Chapter 16 Purely Cute
Peter suddenly thought of the videos about cats that he occasionally came across while browsing.
The comments from those netizens all said that a cat's body and its tail grow separately.
At this moment, Spider-Man truly experienced the sensation of his tail being completely out of his control.
Fortunately, Butler Joseph Wilson walked over carrying maple syrup muffins, timely interrupting the situation that had landed him in an awkward position again; otherwise—
He would probably have to hold onto this rebellious tail and brace himself to keep watching this Korean drama.
"This is their special morning activity," Butler Joseph explained with a smile as he watched Peter. Every time he caught his young master and his wife Catherine sitting on the sofa watching Korean dramas, getting so moved by the plot that their eyes became blurred with tears, he found it both heartwarming and somewhat adorably funny.
Peter had eaten muffins before, but the ones made by the high-end butler, Butler Joseph, were clearly on an entirely different level.
The pancakes were golden and inviting, as fluffy and soft as clouds, with the maple syrup drizzled over the surface crystal clear, like flowing amber.
Is it delicious?
Finn no longer had the heart to keep tearing up; with a small piece of pancake still in his mouth, he looked at Peter with sparkling eyes, his expression full of anticipation.
Yes." Peter certainly wasn't stingy with his praise. "It's really delicious.
He couldn't help but look at the way Finn was eating: the young man's eyes were slightly narrowed, the corners of his mouth curled up unconsciously, he ate every bite with extraordinary focus. A satisfied smile bloomed from the depths of his emerald eyes, making the surrounding air seem to be tinged with a sweet sensation.
This made Peter suddenly feel that if Finn started a mukbang, he would definitely become famous—that sense of happiness and satisfaction from eating was so infectious that it made people feel better just by watching him, making them want to join him in eating.
"Young Master Finn, are you going to the Osborn Group after breakfast?" Butler Joseph inquired.
Finn was stunned. Logically speaking, today was Saturday and should have been a day off, but Harry Osborn had specifically arranged an important high-level meeting for this morning. It was as if anyone in management was not supposed to have time off and was required to be at the Osborn Group on standby at all times. As a low-level employee, Finn naturally was not invited, but he intended to go.
Harry has been very busy lately and is often away from the Osborn Group. Finn is also very busy, preoccupied with drawing hamsters. The result of them both being so busy is that Finn feels his "Misery Plan: Brother's Total Defeat in the Inheritance Race" storyline has made little progress, so he must go to such important occasions to continue being a nuisance and face off against Harry.
But now the situation has changed again; Peter, who has grown a Lizardman tail, is still at his home.
On the other side, thinking about the critical plot involving the high-level meeting, which was an important opportunity to farm Misery Value, Finn began to feel somewhat torn.
Listening to Finn's thoughts, Peter suddenly felt it was absolutely necessary to keep Finn at home, so as not to make the already strained brotherhood even worse!
I've contacted my friend; he'll probably come to pick me up around noon to help deal with the tail matter. Given the current situation, I'm not sure when it will end," Peter said hurriedly, as he had previously arranged this with Agent Coulson of S. H. I. E. L. D. After a brief pause, Peter looked at Finn and added with a hint of anticipation in his voice, "Finn, you mentioned last time that you were helping with the choreography for 'Rat Rock Anthem,' right? I have some time this morning; can I take a look?
"Sure!" Finn agreed readily without the slightest hesitation.
Since he wanted to stay home this morning to accompany Peter, Finn thought for a moment, then pulled out his phone and quickly sent two messages to Harry Osborn—
[Don't think you can get rid of me with a job paying fifty thousand dollars a month.]
I will find a lawyer to handle the inheritance dispute.
After sending it, Finn was still happily calculating in his heart: If I can't farm Misery Value in person, can I do it through text messages?
Peter: ".." Behind every one of your ambitions, there is a Spider-Man who has worked himself to the bone.
Finn had a dedicated dance studio on the first floor of his villa, this was the first time Peter had seen Finn dance.
Because the dance was designed for a character wearing a giant hamster mascot suit, Finn had specifically simplified the movements while retaining a sense of immense power. Every lift of the arms and kick of the legs was performed with great amplitude, synchronized to a cheerful demo with a strong rock rhythm. He was full of burgeoning vitality, his rhythmic movements surging forth so intensely that even the air seemed to come alive.
Despite being simple movements, the young man's dance was incredibly cute and crisp, carrying an air of unbridled exuberance that made it hard for Peter to look away.
The thick Lizardman tail thrashed against the ground in a rhythmic beat.
Only when the music stopped did Finn come to a crisp halt, a thin sheen of sweat on his forehead and his hair slightly disheveled, before Peter finally realized what had happened.
Finn was truly a great dancer, clearly, he truly loved it.
The feeling of watching someone shine and radiate heat from such close range was truly infectious.
The morning's golden light outside the window cast a warm halo over the silhouette of the youth's movements. Peter gazed at him intently, suddenly feeling that Finn was like a dazzling little sun, passionate and breathtaking.
"Didn't you say you've only been learning for a month?" Peter asked in surprise.
Maybe I just have dancing in my DNA? Actually, I'm a fast learner at everything," Finn said after a thought, his tone carrying a hint of unconscious pride. It might also be because of his transformation into a human by the System; his learning ability was still as powerful as when he was a System, "Besides, the dance instructors I find are all very famous. Their classes are quite expensive.
"So, when the mascot suit arrives, will you be dancing in it?" Peter asked curiously; he was quite looking forward to seeing the final product of the Rat Rise dance.
Of course, I've already talked it over with Anthony," Finn nodded excitedly. "When the time comes, we can record a special rock music video for this Rat Rise to celebrate Halloween; it'll serve as a warm-up for the show. You absolutely have to come to the Halloween party.
Of course." Peter nodded with a smile; he wouldn't miss it for anything. "I'm looking forward to it too.
Your birthday is the week before Halloween, there's a birthday party too, right?" Peter thought of something else from the last party. "How are you planning to arrange it?
I don't know, Noah and the others arranged it," Finn said with a shrug. "They said they wanted to give me a surprise, so I'm not getting involved; I'll just let them arrange it.
Peter nodded. He certainly knew that Finn had many good friends, those friends would surely want to throw an unforgettable birthday party for Finn. This made Peter begin to ponder what kind of gift he should give to Finn; after all, even with just guessing, it was obvious that Finn would receive many expensive gifts on his birthday.
While he was deep in thought, Finn suddenly walked over to him and sat directly on the floor in front of him, instantly closing the distance between the two.
"What's wrong?" Peter asked, somewhat confused.
Your limited edition tail is about to be gone." Finn realized that it would soon be noon, Peter would have to deal with that tail. Finn didn't know which friend Peter had sought out, to help Peter keep the secret of Spider-Man's identity, he thoughtfully refrained from asking for details, but he figured that Spider-Man must certainly know some special people. "I'll take another look.
Peter couldn't help but laugh. "Sure." It was fine, but he shouldn't go out of his way to archive this kind of dirt on Spider-Man.
"Can I touch it?" Finn asked curiously.
"You can." Peter had no reason to refuse; after all, he had rolled him for an entire night without Finn's permission last night.
Finn reached out to touch Peter's tail; the lizard scales were very smooth and cool to the touch, feeling quite good under his hand.
Peter, however, stiffened for a moment due to this sudden touch, the tips of his ears quietly flushing with heat, appearing somewhat uneasy. He could clearly feel the temperature of the other's fingertips coming through the cool scales, bringing a strange sensation that caused his heart to skip a beat for no reason before suddenly racing.
"The texture of these scales.. I feel like they'd be perfect for making luxury handbags." An absurd thought popped into Finn's mind.
Spider-Man: ".." I let you touch my tail, not so you could imagine it as raw material.
Between laughter and tears, Peter suddenly remembered that this tail would disappear before long. He certainly didn't want this redundant tail either, but at this moment, Peter still tried to move the tail, attempting to make reasonable use of its final moments.
Finn's hand was still on the tail, the thick tail covered in dark green scales gently wrapped around Finn's slender wrist, winding upward with a cool sensation, meandering up the forearm to the shoulder.
Finally, the tip of the tail lightly tapped Finn's head.
The young man's hair swayed slightly along with it.
Finn was also stunned. The moment the two youths locked eyes, even the sun-drenched air seemed to fall silent.
System PP: [..] As expected of Spider-Man, he has "entangled" my Host again.
Just then, there was a knock on the door of the dance studio.
Peter stiffened, pulling his tail back violently as if struck by an electric shock, curling the thick tail against his side like a thief with a guilty conscience.
"I'll go open the door," Finn said, jumping up calmly, showing no sign of anything unusual.
Facing Finn's back, Peter stole a glance at the large mirror in the dance studio, as expected, his ears were bright red again.
He didn't even know what he had been doing just now; instead, it was as if his body had been hard-controlled by his own tail.
At the door was Catherine, who had come to tell Peter that his friend had arrived at the door to pick him up.
Agent Coulson arrived even earlier than Peter had expected, coming directly to Finn Osborn's doorstep to pick him up and take him to S. H. I. E. L. D. Yesterday, Agent Coulson had already assigned his subordinate Jemma Simmons to prepare the serum, they had also seized all of Dr. Connors' research data. Peter thought that the long-standing issue he had been trying to resolve would soon be settled.
“Peter, there is another reason I brought you to S. H. I. E. L. D, ” Agent Coulson said, a characteristic gentle smile on his face. “If I'm not mistaken, your Spider-Man suit has also suffered some significant damage.”
"Yes." Peter nodded somewhat sheepishly; there was even a hole in the seat of his tattered Spider-Man suit, making it quite difficult to repair.
“S. H. I. E. L. D. will custom-make a new suit for you.” Agent Coulson also mentioned the main reason for bringing Peter to S. H. I. E. L. D. this time.
"Wouldn't that be a bit much?" Peter was extremely surprised by this.
Looking at his overwhelmed expression, Agent Coulson couldn't help but smile, his tone carrying a hint of kind teasing: "Even Iron Man doesn't go out wearing scrap metal."
Peter: ".."
So, was this a subtle reminder that his suit, which reeked of poverty, not only affected the cityscape of New York but also lowered the standards of the hero community?
Just consider it S. H. I. E. L. D.'s reward and support for a hero who has always stepped up to protect the peace of New York. Don't take it to heart." Agent Coulson reached out and patted Peter's shoulder; he naturally knew that as a high school student, Peter had already done his absolute best regarding this heroic responsibility. "You deserve this.
Hearing Agent Coulson say that, after expressing his joy and gratitude, Peter did not refuse any further. He felt that since becoming Spider-Man, he had not only helped many people but had also gained the love of the public, now he had even received recognition from S. H. I. E. L. D.
How should I put it?
Growing a Lizardman tail didn't seem like such a bad thing after all.
Finn also sent a message to ask him at this time: [How is the tail? [SUMMER_Polite_Knock_Door. gif]]
Peter couldn't help but curl his lips into a smile, his fingertips tapping out the 【Little Scissors】 emoji, indicating that the troublesome tail had been successfully "snapped" off.
"But I'll still remember your dirt," Finn replied immediately.
Peter laughed helplessly at the screen, ".." Spider-Man's dirt?
Then, Finn sent another image to Peter.
It was his latest drawing.
In the picture was a chibi version of Flying Pillow—a little boy based on Peter, wearing loose pajamas, with his soft hair clinging to his cheeks, while an oddly thick, dark green tail trailed behind him. Interestingly, the boy was not only hugging a fluffy, soft pillow, but his tail was also wrapped around it, sleeping peacefully with a faint smile on his lips.
Peter looked at this adorable yet realistic drawing, the scene from last night—where his tail had unconsciously wrapped around Finn while they slept—flashed through his mind, causing his cheeks to flush slightly.
Are you in a relationship?" The voice that suddenly came from beside him startled Peter, causing his hand to jerk so much that his phone nearly slipped out of his grasp. Agent Coulson was looking at him with a half-smile, his eyes possessing the sharpness unique to an agent. "Messaging a significant other?
What? No, I'm not," Peter said in surprise, hurriedly shaking his head in denial. "I'm just messaging a friend, it's a boy.
Agent Coulson nodded noncommittally; as a high-level S. H. I. E. L. D. agent, reading people was second nature to him.
Peter's eyes held an uncontrollable warmth, the corners of his mouth curled upward; he looked exactly like an eighteen-year-old boy experiencing the pure, joyful excitement of a first crush.
Agent Coulson suddenly changed the subject and asked with a gentle smile, "Do you think he is cute?"
Peter froze, his mind instantly filled with images of Finn: the young man's satisfied expression as his eyes curved while savoring a maple syrup pancake; the young man's serious look as he contemplated cutting a hole in his pants with scissors; the vibrant energy of the young man swaying to the rhythm of rock music in the dance studio, as flamboyant as a little sun; and the dazed look of the young man in the early morning, stretching out his arms to embrace him while still half-asleep.
And there were the series of hand-drawn cards, personally sketched by Finn with him as the prototype, which he cherished—so heartfelt and special.
Even the way the young man would hide schemes to cause trouble in his mind while maintaining a well-behaved smile on his face surfaced clearly before his eyes at this moment. Those fragmented images intertwined, causing Peter to respond softly, almost subconsciously, ".. So cute."
The smile in Agent Coulson's eyes deepened, his knowing expression carrying the clarity and certainty of someone who had been there before.
When you find someone cute, that is already the first step toward falling in love.
Chapter 17: Family · Choice
Peter stayed at S. H. I. E. L. D. for a long time afterward, partly to more accurately measure his physical data, partly to communicate his ideas for a new suit to the researchers in charge of design at S. H. I. E. L. D. The brand-new suit would require a customization period of two to three days; thinking about the upcoming full upgrade of his equipment, Peter was extremely excited.