a/n: For those who are confused and think I've somehow illegally got my hands on a copy of Spiderman 2, check the release dates in the UK (they're on imdb, google it, first link). It came out on the 16th April (apparently, I actually thought it was the 19th coz it was good Friday advertised and I was confused by it and didn't go coz it'd be full of kids screaming on and the traffic would be awful) and I saw it on the 23nd (I think, all my days are merging together. I think it was a Wednesday. It could have been a Tuesday. This is what revision and exam season does to me). I dunno why the USA have like half a month between my date and yours, but it has been released, I didn't decide when it would be released so it's not my fault, and the story does contain spoilers, so don't complain if I've ruined the film because you have been warned! Cheers.

Peter stood, hood up, somewhere in the middle of a part of New York that was pretty far from home. He was lost, needed to talk to someone, and he couldn't think of anywhere else to go. In fact, he wasn't quite sure why he was even here. He was terrified to even stand in front of the door, never mind knock. He was conflicted, his heart heavy, his head filled with shit he couldn't shake. The guilt weighing him down, all of the people he couldn't save.

He stood there for best part of the day before someone walked out. A woman, he recognised her from TV, from giving evidence against the fall of the all-American society. People were staring at her, muttering, whispering, and she just kept walking, head high.

Peter stuck his hands in his pockets and followed her, skipping a couple of times to catch up.

"Hey, doesn't it bother you that they're all muttering about you?"

Natasha Romanoff didn't so much as flinch, as she turned to him, looked him up and down, and then smiled.

"Not exactly. Wanna get some ice cream?"
"You don't even know me."

She caught his eyes, hidden under the hood, and raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, I know you. Do you want some, or not?"

Peter looked back at her, bottom lip trembling ever so slightly, and then he gulped the lump in his throat down and nodded.

"Okay, come with me."

…

Peter followed a step behind as Natasha led him through the streets to a back alley which was a little less busy. He started to wonder if she was going to turn on him when he spotted a little café which was almost empty and had a quaint old-style American look about it, with the red and white striped covering on the veranda and the chipped and painted white-chairs.

He looked at Natasha and she smiled.

"Yeah, most people don't know it's here. Tony pays enough to keep the guy in business for a month and we head out here when we want some air. And some alone time. Steve found it. As you can probably imagine."

The one table was occupied, now Peter looked closer, by Steve Rogers himself, sipping coffee and reading a newspaper.

"You like coffee?" Natasha asked.
"Uh, yeah."
"The coffees great too. What's your favourite ice-cream flavour?"
"Uh, toffee."

Peter cringed as he realised he'd said Gwen's, and not his own.

"Sorry. No. I like mint best."

Natasha cocked her head slightly, glancing at him looking at the floor, his cheeks slightly coloured, and she almost felt sorry for him. She tapped him on the arm and smiled up at him.

"What a coincidence, that's mine too."

She put an arm around his shoulders and led him forwards into the café to place their orders.

…

Natasha flopped down in a chair outside, throwing an ice cream cup over the top of Steve's paper and knocking it to the table. When he looked over at her to frown his displeasure, she put the coffee down over the other side and beamed at him. Peter pulled out a third chair and sat down, eventually pushing his hood back.

"Ah, that's better. We get to see your sweet little face now," Natasha said, wiping ice cream on his cheeks. Peter snorted, wiping it off, and looking to Steve for help.

Steve shrugged.

"She's always this annoying, yes."

Natasha smirked, and wiped Steve's ice cream over his face. Steve sighed, and wiped it off.

"Did I or did I not just buy you your favourite ice cream and coffee?"

Steve looked down.

"Ah, yes. You did."
"Then shut up."

Steve huffed and rolled his eyes as Natasha leant back and put her feet up on the forth chair.

"So, what's the deal with you, kid?"

Peter looked up at her, licking ice cream from a spoon and shrugging.

"I dunno. I just figured I needed someone to talk to that… Well, that could relate to me?"
"Finding it difficult to adapt to being a hero?"
"Not so much the hero bit. More the everyone-I-love-dying bit."

He frowned, his cheeks reddening again, and Steve reached over to pat him on the shoulder. He looked up at him and smiled sadly.

"Sorry. I just… It's been tough."
"We thought you were gone for good. We were getting ready to send in a team when Sytsevich was running around. But you got there first."
"I just," he sighed. "I made a promise and I broke it. And if I hadn't've broken it, she'd still be here."

"It's a lot of pressure to have on one man's shoulders, Peter," Steve said, speaking like he knew. "You can't blame yourself for the actions of others just because you couldn't stop them."

They ate in silence for a while, Natasha glancing at Steve repeatedly, but he didn't look until she kicked him in the leg.

"Ow! What?"

Natasha sighed, and rolled her eyes.

"Peter, you can always join up."
"Huh?"
"The Avengers. We have parties and sleepovers and sometimes save the world in between. And we have a really cool tower."

Peter smiled.

"I appreciate the offer, but I can't leave my aunt. I mean, Harry knows who I am, which means other people will know who I am. She's in danger all of the time without even knowing."

Natasha and Steve glanced at each other.

"Okay. Well, we're always here if you need us."

Steve wrote his number down on a napkin, and Natasha rolled her eyes and wrote down her own.

"We're usually keeping an eye on things, but we don't see everything. If you're in out of your depth, then don't hesitate to give us a call. We'll be there as soon as we can."
"And the tower doors are always open if you need a break. But I'd keep your hood up. People are always photographing us."
"Yeah, coz it's not like I can climb up the sides and through a window if no-ones looking, huh?"

Steve smirked, and Natasha rolled her eyes.

"Well, I suppose you could. Tony might have a fit though."
"We'll let him know you might show up."
"And don't crawl through the lab windows. Bruce has a tight grip on himself, but I'm not sure even he could take the shock of some scrawny kid crawling through his window. Especially not since we have so many enemies."
"We'll tell Tony…"

Peter smiled, nodded, and they all finished their ice cream.