Not Spider-Man

The day you met Spider-Man

The day you had met Spider-Man was the best day of your life yet, no lies. The school had organized a trip to Washington and you were ready to spend three days with your best friends. You fell asleep on Peter's shoulder on the bus, you visited the city, took a lot of pictures with Ned, that was extremely happy to be there and some with MJ, that seemed the exact opposite, but deep down, she was glad to be there with you all. Anyway, it was almost night, when you, Ned, MJ and Flash were going to a party of some college guys. Peter hadn't agree to go because he didn't want to disobey to your teachers, but you knew that he would have come around, sooner or later. Anyway, long story short, the police arrived at the party, because some old lady complained about the noise. You were in the bathroom in that moment, so you came out from the window, falling on the grass. It was dark and you couldn't find your way back to the hotel. Your phone was dead, obviously, so you couldn't even call your friends, that had disappeared. A part of you hoped that someone could save you like Prince Charming or Peter Parker, but you were completely alone, in Washington. You were about to ask some guy for his phone, but then, you heard a strange noise behind you.

"Hey! Need help? You seem lost," a guy said. You turned, only to see Spider-Man, in flesh and blood, standing in front of you.

"Spider-Man? What are you doing here?" you asked, astonished.

"I... uh... was on a mission with the Avengers, when I casually saw you and wondered if you needed some help," he answered. Your cheeks seemed to become too hot all at once.

"Oh... well, actually yes. My phone died and I have no money to take a taxi. I have to come back to my hotel or my teacher will freak out," you said.

"So, you're a rule-breaker, eh?" he joked. Mocked by Spider-Man. Maybe you could have put that skill in your curriculum.

"I should have stayed. My friend, Peter, he remained, saying that parties with college guys are no fun, when you're younger than them. He was right. It was very boring," you said.

"He seems a wise guy."

"Sometimes. Don't tell him, though!" you warned him with a smile. He nodded.

"Your secret is safe with me. Now, I'm gonna take you back to your hotel. Do you want to walk or fly?"

You chose the latter. And then, you found yourself having a terrible stomachache next to the hotel's backdoor. Spider-Man's hands were trembling, so you took them in yours.

"I should have warned you. I'm sorry," he said.

"Don't be. I had fun," you said, caressing his fingers.

He looked at you through the mask and even if you couldn't even recognize the shape of his eyes, you felt his gaze burning every fiber of your skin that he was analyzing. Maybe to understand if you were alright. Or maybe because he found you pretty. No, it had to be the first option.

"I wish I could stay with you more," he said.

"Then, stay," you almost prayed him, but he shook his head.

"I can't. I'm sorry... superhero stuff," he said, shrugging.

"I see. Thanks, Spider-Man," you said. "You really saved me."

He nodded, leaving your hands.

"See you around."

And then, he left.

When you opened your eyes, you found out that you had just fainted. Someone was calling your name on the other side of the rubble. You were confused and your head hurt a lot. You finally recognized Flash's voice, that was calling out your name. He was stuck because a piece of the ceiling hurt him and now he couldn't walk.

"My phone doesn't work here. I'm gonna find Peter, don't worry," you said, trying to reassure Flash, but in reality, you were actually trying to reassure yourself.

Suddenly, someone opened the door and your eyes grew wide, when you saw who did it. Your heart began to race in your chest, seeming capable to run out from your rib cage.

"Spider-Man?"

"Hey, are you okay?" he asked, offering his hand to help you stand up.

"Yes..." you answered, your voice low. Your throat seemed incredibly dry.

"Spider-Man? Hey, nice to meet you! I'm Flash!" Flash said, still covered by the ruins.

"We're gonna call the paramedics! Stay there, Flash," Spider-Man said.

"Not that I could go anywhere..."

Then, Spider-Man brought you outside, still holding your hand. You didn't notice at first, but when you did, you felt your entire face burning. He turned to look at you, even if you weren't able to see his eyes through the mask. There were some teachers saying to the other guys to go away as soon as possible from there. They had to evacuate the building.

"There's something going on, here. Look for your friends and then go home. Tell your teacher about Flash, she'll call the paramedics to help him. Stay safe, okay? I'm gonna understand what happened here," he said, but when he was about to leave your hand, you squeezed it. He stood still, giving you attention, even if you couldn't say anything about his expression.

"Peter?"

He gulped, shaking his head.

"N-no, my name is not Peter, I'm Spider-Man. Just Spider-Man," he replied.

"Flash caught you. I know that you're Spider-Man, Peter. Please, I'm not mad, but I just wanna know why... Why didn't you tell me?"

He took a step back, leaving your hand. You suddenly felt cold, like every source of warmth was expired from your body. He saw his Adam's apple through the thin material of his suit. It was like you could see his face, now. He had problems swallowing. That was your answer. Flash was right. Peter was Spider-Man.

And the worst part was that you were in love with him.