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spider fact #1275: when a wheel spider is scared, it will tuck its legs in, and roll away.
A picnic was definitely up there on the list of weird things Steve came up with to “bring the team closer together”. Even though some (read: Tony Stark) acted like they were less than enthused, it was safe to assume that there was something about going to park for a picnic instead of defending Earth from aliens that was appealing.
They planned to go to a park close to the tower that was relatively calm, with only a few people strolling along the paths. They intended on going later in the afternoon, since nothing would ruin the picnic more than being bombarded by a bunch of fans, especially if they were some of the more… enthusiastic ones.
Out of all of them, however, Peter was the most excited. As soon as Tony had told him that Captain America was planning a picnic and he was invited along with the rest of the Avengers, he had been nearly impossible to calm down. He hadn’t been on a picnic since he was seven, and he still recalled the great memories that came along with it. He immediately asked May if he could stay for the weekend, and soon enough after he received her approval, he was running all over the place, trying to put together “necessities” for the following day. His eagerness was infectious, and Tony couldn’t help but feel optimistic too.
Peter bounded into the room abruptly and began bombarding Tony with questions.
“Mister Stark! Should I wear this shirt or this one? Or maybe… this one?” Peter had asked, stars in his eyes, struggling to hold three shirts up, so Tony could see.
“I dunno, kid, I don’t think it matters what you wear, it’s just a picnic,” Tony offered. Peter stared at Tony intently, flashing his puppy dog eyes and silently pleaded him for a more definitive answer.
Tony sighed and gave in, “Go with the short sleeve with the stripes. It’s supposed to be warm tomorrow ” Peter quickly thanked him and sped into another room, and Tony smiled fondly at him as he went. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad after all.
Before Peter knew it, the next day crept up on him. Throughout school, he had been far more upbeat than usual, and everyone took notice. Even when Flash had thrown a pen at him in Physics, he had kept the same optimistic mood and continued to chatter animatedly. Soon enough, the last bell rang, and he sprinted through the school, out the door, and practically jumped in Happy’s car.
Happy jumped when he landed in the backseat. He didn’t bother asking why the teen was so excited, and just grumbled a complaint. On the way to the park, Peter was bouncing in his seat like a little kid, and once they arrived, he quickly made his way to the entrance of the park where most of them were waiting. He noticed that Natasha was missing, but chose to ignore it, assuming she’d show up soon like she usually did.
He greeted them quickly, and they set up their stuff, checkered blanket and all, at the crest of a hill. He was starving, so he dove into a sandwich immediately, before he even sat down, ignoring the light chuckles of the rest of the team at his impatience. The mood was light, and all was well.
That is, it was. Until Natasha came out of nowhere and tapped Peter on the shoulder. She was going to ask if he wanted any water, but before she could say anything he let out a girlish shriek and threw his sandwich into the air. He fell and curled into a ball within mere seconds, and Steve immediately bolted up in concern, but Natasha and Clint just chuckled.
Tony was buckled over, almost in tears over his reaction to just being tapped on the shoulder, had he been that into the sandwich? Bruce just shook his head, but had a grin on his face, and eventually Steve relaxed and began chuckling as well. Everyone had begun to smile, and were blissfully unaware of the disastrous scene that was beginning to unfold in front of them.
Peter Parker, Spiderman, who was usually clumsy as is, began to roll down the hill.
If they had thought his first shriek was loud, this one was deafening. He began to gain speed, and Steve had already begun chasing him down the hill, shouting after him. Meanwhile, Tony had fallen down in his laughter, Clint began roaring with laughter, pulling out his phone to record this mess, and Bruce looked alarmed. Out of the blue, Bruce’s face lit up in some sort of recognition, and he pulled out his phone. He gathered everyone around it, including a concerned, mother-hen Steve, and a very dizzy and embarrassed Peter, who had returned from the foot of the hill.
They stared at his phone screen in confusion, as a spider rolled through sand in what seemed to be a desert.
“I mean, that does look like what just happened,” Clint joked.
“Yeah, but that’s not the point! This is a specific type of spider that curls into a ball and rolls away when it’s scared!” Bruce exclaimed.
“Yeah, and?” Steve questioned, eyebrows furrowed in confusion.
At this point, Tony had connected the dots, and was thrown into another fit of laughter, which had honestly become concerning.
“And Peter is part spider. He possesses some qualities similar to those seen in spiders, such as this particular trait found in wheel spiders,” Bruce explained.
Clint joined Tony in laughing, and soon enough they were all cracking up. Peter was still blushing, but at that moment, he was just happy that they actually did manage to bond.
For the rest of the afternoon, they ate, chattered, and enjoyed each other’s company. Tony stepped out of the conversation for a moment to stretch his legs, and looked back. He was hit with a feeling of warmth as he saw the golden sun hitting their faces. They were all smiling, and the sight was tender and calm. Peter had a sleepy smile on his face, Steve looked relaxed, and for once no one was arguing.
‘God, when did I become such a sap?’ Tony thought to himself. He was walking back, continuing to observe the scene, when he made eye contact with Steve. He gave a soft smile and a small thumbs up, and sat down by Peter.
“Alright, it’s been fun, but I think I need to get Underoos here to bed,” Tony announced, “Don’t want his aunt to kill me for not getting him to bed on time.”
Peter grumbled about not having a bedtime, but they packed up anyways. One thing was certain; he’d be a little more on edge, especially at school. God, he couldn’t imagine having to explain that to anyone. The thought of it alone made him fill with embarrassment.
Despite it all, he felt a familiar warmth grow within him, and he knew the others felt it too.