pause (2)
Miles’ evening was particularly quiet, Ganke huddled up next to him on the couch still, TV paused in the middle of an episode of Stranger Things. His parents had since gone into their room. But Miles does remember Rio pressing a kiss to his head around nine, and Jeff one to hers before they left.
He ruffles Ganke’s hair to get him up and help him to his room, which he does, with an arm around his waist. Miles still limps a bit, apologizing if he gets too close to Ganke’s toes. Ganke just huffs a little because Miles doesn’t need to apologize. Opening the door with a foot, Ganke loses his balance as they step into the room. Miles instinctively grabs Ganke’s waist, pressing a kiss to the crook of his neck as he comes back up.
Miles lets Ganke guide him back to the bed, wincing when his side hits the wall because his shoulder’s taken quite beating for two weeks straight.
“You need anything?” Ganke asks, pulling up the desk chair beside the bed.
“Can you help me out the suit please?”
“Yeah, what shirt you want?”
“Y’know the big white tee with the sunflower paint spots- yeah that one. The orange bonnet too.”
Miles tries not to melt when Ganke pulls his shirt out from his side of the bed from the duffle bag full of thing’s he’s stolen. Stolen wasn’t the right word. Miles told Ganke he could have some of his favorites. But when they overlap, it’s the sweetest thing. It makes him feel even more loved, if that was even possible.
Ganke showed him it was.
He helps Miles get the top over his head, taking the time to peck each scar that’s been dealt. Every single one. Miles didn’t expect it, but it wasn’t unwelcome. Not in the slightest. Ganke presses a kiss to his thigh and not his calf when taking his pants off because, in his words:
“That’s too close to your feet. And you know how I feel about feet.”
“And just how do you feel about feet?” Ganke swats Miles’ foot in response, chucking his suit into the laundry pile atop the rest of his stuff and Miles eyes water a little bit.
“Did I hurt you?”
“No, no- God, it’s just…I don’t have to hide anything anymore.”
He doesn’t have to wash the suit separately in the middle of the night. He doesn’t have to pretend not limp around the house or make another excuse as to why he can’t be somewhere or cover up another bruise with makeup and it’s so overwhelming yet freeing.
He could waltz to the laundry room and pick up his uniform alongside his mom’s scrubs like it’s nothing. He can come back and rush to his mom’s room if he needs better bandages- he can actually talk to his dad in his regular voice while he’s at work now because there aren’t many other chances they get to talk.
It’s so, so nice.
Miles doesn’t even realize he’s crying until Ganke’s in front of him, wrapping him up in a proper hug. He cups Ganke’s face with a hand, gently stroking his cheek because he’s started to tear up too.
“We don’t have to- damn.”
“It’s…” Miles trails off. What is it exactly? Different, relieving, frightening, exciting? He wipes his eyes himself, deciding that it just is. And that’s all that matters.
He wants to cry again when his spider sense trickles down the back of his neck, right when his head hits the pillow. But all that comes out is a dry laugh, deep from within his lungs. Ganke sees Miles, watches the gears turn in his brain as he makes the ever stupid decision to try and get up.
“No.”
“Keke, c’mon.”
Ganke squints at him. Miles only uses that name when he’s trying to butter him up. He knows he loves it too.
“Absolutely not.” He manages through the heat rising on his cheeks.
“I swear it’ll only take a second.” Miles lies, "It doesn’t even seem that far-”
"Dude, that's across the water. Your mom’s gonna kill you-”
He’s already grabbed his mask off the desk when the door to his room swings open. Rio stands in the doorway in her gown and head scarf, a nice flower robe, one of Ganke’s face masks, and a pair of sandals on her feet. Except she’s got one of the sandals in her hand, lazily waving it around in Miles’ direction.
He didn’t need his senses to tell him he was in danger.
Rio makes the move to swat him as Miles stands his ground. Miles relents, easing back down into bed with his hands up. She watches him slide the web shooters off his wrists, sulking as he does so. Ganke snickers, but that was clearly the wrong choice since her shoe’s now aimed at him.
“Take it easy, at least for tonight. Got it?”
“Yes Mami.”
“Yes Mrs. Morales.”
“Alright. Ganke, make sure he stays.” He manages a stiff nod.
She eyes the two of them as she turns to leave, the boys locking the door from the inside after her sandals go back down the hall. Rio’s first mistake was trusting Ganke to keep his word, and her second was thinking Miles would actually listen this time. He almost did.
“She didn’t say we had to stay here.” Ganke points out, shrugging Miles’ jacket over his shoulders.
Miles lets a grin tug at his lips, smiling as he goes to grab another jacket- Ganke’s. The one that’s dark brown with rusty stitches and embroidery at the seams. He got Ganke’s hat too, sitting over his mask while Ganke laces Miles’ Jordan’s on his feet.
“Dude.”
“What? Can’t help if we’re the same size.”
Miles pouts, then spots Ganke’s converse on the other side of the room. Ganke’s jaw falls and he scrambles out of his kneel.
“Don’t you dare-” But they’re already on his foot, lacing them up smug as can be.
Ganke grumbles half-heartedly as he climbs onto Miles’ back, almost forgetting to put his phone in his pocket before Miles takes off.
Ganke will never get used to this, not one part of it. One day, they’re ziplining across clothing lines and wires, the next they’re sharing arepa’s on top of the empire state building and spray painting subways with other Spiders. How was this his life? And why did he feel like he didn’t deserve it.
With all that he’s done, all that he’s been praised and acknowledged for alongside Miles- why doesn’t it still feel real to him?
“You alright back there?” Miles asks.
“Yeah, just thinkin’.”
“About?”
“Nothing.” But his voice betrays him. Miles stops a little before the fight, settling down on a rooftop with Ganke.
“What’s wrong? You don’t have to tell me, but I’m here.”
“I know, I will- it’s just, you have to go fight-”
“Not right now, Cindy’s handling it pretty well.” Miles responds, waiting for Ganke to open up. In the meantime he’s got his hand linked in Ganke’s, squeezing it to comfort him. And maybe a big part of it is because he likes feeling Ganke’s hand in his.
“Sometimes, I feel like I don’t deserve this.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“This.” He gestures to Miles, “You, your family- your parents are so sweet I don’t know how you guys put up with me. I’m just in your house practically living there because my parents haven’t had the gall to come back and- and your life! How am I even a part of it I don’t feel like I deserve any part of it-”
And he just keeps going, cutting himself off in places and rambling on in others. Ganke doesn’t even realize he’s still going until he gets winded and Miles is staring at him through his so sweetly it hurts.
“How long have you been thinking about this?”
“How mad would you be if I said three months.”
“I’d have been mad if you said five minutes.”
“...So you’re mad.”
“I’m not mad. I can’t be mad at you for that. I-I get why you’d doubt your place in my life.”
“No you don’t.”
“Nah you’re right, I really don’t.” Ganke lets out a laugh but tries to cover his mouth and it doesn’t work at all.
“But- stop laughing- dude shut up.” He manages, “I get it from my point of view. Sometimes I don’t know why I’m even Spiderman, cause’ it’s obvious some, think I don’t deserve to be. But you are the reason I believe I do, do you understand that?”
“I am?”
The whiplash Miles got from hearing Ganke question that could’ve knocked him into next week.
“Yes, yes you are.” Miles clears his throat dramatically, taking Ganke’s hands in his for dramatic effect.
“You are the reason, alongside the people of this city, that I get up and fight everyday. Do you know how much you help me by simply being in my life? Do you? Because if you don’t, I’ll tell you as many times as I need to until you understand. I appreciate you and everything you do for me, and I’m sorry I don’t tell you that as often as I should.”
Ganke notes how his voice drops at the end, as if its only meant for his ears. “You don’t have to tell me that, I know it. But, you could always show me.” He flirts. Miles has to have rubbed off on him.
“Damn bitch are we interrupting something.” Another donor adds on five dollars and a response.
“Right??? These two stay flirting, I’m starting to believe they fr datin.”
“We are.” They said in unison, which did nothing to help their case. They never plan to explain themselves either, why should they? What’s the point in doing it now?
“This what the fuck we talm bout like are you guys dating or not 😭😭”
And they both shrug their shoulders, relishing in the last bit of chaos before Miles’ sense goes off. He pecks Ganke’s cheek out of frame and dips, leaving him to record the fight from the rooftop. Donations still come in, some pointing out Ganke’s cheeks being a bit redder than normal, others talking about the love in his eyes. The chill air hitting his face is an excellent cover up for the tears that slip out and across his cheek, dying when they reach his mask. Chat can tell he's smiling underneath, but he doesn't quite care.
They’ll never say it out loud, deep down they know they don’t have to.