I’m Not Becoming Spider-Man - Chapter 15: Sleepover (Patreon)

George's police car was parked in front of Peter's house, its red and blue lights flashing. George leaned against it, staring hard at the two little brats standing there with Gwen and Mary Jane.

"All right, I'm heading home now. See you tomorrow!" Gwen said as she climbed into the police car. She'd had a wonderful evening.

Her father's expression, however, was as dark as a storm cloud.

"Good grief, Gwen! Couldn't you have asked me first?" George finally burst out.

"Would you have let me come if I had?" Gwen knew her father well enough to guess the answer.

"If it was reasonable, of course I would."

"How is this not reasonable? It was a club activity, and none of them are bad people!"

"You barely know these kids yet. Listen, Gwen, I've seen plenty of students get taken advantage of at parties like that. If you drink something you shouldn't..."

"Oh, enough already! Peter and Harley are perfectly normal people. Even Mary Jane is normal! What are you imagining, Dad?"

"I'm only telling you to be careful! Some things, once you try them..."

"I'm not a little kid anymore!"

"You certainly don't act much older than one," George replied with a frown.

He'd been working overtime on patrol earlier and had planned to call Gwen to check whether she'd remembered to eat dinner. She had a habit of neglecting things like that.

Instead, he'd discovered she was off playing board games at somebody else's house.

He wouldn't have minded nearly as much if she'd invited the others to their own home. But she'd gone all the way to a neighborhood on the outskirts, somewhere that didn't have the best reputation for safety.

George had felt compelled to leave work and come pick her up himself.

Gwen resented his lecture. As far as she was concerned, George was hardly a model father himself, given how often he was absent from home.

And so father and daughter continued their cold war that evening.

...

With Gwen gone, three young people remained at Peter's house. They'd been playing a tabletop game, but it was getting late.

"Isn't he going home yet?" Mary Jane asked impatiently. She'd been waiting for everyone else to leave so she could find an excuse to stay, but Harley showed no sign of going anywhere.

"Oh, Harley's staying here tonight," Peter said. "What's wrong with my best buddy spending the night? What about you, Mary Jane? Don't tell me you're planning to shamelessly stay over too."

"..." Mary Jane folded her arms and glared at Peter, then shot another angry look at Harley, who was busy rolling dice.

"Oh, Peter, a critical success! Looks like that kobold's finished... Um, what's wrong?" Harley looked up, caught Mary Jane's hostile stare, and instinctively shrank back.

"Hmph!" Mary Jane stood up and left without another word.

At least that Gwen girl hadn't managed to get her way. That was what mattered.

Harley scratched her head. "Uh, is Mary Jane all right?"

"She's fine. Come on, let's keep going," Peter said. "But you're the only adventurer who's made it this far, and there are still three kobolds left!"

"Um... can I take control of the other two adventurers, then?"

"Sure, but I hope you won't get upset with the strange character build Mary Jane came up with."

The two of them played a little longer. Eventually, Aunt May knocked on the door and called, "All right, boys! It's getting late. Time to get ready for bed. You've both got school tomorrow!"

"Oh... right... Is it time for bed already?" Harley asked.

"Looks like it. All right, buddy, go take a shower and get changed... Hmm." Peter suddenly realized something. "Wait. Did you bring any clothes?"

"I... don't think I did."

Peter couldn't help laughing. He patted her shoulder. "All right, give me a second."

He rummaged through his closet. "These pajamas are a little old, and they're nothing compared to those expensive clothes of yours, but I hope you'll like them."

He held up a green dinosaur onesie.

"Oh, Peter... um..."

"What? Don't you like it?" Peter sounded a little worried. Dinosaur pajamas were cool, weren't they?

"It's not that. I just never expected you to wear something like that."

"Ha! Then wait until you see what I'm wearing tonight!" He pulled out another onesie, this time shaped like a big bear. "Look, buddy! I put this on, zip it up, and I'm a bear!"

"That's hilarious. Well, I'm going to shower." Harley took the dinosaur pajamas and headed toward the bathroom.

"Oh, wait! One more thing. These are new." Peter pulled out a fresh pair of boxer shorts and handed them over.

"Um... okay. Thanks, Peter." Harley hadn't really planned on wearing any. The pajamas were a one-piece suit, after all, so it wouldn't have caused a problem.

She entered the cramped bathroom on the second floor. Peter was its only regular user, and the cabinets were full of his personal belongings: his toothbrush, toothpaste, and the bath products he liked.

There were even two little rubber ducks sitting on a shelf.

Harley looked around, then suddenly burst into laughter.

Peter was much cuter than she'd imagined. She'd pictured a dull, serious science nerd, not a boy who kept rubber ducks in his bathroom.

As she undressed and studied her slight figure in the mirror, Harley felt an unexpected surge of happiness.

The room was narrow and small, but it felt lived in. Warm.

Nothing like the spacious bathroom in her own home, with its endless expanse of cold tile.

"My hair... Maybe I should try growing it out," she murmured, leaning closer to the mirror and running her fingers through the short strands.

Her mother, Norma, wore her own hair long and had always insisted Harley should behave like a proper young lady. Harley had cut hers short out of sheer rebellion. But now... perhaps it was worth reconsidering.

I think the longer, the better.

"Ah! Wh-who said that?!" Harley jumped. Had she just heard a voice?

"I... must have imagined it." She took a few unsteady breaths. "Maybe I'm just exhausted. I've never done so much in one day before."

She turned on the shower. The warm water running over her skin gradually calmed her down.

Knock! Knock!

"Oh, right, Harley!"

Peter's voice suddenly sounded through the door. Harley immediately crouched down and wrapped her arms around herself.

"Wh-what is it, Peter?!" she asked nervously.

She knew he probably wouldn't burst in unannounced, but her heart still raced at the possibility.

What if he really did open the door?

"The towels in there are mine, but you're welcome to use them. Same goes for the toiletries. I just wanted to ask if you'd prefer a fresh towel."

"Ah, no, no! It's fine! I'll use yours!" Harley called out quickly.

"Oh, okay." Peter left as soon as he'd received his answer.

"Phew... Honestly, why am I so nervous?" Harley muttered as she stood up again. "Peter isn't that kind of guy."