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The sun is beaming.
There are barely any clouds in the sky as it kisses the horizon gently, lending its brilliant blue to the water, which turns it a deeper and richer hue.
The ocean ripples with waves and bouncing rays of light sparkle off the shifting water like glitter. It's hot but not unbearable, especially with the cool spray of the water so close. Many people have come upon the same idea for the beautiful day, arriving to the beach in droves to sit in the sand and bask in the perfect weather.
It means wonderful business for an ice cream truck.
Miguel O'Hara blinks awake as the truck finally rumbles to a stop. He leans up-
-and immediately falls to the side as the truck jerks into an actual stop. He curses the truck owner, a tall and, in his correct opinion, idiot of a man named Peter B. Parker.
Muttering a few more choice words, he manages to get back up.
"When is this man going to learn to drive properly," he grumbles.
"Dahahahahahahahaha!" a voice rings out behind him. A grinning yellow square comes up beside him and Miguel heaves an irritated sigh that goes ignored. "Come on, Miguel. Don't you know how hard driving is?"
He shoots his companion an unimpressed look, which also goes unnoticed.
"I've had to redo my own test at least a dozen times. It's really not easy at all!"
"Oh!" a third voice pipes up behind them. It rings sweetly in Miguel's ear. "Mr. Bob, is driving really that hard?"
The sponge turns to the newcomer, as does Miguel. A blonde girl looks at the both of them, smiling. Her yellow hair is pulled into two pigtails, one on either side of her head. Miguel has always had a soft spot for the little girl, although her presence does bring a sort of ache as well.
"Bubbles!" the sponge exclaims. "You know there's no need for all that Mister business. Ahahaha! Just call me Spongebob."
Miguel groans and turns away, doing his best to pretend he wasn't in the company of the laughing yellow sponge. It seems luck is on his side, as he manages to tune out most of the ensuing conversation and tune into the conversation that the truck owner Peter is having.
"Hey kid, what can I get for ya?"
Customers already, Miguel thinks. He leans against the glass and manages to catch a glimpse of a small hand holding up a crinkled five dollar bill. Peter takes the bill and hands back a few coins along with a vanilla cone. The cone disappears over the ledge and another customer is already there, coins in hand. This customer gets a chocolate cone.
That's how most of the day goes. The sun shines down relentlessly on the beachgoers, which in turn generates a steady flow of customers to Peter's ice cream truck. Most people stop by for an ice cream cone or a slushie, although a few ask for rocket popsicles and someone even gets a banana boat. Miguel isn't one to judge though. Instead, he keeps a keen eye on everything that happens, watching with vigilance in case anything were to go wrong.
Spongebob and Bubbles continue to chat somewhere behind him, and he does keep half an ear out to listen to them despite himself.
It's nearly halfway through the day when someone asks for a character popsicle. His eyes widen as he strains to hear what the customer is asking for. Even Spongebob and Bubbles have stopped talking, attention caught by this customer to see which of them gets picked.
"Umm," a kid's voice says. "Can I have a Spongebob, please?"
"Of course you can!"
Miguel frowns. Spongebob is giddy with excitement behind him.
"Congratulations, Mr. Bob!" Bubbles exclaims with a giggle. The two popsicles bounce around in their celebration until Peter comes over. The freezer door opens and Spongebob goes willingly when Peter reaches down to pick him up.
"See you again some other time, friends!"
"I'm not your friend," Miguel deadpans, but Spongebob just laughs his silly little laugh as he's taken away.
Miguel paces the width of the freezer as Bubbles watches him. At the very least, he will have a moment of peace before-
"I'm ready!"
-before the next Spongebob popsicle in line wakes up. Miguel sighs and leans his forehead against the chilled wall.
"Mr. Bob is back!" Bubbles cheers and bounds over. "How do you feel?"
"Better than ever!" is the reply accompanied by a puffed out chest.
The two fall back into their usual chatter. The day seems to be going by as any other day usually would, so Miguel eventually falls into his own thoughts. The safety of this ice cream truck will just have to depend on itself for the next five minutes.
Breathing a sigh, he takes in the cold wall he's pressed to and thinks of what it feels like beyond it. He thinks of the customers asking Peter for ice cream and sodas and smoothies. He thinks of Peter greeting most of the customers as "kid" or "kiddo". He thinks of the sun beating down on the truck and how he and Spongebob and Bubbles are all protected within the freezer. Yeah, there is a lot to think about.
The customers continue to filter through, none of them dangerous or rude. It's hard to be in the presence of an ice cream truck. A few are breathless, sounding like they've run all the way from the water to the truck where it's parked along the road, and a few strike up conversations with Peter. There's a particular woman with bright red hair who Peter speaks with and gets flustered and tongue-tied over, and did Miguel just hear something about them meeting at a later time? Well, it's out of his hands when the ice cream truck isn't involved, so he just rolls his eyes.
"Alright, who's next? What can I get for you?"
"Hello! Um... Sorry I'm still not sure."
Miguel rolls his eyes at this too. Who goes up to an ice cream truck without knowing what they wanted? He's always got his sights set on something. Right now, it's making sure to stay alert in case his senses go off. It doesn't really matter that this customer isn't sure what they want anyway, they always just go for a mixed cone in the end.
He peers over the edge of the freezer and catches the briefest glimpse of the customer - you - before you duck to the side, presumably reviewing the menu again.
"I think I'll have..." You hesitate. "How popular are these popsicles?"
Miguel raises an eyebrow. The popsicles?
You lean back within Miguel's view and a flash of emotion passes over his face, although hidden by his mask. It feels like an inner sense goes off but it doesn't feel anything like when danger is approaching. In fact, it feels the opposite, instead of an echoing ring of alarm, this feels more like the satisfying clink of two glasses knocking together. His eyes widen imperceptibly and, as if his body has a mind of his own, he leans forward the slightest bit against the freezer glass.
The sun shines against your back, creating a halo around your head and hair in the late afternoon. Nevertheless, your eyes glitter with joy and curiosity as you look to Peter with your question. You don't see Miguel, even though you are all he can see as he takes in your beachy and naturally windswept appearance.
Bubbles sidles up beside Miguel before he can even realize.
"Mr. Miguel!"
He jolts out of his reverie and spins around so quickly he nearly topples over, much to his embarrassment.
"Bubbles!" he says, voice cracking in his surprise.
Bubbles looks at him carefully.
"Are you okay Mr. Miguel? You look a bit warm."
Miguel feels himself flush even more under the scrutiny and accusation. True to her word, Miguel can feel himself starting to condensate, a result of the feeling that's blossomed in his chest. Distantly, the sound of the freezer rumbles louder to make up for the small bubble of above-zero temperature that has settled amongst the freezer denizens.
"Oh no! Mr. Miguel, are you sick?"
Spongebob's laugh echoes as he makes his way over.
"Oh Bubbles, Miguel here isn't sick." He flutters his eyelashes and puckers his lips. "He must be in loooove."
If Miguel had blood vessels, he's sure some would have popped.
"In love?" sweet Bubble echoes. "How do you know?"
Spongebob laughs good naturedly.
"Oh, Miguel and I go way back," he says importantly. "I'd recognize that look on his face from across the freezer! Haha!"
Bubbles makes a sound of understanding, eyes wide.
"So who is it, Miguel?" Spongebob says teasingly, fluttering his long eyelashes. "Let's see who's caught your eye!"
He manages to shuffle his way past Miguel, who has taken to ignoring him aside from the dirty look he shoots his way. Can't he just admire you in peace?
"I want to see too!" Bubbles cries out, pressing forward. Miguel can't help it when he steps back for her to look; her puppy dog eyes are very effective on him.
"Is it the customer right there?"
"They're very pretty! Hmm... A bow would make them even prettier!"
Spongebob laughs, again. He elbows Miguel.
"They look just your type."
Bubbles turns to look at Miguel too, asking, "What are you going to do Mr. Miguel?"
Miguel looks from Bubbles' serious gaze to you and it feels like time slows down again as he watches your eyes flicker to the menu again and back to Peter. You open your mouth to say something but Miguel doesn't hear it, his mind running to keep up with his eyes as he tries to commit your every movement to his memory.
"Mr. Miguel?"
"Come on, Bubbles, let's leave Mr. Spiderman to watch his star crossed lover in peace."
Miguel glares at Spongebob before turning his attention back to you. Spongebob pulls a pouting Bubbles away and their chatter fades into the background again as he focuses back into your conversation with Peter. You're handing over a crumpled bill to Peter and he swaps it out for some change in the register before handing it to you.
"Alright then! One Spiderman popsicle for you."
Miguel, Spongebob, and Bubbles all freeze, ironically.
"Did he just say Spiderman?" Spongebob gasps dramatically and bounds over, jostling Miguel.
Similarly, Bubbles is giggling and screaming all sorts of congratulations into his ear.
“Mr. Miguel, you’re going to meet the love of your life!"
Miguel can barely hear it, allowing himself to be shaken in the commotion. He has zeroed in on you and the fact that Peter is turning towards the freezer. Every single one of the man’s footsteps feels like days before finally, finally, he is standing before Miguel. He slides the door open, another agonizingly long pull. Miguel looks at his two companions with something like a smile on his face. He feels like he's floating on a cloud.
"Thank you. Thank you to both of you for your uh..."
He hesitates to say it but Spongebob cackles and Bubbles has the biggest doe eyes looking at him. Oh, who is he kidding.
"...friendship," he finishes. "I'll see you both again soon."
Spongebob bursts into tears that immediately freeze upon hitting the shelf floor and Bubbles just giggles again. The two of them cluster around Miguel before backing off as Peter's hand closes around him. Weightlessness overcomes Miguel's body. He can hardly believe it. It's been too long since someone has purchased a Spiderman popsicle, meaning his consciousness has also spent too long encased in this particular body. He is overdue for a swap, for these thoughts and memories and spirit to go to the next Spiderman in line.
Miguel looks towards you, and something goes through him upon seeing you for the first time without the frost of the freezer obstructing his view.
This is it then, he thinks. His heart swells with the knowledge that this is all because of you. It must have always been you. He knows in his heart that you were both meant to be, in the small space of time that is about to happen, when he goes from Peter's calloused palm to your gentle one. Miguel squints as he enters the harsh afternoon light.
"Wait."
His eyes pop open despite the sun’s glare. Wait? Surprise fills him, partially because hearing your voice through the glass was nothing compared to hearing it with nothing but air between the two of you. His heart would melt if not for what you said. He looks at your face and frowns at the confused expression you're wearing.
"Sorry," you say, flustered, "but I asked for the Spiderman popsicle?"
Peter smiles, easygoing.
"Yup! This here is Spiderman," he says and holds up Miguel, who does his best to look nice by brushing off ice that has frozen to him, "in the flesh! Er... or at least, in the ice!"
"Oh I see..." is all you say, but the confusion has given way to uncertainty now.
Peter brings Miguel closer to the counter and you're able to take a closer look at Miguel's appearance.
"He's blue?" you ask meekly.
"Yup!" is the cheerful answer, although the man has raised an eyebrow. "He's limited edition too, straight from 2099."
"Um I see..." you say again but don't reach out to take Miguel. Oh no, this is your worst nightmare. You really don't want to be here making a fuss about a popsicle of all things, but with inflation the way it is, these things are expensive and you can't help it that you don't recognize the character in the ice cream truck owner's hand at all. "Oh god, I'm so sorry but... do you have the regular Spiderman character?"
Peter says something in response, and you nod your head, but all of this grows very far from Miguel. The van may be settled near the ocean, but it isn't that close, and yet there is a loud roaring and crashing sound in Miguel's ears.
Miguel watches in a detached kind of way as you grow farther away from him. He grips at Peter's hand to see over his fingers, trying to hold onto that image of you smiling apologetically at Peter before you turn away to watch the beach behind you. Peter sets down Miguel back into the freezer with something like a pitiful light in his eyes, before he tears open a new box nearby. Miguel watches as a red popsicle with teardrop shaped eyes gets pulled out.
You turn back to Peter as he approaches you at the counter and you smile. Miguel leans against the freezer wall, watching you perk up with delight and recognition as you accept the regular Spiderman popsicle.
The minimal melting that occurred while Miguel was out of the freezer has already been done over, freezing his features in place. He looks down at himself. There seem to be more ice crystals formed on him as well. He looks back up.
You don't even glance in his direction before you turn and walk away.