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𝐶𝐻𝐴𝑃𝑇𝐸𝑅 𝑇𝑊𝐸𝑁𝑇𝑌 𝐹𝐼𝑉𝐸
𝑆𝑡𝑎𝑟 𝑊𝑎𝑟𝑠

☀︎︎

Three days had passed and Eddy was still buzzing about his last meeting as Split with Spider-Man. His sense of relief was immense, almost as if all the tension had literally been sucked from his body. Growing up in the time period he did, however, made Eddy overly aware of the fact that should one become too elated within a relationship that it would quickly be ripped away. Steve had sacrificed himself just at the point when Eddy had believed to have found a friend within him. Wanda was now on the run, just when he needed her friendship most. It would only be his luck to find Spider-Man indisposed some way or another in a few weeks, should he become attached. But there was something about the boy that was so inviting. In that single way, Eddy thought of Peter.

He stood by the door of Peter's small apartment again, his hand raised to knock. Seconds after his knuckles hit the wood, Aunt May's face appeared in the gap, her lips pulled into a beaming smile- one that never failed to bring a grin to his own face.

"Eddy, it's good to see you again. Ned is already here. They're just getting everything set up while I make snacks," she said as the door was widened enough for him to enter. "Sweet popcorn okay for you?"

"Perfect, thanks May."

She waved him away with a tea towel. "Go, get yourself with them."

The living room of the Parker residence was a small area tucked behind the kitchen, separated by a single sink bench and a settee. The walls were a navy blue, the rug a mustard yellow rolled out in front of a medium-sized tv, currently skewed with piles of DVD cases. As Eddy moved from the front door, Peter sprawled out across the floor, his arms stretching wide and chin tipping backwards in a mock huff. At the sound of a floorboard creaking, his eyes flew open, lading on Eddy as he looked down upon his flopped figure with a raised brow.

Peter shot up, rubbing the back of his head, a tinge of pink gracing his cheeks. "Eddy, you're here."

"Yeah. I'm on time."

As Ned laughed, Peter nudged him. "You are? Oh, I didn't realise Ned was early. I thought you weren't going to show."

Eddy swallowed, trying not to let himself get too excited by the statement. He found himself often being too hopeful when reading into the things he said. Even so, he looked toward him with a smirk as he plopped beside him.

"Don't get yourself too upset. I'm here now," he teased, knocking their shoulders together. "What's the argument over?"

"We still can't agree on which film to start with. Originals or prequels."

"It's gotta be the prequels," Ned said quickly without giving any time for anything else to be said.

"How about we go with the originals?"

"Yes, thank you!"

"Fine," Ned groaned, taking the boxes from the floor. "Here, I can do that."

"Thanks, Ned."

Eddy and Peter sat shoulder to shoulder on the settee as Ned moved to sort out the DVD player that hid behind the wooden unit. May winked as she placed a bowl of popcorn between them, earning a groan from Peter.

"So what were you doing in the lab the other day?"

"Oh, um, just a bit of extra credit work. Um, we would have asked but Mr Dyson asked specifically for me and Ned," Peter said, looking away.

"Don't worry about it."

"No blazer?"

Eddy grinned as he noticed the smile on his face. "I thought I'd mix it up a little."

Peter shrugged, his voice going up a pitch. "Shame, I like the blazer."

"You've told me."

Eddy had to bite his lip to hold back the grin from widening any further. Ned returned and placed himself on the corner chair, lounging back with his arms behind his head. The old, fuzzy music swiftly began to play, the type of music that once would have sounded futuristic to him.

"How many do you think we'll get through?" Eddy asked as the slanted writing showed on the screen.

"Two if we're lucky," Peter said, laughing as he shoved his friend with his shoe. "Ned gets hungry."

"Peter falls asleep!"

"I thought you loved these films?"

Peter shrugged, his shoulder knocking against Eddy's. "I'm a tired teen. I could sleep through anything."

Ned nodded in agreement. "Yeah. And May makes good popcorn."

As the second film rolled around, Peter had woke himself only once with his head dropping to smack against Eddy's arm. May snorted out a laugh as she passed. For a moment he believed she was going to pull out her camera but as Peter shot up again, folding his arm as if nothing had happened, she disappeared again back to her room.

It was only as a battle in a white screen began, that Eddy was drawn into thinking of Spider-Man again. The first time he'd attempted to watch The Empire Strikes Back it had been under his influence- though that was unknown to the other boy- thanks to the use of the methods during the fight in Germany. He tried not to think that now, for the second time, it was Peter's influence that made him watch the film.

The popcorn was finished by the time the fifth episode finished, and, as if sensing it, Aunt May appeared in the doorway once again. Her hands were wrapped up in a tea towel, a stray piece of popcorn stuck to a strand of her long hair.

"Hey, boys, I've had an idea," she said, as she brushed herself with her hands. "How do we feel about going out for food, rather than staying in?"

"That sounds great, Aunt May," Peter said.

Ned took a moment to answer as he looked between Peter and Eddy. "I've gotta go home, sorry May."

"I'd love to, yeah," Eddy said as he felt eyes rest on him.

"Great. Next time Ned?"

As Ned disappeared around the corner, toward the stairwell, May shut the door and began to walk down the narrow hallway. "Let me just get changed quickly and I'll meet you two here."

"Want to see my room?" Peter asked and Eddy nodded, shortly following after him. "Ned wanted me to show you his lego piece. He was particularly proud."

Peter's room was much like how he'd expected it to be. The walls were blue, stacked with shelves that were close to overflowing with books and files and old, spare pieces of computers and TVs and everything in between. His bed was made but strewn with a crumpled blanket, his shoes kicked off to the side, opposite to the wardrobe which hid an overloaded heap of clothes.

As they entered, Peter made a B line to his small desk, pulling out a stand from beneath the seat and holding it up. The object seemed to be a rounded shape, built with tiny, plastic building blocks, resembling the formidable planet that he'd watched on the screen.

"How long did it take?"

"6 hours."

Eddy laughed at his embarrassed shrug. "Cute."

Peter looked offended. "You did not just call the Lego Death Star cute."

"No, I didn't. Promise," he said truthfully, shaking his head.

Peter spluttered for a few seconds before he formulated an understandable sentence again. "Erm, let me just get changed real quick."

Reaching into his wardrobe, Peter pulled out a top and reached to pull off his own. Eddy blushed, swinging himself around until he stared out of the window. He thought of anything that could distract him from the fact that Peter was topless behind him: the scent of the blown-out candle coming from May's room, coconut and raspberry; the cool breeze that came from the open window that said night would shortly be cutting in, and the feeling of a loose thread from the sleeve of Steve's jumper, tickling against his wrist.

But then his eyes caught a flash of bare skin in the mirror and he forced them shut. Peter was more muscular than his clothes suggested. That was all Eddy let himself think. Clearing his throat, Peter suddenly became awkward as he opened his bedroom door, stepping aside for him to pass. Eddy ducked from the room and led them to the front door where Aunt May was already waiting, her pin-straight hair pulled into a large clip.

"What? What's wrong? Have I smudged my makeup?" May asked as she rubbed beneath her eye. "You both look like you're avoiding saying something."

Eddy turned and caught Peter's eye but neither of them said anything.

"Okay then, let's go before all of the specials are done."

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Sorry for this horrible filler :( Had literally no motivation for this one. Decathlon chapters start in the next one!