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yoddream · 4 years

Text

recluse | n.jm

pairing: jaemin x fem!reader

summary: being a teenager was difficult. being a teenager in new york city living the life as a superhero was next to impossible.

word count: LMAO I ACTUALLY HAVE ONE THIS TIME 14.6k i’m sorry

warnings: swearing, secret keeping(???), violence, a lot of talk about stitches, choking, chenle being mad cute

notes: y’all i’m not gonna lie, i don’t know how i feel about the writing of this. it was really difficult, and i feel like there are things that could’ve been left out, but i also feel like they show development. idk, lemme know what you think. also, is this beta-read? of course not

It started out with a simple spider bite. All you wanted to do was go on a field trip with your science class to a genetics lab, maybe get some pictures in, but it couldn’t be that easy. That was your life. The tour guide had shown you spiders that they were testing on. You looked in one of the cases and noticed it was empty. Before you could say anything, something stung your neck.

You couldn’t really remember what happened after that. The rest of that day was hazy. You’d woken up the next day with perfect vision, muscles, and webs shooting from your wrists. You’d decided to use your new “powers” (because Renjun refused to call them anything else) to fight crime. Of course, it hadn’t been your idea. Your best friend, Huang Renjun, convinced you to use it for good because “what was the point of having webs shoot from your wrists and being able to climb walls if you weren’t going to use them for anything?” The point is that you would be safe, but he never listened to that reasoning. Thus, Recluse was born.

You were grateful for whoever named you “Recluse.” It was definitely better than when the mayor had tried calling you “Spider-Girl.” It hadn’t sat right with anyone, so some journalist came up with your name. You stopped criminals before they could get away from the police, and every once in a while, there was a villain who’d somehow developed superpowers that you had to fight to protect the city. It was amazing how your attendance wasn’t atrocious with the amount of times you had to go out and fight crime. Then again, whenever you went out to fight the schools of New York City would be dismissed early.

Of course, you couldn’t take all the credit for the work you did. Renjun and his cousin, Chenle, were the ones that helped track the crime. You could feel the danger, but it was still hard to find it. Chenle was also your nurse. Whatever injury you had, he tended to it. Luckily, there hadn’t been any critical wounds yet, but you feared the day he couldn’t do anything but bring you to the hospital.

You walked to your biology class with Renjun and Chenle on either side of you, talking about how to improve the system that detected crime. They weren’t being quiet at all, and you were scared someone was going to find out your secret, so you elbowed them in their sides. They complained to you about how cruel you were, but you stopped them.

“If you want people to find out the truth, keep fucking talking, but I personally don’t want anyone to know who I am,” you hissed.

They hung their heads and apologized as you stopped outside your class. Rolling your eyes, you pushed them in the direction of their classes before heading inside. You took your seat at the lab table, already regretting taking the course. It was an AP class, so it wasn’t required, but you figured it would look good on college applications. Now, though, you just wished you had study hall instead so you could nap. You’d been up late the night before stopping an art thief, and you hadn’t gotten home until three in the morning.

The stool next to you screeched as your lab partner sat down. You glanced over at Na Jaemin and grabbed a napkin from your bag before handing it to him. He looked at you in confusion, so you motioned to your own mouth.

“You’ve got some lipstick,” you mumbled.

He let out a surprised, “oh!” and wiped his face, grimacing at how much red was stained on the napkin in his hand. “Thanks. I asked Alli if she’d left anything, but she apparently lied to me.”

You didn’t know how to respond, so you busied yourself with getting your binder and book out. The feeling of someone watching you was making your skin itch, so you looked towards the doorway. Jaemin’s girlfriend, Alli, was glaring at you from the hallway before she stomped away. Your blood ran cold as you feared what she would do to you. Alli wasn’t scared to hit somebody, and she picked on you more than others because you were Jaemin’s lab partner.

You maybe also had a slight crush on him. How couldn’t you, though? He was handsome, he was nice, and he was smart. He never treated you poorly, unlike the people who actually knew you existed. Whenever you two had to work on a lab, he listened to every word you said, even though biology was probably boring to him. It was east to develop a crush on Jaemin.

Class dragged on as your teacher showed some documentary. There were definitely some snores from a couple kids around the room. You could feel your own eyes start to slide shut, but if you fell asleep you were sure to get a detention. Sometimes, you really regretted becoming Recluse. You didn’t sleep as much anymore, and it was taking a toll on your classwork. You couldn’t just disappear, though. Crime would increase tenfold once word got around that Recluse had left.

The bell rang, signaling the end of the period. You gathered your things and stepped into the hallway, ready to head to your next class. You could see Chenle and Renjun heading towards you, but before you could take another step, your hair was yanked as you were thrown into a row of lockers. A silence fell upon the crowd as Alli hovered over you, your body curled up on the ground.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing, flirting with my boyfriend?” she asked before kicking you in the stomach.

“I wasn’t flirting with him,” you gasped out as you tried to stand up.

She growled and yelled, “Liar!” before punching you in the face. “You gave him a napkin to wipe his face!”

“He n-needed—” You were cut off by another punch to the face.

“Alli, what the hell?” you heard Jaemin shout, tearing the girl off you, but not before her fist connected with your cheek one more time.

Renjun and Chenle rushed over and helped you down the hallway as Jaemin and Alli got into an argument. You were led into a classroom that was used for storage and sat on a desk. Chenle pulled a first-aid kit from his backpack and put on some gloves before he started dabbing at the cuts on your face while Renjun stood nearby.

“Ow, ow, ow!” you whined.

“I know, I know. It’ll be over soon,” Chenle said apologetically.

“God, that girl is insane,” Renjun commented as the bell rang for the next class.

“Maybe he’ll actually break up with her this time,” the younger boy replied.

“I did.”

The three of you turned to the doorway where Jaemin was standing, seemingly out of breath. He took a small step forward, as if he was scared of getting too close. Chenle turned back to you and put a couple bandages on your face before throwing everything away.

“So much for the teachers stepping in,” he mumbled. “Do you feel dizzy at all? Are the lights too bright?”

“I’m fine, Chenle. No concussion,” you assured him.

“Can I talk to Y/N for a second?” Jaemin asked.

Your friends looked to you. You nodded to them that it was okay, so they packed everything up and headed out, but not before Chenle pressed a kiss to your forehead. He was very protective of you since he was the one that tended to your wounds every time you were Recluse.

“Does this happen often?” Jaemin questioned as he eyed your bandages.

“I’m really clumsy,” you lied.

“Alli also hates that Y/N’s your lab partner!” Renjun called from the hallway.

“It’s mostly because I’m clumsy.” You looked around the classroom before returning your attention to him. “Shouldn’t you be in class?”

He rose an eyebrow. “Shouldn’t you?”

You waved your hand. “Nobody notices that I’m missing.”

He frowned but nodded. “Okay. See you ‘round, Y/N.”

As soon as he was gone, Renjun and Chenle appeared in the doorway. You rolled your eyes, grabbed your bag, and jumped off the desk, but you doubled over from the pain that blossomed from your stomach. They rushed over and helped you stand, the three of you silently hoping the city wouldn’t need Recluse until you were healed. Of course, the world was cruel and never listened to your silent pleas.

You were fighting Silver Slash. He was a new villain, one that looked like an Edward-Scissorhands wannabe. You had no idea what he’d been using the blades for, but it definitely wasn’t for good. He cackled as you chased him through the streets, easily slicing through whatever web you shot. You were swinging when he lashed out, cutting your stomach. You immediately fell and skid across the asphalt.

“Y/N!” Renjun and Chenle shouted in the earpiece.

“I’m fine,” you grunted as you held your middle.

Silver Slash swiped out again, nicking your arm. You cried out and attempted to shoot a web at him, but he dodged it with ease and tripped you up. You fell hard on the ground and groaned when his foot landed on your stomach. One of the blades rested on your neck, and you froze. Any wrong movement could end your life.

“No,” Renjun mumbled.

“Give it up, Recluse. You’ve got nowhere to go,” Silver Slash said with a cackle.

With quick thinking, you shot web at his face. He yelped and stumbled back, barely missing your face with his blade. You then pinned the entirety of his arms to a building, leaving him defenseless. The police arrived as you clutched at your wounds. An EMT started to approach you, but you panicked and attempted to swing away. When you tried to use the arm that was cut, you couldn’t help but yelp in pain, and you let go of the web. You managed to shoot out before you hit the ground.

A lot of excruciating pain later, you were lying on Chenle’s desk as he stitched you up, apologizing profusely whenever you whimpered. Renjun was sitting on the bed, his face twisted with worry. This wasn’t the first time you were seriously hurt, but he couldn’t stop thinking about the blade that had rested along your throat. Your fights were usually broadcasted on TV or some social media website, so it was easy for your friends to watch.

“Okay, all set,” Chenle said before helping you sit up.

You pulled your shirt down and looked at Renjun. He stood up and walked over, pulling you into a tight hug. You could feel Chenle join from behind, being careful of your new stitches. Tears pricked at your eyes, but you managed to hold them in.

“Don’t scare us like that again,” Renjun mumbled into your neck.

“You know I can’t promise that,” you said.

“Pretend you can. Just for tonight,” Chenle begged.

Sighing, you told them, “I promise.”

///

You walked into school slowly, worried you would break the sutures Chenle had so meticulously sewn into your stomach a few days ago. This was your first day back since the fight with Silver Slash; normally you would be worried of somebody linking the two, but you were in so much pain that you hadn’t cared. Your Aunt May was furious that you’d been badly hurt, but she’d let you stay home to recover a little.

“What the hell are you doing carrying your backpack?” Renjun hissed as he started to slide it from your shoulder.

“Trying not to cause any suspicion, asshole. I’d rather be in pain than have somebody find out who I am,” you snapped quietly.

“Fine, but if your stitches somehow manage to rip open, good luck. Chenle doesn’t have that shit in his first-aid kit.”

Rolling your eyes, you opened your locker and started switching books out. “I’ll be fine, Renjun.”

He and Chenle walked you around the whole school, refusing to leave your sides until they saw you sit down for the period. When they dropped you off at biology, Jaemin was already there, which was surprising. Then again, he no longer had a girlfriend to hold him up.

“Hey, you’re back,” your lab partner commented.

“What do you mean?” you asked.

“You said that nobody notices when you’re missing, but I did,” he explained.

“O-Oh. Well, congratulations. You’re the only one besides Chenle and Renjun.” You could feel your cheeks heating up, so you turned to your backpack, but you winced in pain as your stitches pulled when you reached for your bag.

“You okay?” he asked.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” you lied.

You tried to focus on the lecture, but your whole body still hurt. Out of all the things you’d developed when being bitten by that stupid spider, you didn’t get healing. It was infuriating, having to sit out and be careful of whatever wounds you were given. Thankfully, the city understood when you couldn’t show up, especially when they always watched the beating you were given. The stitches were definitely a setback, but you didn’t have much choice but to wait for it to completely heal.

At the end of class, Jaemin picked up your backpack and walked out the room, ignoring your protests. When you exited the room, he was waiting by the door. Renjun and Chenle were a few feet away, confused at the scene that was before them.

“Give me my backpack,” you demanded.

“You’re clearly still in pain from the fight,” Jaemin argued.

You froze as your friends gasped quietly. “What?”

Did he know you were Recluse? You’d tried for so long to keep it a secret, so how’d he figure it out?

“When Alli beat you up? Are you sure you don’t have a concussion?” he asked.

Oh, thank god. “Sorry. Yeah, I’m still in a little pain, but my friends can help me.”

“No way. She was pissed at you because of me, so I’ll carry your things. It’s the least I could do after what she did.”

You knew you would lose this argument, so you sighed and started walking to your next class. Chenle and Renjun caught up with the two of you, Chenle throwing an arm over your shoulders. You winced when his hand brushed against the stitches in your triceps. Hiding your injuries was going to be a lot harder than you thought, especially when everyone thought your injuries weren’t as bad as they truly were.

When you reached the lunchroom, you walked over to your usual table and sat down, Renjun and Chenle taking their usual spots across from you. Instead of dropping your bag and leaving, Jaemin took one of the seats by your side and started pulling out a lunch box from his backpack.

“Uh,” you stuttered.

“Don’t you usually sit with the Lees and that Park kid?” Renjun questioned.

“Yeah, but Jisung is Alli’s cousin, and Jeno and Haechan are friends with her,” Jaemin explained. “I’ve been hiding from them the past few days.”

Two trays landed on the table harshly, making the four of you jump. Haechan and Jeno were glaring at the boy next to you, making him cower under their gaze. You could see Jisung standing nearby, looking more upset than angry.

“Dude, where the hell have you been?” Jeno demanded. “We’ve been looking everywhere for you.”

“I-I—”

“You broke up with Alli and fucking disappeared,” Haechan added.

“Aren’t you guys friends with her?” Renjun asked.

Jeno shook his head. “We’re friends with Jisung. When Jaemin and Alli started dating, he invited Jisung to sit with them. We joined, like, a day later.”

“I hate my cousin,” Jisung piped up. “Sitting with them was like sitting alone, so I brought them with me.”

“Well, feel free to join us,” Chenle said with a grin.

The three boys didn’t hesitate to join your little group. Jisung sat next to Chenle, while Jeno sat next to you and Haechan next to Jaemin. You gingerly pulled your lunch out of your bag, your stitches stretching with every move. You managed to get it without drawing attention to yourself, which was good. They boys that had invaded your table hadn’t noticed you at all, so you were able to eat without worrying about them staring at the bruises on your face.

Halfway through lunch, the hairs on the back of your neck rose. It wasn’t from danger, but rather somebody watching you. You slowly turned around and found Alli’s eyes on you. If looks could kill, you’d have been murdered. You whipped back around, wincing at the stitches in your stomach pulling. Renjun sent a questioning look your way, but you shook your head. You didn’t want your friends to worry about you.

When the bell rang, Jeno turned to you and asked, “Ready for math?”

You were shocked. “You know who I am?”

He chuckled and nodded. “You and Chenle sit in the back, and you were in my English class a couple years ago.”

“Not to mention you got the shit kicked out of you a few days ago,” Haechan added, which earned him a slap to the back of the head from Jaemin.

“Ignore him. He’s just pissed he didn’t know who you were until after that.”

“It’s not fair!” Haechan whined. “I wanna know who finally made Jaemin break up with that bitch!”

Stares were definitely directed towards you when people saw Jeno not only walking with you, but also carrying your backpack. Who was this girl that was suddenly in the company of first Na Jaemin, and then Lee Jeno? You didn’t like the attention on you; it was invasive, having everyone stare at you as you simply walked to your next class. You hoped it wouldn’t last long.

At the end of the day, you managed to escape that horrid building without running into any of the boys. You needed some time to yourself to breathe and not worry about being Recluse or having your classmates stare as you were accompanied by a group that was more popular than you. It felt weird to walk home by yourself, though. Usually Chenle and Renjun would accompany you on their way to Koreatown.

Their parents grew up along the border of Korea and China, and even though Chenle’s parents moved to Shanghai once they were married, he learned Korean from them. Renjun learned both languages from living where he did. Renjun moved to New York first, his parents unable to find a place in Chinatown so they found a place in Koreatown. When Chenle’s family moved to New York a few years later, his parents wanted to be close to Renjun’s family, so they moved into the same neighborhood. You knew the other guys also lived there, their parents either being from Korea or first-generation Korean-American.

“Hey Aunt May,” you said when you entered the apartment.

“Hey! Where are Renjun and Chenle?” she asked as she exited the kitchen.

You shrugged. “I left school before them.”

“Everything okay?”

“Fine.”

You headed to your room without another thing to say. You so badly wanted to collapse onto your bed, but you couldn’t with the stitches. Frustrated, you threw your backpack to the ground and laid down. Your hands grabbed at a blanket and pulled it over your body and face. You couldn’t move your body however you wanted, you couldn’t carry your own fucking backpack, and you couldn’t swing through the city to clear your thoughts. You felt trapped.

There was a sudden knock on your window. You jumped at the sound that tore through your quiet room. Your curtains were opened, so it wasn’t like you could just ignore it. Annoyed, you removed the blanket from your head to find Renjun and Chenle on the other side of the glass, the younger boy holding up his first-aid kit. You opened your window to let them in.

“Did you forget your appointment with Nurse Zhong?” Chenle joked. “Lie back on your bed.”

You did as you were told and pulled your shirt up enough to reveal the stiches. Chenle pulled some gloves on and started poking and prodding, cleaning around the wound. Renjun stood nearby, his arms crossed as he watched.

“What happened to you earlier? Haechan said he saw you rushing down the street when school ended,” Renjun said.

“I just needed some time to myself,” you stated.

Chenle frowned with a nod. “Yeah, today was odd. I felt really overwhelmed by the time the last bell rang. The wound seems a little irritated, but that could be from moving around so much. Nothing seems to be infected, though, so that’s good. Let me check out your arm, and then you should be all set.”

He helped you sit up and lifted your sleeve to check the other cut. Once he determined that it was okay, he put new bandages over the sutures and packed everything up. Then, he and Renjun sat on the bed with you in silence, knowing you didn’t want to speak but needed them to stay. You eventually took your homework out and worked on it together. When Aunt May knocked on your door, she told the three of you that dinner was ready. Even though she didn’t have the super senses you did, she always knew whenever your friends were in your room, whether they came through the door or the fire escape.

After the boys were gone, you crawled onto the fire escape wearing a large sweatshirt and a pair of sweatpants; you were pretty sure neither of them belonged to you, but that was what Chenle and Renjun got for leaving them at your place. You watched the cars drive by below, their headlights and brake lights mesmerizing. Aunt May joined you not too long after, two mugs of hot chocolate in her hands.

“What’s on your mind, kiddo?” she asked.

You let out a sigh. “I think my friend group is about to grow to six people, and I don’t want it to.”

“How come?”

“Because I either have to keep my secret from four people, or I have to tell them all. I don’t know which one is worse.” You took a sip of your hot chocolate and looked at the city that you’d dedicated your life to protect. “One could put them all in danger, and one could ruin everything when they eventually find out.”

“You think they’d find out?” she questioned.

“Chenle wasn’t supposed to find out, but I showed up in Renjun’s room with my suit torn from Dr. Octopus,” you pointed out. “Do you remember how upset he was that he didn’t know?”

Your aunt let out a loud laugh. “Oh, I remember. He wouldn’t talk to either of you for almost two weeks. What changed his mind, again?”

Your mood dropped. “I showed up at Renjun’s again with that gash in my side. Their families were having dinner, and I fell to the floor in Renjun’s room. He knew that it was me, so he came by to check on me. He almost screamed when he saw all the blood, but I’d managed to stop him in time. By the time their dinner was over and Chenle came by to check on Renjun and me, I’d already lost so much blood that I almost passed out.”

Aunt May wrapped an arm around your shoulders. “That’s right. He had a first-aid kit in his backpack with sutures stolen from the vet’s office he works at, right?”

Nodding, you said, “He was so calm when stitching me up, but then he started crying once everything was away and I was bandaged. He begged me to go to him whenever I needed help, and our friend group was suddenly okay again. We had to throw away so many towels, though. Mrs. Huang was so pissed that half of them were missing, so the three of us saved up money to replace them.

“God, Aunt May. I can’t do that to four more people. Renjun and Chenle go through so much when dealing with me. I won’t make the others do the same.” You placed your head in your hands and shook your head. “What the hell am I gonna do?”

Your Aunt took a deep breath as she thought. She wanted you to have more friends, but your life wasn’t normal enough to just make them left and right. You had to really choose who you could trust just in case your secret was revealed to them. “I think that you should trust your gut. It sounds like you want to be friends with them, and your secret shouldn’t stop you from doing so. Your secret can’t be hidden forever, and that’s something you have to accept. You just have to hope that when they do eventually find out, they’ll still be your friend. If not, then good riddance.”

You smiled and hugged Aunt May. She was all you had after your parents died in a plane crash. You were just a baby when it had happened, and she was barely twenty-three when she adopted you, but you had nowhere else to go. There were no other relatives, and nobody liked to see a family split up. She always knew how to solve your problems, and you were forever grateful for that.

///

The day your stitches were taken out, you immediately put on your new suit (thanks to the anonymous donor that always made you one; you had your suspicions that it was Tony Stark, but there was no way to prove it) and swung through the city, finally landing on a skyscraper to look at city you called your home. You could hear the people below notice you and start gossiping. It didn’t take long for all of New York to know that Recluse was back.

There was a sudden alarm going off a few streets away. It was from a car, and you could hear glass shatter as someone broke into it. Shooting a web to a nearby building, you made your way to where the crook was. You landed on the car as it sped off, almost losing your balance. Kneeling down, you poked your head through the broken window.

“You know, motor vehicle theft can send you to prison for up to four years,” you announced.

You shot a web at the brake pedal, and the car came to a screeching halt. The thief tried to punch you, but you dodged it with ease. Flipping off the car, you opened the door and wrapped the thief up before dragging him out the car. He tried to rip the webbing, but everyone in New York knew that it was difficult to do with your bare hands.

What you didn’t expect was for the thief to have a knife. He cut through his restraint and lunged at you. You managed to escape the blade, crying out, “Hey! I just got my stitches taken out!”

You punched him in the face and then kneed him in the stomach. He dropped the knife, so you kicked him in the side and restrained him as the police arrived. Before they could say anything to you, you shot a line to the closest building and flew through the streets.

“Welcome back, Recluse,” Renjun said in your ear.

“It’s good to be back.”

You were heading home when you heard a scream. Changing direction, you landed upon Jaemin being held over the edge of a bridge by a couple random gang members. Your heart raced at the sight; seeing someone you knew in danger was completely different than the regular civilian.

“Now, what should we do since we have him?” one of the guys asked with a smirk.

“Please, let me go!” Jaemin begged.

“Let you go? Okay,” the other man said.

Everything was suddenly in slow motion. You flew forward as they let Jaemin drop. Webs shooting out, you trapped the gang members to a tree as you went over the bridge as well. One arm wrapped around Jaemin as another shot a string out to swing you over to a hill nearby. Jaemin fell to the ground, so you crouched down. His eyes were wide with fear that still coursed through his veins, despite him being safe.

“Are you okay?” you asked.

He looked at you before lunging forward to pull you into a hug. “Thank you, Recluse.”

His voice was so weak, and his whole body was shaking. You hugged him back, carding your gloved fingers through his hair. “No problem. It’s what I’m here for.”

Somebody must’ve called the police, because you could hear them arrive to the tree the gang members were stuck to. You stepped away from Jaemin and tried to leave, but he stopped you. One look at him told you he was afraid to walk the rest of the way home.

“I’ll follow you from up high, okay?” you promised.

He nodded and watched you swing to the apartment building that was nearby. He started his walk back home, and you followed him like you promised. He flinched every time someone walked near him, but then his shoulders relaxed a little once they were gone. As he reached the steps to his building, he looked up. He raised a hand to wave at you before heading inside. You listened until you heard his parents greet him, and then you headed back home.

“Was that Na Jaemin?” Renjun asked.

You jumped, forgetting that Renjun and Chenle could hear everything. “Yeah. He needed some help.”

The next morning, you could hear Jeno telling Haechan and Chenle about Recluse stopping the car thief. You approached the group with a grin and threw an arm around Chenle’s shoulders, despite him being taller than you. It didn’t take long for the others to join you, and Jeno repeated the story for them, since he’d watched the stream of the fight.

“God, Recluse is amazing,” Jeno said with a happy sigh.

“And she’s hot,” Haechan commented.

“How do you know? She wears a mask,” Renjun pointed out.

“Her body, duh! Her suit fits her really well.”

“She saved me last night.”

Everyone turned to Jaemin, completely shocked at what he told them. Jisung was brave enough to ask, “What happened?”

“Some, uh, some gang members hung me over a bridge and dropped me. She caught me in time.”

You could feel Renjun and Chenle’s eyes on you. So maybe you forgot to tell them what had happened. It was traumatizing for both you and Jaemin. One wrong move, and he would’ve been dead. You were so glad you hadn’t messed up, but you’d also barely got that string of web to hit the bridge before your bodies slammed to the ground.

“Holy shit, dude. Are you okay?” you asked.

“I am now. I would be dead if it wasn’t for her,” he said, a small smile on his face as he talked to you.

It was Friday, so everybody was on edge, ready for the weekend to start. Jisung and Chenle apparently had plans to go to the arcade that had opened last week in Koreatown. Jeno and Haechan were going to Boston for the weekend. Jaemin had relatives visiting, so he was stuck home. You and Renjun lied about having your own plans when you were invited to Boston, but the truth was that you had to stay in case Recluse was needed, and Renjun refused to let you work alone, even if it was for a couple days.

That night, you couldn’t help but put on your suit and travel to Jaemin’s place. What he’d gone through wasn’t something anyone could get over quickly. You made sure your earpiece was off so Renjun didn’t know you were out. What you were doing was completely reckless, but you needed to know that he was okay, especially after your talk with Aunt May.

You landed on the fire escape and peeked into his room. He was sitting at his desk, doing his homework. Tapping on the glass, you watched him whip around and smile before coming over to open the window. He leaned against the windowsill and propped his chin on his fist, staring at you.

“On patrol?” he asked.

“You could say that,” you replied, pitching your voice a little deeper to disguise it. “How are you doing?”

He shrugged. “Good, I guess. Didn’t sleep very well last night, but my friends luckily live in the same neighborhood with me, so I didn’t have to walk home alone after school. Why, are you worried about me?”

“I worry about everyone I save,” you stated. “Well, I’m glad you’re okay. See you around.”

He told you to wait, but you ignored him to head back home.

///

You crawled through Chenle’s window and fell to the ground, announcing your arrival. You knew he was home, so you hoped he was the one that found you and not his parents. Your side still hurt like hell from the electrocution of Dr. Octopus’ tentacles. He’d broken out of prison and managed to get his machine back, and the fight was brutal.

The door flew open, slamming into the wall. You looked over and found not only Chenle, but Jisung as well. Your eyes widened at the sight of one of your new friends, and you started to panic. Chenle, however, sprang into action and pulled out his first-aid kit.

“Damn it, why didn’t you call me?” he asked.

“Didn’t realize you had a friend over,” you replied.

“We ran home when we heard about Dr. Octopus. Jisung, go to the fridge and grab an ice pack. Wrap it in a towel from the linen closet and bring it back here,” he ordered. When Jisung didn’t move right away, he snapped, “Jisung, now!”

The younger boy rushed out the room, and Chenle ripped your mask off. Your hand reached out to grab it, but he stopped you. “I need to make sure there’s nothing broken in your face. He hit you pretty hard out there.”

“But Jisung—”

“Do you really think I care right now?” he hissed.

“I do!” You grabbed your mask and pulled it back on. “It’s dangerous enough that you two know. Adding Jisung will just make it worse. I can’t risk it.”

He sighed but didn’t push it. He knew you were right, but he couldn’t help but worry. Broken bones were really bad, especially when not treated properly.

“Does Renjun know you’re here?” he asked quietly as you could hear Jisung’s footsteps get closer.

You nodded and said, “He also knows to stay quiet because of Jisung.”

“You better not have told the others she’s here,” Chenle stated as Jisung entered the room again.

The other boy handed over the ice pack with a frown. “That would be stupid and dangerous for the two of you.”

“We just have to make sure,” you told him.

Chenle pulled on some gloves and looked at the burn on your side. It was blistering, and he could tell you were trying not to cry. He had you place the ice pack on your head as he dabbed at the blood that was dripping down your ribs. He then applied some burn cream and wrapped it up. When you stood up, you started to walk towards the window, but he stopped you.

“I really need to check that nothing’s broken in your face,” he said.

“I’m fine, Chenle. It was nice meeting you, Jisung.”

You could hear Jisung shout a, “You too!” before bombarding Chenle with questions. You felt bad, but you needed the help, and calling him before you arrived wasn’t the first thing on your mind when you escaped as the police were arresting Dr. Octopus.

“That was too close,” Renjun said.

“No shit.”

The rest of your weekend was, luckily, uneventful. Aunt May made you ice your face while she yelled at you for not being more careful like you’d promised. She also asked Chenle how to check for broken bones in the face before deciding that you managed to stay in one piece this time.

On Monday, you thought you covered the bruises on your face pretty well with makeup, but by the reactions of the others, you were dead wrong. Jaemin, Jeno, and Haechan crowded around you, talking over each other as they asked question after question. You looked at your other friends and froze when you saw Jisung staring at you, his eyes narrowed.

“Jesus Christ, Renjun and I went biking and I fell down a hill in Central Park,” you snapped, shoving Haechan’s hand away. “And that hurts, Haechan.”

“Sorry,” the boy mumbled.

“Man, you weren’t lying when you said you’re clumsy,” Jaemin commented.

“Never doubt me.”

During your free period, you escaped to the library. Word on the street was that there was a new villain named Siren, and you needed to research as much of them as you could so you were prepared when you would eventually face off against them. You found a table in the back corner of the library and pulled out your laptop. As you logged onto it, the chair in front of you was pulled out. Jisung sat down, throwing his bag onto the ground.

“What’s up, bud?” you asked.

“I won’t tell anyone,” was his response.

You cocked an eyebrow. “Little lost here.”

“You think I didn’t notice you grab your side earlier when Jeno bumped into you? Or that the bruises on your face are definitely worse than if you fell off a bike?” He leaned back in his chair.

“Okay, what is it you want?” you questioned.

He shrugged. “Nothing. Like I said, I won’t tell anyone. Friends don’t tell each other’s secrets.”

You were frozen in place. Did he really want nothing in return? The only reason why you’d trusted Renjun and Chenle was because they were your best friends. Was Jisung the same?

“Why?”

“Telling people puts us all in danger. I would feel horrible if something happened to you or anyone else because I decided to tell someone,” he replied.

You sighed. “Okay. Can you help me research then?”

He smiled and scrambled to take a seat next to you. You made sure no one was around before telling him about what you knew, which wasn’t a lot. He pulled out his own laptop and started looking at online chats and fan sites, hoping to find something on Siren. You looked at articles that were written about them. From what you could tell, Siren was a girl, and she could control water. She could also sing a song to lure anyone in. It would be extremely risky to fight her, knowing she could control you or anyone who could hear her voice.

During lunch, it hit you that someone else knew. Someone else knew, which meant another life was forever in danger. Your stomach twisted at the thought, and you could feel the food you just ate start to rise in your throat again. Your chair scraped against the tile as you pushed it back, ignoring the calls of your name as you ran out the cafeteria. You ran to the closest bathroom and threw the door open, falling to your knees in the nearest stall and vomiting everything that was in your stomach. The bathroom door squeaked open, and somebody was holding your hair back. You could hear Renjun’s soothing words in your ear, assuring you it was going to be okay, but it wasn’t. A poor sixteen-year-old was in danger, and it was all your fault.

You grabbed some toilet paper and wiped your mouth before turning around. Renjun and Chenle were luckily the only ones in the room with you, which made it easier for you to say, “Jisung knows.”

“How?” Renjun asked.

“The bruises on my face were a big tell, and then Jeno bumped into my side earlier. He put it together,” you explained.

“Shit. Did he threaten you at all?” Chenle questioned.

You shook your head. “He doesn’t want anything. All he said was that ‘friends don’t tell each other’s secrets.’”

“Well, at least I can check your face whenever he’s over,” the younger boy pointed out.

“God, I should’ve called that day. It would’ve been enough time for you to either get him out or distract him or something. From now on, nobody else can find out unless I say so,” you stated.

They nodded in agreement and left the bathroom to let you clean up. You rinsed your mouth out and stared in the mirror, your hands clutching the sink. The makeup was barely covering the bruising, so you took a makeup wipe from your bag and cleaned it all off. There was no point in covering it, anyway. Your hair was a frizzy mess, and there were dark circles under your eyes from being up almost all night in pain.

You exited the bathroom and almost ran into your whole friend group. Haechan handed you your backpack, which you took while thanking him. Jaemin asked if you were okay, so you nodded, but you could tell he didn’t believe you. Thankfully, he didn’t question it, so you were able to walk to your next class in peace.

///

Jaemin was in trouble again. He was hanging from the fire escape of an abandoned building, the rusted bolts having broken under his weight. The police were on the street, waiting for the fire department, but they were held up a couple streets away in traffic. He could feel his hands slipping from the sweat produced by his palms.

“I don’t wanna die,” he whispered.

The metal creaked as he held on. The whole thing shifted, causing his hand to slip. He screamed as his body cut through the air, but then someone grabbed him, and he was standing on the roof of a café. He looked over to you, and a big sigh left his body.

“I’m sorry,” he mumbled. “I just needed to get away and think.”

“Don’t be. We all need those moments,” you assured him. “Pick somewhere safe next time, okay?”

He nodded. “This building has never been a problem, but I guess I can’t say that anymore.”

“You’ll find another one. Ready to head home?”

He nodded, so you told him to wrap his arms tightly around you before you launched yourself in the air. You made sure your legs were wrapped tightly around his waist so he wouldn’t slip. When you made it to his apartment building, you landed on the roof so you wouldn’t be seen. He looked at the door leading to the stairs before turning to you again.

“Thank you. For everything you’ve done,” he said.

“That’s what I’m here for,” you stated.

“Stay safe, please.” And with that, he was disappearing into his building.

You woke up the next morning feeling jittery. You were going to breakfast with all the guys, and you were filled with anxiety. It was the first time you weren’t hanging out with just Renjun and Chenle, and you didn’t know how to act. Do you act yourself, or do you put on a mask? Did you even dress the same? Should you dress nicer? You looked at your phone and opened the text that was waiting in the new group chat with them.

Haechan: I don’t know about you guys, but I’m showing up in sweats

You threw on some sneakers and headed out, yelling out to Aunt May that you’d be back soon. When you exited your apartment building, Renjun and Chenle were waiting for you. They hadn’t heard you, so you sneaked up and jumped on Chenle’s back, shooting a small web at Renjun’s hood before pulling it to choke him jokingly. Chenle yelped while Renjun scrambled to get the string off his sweatshirt.

“You’re evil,” the older boy complained.

Chenle’s arms hooked under your knees as he added, “I don’t know how the city thinks you’re a hero.”

You pulled a lock of his hair. “Say it louder, why don’t you.”

“Sorry.”

You were carried the few blocks to the diner when you complained about having to hold onto Jaemin the night before. Jaemin and Haechan looked amused at the sight of you on Chenle’s back. Your trusty steed gently dropped you into the booth before sliding next to you, throwing an arm along the back of the seat. Renjun sat across and tangled his feet with you.

“What’s with the royal treatment?” Jeno asked.

“She decided she wanted to go jogging last night, and now her legs hurt,” Renjun lied.

“And I treat her like the queen she is,” Chenle joked.

You rolled your eyes and laid your head on his shoulder as the waitress approached the table. You recognized her as somebody from Chenle and Jisung’s grade. A glare was sent your way as she took in the position you two were in. Once she was gone with your drink orders on her notepad, your eyelids fell closed from the body heat that radiated from Chenle and Jaemin.

“Looks like our waitress is jealous of Y/N,” Haechan commented. “She was practically glaring daggers at Chenle’s arm around you.”

“Well, when Chenle finally gets a girlfriend she’ll have to fight me for his love,” you joked.

A silence fell over the group. You opened your eyes to see what was wrong, only to find everyone but your best friends staring at you in shock. “What?”

“You two aren’t dating?” Jeno asked.

“No. Did you all think that?” Chenle wondered.

“Have you seen how the two of you act?” Jisung gestured to you. “You’re always touching!”

“Yeah, it’s easy to mistake it,” Renjun commented. “Chenle’s just really protective of Y/N, and she enjoys the attention. But I’m still her best friend.”

You laughed at that last part. “Of course, Renjun. You’re my number one.”

You were in the middle of eating breakfast when there was an explosion outside. The seven of you ducked under the table as glass shattered and went flying. You could hear maniacal laughter ring through the streets. It sounded familiar, but you didn’t know who it was.

“Oh, Recluse! Come out, come out, wherever you are!” the female voice shouted.

“We need to get out of here,” you said as you started to move, but Jaemin grabbed your arm.

“Are you kidding me? It’s not safe out there!” he scolded.

“We can’t just stay in one spot! That’s the easiest way to be found,” you argued. “Come on, we can slip through the back and use the alleys to get away.”

You and the guys stayed low as you sneaked into the kitchen to use the back door. Once you were in the alley, you took off running, ignoring Jaemin yelling your name. You had to get home fast to change into your suit. Luckily, you lived close, so you ran up the stairs instead of using the elevator. When you threw yourself through the door of the apartment, Aunt May had your suit in hand. You changed quickly, not caring that you were standing in front of her, and then you were jumping out the window and flying through the streets. Your earpiece was nothing but static, but that was to be expected. As far as you knew, Renjun and Chenle were still with the others.

“Ah, there you are! I was wondering when you would show up.”

You looked over from your perch on a building’s ledge to face a girl in an all-white suit. A mask was covering the upper half of her head. She was standing on a wave of water that she produced from a broken fire hydrant nearby. This must be Siren, you thought to yourself.

“What do you want?” you asked.

A grin spread across her face. It sent a chill down your spine. “I just want men to listen to me for once.”

She opened her mouth and started singing. You covered your ears and looked to the street. Your friends were standing on the sidewalk, staring at the scene unfolding before them. Jisung had covered his ears, but the others were walking towards where Siren was hovering. Jisung looked at you, a look of fear on his face.

“Get them out of here!” you shouted as you commanded your suit to play the loudest music it could find.

When he didn’t do anything, you swung down and found a tech store nearby. When you ran in, nobody was around, so you used your web to grab six sets of headphones. You then ran out and plugged a set into Jisung’s phone, turning the music up loudly before placing the set over his ears. He looked around and grabbed the other pairs from you before running after your friends. You turned your attention back to Siren and swung up. You kicked her in the jaw, which stopped her singing. Her eyes landed on you as she seethed before opening her mouth and screeching. You could feel the vibrations from her scream, and you watched as the buildings around you shook. There was debris falling everywhere, and you yelled when you saw some flying towards your friends. They managed to dodge it in time, but you motioned for them to leave. Your music turned off as Siren started yelling at you.

“This isn’t over, Recluse! I will get my revenge!” She threw a large wave of water at you, and your body smacked into the wall of the diner. You fell onto the awning that hung over one of the windows, bouncing a little against the fabric.

“Recluse! Are you okay?” you heard somebody ask.

Groaning, you sat up and looked at your friends. Their heads were swiveling, as if searching for something. Renjun looked at you and mouthed, “Go,” right as Haechan asked where you’d gone.

Luckily, your suit was waterproof, so by the time you reached home, there wasn’t a single drop on it from swinging through the streets. You changed quickly and ran back downstairs to find your friends. Chenle spotted you first and threw his arms around you.

“Are you okay? Are you hurt?” he asked in your ear.

“I’m good, I’m good,” you assured him.

“Y/N! Where the hell did you go?” Jeno asked.

“I just started running. I thought you guys were behind me, but when I noticed you weren’t, I tried to go back. The police had blocked the street off, so I couldn’t get through,” you lied. “I’m sorry, guys. I didn’t mean to abandon you.”

“I’m just glad we’re all okay,” Jisung said. “That was close.”

“Jisung, how’d you know to block our ears?” Haechan questioned.

The youngest shrugged. “Recluse put a pair of headphones on my head and told me to do the same to you guys.”

After the morning’s events, you all decided to head to Chenle’s place. He lived in a penthouse, so it was easy to decide where to go with the amount of people in your friend group. You collapsed onto the couch as soon as you walked into the Zhong’s home, exhausted from your fight. Renjun lied on top of you, making you groan at the sudden weight.

“Thanks for saving us,” he said quietly.

“Dog pile!” Jaemin shouted before lying atop Renjun.

It didn’t take long for all of them to try to add to the pile. You could barely breathe, but you were surprisingly okay with that. Maybe it was because you could hear the others giggling. Maybe it was because you knew it was all fun and games. Maybe it was because of the grin on Jaemin’s face when you locked eyes.

Chenle brought you all to the theatre room. You had to go to the bathroom first, so when you arrived, you didn’t know who to sit with. Everyone was paired up, curled together with blankets. Jaemin noticed your hesitance and patted the spot that wasn’t occupied by Jeno on the couch they were sitting on. You crawled into the spot and thanked him when he covered you with the blanket.

You didn’t know what movie you were watching, but it didn’t matter. Jaemin had an arm around you, and you were so warm. It was nice compared to the quickly-chilling city as the seasons were getting ready to change. Your head fell onto his chest as your eyes closed, the sounds around you fading away.

Jaemin looked down at your sleeping form. It was the first time that day that you’d looked completely relaxed. When you two were just lab partners, he worried about the dark circles that seemed to be tattooed under your eyes and the black-and-blue clouds that seemed to constantly paint your skin. Now that you two were friends, that worry was almost tripled. He didn’t like to see any of his friends hurt, but with you it was different. There wasn’t a single day you weren’t covered in some kind of injury.

You shifted in your sleep, snuggling closer to him. He couldn’t help but smile. It was clear you had issues trusting people, so seeing you lie with him so easily made his heart swell. He silently vowed to himself that he would never break that trust.

///

You threw punch after punch, your opponent dodging every one that came his way. He sent a couple back, barely missing your face. Lunging forward, you were shocked when he grabbed you and threw your body onto the mat, pinning you. You struggled, but there was no way you could get out of it without revealing your super strength.

“That’s enough, Jeno,” Jaemin announced.

The weight on you suddenly lifted, and a hand was held out. You took it and let Jeno help you up before grabbing your water bottle that was next to the mat.

You’d had another encounter with Alli. Jeno and Jaemin broke it up before it got too bad, but you were still bleeding and bruised. Jaemin had told Jeno to call Chenle before yelling at her. The rest of your friends had shown up in the hallway, apparently together when Chenle got the call. They had all watched as he expertly patched you up before Jeno offered to teach you to defend yourself. You were hesitant to agree, but Renjun and Chenle convinced you to take him up on his offer. Jaemin came along to make sure Jeno didn’t go too far. The only problem was that he wasn’t giving you a chance to figure out how to control your strength while also getting out of whatever hold Jeno had you in.

“Wanna go again?” Jeno asked.

You nodded, so the two of you got into position, waiting for Jaemin’s call. Once he shouted out, you lunged forward and tried to knock Jeno off his feet. He easily wrapped an arm around your neck and fell backwards, your back to his chest. His legs wrapped around your hips to keep a good hold on you. Before you could even think about how to get out, Jaemin called it off again. Huffing, you stood up and faced away from the boy.

“Jaemin, give her a chance to get out,” Jeno said. “She can do it. She just needs time to think.”

There was a hesitant, “Fine,” so you faced Jeno on the mat again and waited. At the call, you circled each other for a few seconds before Jeno took a step forward. You dodged it and tried to jump on his back, but he turned around and caught you. He threw you off and got you into the same chokehold from before. You could see Jaemin wanted to stop the fight, but you needed to figure out how to get out of it. Jeno wasn’t hurting you much, making sure he kept his promise to go easy.

However, when his hold became a little tighter, something took over you. You threw your body to the side to roll the two of you over, and then you jabbed your elbow into his side. He fell off and started to praise you, but you didn’t hear it as you straddled his waist and punched him in the face a couple times. He cried out in pain, which snapped you out of it. He was cradling his face, and you could see some blood and a few tears. Your hands started to shake as you got off him. You could hear Jaemin call out your name, but it sounded distant. Panicking, you grabbed your bag and sneakers and ran out of the gym as fast as you could.

What the hell had you just done? Jeno was just trying to help you, and you hurt him. You couldn’t even remember if you’d used your full strength or held back. Either way, you were too scared to face both him and Jaemin.

Chenle opened the door not too long after you had knocked. He ushered you in when he saw the tears that stained your face. Renjun and Jisung were hanging out in the family room, but they jumped up once they saw you. He waved them off and led you to his room, pushing you towards the bathroom. He grabbed a t-shirt and a pair of sweatpants from his closet, handing them to you before closing the bathroom door, leaving you alone. You undressed and started the shower up, letting the steam fill the room before stepping through the glass door. The hot water pelted your skin, creating a harsh flush on the sensitive surface. You quickly washed your body, trying to muffle the sobs that threatened to escape your lips.

Once you were done showering, you changed into the clothes Chenle had provided and stepped back into his room. It was empty, and his bed looked so inviting, so you crawled under the sheets and felt the exhaustion hit you like a truck. You ignored your phone that was vibrating, instead falling asleep fairly quickly.

The creak of the door woke you up. You looked over, expecting it to be Chenle or Renjun, but froze when your eyes landed on Jeno standing in the doorway. You threw the covers over your head in hopes of him leaving, but the footsteps that grew closer told you otherwise. The bed dipped under his weight as sat down, and he slowly pulled your shield down. You looked at him with tear-filled eyes, taking in the bruises that had blossomed on his face from where you’d hit him.

“I’ve been trying to call you for the last two hours,” he stated. When you didn’t say anything, he let out a sigh. “I’m not mad.”

“You’re not?” you asked in a small voice as you sat up.

“Of course not. You proved that you can defend yourself, and that’s all I wanted,” he explained. “You scared us when you ran away, though, especially when you weren’t picking up your phone.”

“Sorry,” you mumbled.

“It’s okay.”

“Did I break anything?”

He chuckled. “Chenle checked me out. Everything’s still in place. Is it okay if I hug you?”

You nodded, so he wrapped his arms around you, rubbing your back soothingly. You could feel tears prick at your eyes again, but you held them back. When he pulled away, you wiped at your face and smiled at him.

“Come on. Jaemin’s been freaking out since you ran away. I think he was more worried than me,” he said, helping you get out of bed.

You shuffled down the hallway, sticking close to Jeno’s back. When the two of you appeared in the family room, the rest of the group looked towards you. You weren’t surprised Haechan had shown up at some point. Jaemin leaped off the couch and rushed over, pulling you into a tight hug.

“Don’t scare me like that,” he whispered in your ear. “I thought something bad had happened to you.”

You apologized and pulled away. “How’d you guys even find me?”

Renjun said, “I went to check on you and saw the notifications on your phone. Jaemin had called you, like, fifty times, so I told them you were here.”

“You messed up Jeno’s pretty face,” Haechan joked.

The others snapped his name, but you laughed at the comment. Jeno’s face was pretty swollen, and there was a cut on his lip from his teeth when you’d punched his jaw. You couldn’t help but admit that he was still pretty handsome, even with the injuries. When they laughed, you realized you’d said it out loud.

When Aunt May called you home, Jaemin accompanied you on your walk back. You moved slowly down the sidewalk, enjoying his company as he told you stories about him and Jeno when they were kids. Your heart fluttered when you saw the fond smile on his face.

You knew what was happening, and there was no way to stop it. You were developing deeper feelings for the Na boy. It was no longer just a crush. The feeling in your gut told you what you already knew; falling for him was dangerous. You wouldn’t be able to act on it. If he ever asked you out, you would have to turn him down. Being a superhero meant giving up the right to a love life.

///

It was in the middle of the night when you decided to visit Jaemin as Recluse. You could tell he still had issues with being alone at night. When he’d walked you home the other night, you changed into your suit quickly and followed him. You could hear his heart racing as he rushed to his apartment building. He’d put on a brave face to make sure you got home okay.

You hung upside down and lowered yourself enough to see through his window. It was dark in his room, but his face was lit up by his phone screen. Three taps on the glass, though. He looked over and waited for his eyes to adjust before smiling when his eyes landed on a familiar superhero mask.

“What are you doing here?” he asked. “I mean, I’m flattered that you’re visiting me, but it seems a little stalkerish, doesn’t it?”

“Would you rather it be someone like Green Goblin or Screwball?” you questioned.

He hummed. “Green Goblin is dead, and Screwball is in prison.”

“Guess I’ll go,” you said.

“Wait!” He grabbed your arm gently. “Why are you here?”

You hesitated. “The other night, I was in the neighborhood—”

“Fitting.”

“—shut up, I was in the neighborhood when I saw you walking a girl home. You’re quite a good actor if she thought you were okay,” you finished. “Still worried about getting jumped?”

He shrugged. “Little bit, but it’s nice to know that there’s a superhero who will be there to save me.”

“How do you know I’ll be there?” you questioned.

“I was talking about Captain America. Geez, not everything is about you.”

You couldn’t help but laugh. “You got me there.”

He stared at you with a smile on his face before slowly reaching out. When his fingers grazed your neck, you pulled back a little. You asked softly, “What are you doing?”

“Do you trust me?”

When you didn’t answer, he tried again. He paused to see your reaction before continuing when you didn’t pull away. His fingers inched under your mask, pulling it down enough you reveal your mouth before leaning in and kissing you.

Despite the weird position, the kiss was wonderful. He was gentle, cupping your face as lips moved against yours. Your heart was soaring; Jaemin was kissing you. Jaemin was kissing you!

And then it all came crashing down. Jaemin wasn’t kissing you.

Jaemin was kissing Recluse.

You pulled away and yanked your mask back on. “You shouldn’t have done that.”

“I—I’m sorry,” he stuttered.

You rushed home, not hearing whatever he was yelling to you. You could feel your eyes start to water from the heartbreak that made your chest feel like it was torn open. Jaemin kissed you because of the mask you wear, not because of who was under said mask. He didn’t feel anything towards Y/N, and that was something you’d have to accept right away.

It didn’t make it hurt any less.

The next morning, you almost skipped school before remembering you had a test in biology. You got ready for school quickly and walked alone, not bothering to wait for Chenle, Renjun, and Jisung. There was a decision that had to be made, and you needed all the time to think about it that you could get.

There was luckily no one waiting for you at your locker, so you started to grab your books. Somebody leaned against the locker next to you, but you tried to ignore him. When he inched closer, you rolled your eyes and turned your attention to him.

“What?” you asked.

“You ready for the test?” Jaemin asked with a smile.

“Hope so. I studied all week,” you replied.

“I can tell. You’ve got serious bags under your eyes.”

The hairs on the back of your neck suddenly stood up. Body stiffening, you looked around to see if anything stood out, but there was nothing. Your senses were never wrong, so seeing nothing out of the ordinary had you on edge. What was nearby that was considered dangerous?

“Hey, you okay?” he questioned as he placed a hand on your shoulder.

You flinched at the touch, so he pulled away quickly, mumbling an apology. Guard up, you slammed your locker closed and stormed down the hallway, determined to find the source that was making your senses go haywire. Your head swiveled left and right as you looked at the other students and teachers. Everything seemed fine.

“Y/N, are you sure you’re—”

“God, Jaemin, will you just leave me alone?!” you shouted.

The hallway was suddenly quiet. Jaemin stared at you with wide eyes, his knuckles turning white as the grasp on his backpack strap tightened. You could see his Adam’s apple bob before he gave you a jerky nod, turned around, and walked away. You heart sank in your chest at the sight, but you ignored it. There was a threat, and some boy that didn’t even like you as much as you did him could not get in the way.

Everything seemed to calm down for a couple hours. You were able to concentrate on taking notes, and then you took your test in biology. You could feel Jaemin’s eyes on you a couple times, but you did your best to ignore it. It was only when you left that class were your senses on edge again. You looked around the hallway, but again there was nothing. Jaemin was standing behind you, shifting on his feet as if he was uncomfortable. Then again, with how you had reacted earlier, you would feel the same way.

“Y/N, Jaemin!”

Before Jaemin could say anything to Renjun and Chenle, you grabbed the two and dragged them down the hallway, ignoring their squawks of protests until you were in the classroom that Chenle had patched you up in after the fight. You made sure no one had followed and closed the door for safe measure.

“What the hell?” Renjun exclaimed. “First, you didn’t wait for us this morning to walk to school, then you ignored our texts, and now you want to talk to us?”

“Yeah, what gives? You can’t just expect us to act like it didn’t hurt us,” Chenle added.

“Something in this school is making my senses go crazy,” you stated.

The anger on their faces dropped as they processed that information. Finally, Renjun asked, “What happened?”

You explained to them what you had felt before homeroom. How the hairs stood up, and you were looking for the source when you’d yelled at Jaemin. Then it went away for a couple hours, but it came back when you’d left biology, but there was still no sign of any actual danger.

“Do you think maybe it was a mistake?” Chenle questioned as the bell rang.

“I don’t know how my senses could do that,” you replied. “It’s never been wrong.”

“But you’re not finding anything,” Renjun pointed out.

“I know, which is why I’m freaking out. What the hell could it be picking up?”

“We’ve gotta get to class, but if it happens again let us know,” Renjun said.

The three of you split up, and you headed to your next class. You kept an ear and eye out, but nothing was popping up. You couldn’t help but feel like you were going crazy; nothing was standing out, but your senses could clearly feel a threat.

When it was time for your free period, you headed to the library. You took your usual table in the back and sat facing the rest of the room, hoping you’ll see whatever the danger was if your body acted up again. What you didn’t expect was for Haechan to sit across from you.

“Why’d you yell at Jaemin this morning?” he asked.

“How’d you find out about that?”

“You did it in the middle of a high school hallway. How you do think I found out?”

You sighed. “I can’t explain it.”

“Can’t or won’t?”

Narrowing your eyes at him, you said, “Can’t, but even if I just didn’t want to, it’s none of your business.”

“It is when it involves one of my best friends.”

You slammed your hands down on the table, making everyone in the library jump. You stood up to tower over Haechan. His jaw was clenched, but you could tell he was a little scared. “If you really think that’s going to change my mind, guess again. My life is absolute shit right now, and there’s not much I can do about it, so the last thing on my mind is how badly Jaemin’s feelings are hurt because I yelled at him this morning because he wouldn’t leave me alone when I clearly did not want to talk to him. If you have a problem with that, oh well. I don’t fucking care right now.”

You grabbed your backpack and stormed out, ignoring the librarian’s calls to you. Deciding quickly, you walked out a side door and started to head home. There was no way you would be able to pay attention in the rest of your classes, and you didn’t want to face your friends during lunch. Aunt May would be pissed, but like you had told Haechan, you didn’t care.

It didn’t take long for your phone to blow up with texts from the others, wondering where you were. You told them the truth, that you’d left during free period. Chenle immediately tried calling you, knowing something was up, but you declined. Texting was the only thing you were okay with at the moment, knowing you could stop yourself from saying something you’d regret.

You were putting your suit on to start your patrol when Renjun, Chenle, and Jisung showed up to the apartment. You let them in and headed back to your room to grab your mask.

“What the hell is going on?” Renjun questioned. “You yelled at both Jaemin and Haechan? I know it’s not just about what happened earlier.”

You sighed, playing with the cloth in your hand. “I think I’m gonna quit being Recluse.”

“What?” the three of them asked.

“Why would you do that?” Chenle pressed.

“I’m losing even more sleep with all these villains around, and—” You stopped yourself. Did you really want to reveal what had happened the night before?

“And what?” Jisung asked quietly.

“And Jaemin kissed Recluse last night.” There were quiet gasps as you felt the tears start to well. “I’ve been wanting him to kiss me for so long, and he kissed her. Doing what I do, I can’t date anyone. I can’t go out with my friends spontaneously, I can’t go on a vacation, I can’t do anything somebody my age should be doing.”

“I’m sorry, Y/N,” Chenle said. “Why didn’t you tell us earlier?”

You let out a humorless laugh. “Because it feels ridiculous to complain about when I protect the city.”

The hairs on the back of your neck stood up again. You rushed to the window just in time to see a blur of white grab a very familiar figure from the sidewalk. Pulling your mask on, you launched yourself out the window and starting swinging, trying to keep up. Renjun, Chenle, and Jisung rushed to the window to watch, and Renjun noticed a bouquet lying on the sidewalk. He pulled his laptop from his bag and typed a few things before his scanner and the call to your earpiece popped up.

“What just happened?” he asked.

You grunted as you tried to move faster. “Jaemin was just snatched by Siren.”

“What? How do you know?”

“Because I saw him on the sidewalk, and I’d recognize that horrid suit anywhere.”

“Why would she take him, though?” Chenle wondered.

Your mind tried to rack through your memories of earlier that day. The first time you felt something was wrong, you looked around the hallway, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary. That was when you’d yelled at Jaemin. The second time he was right behind you, and the hallway seemed normal.

Wait. Who was that glaring at you?

“Oh my god. It’s Alli,” you said.

“What?”

“Alli. Alli is Siren. She was there both times earlier, glaring at Jaemin and me the whole time. I didn’t think anything of it because of how she acts,” you explained. “Renjun, have you found her on the scanner yet?”

“No, not yet. She moves faster than anyone I’ve ever seen. I don’t know how—oh! There she is! Alli’s located—” He stopped suddenly, and you could hear his throat click as he gulped in fear.

“What? Where is she?” you asked.

“She’s on the roof of SM’s building.”

SM Entertainment, the New York branch. Anyone who lived in Koreatown or Chinatown that wanted to get into the music industry knew of the company. It was tall, towering over the Korean neighborhood. Shiny, with all its clean windows and metal beams, it was hard to miss. You knew Renjun and Chenle had visited it a couple times before giving up once they’d realized that the work would make what they loved doing become a nightmare. Knowing how high that building was, you were afraid of fighting on the roof with Jaemin there as well. Any one of you could fall over the edge, and there was a 33% chance that it would be the only person who didn’t have any powers to save himself.

You landed on the building halfway up and crawled the rest of the way, hoping to use the time to hatch a plan. You didn’t know if he was tied up, if she would use her singing to control him to fight you, or something else. There was nothing that you could use to block his ears, either. You were going to be completely blindsided, no matter what she did.

Peeking over the ledge, you found Jaemin tied to some kind of pole. His glare was focused on Siren as she stood in front of him, a flirty smile on her face. There were a couple bruises on his face, probably from her attacking him before kidnapping him.

“Let me go,” he cried out. “I’ve done nothing wrong.”

“No. You men need to realize that you can’t just go around, breaking people’s hearts for no reason,” she argued. “All men do is date around, break hearts, and then act like it’s no big deal. Are you going to do that to Recluse, too?”

Shit. She must’ve seen him kiss me yesterday. “I would never do that to her.”

“And how am I supposed to believe you?” Yeah, Jaemin. How am I supposed to believe you?

“You don’t have to. I know the truth,” he stated. “Now let me go.”

You decided it was a good time to reveal yourself, so you shot a web out to grab her ankle before yanking. She dropped to the ground with a groan as you climbed over the edge. “Give it up, Siren.”

The girl stood up and turned to you, seething. “No! You two deserve whatever comes to you!”

“Why are you doing this?” Jaemin asked.

“You broke up with me for no fucking reason, and then you went and kissed her last night! What does she have that I don’t?” It was clear Alli was having a psychotic breakdown, which made the risks even higher. Whatever she decided to do she wouldn’t regret.

“Alli? What the fuck? I broke up with you because you beat Y/N up when she’d done nothing wrong!” Jaemin shouted.

“She constantly flirted with you!”

“So what if she did?! I never flirted back! All she had done was give me a fucking napkin to wipe your lipstick off my face. I don’t get how that made it okay to punch and kick her.”

“Can we not do this? I really don’t want to be in the middle of a lover’s quarrel when one of them is tied to a pole at the top of a skyscraper,” you said.

Alli turned back to you, and suddenly you were hit with a wall of water. Stumbling back, you shot a string out to stop yourself from tumbling over the edge of the roof. You then used a full web to trap Siren, but she screeched, the sound tearing it to shreds.

“Don’t think you can stop me that easily, Recluse. I’m far more powerful than you,” she hissed as she stepped forward.

Swinging a leg out, you swept her off her feet and pinned her to the ground. “I have more experience.”

You were thrown to the side before she stood up. She walked over to Jaemin, singing as she untied his restraints. You covered your ears to make sure she didn’t get control of you. She whispered something to him, and he turned to you, his face emotionless. Then, he lunged.

You squeaked and dodged him, trying to plan your next move. He suddenly tackled you to the ground, taking your hands off your ears. “Listen to her. Listen to the song.”

You struggled against his grip, despite have superhuman strength. You could hear Renjun yelling in your ear to try and block out the song, but it was no use. However, nothing felt different as the notes floated into your ear.

Of course. Even though no one could see your face, you smirked. “Neither of you know your mythology, do you?” you asked before rolling over to pin Jaemin. “You see, a siren’s song only attracts men. There’s no way to take control of me.”

You and Jaemin rolled around, trying to stop the other from winning the fight. Siren’s singing grew louder, as if it would cause Jaemin to grow stronger and faster. When he was finally on top of you, his hands encircled your neck, squeezing tight. You struggled against his grip, legs flailing as you tried to buck him off. The look in his eyes was still empty, and it scared you. You knew that once he was out of this trance, he wouldn’t be able to live with himself if you were dead by his own two hands. You punched him in the face and tied him up with your webbing. When you turned around, Siren was right there. She screeched and threw her fist into your cheek. You stumbled back and tried to stay on your feet, but she jumped on you and continued bashing your face in. You could feel yourself losing consciousness as Jaemin screamed your name. Not Recluse, but your name. Before you completely blacked out, you saw a red glint in the sky.

///

It was too bright and too loud when you came to. There was hushed conversation, but it might as well have been yelling with how sensitive your ears were. A machine was beeping, keeping track of your heart rate. You tried not to move or make a noise, but your whole body hurt. You couldn’t help but whimper in pain.

“Y/N!” There was some shuffling, and then you felt Aunt May’s hand on your forehead, smoothing your hair back. “Y/N, can you hear me?”

“It hurts. It hurts so bad,” you whined.

“What hurts?”

“Everything.”

It was a couple minutes before the pain slowly died down. It obviously wouldn’t go away from the medication alone, but it was enough to make it bearable. You slowly opened your eyes, it dawning on you that you couldn’t see well due to swelling. You looked around, your eyes landing on Aunt May. Her eyes were shining with tears that had yet to fall. Looking around, you noticed that you were in a room with the walls made entirely of glass. The sleek look outside your room told you one thing: you were in the Avengers tower.

“W-what happened?” you asked.

“Mr. Stark saved you. Siren’s actions were too chaotic for you to track, so he had to step in,” she explained.

“Where are the others? Where’s Jaemin?”

“Right here.”

You turned your head to find your six friends standing on the other side of the room. Your eyes widened at the sight of them. There was no way Haechan, Jeno, and Jaemin didn’t know your secret. Your heart sank at the possibilities of them knowing.

“You asshole,” Renjun hissed. He stepped forward and pulled you into a hug. “I thought we told you to stop scaring us like that.”

“You know I can’t promise that,” you mumbled into his neck.

When he pulled away, Chenle was suddenly holding you tightly. “You’re grounded. I’m never allowing you to leave your apartment again.”

“Okay, Mom,” you joked.

The room was awkwardly silent as the others stared at you. You were uncertain as to what you should say; they were suddenly strangers, none of them knowing who you truly were until now.

“Shoot a web,” Haechan suddenly demanded.

You froze, so he repeated himself. Hesitantly, you shot one at his mouth. He jumped as it attached to his face, making the others laugh. Clawing at the web, he rolled his eyes and laughed sarcastically. “Very funny, Y/N.”

“Hey, you’re the one that asked me to shoot a web. I was just doing the rest of us a favor,” you joked.

There was a sudden pause, and then Jeno asked, “So, you’re really Recluse?”

You nodded before groaning in pain, your hand flying to your neck. You didn’t miss the look of guilt on Jaemin’s face. Even though he knew it wasn’t his fault, he couldn’t help but feel horrible whenever his eyes landed on the dark bruises on your neck that were in the shape of his fingers.

“I’m sorry for not telling you,” you said quietly.

“Your aunt explained why you didn’t,” he assured you. “We get it.”

“I’m still pissed that Jisung knew this whole time,” Haechan mumbled.

“Hey, I only found out because she fell through Chenle’s window,” Jisung argued.

As you listened to them bicker, you couldn’t help but think about the fight. You were trying to figure out what it was that you heard before you’d blacked out. When you remembered, your eyes widened. You pushed yourself to sit up, everyone’s eyes falling to you at the sudden movement.

“I need to speak to Jaemin,” you stated.

The boys looked at each other before slowly stepping out of the room, sending curious glances your way. Jaemin stayed in his chair, leaning forward with his fingers folded together over his mouth. The two of you stared at each other for who knows how long before you said, “You knew.”

He paused before nodding, saying in a raspy voice, “I did.”

“How long?”

“Ever since the first time you saved me.”

Your jaw dropped. “When you were hanging over that bridge?”

Shaking his head, he said, “There was a time before that.”

You wracked through your memories, trying to find the first time you’d saved him. Your moments were usually one-on-one, but there was one time on the Brooklyn Bridge that would never forget.

It was before Green Goblin had died. He and Dr. Octopus had teamed up to wreak havoc on New York. They were tearing up the bridge, blowing up vehicles and hurt people left and right. A school bus had gone over the edge of the bridge with one guy inside, everyone else from the field trip running down the street. The emergency door on the back was opened, facing towards you, but he was at the other end, lying next to the steering wheel. You’d taken a big risk by letting go of both webs, one holding the bus and the other connected to the bridge, before jumping inside. You’d grabbed him and shot a string to the bridge, swinging yourselves to the edge of the river. You’d asked him if he was okay, and it was only when he nodded had you returned to the fight with the two villains.

“Your English class was on the way to a play,” you stated. “Oh my god, I can’t believe I forgot that. How’d you know it was me, though?”

He smiled and moved his chair so it was by your bedside before gently grabbing your hand. “You sat next to me in math that year. You didn’t talk much, but I could never forget a voice like yours.”

Heat rushed to your cheeks at the comment. “S-so when you kissed Recluse—”

“I knew I was kissing you,” he finished. “I’d been wanting to do it for years, but I always thought you were dating Chenle.”

Your mind was reeling. He’d known this whole time? He knew it was you when he kissed you the other night? Oh my god, he knew it was you when he kissed you.

“I’ve had the biggest crush on you for I don’t know how long,” you admitted quietly. “I never thought you knew I existed until this year.”

Smiling again, he leaned forward slowly. “You’re unforgettable, Y/N.”

His lips pressed gently against yours, just like it had the other night. A deep breath rushed through your nose at the contact, your hand coming up to card through his hair as he cupped your cheeks. When he finally pulled away, it was only to rest your foreheads together.

“I know what we’re doing is dangerous,” he started, “but I don’t want to give this up. I don’t want to give you up.”

You paused to think. “It’s going to be really difficult, and I’ll probably want to give up a lot, but we can work on this. I’m able to live as a superhero while also keeping my grades up. After what happened with Alli, I don’t want to miss out on anything else.”

As he leaned in for another kiss, the doors burst open with your friends cheering. You couldn’t help but hide your face in his chest in embarrassment. He laughed and rubbed your back, pressing a kiss to your hair. You couldn’t tell yourself that everything was going to be okay, but it was definitely going to be better than before.

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