Peter Parker & Tom Holland Imagines

miss americana & the heartbreak prince pt. 8

I sigh as I step out of the Iron Heart suit and grab my tools from my workbench in the lab. It's been weird going on patrols without Peter. He still doesn't believe that he can be Spiderman without the suit, which we will always disagree on, but every day I do my best to remind him of it and everything he taught me. No matter how long it takes, I'll keep going until he knows it for himself.

"How was patrol?" Tony asks without looking up from what he's working on.

"The usual, which is to say mostly purse and bike snatchers and the occasional tourist about to get conned. But I was having some delay with the blasters. So I need to fix that before I go out again."

It's quiet for a while as Tony and I work on our projects. "So, how's the kid? Or at least, the other kid."

"He's having a hard time, but he's trying to pretend it's all okay." I focus as intently as possible on my suit. "Plus, it doesn't help that I'm still patrolling and working here. It sucks because I feel like any time I say something about it, I'm just rubbing it in his face. I know he probably doesn't see it that way, but I just feel like no matter what I do I'm a crappy girlfriend."

"You know, if you want, I can take your suit too." He leans against the work table and watches me as he says, "Do you believe you're a hero without a fancy suit?"

I stop for a second. This isn't the first time I've thought about it. In fact, it's been circling through my head in the weeks since Tony took the suit. "Yeah, I do." I reply with a confidence I wasn't expecting. "It's funny. If you had asked me the same question last year or even a few months ago, I would've immediately said I'm not a hero and never would be."

"What changed?"

"As stupid and cliche as it sounds? Peter changed my mind. I guess, I spent so long hiding away and trying to make myself as small and invisible as possible, I never thought I'd be anything to anyone. Then, I met Peter, and suddenly, I was someone to him.

"You know, he was the first person who didn't act like I was crazy when I told him that my dream was to working with you. I mean, my parents were supportive, but everyone else acted like I was nuts and could never do it.

"Thing is, I know who I am. I know my limits. I know I'm just a regular teenager, who just happens to be good at science. And I used to think that's how I would help people—I might not be able to save the world, but maybe I could help one person. That's all I needed—just to save someone, and I'd be happy.

"And who knows, maybe that person would go on to do something amazing and save the world somehow.

"Then I met Peter, and I finally realized I couldn't save anyone if I didn't save myself first. Funny thing is, I started to believe that maybe it could be me. Maybe I could be someone who saves the world, who makes a difference, who could be a hero.

"So, no, I don't need the suit to know who I am. Because now, I'm determined to be the best person I can be—the best hero I can be—with or without one." I sigh and set my tools aside, "Now, I'm just waiting for Peter to realize the same thing."

"He will." Tony states. "He's a good kid. It's only a matter of time before he realizes this is what he's meant to be."

"That's what I'm hoping for." I sigh and go back to working on the suit in front of me. It's not until I'm nearly finished and my phone starts ringing that I bother to check the time.

"Shoot. Is it really already 1?" I ask myself and answer the phone. "Hey, Mom, i swear, I'm heading down now. I just lost track of time working on this project."

Mr. Stark offers me a look, and I lower my phone. "I forgot to ask, is it okay if I leave early? I completely spaced that it's homecoming today, and my mom's here to pick me up."