to Tony because he was scared I'd hulk out or something. And to be honest I probably would have if he tried anything.

"Kid, I don't know what you're talking about." Tony insisted, "I never left my room last night. You can asked the girl I fu-"

"I believe you, I believe you!" Peter rushed out with a red tint to his cheeks that I smiled at.

He's so precious.

"That's utter bullshit." I chimed in and leaned against the wall with crossed arms, "Look at your neck, look at Peter's." Peter gave me an irritated glance as I walked toward the two of them and ignored his wishes. Tony and Peter both looked in the mirror behind them with perplexed looks on their faces, "See? Bullshit." I muttered.

"He's telling the truth." Peter persevered and I groaned.

"The evidence is right here." I stepped closer and trailed my thumb down the faint bruising that was on his throat. He shivered when my skin came in contact with his and I smirked to myself at how sensitive the boy was.

"Those are just hickeys from your magic act last night." Tony rolled his eyes and Peter's face resembled a tomato.

Ok, that is partly true.

"And how do you explain your own bruises?" I raised an eyebrow and was silently proud that I was the one who put them there. What can I say? I'm a sadistic fucker sometimes.

He turned around and placed a hand on my shoulder, "I don't know. I'm being honest, I was in my room the entire time." He promised. I shoved his hand off of me and went to snap until Peter got between us.

"If you don't knock it off right now then I swear to god, last night will be your last magic act with me." He threatened with a laugh bubbling up his throat and I huffed in defeat.

"I'm sure there are many other people willing to be my assistant for the night." I mumbled under my breath and he narrowed his eyes.

"Excuse me?"

Tony cut in, "I'm copywriting my magician jokes that you two stole from me so go get your own." He demanded and I felt the need to knock the smug look off of his face, but I was scared that Peter really would stop being my assistant- I'll stop now. Sorry.

"Can we please just get back to the subject now? We have more important matters to attend to." Peter complained.

"You mean like Tony spewing bullshit?" I glared at him and he scoffed in return.

"Quentin." Peter scolded and I shut up.

Damn. I was whipped.

"I have a theory about what happened." Peter began and started to pace back and forth, "Shadow's been here way longer than us, right? So it seems pretty far fetched that we got to Mr Stark before he did- not to mention he's been there before and we wasted time finding Obadiah."

"So what are you saying then?" I questioned and he stopped in his tracks with a worried look in his eyes.

"I'm saying... what if Shadow is behind this? What if he found some way to control Mr Stark's mind?" He spoke thoughtful and fiddled with his hands.

"But Tony's acting pretty normal right now." I pointed out, "He's being an asshole like usual."

Peter gripped my shirt in his hands and yanked me close to him, "What if it's like a switch then he can turn on and off?"