Y/N 🍪

_

THANKFULLY, WE WEREN'T GOING TO STAGE A ROBBERY.

I managed to talk Luka out of the horrible idea by the time we got to Marinette's house, and dropped him off to make bread-guitars with his friend. I managed to swipe a macaroon from her parent's bakery (no, they offered, I didn't steal) before I made my way home.

Well, I was trying to go home.

When I passed the corner of 67th, I noticed the figure of someone pacing behind me. I was crossing the street when I first saw them watching me, blending into the shadows of a locked deli across the street. I was usually on edge about these things given the current status of the world, but I assumed they just happened to be heading in my direction.

Until I turned a corner, and they did too.

Don't turn around, I thought to myself, don't turn around, don't turn around. I made my way a few blocks down, keeping to the crowded streets, but they were still behind me. I could see their blurry reflection in the panes of the glass shops I passed by. I didn't recognize them.

Don't turn around, I thought again, or maybe, yeah, you should turn around.

Even if it made it clear there was a problem—which there was—I could finally get a clear picture of my follower's face, and possibly phase them out ("yeah, I see you, you can't hide from me").

Spinning around, I stopped walking, clenching my hands into a fist as I searched through the crowd for my target. I spotted them directly behind me, and their eyes widened when I turned. Over the sounds of passing trains, I narrowed my eyes and called them out.

"What the hell do you want?" I spat out.

Where did I put my keys?

I could see their face clearly now, although their eyes were shadowed by the figure of a fedora sitting on top of brown hair. Once again, unfamiliar, but they looked around my age. They were wearing a red polo over a purple long-sleeve shirt, but my eyes glazed over when I noticed a Midtown School of Science pin sticking onto their backpack.

Midtown?

"Uh..." the boy stammered, his eyes darting around sheepishly, "um, I—sorry, what?"

I gestured between the two of us. "You've been following me, you creep."

"I haven't been following you," he fibbed.

"Yes, you have!"

"No?"

"Then I'm going to walk away and I better not see you follow in my direction," I frowned, fighting the urge to stick up my middle-finger, "piss off."

I know he was following me, because no one would have the exact same route from Queens to Brooklyn and go unnoticed by me. I'd been walking this path for years—and I knew the regulars. This 'dude' was not a regular. They were a creep.

But before I turned to go, they called out my name.

"[y/n], wait!"

[y/n].

That's my name.

"How the hell do you know my name?" I said, spinning back around.

I guess my tone scared the boy (as it should), because he flinched and took a step back as soon as my daggered gaze hit him. He lifted his arm towards me, yanked it back to his side, debated something in his mind, and then hesitantly stuck it out again.

"I'm Ned," he said quietly, "Leeds. Ned Leeds."

I frowned. "I asked you a question, Ned."

"Sorry, I'm sorry, it's just that everyone knows you," he said sheepishly, scratching the back of his head, "I'm in your class at Midtown, you see, and you're kind-of known as the 'science-wonder'."

I'd heard the term before, but I didn't really care for it. I stuck to my labs, not to gossip, and I definitely didn't want to feed people's ideals of me by accepting the label. I just wanted to finish my things and graduate. Friends and acquaintances weren't a necessity.

"Why are you following me, then?" I interrogated, "trying to gawk at the 'ghost'?"

Yeah, I heard about that name too.

Ned's eyes widened. "No!"

"Then why?"

He paused, before scratching the back of his head anxiously. Now that I think of it, he didn't seem like the suspicious type. He reminded me of someone, strangely. The same awkward 'Nerd' behavior (although I'm also a nerd, and I'm proud) as a boy I recently met.

Peter.

Wait, why am I thinking of Peter?

"Well, I overheard you were....talking about Spider-Man," he said, stumbling over his words, "in the hallway—yeah, um, well—I know someone who knows Spider-Man, and I was going to ask you if you wanted to meet him, but...um, well..."

I waited for him to finish his sentence, but he didn't. He just stared at me blankly like a lost puppy dog.

"Yeah, I'm not falling for that," I frowned, "and don't eavesdrop on my conversations."

Ned winced. "I'm not lying!"

"You 'know someone who knows Spider-Man'?"

"Yeah!"

"There's no way," I scoffed, "I doubt a superhero would ever tell someone their identity, and I doubt they'd agree to meet with a stranger."

Ned opened his mouth to say something, but then gave up and dug his hands into the pockets of his jeans to pull out his phone. Holding up his finger, he signaled for me to 'wait here' while he punched in a number and held the device up to his ear.

I bet he was calling this so-called 'friend'.

Crossing my arms against my chest, I leaned onto the heels of my feet, cocking a brow. I bet this was a waste of time. Ned Leeds. Awkward like Peter. I wondered why I even bothered to make that comparison, or why I was even thinking about a boy I met yesterday, but it happened. Maybe my previous statement was right: his awkward charm was endearing. But that was it, and I can't understand why I suddenly feel like comparing him to every single person I see now. 

After yacking on the phone to someone, Ned hung up, his face flustered and sheepish.

"He's on his way," the boy said with a smile, "Spider-Man."

This was getting ridiculous.

"Yeah, right," I frowned.

"Yeah, I am right," Ned nodded, "he really is coming."

Getting the overwhelming feeling that this was some elaborate plan to kidnap me, I shook my head, turning my heels and starting to walk away. I was tired of this world and it's paranoia. Even if—although it was 99% impossible—that this 'Ned' kid really had connections with the guy/girl/person that was behind the spider-mask, how could I trust him?

Something didn't sit right with me.

I heard Ned calling after me, but I ignored him. At a certain point I think he gave up, because I found myself walking alone down the street a few blocks down. I was in Brooklyn now, my home sweet home.

'Alone'.

As soon as I was aware of my solitary, I tensed up, suddenly on edge at every single noise. I'd lingered too long on the pavement with that boy, and now the usual crowd of New York had dispersed. I needed to get home quickly.

Thwip!

What?

Thwip!

What the hell is that?

Darting my eyes around anxiously, I scanned the darkening skies for an explanation to the strange noise I just heard. I swear I heard it from above me. Or was it beside me? Or behind? Jeez, just run, [y/n]. Picking up my pace, I began to speed down the sidewalk with a hurry in my step. Something was definitely following me, but it wasn't Ned. It sounded like a creature of a sort—thwip!—there was that noise again.

I spotted the end of the park a few paces away, and that marked just a block away from my apartment. Almost there, almost there. What the hell is happening? Breathe, breathe, you're just being paranoid. I'm sure it's nothing—

"[y/n], right?"

"HOLY SHI—"

At the sound of the voice, I stumbled back, tripping over a twig and heading towards a face-plant. Before my nose hit the pavement, I felt an arm wrap around my waist and I was pulled back to my feet in a matter of seconds. Just the thought of a stranger's hand on me activated my defense, and I went to make a swing with my clenched fist.

They caught my hand in theirs, and I came face to face with a mesh of red, white, black, and blue.

"Woah there Gorgeous, I'm not here to hurt you," Spider-Man said, a soft laugh echoing from beneath his mask, "are you okay?"

No.

"Yeah," I said, shoving him off me, "you're...him, w-what are you doing here?"

It was a dumb question, I know, but I was utterly confused. Ned wasn't lying? Somehow the guy I had been searching for was right in front of me, his face covered with his mask, and his voice muffled. It felt strange. He was strange. This whole thing was strange.

"I heard you were looking for me," he nodded, "right?"

I blanked. "Yeah."

"Well, now I'm here."

When I didn't respond, the man—no, boy—tilted his head to the right, a glimmer in the white eyes of his suit. He was observing me, and I felt violated. He was supposed to be my soulmate. Spider-Man. But in his presence, I felt fear more than affection. This wasn't how it was supposed to be, but it was.

I hated spiders.

And now I was uncomfortable even looking at the black logo on his chest.

"Sorry for scaring you," he said, holding up his hands as if to say 'I come in peace' ,"are you sure you're okay?"

No.

No, heck, I can't stop thinking about the fact that he could look like a spider underneath his mask, and it's making it hard to breathe. I feel like a thousands arachnids are climbing up my arms and onto my neck, and I can feel my heart rising into my throat, beating faster and faster with each second. 

"No, no," I said, shaking my head, trying to control my breathing, "I'm sorry, I—"

Maybe it was because it was dark outside, and I was alone with this hero, who symbolized the one thing I hated the most. I wasn't sure, but it was making my head spin.

"It shouldn't be like this," I said, taking a step back, "there has to be a mistake."

He was supposed to be my soulmate.

So why was I scared?

"Mistake?" Spider-Man said, his voice hesitant and untraceable, "I don't understand."

"Of course you don't," I spat out.

"Woah, is something wrong?"

"Yes!"

Great, now I'm yelling at him.

"Hey, you can talk to me," he said, bowing his head, "what's wrong?"

There was no connection. I didn't get a flurry of butterflies when I saw him, and he definitely didn't sweep me off my feet. All I saw was someone in a blue and red latex-suit, with a spider etched on the front, and a mask that made him seem like he had too many secrets just waiting to be uncovered. But...the spider.

I have to tell him.

No, he'll think I'm crazy.

But this might be the last chance I get to see him, and if I walk away with the truth untold, I know I'll regret it. It's unbearable but I have to. I have to tell him what's wrong, and why. Maybe he'll have the answers.

Looking up to meet his gaze, I held my breath.

"I think you're my soulmate."