Work Text:
Peter shifts in his seat uncomfortably as the silence around the table becomes deafening. It felt like the air was just hanging. You had invited your cousin over to have dinner with Matt and yourself since they seemed to hit it off well on their first encounter. Maybe it was some weird teenager thing.
You clear your throat and turn to Peter, “How’s school going? You’re at that fancy tech school right?”
“Oh!” He jumps in his seat a bit, “Yeah, Midtown High. Yeah! It’s great, I love it there.”
You nod happily and turn my head to look at Matt. He also looks very uncomfortable but in his own grumpy pout. You tap his leg under the table and see a soft smile replace his frown.
“A-are you guys planning any wedding stuff yet?” Peter asks quietly, and you smile.
“Not yet, but I will call Aunt May when we do!” you reply, “I know you both want to be apart of the process.”
“Of course! You’re our family.” He says simply.
Matt then clears his throat, “So, Peter, Do any sports or extracurriculars?”
Silence falls over the table at his sudden question. You look to my cousin who looks extremely uncomfortable.
“Pete, you alright?” You ask
“Huh?” He says coming out of his small daze, “Oh! Yeah! I’m fine… Uh I do Academic Decathlon, and I intern…”
“You intern?” You ask, “Where at?”
“Stark Industries.”
“Huh.” Matt lets out.
“Okay, what is going on with the both of you?” You finally ask, looking between your cousin and Matt.
Earlier that evening
“You’re on the wrong side of New York, Spiderman.”
Daredevil stood on the rooftop near your apartment. The unwelcome visitor sat on the light fixture nearby. It wasn’t every day the web slinger was around Hell’s Kitchen
“Sorry, Mr. Devil. Was just in the area!” He replied.
“Don’t stay too long, it’s not safe for a kid like you.”
“What? Hey man, I’m not a kid!”
Yes he was. Matt knew exactly who Spiderman was. Thanks to his “super devil hearing” as you liked to call it.
It took one Spiderman visit after meeting your cousin for Matt to figure out who it was. Was he surprised? Yes, very. Did he trust Spiderman? Not in the slightest. Did he trust Peter Parker? The boy had his charm.
“Get back to Queens, Kid.”
“I’ll have you know that I’m looking out for someone.” Spiderman said sternly. “So I'm just gonna hang out for 15 more minutes then I'll leave, promise!”
Matt sighed loudly before nodding. “You have 15 minutes. Then get out of my part of town.” With that, he disappeared into the smoke.
Weird dude. Peter thought. He didn’t normally don his webslinger outfit in Hell’s Kitchen, but he figured he would patrol before having dinner with his favorite cousin.
He still couldn’t shake the feeling of being watched though. Deciding it was time to head to your place, he swung to the top of your building and changed into his streetwear.
Peter rushes down the stairs to your floor and enters your hallway. Stopping dead in his tracks, he sees a familiar figure standing next to your door. It was Matt, dressed in what seemed to be his work attire.
“Hey Matt!” Peter called out and ran down the hall. He saw the older man turn to him with a frown on his face.
“We need to talk.” He said simply, causing Peter to stumble a bit.
“Yeah, sure. Everything okay?”
“I know who you are, Peter Parker.” The gruff voice replies. “I know you’re Spider-Man.”
“Huh?”
Peter felt his heart stop at Matt's words. He had always been cautious about revealing his identity to anyone outside of his close circle, and the fact that Matt, his cousin’s fiancé, knew his secret was unsettling.
Taking a deep breath to steady himself, Peter tried to play it cool. "I have no idea what you're talking about, Matt. I'm just a regular high school student."
Matt's expression remained impassive, his blind eyes seemingly staring right through Peter. "Don't insult my intelligence, kid. I can hear the timber of your voice clear as day.”
The teen realized that there was no point in denying it any longer. He nodded slowly,
"Okay, fine. You caught me. I'm Spider-Man."
Matt nodded in acknowledgment before speaking again. "You need to tell your cousin.”
“What? No way!”
“You never know, they might be more accepting of it than most people.”
“I can’t! I can’t, not now, not ever.”
Matt sighs, “Do it, or I will.”
“No! Wait, please!” Peter grabs Matt’s wrist. “Does she know about you?”
“Of course.”
Peter stands back for a moment, thinking, Matt’s words echoing. He’s brought back to reality as you nudge his arm.
“Peter, what’s going on?” You push gently. “Are you alright?”
He stands quickly. “I think I have to go!”
“What?”
“Yeah, Like tons of homework and band practice.”
“It's Saturday at 8pm.”
Matt stands suddenly, “Wait.”
You and Peter turn to look at Matt as he gets up.
“He’s upset because of me.” He confesses, “I may have run into him earlier while coming back home from…work.”
Peter shifts uncomfortably as you turn to look at him.
“You know about…”
“Yes.” He starts, “but…I…”
He trails off and you place a hand on his shoulder.
“I have a secret too.” He continues. “I did see Matt…but only because I was also ‘working’”
He lowers his head and you nod in understanding. “So you too?…”
The younger man nods and looks up at you, “I’m Spider-Man.”
You stand there gawking at Peter for a moment before turning to Matt. He stood quietly as you and Peter had this interaction.
“Matt…did you?…”
“No.” he says roughly before you turn back to Peter.
“Does Aunt May know?”
“No! At least, not yet…”
As you stood there, trying to wrap your head around the situation, Peter glanced nervously between you and Matt. Your fiance’s presence beside you was a grounding force as you processed this new reality. You glance at Peter and you can see the fear in his eyes. The uncertainty of how you would respond to his truth was evident. Taking a deep breath, you stepped forward and enveloped Peter in a tight hug.
"I'm proud of you, Peter," you whispered, your voice filled with emotion. "I can't imagine the weight you've been carrying on your shoulders all this time."
Peter was taken aback by your response, his eyes widening in surprise. Slowly, he returned the hug, feeling a wave of relief wash over him at your acceptance.
“I just… I was scared how you would react, and I don’t want to put you in danger.” Peter mumbled, his voice muffled by the embrace.
You pulled back slightly to look into Peter's eyes, a reassuring smile on your face. "You're family, Peter. And family supports each other no matter what.”
Matt stepped forward, placing a hand on Peter's shoulder. “I told you she would be understanding.”
Peter let out a nervous chuckle, feeling lighter than he had in a long time.
After dinner, you all washed the kitchen and sent Peter home with leftovers. When you and Matt were finally alone and settled in bed you finally said, “I knew this whole time.”
You see Matt’s lips form into a smile, “Heard us through the door?”
A small laugh escapes your lips.
“Yeah, you both are really loud for stealth heroes.”