Peter and I sit on his bed together. We decided to just have a lazy day and simply enjoy one another's company. It's been nice, spending time with him, meeting May, and watching movies in Peter's room.

"How on earth are you always so warm? You're like a walking furnace, and I'm over here in a sweatshirt, still freezing." I complain as I tug the blanket up and move closer to Peter, who only laughs as he wraps an arm around me.

"Perks of being me, I guess?"

"Of being you or being a superhero spiderling?" I counter, which make his eyes widen and head snap towards me. "What?"

"How did you—you know?" Peter's face crinkles in that cute way it does when he's worried. "When did you find out?"

"I had a suspicion when I noticed how he suddenly got better at swinging after I had told you ways he could improve. Then it was confirmed just now when I noticed the suit hanging out of your hamper."

The look on his face is next to priceless, and I have to hold back a laugh. "Wow. This definitely wasn't how I wanted you to find out."

"Don't worry. You're secret is safe with me, and if you ever need a sidekick?"

"I'll know who to call." He pauses and looks at me in that odd way I can't figure out. "How are you so cool with all this?"

"To be honest, I don't know. I just trust you enough to know you'll do everything you can to keep yourself and others safe. Plus, it's kind of awesome that you risk yourself to save and protect others. Not everyone would, and it makes me love you all the more for it." I press a gentle kiss to his lips and admire him for a moment.

Peter leans in and kisses me again, and I just lean into it until we have to break away for a breath. He doesn't seem to get the memo though as he follows me along. I give him a quick peck on the lips before indulging him with another kiss. "We should probably get back to the movie." I whisper against his lips, "Especially since the door is open and May is still here."

He sighs and rest his head against mine with a dramatic pout. "Fine. We can get back to the movie." I can't help the laugh that escapes me as we turn back to the movie, and despite myself, my thoughts start to drift as I lay against his chest and with us all tangled together.

About an hour into the movie, Peter's phone starts buzzing like its trying to launch itself off the nightstand. I watch as he grabs it and struggles to swipe his thumb across the screen. "It's Mr. Stark," he whispers to me as the face of the billionaire genius pops up on the screen.

"Parker, I need you to come by the tower this afternoon. I need to give your suit a few upgrades, and—wait, who's the girl?" His tone changes from formal to inquisitive when he notices me in the corner of his screen.

"Hi, I'm Y/N, Peter's—um—girlfriend." I mumble still unsure that this is really happening. "Also, you did an awesome job on his suit. Trust me, I know how hard it is to make those things properly and to find the right kind of materials to create max breathability and flexibility. I found that a lot of stuff just gets in the way or slows you down, and I'm sorry, I'm rambling."

It's quiet for a long moment, and I feel the heat burning my cheeks. "Pretty and smart. Nice job, Parker; you better keep this one."

"I plan to, sir." Peter says as he looks down at me with those gorgeous brown eyes. "Do you still need me to come in?"

"No, take the day off and spend some time with that lovely girlfriend of yours. We can work on your suit later." His gaze moves to me for a moment as he smiles, "It was lovely getting to meet you, Y/N."

"It was nice meeting you too, Mr. Stark."

Peter talks to him for another minute before hanging up and resuming the movie. "I meant what I said, you know." He whispers after a bit of the movie playing.

"What do you mean?"

"I plan on making this work, no matter what. Even though it hasn't been long, I don't want to lose you—to lose this." His fingers absentmindedly brush over my arm as he speaks, "No matter the distance, or whatever happens, I want to make this work."

"Me too, Peter." I whisper and gather together the courage to tell him the secret I've been keeping. "In fact, there's something I want to tell you. No one—especially not my parents—know this, but I actually applied to colleges here in New York. I figured if I got in, I'd stay with my gram and study business for when I take over."

"Y/N, that's awesome. Have you heard back from them?"

"Nothing yet, but there's still time." I smile up at him, "If I do, then at least we wouldn't have to worry about going as long distance as we thought."

"I like the sound of that, but either way, we can make it work." He presses his forehead against mine and smiles down at me, "I'm not letting go after just finding you."

"Me either," I press a feather-light kiss to his cheek, "and I have no plans to change that."

Right after we finish our movie marathon, my phone starts buzzing on the nightstand next to Peter's. I lean over him and peek at the screen to see my mom's contact on the screen. "Hey, Mom. What's up?"

"Nothing terribly important, but I was just calling to see if you could come back a little bit early? I need to ask you about a few things." She says with a worried edge in her voice.

"Yeah, I'll be there soon." I reply thinking nothing of it as we exchange goodbyes and hang up.

"Everything okay?" Peter asks as I collapse back in my spot with a huff.

"Mhm. I just have to head back sooner than I thought." I tell whims I look up at him, "Pretty sure my mom just wants to double check that she's setting things up right. Still, I don't wanna go yet."

"Then don't." He whispers as his hands find my waist, and he starts to tickle my sides. "Stay."

"Peter," I screech through the laughter as I try to wiggle out of his grip, "you know—you know I have to go."

"Not until you say Spiderman is your favorite avenger." He teases with a devilish grin tugging at his lips.

"Spider—Spiderman is my—my second favorite." The comment makes him stop and stare at me with utter surprise. "What? Iron Man is pretty awesome."

"I'll give you that one."

"But if we're talking about the cutest Avenger, then it's definitely you." I grin at him, and he shakes his head, which sends his curls falling down into his face and brushing across my forehead. "You'll always be the best one in my book."

"Good." Peter whispers against my lips as he kisses me, and I swear, it will never stop making me dizzy or keep my heart from pounding furiously. "I should probably let you get going, huh?"

"Probably." I reply with a grin as I kiss him back, before getting up. "I'll see you tonight?"

"Of course." He tells me as he helps me slip on my coat and wraps his arms around my waist. "I wouldn't miss it for the world."

"You're so cheesy." I laugh at him before giving him one last goodbye as I head out. "See you tonight, babe."

The entire walk back, there's a peppy bounce in my step as I keep thinking about seeing Peter again tonight. I don't register anything is out of the ordinary as I find my Mom in the main tent as she sets up the rigging for my show tonight. It only hits me when she looks up at me, and I instantly know something is up.

"Y/N, you're back." She says without any excitement or joy like she had this morning. "Let me just finish this up, and we can talk."

"Talk about what? Is everything okay?"

She lets out a huff as she finishes tying the knot, clearly frustrated, "I thought so, but it clearly isn't if you're keeping secrets from us now."

"What are you—?" The words die in my throat as she slips a folded piece of paper from her pocket. I swear my heart lodges in my throat at the familiar insignia. "Is that—that my letter from NYU?"

"Why didn't you tell my you applied to college? Or that you didn't feel ready to take over for your Dad and I?" She rubs her temple as she continues, "Instead, I have to find out by my own mom coming by to drop off your letters and tell me all about how she's so excited for you."

"I—I wanted to tell you. It's just that I didn't know how you would react or how to even broach the subject." I sigh and fall onto the nearest bleachers. "You and Dad seemed so excited for me to take over that I couldn't figure out to tell you guys how terrified I am of it all. I grew up here, and all I ever heard was how the circus is a dying art, how we had to be careful because money was tight, and how hard it is to keep it all running.

"So, yeah, I've been saving up and put in applications. I figured if I got in, I could learn about running a business and get some extra knowledge on how to make it work in before I take over. This all just means so much to me. It's all I've ever known, and I don't want to mess it up."

"Oh, honey." My mom whispers as she pulls me into a hug and brushes a hand over my hair. "I'm so sorry. I had no idea you felt like that, and if it's what you want, then you should go to college—for something other than business if you'd like. But you could never disappoint us. We're already so proud of who you've become, and nothing will change that."

"Really? Even if I don't want to take over anytime soon?"

"I'll admit, it's going to take some getting used to the idea of leaving, but I know it's for the best." She smiles encouragingly and rubs circles on my back. "Although, we'll at least learn how to manage without you for the next few years."

"I guess so, but how are we gonna tell Dad?"

She just offers me a reassuring smile, "Leave that to me. Why don't you go get some rest before the show tonight? I'll finish taking care of things around here."

"Thanks, Mom." I call over my shoulder as I head to the trailer to take a quick nap before tonight feeling happy and light with both college and my relationship with Peter to look forward to in the near future.

The only thing that is dampening my mood is the fact that we'll have to leave for Europe in a few days, which means leaving New York for at least a few months. I try to push it to the back of my mind as I lay down and drift off to sleep.