Work Text:
Peter dropped into a crouch, fiddling with the mask in his hands as he prepared himself for the long night to come. The New York air smelt of ash and smoke, the thick smog blotting out the stars. The wind carried the boisterous, drunken laughter of nearby bars and nightclubs, only broken up by the furious honks and shouts of New York taxi drivers. He found himself at peace, taking in the sights and sounds of the cool Friday night. He was just about to take his hoodie off to reveal his suit underneath when he heard someone drop down behind him. He flinched, whirling around and tucking his mask into his pocket. He couldn’t afford an identity slip, now could he?
“Whoa there, kid.” A man, silhouetted by the dim lighting of the rooftop, raised his hands in mock surrender, as if he were afraid he’d startle Peter into leaping off the edge. “Didn’t mean to scare you.”
Peter stood, squinting into the dark, fidgeting with the mask in his pocket nervously. He noted that there was no sharp prick in the back of his neck at mystery man’s arrival, so he decided to label him as friendly. He took a step forward, attempting to get a better look at his face. However, what he wasn’t expecting to be met with was the blood red eyes of a mask and the sharpened horns of the devil. Peter startled, almost losing his footing as he grappled with the fact that Daredevil was addressing him .
Peter suddenly became extremely aware of the spandex sitting just beneath his hoodie and sweatpants. Play it cool, Parker, play it cool .
“Er, no worries, sir.” Peter reassured, a little confused. “Just thought I was alone.”
“Hm,” the man nodded, resting his hand awkwardly on his batons. “Maybe we should step away from the ledge though, yeah?”
Peter gave him another confused look, glancing down briefly at the drop before saying, “Don’t worry, I have surprisingly good balance. I won’t fall.”
“I don’t doubt it, but maybe we just…” Daredevil motioned for him to come away from the edge, verging on panicked. Strange, he didn’t take him as the kind of person to panic.
Peter just shrugged, taking a few steps away from the edge. The vigilante seemed to visibly relax at this and quickly filled the vacant space Peter left behind with his own body, putting himself between Peter and the ledge. Weird.
“Are you okay?” Daredevil asked, his tone edging on concerned.
“Uh, yeah?” Peter answered, still perplexed as to why he wanted him away from the edge so bady. It wasn’t like he was going to–
Oh.
Oh .
“You thought I was gonna–Daredevil, sir, you’ve got it all wrong–I would never –”
“Then can I ask why you were getting so comfy cozy with that dear ledge?” He asked, raising an accusatory brow.
“Well–I was just…pondering.”
“Pondering?”
“Yes. You don’t ponder?”
“I’m not going to dignify that with an answer.” The vigilante stated, though there was a hint of a lopsided smirk playing at his lips. “Plus, I can assure you, that was a lie.”
“I swear to you, I was pondering–”
“What were you really doing, kid?” Something about the way the question was phrased made Peter pause, he could hear the exhaustion in his voice. He had a feeling the vigilante has done this more times than he could count on two hands. Peter could relate.
“I wasn’t going to jump, if that’s what you’re thinking.”
He was . Peter was going to jump. But he was going to jump safely , with webs , yet he had no way of proving it. It wasn’t like he could just up and tell him he was Spider-Man, that’d quite literally go against every rule he’d set for himself once he took up the mantle. He just had to hope he could worm himself out of this with his boyish charm.
“That was a lie.”
Silence hung between them. On Daredevil’s side, his thought process was probably going a little like: “Shit, I gotta talk this kid out of it and now I’ve gotta figure out what to say.” But on Peter’s side it was more of a: “Shit, how the hell do I explain this in the least incriminating way possible that I was going to jump safely and not make this look any worse than it already does?”
“Safely.”
“Huh?”
“I was going to jump safely. Like, uh, bungee jumping…”
Swinging from webs was like bungee jumping, right? Actually, don’t answer that. Obliviousness is key. If he believes that it is then it is.
“Bungee jumping?” Daredevil looked unconvinced, however he didn’t look nearly as solemn as he had before. This was good, Peter was winning.
“Yes. I’m a huge bungee jumper. I’m, like, all over the news.”
Oh God he was overdoing it now. That was just a straight up lie. Wait, no it wasn’t. He was all over the news, just not for professional bungee jumping. He was a genius .
Daredevil paused, tilting his head as he considered Peter’s answer. As he came too, he looked even more complex than before.
“You’re a professional bungee jumper?” He asked lamely, still not completely buying it.
“Not a professional, but getting there,” he said casually, looking at his nails in mock boredom. “Y’know, been training for a few years now, practice everyday–except Fridays–and my Aunt could even vouch for me. And my boss.”
Please someone tell him to shut up.
“Right…” The vigilante tilted his head again, it was starting to give Peter the creeps. However, his half-truths seemed to be working. He was so good at improv. MJ and Ned could suck it. He was a damn good liar.
“So, can I get back to pondering and bungee jumping or…?” Peter questioned, desperate to end this interrogation and get to crime fighting.
“I guess, but seriously kid, if you need anyone to talk to, I’ll be in the neighborhood. Just give me a holler.” Daredevil said earnestly, taking a few steps back towards the ledge.
“Don’t worry, I’ll just mug a guy if I need you. I need the cash anyway.”
“That’ll work.” He snorted before diving off the edge, grappling away. Peter watched quietly until the man was long gone, and hopefully far enough not to hear his relieved exhale. He hadn’t even realized he’d been holding his breath until that very moment.
That was way too close for comfort, and Peter is never coming anywhere near this roof top again.
He dragged a hand through his hair, his fingernails catching a few stray strands before he slipped his mask on, taking in the scent of spandex and sweat before webbing his clothes to the closest generator and leaping off the building to finally get to work.