A Little Risk Doesn’t Hurt Anyone
“This year we should celebrate Halloween together, Matty!” Peter basically bounced where he stood. A huge grin plastered on his face from excitement at the thought of him and his boyfriend spending their first Halloween together.
He might’ve just graduated from high school, and was on his way to being an adult, but he loved the holiday. 18 or not, he was going to enjoy the night and not let the negative things some people could say to him deter him from his plans. Some might say it’s weird that he loves to dress up for the day and say he was too old for it, but it was fun to basically cosplay and not have to go to a convention. It was a day to dress up however he wanted, scare people, get scared himself, and give out or receive candy. He could even go out in his Spider-Man outfit and people would just think it’s a very detailed costume.
With energy practically radiating from him, there was a hop in his steps as he walked, practically running, from the living room over to their bedroom. He could hear the other in there doing something and wanted to be in closer proximity for the discussion. Matt always gave into his whims easier if he was clingy and sometimes even a “little minx” as the older would ever so eloquently put it.
The moment he walked into the room Matt informed him on where exactly he stood on another of Pete’s ideas, that more often than not led to trouble in some way or form, even if that wasn’t the kid’s intention. He was, is, a very sweet person, but sometimes his ideas leave much to be desired since he tends to speak and voice said ideas before he even thinks about how to go about them. He was pretty sure that if he actually thought about it for a second he would see just how well it wouldn’t work out even though he does want to give this to him.
With a soft sigh and a smile so soft, though small enough to not notice unless you’re really looking for it, Matt continued to put away his dry cleaned suits. “Pete, while I would love to spend the holiday with you, I don’t think anyone would trick or treat in Hell’s Kitchen.”
He could hear the quiet mutters and huffs of objection that were becoming steadily louder. To avoid the building interruption he continued talking but a little louder to ensure Peter heard what he had to say first before he decided that Matt was being “unfair” and was just being a “grouchy and lazy old man.”
“It’s much too dangerous for people to let their kids out at night in this area, so it would be a waste to buy candy to give out here when no one, except the odd one or two kids, will actually come by.” He could tell that his little Spider was actually listening to him when the mutters stopped, not that he couldn’t tell exactly what he was saying, just that Pete loved to whisper things under his breath to tell Matt exactly what he thought when he didn’t want to interrupt him. That and the thoughtful little hum that was directed at the statement that was truer than the younger would like to admit.
Coughing, pink lightly dusted his cheeks as he continued with his thoughts on the subject. “And I’m way too old to go out trick or treating, unlike you. It would be awkward for me to knock on doors, when people are expecting kids and teens, not some 30 year old man.”
Honestly he didn’t mind in the slightest spending the day with Peter and wanted to give him this, but he just didn’t know exactly what they were supposed to do. He could take him out to eat, but that’s not exactly part of the Halloween spirit. The place would most likely be decorated in gaudy Halloween decor that he knew was there but wouldn’t be able to actually see. Though he could envision them good enough from the days Foggy would spend prattling on about how horrible they looked over the years they’ve been friends.
Yeah they could go out to eat, lots of people do that on Halloween, but it wasn’t something good enough to offer Peter. It would just be another date, but on a day where there would be a more festive theme than the other times they would go out. And going out to eat wasn’t what Peter was asking for right now, he wanted to celebrate the day and go out and enjoy it. He wanted to be a part of the festivities, not eye it with longing looks that he knew the other would have.
There’s also haunted houses, but the actually good places need tickets, and those sold out a couple of months before Halloween. Also when you did get tickets you had to wait in lines that would be a mile or two long before you got to the entrance unless you were willing to pay about $200 extra, per person, to get fast passes. While he wouldn’t mind going with Peter to those, it would surely wreak havoc on his extremely over sensitive senses.
Then the haunted houses that don’t need tickets aren’t really scary unless you’re about 5 years old. Those are mainly just minimal decor to add to the thrill and excitement of walking to the door to get candy. They could just walk throughout the city and observe others' costumes but...
That actually might be something worth considering now that it crossed his mind.
He didn’t need to see to know the other was pouting because of his well thought out response to participating in Halloween. Though he was sure that would change with his next words.
“How about we walk around the city?” Matt put away his last suit and turned around to face Peter who was now sitting on the bed. “You can observe the different costumes and describe them to me.”
Sheepishly Matt rubbed the back of his neck, feeling a little silly now that he actually voiced it aloud. “It might not be exactly what you wanted to do, but we could make a night of it. Dress up as something and just talk while we walk about. We don’t have to go anywhere specific, but if there is somewhere you want to go we can do that too.” Sighing, the awkward smile on his face fell away at his boyfriend’s silence. He walked until he was standing in front of the other with his head facing down as if he were looking at Peter. He grabbed one of the younger’s hands and offered a tentative smile.
“What do you say sweetheart?”
He could feel Peter relaxing as they held hands, and hear the others' heart racing before it calmed. A few seconds, and one sigh later, Peter replied in an apologetic tone. “Haha, yeah. I get what you mean now. My idea wasn’t all that planned out and more of a spur of the moment kind of thing.” He squeezed Matt’s hand in gratitude for not completely dismissing his idea and actually finding some way to have it fulfilled.
He loved that Matt would always calmly explain the negative aspects of his ideas, but would always come up with a way to actually go through with it with the least amount of conflicts. Standing up, he nuzzled the older’s neck, feeling the slight rub of stubble across his nose and mouth. He continued for a bit while also peppering in light little feather kisses.
Peter’s voice was full of love as he breathily whispered into the other’s neck what would be inaudible to most, but was almost like a shout to him, a soft “Thank you.” Matt wrapped his arms around a lithe, yet deceptively strong waist, pressing a kiss to his temple.
“It’s just, it might seem, it’s…” His wavering voice loud and clear to the older, along with his racing heart and nervous gulp. Taking a deep breath, Peter counted to three in his head and breathed out slowly before he started talking again but more steadily this time.
He had no reason to be nervous in talking to his boyfriend because he knew Matt would never, never judge him in anything. He might voice a complaint or two, and even offer different solutions to go about doing it in a better way, but he would never judge or mock him. It’s just that sometimes he would get so choked up, full of emotions and love for this brave, intelligent, and selfless man, that his words would jumble up and his tongue would twist. Causing him to panic and try and just spit it out only for them to collide and actually merge into whole new words.
So the first time it happened in the other’s presence, Matt had talked to him slowly and calmly, then showed him a breathing exercise that he thought was so stupid at first. Though after actually using it the first few times he panicked about something, it became something that grounded him. Something that helped him gather himself together and add order to his thoughts so he could voice them aloud without them colliding and merging and taking on a whole new shape than what they were supposed to be.
Closing his eyes, Peter shoved his head under Matt’s chin, his nose pressed against a defined collarbone as he breathed in his natural smell. He just let himself be held by Matt’s strong hands, and reassuring presence.
As he calmed, he took a breath and quietly uttered into the others clothed chest,“It’s just… that I know this would seem so simple to others. Something that most wouldn’t care about because it’s just another holiday that the government has to suck up the money of its citizens.”
He paused when Matt gave him a little squeeze in assurance that he was listening and heard what exactly he was saying underneath. Though he had to voice it aloud, even if it was whispered so quietly no one would normally hear it, but he knew his boyfriend would hear every word. So even if it was whispered because he was too shy to say it louder, and he knew that it would still be heard, that’s what made it a little harder to get out.
Swallowing audibly, he continued,“I… Thank you, Matty. Thank you for caring. Thank you for not thinking this is silly. Thank you for actually trying to find a way we can both celebrate the holiday together.”
Peter pulled back a bit to look up at Matt’s face. Matt’s arms were still wrapped around the younger's waist, but the look on his face was so soft, so loving, that it made Peter choke up again. It seemed so silly to him that his eyes started to water because it was just Halloween. Yet the way his boyfriend was looking at him, the way he just cared so wholeheartedly, made him so emotional and so, so grateful to have this man as his.
Reaching up, he cupped the stubbled face in his hands as he stood on his tip toes. To help Peter out with the almost half a foot height difference, Matt leaned down until their lips were brushing against each other. The feather light breaths, along with the feather light touches of lips, make goosebumps rise against their skin from the teases, from the potential more.
“And of course I will go out into the city with you.” Peter laughed wetly before he pressed a chaste kiss to firm lips, feeling the split on the bottom right corner. He could feel Matt smiling against his lips as they stole gentle kisses.
Landing back on his feet, Peter let his hands fall from his boyfriend’s face and let them wrap around his neck instead. He looked up at him as Matt also straightened back up, but with his head still faced down towards the other with a mushy smile.
Peter quickly dried his moist eyes with the back of his hand and wrapped it back around the neck it was on before. He stared softly at Matt a bit longer, gently swaying to a nonexistent beat before a cheeky smile erupted onto his face. There was a mischievous look in his honey eyes, as he spoke playfully,“Since it’s Halloween and lots of people will be dressed in different outfits, what if we wore our vigilante suits?”
Matt froze.
Torn between wanting to agree to make the younger happy, yet wanting to be cautious and careful that someone could recognize that they were the real Spider-Man and Daredevil. While it wouldn’t necessarily be bad if they were found out, it would put them in the spotlight a lot more.
And if they were in the public’s eye more than they usually were then that meant more people actually watching them. Reporters following them and hoping to get the latest scoop, photographers trying to get shots of them that could be twisted in either way and selling them to the highest bidder, regular civilians seeking them out for unnecessary things, just stuff that would make it harder to actually be a vigilante and do his work. He would also have to be more careful of where he was when he was going home or changing out of his suit.
They would also be the first vigilantes publicly dating and at that the first lgbt vigilante couple, that he heard of, to be dating in the public's eyes. It didn’t help that Peter seemed hesitant about telling anyone of their relationship. The only ones that knew were Foggy and Karen and the one time he asked about getting to meet his Aunt, he awkwardly and very blatantly changed the subject.
He doesn’t want to accidentally put Peter in an uncomfortable position of people asking questions he’s not ready for yet.
Additionally there’s the fact that people call him the “Devil of Hell’s Kitchen” and that wasn’t because he was a nice vigilante. Yes he helped those that were innocent, those that were being hurt, but he was very aggressive to the ones committing the crimes. He would beat people within an inch of their lives, sometimes permanently crippling them so that they can never try again at committing crimes when they were released from jail. Not “if,” but when because they are always released.
He’s a lawyer, he knows how this goes.
So to make sure they never hurt anyone again, he just makes sure that they actually can’t, and because he does that people are terrified of him. It also doesn’t help that his outfit is a dark almost blood red, at least that’s what he hears from Foggy and Peter, and that he has horns on his head. He’s even had people scream at him when he appears because they swear that he “appeared out of nowhere! Almost like he was one with the shadows or it was almost like he was summoned.”
Letting out a thoughtful “Hm,” of acknowledgement towards the other to let him know he’s thinking about it, and to just give him a second to think about the different situations that could happen because of this.
Though after thinking about everything that could happen, and even pondering over the most absurd and unlikely things, he sighed audibly.
Peter grinned like the cat that caught the canary as he heard Matt sigh while gently squeezing his waist. He knew what just happened, he knew all of Matty’s cues and habits.
He knows that Matt just gave in.
While giggling, Peter did a happy little wiggle and bounced back and forth on the heels of his feet. And Matt responded with a small fond smile, voice gruff and laced with amusement,“Okay, fine you little imp. We can go in our costumes.”
“YES!”
“But don’t go around telling people we are the real deal. Don’t go around using your powers either, now actually saving someone is a different deal. Just try not to bring too much attention to us because I don’t want us getting swarmed within the first 15 minutes. Though if you want to post it on one of your social media accounts after then that’s fine.”
While the younger posted at least once a week for the Spider fans his account was untraceable and unhackable, courtesy of one Mr. Stark, and those posts would sometimes include other vigilantes and heroes, so he didn’t particularly stand out among the other’s posts even if he was mentioned or shown more than the others. Most just took it to mean that Spider-Man and Daredevil teamed up regularly or were always meeting when the other ventured upon the other's patrolling territory.
There were a small majority that “shipped” them, but Spider-Man was also put together, romantically or even a family bond type of thing mind you, with about everything out there. Other heroes, and vigilantes, to villains, ordinary civilians, to even absurdly an actually arachnid.