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Chapter Three

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According to Peter, Happy's apartment was obviously a bachelor pad, and only had one bedroom as a result. You couldn't help but find some amusement in that, knowing that he wouldn't be stuck there forever. The building was full, according to Jess, but as soon as someone in a bigger moved out your family would be able to move in.

Later that night Peter FaceTimed you when you were lying in bed. Neither of you had patrolled that day. You didn't get the chance to talk like usual.

"Did you send in your applications yet?" You asked Peter. On top of handling the Mysterio reveal situation, your little group had also been doing their best to send in college applications.

"I literally just finished my MIT one. You?"

"Same, I sent it in a couple of hours ago," you replied. You'd been using your "internship" ship work with Shuri as an excuse to retrieve credits early and get out of a lot of prerequisite classes, but you still needed to go to school to double major in Biological Oceanography and Marine Biology so you could get the credentials for it, 'What about you?"

"Same. Imagine if we both got in? And MJ and Ned?"

"It'd be amazing, but we'll have to tap into what Tony left us so we can actually afford it."

"Mr. Stark left us so much I don't think it's going to hurt our savings at all," Peter rolled his eyes, though his bright smile showed he wasn't actually annoyed, "Besides, I'm sure we can get some good scholarships too."

"Once we're away from New York for a little while things will be better. We can just be together without anyone attacking us for simply existing."

"I can't wait for that, I just want to be with you and be happy," Peter whispered.

In the background of the call, you could hear what sounded like snoring, "Is that snoring?"

"Oh. That's... that's Happy. Look," Peter moved his phone to show Happy with his CPAP machine sleeping in an armchair, "He gave his room to May, so he's sleeping down here."

You hummed, biting back a laugh. You just knew that moving in with Happy would be a mess, "Hey Peter, I have a weird question. Do you feel kind of... relieved about this? Not about the slander, but about having your identity revealed?"

"I... don't know. I guess it's nice not having to hide but it's weird being recognized everywhere I go. Everyone is pretty nice, saying how I'm 'their' hero, but it's the negative attention that takes away from that. Why do you ask?"

"I've been doing hero work since I was thirteen, and it's always been secretive. When I stepped into the public eye when the Avengers split up something about it felt freeing. I didn't have to hide or be afraid anymore. Sometimes I wonder if I should take off my mask too, to support you and to be free again."

"You should do whatever you want, (Y/n), and I'll support you. There's pros and cons to being a public hero, just think over them before you make a decision. I always hide my identity to protect May, and because I didn't think people would take me seriously if they knew I was a kid."

"We technically aren't kids anymore."

It was a weak argument and you knew it. Plenty of people online and in the news were concerned about Peter's young age, and speculated that Riptide was around the same age as a result. New York was protective of her heroes, you knew that, but the outrage against the most extreme Peter haters was something you weren't expecting. You'd touched a lot of people.

Peter tilted his head, "Aren't we? When the second Snap brought everyone back and we got turned young again, all of us got turned young. I remember being an adult, but it's like a weird disconnect. I'm a teenager, and I don't feel like I'm anything other than that."

"Our lives are so weird," you laughed to break the tension.

You'd have to think about what Peter said, about becoming a public hero or staying anonymous- though you knew that as long as Peter was public you'd want to be too. The two of you were equals, in hero work and in your civilian lives.

"Wrap it up. You both love each other. We get it. Hang up. There's no new ground being broken. Okay? I need my eight hours," Happy cut in from the background.

"Have you been listening this whole time?"

"Hi, Happy," you called.

"Not by choice."

"(Y/n) says hi."

"Hi (Y/n), now go to sleep both of you. I'm too old to be a babysitter."

"Goodnight, Bug-Boy. I love you," you followed Happy's orders.

"I love you too, Blue. Goodnight."

The next day you got ready for the first day of your senior year. Senior year was generally the most relaxed, as the most stressful thing was college applications- but of course, you and Peter would be the exception.

You, Peter, MJ, Ned, and Flash Thomas - and unwelcome surprised - formed a little back and slowly walked through the crowd into school together.

"Spidey-Tide for life!"

"(Y/n), (Y/n) we love you! Will you lay Peter's eggs?"

You grimaced. The majority of the hate you were facing as a civilian was from die-hard Spidey-Tide shippers, which you were fine with. Though it was weird how far certain people would take it for either of your identities. You'd read some fanfiction once... never again.

Peter stopped at the metal detector first and was quickly ushered on. He attempted to wait for you, but one of the police officers urged him to keep going.

"I'm right behind you," you assured, holding your arms out for the scan. It beeped when it reached your nano-tech watch, but the officer dismissed it since it was clearly a simple accessory and not the holder for a million-dollar super suit.

You met Peter right inside the doors and grabbed his hand and you faced the wolves. Nearly the entire hallway had their phone out and was recording. You resisted the urge to flip them all off in retaliation. Peter wasn't a monkey they could make dance, and you were his little sidekick either.

"Peter," Mr. Harrington, Mr. Dell, and Coach Wilson were waiting for Peter, "We would love to... Welcome you back... To Midtown High. Where we shape heroes."

There was a case full of Spider-Man memorabilia just behind them, with several Riptide pieces thrown in. Since they didn't know Riptide also attended Midtown - and was, you know, you - they couldn't fully dedicate it to both heroes.

"Uh-huh."

"Or murderers," Coach Wilson cut in.

"Stop it. It's an honor to serve you... Sir."

"Mysterio was right!'

"Stop. We don't... some of the students put this together for you."

"No. You did that. You did that."

"I helped a little bit."

" He did all of that."

"You did a great job," Mr. Dell assured Mr. Harrington, then turned back to Peter, "I hope you have time to stop and check it out. And feel free to walk, or, or swing through the hallway- Or crawl on the ceiling to avoid everybody."

"We all know you can do it."

"I'm just gonna..." Peter pulled you away and began walking.

"You know what you did."

"Stop it. You're embarrassing yourself. He's a conspiracy theorist."

"Today is going to suck," you sighed.

"Without a doubt."

~*~

After having to deal with the student body for the first half of the day, you texted Peter to meet you on the roof so the two of you could eat lunch in peace. Your next hour was free so the two of you were planning on staying up there through that as well.

"I wish we could just stay up here alone all day," you sighed, ignoring a text from Jean asking how you were doing. You didn't want to think about the world right now, "It feels suffocating down there."

"I know. It's all just crazy," Peter sighed, rolling over on his side to face you, "But I'm glad we have privacy for a little while."

Peter leaned in for a kiss-

"Finally. Some privacy. It is so crazy down there," Ned announced himself dramatically, with MJ close behind him. The two of them sat next to you without a care in the world. You and Peter sighed and pulled away from each other, "So, I was thinking... When we get into MIT, we should live together."

"Yeah, for sure." It'd be easier on Ned and MJ to potentially split bills with the two of you, as you knew they wouldn't just sit back and let you and Peter buy an apartment or townhouse for all of you.

Ned grinned and pulled up a picture on his computer, "This is gonna be us!"

It was a picture of a group playing frisbee together and laughing. You nodded skeptically, "Minus the frisbee."

"And the smiling."

"MIT's obviously the dream... But if we match up our backup schools, either way, we'll all be together in Boston. New school, new town. We can Spider-Man and Riptide there. I mean they have cr!me in Boston, right?"

"Yes. Yes, they do."

"Yeah, wicked crime."

"Yeah, so it'll be like a fresh start."

Conflicted, you looked out at the city. Would it truly be that easy? Neither of you had the power or influence to guarantee admittance into all of the schools you were hoping for. If Tony were here he would do it in a heartbeat, but he wasn't, and Pepper had enough on her plate already.

"Hey, is something wrong?" Peter asked quietly while Ned and MJ were discussing whether or not it would be fun to join a club at MIT or not.

"What if we don't get in?" You whispered, not wanting the others to hear and get upset.

Peter wrapped an arm around your shoulders and pulled you close, "MIT will be our fresh start, a chance for us to get away from all the split opinions and the cameras. It'll be okay, (Y/n). As long as we have each other, right?"

You nodded hesitantly, "Right. It'll be okay."

~*~

College letters began flowing in just before Christmas.

Denied.

Denied.

We cannot accept you at this time...

Thank you for your application however...

Each time your parents comforted you and got ice cream for dessert that night. Each time Ned, MJ, and Peter confirmed that they didn't get in either. Then came the big one, an envelope from MIT.

"Go ahead, just let us know when you get home," your dad encouraged when you burst in with the envelope clutched in your hand.

Your group quickly agreed to meet at the coffee shop MJ worked at, and you sprinted in order to get there as soon as possible. Ned was already there, and Peter burst in a mere minute after you did.

"Ready?" He asked, holding up his own envelope.

"Jones, I told you to take down the Halloween decorations."

"Actually, that was Sasha, so..."

"Enough attitude, just do it."

"On it," MJ rolled her eyes and turned back to you.

Ned stared down at his letter, "I feel like I'm gonna puke."

"Well, don't. Because, he will just make me clean it," MJ hissed.

"This is our only shot. It's here, or nowhere."

"Hey! Come on," Peter tried to discourage that thought, "You guys ready?"

"Ready."

"On three. One... Two... Three..."

You tore open the envelope and began to read through the letter. It was the same as the others, just like you thought it would be. There was no reason for MIT to accept you when none of the less prestigious schools did.

"No," Peter announced sullenly.

"No."

"No."

"You?" Peter looked to Ned with a shimmer of hope in his eyes.

"'In light of recent controversy, we are unable to consider your application at this time,'" Ned read what all of your letters said.

The media had been polarized over Peter's case since the beginning. You'd done all you could as Riptide and (Y/n), and the vast majority of New York trusted their heroes, but there was that selected few that shouted Peter's guilt louder than anyone else that kept the flames of hatred stoked. Colleges, especially Ivy League schools, wanted to avoid all of that. So of course none of you were going to get accepted. Ever since your first rejection letter you'd realized that but tried to stay positive for the others.

"This is so not fair. I mean, this is so not fair. I didn't do anything wrong. And you guys definitely didn't do anything wrong."

"Expect disappointment, and you will never get disappointed," MJ smiled bitterly. She said that often when bad things happened, but you knew she was just as heartbroken as the rest of you.

"MIT woo!" Flash burst in the food wearing an MIT sweatshirt, "Let's go... you guys didn't get in?"

"Yeah. Because we're actually friends with Spider-Man," Ned snapped.

Flash shifted awkwardly at being called out, "Uhh, yeah... I better get going. There's a mixer for new admissions... And... sorry, guys."

"Jones, what are you doing? Get back to work."

"Yeah. Coming. You know what? I wouldn't change a thing," MJ smiled a bit more genuinely and tore up her letter.

Ned nodded and did the same, "Me neither... Although, I coulda just showed this letter to my parents."

Your phone buzzed in your sweatshirt pocket, and you pulled it out to reveal a text from Harry.

Hey, you got time to meet up?

You'd been avoiding him ever since the summer trip. You'd never gathered the courage to ask him if he had something to do with Mysterio. You didn't want to know, even if you felt like you already had your answer. Still, you knew Harry was struggling and he needed someone, so you did what you could from a distance.

Sure. Your place or mine?

Mine. Bernard will let you in when you get here.

"I've gotta go," you kissed Peter's cheek and gave Ned a quick hug on your way out, "We'll figure this out, alright? It's going to be okay. Text me if either of you need anything."

You let your parents know where you were going as you hailed a cab and gave them Harry's address. When you arrived you paid the driver and stepped out, waiting patiently in the lobby for Bernard to come retrieve you and bring you up to the mansion.

Harry was waiting for you just outside the elevator, a small smile on his face. It was rare, to see him smile. Ever since his dad died every positive emotion seemed stunted and fake, but this at least seemed real.

"Long time no see, stranger," he greeted, ushering you to follow him to the living room, "I've missed hanging out with you."

"I've missed you too," you admitted truthfully. You missed your friend Harry. This Harry wasn't him, not exactly, he was off just like his fake smiles, "So what did you want to meet up for?"

"I got into MIT," Harry announced excitedly, "I'm going to Sloan for management so I can officially start running the company, but I'm minoring in literature."

You were over the moon for Harry. It wasn't a surprise that he got into MIT considering his influence and his intelligence, and you knew he would thrive there. Getting away from New York, from Osborn mansion, would be good for him.

"That's great Harry! I'm so happy for you."

"What about you?" He asked, "Did you get in?"

You smiled sadly and shook your head, digging the letter out of your pocket to show to him. The further he read the tighter his grip became until the paper eventually tore slightly. Harry cleared his throat and handed the letter back to you.

"Have you ever thought about... cutting ties with him?"

The idea was unthinkable. Peter was such an innate part of you and your life that it'd be like losing your powers, "Oh no, I can't do that, Harry. He needs me and I need him."

"Do you? He's poisoning your life. He's the reason you didn't get into MIT, and why you're facing so much backlash from the press as a civilian. If they get bored enough then they'll turn on Riptide too! If you just let him go then everything would get better! He's the reason all that shit with Thanos happened and the reason Mysterio died and the reason we-" Harry abruptly cut himself off and turned away, something dark and conflicted passing over his face before it seemingly just disappeared, "You deserve better than this."

"Oh Harry," you sighed, reaching over and pulling him into a tight hug, "I know you're worried about me, and all of this, but I can handle it. I've been through worse than some bad press, okay?

"Okay," Harry whispered, tucking his head where your shoulder met your throat.

It was a terribly personal and intimate position, made even more so by your past together, but Harry made no attempt to push the boundaries set by your clear friendship.

"I miss this, us," Harry admitted, hugging you even tighter. It was getting harder to draw breath, "You seem so far away now. I hate it so much. I need you."

"I'm right here, Harry," you assured him.

"What's going to happen when I go to MIT and you're stuck here?"

"We'll figure something out, okay?" Your phone buzzed in your pocket and you pulled away from Harry to check it, worried it was a message from your parents asking you to come home for some reason. It wasn't, it was from Peter.

Did you know we could talk to the school about letting us in?

I'm on my way to talk to the person in charge of admittance if you want to come with me to support as Riptide. It might help.

Karen sent Misty my map

Shit. You really should go and help Peter by showing a united front as Riptide, but you didn't want to leave Harry after your conversation.

"Harry," you whispered cautiously, "I need to go."

That dark thing took over Harry again and his eyes flickered past your shoulder before coming back to you again, "It's important?"

"I wouldn't leave if it wasn't. Text me later, okay? And we should meet up again soon, maybe we can do something for Christmas. I love you, Harry."

It was completely platonic. You said I love you to Ned and MJ all the time when you did something to annoy you or they needed the support.

Harry whispered it back, "I love you too."

As you stepped into the elevator to go back down and sneak into an alley to activate your suit, it felt like a stone had dropped in your stomach. It was casual or said beneath a laugh. It was reverent, completely serious. It wasn't platonic to Harry.

Time had passed and changed your feelings for him as your relationship with Peter developed, but clearly the same hadn't occurred for him.

You didn't know what to do anymore.