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The day Nora Parker came into the world, a cool fall day as the breeze rustled through the streets of Manhattan, Peter’s entire life changed.
Spider-Man no longer seemed all that important. All the love he had for MJ only intensified, and the addition of Nora had made their lives feel more complete than it had felt in years. It seems as though he’d blinked and he went from being alone to having MJ and Ned back and now Nora, and he can’t imagine a world where Spider-Man will ever come first again.
In the first four years of Nora’s life, balancing Spider-Man became easier. Bigger battles with the Avengers still happened, and Peter still snuck back through their bedroom window bloodied and bruised more than MJ would prefer, but more than anything, Peter did everything in his power to shield Nora from all the bad things that could happen, just so he could give her a semblance of a normal childhood the way May and Ben had done for him.
This evening was just standard patrol, something he still tried to do at least a few days a week to be sure that Queens and the surrounding areas were spared from as much danger as possible. He’d left after they put Nora to bed, not immune to her puppy dog eyes and begging for extra books, and promised MJ he’d be home before midnight.
He kept his promise, coming home before 10 when the winter weather managed to keep most people inside. He crawls through the window quietly, surprised to find MJ still awake in bed, reading her book with one of her reality shows on the TV quietly.
She looks at him, eyes softening as he strips out of his suit, and marks her place. “Wow, you’re home earlier than I thought you’d be,” she says, leaning up to kiss him when he walks by, hanging up his suit and walking into the bathroom. “Everything okay?”
Peter returns to the doorway a moment later, wiping at his face with the washcloth. “Turns out the snow kept most people inside,” he smiles, leaning against the doorframe. “Made my job a lot easier, and when there’d been no major activity the last 45 minutes, I decided to call it a night.”
MJ nods, glancing at the monitor she’d insisted on keeping in Nora’s bedroom even though she was probably too old for it. “Well that’s good, because there’s a certain 4 year old down the hall who seems to need you more than anyone else,” she says, listening to Peter walk away to rinse his face in their bathroom before returning.
“You’re joking. She’s still awake?” he asks, wiping at his face before throwing on pajama pants and a sweatshirt, walking over to glance at the monitor. “Has she been to sleep at all since I’ve been gone?”
“Maybe for an hour?” MJ guesses. “I’ve been in a few times, but she doesn’t seem really upset. She just keeps telling me that she wanted to wait up for you, and with no school tomorrow, I kind of just figured she’d fall asleep before you got home anyway, so it wasn’t a big deal. She’s been playing quietly with her dollhouse or laying in bed reading books, but nothing has knocked her out. She’s insisting she see you before she sleeps again.”
Peter nods. “I’ll go check on her, make sure she doesn’t need anything,” he says quietly, kissing MJ once more before opening their door and walking the short distance to Nora’s room, pushing the door open quietly.
“Nora bug, what are you still doing awake?” he asks softly when he sees her sitting in bed looking through one of her books, her face brightening when she sees it’s him. “Do you know how late it is?”
“Uh huh,” she nods, clamboring up into his arms when he gets close enough. “But I wanted to see you when you got home. I missed you.”
Her hair is soft from her bath, and Peter presses his nose to smell her watermelon shampoo, holding her close. “I missed you, too,” he whispers, watching as she rubs at her eyes.
In the months after his parents passed and he’d moved in with May and Ben, Peter remembers them doing everything in their power to make things as special as possible for him. It was always simple, like letting him stay up late or making a special treat for the three of them to eat, but it made him feel like maybe it really would be okay, and losing his parents wasn’t the end of anything ever feeling happy again.
He wanted to be a good dad. He wanted to make May and Ben proud, but more than anything, he wanted Nora’s childhood to be as memorable as his was. So, against better judgment, and knowing MJ probably won’t be incredibly thrilled by his idea, he decides that with no school the following day, tonight can be one of those nights.
“Hey, you want to go on an adventure?” he asks, watching as she pulls her head back to look up at him, nodding. “The bodega was still open when I was coming home. What do you say we go get a treat?”
She brightens, nodding. “Really, can we?” she asks, slipping off his lap to run and look out the window. “But it’s snowing!”
Peter smiles. “I guess we better put on our boots and hats then, huh?” he asks, standing. “Can you grab some warm socks and your winter hat? I’m going to tell Mommy what we’re doing.”
Nora nods, running around her room as Peter slips back out, walking back to their bedroom, where MJ is already staring.
“You know the monitor has a microphone, right?” she asks, eyebrows raising in amusement. “A treat from the bodega at this hour, really Peter?”
“Mr. Delmar will love that we’re coming in!” he argues, grabbing his warmer clothes and getting changed. “I remember doing this with Ben when I was little. And it’s the weekend, which means she can sleep as long as she wants tomorrow. Come on, Em, you have to admit it sounds fun.”
MJ sighs, glancing at the monitor to see Nora shutting off her lights. “Bring me a hot chocolate. I’ll put on a Christmas movie for us.”
Peter laughs, leaning down to kiss her before finishing getting ready, meeting Nora in the entry way.
After getting bundled up and making their way downstairs at a snail’s pace, Peter holds Nora’s hand tightly as they walk across the freshly fallen snow, Nora giggling at how it crunches beneath their feet.
The wind nips at their faces, the kind that takes their breath away, and Peter feels Nora pull closer to him, shielding herself as they turn the final corner and enter Delmar’s to find Mr. Delmar beaming and the heater cranked nearly as high as it could go.
“Nora! I didn’t expect you to be with your dad,” Mr. Delmar says, leaning against the counter.
“It’s the weekend!” she cheers. “And Daddy said I could get a treat.”
“Trying to be more spontaneous,” Peter shrugs, glancing at Nora as she lets go of his hand and runs toward the candy, surveying her options.
She returns a few minutes later with an armful of treats. “One for you, one for me, and one for Mommy!” she explains, showing off her treats. “Do you like them?”
“I do,” Peter nods, smiling. “Mommy also wants hot chocolate. Do you want one?” he asks, hand on her shoulder as he guides her towards the checkout counter, where Mr. Delmar is already waiting and slips a lollipop over to Nora, who nods when asked about a hot chocolate.
Walking back proves to be more difficult than on the way there, Nora walking in front of Peter carefully, bags of gummy worms and candy in her gloved hands while Peter carries their hot chocolates. Around them the city is still, rare and quiet compared to most nights, and Peter revels in the moment as Nora hums to herself, occasionally outlining the snow plans if they get enough overnight and can go to the park the next day.
When Nora was first born, Peter thought a lot about the kind of dad he was going to be. He thought about the kind of father figure Ben was, and how kind he was. He showed up to everything without questioning it, swapped schedules and moved meetings to make sure Peter felt seen, and Peter wanted to be even half of that for his own child.
Some of his favorite memories were the ones that were unplanned - him and Ben sneaking out for ice cream well after bedtime, late night movies curled between he and May, his eyelids heavy and drooping as he slipped down to lay on Ben’s lap.
It didn’t matter what was happening in his life - Ben had always made Peter feel safe. And if he could be that for Nora?
It would be better than any accomplishment he had as Spider-Man and then some.
He steps carefully behind Nora as they walk up the stairs to their apartment, her little hands stuffing her candy into her pockets so she can hold onto the railing. “My boots are slippery,” she giggles, voice echoing off the cool marble. “I’ll be careful.”
“Please be careful,” he agrees, free hand reaching out behind her in case she loses her footing.
MJ meets them in the doorway to their apartment, smiling when Nora digs their candy out, showing off her possessions. “One for everyone, Mommy! And Daddy is carrying the hot chocolate.”
“I’m so excited, bug,” MJ smiles, leaning down to kiss the top of her daughter’s head, letting her squeak by to pull off her boots and winter clothes. “I got The Grinch all ready to go on the TV, baby. The perfect Christmas movie.”
“Yay!” Nora cheers, hanging up her coat and tossing her hat and gloves into the basket, running over to jump on the sofa.
Peter sets their drinks down on the counter, ducking his head to kiss MJ. “The tree lights, the movie, being up past bedtime. She’s going to remember this for the rest of her life.”
MJ smiles, wrapping her arms around Peter’s neck as she kisses him softly. “You making these memories for her is my favorite thing, even if it goes against every rule I think we should have as parents,” she whispers, pressing her head to the crook of his neck.
Peter thinks he could live in this moment forever. “I just want her childhood to be magical,” he breathes, stepping back. “Speaking of, if we don’t get over there soon, she’s going to start whining. Or figure out how to start the movie herself, which is dangerous”
MJ laughs, pulling back as she grabs their drinks, handing them out.
Nora curls between the two of them, feet in MJ’s lap while her head rests against Peter’s thigh. She’s asleep by the halfway point in the movie, breathing even and steady against Peter’s thigh, the hot chocolate mustache the last of the evidence of their night together. He lets the moment linger for a while, breathing slowly while the snow begins to fall again, the three of them safe and secure in the apartment they’ve built a life in all these years.
MJ quietly puts the house to bed while Peter carries Nora back to her room, tucking her in and smoothing her hair back from her face, leaning down to kiss her forehead. “Goodnight, bug,” he whispers, standing up as he looks back once more from the doorway, her mini Christmas tree glowing as she sleeps soundly, plushies piled high beside her.
Peter knows this stage won’t last forever. He tries not to think too far ahead, not wanting to wish away the years where she’s small enough for him to carry and protect without a care in the world.
For now, these little memories, the routine-breaking and cozy nights while snow falls and the Christmas lights glow, are what keeps him going.
It’s enough.