podcast
Miles watched the clock tick all day, trying to get time to go faster. Having exhausted Ganke on what she'll ask (he doesn't know, he just told him shit he would've asked)- he was stuck pondering and restless in his room. Ganke could only look on as he made paper airplanes, launched them to Queens, drew in his sketchbook, and pestered him with kisses. He endured Miles' onslaught until about 2 P.M, where he finally caught one of his airplanes and flew it back.
"Hey, what was that for?"
"For being impatient. We've got eight hours left."
"And?"
"You've been bouncing off the walls for fourof them."
"Really? Didn't notice." He waves a hand, throwing a tennis ball he's scooped up from God knows where from underneath his sheets.
Ganke caught that ball too, chucked it into the pile of clothes slowly creeping up in the corner of their room. First, it was dirty socks, some bloody, some more grey than white. now they're throwing underwear, shirts, and a spider-mask on top of it.
"Stop bouncing things, please." Ganke sighs, going back to his college apps.
Twenty seven tabs open for college research, along with two for CommonApp, and Ganke felt like he was going to lose it. Hell, maybe he had lost it. Miles, upon seeing the horror of his screen, whipped his chair back around to face him.
"You need a break," Miles starts, Ganke laughs dryly. "You've already finished ten of them- and got accepted to three."
"That's rich-" Ganke was cut off by a thumb skimming over his lips. Glancing down, Miles watches him like a hawk- still tracing his lips as gently as he can. When Ganke's cheeks match his lips, he finally nudges Miles's hand off his face.
"What were you saying about a break?" He asked, Miles powering off the computer- brown eyes never leaving his face.
"Yeah, we both need one. So let's take one." Miles wraps an arm around Ganke, dragging him out the window with a small yelp and the promise of an impromptu date.
Ganke's not sure where to go at first, so Miles just swings him around for a while- that could've been their entire date and Ganke wouldn'tve complained. Stomach flipping, weight dropping, eyes forced to focus on what's ahead but he can't help but peek at some of the prettier buildings, Miles sneaks in a kiss at the back of Ganke's neck while they're soaring- while he's distracted and won't feel it from the wind. Just so he knows he's there.
Ganke picks out Ganesh Temple Canteen and it's here Miles realizes Ganke just wants to see the city, see it in all it's overpriced glory (well no, that's just Manhattan)- and that's more than good on his part.
One good thing about being Spiderman is the free food that comes with it, but he'd rather not accept it until around the third or fourth time he's come around to a spot. Then there's Teo, who gave him the sandwiches, insisting that he already "pays with his life, why pay for the sandwiches too?" Miles insists too, leaving money on the counter. Teo used it for toys and food for his cat, also named Spiderman.
Their space is full with three servings of poori aalu, some besibele bhath, and various dosas in which Miles leaves Ganke one of each to try. In reality, Ganke's stuffed and took them all to go just in case Miles needed something else.
An hour later, Ganke's handing him one out of his bag while they relaxed on someone's rooftop garden. Turns out it was Ms. Chen's, who promptly chased them off with a broom handle and a shoe. Y'know, the golden cat, empty crunch bar boxes, and red furniture accents really should've gave that away- but hey, no one said he was the sharpest tool in the shed.
So they ran, ran across rooftops, awnings, windowsills- Ganke hesitant to hop across a few, gaps a little too large for his liking. "Take a running start from the other side!"
"How do I know I won't fall?" He calls out, Miles perched on the next building.
"I won't let you."
So he ran, ran and leapt as far as his legs could take him. Miles pulled him into a hug even though Ganke had made it well onto the next rooftop, two or three feet away from the ledge. It's only five thirty when they finish the first half of their date, embracing on the roof like no one's watching them.
It's just them, J Jonah Jameson's blimp flying overhead spewing whatever the hell he says (he never really listens nowadays, if he does it's to laugh). Miles swings him to every spot he knows, Ganke's eyes tear up at the expense of the wind threatening to force them shut. So, in a stroke of diluted genius, Miles gives him his mask. Rips a few holes in the sides for his glasses.
"Wait, what about you-" Miles buries his head in his shoulder and keeps it moving.
"I'll be okay. Trust me."
They swung back in time to get on the podcast, sat down, opened up the computers and Miles snatched his mask back so fast because for some god-forsaken reason Ganke left the camera was on.
"Lecture hall?"
"Yeah." Ganke pecks his cheek, pulling away faster than light when Danika's face started loading in.
"Spiderman, it is an honor to meet you!"
"Oh no, the pleasure's mine." He hears shuffling off to the side, presumably pen and paper.
Ganke's relaxing on the bed as intended, strands in his face, hair in a small bun that Miles is torn between smacking clean off and fiddling it like a bobblehead. He's reading Pride and Prejudice for their assignment that Miles still hasn't done, but he at least read the book.
"Sorry, I'll get to the first question soon but- My viewers want to know who the hot guy in the back is."
Ganke doesn't answer, nose buried and scarf covering his face. "No answer? Alright. Question one: How exactly did you get your powers?"
Ganke tried not to budge in, partly enthralled in the book, partly because he wanted Miles to have some fun with this. Of course, he couldn't answer everything asked, but he tried to the best of his ability. However, everything went to shit in the the final hour- not in the way he thought it would.
Danika took a break to set up for the next round, supposedly with more lighthearted questions from commenters.
"Here's one, you don't have to answer if you don't want to: Does Spiderman have...?"
Miles sighs, "Yes I've had hoes."
Ganke covered his mouth, giggling as Miles started counting on his fingers- losing count. He stopped around seven, restarted and got eight.
"You forgot Harry and Eugene." He pipes up, holding up three fingers. Ganke thought he was slick.
Danika's mouth hangs open, "Spidey, where'd you find the time?"
"I actually don't have the time. That's why a few of those relationships broke off anyway. Then I can't exactly tell them I'm Spiderman unless they already know, y'know? The trust that'd usually be there just can't be built unless I tell them."
"Wait...you're saying you dated other heros?" Don't know how she got there, but alright.
"Yeah like four or five of them. Why?"
"Four or five? Why do we only see you most of the time?"
"Distance, patrol, rotations, designated burrows. See, Star' covers Staten Island and surrounding waters. Spiderwoman covers Queens for me, Cloak goes any damn where since he can teleport- it's a process."
"What're your areas?"
"Brooklyn, Manhattan, Bronx, Queens on some Fridays."
Ganke furrows his eyebrows in the back, Miles turns back.
"What's wrong?"
"You didn't tell me you travel all the way out to the Bronx half the time."
"I thought you knew."
"Yeah, about Brooklyn. Why doesn't she cover Queens and Manhattan for you?" Ganke's accent starting to leak out, slurring between why doesn't and for you and Miles was gonna slip up if he kept talking like that.
"...Good question. Never really thought about it."
She knows.
"God, I'm gonna sort this out hold on." Ganke gets up and walks off, phone in hand and Gwen on the other line.
"I think you're in trouble." Dani remarks, sipping her drink.
"So do I." He whines, webbing the door shut.
"You're watching the podcast?"
"Yeah."
"Great, so what's going on?"
"They didn't station me in Manhattan and Queens because I still glitch out from time to time."
"Oh...my bad."
She waves her hand as if he can see it. "It's fine, you didn't know. But, Miles took over that portion of New York to look out for my health."
"...At the expense of his own." He can't be mad at that.
There's a pause, Gwen smiling wearily over the line. "He's too sweet for his own good." She finishes, "I could definitely take it over now."
"I know you could, and he knows too. So how do we get him to back up a bit?" The familiar sound of Spandex resounds over the phone. Oh Lord she's coming.
"Give me like ten minutes to finish my pasta."
She was not finishing that pasta. She had that styrofoam box in her hand and a web over the seal. Ganke heard metal bend underneath her feet as she hopped off her balcony.
He hung up, scared, impressed, yet slightly worried about what horror he had unleashed.