Lacuna (Spiderman X reader)

Chapter 13

~

The next day you were on your way to class, walking from the subway to campus when you passed a newspaper stand laden with papers, magazines, and cigarette ads. You glanced over the papers when The Daily Globe caught your eye, a tabloid newspaper known for it's coverage of local politics, business, crime, and occasionally, it's unbiased reporting on local superheroes. Underneath the main headline, a story about a new and important science lab opening, were three prominently displayed black and white stills of you as Black Light fighting Daredevil. The first was a dramatic freeze frame of the two of you exchanging blows, your face hidden by your hood, his face, though grainy, was stoic and serious. The second was of the punch that knocked him out. It was dramatic, blurry as all hell, and Daredevil was mid fall. In the third you were dragging him away, and you were glowing, your face hidden under your mask, lips twisted in a grimace.

-
SECRETIVE SUPER DECKS DAREDEVIL: WHO IS THE NEW ADDITION TO HELL'S KITCHEN?

Local dock workers got quite the shock late Sunday night when a fight erupted just past midnight. It seems everyone's favorite masked devil has a new rival, but who is she? And what was the super scuffle about? (Read more on page B2)

-

"This ain't a library, pay up if you're gonna read it."

You looked up, meeting the eyes of a balding man. You mumbled an apology, and dug up some money from your bag, payed and then left quickly, newspaper in hand.

You arrived at campus and rushed to your first class, the paper on your purse scratching at your thoughts. After class you bought a hot drink from the cheerful boy at the coffee cart, and sat on a bench to read the paper before going to your next class with Noble. You'd barely gotten past the word 'scuffle' before someone was sitting down next to you-

"I didn't know you read newspapers." It was Peter, a camera slung around his neck and messenger bag hanging off his shoulder.

You smiled at him. "Occasionally," you folded the paper, and rested it on your lap. "What are you doing on campus so early?"

He lifted his camera in one hand, smiling. "Photography class homework."

"I didn't know you did photography." You turned toward him, adjusting your grip on your drink and on the newspaper.

"I dabble."

"What kind of stuff do you usually do?"

"Uh, this and that, kind of whatever catches my eye. I do some freelance work here and there."

You sat with Peter, talking about his photography, he even showed you some of his work, until you finished your drink and it was time to go to class. You walked together to Noble's class, him holding the door open for you.

"Ah, Y/l/n! Come here for a moment," Noble was already in the classroom, setting up her materials.

You smiled at Peter apologetically.

"I'll go grab a couple of desks," he smiled at you and wandered off to find two open desks next to each other.

You walked over to Noble. "Afternoon, Professor."

She fixed you with a stern look. "Was that you last night?"

You paused. You knew exactly what she meant.

"Yeah, that was me."

"You need to be careful, Y/l/n. They don't like a lot of publicity."

"It's not like I wear a logo or anything, and they sent me-"

"Regardless, be careful. You may have to answer to them now, but I still need you for my own work. Don't forget that."

You nodded and swallowed. "I understand."

Noble glanced behind you. "Any closer to Stark's labs?"

You looked down. "I don't wanna rush it."

She stared at you, eyes boring into you as if digging for something. She looked away and sighed. "Go have a seat, I'll see you at my lab later this week."

You nodded and turned away, and went to sit near Peter.

"What was that about?" He looked at you, concerned, as you unloaded your bag and sat at your desk.

You glanced at him. "Just rearranging schedules for another office meeting." You laid out your note supplies, avoiding his gaze. "I told her about your friend who wants me to meet Stark, she was wondering about that too."

"Oh, yeah, about that-"

You looked up.

"There's an event this weekend he's throwing, some charity fundraiser that I'm gonna be taking pictures at, but uh—if you wanted to maybe go, too-? I mean, I'd be working the whole time but Stark said I can bring someone, if I wanted, and you two were gonna meet and talk shop at some point anyway, so-"

"Are you asking me to go to a charity fundraiser with you? A fundraiser thrown on by Tony Stark?"

"Uh, yeah. It's formal, so if you don't-"

"Peter, are you kidding me? I'd love to!"

He broke into a large grin. "Yeah?"

You smiled back. "Just tell me when, so I can find something appropriate to wear."

Noble cleared her throat at the front of the hall. "Alright does everyone have their notes out? Ready to start? Good. Now, starting off from where we left off last class..."

-

After class, Peter took you to lunch at a taqueria you sometimes went to with Stacy. It was a smaller place, maybe only fifty tables, and a very casual relaxed atmosphere. Each booth had shiny vinyl tables and hard benches, and there were two TV sets perched in the corners of the room up high where everyone could easily watch. One had a sports game neither you nor Peter cared much about, and the other was playing the news, though you were too busy wiping away tears of laughter at a joke Peter had just told to pay attention to what was on the screen.

Peter was grinning, fist over his mouth stifling his own laughter so as not to disturb the only other two people in the restaurant. Eventually your shared mirth died down, and even though your cheeks hurt, you couldn't stop smiling. You both ate chips, smiling and talking and giggling, and when your food finally came you looked away from Peter long enough to thank the server.

And then the TV in the corner caught your eye.

You paused, staring at the security footage from your fight with Daredevil, the same fight on the front page of the newspaper still in your purse. The slightly grainy black-and-white footage played on one half of the screen, while the other half showed a brightly lit and colorful news broadcaster talking about the footage on the left.

Peter saw you pause and followed your gaze to the TV. "Oh, wow," he said as the masked version of yourself knocked Daredevil out and began to drag him away. He looked at you.

You looked at him. "Do you think Daredevil is okay? That looked pretty serious..."

"I'm sure he's going to be fine, he's a tough cookie. And if he wasn't, somebody would have found him, and we'd definitely be hearing about it by now," Peter tried to reassure you.

You felt bad playing dumb with Peter. Of course, you knew Daredevil was fine, having checked yourself before ditching him in a dumpster. You nodded. "Yeah, you're probably right." You looked down at your food and began to eat, changing the subject to today's class with Noble. You missed it when Peter narrowed his eyes slightly at the TV as the clip of you landing the decisive blow on Daredevil replayed.

After the two of you ate, Peter had to go to work, so you parted ways, him catching a cab to The Daily Bugle, and you heading home on the subway, where you finally got to reading the paper you'd picked up earlier that day, opening it to page B2 to read the full article about your fight. Above the short blurb was another still of you two facing off, less dramatic than the three on the front.