Secret Santa - Peter Parker x Reader

Chapter One

    (3:00 p.m, Thrusday)

I pull the hood of my thick winter coat over my head, also pulling my sleeves more over my numb hands and trying to tuck as far as I could into my coat to get away from the frigid December air outside of my cozy bundle.  God, it’s getting cold out.  The only good thing about December is Christmas.  I note to myself.

“Did you hear a word I just said?”  Peter’s amused voice cuts through my deep, distracted thoughts.

“Huh?”  I say in question, shaking my head as I’m walking on the narrow sidewalk next to one of my closest friends since childhood, Peter.  “Oh, yeah, that’s so…  Uh— cool?”

“‘That’s cool..?’”  He has that puzzled look on his face.  The same puzzled look that I’ve always thought was just adorable.  But that said nothing, really.  My heart melts at any face he makes.  “Okay, you definitely were not listening to me,”  he says, chuckling softly as I silently search for an excuse.

“I was listening!”  I finally manage out, knowing he’s caught me in a lie.  My face burns and I just awkwardly look forward as we walk together, afraid of what he’ll say to me next.

“M’kay,”  he concludes finally, pausing as if he’s thinking.  I see a smirk pull at his lips from the corner of my eye.  “Then what did I say?”  he asks after a moment, his smirk turning into a wide grin.  He knows he’s caught me, and now, he’s just waiting in anticipation at how I’ll react.

“Uhm— You said….”  I struggle to think about what he was even talking about, but I have no clue because I haven’t been listening to him at all.  I feel my face flush with embarrassment.  I think about Peter all the time and usually listen to what he says during our conversations.  Why this one time...?  “You said—”

“Wrong!”  Peter triumphantly cuts me off, having the evidence he needs.  I feel him elbow me lightly in the arm playfully.  “I asked if you wanted to stay over for a bit before you went home.  Y’know, maybe watch a couple movies?”

A big smile spreads across my face and I sarcastically tilt my head to make it look like I’m thinking about it.  “I don’t know about that, Peter,”  I respond, the obvious sarcasm dancing and twirling through my voice.  “How many are ‘a couple’?”

Peter laughs, his breath billowing into the cold air.  “You know how many ‘a couple’ is, y/n.  Especially with me.”
I laugh with him, linking my arm with his.  “Of course I’ll stay and watch movies with you.”

Peter brightens at my answer and stops walking.  “Well good, because we’re here.”  He gestures up in front of us.

I stop walking as well, following where he points with my gaze to see that we’re standing at the outside of his tall apartment building.  We’ve just come back from one of our walks that we usually take in the afternoon on days we don’t have school.  I’ve been trying for weeks to convince Peter that it’s too cold to go on walks anymore until the weather starts to warm up, but he doesn’t agree.  I’m forced on walks with him, but I don’t complain much because I enjoy our time together.  And maybe he’s right;  Our walks are special.

“Is May home?”  I ask, walking through the entrance and making my way towards the elevator.  I’m impatient to get into the apartment with the warm blankets and the comfortable couch. I press the button a few times, crossing my arms tightly to my chest afterwards in an attempt to warm up.

Peter shakes his head.  “Later shift this evening," he explains.

As the elevator opens, Peter steps inside.  I quickly follow, shivering as the doors shut us in.  “Oh, alright,”  I say as I rub my hands together, blowing on them to warm them up.