"I have a plan." Peter spoke in an enthusiastic tone as he positioned himself in the wooden stool across from his best friend, eyes bright.

Ned blinked before nodding, motioning for the brunet teen to continue on.

"Okay, first, I sit next to Axel on the flight." the young spiderling's lips upturned in a tiny grin, seemingly proud of himself.

"Mhm." was Ned's hummed reply.

"Second, I’m gonna buy a dual headphone adapter and watch movies with him the whole time."

Ned nodded slowly, his once small grin lowering down in to a confused frown as his friend further explain his plan.

"Three, while we go to Venice, Venice is super famous for making stuff like, uhm, jewelry, right?" the brown eyed teen inquired, to which Ned nodded with intent eyes.

"True."

"I'm.. I'm gonna get him a promise ring." Peter's confidence had wavered a bit as he spoke those words, and based on Ned's reaction it seemingly surprised him too.

"Really?" the male questioned, making Peter hesiate before nodding.

"Why? Should I not do that?" the brunet's eyes had widened a bit as the thoughts of what could happen crossed over his mind.

"That's not what I'm saying." Ned replied simply.

Peter blinked before shaking his head and continuing on with his plan.

"Anyways, four, when we go to Paris, I’m gonna take him to the top of the Eiffel Tower, give him the ring...and then five, I’m gonna tell him how I really feel about him...and then six, hopefully he tells me he feels the same way about me."

"Oh!", Ned added on, "Don’t forget step seven."

Peter furrowed his brows, gazing down at the sheet of loose leaf paper as he muttered to himself about what he could possibly have left out.

"Don't do any of that."

Peter's head lifted, his previously happy and prideful apperance being washed away and replaced with one of confusion.

"Why?"

"Because we’re gonna be bachelors in Europe, Peter!" Ned exclaimed in reply, as if it was clear as day.

"Ned, look."

"I may not know much, but I do know one thing: Europeans love Americans." Ned cut in, making Peter blink in retaliation.

"Really..?"

"And more than half of them are women!"

Peter shook his head at his dark haired friend as he straightened his posture.

"Ned, I'm serious about this. About me and Axel. This isn't just some highschool fling," Peter's cheeks begin to warm ever before he opened his mouth to admit something for the first time, "I-I'm in love with him, okay?"

That response seemed to shock Ned, for the male blinked and fell in to silence.

"Have you told him?" the male's voice had dropped to a whisper as if he didn't want anyone else to hear.

"No, n-not yet at least. That's why I have this plan, what I'm gonna tell him when I give him the ring." Peter replied with a small, nervous smile.

Ned gave a tiny smile in reply, and Peter felt his own smile broaden a bit but it soon faltered once he caught sight of his boyfriend, Mj and Brandy approaching them.

"Dude, he’s coming now. Just don’t say anything." the spiderling warned.

He turned in his chair a bit to look up at the three standing in front of them. His brown eyed gaze lingering towards Axel, warming with admiration the moment he was given a cheeky grin from the blond.

"What's up, dorks?" Mj's voice made Peter look away from Axel, "Excited about our science trip?"

"Hey, uh, yeah. We’re just talking about the trip." Peter greeted, making Axel raise a brow as he caught on to the nervousness hinting in his boyfriend's voice.

"Yeah, and Peter's plan." Ned added in.

"Plan?" Axel echoed, furrowing his brows together in confusion now.

"You have a plan?" Brandy questioned, tilting her head to the side.

"I don't have a plan." Peter was quick to reply, shaking his head.

"No, he’s just going to collect tiny spoons while we’re traveling to other countries." Ned corrected in a way that he saw as smooth, sending a small wink over to Peter.

"Like a grandmother?" Brandy and Mj questioned them at the same time, making the two exchange a glance before chuckling softly which lead to Brandy interlocking their fingers.

"I’m not collecting tiny spoons," Peter jabbed He’s collecting tiny spoons."

Mj nodded slowly, looking in between the two before speaking.

"Oh. Okay, well, that was a real roller coaster."

Peter nodded, humming a bit which earned a sideways glance from Axel.

"Well, we'll leave you three alone for now. We'll see you in math, okay, Axe?" Brandy spoke up, looking over at the blonde.

"Yep, see you in math." the blond replied, nodding a bit.

"By the way, travel tip: You should probably download a VPN on your phone, just so that the government can’t track you while we’re abroad." Mj added in, giving a small grin before heading off with her hand interlocked with Brandy's.

"Smart. Will do." Peter muttered under his breath the moment they left.

"You two are really bad liars, y'know." Axel suddenly spoke up as he leaned back against a table, arms crossed over his chest as he eyed the two.

"L-Liars?" Peter stammered out, voice wavering as his own eyes widened.

"We aren't lying, Axel." Ned pitched in, shaking his head in a manner that was way to vigorous for Axel to believe.

"Mhm, okay, sure." the blond teen nodded slowly, skepticism in his tone now.

"Axel, why would I lie to you?" Peter questioned, trying to direct the conversation elsewhere.

"If you were planning something."

At that, both Ned and Peter exchanged a side eye glance, Peter kicking Ned's shoe with his own under the table.

"But, I'll play along. I'll act like I don't know anything." Axel added in, making Peter let out a mental sigh of relief.

"Good, because nothing's going on." Ned responded in a somewhat nervous voice, one that made Peter shoot him a subtle glare.

"Yeah," Axel drew out the vowels of the word, "Well, I gotta go, I told Roman I'd help him study for the physics test in the library."

Peter and Ned nodded in sync, bodies stiff, which only made Axel's curiosity spike, but he kept silent.

"I'll see you around." the green eyed teen waved, leaning forward to press a small kiss to Peter's cheek before he headed out.

"Well, I think that went great." Ned spoke up once the two were left alone.

Peter furrowed his brows together, giving Ned a dumbfounded look.

x x x

Axel sat with his hands folded in his lap, looking up at the stage where May and Peter, clad in his Iron Spider suit, stood.

The blonde caught Peter glancing at him as his aunt took the mic, to which he gave the young spiderling a thumbs up and even though he couldn't see Peter's face, he could tell the brunet smiled.

"When I first blipped back to my apartment, the family living there was very confused. The wife thought that I was a mistress." May cut off as the audience erupted in to laughter. 

"The Grandma thought that I was a ghost.  It was... it was really a mess." the woman continued, earning a stifled giggle from Axel.

"Thank you all for coming out to support those who we’re misplaced by the Blip, and, of course, thank you Spider-Man!"

Axel shifted his gaze as Peter hesitantly approached the microphone stand.

"Thank you, Ms. Parker, for having me. And thank you you guys for having me." came the brunet's nervous voice as he gave the crowd an awkward thumbs up.

Axel simply chuckled, shaking his head as he casted his gaze down to the floor.

"Thank you Spider-Man," May spoke up, "He’ll be right back out to take photos and videos, thank you!"

With that simple sentence, the two disappeared backstage and Axel was left sitting in a room with people who were twice his age. Needing to seem like he was doing something, the teen pulled out his phone from his back pocket and scrolled through his Instagram feed absentmindedly.

The male had been distracted by the posts on his phone that he didn't notice Peter had walked back out. Yet, when the interviewers began to speak and crowd around, Axel looked up. He didn't move, not yet at least. But one question made him quickly shove his phone back in to his pocket and start to head over.

"Are you going to be the next Iron Man?"

As Axel grew closer he could see the nervous habits of his boyfriend, and he felt the sudden urge to push the cameras away from Peter's face and just tell the interviewers to leave him alone. But, he didn't get that chance, for Peter darted back through the door he had came out of, which caused Axel to grow worried.

The teen took no time in pushing through the crowd and catching the door right before it slammed shut.

"Peter! Peter wait!" the teen spoke in a hushed whisper, hurrying over to the teen with forest eyes blazing with concern.

His only response was Peter holding out his left arm, to which Axel quickly walked over and pressed himself against the teen.

"Hold on." came Peter's voice in his ear, Axel's heart breaking at the trembling.

But, he understood what was happening and he wrapped his arms around his torso, burying his face in to the crook of his neck and closing his eyes. Peter had quickly picked him up so his legs came around his waist.

Axel braced himself, his hold merely growing tighter when he felt the two begin to move and cold air brushed through Axel's blond hair and nipped at his cheeks.

Peter suddenly landed on a roof top, helping Axel down before he unmasked himself, lowering down in to a crouch on the roof. Axel let out a soft breath, running his fingers through his hair, still not used to being flown through the air.

He watched as his boyfriend's gaze lingered on a nearby wall, following his gaze to find an Iron Man memorial painting.

"Baby," the blond carefully lowered himself down to sit beside Peter, "Hey, look at me, love."

Peter visibly swallowed before turning his head and gaze to the blond. His chocolate eyes were slightly puffy, his curls dishelved upon his head.

Axel reached over to cup one side of his face, thumb gently grazing on his skin that was chilled by the night air.

"You okay?" Axel mumbled, yet it was clear the teen wasn't.

"Yeah.. yeah I'm fine." Peter breathed out shakily, nodding hesitantly as he leaned in to the hand on his cheek.

"No you're not." Axel shook his head, removing his hand and holding out his arms with a knowing gleam in his eyes.

Peter nearly threw himself at the taller boy, positioning himself nearly in Axel's lap with his head buried in to the crook of his neck, inhaling the scent of muted cologne.

"Breathe, it's okay. You can cry." Axel coaxed, wrapping his arms snugly around the distraught boy.

"I-I miss him."

Axel nodded, pressing his lips to the other male's temple in a soft kiss.

"I know, I know.." he mumbled out, "But, he would be so proud of you, Pete."

Peter shifted his head so it rested on Axel's shoulder, looking up at the male with silent tears treking down his face.

"You really think so?"

Axel nodded, warmly kissing Peter's forehead, making the teen close his eyes.

"Your parents would be too, Peter."

That sentence made Peter's once closed eyes open wide, meeting Axel's rather fearful ones.

Fearful that what he had just said had screwed everything up.

"Yeah.. yeah maybe they would be.." Peter muttered, "They would have loved you, Axel."

Axel gave a sheepish smile, chuckling softly.

"And, Pete?" the questioning of his name made the spiderling hum out.

"I'm so incredibly proud of you. If it means anything.." Axel whispered, his fingers playing with the curls at the base of Peter's neck.

The brunet smiled softly in reply, leaning up to connect their lips in a soft and warm kiss.

"It means the world to me, angel." he mumbled against his lips, hearing Axel giggle at the tickling sensation it brought with it.

As the two detached lips, Axel glanced up at the night sky above them, the starts reflecting in his eyes as he admired the view.

But, Peter was admiring something else. There was something about the way that the moonlight highlighted the blond's facial features, the way that the stars made tiny constellation pools inside his irises.

Whatever it was, Peter knew he loved it.