Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

In the concrete jungle known as Manhattan, the Fantastic Four battled an alien invasion.

In Queens, Johnny was stuck in AP Chem.

Since the incident, Sue had started telling him that grades mattered more than heroics right now. She said that Johnny should focus on being a kid.

But Johnny didn’t want to be a kid. He wanted to be a star.

As he stared out the window, he couldn’t help but dream of flaming on, zipping through the city, and absolutely torching those bitches.

Instead, he was stuck in a lab on his first day of school.

All Johnny wanted was to kick alien ass.

From the moment he saw Johnny, Peter Parker was intrigued. Astronaut at 17, a superhero at that same age. Everyone else wanted his autograph, or a selfie, or to be his BFF just to say that they’re friends with a superhero. 

Peter just wanted to get to know him.

He figured they could be, like, super-friends together. Teaming up, fighting crime, and looking amazing while doing it.

Unfortunately for him, Johnny Storm had no clue who Peter Parker was. And Peter didn’t have the courage to go up and show him.

Today, he had his chance.

By some miraculous stroke of luck, Peter and Johnny had AP Chem together, and they were seat partners! Peter would finally get his chance to talk to this new kid, to learn all about him.

All Peter wanted was a friend.

All Johnny wanted was to kick alien ass.

Somehow, their wants would collide.

As Johnny sat down next to Peter, he felt ready to explode. He wanted to be engulfed by the flames. He wanted to fly.

Peter wanted to be down in Manhattan, too. Of course he did! But, for some reason, he stayed in class. 

He wouldn’t ever admit it, but maybe it was just to meet the new boy.

He looked at Johnny for a bit too long. His goldenrod hair shone in the autumn sun, and his eyes were as blue as lightning. His skin was fair and unblemished, and his cheekbones were defined. He had an aura of coolness surrounding him. Peter couldn’t help but look.

Johnny looked at Peter, who swiftly turned his head to look out the window, silently panicking.

“Hey.”

One simple word, and Peter’s stomach flipped. His voice was like honey, smooth and sultry. Even in his despair, his tone still portrayed a sense of liveliness. His face portrayed the opposite feeling.

“Oh, um, h-hi.”

God, why was he being so awkward?! It’s just another kid. Keep it together, Peter!

As he struggled to keep himself together, the teacher passed out a worksheet on the periodic table.

Johnny groaned. Ugh, why couldn’t he be fighting aliens? He should be with his team! Instead, he was stuck with a nerd.

He assessed said nerd, trying to understand him. He had tan skin, basic brown hair, and startling hazel eyes. He was good-looking enough, Johnny supposed. But, he wasn’t hot or anything.

Johnny? Johnny was hot. Literally and figuratively. Everybody knew it, including Peter.

Peter stared down at his worksheet, trying to ignore the guy next to him. He got nervous just looking at him! Why???

Peter took a deep breath, composing himself and his thoughts. He decided to try and strike up a conversation. You can’t make friends without talking, right?

“Soooo, you’re new here, right?”

“Mm-hm.”

Johnny didn’t want to talk. He was too busy wallowing in self-pity. But Peter was not backing down that easily.

“How do you like it?” 

Please say more than one word, please say more than one word…

“It’s nice.”

TWO WORDS!

Look, it was a start.

Johnny stared down at his worksheet, trying to ignore the guy next to him. God, he seemed clingy. However, Johnny couldn’t deny that he had a certain charm going for him. Nerd rizz?

Whatever. It’s not like Johnny cared.

At that moment, Reed sent an “all clear” text to Johnny. The crisis was averted, and Johnny had missed everything.

He sighed deeply, and Peter asked, “ Everything good?”

“I missed all the action. For chemistry.”

He buried his face in his hands dramatically, pushing his hair away from his face. Peter had a small moral dilemma before softly patting Johnny on the shoulder. “There’ll be other invasions.”

Johnny let out a small chuckle, despite his crappy mood. 

That chuckle was the first step to friendship.

And Peter was ecstatic.

Chapter Text

After chemistry, Johnny and Peter walked out of Midtown High together, chatting. Johnny had decided to regale Peter with his origin story, and he hung on to every word.

What was this feeling? Intrigue? Interest? Desire? Peter had no clue, and he didn’t care to find out. He figured that, with all the variables, it would only make things more complicated.

“Hey, what’re you doing after school on Friday?” Johnny asked Peter, who quickly began to stammer. After school, he patrolled for about an hour before going back home and watching a sci-fi movie with Aunt May.

Obviously, he couldn’t tell Johnny that.

“Um, nothing much.”

Johnny smirked. “Wanna come over to my place? We could hang.” Despite Johnny’s previous thoughts about Peter Parker, something about him pulled Johnny in.

“Sure! That, uh, sounds great!”  Peter managed a grin, excited at the prospect of a new friend.

“It’s a date! See ya, Parker.”

With that, Johnny hopped on his bike, speeding away into Manhattan.

They texted constantly that whole week, sharing jokes and memes, mostly. The two friends talked all through Chem, thoroughly annoying the teacher.

Peter felt like there was the foundation of a great friendship here. On Wednesday, he debated (with himself) about whether or not he should share his secret.

Johnny would understand, surely. But he wasn’t sure that he could trust Johnny to keep the secret. After all, he was a celebrity, and celebrities are known to let things slip.

Besides, he wanted Johnny to get to know Peter first. Spider-Man could come later. It wasn’t that important! Right?

Johnny was completely oblivious to Peter’s internal struggle. He just sat in class, doodled on worksheets, and waited for Friday. 

One thing Johnny did notice, though, was that funny feeling he got whenever he looked at Peter. He couldn’t place it, but it made him feel warm, and not just because of the fire running through his veins.

He would figure it out soon enough. 

When Friday arrived, Johnny was buzzing with excitement. He felt warm before realizing that his arm was on fire. He quickly put it out and headed downstairs to the kitchen.

Ben sat at the dining table, a plate of toaster waffles in his hands. Reed and Sue were standing at the counter, sipping coffee while talking with one another.

The penthouse was modern, with a 50-inch flatscreen in the wall, a holotable and a coffee table, and a patio with a garden, crafted by Ben. Johnny thought the blue-and-white aesthetic was tacky, but he had no say in the decoration.

Johnny must’ve been smiling, because Ben said, “What’s got you so happy, Flame Brain?”

“I’ve got a friend coming over later, Rocky.”

“Would you look at that, he has friends!”

Sue turned to Ben, staring at him. “Ben.”

He threw his hands up in surrender. No one in that family dared to incur the wrath of Sue Storm. Johnny stuck his tongue out at Ben, who rolled his eyes.

“I’m glad you’re making friends, Johnny. What’s their name?” Sue always asked questions about his life. It was nice to know someone cared.

“Peter.” He said it with a hint of breathiness, smirking just a little. He cleared his throat, straightening himself. “I met him in Chem.”

“How are you enjoying AP Chemistry?” Of course, Reed was more interested in the class than the people in it. Johnny shrugged, which Reed took to mean, “Fine.” He nodded, sipping his plain coffee.

Johnny grabbed his backpack, saying his goodbyes before leaving the penthouse, grabbing his bike on the ground floor, and riding into Queens.

Peter woke up earlier than May that morning, taking extra steps to make sure he looked his best for his hangout with Johnny. He washed his face, combed his hair, and even put on cologne.

Was he trying too hard?

Nah.

He threw on some jeans and a white t-shirt, subconsciously thinking about what Johnny might like.

Why did he care so much about what Johnny liked?

He bolted down the stairs, catching Aunt May sipping her tea at the table. She looked tired, her graying hair placed in a messy bun. “What’s got you all worked up, Peter?”

“Nothing. Just going to a friend’s house later.” It felt good calling Johnny his friend.

May smiled. “Really? Which friend?”

“Oh, you don’t know him. His name’s Johnny, he’s new around here.”

“It’s nice that you’re kind to the newer people, Peter. Never change.”

“I’ll try my best, May. Look, I gotta run.”

“Okay, just don’t forget about game night tonight!”

Peter smiled back at her. “Wouldn’t miss it.”

With that, he began the trek to school.

That day, for both of them, was an absolute slog. Classes chugged by like a freight train, the clock’s ticking never-ending. During AP Chem, Peter’s foot tapped under his desk in wild anticipation.

When that final bell rang, they both rushed out of class together. Johnny insisted that Peter hop on the back of his bike, saying, “It’s faster this way. Don’t worry, it’s not like you’re gonna die.”

He didn’t die, but he got pretty close.

Johnny zoomed along the busy city streets, weaving around cars and making moves that were almost definitely illegal. The cars honked like there was no tomorrow, but Peter was only focused on staying on the bike.

When Johnny finally parked his bike in front of the Baxter Building, he locked it to a bike rack before leading Peter inside.

Johnny didn’t show it, but he was really excited to have a friend. Sure, he was popular, but it all felt fake. People only wanted his friendship for the benefits of being a rich superhero.

Peter, though? He saw Johnny.

As they rode up the elevator, Peter decided to try and work something about Johnny’s other life into the conversation.

“So, what’s it like being a superhero?” He stared up at Johnny, trying his best to appear naive. “Well, I’m sure it’s nowhere near as exciting as being Peter Parker,” Johnny said with a smile, “but it’s fun. I wish I were more involved, though. We’re the Fantastic Four, but I’m always stuck in school whenever anything actually sick goes down.”

“I feel that,” Peter mumbles.

“What?”

“Ah, nothing. Please, continue.” He smiled softly, internally berating himself. Don’t bring it up yet, Peter.

“...Okay. Well, sometimes it feels like they’re the Fantastic Three, which isn’t even alliterated! It’s so unfair.”

Just then, the elevator doors opened into the massive living room. The circular couch was arranged neatly around the coffee table, and Reed sat there with a…fruit platter?

“Johnny! Uh, Sue cut these up for the two of you, in case you were hungry. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to do something in my lab. Have fun, you two.” Reed quickly rushed off, not wanting to socialize more than he needed to.

“Thank you, Mr. Richards!” Peter called after him. Johnny snorted. “He’s just Reed, you know.”

Peter smiled, his cheeks turning red. “I-I just wanted to be polite.”

“Don’t worry about it. When you’re here, we’re all family. Like Olive Garden!”

Peter chuckled, and Johnny’s heart skipped a beat.

Why did that happen?

As they climbed onto the couch, Johnny grabbed the TV remote, switching it on. 

“Wanna watch a movie?” He looked over at Peter, head cocked.

“Sure. What do you like?”

“Oh, big fan of sci-fi. Godzilla is, like, my favorite movie.”

“No way,” Peter exclaimed. “That’s literally my favorite, too!”

They both laughed. Johnny turned back to the TV. “Godzilla, it is?”

“The Matthew Broderick one, please!”

“Is there any other version?”

He pressed play, and Peter grabbed a slice of mango from the plate.

About twenty minutes in, Johnny asked if Peter wanted some popcorn. “Yeah, thanks.” Johnny grabbed some microwave popcorn from a cabinet, and promptly set his hand ablaze.

“Whoa!” Peter moved back just a little, not wanting to get burned. Thirty seconds later, fresh-popped popcorn was smoking in front of him.

“That was so cool!”

“Eh,” Johnny said, waving his hand, “just another day.”

He reached in, stuffing a handful in his mouth, before promptly spitting it back into a napkin, exclaiming, “Hot!”

“The Human Torch can’t handle heat?”

“A burnt tongue is nothing to joke about, my friend.” They both chuckled before returning attention to the masterpiece on the screen.

Soon after, Johnny decided to try again with the popcorn, thankfully no longer smoking. Right as he reached into the bag, Peter moved for the popcorn as well,

Their hands collided, and time seemed to slow for a moment. Johnny’s hand was warm and smooth, like melted butter. Peter’s hand was rough, like he used it a lot. They looked at one another, blushing. Johnny gave a small smile, and Peter’s eyes widened. His heart was racing, his forehead streaked with sweat.

“Uh-um, y-you can go first.” Peter moved his hand away. His breathing was heavy, and his eyes quickly darted back to the screen.

What just happened? Why was Peter feeling like his stomach was doing a gymnastics routine? Why was Johnny’s heart beating faster than an F1 car? 

As if tension needed to be added to the moment, alarms started blaring. Out the window, Peter could see an army of Moloids digging through the street. Sue, Ben, and Reed raced down the stairs, already in their suits.

“Johnny,” Sue said with urgency. “We have some work to do.”

“Shit. Uh, Peter, stay here. I don’t want you getting hurt.”

“I can go-”

“No,” Johnny said, staring directly into Peter’s eyes. “You have to stay here.”

With a sigh, Peter sat back down on the couch. A small robot rolled into the room, introducing himself through chatters and beeps. 

“HERBIE,” Reed said, “watch him.”

With that, they rushed out, leaving Peter all alone.

As they piled into the Fantasticar, Ben leaned over to Johnny. “That was intense, Hothead. Everything good with your new ‘friend’?” He made air quotes around ‘friend’.

Johnny blushed. “I’m fine. Why don’t you just keep your nose out of my business, Grand Canyon?”

Ben backed off, and they sat in the car in silence.

In Times Square, Mole Man created a massive sinkhole, swallowing cars and damaging millions of dollars' worth of property.

“GO, MY MOLOIDS! RELEASE HAVOC ON THE UPPER WORLD!!!”

Reed jumped out of the car, using his stretching arms like a rope to swing around, beating up Moloids. He soon came for Mole Man himself, but he was briefly incapacitated by a staff to the gut. He contracted, falling into the sinkhole and narrowly grabbing the edge. Sue created a force field, allowing him to land safely and return to battle.

Johnny jumped, flaming on and torching the ugly creatures. Their skin was the color of dirt, and leathery in texture. Johnny knocked them back into the sinkhole slowly, never deliberately setting one on fire.

Did it happen sometimes? Yes. But that was something he didn’t have control over. He didn’t have control over lots of things in his life at the moment.

The thing that most frustrated him was the fact that he couldn’t control his feelings about Peter.

Why couldn’t he stop thinking about Peter?

Distracted, Johnny neglected the large rock hauled in his direction. It slapped him out of the sky, sending him spiraling into the asphalt.

But he didn’t splatter. Instead, he was caught.

By a web.

Right after the Fantastic Four left, Peter suited up, donning his red-and-blue spandex. Spider-Man leapt through a window, swinging to the epicenter of the commotion.

When he arrived, he saw the Human Torch careening toward the ground.

His instincts kicked in, sending him flying across the battlefield, dodging stones and bricks thrown his way. He caught Johnny with a single webline, swinging him to safety on top of a building.

Johnny opened his eyes for just a moment, falling in and out of consciousness. They looked into each other’s eyes, and Peter wondered if Johnny somehow already knew. That’d make things a lot easier for him.

Johnny smiled, small and weak.

He set Johnny down gently, feeling his pulse. Steady, thank God. His face was cut and bruised, and a couple of ribs felt broken, but at least he was alive.

Slowly, Johnny’s eyes fluttered open. He smiled at the sight of Spider-Man. “Hey, you’re Sp-Spider-Man! Dude, you’re, like, my idol! What’s going on?”

Peter deepened his voice as he spoke. “Well, you got a boulder to the noggin and a couple broken ribs, but you’re fine otherwise. And I appreciate the kind words.” Under the mask, Peter was the same shade as his suit. “Now, how do you feel about kicking more Moloid ass?”

“I think that’s a great idea.”

Johnny flamed on, shooting into the sky. Peter fought closer to the ground, knocking the monsters around like pinballs. “I like fighting you guys in the dark better! At least then I can’t see your ugly mugs!”

Ben pushed through the horde, smashing the Moloids against buildings and sending them crawling pitifully back into the sinkhole.

On a raised piece of land, Sue and Reed battled Mole Man. He was cunning, but not quick. Sue grabbed him from behind while invisible, letting Reed punch his lights out. Weakly, Mole Man shouted, “Moloids, retreat!”

They all scurried away, back to Subterania.

On the ground, the Fantastic Four thanked Spidey for saving Johnny. Ben patted him on the back, cracking it in the process.

“It was nothing, really. I mean, I’ll never pass up on a chance to work with the Fantastic Four. Anyway, I gotta go!” As he swung away, Johnny yelled his thanks to Spider-Man.

When the team arrived back at the Baxter Building, they found Peter Parker eating popcorn on the couch. Johnny ran over, saying, “Oh, thank God you’re safe!” He almost went for a hug, but decided against it. He had feelings to work out first.

“I’m okay, Johnny. Listen, I gotta run, but it was nice hanging out. Thanks for the fruit, Ms. Storm. Bye!”

He shut the door with a thud! Johnny stared at it for a moment, sighing. He turned back to the team. “I’m, uh, gonna go lie down for a second. That fight was taxing.”

“Take your time, Johnny,” Sue said, gently.

Johnny climbed the spiral stairs, heading down the hall and into his room.

His walls were covered in posters of astronauts and basketball players. His desk was disheveled, with wadded-up paper overflowing in the wire trash can. His bed was plush, perfect for flopping.

Johnny flopped down onto his bed, staring at the ceiling. Again, his thoughts turned to Peter.

At first, Johnny thought that he and Peter were nothing more than friends. However, as they spent time together, Johnny’s feelings grew. He wanted to be around Peter more and more often. Eventually, he started thinking about being more than just friends.

Johnny wasn’t gay, though. Was he? He’d had crushes on girls before, too. Was he bi? Maybe pan? Maybe just confused? In that moment, Johnny had no clue how he felt.

He knew one thing, though: the nerd rizz had worked.

Chapter Text

That next Monday, Peter and Johnny talked less than usual. Johnny was still introspective, trying to figure out what exactly he was. Peter, on the other hand, had known for a while that he was bi.

And he was worried that this would happen. He just hadn’t expected it to happen so soon. He’d fall for his friend, they’d share a tender moment, then they’d grow apart and never talk to one another again because they were never queer.

It hadn’t happened before, but there was always the possibility.

In Chem, it was Johnny who initiated the conversation. “So, are we gonna talk about Friday?”

“I had fun.”

“No, not just about Friday, I mean, about the popcorn? Don’t you remember?”

Of course, Peter remembered! That was the moment he started truly falling for the Human Torch. Feeling their hands touch made him feel warm, and not just because Johnny was hot. He wanted to keep holding Johnny’s hand, and he never wanted to stop. He just wanted to sit there with Johnny’s perfectly dewy skin forever.

But he couldn’t tell Johnny! That would scare him away. Instead, he pretended not to remember. That was easier than facing his emotions. “What do you mean?”

Johnny’s heart and face fell. Had that interaction meant nothing to Peter? Was he even gay? Maybe he wasn’t. Johnny didn’t know, and Peter hadn’t bothered telling him. Johnny’s face hardened. “Forget I asked.” He fixed his eyes back on his laptop, solving formulas.

Was there a formula to mend a broken heart?

When Peter got back home, he quietly slouched up to his room, avoiding May. He didn’t want her to see him all sad.

He sat down at his desk, attempting to read. Despite himself, tears began to flow slowly from Peter’s eyes, dripping and dropping onto the pages of Shakespeare. Romeo and Juliet, specifically.

Another doomed romance. What a coincidence!

He wiped the tears away, reading while thinking. God, why did he pretend to forget? Johnny’s the one who brought it up! Clearly, it had meant something to him.

And Peter messed it up, like he does with everything else.

As he stared at himself in the reflection of his desk lamp, he decided to do something. He was not going to let Parker Luck™ screw this one good thing up for him.

He grabbed his phone, sending a message to Johnny.

PETER: Can we talk?

JOHNNY: 👍

PETER: Meet me at school.

Peter turned off his phone, suiting up and sneaking out his window.

He was going to fix this.

And he was going to get the boy.

A few minutes before, back at the Baxter Building, Johnny came down the stairs moping. Sue sat on the couch, watching some stupid romcom.

The last thing Johnny wanted right now was romance.

He just couldn’t believe that he’d somehow misread the whole situation. His stupid emotions got in the way of what could’ve been a perfectly good friendship. And now, he was back to square one.

Loved by all, seen by none.

Sue turned, noticing Johnny’s somber mood. She beckoned for him to sit next to her, and Johnny complied. Sue wrapped her arm around his shoulder, speaking gently into his ear.

“What’s wrong, Johnny?”

“I think--I think I messed something up. Something that I really wanted to go right.” His voice cracked on that final word.

“What do you mean?” She wiped a tear from his eye, looking down at her baby brother.

He sighed, trying to regain his composure. “Susie, I have to tell you something. You can’t tell anyone else. Not yet. Promise?”

She held out her pinky, and they interlocked fingers. The most binding of all promises was sealed.

“I’m…not straight.”

The words lingered in the air, Johnny waiting for something to explode. He thought Sue would be upset or scared.

Instead, she just pulled him closer. As his tears began to flow freely, she offered her cardigan to wipe them away. Johnny felt so lucky he had an amazing big sister.

“So, was Peter…?”

Johnny chuckled. “Not officially, no. But…we had a moment. Apparently, it meant nothing to him. He doesn’t even remember!”

“Well, it sounds to me like he doesn’t deserve such a kind and caring person as you, Johnny. And that Peter can shove-”

Johnny’s phone dinged. A notification. From Peter.

Can we talk?

“Johnny. Are you seriously going to?’

He smiled at her, his face relaxing. “I feel like I have to. Hey, I’ll cuss him out.”

“I can’t condone that, but I’m not saying don’t do it.”

Johnny replied with a quick thumbs up.

Meet me at school.

Johnny flamed on, flying out the window and speeding towards Queens.

He was going to give that bitch a piece of his mind.

Peter sat on the roof, unmasked, waiting. The breeze chilled his face, blowing his hair into his face. He brushed it away, wanting to look his best.

Soon enough, he spotted a flying orange spot in the distance. It approached rapidly, slowing as it got closer. 

Almost immediately, Peter was face-to-face with the inferno that was Johnny Storm.

“Listen, you little--what the hell are you wearing?”

He looked up at Johnny, his smile small and heartfelt. Johnny’s eyes widened. “Bullshit. BULLSHIT! YOU’RE SPIDER-MAN?!”

Peter chuckled softly. “I am, and I’m sorry I didn’t tell you earlier. And I’m sorry I pretended to forget about Friday. I was scared, Johnny.”

“Of what?”

“Of losing you.”

Johnny landed on the roof next to Peter, his legs hanging off the edge. They stared at the horizon for a moment before Johnny took Peter’s hand. He clasped it softly, like an antique worth millions.

Peter turned red, staring into Johnny’s deep blue eyes. Almost instinctively, he leaned closer. Johnny did the same.

As their lips met, the sunset seemed to glow shades of bright orange and crimson. Eyes shut, enjoying the moment, the lovebirds didn’t even notice.

Peter felt the warmth of Johnny’s lips. Johnny tasted the Chapstick on Peter’s.

When they finally moved away from one another, Johnny only had three things on his mind.

1: He loved Peter Parker.

2: Peter Parker loved him.

3: The Storm family had a thing for nerds.

Johnny chose to focus on the first two as he and Peter stared at the sunset. His heart had been set ablaze, and there was no dampening it.

The End