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Jimin’s feet land hard on the building of his apartment, as the taller, masked man holding him immediately lets go once they’re on solid ground and puts an unnecessarily big distance between them.
Jimin frowns automatically, always so confused by the way Spider-man rescues him every time he’s in danger but doesn’t seem to even like him. Or care about him at all. So why go to all the trouble of rescuing him?
“Right…’ Jimin awkwardly mutters, seeing the lycra-covered man turn his head towards him at the sound of his voice, “So I guess I’ll go down now. I- Um, thanks for getting to me before those guys robbed me.”
As always, the man says nothing and simply nods before he runs to the edge of the building and flings himself off it with absolutely no hesitation. It still makes Jimin’s breath catch.
This has been happening for three months now. Jimin has always easily gotten into trouble, being quite clumsy and sometimes not looking at his surroundings enough to notice he’s in a dodgy area. But he is no damsel in distress, he has a black belt in taekwondo and would never just stand there helplessly if something was to happen to him.
However, three months ago he was taking a shortcut down an alleyway when he was cut off from behind and ahead by three men in black hoodies.
“Nothin’ needs to be dramatic here. Just throw us your wallet, phone and that watch and we’ll let you go.” One of the men growls out, face completely hidden by his mask.
Jimin gulps, hand already reaching into his jeans pocket for his phone. Part of him wants to fight against it, knowing some of the photos on his phone aren’t saved anywhere else but he can’t risk it.
Then as if someone heard his thoughts, a man comes swinging out of nowhere and lands directly on top of the guy who spoke to Jimin, who falls to the ground with a grunt of pain.
The unknown man is in a skin tight lycra suit with webs all over it and- No way… Spider-man?
Jimin blinks, thinking he must be imagining things and Spider-man cannot possibly be fighting three men off for him. How did he know? How did he get here so quick?
Within minutes the men are knocked out unconscious and Jimin is still gaping at the man in front of him.
“You’re- You- Spider-man?”
The figure turns and doesn’t say a word, simply nodding before he scoops Jimin up with no warning, making him squeak and then he jumps into the air, webs shooting out of his hands with ease.
The man drops Jimin off on the roof of his apartment that day with no words exchanged and Jimin only realises when he’s inside his flat that he never gave Spider-man his address.
Jimin sighs in frustration as he unlocks his door after spending a good ten minutes up on the roof, always feeling so conflicted after he sees the mysterious Spider-man.
His frustration eases slightly when he spots his best friend in the world lying on his couch, Jeon Jungkook.
“Hi,” He mumbles, padding over to the sofa and letting Jungkook tug him down to cuddle against his body, “You’re cold. Were you just outside?” Jimin asks as he plays with Jungkook’s hand, confused that Jungkook's skin isn’t as warm as he expected.
“No… I was on your balcony for some air.” Jungkook replies, his chest rumbling under Jimin’s head as he speaks.
It might look like they are more than friends to a lot of people and Jimin doesn’t blame them. Some best friends don’t always cuddle, sleep in the same bed when they stay over, constantly invite themselves into the others apartment and see each other every day. But Jimin and Jungkook have always been like this and it’s so natural for them that Jimin can’t imagine acting any differently.
“Where were you, by the way?” Jungkook asks, “I thought you’d be home earlier.”
“Took a longer route home,” Jimin hedges, knowing Jungkook can mostly tell when he’s lying.
Jungkook doesn’t reply but Jimin can tell he’s not suspicious.
“You hungry?” Jungkook asks instead, voice soft and soothing as always.
“Maybe a little,” Jimin admits, realising he hasn’t eaten for a good 5 hours now as he speaks.
Before he can even mention this, Jungkook is already shifting to get up, gently moving Jimin from his lying position on top of him to the sofa as he stands up.
“I’ll make you kimchi fried rice.” He says decisively, walking to the kitchen without hesitation.
Jimin opens his mouth to protest, knowing he could just have some instant ramen instead but he knows without even speaking that Jungkook won’t take no for an answer.
“Thank you, Jungkookie.” He says instead, settling back into the sofa with a content sigh.
They spend the night in complete peace as always, eating their food in relaxed silence and then cuddling together to watch a TV series they started together.
Jungkook doesn’t even live with Jimin but sometimes it feels like he does because he’s always over at his apartment with him. Jimin knows it’s because he once told Jungkook that he feels a lot more lonely at night on his own - ever since then, Jungkook just randomly turns up or let’s himself in when he feels like it. They’re both so used to it now that it always feels odd when they’re busier and can’t stay over at each other's places. Sometimes Jimin even wakes up in the middle of the night to find Jungkook mysteriously missing and he’ll show up the next day saying he had to go home for something.
They have been best friends for three years now, since meeting at their university induction as they both go to Seoul Arts University. Jimin knew he would be friends with Jungkook from that very day, both of them talking to each other like they’d known each for years.
Jungkook is a photography major and Jimin is a dance major which is why Jungkook is always finding excuses to take photos of Jimin dancing as he says Jimin is his muse. Jimin always brushes him off and gets shy when he says things like that but Jungkook insists it’s true; that he feels most inspired when he sees Jimin.
Moments like that make Jimin wonder, just a little, what it would be like if they were more than best friends. Would much change? It really feels like they are dating sometimes, when Jungkook rolls over in bed on the nights he stays over and he pulls Jimin closer and tucks his cold nose into Jimin’s neck. But they’re probably better as friends and surely if Jungkook felt that way about Jimin, he would have told him by now.
It’s only when they’re in bed, Jungkook sleeping by his side, that Jimin remembers his encounter with Spiderman from earlier and he falls asleep once again wondering who the man behind the mask is.
Jimin walks down the deserted street, distracted as he sends Jungkook a text, mostly ranting about his awful class and how he thinks he’ll be paired with someone terrible for their final term. He’s so distracted that he fails to notice the quiet man creeping behind him until it’s too late, the man grabs his shoulders and pulls his bag off his back, taking off with a run.
“Hey!!” Jimin yells angrily, rubbing at his shoulder before he runs after the rather slow man.
Before he can get near him though, a familiar noise sounds through the street as a figure swings down onto the pavement and lands in front of the bag-stealer with a soft landing. The man looks around, as if hoping for a way out and then simply drops the bag and runs off, clearly realising that he is better off giving up than asking for a fight with Spiderman.
Spiderman picks the bag up and hands it to Jimin silently, as always and then turns around and bends down, Jimin knowing what he wants him to do. He reluctantly jumps onto the man's back and within seconds, they’re flying down streets and up buildings, the feeling of the wind hurtling past Jimin’s face. He has to admit, this part is always really fun, seeing the man he’s wrapped around fling webs out from his hands effortlessly catching onto buildings as they whizz by.
But he’s confused. Why is this man always helping him? How does he always know where he is? Why does he never speak? Is it someone Jimin knows? Jimin is starting to think it must be, otherwise surely he wouldn’t be this invested in Jimin’s safety. But it’s starting to annoy Jimin that he is so silent and brooding. He thought heroes were more talkative but maybe that’s just the movies.
They land on Jimin’s roof, once again but this time Jimin isn’t letting the man run off without a word.
“Hey. Spiderman. What... Well- What is this? Do you know me? I don’t know who you are yet you’re always around whenever I’m in trouble.” Jimin trails off, his voice getting quieter as he stares at the masked face in front of him.
The man stays silent and it starts to infuriate Jimin.
“Who are you? Please, this is crazy. I’m grateful to you for getting me out of the situations I’ve been in but I want to know who you are. Please.” Jimin implores, wishing he could just see the man’s face once.
They stand there in silence and just as Jimin is about to open his mouth again, the man turns and runs to the edge of the building, flinging himself off it like always. Except this time, it looked like he was running from Jimin to escape.
“That went well.” Jimin murmers to himself, before he turns and walks to the roof door, resigning himself to the fact that he is no closer to knowing who Spiderman is.
Jimin navigates his way through the small crowd, trying not to push or shove anyone as he tries to get closer to the art displays on the walls. Jungkook is right by his side and has a hand on the small of Jimin’s back that Jimin is trying not to focus on. It’s a little distracting to think about the fact that Jungkook is protective of him, is always touching him in some way and is a solid presence by his side. He makes Jimin feel safe but he’s also been making him feel conflicted recently.
They have been spending more time than ever together recently. Jungkook hasn’t slept at his own apartment in probably weeks, he tries to walk Jimin to and from class when it’s possible or he picks him up instead. They go out for food together, they go on day trips to places in Seoul together. They’re always together. And it’s amazing, it really is but Jimin feels like they’re blurring the lines between friendship and relationship so much that even he is becoming confused. He loves Jungkook. So much. And more and more, recently, he’s wondering if it’s only in a platonic way.
They make it to the front of the crowd, the main art piece hanging down on the wall.
They’re at an event that their university is hosting as both of them are interested in art to varying degrees, Jungkook massively and Jimin mildly but he’s realising he’ll go anywhere that Jungkook wants to, at this point.
“It’s nice.” Jimin remarks, eyes travelling down the piece with interest.
Jungkook laughs, “It is. If you can call a painting of a brutal war scene in the middle of battle nice, I guess.”
“Hey, don’t make fun of me. I appreciate art but I don’t necessarily get it.” Jimin says, sticking his tongue out at Jungkook childishly.
As Jungkook opens his mouth to reply, there’s sudden shouts from behind them. They both crane their necks to see a few people running and suddenly the big hall is full of chatter and it doesn’t sound good.
“What’s going on?” Jungkook murmurs, stretching up on his toes to see better over the crowd of people in front of them.
“FIRE! THERE’S A FIRE, EVERYONE. GO TO THE FIRE EXITS NOW.” Someone is yelling the same thing over and over again.
“Jungkook. C’mon, we need to go.” Jimin turns, fear starting to make its way into his throat as he sees the huge crowd in front of them before they’ll be able to get out.
He loses Jungkook somehow as they’re moving forward with the crowd, no way to turn back as the panic starts to consume everyone. He can smell smoke now and he doesn’t want to look behind him in case the fire is bigger than he thinks it will be in his head.
“Jungkook? Kook-ah?” He calls out through the crowd, hoping Jungkook will at least reply so he knows he’s still moving towards the door.
He doesn’t hear anything. A cold dread starts to threaten to flood over him as he starts to think Jungkook might have gotten held back in the crowd. He shakes his head at himself for thinking like that. He probably just can’t hear Jimin over the loud shouting and noises.
Suddenly Jimin sees flames out of the corner of his eye. It’s spreading. The crowd starts to push forward with more urgency even though it isn’t going to do anything but delay them further.
A crash resounds around the room as the crowd knocks over one of the temporary walls holding several art pieces up. The effect is instant, the fire that had been spreading slowly consumes the wall and only rises as it gets more intense.
Jimin feels a lot more panicked now and more than anything he wishes he could see Jungkook. He knows if he could just see his face, he’d feel more reassured that they’re going to be okay.
Just as he squeezes his eyes shut and shuffles his feet forward as the crowd moves slowly, he hears a gasp ripple through the area and he opens his eyes, expecting more flames or worse.
Instead he sees Spider-man shooting webs at the ceiling as he swings over the flames easily. He pulls five people up with him with webs attaching to their bodies and then he disappears out of sight, clearly taking them to safety in a quicker route. He does this several times, coming back and forth and eventually Jimin is pulled up into the air, holding onto the sturdy web that is above him like it’s a bungee rope.
He feels like he’s in a state of shock as he is transported through the art gallery venue and up out of a fire exit that had clearly been neglected in everyone's haste. In fairness, it was hidden behind a huge part of the fire so only Spiderman would know it was there from above.
He’s set down onto solid ground outside, gulping in air in a panicked state. Spider-man let’s all of them go, the webs detaching quickly but oddly before he goes he crouches in front of Jimin and cups his cheek. Then he’s gone in a flash of red and blue lycra.
Someone is phoning the fire department next to Jimin and others are already planning on leaving around him, not sticking around now they’ve been taken out. However some are commenting on the appearance of Spider-man in the relatively unknown art gallery opening.
“He must have already been there.” One says, talking to her friend.
“Yeah surely. Otherwise how would he have known that it was on fire. It doesn’t look like it is from the outside.” The girl replies, staring at the brick building.
“Whoever he is, he saved us. I’m not sure how much more the fire would have spread before we got out if it weren’t for him.”
Spider-man comes and goes several more times before it seems like everyone is outside, the man clearly checking the building before he comes back out with a sense of finality.
Jimin ignores him, not ungrateful but with a more pressing issue on his mind. Finding Jungkook.
He searches through the small throng of people, hoping he’ll spot the taller, dark haired boy without them. He starts to panic slightly when he doesn’t see anyone similar to Jungkook’s build and he looks more frantically.
“Have you seen this guy?” He starts asking people, pointing to Jungkook in his lockscreen. All he gets is shaking heads in response.
He spots Spider-man still skulking around the building, maybe waiting for the fire department and he runs over, uncaring of the lack of response he’s always had from the mysterious guy in the past.
“Hey. You need to go back in. My best friend is still inside. He’s not out here.” He says, sure that the man will sprint back in the building at Jimin’s words.
However, Spiderman stays exactly where he is and shakes his head once.
“You- You’re not serious? I just told you someone is still in the burning building and you’re not going back in?”
The man says nothing as always.
“MY BEST FRIEND IS IN THERE!! YOU HAVE TO GO BACK IN.” Jimin screams, all of his anger and fear building up against the masked figure who he barely knows but is somehow always with.
The man shakes his head again, turning around to glance at the door. It doesn’t look like behind it, flames are consuming the building.
“DO YOU NOT HEAR ME? I NEED YOU TO GO BACK IN.” Jimin shouts again but his voice dies midway through and he chokes on the lump in his throat as he thinks of Jungkook in the fire all alone. Tears spill over his eyes like nothing and he crouches down in despair, sobbing into his hands.
“He’s my best friend,” He mumbles to himself, “I love him. Please.”
He feels a hand on his shoulder suddenly and after wiping his eyes, he looks up to see Spider-man looking down on him, the mask covering any emotions he might feel.
Jimin is suddenly filled with an intense hatred for this man, who he doesn’t know but is constantly being rescued by, who seems to know where Jimin is at any given moment but doesn’t care about his actual feelings.
“Get off me. You’re insane, you know that? You’re always swooping in to save me, when I don’t need it but now I really need you to go save the one person I love more than anyone in this world, you won’t do it. Some hero you are.” Jimin heaves a breath, feeling more tears coming to his eyes as he thinks about Jungkook again.
“Jimin.” He must be hearing things because he swears Jungkook just said his name.
He looks back up and his heart drops to his feet. Standing before him, his face finally on show and the rest of his body still covered in that skin tight lycra is Jeon Jungkook.
“You- You’re him but you can’t be. You were with me but then you- I can’t. How can you have been him all along, I don’t understand. I saw you- But every time I’ve- You’ve- This is insane- Jungkook please-” Jimin is rambling, his mind going haywire and-
Jungkook kisses him.
One second Jimin is talking uncontrollably, feeling his whole body shake as the realisation that Jungkook is the hero that has been rescuing him silently for four months sink in. The next second Jungkook moves forward, gently cups Jimin’s cheeks with his hands and kisses him. His lips are soft and the kiss is sweet, only lasting a few seconds before Jungkook pulls away, a shy look suddenly sweeping across his face.
“Um- Sorry. I just- Well, I’ve wanted to do that for years.” Jungkook admits, a blush appearing on his cheeks.
“ Years??” Jimin questions, feeling like his whole world has tipped on its head. He feels dazed and like his heart is about to beat out of his chest.
“Yeah. I’m kinda… Well I’m in love with you, Jimin. I know it might be a shock and I don’t expect you to feel the same way but I always want to be around you and I realised it was more than just us being best friends for me but-”
Despite all the questions Jimin is dying to ask and still reeling from the kiss Jungkook initiated and the fact he just said he is in love with Jimin, Jimin can’t resist leaning in and kissing him instead to stop his rambling this time.
Jungkook doesn’t hesitate to kiss back, clearly encouraged by Jimin’s actions. Their lips move together with more frenzy than their first kiss, their feelings more clear, despite barely having spoken about it yet.
“So does that mean you might feel the same?” Jungkook asks hopefully, after they pull apart.
“I love you, you idiot. I literally cried thinking you were still in the building. Oh, that reminds me,” Jimin pulls away to punch Jungkook’s bulging bicep, “That’s for making me think you were still in there. Oh and this is for not telling me until today.” He punches him again, Jungkook not even pretending it hurts as his arm stays as solid as a rock.
“I promise I can explain, Jiminie. But maybe we should get out of here before I reveal myself to the press or something.” Jungkook says, looking around to see a very small crowd still outside the main doors to the building.
“Alright. But you’re not kissing me again until I know everything, Mister.” Jimin declares, hands on his hips.
Jungkook smiles before leaning in to peck Jimin’s lips again and then the tip of his nose, “Yeah right, we’ll see about that.” And then he scoops Jimin up, holding him with one arm impressively and pulls his mask down again.
And they go soaring back into the sky, flying by buildings as always but this time Jimin knows exactly who is holding him and he’s never felt safer.
***
Jimin is about to phone Jungkook on his way home when something grabs him from above and his feet lift off the ground as he’s pulled into a nearby alley.
This is it, he’s being kidnapped, clearly.
“Get off m- Jungkookie?” Jimin stops mid shout as he realises the hands holding him are familiar.
“Hi, babe.” Jungkook grins at him before it drops as Jimin starts punching every area of his chest that he can reach.
“You scared the hell out of me! What are you doing? I thought I was being kidnapped!” Jimin whines, not bothering to punch Jungkook any longer when he realises it still has no impact whatsoever.
“What kind of kidnapper would pull you into the air with webs?” Jungkook asks, eyebrows furrowed but he quickly changes the subject at Jimin’s unimpressed stare, “Anyway, I realised I’ve always wanted to try something.”
And with that he literally leaps up and hangs upside down in one smooth action, no longer surprising Jimin who is more than used to seeing his boyfriend shoot webs at absolutely anything now.
They’ll be lying in bed and Jimin will complain that he forgot to grab his phone from the bathroom and suddenly a web will be shooting out of Jungkook’s hands and his phone will zoom into the bedroom.
Jungkook hangs down from a very strong web with a huge grin on his upside down face. Jimin is starting to realise where this is going and he can’t help but giggle at how excited Jungkook is.
“Are you gonna kiss me like this, Jungkookie?” He asks, batting his lashes at him.
“Yep. I’ve always wanted to do this with you.”
Jimin almost laughs but something about how romantic and sweet Jungkook is stops him and instead he just leans in and lifts up to his tiptoes as Jungkook swings forward slightly and kisses him upside down.
It only lasts a few seconds before they both pull apart, staring at each other before Jimin hesitantly says, “The angle is kinda awkward…”
“God, I’m so glad you said that. I felt like I was kissing your chin.” Jungkook complains, before he swings back the right way round and lands on both feet.
With no warning he surges forward and kisses Jimin soundly, tongue slipping over his bottom lip confidently before he pulls back, his hands resting on Jimin’s waist.
“See, that’s better. I think we should stick to kissing like this.” Jungkook says with a serious expression, as if it wasn’t his idea to try kissing upside down in the first place.
But Jimin only giggles and kisses him again briefly, “As you wish. But can we go home now? It’s getting cold.”
Jungkook’s happy expression turns to concern as he rubs over Jimin’s sides to warm him up, “Oh baby, you should have said. Let’s go home then.” He grabs Jimin’s hand and they walk out of the alley together.
And yeah, maybe Jungkook is a well known hero in the city and of course, it’s scary knowing that his boyfriend is always putting himself in danger but as they walk home hand in hand like any other couple, all Jimin can think is that he would feel safe with Jungkook even if he were like any other normal person.
Because no one makes him feel safer than Jungkook does.