Chapter Text
It had been three weeks. Which in retrospect really isn’t a lot of time, but for Miles… He spent a year thinking he’d never see his friends ever again. Only for Gwen to just randomly show up one day. However this time, after all the chaos they had all promised to come see him again. Now it’s been three weeks, and he was starting to get nervous. He hadn’t even heard anything from any of them. Miles knows he’s overthinking it a bit. The other Spiders are probably busy, it’s not like he hasn’t had his hands full this whole time. He’s had a lot to deal with, between cleaning up the mess Spot made, getting a handle back on the usual crime in the city, catching up with school and his personal life (which is basically a garbage fire at the moment), he’s been busy himself.
Miles' parents found out he's Spider-Man. It’s not like he wasn’t planning to tell them anyways, but the way it happened was less than stellar. He succeeded in saving his dad, but not without having to reveal his secret identity to him. But the universe didn’t completely crumble so Miles guesses you win some and you lose some. At the end of the altercation it was pretty clear that both him and his dad needed some space. His dad must’ve told his mamí because not an hour later he got a text from her saying, We need to have a discussion when you’re ready. If he was being honest he’s been far from ready, so he’s been staying at his dorm exclusively. Which isn’t too bad, especially with Ganke knowing the whole ordeal, and while not offering the best emotional support he was still there for Miles. Though even he’s been wearing a little thin with all of Miles talking.
“Dude I get it you like to miss him or whatever, but like seriously this-“ his roommate made an exasperated movement directed towards him- “is not healthy.”
“Yeah yeah ok I know I’ve been talking about him— woah woah woah him?” Miles asked with a shake of his head. He was pretty sure he’d been talking about all of the Spiders. He can’t imagine who'd get off on a tangent about.
“Yeah dude, him. I don’t know, what was it? Hobby-“
“Hobie.”
Ganke pointed at him, “Yeah yeah that guy! You’ve been talking about just him for like 10 minutes, man. And this isn’t even the first time.”
Miles’ brows furrowed in confusion. That’s so unlike him, Ganke has got to be exaggerating. Right? Miles shook his head, “Yeah whatever Hobie is super cool man, he taught me a lot in such a short time I really appreciate him—“
“Yeah I know,” his roommate interrupted, “that’s exactly what you’ve been saying for the past 10 minutes.”
Miles sighed and fell back on to his bed he was sitting on with a huff. Could he have really been talking about Hobie that long? I mean sure the older teen had taught him so much. Had probably been his only support in several moments when against Miguel. For some reason Hobie had so much faith in him. Taught him how to break out. Helped Gwen save him. Built the very device that made it possible for him to be saved. He owes a lot to Hobie. Not to mention he’s a really cool guy. Honestly a part of him was really jealous at first by the way Hobie and Gwen interacted, but that quickly faded when it was hard to be jealous of a guy who honestly was just chill. Besides he’s pretty sure his whole thing with Gwen has passed. In the end of things they decided to just be friends, in a manner way too similar to the first time. Maybe she didn’t have another choice, but the way she betrayed him… it still hurt a bit even after she helped save him. Definitely broke all the trust in her he had. It’ll take some time to heal that. Though, most of them had betrayed him in one way or another. Except for Hobie. Hobie did nothing but help him. Maybe he really did miss Hobie the most. Again he was super cool, he was a good Spider-Man, and a mildly attractive guy. Actually… Miles didn’t want to think too hard into that.
Miles turned over to his side and looked down from his top bunk to see what Ganke was doing. “Hey man what are you up to anyways?”
“Oh uh you know, another essay,” Ganke replied while very clearly playing a video game.
“Yeah uh huh, and what is the essay about?”
Miles asked, playing along, but with mild suspicion.
“The society of America,” Ganke replied with
Miles huffed out a small chuckle. Sounds like something Hobie might say. He looked out his window and sat up again. It was New York, was it ever not in need of Spider-Man? Yeah that was a good idea. That would get his mind away from everything for sure. Without wasting another minute he sat up and began hopping around the room to get his suit on.
“Going out?” Ganke asked, giving him a side glance as he continued to play his game.
“Yeah, Brooklyn needs me.”
“Thank god, I was getting tired of you being here.”
Miles rolled his eyes and gave Ganke a small slap to the back of his friend’s neck while pulling his mask on. “Yeah yeah I’ll see you later man,” Miles spoke as he made his way over to the windowsill, “update me on how that essay goes!” He said, flipping out of the room.
“Yeah it’s super interesting,” Ganke called out, unmoving from his chair where he was gaming.
New York was actually pretty quiet this evening. Quiet for New York anyways. Purse grabber there, convenience store robber here, nothing too big. Even despite all the craziness he really had gotten the swing on being a Spider-Man. His fight against all the others had been even more proof. Miles sighed as he swung around the city, there really was just not much to do this evening, but it was too early to go in. He didn’t really have much of another choice. He swung to his favorite thinking spot and sat out in front of the lowering sun. He did his best to ignore it but his brain immediately summoned up when he had brought Gwen up here. Miles groaned at the memory. At his own naivety. Really he should have known that something was up with Gwen the whole time, but he was so just so happy to see her! That her behavior didn’t bring up a single red flag in his mind, even if it so clearly should have.
Miles tried hard not to be a live in the past kind of guy, but everything happened so fast, that he was still trying to process all of it. Don’t think about Miles, he tells himself. Just don’t think about it. He closed his eyes, taking a moment to soak the last bit of the sun for the day in. For some reason his mind summoned thoughts of Hobie again. He wondered what his universe was like. He wondered if Hobie would enjoy something like this. Did Hobie even get to experience moments like this? Or was it as dismal as the anarchist made it sound. It’s hard to think anyone doesn’t get to experience this. It couldn’t all be super horrible right? Hobie was a really good guy after all. Gwen seemed to like it too. Miles mentally hit himself, he really needs to stop thinking about Gwen. Even though she ended up pulling through… it still pulled at his heart in the way she hurt him. He’d much rather think about Hobie. Miles’ eyes snapped open. He’d much rather think about Hobie? Yeah ok let’s not think too much into that, Miles’ tells himself. Yet he found himself thinking into that. When did his thoughts become so wrapped around the guy? And what did Ganke mean that he just rambles on about him? Seriously, it was weird. It was almost like he used to think about Gwen, after the Fisk and collider incident. Miles ripped off his mask in a small panic. It was almost like he used to think about Gwen?
“Ok seriously man, it’s time to stop thinking about this,” Miles whispered to himself. He just missed his friends is all. And he just missed Hobie the most, which is a totally platonic and bro thing to do. Who was he kidding? It wouldn’t be the first time he’s thought about a boy a little more than the usual straight guy would. And if he was being totally honest it probably wouldn’t be the last. A kid at his old school called it Bisexuality once. At the time he really didn’t get what the kid meant, but as he's gotten older he thinks he understands. Didn’t really make it any easier. Miles sighed exasperatedly pulling at the skin on his face. Seriously? Weeks ago when they had just met, he was jealous of the closeness of Hobie and Gwen. Granted Pav made that worse, with his incredible ability to read romantic tension. Or whatever. Yet he seemed to have dropped after they failed to get Spot. Though with everything going on, it was best to be serious. Miles wonders about Pav, he did put a hole in his universe by breaking that cannon event. Granted unintentionally. Miles wonders if Hobie has gone to check on Pav already, they seemed to be close friends. Miles wonders if all the other Spiders have already checked back in on one another.
Oh he’s back to that. Miles needs to understand that they’re probably all just busy! Not ignoring his existence because he’s some multiversal mistake. It won’t be a redo of last time, they promised. He’s gotta trust them. Like he did last time? Miles violently stood up, trying to regain control of his thoughts. He can’t be doing this. It’s not helpful nor is it healthy like Ganke noted. Well Ganke noted that it was unhealthy to go on about how awesome another Spider-Man is for 10 minutes more than once. Nonetheless he’s right, he needs to go somewhere! Do something! Be Spider-Man! He is Spider-Man and a good one at that! Miles slips his mask back on with a big inhale, he almost considered the air up here to be clean. He hopped around warming himself up before leaping off. He fell for a while catching the wind between his limbs like a flightless bird before catching himself in a stoop swing. That always seemed to clear his head.
Miles repeated this action a couple of times: swinging up to a tall building, falling for a few seconds, and then catching himself. The sun had set and the sky began to turn shades of purple, red, and orange before he stopped. Exhausted, he found a tall building to take a small rest on top of. He slipped his mask off and began to slow his breathing from the workout. That could be considered a work out right? He pulled out his phone and examined the time, it was starting to get late. If he was smart he’d probably be heading back to his dorm at this point. And he was smart, but he also had a full head of negatives. Decisions, decisions. He began to look at his messages. He hasn’t really gotten anything from his parents apart from what his mom had sent him, which honestly surprised him a little bit. Maybe it was time to go see them. It had been a few weeks. But then, before he could contemplate the idea anymore, a sudden crash across the roof interrupted his train of thought. He quickly ducked his head down and pulled his mask back on. He hadn’t noticed any stairs on the roof or anything, and it was a pretty tall building, he thought it had been safe. At this moment though he needed to pull himself together and see what the noise was.
Miles jumped up from the edge he had been sitting on immediately jumping into a fight stance. Only for a familiar portal of a scrapbook aesthetic to be right in front of him, and to walk out no other than Hobie Brown.
“That isn’t any way to treat a mate you haven’t seen for a while innit?” The punk said with a small laugh. Hobie had his mask on and his arms open as he stepped out into Miles’ universe and the portal closed behind him.
“Hobie?!” Miles questioned as his stance fell into minor shock, but there was a hint of excitement within his voice.
“Been awhile, yeah?” Hobie asked before taking off his spiked mask.
“Yeah…” Miles replies, his tone dropping.
“How’ve you been? Busy like the rest of us? Just because the multiverse is in danger doesn’t stop our universes from going.” Hobie said with a small smile before shoving his mask into his vest pocket.
“Yeah uh busy, is one way to put it.”
Hobie moved in closer and Miles did the same. Coming in from the edges to meet a few feet a part in the middle. “How’d things mow over with your pops?”
“Oh! Uh yeah you know about that… they haven’t.” Miles mutters the last part raising his arms in a tense shrug.
“What?” Hobie asked, crossing his arms, his thin brows slightly furrowing. Miles studied the way his eyebrow piercing moved with the brows.
“We haven’t talked. I haven’t talked to either of my parents.” Miles admitted dropping his shoulder in shame.
“At all?” Hobie asked, one of his brows popping up as he studied Miles.
“At all.” Miles confirmed with a curt nod before quickly shaking his hands out in front of him “But like it’s fine, they’d say we’d talk when I’m ready. So I’m just giving it some time.”
“Three weeks has been some time, yeah?”
Miles ripped off his mask and rubbed the back of his neck. “Yeah well I’ve been busy.” Miles then looked up one of his own eyebrows raising up his tone hardening as he did, “Like the rest of us….”
Hobie eyebrows raised, eyes going wider than previously. It was the only change in his actual demeanor and it would’ve been undetectable if Miles wasn’t staring. And Miles was definitely starring. He had really missed the guy, and to have him be right here again was all Miles could want right now. But it didn’t change that he had reason to be suspicious and he needed to remember that, and stick with it.
“Yeah well, I really thought Gwendy would’ve come to see ya,” Hobie shrugged. “I had gone to check on Pav and make sure his universe was intact. Then I saw Gwen who said that, well get this—“ he chuckled, “—she was giving you space. Once I realized no one else had come to see ya I stopped by.” Hobie finished leaning on one leg.
“Yeah ok” Miles said, crossing his arms.
Hobie grinned, “What not happy to see, me mate? Were you expecting someone else?” Hobie threw his hands onto Miles’ shoulders. That broke a smile out of Miles and he loosened the tension his body had been holding. Which gave Hobie the right away to pull him to some kind of side hug. It was more of him pulling the younger spider under his arm before giving Miles a small squeeze.
“Wasn’t really expecting anyone, was just hoping for someone.” Miles murmured with a hint of defeat.
Hobie squeezed him again. Maybe it was some form of sympathy, Miles really didn’t know. “Hey, what you do for fun ‘round here mate? Don’t want to spend my whole vist being sad atop some building, yeah?”
Miles' smile grew, “Oh you know, I swing around, do some neat tricks, sometimes put graffiti up where no one can reach it.”
“Bit of a show off, ey?” Hobie said separating from Miles to punch his shoulder. He put his hand in his pockets and made his way to the ledge before putting his mask back on. “Yeah well let’s see it.” Hobie said, looking back at Miles before leaning off the building. Miles didn’t waste a second before sliding his own mask on and taking a leap off the building, jumping into a swing with his webs as he did. It was hard to hear but Hobie gave him a small laugh before following after.
The two spent an hour swinging around the city. Miles was sure to show all the tight spaces and cool flips he could pull off, keeping good to his word. Miles really was loosening up from his earlier suspicion, turns out the hopeful part of himself ended up being right afterall. Even with all the flips Miles did, Hobie did a pretty good job keeping up, cheering him on. It reminded him a little bit of when he had saved Pav’s captain and Hobie had been so proud he ran up to him after Gwen removed the rubble. If he was being honest it was probably that moment their friendship had actually started. If he was also being honest he had been playing that memory among the others of him and Hobie over and over again these past couple of weeks. There was just a different atmosphere when Hobie was around. Miles mentally rolled his eyes at himself, maybe Ganke was telling the truth.
The sun was gone, and New York had gone dark. Which means it had really come to life. Street lights, neon lights, car lights, just lights flashing at every corner. Miles usually wouldn’t be out this late. It was super out of character for him, but he’d be lying if he said he wasn’t having the best time in a while right now. The two had been laughing and messing around until they landed atop another high building. This one where several of Miles’ graffiti stickers were put on as well as an art piece he did directly on to the wall. Hobie was quiet as he grabbed another sticker from the pocket of the jacket he had put over his current suit, and placed it upon the wall with the others. When Miles finished, Hobie threw an arm around his shoulders and pressed most of his weight into the Brooklyn Spider-Man. Which surprisingly was a lot less than Miles would have guessed. Like sure the other was tall and lengthy, but with as strong as he is Miles would’ve guessed he’d be a bit heavier. The way he swings his guitar around and throws his weight around, Hobie had to be extremely strong. Must be the spider bite.
“Your pretty good love.” Hobie said in Miles’ ear.
Miles turned and internally thanked the mask because he could’ve sworn Hobie just said love and his cheeks had grown a warm pink. “Hm?” Miles hummed.
“Your artwork, you’ve got some real talent.” Hobie said, eyes still on the wall of graffiti.
Miles slowly removed his mask from his head and put it into his jacket pocket. “Yeah well it’s like my passion.”
Hobie nodded, “Yeah Gwendy mentioned that to me, but she never said you were any good.” He chuckled at the end. “Ey next time I’m here love, let me see one of your sketchbooks, yeah?”
Miles stammered a few uhms before speaking “Yeah yeah sure, sounds good.” He rambled out, cheeks again growing warmer than before. That’s a second time he could’ve sworn the anarchist said love.
Hobie smirked and huffed a soft laugh, before he pulled away from Miles, typing on his watch as he did. “I oughta head back, I’ll see soon, yeah?”
Miles smiled at the soon before nodding. “Yeah man see you soon.”
Hobie stepped backwards into the portal and gave Miles a small salute. Miles waved in kind before the other disappeared. Afterwards he pulled his mask back on and swung off back towards his dorm. With the biggest smile on his face and a warmth that hardly made the late Brooklyn air sting. If Ganke thought he was insufferable before, he was about to see a whole new level.