chapter six.
redirect it all

Tommy watched Ben Parker quietly.

          He didn't like when the Parkers were mad at him. Obviously there were certain cases where it helped him feel like part of the family in a usually lonely world, but sometimes it was the last thing he wanted. He liked to make the Parkers proud. In a way—among many other undisclosed reasons—it was why he'd taken care of Peter for so long. This mistake was another lapse of judgement that he couldn't let happen again. It was proved hard though, in face of Peter's convincing. Case in point, he was a bad influence on him. One that Tommy didn't want to shake.

          "They're not gonna make us pay for the backboard, you know that." Peter tried to start convincingly as he walked alongside his Uncle. Tommy trudged along behind them with his head hanging low as he held on tight to the straps of his bookbag. He knew that it wasn't smart to antagonize Ben any further. Although he hadn't explicitly said he was angry at him, a part of him still felt at fault for letting it happen. And guilty at that fact that he was happy it had. Flash Thompson deserved a good lesson. Ben shook his head as his voice raised, "I don't care about the backboard. Is it true? What I heard there just right now? Did you humiliate that boy?"

          They stopped at the end of the hall. Tommy swallowed as he finally looked up, immediately shrinking as he realized Ben's eyes were looking between the both of them. Peter stayed silent for a second, letting the tension built as he thought of what to reply. Tommy nudged him urgently as he shoved his sleeve, grabbing Peter's attention as he finally looked up himself with a deep sigh. "Yeah—yeah I did, but this guy deserved it."

          "Did he? Is he the kid that hit you?" Ben asked smugly as he looked up curiously. He knew the answer to that question but still he brought himself to ask it to prove a point. Ben always did that when the two teens had found themselves in trouble. It was a way of helping them realize what they'd done wrong themselves without having to tell them. Peter wouldn't reply, leaving Ben to turn to Tommy instead. He persisted in a deep tone that made Tommy blink nervously, "Is he the kid that hit him?"

          Tommy swallowed, "Uhhhh."

          Peter looked at Tommy who was as struggling to keep his calm. He quickly spoke, drawing the attention to himself protectively. He redirected the pressure as he answered in a calm and steady voice. Although he usually wasn't the most level-headed person between the two teens he knew that when it came to cases of parents, Tommy could crumble within seconds. That type of validation was all he ever craved. Peter frowned annoyed, "Yea, yes. He did but he hit Tommy too"

Tommy's eyebrows raised in confusion as he turned to look at Peter. It was barely a strike into his shoulder and although he had fallen to the ground from the impact on the wall into his wound, Peter didn't know about his previous injury. He just cared, and for a second, that made Tommy's heart warm. Peter blinked away, turning as Ben looked between the two boys carefully. "So all this is about getting even. If so you must feel really good about yourself huh? Am I right or wrong? Yeah thought so. Well thanks to this little escapade of yours I had to change shifts for work so you have to pick up Aunt May tonight at nine. Understood?"

          Peter didn't look as if he was trying to still defend himself, but still Ben felt the need to continue. He took a step closer to the boys, pressing a careful hand into their chest as he made sure they'd heard him right the first time he'd gave his nephew the more than obvious warning. "Is that understood? And being together isn't an excuse out of it."

         "Yeah." Peter defended sternly, ending their conversation before Ben could start anything else. He glared at his Uncle as if there was an unspoken competition between the two with only looks. Tommy shoved his fists deeper into the pockets of his jackets uncomfortably. Until Ben's eyes roamed behind him and settled on the person across the hall. Tommy blinked before turning to look at the source, at the exact moment Ben spoke to his nephew. A humorous tone to his words as he picked on him jokingly. He nudged Peter with a short shove that caught his attention right away, "She looks familiar. She's the girl on your computer. You're on his computer! I'm his probation officer."

Peter simply groaned as he turned back around, Tommy quickly following but not having the chance to question Ben as the man was already out of view. Instead Tommy felt his voice drop low as he spoke in a nonchalant voice. Although he wasn't trying to sound like he cared, he was sure the shakiness in his voice mas more than evident. He pressed his hands into his pockets again as he glanced at Ben out of the corner of his eye, moving carelessly. "Gwen's on your computer screen?"

         "No—no. It's a picture of the debate club and," Peter reassured him as he turned back around to meet Tommy's eyes, but upon realizing how careless Tommy tried to sound. Peter took a step back, swallowing as he stood his ground with his new found confidence. He crossed his arms over his chest. "Actually. Even if I did. Why would it matter, Tommy?"

          "It doesn't."

          "Right."

Peter stared, as if he was waiting for Tommy to say something else but nothing came. He quietly sighed before turning around towards Gwen, walking towards her slowly as he tried to come up with a good enough explanation. They fell into comfortable awkwardness as Tommy watched from the side with his eyes narrowed.

Now his head hurt too.

🕸

          Tommy balanced on the ledge.

"Yeah, so. I think we're gonna hang out." Peter said as he walked around Tommy, dropping down beside him as he let his bookbag fall into the gravel below them. The empire state building's roof felt at a still as the two teens stared out at their city below them. Tommy took in Peter's words slowly as his heart rate increased. He bit his lip harshly as he gripped the ledge with tight hands, looking away from Peter. "Good for you. Is that what you want?"

Peter blinked. "What do you think?"

"Do you see that?" Tommy changed the topic as his hands grew sweaty, nodding forwards to the sirens running down below them. Peter resisted a sigh as he faced where Tommy motioned, his eyebrows knitting curiously as he heard the noise. He shrugged carefully before looking at Peter, on the brim of confusion. "The sirens? So what?"

"Well don't you wanna be a hero or some shit?" Tommy asked as he brought himself to look at Peter, gaining confidence as he realized he'd settled the uncomfortableness. He didn't like when they felt different around each other, and if he had to be the one to fix it he always would try. They always put in effort in cases of each other. That's how their friendship had survived as long as it had. It was always an equal distribution of effort. Tommy's head cocked sideways as he jokingly nudged Peter, brushing his hand slowly before jolting away with a still smile. "You're gonna be taking the cop's jobs. You'll probably do a hell of a better job too."

          Peter tried to keep his frustration but with the way Tommy joked with him, he couldn't stop a smile from growing on his own face. He looked away to hide his grin as he crossed his arms over his chest, shaking it slowly as Tommy laughed. "We can't talk trash about the police, Tommy. Even if I would do a better job."

          "Oh, but they can talk shit on us?" Tommy rolled his eyes as he leaned back against the ledge, spreading his hands out along it as he resisted the urge to roll his eyes. He started to kick his feet against the building's brick, in the childish way he always had ever since Peter and him had fallen into the habit of going there as kids. It was there one place away from the world. A place only they knew. Because in relationships like theirs, they were gifted those type of escapes. "I swear to you, Peter. A cop gave me a dirty look the other for simply existing. I was just getting a donut."

          "They probably just really wanted a donut—okay! Okay, ouch. Stop hitting me! Well, did you look like that?" Peter took in Tommy's appearance with a careful eye as his eyebrows furrowed curiously. Tommy's mouth dropped in shock, but this time his defense wasn't to shove Peter. He simply frowned and couldn't stop a pout from finding it's way onto his face. Peter tried to reach out through his laugher to touch Tommy but the boy quickly slapped his hands away. Peter finally stopped laughing as he subconsciously inched closer, "I'm only asking because you do look like a criminal. Messy hair and broken glasses. And what is this? Dirt on your nose? Really?"

"I don't have dirt on my nose," Tommy started to defend but stopped as Peter reached over to his face. His mouth ran dry as Peter held his face in place by cupping his jaw with one hand, then he slowly reached over with his other as he held his bookbag by the handle between his teeth. His other hand reached the bridge of Tommy's nose, an inaudible grunt escaping his mouth as rubbed against Tommy's face in the most careful way. Tommy watched him with a tender eye, resisting the urge to reach up and slip his hand in between Peter's rough fingers. Peter finally pulled away with a sigh of reassurance. "There. It's gone."

But he didn't move far enough. Their proximity was now notable, but neither moved to look at it, otherwise it would just be yet another excuse to pull away. Tommy breathed through his nose softly, his nose scrunching frustratingly. Peter pulled his other hand away from Tommy's jaw slowly. He blinked as he turned back to the city, facing it slowly. "I guess I do want to be a hero, Tommy."

          "I know." Tommy told him, staring at the side of Peter's face as he let out a shaky breath. He tenderly brought a finger to his nose, brushing it as if it was nothing but a memory. He continued through a random jolt of light giggles, unable to contain himself. "Peter, you shine like one."

Peter turned to look at him, but upon realizing what he said Tommy stood up and ran a hand down his pants. He could feel his palms grow clammy but dropped one hand to his best friend regardless, awaiting for him to latch onto him. Peter started at his hand expectantly with a raised eyebrow but Tommy continued to dramatically shake it as he awaited for him to grab on. "Come on. We're gonna make you a hero."

"Here?" Peter asked sarcastically—but followed his lead nonetheless—sighing as he pulled himself onto the ground beside Tommy. Tommy nodded convincingly as he walked through the gravel, slipping on his backpack before running towards the small warehouse on the very top of the rooftop. He stopped at the very front of the open space, catching his breath as he finally heard Peter come to a stop beside him. Peter looked around expectantly, "This isn't exactly the ideal place to test my certain abilities. What do you want me to with these things?"

          "Let's start with swinging from the pipes."

🕸

          Al resisted the urge to raise his voice.

          "You're really starting to piss me off so please get like at least twenty feet away from me." Tommy chortled as he walked around the counter of their small kitchen, whipping open the nearest drawer before swiftly closing it with his hip as he dipped the spook he'd drawn out into his bowl of cereal. Al only grew more angry at his brother's dismissive mood, his eyebrows knitting together frustratedly as Tommy pulled himself up onto the counter. He paused and placed a hand against his forehead drearily, "You can't just change our legacy, Tommy. Our family isn't meant to be made of heroes or villains. It's simple."

          "Well grabbing that lady and stealing her purse after everything wasn't very hero-ish, Al. If middle ground is what you're going for." Tommy said sarcastically as he pointed two fingers towards his older brother dismissively. Al slapped his hand away as Tommy went back to eating his cereal. He stayed unbothered as Al resisted the urge to completely lose his shit. He finally let out a frustrated noise as he leaned onto the counter in front of him, pressing both his elbows onto it as he looked up. "You do realize that she stabbed you right? You saved her life and she stabbed you!"

"Right. She did. It actually really hurt too. Did you know that getting stabbed really fucking hurts?"

"Tommy, I'm not joking!"

          Tommy finally stopped eating as his brother finally let himself yell. Al usually didn't yell at his brother, because even though he'd always been the one to take care of them, he wasn't Tommy's dad. And he didn't try to act like it, but Tommy was usually a good kid. This was just a disagreement that didn't seem to have a peaceful solution. Tommy placed his bowl of cereal down for a second as Al lifted himself up. Slowly swallowing as he turned to his brother, "We stay out of business that isn't ours because otherwise we end up dead. Or hated, basically the same. You can't please everyone and it's certainly not our job to try."

          For a couple seconds the siblings waited in silence, before Tommy gave in and pulled himself off the counter. He hit his brother's shoulder with his own as he rounded the wall, stopping at the end of the island as he turned out to the hall where his younger siblings laid in their room. He cupped his hands over his mouth as he called out to them. "Lissa! Rudy! Come out here! Time for a family meeting!"

          "What are you doing?" Al asked as he rushed forward, trying to grab Tommy's arm but he pulled himself out of his brother's grip before he could hold him in place. Tommy clasped his hands together as the twins walked out together, slinking into the seats at the island. He looked between them with a careful eye, expectantly waiting until Lissa finally sat up with a stretch. She yawned as she rubbed her hand—now squeezed into a fist—over her eye. "What do you want? Unless there's ice cream, I would like to be asleep right now."

Rudy did the same, "Lissa's snores like a train so this isn't much different from the room actually." Lissa reached up and hit her brother on the back of the head. Rudy turned at the same time, ready to attack her too before Tommy walked around and split them up again, shaking his head as he shoved them apart. Al let his face fall into his hands as he watched his siblings erupt into a match of screaming yet again. He'd always took on the pressure of being the adult, but sometimes all he wanted was to tell them all to shut up so he could go to sleep. Because realistically, that's all he wanted.

"Okay, stop! Now listen!" Tommy pushed his way between the twins as they finally stopped. He took a deep breath before pulling his hands back together, clasping them as he sold his idea to them. His eyes flickered up to Al's wearily before he started to speak. Hoping his words sounded more confident then it seemed as he presented himself. "Me and Al need help on a compromise."

         "No we don't," Al's eyes widened. "No we don't, Tommy."

          Tommy glared at Al again, stopping him from continuing. He knew that he'd already got the twins interested and if he wanted to continue keeping them out of it he'd knew to go with his brother's idea. Otherwise the twins would know a lot more than he'd planned for them too so early on. Al gave in, sighing as he lead his head drop. Tommy smirked ear gently as he turned back to the teens, starting slowly. "Okay, so. There's this character I'm making for a video game for school. Basically his family is from a long line of not heroes—but not villains—and once he starts to do their work, he decides that they're too bad. He wants actual middle ground. So, he decides that they should try things his way for a bit. But his mentor is being an asshole."

        Al looked up and glared at him but Tommy turned away, keeping his cool as he smiled to his younger siblings. Continuing what they thought was nothing more than a simple proposition for school. "He thinks that they have to stay true to traditional ideals and completely disregard any type of open or new experiences. Shouldn't he give the student at least a bit of control? Considering he'll do what he wants regardless."

          Al's head cocked sideways as he finally caught Tommy's eye, but the younger brother ignored him as he waited for their siblings answer. Lissa's eyebrows furrowed in confusion as she looked between her two brothers. Rudy simply stared at Lissa expectantly, waiting for her answer but confident in his own. Lissa finally pulled away from her seat an inch, reaching back against the counter.

         "Whatever this is actually about. Don't be an old school prideful, douche." Lissa said directly. She pushed herself up out of her seat before turning back around for a second to finish the argument between her two brothers. "If we never opened ourselves up to new ideas, we'd be stuck in the past which was a pretty shitty place."

          She turned on her heel and walked back to her room, leaving the Hartley boys stunned for a second as they looked between each other. Until Al had realized the amount of obscenities she'd said and his head went up in shock. He called out her name before running around the counter and going after her. Tommy simply shook his head as he leaned up against the counter, pushing himself up as he reached across to grab his bowl of cereal again. "Hey, Tommy?"

          Tommy looked up as he'd finally grabbed his bowl. He turned to the youngest Hartley carefully as he shoveled another spoonful of cereal into his mouth. He awaited the boy's response, stopping as he finally spoke in a careful tone. "It's not a villain-hero or a hero-villain. Your character?"

         "It's an anti-hero."

&& CHUMS CORNER ━━━━━━━━━━
idk if this chapter was any good lmao but i was writing it on the road so there's probably a million mistakes and a bunch of bullshit. it seems kinda filler-y but i don't mind bc tommy and peter scenes in this chapter were the cutest thing ever. anyway does anyone else like really love al? lmao he's my himbo baby and i literally live for him