#spyderđˇ
Explore tagged Tumblr posts
Text
?"*"[#&=[$#*@(á?$("[#*á?$("[#>á
#matthew watson and ryan magee try not to be gay on camera challenge level impossible#ANYway . they both look good in this video#ryan#matt#supermega#spyder on the web đˇ
133 notes
¡
View notes
Text
made da boyz in Pony Tooooown :D (i have yet to actually play this game)
Donnie has a little Shelldon plush, and Leo has a little Ussgi plush (who is also a pegasus)
#based donnie off of meee and the rest of them i based off of various human designs i've seen#and their outfits are from the air turtle episode#i will be playing this game for the first time later today with some friends! :D and of course i'll be playing as dee#i just made the rest of the boys for fun#i might make april too#donnie#mikey#leo#raph#rottmnt#spyder on the web đˇ
5 notes
¡
View notes
Text
Created a banner/title card for my spidersona, Cyber-Spyder đˇđ¸
You'll see more of them soon! I've been cooking behind the scenes.
I'm also going to dabble more in graphic design, but don't worry, the illustrations will keep coming! Also also, so sorry for not posting on here.
#patchyart#artists on tumblr#digital art#graphic design#across the spiderverse#spidersona#into the spider verse#art
8 notes
¡
View notes
Text
Watching our tiger đŻ performing "spyder" đˇ makes me love and appreciate the animal kingdom 100 times more.
#hoshi#kwon soonyoung#seventeen soonyoung#svt soonyoung#horanghae#seventeen#svt#booseoksoon#scoups#jeonghan#joshua#jun#wonwoo#woozi#the8#mingyu#dk#seungkwan#vernon#Dino#performance unit#dance#hoshi solo
10 notes
¡
View notes
Text
âAS ABOVE, SO BELOWâ â a tasm!peter x reader au
Summary: Youâre a social media manager for the Daily Bugle by day and a secret agent with the Black Cats by night. And him? As far as you know, heâs a Spyder. And a pain in your ass. â or, a spy/secret agent rivals to teammates/actually coworkers to lovers fic.
Words:Â 12,030 (!!! thatâs a lot of love and hard work! would appreciate a comment after reading!)
đˇ A/N: my first ever tasm!peter fic, for @spiderveeâs tasm!peter au event last april! a little late, but iâm so happy this fic is finally out in the worldâi hope youâll have as much fun reading it as i did writing it! (perhaps more to come? who knows!) special thanks to @darlingwendyâ who was with me every step of the way on this journey hehe.
đ¸ rated t but no minors please! poc reader; gender neutral pronouns; has both other marvel characters and original characters on the side; double lives / secret identities; professional rivalry; coworkers; BANTER; kissing & suggestive themes (but all the way at the end)
mood board | full fic below & on ao3 | dividers by @firefly-graphicsââ
âAre you sure you canât join us for drinks?â Your co-worker Betty asks, leaning over your desk as you stuff your belongings into your tote bag.
You shake your head. âI got my part-time thing tonight, sorry. Next time?â
âYou said that last time. Youâre always working! You need to let loose and have fun. Whatâs the harm in living a little?â
âMmm, because that means spending money and spending money means having less money to pay rent and I love New York and I want to keep living in it?â
Betty sighs. âAlright, good point.â
âI mean it thoughâthe next time Iâm free, I will come hang. âKay?â You hold your pinky out to show you mean business.
Betty rolls her eyes but links her pinky with yours anyway. âWell, try to have some fun this weekend.â
âIâll do my best.â You give your linked pinkies a shake before letting go.
Betty smiles, satisfied for now. âSee you on Monday then.â
âSee ya!â You loop your arm through the straps of your bag and make your way out the door, managing to get to the elevator before it closes.
Once it gets to the ground floor, you swipe through the biometrics and call out a goodbye to the guard at the front desk as you run off.
The Daily Bugle is a great place to work; you enjoy your job and you like your colleagues. And like you said, you love New York; you have ever since you had first seen it on TV. Thatâs why you moved here, and why you work at the Bugle: not just to have your finger on the pulse of whatâs happening in the city and to its people, but to use the words in your power to do something about itâor at the very least, have those words inspire those with more power to make an actual change.
As for the things beyond change and beyond your power during your day job? Well, thatâs why you freelance.
The real fun begins after you leave the building.
âAlright, youâre closing in. The target should be just up ahead. Door on the left.â
âGot it, Nina,â you respond to your partner on the other end of the call. âBy the way, remind me to leave the next gala extraction to another agent, my feet are killing me.â
You push on the door and itâs much heavier than you expect. Big wooden doors in rich peopleâs homes are always heavier than most, but thereâs something else about this.
With a final grunt, you get the door open. You walk inside and see a table had been pushed behind itâand two security guards were restrained on the floor, unconscious.
âWhat the hell?â You say under your breath.
âWhatâs going on?â Ninaâs voice sounds in your ear.
âYou didnât spot any movement in the room before I came in, did you?â
âNo, why? Whatâs your visual?â
âTwo menâsecurity, I thinkâknocked out and tied up. Looks like really thick nylon?â You lean over to get a feel, pinching and pulling at the material. âWeird, itâs stickyâŚâ
Thereâs a chill in the air suddenly, and you look up to see a window left open. âSomeone else was just here.â
âWhat? Okay, get out of thââ
âExcuse me,â a gruff voice comes in suddenly. âYou arenât allowed in here.â
Great, you think. Time to put those high school drama classes to work.
âOh, thank God youâre here!â You cry out helplessly. âI was looking for the restroom and when I opened the door, I just saw these two men on the ground!â
You point at them shakily before bringing your hands to your chest to feign timidity. Turning to the guard with your best doe-eyed look, you pout.
âI have no idea what happened, I just drank a little too much and I really need to pee andââ
âDonât worry, you arenât in trouble. And the bathrooms are down the hall.â Youâve disarmed him. Good. âDid you see anything suspicious before you came in?â
âNo, sir.â You shake your head. âD-do I need to call the cops, or..?â Your eyes swiftly scan the room a final time.
âThatâs alright, weâll handle it. You take care now.â
âThank you so much!â
You rush out the door and make your way to the exit. In a calm voice, you say, âIâm headed out, bring the car back around.â
âWhat the hell was that? Also, how do I submit you to the next Tonyâs?â
âNormally, Iâd laugh at that but Iâm not in the mood. Nee, we have a problem.â
âTell me in the car, Iâm pulling up to the front.â
You spot the black sedan and quickly make your way to it, opening the door and slipping in with ease as you kick off your heels.
âWelcome back. Whatâs the problem?â
âThe nylon I mentioned earlier? Not nylon.â
âYou mentioned it was sticky, what was it?â
You open your palm to reveal the piece you were able to extract earlier. âSynthetic web.â
You are very good at what you do. Itâs a fact that everyone youâve worked with (or worked against) knows. Some have even called you the best. Youâve never missed the mark on any job youâve worked atâuntil tonight.
So right now, sitting in your bossâ office at Black Cat HQ, is what you can only assume being called to the principalâs office is like.
Felicia sits on her desk, arms folded. âSo, who wants to tell me what happened in there?â
Nina looks at you and you nod slightly.
âWe think someone may have hijacked the mission. They got to the target first. We didnât see it coming.â
âThe reason Iâm not mad is that this kind of situation doesnât normally happen to either of you. But thatâs also the reason why Iâm taking this very seriously. You understand?â
âYes, maâam,â you and Nina reply.
âOkay, continue.â
âEverything was going according to planâNina gave me the all-clear, but when I got to the room, it had already been compromised. Whoever was in there blocked the door and incapacitated two of the security team. I think the infiltration point was the window because it was still open when I arrived.â
Felicia nods and turns to Nina. âNo cause for alarm before this?â
âNo, maâam. And I checked for any breadcrumbs left behind or any signs of hacking, but nothing.â
Feliciaâs eyebrows furrow in concern. âThe only one who could bypass our system that cleanly would beââ
âAnother agency?â You speak up.
She turns to you. âYes. A serious accusation. Did you find anything else at the scene that might support this?â
You nod. âSecurity entered before I had the chance to investigate the room fully, but I was able to verify what the two were tied up with.â You take out a folded gum wrapper where you placed the web from earlier. âIt was this sticky, nylon-like material. I think it could be synthetic webbing.â
Felicia sighs, seemingly in relief, which confuses you and Nina. âYou should have led with that. Alright, both of you go home.â
You and your teammate exchange a look. âWhat?â
âCall it a prank, the beginning of a friendly rivalry, whatever. Youâve finally got yourself an equal. Itâs just a thing we do to establish rapport between two agencies.â
You feel like you might end up leaving this room more confused than when you came. âIâm sorry, Iâm not understandingââ
âOh right, that!â Nina says suddenly.
You turn to her. âHuh?â
âGoodnight, agents.â Felicia dismisses you both with a flourish of her hand, motioning to the door.
âIâll explain on the way home,â Nina promises.
At home, you process the events that transpired on what you thought would be just a regular day of spy work. (As regular as spy work gets, you suppose.)
As it turns out, two of the best covert organizations in New Yorkâthe Black Cats (whom you work for) and the Spydersâhave been maintaining an equally covert partnership over years as a means to balance out the spy âmarketâ in the city.
The more you think about it, the more it makes sense: how else could they operate the way they do and manage to not step on each othersâ toes? Or steal any of the othersâ clients, for that matter. Itâs pretty cool to imagine that even though both sides have done a lot of less-than-legal things in their line of work (for the good of the many, of course), there were still boundaries they wouldnât cross. But then again, it would be wrong to think that being an agent means not having any rules.
You go to bed that night excited about what lies in store for you. Whoever this is had made the first move tonight, which means they probably think have the upper hand. Maybe they do, for nowâbut not for long.
For the rest of the weekend, you spend your time crawling the web (so to speak) to find out where Spydersâ next hit will be.
The thing about New Yorkers is that they love vigilantes, especially when they dress the part. Must be the theatrics of it all.
The Black Cats stick to classic catsuits, but their expertise is undercover workâyou rarely see them coming since theyâve mastered the art of blending into any situation. The catsuit is usually for more critical extraction missions, where you would need to run and scale and jump and climb. Most situations required you to dress the part, like Fridayâs gala event.
The Spydersâ costumes, on the other hand, are more eye-catching, typically ranging from black to blue with hints of red. Their methods are a bit flashier tooâthey like making it known who had bested the baddies. And as far as you know, almost all their missions were of the high-stake kind, a quick swing by and sneak out.
In other words: the Black Cats operate in the dark, while the Spyders love the attention.
Itâs not a judgment callâthereâs a reason why theyâre one of the best in the city and itâs because that method works for them. Itâs just bizarre to you that you couldnât be any more different.
You consider this to your benefit when you come across the social accounts for âspydersightingsâ. Fairly active on both Twitter and Instagram, these accounts update in real-time and source from user submissionsâexactly what you need to track the Spyders down.
You follow spydersightings using realistic-looking burner accounts (just in case) and turn notifications on. The trap is set, and all you have to do is wait.
Come Monday, you have a spring in your step when you get to your desk at 8âright on time. Betty eyes you suspiciously. âGood morning!â You greet her.
âSomeoneâs chipper. I guess you did end up having some fun this weekend?â
âI did, actually. Lots of reading. Very insightful.â
Betty sighs, but itâs lighthearted. âNot really my idea of fun but, whatever floats your boat.â
âAny meetings you need to sit in this morning?â You ask.
âLet me check.â Betty pulls up her calendar and purses her lips. âHey, would you look at thatânot âtil 10.â
âGreat. Wanna go grab a coffee downstairs?â
âJeez, this is you without coffee? Iâm almost afraid of what youâll be like caffeinated.â
âListen,â you start to say in defense, realizing you havenât even sat down since you arrived. âThis is only because I lack sleep. A couple more hours without coffee and Iâll crash on my desk. Youâll come back from your 10 oâclock with me drooling on my laptop.â
âCanât have that,â Betty replies, getting up from her desk. âWhoâs turn is it to buy?â
Opening the Notion app on your phone, you flash the page she created with a record of your shared expenses, as she calls it. âI paid last time, so itâs you today.â
You and your âwork wifeâ walk arm-in-arm and head down on the elevator. The line at the Coffee Bean is exactly what youâd expect at the ground floor of a building with several different companies whose employees would rather pay for an overpriced latte or cold brew than use the break roomâs free 3-in-1 on a Monday morning. Which is perfectly fineâyouâd rather be here chatting away with your friend than sitting down and working.
At your prompting, Betty tells you all about how her weekend went. You make a mental note to do your best to attend the next after-work hangâespecially if itâs karaoke. You kill at karaoke.
âRegular Americano for Peter?â You hear the barista call over Bettyâs voice.
âYeah, thatâs me, thanks.â In your peripheral, you see guy with dark hair and glasses make his way to the counter. Heâs quite tall and fairly lean, wearing a loose flannel on top of a dark grey t-shirt paired with dark jeans and Nikes. Heâs also kind of cute.
âHey, welcome back, man! Long time no see,â the baristaâNed, you read from his name tagâsays warmly. The two engage in small talk and you turn your attention back to Betty, who seems to have turned her head towards them as well.
âWhoâs that?â You lift your chin in their direction.
âOh, thatâs Peter! He works in development.â
âIs he new?â
She tilts her head. âYes and no? He was here before you, then he left for a while. Personal stuff. I think itâs only his second week back.â
You can tell sheâs eyeing you and following the trail of your gaze. Then you hear her gasp all of a sudden so you turn back to her. âWhatââ
âWait. You think heâs cute, donât you? I could introduce you!â She says conspiratorially.
âWhat?! No!â You blurt out, almost too loudly. You calm your voice back down to a normal tone to not draw any attention. âIâm just curious. And anyway, I told you before, I donât have time to date.â
She hums thoughtfully. âYou know what, you kind of remind me of him.â
âYeah?â
âYeah. Actually, we dated for a little bit and he was always crazy busy with his part-time stuff, too.â
âAt least I did you the courtesy of being upfront that I can only commit to you being my work wife.â
Betty laughs. âOkay, fine. I wonât instigate anything. Iâm sure your paths will cross eventually, anyway.â
âSocial Media and Tech? Not likely.â
âWho knows!â She shrugs, palms in the air. âJameson might ask for something crazy.â
âWhat would be crazy is if he finally ups our departmentâs budget.â
You finally get to the front of the line and Ned greets you with trained but genuine cheerfulness, the latter form more pronounced in Bettyâs direction. You make a mental note of this while she orders a medium iced latte for herself and a large cold brew with three pumps of caramel for you. She thanks Ned and he beams before both of you move to the side to wait for your drinks to be served up.
In the corner of your eye, you spy Peter by the bussing station. Heâd already finished with his coffee but was lingering for some reason, eyes scanning your area. You quickly look away, but not before you see him toss his cup and head in your direction.
âHey, Betty! Thought that was you.â He saunters over with his arms open for a friendly hug.
Betty tiptoes slightly and crosses her arms around his back, patting the material of his jacket twice. âPete, glad to see you back here!â
âGood to be back.â Peter catches your eyes as he lets go of Betty. âWhoâs this?â
You automatically hold out your hand for a shake and tell him your name. âI head the social media department. Been at the Bugle for around six months now.â
He smiles and takes your hand in his firm grip, giving it a couple of shakes. âItâs nice to meet you.â
âYeah. You, too.â You find yourself biting back your smile so you donât seem too pleased. Over your shoulder, you can feel Bettyâs gaze. Sheâs probably smiling, too. You release Peterâs hand and let yours fall to your side.
He checks his watch. âWell, I gotta run. I have a 9 oâclock. But Iâll see you ladies around?â He shoots a couple of finger guns your way as he runs off.
You and Betty wave goodbye just as your drinks are served. Picking up your cold brew and giving it a swirl with your straw, you share your thoughts with an expectant Betty. âHeâs⌠interesting.â
âMm-hmm.â She sips on her latte and looks up at you with knowing eyes.
You roll yours. âLetâs get back to work, shall we?â
âYou were the one who wanted to get coffee,â she points out. You say nothing more on the elevator ride back up.
A few days pass and nothing comes up on your radar about Spyderâs whereabouts. You even asked for a bit of extra help from Nina to use the Black Catâs resources (authorized by Felicia, of course) to tap into police scannersâbut get nothing but literal radio silence about Spyder.
Then on Thursday, a few minutes after 5 PM, your phone buzzes. At first glance, you already see the word âspyderâ and tap on the bubble immediately.
@spydersightings: remember when a lucky fan was able to get a photo with a spyder? #tbt @whatsupdanger, 2018
You see a blurry photo of someone in a Spyder suit flashing a peace sign swinging above a little boy. The boy is probably around 13 years old, and heâs grinning from ear to ear. You find yourself smiling and giving the post a like, despite it not being all that useful to you.
Another notif pops up then, and this one is the one youâve been waiting for. You jump to your feet, shut your laptop down, and holler a quick goodbye to Betty.
âGotta run!â
âDonât work too hard!â She barely looks up from her laptop despite it being the end of the day.
Typical Betty. You add, âSame to youâgo home!â
She smiles and waves you off good-naturedly while you race to the elevators.
Once you get to the ground floor, you make a call. âNee? Meet me at HQ. I got a lead.â
âYou know what,â Ninaâs voice comes through your in-ears. âI just realized how funny it is that youâre being targeted by a Spyder for this⌠spy-valry.â
âWhat?â You huff, slightly out of breath from your climb. You hate buildings with broken elevators. Unfortunately, New York is chock-full of them, and mobs love to stash their loot in them.
Thereâs the unmistakable sound of chips crunching. âSpy rivalry. I just made it up.â
âI got that, I meant âwhatâ likeââ you make a sound of exertion as you finally reach your destination, pulling the metal doors apart and pushing yourself through themââwhy is it funny? And are you eating?â
âYes.â Their mouth is full as they reply. âAnd itâs hilarious considering your historyââ
âOut of all the groups operating in New York,â you interrupt with a whine as you catch your breath, âwhy couldnât we bump into a Widow insteadâor like, Daredevil or something. Weâve taken down the Kingpinâs goons several times and I havenât seen him once. It just had to be a web-slinger?â
âWhatâs the problem? If I recall correctly, you liked those spider boys.â
You let out an exasperated sigh. âNee, donât evenââ
âIâm pretty sure I remember you even having a huge crush on one of them in high school. Even said something about how you wanted to fight side by side one daââ
âOkay, first of all, you know all mission comms are recorded, right? And second of all, that was like ten years ago and way before I knew about all the other cool people protecting the city,â you say defensively. âIâm on the ninth floor now by the way. Which room am I looking for?â
â903.â You switch your mask settings to night vision and make your way over while your guy-in-the-chair-slash-longtime-friend continues. âAnd I want it documented when you admit you had to have found it kind of cool that youâre on the same level with someone youâve admired for years. You heard what Felicia said, whoever this is sees you as their equal!â
âFound it. Going in,â you report, taking out a retractable claw from your gloves to pick the lock. âAlso, so rude of you to corner me on this knowing Iâve never lied to you in my life and never will.â
Nina snickers, satisfied. The pin inside the doorknob clicks.
âYeah,â you admit with a smile, pushing the door open quietly. âItâs the highlight of my career.â
The door opens without a creak and you step through it, drawing your claw back into your glove.
âWhoa.â
âConfirm your visual, agent?â
âItâs quite the visual, alright.â
Right in front of you was the centerpiece of Raphaelâs School of Athens painting: the iconic conversation between Plato and Aristotle.
Of course, the painting itself remains on the walls of the Vatican; this is the original sketch Raphael had drawn as a reference. It was supposed to be kept safeâand in one pieceâwhere it was restored, at the Pinacoteca Ambrosiana art gallery in Milan. What the hell is it doing with the mob?
Whatever the reason, you know it starts and ends with it not belonging here. Art was for all of the world to see, not as some hidden treasure only exclusive to a chosen few.
You report your findings on your comms and bring out the carrying bag you had folded into your utility belt. It fits perfectly, and you send grateful vibes out to the universe that it was only a section of the masterpieceâotherwise, you wouldnât have known how to sneak it out.
âItem acquired,â you inform your partner.
âNice work. Thereâs a window in the next room, itâs not too far from the fire escape. It leads to the back alley so Iâll pick you up there. And before you ask, it canât be opened from the outside without you breaking the glass, so your route really had to be from the ground up.â
âThanks for clearing that up.â Youâre about to head out before you spot a pad of paper and a pen on the table. You smirk to yourself and think it might be a good time to leave a note.
âWhatâs the holdup?â Nina asks.
âJust leaving a note for our spider friend. Doing the courtesy of letting them know I got to it first.â You keep it short and sweet with a âGotcha. âĄâ
When you set the pen down, you hear a thump! from above.
âUh Nee, whatâs above me? I think I just heard something. Is it a neighbor orââ
âThe only thing above you is the rooftop.â Nina pauses. âI think it might be your spider friend.â
âShoot. Theyâll probably see me if I leave now.â
âYour fault for writing a love letterââ
âI wasnât writing aâ!â You stop yourself suddenly, realizing an outburst could blow your entire operation. âWhatever, I need to hide. Donât make a sound until I say Iâm in the clear,â you instruct.
You stealthily open the next door and find it leads to a small bedroom. The window for your escape is directly across from you on the left side; on the right: a cabinet rests against the wall, a bed beside it.
Realizing you still have the note in your hand, you promptly open the window, just enough to make it look like it was left like that haphazardly. You slip the carrying bag behind the cabinet and against the wall, just in case. Then, you place the note on the far end of the bed, nearer the door, before dropping down and rolling underneath it.
Finding space at the bottom of the cabinet, you shift half of your body to fit in the slot, moving as far away from the door as you can. It opens and you expect them to walk in, but you see nothing on the ground.
You do, however, continue to hear movementâand then you realize theyâre probably on the ceiling. Of course.
âAnyone in here?â They call out.
Stay calm, you remind yourself. Youâve set the room up to look like youâve already left, so all you need to do now is wait for them to believe it. You focus on quieting your breathing, making sure that even your heartbeat is steady.
Suddenly, the red-and-webbed feet of the suit you know all too well land on the floor by the bed. You watch as they lean forward, presumably to pick up the note you left.
You hear a chuckle and canât help but smile to yourself. Their voice sounds youthful; definitely not a teenager, but anywhere between the young adult and older rangeâyou deduce their maturity level would probably fit that. And if you would profile them based on that maturity⌠they were probably male.
You watch as his feet move closer to the window and you inch your head ever so slightly to be able to get a glimpse. Heâs leaning by the window now, pushing open the gap you left wider.
Sticking his head out the window, he checks what would probably be the direction of the fire escape. He must find nothing, because he pockets your note (as to where you had no idea) and mutters a ânext timeâ before crawling out the window, allowing it to shut behind him as he scales upward.
You wait a minute or two to make sure heâs really left before you allow yourself to breathe normally again.
âAll clear,â you whisper, shimmying your way out from under the furniture. You retrieve the painting from behind the cabinet. âHeading out now.â
âPhew. Okay. Iâm here in the alley.â
âCopy that.â
You exit the window and make sure it closes tightly by pushing against it. Once youâve secured it, you head towards the fire escape, easily making your way down the bars.
True to their word, Nina is waiting in the car right at the end of the ladder. They open the door to the passenger seat for you and you jump in, placing the carrying case in the backseat before you settle in with your seat belt.
âYou okay?â Nina asks once youâre strapped in.
âYeah,â you reply, still a little out of breath. âThat was a close one though.â
âBut also kinda thrilling, huh?â They grin.
You nod, smiling, too. âAnd pretty interesting.â
âHow so?â
Turning to them with a curious glint in your eye, you say, âHe sounded⌠kind of familiar.â
You donât have time for this. Youâre a social media manager for the Daily Bugle by day and a secret agent with the Black Cats by night. And him? As far as you know, heâs a Spyder. And a pain in your ass.
Your game of cat-and-mouse spider continued to the point where you would both end up leaving notes for the other at your missions, often a one-liner and a scorecard where one point moved from one column to the next. The most recent one from him was a simple âYOUR MOVE.â followed by a tally with his spider logo and a drawing of black catâtied at five on each side.
It was a back-and-forth for a total of ten assignments in a little over three weeksâyet you still knew nothing about your rival.
Except that you would eventually meet at some point. You could feel it.
Unfortunately, âsome pointâ would have to wait. You had been too busy with your day job to handle any more nighttime endeavors. One job is hard enough, and you didnât want to burn yourself outâeven if you enjoyed both kinds of work.
But itâs not like you had been missing anything big on the spy front. Not that there was a lack of crime, but when spydersightings wasnât doing more throwback posts, they were posting sightings of an agent in a different suit.
It isnât that youâre paying any âextraâ attention (despite what Nina might sayâyouâd argue that itâs literally your job to pay attention to these things), youâre just aware that each agent has a specific suit. Thereâs a difference in shape and/or color for the spider emblem, and the shades of blues, reds, and sometimes blacks of the suit would also vary, as well as the stitching of the suit itself.
The Black Cats are similar in this aspect, you note, but a lot more subtle; you all wore catsuits but you were able to choose whether itâd be a one-piece or a set, and customize your collars, zippers, and belt buckles, too.
To outsiders, it might be counterintuitive to have defining elements on spy suits, but it hasnât cost anyoneâs identity just yet. And honestly, being able to personalize your own suit is just fun.
Something considerably less fun is your day job. Most times, you do enjoy it, but youâre currently running a big interdepartmental project: a revamp of the Bugleâs digital strategy. Itâs moments like these when you kind of regret being so good at your job, because when youâve proven yourself reliable in a corporate setting, then people will start relying on you for things that should probably earn you a bigger paycheck while still working with your current one. (It canât just be you who sees this as a problemâyouâre quite sure most people would rather money come easy.)
On the bright side, youâre having fun working with a team for once. Covering content and social media at the Bugle is usually a one-person jobâanother set of eyes would definitely help, but Jameson says the budget canât cover that and give you a raiseâand the only real connection youâve made at the office was with Betty, partly because she sits closest to you.
As much as youâre a great independent worker, you do love teamwork when the rest of the team are just as capable as you. Thatâs why you and Nina get along so well (apart from the fact that youâve been friends for years) and why you donât end up going home completely drained at the end of the day. Itâs tough and taxing work, but still somewhat enjoyable.
And maybe it doesnât hurt that one of the people youâve started seeing more of is a certain Peter Parker. For purely professional reasons, of course.
Peter saunters in with that gait of his, holding his laptop in one hand and an iced coffee in the other. Heâs wearing a blue sweater that fits nicely around his shoulders, and you notice your first impression of him being âleanâ was wrongâthough to be fair to you he was in an ill-fitting flannel at that time. This knitted piece was snug in all the right places. You could practically see the shape of his toned arms beneath the sleevesâŚ
You manage to redirect your focus, ignoring what looks like the beginnings of a smirk on his lips.
âHey! I just sent you an email,â you tell him as you look back down at your laptop. âThereâs something wrong with the websiteâs blog section, the tags arenât functioning right. Also, I think the Instagram RSS is buggy.â
âHey, yourself,â he greets, walking closer. âYeah, I just got your email actually and thought Iâd swing by.â
âOh?â
âJust had to get outta my seat and stretch for a little bit.â He looks right at you. âFeels like Iâve forgotten what the sun looked like.â
âWhat?â You laugh, feeling a blush creep in at his gaze.
âDo you know what the developerâs side of this floor looks like? The blinds are shut, the lights on are the bare minimum needed for sight, and everyone uses dark mode on their machines. Itâs like a bat cave.â
âAh,â you say, and itâs at this point that you realize all youâve been saying are one-word replies. âWell, Iâve never been in the tech area.â
âRight.â He nods in understanding before he brings his straw to his mouth and sips the last of his drink. âOkay, scoot over.â
âSorry, what?â
Peter sets his laptop down on your desk and tosses his empty drink in a nearby bin. He makes a small fist pump when it goes in like a basket.
When he sees you havenât inched from your position, he explains, âItâll be easier to adjust the code and ask you to check if itâs all firing correctly while Iâm here, instead of us having to go back and forth on Slack.â
You sigh and nod in agreement, moving to the other side of the desk as he pulls in a chairâBettyâs, since she was in a meetingâto sit beside you.
âDonât mind me. Just continue doing your thing while I do mine.â
You smile politely. âThat was the plan.â
The two of you work in comfortable silence, the only sound between you the typing on your keyboards until Peter groans at his screen.
You glance at him in concern before looking back at your screen to continue what you were working on. âWhatâs up?â
âThis page has been weird since day one,â he complains. âWhoever coded it didnât know what they were doing. I wanna redo the page from scratch so bad, but my project leader wonât let me mess with the timeline.â From your peripheral, you can see that heâs leaning in your direction, looking pointedly at you.
You look away from your laptop to return his expression and roll your eyes lightheartedly. âUnfortunately your project leader is under strict orders to stick to the said timeline. Nothing I can do.â
The both of you share a laugh before looking back at your respective screens.
âYou know,â he says in between clicks, âI didnât take you for the glasses-wearing type.â
You feel a little self-conscious; you forgot you were wearing them today. You explain anyway, âBeen nearsighted since the sixth grade. I wear contacts most of the time but my eyes didnât feel like cooperating with me today. And my insurance doesnât cover Lasik, so.â You shrug. âHow about you?â
âI feel kinda bad now.â He takes the frames off his face. âMine are just for show.â
âReally?â Part of you wants to add to look smart or something?âbut in your few interactions with this guy, you know he doesnât need to look it; he is smart.
âYeah, anti-blue light or something. My aunt got them for me when she realized that aside from the video games, I really did have to stare at a screen all day for work too, in order to pay the bills.â
âThatâs sweet of her.â
âIt is.â He slides his specs back on with a smile. âDidnât have the heart to tell her that there isnât much scientific proof about the harms of blue light from screens though.â
You smile. âSweet of you.â
âIâve been told,â he comments back and returns to his laptop. Before you can add anything else, he finishes clacking away at his keyboard with a flourish. âThere, we should be all set up now. Go check.â
You refresh the page, checking the links and tags again. He fixed the problem quite promptly, taking another milestone off the project timeline.
âThat did it,â you confirm. âThanks.â You turn to him and smile.
He smiles back. âYeah, no problem.â
Your phone buzzes and you immediately see âspyderâ as your screen lights up. His eyes follow the flash, but your hand is quick enough to lock the screen.
Or so you think. âYou a fan?â He asks.
You try to play it cool. âI donât know what you mean.â
He nods, but doesnât say more. Youâre thankful he dropped the subject. âWell,â he stands and picks up his laptop off the table. âI should be getting back to my station.â
You nod. âThanks for stopping by.â
He starts to walk away before spinning on his heel to turn back. âYou know, I could do that more often. Stop by. If youâd like that.â
The sudden invitationâif thatâs what you could call itâsurprises you, but you canât help but grin. âI would like that. Or, you know, we could also get a coffee. Outside the office. Maybe when this is all over and we have some room to breathe?â
Peter matches your grin. âIâll hold you to that offer.â
You nod in acknowledgment and supply a small âCoolâ. He echoes your response and you laugh.
âIâll go and head back now,â âhe says.
âOkay. Bye!â
âSee ya!â He clicks his tongue and flashes what you now see as his signature finger guns before dashing away.
âJust so you know,â you hear from behind you. You turn around and find Betty, who had apparently returned from her meeting in the nick of time. âI heard all of that. I also heard what was not being said.â
You know thereâs no use arguing with her, so you just laugh and tell her to shut up.
A couple of weeks later and your project at the Bugle wraps up. Surprisingly, Jameson treats the floor to a pizza partyâone where everyone only gets a single slice each but, hey, itâs something.
Youâre in the middle of a conversation with Betty when Peter walks up to you, plastic cup in hand.
âHey, ladies,â he greets. You and Betty say a âheyâ back before he lifts his chin in the direction of your drinks. âCan I get you a refill?â
âIâm good,â Betty replies.
You check your cup to see youâre almost out, so you accept his offer. âThatâd be great actually. I hope weâre not out of Coke Zero?â
He makes a clicking sound with his tongue. âI actually just took the last of what was in the bottle. But you know what?â He hands you his nearly-full cup and takes away your nearly-empty one. âHere. I donât mind bouncing to a Diet or Regular or whatever.â
âAre you suââ you being to protest, but heâs already downed the rest of your drink.
âIâm sure. Itâs no problem.â He flashes a smile and you concede.
âThanks. Hurry back?â
He nods before running offânot unlike a puppy, you note.
You donât even notice the smile on your face until Betty points it out. âLook at you!â she says. âCanât believe you were the mayor of I-Donât-Have-Time-To-Date Town a couple of months ago and now youâre getting your flirt on.â
âTo be fair, we still havenât gone on an actual date. Just a few joint coffee runs with like, 10-minute conversations.â
Betty makes a noncommittal noise while you take a sip from yourâPeterâs?âdrink.
âBut who knows?â You add. âNow that the projectâs overâŚâ
Just as you were about to allow yourself to indulge in normal-person things, your phone buzzes with messages.
Nee:Â you finally free from the corporate clutches tonight? got an assignment thatâs up our alley
Nee:Â LOL. didnât even realize i made a cat joke at first. iâm hilarious
âLet me guessâŚâ Betty starts.
âYeah, my freelance thing wants me to come in. I could use the extra cash, Iâve been without for some time nowâŚâ
Betty sighs, knowing all too well what itâs like to be on the receiving end of your lack of free time. At that moment, Peter returns with his drink.
âHi again.â
His charm is irresistible, you just have to smile. âHi,â you say back.
Thereâs a ping! of a notification next to you and itâs coming from Bettyâs phone. You notice her reply swiftly with a smile on her face. She finishes her drink and sets it down on the table. âI gotta go. Would you toss this for me?â
âYeah, sure. Where are you off to?â You ask.
âA date. With Ned, from downstairs?â She smiles again.
âThe barista? Oh, I knew he was into you!â You gush.
âGlad he took my advice to finally ask you out,â Peter adds, almost bragging. âHave fun, you two.â
âThanks. See ya Monday!â
âBye!â You wave after her as she skips to the elevator.
âSpeaking of which⌠on my round trip to the drinks table, I was thinking about that coffee,â Peter starts. âWould you wanna grab some dinner instead? And maybe catch a movie?â
A pang of disappointment weighs on your chest. âPete, Iâd love to, I really would. Itâs just thatâyou know how I mentioned I freelance sometimes?â
âOh. I see, no worries.â His face falls ever so slightly, but the look of understanding is more prominent. âActually, something came up for me too, I was just wondering if I could ditch.â
You smile apologetically. âI really am sorry. But next time! Definitely next time.â
âYeah, for sure!â He nods.
Thereâs a moment of silence before you add, âI actually have to head out, so um. Iâll see you Monday?â
âDonât worry about it. Let me walk you to the elevator?â
You nod, smiling. âIâd like that.â
The two of you walk together, shoulders brushing from time to time. Thankfully, the silence between you isnât awkward at allâin fact, it feels like heâs as bummed as you are, which is oddly comforting.
Locking eyes as you wait for the elevator to shut, you give a small wave and he flashes you a peace sign. At the last second, you dart out to peck him on the cheek, and you giggle at his stunned expression as the doors close.
âThis better be good, Nee. I missed out on a date tonight.â
âA date?â Nina exclaims in your in-ear, mouth half-full.
âDonât tease!â
âIâm not! Iâm happy for you! Itâs about time!â They say sincerely.
âYeah, well, the thing about time is I donât have the luxury of it.â
Nina makes a lighthearted scoff. âYou are so dramatic.â
âOh, youâve gotta be kidding me,â you groan. âThis is the worst!â
âThat wasnât a cue for you to give another exampleââ
âNo, Nee. Look.â
You snap a photo of what you see in front of you: another empty safe, save for a piece of paper. No guesses needed to know who itâs from: there was a âMissed me?â in that now-annoyingly-familiar scrawl, and your score talliesâwith a point in his favor.
Sighing, you say, âIâll clear out, thereâs nothing left for me to do here anyway.â
âWait, donât go just yet.â
âWhatâs up, Nina?â
âI just picked up a signalââ they pause, probably to verify the locationâ âon the roof! I think you can still manage to get the package. And maybe meet your Spyder friend, too!â
You donât respondâyou already started running as soon as you heard the word âsignalâ.
Itâs an office building, so you find the stairway easily. There are a few floors above you to get to the roof. You smirk to yourself realizing that this is the perfect time to use your favorite spy toolâyour grappling hooks.
You aim the hooks at the handrails and manage to pull yourself up each floor swiftly. Finally, you see the door at the top and kick it in.
Your veins are rushing with adrenaline when you make it to the roof. Panting, you look around and see a figure in an unmistakable shade of red examining a flash driveâthe very one you were supposed to take from the safe.
He spots you and mutters a âshitâ, and you run toward him at top speed. As you approach, he readies his position to spar, but you catch him by surprise when you take the low ground and sweep his leg, causing him to lose his balance.
You snap your head around to see the drive in mid-air and quickly tumble towards it to catch it in your hand.
âI got it,â you manage to say under your breath. But before you can pocket the device, a string of web takes it away.
âSorry,â the Spyder says, probably not very sorry at all. âNo hard feelings?â
Before you can even reply, heâs goneâswinging from building to building and getting farther and farther away from you.
Automatically, you start to go after him, aiming your grappling hooks at the building across from you.
âHey!â You suddenly hear Nina yell your name in your ear. âDonât even think about it. Youâve never used the grapples to swing across buildings before. Maybe practice that in a safe space before you do it out on the field, huh?â
You pant. âI almost had him.â
âYes. And you were amazing. But letâs call it, okay?â
âFine,â you accept. You were exhausted anyway.
âCome on. Letâs go for some milkshakes. You deserve it.â
âAlright. But only if youâre buying.â
âYour wish is my command. Youâll probably want to take the fire escape to get outta there. Meet you at the bottom.â
âThanks, Nina.â
When you get home from your milkshake date, as youâre emptying your pockets, you find that tonightâs encounter might not be a complete loss after all.
Other than finally meeting your rival mask-to-mask, you realize he got clumsy with his last note: he left a clue.
Unlike the other ones he left (which seemed to be just plain paper), his most recent message was written on the back of a receiptâfrom a very familiar cafe, no less.
Thatâs right: the Coffee Bean on the ground floor of the Bugle Building. The only problem is that itâs smack in the business district and the building alone is forty-six stories tall. So, it could be anyone from those 3 floors devoted to the editorial office, 2 sub-basement levels for the printing presses, and 41 floors rented out to other companies or tenants or what-have-yous.
Still, you know thereâs only one way this competition will endâand youâre one step closer to it.
At this point, you realize that catching your Spyder would need a new strategyâone that may involve not actually engaging with the Spyder for a while. Putting your pride aside and letting him keep the one point he has over you, you would opt to surveil in the meantime, observing his movements to and from the scenes spydersightings would post about. If you couldnât beat him at the location, youâd steal from under him on his way out.
It turns out that having an active social life actually helps this new strategy. Youâd finally accepted Bettyâs invites to go out with other people from the office after work, and since you were always in densely populated areas, it was quite easy to spot any commotion. If a Spyder was in the area, youâd hear about it.
Youâd even gone out of your way to plan some of the hangoutsâa win-win situation for both Betty and yourself: Betty gets to have fun with friends, and you get to narrow down a location.
Then, on days you werenât being social, youâd head to the gym to train your upper body and core, or to the Black Cat training center to practice your grappling hook maneuvers. Though you can admit youâll never be as smooth as a Spyder, you were getting the hang of swinging.
And on top of all that preparation under the guise of work-life balance, youâd even used one of your precious vacation days at work so you could preserve your energy for the grand finale.
Tonight is the night, you can feel it.
âAlright, Iâm getting a new heat signature above you,â Nina says. âAre you ready to intercept the package?â
âBorn ready. Letâs go.â
You move towards what you and Nina had mapped out as the nearest extraction point to the wall, keeping a keen eye out for your Spyder.
And then you see itâa glint of red in the night sky.
âIâm moving in,â you report.
From this point forward, every one of your movements needs to be precise.
You watch him land on the building wall so you run to the adjacent corner, shooting your grappling hook so you can climb up as well.
Pulling upwards, you scale the wallâthen use your weight to swing around the corner.
âSurprise!â You say, unable to keep it in. He turns his body toward you and in a fraction of a second, you can see his mask pulled halfway up, the brown envelope being held between his teeth.
You shift your weight so that your feet can land on his chest. He makes an oof! sound as you fold your knees in and push as you take the folder with one hand, before you swing back on your rope.
Midair, you retract your hook and shoot it to a lower section of the next building, so you could find your way to the ground more easily. You brace your landing with a tumble before immediately breaking out into a run to find your escape route.
âGreat work!â Nina cheers excitedly in your ear. âJust a few blocks ahead, youâll find the manhole we talked about. Iâll lead you out of there and when you come out, youâll be right in front of the car.â
âI see the manhole. Iâm going in.â
âSee you on the other side.â
You take the crowbar you had strategically left in the alley and lift the manhole with minimal effort. Despite the stench of the sewer, you were in euphoria. Absolutely buzzing. Simply elated. Just over the moon.
Everything is going according to planâuntil you trigger a web trap.
In your haste, you failed to check if the place was booby-trapped. Now, you were all but glued to the ground, the webs reaching your knees. You couldnât leave your boots behind even if you wanted to.
âNee, we got a problem. Iâm stuck.â
âWhat?â They donât mask the worry in their voice. âIn⌠what?â
âA web.â
âThank God. I thought it was something else, considering the location.â It takes a beat before they realizeâ âwait, did you say web? Shit.â
âYeah, that might have been just slightly better,â you quip, attempting to wriggle out of the trap to no avail. âIf we found his getaway area, and this is the sewer nearest that, it makes sense heâd have it secured somehow.â
âDamn. Well, at least you have the folder, right?â
Youâre about to reply in affirmative when you suddenly feel a presence looming behind youâand then a red-and-blue-clothed arm reaches out to take the envelope from your hands.
âSurprise,â comes the smug voice. âIâll take that.â
âShit. We were so close,â you hear Nina say.
The Spyder crosses in front of you as he boasts his victory. âSorry I didnât have time to write another note, but I believe that puts me two points in the lead?â
Refusing to give him the satisfaction, you assert, âYou know, I had that one.â
âOf course you did,â he replies, his tone patronizing. âThe other ones, too.â
You roll your eyes. âAre you really not going to acknowledgeââ
âNo, actually, I know you did.â You both pause, and you consider if he just gave you a compliment. Then he continues, âThatâs why swooping in at the last minute to finish the job is just so satisfying.â
You scoff, incredulous yet proud despite still being stuck in your shoes. But you wonât go down without a fight. âI donât know whatâs worse, if you were ignorant about me being good or that youâd rather take credit for how good I am. You know what, this is how I know youâre definitely a white cis man. And I mean that as a complete insult.â
âWhat?â He laughs incredulously. You canât help but grin.
âI mean, the way you just take credit for a person of colorâs hard work so easily.â (Also, you saw his lips, but you didnât think you had to add that.)
âHey hey whoa, you playing this card?â He puts his hands up in front of his chest (one of them still holding onto the envelope), as if surrendering.
You smirk, wanting to drive another nail into the coffin of your comeback. âIf I have to. Who knows, maybe Iâll make an anonymous tip to the Daily Bugle about how their favorite Spyder is bigoted, opportunisticââ
âYouâre joking,â he interrupts, and you really are, but heâs laughing, and itâs kind of cute, so you continue.
âYeah, Twitter will have your ass. Youâll be canceled by even the most liberal of stan accounts.â
âOkay, but good luck since I work at the Bugle andââ
âWait, what did you just say?â
If this were a TV show, you would hear that record scratch sound.
Did this Spyder just⌠accidentally reveal his identity?
ââŚWhaaat?â He laughs nervously.
You obviously canât see under the mask, but the way his body freezes makes you think his face is probably such a funny thing to behold right now, eyes widening in mortification before he shuts them tightly. He squeezes the bridge of his nose through the mask and puts his face in his hands.
âLook can we just forget abââ
âHold on,â you say, processing the information you now know.
The Coffee Bean receipt, the Daily Bugle connection, and that familiar charm⌠thereâs no way.
Unless⌠maybe the simplest answer is the right one?
You decide to take that chance and say, âPeter?â
He doesnât respond right away, just slowly takes his face out of his hands. With the mask, his expression is unreadable. But you have to keep pushing.
You know that unmasking him (so to speak) will finally end the competition, so maybe it was time for a little more risk. After all, you were already so close to the big win.
âSince weâre in the business of meeting each other equally,â you interrupt before giving a little pause. âMe, too.â
âWhat?â The SpyderâPeter?âasks.
You hear Ninaâs voice in your ear at the same time. âWhat are you doing?â
âI⌠work at the Bugle, tooâŚâ
âYouâre kidding.â He doesnât bother masking his disbelief.
âTrust me,â you say, both to him and to Nina listening in.
You lift the mask off your face. âSurprise,â you announce for the second time that night (though youâve lost count of just how many thereâd already been).
âYouâŚâ You can tell by his voice and the way he shakes his head that thereâs a smile on his face.
âItâs me,â you confirm with a smile. âAnd you areâŚ?â
The Spyderâs mask comes off next to reveal the face of the boy youâve grown fond of: Peter Parker.
âYou got me.â He smiles, wide, and you match the shape.
Then it dawns on you both that youâre still stuck.
âOh shit, sorry, lemme justââ he rips through the webs easilyâ âthere you go.â He holds out his arm to steady you as you step out of the trap area.
âMy hero,â you comment, and you swear he blushes. You decide to use this to your advantage. âSo, Peter. You wanna get us out of here? Iâm sure there are still some diners open if you wanted to grab something to eat.â
Cocking his head to the side, he gives you another boyish grin. âI thought youâd never ask.â
âI have a car waiting at the end of the tunnel. And a person whoâs very curious about you,â you add, pointing to your ear.
He leans forward (a little close, but youâre chill about it) and says âhi.â
Nina says, âTell him he gave us a lot of grief. Or I can just tell him myself later.â
âOh, I heard ya,â he replies, chuckling as he pulls back. âI gotta drop this off at home first, though.â He brandishes the folder in his hand.
You fold your hands across your chest and shake your head. âHmm, no, I think I should take that.â
It actually looks like he considers giving it away. âWhatâs in it for me?â He jokes.
âI think I can make it worth your while.â You wink.
âOh.â
âMm-hmm.â You hold your hand out and he places the folder in there. âGood boy.â
âStill here, by the way,â Nina says quickly. âAnd waiting in an increasingly dark alley.â
You smile, folder now in your possession. âWeâre on our way.â
Peterâs able to grab a backpack he had stashed away for emergency outfit changes. He throws on a jacket and sweatpants over his suit.
You introduce Nina and Peter to each other and they get along great, but Nina chooses to drop the two of you off at a nearby diner so as to not be a third wheel.
As you grab your backup coat from the car, they whisper, âGuess you didnât miss your date after all, huh?â
You both grin and tell them to shut up as they drive off laughing.
Throwing on your coat, you walk over to Peter whoâs waiting at the entrance of the diner. You notice heâs grinning, too. âSo, were you talking about me or something?â
Youâre starting to wonder if he has some sort of super-hearing. âAnd if I was?â
âThen great. No further comments from me.â He shrugs and you laugh as you both enter the diner.
A waiter arrives to greet and seat you at a table with a free basket of breadsticks and two glasses of tap water. You order a grilled cheese and tomato soup for yourself and he gets a bacon cheeseburger plus two Coke Zeros, one for each of you.
âI just realized something,â you say as the waiter leaves. âYou work in development.â
âYes.â Peter replies with a nod.
âWeb development,â you reiterate, stressing your point.
âYes,â he repeats, knowing exactly how it sounds, and stuffing a breadstick into his pleased grin. âWhat can I say, I commit to the bit.â
You laugh and you realize it comes so easy with him. You take a big drink from your water and grab a breadstick to munch on to avoid getting flustered by the epiphany.
âSo, how does it feel like to win? You did unmask me.â
âIt feels pretty good,â you admit. âBut how does this end, does the loser have to stop working as a spy or something?â
âNo, no.â
âBut how will you know I wonât expose you?â
He leans in close and lowers his voice. âWell first, because youâre a spy too, so you know the rules. Second, your boss wonât let you, because of said rules. And third, because I know you well enough to know you have integrity.â He locks eyes with you in an ââearnest and you nod. He backs away slightly and continues, âBesides, itâs not that big a secret. I have some people in my life that know.â
âReally?â
âWell I donât exactly go around advertising it but, you know, the people that care and worry about me deserve to know where I go most nights.â
âLike your aunt?â
âShe was the first one I told.â He smiles. âWhat about you? Iâm sure you have people you confide in.â
âWell, it helps that my oldest friend is my partner on the job, so Iâm not really left itching to tell anyone else,â you confess. âMy parents are worried enough; theyâre barely convinced that little olâ me can take care of myself in such a big city.â
âWell, I think one day theyâd be happy to know theyâre wrong. All things in their own time, of course.â
âThanks, Peter.â You smile at his sincerity and understanding.
The food soon arrives and you chat over your meals. You allow him to dip a fry in your tomato soup and he gives you a little piece of his bacon. When the check arrives, he offers to pay for it all and you let him as âreparationsâ, which he accepts with a laugh.
Itâs a nice night for a walk, so you both decide to head home that way, extending your date with more conversation.
âSo, why did you want to become an agent? Assuming it was your choice,â Peter asks,
âHonestly, I lived a pretty comfortable life. It wasnât luxurious by any means but we had it good. If I had stayed in my small town, I donât think anything exciting would ever happen to me, and I wouldâve been okay with that,â you tell him. âAnd then in my senior year of high school, I saw this guy in a spider suit on the news, constantly saving the day. Then I realized that there was something more to life, and it was waiting for me in New York.â
Peter smiles, suddenly shy at the implied admission of admiration. âSo, no tragic backstory then?â
âNo, thankfully I didnât have anything too bad happen to me for me to want to help people.â You smile back. âIâve just seen too much bad to not do anything about it. How about you?â
âMy uncleâŚâ he trails off, wondering if this is good first date conversation.
You sense his hesitance and say, âHey, itâs okay if you donât want to talk about it.â
He shakes his head. âNo itâs alright, I brought it up. My uncle was killed when I was in high school, and I couldnât help but think it was part of a bigger conspiracy. I did some digging and I ended up being right. Then the Spyders approached me and the rest is history.â
âHey,â you say, gently holding him by the arm to stop him in his tracks. âIâm sorry that happened to you.â
He smiles. âIt was a long time ago. But thank you.â
âCan I give you a hug?â You ask.
âUh, yes,â he replies.
His eagerness makes you laugh, and you tiptoe a bit to hold him in an embrace. You can feel him nuzzle your neck and you feel like youâre hugging a big dog.
âAnyway.â He motions to continue walking and you follow suit. âEnough about meâhow the heck do you manage a full-time job and this on the side? And be good at both?â
You shrug, smiling. âWe all need hobbies. Plus, itâs good exercise.â
He laughs. âYou serious?â
âI am! Also, weirdly one is a form of de-stressing from the other.â
âYouâre amazing.â
You fight the blush that creeps in at the compliment. âThanks. I could say the same about you.â You pause, readying yourself for the admission. âWell, I have. Pretty famously.â
âOh, have you?â He asks, suddenly very curious.
âWell, not to brag, but I was the first person to call you the âamazing spider-manâ on Twitter.â
âNo way.â
You nod. âRemember how I mentioned my senior yearâŚâ
âYouâre kidding!â
âActually, that was what got me a job offer from the Bugle. Which is kind of funny, consideringââ You stop yourself.
âConsidering what?â He steps in front of you to keep from evading the question.
âUh, considering I was just a small-town teen fromââ
âNo, wait, donât tell me you had a stan account, too.â
âThatâs all you get. Find the rest out yourself.â You walk past him in nonchalance. âAnyway, I believe you know your way around the web.â
âOh, ha-ha,â he says, catching up to you easily. âYou know what, I could just hack you.â
You eye him dead-on. âYou wouldnât.â
âMaybe. But maybe you donât know me well enough to say what I would and wouldnât do. How do you think I was able to beat you on the job so many times?â
âEqual times,â you correct. âAnd I won in the end using fair means.â
âNot sure how you would define fair since weâre essentially Robin Hoods, but okay.â He shrugs. âSo, youâre a fan? Like, a longtime fan?â
You roll your eyes lightheartedly at how he switched the topic back. âI pretty much moved to New York because of you. Yes, Iâm a fan.â You can tell by the look on his face that heâs about to say something really smug, so you add, âBut Daredevil is my favorite.â
Peter stops in his tracks. âYeah, right.â
You nod, stopping next to him. âItâs true.â
âYou know, heâs a friend of mine, actually.â
Well, you werenât expecting that. âO-oh?â
âYeah, I could introduce youâare you blushing?â
âI am not!â You laugh and start to walk ahead so he canât take a closer look at your face.
He chases after you. âYou totally are!â Then you notice him stop before returning to a more leisurely pace. âOh, you know what? I take back the introduction thing.â
âNo! Why!â You whine as you turn back to him, and then you notice the redness at the top of his ears. âWait, are you jealous?â
âDefinitely not!â Peter says almost immediately, avoiding eye contact.
You stand right in front of him, arms crossed, and narrow your eyes. âAre you lying?â
He looks down at you and gulps. â... Maybe?â
Pleased with yourself, you smile. âAnd you say I donât know you well enough.â
You walk a little more in comfortable silence when Peter suddenlyâbut gentlyâgrabs your wrists and leads you to an empty alley. âHey, come here. I wanna try something.â
âOkayâŚâ You start. âI hope youâre aware of what this looks like.â
He laughs and says, âTrust me.â And you do. âJustâstay right there.â He positions you in front of the wall of the alley.
âAlright.â You stand and wait just like he asked.
After a few minutes, you hear the sound of his web-shooters and the call of your name from above you. You look up to see him lowering himself from the top of the fire escape railing to hang in front of you.
You do what you do best when youâre nervous: talk. âYou know, like this, you look more like a bat than you do a spider.â
This gets him to laugh, but he tells you in a hushed voice, âFor once. Just for this one moment. Stop talking.â
You nod.
âGood. Iâm going to kiss you now. Nod ifââ He laughs. Youâre already nodding.
Your hands find the back of his head and you pull him closer to meet his lips with yours.
Kissing Peter is the most amazing thing youâve ever experienced in your life.
You can say with confidence that youâve never been kissed like this beforeâacrobatics aside. He kisses you the same way he looks at you; like nothing else around you matters. Itâs only your first of what youâre sure will be many kisses, but you can already feel like it will be just like hearing his laughâevery time will set your heart as aflutter as the first. You know this is something you will always look for from now on; his kiss is your new favorite song, your new regular coffee order, your new bedtime hoodie.
The first thing you say when you pull apart for air is, âWow.â The second is, âYou were jealous.â
Peter groans, and you laugh. âCould you please just savor this moment with me.â Itâs not a question or a request. He leans forward for another kiss.
You accept it in multitudes and giggle against his lips. âHow long have you been wanting to do this?â
âWith you, or in general?â
âUh, both.â
He takes a moment to consider the question. âLong enough.â
You grin. âSo, the same answer for both? Would it also be the same if I asked you how long youâve been wanting to kiss me, regardless of direction?â
Still upside-down, he rolls his eyes. âWell, would it be the same if I asked you the same questions?â
âWould it be the same answer for in or out of our suits?â
âDonât make me come down there.â
âAnd what if I want you to?â You smile.
Peter flips over easily and lands on his feet. As soon as he does, he steps toward you again for another kiss, holding you firmly by the waist and breathing you in deeply. You relish in another first kiss with him, this time right-side-up.
When you pull away, you say, âActually, I only did that so you could come down and stop the blood from rushing to your head. But thanks.â
âHmm, you care about me or something?â He asks smugly.
âUm, well, you knowâŚâ You say, getting a kick out of frustrating him.
âI got another question: do you ever stop talking?â
You laugh and shake your head. âNuh-uh. You gotta make me.â
âOkay, challenge accepted.â He takes you by the hand and leads you towards the fire escape. âCome upstairs?â
Now youâre speechless. Your jaw drops and Peter is smirking so hard.
âYou took us to the back of your apartment building to make out?â You ask.
He shrugs. âThought itâd be convenient.â
âOh my God.â You laugh, fully enjoying this moment. âYou really are amazing.â
âSo youâll come up?â
âYes, but only if you swing me up there.â
Without even taking a beat, Peter takes your hands and wraps them around his neck, then lightly lifts your legs to wrap around his waist. âHold on tight.â
Before you know it, you hear the sound of his web-shooters and youâre zooming in the air. When you land, itâs softly onto his bedroom floor, and his lips are on yours again.
Work becomes a lot easier after you and Peter get together. Of course, injusticesâwhether you see them on social media manager for the Daily Bugle or as a secret agent with the Black Catsâwill always keep you up at night, but itâs always good to know you have someone to come home to at the end of the day.
Sometimes, itâs even better when that person becomes a partner you can rely on, to get you through any kind of tangled web or any sticky situation, no matter what kind of job youâre working on.
But the days you can relax with each other and just be are the best. When Peter tells you one of his favorite ways to relax is on a web hammock between two skyscrapers, you immediately demand he make one for two on the next mission you work together.
And here you are, watching the sunset from 50 stories up, playing 20 Questions.
âOkay: flight or telekinesis?â You ask.
âFlight, always flight,â Peter answers. âThat way I wonât have to reload my web-shooters all the time. Or deal with traffic, like, ever again.â
âThatâs a good answer.â You nod. âTelekinesis for me though, hands down. But itâs one of those powers that are definitely, like, really important to go to the right person. I accept that.â
âI think you could handle it.â
âAww, babe.â You lean your head on his chest. âThank you for trusting me.â
He chuckles and pats your head. âMy turn. Back to basics: cats or dogs?â
âDogs,â you say automatically. âNo brainer.â
âYouâre a dog person?â He asks, surprised. âI wouldnât have guessed.â
âWhy? Oh, is it the catsuit?â You tease.
He pauses, furrowing his brow to look serious. âYes. And I was fully prepared to tell you that Iâm a dog person but Iâll make an exception for you.â
You laugh at this and smack his chest playfully. âI just think itâs funny the catsuit misled you.â
âMore than it being âmisleadingâ, I think a better way to put it is that it distracts me.â The way he eyes you make you feel conscious and confident at the same time.
âAh, if it distracts you so much, should I take it off? So you can concentrate better?â You offer with a smirk, hand on the zipper down your chest.
âWow. Here? Didnât think you were such a tease.â He raises an eyebrow.
You move closer to him, further egging him on. âWell, not here. But it looks like thereâs still a lot you donât know about me, Parker.â
Peter hums thoughtfully, pressing a kiss onto your smiling mouth. âI think Iâll take my time finding out.â
thank you for making it to the end!! please consider a like/comment/reblog after reading. đĽ°ď¸
tags: @spiderveeââ @fallensilenceficsââ â
#tasm!peter au event#april is for aus#april au event#au event#jade writes#and here come the tags#tasm peter parker#tasm peter x reader#tasm peter parker x reader#tasm!peter parker#tasm!spiderman x reader#tasm!peter x you#tasm! peter parker#tasm!peter parker x reader#tasm!spiderman#tasm!peter parker x you#peter parker x reader#peter parker x fem!reader#peter parker oneshot#peter parker imagine#peter parker#andrew garfield!peter parker x reader#andrew garfield spiderman#andrew garfield!spiderman x reader#peter parker x gender neutral reader#peter parker au#tasm!peter x reader#peter parker x you#peter parker x y/n#andrewgarfield!spiderman
160 notes
¡
View notes
Text
I am super excited with how this logo commission came out. Done in prismacolor and derwent lightfast colored pencils on 11x14 paper.
Thank you so much Spyder Collector for commissioning me. â¤đˇ
Custom commissions are currently closed.
#art#nature#animal#drawing#artist#colorado#wildlife#colored pencil#hand made#exotic#logo#gecko#crested gecko#day gecko#peacock#hmac#baboon#tarantula#spider#arachnid#centepede#scorpion#venom#thicktail#black#red#vietnamese#bug#commission
7 notes
¡
View notes
Text
100 notes
¡
View notes
Video
instagram
191003 lm_____ltm #ArtWork with #SPYDER đˇ
17 notes
¡
View notes
Text
Xylarium Intros
Hello everyone!! This is going to be the first of many alter intros on this blog so look forward to that!
Name(s): Mantis/Anti/Centi/Fenryr/Spyder
Pronouns: it/dae/imp/void/ghost/bug/dirt/rot/knife/:3/haunt/pup/paw/đŞł/đŞ/đŠ¸/đ/đˇ/đ¸/đž
Age: 20
Gender: Succuboy
Orientation: violaen / mspec gay
Role: host
Tag: đŞł
Other info: I am a transmasc husky therian / succubus extranth and I'm a part of a small median subsystem consisting of me and the core :)
1 note
¡
View note
Photo
RESTOCKED đˇ https://www.steelcowgirl.com/yes-i-can-blk/ Yes I Can đŤ #steelcowgirl #steelcowgirls #spyder #canamspyder #trike #motorcycle #biker https://www.instagram.com/p/CcdJqR6u0Pk/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=
0 notes
Text
@spyderedââ asked:Â [ text ] Wait, would you take a bullet for me?
đ       Tony read over the text message that popped up on his visor as he sat carelessly on the edge of the skyscraper kicking his feet back and forth. He wasnât up to much of anything in fact he was in the middle of lunch and was just about to take off his helmet to eat but when the text message came across he figured heâd reply before continuing his mindless patrol from the sky.Â
[ đąâ˘ sms: đˇ Nat. ] : I would and I have. [ đąâ˘ sms: đˇ Nat. ] : Why?
⥠ TEXT MESSAGES  [  đđ´đ˝đđ´đ˝đ˛đ´ đđđ°đđđ´đđ đżđ. đş  ] --Accepting
1 note
¡
View note
Photo
Along came a Spyder..đˇ #oktmotorfest __________________________________________ #beck #spyder #porsche #550spyder #subaru #boxerengine #becauseracecar #getoutanddrive #drivetastefully #driveclassic #driversource (at DriverSource) https://www.instagram.com/p/CVBrAyFFWlv/?utm_medium=tumblr
#oktmotorfest#beck#spyder#porsche#550spyder#subaru#boxerengine#becauseracecar#getoutanddrive#drivetastefully#driveclassic#driversource
0 notes
Text
my turn
(fix = fixation, spinterest = special interest)
#i only count them if i'm particularly upsettable on if it's an even or odd number#it'll always upset me if it's odd though; in that case i bite the last piece in half to make it even#and i solely do the chewing thing for candy hence the distress if it's uneven#spyder on the web đˇ
4 notes
¡
View notes
Text
okay, there was no need for him to be so sassy LMFAO
0 notes
Photo
2014 PORSCHE 918 SPYDER đˇ #porsche #porsche918 #spyderđˇ #porsche918spyder #porsche992 #porschecayman #carbonceramicbrakes #hybrid #porschehybrid #carsofinstagram #carsofinsta #cars #igcars #superlitecars #lit #litcars #supercarphotography #hypercarsdaily #horsepower #hypercarsofinstagram https://www.instagram.com/p/B5fsQGupcfT/?igshid=1cambfwi5m2n1
#porsche#porsche918#spyderđˇ#porsche918spyder#porsche992#porschecayman#carbonceramicbrakes#hybrid#porschehybrid#carsofinstagram#carsofinsta#cars#igcars#superlitecars#lit#litcars#supercarphotography#hypercarsdaily#horsepower#hypercarsofinstagram
0 notes
Text
guardian spirit who's not very good at their job and is trying their very best >_<
@schrodys-cat this was so cute! loved it âĄ
https://picrew.me/ja/image_maker/318685
#i made this unrebloggable 'cause i don't want this to turn into a whole chain sowwy! ^^;#i linked the picrew in case anyone wanted to try it though :]#spyder on the web đˇ
3 notes
¡
View notes