Chapter Text
Suguru got in his room at the end of the day, throwing his stuff onto the bed and restlessly pacing. All in his mind was when Satoru came back after disappearing, brushing the concerns of them all, that he was just lost, and decided to ‘search for them’ and additionally that his phone went ‘missing’ making him search for it.
And if he hadn't had the seed of doubt planted, Suguru wouldn't have suspected a thing, as Satoru usually gets lost, usually loses items, and its normal for him to do all these things, and honestly, now Suguru had noticed so many things which he never doubted in the past.
Satoru always goes somewhere when the news says there’s trouble going on, and additionally how Spiderman and Satoru are never co-existingly seen, a major red flag. Satoru always has bruises.
Obviously Satoru’s a clumsy person, he fell off stairs, fell with a whole table falling over him, crashed into a tree and a pole in a row, went against a window like a cartoon character, fell off a bunk bed during camp, nearly got hit by a cargo truck when running for the rain, crashed onto a train which doors were opening and so on…
But the bruises? They didn't exactly line up, it wasn't stuff like scratches, sprains or anything. It was literal purple and yellow dotted around his collarbone, which is what Suguru had managed to see once when Satoru took off his jumper. Once apparently he’d twisted his ankle in his room when he asked why he wasn't at class and Satoru who never refused anyone to come to his place had panicked and told him not to come as he needed to ‘study’ and how they both would probably not study together much, which for context they always studied together for years and passed with flying colours.
And that's how hours later, it was 1:27 am, midnight, laptop open in a spreadsheet labelled ‘suspicions’ which had three columns, one time and date, one ‘Spiderman’ and one ‘Satoru’. Two empty mugs of coffee had now settled under the bed as well, replacing dinner and a full mug of coffee created a calm aroma in a room which was otherwise screaming liar.
The first column had different dates, ranging from last year which is when Suguru had suspected this started, and as that's when the city had seen Spiderman.
Followed by that is the second and third column, one labeled Satoru and the other Spiderman, to differentiate timings and what happened, and they were concerning.
One of the incidents is during a major fight because Spiderman had gone head first – which he thinks – into an alley where a criminal held a child hostage, which escalated quickly. But Spiderman had not only saved that girl and got her to the paramedics, but additionally cuffed that man with his webs and had the signature silly lines in webs but he himself wasn't there. Which Suguru thinks of is a good thing as it's either that or seeing him cuffed and unmasked, which Suguru is currently trying to do, but maybe not get Spiderman or if it's really Satoru landed in prison.
The jokes Satoru always makes, which are ridiculous, or just plain stupid in his opinion but make him smile anyway, were close to Spiderman, too close for comfort. Another bright red flag which he had noted in an extra column.
Suguru taps the pen in his hand against his laptop, which was contrasting against the dark room and the timing of 2:04 am. Suguru thats when finally decided to get up, and stretch, and immediately after getting up felt his back crack, plus a groan automatically leaving his sore throat which takes him a second to register that he’d let out.
He’d slowly padded out to the balcony connected to his bedroom. Stepping outside, the weather was much cooler compared to the day, where it was pretty much warm, but a lot of tension in the air which didn't need to be pulled onto.
A cold breeze swept past Suguru, making him shiver slightly as he’d come out barefoot in just a pair of sweats and a throw on shirt. His hair ruffled in the wind, catching onto his piercing which was the only normal thing to him. His hair these days had become less shiny and started to become knotted and starting to lose its shine.
Hair care had started to leave his mind. He’d rarely brush his hair, maybe once a day. He’d stopped making proper hairstyles, ending up letting it down which Satoru said looked good on him, so he fully stopped doing it. Split ends had started to form as well, but Suguru didn't have the encouragement to trim it himself, or go somewhere to get it trimmed, not even his Aunt who’d love to help.
All that and the distraction of the wind, did not help his running thoughts, of the crippling anxiety in his chest which calls him every night, every meal, and Spiderman related to Satoru, or being Satoru.
And suddenly his hands itched for smoke, to puff the problems away, what he’d done since that party where he and Satoru had to after act like that never happened between them, where he tried alcohol for the very first time, where he smoked for the first time and where he’d felt as if everything went off the rails.
Suddenly splashes of water touched his numbed pink tinted cheeks, snapping him out of the haze. Suguru blinked once, then twice, and felt the rain pour onto him and immediately ran back in. He wasn't so wet, so he shrugged it off and went to bed, and grabbed his phone, checking the time, which was only 2:21 am.
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Satoru came home late around 2:22 am, slowly creaking the door open and seeing if his dad was in the living room, which he luckily wasn't and took off his shoes which were soaked and started to tip toe across the living room while water dripped onto the carpet, which Satoru hoped would dry by morning when his dad’s shift starts at 7, which luckily is better than 5 or 6.
He had told his dad he’d come home late as he went to do a study topic with some classmates for a presentation, and Suguru didn't come so he decided he’ll do a bit of his parts too. But after that they all went to the theater and watched a movie, and while Satoru ran back home late at 1, he’d had to get back to his Spiderman suit to save some kid getting harassed by their ‘friends’ - which were more like jerks - and ran back home at 2:07 am.
Worse of all, it started raining when he’d ran back, and Satoru on that lovely day decided he didn't need an umbrella, so he’d been drenched and looked like a wet cat;- which he’d got from Suguru in middle school.
Soon as he’d stepped into his room, Satoru locked the door, sighing and finally walking normally, throwing his bag which had the suit and his laptop onto the floor, next to his bed.
Stripping himself till his boxer, Satoru walked across to the shelf to open and get a towel while wet, and felt himself shiver automatically, despite the heater now on and the towel wrapped around him comfortably.
Suddenly Satoru heard footsteps, maybe it’s just dad wandering around he’d assumed, who sometimes gets up for water or the bathroom.
“Just for once i dont want to explain why im a drenched cat” Satoru murmured under his breath while getting into a fresh pair of boxers and a loose shirt over his frame which had a few scratches.
Then slowly, he’d went out to drop the wet clothes by the laundry basket, and as soon as he thought he was good, there was danger sense saying behind and immediatly he heard his name.
“Satoru Gojo” came the voice behind him “what were you doing out until 2 am?”All Satoru could do at that moment involuntarily was freeze.
Satoru let out the only thing he could let come out of his mouth at that moment,“Hi..?” He gulped, Adam's apple bobbing.
“Answer my question, Satoru” His dad came up, not joking, which meant seriously in trouble.
“I uh…” he thought for a second, “i was with my friends, and thought of going to the cinema to watch a movie”. He paused, adding “to let the stress out, you know, exams and stuff are stressful”
But all Satoru’s dad, Gojo let out was a rumble “you know i tell you to text me about it if your late”
“But I did!”
“You promised to be back at 12, not 2, and you need sleep”
Satoru just groans. “Fineee… sorry?”
Gojo just sighed, as he knew Satoru doesn't lie, maybe says half truths, as he knows about his son very well.
Satoru feels a hand pat his back, then Gojo continues “just let me know, yeah kid?”
Satoru just lets a small mhm, leaning into his dad’s warmth. Even though he won't admit it, Satoru loves the embraces his dad gives, as he’d grown up with them and every time, they were the same comfort.
Even if he was an 8 year old who’d scraped his knee while playing soccer with his friends, or a 17 year old who’d burned his lunch again and ended up not eating anything. He'd always come to his dad…
Always.
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Suguru woke up again at 4:44 am panting and feeling breathless. His face was all warm despite the cool weather outside from the rain, his shirt was damped from all the excessive sweat, and his dreams had been hazy and dream-like, while he was somewhere in his mind lost in an endless maze.
His shirt had been soaked by now, making him immediately take it off.
But it didn't help with the heat coursing through his body right now, am i running a fever? He’d mentally thought, wincing at the thought as it was definitely hell. And it ended up making him waddle across his room to the bathroom which is to the opposite of his room.
He’d quickly went to the sink, turning on the tap which is usually hard a bit too easily. And it opened a bit too much spraying water right on his face. Suguru panicked and jerked away, then quickly tried to close the tap, which ended up closing, but breaking in the process.
Suguru just breathed out a curse under his breath.
At least the heat is getting off, he told himself, believing so.
But what happened next was hilariously scary.
Suguru’s hand got stuck on the door knob, not like the one which is when your hand is sticky which gets off right after. It was stuck like he’d been glued to it with superglue, which was genuinely scary.
Suguru could manage to only let out a hesitating weak laugh, the type of laugh you do when you're filled with disbelief and can't believe life throws at him. And while so the buzzing came back in the back of his skull, as if mocking him.
And yes, Suguru Geto never had more questions than this.
He’d forced himself to take breaths, calm down as what if this is all just an hallucination from being stressed and not sleeping nearly all night, which possibly could be the case. And finally after being patient for 15 minutes, he’d got his hand off the door knob, and immediately rushed across the hallway to his room, not wanting to deal with this again.
But apparently, fate decided otherwise.
The second he went into his bedroom and leaned to the wall, he’d sighed in relief just to have it get stuck again.
“Fucking hell” He tried to get off, but ended up getting his leg stuck as well when trying to use it as leverage to get away.
And somehow from being all stuck and mad like a pissed off cat, that was the moment Suguru had realised he could literally defy the laws of physics, and was standing sideways on the wall, like Spiderman could.
And mentally Suguru felt his ego boost, oh fuck newtons law, and fuck Satoru’s idea of physics he’d murmered while he had felt a smirk tugging at his lips. Despite the concern of the situation which is happening right now, this shit felt amazing, way better than drugs.
A few minutes later. Suguru was back on his bed, sunlight started creeping into the bedroom as the sun had started to rise. The morning frost had made the room chilly, something he wouldn't mind. With his laptop on his lap and another round of caffeine in his system, Suguru continued the spreadsheet, but had separate columns named ‘timestamps’ and ‘what power he had found’.
So far, it was filled with three key details. First was super strength which Suguru had found in the bathroom but also proceeded to break the tap in the process, so in simple words it was pretty cool but unavoidably annoying. Then was the ability to literally defy physics, like spiderman casually walks on buildings or sticks to them mid fight. It was pretty dope, but easy to trigger according to him.
But the main detail here?
They were all the same one’s Spiderman had.
And that's how Suguru wondered into a new conclusion, Spiderman was also bitten by a spider. Also radioactive like the one he was bitten by.
And where can you get that type of genetically modified spider?
The lab, and Satoru and he went there last year as well. Which easily adds up to if Satoru had been bitten, and gotten the powers afterwards.
But it hurted him that Satoru couldn't tell him about it, when he was right there the whole day.
But oh.
Suguru was definitely planning something for that.
Game on, it's Spiderman, or should he say, Satoru against him.
And Satoru is walking on thin ice without even knowing, easily giving him the evidence he had needed.