Prompts: Superhero Photographer Peter Parker au. (whether or not he has powers or someone else like ben riley or miles (or whoever else you like) is spiderman and peter is just his nurse/suit guy.) Could be spideydevil. Maybe people shipping spidey and peter if their the same. fanfics being made. Peter parker not getting paid enough for this. Just have fun with it. Matt's friends making fun of the photos of him. unspoken rule of you don't screw with Peter. Btw have you seen moon knight? I been watching it. It's amazing. (Sorry if I asked this already I'm not sure if I did or not.)
I took a few liberties with the prompt n.n"
Sorry this took so long! I'm dealing with some stuff, but this was a nice distraction :)
Yes! Moonknight has been my husband's favorite comic for years and he's so excited to have more merch and fan content now. I never really got into the comics, but enjoyed what I did read. The show has been fantastic so far, thoroughly enjoying it!
This is a rough draft, I'll post it to ao3 whenever I get around to cleaning it up n.n I do have a part two in mind, so hopefully I'll get time to write that soon.
Back in highschool Peter would take photos of himself as Spider-Man by setting up a camera with a timer. It was simple, but those early photos earned him some money, some respect, and most importantly some plausible deniability whenever someone started to suspect he may be Spider-Man. But, pictures only did so much as the years went on. They're easy to steal, to take credit for- hard to sell.
Harder to monetize.
And Peter needed money. Not a lot, but enough to get by. Between college and his time as Spider-Man, Peter didn't have much time for a part time job. Being a hero didn't exactly pay the bills unless you unmasked, made deals, sold toys- none of which Peter was keen on doing. Someone somewhere was getting rich off selling Spider-Man merch but it sure wasn't him.
"Oh, that's him!" A small group of students near the biology lab gawked at Peter before folding into their group to whisper excitedly against the painted cinder block wall.
Peter was still trying to get used to the new attention.
Selling photographs might not make much money nowadays, but videos sure did. With some clever editing he was able to 'interview' himself, complete with action shots of Spider-Man swinging onto the rooftop where Peter pretended to wait. The short segments got him enough clicks on YouTube and tiktok to make decent enough money. He wasn't going to be rich anytime soon -or ever- but it paid the bills. He just hadn't banked on becoming so well known as Peter Parker.
The whispers got worse with each video. As his video's hits began to be measured in the millions, Peter began to wonder if it was time to stop. Truth be told, if some of his friends had it their way he never would have started.
"Hey, Petey!" A guy he vaguely recognized from around campus threw an overly familiar arm around his shoulders. His blonde hair was buzzed short and he reeked of too-strong body spray. "Mind asking Spidey something for me next time? I just wanna know how he deals with sweat when it drips down his-"
"I'll see what I can do," Peter said as he squirmed out of the embrace and made a hasty retreat down the hall to his last class. He just needed to get through his next class and he'd be home free until Monday.
“Hey-Yo!” The guy’s friend called after him, slightly too loud in the crowded hall. “Are you guys a couple? Like, why does he let YOU have access?” A few other students nearby murmured their own versions of the question as Peter disappeared around a corner.
Peter felt his face heat up, clenching his jaw to ground himself. Had he really fucked up that bad? That people thought- Well, if it wasn’t so dangerous he would have found it hilarious.
Thankfully, no one else approached him directly during class, afterwards, or on his way to the subway. Instead of heading home, he ventured to Matt's apartment for some much needed advice.
While M.J. would be the most obvious choice of friend to turn to for advice on such matters, Peter was taking any excuse he could muster to spend more time with Matt. He met Matt two years ago while Peter was a sophomore and they instantly hit it off. Two nerds who needed companionship while they studied, kindred spirits in more ways than they knew. They stayed in touch even when Matt started law school and then barely had time for much more than study sessions over takeout. Over the years their friendship brought them closer together, and now teetered on the edge of something more. Peter could feel it. Yet, neither of them gave voice or action to the desire which echoed in every lingering touch and longing gaze.
Bringing up the videos would lead to an interesting discussion. Peter would need to dance around the fact that he, Peter Parker, was, in fact, Spider-Ma. Despite their close friendship, Matt was not privy to such a personal detail of Peter’s life and he was desperate to keep it that way.
The walk from the subway to Matt’s apartment gave Peter plenty of time to sort his thoughts and come up with a rudimentary solution to his predicament. As he stepped off the elevator, Peter heard Matt’s roommate’s voice from down the hall.
“Well, then maybe you should tell him instead of being an overprotective baby about it!” Foggy shouted into the apartment before slamming the door behind himself. He slung a heavy looking messenger bag over his shoulder and made his way towards the elevator as Peter stepped off.
“Ah, hey Foggy!” Peter greeted, keeping his foot in the door to hold the elevator.
“Peter.” Foggy nodded, a smirk playing on his lips. “Any new Spidey videos?”
Peter groaned. “I don’t wanna talk about it.”
Foggy just laughed as the elevator doors closed.
Peter knocked slightly on Matt’s door as he turned the knob, correctly assuming it was unlocked. “Hey, Matt! Thought I’d swing over and study for my microbiology test.” He waited for Matt’s grunt of acknowledgement from the couch before he fully stepped into the familiar apartment.
Matt’s own classwork was splayed across the coffee table, thick law reference books at either end and a dozen or so individual documents organized in the middle. “You’re welcome to the chair. I need this space for a case study.” Matt leaned back, stretching his neck.
“Ah, I won’t distract you then.” He tossed his bag next to the oversized chair across from the couch. “What was Foggy yelling about?”
Matt stiffened slightly before shrugging, “Nothing. Why?” His nose crinkled as he raised a lip, “How much did you hear?”
“Nothing, really. Something about an overprotective baby? It’s not important, we should study.” He made a show of loudly pulling out his laptop.
They studied in silence for a while before Matt dropped one of his books to the table with a loud thud and blurted out, “You’re going to get yourself hurt!”
“Uh…”
“These… videos. Getting that close to a hero like that is going to make you a target. I warned you the first time you showed your face on them! It was fine when it was just your voice- but Peter! Spider-Man has enemies. Enemies who would use you to get to him.”
“Uh…” Peter blinked, not sure what to make of Matt’s outburst. “Why would some baddy want anything to do with some amature video guy like me? It’s not like they target M.J. anytime she interviews an avenger.”
“M.J. isn’t friends with them!”
“Who said I’m friends with Spider-Man?”
“Everyone! Some are saying you’re dating him- why else would you have such access to him?”
“I-” Huh, Peter hadn’t really thought about the optics before the comments made that morning. He was hoping to bring it up more eloquently, but Matt did give him the perfect opportunity to solicit advice. “People will always spread rumors, founded or not. How do I get them to stop… without actually stopping?”
Matt recoiled. “As your future lawyer, I advise you to stop. The rumors will never stop, and you’ll always be a target. You could be liable for any legal issues Spider-Man may cause if you knowingly withhold information. You- you could be compelled to reveal his identity.”
“But-”
Matt held up a hand. “End of discussion. I don’t want to know anymore.” He shifted his body to angle slightly away from Peter.
“Geeze. This is the worst ‘I told you so’ you’ve ever given me. What gives?” Peter crossed his arms and leaned back into the chair. He knew Matt couldn’t see him pout, but he stuck out his bottom lip for good measure.
“I need to study this case.” Matt squared his shoulders back and repositioned himself, gliding a finger over the document closest to him.
Peter scoffed, “Let’s pretend that you don’t have that basically memorized already. It won’t hurt you to take a five minute break and talk to me.”
“I don't want to talk about it.” Matt’s tone was firm. “Didn’t you say you came to study?”
“I came to ask you for advice, actually.” Peter shoved his laptop back into his bag. “I’ll leave you to your case study, then.”
“You don’t need to go.” Matt tilted his head, the closest to an apology Peter could expect while the other man was so agitated.
Peter hesitated. He didn’t want to be a burden, or a distraction. It probably had been a bad idea to ask Matt for advice anyway, he’d voiced his objection back when he was still just selling photos.
Matt sighed, visibly deflating. “I don’t have any advice to give you, Pete. At least none I haven't already given.”
“I know. I guess I should ask someone else.” He sat on the edge of his seat, still unsure if he should stay or go. “I don’t want to stop, Matt. I make good enough money from the ad revenue alone on these videos.”
“Then the rumors will continue as well. As will the comments and the jokes.”
Peter winced. “People will forget. Eventually."
"Villains won't. Will your boyfriend be able to guarantee your safety?" There was a sour note in Matt's voice.
Did Matt think… "That's not-" He stopped himself. What could he say to make Matt believe him? Besides the truth?
Matt stood and motioned towards the door. "Perhaps it would be best if we study independently."
Peter's mind raced. He didn't want to leave, especially not when Matt seemed so aggravated with him. "Matt, I-"
"Peter, please."
And what could Peter do except leave? Confess? Stop the endless dancing and tell Matt he was falling in love with him? Or, throw all his cards on the table and give Matt the complete truth?
Peter hung his head. Neither. He could do neither. For all the same reasons Matt wanted him to stop his films. He would never let Matt become a target because of him. So, without any other options, Peter grabbed his bag and shuffled out the door.
🥺 how abouttt "peter and danny having late night talks bc ohmigodtheywereroommates"
i mean they are really cute- 🐥
and I LOVE YOUR WORKS!!! really, they make me feel so much emotions at the same time, idk how do you do that skdskdjs
Heya! Thanks for the request. I'm so happy to hear you like my lil stories. I don't recognize your username, did you recently change it?
Idk why I always put them in college instead of working a dead end job or something? Idk.
….
The time on the stove said 1:27, an unfortunate time of morning when sleep was losing the battle against the thoughts racing through Danny's mind. Nevermind that he had class at 8am, his mind raced with scenarios and what-ifs, replaying past battles and mistakes as an extra layer to his spiraling anxiety. He was careful to not make a sound as he searched through the kitchen for an easy snack; his two roommates were sleeping down the hall, both had their own fair share of sleepless nights and Danny wasn't desperate enough for company to ruin one of their good nights.
As he settled on an orange, one of the few healthy options to be found, the window to the attached dining room slowly slid open. Without any fanfare, Peter ducked through the small opening, shutting the window behind him before letting in too much of the cold December air.
"Heya," Peter greeted sheepishly as he pulled off his Spider-Man mask. "So, I know I said I'd rest for another week, but…"
Danny shook his head. They were lucky he lasted on the sidelines as long as he did, and Danny wondered just how many times he snuck out without Luke or himself noticing. Still, he needed to give his body- and mind- time to heal. And he absolutely shouldn't be going out alone. With a grin to disguise his worry, Danny asked, "Your bedroom window jammed again?"
Peter shrugged not looking Danny's way as he too began to look for a snack. "It's like a one in six chance. Of course, it would betray me tonight." He paused and sheepishly looked over to Danny, "Sorry if I made you worry. I swear, I just went around the block a few times. I didn't mean for you to lose sleep over me."
While his first instinct was to lean into Peter's guilt, Danny opted for the truth. As he meticulously peeled his orange he calmly said, "I honestly thought you were sleeping. Next time, let me know and I'll come with you."
"Thanks…" Peter thrummbed his fingers against the wood cabinet door, staring blankly at the contents within. "We really need to go grocery shopping."
Danny chuckled at the comment. "Perhaps we can do so tomorrow after classes? This time we should make a list."
Peter hummed, a smile tugging at his lips. "Yeah, a list would be a good start."
"Want half of my orange?" Danny held it between them.
"Yeah… thanks." Peter slowly reached for it, suddenly looking incredibly tired as his evening's activities caught up with him. His fingers brushed against Danny's, lingering for longer than necessary. Out of sheer exhaustion - or something else? Danny didn't have the heart to explore the possibilities.
"You seem absolutely tired, my friend. Please get some rest once you've finished your snack."
"What about you?" Peter popped a slice of the orange into his mouth to punctuate his question.
"Me?" Danny leaned against the small kitchen counter.
"Mhmm. If you weren't up because of me, then what's up? You don't exactly look bright eyed and bushy tailed yourself."
"Just… having trouble sleeping. Nothing a snack and some meditation can't fix." He forced a carefree smile.
"I'm here if you ever want to talk."
"Likewise."
They ate in silence before Peter excused himself to his room for the night. One day, Danny would take him up on his offer to talk. But not tonight. Not tonight.
For the bingo, maybe a truth spell/ potion with spideyfist? <3
Thanks again for the promt! Sorry for how long this took 😭 I got some major burn out and needed to hit pause before I edited it. I cut it a bit short, I think, because I couldn't think of a real proper end and I like ambiguous angst anyway...
Trying something a little different and telling the story from an outside-ish pov instead of one of the ship characters. (and I'm a sucker for spideynova so let's add that angst to the pot)
What Fury said: "Spider-Man and Iron Fist have been the target of a spell which seems to render them unable to lie."
What Sam heard: "Pester them relentlessly."
"So, Peter!" Sam slid into the open couch seat next to him. The entire team was quarantined together in a SHIELD safe house outside of the city until they found a cure, and Sam was planning to take full advantage of the fact they couldn't leave. "How are you?"
"SAM!" Ava and Luke said in unison.
Ava glared at him from halfway up the carpeted stairs, hand on her hip. "NO questions. We've been over this."
Her voice was so loud, Sam nearly missed Peter's mumbled, "Miserable."
"Sorry, sorry." Sam held up his hands. He already abused their (mostly Peter's) condition on the way to the safehouse, leading to a complete ban on questions. He played it off as testing the limits of the spell, and hey, thanks to Sam's pestering they quickly found out one of the effects compelled them to answer any question directed at them.
It was all in good harmless fun so far, and some of Sam's questions even managed to pull a laugh out of Danny and Peter. Especially when Peter sheepishly admitted that he had, in fact, been the one to switch the spice labels when Aunt May was away one weekend. They still joked about the disastrous dinner Sam prepared for them with the mismatched seasoning. To this day, Sam still smelled his spices before adding them to whatever he was cooking.
The joking temporarily brought them all back to an easier time. Back when they were all still close friends. Before college and day jobs. Before dating and romance drove a wedge between Danny and Peter, and ultimately the entire team.
Sam stuck his tongue out at Ava when she continued to watch him. Clearly, he was going to need a targeted plan of attack if he was going to ask Peter questions. He leaned back in the chair and propped up his feet.
"I didn't mean to, just habit, ya know? Anyway, I managed to grab some games I kept at headquarters before they stuffed us in here." He gestured around the drab townhome. "Do you wa-" Sam cut himself off before finishing the question. Ava was still standing on the stairs, watching him like a hawk. "I can go get them, if you'd like to play."
Peter looked relieved and nodded with a small smile. "Sure, that sounds like a good distraction."
Luke made a noise of agreement and tossed the book he was reading to the side. "I can't believe they thought basic cable would be good enough. A good ol' school tournament is just what we need to raise Peter and Danny's spirits!"
From the moment they arrived in the safe house, Danny secluded himself in his room. Not that Sam was surprised, whatever was going on between him and Peter often had one of them disappearing during the rare team hang.
"Great, I'll go grab them." Sam glanced back to Peter before he bounced back off the couch and ran up the stairs, shouldering past Ava. His temporary room was at the very end of the hallway, giving him the perfect excuse to check in on Danny as he walked by his room.
Sam walked slowly down the bare-walled hallway, giving Ava plenty of time to disappear into her own room at the top of the stairs before he reached Danny's door. He knocked lightly on the painted white door, not wanting to draw any unwanted attention.
"Yes?" Danny said after a brief hesitation.
"Hey, Danny!" Sam gingerly opened the door. The room was dark; the only light came from a single candle in the middle of the floor. Danny sat in front of it, legs crossed and back ridgid. "I'm grabbing some games, you're welcome to join us downstairs."
"I appreciate the offer… However, I must decline."
Sam frowned and stepped into the room, closing the door softly behind him. "Are you-"
"Don't ask me anything," Danny quickly cut him off. "I fear what else I will say against my will."
"Sorry," Sam said as he folded his arms. "Have you tested the limits? Like, can you just not answer or can you control how much you say?"
Danny glared up at him, his lips pressed into a firm line as if he were fighting against answering. After a long moment he shook his head and answered with a clipped tone. "I can hold out for a few seconds. And… I'm not sure. It's like a force outside myself is compelling me to answer, but I can be vague if the question allows for it- or if there is no question at all."
"Want to-" Sam bit the inside of his cheek. He needed to play his cards right. "I'm willing to help you experiment if you'd like. But, right now, I promised Luke and Peter my game console."
Danny's face fell at the mention of Peter. "I may take you up on your offer if it seems this will be a long-term hindrance. Good thinking on grabbing your console, we didn't have much time to pack."
"Only the necessities," Sam grinned. He shrugged and turned around, pausing before he opened the door. "Feel free to join us if you change your mind."
Danny nodded and Sam stepped out into the hallway, debating what his next step would be. He cared about his friends, and while he did want to tease them a bit, there was a line he didn't want to cross. No matter how much he wanted to get to the bottom of why Danny and Peter suddenly started avoiding each other, he knew they would never forgive him if he just came out and asked. Though, there was a more important thing he would like to know.
"Hey, Danny…" Sam said tentatively before closing the door behind him. "I'm here if you need to talk."
"Thanks, Sam." Danny nodded, eyes once again closed.
______
Peter stifled a yawn, "I think it's time to call it."
"Oh, now that you're losing it's time to quit? Typical." Sam rolled his eyes and fought back his own yawn. He glanced over to where Luke was softly snoring on the couch then back to Peter. Ava disappeared into her own room several hours before and wasn't around to scold him. "Hey, Peter…"
"Sam," Peter warned, easily predicting Sam's intentions.
"Did you really hate me when we first met?" Sam asked, holding his breath as he waited for the answer to the burning question.
Peter's face contorted. "Not really hate. More like, severe dislike."
Sam squirmed in his chair. That was years ago. "And now?"
"Right now you're being a bad friend," Peter answered carefully.
"I- sorry." Sam couldn't meet Peter's burning gaze. "But seriously… I want to know."
"I almost wish you were hit with this damn thing. At least we'd be on an even playing field." Peter started to sigh but it turned into a yawn halfway. "Why with the million questions all of a sudden? It's not like you to be cruel."
"I-" Sam continued to look at his hands, willing his heart to calm. "I guess it has been a little one-sided on the secret revealing today…" He took a deep breath, willing himself to find the courage to confess to Peter what he'd kept hidden away for years.
Peter spoke first, "I don't need you to tell me your secrets, Sam."
Sam shook his head. He wanted to tell Peter, needed to. "I like you, Pete… I have for a while…"
"Oh," was all Peter said at first. A quick glance over at him was all Sam needed; Peter's face was pinched as he thought, picking his words carefully to not reveal more than he wanted while still telling the truth.
Then, after the silence began to feel suffocating, Peter clicked his tongue and looked over to Sam. "Is that why you left for a few months when Danny and I started dating?"
Sam nodded. He had been a coward, leaving mid-semester into his Freshman year of college. "Yeah, I needed to… I thought putting some space between us would help me get over these stupid feelings. But, then I came back and you two were still together, and it hurt- a lot- but I was so happy for you, and missed you- and everyone- so much…"
"Your feelings are not stupid, Sam. Emotions are illogical sometimes, and… yea…" He yawned. "I'm too tired to try and be all smarty-talky."
Sam snorted. "Right. We never talked about it, but I did feel bad when you two broke up." He held up his hands, "And as much as I want to ask why it happened, I won't. You're right, I was being a bad friend and I'm not going to take the joke questions further."
"I don't know why either. So, technically I haven't lied to you about that." Peter shrugged, "He's been avoiding me, too. Especially since getting hit with this truth bullshit."
"Why don't you-" Sam stopped himself. "You could just confront him, ask him… he'd-"
"Have to? Yea, no. I couldn't do that to him. If he doesn't want to tell me, then whatever." The pain behind those words was obvious.
"Dude… you're too good. Like, I don't know if I could resist asking. I'm barely holding back asking if you'd be willing to go on an actual data-date with me as more than friends. Besides, it's pretty obvious now that you're still in love with him, yeah?" Sam cringed, "Sorry, I didn't mean to ask. It just came out … sorry."
Peter shrugged. "Yeah, I do still love Danny."
Before Sam could say anything else to embarrass himself further, a creak echoed from the stairs. They both turned, finding Danny frozen mid-step.
"Danny, good to see you out of your room!" Sam said a little too loudly, hoping he hadn't overheard any of their conversation.
"I needed something to eat." He continued down the stairs, avoiding looking at Peter.
Sam glanced between the two of them, his heart constricting with the too-familiar pain. "I should go to bed," he said instead of everything else he'd like to say. His eyes followed Danny until he disappeared into the kitchen, and when he looked back to Peter the other hero was gone. "Stupid Spider," he grumbled.
He stomped down the queasy feeling in his stomach and stalked into the kitchen. Until now, he thought the breakup was mutual, but now? How could Danny hurt Peter, break his heart without so much as an explanation? Peter was someone to be treasured. His love was a gift. And Danny tossed it aside.
"Sam…" Danny stood in front of the closed fridge, his head slumped downwards with his blonde hair hiding his face. How much had he heard from their conversation?
"You owe Peter an explanation." Sam crossed his arms.
"I am aware. And perhaps, one day, I will be able to without-"
"Coward." Sam squared his shoulders. "Do you know how much you hurt him?" He didn't mean to ask a question, but he couldn't bring himself to feel bad about it.
"Very aware," Danny said with a rough voice.
"Then why-"
"Sam." Peter's voice was right behind him. "Please. This isn't the time for this. We can't lie right now, or avoid-"
"Then it's the perfect time!" Sam whirled around, ready to argue.
"I-" Danny looked up from the floor. "I am… If you want to ask me, then go ahead."
"See! Even he knows he's being unreasonable!" Sam threw his arms in a wide arc.
"Urgh!" Peter shouldered around Sam to stand in front of Danny. "I haven't brought it up since that night because you said you didn't want to talk about it. It's driving me bananas! But!" Peter gestured wildly. "I can't just… force you tell me now because of some stupid villain's attempt at a truth serum."
"We can't lie right now Peter. If you… want to ask me something, then I give you permission to do so. I will not hold it against you."
Sam bit his cheek, hoping they forgot he was there.
"Fine. Did you hear anything I said when I was talking to Sam?"
Danny nodded, looking back at his feet. "Yes…"
Peter inhaled sharply. "Then… do you… do you still love me too?"
Without hesitation, Danny met Peter's gaze and responded, "Yes."
"And you still…" Peter's voice cracked and he inhaled deeply, not breaking eye contact. "Nothing changes?"
"Okay." Peter turned on his heel and walked out. Sam listened to his footsteps up the stairs, staring at Danny in disbelief.
"You-" he shook his head. There were several things he would like to say -yell- at Danny. But, he refrained, if only so Peter could rest without hearing Sam chew out their teammate.
By the next afternoon, the effects seemed to be completely gone, and after a series of tests things returned to normal for a brief time. Slowly, Sam noted more instances of either Peter or Danny skipping team training or team ups, and if one was at a social event the other was nowhere to be seen. They all fell into their own routines, found their own hero niches, and drifted further apart, more independent.
Thanks for reading! Hope this wasn't too much of a mess 😅 I couldn't decide on the reason for the breakup so I'll leave that up to your imagination. Did Danny cheat? Did he make a deal with a baddy? Is he terminally ill? Is he being threatened?
For bingo! How about parksborn with a secret relationship? Maybe with Harry scared his dad will find out, up to you 🤗
❤😊
Bingo fic 2/?
"Or, we could just… you know," Peter drew a small circle in the air with his index finger, "tell your dad about us."
For the first time in the 10 minutes they'd been on the subject, Harry stopped pacing through their living room apartment. Normally, Peter would take any win he could get- and calming Harry down would definitely be a win. However, the fact they were even having the conversation -again- was enough to overshadow any sense of victory. And, judging from the clenched fist at his side, Harry was not calm and only paused his nervous walking to stare incredulously at Peter.
"Tell him? Just- Peter!" He threw his arms in the air and resumed his pacing. "Do you know how hard I've worked to keep this from him?"
Peter maintained a neutral face and stepped into Harry's path. "We can't keep it from him forever."
Harry didn't protest when Peter pulled him close, but remained stiff despite the attempt at intimacy. "We've done great so far."
"Well, yea. It's easy to keep a new relationship secret at first, but it's not new anymore, Harry. How long can we keep up a lie?" His fingers dug into the back of Harry's sweater, clinging onto what he could of his boyfriend.
They'd been together nearly a year, officially anyway. At first it was easy to maintain Harry's desire for secrecy, to keep the media -even their friends- from finding out. Even though they had always been close, eventually people in their lives began to catch on. M.J, of course, was the first to confront them. But, when they moved into a new apartment together the previous month, the rest of their friends did the proverbial math.
"As long as it takes." Harry's breath was warm on Peter's neck. "With him officially out of prison, he's going to be around more. And- I can't deal with his disapproval. You know how he feels about us being friends- how do you think he would react to us dating?"
Peter sighed into Harry's hair and didn't respond.
___
The following weekend, Harry agreed to meet his father for dinner. For once, Peter didn't press the mater when Harry asked him to stay home, and for that he was thankful. Meeting with his father was always stressful, he didn't need an additional layer of worry.
Norman was not a subtle man. If he wanted something he asked for it. Or, as, was known to happen on occasion, he demanded it. Directly saying no to Norman Osborne was not something many people possessed the courage to do, and few were ever in a position to say no a second time..
For most of his childhood, even Harry was not immune to his father's intensity. He craved his approval and love. It was only when Harry befriended Peter that he realized what family could actually mean.
Now, Harry was in charge of the family business, and ran things differently. He expected their dinner conversation to revolve around his management practices, and the money he spent on community projects.
He hadn't expected his father to steer the conversation straight into the one subject matter Harry wanted to avoid.
"That- that is not necessary." Harry cleared his throat, partially regretting all the times he wished his dad would be more involved in his life. When he was younger, he just wanted him to show up to school events, his graduation, hell, even just listen to him talk about his day.
Perhaps his dad was trying to make up for lost time, but getting involved in his love life was crossing a line. He'd taken great care to keep his love life out of the press, and was being even more careful to keep it from his father.
"It's just a suggestion." Norman held up his hands over his empty plate. "I only meant… Harry, perhaps it wouldn't hurt to meet someone? Working so much… being alone…? It's not healthy, I would know."
"You weren't alone!" His fist slammed on the table as he stood.
"I know," Norman's voice was soft. "I know. I only mean…" he trailed off, then cleared his throat and tried again. "I know I didn't have to be alone. You were there, and I- I wasn't there for you. I don't want to see you make the same mistakes and purposefully be alone."
Harry studied a shadow on the wall, mulling over his father's words. He thought of Peter, and wondered what he was doing at that moment. "I'm not alone."
"Friends are different, Harry. What I'm talking about is-"
Harry gripped the edge of the table as he stood, leaning forward with the beginnings of a snarl. He wanted to yell, tell Norman that friendship was plenty satisfying to some people. Tell him he was happily dating someone. Tell him he didn't get to suddenly decide to be a father figure and offer life advice after years of neglect.
Yelling would definitely have felt good. Great, even. It wouldn't help repair the rift between them, and Norman was.. trying, in his own misguided way.
Harry released the breath he was holding and relaxed back into his seat. "I don't want to fight tonight."
Norman nodded and reached for the bottle of wine. "Agreed. I am sorry, I didn't know this would be such a delicate subject. Perhaps we can talk about something else?"
Harry accepted the offered wine, "Gladly."
"So, how are your friends?" Norman asked. "How is Peter? I've heard you're roommates now?"
---
"And then-" Harry dropped himself to the couch without any grace, "-he just had to ruin it all again!"
Peter slid next to him, scooting down to rest his head against Harry's chest. He wished he could have been there as a buffer between Harry and his father, but he had to settle for comforting him afterwards. "What did he do?"
"We were fine. Talked about my friends, and that book Ava recommended to me. And that art gallery we went to last month."
"Sounds nice."
"Yea, until he circled back around to the fact we live together." Harry couldn't keep the venom from his voice. They discussed it before Harry went over; it wasn't worth hiding their living… situation. It was common knowledge.
"Does he suspect-"
"He said having a roommate will hurt my chances of finding a partner. And that there are better ways to support my 'less fortunate' friends."
Peter didn't say anything. He couldn't, even if he wanted to; his throat constricted painfully as Harry's words reverberated in his head. He angled his face down so Harry couldn't see the unshed tears in his eyes.
"I told him to mind his own business and stop messing with my personal life then stormed out."
They remained on the couch for a while; Peter lost track of exactly how long they sat in silence. Eventually, they went to bed. Peter hummed and nodded the few times Harry said something as they changed for bed, but none of the words registered.
Sleep didn't find him for several hours, and when Peter woke up he was alone. It wasn't abnormal for Harry to leave before Peter woke up, he often had early morning meetings and snuck out as quietly as he could.
Peter groaned and ran a hand over his face. He still felt numb from the previous night and replayed the conversation over and over as he dragged himself out of bed and to the kitchen. The thought of eating made his stomach churn so he settled for instant coffee.
His laptop was on the table where he left it. He drummed his fingers on the table a moment before opening the laptop and leaning over as if to hide the screen from the empty apartment.
He loved Harry, of that he was sure. Yet-
Yet- he needed to have a very difficult conversation with Harry when he returned from work.
Peter sighed as he pulled up the website he'd fallen asleep thinking about. At the very least it would be cathartic to know what his options were should it come to it.
After some time there was a knock on the front door. Which wasn't rare, they had an elderly neighbor who often asked for favors- or brought over homemade treats.
"Good morning, Nancy I-" Peter sputtered as he opened the door, "Mr. Osborne! I- uh- good morning."
"Ah, Mr. Parker." He raised an eyebrow when Peter just stared.
"Um, Harry is at work." Peter wasn't sure what to do, but he erred on the side of caution and stepped aside. "Did you want to come in?"
Norman swept passed without hesitation. "Actually, I was hoping to speak with you."
Peter bit his cheek to keep from grimacing. Nothing good ever really came from them having a conversation in the past, and with his relationship with Harry on the line he doubted this conversation would break the pattern.
Norman made himself at home, either unaware or ignoring Peter's uncertainty. Peter wasn't concerned as he walked through the living room, Harry had been strict about not having any photographs of them outside of their bedroom. There was nothing to point to them being more than roommates.
"I had dinner with Harry last night and he-" Norman paused as he circled the table. In Peter's rush to the door he'd left his laptop open. "Apartment shopping?"
"Uh…"
Norman turned to look Peter over, his eyes hard and unreadable. "I see." He paused again before nodding once. "I spoke out of turn last night. I didn't intend for Harry to actually…"
"Oh. He told me a bit of your… concerns. This was my idea," Peter unfroze and crossed the room, closing the laptop in a vain hope to end the conversation.
"You've always been there for him." Norman glided over to their couch but didn't sit. He hesitated a moment before continuing, "You truly care about him."
Peter was skeptical of his motives. "He's my best friend."
"... Truly."
"You said you came to talk to me?" Peter stepped towards him, keeping the couch between them.
"That was all," Norman said as he slipped his phone from his pocket. He typed for a few seconds before nodding in Peter's direction. "I'll see you around, Peter."
Peter let him out and stumbled onto the couch, reeling from the odd conversation with Norman Osborne. Before he could contemplate it further, his phone buzzed in his pocket.
"Not a great time, Harry." He sat it next to him and let it ring out.
It rang again. And then a third time. Then, Harry sent a text. 'Call me asap'
Peter groaned, he still had so much to think about before he talked to Harry. Still, he called Harry back, concerned by Harry's sudden calls.
"Peter!" Harry sounded out of breath. "Shit, I was worried- I thought- Peter, I love you."
"Is everything okay? Where are you?" Peter didn't like the crack in Harry's voice.
"I just got in my car, I'm on my way home."
"Why? Did something happen?"
"Did- are you ok? What-"
"I'm sorry. Peter, I'm sorry. I didn't think- I can't- don't leave."
"Babe, calm down. What's going on?"
"My dad- he text me, said he stopped by to talk to you--" His breath hitched. "He said I should ask you out before you put a deposit down on a new apartment. Why are you- did you-"
"Harry. Hey- that's- I was going to talk to you tonight. But I-"
"So it is true? It's not something he made up to get his way?"
"I wanted to see what there was. I don't want to- I love you Harry."
"If you didn't want to move out then why look for a new apartment?"
Peter tightened his grip on his phone. "Because I- I was afraid of what- of how- I wanted to know my options. I can't keep living a lie. Pretending you're not the love of my life whenever we're-"
"Don't leave. I'm almost home."
"I'm not going anywhere. Hey, Harry?"
"Yeah?" Harry sniffled.
"I love you."
"Love you."
"And, hey, Harry?"
"Y-yeah?"
"Did your dad really tell you to ask me out?"
"..."
"Harry?"
"Oh my God. He did."
___
Thanks for reading! This one went way long too. I wanted some Norman trying to reconcile but still fucking it up but ultimately helping.
If you're feeling up to it, could you possibly write a spideynovafist where Peter gets hurt & Sam and Danny are worried/take care of him? Or they're worried and upset that he keeps risking himself unnecessarily (if you want to go more angsty). 😊
Oo! I think it has been a while since I've written this ot3!
"Seriously?" Sam spread his arms wide and stared at the closed bedroom door. "Real mature, Parker!"
He dropped his arms with a huff, a physical reaction to his anger deflating. With any luck, Danny would be home soon and they could team up on their stubborn boyfriend. As of that moment, Sam was out of ideas, and he knew pushing on his own would only lead to a bigger fight. Letting Peter calm down was his only plan of attack, so Sam tried to busy himself by making homemade bread.
Bread requires patience to make from scratch, rush it and you risk losing flavor or structure. Sam was well aware of the necessity of proofing your yeast, letting the dough rise- but he absolutely did not have the patience today, so he pulled out an old recipe book. He was halfway through making a basic quick bread dough when Danny finally came home.
Sam didn't look up from aggressively working his dough, but out of the corner of his eye he could see Danny come to lean against the counter. He threw the dough into a pan, threw it in the preheated oven, and slumped against the counter.
Danny hummed. "I remember you giving a lecture about making bread... What has you so upset?"
"Your boyfriend is a stubborn asshole," Sam muttered.
To Sam's dismay, Danny laughed. "He's your boyfriend too. Mind telling me what happened?:
He almost snapped 'Ask him yourself', but caught himself in time. It was taking effort, but he was working on communicating in a healthier way. After almost losing Danny and Peter after a huge argument, he was making the effort to change how he approached their disagreements.
"He-" Sam took a deep breath.
"Was he injured again?" Danny looked a Sam knowingly.
"Yea, and he slammed the door in my face when I asked him about it. I saw the coverage online, he- it was close, Danny."
Danny nodded and opened his arms, and Sam readily accepted the invitation, burying his face in Danny's chest with a contented sigh.
"There," Danny said as he rubbed circles on Sam's back. "How about we both go talk to him, hm?"
"Like he'll listen." Sam's voice was muffled by Danny's shirt.
In one smooth motion Danny gently pushed Sam back, slid his hand into Sam's, and began pulling him to the bedroom. It wasn't a long walk, but the dread Sam felt made it seem like forever. The last time this happened they all said such regretful things. Sam did not want a repeat.
He allowed Danny to lead, their linked hands giving him the strength he needed to have this conversation with Peter. Thankfully, Peter had not locked the door.
"Peter?" Danny's voice was soft and calm. The lights were off in their room, but it was easy enough to spot the Peter-shaped lump on the king sized bed.
No reply came. Sam's shoulders slumped a bit and he squeezed Danny's hand. "Pete, we just wanna talk."
Silence.
"Perhaps… talking can wait?" Danny dropped Sam's hand and crawled onto the bed.
Sam followed, not wanting to be left behind, and easily found his place on Peter's other side. Sure, they had a lot to talk about, but Danny was right: it could wait. For now, they made a Peter-snuggle sandwich, letting him know he was loved, reminding him of why they were so upset when he was injured.
Well you tagged spideydevil in it. Which is basically my calling card at this point so. Spideydevil. (who's surprised?) also btw did you ever finish the harry potter au when their adults? Thank you if you do the drabble. Have a splendid good friday and rest of week.
So, I've been avoiding harry potter stuff and honestly completely forgot about this AU!! I'm really sorry ^^; I only had an outline, so I wrote out the first scene real quick when I got home :) Not exactly fluffy or romantic yet, but it tickles my need for angst
"Parker." Matt didn't bother knocking, instead strolling confidently into the Potion Master's office with a swish of his dark robes.
Peter lazily looked up from his stacks of notes for a few seconds. "Professor Murdock," he greeted the Defense Against The Dark Arts professor in the least annoyed voice he could muster at the moment.
The students would arrive the day after next and he had lots of preparations left: lesson plans to finalize, ingredients to organize, and a litany of other tasks. Peter didn’t have time for distractions, especially ones which came from Matthew Murdock. When he accepted the position at the last minute, he expected to come into a somewhat organized office and classroom. Instead, he found everything utterly empty. Not even a lesson plan from any of the previous professors.
Thinking back to his time as a student, he knew he shouldn’t be surprised. Back then he often thought the professors just made up their lectures the night before- and Mary Jane had laughed openly at him, calling the very idea foolish. Now, he wasn't so sure he was far off.
The previous potions professor was, however, kind enough to leave a copy of her debut romance novel. It currently was filling most of the rubbish bin next to his desk, the sultry cover mocking him every time he caught a glimpse. A reminder of his utter lack of romance in his life.
As if in cue, his meandering thoughts were interrupted by Matt tapping his knuckles against one of the few bare spots on his desk. "Did you get the list of potions I left?"
Matt leaned on his cane, the action drawing Peter's focus to the purple gem at its top. Peter desperately wanted to ask about it, study it like he had so many relics before. "Oh, the list you slid under my door last night?" Peter grit his teeth to keep his annoyance from bubbling over. His morning began with finding the length of parchment on his floor, complete with a scribbled list of potions and a demand to have them ready by certain dates.
"That's the one. I adjusted my lecture order and need to change the date I'll need the polyjuice by."
"Oh, well let me get right on that," Peter said flatly, not looking up. “Did the last professor do all of this for you?"
"I never asked the last two. Professor Figh was an incompetent fool who nearly blew his own arm off by adding the wrong ingredient in the middle of a lecture, and Professor Lovely was too focused on… other matters. She only took the position as a favor to the headmaster, brilliant at potions but had no passion for it."
"So, why ask me?” Peter leaned back into his chair, crossing his arms defensively. By accepting the position Peter knew there would be times he would need to interact with the other professors– Matt included. Civil, polite, but never personal. That was his plan. Avoid unnecessary interactions, keep his distance– apparently Matt had other ideas. A rare bubble of anger began to surge within him, and Peter was slow to soothe the emotion, allowing it to fester for a moment as a reminder of the past. Was Matt so unaffected by the past that he could so casually demand favors, did he truly believe Peter would just go on pretending like nothing happened between them? Like his heart hadn’t been utterly crushed?
Matt was silent for a few breaths before shifting his weight and saying, “You’re brilliant at potions and my lessons benefit greatly from practical demonstrations.” He breathed deeply before adding, “And we made a good team last time we were both here.”
“Out.” Peter stood, slamming his open palms against the desk as his anger surged. When Matt didn’t so much as flinch, Peter forced himself to continue. “You and I remember that differently. I’ll make the potions for you, because it benefits the students.”
With a stiff nod of acknowledgment, Matt quickly turned on his heel and quickly retreated from Peter’s office. The moment his robes swished around the corner, Peter sagged down to his chair, dreading the year to come.
Yo yo yo from your bingo card, Body Swap for Dimiclaude (DimitrixClaude)
*folds arms behind her back and scuffs her shoe on the ground* So, this became a whole… thing.
Idk what happened. It's too long for me to try and post to Tumblr, so the first bit is here and the full 20k is on ao3 <3
Dimitri did not hate every aspect of being King, which surprised him at first. Going from war and death to meetings and negotiations was a difficult transition, one he sometimes still struggled with. He would admit as such openly to his close friends that the first few months after his coronation had been challenging, and he still sometimes questioned if he was truly the correct choice to lead a unified Fodland. But, he didn't hate it, not all of it.
He actively worked to change people's lives for the better, officially pardoned the people of Duscur, and welcomed negotiations with the people from Sreng. Still, he hated the meetings required for such good things to happen. Hated the stuffy rooms filled with nobles who had no care for how their actions would affect the common people, hated how they each had their own agenda which often contradicted the very thing Dimitri was trying to achieve.
But most of all, he hated how lonely his life had become.
After Professor Byleth helped guide him back from the edge of his own darkness, he'd been surrounded by friends and allies. During the war there was always someone nearby ready to talk, or listen, or spar. Now, his friends were scattered across the country, and Dimitri couldn’t summon them from their important work just because he wanted to have dinner with a friend instead of eating alone again.
Thankfully, Dedue and Ingrid were often in Fhridad as part of their own projects and travels. Though, they barely had time to spare for personal time with their King. Dedue always ensured they caught up over dinner at least once when he visited, and they wrote to each other often.
And, of course, where would he be without his closest advisors? Sylvain and Felix were his constants after the war, by his side for important meetings and always available to discuss strategy. But, they each had their own lives to attend. Felix had Annette, and Sylvain…. Dimitri didn't want to know what Sylvain got up to.
He looked forward to seeing them, but wished there was time for strictly social visits. As it stood, he hadn't seen many of them in months. When he announced a trade summit with Almyra, he'd anticipated pushback from even those he counted as close allies. Yet, they supported his vision nonetheless They would all arrive soon to offer their support and opinions on his negotiations with Almyra. He wished it would be a social visit, but he would accept what little he could.
The Almyran King arrived mere hours ago, and the castle was abuzz with last minute preparations for the trade negotiations. Dimitri took advantage of his staff being distracted to roam the castle, trying to pace the anxiety out of his system.
Of course, he couldn't do so in peace.
"Your Majesty, this is a terrible idea. I again urge you to-"
Dimitri cut off the noble with a curt wave of his gloved hand. Lord Barelow was the most outspoken of the city's nobles, arguing his case whenever an opposition presented itself. Now he was resorting to cornering Dimitri in the hallways without a care of who would overhear.
"I hope you will be courteous to our guests while they are here. Save your objections for tomorrow's meeting." His patience was waning before they'd even begun.
The noble sulked off down the hallway, no doubt going off to devise another way to ruin Dimitri's mood.
"Glad I'm not the only one getting pushback," a familiar voice said from the shadows of the thick curtains adorning a window.
"Claude," Dimitri whirled around. The King of Almyra smirked back at him, looking incredibly lively despite the long journey he just undertook. No, not Claude, he reminded himself. "Er, King Khalid."
"Oh please, don't you get all formal with me, too." He was dressed down, a simple outfit instead of what one would expect a foriegn king to wear, no doubt intended to blend in. Still his clothes were ornate and sported the colors of Almyra, reminding Dimitri once again of how much had changed since they were in school. It seemed like a lifetime ago.
Dimitri nodded, "I apologize if I have offended you. Is there a reason you are wandering the hallways of the castle alone? You must be exhausted from your trip, if you need something, I have staff who-"
Claude waved his hand, "No, no. I just needed to stretch my legs. I wasn't expecting to run into you, rumor has it you're always in your office."
Despite himself, Dimitri's lips ticked upward. "Or in a council meeting. I am sure your life has become similar."
"In a way, yeah." Claude crossed his arms and leaned against the stone wall, not hiding his careful appraisal of Dimitri. For a moment his eyes softened, "You look good. Peace suits you."
Keep reading:
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the
Organization for Transformative Works
I had something else in mind completely, but then I saw a preview for "married at first sight" and decided to do a modern AU. Never seen the show, so I just made the rest up. Hope you like it!
Dimitri assessed himself in the ornate mirror again, acutely aware of the cameras capturing his every movement, every emotion. Even his wildest daydreams never once included a television camera crew filming his wedding. Yet, the chaos helped keep his attention far from the very real vows he was about to make to a man he had never met.
The venue was fantastic, he couldn't have selected something better himself. It warmed his heart to know the man he would be marrying found an outdoor wedding ideal as well, and where better than a vineyard overlooking a lush valley? So far, everything was perfect. Perfect venue, perfect weather, perfect suit, and, if all went well, he would leave with the perfect husband.
Sylvain's laughter announced his arrival, and Dimitri wasn't surprised to find the Producer, Manuela, fawning over him. "Heya, Dimitri! Whoa, Felix wasn't joking when he said you're dressed to the nines."
Manuela laughed, a practiced sound. "Of course, we couldn't have our star looking anything less than his best on his wedding day!" She clapped her hands together, "Alright, we need to film some camera confessionals to splice into the intro and before the breaks. Are you ready?"
Dimitri nodded, not trusting his voice. Dedue, his best man, had left to take a personal call. He was his rock through the whole process, by his side from the day he caved into Sylvain's suggestion and signed up for the matchmaking television show. Dedue's calm presence kept him centered while he waited months for a match to be made.
"Alright," Manuela clapped again, bringing his attention to the camera now in front of him. "First question: How are you feeling now?"
Dimitri inhaled and mentally repeated the general rules Manuela gave him for talking to the camera. He didn't want to redo the shots like he often had to at the beginning of the process. Being in front of the camera was nothing new for him, but filming reality television was very different from filming one of his movies.
"Right now… I am still in disbelief. I gave up finding love years ago, and to have this chance…" He looked away from the camera. "Knowing the man waiting for me at the altar is there because experts have determined we are compatible… Knowing he is not here because of my family name or my wealth means so much."
"Good, good. Question two" Do you think getting married will impact your career?"
"I hope not. My movies have been successful because of my talent, and while I am very aware of my… fan club… I believe they will be happy if I am happy."
"Question three: any pushback from your family during this process?"
"Only concern from my friends, but they support me going through with this. One of them is actually why I signed up for it- after a lot of cajoling. And some alcohol to calm my nerves."
Someone with a clipboard and earpiece grabbed Manuela's attention, and she motioned for him to walk around for some action shots as she disappeared out the door. He complied, but was disappointed to note Sylvain had slipped away during his interview. Typical; the man couldn't stay still on a normal day.
He walked to the window, looking out at the vineyard. Two small guest houses sat on the estate, built so couples could get ready for their wedding separately. There was no chance he would accidentally see his fiancé, and even if he did, how would he tell him apart from the other guests and crew milling about the property?
Would he like the man they chose for him? After so many interviews, personality tests, and various questionnaires, he sure hoped so. More importantly, would he like Dimitri? Was his custom Brioni suit too much? Would the non traditional deep blue be acceptable? His life was often a whirlwind when he was filming a movie, could his husband handle it? It was one of the most common relationship killer for him, and had been one of the first things he mentioned when he first signed up for the show. Had they remembered to take it into account?
"Good, good." Manuela's voice filled the room once more. "We can throw a voice over this, the audience will eat up that pensive staring out the window. Dimitri, are you ready?"
"Ready?"
"To get married, silly. We're about to start."
It was time already?
"Dimitri." Dedue's strong voice came from the doorway. He turned his gaze to Manuela, "May we have a moment?"
"Of course." She motioned for the camera to keep rolling and Dimitri sighed. Even with her out of the room, he needed to be camera ready.
"Dimitri," Dedue said again as he pulled Dimitri into a tight embrace. How in his head was he if he hadn't noticed Dedue crossing the room? "Breathe."
"Aww, are you guys having a moment I wasn't invited to?" Sylvain appeared at his side as he pulled away from Dedue. Immediately, he pulled Dimitri into a hug of his own. "If this doesn't work, then I had nothing to do with it. If you fall madly in love, then you're welcome."
Dimitri chuckled and pulled away from the embrace. Lingering just out of reach stood Felix. He knew better than to try and hug his prickly friend, instead he nodded towards him. "Thank you all. I could not imagine doing this without your support."
"Not having a change of heart, are we?" Manuela's head peeked into the room.
Dimitri forced a smile through his anxiety. "No. Let's go meet my future husband."
Manuela ushered him outside and into a covered golf cart. As they were driven up the hill to where he would get married, she double checked the microphone hidden in his Boutonniere. "Alright, so this venue is a tricky one since it's outside. There are two curtain boxes set up opposite each other. You will both step through them on cue and walk towards each other and meet in the middle at the altar. Got it?"
Dimitri nodded as the cart came to a stop. Manuela exited first then motioned for him to follow her. She pointed to where he should stand, and he strained his neck to catch a glimpse of anything before the white curtains blocked his view. A similar curtain was on the other side as she'd said. Chairs were set up for the few guests each brought with them, but were currently empty.
As he stood behind the curtains, Dimitri strained to hear what was going on. He couldn't see the chairs or the altar, but after a few minutes the sounds of soft chatter floated to him. The altar was just beyond a thin fabric. His husband was just beyond thin fabric.
Dimitri focused on his breathing. It was real. He was about to marry someone who's name he didn't know. While he thought he worked through his anxiety over it, he clearly had not. What did he do with his hands? What if he tripped as he walked to the altar?
Before he could continue to spiral further, Manuela was signaling him to walk out. He hesitated. His friends were out there, his husband's friends were out there. His husband was out there. With a deep breath, Dimitri pushed the curtain aside and stepped out.
He paid no attention to the people to his left, focused only on the man already standing across from him. Gorgeous did not do the man justice, and once Dimitri stepped out his face lit up, flashing Dimitri a wide smile. There was something familiar about him, something Dimitri couldn’t yet place as distracted as he was by the way his green eyes danced.
His husband stepped forward, breaking the spell he put over Dimitri. When they met in the middle, between the altar and their friends, Dimitri thought it was too good to be true.
Remembering himself, Dimitri smiled down and introduced himself. "H-hello, I am Dimitri."
"Whoa," the man said. "I thought my eyes were deceiving me, but it really is you." Dimitri's heart began to sink, afraid he was just another fanboy until he continued. "I'm Claude."
Oh- it clicked. Claude Von Riegan, lead singer of the band The Golden Deer. "This is really happening."
Claude smiled, "Yeah, it suuure is."
Dimitri wanted to talk to him, ask so many questions- touch him. But they were not alone up at the altar and a soft voice startled them both out of the moment they were sharing. "Welcome, everyone. I am Byleth, the officiant for this joyous occasion."
They paused to give Dimitri and Claude a moment to catch their bearings. Dimitri risked a glance to his friends, and was relieved to find them looking content. Annette gave him a thumbs up at the same time Sylvain wolf whistled. Claude's side was just as lively, and Dimitri recognized members of his band in the front row.
Byleth continued, bringing their focus back to them. "We welcome Claude Von Riegan and Dimitri Blaiddyd-"
Dimitri couldn’t focus on their speech, too busy getting lost in Claude's eyes. He had enough sense about him to respond to the vows when prompted, and was endlessly glad they didn't have to write their own.
"Now, I pronounce you married. You may now kiss your groom, forever sealing your union."
Dimitri was eager to do so, his nerves falling away when Claude's lips found his. He completely forgot about the cameras as he eagerly returned the kiss, and nearly groaned when Claude pulled away.
Cheers rang out from their friends. He heard Sylvain's shout of, "Power couple!" over everyone else.
They were ushered down the aisle, through their friends' congratulations and into another covered cart. Claude's hand found his as they were driven to where the reception was being held, and Dimitri squeezed it in silent answer.
"Hey?" Claude looked at him, a smile tugging playfully at his lips.
"Yes?"
"We're married," Claude said, nudging his shoulder into Dimitri's.
Dimitri leaned over, placing a chaste kiss on Claude's cheek. "Yes, we are." He brushed his knuckles along his husband's cheek before diving for his lips.
He couldn't be happier with the outcome, and looked forward to getting to know his new husband, and starting their life together.
