C163 I’m Star-Lord (Patreon)

As Trent stormed toward Mikaela, his expression was a mix of annoyance and anger, his voice rising as he closed the distance. "Where the hell have you been?!" he snapped, not bothering to lower his voice. "Some cops came looking for you at the lake, but you just disappeared without saying a word. The party got shut down because of you!"

Mikaela flinched at the harshness in his tone, her discomfort clear as she instinctively took a step back. Trent’s presence, already unwelcome after everything that had happened earlier, now felt oppressive.

"You can’t just walk off like that!" Trent continued, his anger bubbling over. "Are you even listening to me? Do you have any idea how stupid I looked, running around like a damn fool trying to find you? And now I find you here, of all places, with this guy?!" He says, gesturing toward Peter.

As Trent berated her, his voice laced with condescension, Peter’s eyes narrowed as he watched the scene unfold from the driver’s seat of the Camaro. Mikaela’s clear discomfort and this douches aggression was starting to annoy him.

‘Isn’t this the same f*cker that was making out with that random girl?’ He recalled.

Peter quickly decided he wasn’t going to stand by. He opened the door and stepped out of the car, intending to intervene.

But before he could take more than a few steps, the two police officers from earlier—those same ones who had harassed Mikaela on the road—moved in his direction. Their hands rested on their holstered guns, and one of them barked out an order. "Stop right there! Hands on your head, now!"

Peter raised a brow, turning to face the officers with a look of mild disbelief. He recognized them immediately, their smug expressions making it clear that they remembered him too. "Why?" Peter asked, his tone calm but firm. "Am I under arrest?"

One of the officers, the one who had been particularly persistent earlier, smirked as he nodded. "Yes, you are. Now hands up!" He punctuated his command by drawing his gun and taking aim at Peter.

His partner quickly followed suit, pulling out his own weapon and pointing it at Peter. “Do it NOW!”

The other officers on the scene exchanged uncertain glances but kept their distance for now, their hands hovering over their holsters. They weren’t sure what to make of the situation, but they weren’t about to contradict their fellow officers, either.

Peter remained calm, though he could sense the situation escalating quickly. He asked, “Why am I being arrested again?”

The officers exchanged a quick, knowing glance before one of them sneered, “You don’t need to know that right now. Just obey our lawful orders, unless you want another charge?”

Peter sighed inwardly. He could feel the urge to use a Jedi mind trick, to simply wave his hand and have these cops forget the whole thing and walk away. But he held back.

Drawing that kind of attention, especially in front of so many people, wasn’t a risk he was willing to take. After all, he wasn’t entirely sure it would work on everyone here; if even one of them resisted, things could get messy fast.

Besides, he was actually enjoying just being a regular teenager with Mikaela. ‘She probably wouldn’t mind if I revealed my powers, but I’d rather hold on to being normal for at least a little longer…’

That left him with limited options. He could allow himself to be arrested, which would be easy enough to handle later, but that meant leaving Mikaela behind with Trent and these two cops, who had already shown their true colors earlier.

The thought of abandoning her didn’t sit right with him at all. “…”

As Peter contemplated his options—a sudden, sharp sound cut through the night air.

*Thwack!*

It was the unmistakable sound of something impacting with significant force, followed by a snap and a high-pitched scream. “Aaaaaaahhhhh!!!”

“?” Peter’s attention turned to Mikaela and Trent just in time to see Trent crumple to the ground, clutching his groin and howling in pain.

Mikaela had kicked him in the balls, and from the way Trent was writhing on the ground, it was clear she hadn’t held back. His face contorted in agony as he squealed in a pitch that could only be described as inhuman, his hands desperately trying to shield his bruised manhood.

“…” Peter and the cops all winced simultaneously, a shared moment of sympathy that transcended their current conflict.

Even Peter, despite everything, couldn’t help but think, ‘What’s with her and kicking people?’

But the thought quickly faded as he saw the fire in Mikaela’s eyes. She wasn’t done yet. Glaring down at Trent with all the pent-up fury of someone who had been pushed too far, she began to unload on him, her voice rising in pitch as she let out all her anger.

“You think you can treat me like that? Make fun of me, expose all my secrets, humiliate me in front of everyone, and then just yell at me like you own me?!”

“!” Trent's eyes widened, realizing she must have heard him earlier. “I-It’s not—“

“We’re done!” She exclaims, cutting him off. “I was going to break up with you over the phone because you’re not worth doing it in person, but since you decided to show up here yourself, you made it easier for me! Now get off my property! You’re not welcome here!”

Peter couldn’t help the smirk that tugged at his lips. It was quite a show, and he was thoroughly entertained.

But the moment was short-lived as Trent, despite his pain, managed to choke out a furious command to the officers. “Arrest her! She assaulted me!”

One of the cops who hadn’t drawn their gun turned to Trent with a raised eyebrow. “You’re pressing charges?”

“Yes!” Trent screamed, his voice cracking from the pain. “Now get that psycho b*tch in handcuffs!”

Peter frowned, his protective instincts flaring up as he saw one of the cops break away from the group and start toward Mikaela, handcuffs in hand.

But then, Peter paused, realizing that maybe, just maybe, this was the best possible outcome.

If both he and Mikaela were arrested, at least he wouldn’t have to worry about leaving her behind. He could keep an eye on her and make sure she was safe.

Mikaela, to her credit, didn’t seem all that bothered by the handcuffs. After all, this wasn’t her first rodeo. She stood tall, her defiant gaze never wavering as the officer roughly secured the cuffs around her wrists.

Peter, seeing how things were playing out, decided to go with the flow. When the two idiot cops rushed forward to cuff him as well, he didn’t resist. He allowed them to push him up against the car and secure his wrists behind his back, the cold metal of the handcuffs clicking into place.

As they were both escorted to the back of a police car and unceremoniously shoved inside, Peter couldn’t help but smirk at Mikaela, who was still bristling with anger and adrenaline.

Leaning back in his seat, he turned to her with a playful grin. “Well, I guess you don’t have a boyfriend anymore~”

Mikaela rolled her eyes, still fuming. “Shut the hell up, Peter.”

Peter just chuckled, the sound low and amused. Despite the situation they were in, he didn’t seem worried at all, which only strengthened Mikaela’s suspicion that he might be a drug dealer or something—he seemed far too accustomed to getting arrested…

————

Processed and placed together in the empty communal holding cell at the police station, Mikaela paced back and forth, her agitation palpable as the events of the evening continued to replay in her mind.

Peter, on the other hand, sat casually on the bench, his back leaning against the cold concrete wall, his demeanor calm and unbothered, which only served to annoy Mikaela more.

Finally, she couldn’t take it anymore. Stopping in her tracks, she turned to him, her frustration bubbling over. "Why are you so calm? Are you actually a drug dealer? How many times have you been arrested?"

Peter chuckled softly, looking up at her with an amused expression. "Nope, I’m just calm because we’ll be out of here in less than an hour. I’ve already made a call while they were processing us."

Mikaela raised an eyebrow, her curiosity piqued. "What? Did you call your lawyer or something?"

Peter shook his head, a grin spreading across his face. "Nah, I called my grandma."

Mikaela blinked, taken aback by the response. "Your grandma? Is she going to come and bail us out?"

Peter nodded confidently. "Hopefully. I asked her to just make a few calls and throw her weight around, but she seemed more amused than concerned, so she’ll probably come here herself. Though, I think she was with her boyfriend when I called, so it might take her a little while."

The situation made less sense the more he spoke, and Mikaela found herself both confused and intrigued. She opened her mouth to ask more questions but then closed it, thinking better of it.

At least there was a way out, and it seemed Peter had included her in whatever plans he had, so she wasn’t as worried as she had been just moments before.

Soon enough, the tension in her shoulders eased, and she finally took a seat on the bench beside Peter, her mind settling down as she processed everything that had happened. “…”

After a moment, guilt began to gnaw at her. She turned to Peter, her voice soft with apology. "I’m sorry… This is all my fault. If you hadn’t helped me with those cops, you wouldn’t have been arrested or had to deal with any of this..."

Peter looked over at her, a warm smile spreading across his face. "Nah, it was worth it."

Mikaela’s eyes widened at his words, her heart skipping a beat as she felt her face flush with heat. The sincerity in his voice caught her off guard, and she quickly looked away, trying to hide her face from him.

Silence settled between them, and she found herself at a loss for words…

Peter, noticing her reaction, couldn’t help but smirk. The urge to tease her was almost irresistible, and just as he was about to say something, Mikaela turned back to him, glaring as if she could read his mind. "Shut up."

His smirk grew wider. "But I didn’t even say anything."

"But you were going to, so just keep your annoying mouth closed," she shot back, her tone half-serious, half-playful.

Peter laughed, the sound echoing off the walls of the cell, a lightness to it that somehow made their predicament seem less dire.

Despite herself, Mikaela felt a small smile tugging at the corners of her lips, though she quickly masked it, not wanting to give him the satisfaction.

As the cell turned quiet, Peter’s thoughts drifted back to what he had seen at the lake earlier. His expression darkened slightly, the usual playful glint in his eyes fading as he remembered the scene. Without his usual smirk, his face looked more serious, almost troubled.

Mikaela noticed the change immediately. She had grown accustomed to his infuriating confidence, so seeing him like this unsettled her. "What’s wrong?" she asked, her tone more concerned than she intended.

Peter hesitated for a moment, unsure if he should bring it up. But he figured she deserved to know the truth. Taking a deep breath, he finally spoke, his voice uncharacteristically soft. "I saw your ex-boyfriend earlier… at the lake, before I met you."

Mikaela’s brow furrowed in confusion, the words not quite making sense. "You mean Trent?"

Peter nodded, glancing at her before looking away, his expression conflicted. "Yeah, he was there… but he wasn’t alone."

Mikaela’s confusion deepened. "What do you mean?"

Peter grimaced slightly, trying to find the right words to soften the blow. "He was with another girl. They were, uh… let’s just say they were sucking faces like the facehuggers from Alien. It was hard to watch, to be honest."

Mikaela’s heart sank, her mind racing as she processed his words. A mixture of anger, hurt, and disgust welled up inside her, and for a moment, she didn’t know how to respond. She had suspected that Trent wasn’t exactly the most loyal boyfriend, but hearing it confirmed like this—so soon after breaking up with him—felt like a punch to the gut.

Seeing the pained expression on her face, Peter felt a pang of regret for telling her, but he knew she needed to know. "I’m sorry, Mikaela… You deserved better than that."

Mikaela clenched her fists, the anger bubbling up to the surface. "That a*shole…" she muttered, her voice laced with venom. "I can’t believe he would do that. Well, no… I can believe it, but still…" She trailed off, shaking her head in disbelief.

Peter stayed quiet, letting her process everything. “…”

After a few moments, Mikaela took a deep breath, trying to calm the storm of emotions inside her. "You know what? Screw him. I’m glad I kicked him in the balls." She glanced at Peter, her eyes still holding a flicker of anger, but also a hint of gratitude. "Thanks for telling me..."

Peter nodded, a small smile returning to his face. "No problem, I just thought you should know..."

Mikaela managed a weak smile in return, though the sting of betrayal still lingered. But in that moment, she found some comfort in Peter’s presence. Despite his usual teasing and arrogance, he seemed to know when to set it aside and be serious and considerate.

…

Time passed, and as the minutes ticked by, Mikaela gradually began to cheer up. Despite the rollercoaster of emotions she’d been through today, she was already feeling better.

After all, she’d already decided to break up with Trent for betraying her trust, so finding out that he was with another girl only confirmed that she’d made the right call.

But as the adrenaline from getting arrested wore off, exhaustion started to catch up with her. It had been an unbelievably long day—school, a party where she was betrayed by those she trusted, being harassed by the cops, going on a strange but surprisingly enjoyable date with a handsome stranger, breaking up with her boyfriend, and finally, getting arrested for kicking said ex in the nuts.

It was a lot to handle in one day.

Mikaela leaned back against the wall, her eyes half-lidded as she fought to stay awake. The soft hum of the lights overhead and the faint, distant sounds of the police station only served to lull her further into drowsiness.

Peter glanced over at her and noticed how tired she looked. A small smile tugged at his lips as he quietly slipped off his jacket. Mikaela’s eyes fluttered open when she felt the fabric drape over her, and before she could react, Peter gently pulled her into his lap, resting her head on his thigh.

Her eyes widened in surprise as she suddenly found herself lying on the bench, using Peter as a pillow. “W-what are you doing?” she stuttered, trying to sound indignant but too tired to pull it off.

Peter looked down at her, brushing a strand of hair out of her face with a calloused hand. “Letting you rest,” he replied softly. “You look exhausted. Take a nap. I’ll wake you up when we’re leaving.”

Mikaela wanted to protest, to say something that would keep up her tough facade, but she couldn’t deny how tired she was.

And truth be told, this was… nice.

Peter’s thigh was warm, and his jacket smelled like him—a comforting scent that made her feel strangely safe. His fingers gently running through her hair only added to that feeling.

Without another word, she nodded her head, her face flushed from embarrassment as she pulled his jacket up to cover the bottom half of her face so he couldn’t see her expression.

‘Cute…’ Peter thought silently.

As Mikaela drifted off to sleep, she found herself relaxing completely for the first time that day. The stress and anxiety melted away, replaced by a peaceful drowsiness.

She breathed in the scent of Peter’s jacket, the small smile on her face growing as she realized she liked the way he smelled…

“Zzz…” Within moments, she was fast asleep, her breathing even and calm.

Peter continued to stroke her hair, his own thoughts drifting as time passed. The minutes turned into an hour, and still, Mikaela slept peacefully, completely unaware of the world around her.

But the peace didn’t last.

Soon enough, the two cops who had been harassing Mikaela earlier came strutting over, smug looks on their faces as they noticed her sleeping beside Peter. One of them, the more obnoxious of the two, couldn’t resist taunting Peter.

“Looks like you’re getting cozy in there,” the first cop sneered, his voice low and mocking.

Peter didn’t bother looking up, his focus still on the sleeping girl in his lap. “Keep it down,” he said, his tone calm but with a hint of warning. “She’s sleeping.”

The cops ignored his request, and one of them reached for the baton on his duty belt, a malicious grin spreading across his face. “Then let’s wake her up, shall we?” he muttered, preparing to bang the baton against the bars to startle her awake.

But before he could make a move, Peter raised his hand, his expression darkening. The cops suddenly froze, their bodies stiffening as an unseen force constricted them. Their eyes widened in shock as they realized they couldn’t move, and panic set in.

Peter’s voice was low, almost a growl, as he warned them again. “I told you to keep it down.”

The cops tried to call out for help, to alert the others in the station, but no words came out. Their throats were constricted, their breathing labored as they struggled against the invisible hold.

Peter’s annoyance grew, and with a casual wave of his hand, he sent the two officers crashing into the bars of the cell with a resounding clang. They winced in pain, their eyes wide with fear as they realized they were completely at his mercy.

Waving his hand again, Peter murmured, “Forget this and go make out in the nearest closet.” He released his hold on them, and their eyes dulled, their expressions going slack as they turned and walked off like automatons, obeying his command without question.

Not long after they disappeared into the closest storage closet, another cop arrived, carrying a clipboard. He looked at Peter and then at Mikaela, before glancing back at the cell. He seemed confused for a moment but shook it off as he addressed Peter.

“Sorry for the wait. You’re being charged with disobeying a peace officer and evading arrest,” the officer said in a matter-of-fact tone. “Would you like to call a lawyer?”

Peter shook his head, “No thanks. We’ll be out of here in a few minutes anyway.”

The officer frowned, puzzled by Peter’s calm demeanor. He was about to explain that Peter probably wouldn’t be leaving until his bail hearing, but before he could say anything, the doors to the station swung open with a loud bang.

An old, intimidating woman with a cane stormed into the precinct, her presence commanding the attention of everyone around. “Who’s in charge here?” she demanded, her voice strong and authoritative.

"It took you long enough..." Peter called out as Peggy appeared, though his voice faltered when he saw who followed her—none other than Steve Rogers, Captain America himself…

A/N: 3300 words :) These long chapters are killing me but I can’t end it until I’m satisfied.