(  CHAPTER TWENTYONE ! )

( PEOPLE LEAVE AND PEOPLE BETRAY )

°

His heart was racing too fast to the point he could feel it in his throat, his knuckles were white from holding on to his bike too tight and basically, he was not able to think properly.

The sad part was that he was almost used to this feeling by now, being terrified and on edge as he raced to Peter on his bike. It was not something he particularly wanted to turn into a habit but their lives seemed to take this turn pretty often. Colin just had to suck it up and hoped that his ancient bike would not crumble into little pieces and turn to dust as he tried its limits.

His father was a criminal. Sure, Colin had known that the man was not an exact citizen but being a straight up villain? That was hard for him to  just stomach because no one wanted to face the fact that their father was capable of... things that he didn't even want to consider. But it made sense in its on way too, it explained the absence, the constant moving around and his father's inability to become a Captain atthe station. At that moment though, his disappointment in his father was not the primer thing in mind. The fact that Peter was in danger because of his father made his heart ache with each beat and the betrayal was sidelined.

He ran from his bike until he reached Peter's doorstep, knocking and ringing the bell in a way that would scare anyone but he didn't care. He would lie to Aunt May about an important project for school or something, he could-

"Colin? Hi! What a nice surprise," Aunt May said with a bright smile on, she was too sweet sometimes. It was hard to believe her kindness. "Are you okay?"

She was also smart, which was a problem on its own. "Yeah, its about a school work, I have to talk to Peter. Right now."

"Sure, come in. We have a guest though, you won't believe-"

Politeness was out the window while Colin kicked his shoes off and stormed inside without listening to May properly. He was out of breath as he stepped inside the living room and he saw one of the few people that could render him speechless.

"Tony Stark," Colin stated, staring at the man who was clearly Tony Stark in the flesh, with his expensive looking suit and elegant looking glasses and his signature beard and-

"That'll be me," the man, Iron Man, Tony Stark, said. Turning to Peter on the couch, he added. "Who is your friend?"

"He is my... sidekick?"

"What?"

"What?!"

Tony Stark and Colin said at the same time. He could jinx Tony Stark, this was the best day of life. (Okay, technically...)

You see, Tony Stark was Tony Stark in Colin's eyes, before he was Iron Man. There was a reason why Colin prefered superheroes who did not have any super powers, he just admired them whole heartedly. (Thor was an expection due to the fact that in middle school, he had the biggest crush on the man as he watched the battle of  New York on the news and as an eleven years old, an alien God/prince was the dream guy.)

Right now, he was in the same room with Tony Stark and his brain was short circuting, and he was staring.

"Do you want tea as well Colin?" Aunt May was in the room as well, that was not enough to bring him back to reality though.

"I should talk to Colin in my room. For like five minutes, I will be back," Peter rescued him and rushed to his side, grabbing him by his wrist and practically dragging him along.

"You should start packing," Tony Stark said.

Packing?

All of Colin's worries were mixing up as they walked towards Peter's room, heating up with the confusion of the moment and the pressure was unbearable. His head ached and there was ringing in his ears as they stepped inside the room and Peter closed it with frantic movements.

"Pack?" He managed to voice with a some what calm voice.

"This is the most insane day of my life! Tony Stark came in, asking for my help. My help! Can you believe? So, I don't have much time to explain but basically, something angsty going on with Captain America and he and his buddies have to be stopped and its like a superhero only exclusive event-"

Colin was not able to process all those words that were thrown on his way after that, the ringing in his head was consuming his thoughts. The worries mixed with confusion quickly translated into anger. It was his usual defence mechanism, he held on to it like a life line. "Can you hear yourself talk? You cannot go!"

Peter stopped midsentence after that, a manic smile frozen on his face. Even Peter was not able to process the recent events, how was Colin suppose to accept that on top of the fact that his father helped people who stole stuff, possibly villain level people who were dangerous? Maybe he didn't just help and he was one of them? And Peter was going to go into the heart of danger?

Colin's fists clenched at his sides, blunt finger nails dug into his palm but it was not enough to keep him grounded.

"Colin! Don't you understand? I need to do this- Iron Man asked my help for god's sake-"

"I don't care even its Queen Elizabeth or Beyonce. You are not going into a a fucing superhero fight club!"

Colin's face was red with frustration mixed with anger and not so hidden worry, meanwhile Peter was plain excited and still star strucked by the recent events. It was understandable why he was so eager to prove himself although Colin was not going to stay silent when he knew the boy was walking to his own death.

Peter ran his fingers through his hair and ruffled it, he was growing impatient as well. "I am going, Colin. You always say that I'm under equipped and inexperienced. I will earn them both with this."

Fuck this. Peter now had that expression where he clenched his jaw and straightened his back, he didn't look like a kid when he did that, honestly the determination and dedication on his face intimated Colin. He wasn't intimated easily. "Are you serious-" he cut himself in midway when Peter kept on having a straight face and that damn stubbornes, "fine, I am coming with you then."

Peter's eyes widened and panic washed over his face and he sighed loudly. "Am I the insane one here? I have powers and what do you have? Your endless pessimism and snarky comebacks?"

"Those and I can use a gun. Also can run pretty fast and my boxing-"

"We are talking about superheroes Cole. With- with super magical powers and techologies and expreinces."

Colin glared at him and crossed his arms over his chest devensively. "I'm coming too or you are not going. But you can bet on your ass that I won't sit back here."

"Fine," Peter grumbled and tapped his feet ryhtmically.

"Fine?" Colin asked, geniunly surprised that Peter was agreeing on this, knowing the kid's stubbornes.

"You can come if you beat me."

Colin laughed at that, it reeked nervousness and sarcasm. When he really looked at Peter's face and saw the serious expression he gaped and scowled. "You are not joking."

Peter shook his head as no.

"Let's do it your way then, no webs."

Peter shrugged  and grinned at him in exchange Colin punched him across the face without hesitation. Clearly, he was not expecting it and his cockiness had over come the spider senses. Without loosing time Colin kicked his leg and his fist connected with Peter's lower stomach and the boy gasped as the air was knocke dour of his lungs. However he was quick to recover after stumblig a few steps back and he shifted position and ducked Colin's next move and the other, chuckling when Colin grumbled in frustration.

"Are  you going to keep being defensive or are you going to strike spider boy?"

Colin leaned forward but didn't do anything and slide on his feet to right and threw his punch then, wanting to take him offguard but Peter grabbed his fist and twisted his arm to his back and now he was facing away from Peter. "I was giving a headstart."

His breath washed over Colin's neck and he tried his best not to get distracted by the vulnerable position he was in- it was easy to embrace the contact when it was Peter though.

With a sudden move he threw his head back, didn't hit Peter's face but his balance was distrubed while trying to dodge it and he turned around,  panting heavily with adrenaline. "I am not letting you go alone in to danger."

Peter's gaze hardned and a pout took over his lips, "I am not letting you go in  to danger."

Even without the extra spider abilities, Peter was still way more powerful, it was time to play dirty. His mind worked too fast for him to think things through and the next thing he knew, he was kicking Peter's leg hard enough to swep his feet off of the ground and he landed on the floor with a loud tud, groaning a little. Peter was quick to react to that and honestly, Colin was surprised that he had managed to make hin fall anyway, and he   wrapped a leg around Colin to make him loose balance and he fell down, partly landing on Peter.

At that point, it was less of a fight- like a proper fight, but more like two children struggling on the ground for a toy. Peter was holding back on him and that only made Colin more angry as he trashed around while Peter tried to stop him by gripping his wrists.

"You don't understand! You can't go, I have to tell you-" Colin tried to let out but he was panting heavily and partly it was due to the fact that he was panicking.

Peter managed to hold his wrists tight in his hands and he practically shook Colin slightly, forcing him to stop and stare down at Peter. This was ridiculous, him straddling Peter on the ground but still not having the upper hand. Colin never had the upper hand, did he? It was always someone else in charge, making the decisions without talking to him first, external decisions that affects his life deeply and he just watches like an outsider.

His sister felt like leaving. His father felt like becoming a villain. Peter felt like he could just ran into danger. No one of them considered Colin, no one did.

"You cannot talk me down," Colin hissed as all of the other emotions translated in anger.

Peter stared at his eyes for a moment and the sadness in his eyes made Colin stop and rethink only momentarily. "I know that you won't."

He let go of Colin's wrist and tried to sit up but well, Colin was technically on his lap. He forgot how to move for that time being because Peter was going to stay? It was actually working? He searched Peter's face for answers and felt his walls made of furry crumble a little when Peter looked at him like that. Like he mattered. As if his opinion mattered for the decision he would be making.

Peter kissed him then, it was not butterflies and fireworks and it was not passionate or glorious. His head was dizzy with the adrenaline rush and his mind was clouded with all the things in his head to properly register the fact that he was kissing Peter Parker, in the most awkward position imaginable as well. The kiss itself was a simple touch of lips and it screamed inexperience but all it mattered was the fact that he was kissing the boy he liked. He always thought the poetic words about time stretching with the magical kiss was bullshit but it was like that, the moment felt longer than it actually was.

And it ended quicker than he would've liked.

Peter flipped them over with ease, how did he manage to do something that diffucult without hurting Colin was beyond him and he cheated in their little game, webbing Colin's hand on the to floor without a second thought.

"I won," he murmured while his chest was raising and falling rapidly, howering over Colin and for a second everything related to Spider-Man vanished and Colin was only dealing with Peter Parker.

Colin came to his senses when Peter got up and he was stuck lying on the ground, trying to yank his wrist back to set himself free, panick starting raise inside him when Peter turned around and picked his bag up, throwing bunch of stuff in without giving it too much thought.

"I will be back shortly, safe and sound, Colin."

"Peter..." he almost pleaded and his own voice sounded wrecekd to him, he didn't like it, "Just don't."

"I'm sorry," Peter mumbled and threw a one last glance over his shoulder before grabbing the door handle. "I'll tell you all about it. We'll talk when I get back. I promise."

"No!" He yelled, furious, angery at Peter for leaving, mad at himself for letting him go, "Peter please," don't go , he said softer this time.

And he left.

AUTHOR'S NOTE

most of this chapter was written years ago, when i first started writing this story. it was interesting to see how i pictured colin then and now, a lot off stuff had to change as i rewrote it!

okay, so three important things:

i. this is the end of part two! let me know what you think, finally its time for homecoming

ii. i will be taking a little break from this story. i have to rewatch homecoming and plan some stuff and the school about the start, you know how it is. i won't take long, i promise! meanwhile you can check my remus lupin fic out, its  my baby.

iii. a big thank you to @marvelised for being an amazing support, check her out, she is such a sweet person and a kind reader and even a more amazing writer!

take care, guys. i'll see you soon, remember to share your thoughts 💚💚