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"Hey Pete! Can you come explain this, what does Tony call it, bi culture? What is that?" Steve asked the teen from where he was perched on the ceiling, hanging from a random web. Said teen looked over, his eyes straying from his phone.
"Bi..culture? Steve, you do realize that bi culture means bisexual culture,..right?" Peter said slowly, hesitantly dropping to his feet. He pulls his sweater down nonchalantly to hide the fact that he had pulled his binder back into place as well. The spider could see that Steve instantly grew anxious, his feet shuffling into the carpet, toes burying themselves.
"What's bisexual? Is that like, queer?" Steve asked innocently, his eyes growing wide instantly,"Oh god! I'm sorry Peter! Is that still a bad word to call people?" The blond hero asked, his bottom lip being pulled into his mouth by his teeth.
Peter hid his giggles into his sweater, his eyes light but wary. He knew that Steve was from the 1940's, a time where being gay was punishable by death or imprisonment.
“You’re fine, Mr. Rogers. Most people don’t mind that word anymore, though it can still be considered a hate word against the LGBT community.” Peter told him, eyeing the blond man’s cuffed jeans.
Watching Steve instantly relax, Peter still held a bit of wariness in his shoulders, sitting onto the couch. Peter hit the cushion next to him, indicating he wanted Steve to sit down so he could start explaining what bisexual culture was along with answering any questions that might come to surface as he started.
“Bisexual culture is kind of like a meme, y’know what a meme is, right? Those funny pictures with funny captions,” Peter started off, sitting criss-cross on the couch,”That’s kind of what bisexual culture is, but to the LGBT community, and not to everyone else. With me so far?” Peter asked, noticing Steve listening intently to what the teen was saying.
Steve nodded, his hands moving as if to tell Peter to continue on with what he was saying,”No questions so far, kid.” he mumbled
Peter nodded, one of his legs moving to rest under his body while the other rested on the coffee table, making him sit in a weird position,"Okay, so, bi culture is kind of like how most people see bisexual people as. For instance, bisexual culture is Thomas Sanders, cuffing your jeans or Capri's. Bi culture is doing the finger gun motion, tucking in your shirts, being unable to spell or do anything technology wise. Most bisexual people call themselves gay despite liking both sexes." The teen explained, his hands making random gestures.
"Is there more than two sexes?" Steve asked randomly, his eyes wide with innocence. The blond hero knew that the spider-kid in front of him was transgender, born female but identified as a male.
Peter blinked slowly,"From my knowledge, there is two sexes, which is male and female. But gender is different than sex. Gender is a spectrum, so there is a possibility that over 112 genders can exist. There are people who like to be assholes. Some like to say that gender and sex are the same thing and that biology is always right even though scientists have proved that gender is a spectrum-" Peter paused, his face flushing slightly.
"Sorry, I'm rambling. The only openly trans kid in school tends to be told that often." The teen said for a moment,"Anyways, back to bi culture. Bisexuality is usually considered weird and selfish since it means liking both sexes. Which is NOT to be confused with pansexuality, which is liking every gender and sex, and going for personality over looks. Neither of these things are phases either." Peter added sternly, looking over at Steve.
"Explain bisexuality to me more." Steve said,"Please?"he asked softly, his bottom lip being pulled into his mouth by his teeth.
His position had moved to where he was now sitting criss-cross applesauce, hands folding down and folding up the bottom of his jeans where his now sock-clad feet were digging into the couch.
“Eh, Pete, do you mind if we move this to the floor? I’d feel more..comfortable?” Steve murmured, already moving to sit himself onto the fluffy carpet of the common room.
Peter snorted, moving back to hang from the ceiling as he continued to talk,”Sure Mr. Rogers.” he teased, holding back what laughter he could feel bubbling up.
Clearing his throat, Peter continued, “Bisexuality is basically liking both male and female. But it doesn’t have to be 50/50, where you like both equally. You could like men more than women and still be bisexual. You could like women more than men and still be bisexual. It truly doesn’t matter. You could like men 99% of the time and love women with that 1% and still be bisexual. Or it could be the opposite.” Peter explained, a small smile on his face as he thought about his boyfriend, Ned, and their other significant other, MJ, who was non-binary but that was for a different story.
“So you could like men more than women, and still be bisexual?” Steve asked curiously,”I thought that meant you were queer? Or, sorry, gay.”
“You can still like women while liking men, Mr. Rogers.” Peter assured the 100-year old man.
“Oh that’s amazing.” Came the breathy sigh of Steve from his sprawled out position on the floor, “How do you know if you’re bisexual?” he asked out loud.
“Everyone finds out differently. Personally, I knew I was bisexual when this transfer student came to our school. Her name was Mary Jane. I was under the impression that I was a full queer, or, gay. But she asked me the the homecoming dance, we kissed, and I realized I was bisexual while she realized I had tits under my binder.” Peter said, a little humor in his voice, “Now she’s my best friend and dating Liz.”
“Off-topic, sorry Mr. Rogers” Peter said sheepishly, clearing his throat, “But like I said, everyone has different experiences. Ned found out he was bisexual from watching anime porn, which Clint will tell you its called Hentai, and ”ITS ART, PETER!!” He really likes to sign it out to random people in the streets too.” Peter rambled out.
“Can you tell me anything else about finding out?” Steve asked softly, his head turning as the elevator dinged. Peter watched as the man jumped to his feet once a familiar soft whirring could be heard throughout the semi-quiet room.
Steve grinned widely at Bucky, his eyes lighting up brightly, hands reaching to wrap around said super-soldier, chests pressed together as both men shared a long hug, murmurs of soft nothings being passed between them momentarily.
“Peter was just telling me about the, um, LTBG community!” Steve told Bucky eagerly, bouncing on his toes slightly.
“You mean the LGBT community, darlin’.” Bucky murmured softly, his metal hand tracing a random pattern into Steve’s hip for a second before turning to face the teen, whose face was lit up in a huge grin, eyes bright and full of youthful joy.
“Y’know, I’m not even surprised,” Peter started, slipping from his webbing, “That makes so much sense.”