SUMMER JOB || Peter Parker X Reader

Chapter 9: Game Changer

"Dad! You left the stove on!"

"Shit!" Uncle Tommy barreled down the stairs, half his face still covered in shaving cream, and into the kitchen. "My eggs!"

Laurie breezed past you, heading up to her room. "Has anyone seen my MCR tank top?" She asked. "I want to wear it with these fishnets. And my denim shorts."

"No, sorry." You said, shoving a folder into your knapsack as you headed down the stairs to grab some breakfast before you left for the internship. Your stomach was churning with butterflies.

Today was the day. The open house.

Theo, Peter and yourself had spent the past week working out the kinks in your teleportation device (fondly named Ben by Theo) and it was finally running reliably. Melanie has help you set it up on the show floor yesterday, and you were all planning to get there an hour early for any last minute adjustments that needed to be made.

You walked into the kitchen to the smell of burnt eggs.

"Sorry." Uncle Tommy said. "Uh, there's cereal in the cabinet... I think we have some bagels left too if you want."

"It's fine," You said, grabbing an apple from the fruit dish. "I'm good with this."

"You sure?" Uncle Tommy asked. "I can make another batch- morning Lee."

"Morning." Lee slipped in through the back kitchen door, setting a Tupperware down on the table. "My dad made miso and we had leftovers."

"Is that Lee?" Laurie shouted from upstairs.

"Yeah." Lee shouted back. "I brought soup."

"Come help me look for my MCR tank top." Laurie called.

Lee disappeared around the corner, heading up the stairs. Uncle Tommy grabbed the Tupperware, gesturing it out to you.

"Miso?" He asked.

You bit into your apple. "I'm okay, really." You said. "Theo said he was bringing  pastries and I really should go if I want to get there on time."

Uncle Tommy glanced at the microwave clock. "You normally don't leave until like 9, it's 8:15. You've got plenty of time, I'll heat up this soup-"

"We agreed to meet early so we could work on Ben." You said, moving to the living room to find some shoes.

"Who's Ben?"

"The teleportation device." You said.

"Oh, right!" Uncle Tommy said. "Hey- I hope you guys win! Laurie and I will be there around... when does it open?"

"Ten." You said, opening the door.

"Ten, right." Uncle Tommy called. "We'll be there!"

You stepped outside, taking another bite of your apple as you started the walk to work. You were full of nervous excitement, playing through a million different scenarios for how the day would go.

Maybe if you did win, Peter would hold your hand again.

——

Peter scratched at his face in the mirror, feeling the beginning of stubble under his fingertips. He should have shaved last night, and now he didn't have time.

Aunt May swung around the doorframe, peeking into the bathroom. "Hey, I made banana bread, there's a slice for you on the table." She said, squinting at Peter. "Did you put gel in your hair?"

Peter shrugged. "Yeah, I just wanted to look nice, you know? Big day."

Aunt May stepped into the bathroom, looking at Peter in the mirror. "Big day..." She repeated.

Peter watched her smile.

"Sure it has nothing to do with that one partner of yours? Y/N, right?"

Peter flushed. "No, no, that's not... I'm just nervous about the project."

"Mhmm." Aunt May said, flipping the collar of Peters shirt down in the back. "So there's not another reason? Maybe... someone that you're always talking about, or that you text all the time-"

Peter batted her hands away. "No! I'm just worried about the science stuff!"

"Science stuff?" Aunt May quirked an eyebrow in the mirror, patting Peter on the shoulder. "You should hurry and eat that before it gets cold."

"Thanks May." Peter said, watching her slip out of the bathroom.

Once she was out of earshot, he sighed at his reflection. Was the hair gel too much? Would you think it was dumb or see right through it like May had? Didn't really matter now though, it was already in his hair.

He just hoped everything went well. And maybe if you won, he would get the courage to actually ask you out. He hoped you liked him.

As Peter walked out of the bathroom, he grabbed his bag full of internship paperwork. His eyes caught on the false drawer where he kept his Spider-Man suit.

Maybe... just in case...