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"I'm not taking a cab," I repeat to my mom. "I'm almost home, okay? I'll be fine."
She sighs over the phone. "Okay...just text me the minute you get into the house."
"Got it. Love you."
I hang up and put my phone back into my back pocket. On days like these, it was a struggle to get home from school. Usually, Shawn would drive me to school, but he had something come up last minute. I didn't mind that he was busy, but that meant I had to walk all the way to my apartment complex in Midtown. There was always the option of a cab or the subway, but I didn't trust those things anymore to ride in alone. Walking wasn't any safer either, but I at least had hundreds of tourists around me to act as a barrier of some sorts.
I felt the sweat start to stick and in a way, I wish I had taken the cab today. I was about five more blocks till home; I could do this.
"Excuse me miss." A man much older than me walks my way. I stop in place, not knowing what to do. "I lost my dog, could you help me find her?"
My mom always used to warn me about these situations; they wanted to lure you in with a pity excuse and then take you.
I shook my head politely at the man. "I'm sorry, but I have to go."
I went to go walk around him, but he grabbed onto my arm. He leaned his mouth towards my ear. "Make one sound and you'll regret it."
I keep my lips sealed as he latches his hand on me and walks me the other direction of my home. People who pass by don't pay any attention to us; all I seem to them is a daughter who got in trouble with their dad, so he's taking her back home.
He brings me to a side street and pushes me against the brick wall of the building. "Drop everything you have on the ground."
I keep my hands on my backpack straps, not complying to anything he said. He lifts his shirt up a little, showing the gun in his belt holster. "Now!"
My hands shake as I drop my backpack, phone, and wallet on the ground. He takes his gun out and points it at me, making sure I wouldn't run to get help. My eyes stay locked onto his movements. He starts rummaging through my bag to find anything of value. He pulls out my Mac and stuffs it into his bag.
I spot someone at the edge of the alleyway looking at us. Without thinking, I yell out for them. "Help me!"
The man shoots his head up and points the gun at the stranger. She screams and runs away. He then points the gun at me and starts to move closer.
"What did I tell you about keeping your mouth shut?" He demands. "Don't make me shoot ya."
The gun is close to my temple and I start to breathe heavily. I should've taken a damn cab.
"Please please don't do this." I go to my last option and start to plea for my life. "You can have anything. I won't tell anyone what happened."
He makes a pouty face at me. "Wish it were that easy, sweetheart. I can't take risks anymore."
He undos the safety on the gun and puts his hand on the trigger, but a web gets shot down and yanks the gun out of his hands.
I look and a smile appears on my face. Spider-Man flips down to the ground, webbing the thief.
"Going after a sixteen year old girl? Classy." He wraps more webbing around him, putting him into a cocoon-like structure. Spider-Man throws him out in front of a cop car. "There ya go fellas!"
The hero comes back to me and I can't help but feel like I'm in the presence of a superstar. For the past year, Spider-Man has made several headlines and even saved the city a couple of times. He has also worked with the Avengers, who are my idols. No one knows who the masked hero is, which makes his aura appealing.
"Thank you, Spider-Man." I say.
"Of course anytime..."
"Y/N," I tell him my name.
"Y/N, what a lovely name." My eyes scrunch up at his voice. It seems...so familiar. "Do you have anyone you can call to escort you home safely?"
I start to think who would bring me home. My friends have soccer practice and my mom is still at work. "I mean, I can try my boyfriend. I don't know if he'll answer–"
"I think you'd rather call your friends," Spider-Man interjects.
I look at him oddly as I press on Shawn's contact info and the phone starts ringing. I can hear another buzzing noise in front of me. Spider-Man doesn't do anything at first, but he groans and gets his phone from his suit pocket.
I end the call and take two huge steps towards him. I grab his mask and take it off, my eyes growing wide. Shawn Mendes is beneath the mask; my own boyfriend is the swinging hero of New York City. I stare at him for a couple of seconds, not knowing how to react really.
Before I can say anything, he puts my backpack in my hands, wraps his arm around me, and levitates us up to the roof of the building.
"I couldn't have anyone seeing me," he explains. "I'm sorry, this is weird. I never meant for you to find out like this."
"Were you ever going to tell me?" I ask him.
He nods his head. "Yes. Soon, but I couldn't have anyone knowing about it because my enemies would go after you."
My cheeks blush at the protective response. It's so weird to think that ever since I was little, I pictured myself in hero movies, my boyfriend being the one to save the city and myself. Now, this was a reality I couldn't wrap my head around.
Shawn walks up to me and puts his hands on my waist. "I know this is scary for you, but this is my life and I love doing what I do."
"I'm happy for you," I reassure him. "Yes, I will worry when you go into battle, but you're brave and strong. I believe in you."
I'm surprised at myself that I'm handling this so easily. Shawn is surprised too.
"Well, Ms.Y/L/N, let me take you on a tour of New York City in the sky."
I'm about to object his offer because of my fear of heights, but I feel my feet lift off the ground and I am swinging through the buildings of New York City.
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in honor of just seeing far from home, i wanted to do a spider-man imagine because he is one of my favorite heroes. shawn as spider-man is a CONCEPT!!
also a reminder: if you want to leave requests, go to the beginning of the book and there will be a form you can fill out
