Loving You Black & Blue | Miguel O'Hara x Felicia Hardy

Ch. 24: Cat's Out of the Bag

"There she is, Mig."

Peter B. Parker nodded off into the distance over Miguel's shoulder, prompting Miguel to turn around. Felicia had just stepped into the atrium and was sauntering towards them. He was still getting used to seeing her as "Night Spider," but Miguel would be lying if he said it didn't do a little something for him to see her as a confident, sexy "spider-woman." Black really was her color and the alterations LYLA had made to the suit improved the fit immensely. Felicia had pulled her hair up into a high ponytail, revealing the slim spider insignia that wrapped around her back and shoulders.

Miguel quickly adjusted his expression when he realized that he was grinning like an idiot. That was his girl.

Suddenly, Miguel's view of said girl was obstructed when a tall, lean Spider-Man in a red and black suit approached Felicia. From a distance, Miguel could only watch Felicia's expressions and attempt to glean the content of the conversation. Her eyebrows raised in friendly surprise. Her head cocked to the side and she jutted out her hip as she listened. She grinned widely while she replied to some remark. The Spider-Man said something that made her throw her head back and laugh loudly.

Hmm.

Finally, the strange Spider-Man's shoulders quaked with laughter as well and he shook his head before reaching out to shake Felicia's hand. She treated the man to a beguiling smile and shrugged before the two parted ways. Miguel could feel his head getting hot as anger boiled inside him. He had to get a handle on his jealousy. To make matters worse, he could feel the humorously judgmental stare of Peter B. Parker boring into the back of his head. "Wonder what that was all about?" Miguel deflected casually.

"Eh," Peter took a bite out of his sandwich, "Probably mistook her for his Felicia Hardy."

HIS Felicia Hardy?!

Miguel faced Peter, letting the intensity of his own stare do all the talking. "Don't look at me like that," Peter scoffed, "There are tons of Peter Parkers that have Black Cats. Not exactly canon-worthy but –" Peter chose his next words carefully, "you know."

The thought had never occurred to Miguel. "Actually, Parker, I don't know."

Peter froze for a moment, his face plainly conveying that he was only now realizing he had said too much. "Miguel, buddy, I mean..." The way that Peter was fumbling over himself did not encourage Miguel in the slightest, "It's just uh... like a phase. We all go through it. We all have those crazy college years, before we settle down. We have some fun and sow some wild oats."

There were no Black Cats in Miguel's thread of the multiverse, with the exception of his Felicia – the one who had chosen him. Of course, Miguel wasn't your typical Spider-Man. Miguel was perfectly aware that Gwen Stacy and Mary Jane Watson were the great loves of any Peter Parker's life. He had never bothered to ponder the multiverses of women that Spider-Man would possibly...

Oh my god.

"How about you?" Miguel asked rigidly, "Did you know a Black Cat?"

Peter's face went beet red and his eyes flicked to the approaching Felicia for a millisecond. "I mean..."

Miguel sputtered, choking on the swig he had taken of his drink. "Did she look like that??" Miguel jerked a thumb back at his girlfriend. Peter feigned indifference, "Well, it was so long ago. It was just once... twice... six times max. I couldn't say."

"Goodbye, Peter." Miguel rose from the table, walking over to meet Felicia as she entered the cafeteria. "Hey, handsome," Felicia stood on tiptoe to kiss Miguel on the chin, "Craziest thing just happened."