Uh Oh, Spiders! - a Peni Parker X Male Reader fanfic 🕷️

Chapter 12: Sheet Ice

(Some suggestions of music to get into the mood)

Scene 1: Streets Of New York

Uneventful...

Tiring...

Lonely...

Y/N's mind simply wandered with similar concepts in his mind. He changed out of his mask after entering an alleyway, shoving it in his pockets, and now walked around the busy, bustling neighborhood. He had called his parents prior and informed them that he was going to hang out a bit longer at his supposed "friend's," house, and would walk home, so he had hours alone to... well, what is one supposed to do alone? What initial happiness from his time over at the police station faded as he left, set like concrete. As the city dimmed in the afternoon light, Y/N walked alone through the melancholic streets. The city's constant vibrant energy seemed muted for some reason as if it mirrored the emotions stirring within him: so empty, so confused. As he walked quietly, occasional couples strolled hand in hand, laughter rippling through the air like distant echoes of happiness. Families carried, pushed, and skipped with kids and their partners. A chorus of joy would sing in the air, and many joined to enjoy what life has gifted them, but Y/N would not sing in this choir. Y/N couldn't help but find himself feeling an ache in their heart, a sudden longing for the companionship they witnessed around them. Since his introduction till now, this would be his first experience without a touch of love and the voice of those he considers friends. No concerned mother spoke into his ears, nor an accepting father comforted and appreciated. Silence from musclebound tutors and meticulous trainers... and no words from a girl he could relate with, one whose heart beat with his, but he couldn't muster the courage to face it, to accept it for what it is. Y/N felt fear once again. Fear was commonplace now that he held these new responsibilities as New York's new guardian. It was a different fear from what he had experienced while he was being beaten viciously. The metal hiss of pistons cracking his bones in that battle still shook him to his core, but at this moment, Y/N felt a harrowing fear. One he couldn't beat away like what he did the Cleavon.

It was the heartstrings that pulled him away then, and it pulled him into this pit now. Y/N was very new to this all. He had never experienced love romantically and had never planned on being given such a heavy responsibility. When the responsibility came, he was hesitant, but with the help of the other three, he felt secure, his feet in place. But what about love? WHAT... what influenced his sudden mood switch? Y/N dreaded it, and he drew himself to run, run away from such a feeling.

"The bench... her touch... why now? Why does it haunt me..."

The city's symbols now felt like reminders of solitude. The towering skyscrapers loomed overhead, casting long shadows that seemed to envelop Y/N in a shroud of loneliness. In response to a sudden surge of it all closing in on himself, he walked faster. The grand structures that once represented strength now mirrored his vulnerability like a pillar of shame, standing as witnesses to the emptiness he carried. Amidst the muted chatter of friends enjoying each other's company, Y/N couldn't help but feel like an outsider, adrift in a sea of their laughter and camaraderie. He yearned to find his place within these tightly woven bonds of connection, yet felt like a mere observer to the happiness that eluded them. He wanted someone to talk to. Someone to call company. The city's once vibrant murals now appeared faded, their colors washed out, black. The weight of Y/N's sorrow loomed over him as death waits for prey. Each stroke of paint seemed like a fleeting memory of happiness that they longed to experience. The art that once inspired awe now felt like a reflection of the void within their heart.

A sudden jolt, his feet found sentience.

Y/N ran uncontrollably.

His breath fastened
his arms tightened.
Fear chased fast,
Heavy.
The maws of demise wanted to feast.
And for that Y/N ran faster!
He ran, he ran, he ran
He ran... ran...
Then he stopped.

Y/N slowed and caught his breath. Looking at where he found himself drawn to, it would be a quiet park. No one was there, and the nature around seemed well-maintained. He walked around hesitantly, observing this new world around him. Following the pavement and through some vines over a white archway, Y/N laid eyes upon a lone bench that stood as a solitary sanctuary. As he stared in contemplative silence, Y/N gave into the serenity and came close to sit on it. The sound of a gentle breeze rustled the leaves of nearby trees. The fading sunlight filtered through the branches, shining soft rays upon the bench and Y/N's figure. It all cast dappled shadows that mirrored the fragments of Y/N's emotions. The gentle murmur of the distant fountain accentuated the somber yet peaceful atmosphere, its usual joyous water now a moniker for solemn lament. Fluttering down upon a branch, a grey solitary bird perched nearby. It began to sing its melancholic song echoing their inner feelings of longing and solitude.

In this poignant moment, the city whispered its chorus of the symphony of sorrow, resonating with Y/N's somber mood. The beauty that once surrounded them now felt bittersweet, a reminder of the void that yearned to be filled. Through this, he realized what made him run, what made him so suddenly panic. He was still so inexperienced, not just in being a hero, but emotionally. Such constant reflection on his responsibilities alongside meeting such new and polarizing people changed his life forever. It was all something he had tried to just run away from. Here, in peace, he could come to terms with the facts. Out of them all, there was one Y/N couldn't just deny anymore in his head.

He loved Peni Parker, simple as that.

How Y/N loved her looks. Her cutesy face and expression. She was intelligent and capable of many things he couldn't even wrap his head around. She was so lovable and caring and they had done so many things together, moments where he just wanted to hold her hand longer, tighter, and just say to her face with full confidence that he wanted her in his arms, to watch romance movies and do corny stuff and just be a couple as he envisioned it in his mind. What scared him was that the three of them were only here temporarily. Y/N already guessed that since they're from a different dimension, after they finish this "mission," that they kept bringing up, they would finally leave. Y/N wants them to enjoy accomplishment, and finally get them home... but he would lose those that taught him so much in so little, friends through similar interests. He'd lose Cindy, lose Manly...

He'd lose Peni.

What if they brought him? But he had family here, Mom and Dad. What if he just prolonged their stay here by... no, that was sabotage. As much as he wanted them to stay, Y/N's current conscious couldn't make them stay. As the afternoon light continued to fade, Y/N stayed on the bench, sitting with the city's sorrow right next to him. It felt like a cold friend, a bitter ex. The city's somber symphony continues to leave an indelible mark, reminding him of the inevitable end of his friends and himself. How they'll be all together and simply leave. How he'll simply be on this bench again, singing along to the same sad tune that sits alongside him. The days will get better, and his mood will be better, but at this moment, Y/N sat overwhelmed with negatives and a fear of what would come, a horror that he couldn't stop. The autumn winds blew its cold air again, and he simply sat there, shaking. He remembered he had no coat, Y/N had given it to Peni and she had kept it. He silently chuckled at that moment in the pizza place and bench that he sat in as well. Her smile, their talks, and enthusiasm... her touch on that bench. That silence was followed by... by "stupid fear," as Y/N imagined it again. His attempt at stopping confusion instead stopped him from speaking of what he really wanted. He thought himself foolish. Y/N wondered if maybe she did like him, or maybe it was just the environment bringing them closer, just being nice.

What if she saw them simply as friends?

Y/N's heart ached at the thought.

———
Author's Note: Hey guys! Sorry for the sudden disappearance! I just moved around, got into private school that I now attend. I plan to return to a semi-active schedule, so stay tuned! Fallout out.