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Ganke smirked at the screen, clicking on verification emails left and right.
It didn't take long for the accounts to gain traction. News stations, passing users, quote tweets, comments, podcasts- literally everyone was posting about them. Perhaps the public waited in agony, fearing it would be a cash grab. Perhaps excitement, ready to see more spiderman content than shaky Instagram lives and the same short clips posted over and over again. Maybe in apprehension of what's to come for their hero. But whatever the public decided it wanted, they had to deliver. Ganke went straight to work digging through his camera roll, picking out videos he hadn't even shown to Miles.
There's a bunch of good stuff in there. The Green Goblin getting his shit rocked and thrown into the lake in Central Park, Miles spraying him with water while surfing on the Oscorp drone. That feels like it should go on Youtube, cut that end clip for a tiktok. Ooh! That banter between him and Scorpion was definitely going on Youtube (and in his favorites, Miles speaking Spanish was a very guilty pleasure of his). Perhaps he'd make a fan edit...for the fans of course!
Oh, who's he kidding. Of course it's for him.
But one caught his eye the most, that play button seemingly lilac from all the purple surrounding it.
It's a pretty unknown drone video of him fleeing the Prowler near the ground, his chaser on a motorcycle- Ganke realized it was before he was truly seen as Spiderman. The thrill of the chase was absolutely wonderful, all leading up to Miles getting swept up by the train. As good of footage it might be, something in him told him to keep it hidden from the world, and that feeling nagged at him farther to just delete it.
He won't, unless Miles wants him to.
Setting it aside, he scours the rest of his Google Drive. Wait- he's getting ahead of himself! They need introductions!
Ganke nudges Miles out of a dream, feeling slightly guilty that he's waking him up just to ask about which clips he should post first.
Miles is surprisingly compliant when he's about twenty percent awake.
"You should do that fat dude one."
Ganke fixes his bonnet back on his head, admiring the white cobwebs embroidered on black satin. "Okay thank you."
"You're welcome." Miles squints at the clock before turning over, promptly turning right the fuck back around to throw his bonnet at the back of Ganke's head.
"Bro go the fuck to sleep."
He downs another bit of instant coffee, "Why should I?"
Miles takes a webshooter from underneath his pillow and snatches it away. Ganke's making the leap to get it when Miles chucks the bottle out into the courtyard. His heart shatters with the glass and the rest of his mocha onto the pavement. Miles flips the metal cap in its wake.
Ganke's heart would remain shattered if not for the concerned gaze in Miles' eyes- or the light yet firm grip on his right cheek. That boy's practically begging him to turn off the lights and shut off the operation for the night.
He swiped Ganke's glasses off, tapping the handle on his nose. To make matters worse, he tapped it with his fingers the same way he'd seen his mother do it to him back in seventh and eighth grade. They were fairly callused now, and that little rough patch on what should be soft fingers brought him back to reality.
"Please?"
Okay, that's it. Miles was lucky he was cute.
That bonnet stayed on the floor. It could last a night without being on his head.
If Ganke could alter their routine with the announcement of social media, so could Miles.
Which is why, before Ganke woke up that Saturday- Miles swung down to the nearest store to replace Ganke's iced coffee with water. No, it wasn't overkill. Yes, he was concerned.
He wasn't going to tell Ganke the color slowly drained from his face a little more every night. Nor that he could hear his heart speed way up and drop right down as the hours droned on, or feel shaky hands vibrate through the air. Miles wouldn't tell Ganke of times he'd went completely still in his chair, silently praying his heart would slow down and it never did until he passed out from staying awake.
Miles never let him sleep in that chair. Back and self-preservation be damned.
Perhaps he was the last one who should talk about lack of self-preservation. And perhaps he was the last person who should lay his loved ones down.
But as long as he never had to bury them again, he'd be alright.
So when Ganke pouts at the switch-a-roo, Miles keeps his attention focused on organizing his messy notes so as not to cry in front of him and save it for the bathroom. He releases the breath he knew he was holding as Ganke took a bottle and left the dorm. Shuddering against the door, he tries to compose himself in front of the sink.
"Good, good. You're good, you're good. He's good he is fine he will be fine."
He's not though.
Wash your face, He's going to be okay.
The washcloth and his tears his the basin, the plop of it deafening in their little bathroom.
But he wasn't.
Miles texted Ganke to come back and attend his lessons online, an excuse to have someone close to him before he fell.
Not down, but apart.
Miles leapt at the doorknob turning, but it's just Ganke. That's all he needs right now.
Ganke mutes his lesson around twenty minutes in. Miles was clearly rattled about something, sticking and unsticking his hands to the wall, the silver chain around his neck, the picture of his uncle and him in front of his graffiti.
He knew exactly what this was, and tried to drown out any sounds out of fear they'd be too loud.
Correction, Ganke thought he knew what this was. Miles flung open the window and turned his computer’s lesson all the way up so it could pierce the back of his brain.
Oh okay, so it's the other thing.
"You want me to ramble?"
"Please do." Miles clutches his mask, knees up to his chest against the headboard.
"Okay, so- about the social media pages"
Oh lord. "I'm not really listening but yeah go ahead."
"-You wanna make a TikTok?"
Miles takes a breath deeper than the ocean, clutching his mask so hard Ganke thought it'd evaporate between his palm. He dabs at his eyes with the singed mask, giggling at this damn idiot and his newfound passion as a PR manager. Only Ganke would be allowed to display this type of ignorance and get away with it.
"You have the absolute worst timing I've ever fucking seen-"
Ganke shrugs, "I dunno man it seems like pretty good timing to me."
Can't argue with that. Ganke was always right on time. Even if Miles wasn't.
"We can make some when you feel better, okay?"
He nods. Ganke would be waiting for a long time then.
"Bro why the fuck are we up here?"
Miles should've kept being sad. Because if he'd just cried in the bathroom like he planned on doing, he and Ganke wouldn't be on the roof of his old school, behind a fatass red brick belltower, trying to make a goddamn Tiktok.
"Hey man, ask yourself. I said we could film in the alley by 'Visions."
"And have people actually witness it? Nah I'm good."
Miles starts taking paint out his bag.
"We got everything, right?"
"Yeah. Spray paint, red and blue dye, and webs."
"Cool cool, tell me when” One nod and he’s off.
Miles simply drew the logo in white, letting it drip just a tad. He outlines the logo off camera with blue and red webs simultaneously, adding a peace sign at the end.
"That looks nice!"
"Screenshot it and post it to Insta. I'll do a little pose for Twitter."
Just then, Miles’ spidey sense went off. He knew it was about time for the little kids to have recess. Oh no. Oh God here they come.
"OH MY GOD ITS SPIDERMAN!"
"SPIDERMAN BRO ITS HIM"
"SPIDEY!"
"DERMAMAN!" From a kindergartener- who had to have lost at least three baby teeth- absolutely broke them. Miles was creasing, his head down and back to the world. Ganke giggles, changing Miles' contact in his phone immediately.
The recess monitor and his dad were outside watching the kids and all that. Wait, his dad? Damn. He forgot he was still on patrol by his house most days. The only time he really got to see him now was on the weekend at the police station as Spiderman. Miles should've left when he noticed him there, swinging Ganke with him- but the puppy dog eyes the kids gave could not be ignored.
Spiderman took a raincheck on leaving, bringing Ganke down for the ride to the playground. He was fine and dandy taking pictures until one of the kids snatched his phone with their grimy little hands. Curse the Asian squat for being so comfortable.
"Nice pics" Miles comments, giving it back "-you should come play with them too."
"Dude, no. I don't know how to play with kids."
Miles merely stuck out his hand. "You're about to!"
A little girl with puffballs stole his glasses before he got up. "Sure am, give those back you little shit!"
A few more photos with the staff and kids at the end of recess, and the boys headed back to their dorm.
Miles languidly strokes Ganke's hair while they pick, scroll, and post. Miles’ favorite picture by far was Ganke getting mollywhopped by a kid with a plastic shovel in the sandbox. Ganke's favorite? Miles getting his nipple grabbed on complete accident by one of the preschoolers, his dad cackling in the background.
He hit send on each platform (and made a second youtube account for Miles' community acts called Behind the Spider- all spurred by today's excursion). Maybe he should tone it down a little...no he won't.
Miles placed an arm around Ganke's neck, "Thank you."
"For what?"
"This." He holds his phone, Ganke staring wide-eyed. He should've known.
"Now show me those memes you dipshit."