Chapter Text
Lucy was walking to Tim's holding her purse. She's on her phone looking at random things online. A large shoulder bumps into her as she feels her bag slipping from her hand. She grabs a tight grip on her purse, yanking the man back.
"Give it to me." The man says gripping her wrist so tight she can't feel her hand. Before Lucy can even think of a reply she feels a sharp pain in the side of her stomach. Looking down she sees red pooling into her jumper, her knees feel weak as she drops down onto the sidewalk. Her lungs feel like they're closing and her chest feels tight. She can taste the blood in her mouth. Reaching for her phone next to her on the ground she calls Tim.
"Lucy where are you? Tell me right now." He's grabbing his shoes before running out of the door. She has to be on the walk to his house somewhere.
Then he sees her, she's laying on the cold wet concrete, a puddle of blood beneath her. He runs over and dials 911 and presses his hands to her wound. She whimpers out in pain.
"I know I know I'm sorry. You're gonna be okay Luce I promise. I'm here." She puts her hands on his to try and pull him away to stop the pain of the pressure. "I have to keep pressure on Lucy I'm sorry."
Tears fill her eyes as she struggles to keep them open. "Hey come on eyes on me."
She takes a breathe before hearing the operator on the other end. She loses consciousness after hearing something about where they were.
She wakes up in the hospital, eyes slowly adjusting to the bright lights.
"Hey. How you feeling?" She looks over and sees Tim reading a magazine.
"It hurts a lot."
"Yeah well you got out of surgery a little bit ago so I'm not surprised." He puts a hand on hers. "Luce what happened?"
"I don't know, this man just tried to steal my purse. Then I was on the floor and then I'm here." He sees his eyes sadden. "Have you been here all night?"
"No... no." She looks him up and down, seeing him in the same clothes as yesterday.
"Mhm." She doesn't believe him.
"You scared me for a minute there."
"I was scared until I saw you. I knew you'd be the one to save me." He smiles at her, it doesn't quite reach his eyes.
"Do you remember what the man looked like?" She nods, "Could you draw it?" She gives him a sceptical look.
"Why?" He shrugs.
"For the warrant you know? So they can find the guy who did this to you."
"I don't know how much hope I have in finding him." He nods and looks down playing with her fingers.
He slides a pencil and paper over the hospital table. She starts the drawing, a man with ratty shoulder length hair, a black beanie, sunglasses, a scruffy beard and a star tattoo on his wrist.
He looks at it and then smiles at her. "I'm gonna go give this to the officer outside, I'll be right back." She nods and he steps outside the room. Taking a picture of the man with his phone and then giving it to the officer.
He stays with he in the hospital until she’s released and her parents came and took her home. He was surprised to see her mother as she never brought her up. He followed their car home and made sure she was safe in her bedroom.
Tim went home and started on his plan, she may not have hope to find the man but he certainly does. He waits until it’s a little later at night and goes out searching the highest crime areas. He sits on the edge of a roof top observing all the men. He ignores the ones that don’t fit the description and then he sees a man looses fitting her drawing.
He’s cornering a woman into a corner and jumps down without making a sound.
“Hey! Let her go!” Tim shouts out slowly approaching the two.
“Back off kid. This is none of your business.”
“It is my business. You pray on women half your size.” He pulls the man off of the woman as she runs away.
“Dude what is your problem?” He pushes Tim back. Tim launches at him, throwing his fist to his face. Shooting a web at his hand pinning him to the wall. Tim pulls the man’s sleeve down and sees a bare wrist, no tattoo. He backs off of the man and walks away.
“I saw your face kid! I know who you are now!”
Tim shoots a web up to climb onto the roof. Then returns home.
He creates a nightly routine scoping out the city, after the first incident he realized he needs to hide who he is. He starts off trying to wear a face mask and sunglasses but that proves impractical. Then he teaches himself how to sew using the only red fabric in the house. He uses mesh over the eyes and puts a hoodie and sweats with it.
He listens to the police scanner waiting for descriptions. If it fits he rushes to the scene, subduing the suspect and revealing their wrist. Each time he loses more hope.
He continues to go to school, hanging out with Angela and Wesley waiting for Lucy to return.
_lucychen can i come over tonight? after school?
tbradford98 Of course.
He finished the school day and rushes home waiting for Lucy. He fixes his hair in the mirror and sees the bruising along his face from his nightly fights.
Then he hears the doorbell rings and practically throws himself down the stairs.
“Hi!” He nearly screams in her face and pulls her into a hug.
“Hey Tim. Missed you too” she says as he releases her from his grip playing a kiss on her forehead.
“Hey what happened to your face?” He shakes him head dismissing her question.
“Let’s go up to my room.” He takes her hand and pulls her upstairs.
“Tim what happened? Did something happen at school?” She sits down on his bed pulling him to sit next to her.
“No no nothing happened. I’m just clumsy.” She places a hand on his neck and kisses his bruises.
“Okay just be more careful please.” She doesn’t believe him but leaves it alone.
They sit and talk about school and how Lucy’s week as been, she says she will be back in school on Monday. As the night goes on she feels herself getting tired and suggests a movie night. They put on a random action movie and lay down on the bed. Tim keeps his hands to himself tight to his sides, their shoulders are touching and her fingers brush against his.
“You don’t see very comfortable. Relax Tim. It’s just us.” She puts a hand on his chest and leans into him, her head on his shoulder. “Is this okay?”
“Yeah I like it.” She tucks closer into him and they watch the rest of the movie. Her hand had snuck under his shirt, rubbing her thumb along the edges of his abs. He hears her breathing even out and looks down to see her eyes closed and mouth slightly open.
He reaches over and grabs him camera and takes a picture of her. Then puts it down and strokes her hair.
Lucy wakes up a few hours later, looking up and seeing Tim asleep. She rubs slightly harder on his chest to wake him. “Tim.”
He wakes up and smiles seeing her face. “Hey.”
“I need to head home before my parents worry.” He nods understanding.
“I’ll walk you-“
“Tim I’ll be fine. I’ll text you when I’m home.”
“No. I’m walking you. End of.” He snaps at her.
She looks down shocked at his tone. “Okay.”
He sighs, “I’m sorry, it’s just I would feel better if I walked you. So I know you’re safe.”
“I appreciate that but you can’t be with me 24/7. It’s sweet you want to protect me.”
“Can I just walk you tonight? It’s late and dark. Just tonight?” She nods, “Thank you Lucy.”
He holds her hand the whole walk home and kisses her goodnight.
Monday morning he meets her outside of school, she gets a few people staring at her but Tim tries to distract her.
“Hey Chen! Heard you got stabbed. Can I see?” A boy from the football team shouts at her.
“Leave her alone dude.” He pushes him away from her.
“Relax Bradford. Just messing.” How throws his hands up in defence and backs off.
“I don’t need you protecting me.” She rolls her eyes and walks off to her locker.
“I know you don’t.”
“So why are you acting like this? I can take care of myself.” She grabs her book and slams her locker closed.
“Lucy I nearly lost you. I will spend the rest of my life protecting you if I have to.”
“I survived didn’t I? I’m here standing infront of you.”
“I watched the blood leaving your body. I watched as your face went pale. I watched as you couldn’t even keep your eyes open. Lucy my hands were covered in your blood.” He feels tears forming in the corners of his eyes.
She hugs him tightly. “I’m sorry Tim. I’m sorry.” She feels him relax into the hug. “I know how hard that must’ve been for you. I just didn’t want to be seen as weak. I’m sorry.”
“No please don’t apologise. You’re not weak. You’re right you don’t need me protecting you, I just want to. I want to be there for you, I want to make sure you’re safe. I can’t lose you.”
“You won’t Tim, I promise.” She pulls away from the hug and swipes her thumbs under his eyes, wiping away his tears.
The bell rings and they walk to class. Tim keeps him head down all lesson, not wanting anyone to see his red eyes. Occasionally he looks in Lucy’s direction and looks away before she can notice him.
Over the next few weeks things seem to return to normal, Lucy notices more bruises on Tim’s face and his knuckles are scratched and red.
Lucy’s eating dinner with her family and her dad is talking about the case of her attacker and how they haven’t given up. Her dad has been driving her to and from school everyday. Her mom doesn’t say it directly but Lucy can tell she thinks it’s her own fault she was hurt, she ‘shouldn’t have been on her phone while walking’. After each little comment her father reassures her it’s not her fault.
Lucy has never really liked her mom, she has been picking on her since she was born, her grades were never good enough. Her hobbies never mattered, her dad was the only one who turned up to dance recitals, took her to summer camps and told her how talented she was.
She made comments on her body and tried to push a career on her. After Lucy refused, her mother didn’t talk to her for 2 months, she only started talking to her again after her father convinced her to. There was never any apology, she never saw wrong in her actions and that’s something Lucy had learnt to live with.
For about a week after she got released from the hospital her mom was nicer, she made her favourite dinners and braided her hair for bed. Lucy had never had that before, it didn’t take much before she was back to belittling her and her true opinion came out about her attack.
There was things on the news about a masked vigilante tying criminals up, they all looked similar to her attacker but she brushed it off as a coincidence.
One night she sits and listens to her gut about everything that’s happening. A masked man attacking criminals that look like the suspect, Tim’s bruised knuckles and face. She decides to test her theory and ask Tim about it to see how he reacts.
Monday lunch time they’re sat on the field eating their sandwiches.
“So have you seen the stuff about this spider guy? Tying up criminals for the police to find.” She looks as his face, his body tenses and eyes widen.
“Uh yeah May likes to watch the news, what about him- or her?”
“Oh nothing my dad just keeps talking about him, wanting to catch him. I think it’s pretty cool if it’s even real about the spider aspect.” She seems him slightly smile.
“You think he’s cool?”
“Yeah. What you jealous?” His jaw drops.
“What?! No no. I don’t get jealous. Plus I know you’re mine.”
“Well technically you never asked so…”
“In that case. Lucy Chen, may I be your boyfriend?” She smiles at him.
“Before I say yes. I want you to talk to me about what’s been going on with you.”
“What do you mean?”
“Tim you’ve been a little distant, you’re more tired like you’re not sleeping. You have new bruises on your face every other day and your knuckles are all red. I want you to feel safe to tell me what’s going on.”
He puts his head down and plays with his hoodie sleeve. Lucy reaches out and takes his hand.
“You can tell me anything.”
“I know. I do feel safe with you. I just can’t tell you yet. But I’m okay and I’m careful.”
“Why not?” He sees her face fall in disappointment.
“It’s just for me to handle and for you not to worry about. So do I get a yes?”
“Tim I can’t say yes with you keeping things from me. It puts tension between us and that won’t work. So until you talk to me, I can’t say yes even though I want to.”
“I understand, I think I’m gonna go find Angela.” He says as he stands up gathering his things.
“Oh okay.” She watches him leave her sat alone on the grass.
“Long time no see Timothy.”
“Hey Angela, where’s Wesley?” He sits down next to her on the cafeteria table.
“He’s talking with some of his friends.” Gesturing across the room to where he’s sat. “Dude what happened to your face?”
“Nothing just an accident.”
“Tim, is it May’s boyfriend again? You can stay with me anytime you want.”
“No I swear it’s not. She broke things off ages ago. But I appreciate it.”
“How come you’re not sat with Lucy? You’re attached at the hip.”
“No reason, just wanted to talk to you.”
“So you admit I’m your bff?”
“Never.” He rolls his eyes as the bell rings and they finish the school day.
The rest of the week continues and Tim and Lucy are avoiding each other. Tim’s back to hanging out with Angela and Lucy is hiding in the art room. They haven’t been messaging or communicating at all.
Lucy hears a knock at her door and it opens. “Hey sweetheart.”
“Hi dad, what’s up?”
“Nothing just checking on my girl. You’ve seemed a little down this week and I just wanted to make sure everything’s alright.”
“I’m fine dad, just tired. Thank you for checking on me though.”
He nods and turns to leave, “Also don’t let your moms words get in your head. She doesn’t mean to hurt you, it’s just her way of trying to protect you.”
“Yeah I know.” After that he leaves and closes the door.
Tim’s laying in bed trying to decide what to do. Does he tell her and worry her and possibly freak her out. Or does he hide it and risk losing her all together.
tbradford98 Can I come over?
tbradford98 Please.
_lucychen ok
He knows he’s messed up.
He picks up some flowers and makes his way over to her house. He climbs up the side stairs and knocks on her window.
He sees her get up from her bed and opens the window, then sitting back down crossing her arms.
“I know, I’m sorry.”
“It’s been a week Tim.”
“I got you flowers, uncrushed.” She smiles and takes them.
“Thank you. Still doesn’t make up for it.”
“I know, I just needed some time to think.”
“And did you?” He nods.
“Yeah I did. I just don’t know how to say it.”
“Whenever you’re ready.”
“Can I sit?”
“Yeah of course.” She moves over to one side to create room for him. He sits down and takes her hand in his.
“Lucy you mean so much to me, when you were hurt I have never felt fear like that. I want to keep you safe and protect you and I don’t want to put you in danger.”
“Wait- are you breaking up with me before I even say yes?”
“No. I just- I really like you. I want to continue to take you on dates and get to call you my girlfriend but if I tell you this. Things will change and I worry that I’ll lose you.”
“Tim you won’t, I promise.”
“You can’t promise that, you don’t know-“
“I know you’re Spider-Man.”
“What?”
“Yeah.”
“Why would you think that?”
“Tim come on. The bruises, the suspects all happen to look like my sketch. Your need to protect me. Tell me I’m wrong.”
“I- no, you’re right.” Her jaw drops.
“What!” He puts his hand over her mouth to keep her quiet. She pulls his hand down. “Are you serious?” She whispers.
“Why are you acting so shocked you said you knew?”
“I was like 50% sure, how could I have known fully? I just guessed.”
“Well you were right.”
“How long has this been going on?”
“A few months.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?” Lucy hits his chest lightly.
“Because it’s insane? It’s weird and I didn’t want to scare you off.”
“Do I look scared?”
“No just a little pissed off.” She rolls her eyes.
“Obviously I’m pissed, my nearly boyfriend avoided me for a week.” He chuckles at her words.
“Nearly boyfriend?”
“Well you did ask me, I just didn’t give an answer.”
“So are you saying yes?”
She lets out a huff, “Do you promise to tell me things? Even if you think I might find it weird.”
“I promise.” She smiles at his promise.
She leans in and kisses him softly. “Yes.” He smiles and brings his hands to her neck pulling her in to kiss him again.
“Lucy! Dinner!” Her mom shouts up the stairs.
“I’ll call you tomorrow?”
“Yeah you better. Bye Tim.” She kisses him and pushes him towards the window.
“Bye Lucy.”
tbradford98 Would u want to cone with me and May to get dinner next Friday?
_lucychen sure! what’s the occasion?
tbradford98 My birthday
_lucychen why didnt u tell me earlier????
_lucychen u havent given me enough time to get u the perfect gift!
tbradford98 Lucy u do not need to get me anything. I am more than happy with just ur company🙂
_lucychen shut up! i am an amazing gift giver, i plan 6 months in advance.
tbradford98 Well considering we only started talking a few months ago, this isn’t my fault.
_lucychen so what ur saying its mine??
tbradford98 NO!
tbradford98 I take it back. It’s my fault for not talking to u sooner.
_lucychen mhm.
Over the weekend, Tim and Lucy call while doing their homework and Lucy can tell he’s struggling to take in the words of Romeo and Juliet, they had been given to read.
“Do you want to give your eyes a break and I can read to you?” He looks up from the book.
“That sounds nice yeah, thank you.”
Lucy starts reading and sees him stand up.
“What are you doing?”
“I’m gonna clean my room while you read.”
“Okay as long as you actually listen to me.”
They get through a few chapters and then quiz each other on facts and they both get them all correct.
“Did me reading to you while you did tasks help? Did you retain the information better?”
“Yeah I think so, reading has always been a bit of a challenge for me.” Her eyes soften.
“You might have a learning disability.” She mumbles
“Huh?”
“You might have a learning disability.” She repeats louder.
“What? No. I don’t.” He says as he shakes his head.
“Tim there’s nothing wrong with that. You just learn better in different ways. People revise in different ways all the time. It might just be helpful for you to know so you can make more efficient use of your time studying with a way that actually works for you.”
“I guess so.”
“I’m more than happy to sit and read with you while you clean or work out.” He smiles at her offer.
“I don’t really work out.”
“Are you kidding? You look like THAT and you don’t work out?” He lets out a loud chuckle.
“I just woke up like this one day.”
“Like you did with the spider stuff?”
“Well yes and no. I got bitten and then all this stuff happened.”
“Holy shit.”
“What?”
“You’re like actually part spider. I just never really thought about it. My spiderman.”
“Yeah but I’m still me, nothings changed apart from the physical.”
“Well trust me I am NOT complaining. It’s nice to look at.”
“Woww I am more than just my muscles Chen.”
“Don’t I know it.” She smirks at him.
They talk for a few more hours, Lucy reading a little more and then saying goodbye when it was time for dinner.
Sunday they repeat the same routine, finishing their homework for the week.
“Hey I forgot to tell you but I got an internship at Oscorp. It’s a couple hours after school some days, for a few months.” Lucy says over lunch.
“That’s amazing Lucy. Is anyone else you know doing it?”
“Uh yeah, you know Jackson? Head teachers son?”
“Oh yeah, that’s good then. You won’t be the only new one.”
“Yeah Vanessa is thrilled, says it’ll look good on college applications.” Lucy refuses to refer to her as her mother as she hasn’t really ever been.
Tim had learnt not to bring up her mom, if it came up he referred to her by her name and that only. “Well that’s good, gets her off your back for a bit.”
“Yeah I wish. Anyways I’m really excited, it’ll be a really good experience of how jobs work and life after school.”
“I’m proud of you Luce, you earned this.” She smiles and kisses him.
“Thank you. Also I need to talk to you about your outfit.”
“What’s wrong with my outfit?” He looks down at his jeans and jumper.
“No not this one, your other one.” He pulls a confused face, she leans in to whisper in his ear, “Your Spiderman outfit.”
“What’s wrong with it?”
“Tim its a jumper and joggers, its not practical and you look a little silly. In a cute way though!”
“What are you suggesting instead?”
“How about you give me a few days to draw up some designs and then we will discuss this again?”
“I can’t wait to see what you come up with.”
After her internship hours she sits in her bed drawing some symbols of spiders and then a basic body shape. Using her colouring pencils to add in the red and blue in some, then making some black and red. Adding details like black web designs all over the suit, white mesh eyes with a black outline. Drawing the spider symbol over his chest and back. While she was busy, Tim returned to surveying the city looking for her attacker.
Thursday lunch Lucy pulls out her sketchbook and shows a few of them, he flips through the pages. “I like this one.” It’s red and blue with the black details.
“That’s my favourite one too! We can make it together on the weekend.”
“I would love that.” He hands her the sketchbook back before his eyes land on one of the earlier pages. “Is that me?”
“What? No! You’re seeing things stalker.” She puts her sketchbook in her bag before he can grab it to look.
He kisses her forehead and leaves the conversation there.
Friday morning Tim wakes up with a few messages from Angela and Lucy.
_lucychen HAPPY BIRTHDAY BUG BOY!!!!🎂🥳
_lucychen u are gonna love ur gift (i hope)
angela.lopez HAPPY BIRTHDAY TIMOTHY!!
He replies to them saying thank you and gets ready for the day, seeing May before he leaves. She wishes him happy birthday and tells him he can open his gift before dinner.
In the school hallway Angela finds him and gives him his gift. He opens it to find a protective bag for a camera, he can tell it won’t fit his current camera but he says thank you anyway.
At lunch Lucy waits outside his classroom for him and shoves her gift in his arms. They walk to the field and he opens it, it’s a polaroid camera, then realising it fits perfectly in the bag Angela got him.
“Lucy thank you so much, I love it.” She smiles, “Did you organise this with Angela?”
“Technically she came to me but yes. Was that okay?”
“Yeah of course, this is the best gift I’ve ever gotten.” She pulls her into a tight hug, “Thank you.” He says not letting her go.
“I’m glad you like it Tim.”
They finish their lunch, say goodbye and finish the day.
When Lucy gets home she showers and picks out an outfit, black jeans and a dark red fitted top. She puts her hair into a low bun and adds a gold necklace. Then moves onto her makeup, mascara, blush on her cheeks and under her nose, highlight on the tip of her nose and the inner corners of her eyes then combing through her eyebrows with a tinted gel.
tbradford98 Hey u nearly ready?
_lucychen dont rush me but yes!
tbradford98 Good!
tbradford98 I meant to ask, how is ur scar healing?
Instead of telling him, she lifts her shirt up, takes a picture and sends it to him.
Tim looks at the scar and sees it’s healing well, still quite red but it’ll fade as time goes on. He looks at the top of the picture and he can see part of her bra, black and lacy. He feels his heartbeat slightly pick up in pace and he clicks off of it replying to her.
tbradford98 Looks good.
_lucychen the scar or me?
tbradford98 U always u, but the scar is healing well too.
When she’s ready to go, her dad drives her to Tim’s house.
“Be safe! Love you!” He shouts before driving off. She walks up to the door and rings the doorbell.
“Lucy! You look so beautiful. Come in.” May ushers her through the door.
“Thank you May, so do you.”
“Tim is really lucky to have you.”
“I’m the lucky one.” Lucy replies then hears footsteps coming down the stairs. His eyes fall onto Lucy, taking in her beauty.
“You look amazing.”
“Thank you Tim. You’re not so bad yourself.”
“Are we ready to go?” May chimes in, grabbing her purse.
“Yes.” They both say at the same time.
“Oh wait! Your gift Timmy.” She goes to the kitchen and brings back a wrapped box.
Tim takes it and opens it to find Polaroid film. He looks at Lucy who has the biggest smile on her face.
“You all organised this?” Lucy nods and he pulls her into a hug, hiding his face in her neck. Lucy looks over to May and sees her with an admiring smile. “Thank you so much.” Lucy just pulls him tighter into her.
“Thank you May.” He says pulling away from Lucy. He avoids eye contact so they can’t see his eyes wetting.
He puts the box down, grabbing his bag and they head out of the door. May drives them to a diner in the outer city and they grab a booth. Tim and Lucy sit on the same side opposite May.
They order their drinks and food and make conversation while they wait. “Tim do you want me to take a picture of you and May?” He nods and slides over to her side. Lucy grabs his new camera and snaps the picture, the Polaroid coming out of the other side and she shakes it for a few minutes.
“Do you want me to take a picture of all three of you?” The waitress asks bringing their drinks over, putting them down on the table.
“That would be great, thank you.” May replies as Lucy hands the camera over. Tim goes back to Lucy’s side puts his arm around her, Lucy copies him. She takes the picture and hands the camera back. Tim takes the Polaroid and shakes that one. After a few minutes the image appears and he can see the smiles on all of their faces and Lucy had put bunny ears behind him. He shoots a look her way and she just giggles.
Their food arrives and Tim takes the pickles out of his burger and puts them on her tray. She smiles at him, silently thanking him. May watches how they look at each other, seeing Tim happier than he had been since he was a kid.
Finishing their food, May pays and they drive back to Tim’s house and sit in the living room. They play a few card games and have soft music in the background.
“Lucy are you staying round tonight?” Lucy looks over at Tim who nods his head.
“I’d have to ask my dad but I’m sure he’d say yes. Are you sure it’s okay?”
“Of course, it’s late anyways.”
Lucy: hey dad, can i stay at a friends tonight?
Dad: 👍
Dad: I’ll pick you up in the morning
Lucy: thank u!
“He said yes!”
“Perfect. I have a blow up bed i can put next to Tim’s. I’ll go get it set up now.” May says and leaves to go upstairs.
“Thank you for giving me the best birthday ever.”
“You don’t need to keep thanking me Tim.” She places her hand over his. “It’s what girlfriends do.”
“You’re the best girlfriend ever.”
“How would you know? I’m your only girlfriend ever.” He rolls his eyes at her words.
“No one could ever compare to you Lucy.” She smiles and leans in to peck his lips.
“All set up!” May announces coming down the stairs.
“Are you tired?”
“A little.” He gives her a look. “Okay a lot.”
“We are gonna head to bed May. Thank you for today.” He stands and pulls Lucy with him.
“Of course Timmy.”
“It’s so cute she calls you Timmy.”
“No it’s not and no you can’t call me that.”
“I have many other nicknames to call you.”
“Oh I know. Do you want some clothes to sleep in?” She nods, he opens his draws and pulls out a shirt and shorts. “I hope these are okay.”
“Thank you.” She starts to take her belt off and he turns around. She laughs at his awkward demeanor. “You don’t have to turn around.”
He takes a minute before turning back around and sees her standing there in his shorts and her bra. The shorts are hanging off of her hips and stop at her knees. He drops his head to the floor trying not to stare. She puts his shirt on and then removes her bra. “Are you gonna change?”
He nods and then gets his own pjs out. He turns around to change, too nervous to look at her while he removes his shirt. Then his jeans, Lucy bites her lip at the site. He pulls his shorts up and shirt over his head.
“I’m just gonna go ask May if she has any makeup remover I can use. I’ll be right back.” She says kissing his chest, right where his heart is.
She walks down the hall and gently knocks on the door. “Come in!” May shouts through the door.
She pushes the door open, “Hi May, I was just wondering if you had anything I could take my makeup off with?”
“Of course sweetie.” She hands her some wipes, “Here you go. You can use my mirror over there.”
She sits down at her desk and starts to take her mascara off.
“You make Tim really happy, he hasn’t smiled this much since he was about 6.” She looks at May through the mirror.
“I’m glad I do. He makes me happy too.”
She finished removing her makeup and puts the wipes in the bin. “There’s a moisturiser on the desk if you want to use it.”
“Thank you May.” She squirts a little on her hands and rubs it into her face. She says thank you one more time before leaving the room and closing the door behind her.
“Your aunt is so nice.” Lucy says opening the door to Tim’s room.
“Oh no what did she say?”
“No nothing bad just she’s really nice to me.” She sits down on the blow up bed.
“Well yeah she likes you, I’m pretty sure she likes you more than me.” He takes her hand and pulls her up to him. “Take my bed.”
“Tim I’m not gonna kick you out of your own bed.”
“I’m not having a guest sleep on the floor.” He sits himself down on the mattress.
“Wow is that how you see me? I’m just a guest to you.” She drops his hand jokingly.
“No, you Lucy Chen are my amazing, beautiful, talented girlfriend.”
“Make a girl blush.”
“Do you want me to put something on the tv?” She nods and tucks herself into bed, leaving a hand out of the comforter. He puts a true crime documentary on and holds her hand, her hand is on the edge of the bed and his is dangling in the air, he can’t feel his arm after a while but it’s worth it.
Lucy wakes up alone, reaching for Tim’s hand finding the mattress empty.
“Hey sleeping beauty.” She rubs her eyes seeing him holding two plates with a chocolate croissant on each. “You slept for a while so May and I went to the bakery.”
“That’s sweet.”
“Literally.” He leans in to kiss her and she puts an arm on his chest stopping him. He pulls a confused face at her.
“Morning breath.” She says covering her mouth.
“I don’t even care about that.” He says pulling her wrist down.
“Well I do!” She says putting her other hand up. “Just let me swish some mouth wash first.” She says climbing off the bed and past him.
He flicks a wrist out, shooting a web that catches her hand. He pulls her back and into his arms, placing a hand on her neck and connecting their lips.
“You can’t do that, it’s not fair.” She’s says after he pulls away.
“Seems fair to me.” He says shrugging. “Sit and eat.” She listens to him and they both sit on his bed, knees brushing against each other.
After eating she changes back into her clothes from yesterday and Tim keeps his eyes on his hands the whole time. Her dad comes 10 minutes later and talks with May in the kitchen while they wait for them to come down stairs.
“Ready to go sweetpea?” Her dad asks her when she walks down the stairs. Tim following behind cautiously.
“Yes. Thank you so much more having me May.”
“It was a pleasure.” May says pulling her into a hug. “Come back soon.” Lucy chuckles at her eagerness.
“I will I promise.”
“Hi Mr Chen.” Tim says hiding behind Lucy.
“Nice to meet you Tim.” He says and holds a hand out to shake his hand, Tim takes it and her dad holds on for a second too long. Her dad gives him a look, trying to read him.
“Dad come on.” She pulls him away from Tim and pushes him towards the door, she turns around blows Tim a kiss before shutting the door behind them.
“If your mother asks, you stayed at Chloe’s house last night.” He says unlocking the car.
“Who’s Chloe?” She opens the car door.
“Well I wasn’t going to tell her it was your friend that’s a boy so I had to make someone up.”
“Thank you dad, really you’re the best.” She clips her seatbelt in. “Also he’s my boyfriend now.”
“I had a feeling.” He smiles at her and pulls out of the driveway.
After Lucy leaves Tim heads out to the nearest fabric store and picks up some blue, red spandex, liquid rubber and black thread.
He calls Lucy when they’re both home and he starts on the suit. She explains different techniques to him and guides him on how to cut and sew the material. They get half way before dinner and he finishes it on his own through the night, painting on the black lines and spider symbol Lucy designed using the liquid rubber.
In the morning he sends a video of him wearing it to Lucy.
_lucychen yum.
tbradford98 What about the suit Lucy? Does it look okay?
_lucychen it looks amazing tim. so do you
tbradford98 Contain yourself!
_lucychen i cant🤤
tbradford98 Want me to swing by later and take u with me for the first test run?
_lucychen NO! that is terrifying
tbradford98 I’ll keep u safe I promise.
_lucychen fine im in
He eats lunch and then heads over to Lucy’s. He swings and lands on her outside stairs. She opens the window and climbs out.
“If you drop me I will kill you.” She says wrapping her arms around his neck and legs around his waist.
“I would never! Have some faith in me.” He closes her window and shoots a web up to lift them to the roof. He lands on the edge and gets ready to jump to the next one. “You ready?”
“NO! I’m shitting myself!” He lets out a chuckle, “Don’t laugh at me!”
“I’ve got you. Hold on tight.” He shoots a web across to the next building and jumps off, swinging through the city, switching arms on her waist each time he connects a new web to a new building. Lucy is screaming the entire time and her hair flies into his eyes. “Lucy I can’t see!”
She pulls her head back and moves her hair, “Sorry!” She makes the mistake of looking down and screams again.
“Lucy you’re gonna cause attention to us!” He says trying to keep her quiet.
“You’re in a bright red and blue fucking suit!” He’s silent after that.
He lands them on the top of the Brooklyn bridge. Carefully putting her down, keeping a hand on her waist. “How was that?”
“Awful! How do you do that without feeling sick?!” She hunches over, “I’m never doing that again!”
“Luce… how are you gonna get down?”
She looks over the edge of the bridge, “I will jump.”
“Okay woah let’s-“ He stops mid sentence, the hairs on his arms standing up. The outside noise muting. He turns around and sees cars getting destroyed. “I have to go.”
“Timothy Bradford!” He turns back to her. “I swear to god if you leave me on this fucking bridge. Please get me down.” He chuckles and she holds back onto him. He drops her off at the start of the bridge away from the danger.
He swings back to where the destruction was happening and sees a large green reptile ripping cars apart. Cars falling off of the side of the bridge and people running for their lives. He goes to the falling cars first and attaches them to the bridge, leaving them hanging. As the lizard is preparing to throw another car off the edge he’s swings and aims himself at the reptile. “Incoming!” He announces and uses his feet to knock the giant off balance. Then catching the car falling and ties it to the side of the bridge.
He looks back and sees the reptile crawling off the edge and disappearing under the bridge.
“My kid is in there! Please help him!” The yelling pulls his attention, he looks back and there is no sign of the lizard. He looks back over the edge and sees a little boy crying for help. He lowers himself down and smashes the back window. The little boy starts screaming, the sight of Tim freaks him out.
“Hey it’s okay. I’m just here to help.” That doesn’t work she he rips his mask off. “Look see, just a normal dude.” The kid stops crying and calms down a little. “What’s your name buddy?” He looks over and sees a school bag with the name Jack written in sharpie. “Jack?” The kid nods. “Okay Jack lets get out of here yeah?” The webbing at the top of the bridge starts to unstick and he shoots a new one catching the car slipping by the bumper.
The bumper starts slipping out of his hand and breaking. “Jack you gotta climb to me.” Jack stays still frozen in fear. “Jack now! Climb!” He slowly starts to climb before the bumper falls off completely. Jack screams as Tim shoots a web to his chest catching him.
He pulls Jack up and returns him to his father. “Oh my son! Thank you.” Hugging Jack tight, “Who are you?”
“Just your friendly neighbourhood spiderman.” He says and swings over to the reptile.
Tim pulls all of the cars back onto the safer part of the bridge and checks if anyone else needs help, seeing police and ambulances arrive he swings over to the start of the bridge he left Lucy on. She sees him coming and prepares herself, opening her arms and squeezing her eyes closed. He wraps his arm under her arms and pulls her along with him, adjusting his position to get a better grip of her.
“I HATE THIS!” He chuckles at her and then focuses on getting her back to her apartment, landing carefully on the side stairs.
“See home safe and sound.” He says opening her window and helping her climb back in.
“Just about. What the hell happened?”
“A giant lizard.” He rips his mask off and lets the fresh air hit him.
“What.” She freezes in place.
“It went under the bridge, where it leads to the sewers. I have to track it down.”
“Tim its getting late, just stay for a while. My dad is on it now.” She holds his hand and tries to drag him down to her bed.
He takes a second to admire her, her previously neat curled hair now messy and in her face slightly flushed. “I want to, I do but I have to protect this city.”
Lucy takes a moment and lets out a shaky breath. “Okay, be safe.” She sounds deflated and Tim pulls her into a needy kiss.
“I’ll come back, okay?” Lucy just nods and lets him go.
He leaves her room and makes his way to the closest entrance to the sewer pipes. The smell immediately hitting his nose, he adjusts to it after a few minutes. He jumps up and crawls along the ceiling to avoid making noise in the water. He reaches the end of the pipe and sees a desk, it’s got a computer and piles of notes. The computer is open with a video recorded. He jumps down landing quietly, he presses play and the scientist enters the frame of the screen. His voice filling the silence.
“This is test number 5, I have upped the dosage to 200 milligrams.” He pulls his sleeve up to reveal half of an upper arm, then injects himself. The effects showing immediately, his face growing angry and scales appearing on his neck.
Tim freezes hearing a low growl. He stops the video, turning around slowly. He sees a large scaled tail swinging infant of his face.
The lizard leaps onto him, knocking Tim backwards landing on his back. One hand coming up to keep the lizards claw away from him, the other trying to pull him off of his neck. “You stopped me once. You won’t stop me again.” The reptile says and lowers his claws down and digs into Tim’s chest. The material shredding along with his skin.
Tim manages to land a punch and pushes him towards the water but the grip on his necks pulls him down into the water. He tries to swim away from him and gets pulled into a smaller pipe with bars along the edge that the lizard cant fit through. Then the water drags him through the sewage system as he’s trying to find a way out. He gets spit out in a random part of the sewers.
“Spiderman isn’t the criminal dad! It was the giant lizard!” She’s chasing him around the house trying to get his attention.
“If there was a giant lizard running around in my city I would know about it.” He huffs finally stopping his tracks.
“Dad I saw it with my own eyes! Spiderman was saving everyone.”
“What were you even doing there?” He pulls a suspicious face at her.
“Tim and I were on a walk when it started. Please believe me.”
“Sweetheart you know I will always believe you but this is insane.”
“I know! Please just look into it, for me?” She looks at him with pleading eyes.
“Only for my angel.” He kisses her forehead and heads out of the door.
She walks up to her room and opens her laptop at her desk doing some homework.
Tim painfully makes it back to Lucy’s house resting his head on the window, then tapping using his head.
Lucy looks over and lets a small laugh out at the sight of him knocking with his head. “Come in.”
He practically falls through her window and she jumps out of her chair trying to catch him. She looks at him and sees the three massive gashes across his chest. “Oh my god! What happened?”
“You should see the other guy.”
“This isn’t funny Tim! These are bad.”
“I’m fine Luce, just a scratch.”
“I’m literally looking at your flesh right now, don’t even try it.” She goes to the bathroom connected to her bathroom and grabs her medical bag. She rushes back and unzips it. “Take off your suit so I can see if you’re hurt anywhere else.”
He removes the top half of his suit letting it rest against his legs and sits on her chair. She takes out alcohol pads and starts to clean the blood off of him. He lets out a hiss when the alcohol melts his wound. “You okay tough guy?” He nods closing his eyes trying to not make a noise.
“Tim these need stitches.” She runs he hands along the edge of the wounds.
“I’ll be fine.” He pushes her hand away from his chest.
“Please just let me do this.”
“Okay.” She pulls out tweezers, dissolving stitches and a needle. She threads the thin material through the needle and carefully starts to dig into his skin, going from one side of the wound to the other and ties it off. Then repeating this for the other two. She cleans his chest once more before putting large bandages over them, securing them with medical tape.
“You’re pretty good at this.” Tim looks up and meets her eyes, smiling at her.
“Research and lots of practice.”
“Practice? What do you mean?” He sees her face drop when he questions her.
“Nothing. What happened?” She puts the bag back and the waste in the trash.
“I found his lab in the sewers. It’s an Oscorp scientist, Connors. Then he attacked me.”
“What? No. It can’t be!” She throws her hands up in defence and starts pacing around her room.
“Lucy there was videos of him injecting himself and his skin going green and growing scales.” His eyes tracking her.
“He was working on animals, a mouse with three legs and giving it lizard DNA to see if it would grow back. Why would he be stupid enough to test it on himself?”
“I don’t know but we have to turn him back. He’s planning on releasing it to the whole city using the Oscorp tower. Was there an antidote?”
“Uh yeah I think so but it’s not something you can just take, you have to make it from the Ganali machine in the lab.” Tim looks at her like she’s not even speaking English.
“The what?”
“It doesn’t matter, I’ll get it to you.” He shakes his head.
“No. You have to stay here where it’s safe.”
“Tim, you don’t even know how to use it. I do, I’ve been working there for long enough. I can do it.” He looks down and takes her hand.
“Fine, but you get in and out as quick as you can okay?” She nods her head rapidly.
“When is he planning to release it?”
“I don’t know.”
“So we just have to see and wait for to make a move?”
“Yeah, it could be tomorrow or in a week or even a month. But at least we know and we can prepare.”
“Not really Tim. If Doctor Connors sees that someone has curated an antidote, he will know someone’s onto him.”
“Okay I’ll keep an eye out for him, keep checking the sewers and surveying the city.”
“What about me?”
“You just be ready when I tell you to go.”