San hated being Spider-Man. He hated it all. From the filthy streets ridden with crime, to the cops that chased him every night screaming vulgar incoherence. It wasn't as if he was lathered in a red and blue spandex bodysuit getting beat up every day, because he wanted to. Being bit by a chemically engineered, radioactive spider was forced upon him, and the repercussions it caused quite literally ruined San's life. Sure, he enjoyed the feeling of keeping people safe, but the overwhelming fear of not saving everyone ran through his mind more often than not. He was never at peace, never able to relax and enjoy his 20's. He couldn't recall the last time he made a friend, went on a date, or truly enjoyed being human. Because, he wasn't human. Not to the NYPD, not to people who were grateful for his sacrifices, not even to himself.
He was simply a guy whose one purpose in life was to protect. And God, it had been forever since he'd gotten laid. He longed for intimacy almost as much as he longed for the ability to pay his bills on time. But it didn't even matter what he wanted, because the world didn't care. He was Spider-Man, and there was no way around it.
This night had been like any other, swinging through the city, stopping a robbery, saving someone who was kidnapped, defusing a bomb, and stopping a car chase. Any sane person would find his nights baffling, but to San, it was just Tuesday.
Beneath the suit, his black hair was stuck with sweat, and while his body stayed snug inside the suit, his broad shoulders threatened to burst through the fabric.
His body had been through enough for the day, despite it only being midnight. San couldn't go home, though. The city never sleeps, as they say. As his body perched on the ledge of a brick building, the sound of the police radio blared harshly. He usually relied on the police's information to figure out what was happening in the city. After all, he only had one pair of eyes that could spot a crime happening, and one set of ears that could hear distant screams of terror.
His eyes scanned his surrounding area, as best they could, considering how dimly lit every ally was. Scoping the area, his eyes locked on a person sprinting down the sidewalk. Their eyes shifted to the tops of the buildings, before meeting eyes with San. Their gaze locked, and for a moment San could've sworn he recognized the figure.
The person didn't stay put long, as their pace picked up once more to turn into the alleyway beside the building. That was suspicious, of course it was. Anyone with a brain could tell that person was acting oddly, and San did what he always did. Webbing the opposite side of the building's ledge, he swung his body to perch once more. Spotting the figure, he had noticed something strange.
They didn't continue running away, but instead were attempting to hide in the shadows of the street. Their breath was rapid, and San figured he'd just pop down and ask them why they were in such a hurry. Casual conversation that would hopefully lead to them admitting what they did. That usually worked.
Attaching his web to the edge he sat on, he plummeted down to the ally, stopping slightly above the person's face, hanging upside down. This vantage point was good enough, the person looked harmless, and he could easily get away if they tried anything. "Yo," he shouted through his mask. With his close view, he could finally make out how the person appeared, and he began to realize he did know the nervous figure. But Spider-Man didn't know them, San did. So he did what he always did when he ran into this issue, ignored it and figured they wouldn't recognize him.
"Hi," The person uttered through a curious tone. He was a shorter boy, from what San remembered, and his eyes were dressed in a thick pair of glasses. A mole beneath his eye, one on his lip, and long fluffy black hair that generously framed the other's face. "Can I help you, Spider-Man?"
"Yeah, actually you can. Why were you running, and why'd you run when you saw me?" He gently urged himself closer to the boy, and a faint smile erupted from the other.
