Work Text:
Storge: Unconditional, familial Love (Part I)
One of the first Valentine’s days that Peter could remember was when he was 6. He remembered his dad taking him to buy flowers for his mom because “men always treat their ladies with a gift on Valentine’s, Pete.”
He’d asked, in youthful innocence, why he had to get something for his mom if he wasn’t married to her.
“You love your mom, don’t you?” Richard had asked, and Peter nodded rigorously, his unruly curls flying. His mom was his favorite person in the whole wide world, just slightly above his dad, Ben, and May. He was a momma’s boy; of course he loved her!
Richard smiled. “Love can come in all kinds of different ways, Pete. Valentine’s Day isn’t just for girlfriends or boyfriends or people who are married.”
Peter nodded again, this time more slowly, like he was processing the depth of that statement. “Okay, dad. Mommy likes daisy’s, doesn’t she?”
After his parents had died, he’d kept the tradition of valentine’s flowers alive. May and Ben weren’t his parents, but he loved them with a love deep in his bones. They were poorer than Mary and Richard had been, especially with the unexpected expense of a growing boy, so the flowers were scribbled on paper and hung on the fridge rather than bought at the store and placed in vases.
This year for Valentine’s Day, Peter had decided he wanted to do something extra special for his aunt. She’d been through so much the last few years- losing Ben, finding out her nephew was a superhero, getting blipped away for 5 years- yet she’d been his constant, as she always had been. For as long as he could remember, her love was as unwavering and ever-present as the stars, and he wanted to do something to tell her how much that meant.
So, in honor of their almost two-decade-old tradition, Peter was going to draw May flowers. But, unlike the other times he’d drawn childlike scribbles, this one would be special . He even had a teacher.
“No, Peter, you don’t mix the colors like that,” MJ’s exasperation was clear in her voice, and Peter felt his face heat up.
“Sorry. I’m new at watercolor.”
A kiss to his cheek surprised him and deepened his blush.
“I know. That’s why we’re practicing, so when you do the real thing, it’s perfect. Now watch me do it again.”
And Peter watched and followed as his girlfriend mixed yellows and greens, the colors expanding and changing as they spread on the white paper. It was beautiful.
In the end, both teens each had a bouquet of bright sunflowers on their page. They were May’s favorite flowers. They reminded her of her first date with Ben, when they went to a fall festival at a farm and walked through a huge sunflower field. Peter’s painting didn’t look as good as MJ’s, but he felt proud of his first attempt.
The next day, they painted it again. This time, mixing came easier, and the flower looked even better than the previous one.
“You ready for the real thing, now?” MJ asked the next day as she let her favorite spiderling in, greeting him with a quick kiss.
For the next hour or so, the couple worked, chatting quietly and sometimes flicking eachother with paint and water. Finally, the picture was finished. Three sunflowers took up the bulk of the page, two facing front and one at an angle, surrounded by leaves baby’s breath.
Peter was surprised to find himself a little emotional looking at it.
“She’s gonna love it,” MJ said, her voice softer than it usually was. “You did a really good job.” she hesitated before going to her closet and pulling something out. “I, uh, made a frame for it in woodshop. You don’t have to use it, I don’t care, but I thought the wood would look nice.”
It did. The dark brown stain she’d applied complimented the browns and yellows and greens in the painting. It was perfect.
“Thanks, MJ. She’s gonna love it!”
She smiled one of her rare, genuine smiles, and the couple snuggled and watched Brooklyn 99 while their pictures dried. The spiderling carefully placed his in its frame before heading home, the painting lovingly cradled in his arms the entire way.
The morning of February 14, Peter woke up early. His aunt was still sleeping. She’d gotten home late from work the night before, which gave the teen enough time to make her favorite breakfast and a pot of coffee. He placed the painting in the center of the table, propped up by an easel, and put the settings around it. He was just flipping the second batch of pancakes when he heard his aunt’s door open.
“Well this is sweet,” May said, ruffling her nephew’s hair. Then she gasped, her hands flying to her mouth, as she took sight of the framed sunflower in the center of the table. “Peter. Did you...did you make that?”
“I did,” he answered, unable to totally keep the pride out of his voice. “MJ helped. She even made the frame for it herself. I think she wanted to give you something, too.”
Tears formed in May’s brown eyes, and she reached for him.
“Thank you, honey. I love it,” she whispered against his soft, brown curls.
Peter snuggled into her. “Happy valentine’s day, May.”
“Happy Valentine’s day, baby.”
Ludus: playful, flirtatious love; young love
Peter rushed into school early that morning, so early that the halls were empty and quiet.
It was perfect.
He and MJ had already gone out to their favorite restaurant the night before. Her parents insisted on a family Valentine’s dinner, and Peter hadn’t wanted to cause any problems. Though they were warming up, Mr. and Mrs. Jones were already not his biggest fans (an unfortunate incident with an antique vase. Don’t ask). Their date had gone well. The spiderling could tell his girlfriend had enjoyed herself and the bouquet of flowers he’d given her, despite months of her complaining about the holiday. He didn’t really get it either, but he like having an excuse to do something a little extra special for her.
And dinner wasn’t all. Peter had emailed Principal Morita, gotten permission to come 10 minutes early, and even convinced the man to let him into his girlfriend’s locker.
The teen worked quick, anxious not to be caught by anybody and to have it done by the time MJ arrived. He took the small watercolor of a black dahlia and propped it up in the back corner. He’d painted it after their watercoloring lessons. It had taken about 6 tries, but he’d finally been satisfied with the result. Then he arranged some dove chocolates, the mint ones he knew she liked, into a little pile in front of the painting. He had also printed out her favorite picture of them, from when they’d gone to the beach together the past summer. Both of their curls were crazy from the salty air and their grins were wide against tanned faces as they looked into the camera. The ocean and a pink and blue sunset made a beautiful backdrop. Peter taped it to the door.
Breathing a sigh of relief, the spiderling stepped back and nodded to himself. It wasn’t much, but he hoped that it would at least make her smile.
At the sound of footsteps heralding the hoard of students coming into the building, Peter quickly hid in the boys bathroom, grateful it was close to MJ’s locker. He let his super hearing range out to listen for her voice, or the sound of her favorite sneakers that had a very distinctive squeak, or the tell-tale sign of her heartbeat. He knew hers well enough that he could pick it out of a crowd.
(May, Ned, Tony, and Morgan were the only other ones whose heartbeat he could recognize).
Finally, he heard her.
“I refused to let Peter buy me a card and play into the capitalist construct of a stupid holiday.”
Peter smiled. Yep, definitely MJ.
He heard Betty answer, but his heart was racing with excitement and he was so focused on listening for them opening their lockers to really pay attention. He heard them stop, and slid out of the bathroom, leaning up against the door to wait for MJ’s reaction.
She didn’t disappoint.
After spinning the little knob to put in her combination, the girl paused mid complaint about capitalism and jerked her head around after seeing the little arrangement left for her. When her eyes found her boyfriend’s, her lips curled automatically in a small, soft smile that Peter suspected only he really got to see.
His answering smile was blinding as he walked over to her, and it didn’t fade one bit, even when she rolled her eyes.
“You’re a dork, Peter, you know that, right?”
The spiderling chuckled. “Yeah, I know. But it’s your fault, really.”
“Oh, yeah?”
“Yep. Totally your fault. I was definitely never a dork before I met you.”
MJ shook her head, but wrapped her arms around her boyfriend softly.
“This was really sweet. Thank you.”
“Of course. I know you don’t buy into capitalist constructs-”
“Of course you were listening,” she muttered, eliciting a chuckle.
“ But ,” he continued, “I still wanted to remind you that I love you.”
“Thank you,” she whispered again. “I really do appreciate it.
The hallways were mostly empty, so there was no reason for him not to give his girlfriend a quick kiss before class.
She really was special.
Philia: Intimate, authentic friendship
“Dude, are you serious! Thank you!”
Just as planned, Ned had been ecstatic when Peter showed him the Star Wars Lego set he’d gotten him.
Spider-man had learned years before that his guy in the chair loved just spending time with the people he loved. Watching movies, cooking, even just swinging on the swingset when they were kids were some of the teen’s favorite activities. So the spiderling had blocked out a few hours that Valentine’s day, no patrolling, no school work, no extra curricular activities. Just time together as friends.
They walked out of the school together, chatting excitedly about how they were going to build the Millennium Falcon, how many pieces it was, how long they thought it would take. Ned was so engrossed that he didn’t even notice that Peter had been leading them a slightly different way to his apartment. The way that led right past a Starbucks.
He did finally notice when they walked through the doors, though.
“Pete? What’re we doing here?” he asked as the warmth and the comforting smell of coffee washed over them, both boys releasing their shoulders , which had been hunched up against the bitter February cold.
“Well, I figured you’d want something warm,” Peter shrugged and grinned. “My treat.”
“Really, dude? I didn’t even get you anything.”
Peter shook his head. “Don’t even worry, man. I wasn’t expecting you to.”
“Well, thank you!” Ned turned to the barista. “Uh, one grande caramel apple spice, please.”
“What’s the name?”
“Obi Wan.”
Peter chuckled. “I’ll have a grande peppermint white hot chocolate. For Chewie.”
“Star Wars fans, huh?” The lady taking their order said, and smiled as the two teens nodded and grinned like dorks. They continued to grin and joke the entire way to Peter’s apartment, taking sips of their drinks, savoring the warmth as they again braved the cold that nipped their noses and ears.
Finally they entered the warmth of the Parker apartment, breathing a sigh of relief.
“Thanks again, man.”
“Anytime, Ned,” Peter shrugged. “You’re my guy in the chair.”
They made their way to Peter’s room where they shucked their layers and settled in to build their lego set, working together with practiced precision. Whether it be fighting bad guys (they both weren’t over that one tie Ned had used Peter’s webs to save him and defeat the bad guy), or building lego sets, they were a team.
Peter bumped his best friend’s shoulder.
“You’re the best. You know that right? Like, the literal, actual best.”
Ned rolled his eyes. “Love you, too, man.”
Agape: love for everyone
Spiderman perched high above queens, a speck of red and blue to the few passersby who looked up. Some even waved, which made the hero’s heart swell.
He leaped off the building and let out a light whoop as the web took his weight and propelled him to the next rooftop over.
“Got anything for me yet, Karen? It’s been kind of a slow day. Not that I’m complaining of course.”
“Nothing yet, Peter,” the AI replied. “But you do have an incoming text message from Mr. Stark. Shall I display it for you?”
“Sure!”
Mr Stark!!: Hey kid. Morgan is very excited to see you. Are you still planning on coming over after patrol?
Peter smiled. “Go ahead and reply. Say, ‘ of course, I wouldn’t miss it! I’ll let you know when I’m at the tower.’”
“Sure,” Karen chirped. “Message sent.”
Tony and Pepper were in the city that week, dividing their time between the Lake house and the Tower (which Tony had decided not to sell after all). They were going on a date that night, and Peter got to babysit his favorite little menace.
After a few minutes of doing nothing but watching and waiting, the spiderling was starting to get bored.
“It appears there is someone in distress about 5 minutes away,” his AI chirped.
Saved by the Karen. “I feel bad for saying this, but thank goodness! Lead the way.”
Spiderman leaped and swung from rooftop to rooftop until he found the alleyway that the person in distress was supposed to be. Except it was empty
“Uh, Karen? I don’t see anybody?”
But as soon as those words were out of his mouth, a sound startled the hero, making him jump nearly 10 feet in the air. It was coming from the rooftop. A muffled crying sound.
Shooting a web, Peter swung up to find a little boy, no more than 10 years old by the looks of him, leaning up against the edge of the roof. His back was up against the wall, and the poor kid’s heart was racing as he sobbed quietly.
It broke Peter’s heart.
“Hey kiddo,” he asked gently. “You alright?”
“S-spiderman?” The disbelief was clear, even through the kid’s swollen, red eyes.
“Yeah, that’s me. What’s going on? Can I help you?”
It seemed that little bit of kindness was almost too much as the boy let out a fresh round of tears and his face crumpled.
“Th-the kids at school all m-made fun of me. I didn’t h-have a valentine a-and then my p-parents were fighting when I got off the bus and m-my cat got lost!”
Ugh. Middle schoolers are evil.
“I’m sorry. People aren’t nice all the time, and it isn’t easy, is it. Let me see if I can at least help find your cat, kiddo. What’s he look like?”
“H-he’s s-silver with dark grey stripes. He has g-green eyes.”
Peter smiled under the mask. “Karen, can you search through the security camera feeds around here and see if there’s any sign of a grey cat?” hoping to distract the kid while his AI scanned the area, the masked hero asked: “What’s his name?”
“Shadow.”
“I like that. It’s perfect for a grey cat. How long have you had him?”
“About 5 years. He was a christmas present.” He seemed to be breathing better, no longer trying to speak through sobs.
“I bet you take really good care of him. What’s your name, bud?”
“Nathan.”
“Nice to meet you, Nathan.” Suddenly, the spider suit’s hud lit up with coordinates a few blocks away that seemed to be the location of the missing cat. “Hey! Guess what. I think I might have found Shadow. You want to swing over with me?”
Nathan’s eyes lit up, and he quickly scrambled to his feet. Peter crouched so that the little guy could jump onto his back.
“Hold on!” He called, and with a thwip the two were soaring through the air. Peter smiled as he heard his small friend giggle and whoop as they flew. It was much better than MJ’s terrified screams. Nathan seemed to be enjoying himself.
Soon they landed outside a small bodega. Peter followed the sounds of scuffling and a small heartbeat to the alley next to the little shop. There, chasing a mouse around the dumpster, was the missing cat.
“Shadow!” Nathan yelled, joy all over his face.
The silver animal broke his concentration on the hunt, but he didn’t seem too worried about his prey escaping to the other end of the alley when he saw his owner. The cat sauntered over to Nathan, tail held high in greeting and affectionately rubbed his face against the boy’s outstretched hand.
“Silly cat,” Nathan said, picking the animal up. “Thanks mister Spiderman. I’m so glad you found him.”
“Anytime kiddo. Let’s get you two home.” Suddenly, he had a thought. “Hey, I know this really nice churro guy around here. Maybe I can get your mom and dad some churros and they might stop fighting?”
“That’s a great idea!”
So one churro stop (complete with pictures because Peter was determined to try and solve all the kid’s problems if he could), and a short walk, Spiderman delivered his new friend home.
“Nice to meet you, Nathan. You have a Happy Valentine’s day, okay? If anybody makes fun of you tomorrow, just show them that picture with me and say I was your valentine, okay?”
Nathan smiled, a far cry from the sobbing little boy from just a half hour ago, and surged forward to hug the red- and blue-clad hero. “Thank you Spiderman.”
“Of course, bud. It’s what I do.”
Storge: unconditional, familial love (Part II)
“Peter! You’re late,” Morgan pouted.
“Sorry, Mo! I got held up helping a kid find his cat.”
Little madame heaved a sigh. “I guess that’s okay, then. I’d want your help if we lost Gerald.”
“Well, if you lose Gerald, I’d be happy to help you find him!” Peter grinned as picked his sister up. “Are you excited to spend Valentine’s day with me?”
“Yes, I am!” She said, smiling widely, effectively distracted from her brother’s tardiness. Suddenly, she seemed to remember something, and grabbed Peter’s face. “Oh! Will you be my valentine, Peter? Daddy was going to be, but then I remembered he had mommy. So now I don't have anybody.”
The teen chuckled, and decided not to remind her of his own valentine. For tonight, he could be completely hers. “Of course, Momo. I’d be happy to be your valentine.” He grinned at her. “And you know what valentine’s dooooo? They get tickled!” Peter grabbed the little girl’s side and mercilessly dug in, making her squirm and laugh.
“No fair! Let me go!”
He did, but quickly regretted it as Morgan took the opportunity to retaliate, finding his secret ticklish spot right above his hip.
“You are an evil, evil little girl! No cookies for you!”
“What!? What cookies?”
The tickling stopped, and Peter laughed as her eyes went wide. “I brought cookies for us to bake and decorate while we watch Beauty and the Beast.”
“Yayayayayay!” Morgan jumped around the living room, and Tony shook his head as he came in, wearing a very nice suit and a tie that was his signature hot-rod red. Pepper quickly followed, looking stunning in her matching red dress.
“You can make cookies, but no burning the place down, okay?” Tony said, giving Peter a hug.
“That was one time,” the teen whined.
Tony rumpled his kid’s hair, eliciting another, more playful, whine and making the two adults laugh. “Yeah, and one time is enough.”
“Fine fine. You two get out of here. You both look great, by the way.”
“Thanks, sweetie,” Pepper said, placing a kiss to the boy’s cheek. “We’ll see you around 11. Love you both!”
With kisses and goodbyes, the two adults left for their night, and Peter and Morgan made quick work of the heart-shaped sugar cookies, frosting, and sprinkles. Morgan even started a frosting war, which ended up with pink frosting all over the teen’s face and in the shape of his footprints on the ceiling. He had tried to get away from the assaulting confection by jumping up, but ended up stepping in a glob that fell on the floor. He didn’t notice until he’d taken several steps.
“Oh, man,” Peter groaned, while Morgan giggled uncontrollably. “Stop laughing at me! This is all your fault!”
But he was chuckling too, and he really didn’t mind, because it kept his sister happy and he was just as helpless against her as everybody else (even Happy, though the driver would deny his attachment to both kids vehemently).
“Alright. I’ll clean that up later, mongoose. Let’s go get jammies on and watch the best love story ever.”
She ran off obediently while Peter got changed himself, then set up the movie. He retrieved a fuzzy blanket and settled into the couch, extending his arm when Morgan reappeared wearing her unicorn pajamas. She immediately snuggled into her brother’s side as the opening notes played and the narrator told of the “young prince who lived in a shining castle”. He could tell she was tired. She barely lasted until Belle and the Beast’s dance.
Peter carried her to bed and placed a kiss against her soft hair.
“I love you, mongoose.”
She hummed sleepily. “I love you too, Petey. Thanks for being my valentine.”
“Anytime,” he whispered, shutting the door behind him and heading to the kitchen.
Peter folded the blanket, washed all the dishes, placed the leftover cookies in a plastic container, and managed to get all the errant globs of frosting off everywhere but the ceiling. Honestly, he had everything cleaned up, so it was just really bad timing that Tony and Pepper walked in right as he was scrubbing off the incriminating footprints.
“Well, at least there’s no fire,” Pepper quipped.
“Okay, first of all: one time. Second of all: this was all Morgan’s fault!”
Tony chuckled. “Uh huh. Blame the tiny human.”
Peter got the last of the frosting and flipped down. “I would have gotten away with it, too, if it wasn’t for you meddling kids.” He joked, and accepted a hug from both Starks. “Did you guys have a good time?”
“We did. Did you?”
“The best. I always love spending time with Morgan.”
“Thanks again, kid,” Tony said. “We’re gonna get changed, but then do you wanna watch something before heading to bed?”
“Sure.”
Peter resumed his position on the couch under the blanket again, and this time it was him who was nodding off, snuggled into his mentor’s side. This time, it was him who was carried to bed, him who heard the whispered “I love you,” and him who murmured sleepily “love you too."
“Happy Valentine’s day,” he added.
“Happy Valentine’s day, Pete,” Tony whispered, his voice soft.
Valentine’s Day is a day for love, of all shapes and kinds, and that love followed Peter into his dreams. He fell asleep with a smile on his face.