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“One million views? In six hours?” Ganke rasps, checking his phone. It’s been on all night- his fingertips borderline burning from how hot it is. But that three percent was hanging on as he tried to show Miles the video. He looks at his phone, then at Miles’ arm, trying to see if the heat would stir him awake.
His boyfriend’s deep sleep was a somber reminder that he’d been through worse. Much worse. But the gentle way of getting him up woke him with a start, Miles’ heart pounding as he scans his surroundings.
“Pav- Hobie, are they al-”
“We had a sleepover, they fell asleep over here. You’re good- we’re safe.” Ganke says quickly, and the frantic look in Miles’ eyes leaves. Albeit, slowly.
Miles blinks himself the rest of the way awake. “Sorry, sorry- just…forgot for a second.”
“You’re good man.” Ganke says, hugging his back gently. “You wanna get breakfast, or?”
“Yeah…seems like dad’s making it today.” Miles says dejectedly, jazz softly gracing his ears in the background.
“I don’t know man, it smells pretty good.”
“That’s cause he’s still on the meat and potatoes part of breakfast.” Miles mutters, knowing what’s to come. One time, he had to scrape about four waffles off the ceiling- Rio didn’t trust him with anything that required a spatula for a month. Hell, she didn’t trust Miles either. Super strength in a kitchen? He got burnt by oil, grabbed a pan too hard in response, and dented the handle into a nice palm-sized groove.
So, yeah. Miles was banned from the kitchen pretty quickly. The question was: how long was Jeff going to get banned for this time?
A distant crash sounds from the kitchenette, startling Pavitr and Hobie awake. Hobie damn near jumps into Pavitr’s arms, and Pavitr drops him off of reflex. Ganke looks away as if he didn’t see it, while Miles covers his mouth to hold himself back.
“I am so sorry-”
“No you’re not.” Hobie says, adjusting his shirt.
“Yeah you’re right I’m not- ow!” Pavitr cries as Hobie smacks him with his sleep mask, with Miles slipping off to go help his dad out with whatever the hell he just did.
Miles enters the kitchen to find his father not in any sort of predicament, which was already strange enough. A multitude of pans line the countertops and stove, save for the bottom right burner. That's where a cookbook with recently singed pages resides on top of it, with a suspiciously blackened towel at its side. Never change dad, never change.
“You alright?”
“Yeah yeah- your mom had to work early, and I couldn’t find the cast iron skillet for the revoltillo. Also, does Pav like omelettes?”
“Oh- Grandma took it back over Thanksgiving.” Miles reminds as his dad shakes his head. “Pavi, do you like omelettes?”
“-Yes I do! Make it vegetarian please, thank you. Hobie give that back -”
“Come get it you fuckin’ garden gnome- oh shit-” There’s a shriek from Hobie as Ganke watches on from inside the room, undoubtedly recording. Miles shakes his head in exasperation.
“Anyways…you need help with them omlettes?”
“Yeah, crack those eggs- get another pan if y’all want some butter or meat or sumn’.”
“Alright.” He says, taking out the eighteen pack.
“Miles don’t you crack all them damn-” Miles hunches over, laughing quietly as he just cracked a third one into the bowl.
“I’m only on three-”
“In this economy? You gon’ stay at three goddamnit.”
“Dad please I’ll get you some more-” Jeff squints, spotting Miles' lip trembling from holding back a laugh. Jeff smiles a little at the grin on his face- something he realizes he hasn’t seen from Miles as often as he should.
“Gone’ head and get another…just get three dozen when you go out. Okay?”
“Okay!”
Miles relaxes as the jazz continues playing- the sounds of Pavitr, Hobie, and Ganke in the other room fluctuating up and down as they continue cooking. Jeff asks Pavitr and Hobie what they want in their omlettes- and learns from Miles that Pavitr should probably get plant-based eggs just to be safe. Meanwhile, Miles makes Ganke’s eggs fluffier, over a bit of rice with some green onions. Jeff shakes his head in quiet recognition. He remembers doing something similar with Rio after they’d been dating for a while. Making her potatoes and hashbrowns crispier because she liked them that way. Seeing the smile as she notices every time, without fail for the last twenty years. Yeah, those boys will be just fine.
“Come get y’all food.” Miles calls, leaning against the counter exhausted. “Damn. Is this how y’all feel?”
“Everytime they all come over.” Jeff responds, sipping his coffee.
“Damn…” Miles mutters again, and his dad hugs him from the side, chuckling heartily. The two watch their guests eat, Miles noticing Ganke nod in satisfaction as he adds chili oil to his eggs. Hobie rolls his eyes, feigning irritation when Miles’ eyes look on at him impossibly warm.
“God, get a room.” Hobie says.
“God, get a partner.” Pavitr mutters, gesturing at him with stained fingers.
“I’ve got a couple people.”
“In the back of your mind?” Ganke asks sarcastically, Pavitr nearly choking on his food.
“Know what- I think you’re just mad we’ve got cool powers.”
Jeff’s eyebrows furrow at that. “Wait a damn minute, are both of you two-”
Miles nods briskly. “Yes, yes they are.”
“Is Gwanda one too?”
“Yeah, and her name’s Gwen.”
“I knew her ass wasn’t South African. Ganke, are you one too?”
“No but it should’ve been me.” He sighs dramatically, forehead resting on his hand. “Both my friends got bit but I’m still normal? That’s cruel.”
“Trust me, there are times where I’d rather be normal.” Miles says. Pavitr mumbles words of agreement while Hobie simply shrugs.
“I don’t think there’s been a time where I’ve been normal. Or hated my powers fully- no wait there’s just one. When I broke my guitar in half and had to fix it- oh my God and then growing out of most my clothes when I was already six feet tall at fifteen- that was just sick.”
“-Nah cause after I got bit I grew out my uniform in a couple of weeks at Visions- why the fuck were uniforms a hundred and fifty dollars.”
“Me too! Maya Auntie was so confused when I was taller than her all of a sudden and-”
Ganke continues eating quietly as the Spiders talk amongst themselves. Jeff looks towards him and gives him a nod. And at first he doesn’t quite understand, until he looks a little closer. How animated they all are together, Miles and Pavitr talking excitedly while Hobie chimes in with a joke every now and then. He gets it, he thinks. There are times where Miles is normal, for the most part. Even if he never will get all the mundanity of his life back.
But he’s got a few people to remind him of that- and a whole society that kind of hates him, but he doesn’t have to worry about that. Not here. Not in this kitchen. And in a perfect world, it'd be never.
“Dude, do you think Ganke could take Miguel in a fight?”
Ganke eyes Hobie's inquiry- he’d just tuned back into the conversation. Miles pouts before responding. “No, Ganke could definitely hack Lyla with Margo and delete his suit or something. But give my mom a slipper and Miguel's pretty much dead.”
He doesn't know whether to be proud or offended that Miles knows him so well. For the sake of keeping the peace, he'll remain proud.
“What about your dad?”
“I don’t think Miguel’s bulletproof so,” Miles shrugs, “Yeah, he could take him.”
“Valid, valid. Maya Auntie could chuck her bracelets at him like those little throwing stars. She did it to me when I took food too early-”
And that’s when Ganke tunes back out. Yeah, nevermind. He's not that normal.