Orphic | Spider-Man

TWENTY-FOUR

OCTAVIA DIDN'T HAVE much time, but when she sent a message through the pager to Spider-Man, she made sure it was urgent. 
      She had her actuators back, and was dressed in gray sweatpants, a red crewneck and slippers. Her small bag filled with her notebook and pencil was strapped over her chest. She nervously fumbled with the tape measurer in her hands. She counted down the minutes in her head. The tape recorder with her and Peter's conversation was playing loudly in her bedroom back at the loft, with her door locked. 
      She almost sent another pager message to Spider-Man, but then she heard a loud rattle of metal in the shadows between the apartment buildings where they agreed to meet upon. 
      "Spidey?" she asked. 
      "Octavia?" 
      She saw his shadow jump off the roof and land in the dim light from the street lamps around them. Spider-Man stood from from the jump once he hit the roof. 
      When he came into the brighter light, his walk was hasty. "H-Hey, what's wrong? Are you okay?" 
      The actuators brought her over to him, setting her feet down on the cement as Amy and Beth helped her balance with their claws open on the ground. 

      "Hold your arms out." Octavia told her. 
      Spider-Man was inches away from her. He abruptly stopped. "I--huh?" 
      "I don't have much time," Octavia told him. "Hold your arms out." 
      Spider-Man paused just for a moment before he held his arms out in front of him. 
      "No, like an airplane." Octavia instructed. 
      Spider-Man did just as she said. 
      Octavia pulled the tape measure's body straight out as she moved around behind Spider-Man. After a couple moments, Octavia tapped his shoulder. "Hold this end." 
      Spider-Man turned, and her left cheek was near his lips hidden behind his mask. Peter's heart started to beat, slowly rising from soft to something that he feared she could be able to hear. His fingers took the end of the tape measurer, and then the other end as she gestured. 
      "Um. . .what are you doing?" Spider-Man asked after he felt Octavia's notebook on his back as she scribbled on it. 
      She chuckled, "Paying you back." 
      "For what?" the notebook came off his back, and the tape measurer was pulled from his fingers.  
      Octavia came around the front of him, muttering to herself, her top actuators, Meg and Joe, looking at Spider-Man with her. "Keep your arms up. We need the width of his chest." Octavia told them as she handed Joe one end of the tape measurer and the other to Meg. Peter felt a little nervous having the claws close to his face, and heart. 
      "Spidey, I don't think I've introduced you to my tentacles." Octavia told him. 
      "Actuators." Peter smiled under the mask. But when he saw the surprised look on Octavia's face, he panicked. "I've been listening to Jameson. Hearing a-all about you." 

      Octavia's look changed into a soft smile. "Well, then please meet Meg, Joe, Beth, and Amy." she gestured to each tentacle as she spoke their names. 
      "Ah, the March Sisters." Spider-Man nodded. 
      Octavia looked surprised again, but this was a good surprise. "You know Little Women?" she then furrowed her brows slightly. "How do you know Little Women?" 
      "I had to read it." Spider-Man replied. He then stuttered, "O-Of course that was a while ago." 
      His voice had become slightly deeper after the cough, to which Octavia chuckled. 
      "You do a good job of keeping your cover, Spidey." she told him. Her eyes softened. "Listen, I want to thank you for what you told The Daily Bugle the other day. It won't get the press off my ass, or my father's, but I appreciated it, especially when Kasey Warner cut Jameson off the screen." she giggled again. "But I want you to know that I don't plan on taking over your job and everything you do for New York. You're a symbol for the people--do you remember me saying this at the banquet?" 
      Spider-Man nodded. "I do. Of course, you yelled it at me, but nonetheless it was very touching." 
      Octavia laughed with him. A familiar tone in their laughter sent a pulse throughout Octavia. Something happy, a symphony of happiness. 
      "Well, after what you said Thursday, I thought that I should pay you back." she scribbled down on her notebook when she leaned in forward to look at the tape measurer. 
      "Is that why you're taking my measurements?" Spider-Man asked. 
      Octavia playfully shrugged as the actuators started measuring Spider-Man's torso. "Maybe." 
      With an idea of what the surprise was, Spider-Man shook his head and lowered his arms. "I--Vee, I can't let you do this," he said. 
      Octavia froze, brows furrowing as her pencil hovered over the notebook paper. Vee. Only Peter had ever called her that. Not even Otto; he only ever called her by her name or darling. 
      "Really," Spider-Man continued. "I can't accept any gifts. You were always right from the beginning anyways: I can't be flashy like the rich--no offense--I gotta stay at the level of the people, the ones who matter--are. . .are you okay?"
      Octavia shook her head. "I-I'm sorry. . .I. . .I thought you had said something." 
      "Well, I was talking," 
      Octavia gave him a playful roll of the eyes. "I thought you said something else."