Work Text:
Peter is heading to work when he sees Johnny step out of the apartment across from him. His neighbor is using nothing but a dishtowel to cover his privates as he grabs the newspaper outside his door (who still gets hard-copies of the newspaper, anyway?). Johnny looks up at him and grins, waving to him with the hand holding the dishtowel so he’s left completely exposed. Peter splutters, face turning red as he tries to nonchalantly nod back in greeting.
Johnny looks like he’s going to say something, but a woman calls to him from inside the apartment, and he closes his mouth instead, turning around and walking back inside grudgingly. Peter shakes his head in exasperation. Johnny Storm is the epitome of a player. The man is undeniably gorgeous, but he has an endless amount of men and women that he brings back to his apartment. It’s someone new every day, and Peter has never seen the same person twice.
That's not to say that Peter hates the guy though; on the contrary - questionable sexual morals aside - Peter considers Johnny a friend. It started when Johnny's water heater had been broken, so he asked if he could use Peter's shower. He didn't mind until Johnny walked out from his bathroom in nothing but a towel, skin still wet, and Peter wanted to throw him over his counter and make him dirty again. Johnny seemed to sense his attraction, because he approached Peter confidently, placing his hands on Peter's waist and leaning in for a kiss.
And that was not happening. Johnny could be the most attractive man in the world, but Peter was not interested in becoming his one thousandth customer. He pushed him back and told him to get bent, and Johnny seemed shocked for a moment before laughing. He bought them pizza (to thank Peter for the shower), and they ended up watching Fast and the Furious. It wasn't really Peter's type of movie, but it was interesting listening to Johnny explain what was realistic and what wasn't, since he used to race.
The next night went much the same, only Johnny got them Chinese food, and they watched Jurassic Park while Peter explained what was realistic and unrealistic about the cloning process. After that, it became a regular occurrence that they'd eat some sort of junk food and watch a movie once a week; one person picks the movie, and the other picks the food. It works for them. That doesn't mean that Peter condones his endless parade of people into his bed (or elsewhere), but hey, who is he to slut-shame?
He starts to move again, walking to the train and then heading to his job. He loves working as a scientist, but some days are more boring than others. He's testing the effects of certain drugs on blood with a specific genetic mutation, but each round of testing takes hours to see any effect on the samples. It's a lot of trial and error and sitting around waiting. It's worth it, but he's learned to find ways to occupy his mind in the downtimes.
He groans when he realizes that he forgot to charge his phone last night, and it's at 15%. Of course he doesn't have an extra charger at work either, because he almost never forgets to charge it, so that means no scrolling through the internet to pass the time. He sighs, feeling jittery and unfocused, clicking his pen over and over again until his coworker gets annoyed and shoves a magazine at him. Peter smiles apologetically and then skims through it.
There’s not much of substance in there, but one article does catch his eyes: "What's Your Number?" He grows incredulous as he reads the information stating that 96% of people that have been with 20 or more lovers can't find a spouse. He blinks, rereading that as he tries to process it. That can't be right. I mean, most people have slept with at least 20 people, right?! He checks on the blood samples for any change, but when there isn’t one, he starts making a list.
"Shit," he groans. He's already at 18. If he gets to 20, then it’s too late. Ugh. Figures. He shoves the list inside his pocket and tries to take his mind off the article, but he keeps coming back to it. What if that study was right? He hasn't met the right person yet, but he still wants to get married one day. Is his time running out? He only has 1 more person to sleep with before he’s reached the limit! He runs a hand through his unruly hair, finally tearing the page out of the magazine, feeling only slightly guilty as he puts it in his pocket too. He'll have to ask his friends about it later. Surely it's is just an exaggeration.
...
After work, he runs home, quickly showering and changing before he makes his way to MJ's co-ed bachelorette party. He spots MJ, Gwen, and Miles, smiling widely as he greets each of them. They were an odd group. Peter and MJ had dated back in high school, as had Gwen and Miles, and yet they're here celebrating the upcoming wedding of MJ & Gwen.
There are no hard feelings though. Both couples eventually realized they were better off as friends, and all four of them had remained close. Peter's really happy for MJ & Gwen, and he knows that Miles is too. The fact that they're even celebrating their bachelorette party together is something that Peter finds sweet. The party is low-key, and it's basically them drinking and talking, but with the added bonus of wearing a boa and tiara (and that includes Peter and Miles, but Peter thinks he’s pulling it off well).
"So, Peter, I have a few friends I was hoping to introduce you to at the wedding," Gwen offers, knowing that he doesn't have a date. Peter grimaces, and Miles shoots him a sympathetic look. He knows Gwen means well, but the last thing he wants is some awkward set-up.
"That's okay, really. No offense, but I'd really prefer to just be there solo,” He assures her. Gwen doesn't seem upset by his rejection, thankfully, and just shrugs.
"That's okay. Just let me know if you change your mind." He nods but knows that he won't. He's met almost all of Gwen's friends and acquaintances, and there's none that he'd even be remotely interested in.
“I’m still leaving an extra seat next to you open, in case you decide to bring a plus one, but no pressure,” MJ adds. Peter thinks Gwen put her up to this. If he doesn’t bring someone, then there’s an extra seat next to him where any of Gwen’s “friends” can sit. He inwardly groans, but it’s no use now. He hesitates, remembering the papers he brought in his pocket.
"Hey, can I ask you guys a question?" They all nod curiously.
"How many people have you had sex with?" It’s a testament to their friendship that none of them are surprised or uncomfortable with the question.
"6," Miles says, and okay, that's a bit lower than Peter was hoping for.
"8," Gwen adds, right before MJ says, "3." Peter groans in despair, and they all look at him questioningly.
"You okay?" Miles asks, and Peter sighs deeply, looking thoroughly miserable.
"No! I read in this article that most people can't find spouses if they've been with 20 or more partners, and I'm at 18 now!" He takes the crumpled paper out of his pocket and passes it to MJ. Her eyebrows raise.
"This study was done by Harvard," she points out (rather unhelpfully, Peter thinks). Peter places his head in his hands.
"I know! I'm trying not to panic, but I only have 1 chance left. If I get to 20, I’m screwed!"
"Oh, come on, Peter. You can't seriously buy into all of this," MJ scoffs, but Peter crosses his arms defiantly.
"Harvard, MJ!" She rolls her eyes.
"Well, at least you have 1 chance left?" Miles tries to be supportive, and Peter appreciates it, but that doesn’t sound like good odds to him. They end up consoling him with shots, and in hindsight, it's probably not the best idea in the world, but it was a bachelorette party, so he should have expected it.
Sometime during the night, Harry shows up at the bar and joins their group. Peter met Harry in college, back when MJ briefly dated the guy. They parted on friendly terms, which is why MJ invited him to the bachelorette party. Peter’s always gotten along fairly well with him. Harry was a bit arrogant and self-absorbed, but not a total jerk.
He's surprised that Harry is suddenly flirting with him (he didn’t even know Harry liked guys), but MJ's giving him some drunken encouragement to go home with him to take his mind off his misery, because she's slept with him and he's hung like a horse, and at the time, it seems like a solid plan. He's certainly not complaining when Harry turns out to actually have a huge cock, and what follows is definitely in Peter's top 5 sexual experiences.
❤️❤️❤️
The next day, however, Peter's not really sure what to do when he wakes up next to Harry. He knows he looks like shit, because he's hungover as hell, and while Harry still looks damn good, Peter has warning bells ringing in his head. He should not have slept with MJ's ex. Yeah, she encouraged him to, but he’s looking for an actual relationship.
A drunken one-night stand is one thing, but dating Harry is off the table, because it would definitely be violating the bro-code. It doesn’t matter that MJ’s over Harry; it’s still uncomfortable as hell when any ex-partner dates your best friend, which means that Harry needs to leave immediately. Peter starts getting his clothes on as Harry wakes up.
"Morning, babe," Harry grins at him, and Peter inwardly cringes.
"Hey," he mutters back awkwardly. Harry gets up, stretching, and yeah, he's still just as big this morning, but Peter is not going to be a terrible friend. MJ deserves way more loyalty than that.
"Did you start any coffee?" Harry asks, and Peter shakes his head.
"Uh, no. All out," he lies. "There's a Starbucks on your way to your place though," he tries, hoping he doesn't sound like an ass. Hopefully Harry will take the hint.
Of course he's not that lucky.
"That's okay, what about some pancakes or sausage?" Harry opens Peter's fridge, and Peter bristles at the audacity. Who just invites themselves for breakfast or checks someone else's fridge? It's reminding him of how selfish and cocky Harry can be, so it’s suddenly a bit easier to avoid sleeping with him again.
"Nope," he tries to keep his voice from sounding annoyed, and if he failed, then Harry certainly doesn’t seem to notice. It's a relief when someone knocks on the door. He answers it and sees Johnny standing outside. Oh thank god. Johnny slides right past him inside.
"Morning, Peter. I locked myself out of my apartment. My keys, my wallet, everything's over there. Can I use your phone?" And for once, Peter is thrilled by the distraction.
"Sure, of course. Let me get that! Hey, Harry, why don't we talk later, because I think Johnny really needs my help." Johnny and Harry look each other over (and it’s clear that neither one is overly impressed) before giving each other a brief nod. Harry walks over to him.
"Okay, but how about some dinner tonight?" Peter panics, because this cannot possibly be happening.
"Tonight, tonight?" Harry nods with a grin, and Peter's mind is blanking as he tries to come up with an excuse.
"Oh, we have that tenants meeting tonight," Johnny interrupts, and Peter could literally kiss him in thanks.
"Oh that's right, the tenants meeting. We're trying to get this very loud...bird evicted," he inwardly winces, because wow, that was awful, and he can see Johnny trying not to laugh out of the corner of his eye. Harry looks at him strangely but doesn't comment, and Peter can't tell if he's actually ignorant about Peter's brush-off or if he's just not deterred.
"But, umm, I'll call you," he says, trying to gently pull Harry towards the door.
“Alright,” Harry responds, pausing at the entrance before pulling Peter into a scorching kiss that leaves him dizzy.
Harry leaves, calling out, "I look forward to hearing from you." Peter's face is red, but then Johnny's door opens, and a woman walks out. He shuts his own door and looks at Johnny in disbelief.
"Hey, don't you think the women in your apartment could have helped you with the being locked out problem?!" Johnny gives him a sheepish grin.
"I had a little situation that I needed to get out of, just like you, so I, uh, figured I'd come here and avoid any hurt feelings." Peter rolls his eyes, grabbing some orange juice from the fridge as Johnny walks around his apartment. He looks at the photographs Peter has hanging on the back wall.
"These are great. Where'd you get them?"
"I took them myself.” He swallows some Advil to try and get rid of his hangover headache.
"Wow, that's awesome.” It’s nice of him to say, but Peter's not letting him off the hook that easy.
"Thanks, but next time, leave me out of it when you're trying to hide from a hook up." Johnny grins, not bothered in the least as he heads out.
"Alright, well thanks for the save today.” Peter groans.
It's going to be a long day.
...
When MJ calls later to check on him, he recounts the entire situation while she laughs hysterically.
"It's not funny," he grumbles. She stops laughing, but he can tell she's still amused.
"Well, that makes your number 19 now. Guess you’ve got to marry Harry," she teases, but Peter can sense that there’s a little discomfort behind her joke.
“You know I wouldn’t do that,” Peter assures her.
“I know. Thanks,” she says quietly. It’s silent for a moment, so Peter decides to do what he does best: complain.
"So what do I do now that I’ve used all my chances? Is there a reset button that I can hit?” He whines, and MJ laughs.
"Seriously, Peter, stop worrying about this number thing. You'll find someone eventually, even if it's number 30." Peter pouts again, but he promises MJ that he won’t focus on it too much.
He lied.
All throughout the week, his thoughts are consumed with the idea that he's going to end up alone. He wasted his last chance, so where does that leave him? He starts considering buying a bunch of cats or plants, but the ideas not overly appealing. It’s not until Thursday evening that he suddenly realizes an alternative.
What if he already picked the right person? He's got plenty of great exes, and even though it didn't work out the first time, maybe the timing just wasn’t right, or maybe he should have put more effort into it. He could try again, and maybe it would be different this time. Plenty of people get back with their exes! It's worth a try, at least. He finds the list he made, grabbing a beer and his computer as he tries to search for some of the people on it.
He regrets his habit of deleting people’s phone numbers as soon as they break up. It feels cathartic at the time, but now it’s making his life more difficult. Unfortunately, for all his intelligence with science, computers are not his forte. He hates social media, and there's too many hits when he tries Google. He's getting frustrated, and the more his search comes up empty, the more he drinks, until he finally passes out at his desk.
❤️❤️❤️
He wakes up to the sound of his alarm, moaning as he lifts his head off his laptop. He seriously regrets how much he drank last night, since he has to go to work in just 2 hours. He groggily crosses the room to turn off the alarm and notices Johnny sitting on his couch.
"Seriously? Again?" He complains, and Johnny grins.
"Good morning, sleepy head." Peter is suddenly hyper-aware of how awful he must look, but that's Johnny's fault for showing up unannounced.
"Who is it this time?" He asks in exasperation, heading to the kitchen to make some much-needed coffee.
"Umm, Ted? Ned? Maybe. I don't know. I told him I had an early dentist appointment, so here we are." He's far too cheerful, and Peter wants to throw something at him.
"Lovely," he comments drily.
"Wait, where's my coffee pot?" His voice is almost panicked when he realizes it's gone. He needs that coffee today.
"Oh, yeah, I accidentally broke it. Sorry about that," Johnny looks sheepish, and Peter groans.
"I'm going to die." Johnny laughs.
"I doubt that. I'll buy you Starbucks." Peter regards him warily, but ultimately, he can't function without coffee, so he agrees. He throws on clothes as they sneak out of his apartment, to which Peter feels ridiculous. He hasn't had to sneak out of anywhere since college. The coffee makes him a little less grouchy though.
"Late night?" Johnny asks as Peter practically melts from the warm liquid restoring his will to live.
"Mhhm, trying to find people on the internet it way harder than it sounds." Johnny regards him curiously.
"Who are you trying to find?" Peter's face reddens.
"Umm, no one," he tries to deflect, but Johnny now looks even more intrigued.
"Oh no, now I have to know!" Peter huffs, but he figures he has nothing to lose.
"It's going to sound stupid, but I'm trying to look up my exes." Johnny doesn't tease him, but he does seem confused.
"Why?" Peter shrugs.
"I guess I just want to see if there's a possibility that there's anything still there between us." Johnny frowns.
"But they're your exes for a reason." And Peter shrugs again, feeling embarrassed.
"Well, yeah, but sometimes people break up because of life circumstances or not being in the right place mentally. Maybe that's the case for me. I don't know, but I want to at least try. That is, if I can ever find them." Johnny seems to think for a moment.
"I can help," he finally offers, and Peter blinks at him in surprise.
"What?" Johnny shrugs.
"I'm good at finding things online. I can help you." Peter regards him suspiciously.
"Why? What's in it for you?" Johnny flashes him another smile, and Peter thinks he's going to regret this.
"Simple. I help you find your exes, and you let me use your apartment to hide from mine." Peter leans back and groans.
"You have got to be kidding me."
Johnny shakes his head. "It's a fair deal."
Peter wants to say no; he really does. But he hasn't had any luck himself, and he's running out of time. If he waits too long, all his exes will probably be married.
"Alright, fine," he agrees grudgingly. "But if you can't find anyone, then the deals off. You're not just hiding in my apartment for nothing."
"That's fair," Johnny admits, and Peter really hopes this works.
He gives Johnny his list when they get back to the apartment. It's not a whole lot of information to go off, but he's hoping Johnny is as good as he says he is with computers.
"I prioritized them, so start with number 1, because Steve Rogers was perfect, but move Bucky up to number 3. He broke up with me without giving me a reason, but he was the best sex I ever had."
"You've never had sex with me," Johnny points out, and Peter laughs a little.
"No, but I've had sex with other overly confident men like you."
"There's no one like me," Johnny retorts, and Peter shakes his head in amusement.
"But really, why look up exes? Why not someone new?" It's a fair question, but one that Peter doesn't want to answer.
"I just want to do this." Johnny shrugs, promising to start looking.
...
Later that day, Peter grudgingly buys a new coffee pot. Even though he loves Starbucks, he can't afford it every day. Johnny is waiting outside his door when Peter walks upstairs.
"You owe me for the coffee pot," he complains.
"How about I pay you back in Chinese? I just ordered some,” Johnny offers. As if on cue, Peter’s stomach growls.
"Got any egg rolls?"
"Plenty."
That's how Peter ends up eating Chinese food on the floor with Johnny is his apartment, discussing the people on his list.
"So Flash is living overseas, and Kitty is married," he explains, and Peter's impressed that Johnny found any information so quickly.
"Well, cross those two off, I guess."
“Do you have a last name for Brandon?” Peter hesitates at the question.
“Well, no…” Johnny gives him a pointed look, and he huffs.
“It was Spring Break in Miami, okay! I don’t even know if Brandon is his real name. Mines certainly not Tyler!” Johnny laughs at that, eyes dancing with mirth.
"Fair enough. We’ll cross him off too. I did find Thor though," he adds, and that's exciting. Thor was positively gorgeous; the man practically looked like a god. But he was also super sweet too, energetic and affectionate in a way that reminded Peter of a puppy. Peter could definitely see them getting back together.
"Great! But how do I talk to him?" He doesn’t want to just call him out of the blue and seem like a creep, but thankfully, Johnny already has a plan.
"He runs a fitness app, and he does some exercise classes in the park every Saturday morning. I figured we could go to one tomorrow, and then you could act surprised to see him."
Peter grins. "Wow, you're really good at this!"
Johnny grins back, but he completely ruins the moment by stealing the rest of Peter's eggroll, and if Peter ‘accidentally’ throws a few noodles on Johnny, then he definitely deserved it.
❤️❤️❤️
The next morning, Peter's not even shocked that Johnny is already over, but he is pleasantly surprised that he made coffee. As they make their way to the park a half an hour later, Peter feels like a ball of energy. He catches sight of Thor - gorgeous, tan, muscles rippling as he does push-ups - but he suddenly stops in his tracks.
Memories flash before his eyes like a horror movie of getting up at 5 a.m. to work out for 2 hours and drinking kale smoothies for breakfast. He'd been so busy remembering the good things about Thor last night that he forgot the rest. Now, seeing Thor leading an exercise class, Peter is painfully reminded.
Johnny is looking at him curiously. "You okay?"
Peter snaps out of it, shaking his head and turning around. "Oh no. Nope. This was definitely a mistake."
Johnny follows him, brows furrowed. "That was quick?"
Peter sighs. "I just remembered that I hate exercise and eating healthy." Johnny starts laughing, and Peter glares at him.
"Look, Thor was always super sweet about giving my hobbies a try, so it was only fair that I did the same thing for him, and then I felt too bad to tell him that I hated it. He wasn't even judgmental when I ate junk food, but it’s hard not to feel like a total pig eating a bacon cheeseburger when he’s eating a salad. It felt like I couldn't eat junk food anymore! He really was a great guy, but we had nothing in common. I think if I had to run 5 miles or give up tacos again, I'd cry," Peter admits.
He still remembers that as soon as he broke up with Thor, he'd immediately gone out and bought a tub of ice cream and 5 Chalupa Supremes in relief (and ate all of it). It really wasn't Thor's fault; he never expected Peter to give up junk food, but it was one of those things that was more in his own head than anything else. Still, they didn't have many similar interests either, which made it harder for Peter to feel like they really connected. Johnny just grins.
"Understandable. Honestly, I'm not sure how you ever lasted with him. I literally see pizza boxes outside your apartment door every other day," He teases. Peter mumbles something under his breath.
"What was that?" Johnny asks with his eyebrows raised, and Peter huffs.
"I said I used to order junk food to work every day and eat it there for lunch, plus leave the leftovers, so that Thor wouldn't know." Johnny's head tilts back as he laughs loudly, and Peter's cheeks redden.
"Yeah, yeah, whatever," he grumbles, and Johnny calms down, but his smile never slips off his face.
"Aww, cheer up. Let's go get some churros," he offers, and Peter perks up. They race each other to the churro stand, because delicious food is about the only thing that can motivate Peter to run anymore.
❤️❤️❤️
He's getting used to waking up to Johnny in his house, but it still comes as a shock when he walks into the kitchen to see Johnny scrambling eggs and cooking bacon.
"Umm, what?" is all he can come up with.
"Morning, Peter," Johnny greets, handing him a cup of coffee.
"Umm, morning?" He tries because his brain really isn’t working well. "Why are you cooking?"
"Well, I needed to eat at some point," Johnny answers, like it's no big deal, and maybe it's not for Johnny, but Peter can't remember the last time someone cooked breakfast for him. He tries to ignore how domestic it feels because there's no point in going down that road. Johnny is definitely not the type of guy to settle down, so Peter's not going to waste his time.
"Did you find anyone else yet?" Johnny nods.
"I found Felicia. She's a bartender at a place downtown. We could head there tonight, if you want?"
Peter eagerly agrees even though it’s Sunday and he has work tomorrow. He can handle a late night if it means possibly reconnecting with Felicia. She’s pretty much the only female on his list that he’s interested in talking to again, because they had such strong chemistry with each other that it would be impossible to forget.
When Johnny shows up later, he eyes Peter up and down and whistles. "Looking good." Peter feels himself flush at the compliment, but he is relieved, because he spent longer than normal trying to figure out what to wear.
They walk to the bar, talking about the best restaurants around town, and they agree to disagree when Peter says the best sandwich is at Delmar's Deli while Johnny thinks it's Sub Haven.
When they get there and sit down, Peter shoots Johnny an exasperated look. "I can take it from here. You can head out."
Johnny gives him an amused grin. "And miss the show? No thanks."
Peter rolls his eyes, searching the crowded place until he sees her. Felicia is walking out from the back room, looking as beautiful as ever. It’s no surprise that everyone's eyes are following her, and guys are tripping over themselves for the chance to talk to her. It’s clear that she's flirting with most of the customers, and Peter tries not to be disappointed because he knows it’s part of the job.
When she sees Peter, her smile becomes wider and more genuine as she makes her way over to them.
"Peter!" she leans in for a hug, which Peter happily to return, before turning at Johnny.
"And who's your friend?"
Johnny holds his hand out. "I'm -"
"About to leave," Peter finishes for him, shooting him a look, which Johnny returns blankly.
"Oh, well that's too bad. Are you sure you can't stay to try our new drink?" She asks, and to Peter’s annoyance, Johnny nods.
"I'd love to," he responds, directing his smile at Peter, and Peter just barely resists the urge to roll his eyes. He has got to be doing this on purpose. She walks away to get the drinks, and he kicks Johnny under the table.
"Hey, what was that for?" Johnny complains.
"You're supposed to be giving me time alone with her to see if there's still anything between us." Johnny merely shrugs and seems doubtful.
"Why can't you do that with me here?" Peter feels like Johnny is genuinely not getting this, but then Felicia is back with their drinks so he doesn’t say anything else.
It quickly becomes clear that Felicia is more interested in flirting with Johnny than reconnecting with Peter. Johnny doesn't seem the least bit interested in her, but it’s still a disappointment. Peter can't blame her though. Johnny is gorgeous, and it’s not like Felicia is tied down to anyone. She’s always been a free spirit, and Peter’s now remembering how that led to their break-up.
She was interested in being in an open-relationship or having threesomes, and Peter never judged her for that, but it's not really his thing. He prefers monogamy. He’s not sure why he thought this would possibly work now, because he never expected Felicia to change (and she shouldn’t have to), but it seems like he (once again) has on rose-colored glasses when remembering his past relationship. He gulps down his drink.
"I should get going.” He nods to Johnny, giving him the green-light to stay and try to hook up with Felicia, since she’s obviously interested. He’s not petty enough to begrudge them of a good time just because things didn’t work out for him. Johnny surprises him by standing up and grabbing his jacket.
"Yeah, nice meeting you," he says to Felicia, before following Peter out without another word. Felicia looks surprised by his obvious blow-off, and frankly, so is Peter.
"You could have stayed to have fun, you know?" He comments as they walk back down the street.
"So could you," Johnny shoots back, and Peter rolls his eyes.
"Um, no. It clearly wasn’t meant to be with us. Even if she was interested in hooking up with again (and that’s a big if), it's not enough that she wouldn't raise my number. I want more than that." Johnny stops in the middle of the road.
"Wait, that's what this is about? You don't want to raise your number? That's why you won't sleep with me," he says incredulously, and Peter rolls his eyes at the assumption.
"There's a lot of reasons I won't sleep with you," he responds, but Johnny shakes his head.
"No there's not." Peter snorts at his arrogance.
"Besides, what kind of person cares about how many people you've slept with?" Johnny continues as they resume walking.
"Decent ones," Peter replies, and Johnny gave him an unamused look.
Peter laughs, nudging Johnny with his shoulder, and Johnny does the same back until they’re shoving one another. They spend the rest of the walk home teasing each other, and while it wasn’t how Peter was hoping the night would turn out, it could definitely have been worse.
❤️❤️❤️
Peter wakes up the next morning to see Johnny walking into his room before the blonde jumps on his bed next to him.
"Hey! Don't tell me you actually managed to pick someone up last night after we left the bar!" He yells, because that is absolutely ridiculous! They literally walked upstairs together. Johnny looks mildly uncomfortable before shrugging.
"Uh, yeah, ran out to the liquor store and met someone." Peter huffs.
"You are so gross." He smacks Johnny with a pillow, and the blonde looks at him in shock. Peter sticks his tongue out, very maturely, and Johnny grins before grabbing the other pillow and hitting Peter with it. It ends up in full-blown pillow fight where Johnny eventually knocks Peter off the bed, and they both go tumbling to the floor in a heap.
They're both breathless with laughter, and for a moment, time seems to slow down. Peter thinks Johnny's going to kiss him, and as much as Peter wants to (he really wants to), he reminds himself that it's a bad idea. He can easily see himself getting attached to Johnny, but Johnny is clearly still sleeping around, so it would only end up with Peter getting hurt. He jumps up before Johnny can lean closer, heading into the kitchen to make breakfast when he notices Johnny's computer.
"Find anything good? Like Steve Rogers?" Johnny rolls his eyes.
"No, but I found Eddie.” Peter cringes.
“Nope, not Eddie.” Johnny looks surprised.
“I thought you wanted me to find everyone.” Peter shakes his head.
“Yeah, but…not him.” Johnny looks at him curiously.
“Why not?”
“He was just…weird.” Johnny’s eyebrows raise, and Peter can tell he’s not getting out of this one.
“Ugh, fine. He named my dick, okay!” Johnny splutters.
“Wait, what?!”
“And then he started talking to it,” Peter finishes, and Johnny starts laughing hysterically.
“Okay, yes, I’ve made some questionable choices, but some of the people on that list are still decent!” He tries to defend, and Johnny finally calms down a bit.
“Hmm, okay. So… what did he name it?” He asks with a grin, and Peter throws a dishtowel at him, which just sets him off laughing again.
“Okay, okay. You’ll have to tell me eventually, but for now, I found Bucky Barnes too." Peter perks up at that. He always had amazing sex with Bucky, and he’s still not sure why it ended, but maybe they could rekindle things.
"Okay, so how do I find him?"
"Easy. He goes axe-throwing every Thursday at 6."
Peter scrunches his nose, because okay, that's not ideal. He doesn't particularly want to throw an axe, but it could be worse. He’ll give it a chance, even though it sucks that he has to wait until Thursday.
❤️❤️❤️
The next few days pass slowly, his mundane existence only broken up by Johnny’s presence every morning and most evenings as they start watching all the old episodes of That 70’s Show while eating take-out (and again, Peter wonders how he ever dated Thor when he’s practically a sewer rat with what he eats).
By the time Thursday rolls arounds, Peter’s feeling nervous again. He and Johnny head over to the axe-throwing warehouse once he gets off work, and Peter’s secretly glad for Johnny's company, because he's a little intimidated by all the people there. He is pleasantly surprised that the place offers other activities, like Putterball, Corn Hole, and Ping Pong. Since he doesn't see Bucky yet, he and Johnny decide to have some fun.
It's absolutely hilarious how bad they both are at Putterball. The keep hitting the ball way past the holes, and the game finally ends when Johnny starts beating the fake grass with his golf club in frustration. They're a little better at Corn Hole, but Ping Pong is a disaster that ends in them throwing the ping pongs at each other until the staff comes to talk to them.
Peter’s embarrassed, but his nerves have definitely settled, and he's having a good time. Johnny's a lot of fun to be around, and it's too bad he's so anti-commitment, because Peter could see himself going on more dates like these with him. He quickly wipes that thought from his mind, because it can only lead to trouble.
To his shock, he sees Bucky walking out from the axe-throwing section. He must have been so focused on playing the games with Johnny that he missed him walking in and the entire time he was playing! Thrown off, but not enough to be deterred, he pulls Johnny towards the concession stand where Bucky is heading.
"That's him," he whispers, and Johnny frowns.
"Who?"
"Bucky.” He subtly points his head in that direction, and Johnny blinks as he looks at Peter's ex.
"Oh."
Peter tells himself that he's imagining the disappointment in Johnny's voice, because it doesn't make any sense. Why would Johnny be disappointed? Does he want to hook up with Bucky too? The thought bothers Peter more than it should, but he shakes it off when he hears his name called.
"Bucky?" He turns and grins at the other man, trying to act surprised. Bucky walks over, and yep, he's still sexy as hell with hard muscles, tattoos, and a metal arm.
"Wow, hey. How have you been?" Bucky’s smile is still so charming, and Peter hopes that he’s not going to make a fool of himself.
"Great! Yeah, how about you?”
“I’m doing really well. I needed to work on myself for a while, but I’m at a much better place now.” Peter’s a little surprised by the blunt honesty, but that does make him feel a little better about their break up.
“That’s great, Bucky. I’m really happy for you.” He means that whether Bucky is interested in reconnecting or not. Johnny nudges him, and Peter clears his throat.
“Right, um, this is my friend, Johnny.” Bucky glances at him, holding out his hand in greeting.
“Nice to meet you.”
“You too,” Johnny says flatly, shaking the offered hand, and Peter wants to kick him for being so unfriendly. Bucky turns back to Peter after that.
“Wow, I just can’t believe you’re here. It’s been a while, but it’s really great seeing you.”
"Yeah, it’s great seeing you too," Peter agrees. "I’d love to catch up sometime, if you’re not busy." He holds his breath, preparing himself for rejection, but at least he can say he tried.
“I’d like that. Would you maybe want to get dinner tomorrow night?" Bucky offers, and Peter grins widely. Bucky didn’t turn him down! This is great!
"Yeah, I'd love to." They make plans and then go their separate ways for the night. Peter’s excited, but his mood is dampened by the fact that Johnny is being unusually quiet.
“You okay?”
“Yeah, just tired,” Johnny responds, and Peter’s a little concerned, but he doesn’t pry. He does offer to make him tea when they get home though, to help him sleep, and Johnny smiles softly in a way that makes Peter’s stomach flutter as he accepts.
The next morning, Johnny seems to be back to normal when he jumps on Peter’s bed to wake him up, and Peter pretends to complain before eventually giving up and jumping too.
❤️❤️❤️
Dinner with Bucky goes incredibly well. He's still just as charming, sexy, and interesting as Peter remembers. He’s also got a touch of shyness to him that Peter never picked up on before, but it’s rather endearing. So when Bucky invites him back to his place, Peter doesn’t hesitate to accept. The night has been great so far, and they've already slept together once, so what's the harm in doing it again?
As soon as they step inside, Bucky kisses him, and Peter is swept up in the intensity of it. Their tongues battle for dominance, and Peter is surprised when Bucky seems to give up control of the kiss so easily. Peter doesn’t waste the chance though, pushing Bucky up against the wall as he presses their bodies together. Bucky is firm and warm even through their clothes, and they’re both hard as Peter grinds against the other man.
Bucky gasps, pulling away and looking at Peter with pure desire, pupils blown wide, and it makes Peter want to watch him fall apart. Bucky was always the top when they were together the first time, but Peter likes to switch. He never thought Bucky would be interested, but maybe he needs to learn to stop assuming.
Bucky bites hip lip, pushing Peter away lightly when he goes in for another kiss, and the sudden change leaves him feeling confused. Then, Bucky throws him off more by taking his hand and leading him to the couch. Peter’s not sure this is leading anywhere good for him. Did he come on too strong? Did he already mess this up? Bucky seemed into, but maybe Peter was misreading that.
"I really like you, Peter. I always have. I ended things with you because I wasn’t ready to be open and honest with you or myself, but I've moved past that. I'd like to be with you, but first we need to talk about what we want and need out of this relationship, so that we know if we're on the same page." Peter relaxes, because okay, that's totally fair.
"Alright," he agrees. He actually thinks it’s a great idea, since clearly Bucky has a new sense of self-acceptance, and Peter would like to know what it’s about.
"I'm a sub, and I'm really looking for a dom," Bucky continues, and Peter stares at him blankly. That was... unexpected. Peter's aware of the dom/sub dynamic, but only mildly so, and frankly, he would have assumed that Bucky was a dom. He realizes how narrow-minded that is though, so he resolves to work on reexamining his personal biases.
"Can you be more specific about what you’re looking for?" He's not going to pretend to know exactly what all this involves, but Bucky seems happy that Peter asked.
"Of course. I realize now that I really like – er, well, need – someone else to take control, during and after," he starts. And okay, so far, so good; Peter feels like that’s definitely doable.
"I want to be tied up, spanked, denied release, as well as whipped and choked; that sort of thing," Bucky finishes bluntly, and that's where Peter's mind stalls. That's...intense. There's absolutely nothing wrong with it, but could Peter actually do that? Whip someone? Choke them? He already knows the answer to that, but Bucky is looking at him with an expression that is clearly trying to be nonchalant but failing miserably.
Peter can see the insecurity and cautious hope in his eyes, and it honestly breaks his heart. He can tell that some people haven't responded well to this before, which is probably why Bucky brings it up so directly early on, before he gets too attached. Peter can't imagine being so open and vulnerable with someone about something so personal just to have them react negatively. He chooses his words carefully so as not to hurt the other man.
"Thank you for sharing that with me. I have nothing but respect for your preferences, but the truth is, I don't think being your dom is something that I can do," he admits. Bucky looks disappointed but resigned.
"I understand. I know it seems like a strange request, so thank you for not being a jerk about it.” Peter wants to hug him, but he's not sure if that's overstepping.
"Of course. And I don't think it's strange; just different from my own preferences. You're a great guy, Bucky, and I hope that you find the right person for you." He truly means that, and Bucky smiles sadly but nods in thanks.
He walks Peter to the door, pulling him into a hug, and then Peter heads home in a bit of a daze. He feels like his night took a turn upside down, but he's grateful that Bucky was honest so that neither of them wasted their time.
...
Johnny meets him at the top of the stairs. "It didn't work out?"
"Nah," Peter says, but doesn't elaborate. Thankfully, Johnny seems to sense his reluctance to talk about it and doesn't press.
"I got pizza, want to eat it on the roof?" He offers, and Peter nods gratefully. The couch up there is old but comfortable, and it's the perfect night out; warm but with a gentle breeze and clear skies.
"So, I found Sam Wilson, but he lives in California," Johnny updates him as they eat. Peter makes a face.
"No way. That's too far, and there's way too many earthquakes out there." Johnny crosses him off the list.
"What about Steve Rogers? Have you found him yet?" Johnny shakes his head.
"No. Why are you so focused on that guy anyway?"
"Because Steve is perfect,” Peter declares, and Johnny rolls his eyes.
"Then why'd you break up?" Peter hesitates, because that's a little complicated.
"Honestly, my self-esteem sucked when we were together, and I thought he was too perfect for me, so I ended it before I could get my heart broken," he admits. Johnny looks at him with an unreadable expression, and Peter's cheeks redden.
"It's stupid, I know, but that's why I want to try again." Johnny nods but doesn't say anything.
"Why'd you stop racing?" Peter suddenly asks, and Johnny looks surprised.
"I got into a pretty bad accident, and it took a while to recover. After that, it just felt different, you know?" Peter suddenly feels guilty for asking.
"Yeah, sorry to bring it up."
Johnny shrugs. "It's alright. I'm not traumatized or anything. I just realized that time in my life was over."
Peter thinks about that. Could he honestly say that he's good at letting go of the past when it's time to? Obviously not, since he's tracking down all his exes, and even though it made sense before, he's suddenly feeling a bit uncomfortable about it.
"Well, I think it's great that you know when it's time to move on," he responds honestly, and Johnny gives him another unreadable expression. He looks like he wants to say something but thinks better of it, and Peter is desperate for a change of subject so he can stop dwelling on those thoughts.
“I really don’t want to go by myself to MJ’s wedding. Gwen’s going to try to set me up with someone, and it's going to be awkward,” he whines.
“I’ll go with you,” Johnny offers, and Peter looks at him in surprise.
“Really? You’d do that?”
Johnny just shrugs. “Sure.”
Peter tells himself not to read too much into it, swallowing and trying to extinguish the warmth that spreads through his body. He thanks Johnny and then looks up at the night sky, trying to distract himself from the urge to kiss the man sitting beside him.
Johnny seems to notice that his attention has wandered, so he points up to a group of stars, (incorrectly) telling him that it's the Aquila constellation, and Peter laughs and points to the real one, because it's one of the few he actually knows. Johnny grins at being called out, and after that, it becomes a game of BS, with both of them making up constellations to see if the other can call them out on it by knowing the real ones.
By the time they walk back downstairs, Peter is feeling much more relaxed. He's not even annoyed when Johnny places a hand on his waist at the door. Peter leans forward, and Johnny looks surprised, if not a little eager, and damn if that doesn't make Peter's heart flutter.
But then Peter moves past his face to Johnny’s ear, whispering, "You're not on my list," before leaving an amused Johnny at his door.
He hears Johnny call out, “Cross off fake Brandon and put me on the list" through the door and Peter laughs as he yells back, “Good night, Johnny!”
❤️❤️❤️
He sleeps really well, not setting an alarm since the next day is Saturday. He regrets that a little in the morning, because when he finally wakes up, Johnny is cooking pancakes in nothing but underwear and an apron that says, "I don't cook on days that end with y" and MJ is sitting on the couch. She gives Peter a pointed look, and he flushes.
"Um, hey MJ. What's up?" He pointedly ignores Johnny, because he's used to this, but he has a feeling that might seem weird. Sure enough, MJ gestures silently at Johnny, before getting up and grabbing Peter by the arm and pulling him into his room.
"We'll be right back," she tells Johnny, who just nods. She shuts the door, hands on her hips, as she stares at Peter incredulously.
"Seriously? When were you going to tell me that you were dating your neighbor?" She demands, and Peter splutters.
"What? No! I'm not. We're just friends!" MJ looks at him in disbelief.
"So he's a friend that comes over to cook you breakfast half-naked?" Peter shrugs sheepishly.
"He's just using my apartment to avoid his one-night stands until they leave. In exchange, he's helping me find my exes." She still looks skeptical, but she lets it go.
"Speaking of, any luck with them?" Peter sighs.
"No, but he's still looking for a way to contact Steve, so it's not over yet!" MJ looks at Peter like he's an idiot, sighing before patting his shoulder lightly. "Whatever you say, Peter." She leaves, waving bye to Johnny, and Peter feels like he's missing something.
He's distracted from those thoughts when Johnny mentions that Tony has a meeting at the IBM building. It should be over by 2:00, so all Peter needs to do is show up in the lobby around that time to catch his eye. Johnny helps Peter pick out an outfit that's a little nicer than his usual style, because he remembers that Tony tended to dress rather expensively. Peter's not wearing anything too fancy, but it's a nice pair of slacks with a button-down shirt that makes him at least look less like a slob than his normal clothes.
On his way over, he gets a text from Johnny with a picture. He's in Peter's bathtub (filled up with bubbles) holding up Peter's old iPod that he's listening to, and the caption says, "Didn't know you liked AC/DC. Good taste." Peter snorts. Only Johnny would have so little personal boundaries that he'd go through Peter's stuff.
He's less bothered by it than he probably should be, but he is a little tempted to turn around and join Johnny in the tub. He shakes his head of those thoughts, because again, bad idea! When will his brain finally get that? He's here to meet Tony - a man that actually wants a committed relationship; not sleep with his gorgeous, funny neighbor who clearly just wants sex.
He keeps walking, arriving a few minutes early to find the best way to stand and look natural. It ends up being even easier than he thought to catch Tony's eye, and the man heads straight for Peter the moment he sees him.
"Wow, look at you, Peter. Gorgeous as always," he compliments, kissing Peter's cheek like they see each other regularly. Peter blushes, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.
"Thanks, you too," he manages, inwardly cringing at his own awkwardness. Tony doesn't even ask what he's doing there (Peter was going to pretend to be looking at the atrium) before asking Peter to a dinner party that night. Peter happily agrees, shooting Johnny an excited text.
...
Johnny's still at his apartment when he gets home, so he helps Peter get ready. The only suit Peter owns is not the best, but it'll have to do. He draws the line at spending (wasting) money on a new suit just to try and impress an ex. He doesn’t have enough money for that.
There's a knock on the door, and someone delivers a shiny, large, black box to him. Peter opens it to find a ridiculously expensive suit inside. He gapes at it. That's...well, he's not sure how he feels about that. Johnny looks annoyed.
"Seriously? How does he even know your size?" And that's a good question, one that he's slightly afraid to find out, especially when he tries it on, and the suit fits him perfectly.
"Are you sure you want to go?" Johnny asks in concern, clearly thinking about how weird this is, and Peter's tempted to say no, but he's already come this far, so he might as well give it a try. He pushes down the unease he feels, justifying that Tony was just trying to be romantic.
Johnny calls him just as he gets to the party, but Peter turns off his phone, trying to ignore the guilt that appears. He doesn't know why he feels it; it's not like he owes it to Johnny to answer his phone. Johnny knows he's on a date. Peter inwardly groans, because his feelings for Johnny are clearly getting out of hand, and he's just going to end up getting his heart broken, so he resolves to try even harder to make things work with Tony.
Tony's...great. He's charming, suave, and the life of the party. He introduces Peter to everyone (though Peter forgets their names within seconds), leaving his hand on Peter's lower back the entire time. It makes him feel like squirming a bit, but he fights down the urge. Tony's also attentive, constantly bringing Peter into the conversation so he’s not left out and making sure he always has a drink.
He even leads them outside to the terrace to get fresh air, hugging Peter from behind as he kisses the top of Peter's head. It should feel romantic, but it almost feels patronizing instead, and Peter wonders what's wrong with his head that he can take a nice gesture and turn it into something bad.
Once the party is over and they’re in the back of Tony's limo, he kisses Peter, and okay, that is what Peter was hoping for. He remembers that Tony had been a very generous lover, and they were definitely compatible in bed, so maybe this really could work out after all. He just needs to get used to being around Tony’s rich group of friends again.
But then Tony pulls away, cupping Peter's cheek with one hand, and says, "You really are perfect, sweetheart. We've already wasted enough time being apart, so let's not waste anymore. Marry me."
Peter's eyes widen in shock (and possibly horror). "Umm, marry?" He asks feebly, and Tony nods.
"I can give you everything you could ever want. You don't have to work at that science lab anymore. We can travel the world, enjoying each other's company." He goes to kiss Peter again, but Peter backs away in annoyance.
"Wait, what makes you think I'd quit my job?" He’s offended by the assumption. Tony gives him a look like he's an idiot, which just makes him bristle more.
"Peter, I have to travel a lot for business, and of course I'd want my husband with me, but if you are working, that blocks a lot of your schedule. It's not as if you have a high-paying job, so why bother when I can pay for everything anyway?" And that's not the point at all.
Peter is tempted to punch Tony, but instead, he yells out, "Stop the car - limo - whatever" to the driver. Tony looks baffled by his response, but Peter doesn't care. As he opens the door, he sends Tony a glare.
"I like my job, whether I make a lot of money or not, and I'm not some trophy husband, so no thanks!" He slams the door and storms off. He probably could have handled that better, but he just couldn’t believe the nerve of Tony to assume something like that!
His only regret is that he’s so far away from his apartment with no transportation. He groans, starting to walk home, and calls Johnny to let him know that he's on the way. He doesn't go into the details, but he has a feeling that Johnny can tell he's not in a good mood, because he tells Peter that he'll have beer and Chinese food waiting for him, and Peter is eternally grateful for that man.
...
By the time he gets home, he's feeling miserable; he's going to be alone forever, he just knows it. When he walks inside the apartment, Johnny says, "surprise." Peter blinks as he tries to figure out what's supposed to be surprising.
"Umm, okay?" He hesitates as he walks farther inside. Johnny huffs.
"Look," he gestures to the wall behind him where Peter hangs his photography. There's more pictures there than before. Now, there’s ones of the night sky from their rooftop, of the churro stand they visited, and of a Putterball set-up. Peter blinks, stomach fluttering wildly.
"You took these?" He asks quietly, and Johnny looks a little nervous.
"Yeah. I've been trying out photography lately, and you seemed upset when you called, so I thought this might cheer you up." Peter looks at him softly, his entire body feeling fuzzy. Johnny's smiling back just as gently, and Peter knows he's screwed.
He gives up. This is him throwing in the towel. Johnny is the flame, and Peter's going to dance right into it even if he gets burned. He walks over to Johnny and kisses him, and Johnny responds instantly. Peter's hands instinctively land on Johnny's waist as the blonde wraps his arms around Peter's neck.
The kiss is slow and sensual, as if they’re just trying to taste one another and learn the feel of each other, and it’s amazing. Johnny grins when they break apart, nudging his nose against Peter's, and Peter laughs brightly. Yeah, he's definitely screwed, but he can’t bring himself to be bothered by it.
They kiss again, making their way to the bedroom and lying down, but Johnny makes no move to take off his clothes, so Peter doesn't either. He doesn't think he's ever just kissed someone like this without the intention of going farther, but it's perfect and wonderful, and Peter doesn’t want to ever let go of Johnny.
They eventually fall asleep in each other’s arms, foreheads pressed against one another.
❤️❤️❤️
When he wakes up, Johnny is still curled up next to him, and the fluttery feeling is back in his stomach. Johnny wakes up a moment later and smiles softly.
"Morning," he mumbles, and Peter grins, giving him a peck on the lips. Johnny's smile widens.
"How about we spend all day watching a Harry Potter marathon? We can eat tacos and make margaritas," Johnny offers, and it sounds great, but Peter suddenly remembers that he was supposed to meet MJ, Gwen, and Miles for last minute wedding preparations.
"Crap, no." He jumps off the bed, and Johnny looks bewildered.
"We could eat something else?" He tries, and Peter laughs.
"It's not that; I'm supposed to meet MJ for wedding plans, and I'm already late." He's grabbing stuff off the bedside table and shoving it into his pockets.
"We can do dinner tonight, and maybe one movie?" He suggests, and Johnny nods with a grin.
"Sounds good to me. Have fun today." Peter hums, leaning down to give Johnny one more kiss before rushing out the door.
He's 10 minutes late by the time he gets there, and he accidentally grabbed Johnny's phone instead of his own so he can't text MJ to let her know. Thankfully, Peter's never been overly punctual, so his friends weren’t even surprised by his tardiness. They go through some of the arrangements before the topic is finally brought up.
"You seem happy today. One of your exes?" MJ gives him a pointed look when she asks, like she knows that's not the case, and he blushes.
"Not exactly. Johnny and I have just been getting closer. He's actually going to be my date to the wedding." Gwen and Miles look surprised.
"You said you were keeping a seat open next to me, right?" Peter double-checks, and MJ nods.
"But isn't Johnny the guy who lives in the apartment across from you whose constantly sleeping around?" Miles asks, and Peter inwardly cringes.
"Well, he did, but it's not like that with us." His friends glance hesitantly to each other, and even MJ looks a little uncomfortable.
"Did he tell you that?" Gwen asks gently, and Peter frowns.
"Well, not directly, but it was implied." Miles and Gwen are looking at him with pity, and Peter doesn't like it.
"I know it sounds stupid, but it’s different. MJ's seen it, right?" He turns to her almost pleadingly, but MJ hesitates.
"You two do seem to be more than just friends, but... it sounds like you're thinking it's an actual relationship already, and maybe it is, but I'm just not sure." She seems apologetic, and Peter’s stomach drops.
"What, you think he's using me for sex?" MJ shakes her head firmly.
"No, but I know you, Peter, and you tend to fall hard and fast for people, and I'm just worried that Johnny may not be there yet, and then you're going to get hurt,” she admits. Peter's chest aches, and his stomach is churning painfully. He had been so sure this morning. He doesn't want to believe them, but these are his best friends. They know him better than anyone, and it’s true that he does tend to fall hard and fast in his relationships. Is he just projecting his feelings onto Johnny?
They drop the subject, but he feels like he has a cloud hanging over his head. He practically drags his feet home, replaying every interaction with Johnny over and over again in his head. It seems like Johnny's feeling the same thing as him, but then again, Johnny never actually said anything about what last night was. Maybe Johnny thinks this is just a friends with benefits situation. Peter groans. It's so frustrating to doubt your own instincts.
When he gets home, he spots the photographs that Johnny added to his wall. No, he's not imagining things. Johnny does care about him. He wouldn't have done something so sweet and personal if he was just trying to hook up. Peter's sure of it. Everything is fine.
He decides to work on some paperwork so that he can get a head start on it for the week while he waits for Johnny to come over. The phone buzzes with a text, and Peter checks it before remembering that it's actually Johnny's phone. It's a message from one of Johnny's friends. At the top, it has Steve Roger's contact information. Johnny had responded "Thanks man" and his friend just wrote back, "Did you ever pass on the number to Peter?"
Peter's heart is beating wildly in his chest, and he feels frozen, his mind buzzing. The door opens and he throws the phone down, pretending to be working when Johnny walks in.
"Honey, I'm home. I brought tacos." He walks over to Peter.
"Oh, you're working. Well don't let me stop you. We can reheat the food when you're done." He kisses Peter's cheek before plopping down on the couch, completing oblivious to Peter's inner turmoil.
"Hey, uh, did you ever find out anything about Steve Rogers?" He tries to sound casual.
"No," is Johnny's only response.
"You sure?" He tries again, and Johnny repeats the same thing.
Peter feels sick. Johnny is lying to him, and it's making Peter wonder what else he's lied about. The conversation with his friends comes back to him with full force, and now that Peter's mind has started down this track, it's spiraling.
Yesterday morning, Johnny was in his apartment, just like every other day this week. He comes over to avoid his one-night stands, which means he hooked up with someone else less than 48 hours ago. And he never actually said he wanted something more with Peter. Peter feels like such an idiot. He's on the verge of tears, but he holds them back long enough to drop the phone on Johnny's lap.
"Well, I'm kinda busy now, so maybe you should go." Johnny jumps up when he sees what it is.
"Wait, Peter!" Peter turns to look at him, pointing a finger accusingly.
"You lied." Johnny runs a hand through his hair.
"Okay, yes, I do have his number, but I didn't think that mattered anymore.” Peter scoffs.
"It does matter!" The number doesn't matter, but the lie does.
"What about last night?” Johnny tries.
“We should forget last night.” Peter says, even though it hurts like hell, because it clearly was just him making another mistake.
“Because of Steve?” Johnny's voice sounds upset, but Peter feels his frustration boiling over because Johnny's just not getting it.
“You're not serious about a relationship. You sleep with everyone!" He yells, and he can see that Johnny is getting frustrated too.
"That was true until I met you!" Peter hates how that makes him feel - like he's special and this means something even though it doesn't.
"You slept with somebody on Friday night!" He accuses, and Johnny furrows his brow.
"What are you talking about?" Peter huffs.
"You were over at my place yesterday morning, and you come over to avoid your hook ups, which means you literally just slept with someone on Friday night!" He's hurt and angry, and he just wants to crawl into his bed and cry. Johnny shakes his head.
"No, I didn't! I haven't slept with anyone else since the day I offered to help you find your exes. I've been coming over here every morning just to spend time with you. I spend practically all of my time at your apartment. How can you think I'm not serious about you?"
Peter's heart is beating frantically, and he wants to believe Johnny so desperately, but doubt and insecurities are clouding his mind, and all he can think about it how hard he's already fallen for Johnny and MJ's words, "Johnny may not be there yet." His heart is breaking, but he won't keep following a path that will lead him to even more pain; he's not a masochist.
"You think you're serious now, but you're going to get bored and go back to being the same guy soon enough," he says quietly, and Johnny looks hurt.
"Is that really what you think of me?" No, Peter's mind immediately supplies, but he's learned that he can't trust that.
"Yes," he manages to say, heart crumbling as Johnny looks away.
"Fine. Good luck with Steve," he says just as quietly, walking out as Peter holds it together long enough for the door to close before breaking down.
❤️❤️❤️
When Peter wakes up, he feels like he's been hit by a freight train. His head hurts and his body aches, and it only gets worse when he realizes that Johnny's not there. He's gotten used to seeing him every morning, but he tells himself that it's for the best. He would only be feeling worse if he got more attached to Johnny before the blonde inevitably grew tired of him.
He waits until that night before finally calling Steve, and he tries to ignore the hollow feeling in his chest when Steve asks him to dinner. He barely sees Johnny over the next two weeks, spending most evenings after work with Steve, though they never go farther than kissing. Steve always was more old-fashioned (they’d waited months to sleep together the first time), and honestly, Peter's not ready to have sex with Steve again yet.
Steve is great though. He's perfect. He's everything that Peter should want in a partner. He's sweet and generous, stunningly good-looking, has a well-paying job (not that Peter cares about the money), and they can talk about Peter’s photography and Steve’s drawing for hours. He gives Peter his undivided attention, listening intently and seeming interested no matter what Peter's talking about, and frankly, he looks at Peter like he hung the moon and the stars. It should be perfect, but it feels suffocating.
Peter remembers this now. He remembers feeling like he wasn't good enough for Steve, because Steve deserved better than him, but now he's not so sure that was the real reason it didn't work. But Steve is amazing, so when he cooks them dinner, and they spend the night cuddling, Peter tries to ignore how much he wishes he were laughing with Johnny on the couch, eating junk food and teasing each other instead. Because Steve is the real deal. He's someone who is ready to settle down, and Peter wants desperately to feel the same way about him. Steve is happy to be his date to the wedding, and Gwen and Miles think it's great, even if MJ does give Peter a worried look.
❤️❤️❤️
He finally sees Johnny as he's on his way to the wedding. He's leaving his apartment, and it makes Peter's chest ache to see him. He misses him so much that it hurts. Johnny takes in Peter's suit before turning around and walking back inside. Peter hesitates, wanting to go over, but what good would that do?
Steve's waiting for him anyway. He hasn't been able to bring himself to take Steve back to his apartment, because it feels wrong, but he needs to get over that. Still, he'd asked Steve to meet him at the wedding instead of picking him up even though Peter’s apartment is on the way, and Steve had agreed because he's far too accommodating.
The wedding genuinely is perfect, and Peter is so happy for MJ and Gwen. They really are a good fit, and they both deserve to be happy, and Peter's thrilled that they found that with each other. When they say their vows, Steve looks at him with so much emotion in his eyes that Peter feels like he's going to have a panic attack, so he avoids his gaze.
Once the reception is well underway, Peter gives a speech as one of the "Men of Honor" (which he thinks he did a pretty good job on - he's not the best public speaker, but people laughed and then looked teary eyed, so he's counting it as a win). Afterwards, Steve pulls him to the side, away from everyone else, and Peter stomach squirms, but not in a good way.
"Peter, I'm really happy that you called. Honestly, I never really got over you, and I'm glad that we're giving this another chance. You have to know how much you mean to me, and I'd really like us to take our relationship to the next level."
Peter feels like he can't breathe.
"I know we've only been back together for two weeks, but it feels as right as it did before, and we know each other so well already. I'd like for us to move in together. I want us to eventually - well, moving in can be the first step," he finishes, smiling at Peter shyly, his eyes shining with love, and oh.
That is the real reason why they ended. Peter convinced himself that he ended things because Steve was too good for him, but he sees now that it was because Steve was in love with Peter, and Peter couldn't return those feelings no matter how hard he tried. Realization crashes over him like a tidal wave, and he thinks he might throw up. This was a horrible mistake. How could he do this? Steve deserves so much better, and now, Peter's going to break his heart all over again. He's a terrible person.
"Steve, you are an amazing man. You always have been. You're absolutely perfect, but... you're not perfect for me," he finishes, and the hurt that flashes through Steve's eyes is enough to make Peter want to cry.
"I don't understand. I thought you wanted to give us another chance?" He sounds so painfully lost.
"I thought I did too, but it turns out that I was busy fooling myself, and if I had just been honest, none of this would have happened. I am so sorry, Steve." It's a worthless, meaningless thing to say, but it's all he can offer. Steve nods, not even getting angry, but his eyes are watery, and Peter could just die from guilt.
"It's okay," Steve says quietly.
"It's really not," Peter admits, just as softly. Steve nods, stepping back.
"If you don't mind, I'm going to head out," his voice breaks a little at the end, and Peter definitely has tears in his own eyes now.
"Of course. I'm - I'm sorry." He doesn't know what else to say, but Steve nods anyway and walks away.
The tears slide down his face as his chest seems to split open. What is wrong with him? Why can't he love this perfect man who loves him? Why does he always ruin everything? MJ's beside him in a matter of seconds, holding him as he cries, and that honestly makes him feel worse.
"This is your wedding. You're supposed to be happy; not comforting me while I ruin your big day," he mumbles into her side. She pulls back to glare at him.
"Peter Parker, you did not ruin anything. You are my best friend, and I'm always going to comfort you." The tears continue to fall.
"I messed up everything, MJ,” He admits, and she sighs.
"Do you love Johnny?" She asks bluntly, and Peter sucks in a deep breath.
He's tired of fighting it; tired of trying to protect himself only to get hurt worse or to hurt other people.
"Yes."
MJ nods and says, "Then go tell him." He looks at her in disbelief.
"But you said he might not be on the same page as me!" She groans.
"Since when do you ever listen to me? And I said 'might' for a reason, because I don't know! I'd barely met the guy, which is your fault, by the way, but it's too late now, because you love him, and the only thing you can do now is to tell him and see what happens." Peter swallows over the lump in his throat.
"But it's your wedding reception," he reasons weakly, and MJ huffs.
"So what? You gave your speech - which was great, by the way - now it's time for you to follow your heart." Peter loves her so much.
He tells her that and hugs her tightly before running off, as she screams after him, "I'm expecting details tomorrow!"
❤️❤️❤️
He practically runs to Johnny's apartment, sweaty and dirty by the time he gets there, but he doesn't want to wait any longer. He knocks on the door, practically barging in when Johnny opens it.
"I'm sorry, Johnny. I'm an idiot, and you're amazing, and I really want to be with you, but I was so afraid that you were going to be another asshole that I acted like the biggest asshole of all.” Peter's pretty sure the tears are back, but he doesn't care anymore. Johnny shakes his head.
“No, I was an asshole. I should have given you Steve’s number, but I didn’t think I could compete with that," Johnny admits, expression open and vulnerable, and Peter can admit that he's the biggest idiot in the world for not seeing this before.
“There’s no contest." It's Johnny, and it's always been Johnny; he sees that now. The blonde's eyes are wide and hopeful, and he seems like he's holding his breath, so Peter continues.
“I think I love you, number twenty.” A smile breaks out on Johnny's face, eyes light with joy.
“I love you too, number three hundred and -” Peter cuts him off, placing a hand over his mouth and laughing.
"Nope, not doing that." He feels Johnny grin beneath his palm, so he pulls it away and replaces it with his mouth.
He kisses Johnny like the world is ending, pouring every ounce of love and desire and need into it, and Johnny kisses back the same way. It makes Peter's head spin, and it's overwhelming, but in the best way possible.
They make their way to his bed, pulling off clothes and scattering them around the apartment, desperate to feel each other. Their hands roam and touch every place they can reach before falling back onto the bed together. Peter leans back, taking in Johnny's naked body with awe.
"You're perfect," he whispers, and Johnny swallows and bites his lip. Peter kisses him once more before moving down to his neck, licking and nibbling on the skin there. One of Johnny's hands is on his waist while the other is in his hair, and Peter places open-mouthed kisses down his chest, taking each of Johnny's nipples in his mouth and sucking as Johnny's back arches.
"Peter," he whispers like a prayer, and Peter can't help but moan at the sound, because it's better than any hymn he's ever heard. He's already so hard, and they've barely started, but Johnny isn't fairing much better. As Peter works his way down and kisses the hair right above Johnny's cock, Johnny's body twitches, and he grasps Peter's hair.
"Stop." He sounds slightly pained, and Peter looks up in worry. Johnny looks sheepish.
"I don't want to finish too quickly," he admits, and Peter is sure that he has a stupid smile on his face, because even with all the people Johnny's slept with, Peter can still have that effect on him, and it makes him feel irrationally happy. He moves back up Johnny’s body, kissing him fervently once more until they're both panting messes, pre-cum dripping from their tips.
"Where's the lube?" Johnny moves to grab it out of the drawer of his bedside table, handing it to Peter. Peter coats his fingers, lightly caressing and pressing down on Johnny's perineum, making him shudder, before sliding one finger inside his hole.
Johnny pushes down on it, indicating that he's ready for more, and Peter laughs breathlessly. He adds another finger, scissoring the hole open as Johnny grabs the back of his head and pulls him into another kiss. Peter practically sighs with contentment because he loves kissing Johnny. He's never been a huge fan of kissing before, but this feels different; it feels like they are connected, and it means something.
Johnny rocks his hips up as Peter adds a third finger, working him open before rubbing against his prostate. Johnny gasps, breaking their mouths apart as Peter continues to circle and rub the gland. He adds a fourth finger to stretch him even more, pressing up and down on his prostate quickly and firmly. Johnny is breathing heavily, his head thrown back as he writhes on Peter's fingers, and fuck, it's the most gorgeous sight Peter's ever seen.
"Fuck, Peter, I, now," Johnny manages to say, and Peter gets the hint. He pulls his fingers out, and Johnny's body sags against the bed as Peter covers his cock in lube. He pushes Johnny's legs up and back towards his chest. He aligns himself with Johnny's hole, pushing inside slowly, and they both moan at the sensation. Johnny's warm and tight around him, and his hole is sucking Peter's cock in like it belongs there.
"Oh my god, you feel so good," Peter praises, enjoying how his words make a shiver work its way through Johnny's body. When he finally bottoms out, he's panting with the effort to keep still and let Johnny adjust. Johnny's gripping Peter's arms, his chest rising and falling rapidly as he looks at Peter. Johnny's eyes are shining with love, but they don't make him feel suffocated. In fact, it's the opposite. Peter feels raw joy and almost euphoria, and he's sure his expression looks the same.
He lifts Johnny's hips up and grabs a pillow, placing it underneath before kissing him again and slowly starting to rock in and out. Johnny gasps against his mouth but doesn't break the kiss, rolling his hips to meet Peter's thrusts. It isn't rushed or frantic, but rather gentle and sensual, and it feels right.
Seconds and minutes blend together as they kiss and make love, bodies intertwined as if they were one. When he can feel himself getting close, Peter grasps Johnny's cock, which is leaking all over them, pumping it in time with his movements as he increases his pace.
Johnny moans, holding Peter's head close as he whispers, "Cum with me," and Peter feels his ball retracting as he breathes out, "Yes."
It only takes a few more thrusts before Johnny is finishing, and Peter follows him immediately, tumbling into that high together.
As they come back down, breathing heavily, Peter presses his forehead to Johnny's as they as share the same air.
"I love you, Johnny," he whispers, and Johnny grins at him.
"I love you too, Peter." They kiss once more, and Peter forgets all about that stupid study.
It doesn't matter how many people he or Johnny have slept with before this. They'll never be each other's firsts, but they will be each other's lasts, and that's more than enough.