< Marvel > A Christmas Story
Title: A Christmas Story
Authors: crazedwolf
Rating: G
Series: MU: Spider-man and Avengers: The Initiative
Characters: Peter Parker, Patrick
Warnings: Nadda~ Just sad times and fluffy stuff.
Summary: “Christmas always makes me remember.”
Author's Notes:
Merry Christmas everyone!
This is part of my holiday exchange with candyflosskillr and I definitely kind of ran away with it. x3 She wanted a fic about Pete and Patrick spending Christmas Eve together and the idea was just too cute to pass up. It was hard not to write it without some sadness creeping in so it took on a different tone than I was originally planning but I like it better this way.
I hope you enjoy it my dear! And have a wonderful holiday!
It was still all so new to him but then again, everything was in the long run. But holidays weren't something he was use to whatsoever so when he had been invited to spend Christmas with a friend he had been hesitant.
But where else did he have to go?
Hands curled around a mug of cocoa, Patrick watched the snow falling outside, the clone perched on the window sill as music played quietly over the radio that his host had set up. Down below on the street he could see people bustling about, heading home from work to spend the eve and the coming holiday with their families, some carrying packages, others trying to flag a taxi, but all seemingly at ease. It was a strange sight, given the usual hustle and bustle of the city they lived in, almost confusing in a way, but, at the same time, with all he had learned thus far of the holidays, it was understandable. Apparently the holiday had a sort of calming effect on most people.
Before he had even ventured into the city for the holiday, Patrick had inquired of a few of his teammates about the holiday, wanting to know more than his initial 'programing' had given him. (Which wasn't much considering how 'useless' holidays were to the Baron.) Vance had been more than happy to explain things to him a little more in depth, the others tossing in comments here and there. The basic gist had definitely been gotten by the clone but the experience was still going to be interesting, that much he already knew.
“You okay, kid?”
Snapped out of his thoughts by the voice, Patrick's head turned as he looked at the other young man that had reentered the room with a mug f cocoa of his own, a half smile touching his lips as the clone nodded.
“Yes.”
“You seemed a little lost there.”
“Just thinking,” he murmured, glancing back at the window before back to his host. Pete's smile grew a bit, staying soft as he moved over to take up residence on the couch, a content sound escaping him as he got off his feet, lifting his mug to take a sip of the steaming liquid.
“What about? If you don't mind me asking.”
“Just...this. Christmas. What it is, why people celebrate it--”
“So you're over thinking things as usual?” Pete teased, smile twitching into a grin as Patrick blinked and, for a brief moment, looked like a deer caught in the headlights. “I'm teasing, I'm teasing. I know Christmas wasn't exactly on your agenda before. But don't think so much. Just enjoy it. It's a lot easier that way.”
“...If you say so,” Patrick murmured after a moment, mimicking Pete as he took a sip of his cocoa finally. Silence fell over the pair as the song ended and melted into another, a gentle piano tune taking over. The silence became an almost comfortable one as Pete seemed to let himself get taken over by the music, eyes closed as he let himself get lost in thought. Unable to help himself, the clone found himself watching the original spider, curious as to what the other was thinking about but too proper to actually inquire. They stayed like that for a good chunk of time, one thinking and the other watching, until finally Pete's eyes opened, gaze locking with the clone's. Patrick noted immediately the faraway, almost sad look in the other young man's gaze and his brow furrowed some, a worried sort of look flickering through his eyes.
“Are you alright?” he murmured, shifting on the windowsill, the leg that had been propped up falling to the ground as he set his mug where it had once been resting. Pete shrugged slightly, not moving otherwise as he looked past Patrick to the snow falling a little heavier outside.
“Remembering is all.” The clone's head tilted and Pete couldn't help the chuckle that escaped him. “Friends and family.”
“Ones that were lost?” came the question and there was a sad note to Patrick's voice as he said it, a few memories flickering through his mind before he could stop them.
“Some, yes. Others are just not here is all, off in other cities doing their own thing,” Pete explained, gaze focusing. “I can't help but think about them around this time of year I guess. The season really makes you realize what you could have done different and what you wouldn't change for the world. That's what Aunt May always use to tell me.”
“...Talking might help too.”
“Yeah, probably...” Pete murmured, trailing off as he took a sip of his cocoa, absently licking his lips a bit as he shifted and set the mug down on the floor. The clone waited, watching each movement the other made, unable to help it as his brain analyzed and made assessments of what each little move meant, thinking about things a little too thoroughly. He was well aware of the sadness, that was most obvious in the others actions, but there was also a tinge of regret lingering in the others eyes and a loneliness that came from years of loss. A part of Patrick found it kind of funny that, despite how different they were, they were still so much the same, feeling the same things and wishing they could redo what had been done.
“I knew someone...someone that you would have gotten along with really well.”
The words were sudden and unexpected, Patrick looking up only to note that Pete wasn't really looking at him, despite actually talking to the clone.
He was looking at something that no one else could see.
“Who?” he inquired softly, leaning against the window a bit as he settled in for the story he hoped was coming.
“He..his name was Ben. Ben Riley. Long story short, he was a clone, like you, but of me,” Pete explained softly, a hint of a laugh lingering behind his words as he shook his head. “For a long time I thought I was the clone and that Ben was the real Peter Parker. It was a real mess, let me tell you, but we eventually got it all sorted out. He ended up calling himself the Scarlet Spider for a long time and we worked together and he even took over for me when...” He paused, a deep sadness appearing on his face before he shook his head and it was gone. Patrick bit back the questions he had, shifting a touch as his host continued. “He was kind of that brother I never had, you know? Sure there were a lot of crazy things that happened but he was a good guy, a really good guy.”
“What happened to him?” Patrick interrupted before he could stop himself, wincing just a touch as he mentally berated himself for being so rude. Pete didn't seem to mind though, a sigh slipping past his lips as his eyes closed.
“..He died..saving me.” The words brought silence upon the pair once more, Patrick not knowing what to say or do as Pete just sat there, looking as though he had fallen asleep but the clone knew better; knew that the other was still aware of what was going on despite being so trapped in his thoughts. Tearing his gaze away from the scene, the clone glanced out the window once more, the snow falling so heavily by that point that it was almost a white out. He tilted his head a touch to rest the side of it against he cold glass, his own thoughts straying to those of his brothers whom he had lost, knowing exactly what Peter must have been feeling.
Again with that whole 'so different, yet so similar' thing.
A small voice in the back of his head urged him to speak, urged him to find comfort with someone who understood what he had been through and he hesitantly glanced back at the other spider, pausing only a moment before he silently slipped off the windowsill and sank down onto the couch. The sudden added weight made Pete open his eyes, a confusion there as if, for a moment, he had indeed forgotten he had someone in the apartment with him.
“Sorry I--”
“It's alright...I understand,” Patrick interrupted, head tilted just a touch as he gave the other an understanding look. Something flickered across Pete's face, several emotions that Pat couldn't catch but in the end, he could see the grateful look in the other's eyes, the sadness still lingering but it had been pushed back.
“...Thanks, kid,” came the response accompanied by a faint smile, one that Patrick returned. The moment was broken as the gentle piano melody was replaced by a more jaunty, upbeat tune; an almost jazzy piano version of a classic tune. The tension and sadness seemed to drain out of both of them as Pete sat up, giving the other spider more room on the couch as his smile melted into his classic grin, the young man reaching over to ruffle Patrick's hair. “Alright, enough of all this sappy stuff. I think it's time to break into the loads of Christmas cookies that Aunt May sent. What do you think?”
Unable to help it this time, Patrick chuckled, reaching up to knock the other's hand away.
“Sounds good to me.”
“Come on then,” Pete said merrily as he climbed to his feet and pulled his comrade up, hooking an arm around his shoulders as he steered him towards the kitchen. “You haven't tasted cookies until you taste Aunt May's! I'm telling you, the bakeries around here don't have anything on her!” he boasted as they disappeared into the kitchen as, out in the living room, the tune changed once again and another gentle tune played though neither heard as they laughed over a joke that had been told by the older wall-crawler, their spirits brightening as they found in each other a comfort, a likeness, that made all the pain seem to disappear.
”Have yourself a merry little Christmas,
Let your heart be light
From now on,
our troubles will be out of sight”
Authors: crazedwolf
Rating: G
Series: MU: Spider-man and Avengers: The Initiative
Characters: Peter Parker, Patrick
Warnings: Nadda~ Just sad times and fluffy stuff.
Summary: “Christmas always makes me remember.”
Author's Notes:
Merry Christmas everyone!
This is part of my holiday exchange with candyflosskillr and I definitely kind of ran away with it. x3 She wanted a fic about Pete and Patrick spending Christmas Eve together and the idea was just too cute to pass up. It was hard not to write it without some sadness creeping in so it took on a different tone than I was originally planning but I like it better this way.
I hope you enjoy it my dear! And have a wonderful holiday!
It was still all so new to him but then again, everything was in the long run. But holidays weren't something he was use to whatsoever so when he had been invited to spend Christmas with a friend he had been hesitant.
But where else did he have to go?
Hands curled around a mug of cocoa, Patrick watched the snow falling outside, the clone perched on the window sill as music played quietly over the radio that his host had set up. Down below on the street he could see people bustling about, heading home from work to spend the eve and the coming holiday with their families, some carrying packages, others trying to flag a taxi, but all seemingly at ease. It was a strange sight, given the usual hustle and bustle of the city they lived in, almost confusing in a way, but, at the same time, with all he had learned thus far of the holidays, it was understandable. Apparently the holiday had a sort of calming effect on most people.
Before he had even ventured into the city for the holiday, Patrick had inquired of a few of his teammates about the holiday, wanting to know more than his initial 'programing' had given him. (Which wasn't much considering how 'useless' holidays were to the Baron.) Vance had been more than happy to explain things to him a little more in depth, the others tossing in comments here and there. The basic gist had definitely been gotten by the clone but the experience was still going to be interesting, that much he already knew.
“You okay, kid?”
Snapped out of his thoughts by the voice, Patrick's head turned as he looked at the other young man that had reentered the room with a mug f cocoa of his own, a half smile touching his lips as the clone nodded.
“Yes.”
“You seemed a little lost there.”
“Just thinking,” he murmured, glancing back at the window before back to his host. Pete's smile grew a bit, staying soft as he moved over to take up residence on the couch, a content sound escaping him as he got off his feet, lifting his mug to take a sip of the steaming liquid.
“What about? If you don't mind me asking.”
“Just...this. Christmas. What it is, why people celebrate it--”
“So you're over thinking things as usual?” Pete teased, smile twitching into a grin as Patrick blinked and, for a brief moment, looked like a deer caught in the headlights. “I'm teasing, I'm teasing. I know Christmas wasn't exactly on your agenda before. But don't think so much. Just enjoy it. It's a lot easier that way.”
“...If you say so,” Patrick murmured after a moment, mimicking Pete as he took a sip of his cocoa finally. Silence fell over the pair as the song ended and melted into another, a gentle piano tune taking over. The silence became an almost comfortable one as Pete seemed to let himself get taken over by the music, eyes closed as he let himself get lost in thought. Unable to help himself, the clone found himself watching the original spider, curious as to what the other was thinking about but too proper to actually inquire. They stayed like that for a good chunk of time, one thinking and the other watching, until finally Pete's eyes opened, gaze locking with the clone's. Patrick noted immediately the faraway, almost sad look in the other young man's gaze and his brow furrowed some, a worried sort of look flickering through his eyes.
“Are you alright?” he murmured, shifting on the windowsill, the leg that had been propped up falling to the ground as he set his mug where it had once been resting. Pete shrugged slightly, not moving otherwise as he looked past Patrick to the snow falling a little heavier outside.
“Remembering is all.” The clone's head tilted and Pete couldn't help the chuckle that escaped him. “Friends and family.”
“Ones that were lost?” came the question and there was a sad note to Patrick's voice as he said it, a few memories flickering through his mind before he could stop them.
“Some, yes. Others are just not here is all, off in other cities doing their own thing,” Pete explained, gaze focusing. “I can't help but think about them around this time of year I guess. The season really makes you realize what you could have done different and what you wouldn't change for the world. That's what Aunt May always use to tell me.”
“...Talking might help too.”
“Yeah, probably...” Pete murmured, trailing off as he took a sip of his cocoa, absently licking his lips a bit as he shifted and set the mug down on the floor. The clone waited, watching each movement the other made, unable to help it as his brain analyzed and made assessments of what each little move meant, thinking about things a little too thoroughly. He was well aware of the sadness, that was most obvious in the others actions, but there was also a tinge of regret lingering in the others eyes and a loneliness that came from years of loss. A part of Patrick found it kind of funny that, despite how different they were, they were still so much the same, feeling the same things and wishing they could redo what had been done.
“I knew someone...someone that you would have gotten along with really well.”
The words were sudden and unexpected, Patrick looking up only to note that Pete wasn't really looking at him, despite actually talking to the clone.
He was looking at something that no one else could see.
“Who?” he inquired softly, leaning against the window a bit as he settled in for the story he hoped was coming.
“He..his name was Ben. Ben Riley. Long story short, he was a clone, like you, but of me,” Pete explained softly, a hint of a laugh lingering behind his words as he shook his head. “For a long time I thought I was the clone and that Ben was the real Peter Parker. It was a real mess, let me tell you, but we eventually got it all sorted out. He ended up calling himself the Scarlet Spider for a long time and we worked together and he even took over for me when...” He paused, a deep sadness appearing on his face before he shook his head and it was gone. Patrick bit back the questions he had, shifting a touch as his host continued. “He was kind of that brother I never had, you know? Sure there were a lot of crazy things that happened but he was a good guy, a really good guy.”
“What happened to him?” Patrick interrupted before he could stop himself, wincing just a touch as he mentally berated himself for being so rude. Pete didn't seem to mind though, a sigh slipping past his lips as his eyes closed.
“..He died..saving me.” The words brought silence upon the pair once more, Patrick not knowing what to say or do as Pete just sat there, looking as though he had fallen asleep but the clone knew better; knew that the other was still aware of what was going on despite being so trapped in his thoughts. Tearing his gaze away from the scene, the clone glanced out the window once more, the snow falling so heavily by that point that it was almost a white out. He tilted his head a touch to rest the side of it against he cold glass, his own thoughts straying to those of his brothers whom he had lost, knowing exactly what Peter must have been feeling.
Again with that whole 'so different, yet so similar' thing.
A small voice in the back of his head urged him to speak, urged him to find comfort with someone who understood what he had been through and he hesitantly glanced back at the other spider, pausing only a moment before he silently slipped off the windowsill and sank down onto the couch. The sudden added weight made Pete open his eyes, a confusion there as if, for a moment, he had indeed forgotten he had someone in the apartment with him.
“Sorry I--”
“It's alright...I understand,” Patrick interrupted, head tilted just a touch as he gave the other an understanding look. Something flickered across Pete's face, several emotions that Pat couldn't catch but in the end, he could see the grateful look in the other's eyes, the sadness still lingering but it had been pushed back.
“...Thanks, kid,” came the response accompanied by a faint smile, one that Patrick returned. The moment was broken as the gentle piano melody was replaced by a more jaunty, upbeat tune; an almost jazzy piano version of a classic tune. The tension and sadness seemed to drain out of both of them as Pete sat up, giving the other spider more room on the couch as his smile melted into his classic grin, the young man reaching over to ruffle Patrick's hair. “Alright, enough of all this sappy stuff. I think it's time to break into the loads of Christmas cookies that Aunt May sent. What do you think?”
Unable to help it this time, Patrick chuckled, reaching up to knock the other's hand away.
“Sounds good to me.”
“Come on then,” Pete said merrily as he climbed to his feet and pulled his comrade up, hooking an arm around his shoulders as he steered him towards the kitchen. “You haven't tasted cookies until you taste Aunt May's! I'm telling you, the bakeries around here don't have anything on her!” he boasted as they disappeared into the kitchen as, out in the living room, the tune changed once again and another gentle tune played though neither heard as they laughed over a joke that had been told by the older wall-crawler, their spirits brightening as they found in each other a comfort, a likeness, that made all the pain seem to disappear.
”Have yourself a merry little Christmas,
Let your heart be light
From now on,
our troubles will be out of sight”