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Miles knew he liked Hobie. He didn't admit it to himself at first, claiming that he couldn't possibly like Hobie, that he was just jealous or he that he just admired him as a person, or as a friend. It took him reaching the last page of his sketchbook to realize that since the two of them met, the habit of drawing Gwen turned into the habit of drawing Gwen, Pavitr, and Penny, and Noir, and Peter and... Hobie. Then Hobie took over the rest of the sketchbook's precious pages. It turned into a challenge for Miles, to draw Hobbie as accurately as he could, drawing every piercing, drawing his handsome face, his gorgeous hair and.. and Miles realized he was hopelessly in love, with no chance of getting a certain punk out of his mind.
The first time he tried to tell him was merely a few days after realization.
"Just get it over with," he thought. "Rip it off like a bandage, he surely doesn't like you and getting rejected will help me to move on." Except when they met in HQ and their eyes locked for a moment, Miles felt butterflies in his stomach. All of a sudden the option of getting rejected on the spot didn't sound very appealing. Hobie smiled at him, nodded as a greeting gesture, and walked past him. And Miles couldn't use his voice to call his name or ask him to talk.
– – –
He tried again when Pav, Gwen, he and Hobie were hanging out, and it just-so-happened that the other two members of the friend group left first. Pavitr had a date with his girlfriend and Gwen said she had to go back for her daily patrol in her universe. It was just the two of them left. They talked, they laughed, they even went to grab a pizza. And it felt like too good of an evening to ruin it by rejection. He knew he had to, though...
"Hey, Hobie?" Miles started, not sure where to go from there. He couldn't just say, "Hey, I like you, can you reject me real quick please?" No, that would be too bold and stupid... and probably really weird, too.
"Hm? What's up?"
"I... I really...'' No, he couldn't. He couldn't say that. Not when Hobie and he had such a great time and not when Hobie was smiling at him like that. Miles could always do it another day, right? "I think you're really cool."
"Damn right I am, mate."
– – –
Miles knew it had to happen. He couldn't keep waiting any longer. The longer he took, the more it'd hurt to pop the bubble that he carefully created for himself. A bubble where he could pretend that he had a chance with Hobie. A bubble where all the smiles and nods and laughs meant something more.
They saw each other when Miles needed a break from his parents, and Hobie... Hobie was bored, and Miles was one of his best friends, so why not spend time with him? At least that's what he told Miles after scaring him shitless. Miles had headphones on and didn't notice how reality got ripped apart for a moment, nor did he notice when the portal closed behind Spider Punk. And that gave Hobie the perfect opportunity to place his hands on his friend's shoulders. The two swung around Brooklyn for a bit before they settled for sitting on one of the taller buildings and to talk.
He knew he was going to bring up his silly crush, but before he realized, he was already yawning. He blinked, but as his eyes reopened, he found himself in his bed, tucked under blankets. "It must've been a dream," he thought before falling back asleep. He was proven wrong, when he realized that Hobie forgot his guitar pick on Miles' desk.
– – –
It was the perfect chance to have a serious, much needed talk with Hobie. He just had to find him, give him his pick back, and then say they needed to talk. That's all he had to do. But Hobie was nowhere to be found in HQ, and Miguel didn't want to even begin to think about certain punk.
When he asked Pav, he told Miles that it was band day, whatever that meant. The next obvious step was to ask Gwen. Except.. Gwen didn't reply. And neither did Hobie. Anxiety rushed over Miles for all the wrong reasons. He would expect to be worried about their well being, but... instead, he worried about what exactly the two could be up to, assuming the absences of the two of them were, in fact, connected.
And just then it finally hit him.
Band. Hobie. Gwen. They're in a band together! How did he not get it right away? Guess he had to go back to Pavitr, seeing how he obviously knew more about the band business. Why didn't Miles know? Were they hiding it from him? Are they not close enough for them to tell him? Are they mad at him?
But by the time he finally found out where the band is usually at, it was too late. So that chance was missed, but he had a plan. Next Band Day, he knew what to do.
– – –
It was the day he's been preparing for this entire week. He was still waving and talking to Hobbie, and he might've missed many opportunities, but.. if he were to lose a friend because of the stupid crush, at least he wanted some privacy and some significance to the day.
The place was in Hobie's universe, it was some sort of basement slash garage slash who the hell knows anymore. There was equipment and music instruments and chords and it might as well have been the first time Miles was in a genuine band rehearsal place. He assumed the rest of band members (if there were any) already left, because he only saw Gwen on drums and Hobie with his guitar. The latter was sitting on a couch and strumming strings, humming something to himself. Gwen was just on her phone. Not feeling the boost of confidence Miles had just a moment ago, he became invisible before realizing so.
"What are you humming?" Gwen suddenly looked up at the punk and raised an eyebrow.
"Nothin'"
"Come on, I didn't hear that one before" she stood up and walked over. She passed Miles, being just a few santimeters away from accidentally bumping into him, which gave the youngest one in the room a mini heart attack.
"It's nothin' I'm tellin' ya"
The two stared at each other before they both started cackling, almost as if they both heard a silent, most funniest joke ever.
"I hate you. But seriously, is it about him again?"
"You say it like every song I write is about him now"
"I say it like that, because it's true" Gwen smirked and lightly punched Hobie's shoulder. He dramatically gasped in response, barely managing to hide his playfulness
But Miles wouldn't stop thinking about what Gwen said. "Is it about him?"
Who's him? Does Hobie like someone? People usually write songs about people they like, right? With all the overthinking, Miles almost forgot that he was currently standing there, listening in, like some sort of creep. He should leave, if Hobbie wanted to tell him he liked someone, he would've. If Hobie wanted to tell him he was in a band with Gwen, he would've. But he didn't and Miles felt stupid for coming here.
"He's worth writing a song about"
He was on his way out when he heard that. And hearing Hobie say that.. it stung. A lot. Hobie is in love with someone already. Miles knew he had no chance but..
He left before he heard anything else...
"Why won't you tell him then? Do you like him?"
"I will, jus' waitin' for the right moment, y'know"
"Invite him to the rehearsal and sing one of your songs about him, that will do it perfectly, Hob"
"I dunno.. I'm thinkin' somethin' more private. Pretty sure he likes me too, y'know, he's obvious about it, but still. Don't wanna make him pressured to do or say anythin' he doesn't wanna"
– – –
This time. This time had to be it. He already knows Hobie's liking someone, so he knows to expect rejection. It was stupid to hope in the first place. But he had a perfect moment this time for sure. Spider Punk invited him to hang out and they had privacy and little exciting things to talk about. It was a perfect, slightly boring not-date that was destined to be ruined by something, so Miles can at least make sure to be the one to ruin it. He just hoped that there was a slightest chance that Hobie won't hate him after today. His gut was still turning and twisting at the idea of telling the boy how he felt and getting rejected on the spot but he didn't have a choice. He can't keep pining over him for the rest of his life and he won't calm down until he gets a clear answer that no, Hobie doesn't like him, back off already.
So when they meet up and sit in a familiar spot, Miles remembered how he showed it to Hobie telling him the view's really pretty from up there.
"Y'know I wanna be real for a sec" Hobie started, looking at his friend before smirking "You're bloody obvious"
Miles' heart skipped a bit, and air got punched out of his lungs for a moment there. He knew. God damn it he knew this whole time didn't he. Oh god, it's so embarrassing.
"I'm sorry, I tried to tell but.. But then I couldn't and then I tried again and I.."
"Calm" Hobie reminded him, chuckling "It's no biggie, I don't mind"
"Wait, we're speaking about the same thing here, right?" Miles suddenly stopped in his tracks, containing sigh of relief for just a little longer, just in case.
"Your crush, y'mean?" Hobie teased and Miles found himself wishing he could just melt into the concrete of the building and never come out. But then he realized. Hobie Brown knew about Miles' crush and.. didn't mind?
He could feel his face heating up. Does that mean..?
"Oh an' I was actually gonna ask, if you like.. Wanna do anything about it?"
"Do anything about.. what do you mean?"
"I dunno, like.. I don't do labels, but I know you do, so like. Go out type of thing?"
At this point, Miles could as well be used as a heater, because his hands started sweating and his face became a shade of maroon. But he had to keep his cool. Okay. So maybe Hobie did like him back. And maybe he even wanted to date Miles. It's cool. They are chill. All he has to do is make an audible, intelligible, cool and chill response.
"I uh.. yes. I mean sure. As in like.. Date. Thing. Yes. Kissing and stuff is cool"
Hobie cackled, having to take a minute to calm down while Miles mentally was beating himself into the pavement for doing the only thing he had to do at that moment wrong.
"If y'say so, mate"
Miles could feel a hand on his cheek before said hand turned his face toward Hobie's, who leaned down a bit, slow enough for Miles to pull away if he wished to. But Miles didn't pull away, or stopped him. He leaned towards before lips of the two spider men connected.
Miles didn't know what his first kiss would look or feel like. He may have expected it to be with the girl he used to be friends with as a kid, because all the other boys already had their silly little kindergarten relationships and only Miles was left behind. But it never happened. He might've expected a more serious first kiss with Gwen, but turned out that he didn't like her romantically, despite thinking so for the first week or two. He simply missed his friend and had nowhere else to put his mind to. When he first met Hobie, he expected to feel jealousy, or even hatred toward him, but... it never came.
But even so, Miles did not in any way shape or form expected Hobie to be the one to steal Miles' first kiss. And he'd be lying if he said he regretted anything. Other than maybe not telling Hobbie sooner because if that's what would've happened all those weeks ago and he could've just been dating Hobie and not worry about latter hating him for the rest of his life?? He would've confessed the very first day.
"So.. gimme the label to get used to, Morales"
God his last name sounded prettier than ever when Hobie was the one saying it
"Boyfriends?"
Hobie hummed.
"Boyfriends"