#thanks for the message though i appreciate it

[greensagephase]

Nonviolent Communication - Part 23

Pairing: Spider-Man!Miguel O'Hara x Spider-Woman!Reader Summary: Miguel continues to work on his physical boundaries. You find yourself in an unexpected, stressful, and unwanted situation; and Miguel tries to be supportive despite his own feelings. Word Count: 11.5k Warnings: time skip from New Year's; little flashback to NYE; some Spanish Music: "Cuando Vuelva a Tu Lado" - Eydie Gormé, Los Panchos (for the end scene 🥹)

Part 23

Fireworks covered the night sky. Music and happy conversations filled the air. Delicious food was made, shared, and enjoyed by eager party attenders on New Year’s Eve.

Like the previous year, your group of friends and you stood on a rooftop in Miles’s universe to celebrate the festivities since his parents invited everyone once again.

The fact that this was the second year he spent in another universe to welcome the new year didn’t escape Miguel as he stood on the same rooftop, surrounded by friends. The realization wasn’t negative, of course. He could’ve been in any other universe and it wouldn’t have matter as long as his best friend stood next to him; as long as you were there.

Standing on the same rooftop where only a year before you shedded happy tears, which Miguel tenderly wiped away with his scarf, Miguel and you welcomed the new year. While the others either hugged or kissed, or both, the two of you had your own moment when the clock struck midnight.

Amongst the cheering and loud fireworks, you gazed at Miguel and spotted the plastic crown with ‘Happy New Year’ on it that Mr. Morales gave to him earlier, similar to the tiara Mrs. Morales gave you with the same message.

“Un rey y una reina [a king and a queen],” Mrs. Morales had said earlier as she carefully placed the tiara on your head while Mr. Morales handed Miguel the crown.

“Wow, you guys must be special,” Miles commented from somewhere as he ate fried plantains. “I've only seen marrie—” The rest of his words died in his mouth by a single glance from his mom. “These fried plantains are to die for. Anyone tried them?” he asked before quietly stepping away to talk with Peter B..

“There, ready,” Mrs. Morales said stepping back to admire her work as the tiara rested on your head, perfectly secured. As you stood before her, you didn’t fail to notice the proud smile on her face while she gazed at you and then at Miguel, who quietly conversed with Mr. Morales with much more ease than before after carrying so much guilt and shame due to the circumstances between Miles and himself regarding the police captain. Still smiling, Mrs. Morales cleared her throat.

“Well,” Mr. Morales said, hearing his wife's cue. “I just remembered I haven’t talked with my neighbor’s… Godmother.”

“Right,” Mrs. Morales added just as Mr. Morales joined her side, taking her hand in his. “We must go and do some rounds. You guys enjoy the party and the food, alright? Let us know if there’s anything you guys need.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Morales, we will,” you answered politely with Miguel by your side, who took his spot next to you as soon as Mr. Morales went to his wife.

“Thank you. We appreciate your hospitality. The food is amazing, as always,” Miguel added with a small yet genuine smile before looking at you. “Dulzura and I are enjoying it very much. We have done so for the last two years.”

“Oh,” Mrs. Morales replied with a pleased smile, though you both mistook the real reason for it. It wasn’t because of the comment about the food and party, but rather, due to the lovely nickname Miguel gave you and how easily it rolled off his mouth; as if it was second nature to him. There was also the way that Miguel smiled much easier, a great contrast to the previous year when he seemed a bit more reserved in the presence of others. “We are delighted that you’ve both enjoyed the food and the party.”

“Very delighted,” Mr. Morales added with a small smirk, noticing the nickname, too.

It wasn’t that they didn’t know about the nickname because they one hundred percent did thanks to the spider gang, who had long ago shared that piece of information with the older couple, however, it was the first time they were witnessing the maroon-eyed Spider-Man saying it.

“Well, wow,” Mrs. Morales continued with her pleased smile, squeezing her husband’s hand as a sign that it was time for them to depart. “We truly are happy that you’re both here again and that you’re enjoying yourselves. Our home is always open to you. The two of you,” she continued, clarifying to make sure Miguel also understood. “So, I hope to see you both more and again next year.”

With a nod, Miguel answered. “Si Dios nos da licencia y ustedes nos reciben, aquí estaremos sin falta. Muchas gracias, Don y Doña Morales [if God allows and you receive us, we will be here without failure. Thank you, Mr. and Mrs. Morales].”

“What Miguel said,” you added with a smile. “Thank you again for inviting us.”

With smiles and waves, the couple retreated, leaving the king and queen with each other.

“Dulzura,” Mrs. Morales said, glancing back one more time to look at you and Miguel. “He calls her Dulzura. Es adorable [it's adorable].”

“It’s very cute. Who would’ve thought he’d be calling her that?” Mr. Jeff replied.

“Not me, but ey, I’m more than happy. Do you see how cute they look together? I told you last year that they have these gazes for each other, and you know what people say: The eyes never lie.¨

“I see it. They almost gaze at each other with stars in their eyes,” Mr. Morales replied with an amused smile.

“You see it, too, don’t you? They’re glued to each other, ésos dos [those two]. It’s like, they can’t be away from each other. Like they’re — No sé [I don't know] — Ah, cómo la luna y sus estrellas. Siempre juntas, allí lado a lado [Ab, like the moon and its stars. Always together, side by side].”

“Like the moon and its stars…” Jeff repeated as they walked. “That is true. I see Y/N looks very happy, too. Remember when we first met her? There was this… Look in her eyes.”

“Su mirada escondía una tristeza [her gaze hid a sadness],” Rio stated, nodding. “But now… There’s happiness in them. In both their eyes.”

After pulling his wife closer, Jeff smiled. “I think, the future holds something special for them.”

“I think so, too,” Rio replied with a smile. “I truly hope so.”

Hours later after that encounter with Mr. and Mrs. Morales, the clock struck midnight at which you notice Miguel’s crown before your eyes met his, discovering that he was already looking at you. Under the colorful patterns on the sky, Miguel smiled at you and took notice of your tiara. He had found it strange earlier in the evening how he had only seen a few people with crowns and tiaras, almost as if they had been handed out to specific people. Either way, Miguel found the sight of you in your tiara cute.

“Happy New Year, Dulzura,” he murmured softly, for your ears only. “I hope you have a wonderful year filled with happiness, health, and love; that you accomplish all your goals and wishes.”

With so much hugging taking place around you both, Miguel recalled his thoughts from days before when he came to the conclusion that he was ready for more physical contact. At that moment at the rooftop, however, Miguel found himself unable to take action with so many people around. He had the feeling that the spider gang would’ve lost their minds at the sight and the moment may have been disturbed or rushed, so he discarded the idea, and a kiss on the cheek…

Well, that was not even on the table, but of course, there was your personal form of physical contact. Gazing at you, Miguel lifted his pinky finger beneath exploding fireworks, offering a New Year’s hug in the only way he could, but meaningful nonetheless.

Without question or hesitation, you accepted it and embraced his pinky with your own — sharing a hug in your own secret way. With a smile, you thanked Miguel and reciprocated his kind and loving words, giving his pinky finger a gentle squeeze for extra emphasis. “I hope you have a lovely year; that it treats you with love and kindness, Solecito. I hope all your goals and wishes come true. Always.”

“Likewise, Dulzura. Always,” Miguel murmured back, reciprocating the gentle squeeze with a warm smile.

After wishing everyone else a happy new year, you both stayed at the party a bit longer to enjoy a few more desserts, like the amazing flan, and watched your friends and everyone else dance on the rooftop, a sign that the party was only going to keep going.

It was about two in the morning when you finally said your goodbyes and retired for the night, reaching home in seconds. You settled in the living room floor against a couch. Shoes, coats, and other accessories to stay warm were shed since they were no longer needed due to the penthouse's warmth.

“That food was amazing,” you muttered, your head resting on the couch’s cushion.

“I think I ate too much flan,” Miguel admitted, rubbing his tummy. “But it was amazing.”

“I definitely ate too much flan, but it was so good,” you replied with a grin. “Plus, it’s not like we eat it often, so… A little treat to celebrate the new year, right?”

“Mmm, I agree with your thinking,” Miguel answered, glancing at you. He could tell that you seemed a bit sleepy, but knowing you, you’d claim you weren’t. “You sleepy yet?”

“Nope. You?”

Miguel grins and leans back, his back popping with the movement. He knew it. “No. Too much sugar is probably going to keep me up,” he said, making you chuckle sleepily.

“We can work on a puzzle, if you want. Or, watch some TV. You know they always do the New Year’s shows. Maybe the performances are fun.”

Miguel turned the TV on, switching between channels to find some of the New Year's performances. He settled on a channel once he found a singer performing an upbeat song.

“Yay, sounds fun,” you said yawning, moving side to side to dance a little — a sight that captured Miguel's gaze.

“If I knew you were in a dancing mood, we should’ve stayed at the party,” Miguel said with amusement.

“Mmm, I only like to dance in private,” you answered laying back on the couch. “I used to dance with Peter all the time… In our little living room.”

With a nod, Miguel stored that information away, watching you continue to grow sleepier and sleepier. “Maybe one of these days…” Miguel started, gazing at you fall asleep slowly but surely. “You can dance again with someone.”

A sleepy smile formed on your lips despite your closed lids, your head sliding down the couch and onto his shoulder. “I’d love that,” you murmured, but before truly falling asleep, some words slipped past your lips. “— ith you.”

Miguel’s eyes widened as he connected the dots, or at least connected what he thought you meant in that moment — you'd love to dance with him. It brought a smile to his face as he relaxed once more next to you, basking in your warmth and closeness.

“Soon, Dulzura,” he whispered softly. “Just give me a little more time. I'm just a few steps away, I promise.” Miguel sighed, his eyes fluttering due to his own sleep as he thought about his whispered words. He truly believed in and meant them, from his very heart and soul.

♡

The month of January — with its promises of new beginnings — passed by with slow and easy days spent at the penthouse to stay warm.

Like previous years, you reflected on the past year and realized it had been an entire year since you had begun to live with Miguel due to the fire at your apartment building. You found it amazing how much both your lives had changed in a year alone; from living in your own spaces to being unable to sleep because you were in different dimensions. You recalled how you had refused to let yourself take root in the penthouse, how you wanted to make it seem as though you weren’t staying at Miguel’s home, but now, your belongings have found a home somewhere within the penthouse.

Your blanket now rests on one of the couches at the living room. Next to the remotes on the coffee table, your hair ties or other hair accessories can be found there at times. In the laundry room, your detergents sit next to Miguel’s. And just like in the beginning, it continues to feel normal to you both. As if it’s always been like this.

February, as always, came and went in the blink of an eye. Of course, you celebrated Valentine’s Day once again with your friends and baked sweet treats for everyone along with Miguel’s favorite desserts because well, he’s your best friend. That’s why you baked just for him. No other reason.

Without fully realizing when, the cold and snowy days ended and have been replaced by warm and longer ones. Outside, the sound of busy bees can be heard around the gardens. Ice cream shops are once again back in full business, offering delicious and rich flavors. And everywhere in the city, there's the feeling of new beginnings and growth due to the flourishing nature.

After coming to the conclusion that he’s ready for more physical touch on Christmas night, Miguel has been trying more and more with each passing day. These days, he allows his fingers to brush yours more often, letting them linger a second or two longer than necessary when he hands you things, like mugs with your precious café de olla that never fails to make you smile. At the Spider Society, your arms brush more often than not when you're walking side by side. At home, he's opted to sit next to you more than before when you spend the evenings hunched over the coffee table to put puzzles together — a new activity that you’ve both been enjoying.

Miguel can’t help but feel like he’s made a lot of progress with these gestures alone, yet… There’s this one thing he’s been thinking about for some time now. It’s been on his mind thanks to you for over a year now, when you made the confession in a moment of vulnerability that you wished to hug him. Ever since then, the thought has been on his mind, but lately, in all honesty, Miguel has thought about it even more.

Even now as he sits in the Spider Society's cafeteria, surrounded by the spider gang, waiting for you to join everyone, Miguel thinks about it.

To wrap his arms around and hold you… That's Miguel's goal.

The problem is that it's been so long since Miguel has held someone or has had someone hold him. It almost feels like a foreign concept at this point and he doesn't know how to even approach the moment. It's not like he should simply go up to you and ask for or offer a hug. Right? It doesn’t seem like a good way, at least not in Miguel’s mind. To him, there needs to be a reason to rationalize the moment because again, it’s been so long.

Thankfully, there’s still time for his goal despite it being several months since the new year began. At least, that's what Miguel tells himself as he waits for you.

“There she is!” Peter suddenly exclaims, nudging Miguel's arm to get his attention.

Focusing in the present, Miguel glances around until he spots you. There you are, heading towards the table -- a sight that makes Miguel's lips twitch upwards into a smile, though it falters a little when he notes that other spider members are watching you, too, most of which happen to be men.

With narrowed eyes, Miguel feels displeased with the way they're looking at you; a way he has never noticed before. He tries to figure out if he's simply never noticed it before, or if this is a new thing.

Maybe they have noticed just how lovely and beautiful you are. Maybe they’ve noticed that sweet and tender smile that's enough to warm a cold person’s heart. And of course, there’s your kindness, gentleness, and sweetness.

Yet, as Miguel turns to gaze at you again, he senses that that's not what these individuals see. They only see the surface of who you are, unlike him.

And the spider gang, too, of course.

These people have no idea what you look like when you're completely and utterly disconnected from the world with a good book in one hand and a mug of café de olla — made by him, just for you — in the other, laying on the couch under your favorite blanket at the penthouse.

They have no clue how damn cute you look when you wake up nor how warm and soft you feel.

They haven't witnessed the pure look of concentration when you're baking to your heart's content, or working on a puzzle. They don't hear nor see the excitement in you when you tell him you've completed a portion of the puzzle, or about something that brings you happiness.

They don't know you like that.

They don't have the privilege nor honor like he does.

“I think we've lost him. Hellooooo? Anybody home?” Peter states next to Miguel.

Miguel blinks in surprise when Peter’s hand appears in front of him, waving it to get his attention. “¿Que [what]?” Miguel blurts out, slowly realizing that he was a little too distracted there.

“You zoned out on us,” Jess says, raising an eyebrow at the Spider Society's leader and earning herself nods of agreement.

“My bad,” Miguel grumbles, straightening up in his chair. “I was just thinking.”

“Right. Just thinking,” Peter answers with a grin, wiggling his eyebrows at Jess with a knowing look.

Ignoring the comment, Miguel focuses on you again. You're a few tables away now, so close to reaching the table, but suddenly, to Miguel's great disappointment (and annoyance), someone intercepts your path.

Just like Miguel, someone else seems to have made a goal of their own regarding you, and that someone is none other than Ben Reilly. Ever since the new year started, it seems to Miguel that Reilly has made it his mission to be in your life. It's not even an exaggeration because as the months have gone by, Reilly has tried to be near you one way or another.

It started by him asking for help with reports, which Miguel remembers happened once last year before the Spider Society’s trip to the beach. When he first learned of it, Miguel found it odd. How could he not when Reilly has been part of the Spider Society since almost the beginning? He learned how to handle that task without much difficulty, but suddenly, Reilly needed someone's help — specifically yours — to complete them. It hasn’t been that one single time, though. Every two days or so, there comes Reilly with a ‘question’ regarding a report.

Then, there's him inviting you for lunch at the cafeteria once a week. Sometimes, it's with him alone and other times, it's with his whole group of friends. And finally, there's Reilly trying to partner up with you on missions, even after Miguel or Jess have already assigned teams and you're clearly not assigned with him.

This hasn't gone unnoticed by Miguel, of course. After witnessing all of these situations for months, Miguel connected the dots.

Reilly seems to have a crush on you.

He had a feeling this was the case back during the Christmas break when the other Spider-Man seemed eager to have found himself under mistletoe with you. Thankfully, Miguel prevented it from happening. For your sake, of course. Not for any other reason…

His suspicion has since then been confirmed. Or, at least, Miguel feels it has because why is Reilly suddenly everywhere? It all adds up for Miguel.

He can’t say the same about your feelings for Ben, however, because he’s not sure how you feel. You've always talked about Reilly with respect and kindness, and even mentioned once that some people underestimated him, but Miguel hasn’t noticed any clear signs of you having feelings for him. Not romantic ones, at least.

Yet, as Miguel watches you converse with Reilly now, he knows there's a possibility you've developed feelings for him and you've just not shared them with him.

With a sigh, Miguel lowers his gaze to the matching bracelets you gifted each other for Christmas. He still can't believe that you both bought such similar bracelets, even with the same little knot; a detail he views as a symbol of your friendship. Gingerly, Miguel traces the knots with his pinky finger, continuing to wait for you.

“You know…” Hobie starts, noticing Miguel's quiet demeanor and how he's tracing his matching bracelets as if that will teleport you to him. “This might sound crazy, but don’t they look kind of cute?”

Hearing Hobie's words, Miguel blinks in shock and disbelief. Surely, he’s not talking about you and Ben. Right?

“Who?” Peter B. asks, raising an eyebrow. “Don’t tell me you’re talking about them,” he continues in equal disbelief, pointing at you and Ben with his thumb, which is a great relief to Miguel. He's glad he's not the only one that disagrees with that horrendous statement by Hobie.

Next to Hobie, Pav hums with a little smirk. “I don’t know. I think they would look good together.” He raises an eyebrow at Peter while Miguel, who is unaware of the silent conversation taking place around him, stares in your direction.

“You know… I can kind of see what you’re talking about. What do you think, Miguel? Ben and your dear friend, hm?” Peter asks, realizing what Hobie and Pav are doing.

“I think, it doesn't really make sense,” Miguel answers slowly and carefully, thinking about the numerous of times people have said you and him look like a couple. Or rather, how many people have assumed you are in a relationship. No one has ever said that about you and some other man, especially not Reilly. “I don’t see it. It's an interesting… Opinion, though.”

“It makes a lot of sense to me,” Hobie counters with his signature smirk. “Their vibes — just match.” At his side, Pav looks away, stifling a little laugh.

“If you say so, Hobart,” Miguel answers, drumming his fingers on the table. What is Ben talking to you about that’s taking so long?

“Not the formal name,” Pav mutters to Hobie.

“I for one… Agree with Miguel. Ben Reilly and Y/N, it’s like water and oil,” Noir says, adding to the conversation as he, too, gazes at you and Ben.

Miguel almost nods at that, but he refrains from doing so. It’s true, though. It’s simply impossible in Miguel’s mind; the idea of you and Ben.

“I think, what matters is that Y/N finds love again. Wouldn’t you guys agree?” Miles adds, which Jess seconds with a nod of agreement. “It’s been so many years for her, I think it’d be great if she found someone to build a life with again.”

“That’s true. It’s been what? Like, five years since her Peter’s death?” Gwen responds.

“It’s certainly been some time,” Hobie answers with a nod, glancing at you. “So, she should definitely get back into the dating scene. I fear, however, that it’s been so long since she’s been in that world. She might need some help, or advice on what guys to steer away from… Someone…” he trails off with a smirk.

“Well, I think Miguel would be of great help to Y/N,” Peter chirps in with a grin. “Something tells me you’d be great as her boy —”

“Hey, guys!” you cheerfully say, taking your seat next to Miguel. “Sorry about that. Ben stopped me to talk.”

“About what?” Hobie asks, voicing the very same thing that Miguel was about to ask. “Some reports?” he jokes, earning himself glances from the others.

“Oh, no, he asked if I was interested in going to his universe to witness some moon event taking place.”

“To moongaze?” Miguel blurts out, the words sinking in. Why does that sound like…

“As a date?” Peter B. asks, subtly looking between you and Miguel to gauge his reaction, and finishing your best friend's thought.

It can’t be. Right?

“A date? No.” You shake your head, smiling a little nervously now that you think about it. “It’s not a date… It’s not one if other people are going.” You glance at Miguel, your eyebrows furrowed. “His friends are going, too, so… It’s not a date. Just… A hangout.”

“Okay, so it’s a hangout,” Miguel repeats, nodding slowly. If there’s other people involved, that means it’s not a date. At least, he thinks so.

“I mean, I don’t know. Maybe the other people are going as couples,” Hobie says with a smile, knowing what he's doing. “I guess you’ll find out if it is, or isn’t. When is the event?”

“Tonight…” you reveal, looking at the table and pondering if you agreed to a date by accident when that wasn’t your intention.

“That’s exciting,” Peter reassures you next to Miguel. “I’m sure it’s going to be a lot of fun.”

“Yeah, that sounds fun, so… Enjoy yourself, alright?” Miguel adds softly, much quieter.

You nod, accepting the reassuring words from Peter and Miguel, but Hobie's words stay with you. Maybe you did agree to a date without realizing it. “Right, it should be fun. I’m sure of it,” you answer with a huff, one that Miguel notes.

He bites the inside of his cheek, wondering if it's a huff of disappointment due to the fact that it's unclear whether it's a date or not. He wonders if you’re hoping for the first option, yet he doesn’t voice his curiosity, out of respect.

Much like Miguel, you don’t voice your uncertainty about the social event with Ben to avoid worrying Miguel and your friends. Besides, they all seemed happy about the possibility of it being a date, so you don’t want to reveal you feel the opposite about it.

The uncertainty lingers for the rest of the day as you work on tasks and go on missions to other universes, making you nervous. It's been so long since you went out on a date and to be completely honest, you haven't even thought about it, so to suddenly find yourself in a possible date is more than stressful.

The work day eventually comes to an end and as per usual, Miguel and you head home.

Dinner is cooked by the two of you and then enjoyed in the dining room over light conversation despite the looming event over your heads, making it feel as though you’re both ignoring the situation.

You try to treat the evening as if it were any other; you clean the kitchen with Miguel and then shower to unwind for a bit, but the time soon comes for you to get ready.

Miguel looks up at you from his book, from which he's been trying to read for the last half hour without retaining a single word, when he notices you glancing at the clock. “Time to get ready?”

“Yeah… I need to get ready,” you answer, reluctantly standing up. You silently wish you had an excuse not to go, but alas, there's none and you don't want to come off as rude either. “I'll be upstairs if you need me,” you state, thinking maybe there's a chance of an unexpected mission.

“Alright, Dulzura. I'll be… Here,” Miguel answers with a little pout, watching you walk up the stairs to your bedroom. He sighs heavily and leans back onto the couch, looking up at the ceiling. A feeling grows in his chest. It's a mixture of concern and something else — a feeling of intranquillity — that has have him in a restless mood since lunch.

Miguel tried to go along with his day as he usually does, just like you did, but the truth is that he found himself in that mood. He kept reading reports over and over again because his brain struggled to retain the information he was looking at. Tabs that he needed open were closed by accident with his fidgety fingers. When members dropped by to make inquiries, Miguel found himself only listening to half of what was being said.

Miguel runs a hand down his face with another sigh, trying to be positive for your sake despite his worry because yes, he's simply worried. That's all to it. It's mere worry and nothing else. He's worried that you may have expectations and that Reilly will disappoint you. He's concerned that Reilly will hurt your heart when you deserve nothing but happiness and a chance of experiencing love again.

Staring off into space, Miguel continues to contemplate the situation.

Upstairs, you change out of your lounging clothes and touch up your hair. With a sigh, you gaze at yourself in a mirror to waste time. A few seconds later, you apply a bit of lip oil, which reminds you of a comment Miguel made back during your Christmas getaway.

A smile comes to your face as you recall Miguel tell you at the diner that the lip oil looked cute on you, which you found endearing. Still smiling, you reach for a bottle of perfume before you remember where you're going.

Your smile fades as you gaze at the perfume bottle, the lingering question coming back to you.

Is this a date?

If it is, a bit of perfume may give the wrong idea that you're trying to smell good for someone — Ben.

Nope.

You place the bottle back on your desk and after looking at yourself for a second time in the mirror, you decide to take off the lip oil, too. Satisfied, you pick up your last minute items and remember to grab a light jacket just in case the night is chilly since you'll be outside.

Rummaging through your closet, something falls from the top, which you sense immediately. With ease, you catch the item, only to come face to face with Miguel.

Or rather, a version of him in the form of a plushie.

A chuckle escapes from your mouth while you trace its mask with a finger. “Plushie Spider-Man 2099. You're just as cute as the real Miguel, hm?… Shock,” you sigh, shaking your head at yourself before placing the plushie on your bed. “Am I so uneasy about this that I'm talking to a plushie now?”

Of course, plushie Miguel doesn't reply, so you turn to grab your jacket, forgetting about the plushie for now.

You bought it a while back during one of your solo excursions of Nueva York and decided to keep it a little secret because you think Miguel might find it silly — or worse, weird — that you've bought additional merch about him. It's the reason why you always keep it in your closet, away from Miguel's maroon eyes, but as you exit the bedroom, you forget to tuck it away again.

Unexpectantly, you receive a notification, stopping you in your tracks. Your soul hopes it's a cancellation from Ben, or maybe it's soneone else sending a call for backup, however, it's none of the Spider Society's members who have messaged you.

Instead, it's Harry, who has been more and more in contact with you since the year started. As promised earlier in December, you met with him and Mr. Osborn after they returned from their trip abroad. Ever since then, you've been messaging each other more to keep in contact, though there have been times in which you've had no other option but to politely cancel or decline due to your work as Spider-Woman. Despite those setbacks, you’ve enjoyed having Harry in your life again.

There's no denying that initially, you felt hesitant about allowing Harry back into your life, especially because it meant having someone to hide your super hero identity from — someone who may notice your tardiness at times, or items at your apartment due to your forgetfulness that may reveal your identity. There's also the fact that all of your friends, including Miguel, felt negatively about him after he ghosted you for years. You can't blame them, you'd be the exact same way, but ultimately, you decided to give Harry a chance for Peter.

With so many months in contact, you feel that the two of you have become reacquainted and become friends once more, although it's a different dynamic than the previous one. Besides that, it’s going well. You have forgiven him and tried to move forward.

You may never know why Harry disappeared from your life so suddenly. Perhaps it's something that will always remain a mystery to you, much like your second life as Spider-Woman to Harry. And that's okay, you're fine with it.

Years have passed and you've both changed and matured. It's a new page and all there is, is to keep moving forward and growing as people with this new friendship.

With that in mind, you quickly check the message, wondering what he said.

Harry: Hey! How's your day going? Thought about you just now because someone received flowers at work. 🙂

Despite your temptation to reply now as a way to delay leaving the penthouse, you decide to answer when you return home.

Back downstairs, you find Miguel looking off to the side. Probably taking a break from his reading and reflecting on what he's read.

“Hey,” you start, holding your jacket in one hand.

Your voice snaps Miguel from his trance, making him turn to look at you. His maroon eyes respectfully take in your appearance. Silently and subtly, he notes the lack of lip oil and trail of your perfume you usually wear. All he notices is the scent of your shower products. He wonders about that, but doesn't voice it. Instead, Miguel offers you a small smile. “Ready?”

“Mhm… Ready,” you answer, wanting to add an ‘unfortunately’, but that may sound rude. “I guess I should go…?” you continue, sounding more like a question than a statement.

“If you're ready. You have everything?” Miguel asks, standing up and putting away the book he's been trying to read for God knows how long without any success.

You nod, looking at your belongings. “It seems so.”

“Good, that's good,” Miguel replies, still giving you that smile to be positive for you. “Be careful and just enjoy yourself, alright?” Miguel gently states, trying to offer helpful words despite his intranquillity. He still doesn't know if you want this to be a date or not. Or, if you have feelings for Ben, but despite his own feelings — those being concern and restlessness, of course — he hopes you're not hurt nor disappointed by it.

“I'll try, thank you,” you respond, offering a small smile. “I'll be back soon, okay?”you add, wishing you could stay at home with Miguel, even if it's in silence. Even if he’s in another part of the penthouse entirely.

“Alright, Dulzura. That sounds good, don’t worry,” Miguel answers with a nod, that feeling of restlessness growing in his chest, which he cannot explain. It’s not like you’re not coming back, right? You are. So then, why does it almost feel like he’s losing you somehow? “Have fun.”

You nod, forcing yourself to open a portal at last. After giving Miguel one more glance, you reluctantly travel to Ben's universe, leaving Miguel behind.

With yet another heavy and deep sigh, Miguel watches the dimensional portal grow smaller and smaller, the scent of your shampoo lingering behind like a soft caress.

Knowing he won't have better luck with reading, Miguel decides to go to the kitchen and do…

Miguel scratches the side of his head as he glances around the kitchen space.

“… Hm…” he hums to himself, wondering what he can do to pass time before finally deciding on something. “Dios mio,” he mutters to himself as he begins to reorganize a kitchen drawer, not sure why he’s doing this nor why he’s feeling the way he is.

♡

Over in Ben’s universe, you arrive to the location given to you by Ben himself. One single look at the scene gives you the feeling that this hangout may be the opposite of that, yet you hold on to the hope that it's not. You hold on to the idea that Ben's advances over the last few months have been purely driven by an interest in friendship and nothing more.

The fact that Ben's friends are present is a good relief. A part of you had the sudden worry that you'd arrive and only find Ben because ‘something’ came up for everyone else, but thankfully, they’re here.

However, the sight of Ben's friends sitting on one picnic blanket and Ben on another one alone, raises a flag of concern. Still, you remain polite and greet Ben and his friends, the same group of people that you remember seeing Ben with back during the Christmas break.

“You came,” Ben says with a smile, standing up to offer you a place.

“Yes, I did,” you answer, thanking him for the seat before sitting down. Of course, you make sure to keep a respectable distance from him.

“We have snacks and drinks. Please go ahead and get anything you want. Don't be shy,” Ben continues with a smile, gesturing to a bag and a cooler.

“Yeah, Y/N, don't be shy,” Anya Corazón, another Spider-Woman, says with a grin before nudging you slightly.

“Thank you,” you answer, picking out a snack and a drink after being nudged by Anya, finding her words and gesture a little strange. You put it aside, though, not thinking more of it.

Sat on the rooftop over picnic blankets, you all eat snacks and talk about random things as you wait for the moon event to start. All is going well, though you do notice that Ben seems to be moving closer to you as the conversation continues, until the topic shifts to something you were not expecting.

“So… Y/N… We were talking the other day,” Canada Spider-Woman starts, once again reminding you that you still don’t know her proper name. “About how most of us have lost someone. I recall someone mentioning you lost a Peter.”

‘A Peter.’

You swallow, disliking how cold and insignificant that sounds, even if that wasn't the Spider-Woman's intention. “I lost my Peter, who was my boyfriend,” you answer firmly. “He was my boyfriend since we were teenagers.”

Noting your short answer, the Spider-Woman quickly apologizes, glancing at everyone else. “Yes, of course. I didn’t mean to offend you, or him. We were just talking…”

“About all who are currently unattached,” Malala Windsor adds, trying to clear things up.

“I think what they’re trying to say is, everyone that’s not with someone,” Ben clarifies, giving his friends a look you miss entirely. “How — You know, there’s Peter B. and his family. Jess and her own. Then, there’s some of us who are… Single.”

“Yes, single. That's what we were talkinvg about when you came up. You’re single, right?” Anya asks, raising an eyebrow.

“… Yes,” you respond, noting you have everyone's eyes on you. The feelings from earlier rise even more with this interaction since it feels like your answer is being picked on by everyone. “Since Peter… My Peter passed away, I’ve been mourning him and have had no interest in further relationships,” you add, making it clear you're not interested.

“That’s understandable. It’s been a few years since his death, no?” Malala inquires.

“It has,” you answer, glancing at the moon and wondering how much longer there is to wait.

“Hmm, so it's been years now… Plenty of time to mourn,” Spider-Canada continues, glancing at Ben.

“Yeah, but as we all know, mourning is different for everyone. Some people take longer than others. It's been a few years for me… Years I spent on my own, learning how to heal and handle other emotions, so…” you trail off, awkwardly holding your drink to keep your hands busy.

“I did hear about that,” Ben gently says. “That you were alone for several years. I wish Miguel would've found your universe sooner.” Carefully, Ben places a hand on your shoulder with the hopes of reassuring and getting closer to you. “You wouldn't have been alone for so long, if he had.”

You hum, feeling Ben's touch and finding it uncomfortable. One, it's lasting too long for your liking. Second, his hand feels too heavy, making you want to move away. And third, the warmth radiating from his hand feels too much for your skin. It feels like his warmth is disrupting your body temperature where he's touching you. To make it worse, Ben even gives your shoulder a squeeze.

“Miguel and I have discussed this,” you state, offering a small smile despite your discomfort. “And just like I told him once, the time in which my universe, and I, was found was right. I learned a lot during that time of solitude. Grew as a person. And besides… That's in the past now. I'm just happy and thankful to be part of the Spider Society, and to have my friends,” you continue, wanting to change the topic. “Hey, how much until the moon event?”

“About half an hour,” Ben replies, noting your shift in conversation as his friends digest your responses. “Would you like another drink?”

The half hour passes by in the blink of an eye, just like the moon event. The conversation continues even after the event is over, but thankfully, sensitive topics are no longer brought up.

After helping clean up and organize the area, you decide that it's a good time to head out without making it seem like you've been ready to run off as soon as the moon event ended.

Sensing your exit, Ben steps closer to you without fully invading your personal space. “I can accompany you,” he offers. “I know it’s not actually walking you home, but… You know.” He states sheepishly, hoping you’ll say yes.

You, however, shake your head with a small smile. “That’s not necessary, Ben. Besides… I’m not going to my universe.” Starting up your gizmo, you continue. “Miguel is waiting for me at home, at his universe.”

“Oh,” Ben replies, his usual impeccable posture faltering by the revelation that you still live with Miguel. “I didn’t know.”

“Wait — You’re still living with O’Hara?” Max Borne asks, surprised to learn this fact. “I thought I heard that that was because of a fire back at your place, but that your apartment has been ready…?”

Chuckling, you glance up after missing an entire conversation amongst the group through gazes alone.

If only they knew what happened the night you supposedly moved back to your apartment; how you both ended up meeting on the same rooftop hours later in the middle of the night because neither of you could sleep.

If only they knew, but that’s not something they need to know, you decide. You're the only ones to know, Miguel and you. “Long story short? We realized we enjoy being roommates,” you answer. “Especially since we had both lived alone for several years. We enjoy each other’s companies, and we’re best friends.”

“Best friends,” Ben repeats, nodding his head. “Of course, you are best friends.”

“But I’m guessing that’s just a you thing, right? Like, the whole best friends thing. I can’t see Miguel actually admitting that out loud. He’s so… He’s just not the type to admit that these days,” Max states, having been there before you joined the Spider Society.

“Actually, Miguel has,” you reply with the warmest smile you’ve had all evening since you arrived. The fellow spider members don’t miss it at all; how the mention of Miguel seems to light up your mood.

“That’s great… For Miguel and you,” Ben adds after a few seconds of silence from his friends, who seem to be digesting the information. “You guys are best friends… No wonder you shared the cabin for Christmas.” With a sigh, Ben runs a hand through his hair and remembers Miguel’s actions at the diner that second day he ran into you, when you were both babysitting Mayday.

He felt incredibly irritated that Miguel pulled you away from him just when he was going to bring up the fact that you and him were under mistletoe. He didn’t even have the time to utter the first word when you were snatched away because of ‘icicles’. He recalls that he had looked at them earlier when he first entered the diner with his friends and hadn’t sensed any danger, but somehow, Miguel had and because of it, his moment was stolen.

Now, Ben wonders if there are hidden motives behind Miguel’s actions. Or, is he merely looking out for you as his best friend?

“Yes, we’ve found great company in each other, which I truly appreciate after being alone for so long in my universe,” you share softly with the multidimensional portal open behind you, calling you home. “It’s nice for us to have each other.”

“Right,” Anya answers, staring at you as if she knows something you don’t. “Well… I’m also glad you’ve both found company in each other.”

“Thank you,” you reply yet again with a smile. “Well, I’m heading out now. Thank you for inviting me tonight. I enjoyed moongazing and talking with you guys. Enjoy the rest of your night.” You wave goodbye and enter the portal at last, yearning to be back in Nueva York.

Back in Miguel’s universe, you step out into the living room hoping to find Miguel there, but the space is empty. There’s no sight of Miguel, even when you walk into the kitchen. That’s when you realize the penthouse is too quiet.

“Looking for something?” Lyla asks suddenly with a little smirk, floating next to you. She lays on her stomach, her legs swinging behind her. “Or, should I say, someone?” she corrects herself.

“Hah, funny. Where’s Miguel?” you ask, wondering if he’s taking a nap or gone out.

“Wouldn’t you like to know,” Lyla answers with a giggle. “I’ll give you the info if you tell me how you feel about Benny Boy.”

Hearing that nickname makes you grimace. “Please never call Ben, or anyone named Ben for that matter, that ever again. Especially not baby Benjamin. That just gave me the ick. Also, why do I need to tell you that when I can simply message Miguel and ask where he’s at?”

Seeing your grimace and genuine dislike for the nickname makes Lyla snort. “My bad, my bad, but you should tell me. I’m asking for a friend.”

You laugh softly. “You’re that nosy, hm?”

“It’s one of my ‘human’ traits. Don’t blame it on me,” Lyla answers with a shrug before her smirk returns. “So, Ben?”

“Nothing about Ben,” you answer, walking up the stairs to see if Miguel is there.

“So, no fuzzy feelings for him?”

“Nope,” you answer all too quickly, certain of your feelings. “No fuzzy feelings.”

“Gotcha. By the way, Miguel will meet you at the same rooftop you guys had tacos a few months ago,” Lyla says with a happy tone before disappearing.

With a heavy sigh, you turn back around. “You could’ve saved me the trip, you know?” you call out to Lyla, but the little holographic AI assistant is already long gone and you quickly let it go anyway, focusing on going to meet Miguel.

In seconds, you’re out of the penthouse through a window and swinging through Nueva York in silence, excited to see Miguel.

Somewhere else in the city, Miguel swings past buildings with a cup holder in one hand, heading to the location. His thoughts are focused on reaching you when Lyla presents herself through his gizmo.

“Your best friend is on her way to the location,” she informs him. “I see you’ve acquired the goods.”

“That’s good, thank you for letting me know. And yeah, I got them.”

“Good, good, good…” Lyla trails off as Miguel continues moving. “So… “

“So what?” Miguel asks with furrowed eyebrows, giving himself a second to glance at Lyla.

“So… I think it’s safe to say Dulz doesn’t like Ben.”

That nearly makes Miguel drop the cup holder, but he composes himself. “Oh… What makes you think that?”

With a little snort, Lyla smiles. “Well, if you ask me, I just don’t think Ben is her type.”

“I don’t know that Dulzura has a type,” Miguel mutters, silently wondering if you do and if so, what it is.

“Well, I just don’t see her with Ben.”

“That’s not… Up to you or me, or anyone else, Lyla,” Miguel answers, though he agrees. Wholeheartedly. For whatever reason. “If Dulzura likes him, then… It’s her feelings and decision.”

“I know, but it’s still something to think about and worth mentioning.” Lyla turns away, noticing Miguel is almost at his destination. “For a friend,” she mutters quietly before flickering off with a little smirk.

With a thud, Miguel lands on the rooftop with the cup holder safe and sound. He looks around, trying to detect your presence, which doesn’t take him long to do. In a matter of seconds, you’re in view, heading straight for him after your… What should he call it? Meeting? Hangout? Date? He supposes he'll find out eventually along with whether you have feelings for Ben or not.

The first thing Miguel notices once you land on the rooftop is your smile upon seeing him. It’s a warmhearted and welcoming one that inspires a fluttery feeling in his chest — like butterflies breaking free from their cozy cocoons and spreading their wings for the very first time for flight.

“Solecito,” you greet Miguel warmly, walking closer to him.

“Dulzura,” Miguel replies, smiling right back at you. There's that fluttering again at the nickname. Little sun. “You’re back.”

“What? Did you think I wasn’t coming back?” you ask, amused. “It’s not going to be that easy to get rid of me, I fear.”

Hearing that, Miguel chuckles and gestures for you to take a seat. “Here I was thinking maybe you’d come back to tell me you like Ben's universe better,” he replies, saying it as a bit of a joke, but the words leave a bad taste in his mouth.

“Um, no,” you answer, sat on the ground with Miguel next to you. “It’s pretty, but… Nueva York is Nueva York,” you continue, glancing at him slowly. Nueva York has its own beauty and most importantly, it has Miguel. Your Miguel. As in, your best friend Miguel, not another variant — you quickly and mentally clarify to yourself, for some odd reason. You clear your throat and offer Miguel a smile. “Nueva York is — well — Home.”

“It is home,” Miguel agrees, nodding. “No matter what, you’ll always have a home here. I hope you never forget that.”

Still smiling, you shake your head no. “Never. How could I? My best friend always makes it feel like home, you know?”

“I figured I’d mention it again, just so you don’t forget,” Miguel continues with a warm smile, happy with your words, before he shows you the cup holder.

“Oooh! You got yogurt?” you ask excitedly, your eyes showing your happiness at the sight of the pink drink topped with fresh fruit and cereal.

“Yep, I got yogurt — something sweet like you,” Miguel murmurs handing you one of the cups along with a spoon and straw.

“You don’t even know,” you state, picking out a strawberry slice. “How much I needed this. Thank you!”

With a smile, Miguel watches you eat the strawberry slice before eagerly sipping the sweet drink. His lips part in surprise when a little moan comes from your throat with your eyes closed in delight. A blush quickly spreads over Miguel’s cheeks, the little noise and sight branded into his memory.

“This is so delicious,” you murmur. “Are you not going to eat yours? The cereal is going to get soggy, Migs.” You point out, noticing Miguel hasn’t started on his yet.

“I — Yes, I am. I just — “ Miguel stammers. “I was just making sure you liked yours,” he finally says, finding the words within himself.

“I’m literally holding back from scarfing it down, so that should tell you everything,” you reply, chuckling. “I love it! You really surprised me with this amazing treat.”

“I'm glad I surprised you,” Miguel answers, getting his straw and spoon out before digging in himself. The little sound you made is still in his head, but he does his best to push it away in order to focus in the now.

A peaceful and comfortable silence falls upon you, allowing you to enjoy Miguel's treat and each other's presence. It's nothing new, of course. Miguel and you are so comfortable with each other that neither of you have the need to fill the silence.

Halfway through the dessert, Miguel clears his throat. His cheeks are less red now, though a light blush remains. Stirring his straw around the cup, which looks miniature in his large hand, Miguel turns to gaze at you; a question lingering in his mind.

“So…” he starts softly. “How was your… ?”

A small smile forms on your face as you hear Miguel trailing off, not sure what to call what you had. “I think… It was a date,” you answer, turning to gaze at him.

“Yeah?” Miguel replies, raising an eyebrow.

“Well… I did notice that the others were only there as friends. Not as dates.”

“But?” Miguel inquires gently.

“But… They had picnic blankets and everyone sat on one besides Ben. That left me to sit with him alone.”

Miguel hums, placing that piece of information as small evidence to support his suspicion about Ben having feelings for you. There’s still no indication of your feelings, though.

“I didn't mind. Maybe the others are used to that, or maybe they didn't want to sit with me. Either way, I shared the picnic blanket with him and noticed he moved closer and closer as the conversation continued. Then, we had this conversation as a group. It makes me think.. Maybe Ben's friends were trying to gather information.”

“Oh…” Miguel swallows, bothered by the fact that Ben tried to move closer to you without a care for your comfort and boundaries. “What makes you think that?”

“Well… His friends brought up the fact that I’m single, which I didn’t like because one of them said I had lost ‘a Peter’. I’m sure she didn’t mean to word it like that, but,” you sigh. “It still rubbed me the wrong way, as if he was insignificant.” Shaking your head, you sigh again. “They clarified they brought it up because they were discussing everyone who is unattached and the topic of me losing Peter came up, apparently. It did seemed a little out of place to mention that today, given we don't know each other that well. Maybe… They wanted to clarify for some reason?”

“Well, first, I do hope it was a mistake they worded it like that because that did sound wrong,” Miguel starts, understanding why the wording came off like that for you. “And about the unattached comment… It could be mere gossip, Dulzura,” Miguel continues, trying to offer another reason for their curiosity regarding your relationship status, though it’s unclear if it’s more for you or for himself. “I do know that in the past — before you were here — I used to be a topic of discussion for many.”

“I know,” you answer turning to face him again and offering a look of understanding. “And I’ve told you, you don’t owe anyone explanations. People will gossip, all the time, so, I do see them merely gossiping about this.”

Miguel nods, releasing a small sigh. “Though, there is the chance that… You know.”

“Right,” you answer taking a short sip from your drink, thinking. “It could be that Ben…”

“Has feelings for you and his friends were asking to help him out,” Miguel finishes quietly.

With a hum, you take another spoonful of yogurt, a short silence following before you break it. “But to be honest?”

“Yeah?” Miguel responds, gazing at you with curiosity.

“We could be totally wrong,” you say with a small smile. “I never want to mistake kindness for something else.”

Miguel nods, understanding what you mean. There are people who mistake kindness, or even simple politeness, as flirting and romantic interest when there’s none.

“And besides,” you continue, still gazing at Miguel. “Respectfully, I have no interest in pursuing a relationship right now,” you add. “Much less with Ben. I see him as a simple friendly coworker, so I hope he doesn’t feel that way about me.”

“So you don’t…? For Ben?” Miguel asks, finding it easier to breathe thanks to your confession.

“No,” you answer quickly, shaking your head to emphasize the point. “No, I don’t.”

“Alright, well, I… You know, I wasn’t sure,” Miguel continues, scratching his neck with his free hand. “I thought maybe you did, but hadn't said anything out of shyness.”

“No, I don't have feelings for him, so now you know,” you answer before eating more of your yogurt, feeling lighter inside now that you’ve told Miguel; now that he no longer thinks you have feelings for Ben. “So…”

“So…” Miguel repeats, slowly smiling at you and watching you eat.

“What?” you ask, raising your eyebrows when you realize he’s watching you.

“Nothing,” Miguel replies, turning to finish his yogurt.

“You were just staring,” you counter.

“I was just thinking.”

“Hm… About what?” you inquire, getting Miguel to face you again.

You gaze at each other, your yogurts forgotten for now, with serious faces. A few seconds in, your lips twitch upwards, something Miguel notices and makes his lips do the same. It’s a domino effect; you notice his lips twitch, too, and it just makes yours do the same again and so on until you both burst into fits of laughter while sitting on the rooftop, away from the rest of the world and multiverse.

You cover your mouth to hide your giggling and point to Miguel, pointing out that he’s laughing.

“I’m not —” Miguel manages, unable to finish before another laugh escapes him, laughing so hard he feels his chest vibrate with the movement.

“You are!” you continue.

“So are you!” Miguel answers, pointing back at you, which makes you shake your head in denial.

“I’m laughing because you’re laughing,” you respond in between giggles.

Your laughter continues a bit more before you both settle down, feeling happy and light as though you're both on top of the world.

After catching your breath from all the laughter, you gaze at each other and exchange soft and tender smiles.

The thought that you’re enjoying yourself a million times more with Miguel than you were with Ben and his friends crosses your mind then.

Based on what happened today, you have a feeling that the invitation from Ben was a silent date and you’re sorry to say it, but if it was, it didn't go well.

You’ve enjoyed yourself a million times more in half an hour with Miguel than you did with Ben in over an hour.

You're not saying that this is a date, of course, but… It goes to show how comfortable and close you are with Miguel, your best friend.

Still gazing and smiling at Miguel, a little chuckle escapes from your lips as you think about how badly you wish you could hug him right now. If you could, you would’ve already thrown your arms around him and hold on tight for a few seconds, or rather a few minutes.

“What’s that little chuckle for?” Miguel questions, raising an eyebrow in amusement.

Sighting through your nose, you continue to smile at him. “You know you’re my best friend, right?” you ask.

Hearing your words, Miguel’s face softens. “I know,” he answers softly, yet again experiencing this feeling in his chest that he’s felt before. It’s like a beam of golden light, swirling and shining inside him. It’s so intense, it feels like it might explode from his very chest, but he cannot help it. Not the previous times nor today. Not ever. Of that, Miguel is certain. “And you’re mine,” Miguel answers, the itch to hug you coming forth once more.

His free hand curls into a gentle fist at the thought and itch. This right here — this moment — is what he would consider a ‘perfect’ moment for an embrace.

Miguel swallows, his heart beginning to race as he considers it.

Is this it?

Miguel asks himself that as he continues to gaze at you. For months now, the thought has been on his mind. He's been building himself up for more touch; for what he considers the biggest step yet in his healing journey and has gone back and forth on when and how to make this possible.

So, could this moment be it?

Miguel leans just a tad closer, his fist loosening despite his racing heart. A mixture of excitement and nerves forms in his tummy as he builds himself up for the moment, slowly but steadily, but then, the chance slips away when you stand up.

“How about we go home?” you ask with a smile, unaware of how close Miguel came to taking that step.

“I — Yes,” Miguel answers, caught off guard. Just like that, the moment has fled, but he reassures himself that the moment will come. It will, at its due time. “Let's go home.”

As soon as you reach the penthouse, you excuse yourself to change into your comfy clothes — promising Miguel to meet him in the living room in a few minutes.

Meanwhile, Miguel throws away the empty cups and turns on the stove for the last little surprise he has in store for you. Leaving that on, Miguel heads upstairs, too, to change into his lounging clothes.

As he walks down the hallway to his bedroom, he notices your door is open and that you seem to be in the bathroom. He briefly glances inside your room, but he ends up doing a double take when something catches his eyes, stopping him dead in his tracks.

Without thinking, Miguel enters your room, equally surprised and filled with tenderness due to the discovery. Carefully, Miguel picks up the plushie sitting on your bed with a smile. You have a plushie of him.

“Oh —” you gasp, walking into your room only to find Miguel holding your little secret. Heat instantly floods your cheeks, embarrassment and a minor panic coursing through your body because he has discovered the plushie. Facepalming, you remember you failed to place it back in your closet before leaving due to your nerves. “I can explain, Miguel. I — um —” You stop when Miguel begins to turn to face you, fearing that he's weirded out.

Noticing your reaction instantly, Miguel steps closer to you with a gentle smile. “Hey, hey, it’s alright,” he reassures you softly.

“I hope you don't think it’s weird, Miguel,” you reply with a little pout that makes Miguel want to melt.

“God no, why would I think it’s weird?” he asks with an amused yet gentle smile. “I think it’s incredibly sweet of you to have it, and to reassure you… Give me a few seconds.”

“What — Where are you going?” you ask as Miguel leaves your room, still holding the plushie.

A few seconds later, Miguel returns with one of his hands behind his back. Smiling, he shows you the plushie of himself before revealing what’s behind him. “I got it a while back,” Miguel shyly states, presenting a plushie of you.

“You have one of me…?” you say, looking at the plushie before looking up at him, surprised.

“Yes, I bought it a while back from Mr. Stanley’s store. I wanted to tell you about it, but I felt the same way. I thought maybe you’d find it strange, or even silly that I bought it. So, I’ve kept it in one of the drawers in my office. I personally think it’s sweet,” Miguel continues.

You shake your head in both disbelief and amusement to hear that you’ve both kept plushies a secret from each other.

Taking your plushie of Miguel from his offering hand, you smile sheepishly at each other. “I think it’s sweet you have one of me, too,” you answer with a small chuckle as you both press the plushies next to each other to look at them.

“See? No reason to be embarrassed, then,” Miguel replies. “Maybe… We can stop hiding them now.”

You nod in agreement. “I agree. The cat is out of the bag now.”

“I think I’m going to place mine in the living room,” Miguel shares. “Near the record player… You’re welcomed to place yours there, too.”

That’s exactly what you do once you’re both downstairs. You both place the plushies next to each other near the records player, looking so cute side by side.

You’re still staring at them when you receive a new notification, one you ignore by putting away all your devices to the side, including your gizmo. You’re home, which means you can unwind and forget about everything else, even the new message that unbeknownst to you, is from Harry.

Harry: Are you home? I was wondering if you’re up for a coffee. Let me know!

You sigh softly and slip the simple bracelet that prevents you from glitching in your free wrist, deciding that all notifications can be taken care off tomorrow just as a mug appears in your line of vision.

“Surprise,” Miguel says in a singsong voice, giving you a warm smile.

“You made café de olla while I was gone?” you ask, happily accepting the mug.

Smiling sheepishly, Miguel nods. He did more than make café de olla. The reorganized drawers and cabinets in the kitchen are a testament to that, but he decides to leave that out for now. You don’t need to know or get an idea about his restlessness while you were gone at Ben’s universe.

“I did,” Miguel replies, carrying his own mug and walking to the record player. His gaze lingers on the plushies for a few seconds, finding the sight of them together endearing, before he chooses a record from his collection to play.

He settles on the ground next to you, his arm brushing against yours, just as nostalgic notes fill the cozy living room accompanied with sentimental lyrics — a perfect melody for an evening like this one with a nice mug of coffee and the company of someone dear to you.

Drinking from your mug, you smile and gaze from your spot out the windows, noticing the moon. There may have been a moon event at Ben's universe, but here in Nueva York with Miguel at your side, the moon looks far lovelier and bewitching.

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A/N:

Hiii, pookies!

I can't believe it's been months since I updated NC 😭😭 After the last update, I was so excited to continue updating regularly, but then life happened. Thankfully, here's the update!

I hope you guys enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing for NC again!💖✨️

Also, if you noticed some errors, pls excuse them. As some of you may know, my laptop is currently out of service so I used my phone and tablet — mainly my tablet with a wireless keyboard — to write this chapter. For some reason, my keyboard was a bit of an annoyance since it kept switching between languages while I typed and the notion app kept deleting entire paragraphs (never happens on my phone, but on my tablet it did). 🫠 Hopefully, I'll have my laptop running again soon 😭

For this chapter, I want to give credit to two people (hopefully they're still reading). One, to a nonnie, who sent an ask a while back asking how Miguel would react to hearing someone say Dulzura is with someone/looks cute with someone else when he's so used to people thinking Dulzura and him are dating. I took inspo from that ask for this chapter, so thank you, nonnie!

I also want to give credit to Mercy for the plushie scene because they sent an ask about this idea, and it was too cute to not include it! Thank you, Mercy! @mercynguyen I need a Miguel plushie so bad 😭

So this chapter... Someone needs to hold Miguel and Dulzura's hands and tell them straight to their faces, at this point 😭 but EEEEE, the way they're right there... so close. And Miguel wanting to hug Dulzura, and almost doing it! Also, what did you think about the Ben stuff? And Miguel's reaction to it? 🤭 Let me know because me personally, this was me

I also want to make a quick note about a detail from chapter 22 that I forgot to mention due to the timing (it being New Year's) and length of my author's note. The detail is regarding the knots on the bracelets Miguel and Dulzura gifted each other. During my little research and brain storming for gift ideas for them, I came across the bracelets and learned about the True Lover's Knot -- symbolizing friendship, affection, and love. 🥹

To conclude, thank you so much for reading NC. It truly means so much to me that there's still many of you reading this story despite my slow updates and it being almost 2 years since this fic first started (in July we will reach the 2 year mark). Also, thank you for keeping up with me and for being understanding and kind! ❤️

I hope you're all doing well and having a great Sunday so far. Pls take care of yourselves and know that I love you, pookies! 💖💕

Alondra❤️

p.s. I've been thinking about cleaning up the taglist since I feel like a lot of the people on it are no longer reading/not active. This might solve the issue that some readers have had, which is that they don't receive the notification despite being tagged. I will be making a post about this soon, asking anyone interested in being tagged to engage with the post, so keep an eye out for that if you want to be part of the new taglist :))

Taglist:

@loverlorn @saturnknows @d1lf-loverrr @eddiestitmiguelsbigdick

@arithestrawberry @scaleniusrm @haradasaya @spidermanismyfav

@bitchykittenconnoisseur @thecraziestcrayon @obi-mom-kenobi

@natsury-kazuki @coraline750 @edgycatx @safixiovi @sunnyx07

@nxrdamp @rorel1a @oceanstar19 @happishark @carmilla01

@somebodyelsethanyouthink @adora-but-ginger @angie2274

@vampi-amora @tired-writer04 @plzfeedmebread @shadow-pancake9

@tynakub @faretheeoscar @giulscomix @luvstuffies

@coffeeauthorvibing @lauraolar14 @bl0osclues @pinkiemme

@lil-cinn @mashiromochi @loveletterfrommwah

@muzansucker @theleftkittycollection

@kikookii @www-interludeshadow-com @holographicang3l

@aisyakirmann @bucky-to-my-barnes @geraskier-thots

@l3laze @yujyujj @taylorsmakingfuckingmacandcheese

@damhanallagorm @heyohalie @kaliuea @moonsua1

@darksidescorner @geminis93 @1800-get-alife

@hrrtkreuz @oharasfilipinawife

@dropyoursocksandgrabyourcrocss @may4ri @t4naiis

@f1-hoff @llumetrii

@nina-from-317 @kavimoo

[mountttmase]

When You Know - Part 3

Note - I think I’m starting to blur the lines between fic and blurb as these are getting longer each time 😭 please don’t hate our baby too much even though he deserves it 😭 feedback is appreciated as always 🩷

Pairing - Mason Mount x Reader

Word count - 3.6k

Warnings - Angst

If there was one thing you wished you hadn't done that first night you were home with Freddie was sit on your phone and look through instagram for a bit once Freddie had been fed and you’d caught up with everything you needed to.

Ignorance is bliss they always say.

He’d told you he was going to an event. That Benny had set it up and he couldn’t back out but as you flicked through everyone’s stories from the day you felt your heart stop as you clicked on ones from a girl you used to work with.

It was fairly obvious to you it was him, the same t-shirt he’d come to pick you up in and those shorts were a Christmas present you’d gifted him just nine months ago when everything seemed so different.

You weren’t really friends with the girl anymore, losing contact after you quit your job for a better opportunity but you’d seen her on nights out before and she had always seemed interested about yours and Mason’s relationship. Now you probably knew why as she’d had the eyes for him but you never figured he’d want the same.

The thought of looking at another man was not something that was in the agenda for you right now and if you were being honest with yourself you weren’t sure if ever would be. You were still unbelievably hurt by everything that had gone down between you and Mason, living in denial for the most part and believing that this would all be over soon and he’d come back to you but this was a kick in the teeth. Seeing him with other girls wasn’t something you’d thought about happening as everything still felt so fresh but there he was and you didn’t know what to do about it.

You knew it was him before you opened it, this weird feeling in your gut whenever he messaged and whilst the sight of his name lighting up your phone used to fill you with butterflies, now it was only dread.

His wording frustrated you, knowing It’s not that he didn’t want to cause a bother, he just didn’t want to be there if either yours or his families were around as he knew both sets of parents were mad at him and it would be easier for him to just avoid everyone.

Thankfully, you had the morning to yourself as everyone was planning on coming over in the afternoon to give you some time to settle in and whilst you were looking forward to some alone time with your little squish, Mason was Freddie’s father and you weren’t about to deny him time with his son.

So you told him you were free until two and he promised he’d be over shortly. You didn’t bother tidying up or making yourself look presentable as you knew it didn’t matter and when there was a knock on your door 15 minutes later, you let him in with a stoic look.

‘Hey’ he smiled, clearly not picking up on any awkwardness on your end so you just nodded him in and shut the door behind him. Leading him into the living room where he was straight over to Freddie so he could pick him up and hold him to his chest.

You wanted to scream your lungs out. To cuss him out for not caring about Freddie at all last night and putting his own needs over his two day old sons but you didn’t want to give him the satisfaction. Instead taking a different route to let him know you knew what he’d been up to and to hopefully make him sweat a bit.

‘So how was your event last night?’ You asked him after you’d gotten him some water and set it down on the coffee table.

‘Oh yeah, it was good thanks’ he smiled, his face not giving anything away as he lied through his teeth and you knew you’d have to keep pushing him.

‘Yeah? What was it for again?’

‘Some new game that’s coming out’

‘Oh really? Sounds like a big deal’ you nodded as he shrugged but you didn’t give him the satisfaction of telling you anymore lies. ‘Not something I would have worn shorts to but hey, that’s your decision. The pizza looked good though’ you nodded and you saw his face drop instantly as he clocked on that you’d figured him out. ‘I can’t believe they’d hold a gaming event at Maya’s house too, that seems super impractical’

‘Y/n I can explain-’

‘What’s to explain? You lied and spent the first night your first child was at home with another woman’ you shrugged sarcastically, getting more and more agitated as he tried to argue with you about it.

‘But-’

‘The first night, your first child was home, Mason’ you practically growled at him through gritted teeth as your eyes filled with tears, no longer willing to hide how you were feeling behind jokes. ‘How could you do that to him?’

‘Oh give over, it’s not like he even knows what planet he’s on right now let alone if I was here or not’ he scoffed and you couldn’t believe the words coming out of his mouth.

‘But you did know, that’s the point. Things are different now, you can’t just do what you want all the time you need to have different priorities’

‘I didn’t come here for a lecture on how to live my life. You don’t get to decide that anymore’

‘I never did! You’ve always done things your way, that’s why we’re in this mess right now’

‘I think you need to calm down’

‘Yeah well I think you need to leave’ you told him, standing up so you could walk him out be he still sat there with Freddie asleep on him. ‘I’ll sort a schedule out and and we’ll go from there’

‘No, I won’t-‘

You cut Mason off with a loud gasp. Your hands flying to your tummy as a large shooting pain traveled through you and knocked the wind out of you and you didn’t know what to do next. Turning away from him so he didn’t get the satisfaction of looking at you in pain but the words that came out of his mouth sounded soft and sincere.

‘Are you okay? What’s wrong?’

‘Oh like you give a shit’ you spoke through gritted teeth, not in the mood for him suddenly to be a nice person. ‘I’m fine, just go’ you whimpered.

‘No, I’m here now and I want to see my boy. You’re obviously in pain so why don’t you go and lay down and I’ll look after him for a bit’ he offered and you knew you needed to say yes. You were exhausted and even though you were furious you didn't want to stop Mason from seeing his son, so without another word to him you left the room and popped upstairs to have a lie down.

You obviously needed a nap as you were practically asleep as soon as your head touched the pillow for well over an hour. Waking up to a cold bottle of water and a packet of your favourite biscuits on your bedside table as well as some painkillers but there was no time to sit and think about any nice gestures as the noise from downstairs had your attention straight away.

The sound of Freddie’s cries always made your tummy twist, but you also knew it was a sound you would have to get used to. His wailes echoing through the house and you got up as quickly as your body would let you to make your way downstairs, finding Mason doing laps of your living room as he tried to comfort Freddie who was balled up on his chest.

‘He won’t stop’ he gulped as his eyes caught yours. ‘I’ve changed his nappy so it’s definitely not that, I don’t know what else-’

‘He’s probably hungry’ you told him flatly. ‘I’ll go and grab his bottle’

Mason nodded to the sofa as you came back in and you could see he was getting ready to transfer Freddie over to you so you got comfortable before taking him in your arms. Settling him down so he was nice and comfy before you popped the lid to feed him. His cries stopped instantly and you could feel Mason relax as well as he hovered next to you just by the arm of the chair. Eventually kneeling next to the sofa so he could look at Freddie but you could see there was still a cloud of worry all over his face.

‘I didn’t think about him being hungry, how stupid am I?’ He chuckled, eventually leaning his elbow on the arm so he could get a better look at him and for the next five minutes you sat in a slightly uncomfortable silence as you watched him feed.

‘I’ll get out of your hair now, if you want’ he told you quietly but all you could do was shrug. Not liking the way he would constantly use the excuse of being in the way as a reason to be apart from the pair of you but you needed to get used to figuring out how to do things on your own so you just nodded and kept your eyes on Freddie.

You almost let out a smile when Mason pressed his lips to the crown of Freddie’s head, but when he did the same to you, you froze in shock. Your tear filled eyes following him out the room and only when you heard the door shut behind him did you take a shaky breath out.

This was proving to be a lot harder than you anticipated and it was only the first day. Your expectations that Mason might pull himself together for his son were out the window and as the months dragged on he only got worse.

You had Freddie every night and that’s how you’d agreed for it to go from the start with his job, but Freddie was three months old the first time he took him for a few hours on his own. You wondered if he was just nervous and unsure of how to look after him but you had been the same in the beginning and you’d powered through it.

The fact he did so little made you appreciate the things he did do but when you finally cottoned on to the way he wasn’t putting effort in you felt that same resentment return. Thankfully both sets of grandparents were angels and as the weeks went by you saw more of Debbie than you ever did of Mason. You didn’t mind though as she seemed to be the only person you could really speak to about your frustrations with him as she had the exact same ones and it felt good to be heard and understood.

As the weeks went on you felt more and more like a single parent. Freddie’s big milestones you celebrated just the two of you and as he grew before your eyes you revelled in the fact you really did have a little best friend for life and no matter what the future held.

It was in the rare occasions that Mason did have Freddie you felt the worst. You never wanted this and you most definitely never wanted this for Freddie either as your dream was always to have him grow up in a happy and stable home with both parents who loved him and each other more than anything. But when he was gone you felt like you were missing a part of yourself and you spent your time going through the motions until he was back to give your life purpose.

In all the years you’d known Mason, you’d never known him to be as flakey as he was starting to be. Plans made to look after Freddie fell through more times than they happened and you were just thankful Freddie didn’t understand how much his dad was letting him down.

Freddie was nine months old when it came to a head. It was the morning the first time Mason was going to take him for a few days back home to Portsmouth and you were sat in the living room with his little bag packed alongside yours as you’d booked yourself a little staycation as a distraction from being away from him.

Mason should have been arriving in just under an hour and you were sat in the sofa having a nonsensical chat with Freddie when you felt your phone buzz.

‘I’m so sorry, baby’ you whispered as you picked Freddie back up and held him to your chest. ‘It doesn’t matter though, you can come with me on my trip, okay? We’ll go to the seaside and play on the beach and I’ll win you a toy on the pier’ you giggled, trying to laugh through your tears as you were so upset for him. ‘It doesn’t matter that he can’t have you cause I’ll give you everything you need, poppet. I always will’

The good thing was he was all packed already so you got everything in the car and got on the road. It took a little longer now Freddie was with you as you had to make extra stops but you made it to your little home for the week in good time and after a quick run to do the food shop you were eating dinner with him on your lap as you watched the sun set into the sea.

You didn’t hear from Mason at all during your week and you weren’t sure if you were happy or annoyed about it, but in the moment you didn’t didn’t let it bring you down. Doing everything you told Freddie you would do by spending your days on the beach and taking him for a swim before playing on the sand. Thinking Mason going away was actually a blessing in disguise as you knew you were having way more fun with Freddie here than you ever would have had alone and and after a few days you felt even more energised.

The last full day of your trip the pair of you decided on a lie in. Freddie was curled up in a ball with his head on your shoulder as you flicked through the usual apps on your phone but as you made it to instagram you noticed you had way more messages than usual.

You didn’t know what it was, but you knew in soul that something wasn’t right and you’d felt it all morning so when you noticed al the messages in your inbox you knew it wasn’t something good.

It was a regular thing when you and Mason were together for people to send you articles about him and even more so when you’d split up and it wasn’t public yet but it had been a few months since the last one. Mason was always out on the weekends and linked with different people but you’d become numb to the whole situation and didn’t want to read them anymore.

This morning was different though and as you clicked through the random messages you saw they were all sending you the same link. Eventually clicking on one to see what the fuss was all about but once you had you wished you had the power to go back in time and delete it from your memory.

That same sticky uncomfortable feeling washed over you like it always did when you had to read something like this. Waves of heat rippling through you as your heart thudded uncontrollably and you wished you’d just ignored your phone completely today.

You didn’t know what to think, he wasn’t your problem anymore but the fact he’d skipped out on a week with his son for a week in Italy to seemily shag every girl in sight made your heart break for your son. You would drop any plans and do whatever you needed to do to be there for him but his dad didn’t play by the same rules.

As much as you told yourself it didn’t matter and he was free to see who he wanted it still stung. The thought of even looking at another man was off the cards for you but clearly the same didn’t apply to him and it seemed to be the final nail in the coffin for you. You had way more respect for yourself than he clearly did and if this is how he wanted to play it then you’d finally wash your hands with him.

So you did what you always did. Dragged yourself out of your pit of misery and poured your focus into your boy in hopes he’d never feel an ounce of hurt like you currently were.

The salty sea air felt warm as it brushed against your skin, making the hairs on your arms stand up on end as the sun bore down on you and as you felt yourself begin to warm up, you covered Freddie up a little more so he was shielded from the light.

He was currently sat on your lap with his head on your chest, his little arms and legs either side of you with his front pressed to yours as he snoozed away peacefully and your need to protect him from everyone and everything was swimming through your veins as you thought over everything that had happened this morning.

When your phone started buzzing you knew it was him without even looking. Your eyes glancing down to see his name filling your screen as he tried to call you but you just let it ring off as you were in no mood to talk to him. That didn’t stop him though and you sat for a good 20 minutes as he called and called and called but you held your ground and ignored him even though you wanted to answer and tear him a new one.

He eventually stopped, a brief 20 minutes of relief as your phone remained silent but when it went off again you couldn’t help but look to see if it was him. You were met with something different this time though, a sweet picture of Freddie as a tiny baby laid in Debbie’s arms with her name flashing above it and even though you really weren’t in the mood to talk to anyone you knew you couldn’t ignore her.

‘Hiya love, everything okay?’ She asked, her voice just as warm and comforting as usual and as far as you could tell she didn’t sound off at all making you think she had no idea about your whole morning's ordeal.

‘Hey Debbie, yeah fine thanks. You?’

‘Yeah all good here’ she grinned but the beat of silence just after made you stiffen in worry. ‘Listen, Mason just called me. He’s been trying to get a hold of you all morning but he can’t get through?’

‘Oh yeah… um’ you croaked. Rolling your eyes just after as you were so annoyed with yourself for not holding together for longer but she’d heard you upset now and there was nothing you could do about it.

‘Y/n? What’s wrong hun?’

‘Sorry’ you blubbed, no longer caring about holding it together. ‘Mason was meant to have Freddie for a few days and I booked myself a little get away but he cancelled the morning he was meant to pick him up and I’ve brought Freddie with me. I guess just after that article this morning I-‘

‘What article?’ She questioned and you almost laughed that he’s obviously forgotten to tell her that crucial but of information when he’s called her up just before.

‘Just search his name, you’ll see’ it you laughed and you could just about hear her sigh on the other end.

‘Where are you?’

‘Isle of wight’ you laughed. ‘Sorry I know it’s super close, I was actually planning on dropping in with Freddie on the way home tomorrow if you were around?’

‘Of course I am, just get here whenever you like okay? I’ll make lunch for you both’

‘Thank you’ you whispered, thankful that you had someone like her in your life and after a quick chat she let you go. Clearly eager to call Mason back after she’d looked him up and you felt a slight sense of achievement knowing he was about to get told off.

You had a quiet night in for your last night. Packing up all your things after you’d put Freddie down for the night with his little stuffed crab you’d won him on the claw machine and even though this week hadn't been what you’d planned you wouldn’t change it for the world. There was the small issue of Mason but you decided to put that to the back of your mind until you pulled up outside his parents house around 11am the next day.

Tony was first to greet you and after a quick hug he’d taken Freddie off and inside for some playtime but as soon as you clocked eyes with Debbie your felt your walls crumble.

‘You’re okay’ she whispered into your hair as she held you. Her sympathetic voice only upset you more and as your quiet sobs shook through your whole body it hit you that this was Mason's mum and you know you should be putting on a brave face for her. She had always treated you like her own though and you knew she cared for you so as she pulled you inside you forgot everything and let yourself finally feel everything you’d been holding on for months.

y/n

liked by masonmount, lulu546, ellie_xo and others

y/n When life gives you lemons 🍋

view more comments

lulu546 the sweetest lemon I ever did see 🥹 I just wanna eat him up

y/n how I haven’t taken a bite out of him yet I’ll never know

debbiemount60 what a gorgeous little man 🥺 can’t wait to see you both tomorrow!

y/n us too! Freddie is so excited to see everyone 🩷

lew.mount I hope he’s in the mood for uncle cuddles 🥰

y/n he always is! But I’ll take one too if you’re offering 😂

[witherby]

Any motherhen Hal for Mother’s Day?

Absolutely bestie. Coming right up.

When Hal cracks his eyes open, the first thing he sees is a cluster of envelopes on his husband's pillow while Bruce himself is nowhere to be seen. His absence isn't new — running a series of multi-billion dollar companies takes a lot of work, he's told — but leaving anything behind is.

Squinting and shifting across the bedsheets until he escapes the singular sunbeam trying to blind him through the curtain, he reaches out and plucks up the one at the top of the pile, immediately recognizing Dick's handwriting.

"To: Mom (read this one first!!!)" is written on the back. Hal rolls his eyes, but he's smiling as he opens the envelope and pulls out a card, wishing him a happy mother's day. He leaves the card in his lap and uses one hand to rub the grit from his eyes while the other palms around the nightstand for his phone. A brief check of the date confirms that it is today. Warmth bubbles up in his chest as he picks up the card again.

The inside is a myriad of different pen colors and handwriting. They're short, personal messages from each of the kids. Hal's sleepy grin brightens as he sits up properly to read each one.

You're not the step-mom. You're the mom that stepped up! <3 - Dick

Thanks for giving a shit, Glowstick. Don't blow your gifts all in one place. - Jay

I love you, please don't go bald. - Tim

My real mother is not dead. I just have two now. Congratulations. - Damian Al Ghul Wayne

I'm told Mama was my first word! I loved you when I barely knew you, I love you now, and I'll love you forever! - Mouse

Hal audibly coos over the card, tucking it carefully back into the envelope and setting it aside. He looks at the other ones sitting on Bruce's pillow next, opening them up one by one to find individual gifts each kid went out of their way to provide.

From Dick, he gets a bunch of coupons to Bat Burger and a thank-you note for picking him up from that Titans party, and making him feel important in the earliest stages of his relationship with Bruce.

From Jason, he gets a custom bookmark with several photos of each kid on it and an anxiously-written scrawl about how, even though he doesn't need it, he appreciates Hal watching his back whenever he's coming and going from the manor.

From Tim, he gets an old-school, holographic photo from his wedding with Bruce. If he tilts it to the left, it's the two of them exchanging a kiss after putting their rings on. If he tilts it to the right, it's a family photo of everybody right before the reception started. On the back, in Tim's handwriting, it just says "My Family."

From Damian, he gets a bunch of intricately and painstakingly-crafted origami animals, barely the size of a finger each, and a note promising that any harm that befalls him will come with swift and brutal vengeance at Damian's hands.

From you, he gets a small cluster of handmade coupons, all with little tasks on them. He laughs at the one for "one free orchestrated crisis, to get you out of doing that thing you don't wanna do."

It's incredibly sweet. Hal can feel his eyes burning and quickly shuffles every gift out of reach before he can cry all over them.

The most he'd hoped for when he realized he wanted to spend the rest of his life with Bruce was that his children would come to tolerate him, at best. He didn't want to replace anybody's parents or shoehorn himself into their lives if they didn't want him there.

But he grew on them. Somehow, someway, all these brilliant and smart and crafty kids looked at Hal and decided he was family. Decided he was Mom, originally as a joke, but nobody batted an eye when they all started using the title earnestly. It still floors him sometimes, how deeply and unconditionally he loves each and every one of them, how much fulfillment he experiences by getting to see them grow, change, and live their lives.

When he gets dressed for the day and comes downstairs to find them all sitting at the dining table, with a quiche waiting at his designated spot (because he has a designated spot! He's family, he's mom, these are his children!) , he holds up one of your coupons with a shaky hand.

"I'm cashing in the group hug! Right now!" He demands, and if his eyes are rimmed with pink then no one says anything. Jason rolls his eyes and hems and haws, and Damian wrinkles his nose and makes a comment about Hal obviously not having showered yet, but everyone gets up and encircles him tightly.

"Happy mother's day!" You beam, hugging Hal from the right side. Damian quietly echoes the sentiment on his left. Jason and Dick repeat it from behind, and Tim mutters it with a shy smile at his front.

"Thank you," Hal utters back, clutching as many of them as his arms will allow and squeezing tight.

[ravennaortiz]

Hello Loves!!!!!

I am back and working on getting some fun things together for the rest of the year! First though I wanted to thank everyone on their kind words from my last post when I announced I was stepping away for a bit. It was much appreciated!

What to keep an eye out for:

Biker Boys of Summer Prompt List- This will be for my August Event and will run the whole month to celebrate my birthday like last year and to say goodbye to summer!

Dark Days- This will be a bingo event for stories that will come out in December. The plan is for these to be darker more out of character stories for our guys.

As always message me if you have any questions or just want to chat!

Love R!

[the-squeege]

I’ve been a huge fan of Glass Scientists for… what’s it been like… 7 years? Something like that.. anyway I’m super happy to see it getting more recognition AND EVEN GETTING PUBLISHED??? I got volume 2 the other day and in reading the after words about Jasper I figured I HAD to draw him and talk about why he is SO important to me and why I’m so thankful he exists the way he does. There’s so much else I could say about this series and how much I adore it and how important it is to me but for here I’m just gonna focus on Jasper and why he is so incredibly important to me.

also please go read the glass scientists if you haven’t already it’s SO GOOD

It’s.. not something I talk a lot about but to anybody who pays attention to me on here, it’s probably pretty obvious that I’m trans. Or maybe not. My best friends didn’t know for like 2 years until I made a joke about taking my t shots lol.

When I first started reading glass scientists I didn’t know I was trans. And ultimately this isn’t really a story of how I found out, to be completely blunt it kinda just happened and I’m like yeah, I’m way more comfortable this way, this is just who I am.

After coming to terms with being trans, I found a lot of comfort in many of the characters in Glass Scientists. Over the years something really resonated with me more and more about Jasper.. I always appreciated how yeah, he’s a guy and he’s also soft! And sweet! And I know how much of a walking talking trans man stereotype I am but it felt so nice to see a male character acting and feeling the way I do, bad posture and all.

A few years later and the pages where Jasper talks about being trans drop and HOOH BOY

Everything in these few pages just felt so real and personal to me. Like I had lived this experience of coming out before, as it’s something I and many other trans folk have had to do over and over again. The way Jasper talks about his journey, the way Rachel sees him and the way that the story just continues on with Jasper just.. being who he is. Especially in a world with almost no transmasc representation in media???? This was MONUMENTAL for me. I didn’t really know it was possible to be so seen and so understood in a piece of media.

The real kicker was Rachel’s line about how Jasper must have been so uncomfortable. As someone who’s been lucky enough to have a lot of support, and a loving partner who has been nothing short of incredibly kind and patient and understanding, that line just. I dunno it makes me tear up a little (a lot) every time I read it. That understanding and acknowledgment in those few little words means the world to me.

I wanted to write this out and be a lil vulnerable here after reading how Sage was worried about their portrayal of Jasper. Idk if they’d ever see this, but I wanted to get it out there that as a trans man myself, Jasper is perfect. I’m so thankful that Jasper exists in the story as he does, and that so much love and care went into portraying him. I get the same feeling reading that scene with Rachel and Jasper as I’ve had being comforted by friends and family. It’s so personal and touching. Thank you for writing Jasper the way he is <3

[bluepandadraws-log]

See? I'm not dead!

Though I wish I was HAHAHA!!

.....Anyway, gonna upload those Taco-Inanimate-Insanity(Her full legal name, trust /j) Every Tuesday and Thursday at around 2:30EST from now on. The Amazing Digital COMIC will be on hiatus until further notice until then.

Also ask will be open tomorrow okay bye

[weirdphilosopher]

me when i accidentally accept a gift in the crossroads before i thank the other person in the little chatbox

[wellfine]

Hey I found ur art uncredited on tik Tok

https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMreQSnaw/

They said they "found it on Reddit" so they just decided to steal it and post it ig?? Ugh!!

Wow, that's a whole other repost to the one I thought it was going to be, lol. It's been reposted to TikTok once before, and I'm also not surprised this person got it from Reddit, where I doubt I was credited either.

At the end of the day I appreciate the heads up but there's nothing I can really do about it. The most helpful thing anyone can do is to leave comments on the reposts to provide credit,* because if artists ever try and comment then we pretty invariably get attacked. Don't be mean or aggressive, that just builds their animosity towards the artists, but I do think people respond positively to outside pressure to do the right thing 🤷

*Remember to make sure there's enough context - eg. something like "art by @ landegart on Twitter" is more searchable/useful than "artist is Landeg" to someone on TikTok who has no idea who I am haha

[cottoncandylesbo]

Hello Candy Candyson. Can I call you that? I'm just wanted to let you know that I think you're really cool and attractive and like. Every time I see you on my dash, and hear your voice on stream I just think about how effortlessly funny you are. You do a lot of cool stuff, and you keep really good company too. I think your partner is super lucky. I'm sorta new to this whole being gay thing, but I just wanted to say that I think you're really neat.

my loyal fan,

thank you for your message. youre right- i am hot and funny, and i'm glad to be recognized as such.

maybe one day you'll pick up a mean bitch like myself for your own. maybe. if you're lucky.

regards,

candy sapphos

[saetiate]

...what tiger hybrid reader au...... wym u cant just drop that in tags and be silent PLEASE T-T

HAHA it's not as cool as it sounds it's a little depressing but it's this and i wrote a very short sae x reader thing for it too and it's also tangentially related to this

but essentially yes tiger hybrid reader who tries to fit into the world only to be seen as a predator + character who adopts them and takes them in anyways. tiger hybrid reader who bites and scratches and is so so dangerous and how different characters react to that. whether they try to tame you or let you run wild, whether and how you eventually give into them... much to think about

[harvestmoth]

more rejuv things but its. its just this guy again, im sorry shes all i can draw

[loderlied]

sharing some thoughts about deactivating here because it’s been difficult pondering idk.

[alienhunteranonymous]

Kys

Kill me yourself

[junglejim4322]

your furbaby is in my thoughts and prayers

Thank yaw so much..

[starflungwaddledee]

deleted my little melt-down from yesterday. left it up a little longer than planned because i wanted to make sure folks got replies!

thank you so much to everyone who was very nice and encouraging to me about it and also to the person who sent me a delightful ask/prompt/suggestion that i would love to draw something to; if i can just get the confidence up

thank u 💖🙏

[turnupswritessometimes]

It's fascinating how you're taking the details fans know in LoP's canon (the Nameless Puppet's left arm being sewn back onto his body, Carlo's disdain of his father, Gepetto's desperation) are being expanded upon in your fic? As someone who's studied pacing and story beats in various media over the years, I guess there'll be at least one more Ergo memory dive before coming around back to the main story of the game. Keep up the good work!

Ahh, thank you!!!

It's so intriguing to me that we get little snippets of the backstory, but not the whole story in the game. There's so much room to play with the possibilities of how P and King of Puppets Romeo came to be! I've seen some wonderful (and painful) comics and fanart exploring the options, and I had a lot of fun throwing my hat into the ring too! (Hopefully I haven't stepped on anyone's toes!)

And you're partly right! One more chapter that contains memory dives, but then I've got something slightly different and exciting planned for that last chapter...