daretodo | [for Tony]

Five years.

I've been on Tabula Rasa for five years as of today. I've had my powers -- my powers, not some watered-down version of someone else's -- back for the past two weeks. I like to think the Island's trying to get on my sweet side after years of misery, but for all I know, there's something even worse right around the corner.

It's scary to think of all that's changed in the time I've been here, of all the people I've lost. Wolverine up and vanished just the other day, meaning I'm the last man standing of the motley crew of folks I arrived with. It's a sobering thought.

My first inclination isn't to get drunk, but the more I think on it, the more I realize I should make some concession out of -- What? Respect? For Logan.

Thing is, I don't really want to go alone and my options for drinking buddies -- there's a laugh riot -- has recently decreased by one. Tony's maybe not the greatest choice for something like this, but I'm not sure where else to go. After I'm done with zombie disposal, I swing by his place, hesitating once I reach the door.

"...ah, to heck with it."

I knock.

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Zombies didn't knock. Of course, the only reason he knew there was knocking was that Jarvis told him, and Jarvis probably would have mentioned if it was zombies. Probably. He had a gauntlet on, anyway, leftover from earlier in the day, when he'd been doing flybys. The plants mostly had it, though, which was... well, weird. It was weird.

He'd grabbed a couple just to look at. What he'd been doing, actually.

"Don't tell me," he said. "No, genuinely, don't tell me. It's probably ridiculous, if it's anything like the rest of this week. Is it ridiculous?"

I don't figure out why my spider-sense is tingling until I spot the gauntlet when Tony answers the door. I blink past the sudden headache and wave away his hand like it's an annoying fly.

"...considering I was about to ask you to go a bar, yes, it's ridiculous."

"That's not ridiculous, that's- the word I would use is uncharacteristic," Tony said, avoiding Peter's hand by waving his own hand in a circle for a moment, just for the principle of it, before dropping it to his side. "What's the occasion? Tell me on the way, you're not changing your mind."

"Really? 'Cause, I mean, changing my mind sounds like a great idea."

I throw my hands up in the air in a hapless gesture, then pivot on my heel to start towards... I don't even know which is the better bar around here. The Hub? I guess it's a bit of a walk no matter where we go.

Swinging would probably be faster, all things considered. I spin back around and hold out an arm.

"...we're not walking, come on-"

"...are you- you're serious," Tony said, eyebrows going up. "You want me to Jane to your Tarzan. I own a motorcycle, I'm not Janeing your Tarzan."

"It'll take two minutes, come on-"

I wave my hand a little and give him a pointed look.

"Unless you're scared."

"I am scared," Tony said, without missing a beat, "I'm scared of not being able to look at myself in the mirror. I'm scared I'd never get a date again. That's a joke, I'm not actually scared of that one, let's... be honest."

I listen to his spiel, mouthing along with the protests with a roll of my eyes. Knowing how he likes to go on, I figure I might as well just take decisive action before I chicken out entirely and go home to my dog.

I'm fast. It takes the space of a blink for me to get an arm looped around him and us up in the air. Spider-sense'll warn me if anyone's about to get a glimpse of us, so I figure I'll be okay without the mask.

"I'm not calling you Jane!"

"Hey, what- I didn't sign a waiver and I don't think your insurance covers this!" Tony said, as he was unceremoniously scooped into the air and swept along. Was this how it felt for other people when he did it? Surely not, he was sure he provided a smoother ride.

No matter what Pepper had said about getting bugs in her hair.

I grin over at him. It's been years since I've carried anyone like this for real, but I've still got the knack for it. I keep us up as high as I can, spider-sense guiding where I place the webs so that I don't aim for a branch that won't support our combined weight. It's not quite the same as the city -- a tree gives a lot more than a building -- but it gets my heart rate up all the same.

"What insurance?"

"Then your insurance definitely doesn't cover- if you drop me on my face the woman of the island will never forgive you," said Tony, although there didn't seem to be much chance of that happening. Peter really did have this whole swinging around jungle-man thing down. Part of him could appreciate reckless speed of travel. Part.

"You sure about that?"

I swing us up higher, taking a quick detour when my spider-sense starts to tingle. I really don't want an audience.

"Pretty sure a few of 'em might thank me."

"Why would- don't be ridiculous. Lynch mob organized against Peter Parker. It wouldn't take much, I've seen your press," Tony said, eyeing the ground, which seemed further away. Which he could handle, except he had no way of handling it, he was entirely in someone else's hands with this.

"I can still drop you, you know," I point out.

Not that I would. I mean, maybe, but not without a web underneath him. I'm not a monster.

"Winchester or Hub?"

"You'd swing across the entire- you'd swing across the entire island," Tony said, asking and answering his own question. "Hub. Don't mind the scenic tour, but still, Hub."

"Ah, c'mon, you're having fun," I say, because I sure as heck am. For a long time, being Spider-Man was about the only good thing in my life. Sure, half the city thought I was some kind of murderer, but at least I could square off a couple hours of each day where I wouldn't have to be worrying about how I was going to make rent.

I swing us back around, getting closer to the ground before I make a smooth and practiced landing just off the path. I set Tony down and brush a leaf off his shoulder.

"See? Safe and sound."

[for Tony]

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