Work Text:
Unknown ID: Hey, just wanted to tell you did amazing on today's mission, keep up the good work :)
You look at the message displayed on your watch in confusion.
First of all, you didn't know sending anonymous messages was a thing, that's cool.
Second, who the hell would write something like that?
"Hobie, was this you?" You ask the teen sitting next to you in the cafeteria. The two of you (well, seven, if you count Miguel, Peter, and three other Spider-People that joined you) just finished a mission in Peter's universe. Fighting Sandman has always been a chore, especially when it turned out he was from Earth-7212017, aka freaking Sand-Planet.
Needless to say, if it wasn't for your idea to smash open one of the fire hydrants and shoot the web at the villain through the water, the fight would have taken much longer.
"No, Pavitr's the one that cracked your phone screen, he was taking selfies- wait, what we talking about?"
"About the-" Your eyes narrow. "So it was one of you, I knew it." Hobie raises his hands, pleading innocent. "Anyway, I’m talking about this message, look."
You raise your wrist towards his face so that he can read the words displayed on the orange screen. After a second he just raises his eyebrow and shakes his hand.
"Nah mate, that wasn't me." He grabs one of the cold fries from the plate the two of you are sharing. "Probably one of the guys from the mission, who knows."
"Yea, but why did they send it… anonymously? That's what I can't figure out." You sigh and prop yourself up on your elbows. "Is texting a compliment this embarrassing?"
"Ooh, who texted you?" You flinch as a hand appears on your shoulder. Looking up you see Peter B., with Miguel following close behind.
"Peter, what did I tell you about snea-"
"Sneaking up on you, I know. I just couldn't resist." He shoots you an innocent Parker™ smile and you roll your eyes, unable to withstand such a classic move. "So, do tell. You got a secret admirer or something?"
"Em, I don't know, I'm probably just overthinking it…" You show the man your watch and sheepishly look to the side as Miguel also comes closer to read the message.
It feels weird to show a message from a supposed 'secret admirer' to your own crush and a reason for many sleepless nights, Miguel O'Hara himself.
"Seems pretty casual to me." Says the man in question, face seemingly 'stuck' in a frown.
"Miguel, this is exactly why you have no game. It's the smiley face that says it all, and oh, the plethora of feelings this simple emoji conveys! They clearly have a crush." You and Hobie both laugh at such 'undeniable' logic, while Miguel just rolls his eyes at the joke.
"I still think there's nothing to read into, it's a simple message. If whoever wrote it wanted it to mean something, they would have said so." Continues Miguel, straightening his back and making his way towards the cash register.
"Bye, I guess." You say, feeling gloomy from the whole interaction.
"Cheer up bruv, the man's an asshole but he's right. It's just a nice comment, enjoy it and move on." Says Hobie, snatching the last fry out of your grasp. You shoot daggers at him but he just smirks.
"Okay guys, imma leave you two be and go bother Miguel." Says Peter, finally letting go of your shoulder. "And don't listen to these guys, I think that person will text you sooner than you think."
- - -
Turns out Peter was right.
The next text appeared in the morning, just as you finished your daily agility training.
Unknown ID: I like the design of your web shooters. They seem much more durable than the ones others use :)
You snort, capturing the attention of Miles, your favorite training buddy.
"What you laughing at?" He peers at your watch from above your shoulder, narrowing his eyes in confusion as he reads. "They like your web shooters? Who is it from?"
"The person I told you about earlier, the 'secret admirer', I guess." After thinking about it for a bit, you decided to accept Peter's narrative. Who doesn’t want a small ego boost? "I just find it funny that out of everything they could compliment me on, they chose my goddamn web shooters." You chuckle. "I mean, they are solid, don't get me wrong. They're just nothing to write home about."
"Maybe they're just scared to compliment you directly? You know that I know that you know, that telling your crush a compliment is hard."
You blush, but nod at his statement. You and Miles often talk about your feelings, especially about the ones that concern your crushes. He told you way too much about Gwen, and in return, you told him everything you loved about Miguel.
Which was, as Miles claims, the longest hour of his life.
"You got me there. But how do I tell them it's okay…" You look around at all the other Spider-People in the gym, wondering which one of them is responsible for brightening your day.
"Well, you could just write it. Or say it." Says Miles, as if that was the easiest thing to do. "Yo, my friend here loves when people are direct!" He continues, much louder this time.
A few Spider-People look in your direction and you clasp your hand over his mouth, feeling more embarrassed than angry.
"Miles, please, that was the stupidest thing-"
Ping!
You both look down at the hand covering his mouth, now displaying another message.
Unknown ID: I can be more direct, no problem. You look amazing in your suit ;)
You feel your cheeks redden as Miles's muffled laughter erupts behind your hand.
Embarrassed, you let go of him and start heading toward the exit of the training grounds.
You don't see how the camera in the corner of the room slowly moves, following your movement.
- - -
Another text, or rather, a series of texts comes in the most inconvenient moment, aka during a meeting in Miguel’s office.
You and Jess stand all the way down on the floor, while Miguel talks to you from his platform, back turned as he works on something on the orange monitors.
"...two anomalies on Earth-22137, a Black Cat and Doc Ock from Earth-321 appeared there together. They somehow already robbed a bank, so…"
Ping!
You make sure that Jessica is not looking and check your watch.
Unknown ID: I wish I wasn't afraid to talk to you in person :(
"Aww, that's so sad." You whisper.
"What is?"
Jessica's sudden question almost makes you jump. You shoot an apologetic smile at her raised eyebrow before looking back down on your watch.
"Nothing important, just this text I got."
"And you couldn't wait until after the meeting to check it?" She grabs your hand so that she can read the message displayed on the screen. After a second, her mouth turns into a smug grin. "Nothing important? Is that the 'secret admirer' I've been hearing so much about?"
"Who told you?" This is so embarrassing.
"Hobie and Peter. And by the way, half the Spider Society already knows, words travel fast around here, you know?"
"Oh my god-"
"Are you done chit-chatting? I'm trying to explain an important mission here." Miguel's commanding tone makes you both look up. He still hasn't turned away but you can tell by the way his back tenses that he is angry.
"We are, sorry..." You state as Jessica straightens her back, taking a step away from you.
Miguel continues his debrief, and you go back to your watch to quickly type out an answer.
You: Come on, I don't bite. Not unless you want me to ;3
"...after meeting with a local spider, head to this location and…" Miguel suddenly pauses, making you look up from your watch. "And, cough cough, from there, just do your thing. Any questions?"
"Yea, I have one. How do we approach Black Cat? She's usually on our side when it comes to conflicts." Jessica voices her curiosity and you try your hardest to listen until another ping captures your attention.
Unknown ID: I can bite too >;)
You feel a little hot under your suit.
You: Well, it seems like we're meant to be ;D do you wanna meet up?
Unknown ID: No.
Ouch. And they ended with a dot? Harsh.
You sigh and don't acknowledge Jessica's puzzled expression. You send the mysterious stranger a sad face before putting away your watch.
Their loss.
- - -
It's after you and Jess capture Black Cat and Doc Ock when a new message appears.
Unknown ID: I realized that my previous message might have been a little harsh. I want to apologize :(
You chuckle, and rest your back against a building's wall as Jess makes sure that the webs binding the seized anomalies arms are sturdy.
The fight was quick but exhausting, with some poor parked cars paying the price of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Thankfully, no one was hurt.
You: It's good. I just don't get it, you want to talk but you don't want to talk… it's confusing
Unknown ID: I told you, I'm afraid, and… we're both Spider-Men. Such a relationship would be a definition of an anomaly.
You cringe at the text. Miguel would love this person, they seem to share his beliefs.
You: If you worry about cross-dimensional feelings, that ship has already sailed. Gwen and Miles are basically dating, and I struggle with my own crush on someone from the Spider Society, so ┐(´ー｀)┌
Unknown ID: They are WHAT?!
Unknown ID: Wait, you have a crush on somebody? Who?
You bite your lip, thinking about whether you should tell this random stranger about Miguel or not.
Jessica calls your name, pointing at the confused Policemen that started to gather around the scene.
"Could you talk to them? I already have a handful with these two" She says, throwing Doc Ock over her motorcycle's seat.
Yeah, sure. Just a second!" Without overthinking it too much, you send one last message before going off to talk to the police officers.
You: Miguel O'Hara <3
- - -
You just exited a long, deserved shower when you remember that you never checked for a response.
You and Jess already had a handful of work, thanks to taking care of the anomalies at the HQ (Black Cat was surprisingly hard to hold down). After you sent them home, you immediately went to your own dimension as well, ready to wash off all the dirt and grime that gathered through the fight.
The watch's screen displays [5 UNREAD MESSAGES] and you open them up, curious as to how your new friend could respond to such info.
Unknown ID: Why him? I thought no one liked that guy, he's always so harsh and never leaves his 'lair'.
Unknown ID: I just don't understand how you could have feelings for him. Did he do something that made you like him? Maybe you should tell him that, actually.
Unknown ID: That you like him, in case that wasn't specific.
Unknown ID: Who knows, maybe he even likes you back.
Unknown ID: I see you're busy with post-mission activities, I'll stop bothering you.
You look at your watch in confusion. Why would your secret admirer suddenly change tactics? Did they already give up?
You: I'm here, sorry. I was busy ;-; , Black Cat knows how to put up a fight, even with all limbs restrained
Unknown ID: I saw how you struggled to put her in her chamber, it was quite a scene :)
You snort at that weak joke and put your watch on the nightstand for a second as you get under the covers.
You: So you were there and didn't tell me? Not cool bro, not cool
You: Actually, what are your pronouns? I assume you won't give me your name, but I don't want to refer to you as an 'omnipresent mysterious stranger in my head'
Unknown ID: I'm a Spider-Man. And you're right, I wouldn't give you my name.
You: But you do know mine~ it's unfair T^T
Unknown ID: I do :). I don't know much else though, I'm usually too shy to talk to you, much less to ask about your life.
You: Aww, how 'bout now then? We can play 20 questions ;DD If there's something you don't wanna say, just tell me, I won't pressure you or anything
Unknown ID: That would be pretty nice actually <3
You blush at the heart he sent you and can't help but kick your feet under the covers. You don't even know his face, but knowing that he likes you but is shy to even talk to you… well, it does make you feel things.
You have to learn more about this man.
You: So, what color is your suit?
Unknown ID: Blue and red (original, I know). Do you have any pets?
You: I used to have a dog for a while but I had to give him away to a friend, superhero lifestyle and pets don't go well together :^( What about you?
Unknown ID: Sadly, it's the same for me. I always wanted to have a dog though. What was yours called?
You: Emm, it's actually kinda embarrassing, can I skip this one?
Unknown ID: Now you got me curious. Request denied >:)
You: I named him Grimlock, after one of the characters from the Transformers cartoon… he is a boston terrier and it fit his personality like a glove
Unknown ID: Wasn't Grimlock one of the dinobots created by Ratchet and Wheeljack? Are you saying that your dog was a stupid dinosaur?
You: I didn't say that, he was just… very rowdy. Also, damn, I've never met someone who also watched that cartoon and remembered things, thought I was the only one nerdy enough
Unknown ID: Might I remind you that we are all Spider-Men, being a nerd is something that runs in our blood.
You: Pff, not true. I don't think Miguel even knows what a cartoon is, he's way too serious for that. Anyway, what's your favorite color?
Unknown ID: Trust me when I say this, he is just as nerdy as the rest of the Spider Society. Caught him watching Star Trek on one of his monitors once :). And my favorite color is pink. What do you do when you're not Spider-Man?
You: Ayo, roll back. Miguel O’Hara likes things? I’ll believe it when I see it. And pink? That’s so girlie pop of you. And to answer your question, when I’m not doing hero things for Spider Society or in my New York, I work as a barista in a nearby cafe. Gotta have some money to pay the bills, you know? And what about you, do you do anything?
Unknown ID: Pink was a favorite color of… a person very close to me. They died in my arms. I guess it just… reminds me of them.
Unknown ID: Anyway, I don't wanna talk about it. For me, being Spider-Man is a full-time job. We have a duty to protect the multiverse, especially when it comes to taking care of anomalies.
You: I’m sorry for your loss. But yea, if you don’t wanna talk about it - I won't ask. Being a Spider-Man full-time is quite admirable. The only other person I know that does so, is Miguel
Unknown ID: No matter what we talk about, you always seem to find an excuse to mention that man. Do you really like him that much?
You put the watch away for a second and grab your pillow instead. You take a deep breath and scream into the soft cushion.
He’s right, you’re always thinking about Miguel O’Hara.
It’s not your fault that he’s so… dreamy. You know that under that gruff exterior hides a truly wonderful man, who gave everything, lost everything, to protect the multiverse. His devotion to the cause is just so… sexy.
You giggle into the pillow.
God, you wish he would just notice you.
You yawn and decide to call it a night.
The darkness falls across your room as you turn off your nightlight and grab your watch to send your new friend one last message before you go.
You: I do ;D. Sorry bro, no matter how hard you try, my heart is already loyal to another. And I think I’m gonna go, have to get that beauty sleep before reporting to my favorite boss in the morning. Goodnight <3
Unknown ID: Goodnight
Unknown ID: <3
- - -
After that interaction, you and the mysterious strangers really hit it off. Nowadays you text daily, bordering on 24/7.
It sometimes affects your performance during the missions, but so far Miguel didn’t have any complaints.
You take it as a blessing to continue texting your pen pal.
The two of you got closer in the following weeks… well, as close as you can, without knowing the other person’s name or appearance. You found that you don’t really mind not knowing the man’s face: it wasn’t an often subject of discussion.
The biggest change that came from this whole thing, is that the closer you got to the mysterious man, the less attention you paid to Miguel.
At first, you felt bad about such a development but figured out that if your boss hasn't noticed him yet - it’s his loss.
You don’t need a romantic relationship, the friendship you developed with the mysterious stranger is more than enough.
He never runs out of topics and there is always something the two of you can learn about each other.
Turns out your new friend is quite the character.
He has an ‘annoying but caring’ best friend that always gets into his business a little too much and teases him every time she gets.
His other friend is very overbearing, making sure to always shove a phone in his face and show him all the pictures of his dog.
(Which makes him very sad, cause he always wanted a ‘dog’.)
He apparently isn't very liked among other Spider-People, a statement that you blatantly laughed at when you first heard.
How could someone not like this guy? From the way that he wrote he seemed like an amazing person.
The two of you often talk long into the night, not minding the feeling of fatigue you'll inevitably get in the morning.
It's one of those mornings when instead of your alarm, you wake up to the sound of your watch ringing and vibrating so intensely, it falls off your drawer. You quickly lean over and catch it-
Falling out of your bed in the process.
“Owie…” You massage the lump slowly forming on your head and pick up the incoming transmission. “Ugh, yes?”
“You always come early. Based on your appearance I’m gonna assume you forgot about our scheduled meeting that is… five minutes from now. Or maybe you didn’t and I’m just being harsh.” Your eyes widen as a holograph of Miguel appears in your bedroom.
“I- I totally didn’t forget! I just-” You grab the blanket and cover your body, not wanting Miguel to see you in such a state of undress. “Give me a minute- a second! I’ll be there!” You grab your things and rush to the bathroom.
You take the fastest shower in your life and exit the room already dressed in your suit.
When you go grab your watch, you see that Miguel has already disconnected. You quickly put it on and enter the coordinates of Miguel’s office, not the hall in front of it as you usually do.
You’re already late.
In your rush, you don’t notice how the coordinates you put in are just a little off, which results in you appearing at the edge of Miguel’s hovering platform.
You would tumble off it if it wasn’t for a strong hand that grabbed you by the collar.
“Calm down, you’re still a minute early. There’s no rush.” Miguel pulls you up to your feet and you try to look anywhere but at the man in embarrassment.
“I’m so sorry, I stayed up late texting a friend, it won’t happen again, I…” You slowly trail off as one of the monitors you laid your eyes upon displays a very familiar interaction. “Is that… wait.” Miguel's eyes widen and he tries to turn off the screen, but this time you’re faster. You quickly type out a heart to your pen pal, and just as you thought, it appears on the orange monitor.
The screen becomes black almost immediately after it goes through and you move your eyes to Miguel’s hand, pressing hard on the ‘off’ button.
“Em, I think we should talk about it.” You start, cautiously. You are surprised at the calmness of your voice - internally you’re screaming.
Miguel O’Hara was the one texting you all this time.
And you gushed to him all about your crush???
Wait, is that why your pen pal wanted you to confess to Miguel-
“There’s nothing to talk about, I’ll cease texting you immediately. That was very inappropriate.” The man turns around so that you’re facing his broad back. “I’m sorry.”
“Wait, we’re jumping to conclusions here.” You say, gently placing a hand on his arm, getting him to turn back around. Your heart aches at his pained expression. “I’m… not mad. Just a little- well, actually very curious. Why did you hide your identity for so long?”
“I told you, I was-” He chuckles, running a hand down his face. “I was scared. I’ve seen universes collapse, fought countless villains…. but the thought of talking to you, confessing to you, made me always freeze in my tracks. And that’s without even mentioning the fact that I thought my feelings are an anomaly…It obviously changed when you, cough cough, when you said you liked me too. But I knew you only told me that because you thought I was someone else, and that the ‘real’ Miguel would have never noticed on his own. I just… kept up with the act, continued talking to you… fell in love a little more every day.” He looks you in the eyes for a second before averting your gaze yet again. “And I know it was weird and creepy, but I don’t regret a second of it.”
Your mouth just hangs open as you’re unable to wrap your head around what the man just said. It takes you a few seconds to gather your thoughts before your brain decides on the most appropriate response.
“Miguel, let me say that again. I’m not mad, I was just curious. And now that you've explained yourself…” You reach out to grab his hand with yours. “I don’t think we should stop talking. On the contrary, I want to talk to you more. Just not anonymously this time, okay?”
The man looks at you in disbelief, as if he never in a million years imagined such an outcome. He looks down at your conjoined hands and carefully laces his fingers with yours as a small smile appears on his face.
“I… I would like that.” He finally says and you beam at him, grinning from ear to ear.
“How about we start at the beginning, hmm? Would you like to go out with me, Miguel?”
Instead of answering, the man goes to type in something on his watch. You feel your own device vibrating not a moment later.
You look down and can’t help but laugh at the single word now displayed on your watch’s screen.
Miguel O’Hara: Yes <3