Chapter Text
Another loud and smog filled morning in New York.
You wake up to the sound of your alarm on your bedside table, it’s a soft ringing sound and you moreso feel it than hear it. Sitting up, you groan and stretch your arms above your head - willing yourself to stand up and start the day.
”Ughhhh, I fucking hate getting up early”
Rolling out of bed, you pad over to the kitchen and get started on making yourself a cup of coffee. Although just before you put the instant coffee in the cup, theres a small knock on your kitchen window.
It just so happens to be the city’s favourite wall crawler, holding what looks like two cups of coffee in his hand.
“Hey Pete, you’re up early” You say after sliding up the window.
He hands you a coffee, “Yeah couldn’t sleep properly so I was doing some spidey stuff”
”Don’t you have classes today though?”
”…Ah… I might have forgotten about that”
You shake your head, “Peter… honestly that’s terrible. Your work-life balance is total ass”
He sighs, “Yeahhhh I know…”
”If Dr Connors sees you fall asleep, he’s not gonna be happy”
Again, he sighs, “I knowwwwww”
You chuckle a little at Peter's mental anguish and you sip your coffee.
You've known Peter Parker for just a little over two years now. You'd initially met him because he wanted a 'Spider Costume' designed that he would later make. Cut to a week later and a vigilante called Spider-man appeared... wearing the costume you'd just designed... so yeah, you put two and two together and you messaged him directly afterwards. Peter, bless him, tried to deny it at first; but when you pointed out that he had litterally commisioned you for the exact costume the webhead was wearing, his argument had died in his throat then and there.
To keep your silence, you asked Peter to tell people who designed his suit (although to use your online handle to keep your own level of anonymity) and ever since then you've had a surge in popularity online, whilst managing to keep your personal life separate and unknown.
Spider-Man was his alter ego, and a walking (swinging) advertisement for your art.
Funny thing though, after his identity got leaked to you, you and Peter started developing a friendship and you'd found out that, surprisingly, you attended the same University - granted on different courses and years though. Peter was a first year studying science, nuclear fision or something along those lines and you were a third year studying art and design. Two very different paths, but you got along nonetheless.
"Ugh, anyways what are you doing today?" Peter asks with another sigh.
"Ah I've got a deadline for Professor Deverell due the end of the week, so I'm probably working on that"
He nods with a hum, "Mhm, anything new online?"
You chuckle, "When do I not have something lined up? But nah, I've closed them down for a while since I'm back at school"
"Don't you have an event coming up soon?"
You think for a moment, "Ah yeah, it's like a fancy party at the Planetarium. The city commissioned some of us to help with some of the art for it and I got picked! So yeah I've got that coming up soon"
"Hey that's really cool! Hope it goes well"
"Thanks!"
⊱ ─── ⌬〰°⌜⏣⌟°〰⌬ ─── ⊰
While you loved Professor Deverell, you hated her Monday morning lectures. They were so boring, you didn't even take notes a lot of the time due to you falling asleep in the back of the hall - so you resorted to recording them for you to take notes on later. You had a good system going, especially when you didn't hear that there would be a quiz at the end of the week, until you listened back to the recording. You even sold off the recordings to fellow classmates who wouldn't be there.
Class had just finished up when you got a message from Peter.
Peter - 10:15 am
Hey! you down for lunch today?
You - 10:16am
Only if ur gonna be on time, ur fuckin awful dude
Peter - 10:17am
yeah yeah, u sound like literally everyone else I know
I'll swing by in...
5 minutes? R u at ur apartment?
You - 10:19am
nah. just got finished with a lecture
Meet u on the roof?
Peter - 10:20am
Uhhhh yeah, I can be there
You - 10:21am
Ur sooooo gonna be late
Peter - 10:22am
...
probably
You close your phone with a sigh. You knew why he was late all the time at least - Spiderman's always fighting crime and unfortunately, he and Peter just so happen to be the same person... You feel sorry for his friends and family honestly, but also for Peter too.
You packed up your (unused) notebook and put it back in your backpack, walking to the door from your seat in the back. Just before you can leave though, Professor Deverell calls your name.
”Ah just a minute please?” She asks you
You walk over, “Sure, what’s up prof?”
You had a friendly relationship with Professor Deverell, She was a mentor and friend to you; someone you deeply respected. You were going to go work at a studio after you were done with University and she’d already written you a letter of recommendation, along with most of the other art faculty and was currently trying to get you one from the Dean.
”Ah not much, I was just wondering if you were prepared for the Planetarium party next week?”
You nod happily, “Yes! Everything’s getting printed tomorrow. The banners are going to look amazing! And Bailey told me that she’s found a Risograph machine that’ll print on A2 - so the posters are getting printed too!”
”Ah I’m so excited for you! This is a great opportunity to meet some high-end clients y’know! You know what rich folk are like - think they know more about art than they actually do”
You laugh at that, “Yeah well, at least I don’t have to feel bad about charging a fortune for my work”
”Mhm true! Make sure you try and network as much as possible - get your name out there!” The Professor pats you on the back.
’If only you knew how much my name is out there already’ You chuckle internally.
You glance at the time on your phone, “Ooh I’d love to talk more Prof, but I’m meeting a friend for lunch so I gotta go”
Professor Deverell nods and waves towards the door, “Yes yes, sorry to keep you. But me must have a proper catch-up soon!”
You walk out the room, “I agree! I’ll tell you when I’m next free!”
⊱ ─── ⌬〰°⌜⏣⌟°〰⌬ ─── ⊰
You make it to the roof of the English building. It’s halfway between the science and art buildings, so it’s a good place to meet Peter. Technically, you’re not supposed to be there, but nobody really cares to check if the doors are locked.
You’re a few minutes late, but you’re still there before Peter - which to be fair you expected. You're glad that you thought to at least make up a lunch earlier, so you wouldn't have to wait however long until Peter came with food of his own. Yet another perk of being Spiderman in your opinion, free pizza!
Surprisingly, you weren't waiting hours for Peter to arrive. He showed up just 10 minutes after you did, two boxes of (probably cold) pizza in hand.
"Woowww, 15 minutes late - that's your fastest time yet" You applaud sarcastically.
He rolls his eyes, "Yeah yeah, I get it. Shut up and eat your pizza"
"You got the flavour I like right?"
Peter nods, "Mhm, and I got a pepperoni"
"You're so boring Pete" You chuckle, eating a slice.
"What's wrong with that?! It's a classic!"
"Don't you work at a pizza place? so you know there's wayyyy better flavours than just pepperoni?"
"Yeah well... I just, like what I like okay?"
You laugh and shake your head, you decide to leave him alone for now and so you continue eating. You dig out your lunch from your backpack and put that in front of the two of you as well, so you can share it.
"Oh yeah!" Peter starts, "I was talking to Harry and turns out, He's actually funding Dr Octavius' research. He said he'll get me a meeting with him tomorrow too!"
"Isn't that the guy you're writing a paper about?" You ask, another slice in hand.
"Yeah! But uh, I wanted to ask if you'd go with me?"
You pause mid-bite and look at him confused.
"Go with you? But why? I don't know the first thing about... what is it you're studying again?"
He shrugs off your concerns, "Nuclear fusion, but it's fine! I just want you for some... moral support I guess"
You sigh loudly, "Fiiiiiiine, but at least give me a dummies guide to this guy's work so I don't make a fool of myself"
Peter thanks you, and for the rest of the afternoon he taught you the basics of the complex nuclear fusion reactor that the Doctor was making. It completely made your head spin, and you did struggle to really grasp all the finer details of it - but you did get a sense that, what Dr Octavius was creating, was a truly remarkable thing indeed.
You didn't know how tomorrow would go, but you felt prepared enough to hype up Peter to his idol at least.