A Night with the Parkers
Jessica sat at the Parker family dinner table, sipping a cup of tea while Mary and Ben Parker looked at her with warmth. Their home felt comfortable, the kind of place built on love, not just walls and furniture.
"So, Jess," Mary said with a smile, setting down her own tea. "How did you and Peter… meet?"
Ben chuckled. "We don't get many visitors claiming to fight crime alongside him."
Jess smirked. "Yeah, well, it's not exactly a normal job. But let's just say Peter and I kept bumping into each other in certain situations—bad guys, explosions, you know, the usual."
Mary gasped, a mix of amusement and concern. "Explosions?"
Ben shook his head. "I don't even wanna know."
Jess leaned forward. "Don't worry. He's careful. And I'm learning to be just as careful. I'm training now, pushing myself harder. Peter's really helping me improve."
Mary's expression softened. "That sounds just like him. Always looking out for people."
"Always," Jess agreed. "I actually wanted to get to know you guys better. You're really important to him, and if I'm gonna be in his life, I should probably know what I'm dealing with." She grinned. "So, tell me. What was Peter like as a kid?"
Mary and Ben lit up.
"Oh! Where do we start?" Mary clasped her hands together. "Did Peter ever tell you that he used to sleep with us until he was ten?"
Jess's eyes widened. "No. No, he did not."
Ben laughed. "Oh, and he stopped wetting the bed at six. We were so proud."
Jess snorted, nearly choking on her tea. "Oh, I'm proud too."
Mary giggled. "He was such a curious boy. Always taking things apart just to see how they worked. Then he'd put them back together—usually better than before."
Ben nodded. "Once, he broke a toy car and ended up turning it into a tiny remote-controlled spider. He said it was practice."
Jess shook her head. "That so sounds like Peter."
"Oh! And his food habits." Mary leaned in, lowering her voice as if revealing a top-secret fact. "He loves spicy food but won't touch too many sweets. We kind of overdid it when he was younger."
Jess raised a brow. "Wait, so… he's all responsible about sugar?"
Ben shrugged. "You'd think so. But then he'll eat an entire bag of red grapes like it's candy."
Jess smirked. "Good to know."
Mary's eyes twinkled. "He still watches cartoons, you know. And comedy shows. But mostly, he's glued to science channels."
Jess grinned. "That's not shocking at all. But what about, like… books? Movies?"
"Oh, he loves mystery and romance," Mary said.
Jess froze mid-sip. "Wait. Romance?"
Ben chuckled. "Why do you sound so surprised?"
Jess blinked. "Because Peter 'awkward-nerd' Parker doesn't act like a romance guy."
Mary smiled. "He doesn't talk about it much, but he's a sucker for a good love story."
Jess filed that piece of information away, mentally smirking. Interesting.
"Oh, and he hates football," Ben added.
Jess snorted. "Yeah, I can totally see that."
"He finds it too brutal. But baseball? Loves it."
Jess chuckled, shaking her head. "Man, this is gold. Peter's gonna hate that I know all of this."
Mary beamed. "Good! It's your job now to tease him about it."
Jess smirked. "Oh, believe me. I will."
Ben leaned back, smiling warmly. "You know, Jessica… Peter's never really brought anyone home like this. Not since middle school."
Mary nodded. "It means a lot. To us, and to him."
Jess felt a sudden warmth in her chest. These people… they really loved Peter. And they were welcoming her into that love without hesitation.
She cleared her throat. "Well, uh… Peter's important to me too."
Mary reached over and gave Jess's hand a gentle squeeze. "Then you're important to us as well."
Jess swallowed, uncharacteristically emotional.
"Thanks, Mrs. Parker. That… that actually means a lot."
Ben smiled. "Call us Mary and Ben. You're family now."
Jess grinned. Yeah. This was definitely a good night.
Jess stretched her sore muscles, wincing as she felt the dull ache settle into her body. Today's training had been brutal—her limbs felt like lead, her reflexes slow, and her eyes were already drooping from exhaustion.
She let out a deep sigh, shaking her head at herself. How had I never tested my limits before? It felt like such an obvious thing to do now, but before Peter had pushed her, she had been coasting.
She face-palmed at her own stupidity, groaning to herself.
Just as she was about to flop onto the couch, Peter walked in.
Without thinking, Jess walked up to him and hugged him, wrapping her arms around his waist.
"Welcome back, dear," she teased with a sly grin. "Would you like dinner, a bath, or… me?"
Peter chuckled, hugging her back. "I'm going to take a bath first, then we'll eat. But before that, how was your training?"
Jess groaned dramatically, resting her forehead on his chest. "It was awful, and I'm running on fumes right now. Look at my droopy eyes—I look like a damn zombie."
Peter smiled, brushing a stray lock of hair from her face. "Good work, Jess. I'm proud of you. Keep it up, and soon we'll be working together properly."
He patted her head, ruffling her hair slightly.
Jess blinked. "Are you treating me like a kid?"
Peter smirked. "You don't like it?"
"No, I don't. You just messed up my hair."
Peter's smirk widened. "I see… then a perv like you would probably like something like this instead."
Before Jess could react, Peter leaned in, whispering into her ear before lightly biting it. He followed up by pressing a soft kiss to the side of her neck.
"H-Hyaa?!"
Jess yelped in shock, her face burning red as she instinctively shoved him away with all her strength.
Unfortunately for Peter, she wasn't normal—a normal man would have been sent flying through the house and straight into the street.
Luckily, Peter was Peter.
He flipped in midair, sticking to the wall with ease before smoothly landing back on his feet.
"I knew it. The neck is your weak point," Peter teased.
Before Jess could retort, a burst of laughter erupted from the doorway.
"That's my boy!"
Ben Parker stood there, grinning like a proud father at Peter's sudden confidence.
"Dad!" Peter turned red.
Ben clapped him on the back, clearly delighted. "Taking initiative, not being a nervous wreck? I thought for a second Naruto was on TV again, but nope—it's you!"
Jess, still flustered, crossed her arms. "H-Hey, don't encourage him!"
Ben simply grinned. "Keep it up, but don't become a deviant. I don't wanna turn on the news one day and see you two wrestling in front of everyone."
Peter's brain short-circuited.
"DAD!"
Jess burst into laughter, clutching her stomach.
Ben just shrugged. "What? I was just reminding you not to go too far. I've heard terrible things about what some young couples do these days, and I'd hate to see you repeat them."
Peter buried his face in his hands, dying inside. "I would never do something so embarrassing in public. That's humiliating."
"Good boy." Ben nodded in approval before shifting the conversation. "And well done on your first day. It was you, wasn't it?"
Peter exhaled, finally relaxing. "Yeah. I started today—I finished my month-long training last night."
Ben smiled knowingly. "And? How did it feel?"
Peter's eyes lit up. "I loved it. The thrill of helping people, the unpredictable nature of it… it's more exciting than I ever imagined."
Ben nodded, his face turning serious. "I see. Keep that excitement under control before you make a mistake. And from now on, do research—you want to be a hero, so act like it. I have notes on crime patterns, law enforcement tactics, and general hero strategies. You can use them as a foundation and build upon them with your own findings."
Peter nodded. "I understand."
Before the conversation could get any deeper, May Parker intervened.
"Dear, stop talking so seriously."
She walked over and hugged Peter warmly. "You just got home, and you haven't even eaten yet. Go take a bath, then come down for dinner."
Peter smiled, nodding. "Got it, mom."
As Peter went upstairs to take his bath, Jess's lips curled into a devious smirk.
Her eyes gleamed with mischief as she slipped away, moving silently toward the bathroom.
Minutes later, just as Peter was relaxing in the bath, the door burst open—
—And SPLAT!
A bucket of bright pink paint came crashing down, covering Peter from head to toe.
Jess cackled like a villain—but before she could enjoy the moment for too long, Peter threw her out of the bathroom, slamming the door behind her.
"You're too childish," Peter called from inside, his laughter following right after.
Jess lay sprawled out in the hallway, hair disheveled, pink paint dripping from her hands.
She huffed.
"…Totally worth it."
After dinner, the Parker household settled into a warm, cozy atmosphere. The evening was peaceful—Peter and Jess had helped May with the dishes, while Ben relaxed in his chair, enjoying the sight of his family together.
Now, sitting on the couch, Peter stretched his arms, feeling the comfortable ache of a day well spent. Jess, sitting beside him, leaned against his shoulder with a content sigh.
"Well?" she nudged him playfully. "How was Spider-Man's first official day on the job?"
Peter smirked. "You mean besides the part where I nearly stole a helicopter?"
Ben, who had been sipping his coffee, choked. "You what?"
Peter grinned, eyes twinkling with mischief. "Okay, okay—so let's start from the beginning."
He cracked his knuckles, getting comfortable before launching into his story.
"So, first thing—" Peter began, "—I drop down into this dark alley where these absolute genius-level masterminds are discussing their illegal dealings out in the open. Like, no effort to be discreet—just full-on 'let's commit felonies right here.'"
Jess snorted. "Geniuses."
Ben shook his head. "Street criminals have never been the brightest bunch."
"Exactly! So I swing down and land right behind them—silent, like a shadow in the night."
Peter paused for dramatic effect, lowering his voice.
"And I go: 'Hey, fellas. You guys wanna hear a really scary story?'"
Jess burst out laughing, already imagining their reactions.
Peter grinned. "One guy screams immediately—I mean, full-on horror movie shriek—and starts running. The other two? One freezes, and the last one tries to act tough."
"Oh no." May, listening from the kitchen, covered her mouth to stifle a giggle.
"Oh yes," Peter confirmed. "So Tough Guy goes, 'Who the hell do you think you are?' And I'm like, 'Buddy, you really don't wanna know the answer to that.'"
Ben chuckled, shaking his head.
Jess nudged him. "So what'd you do?"
Peter grinned wider. "I recorded everything they said—drug deals, locations, names—the whole package. Then, I tied them up like Christmas presents and whispered, 'If I see you idiots again… I'm gonna make sure you regret it.'"
Jess raised an eyebrow. "And?"
"I showed them the recording and implied that next time, I wouldn't just send it to the cops—I'd send it to their boss."
Ben whistled, impressed. "That's a smart move."
"They begged for mercy," Peter said, grinning ear to ear. "I told them, 'Then be good little boys and stay out of trouble.'"
Peter stretched his legs, settling in deeper into the couch.
"Then," he continued, "I had a wonderful encounter with New York's finest."
Jess's eyes widened. "Oh no. What happened?"
Ben frowned. "Did you get into trouble with them already?"
Peter chuckled. "Oh yeah. So I'm swinging through the city, minding my own business, being the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man, when suddenly—BOOM—sirens go off."
Ben rubbed his temples. "Oh boy…"
"And before I know it, they start shooting at me."
Jess nearly choked. "They what?!"
Peter nodded, dead serious. "Yup. Bullets flying, cops yelling, the whole works. It's like they thought I was robbing a bank or something."
May gasped from the kitchen. "They shot at you?!"
"Relax, Aunt May—I caught the bullets." Peter waved her concern off, acting far too casual about it.
Jess gawked at him. "You caught them?"
Peter nodded. "Yeah, but you know what's even funnier?"
"…What?"
"I stole their guns."
Silence.
Ben blinked. "…You did what now?"
Peter laughed, recalling the moment. "I webbed them straight out of their hands—poof, gone. And then—then—I just stood there on a rooftop, looking down at them, holding their weapons like, 'So… uh, you guys done?'"
Jess covered her mouth, trying not to die laughing. "Oh my God."
Peter continued, now laughing himself. "The expressions on their faces? Priceless. It was like watching someone's brain malfunction in real-time."
Ben shook his head, both impressed and exasperated. "And what did you do with the guns?"
Peter grinned. "I webbed them to the top of a flagpole and left a note: 'Shooting at superheroes is rude.'"
Jess collapsed into laughter, tears in her eyes.
Ben let out a deep sigh, but there was a smile on his face. "You're gonna be all over the news tomorrow."
"Oh, I know," Peter said smugly. "But it gets better."
Peter took a deep breath, smirking.
"So at this point, I'm getting a little too into it, right? I'm jumping from rooftop to rooftop when I see this police helicopter flying real low."
Jess sat up straighter. "Oh no."
"Oh yes," Peter said. "I figured, 'Hey, what if I just... took it?'"
Ben stared at him. "…Peter."
"In my defense," Peter held up a finger, "I didn't actually steal it."
Jess deadpanned. "You thought about it."
Peter nodded. "Yeah. I thought about it real hard."
Ben sighed. "What stopped you?"
Peter grinned. "I realized I don't know how to fly a helicopter."
Jess face-palmed. "Thank God for small mercies."
Ben pinched the bridge of his nose, trying not to laugh. "You almost became the first superhero to steal from the NYPD."
Peter grinned unapologetically. "Would've been a fun story."
Jess shook her head, still laughing.
"You're insane."
Peter smirked. "I prefer 'entertaining.'"
By the time the stories were over, the entire Parker household was roaring with laughter. Even May, who had been worried earlier, had tears in her eyes from giggling too much.
As the night wound down, Peter and Jess sat together, their laughter turning into comfortable silence.
Ben smiled at them warmly. "You did good, Pete. Just don't let it go to your head."
Peter nodded, feeling truly content.
Jess yawned, leaning against him again. "Well, Spider-Boy, seems like you're off to an eventful start."
Peter chuckled, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "Wouldn't have it any other way."
And with that, they all turned in early, ready for whatever chaos the next day would bring.
The peaceful quiet of the Parker household was shattered as Peter's radio crackled to life. His eyes snapped open immediately, his brain registering the incoming urgent message.
"Attention all units! We have a 10-99! The 25th Precinct is under attack! Armed assailants—repeat—armed gang members attempting a breakout! Immediate backup required!"
Peter sighed, rubbing his eyes.
"Of course," he thought, sitting up in bed. "I sleep for one hour and suddenly New York turns into Gotham."
Jess, still half-asleep beside him, groaned as she turned over. "Seriously? Already?"
Peter stretched his arms, feeling refreshed, thanks to the chakra-enhanced nap Naruto had taught him. He felt like he had slept a full eight hours even though it had only been one.
Jess peeked at him with one eye, still drowsy. "You really gonna go?"
Peter smirked. "What kind of hero would I be if I ignored this?"
Jess sighed. "Try not to steal any helicopters this time."
"No promises," Peter said, grinning before he slipped on his mask and leaped out of the window.