bug-boy
Miles’ apartment (Earth-1610)
“Do I really have to do this?” Miles sighed as his mom handed him thirty dollars.
“Yes, mijo.” Rio replies sternly. “She’ll appreciate this, trust me.”
“Don’t hold your breath..” He mumbles lowly.
“What was that?” Rio questioned, hearing him anyway.
Miles shrugged, “She didn’t seem that thrilled when I told her I’d take her.”
“I wouldn’t be thrilled to see a guy who stood me up either.” Rio shrugged, agreeing with your reaction.
Miles sighed in defeat. “I didn’t stand her up.”
“Right,” Rio nodded. “You just slept in, making her go to a farmers market in a new city for the first time, all alone.”
Miles groaned, “You make it sound worse than it does!”
His mother crossed her arms, looking at him displeased. “Why are you so against taking y/n to the farmers market?”
“I’m not against it, I just think she’d rather go by herself.. orwithanyonewhoisntme.” he explained, mumbling quickly through the last bit.
Rio rolled her eyes, uncrossing her arms. “You’re being ridiculous, mijo. Besides, y/n's mother told me she goes to the farmers market every week, and I need a few things anyway.”
Miles opened his mouth to protest, but she beat him to it; cutting him off before he could even start. “Now no more arguing, put your shoes on and meet her upstairs, it’s almost 8.”
ding-dong!
You huffed at his timing, already knowing it was Miles at your door. You quickly zipped up your jeans, and threw on a fitted white lace tank top.
“Y/n dear, someones at the door!” Your mom called out from the couch as she read her book, not bulging to open the door.
“I know, I know!” You shout back frustrated from your room. “But I can’t find my sweater or my converse!”
Your mom rolled her eyes, putting her book down and taking off her reading glasses as she got up. “Your sweaters laying on your desk chair and your converse are by the door!” She calls back, walking to the door.
“Hi, Miles. Y/n’s not quite ready yet, you’ll have to excuse her.” Your mom says with a saccharine smile.
“Oh, it’s no problem.” He replies back nonchalantly, despite feeling nervous.
You pull open the door to your room, still pulling the sweater over your head as you walk out. Your mother looks back at you with a smug look on her face. “How nice of you to join us.” she teases.
You roll your eyes, bending down to put your shoes on as she walks back to the living room. It takes a moment for you to finish tying your laces, but Miles didn’t complain.
You stand up, exhaling. “You ready to go?” you ask, meeting eyes with Miles.
He smiles at you and nods as you step into the hall, closing the door behind you.
Please don’t let today be a long day.
The walk to the market is quiet. Neither of you had said anything since he’d picked you up, you hadn’t even looked at him once. He, on the other hand, kept glancing at you, trying to figure out what to ask or say to you to break the tension. But failed to actually go through with any of it.
Unusually, you didn’t seem to notice his attempts either. The two of you hadn’t interacted much, but the few times you did, you were attentive to everything he said or did.
A little too attentive
You think to yourself, the images of that night replaying in your head. You want to sigh, but don’t want him to think anything is wrong, so you don’t. It wasn’t particularly him being Spiderman that set you the wrong way, it was more so living next to Spiderman that did.
Sure it meant that the neighborhood would be a little more protected, but it also meant it would be a little more targeted as well. If anyone found out he was Spiderman that is. But if you figured it out so easily, anyone could.
The idea of your neighborhood in danger-
(Of him in danger.)
-made you worry. Your anxiety was bad enough as it is.
You had so many questions you wanted to ask him, but couldn’t. You knowing his identity wouldn’t create any potential harm if you were the only one who knew about it.
Miles clears his throat, clearing the air “So how are your parents? And sister?” he asks, hesitating before the second question.
“They’re good,” You nod. “My dad flew back to California on Thursday, and my mom seems to be settling in well. My sister, I don’t know. I never usually do.”
You regret the last part. Not wanting to sound upset, you add, “She’s probably on a yacht somewhere in Europe though.”
Miles nods, mentally noting to avoid talking about your sister too much. “How come your dad isn’t moving with you?”
“His job. He teaches quantum physics at UC Berkeley.” you reply.
Miles goes silent for a second and you think you’ve lost him. “I know quantum physics sounds lame but-”
He cuts you off, “Nono! I think it’s really cool!”
You turn to him surprised, until you remember he goes to Visions and that he’d probably already learnt the basics to it.
“I actually used to want to study that when I got to university someday.” He says, a small smile forming on his lips that tells you he was passionate about the subject.
“Used to?” You question. “How come you don’t want to anymore?”
“I don’t need to.” He answers truthfully.
You nod, “Cuz you’ve already mastered it at your school?” you quip, tilting your head to the side, smiling at him.
Miles laughs at your joke, causing your stomach to twist in an unfamiliar way- a good way. You start to laugh with him, finding his smile contagious.
“You’re gonna make that comment everytime we talk about school, huh?”
You shake your head, “Only when we talk about the nerdy subjects.”
He narrows his eyes at you. “Are you calling me a nerd?”
You can’t help but laugh again as if the answer were obvious, to which Miles playfully rolled his eyes. “You’re the one with a quantum physics professor for a father.”
“My father being a nerd doesn’t make me a nerd.” you can't help but grin.
“Uh- yes it does.”
“What? How.”
“Genetics and DNA. He’s a nerd, so you’re his little nerd off-spring.” Miles says plainly, as if it were fact.
You scoff, smiling at his fake science statement. “That’s not how it works.”
“Hey, I’m the one who goes to Visions- I think I would know.” He says, putting his hands in the air in defense.
Miles realizes he just implied you were dumb, and quickly overthinks it. But instead of being offended you laugh- and he’s so relieved. He was worried he’d made you hate him after the rooftop party, which you didn’t. But from his perspective, you only seemed off after it happened, although he lacked the actual context of what really threw you off, it didn't matter. At least he didn’t think so, because now you were laughing with him like you were the only two people on Earth.
It was unusual how fast you’d gotten back onto good terms with each other, but he didn’t question it.
Eventually reaching the farmers market, you start looking for the strawberry stand. “The last time I was here, the lady who gave me a discount had a cross necklace on, so look out for her, okay?” you turn back to Miles but realize he wasn’t paying attention.
He was staring off into the distance behind you, as if he’d seen a ghost. You furrow your eyebrows making a concerned face at him. “Miles?”
He coughs, turning his attention back to you. “Uh.. I’m- so sorry but I have to go.”
You narrow your eyes, “What?”
“I’ll be back in like 10 minutes, I swear!” He says hurriedly, running past you. You turn around confused, watching him run off before hearing the sound of the news channel playing off one of the vendor's phones.
“This just in, an armed robbery has just taken place at United Nations Bank, just North of 12th street, reporters say the suspects were seen driving away in a white minivan, unsure of where they planned on going.”
You click your tongue, “Of course!” you say to yourself, grabbing a handful of hair by your scalp. “Because you’re Spiderman.” you mumble, releasing your hair and dropping your arm back to your side.
You didn’t flinch from the situation, continuing on with your groceries. Compromising with the vendors about their overpriced fruits as Spiderman fought the robbers just a mere block away. You even got a discount from the elderly woman who was selling apples just because she found you cute. You had just about finished your list, and Miles’ by the time he came back.
“Hey!” he greeted running up to you, slightly out of breath. “The line to the bathroom was just so long.” he exasperated.
You stared at him, an unreadable expression on your face. “There was an open bathroom in the Starbucks like twenty yards away.” you say blankly.
Miles stammered, “I-I know that but, those are always so dirty y’know?” He chuckled awkwardly.
You nod along with what he says, eyebrows still furrowed as you smile, amused by his stupid lie.
“Well I better get the fruits my mom wa-”
You cut him off by shoving a bag of assorted fruits into his chest. He looks down at it before taking the bag from you. “Thank y-”
“Let’s get going bug-boy!” You say, walking away leaving him dumbfounded. You try not to laugh.
“Wha- bug-boy?” He questioned, laughing awkwardly again as he caught up with you.
You turn to look at him, “Yeah. Y’know, cuz your eyes always widen like an Alaus Oculatus?”
Although still confused on what you just said, Miles takes a breath of relief realizing you didn’t mean what he thought you had meant. You notice this and stifle a laugh.
“A what?” he asks, astonished at your statement.
“It’s a type of beetle!” You answer, giggling.
You admit, maybe it was mean to scare him like that, but if you were to keep his identity a secret, you may as well have fun teasing him over it.
He scoffs, “Who’s the nerd now?”
“Knowing what an insect is does not make me a nerd, Morales.” you say. The sound of your voice saying his name catches him off guard.
“Knowing what an insect is doesn’t make you a nerd, it’s knowing their scientific name that does.” he objects.
“Y’know I didn’t hear a ‘thank you’ for doing your grocery shopping for you.” you talk back.
Miles' mouth falls open at your accusation, “I tried to! You cut me off!”
You shake your head, crossing your arms as you sigh, “Men always have excuses.”
“Oh come on!” Miles groans, causing you to giggle.