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Miles asks it while the two of them are chilling on the roof of some unimportant building.
Hobie’s on his back, one hand cushioned behind his head while the other repeatedly tosses his guitar pick in the air and catches it.
His posture is languid, expression relaxed as if he feels like he belongs where he is, in Miles’ universe, next to Miles.
On the other hand, Miles hasn’t been able to stop thinking the entire time. He's sitting with knees tucked up, arms pillowed atop them.
Conversation has been ebbing and flowing between them as they watch the sun sink lower behind the city skyline. It's comfortable, a nice breeze here and there, Hobie's occasional humming drifting across the wind.
Miles picks at the fabric of where his suit stretches across his knee. He's been staring at Hobie for the past five minutes. If the other teen has noticed, which he probably has, he hasn’t given a single clue.
Miles’ incessant thoughts come to a rising crescendo that erupts via his lips, unstoppable.
“Why did you stick up for me? Back then,” Miles blurts.
Hobie catches his pick one last time, head tilting to meet Miles’ eyes. “Aye?” He questions, raising a brow.
“In Spider-Society, y’know. Looking out for me even though you barely knew me… all of that. Before everyone chased me.” Miles clarifies.
Hobie hums in comprehension. “You do remember my whole thing about not following orders, right?” His tone is lightly teasing, smirking before he continues. “Like hell ‘m gonna blindly follow the masses led by that right prick.”
Miles huffs an amused exhale.
Hobie shifts from his back to his side, facing the shorter teen fully. “Just looking out for a fellow Spider-Man, ‘s all.”
Miles holds eye contact for a few more seconds, processing. “Right, right. Of course.” He looks away.
He can feel Hobie’s unwavering gaze remain on his face almost like a physical touch. Hobie has always had that kind of effect, unshakeable in his confidence.
“You hopin’ to hear somethin’ else?”
Miles tucks his face between his knees. “Dunno.” He scratches at the back of his neck. “Maybe.”
A few beats of silence pass, before Miles’ foot is nudged by a heavy boot. He looks up to be greeted by an uncharacteristically serious expression on Hobie’s face.
His aura is deep purple, streaks of magenta and orange cutting through the desaturated color. Or maybe that’s just the sunset.
“Truth be told, mate,” Hobie starts, “reckon I was a bit captivated from the beginnin’.”
Miles’ expression slackens. “Captivated?”
“‘S what I said, innit?” Hobie replies, merely a dash of the teasing lilt that would normally accompany a response like that.
Miles blinks in the resounding silence, tracking Hobie's movements as he mirror’s Miles’ position. His limbs are considerably longer, forearms hanging off his knobbly knees.
When Miles shows no sign of speaking up, Hobie shrugs. “Heard lots ‘bout you from Gwendy before we met, but…” He trails off, gaze pinning Miles in place.
“Was different seein’ ya in action,” Hobie says, eyes blazing a trail of heat from Miles’ eyes, to his lips, to his broad shoulders. Miles resists the urge to shiver in its wake.
“She didn’t do ya ‘nuff justice, if ya ask me.”
Miles swallows heavily, but apparently Hobie isn’t finished.
“I just, saw somethin’ in ya. It clicked with me, right quick. You had that… glint in your eyes I ain't seen in a while.”
Hobie's body is now entirely different shades of pink, voice steadily growing quieter the longer he talks. Is he… is Hobie Brown being shy? Miles thinks deliriously.
“It wasn’t that I saw somethin’ to protect, more of… a spark I wanted to help create a fire out of.”
Miles’ eyes widen.
“For chaos purposes, of course.” Hobie adds.
Miles is gifted a reprieve when Hobie finishes, looking back out at the horizon. The younger releases a breath he didn’t realize he was holding, following suit in turning his head.
“Are… are you done?” Miles asks weakly.
Hobie snorts. “Yup. All done.”
Miles feels the heat radiating from his cheeks as he buries his face in his hands. “Cool, cool.”
Two shaky breaths later, Miles lowers his hands back down. “I… think you’re captivating, too.” He immediately cringes.
Miles can hear the smirk in Hobie's voice when he replies. “Oh yeah?”
“Shut up.” Miles grumbles.
Hobie chuckles some more, Miles fighting against his own smile.
“Okay, but what kinda compliment even is ‘captivating’?”
“Oi, you should feel proper blessed I was all emotional with ya, bruv. ‘Sides, I said I was captivated, not that you were captivatin’ .”
“Same thing!” Miles says, losing the fight with his smile and dissolving into airy laughter.
Hobie protests wordlessly, so Miles interrupts him. “Yeah, yeah, thank you, oh great Hobie.” He drawls.
Hobie playfully punches his shoulder, causing Miles to lean into the punk’s side with the force of his giggles. Was he always that close?
“I meant it, you know.” Hobie says, when Miles starts to calm down.
Miles would’ve died of embarrassment if he saw the sheer fondness in his expression in that moment.
“I know.”