Archive of Our Own

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Jeongin thought he had everything figured out; his life, his part-time job as a kids' tutor at the elementary school, his career as an educator (though, that had taken a lot of time and much indecisiveness), even the best way to defeat Jisung in the game they were currently obsessed with.

He knew how much money he could spend on new clothes every two months as a broke student, and the fastest route from university to his home back in Busan when he felt like the homesickness would consume him.

He had everything figured out, he thought. Except, he couldn't, for the life of him, break down the wall of secrets his best friend had built around himself like a shield.

It was little things that made Jeongin's brows raise in concern, suspicion prickling at his skin like tiny needles. Things like Jisung making up lies about his whereabouts or who he was seeing. Jisung sneaking into the dorm in the middle of the night when he thought no one was there to see, sometimes bruised and bleeding, other times limping and hissing in pain.

But Jeongin was always there, watching his every move and trying to figure out what the hell was going on.

His heart ached at the thousands of scenarios his mind had created, ones in which Jisung was, for lack of better words, being beaten up to death. What if his best friend was in a toxic, abusive relationship, and Jeongin was doing absolutely nothing to help? But then again, Jisung hadn't mentioned a partner in the two years they've been living together.

He had tried to ask Jisung about it, get some information from the older so that maybe Jeongin could come up with a plan to help him escape. It would be worth it, he thought. But all Jisung replied with was, "Oh, it's really nothing, baby." and continued with his life as if he hadn't left Jeongin even more confused and scared than before.

(And a little flustered at the use of the pet name, but that was neither here nor there.)

So when Jisung jumped off Jeongin's bed unceremoniously in the middle of their game, eyebrows pinched as he read something on his phone, Jeongin had made up his mind.

"Uh…" he paused the game. He was not about to win just because Jisung had stopped paying attention. "Are you okay?"

He watched his best friend for a second; lips pursed in deep thought, head tilted like a little lost puppy and eyes narrowed as he absentmindedly put on his shoes and read on his phone. Jeongin felt as if he were studying a wild animal, moving cautiously around him not to spook him. Not that he was comparing Jisung to an animal. (Though, he did resemble a cute squirrel.)

A nervous laugh escaped Jisung's lips as he looked at Jeongin. "I gotta… go?" he pointed a thumb at the door behind him.

"Are you asking me or telling me?"

Another laugh. Jisung shuffled backwards.

"I'm telling you," he said.

And it was like slow motion when, out of nowhere, Jisung tripped over one of Jeongin's many shoes that he had thrown messily around his room. He landed on his butt with a yelp, and Jeongin couldn't stop the loud laugh at the sight of his best friend frowning cutely at the shoes as if they personally offended him.

No, not cutely. He was still hiding things from Jeongin.

"Where are you going at…" he tapped his phone on the bed and it lit up with the hour, "one in the morning?"

"To Minho-hyung's," Jisung replied quickly as he got up. Way too quickly, in Jeongin's opinion.

Jeongin tilted his head in confusion. "Isn't hyung at home for the week?" he asked.

If the expression deer caught in headlights was a person, it would be Jisung. His eyes were wide, a blush high on his cheeks.

"He… was," Jisung said nervously as he walked further away from Jeongin, closer to the door. "And now he's back! And I have to go!"

Another lie. Jeongin knew because he had been texting Minho for the better part of his afternoon demanding photos of the kids — the kids being Minho's cute cats — and he was still very much home with no intentions of coming back for another week.

Now, though, Jeongin could do nothing but watch as Jisung bolted out of the room and into the hallway, the front door clicking shut on his rush. A sinking feeling made its way into Jeongin's chest at the knowledge that his best friend was lying to him.

It wasn't only the lies that had Jeongin jumping out of his bed and running to the door in record time, hopping from one foot to another to get his shoes on; it was the constant danger he knew Jisung could be in.

A mix of feelings fluttered in Jeongin's stomach at the thought, making him almost nauseous — fear, anxiety, concern. Anger, too, but he wouldn't let that emotion cloud his judgment of the situation as he shuffled his way into the night, following Jisung's figure.

For the most part, Jeongin knew everyone had secrets. It was part of life, after all.

Hell, even he had his own things he kept from the rest of the world. Things he didn't want anyone to know about, like the fact he really, really liked it when his hyungs doted on him, or his very much repressed feelings towards none other than his best friend and roommate that he wasn't brave enough to voice out loud.

But that wasn't important now. Not when he knew, deep down, Jisung had his own secrets as well. And those secrets were putting him in harm's way that Jeongin would just have to figure out one way or another.

So that was how he found himself sneaking out in the middle of the night, hood up and hands in his pockets, to follow Jisung at one in the morning.

The sky was dark, darker than usual as the grey clouds obstructed his view of the stars that would surely be shining bright this time of night. Jeongin could smell the faint scent of upcoming rain as he quickened his pace down the street, right towards where Jisung was walking a good distance from him.

He kept his footsteps quiet, not wanting to alert Jisung of his presence, and ducked behind a parked car when the man turned around.

Jeongin's heart pounded loudly against his chest.

He was following Jisung, his best friend. (Stalking sounded way too serious in Jeongin's mind.) And he was scared shitless to find out the truth, but he knew he had to do it for Jisung's sake, and for his own peace of mind.

Jeongin caught a glimpse of Jisung disappearing into an alley and he swallowed. Fuck, what if Jisung was part of a gang, then? Jeongin wouldn't be able to intervene without getting beaten up himself, or worse, killed.

But before he could spiral down into the thought of his friend being part of a very illegal, very dangerous group, someone came out of the alleyway and back into Jeongin's view.

Someone in a full red and blue bodysuit, with dark lines that resembled spider webs splattered all over it.

Someone who was very much not Jisung.

Except, the body was the same, and the way they walked was very much Jisung's way of walking — cautious but confident, chest out and legs moving him forward ceremoniously but a little funny all the same.

Just like Jisung.

The black, almost silver-ish spider decorated across his chest caught the dim light for a second, and suddenly the puzzle pieces began arranging themselves in Jeongin's head.

The new man — Jisung? — pointed towards a building, and in the blink of an eye, he was hoisting himself up and swaying his way into Seoul with his strings of web.

Spiderwebs, to be exact.

Jeongin's whole body shook as he stared into the sky where New Jisung had disappeared, trying to make sense of what he had just seen his best friend do. And he realized, albeit a little late, that he had just witnessed his Jisung turning into a Superhero right in front of his eyes.

Turning into none other than Spider-Man.

"Oh, shit."

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Jisung winced as he climbed up his favorite rooftop, careful not to move his foot too much in case he ended up hurting it more.

He had just gotten out of an intense fight, a heist involving innocent hostages that turned into open fire and punches to his body that left him breathless.

Seriously, who would do a whole heist in the middle of the night?

Those idiots, apparently.

In one of those many hits that left him gasping for air, his ankle was stomped on by another man. It wasn't anything serious, there was no crack or swelling that required immediate attention. Maybe just a bit of pain, but he could work with that once he got home.

Of course, he had caught the criminals before they could do any more damage to the civilians and steal more goods from the city. He had tied them up with a strong net of his webs and made sure no one was seriously injured before setting everyone else free.

So now here he was, settling down on the edge of the roof, a satisfied sigh leaving his lips when he thought about another successful night.

Jisung breathed in the air, catching a whiff of rain as he looked down at the city lights. He couldn't tell what time it was, but with the setting of the full moon low in the sky, he predicted it was getting close to dawn.

Something moved in his peripheral vision. He should've heard it coming, he thought. His senses should've picked up the presence of another person walking right under him on the street, alerting him of any danger. But when he squinted his eyes and caught a glimpse of that familiar bleached hair, he felt a sudden calm wash over him.

Then, his eyes widened.

"Jeonginnie?" he whispered to himself, confused and surprised all the same. He was high enough that the wind would take his whisper with it.

“Hey," the younger screamed when he looked up, and Jisung froze. He didn't think his eyes could widen even more, but they somehow did when he realized Jeongin was talking to him specifically. "You’re so far!”

Jisung chuckled nervously. He ran a hand through his hair and let his legs swing on the edge of the rooftop as he felt his cheeks warm beneath his mask. Even in his confusion and maybe fear that Jeongin had found him, Jisung found it impossible not to feel the effect Jeongin's attention had on him — well, on Spider-Man. He was thankful his best friend couldn't see how much his presence affected him.

Trembling, Jisung yelled back, "You don't have to scream, you know? I have acute hearing!"

Jeongin smirked, and his voice was quieter when he spoke. "What a narcissist, Spidey. Calling yourself cute?"

A cackle rumbled from Jisung's chest at the joke, loud enough to echo in the quiet of the rooftop. It was so easy to joke with Jeongin, so easy to forget that he was Spider-Man, not Jisung. But as it was, reality came crashing back, and his grin faltered when he realized it shouldn't be this easy.

After a second of trying to calm his heart down, he stood up, brushed off some of the dirt on his suit, and let his feet take him out of Jeongin's sight for a moment.

From here, he could see the lights of the city, the endless stars twinkling above them that would soon change once morning came. He loved this rooftop for that reason, as the moon shone the brightest from his spot. He could hear the wind blowing, feel the gentle raindrops falling from the sky to the ground, his suit, the faint crackle against the windows.

He crouched again on the gravel roof of the tall building, like he didn't know where to go or what to do with himself. He swayed dangerously forward but had enough balance to stay in place. Peered at the sidewalk below him, calculating, before slapping a thick patch of webbing directly onto the roof's concrete coping.

Jisung took a deep breath, looking down once again at the man he loved — who didn't know it was actually Jisung behind the suit — and let himself fall head first.

He heard a shriek in between the adrenaline rush in his ears. “Stop—"

But before Jeongin’s panic had the chance to curl heavily around Jisung’s heart, the spider-web caught his fall. He grinned, his blood pumping in his veins as the wind whistled in his ears for a split second.

He bounced gently a few feet above the ground, coming to a dead stop exactly at eye level with Jeongin, completely upside down with his arms folded neatly across his chest.

“You thought I was falling to my death?” he couldn't help but tease.

Jeongin huffed, mirroring Jisung and crossing his arms over his chest. Even when upside down, and with the poor illumination of the street lights, Jisung could make out the prettiest rush of blood on his cheeks.

He was so fucked.

“It’s not funny, you know," Jeongin said, serious and a tad protective.

“I think it’s quite funny," Jisung replied cheekily and without thinking.

Though he quickly sobered up when he saw the pure terror in Jeongin's body language; the tremble of his hands as he squeezed his arms, knuckles white and eyes absolutely terrified.

All the jokes and teasing words came to a halt. It reminded Jisung of where they were, who he had in front of him, and who was hiding beneath the mask of a superhero.

The questions he ought to ask were a constant ringing in his head: What was Jeongin doing here? Was he hurt? Was he in danger? Did something happen?

Technically, Jisung knew Jeongin was fine. His instincts would've kicked in if there was any danger in the area, especially if it was someone he cared about. That still didn't answer any of his questions, nor did it stop his anxiety from acting up.

The next words that tumbled out of the youngest were enough to alert Jisung's senses, enough to hear the panic and worry in the voice in front of him.

"You could've died, hyung."

For a moment, everything froze; the sound of the distant cars down the main street, the blood rushing through Jisung's ears all the way to his head, the comforting, yet scared pitter-patter of Jeongin's heart.

HyungHyungHyung.

Jeongin… knew? But how? What the fuck gave it away when Jisung was always so careful?

Shaking himself out of his thoughts, Jisung reminded himself to breathe in, then out. It helped him calm down and think more clearly.

Maybe that was just how Jeongin referred to Spider-Man, assuming the guy behind the mask was older than him and he didn't know anything about Jisung's secret.

But then again, Jeongin wouldn't be so comfortable calling someone he didn't know Hyung.

When Jisung found his voice again, he tried his best not to stutter in case that gave him away. "What are you talking about?"

Jeongin looked at him as if Jisung had two heads, and Jisung thought, rather too late, that if it was hard to look him in the eyes with his mask on, then it was harder to talk to him upside down.

"Every time you do this," Jeongin started, frantically waving a hand over Jisung, "every time you sneak out in the middle of the night or lie to me about studying and emergencies and going to Minho-hyung's place and whatnot, you could've been walking straight into your death!" he heaved.

There were tears in his eyes that refused to fall, and Jisung felt responsible for them, mentally kicking himself for ever making the youngest feel this way. But then the words rang back to him and—

"It isn't fair, Jisung!"

There it was. The confirmation of the name felt like a giant bowl of iced water falling right on Jisung's body, waking him up from his worst nightmares.

All his senses were on alert now, but not because he didn't trust Jeongin, but because he failed to protect the one person he swore to always protect.

"What's not fair?" Jisung asked, voice trembling.

A wet, humorless laugh resonated through the silence. The rain made Jeongin's skin shine. "You still don't get it."

"Well, maybe I would if you just told me," he pleaded.

There was a pause as Jeongin stared at him, almost as if calculating. His breath a little ragged after the outburst. Usually, Jisung loved Jeongin's attention on him. Except all he wanted to do now was squirm his way out of his view and hide from the scrutinizing eyes, but he was stuck, upside down, with nowhere to go.

"Not only are you putting yourself in danger, but what about me?" Jeongin's question took him off guard, the words barely loud enough for Jisung to hear. But then, the younger continued, arms hugging his middle as if he was in pain. "You die and then what? What am I supposed to do!? You're my best friend and I just… I can't…" he trailed off with a small whimper.

And then Jisung realized, a thought later, that Jeongin was in pain. Jeongin was worried about him, Jeongin was scared. He felt tears pricking at his eyes and willed himself to reel them back.

Jeongin didn't yell at him, didn't make a sound louder than a whisper or a hiss, like he was aware that even if they were standing (or… hanging) in an isolated street, there could still be eyes watching, ears listening.

Jisung's heart both soared and clenched at that.

"I… I'm not—" he tried to deny it, then sighed in defeat when he realized it was pointless.

This was so not how he wanted Jeongin to find out.

"Tell me I'm wrong," Jeongin breathed. His voice was raspy and so, so scared, but his eyes glinted with determination and something else Jisung couldn't quite pinpoint. "Tell me I've got it all wrong, that I followed the wrong person and you're not who I made myself believe you are. Tell me, and I’ll leave you alone."

And… Jisung couldn't exactly lie now, could he?

Jeongin spoke with such finality that made him shiver, like the younger already knew. Like the Big Secret wasn't really a Secret anymore, and he was just waiting for Jisung to be brave enough to say it.

If he tried to lie, there was a possibility that Jeongin could call him, and Jisung's phone would ring loudly from where it was hidden in his suit.

What good would it do, anyway? They were already here, with the truth hanging over their heads like a grey cloud ready to burst.

As if on cue, the sky opened, and the light rain turned heavy — seconds after the strike of lightning, moments before the crash of thunder.

And Jisung was stuck, hanging from a spiderweb as the water soaked him and Jeongin completely.

But he wouldn't lie, though. Not again.

So he shook his head. Then regretted it when the movement made him feel dizzy; he was still upside down, after all. He couldn't talk when his throat felt like sandpaper as he closed his eyes and let his actions speak louder than words, waiting for the worst.

Maybe Jeongin would finally scream at him, the loud silence — safe from the raindrops falling on the ground — that had settled around them slowly torturing him from the inside. Or maybe Jeongin would simply stay quiet, eyes filled with betrayal and disappointment at the knowledge that, for months, Jisung had been lying to him. Maybe he would walk away for good, far away from the dangers that Jisung brought to himself and to those around him.

Bile rose to Jisung's throat when he imagined a life without Jeongin.

He didn't flinch when gentle fingers reached for his mask, but his breath hitched nonetheless. He opened his eyes to see Jeongin looking at him, puzzled and so very sweet, as if trying to figure Spider-Man — Jisung — out.

Jisung didn't try to stop the tug on his mask. Couldn't try to even if he wanted to.

Jeongin didn't pull, didn't take it off right away. His hands stayed still, pressed to Jisung's neck where the suit met the mask. As if asking for permission. His fox-like eyes felt so intense that they made Jisung's world turn on its axis.

"Can I?" Jeongin whispered, fingers fidgeting with the mask.

Losing the battle now that Jeongin knew his Big Secret, Jisung nodded. He didn't have anything to hide from the most important person in his life, and a sense of freedom invaded him at the thought. Maybe a bit of panic, too, and a sliver of fear, but freedom nonetheless.

"Yeah," he whispered back.

The rain made everything blurry, but Jeongin was so close Jisung could see the raindrops sticking to his pretty eyelashes and how his tongue darted out to kitten-lick some of the water off his bottom lip.

Jisung wanted to kiss him so badly.

With trembling hands, Jeongin hooked his wet fingers under the fabric and pulled. Though, he didn't pull the mask off completely, just enough to reveal half of Jisung's face.

Jisung frowned. "What are you— oh."

A pair of sweet, honey-like lips were on his before he could finish his question. He tensed for a moment, unsure of what the fuck was happening and why it suddenly felt like every one of his million dreams where he and Jeongin were in a similar situation were coming true.

Not long after, those same lips were pulling back, whispers of apologies tumbling out of them and into the night.

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry, I didn't even ask if that was— was that okay—"

A giggle left Jisung's lips without permission, endeared by the youngest's reaction to such a sweet gesture. Jisung let out a breath he didn't know he was holding, and pretended that he wasn't panicking, that his heart wasn't beating a thousand beats per minute.

"Be careful!" Jeongin protested when Jisung swayed forward, but let himself be pulled by a hand on the back of his neck.

It was a weird angle, given his upside-down position, but it worked to get Jeongin where he was before. Closer, inches away from Jisung's face. The water was a welcome weight on his clothes.

"It's okay, I'm okay," Jisung reassured him. "Don't stop, please."

There was a second of hesitation. A second too long for Jisung's head to spiral with negative thoughts and doubts and what-ifs. But Jeongin's hands crept up his face once again, gentle and steady, like the caress of a petal against his skin.

The gesture made Jisung smile shyly.

"I should've known you would enjoy upside-down kisses this much." Jeongin's words were mumbled right against Jisung's lips.

Jisung rolled his eyes. "It's called a Spider-Man kiss for a rea—"

He was, once again, cut off by a soft, warm mouth enveloping his bottom lip.

Jisung let out a content sigh, reciprocating the kiss with all the love he had accumulated over the years. His gloved-fingers played with Jeongin's drenched hair, coaxing a pleased sound out of the youngest that he swallowed right back with his lips.

The kiss was wet and messy, Jisung tasting more rainwater than Jeongin's lips. And it was, without doubt, the best kiss of Jisung's life. It sent tingles all over his body, and he could feel himself slip an inch lower to the ground. He was thankful for his Spidey super strength as he all but melted into the kiss.

They kissed for what felt like hours, but it had only really been a few short minutes max. When they separated, it was with a soft smacking sound that was washed away by the sound of rain. It sent thrills down Jisung's spine. He felt on cloud nine.

"Uh, um…" Jisung blushed. "That was… your lips are so..."

Pathetic.

Absolutely, incredibly pathetic.

Get it together, Jisung, he chastised himself.

He just got the kiss of his dreams and he was here, babbling nonsense and embarrassing himself in front of the prettiest boy he had ever had the pleasure of meeting (and kissing!) His brain felt all mushy, and he couldn't think. Not when his lips were tingling and his heart felt like it would explode at any given moment if Jeongin kept kissing and looking at him like that. Or maybe it would find a way to rip itself out of Jisung's chest and fall right into Jeongin's hands.

That sounded like the better option.

"Fuck," he settled at the end.

Yeah, he was so fucked.

Jeongin's giggles filled his ears like the most precious melody, his fingers still on Jisung's heated face. "You're a silly spider."

Jisung pouted. "'M not."

Jeongin kissed the pout away. "You are. My silly spidey."

But his fond expression quickly shifted into a frown as his eyes were stuck on Jisung's face, and his fingers made a quick job of removing Jisung's mask completely in one single motion.

The sudden action made Jisung lose his grip on the web and he yelped as he tumbled to the ground not-so-gracefully. Thankfully, his Spider senses managed to land him in his usual crouched pose, or Spidey Pose, as he loved to call it.

Then a gasp from Jeongin as he knelt in front of Jisung and inspected Jisung's face.

"What? Do I look that ugly?" Jisung joked from his place on the floor, but Jeongin swatted his arm to shut him up.

"You're hurt," he stated as he hooked a finger under Jisung's chin and lifted his face to get a better view.

Oh.

Jeongin's eyes were the prettiest when they looked at Jisung. Obviously they were always pretty, but something about them looking only at him made him feel special in some way. The spark was back, making Jisung feel like he was staring at the whole galaxy.

Those thoughts, mixed with the careful way Jeongin handled him and looked at him, were enough to make Jisung forget how to breathe.

"Huh?"

And forget how to speak, too, apparently.

"You're bleeding!" Jeongin exclaimed through the rain. "Well, it's dry blood now, I think. The rain isn't helping either but you got a pretty bad cut on your cheek. And God knows what other injuries you have beneath that suit. We need to get you home and clean your wounds."

And Jisung being Jisung, couldn't let the opportunity to flirt pass. "Aww, baby. I know you can't wait to get me naked but ask me out on a date first."

Indignantly, Jeongin gasped. "Is this how it's gonna be now?" But Jisung only shrugged, smiling so brightly he knew Jeongin would melt.

And to Jisung's credit, he did.

"Come on, Spidey," Jeongin's whisper was one of fondness. Jisung's stomach fluttered with butterflies. "I'll take you home."

Jisung nodded eagerly, but then paused as the words registered.

"How, exactly, will you take us home?" he asked, genuinely curious.

"Taxi, duh."

Jisung blinked at him, then grinned. "That won't be necessary."

"What do you mean?"

This time, the grin turned wolfish before he put the mask back on. "Say… Are you scared of heights?"

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Jeongin didn’t know whether to scream or quietly glue himself to Jisung as his feet left the ground.

Maybe agreeing to his best friend slash Spidey's shenanigans wasn't as good of an idea as he thought.

He clung to Jisung's neck as they flew around and into the city, rain sticking to every inch of his body. His blunt fingernails were probably leaving little crescent marks all over Jisung's neck, but either Jisung didn't mind it or he was tolerant of pain, because he kept grinning like a maniac as he tried to coax Jeongin out of his hiding spot.

"Come on, baby, look up! The view is so pretty!"

But Jeongin was sure he would puke if he peeked.

"It's raining and I can't see!" Jeongin yelled back, aware that it sounded more like an excuse than anything else.

So he kept his face hidden in the crook of Jisung's neck (And it was definitely not because he loved the smell of his perfume mixed with rain and something so undeniably Jisung), tightened his legs around Jisung's waist, and held onto him as if his life depended on it.

And it did, Jeongin reminded himself.

Halfway through, the rain turned into a gentle drizzle. He couldn't say the cool air on his skin wasn't pleasant because it would be a lie. It was just like a slow shower, except in the air. And although he would've preferred making this trip when the sky wasn't as angry, he loved the sense of freedom and cleansing it gave him.

The only thing he couldn't stand was the feeling of wet clothes against his skin.

Though, having Jisung's arm secured around him as he attached his spiderwebs from building to building made it all even better.

In fact, he was almost disappointed when Jisung slowed down and finally landed them just outside the balcony of his room.

"We're here, Iyennie, you can look now."

But Jeongin only managed to safely land his feet flat on the ground before attaching himself back onto Jisung.

"That was fun, and you're fucking strong, but also so scary. Never do that again."

Jisung laughed so hard Jeongin's whole body shook with him.

But when he went to move towards the door, he winced.

"Are you okay?" Jeongin asked.

"Yeah." A raised eyebrow at the blatant lie made him backtrack. "Well, no. But it's just my ankle, and I'm sure it will go away with some rest."

Without thinking too much about it, Jeongin bent down and took Jisung into his arms, carrying him bridal style and walking to the door so he didn't have to walk with his injured foot.

Jisung let out a yelp.

"What are you doing?"

Jeongin didn't respond, just opened the door to the balcony and stepped into the room, Jisung still clinging to him — that they were both drenched and dripping all over the floor was just a secondary thought Jeongin would worry about later.

It was a funny contrast to before, when he was holding onto Jisung while swinging around the city. Now, he just carried Jisung's body across the room as if it was nothing, and only settled him down when he got to the closest bathroom — Jisung's bathroom.

Jeongin looked around for any signs of a first aid kit just as Jisung took off his mask. He was distracted by how pretty Jisung looked under the dim light of the bathroom that he forgot how to breathe, or what he was looking for.

He shook himself out of his trance, and when he couldn't find the kit in the bathroom, he sighed. "You stay there and look pretty, I'm just gonna get a few things," he said before leaving the bathroom and quickly finding the necessary things in his room.

When he made his way back, Jisung was red, redder than a tomato, or a strawberry.

"Uh, you're kinda all… red," Jeongin commented, amusement coloring his words.

"You just… you said..." It was fun to see Jisung just sitting there, blabbering nonsense as he was clearly flustered.

"Yeah?" Jeongin couldn't help but tease, blinking innocently as he put the things on the sink and took a step closer, and another, until he stood between Jisung's opened legs.

Jisung swallowed loudly, averting his eyes. "You said I'm pretty, is all."

"You are," was all Jeongin said before getting to work on Jisung's wounds. Not before feeling his lips twitch at Jisung's whining, though.

He grabbed a cloth and ran it through warm water, slowly cleaning off the dirt and some dry blood from Jisung's face. He didn't directly touch the deeper cuts with the same cloth, just cleaned around the wound and moved onto his neck where he had a few scratches.

"That was a cat," Jisung mumbled when he noticed Jeongin eyeing the scars.

Jeongin couldn't stop the giggle from making its way out of his lips. "And here I thought, you were fighting dangerous people."

"I just wanted to help!" Jisung pouted. "The poor thing was stuck on a tree, but when I got to her, she attached herself to my neck and left a few good scratches."

And Jeongin could picture it perfectly; Jisung dressed in his Spidey suit, slowly hanging from his webs as he approached a scared little cat on a tree. The thought made him coo, and Jisung swatted him with the mask he was still holding.

"How did you even find me, anyways?" Jisung asked, curious eyes following his every move.

Jeongin shrugged. "I kind of followed you when you left." The revelation made Jisung laugh, earning a hiss from Jeongin. "Don't move," he said before going back to cleaning the wound with gentle strokes.

"So, you followed me?"

Jeongin nodded, trying to ignore the clear amusement in Jisung's expression. "I saw you going into an alleyway and coming back out with your suit. And then you went away with your stupid arachnid strings and I had to look you up on Google to see where the crime scene was. Pretty easy stuff."

Jisung gawked at him. "You googled me?"

"Are you gonna question everything I say?" Jeongin rolled his eyes playfully. "The news outlets are all over you, you know? It's not hard to find out where Spider-Man is whenever something happens in this city."

Jisung hummed, thinking. And then, the amusement shifted into wonder as a memory flashed through his eyes. "But… you found me on my favorite rooftop."

That made Jeongin pause, heart racing as he swallowed. "Did I?"

"Yeah."

"I just…" Jeongin gathered his thoughts, ripping off a Rapunzel bandaid and sticking it carefully to the worst wound on Jisung's cheek, just to make it heal better. "I figured it wouldn't be of good use if I went to the crime scene, you know? So I just wandered around until I ended up there, I guess."

Jisung hummed again as if he understood. As if it all made sense, but it didn't. Not really. Jeongin couldn't exactly explain it, but he had felt a strong pull towards that side of the city. As if Jisung was the magnetic field and Jeongin just a weak, lonely magnet.

Maybe, just maybe, they were more fated than he thought.

"And you aren't, like… mad?"

Jeongin opened his mouth to deny it quickly, but he stopped before he could say anything. He thought about the anger he had felt deep beneath his bones, about the lies he was told and all the bruises still lingering on Jisung's face, his body. He thought about blood and injuries, pain and suffering.

Death, more than anything.

And it wasn't anger he was met with. No. It was fear.

But he knew, more than anyone, that he had to learn how to live with it. Accept the fact that this was Jisung's life now. That it had been for a while. And as much as he feared something bad happening to his best friend — boyfriend? — it was out of his hands. All Jeongin could do was be there to kiss the pain away and take care of him every time Jisung risked his life to save the world.

"At the beginning, yeah," he told him honestly. "It was mostly because I knew you were lying to me, and you kept coming home late at night all bruised and limping, and I didn't have any clue as to what was happening to you. But even then, it was more concern than anger."

When Jeongin dared to make eye contact with Jisung, the older's eyes were filled with remorse. "I'm sorry," he mumbled.

"No, none of that." Jeongin brushed his thumb over the creased lines of Jisung's forehead until they smoothed out. "It's okay… I mean, it's not okay that you lied to me. But I get it now. Once I saw what and why you were hiding, I understood a little bit better, and I don't blame you at all for keeping your secrets."

Jisung's chest visibly deflated at that, as if he'd been holding his breath and just now letting himself breathe again.

Then, his eyes flickered with something as his brain registered the words, and it was like a switch to his — and Jeongin's — mood when his pout suddenly turned into a menacing grin.

"I'm not the only one keeping secrets here, though."

"What?"

"What was that out there?"

Oh.

That.

Jeongin felt the strong urge to avert his gaze, feeling his cheeks warm at the mention of… the kiss incident. But Jisung's grin only grew wider under the dim light of the bathroom, his fingers grazing Jeongin's chin gently to keep him in place.

And Jeongin was just a weak, weak man, after all.

So instead of replying with words, he leaned in and left a chaste kiss on Jisung's lips.

"That, you mean?"

"Mhm." Jisung nodded dumbly, pretty doe eyes staring back at him and almost making Jeongin's knees buckle.

Almost.

Jeongin giggled. "Isn't it obvious?"

"But I want you to say it!"

"I like you," Jeongin admitted softly, brushing his nose against Jisung's. "Like, like like you."

"That was a lot of 'like's." Jisung smiled. "But I like like you, too. As in, I want to be yours and for you to be mine and kiss forever maybe."

Jeongin's smile grew at the words. "I can work with that."

And this time, it was Jisung who closed the distance between them in a sweet, tender kiss. Though, they were both grinning too wide for it to be a real kiss.

Jisung was his, and he was Jisung's.

Jeongin wouldn't have it any other way.

"Let's get you out of these clothes, you reek of crime," he joked when they separated, taking a step backwards and another until he was halfway across the room.

"I do not!" Jisung screamed after him when Jeongin quickly stepped out of the bathroom. "I smell of stopping crimes and your kisses, by the way!"

The next thing he knew was a pair of pajamas landing on his face, successfully shutting him up. Jeongin laughed as he whooped, watching Jisung's perplexed expression with something akin to endearment.

He then proceeded to finally peel off his damp clothes — grimacing at the feeling of the wet fabric dragging on his skin — toweled off his hair and changed into his own pajamas; a red loose shirt with comfortable gray sweatpants that were cuffed at the ankles.

And it was a coincidence, maybe, that Jisung's PJs were blue. Maybe.

He watched from his spot at the door as the older did the same. And when Jisung got into bed first, sighing when he got comfortable under the blankets, Jeongin hesitated. He wasn’t sure if his best friend wanted him to join or if he should just go back to his own room.

But then Jisung looked at him, blanket all the way up in a way that only his deer eyes were visible.

"Are you gonna join or do I have to drag you here myself?"

Jeongin thought about it, then shook his head, a smirk making its way to his lips.

"You have your weird web thingy, don't you?" he asked.

He saw the moment the words settled on Jisung's brain, his eyes widening with excitement as he all but sat up. And with one quick motion of his wrist, he shot a string of spiderweb directed towards Jeongin.

The younger let out a giggle when the web string wrapped around his torso. It felt a little funny, but when Jisung pulled, it was so gentle. Gentle enough for Jeongin to stumble forward with a startled laugh, landing safely against Jisung's chest.

Fuck, Jeongin was going to have so much fun with his boyfriend now that he was also his Spidey.

"You enjoyed that way too much," Jisung called him out as he lifted the blanket and wrapped it around him. Then, Jeongin giggled again when Jisung trapped him back in his arms for a cuddle.

"We'll have to look at your injured ankle tomorrow, in case it's something serious," Jeongin said after a moment, the calmness of the room never dissipating.

"Mhm, I know. But I looked at it and it wasn't even swollen. Just an annoying sting," Jisung told him as he moved to turn off the lights before settling back on the bed. "Thank you, by the way."

"For what?" Jeongin mumbled, turning fully on his side to get a better view of his lover.

Lover, what a word.

"For saving me, and for looking out for me."

"All I did was clean you up."

Jisung pressed a little closer, hiding his face on Jeongin's chest. "No. You were worried about me, and then wandered the streets alone in the middle of the night to find me and make sure I was okay. That is more than just cleaning me up."

And Jeongin wondered, for the smallest moment, if Jisung could hear his heart beating as fast as Jeongin felt it pounding against his chest.

"I have like… so many questions," he murmured at the end.

"I know."

"But I'm sleepy."

Jisung pressed the sweetest kiss on his neck and Jeongin tightened his arm around his frame. "I know, me too. Let's just sleep now and I'll answer all your questions tomorrow. I promise."

"'mkay, baby."

A comfortable silence wrapped around them like a warm blanket. Jeongin basked in the feeling of having Jisung in his arms, breathing in sync. He was sure if he was a cat, he would be purring right now because of how safe he felt. All his fears and worries faded into a quiet buzz in his mind as he pressed a kiss to Jisung's hair.

And then, Jeongin remembered something.

"I was so close to winning today, by the way," he said as a matter of fact, interrupting the silence that had settled between them.

Jisung huffed. "No, you weren't."

"I was! And then you had to go and be all mighty superhero so now it's gonna take me another two centuries to beat you."

"You'll get there again eventually, princess," Jisung said just as he hid his insufferable smirk on Jeongin's neck.

"Sleep," he mumbled sleepily, cheeks lighting up in flames at the new pet name.

He would just have to get used to this new romantic, flirty side of Jisung. Even though it wasn't so different from the Jisung he'd known for years.

The thought only made Jeongin smile.

With one last squeeze of his arms around Jisung's waist, Jeongin let himself drift off into a dreamy sleep.

(And if it was the best sleep he'd had in ages, then that was no one's business but his own.)