Work Text:
Just in! Peter Parker is late for work yet again! Same old, same old. What’s the weather looking like, Peter? Well Parker, looks like the weather is going to be a flavor of embarrassment and a small chance of downright humiliation. So, nothing new there. Next up, tune in for some yelling from J. Jonah Jameson in autotune!...
Peter can see how his internal monologue can be dramatic, but life would be pretty boring without the flare. At least one God of Mischief can agree with him on that. Ever since that dinner night with the Avengers, the photographer has been pretty on edge. Not because of what happened during the meal- but after. And the funny thing was, he wasn’t aware of his own nature. The mutate could have stayed blissfully naive, and everything would have been great. But no, he had to look up stuff about stupid spiders and find out he was subconsciously trying to seduce the one and only, Dr. Bruce Banner.
How was he supposed to know that his adoration and extreme interest was actually romantic feelings? And don’t mention MJ, Gwen or any other romantic interests he ever had. Looking back- that was probably a clue to his true feelings about the doctor. Especially how his purring only came up around individuals he had some sort of attraction to. Peter never had those moments with others, especially Aunt May or his boss.
But Peter is now in a silly predicament with his purring going overdrive. Even the thought of Bruce gets him vibrating and feeling all soft and gooey.
It doesn’t surprise Peter that the word ‘predicament’ is a theme in his life. He even expects when someone looks up the word in a dictionary, his picture would sit nicely next to it. Showing his messy hair with dead ends and a look of dread. ‘Past’ Peter was so lucky, his only worry was that the Avengers didn’t like him. Now he has to face Bruce already understanding the vigilante’s feelings towards him.
Don’t get Peter started on that spiral, Bruce had to have known with the way he acted strangely about the purring…
With a deep breath, Peter walked into the Daily Bugle with his laptop and camera in his bag. Just focus on work, Peter thought to himself, just take it hour by hour. No need to worry about the famous Dr. Bruce Banner knowing about his crush before he himself knew. Maybe some light hearted yelling can help, some stern warning with underlining amusement about being late.
“Oh, hey Peter!” Betty Brant called out to him before the photographer could slip into Jameson’s office. “Mr. Jameson is out right now, sick.”
“Sick?” Peter asked with a bit of concern rising inside him. He would never admit it, but he cared for the conspiracy theorist. “Do you know how sick he is?”
“Probably the common cold,” Betty said with a sympathetic smile. “I bet he will be back in no time!”
“Oh, yeah- thanks Betty-” The photographer says while walking away without a goodbye. His naturally soft footsteps led him to his working space with his brown eyebrows scrunched up in worry.
J. Jonah Jameson sick? Why does that create a pit in his stomach, making his own skin feel uncomfortable? Oh yeah, the immediate fear and image that Jameson was on his deathbed. Can you blame him for his paranoia? Small things that seem inconvenient suddenly turn into him wearing his worn out suit to a gravestone. Like staying at his Aunt and Uncle’s house a bit longer than planned, like a lover constantly wanting to help, like an armed robber passing by.
No time for melancholy, Peter thought as he flipped open his laptop with a small creak from his chair. With the future around the corner, the Daily Bugle tries constantly to catch up- with making blogs on their own website instead of killing trees for ignored news papers (as well as Jameson having his own podcasts). Which gave Peter a more prominent role in the company. Not only does he sell his photos, but he also edits/photoshops them (and many other photos) into a digital file. It makes his work much more valuable (not to mention how his photography skills have gotten better over the years).
A downside Peter didn’t predict about selling photos of himself shamelessly was that villains and criminals used to seek the ‘weak’ photographer out because of his alter ego (resulting in many ‘kidnapped’ attempts). Thankfully, it doesn’t happen that often anymore, because Peter Parker goes as ‘anonymous’ on the Bugle now. Which is all thanks to J. Jonah Jameson. When the man heard that his ‘unreliable, deadbeat employee’ was being harassed by criminals, he protected Peter the best he could. With grumbles of how ‘Spider-Man shouldn’t even let this happen! What a hero he is…’
Great, now Peter’s idle thinking rounds back to the sick Jonah Jameson. Does he really have the common cold? It isn’t the season to be sick, so it might actually be something else… What else has symptoms like the cold? Opening up a new tab, away from the photo editing software, Peter decided google was the best person to console. Everyone knows it's all knowing nature with totally non fraudulent motives.
🕓why do spiders purr
…
Rubbing his newly pink face, he closed the google tab and back to pictures of himself. Peter completely forgot about his lame situation. After looking up that horrid question last night, he completely avoided google- knowing he would have to face the reality of his own emotions. Ew, emotions. Glancing to his phone that sat beside him, the photographer started to wonder. Was Bruce awake? Is it appropriate to text a hello? Is he doing better from last night? The whole ‘almost hulking out’ makes sense now- Spider-Man was being completely clueless and oblivious to the situation… Should he pretend to stay oblivious?
“Hey, what are you doing to your laptop?” A voice called out, recognizable as to one of his coworkers. “What program are you even using to overheat it?”
Blinking in confusion and whiplash from being dragged back to Earth, Peter replied with a flustered “What?”
“Fan is going crazy, dude.”
With a furrowed brow, he glances at the cheap photo editing programs he was using- none of them seem to be too much… And his laptop’s fan isn’t going crazy- oh.
“Ah haha, I have uh- some unused programs open in the background. I’ll just close them-” Doing a few useless clicks, Peter starts to rub his chest. Stop purring, stop purring, stop purring.
When the purring went down enough to a low, barely audible rumble, the photographer sent an awkward thumbs up to the coworker who was now looking at the mutate with a suspicious glance. Sighing, Peter starts to work on editing the photos, and actually focusing on work instead of letting his thoughts wander.
-
Me
Afternoon Doc! Hope you slept well.
Was sending a text a bad idea? Maybe. Was the mutate going to unconsciously purr if he gets a reply? From past data, probably. But what was he supposed to do? If he starts to avoid everyone again, they’ll ask and pester him about it. And Peter doesn’t know how to react about Jameson’s absence. So avoiding one thing with another thing? Perfect!
The sounds of the city soothed some of the anxiety tingling underneath his skin as he walked down the sidewalk. The sounds of voices sang through the air, the footsteps rhythmically drumming across the land, and the mechanical whirling of the cars around them. New York was truly Peter’s home, and such a notion only amplified with his change in DNA. New York isn’t only his home, but his web. Each street and sidewalk, each voice and step, are a part of the strings and twine of the existence of New York City.
For everyone else, they see New York as the city that never sleeps because of the light pollution, the constant noise, and the flow of people. For Peter, it’s more than that. It's the vibrations that spread throughout the web of each beating heart. The dreams and highs, as well as the nightmares and lows all mixed into a nest of life. People are right with what they said, Spider-Man cannot exist outside of New York, as New York is where Spider-Man truly thrives and lives.
One downside of being in the city is the subways- the overcrowded boxes with strong lights and mixtures of smells indistinguishable from each other. Due to how late Peter woke up- he wasn’t able to pack his suit from the dryer which meant taking the subway. It will be a short journey, but due to his sensitive senses it feels nightmarish. With the new information from last night about his sense of smell- it made more sense as to why the air always felt so gross and slimy after walking in the poorly kept areas of low income. Even though he took short showers after patrol- the mutate is tempted to take another after traveling while becoming overstimulated. While his senses can calm him while walking or swinging, being in an enclosed space with so many people with bright lights and trash becomes too much. It gives the mutate a headache and is completely fragile to touch- to the point some of his own clothes feel too painful to wear.
With a deep breath, Peter took the steps down and got ready to board a train he knew would take him home- only if it was easy to convince his spider self that. The side of him shivering and recoiling from the lights, people and smells. Making everything feel harsher and painful, the oversaturation of everything around him. As the train arrived with a screech, Peter found a spot that was somewhat comfortable, with complete expectations of having a rough time. Peter was flinching at the sound of the train starting when he felt the vibration of his phone, calling to his attention, he pulled out the device to see the cause.
Doc 🔬
Hey, Spidey! Slept quite well, tea can always calm my nerves.
Oh! Was that insensitive? I’m not sure if there are any teas you can drink - I’ll have to look into that.
Just like that, the same warmth as before blossomed in his chest, wanting to whirl into song. A complete contrast as to the sounds around him, a more soft and fuzzy melody with oozing affection that threaten to overflow. That’s a bit much, the vigilante thought to himself as he absentmindedly rubbed his shirt to keep the wild vibrations inside. With a smile though, he replied jokingly.
Me
Dw about it too much, Doc!
I usually substitute tea with salt water, basically the same!
Though, there might be more truth to that joke than Peter intended. In his younger days, he did occasionally substitute water with salt (or other minerals/vitamins) as meals. It was on brand of him being smart but stupid, and looking back he can say he wouldn’t recommend it. Younger Peter thought it was brilliant because he didn’t have the time and money to get food, especially with his ‘allergies’ in mind.
Doc 🔬
You better not actually be drinking salt water, that's not very healthy - might even be more harmful for you.
If you are, I will have to seize all salt products from you due to your irresponsible negligence on your health
A small exhale of amusement escaped the mutate’s lips as he read the message. His body felt more relaxed as his focus zoned onto the thoughtful and sweet words the doctor sent him. Peter felt a bit more at ease with the vibrations of warmth developed around him as he typed out a reply.
Me
Dw, Im the most responsible person I know!
If u pretend I wasnt late for work today.
Doc 🔬
You were late today? Any particular reason as to why? Sleep troubles?
Peter pauses, as the answer to the last question was yes, he was having a bit of trouble sleeping. Because the photographer was spiraling over the situation of him ‘seducing’ Bruce. But will he be honest? The dilemma of the century- should he act clueless about his obvious romantic feelings or be straight forward and take the rejection? Like ripping a bandaid off a bullet wound.
“Is anyone else feeling the train engine?” A voice spoke up, which received a few agreements.
“Is the subway unsafe?”
“Where is that sound coming from?”
Was something going on? A new threat? Putting his phone down, he glanced around at other people who seemed very confused, concerned or irritated. What sound were they talking abou- OH! Biting his inner cheek, and trying to keep himself calm and unflustered, the mutate started to rub his chest. The warmth and comfort he felt while on the train was his own purring. The vibrations and sound were quite clear now that he wasn’t focusing on his phone- it was like a giant cat was curled around the transport with everyone in it.
As his chest started to relax, the people went to mind their own business, with a few exasperated glances around the machinery. With a heavy, but quiet sigh, Peter started to feel a headache form, now with him being unfocused with each and every movement and sound screaming at him. Maybe the purring has its perks, maybe it releases serotonin, or dopamine? Some form of happy chemical might be at play with his DNA.
-
Arriving home, Peter felt exhausted- though he knows he will persevere just to patrol. The ickiness of his skin as well as the headache shouldn’t stop his responsibilities. And maybe Spider-Man can do a quick check on Mr. Jameson. Wouldn’t be too suspicious right? He can always say that Peter Parker sent Spider-Man… But then Mr. Jameson might get angry at him for sending a ‘criminal’ to his doorstep. The photographer does have his number- but would calling be weird? Why does socializing have to be so complicated?
“Nnngh, of course my heightened metabolism makes painkillers absolutely useless.” The mutate groans out in frustration as he tries to massage the migraine away. Peter is grateful that he was at home though, his senses usually slow down due to the comfort of a familiar area. The aura and scent of his own mess of clothing and dust is a small grace from the unforgiving filth of the closed spaces in the city.
Irritated, he pulls off his clothes- almost ripping some of the pieces of poor fabric. It all feels so wrong, wrong, wrong… Being in only his boxers, it felt a little nice- even though his skin felt slightly slimy. Taking a shower isn’t really an option, maybe just washing his arms in the sink?
Sighing, he picked up his phone and stared at it for a bit. Calling would be the best bet, going over to his house might make his boss feel worse. Maybe even giving him a heart attack. With shaky fingers, he pushes down the call button and raises it to his ear. Taking a deep breath to calm himself, Peter walks over to the sink. Where did he put the soap? He should have some somewhere-
“What do you want, Parker?” a groggy voice groaned out through the crappy cell phone. “You better not have gotten yourself in trouble, again .”
From all of Peter’s worrying, he never thought that maybe leaving Mr. Jameson alone would be the best course of action. Rest is one of the best medicines when it comes to illness, right?
“Oh- uh, I heard you were sick?” The mutate felt silly calling now, his boss’s health wasn’t his business at all. “And um- I just wanted to check up on you?”
There was a bit of silence on the other end, it was deafening with how Peter’s heart raced. This was a bad idea- quite stupid in fact.
“A little cold wouldn’t be able to take me out of commission for long, I still have many articles to write and stories to tell.” Mr. Jameson says with a tone that seemed very unfamiliar, completely unheard of from the J. Jonah Jameson. But it's a tone Peter has heard a few times. A softer one.
“Oh yeah, of course! I wasn’t worried about that,” Peter lied as he leaned against the sink while looking to the side.
“Sure, whatever Parker. I’m going to get some more sleep, good night.” With a click, the call ended. Placing the phone down, Peter looks down the sink as his head storms through many thoughts.
-
With the suit, Spider-Man felt a bit better while swinging around the buildings as if he weighed nothing. It was freeing, as though everything that bothered him laid below. Even though Spidey was more sensitive tonight, washing his arms in soap did help him a bit. It’s also a blessing that he washed his suit last night, having it all nice and warm for him to wear for the night’s patrol.
Ding! His phone called out to him. Quickly, the vigilante landed on a nearby rooftop and pulled it out. Spidey usually doesn’t bring his phone- but what if Mr. Jameson needed something? Oh god did something happen to him?
Doc 🔬
Apologies if my questions earlier were too personal. I know you usually don’t share anything about your civilian life, I never meant to cause any discomfort.
Oh. Oh no. Spider-Man left Dr. Bruce Banner on read. Spidey completely forgot about the texts due to the overstimulation and overthinking about his boss.
Me
It wasnt Doc! I just got distracted
Have any plans to better the world tonight?
Why does his chest want to burst into song so much? Spidey irritatedly rubs his chest to try to make it stop. The mutate was very much done with all this spider stuff. The allergies, the senses, the stupid fucking purring.
Doc 🔬
Well, I was hoping that the idea of you coming over to figure out the purring was still an option? We can do other tests to find out more about your DNA, maybe even try to figure out what species of spiders you are based off of? Unless you already know.
Great, now his choice has to be decided soon, does he pretend to be oblivious about the purring? Maybe, for a little bit.
Me
Yeah, that sounds fun! When do you wanna do that?
Doc 🔬
If you want to come over tonight, anytime can work. But tomorrow you would either have to wait for a bit or deal with all the Avengers training together.
Training with the Avengers sounds very chaotic, especially Spidey knowing some of the members will try to pull him in. ‘Inclusion’ and all. And tonight he needs to do some patrolling, especially when he cut it short last night. Tomorrow would be the best option, knowing there is nothing wrong with a little bit of chaos.
Me
Tomorrow sounds good, Doc!
With Spider-Man’s thumbs typing out the message, the tensions that hung on his muscles relaxed. With his own senses becoming more grounded and less intense. Spending time with the doctor seemed fun, doing some science together as well as having one on one time for… Blinking rapidly, the mutate realized he was purring again. The sweet rumbles vibrating from his body sounded soft against the city’s song, but still present. Spidey wants to be mad about it, very desperately. But it seems his hypothesis might be right. Maybe the purring, a very feline thing to do, was producing some sort of chemical from his brain.
Maybe he can compare it to cats? He isn’t entirely a spider, he is still a mammal. Could Spidey’s body be reacting to the whole purring thing in a cat-like way? Would Bruce think similarly? The scientist might have a better idea about it. Spider-Man lets himself sit down on the roof, feeling the warmth spread. Just a few moments.
-
Surprisingly, after Peter’s patrol, he was able to sleep much better than last night. Maybe the best sleep he had in years, and that might be thanks to his new found ‘ability’. The stupid purring. The photographer has never let himself go all in with any spider urges, always having to restrain and contain it. But when he laid down in his uncomfortable bed, he let his thoughts drift towards Bruce, and let the tingling strings of sound wrap around him in a cozy slumber.
Being on time felt extremely weird, somewhat forbidden. Everyone knew him as tardy, and can never be present for the life of him. So it wasn’t surprising when his colleagues looked at him with confusion, even glancing at the time with some urgency as if they were late.
“Hey, Betty,” Peter greeted his co-worker with an underline of expectancy. Mr. Jameson had to be in, right?
“Peter?” Betty looked over at him as if he had grown a pair of rabbit ears. “What are you doing here this early?”
“Um- my shift starts at this time.”
“Yeah- but-” Shaking her head, she huffed with some sort of hysteria. “What can I help with, Parker?”
“Oh, you know, I usually talk to Mr. Jameson when I clock in-” He stammers a bit as he glances over to his boss’s office. “He’s not in, is he?”
Betty gave a sympathetic smile, “No he’s not, I bet he will be in at most next week.”
Next week?! Worry and despair clawed deep in his stomach as his gaze stayed at the office’s door. The photographer’s mind races with uncountable thoughts and hypothetical situations that seem illogical to a sound-minded individual. But they are in the realm of possibilities when it comes to Peter Parker, a life of unlucky coincidences and impossibilities. He had become Spider-Man from standing in the wrong place at the wrong time, being bitten by a small spider out of sight.
The gentle hand placed on his shoulder brought Peter back to his conversation with his colleague, her frown creased with concern as she analyzed his face. “He’ll be okay, Peter, you don’t have to worry about him.”
“Yeah, of course.” The mutate responded, not sounding as convincing as he wanted to. “I know that.”
He shrugged off her hand as he spun around and walked over to his workspace. Why does it matter to him anyways? Why should he care that his boss was sick? It’s not like Mr. Jameson was one of the only consistent things in his life. Even if it was yelling at his alter-ego on a big screen of live television. With a heavy, clouded mind, Peter sat down on his cranky seat to work on photos he didn’t care about.
-
Peter has a few spots near the Bugle he deemed as ‘switch-friendly’, places with no cameras and barely any people for him to be spotted. In clearer terms, a much more secluded area for him to quickly switch out of civilian clothes into his vigilante outfit and vice versa. One of them was behind a pizza place with a broken down camera. Funny enough, he found that spot when he used to work there, which was convenient for him for what seems like a lifetime ago. Changing between his alter ego and civilian self came with practice ease, with each quiet zip and rustled fabric.
Leaving Peter Parker’s problems behind was a blessing as he took on Spider-Man’s responsibilities. Maybe for a little bit, he can ignore the storm of fear and guilt tearing his insides apart. That swinging through the skies and with tiny bursts violence can clear the mutate’s mind. After all, channeling those emotions as anger and swinging fists is easier than understanding them. The action of inactions.
Spidey was able to drop off his bag of belongings at the apartment before jumping right into patrol. As the sun laid to rest, the city began to shine. Lights around start to buzz, with a night crowd flowing through the streets. As the city breathes in the night air of usual New York stench and a smudge of the cold touch of freshness, its vibrations spread throughout the invisible web strung together with each footstep and stairwell. Through those vibrations, the spider vigilante felt the pull of his senses before he heard it. The sirens. With a smile unseen by all, he swung into danger, for the thrill and the safety of the people around him.
-
After a few hours of patrol, the mutate found himself in front of the tall Stark Tower. He kept his gaze on the top floors and ran through the pros and cons in his head. Spidey was able to keep the purring to the minimum today, but that was mostly because he was worried out of his mind. But the other day was a complete vibrating mess, purring in random public places because he couldn’t stop his thoughts from wandering back to the gentle giant of a doctor. Whose to say he won’t purr nonstop in the very presence of Bruce Banner? Sighing, letting himself become an embarrassing fool yet again, Spidey starts to climb the smooth glass with his finger tips.
Like last time, climbing that high became euphoric for the mutate. Feeling himself become more relaxed and less vulnerable, more secure and calm.
“I should have known the pesky bug would come back sooner than later,” the familiar voice called out to Spidey, as he arrived at the higher levels.
“Aw, what happened to Mr. Spider-Man?” He teased, with an invisible grin.
“I’m not sure, if you find him, let me know.” The AI sassed back.
The mutate let out a fake, pained sound and placed a hand on his heart as if it was hurt. “You wound me, Wednesday.”
“Yes, how unfortunate… Although I wouldn’t dream of letting you in under other circumstances, Green Bean has informed me to invite you in.” With the AI’s remark, the familiar, quiet click signaled Spidey of the opening entrance. Similar to the other night, it seemed as though Friday made sure the opening was barely large enough for him.
“How gracious of you,” the mutate replied with an eye roll. Even though his eyes are hidden, the motion of his head made sure to signify the notion.
With a silent thud, his booted feet landed on the soft, carpeted floor. The living room was almost exactly how he last saw it, though there was a popcorn spill at the long chair. Oh! How could he have forgotten about the bean bags? Before Spidey could launch himself onto one of them, his hearing picked up footsteps. Not just any footsteps, but the familiar pattern of how Bruce walks. In an instant, his chest felt full as he tried to keep the purring at bay. Not a good start at all.
“Spidey? Are you here?”
“Uh, yeah! I’m here.” The vigilante clears his throat as glances at the door being opened by the scientist's gentle hands. “What’s up, Doc?”
Bruce’s appearance seemed tired and worn, but his face wore a warm smile with welcoming eyes. “Nothing much really, the others are ‘training’ at the moment.”
Spider-Man raised an eyebrow in curiosity by the use of air quotes by the doctor. “Training?”
“More like playing aggressive freeze tag,” Bruce says with an awkward chuckle as he rubs the back of his neck. “I don’t usually join in since it can get pretty heated, with how competitive everyone is.”
Sports were never a thing Peter participated in, especially since he grew up with asthma. When his DNA mutated and he gained spider abilities, there was no way he could step a foot in a gym without explaining his incredible, exponential increase of performance without exposing himself. Spidey could sympathize with the doctor’s hesitation to join in on the games, especially when it came to the anger that comes from competitions and disagreements.
“We don’t have to join in if you don’t want to,” the vigilante said as he felt his muscles relax a bit. “We can always go to the labs like we planned.”
One of the Avenger’s eyebrows raised as he looked at the mutate with a puzzled yet curious expression. “Yeah, and maybe figure out the purring.”
The purring? OH THE PURRING! Spidey quickly tried to stop the vibrations while rubbing his chest a bit, yet again, like a broken record. When did he start purring? Did he have to focus completely on not purring while talking to Bruce? Spider-Man nervously laughed and replied. “Yeah, that sounds great.”
He was very lucky that he had a mask to hide his reddening face. Bruce gave a calming smile as he led them towards the elevator. There was a sort of awkward silence between them as the mutate kept his pace beside the doctor.
Spidey cleared his throat and asked, “so, any hypothesis, Doc?”
Bruce looked at him with his brown eyes with consideration, then glancing away, bringing up his thumb to bite it gently as a nervous tick. The vigilante held his breath to try to restrain himself, god why did Bruce look adorable when nervous? Forcing himself to glance away as well, in hopes that it makes his impulse to purr lessen.
“I have a few,” Bruce started as they arrived in front of an elevator. “But I would like to hear your ideas first.”
“Mine?” The mutate asks with hesitation as the elevator door opens with a slight hum. He felt an anxious laugh bubble out. “I’m not really a scientist…”
“Doesn’t mean you're not smart,” the other teased as he walked into the traveling box.
“True- '' He replied as he felt himself flush from the implied compliment. Spidey followed inside, only to scan with utter confusion as to where the buttons were. “Where do we push to-”
Without Bruce triggering any mechanical device, the elevator smoothly descended with barely any sound audible. Bewildered, the mutate glanced around the Avenger’s side to see if there was some sort of sensor.
The scientist laughed as he placed a hand on the other’s shoulder so he wouldn’t closely inspect the walls. “F.R.I.D.A.Y controls the elevator, Tony is pretty lazy about pushing buttons.”
“Ugh, of course she does.” Spidey teases as he feels a bit warmer, with the doctor looking at him with a soft gaze.
“Got a problem with it, bug boy?” The mentioned AI piped up, seemingly to only annoy Spider-Man.
“I’ll have you know that I’m actually an arachnid.”
“Actually, still a homo sapien,” Bruce corrected, then looked at him with a skeptical glance. “Unless you are hiding more than you shared?”
Spidey giggled, “you said sapien.”
The Avenger huffed in fake annoyance as he rolled his eyes at the other’s childish response. “How old are you, five?”
With a dramatic gasp, the vigilante posed in absolute shock. “How did you know?!”
Bruce’s pretty smile widened as he shook his head in disapproval while the elevator door opened. They exited the traveling device into a seemingly sci-fi heaven.
“Wow,” Spidey breathed in as he bounced on one foot to the other with shaky hands as he resisted to run off and touch everything. This isn’t his lab, and he didn’t want to break something that would put him and his entire bloodline in debt.
“Huh,” the doctor says as he looks at the other with an analytical scan. “What are you feeling at the moment?”
Spidey’s eyes snapped back to Bruce, “What?”
“You stopped purring, was that intentional?”
“Uhm-” The concern and embarrassment felt heavy with how he couldn’t even notice when he began to purr.
“You can do it on command, right? Or is it an involuntary reaction?” Bruce asks as he grabs a stethoscope and a clipboard.
“Both?” The reply was more like a question as he sat down on one of the counters, gaining the impression they were starting right away. Bruce looks at him with an amused grin as he stands in front of him.
“Do you think you can purr now?” He asks as he places the bell of the medical equipment on top right of the other’s chest. Spidey blinked a few times as his gaze gently laid on the doctor’s face. Another blessing from the mask, no one can tell he was staring. This close, he can hear the calm heartbeat of the doctor as well as smelling the strawberry toothpaste he used. Strawberry? Did Bruce change it to strawberry toothpaste or did he always use it?
Bruce gently moved the cold metal to the left as he closed his eyes to listen deeply. Spidey had to restrain from rubbing like he usually did to contain it. He was supposed to purr, right? Just, relieve the impulse. The spider took a deep breath and let himself fully indulge his ability like he did the other night, feeling the familiar warm blanket surrounding him in melodies. The piece of the cold medical instrument moved to his back as the seconds went by. The Avenger dropped the stethoscope to hang around his neck as he wrote a few notes down on his clipboard.
“Let’s take your temperature,” Bruce says with a smile and a hint of pink painting his cheeks.
“Do I need to stick my tongue out for you, Doc?” Spider-Man jests as the other turns around to find a thermometer.
He laughs, “No, no, this can read your temperature from your forehead.”
“Oh, fancy!” The spider themed vigilante comments as the doctor came back in his personal bubble.
After a few beeps, the doctor wrote some notes down while still being close to Spidey. He could feel his palms getting sweaty as he glanced at Bruce’s lips, the lower one being chewed on as he seemed concentrated. What would they feel like against Spidey’s own lips?
“We should do an MRI, see if some parts of the brain trigger the purring.”
“Uh- sure?” Spider-Man shifted in his spot. “I’ve never had one- do they take long?”
“No, they only take a few moments.” The messy haired scientist says as he grabs what looked like headphones. “I assume you have sensitive hearing, correct?”
“Yeah, but you don’t need to worry-”
Bruce gently places the headphones on Spidey’s head, the gray head piece was almost as light as a feather, maybe even as comfortable as a pillow. But what drew his attention was that he couldn’t hear anything. Not the constant buzzing of the building or his own breathing. For the first time after getting bitten, he heard nothing. The sweet sound of silence, something he had long forgotten. The mutate let out a short, delirious laugh as his eyes glanced at the doctor, whose lips moved to pronounce words unheard to him. The Avenger seemed to be explaining something with the way he looked to the side as he rambled. Spidey could feel the other’s gentle breath tap against his mask, the texture of the air feeling fuzzy from the lingering scent of fruit.
The vigilante didn’t speak up, only enjoying the peace and the feeling of warmth from his own body as well as Bruce’s being close to him. Just a few inches of air between them, Spidey’s fingers start to tingle, what if he reaches out to touch him? There seemed to be some sort of recognition settling on the doctor's face, realizing that Spidey could not, in fact, hear him. The realization morphed his face in an embarrassed smile, as his chest moved quickly in laughter. Staring at the red cheeked, laughing Bruce, Spider-Man felt mildly irritated by the headphones hiding his fits of joy.
“Sorry Doc, these headphones work too well. Didn’t hear a thing you said.” The mutate commented, with him unable to hear his own voice.
The man nodded as he stepped away from Spidey, it took all of his self control to not reach out for him. The Avenger waved him over to follow, which the vigilante happily obliged. It was bizarre for Spider-Man as he stepped off of the counter. Not hearing, but only feeling it.
“So weird…” He whispered to himself. Or at least he thought he whispered. The scientist only laughed and started to ramble again, but stopped and looked very embarrassed yet again. Shaking his head, Bruce placed a hand on his back to help guide the deafened spider. It took all of his might not to lean into the doctor’s touch, as his skin felt like it was melting comfortably under it. The mutate tried not to stare as well, but that’s too much to ask of him. His eyes lingered on his face, pink with embarrassment and his teeth restricting his own bottom lip. The mutate’s fingers shook a bit as the urge to touch him boiled in his fingertips.
“I talk to unassuming people all the time, can’t count how many times I yelled at TVs.” Spidey commented to help alleviate the embarrassment, though he idly thought of how adorable he looked flustered. Bruce laughed at that and slowly commented something, looking less awkward talking to Spidey without him knowing what he’s saying.
The two arrived at a white chair with a headpiece and a desk beside it with a high tech computer on top. Spidey looked at it puzzled, “Aren’t MRI’s those big tubes that you lay in?”
Bruce nodded and then started to rant about something, his face more calm as he pointed to the chair’s headpiece as if explaining the technology. Then his face became more exasperated as he rolled his eyes at something. Seemingly like a tired parent.
“I’m guessing you're saying that people hate taking MRI’s,” the mutate chuckled as he sat down on the chair and melted into it instantly. Why does all of the furniture in the Avengers Tower have to be comfortable? He might just steal some. “Can’t see why, if this is the chair your using for it.”
Bruce’s shoulders moved as it seemed like he tried to hold in his laughter. The doctor’s face had an infectious smile that made him look less tired than he was before. It was a nice change, and Spidey was the force of that change. It made the mutate’s heart flutter harder than it was before. The Avenger moved closer and started to work on the chair’s headpiece. Yet again, Spidey’s willpower was being tested. The doctor’s scent had a hint of blueberry muffins that was making his senses fuzzy. Without a doubt he was purring, with the way his chest was buzzing like a speaker and his muscles feeling like goo.
Then, Bruce’s big hand gently held his head into position. The mutate felt the calluses and scars of a lifetime of working, but they were gentle and warm as it held on the side of his head. Spidey had to bite his inner cheek to keep a gasp of surprise in. Dr. Banner was holding his head still just so he could put the headpiece on safely. That’s the only reason, right? Not cause Bruce would want to touch him in any way. The mutate tried to ignore the many moments where touch and closeness was unnecessary. It was all technical, meticulous and methodical. Not because they were drawn to each other, that would be silly to think.
The headpiece was slowly placed on his head, plunging his sight in darkness. Blinking slowly by the alarming change, he felt Bruce’s hand slip away. The mutate had to hold in a pathetic whine, hiding it with an awkward laugh. Spidey felt the side of his face become too cold, missing the scientist’s touch. “Man, taking away my sight AND hearing. Need my sense of smell next?”
Even though Spider-Man jokes, he felt nervous- uncomfortable in the darkness and silence. Usually it was something he loved, being curled up in a place with no lights and no sounds. But he isn’t curled up, he knows he isn’t safely tucked away. Spidey was in a place with lights and sounds, but his senses were constricted. The mutate was able to find comfort in smelling Bruce who was still by his side, who needed to leave to continue the MRI. Instead of leaving, Bruce laid his hand on Spidey’s shoulder. Slowly, the scientist started to massage the tension that tightly clung to the vigilante’s muscles he didn’t notice rising. Even though he couldn’t hear it, he knew the man was speaking with the way the air moved with vibrations of his voice. The stress started to melt out as he let out a breath of relief as he placed a hand on top of his.
“Thanks, Doc.”
Bruce’s hand transferred to hold Spidey’s, giving it a small squeeze. Spider-Man gave a hum of appreciation as Bruce left his side to turn the machine on.
“Make sure not to fry my brains,” he called out jokingly. The MRI seemed to be active as dull lights seemed to turn on and moved around his head. With the high vibrations from the machine, Spidey was aware as to why he was given headphones. Bruce was protecting his hearing. The mutate felt himself smile a little, that was very thoughtful of him. As the machine started to slow down to a stop, Spidey felt the footsteps of the doctor moving closer to take off the headpiece.
Before taking it off, Bruce patted the vigilante’s shoulder as if warning him. Spidey nodded and slowly he was brought back from the darkness. The mutate flinched a bit and blinked rapidly to adjust to the drastic change. Bruce presented his hand to help him up. Spider-Man took it, and stood up inches away from the scientist. Instead of stepping back, Bruce lingered for a moment. This close standing up, it was clear that Spider-Man was a few inches taller than the scientist. With the mutate having a more pronounced figure looking slightly down to Bruce, who covered himself in baggy and comfortable clothing.
Vibrations came from Bruce as he cleared his throat, with a bit of red in his face as he walked away to the computer. Spidey, confused and missing his body heat and scent too much, followed behind. The computer showed clear images of his brain, with colors and ever changing position. It was strange to look at, that was his brain- the one that sat tightly in his skull.
“Do I still need the headphones?” The mutate asks curiously as he glances at the scientist analyzing his brain. “They’re comfy but can’t hear anything you’re saying to me.”
Bruce seemed hesitant but nodded, which confused Spidey. Why would he want him to wear them? The vigilante hesitated as well, but took them off. All at once, every noise attacked his ears. Surprised, he dropped the headphones to cover his ears instinctively. Usually overstimulation was because of the build-up, the spider never thought that deprivation and constant changes can trigger them.
“Sorry…!” The mutate apologizes as he looks at the headphones, hoping he didn’t break them. Instead of being irritated or angry, Bruce’s face grew worried as he walked up to Spidey. Ignoring the headphones completely.
“Is everything too loud?” Bruce whispers as he places his hands softly on top of Spidey’s. “Sorry- I should have anticipated that-”
“It’s okay, I just need a moment to readjust.” The mutate hummed out as the scientist lightly rubbed Spidey’s knuckles with his thumbs. The comfort bled through his knuckles and spread through his muscles. Slowly, Spider-Man lowered his hands as his senses calmed down. The scientist’s hands followed, holding the mutate’s delicately. Spider-Man was aware he was purring, as he stared at their hands.
“Feeling better?” Bruce asked, still whispering. He gave a small reassuring smile.
“Yeah, never experienced it like that before.” Spidey said with a weird laugh, as his hands slipped out of the other’s. “Not everyday you come across super headphones.”
The mutate picked up the piece of technology from the ground gently and placed it by the computer. Bruce looked at him with a puzzled expression. “Do you experience overstimulation often?”
Spidey pursed his lips as he glanced at the MRI scans. “Occasionally, but nothing I can’t handle” He lied.
Bruce’s gaze stayed on him for a few seconds before sighing and analyzing the images flashing on the screen.
“So Doc, how’s my results?”
“You see-” Before the scientist could answer, the elevator’s doors opened and rushed footsteps filled the room.
“Brucie Bear, what’s taking you so long-” A voice called out and one Tony Stark in his iron man suit came to view. The vigilante had to hold in a flinch at the sudden noise. Stark’s face morphed from curious and a tiny bit concerned to one of slight irritation. “You’re doing science….. Without ME?!”
Bruce bit his lips as if to hold back from a clever remark, Stark then glances at the mutate. “Can you believe this Spidey? In my own home?”
“Well- Technically I was the one to suggest hanging out in the lab-” He said as he awkwardly laughed. Stark raised an eyebrow at the vigilante.
“I can’t believe it, the menace is corrupting our pure doctor.”
“No I was-”
“Hey! I’m not-”
“Shhh, it’s ok Brucie Bear, I’m here to protect you.” The billionaire said dramatically as he wrapped one arm around the man’s shoulder. Dropping the dramatics, Stark turns over to the computer with excitement. “Now what do we have here!”
All three of them huddled around the computer, which had a flat, big screen. Spidey made sure not to get too close in the fear that his own breath could shatter it. Now, Peter had never studied anything about neurology or anything to do with brains. His specialties were biology or chemistry- and biochemistry when he was feeling adventurous. With a side of technology and machinery. So the pictures seemed unreadable, with many colors and shapes. But he has heard that the brain was very complicated and delicate, something he might not have the patience for.
“Have I never upgraded this computer for the hologram screen?” Stark said, a little exasperated.
“No, you made sure to completely avoid it so everyone can use it as an excuse to not check for brain injuries.” Bruce answered back with the same energy.
“Ah, that was what you were ranting about earlier.” Spidey said absentmindedly as he tried to make sense of the colors. Were the reds supposed to mean major activity?
A gasp came from the man beside him, “AND you are talking behind our backs? How could you?”
The vigilante let out a snicker as the other scientist let out an irritated sigh- but slightly amused.
“I better not hear you laughing, Spiderling, you still need to answer for your crimes as well.”
“What?! I’m innocent!” The mutate said in mocking shock, while posing as offended.
Banter continued between the three, as they looked over the few results and did some other tests as well. It felt weird, as Spidey had been avoiding anything medical for a long time. If his DNA or info gets out, his identity would be released- and who knows what people can do with his biology? What surprised him the most was how easy it was to slide into the science talk, the jokes and the adventure with the other two. Not only because he was uncertain about Tony Stark for a long time, but also doubt on his ability to keep up.
Dropping out of college because of Spider-Man activities and the mental drain of life made his self esteem and assurance with his intelligence diminished. Especially how many people saw his ‘potential’ wasted for no reason, that he fell into a cycle of despair and living off paycheck to paycheck. But here he was, holding up conversations with some of the brightest minds about topics he used to hold much passion for. Of course, he couldn’t tell anyone that little fact. But it made him feel more confident in himself than he had in a long time.
After a while, the AI spoke out. “Boss, the others are asking if you three are coming down?”
Stark waved away, as if the AI was standing right in front of him. “Too busy with science stuff. Tell them we are having an emergency and that we don’t need any help or whatever.”
Spidey giggled, “look who is being a menace now?”
“If you pay the bills, you can be a menace.”
-
“It’s getting pretty late, I need to get to bed soon.” Spidey said as he stretched his arms out.
“You have a bedtime?” Stark teased as he glanced at the mutate.
“You should have one as well,” Bruce criticizes the billionaire, who rolled his eyes in response. “I’ll walk you over to the window.”
Spidey paused for a second as he turned over to Tony. “It was nice hanging out, hopefully we can do it again.”
The hero looked back at the vigilante with a guarded look- that diminished to more of a vulnerable smile. “It was fun, Webs, don’t get lost on your way out.”
There was always a sort of distrust between the two of them. For a while, Tony Stark didn’t trust Spider-Man. How can Tony trust someone he couldn’t see the face of or know who he is? And Peter respected and was inspired by Tony from afar. But for a long time, Peter didn’t understand or see anything genuine about him. How can Peter relate to someone of the likes of a billionaire and superstar of the world? It must have changed for Tony when he found out about his identity. But it stayed the same for Peter, until he started to get closer with the Avengers. To a specific Avenger.
Spider-Man nodded to Tony and walked into the elevator with Bruce. Now, without Tony Stark, there was tension between the two as thick as fog. It felt like a repeat of the other night, but this time Spidey was fully aware. The silence from the scientist was loud, as his ears picked up the clicks of the machinery and the buzzing from the wires. He didn’t dare speak up, so when the doors opened they walked out of the elevator in quiet steps. After they finally were at the same window again, with the same dull moonlight bathing them- Bruce spoke up.
“You know what the purring is,” Bruce said cautiously. It wasn’t a question, Spidey bit his lip as his shoulders lowered in shame. They both knew, and they both pretended it was a mystery to solve. The vigilante stayed quiet for a moment and nodded.
“I’m sorry for putting you in such a difficult situation.” He stated as he crossed his arms. “I know it’s unfair, we can just ignore-”
“No,” The doctor interrupted with steel eyes. “It’s unfair for you. You didn’t choose this, you didn’t even get a chance to process your emotions before your own biology outed you-”
“Doc-” Spidey let his arms fall, as he stepped closer. The familiar green started to creep up his neck as his voice became slightly angry. “It’s okay, it doesn’t bother me.”
Bruce laughed harshly, as he stared out the window. “It doesn’t bother you that your emotions are tied to your DNA to the point it boils out in erratic ways? That you can’t control it, or how people see those emotions?”
The very reason why his purring entered his abilities again, the way he was pulled to Bruce. They were both mutates, DNA forever changed after radioactive poisoning. They have an understanding of each other, not human anymore- and agonized by it. Like before, Spidey stood inches apart, a breath away from touching. Gently, he placed his hand on the other’s neck. The green parts of his skin radiated warmth and power, painfully pulling against the pale skin.
“It doesn’t bother me that you know.” Spidey replied with a soft voice, as his chest poured out a rhythm to try to comfort the man. Bruce looks back at him, as the anger slowly melted into sorrow. The shorter man wrapped his arms tightly around the vigilante, who also pulled him closer to his chest. They stayed like that for a few moments, with the moon smothering them. Bruce let out a sigh that gently tickled the spider.
He pulled away and looked away, as he tried to process something. His eyes were clouded, but the green seemed to disappear for now. But then he laughed. “I think I need some tea.”
Spidey laughed along gently, but still slightly concerned. “Want me to stay with you?”
Bruce shook his head with a sad smile. “I don’t want to trigger your allergies… But I have your phone number.”
“Right,” the vigilante replied lamely. The Avenger turned around to walk out but Spidey softly grabbed his arm. There was too much he wanted to say, many things he wanted to do. But instead, when Bruce turned back to look at him. He faltered. “Have a goodnight, Bruce.”
“You too, Spidey.” And then he was gone.
-
Falling into bed, Peter wasn’t too concerned being in his suit at the moment. He was too tired and distracted to even think about getting up and putting it in the wash. Pulling his hand through his sweaty hair, the photographer glances at his phone. It’s best to give the man space, but sending a text wouldn’t hurt. Picking it up, Peter’s heart dropped as he saw a missed call from ‘Triple J.’
“Shit.” The mutate swears as he sat up. It’s way too late to call him back, as his boss will probably be asleep. With shaky fingers, he realized the man left him a message. Peter felt himself start panicking, what if something bad happened? What if his boss was trying to call him for help- or worst his last words. Holding his breath, he played the voicemail.