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The first time it happened, Miles wasn’t sure what to make of it.
He didn’t even notice that it was happening at first, and as soon as he did, it just stopped. The strange humming sensation left as abruptly as it had come.
Miles uneasily chalked it up to being over-tired, because what he had just felt from his chest had most certainly not been normal.
When it happened again a few days later, he coughed roughly, and the sensation went away again as he tensed, frowning worriedly.
By the third time, he had decided the sensation was coming from near the back of his lower throat and traveling down to almost reverberate in his chest.
At that point, Miles was more than a little concerned.
What was wrong with him? Was this some sort of breathing issue? A digestive issue? Was he sick?
Googling his symptoms didn’t yield any helpful results—not that it ever really did for anything. He wasn’t having any pain or difficulties breathing or eating, and the noise stopped almost as soon as he noticed it each time. He was stumped.
So, he decided to consult his newest source of “Why is this happening to me?” kinds of questions: Peter.
If it was something bizarre, inexplicable, and slightly inhuman, then chances were it had to do with his new enhancement.
The only problem was, when he thought to ask during their next training session, he found himself hesitating.
What was he even supposed to say?
“Hey man, I was just wondering: Do spiders normally get weird tickles in the back of their throats, and make strange little buzzy noises because of it?”
It seemed too...silly.
So instead, Miles sort of asked. Meaning, he didn’t really ask directly, and instead proposed the question in an entirely unhelpful form.
“What about, like, sound-based attacks?” he asked nervously as Peter paused in a long, drawn-out explanation of combat style and attack patterns. “Would that be...a spider-related thing?”
Even through the mask, he could tell Peter gave him a decidedly odd, confused look. “Uh, no? I don’t think so, at least. You referring to the sonic blasts I use sometimes?”
“Yeah!” Miles supplied—well, more like backpedaled—quickly, glad his expression was concealed under his mask. “Yeah, that,” he finished awkwardly.
“Oh, so the idea and reasoning behind those were pretty interesting, actually,” Peter brightened up. He proceeded to provide another long explanation for the inspiration behind the concussive blast gadget incorporated into his web-shooters.
Miles nodded along and listened, trying not to show his disappointment at a lack of explanation or information that might have helped him with his weird ‘buzzing’ predicament.
He tried not to think about it too much after that, because whatever was happening didn’t seem to be hurting him, and it had yet to affect him in public or disrupt his life. So, he let it be.
It was pretty nerve-wracking when he felt the beginnings of the humming sensation start up when he received a particularly warm hug from his mother one day. He had just allowed himself to close his eyes and lean into the embrace contentedly, when he felt it begin to start up. He quickly pulled back, eyes wide.
His mother frowned at him as he put some distance between them, digging his fingernails into his palm behind his back and trying not to panic.
“Mijo, are you ok?” Rio asked, looking concerned.
“Fine! I’m fine,” Miles grinned meekly. “Just remembered I never finished that homework that’s due tomorrow. Guess I better go do that ASAP.”
Rio shook her head scoldingly. “When you’re done, get back out here to help me with dinner. I missed you today, and I could use the help and company.”
Miles sent her a quick grin and an affirmation before diving into his room, breathing a sigh of relief as he realized he had effectively stifled the buzzing before it could properly start.
If his mother had noticed, he wasn’t sure what he would have explained it as. He wasn’t even sure what it actually was!
It wasn’t until an entire month after he first noticed it that Miles finally got any form of an explanation.
Peter had begun to take him out on patrols, their regular training sessions beginning to be much more exciting—and dangerous.
It was during one of those patrols that an unfortunate, chilly Spring thunderstorm broke, making both spiders soaked to the skin as they hastily dove into Peter’s apartment.
“Annnd that’s one of the downsides about this job,” Peter sighed as he found some towels for them in the bathroom. “Bad weather makes it about ten times worse.”
Miles couldn’t help but agree as he accepted the proffered towel, ripping off his sopping mask and trying to dry off as best he could.
“I’ll find you something dry to change into,” Peter offered as he went into the only other room in the apartment besides the bathroom and living area. “You can lie low here until the rain settles a bit.”
“Thanks,” Miles replied, fidgeting as he tried his best not to drip too much water on the worn carpet. Peter poked his head out of his room after a moment and tossed him some sweats, slipping back inside to change out of his spider-suit.
Miles piled into the cramped bathroom, stripping out of his own make-shift suit (mostly comprised of sportswear at the moment), and finishing drying off before pulling on Peter’s borrowed clothes. They were a little big on him, but he found that the roominess wasn’t overbearing.
He headed back out into the main room afterward, settling on the couch and glancing out the small window. He couldn’t quite help but sigh at the nice, cozy change in atmosphere from the bleak, rainy city outside. Peter’s apartment was by no means a high-end or luxurious abode, but Miles found that it made him feel strangely welcome whenever he was there.
His mentor reappeared a moment later, wandering into the cramped kitchen that adjoined to the living room and beginning to rifle through the fridge.
“You want some leftover pizza?” Peter called, glancing over his shoulder.
Miles made a slight face. He was tired, but not very hungry right now.
“Nah, I’m good. Help yourself, though.”
“nnnkay,” Peter replied through the mouthful he had already bitten off, making Miles roll his eyes.
The older spider joined him on the couch a few moments later, deciding it wasn’t a bad idea to watch some TV while he worked on a web-shooter modification. Peter settled in closely next to him, and Miles didn’t hesitate to lean into his side a little, lazily watching the screen with his mind only half on the show.
It was nice, just hanging out like this. The rain was still tapping steadily on the window, the lighting was dim, and Miles couldn’t help but feel warm and cozy being crammed in next to Peter on the tiny couch. His mentor’s tinkering with the web-shooter provided the occasional soft clicks and taps that blended into the ambiance.
Miles felt safe enough to just close his eyes...
It took him much longer than before to notice the slow, steady hum beginning in the back of his throat and slowly warming his chest with its vibrations.
He was fighting against his eyelids falling shut when he realized exactly what was happening. When he did, Miles jumped slightly, eyes flying open as he instantly tensed.
For a fleeting few seconds, he hoped that he had somehow gotten away with it; had somehow escaped the incredibly keen ears directly next to him.
Glancing out of the corner of his eye and witnessing Peter’s surprised expression, however, proved that he was not so lucky.
Miles coughed awkwardly, trying to dispel the remnants of the humming sensation. He knew his expression must have looked slightly mortified.
How was he going to explain this? Did Peter think he was crazy? Oh God—
Miles found himself being knocked off his panicked train of thought when his mentor’s features suddenly shifted into what looked almost like adoration.
“Aw, you do it too!”
Miles stared at him mutely, shocked into silence by his statement.
“W-what?” he finally stammered, flushing slightly.
“You were just purring,” Peter grinned, his eyes lit up with excitement. “I didn’t consider that you might do it too. I mean, I haven’t done it in a long time, actually, but. It’s just kinda exciting to realize I’m not the only one.”
“You mean, you do this too?” Miles gawked. “Like, it’s a spider...thing?”
“Yeah. Wolf spiders to be exact. Though they generally do it for attracting mates, and I’ve only ever done it when I’m feeling content or tired. Kind of like a cat. Probably the human biology messing it up,” Peter waved it off.
Miles let out a slightly relieved breath, then fixed his mentor with a slightly moody stare. “You mean to tell me you knew about this the whole time, but never told me? Even when I asked if spiders usually make weird noises?!”
Peter frowned for a moment, then seemed to realize what he was talking about.
“Ohhhh. That’s why you asked about ‘sound-based attacks’ that one time. It isn’t an attack, though.”
Miles facepalmed.
“How was I supposed to know what it was? Nothing else made any sense. I figured it was just something messing me up and making me...growl, or something.”
Peter had to bite back a grin at that.
“You never noticed that you usually felt all warm and fuzzy when it happened?”
“I mean...yeah. But I kinda just figured it was my spider half telling me not to get too comfortable or something. It always stopped as soon as I noticed.”
Peter nodded thoughtfully.
“As long as other people aren’t around, you don’t need to fight it. I do remember having to hide it from Aunt May on a few occasions, and even MJ before she knew.”
“So...it’s not bad, but not particularly helpful, either.” Miles considered.
“I mean, it can be relaxing. I think there’s studies that show cats’ purrs have weird bone-mending properties. So maybe it’s beneficial like that? I don’t know. Pretty sure the bite changed our vocal chords a little, because normal people can not make those sounds in their throat like that.”
Miles let himself absorb his statement, staring into the distance and letting the conversation fall into a lull. He glanced over at his mentor as Peter suddenly poked him lightly in the shoulder.
“Don’t feel bad or embarrassed about it. You don’t have to force yourself to stop when you’re alone, or it’s just me around. I don’t mind.”
“...Ok. Guess it’s just another weird spider thing to get used to, then.”
“Yep. It’s a never-ending circus of bugginess.”
Miles sent him a slightly amused, unimpressed look, but eventually settled back into a more relaxed position on the couch.
He felt almost afraid to allow himself to completely relax into the state he knew would set off his purring again, but after Peter resumed working on his web-shooter—no judgement or accusation in his expression or posture—he eventually decided it was safe enough and let his eyes flutter closed.
Letting himself purr without stopping once he realized it was happening was odd, but also pleasant. His quiet chirrs slowly filled the silence between them, making him feel warm and fuzzy as they evened out into a slow pattern.
Peter shifted slightly closer, smiling quietly to himself as he continued to work. Miles recognized his unspoken invitation, and couldn’t resist the sudden temptation to press himself closer into his side, nuzzling into his warmth.
After a moment, the older spider abandoned his web-shooter modifications in favor of wrapping an arm around him, letting his protégé find a comfortable way to tuck himself closer against him. He knew physical affection always felt almost heavenly when one was caught in a purring fit.
“Alright, I can see why MJ always tried to get me to do it,” he murmured with a smile. “It is pretty adorable.”
“Ugh, Shuddup...” Miles sighed, a hint of humor tinging his own voice.
Peter just gave him an affectionate squeeze, letting his own eyes fall to half-lidded. He could feel the gentle vibrations from Miles’ purring, the younger spider’s contented sounds making a familiar sensation rise in his own chest.
“Think you might be contagious,” Peter whispered, and Miles grinned when he realized what he meant.
It was soothing, feeling and hearing Peter join him in his quiet, blissful purrs as they snuggled closer together. Miles eventually dozed off, and Peter didn’t stop him from taking a nap right there on his couch in the middle of a Saturday afternoon.
(Partly because it was adorable, and he clearly needed the rest; and partly because doing so allowed him to continue purring even after Miles fell asleep.)
So, Miles purred now. Which was...cool?
It was certainly an interesting event when Ganke walked into their dorm room to find him half-asleep and purring in his upper bunk. His friend didn’t seem to know if he should laugh or not when Miles guiltily startled at his presence, then hesitantly explained.
“I don’t mind,” Ganke told him with a shrug and a grin. “It’s not really the weirdest thing you do, anyway.”
So, Miles just had to make sure to keep it under wraps at home, so his mom didn’t notice. Which was easier said than done. There were a lot of times where he had to wake himself up some and shift around until he was less comfortable on the couch, or just make sure he wasn’t warm and content enough to start.
Overall, nothing bad really came of his purring, though.
That was, until a particularly claustrophobic mission he undertook with Peter.
They had to crawl in through the vents of a building, where they had been tipped off that a suspicious—possibly mafia-related—meeting would be taking place.
It was the kind of mission that needed stealth; hence hiding in the vents. It was also the kind of mission that involved sitting very still for a very long time as they eavesdropped.
“You’re stepping on my foot!” Peter hissed as Miles shimmied up next to him to peer through the grating that led into the vast room and conference table far below them. Only a few suspicious characters had gathered so far, with a no-show on the guy they were expecting. Maybe he would appear once the totally legitimate conference began.
“Sorry,” Miles whispered, as they eventually settled in. Luckily, the vents were relatively wide and tall, so they could both sort of cram themselves into a spot that provided a somewhat good view of the proceedings below.
It wasn’t incredibly cold outside, so the vents only had a minimal amount of heating flowing through them, the warm air making the metal surrounding them strangely warm.
Miles suppressed a yawn, shaking his head slightly to try and wake himself up. He hadn’t really recovered yet from a week’s worth of all-night studying sessions for a massive exam in one of his classes. He wasn’t feeling quite as awake as he probably should have been.
Time dragged on, and Peter fidgeted a little next to him, muttering something under his breath. The goons below hadn’t actually said anything incriminating so far, so the recording he was making of their conversation wasn’t exactly helpful yet.
“Come on... Just say something evil already,” Peter whispered, shaking his head. He glanced at Miles out of the corner of his eye, noting his slightly droopy posture. “You ok?”
Miles just hummed in reply, his lenses shuttering a little more open for a moment before resuming their slightly lowered, bored tilt.
Being in the vent was almost cozy, in a weird way. He was lying on his stomach with Peter leaning half his weight into him, practically draping his right half over him so that they could fit side by side. The heating made a low hum as it filtered through the vents, and Miles found his hearing drifting to focus only on the sounds directly surrounding him, rather than the nefarious conversation happening in the room below.
He could hear the surprisingly soothing tempo of Peter’s heartbeat, the sound and sensation of his mentor’s soft, steady breathing discernible thanks to his heightened hearing and their proximity.
Miles was just so tired, and the warmth and closeness was just so calming...
A warm purr began to build in the younger spider’s throat, his muscles relaxing as instinct took over and allowed him to indulge in the comfort of being tucked so snugly into the toasty, peaceful space.
Next to him, Peter’s eyes widened, and he shifted awkwardly to try and take Miles’ face into view.
“Miles,” he whispered, trying his best to nudge him quietly. “Miles! Stop purring! They’re gonna hear us!”
Miles mumbled something sleepily, and Peter had to poke him harder, making him jump slightly and bang his head on the vents.
“What?” he complained softly. Then, “Oh.”
Both their lenses widened as someone in the room below asked, “What was that?”
The two spiders tensed, preparing to leap into action if need be, when a second voice answered.
“Eh, the AC in this place is fucked. It’s always making broken, shitty noises. Just ignore it.”
“You suck, you know that? All that fuckin’ around with the Maggia, and you still can’t pay for a decent joint.”
Peter broke into a grin under his mask, nodding in satisfaction as they finally obtained the evidence they needed.
“And that’s a bingo,” he whispered, peering over at Miles. “You awake enough to take down some mobsters?”
“Yes!” Miles insisted in a quick whisper, cringing slightly under his mask.
All it took was carefully lifting the vent cover away, webbing the guard’s guns out of their hands, and they kicked off the takedown without a hitch.
Later—after securing the criminals with an edited copy of the recording left stuck to their web cocoon of unconscious bodies—the two Spider-Men stopped on a rooftop, taking a moment to breathe after the tussle with the gang.
“Should probably turn in for the night,” Peter told Miles as he ran a hand through his mussed mask hair. “I know that you’re already pretty tired.”
Miles found himself flushing, crossing his arms defensively as Peter raised a brow and sent him a pointed smirk.
“It was just- I was just- Hey, you do realize I was the reason we got the evidence, right? They only said that stuff about dealing with the Maggia because they heard me hit my head on the vent!”
“Oh I know,” Peter said lightly. His expression sobered up a little as he added, “It doesn’t mean you should be working while you’re that tired, though. I mean, we were crammed into a metal vent. You need to be pretty out of it to find getting squished up like that comfortable. It’s not a good idea to be in such a dangerous situation while you’re so exhausted. You could get hurt.”
Miles groaned, tilting his head back in annoyance. Of course Pete would turn it into a lecture.
“Alright, fine. I won’t go out patrolling if I’m super tired anymore. Happy?”
“I will be once you get home and get some rest,” Peter smiled, pulling his mask back on. “You good to swing home?”
“Yes,” Miles complained, following his example and replacing his mask. “I’m not that tired, man.”
“Hey, I have to check. I mean you were ready to fall asleep in a dusty, grimy metal tube. Who knows what terrifying lengths you’ll go to to get some shut-eye,” his mentor teased.
“Nothing more terrifying than being stuck in a vent with you,” Miles snarked back.
“Ooh, that stings. But it’s ok. I know how much you actually love snuggling with your spider-buddy.”
He just laughed when Miles shot a web at his mouth, barely dodging out of the way in time.
It was many months later—after Peter’s trip, and everything that happened during that Christmas—that anything particularly interesting happened in relation to purring again.
Well, that wasn’t entirely true. Mary Jane had discovered the fact that Miles purred too, and had had a wonderful time teasing Peter about just how sweet is was when the two of them both did it.
As it turned out, MJ wasn’t the only one who would soon find out about their secret.
Miles was having a perfectly miserable week. He had almost lost a rather brutal fight, and had sustained injuries serious enough to knock him out of commission for a few days. On top of that, he caught a chill the morning after the fight, and had to stay home from school while he recovered.
Needless to say, he was feeling pretty terrible as he curled under the blankets of his bed and tried not to groan in pain.
He almost didn’t hear the soft tap at his window. He sat up sluggishly, already feeling the warm buzz at the back of his skull that indicated a familiar presence.
Peter was perched on the fire escape outside, sending him a wave as he peered in. Miles gestured for him to come in, croaking out, “It’s unlocked.”
The older spider carefully crawled inside, coming to stand next to his bed and gently clasp the hand Miles offered in greeting.
“How are you feeling?” Peter asked.
“Like crap,” Miles admitted, rearranging himself back under his blankets. “You probably shouldn’t hang around that long. I might’ve picked up a cold or something. That, or my body just hates me for putting it through that smackdown, and decided to make me sick.”
“The second one seems more likely,” Peter said lightly, sitting on the edge of his bed. “I just stopped by to see you for a minute. Was in the neighborhood.”
Miles gave him an attempt at a weak smile, then curled in on himself more. “Thanks. I’m sorry I’m not helping out on patrol.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Peter said softly. “I’ve got it handled.”
Miles nodded weakly, then closed his eyes, trying to even out his breathing as his wounds flared in pain again. Painkillers only did so much for his enhanced metabolism.
Peter seemed to pick up on his discomfort, because he straightened a little, reaching a hand out to feel his forehead.
“I’ve got some free time, actually. Do you want me to stay a little while?” he asked softly.
Miles blinked open tired eyes again, gazing at him glassily. Realistically, he probably should have said no, because he was seventeen—and also Spider-Man— he shouldn’t ask for company while he was sick.
At the same time, though, he was tired and hurting; and he didn’t really want to be alone right now.
“Just for a little bit?” Miles asked hesitantly, giving him a guilty look.
“Of course,” Peter replied immediately, keeping his voice low. “Come on. I bet I can help you feel better through some of that good ‘ole spider medicine.”
____
Rio pushed open the apartment door with one foot, holding back a tired sigh as she made her way to the kitchen and set the groceries down. It had been a long, busy day at the campaign office, and she was more than happy to be home.
She grabbed a glass from the pantry, pouring some orange juice she had picked up to help with Miles’ apparent cold.
Heading down the hallway, Rio gently pushed Miles’ door open, keeping quiet in case he had fallen asleep.
Her brow furrowed as her ears picked up on a soft sort of humming noise as she entered the room. Had Teo’s cat somehow gotten in here?
“Mijo?” she asked softly, waiting a moment to see if he would answer before stepping quietly around the corner that blocked her view of his bed.
Rio was suddenly very glad of her firm, unwavering grip on the glass she held, because the sight she was met with was not something she had expected.
Spider-Man—the original Spider-Man—was sitting in her son’s bed.
Her jaw nearly dropped as she took in the downright cuddly position the two spiders had curled up in.
Miles was wrapped in Spider-Man’s arms, his eyes closed and his expression completely peaceful. His mentor sat with his back leaning against the headboard, Miles nestled against his chest, the older spider’s legs tucked around the younger’s so he could comfortably lean back and rest his head under Spider-Man’s chin.
Rio suddenly realized that the source of the humming noise was coming from Spider-Man—His mask’s lenses were shuttered closed, his chin resting lightly over Miles’ head as he...purred?
It had to be one of the strangest sights Rio had seen in a long time. She went through several emotions in the span of a few seconds, staring at the two of them in complete stillness. That was, until Spider-Man’s lenses suddenly flickered open, and he finally seemed to notice her.
They both tensed slightly as their gazes met, the two warily regarding each other for a second. Then Spider-Man relaxed again, subtly lifting one hand in an awkward wave.
“He’s asleep,” Spider-Man whispered.
Rio raised a brow. “I see that.”
Spider-Man said nothing for a moment, his lenses twitching a little nervously.
Rio finally had enough of the silence, stepping quietly over to lay the glass on Miles’ bedside table. She peered at his sleeping face, taking in just how peaceful he looked.
She glanced up at those enormous white lenses, meeting his gaze pointedly through the mask.
“He never told me that spider bite made you part cat.”
If she had to guess, she would say that Spider-Man became slightly flustered at that.
“It’s helping him feel better,” he whispered back. “He does it too, sometimes.”
Rio raised her eyebrows at that, but nodded slowly.
“I’m, uh, sorry for stopping by unannounced,” Spider-Man whispered guiltily. “If you want me to leave-”
“Miles trusts you a great deal. And you’re...clearly helping him rest. You can stay.” Rio answered simply.
Spider-Man blinked, then tilted his head ever-so-slightly in a nod of thanks.
Rio sent him a slightly amused smile before stepping back, adding, “Perhaps next time you visit, you might leave the costume home, though.”
Before he could reply, Miles shifted in his sleep, making a sleepy, discontented noise as his brow furrowed. Spider-Man glanced down at him, raising a gentle hand to run comfortingly over the side of his face. Miles’ features relaxed again under his tender touch.
Rio couldn’t help but smile slightly at the sight, then turned to leave.
She didn’t miss the way Spider-Man’s lenses slowly fell shut again, or the way he bowed his head to gently nuzzle his masked face into her son’s hair. The quiet croons of his purring cocooned the two spiders in a safe and sleepy aura again as she left. Spider-Man’s soothing, feather-light song was meant only for the sleeping spiderling nestled safely in his arms.
“So. Your mom knows.”
“Ugh. You make it sound like I murdered someone or something.”
“No, no, not at all. I mean, it is purr-fectly normal, after all.”
“Oh my God, no. Don’t start.”
Peter ignored Miles gleefully. “We might even be giving Spider-Man the cat a run for his money. I bet he’s paw-sitively envious of us-”
“I will actually push you off this rooftop if you don’t stop.”
Peter snickered, finally cracking at how deadpan Miles’ voice was.
“I feel like you’re really setting up the perfect opportunity for an ‘always landing on their feet’ joke by saying that.”
“That’s cats. We’re supposed to be spider-themed, not cat-themed. Even if we do purr.”
“Hmm, fair point.”
There was a moment of silence.
“I guess you could say you really caught me in that web of logic-”
Miles may or may not have grinned triumphantly at the undignified screech the older spider made as he promptly shoved him off the skyscraper, swan-diving off after him to resume their patrol.