For Beverly

[close_to_the_ground]

This is a third date, Peter thinks.

Kind of?

Date number one had a bunch of adult chaperones and date number two was mostly just Beverly watching him nearly drown and then dropping a huge secret on her but this is definitely, definitely a date. So, date number three. He'd said something about that to Mr. Stark but Peter had gotten a muttered response about third dates that he'd ignored because he knows Tony wasn't serious. Because Tony Stark is very aware Peter still hasn't even managed to kiss a girl.

But yeah, date three and Peter is pretty sure he won't have to fight any of her family members and she knows about the Spider-Man so he's not lying about anything and he still thinks she's pretty and smart and funny and brave and swims in quarries so, yeah. He's got this.

He trots up to the orphanage, firing off a text as he resettles the heavy backpack. There's a lot of stuff in here and the packing took a weird amount of arguing with Tony to get done. In the end there are sandwiches on fancy bread with fancy ham and cheese, pears because Tony insisted for some reason, two bottles of pink lemonade because shut up Mr. Stark, and a little tupperware full of brownies because no, no Peter did not want to pack a brulee.

Most importantly, he's got his web shooters on his wrists and his mask stuffed into the pocket of his jeans. Okay, he's got this. He's Spider-Man.

Comments

[close_to_the_ground]

"I mean yeah, that is clearly how this works those are the rules that I know about because I have so much experience," he says, putting her down on her feet but staying close.

This is, this is really different. He's never been this close to someone who wasn't family or like, Ned.

"Hit me. Trivia time."

[runtowardsomething]

"Okay," Beverly says with a grin. It might be a little nerve-wracking, the idea of letting herself be known, something she hasn't done very much of for a reason, but it will be worth it, too. Nothing that's happened so far would have if he hadn't wanted it to. Maybe he doesn't really have any idea of the kind of baggage she comes with yet, but she can start small, work up to more.

"Uh, I play keyboard a little, but I don't have one here," she says. "I like sneaking out of the Home just to know I can. And... I cut my own hair."

[close_to_the_ground]

"We should both sneak out sometime," he murmurs, leaning in to steal another kiss. "And, and I want to watch you play. And seriously anything else you're interested in. I want to know it all."

He laughs, ducking his head because he knows he sounds ridiculous but he just, he's so gone for her.

[runtowardsomething]

"If I ever do get one, you can definitely watch me play," Beverly says, laughing just a little in turn at the thought of it. "Or we could like... find a music store or something." It's not like she's great or anything, but it's at least a hobby, and something that she could share with him. "And we should totally both sneak out sometime. It'll be fun."