Minjoon slammed the freezer door shut with a sigh. "We're out of ice!" He called as he straightened. Daejoon leaned back over the edge of the sofa. The bruising around his left eye had darkened into a plum purple with green edges and his lip was still swollen but the cut was scabbed over nicely. He grunted at the movement and Minjoon glared at him. "Don't mess with your ribs", he scolded. 

Daejoon chuckled and readjusted the icepack he was clutching over the bruising on his ribs. The tv playing a rerun of Star Wars new hope in the background. "I get it Minnie. You don't need to lecture me again". 

Minjoon just scowled at him. "I'm going to get more ice", he declared as he turned towards the door. He grabbed his keys from the hook and pulled on his trainers.

"Get some ice cream too!" Daejoon called as the apartment door swung open. Minjoon saluted back at him and pulled the door shut with a bang. He didn't bother with the lift since it only worked about a quarter of the time, instead he pulled his earbuds from his pocket and slipped them in. All time low playing in his ears as he took the steps two at a time. 

The late evening air was cool and he jogged slightly to keep himself warm in his thin sweatshirt. The nearest convenience store was about ten minutes away and he kept up the pace all the way there. The bell rung as he ducked inside. "Hello Mrs Luther", he voiced as he headed to the freezers. 

"Hello Milo!" Was the friendly reply. 

 It took about a minute for him to grab two bags of ice and two tubs of ice cream, mint chocolate and raspberry ripple, before he returned to the counter. "You doing alright Milo?" Mrs Luthor smiled at him as she began bagging his items. She was only seven years older than him but she and her husband had been high school sweethearts and had taken over the store from her parents. During the snap, she had been one of the few faces from his childhood that had aged with him. 

"Yeah yeah. Doing just fine. Daejoon forgot to get ice. How's Mr Luthor and the baby?"  He handed over the total.

"He's good. Baby is getting bigger. She's almost two now", she smiled at the mention of her family. Hands counting out the change before she handed it back. 

"Aw. I'll see them around sometime. Have a good evening", he waved as he grabbed his bags. She called goodbye and the bell rung over the door again. 

Minjoon slipped out into the night. The carrier bag in one hand as he pulled out his phone with the other. Music blasting in his ears as he strolled back towards his apartment block. He was too busy trying to decide which artist to play next to notice the sudden shouting. Couldn't hear the shouts until a sharp screeching pierced his ears. He stuffed his phone in his pocket and looked up only to wince at the sudden glare of headlights. Brakes screamed and Minjoon flinched as the car came careening out of control towards him. 

Something hit him in the side and he yelped as an arm caught him by the waist and he was lifted off his feet. Bag of ice swinging from his hand as he was swung up into the air. Hands scrabbling to hold onto the warm body carrying him, fingers sliding on latex. There was a crash below and he watched as the car sped over the pavement where he had just been standing and smacked straight into a lamp post. Bonnet curving around the pole as the crash bags inflated. Then he was swinging over onto the roof of a building and the crash was out of sight. 

His feet hit the concrete and he stumbled as he suddenly had to support his own weight again. Would have fallen if hands had not reached out to steady him. "Whoa whoa. Easy there", a young and familiar voice muttered soothingly. "You're okay". 

Minjoon blinked, the last few seconds still whizzing around his brain as he tried to process what had happened. He looked up and came face to face with white lenses and a red and blue suit. Even in the dim glow of the street laps below he could make out the hints of the webbing patterns that covered the superhero's suit. He gasped, bag of ice dropping onto the roof surface as his body caught up with his mind. "Oh shit. Oh god. What happened?" He blinked dumbly at the masked face. 

"Well one guy was speeding. Another car breaker and the first guy went crashing into the back of him before rebounding off the side and pummelling straight towards you. Lucky I was in the neighbourhood". The hero added a few sound effects to the retelling before noticing that Minjoon was shaking. His tone turned gentle. "Hey. Breathe with me. Nice and slow there. In for one, out for two". 

Minjoon was still too in shock to do anything but follow Spiderman's instructions numbly. His breathing slowed and he was rewarded by a comforting squeeze to his forearms. "Yeah. Like that. You're doing good. What's your name?" 

"Minjoon". He wasn't sure why he gave his real name and was too in shock to care. 

"Minjoon. Hi. Nice to meet you. I'm Spiderman. How are you feeling?" The voice sounded sweet and genuinely concerned. 

Minjoon concentrated and shook some of the shock away. Apart from his pounding heart and goosebump covered skin, half due to the sudden near miss and half due to cold, he was fine. He noted that his earbuds had fallen out but he was not going to try and find them now. "I'm okay", he exhaled and he willed his heart to calm. "But if my brother finds out about this, he's going to throw a fit". 

Spiderman chuckled. "He over protective?" 

Minjoon ran his hands over his face with a groan. "No. More like a mother hen". 

"What about your parents?" Spiderman's voice was politely curious. It was strange. Spiderman was around his height and Minjoon wasn't very tall. But the hero obviously had more muscle than him. Yet it felt a bit like he was talking to someone his own age. Something in his voice, or his aura. 

"They got snapped. Then they gave up custody of me to my brother and fucked off back to Korea", Minjoon replied. He frowned. "I don't know why I am telling you all this". 

Spiderman shrugged. "Hey. I have a friendly vibe. Part of being the neighbourhood Spiderman". Minjoon laughed at that and the hero straightened, body language lightening at the sound. "See. I have that aura". 

"I can't believe that I am standing on a roof talking to Spiderman on a Saturday evening after almost being hit by a car", he sniggered. 

"Hey, there are a lot worse ways in which to spend your evening", Spiderman retorted. 

Minjoon just giggled as the adrenaline began fading. "Daejoon is going to freak if I'm late. Especially after last time". 

"What happened last time?" 

"I got into a fight with some shitty teen gang in the area. They never tried it again though". He stepped towards the edge of the building and peered over. Below he could see the crashed car and hear the distant oncoming sirens. Bystanders were surrounding the scene and the driver was sat on the cub by his vehicle. The second car half way up the street surrounded by it's own small crowd. He frowned down at the drop. It seemed to be around three stories up. 

"Sound's badass. But you shouldn't be fighting", Spiderman chided. 

Minjoon snorted. "Relax hero. I only ended the fight. I try not to start them. But once you develop a reputation for fighting, fights just seem to find you. Could you let me down? I need to get home". 

He turned and found Spiderman standing at his shoulder, his carrier bag in one hand. The hero handed it over and Minjoon took it silently. "Where do you live? I can swing you over". 

"That block there", he pointed. "Um, fifth floor, south facing?" 

"Got it". The hero held out a hand in question and Minjoon felt his stomach swoop as heat flooded his face. "May I?" 

He took it and the hero tugged him closer. The bag hanging from his elbow as he instinctively looped his arms around his saviour's neck. "Hold on tight Minjoon", the voice warned. Minjoon quite liked the sound of his name if it was spoken like that. Then he barely had time to gasp before Spiderman was throwing them off the building. 

For a second they plummeted and he swore that he had left his stomach on the rooftop, before the web caught and they were swinging up in a wild arc. The arm around his waist steadying and solid. The body pressed against his warm even through the high-tech material covering it. Warm as the cold air tugged at Minion's hair and stung his face. His voice caught in his throat as they reached the highest point of the swing and dropped for another dizzying second before they were flung up again. The journey almost gentle if it wasn't for gravity tugging at his gut. 

All too soon they swung up and Minjoon jolted as Spiderman grabbed hold of a fire escape and lifted them both over the railing. He had a brief moment for his breath to hitch at the sudden show of strength before the warm body was leaving. "This the right one?" 

Minjoon blinked and turned to peer through the window to see the familiar mess of his brother's room. Bed a mess of blankets and dirty laundry across the floor. Boxing gloves hanging on the back of the door and various movie posters on the walls. "This is my brother's room". 

"Whoops", the hero whistled. "If this happens again, I'll aim for the other window". 

That cause Minjoon to giggle again. "You saying I'll see you again?" 

"Hey, I hope not. Cause that would mean trouble. But you seem cool Minjoon". 

The compliment made him blush again. It was not every day that he got complimented by a super hero. He was mentally jumping up and down in joy. He coughed, "thanks. For saving me, I mean. And for the lift back". 

Spiderman saluted, though it was hard to see in the nighttime gloom. Too high for the lights of the street lamps below to reach them. "All in a day's work. You stay safe out there Minjoon". 

"You too". He barely had time to get the words out before the hero was hopping over the railing and dropping. His hands gripped the cold metal as he watched the dim shadowed figure swing out of sight. Only then did he inhale deeply and turn to slide the window open. 

Daejoon turned his head as Minjoon stumbled out of his bedroom. "How did you get in my room? Decide to take the fire escape up?" He asked, completely casual even as Minjoon tried to absorb the warm heat of the apartment. 

"Yeah. Yeah I thought it would be fun to take the fire escape. Wasn't a good plan", he panted as he stumbled towards the freezer. 

"Weirdo", Daejoon chuckled. 

"Dumbass", Minjoon shot back as he began putting the ice and ice cream away. The night encounter rerunning in his head like a fever dream. His cheeks still lightly warm as he smiled to himself. 

unedited

Midtown school: 'Milo is a delinquent. He's scary'. 

Minjoon: *is actually a nerd with a love for superheroes*.