shots, 𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘰𝘪𝘳.

[001] night.

The time is just past midnight. You wander the streets, exploring the city and admiring the lights. The quietness of the place is eerie, a disparity to the ordinarily bustling and loud sounds of footsteps and people. You look up at the sky, the stars staring down at you, giving you a sensation of peacefulness as you close your eyes and quietly hum, breaking the silence. Tonight was peaceful. Tonight was different. Tonight was special. You could feel it in the bleak air as it brushed against your face. You make your way down a dark alleyway, hidden from prying eyes and away from streetlights. You lean against the wall next to a fire escape and let out a sigh. The tranquility of the night certainly has affected your mind. It was almost like a drug to you that filled you, not with pleasure, but with a sense of serenity. You look up, the stars no longer visible as the buildings around you had narrowed down your vision. What was left was a dark, indigo color that streaked above you.

So enchanted by the stillness of the night, you block out your surroundings. It was quiet. Then it wasn't. Light footsteps approach you as you turn towards the darkness the sounds came from. A person approaches you, dressed in monochrome colors. You can barely make out their outline until they stop right in front of you. Before you can speak, he whispers in a low, yet monotone voice.

"It's not safe here."

You push yourself off the wall and take a step back.

He takes a step forward.

"You shouldn't be here at this time of night, doll."

You look up at him in silence, almost fearing his next move. There's a stillness to him. He doesn't stir as he looks down on you. The silence was palpable, and you could feel your heart rate rise.

He steps out of the looming shadow of the fire escape, revealing himself for the first time. You get a good look at him. You've heard of him before. Spider-man Noir. He's tall, you guess around five feet, ten inches. He's wearing a black fedora, and what looks like goggles in the shape of glasses. He has a black mask with a webbed pattern, making you unable to see his face. A large trench coat is wrapped around him, blowing in the wind.

Strange. There wasn't any wind tonight.

He tilts his head, awaiting your response. You clear your throat quietly.

"No need to worry about me."

Your voice is assertive but calm. The man stares at you for a moment. You can't make out what he's thinking.

"Go home, chérie. These alleys ain't for dames like you."

You look away in silence. You don't plan to move. Tonight is too good to listen to the words of so-called heroes. He sighs.

"Don't make me take you home, doll."

You turn back to him and stare at him suspiciously. You blink, and Noir is gone. You feel something looming behind you.

"I'm staying.", you whisper, your tone grave.

Noir doesn't respond with his words. Instead, he sighs and swiftly wraps one arm around your waist and shoots a web to the top of the fire escape, swinging you up to the rooftop. It happened so fast, you had no time to react. He turns away, supposedly thinking. You feel a slight tremble. The rooftop is high, and falling off would likely result in a trip to the ER. You try to stand still.

"Full name, miss?"

"[Y/N] [Y/MN] [Y/LN]."

He thinks for a bit and snaps his fingers. He approaches you, and you take a small step back, afraid to fall. His voice is monotone as he says in a low tone.

"Ready?"

You look at him confused and tilt your head. He swiftly pulls your arm and brings you onto his back. Without another warning, he swings in the direction of your apartment.

How could he possibly know your address?

You hold on for dear life, wrapping your arms tightly around his neck. He clears his throat, letting you know that your grip on him is much too hard, and you loosen up a bit. He swings you through the city, the streetlights blurring as you pass by quickly. You look at the sky, the stars that were once beautiful, bright lights have turned into a white blur. The wind blows against your face and hair. You try not to stir. He doesn't speak. The silence is only broken by the rush of air in your ears. It's a new sense of peace. You rest your head on his shoulder. He flinches.

"Here we are."

His voice hasn't changed throughout your entire altercation. He swings you to your doorstep and stands still on the stairs, waiting for you to head inside. The time is 12:32 AM. You have so many questions, but nothing to say. You stare at him in silence, and he tilts his head at you.

"Well? Go on, head inside."

You gesture at him to come closer. He doesn't understand.

"Hm?"

You approach him, silently and steadily, until you're inches away. Him on the second stair, you on the first. He's still taller than you. Your eyes reach his lips. He stares, awaiting your next move.

You don't stir. Neither does he. Both of you stand there, waiting for each other for what seems like forever. He lets out a soft sigh. The time is 12:38 AM. You lean closer, and he is still.

"..."

You give him a light kiss on the cheek. It's gentle, short, and sweet. A kiss of gratitude, and nothing more. The leathery material of his mask touches your lips for a split second. You pull away, a small smile crawling on your face as a tinge of pink appears on your cheeks. You're not sure how he would respond. He flinches at your gesture. You don't see it, but his face turns redder. He coughs, a sense of awkwardness present in his voice, but stays silent.

"..."

Silently, he reaches into his coat pocket and hands you a crumpled piece of paper. He turns away into the night but looks back at you once more.

"Good night, ma'am."

He swings away.

You open the paper. A phone number. The time is 12:42 AM. The night is still. You realize his tone changed with that last goodbye. It was no longer monotone, no longer low.

There was a crack of nervousness.

"ᴡʜᴇʀᴇᴠᴇʀ ɪ ɢᴏ, ᴛʜᴇ ᴡɪɴᴅ ꜰᴏʟʟᴏᴡꜱ."
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