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Walter's third birthday party took place at Peter's house, and it didn't hit his father how big of a déja vu it was until everyone was gathered around the small coffee table, a cake with three twisted red and white candles on it, Walter playing with a balloon and Felicia's arms around him. The scene he was witnessing his phone screen was like a picture that was hanging on the wall already, from two decades ago.
Peter had made it a misson to document everything and embarrass his son at the first chance he got. But mostly he wanted to make sure he remembered it all, and that Walter had more than enough memories from his childhood.
He felt a nudge on his bicep.
Harley nodded towards the table. "I'll take the best video ever, but you have to be in it," he said.
Peter nodded. "Thanks, man."
He gave his phone to Harley and strode to the table, then sat down cross-legged next to Walter, pulling him closer to him despite his protests.
"Time for the song!" Miles announced and blew a paper whistle.
Everyone sang Happy Birthday, including Walter, who seemed so proud of himself, his tiny chin up in the air. Peter couldn't take his eyes off of him, and his mouth couldn't do anything but sing and smile.
"Time to blow out the candles," Cynthia, Felicia's mum, said with a smile. She was sat in the armchair but she wouldn't admit it was because her back hurt. Instead, she kept saying that the floor is for heathens.
"Not so fast, bud," Felicia said. "You have to make a wish first."
Walter lifted an eyebrow. "A wish?"
"Yes, you can wish for anything you want and it will come true," Felicia said, her face so serious that Peter almost believed her.
"But you can't tell anyone!" Rosie said, lifting a little index finger.
Walter nodded, pursed his lips together as if in thought, and then attempted to blow the candles, which he managed with some discreet help from his dad, and an applause followed, which seemed to confuse the little kid so he clapped as well.
Peter hugged his son again and kissed the top of his head. "Happy birthday, Walt," he whispered.
Felicia broke into their hug, placing one arm around their son and another around Peter. "Happy birthday, bug."
Peter couldn't help but look at her. She had dressed up for the occasion in a pair of black jeans that fit her like a glove and a light blue lace top under a cardigan, her hair in a neat bun. Even though he would have expected her to show up in a gown and diamonds around her neck, that looked like another costume compared to how she dressed ever since they reconnected. Whether she was tired of the galas and the jewels or she never liked them that much in the first place, he had no idea, but he liked that version of her. It suited her.
She looked over at him, as if to say "Can you believe he's three already?" and Peter shook his head because he trully couldn't comprehend it, despite what the candles showed.
"Cake," he said and gently placed Walter on Felicia's lap. "I need to... cut the cake."
He messed up Walter's hair before taking the cake to the kitchen, carefully removing the candles so as not to mess up the Christmas tree design. He was a little weirded out when he first saw it, but Cynthia explained he had loved Christmas the previous year.
"Do you need any help?"
Peter turned around to see his -not mother-in-law, he wasn't married to Felicia, or at least in a relationship with her- son's grandmother. He was happy he at least had one, but she terrified him.
"No uh... I've got this."
Still, Cynthia Hardy approached him and slid the cake in front of her. "So, you're Spider-Man."
Peter's face paled. "What?"
"I knew my daughter was with Spider-Man, and I knew she had Walter with him. I'm at your house and you tell me you're Walter's father," she said calmly as she cut the cake into even pieces. "It's not a hard conclusion to get to."
Peter let out a sigh. "Please don't-"
"Tell anyone? Why would I? So my grandson would become a kidnapping target?"
Peter took out the christmas-themed paper plates from the cabinet. "Thank you."
"Walter seems rather fond of you," Cynthia continued. "And he's not fond of many people."
Peter frowned. "Lies. The little guy loves everyone he-"
Cynthia looked behind her shoulder before speaking. "I'm not talking about my grandson."
Peter huffed. "The feeling's not mutual, then," he said. He rubbed his temple. "How can you... How can you two keep it a secret from her? She..."
Cynthia raised an eyebrow, and Peter almost shuddered at the resemblance with Felicia. "You haven't told her either." She took two cake-filled plates and walked out of the kitchen.
Peter sighed and took some more plates and followed her. He couldn't do anything but smile when his son's face lit up when he gave him his piece, which had the star from the top of the tree on.
Felicia laughed and Peter sat down next to her and offered her the other plate.
"Thank you," she said with a nod. "But what about the others?"
Getting up was the last thing Peter wanted, and Miles must have seen that somehow because he yelled "I got it" and ran to the kitchen.
"I guess that covers it," Peter said but it came out more like a question. His eyes fell on Walter, who was eating his cake like a grown up and telling Rosie to stop eating like a pig. He looked over at Harley and Michelle, ready to apologize, but they both just laughed.
"It's true," Michelle said. Peter couldn't explain it but her voice made anything she said sound cool. "Walter might have to teach her some table etiquette because we failed."
"No, Walt's on the wrong here," Felicia argued. "This is Peter's house. Sitting on the floor and eating like a pig is the etiquette."
"That's true," Miles said as he brought the last plates and hopped on the sofa. "Cutlery is usually optional, too."
Peter huffed. "Thanks, guys."
Felicia leaned a bit closer to him but didn't say anything. She just took a bite from her cake and nodded in approval. "Mum, this is really good!"
Cynthia waved it off. "The filling didn't come out as it usually does."
Harley shook his head. "Please, Mrs. Hardy, you'll have to give me the recipe."
Michelle frowned. "But you're not good with cakes."
Harley looked over at Peter with a conspiratory look. "You're my one true friend, apparently. Oh, your phone. Catch!"
Peter almost used his web shooters, but eventually just stretched his arm and caught the device before it hit the window. "Thanks, Harley."
"The pictures aren't good," Michelle said.
"Hey!" Harley complained. "They're not photography material but they're good."
"I believe you," Peter said, and he knew they would all look amazing because they had Walter in them.
And Felicia, he thought for a second, but he sounded like a creep so he dismissed that.
"Hey, try this," she told him and brought a forkfull of cake close to his mouth.
Peter shrugged and ate it, and then his eyes grew to the size of saucers. "Wow."
Felicia nodded. "I know," she said before turning Miles, who was playing with the kids. "Why didn't you bring cake for Peter?"
Miles acted as if he didn hear her, and that was when Peter knew what he was trying to do. Even though he had warned him not to pull anything like that.
Rosie approached Peter, tugging Walter behind her. "Can Walter open my present now?"
Peter got up from the floor and clapped his hands. "Sure, let's do the presents now."
Walter seemed to have the most fun tearing the wrap papers and tugging at the boxes until they gave out. Peter and Felicia were on either side of him in case he hurt himself, but he did well for the most part.
When Walter obliterated the blue paper from Rosie's present, he grinned and showed off the box to his parents like a trophie. A blonde Barbie doll was sitting on a pink motorcycle, helmet and riding suit and all.
"Rosie insisted Walter would like this," Harley explained. "She said they play with dolls and cars all the time."
"And he can just keep the motorcycle if you guys don't..." Michelle started. "It's a toy but we weren't sure if you were cool with..."
Both Peter and Felicia chuckled and Harley and Michelle visibly relaxed.
"You're fine, we weren't raised like that and we're not going to do that to Walter, either," Peter assured them. "Walt already has a few Barbies at Felicia's place."
"Yeah," she said. "And Peter played with them for hours."
He turned to her with a challenging smile. "I had a really interesting plot in mind that I didn't get to finish with Walt, if you must know."
"I play with Rosie's toys all the time," Michelle said. "We couldn't afford them when I was little so now my inner child goes crazy."
Peter nodded repeatedly. "Exactly!"
After all the presents were opened, all of Walt's favourite songs listened and danced to, their guests went away and Peter found himself in the living room with Felicia.
"Hey," she said. "You've been weird all afternoon and I know why."
Peter shut his eyes closed. "You do?"
"Red didn't show up."
Peter sighed. "It's not that."
"Hey, we can talk about her. It's okay. We're cool exes. We co-parent."
"No, really-"
"It's hard for her," Felicia went on, "but she will come around. You'll get back together eventually."
Peter shook his head.
Felicia scoffed. "C'mon, Spider, you know it."
"I don't want to," Peter said. "All that on and off and... It wasn't meant to be. And now I can move on."
Felicia squinted at him. "Then what has you so... moody?"
Peter frowned. "I'm not moody."
Felicia raised an eyebrow.
"Okay," Peter said with a sigh. "I was disappointed she didn't come because she's the only one I have from my past. My aunt is gone, my uncle is gone, Harry is sick... It would be nice to somehow be friends again but we've barely talked."
Felicia nudged him. "You can have me."
He smiled. "I know." He leaned closer and wrapped his arms around her. "Thank you."
Peter felt Felicia's arms tighten around him, and he instantly travelled back to when he saw a crook almost stab her in the back. She wasn't hurt at all, but he saw his life pass before his eyes until she dodged it. He was too shy to tell her, but he didn't let go of her at all for the whole day.
Felicia took a step back. "I've been meaning to tell you..."
"Yeah?"
She looked up at him, her face serious. "You're not going to give up the suit."
"Uh..." Peter scratched his neck. "I do dread the minute the Avengers leave New York."
Felicia whistled. "Yeah, same. Which is why I wanted to ask you if you want to be partners."
"Fel-"
"Actually, I'm not asking. We're partners," she said with determination in her voice. She put a finger on his chest. "I care about you, and I hate knowing you're putting yourself in danger, all alone."
Peter didn't know what to say.
"And I know you hide things from Miles, as you should. He's just a kid."
"Felicia, if something happened to me, at least-"
She shook her head. "No. Walter needs us both. You know what it's like to lose your parents."
"I- yeah." He exhaled and his head hang low. "Yeah."
"So we're going to have each other's back. No buts."
Even if Peter wanted to argue, he couldn't. Not when Felicia was staring at him so hard, her jaw set. Not when she was absolutely right.
Peter smiled. "Okay, partner."