Of Spider-Man and Cold Saturday Nights

Every Saturday night, Cormac and Vega had their weekly movie night. Cormac was an athlete and a musician, all rolled in to one, and was constantly running around between practices and rehearsals. He barely was able to find the time to sleep, let alone do his homework. He was quiet and insanely smart but couldn't quite exude the confident athlete persona that so many of his friends did with ease. Vega, on the other hand, was a dancer and on the pre-medical track at her university, and between rehearsals and showcases and clinicals, she, too, didn't have much free time to spare. She, as opposed to Cormac, was a loud, opinionated individual who could only be described as a spitfire who exuded confidence - having 4 older brothers made that a necessity. Despite their different personalities and their insanely busy schedules, the two always found time for their movie night.

            This particular Saturday night was snowy, and the wind howled as it whipped around Cormac's apartment building, rattling the windows. Tobey Maguire's Spider-Man flashed across the television, and Cormac was sprawled across his worn leather couch, Vega curled into his side, her head on his side as her eyes trained on the movie playing in front of her.

            "I don't know why you always insist on watching the original series, Mac," mumbled Vega. "The new Tom Holland Spider-Man is infinitely better than Tobey Maguire could ever dream of being."

            Cormac reached for the remote, pausing the movie and looking down at his brown eyed best friend,

            "Don't even start, Vega Anne. That is utter bullshit, and everyone knows it."

            "Come on, Mac! Tobey Maguire is way too old to play Peter Parker! And where is the witty, annoying banter that is classic Peter Parker!" Vega retorted, rising from her place on Cormac's chest as her curly brown hair fell in sporadic ringlets around her face. Cormac sat up straighter, raising an eyebrow at her.

            "Tom Holland looks like he's 12 though!" he shot back, a smirk gracing his lips, mirth evident in his hazel eyes.

            "At least he doesn't look like he could be my dad!" she said, laughing.

            "You take that back!"

            "Make me, you fake Peter Parker fan!"

            It was then that Cormac launched himself at Vega, attacking her with his fingers as he tickled her sides. Her eyes grew comically wide as laugher spilled from her lips, exposing her slightly crooked teeth, stained from years of drinking hot tea and coffee in her constant need for caffeine. He tickled her relentlessly, Vega squirming under him as she tried to push him off of her in a vain attempt to gain some relief from the attack her best friend had launched. Eventually, his fingers subsided, but the two were still left gasping for breath as their laughter still permeated the space around them. Unconsciously, the two friends had ended up in a position that left Cormac's large frame on top of Vega's small one, his arms wrapped around her in an attempt to keep himself from falling in a heap on the floor since his couch wasn't exceptionally large. The laughter had subsided, but the two still remained in their tangled mess of limbs on the couch.

            Cormac gazed at his friend, drinking in her features. Her dark skin was littered with acne scars, her cheeks flushed from laughing. Her dark lashes framed her dark eyes, and old mascara was flaked on her lower lash line. His eyes drifted towards her lips, which were chapped from the cold weather despite the fact that she wore chap stick frequently (frequently enough that he often found her forgotten tubes throughout his apartment). He reached out and brushed his fingers across her cheek, pushing a stray lock of hair out of her face and pushing it behind her ear.

            You could have heard a pin drop in the looming silence of the room, Cormac's eyes flashing between Vega's lips and her eyes. They both seemed to be searching for something in the other, seemingly daring the other to break the silence. Cormac heard Vega inhale deeply and watched as she closed the space between them and connected her lips with his own. It was brief, but it was enough to set his soul on fire.

            "I'm sorry," Vega whispered, uncertainty easily visible on her features, "are you sure you..." but Cormac cut her off as he reconnected their lips, slowly tangling his calloused fingers in her curls. His brow furrowed as he moved his other hand to the small of her back, pulling her small body into his toned chest. He felt Vega's hands press against him, grabbing onto his white undershirt and she kissed him, pulling him to her so that the two were almost melded together.

            This was different than anything Cormac had experienced before. He had kissed many girls in his life; he knew he was decently good-looking with his athletic build, meticulously styled brown hair, and dimples that flanked his straight teeth. However, no kiss had left him so breathless, so entranced that it was like he couldn't get enough of her. Everything about it felt so undeniably right.

            It could have been years before the two were able to untangle themselves from the other. Cormac rested his forehead against Vega's, both of their eyes still closed, and their breaths labored and heavy. Vega opened her eyes and admired the sight before her; Cormac's mouth was lifted into a slight smile, eyes still closed and his fare skin wildly aflame and flushed. She lifted her fingers, brushing her thumb over Cormac's bottom lip in admiration of the previous interaction the two had shared. A small laugh escaped her, causing Cormac's eyes to flutter open.

            "I never realized how much I wanted to do that," she said, her voice now hoarse.

            Cormac smiled, running his fingers across the apples of her cheeks.

            "I didn't either," he said, "but I, uh, wouldn't mind doing it again."

            Heat rose to his cheeks at his confession, but Vega only laughed again, connecting her lips with his.

            Vega and Cormac knew that there was an underlying fear lingering unspoken in the room, questioning if this newfound attraction would be the downfall of their friendship. But, a small part of both of them also knew that this was the best accident that could have transpired. They stayed there, on that worn leather couch in Cormac's apartment, Spider-Man still paused on the television, illuminating the dark room where the two friends were still tangled together in a mess of limbs and newfound passion. Cormac wouldn't ever admit it, but he was thankful for their constant debate of which Spider-Man was the best, for if it weren't for Vega's love of Tom Holland and the new Spider-Man, he might never have found himself enraptured by her chapped lips and brown eyes, his fingers tangled in her hair on a cold Saturday night.