chapter twelve
stars

"it's supposed to be really nice out tonight." peter spoke from beside nova as they walked down the streets of queens.

occasionally their hands brushed together, causing them both to blush.

"really? it's not going to be cold like the other night?" nova asked, recalling the way it had been extremely cold only last week.

"really." peter nodded in conformation. "it's gonna be nice — like camping nice." peter forced the words out as he looked to nova.

"oo! that sounds nice." she hummed as skipped forward.

"wanna go? i-i mean camping? i have a tent? oh. oh. we can sleep on the roof under the stars too... it's number 6 on the list..." peter rambled.

"petey?" nova placed her casted hand on his shoulder.

peter turned to her. "yeah?" he gulped.

"it sounds fun. i'll see what bucky says." nova told him as she dug out her phone from her pocket.

well... maybe that could have gone better. peters once exited face dropped. the tone of novas words sounded heavy and it seemed like she didn't want to go with him.

now don't get nova wrong, she really wanted to hangout with peter, she wanted to spend the night with him under the stars camping. but her feeling for him were really getting on the way — she just wanted to grab him by the face and kiss him, after getting permission first of course. so, to nova, this made her stomach erupt with butterflies that made her nervous to be around peter.

she really didn't know why she felt this way. she's had crushes before, many before. but with peter everything was different and she could tell yet if that was a good or bad thing. she hoped it was good, she wanted it to be good. there was even a cute little ghost on her left shoulder that told her it was a good thing. but there was this little ghost on her other shoulder that yelled at her, told her that it was a terrible thing — that peter would never like her back, that he didn't like her the way she liked him, or he wasn't over mj.

nova doubted her self now. she had high hopes that her and peter would date a few years from now, or they would go on to get married. she aimed too high. gosh, nova didn't love peter, no, but she could sit across from him at delmars and focus on the things he did... they way he fiddled with his fingers when he was nervous, or the way his eyes darted around the room before they sat down anywhere, or even the way his eyes seemed to brighten in the sunlight.

peter, well peter felt similar to whatever nova was feeling. he was confused though, he still felt something for mj deep down. but he also felt something rising for nova. and not to mention the fact that he was still grieving his aunt.

a cluster. that's what this whole thing, this whole feelings thing was.

"peter?" nova waved a hand in front of peters face, snapping him out of his thoughts.

peter blinked and shook away his thoughts. "huh, yeah?"

"buck said we could have a camp out in the roof of mine and his apartment." novas words were more enthusiastic this time, and the smile gracing her lips told peter that she was more excited and happy about the idea now.

"really? that's great!" peter grinned as he blushed, his fingers sticking to his side.

"yeah," nova nodded in agreement before she started to walk ahead once more. "wanna grab some snacks?"

»

"you two better not have any sex." bucky deadpanned as nova ran around her bedroom to look for her sleepover bag. or that's what she called it anyways — it was really a to-go bag if she was ever taken away from bucky or if somehow he became the winter solider again and had to go on the run. (but that was very unlikely.)

nova gasped as she dropped to her knees so she could look under her bed. "we are not going to have sex!" nova screeched as she shot up from under her bed, the back of her head banging into the bed frame. "ouch!"

bucky laughed loudly before he uncrossed his arms and walked forward a few steps to make sure nova was okay. "you okay little barnes?"

nova shoved her arm out behind her, throwing a thumb up. "yeah!" she yelled out but her voice was muffled from the bed and whatever she had hidden underneath.

"okay then." bucky stepped back and leaned against the door frame once more.

"found it!" nova cheered loudly as she shimmied out from under the bed.

"good job." bucky grinned. "now seriously, no sex with peter."

"dad!" nova blushed in embarrassment as she scolded her adoptive father for the mention of sex. she definitely wasn't ready and that was okay.

"be careful, kiddo. i'll come check up on your guys throughout the night okay?"

"yeah, yeah! thank you! have a goodnight!" nova yelled over her shoulder before she took off and ran through the apartment to the front door, just so she could go down to meet peter in the lobby.

»

peter parker laid beside nova on the rolled out sleeping bags and blankets. both of them had their own blankets thrown over themselves to keep them warm from the nighttime air.

"so that's the big dipper?" nova questioned as she pointed up towards the star filled sky.

peter nodded. "yeah, that's the big dipper."

"cool." nova muttered in awe.

both peter and nova were quiet after that. there were a few words spoken but not many.

"i've never done this before." nova spoke quietly as she pulled the blanket closer to her chin.

peter hummed. "me neither."

"can we wish on a star, even if it's not a shooting star?" nova whispered as she turned her head slightly to look at peter.

"you can wish on anything." was his reply.

"good, good." nova looked back up to the stars and wished her wish.

the door to the roof swung open and out came bucky and sam, both wearing stern faces.

"ha! i told you she wasn't sleeping with him!" sam pointed an accusing finger at bucky.

"yeah yeah, whatever." bucky grumbled as he slapped down some money in sam wilsons open, outreached hand.

"so they aren't going out on dates, but challenges from a lucky list he found?" sam whispered as he and bucky walked away, leaving petey and nova to gaze at the stars.