𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙚𝙚 — 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙣𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙥

☕

SOME DAYS THE crisp weather was refreshing. It wasn't too cold, just a slight sharp breeze, and Brendon loved just turning his nose up to welcome it onto his face – especially after Erikson's class because that dude made his students sweat. The only good thing was that it reminded him of summer at home. God, Georgia just got way too hot sometimes but he still loved it.

He was sure that Cindy was looking at him like he was insane because of the way she actively turned her head down, but he didn't care. He was already insane and it wasn't because of this. A smile spread to his face and he opened his eyes up again because they were walking and not having them open was dangerous and he didn't want to fall to his death or meet the embarrassment of running into someone because he was an idiot.

A cold drink was in his hand which he wasn't enjoying, but whatever, he could get over that, and a bag of warm food in the other. Every Thursday he and his friends sat outside together because it was the only time everyone was available for lunch. Sometimes Harry joined them because he liked being around Bren and then they would just murmur to themselves with a faint blush sporting on both their cheeks and even fewer times Harry would drag Peter would sit with them. Ned's class on Thursday apparently ended at one but he usually got out early, so they would still be able to eat together. On the days that didn't happen, Peter would sit beside them but never really spoke a word. And never one to Brendon.

But whatever, he wasn't hurt because his crush didn't notice him at all. It was fine – he was fine.

"I still can't believe Spider-Man ditched me to grab a coffee with you," Cindy said, a slight annoyance in her tone but it was mostly drowned in amusement.

To her statement, Brendon rolled his eyes, "Really? You're still not over this? It was days ago, Cin, and he was practically dead on his feet! He needed it."

"Still," Cindy insisted, "We could've fought together and he's always great at cracking jokes. It's funny."

"I know. There's plenty of clips online," Brendon snorted, "Haven't you seen him since then?"

Cindy nodded, "Well, yeah, but still. You're not allowed to have another superhero. You already have me. It's not fair."

Brendon couldn't help the laugh that spewed out of him, nothing being held back as tears swelled in his eyes from how hard it came out. "I can't believe you! Is there like a limit now about how many superheroes you're allowed to have?" he asked, still recovering.

"Um, yeah. You get one and that's it. Any more and you're being selfish," Cindy said decisively, nodding her head in affirmation.

"Oh, so now I'm selfish because I gave Spider-Man a free cup of coffee one time? Wow, Cin," Brendon rolled his eyes, though he wasn't really annoyed by her, "And what about Thor and the Hulk?"

"That doesn't count because they only have one superhero, which means it's in the rules," Cindy said.

"But they're also superheroes," Brendon reminded her only to get a look sent his way.

"I know that. Everyone does. I don't think anyone can forget the Avengers and all they've done. And being a superhero yourself doesn't count because technically I don't think you have yourself, you just are yourself. That means they only have one superhero. Like how Tony Stark has Doctor Strange," Cindy finished off.

Brendon studied her for a moment before relenting, "Alright, I'll accept it. God, I love Tony Stark. Ten out of ten would smash."

Cindy snorted beside him. "Who wouldn't?"

"Touché."

They made it over to the table which held Betty, who was typing away at her computer, and Bren who was currently eating his sandwich. He smiled when he saw them, though it was disgusting because of the sight of food in his mouth. "Hey guys!"

"Hey, Bren," the two chorused as they sat down. Betty just looked up for a moment of acknowledge before looking back down and typing furiously.

Cindy opened the bag that Brendon had been carrying, getting out the food as Brendon took a sip of his drink and asked, "What you working on, Betty?"

"Bugle stuff," Betty answered without glancing up at him, "Just have to edit something before I go by there this afternoon."

"Nice," Brendon nodded, "How's your internship going?"

"Good. Now can you please shut the fuck up? I have to focus," Betty snapped but Brendon didn't take it to heart. Betty always got tense when she had a big deadline coming up and no one was prepared, leaving it to the intern – her – to polish (write, he meant write) their articles.

"Alright," Brendon said, taking out his salad and pouring ranch all over it before mixing it all together. "And how are you doing, Bren?"

"Oh, I'm great!" Bren responded, "My Biology class got cancelled so now I have the afternoon free."

"God I wish that was me," Cindy muttered, "I have Physics and I fucking hate it. My professor is an absolute piece of shit who doesn't know how to teach and I have to suffer through it."

"Damn. Sorry, Cindy."

Cindy shrugged off Bren's apology, "It's alright. I'm still passing the class which is all that matters at least."

"You working tonight?" Brendon asked after he swallowed, reaching for his drink as his eyes trained on Bren.

The boy shook his head and grinned. "Nope! I got the day off, but I'll be back tomorrow."

"Ha, I got the whole weekend off, including tomorrow," Brendon gloated in his face and Bren narrowed his eyes.

"Bitch," he let out first and Brendon laughed at him, letting his head fall back for a moment, "But will you at least come in a little while tomorrow for me? Right before closing."

"If you think I'm staying up that late Friday night when I don't have to work you absolutely fucking wrong," Brendon said, "I will be happily asleep, gloriously unaware of the world for a few hours as I catch up on the sleep I have missed during the week."

"That is so not fair. You shouldn't be allowed to that while I suffer," Bren said.

The Winchester boy just shrugged nonchalantly, though a smirk remained on his eyes, "Well, that's just how it is, I guess."

"Okay, fuck you. This friendship is officially over and I hate you," Bren said and the other boy laughed at him.

"Wow, how will I ever survive without you?" Brendon asked sarcastically and Cindy laughed at him.

"You guys are ridiculous," Cindy shook her head, taking a sip of her own drink.

Bren looked at her with complete offense written on his face. "Oh, like you're any better."

"I never said I was, I just said that you guys are ridiculous," Cindy pointed out, raising her fork to further drive home her point.

Bren just rolled his eyes at that and Cindy counted it a win, a satisfied smile gracing her features as she started back on her salad. Betty chuckled at the interaction between them though her eyes never left the screen. The others didn't mind.

"How's your application going?" Bren asked, taking another bite of his sandwich.

"It's good," Cindy answered, "Slow because I've been so busy with everything else, but good. I'm just stuck on one question; what makes you better than everyone else?"

Bren choked on his sandwich and Brendon stared at her. "It really says that?" the Cooper boy asked incredulously.

Cindy stared at them before her face broke into a smile and a laugh made through her features. "No, of course not. I'm just messing you. It really just asks why you think you should get the internship which has me stuck because I have no fucking clue why other than the fuck that I want it really badly."

"Would name dropping work?" Brendon asked her, stabbing his fork back into his salad to pick up a good piece.

Cindy shrugged, a frown tugging at her features. "Why?"

"Well, you said that Peter has one and apparently he's been there for a couple years – and a special case. That should mean that everyone knows him there, or at least the people who decide internships, so if you name drop him maybe you'll have a higher chance of getting in," Brendon suggested.

"Maybe, but that only works if they remember him, like you assume, and if he's really good," Cindy pointed out.

"Well, doesn't he have to be to keep his internship for this long?" Brendon asked. "I mean, I don't know, but if I ran a business and one of my employees was shit, I wouldn't keep them around – I'd fire them, and I'm just assuming that SI would do the same."

Cindy thought about it for a moment. "Maybe," she said after a moment, "But I don't want to count on that either. I want to get the internship because I'm good and they want me, not because of Peter."

Brendon nodded, accepting that as two more people approached the table. "Hey guys!" Harry greeted them, sitting down as Peter did the same thing beside him.

(He wouldn't admit to anyone, but maybe his heart skipped a beat when Peter smiled at the group.)

"Is it cool if we sit here?" Harry asked, even though he was already getting out his food and Peter was doing the same.

"Yeah, sure. It isn't like you're already getting comfortable," Cindy muttered and Harry just smiled in her direction. He received a middle finger in return.

"Hey, Bren," Harry said, the flirtatious undertone known to everyone, though no one said anything about it.

Bren sent back his own desirable look back at the boy. "Harry," he nodded towards the boy, giving him a week which had him flushed, much to the enjoyment of Bren and disgust of the others.

Brendon scrunched up his nose before looking at the boy who joined Harry and saying, "Hey, Peter."

Peter looked surprised at the fact that someone was actually speaking to him but he covered it quickly. "Hey," he said back. Brendon smiled at him and turned back at Cindy, who raised her eyebrow, and neither of them saw the Peter stared at him for an extra minute.

"Shut up, Cin," Brendon murmured, kicking the girl in the shin, knowing it wasn't really going to cause much damage and there wouldn't even be a bruise. She could thank enhanced healing for that, something that Brendon lacked and didn't appreciate.

"I didn't say anything, Brendon," she said back to him, though there was still a coy smile on her face.

(Brendon, Peter thought. How they fuck did he get Brandon?)

The Winchester boy still sent her a look before going back to enjoy his salad, definitely not sneaking looks at Peter's arms because he was wearing a tighter sweater than usual and it was definitely showing his muscles. Fuck, it wasn't fair at all.

"So, what were guys talking about?" Harry asked, looking at all of them, though his gaze still lingered longer on Bren. No one commented on it again but Brendon guessed that it was maybe another week or two before the two of them were holding hands.

"Oh, Cindy's application to SI," Bren answered his question, going back to eating his sandwich.

"Really? I didn't know you were applying for an internship," Harry said. No one noticed the look on Peter's face, it was probably for the best though.

"That's because I haven't told everyone," Cindy sent a glare to Bren, "And I wasn't going to if I didn't get the internship."

"Sorry," Bren had the decency to look the slightest bit ashamed before he added, "How was I supposed to know? You're still working on the application."

"By the fact that I hit Brendon when he told you," Cindy reminded him.

"On accident!" Brendon was quick to defend himself, "It just slipped out, I didn't mean to say anything."

Cindy sighed and turned to him, "I know, Brennie, and I forgive you. I'm just giving an example to point that why I'm annoyed with Bren."

"Well I'm sure you'll get in," Harry smiled at her, "Thank God you didn't apply for Oscorp."

Cindy narrowed her eyes, "Shouldn't you be pushing me towards Oscorp and hoping that I get turned down from SI?"

Harry snorted, "Not at all. I want that company to suffer, but whatever. That's beside the point. When are deadlines for them?"

"Coming up in two weeks," Cindy said after a moment of eyeing the Osborn boy suspiciously.

"Good luck then," Harry smiled at her.

"Thanks," Cindy said in return.

"I'm sure you'll be fine. Applications are scary, like interviews, but afterwards it's all good," Betty offered, "Well, ignoring the first week."

"Thanks, Betty. I'm hoping that I'll get him, but so many other people are applying and who the fuck cares about little Cindy Moon? I mean, even if I do get in they might only accept me for some diversity to say that they don't discriminate. See – look at the Asian girl, anyone can get an internship here!" Cindy acted the last bit out more.

Brendon rolled his eyes at her, "If you get the internship, it's because you deserve it. And you really do."

"SI doesn't do that," Peter spoke up, all eyes going onto him since it was unusual to hear the boy speak around them, "While diversity is great, they only care about getting the best of the best – no matter what they look like."

Cindy eyed him before smiling, "Thanks, Peter. But it doesn't matter, I won't get it."

"Not with that attitude you won't," Brendon said, recoiling slightly under Cindy's glare, "Okay, I get it. I sound like such a stereotypical mother when I say that, but it's true. Have some hope. I mean, I never thought I'd be able to go to school outside of Georgia, yet here I am."

"Why not? You're smart as fuck," Harry said.

"Thanks, Har, but it's money. I needed the HOPE or Zell Miller to go to UGA, and applying here was on a whim more than anything," Brendon said.

"What the fuck are HOPE and Zell Miller?"

"Oh, right, you guys don't know those. They're scholarships offered for Georgia residents as long as they go to colleges in Georgia," Brendon explained, "I qualified for them, which is great, but I never wanted to stay in state for college. Good thing I got a scholarship here."

"Gotta love that," Cindy agreed, "I wouldn't want anyone else as a roommate."

Brendon cracked a smile, "I know you loved me."

She looked at him and raise her fork to point towards him, "Don't push it, Winchester. You're already on thin ice."

"For what?"

"You know," Cindy said ominously, not cluing in the others but Brendon picked up on it immediately.

"Seriously? Get over it already, it was one time and I'm sure that it won't happen again," Brendon said with fake annoyance laced in his tone.

"You stole from me! I could've had it but no, you just had to go and snatch it up. And who's to say that it won't happen it again?" Cindy questioned.

"Okay, what the fuck is going on here?" Bren asked, looking in between the two.

"Nothing," both said at the same time, Brendon following up with, "She's just being dramatic."

"I am not!" Cindy protested.

"Yes, you are," Brendon told her flatly, "You should've gotten over it immediately.

"I like holding grudges, sue me!" Cindy exclaimed and Brendon raised an eyebrow.

"Is that an invitation?"

"No, nope. No it is not," Harry broke in this time, "Calm down, both of you, and tell us what happened."

Cindy looked at Harry. "We already told you, nothing. It's not of your business, it's ours, and it will stay that way for eternity."

"Well, great."