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Peter Parker was seven years old the night his parents dropped him off with his aunt and uncle. Seven years old, assuming they’d return. Living with May and Ben was fine, but it wasn’t his home. He was still waiting for his mom and dad to come back, to bring him home.
It took a lot of convincing from Uncle Ben to get Peter to come out to the neighborhood barbecue on the Fourth of July. It was loud, with a lot of people, and that was something seven year old Peter Parker was not very comfortable with. He would’ve much rather stayed in, playing 3D pinball on the computer all night. But Ben was adamant, telling him about the fireworks their neighbors would set off, about all the hamburgers and hot dogs from the grill, about all the other neighborhood kids who would be there.
The last part, Peter quickly determined, was a lie. There were a lot of teenagers. He was seven. He spent over an hour glued to his uncle’s side. It wasn’t until a woman, Kelly, who he recognized from working at the diner with May, approached, gently questioning “Ben, Peter, have you met my granddaughter?”
Hiding behind her leg was a girl a little younger than him, with curly red hair, and big blue eyes that wouldn’t quite look at him. “I don’t think we’ve had the pleasure!” Ben smiled. Kneeling down to the girl’s level, he introduced “Hi Jemma! I’m Ben, and this is my nephew, Peter.”
As the girl, Jemma, gave a small, shy wave, her grandmother coaxed “Jemma, what do we say to Mr. Parker?”
“Hi.” She waved a little more energetically.
Peter waved back, if only because she seemed more awkward than he did.
“Jemma’s staying with us for the summer.” Kelly explained. “So we thought we should introduce her to some of the other kids nearby.”
“Peter is also pretty new to the neighborhood!” Ben nudged the boy forward.
Peter nodded, “Just until my parents come back.”
Of course, he didn’t see Ben swallow the lump in his throat as he gently patted Peter on the back, muttering “That’s right.”
“My parents are on a cruise.” Jemma spoke up suddenly. “No kids allowed. I think they should do a kids only cruise.”
“Where would it go?” Peter asked.
Jemma shrugged “Fun places. I don’t know. I’ve never been allowed. I want to swim with dolphins.”
“Jemma loves fish.” Her grandmother explained.
“They’re actually mammals.” Peter and Jemma corrected at the same time.
“Marine mammals.” Peter tacked on with a nod.
“Like whales.” Jemma smiled.
“How do you know so much about fish?” Ben smiled.
Peter shrugged, “I like science class.”
“I learned about dinosaurs.” Jemma spoke up. “My favorite is triceratops.”
“That’s cool!” Peter grinned excitedly “I like pterodactyls cause they fly super fast.”
When he was 10, and Jemma was 9, he was still excited to see her. Even though he and his best friend Harry decided that girls most definitely have cooties, he rationalized away that Jemma could possibly be a cooties carrier. She wasn’t really in the test group of girls in their 4th grade class. She was just a little kid.
Besides, it was sort of the best part of the summer. The neighborhood Fourth of July party, that was. Not seeing Jemma. Even though…yes, maybe he HAD correlated seeing Jemma into his excitement for the event. But they had fun, every year. Jemma would come visit the Watsons, her grandparents, on the 4th of July weekend, and stay the summer. She would invite him over to play with the hose on hot August afternoons, she helped him build that model rocket last year…
Ok. Maybe he WAS a little excited to see her. But it wasn’t weird to be friends with a girl. Besides, she was only 9. Just a little kid. He was practically babysitting.
Long gone were the days of hiding behind Ben or May’s legs. He was happy to mingle, he knew the neighbors. The kids who were 14 his first summer were now 17, and they accepted him as a member of kids table society. “Hey Pete.” Ruby, one of the older kids, greeted with a smile. “Where’s Jemma? She’s always with you at these things.”
He shrugged, explaining “She comes with her grandparents.”
Ruby nodded, looking around before admitting “huh, guess the Watsons aren’t here yet.” Before leaning down to whisper “I know the grown ups only let you two have juice boxes, so I grabbed these for you.” she smirked, pulling two cans of Pepsi out of her book bag. “Give one to her when she gets here, yeah?”
He nodded, eyes wide, thanking her profusely.
He managed to open his and get a few drinks in before he heard Mrs. Watson let out a loud “oh here he is!”
Quickly stashing his forbidden soda under the picnic table, he smiled “Hi Mrs. Watson!”
“I’ll leave you two be.” Jemma’s grandmother smiled, Jemma already energetically jumping onto the other side of the table.
“Careful.” Peter hushed “I’m hiding something down there.”
“Really?” she asked, already moving her head to look under.
Peter reached below, pulling out his own Pepsi, and the one Ruby brought for her. “One is for you.” he explained, sliding the unopened can across towards her.
“For me?!?” She asked excitedly.
“Yeah.” Peter nodded, taking another drink before explaining “Ruby brought them for us.”
“That’s so nice.” She smiled, fumbling with getting the can open.
Peter fought back a chuckle watching her try and fail to open the can. “We just can’t let the grown ups see since they only want us to have juice boxes. Which is weird since May lets me drink soda on weekends.”
“Grown ups are weird.” Jemma agreed, still struggling with her Pepsi can.
Taking another drink, Peter pushed his half empty can to the side, reaching across the table, muttering a small “let me do that.”
Jemma watched in awe as the ten year old opened the can with no issue. “Wow.” She quietly gasped.
“It’s okay.” He smiled, sliding it back to her. “Maybe I can teach you this summer.”
“Thank you.” She smiled, face turning red. Peter assumed it was because she was embarrassed that she couldn’t open a can of soda yet. But that was ok. She was only 9. He was 10. He could teach her.
When he was 14 and she was 13, they ended up learning something together, teaching each other.
They were sitting together on top of a picnic table. They were supposed to be watching the fireworks, but we’re both distracted by the lights illuminating the faces of the now 21 year old Ruby and her girlfriend, Taylor, kiss.
Jemma turned to face Peter, who was also looking in their direction “I’ve never done that.”
“What?” Peter asked, smirking “kiss a girl?”
“Kiss anyone.” She nudged his arm with his elbow.
Laughing lightly, Peter confessed “Neither have I.”
“What?!?” Jemma gasped “No. I don’t believe you. You’re so cool! You skateboard!”
“Yeah, well, owning a skateboard doesn’t automatically make you the coolest guy in the 8th grade.”
“I don’t believe you.” She shook her head. “You’ve definitely kissed someone. You’re just not telling me to make me feel better.”
“I haven’t!” He laughed. “There’s only really…” he sighed, dreamily. “…one person, that I’d want to kiss anyway.”
“Oh really?” Jemma asked, scooting herself closer “tell me about them.”
“Her name is Gwen.” He admitted, smiling bashfully down at his feet. “She’s…incredible. She’s super pretty, and the smartest girl at our school. She has the cutest laugh…”
“She sounds amazing.” Jemma’s voice was barely above a whisper.
“Yeah,” he smiled “she is. But hey? What about you? I’m sure you’re not just daydreaming about hypothetically kissing someone.”
Staring down at her now-swinging feet, she sighed “I mean, yeah. There is…someone. I’ve sort of had a crush on him for years. But he…he wouldn’t want to kiss me anyway.”
“Yeah, that’s kinda where I’m at with Gwen, I think.” He exhaled. “Like…even if she gave me the chance to kiss her…I wouldn’t know how, you know?”
Jemma nodded, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, before timidly suggesting “You could always…practice. With me. If you wanted. Then we’d both know how.”
“Yeah?” Peter turned to face her. It wasn’t a bad idea.
“Only if you want to.” She quickly tacked on. “I don’t want to make things weird or…”
“It wouldn’t be weird!” He laughed. “Like you said, it’s just practicing. So that we know how to do it for real when the time comes.”
Jemma nodded, leaning in slightly, as she asked “do we just…?”
Peter took the initiative, leaning in just far enough to barely peck her lips. A quick smooch. “Was that ok? Like, was it good?”
“I don’t know.” She giggled “I’ve never done it before.”
“Me either.” He laughed. “Maybe we need more practice.”
“You think?” She asked, unsure if he was being serious or not.
Her confusion was clarified, however, as he gave her another quick peck. This was quickly followed by Jemma kissing him in a similarly quick and innocent manner.
Gently cupping the side of her face, Peter brought her back in, kissing her a little longer this time. Still sweet, still chaste, but more of a full, proper kiss.
Pulling away, giggling, he smiled “I think we’ve got it.”
As Jemma nodded and giggled in agreement, May continued to pretend like she wasn’t watching, making a silent vow she wouldn’t pester Peter about it.
When he was 17 and she was 16, it was the first time they didn’t spend the whole Fourth of July party together.
He knew she would be there, but he didn’t expect to be hugged from behind, a muffled voice sincerely asking him “How are you holding up? It’s weird for me, not seeing Ben. I can’t imagine how things are for you.”
Slightly twisting around to return the hug, he sighed “Thanks, Jem. It’s…been a crazy few years. Hard. But I’m surviving.”
“I’m here now, all summer. If you ever want to talk or…”
“Hey!” A blonde smiled, handing Peter a can of Pepsi “Who’s this?”
“Oh my gosh, yeah I’m sorry.” Peter laughed “Gwen, this is Jemma. She’s the Watsons granddaughter. She comes down every summer, we sort of grew up hanging out here. Jemma, this is Gwen, my girlfriend.”
“Girlfriend.” Jemma repeated before dropping her arms from around him. “Gwen.” the wheels turned, before she smiled at Peter “Oh! You were right, she IS super pretty.” Then, turning to Gwen, she tacked on “He’s had a crush on you for years, you know.”
Laughing, Gwen looked to Peter as she asked “oh really?”
“Alright, it was great talking to you, Jemma…”
“No, no, let her stay!” Gwen asked, grabbing Jemma by the wrist, pulling her closer “I want to know more about this crush on me.”
“Is it not enough that we’re dating?” He laughed.
Gwen shook her head “I want to know the details!”
“It’s been since at least the 8th grade.” Jemma supplied.
“I like her.” Gwen smiled.
“Well what about you?” Peter pressed, trying to move the conversation onto Jemma “What about that guy you had a crush on for years? Surely something’s going on there now, right?“
Looking down to her shuffling feet, Jemma mumbled “Not exactly. He, um, kinda broke my heart, a little. In love with someone else.”
“Oh.” Peter and Gwen gasped at the same time, Peter following it up with a quick “I’m sorry.”
“No, no, it’s fine.” she tried to wave off. “It’s not your fault, Peter, you didn’t know.”
“I feel bad.” He confessed, looking at Gwen for some sort of guidance, before offering “can I grab you a soda, or…?”
“It’s fine. I can get my own.” She nodded towards the nearest cooler, walking towards it as she halfheartedly teased “I know how to open it now.”
Gwen softly questioned “what?“
With a laugh and a shake of his head, Peter explained “You kinda had to be there.”
He was expecting her to come back over, but he noticed her getting stopped by Ruby, now 24 and almost finished college, so he decided not to wait up on her. He didn’t realize he wouldn’t see her the rest of that night. Or the summer. Or the summer after that.
He also didn’t realize Ruby was whole heartedly telling Jemma that she was confused that Peter brought his girlfriend with him, since most of the older “kids” assumed Peter and Jemma were going to end up together one day.
When he finally did see her again, he was 19 and she was 18.
It’d been almost a year since Gwen died. He’d been struggling. A lot. But May managed to convince him to come out to the neighborhood party.
Most of the other “kids” had stopped coming. They’d grown up, started lives of their own, some had their own kids on the way now.
He was too old for the kids table now, of that he was certain. But he felt out of place with Aunt May and the older adults, as well. He was almost as uncomfortable as the first time he was dragged out to the party, only this time he doesn’t have Uncle Ben’s legs to hide behind.
And then, in a baby blue sundress, comes comfort. Familiarity. Jemma.
He didn’t even realize he was striding up to her until the hoarse sounding “Hey!” came out of his mouth.
“Hey.” She blinked at him, confused.
“Well don’t act so excited to see me.” He smirked
“Sorry,” she muttered “I kinda got the vibe you didn’t want me around anymore. I know when I’m not wanted and can take a hint.”
“What?” Peter was…floored. Whatever he was expecting from this reunion…it wasn’t THAT.
“The last time I was here you blew me off all summer.” She stated, point blank. “Too busy with your girlfriend.”
Technically, about 60% of the times he blew her off last summer were Spider-Man related. But he couldn’t just tell her that. “That was low. Of me, I mean. And I’m sorry.” he admitted “if it makes any difference to you, at all, that, uh, that won’t be an issue anymore.“
Expression softening just a little, she asked “Why? Did you break up?”
“She, um, she…she died.” He choked back the tears, the anger, the hurt, the anguish, the guilt.
“Peter…” she muttered gently “I’m so sorry…”
“I’m sorry I hurt you, Jemma.” He admitted “but I’m not sorry for spending time with her.”
“You just can’t catch a break, huh?” She laughed awkwardly. “It seems like you’re always losing someone.”
“Apparently the universe likes it when I’m hurting.” He laughed, despite the tears threatening to spill.
“Do you want to maybe sit? Talk about it?” Jemma tried, gently rubbing his arm.
With a nod, choking back a few more tears, he simply said “I’d like that.”
And soon they were sitting on the same picnic table they were five years ago. The fireworks were yet to start, but the overall sensation of déjà vu was almost unsettling.
“I know it’s been months….almost a year…” Peter rambled “But I can’t shake it. I was finally starting to adjust to my uncle being gone, you know? And then…bam. The love of my life. She was my everything. She was my first love. My first girlfriend. My first kiss-“
“I was your first kiss.” Jemma interrupted.
Peter rolled his eyes “I mean, technically…yeah. But you don’t count.”
Jemma narrowed her eyes. “Why not?”
“Cause it wasn’t real!” He explained as if it was the most obvious thing in the world “it didn’t mean anything!”
“It meant something to me!” Jemma cried. “You WERE my first kiss, Peter! And I know I was yours.”
“Why does it matter?!?”
His question was answered by Jemma hopping off the picnic table and walking away from him.
“Jemma?” He cried, chasing after her. “Jemma!” Placing a hand on her shoulder, he spun her around and asked “What’s going on?”
“I didn’t come back to New York to fight with you.” She explained softly. “I came to say goodbye. Because I’m never going to see you again.”
“What?” He raised an eyebrow confused “What are you talking about?”
“I’m 18 years old, Peter.” She sighed. “I don’t NEED to come stay at my grandparents house every summer anymore. I got into a good school, a really good school, in California.”
“Congrats?” He tried, still kind of thrown by the information he was being given.
“I’m going to live on the opposite end of the country.” She continued to explain “Forever. I’m not coming back. And I was angry about how our last summer ended. I was hoping we could leave on good terms before…you know…we never see each other again.”
And suddenly, it made sense. She wasn’t mad he considered Gwen his first real kiss. She was mad that he was replacing a memory. A memory of her.
Swallowing a new found lump in his throat, he let out a sad, shaky laugh “I guess you were right. About me losing everyone.”
“Can we please just have one night like when we were little?” She practically begged. “Go out on a good note?”
“Yeah.” He nodded “Yeah, yeah, of course.”
And so they went back to their picnic table, watching the illuminating bursts of color. They didn’t say much, but they were both okay with that.
When Jemma kissed his cheek before getting up to leave, he silently wondered if the only fireworks the first time they kissed were the ones in the sky, and he was willing to wager that wasn’t the case.
Peter stopped going to the neighborhood parties after that. May finished nursing school and didn’t have holidays off anymore, and he liked the view from the Empire State Building better.
It’s not for another eight years, but May did eventually all but literally drag him out again. He was 27, and Ruby was in her mid thirties with two kids May said he should meet.
The kids were cute. There was a flash of recognition as he introduced himself to the older of two, that made him think that maybe Spider-Man had briefly interacted with that same child before.
Peter was about to say his goodbyes and head out, when his eye was caught by a woman with curly red hair and big blue eyes, staring directly at him.
“Peter?”
“Jemma?!?”
He felt something…different. Looking at her now. Obviously, they’d both grown up. She’d grown up…beautifully. He stared at her, perhaps a bit too long, trying to figure out just what had changed about the child he grew up with to make her so stunning in adulthood. He quickly realized, perhaps, nothing had really changed too much - it was just, for the first time, he wasn’t seeing her as a little kid, but instead, a fully grown woman.
A thought that was proving more difficult to shake as they sat on the same, now slightly decaying, picnic bench, and her skin would occasionally brush against his, softer than he remembered.
“So after I graduated, I started doing theater locally.” she explained. “Worked my way up in the LA scene, and eventually auditioned for a project heading to Broadway.”
“That’s…wow.” He shook his head, laughing, almost in disbelief. “I’ll have to come see you.”
“Let me know!” She smiled “I’m only in the ensemble, but I might be able to sneak you and May backstage for a bit if you wanted.”
“Yeah?” He quirked an eyebrow up “that’d be cool. I’d like that.”
“And what about you?” she questioned, lightly nudging his arm. “What’ve you been up to the last almost decade?”
“Um, school, mostly, then work.” He scratched the back of his neck awkwardly, trying to think of non-Spider-Man things he could tell her. “I’m a research assistant for Oscorp.”
“You always did love science.” She smiled with a nod. “And you’ve stayed in New York?”
“Yeah.” He nodded “May’s kind of the only family I still have, so I want to stay near her.”
“No new family then?” She questioned. “No kids, marriage, white picket fence?”
He laughed, shaking his head “Nah, none of that. It was…a lot, losing Gwen. And then I’ve been so busy with…work…I just don’t have time for that stuff.”
“Hmm.” Jemma sighed. “I know what you mean.”
“What do you mean?” He questioned “You don’t have anyone either?”
With a shake of her head, Jemma explained “Been on a few firsts dates, but never really felt a connection that made me want to see someone again. Plus all the questions people ask on first dates are so boring, you know? Don’t ask me what I do for a living, ask me something fun, like what’s my favorite dinosaur-“
“Triceratops.” Peter interrupted “Right? Is it still triceratops?”
“…I told you that 20 years ago.”
“It was important information for me as a seven year old!” He laughed. “But ok, ok. You had that one guy you were into when we were younger, right? Whatever happened to that guy you were into when we were kids, anyway?” He asked curiously.
“Oh, you know…” she tried to shrug it off.
“I don’t!” He teased, “that’s why I’m asking.”
With a deep breath, Jemma confessed while staring at her now swinging her feet “Well, I got all ready to confess my feelings for him after YEARS of pining. Wrote and rehearsed a little speech and everything. And then, right as I’m ready to try and confess, he introduced me to his girlfriend the same day. Then when I thought I might try again, I find out his last girlfriend had died. And I was moving away anyway so I thought I’d never see him again. And then, years later I found out I would see him, and kinda expected him to be married with kids but it turns out he’s not. And I thought I moved on from my feelings but hearing he’s single is making me realize that maybe I haven’t.”
“Well.” Peter sighed, similarly looking down, avoiding eye contact “I think that maybe you should maybe make a move on this guy. Because I think he may be more interested than you realize. And I think that he thinks you’re really pretty, and accomplished, and sort of exactly his type.”
“Oh really?” Jemma finally brought her eyes back up to him, smiling and slightly blushing as she coyly asked “And what sort of move do you suggest I make?”
With a nonchalant shrug, Peter replied “I bet he’s definitely thinking about kissing you again. I bet he really wants to kiss you. Just to see if there’s…you know…fireworks.”
“They’re setting off fireworks right now.” she teased, gently nudging his arm again.
“Yeah.” He smiled, gently interlocking her fingers with his. “We are.”
“That’s so corny.” She laughed, resting her head on his shoulder.
Peter wasted no time in following through, however, fireworks evidently VERY present.
This time, as May Parker watched from a distance, she knew she’d be pestering Peter about it first thing the next morning.