Spider-Man x Reader

Otto: Instinctive

→ Summary: After an incident, Otto finds out that Y/N is a mutant.

→ Author's Note: Idk what this is. Result of my Doc Ock obsession and watching some of the X-Men + Wolverine movies. Not evil Otto for this one. Pretend Norman allows them lunch breaks.

→⚠ Warnings ⚠: Insecurities(?)

→ Fandom: Spectacular Spider-Man

→ Genre: Oneshot

→ Word Count: 1.2k

→ Pronouns: They/Them

You had no idea what Otto would think if he found out. You had been working at OsCorp for a good few years and in that time you'd come to consider him a friend. He seemed nice, but then again most people did when they didn't know you were a mutant. It's why you choose to keep it completely under wraps. The only people that knew were in your family.

You worked in the genetics department. It seemed cliché, the person with a genetic mutation studying genetics, but that's just how life works sometimes. You don't remember how you met, and you didn't really need to. You both took lunch at the same time and had been doing so since your first month at the company.

It was lunch right then, not that you would have known that. You were too engrossed to notice the passage of time or your colleagues leaving the room or even Otto hesitantly approaching your hunched-over form. He softly called out to you but to your unprepared mind, it registered as a threat. On instinct, you disappeared. At least that's what it must have looked like to Otto. You looked down at your arms and saw nothing. You saw the shock spread across his face as you silently stared. He turned around the room in search of you, mouth slightly agape. It was a better reaction than your last boyfriend.

You'd turned semi-invisible in your sleep (meaning only your clothes were visible) and when he saw you he thought there was a ghost in your apartment. (Which was somehow more acceptable to him than the real reason).

He softly whispered your name, which was when you reappeared. He jumped back in shock. "H-how did you do that?" He kept his voice low, likely not wanting to attract any attention from the people walking the halls outside.

Oh God, it was happening. You couldn't tell if the look on his face was the 'what-the-hell-did-you-do' kind of shock or the 'what-the-hell-are-you' kind of shock. It was usually the second kind, but you didn't believe Otto was like that. Didn't want to believe he was like that.

Your heart was beating a mile a minute and your ears were burning hot as coal. This was it. You took in a deep breath and decided it would be quicker and easier to rip the bandaid off immediately. "I'm a mutant." Then there was silence. His face reminded you of someone who had just figured out a complicated math equation, just more excited.

It seemed as if the words went directly from brain to mouth. "Do you know how it works?" The realisation seemed to hit him quickly as he fumbled a bit with his next words. "Of course you know how they work," he mumbled it like an apology, "D-do you know how it works on a cellular level, I mean." With each passing word his voice became softer. You simply stared at him. You knew he was a scientist but his attitude still surprised you. Not afraid of the unfamiliar and instead interested - captivated by it - even. "No," that was the word that opened the floodgates, "but I am doing independent study using my own blood. Oh, I also did my thesis on the genetic differences in human and mutant DNA."

A small smile made its way onto his face. The air of the room was far less tense than a few moments before. "I suppose that's why you never mentioned your thesis before." Your face fell somewhat. "I can talk about it more if you want, just - don't tell anyone else. Please." It bruised your ego a bit to be pleading with someone like you're a school child asking someone not to tell anyone about your crush, but what else could you do.

"Yes, of course," he cleared his throat, though it sounded more than a little forced, "should we get to lunch now?"

You whipped your head in the direction of the clock on the wall. Your lunch break started a whole five minutes ago.

"Sure, sure. My bad."

↔

At most lunches, you were both too drained to speak about much, preferring to enjoy each other's company in silence. Otto was more talkative than before for obvious reasons.

"You could commit crimes very easily with your abilities," he spoke softly.

"I suppose so," you didn't quite enjoy what he was implying, but you didn't want to assume deeper meaning where there might not have been.

"Have you?" Once again, brain directly to mouth. "Thought of it I mean- I know you'd never do something like that."

"A few times," it was tempting, even the best people's minds would wander if they had your abilities, "I never acted on it. I doubt OsCorp would hire someone with a criminal record." Nark sons of-

"Of course they wouldn't, it would be horrible for publicity." He cleared his throat and gulped down his water.

"Sure." The conversation ended there and left a one-sided awkward air between the two of you. You wondered if it was a felony or a misdemeanour that caused the sudden uptick in his nerves.

↔

It was the end of the workday and the lunchtime incident was almost completely absent from your mind. You packed your lab equipment away and wiped down almost every surface that you could. You weren't sure if Otto was still in the building, but knowing him you ventured to guess he was. When you reached his lab, you could clearly hear what sounded almost like an argument. Almost because it was just someone else berating him. You knocked on the door and called out his name. The room went quiet and not a minute later Mr Osborn stormed out of the room. He shot you an irritated glance, but said nothing.

You hesitantly poked your head into the doorway. The lab was clean and Otto looked to be unharmed. (physically at least)

"Are you in trouble?" You asked, stepping into the room.

"No, no trouble. Mr Osborn is just ... like that." He was trying to keep the mask up, but it was plainly obvious that he was upset. Maybe now wasn't the best moment to ask, but then again- "Do you want to go get dinner with me? I could pay if you want."

"Yes." His answer was quick, but his backtracking was just as fast. "I-I would love to..." He trailed off.

"But?"

"But I have more work still to do." He sounded as disappointed as you felt.

"I thought they weren't allowing overtime for this month?" HR did a crappy job of explaining why, but you got the basic idea down.

You could practically hear the way his heartbeat spiked by the look on his face. "It's a special occasion." You decided it was best not to question the way higher-ups thought.

"Do you know when you'll be free?" This conversation was a verbal trainwreck.

"I believe I'll be available next Thursday." He had that awkward smile on his face again, it looked almost like the one he had when a hypothesis was proven wrong.

"That works." The little confidence you had when you first walked into the room was nowhere to be found at this point in the conversation. He extended his hand, and you shook it. "It's a date."

He had to have been the most awkward yet cute person you'd ever known. And you had a date with him next Thursday.