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There's currently nothing but absolute bullshit filing Peter's ears.
Peter had been just been at his day job, at the daily bugle, when one of his coworkers had slid his chair next to Peter's and showed him his phone. It read, and Peter quotes— "Jonathan Storm admits to being single!"
.
.
.
Peter swears he felt his throat close up.
The man he kissed goodbye LITERALLY 2 hours ago is now presumably SINGLE????
No. Fucking. Way.
His coworkers rambling on and on about how "even someone as hot as Storm doesn't get any girls" when Peter stands up, and excuses himself to the bathroom.
///////
Peter just... Stares.
Stares at his reflection in the mirror, hands gripping the sink hard enough to crack it just a bit, and thinks.
Thinks about all of those 13 months he spent with Johnny after Johnny confessed to him, in the dark, understanding that Johnny is just a little afraid to come out to the public.
Peter didn't even REALIZE a year and one month had passed by, until just now.
How could Johnny even... Do this? To Peter? To himself? To THEIR OWN relationship?
Peter feels immeasurably sad right now. He figures he'll keep on working, and when he gets home, make Johnny explain.
///////
Johnny's just humming to himself in the kitchen of his and Peter's apartment, headphones on, making some sandwiches. Peter is probably going to be home soon— Johnny really wants to order some KFC tonight. He's really craving some chicken tenders right now.
He hears their front door unlock.
Johnny leaves the sandwich half down on the counter, and puts down his headphones to go and greet Peter. And possibly also make out by the front door. Who knows.
Johnny sees Pete putting down his bag, and looking a bit... Sad. "Baby?" Johnny asks, approaching Peter.
Peter looks back at him, silent. He looks away again, loosening his tie.
"...what's wrong?" Johnny's getting worried now.
Peter sighs, and looks straight at Johnny. He opens his mouth to say something, closes it again, swallows a lump in his throat, and finally speaks.
"You're... Single?"
Johnny blinks. "Huh?"
"T-the tweet. My- my- my coworker showed me the tweet. You said you're single."
Johnny stills. Shit. He'd said that off-handedly, like, a month ago! Why's it being brought up NOW??
"I- well- uhm-"
"Johnny."
"...?"
"Are you serious?"
"..."
Johnny sighs. "Well, Pete... I couldn't exactly say I have a BOYFRIEND, could i??"
Peter is BAFFLED. "You... Could. You literally COULD."
Johnny begins to speak, but Peter speaks over him. "It's been a year and ONE MONTH?? I- I dont— I don't WANT to be in a silent relationship, Johnny!"
"It's not that way, Peter..." Johnny whined out.
"It IS that way, Johnny!"
"Well- I- errrrm-" Johnny is currently racking his brain for excuses.
Peter sees Johnny fidgeting with his fingers— usually a sign he's nurvous.
Peter sighs, tries to calm down. "I... I shouldn't have yelled. I'm sorry."
Johnny looks up, confused. "I— uh— i-it's okay. I get it..."
"But really, Johnny, i... i don't understand. Why are you doing this to us?"
Johnny is doing everything in his power to avoid eye contact. "T.. the media would tear me apart if they found out, Peter..."
"Well, have you tried?" Peter is looking at Johnny with such hope and love in his eyes. Johnny hates it.
"I..."
"It's not natural Pete, We—"
"...what?" Peter is flabbergasted.
"..." Did Johnny say something wrong?
"What do you mean 'its not natural'?"
"I-it's not. Like, I- we're- we're both guys, and—"
Peter's hurt, angry, disappointed, all at once. "You don't care about that when I'm taking care of you after we fucked?? You don't care about that when I have my tounge down your throat?" He looks Johnny in the eyes.
He continues, "You don't care about that when— when we cuddle???? You DIDN'T care about that THIS morning when you kissed me goodbye!"
Johnny goes silent.
Peter stares him down, and Johnny finally speaks.
"You don't get it—"
"What DON'T I get??? tell me!" Peter doesn't raise his voice often. But now is a pretty valid reason to.
Johnny groans. "You've NEVER had to deal with the fucking world wanting to know who you're kissing and cuddling and fucking with! I GREW UP into that shit! SO," he looks Peter dead in the eyes.
"If I say NOW that I'm in love with a MAN, then I'll loose EVERYTHING??"
"No you won't?? What are you—"
"I will!"
"You have US! You have me and Sue and Reed and, and Ben and—"
"You're FAMILY! That's different!"
"Why do you care about strangers so much??"
"Peter, just!—"
They continued arguing for a bit, voices overlapping one another, both hurt and trying to understand each other but failing miserably— wanting own pain to be registered, first.
Finally, Peter yells out— "I WON'T STAY IN A RELATIONSHIP WHERE I'M A DIRTY LITTLE SECRET, JOHNNY!"
Johnny goes silent.
Peter points to his side, as if he's pointing to his past— "I've spent YEARS hiding parts of myself! First in school with how I had different interests, then my fucking powers as spiderman everybody looked up to, then the bruises I got from bullying, and now I have to hide THIS, too!?"
Peter looks at a Johnny that's looking away. "I'm able to voice ONE thing about myself and it's the fact that I'm pansexual. I'm okay with you taking a little time to ready yourself to tell everyone, but I'm NOT okay with you DENYING me!"
"I'm not DENYING you—"
"YOU ARE!"
Silence.
Uncomfortable, uneasy silence, full of feelings both men want to voice but don't know how to.
Finally, Johnny murmurs— "I wish you were a girl, Peter..."
Peter stares at Johnny with a wide-eyed look.
"I- I wish we could be normal, like Sue and Reed or Ben and Alicia or... Or our next door neighbours— literally anyone."
Johnny looks at Peter with tears in his eyes, not expecting to see Peter tearing up, too. "I'm—"
Peter stops Johnny with a raised hand, and Johnny shuts up.
After a little bit, Peter finally asks—
"Do you mean that?"
"..."
"Johnny... Do you?"
"...A little bit."
Peter sucks in a deep, deep breath.
He grabs his jacket that's hanging on the back of the front door— they've been standing here this whole time. "I'll- I'll go to the Avengers tower for a bit."
Johnny is confused. "Wait, what?-"
"If something happens, text me. If not, then awsome. I- I'll- I'll be back later."
Johnny looks at Peter's back as Peter opens the front door again. "Peter—"
Peter's already left.
.
.
.
Johnny's now standing there, in silence, air full of things unsaid yet everything HAD been said.
He looks at his phone still on the counter of the kitchen, sitting besides his headphones and (probably stale by now) sandwich.
Oh god, he's the worst.
How's he even gonna make it UP to Pete NOW...???
"Godddddddd...." He groans, heels of his palms pressed to his eyes, and heads the bedroom.
"I need to write a note and send it over to Peter using a Pigeon or something, man..."
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