Meltdown (BRANCH IS SPIDER-MAN AU)

July 28th

Branch woke up the next morning feeling sluggish. He didn't have any liquor, yet he still felt the effects of the constant headache of yesterday seemed to carry on to the morning after. He looked to his door and saw it was closed, a beam of light shining through the closed curtain.

The night before, when he left in John's truck, he didn't speak. John didn't force him either. They drove home in silence, not even the radio was turned on. Branch vaguely remembered stumbling into the apartment, John leading him to his room, placing the blanket over him after he laid down. He didn't even remember changing, just taking off the jacket and laying down.

He sat up on his bed wearily, rubbing his eyes and stretching as he stood up. Branch put a pair of socks on and changed out of his jeans, going for sweatpants instead. He walked out to the kitchen and as he reached for a glass in the cabinet, he got a glimpse of the time on the stove. It was already 1pm. Branch had never slept in that late.

He looked around the kitchen and saw his phone on the community charger sitting on the atop the island. Branch picked it up delicately and saw the messages he'd missed. Many were from the group chat he was forced into the day before.

Before he could even read any of them, John's door opened and branch startled.

"Thought I heard a ruckus out here."

Branch watched his brother as he continued to dry his hair with a towel, he was still in pajamas.

"Happy Sunday, isn't it? I would say good morning but, unfortunately, it's one in the afternoon."

Branch looked back down at his phone, half ashamed and half embarrassed. He heard John sigh and approach the island. "Look, Branch, you don't have to talk about yesterday if you don't want to. I wont force you, but I want to know if you're okay."

He looked up at John hesitantly.

"It was just too overwhelming. Too loud and just- too many people. At some point I just got so frustrated I walked out."

Branch noticed how John pursed his lips and nodded.

"And with Poppy?"

Branch's brows knitted together. "What do you mean?"

John's expression became sad and he looked at Branch. "Did you two break up?"

Branch's eyes went wide, "What?! No- no not at all. I- did it look like we broke up?"

John shrugs sheepishly. "Well, you came back from your guys' talk with tears and she didn't look like she was happy the whole time either."

After a moment of silence Branch shook his head. "No, I- we didn't. I..." Branch hesitated before looking at John with confidence. "I told her I loved her."

John smiled at him and let out a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness, I was really thinking how difficult Clay's wedding would be if you two broke up."

Branch looked to the side nervously. "Yeah, that would have been rough."

John nodded but noticed something that looked out of the ordinary. "Have I really never seen you without a long sleeve?"

Branch furrowed his brows and looked at his shirt. He shrugged and looked back up, "Why would it matter?"

"Why would it matter," John started with a mock. "You're jacked bro, like- what I looked like in the academy. When do you find the time to work out? I didn't even know you had a gym membership," John said with astonishment.

Branch's jaw dropped slightly he quickly tried to hid his arms behind him. "I don't know.." Branch really didn't have an answer, not even a lie.

"C'mon you've gotta be doing something."