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WITH LOVE SWINDLING ONE OF QUEENS NEWEST COUPLES, SO WAS HEARTBREAK. It was ironic, really, that when Peter finally lands the girl he'd been pining after for so long—even before he knew it—he became so happy, maybe even a little distracted, and while Peter had won, Spider-Man has failed. So much praise had followed the former onesie wearing hero, even with the negativity from J. Jonah Jameson at the Daily Bugle (Alissa used to wonder why Peter got so defensive over articles the man wrote about Spider-Man). However, with Spider-Man's latest failure, the city was retracting their much of their praise and replacing it with nasty insults and degrading terms.

Inside the Caverly home, tension was amongst the family, but they didn't even know it. Scott and Kelli were sat on the couch, Scott reading the newspaper while Kelli worked on some last minute calculations for the finishing touches of her and Scott's project. Time and time again they said they were close to a breakthrough, but it seemed they never actually made it. This time, though, they were certain they were closer than ever before. 

Alissa sidedly glanced over at her mother, notching the way the woman's face was scrunched together, brows furrowed. Her foot anxiously moved up and down, eyes scanning over her calculations. Every so often, Scott would gently touch his wife's thigh and whisper in her ear, seemingly reassuring her while helping as he pointed at something on the paper in front of her on the coffee table. Carter had his headphones tucked in his ears, Alissa at the opposite end of the couch, quiet certain she was hearing snippets of some One Direction song playing. Brian was in the kitchen, scrimmaging through the cabinets for a snack. And the only real kind of conversation was the one on TV between the news anchor, discussing Spider-Man's latest failure, and quite negatively for someone who wasn't supposed to be biased.

"—Luckily, none were killed in the accident, but at least five are in the ICU and many more are injured." Alissa peaked up from her own phone she was on, subconsciously narrowing her eyes at the news woman who spoke. "And sadly, Queens own personal tormentor, Electro, escaped the once heroic hero, Spider-Man."

"He's still a hero," Alissa bitterly muttered, rolling her eyes.

Scott lifted his head, focusing on his daughter across the room. "What'd you say, hon?"

Alissa didn't even hesitate. "I said he's a hero," she nudged her head towards the TV. "Spider-Man. He's a hero."

Carter pulled out one headphone, having heard his sister, clearly confused. "I thought you hated Spider-Man?"

Kelli had looked up from her own work, exchange a quick glance with her husband.

Alissa silently groaned, leaning back into the couch so her head was on the arm rest, a soft pillow placed behind her. "I never said that," she said, giving Carter a look that screamed shut up. "Besides, he did help B."

"He's a menace, Alissa," Kelli began, "Didn't you see the clip?"

Scott nodded in agreement, folding up his newspaper. "He had enough time to stop this Electro before he got to the bus, but he didn't, he hesitated, or got distracted, we don't really know for sure, but we are sure that he couldn't put an end to this villain."

Even if he did, you still wouldn't like him," Brian pointed out, coming into the room with three large bags of potato chips tucked under his arms. His family all looked around, comparing the bags to the small size of Brian. He noticed, rolling his eyes. He handed in bag to Alissa and the other to Carter, "Seriously? I'm a hockey player. I need to stay in shape."

"You mean you are in shape?" Alissa teased, Brian scoffing as he sank down in between his brother and sister, Alissa lifting her legs to rest in his lap. He glared at her, but didn't say anything or attempt to move them, making Alissa smile.

"You know, you're right, we probably wouldn't approve of him if he succeeded," Kelli responded after a few seconds. Alissa tore open the yellow bag, not sparing her mother or father another glance as they looked at each of their children. "But at least he would've stopped this man. Queens would be safe again."

Alissa sighed, hoping she would feel her phone vibrate. She'd texted Peter right after she heard of the incident, but he didn't respond. She even tried Aunt May, but she said that Peter was feeling sick and was trying to sleep it off. So Alissa left it at that. She wasn't sure if she should've went to the apartment to try and make him feel better, but snow started to fall quicker than before, a blizzard on the brink of plummeting Queens. As much as she wanted to see her boyfriend, she was going to have to wait.

That didn't mean she couldn't still text him, just to check on him or to let him know how her day was going, making sure not to include the fact that her parents disapproved of Spider-Man more than before. He only responded once, and that was to tell her he was okay and fine. But she already knew he wasn't fine; being his girlfriend seemed to give her a second sense, already knowing how he was feeling before he said a word.

"No, we're never safe," Brian said, making Alissa and Carter glance to the side at him, "Just because one person stops wearing a suit doesn't mean that villains will back down. They'll still come, that's why there's superheroes. So they can stop the villains before they harm us. Don't you remember what Iron Man did?"

Kelli frowned. "You mean when he and the rest of the Avengers destroyed—"

"He risked his life for all of us," Alissa snapped back, sitting up. While she wasn't a big fan of superheroes, she still supported them and what they stood for. The only reason any of them were still alive was because of the Avengers and their heroics that stopped the Chitauri invasion. "They all did. Iron Man nearly died in the process because he carried a nuke into that wormhole. We might not be here if he didn't do that."

The corners of Carter's lips curled upwards, biting into a chip while his gaze fell on their silent parents. Neither of them looked too pleased, but they also didn't look as upset as he'd been expecting. They didn't really hate the Avengers, Scott and Kelli actually having met with Tony Stark on more than one occasion, but they didn't really support the Avengers either.

Kelli softly smiled. She wasn't mad, she couldn't be when Alissa had a right to her own opinions, even if she and Scott didn't agreed with them. "How's Peter?" She asked, making Alissa's brows furrow.

Alissa just decided to shrug it off with that being her best option. She wasn't going to try and get a negative reaction from her parents. Carter already did that enough for Alissa and Brian combined; they didn't really need another child trying to start fights when one was too much already.

"He's good," Alissa she answered, dipping her hand into the Lays bag. "He might be coming down with something, and I was thinking of going to check on him?"

"I'll drive you," Carter offered, going to stand. Alissa quickly shook her head, rolling up the bag and shoving it into Brian's hand. The boy made a face, rolling his eyes and groaning, but didn't say anything.

"No thanks," Alissa said, "I don't need you scaring him again."

Carter scoffed. "What else am I supposed to do to my sisters boyfriend?"

Both Scott and Kelli straightened up, mouths agape. Alissa snapped her head to Carter, glaring. He awkwardly chuckled and stood, offering a sympathetic look. "Uh, sorry?" He tried offering. Alissa only rolled her eyes.

"He's your boyfriend now?" Scott asked.

Kelli grinned. "That's great, Sweetie."

Scott faced his wife, clearly feeling differently. Alissa frowned, noticing the opposite expressions on their faces. They always liked Peter, tending to ask her how  the boy and his family were doing. Every so often, one family would invite the other over for dinner just to chat and catch up on their lives, but that hadn't happened in a very long time with Scott and Kelli having been so invested in their work for such a long time. A few times the families gathered at other houses such as The Stacy's and The Watson, but only once at with the Osborn's. After that, they all mutually agreed that it was best not to do, Harry being the one to suggest going to the other houses rather than his own.

"Wait, you can't just—"

Kelli gingerly touched her husbands hand, speaking to him with only her eyes. Alissa pursed her lips, watching as her parents communicated with each other. Carter twirled his keys around his slender finger, letting out a heavy sigh. "That's okay. Just be home before the snow starts, okay?" Kelli asked, smiling while Scott was on the verge of frowning. "We don't need you getting stuck out there."

Alissa returned the smile. "We won't."

"Be safe," Scott firmly nodded, picking the newspaper back up.

Carter nodded, gently pushing Alissa towards the hallway. "Yeah, yeah, we know. Don't do dumb things and say outta trouble."

"Don't worry," Alissa poked her head around the corner, sweetly smiling at her family, "I'll keep Carter in check."

° ° °

"You don't look very sick to me."

Peter didn't even turn around to see Alissa. He sensed she was there, and a small part of him was happy, but another was upset. He failed to stop Electro when he had the perfect opportunity, but his eyes had landed on a girl in the crowd who looked almost identical to Alissa, but it wasn't here. By the time he'd realized, it was too late to stop the electric man before he harmed those that were on the incoming bus. He managed to stop it from toppling over, but most of the damage had already been done by that point, and everyone was taking the chance to point it out. Luckily, Aunt May didn't question why Peter was feeling glum when he returned home, a quick lie of feeling sick coming from his lips as he headed to his room.

When Alissa and Carter arrived at the front door, May was more than happy to see them, hoping that Alissa might've been able to make her nephew feel a little bit better. She was quick to excuse herself to see him, leaving Carter to try May's latest attempt at making a meatloaf which had left a slightly burnt smell lingering in the air. Carter liked the woman too much to deny her offer, though. So, he sucked it up and plastered a smile on his face while his sister went to speak with her boyfriend.

"I'm not," Peter muttered, keeping his face smushed against his pillow, facing the opposite wall. Alissa's lip jutted out and she stepped into the room, biting her lip as she quietly closed the door behind her.

She adjusted the sleeves of her sweater, tugging them down to her palms. "I heard what happened," she slowly began to speak. Peter didn't move. He only closed his eyes. "And they're all wrong about you."

Peter bitterly laughed, opening his eyes and peering over his shoulder towards her. His eyes fell onto her sweater, a warm feeling spreading through his chest when seeing the Chemistry Christmas pun written on it. She softly smiled, stepping toward his bed and sat down on the edge, careful not to sit on his feet. He shifted, turning on his other side, eyes pinned to Alissa. "I don't think so," he sighed, a lack of happiness in his eyes and voice. "It was my fault. I should've stopped him. I had enough time to stop him, but I didn't."

Alissa twisted her lips, slouching forward a little. Peter noticed, cautiously scooting back. He glanced to the empty spot beside him, giving her a quick smile as he did so. Alissa blushed, leaning back and allowing her body to relax on Peter's bed, her head resting against of his soft yet firm pillows. She turned, her body facing Peter's, their faces inches apart. Alissa smiled as she reached for his hand, taking it in her own, just holding it. 

"So what if you didn't catch him today? You'll get him the next time," she stated.

Peter sighed. "It's not that easy. People were hurt because of me."

"They've would've been hurt even more if you weren't there." Peter tried to respond, but she lifted their hands and touched them to his lips, silencing him. "I know people got hurt, but it wasn't your fault, Pete. Spider-Man can only do so much. You can't save everyone. You can try, but it's not ever going to be guaranteed. Just like today, you can't guarantee that you would've stopped Electro if you hadn't stopped for just that one second. The only thing you can do is try to make things better and save as many people as you can."

Peter softly smiled, tightening his grip on her hand. She bit her, curling closer. "Thank you, Alissa," he whispered, his hand leaving hers to gingerly touch her cheek. She welcomed the touch, feeling her skin grow got at his gentle touch.  "You're amazing, truly amazing. You've always been there for me, even when I didn't know you were." Alissa's smile widened. "It's true. You're really something else, and I'm grateful to have you in my life. You're too good for me."

Alissa playfully rolled her eyes. "Wrong again, Pete."

He chuckled. "You really are. I don't know what I did to deserve you."

Alissa just beamed. Peter's eyes flicked to her lips for a brief second, and that was enough time for both of them to begin to lean forward. Their breaths were warm, and so were their lips when they finally connected. Peters moved his hand to the back of her neck, his hand that was previously on her face slid to the small of her back, his finger moving in comforting circles. Alissa brightly grinned, leaning closer and cupping his warm cheek. A few seconds passed, the kiss being simple but sweet. It wasn't rushed, and that was what they needed.

They didn't need to rush when they already had everything they ever wanted: each other.

° ° °

Alissa wasn't happy to leave the Parker residence, especially when May made her and Carter chocolate chip cookies. Peter seemed to be feeling better to May, his hand slid in Alissa's and a grin permanent on his pale face. Sadly, the Caverly siblings received a text from the mother and father, telling them to come home since the bad weather was nearing their city. With a kiss on the cheek, Alissa bid Peter goodbye, both of them hugging May and thanking her for the cookies (she gave each of them a bag to bring home) and went on their way.

When they were five minutes away, Carter pulled into a nearby Starbucks, Alissa groaning in her seat when she realized where they were headed. "Why're we here?"

Carter rolled his eyes. "Can you go in and get me a hot chocolate?" He requested. Alissa gaped. "Please, Al? There's the kid who works here and he doesn't like me—"

"Seriously? Since when you did get scared of someone?" Alissa demanded to know, still taking the money he held out towards her.

He scoffed, facing forward. "I'm not scared," he grumbled. Alissa titled her head to the side with a knowing look on her face. "I lost a bet and owe him some money, okay? It's just 100 dollars, and all I gotta do is go to the bank and get it, but I'm not gonna do it until we're back in school, 'kay?"

Alissa rolled her eyes and threw opened the door, a smile adorning Carter's face. "I'm getting myself something, by the way," she pointed a finger towards him, "And it's gonna be the most expensive thing I can find."

Carter just shrugged. He didn't care how much money of his she used. He had a whole bank account full of money from their parents, and so did she; she just saved hers more than Carter who threw it around like it was nothing. Brian never really did anything with his money, but when he did, he usually wished he hadn't. "Fine with me," Carter finally said, widely smirking as Alissa just slammed the door in his face.

Snow had started to speckle the ground, the temperature having noticeable started to decrease within the last twenty minutes. Fluffy clouds were darkened, the sun finding trouble in trying to peak out. People were scrambling around the city, attempting to get home before the immense amount of snow that was expected bombarded them within the next hour or so began to fall. There were a few still out and about, not letting the weather get in the way of their Christmas shopping.

As Alissa stepped inside the warm shop, she made a reminder to get the last of her presents the next day before she had to go watch the play. Mary Jane or Liz were surely not going to let the snow get in the way of the play, having pre-sold tickets for the next two nights. No matter how much snow came upon the state of New York, the play would go on.

Alissa brushed off her coat as she stood in line, finding that it was moving quickly. When it was her turn, she ordered two hot chocolates, and three chocolate croissants for her and the boys. She gave her name and stood to the side after paying, her eyes glancing around the room. Hardly anyone was still inside, a couple by the window and a dark haired man sitting by himself against the wall. Alissa pursed her lips as she stared at him, slightly jumping when her name was said.

"You're Carter's sister, aren't you?" The boy handing her her order asked, face downturned.

She furrowed her eyebrows together, faking confusion as she took them. "Uh, I'm sorry, I don't know any Carter," she said, frowning. "I'm sorry. I—"

"Tell him I'm still waiting for my money he owes me," the boy said, not buying her little act.

She rolled her eyes, sending him a nasty look. "I don't think my brother owes you anything," she said, making sure he could hear the annoyance and sass in her voice. "And if he does, you'll get it when you get it. Got it?"

The boy blinked, gazing at her to see if she would break his stare, but she didn't. He cleared his throat and nodded, turning the other way without uttering another word to her. She triumphantly smiled and began to head to the door, stealing a glance at the lonesome man at the booth. She faced forward again, a light gasp escaping her lips as she did a double take, realizing it was Tony Stark, aka Iron Man.

She bit her lip, wondering if she could just say a quick hello and then leave. Peter told her that Tony was the one who made his new suit and that he was now the boys mentor, having an 'internship' at the Stark Tower that sometimes made him miss out of certain things, such as Decathlon Meetings, or have to drop out of certain things like Band and Robotics.

Feeling her stare, the man slowly looked up, notching the teenage girl having the familiar internal conflict of whether or not to actually approach him. He let out a soft laugh, motioning her over with her hand. Without hesitating, the girl headed over, planning to stand until he motioned to the chair in front of him. Alissa smiled and sank into the seat, setting her order in front of her.

"H-Hi, Mr. Stark," she kindly greeted him, making him smile at how formal and polite she was being. He didn't feel like he truly deserved it; but he did. "I-I'm a big fan. Well, not too big, but. . .you're my favorite Avenger. I do like Spider-Man, too, but I'm not sure he's an Avenger—"

"Oh, he's not," Tony said, making her lightly chuckle. "He's a good sport, always willing to help out the little guy, do his part, but he still has to prove himself."

Alissa nodded. "Right," she agreed. She smiled. "I'm Alissa, by the way."

He smiled, looking at her through the blue sunglasses that were perched on his ripped nose. "Tony, but I think you already knew that."

"Yeah, I, uh, I just wanted to say hello. I'm sure you're pretty busy—"

"Actually, today's my day off," he adopt informed the girl. "Most of my family's away. . .I'm just taking it easy for today and then it's back to work tomorrow. I might check up on Spider-Man, though, just to see how he's doin'."

Alissa grinned. "I understand. It must be hard having to keep tabs on him all the time." Tony's brows came together and Alissa realized her mistake. "Not that I know who he is, o-or anything. Peter made me—" Tony cocked a brow and Alissa scrunched her face together, smacking her hand against her forehead. "I wasn't supposed to say that."

Tony chuckled, slightly leaning back in his chair. "So you're the Alissa that Parker won't stop talking about." Alissa removed her hand from her face, shock written across her face as she stared ahead at the man. Tony snorted out a laugh, Alissa laughing along with the older man despite being embarrassed. "He leaves me messages about you all the time. I think he might like you."

Alissa giggled, fiddling with the cup of hot chocolate she'd gotten for herself. "I'd hope so. We are dating."

"He finally made a move, huh?" Tony queried, taking a sip of his own hot chocolate. Alissa blushed, the color change in her cheeks answering him when her lips failed to do so. "That's good. I'm happy for him, and you. I'll be honest, though, I wasn't sure if you were actually real."

Alissa coughed into her hot chocolate, making the man let out a loud laugh. She chuckled again, louder as well, taking a napkin that Tony handed her.

"Well, I am," Alissa said once she'd finally recovered enough, dabbing at her wet neck. "He's really happy too, I think. He doesn't really stop talking about you. Sometimes he thinks he's let you down, especially with what recently happened."

Tony sighed, Alissa figuring he knew of what recently happened. "It's hard for us, when you do one good thing and then you mess up, and suddenly they forget every good thing you've ever done," he said, eyes dropping to his cup for a brief second. Alissa frowned, running her fingers along her cup. "I know how he feels, but from what I've heard about you, and from what he's told me you've said—" Alissa blushed again; she ranted one night to Peter about how people still hated on Tony even after all of the good things he'd done—"He's got a lot of people still supporting and rooting for him."

"That goes for you too," Alissa said, making him tilt his head. She felt her phone vibrate in her pocket, sure that it was Carter demanding to know what was taking so long. "You're a good man, Mr. Stark. I've seen the things that people say about you sometimes, but I also see the good that you do in response to it, too." Tony watched her stand, offering a small smile as she gathered her things. "Everyone makes mistakes, that's what makes us human. But the difference when a superhero makes a mistake is that they'll always make up for it. And you always do, you just need to give yourself more credit. Just because you aren't rooting for yourself doesn't mean no one else is. The whole world is, including me and Pete."

° ° °

This is not how I was gonna end this chapter, but I thought it was a good ending, nonetheless! I actually liked this chapter as well and didn't feel like it was too much of a filler since there were some important things mentioned and all, so, yay for that lmao!

But also, Tony finally made an appearance!!!

I'm sorry if you don't like Tony, but c'mon, he's Peter's mentor and my so so he had to show up and meet the girl Peter was most certainly leaving him messages about like 24/7. And yes, I know Peter left the messages for Happy since he doesn't have Tony's number, but Happy told Tony those things, so it's basically the same thing!

Anyways, Peter and Alissa's ship name is now Aliter!! Thank you everyone who suggested a name as well as those of you who voted!!

Lastly, please don't forget to leave some feedback in the comments!! I'd love to hear what you thought of Alissa and Peter's moment and/or Alissa and Tony's conversation!

Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed!