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Cats weren't an animal that particularly liked Peter, he found that out after getting various scratches when saving them from trees.
It had been a good reason for him to not ever jump at the idea of getting a pet, however he did get a spider into the avengers tower that he declared his pet.
So when on patrol, right after defeating the rhino for what felt like the one hundredth time, Peter was a little surprised when something soft rubbed against his leg.
He would say he didn't jump, but he jumped, only to find a small black cat looking up at him, the first cat to be nice to him since the spider bite.
“Hi” Peter kneeled down and checked the cat for a collar, he didn't find one which didn't shock him due to the look of the cat.
The black cat rubbed against his hand and meowed, looking up at him when he said “Karen, can you see if it's tagged?”
“It does not have a tag, however-” Karen was stopped by Peter who grinned.
“Then maybe I should adopt it!” Peter slowly picked up the cat and scratched it behind its ear as he stood, excited at the prospect of a cat that actually liked him.
The cat purred and squirmed in his arms, enjoying the attention that it was getting.
Peter climbed up to a roof while holding the cat, sitting down well away from the edge before letting go of it.
Petting the black cat as it rubbed against him, Peter spoke “You need a name. So you're gonna be called-” he paused for a moment in thought, “Spider.”
The cat looked at him with a look that said ‘really’ because of the unoriginality of the name, considering he was Spider-Man naming a cat spider.
“Right… slightly unoriginal, but I think it's still good enough” Peter picked up the cat and started to swing towards the tower, making sure to avoid doing any crazy types of swings that might startle Spider.
He was about sixty percent sure no one would care that he was bringing a cat to the tower to permanently live there.
Peter knew he would need to buy some stuff, although Friday might buy things as soon as she recognized that the cat was staying.
Landing as soft as he could, Peter climbed into the tower before swiftly retreating to his room, trying to steer clear of any of his teammates.
He wasn't sure anyone would allow him to keep Spider, but he had a chance if he told them he already named the cat.
Spider jumped out of his arms once the door was closed, quick to start exploring the new space with a happy curiosity.
Peter pulled off his mask and tossed it onto his desk, “Friday, can you buy some stuff for a cat?” He decided that just getting Friday to do it might be a smarter idea, especially considering Tony had already offered to buy the things Peter would need for a pet.
However Tony likely thought he'd use that to get a container for his spider, instead of a cat and a bunch of items for it.
“Of course, Peter” Friday responded, immediately ordering what would likely be the highest grade cat items.
Spider in the meantime had settled on his bed, sitting there contently and slowly blinking at Peter.
“You might have to stay here while I find you something to eat,” Peter pet Spider on its head before leaving the room, still sneaking around like he had something to hide.
Technically he did have something to hide, but it was already hidden safely in his room, so there should be zero reason to sneak around.
Entering the kitchen, in which there were three avengers, Sam, Steve, and Clint, Peter froze for a second to see if they had seen him entering.
Sam gave him a small wave and a questioning look, but otherwise didn't acknowledge the weird behavior.
Deciding he was still good to go, he did a roll to the fridge and grabbed out some lunch meat before scurrying off like some kind of gremlin.
It was completely unnecessary, but very fun, so he continued acting like he was genuinely trying to sneak around.
Glancing around before slipping into his room, he grinned and opened the pack of turkey he had grabbed, knowing he'd need some actual cat food soon.
Right before he gave the thin slice of turkey to Spider, he asked Friday if it'd be okay for a cat to eat.
The response was that as long as it was just a small amount for the moment it would be okay for a cat, and then said the cat food was being delivered with the utmost haste.
Peter gave a single slice to Spider who tore through it quicker than he expected, he gave another small slice to the cat and it ate it just as quickly as the last.
He smiled and started to close the container, hoping that the two slices would tide over the black kitten for the time being.
Then tentacles grabbed the entire thing of ham, Spider swallowing the entire package in a single bite.
Peter, reasonably, jumped back with a yelp, staring at what he thought was a cat, who was blinking innocently at him.
“Friday? What the hell just happened?” He slowly took his eyes off Spider, glancing towards the ceiling and hoping desperately that there was a reasonable response.
“That isn't a cat,” Friday responded, “It is a flurken.”
Peter looked back at the now-known-to-be flurken, “like… Captain Marvel's cat?” He paused, “sorry, flurken?”
“precisely, it is a highly dangerous alien species.” Friday made no hint to alerting anyone else of the supposedly highly dangerous flurken currently sitting in front of Peter.
Peter gulped, “This doesn't change much? Right?” He kneeled down and pet Spider on the head, “I mean if Goose is fine for Captain Marvel to have, then I could have Spider”
“Yes, Goose is the reference for information I have on flurkens so it is to be believed that Spider is to act the same.” Friday having only one flurken for reference was mildly concerning, but he had to imagine there weren't too many flurkens running around New York.
Spider rubbed their head against Peter's hand when he stopped petting them, but Peter stood despite the meow from Spider.
The sad look the flurken had almost made Peter pet them again, instead he looked away shaking his head “I should probably get into more comfy clothes”
So he did, changing out of his suit and into a shirt with a science pun on it and some sweatpants, when he came out of the bathroom, Spider immediately jumped on him.
It slightly startled him, considering his spider sense gave no warning because there was no threat, but it was cute when the small flurken settled on his shoulder.
It was only slightly ruined by the tiny sharp claws digging into his skin.
“The cat food has been delivered, it's currently at the desk down at the first floor” Friday informed him.
Peter made a decision to take Spider with him, hoping silently that even if someone had a cat allergy, it wouldn't be a problem with a flurken.
Heading out of his room he didn't keep up the sneaky act he had before, especially considering the meows that occasionally came from Spider.
It was clear that Spider was happy to be seeing more of the tower instead of just Peter's room, something that made Peter smile as he glanced at the flurken.
Of course, Steve, Sam, and Clint were still in the kitchen, and this time instead of Sam noticing him, it was Steve.
Plus with all his Parker luck, Spider just so happened to be on the shoulder closer to the kitchen.
“Peter?” Steve looked curious as Peter turned to look at him, “why is there a cat on your shoulder”
Pulling together an act, Peter blinked innocently at Steve, “what cat?” He kept a sweet and questioning tone in his voice.
By now all three of the group had turned to look at him, Clint just gave him a look that said ‘really’ at his question of what cat.
Peter wasn't lying about there being no cat, so he continued on “do you mean my pet, Spider?” He wasn't exactly specific with the fact Spider was a name and not the animal.
“That doesn't look like a spider” Steve decided to press, while Clint just shrugged and went back to talking with Sam.
Peter narrowed his eyes in a feigned confusion, “well that's my pet Spider?” He shrugged, continuing towards the library, “no idea why you don't believe that.”
Steve let it go and hesitantly turned back towards the conversation while Peter entered the elevator.
As soon as the doors closed and Peter was concealed he grinned, immediately wondering how far he could take it by denying the insinuation of Spider being a cat.
The ride down the elevator wasn't long and he pet Spider while waiting until the doors opened once again, however it wasn't at the first floor.
It was the floor that held the training room, which Peter immediately recognized and was happy about as Natasha walked in.
Knowing she could basically sense lies with her skills, it would be the perfect moment to tell the truth without directly saying it.
She glanced at Spider on his shoulder as she walked in, deciding to take the side that was away from the cat. Peter assumed the reason was so she could get a read on his emotions by watching his face.
“Hi” Natasha finally said, not starting with the fact a flurken, likely assumed to be a cat by her, was on his shoulder.
Peter smiled, “Hi Ms. Romanov!” He questioned himself about if he should mention Spider in conversation yet, but held off so he could let things play out.
There was a few seconds of silence before Natasha decided to ask the question he was waiting for, “So what's with the cat?”
“Hm?” He looked around like he was puzzled, “the cat?”
Natasha motioned to Spider, who was blinking slowly at her, seeming like just a friendly kitten.
Peter followed the motion to look at Spider, “my pet, Spider? They're not a cat!”
“Mhm.” Natasha slowly turned her gaze away from Peter, “so they're a spider?”
“no. Spider isn't a spider?” Peter furrowed his brows, trying to convey confusion, even if the confusion didn't exist.
Natasha then asked a question that stalled him for a short moment, “what are they then?” it was the question he didn't have a planned answer to.
“They're Spider.” He eventually settled on saying, hoping it didn't immediately give him away, even if he was pretty sure that saying that wasn't the correct decision.
Natasha gave him an unimpressed look, but before she could ask anything the elevator doors opened and Peter left.
Once the doors closed again behind him he sighed in relief, wanting the joke to last at least a little longer.
Grabbing the cat food was quick and soon he was back at the elevator, expecting Natasha to already be gone.
But apparently she had been waiting, because when the elevator doors slid open, Natasha was still standing there with that unimpressed look.
Nervously glancing at Natasha, he walked into the elevator hoping he could keep his act up.
“Someone here is bound to be allergic to cats” Natasha gave him an amused look while he responded.
“Not a cat!” Peter wanted to cross his arms but was unable to while holding the cans of cat food.
The not cat in question trilled a meow and rubbed against his head, before curiously looking at the cat food, trying to paw at a can.
Natasha sighed and the elevator doors opened, both of them stepped out into the common room, which Tony was now in.
Spider jumped down from Peter's shoulder with a soft meow, looking back up at him for the cat food.
Natasha walked further into the room before looking back, glancing at the now surprised Tony.
“Peter.” Tony pinched the bridge of his nose, “mind explaining?”
“This is my new pet.” He smiled before setting down three cats of cat food, “Spider!”
Tony was about to say more when Spider opened their mouth and tentacles came out to grab the cans of cat food.
Three people in the room jumped including Tony, Steve, and Sam, the latter two having seen from the kitchen.
Natasha raised her eyebrows, taking a minute step back from the Flurken currently sitting there happily.
“Okay. What the fuck?!” Sam was staring at Spider with wide eyes, terror in his voice.
Peter kneeled down so Spider could get back onto his shoulder like a parrot would to a pirate, smiling to Sam, “It's just Spider”
“That's not a cat!” Tony had gotten an Ironman gauntlet on, looking to be debating whether or not shooting Spider was a good idea.
Narrowing his eyes, Peter tilted his head smile still on his face as he said smugly “I never said Spider was a cat”
“He did in fact specify that it wasn't a cat.” Natasha kept her distance from the cat lookalike on Peter's shoulder, however Peter knew she would likely be coming to her conclusion that it was like Goose.
Steve nodded slowly, knowing now that it wasn't a cat made things a little more serious “Are you sure that thing isn't dangerous?”
“Am I sure?!-” Peter felt betrayed, “Do you see this fuzzy four legged creature! Do you really think Spider could do any harm?”
“Yes.” The response was unanimous and immediate.
Gasping, Peter pet Spider and turned away dramatically “Let's go Spider, these people clearly don't appreciate you.”
Peter didn't see it at the time, but would get told later on by Steve, that while he left, Spider turned to look at them and used a tentacle to mimic a slit throat gesture.
Spider was to remain in the tower… Peter knew that even if they got used to a cat, certain avengers wouldn't get used to a flurken.
