Alguien Mas Se Ha Dado Cuenta De Que Entre Mas Racista Es Una Persona, Mas Pendeja Es? Con Todo Respeto

¿Alguien mas se ha dado cuenta de que entre mas racista es una persona, mas pendeja es? Con todo respeto lo pregunto

"I'm not racist unless challenged?"

SWEETHEART, YOU'RE STILL A RACIST. I honestly, truly, and sincerely do question some of these people's brains and morals.

It's fine to not like a driver. It's fine to not support all. But to blatantly lie, then admit that you're racist because of a vendetta towards a driver? Definitely not okay.

MASTERLIST

Scream 6

Ethan Landry

Series.

Cobweb Heart

---

Fresh Start

Summary- A fresh start, new beginnings, running away from everything that happened before. Running into to something new and wonderful.

⚠️ Warning past traumatic relationship, abusive relationship (Obviously not Tom)⚠️

Here you were, your new life, a fresh start, well was supossed to be. Coming off the coach suitcase handed to you by the driver, 6hour drive from one side of the country to the middle. From Kent to London. "London" ,lips smiling side to side. "I'm home I guess"

You knew noone, didn't know where you were, just were you had to be, dragging the overly large suitcase to the taxi rank, securing a taxi to take you to Oxfordshire.

gazing out the backseat findow watching the red busses, the people, seeing some of the high street, the tall buildings

"Staying long?" the taxi driver brought you from your daze

"I'm Sorry?"

"The suitcase is quite large, are you staying long?"

"Oh Apologies yes I plan to be here a while"

"The accent where you from?"

"From Kent, the bottom of England"

"Why are you here? Family? Friends? Hiding?"

"What no I'm not hiding why?"

"It was a joke, sorry"

"I'm here on business actually, I plan to be here, do my job, leave"

The long drive quickly became awkward, uncomfortable even. Noone knew why you were here, a select few even, noone should know, don't speak of it, not a word. repeating in your mind over and over.

The taxi came to a stop, paying what you owed you collected your suitcase and left. Scared. Alone. Rather lost you wandered up and down different streets, finding a beautiful garden "Florence Park" benches upon benches, families cycling, throwing a frizbee back and fourth, rose bushes, glorious trees surrounding the entire park, parents pushing prams and lunch, you were so hungry, and so very glad to see a snack van.

"What you want love?"

"Cheese and Pickle roll please? Thank you"

Maybe this could be your new home, what if you could call this place home, it is different, much bigger then your hometown, much, much bigger.

Eventually finding your new residency 74 Sheppards hill, standing outside admiring the building, white brick, cherry blossom tree in the front garden, very bad parking. Opening the front door a small quaint hallway, coatstand, shoe basket, welcome mat, yellow walls "That needs re-painting" the livingroom off the hallway was yellow, mathcing couch, horrid green rug "That needs a paint job too" following through the the dining room, "Beautiful table" yellow walls, green rug although slightly smaller then the last, the kitchen yellow walls, nice stove, fully functioning. Running upstairs to the bedroom, yellow walls, cream carpet "Looks new" double bed, nice view of the street, bedroom beside the same. Unpacking your clothes to the wardrobe, placing your makeup and perfume along the window ledge, Laptop on the bed, case file stashed in the top drawer just incase.

A few weeks had gone by you still didn't know anyone, but at least you knew where to get a good cup of coffee and an even better cheese and pickle roll for lunch. Close by there was stores supplying milk, bread, local essentials. A short walk into a park where you spent most of your time running, you had gotten familiar with the route around the park, grabbing your coat off you went. Running. Headphones blasting music through your ears, drowing out all other noises, banishing the thoughts in your head, escaping your reality. You escaped everything.

After a laps of the park you gave in to the pain in your legs, sweat dripping off your back, hair going everywhere, laying on the grass was somewhat relaxing, just laying there looking at the sky, watching as the clouds rolled past one another. Feeling the sun shining on your face and the gentle breeze washing over you. It was tranquil. Maybe it wasn't so bad here. Laying there as time passed you by. Until something very heavy landed on you, pulling out your headphones rather startled quickly sitting up to find this small ball of fur laying over your legs, in the distance a man running over to the little puppy. The little fur ball caked in mud, just as you now were too, laying beside you, scratchig its ear, the man in the distance becoming closer and closer.

"Are you alright? did he knock you over?

Bad dog" leaning his hand out to you to help you up,

"I'm alright, no he, he didn't its okay"

"You're covered in mud, was that him? I'm so sorry"

"Don't worry its alright" you tried to keep your cool and not start blushing by the very kind, very handsome man a little taller then you. Stunning blue eyes you could get lost in, hair thick with curles. Tight white shirt, navy tie to match his trousers and blazer.

In all efforts trying to stop from blushing and becoming memorised, you didn't quite hear his question, he was looking at you, concerned,

"Oh pardon sorry, what did you ask me?"

"Are you sure your alright miss?"

"Yeah, uh yes I'm okay, I'm sorry" trying to hide your embarrassment

"No, you don't run into people then sit looking cute and loveable" said the man looking at his dog

"You're very cute and loveable" you spouted out, immediately catching the mans attention.

"The dog, um I meant.. I meant the dog sorry, I'm sorry I should go, I need to go, I am sorry. It wasn't your dog's fault I'm sorry, have a nice day I'm sorry"

You ran off, just kept running until you were home, wanting to charge your phone from the music, you must have compleately forgot to lift your phone off the grass beside you, disappearing in such a rush you didn't even think.

That man and his dog is all you thought about, dreamed about, created yourself a life with him in your head, letting your thoughts run wild. You didn't even ask his name. How silly just to run away like that.

After showering and getting cleaned up you began to re decorate your new home, rolling up the rugs for the charity shop, piling up the photos left from the previous owner, re arranging the kithcen cupboards to suit your liking.

It was now early evening, the house you walked into was so different now, sitting on the couch watching Gilmore girls from your Netflix acount, it had always made you laugh. A knock at the door draw your attention from the T.V. noone knew you were here, noone should know, what if it was someone from Kent? Someone from the life you ranaaway from? Worrying and panicking you slid down the sofa like a child hiding from the door, hearing the knocking again and someone "Hi I have something for you from the park I'm sorry" smiling as you recognised that voice, "Just a moment" You shouted back as you looked for your keys.

It was the man from the park, the handsome man who offered to help you,

"Hi, sorry i think you left your phone on the grass and there was no password, your address is in it I'm sorry I wasn't looking at anything I promise, just to return this to you."

Smiling you couldn't believe he had gone to all the trouble,

"Thank you, I'm y/n, do you want to come in?"

"I'm Tom, it's nice to meet you, I couldn't, you've just invited a perfect stranger into your home you know"

"Well Tom, a perfect stranger who offered to help me, and went to the trouble of returning my phone to my door, instead of keeping it or selling it, is rather trustworthy."

Tom took you up on the offer and came in

"I am sorry I've n been shopping yet, but I have milk and tea, would you like some tea?"

"That would be lovely thank you, you like yellow huh?"

"I just moved here, it was like that when I arrived, I do plan to redecorate, I just finished taking away the green rug to the charity earlier.

"Green?" he asked trying to hold his laughter

"It wasn't my pick, I was thinking of painting the walls a light grey colour and looking for a cream fluffy rug, some pink pillows, perhaps a coffee table"

"Don't you actually need to buy coffee first?" The two of you laughed and joked about Tom's quick sense of humour.

As the night contuined so did the conversation, hours went by, your stomach rumbled embarrassingly

"What do you like to eat? You're hungry, I'll order something over, don't worry i won't stay for dinner, but accept it as my appology fro Bobby landing on you earlier." Tom asked politly

"Thank you, please join me for dinner, I haven't spoken to someone for quite some time."

Nine months had gone by and your friendship with Tom had blossomed into something wonderful, there had been laughing, crying, paint spillages, copious amounts of food ordered, many times you had taken his little ball of fur to the park, who was not so little anymore. The two of you were really getting along. Tom was in the middle of helping you to pick the final touchings of your house. Carrying a massive stack of pink, white and grey pillows, with a vase under his arm for the living room, which now had a coffee table, as well as coffee in the kitchen cupboards. This had all come to gether so nicely, and very quickly with Tom's wonderful help.

You sat in bed that night thinking how your life had three sixtied itself, completely turning around, you brought out the case file from which you stashed the very first night there in the top dresser drawer. Having all the pages spread, almost covering the flower petals on the bed sheet completely. Seeing the trial notes for your ex-boyfriends coviction of aggraved assault. You hadn't thought of your old life in so long, noone knew, noone would understand. It wasn't your fault what happened yet somehow a part of you blamed yourself. Making a quick cup of tea on before falling asleep, throwing the papers on the floor

Making some bacon and fried eggs the following morning, waiting for Tom to appear at your door, he had mention he was off work this week and offered to come round and help you again. With breakfast ready on the table for him, he appeared at the door, A bouquett of golden sunflowers in hand

"You can't have an empty vase on your table dear" handing them to you his smile brighter then ever before

"Awh Tom there Beautiful thank you"

"Your Beautiful" kissing you before taking off his shoes. "Darling I've got somemore of your things in the boot of my car"

After breakfast you unpacked a fully loaded boot indeed, stuff for everywhere, decorative lights for the garden tree, hanging baskets for the front door, some throw blankets for around the house. "Y/n where do you want the dog bed? Also why did you buy a dog bed? You don't have a dog?"

"By the sofa please, because Bobby always ends up laying on the floor, he needs a bed too for when he comes over" Tom couldn't help but giggle that you had bought a bed for his dog, Tom hadn't even spent the nigh before, however Bobby had been a few times and fallen asleep on the stair case when he has been around for dinner.

"What about the pink blanket and the small bookshelf?" Tom shouted from the hall

"My bedroom please" you shouted back from the front door hanging the baskets at either side of the door.

Tom carried the small bookshelf and pink blanket draped over his arm up the stairs to your room, placing the shelf just by the dressing table and the blanket on your bed, accidentally knocking over a stack of papers with his feet he didnt see, bending down to pick them up it caught his attention, "aggravated assult" scanning his eyes worriedly over the papers in hand, reading the deails of you and what happened between what appeared to be an ex boyfriend. Realising that Tom was prying into something which was not his business he stacked the papers and left them on the dresser. Coming back down the stairs Tom wasn't sure how to act, should he bring it up? No best to leave it be he thought. Hearing a crash by the front door he say you laying with a broken plant pot smashed everywehre, flowers in your hair "Darling what happened?" he asked while offering you a hand up, "I was hanging the basket and there was a bee and I've never been stung so I was sartled a litlle and fell of the step and dropped it, I'm sorry"

Tom couldn't help but smile "A bee, you fell off the stairs from a bee?"

"Well, yes I've never been stung before and- why are you smiling?"

"You are so beautiful, you have flowers in your hair." Gently Tom lifted a strand of your hair tucking it behind your ear, kissing your neck , kissing just below your ear, on your collarbone, along toward your chest. Kissing you over and over. You jumped your legs and wrapped them around his waist, he carried you through to the couch tripping over almost everything in his path but not taking his eyes off you. You kissed him back everywhere possible.

That had never happened to you and Tom before, sure you had shared a kiss every time he left your house, or everytime you saw eachother, but never like that, never with such passion, never randomly out of nowhere. Tom left not long after having to take his cute little fur ball for a walk. Finishing the last few bits and tidying up, putting away the remaining items you could get comfy, get your laptop and your sweatpants, nice and cosy for the evening. Getting changed smiling at the blanket Tom put on the bed for you and the bookcase he had carried, all you did now was think about Tom, how he took care of you, how he helpd you, and how you were hiding this massive secret from him that you knew would either drive him away or break his heart for not telling him sooner. Turning toward the door you saw the stack of paper, not where you left them, thinking for a moment maybe you did put them there, "Tom, the blanket he know, oh goodness he knows, Why did he not mention anything, why didn't I tell him?" cursing yourself for not being more careful.

Lifting your phone messaging him

Please come over, I need you xx

Is everything alright? Tom replied almost instantly

No, please come over, I need to talk to you. I need to explain myself and i need to do it in person, please xxx

Tom came straight over finishing up walking Bobby, you asked him to sit down, handed him some tea and sat the pile of paper infront of him. Judging by the look on his face he already knew what it was about,

"I'm sorry Y/n I'm so sorry, i never read them i knocked them over i should have told you, I'm sorry" Poor Tom panicking thinking he was introuble

"I'm not mad, please let me explain" You took his hand in yours, taking a deep breath "It was an accident, I , he, we had an argument someone had called from his work called, a woman and he'd been coming home late working on weekends, not answering any of my text or calls, and I confronted him about it he said he didn't know and no woman worked with him and we got to shouting and he grabbed me, he hurt me I didn't mean to upset him I-" tears priking your eyes and yourvoice catching in your throat, Tom gently squeezed your hand tighter "It's alright, you don't have to tell me anymore" he said

"No I want to, I didn't mean to upset him I didn't mean to make him mad and the phone wrang again n I told him to answer it if he wasn't hiding anything, it was her on the phone he got really mad started shouting, threw the phone across the room, he threw everything he grabbed me, he threw me and hit me and broke my nose and my-" now fully accepting the tears you cried and continued "he broke my nose and my ribs and he bruised my neck and everything, he threw me Tom, he said he loved me. If I never asked him he wouldnt have-"

"Don't say that, do not blame yourself that was not your fault, do not think like that, please." Tom letting slip a few stray tears himself

"He had done it to others, he hurt them, I was in court he went to prison for a few years, he told me if he found me he would hurt me, and he would- I didn't know what to do, he has friends, ots of friends, he is everywhere, I ran I got a coach far away from there somewhere he would never look for me, somewhere with too many people he wouldn't find me, I ran, like a scared child I ran so far away from everything I knew, packed a case and ran. I'm sorry I didn't tell you, I'm sorry I didn't know how, I didn't know what to do Tom, I never ment for you to find out, not like this I'm sorry and when i saw them by the door I knew you saw it, and I thought you might think I did those things, but i didn't I never hurt anyone I swear.I'm so sorry Tom." Sobbing on the couch you felt humiliated, embarrassed, raw emotion, you sat there sobbing your heart out infront of the greatest man in the planet who didn't even know what he was getting himself into with you.

His heart was breaking for you, how could something so terrible happen to someone so sweet, so beautiful, so kind and caring, how could anyone do something like that to you, a gentle soul. You both sat crying, you cuddled up into his chest took his arms wrapping them around you, "I've got you, you'll always be safe here, noone will ever hurt you again. Not while I'm here, I'll protect you. Always."

Secrets Kept — Ethan Landry

in which you have a secret, and it’s not what ethan thinks.

Pairing: Ethan Landry x Spider-Woman!Reader (she/her pronouns used)

Warnings: minor gunshot wound, kind of escalates quickly?, mention of reader having no family (other than aunt may), slight angst, fluff, no ghostface (previous movies can still be canon i think), somewhat dialogue-heavy, mentions of Across the Spider-Verse events

Word Count: ~9k

Author’s Note: hey everyone, i do wanna apologize for promising to come back and then just. not. so im sorry for that! i have had some health/life troubles recently and long story short i won’t be releasing anymore fics after this. (i am not dying, dont worry, my energy just isnt the same). i also realized i just do not feel as passionate about writing as i used to. thank you for sticking with me, and i will keep all my fics up. for unfinished series i’ve written, anyone is free to write continuations if you wish. thank u so much again for making me feel so welcome here!!! feel free to talk to me in my inbox as i’ll be checking in periodically. and if there’s any interest, i’m willing to post unedited wips.

i guess i've come full circle because this fic was the reason i created this blog. it was unfinished so i never did post it, but i finally got some energy to do it! so enjoy (hopefully)

-

New York had been your home for a long time. All your life, actually. But sometimes, the rowdy, noisy city was suffocating.

However, swinging through the city, air resisting against your skin as you picked up speed—lifted the weight off your shoulders.

You changed in a secluded alley on the outskirts of the busyness in the big apple, not risking any neighbours seeing you go into the window of your apartment. The subway was crowded as it is all hours of the day, though you didn’t mind too much.

Closing the door behind you, you dropped your bag on the couch and looked for your roommate. “Quinn?” Your voice travelled throughout the place, bringing your roommate to her feet and outside her room.

“Hey, d’you just get back?” She smiled, leaning against the end of the hallway. “How was patrol?”

You sighed, opening the zipper of your backpack to pull out the bagel you got for her. “Yeah, it was alright. Nothing exciting.” you threw it to her, and she almost dropped it. “Got you a bagel. Thanks for covering for me.”

She scoffed in mock offence, “What did I say about throwing things? I don’t have your spider sensor, or whatever. But this is appreciated.” She took a bite, and you laughed at her remark about the spider-sense.

“Noted, sorry again.” You returned her grin. You knew she loved being in on the secret. She took joy in knowing the real identity of the masked vigilante, often covering for you around your friends when you had to leave very suddenly during movie nights and hangouts. But above all, she was a concerned friend. Always. Patched you up when you came home late at night, warned you when you were about to make a bad decision, told you to be careful before you left.

You often told yourself not to get too close. Making connections as a vigilante wasn’t ideal. Anybody who knew your identity was in danger at all times, and it didn’t help that you had a huge crush on her brother. You never uttered a word to her, but you could sense her observing you when you hung out with the friend group—not in a spidey-sense way, though, you could just feel it, even without the supernatural sense.

“Anything interesting happen while I was gone?” You asked, flopping down on the couch and turning on the tv, avoiding the news channels.

“Ethan missed you. It was kinda gross, actually. Wouldn’t stop asking where you were.” She grabbed a drink from the kitchen, disappearing from view.

You furrowed your brows, “You know I never believe you whenever you say anything about Ethan, right? Especially concerning me.”

“Not my problem, spidey. I never lie.”

“I could give you ten examples,” you chuckled.

“I never lie to you. Obviously I lie to everybody else.” She came back from the kitchen with a look.

“Is it because I’m special?”

“Obviously.”

You weren’t the nervous type. Maybe it was after you were bitten by the spider, you never really knew, but one of the main reasons Ethan may not have realized you have any semblance of feelings for him was because you acted normal around him like you did everybody else. Your schedules were different, so you rarely hung out with him for school reasons, meaning the only times he spent time with you was during group hangouts.

Including now. At his and Chad’s tiny off campus apartment.

He watched you play chess with Anika, Chad watching from the sidelines during a blitz game. Speed chess. He knew how to play chess. Maybe he should play with you, a thought grazed his mind.

As if his sister could read him, she appeared beside him and nudged him closer to the scene. “You should play.”

He looked at her with shock, “No, I’ll lose. I don’t wanna embarrass myself.”

She narrowed her eyes. “Since when has that stopped you? You never back down from a chess match, remember?” He did remember, years ago when his father taught him after Richie left for college. “It’s because you like her, isn’t it?”

He huffed. To try and prove her wrong, he went over to the coffee table and watched as you lost to Anika—maybe he has a chance.

It was his turn, now. He replaced Anika on the seat facing you, rearranging the chess pieces. “Pretty boy wants to play!” Chad exclaimed.

“Chad.” Ethan said in an almost warning tone. “What did I say about the nickname?”

You reset the chess clock. He looked at you—you were smirking—which was a mistake, because he didn’t realize you started his clock.

“Shit,” he moved a piece, fumbling. You grinned at him, and he realized he’ll do anything to see it again.

You didn’t lose your confidence, moving chess pieces to counteract his own moves.

During the middle game was when it dawned on him he was fucked.

It became clear to him you likely knew how to psych him out—just by smiling at him.

Little did he know, you smiled at him because his thinking face was adorable. But on his side, you were smiling every time he glanced at you. He had no other choice but to believe you were doing it to make him blunder, because he couldn’t make you usually smile like that, could he?

Quinn watched her brother fumble around you. Her plan worked. At least for tonight.

You ended up winning the game with ten seconds left on your clock and three on his.

You high-fived Chad, much to Ethan’s dismay, but you offered a handshake to his direction which he gladly accepted to feel your warm palm in his. Worth it.

He was mustering up to ask for a rematch when your phone buzzed on the counter, which Quinn reached to get before anyone could in case it was something spider related. And thank god she did, because it was. She gave you a nod, reading the notification about something happening downtown. You cringed internally, knowing the burden of covering for you would fall on your friend’s shoulders again. She packed your things and handed you the backpack, whispering ‘be safe’ as you take it from her, so nobody else would hear.

With a closing of the door behind you, a conversation in the room began, thanks to a suspecting Mindy.

“Why does she leave sometimes?” The woman looked to the strawberry blonde for an answer, suspecting that she knew more than she let on. “She never tells us.” They all settled on the couch as Chad flicked through streaming services for a movie and Ethan cleaned up the chessboard. He didn’t wanna seem to interested, but he was definitely actively listening for Quinn’s answer.

“Her aunt calls her sometimes to run some errands,” Quinn prayed they wouldn’t pry. She saw this coming because you’d been dealing with more calls recently and patrolling more often. There really was no other excuse for the spontaneous leaving. It was easier to cover if you were already not there—you’d be studying, grocery shopping, napping, or literally anything else.

“Aunt May?” Ethan piped up. You mentioned her once, saying you needed to get eggs for her.

“Yeah, Aunt May.”

“She never talks about her family.” Said Anika.

Quinn didn’t want to say anything else. “She’s just private, I think.”

“You know more about her than us, though.”

“Because I’m her roommate.”

Mindy’s eyes squint toward her. Tilting her head, she pursed her lips. “I think you’re lying.”

“Why would I be?”

“She’s left before, at like, one AM. Why would her aunt call her at that time?”

Quinn shrugged, feeling a little bit of panic setting in. “Who knows?”

“Is she hiding something?”

“No.” The word was so quick and curt, and that was when she knew she fucked up.

“You’re definitely lying.”

Everyone else, watching the interaction turning from teasing to tense, Sam stepped in. “Guys,” she interrupted. “If Y/N wants to tell us something, she would. I’m sure she has her reasons.”

Mindy had been suspicious for a long time. Not out of malice, she liked to think she had a naturally curious personality. She’d kept an eye on you every time you left, half because she wanted to know, but also because she was worried. Had you not been friends for long enough that you couldn’t tell them why you left or was sometimes missing?

Ethan thought similar.

It got weirder when he saw a glimpse of your name on Quinn’s phone, a call from you that she answered. She went to the kitchen to answer it. Mindy saw it too.

Ethan wasn’t proud of it, but he followed, to stay right behind the threshold of the kitchen and the cold tiled floor, listening to the conversation.

The audio from your end was inaudible, but Quinn’s responses were: “Yeah?” … “How bad is it?” … “No, I’ll be there.” … “Who cares if they get suspicious? You’re more important.”

He heard the call end and rushed back to his seat, to Quinn’s obliviousness. She grabbed her things.

“I’m tired, guys.” She announced to the group, Tara pausing the movie. “I’m gonna go home.”

“Oh,” Sam replied. “Well, be careful. Do you have your pepper spray?”

“Yes, Sam.” Quinn almost rolled her eyes at Sam’s protectiveness, but she knew it was out of real worry.

After his sister left, Ethan began the conversation this time. “I think Mindy’s right.”

Everyone turned to him.

“Quinn was talking to Y/N.”

Tara sat up. “You followed her to eavesdrop?”

Ethan shrugged, feeling scolded.

“Not cool, dude.”

“What did she say?” Sam asked curiously, now hooked. If Ethan mentioned it, it must have been important.

“Like…” A pause, “Q asked ‘how bad is it?’ then said she’ll be there. And then, like, who cares if they get suspicious.”

“They’re definitely hiding something,” Mindy stated. “But why?”

“My sister never hides anything from me. She always overshares, and I always hated it. But now she’s not. It’s probably not…good.”

“Are we sure we should talk about this?” Anika piped up next to Mindy. “Maybe it’s a problem with their apartment—a leak, or something.”

“But…” Chad spoke, “what about the suspicious part? And why would Quinn lie?”

At the same time, at your and Quinn’s apartment, you bled out on a towel placed on the couch from a gash across your stomach. You winced as your friend applied the bandage.

“Didn’t I tell you to be safe? What happened? You had a good streak going there for a while.”

“Quinn, please.”

“Also, not to alarm you, but they’re getting really suspicious. Mindy asked why you leave all the time.”

“Shit, she’s never asked that.” Your head fell against the end of the couch in defeat. “Maybe I should start distancing myself.”

Quinn’s head snapped up. “You’re not serious.”

“Dead serious.”

“Don’t make me say it.”

“Say what?” You looked at her.

“It’s a really bad idea.”

“I’m trying to keep people safe. Keep you safe. Keep everyone else in the group safe.”

“What about Ethan?”

“Including him.”

“No—“ She scoffs, “I mean, you’d…break his heart.”

You had to stop yourself from laughing. “Quinn,”

“I’m serious.” And she actually was. She might have thought her brother was a nerdy asshole. But he was her brother. “And everyone would wonder where you are. You can’t avoid them forever.”

Sitting atop a random apartment building Monday morning, your sight helped you catch a glimpse of Ethan walking amongst a crowd of New Yorkers, bumping into people with a hand on the backpack strap on his shoulder. It had been a week since you talked to Quinn about possibly leaving the group.

After that, you stopped answering messages from them, much to her dismay. She still saw you at the apartment, looking at you with silent eyes hoping you’d realize your mistake and come around again. She knew you would.

Having everybody’s schedules memorized helped you avoid them—but Anika having the same major as you was your downfall. You skipped a class yesterday, and she texted the groupchat asking where you were.

Maybe it was creepy, but keeping an eye on your friends calmed you down. You wanted to be the one to make sure they were safe without having them try to do the same thing—this was why you never wanted to get close.

Unbeknownst to you, the group had a bet going.

Mindy thought you and Quinn were dating. Ethan thought something was up in your family life, maybe Aunt May was sick. Chad thought you were in a secret fight club (secretly worried). Anika was on board with Mindy’s theory. Sam refused to answer, and Tara was also silent.

Quinn came to your room that night. “Everybody’s worried about you.”

You looked at her with begging eyes. “I know, Quinn.” You sighed in defeat. “I don’t know what to do anymore.”

“Either you tell them or not. Your choice. But you can’t avoid it forever. Everyone’s been giving you space, but they’re still thinking you’ll come around.”

You stared at her, them looked away, at anything else.

“One more thing—“ she said before she left, “don’t patrol tonight.”

“Why not?”

“I’m gonna be over at Isaac’s place. If you get hurt, I won’t be there. He thinks I’m cheating on him whenever I bail.”

You would never ask her to give up a part of her life for you, she knew you would agree. But she also knew you would never miss patrol.

“Fine, I won’t.”

She left knowing you would.

You should have listened. God, you should have listened.

Your wound from a few days ago had already healed thanks to your abilities, but another power you had was how many times you got injured in a short amount of time. Especially in the same spot. This time it was a real stab wound on your side, not just a gash a centimetre deep.

You couldn’t let yourself bleed out on the alley to be found dead and your friends to find out your identity through a news announcement that Spider-Woman was dead. You were about to swing back to your apartment—

Shit.

You didn’t have your civilian clothes. The window on the fire escape was locked. Your door was locked. Nobody was home. Idiot!

One choice. You forced your feelings down, hoping this was for the best.

Ethan and Chad’s were the closest.

With your heart pounding in your ears, holding it together and covering your wound, you knocked on the glass.

Chad came out of the hallway to furious sounding knocking on the window, thinking maybe a madman managed to climb up the fire escape and was trying to break in.

He certainly wasn’t expecting the masked vigilante of New York City to be the one on the other side of the glass. And she looked to be bleeding.

You were thankful it was Chad who answered and not Ethan. He coincidentally had Econ tonight, so that was actually a plus.

Chad opened the window. “Holy shit!”

“Look—“ You were breathing rapidly, unable to keep it together. “I’m sorry about this—“ You tried to change your voice hoping your friend wouldn’t recognize it.

“I’m gonna carry you now, okay?” He put an arm behind your back and another under your knees, trying to avoid touching the wound. “What the fuck?” You heard him whisper as he set you down on the couch.

He rushed to the bathroom for the med kit. “You’re lucky I have this,” He set it down on the floor, rummaging through it. “I play college football, I mainly have it for sprains. I never used the suture kit, but hey, first time for everything, right?” He rambled. Just as Chad does when he was nervous, also evident in the tremble of his voice.

“I heal pretty quickly, I just need stitches to stop it from bleeding.”

“Thank God. I don’t know how to operate on organs. What if you have internal bleeding?”

“Won’t matter. I’ll heal. I’d never let you touch my organs.” You joked.

“Glad to know Spider-Woman’s funny.”

You were careful not to call him by name on instinct. “What should I call you?”

“Your saviour.” He got the tools ready, “Kidding. I’m Chad.”

“‘Kay, Chad. Need me to walk you through it?”

“Yes—yes, that would be good, actually. You have medical experience?”

“If you call getting injured experience, yes.”

“This is gonna be a long night.”

Tara did not believe her boyfriend.

She was at his apartment, sitting on his bed, and he was pacing and rambling about Spider-Woman coming to this very place last night and asked the vigilante to save her. She stared at him crazy.

“Babe, you have to believe me!” He jumped up excitedly, he couldn’t keep it in.

“You didn’t get any proof?”

“She was bleeding! I stitched her up! Not really a great time to ask for an autograph or a picture.”

She smiled at him endearingly. “I wanna believe you, so, so bad.”

He came closer to her, “Please do.”

“She just happened to come here when Ethan was away?”

“Yes.”

She laughed, falling back on the bed.

“Please, babe!”

With good timing, a knock on the door took them away from the moment.

Tara went to get it, Chad on her tail.

And surprise.

It was Spider-Woman at the door.

You never intended on showing up, but the guilt consumed you and your feet brought you to a bakery and you’d purchased a dozen cupcakes before you knew it. You wanted to leave them at his door, but not trusting his neighbours, you decided to hand them over.

He wasn’t alone. You should have expected Tara. It was afternoon, and Ethan had a class early morning (why he picked it that early, you’ll never get.)

Tara’s eyes widened at the sight, immediately turning back to her boyfriend stopping him in his tracks. “Is this a prank?” She pointed a finger up at him.

Him not knowing who’s at the door, “What? Who’s at the door?” He walked past her and was equally shocked.

You lowered your voice again. “Uh,” you cleared your throat, “thanks for saving me last night.” You handed over the box of cupcakes.

“Are you joking?” Tara went to lift your mask, but you backed away. “Who are you?”

“Not a prank, promise!” You exclaimed. “This is…actually…me. Just wanted to say thanks. If not for him, I would have bled out.”

“Prove it.”

“Prove what?”

“You’re her.”

At that, you shot a web to the ceiling.

“Shit,”

“I wasn’t lying, babe.” You heard Chad whisper to her. And directed at you, “Glad I could help, spider. Come back anytime!” Tara playfully slapped him on the shoulder as you walked away.

“I’ll keep that in mind!”

You still hadn’t told Quinn about what happened last night. That was because you hadn’t seen her anywhere. She must have slept in at her boyfriend(?)’s place.

As you got home, your phone buzzed.

Bruno Mars Security Team

Chad

everyone !!!!!!!! please come over tonight !!!!!!! i have to tell you all something !!!!!!! im spiderwomans best friend now

Tara

well…

Sam

???

Quinn

Oh god

Ethan

What lol

Then, a personal message notification from Quinn.

Quinn

Wtf happened while I was gone you have to tell me

You

I HAD NO CHOICE

Quinn

Please actually come over to Chad’s. We all miss you even tho its only a few days like we’re all worried

You

i will

Chad had never been happier to see you. “You’re here! And you’re early!” He opened his arms for a hug, which you took. “I missed you!” You’d always been a little sister to him, despite being a few months apart, it mattered to him.

“Sorry I’ve been MIA,” You sighed, pulling away. “Just—dealing with stuff,” you cleared your throat.

Just then, Tara appeared and ran into your arms. You squeezed her tight, knowing she gave the best kinds of hugs. Her arms wrapped around your neck, head resting against your shoulder, fitting like a puzzle piece. “Talk to us anytime, okay?”

You nodded, ending the hug and closing the door behind you.

“What’s this about Spider-Woman?” You inquired, grabbing a drink from the fridge.

“I have to wait until everyone gets here, you guys are gonna freak! And Tara is here to back me up.”

“Is that all I’m here for?” Tara teased.

“No, honey, you know it’s also because we’re using your Netflix login.”

You laughed at their antics as she flicked him on the forehead lightly.

Ethan happened to catch you right at that moment as he came out of the bathroom.

He was silent, but shot you a smile nonetheless, which you mirrored. He really did not know what to say. A feeling bubbled up inside him and he knew he wanted to talk to you alone.

You took your place at the very end of the couch, checking something on your phone as you waited for the others to get here. Unbeknownst to you, though, Ethan was looking at you trying to decide whether it was the right time to talk. Chad and Tara were whispering to themselves, betting on if he would actually say anything.

After a few seconds, your senses told you somebody was staring. Not in a dangerous way, or even remotely alarming, but you could still feel it. So you turned your head upward and saw the curly haired boy a standing awkwardly a few feet from you.

“What’re you doing?” You smirked, though not really in a smug way. It was more amusement than anything.

“Uh—nothing, I just—“ He wandered closer, sitting a few centimetres away from you. “I—we, the group, want you to know that we’re always here if you need anything. You can talk to us, alright? You don’t—just don’t deal with it alone.” He shrugged, “That’s it.”

Your face softened at his confession. Only if you could tell them without compromising their safety. “Thanks. I’ll…keep you posted.”

Ethan didn’t know what to do now that the conversation was seemingly over.

He was about to stand up until the door swung open, Quinn coming in along with Mindy and Anika who were carrying a few boxes of pizza.

“We’re here! And we brought food!” Mindy’s voice echoed throughout the apartment.

You were going to greet them but Anika beat you to it, seeing you on the couch and running over to hug you.

Mindy did the same, relieved to see you okay.

Quinn had a knowing smile on her face.

After the room settled down, Chad began to finally tell the story.

Needless to say, nobody believed him.

By the end of the night, long past midnight, you were getting ready to leave when Ethan asked you something.

“Are you going with Quinn?”

Mindy and Anika were waiting at the door, they both got a ride from your roommate since Mindy’s car broke down a few days ago.

“No, uhm—I think I’m gonna walk home. It’s only a few blocks.”

Quinn, upon hearing you, chimed in. “Really? You sure you don’t want to?”

“Yeah, I’ll be fine.” You shared a look with her that only the two of you knew. You turned to Ethan, “Why?”

“Can I walk you?”

You were surprised, to say the least. “Really?”

“So you’re safe.”

Preparing to protest, you felt Quinn’s hand on your arm. “Let him.”

So you did.

The walk home was brisk. The streets were empty, the street lamps illuminating your synchronized steps with Ethan.

With him, silence was never awkward. It was just…quiet.

It was no secret that you were perceptive, especially to your friends. Quinn knew why, but the others thought it was just you, not something caused by the spider bite. Your senses were especially heightened around Ethan.

You would never mention it, but you knew his heartbeat sped up when he got close to you. You only caught it a few times on accident trying to listen for something else, but you’d never actually do it on purpose.

Lately it seemed he was spending more time with you since the night you came back (which was three weeks ago at this point). One, he would message you on Discord asking if you wanted to do a study call—you never failed to say yes (making Ethan giddy). Two, he began to ask you things about your life during those calls when you would both take a break from studying. Like he wanted to know more about you.

Three, you began to spend time together outside the group.

Quinn was excited for you the first time you told her that you were going to see Ethan and only him. Of course, you told her not to read into it, but when has she ever listened?

Things were going fairly well. Especially with New York as a whole, nothing too major had happened (no supervillains, thank god), only a few robberies and cats stuck in a tree.

You were sitting atop a building when a tingling sensation in the back of your neck alerted you to something. Then, as you honed your hearing, you heard glass breaking a block away.

Swinging never got old.

As you reached your destination, a small bodega being robbed, you spotted him. Ethan.

Your heart began to pound in your ears, watching from the outside as the robber trained the gun on his hostages inside the bodega, one of them being Ethan.

It was like muscle memory. Go in, threaten the robber, and if it escalated, you fought him.

“I’m going to get rid of you, Spider-Woman!” The man in the mask hissed at you, his pistol trained right at your heart. This part didn’t scare you anymore, but Ethan being here—did. “If you come any closer…” He stepped away, instead pointing the gun at some old lady, who looked scared shitless. “I’ll shoot her!” He noticed you weren’t fazed at threats against you, so he targeted the next best thing: civilians.

“Easy, there, cowboy. Why don’t you point that gun at me? I thought you wanted to get rid of me.” You tilted your head, gauging the severity of the situation.

In your peripheral vision, Ethan stepped in front of the lady, trying to usher her to the side.

God, he was an idiot—but you’d be lying if you said that didn’t warm your heart.

The robber didn’t notice because he was still staring at you, watching for any sudden movements you’d make.

It happened in three seconds.

One, you shot the web to the gun, trying to pull it back to you.

Two, the gun went off—a slip of his finger caused by your web. Before you saw who it hit, the man came at you.

Three, you took him down, knocking him out.

It was the next second that you decided your life wouldn’t be the same.

You heard a hiss, a gasp from onlookers, and you took away the magazine of the gun before your head snapped up to where the hiss came from.

Ethan.

Red was the first thing you saw. It was on that yellow cardigan he wore when it was chilly—You rushed to his side, seeing the red come from his arm. He was backed up, leaning against the wall.

He was wide-eyed, face scrunched up in pain. “Shit,” He put pressure on his wound. “It hurt less than I thought it would.”

If only he could see how the tears lined your eyes under the mask.

“We need—“ You tried to keep your voice steady— “We need to get you to a hospital.”

“I’m fine,” He hissed again as you pressed harder on his arm. “It’s just a graze.” He saw your concern.

“No—It could’ve—it could’ve hit something vital—“ Despite your knowledge that it likely didn’t, your head was spinning and rational thought weren’t exactly on the table.

The sirens reached your ears before anyone else’s.

You took a deep breath. Your head cleared.

“The ambulance is gonna get here soon, uh—“ You cleared your throat. “Don’t move, okay?” You nodded to him, and left.

Okay, you didn’t actually leave. You stayed on a rooftop across the street, a few buildings over, seeing that he was okay as he got checked out by the paramedics.

That was when you actually left. For good this time.

The timing was almost perfect—the next day, an old friend came to see you.

You weren’t expecting anybody, hanging out in an abandoned building you found in the outskirts of Brooklyn when you were a teenager.

But a black hole opened up right next to you. Maybe not a black hole, but the closest thing to it.

That was when you saw Miguel O’Hara.

Quinn had no idea that, when she woke up that morning, it would be the week she spilled your secret to the friend group.

This is how it went down.

Last evening, she told you to be careful before you left for patrol. You never came back in the morning. She didn’t see any evidence of you being there, like your shoes haphazardly thrown across the floor near the front door, or your backpack on the couch. This had happened once before and she found out you were at your Aunt May’s house—so she just sent you a text and went on with her day.

It was also the day Ethan called her and told her that he was shot. Then he texted the groupchat about what happened and they all (including Quinn) rushed over to his and Chad’s apartment to see in person that he was actually okay. A bit of a freaky situation that Ethan was caught up in that, but everyone calmed down eventually. But when Ethan told the story, Quinn hoped your disappearance had nothing to do with his getting hurt. She also noticed that he was bummed about you not being there.

It was the second day she got worried. No sign of you. Nothing on the news about Spider-Woman, either.

Bruno Mars Security Team GC

Quinn

Anybody heard from Y/N?

Chad

aren’t you her roommate

Quinn

Hasn’t been home since Saturday.

Ethan

She hasnt answered any of my texts

Chad

okay now i’m worried

tara? mindy? anika? sam?

Mindy

nope. anika says no too

Sam

Not me or Tara. I’ll try calling her

She didn’t answer

Ethan

Quinn do u know where she’d go? maybe to a family member?

Quinn

I dont know her aunt mays address

Chad

let’s wait a day to see if she turns up. if not then we’ll get together to brainstorm

You weren’t there the next day, so everyone gathered at yours and Quinn’s apartment to see what could’ve happened to you.

They all stood around the kitchen island.

“Has everybody called her?” Chad said, arms crossed. “Texting her and everything?”

Everyone nodded.

“Quinn,” Tara began. “Have you checked her room?”

She looked down, almost ashamed. “I did, actually. Nothing.”

“Do you think we should…check again? Maybe we’ll find something.”

“I’m good at snooping, if you need.” Anika added.

Quinn’s eyes slightly widened, “No!” Calming down, “I mean—no. She doesn’t like other people going through her stuff. I can because I’m her roommate—not you guys.” At times of stress, this was the best she could come up with.

“Okay…” Mindy’s eyes narrowed in suspicion. “How about an address to Aunt May’s place? Do you think we could find that somewhere?”

The realization dawned upon her—no way of getting to you. “No. But she would’ve told me if she was going there.”

“Look, Quinn.” Mindy sighed, “Can you just—be honest with us?”

The ginger nodded.

“What was the last thing she said to you?”

“I—she was going out to buy something.”

Ethan’s nostrils flared—he knew when his sister was lying. Why was she so adamant to hide your whereabouts, even if it meant you were in danger? He sighed.

“I’ve—“ Everyone’s heads snapped to Ethan at his interruption. “I’ve had enough of it, Quinn. What the fuck are you two hiding? Seriously.”

Safe to say there was nobody in that kitchen who wasn’t surprised at his sudden outburst. He didn’t care, though.

“You always fucking lie, Quinn. I can tell. Why don’t you think I can tell? She goes missing, and you’re still keeping a secret!”

Chad put a hand on his shoulder, “Dude.”

The boy took a deep breath, reminding himself where he was. “Sorry. For shouting, I mean. But you can’t just—ask us to look for her when we all know damn well that you know something we don’t.”

At that moment, she had two choices. She thought for a long moment before she couldn’t find a rational explanation as to why she shouldn’t tell them that you’re Spider-Woman—you could be dead by now.

She walked away, hearing Mindy say “Are you fucking serious?” right behind her.

They didn’t have to wait for long, because Quinn came back from your room with something in her hand. They examined the object as she threw it onto the counter.

It was a mask—Spider-Woman’s mask.

“Holy shit,” Sam was the first to say.

“Wanna know the secret?” Quinn crossed her arms. “There’s your fucking secret.” She directed it at Ethan, whose mouth was slightly open.

She took a deep breath, a similar trait to her brothers to calm herself down. “The night she left, she told me she was going on patrol. When she didn’t come back the next morning I thought she was fine. Now it’s the third day, nothing from her. Look—I might’ve—like, fucked up. I don’t know.”

“How?” Asked Mindy.

“I should’ve told you sooner.”

It was clear to them that Quinn must have had this weight on her shoulders for so long.

“I have…so many questions.” Said Chad. “So when…Spider-Woman came to my apartment, that was Y/N?” He grabbed the mask, analyzing it with his hands.

“Why do you think she came to yours? She knows you have that stupid med bag with the unused suture kit.”

“Is that why she always left?”

“Mhm.” She nodded. “I thought—things were getting better. She was getting close to us again, stopped patrolling some nights because of my brother’s stupid discord calls.”

Ethan was breathless. “What?”

“Look—point is: she didn’t want to put anybody in danger. If I didn’t find out by accident, she never would have told me. She just…cares about you guys too much. She thinks if you know she’s Spider-Woman, you’d be in danger.”

When Ethan came face to face with Spider-Woman in the bodega, it was you. That was your concern, practically radiating off of you in waves. He knew you seemed familiar, somehow. But everybody knew Spider-Woman. He knew you differently. You saved his life.

Everybody was taken aback by the news. But Sam, ever the leader, began. “She’s been protecting us this whole time. All of us. It’s time we have to do the same for her.”

“How?”

“We find her. In any way possible, even if it means we have to track down her entire family, go back to her high school friends, anything we can think of, okay?”

There was no doubt in anyone else’s mind that they were all on board with the plan.

“Let’s do it.”

ONE WEEK LATER

It was the first night in a week that Ethan got proper sleep. The exhaustion finally caught up to his body after countless sleepless nights spent poring over clues on how to find you. He’d been making progress on the Oscorp lead when the last thing he remembered was slumping over at his desk.

Which was why it was weird when he opened his eyes, he saw the ceiling. He was laying down in the comfort of his own bed. Maybe he actually went to bed and didn’t realize it. The sunlight peeking through the curtains was probably a sign to get up, get back on the investigation.

That was until he sat up and saw a figure at his desk, standing over some of the files he sorted.

It took him a second to see it was you. Was he dreaming?

“You’re finally up.” He heard the voice come from you, and saw your mouth move, and as he processed your sweet voice and the teasing lilt to it, he almost fell off his bed jumping out to rush over to you.

He almost knocked you over as his (surprisingly) muscular arms wrapped around you in a quick second, you returning the hug with a smile he could feel on his neck. He was almost speechless. Almost.

Slightly pulling away, he got a good look at you, unharmed, grinning at him with the power of a million suns. He kept his arms around your waist, keeping you close as if he was afraid you’d disappear once more. Nonetheless, he mirrored your expression as he felt your breath on his face and your arms looping around his neck, running your hands through his soft curls.

“You’re…here. You’re actually here.”

Your soft hand came to rest against his chest, feeling his heartbeat along with hearing it.

“I’m sorry I left.”

The boy shook his head, “What matters is you came back. You always did.”

“I always will, Ethan.”

YESTERDAY

It was early morning and the feeling of defeat was strong in the room. Everyone was there at your and Quinn’s apartment all with one goal: to find you. They’d started this search almost a week ago with a determination in their eyes akin to a fight for survival, mainly because it kind of was. But as the days went on and the meetings at the house got longer to discuss other possibilities surrounding the circumstances of your disappearance, the metre to measure the disappointment was getting higher.

They all sat at the couch, flipping through the news channels, all talking about how Spider-Woman hasn’t been seen in over a week. It was an alarming wake up call for the city, because crime rates had gone up significantly without the friendly neighbourhood spider watching over the residents of the city that never sleeps.

The news anchors all echoed a similar message. Where is Spider-Woman? Many have theorized that this may be the end of an era—

Sam clicked the red button on the remote, the screen turning to black. “We can’t give up.”

“I didn’t wanna have to, but—“ Tara sighed, “We said if we can’t come up with anything, we’d get the police involved.”

Chad slumped right next to her. “What are we supposed to tell them? Hey, our friend’s been missing for a week and we’re just now reporting it. And FYI, she’s the vigilante who does your job for you.”

“Not like that.”

“But we can’t tell them she’s her, right? If they find her, she’d be arrested.”

“If they find her alive, that is.” Mindy added grimly, looking at the ground.

“Dude, come on.” Her brother tapped her arm.

“I’m just saying.”

“Quinn, Ethan.” Tara refocused the conversation, “Your guys’ dad is a cop, right?”

They looked at each other before nodding.

“Can you talk to him? You don’t have to tell him anything just—find out if anything happened lately, okay? Anything new.”

Anika added, “We’re not even on the week mark. It’s tomorrow. How about we focus on our leads today, then meet again tomorrow. If there’s really nothing, we’ll go to the police, okay?”

“That sounds good.” Ethan agreed.

“Alright,” Sam exhaled. “Dismissed.”

Everyone was sleepless that night. There was the obvious tell of the bags under everyone’s eyes growing bigger, not to mention the slouching and the less than ideal attention span they had lately.

Quinn’s eyes were wide open in the dark of room, wondering and hoping you weren’t dead in some back alley somewhere.

A sound in the living room broke her out of a dazed stupor. It wasn’t too loud, but not subtle, either.

On edge, her hand shot to grab the bat right next to her bed, a gift you’d given her for self defense purposes. She was careful not to make any sound, clearly unlike this moron who was breaking into her house on the middle of the night with heavy steps.

The fridge was open, the door hiding the figure of the person behind it.

She was ready to swing—

You. The figure closed the fridge door and it was you in your suit.

Maybe it was the lack of food that caused you not to notice her presence immediately, but you heard the clacks of the wooden bat hitting the floors before you clocked your roommate fully embracing you in a bear hug.

“Quinn!” You chuckled, returning the embrace. “Missed you too.”

She pulled away abruptly after a second, a stern look on her face but a layer of worry in her eyes. “Where the hell have you been?” She grabbed your shoulders and pushed back a little, looking over your entire body, checking for injuries—but you were clean. Not even a scratch. “Shit, you’re okay.”

“I—“

She hugged you again.

That was when you realized why she reacted like this. “How long have I been gone?”

She looked at you like you were crazy. “You’ve been gone a whole week.”

“Shit. I didn’t leave a note, did I?”

The guilt on your face was apparent, but it was nothing compared to the stress everyone had gone through while you were away.

“You didn’t. All of us have been looking for you—“ Something dawned on her. “I…had to tell them.”

You didn’t react the way she expected. She expected you’d be upset—angry, even, but not this. Not you being the one to hug her this time, taking a deep breath.

During the embrace, you spoke, your voice vibrating on her shoulder as your head rested against it.

“It was so stressful, out there. I have so many things to say. But I’m so tired—I wanna explain everything later.” You sighed, “How’s Ethan?”

“He’s okay. I’ll drive you to his place tomorrow, okay?”

Mindy, Chad, Tara, Anika, and Sam all woke up in their respective apartments to a text message in the group chat.

Quinn

Can we all meet at Chad’s place today? In a few minutes. Urgent!!!

After the conversation yesterday, they all expected the worst. Maybe Quinn had gotten information from her cop dad that Spider-Woman was found dead—they were all thiniing it. Ethan, however, having been up until late, was still sound asleep, phone on silent mode.

They met at the front door of the apartment building (of course, except for Chad, who was in his bedroom staring at the text in worry), Sam looking among the group to reassure them. “Guys,” She sighed. “Maybe if’s not bad news.”

Mindy turned to her. “Really?” She sounded exhausted, almost ready to give up.

“If Quinn had really bad news, she would’ve called us. Probably, right?” Tara backed her sister up.

“Let’s just…go in. She’s probably not even here yet.”

Just then, the sound of a car approaching quickly caught their attention—Quinn’s car.

Tara was at the end of the group, giving her the advantage of seeing first who was in the passenger seat of the car, getting out.

“Y/N!” She yelled.

The rest of them turned, almost running to the middle of the street as you closed the car door, leaving Quinn to find parking. You ran to the sidewalk, running into Tara’s arms.

You could feel the warmth radiating from the group as they welcomed you back with open arms, feeling guilty that you must have made them worry for them to react like this. Knowing some of their history with the murders in Woodsboro, it must’ve been terrifying for them to think they could’ve lost another friend.

It wasn’t long until you felt the missing piece, a hole amongst them that resembled a shape in your heart: Ethan.

“Where’s Ethan?” You tried not to show panic, but it was likely obvious due to Anika immediately reassuring you.

“He’s okay! He’s fine—he’s just sleeping.”

You sighed, relief taking over. “He doesn’t usually sleep in this late.”

“He was up late last night, he said he got a good lead on you. He…” She contemplated for a moment, not wanting to worry you. “He took it pretty hard when you dropped off.”

Tara almost slapped her arm. “Yeah,” she looked to you, watching carefully for any signs of panic. “He was worried. Probably more than any of us. But you can wake him up.”

“Do you…Can you tell us what happened? Where were you?” Mindy was reluctant to ask in case it was difficult for you.

But you were happy to tell them—you figured you owed them that much after having them think you were dead for a week. “I’ll tell you inside, come on.”

Pizza and drinks were being passed around, everyone was here, and you chose to sit right beside Ethan. He couldn’t stop looking at you. You could feel it.

As you animatedly told the story of meeting other people who also had spider powers, had similar stories, Ethan then began to wonder what would be next. Would you stay? What if you wanted to go back there, be with people who really, truly understand you?

By the end of the night, the group was preparing for the sleepover. But you could tell something was troubling Ethan. You studied him from the couch while the crew was gathering pillows, and he caught your eye and said, “Wanna go to the rooftop?”

You tilted your head on instinct, confused.

“You know…good air.” He shrugged.

“Sure.”

The walk up was silent. Maybe more than silent, if that were even possible.

As he opened the door to the rooftop, you made eye contact for half a second. And in that half second, Ethan decided he won’t lose you. In that half second, you looked away, then looked up again—and he gently grabbed your wrist, pulling you close enough that you felt his breath on mingling with yours, so close that you thought he was going to kiss you. But he began to speak.

“Can I—”

And you kissed him.

It was a small one, but when you tilted your head to lean in closer and tangled your hands behind his neck—Christ.

You pulled away abruptly and he wondered if he had done something wrong. At the same time he said “Holy shit,” you asked, “Wait, that’s what you were going to ask, right?”

Once his brain recovered, he finally nodded, “Yeah. You beat me to it.”

After a pause, he began again. “Does this mean you won’t leave?”

“Leave? Who said that?”

“Well, I just thought—”

“You’re an idiot, Ethan Landry. Come here.”

Additional Author’s Note: I apologize that Ethan and Reader do not have as many moments in this. Thank you for understanding. Again, if there’s enough interest, here’s a list of fic titles I’d be able to post wips of (keep in mind these are unfinished, you’re allowed to write continuations but my one wish before leaving this site is that my work is not fed into any kind of AI and that includes character ai):

blackout (2k)

dialogue (2k ish)

the dress (900)

rain (1k)

story beats for murder party part 2 (3.2k, jot notes)

reflections (2k)

the bear au (500 ish)

thief (800)

like a fool, im thinking of you (500)

avatar:

hard to love (2k, lo’ak)

sorry for any mistakes i didnt catch during editing !

CONTEXT HERE | while i write and review part two, i hope you enjoy these memes in the meantime. as always, i want to thank you all for your support and comments.

https://www.tumblr.com/astrxq/757321046554755072/please-bring-back-spider-man-ethan-landry

FRIEND YOU SHOULD DO LIKE JEALOUS ETHAN LANDRY AND IDK PUT HARRY OSBORN IN THERE OR SUM 😭

A Shattered Glass, A Mended Heart

spider-man!ethan landry x reader

words: 6k

The autumn breeze rustled through the trees lining the campus walkway, sending a cascade of amber and gold leaves swirling around your feet. You adjusted the strap of your backpack, the weight of your textbooks a constant reminder of the mountain of assignments waiting for you and Ethan back at your shared apartment. With the chill in the air, you quickened your pace, eager to get to your next class.

As you rounded the corner of the science building, a familiar voice cut through the crisp autumn air.

"Hey! Wait up!"

You turned, surprised to see Harry Osborn jogging toward you. His designer shoes, polished to a mirror shine, barely made a sound on the concrete path. His perfectly coiffed hair was miraculously untouched by the breeze, and you couldn't help but wonder how he managed to always look so impeccably put together.

"Harry," you greeted him, your smile genuine. "I didn’t know you were back in town."

He fell into step beside you with an easy grace, his grin widening. "Just got back yesterday. Couldn't stay away from the city for too long, you know? Besides, I've got some exciting new projects in the works."

You nodded, genuinely intrigued. Harry had left college a year ago to take over his father’s company, Oscorp. In that time, he’d transformed it into a cutting-edge tech giant. "That’s great, Harry. I’m sure Ethan will be thrilled to hear about it."

For a brief moment, a flicker of something – was it disappointment? – crossed Harry’s face before his charismatic smile returned. "Oh, I’m sure he will. Speaking of which, how is our friendly neighborhood nerd?"

You playfully swatted his arm, the warmth of your gesture contrasting with the crisp air. "Be nice. Ethan’s doing well. Busy with classes and his internship, but that’s nothing new."

Harry chuckled, his eyes dancing with a hint of mischief. "Some things never change."

He paused for a moment, his expression turning more thoughtful. "Listen, I was thinking of having a little get-together this weekend. You know, to celebrate my triumphant return to New York. You should definitely come."

“I’ll check with Ethan and let you know,” you said, his eyebrow twitched in thought, clearing his throat before picking up his step again, catching up with you. 

“Right, Ethan’s totally invited as well.”

The air between you and Harry crackled with the electric tension of old friendships and unspoken words. Ethan had told you many times about how the sweet and kind Harry had been replaced by a cocky and dismissive one ever since he left for the business. 

“Perfect,” you replied, trying to keep the conversation light. The two of you walked in companionable silence for a few moments, the autumn leaves crunching beneath your steps. The campus was alive with the subdued hum of students rushing to their next classes, their breath visible in the chilly air. 

You wondered if Harry's demeanor had truly changed that much, if his new projects were as thrilling as he made them sound. The thought lingered as you both reached the entrance to your next class.

Harry glanced at his watch, then back at you, his smile easing into a more contemplative expression. "Anyway, I'll let you get to your class. But seriously, think about coming to the party. It’ll be good to catch up."

You nodded, appreciating his offer despite the undercurrent of tension you couldn't quite place. "I’ll definitely think about it. It’s good to see you back, Harry."

He gave you a quick hug, surprisingly, and then turned on his heel, heading off in the opposite direction. You watched him go, his back straight and confident as he vanished into the crowd of students, your eyebrows furrowed. 

Before you could think any harder on the sudden appearance of Harry, you felt a finger poke your side.

The unexpected poke pulled you from your thoughts, and you turned to find Ethan standing beside you, his usual wide-eyed excitement tempered with a soft smile. The slight dishevelment of Ethan’s hair, a product of a long day, only made his presence feel more comforting.

“Hey there,” Ethan said, “Got you this.” He held up the warm coffee cup to you.

You gratefully accepted the coffee from Ethan, its warmth seeping through your fingers and chasing away the autumn chill. You moved to kiss his cheek, cupping his face before fixing the hair strand that had fallen on his forehead.  "Thanks, Eth. You're a lifesaver."

Ethan's eyes crinkled with affection as he watched you take a sip. "Thought you might need a pick-me-up before your next class. How's your day been so far?"

You hesitated for a moment, unsure whether to mention your encounter with Harry just yet. "It's been... interesting," you said finally. "Actually, I ran into Harry Osborn a few minutes ago."

Ethan's stance stilled for a moment. "Oh?" he said, his voice carefully neutral. "How is he?"

“Um, he is well. I think.” you said, taking another sip and moving to link your hands together before sitting on one of the stone benches on the side of campus. “He seems excited to be back.”

Ethan’s eyes narrowed slightly, and he sat down beside you, the warmth of the coffee in your hands a stark contrast to the chill of the air. The stone bench felt solid beneath you, its surface cool but welcoming. You could sense a subtle shift in Ethan's mood, a quiet caution that spoke volumes despite his outward calm. 

“Are you not happy that he’s back? Maybe he’s not so bad anymore.”

Ethan sighed, his gaze fixed on a cluster of students hurrying past, their breath misting in the air. The campus, bathed in golden sunlight, seemed oblivious to the undercurrents of tension. His fingers drummed absently against his own coffee cup, a rhythmic counterpoint to the rustling leaves.

"I don’t know," Ethan said slowly. His voice carried a weight of unspoken concerns. "Harry’s been… different since he left. When he was here, he was one of the good guys, you know? But after he took over his father's company, he became more – well, an ass."

You nodded, understanding more than you could put into words. Ethan’s words resonated with a truth you had glimpsed in Harry’s brief visit. The charm and confidence seemed genuine, but there was a layer of something unspoken, a hint of the past that lingered in his eyes.

Ethan’s gaze softened as he looked at you. "It’s just that–" he hesitated, choosing his words carefully. “It doesn’t matter.”

You reached up to his hair again, fixing the few curly strands that had messily moved out of place because of the breeze. “How was your exam?”

Ethan's lips quirked into a small smile at your tender gesture, and for a moment, the campus around you seemed to blur, leaving just the two of you in a cocoon of shared warmth and familiarity. “It was pretty intense, but I think I did okay,” he said, his voice holding a note of cautious optimism. 

“I’m sure you did great,” you said reassuringly, giving his hand a gentle squeeze. “You always do. Besides, you’ve been working so hard lately. You deserve a break.”

Ethan’s smile widened, his eyes reflecting a mix of relief and affection. “I’ve been looking forward to catching up on some downtime. Maybe a movie night this weekend?”

You hesitated, the memory of Harry’s invitation resurfacing. 

"About this weekend," you began carefully, your eyes searching Ethan's face. "Harry mentioned he's throwing a party. He invited us both."

Ethan's expression shifted, a flicker of emotion passing across his features before settling into a carefully neutral mask. "Oh," he said, his voice measured. "I see."

You watched him closely, trying to gauge his reaction. "We don't have to go if you're not comfortable with it," you offered, your voice soft. "I know things have been... complicated with him."

Ethan was quiet for a moment, his gaze distant as he seemed to consider the situation. The campus bustled around you, students rushing to and from classes, oblivious to the delicate conversation unfolding on the stone bench.

Finally, Ethan turned back to you, a small, resigned smile on his face. "No, it's okay. Maybe it would be good to see Harry again. Who knows? Maybe things have changed."

You squeezed his hand gently, appreciating his willingness to give Harry a chance. "Are you sure?”

“Yeah, I could use a break from Uni anyway.”

“I’ll let Harry know we’ll be there."

He sighed, stretching his arms out and grinning at you before resting his chin on your shoulder, his coffee cup empty and sitting next to him. “Pizza tonight?”

As Ethan’s arms draped around you, you felt the comforting weight of his embrace, the warmth from his body a soothing balm against the cool autumn air. The campus around you seemed to fade into the background, the golden sunlight casting a soft glow over the scene. You nestled into him, savoring the simplicity of the moment.

“Pizza it is,” you agreed with a laugh, leaning into Ethan's shoulder. “And I’ll definitely need it to recover from Mr. Kunning’s lecture. He’s been relentless lately.”

Ethan’s laughter was a low rumble against your ear, a sound that always had the power to lift your spirits. 

His fingers began to trace absent circles on your back, his touch light and reassuring. When the loudly frustrating phone alarm rang from your pocket, Ethan stood up, stretching his arms above his head with a dramatic yawn. “Alright, back to the grind for you.”

You huffed, taking one last sip of your cup before resting your forehead on his chest dramatically. “You’re done for the day and I’m stuck here.”

He kissed your hair, “You’ll survive. Just think about the pizza later.”

“I’ll be thinking about it all afternoon, trust me.”

Ethan’s nose brushed against your neck, the touch tender and fleeting, a silent promise of the comfort that awaited you later. You looked up at him, catching the sparkle of mischief in his eyes as he slowly pulled away.

“Alright, off you go,” he said with a playful nudge. “And remember, the sooner you finish your classes, the sooner we get to pizza.”

You gave him a wry smile, reluctantly pulling away from the hug.  “Don’t think I’m not looking forward to it,” 

Before turning to walk away, you reached up and planted a quick, affectionate kiss on his lips. Ethan’s eyes softened, and he grinned, the hint of a smirk playing at the corners of his mouth.

He waved, his grin wide and infectious as he watched you walk away. You couldn’t help but smile, feeling his warmth linger even as he receded into the bustling campus crowd.

Later that evening, once the sky had cleared into a darker blue, you unlocked the door to your apartment, the smell of slightly burnt pizza greeting you as you stepped inside. You found Ethan in the kitchen, frantically waving a dish towel at the smoking oven.

"Uh, welcome home?" he said sheepishly, his glasses slightly askew and a smudge of flour on his cheek. "I may have slightly miscalculated the cooking time."

You couldn't help but laugh as you set down your bag and moved to help him. Ethan's cheeks reddened slightly as he ran a hand through his already messy hair. 

"Maybe we should order in instead?" you suggested, trying to suppress a giggle as Ethan sheepishly nodded in agreement, desperately throwing out the crusted and burnt pizza.

As you settled on the worn-out couch with your delivery pizza, Ethan's arm draped comfortably around your shoulders. The TV hummed softly in the background, he nipped kisses on your neck, moving to your jaw and to your collarbone as you finished your last piece, you hummed a laugh as you felt him reach your cheek – obviously wanting you to finish your last bites so he could steal a kiss.

Finally, with a playful glint in his eyes, stole the last slice of pizza from your hands, and you laughed, swatting his hand away. “I’m not done with that!” you protested, though your smile betrayed your amusement.

He shrugged, leaving it on the plate before shifting his body closer to yours, a hummed laugh escaping his lips before he placed his mouth on yours. The kiss was soft, Ethan’s lips were gentle against yours, the playful urgency of his earlier mischief replaced by a deeper, more affectionate tenderness. 

Just when Ethan’s hand moved to cup your cheek to deepen the kiss, your phone buzzed on the couch, making you both pull away. Harry’s ‘Ok, see you ;)’ text lit up your screen, a response to your earlier message saying you and Ethan would show up at his party.

You pulled back slightly, your lips still tingling from Ethan's kiss. His eyes met yours, a glint of curiosity mingling with something more unsettling – an undercurrent of jealousy.

Ethan glanced at the phone screen and the text from Harry, his expression shifting. The playfulness that had been present moments ago was replaced by a furrowed brow and a slight frown. “Harry’s already getting all chummy,” he said, his voice carrying a hint of edge.

You could sense the tension building between you, and you took Ethan’s hand gently, trying to bridge the gap. “It’s just a text. I’m sure he’s excited to see us.” 

Ethan nodded, but the tightness in his jaw suggested he was still wrestling with his feelings. He leaned back on the couch, pulling you closer to him, though the warmth of his embrace now felt slightly strained.

“Yeah, maybe.” Ethan said, his eyes not quite meeting yours, gaze shifting to the TV again.

You reached to touch his chin, tilting your head as you looked at his profile. “We don’t have to stay long. We can just make an appearance and leave if it gets uncomfortable.”

He nodded, still quiet, and moved to run his fingers over your arm, tracing circles as you toyed with his hair. “I need to cut it,” he mumbled, feeling you twist one of his curls with your fingers. “It’s too long now.”

As you ran your fingers through Ethan’s curls, the soft strands slipping through your fingers, you could feel the subtle tension in his muscles slowly easing. 

“It’s cute,” you murmured, a playful lilt in your voice. “I like the way it looks.”

"Really?" Ethan asked, his tone betraying a mix of surprise and gratitude. "I thought it was getting a bit unruly."

You smiled, leaning closer to him. "I think it looks great, I like your curls."

Ethan’s eyes softened as he looked at you, his earlier unease momentarily forgotten. He leaned in and pressed a kiss to your forehead, his lips warm and reassuring against your skin. The gesture was simple, but it carried an intimacy that made the room feel even more cozy and safe.

The hum of the TV was a comforting backdrop to your conversation. As the evening wore on, you found yourselves wrapped in each other’s presence, the earlier worries about Harry’s party momentarily pushed to the back of your minds.

____________

“Why didn’t he tell us it was fancy?” Ethan grumbled under his breath, his hand on the small of your back and the other in his jean pocket. His eyes scanned the room, all the other guests wearing much less comfortable clothes. 

His other hand was stuffed into his jeans pocket, fingers gripping nervously at the fabric. His eyes darted around the room, taking in the sea of sharply dressed guests – men in tailored shirts and women in elegant dresses, their laughter mingling with the clink of glasses and the soft strains of a live string quartet. It felt almost like you didn’t belong there.

Ethan was convinced Harry did it on purpose, to embarrass him, to rub his new persona and belittle him.

You looked down at your own outfit – a simple dress paired with comfortable shoes – feeling slightly out of place among the opulent surroundings. 

You squeezed his hand, trying to offer some comfort. “I guess we should have asked for more details.”

Harry across the room drew your attention. He was talking animatedly with a group of guests, his tailored suit hugging his frame perfectly, a sharp contrast to the more casual attire you and Ethan had opted for. His eyes met yours briefly, and he flashed a dazzling smile, waving you over.

“Well, there’s no turning back now,” you said with a small, reassuring smile. “Let’s go say hi. I’m sure Harry will understand.”

Ethan gave a reluctant nod and adjusted his slightly wrinkled shirt, trying to smooth out the creases as you both made your way through the crowd. 

As you approached, Harry’s smile widened. He greeted you with a warm hug, his demeanor friendly but carrying a certain air of polished detachment. “You came!” 

Ethan grinded his teeth, obviously noticing Harry’s ignorance of his presence, fully focused on you. 

“Ethan, good to see you!” Harry said, his tone sincere but carrying an undertone of distance. He extended his hand, which Ethan shook firmly, though his grip was slightly more reserved than usual.

Ethan forced a tight smile. Harry’s gaze moved to where Ethan’s hand rested, he lifted his brows at the grounding touch. You could sense Ethan’s irritation simmering just beneath the surface. 

Smirking, Harry took a step closer, uttering your name before offering you to go fetch a drink, he pointed at the bottle-filled table a few feet away- You reluctantly stepped away, giving Ethan one last reassuring look before making your way to grab two cups. Ethan took a step forward, ready to follow behind you and leave Harry behind, but his old friend’s pull on his shirt stopped him. 

“Still pining after her, eh? Haven’t moved on yet, I see.”

Ethan’s jaw tightened at Harry’s comment, the edge of irritation sharpening in his eyes. The gentle hum of the string quartet and the murmur of conversations around you seemed to fade as Harry’s words hung in the air. You glanced back at Ethan, noticing the flicker of hurt and frustration on his face.

“Not at all,” Ethan said, his voice a controlled rasp. He tried to mask his irritation with a forced smile, but the tension in his posture was evident. “We’re together.”

Harry’s eyes widened slightly, but his smile didn’t falter. Ethan’s eyes didn’t leave your figure, grasping at any chance to avoid Harry’s smirk and heavy stare. “Hm,” Harry taunted, “She didn’t mention it when we bumped into each other.”

Ethan wasn’t stupid, he knew Harry and he knew that tone. He was taunting him. Ethan's hands clenched at his sides, his knuckles turning white as he struggled to maintain his composure. The party around them seemed to fade into the background, the laughter and music becoming a distant hum as he focused on Harry's words.

"It was a two minute conversation," Ethan said, his voice low and controlled. He took a deep breath, trying to calm the storm of emotions brewing inside him. "Or maybe she thought you already knew, considering we've been together for a while now."

Harry's eyebrows raised slightly, a flicker of something – surprise? disappointment? – crossing his face before his usual charming smile slid back into place. "Well, congratulations are in order then," he said, clapping Ethan on the shoulder. The gesture felt more patronizing than friendly. 

Ethan's eyes narrowed at Harry's words, a mixture of hurt and anger bubbling beneath the surface. He opened his mouth to respond, but you returned at that moment, two glasses in hand.

"Here we go," you said, handing a drink to Ethan. Your smile faltered as you sensed the tension between the two men. You leaned towards Ethan, his arm instinctively wrapping around your waist.  "Is everything okay?" 

Harry's charming grin returned in full force. "Of course! Just catching up with Eth here. It's been too long, hasn't it?"

Ethan nodded stiffly, his fingers tightening around the glass. "Yeah, too long," he echoed, his voice lacking any real enthusiasm.

“How long have you been...?" He gestured between you and Ethan, his tricky smile never wavering.

Ethan opened his mouth to respond, but you beat him to it. "We've been together for almost a year now," you said, leaning into Ethan's side.

Harry couldn’t hold in a chuckle, patting Ethan’s shoulder, almost as if they were the closest friends. “How did thathappen?”

You could feel Ethan's muscles stiffen beside you, his grip on his drink tightening as Harry’s words continued to grate on his nerves. Sensing the tension, you cleared your throat, wishing to change the subject. 

The tension in Ethan's body was palpable, his arm around your waist almost rigid. You leaned into him slightly, hoping to offer some comfort.

"So, Harry," you began, trying to ease the tension, "tell us about these new projects you mentioned. They sound exciting."

Harry's eyes lit up, and he launched into an animated description of Oscorp's latest ventures. As he spoke, his gaze kept flicking back to you, his smile widening each time he caught your eye. Ethan stood silently beside you, his posture growing increasingly tense with each passing moment. 

You could feel the unease radiating from Ethan, a tangible undercurrent to the lively atmosphere of the party. As Harry delved into his latest projects, you listened with half an ear, your attention focused more on Ethan’s discomfort. His fingers drummed against his glass, the rhythm betraying his inner turmoil.

Harry’s voice rose above the murmur of the crowd, punctuated by occasional bursts of laughter from the guests. He spoke of cutting-edge technology and revolutionary breakthroughs, his enthusiasm palpable.

Every time you’d turn your head to look at Ethan, Harry’s hand would land on your arm, his posture changing to lean closer to you so you’d pay attention to him. Even though you moved away, Harry was too immersed into his own words to contemplate. 

Ethan was sure his eyes were going to pop out of their sockets if he stared at the guy in front of him any harder, a glare on his face as he gripped the cup in his hand, knuckled white. He watched as Harry made flirty comments, practically begging for your attention as he spoke, his superior tone and words itching Ethan wrong. Every time he’d mention an experiment, he’d throw a jab at Ethan’s internship.

You could see the tightness in Ethan’s jaw, the way his fingers clenched around his drink, struggling to keep his cool amidst Harry’s veiled taunts.

Harry leaned in closer, his hand resting lightly on your arm as he spoke, you shook it off but he didn’t seem to mind as he continued to speak. The closeness made Ethan’s discomfort even more palpable, and you could feel him stiffening beside you. His gaze remained fixed on Harry, his eyes narrowing with a mix of resentment and helplessness.

As Harry mentioned a recent ‘breakthrough’ at Oscorp, he casually tossed in a remark about how ‘not everyone can be on the cutting edge of technology,’ a thinly veiled jab at Ethan’s more modest internship. The words cut through Ethan like a knife, his grip on his glass tightening to the point where the glass began to crack.

You didn’t immediately notice, too absorbed in trying to smile and nod in hopes for Harry to finish his story and scurry your way home. The moment you felt Ethan’s tension peak, however, you turned to look at him and gasped.

A sharp crack echoed through the room as the glass shattered in Ethan’s hand. The fragmented pieces fell to the floor with a clatter, drawing startled glances from nearby guests. Ethan’s face went pale as he stared down at the mess, the remnants of his drink staining his fingers and the floor, a few drops of blood on his hand.

You quickly stepped forward, setting your own glass down on a nearby table before turning to Ethan. “Are you okay?” you asked, your voice filled with concern as you took his hand gently.

Ethan’s gaze was fixed on the broken glass, his breathing uneven as he tried to regain his composure. “Yeah, I’m fine,” he said, his voice strained. His attempt at a calm demeanor was betrayed by the slight tremor in his hand and the angry flush of his cheeks.

Harry’s eyes widened with a mixture of surprise and amusement, though he tried to mask it with a concerned look. “Careful there, Eth,” he said, his tone dripping with false sympathy. 

“Gotta watch out for that strength of yours” Harry joked, though he was the only one that laughed. 

The Spider-Man joke flew over everyone’s heads, but Ethan tightened his jaw, glaring daggers at him.

The party’s chatter buzzed on, but the broken glass seemed to have created a vacuum around you and Ethan. You knelt beside him, gathering the larger shards with quick, practiced movements. The sharp edges glinted ominously under the soft lighting of the room. You could feel the discomfort radiating off Ethan, his frustration a palpable force that threatened to bubble over.

“Just stay still,” you murmured, carefully avoiding the smaller shards as you focused on his injured hand. The room seemed to hold its breath as you worked, the elegant surroundings contrasting sharply with the tense drama unfolding in the corner.

Ethan’s eyes flicked between the broken glass and Harry’s insincere expression. He tried to mask his irritation with a strained smile, but his attempt to keep his cool was failing. “I’ve got it,” he said, his voice taut. “Thanks for the help.”

Harry’s false concern was almost unbearable. “You should really be more careful,” he said, his voice dripping with condescension. “Maybe not everyone’s cut out for the finer things.”

You felt your patience thin as Harry’s gaze lingered on Ethan, his smile turning into a smirk. You shot him a look of icy displeasure before focusing entirely on Ethan, whose face was now a mix of anger and embarrassment.

“It’s alright, Ethan,” you said softly, trying to soothe him. “Let me just get this cleaned up.”

As you retrieved a nearby napkin, you could feel Ethan’s eyes on Harry, his irritation barely contained. You noticed Harry’s smirk falter slightly, his eyes narrowing as he realized his attempt to needle Ethan wasn’t working as intended. The party guests had returned to their conversations, though a few still glanced over curiously.

“Do you need any help?” Harry asked, his voice carrying an edge of false concern. His gaze shifted between you and Ethan, a flicker of satisfaction dancing in his eyes at the scene unfolding before him.

“I think we’ve got it covered,” you said firmly, your tone leaving no room for further intrusion. “But thanks.”

Ethan’s hand was now reasonably cleaned, though the redness from his grip was still evident. He looked up at you, his eyes reflecting his appreciation for your support. You could see the frustration slowly ebbing away, replaced by a determined resolve.

“We’ll walk ourselves out.” you clung to Ethan’s shirt, pulling him behind you as you walked towards the door without a second look at Harry.

Ethan exhaled heavily, his shoulders slumping slightly as he tried to shake off the lingering tension as you entered the glass elevator. “I’m sorry about that,” he said, his voice low. “I didn’t mean to cause a scene.”

You shook your head, offering him a comforting smile. “He was being an ass.” you referred to what Ethan had called him just days before, earning a small smile from him.

As the glass elevator doors slid shut behind you, the distant noise of the party became a muted hum, replaced by the soft chime of the elevator’s ascent. You stood side by side with Ethan, the gentle sway of the elevator a subtle reminder of the night’s earlier chaos. The flickering lights from the cityscape outside danced across the glass, casting a kaleidoscope of colors on the walls.

Ethan’s gaze was fixed on the floor, the weight of the evening’s events still pressing heavily on his shoulders. His fingers brushed against yours, and you instinctively intertwined them, a silent gesture of solidarity and comfort.

“I’m really sorry about tonight,” Ethan said again, his voice barely above a whisper. “I didn’t expect Harry to–”

You cut him off with a gentle squeeze of his hand. “It’s not your fault, Ethan. Harry’s always been like that. It’s just who he is.”

“He was being so… touchy.” he spat out, cheeks red.

It was almost endearing to see Ethan worked up like this, his usual calm and shy demeanor replaced with a rare display of frustration. You squeezed his hand again, trying to offer as much reassurance as you could.

“I know,” you said softly, your voice barely more than a murmur. “Harry’s always had a way of pushing buttons.”

Ethan let out a deep breath, his tension slowly dissipating. “I just… I didn’t expect him to be so–” He paused, searching for the right word. “–such a jerk. I thought maybe he’d changed, or at least that he’d be civil.”

You lifted your head to look at him, your eyes meeting his with a blend of sympathy and understanding. You ran your fingers over the dirty napkin on his hand, “Does it hurt?” 

Ethan shook his head, a wry smile curling on his lips despite the sting of the glass shards embedded in his palm. “It’s more of a nuisance than anything else. It will be healed by the morning.”

You frowned, not entirely convinced by his casual dismissal. You took his hand in yours, the sharp edges of the glass catching the dim light from the streetlamp outside as you walked the street. The glass was small, but the way it glinted made you wince in sympathy.

“You need those taken out.”

Ethan’s eyes softened, a hint of vulnerability breaking through his tough exterior. “You don’t have to, you know. I can manage.”

“You’ve managed quite enough for today,” you countered firmly, steering him towards the nearest all-night pharmacy.

The inside of the store was quiet, filled with the faint scent of antiseptic and the hum of fluorescent lights. You guided Ethan to a small section of first-aid supplies, your fingers brushing over shelves stocked with bandages, antiseptic wipes, and tweezers.

He trailed behind you with a soft flush to his cheeks as the red tainted napkin in his hand got the attention of the workers. “Come,” you grabbed his free hand, pulling him to walk behind you as you paid. 

As you approached the counter, the clerk offered a polite nod, his eyes flickering briefly to the red-stained napkin. You could feel Ethan’s discomfort radiating from him, a mix of embarrassment and pain that he tried to mask with a nonchalant attitude.

The clerk rang up the items – a small bottle of antiseptic, a set of tweezers, and a package of gauze – while you kept your gaze fixed on Ethan, reassuring him with a steady, unwavering look. His eyes met yours, and in that fleeting moment, you could see a hint of gratitude. 

“You don’t have to do this,” Ethan said quietly as you finished paying.

You offered him a soft smile as you gathered the bag and headed towards the pharmacy’s exit. “I’m already here, aren’t I? Besides, someone needs to make sure you don’t end up with an infection.”

____________

“Ow!”

“Eth! If you move your hand every time I tweeze something out we’ll be here all night.” you scolded, the tweezers in your hand and Ethan’s palm up on your thigh, the apartment’s bathroom light making it easier to see the crystals.

Ethan winced as you delicately extracted another shard of glass from his palm, the bathroom light casting sharp shadows across his face. He tried to keep his hand steady, but the sharp pricks of pain made it hard for him to stay still.

“Sorry,” you said, your tone soft but firm. “Just a little longer.”

“Ow!” he whined again, pushing his hand away and reaching for the tweezers, “You’re doing it too quickly, just let me do it.”

You gave him a look, knowing just how much he hated blood and how easy it was for him to get freaked out by injuries most of the time – ironically, since he got injured very often because of his suited persona. You handed him the tweezers, an unimpressed look on your face as his hand shook, making it harder for him to catch the small piece of glass in his hand.

He slowly, very slowly, tried taking it out. He winced again. “See? Let me.” you said, moving closer to get the tweezers again. He took the chance to wrap his arm around your waist, breath tingling against your temple as you focused on his hand. 

You felt the warmth of his breath on your skin, a subtle reminder of his presence that went beyond mere physical proximity. The closeness was comforting, even if his hand was a bit of a mess right now. 

He hummed the tune of a movie you didn’t quite recognize, every now and then stopping the song to complain or make uncomfortable noises. Finally, all the glasses were out of his hand, you could see the healing powers starting to fix his skin, though the thought of it irked you out, the lessening pain in Ethan’s face made you relax.

“There we go,” you mumbled, wrapping the bandage around his hand to stop the bleeding and help speed up the spider-healing. Just as you were about to take a step back, the hand that held you close to him pushed you even closer, his head falling to your shoulder. 

“Hm,” he nudged your arms, urging you to hug him back. With a chuckle, you followed suit. 

You wrapped your arms around him, the embrace both reassuring and intimate. His body relaxed against yours, the tension that had plagued him during the ordeal slowly melting away. The soft, rhythmic rise and fall of his breathing was soothing, a silent acknowledgment of the comfort you provided.

The bathroom was quiet, save for the faint hum of the ventilation fan and the occasional drip of the used water from the sink, which added to the sense of calm that enveloped the room. 

Ethan’s voice broke the silence, his tone softer now, filled with a hint of vulnerability. “You’re really something, you know that?”

You smiled, feeling the warmth of his breath on your neck as he spoke. You leaned to plant a soft kiss to his neck, moving up to cup his cheeks and pull him in for a slow kiss. Without another word, you pulled him out of the bathroom and to the couch, he curled up beside you.

ou led Ethan out of the bathroom and into the living room, his steps slow and deliberate as he nestled against you. The faint light from the street filtered through the curtains, casting a gentle glow that added to the tranquility of the room. The soft hum of the city outside was a distant murmur, almost like a lullaby accompanying the evening’s calm.

As you both settled onto the couch, Ethan curled up beside you, his head resting comfortably on the armrest while his injured hand was carefully propped up on a pillow. The gentle rise and fall of his chest was a soothing rhythm against your side. You could feel the warmth of his body, a comforting presence that seemed to anchor you both in the stillness of the night.

You gently smoothed his hair back, the gesture tender and reassuring. “Just relax,” you murmured softly, your fingers tracing soothing patterns on his scalp.

The moments stretched on, and you let yourself drift in the quiet intimacy. The world outside seemed to pause, giving way to this small, cocoon of calm and connection. You could feel Ethan’s steady breathing, the occasional twitch of his fingers as they adjusted to the comfort of the bandaged hand.

Eventually, Ethan’s eyes fluttered closed, his head nestled against your shoulder as he drifted into a peaceful slumber. The rhythm of his breathing was steady, a comforting reminder of his presence and the bond you shared. You remained still, your arms wrapped around him protectively, savoring the tranquility of the moment.