Chapter Text
Jeremy jerked his arm out and hit the snooze button on his alarm. He wasn’t ready to get up just yet. He turned over, burying his face into his pillow. He knew that his bed had probably been purchased with evil and corrupt money, but Jeremy loved it. It was a perfectly comfy bed. He felt like he could sleep the whole day away.
The alarm went off a second time. Jeremy sighed, reaching for his phone and properly turning it off. He sat up and stretched, allowing his joints to pop. He glanced at his arms, squinting at his pale flesh. Hadn’t he…
He could have sworn he had been burned. Wasn’t there a fire? Hadn’t he and Torch…
Given how much he had put his body through he had probably just dreamed it up. Jeremy swung his legs out of bed, traipsing through his room as he grabbed clothes from his closet. His suit was folded up nice and neat on the dresser, the eyes of his mask staring at him. He should probably put that away, he wouldn’t want anyone finding it.
Since when did he fold his suit?
Jeremy tucked the suit into his backpack before slipping down the hall and into the bathroom. He got ready for the day, showered and blow dried his hair. He glanced in the mirror at himself, running his fingers over his forehead. Hadn’t he…huh. Weird, he could have sworn he had a cut on his head. Maybe it had healed. He got injured enough that the specific cuts and bruises tended to just blend together in his mind.
Jeremy slipped on his shoes before swinging his backpack over his shoulder. He was about to walk out the door when he caught his eye on his desk. Resting on the corner was his crown from winning prom king, and sitting inside the ring was a photo that his dad had framed. Michael and Jeremy dressed in their suits, hugging each other tight while they beamed at the camera. It…it had been a fun night.
Jeremy looked up and saw his key to the city on display, resting on the shelf. Why did he have that out? People would figure out who he was. Jeremy grabbed the award and shoved it into his desk drawer. He would find a better hiding spot later.
He slid down the stair railing and landed on the ground floor. It looked really nice out. Sun shining through the windows. A nice fall day.
Jeremy drifted into the kitchen, finding a plate had been set out for him. Since when did they actually make breakfast on a school day—
“Good morning Private!”
Jeremy looked up, finding his dad pouring a thermos full of coffee. He stared wide eyed at him, his throat swelling with sudden emotion. Jeremy dropped his bag by his stool before striding over to his father. He threw his arms around the older man, squeezing him tight and hiding his face against his shoulder.
“Hey,” James set his thermos down and squeezed Jeremy back. He sounded a bit concerned. “Are you okay?”
Why was he squeezing so tight? Jeremy let go and took a step back. “I, yeah. I’m fine. I just…I think I had a bad dream? I can’t…I don’t remember the details.”
James ruffled his hair, “Oh, well I have some good news? If you’d like to hear it? It might make you feel better.”
Jeremy sat down and began to eat. He nodded, waiting for his dad to share.
“Jennifer was captured trying to flee to Canada!” James drummed his fingers against the counter while beaming. “She’s back in custody!”
Thank god. Jeremy had been struggling to sneak out as Spidey thanks to the news coverage about his mother. Reporters hadn’t left him alone. Even following him at school. It had been a nightmare for his dual identity.
“Good. And with the goblins gone she’ll probably stay in prison this time,” Jeremy hummed, shoving a forkful of food into his mouth.
“I still don’t like how much danger you’re putting yourself in to get those photos, kiddo,” James chided, sitting next to him. “Is the job really worth it?”
“I didn’t intend to like it, but I do enjoy the work,” Jeremy shrugged. “Which reminds me, I’m picking up my paycheck today, I’ll probably be out for dinner.”
James hummed, “Okay, just stay safe. I feel like more and more of those vigilantes have been popping up and it makes me nervous for you.”
Jeremy bit back an eye roll. He didn’t respond properly, just hummed as he helped his dad clean up. His dad had liked superheroes up until there grown to be a handful of them.
Jeremy dropped into the car, his dad taking him to school. They were quiet, it usually was when they were in the car. It wasn’t uncomfortable or anything, they just…
They didn’t have much to talk about these days. Jeremy couldn’t share anything about being Spider-Man. And that was his main interest. The only thing he had going on in his life.
“Have a good day,” James hummed, pulling up to the curb.
“Thanks,” Jeremy unbuckled his seatbelt and popped open the door. Before crawling out he leaned over the center console and pulled his dad in for another hug. “I love you.”
James chuckled, “I love you too, kiddo.”
Jeremy stepped out and began his walk to class. A few people wished him well on his mother being arrested again. It was no secret Jeremy had been unsettled by her escape.
Jeremy made his way to class, dropping into his seat and glancing around. Jake and Rich were huddled in their corner already. They both waved to him, Jeremy returning the motion.
“Jeremy,” Brooke slapped her hands down on his desk. “Halloween is in a few weeks, do you have a costume?”
Jeremy blinked, “I…I have the Spider-Man costume you made me last year? Why?”
He also had the Spider-Man suit she had made Spider-Man, but he couldn’t tell her that. It was a bit awkward. Jeremy working with Brooke as Spidey to get a suit made and being friends with her as Jeremy. Not to mention the whole…Wolverine thing. It was all a mess.
“No, we used that already,” Brooke wrinkled her nose. “I mean, the suit looked great on you, really great, but I don’t want to repeat.” She gasped, her grin growing wide on her face. “What if we all went as the bat family? That would be so cute!”
“Brooke, I don’t even know if I want to do anything on Halloween. Don’t stress yourself out over this if nothing is planned yet.”
She sighed, drumming her nails against his desk, “Fine. I’ll make sure that we have plans first.”
Jeremy silently thanked her as she moved to her desk. He felt kind of out of it. Why did he feel weird?
“Hey man.”
Jeremy flinched as Michael dropped into his seat next to him. Jeremy looked over at his friend, the two locking eyes for a moment.
“Hey,” Jeremy’s voice cracked and he coughed to clear his voice. “Have a good night?”
Michael nodded, “Yeah. Are you interested in coming over tonight? It feels like we hardly hang out anymore.”
Because of Spider-Man, yeah. “Uh, yeah. Sure. I’m not sure if I can stay over, but…”
Michael cracked a grin, “Hey, something is better than nothing.”
Jeremy held out his fist for Michael to hit with his own. Was it just him or were they…tense. Jeremy couldn’t help but feel like something was off. Maybe it was in his head. Still reeling from his bad dream.
Jeremy drifted through his morning without purpose. He felt so…out of it. Like he was sleeping through the day. Which was…odd. He had actually come home at a decent hour the night prior, he had no reason to be this disoriented.
Jeremy made his way into the choir hall, feeling heads turn. People must have still been hearing about Jennifer. He dropped into his seat, beginning to quietly tune his guitar. Michael took his seat next to him, Jeremy finding his eyes locked on Michael’s hands. Why had Michael stopped painting his nails again? Why was he staring at his hands, that was weird of him.
Jeremy couldn’t seem to keep his head on straight. He felt like the whole world was blurry. It was a miracle that he was able to even pretend that he was paying attention.
Jeremy waited by Michael’s locker as the dismissal bell rang. They grinned at each other as they walked out to the car, Jeremy dropping in his seat like a rock. The ride was…quiet.
“Are you okay, dude?” Michael asked as they pulled into the driveway.
Jeremy ran a hand through his hair, “Yeah. Just…slept like shit last night. I can still kick your ass at Mario Kart though, so don’t worry.”
“Oh fuck off,” Michael laughed as he threw open his door.
They hurried down to the basement, Jeremy noting that their bean bags were touching. There was nothing wrong with that. But if they did start playing a game their elbows would probably knock into each other, and that was just awkward. Jeremy kicked his seat over a bit, giving them some space.
“Do you have homework?” Michael asked, dropping his backpack by the door.
“No, having my last hour to just work alone has really helped,” Jeremy sighed, falling backwards against his seat. “Is it just me or is this year a lot easier than last year?”
Michael sat next to him on his own chair, “Yeah. I feel like senior year will be easy.”
They silently agreed to start up a game, Jeremy locking in on the screen. He mashed buttons and cursed Michael out for foul plays. It was nice. Casual.
“Motherfucker!” Jeremy cried out, watching as Michael again beat him.
“If anything I’m a fatherfucker, Jer,” Michael laughed.
Jeremy whipped an abandoned game case at him, “I don’t need the mental imagery of you fucking my dad!”
He buried his face in his hands and tried to not think about it. He let out a muffled scream, lowering his hands to find Michael reaching over to grab the game case he had thrown. Jeremy looked at their legs, finding they had tangled their ankles together. Jeremy retracted his legs and moved to sit with his legs crossed instead.
“Did you want to stay for dinner?” Michael asked, starting another round.
Jeremy glanced over to the alarm clock on the nightstand. Shit, time flies.
“Uh, I probably shouldn’t. I’ve got…yeah. Stuff.”
Michael hummed, “Stuff? Sounds important.”
“I just…” Jeremy was already beating himself for the pity card he was about to play. “My m…Jennifer? When she broke out of prison? It just got to me. And…” He wanted to stab himself. He was a horrible human. “You know that…my brain hasn’t…I mean with the depression stuff?”
Michael visibly tensed up, “Am I stressing you out?”
“What?! No,” Jeremy paused their game and crawled over to him. “I’m just fucking pathetic. I miss us hanging out all the time, I just…” Jeremy gestured wildly to his own head. “My brain sucks sometimes.”
Michael pulled Jeremy into his arms, the two squeezing each other in a hug. Jeremy tucked his face against Michael’s shoulder, practically melting as fingers drummed against his spine.
“You promise you’re okay?”
Jeremy hummed in confirmation, not moving. This was nice. Michael felt warm, it was comforting. He didn’t want to move. He wanted to stick himself there and never move again.
“Because if you don’t feel okay…” Michael’s voice vibrated against Jeremy’s ear from where he had placed his head. “I really would like to know. I don’t want to risk losing you again.”
Jeremy pulled his head back, looking into Michael’s eyes. He was still mostly in Michael’s lap. He opened his mouth to say something, but he couldn’t find the words. They just sat there in silence, Jeremy’s mouth slightly agape. What the hell had he wanted to say?
“I really…I should get going,” Jeremy mumbled, his voice cracking part way through the sentence. He crawled his way out of Michael’s lap, ignoring how awkward it had been of him. Why was he being weird today? What the fuck was wrong with him? “I’ll see you tomorrow?”
Michael nodded, “Yeah. See you then.”
Jeremy grabbed his backpack before making his way out of the house. He swung his way into the city, running around and stopping what criminals he could find.
He made a point to show off a bit, swinging through Jennifer’s old territory. Just because she didn’t know he was Spider-Man didn’t mean he couldn’t rub it in that she had lost once again. Part of him wished he could visit her in the suit, if only so he could properly rip her to shreds with his words. Jeremy Heere couldn’t express the anger like Spider-Man could.
The sky grew dark, Jeremy not making any motion to head home. The night was young, and Jeremy had time. His dad was working more with the new job, he was less likely to notice if Jeremy wasn’t home at a reasonable time. So much easier than last year. His bullshit curfew had been magically lifted at some point. Maybe James had simply given up. It would be nice to have his dad off his back for once.
He smirked as he spotted a familiar head of bright white hair. Cat was out and about for once. Jeremy made his way over to her, dropping down in front of her and startling her.
“Spider-Man!” Cat yelped.
Jeremy chuckled, watching as Christine tried biting back her surprise. He felt like an asshole, knowing all of his friends' identities but not sharing his own. But it was safer this way.
“What brings you out?” Jeremy asked, walking along a ledge while Chris kept to the more sturdy roof.
Christine shrugged, “You don’t have a monopoly over vigilante work.”
Jeremy glanced around the roof, spotting Christine’s camera across the way, “So you’re working? Taking selfies is one way to get paid, Cat.”
Christine rolled her eyes, “Hey, I’m not the only one benefitting from this. And you agreed to it. With Gerald gone my work is scrambling to save face. Y’know…if you agreed to an interview—”
“Spider-Man and enclosed spaces with reporters is not my cup of tea,” Jeremy wrinkled his nose beneath his mask. “No way.”
“What if…what if it was me doing the interview?” Christine offered, batting her eyes. “You already know who I am, you know I won’t try to pull anything. We could hold the interview outside. C’mon Webs, I helped you take the goblins down. Help me keep my job.”
Jeremy sighed, “I’ll think about it.”
Christine squealed, throwing her arms around Jeremy to hug him. Jeremy tensed up, but patted her shoulder in response. When she backed off Jeremy gave her a finger salute before dropping backwards off of the roof and swinging away. An interview sounded horrible, but if the paper was at risk that meant Jeremy’s position was as well. He would be selfish and try to keep his job.
It was far too late in the night for Jeremy to be awake. He paused his swinging for long enough to check the time and found it closer to morning than night. Shit.
He made his way home and climbed inside, falling back against his bed and slipping beneath the blankets. All he had to do now was drift off to dreamland. Arguably the easiest thing he had done all night.
But sleep didn’t come easy. Jeremy tossed and turned, but couldn’t get himself to sleep. He felt tired, but he was restless.
He sighed, staring up at his ceiling. What would make sleep easier? He needed to at least try to sleep before school in the morning. An answer drifted into his mind, his slight unease and confusion from earlier in the day coming back to him.
Why was Michael his first thought?
Jeremy got up, changing out of his suit and into pajamas. The suit was stored away in his backpack before being pulled onto his shoulder. He slipped back out through the window and dropped to the ground, making it to the sidewalk before sprinting down the street.
Michael’s house came into view, Jeremy running through the damp grass and to Michael’s window. He pried the glass open and dropped his bag in before slipping inside. He dropped to the floor silently and quickly webbed the window shut before any cold night air could drift inside.
“What the…Jer?”
Jeremy pivoted, finding Michael beginning to sit up in bed. His eyes were bleary and he clearly didn’t want to be awake.
“Hey man.”
“What are you doing here?” Michael yawned and rubbed at his eyes. “It’s like…ass o’clock out.”
Jeremy toed off his shoes, “I, yeah, I know.” He rocked on his heels while trying to formulate his words in a way that wasn’t creepy. “I just…I couldn’t sleep. I’ve been up all night. I thought…maybe being here would help?” No, it still sounded creepy. “Y’know what, this was a bad idea. I’ll go.”
“Dude, you’re fine,” Michael got up, grabbing hold of Jeremy’s hand before he could try to leave. He squeezed the hand he was holding in reassurance. “You should stay. Please.”
Jeremy conceded, kicking the beanbags into a pile for him to sleep on. Michael tossed a spare blanket at him from the foot of the bed and they both settled down. Jeremy rolled around on his makeshift bed, finding this was more peaceful for his active mind.
But still, sleep didn’t come for him. Jeremy sighed, watching time tick by on Michael’s clock. What the hell else could he want? He couldn’t sleep on the ceiling here.
Jeremy rolled on his side, now staring at the blank television screen across the room. Moonlight reflected off the screen, giving some visibility in the dark room. Jeremy rolled again to his other side, now staring at Michael’s bed frame. What the hell was his problem?
“Dude,” Michael’s voice sounded heavy with sleep. “Stop tossing and turning.”
Jeremy watched with wide eyes as Michael scooted into the corner of his bed before patting the space next to him. Wasn’t that weird? It felt like it was probably weird. Jeremy didn’t want to invade his space like that.
But his brain wanted to sleep. So he got up and crawled into bed next to Michael. He tucked himself beneath the blankets and turned to face the far wall. He would give Michael as much space as he could given how invasive he was being towards him. They had been friends for thirteen years, he wasn’t going to fuck it up now.
He let out a small sigh, finally finding his brain was quiet. His eyes grew heavy, and Jeremy let his eyes drift shut. He buried his face into the pillow beneath his head and relaxed. He was safe, he could sleep.
A pleasantly warm body brushed against him, Jeremy leaning back into the touch. He was tired and the heat only made him want to sleep even more. Michael’s fingers intertwined with his, the two of them not speaking about it. Jeremy couldn’t bring himself to. He was tired and…
Oh fuck.
He was falling for Michael.
▣
Jeremy stared blankly into his math textbook. He was supposed to be working on his homework assignment, but his brain wasn’t focused on school at the moment.
How…how long had he liked Michael?
It was fucking up his entire view of himself. He refused to believe that he just happened to suddenly like Michael. This felt different from when he had been crushing on Christine. Different from how he had felt about Brooke when their relationship had developed.
He honestly felt clueless.
“Jer?” Brooke twisted around in her seat to face him. “Do you need help?”
Jeremy had known he was bi. The Squip had told him so. Had the computer known of his feelings? Or had they not existed at that time?
“Jeremy,” Brooke tapped his nose. “What’s going on?”
Jeremy tensed as he looked to her, “I…”
He couldn’t bring himself to say it out loud. Not when his classmates could hear him. What if Michael found out? They had been friends for thirteen years. This would fuck it all up, surely.
“Can we talk about it later?”
Brooke nodded, reaching her hand over to squeeze his in support before returning to her own work. Jeremy managed to get himself through part of the assignment, but he couldn’t help to feel as though he was miles behind.
He was so close to graduation. College. An adult life where he could do what he wanted.
He just needed to make it through the year.
Jeremy dropped in his usual seat for lunch, watching his friends make small talk. He felt so distant from them, keeping his secrets. Why did it feel like everything was just occurring to him? He had been Spider-Man for nearly a year. He had known all of this already.
“Hey man,” Michael sat next to him, passing him his lunch. Jeremy felt his face flush, his eyes locked on Michael. He was pathetic.
“Hi,” Jeremy croaked out. It wasn’t like he hadn’t just played guitar with him a few minutes ago.
“So, it’s homecoming this weekend,” Michael leaned in a bit to keep their conversation more private. “Sounds like it’s going to be casual. Did you want to go?”
Jeremy chewed on his lower lip, “Um, with you?”
“Well I sure as hell won’t go without you.”
Right. Jeremy nodded, “Sure, why not.”
Michael grinned, throwing an arm around him in a side hug. Jeremy cracked a grin, quietly beginning to eat his lunch. Michael’s arm didn’t leave him, his friend scrolling through his phone like nothing was amiss. Hugs were fine.
Jeremy tried to ignore the increase in his heartbeat. Had he been this obvious when he had liked Christine? It felt so pathetic.
He had nearly destroyed the world for Christine, it couldn’t be that bad this time.
“Jake is probably winning homecoming king,” Jenna stated, looking out across the table. “Jeremy won’t be allowed to win because he won prom king, but Rich might be a close second place.”
“Why would I even get nominated?” Rich wrinkled his nose.
Jenna shrugged, “Same reason Jeremy won prom. Pity. His mom hired an assassin and he lived. Your dad is an abusive asshole, no offense.”
“None taken, he thuckth.”
“And…my dad killed himself,” Jake mumbled. “I guess that means it’ll be between you, me, and Dustin.”
Rich grinned up at him, “I’m happy to lothe to you.”
Jake’s lip quirked up into a small smile, Jeremy watching him lightly knock into Rich. Seeing them grow a bit more casual with their affection was nice. Since his dad passed Jake had kind of given up some of his reservations over how he acted with Rich.
Jeremy still blamed himself for it. He wished he had tried to pull the glider aside. Done something to try and avoid disaster.
It was hard to not say something. He wanted to apologize for what had happened, but Jake couldn’t find out how deeply involved Jeremy was.
The remainder of lunch Jeremy couldn’t help but focus on Michael’s hand that refused to leave his side. It wasn’t weird, he didn’t let it be. Michael was his best friend, Jeremy wouldn’t let casual friendly affection ruin things. He was only noticing it because of the stupid crush, it wasn’t weird.
The afternoon brought a bit of peace, Jeremy finding himself able to catch up on his schoolwork. He didn’t completely finish everything, but he got far enough into things that he would be able to finish come the morning. And that was good enough. His grades were fairly decent so far, he didn’t need to worry.
After school Jeremy hung back to wait for Brooke, walking next to her as they exited the school. Michael passed them, offering the two a wave before he hurried to the cruiser. Jeremy felt his face burn as they made eye contact, he hoped that it could be passed off as the sharp breeze.
“So, what did you have going on?” Brooke asked, leading them to the curb.
Jeremy looked down, “I…” it was so hard to admit out loud. “I just…”
Brooke’s car pulled up to meet them, Zach sitting in the driver’s seat. Jeremy piled in the back while Brooke sat in the passenger seat. The car still visibly dipped down as she stepped in.
“Hi Zach,” Jeremy tried to be polite to the man who had once tried to kill him.
“Hey kid,” Zach nodded his head in greeting.
Brooke was kind enough to avoid attempting their conversation while in the car. Jeremy followed Brooke as they made it to her house, finding that Brooke’s parents were home for once. They seemed a bit on edge, both of them staring at Zach as he walked in.
“I’ll be in the basement if you need anything, Brookie,” Zach pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “Maybe then those two will chill out.”
Brooke brought Jeremy up to her room, the door clicking shut behind them. Jeremy sighed, looking around the space. Bundles of fabric were pulled out, a half finished Wolverine suit resting on Brooke’s desk.
“It’s going to get cold soon, I’m making myself a winter suit,” Brooke shrugged. “Y’know, you took my whole…mutation thing…really well.”
Jeremy again considered telling her the truth, but he didn’t. “It isn’t like you’re a different person.”
Brooke smiled, “That’s what Chloe said. Anyway, what’s going on with you?”
Jeremy sat at the foot of her bed, “I…I think I like Michael? Like…romantically?”
Brooke stared at him, her expression blank. “And you….just realized this?”
Jeremy felt his eyes widen, “What does that mean?!”
Brooke stared right back, “Jeremy, you went to prom with him!”
“As friends!”
“You fucking slow danced together!”
“As friends!”
“You begged for him when we found you after the building explosion!”
“We’ve been friends since age fucking four! What did you expect?!”
“Oh my fucking god,” Brooke pinched the bridge of her nose. “I thought you two knew this already! You’re telling me this is a recent discovery?!”
“Yes!”
Brooke moved across the room and sat next to him, holding his hand in hers. “Jeremy. You two are the most in love people I’ve ever seen. I figured you two were just waiting until school was over to make it official or something.”
“What? Michael doesn’t—”
“Don’t play that card, it’s bullshit. Jake likes Rich. Chloe is dating me. He’s so into you it’s stupid.”
Jeremy wrinkled his nose, “No. Michael and I are close but he doesn’t like me like that. I would know.”
“He saved you from an evil computer—”
“As friends do.”
“When did Michael come out? He is gay, right?”
“Yeah, he is. We were like…thirteen? Around there. What does that have to do with anything?”
“I refuse to believe that you’ve been so close for so long and he didn’t develop some sort of feelings for you. I’ve known Chloe since what? Second grade? Whenever I moved in with my parents. And now I’m in love with her.”
Jeremy just shook his head, “No, Michael and I are close but we aren’t like that. I just…I’ll get over it. Someone else will come along and I’ll get over it.”
Brooke didn’t seem convinced. Jeremy opened his mouth to protest her expression when he heard a scream from downstairs. Brooke and him both ran, sliding into the kitchen. Brooke’s mom was gripping the island counter while glaring at her son. Zach had an apple in his hand.
“Just calm the fuck down,” Zach sounded annoyed. “I know my anatomy is a little weird now but I still need to eat.”
“You are not my son! I buried him!”
Brooke’s dad came running in, sticking to his wife’s side.
“And as we discussed, mother, I was brought back,” Zach was visibly pissed, setting the apple down. “I didn’t ask for this.”
“You need to leave!” Brooke’s mom sobbed. “You aren’t our son!”
“Yeah, you disowned me when I was eighteen. I’m aware. I wouldn’t be here if I had the choice.”
“You’ve overstayed your welcome,” Mr. Lohst sounded a bit shaky in his delivery, but his face was serious. “I don’t care if you’re made of Zachary’s remains, we have no son.”
“I—”
Mrs. Lohst grabbed a water glass from the counter and tossed the contents at Zach. As the water hit his body his color changed, his body reverting to sand as he grew wet. Zach used his hands to try and keep globs of his body from falling off and hitting the floor, only making him less stable in the process.
“Stop it!” Brooke snapped, standing between Zach and any incoming liquid. “He’s all I have, stop it!”
“Brooklyn, get away from that thing,” her father tried ordering her.
“No! He is Zach! I went through hell to bring him home!”
“That thing isn’t human, get away from it.”
“You want me gone?” Zach stepped back into view. “I want the original deal, from when I agreed to raise Brooke. You’ve got plenty of money, pay for me to take care of her. I’ll never speak to you again, you can go back to your vacations and lack of responsibility. But I can’t get a job, I can’t provide. I’ve been legally dead for ten years. So pay for me to do it. You don’t want Brooke anyway, I’ll take care of her.”
“That’s blackmail.”
“And yet you offered it when Brooke was an infant. Or would you rather I reveal myself to your friends?” Zach narrowed his brows. “No one would believe you, if you told them I’m made of sand? What if I come forward? Say you lied, that you sent me away because you were ashamed of me? Faked my death? Where would that get you? No friends? A ruined reputation?”
“Shut up!” Mr. Lohst shouted at his son. “Fine! We will pay rent and a reasonable monthly balance for you to go away.”
“And Brooke keeps her car, I can’t sign any documents to get my own. You can pay the insurance on it too.”
“Fine!”
“How about a small house instead? More reliable for Brooke and I.”
“You’re pushing it—”
Brooke glared at her parents, stomping around the island and backing her father into a corner. He seemed confused, Jeremy watching as Brooke held up one hand and released her claws. Her mom cried out, cowering away from the blades.
“A house. Furniture. And I still get my college fund,” Brooke growled. “Zach and I get to live happily, and we forget about each other. You never wanted me, I was a mistake. Now you can own up for the years you abandoned me.”
“We gave you a childhood—”
Brooke slashed her claws through a nearby cabinet door, the pieces crashing to the floor.
“Fine!”
“You’ll pay for us to stay out of your lives, and if anything is amiss or we don’t get what we well deserve? I'll track you down and rip you to shreds.”
Jeremy just stood in shock. It wasn’t often Brooke acted so harsh. The last time he had seen her so mad was when she had assumed Spider-Man had killed Zach.
He gasped as Brooke’s mom threw the glass at her daughter. It shattered, a shard of glass cutting her cheek. Brooke slowly turned, practically snarling at her mother. She retracted her claws and wiped at her face. The blood smeared and her skin healed back up. Her mom screamed out in fear.
“I’ll find a house, when I do I’ll let you know,” Zach stated, still clutching at his wet sandy body. “Sound like a plan?”
Everyone seemed to be in agreement. That or shock. Zach hobbled back down the stairs, Brooke returning to Jeremy. They went out to her car, Brooke silently driving them towards his house.
“Your powers are so cool,” Jeremy said, hoping to lighten the mood.
Brooke pressed her lips into a line, “They’re okay. I have to be careful not to crush things or people because I’m heavy. Didn’t I scare you?”
“Jennifer hired an assassin to take me out, you having knives for fingers is nothing. You and Zach deserve some good. You’ve gone through a lot.”
Brooke smiled at him quickly, “Thanks. But uh…let’s not tell anyone that I snapped like that.”
“Deal.”
Jeremy waved to Brooke as he stepped out of the car. He made his way inside, finding it was empty. His dad was still at work. Jeremy ate cold leftovers from the fridge before running up to his room. He changed into his suit and crawled out his window. He had a city to protect.
Jeremy made his way through New York, swinging his way around as time ticked by. His reputation had improved since Gerald’s true nature had been revealed. People were trusting him again. There were still those that hated Spider-Man. There were always going to be those that did. But he was no longer considered a predator. The obvious lies were disproven.
He passed by his place of employment, finding Christine standing on the roof. Not Cat. Christine. Jeremy made his way over just to make sure she was okay. She had a tripod set up with a camera on it. Jeremy landed on the roof, offering her a wave in greeting.
“Did you have time for that interview?” Christine made her way over, pointing to a simple desk chair she had on the roof with her. “I set the camera to perfectly film this ledge for you to sit on.
Jeremy sighed, “Fine. Why are you filming this? You work for a newspaper.”
“I’ll need evidence. I assume this will be put to paper first, but an interview of this importance needs proof that it happened. The readers can’t just take my word for it.”
She handed him a clip-on microphone. He attached it to the hem of his mask, a similar area to where Christine had her’s attached to her jacket. She sat in the chair and turned the camera on, nodding to Jeremy.
“Maybe we need some proof it’s actually you to start?” Christine suggested, turning on the microphones. “To prove you’re not just…a guy in a suit.”
“I am a guy in a suit.”
She rolled her eyes at him, “You know what I mean.”
Jeremy nodded, aiming his wrist at the roof and firing a web at it. That seemed to please Christine.
The interview wasn’t exactly invasive. Christine knew to avoid the overly personal questions. She had her own identity to keep a secret after all.
Things were basic. Many questions revolved around the more recent events. The Goblins. What really happened with them. It was already known that Harrison had killed himself. Jake and Normina had confirmed it. But now Jeremy had a chance to voice his regrets.
“I wish I could have done more, to try and save the man,” Jeremy said, keeping his voice pitched a bit lower for the interview. He had himself seated in a low crouch to help avoid people identifying his height. “I’ve been at this for what? Eleven months or so? As much as people celebrate every life I’ve saved…I mourn every single one I can’t. Originally I didn’t intend to commit myself to this mask so much. There was a brief time where I considered only doing this when I had excess time. Now…I’m out here swinging through this city when I don't have time. And to the son of my most recent adversary, I wish things had gone differently. I’m going to work harder to try and make up for my failures.”
“You’ve implied you didn’t intend to make Spider-Man as big of a focus in your life,” Christine looked away from her book of questions she had written. “When did it change?”
Jeremy craned his neck behind him for a moment, looking out over the city below just to see the passerby. He turned back to Christine and let out a small sigh. “Almost immediately. A child ran out into the street. I was watching over things, I didn’t even intend on it. Didn’t have my suit. But…I couldn’t let that kid get hurt. It terrified me. But I realized that I couldn’t sit aside when I had the option to help and make the world a bit safer.”
Christine prepared herself to ask her next question when they both heard a police siren. She offered him a small smile.
“You should go. Thank you for your time, Spidey.”
Jeremy nodded, removing his microphone before diving off of the roof. It looked like a car chase. Someone was opening fire at the police car trailing them. Jeremy managed to propel himself ahead, landing on the roof of the car. He crawled towards the driver’s window, poking his head down to knock on the glass.
“Knock knock?” Jeremy kept tapping his knuckles on the window. “Hello, potential criminal? Let’s talk.”
The window rolled down and Jeremy was met with a gun barrel in his face. He wrinkled his nose, snatching the weapon and tossing it away.
“Is that really how you greet people? You’re so rude.”
He jumped as his head rang out, watching as bullets shot through the roof of the car. Jeremy landed on the back windshield, looking ahead with a laugh. Finally, Torch had shown up. He was flying around the width of the road, building a wall of fire ahead.
“I’d hit the brakes if I was you!” Jeremy yelled out, leaping from the car and swinging forward. “Unless you like exploding!”
He cleared the wall of fire, the runners having to slam on their brakes to avoid the burn. With them stopped Jeremy webbed the car doors shut. That would hold them plenty well. Torch stopped his rushing around, hovering next to Jeremy.
“Hey Flame Brain,” Jeremy nodded his head in greeting.
“Web Head.”
Jeremy hurried forward, watching as their criminals tried sliding out the windows. Jeremy webbed away the remaining weapons while Torch flew ahead and cut them off from running again. Three criminals were webbed to the pavement as officers approached.
Jeremy held his hand up and Torch grabbed it. They flew away, the pair vanishing in a streak of flames. Jeremy was deposited on a roof and Torch cut off his flames. The two stood across from each other, silence falling between them.
“How’s school been?” Jeremy didn’t know how to fill the silence. They were…it was weird. Jeremy knew the identities behind his friends. Torch was the only one he didn’t know. And yet…Spider-Man was closest to the only one who he didn’t know the real name of.
“I’m excited to graduate,” Torch answered, the two making their way to a ledge so they could sit.
“Yeah, me too.”
Jeremy swung his legs, looking out over the darkening city. Torch and him had been at this the longest, and for quite a while it had just been them. Back before Chris and Brooke had powers. Venom never really interacted with the hero side of things. A few exceptions, but never consistent.
“Are you planning on college?” Torch asked. “After you graduate? Or are you just going to live in your suit all the time?”
“I wish I could be out all the time,” Jeremy confessed. “Yeah. I was accepted into a nice school. My friend and I are planning on rooming together. We’re both animation majors.”
Torch looked over in surprise, “Really? With all your webbed up fists of fury I didn’t take you for the artistic type.”
Jeremy shrugged, “I’m not. I might switch majors, but I do need to learn animation. And coding. I know some basics but I’ve never made anything complex before. What about you?”
“Uh…undecided major,” Torch was fully turned to face him. “Why learn coding?”
“We’ve had this dream of making video games. Like since we were kids. Even if we don’t make it as indie devs, working for a company wouldn’t be the worst.”
“…Video games?”
Jeremy nodded, “Yeah. Trying to hide this from him is going to suck once we’re stuck in a room together.”
Torch scooted a bit closer, “What kind of games? What was the dream?”
“In an ideal world we would make an apocalypse game, but we both have a lot to learn.”
Torch got up, “Oh. You…” he ran a hand through his hair. “He doesn’t…”
“Are you okay?”
“I just…” Torch sat back down, looking at Jeremy’s hands. “Do you plan on telling your friend…about you being Spider-Man? Like ever?”
“It’s safer if he doesn’t know. I tend to attract a more dangerous crowd. And I’ve hurt him enough in the past. My Squip? It literally removed him from my life. I’ll never forgive myself for that, keeping him safe is the least I could do.”
“Oh.”
Jeremy shrugged, “Lesson learned. I’ll be trying to make it up to him for the rest of my life.”
Torch got back up, igniting and hovering above their seats, “I should…go.”
“You can’t even spare an hour to fight baddies with me?”
“Real life calls.” Torch was blunt, flying away. Jeremy sighed, dropping off of his ledge to continue to swing around. He made his way around in a loop, snatching his backpack before making his way back to his place of work. Jeremy Heere should probably check in. Just to make sure Christine was doing okay with her interview.
He changed before making his way into the news room. The place was mostly deserted with the later hour.
“Jeremy!” Ms. Kleinman cornered him. “I need you editing photos.”
“I’m a freelance assistant—”
“Christine got an actual interview with Spider-Man, that is her new main focus. I’ll change your pay to hourly. Please.”
Jeremy knew the basics for photo editing. He nodded, earning a smile from his new boss. Jeremy dropped into a seat next to Christine’s desk, opening the editing software.
“I just need this touched up for tomorrow, I’ll send you a schedule tomorrow so you have your hours,” Ms. Kleinman said, rushing off to her office.
Christine had headphones pulled over her head, locked in on her screen. Jeremy focused in, working on the single photo he had been tasked with. Even if it was an as needed ordeal, hourly pay would be better than his shitty freelance pay. He mostly kept up the work because Christine thought he was a Spider-Man magnet. And yet she never got her photos with him around.
It didn’t take him long. Christine and him were packing up at the same time. They walked out together, Christine walking towards a bodega.
“You’ll miss the train,” Jeremy called out after her.
She shrugged, “My parents will come get me if I do. I’ll see you later Jeremy.”
Jeremy sighed, walking away like he was going to the subway. Once Christine was out of sight he ducked into an alley. She was probably planning on running around as Cat for a while. Jeremy had similar plans.
He was gone late into the night. Jeremy made his way home in the dark, landing at his window. He tried prying the glass open but it didn’t budge. Had he locked the window? He never did. He had left through the window, there was no way that he had.
Jeremy made his way around the house, trying the bathroom window. It was also locked. What the hell?
Jeremy sighed, changing out of his suit before dropping down by his front door. He unlocked the door with his keys and stepped inside. Maybe his dad had gone around making sure the windows were fully shut and locked since it was starting to get colder out.
“Where the hell have you been?”
Jeremy flinched, his eyes widening as he took in his dad waiting in the kitchen for him.
“Out.”
“Out where? With who?”
Jeremy could feel himself tensing, “I was at work—”
“It’s three in the morning, Jeremy!”
“I technically got promoted—”
“No. No. You’re a minor. There are labor laws. I can’t…” James rubbed at his eyes. “Just go to bed. We can discuss this later. When I’ve slept.”
Jeremy started walking, “I never asked you to wait up—”
Jeremy felt a hand on his shoulder. He ripped his body away, flipping off his father as he stomped up the stairs. He hit his mattress like a rock, not bothering to change.
▣
Jeremy reached to silence his alarm, figuring that snoozing it four times was more than enough. He didn’t bother having urgency. He didn’t want to move. Angry and dark thoughts played at the edge of his mind, but Jeremy would do his best to not let them consume him. Suffering like that could be saved for the weekend.
He slumped down the stairs, not finding himself with the energy to bother making himself breakfast. He grabbed a handful of granola bars and shoved them in his oversized sweater pockets. He glanced at his phone, his eyes widening as he took in the time. Shit. He should have left already. He was going to be late.
Jeremy bolted, sprinting to school. His dad hadn’t even stuck around to offer a ride to school. He slid into his seat right before the bell rang. Chloe raised her eyebrows at him in questioning. Jeremy didn’t grace her with a greeting. He started pulling out his books, checking to make sure his homework was okay. He finished up his remaining work, not bothering with all that much effort. He glanced over to see why Michael was so quiet, finding the seat next to him empty. Weird. Michael was never absent. Maybe he was running late.
He pulled his phone out and sent a text, just checking where he was. He checked Rich and Jake’s seats, finding that they both were there. Okay. So Michael wasn’t coming to school. Rich had made it somehow. Caught a ride from someone else.
Jeremy let it go. Maybe Michael was sick. That was an option. Just because Jeremy couldn’t get sick didn’t mean Michael couldn’t. Colds had been running rampant through the school, of course someone without an advanced metabolism would be at risk.
He sighed, playing with his phone. Part of him…he had been hoping Michael would be there. His late night and not so great mindset could usually at least be partially improved by Michael being there. He would have to deal with it.
His morning was slow going. Jeremy couldn’t help but feel like time wasn’t ticking at a normal speed. He did his best to focus and pay attention to his lessons, but his mind was wandering. Was Michael okay? Why hadn’t he responded to his text yet? Had he done something wrong? Had Michael found out about how he felt, the stupid crush? He hoped not. Of all the reasons to lose Michael, it was Jeremy’s dumb feelings to ruin it?
Logically he knew he was in his own head about it. Even if Michael had figured out about his feelings they would still figure it out. Find a way to still be friends while Jeremy got over it. He was being irrational with his thinking, it was his messed up brain causing more problems.
Jeremy walked into the choir hall and sat down in his seat. It felt empty without Michael next to him. He hadn’t had to play without him before.
Chloe stepped in front of him before they started the class with her brow quirked. “Why have you been all mopey today?”
“I just…Michael might be sick. He hasn’t responded to my text yet. I wanted to talk to him.”
Chloe rolled her eyes, “Okay Romeo. I’m sorry he isn’t here, but if you want to talk I’m here. Got it?”
Jeremy nodded, sliding his guitar into his lap. Chloe ruffled his hair before moving to her own seat behind Brooke.
Playing alone wasn’t hard. Jeremy just wasn’t as loud as when he and Michael were participating. If anything it was the easiest of his classes so far. His brain was kept occupied with sheet music and his fingers were constantly strumming.
At lunch Jeremy was passed a container from Rich. He was thankful for it. Jeremy and Michael had learned the hard way that the school lunch options were not good at the beginning of their freshman year. Maria had started making them lunch after they had both complained about how inedible some of the options were. Usually it was leftovers from something Michael’s family had the night prior, but Jeremy knew better than to complain. It was why the Squip had taught him some cooking basics. In order to cut Michael out Jeremy had to be able to provide for himself. He couldn’t rely on Maria if Michael was invisible to him.
“My parents are going to be out of town for a few weeks,” Chloe announced, glancing around the table. “So I’m hosting a Halloween party. You’re all invited, obviously.” She made eye contact with Jeremy. “And yes Michael is invited too. I’m hoping this year is less chaotic.”
Rich pointedly looked down, Jake also looking away. Jeremy had wondered how they would take the holiday. Last year’s Halloween had pretty much shaped their relationship for the next several months. Even now it probably lingered with them. It likely would for the rest of their lives, no matter if Rich was healed from his burns or not.
“Jeremy, what do you want to be for Halloween?” Brooke asked.
He really didn’t want to do anything for Halloween. If he had to pick someone to be he would say Spider-Man because that’s who he was. He sighed, pretending to ponder it for a moment.
“You pick, I can’t think of anything,” Jeremy would leave things in Brooke’s hands. “But if you’re busy don’t bother, I’ll wear the costume you made me last year.”
Brooke conceded, letting Jeremy drop the topic. He poked at his lunch, not actively feeling like eating. He just felt…off. He was worried about Michael and his brain was being an asshole. He hated feeling like this.
He thought back to Michael again, trying to pinpoint how long he had felt more than friendship towards him. He thought of his birthday, how Michael pushed through his own frustrations to make Jeremy happy. Michael holding his hand while he was healing from being impaled. Prom, dancing with him. All the video games and stupid pillow fights and getting high together. All the times Jeremy had almost told Michael about his powers. Them sitting on a roof just because he had wanted to. Crying for Michael to know that he was sorry when he had almost died. The support through Jennifer and her intrusion of his life. Michael was the reason he was free from the Squip.
Oh fuck he had liked Michael for…
“Rich said that his hookup was at the Payless, right? What if we went there ourselves? Just to see if his story checks out?”
“And if it does? Will you be too cool for…video games?”
“What? No way man. You know that you’re my favorite person.”
…Over a year.
“Earth to Jeremy?” Christine waved a hand in front of his face. “Is anyone home?”
Jeremy blinked, burying his face in his hands. He was fucking pathetic. How hadn’t he been aware of this until recently?!
“Jerry, what’s the deal?”
Jeremy peeked through his fingers but didn’t respond. He didn’t want to say it at all but he sure as hell wouldn’t in front of the group.
“He’th probably thinking about hith boyfriend.”
“Yeah,” Jake nodded in agreement.
Jeremy felt his face burn, “He’s not my—don’t talk about him like that! That’s weird!”
“Jeremy’s convinced Michael isn’t interested,” Brooke spoke up.
Jeremy received five bored expressions at once. He lowered his hands and gripped the edge of the table.
“That’s because he’s not—”
Jake looked to Chloe, “And you thought I was in denial? I at least acted on shit sometimes.”
“Jeremy, I’m a very observant person,” Jenna reached for his hand and patted it. “My reputation holds up for a reason. When I tell you that he’s literally stared at you like you were the stars in the sky—”
“That’s just—we’re just like that. You don’t understand. We’ve been friends since age four.”
“Okay, keep torturing yourself,” Jenna shrugged.
Jeremy forced himself to eat, making them drop the conversation topic. The girls discussed outfits for homecoming, Jake and Rich linking pinkies because it was more subtle. Jeremy twisted his eyes shut, his brain going in a million different directions.
What if he dived off of the George Washington? Hit the water like a brick. No one would really miss him. Michael would. For a while. He’d move on.
He really should be doing more as Spider-Man. He didn’t deserve his powers. A lucky spider bite. It was pathetic. How useless he was.
“Jeremy?” Christine kept her volume low.
“I’ve gotta go,” Jeremy muttered, sliding his container back across the table to Rich as he got up. He grabbed his bag and marched out, heading for the doors. He exited the building and started jogging towards the theater. It was empty inside, dark and dusty. There were a few mood lights on so people didn’t trip while locating the lights. Half completed sets were out on the stage. Jeremy hopped up on the stage and made his way behind the curtain. He found where he had been confronted, where the chaos for one part of his life ended while a new part was born. Jeremy dropped to the floor, staring up at the rafters. Cobwebs lined the corners, but no spiders were visible. Certainly not the one with the bright colors that had bitten him. It was dead. And that was good. He wouldn’t want anyone else to go through what he had.
“Hey,” Chloe dropped next to him, the two sitting on the dusty and worn floor. She knocked her shoulder into him. “What’s going on? You’ve never bolted like that before.”
Jeremy curled up his legs, his chin on his knees. “I can’t tell you.”
“Sure you can. I know…” Chloe tilted her head back and sighed. “I know I’ve hurt you in the past. And I know I’ll never fully make up for what I did. And this time of year means you don’t want me of all people pestering you. But the least I could do is listen.”
“I wish Michael was here,” Jeremy’s voice cracked as his eyes welled up. He didn’t want to cry. Not in front of her. “He’s the only one who…knows.”
Chloe looked over at him, “Knows what?”
Jeremy squeezed his eyes shut. He hated saying it.
“I’m d…I have…” Jeremy’s voice failed him, tears breaking through his weak walls. “I have depression.”
“Oh.” Chloe’s brows shot up towards her bangs.
Jeremy pulled at his own scalp, “I woke up having a bad day, and I just—I hate myself so much!”
“Jeremy,” Chloe sounded like the news hurt to hear. She started to lean towards him, but she hesitated. Instead she simply held out her arms wide, not touching him.
The last of Jeremy’s resolve broke, he fell against Chloe as he cried. She wrapped her arms around him, her fingers running through his hair.
“Sometimes I just feel like I ruin everyone’s life,” Jeremy blubbered.
Jenna. Rich. Jake. Even himself.
“Well you aren’t ruining my life,” Chloe assured, squeezing him tight. “I know this past year has been awful for you, but…you’re one of my best friends Jeremy. I’m really glad you’re here.”
Jeremy sniffed as he pulled himself out of Chloe’s hold. He wiped at his face and looked up at the ceiling. His breaths were a bit shaky, but he got a grip on the tears.
“Can you…not…tell anyone about it?”
Chloe frowned, “Yeah. But no one will treat you any different—”
“I just…I need this.”
Chloe nodded, “Okay. Do you…take meds? Therapy?”
“Meds didn’t work,” Jeremy couldn’t tell the whole truth so he bent it a little. “And…I just don’t like the idea of therapy for me. Michael’s the only one I really talk to about it. I tell him…” Not everything. “Pretty much everything.”
“But not how you feel about him?”
Jeremy shook his head, looking at Chloe now instead of the rafters. “I…I’d rather be friends than risk ruining things. I just…I didn’t realize how I felt about him until…recently. I know it seems like I’m being dramatic, but it’s like I was asleep and suddenly snapped awake. The realization scared me. And I can’t risk losing him again.”
Chloe pressed her lips into a line, “Okay. I’ll tell the others to not pester you about it. I know Rich can be a bit…blunt.”
“You don’t need to defend me. He’s not trying to be an asshole.”
Chloe shrugged, “Yeah but he could still just not talk about things he doesn’t understand. C’mon Jerry, we should get inside before class starts.”
Jeremy got to his feet and followed Chloe back into the school. His brief crying session had worn him out, but he felt more stable. He wasn’t properly emoting anything, sure, but the really bad thoughts stopped. Jeremy was able to keep moving. He received his new work schedule. It looked like his editing gig would be temporary. Until Christine finished her interview editing. Still, it was a few weeks of consistent work. That wasn’t terrible.
Michael still hadn’t responded to him. Jeremy sent another text, attaching his new work schedule. Maybe Michael would respond with words of encouragement.
Jeremy ran into the city after school. Swinging was another good distraction from his negative brain. The sound of wind whooshing around him. The thwip of his webs. His body flipping in the air. Launching above the streets and viewing the world from above.
As the sky grew dark Jeremy made his way into Queens. A bit deeper into the city than normal. A change of pace.
He caught a group dressed in black walking into a bank. Weird. The banks were closed by now. Jeremy dropped down, casually following the group inside. It was dark. None of them noticed him. No alarms were going off.
“Go get the safe open,” one of them barked.
“Guys, you know that the ATM attached to the wall outside is open all the time, right?” Jeremy asked.
He watched as the group turned to face him, being greeted by several cheap kids Spider-Man masks. Jeremy gasped, pointing at the group.
“Wait! If you’re Spider-Man then who am I? Oh god this is such an identity crisis for me!”
One of them pulled out a gun and started firing. Jeremy jumped to the ceiling and webbed the weapon out of reach. He dropped back down to restrain them, being tackled by two others. Jeremy huffed, knocking them off of him and launching them into the wall.
As he got up his head rang out, his hand blocking a fist. When he caught the fist he kicked a leg out, hitting the fourth criminal in the crotch. Another gun was pulled, Jeremy getting hit in the face with it as the owner tripped trying to attack him.
Jeremy frowned beneath his mask, webbing the idiots to the floor or wall. Wherever they were at. It was annoying, dealing with them. Jeremy crossed his arms over his chest as he backed up.
“Maybe don’t try besmirching my friendly neighborhood name? Or better yet, don’t rob banks!”
Jeremy made his way out as he heard police sirens. He sighed, feeling a dull pain near his cheek from getting hit with the gun. It was better than being shot.
It was another late night. Jeremy cursed himself out as he arrived home to find that he hadn’t unlocked his window. He would have to use the door again.
Jeremy dropped down once he was changed and made his way inside. He was hungry, he had skipped dinner earlier after all.
Jeremy crept his way into the kitchen, cursing under his breath as he eyed his dad again waiting for him. A single light was on above the kitchen sink. Jeremy ignored him and opened the fridge.
“Y’know you don’t have to wait up for me,” Jeremy mumbled, grabbing a container and shutting the fridge. He crossed the room to the microwave and shoved it inside, starting the timer for a minute.
“Yes I do,” James sounded tired. “Jeremy—”
“You really don’t.”
“—where have you been?”
“Out.”
“You can’t be out this late. We talked about this last year, I let up because of summer but—”
“But nothing, you’re freaking out over nothing,” Jeremy kept his back turned, digging in a drawer for a fork.
“Jeremy—”
“Just go to bed, Dad.”
“Look at me.”
Jeremy refused to turn. They fell silent. The microwave beeped, telling them Jeremy’s food was done. Jeremy removed it before the beeping could go off again, still not pivoting.
“Jeremy. Look at me.”
He turned, avoiding looking at his dad. James stepped over to him, eyeing what Jeremy had to assume was a bruise along his cheekbone.
“Who did this to you?”
“It’s nothing—”
“This isn’t nothing, Jeremy!” James grabbed him by the shoulders. “Who keeps doing this to you?! You come home battered and bruised more often than you don’t!”
“Just go to bed, Dad!”
“How am I supposed to sleep at night when I don’t know where you are?!” James sounded close to breaking down. “How am I supposed to rest when you’re off who the fuck knows where getting beaten to a pulp?! What kind of shitty father doesn’t step in when it matters like that?!”
“If you cared about being a good parent you would have been there for me years ago!”
“I watched your heart stop! You died!” James was squeezing his shoulders tight. He broke. Tears started falling. “I-I watched you die. I found you bleeding out on the kitchen floor. I can’t…You can’t do this to me, Jeremy.”
Jeremy broke out of his hold, “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“No, I don’t know! You won’t tell me!”
Jeremy flinched as James tried to grab him again. He smacked his hand away, pivoting on his heel and grabbing his dad by the collar. James was startled, his eyes growing wide as Jeremy glared at him.
Jeremy let go, abandoning his late dinner and bolting up to his room. He shut himself inside, sliding down against the door. How was this happening to him?
Why was everything going wrong all of a sudden?
Jeremy tossed and turned throughout the remainder of the night. Sleep was fitful. But he did remember to unlock his window this time.
Jeremy glared at his phone when the alarm blared. He sat up and wished he could go back to sleep. At least he was awake on time today.
Michael still hadn’t responded to him. He had opened the messages, but no response. Jeremy sighed, sending another just wishing him a good day. It was painful. Was Michael avoiding him? Why?
Jeremy sighed, forcing himself to get ready. Maybe Michael would be back in class and explain.
Jeremy made his way down the stairs and found the house quiet once again. His dad had left early again. Perfect, this was how things were now. Argue at night and don’t speak all day.
Jeremy left early enough that he could walk instead of run to school. He had high hopes that Michael would be waiting for him, but no. Jeremy was the first of their friend group to arrive at their class.
When Chloe walked in she made her way over to him and ruffled his hair. He smiled at her, trying to act like he wasn’t freaking out on the inside.
Jeremy waved Rich over when he walked in with Jake. He wanted an answer from someone.
“Where’s Michael?”
Rich shrugged, “He’th not feeling good. He looked like garbage yethterday.”
Jeremy sighed, “Oh.”
“Yeah, I’m thure he’th fine. Don’t worry.”
Rich made his way to his seat. He didn’t seem all that worried. Maybe Michael just had a cold. He was freaking out because things weren’t good at home. That was all.
But it was still a painfully slow day without Michael there. Jeremy kept waiting and checking his phone, but he got no response. Michael refused to text him back. Maybe he had done something. Had he fucked up recently? He couldn’t remember any major mistakes. Sure things had been a bit weird on Jeremy’s part since figuring out about his crush, but he had kept a fairly good lid on it. Michael hadn’t made any notion that he was uncomfortable with Jeremy in any way.
He was quiet throughout the day. He checked his phone at every opportunity. He didn’t focus, didn’t bother even attempting his homework, he kept his eyes locked on the screen.
Jeremy bolted at the sound of the dismissal bell. He was going crazy, he was sure of it. He ran down the streets, booking it to Michael’s house.
Jeremy made it to the house and went around to the side. He dropped through the basement window, looking around for Michael. It wasn’t like him to not at least send a text. Rich had said he wasn’t feeling good, but that wasn’t good enough for Jeremy anymore.
He had been a shitty friend for so long. He couldn’t keep acting like this. He had to show that he gave a shit somehow. He kept fucking up because of his identity or now because of the dumb fucking crush, but if Michael was so sick that he couldn’t send a text? Jeremy was going to act. He couldn’t let something like that slide.
Jeremy walked up the stairs, freezing as he heard guitar playing. He stepped into the living room and found Michael on the couch. He had a blanket over his lap and his guitar in his arms. Quietly plucking a song. An empty bowl sat on the coffee table and Jeremy could smell a soup of some kind in the kitchen, likely in a slow cooker to keep warm. So he had been sick after all. But why not text? Michael was well enough to play guitar but couldn’t text Jeremy back? Maybe it was revenge for all of his bullshit excuses over the past year.
“I’m a thousand miles away, but girl tonight you look so pretty. Yes you do,” Michael was singing along as his fingers strummed. “Times Square can’t shine as bright as you, I swear it’s true.”
Jeremy walked over, sitting next to Michael as he continued to play. He watched on and was silently awestruck. He could feel his own heart beating in his chest. They played guitar for the choir, he forgot that Michael was in the class for a reason. The guy could sing.
“We’ll have the life we knew we would, my word is good,” Michael continued to sing on. He looked over at Jeremy and smiled at him, the only notion that he was aware Jeremy was in the room. “Hey there Delilah, I’ve got so much left to say. If every simple song I wrote to you would take your breath away, I’d write it all. Even more in love with me you’d fall, we’d have it all.”
He finished out the chorus before stopping his strumming and set the guitar down. They sat in silence for a moment, Jeremy unable to rip his eyes away from Michael.
“Are you okay?” Jeremy felt the need to ask. “Rich said you weren’t feeling well? You didn’t answer my texts.”
Michael sighed, “I…I had a rough night the other night. Just…was reeling the whole time. I haven’t exactly…slept well. Not sick, but I was in no condition to go to school. Sorry I haven’t responded, I just couldn’t find the energy.”
Jeremy could feel some of his stress melting away, “I’m glad you’re okay.”
Michael chuckled, leaning across the couch to rest his head on Jeremy. “Always, Jer.”
Michael reached for one of his hands, playing with Jeremy’s fingers. He had to force himself not to flinch as Michael’s thumb pressed down on his palm. He was only a few centimeters from triggering his webs. Jeremy pulled his hand away and brushed his fingers through Michael’s hair.
He almost said it. It felt right. Them. The cozy living room. Peace.
“You have work, don’t you?” Michael checked his phone for the image Jeremy had sent.
Jeremy flinched, “Uh…” he checked the time. He was going to be late. Shit. “Yeah. Actually. Fuck.”
“Go. I’ll see you later,” Michael nudged him forward. “Thanks for checking in on me, Jer.”
He nodded, already zooming out the front door. Jeremy sprinted down the street before ducking into an alleyway to pull off his street clothes. He rushed his way into the city and beelined to his place of work. He scrambled to get to his desk on time, dropping down next to Christine. He was already horrible at arriving on time and he hadn’t even been on hourly pay for two whole days yet.
He didn’t hate editing photos, but it was boring. It wasn’t his passion by any means. But it was actual work experience. He could put this on a resume some day. And hourly pay was going to be nice. Even if just for a few weeks.
It felt like forever had passed between his shift starting and ending. He clocked out and waved to Christine before leaving. She was absorbed in her computer screen. Maybe she was formatting her interview still, making sure she kept what she wanted. Or maybe she was adding afterthoughts to the responses she got.
Christine would make a good journalist. He could see her running her own network. She was talented enough on her own, but with her powers she had a whole different advantage.
Jeremy started swinging around, shivering against the cold air. Soon it was going to start snowing. He would have to pull out his winter suit. He wouldn’t want to freeze.
Maybe he could try to get home at a decent hour tonight, get his dad off of his back. He had the homecoming dance tomorrow to worry about, getting one good night of sleep would be valuable to him.
The darkness of the night was offset by the lights of the city. Jeremy flipped around as he stopped smaller criminals. Simple thieves and muggers. They weren’t exactly a danger to Jeremy.
He was about to pivot and head towards Brooklyn when he caught sight of a small fire. It looked like Torch. Jeremy made his way over and landed on the roof in a low crouch.
Torch was sitting with his back against an air unit, his head up in flames while the rest of his body remained extinguished. It took Jeremy a moment to notice a guitar in his hands. Since when did Torch have a guitar to carry around. His power was fire, not music. He had flaming fists of righteousness, he didn’t need a guitar to beat criminals over the head with.
Jeremy’s ears clocked the song that Torch was strumming, the other superhero not even looking his way as he played the tune. What the hell…why was he…
“A thousand miles seems pretty far, but they’ve got ferries, trains, and cars,” Torch sang along like everything happening was casual. “I’d fly to you if I had no other way.”
Jeremy stepped closer, still not disturbing the other teenager. Deja vu tended to hit hard with Torch, but today was extreme. It was weird that he was singing the same song as…
“Our friends will all make fun of us, and we’ll just laugh along because we know that none of them have felt this way,” Torch continued his song and Jeremy started creeping closer. There was a guitar case resting on the roof next to his hot headed companion. “And Miah I can promise you that by the time we get through the world will never ever be the same, and you’re to blame.”
Wait, what? Jeremy felt unnerved. What the fuck. Why Miah of all words. He knew that Torch was gay, but this was almost creepy. Jeremy had never revealed his name, it was a creepy coincidence.
“Hey Jeremiah, you be good and don’t you miss me,” Torch looked over and Jeremy and his flaming face broke into a grin. “A few more months and we’ll be done with school, and we’ll keep making history like we do.” It was hard to see detail when Torch was up in flames, but Jeremy swore he saw his eyes soften. “You know it’s all because of you. We can do whatever we want to. Hey Jeremiah here’s to you, this one’s for you.”
Jeremy felt his breath catch as the flames went out. He froze in place, his eyes growing wide as he watched the flames cease their hot rampage. Torch didn’t have his mask on. He hadn’t been able to tell with the flames, but now? His best friend was staring right back at him. Michael smirked at him while Jeremy felt his whole worldview shift.
“Oh, it’s what you do to me,” Michael still continued to sing like nothing was wrong. “Oh, it’s what you do to me.”
He knew. He had to know. Why else would he…
Jeremy ripped off his own mask, no longer hiding his open shock as Michael stared into his soul right next to him. Not an ounce of Jeremy’s shock being returned to him. He had known. Fuck.
“Oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh-oh, oh-oh,” Michael shifted a bit closer to him, properly grinning now that Jeremy had removed his mask. “Oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh.”
Michael finished the song, the final strum still leaving Jeremy in shock. He didn’t even have a moment to think before Michael was leaning again and his lips caught over Jeremy’s. He fumbled for a moment, his hands flailing before wrapping around Michael’s shoulders. The guitar was pushed out of the way so Jeremy could be pulled into Michael’s lap, a small clicking sound heard as their lips separated and reconnected repeatedly. Holy. Shit.
If this was a dream Jeremy never wanted to wake up.