𝐏𝐔𝐙𝐙𝐋𝐄, 𝗵𝗼𝗯𝗶𝗲 𝗯𝗿𝗼𝘄𝗻¹

[1.10] Hero

i love my babies in denial.
not much interaction here,
just feelings :-(

Marina and Hobie's friendship was... confusing, to say the least. But if you'd like me to describe them further, their friendship was an infuriating puzzle, that looked easy to piece together from afar — but was far from easy once you actually try to work it together.

They act like a married couple, and Hobie shows signs of interest — but so does Marina, right? But then, at the same time, they act and call each other friends. With zero hesitation.

"Are you guys dating?" The question would bring amusement to Hobie, and embarrassment to Marina. Nah.

Hobie made Marina feel things she couldn't explain, and Marina made Hobie question himself, and act out of character. He flirted, but Marina would always find it normal for him to be "playful" and "clingy" with all his friends. That was simply his language.

Marina would open up to Hobie, her smiles always growing more brighter, and the door that she had always closed and locked for others was always kept open for Hobie. But you know — that's only because they spend most of their time together, and are close friends.

Mhm. Yeah. Yup. Definitely. That's what they are, and that's what they will always be. Sure.

Hobie doesn't like labels, and Marina respects that. Not that she needs to try changing his mind about that anyways! Because she feels nothing. He is a friend, a close friend at that.

Probably, nothing more.
Hopefully, nothing less.

Marina decided to head back to her own Earth after an hour or so. She still had a city to look after, and plus — her dog Cosmo was most likely waiting for her to return.

Taking a "mirror bracelet" as they chose to call it, since it takes them to a different — cracked mirror of their own dimension, Marina wrapped it around her right wrist and flashed Hobie a smile.

"I'll see you soon, Hobie." She waves at Hobie, who was on his third bottle of beer. "Mhm. I'll see ya, luv." He nodded, with a lopsided smile.

The moment the portal had closed behind Marina, she let out a sigh of relief. Moments with Hobie were never awkward, and somehow — despite his endless ramblings about his political views, and cockiness, he always lit the atmosphere up.

Marina wishes she could be as open, and free as Hobie. Sure, there are times where she steps out of her comfort zone to speak up, but she tends to overthink and panic about it later on when she's alone.

Hobie has always been thoughtful, and respectful of Marina. Although she never fully opens up about her thoughts, he could easily read through her like a book. And Hobie does not like to read, but he took his time understanding each page of Marina's story.

To those who quite literally judges a book by its cover, Marina's was not so appealing. It had a simple and cute cover, but not enough that it steals eyes and piques the curiosity of others. Others like Hobie, who probably would have never met or seen Marina's true colors if Miguel had never introduced them both.

Marina knew she was quite a trouble to get along with, and although she wanted to enjoy herself, and laugh at the jokes of others — there was always this fear in her that she might accidentally offend someone.

What if what they say was meant to be serious, and not as a joke? What if she says something that embarrasses herself, and others find her weird? What if she says something that embarrasses others? What if —

FUCK what if's. Uncertainty is what holds her back, and as much as she tries to fight it, it is always stronger than herself.

Marina huffed loudly, and soon heard the pitter patter of steps from her dog, Cosmo. The corner of her lips quickly lifted up into a smile as she knelt down, scratching the back of Cosmo's ears who leaned into her touch.

"Hi honey. What'd you do here without me, hm?" Marina cooed, and Cosmo barked in response, tongue hanging out as she smiled happily. Marina chuckled, and stood up to walk to her living room.

Grabbing the remote, she sat down on the soft couch, and turned the T.V. on. The news played, as the famous reporter J. Jonah Jameson spoke.

He was a huge anti-Spindrift, and made it his sole purpose to try and shit on her reputation. Marina saved him from danger once, but it only seemed to have angered the male more.

A picture of an ambulance at Angelina's Cafe was shown on the news, and Marina's heart dropped.

﹀﹀﹀﹀﹀﹀﹀
"Mary Jane Watson, dead at 18 after being murdered by than none other than Spindrift herself.

This masked murderer must be caught! Whoever you are, justice will be served. It is about time that the world has seen your true intentions that you try to hide with that heroic facade. Spindrift is not a hero, but a villain!"
﹀﹀﹀﹀﹀﹀﹀

Tears swelled up in the corner of Marina's eyes, and she covered her mouth as a sob escaped her lips. So much has happened over the past few hours, the adrenaline quickly overpowering the pain of her loss.

The people of New York now think that she's nothing but a murderer, and she couldn't even imagine the pain MJ's parents must feel at the moment.

Marina cried, covering her face with her hands as she struggled to breathe properly. Cosmo stared at her for a moment, before resting her head on her owner's lap.

"All my fault. It's all my fault, Os. I should've — I should've saved her, I don't care if Miguel will hate me like he hates Miles. It's worth it." She muttered, wiping her tears.

Marina stands up, and walks to the bathroom to wash her face. The news continue play on the television, as Cosmo jumps up on the couch, and lays down comfortably.

﹀﹀﹀﹀﹀﹀﹀
"Next up, multiple transport capsules owned by Life Foundation was found in Central Park. The contents of these capsules remain unknown, as some witnesses claim that these items have been dropped from space. CEO Carlton Drake remains silent, and refuses to face the public to properly address the situation."