A week passed by in a jiffy. Peter settled into a normal school rhythm, hanging out with Harry, Gwen, and MJ just like always. The cafeteria buzzed around them with the usual lunchtime chaos.
Harry leaned forward with a mischievous glint in his eye.
"So, have you two kissed already?"
PFFT.
Peter nearly spat out his drink while Gwen coughed hard into her cup. Both of them tried to hide their reactions, but Harry could clearly see everything written all over Peter's face.
"And have you guys lost it…?" Harry dragged the last words out slowly as he raised his eyebrows.
"Lost what, Harry?" Peter asked, grabbing a napkin and wiping his mouth, then automatically wiping Gwen's lips too without thinking. She blushed and swatted his hand lightly.
Harry grinned and made a very obvious hand gesture mimicking intercourse.
THUD.
"You idiot, we are in school!" MJ smacked the back of Harry's head loud enough that a nearby table turned to look. Harry rubbed his skull dramatically, whining in a comedic way while MJ glared at him.
Peter leaned slightly toward Gwen, lowering his voice as the two shared a small, amused smile.
"They kinda remind me of that one yellow haired kid and that pink haired girl from that one ninja anime, you know?" Peter whispered.
Gwen exhaled softly through her nose, a small chuckle escaping as she closed her eyes. She took another slow sip from her straw, nodding with calm agreement.
"Amen, Petey. Amen."
Peter watched her for a moment, feeling the warmth rise in his chest, while Harry and MJ kept bickering in the background like a badly timed comedy show.
The four of them sat together as the lunch bell echoed faintly in the halls, their little group momentarily wrapped in a bubble of teenage chaos, awkwardness, and friendship.
As the day at Midtown High finally came to an end, Peter and Gwen strolled down the sidewalk together, their backpacks shifting against their shoulders. The late afternoon sun stretched long shadows across the pavement.
Gwen glanced at him with a playful grin.
"Say, Petey, how did that anime end in the future?"
"Trash."
She stopped for a second, blinking at him.
"What…?"
"The son ruined the entire series, Gwen."
"Hah. Yeah right. Give me one reason."
Peter turned his head away and muttered under his breath.
"Aliens."
Gwen's mouth fell open.
"You mean to tell me the way of the ninja somehow becomes the way of the aliens in the future?"
"Yup. Too many brainrot moments."
"Brainrot?" she repeated, eyebrows lifting.
"Ah, sorry. It was a new word from the future in my past life."
Gwen bumped her shoulder against his, amused. "You gotta tell me more about me getting into Oxford, Petey."
Peter let out a small laugh. "Haha..."
Gwen mirrored him with a soft giggle of her own. "Hihihi…"
Their laughter lingered between them as they reached the entrance of Gwen's apartment building. She turned to him with a warm smile.
"See you tomorrow, Petey."
Before he could even respond, she leaned in and placed a quick kiss on his lips, gentle and brief, then slipped inside the building. The door clicked shut behind her.
Peter exhaled deeply, the kind of sigh that carried exhaustion and happiness all at once.
"What a day…"
"So desu yo nee?"
Peter jumped, nearly dropping his backpack, and spun around. Yuri Watanabe stood behind him with her hands on her hips and a very amused expression.
"Jesus. You almost gave me a heart attack, Ms. Watanabe."
She tilted her head and smirked.
"Hooo, is Peter chan scared of a police Vice Captain?"
"Again, why Peter chan?"
"Because it is cute. Plus your face is so cute I could just eat you up."
Peter instinctively stepped back, eyes widening as he tried to process her tone.
Was Yuri flirty in my past life? She was always the strict type. But flirty…?
"Anyway, what are you doing here?" Peter asked, trying to sound calm even though his heart was still racing a bit from the scare.
"Came because of George. We were discussing the whereabouts of that guy with electric powers," Yuri replied as she adjusted her jacket.
"Still on the loose, huh? What about that spider guy?"
"Same as well."
Peter kept his expression relaxed, doing his best not to reveal anything about Max Dillon or, more importantly, himself. He casually shifted his weight, pretending not to care.
"Well, it is nice talking, Peter chan. But duty calls."
"Okay, Ms. Watanabe."
"Hey, call me Yuri, Peter."
Before he could respond, she reached out and rubbed his head, messing up his hair in one swift motion. Then she turned around and walked into the same apartment building where Gwen lived.
"Cute kid," Yuri muttered under her breath with a small smirk.
Peter stood there frozen for a moment.
"What just happened?" he whispered to himself, still dazed and confused.
He rubbed his face and began walking home slowly, his mind bouncing between Gwen, Yuri, and the looming stress of hiding his identity. As he reached his street, something bright caught his eye.
A sleek red Lamborghini was parked right in front of his house.
"What the F…?!"
Peter hurried to the door, pushed it open, and stepped inside. His jaw dropped instantly.
Aunt May and Uncle Ben were sitting at the table, calmly chatting with none other than the genius, billionaire, playboy, and philanthropist himself.
Tony Stark looked up from his drink the moment Peter entered.
"Ah, hello. You are Peter Parker, right? I am Tony Stark."
Peter stood completely still, eyes wide, backpack hanging off one shoulder.
---
Chapter 17 — End.