if it isnât obvious already, im quite inactive on here but that doesnât necessarily mean im quitting/leaving :)) school has taken up all of my time and unfortunately that means no progress on writingâŚ
i wrote this update just im case anyone cared to know that i still have many works in planning bc so far it doesnât really seem like i can fully return (atm)
to make up for this, here is a list of my current wips that i hope to release if possible! (but again pls donât expect too much out of me)
summary: you never thought youâd be partners in crime with the red and blue spandex wearing hero who is not only your friend mark, but also the guy you secretly have a crush on.Â
NOTES: profanity, depictions of violence, bombings, weapons, blood/injuries, obliviousness, kissing, some sexual references and uh sexual tension but fr none of that
SUMMARY: you never thought youâd be partners in crime with the red and blue spandex wearing hero who is not only your friend mark, but also the guy you secretly have a crush on.Â
authorâs note: here it is!!! this main story takes place between 1-2 years after the prologue. i felt like the whole story was too long to combine into one + the time skip was kinda abrupt so i decided to split it in terms of plot/action :)) even tho the prologue is almost as long as the main story skndskjd. also! you donât have to read the prologue to understand but imo it would help the story make more sense? anyways, thank you for reading
âthanks for letting me borrow it,â you remark simply, throwing the oversized hoodie at markâs face.Â
he manages to catch it cleanly without a second thought, eyes still focused on the screen in front of him alongside chenle, who pauses at the interaction. still playing the game, he shoots you two a weird look. âso now you guys share clothes?âÂ
you stick your tongue out teasingly at him. âand? i would steal yours too if you let me but when have you ever offered?â chenle lets out a grunt- whether it was in response to you or because he messed up in the game, youâre not sure.
you didnât think that finding out mark lee was spiderman two years ago would lead you to spend majority (you actually calculated and it came out to be around 67%) of your time with just him, but you werenât complaining. nor did you think you would grow this close, especially with your⌠complicated feelings, but never once did you regret it.Â
it meaning confronting mark and somehow becoming his trusty sidekick that tried to make sure he didnât die (note: tried, like really fucking hard to where you think you have 10 times more wrinkles from stress).Â
you move to place the bag of food on markâs kitchen counter before looking around. âwhereâs everyone else?âÂ
i see spidermark i clicked thats just how it is ughhh the pining the everyone knows but them, how they gravitate towards each other how comfortable they are with each other ughhhhhhhh im so soft for mark i cant even
NOTES: profanity, depictions of violence, bombings, weapons, blood/injuries, obliviousness, kissing, some sexual references and uh sexual tension but fr none of that
SUMMARY: you never thought youâd be partners in crime with the red and blue spandex wearing hero who is not only your friend mark, but also the guy you secretly have a crush on.Â
authorâs note: here it is!!! this main story takes place between 1-2 years after the prologue. i felt like the whole story was too long to combine into one + the time skip was kinda abrupt so i decided to split it in terms of plot/action :)) even tho the prologue is almost as long as the main story skndskjd. also! you donât have to read the prologue to understand but imo it would help the story make more sense? anyways, thank you for reading
âthanks for letting me borrow it,â you remark simply, throwing the oversized hoodie at markâs face.Â
he manages to catch it cleanly without a second thought, eyes still focused on the screen in front of him alongside chenle, who pauses at the interaction. still playing the game, he shoots you two a weird look. âso now you guys share clothes?âÂ
you stick your tongue out teasingly at him. âand? i would steal yours too if you let me but when have you ever offered?â chenle lets out a grunt- whether it was in response to you or because he messed up in the game, youâre not sure.
you didnât think that finding out mark lee was spiderman two years ago would lead you to spend majority (you actually calculated and it came out to be around 67%) of your time with just him, but you werenât complaining. nor did you think you would grow this close, especially with your⌠complicated feelings, but never once did you regret it.Â
it meaning confronting mark and somehow becoming his trusty sidekick that tried to make sure he didnât die (note: tried, like really fucking hard to where you think you have 10 times more wrinkles from stress).Â
you move to place the bag of food on markâs kitchen counter before looking around. âwhereâs everyone else?âÂ
NOTES: profanity, depictions of violence, bombings, weapons, blood/injuries, obliviousness, kissing, some sexual references and uh sexual tension but fr none of that
SUMMARY: you never thought youâd be partners in crime with the red and blue spandex wearing hero who is not only your friend mark, but also the guy you secretly have a crush on.Â
authorâs note: here it is!!! this main story takes place between 1-2 years after the prologue. i felt like the whole story was too long to combine into one + the time skip was kinda abrupt so i decided to split it in terms of plot/action :)) even tho the prologue is almost as long as the main story skndskjd. also! you donât have to read the prologue to understand but imo it would help the story make more sense? anyways, thank you for reading
âthanks for letting me borrow it,â you remark simply, throwing the oversized hoodie at markâs face.Â
he manages to catch it cleanly without a second thought, eyes still focused on the screen in front of him alongside chenle, who pauses at the interaction. still playing the game, he shoots you two a weird look. âso now you guys share clothes?âÂ
you stick your tongue out teasingly at him. âand? i would steal yours too if you let me but when have you ever offered?â chenle lets out a grunt- whether it was in response to you or because he messed up in the game, youâre not sure.
you didnât think that finding out mark lee was spiderman two years ago would lead you to spend majority (you actually calculated and it came out to be around 67%) of your time with just him, but you werenât complaining. nor did you think you would grow this close, especially with your⌠complicated feelings, but never once did you regret it.Â
it meaning confronting mark and somehow becoming his trusty sidekick that tried to make sure he didnât die (note: tried, like really fucking hard to where you think you have 10 times more wrinkles from stress).Â
you move to place the bag of food on markâs kitchen counter before looking around. âwhereâs everyone else?âÂ
NOTES: profanity, depictions of violence, bombings, weapons, blood/injuries, obliviousness, kissing, some sexual references and uh sexual tension but fr none of that
SUMMARY: you never thought youâd be partners in crime with the red and blue spandex wearing hero who is not only your friend mark, but also the guy you secretly have a crush on.Â
authorâs note: here it is!!! this main story takes place between 1-2 years after the prologue. i felt like the whole story was too long to combine into one + the time skip was kinda abrupt so i decided to split it in terms of plot/action :)) even tho the prologue is almost as long as the main story skndskjd. also! you donât have to read the prologue to understand but imo it would help the story make more sense? anyways, thank you for reading
âthanks for letting me borrow it,â you remark simply, throwing the oversized hoodie at markâs face.Â
he manages to catch it cleanly without a second thought, eyes still focused on the screen in front of him alongside chenle, who pauses at the interaction. still playing the game, he shoots you two a weird look. âso now you guys share clothes?âÂ
you stick your tongue out teasingly at him. âand? i would steal yours too if you let me but when have you ever offered?â chenle lets out a grunt- whether it was in response to you or because he messed up in the game, youâre not sure.
you didnât think that finding out mark lee was spiderman two years ago would lead you to spend majority (you actually calculated and it came out to be around 67%) of your time with just him, but you werenât complaining. nor did you think you would grow this close, especially with your... complicated feelings, but never once did you regret it.Â
it meaning confronting mark and somehow becoming his trusty sidekick that tried to make sure he didnât die (note: tried, like really fucking hard to where you think you have 10 times more wrinkles from stress).Â
you move to place the bag of food on markâs kitchen counter before looking around. âwhereâs everyone else?âÂ
âhyuck hasnât shown up yet, and jisung went out to get drinks,â mark answered dutifully, laying back onto the couch with his hands behind his head in satisfaction as his shirt rises slightly, showing an inch or two of his bare stomach.Â
as you make your way to sit next to him, you eyes fall on the slight slip of skin. without thinking much about it, you tug his shirt down like a protective mother before landing on the couch next to him with a small oof!Â
again, chenle mumbles something under his breath at your action before shaking his head. if donghyuck was here, he thinks, you two would never hear the end of it. then again, when did you?Â
you observe the two play for some time, listening to their frustrated cries and groans.Â
eventually, jisung shows up with a heavy grocery bag, donghyuck in tow.Â
âwhat took you guys so long?â chenle complains, throwing the game controller on the table. you help jisung with the bulging bag as hyuck takes off his shoes. âsorry, i think there was some sort of shootout a couple of blocks away. the police werenât showing up- god i hate the nypd sometimes.âÂ
immediately, you freeze and jisung yelps as a couple of drinks slip from your grasp onto the floor. you donât even spare a glance at mark, looking up donghyuck instead while swallowing.Â
âand did they show up?âÂ
he shrugs harmlessly. âdunno. seemed like they were taking their sweet time though,â and you squeeze your eyes shut in frustration. peeking at mark, you notice the visible furrow of his eyebrows. he catches your eyes on him and initiates a silent conversation between you two.Â
his eyes flash at you and you sigh in defeat. âsorry guys, but me and mark have an accident. i think i left something important for our assignment back at the labs.âÂ
the boys look at you with wide eyes- well, except for mark who only gives them sheepish looks. well damn, how good did he get at lying? you once thought he wasnât a good actor but here he was proving you wrong. you couldnât say anything anymore as you were in on it too now.Â
jisung speaks up first, âis it so important that you canât wait until tomorrow to get it?âÂ
you look at mark and he shakes his head firmly. âour whole experiment will get messed up. sorry y/n, itâs really my bad,â he stares at you with a (fake?) apologetic look and you have to hold back a scoff.Â
âi need to get something from my room before we go,â he gives you a signal and you nod, only hoping he can find a good way to hide his entire suit in front of the others.Â
turns out, he can. he was spiderman, after all. mark grabs a whole overcoat, saying some random comment about how cold it was getting outside, and you practically dash out of his apartment. âsorry guys, donât wait on us,â you call out before shutting the door.Â
you both dash down the stairs, mark obviously faster than you, and you reach the bottom huffing and puffing. he finds an obscure place under the staircase to change. you were so used to it at this point that you found no reason to look away. he had his underwear on at least, mark was way too modest to go commando.Â
âwait a second,â you stare at him in desperation. âhow the hell am i going to get to your room?âÂ
he freezes. âfuck.â this was the worst time ever to have a hangout at markâs apartment. now you understood why he never offered his place back then.Â
your entire setup was crafted in his room, so you would normally stay there until mark returned from his adventures safely. but this time it was different, you couldnât sneak in with your friends there who literally just witnessed you walk out.Â
and plus, markâs room was locked (for obvious reasons).Â
âj-just go through my window, itâs unlocked.âÂ
you eyes bulge. âyour room window?â your neck cranes as you take a glance at the dark window, a grand total of five floors up. you can hear the desperation in his voice as you sigh.Â
âim sorry y/n, i didnât think this through.â obviously, neither did you. âbut we really need to hurry, at least i do. i can work without you, you know. solo was how i worked for an entire year.âÂ
you shake your head firmly. âi know that youâre capable enough, but you never know what can happen. the police might not show up like the countless times in the past where they didnât.â
heâs about to protest but you push him forward into the light. âgo, and iâll find a way. i trust you and you trust me.â
he takes a step back reluctantly and you mouth a be careful before turning to face the obstacle ahead of you. now what?Â
you grunt, climbing the rickety fireplace escape, cursing silently when you almost slip. this was way too old to be on par with current safety guidelines. but adrenaline courses through your veins (probably from fear of falling to your death) and you somehow make it up to the fifth floor without much ruckus.Â
as carefully and quietly as possible to avoid arousing suspicion from the boys literally feet away from you in markâs apartment, you unlatch his bedroom window.Â
you werenât the most graceful, but you manage to sneak in with a few soft grunts. your body was not made for this.Â
his room is dark, but you realize you cannot turn on the lights or else face death if the boys were to notice. letting out a long breath in relief of finally making it and not dying, you take out your phone flashlight and get set up.Â
you can hear the rambunctious laughs and chatter from outside. for the first time ever, you thank them for their noise.Â
in mere seconds youâre up and connected, seeing markâs point of view and whispering a can you hear me?
it doesnât take you long to recognize where he is, as it was just a few streets down from where you currently were.Â
âyeah,â he says confidently. âso you made it alright?â you roll your eyes before muttering a, âyes. barely.âÂ
but he doesnât seem to catch the last bit.Â
âdid you figure out the situation?â you study the surrounding area. he nods although you canât see it. âdonât worry, i got it all figured out.âÂ
you sit back, occasionally clicking a few buttons and whispering to mark. a few groans of pain and 10 minutes later, the situation is cleared up- no police in sight.Â
âclean,â you comment. you can hear him chuckle and you smile. ânow hurry up and come back before anyone gets suspicious.â
âyou too,â he reminds and this time you actually curse out loud. taking off the earpiece and peeking out the window, down the unsteady fire escape to the hard concrete ground, you rub at your temples.Â
you forget who really got you into this mess-Â
yourself.Â
¡ ⢠ââ ٠⧠٠ââ ⢠¡
sometimes, you didnât realize how much of your time was spent on mark. you and mark even had your own table at mickâs where late at night you would go to talk âspider strategyâ as you coined it.Â
you started going to feast with him occasionally, at first you used the excuse to just get to know mark better while helping others out, but soon you gave up and just wanted to spend more time with him selfishly. his aunt may that worked there greeted you comfortably, as well as the homeless people that were starting to remember your name the more and more you went. as well as the fact that they always mistook you two as a couple, no matter how many times you denied it. even miss may tried several times to get you to call her aunt as well, but you couldnât.Â
at work, it was the same. from the day you started acting as his âperson behind the screen,â normally you and mark would partner up for projects. the guys gave you shit for it but you always denied anything between you and mark. mostly because you always kept that secret conversation between mark and donghyuck in your heart- a wall to shield you from any kind of pain that would come from wanting something more from mark, your friend that you had feelings for since a long time ago.Â
so yes, it was fear that kept you from confessing. even if that conversation was from so long ago, you enjoyed your friendship with him now. it wasnât like you guys were besties- that title was for donghyuck and donghyuck only, but it was special. it was different since you were the only one that knew his secret. never would you want to ruin your friendship and partnership with him, if you went for that further step. that fear made you bury your feelings deep within, for as long as you could possibly still stand. you were the same coward as you were when you first started liking him.Â
but those same feelings make you realize how whipped you are for him. your coffee intake rose to at least three cups a day, to which the boys protested but man did you stay up countless days worrying for and with mark. to the point where you have to create crazy excuses to make a sprint for his place and get behind the screen or to help inconspicuously when his zipper gets stuck on his suit at work (and constantly deny the fact that you two werenât fucking in the resources closet when you got caught.)
or the moments where mark stops by your desk to talk, sometimes not about spiderman stuff and you smile happily. everyone knows it, regardless of you trying to pretend that itâs nothing and wondering if mark was doing the same or if he was truly that oblivious.Â
how when renjun from another department came to ask you for a pencil and mark suddenly appeared out of nowhere.Â
you place a hand on your racing heart. âwhat the hell are you doing here and how the hell did you get here so fast?â stupid question, but instead of replying as he normally does, mark narrows his eyes at renjun.Â
âwhy are you asking y/n for a pencil?â your mouth opens to speak but you forget how good his hearing is. it really isnât fair. perhaps you should get bit by a spider too.Â
renjun eyes him suspiciously. âthey were the first available person i saw?â you join in by shooting him a confused look too. what was he doing?Â
it wasnât the first time, either. strange enough, mark was always there anytime it was any boy that wasnât chenle, hyuck, or jisung.Â
and from an outsiders perspective, the same couldâve been said for you. whenever any girl asked mark for help or got too close physically, the unconscious deathly glares you gave in comparison to your normally meek and chill behavior was shocking to say the least.
either way, you were content with how life was now. through all the blood, sweat, and secret tears, you liked how it was right now. and you wouldnât want anything to change.Â
¡ ⢠ââ ٠⧠٠ââ ⢠¡
you take your claimed seat at mickâs as mark easily slides into the chair across from you. he asked and you agreed to meet up after work today, no questions asked.
the owner is used to you two, sending you free food occasionally since youâve become regulars there. the old man, mr. lee, always looks at the two of you with a fond smile, remarking about how he used to act like that with his wife. when you questioned him about his wife, a faraway look grew in his eyes.Â
âshe passed away, five years ago.â your mouth opened as you started to apologize. he laughed, watching you with a twinkle in his eyes.Â
âdonât worry about it. just enjoy your time with him,â he gestured to mark sitting at your table innocently waiting for you. âdonât take it for granted.âÂ
you blushed but didnât say anything, just nodding and thanking him.Â
today you figured mark wanted to meet up and talk about the app you were working on, one to interact with civilians that had issues and needed spidermanâs help, but it seems as that wasnât his intention as he sips on his water while glancing up at you with doe eyes.Â
you stifle a laugh at his expression, a fond look on your face.Â
âaunt may wants to know how youâre doing.âÂ
you raise an eyebrow. âthis is why we came to micks? to talk about that?âÂ
he gives you a playful scowl. âor maybe i just wanted to hang out with you. now answer the question.â
you clear your throat. âokay, okay. iâm good. i donât know why you have to ask me when you already know, but-â
he shakes his head in amusement. âshe likes you too much. sometimes i think even more than me.âÂ
you laugh, and he laughs at your laugh. âof course.â you pause to yawn and he stops laughing.Â
âhow much sleep are you getting?â you hate the amount of concern in his voice.Â
you shrug, âi didnât drink coffee today. after you kept lecturing me about how bad it was for me to drink so much, i started cutting down. but i suppose im still getting more sleep than you.âÂ
he clicks his tongue in disappointment. âbecause it is bad for you! and for the record, i got 5 hours of sleep yesterday.âÂ
you clap over-enthusiastically and he giggles. âim so proud of you mark lee,â you state half-sarcastically. you freeze when he reaches over and tussles your hair softly as if you were a dog.Â
âiâm proud of you too.âÂ
âfor what?âÂ
he shrugs, smiling softly. âi dunno. but i am.â your eyes crinkle as you glance at him and mark finds himself stuck on the sight. âokay, weirdo.âÂ
the conversation continues on like that, and you almost lose track of the time. when you see the numbers 12 on your phone, you grimace. âi need to get going. i completely forget about the time.â
he actually pouts. mark lee, spiderman, whatever, pouts like a five year old.
âwhat? i mean, i did too but you want to leave me that early?â
you can tell heâs joking because heâs comfortable with you, but you still sigh.Â
âmaybe im trying to be a decent human today and get home early to sleep.âÂ
âokay, we can go,â mark listens without another word, getting up to clean your table. he was always thoughtful and attentive.Â
when you both finish, saying goodbye to the poor worker left at their shift, you start on your way back home. when you feel his presence behind you, you stop and turn.Â
âwhy are you following me?â
markâs eyes are wide as he looks at you, just like a child. âto make sure youâre safe.âÂ
you cross your arms, also like a child although internally you warm up at his heartfelt gesture. âi can take care of myself, you know.â he pretends to think with an unsure look and you smack him playfully.Â
âalright, alright, i know you can. but iâm still walking with you. it makes me feel better knowing youâre safe. and thatâs with me.âÂ
you grumble some incoherent response.Â
when you reach your apartment, you urge mark to leave.
âyou want me to go that badly?â
âyeah,â you deadpan and mark fakes a sad look. you wave him off and he winks before coolly saluting goodbye.Â
once he gets out of your sight, closing the door behind you with a soft click, you exhale, tiredly placing your head on the door with a thump.Â
your hand comes over your chest, placed over your pumping heart, urging it to calm down.Â
¡ ⢠ââ ٠⧠٠ââ ⢠¡
mark isnât used to villains. heâs dealt with a couple, some with you and some without you. they werenât common and werenât the usual trivial crimes that he was used to, the ones that occurred on the daily basis in new york.Â
most of them didnât last long, the longest was the rhino, and it was about a week or two before mark was able to get him locked up.Â
he didnât even know what constituted as a villain. he figured the ones that the media talked about for more than two days and the police couldnât capture were villains. so when mark watches the news late at night as he usually did, keeping out for any crime he had to fight, heâs surprised to find a fresh criminal that new york city has discovered.Â
it piques his interest- a hacker that went by a number, of all things.Â
the number twenty four.Â
some strange hacker revealing secret information about small companies, essentially trashing their reputation and putting them out of business. it hadnât grown too serious yet, but the question remained. how did they get this information? and what were they going to do with it?
he wonders why, but the crimes committed by this strange #24 that the new reporter lists wasnât enough to make mark have a second thought.Â
yet.Â
but the number keeps appearing up in the news, and you start to get increasingly worried. when you tell mark, his reaction is a little too nonchalant for you.Â
âdidnât you hear? they just took down another company. thatâs the fifth one.âÂ
mark nods, âyeah but we all know those five were pretty corrupted. maybe theyâre doing a good thing, you know? i donât want to jump into something that might be good for new york.â
you tilt your head at his words. sometimes mark was a little too positive, a little naive to always see the good in situations. âsure those businesses were corrupt, but the way this guy is just exposing all their crimes is like a crime itself, mark. we need to watch out. if they have all this information, who knows what else theyâre able to do.â
he finally looks you in the eye. âdonât worry, y/n. i promise to intervene if things get worse, but i really think we should wait and see what happens. âÂ
you trust mark, you understand where heâs coming from. after all his years of experience, you donât question him. his promise gives you some relief, but you still have a gut feeling.Â
and it wasnât a good one.Â
so it turns out you were right, once again. youâre at the labs when you hear the repetitive sounds of the police and ambulance. not again.Â
you take a glance around you. there are people staring outside, whispering nervously. a bombing at a nearby small company.Â
and for some reason, you think you know who did it.
when mark gets the chance to escape, he makes a run for it. heâs gotten good at slipping on the suit faster, and finding a better hiding spot so no one walks in on him like you did. he leaps off the building rooftop with ease, as heâs done countless times.
he knows heâs late, but he was so distracted with work he didnât get the chance to check the news. you werenât even there with him because you got caught up at work, but you told him to be careful before he left. perhaps thereâs something he can still do. something for those innocent lives in that company building (if it was still there).Â
when he reaches the building, his heart sinks. a solid portion was scorched, burned and black. the police there yell at him to get away but he ignores them. âare there any people left in there?â mark asks.
the officer glares at him before answering. ânot that we know of. no deaths, just some injured but theyâre already on their way to the hospital. weâve got this under control, spiderman. you can leave.âÂ
he squints. âso youâre not sure?âÂ
the officer is obviously annoyed, but still answers. âthe damage is too big to assess right now. weâre still searching.âÂ
bullshit, mark knows. so instead of listening to the police, he shoots a web to swing into the damaged part of the building. make moves swiftly, swinging when he has to and running when the ground is clear enough for him to cover all possible space.Â
it doesnât seem as if thereâs anyone one as he double checks the place. who could have done this?Â
markâs about to leave, sure that no one has remained, but he freezes when he catches a glimpse of a faint light at the end of one of the rooms. cautiously, he makes his way over. and itâs just as he feared, or maybe even worse.Â
one of the undamaged company computer screens, shining brightly with only the large white numbers,Â
#24.Â
¡ ⢠ââ ٠⧠٠ââ ⢠¡
it continues like that for a week. attacks on corrupt companies and buildings. some innocent lives harmed and some not so innocent. and everytime, mark is too late. the two numbers always mocking him whenever he arrives. Â
the #24 constantly shows up on the news and mark is sick of it. he doesnât know what to do. itâs the first time thereâs no physical person, no identity or anything. just some random hacker with his own tricks as they hide behind a screen.Â
itâs even worse with the city in unrest. the police are obviously no help, and spidermanâs supporters are counting on him. but how can he do anything when he has nothing?Â
a video is released after another week of failed attempts. a muffled, distorted voice taunting spiderman to come get him. that is, if he even could.Â
youâre not much better. you try your best to get as much information to help mark, but youâre at a dead end. and the longer this goes on and the longer mark canât do anything, you can feel the tension building from within.Â
with darker eye bags each and everyday, mark becomes more quiet. you can tell his mind is constantly distracted, drifting away as he replays every failure the last few weeks. youâre trying to help him, truly.Â
so what can you do when he snaps at you- telling you to stay out of it because you could be targeted next.Â
âour whole building could be next, y/n. i really donât want to see my friends get blown up.â you frown. mark is never like this.
âmark,â you call out, âthis isnât you. i understand, you really want to get this guy, but you canât act like this.â he falters.Â
âyou canât keep pushing me away,â you press, âweâre in this together- weâve been in this together and i wonât let this dumb guy get in the way.âÂ
âonly cause you practically forced me to let you help,â he quips quietly and you scoff. âyeah and you think itâs helpful, or else you wouldâve gotten rid of me a long time ago.âÂ
well, he canât fight with that.
âcome on,â you take his hand in your warm ones, and he looks up at you. your forehead creases in concern at the sight of him. itâs like all the life has left him.Â
âdonât worry. weâll work together to get this guy. he wonât get octavius because we wonât let him. i know you wonât let him.â you stare into his dark orbs, hoping he sees your genuineness and assurance. your breath hitches when he suddenly hugs you. for some reason, you treasure this hug, inhaling his scent and familiarity.Â
âthank you, y/n.âÂ
¡ ⢠ââ ٠⧠٠ââ ⢠¡
somehow, in the dawn of the morning, you get some information.
it was a long time coming, since you started your research on this strange #24 the moment they popped up in the news. but you finally got something.Â
after reviewing the footage from mark and taking all the data from the companies attacked, locations, and most importantly, the video released to mock spiderman, you get the model of the technology they use.Â
and itâs not cheap or common. thereâs no way they couldâve gotten to where they were with a mere dell computer. no, their device came from a specific seller with a specific location in new york.Â
excited at finally finding something, you drag mark to the location where #24 bought his tech. and end up with a dead end.Â
customer confidentiality.Â
â-is fucking stupid,â you sigh. you apologize to mark but he shakes it off. âat least you found something. ha, itâs funny how you use your computer skills to find out about this guy when theyâve been doing the same this entire time.âÂ
you purse your lips. âweâre getting there, mark. i can feel it, we can get through to this fucker.âÂ
âyeah, but itâs not like i can get to them physically, you know? we have no clue who this guy really is since he hides behind that screen of his. in fact,âÂ
mark frowns before a realization hits him. he looks at you with an expression you canât read, making you feel unsure.Â
âheâs kinda like you.âÂ
¡ ⢠ââ ٠⧠٠ââ ⢠¡
as much as you reassure mark, you can tell heâs still beating himself up harshly for everything. heâs on a constant rollercoaster, sometimes in good spirits and confident that he can catch the guy, and other days down and negative.Â
you wouldâve been the same in his position. always used to helping others, being the reliable superhero that many looked up to. and then suddenly, sometimes comes and that preconception is shattered. people are hurt, people are scared, and you think itâs all your fault.Â
youâre usually the one at markâs place, not the other way around. and youâre mostly by his side when he goes out to fight crime, at the same desk watching over him. so what do you do when mark shows up at your place, as spiderman, obviously out on his rendezvous without letting you know?Â
right as you open the door and see his expression, you know it isnât good.Â
he stalks in, tense and rigid without a single word. âmark!â you watch him, surprised. âwhatâs going on?â
he shakes his head, breathing heavily. âi canât get this guy. no matter what, i donât know what to do. everything weâve tried, heâs just going to take it all to ruin.â
you place an hand on his shoulder, prompting him to look at you. you shiver at his bloodshot eyes through the mask, utterly soulless.Â
âtrust me, we will. this guy canât go on forever, you know. you canât give up, youâre spiderman-â
âand yet im still here, struggling,â he cuts you off with ferocity that youâve never seen. taken aback, you place two hands on his masked face. suddenly, the atmosphere feels different, a little more tension.Â
âdonât you trust me?â you ask. he nods, not moving to remove your hands off his cheeks and almost leaning into your touch.Â
an uncontrollable force acts over you, and you slowly peel off his mask, revealing his intense dark orbs that seem so vulnerable in front of you. youâre the only one who gets to see him like this. spiderman as a normal human being. as mark lee. youâve always been the only one.Â
slowly, he leans in and your breath hitches. you feel his warm breath hit your face, counting the seconds as you feel him get closer. contrary to your expectations, his lips donât meet yours softly. instead, as your eyes close instinctively, his mouth eagerly meets yours. somehow, your hands find their way into his hair and his around your waist. it lasts too short- no, too long. you feel selfish, even when he was the one who initiated the kiss.Â
you break it, catching your breath as mark watches you intently. it takes you a second to catch your bearings as your fingertips raise to your lips, touching the soft flesh delicately. âwe-we shouldnât have done that,â you whisper hoarsely.Â
hurt flashes across his face. what?Â
he gets interrupted by the sound of police sirens. you look away, âplease... go.â
youâre not sure if youâre happy or disappointed that he listens to you.Â
¡ ⢠ââ ٠⧠٠ââ ⢠¡
you canât fall asleep. the kiss from a few hours ago replays in your head constantly. what were you thinking? and more importantly, what was he thinking?Â
to take your mind off him, you decide to focus on more important matters, like finding #24 and stopping them. somehow, running on two hours of sleep the day before, youâre able to hack into the shopâs buyers list.Â
it takes the overheating of your computer and two cups of coffee, but you finally trace the credit card that the purchase was tracked to. from then on, it was easy to find the location and name.Â
but not wanting to act too hastily, you continue your dig deeper. itâs a little too easy to find #24âs place of residence.Â
your first instinct is to call mark, but obviously that plan is now to shreds. you hesitate before hitting his contact, finding your newly discovered information to be too precious to wait.Â
you have another gut feeling that #24 is going to strike soon. after more than four days of radio silence from the hacker, you have a feeling theyâre planning something big- and it isnât going to be good. studying their past actions, they keep targeting bigger and bigger corporations now that traction has been gained. and youâre scared to where #24 going to choose next.Â
markâs phone is off, or he blocked you- which you kinda (read: definitely) understand after you simply told him to leave after he kissed you.Â
you reflect on him from your interactions the past few days- the dullness in his eyes. even the boys commented on his attitude change, which he credited to overworking. just like you, you bitterly chuckle.Â
maybe⌠you glance down at the address. if he was busy (or ignoring you), you could go by yourself. just check it out, harmlessly, right?Â
just in case, you bring pepper spray with you. you werenât sure what was going to be happen, so at least be somewhat safe than sorry. youâre sure youâre being an idiot right now, and you should find mark, but something tells you that you need to hurry and if that meant to go alone, you would.Â
itâs a little too easy for you to bust open the apartment door of #24âs supposed place of living, or youâre getting good at the superhero stuff, which you doubt is the case.Â
itâs empty, at least in terms of people. the place is dusty and dirty, not much to your surprise. you do your best not to leave any tracks behind, but as you continue through the place, the more awestruck you are.Â
countless papers and research are littered all over the place, like a detective in a movie. binders and books of data and information are scattered across the place. you assume itâs all the information on those corrupt businesses that #24 gathered with their crazy genius hacking skills.Â
you want to be quick, so you take a billion pictures before leaving, heart racing and hands clammy.Â
when you get to the safety of your place, you finally relax and allow yourself to study the photos. the first thing was a map, countless red circles over locations caught your eye.Â
as you examine it, you notice the specific locations that care circled. itâs all the places where #24 attacked. all the companies that were terrorized, destroyed without a second thought.Â
you always wondered what was his motive. and as you look through the pictures you took- you realize this person has a seriously messed up conception of justice in the world.Â
how does attacking innocent people and destroying years of work make up for the heinous secret crimes of those companies?Â
but you frown, zooming in on the map again. you looked and there was another big circle with a date, today at 7am. you check the time, currently 4am. it was the 24th circle, you counted.Â
and it was circled around the octavius building.Â
¡ ⢠ââ ٠⧠٠ââ ⢠¡
you spam call mark, but he doesnât pick up. you send voicemails in hopes that heâll desperately pick up. as you keep looking through the photos, more and more horror fills you. all of #24âs plans, you attempt to tell him. but you donât let him know the things beginning to formulate in your brain.Â
#24âs previous and current plans all perfectly laid out. you honestly hate the fact that you were able to hack into his stuff, and how no one else has yet.Â
you know everything- all the pieces fit together. his plan? bomb octavius industries, as if the giant red circle around the building wasnât blatant enough.Â
but not just that.Â
feast too. #24 wants to threaten bombing the homeless shelter filled with unsuspecting people in order to make spiderman reveal his identity. quite literally killing two birds with one stone.Â
and if this plan goes through, everything will come crashing down.
you looked everywhere, but you canât find mark. the one time you need him, you fucked up and have no idea where he went.Â
you give up on him. but not yourself.Â
you wonât let feast and innocent people die, nor make mark choose between himself and the city, because you know what he would do, the selfless motherfucker.Â
¡ ⢠ââ ٠⧠٠ââ ⢠¡
itâs strange seeing the place youâve worked at for years empty, as youâve never had a reason to come so early in the morning. your hands shake when you scan your keycard to enter the building.Â
if everything goes according to your plan, no one will get hurt and no one will have to know anything. are you stupid for doing this alone? yes. are you stupid for wanting to be selfless when you know itâs full on selfish? yes.Â
are you stupid? yes.Â
and yet, you keep going on.Â
you know mark would never let you go, but youâre the only one who knows is to stop this. all the knowledge youâve gained over the years, choosing to become markâs sidekick and help him behind the computers, you choose to believe itâs led you to this moment.Â
you check the time and curse. almost 6am already, you need to hurry. all your time figuring how to work this solution out took longer than you expected.Â
you donât know how, but you make it. you press the highest floor button on the elevator and wait to get to where #24 plans to broadcast it all. all in order to see spidermanâs demise.Â
and you wonât let it happen.Â
if mark was here- no, you shut the thought down. no thinking about mark. just get in and out, before #24 shows up.Â
you race down the hallway, knowing exactly which computer and room. easy, youâll take down the broadcast and hack the bomb software so it malfunctions. you just have to be fast, before #24 gets here. you swiftly open the door-Â
only for fear to strike through you.Â
he said 7- so why is he here now-?!
the masked figure seems surprised at your presence. you stand there, unmoving as you take in the situation.Â
âwell, this is a surprise.â
the unfamiliar voice makes shivers go down your spine. âhow did you find out my plans?â
you donât respond, hands squeezing into fists. as #24 -you assume- gets up, you back away. but heâs faster and you cry out.Â
âdonât worry,â his tone is too calm for your liking. you can feel your body shaking in his grasp, âi wonât hurt you. for now.âÂ
you find yourself tied up to a chair and curse the world for being so stupid. the figure tilts their head, studying you. âiâm impressed that you got this far. how exactly did you do it?â
it was easier than expected, you think but refuse to answer, to do anything. you need to make up another plan. he knows interrogating you wonât work, so he starts talking about spiderman. you tense.Â
âitâs surprising how a random civilian like you got here, but spiderman himself couldnât. why do you think that is?âÂ
you avoid eye contact, trying to keep your emotions in check. you know all the pain mark has been through because of this person, all the pain many people have gone through.Â
âdonât tell me you were trying to stop my plans to be a hero like him. i always wondered what was so charming about spiderman,â you hate the venomous tone in his voice when he says it. âhow the city people fall for an idiot like hi-â
âheâs not an idiot,â you cut him off, tone deadly. but you see the sudden change in his posture, and you know you fucked up.Â
âoh, so you know him?â
âw-who doesnât?â you shift uncomfortably, but itâs too late. he can see through it.Â
you curse internally as he unsheathes a clean, sharp knife.Â
¡ ⢠ââ ٠⧠٠ââ ⢠¡
mark stays up after leaving your place and dealing with the minor crime with the police that so rudely interrupted you two. he goes to his secret rooftop, some abandoned one he never told anyone about, even you.Â
itâs just a place for him to be alone with his thoughts, and honestly he stopped going as much when you became his sidekick because he didnât need a place of refuge when you were his place of refuge.Â
but not today.Â
he punches the poor punching bag, and it looks like itâs about to break from all of markâs frustration and confusion. he doesnât notice the sun rising or the 13 missed calls from his phone. heâs too lost in his thoughts to realize.Â
itâs not until he hears the sound of kids clamoring on their way to school when he finally snaps out of it. he checks the time, damn. 7am was too early- he completely forgot the pain of waking up early and going to school at the crack of dawn. it fucking sucked, but he supposes it was so much better to be an innocent kid that focused dutifully on their lives instead of being a working adult that had everything and anything to worry about. especially one that was a superhero who had no time to think about himself in order to save the city.Â
the exhaustion hits him as he feels the sweat slide down his face. grimacing, mark checks his phone. when he sees the missed calls from you, he almost throws his phone out and into the city. but seeing the amount of times you called, an uneasy feeling sinks into his bones. he plays your latest voicemail. the more he listens, the colder his blood runs.
but heâs too late. and by the time he gets there, the broadcast has officially started.Â
but unlike your voicemails, what he sees on screen is not #24, but instead a person tied up and blindfolded in a dark space, which he supposes is at the octavius building. and the timer- for the bombs.Â
but the silhouette looks a little too familiar, like-
you. it has to be you. who else knew about the plans except for the person that told mark?Â
mark swears he sees red.Â
he canât think clearly, not when he has no idea how you got there without him, without letting him know anything-
fuck, mark curses. the video plays all over the city, and he knows the police are working hard but itâs not enough.Â
marks throws on his suit and basically flies over to the building. he doesnât care about being sneaky like he usually was- he simply alerts the police to evacuate feast to safety as he takes care of octavius industries. he has to when youâre there and thereâs bombs involved.Â
he has no idea where exactly you are, so he swings through each and every floor until he reaches the 10th. when mark scans the floor, and one of the room doors is closed, his senses tingle.Â
it has to be.Â
perhaps he was acting a little too hastily for his own good, busting down the door as he hears the timer echo in his head. less than 10 minutes until 7 am. he rushes in, but stops at the sight of you.
mouth gagged, you let out a tiny, helpless sound when you see spiderman, and #24 only laughs at the sight of the hero.Â
âyou finally joined the party.âÂ
mark assesses the situation. you tied up. #24 with a knife. the computer where it all stems from.Â
âif you do anything,â #24 warns as he moves closer to you and you grunt, âthey get it.âÂ
easy. mark grabs the knife with his web, slinging it out of the window with a loud crash in order to ensure that itâs effective out of reach. he can worry about the damage repairs later.Â
but distracted while making sure the weapon was gone, #24 hastily grabs a monitor and slings it at mark. you let out a strangled sound and mark is ably to dodge it. so thatâs how you wanna play, he huffs.Â
he knows he can kick #24âs ass, but he doesnât want to be too hasty when youâre there. damn it y/n, you shouldâve stayed home.Â
his eyes flick between the computer thatâs still counting down and you staring bullets into #24. even mark still has the time to shiver at your deadly glare.Â
but when he hears the familiar click of a gun, he freezes. #24 stands there, shaking as he holds it to your head. âif you come any closer, iâll do it.âÂ
mark tries to keep cool. he holds his hands out but heâs essentially unable to move.Â
you look into markâs eyes, a little too calm for your own good. you canât speak telepathically, but your eyes explain for you.Â
âwhy are you doing this?â spiderman asks calmly, waiting.Â
#24 chuckles. âso now you want my backstory, huh?â he presses the gun closer to your head and you flinch this time.Â
âwell since weâve got time,â he looks at the bright red numbers counting down to 0, âi suppose i can let you know. my father worked for one of these⌠wretched companies. one that didnât care about the workers and were greedy for money. they ruined his life, my life. my family went bankrupt and my father died trying to repair it all as my mother left us. so i vowed to get revenge, and it wasnât hard. just a couple of clicks to get in and now i have all their information. all the illegal stuff to ruin each and every one of those businesses. i would be the one to stop it all, to destroy the endless cycle of suffering and pain.âÂ
and then he looks mark straight in the eye, âi just didnât expect a certain bug to get in the way.âÂ
right then and there, as #24 is distracted talking, you, who had been moving slightly underneath #24, give the slightest of nods to mark, who watches you with confusion.Â
in that split second, you burst through the ropes that tied you back, and kick the guy in the balls. quite hard.Â
while tied up for some time waiting for mark, there were a couple of options your brain sorted through. you at first wanted to use the pepper spray that you forgot about in your pocket but saw the mask #24 had on. plan failed.Â
then you set to undoing the ropes that #24 had spontaneously found in the building, not knowing anyone was going to show up and try to foil his plans. the knot was extremely tight but you had time while waiting for mark, so you set to working on it inconspicuously to not alert the guy.Â
all it took was distraction by mark to finally get out of it and hit #24 where it hurt the most. literally.Â
as the guy crumples to the ground in pain (youâre sure of it), mark takes the opportunity to web him up against the while. double just to make sure. and with an extra punch to the face for all the past few weeks, mark couldnât help it.Â
you rush to the computer, hands shaking as you try to hack the stupid thing. mark runs to your side as he checks the timer-
 0:59.Â
âcome on y/n, i know you can do it.â
you shake your head, typing so fast as tears brim your eyes. itâs not the most difficult thing youâve ever done, but itâs unfamiliar territory, #24âs own software.Â
your fingers fly across the keyboard, furious typing sounds fill the building. your body is shaking, adrenaline filling you as you try countless things to get into the database. mark can do nothing except watch you work, completely foreign to the world of hacking, to what you do.Â
 âi-i donât think i can get it in time, mark. the-the building, itâs going to explode.âÂ
you keep pressing the enter button in desperation, but it doesnât work. you cry out as your head whips to catch the time. 0:06.
growling in frustration, mark looks around the room. almost about to fly out to attempt to get the bombs himself, he looks at the timer that flashes with 3 seconds left, and mark instead decides otherwise. Â
âbrace yourself,â he shouts as you look up at him with wide eyes. he webshoots you to him, moving as far away as he can and shielding you from the impact as he squeezes his eyes shut.
you also close your eyes, trying your best to focus on the warmth of markâs embrace around you as the timer goes out.Â
contrary to your expectations, all you hear is a pop! and your eyes slowly open. getting out of markâs embrace, you look at the sight in front of you. only the computer is blown up- a decoy.Â
mark stands rigid next to you and you look at him, bewildered. âdid heâŚâ
âfake it?â mark finishes, glancing at you with a grim expression. he nods briefly. âit mustâve been a decoy, judging how we didnât hear anything else.âÂ
thatâs when he can hear the sounds of people oncoming, and he assumes itâs the police.Â
you let out a sigh, feeling woozy from what just took place. mark immediately brings you to him, keeping you safe in his arms. and youâre constantly trembling in his arms as he continues to whisper, âyouâre okay, youâre okay, youâre okay nowâŚâ over and over.Â
mark hugs you and you squeeze so tight as if you were never going to let go.Â
eventually mark lets go to scold you. even without seeing his face fully behind the mask, you know how upset he is.Â
âhow could you have gone without letting me now? how could you have been so reckless? what would have happened if i didnât make it in time?â you shrink further into yourself the more and more angry he gets.Â
âi could have lost you, y/n! you mean too much to me, what would i have done if you died?âÂ
you avoid eye contact as you ask softly, âbut how much?â
he stops. âwhat?â Â
you finally look at mark with a strange intensity in your eyes. âso what?â you say and it catches him off guard.Â
âw-what do you mean?âÂ
you shudder. âi have feelings for you, mark. are you that dense or just plain stupid? i donât know how long i can go on with this- where you take and give but never tell me the truth.âÂ
he stares at you, dumbfounded.Â
thatâs when the police burst in. they interrupt the rest of your conversation, taking you away for examining and questioning. you give him a defeated glance before turning away. Â
mark can only watch you stalk off with the police and his gloved hands clench into fists.Â
the rest of the commotion fades away. heâs occupied by thoughts of you, and he stares at the floor.Â
âiâve loved you since the first day we met,â he murmurs aloud to no one in particular.Â
¡ ⢠ââ ٠⧠٠ââ ⢠¡
one month laterâŚ
markâs back in action, joking around with thugs before kicking their asses. heâs feeling a lot better after #24 was arrested and sent to jail, but he still feels empty. empty because after every fight, he returns home alone. and lonely. he no longer has his partner-in-crime. no more of your pleasant voice that would return his jokes as he quite literally punched a guy in the face or welcome him back after a long day of fighting crime.
it was for the better, he decided quickly on. after the latest stunt, your safety was more important than helping his superhero antics. and if that meant deciding to cut off all contact with you, so be it. (even if he was disappointed by the lack of effort you put up against it, not even a single call or motion of protest on your side..)
everyone at work notices it. the fact that you avoid him and the fact that mark is not the same bubbly guy he used to be when he was around you. the boys decide not to ask when they realize itâs a touchy subject and you gratefully hang out with them more to distract yourself with all the sudden free time you obtained, excluding mark.Â
no more late night visits to mickâs, and the owner fears the worst has happened to you two when mark shows up occasionally, alone and miserable looking. even at feast (still perfectly intact and thriving), some of the guys have commented on his unnatural behavior.Â
âhey, lee.â mr. stan calls out, inviting him over to his makeshift bed. mark trudges over, sitting down. he attempts to shoot him a grin, but it comes out half-heartedly. âwhatâs up?â
âyou okay? you havenât seemed like yourself lately. aunt may is worried, you know.â
mark looks down at his hands. ânah, itâs nothingâŚâ mr. stan pats him on the back.Â
âchin up, maybe you should talk to that girlfriend of yours. sheâs too good for this world. man, last week when she came and threw a surprise party for gloriaâs 70th party-â
markâs head shoots up. âwhat? y/n came to feast?â mr. stan frowns. âyou donât even know? your girlfriend comes every thursday. thatâs even more than you now, mark.âÂ
he says with a teasing lilt. his expression softens.Â
âshe cares so much for you, i think you should talk to her about it if itâs been bothering you that much.â
the action of his mouth automatically forming the words, sheâs not my girlfriend⌠abruptly stops.Â
mark shows up at your door that night with your favorite succulents because he remembers all the times you complained about flowers dying too soon. you open the door with messy hair and dark eye bags- your trademark- but he thinks you look so beautiful.Â
your eyes widen. âmark?â
mark stands there, suddenly finding it hard to breathe. you notice whatâs in his hands, and your expression hardens. âif youâre here to apologize, nowâs not a good time.â you move to shut the door, but mark easily stops you.
âplease let me in.â his pleading eyes make you relent, but not without a frustrated huff. he didnât realize how much he missed seeing your place, your things, the smell of you. the existence of you.Â
âwhat do you want?â you demand, and mark blanks. he didnât really think this through, only knowing that he had to see you and see you now.Â
âiâŚ.â he starts, biting his lip, and you raise an eyebrow.Â
âi had no clue you felt that way about me,â he finally gets out. âand i assure you i wouldnât have acted the way i did if i knew. y-you didnât deserve that, and iâm so sorry.â
you grit your teeth. all your pent up feelings that you worked so hard to keep away escape.Â
âi have liked you for two years. iâve been by your side this whole time, and not once have i ever gotten the notion that you returned any feelings. to me, there wasnât anything at all on your side so i kept it to myself. i was fine with that. but when you say that i mean so much to you and-â you gesture to the plant in his hands, âdo things like that, itâs so, so hard to pretend thereâs nothing-â your voice breaks and you rub your temple in frustration.Â
mark calls out your name.
your head starts to pound, mustering up the energy to fight with mark, freaking mark lee of all people was so much more draining than you thought. you hate the silence. you hate how this is what has become of you two.
âi- i was scared. i was scared to put you in danger and i was scared of losing you, until i almost did. but, i do know that iâve loved you for two years. and i⌠i still do. ever since i took on spiderman, my whole life has changed, my whole world. maybe back then i didnât want any more with you but that doesnât mean my feelings have changed.â he says softly. Â
your head snaps up, looking at him with raised eyebrows. âmark?â
âi love you.â that tender gaze never failed to make your heart skip. he takes a hesitant step, and then another until heâs so close you can hear and feel his breath.Â
your body malfunctions- your eyes start to flutter shut as his face grows closer to yours, his familiar warmth encasing you. as your lips part and your breaths mix, you can feel the faintest graze of his nose bridge against your cheek.Â
mark whispers, âlook at me.â
you obey his command, slowly peeking your eyes open. you canât seem to focus on his eyes, not even attempting to hide your gaze trailing down to his lips. you bet- no, know heâs doing the same. and when his arms encircle your waist, and your hands move with ease to wrap around his neck, it feels too good, too natural to be true.
you know canât let this go. and mark knows for sure now, neither can he.Â
happy fourth of july to anyone who celebrates it and if not then i still hope you have a great day :)Â
HEYYY omg i just wanna ask regarding the spidermark one is it necessary for us to read the teaser 8k (thats a lot for a teaser đł) or you will include all that later in the main fic? bc i wanna read it but i usually never really read teaser i prefer to read the full one hahaha đ
hi!!! no it is not included in the main fic BUT you donât have to read the prologue to understand the story (if you donât want to). yes it is long lolol thatâs why i didnât want to label it exactly as a teaser :)
tbh its more like a part one but since it occurs some time before the main fic i just decided to call it a âprologueâ sofnekdnkd
hiiiii!! I absolutely loved your spidermark piece!! It's so good and I can't believe it's only the prologue!! I'm so excited for what you have planned! but um I just wanted to let you know that at the beginning of the fic you mentioned octavius industries but throughout the fic you referred it as oscorp 2 or 3 times! Just wanted to let you know, in case you missed it!
thank you so much and thank you so so much for telling me!! luckily in the real fic (which will be posted vv soon lol) i didnt make that stupid mistake đ
but again im so grateful to you so i can fix it- idk how i got them mixed up oddneknd
NOTES: profanity, depictions of violence, weapons, blood/injuries, all around obliviousness, not proofread im sorry i write at like the peak of dawn
SUMMARY: you never thought youâd be partners in crime with the red and blue spandex wearing hero who is not only your friend mark, but also the guy you secretly have a crush on.Â
authorâs note: hihi! for the first time i decided to write a prologue for one of my upcoming wips (mainly bc it would be too long if i included all the backstory into the original fic lmao) anyways this serves as a sort of teaser so hopefully its alright :) - jae
all throughout highschool, you didnât really classify your life to be âexcitingâ. you lived in one of the biggest and busiest cities in the country and yet no long lasting love interests, cutthroat drama between your friends, not even a social life to begin with. you supposed it was your choice, after all. you were the one who chose a simple and mundane life and now you had to stick with it.Â
the pace didnât really pick up until you turned eighteen and obtained an internship at the newly reformed octavius industries. it was your choice to go into the stem-based field and you did not regret it one bit. the environment was always friendly and you felt normal- as normal as a human doing whatever they wanted to do could be. and surprisingly, it wasnât hard to form a friend group among the other interns who had similar aspirations (and social anxiety) as you.Â
lee donghyuck was the first person you met at the labs. entering the company as interns together on the first day, you classified him as the annoyingly bright guy that needed to fucking chill sometimes- and he agreed when you told him that. next was chenle and jisung. they were the two peas in a pod and to be honest, they needed to chill more than donghyuck. nevertheless, they were a breath of fresh air in your stress-filled life.Â
last but certainly not least, was mark lee. you wonât lie, at first you struggled to connect with him. he was already close friends with donghyuck, chenle, and jisung from high school, so you were actually the newcomer. it wasnât anything like he gave off âweird vibesâ to you, mark was just a lot quieter than the other guys and you didnât know as much about him. when you asked jisung, that boy just shrugged and said he started acting like that about a year ago but the subject was touchy so they dropped it. apparently, itâs been fine ever since.Â
to you, mark was just the mysterious guy with a secret. oh for sure, that man was hiding things from the rest of you and you especially were determined to figure out whatever it was. all those cuts and scraps decorating his knuckles and face that came from his âhobbyâ when you questioned him, yeah no- you didnât believe any of that bullshit.Â
as the #1 spidermark enthusiast, I gotta say, this is actual perfection!! Masterpiece from start to finish!
Just 8k words of perfection!! and itâs only a prologue!?!? fuck Iâm so fucking excited for the rest!! I am in love with the way this is written!! Itâs really carefree and fun, yet full of heart, just like any spiderman (or spidermark, in this case) work should be!
NOTES: profanity, depictions of violence, weapons, blood/injuries, all around obliviousness, not proofread im sorry i write at like the peak of dawn
SUMMARY: you never thought youâd be partners in crime with the red and blue spandex wearing hero who is not only your friend mark, but also the guy you secretly have a crush on.Â
authorâs note: hihi! for the first time i decided to write a prologue for one of my upcoming wips (mainly bc it would be too long if i included all the backstory into the original fic lmao) anyways this serves as a sort of teaser so hopefully its alright :) - jae
all throughout highschool, you didnât really classify your life to be âexcitingâ. you lived in one of the biggest and busiest cities in the country and yet no long lasting love interests, cutthroat drama between your friends, not even a social life to begin with. you supposed it was your choice, after all. you were the one who chose a simple and mundane life and now you had to stick with it.Â
the pace didnât really pick up until you turned eighteen and obtained an internship at the newly reformed octavius industries. it was your choice to go into the stem-based field and you did not regret it one bit. the environment was always friendly and you felt normal- as normal as a human doing whatever they wanted to do could be. and surprisingly, it wasnât hard to form a friend group among the other interns who had similar aspirations (and social anxiety) as you.Â
lee donghyuck was the first person you met at the labs. entering the company as interns together on the first day, you classified him as the annoyingly bright guy that needed to fucking chill sometimes- and he agreed when you told him that. next was chenle and jisung. they were the two peas in a pod and to be honest, they needed to chill more than donghyuck. nevertheless, they were a breath of fresh air in your stress-filled life.Â
last but certainly not least, was mark lee. you wonât lie, at first you struggled to connect with him. he was already close friends with donghyuck, chenle, and jisung from high school, so you were actually the newcomer. it wasnât anything like he gave off âweird vibesâ to you, mark was just a lot quieter than the other guys and you didnât know as much about him. when you asked jisung, that boy just shrugged and said he started acting like that about a year ago but the subject was touchy so they dropped it. apparently, itâs been fine ever since.Â
to you, mark was just the mysterious guy with a secret. oh for sure, that man was hiding things from the rest of you and you especially were determined to figure out whatever it was. all those cuts and scraps decorating his knuckles and face that came from his âhobbyâ when you questioned him, yeah no- you didnât believe any of that bullshit.Â
NOTES: mentions of death, heaven(?), food, angsty scenes, kissing
SUMMARY: where people have guardian angels and youâre somehow blessed with lee donghyuck (whether you knew it or not).Â
PLAYING: to my first (nct dream) | baby i need you (joosiq) | make me happy (wheein)
authors note: okay trying a different thing i hope it isnât too weird⌠sometimes i have a love/hate relationship with long oneshots so to take a break hereâs somethng new :) - jae
thereâs a rumor that everyone has a guardian angel
itâs what youâve heard since you were young from your grandmotherÂ
these âangelsâ watch over you from the time of your birth until the day you die, only intervening to help you when needed- aka a miracleÂ
you wondered if you really had one, especially on days where life was crappy
especially since you had no parentsÂ
you werenât born with a golden spoon placed in your hand- your grandmother was the one who raised you until you were a (struggling) student in collegeÂ
your grandmother was the one who told you all these fantastical stories until she left you your first year in college, the first year you were truly alone yeah, sometimes life was hard but you couldnât complain, no matter how unfortunate you seemedÂ
all your friends would comment on your sad life, that is until you actually went to college and no longer had any friendsÂ
it was just a waste of effort to find people who only sent you pitying looks and only cared about themselves Â
sighing, you take out your earbud and look out the window- raining again
whoever it was, you hoped they would make it stop, just for one dayÂ
that way you didnât have to do your part time job in the rainÂ
all after you attended school, and then after work you would carry your exhausted body home to study, wash up, go to bed, and repeatÂ
well, you forgot an umbrella today
almost laughing at your stupidity, you walk in the rain, down the sidewalkÂ
strapping on the bulky helmet, you take the latest orders before driving off onto the wet roadsÂ
after a long day at your university, you just wanted to finish your hours for today and get home to a warm house
but it seemed like today was not the day
your first delivery went smoothly, and you wish you couldâve said the same for the second
after you knock on the door, it takes five minutes before someone answers and your teeth are already chattering from your damp clothes and brisk wind
of course, they complain loudly that the order is wrong
but did they have to go as far as shoving the food onto the ground?Â
you glance down numbly at the ruined food on the floor, a mess that partially got onto your pants, before squinting up at the gray, almost ominous looking sky for an unmeasurable amount of time
thatâs why you wondered if guardian angels truly existed.Â
and as usual, you close your eyes and count to five before letting out a deep breath- go home, shower, homework, sleep
not before reporting the incident to your boss and getting yelled at
usually, days like this melt into one
and you were used to the full cycle, but this one day felt weird- you couldnât place it
you decide to walk home in the rain, it didnât make much of a difference since you were already soaked
putting in your earbuds again, your eyes stay on the rough pavement in front of your scuffed shoes, failing to see the sky react as you move dangerously closerÂ
at the red light, you wait to cross the path, eyes wandering around as you waitÂ
you hear a small, almost whining sound to your left
frowning, you look around and squint closer at the dark alleyway where it seems like the sound came from
as curiosity gets the best of you and you move closer, the unintelligible whispers grow louder, regardless if you can hear it or notÂ
itâs almost as if the sound was calling you, calling your name and beckoning you closerÂ
like you were in a trance, you fail to notice the clashing of the sky, thunder and lighting beating down ferociously in battle
the world seems to grow darker in that second, wind blowing harder and rain in a downpour
unaware, you reach out towards the looming alleyway until a loud clap of thunder and flash of lightning overcomes your sensesÂ
abruptly, you feel something strong, and warm, pull you back
that something⌠eyes wide, you slowly turn towards the human? who saved youÂ
with deep honey eyes and tan skin, a strikingly pretty boy in white clothes stares down at you in such concern you almost shiver
you stare up at him, shocked as to where he came from and why he almost looked like an angel in that moment with the random light surrounding him
âum, who are you?â you question.Â
he frowns, still holding you in his armsÂ
thatâs when you return to your senses, clearing your throat and stumbling away
you eye him suspiciously. âim sorry, do i know you?â
the strange boy jolts, as if he didnât realize you were talking directly to him. âah. you can call meâŚâÂ
he hesitates and you raise an eyebrow
âhaechan.âÂ
the light turns green and you look towards it
nodding, you mutter an alright, slightly weirded out but you were too tired to question it
you move forward to walk ahead and haechan shouts out a âw-wait!â
you stop in your tracks, earbud halfway on its path to your ear already
he seems so awkward standing in the middle of the sidewalk, as if he didnât belong there
finally he musters the courage to speak, âdo you want to go to the convenience store and get something to eat?â
âno thanks,â you state bluntly, putting your earbud in and continuing down the clear road
haechan frowns as he watches your disappearing figureÂ
heâs been watching you for so long, he came down to save your life and yet he didnât even get a thank you
and he didnât even get your name, regardless of the fact that he already knew it.
haechan knows the consequences, but he couldnât help it
he saw you were in trouble and to be honest, he would do anything for you- even if the gods disapprovedÂ
a strong strike of thunder makes him roll his eyes and stick his tongue out at the sky before he sighs and looks dejectedly at his back
haechan supposes the rumors were right, his wings were gone.Â
your last thought before falling asleep that night was of the strange boy you saw earlier
who was he and why did he seem⌠almost familiar?Â
the next day, you donât expect him to show up, in the same blindingly white attire, in front of your door with a sheepish smile
you gape at him, âh-how did you get here?âÂ
he almost answers with, âi always know where you are at all times,â but haechan guesses that wouldnât be the wisest choiceÂ
he desperately tries to come up with an answer, but you narrow your eyes
âif you followed me here, i suggest you leave before i file a stalking report.â
the door is halfway shut before he stops it with surprising strength. ây/n-wait-â
immediately, your blood turns cold and haechan curses internally
you point a finger straight at him and he flinches like you just kicked a puppy right in front of himÂ
âhow in the world do you know my name? i swear i never told you.âÂ
questions swirl through your mind but you wait for his answer, heart racing
haechan knows he messed up, and thereâs no going back now
slowly and calmly, haechan says, âwe need to talk. preferably somewhere else⌠like the convenience store?â
you glare at him for the nth time and he shrinks away, sipping on his drink and taking another slurp of his noodles
he was the one who suggested this place and yet-
âhow do you only have three dollars?!â you yell in frustration and he avoids eye contactÂ
you pinch your nose bridge in annoyance, you didnât think listening to this strange guy would lead you to the store just for you to pay for his foodÂ
âlisten, haechan or whatever, i didnât come here to pay for you and watch you eat- i came to figure out how you know my name.â
he straightens up in defense. âfirst off, ouch. and secondly, you will know, i just needed to replenish my energy. i still think itâs strange how humans have to pay for food that they need to survive.âÂ
you stare at him, eye twitching
humans?Â
he takes another sip, draining the drink of its last drop before letting out a satisfied sigh and turning to youÂ
âokay, im ready. you probably wonât believe me at first but just listen for right now.âÂ
you cross your arms, âtry me.âÂ
he takes a deep breath, ây/n y/l/n, born on [month] [day] [year]. i was the angel assigned to you at birth and yesterday on june 6, 20xx, you almost died. i chose to come down to save you but technically, i broke one of the sacred rules and that caused me to lose my wings. thatâs why i appear before you now, and why i was there yesterday. oh, and i think im stuck here on earth.âÂ
you have no idea how long you sit there, staring at him as he stares backÂ
you almost laugh, sure you heard about  guardian angels before, but no one had ever tried to prank you to this extentÂ
but you frown, how did this stalker figure out your name and birthday?Â
âitâs not a prank,â haechan cuts in and you almost jump in frightÂ
âwhat the f-â
âim being serious, y/n.â his seemingly genuine eyes make you scared
âiâm your guardian angel.â
you place your palms on the table and stand up, chest heaving.Â
âthereâs no way. angels arenât real-â
haechan looks at you solemnly. âyou lost your parents in a car accident at age three. your grandmother at eighteen. your favorite color is green. you always put the left earbud in before the right.âÂ
you shake your head in denial. âhow long have you stalked me for? you even know about my parents andâŚâÂ
you falter when you feel his warm hand cover yours
âiâve always been there, y/n. whether you realize it or not. and i didnât want to see you die, so i stepped in and now iâm here as the consequences of my actions.â
you stare at him helplessly
haechan lets out a fond smile and you look at him questioningly
âwhen you were six, you caught a butterfly and named it-â
your eyes widen, âstar, because i-âÂ
â-always wanted to go to the stars,â haechan finishes for you and you feel at a loss for wordsÂ
technically, he saved your life, and therefore you owe him, thatâs always how you saw the worldÂ
an eye for an eye, a heart for a heart.Â
before you know it, youâve returned home, except with a (very) unexpected visitor
you look down at your rough hands, your place was barely enough for you, barely enough that you were living on your parentsâ remaining funds and part time jobsÂ
âso itâs true? youâre my⌠guardian angel?â you have a lot of questions for him, but you bite your tongue- it can wait.Â
to be honest, you had no reason to believe him, but at the same time you had no reason not to believe him
he nods. âi donât really have anywhere to go⌠and i need to figure out how to get my wings back and return-âÂ
he looks up at the ceiling, â-up there.âÂ
you speak slowly and softly. âi-i suppose you can stay on my sofa. it isnât much but-â
âitâs perfectly fine,â he interrupts, eyes flashing.Â
you nod. âokay.âÂ
itâs hard adjusting to living with someone else, you were always used to your grandmother out working to prove for you, and when she left, you were used to the silence of loneliness
now when you came home, he was always thereÂ
and for the first few weeks, you didnât interact muchÂ
you were either out at school or work, and didnât question what haechan did while you were goneÂ
strangely enough, you trusted himÂ
and sometimes, you would wonder if he was still watching over you, even while he was âdown hereâ on earthÂ
he ate whatever you had for him and slept on the run down sofa with no complaintsÂ
one day, you come home from a long day to the smell of something you hadnât experienced in a long time, something deep in your memories that suddenly washed upÂ
home cooked food.
you stare at haechan with the cooking apron in surprise. âhow did youâŚ?â
he shrugs, âi had a bit of free time on my hands. an angel has his ways, you know?âÂ
you canât help but let out a tiny smile and haechan almost feels the breath escape from his lungs- never once had he seen you smile until now
you sit at the table across from him, munching quietlyÂ
âitâs good.âÂ
he smiles at that. âhow was class?â
you look up at him, surprised before remembering he basically knew everything about you. âfine.âÂ
you swallow before attempting to speak up again, âhow is uh, your attempt to get back up there going?â
thatâs when his smile falters.Â
his chopsticks scrape the bowl mindlessly. âiâve been trying to research how to get back and how to contact the higher ups, but no luck.âÂ
feeling his disappointment, you shake your head. âdonât worry. i promise to help get you back there. especially since you saved my life and all.âÂ
you come to think that haechanâs smile is especially bright in your colorless life
and you come to realize that you enjoy his company, and perhaps he enjoys yoursÂ
he pulls out old board games that you used to play with your grandmother and didnât have anyone to play with after she passed awayÂ
he makes you laugh when you had a tough day at work
he tucks you in on those bad nights
he makes all the pain go away
maybe⌠haechan is truly your guardian angelÂ
you come home one night, wiping your wet shoes on the mat from the rain outside
âiâm home!â you announceÂ
with no response, you look around before seeing the bathroom light on, otherwise the place was completely silent
weird, did haechan forget to turn it off?Â
pushing the door open, you didnât expect to see him there
shirtless
only a plain towel wrapped around his waist
almost immediately, you feel heat fill your body as he doesnât quite realize that youre thereÂ
but something stops you in your tracksÂ
what you didnât expect to see either was the irritated, flesh colored and certainly painful looking- scabs?
you didnât know how else to describe them except just semi-healed giant scabs, two running down his backÂ
thatâs when it hits youÂ
âoh my god.âÂ
haechan whips around, eyes flashing with a unknown emotion when he sees youÂ
trembling, your eyes canât leave the sight, âis thatâŚâÂ
his voice is strangely quiet. âyeah, itâs what you think it is. where my wings used to be.âÂ
you donât know what comes over you, but you carefully and slowly make your way closer to himÂ
holding your breath, you tentatively raise a hand to his bare back, the skin otherwise soft and almost glowing in the bathroom lightÂ
you donât have to look to know the pain he must be in, not just physically but mentally- to lose his wings, to lose his identity and what made him who he wasÂ
you whisper, as if you donât want to hurt him with your words, âdoes it hurt?â
âonly when i really think about it,â he whispers, eyes closed shut as your delicate fingers ghost over the marks
âdonât worry haechan, weâll find a way.âÂ
he opens his eyes and you finally see the confusion in them, the fact that heâs lost
âi donât know, y/n. i donât know how you do it. i have no answers and i have nothing anymore.âÂ
you step closer to him, completely forgetting your surroundings and looking solely at him, his face, his dark orbs staring back into youÂ
this is what itâs like to see an angel- literally.Â
âyou do. you have⌠me.âÂ
you smile crookedly, âand if not, well then sometimes being a human isnât too bad. you know, when youâre not alone.âÂ
you didnât even realize that your hand had come up to hover over his cheek, just slightly due to fear of rejection and haechan must notice it then too
because he leans into it, and you try your best to ignore the skipping beats of your heartÂ
haechan really tries his best to get back to the skies, even though you yourself is quite tempting for him to stayÂ
he thinks maybe doing good deeds will help him, so he rescues a cat from a tree
(but man, having to climb the tree instead of flying was indeed hard for him to adjust to)
he tries meditation, tries everything in his power to connect back to the gods and plead for forgivenessÂ
but maybe he isnât trying hard enough- or maybe he just doesnât want to anymoreÂ
that fact frightens him, especially when he goes to sleep thinking of your endearing smile and eyes full of life, even with all that youâve been through
all the moments that you went throughout your entire life, he experienced it too
you, the cute little kid that lost more parents than the number of baby teeth you had at the mere age of 7
the time you walked home a little kid that got lost and gave them your umbrella to return home soaking wet but still smiling
when you help anyone who asks you for help or a pencil in school, even if theyâve never talked to you beforeÂ
you, who laughs with your entire soul and gives him a purpose
he hates to see that youâve grown in a beautiful and blooming human
one that makes him want to live each and every day next to your sideÂ
one that will probably grow old, move on to find and build a family without him
why does it hurt the more he thinks about it?
for you, the longer haechan stays on earth, the more you realize what itâs like to take care of someone elseÂ
to have someone elseÂ
he reminds you of a little kid, you snickerÂ
âfirst, weâll get you clothes. iâm tired of the all white- itâs so stereotypical.âÂ
he frowns, âwhatâs wrong with white? all of us angels are like this.âÂ
you give him a look, âsure, and it needs to change.âÂ
you take him to a street shop, throwing him random outfits to try out for fun, just an experiment to see what he would look likeÂ
itâs quite funny to see him in trendy clothes, but at the same time youâre jealous of how good he looksÂ
and you know he knows itÂ
he smirks at you, âit fits me well, doesnât it?âÂ
you avoid eye contact, âwhatever. as long as it fits and you like it then itâs good.âÂ
you supposed all your hard work to earn money paid off
it was worth it for haechan
you thought haechan didnât know much about life on earth but he proved to be smarter then you thoughtÂ
he calmly walks up to the cashier, âiâll have one burger with a cola.âÂ
âplease,â he adds
you stare at him, half shocked and half in awe, ânot bad, newbie.âÂ
he shrugs coolly and you hold back a laugh, âiâve learned a lot from watching you, ya know.â
this time, you canât help but laugh out loud
haechan smiles fondly, proud to have been the one to make you react like that
loneliness isnât something you can define anymore, not with your angel by your sideÂ
âno, we still have to pay, haechan.âÂ
âokay, but havenât you heard of kill them with kindness?â
â⌠that doesnât apply to this situation, nor is that how it works, haechan.â
â-itâs called tiktok. wanna make a dance with me?â
âjust a five second dance? humans are weird.â
you forgot what it was like to live. but why does it feel so different with him?Â
every time haechan wished you good luck when you went to school
when he always knew you were feeling down after work and cooked a warm meal
when it was your parentâs death anniversary and he went with you to visit them
haechan holds the bright yellow umbrella over your head as you place the bouquet of flowers in their rightful spotÂ
the rain only makes you feel even more detached
thereâs so much you want to say, and nothing that will come out, so you close your eyes
haechan doesnât say anything, only watching you with a concerned lookÂ
when you finish, you look up at him and he sends you a reassuring smile
on the walk home, you walk next to each other in silence, the occasional sound of a raindrop falling interrupting the silence
âthanks for coming with me today.â
âalways.â
that night, you canât fall asleep
for some reason, you keep glancing outside towards the living room, where you can see haechanâs faint silhouette on the sofa as he has been for past months or soÂ
some urge compels you to get up, the floorboards creaking underneath youÂ
he seems so still with his back towards you, body rising and falling peacefully, you start to think that heâs already asleepÂ
until he speaks up sleepily, âwhy are you still up?âÂ
almost jumping, you hesitantly scratch your arm while gathering the courage to speak
youâre afraid, but you know you shouldnât beÂ
âi, i canât sleep. so i was wondering-â
he cuts you off, âdo you want me to?â
unspoken words hang in the air
your voice is quietÂ
âplease.âÂ
your bed is small, and it barely fits the both of you
but you canât seem to care when his warmth is already lulling you to sleep and the comfort of his arms engulfing you make you feel safe
just like you were a little kid againÂ
âyou smell good,â he remarks softly but youâre practically gone at that pointÂ
he checks to see if youâre asleep before burying his face in your hairÂ
it feels a little too nice, a little too natural
maybe he begins sleeping next to you after that but you both donât say anything about itÂ
soon after arrives your grandmotherâs anniversaryÂ
thereâs no rain, but the dark and graying skies donât make it any betterÂ
the week leading up to her death date was always rough, and youâre grateful for haechan not questioning it
you bring freshly picked flowers and ask him to come with a silent inviteÂ
he accepts, of courseÂ
haechan would follow you to the ends of the earth whether you knew it or not
staring at the headstone, placed a few feet away from your parents, the tears fall silentlyÂ
just like the rain that has plagued your life
âhow have you been? iâm sorry i havenât  visited you in a while. schoolâs been okay, and so is work. iâm⌠trying really hard without you here, and i think im alright. itâs been easier with another person by my side- you wouldnât believe who it is though.âÂ
you shudder, feeling the wetness run its courseÂ
it takes you a second to recognize the warmth on your cheek, wiping away all the pain and sadnessÂ
the tenderness in his gaze makes you shiverÂ
you decide to take a walk by the river nearbyÂ
haechan takes your hand wordlesslyÂ
in order to lift your spirits, he begins swinging your linked hands wildly and you let out a sad laugh- a strangled hiccup of sorts
âwant ramen when we get home?â
âplease.âÂ
before you leave, you stop to admire the view one last time, a clear night sky twinkling above youÂ
you look past the railing at the calm, dark water
you feel haechanâs presence next to you, and you turn to look at him
your breath hitches once you realize the proximity between your facesÂ
âhow do you feel?â
his soft breath hitting your face makes your eyelids flutterÂ
âbetter, thanks to you.âÂ
âreally?â he murmurs distractedlyÂ
for a split second, you swear his eyes flicker down to your lips
you canât tell if its the sound of the river water or blood rushing to your ears, but you instinctively close your eyesÂ
haechan pauses for a moment to chuckle at your actionÂ
and without realizing it, he places his lips on yoursÂ
suddenly, you can breathe againÂ
why does it feel so right when his arms wrap around you and yours find their way around his neck
it feels so natural, what comes after thatÂ
many, many study dates (where there isnât much studying at all)
âha idiot, thatâs wrong.âÂ
ââŚyouâre an angel. since when did you know how to do math?â
âah. thatâs right.âÂ
days where you wake up to the sound of the soft rain pelting down and the smell of delicious cooked food
you rub your eyes sleepily, putting on your pair of slippers before quietly slipping out
haechanâs broad back faces you as he focuses hard on cooking breakfastÂ
itâs too tempting for you
you hug him from the back, chuckling when he jumps slightlyÂ
âyou couldnât have given a warning beforehand?â
you mumble an apology into his back
âyouâre like a bear, just too cuddly,â you commentÂ
he scoffs, âme? a bear? yeah, right, iâm just the most gorgeous angel in the world.âÂ
âsure, sure. whatever you say.â
he grumbles in discontent and you shut him up with a kiss on the cheek
sometimes, it felt too good to be true
111 days.
thatâs how long haechan has been earth side, by your side
heâs counted everyday and remembered all the memories with you
that fated morning of the 111th day, he finally dreams
the gods appear and he has to blink several times to make sure he isnât hallucinatingÂ
âeleven more days. on the eleventh hour, the eleventh minute. thatâs when you get your wings back and when you can finally return,â they relay the message
he suddenly feels his stomach drop, past months with you replaying in his headÂ
it has to come to an end
it was always meant toÂ
he canât bring himself to tell you anythingÂ
not when you come home to him with a bright smile, telling him you passed your exams
haechan doesnât want to see you sad again, he doesnât want to be the cause of your everlasting painÂ
he never wants you to feel alone, when thatâs all youâve ever been your whole lifeÂ
perhaps heâs being too selfish, spending too many happy days with you in order to delay the inevitableÂ
and at night, he would sneak out to run errands and make preparations for when he has to leave you behind
little did he know you would frown and watch him leave, left to wonder and question
always standing and looking out the window until even the sun would rise again
and on day 11, the last day, he wakes up on a perfect morning, you snug in his armsÂ
it was truly a perfect dayÂ
one spent with youÂ
everything was right, and yet nothing was right at allÂ
haechan gives you one last kiss goodnight
even the kiss was a perfect one and he feels his nonexistent heart shatter even more
he shifts away, murmuring some excuse that he has to check something outsideÂ
you peek an eye open sleepily, confused
"where are you going?âÂ
even if you canât see, he gives you a smileÂ
one where his bangs shadow over his eyes so you donât see the pain and unshed tears, all the emotions and words heâs wanted to say to you held inside
âbe right back.â Â
he sits in front of the window, one last glance swept over the place he was happy to even call âhomeâ for some timeÂ
haechan watches the clear sky and full moon for some time before eventually closing his eyesÂ
he lets a lone tear escape, exhaling as the light engulfs himÂ
you jolt up from the bed, shuffling outside
itâs empty, dark, quiet
too familiar
thatâs when you finally let the tears escape after holding them in for so, so long
you let the sobs out, body shaking as you fall to the floor
thereâs no point covering your mouth with your hand
there was no one you had to hide your anguish from
that idiot didnât even say goodbye.
three months later, you still continue finding the gifts haechan left behindÂ
mainly things to make your life a little easier
like gifts with a note that said it made him think of youÂ
or food with a reminder to not skip meal
he was your guardian through and through
it was so hardÂ
you donât try to hide itÂ
you knew it was inevitable, but that didnât make anything better Â
but when you find anything that is a piece of him, it helps you muster the resolve to continue on
now you spend your nights talking to the moon
about your day, how you felt, about anything
because you know for a fact that heâs still thereÂ
you know heâs listeningÂ
and everyday up there, haechan would cry and watch you
all the pain felt from the deepest parts of his heart
he doesnât know how long he feels this sufferingÂ
how long he has to see you suffer from what seemed like eons away
sure his wings are back and heâs returned to his rightful place as your guardian angelÂ
but not even the pain of losing his wings will ever compare to losing youÂ
it isnât until the gods approach him, explaining that they didnât give him the whole story-
the truth.
he prepares himself, staring up at the bright white light as he did for long time
his eyes flash golden, countless moments and scenarios playing out for him to finally seeÂ
in a past life, you and haechan were loversÂ
that was, until haechan was punished by misfortune and died foolishly before his timeÂ
he left you too soon
he left you to suffer unfairlyÂ
and as a punishment, he was made to watch over you, his lover as you continued on into a new life
haechan learns, thatâs where all guardian angels came from
all angels are never supposed to never return back to earth, reborn as a human, until they fulfill watching over their loverâs life
all the way to the end of that life and onto the next, where finally they will be able to return
their punishment fulfilledÂ
but haechan went down too early, just to save youÂ
the gods decided his punishment wasnât just to repent and gain his wings back, it was also to feel the same pain that you experienced in your past life when he left youÂ
ââŚand what now?â he croaks outÂ
he doesnât know what to do with all us newfound informationÂ
perhaps haechan has suffered enoughÂ
perhaps the gods felt pity and allowed him to become a human againÂ
and so the name lee donghyuck is given to himÂ
haechan-no- donghyuck, doesnât know how to reactÂ
all the emotions overwhelm him and he falls to his knees, feeling the familiar light wash over him
all because he knows what it meansÂ
it means he gets to go back to you.
thatâs weird, you frown to yourselfÂ
after such a long rainy season, it was bizarre to see the sun outÂ
the warmth and light was unfamiliar to you, almost blindingly so
you leave your office building early for the day
your new job paid much more and allowed you more freedom than you ever had beforeÂ
you stuff your umbrella in your purse since there was no more need for itÂ
you walk peacefully down the street, calmly listening to the excited chatter of passerbysÂ
the sun brightened the mood for everyoneÂ
but a sudden flash hurts your eyes as you squint and raise a hand to cover the sunÂ
you suppose you just werenât used to seeing the bright raysÂ
you accidentally stumble into someone, vision still affected from the bright beam of sunlightÂ
you mutter an apologyÂ
but your heart stopsÂ
wait, that hair
that faceÂ
the air is sucked out of you as your body freezesÂ
stunned, you look into those familiar, glowing eyesÂ
the man extends a hand, beamingÂ
youâre so shocked you can barely manage to reach out and shake itÂ
SYNOPSIS! youâve always despised your birthday ever since your boyfriend, jungwon, passed away on that exact date. 5 years after jungwonâs death, you receive a strange package filled with photos seemingly taken by jungwon when he was still alive. after you find out that these photos can allow you to travel back in time to when the photo was taken, you realise that you might be able to reverse everything - including jungwonâs death.
PAIRING! non-idol! jungwon x fem! reader
GENRE! angst, fluff, kind of reincarnation au, inspired by the kdrama âblue birthdayâ.
WARNINGS! technically major character death, mentions of death, a car crash scene, mentions of blood, swearing, the past timeline takes place in 2020 / 2021, current timeline is set in 2026 / 2027.Â
WORDCOUNT! 10.2k
AUTHORâS NOTE! helloooo ^_^ this fic is Heavily inspired by the drama so there will be spoilers if you havenât watched it (YERI SLAYED) !! this is the Longest fic i have ever written and. i am proud of myself for writing this much T_T plus papercuts CAN scar!! i have one on my finger lol . and happiest of birthdays to my beluvd wonie and i hope u all enjoy this fic <3 lmk ur thoughts on this one heheÂ
I. PRESENT DAY, 2026.
âHappy birthday, (Name)!â
You hate your birthday.Â
It should be the happiest day of the year - youâre a year older, and youâre celebrating it with friends. But all you remember when you think of your birthday is the sickening sound of a car screeching to a stop, and seeing a body, lying on the ground - crimson staining his clothes.
Yang Jungwon.
That was his name.
Your first love. Five years ago on your birthday, there was a terrible accident. You remember frantic screams, and you remember seeing Jungwon getting hit.
You two were heading back to his apartment to celebrate. He was so excited too - he had a cake prepared, decorations strewn across his apartment, and he even bought his dog Maeumi a party hat.
Maybe if you two headed out just a few minutes late - maybe if you lied, and said that you needed five extra minutes at the library then he would still be here, next to you.Â
NOTES: profanity, depictions of violence, weapons, blood/injuries, all around obliviousness, not proofread im sorry i write at like the peak of dawn
SUMMARY: you never thought youâd be partners in crime with the red and blue spandex wearing hero who is not only your friend mark, but also the guy you secretly have a crush on.Â
authorâs note: hihi! for the first time i decided to write a prologue for one of my upcoming wips (mainly bc it would be too long if i included all the backstory into the original fic lmao) anyways this serves as a sort of teaser so hopefully its alright :) - jae
all throughout highschool, you didnât really classify your life to be âexcitingâ. you lived in one of the biggest and busiest cities in the country and yet no long lasting love interests, cutthroat drama between your friends, not even a social life to begin with. you supposed it was your choice, after all. you were the one who chose a simple and mundane life and now you had to stick with it.Â
the pace didnât really pick up until you turned eighteen and obtained an internship at the newly reformed octavius industries. it was your choice to go into the stem-based field and you did not regret it one bit. the environment was always friendly and you felt normal- as normal as a human doing whatever they wanted to do could be. and surprisingly, it wasnât hard to form a friend group among the other interns who had similar aspirations (and social anxiety) as you.Â
lee donghyuck was the first person you met at the labs. entering the company as interns together on the first day, you classified him as the annoyingly bright guy that needed to fucking chill sometimes- and he agreed when you told him that. next was chenle and jisung. they were the two peas in a pod and to be honest, they needed to chill more than donghyuck. nevertheless, they were a breath of fresh air in your stress-filled life.Â
last but certainly not least, was mark lee. you wonât lie, at first you struggled to connect with him. he was already close friends with donghyuck, chenle, and jisung from high school, so you were actually the newcomer. it wasnât anything like he gave off âweird vibesâ to you, mark was just a lot quieter than the other guys and you didnât know as much about him. when you asked jisung, that boy just shrugged and said he started acting like that about a year ago but the subject was touchy so they dropped it. apparently, itâs been fine ever since.Â
to you, mark was just the mysterious guy with a secret. oh for sure, that man was hiding things from the rest of you and you especially were determined to figure out whatever it was. all those cuts and scraps decorating his knuckles and face that came from his âhobbyâ when you questioned him, yeah no- you didnât believe any of that bullshit.Â
NOTES: profanity, depictions of violence, weapons, blood/injuries, all around obliviousness, not proofread im sorry i write at like the peak of dawn
SUMMARY: you never thought youâd be partners in crime with the red and blue spandex wearing hero who is not only your friend mark, but also the guy you secretly have a crush on.Â
authorâs note: hihi! for the first time i decided to write a prologue for one of my upcoming wips (mainly bc it would be too long if i included all the backstory into the original fic lmao) anyways this serves as a sort of teaser so hopefully its alright :) - jae
all throughout highschool, you didnât really classify your life to be âexcitingâ. you lived in one of the biggest and busiest cities in the country and yet no long lasting love interests, cutthroat drama between your friends, not even a social life to begin with. you supposed it was your choice, after all. you were the one who chose a simple and mundane life and now you had to stick with it.Â
the pace didnât really pick up until you turned eighteen and obtained an internship at the newly reformed octavius industries. it was your choice to go into the stem-based field and you did not regret it one bit. the environment was always friendly and you felt normal- as normal as a human doing whatever they wanted to do could be. and surprisingly, it wasnât hard to form a friend group among the other interns who had similar aspirations (and social anxiety) as you.Â
lee donghyuck was the first person you met at the labs. entering the company as interns together on the first day, you classified him as the annoyingly bright guy that needed to fucking chill sometimes- and he agreed when you told him that. next was chenle and jisung. they were the two peas in a pod and to be honest, they needed to chill more than donghyuck. nevertheless, they were a breath of fresh air in your stress-filled life.Â
last but certainly not least, was mark lee. you wonât lie, at first you struggled to connect with him. he was already close friends with donghyuck, chenle, and jisung from high school, so you were actually the newcomer. it wasnât anything like he gave off âweird vibesâ to you, mark was just a lot quieter than the other guys and you didnât know as much about him. when you asked jisung, that boy just shrugged and said he started acting like that about a year ago but the subject was touchy so they dropped it. apparently, itâs been fine ever since.Â
to you, mark was just the mysterious guy with a secret. oh for sure, that man was hiding things from the rest of you and you especially were determined to figure out whatever it was. all those cuts and scraps decorating his knuckles and face that came from his âhobbyâ when you questioned him, yeah no- you didnât believe any of that bullshit.Â
and yet, your group just worked. you got closer with all of them- to the point where you actually considered them your friends. they were the people forced to suffer with your 10 cups of coffee everyday (a joke, mostly) and constant, âwait a second, i need to pee.âÂ
it wasnât for a couple of months into your internship that something shifted. for starters, you had the energy to greet everyone at the lab that certain day. after scanning your badge to enter your assigned lab, you grab a pair of gloves and slip them on.Â
âhey, y/n,â a voice greets out of nowhere and you almost jump. placing a hand on your now pounding chest, you turn to see mark.Â
âoh my gosh, mark,â you call out, âyou fucking scared me.âÂ
he giggles and you eventually find yourself letting out a small smile too. âmy bad,â he apologizes, and you canât help but note the dark circles under his eyes. he had them on occasion, but you thought yours were bad, and the more you looked the more it seemed like mark was staying up most if not all nights. even more than you- and that was saying a lot.Â
conversation comes easily, even when the rest of the guys hadnât shown up yet. âthose lazy butts canât even set an alarm? pathetic,â you murmur while peering down into the microscope.Â
âi know. theyâre always late when we plan group hangouts as well,â he remarks. âoh! and that reminds me, are we still on for that new movie?âÂ
you hum. âthat depends on if itâs good or not⌠and if the others are willing to suffer through another shitty movie. i donât mind, though.â
you canât see, but mark smiles unconsciously. âyeah, youâll just fall asleep if itâs that bad. just like last time.âÂ
you let out a snarky laugh, recalling when you went to watch a film called freaky handshake or something like that. man, you swear it was filmed by two guys who were bored and created the whole plot in less than an hour.Â
when the five of you went to watch it at the theater, you ended up passing out in the first ten minutes. it wasnât your fault you were already feeling sleepy when the ads were playing before the start of the movie. mark was kind enough to place his jacket over you, you remember fondly.Â
focusing back on the specimens you were studying in front of you, you look up at mark. heâs busy dropping a clear liquid on the glass swatch. you politely ask said person to pass you the dropper when heâs finished and he nods. when he hands you it, your fingers touch for a split second and you jolt slightly at the almost electric feeling. first of all, where were markâs gloves? and second of all, was it just you who felt that? glancing at him, he seems to be unbothered as he continues his work and youâre left to fumble over his lingering warmth.
thatâs weird.Â
so one lovely afternoon, perhaps a week later, mark takes a seat next to you at one of the empty tables with a friendly smile and your stomach actually flutters. maybe it was just the food you ate earlier, you brush it off. but the fact that he chose to sit next to you instead of across from you, or at any other empty table makes your thoughts wander. Â
over the course of the next week, you canât help it when linger your eyes on him- when he shrugs on his lab coat, when he loses his goggles and you have to remind him that theyâre on his head, when heâŚÂ
shit. why mark of all people?Â
what in the actual world, you thought yourself to be way closer with donghyuck than mark. you thought you were perfectly content just being friends. in fact, you werenât even searching to be in a relationship- especially not one with a co-worker. your only goals were getting enough sleep to survive the next day and working hard at the lab (which so kindly paid you for your internship), so why did mark have to get in the way? you just prayed that the others didnât notice your sudden weird behavior.Â
what are feelings and why do they suck? you didnât want to do anything about it because, to be frank, you were a coward. if mark didnât like you back- which is what you believed to be true because you didnât get any of those vibes from him- then it would be so awkward if and when he rejected you. you didnât want to mess up your good friendship as it was and for the rest of the group as well.
walking into the building one fall morning, you overhear people talking about the news last night. you frown at the recalling of events, it sucked to turn on the tv and see a failed bombing attempt at brooklyn bridge. apparently, a number of escaped convicts stole firearms and took it upon themselves to start chaos on the bridge. it took spiderman and the police to finally get the situation in control. but still, you shivered at the idea of the bridge possibly collapsing with all those civilians still there.Â
strolling into the employees lounge with a fresh cup of coffee, you tap donghyuck on the head. âwhatâs up, loser?â
he spins around and his eyes fall on the object in your hand. âlet me guess, number four?â you softly smack him on the head as he lets out a sound in protest. âitâs my first, thank you very much.â
you pause, taking a sip as you glance around. âwhereâs jisung and chenle?â
âthey went to the lab first,â he answers dutifully. âand mark?â you ask with a frown.Â
he sends you a look and you stick your tongue out in retaliation. donghyuck doesnât say anything though, only answering your question with a shrug.Â
mark didnât show up for the whole day. you found yourself wondering what happened to him, if it had anything to do with the almost accident last night. was he stuck on that bridge when it happened and needed to recover the day after? ugh, you hated how much you spent the day worrying about him.Â
as you leave work to get home that night, you send mark a quick text asking if heâs alright. as you turn the corner, shutting your phone off because it was new york and you were alone by yourself at night, you keep an eye out. some of the stuff you were lucky enough not to be involved in but witnessed⌠you shivered.Â
all of a sudden, a body comes flying out of the store in front of you, completely shattering the glass with a horribly loud sound. you let out a silent scream, hand raising up to cover your mouth as you attempt to discover more about the situation.Â
spiderman comes flying out a few seconds after, shooting what you think are his webs at the guy and effectively trapping him.Â
you stare, as still as a statue as spiderman finishes his task successfully and swings off into the night, leaving who you guess attempted to rob the poor store webbed up for the cops to handle.Â
shaking, you take a few seconds to recover before taking another safer route home, one with more people and less glass windows.. what the actual fuck.
straight up, you didnât really care for spiderman. sure, you admired his efforts to stop crime and help the city. but all his crypticness got on your nerves a bit and you kinda sorta wished spiderman would stop popping in and out before disappearing again as per usual. but who cared about your opinion, you were just a random civilian in a mid-life crisis.Â
mark shows up the next day at work like nothing happened. his sheepish response to your text the day before was that he had a weird one-day cold, and didnât want to spread it to anyone. obviously, you knew he was lying but you had no choice but to accept it in the moment. one day, you promise with resolve, youâll find out more about what that manâs hiding.Â
even with all his âmanlyâ mysteriousness, you still liked mark. you just didnât get it. it was just mark. just the same awkward mark who makes the worst jokes at all the wrong moments and is too scared (or too much of a softie to admit it) to kill a fly. as the weeks passed, your feelings only grew stronger- and not weaker as you desperately hoped. and luckily, the only one who seemed to notice something was going on with you was donghyuck, but everyone knew he said the most random shit at times, so thank goodness no one believed a word of out his mouth.Â
âiâm heading out, bye guys!â after packing up your stuff, you start to head for the exit after a long day at work.Â
âwait!â a familiar voice calls out, and you abruptly stop. mark catches up to you, handing you your jacket, and your eyes widen.Â
âoh no, did i leave it? thank you mark,â you grin gratefully. âyeah yeah, no problem.â
he scratches his head. âoh, and be careful going home. the crime reports at night have been rising latelyâŚâÂ
you nod, feeling a warm sensation fill you. âi will. be safe too.â you could always count on mark to be the caring and thoughtful one.Â
as the door shuts behind you, you donât notice mark quickly say his goodbyes to head out as well. as you stroll down the cracked sidewalks of new york, you note the chilly weather. itâs been getting colder lately, you frown.Â
looking up at the night sky, you see a flash of red and blue pass by. immediately you can recognize the pattern. it was strange, after witnessing spiderman at work that one day, you noticed how often you saw him after that. especially at night when you walked home alone, most times when you really stopped to study your surroundings, you swear you would spot him. whether it be out of the corner of your eye or passing by right in front of you, just out of normal speaking distance, spiderman was always there.Â
but you never thought youâd have a face to face encounter with the spiderman. on a nice cool saturday, you went walking out to meet up with your science gang for dinner.Â
when you hear the oncoming noise of police sirens, you feel the hairs on your arm raise. from somewhere in front of you, sounds of hushed clamor and commotion fill the air. you canât see much due to a crowd of civilians in front of you, and you determinedly push past to observe the scene.Â
it seems you were too late. the police were there and lingering effects of smoke fill your senses. but out of nowhere, a slim figure swings out of nowhere. pleased cheers arise from the crowd around you, and you realize itâs spiderman.Â
he speaks to the police for a brief moment before turning to the crowd. you study him up close for the first time, his build and gestures. he turns to the crowd, and you donât pay enough attention to what he says because his voice is so familiar?Â
perhaps not exactly, but the way he spoke reminded you of someone you couldnât put your finger on. your thoughts are cut off when you realize his eyes are on you (or at least with his mask on you think he was looking at you) and you look around to see that most of the crowd has dissipated while you stood there like an idiot.Â
âare you alright, miss?â he speaks with a slight tone of worry, and you blink, startled. you werenât expecting him to acknowledge you, let alone talk to you.Â
the only thing that can come out of your mouth is, âis your suit really spandex?âÂ
he softly laughs and that laugh makes you frown. itâs slightly muffled but you think it sounds somewhat like-Â
âthatâs a first. to answer your question, yes and no? itâs actually made up of biogenetically modified synthetic fiber, so i donât know if you know what that means- wait no, i wasnât trying to assume your intelligence- um, l-letâs just say a special kind of spandex?âÂ
gaping, you can only nod in response. since when did spiderman sound so awkward? that wasnât even a word but itâs the only one you could use to describe him attempting to talk to you about that âcoolâ suit of his.Â
âsorry about thatâŚâ you think you hear a hint of embarrassment in his voice and almost chuckle. he cocks his head before asking you for the time. when you respond, he groans, âah, i gotta go. maybe ill see you around, missâŚ?â
you fumble, âuhh, y/nâs fine?â why in the world was he asking for your name?
he clicks his tongue, ânice to meet you then, y/n.â in a split second, heâs up and gone. just like that.Â
you stand there, staring at the spot he was just in for a few seconds. then you curse. shit, youâre going to be late.Â
you arrive at mickâs diner 15 minutes late. after getting caught up in spiderman stuff, you ran to the nearest subway station in hopes of making it on time and obviously, you didnât. huffing and puffing, you push past the door and look for your friends.Â
chenleâs the first to spot you and raise a hand in your direction. the rest follow his action to you with curious eyes.Â
âthereâs our sleeping beauty,â donghyuck teases and you scowl, sliding into the booth next to jisung. âfunny, but this time i didnât fall asleep. just got caught up in some stuff.â
âstuff?â mark inquires. you cough, âyeah. nothing important.â glancing down at the menu, you fail to notice his tiny frown.Â
âanyways,â chenle speaks up, ânow that youâre here we can discuss whoâs going to present to doyoung for our next monthly update.âÂ
a series of groans follow, including yours. you steal a sip of jisungâs water before replying, âi did it last time so itâs not going to be me.âÂ
jisung sighs in disappointment. âwhen is it, anyways?âÂ
âthe sixteenth,â mark affirms. jisungâs eyes widen, âshoot, i canât be there that day. can you guys cover for me?â
you glance at him, âwhatâs going on?âÂ
âitâs my momâs birthday. canât miss it, you know..â he says sheepishly. donghyuck nods then. âalright. itâs between chenle and mark.â
chenle sits up indignantly. âwhat? why not you?âÂ
donghyuck leans back in his chair with a relaxed grin. âitâs also my momâs birthday.âÂ
you start off with narrowed eyes, âyou fucking liar donât-â and you stop yourself abruptly. âwait, thatâs right. your mom and jisungâs mom share a birthday.â
the table sits in silence for a few seconds.Â
jisung clears his throat. âi guess itâs up to rock paper scissors to decide.â mark and chenle glance at each other. within a few seconds, the loser is clear. chenle lets out a dolphin-like shriek in happiness.Â
mark looks around the table nervously, âwait guys, i really donât think you should choose so hastily, maybe we should choose a back up person in case i canât make it-â
donghyuck shakes his head in disapproval, ânope, nope. sorry but weâve never done that before. thatâs your problem, bro.âÂ
you know what he means. markâs always been like that. you wouldnât describe him as flaky, but he was indeed like that. sometimes he would right next to you and then the next second he was gone without a single word. most of the time, there was no definite reason and if you did happen to ask, he say some dumb excuse on why he had to leave. it happened so much that you supposed everyone got used to it, regardless of how much he apologized after.
it didnât mean mark wasnât trustworthy. in fact, he was incredibly hardworking and studious. he did all his work with the rest of the group and showed up on important days, which is what mattered the most. (yet you still wondered what made you fall for him.)Â
âitâs alright mark,â you smile comfortingly. âi bet we can pull something together if you canât make it.â chenle opens his mouth to protest but you shut him down with a glare.Â
âif the rest of us got caught up in something, i know you would come through.â mark shoots you a disgustingly sweet smile before reaching over the table and squeezing your hand in thanks, sending a jolt down your spine. the other boys share looks, which you pointedly ignore.Â
âyouâre the best, y/n. youâre such a great friend, unlike some other guys i know,â he jokes but suddenly you donât find it funny.Â
friend?Â
¡ ⢠ââ ٠⧠٠ââ ⢠¡
at your apartment, you spend your (rare) free days lounging around and binging shows. but after that one encounter, you couldnât resist a google search. who knew what the internet would pull up about spiderman?Â
as you scroll down the search results, thereâs doesnât seem to be much on him. except for the fact that he saved countless lives and the authorities either seem to love or despise him. is there nothing about his personal life? the true identity of the spandex wearing hero?Â
you stay up investigating (a normal for you, anyways) but thereâs not much you can gather. maybe itâs a project youâll have to investigate in your own free time.Â
funny, how spiderman intrigued you. literally like two days ago, you cared less about him. but after seeing him in person, there was something off. you couldnât pinpoint a certain thing like you usually could in test results and experiments- itâs almost like everything was so indistinct about him.Â
you enter the building with an already half-drunk cup of coffee. your results yesterday night or rather this morning, proved to be fruitless, so you put your side project away for now.Â
time to focus on more important stuff⌠like your teamâs latest experiment. why jisung chose amoeba and the rest of you listened to him, you have no clue.Â
while examining the latest specimen through your lens, you reach out for the next vial when mark lets out a tiny shout of your name. itâs too late and you partially knock into the beaker of boiling hot water instead of the vial.Â
immediately, you yelp as some of the water splashes onto you and mark rushes to your side. he grabs your burned hand, and you feel your face growing hotter than your hand that literally just got burned by boiling water a second ago.Â
âare you alright? how bad does it hurt?â he stares at you with such concern in his eyes, it throws you off. you think someone else asks a question in all the commotion, but you either tuned it out or imagined it.Â
âoh-um- it doesnât hurt that much yet,â you mutter helplessly and he frowns while inspecting your hand which was growing increasingly red.Â
âcome on, letâs get some first aid. itâs going to get worse if you donât treat it quickly.âÂ
stunned by his sudden orders, you allow him to basically drag you out of the lab and to the lounge, leaving the rest of the guys to shake their head in disapproval of your idiocy.Â
you didnât even know there was a first aid kit under the kitchen sink, and you make a mental note to tell jisung the next time he causes an accident with that clumsy body of his.Â
mark focuses intently on treating your burn, and you focus on not internally combusting at the sight of him caring for you. you really shouldnât take it the wrong way- he literally addressed you as his friend not long ago, but you really couldnât help it when his face was two inches away from yours.Â
mark finishes with a light smile and scolding. you look down at the floor, half embarrassed and half ashamed. âi was being stupid and not paying attention to my surroundings⌠sorry for getting you involved in this,â you gesture to your newly wrapped hand.Â
he shakes his head firmly. âi shouldâve warned you about the hot water beforehand. itâs my responsibility to take care of you. just be careful from now on, alright? you almost gave me a heart attack,â he jokes and you appreciate the switch to a lighter atmosphere.Â
ânot as bad as the time chenle almost set the entire building on fire,â you add and he laughs. fuck, you couldnât get enough of making him laugh.
you spend the rest of the afternoon in a daze, constantly fiddling with your wrapped arm and wondering how mark learned to treat burns. throughout the day it takes the others several repeats of your name for you to respond, and donghyuck sends you weird looks (which you ignore as usual). this causes you to stay behind for a little to catch up on your work, but you manage to finish soon after the others.Â
locking the door to your lab, you casually stroll down the hallway before hearing familiar voices. youâre about to turn the corner and join in, but you stop when you pinpoint exactly whose it is.Â
âi donât know. iâm just way too busy nowadays.â
mark lee?Â
âdoing what? come on, are you sure? thatâs what everyone says but-â
and a fucking piece of sh- you shake your head, donghyuck?Â
âlisten, dude. in my current situation, i will never be in a relationship. i just donât want one, not now and probably not for a while- maybe even forever.â
standing there and overhearing just the tail end of the conversation, his tone of finality was weird- mark never sounded like that to others, especially to his friends. Â
and more importantly, the meaning of his words hit you. markâs single, and he he isnât interested. not in you, and not in anyone. and thereâs a chance that could be forever.Â
you quietly grab your stuff and leave through the back entrance, not stopping to hear anymore or give your goodbyes to anyone.Â
¡ ⢠ââ ٠⧠٠ââ ⢠¡
you think the change in behavior is pretty obvious- to everyone including him.Â
that night after you overheard mark and donghyuckâs conversation, you stayed up thinking. thinking, more thinking, probably overthinking. you felt numb replaying markâs words over and over in your head.Â
honestly, you shouldâve expected it. why would mark be interested in you, anyways?Â
and why were you interested in him? the more you thought about it, the more you tried to convince yourself that you didnât want to be in a relationship either.Â
your focus was on your studies, then your work, and it always had been (perhaps that was the problem). your parents raised you with high expectations and you did your best to fulfill them, not get sidetracked by gossiping friends and boys.Â
you convince yourself that youâre officially on the track to get over mark, even when you know itâs useless.Â
to help your wounded heart, you build an invisible barrier between you and him. sure, you still talk to him and hang out as friends, but the distance was there and the others saw. even if they did notice, no one said anything. you werenât actually expecting mark to ask you if he did something wrong, looking disappointed and even a little hurt.Â
you being you and not ready to tell him the truth, give the lame excuse of being stressed from work and life in general. which, in fact, wasnât wrong. you had the unhealthy habit of shutting people out when everything got overwhelming.Â
then the day of monthly presentation shows up, and doyoung wasnât in a good mood. donghyuck and jisung take the day off, understandably, as faithful sons to their mothers.Â
itâs just you, chenle, and mark. that was the plan- at least, until mark doesnât show up at the planned time to present. no mark, no presentation, no excuse.Â
luckily for your group, chenle was able to make up an impromptu presentation on the spot. it wasnât good but it was something and you both left feeling somewhat accomplished of your spontaneous work.Â
the messages sent to mark are left on delivered. you arenât surprised.Â
when you go to use the restroom before heading home, you faintly overhear your fellow coworkers mentioning spiderman and a prison breakout, couple of hours earlier- and you wonder if it had anything to do with markâs disappearance.Â
itâs only when you leave the building that you see the striking red and blue silhouette perched on the scaffolding next to the oscorp building. what was spiderman doing so close nearby?
most people wouldnât have spotted him but you realized that you mustâve been gotten so used to seeing him that you subconsciously looked for him every time you left work. suddenly remembering the news from earlier, you clear your throat and approach the masked hero.Â
âsoâŚ. prison outbreak tonight, huh?â
the figure almost starts as if surprised that you noticed him, and you stifle a laugh. âyeah, yeah. itâs all a part of the usual. new york things, you know.â you nod in agreement and spiderman jumps gracefully down to a lower perch, giving you a better view of him.Â
âhey, um, y/n? right? i remember you from last time.â
your eyes widen in shock, you didnât expect him to remember you but it leaves a satisfied feeling in your gut. âyes- thatâs me. funny seeing you here outside my work place.â
he stiffens. âi-i see. this is where you work?Â
you examine him in his entirety, never having been so close to spiderman before in the entirety of constantly seeing him on the news and now in front of you. you donât grasp why you feel so comfortable in his presence.Â
you look down, shoe scruffing the pavement. âdo you, like, always have conversations with random people in the middle of the night?â
âyouâre not a stranger,â spiderman protests, âi even know your first name.â he says it so proudly that you allow yourself to let out a laugh.Â
âyouâre cool, unlike some other guys i know,â he jokes and it takes a second to process his words before you feel your heart stop. no fucking way.Â
no way- it sounded way too familiar to be true. it canât be.Â
but youâre really not stupid.
as all the possible conclusions run through your mind, you feel your heart begin to race- you need to get out of there.Â
you clutch your stomach, suddenly woozy. âi-i need to go,â you weakly stutter, not even caring if he heard or waiting for his response before making a run for it.Â
¡ ⢠ââ ٠⧠٠ââ ⢠¡
you canât sleep.Â
and you donât even know how to explain it, itâs like the missing puzzle piece is finally solved. everything finally makes sense now, and you donât know if youâre relieved or angry or upset or feeling everything all at once.Â
you sit up for the nth time, probably with horrible bed hair and bloodshot eyes.
mark lee isâŚ
spiderman.Â
thinking back through everything- from the first day you met him until now, statistically it does make the most sense. it has to be. thereâs literally no other explanation or reasoning.Â
and you hate yourself for figuring it out. after days of convincing yourself that mark wasnât all that, that he wasnât worth your time or feelings, that man was out saving the entire city. risking his entire life for people who donât know and maybe donât even care about him- people like you. or at least, until you figured out his identity.Â
unless⌠it was just a complete strange coincidence. unless it wasnât true and mark was just a part time asshole. but all the times he was âabsentâ or when he had all those unexplainable bruises, was it actually spiderman business?Â
you silently scream, the urge to rip your hair out was so tempting at this point. your poor alarm clock reading 4:32 am acts as witness to your concurrent loss of sanity.Â
you called bullshit on mark before, you just didnât expect him to be such a fucking idiot.Â
now that you know, or you think you know, youâre not quite sure what to do. do you⌠ask mark? no, you wave away dismissively with your hand- that would be stupid, especially if he wasnât spiderman.Â
you decide to pry it out of him. after all, the truth always came out.Â
even if it was a little harder than expected. not to mention the fact that things were a little rocky between you and him.Â
âhey guys,â you greet while walking into the laboratory. âstill up for movie night? itâs been a while since weâve all gotten together.â
the boys voice their agreement and you squint. this is your chance.Â
âwhat about markâs place?â
he turns to you, eyebrows raised in slight surprise. âm-mine?â you feign innocence, shrugging with extreme casualness. âi mean, why not? itâs been a really long time since weâve met at your place.âÂ
jisung nods, ây/nâs right. i donât even remember the last time we went to markâs apartment.â Â
âoh, i dunno. itâs super disorganized and messy⌠at least give me a chance to clean if you guys want to come over.â he scratches his neck and you let out a breath in disbelief. what was he hiding?Â
and as much as you tried that night at his place, there were no signs of âspiderâ activity.Â
the next couple of days at work, you bring spiderman up randomly, make spiderman jokes-Â
âno offense y/n but itâs kinda like youâre obsessed with the poor dude. i thought you didnât like him, what happened?âÂ
you roll your eyes, missing mark stiffening at donghyuckâs statement. âmind your own business, hyuck.â what you really wanted to say was, i think our friend is freaking spiderman.Â
but every time you brought him up, mark barely even flinched. either he was really good or you were just being an idiot and your hypothesis was far from reality.Â
youâve just about given it up and called it a day with your whole spider-mark agenda when you exit from the back door of the building. sometimes you took the back way to avoid traffic (and creeps).
huffing out into the chilly air, you donât even pay attention to your surroundings until shuffling in front of you catches your eye.Â
itâs partially hidden by the shadow, but you think you can make out a person-
a shuddering gasp escapes you.Â
mark, in all his glory, half changed into that familiar red and blue spiderman suit?Â
you were so shocked you completely disregarded the fact that he was half-naked (and luckily for you it was the top half). the noise that sounded from your mouth alerts him, and he scrambles to face you. it looked too legit to be a fake cosplay.Â
you gape at him, utterly shocked. no way your guess was actually correct?Â
mark fumbles for words, while you find yours.Â
âh-how long has this been going on?â you try to keep your tone even, but you feel your hands shaking. when mark doesnât reply, only opening his mouth wordlessly and looking helplessly back at you, you cross your arms.Â
âwow, thanks. great to know.â for some reason, you feel disappointment swirl inside you. you scramble to leave, mind and heart racing probably just as much as his was.Â
the more you walked further from mark and the longer you thought about it, the more angry and frustrated you got. how long was he going to keep it from you guys? werenât you- you swallow- werenât you friends? didnât he trust you guys?Â
you wish you could feel angry, but that was never an emotion you directed towards mark lee.Â
¡ ⢠ââ ٠⧠٠ââ ⢠¡
the next morning, a lovely saturday morning, your doorbell rings. and it never does.Â
groaning, you throw on a comfy nyu sweatshirt and attempt to tame your wild hair, you didnât want to scare the person at the door.Â
you freeze once you peek through the peephole. well, shoot.Â
you dash halfway toward the bathroom in hopes of quickly fixing your appearance before thinking, what the hell, this is not the time for that.Â
sucking in a deep breath, you open the door for the waiting person outside. you start off awkwardly, âheyâŚ. mark.â
why is he here? you can barely function as he shoots you a sheepish smile, gesturing in towards your messy apartment. he lived in the apartment complex a block down from yours, so seeing him wasnât uncommon. but in your current situation, you didnât really expect mark to show up on your doorstep.Â
ây/n- hey- i just, uh, wanted to apologize.â you almost choke. âto me? wait, no, what?â
he firmly places a hand on the doorframe next to you, leaning in like he was trying to trap you but there was plenty of space for you to back up into your place. you feel your heart skip a beat. not now y/n, you scold yourself. âlisten, now that you figuredâŚâ he hesitates and you swallow,Â
ânow that you know, i realize i owe you an apology.â
you fall still. âim really sorry for not telling you. i havenât told any of the other guys either, mainly because iâm a coward and didnât want to see your reactions. but now,â mark shuffles around and his fluffy black hair falls into his eyes, âyou know. and i feel a lot better that you do. that, at least someone else does.â
you donât know what to say. suddenly, you understand him. how hard and scary it mustâve been doing like a five person job as one mere human, constantly in the fight for life or death. you reach for him, softly wrapping your arms around him. you pray he doesnât notice your pounding heart but knowing mark, he probably did (except he was too nice to tell you).Â
âitâs okay mark,â you murmur into his shoulder. âi forgive you and i wonât tell anyone if you donât want. you donât have to do this alone.â you note the action of his body slightly tensing before relaxing into your touch.Â
you couldnât help but stay up that night. just thinking. the fact that mark was glad you knew- you clutch your chest. it was stupid, you shouldnât get your hopes up. you felt like a lovesick teenager again, having a secret just between the two of you.Â
what you didnât realize though, was that mark never planned on telling you. and that was obvious through how he acted towards you after you figured out he was spiderman. it was just that. nothing changed and mark acted as if nothing happened. and you didnât know what to do. itâs like you raised your expectations to only get crushed again.Â
you couldnât even bring it up, ask mark more about his spider activities because he would always give you that ânot here, now nowâ look. you felt like you were stuck in an empty room with no way out. if not now, then when?Â
you asked him to hang out- no response or the âsorry, im busyâ. and the rare times mark did accept, he was late. sometimes, didnât even show. you understood his spiderman duties, but you thought conveyed your trust and support in him. isnât that what he wanted? someone to lean on, someone to be there for him?Â
or were you just delusional?Â
¡ ⢠ââ ٠⧠٠ââ ⢠¡
you needed some kind of answer, and if mark wasnât around to spill, you would find the closest person. literally.Â
tapping your pen on the desk, you turn around in your spinny chair to face the only other person in the room.Â
âhyuck,â you whisper, tapping his shoulder. he grunts in response. you exhale, âcan we talk?â
he doesnât break focus on the lab reports in front of him, but you can tell heâs paying attention to you by the way his body is slightly turned your way. âdepends on what.â
you huff, scooting closer to him. âitâs about mark.â that gets his attention. he sits up straight, eyes narrowing at you. âoh really?â
ânot like that,â you respond in exasperation. âdonât you think,â you pause to reevaluate your wording, âthat he changed? iâm asking you because youâve known him way longer than i have, and to be honest i donât even know him that well.âÂ
donghyuck raises an eyebrow. âum, sure? why are you-â
âdonât ask,â you interrupt, âjust please think about it.â he frowns in contemplation, chair squeaking occasionally in his spot.Â
âi guess he did. maybe around a year or two ago?â you let out a breath you didnât even know you were holding. he continues, âit wasnât anything major. mark is still basically the same mark i knew since we were young,â he adds and you nod. âitâs just that a couple of years ago he suddenly- how do i say this- withdrew within himself.âÂ
âyou know about the bruises and stuff, but you might not know about his personality. he was still the same, but it felt like he wasnât always there 100% anymore, you know? all of a sudden he became so private and busy, doing stuff he wouldnât tell any of us about. he was either constantly late to our plans or didnât even show up,â donghyuck muses. âand itâs not like we didnât try to help. mark just insisted he didnât need anything, it was some personal stuff that he just had to work through. heâs always been like that, brushing off our help.âÂ
âand you guys didnât question it? maybe, try to like figure out what was going on?â you attempt to act as innocent as possible, shrugging and sending him a seemingly curious look. he sighs, rubbing the back of his neck. âof course we did try. but that man is so secretive we couldnât get anything out to him. eventually we just gave up and things are as they are now. he seems okay and we trust him, so...â
you frown unconsciously. then how did you figure it out? to be honest, it didnât look like mark was that good at hiding itâŚ
you donât know what to say. a silence fills the air before you clear your throat. âwow, i had no idea. thanks, hyuck.â he shoots you a weird look before nodding.Â
âno problem, y/n.âÂ
¡ ⢠ââ ٠⧠٠ââ ⢠¡
feeling nervous, you wait outside markâs door, laptop and research papers in hand. on the contrary, it wasnât your choice to work with him, it just randomly ended up with you two working together. ignoring donghyuckâs teasing, you and mark made plans to meet up today and get some work done.Â
you frown. he hasnât answered the door, you ring again. and then a third time.Â
still nothing. you check the time, yeah itâs the right time you agreed to meet up at.Â
youâre about to knock harder when you hear a sudden clamor, crashing and shuffling sounds coming from inside the apartment. âcoming!â you hear markâs faint voice. he sounded frantic, and tired.Â
mark opens the door, and youâre greeted by his disheveled appearance. âhey,â he greets, breathless. you want to ask him if it had anything to do with spiderman, but fear holds you back.Â
âhi?â he invites you in and allows you to get settled on the couch. âare you gonna sit?â you ask, watching him pick up messy tidbits scattered on his floor.  âyeah-yeah, give me a sec.âÂ
you open your laptop, starting your work. so far, things seem to be natural between you two and youâre not complaining. soon, mark sits across from you. thirty minutes go by, and when mark shifts for the hundredth time in his spot you let out an irritated sigh and shut your laptop screen.Â
âhow long are you going to pretend youâre okay?â
markâs head shoots up, his large eyes blinking back at you. âw-what?â
shaking your head, you get up and stalk over to him. caught off guard, mark only watches as you softly place a hand on his chest and he lets out the tiniest hiss.Â
your eyes flash. âyou may be a good spiderman but youâre not a good actor, lee.âÂ
âim fine-â he starts off, but you shoot a look and he shuts up. you soften, scooting a bit closer. âwhat happened, mark?â
he grimaces. âdo you really want to see? i didnât have much time since i kind of forgot you were supposed to com-â
you cut him off by asking for the location of a first aid kit. you assumed he had one, and of course you were right. letting out a sigh, you ask him to take off his shirt. you didnât know much about first aid butâŚ
âwhoa- are you sure? itâs not-â
âjust do it mark. youâre obviously in pain and im trying to help you.âÂ
hesitantly and slowly, mark peels off his shirt with your assistance. you barely hold back a gasp at the deep gash across his chest, decorated with bruises of all colors.Â
âm-mark, who did this to you?â
he winces a bit at your touch, âiâve been through worse, and really itâs best not to ask.â you help him lay down on the small couch, the fact that he was shirtless (and to be frank, ripped) was the last thing in your mind as you raced to figure out to treat it.Â
while cleaning the wound, you couldnât help but let curiosity win the upper hand. âdoes this happen every time? and you treat it yourself?â
mark shifts. ââŚyeah. sometimes itâs not as bad, and sometimes itâs worse. it always heals fast though,â he reassures.Â
you shake your head in disbelief. âbut still, how do you do this? and by yourself?â
he lets out a groan when you touch a sensitive part, and you quickly act to soothe him.Â
âitâs hard,â he whispers some time after. âitâs a lot and i honestly donât know how im doing it still. by now, i thought i would be de-â
âdonât say that,â you speak up sharply. he falls silent and you focus on treating the minor cuts and bruises last.Â
without any prompting, mark tells you the whole story. how he got started working at oscorp, how he got bit and started as spiderman. you stay there and listen, through all of it.Â
itâs not until hours later with lots of reassurance from mark and his supposed advanced healing? that you can finally get him to his bed and rest, wiping the sweat from his head and yours too.Â
you sit at his side for a little, just watching the rise and fall of his chest. âi said this before, but youâre not alone.âÂ
he glances at you. âim here, and i can help. willingly,â you insist. he frowns, âwhat are you saying, y/n?â
you look around his room, seeing all his tech and data sprawled across the walls and all over the floor. so this is what it was like being spiderman. âi can help you. like, im pretty good at computer hacking and data...â you trail off, unconfident. mark tries to sit up but you wonât allow him.Â
âmark, itâs clear you can barely do this alone. think about it, i could help you on the sidelines. obviously not in action because thereâs no way i could do what you do, but wouldnât it make what you do much easier? just like in the movies, isnât there always like a sidekick?âÂ
he furrows his eyebrows. âare you trying to-?â you look away, the sudden confidence fading.Â
âno way, y/n! this is completely different, itâs not like the movies at all. being spiderman is a dangerous job, and im not going to get you involved in it!âÂ
you look away, clutching the edge of his bedsheets. âitâs really late and i have to go now. but mark, please think about it,â you offer before slipping away.Â
you had no clue why you offered that. you never even thought of that before, it just kind of popped up in your head and came from your mouth without you realizing it. mark was right, it was stupid. why would you ever want to be spidermanâs sidekick?Â
but the more you thought about it, the more you wanted to do it. you were the only one that knew about his secret, his struggles. you wanted to help him- help the people of new york.Â
you didnât want to be one of those people on the sidelines anymore, only watching and never doing.Â
¡ ⢠ââ ٠⧠٠ââ ⢠¡
mark thought you dropped the subject. he saw you at work the next day, as if nothing happened. he felt a lot better, thanks to you- even if he spent most of the night staying up due to what you said yesterday.Â
mark believed you were actually crazy. who in their right mind would want to be a sidekick, much less of him, spiderman?
he brushed it off, but you didnât. at lunch, you brought it up. whenever it was just the two of you, you asked him. and every time, he said no. it was getting annoying. you kept coming up with more and more reasons for you to help mark. to be frank, you were too smart for your own good.Â
âlisten y/n, no matter how foolproof you think your plan is, the risk is just too big,â mark emphasizes. he was getting tired of putting up a fight against you, and he was tired of how stubborn you were.Â
you cross your arms. âbut i thought of all the backup plans. if i stay in a safe place with access to help and turn off all tracking devices used to locate me.â mark pinches his nose bridge.Â
âsince when were you so technologically advanced?âÂ
âsince when were you?â you counter. smiling, you pull up data on your phone and show it to him. âat your place that night, i mightâve snooped through some of your spider tech and analyzed it.âÂ
his eyes practically bulge. âyou what?â
you shrug innocently. âit was really cool, the software was nothing like iâve seen before, but i have some ideas. onlyâŚ.â you draw on, âif you let me help you.â
it was only then that mark learned you never stopped until you got what you wanted.Â
¡ ⢠ââ ٠⧠٠ââ ⢠¡
âwhat do you think?â
you sit at the makeshift desk, a messy and dysfunctional one, but at least it worked. you watch the big screen, following the familiar icon. Â
ââŚitâs not so bad.â the voice grudgingly sounds through. you grin. âgreat! you can hear me. oh, and take the next left around the block. i think thereâs some sort of incident on the corner- some reckless guys with guns.â
you hear unfamiliar sounds, probably mark swinging through the air as spiderman. you would never understand how he got used to that. ânot too shabby, y/l/n.âÂ
âdoes that mean itâs official?â you basically tremble in your seat, holding your breath in anticipation.Â
thereâs a pause on the line. albeit the reluctance in his tone, you can almost see the smile on markâs face, underneath the mask. âi guess so.â
you canât help but silently cheer in your seat, feeling the excitement coarse through your veins.Â
