Chapter Text
Not to sound like a total hipster, but Peter's been in the superhero business since before it was cool.
Nowadays, it seems like there's always some new hero popping up. And if not a new hero, then some new teamup. It's getting harder and harder to figure out the real announcements from the satire. Back in the day - a whole two years ago - Peter had to figure this whole superhero business out all by himself. From scratch! Kids these days. They don't know how good they have it.
Peter had hoped that as more enhanced people and superheroes started to pop up, he might end up finding a few more who he might consider peers. Not that he hasn't met plenty of awesome people in this line of work, it's just that... they're all old. Even the ones with secret identities like him are clearly adults with careers, mortgages, 401ks, and whatever else being an adult comes with. Peter couldn't exactly blame the rest of the city's teenagers for not wanting to take on what might be the worst extracurricular ever. Seriously, talk about high risk low reward.
But still. It gets lonely sometimes.
It's why Peter had been absolutely ecstatic when Johnny Storm entered the scene. Back when Reed Richards' space flight had first been announced, Peter had been seething with envy. Johnny had taken the only civilian spot on the flight, an obvious gimmick to get kids interested in science. About as obvious as the fact that Johnny had gotten the spot because of his sister and cared very little about any of the scientific breakthroughs from his trip. A disinterested nepo baby taking a coveted spot on a space trip with a celebrity scientist? Of course Peter had been jealous.
Regardless, three months ago, he'd watched as the flight took off. He'd watched as the audio abruptly cut off, but not before they'd all heard Reed Richards muttering about unplanned cosmic rays. He'd watched as the ship crash landed back to earth, wondering just how far off the coast it was and if he could somehow get himself there fast enough to help the rescue efforts. He'd watched as all four of the crew had come out of the ship unassisted, but unimaginably changed.
His eyes had lingered on Johnny, aflame and circling through the sky without a care in the world.
How could anyone not be immediately enamored? Peter had forced himself not to get his hopes up. These days, plenty of people their age are developing mutations and other such powers. It's just that most of them didn't do much with them until they’re adults and by then, Peter probably won't be so desperate for someone to understand what he's going through.
But then Reed Richards and his crew get caught up with some Atlantean and end up saving the city. They do it again when a couple alien spaceships show up in orbit. And again when the moloids get a little too rowdy. Soon enough, everyone's started calling them The Fantastic Four and as far as Peter's concerned, Johnny Storm is a bonafide superhero. A teenage superhero.
He makes it his mission to make sure their paths cross after that.
Thankfully, Peter's not the only person enraptured by Earth's newest heroes. Unlike Peter, who still struggles to even get a smile back from the people he's saved, everyone loves the Fantastic Four. Absolutely adores them. Johnny's particularly popular, especially, unsurprisingly, among girls, and Peter only has to go online for a few minutes to find an extensive summary of Johnny's previous life, his usual hangouts, and all his most recent sightings. Creepy? Yes. Useful? Very much.
Johnny might still live out in Long Island, but he spends most of his time in the city, so it's not too difficult to find him. Peter decides that keeping his phone out on patrol to follow the Johnny Storm Updates page is a little too creepy, but if he happens to keep an excessive watch over just a couple of blocks around a car show Johnny had been spotted at... That's completely different.
It pays off after a few hours of swinging and pacing in circles. Half past ten - late for most teenagers, though anyone waiting for Johnny at home probably worries less remembering that he can not only set himself on fire, but he has a proven track record against bad guys - and Johnny comes strolling out of a showroom. He's by himself, despite being the city's 13-25 demographic's current obsession, which only makes it easier for Peter to swing by.
He lands on a railing near him, perched carefully on the balls of his feet. Too excited, he exclaims, "Johnny Storm!"
"Fuck!" Johnny startles. The temperature soars, enough that Peter can smell his costume singe and a dry patch of bush near them sets on fire. Johnny swears again when he spots it and reaches out to reabsorb the fire into himself. He scowls when he turns to face Peter again. "What the fuck, Spider-Guy?"
"Um. It's Spider-Man," Peter corrects. Because branding is everything. He immediately cringes at himself and adds, "Sorry. I can see how this might not have been the best way to approach this."
"What exactly is this ?" Johnny asks.
Right. Peter hadn't really thought this far ahead. He has a bad habit of doing that. Just jumping into things without a fully formed plan. Sometimes, when he’s keeping villains on their toes, it’s one of his greatest strengths. Other times, most of the time, it just left him feeling like an idiot. He eventually says, "I don't know?"
"You don't know?" Johnny repeats. "You ambush me on the street and you don't know why?"
"Um. Yes?" Peter looks around. It's blessedly empty along this street right now, no one to listen in on their conversation or sell pictures of Spider-Man corrupting the Human Torch to the press. But it still feels needlessly exposed now that he's been forced to think about it. "Any chance we can talk somewhere more private?"
"You're the one who tries to jump me in the street and now you're making demands? You are one weird dude, Spider-Man."
Still, Johnny lights himself up - and wow it is not only way more awesome to see in person, but also unbearably hot - and shoots up to one of the taller buildings in the area. Peter follows behind him, webbing along at a far enough distance that he won't burn himself. When they land, he's still sweaty and stinging.
Peter doesn't mention it, nor does he even look at the pile of discarded newspapers in the corner of the rooftop that started to smoke when they came up here. But Johnny still sighs.
"I'm working on it," he says. "It's harder than it looks."
"I'm sure it is," Peter agrees.
"You're not hurt?" Johnny asks.
Peter shakes his head. "I'm tough, man. Don't even worry about it. Listen, when I got my powers, I was a mess. I kept sticking to things and breaking stuff because I didn't realize how strong I had gotten. It was a nightmare. You don't have to apologize to me."
Johnny's shoulders relax. "Thanks. People don't get it. Not outside the team. Everyone's dying to get close to me these days, but they don't tend to last very long before getting scared off."
"I guess that's sorta why I wanted to find you today."
"Because you keep scaring people off?"
"What? No. I mean. I guess I sometimes do. But no." Peter shakes his head and takes a deep breath to restart the conversation. "No one gets what this life is like. It's so hard having powers and being a hero and even the people that do, they're mostly all grown up. And, please don't tell anyone this, but I'm not even out of high school yet."
Johnny stares quietly for a second too long. "Is that supposed to be a secret?"
"Yes!"
"Oh. Um, I dunno how to break it to you, dude, but, like, everyone knows you're a kid."
"No they don't!" Peter's voice cracks as he says it, which probably doesn't help his case. He clears his throat and tries again. "I mean, they can't know for sure. So, maybe, like, don't confirm it?"
"Secret's safe with me." Johnny crosses over his heart. "So you found me to ask me to be your friend? Because I'm a kid with powers, too?"
"It sounds kind of pathetic when you put it that way," Peter grumbles. He eyes the skyline around them. Could he get out of here fast enough to lose Johnny? There's a few twists and turns around the building that he might be able to squeeze through if he really tries hard enough.
Peter takes half a step towards the ledge before Johnny's hand shoots out to grab him by the wrist. It's hot, but Peter expects it now. He kind of even likes it.
"Don't go so fast," Johnny says. "I didn't mean it in a mean way. You're right. No one gets it. My life couldn't be crazier than it was three months ago, but I'm still supposed to study for my Calc final? I mean, it doesn't make any sense."
"And God forbid one of these overgrown babies we're always fighting decides to cause trouble in the middle of the night. Because is the principal’s office going to care that we're late because Rhino was rampaging through Times Square? Nope. Straight to detention," Peter grumbles.
"It's the worst." Johnny groans. "Like, sorry I didn't get the homework done, but Skrulls didn't blow up the planet, so maybe give me a break?"
Peter laughs. There's an overdue worksheet sitting on his desk right now. This is exactly what he'd been hoping for when he came looking for Johnny. Someone who knew things like that without needing to be explained or justified. "See? You get it."
"I do, man. Listen, I need to start getting home soon or my sister's going to freak. You have a phone or something? I could text you," Johnny suggests.
Peter's never been happier that he saved all his Hanukkah money for a Spidey burner phone. He hasn't used it much, just a few back and forths with Daredevil when he found himself too deep in an organized crime ring, but this makes the cost more than worth it. It's tucked away in a backpack near here, but he types the number into Johnny's phone and sends himself a text. Now he’ll have Johnny’s number, too.
"I'll text you," Johnny promises. "Get home safe, Spidey. Don't let that homework pile up too much."
Johnny winks and then he's off, flaming through the sky. Peter has to take a few steps back to avoid being burned when he takes off. It's more than worth the risk.
Peter stops on his way home to grab his backpack from where he'd stashed it and even when it starts raining halfway to Queens, he can't keep the grin off his face. He thinks this might be the start of a pretty fantastic friendship.
(Yeah, yeah, not his best work. Don't worry. Peter will show himself out.)
***
Peter doesn't go anywhere without his burner phone for the next few days. It's risky - how is he supposed to explain if anyone finds his second phone? He could always say he's dealing drugs on the side, but that would probably cause more problems than it fixes. Still, he can't help it. He desperately wants Johnny Storm to text him.
Peter could, of course, be the one to initiate the conversation. But that feels a little desperate. What would he even say to avoid sounding like the world's biggest nerd? Johnny's the cool one with larger than life supervillains, cutting edge technology at his disposal, and a whole team by his side. Peter just spends his nights stopping petty crime and helping cats out of trees.
He tries not to have any hang ups about it. Peter's used to being a nerd. And even if it's not as flashy, he knows the work he does is just as important. The Fantastic Four and the Avengers probably wouldn't have been anywhere near Uncle Ben's murder. Too busy dealing with the bigger threats. But Peter? Peter would always make time for the small things.
Acceptance doesn't mean he doesn't still think Johnny's way cooler than him, though. Nor does it make him any less eager when his burner phone finally chimes with a notification.
Peter's alone in his bedroom, thankfully, just tinkering with his web shooters. No one to look at him strangely or ask too many questions when he quite literally drops everything and bolts to his phone. It's in his backpack, hidden at the very bottom along with his balled up mask. Peter's too excited to do anything but tip his backpack upside down and let everything spill out. Anything to get to it even a few seconds sooner.
There on the home screen, calling out to him like a beacon, is a message from the one, the only, Jonathan Storm. It's not much, but Peter's stomach is doing absolute flips as he opens it.
{sms from Johnny Storm} Hey! Sorry it took me forever to get to you. Sue decided we'd all be better off moving into the Baxter Building, so I've been busy packing up.
{sms from Johnny Storm} So long, Long Island
{sms to Johnny Storm} It's all good! I figured you might have been off planet saving the world or something.
{sms from Johnny Storm} Not unless you count changing the oil on Reed's car.
{sms from Johnny Storm} He's actually sort of useless when it comes to things like that. Go figure.
{sms to Johnny Storm} Oh yeah. Couldn't be me. I change oil like. All the time. My Spidermobile always has fresh oil.
{sms from Johnny Storm} Dude
{sms from Johnny Storm} Don't tell me you're one of those people that doesn't know anything about cars.
{sms to Johnny Storm} I grew up in the city, man. No one I know even drives
{sms from Johnny Storm} Where in the city?
{sms to Johnny Storm} You know I can't say.
{sms from Johnny Storm} Closer to the Baxter Building than Long Island?
{sms to Johnny Storm} Yes
{sms from Johnny Storm} Cool. So when can I see you again?
Peter does what anyone with half a brain would do in light of that message. He freaks out, turns his phone off, hides it away in his socks drawer, and pretends he never saw it. It's not his best move, but c'mon. What is he supposed to say to that?
Logically, he realizes that this is exactly the sort of thing he'd even reached out to Johnny for in the first place. It truly could not have been working out any more perfectly. Johnny had been friendly, they'd shared numbers, and now Johnny was even making an effort to be closer friends than they'd been thus far. What else could he ask for?
Peter just hadn't thought this far ahead. He hasn't even done anything all that impressive recently. What's he supposed to talk to Johnny about? Helping old ladies cross the street? Peter needs to really start thinking things through.
He checks the time. A little past ten. Aunt May is certainly fast asleep by now. He should be starting to wind down if he wants to get a solid 8 hours in before school. Naturally, he suits up and heads out on patrol. It's what he does most nights and today, it's especially useful in helping him burn down some of the more anxious energy inside him.
As though to tease him, the universe doesn't send anything all too exciting his way. Not even a robbery or two. Peter spends a few hours just swinging around, mostly bored out of his mind. The most exciting thing he does is help someone carry a couch to their fourth floor walk up. Very heroic stuff.
He should be happy that the city's not brimming with crime for once, but Peter had really been hoping for a distraction. And when he spots a fiery figure cutting through the sky towards him, Peter especially wishes he had anything at all from the night he could share.
"Hey, Spider-Dude!" Johnny exclaims, coming to a landing next to Peter. A puddle near them starts to sizzle.
"Oh. Hey, Johnny. Kind of late to be out on a school night, isn't it?" he asks, checking an imaginary watch on his wrist.
Johnny looks at him strangely. "You're out, too. And besides, Sue's letting me stay home this week to get settled into the Baxter Building."
"Oh. Cool."
"Why are you being weird?" Johnny frowns. "I didn't scare you away, did I?"
"Scare me?" Peter scoffs. "No offense, dude, but I think even my C-list villains are scarier than you?"
"First, rude. Second, no, they're definitely not. And third, I mean, like, did I scare you away asking to hang out? I wasn't trying to come on too strong. We can be more chill if you want." Johnny, unfortunately, is the exact opposite of chill. Literally. There's a small flame bouncing between his fingers as he speaks. Peter politely ignores it.
"No, no, not too strong at all. Sorry, I was just busy patrolling. Y'know how it is. Duty always calls."
"You were texting me while out on patrol?" Johnny looks Peter up and down, no doubt spotting the very obvious lack of room for cell phone storage.
Peter sighs. He confesses, "Honestly, I wasn't sure what to say. You're, like, so cool. You've been to space! When you go out, you save the planet. My stuff's peanuts by comparison. I'm barely a superhero."
"You seriously think that?" Johnny looks almost upset with disbelief. "I see clips of you online all the time. You think those people you got out of that overturned bus last week think you're barely a hero? Or that kid you saved from being kidnapped in the park a few days ago? That mom you got to the hospital when the roads were gridlocked last night? Last month you literally stopped Elektro from frying half of Times Square. You think you're any less a superhero to all those people?"
Peter's glad he has his mask on. That way, Johnny has no way of seeing how his face has started to redden. "You actually keep up with me, huh?"
"Of course I do. I did before we even went into space! You're one of the coolest things to have happened in the city in a long time. When we came back from space and we were all changed, Reed didn't wait more than two seconds before starting to talk about how we could use our powers for good. I thought he was crazy, but then I figured if some kid in a spider onesie could do it all by himself, I could probably manage it with a whole team behind me."
Peter feels increasingly warm, inside and out. Sitting next to Johnny is a convenient excuse for it, though Peter has a feeling it has nothing to do with his powers. It's sweet, all the things he's saying and how earnestly he lavishes Peter with all this praise. Peter should reciprocate. Or at least try to be equally earnest in return. But when he tries, he feels his chest lock up, his palms grow slippery with nerves. All he can get out is a mumbled, "It's not a onesie."
Johnny takes it well. He just laughs and bumps his shoulder up against Peter's. "Whatever you say, dude. So are we going to be friends or are you going to keep being weird?"
"I won't be weird," Peter promises.
"Good. So, are you in the middle of a stakeout or something? About to take down some mafia boss? Because I can totally help!" he offers.
"Honestly, it's been a slow night. I think everyone took the day off and forgot to tell us. And since some of us actually have to show up to school tomorrow... I was just about to call it a night."
"Aww, man. Guess I showed up a little late. Next time, we'll have a kickass collab, okay?"
They fistbump to seal the deal before Johnny flies away and Peter starts to make his way home. He takes the long way around, zigging and zagging a few times on the off chance Johnny had tried to follow to see where he lives. Can never be too sure.
Peter doesn't know what it is he had in mind when he'd first reached out to Johnny, but it wasn't this. He's not upset, though. Honestly, Peter hasn't been this excited about being Spider-Man since he'd first put on the suit. He hopes their collaboration won't be for a while - usually, needing help in the suit means capital b Big Bads and those usually came with their fair share of property destruction and casualties - but whenever it does, Peter can already picture himself zipping around amongst the Fantastic Four. Maybe he'll even get a blue suit to match.