Chapter Text
Peter sat on a towel in the sand. He had one leg set up while the other stretched out in front of him. He was leaning back with his hands in the sand on either side of him.
The beach had been busy earlier in the day, but the sky was turning orange and the scene was slowing down. There were a few couples walking along the shore and the occasional dog walker. If he squinted, he could see a group of college kids pulling firewood from a truck bed for a bonfire. He really hoped they knew they needed a permit for that.
"Hey!" Peter tipped his head backwards. Johnny was approaching him with a six pack of cheap beer in his hands and a grin on his face. He was wearing a pair of black swimming trunks with flames creeping up the edges and a red tank top. He had only just gotten out of the ocean when he'd went to find them alcohol and the water had his shirt sticking to his chest. "I got the goods."
"Yeah, like an hour later," Peter teased.
"It hasn't been that long, drama spider," Johnny answered.
Peter was still tilting back watching him, so when Johnny reached him he dropped the six pack on the sand before bending over for a quick kiss.
Peter gave a soft hum of contentment as Johnny's lips met his.
The kiss was on the chaste side, but neither of them made a move to make it anything deeper. They just enjoyed the feeling of having the other with them.
When Johnny pulled away, Peter murmured, "Good kissing doesn't excuse the fact that you took forever to find us beer."
"Great kissing," Johnny corrected, his lips lifting into a smirk that showed off his dimples.
Every kiss with Johnny was pretty great, but Peter wasn't about to give him the satisfaction of knowing that, so instead he said, "Don't over sell yourself."
Johnny reached forward and flicked two fingers against Peter's forehead. "Punk."
"Jerk," Peter shot back, reaching up to rub at the spot.
Johnny flopped down next to him, putting the beer between them. He reached for one, popping the cap off and placing it in the container.
Peter watched him as he took a pull from it.
Sitting with the orange light of a setting sun hitting his skin and glinting off his blonde hair, Johnny looked every bit a living embodiment of fire.
Something lodged itself in Peter's throat.
He thought about this beautiful boy who had died over and over again, but never stopped fighting. Instead, he had dug in his claws until he could get back to his family. Until he could get back to Sue, Reed, Ben, and the kids. Until he could get back to Peter.
He thought of Johnny going through all of that and refusing to let it change him completely. He thought of Johnny making his list - "Things to to Once I'm Home" - and adding go to the beach with Peter in-between taking the kids out for real food and flying a plane again.
"Pete?" He hummed, forcing his thoughts away, and found Johnny watching him. He was sitting with his legs stretched out in front of him, one hand braced behind him while his other held his drink. He was turned towards Peter, a trace of concern in his eyes. "Everything okay? You're staring."
"I'm in love with you," Peter said, "I'm allowed to stare."
"Yeah, you are," Johnny said, expression going a bit fond. "But try again, space case."
"Okay, if one of is going to be a space case it would be you," Peter argued, "seeing as you've actually been to space. Multiple times."
"Yeah, but I'm not the one spacing out when they could be talking to their amazing boyfriend."
He directed his gaze towards the sea for a minute before turning back to Johnny, "I was just thinking we should take a picture to celebrate taking a vacation without getting attacked by some kind of sea monster."
"Don't say that, you'll jinx us!" Johnny exclaimed.
Peter gave a laugh as he grabbed his phone from it's spot in the sand next to him.
Johnny moved the beer to his other side so that he could shuffle closer.
"Hey, Peter," Johnny said, speaking as Peter flipped the settings on his phone in order to take a selfie. Peter felt Johnny move his fingers so the hands between them were resting on top of each other, slipping his fingers into the gaps between Peter's. "Thanks for coming today. I know how you feel about leaving New York defenseless."
Peter didn't tell him that as much as he loved New York, he'd leave it forever if it meant he wouldn't have to lose Johnny again. Instead, he said, "Yeah, well, there's only so much that can happen in a day, right? Even if it gets invaded, we'll be back in time for the finale."
With their sides pressed together, he could feel Johnny's body shaking with his laughter.
"Come on," Peter urged.
As he lifted his hand up, Johnny threw his arms around Peter's shoulders and pressed warm, smiling lips to his cheek.
Another laugh left Peter. "Really? You wanna be that couple?"
Johnny didn't say anything, but the way his eyes danced with mirth made his opinion on the matter clear.
Peter just laughed a bit more as he snapped the picture a few times.