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a-reader-and-a-writer-for-all · 2 years

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My Hero

Fandom: Marvel, Spider-Man, The Amazing Spider-Man, Peter Parker

Word Count: 4535

TW: Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Lies, Explosion, Danger

“Peter! You have to watch this!” You pulled your best friend over to your laptop and hit play. “Can you believe it? Spider-Man took out six armed bank robbers and saved a group of hostages all by himself last night. Oh, oh! Watch this…. Bam! He stopped that guy right before he could harm that lady!” You looked up from the screen and turned to Peter. “Isn’t he amazing!”

But Peter didn’t seem to be as fascinated with the web-slinging superhero as you were. He kept glancing away from the screen and rubbing the back of his neck. “I don’t know, he’s okay, I guess. But can’t we do something else? I mean, I thought we were going to study for the chemistry final?”

You scoffed. “Like you need to study. You know more about that stuff than Professor Franklin does. And what’s so wrong about Spider-Man? He’s a hero! He’s saved this city more times than I can count. And have you seen the way he just swings through the city almost like he’s flying? God! It looks like so much fun!” When you noticed Peter’s still not really listening to you, you swatted him on the arm. “What’s your problem with him? You always change the subject when I bring him up.”

He shifted uncomfortably. “Nothing, I just don’t, uh, keep up with him, that’s all.”

“How can you not keep up with this! Here, I have a bunch of videos saved of his top rescues, his most daring acts, and his coolest moments. One sec.”

You opened up your list of saved videos and felt the blood rush to your face immediately when the first three to pop up were all related to the hottest Spider-Man shots. You tried to play any other video as quickly as possible but ended up clicking on “Spider-Man’s Best ASSets” and the screen soon filled with quick shots of the hero’s backside in his tight costume. You slammed the lid shut on your computer as quickly as you could.

Taking a deep breath, you slowly turned to face Peter, expecting him to look just as embarrassed as you felt. Instead, he had a smug, almost cocky expression on his face. “So, that’s what you like about Spider-Man, huh?” He raised his eyebrows at you as he took a drink of his juice.

“No! That’s not….I mean…that’s not the only reason.”

Peter sputtered, inhaling half of his mouthful of drink which soon had him doubled over in a huge coughing fit. When he was able to compose himself, he stared at you wide-eyed. “Wait…. Are you serious?”

Keep reading “I mean, just because I admire him for his heroics and selfless acts doesn’t mean I can’t admire him for his more…physical attributes too.”

“Wait, so Gigs…. Do you have a crush on Spider-Man?”

You glanced down at the floor. “Maybe… just a little.” You quickly tried to elaborate. “But it’s like a celebrity crush! You know, the kind when you know, realistically, you’ll never meet the person or whatever but it’s just nice to imagine.”

Peter suddenly looked rather uncomfortable again and you sighed in frustration. “Oh, come on! You gush about your little crush on Gwen all the time, but I’m not allowed to talk about my crush on Spider-Man?”

He gave you a one shoulder shrug as he mumbled, “That’s different. Could we, uh, just maybe talk about something else?” He glanced at his watch and grimaced. “Actually, it’s getting late. I should probably be heading home.”

“What? But I thought you were staying for pizza tonight?”

“I want to…but I – my aunt needs me to, uh, help her tonight.”

You groaned loudly. “Peter, you’ve used that excuse every night for the past week! I get your aunt needs extra help around the house since your uncle died but come on! And every time I offer to go over and help you, you have a different excuse why I can’t! Do you… do you just not like hanging out with me anymore?”

“What? No, Giggles, of course not. I just… some stuffs been going on and I’ve been going through… changes lately that I’m trying to figure out. I’m sorry, I just need…I need some time. But it’s not you, I swear!”

You just stared blankly at him for a moment. “…. Is that a weird euphemism for puberty?”

“Yes! I mean, uh, yeah, that’s– that’s what I meant.”

You didn’t believe him for a second. For one thing, you and Peter had already navigated the worst of the strange and magical hell that was puberty a few years ago. His six-inch growth spurt in 10th grade was proof enough of that. Besides, you both had been surprisingly open with each other about stuff like that. And for another thing, after almost 13 years of friendship, you could tell when Peter was lying. And, boy, was he lying now. But if he felt this was something he had to deal with on his own, you had no choice but to respect that.

So, you just nodded softly at him. “Okay, but Peter… you know you can tell me anything, right? No matter what it is, I’m here for you.”

His face softened a little as he gave you a small smile. “I know, Gigs. And I’m always here for you.” Yet as he grabbed his skateboard and headed out of your room, you couldn’t help but wonder if that was still true.

Over the next week, you barely saw Peter outside of school. Every time you tried to make plans or just hang out, he came up with some excuse for why he couldn’t. You could feel your best friend slipping through your fingers and you still had no idea why.

And the worst part was, he was more than a best friend to you. Even though you had never said anything to him or tried to make a move out of the friend zone, you had been head-over-heels for Peter for years. What had initially started out as a genuine friendship between two little kids, had grown and developed right alongside them, until it was now at the point that it almost hurt how much you cared about him. But you knew you were nothing more than a friend to him. His constant rants about the perfect Gwen Stacy had made that abundantly clear. Yet you would prefer Peter in your life anyway you could get him to not at all, which was why his constant avoidance of you hurt so much.

But miraculously, the following Monday, you managed to convince him to walk with you to your favorite bodega to pick up some sandwiches.

Afterwards, as the two of you headed back to the subway, food in hand, you finally got up the courage to address the growing distance. “Peter, we need to talk about something.”

He glanced nervously at you. “Uh, sure, what’s up?”

“I don’t know what's been going on with you lately but something’s different. You’re pushing me away and I can’t figure out why. You keep saying it’s not me but how can I think it’s not when you barely talk to me anymore?”

“No, it has nothing to do with– Gigs, I– I mean, I can’t–” Suddenly, he stopped, his eyes growing wide, and he tackled you to the ground.

Seconds later, the building halfway down the block exploded. Rubble and dust rained down, but Peter’s body above you blocked most of the debris. You looked up at him with wide eyes, vaguely wondering in the back of your mind how he knew to push you down, but you were more focused on the chaos around you. People were screaming and running, but you saw a few bodies closer to the explosion lying motionless on the ground. Horrified, you scrambled to your feet, tightly grabbing onto Peter’s hand.

“Go!” He yelled above the noise, “Go!”

You took off running, Peter close on your heels, hand still firmly locked in yours. A second explosion sounded and a fresh wave of people pushed past you. In the commotion, your hand was wrenched from Peter’s. Desperately looking around, you couldn’t spot him anywhere. Even screaming his name at the top of your lungs did nothing to help locate your best friend. You tried your best to hang back, scanning the crowd for him until you were one of the last people still upright in this part of the street.

Suddenly, a third explosion sounded from directly above you. Looking up, you watched in horror as a large chunk of the building you were standing next to came hurtling down at you. All you had time to do was squeeze your eyes shut and brace yourself for your inevitable fate.

But just before you were crushed, you felt something slam into your side, sweeping you off your feet. An arm wrapped protectively around your waist, and you opened your eyes to stare into the familiar mask you had seen on in videos for the past six months.

“Hold on, I got you.” Spider-Man said. You glanced down and for the first time noticed you were soaring high above the street. Frantically, you wrapped your arms and legs around your savior and held on for dear life. You could feel him chuckling under your grasp, even as the sound was lost behind the wind and his mask.

Finally, once he was a safe distance away, he lowered you both to the ground. As he set you down, you collapsed to the sidewalk as your legs turned to jelly. He bent down next to you, carefully cupping your cheek in his covered hand as he examined your face. “Hey, hey, are you okay?”

“You-you’re Spider-Man. And you just– you saved my life. Oh my God! Than-thank you!”

“Yeah, don’t mention it. Now, are you alright?” He turned your face to meet his orb-like lenses in his mask. His voice seemed oddly familiar though muffled and slightly distorted through the fabric covering his mouth, and, for some reason, it put you at ease instantly.

“I’m fine, thanks to you.”

He nodded. “Good. Now, you’ll be safe here until someone can come check on you, but I have to go stop whoever’s behind this. I need you to stay right in this spot, okay? Can you promise me that?”

“Yes, I mean, sure.” You were still a little shaken from the previous ordeal and slightly starstruck from meeting your hero, but you grabbed his arm just as he was about to leap into the air. “Wait! My friend. He was right next to me, then I turned around and he was gone. Please, you have to make sure he’s safe. I can’t – I – Please, don’t let anything happen to him.”

Even though you couldn’t see the eyes behind the mask, you could feel his eyes boring into you. “I promise, your friend will be fine. Now, stay here.” And with that, he was gone.

You sat on the curb for almost an hour, somewhat in shock, as you waited for any news about Peter. An emergency worker came over to see if you needed help, but you waved him off, muttering, “I promised I would stay right here.” After a few minutes of trying to coax you to get checked out, he finally left to help someone who actually wanted the assistance.

Finally, you saw a familiar, lanky form rushing towards you. He was limping almost imperceptibly, and he had a large bruise on his face, but besides that, Peter looked perfectly fine. When he saw you sitting alone, he sped up, only giving you just enough time to stand up before he was crushing you in his arms.

“Hey, are you okay?” He released you just enough so that he could look you over.

But you tore yourself from his embrace, tears building up in the corners of your eyes. “Where the hell were you?”

“I was– I tried to go find help. I thought…I-I figured you would be safe where you were.”

“I turned around and I couldn’t find you! I was all alone, and I was so scared!”

“Aw, Giggles, it’s alright. You’re okay.”

Peter tried reaching out to pull you into another hug, but you jerked away from him, tears now streaming down your face. “I wasn’t scared for me, you idiot! I didn’t see you and I was so scared something happened to you! Now it turns out you just ran away and left me there! What the hell, Parker!”

He looked stunned as he tried to find any words that could explain his actions, but of course, there were none. “I didn’t– I mean, no of course– well, I did but not– you don’t understand!”

“You’re damn right I don’t!” He tried to gently touch your arm, but once again you yanked it from his grasp. “No! Don’t touch me! Peter, I needed you and you left me there. If Spider-Man hadn’t shown up….. We always promised to have each other’s backs and when I needed you most……Just stay away from me.” You rushed past him and hurried down the street. And even over the commotion and noise, you could still hear him calling after you. But you didn’t hesitate as you rounded the corner and disappeared from his sight.

The next 36 hours go by in a blur. When you got home and explained to your parents what happened, they demanded you go to the emergency room to get checked out even though you insisted you were fine. And five hours later, you were headed back home with a piece of paper proving that fact. Thankfully, your mom let you skip school the next day, so you slept in until well past noon.

When you woke up, your phone was full of texts and missed calls from Peter, but you ignored them all. And when he stopped by after school to see how you were doing, your mom sent him away per your instructions. You hadn’t told her exactly what happened with him, but she trusted you enough to listen to your request without explanation.

The news was saying that some lunatic had set off the explosions as a diversion to rob a medical facility a few blocks over. Once Spider-Man had rescued as many people as possible at your location, he had swung over and nabbed the guy before he could get away. You spent the whole afternoon devouring any and all news coverage, cell phone footage, and firsthand reports you could find. You even caught a few glimpses of Spider-Man rescuing you seconds before the building fell on you. But that part was a little harder to watch.

However, that was this afternoon and now it was night. You were laying on the roof of your apartment building staring up at the stars. You and Peter had built a little lean-to up here a few years ago where you stored a few blankets and pillows for just such an activity. However, it felt strange being up here without your best friend. Or former best friend. Or whatever he was now.

Suddenly, you heard a thud nearby, followed by a slightly muffled, “Hi there.”

Sitting up quickly, your eyes grew wide in astonishment as you stared at the person who had just landed next to you. “Sp-Spider-Man! Hi! I mean, wh-what are you doing here?”

“I just happened to be swinging by and saw you up here all by yourself. I recognized you from yesterday and wanted to see how you were doing.”

You felt heat rising in your face as you stammered, “Y-you remembered m-me?”

“Sure. You made quite the impression.”

“Really? I’m sorry, I just can’t believe it! I love you!” The heat in your face grew more intense. “I mean, I don’t…not like that, but, I-I just think you are amazing! The things you do for the people of this city! You’re a hero!”

Now it was Spider-Man’s turn to seem flustered. “Well, I mean, kinda I guess, but…Hey, uh, did you ever find your friend?”

The wild grin instantly fell from your face. “Yeah. He was perfectly fine.”

“Oh…Well, it doesn’t sound like you are. Do you wanna talk about it?”

“No………………Peter has been my best friend for as long as I can remember. We’ve done everything together, shared everything together. I can’t even remember the last time he used my real name! It’s always been my dorky nickname he gave me when we were 8. He’s my person, or at least….I thought he was.” You looked sadly down at the gravelly roof beneath your feet.

“Lately, he’s been pulling away from me and then yesterday he left me on my own when I needed him most. He means so much to me, he means everything to me, but I just…” You glanced up to see Spider-Man watching you with his unblinking eyes and you were instantly mortified. You whirled around so your back was to him as you tried to wipe away the tears forming in your eyes. “I am so sorry! I’m sure you’re incredibly busy and you don’t need to be listening to some stupid teenager’s drama.”

“Aw, Gigs, it’s alright. You’re okay.”

You froze, tears instantly drying up before they can fall. Only one person in the world called you Gigs or Giggles, and that phrase was exactly what he had said to you yesterday. Slowly, you turned around to face the masked hero and in a voice that wasn’t much more than a whisper, you asked, “Peter?”

You watched him tense up as he realized his mistake. “What? No. I’m, uh, not…No! I don’t even…know any Peters. Maybe, ah, Peter……Pan. Th-that’s a Peter, but not, not me!”

“Peter.” You said again with a little more force, slowly stalking towards him.

“Ha, well, uh, I think it’s about time for me to, um, be swinging away now. Lots of…. crime to stop and, uh, such– such things.”

You stopped directly in front of him, glaring furiously up at his covered face. And before he could stop you, you reached up and tore the mask from his head, revealing the anxious face of your best friend. A million emotions flowed through you at once and you weren’t sure how to react, but as soon as he smiled sheepishly at you and muttered a small, “H-hi, Gigs.” it set you off.

“Are you shitting me right now! That’s all you have to say for yourself! You’ve been lying to me for months, if not longer!” You turned and stormed off to the other side of the roof still ranting the entire way. “Like really Peter, how could you not tell me! You’ve been Spider-Man this whole time and you didn’t say anything! Even when I would show you videos or photos, you just sat there and let me go on like an idiot, while the whole time it was you under the mask!”

You opened your mouth to scream some more when a realization hit you. You froze in place and all the anger instantly left your body. Turning slowly to face him, you whispered, “And… you saved me. You saved me yesterday and all I did was accuse you of abandoning me.”

“Gigs, I would never have left you if I didn’t think it was the best way to keep you safe. I swear, if I didn’t think I could protect you there, I would have immediately swung you away. I don’t care who would have found out who I am. I never meant for you to think I didn’t care about you, or I didn’t have your back. Because I do…. I always do.”

“Peter,” you weren’t even sure how to put how you were feeling into words. “I’m so sorry. I should never have doubted you. Of course, you wouldn’t have just left me there. I should have known that. And I’m sorry I got mad just now. It would have been nice if you had felt like you could trust me with your secret, but, honestly, I get why you didn’t.”

“No,” Peter took a few steps in your direction, closing the gap slightly between you. “I trust you with my life! I was just afraid if you knew, it might put you in danger. And I would do anything to keep that from happening, even if it meant you losing your faith in me.”

Chuckling softly, you shook your head as you looked at the ground. “I feel like such an idiot. As many times as I watched all those videos and news coverage, I never realized it was you behind the mask. Though, leave it to me to get a crush on two guys just for them to turn out to be the same guy.”

Peter’s face shifted, his mouth hanging open slightly and his brow furrowing as he stared at you. “Get a crush on two… but…”

The slow realization of what you had just said creeped over you and you buried your face in your hands. “Oh my God. Peter, I’m sorry, I… I didn’t mean…you weren’t supposed to find out… especially like this. Just forget I said anything.” You turned your back on him again, too embarrassed to look him in the eye. “Please, don’t let this change anything between us. You’re my best friend and I don’t want to lose you and that’s why I neve-”

Mid-sentence, you hear a whip and something sticky grabbed at your hip. Before you could react, you were twirled around as the sticky substance yanked you backwards. You collided with Peter, ending up nestled snugly in his surprisingly muscular arms. As you stared up into his eyes, he reached up a hand and wrapped it around the back of your neck, pulling you in closer to him as he crashed his mouth into yours. For a moment you allowed yourself to fall into him, savoring the feeling of his lips on yours.

But then, you pulled back, breathless and confused. “But what– Peter, I don’t understa–”

“Just shut up. I’ve wanted to do this for way too long.” And then his mouth was on yours once again. This time, you don’t fight it. Instead, you leaned into the kiss just as furiously as he did. As his hands grasped your face, yours threaded through his tousled hair as you let out a small moan of pleasure. You had been dreaming of this moment for so long, you could scarcely believe it was really happening.

Far sooner than you would have liked, the two of you broke apart, each struggling to catch your breath. As Peter rested his head against yours, he muttered, “I should have done that years ago.”

Nudging his nose with yours, you asked, “So, why didn’t you?”

“I– I didn’t think you felt the same way.”

“Yeah, neither did I. Especially since you’ve been talking about Gwen so much lately.”

“Are you kidding me? I’ve had a crush on you since we met! I only started thinking about Gwen because I figured I’d never have a chance with you. But it’s always been you, Gigs. Always.”

You leaned forward and once again captured his lips with yours. This time, the kiss was not as heated, but more tender, drawn out. It was unlike any kiss you had ever had before, and you couldn’t get enough. Because it was Peter. And no one else would ever make you feel the way he did. Especially now that you knew the truth.

As you pulled away from the kiss, you whispered. “Peter, I want you to know, this doesn’t change anything. I meant what I said before. You are a hero. You’ve done so much for so many people, and I am so proud of you.”

He ran his thumb across your cheek. “Gigs, I only know how to be a hero because you showed me how. You’re the one who taught me to be brave and strong and stand up for those who can’t stand up for themselves. Ever since that day in kindergarten when you pushed Flash down on the playground and told him to stop picking on me, you’ve been my hero.”

Your face grew warm as you listened to his words. “Peter, that was nothing.”

“No, Giggles, it was everything.”

“Well, I guess we'll just have one pretty heroic relationship then, huh.”

Now it was Peter’s turn to flush slightly as he ran his hand nervously through his hair. “So, yeah, about that… What does this mean for us, uh, now? Should-should I ask you out? On like a date? Are we still just, um,….friends? Something more?”

You laughed, wrapping your arms around his waist. “Peter, we’ve been practically dating since we were five. We spend every free moment together, we’ve experienced all of life’s ups and downs with one another, and we know everything there is to know about each other. Let’s not ruin that by trying to force the awkward beginning of the relationship stuff.” You thought for a minute then said, “How about this….we both admit to liking each other for years, so why don’t we just make tonight our one-year anniversary?”

He scoffed softly. “You can’t just retroactively decide we were a couple for the past year.”

“Why not? Besides kissing and…other such things… tell me one thing couples do that we haven’t done for each other this past year? We go to movies, hang out, buy each other gifts, talk or text constantly when we’re not together, support each other through the bad times. That sounds like a relationship to me.”

“Damn,” Peter muttered. “I guess you’re right. We’ve been dating and not even realizing it.”

“Told you! So, if we’ve been going out for the last year, what was our first date?”

He thought for a moment before a wide smile stretched across his face. “When we went to that horrible scary movie, and you spent the whole thing with your face buried in my shoulder.”

“And you wrapped your arms around me and whispered that you would protect me.” You nodded with your own smile. “I like it. It’s the perfect first date.”

“So, then, what was our second date?”

You don’t even hesitate. “When we went to Coney Island and rode rides all day until you puked.”

“Of course, you would pick that.” Peter chuckled. “But then on the subway home, you let me lay my head in your lap while you stroked my hair and told me you had me. I was so mad when we reached our stop and we had to leave.”

“Well, it sounds like we’ve had some pretty romantic dates.”

“Yeah, it does. And I still can’t believe I never noticed until now,” he said, staring deeply into your eyes. “So, if this is supposed to be our one-year anniversary, how are we celebrating?”

“Well….I’ve always wanted to see the city from above.” You slung your arms around Peter’s neck as you jumped up, wrapping your legs around his waist. Pulling his mask back over his face, you whispered, “Show me what you got, Spider-Man.”

#sfw repost #fic #tasm #amazing spider man #the amazing spider man #spiderman #spider man #spiderman x reader #spider man x reader #andrew garfield #andrew!peter parker #andrew!spiderman #andrew!spider man #peter parker #peter parker x reader #peter parker 3 #peter 3

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a-reader-and-a-writer-for-all · 2 years

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Along Came a Spider

Fandom: Marvel, Spider-Man, Peter Parker, Andrew Garfield!Peter Parker, Andrew Garfield!Spider-Man Word Count: 4132

TW: Experimentation, Pain, Transformation, Needle, Trauma, Loss

Notes: 3rd Person Reader who resembles Gwen Stacy

Peter had been in this strange new universe for more than a day now. Everything seemed so familiar yet so different at the same time. And ever since he arrived, he had been having this feeling that he was supposed to find someone. Someone who needed his help. But it wasn’t until a magic portal opened up in front of him and he met MJ and Ned that he understood why he was brought here. Their Peter Parker was going through one of the worst moments of his life, a moment he himself had also experienced. So, after comforting the younger kid (the one they had dubbed Peter 1) along with the older Peter (who they called Peter 2), the three Peter Parkers headed down off the roof to start trying to work on cures for everyone.

As they reached the ground, Peter 1 paused. “Wait, I need to go grab someone.”

He turned and hurried down a side alley. Both other Peters exchanged a look but followed after him. When they got to the end, Peter saw a girl in a dirty, tattered jacket standing with her back to them. But as soon as she heard them approaching, she turned around and Peter felt like he had just been punched in the gut. Because behind the soot brushed over her cheeks and the tinted goggles obscuring her eyes, he would recognize that face anywhere.

“Gwen…” the name passed through his lips a mix between a whisper and a prayer.

Her eyes snapped to him immediately, a look of recognition passing over her face. But instead of the joy or astonishment he expected to see, he watched in surprise as she tensed up, crouching immediately into an attack stance. He reeled back as she hissed menacingly in his direction, revealing a set of sharp fangs. She stalked furiously through the alley and just as it looked like she was about to charge at him, Peter 1 jumped in front of her.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa! Hey, it’s okay, calm down! He’s a friend! He won’t hurt you, I promise.”

She hissed again loudly but didn’t try to come any closer. “He already has. He’s the one who did this to me. He’s been trying to hunt me down and kill me for years.” She tried lunging at Peter, but Peter 1 held her back.

Peter looked at her confused, stumbling forward towards her. “No…I don’t… Gwen, I would never..”

“Who the hell is Gwen and why do you keep calling me that?” she growled angrily, baring her sharp teeth.

“But you’re…” the realization suddenly dawned on him, and his heart plummeted. “You’re not her, are you? Yo-you look just like her but you’re from a different dimension.”

She loosened her stance slightly at this suggestion, slinking just a few inches closer but without as much malice as before. She pulled off her goggles to get a better look, revealing a pair of soulless black eyes. Quirking her head to one side, she stared intensely at Peter’s face. Finally, she eased into a more relaxed position. “And you’re not him. Or at least, I don’t think you are. He’s tried to fool me before.”

He gave a soft, bitter chuckle. “No, trust me, I’ve never seen you before. I would have remembered the eyes and the teeth. My Gwen did not have those.”

She glared at him once more before ducking her head as a grimace of pain flashed across her face. After a moment, the grimace softened and she looked back at Peter, her eyes now the identical color to Gwen’s. “Yeah, well I didn’t always have ‘em either.” She tensed again as a shiver ran down her frame.

Peter 1 looked at her concerned. “Are you okay?”

She nodded slightly as she straightened to her full height, seeming more controlled, more human than she had a few seconds ago. “Yeah, for now. It comes and goes but it’s getting worse again.”

“Don’t worry, we’ll figure something out soon.” Peter 1 placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder, and she gave him a small smile. But as soon as her eyes darted back to Peter, they narrowed and flashed black for a split second.

Peter 1 gave her shoulder another squeeze before turning to the other two. “Guys, this is Recluse. She’s been helping me try and save everyone else. In her universe she was infected with their version of what gave us our powers, but it wasn’t compatible with her system. So…”

He trailed off, not quite sure how to finish that sentence, but Recluse finished for him. “So, I became this monster. A creature that’s not fully human anymore.” Her voice was full of disdain and Peter watched her fighting to hold back something within herself as she stared daggers at him. He’s the one who did this to me. He’s been trying to hunt me down and kill me for years. Could it be true? Could her Peter Parker really have done this to her?

She finally dragged her gaze from Peter and turned to Peter 1, her expression softening immediately. “How are you doing? You know, with everything?”

Peter 1’s face cracked for a second but he nodded. “Better. These guys helped me come to terms with some stuff and I realized that May wouldn’t want me to give up on any of you.” He hesitated before adding gruffly. “Even Osborn.”

Recluse gently patted his shoulder. “She would be proud of you. I only knew her for a few hours, but I could see how much she loved you.”

Tears started trailing down Peter 1’s face and she gathered him into her arms. Peter watched as this woman who looked so much like Gwen comforted the other Peter and he couldn’t stop thinking back to when Gwen had held him like that. He turned away, fighting back his own tears, and wondering if there was a universe out there where he and Gwen had found a way to be happy together.

Once inside the lab, the three Peters split up the tasks and got to work. Recluse moved between Peter 1 and Peter 2, helping out in any little way she could. At first, she avoided Peter like the plague, not even glancing in his direction. However, as time went on, it seemed like she became curious about what he was working on, and she started drifting a little closer to his table. He tried to act like he didn’t notice, in the hopes of not scaring her off again. And it seemed to work, because soon, she was peering over his shoulder at the cure for Dr. Connors he was finishing up.

As casually as he could, he asked, “Could you hand me that beaker over there please?”

She hesitated before reluctantly passing it to him. He smiled as he took it from her, but she just turned and walked away. Peter 1 and Peter 2 had been watching the entire interaction with interest and they exchanged a look as she hurried off.

After a moment of awkward silence, Peter 1 cleared his throat and held up a slide with some blood on it. “Well, guys, I’ve been trying to figure out a cure for Recluse all day, but the formula is really different from the one from this universe. I can probably figure it out given enough time but….”

“We don’t have a lot of time to spare.” Peter 2 finished for him. Peter 1 nodded.

“Let me see.” Peter walked over, took the slide from Peter 1 and examined it under the microscope. “It’s not exact, but this is really close to the formula from my universe. I worked with it pretty extensively while looking for a cure for Harry so I should be able to figure something out here.”

Recluse once again turned back to Peter, but this time instead of anger there was a spark of hope behind her eyes. “Really? You think…. I mean..”

“I can’t make any promises, but I can sure give it a try.” He gave her his most reassuring smile and she gave him just the smallest one in return. But it was a start.

While Peter started organizing his supplies, Peter 2 asked, “Um, Recluse, if we’re going to work on a cure for you, it might help to know a little more about how you got like this. You said something about your Peter Parker doing this to you? Do you mind telling us what happened?”

“Um, sure…If you really think it would help.” She shifted nervously and with a sad sigh, she began, “My Peter was my whole world. We’d been together since freshman year, even before he got his powers. And afterwards, I gave up everything to be with him, but it still wasn’t enough. He kept pushing me to become stronger, more powerful. He wanted to use the spider venom that gave him his powers on me, but I kept saying no. I had seen what it did to other people who had tried it and I was scared. Peter claimed he understood, but it was a lie, and I should have known better.

“He waited one night until I was asleep and injected me with the venom. I woke up screaming in agony, my whole body trying to reconstruct itself into something it couldn’t handle. When he saw it wasn’t working, he gave me some transfusions using his own blood. Apparently, his DNA held the secret to getting the formula to work, but it was too late. It stopped the venom from destroying me further, but the damage had already been done. I was left like this.” She wiggled her fingers, drawing attention to the claw-like nails once again protruding from the end of each one. “I’ve learned to control it for the most part, but when I get really emotional, either scared or angry or hurt, it takes over.”

Peter 1 spoke up softly, “What happened to your Peter afterwards?”

Recluse hung her head, picking anxiously at her nail beds. “He was disgusted at what I had become. He could only see me as a failure, a mistake after that. So, he threw me aside to fend for myself. I didn’t know how to control it yet, and I had a lot of people after me because they knew I was connected to Spider-Man….. It was a rough few years. Then, once I started coming into my own and fighting back, he didn’t like that either. He framed me for some horrible crimes, made me public enemy number one. I’ve been on the run for the past year. So, when I saw you”- she looked at Peter - “I thought he had followed me here to kill me. Sorry about the mix up.”

Peter shook his head. “No, no, it’s fine. I probably would’ve thought the same thing in your position. In fact, I kinda did when I thought you were Gwen.”

She nodded. “Good point. I guess it’s one crazy coincidence, us ending up here together.”

“I guess so.” They stared at each other for a long moment before Peter glanced back down at the microscope, clearing his throat. “So, uh, I think I might be able to come up with something. Just give me some time to run some calculations.” And with that, everyone turned back to their respective projects.

Peter was making surprisingly good progress with the formula. He kept jumping from the computer to the microscope to the chemicals back to the computer. And the whole time, he was muttering calculations and equations softly to himself. After a while, he caught a glimpse of something out of the corner of his eye and glanced up to see Recluse sitting on the tabletop across from him, smiling broadly.

“What?” Peter asked with a small chuckle.

She shook her head softly. “God, you remind me of him….Like the old him, before he got his powers. He was the sweetest, smartest guy I had ever met. Dorky, and funny, and awkward in the most adorable way.” She laughed, staring off into space, back in time. “His smile, his laugh….They would just brighten my day, no matter what had been happening. All it took was one look, and everything was better.”

However, all the joy in her face soon drained away as her thoughts shifted to less happy memories. “And then he got bit. At first, everything was great. He was the hero I always knew he could be. But over time, he changed. He became too mesmerized by the power and the opportunities it provided him. It happened so gradually by the time I realized something was wrong, it was too late. I woke up with a needle stuck in my neck.”

Recluse began to shift on the table, kneading her hands together roughly. Peter watched her claws start to emerge once again, and he gently laid his hands over hers. She flinched in surprise, but soon under his touch all the tension slowly leaked out of her body. She gave him a small smile of appreciation. “Thanks. No one’s ever…most people just get scared when I start shifting like that.”

“It’s okay. I trust you not to hurt me.” Peter smiled back at her.

Her smile widened before she glanced away. “Sorry, it’s just…hard…looking at you sometimes. Trying not to see him.”

“Trust me, I get it.” Peter sighed.

“Oh yeah, your Gwen, I keep forgetting. I’m really sorry. I guess me being here probably brings back some bad memories too.” She tried to pull her hands away, but Peter kept a firm hold on them.

“Yes and no. They’re not all bad memories. And it’s getting easier, you know? The more I get to know you, the less I see her. And I’m glad you’re getting a little more comfortable being around me.”

“Yeah, well…. You make it hard to stay mad at you.” She nudged his shoulder playfully. “Now what can I do to help?”

It took a long time, but the two of them finally came up with a potentially viable cure for Recluse’s….condition. As they worked, she had let more and more of her walls down and Peter started to see the person behind all the pain. The person she was before she had been betrayed by the man she trusted most in her world. And he liked this person he was seeing. A lot. More than anyone he had met since Gwen. Every laugh, every accidental touch, every exchange of glances sent a small shiver down his spine. But he had to keep reminding himself that they were from two different worlds. Literally. And when this was over, they would each have to return to their own home, alone once more.

But before any of that mattered, they needed to try and cure her. As she settled into the chair, nervously fidgeting with the armrests, he hovered above her with the syringe.

“Listen, are you sure you want to do this? I’m pretty sure it will work, but there’s still a good possibility that it could make you worse or even kill you.”

She nodded. “I understand. But I can’t live like this anymore. If this is my only chance to be myself again…. I’ll risk it.” He nodded back and started to hand the needle off to one of the other Peters, but she grabbed his hand. “Can…can you do it?”

Peter was startled by the request, but said, “Uh, yeah, of course. But are you sure?”

“Yes. I trust you not to hurt me.” Recluse gave him a small smile of encouragement.

So, Peter took the syringe and gently inserted it into her arm. He pressed down on the plunger, injecting the serum into her veins. For a moment, nothing happened. Then, suddenly, her body jerked sharply, her back arching violently as a scream tore from her lips. Her hands clutched wildly at the arms of the chair as her nails grew longer, sharper. Her teeth extended farther, becoming more fang-like than ever before. And her eyes turned black once again, but this time, the darkness seeped out into the neighboring veins, sending inky black lines crawling across her face. Peter placed one hand firmly on her shoulder and the other on her wrist, trying to calm her in any way but she didn’t even seem to register his touch.

With one last, almost animalistic howl, she collapsed back into the chair, unmoving and no longer breathing. However, as she lay there motionless, her nails and teeth began to slowly retract back to their normal lengths. And even though her eyes were closed, Peter watched as the black veins around her eyes faded and disappeared. But even once she had returned to normal, she didn’t stir.

Looking down at the still body in front of him, Peter couldn’t help but feel as if he had killed Gwen for the second time. Yet another girl had put her complete faith in him, and he had once again let her die. But then, Recluse let out a powerful gasp, bolting upright as her eyes flew open. They were clear without a hint of the blackness present. She looked down, staring in wonder at her now normal looking fingers. Slowly, she raised one to her mouth and ran it gently across her teeth, noting their perfectly ordinary length.

She gazed up at Peter, tears filling her shining eyes. “Thank you.” The words came out barely more than a whisper, but Peter could hear the joy and relief contained within them. She reached over and pulled him into a deep hug.

Peter was startled for a moment, but soon hugged her back. And just like this new universe, the hug felt so familiar yet so different at the same time. It felt sort of like hugging Gwen, but more than that, it felt like hugging Recluse. He couldn’t pinpoint exactly what the difference was, but it just exuded her energy. And for the first time since Gwen, he allowed himself to take comfort in the arms of another.

He could have stood there holding her forever, but the sound of the other two Peters shuffling behind him brought him back to reality. Pulling away, he cupped her face in between his hands. “Are you okay? Do you think it worked?”

She nodded emphatically, a single tear rolling down her cheek which Peter brushed away with his thumb. “Good. I’m so glad.” He hesitated. “I have to go, but I need you to stay here with Ned and MJ.”

The smile dropped from her face, instantly replaced by one of confusion. “What? No, Peter, I can help!”

“I know you want to, but without your powers…it’s just too dangerous. You have to stay here where it’s safe.”

“I won’t just abandon you three! Not after everything you’ve done for me. I need to help you!”

“No! Listen, I know we just met but I can’t……Recluse, I can’t…” He leaned his forehead against hers, his eyes squeezed tightly shut, and his face crumpled in an unspoken emotion.

He felt her hands gently reach up to caress his face. “Hey, Peter, it’s okay. I’ll stay. Okay? I promise… but..” Now it was her turn to hesitate. “I know how you feel. I can’t either. So, I need you to be careful. Okay? Please. Just… come back in one piece. I’ll be here waiting for you.”

He nodded into her hair, not trusting himself to speak at that moment. Peter 1 approached and gently nudged Peter’s shoulder. “Look, I’m really sorry, but we have to go.”

Peter sighed and pried himself away from her embrace. And as he walked out the room, he glanced back one last time to see her sad smile wishing him luck.

Peter stumbled slightly as he looked around at the damage caused by the preceding fight. He was currently standing on what was left of the newest addition to the Statue of Liberty with Peter 2 sitting a few feet away, cradling his wounded side. It had taken a lot out of them all, but they had managed to cure each and every one of the inter-dimensional travelers. Which just left Peter wondering what happened next.

“Peter!”

He whipped around to see Recluse running towards him and he hurried to meet her. As soon as she was close enough, he swept her into his arms. “What are you doing here? I thought you were supposed to stay at the school?”

“The Lizard chased me through the portal along with Ned and MJ, but I stayed out of the way of the fighting. But, oh god, are you okay?” She was trembling in his tight embrace.

“Me? Oh yeah, I’m fine. Never better.” He tried to laugh it off, but he was still slightly shaken from saving MJ earlier. A weight he hadn’t really realized he had been carrying had been lifted off of him, and for the first time since Gwen had died, he truly felt like himself again.

Recluse pulled back to examine him thoroughly. “Are you sure? I saw you take some really hard hits.”

“Yeah, I’m great. I’m just so glad to see you, Recluse.” He could feel himself smiling brighter than he had in years.

And Recluse returned his smile with just as much enthusiasm. “Y/N. My name’s Y/N.”

“Y/N”, Peter breathed, loving how her real name felt on his lips.

She lightly brushed his hair out of his face as she ran her hand down his cheek. Leaning forward, her face was just inches from his when Dr. Strange landed next to them, interrupting their moment.

Strange looked disheveled and stressed, but when he spoke, his voice was strong. “I don’t have much time. The spell was freed and people from all universes are trying to break through into this one. I need to reverse the spell now and send you all back.”

Y/N blanched as she grabbed his arm and pleaded, “Please, don’t make me go back there. Without my powers, I won’t be able to protect myself. I’ll be dead the second my Peter finds me.”

But the wizard just shook his head. “I’m so sorry, but based on the construct of the spell, you can only go back to a dimension that you are a part of or have a connection to. There’s nothing I can do to change that.”

“My blood.” All eyes turn to Peter. “I-I had to use my blood in the cure. It should still be in her system. It connects her to my dimension so she should be able to come back with me. Right?”

Her eyes sparkled vibrantly as she turned back to Dr. Strange. “Do you really think that would work?”

He considered for a moment. “Possibly. This spell has been altered so many times there is really no telling what might happen. But if what he says is true, there is a chance.”

She and Peter exchanged an eager glance before Peter asked. “So, what do we need to do?”

“When I activate the spell, hold onto each other tightly. The closer the contact, the better chance you will both end up in the same world.” Dr. Strange began to leave but then hesitated. “For what it’s worth, I wish you luck.”

As he flew into the sky, Peter turned to her nervously. “So, uh, what do you think? Want to come back with me?”

Her face was a jumble of joy and hesitation. “Peter….I’m not your Gwen and I never will be.”

“I know….and I’m not your Peter.”

“But would you be okay with that? Or every time you look at me, are you always just going to see her?”

He thought for a minute, trying to find the right words to express how he was feeling. “I’ll admit, at first I did. Whenever I looked at you, her name was the one in my head. But when I saw you running towards me just now, all I saw was you.”

She beamed up at him. “Me too. When I saw you were okay, there wasn’t any resentment or anger like I normally had. All I felt was relief that you were okay. You, not him.”

Peter wrapped his arms tightly around her, pulling her close to his chest. She leaned into his embrace happily. But after a few seconds, she pulled her face away to look at him.

“Peter…do you think…If this doesn’t work, I want to know at least once…” she stared longingly at his mouth.

With a smile, he bent down and as a brilliant golden light enveloped them, he pressed his lips firmly yet tenderly against hers.

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