#addict4melanin

[supremethunda]

When We First Met VIII (Peter Parker/Asgardian!poc!reader)

Summary: Over the years of riding the New York City Subway as transportation, Peter Parker had come across many interesting things. The one thing he had yet to come across on the subway until today was a 6 feet tall Asgardian warrior.

Pairing: Peter Parker/Asgardian!poc!reader

Chapters: Chapter 1, Ch. 2,  Ch. 3, Ch.4, Ch. 5, Ch. 6, Ch.7, Ch.9, 

Tagged: thekrazykeke, 143amberrose, brianabreeze, steadyprincesoul, minim236, addict4melanin

Inspired by the following imagine

Chapter VIII: Doubt

Ever since their first kiss, things between Peter and (Name) slowly started to change. They’d hold hands on the way to and from school, share the occasional kiss when no one was watching, and cuddle together on the couch with a good flick. The problem was, Peter hadn’t asked her to be his girlfriend, so he wasn’t sure whether or not he could call (Name) that. Peter didn’t really like labels, but he felt that having one on their relationship would ease the growing doubt in his mind. Especially when some of the other guys at school began to notice (Name) the same way he did.

Peter’s eyes followed (Name) as he watched her walking down the hallway with one of the other male students. He couldn’t hear what they were saying, but judging by the way (Name) was smiling and laughing during their conversation, he couldn’t ignore the paranoia nagging at the back of his mind.

“Peter! Earth to Peter!” A voice called out, pulling Peter from his reverie.

“Huh?” Peter turned his attention back to Ned. “Sorry, what?”

Ned sighed and shook his head. It wasn’t that hard for Ned to figure out what was on Peter’s mind when he caught Peter stealing glances at (Name).

“Why don’t you just ask her out?” Ned said. “You guys basically do the same stuff that couples do.”

“Yeah, I know but I don’t wanna rush her into anything, you know?” Peter said. “Besides, I don’t wanna just ask her out just because other guys are talking to her.”

"True, but you also don’t want to wait too long. Until you guys decide to make things official, (Name) is up for grabs.”

Peter stared at Ned, his expression turned sour. Sure, (Name) had become the object of Peter’s affections, but (Name) wasn’t some object to be claimed. She was her own person.

A beautiful, intelligent, and kind person. Peter stole another glance at (Name) as he watched her say goodbye to the male student before she approached Peter and Ned.

“Hey guys,” (Name) greeted Peter and Ned with a smile.

“Sooo,” Peter started. “What were you guys talkin’ about?”

“Oh, one of the seniors approached me and told me there’s supposed to be a back-to-school party this weekend at their house and he asked me if I wanted to go.”

“To go with him?” Peter said, the sound of disappointment evident in his voice.

“With you of course. Oh, and Ned too. He said I could invite whoever I wanted.”

“A party with other upperclassmen? Sweet, I’m in!” Ned grinned.

Peter’s shoulders visibly relaxed in relief and he smiled and nodded in agreement.

Maybe it’s a sign I should go for it and ask her at the party. Peter’s imagination went wild with speculations how the night would play out.

If only Peter knew that would be easier said than done.

Loud and crowded. Those were the only words that came to (Name)’s mind upon arriving at the party with Ned and Peter. The party was in full swing and filled with high school students drinking, dancing, sharing idle conversation or all the above. The atmosphere may have been new and a little daunting, but that wasn’t going to keep (Name) from having a good time.

“Do you want me to get you a drink?” Peter offered.

“Get me a what?” (Name) asked with confusion.

Peter pointed behind her towards the bowls of punch sitting on the kitchen island. (Name) smiled and nodded.

“Sure, I’ll take some. We’ll meet you over there.” (Name) pointed towards the dance floor before pushing Ned towards the dance floor. “Show me what moves you’ve got, Ned.”

“B-But I don’t have any!” Ned attempted to push back against (Name) only to end in futile, much to his surprise.

“Then I’ll teach you some. Don’t be scared.” (Name) said with a grin.

Peter laughed and shook his head in amusement before he made a beeline for the kitchen island to get some drinks.

“Can’t believe you’re at another one of these lame parties.” A familiar voice spoke behind him.

Peter looked over his shoulder briefly before he turned his attention back to the punch bowl.

“You’re here too, Michelle.” Peter said.

“Let’s meet in the middle and say that I’m not.” Michelle poured herself a drink after Peter finished.

“If you say so.”

“Whatever. I just came to warn you.”

Peter turned around to face Michelle, confusion evident on his face.

“Warn me about what?”

“Thought you might like to know that Liz is here.”

“WHAT?!” Peter’s jaw went slack for a moment, debating whether he heard Michelle correctly or not.

“Liz. Is. Here.” Michelle enunciated her words slowly.

“I heard you the first time. I-I thought she had transferred schools.”

“She did. Apparently, she’s visiting other family here for the weekend. Her words, not mine. Just thought I’d give you a heads-up.”

Michelle turned to leave but not before Peter called out to her. “Hey, wait!”

Michelle paused for a moment, raising an eyebrow.

“Do you know where she is?” Peter asked.

“No. I don’t. Good luck finding her.”

As Michelle walked off, Peter ran a hand through his hair as he tried to remain composed and calm despite feeling the exact opposite.

I need a minute to think. Peter took a few deep breaths to calm himself down before he picked up his drinks and headed over to (Name) and Ned on the dance floor.

“I’ll be back guys. I need to use the bathroom.” Peter handed (Name) her drink without waiting for a reply from them before he quickly maneuvered his way through the crowded room.

By the time Peter reached the other side of the room, he suddenly found himself face-to-face with the woman Michelle had warned him about.

“L-Liz…hi.” Peter said breathlessly.

“Peter? Hey! It’s really good to see you!” Liz exclaimed with a kind smile.

“Yeah, you too. I didn’t expect to see you here of all places.” Peter returned the smile, albeit nervously. “So uh…how’ve you been?”

“Hey, Ned, who’s that girl with Peter over there?” (Name) looked over in Peter’s direction.

“What are you talk—” Ned paused mid-sentence when he spotted Liz talking to Peter on the other side of the room. “Holy shit. She’s back?!” Ned said alarmingly.

“Who is back?” (Name) urged Ned impatiently.

“Liz is back.”

“Is she a friend of Peter’s?”

“Well, sort of. It’s uh… kind of a long story. I’m not sure I should be the one telling you this.” Ned confessed.

“Why not?” (Name) shot Ned a dubious look.

She was curious and anxious to hear more about who this Liz was and her relationship with Peter.

“I’ll put it this way. Peter and Liz used to… they have history.”

(Name) and Ned continued to watch Peter from across the room chat with Liz before they shared a warm embrace.

“I see now what you meant by history.” (Name) stood there stock-still, her eyes completely transfixed on Peter and Liz as the pair walked away together and onto the balcony outside and away from the party.

“Uh…” Ned seemed to be at a loss for words.

“Guess that’s my cue to leave. Could you tell Peter I got a ride home and I’ll see him around?” (Name) swallowed the growing lump in her throat before she turned her heel and left the party.

[supremethunda]

When We First Met VII (Peter Parker/Asgardian!poc!reader)

Summary: Over the years of riding the New York City Subway as transportation, Peter Parker had come across many interesting things. The one thing he had yet to come across on the subway until today was a 6 feet tall Asgardian warrior.

Pairing: Peter Parker/Asgardian!poc!reader

Chapters: Chapter 1, Ch. 2,  Ch. 3, Ch.4, Ch. 5, Ch. 6, Ch.8, Ch.9, 

Inspired by the following imagine

Chapter VII: Kiss

Tony stood before (Name) and Peter, his arms crossed with an earnest expression. He took a deep breath before he exhaled and opened his mouth to speak.

“I’ve given it some thought.” Tony began. “And I’ve decided…”

“Yeah?” Peter urged.

“(Name) can go to school this year.” Tony said.

“YEEEES!” Peter and (Name) cheered in unison.

“Thankyouthankyouthankyou!” Peter babbled with excitement.

(Name) rushed to Tony’s side and picked him off the ground to embrace him.

“H-Hey! Put me down! Easy there.” Tony yelped.

“My apologies.” (Name) laughed and set Tony back down on his feet and he brushed himself off.

“Don’t get too excited all right? There’s gonna be some ground rules that I’m gonna need you both to follow if you’re gonna go to school, alright?  As far as the school is concerned, (Name) is a normal high school girl who’s a transfer student from London, England and recently accepted into the Stark Internship.” Tony said.

“Wait, why London?” Peter inquired.

“Well her accent and formal dialect aren’t that different from those in England. Can’t exactly tell the school that she resides from Asgard if she wants to keep a low profile.” Tony explained.

“Good point.” Peter nodded.

“Secondly, since you’re acting as a normal high school student that means keeping your powers in check.”

“In check?” (Name) cocked her head to the side, unfamiliar with the phrase.

“No use of super-human abilities or magic.” Tony said with a firm tone.

“Aw, not even a little?” (Name) said with a teasing smile.

Tony rolled his eyes and sighed under his breath. “Just act like a normal person who doesn’t have any powers. Period.”

“I only jest.” (Name) said. “I’ve learned from the best. Thor has told me how to blend in with other humans.”

“Oh yeah, that’s incredibly reassuring.” Tony said in a sarcastic tone. Tony recalled the last time Thor tried to wear a disguise and blend in and he wore nothing but a jacket with a hoody that was two sizes too small.

“No, honest. See, watch.” (Name)’s body gave off an ethereal glow before her body slowly transformed into a carbon copy of Loki donning his Asgard armor.

“Ta-dah.” (Name) now transformed as Loki bowed and grinned in a Loki-esque fashion.

“Really?” Tony pinched the bridge of his nose looking more disgruntled about his decision while Peter was completely blown away by the transformation and began poking at her limbs to make sure it was the real deal. “That’s your choice on how to blend in?”

“This is merely a demonstration. I assure you I wouldn’t walk into the school looking like this.”

“This is the coolest thing ever!” Peter gushed. “Seriously! How can you not be impressed?”

“Gee, I dunno. Maybe because she looks too much like the guy that tried to take over Earth and make us his mewling quims as he so eloquently put it. And I feel like I shouldn’t have to say that.”

“Fair enough.” (Name)’s body quickly transformed from Loki into a carbon copy of Pepper Pots. “Is this more your style?”

“Okay, not cool. Going below the belt now.” Tony warned.

(Name) removed the illusion and put her hand on her hip. “Not exactly the best choices, but as you can see if I ever need to blend in, that won’t be a problem.”

“Fine, you pass the inspection. Congratulations. Just one more thing.” Tony reached into his pocket and pulled out a cell phone before he handed it to (Name). “Here’s a phone in case you need to reach me while you’re at school. Emergency use only. In other words, don’t call me unless I need to get involved. Understood?”

(Name) looked down at the device in her hands warily but nodded anyway.

“Peter, show her how to use it. It was hard enough trying to explain to Thor how email works.”

“Sure. You got it.” Peter nodded.

For once, Peter was looking forward to the first day of school.

The first day of school had finally come and Peter was anxious to start the day. He spent the last few weeks of summer break explaining (Name) the school rules, classes, and students to ensure (Name) blends in without any issues. Since shopping for clothes for tall girls wasn’t Peter’s forte, he sought the help from his Aunt May, which she enjoyed a lot more than Peter anticipated. When (Name) greeted him at his door wearing one of the outfits Aunt May helped her select, Peter knew he would have to thank her later.

“Wow, you look… you look great, (Name).” Peter said with a shy smile.

(Name) could tell by the warm blush rising to Peter’s cheeks that he meant what he said, and she couldn’t help but smile back. It was infectious.

“Why thank you, Peter. You don’t look so bad yourself.” (Name) returned the compliment. “You ready for your first day back?”

“Yeah, as I’ll ever be.” Peter’s blush only intensified hearing (Name)’s words. “How about you?”

“A little nervous to be honest, but I’m more excited than anything. I never thought I’d have the chance to experience the life of a high school student, and I have you to thank for that.”

“It’s no big deal.”

“Of course it is! It was your idea that I start going to school in the first place. What better way to learn more about earth’s customs and cultures than getting an education here? You have no idea how much it means to me to have this opportunity, Peter.”

Peter’s body froze as (Name) reached out and gently cupped the side of his face with her hand, her thumb gently brushing against his cheek.  He swallowed the growing lump in his throat as her face slowly inched closer to his own. Peter found himself standing on the tip of his toes to bring his face closer until the front door abruptly opened behind them.

“Peter, you forgot your—oh!” Aunt May stepped out from behind the door.

“Aunt May!” Peter’s voice cracked and jumped back in surprise. “I-I wasn’t…we weren’t—“

“It’s okay,” Aunt May reassured with a laugh. “Here’s your lunch. You two behave yourselves, okay?”

“We will.” (Name) smiled before she looked at Peter. “C’mon, let’s go.”

“O-Okay,” Peter said, still reeling from their almost-kiss.

(Name)’s first day at school began without a hitch and spent most of her first day getting acquainted with her classmates and being bombarded with questions about what life was like living in London. Thanks to reading up on the file Tony devised for (Name) and her experiences in London, (Name) answered the questions with ease. So far, keeping a low profile and being a normal student wasn’t so hard… until it came time for gym class.

“This is what constitutes as exercise?” (Name) stood in line behind several other students who were waiting to take a turn at climbing the rope dangling from the ceiling. Everyone else who had taken their turn were busy running laps or doing push-ups or sit ups.

“Basically,” Peter said. “I take it the exercise back home for you was pretty rigorous.”

“Very rigorous.” (Name) nodded.

(Name) and Peter waited for the student in front of them to climb down the rope. Much to Peter’s disdain, it was his rival, Flash Thompson. Once Flash climbed down the rope, he dusted off his hands.

“Be careful up there. It ain’t as easy as it looks, and it would be a shame if you were to mess up that pretty face of yours.” Flash said as he winked at (Name).

(Name) rolled her eyes, unable to hide her distaste at Flash’s condescending comment. Her training on Asgard was strenuous and physically taxing so a little rope climbing was child’s play in comparison.

“I’ll find a way to manage.” (Name) replied before she grabbed the rope with two hands.

Using her upper body strength, (Name) climbed up the rope in no time at all, earning her quite a few stares from the other students who were watching down below. Flash stood there, his jaw going slack as he watched her climb up to the top of the rope.

“I guess it is as easy as it looks.” (Name) smirked down below at Flash.

Well, so much for keeping a low profile. Peter couldn’t help but laugh watching Flash stared at (Name) completely and utterly dumbfounded. When Peter caught Flash stealing glances at (Name) at lunch, it stopped being funny.

“Why does he keep looking over here?” Peter grumbled under his breath, stabbing his school lunch with a plastic fork as he watched Flash look at (Name) for what felt like the umpteenth time today.

“Probably because Flash can’t stop thinking about what (Name) did in gym class.” Ned chirped. “It was so awesome! The way you had Flash gaping like a fish was pure gold.”

“Thanks,” (Name) smiled at Ned. “But I really wish he’d stop. It’s unnerving.”

Peter nodded silently, the thought of Flash showing an interest in (Name) was both unexpected and irritating, especially since Peter wasn’t too fond of him. As Peter racked his brain on what to do, he was suddenly hit with an idea. A bold idea.

It’s now or never. Peter clenched his fists underneath the table as if to psyche himself up before he turned to face (Name).

“I’ve heard that sometimes public display of affection can make people uncomfortable. That might work.” Peter said, his eyes staring back into hers.

“I’m afraid I don’t follow.” (Name) looked confused.

“It’s something I’d have to…uh, show you instead of telling you.”

And with those words, Peter leaned his body closer to hers and closed the gap between their lips with a gentle kiss. It took a couple of seconds for her mind to register what he just did before (Name) reacted. She slowly closed her eyes and allowed her body to move in sync with Peter, tilting her head to the side and kissed him back. The way his lips gently and lovingly caressed hers was enough to make (Name) desire more. Before the kiss could escalate anything further, Peter broke the kiss and turned his body back to face the table.

“There problem solved.” Peter ignored the blush that rose to his cheeks and the astonished look Ned gave him that practically screamed, “What the hell?!”.

(Name) sat there wordlessly with a smile despite the blush that rose to her cheeks as well.

Needless to say, Flash was no longer staring at (Name).

[supremethunda]

When We First Met VI (Peter Parker/Asgardian!poc!reader)

Summary: Over the years of riding the New York City Subway as transportation, Peter Parker had come across many interesting things. The one thing he had yet to come across on the subway until today was a 6 feet tall Asgardian warrior.

Pairing: Peter Parker/Asgardian!poc!reader

Chapters: Chapter 1, Ch. 2,  Ch. 3, Ch.4, Ch. 5, Ch.7, Ch.8, Ch. 9, 

Inspired by the following imagine

Message me if you wanna be tagged in this series. Only 4 more to go!

Chapter VI: Holding Hands

“Back-to-school shopping?” (Name) said, confusion evident on her face.

“Yeah, school is about to start and I need to buy my school supplies for the new school year.” Peter explained. “Did you… wanna come?”

“Sure. I’m curious as to what sort of supplies you will need.”

Peter smiled on the outside but felt giddy on the inside. He had rehearsed in his head a couple of times the past few days how he’d invite (Name) to hang out. Sure, it wasn’t an official date, but the chance to share his customs and his way of life wasn’t an opportunity Peter could miss.

“Okay, let’s go.” Peter ushered (Name) to follow him as they left the Avengers Tower together and out onto the busy streets of New York.

As Peter and (Name) rode the busy subway together to their first stop, Peter told (Name) about what a typical day was like at school. It might have sounded mundane to some, but to (Name) it was enjoyable listening to Peter talk about his academic life. When he saw (Name)’s eyes light up with jubilance and curiosity and her lips curve into that smile of hers he could help but ramble on about every little detail. The more he watched her respond to his words, the more he experienced a reeling sensation in his chest. And it was making it that much harder for Peter to stop rambling.

“I’m sorry.” Peter apologized with a nervous smile. “I didn’t mean to ramble on like that. I never even asked you about what school was like for you.”

“It’s okay. I like hearing you talk about your school and your life. There’s no reason to apologize for it.” (Name) said.

“But enough about my school. What was school like for you back home?” Peter asked.

“Well, I actually didn’t get any formal schooling growing up.” (Name) confessed.

“Really?” Peter said, slightly taken aback.

“Well, nothing taught in a classroom anyway. My father was the one who taught me what I know about my home and how it’s connected to all the nine realms. The only formal education I had was with Frigga. I had begged my father to convince her to teach me what she knew about the art of sorcery since I didn’t want to just rely on my omni-senses when defending myself or Asgard.”

“Wow. Your education sounds way better than mine.” Peter said. “It puts my school to shame. It must’ve been cool to learn stuff like that.”

“Yeah, it was.” (Name) nodded. “I still have much to learn.”

“You and me both.”

“Well, I’m glad we’ve got that in common.”

The subway slowly grinded to a halt before the doors opened on each side, several people walking on and off the subway.

“Oh, this is our stop. C’mon, we gotta hurry and catch the next one.” Peter stood up from his seat and grabbed (Name)’s hand without thinking, which surprised her but she nodded wordlessly.

Oddly enough, (Name) didn’t seem to mind as he pulled her along and through the onslaught of people. His hand was a little on the clammy side, but it was firm and comforting. It felt as if this was Peter’s way of reassuring her that he wouldn’t let anything happen to her, and she liked how it felt.

“Made it. With minutes to spare.” Peter sighed in relief, sitting down in an open seat next to (Name).

It finally dawned on Peter that he was still holding (Name)’s hand and he immediately released his hand from hers, his face now flushed.

“I-I’m sorry about that.” Peter said, laughing nervously.

Oh, crap, and my hands are sweaty too. I hope she’s not grossed out. Peter immediately wiped the sweat off his hands on his pants.

Catching on to his obliviousness to what Peter had done, (Name) decided to tease him a little.

“Well, aren’t you bold?” (Name) said with a teasing smile.

“I probably should’ve asked first, huh?”

“I don’t mind.” (Name) reached out and grabbed Peter’s hand. She laced her fingers with Peters and gave his hand a gentle squeeze.

Peter stared at her speechless for a moment before a shy smile curved his lips. It wasn’t how he imagined holding hands with a girl, but he wouldn’t have traded the moment in for anything.

[supremethunda]

When We First Met V (Peter Parker/Asgardian!poc!reader)

Summary: Over the years of riding the New York City Subway as transportation, Peter Parker had come across many interesting things. The one thing he had yet to come across on the subway until today was a 6 feet tall Asgardian warrior.

Pairing: Peter Parker/Asgardian!poc!reader

Inspired by imagine

Chapters: Chapter 1, Ch. 2,  Ch. 3, Ch.4, Ch. 6, Ch.7, Ch.8, Ch. 9, 

Tagged: thekrazykeke, brianabreeze, steadyprincesoul, 143amberrose, wndas-romanof

A/N: So last week was my birthday and I decided since the next prompt was about gifts, I’d make it about the reader’s birthday. :D

Chapter V: Gift

Peter stood in front of the door that led to (Name)’s room before he gave a sharp rap against the door.

“(Name), it’s Peter.” Peter said.

“Enter.” (Name) replied.

Peter turned the doorknob and pushed the door open as he entered her room, but not without doing a double-take of the full-length mirror (Name) stood in front of. The mirror didn’t show an image of her reflection, but an image of a man with piercing gold hues, much like the ones (Name) had. He had dark brown skin and donned a set of heavy gold platted armor and a gold helmet with horns on top.

“Um, am I…did I come at a bad time?” Peter asked as he stood slack-jawed with amazement. 

“Not at all. You have perfect timing.” (Name) said with a soft smile. She motioned Peter to step forward before she gestured a hand to the mirror. “Peter, I’d like you to meet my father, the guardian of Asgard and guard of the Bifrost Bridge, Heimdall.”

Peter cautiously approached the mirror before a nervous smile graced his lips. When he came over the Avengers Tower to visit (Name) to hang out, he certainly didn’t expect to be meeting her father.  Had Peter known beforehand, he would’ve prepared in advance how to properly greet Heimdall. At the very least prepared enough so that Heimdall would think Peter was competent enough to speak the English language.  With only seconds to prepare an introduction, Peter said the first thing that came to his mind.

“It’s uh… nice to meet you… sir.” Peter said as he held up a shaky, sweaty hand. He mentally kicked himself for his awkward reply.

Thankfully, Heimdall wasn’t put off by Peter’s uneasiness. Who could blame him? Heimdall was a powerful being and a forced to be reckoned with. His appearance and stance easily commanded respect and his appearance alone showcased just how big of a role he played on Asgard.

“I’ve heard quite a few things about you, Peter.” Heimdall said with a gentle smile. “It does my heart good to hear that my daughter has met someone as passionate and driven to protect Midgard as she has.”

Peter couldn’t help but beam with pride, his face growing hot.

“Thank you. I’ve really enjoyed working with (Name). To be honest, it’s an honor to work with someone like her. There’s nobody else out there like her.” Peter said.

Much to (Name)’s surprise, Heimdall roared with laughter. Not a laugh of derision, but of appreciation. Appreciation for Peter speaking with sincerity and kindness about his daughter.

“I couldn’t agree more. She truly is one of a kind. I entrust that you’ll continue to look out for her.” Heimdall said.

“Of course.  Without a doubt.” Peter nodded his head.

Upon hearing Peter’s determination to look out for (Name) as promised made her heart do a small leap inside her chest. She briefly averted her gaze from Peter and let it wander on a random corner of the wall before she turned her focus back to the mirror. She cleared her throat to get their attention.

“I’m glad I had a chance to talk with you again, Father. I’ll contact you again soon.” (Name) smiled.

“I look forward to it. You two take care.” Heimdall replied, returning the smile.

(Name) slowly waved a hand over the mirror before the image of Heimdall slowly faded away, leaving behind a plain full-length mirror.

Peter stared at the mirror silently for about another minute before he turned to face (Name), excitement etched on his face.

“That was so cool!” Peter said, his eyes lighting up with jubilance. “How did you do that? How did I NOT know you could do something like that?”

“Oh, it’s just an incantation.” (Name) shrugged, rubbing her shoulder awkwardly. “I can enchant objects with different magical abilities. Like use a mirror to look at others from far away. It’s one of the few magical abilities I learned from the Queen of Asgard when I was a child.”

“Oh, so it’s like Asgard’s version of FaceTime then?”

“Exactly. Wait, what’s FaceTime?”

“It’s an app that you use on your phone to… well, never mind. I’ll explain later.” Peter, said waving it off in a dismissive manner “Anyway, I take you two had a lot to talk about since this is your first time here.”

“Not really. My father just contacted me to tell me happy birthday, and see how I’m doing. My father can see and hear nearly everything that happens on this planet, including the other realms, but he still likes to occasionally check in with me.”

“Oh, that’s nice of him. Wait a minute. Did you say your birthday is today?” Peter said in disbelief.

“That’s right. We generally don’t celebrate birthdays on Asgard, but my father still likes to wish me happy birthday. It’s tradition not to acknowledge one’s day of birth on Asgard, and instead acknowledge that everyone on Asgard becomes a year older with each new year that arrives.”

Peter couldn’t believe what he was hearing. It was (Name)’s birthday and she wasn’t going to celebrate it?

“Are you serious? But your birthday is worth celebrating!” Peter exclaimed. “At least with some cake and candles or something.”

(Name) laughed, and shook her head in amusement. “There’s no need for that, Peter.”

“Of course there is. You’ve never had the chance to celebrate it on Earth, so why not start this year?”

“I see your point. All right, how should we celebrate this day? I understand there’s cake and candles and you make a wish, but that’s about all I know I’m afraid.” (Name) said with a sheepish smile.

“Don’t worry. I’ll take care of everything.” Peter reassured. “I promise to make this a birthday to remember.”

“All right then. I’ll leave it to you. What’s on the agenda?”

Peter went quiet for a moment before he rubbed the back of his head, deep in thought.

“Actually… could you give me about an hour? This might take a while.”

“Sure. Let’s meet back here in an hour.”

After agreeing to meet back in (Name)’s room, Peter raced out of her room like a bat out of hell and out into the busy streets of Time Square to find the perfect gift for her. Then, it hit him like a ton of bricks: Peter had no idea what to get (Name) for her birthday. He knew (Name) had a sweet tooth, especially for chocolate.

I can’t just get her chocolate. Peter set down the Hershey bar and walked out the Hershey store and down the street. Maybe some earrings or a bracelet?

After looking at several different display windows filled with gaudy jewelry, Peter realized it only reminded him just how expensive it was shopping in Times Square.

“Now that’s definitely out of my price range…” Peter shook his head, a down casted look in his eyes.

Peter didn’t have much money to his name and he didn’t want to ask Tony for money. Sure, if Tony got involved and helped fund Peter’s expensive ideas, it would be elaborate to say the least. But that was the last thing he wanted to do. Peter didn’t want to rely on Tony to plan (Name)’s birthday. He wanted to do it on his own, but he was starting to realize the more he tried planning it on his own, the closer he was reaching his hour deadline.  With a sigh of defeat, he pulled his cell phone from his back pocket and turned it off sleep mode to make a call.

“Hey, Aunt May. Do you have a minute? I need some advice…” Peter said.

“I wonder what’s taking Peter.” (Name) said aloud. “I hope he’s not going through too much trouble…”

An hour had come and gone and Peter was nowhere to be found. (Name) waited patiently in her room, keeping herself occupied with a book. After nearly two hours, (Name) could no longer focus on her book and started to get worried. What if something had happened to Peter? After all, Times Square was a pretty big city. After growing increasingly impatient with waiting around, she decided to look for Peter.

(Name) set down her book and sat down in front of her full-length mirror and closed her eyes, taking a deep breath before she exhaled slowly. When she opened her eyes, they changed from gold to orange.  She continued to take slow and even deep breaths as she carefully searched for Peter through her omni-senses.  Unlike her father’s omni-senses, (Name)’s omni-senses could only be used in small intervals. Thankfully, it only took seconds for (Name) to locate Peter before she pulled herself back to reality, her eyes changing back to their normal shade.

(Name) stood up from her chair and opened the door to her room to find Peter wearing a backpack.

“Sorry I’m late. You ready, birthday girl?”

(Name) smiled at Peter and nodded. “Ready when you are.”

After walking a few blocks to catch the subway, (Name) and Peter arrived near the south end entrance to Central Park. They walked together side-by-side, having small talk while enjoying the sights of the flowers on the lawn, the birds and other small animals thriving in the pond nearby. It was peaceful and serene.

“I never would’ve thought a place like this existed outside your city. It’s gorgeous.” (Name) said with a dreamy expression.

“Yeah, New York is full of surprises. Central Park is a massive park, so we won’t be able to explore all of it today. But on the upside, we can take a pedicab to show us around.” Peter pointed at the parked pedicab down a pathway.

“A pedi-what?” (Name) raised an eyebrow.

“You’ll see.”

Peter ushered her to follow as Peter flagged down the man in the pedicab. After they sat down on the back of the pedicab, Peter asked the pedicab driver to tour the south side of Central Park. After Peter made his request, the pedicab pedaled off down the road.

“This is certainly a convenient way to travel around the park.” (Name) leaned back into the seat.

“Yeah, it definitely beats walking.” Peter said with a laugh.

They passed through the Sheep Meadow, Central Park’s largest lawn and designated quiet zone, and Literary Walk, which showcased prominent writers such as Robert Burns and Sir Walter Scott. Their tour came to an end with the carousel. (Name) and Peter hopped off the pedicab before Peter paid the driver and waved him off.

“I bet Asgard doesn’t have a carousel like this.” Peter said, flashing her a teasing smile.

“Nope, you’ve got us beat there. We don’t have those.” (Name) said with a giggle.

“Awesome. Score one for New York City.”

“Oh, we’re keeping score now?”

“Yup.”

(Name) rolled her eyes, smiling with amusement as she followed Peter to ride the carousel.

“This has been so much fun. I can’t believe there’s still ground to cover in this park.” (Name) sighed as she stretched her body out on the blanket Peter had set up on the grass.

“Really? I was a little worried you might have gotten a little bored just taking a tour around the park and riding the carousel. I was kind of hoping I could’ve gotten you a gift like some jewelry or something. But it was too expensive.” Peter confessed.

“Bored? Why would I be bored?” (Name) sat up, staring at Peter incredulous. “You’ve shown me so many things today that I’ve never had the chance to experience in my life. See the wildlife in your world, enjoy the sights, and even ride a carousel. This was a wonderful gift, Peter. A lot better than jewelry.”

Peter stared wide-eyed at her words that he couldn’t help but feel a smile tug at the corners of his mouth.

“I’m glad I was able to show you a taste of New York today, even if I couldn’t show you all of it. I do have one more thing I want you to taste though.”

(Name) stared at Peter quizzically as she watched Peter take his backpack off his shoulders he brought and rummaged through it before he pulled out a small paper bag. He withdrew a small chocolate hostess cupcake from the bag, a candle, and a lighter.

“It’s not as big as a cake, but you can still taste it and make a wish.” Peter put the candle inside the cupcake and used the lighter to light the wick.

(Name)’s eyes lit up with joy upon seeing the cupcake and candle.  She gently took the cupcake in her hands and closed her eyes and blew out the candle.

“So, what’d you wish for?” Peter asked with a teasing smile.

“Nothing. I already got what I wished for.” (Name) said.

“And what’s that?”

“To spend my first birthday on Earth with you.”

At that moment, the tightness Peter felt in his chest, his racing heartbeat, and his sweaty palms told him that (Name) was not only someone he respected and admired, but also someone he was starting to fall for.