Spider-Man. The House Of Venom

Peter stretched and yawned and picked up his phone. It had been buzzing now for almost five minutes, and he was trying to ignore it.

Gwen was warm and comfortable and her hands had strayed down, while his had found their way up. He didn’t want to move. He wanted to stay like this.

Giving up, as whoever it was definitely insistent. He reached over when it stopped buzzing and the message chime sounded.

‘Peter, answer your phone, it's Matt and it's important.’

Peter groaned and kissed Gwen gently on the side of the face.

He leaned in closer, “It's my lawyer, I need that back to get up.”

Gwen groaned and let go, turning over and stealing the blanket they had slept under.

He slid out of bed and moved to the couch, where he sat and called Matt.

“Sorry, I was sleeping.”

“It’s fine Peter, but the school board ruled already,” Matt replied,

“Um, huh?”

“I know I know. They called an emergency meeting and spent most of the night dealing with the mess I dumped in their lap. I need you to come in.”

Peter ran a hand down his face, “I can be there in about an hour. But,” he asked dreading the reply,

Matt laughed, “It’s good Peter, they caved. Come in and we can talk properly.”

“Okay, an hour.” Peter hung up the phone.

He groaned and rubbed his eyes as he made his way back to the bed. Lifting the sheet, he stared at Gwen's naked behind before she groaned and tried to grab the blanket back,

“Cold,” she grumbled but then turned over, blinking and scrunching her face up. “Come on Pete, you can see me naked when it's warmer.”

“The board ruled, and Matt said it's good news, but I need to go.” He sighed in appreciation at her incredible body. “Yeah, I’ll uh, get those things you wanted on my way back.”

Gwen laughed and grabbed the blanket from his grasp, “I’ve got school.”

She stretched and slid out of the bed as well. She stepped forwards and kissed him, pressing herself against his naked body. “Text me when you get done.” and began to search for her own clothes.

⁂

Everyone in the office of Nelson and Murdoch seemed in a good mood. Even Foggy smiled and nodded at him before going back to his own work.

Matt had fresh coffee and pastries waiting, and was smiling at his desk when Peter walked in.

“Danish? Karen gets them on her way to work. They’re good.” Matt asked and waved a hand in the general direction of the box.

“Mr Murdock, no offence, but the news first please?” Peter asked. He could eat later. This was more important.

“Of course. Sorry.” Matt licked sugar from his fingers, wiped his hands and flicked open a file in front of him. “The board chaired an emergency meeting. If you sign the paperwork, you get a settlement. Your record is scrubbed clean, and the vice-principal is gone.”

“I won't be going back to school?” Peter asked

Matt shook his head, “sorry, they refused that one. Flash got a lot of publicity, and they are going to blame it on an accident. You going back to school and antagonising the situation makes it harder to spin that.” He slid over one of the sheets to Peter, “But, you get to finish at Brooklyn Technical College. They’ll provide study materials and pay for your exams.”

Peter skimmed the sheet, and it all looked good on paper, but he felt there was more to it, “But?”

Matt laughed, “yeah, there is a but. You sign a waiver. You can't take the story to the papers, and you can't sue the district in a civil case. And you have to pay for the exams from the settlement.”

Peter sighed and frowned, “How much is it?”

Matt laughed, “half a million dollars.”

Peter stared blankly at Matt, “uh, what?”

Matt laughed, “It’s not as much as I’d hoped. They want it done quickly and swept under the rug but if you fought you could probably get double that. The history of bullying is years old. When you add in Flash being a semi-celebrity and his father making huge donations to the school. It would be very bad if any of this got out.”

Peter leant back and slumped in his chair, “fight it for months maybe years, rack up a huge bill, or take it and put it behind me?”

Matt shrugged, “Peter, as your counsel I can only advise you on legal matters. I know this is personal, and I’m guessing the board looked at your financials and decided that was enough to pay you off.”

Peter scratched his cheek, “it is. I’ll take it.”

“I’ll get the paperwork drawn up, and you need to come back in and sign it. So, are you sure? Once you sign, this all goes away but you can’t do anything else?”

Peter nodded, “I’m sure, and uh, you are getting paid right? I mean, Can I split the settlement with you guys?”

Matt frowned and leaned forwards, “We are, and you don’t need to Peter. It's our job to do this.”

Peter shook his head, “then take half. I want a fund set up for other kids who need lawyers. So you dont have to worry.”

Matt smiled and shook his head, “I can do that Peter, and thank you.”

Peter grabbed his bag and stood, “is that it?”

Matt nodded, “I’ll call as soon as the paperwork is done, and Peter. If you need help with anything else, a problem you might have developed at Oscorp. You can call me.”

Peter looked confused for a moment, and stared at Matt,

Does he know? He panicked, how could he know?

“I'm fine Mr Murdock, but thanks.” and he bolted from the office.

⁂

Peter was over the moon with happiness. Not only was he free from school, but Flash as well and he had a massive cash inflow. He ran back to the warehouse with a huge smile on his face but was slightly disappointed when Gwen wasn't there. She had left a note.

‘At school doofus. Text me.’ She had drawn a small heart at the bottom.

Peter checked his watch and it was a little after ten. She would have her mid-morning recess soon, so he grabbed his phone and sat on the large sofa in the communal area,

‘Lawyer was good, not allowed back though’

Gwen sent back a sad face ‘sucks, but still glad’

‘Got a settlement, so, can get the warehouse finished. Felecia is still a no, but MJ is a yes?’

‘Fel says her dad needs her to housesit, and MJ is her usual. I’ll make sure though’

⁂

Peter headed home right after. He knew May was a bundle of nerves over the situation, and with it finally over they could both move on with their lives.

“Aunt May, I’m back.”

She was at the coffee table in the kitchen, holding a letter, and sighing. “Peter. We just got a letter from the school. You are officially expelled.”

Peter laughed, to her annoyance, “I spoke with Matt. He got them to settle, so that's.” he took the letter, balled it up and threw it at the trashcan. “Garbage.”

“They settled? Are you sure that's wise? Matt warned me about,” but Peter smiled and placed a hand on hers.

“Aunt May. Mr Murdock advised me to take it. My record is clean, my exams are being held at college. I don’t even have to go back, but I uh.” He sat down in the chair next to hers. “I gave half to Nelson and Murdoch, to pay for other kids legal fees.”

Aunt May tears up, and pulled him into a hug, “your uncle would be proud of you Peter.”

⁂

Felicia watched as Gwen headed towards the gate, with a stupid smug grin on her face. Even from here, she could smell the afterglow and she knew she had spent the night at the warehouse,

“So?” she was trying so hard not to let her voice show her true feelings, not to let Gwen know how betrayed she felt.

“Uh, yeah. Pete and I,” Gwen said and she blushed,

Damn, she’s so hot, Felicia thought, no. I’m angry,

“So no prom then huh?” she added sadly.

Gwen stopped, looked around, and grabbed Felicia by the shoulders, “Fel, stop, please. I just spent my first night with my first boyfriend, okay? I don’t need this right now.”

Felicia sighed, “sorry,” she said guiltily.

Gwen sighed and looked around. It was almost time for homeroom, and the gates were deserted.

“Once. But Pete gets to know first okay?”

Felicia lifted her head confused as to what Gwen meant. Before she could react, Gwen stepped forwards and kissed her,

She didn't invade her mouth, just a soft gentle kiss on the lips, letting her hands slip around her waist. “One kiss, but if Pete says no, it means no.”

Felicia’s brain had shut off, and she nodded dumbly, lifting a hand to touch her lips. Gwen could only laugh, “yeah, I’m that good.” before she grabbed Felicia by the arm and they headed to class.

⁂

“You’re what?” Flash yelled at her. He was still on crutches, and after the surgery had been told he needed to rest to fully recover. It had been great news though. His ankle would heal properly and there was no nerve or muscle damage.

What wasn’t great was the look MJ was giving him as they shared lunch together and she dropped a bombshell.

“I haven’t agreed, but Pete is offering nice places for cheap. I need a place to stay Flash, and I can’t afford anywhere on my own.” she tried to explain. He was always like this. He never listened.

“You could move in with me? My dad is renting me a condo in Manhattan.” He asked as he stretched his hand across the table and took hers.

“I can’t. I won’t be a trophy wife, I need to stand on my own Flash, please, dont make this a bigger deal than it is. It's just rent.”

Flash growled and pulled his hand back. His dad taught him how to handle women. They needed a firm hand, to be told and to understand it wasn’t their place to argue. He had insinuated that sometimes a good slap got the point across, but Flash had never gone that far.

“Parker cost my dad. He broke my leg and now he’s turned his attention back to you. Don’t think I don’t see what's going on.”

MJ flinched. Flash never listened. Never believed there was anything between her and Peter. Not anymore.

“I, I can’t Flash. What can I do to make you believe me?”

“Prom. We go to prom. I’ll get a limo, a corsage for you, and a hotel room for after.” He said, glaring at her angrily.

“Flash, I. I don’t know if I’m ready for that.”

“We go to prom, I’ll get a limo, and then we go to a hotel room after,” he said sternly. He picked up his lunch tray, “You’re my girlfriend MJ, not his. You do as I say, so no. If you need somewhere I’ll sort it out, not Parker.”

Before she could argue, he hobbled away. She watched him throwing his tray into the dirty pile with one hand as he held himself up with the crutch.

It was always the same. He never listened and didn't care.

⁂

Flash was in a foul mood as he did his best to navigate to his locker.

Assholes he thought, fucking assholes.

As soon as he was out for the season his friends mysteriously vanished. He had only heard about the team replacing him through a notice. Even the coach had brushed him off with excuses.

He was already in a foul mood when he saw the new captain of the team, standing next to his girlfriend.

Scott fucking Summers, he thought, another asshole with an attitude.

He tried to talk to Jean once, and Scott simply shook his head and that was that.

Of course, they made that weird-eyed freak captain. “Hey Summers, you took my place.“ Flash yelled at him.

Even though he was out for the tryouts, he should have a spot held for him. Until Scott tried as well and was not just given Flash’s guaranteed spot, but the team captaincy as well.

 Scott laughed, “Yeah,” he said as he shrugged, “the best man got the spot.” Scott looked at the plaster cast on Flash’s leg. ”but you know, with the way you play, I would have won it on one leg.”

“The fuck you say?” but as Flash tried to storm closer his crutch hit a patch of wet floor. His crutch skidded away. He yelled in pain as the cast hit the floor he grabbed out for anything to steady himself.

Which was Scott.

They fell in an awkward tangle of limbs and trying to separate Flash smacked Scott in the face in anger.

His red-lensed glasses went flying, sliding across the floor. As Scott lay helpless, his optics basted a hole through the wall and into the science lab.

The glasses flew up, Jean holding a finger to her temple, and landed on his face, even as his eyes were tightly held shut.

“Scott!” she yelled as she quickly grabbed her phone.

“Professor, it's an emergency. Scott’s glasses got knocked off.”

⁂

“Midtown High School suffered a tragedy today as a faulty gas line burst, causing a massive fire.

Thankfully, the students were evacuated safely and no injuries were reported.

While the fire was contained, the older building was partially destroyed in the blaze.

We reached out to Principal Henderson for a comment on the future of the school.”