Archive of Our Own

Flash Thompson is still Spider-Man’s number one fan, even after all these years when perps would show up on the front steps of the police station with a broken bone or three.

Flash had a successful college basketball career and got a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice. The choice was definitely not inspired by the wall-crawler. When he discussed his choice major with Gwen, she laughed, but not at him but because a superhero, his superhero, inspired him to take school seriously. She always could see right through him.

It was hard to go away for school right after Gwen passed. She really was the only person who believed he could accomplish anything he put his mind to, even school stuff.

He tried to reach out to Parker while he was away, but he never answered his calls or texts. He saw how helpless and broken Parker looked at the cemetery when they buried Gwen, similar to how he looked after his uncle died but somehow more haunted. He tried to get the guy to join him for lunch or something before he left, but his sweet Aunt could never get him to come to the door.

Granted, they didn’t have a “go out to lunch” type of friendship before Gwen passed, if you could even call what they had a friendship. He’s pretty sure that Parker tolerated him at best because of Gwen. I mean, who would want to be friends with the guy that bullied him for ten years?

And if losing his supportive friend and somewhat acquaintance wasn’t enough, Spider-Man, his superhero, disappeared too.

He showed up in a Spider-Man shirt for the first day of classes and was quickly pointed out as the only student from the five boroughs of New York City. A few weeks after was when he started getting asked about where Spider-Man went. Then there were a few jokes that Spider-Man disappeared because he’s out here tipping cows with the rest of the basketball team.

Not to mention everyone he thought was his friend back in high school never really returned his calls either.

So yeah, Flash felt pretty alone when he would think about home. The only person he’d try to reach out to still was Peter. He didn’t really understand why he clinged to the thought of Parker, maybe because Parker might’ve been the only other lonely person he knew, but he called him once a week to leave a message and sent a text every other day about something or a meme he saw. Parker did read his texts, the little time stamp saying read would appear under his texts, just never replied.

When the news hit Dakota State that Spider-Man was back, the team threw a party (just as an excuse to party). Flash got blacked out drunk and woke up late on Sunday to a text from Parker that said, didn’t realize you loved Spider-Man that much XD.

Flash didn’t even care that he couldn’t remember what he said in a five minute phone call to the guy. He had gotten a message back!

It wasn’t like the floodgates opened up. They weren’t texting everyday or talking constantly, but Parker would reply once in a while. One time Parker had answered a call, but quickly ran off when Flash asked how he was doing. So he accepted the boundary and let Parker dictate their friendship. Flash stopped calling but still texted.

Summers and winter breaks back in New York were spent mostly with his parents and 9 year old sister. He’d text Parker when he’d be in town and when he was about to leave. He still kept texting and would send pictures of things he did with his little sister like when they went to the zoo and got their faces painted with a tiger on hers and a spider on his cheek. Parker just texted back cute. Flash ignored the feeling in his stomach from the text.

After getting his bachelor’s, Flash decided on becoming a police officer in Madison. He thought about heading back to New York, but he’d grown to love South Dakota, the new, genuine, friends he’d made, and his boyfriend for the past two years.

Plus, there would be no need for him in New York City with Spider-Man there. Spider-Man was still out there cleaning the streets with a bit more force than necessary if the Daily Bugle was to be believed.

Actually, news reports became more critical of Spider-Man, more than just the Daily Bugle. Reports said more and more criminals were in casts because of the spider, but Flash never paid any mind to it. Spider-Man was just trying to help.

But when his dad died, he moved back to take care of his family. He asked his boyfriend to come with, but he said he couldn’t because he had to take care of his ailing parents. They broke up.

He was sitting on the couch with his, now 14, sister watching one of her little shows when the doorbell rang.

“Hey.” It was Parker. Peter Parker was on his porch. It’s been about 4 years since he last saw him.

“Parker, hey. What’s up?”

Parker dug his hands into his pockets and shrugged. “Nothing, just. How are you?” The guy seemed awkward as he asked. Was it the weight of Flash’s dead dad looming over the question or Parker felt like he shouldn’t be here because he’s breaking the boundary he set?

“You know, getting through it.” Flash responded, leaning against the door frame with one hand propped up on the other side of the door frame, crowding the front door.

“Yeah, right. Okay. I, uh, just wanted to check on you. You hadn’t, uhm, texted me back yet, so I- I wanted to check on you.” Parker clears his throat.

“Oh, thanks. I think I left it on my bed, sorry.”

“No, no, no it’s- it’s fine. I just-“

“Gene, you’re missing the best part!” His little sister yells from the other room.

“I’ll be right there!” Flash yells back.

“Gene?” Parker stifles a chuckle.

“Don’t start Parker.” Flash tries to be menacing, but the smile that spreads on Parker’s face is contagious.

Putting both hands up in innocence, “I’m not starting anything, Gene.”

Flash rolls his eyes. “Do you want to come in?” Flash internally panics, not even realizing he had said the words.

“Nah, you spend time with Ella. We’ll do lunch or something while you’re here.” Parker says as he starts walking backwards down the steps, hands still in his pockets.

He remembers. “I’m moving back, so there’s time.”

“What about the police thing? Didn’t you just start over there?” Parker stops, concerned.

He really pays attention. “Yeah but I can transfer. Have to redo the training, but that can only make me a better officer in the long run.”

“Yeah, definitely need better officers around here.” Parker continues to rock from foot to foot, backwards down the walkway towards the sidewalk.

“Maybe they’re just complacent with Spider-Man swinging around.”

Parker smiles and starts walking off yelling “Maybe!” as he goes.

Flash ignores the familiar feeling in his stomach.

________________

They get a weekly lunch or dinner together, not dates, discussing Flash’s family and job. Parker doesn’t really contribute to the conversation much past his Aunt May, but it’s okay. The guy doesn’t seem like he’s ready to talk about anything else personal. So Flash lets it be.

When Parker lets it slip that he’s been spending time with someone named Felicia, Flash does not want to let it go. “You got a girlfriend, Parker?”

The sudden blush on Parker’s face would be so adorable if it weren’t for Flash’s heart breaking a little for not being the reason why. “Sorta, it’s complicated.”

“Complicated like?” Fishing for information about how serious it could be.

“Like I want it to be something more and she just wants something else from me.” Flash hopes by staying quiet that maybe Parker will explain what he means, but instead he changes the subject back to Flash. “Anyway, what about you? You always go on about Ella an-and your mom, you find anyone?”

Flash blows out a breath, “yeah, but I don’t think it’s going anywhere any time soon.”

“Why? She doesn’t like cops?”

“No, I don’t think the cop thing is an issue. I don’t think he’s ready for something yet. Or at least I thought,” he mumbles under his breath that last line.

The one subject that is touch and go is Spider-Man. Sometimes Parker is fine with talk about the spandex clad man and the pictures he’s taken and other times he tries to avoid it like the plague.

In the year Flash has been a fully fledged police officer of the NYPD, he’s ran into Spider-Man multiple times, but never really had a chance to talk to him through everything going on. The one time he did though, it was so cool to meet his superhero, he was super nice and let him take a selfie with him. The other officers were surprised by the spider’s composure, said it had been a while since they saw a less mean and sarcastic hero. He talked Parker’s ear off about the whole exchange when he got off shift.

________________

Flash was just getting off shift, looking forward to getting dinner with Parker, not a date, when he gets a text from said man. Get to New York Presbyterian.

What? He calls Parker with no answer. Again and no answer. He texts back with are you okay? No answer.

He makes his way to the hospital and is thankful for the miraculous lack of traffic in the afternoon.

He parks the car in front of the hospital and rushes out, only to be stopped by-

Frantic, “Spider-Man? What are you doing here? Where’s Parker? Is he okay?”

“Whoa, whoa, hold on there officer. Peter Parker is fine. I told him to run off before he gets in trouble.” Spider-Man has his hands up, trying to get the man to stop and calm down.

“Trouble? What trouble? What’s going on?”

“Fl- Officer Thompson, I- I made a mistake.” Spider-Man pauses but Flash lets the man speak. “I took it too far and I need your help.”

“My help?” It’s like all of Flash’s dreams come true. Well, almost all.

“Uhm,” he clears his throat. “Peter mentioned you’re good at calming people down.”

“You need help calming down?”

“Yeah, we, uh, just dropped off a guy inside that I- I lost control on.

“Lost control on? Is he alright? Is he alive?”

“Yes! He’s still breathing! He’s alive. I think I broke his back”

“His back? What did he do?”

“He-“ Spider-Man looks away from Flash and tries to turn around, but Flash stops him from turning away.

“What the hell happened?” Anger seeping through his words.

Shrinking in on himself and quietly, “He was on a roof top, hurting a girl and she almost fell off. I got her away, but the man, I- I just- I lost it.”

Flash couldn’t believe it. Spider-Man, his superhero, lost it. He harmed someone who might never recover from their injuries. Yeah, he brought them to the hospital, or well him and Peter did. Peter?

“You broke some guy’s back and make Peter help you? Have you heard of accessory after the fact?! How could you put this on him?!”

“It’s not technically accessory after the fact because he was being a Good Samaritan by getting him to a hospital.”

“It is if you don’t come forward, especially if he wants to press charges. The guy could charge Peter too! What were you thinking!”

“I wasn’t okay! I got lost in my head and started thinking about Gwen and I got so angry I-“

“Gwen?”

Spider-Man freezes in his spot. The two men just look at each other, Flash trying to figure out who Gwen is and how she fits into all of this.

“I gotta go.”

“Wait!” But Spider-Man thwips away to a rooftop where another figure in black is sitting before Flash got the word out.

Flash calls Peter and there’s no answer. He sends text after text to Peter asking after him with no reply or read time stamp. He goes to the restaurant for dinner and Peter never shows. He ends up at Peter’s apartment, knocking on his door and still getting no answer.

It’s not until he gets into bed, logs into instagram and sees a post from a girl from high school commemorating Gwen’s 5 year anniversary.

________________

There’s still no answer from Peter the next day, so desperate times call for desperate measures. He visits Aunt May.

“Hi honey, I haven’t seen you in a while.” She pulls him into a hug before taking a step back.

“Hi Mrs. Parker. Sorry to visit without calling, but have you talked to Peter lately?”

“Last I spoke to him he mentioned you two were getting dinner. Did something happen?”

Deciding against mentioning Spider-Man, “I don’t know. He never showed up last night and he’s not responding to my messages.”

“Peter usually disappears for a few days when he needs to think something through, but he usually gives me a warning before he does.” May steps forward to put a hand on Flash’s shoulder and squeezes it reassuringly. “Give it some time. You know he likes you too much to decide to not speak to you again.” She gives him a wink which makes Flash blush a little.

“Thank you Mrs. Parker.”

“Please, call me May! And whenever Peter comes out of his cave, I expect you both to show up for Sunday dinner.”

“Yes ma’am. Thank you.”

She nods and lets Flash go on his way.

________________

A week passes. Still no answer to his calls and texts. He goes by Peter’s apartment and no one comes to the door. Flash decides to stop calling, but send a text every day.

Another week passes. Still no answer. He stops by May’s and she says that he’s talked to him and seems fine but hasn’t mentioned anything concerning. May gives him a pitying look as he accepts the answer and walks away. He starts sending texts every other day.

Another two weeks pass and Flash decides to stop texting him. Obviously he did something wrong, so he gives it one last shot. He calls. There’s a half ring before going straight to the voicemail set up of Peter’s awkward rambling and mumbling about leaving a message.

“Hey Pe-Parker, I don’t know what I did for you to ghost me like this, but I hope you’re okay.”

________________

It’s been six months since he last heard from Peter. He tries not to dwell on it but he can’t stop thinking about where things went wrong. It’s not like they were together or anything, no matter how much Flash wished they were. And it’s not like they made any promises to be friends forever or something as childish as that. He just misses him.

Yeah, he’s made friends with other officers, goes to their barbecues, kid’s birthday parties, baby showers, but he doesn’t have someone he can really confide in like he did with Pete. He misses the weekly chats and constant stream of texts and memes throughout the week.

He’s seen him a couple times around the neighborhood at the bodega or on the other side of the street, but every time he tried to flag him down, it always seemed like Peter was running. Running away from him.

Peter must be doing alright since he’s still around and taking pictures of Spider-Man for the Bugle.

Flash never came forward about the incident. He hoped his hero would, but he also understood why he didn’t. He did lose a little respect for the man.

Before the incident, he’d see Spider-Man on the scene at least once every two weeks, but since that day at the hospital, he hasn’t seen been at any of the scenes Flash has shown up to.

That was until the hostage situation with multiple injuries at the bank. NYPD put out a special request on the scanner to bring the spider to help out. Flash did everything he could to try to spot Peter. He looked all around, every rooftop, behind every barricade, but he isn’t there.

Instead, he just stays as close as he can to the action, waiting for Spider-Man to emerge. And when the dust settles on the hostage situation, Spider-Man is finishing up with the Senior Investigator and about to run and thwip away when Flash stands in front of him, stopping him in his tracks.

“Wait!” Hands up to get him to stop if he keeps moving forward. “Can I talk to you?”

“There’s nothing to be said, Officer Thompson.” There’s a bitterness coated his voice that wasn’t there when he spoke to the SI.

Pleading, almost desperate, “Please, just two minutes and I won’t bother you again.”

Spider-Man looks up into the distance, Flash follows his eye line to a black figure standing on a far rooftop, likely to be the Black Cat that’s been taking turns for the front page of the newspaper. “Fine, two minutes.”

“Thank y-“ Flash screams as Spider-Man grabs him and they swing away to a rooftop in the opposite direction of where Black Cat is.

When they land, Spider-Man drops him on his ass and stands a ten feet away with his arms crossed and a hip cocked. “Talk.”

Flash scrambles to stand up and starts wiping his backside. “How’s Pe-Parker?”

“He’s fine.”

“Okay.”

“That it?”

“I guess. I-I didn’t think you’d actually give me time.”

“Neither did I.” Spider-Man turns puts an arm up to thwip away, but there’s a hesitation to the motion, like he’s waiting for Flash to say something else.

“Is Parker mad at me?”

“What?” He puts his arm down, still facing away from him.

“Is he mad that I didn’t help you that day? We haven’t talked since then and…” Flash trails off, unsure what to say.

“I don’t know.” The even tone unsettles something deep inside Flash.

“Can you tell him I’m sorry? Cause I am. Sorry for making you out like a villain when you needed help because you were grieving a friend. For putting his work relationship and paycheck in jeopardy when he trusted me with you. For implying you would ever put Peter in harms way. I really am sorry.”

“Okay.” Spider-Man thwips away.

________________

Maybe Flash put too much hope in his talk with Spider-Man, but he still hasn’t heard from Pe-Parker. God he needs to work on that. How weird would it be if after seven months of never talking to him, all of a sudden he started calling him Peter?

It’s not important. Peter made his decision and now Flash needs to. He can either live with his broken heart or move on.

He gets on the apps and as great as they are for getting laid, they suck in terms of finding someone who is worth spending any real time with. It gets to the point that even his on duty partner Steve notices.

“Dude, I’ve never seen you more relaxed, but god you look miserable.” They’re sitting at a bar, Steve takes a drink of his beer.

Flash lets out a long weary sigh, “You try dating in New York City.”

“I did. Now we’re expecting kid number three.” Steve says with a shit eating grin.

“How did you do it?”

“It definitely wasn’t an app, I’ll tell you that.” Flash groans, but Steve continues. “I met her at the wash n dry. I asked if I could give her my number in case she needed company doing laundry.”

Incredulously, “and that worked?”

“Like I said, kid number three.” Steve clicked his bottle onto Flash’s.

So Flash tries the in person approach and has very little luck. The majority of men he talks to are straight or are already taken. He feels pathetic trying to find anyone who will take his number.

Just as he strikes out for the tenth time in 2 weeks, a certain web slinger drops in front of him. “Officer Thompson, how’s it going?”

“Oh, Spider-Man, uh good! Yeah, it’s going great.” The excitement trailing off. Flash starts to walk away, but Spider-Man quickly follows.

“You sure about that officer? Seems like you just struck out?” There’s a hint of teasing to the tone that makes Flash roll his eyes.

“Well, not everyone can get a companion in a body suit,” totally hinting at the headlines suggesting that Spider-Man is involved with the Black Cat.

Spider-Man rocks to hit shoulders with Flash in a nudge, “Have you ever tried to?”

A pang of familiarity reminds Flash of Peter, but it’s probably because Peter is their only mutual friend. Or was.

“Not like I’d have a shot.” Flash shrugs and shakes his head.

“You’d be surprised.” He says it so low, Flash almost misses it.

When it sinks in, Flash stops. The spider stops too, head cocked considering the man in front of him.

He can’t possibly be talking about himself, isn’t he with “Black Cat?”

Spider-Man stiffens in front of him and answers. “I mean, yeah, I’m sure she’d go for you.” Spider-Man starts rambling and walking while Flash trails after him, “but she’s not looking for anything serious. But if you were looking for fun, I could pass your name along if that’s all you’re interested in. But she’s also like kind of a criminal and I tried helping her, but I don’t think she can really leave that life or wants to for that matter so if you want to get involved with that as a cop, I guess that’s at your own risk and-“

“No, I meant aren’t you with her?” Spider-Man stops and turns back towards Flash. “There were a few articles calling you partners in crime and love and I know you don’t do crime, but half what the rags write are true…”

“We were,” they continue walking, “but she didn’t want anything to do with the other me. I broke it off and she decided to go back to her life of thievery.” Spider-Man says it so nonchalantly, like it’s not a personal fact that the newspapers would kill for.

“Other you?” A bit confused.

“Oh, the me under the mask. She only liked me in the mask because that’s how she wants to live her life. And that’s- that’s not for me.”

“Do you mind me asking why are you telling me this?”

Spider-Man stops once more. He pauses until, “Because I trust you.” The mask blank of any expression just adds to the nervous feeling growing in Flash’s chest. There’s a twitch under the mask, like maybe he’s smiling.

“Okay.” It comes out more of a whisper than he meant to.

Spider-Man gives a slight nod and they continue walking. “So, what do you have planned for today?”

“Taking my little sister to the movies. She wants to see the one with the ghost in the computer call or something.”

“Ella likes scary movies?” Still saying things like they aren’t rocking Flash’s world.

How does he…? “Uh, I think she’s just trying to fit in with her friends.” Spider-Man nods. “How do you know my sister’s name?”

“Oh, uh, Peter’s mentioned her before.”

“He has? He talked about her?”

“Oh yeah, he talks about you a lot.”

“He does? Or he did? How is he?”

The spider’s body language has changed from nonchalance to small panic. “Officer Thompson, I-“

“Flash.”

“What?”

“Call me Flash.”

“Okay. Flash.” The way he says his name lights a heat at the bottom of his spine. “I shouldn’t have said anything, it’s not for me to say.”

“But he is doing alright?”

“Yeah, he’s doing okay.”

“Okay good.” Flash nods as he looks back towards where they’re walking, “I’m happy he’s doing okay.”

There’s a silent pause between the two. “You still care for him?”

Flash nods. “Course. He’s my… was my best friend. I don’t know if I’ll ever stop caring about him.”

Spider-Man doesn’t say anything to that. The atmosphere around the two men has become thicker somehow. Maybe he was being a bit too honest in the moment, but he can’t help how he feels. Flash stops in front of an underground subway entrance and Spider-Man just stops next to him.

“Thanks for walking with me and…” Flash puts his hands in his pockets to stop himself from awkwardly gesturing in the air between them, “for trusting me.”

“Anytime.” Spider-Man nods in goodbye. Flash returns it before Spider-Man thwips away.

High School Flash would be freaking out after this whole exchange. Hell, 8 months ago Flash would be too. But all Flash can think about right know is how he wishes he could just tell Peter Parker.

________________

It’s weird how often Spider-Man stops to talk to Flash. They’ll be at the same crime scene, Spider-Man does his part and then waits until whenever Flash is done with his to talk or touch base. It happens so often that Steve will bumble over joking how his boyfriend is waiting for him or to not play hard to get for long.

He’ll be walking around doing errands and suddenly the spider drops from the sky and will join him on a few. Sometimes Flash purposely puts off the errands and just goes to grab a coffee, but Spider-Man never orders anything, just sits with Flash in the shop watching him inhale a blueberry muffin. Flash always offers to buy him something, cause obviously the spider isn’t carrying a wallet, but he always declines.

They talk about the different bad guys they’ve taken down or the old lady that Spidey gets groceries for since she can’t drive anymore. Flash mentions the outreach program that he joined and how excited he is to try to build on community relationships with the kids and the police. Spider-Man shows up and instantly Flash becomes the favorite cop just because he was mentioned by name by Spider-Man.

The hero popped up once while he was with Ella and addressed her by her name. she was so surprised and so giggly. He said he knew her name because Flash mentioned her before. Which isn’t untrue, but he knew it before then. From Peter.

They never really talk about Peter. Flash noticed how the spider would freeze every time he’d mention the man so to not put Spider-Man in a position to betray Peter’s trust, he stopped asking.

But Ella didn’t know that and when she asks about Peter the third of fourth time he drops in on them, the same tension that starts running through Flash was visibly running through Spider-Man.

“He’s doing good.”

“Do you know why he ghosted my brother?” The tone is very pointed, like this was part of an interrogation rather than a curious question.

“Ella…” Flash warns.

“What? Was he afraid of my brother’s massive crush on him?”

“Ella!”

“No! You spent months moping around the house over him and you won’t tell me anything about what happened.”

“Because it’s not your business!”

“It is when the dude breaks my brother’s heart and hides from you!”

“Ella, I said I was fine. You don’t need to-“

“He broke your heart?” Spider-Man quietly asks.

“No-“

“Yes! All Gene ever talked about was Peter this, Peter that, Peter said the funniest thing, Peter sent me a recipe we should try, Peter, Peter Peter and then poof he’s gone.”

“Ella, stop!”

“Oh.” Spider-Man says.

“It’s not fair that Peter gets to be fine while You aren’t.”

“I’m fine now! Yeah, it sucked, but it’s fine. Peter has his life and I have mine. I have you,” he ruffles Ella’s hair as she tries to avoid his hand, “and the zoo. That’s all I really need.”

Ella rolls her eyes but seems to drop the line of questioning.

“I uhm-“ he clears his throat. “I should go. I’m sorry.” Spider-Man thwips away.

“He’s a lot like Peter.” Ella says as they watch him swing away. “Same mannerisms.”

“They spend a lot of time together.” Flash shrugs.

________________

“Would you want to talk to Peter again?” Flash startles at the sudden voice behind him. Usually Spider-Man tries to hide a laugh whenever he successfully startles him, but not today.

“What?” Flash finally answers.

“Peter. Do you want to talk to him?” He’s serious by the way Spider-Man keeps his distance.

“Course I do.” Flash answers honestly and takes a step forward.

“I can ask him to reach out if you want.”

“No, he should be the one to want to reach out. Not because Spider-Man said so.”

“Right.” Spider-Man stays right where he’s standing, quiet like he’s thinking.

Flash steps closer and rests a hand on Spider-Man’s shoulder. The tension bleeds from his shoulders at the touch. “Hey, you okay?”

“Yeah, just thinking.”

“Anything I can help with?” Flash searches the mask but nothing gives away what the spider could be thinking.

“Do you still care for him?”

“Yes. He was my best friend… and only friend for a bit.” Flash shakes the spider with his hand still on the shoulder.

“No, I mean, do you still care for him?” The question makes Flash drop his hand like it was burned. Flash retreats back into his head and thinks about all the times he felt butterflies or bees buzzing in his stomach, their non-dates getting coffee or dinner, how Peter never texted him back after he worried for his safety. “Flash?”

Flash snaps out of it. “Huh?”

“Flash, do you still l-“

“I don’t know.” Flash stands there looking off into the distance trying to organize his thoughts. I haven’t spoken to him in a long time. What if he’s changed? Or I’ve changed? And our whole dynamic is off? Or would we just pick up right where we left off of? “I-I’m not sure.”

“If you do, would it change anything?”

“It never did before.”

________________

It’s about a month later when Peter shows up at his door. He asks if they can take a walk and Flash just closes the door on him in a panic.

________________

“Peter said you closed the door on him?”

Flash has been anticipating this for the last two weeks. “I panicked.” Flash turns around to see Spider-Man leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. “I wasn’t expecting him and I panicked.” Spider-Man just leans there. “Did you tell him to…”

“No. I- He chose to. I’m not sure why, but he went.” He stands up straight, dropping his arms to his sides. “Did you change your mind?”

“No. I just wasn’t ready.” Flash blows air out, “I’ll text him.” Flash turns to walk away. Spider-Man doesn’t answer or follow.

It takes a week for Flash to text him and Peter replied within seconds asking if they could meet for coffee.

The conversation is stilted. Awkward. Peter apologizes but with no real reason to why he disappeared a whole year before. Safe to say that things aren’t the way they were before. It’ll take time to fix what was left of their friendship.

________________

“Peter was telling me about this basketball game he got tickets for.” Spider-Man is suddenly walking next to Flash and Ella as they walk to the high school.

“You going to a game in your spandex, Spidey?” Flash jokes.

“Huh? What? No!” Spider-Man clears his throat. “He asked me if he should ask you if want to go with him?”

Flash stops, Ella can be five minutes late. “Are you asking me for him?

“Wha- no. I’m not asking for him. Just testing the waters about how you’d feel about hanging out with him.”

Flash shakes his head and starts walking again. “I thought Peter didn’t like basketball,” Ella says.

“He doesn’t,” Flash says.

“That’s what I said, but maybe he’s trying to meet you half way?” Spider-Man supplements.

“He should meet me halfway about why he disappeared on me.” Flash groans. “No. If we’re gonna make this work then I shouldn’t hold that against him.”

“Honestly, I don’t know why you even want to make it work. You have Spider-Man now! And Spider-Man is so much better than Peter.”

“Well, I-,” Spider-Man starts, but is interrupted.

“Because Peter is my friend no matter what happened, and if he had to be away for all those months, then he needed to do that. It’s as simple as that.” Flash says matter of fact. Ella tries to respond, but Flash starts again. “And Spider-Man is not better than Parker. Sorry,” he directs to Spider-Man before talking to Ella again, “Spider-Man and Peter Parker are two different people who have no reason to be compared against each other and-“

“And people shouldn’t be compared. I know, I know, I know.” Ella repeats because she’s been told many times growing up just like Flash did. Under her breath, “can’t believe you still like him.” Turning to Spider-Man and at normal volume. “I’m sorry Spider-Man. Even though I was complimenting you,” she glares over at Flash, “I still shouldn’t have used you as a comparison point.”

“Thank you?” Spider-Man says unsure.

“Yes. Thank you Ella.” Flash smiles, but Ella rolls her eyes and just walks ahead of them.

Flash hopes to god that Spider-Man doesn’t ask about Ella’s side comment.

“Family motto or something?” Completely glazing over Flash’s worries.

“Something like that.” Spider-Man doesn’t answer, so Flash keeps talking. “Our dad would say it all the time. There was a point in time when I was really insecure about how dumb I was and I was so embarrassed that Gwen had to tutor me. He always kept me grounded. Or at least tried to.”

“You, insecure? Don’t think I could see that.” His tone isn’t joking, more likely he’s stepping through it lightly.

“Yeah. Parker really got under my skin.”

“Parker?”

“Peter. He was just so smart and people liked him even when he was pushing people away. I wanted him to like me so bad. To be my friend.” Flash shakes his head. “But I had issues and didn’t really understand how I felt about him back then.”

There’s a silent moment between the two.

“So?”

“Yeah, I’ll go to the game with him.”

“6pm on Saturday work?”

“You were asking for him!”

“I’m taking that as a yes. Duty calls!” Spider-Man swings away from the conversation.

Flash sends Parker a text. 6pm works.

Parker replies with :)

________________

Parker shows up with a box of Oatmeal Raisin cookies (Flash’s favorite) and a small bouquet of daffodils (for Ella). Flash felt a small pang in his heart when Parker said they were for Ella, but he knew he couldn’t see through this as anything more than rebuilding their friendship.

Throughout the entire game, Parker asked questions about the rules, the players, and even past stats of the teams. And Flash loved every second of it. Before, Peter would listen to Flash describe a magnificent play and he would just nod and say “that’s great. Did they win?”

Parker bought hot dogs and beers for them. They talked about work and Spider-Man for a minute since now he was a mutual friend and not just Flash’s hero Parker took pictures of.

“It’s not like we plan to hang out or anything. He just appears every now and then. It’s been good to have him around since-“ Flash bites his tongue and looks over at Parker who’s avoiding eye contact. “Sorry. I really didn’t mean to bring it up.”

“It’s okay. I know you didn’t.” The silence hangs between them among the chatter from around them and the squeak of sneakers on the hardwood.

“You know, I’ll be here if you ever want to talk about it.”

Parker looks him in the eye and the corner of his mouth rises for a small smile. Flash returns the smile.

“Kiss! Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!” The crowd around them starts chanting and Flash starts to freak out a bit. He looks around at the people and then up at the Jumbotron to see him and Parker up on the screen with a pink heart graphic around them. Parker is just looking at him in the screen.

A hand falls to his knee and it’s Parker’s. Flash snaps back over to Parker and he’s smiling softly. He whispers, “we don’t have to, but what’s a kiss between friends.” Parker punctuates it was a shrug.

It’s everything Flash could want, a date watching basketball with Peter Parker with a kiss on the table. But it’s not a date. Peter said between friends.

Luckily the decision has been made for him if the booing around them prove to mean anything. The game has started back up.

Flash excuses himself to get the next round of beers and to gather himself.

By the end of the game, Parker was cheering and yelling at the refs too. It was cute to see him get frustrated at a call even through it was blatant foul.

Parker accompanied Flash back to his house, walks him to the door and lingers. Parker sounds nervous when he says, “I had fun.”

“Yeah, same. Uh, good night.” Flash turns to unlock the door.

Hurried, “we should do this again.” Flash turns to see Parker biting his bottom lip. “Would you want to?”

“Yeah.. I’d like that.”

“Good. Good. Great.” Parker nods along with every word.

Flash chuckles, “good night Parker.”

“Good night Flash.”

________________

They start meeting again weekly. It’s always at night. Parker always brings Flash a snack. Parker always brings a small bouquet for Ella. Flash tells him every time that he doesn’t need to bring him, let alone Ella, anything. And every time he says that he wanted to.

After the third or fourth week, they start hugging goodnight. It’s not the first time they’ve ever hugged, but it came as a surprise even though Flash was the one to initiate it. Flash basically ran inside after it.

Around the seventh time (maybe, probably, Flash isn’t counting okay) is the first time he’s seen Spider-Man since he asked Flash to go to the game with Parker. “Too busy saving the city to hang out with me?”

“Well, somebody’s got to do your job.”

“Whoa, low blow man.” Flash laughs. “No, but seriously. Are we good?”

“Yeah, why wouldn’t we be?”

“I don’t know. I started hanging with Parker again and then you disappeared on me.”

“Oh I didn’t realize I-“

“You don’t have a problem with me hanging out with Parker again, right? I thought you guys were friends.”

“Yeah, yeah. We are. I honestly didn’t realize I stopped dropping in.” Spider-Man rubs the back of his neck. “I guess I- never mind.” Shaking his head.

“What? You can tell me.”

“I- it’s nothing. I’ve just been really busy and time just got away from me.”

Flash gives him a considering look and takes a deep breath. “Okay.”

“You sound annoyed.”

And how does he know what Flash sounds like when he’s annoyed?

“I’m not.”

“You are.”

“But I’m not.”

“But you are.”

Frustrated, “okay, I am! Parker still won’t talk to me about what’s going on with him and now you’re keeping secrets from me about your disappearing act. Am I missing something?”

“You’re not missing anything, Flash.”

“Are you two dating?”

Spider-Man sputters, “what?”

“Is that why things have been weird between us? You and Parker are dating and now he’s spending a bunch of time with someone who used to have a crush on him?”

“Used to?” Spider-Man says quietly.

“What?”

“Nothing, no. No. We are not dating. I- You know what. Ask Peter next time you see him. Maybe he’ll finally open up.”

“I can’t do that. I-“

“Just try. Give him a chance.”

And how can Flash deny a request from his hero.

________________

Parker shows up empty handed. No snacks, no flowers.

“So you know.” Flash says. “He told you.”

“Yeah.”

“Spider-Man needs to stay out of our business.” Flash walks across the room, leaving Parker to close the front door behind him.

“We, uh, we need to talk about him.”

Flash sighs. “I don’t get why he’s so invested in what’s happening with us. Like I love the guy, but like this is much, you know.”

Meekly, “I think I can answer that. Let’s sit down.” They sit on the couch, a couple feet between them. Parker looks around the house. “Is anyone else home?”

Confused, “uhh no. Why?”

Parker blows out a breath. Under his breath, “I’m so stupid.” Then normal volume, but shaky, “please don’t be upset with me.”

“Why would I be upset?”

Parker takes a deep breath and holds it. “I’m Spider-Man.”

Frozen in the moment and then laughs. “That’s funny man. Now what is it.”

Parker bites his bottom lip and then nervously nods. “I’m Spider-Man.”

Flash thinks about it for a second and it doesn’t click. What’s the joke here? “Okay, so you’re Spider-Man. What was the first conversation I had with you, Spider-Man, about?”

“The first time ever or after I ghosted you?” Parker is trying so hard to hold eye contact, but they flit towards the front door every few seconds.

“After the ghosting.”

“Dating and body suits.”

“He could’ve told you that.”

“And Ella was going to the movies.”

“He said you told him her name so he gave you an update on her.”

“I said that I trusted you.”

“Still he-“

“You said I was your best friend. That you cared for me.” Flash is stunned silent for a minute. “Flash?”

Whispers, “how could he tell you that?”

“He didn’t,” matching Flash’s tone, “you did.”

Flash shakes his head, standing up to walk to the front door. His hand reaches for the doorknob and thwip- a web has caught his hand. Eyes follow the web back to a web shooter on Peter Parker’s wrist. “I’m sorry.”

Flash raises his hand to eye level to inspect the webbing. He looks at Peter and back at the webbing. He whispers once again. “You need to leave.”

“Flash, please-“

Flash tries to pull the web off his hand, fails and just uses the hand to open the door and points to outside. “Go!”

“Let me just-“

“It’s fine. It’ll come off eventually. Just go.”

Defeated, “good night Flash.”

“Goodbye Parker.”

________________

“What did he do this time?” Ella asks a few days later.

“What are you talking about?” Flash flips the pancake in the pan.

“You’re moping again.”

“No I’m not.”

“Yes you are, Gene. What happened?” She’s standing next to him, hip leaning on the counter with her arms crossed.

“He- he lied to me?”

“About what?”

“Well, he didn’t really lie. More like he didn’t tell me the truth?” Flash plates the pancake and hands it over to her.

“And that’s not the same thing?”

“No.”

“That’s some cop logic.” Ella takes her plate to the table and sits down. “Or maybe some rose colored glasses shit.”

“Ella!

“You were worse with swearing. At least I don’t swear around Mom.”

“I’m an adult and honestly, why should I tell you?”

“Find, go find Spider-Man and tell him.” Flash groans. “Oh shit, does it have to do with Spider-Man too? Are they dating? Were they dating this whole time?”

“No!” Flash groans again. “They aren’t and never have dated.” Flash wracks his brains trying to find somehow to explain this without betraying Peter, no Spider-Man, er Parker. He sighs. “Spider-Man told him I liked him.”

“Wait, Peter never knew?”

“Of course not.”

“Then why did you have those weekly dates?”

“They weren’t “dates”, that was just hanging out.”

“But he brought you flowers.”

“No, he brought you flowers.”

“Just because he said they were for me, doesn’t mean they weren’t for you. They were daffodils and gardenias for god’s sake.”

“That’s exactly what that means!”

“You just called him a liar, so…” Smirking like she won the argument.

“That’s not how that works.”

“Some more cop logic, huh?”

“I’m going to work.”

________________

Two years later. A lot happened in two years, Ella dragged Peter over to the house to have him explain that the flowers were for him and not her, that he panicked. Flash still didn’t forgive right away. So Peter gave him space and disappeared into the Spider-Man persona.

Spider-Man is missing.

He’s been gone for a week and slowly crime has gone up since The Daily Bugle said they noticed he hasn’t been around.

Flash is worried. He hasn’t reached out to Parker since, but being around Spider-Man with work has started to hurt less and less. He seen Peter in passing, but neither did more than look at the other before having to move on.

Maybe he went on vacation? He could reach out to Aunt May. Ask how Peter’s been doing, but she could just say that self isolating at the moment and will be back out eventually.

He does anyway and gets the expected response. She asks him to call if he see Peter though.

________________

It’s 2 in the morning and Flash is startled awake by the frantic knocking at his door. He makes his way through his apartment, service gun in hand just in case. He takes a look through the peep hole and immediately puts his gun on the small table by the door.

“Parker! Where have you been? You’re bleeding!”

“Where’s Gwen?!” Parker pushes his way through the front door and starts pacing in the joint living room/kitchen.

“What?” Wiping some of the sleep from his eyes.

“Gwen! Is she back?! Is she alive?!”

“Pete, I think you need to sit down.” Flash leads him from the door to his couch. He can feel Parker shake under his hand on his back. “Where did you go?”

“This parallel universe where Connors and Electro showed up and I had to team up with other mes to defeat them and three other bad guys were there except one of them was good cause Peter 1 fixed him before we showed up. But we changed the past.” Parker is rambling. “So in my past she died, but I went by her old place and they don’t live there, some other family does. She’s alive right?”

Softly, “Peter. She died back after high school.”

“What?”

“Remember? The clock tower?”

“She didn’t come back?” Flash shakes his head. “What about Dr. Connors and Electro?”

“Electro? The blue electricity guy?”

“Yes!”

“Dr. Connors has been in jail since you put him there. The blue electric guy disappeared one day. He just never showed his face again.”

“And Gwen…”, voice shaky.

“She’s been gone for ten years.”

Parker devolves into sobs and all Flash can do is hold on to him as tight as he can.

Once he finally calms down, Flash just rubbing up and down his back with one hand, nails scratching his head with other, Parker pulls away from him before announcing he needs to take a shower and rest.

“Stay. You can use my shower, I’ll put fresh sheets on my bed, and I’ll take the couch.”

“I can’t.”

“I don’t want you to be alone right now.”

Parker gives a wobbly smile and nods quickly, turning to find the bathroom to rinse off.

Flash changes the sheets, grabs some clothes and medical supplies for Parker and sends a text to May saying he showed up to mine a little bit ago. I’ll send him your way in the morning.

He comes out of the bathroom with a towel around his waist and Flash has to pretend to not be so affected by it because even with time and the hurt he’s been caused, he still has feelings for the man. “I pulled some clothes for you to change into. If you need to leave, wake me up and tell me.”

Parker says thanks and feels the sweat pants laying on the bed. He quickly throws them on with a threadbare shirt while Flash is turned around.

“Good night Parker.”

“Wait,” Parker’s hand grabs Flash’s elbow. “Stay. With me. You’re right. I shouldn’t be alone.”

Flash bites his lip and contemplates the situation. It means nothing. Absolutely nothing has or will change in a way that Flash previously always hoped for. Too much hurt, betrayal, and time has happened since something could’ve happened. But Parker looks lost and defeated and somehow hopeful. “Okay.”

Flash crawls into bed and turns to his side so his back will be towards Parker. He hears the rustle of the bedsheets and feels the dip of the bed.

So quiet, “thanks Flash,” it breaks Flash’s heart.

The next morning, Flash wakes up with an arm around him. It startles him and soothes him in the same moment. Park is sound asleep, drooling on the pillow. He must be exhausted.

Sliding from under the arm, Flash decides to make breakfast because the guy has to be hungry after whatever he just went through.

Bacon ready, biscuits out of the oven, eggs being plated, Parker rolls out of bed and sits at the little pull out table. “Morning. Orange juice?” Parker nods. Flash pours him a glass and places a plate of eggs in front of him. “Eat.” Parker nods.

They eat in silence. Parker processing everything that happened to him, Flash not wanting to push. He wants to know everything that happened, but knows how Parker is with his private life.

“What happened?” Parker asks, like Flash isn’t wondering the same thing.

“What do you mean?”

“How’d you know I was gone? What happened?” Parker is pushing eggs around his plate.

“The Bugle posted last week you haven’t been seen.”

“Last week? I was only gone two days?”

“You’ve been gone for two weeks.”

Parker’s eyes go wide. He stands up abruptly and rushes to grab his suit, “I have to go see May. She’s probably worried sick.”

“I texted her last night. Told her you’d visit this morning.”

“You text my aunt?”

“You went missing… and I was worried,” Flash trails off towards the end.

“Right. That makes sense. I should go.”

“Okay.”

“Okay.”

Parker leaves.

________________

Flash went back and forth with himself on whether or not he should message Parker.

He does anyway. You good? That should be fine. Not too long, not too personal, just enough to get an understanding on how he’s doing without prying too much.

He only gets a yeah as a way of a reply.

________________

It’s been a few months since Spider-Man disappeared. There’s been rumblings around the precinct that maybe he quit, couldn’t handle the court of public opinion. Other say he died. Other rumblings that seem to have the experience of losing Spider-Man for an unknowable period of time.

Either way, it sucks constantly having to be on the look out for criminal activity. And it really sucks when Flash can see it a mile away, but he is empty of his police privileges dressed as a civilian.

How the Scorpion got loose and why he decides to hold an above ground train hostage is beyond him. Flash is trying his best to deescalate the situation so he can go home and sleep, but Scorpion has other plans for him.

There’s helicopters flying around. News stations on the ground and on surrounding rooftops. Knowing the police, they’ve already identified the Scorpion and are trying to pull out the gear Oscorp made for them as protection.

He lets the women and children go. The men are sitting down anywhere on the floor with their wrist tied up to the train.

“You aren’t going anywhere. I want the money the city would use if I did destroy this train line.”

“They won’t give it to you. Have you met our mayor? He doesn’t care about us.”

“Oh, but I’m sure he would if a police officer were to be the one killed.”

There’s a knock on

“Oh Mac! We don’t want to add ‘death of a police officer’ to your rap sheet, do we?” Flash knows that voice.

The doors are forced open. The Scorpion, Mac Gargan, barely reacts to the pure amount of strength while the others on the train

“Spider-Man, the majority of people thought you were dead. How about we prove them right.”

It’s an awkward battle in an enclosed space. Spider-Man staying to the walls while ceiling to avoid any attacks to the men on the floor, while also trying to free them as he can.

“Free me and I can help!” Flash yells after a swipe to Spider-Man head comes too close.

“I’m putting you in danger…, sir.”

“I’m a police officer, I can help!”

“You’re off duty.” Spider-Man frees someone and pushes them out the open door, catching them with a web to swing down to the ground.

“Goddammit Spider-Man! Accept the help! You need me!”

Spider-Man webs up Gargan’s face to distract him. He stands in front of Flash, mask blank, but Flash know the face underneath is contemplating something, biting his lip, searching for something in his own face.

Gargan frees himself off the webs and Spider-Man quickly tries to spray him down. It’s a hold, but not by much. Spider-Man opens a window and thwips out until a black long sleeve shirt is in his hands. He unties Flash.

“Put this on. Stay down. Get them close to the door. Yell when someone is ready.”

Flash throws the shirt on as fast as he can. It’s part of the gear Oscorp made. “Okay.”

Flash goes to move, but Spider-Man stops him by grabbing his hand. Blank mask staring back at him. “Please be careful.”

Flash nods and moves. Scorpion breaks free and starts shooting poison from his stinger. Spider-Man distracts him enough to keep it away from Flash, but the threat looms.

The second guy he frees tells him he wants to help. It’s a good little process, they free someone and the person will yell when they get to the door. Spider-Man gets them out of there while somehow still fighting Scorpion.

The two are bantering all the while. How Spider-Man can focus on a fight, verbal and physical, and still save these people is insane.

“Watch out!” Flash covers the man he’s helping immediately, but nothing touches them. The other man helping free people is not so lucky.

“Don’t touch him!” He yells to the other men in the train.

Flash continues on with his work. And finally all that’s left is the man who got hit and Flash.

Flash takes off his shirt and covers his hand to check his pulse. It’s still there, just barely.

Flash sticks his head out the window, “Medic! Man, mid 40s, hit with the poison.” Scorpion wraps his arms around Flash and yanks him from the doorway.

“What’s so special about this little cop, Spider-Man?” The hold around Flash is tight. He can’t break free.

“Let him go Mac.” The hold gets tighter.

“I don’t think I will.” It’s the last thing Flash hears before he passes out.

Flash comes to in an ambulance hooked up to oxygen. He jolts up, but the paramedics push him back down to lie down.

He pulls off the oxygen mask and gasps out, “Spider-Man?”

The paramedic fixes the mask back on and leaves a hand on his chest, pressing down a bit. “He’s fine. He brought you and the man down here. The man is alive and being treated. Spider-Man swung away. Officer Thompson, you need to lie down and rest. Your body has been put through a lot of stress.”

Flash rests with the thought that Peter is safe.

________________

They release Flash from the hospital later that night and Peter Parker is hunched over, sitting in the lobby with daffodils on his lap.

“Daffodils are definitely a choice after today.” Parker looks up at Flash and there’s a huge bruise on his cheek and his lip is split. Flash hands immediately go to his head to check him over. “Oh my god. Are you okay?”

Parker stands up, hands staying on his face, his hand going Flash’s wrist. “Flash, I’m fine. Really.” He smiles and it reassures Flash’s fast beating heat. “You were right, you know.”

“Of course I was.”

Parker rolls his eyes before staring at Flash head on. “I do… need you.” He drops eye contact to the floor.

Flash leans his head forward to be forehead to forehead. “I need you too.”

________________

They start slow. Dates. Actual dates. Dates with intentions to deepen their relationship.

Peter opens up about his life as Spider-Man. His uncle, Gwen, his drama with previous bad guys. He even opened up about his parallel universe jump and how it felt to rely on someone other than himself.

He opens up about the months after. How he kept to himself, tried to live as just Peter Parker because he hasn’t lived as Peter Parker (without Flash) in the longest time.

And it was going good. Weekly dinners with May. Joining a grief group to talk about Gwen. Taking pictures for the Bugle. But seeing Flash on the news because a train was taken was what triggered him back into the suit.

Flash opens up about his feelings for Peter and how he has felt since high school. Peter talks about realizing he was bi and how he realized how he felt about Flash when they were texting memes to each other back when Flash was at Dakota State.

They’re lying down after a very aerobic round of sex. “Do you ever wish you never became Spider-Man?”

“I used to. Especially after Gwen.”

“What changed?”

“The people needed Spider-Man more than they needed Peter Parker.”

“You don’t still think that, right? Because I would be lost without Peter Parker.”

“And I’d be lost without Eugene Thompson.” Flash shoves him and Peter laughs. “No, I don’t. Those last few months as Peter reminded me of what it’s like to be me. And I am just as important as Spider-Man.”

“Hell yeah you are.”

Peter laughs and kisses Flash before they settle for the night.

________________

Ella comes around eventually about Peter. She’s not a huge fan of this development, but the heart wants what it wants.

“How do you know he won’t drop you? Or disappear again?” She’s asks while on speaker phone.

“It’s a chance I’m willing to take.”

“Call me the second he screws up and I’ll kick his ass.” The front door opens and closes in the middle of her declaration.

Flash laughs. “I will, but I won’t have to.” Peter appears in the door way of his bedroom with an apprehensive look. “Hey Ella, I gotta go. I’ll talk to you later, kay?”

“Kay. Bye Gene. Tell Peter to watch his back.”

Flash looks up and Peter’s eyes are wide. “Will do!” He hangs up.

“So I take it she’s not my biggest fan?”

“No.” Flash opens his arms wide for Peter to fall into. “You alright?”

“There’s something I have to tell you.”

Flash tenses. Pats Peter for him to sit up. “Okay.”

“Back when I hopped universes,” Flash nods, “I learned something.”

“Something like…”

“Like fate I guess.” Flash nods cautiously for Peter to continue. “I thought it was as simple as we all have a partner who knows we’re Spider-Man. I had Gwen, Peter 1 had MJ.”

“Okay…”

“But when I talked to Peter 2… he said he finally worked things out with MJ.”

“Wait, Peter 2 went after Peter 1’s MJ?”

“No… He- he had his own MJ.”

There’s a pause. Flash waiting for Peter to say something more, but it never comes.

“So, you think that all Peter Parker’s are destined to a MJ?”

Peter nods, avoiding eye contact.

Flash sits on it for a minute. It doesn’t really mean anything, right? Like if the other Peters found an MJ to live their lives with, that doesn’t mean this Peter has to find one too. Did they have Gwens before? Do they have Flashs? But… if it’s true, then what they have now won’t last.

Flash will take every second he can get.

“Hmm.” Peter finally looks up at Flash. “Guess I’ll just have to be your MJ.”

It shocks a laugh out of Peter. “You planning on changing your name?”

Flash grins at him. “Nah, I’ll just have to wear my Bulls jersey more often than not.”

Peter laughs and shakes his head, “Ugh I hate the jersey.”

“Too bad.” Flash leans over and kisses Peter.