╰┈➤ 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐞: 𝘸𝘩𝘺 𝘪 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶

                                 𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 - 𝘪 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘢 𝘣𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴 𝘣𝘺 𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘤 𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘬𝘦𝘺𝘴

         ❛ secrets i have held in my heart, are harder to hide than i thought

                                                maybe i just wanna be yours❜

𝐍𝐎𝐁𝐎𝐃𝐘 𝐋𝐈𝐊𝐄𝐒 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐘 𝐃𝐎𝐍𝐓 𝐔𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐍𝐃.

That was an excuse even Poppy could admit had become repetitive. She knew she liked Hobie and she knew Hobie liked her.

She just didn't like it. 

This wasn't how it was supposed to go, in fact they were possibly putting their entire universe at risk just by doing so.

But as is human nature, the heart yearns for what it can't have.

She'd love to tell Hobie how she felt, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. She had wasted his time, she had pushed him away and she had shunned him. In fact, Hobie probably had moved on, he wasn't going to consistently pursue someone who was rejecting all his advances.

He didn't believe in consistency.

Instead she had spent the last two weeks writing letters, letters that would never be sent.

Even after she ended up homeless, her days were filled with the sound of her ballpoint pen scratching against the blank printer paper Isla owned.

Owned in past tense, Poppy had used up all the paper Isla had owned, pouring her heart into those letters.

They weren't love letters.

Poppy Parker did not write love letters. Also, Hobie wouldn't read them if that's what they were. They were just letters.

It was therapy more than anything else, something Isla thought she needed. "We're gonna get you a therapist, I'll figure out where we can get one, what if there's like a therapist Spider-Man?"

Poppy didn't need therapy. She needed a break.

𝐏𝐎𝐏𝐏𝐘 𝐕𝐈𝐕𝐈𝐃𝐋𝐘 𝐑𝐄𝐂𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐒 𝐖𝐇𝐄𝐍 𝐒𝐇𝐄 𝐅𝐈𝐑𝐒𝐓 𝐌𝐄𝐓 𝐇𝐎𝐁𝐈𝐄.

There wasn't much to recall, he was just an asshole. A tall, cocky, hot asshole.

And after six months, that hadn't changed.

"You can't just break into people's homes you idiot." Poppy watched from across the counter as Hobie rummaged through Isla's fridge.

"I can when I'm being avoided." He retorted, mouth full of the butter pastry. Poppy crossed her arms, huffing.

"You're real cute, but that's not going to work right now." He pulled out a carton of apple juice. "Want some?" Poppy shook her head, watching him unscrew the lid of the plastic bottle.

"Hobie why are you here?" "You don't get to ask questions, I do." Hobie began to chug the remaining juice in the bottle.

Seeing him there in front of her made her unbelievably nervous. It's not like she believed she could avoid him forever, she was just hoping she had more time.

Because as he stood there in front of her, his tall, slender frame leaning against the fridge, that stupid arrogant look of his painted across his rough features.

She wanted nothing more than for him to hold her. For him to forgive her for being so dumb, for avoiding him for so long. For wasting his time.

She wanted him so badly, and that's what scared her.

"Why are you avoiding me again? Hm? I thought we were past this." Poppy sheepishly rocked back and forth on the balls of her feet.

"I wasn't avoiding you." Poppy muttered, lying straight through her teeth. Hobie twisted the lid back onto the bottle shooting her an unimpressed look.

"You didn't come in for three weeks." "I was homeless." "You've only been homeless for a week, try again." "I've been swamped with school work." "You've never studied a day in your life." "Damn it." Poppy muttered.

Hobie hummed, mindlessly scanning the contents of Isla's pantry. "Y'a going to tell me the real reason you're avoiding me or am I gonna have to make you?"

Make her? "Make me?" She titled her head, frowning at him.

Before she could react, Hobie began to make swift strides across the kitchen, getting closer to her with each step. Dropping the juice bottle, his arms wrapped around her small waist, a soft gasp escaped Poppy's mouth. He pulled her close to him, her chest flush against his.

"Poppy Parker." She looked up at him through her long lashes, a small smirk displayed on his face. "Why've you been 'voiding me?" He mimicked her earlier movements, tilting his head, staring down at her flustered expression.

"Been busy." She mumbled, Hobie hummed, leaning down to place a kiss on her forehead, the cold metal of his lip piercing softly brushing against her flushed skin.

"Have you?" "Mhm" A kiss to her cheek, "Why do you lie to me dovey?" Poppy's breath hitched, "I'm not."

"Are you? So you're not avoiding me because you found out something you didn't want to know?" Poppy shook her head, a kiss was placed on her other cheek.

Hobie cupped her chin between two fingers, tilting her head up. "Don't lie to me Poppy." He whispered.

Poppy sighed, "I was avoiding you." Hobie nodded, frowning. "That wasn't so hard was it?" He brushed a thumb over her cheek.

"Why were you avoiding me?" "Because I'm scared." Hobie looked at her confused, slowly bringing his face closer to hers.

"And why's that?" "Because I really want to kiss you right now and that scares me." A small smirk made its way onto his face.

"Poppy?" "Hm?" "Do you like me?" Poppy smiled, "Of course I do, you're my best friend Hobie."

He shook his head, brushing his thumb over her plush rosy lips. "Poppy?" She didn't respond, "Do you have feelings for me?"

"Sure, you make me feel a lot of things. Irritation, confusion-" she was cut off as he moved one of his hands from her waist, cupping her chin between his fingers, tilting her head up.

He leaned in closer his lips hovering over hers. "Do you have a crush on me?"

She didn't respond, instead standing on her tiptoes, pulling his face towards hers. Her soft lips pressed against his rough ones. Hobie wrapped his hands around her waist, slowly trailing them down her slim waist to her plush hips. He bunched her shirt around her waist exposing her black cotton panties.

His hands moved from her waist, down to her ass, squeezing it softly. Poppy groaned, her legs almost giving out. He noticed this, separating their lips, hooking his arm under their thighs he hoisted her up.

She wrapped her arms around his neck, her legs going around his waist. She placed soft kisses to his jawline.

He smirked, "I'll take that as a yes." "It's not one." She muttered, pulling him in again. His lips moved away from hers down to her neck. Pressing butterfly kisses up and down causing her to giggle.

Her smile, her deep brown eyes, her laugh. She was worth the world, and if he could he would give it to her.

"Why were you afraid of me Poppy?" Hobie muttered pressing a kiss to her cheek. Poppy shook her head, "You liked me so much, and I was scared of it." "But everyone likes you?" He shot her a confused look, slowly placing her on the kitchen counter.

Poppy shrugged, opening her legs as she stepped through them placing his arms behind her as he hovered over her small frame.

"They like me because I'm perfect. They like Spider-Girl, they liked Poppy Parker." She fiddled with the hem of her shirt, rubbing it in between her fingers.

"But you never thought I was perfect, so I don't know why you liked me." Hobie hummed, brushing her hair back, placing a slow kiss on her forehead.

"I like you because you'll defend the things you love." A kiss to her cheek, "I love that despite the sweet adorable front you attempt to put on, you can hold your own against anyone." A kiss to her other one.

"I love how easy you are to fluster." A kiss to her nose. She smiled, "I love how you appreciate little gestures."

"I love how much you care for Lovr and Isla," a kiss to her neck. "I love your smile, I love your dedication. I fell in love with a version of you that you didn't even know existed." Soft kisses littered her face.

" I loved that even though you were scared of love, you loved me." A kiss to her lips. "I like you because you're Poppy, is that so hard to believe?" Poppy cupped his face in her hands, her thumb brushing over his lip piercing.

"Aren't you worried? About interfering with canon and all." She muttered. Hobie shook his head.

"If I wasn't meant to feel this way, my world would have crumbled ages ago."  

𝗟𝗢𝗩𝗘 𝗦𝗣𝗘𝗔𝗞𝗦!

You can see this chapter is half assed, the writing isn't as pretty but I said I was gonna update like 3 days ago and I didn't do that. Also I'm back in Europe for a bit so I'm kinda busy. Idk when I'll be able to get to heartbeat but if you guys want to ask my questions about anything I'll be happy to do a q & a. It can be about the book, my writing process, my ocs, my other books, me, whatever.

Ask questions here.

Also, cleaning up any confusion. The books are out of order and it's sorta on purpose. So while this is the third book it takes place first, Dead to me takes place second and Heartbeat is the last one. It was just based on order of release. Also my inspiration for Poppy's personality in earlier chapters is based on my friend @/chippedacrylicnail on TikTok. She has this one friend who like has a sorta flirty friendship with so Hobie and Poppy's dynamic is inspired by thtem. They just don't know it. Thank you for 50k reads I love you all so much.

Not proof read.