“Ah shit”
You could feel the blood from your nose leaking through your mask, smearing it all over your face. You just needed to get back to your apartment without being seen by the rest of New York and then you could rip the mask off and tend to your wounds.
It could’ve been worse, genuinely. A busted nose, split lip and a couple of bumps and bruises here and there. You had had worse. You recalled the time you had to explain to your parents as to how exactly you broke your arm. Or the time a building blew up behind you while fighting someone and you were covered in burns and scabs from head to toe. The countless concussions and black eyes. Accelerated healing could only do so much sometimes. Covering up your side gig as the cities friendly neighborhood spider girl was getting, difficult to say the least.
One of your webs connected with the wall of your apartment building and you sighed with relief. Relief was in sight as you landed on your fire escape. Your mind wandered to the phone you had left on your desk when you went out patrolling for the night.
Without a doubt there was probably a million missed texts and phonecalls. Plenty of them from Kate. Your sweet friend Kate, the girl you had been hopelessly in love with since you met her in a freshman year intro to creative writing class. She had sat down next to you and given you one of her famous million dollar smiles. And you have essentially be inseparable ever since. She was honestly the prettiest thing you had ever seen. Dark hair, crystalline blue eyes, full lips and lashes, and a million beauty marks decorating her face. You could’ve swore you could sit down and count them for days and never get bored. You missed her, you thought. You should call her once you get yourself cleaned up.
Gently opening your bedroom window, you entered quietly, not wanting to disturb your downstairs neighbors or anyone else you shared the fire escape with. After shutting the window just as quietly as you opened it you took a deep sigh before reaching for your mask, ready to relieve the uncomfortable sticky feeling of blood on your face.
The whizz of an arrow next to your head stopped your motions. Before it had even collided with the wall behind you, you had webbed the nearest heavy object into your hands. Some antique bookend that your mom had SWORN would come in handy at some point, and you guessed now she was right. You readied yourself, ready to put up a fight. Nothing was coming between you and the date you had with your bed.
Your bedside table light flicked on, revealing none other but Kate Bishop in her superhero get up, bow drawn and arrow pointed directly at your head. You swallowed nervously, knowing Kate had deadly aim with her bow.
“Kate?!” You were shocked at her standing in your bedroom.
“Who are you? “ she questioned you. She spoke in a register lower than her own, probably as some sort of intimidation tactic. Cute. You started to lower the bookend.
“Oh my god spidergirl knows my name..” she dropped her tough girl act for a moment, letting the excitement take over her face.
“Not the point, why are you in this apartment?” She questioned you again, taking a step towards you.
“Okay okay!!” You panicked a little. You set the bookend on your windowsill, your hands up in a surrender.
Deciding to rip the bandaid off as quick as possible, you reach for your mask, pulling it off in one swift tug. Your hair falls around your face, the loose bun you had it in sitting limply on your neck. You sniff slightly.
Kate’s bow clatters to the ground, the arrow she had loaded rolling to your wall . Her mouth hangs slightly agape.
“Oh my god-“ she begins to pace your room, her hands going up to tug at her hair.
“Oh my fucking god”
“-Kate” you go to comfort her
“You’re fucking spider girl??” She looks at you frantically , eyes searching your face.
You put your hands on her arms, holding her still as she looked over you. Her thumb goes to the drying blood that’s below your nose and smeared on your lips.
“You’re spider girl and you’re..you’re hurt” she goes to touch your split brow, you wince slightly. A blush creeping on your cheeks as she runs her fingers over the other injuries in your face. You’ve never seen this look on her face. Her brows are scrunched together, a pretty pout on her lips. If you didn’t know better, you would’ve sworn she was sad.
“Kate I can explain everything I just-“
“Sit down, I need your peroxide”
“Kate can’t we just talk for a minute?”
“Sit” she commands, and you obey. You sit on your bed, hands folded awkwardly in your lap as Kate leaves for your bathroom to go find your first aid supplies.
“Why uh..why were you in my apartment…in the dark?” You ask her. You can hear rummaging around the cabinet. You begin to take your hair out of the bun, slowly working the knots out with your fingers.
“You hadn’t responded to my calls…I got worried”
“So you broke into my house?” You scoff.
Kate appears from the bathroom, an array of first aid supplies in her hands.
“It technically wasn’t breaking in. There’s a key under your mat” she sits on your bed, spreading everything across the quilt. She ends the conversation at that, beginning on cleaning your face, freeing it of the now dry and itchy blood that was caked on your face and lips.
She’s so pretty. Your hands begin to clam up and your heart rate escalates. If you didn’t know any better you’d think she can hear it from outside your body. She continues her first aid. Swiping ointment on your cuts and applying bandages.
“Where’d you learn how to do first aid?” You question, watching her work.
“Clint, he told me I did a shit job the first time I did it myself” she chuckles slightly to herself . You should’ve known.
When you had met Kate she was nothing but a pretty girl archery captain who had dreams of becoming an Avenger. But a lot had changed since then and she was now almost there, becoming the protégé of the world famous Hawkeye. According to Kate’s calculations she thinks Clint is “ready to pass down the title”.
“And that should do it for the face, take your suit off and I’ll do the rest” Kate’s worried. You can see it in her eyes. Normally not one for serious conversations, now thrust into something that was life altering.
You reach for the clasps of your suit, only stopping for a moment when you think about the situation at hand.
“Kate I’m sorry for keeping this from you” you feel bad. Kate had been so open and honest with her superhero journey, so why hadn’t you?
“How long..how long have you been Yknow..a superhero?” Kate avoids your eyes. It crushes you a little.
“Um, about a year?” You cringe hearing it come out of your mouth.
Kate hits you. You wince.
“A whole year? Are you kidding me?? Oh my god” she blows up on you.
“A whole year and you didn’t tell me you’re Spider Girl?” She puts her hands on your thighs , you tense up at her touch.
“I didn’t want to steal your thunder! You had Clint, and the Ronan and the Rockefeller tree! You had a huge couple months!” It was true. Kate did have the biggest couple months of her life, and what kind of friend would you be if you made it all about yourself.
“Yeah but then..that means you were going through all of this..” Kate gestures to your predicament, “by yourself..”
Tears well up in your eyes for a minute.
“I just wanted to keep you safe, I couldn’t live with myself knowing you got hurt because of who I am”
They’re rolling freely now, Kate reaches a hand to wipe them.
“You’re an idiot” she half laughs half cries.
“I know I am” you say laughing with her, and leaning into her touch. It’s welcomed.
“I literally put on a ninja suit and saved a dog on live television and almost died I don’t know how many times, trust me I get hurt enough just being me”
You both laugh at that. She was right, she had done some stupid things in the time
Kate keeps her hand on your cheek as you both sit. Nothing but you, her, and the sound of the cars on the street below your apartment. She’s looking at you with something in her eye, something you haven’t seen before.
Observing your eyes and lips, your eyebrows and the cuts that she mended just moments ago. Kate takes her hand off of your cheeks and leans back slightly.
“I think I’m in love with you?” She says, almost as a realization to herself. She gives a giant sigh as the words leave her mouth, like she’s been holding onto them for who knows how long.
“And I- I want to be there for you when you’re hurt, and fix your cuts and ice your black eyes and I never want secrets between us again.” She’s rambling at this point, fidgeting with her fingers. She’s back to holding her breath.
Her words hit you like a ton of bricks, not able to understand if this is a dream or real life. Maybe you had gotten thrown into a wall a little TOO hard during your fight.
Kate’s eyes flick up to yours nervously. Watery blue eyes meeting yours. She bounces her leg off the bed. You take her hands into yours.
“I would..like that a lot” you smile at her.
“Really?” She swallows nervously. You nod your head at her.
Kate nearly tackles you as she lurches accross the bed, kissing you.
Kate Bishop is kissing you. The girl who lent you her fun stationary when your forgot yours in class. The girl who you had spent hours up in her apartment working on the world’s worst projects and presentations. The girl who you nervously watched on TV whenever she was on some crazy Avengers business.
You sigh into her, kissing her back. She tastes like whatever energy drink she had had earlier to give her as much energy as she had in the moment. Kate pulls away, laying on top of you.
“I think this could really work..you and me?” She’s giddy now.
“I think so too” you say tucking a loose strand of hair from her ponytail behind her ear. Kate inspects you again, playing with your hair . She’s smiling slightly, biting her lip as she looks down at you.
“So how does it work..Yknow..the web thing?” She’s sitting up, grabbing at your hands.
“Oh my god we’re dating for not even a minute and you’re already asking about my most personal secrets” you feign annoyance as Kate giggles at you a little.
“What can I say, I have a thirst for knowledge….girlfriend” she smiles proudly as she says the word ‘girlfriend’.
“Whatever you say…girlfriend” you grin back at her.