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You exited the café, laughing at the stupid joke Peter had just said. Despite the small while you had spent together, your heart already felt warm. You had missed him.
“It was nice hanging out with you again, Pete” You told him, smiling at him.
“Yeah, it was great” He sighed a little. “Wish we could do this more often”
You frowned, wondering what always kept him so busy. Why did Peter look so tired and frantic all the time? Working with Otto Octavius surely took a lot of his time, but was it really that much?
“Okay, bud” Peter patted your arm as he always did, lingering in the touch just for a moment to fondly squeeze it. “Gotta run, talk to you later”
“Don’t work too hard!” You told him, slightly worried about him.
“Can’t promise” He replied as he left, walking backwards to smile at you.
“You’re a lost cause” You joked, smiling right back. His grin only widened.
“I’ll call you if I see your friend Spidey!”
“Shut up and leave already!”
Peter dedicated you one of his best grins before he definitely walked away. His absence left a void in your heart, as usual, but you tried to ignore it. He was your best friend, but you reminded yourself that he had a life of his own, a busy one.
Walking the opposite direction where he left from, you began wandering around the busy streets of New York. The familiar sound of traffic, indistinct muttering and distant police sirens attempted to drown out the dull ache that Peter’s departure left. It made you wonder, now more than ever, if he was indeed only your best friend. For you, that affection you felt might have evolved into something stronger. After all, the thought of him brought butterflies to your stomach.
Peter was always teasing you about how you loved Spiderman more than you loved him. Of course, Spiderman was your hero, the person you admired most and you were always talking about him, hence your friend’s playful comments. But now, as you walked around without even realizing where you were going, your thoughts kept drifting to Peter. It was different. Spiderman was a distant figure on the rooftops, a faraway person that you could never truly reach. And even if you did, what would you do? No, it was very different. Peter was there, he was a big part of your life, unlike Spidey.
Your complicated thoughts were abruptly interrupted by a resonating thudding sound. Immediately, you came to a halt and glanced around. Nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary, just people walking around, tending to their business. However, and just when you were about to continue walking, it sounded again.
“What was that?” You muttered, confused about the source of that strange noise.
The ground shook beneath your feet. The people around you seemed just as concerned and scared, talking among them and wondering what was happening. The air felt thick and it made harder to breathe.
The thudding sound closed in until the world around you seemed to be shaken in its entirety by a strong earthquake that nearly threw you off your feet. And then you saw him, and you understood. Rhino. Spiderman had defeated him, but he was back.
In only one second, his presence wreaked havoc. There were people shouting, running and some even crying. After all, you knew Rhino’s devastating attacks could prove fatal, and he looked furious as he screamed and cursed while approaching.
Rhino ran by, charging at top speed as though his nemesis were taunting him. Spidey surely wasn’t too far from the action. That must be the reason why Rhino looked so upset. He grunted and charged at whatever was closest to him. You managed to jump out of the way just when Rhino ran by at top speed, destroying everything on his way. The pavement that he stomped on cracked like glass under his enormous feet.
The force of his movements, causing another small quake, finally threw you off your balance and on to the ground. You winced, feeling a bruise forming on your thigh when that spot broke your fall. The mild discomfort, however, turned to panic when you realized you had become stuck. One of the cracks on the ground had become so big that your foot fit in it, only enough to not be able to get it out after. Your breath hitched in your throat.
You looked around you, dazed and even more anguished by the environment around you. Car alarms blasted out, nearby walls crunched and shattered glass was all over the place. Adding on to the chaos, your heartbeat picked up its pace as well. It almost made you deaf to the sudden creaking of a falling wall. Looking over your shoulder, you watched it in horror, freezing at the fact that it was looming over you and it would inevitably crush you. Turned to stone, you couldn’t move, you couldn’t breathe. You couldn’t even call for help. All you could do was helplessly try to free yourself in a frantic useless attempt as the heavy brick wall foretold your impending doom.
Just when it was about to crush you, something happened. A sudden presence seemed to alter the entire environment, forcefully landing beside you despite its nimbleness. The figure moved quickly, stepping in just in time to stop the wall from falling over you. Grunting and straining, he held it up with his back, arms and hands.
“Spiderman…” You gawked at him, unable to believe that your hero was standing before you. Not only that, he had taken that title seriously and was saving your life.
“Can you move?” He asked you in a strangled voice, leaning forward from the crushing weight. “Or try to get out at all?”
“No, m-my foot…” You tugged at your ankle like you had been doing before, all for nothing.
“Okay, don’t worry” He straightened up slightly, wining over for a moment in that struggle. “I’m going to get you out”
You were about to ask how, but he was already moving. Showcasing such strength that you were fascinated by it, even when talking about Spiderman, he supported the wall with only his back and leaned forward again.
“Ugh!” He punched the floor, making a crack near the spot where your foot was stuck. You felt your ankle becoming looser in the gap as it widened a little, but not quite enough. “Come on!”
Your grit your teeth, knowing that had to be painful even for Spiderman. But he was determined to get you out of there before the wall crushed you both. Because something told you he wouldn’t just leave you.
He punched again, and you caught a glimpse of blood in his knuckles, under the tore that appeared in the gloves of his suit. Spiderman breathed out in relief and you quickly dragged your foot out of that gap once it was big enough for you to do so.
Then, he stretched his arm out towards you and suddenly, you felt yourself soaring into the sky, like magic. Once in the air, you saw the wall came down and crush the spot you had been sitting on a moment ago. You felt queasy and light-headed, especially as he swung you between the buildings. The nausea hit you so suddenly that you had to hide your face in his shoulder. At least, the fact that he was tightly holding on to you and pressing you against his side was a silent promise that he wouldn’t let you fall. He was still swinging from building to building, going higher and higher until he settled for a roof that you both breathlessly landed on. Your knees buckled as soon as your feet made contact and the two of you collapsed to the ground.
“Phew…” Spiderman muttered, taking a second to recover before he jumped to his feet. “That was a close one”
You gawked at him, wanting to say something. Even a dumbfounded ‘yeah’ would have sufficed, but you were suddenly unable to speak. All you could do was stare at him.
“Up you go” He was kind enough to grab your arm and pull you up himself.
“What… what just happened?” You piped up, before even realizing what you were saying. Much to your dismay, your voice sounded strangled and broken.
“Hey, it’s okay. You’re safe now” Spiderman softly said, making you realize you were tightly clinging on to him. “How’s your ankle?”
Blinking in utter disbelief, you nodded your head. Your ankle felt wobbly and it hurt to stand, but… you were in one piece. Thanks to him. It finally dawned on you, what had really happened.
“You saved me” You uttered, peering up at him. Spiderman, it was Spiderman! It was really him, it was actually him. “You’re amazing, that was… that was incredible”
“Heh, thanks” He chuckled like it was nothing. “I’m just glad you’re safe”
You still couldn’t believe that you were in front of Spiderman. That he had saved you. He was your hero, this time literally, but he had been so much before such encounter.
“T-Thank you” You stuttered, realizing you wanted to say it. The shock started to slowly wear off, even if the excitement lingered.
“No problem” He patted your arm, giving it a gentle squeeze. “You okay, bud?”
You gawked at him, suddenly feeling your stomach jolt. A crushing realization overwhelmed you, and so the shock returned like it was never gone.
“Peter?” You mouthed, even if the word got caught in your throat. That gesture, that fond nickname, that voice! Perhaps he hadn’t even realized he did it, but for you… it all was proof that such incident had changed your life. Your world was shaken to its core. Spiderman… and Peter…
“Hey” He gently shook your shoulder, bringing you back to reality. “Are you alright?”
“Um…” You gulped, even if moved by his concerned tone. “F-Fine, I’m just…”
“Are you sure?”
“I’m okay, Pe… pretty sure I’ll be fine”
“I gotta go, you know… Take care of that guy…”
“Y-Yeah”
“He’s like a bull in a china shop”
That joke… It had to be him. Your lips twitched in a pitiful attempt at a smile to pretend like everything was okay. Nonetheless, he awkwardly fidgeted a little.
“Do you need anything?”
“No, no. I, uh… I’ll just get down from here and go home”
“Okay… Okay, good”
“Good”
“Bye then”
“Bye, Spidey…”
He lingered for a moment, almost like he didn’t want to leave you, especially seeing you in that state. That was something that Peter would definitely do. You gawked at him for a moment longer, as though by doing that you would discover the face behind the mask.
“Take care” Spiderman said, waving at you before shooting his web to the distance and swinging away. He just disappeared. Now he expected you to carry on with your life, just like that? He had saved your life, and he was… was he really Peter in disguise?
The magic dissipated with his absence, and the real world came back into focus. The New York hubbub, the police sirens, the traffic, it all returned like nothing out of the ordinary happened. Like you hadn’t just met your hero and discovered he might also be your best friend.
In a daze, you started walking. It felt like the ground beneath you was unstable, a sensation similar to missing a step when you’re walking down a set of stairs. Luckily, this tall building seemed to have an elevator.
_
Could that nonsense be true? Or were you just high on adrenaline? Maybe your feelings for Peter were starting to mess with you and you just wanted him to be the same person as your hero. But… even if he didn’t realize all those small fond gestures he had with you, your feelings for him were strong enough to remember each of them. And you remembered the way in which he squeezed your arm and called you ‘bud’. It was too much coincidence. Everything seemed to click together… right?
Feeling confused, frustrated and tired, you shook your head as you arrived at home. You hoped walking through the threshold magically returned some semblance of normalcy. However, a thought occurred to you as soon as you closed the door behind you. Now you were home, safe, and you couldn’t wait another second. You had to call Peter. Not hesitating, you picked up your phone and dialed. The line beeped for a few seconds until he picked up.
“Hey, Y/N! What’s up?” Came his familiar friendly voice. You took a few seconds to try and think if it was the same voice you had heard not long ago on the rooftop. “Hello?”
“Uh, Pete” You replied, trying to keep your crazy thoughts in check, just in case they were only conjectures. “I-I know you’re busy, but… can you come over? I need to see you”
Peter paused, and you couldn’t help but to wonder if he was that good of an actor.
“Are you okay? You sound strange” His voice definitely held a tone of concern.
“Yeah, I just… I’ll tell you all about it when you arrive” A shaky sigh escaped your lips, which only seemed to make his silence all the more anguishing. “Can you make it?”
“S-Sure, yeah” He hurriedly replied. “I’m on my way, be there in five”
That said, you hung up the phone. You absently leaned it against your nose, thoughtful about such an eventful day. As you waited for him, wondering if he would walk or swing, you thought of what to say. One just doesn’t ask someone ‘are you Spiderman?’ But what else could you say? Whatever the case, you had to confront him about it. It was something you needed to talk about.
Time passed painfully slowly as you waited and waited. One minute. Three minutes. Six minutes. Ten minutes… Every second felt like an hour as your heart and your mind harbored so many questions, so many doubts. Your world had changed a few hours prior, and Peter’s arrival could mean the confirmation of that earth-shattering truth.
Deep in your thoughts, you got startled when your door suddenly swung open. There stood Peter, seeming out of breath and showcasing a few dark bruises on his cheek and forehead that you wouldn’t have noticed any other day. This wasn’t a regular day.
“I’m here, are you okay?” He urged you, furrowing his brow in worry. “What happened?”
His mouth was still open in the midst of another panicked question when you interrupted him. Your heart was thumping in your chest, deafening you to the point that you could barely hear your own voice. You didn’t let that stop you.
“You’re late” You blurted out, quite seriously, and analyzed his expression.
“I know I’m late!” Peter piped up, gaping at you for a moment before continuing on to an outraged rant. “I’m sorry that I couldn’t just teleport here, but I had things to do! Things that couldn’t wait, Y/N! And I wanted to make it on time, five minutes like I promised, but… It’s not always that easy, okay?”
“Pete…” You muttered, regretting having thrown it to his face.
As he nervously brushed a hand through his hair, you saw his bruised knuckles.
It was him. He really was Spiderman. You could tell by the invisible burden he always carried, the one keeping his shoulders stiff. Being New York’s savior… that responsibility was too much to ask of anyone. And you knew Peter, you knew of his heart of gold and his selflessness, which only made it even clearer. He was Spiderman, even if sometimes it took a toll on him. But he never gave up the suit, because he could never give up on people.
“You call me out of the blue, expecting me to drop everything to come!” He still said in a nervous manner. “A-And I do my best to do so, to… hurry and see you but-“
Forget it. You didn’t need to tell him. Cutting his rambling short, you threw your arms around his waist and hugged him as tight as you could, knowing you wouldn’t hurt him. Immediately upon feeling your touch, Peter heaved a breath. He relaxed, and his tense shoulders dropped for a moment once the weight was momentarily lifted off his shoulders.
“I’m sorry…” He whispered, wrapping his arms around you too and clinging on to you. Peter sighed again, nuzzling your shoulder as he embraced the respite.
“It’s okay” You smiled, trying not to let him know of the tears that welled up in your eyes.
“Thanks, Y/N, I really needed this”
“I thought so…”
Peter made to let go of the hug, but you refused. Instead of being bothered by it, he chuckled and tightened it even more. The closeness reminded you of all the danger he was always in and of how lucky you were to have him there in front of you, in one piece. You shielded in his chest, shoving all those thoughts away concerning worst case scenarios for him. They were too painful. And he was there, safe and well.
He spoke up again, breaking the short-lived silence that established in the room.
“What happened?”
“Rhino”
“Rhino?!”
“Yeah”
“Wait, are you hurt?!” Frantically, he definitely broke the hug to take a good look at you.
“No, Spiderman saved me” You averted your gaze, embarrassed by your own tears.
“Are you crying? D-Don’t cry, please…” His own eyes became a little watery as he kindly stared at you. Then he patted your upper arm in that unique way of his that gave you goose bumps now. “It’s okay, bud, you’re safe here now”
“I know, it’s not that…” You smiled in spite of yourself, even if you sniffed through your nose. “It’s just… I’m so proud of you, Pete”
“What are you talking about?” You knew his confusion was genuine, and it made you laugh a little. If only he knew what was going on in your head at the moment.
“Ah, forget it, it’s nothing” Trying to get ahold of yourself, you wiped your tears. “Guess I’m still a little shaken up”
“I’ll stay with you for a while, okay?” He protectively put an arm around your shoulders. “We can watch a movie or something… get your mind off it. That must have been scary”
“It was” You walked with him as he took you to the couch, having to hold on to him when the exhaustion of the day began hitting you. “But Spidey was there, so…”
He slowly sat you down, not letting go of you until he was sure that you were well settled in the couch. Then he observed you for a moment, managing to grin at you.
“Hey, I didn’t notice that before” Peter said to change the subject, pointing at your shirt. “Were you wearing that before?”
“Yeah…” You suppressed a smile, amused when you remembered you were wearing your red and blue shirt with a spider logo on it.
“Really, Y/N?” He smirked, shaking his head at you.
“Hey, he’s amazing, and spectacular and-“
“Crushing on the webhead, are we?”
“Maybe… he looks like a really sweet guy”
“Does he?”
“Yeah, handsome too”
“What? Did you… did you see his face or something?”
“No, I just have a feeling…”
“You sure you’re okay? Did you hit your head?”
You laughed in spite of yourself, giving up when you realized he wasn’t catching on to your hints or even to your flirting. Very Peter Parker after all, though. He may be Spiderman, but he was still a cute nerd. He looked at you strangely, not understanding any of this.
“Do you need anything, something to eat maybe?” He pointed a thumb over his shoulder to the kitchen. “I can even make you some dumplings, I know you love-”
“God, no, don’t try to cook” You took his hand and tugged at it, inviting him to sit by you. “Just stay here with me, will you?”
“Of course” Peter smiled, occupying the spot next to you in the couch. “No movie or anything?”
“No, just some peace and quiet” You closed your eyes and snuggled closer to him, leaning against his chest and heaving a sigh. It was the first time since everything with Rhino happened that you actually felt completely safe, in Peter’s arms.
“Sure, just relax” Although he hesitated, Peter soon welcomed your closeness. “It must have been a really long day for you”
“I think it’ll do you some good to rest too” You mumbled, already feeling like the exhaustion was inviting you to fall asleep. Resting over Peter felt even better than your own bed at that moment.
“Yeah, you’re probably right” His hand tenderly rubbed your back, lulling you to sleep along with his warmth. You smiled as you gave in to that inviting slumber.
It wasn’t only that you needed that peaceful moment with his comforting presence. He also needed some semblance of normality and tranquil himself… just a moment of taking that burden off his shoulders. And you were happy to secretly share the weight with him.