→ Summary: Peter is exhausted, thankfully he has you by his side.
→ Genre: Stablished relationship fluff :)
→ Warnings: Tooth rotting fluff, a teeny tiny bit of superhero violence
→ Word count: 1.4K
→ A/N: This has been a WIP for a while and I was really nervous about posting it but I rewatched ITSV and Peter deserves some love so
English is not my first language and this is not beta-read, please let me know if there are any mistakes
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Peter likes staying positive, but he finds that right now, with Green Goblin, it is becoming increasingly difficult to do so. He grunts when he lands on the cold hard concrete and he is tempted to stay right there for a second before he is bursting right back into the fight. Peter sighs, mulling over how usually this confrontation would have been over by now.
He says as much, “Norman, you are being a real pain in the-”
Spider-man huffs, feeling his breath momentarily leave him when the Green Monster throws something at him. He grunts, starting to get annoyed. I have a date, he laments inwardly.
Peter recalls how, just earlier today, he had been on his way to you. He was tired from a long day of patrolling the city and genuinely looking forward to seeing you. And then the Green Monstrosity attacked. Alas, when duty calls…
Peter feels a surge of energy when thinking about you and your date and, using it to his advantage he starts some elaborate web patterns he hopes will finally stop the Emerald Grouch. Stop him from what? He wonders idly but it doesn’t really matter, at this point in time he knows that nothing good ever comes from the mutated man terrorizing the city.
Spider-man tugs at his webs and watches smugly as they fully immobilize the supervillain. The weird bat-snake protests and roars but the webs don’t heed. Spider-man makes sure to reinforce the hold and, once satisfied, swiftly leaves the scene. He is certain law enforcement will arrive soon and he has more important things to do.
Like getting home. Peter complains to himself, he hates taking the long way to your apartment. He has to walk for the most part and he just wishes he could just directly swing by. He knows it’s not safe though and the thought of putting you in danger makes anxiety pool in his stomach.
Peter does his best to drown out the sounds of the city as he walks, preferring to focus his mind on what’s awaiting him. Logically, he knows he is surrounded by gray and drab New York but the thought of you makes everything look a little warmer, a little brighter. His steps gain speed. He feels like there’s a thread connecting you both, and the closer he gets to you the more the tension in his chest eases away.
He keeps on thinking of you as he walks. His beautiful girlfriend. The thought makes him smile involuntarily. Y/N.
You are always so understanding, regarding everything, but especially when it comes to his hero duties. Not only do you understand, you encourage him to be a hero and welcome him back with open arms every time.
Your apartment comes into view and he feels his smile grow on his face. Darkness has descended over New York but your apartment window acts as a beacon to him, attracting him to the warmth that spills from that tiny square in an otherwise drab building. Peter regains his earlier speed, dying to get to the one spot in the whole world that promises light and warmth to him.
The doorman doesn’t even bother stopping him, already recognizing Peter from his several visits. He silently thanks him and immediately starts taking the stairs several steps at a time.
Peter huffs once he gets to your floor but refuses to slow down, sprinting to your door. He slides his hand into his coat, fully expecting to come in contact with a pair of keys. Instead, he grasps at air and a small ball of lint.
Peter frowns, and his brain helpfully supplies him the sequence of his hectic morning, rushing to what turned out to be a false alarm. He swallows down a groan but knocks, ignoring the warmth crawling up his neck.
“Coming!” Your voice pours over him like a balm, immediately having a soothing effect on his whole body. Peter feels every single one of his muscles unwind and despite not having set one foot inside he feels at home.
The door opens and there you are and every semblance of thought has disappeared from his central nervous system. All of it. He is suddenly back to the first time he saw you.
It takes him an embarrassing amount of time to form a word. He breathes out a small “hey” that he hopes doesn’t sound as breathless as he feels.
You duck your head a little but he can see the smile on your face.
Your eyes flutter back to him a second later and you giggle out a “hey” that makes a million butterflies flutter in his stomach.
“Come in, Pete.” you step aside to let him pass through the door.
No sooner has the door clicked behind him, Peter is wrapping his arms around you. A small squeak leaves you but after a second of processing, you melt into the embrace, humming softly.
“I love you,” you mutter, pressing a soft kiss to his cheek.
“You missed,” he mumbles, and before you can say anything he captures your lips in a kiss.
You giggle and the sound makes him melt once more.
“I love you too,” Peter says as he tightens the hug ever so slightly before relaxing again. There's no hesitation in his voice.
“Aren’t you tired, Pete? Don’t you wanna go to the couch?” you suggest after a moment has passed and you are still standing, still in his arms.
Peter pretends to complain but he swiftly complies with your request. Without any sign of struggle, he lifts you up and starts walking to the couch. You let out an amused guffaw and Peter quirks an eyebrow at you.
“You are not even pretending to struggle,” you point out once you notice his questioning gaze, “Do I even weigh anything to you?”
Peter shrugs and you laugh. “It's like carrying a teddy bear.”
“I’m way scarier than a teddy bear.”
Peter snorts. He closes his eyes and lets himself fall backwards onto the couch, a small huff instinctively escapes him and he hopes it gives off the semblance of struggle you wish to see from him.
His spider-sense tingles after a second and he smirks knowingly. “You are staring.”
“I’m not…” you mutter petulantly and by what he can feel you are not lying, you’ve looked away. He chuckles.
Instinctively you place your hands on his hair and start playing with it. “How was the fight?”
Peter opens one of his eyes and promptly closes it again. “Didn’t catch the news?” There’s a light teasing tone to his voice he hopes makes you smile.
He knows he has succeeded because there’s a smile on your voice when you say: “I prefer the first-hand account,”
He chuckles at that.
“Plus,” you add, “you seem tired and I worry.”
Peter opens his eyes, you stare back at him with pure sincerity in your eyes. He pokes your side. “You do?” He teases.
“Just a little.” You answer, trying and failing to keep a straight face.
No longer able to stall on the topic he bites back a sigh and offers you a wry smile. “It was the usual,” he makes a vague hand movement you can’t see, “Green goblin creating chaos around the city.”
“Gettin’ old,” you mutter.
Peter doesn’t contradict you. He doesn’t voice it, but he is tired. Tired of things never improving, of evil and crime prevailing despite Spider-Man fighting it for decades. “Heroes don’t retire,” he says after a while, there’s no bitterness in his tone, just facts.
“They don’t, but that doesn’t mean that they aren’t allowed to feel tired.” You say, giving his cheek a kiss.
Peter smiles under your lips.
Your hands grab the sides of his face, gently making him look at you. “You are not a bad hero, Pete.”
Eyes wide open and stinging with unshed emotion, Peter Parker finds himself speechless. He opens his mouth to say something, tell you how much what you said means to him but nothing comes out.
“I love you.” he laughs through the declaration, his voice thick with emotion and it trembles a little despite himself.
“I love you too, my hero.”
The term makes Peter’s heart skip a beat and he wonders if, in your proximity, you are able to feel it.
You continue placing small kisses all over his face, whispering reassurances in between each peck. He melts underneath the attention, drawing you closer.
Peter sighs, “You are the best.”
You beam at him, making everything around him warm up. “I know.”
And, finally, your lips connect to his. The kiss makes all the warmth explode in his chest and he is glowing with you. Peter finds that he doesn’t mind taking down a few villains now and then if he gets to come home to you.
