Chapter 1

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Earth-1610:

Miles pants as he tries to catch his breath on a random street in Brooklynn. Exhausted from escaping the spider society, he hadn't had enough energy to fight off his other self. He was however able to escape. Now, here he is, a few miles away from the apartment at the park he played at his entire childhood. It's late and freezing and he's trapped in another universe he knows nothing about.

He plops down on the bench, hoping to gather his energy as well as devise a plan to get back home. Just his luck, of course, it starts pouring down just minutes later. Even so, he doesn't have the energy to find shelter. It's not like he can get sick anyways.

"Miles?" An all too familiar voice shouts. His head snaps to the side as he sees a figure making it's way towards him underneath an umbrella. When they get closer, he sees the concerned face of none other than Adriana Vázquez. Unlike in his universe though, she's not approaching him with an annoyed expression. Instead, her eyes are filled with concern. 

"Miles, ¿por qué demonios estás aquí fuera bajo la lluvia?(Miles, why the hell are you out here in the rain?)" She asks, rushing up to put the umbrella over his head. She leans over him, placing her hand on his head to check his temperature. The scent of the perfume she's been wearing for years fills his nostrils as her chocolate-brown eyes stare into his own. "You're freezing." She says. 

 "Adriana?" He ask, trying to make sure he's not hallucinating out of pure desperation. Sure, life ain't all too great right now but hallucinating your ex-girlfriend as though you're in some 90's chick-flick is a bit extreme. "No, I'm a stranger from a parallel universe. Yes, dumbass, it's me," she says, her tone dripping with sarcasm.

It clicks almost instantly that this is Earth-42 Adriana and not his Adriana. Not the Adriana who slapped him in the face and told him to go screw himself. Not the Adriana who told him that he was a peace of shit who she never should've dated.

"So, you gonna tell me why the hell you're out here in the rain or are you gonna make me guess?" She interrupts his train of thought yet again. It's now that Miles is grateful that he was smart enough to at least transform back to his normal clothes. It's weird enough running into Adriana here of all times but, it would've been weirder if he was in a spider print onesie sitting in the rain by himself.

"Just needed some fresh air," he lies. A crappy lie at that. Who the hell needs fresh air in freezing rainwater? "Mhmm," Adriana sasses with an 'I can see through your bs' tone. 

"You can come up with a better lie later. Let's get you inside first, tho." She tells him. Before he can try to protest, she's pulling him up by his arm and pulling him in the direction of her apartment complex. 

When they arrive at the complex, Miles is about to head for the stairs when Adriana pushes the elevator button. It seems the elevator actually works in this universe. He remembers that whenever he would visit back home he would have to scale the side of the building and lie that he just ran up the stairs. She would always respond, "Up 20 flights. Boy, you crazy."

When they finally make it upstairs, the feeling of the heat causes Miles to relax just a bit. The apartment is empty. Well, besides Adriana's cat, Cruz. Maybe her mom is working the night shift at the hospital like in his universe. "Go shower, I'll bring you some clean clothes."

She leans in and gives him soft peck on the cheek. Miles is honestly a little surprised to see that they're dating in this universe as well. Or that they're still together anyways. Back home, Adriana tended to go for guys who weren't well... Earth-42 him. While Miles doesn't know the guy well, he knows him enough from their little 'encounter' to be able to tell that they're complete opposites of one another. 

When he freezes up, she looks at him confused. "You good, Miles? You're a little off?" She asks, cupping his face in her hands in worry.  "I'm fine, really." Miles lies again. She gives him another face, wordlessly calling out his bullshit. He never could lie to her. Even before they started dating. Apparently, it's the same here as well. 

"If you say so," she huffs, taking a step back. "Pile you're clothes outside the bathroom, I'll toss em in the wash," she tells him before disappearing around the corner. 

---

When Miles steps out of the shower, there are neatly folded clothes on the bathroom counter. She must've put them there while he was in the shower. He slips on the hoodie and sweats that fit him perfectly. Other him must've left them. It feels weird to Miles. Wearing clothes that belong to him but, at the same time they don't. It's like when your parents tell you that their home is your home until you start trying to lock doors and leave at any time of day. Then they pull the "Who pays the bills here?" or "Who's letting you live here for rent-free while you eat up all our damn food?" 

He goes down the familiar hallway and straight to Adriana's bedroom. When he enters the room, even though it's decorated differently, it still smells  just like it did back home. It's a mix of her perfume and the lavender incents she's always burning. While back home, her room is themed black and pink, her room here has more of an earthy vibe to it. While there are minimum plants, the theme is different shades of green. Just like home, however, the room is spotless. 

Sitting on her bed in only sweats and a sports bra is Adriana scrolling through her phone. On her back, Miles spots another difference between the two versions. On this Adriana's lower back is a sun tattoo. Turning around, Adriana gives him a dimpled smile as she waves him over. As his eyes struggle to not wander, Miles swears that if he were any lighter, his skin would be beat red with blush.

As Miles sits down on Adriana's bed, she sits up and runs her fingers through his hair. "What made you change your hair?" She ask. Thats right. This Miles did have braids in his hair. "Didn't like the braid I put in?" She chuckles, laying back down. 

"Nah, it's not that. I just washed my air earlier," Miles lies yet again. Adriana chuckles at his words. "Y'know, you could've just told me you didn't like it, right? I'm not sensitive," she says.

Before Mile scan say something else, Adriana sighs. "You sure you aight? You're not acting like your normal self. You mad about something?" She ask, rolling off of the bed and onto her feet.

"Adriana, I-""See, that right there." She interrupts. "You keep calling me by my name. You haven't called me by my name since you met me. If you're pissed, just tell me. Or is it something else? I'm worried about you, Miles," she says, walking forward. She stands in between his spread legs and wraps her arms around his neck in an affectionate manner.

As much as it's tempting, Miles doesn't return the favor. Even if she's initiating things, wrapping his arms around someone else's girl just ain't right. Even if technically, that other person is him in another universe. And DEFINITELY because she thinks she's currently with her boyfriend and not some guy who fell through the wrong portal when running away from a damn near 7-foot Mexican vampire. 

Placing his hands on her hips, Miles pushes her back gently. "It's nothing. I'm just tired, swear it." Sighing, Adriana takes a step back. "If you say so. Running her hair through her curls, she sits back down on the bed. 

"So, what's the plan tonight? You gonna head out or stay?" Adriana looks at him with hopeful eyes. Miles already knows the answer she wants. But it's not right and he knows it. "I'ma head out. Thx for the shower and clothes tho," he tells her, giving her a soft smile. The disappointment is evident on Adriana's face, no matter how hard she tries to hide it.

"Bet. Take the umbrella tho," she smiles. Once again, she does something to mimic the Adriana back home. As sassy as she is, she always finds a way to smile for those she cares about. No matter how big or small the situation.

Before Miles can say another thank you, Adriana gets up from the bed and tosses him an umbrella from her desk. She rummages through a drawer and tosses him a guy's beanie as well. "Get home safe, aight," she says, jabbing her finger toward him in a mom-like manner.

"Will do," Miles says. The biggest lie he feels as though he ever told. To Adriana, getting home is a 20-minute walk from her apartment. To Miles? That means trying to find a way to find a teleporter that can send him from one universe to the other in time to not only save his dad but avoid all trouble that's coming his way.


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