Open Up The Ocean

Chapter Ten

"I see that," MJ undid his seatbelt for him and leaned over, opening his door. "Now let's go."

Peter stumbled out of the car, stretching his arms out over his head and wincing at the cracking noises from his spine. Michelle came up behind him and slapped her hand on his lower back, causing him to jump and spin around to look at her.

"Hurry up, Spidey," She smiled and walked ahead, not bothering to look back at him.

Peter sighed and stumbled after, noticing Gwen and Ned with a mountain of food sitting at a table. He sat next to Michelle, cringing at the sticky table. Ned pushed half of the total food towards him and Peter had never felt so happy to see McDonald's before.

There was just something about camping that made food-- unappealing. Not to mention, he'd definitely lost some weight from the little amount of food he'd eaten over the trip. He gave his best friend a thankful look before digging in, shoving nugget after fry after McMuffin into his mouth.

MJ picked at her hot cakes, Ned nibbled on his hashbrown and Gwen just straight up stared.

"What?" Peter said after looking up. "I'm fucking starving."

"Good thing we used Tony Stark's emergency credit card," Ned hummed.

"You what?" Peter squeaked.

"We used the emergency credit card he gave you, he's a billionaire he won't even notice."

"Mr Stark notices everything."

"Ok whatever, this is an emergency anyway, clearly," Ned gestured to the pile of rubbish Peter had produced.

"Ned, you're gonna get me killed."

"Better you than me."

Peter growled and bit into his apple pie, glaring at Ned in a way no one had ever seen from Peter before. He didn't glare, he was too nice (or too much of a pushover, you decide.) Ned and Gwen struck up another conversation which both Michelle and Peter ignored.

He was just about to take another bite out of his food when a hand landed on the inside of his thigh. His knee jumped up, hitting the table above him. Gwen squealed while Ned grabbed her hand and squeezed tightly, MJ laughing loudly. The whole table rattled, the plate that bolted the table to the floor even lifting up slightly. Peter winced and grabbed his knee.

A whine escaped his mouth and he leaned his head on the top of the table, a small laugh bubbling out of him as he took a deep breath.

"Okay, Spider-Man, I'm sure you've been through worse," Michelle said, laughter present in her voice as she rubbed his knee gently.

"Stop call me Spider-Man in public," He whispered, looking up at her with wide eyes and gesturing to the ever-packed McDonalds.

"As if these random people are even listening to our conversation or believe a seventeen-year-old boy who's shorter than his girlfriend is Spider-Man," She rolled her eyes but froze when she realised what she'd just said, her breath hitching in her throat as she looked away from him.

"Girlfriend?" Peter's voice cracked as his own breath collapsed back into his lungs.

"Well," She removed her hand from his leg, looking at Ned and Gwen who quickly turned their backs to Peter and Michelle, whispering to each other about how the eggs at McDonald's probably weren't real eggs. "I didn't mean to say it just slipped out, I don't like labels anyway, they're stupid and pointless and restricting. Besides, it's not like you would want a girlfriend anyway with all that-- stuff-- you have going on. I'm far too busy with Academic Decath--"