PETER PARKER

Shit. Why can't I feel either of my arms? Am I still dreaming? Am I still asleep or am I awake? Fuck, how did a knife wound spread to my good arm? As I wiggle my fingers under the bed sheets I soon realise that Y/N's just laying on it and causing it to become numb. Thank god. What better way to start the morning than with a sleep deprived panic attack?

Opening my eyes I saw Y/N curled up next to me with her head slightly buried into my armpit and her leg swung over mine. I can't imagine it would smell great since I couldn't shower after my patrol last night but she's unconscious and fast asleep so I'm in the clear.

I actually read this research paper once that said that women were attracted to a man's body odour. Not like they found the smell of sweat sexy or anything, it was more to do with the androsterone's released in the sweat. It's a type of pheromone I'm pretty sure.

I felt Y/N stir and I quickly closed my eyes again, fearful that she might wake up and see me staring at her like a serial killer first thing in the morning. I didn't want to scare her and think I watched her sleep or something, I wanted her to enjoy her first morning in my bed. Who knows, maybe it'll be the first of many.

"Mmmm... Hi," she mumbled, her eyes still closed as she inhaled deeply and rolled away from my chest.

"Good morning," I smiled, tilting my head to look at her as she sat up slightly to free my numb arm.

I moved my arm beside me and turned on my side to look at her, smiling softly as she yawned and apologised for her morning breath. To be fair, mine is probably just as bad.

"I could lie here all day," I hummed, closing my eyes and pushing my face further into the pillow.

"As much as I'd love to stay in bed forever, I have a doctors appointment later today," she pouted, checking her phone briefly before sitting up. She told me she had about half an hour before she'd have to leave to go back to her own apartment, get ready for her appointment and go. So, I suggested we just take our time to wake up properly and lounge around until then.

As I made Y/N a coffee with my new Nespresso machine, I heard her turn the television on and listen to the latest news broadcast. Whilst I poured a splash of milk into both of our mugs from my new little milk frother, I heard just how gruesome Venom's latest escapade was. It was being reported that yesterday he had taken the heads of an entire kindergarten class and left the bodies where they remained, hiding under tables in fear.

They then cut to one of the parents, visibly distraught and erratic over the death of his daughter. He begged for the 'gang members' to stop these horrific crimes, although I knew that Venom wouldn't stop any time soon because he needed the phenethylamine to survive.

"Those poor parents..." I muttered, waking our mugs slowly over to the couch where Y/N was sitting with her legs curled up under the blanket and her hand covering her mouth.

"I have no words..." She said beneath her hand, her words muffled but her tone riddled with fear.

I passed her the warm mug which she thanked me for and cupped between her palms, blowing on the liquid before sipping it gently. I sat next to her, watching the eerie news broadcast that showed blurred out bodies being carried out of the crime scene. Although you couldn't see them explicitly, you saw how little space these children took up underneath the coroner sheets and it simply gave you chills up your spine.

"I'm just praying that the reason Spider-Man has returned is to take down these sons of bitches, this whole head decapitation thing is just sickening," she shuddered, changing the channel to something on the opposite end of media entertainment: the Iron Man movie.

Tony had executive produced the film depicting his life, which eventually turned into a trilogy and a spin off series by some production company called 'Marvel'. This was the first one, starring Tom Cruise as Tony, Kate Hudson as his wife Pepper and a bunch of other famous actors.

I personally thought it was bizarre when Tony told me that this 'Marvel' company had bought the rights to his life story, yet he just shrugged and told me it was funny to him. He didn't need more money or anything, he just loved having the fame. He also loved the fact they made an Iron Man ride at Disneyland that he could take his daughter Morgan on.

"Oh I love this movie!" Y/N grinned, seemingly forgetting the appalling news story that had flashed away from the screen a mere few seconds ago.

"You reckon the plot is realistic?" I asked her, knowing full well that it was dramatised a whole lot more than reality. Tony never rejected being a part of the Avengers, it was actually vice versa for a while apparently.

"I think I read somewhere that Tony was super involved in the script writing and stuff... Which makes it even funnier that the movie starts with him hungover and naked in the Playboy mansion," she laughed, taking a gulp of coffee and leaning against my arm.

My injured arm.

My injured arm that I can now feel throb and ache and wow this hurts like a motherfucker. Man, this is so much worse than it being completely numb.

As she finished her coffee and walked towards my front door, I followed her to escort her out. It was a gentlemanly thing to do right?

"Hey this reminds me... I'm- Uh... I'm guest presenting the journalism award at this years Stark Peace Gala and I'm allowed to bring a plus one... Do you wanna go maybe? Like as a date... With me?" She said standing at my door holding her sneakers in her hand.

"Is it really fancy? Like do I need to wear a suit for it?" I asked, cocking my head to the side. She nodded.

"It's black tie yeah... You don't have to come, I just thought it would be cool since you interned at his company in high school and all... But it's up to y-"

"I'd love to go," I interrupted, smiling at her reassuringly.

We both lingered awkwardly at the door, not knowing how to say goodbye to each other without being overly forward or completely disinterested. Y/N being the more forward of the two of us, leant forward to give me a quick yet warm kiss before going up the stairs to her place. After I saw her disappear, I swung my front door closed and leant against it to catch my breath.

I couldn't help but keep the smile planted on my face as I spun around and skipped back to my bedroom all gleeful and giddy. I was excited that she had confirmed we were in fact 'dating' and invited me to some esteemed event with her.

The only suit I owned was one Tony gave me as a teenager. It was too big for me at the time but he told me that I'd 'grow into it' by the time I graduated high school. I wasn't particularly a big guy throughout school, I was fit and toned but I wasn't very tall or anything. I looked like any other lanky, scrawny kid - unsuspecting to those around me. But Tony insisted that I'd 'fill out' by the time I graduated and he promised that no matter what, he'd be sitting in the audience to make sure he cheered the loudest. Other than Aunt May.

Yet I never graduated and he never got to watch amongst the crowd. I wore it to his funeral though, the sleeves coming down over my fingers and the shoulder pads making the suit jacket swallow me whole. May insisted on buying me a suit that fit properly but I couldn't picture myself wearing anything else that day. I had to wear it for Tony; I needed to.

And there it was, hanging inside its suit cover in my wardrobe, next to all of the new clothes I had bought and hung up nicely alongside it. It would probably fit me now, given that I finally hit puberty. I swear I looked sixteen until I turned twenty and then magically got bigger.

Much to my surprise my arm had healed itself to the point where I could feel just how painful my injury really was. I could lift my arm slowly and I could wiggle my fingers today so that was a vast improvement from the spaghetti noodle of a limb I had attached to my shoulder last night.

Slowly pulling my sweatshirt off I looked at the blood soaked tape that had lost its adhesiveness and started to loosen itself off of my arm. I peeled it off slowly and saw the cut properly for the first time now that I could kinda rotate my arm. It was still as deep as before but the wound had congealed and stopped bleeding for the most part. It still looked like raw meat though.

Don't throw up.

I took out the contents of my mediocre first aid box and looked for something better than my half-assed tape attempt from last night. I took a square of gauze and squirted some Betadine on it; that brown fucking liquid that everyone kept recommending to me until I caved and bought it finally. Placing it over the cut I then finished it off by wrapping tape around it.

The tape was annoying but I still had to go along with the story that I had pulled a muscle at the gym - I needed to keep it taped up in case Y/N saw me.

I laid back on my bed and took a deep breath, dangling my legs over the edge as I thought about the fact Y/N and I had acknowledged where our relationship was; we were dating. I was dating again, which bewildered me because I assumed that after MJ, I wouldn't ever find someone who could accept me in the same nonchalant way. Y/N obviously doesn't know about the whole radioactive spider powers thing but she doesn't question my bizarre lifestyle or unorthodox habits, she just accepts me for me. It's refreshing.

She was interested in me when I was a miserable sack of shit with a trashy apartment and she's still interested in me now as a less miserable sack of shit with a nice apartment.

I wonder if she'd be more or less interested in me if she knew I used to be Spider-Man...

I stared at the scrunched up suit at the top of my wardrobe that I had reluctantly kept when I had cleared out my old clothes and I bit my lip. Why did I feel such an overpowering urge to hold onto it after so many years being retired? As I pulled it down it unraveled, letting the mask fall to my feet and look back at me as I looked down at it.

Fuck...

As much as Tony might not have seen me in his suit when I graduated, I know he'll be looking down at me now to watch me wear my suit once again.

Like Y/N said this morning, Spider-Man is the hero our city needs right now; the one to take down Venom once and for all.