Night Changes (p.parker)

CHAPTER THREE: HIDE

A YEAR LATER, you had successfully hidden your tattoo under a pair of fingerless gloves, and had managed to steer clear of Spider-Man.

It didn't take long for him to become relatively famous, videos of him on youtube reaching millions of views only days after being posted.

He had fan pages, dedicated blogs, you name it, he had it.

He was rumored to be kind and sweet, having an edge to his tongue during battle, something you admired. The man knew his way around sarcasm.

You tried not to give him the time of day, for it made everything harder than it had to be. It brought up suppressed memories that you begged your mind to bury, the once perfect daydreams now classified as nightmares.

Knowing that the future you had imagined would never truly be yours, plagued by the guilt and death of the world.

You spent months mourning the life that you had always dreamed of, but couldn't have. When your soulmate is a superhero, you're destined to miss out on a few things from a normal life.

The thought of it terrified you.

That he went out each night, searching for the next crime that could possibly be his last.

The fear that one moment he would be here, soaring through the city skyline worried about anything but himself, and the next he would be gone, the energy knocked out of his lungs as the flicker of life in his eyes died.

How on earth could you love a person who so freely lived his existence swimming in danger as if it were a sport?

Had he ever considered the fact that you would never forgive the world if it took him away from you?

You were horrified one day you would lose him, and you would be doomed to live the rest of your life without your other half. It would be cruel to have a small taste of life with him and then suddenly be forced to adapt without him.

It was simply easier for the both of you if you kept your distance. You wouldn't have your heart ripped from your chest, and he would be able to focus on saving others.

After all, having a soulmate could possibly endanger his identity, the least you could do was take some weight off the poor boy's shoulders.

...

Aimlessly tapping your phone to shut your alarm off, you started the morning with a groan of frustration from the lack of sleep.

Here we go again.

Tossing back the covers of your bed, the sunlight streamed onto the dark colored sheets, specs of morning dust floating in the air.

The sunshine contrasted nicely with the color of your black gloves, your eyes raking over the simple garments that had grown to annoy you. However, you'd rather look at the glove than the tattoo.

You swung your legs over the side of your bed, your feet colliding with the floor creating a hard thud.

Knowing your mother was already out for the morning, profanities spilled from your lips as you stretched your arms, muscles tensing and body sore.

You sang to yourself as you prepared your breakfast, the breeze flowing through the open windows of your apartment and the hardwood flooring creaking with your every step.

Lost in your own little world, you practically pranced around your apartment as you tugged on your outfit for the day, brushing your teeth and styling your hair before almost tripping out the door.