*WARNING: INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE SPOILERS*

Ahhhhh I saw the movie again today and it is just as good the second time <3

///

Over the next few weeks, you got closer and closer to stopping Spider-Man. Your dad was proud of you - but he was overly stressed out about it. Every spare second of your life was dedicated to hunting down the masked hero. 

But every other moment in your life was dedicated to Miles. 

He walked to school (on the days when his dad didn't drop him off) and met you on the front steps. You were always there, standing at the top step while he stood one step below you. You would wrap your arms around his neck and kiss his cheek, and he would smile and tell you that you looked really beautiful that day, even though he said it every day.

On the way to class, about a month and a half after you had started dating, he grabbed your hand and said to you, "Hey, why don't we ever go on dates after school or something?"

"Uh," you said, "well, I-I'm kind of busy most of the time-"

"What? Come on," he said. "Friday?"

"I go home on Friday-"

"Okay, well, you live nearby," he said. "What about Saturday? I can take you to lunch on-"

"No, Miles, I can't," you said, shaking your head. 

"Why?" he asked. 

"B-Because I'm just... I have a lot do to. My dad and I-"

He tilted his head. "Do you... not trust me to take you places? Do you not want your parents to see me?"

"Oh my gosh, Miles, that isn't it at all. I am so sorry, I never meant for it to come across that way-"

"Then what day did you mean it?" He dropped your hand. "Because I'm really not getting this." He pointed to you and then to his chest. "If you don't want me around, then fine. I won't be here to be a problem for you."

You grabbed his hand. "Miles, wait! Please, you have to know that that isn't what I mean at all. I... I work with my dad, okay? We don't make a lot of money, and I try to help out the best I can."

"Oh."

"Yeah," you said. 

"I am so sorry, I-I had no idea-"

"Forget it, it's okay," you said. "I'll make some time this week and we can go on that date. You can pick anyplace you want, Miles. Swear."

He shook his head. "I feel like such an idiot right now," he said. 

"Don't," you said. You hooked your arm with his. "We're cool, okay? We're cool."

"Cool," he said, nodding. 

"Let's get to class," you said. "Then after, we can plan that date."

//

Miles and his dad picked you up Saturday at two in the afternoon. You both were dropped off at the movies, and then you walked to a diner down the street for hamburgers and milkshakes. After that, you waited outside for his dad to pick you up and take you home again. 

"Hey, I, uh, have something to tell you," Miles said, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"Yeah?" you asked, tucking your hands under your legs. You swung your feet back and forth. "What is it?"

"So I have this secret, and I swore that I'd never tell a single person, but I really think soulmates should know everything about one another."

You gulped. "Uh... yeah, I guess I can agree with that."

"Really? Cool." He smiled nervously. "I'll uh, stop by your place tonight, if that's okay."

"Um... sure, I guess." 

"Oh, there's my dad. Come on."

//

When you got home, your dad was standing in the middle of the living room, arms crossed and eyebrows pulled together with pure anger. 

"Where were you?" he demanded.

"O-Out with a friend," you stammered. 

"Kingpin needs us to go out now," he said. "We've got new leads on Spider-Man."

You sighed. "Okay, okay. I'll get changed."

//

That night, after chasing Spider-Man all over Brooklyn, you went to your room and fell backwards onto your bed. You groaned and started to peel off the dark clothes that you were wearing. You dropped them to the floor, too lazy to go put them in the hamper at the other side of your room. 

You leaned down and picked up the baggy t-shirt and the old sweatpants that you'd kicked off in the morning.

After slipping them on, you crawled underneath your covers and leaned back onto your pillow.

You grabbed your phone. 

There were a few missed calls from Miles. You furrowed your eyebrows and sent him a text.

Is everything okay?

On your end, things weren't okay with you at all. You were wanting to talk to Miles anyway, since on the mission today, you saw your dad grab Spider-Man for half a second. The sharp claws of your father's suit dug into the guy's skin, and while he didn't make a noise, you could almost feel the pain that he must have felt. It was so real-

You turned the screen off and let it fall out of your hands and onto the blanket. You were just going to wait for it to vibrate. For now, you needed to get those images of tonight out of your head.

You started to think about your date with Miles instead.

Then there was a fairly loud knock on your window. You sat up quickly, gasping, and saw a figure there.

"___! It's Miles!" a voice hissed.

"Miles?" You got up and unlocked and opened the window. "Oh my gosh, I'm glad you're here. I... Miles? Are you okay?"

"No, I'm hurt!" he said. He doubled over. 

"Oh my gosh!" You wrapped your arms around him and dragged him inside, helping him step over the window sill and lay down on your bed. You ran to your bedside lamp and flipped it on. 

When you looked back at Miles, you saw him laying on his back, a hoodie on but unzipped, and a black and red Spider-Man suit on.

And at his sides, four puncture wounds. 

Like someone with claws had grabbed him.

"Oh my gosh," you breathed.

"I know, I didn't want to tell you this way," he said. He was breathing heavily as he sat up and started to slowly peel the suit off from top to bottom. He let it hang around his waist.

"No," you breathed, dread filling every space of your body.

"Can you help me?" he asked. His hands were bare, and you saw-

You saw your name on one.

And on the other, you saw Prowler.

"No," you breathed. 

"___, I know this was a lot to tell you, but right now-" He looked at your face and pressed his hand to his side. "What's wrong with you? I promise this - this isn't- what is it? Are you okay?"

You didn't know what to say.

You weren't okay. 

Nothing in your world made any sense-

And everything had fallen apart in a matter of seconds.