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Out of all the possible outcomes being bitten by a radioactive spider might have, Jeongguk feels like he got pretty lucky with the outcome he got. Shooting webs out of his wrists, enhanced senses, super agility and super strength were never things that Jeongguk aimed to have, but now that they’re here, he’s welcoming them. With open arms.
He’s never been heroic or the type to bring lots of attention to himself, but if there is something very clear in his mind it’s that with great power comes great responsibility. And he also knows that, if he has the capacity to help those that are in trouble, he’s going to do just that. There’s too much evil in this world for him to turn a blind eye and pretend not to see it when he’s needed. He even designed and fabricated himself his own costume so he can be both comfortable and go incognito, that’s how committed he is to this cause.
It’s a late Friday evening and he’s slinging around the buildings of one of the most deserted areas of Seoul, so different from the usual stamp of the city—no skyscrapers, no bright lights, mostly empty streets. He has always found it cathartic to take walks alone at night, but it’s admittedly better like this, when he can crawl up the buildings and sling from one to the other. It’s also a workout, if you ask him. Much better than anything he ever got done at the gym that one time he actually went.
He also does this to watch. Crime happens at all times of the day, but it’s obvious that there’s more of it during the night. He usually goes out at this time of the night, and more often than not, he finds some sort of… situation.
Today is not any different. It’s not too late when he sees a middle-aged woman walking alone, dressed in work uniform, probably for one of those 50s style diners. Not too far behind her walks a guy, a couple of years younger than Jeongguk. He can’t say he’s surprised when he sees him start rushing towards her, a pocket knife in hand.
Jeongguk doesn’t quite catch the thief’s exact words, but as he slings down towards the pair he sees him growl something about the woman’s bag, followed by a scream from her. A neighbor opens the window and looks then, phone in her hand, but Jeongguk knows that there is no way the police will arrive on time.
And so, he intervenes. With one swift motion, he kicks the knife out of the guy’s hand, who looks at him with startled and wide eyes.
“Who the fuck—?”
Jeongguk doesn’t reply to him. The guy is now disarmed, so he shoots spider webs out of his wrists to pin the guy’s limbs to the wall behind him. The guy is young and doesn’t look particularly strong, but Jeongguk knows that the web is strong—strong enough to not break as he slings between buildings, carrying his whole weight.
“What the fuck?” the guy cries out, confusion and fear clear in his voice. “Let me down right now. This is not cool, man.”
“Robbing someone in a dark alley isn’t too cool of you, either,” Jeongguk replies. He watches the guy’s mouth open as he was about to say something, but his lips close without a word being uttered. He turns to look at the lady, and asks, “Are you okay? Did he hurt you?”
“I’m fine, I’m fine,” the woman replies, holding on tight to the strap of her bag. She looks just as perplexed as the guy is. Jeongguk hasn’t been doing this for too long, a couple of weeks tops, so he doesn’t expect to be recognized. Still, he detects in her voice sincere and honest gratefulness which makes him happy. “Thank you so much for… well, for doing that.”
“My pleasure,” Jeongguk replies. He smiles, even if he knows the woman can’t see him through his mask. “Police are on their way. Get home safely.”
He doesn’t wait for a reply before he leaves, crawling up a building and disappearing as he jumps from one roof to another. It was easy, but he knows it’s worth it. It always is.
Jeongguk has never thought of himself as a hero, but he guesses that he sort of is one now. A superhero.
It’s during the party for the 25th anniversary of the Seoul Herald that Jeongguk has his first ever proper conversation with Kim Taehyung, just the two of them. Alone.
Jeongguk has known Taehyung for as long as he's started working for the newspaper, not too long after he graduated. Taehyung is the only person in the entire staff who is his age, hence the only one who receives the same stupidly low salaries and poor treatment from their boss. Jeongguk always takes the time to find and read his stories, even if they're small and get a little lost amongst dozens of other articles, both on the website and the physical newspaper.
He's a brilliant journalist, Jeongguk thinks. Maybe he's a little biased, but his pieces are always eye-catching without falling into sensationalism.
Jeongguk might have a little bit of a crush on him. It's not his fault that Taehyung walks into the office sporting the brightest smile in the world, with the bubbliest laughter and also the skinniest jeans that cling to his long legs. Jeongguk can't help but feel like his heart is on fire every time he sees Taehyung appear in the morning, a paper cup in his hand—full of a sugary drink, not coffee—and chatting happily with whoever it was that he ran into during the elevator ride.
Jeongguk blames his tendency to get to places earlier than he's meant to, alongside Taehyung's habit of arriving late.
They've talked before. Taehyung introduced himself to him with a warm smile and an I hope we can be good friends when Jeongguk joined the staff. After that, they had been in the same conversations and had greeted each other, exchanged small talk questions. Mere co-worker etiquette.
Today, Taehyung walks into the room with candy-colored hair and a happy bounce to his steps. He is as talkative as always and groups with Soojin and Bora, a couple of middle-aged women that work for the newspaper.
Jeongguk's strategy to start talking to Taehyung is not the most original, nor the most skilled one. If he was being realistic with himself, he'd even say it's kind of... poor.
“A picture for the newspaper?" Jeongguk asks, gesturing to Taehyung with his camera once he approaches.
Taehyung is alone now, after his companions left to get a refill. Still, he doesn't seem too bothered by Jeongguk suddenly approaching him or the random question he asks. At least, that's not what Jeongguk gets from his smile.
“For the newspaper?” Taehyung inquires, arching an eyebrow.
“The boss asked me to take pictures at today's party, since there's going to be a small segment on the 25th anniversary tomorrow,” Jeongguk explains. He doesn't stutter and his voice doesn't tremble, which is huge considering it's the first time he’s uttered so many words in Taehyung's presence. “So, if you want to...”
“I do want to!” Taehyung replies, turning around to leave his plastic cup on the table. “How do I pose?”
“However you like, really,” Jeongguk replies.
You're going to look insanely beautiful no matter what, so, Jeongguk thinks to himself.
He doesn't think too much about the fact that not only is he talking to Taehyung, but also taking pictures of him on his camera. Taehyung smiles to the camera, winks, throws a peace sign and sticks his tongue out, and Taehyung can't stop snapping one picture after the other. He has more than enough for the newspaper, so at this point it's safe to assume he's just doing it because he's whipped.
“Do we not get a picture, too?” someone asks from Jeongguk's back.
When he looks behind himself he finds Bora, with her hands on her hips and looking at him teasingly, and Soojin, who holds onto her cup with a smile. Jeongguk feels like they know why Jeongguk is taking so many pictures of Taehyung, and he doesn't like that.
“Of course,” Jeongguk replies. “They're for an article for tomorrow's issue.”
If the two women know more than they let on, they say nothing about it. Each one of them gets to one side of Taehyung, who slides his arms around their shoulders. Jeongguk takes the picture, capturing three smiley faces.
Jeongguk knows as he thanks the three of them and moves on to the next group of people that he'll hand in this picture to his boss, along with the ones he takes of his other co-workers. The others, the ones where Taehyung is being his cute, goofy self—he'll keep those for himself.
After the party, Jeongguk is already leaving office when he hears it.
“Leave me the fuck alone.”
It’s not close. After the bite, his senses are so heightened that when the streets are quiet and calm, he’s able to hear what happens on a bigger scale. It helps that whenever it’s late and he goes out alone, he tries his best to listen in case someone needs him to intervene.
He would recognize that voice anywhere. The deepness of it, but also how warm it sounds. Now it lacks the friendly, happy tone that Jeongguk is used to—right now, he sounds hostile, and most of all, angry. Taehyung sounds angry.
Like many other times, he doesn’t even think about it. He starts moving out of instinct, walking towards where he knows the voice comes from as he starts taking his t-shirt off, over his head. He’s gotten used to taking his suit with him everywhere now, just to be safe.
He leaves his backpack and clothes on a rooftop, planning on getting them back later, and then rapidly moves to where Taehyung is. It takes him less than a minute to find his way to a narrow alley, where he finds Taehyung and another man, alone.
The man is older than both of them, grey strands appearing in his hair. He’s grabbing one of Taehyung’s wrists, tugging at it, and Taehyung looks at him with an annoyed expression on his face. He looks like he’s running out of patience.
Jeongguk must say he’s seen Taehyung carry a lot of heavy equipment in the office. Regardless of the absence of big, bulging muscles, Taehyung is still fit and stronger than he appears. Judging by the way the other man is having difficulties to stand and how slurred his words are, Jeongguk deduces he’s quite drunk. Taehyung really would have no difficulties of getting rid of him in such a state.
“Come on, sweetheart,” the guy insists. “How much do you want? 20,000 won for a blowjob? It’s not too bad of a deal.”
Jeongguk’s eyebrows raise in surprise, now aware of what’s going on.
“I told you I won’t,” Taehyung replies. He tugs at his wrist, not too harshly. He’s being careful, something Jeongguk is grateful for—people can be unpredictable when drunk, and sometimes violent, too. “Let go of me.”
“How about—”
“He told you he didn’t want to, didn’t he?” Jeongguk says, speaking up then. Both Taehyung and the man look at him, then, their lips parting in surprise. “How about you leave now and you spare yourself?”
Taehyung doesn’t say anything, looking at Jeongguk perplexed. Luckily, he doesn’t see a hint of recognition in his eyes.
“This is between him and me,” the guy says, cheeks getting redder. At least now he’s let go of Taehyung’s wrist. “You leave now before I kick your ass.”
Jeongguk moves fast, hiding in the shadows watching the confusion both in Taehyung’s face and the man’s when he disappears right in front of them. The guy is still looking in the direction Jeongguk was in, with his back to Taehyung, so Jeongguk gets there. With one hand he gently pushes Taehyung back and slides between him and the man, Taehyung’s eyes widening as he wordlessly takes a couple of steps back. He looks too in shock to ask any questions, something Jeongguk is grateful for.
Almost in a mocking way, Jeongguk taps the guy’s shoulder. He was already expecting the clumsy, poorly-thrown punch aiming for his face, so he swiftly avoids it. Maybe it’s because Taehyung is watching and the part of him that has a massive crush on him wants to show off, but Jeongguk spends quite a bit of time attempting not to hit the stranger, just avoiding each one of his blows. Not that it takes him much.
“Are you done yet?” he asks, leaning to his left to avoid another one. The fact that the man is drunk is just making it easier.
“You little shit,” he grits, between pants. Jeongguk smirks under his mask. “When I’m done with you not even your momma is gonna—”
Jeongguk doesn’t let him finish. With one leg, he trips the man up at the same time he pushes him, making him fall on his back with a groan.
“Not even my momma is gonna what?” he asks, mocking. “I thought you were going to kick my ass. I was expecting a little more competition, honestly.”
The guy tries to sit up at the same time he growls something intelligible, but Jeongguk pushes him down with one foot on his shoulder. He’s not gentle—why should he be?—but he’s not rough enough for it to hurt.
“Don’t move,” he orders. The guy keeps struggling, so Jeongguk shoots spider webs to his ankles and wrists, watching how his expression turns a little more terrified and a little less angry. “Are you actively trying to be a pain in my ass?”
He turns around to look at Taehyung, then. Just like the man’s, his eyes are wide and he looks somewhat shocked, but he doesn’t look scared. Not at all. More so, there is some sort of fascination in his eyes that makes Jeongguk’s insides feel warm.
“Are you okay?” he asks.
Taehyung is about to reply, lips parting, but the man interrupts him with a loud, “Let me fucking go now, you freak!”
“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” mumbles Jeongguk, at the same time he points towards the man and shoots spider webs right at his mouth. The web acts as a gag and effectively shuts him up. “I wasn’t talking to you, creep. Have you never been taught to not interrupt other people’s conversations?”
His purposefully patronizing tone seems to anger him, but his screams are muffled by the improvised gag. Now that that is taken care of, he once again turns to look at Taehyung.
“So, as I was saying,” he starts. “Are you okay?”
Under normal circumstances, never in a million years would Jeongguk have spoken to Taehyung like that. He's more of a stuttering, babbling mess, on the rare occasions when he's not completely quiet.
“I’m fine,” Taehyung says, still a little shocked. “I mean, I had it under control, but—how did you do that?”
Jeongguk can't help but smile a little. He knows that Taehyung had it all under control, of course he did. But he couldn't just watch what was going on without doing anything. That's not who he is, and it's not who Spiderman is, either.
“I’m just skilled,” Jeongguk replies, vague. He’s not about to go into detail about how all of this happened.
“That is an understatement,” Taehyung replies. Then, looking at the man again, he says, “Are we just… going to leave him there?”
Jeongguk looks at him again. “As much as I’d like to leave him here and as much as he deserves it, I think I’ll just call the cops after you’re gone,” Jeongguk replies. Taehyung nods. “How much do you need to get home? Twenty minutes? Thirty?”
“Twenty-five,” Taehyung replies with a teasing smile. Jeongguk smiles at him again. “So... Are you Spiderman, then?”
Of course, Jeongguk hasn't reached what could be the peak popularity as a superhero. He's been keeping on the low, especially since most of the crimes he's been taking care of are not too big of a deal. But even if he doesn’t have a lot of attention from the general public, people at the newspaper have been talking about him. Especially after their contacts at the Seoul Metropolitan Police ran their mouths and talked about the mysterious new hero and their trail of spiderwebs.
“Is that what people have been calling me?” Jeongguk asks, humored. He has heard the whispers about Spiderman in the redaction, of course, but Taehyung can’t know that. “It’s a cool name.”
“We do at the redaction of the newspaper I work for,” Taehyung replies. Jeongguk smiles, fond. “Speaking of—can I ask you a few questions? For journalism.”
Jeongguk laughs. He didn’t see it coming, that Taehyung would ask for an interview at a time like this. Perhaps, if it was any other person asking for this, Jeongguk would have been offended. But since it’s Taehyung… Well, he finds the curiosity and the will to know and share information all kinds of fascinating and adorable.
“Maybe some other time,” he says. Taehyung is smart, and Jeongguk doesn’t want to risk being discovered. “Next time I see you, I promise I’ll give you one.”
Taehyung’s expression changes there, a small grin appearing on his face. Almost as if he was accepting the challenge.
“Do I have to put myself in danger for that again?” Taehyung asks.
Jeongguk chuckles once again but doesn’t say anything before he moves and starts crawling up the wall of a building and start moving, leaving Taehyung behind. Even if talking to him is all he’s wanted to do for months.
It’s only when he’s at the top that he hears Taehyung’s voice again. He wasn’t expecting to hear it, but he can’t deny it makes him feel some type of way.
“Thank you so much, Spiderman!” Taehyung exclaims.
When he looks from the edge of the building, Jeongguk sees Taehyung still looking up at him. He smiles, even if he knows Taehyung can’t see it.
God, he likes him. He likes him so much.
The next day at the redaction is a fucking mess.
For the first time since Jeongguk has been working there, Taehyung is already there when Jeongguk arrives. Jeongguk is confused when he sees the small crowd around Taehyung, director of the newspaper included, until he hears what Taehyung is talking about.
“…and then he kind of shot up spider webs out of his wrists? First to bind his wrists and legs and then to shut him up because he kept being a piece of shit,” Taehyung says. “He was just so… I don’t know. I want to see him again.”
“Even if that implies you being in danger?” Bora asks.
“If I’m in danger then he can just save me again,” Taehyung replies, jokingly. “There is just something so charming about him. He made me want to laugh, even if I was feeling tense about what had just happened.”
Jeongguk smiles a little when he hears that, walking towards his desk with a small grin dancing on his lips. He wants to make Taehyung laugh.
It’s not the first sighting of Spiderman that the redaction knows about, but it is the first one that they can be sure happened. No one questions the veracity of Taehyung’s story, and his testimony just unveils the madness that comes with sensationalism. From that moment, everyone in the redaction has the task to find out as much as they can from Spiderman. Be it from the police, people he has helped, witnesses… And, of course, pictures. They want pictures.
Far from seeing it as something that will put him in a compromise, Jeongguk sees this as an advantage. He knows he’ll have all of his co-workers on the hunt for some news about him, but he highly doubts that will jeopardize his double-life—he’s being careful. And the director wants pictures lots of pictures of Spiderman. Jeongguk knows how to get said pictures. Jeongguk knows how to get good ones.
All in all, this is a good chance for him to become his own personal photographer and get some good money that he’s in the need of. He’s still the worst-paid member of staff, so this is exactly what he needs for his boss to value his hard work as he deserves.
And so, Jeongguk makes up his mind. He’s going to do it, and he’s going to share the best pictures with his boss. He just thanks God for the existence of self-timer.
Needless to say, Jeongguk’s pictures of Spiderman are very much welcome by his boss. In comparison to the low-quality pictures that everyone else got with their phones, blurry, they are gold.
Taehyung writes a small, modest article about his encounter with Spiderman, talking about himself in third person. The article is accompanied by one of Jeongguk’s pictures and placed in one of the inner pages of the paper, but Jeongguk can’t help but feel incredibly proud once he sees the printed issue. He hopes this is the start of a new era for him—an era where his job starts being appreciated.
Things notoriously change both for him and Taehyung after that article—despite the modest placement of it and the fact that Jeongguk hadn’t gotten a whole lot of attention until then, the news of a mysterious hero whose identity is unknown even to the police is juicy, and doesn’t fail to catch the public’s eye. That, plus the fact that Spiderman lets himself be seen more and more.
Consequently, Taehyung and Jeongguk gain points in their boss’ eyes. They’re given more news to cover, and both their pictures and articles start being featured and placed in better places of the newspaper. They also start being paired a lot more, which makes Jeongguk happy, but also leaves him stuttering a lot more than usual.
During that time, Jeongguk discovers some things that he and Taehyung have in common, things he didn’t know before. One of them, the one that excites Jeongguk the most, is penguins.
“Did you know that there is a species of penguin that is around fourteen inches big?” Jeongguk asks him one day. He knows lots of penguin facts, and now he finally has someone to share his wisdom with.
“Really?” Taehyung asks, expression brightening. “Fourteen inches?”
“Yes!” Jeongguk replies, his own mouth splitting into a smile. “The little blue penguin. They live in New Zealand and the south of Australia. They’re often called fairy penguins because of their tiny size.”
Taehyung squeals in delight, taking his phone out of his pocket and quickly typing little blue penguins in the Google search bar. For the next fifteen minutes, Taehyung and Jeongguk coo at pictures of penguins while the rest of their co-workers look at them weirdly.
Today, Jeongguk and Taehyung are covering the Queer Pride Festival in Seoul. Not because they were sent, per se, but when the director asked for volunteers only the two of them raised their hands. From hearing Taehyung talk about personal topics in the redaction, Jeongguk already knew he was gay. Taehyung was the one who was just as surprised as he was delighted when Jeongguk said he was into guys.
“It’s good to have someone else from from the community working in the same place,” Taehyung says as they get there. The closer they get to the parade, the louder the music and the echoes of voices get.
Both of them can’t help but smile a little as they work that day. Taehyung asks some questions to some of the people celebrating, and Jeongguk makes sure to take pictures of literally everything. It’s a bright and sunny day, and with all the colors from the parade the pictures come out looking gorgeous. They both know they have more than enough for the article, both in terms of material to write and pictures, but neither of them seem like they want to leave just yet.
“Do you have plans for now or can we stay a little longer?” Taehyung asks at some point. There’s a hopeful look in his eyes, and really, even if Jeongguk was the busiest person on Earth—hint: he’s not—he couldn’t bring himself to say no. Not when Taehyung is looking at him like that.
“I’m free,” Jeongguk replies, giving Taehyung a half-smile. Taehyung grins back at him, which makes Jeongguk shyer. “I think I’d like some sunset pictures, too.”
“As long as you send them to me,” Taehyung replies, winking at him.
Jeongguk looks away, flustered. And just like that, they get ready to enjoy the rest of the day—the parade, the environment around them, the music and each other’s company. Jeongguk couldn’t ask for anything else.
And his day is going perfectly, for real. That is, until one of the massive floating balloons starts deflating.
The balloon is just a big, black floatie with a rainbow flag and the word PRIDE on it. The moment people notice that it’s falling as it deflates, panic ensues. Everyone starts screaming and running, pushing each other to run away from it as it gets closer to the ground—closer to them.
Jeongguk doesn’t give himself a moment to watch, and right away starts running to where the balloon is falling, as there are a few people on the floor who will certainly get trapped. By his side, he sees Taehyung do the same.
Everything turns into a chaos. Like a domino effect, the balloon causes the parade to stop, as well as the floats. People just start running everywhere, falling, screaming. It’s madness, all of it.
The decision makes itself, and Jeongguk hides in an alley to get changed. It can’t take him longer than thirty seconds, but by the time he’s back there’s no trace of Taehyung. Jeongguk feels a lump in his throat.
He doesn’t let that stop him. Luckily enough there are more people helping, so by the time the balloon falls there’s no one in danger. But a lot more is happening—several floats have crashed into each other, and one of them is falling to pieces, the heavy decoration of it falling to the floor. The area is being cleared now and it doesn’t look like anyone is in danger of anything falling on them. It’s then that Jeongguk sees Taehyung.
Taehyung is on the float. To be more precise, he’s on the stage of it, holding on tight to the hand of a woman. It doesn’t take much for him to put two and two together and figure out the woman got stuck when the floatie started falling, and Taehyung climbed up to help her. How he got there, Jeongguk doesn’t know, but it’s more than obvious that now they can’t get out. And Jeongguk knows that the float won’t stay upright for much longer. It’s not a deathly fall, but it’s enough to get both of them hurt, and if that’s something Jeongguk can avoid, then he will do just that.
He needs to think, and he needs to think quick. Getting on the stage with them will just rush the fall of how little is left of the stage, which is barely standing the weight of Taehyung and the woman now. He sees it move dangerously every time they shift, so that’s already discarded. His eyes go to the building nearby.
Slinging from the building at one side of the street to the other, Jeongguk can get to the stage and catch one of them, leaving them safe on the sidewalk before going for the other. And so, he does just that.
There’s surprise on both their faces when they see Jeongguk approach, but Taehyung sees what he’s doing and understands his intention. He lets go of the woman’s hand, stepping back so Jeongguk can catch her.
“Oh my God!” she screams, holding on tight to Jeongguk.
He’s quick to get her onto her feet, legs still a little shaky. “Are you okay?” he asks.
The woman nods. From the corner of his eye, Jeongguk sees a firefighter approach He takes that as his queue to leave, knowing someone else can take care from now on.
When he looks at the float again, the knot in his throat tightens. The sudden loss of weight is making the stage even more unstable, and Taehyung is holding on tightly to the bar behind him as he watches a metal piece fall right in front of his feet. Jeongguk knows he has no time left.
He repeats his actions, but this time around Taehyung is already waiting for him, ready for Jeongguk to pick him up. The moment Jeongguk feels Taehyung’s weight on him he sighs in relief, especially considering that the small space of metal Taehyung was standing on falls right after, crashing against the floor.
A quick look over his shoulder confirms that the police and the firefighters have the situation under control now. The area is clear from Pride goers now, and there are ambulances surrounding the area.
“Holy shit,” Taehyung says, looking at the floor under them. Jeongguk can’t help but blush when he feels Taehyung hold on to him tighter. “Fuck, fuck, don’t drop me.”
“I won’t,” Jeongguk says. “Just hold on tight, okay? I won’t drop you.”
Taehyung does, and Jeongguk can’t help but smile at the feeling. He’s trying to find a quiet area so he can leave Taehyung and they can part ways, but maybe he’s going… further than he needs to. It’s definite overkill but he just likes to have Taehyung so close.
He finally finds a park and gets both himself and Taehyung back on their feet. Taehyung lets go of him, and Jeongguk is glad he has a mask that hides the disappointment on his face.
“Thank you so, so much for that,” Taehyung says before Jeongguk can open his mouth. “It really… I wasn’t being serious when I said I should put myself in danger for that interview, but…”
Jeongguk laughs a little. “It’s fine. I guess I’ll have to save you every time,” he replies. Taehyung smiles. “About that interview…”
“You don’t want to, do you?” Taehyung asks. “You just said it because you didn’t think we’d run into each other again.”
Jeongguk swallows down. After Taehyung and he got closer, he knows it won’t take much for him to discover it’s him. He’s trying to alter his voice as much as he can without sounding ridiculous, but…
“I just don’t want to risk this,” Jeongguk says. “If people find out who I am, this will just make it more difficult. And I don’t want it to seem like I’m doing it for attention by the press, to become famous. It’s not really about that.”
“I understand,” Taehyung says, nodding. “At this point… Well, at this point I think it’s safe to assume we’ll see each other again. I seem to be like a magnet for danger.”
“We’ll see each other again,” Jeongguk says. “I’ll see you, yeah?”
After that, Jeongguk leaves and gets back to the alley so he can change back into his clothes and go home. When he gets there, he sees Taehyung has texted him.
you okay??? i lost you
you won’t believe this……. spiderman saved me!!!
i think i have a crush
The next time Jeongguk has a day out with Taehyung, it’s filled about chat about Jeongguk himself. Except Taehyung doesn’t know that per se, because he keeps talking about Spiderman.
“You should have seen them, Jeongguk,” Taehyung says, dreamy. “He really is… he really was out there helping everyone. And he helped me again. I know at this point it just seems like I’m making this up, but I promise it was true.”
“No, no, don’t worry,” Jeongguk rushes to reply. “I believe you.”
“I’m glad you do,” Taehyung says, looking down at his hands. “Is it silly if I say I want to see him again?”
Jeongguk looks at him, head tilted. “Why would it be silly?” he asks.
“Because I don’t really know him, like at all,” Taehyung says. “He doesn’t know who I am and all I know about him is that he goes around with a mask on saving people. But I still feel like… I don’t know. I think I really do have a crush.”
“Really?” Jeongguk asks. “Maybe like the kind of crush you have on a celebrity?”
“Yeah, maybe,” Taehyung says. He then looks at Jeongguk and gives him a wide, sincere smile. “I’m happy you don’t think it’s stupid.”
“You’re far from stupid, Tae,” Jeongguk assures. “Never say that about yourself.”
Taehyung smiles at him again, and Jeongguk’s heart feels a little tighter.
Taehyung wasn’t really joking when he said he had a magnet for trouble.
It’s been a couple of weeks since the incident during Pride happened. Summer is at its warmest and the days are long, but that doesn’t stop the rain from falling heavily sometimes. Summer storms are somehow cathartic for Jeongguk, especially during the night.
It’s a Saturday, and thanks to the police radio that he—illegally—has gained access to, he finds out that there is a big fight in a club, not too far away from his place. Ever since he got access to the radio, Jeongguk has been able to take care of a lot more incidents—being able to find out about them without having to go out and look for them just makes his task easier.
From what he hears through the radio, the fight seems big. Around eight people involved, so Jeongguk decides to change into his suit and take care of it. From what he could make out of the message, things were getting violent with one of the groups physically threatening the other, so he hopes he can get there before someone gets hurt.
He gets to the club soon enough. Just like he heard through the radio, there are around five guys cornering the other three against a wall, and a big crowd of people surrounding them. And like he expected, he got there before the police—a fight near a club on a Saturday night is not the biggest of their priorities.
But what does shock Jeongguk is that, amongst the guys cornered against a wall and shouting very loud to the guy opposite of him, is Taehyung. He looks like he did that one day at the alley with the drunk guy, but amplified by a million. And most importantly, he doesn’t look scary, even if the guy looks like he could crush him—and Jeongguk, to be honest—without breaking a sweat.
“—you fucking homophobic piece of shit,” is what Jeongguk heard Taehyung scream as he points a long, angry finger to the guy.
Next to Taehyung are two guys. They’re both tall—one of them, the tallest of the two, has a hand on Taehyung’s shoulder and is trying to calm him down. The other one, shorter, seems to be just as angry as Taehyung, as he takes one step closer to them after one of them hisses a slur.
“You wanna fucking try me?” he snarls, giving the guy a look from head to toe.
Jeongguk takes that as his cue to intervene. He’s not about to let Taehyung and his two friends, whoever the fuck they are, get ripped to pieces by five homophobic twats.
The men laugh condescendingly, which makes Jeongguk’s blood boil.
“You?” one of them asks. “You, little fucking—”
“Don’t even think about saying it,” Jeongguk says then, letting his presence be known at last. Everyone, crowd included, turns to look at him. He hears some it’s him! as well as some Spiderman, but the only thing he can focus on is the way Taehyung looks up at him in wonder. “I’m going to give you ten seconds to get the fuck out of here before I make you regret stepping a foot outside your house tonight.”
He now he has a reputation that precedes him. Despite not being the biggest-framed guy out there, people know that he’s strong and knows how to fight. But these men seem to either not know, or not care.
“The human spider, huh?” the one Taehyung was arguing with says, almost mocking. “Let’s see what you can do.”
Jeongguk doesn’t believe that these fights he gets in should be fair for the criminals he takes care of. After all, they were breaking the law and his one mission is to stop them—why would he not use the special abilities he has? That’s just silly.
And so, he doesn’t hesitate to shoot spiderwebs to one of the guys’ feet, getting him stuck to the floor and making him yell in protest. Four against one is easier to handle than five.
He gets down there, more and more people crowding around them in a circle despite the heavy rain. The moment his feet touch the floor the four of them already come for him, throwing punches that Jeongguk avoids swiftly. He crawls down and pulls one of the guys legs, making him fall down and yelp in surprise. Before anyone can use his position against him, he quickly gets back to his feet and takes a few steps back.
“Come here, you little shit,” one of them hisses as he throws himself at him.
“Is that all you got?” Jeongguk teases, ducking down to avoid his punch. He then holds the guys’ arm behind his back, pushing him to the floor roughly as he screams in pain. One of the biggest advantages of super strength is that no one expects him to be as strong, because even if he has muscles he’s not… crazy buff. It definitely plays in his favor as rivals often underestimate him.
The first guy he threw down is already back on his feet, so this time around Jeongguk makes sure to create a belt of spider webs around this dude’s waist to keep him down. At least, for a few minutes.
As many Korean kids, when he was younger, Jeongguk’s parents sent him to taekwondo classes. He was very good and continued practicing it throughout his teenage years, so he remembers more than a few things. He uses that knowledge to his advantage and throws a high kick to one of the guys, hitting him in the neck and throwing him to the floor. Just like with the previous guy, he makes sure to use his spider web to secure him to the floor.
“Spiderman, watch out!” calls a voice Jeongguk doesn’t recognize.
It’s only then that Jeongguk notices the two remaining guys are coming at him, one from each side of him. Quickly, Jeongguk shoots spider webs to the wall of the club and lifts himself up, leaving both guys confused as they look around themselves, looking for Jeongguk.
Jeongguk uses that moment to slide from the building then, feet before his body, and kick one of the guys. He goes down fast enough to make sure that the guy he kicks falls to the ground and takes the other one with him, as they were both standing next to each other.
Well, that was easier than even him was anticipating.
“That’s what you get for getting intolerant assholes,” he comments, shooting spiderwebs to keep the last two men still. “Five on three? Really? And you’re the supposed brave, real men? Kinda pathetic, if you ask me.”
He hears giggles around himself, some coming from the people crowding around them and watching the fight, but the one that catches his attention is Taehyung’s. He turns around to look at him, still standing right where he was with his two friends.
“Hey, Spiderman—” Taehyung starts, but Jeongguk doesn’t let him finish.
He takes a step closer and wraps one arm around Taehyung’s waist, pressing them close together. Before Taehyung can react, Jeongguk is lifting both of them up to the rooftop of the club with one of his spider webs, making Taehyung yelp in surprise.
“Where are we going?” Taehyung asks, but he doesn’t sound mad or scared. Jeongguk likes that.
“Just for a walk,” Jeongguk replies. “I told you we’d see each other again.”
“I swear I totally didn’t plan this,” Taehyung replies. Jeongguk smiles, even if Taehyung can’t see him. “But… I’m happy we saw each other again.”
Jeongguk doesn’t reply after that, just lets himself rejoice in the feeling of Taehyung holding on and clinging to him. He knows that Taehyung knows his way around Seoul perfectly, but he’s sure that he hasn’t seen it like Jeongguk has—from the heights, slinging from one building to another. And he must be right, judging by the way Taehyung’s face lights up.
He gets closer to the area that he found Taehyung and the drunk man in that one night, and only then does he let Taehyung back on his feet. Taehyung looks at him with a sheepish smile on his face, arms still curled around Jeongguk’s shoulders even if they’re both standing again. Needless to say, Jeongguk’s heart starts racing.
“You really keep saving me,” Taehyung says, looking at him. Well… looking at his mask.
“I do what I have to do.”
“You sure do,” Taehyung says, laughing. “Can I… can I ask you something?”
Please don’t ask who I am, please don’t ask who I am, Jeongguk thinks to himself.
“Sure thing,” Jeongguk replies, against his better judgement.
“So… you saved a shit ton of people back at the pride parade, and you stuck up for me and my friends against those guys today, so I’m pretty sure you’re not homophobic, but…” Taehyung starts. He bites on his lip before he carries on and asks, “Are you into guys?”
Jeongguk’s cheeks blush furiously under his mask, and he’s grateful he’s wearing it so Taehyung can’t see. Even if he tries to play it cool when he has his suit and mask on and is Spiderman, he’s still Jeongguk. And for that reason, as he’s panicking now, he does the first thing that crosses his mind—shoots up a spider web and disappears.
Luckily, Taehyung’s hold on his arms was loose enough now that instead of coming up with him, Taehyung’s arms fall from his shoulders.
“Hey!” Taehyung asks. Jeongguk hides on the rooftop of the building, embarrassed. “You can just tell me if you’re not, it’s an innocent question.”
Jeongguk swallows down, thickly. “I am, yeah,” Jeongguk replies, trying to hide the way his voice breaks down a little. “I’m into guys.”
“Can you come back down, please?” Taehyung asks then.
Jeongguk lowers himself back to where Taehyung is again. Except, instead of being on his feet, he’s hanging from one of his webs, upside down.
“Hey there,” he says. He’s behind Taehyung, who turns around startled when he hears him. Jeongguk stops lowering himself when he’s face to face level with him. “You okay?”
“I’m perfect,” Taehyung mutters. He clears his voice and then, in a stronger voice, he says, “I want to thank you for always saving me.”
“Thank me?” Jeongguk asks.
Taehyung nods. “Yeah. Can I?”
Jeongguk looks at Taehyung. He’s been looking at him since he first saw him at the club, shocked to see him there, but for the first time he properly looks. Taehyung, as always, looks gorgeous. His candy-floss hair looks a little darker because of the rain, drops falling from his lips and sticking to his lashes. He’s so, so beautiful it never fails to leave Jeongguk speechless.
“Yes,” Jeongguk says. “Yes, do it.”
Jeongguk tries not to flinch when he feels Taehyung’s hands on his neck, holding the border of his mask. It’d be so easy for Taehyung to just take it off, but something tells Jeongguk that he won’t, and he trusts that feeling and Taehyung blindly.
Taehyung starts pulling it off, but stops as soon as Jeongguk’s mouth is out, fabric still covering the rest of his face. Jeongguk’s insides feel like they’re on fire.
And then, slow and sweetly, Taehyung leans in. Both his and Jeongguk’s lips are wet when they touch, but it doesn’t take away from how warm Taehyung’s mouth feels against his. Taehyung kisses him slow and chaste, with their lips moving against each other in the purest of ways, yet it makes Jeongguk feel fucking dizzy.
The kiss tastes like rain, months of waiting and a bit like fruit, probably from the fruity vodka that Taehyung has said he likes to drink when he’s out. It leaves Jeongguk wanting more, and so he kisses back a little more vigorously, with a little more intent. He’s eager to let Taehyung know how much he likes him, even if he won’t dare say it out loud.
Taehyung kisses him with his big hands on his neck, and it makes goosebumps rise on Jeongguk’s skin. He’s feeling so, so intoxicated by Taehyung—his taste, his kiss, his touch.
Jeongguk feels it start to get out of hand so he decides to stop it then. Instead of pulling back normally he lifts himself up again, disappearing over the edge of the building. He holds his breath, hoping Taehyung won’t be offended, and just releases it when he hears Taehyung laugh.
Jeongguk brings his hand to his lips, feeling them tingle. That, Taehyung kissing him… this really changes everything. And by that, Jeongguk just means he’s even more head over heels for him than he was before.
The more well-known Jeongguk gets in Seoul, the messier things become. Now, it’s impossible for him to go out on a patrolling session—as he likes to call them—without anyone spotting him, and he has trouble sneaking around once he’s trying to get back to his apartment, or when he’s trying to change back into his normal clothes. More and more pictures of him circulate around the Internet these days, taken by people with quick hands from their phones.
Jeongguk can’t deny that all the attention is getting overwhelming, but he hopes the hype will die down eventually. He doesn’t want to stop doing what he does, as he knows he’s been of great help to many people. His only option is to hope that as time goes by people will slowly forget about him, once he’s not news anymore. He gets the curiosity around him—a masked hero saving people, and one with… well, particular skills. If it wasn’t him, Jeongguk would be intrigued, too.
The newspapers keep publishing article after article about him, both in their paper and on their digital formats. Jeongguk can’t help but smile deviously every time he sees himself in the Seoul Herald, the pictures he takes of himself often plastered on the cover. Who is the mysterious Spiderman? and other similar headlines often accompany it. Depending on the paper, some articles paint a better picture of him, and others straight up imply that there is some sort of dark intention behind Jeongguk’s intentions. As if he didn’t go around Seoul trying to help people.
Jeongguk isn’t too bothered by that. He doesn’t particularly care what people write about him, as he never really cared about what the press says about him in the first place. As someone who works in the business, he is more than aware of all the shit that gets spilled in papers. It makes him a mixture of mad and sad that some people, the general public, might be convinced by those articles or agree with them, but there’s nothing he can do. He’ll just keep proving them wrong.
Taehyung is a lot more offended by those comments than Jeongguk himself is. Jeongguk is sorting through his pictures of an art exhibition one morning when Taehyung gets to the office, an exemplar of The Seoul Journal from the day before in his hand. As soon as Jeongguk recognizes the logo on the cover he frowns, confused—The Seoul Journal is their rival paper so Taehyung walking into the redaction with it is, well… kind of shocking.
The second thing Jeongguk notices is what is actually on the cover. Big, colored and demanding attention, there is one of the pictures of Spiderman that has been circulating around the media these days, and on top of it, bold and in caps, a rather aggressive headline: Spiderman: hero or menace?
“How can they have the fucking nerve to say that?” Taehyung asks as soon as he enters the room, face crinkled in annoyance. “Why do people have the fucking tendency to turn everything good into something bad? All Spiderman has done is protect the people of this city, yet some fucking sensationalist journalists have the nerve to diss him like this just to sell some papers.”
By now it’s more than obvious to Jeongguk that Taehyung is, without a doubt, his biggest fan. He has written plenty of articles about him, all of them full of underlying praise and admiration. But that’s not all—Taehyung has always talked to him about the admiration he feels for the masked superhero, unaware that he was talking to him. And, well… he also kissed him.
Taehyung is moody that day as he stomps into the office, all frowns and lips pressed together through the entire morning. It’s during lunch break that Jeongguk finally musters up the courage to approach Taehyung, who is eating his food with a scowl still on his face.
“Hey, you,” Jeongguk says. Taehyung looks up at him, greeting him with a nod as he’s chewing on his food. “Can I sit here?”
“Oh—yes, of course!” Taehyung rushes to reply as he swallows down. “Yes, yes. How have you been? It’s been a few days since we last spoke.”
“Yeah, I know,” Jeongguk replies, flashing Taehyung a little smile. “I’ve been okay, thank you. You?”
Jeongguk hates small talk, but there is nothing he won’t do for Taehyung.
“I’m fine, too,” Taehyung says, with a sigh. “Have you seen what the assholes at the Journal are saying about Spiderman?”
“I haven’t looked a lot into it, but I heard stuff,” Jeongguk replies. It’s half a lie—he hasn’t looked into it, but he saw the headline on Taehyung’s newspaper. “Why? Is it bad?”
“It’s unfair,” Taehyung replies. He doesn’t sound as mad anymore—more than anything, he sounds deflated. “He’s done nothing wrong, but people are nitpicking at him for the stupidest shit. Who cares if he helps people all around town, without asking anything for in return? If he wears a mask then he must be a bad man, right? Assholes.”
“Yeah, it really is…” Jeongguk says, voice trailing off. He wets his lips, thinking of what to say now. “But you know people aren’t fair. As soon as people like you keep showing him gratitude and make sure he knows he’s important, then I’m sure he’ll keep doing it.”
“You always knows the right thing to say,” Taehyung says, almost in a sigh. He then shifts closer and rests his head on Jeongguk’s shoulder, making him go a little stiff as he was caught off guard. They’re close enough now for them to be considered friends, Jeongguk thinks. But he still can’t help but jump a little at the contact. Not because he doesn’t want it, of course. “Talk to me about something, Gukkie. Anything.”
The Gukkie alongside with the weight of Taehyung’s head on his shoulder make Jeongguk blush furiously. He goes speechless for a few seconds, and suddenly he forgets about all the conversation topics he knows.
Well, except for one.
“Did you know that male emperor penguins spend around 65 days standing just to protect their baby penguins until the egg hatches?” Jeongguk says. He blurts it out without much thought, as his brain-to-mouth filter isn’t really working at the moment.
“Really? That’s some good parenting right there,” Taehyung says, voice softer now. Jeongguk grins. “You should share all your penguin wisdom with me more often.”
“You like it?” Jeongguk asks then, a little surprised. He thought it’d get old at some point, so he’s shocked to see Taehyung seems to really like it.
“Absolutely,” Taehyung replies. He moves then, lifting his head from Jeongguk’s shoulder, and despite his initial nervousness Jeongguk can’t deny he’s a little disappointed. Taehyung looks at him then, as he demands, “Tell me more.”
For some reason, those three words alone mean a lot to Jeongguk. Much more than tell me more should mean. Maybe it’s just because he has a huge, huge crush on his colleague, or maybe because it’s him that Taehyung wants to talk to now that he’s having a bad day. He’s been avoiding everyone at work today, but not him. And for Jeongguk, that means something.
“Magellanic penguins mate for life,” Jeongguk says, telling Taehyung the first penguin fact that crosses his mind. “They only have one partner throughout their entire life.”
“Wait—really?” Taehyung asks, eyebrows raising.
“Yes!” Jeongguk starts explaining. “And they build a nest together, and raise and take care of their baby penguins together. I mean—most penguins do that, but… Yeah. For life.”
And, for the first time that day, Taehyung smiles.
“That’s so fucking cute,” Taehyung replies, mouth splitting in a wide smile. When he sees it, Jeongguk can’t help but mimic the gesture, smiling big, big, big. “You’re so fucking cute. Oh, my God. You and your penguin facts.”
“I—oh, well, I just wanted—” Jeongguk starts, stuttering. He doesn’t even know what he’s going to say, and for a fraction of a second he falls quiet looking at the way Taehyung looks at him, smiling and expectant. Jeongguk’s stomach does a pirouette as he says, “I’m happy you think so. And I’m happy I made you smile.”
Jeongguk didn’t see it coming, but when Taehyung surges forward and pulls him in for a hug, he welcomes him. Taehyung is still smiling as he wraps his arms around Jeongguk’s middle.
“You always make me smile,” he says, and Jeongguk feels like he’s on a cloud. “Thank you so much, Gukkie.”
Jeongguk just hugs him back, arms around Taehyung’s shoulders as he tries to ignore the way his heart starts beating faster.
When this whole Spiderman ordeal started, Jeongguk was positive he wouldn’t tell anyone but Yoongi, his best friend. Other than that, he hasn’t felt the need to come clean about it to anyone. He considered his family, but then decided it’d be best to not give them the fright of their lives and spare them the constant worry.
Over the past few weeks, there is someone else that Jeongguk has been wanting to tell about his, uh… double life. With Taehyung and him getting closer and the kind of feelings that Jeongguk has for Taehyung, he feels like he wants to tell him. It doesn’t help that he knows how Taehyung feels about Spiderman—it makes him feel guilty for keeping it away from him.
For that reason, Jeongguk decides to confess. Jeongguk has left the redaction early today, but Taehyung has stayed behind. When Jeongguk asks to meet in the evening he offers to meet Taehyung right there at the office, but Taehyung declines and asks to meet at his after texting him his address. Because I want to drop some stuff at home first, he had said.
Despite the nervousness that he starts to feel as they walk there, Jeongguk is determined to do this—he’s determined to confess.
As usual, Jeongguk gets there earlier. He knows it can’t be much until Taehyung gets there, so he busies himself with his phone. Luckily, it’s still pretty warm so he doesn’t mind waiting.
It’s not too long before he gets a text from Taehyung. It says i know i’m a bit late!!!!!!! three mins pls, and Jeongguk quickly replies to it telling Taehyung not to worry.
The one who worries is Jeongguk himself when, after five minutes—not that he’s counting—there is still no sign of Taehyung. He tells himself he’s overreacting, but he’s seen how Taehyung seems to be a magnet for trouble. And so, before the most rational part of himself can take over, he starts walking in the direction of his redaction.
He keeps walking until he hears it. It’s faint, even with his heightened senses acting. Jeongguk hates to see his worst fears confirmed when he hears Taehyung hiss fuck off.
After that, he just starts running at the same time he sheds his clothes, throwing both his pants and his t-shirt onto a rooftop he’s climbed to. Jeongguk didn’t know what he was expecting, but he definitely didn’t think he’d see him again. The guy that Taehyung was fighting with that one night at the club.
Just like that one night, Taehyung is all anger. There is not a hint of fear in his face as he looks up at him, even if the guy towers over him and is obviously bigger, stronger. Jeongguk doesn’t know how much of a fighter Taehyung is, maybe he’ll surprise them both with amazing technique. But if it’s just strength that they’re counting on… well, Taehyung doesn’t look like he has lots of chances.
“How the fuck did you know who I was?” Taehyung demands to know.
“Your friend said your name the other day,” the guy replies, a stupidly smug smile on his face. “It wasn’t too hard to find you, being a journalist and all that. Your name and workplace are both all over the internet.”
Jeongguk sees Taehyung clench his teeth, swallowing down. It doesn’t take much to know he’s trying to calm himself.
Great work, Sherlock, Jeongguk thinks to himself, ironic. He doesn’t want to intervene just yet—not until Taehyung really needs his help.
“Why?” Taehyung asks, voicing Jeongguk’s thoughts. “What do you want from me?”
“I got in trouble because of you,” the guy says. He has his back to Jeongguk, but he can almost see his expression harden. “And you’re going to have to pay for that.”
“You got in trouble for being an intolerant asshole with anger issues and violent tendencies,” Taehyung remarks, fearless.
It’s very true, Jeongguk knows that, but he’s panicked at the kind of reaction that answer might unchain. He readies himself to intervene at any moment.
“Such a smart mouth you have, don’t you?” the man asks, almost a growl. “I’ll show you how to shut the fuck up.”
The man raises his arm, and Taehyung doesn’t flinch. That’s the only thing Jeongguk notices before he’s jolting forward and jumping on the guy’s back—Taehyung doesn’t even flinch.
Jeongguk doesn’t have a lot of fighting experience, despite his taekwondo lessons. As helpful as those are sometimes, their rules don’t apply to fights like these, and especially not with people like this man. Jumping onto a rival’s back is not the best either, but Jeongguk needed two things. One: he needed to be fast, as he was about to punch Taehyung. And two: he needed to be facing the guy, as that would benefit him much more than being right behind him.
He gets him right where he wants him. The guy lets out a surprised grunt and can’t hit Taehyung, who looks at him startled until he realizes who it is. Then, out of instinct, he comes forward and knees the guy in the balls. Hard.
With the man’s pained scream, Jeongguk jumps off his back and gets to Taehyung’s side. The stranger’s hands are on his crotch and he’s still groaning, but Taehyung doesn’t seem to mind much.
“That was for being a homophobic piece of shit to me and my friends the other day,” he says. Jeongguk watches silent, seeing a fire in Taehyung’s eyes he hasn’t seen before. Not even during political discussions in the redaction. “And this, for being a fucking creep, stalking me and following me on my way from work.”
Jeongguk didn’t see it coming. He’s perplexed as he sees Taehyung raise his arm and throw a punch right against the guy’s nose. Jeongguk grimaces, because that sounded pretty bad, and definitely very, very hurtful.
Not that the stranger didn’t have it coming.
“You fucking—” he starts, stumbling backward. “I’m going to—”
He doesn’t get to finish his sentence, as Taehyung is turning to look at Jeongguk and interrupting him.
“Can you do that thing you did the other day?” Taehyung asks him. Jeongguk frowns. “Where you shot webs to the guy’s mouth to shut him up. I really don’t wanna listen to him.”
Jeongguk smiles, even if Taehyung can’t see him, and does as he’s told. The guy complains but both of them ignore him. This time around, Jeongguk doesn’t ask for permission before wrapping an arm around Taehyung’s waist and lifting both of them up with one of his webs. And even if it’s not the first time he’s done this, Taehyung seems just as startled this time around.
“You’re seriously going to give me a heart attack one of these days,” Taehyung complains once they’re both up. Jeongguk’s arm is around his waist still, and neither of them moves to change that.
“And you seriously need to stop getting yourself into problems just because you want to see me,” Jeongguk replies, teasing. Taehyung laughs, and Jeongguk takes it as a good sign.
“You think I get in trouble to see you?” he asks, coy.
“Judging by the fact that you keep getting in situations like this, yes,” Jeongguk says. Taehyung swallows down. “Am I wrong?”
Taehyung doesn’t reply straight away, and the delay makes Jeongguk panic a little.
“Look, I… I really loved our kiss the other day, and every time I see you it gives me butterflies and makes me wonder, but…” Taehyung starts. Jeongguk’s heart starts to break.
“But…?”
“But I don’t even know who you are,” Taehyung resumes. “And I like someone else.”
“Oh…” Jeongguk says, trying not to let disappointment show on his voice. Now he’s starting to wonder whether confessing is a good idea or not. After this rejection, he doesn’t know whether he will be able to look at Taehyung in the eye again.
“It’s just—there’s this guy from my work. He makes me laugh so much, and I can’t stop smiling whenever he’s around. He’s always telling me penguin facts, you know?” Taehyung says, smiling a little. Jeongguk’s eyes widen, heart skipping a beat. “I was meant to see him now, God. I hope he hasn’t left. I… I’m sorry.”
“Taehyung,” is all Jeongguk manages.
“I hope I didn’t lead you on or anything?” Taehyung asks, looking down at his feet. “I…”
“Taehyung.” In a moment of bravery, Jeongguk moves his hand to the edge of his mask and just removes it, hair ruffled. “It’s me. I’m… I’m Spiderman.”
Taehyung’s eyes widen then, a big palm reaching up to cover his mouth. Jeongguk hears him gasp.
“I should have told you before,” Jeongguk starts. “But then you liked Spiderman, and I’ve liked you for ages and didn’t think I’d ever have a chance if you knew who I truly was, and—”
Whatever Jeongguk was going to say after that, gets lost the moment Taehyung reaches forward and kisses him, his hands cupping Jeongguk’s face as their mouths crash together. The kiss is harsher than the previous one, and there is not much finesse to it—Taehyung kisses him almost desperately, as if he had wanted to do this for so long.
The possibility alone makes Jeongguk get butterflies.
He snaps out of his daze and kisses Taehyung back, reaching forward and clasping his hands around his waist. The hold makes Taehyung let out a content noise—one that Jeongguk greedily swallows.
Again, unlike their previous kiss, this one also turns… more heated. Be it the fact that Jeongguk is now no longer hanging upside down, the adrenaline from the fight or that now they’re both fully aware of who the other is, but this feels like more. Taehyung’s tongue is hot as it tentatively licks at Jeongguk’s lower lip, asking for access. Naturally, Jeongguk grants it.
Their tongues touch, and Taehyung lets out a low sound that makes Jeongguk go crazy. He doesn’t even think it through before he’s holding the backs of Taehyung’s thighs and hitching him up, pushing him against the wall of the stairs that connect the inside of the building with the rooftop. This action makes Taehyung let out another sound, this time a full on moan.
“G-God, Jeongguk,” Taehyung manages to get out, words spoken into Jeongguk’s mouth. The way Taehyung’s voice sounds, so deep and so raspy, makes Jeongguk’s hold around his legs tighten. “Kiss me more. Please, please.”
Jeongguk does so, pulling Taehyung’s mouth into another long, wet kiss. They’re licking so eagerly into each other’s mouths, and it turns sloppier and messier by the minute. Jeongguk’s hair is already disheveled and ruffled from removing his mask, but Taehyung’s hands in it just worsen it.
It doesn’t take long until they’re both panting into each other’s mouths, finding it hard to catch their breath. But they don’t stop—they keep kissing there, on the rooftop of a building, with Jeongguk still wearing his ridiculously tight superhero suit. Because he’s been waiting for this for so long, and now he’s going to get all the kisses he wants.
There are plenty of perks to Taehyung finally knowing about Jeongguk’s secret identity as Spiderman. The first, now he doesn’t need to feel nervous about Taehyung thinking he’s a creep every time Spiderman appears out of the blue to save him. Jeongguk doesn't have to live with the fear of being discovered by Taehyung, or of him asking too many questions that might put the secrecy at risk.
But, above anything else, the biggest perk is that now he has someone to come to and to rant to after a bad day fighting against the forces of evil. And not just a friend, no. A boyfriend.
It’s a Wednesday and Jeongguk is tired. The day feels like it’s been going on since forever as he gets in his apartment through the window of his bedroom, just to find Taehyung lying on the bed reading a book. As soon as he sees him, Jeongguk smiles.
“I didn’t know I’d be coming home to any guests,” he says, making Taehyung’s attention divert from his book to him.
They've been dating for a few months now, and things have been… amazing. Taehyung the boyfriend is just as sweet, chatty and funny as Taehyung the friend. But there are several perks to the boyfriend edition: kisses, hugs, cute texts in the mornings and nights that they're not together, and plenty of other ways of showing affection. That’s something Jeongguk is extremely grateful for—for how affectionate Taehyung is, because Jeongguk himself is just the same.
After all that time, they decided that the most logical step would be to exchange apartment keys with each other. Jeongguk doesn’t use them a lot, as he more often than not enters through the window, but Taehyung is making good use of his. Today is just an example.
“I’m happy you’re here,” Jeongguk says as he steps into the room, starting to take off his suit. Taehyung gives him a warm smile. “Have you been waiting long?”
“A little bit, but it’s fine, I brought a book,” Taehyung replies. “Are you too tired? I was thinking we could order some food and then watch a movie.”
“That sounds pretty much ideal right now,” Jeongguk replies, almost in a groan. “You’re God-sent, babe.”
Taehyung just laughs, shushing him as he sits up on the bed. They order some food, and after that, Taehyung rubs Jeongguk’s shoulders, that are tired after a long evening slinging from building to building. He talks to Jeongguk about what happened in the redaction after he left, and Jeongguk listens and pays attention to the gossip—he needs to be up to date for lunch break tomorrow.
Despite the tiredness, Jeongguk can’t help but feel a warm wave of contentment wash over him, he reasons as he listens to Taehyung and rejoices in the feeling of his hands against his skin. He has a good job and finally a salary that he’s happy with, he gets to help people on the daily and he’s with the most amazing boy in the world. He’s happy—extremely so.
If someone told him one year ago that a spider bite could bring so many good things into his life, Jeongguk wouldn’t have believed them. But right now, he knows he would not change it for anything.
