Batman

* Astrophage is more like a virus that either alters people, causing them to commit crimes or violent acts, or a power that supervillains are starting to use.

* Grace is still a middle school teacher who got bitten by the spider, obviously.

* Adrian is the one who stitched up the suit (the Aunt May of this universe).

* He has all the perks of a normal Spider-Man, but he's still Grace, so he's incredibly clumsy. He does have a super-strong spider sense, and that's what saves him 100% of the time, but he absolutely does not have the agility. When adrenaline kicks in, he can do anything, but otherwise he'll trip over the most ridiculous things.

* He was wearing his yellow raincoat the first time he saved someone, so now he wears it over his suit (along with his white Converse).

* The spider was discovered by SHIELD (which is undercover as a scientific research facility that Grace works for part-time). After the original test subjects (who were only able to survive the spider mutations if they possessed a specific gene) were killed in an attack, Eva delivered the spider to Grace so he could be bitten before other villains got their hands on that power. (My boy gets unwillingly turned into a savior in every universe.)

* Simon is still an ex-convict who, in exchange for his freedom, is asked by the evil company of the day to test a series of mines infected by what appears to be blood from a meteorite (which eventually turns out to be the symbiote Ellie!).

“I don’t think you know what “meeting up for coffee” actually means.”

“what are u talking abt? we’re meeting up and we’re having coffee, is that not what it means?”

Tom couldn’t help the smile on his face as he watched Ryland Grace through the surveillance monitors for his luxurious apartment. About 15 minutes ago, Tom sent Ryland the address he wanted to meet up at, and quite frankly, it wasn’t his fault if Ryland didn’t search up where it was before agreeing to it.

Ryland started typing again, and the look on his face as he stood in front of the gates to his apartment was at least a little humorous. “No, it usually means “let’s meet up at a neutral location for coffee”. Your apartment doesn’t really qualify as a neutral location.” And, okay, maybe that was fair, but again! Not his fault if Ryland didn’t notice it wasn’t a shop before coming over! He was about to start typing when he saw Ryland start adding something else from the corner of his eye. “Are you watching me right now?

“maybe.” In his defense, he wasn’t watching for any kind of perverse reason. At least, not now. This was more for entertainment than anything. “do u wanna go somewhere else then?”

Ryland seemed to think on it for a minute. Tom saw him on the monitor as he tilted his head back and took a couple of deep breaths, and then looked around at the apartment. Ugh. Just make up your mind, nerd! This is a great place to meet for coffee! Oh, actually, on that topic... “i have an espresso machine”

Ryland paused for all of three seconds before he finally answered. “I suppose this is fine.”

Score!

So, maybe he tricked Ryland a little bit. Maybe he didn’t exactly specify that the place he suggested was his apartment. But in his defense, his apartment was better than most of the lame coffee shops around town. He liked his coffee a pretty specific way, and most coffee shops can’t keep up with it.

Through the monitors, Tom could see that Ryland had been typing something else, but when Ryland put his phone away, Tom did not get another notification. Was he texting someone else? Whatever, Ryland was on his way up now, so he had to close off this room again. After buzzing open all the doors for Ryland’s journey up, Tom left the room and pulled the little vase with flowers on the bookshelf to close off the tunnel leading into the surveillance room.

And, he had to thank the brilliant mind that designed his apartment’s decor, because there was a full-body mirror placed conveniently next to that bookshelf. He paused in it to look at himself, tussling a little hair out of his face to keep up with the perfect wave he had going on and undoing yet another button on his silky gray button-up shirt. Many more buttons, and he’d just be shirtless, but look, he had to woo that stupid nerd. Even if he didn’t actually want Ryland, he did want to prove that he was still irresistible. Plus, if he got to brag that he slept with Colt’s brother, he couldn’t even imagine how many veins would start popping out in that stupid stuntman’s forehead. And that was a good motivator.

First things first, though: Actually sleeping with Colt’s brother. That’s where this little coffee date comes in.

It would be a full minute before a knock sounded out at the door. Tom quickly lowered his arm out of the flex he had it in, darting up to the front door and leaning on the frame effortlessly as he clicked it open. “Hey.” He grinned, his head slightly nodding with his words. He was leaning into his charm hard; if this nerd didn’t fall for him after today, the only plausible explanation would be that he doesn’t like men. Which… look at him. There’s no way he didn’t.

“Hi.” Ryland smiled in that polite way he does when he seems uncomfortable — why did he know that already? — and gestured towards the door. “Uh, can I come in?”

Shit. Right. Tom didn’t even realize his full, muscular, frankly fantastic build was taking up the entire doorway. Tom corrected himself smoothly, stepping back to pull the door with him and letting Ryland in. “Yeah, yeah.” He gestured into the house as Ryland walked in, looking around at all the various points of interest. He didn’t even seem as interested in the decorum as he was in the sticky notes. Damn it. He knew he should’ve had someone come and clean them all out. “Uhh, don’t mind those. I can be a little forgetful, so the sticky notes help.”

Tom closed the door as Ryland picked up one of the notes and readjusted his glasses on his face. Whenever he read it, a smile appeared on his face as he twisted the note back towards Tom. “Do you really need help remembering to do this?” Ryland laughed, and reading back the note that said ‘Fuck yourself’ that Tom wrote while he was drunk, Tom couldn’t help but feel his face warm a little. Who does this guy think he is, embarrassing the Tom Ryder?

He quickly reached over and picked up the note out of Ryland’s hands, scoffing as he scrunched it up into a ball. “No. I do that whenever I feel like it, but I’m usually not doing it alone.” Tom answered, tossing the paper ball back somewhere that he did not care to note right now. “You could always join me sometime, if you’re that curious.” He offered as he drifted past Ryland, shooting him a charming wink and a flirty smile. Now that was a smooth recovery, if he did say so himself.

Ryland’s face turned a soft shade of red as he quickly looked away, purposefully dodging Tom’s eye contact, and shook his head. “No… No, I think I’m okay, thanks.”

Ugh. Whatever. It’s still early; surely he’d find a way to change his mind. Tom scoffed and tried to downplay the offended undertone to it. “Suit yourself.” Tom gestured for Ryland to follow him as he started for the kitchen. “So the espresso machine changed your mind about going somewhere else, huh?”

“Not exactly,” Ryland answered, not too far behind Tom, and once they were in the kitchen, he leaned his hip against the kitchen island. “I mean, an espresso machine is pretty nice, but uhm…” He seemed to pause, like he wasn’t sure whether to say whatever was on the tip of his tongue.

Tom quirked an eyebrow as he picked out a few glass containers of coffee beans, each one labeled with a sticker of the brand on it. “But?” He prompted and gestured to the glasses for Ryland.

The doctor glanced over his options and then pointed to the Heirloom goldenrod blend. “But I…” He rolled his eyes, presumably at himself, and smiled awkwardly. “I didn’t tell Colt that I was coming to see you. And I don’t know how often you encounter paparazzi, but I imagine it’d probably be better to avoid taking the chance.” 

“Ooh, a rebel, huh?” Tom teased as he turned on a scale next to the espresso machine and weighed out the coffee beans for a double shot. “You did not strike me as a bad boy. Maybe there’s hope for you, yet.”

He pointedly did not enjoy the eye roll and the blush that Ryland reacted with. “You make me sound like a romcom protagonist.” Ryland joked, “Last I recall, that was your profession, not mine.”

“Correct!” Tom grinned and dumped the beans into the grinder, then packed the grounds down into the portafilter. “And I’d thank you not to try and steal my job. There’s only enough room in this town for one stunning romcom actor.”

Ryland drew a hand over his face, like trying to hide the red in his cheeks, even though he was just drawing more attention to himself. Tom couldn’t help but grin at the sight. “Trust me, I don’t want your job. I don’t do well with that kind of attention.”

“You sound like you speak from experience?” Ryder tilted his head.

“A little.” Grace teetered his hand noncommittally. “It’s uh, it’s a pretty boring story.”

“I can handle boring.”

This seemed to make Ryland hesitate, deliberating on it, before he shook his head. “No. It’s uh, it’s not a story…—”

“For first dates?”

“That I like to tell. Is this a date? Do you think this is a date?” Ryland seemed to almost panic at the notion, his brows furrowed, but his eyes contrastingly wide.

Tom laughed at his panic and waved him off, shaking his head. “No, of course not.” He did. Well, at least, he did before Ryland reacted like that. “This is just coffee.” He withdrew the cups from the machine to set them on the counter. “So how do you want yours made?”

Ryland picked up one of the small cups of espresso, sniffing at the brew and thinking for a moment. “Uh, just with a little milk and sugar will be okay.”

“Boring.” Tom shook his head, pulling open the fridge door to grab a few different ingredients. “You can get that kind of coffee anywhere. Literally, anywhere.” He set a carton of almond milk, caramel almond creamer, and a small tub of vanilla ice cream. 

“I’m, uh… I’m not difficult about my coffee, honestly.” Ryland admitted, looking at the ice cream like he was trying to figure out what it was for.

“Well, if you’re not difficult about it, then you’re trying coffee made my way.” And this was an excellent opportunity to wow him. “Do you have much of a sweet tooth?” Tom pulled open a drawer to take out the milk foamer as well as a small handheld blender.

“Sort of. I prefer bitter tastes, but I don’t mind sweets.” Ryland answered, watching as he collected various things for the coffee. Tom nodded, stepping in front of the other man and reaching for the cabinet behind him, when the doctor started immediately shrinking into himself, eyes wide like a cat that got dunked in freezing water. “What are you doing?”

He clicked open the cabinet wide enough to sound out as it knocked against its neighbor. “Grabbing some stuff. You’re in the way.” An innocent smile appeared on his face as Ryland looked back at the cabinet, realization dawning on him. Tom laughed at the absurdity of it, his free hand landing on Ryland’s waist to guide him out of the way, which Ryland quickly moved along with. His face was such a deep shade of red, he almost wondered if Ryland was gonna get feverish at this rate.

“Shut up.” The doctor grumbled defeatedly in response to Tom’s laughter, and Tom could only shake his head endearedly, picking out some brown sugar and caramel drizzle from the cupboard.

“Now, that reaction just begs the question, were you wanting this to be a first date?” Tom teased, picking an ice tray out of his freezer to finalize his collection of ingredients.

“No!” Ryland quickly blurted. “I… I mean— …Sorry. That was rude of me.”

“A little.”

“I didn’t mean it like that. I just… I’m not looking for anything like that right now.” Ryland finally seemed to decide on. It was a totally lame answer, which he seemed to know, but neither wanted to address it as such yet.

Tom shook his head and pulled out the ice cubes to put them into the container to blend them, before he added. “I get it.” He can salvage this, though, can’t he? He’s salvaged worse. “I think it’s worth stating then, I don’t really care for long term.” Tom set down a few full-sized glasses for their drinks as well as a small bowl for the caramel drizzle, pouring it in. “If you’re afraid of giving me a shot because you don’t want to commit, I promise you, that’s not gonna be an issue.”

There was a moment of silence, only disturbed by Tom’s movements as he dipped the milk foamer into the caramel and then held it inside the glasses to create little rings of caramel. “It’s not that, either.” Ryland finally sighed as he moved to sit on the kitchen island. “I… just don’t really see myself as that kind of person, I guess.”

“As in, not into casual sex?" Tom offered, to which Ryland nodded. Tom rinsed off the foamer and then picked up the milk, creamer, espresso shots, and brown sugar to pour them into the blender to mix them together. “I can respect that. But, if that’s the case, why did you agree to meet up with me? I know you’re smarter than to pick me as a friend, so.”

“It’s not a dumb choice to have you as a friend.” Ryland contested, hands folding in his lap as his thumbs twiddled like he could knit an answer from them. “You seem like a good person.”

“I seem like what I want to.” If only Ryland heard some of the thoughts that went through Tom’s mind. He would hate him. Everyone would hate Tom Ryder if they could hear some of the things he thought. But that’s fine, because they can’t, so he compensates where it matters: actions, appearances, and words. Thoughts don’t have to matter if his actions are strong enough. “So why are you here?”

As he asked this, Tom poured the blended drink into the cups, topping it off with foamy milk and a small scoop of ice cream, and then passed it to Ryland. The doctor held the cold coffee in his hands, now using the glass for fiddling rather than his nails. “Last night,” Ryland started as Tom leaned back against the counter. “Did you plan that whole thing with the director?”

It took Tom more time than he’d like to admit to recall what Ryland was talking about. That’s why he had the sticky notes, to remember the things that he couldn’t. Once the recognition finally hit him, Tom only scoffed, “No.” Ryland stared at him for a moment, and Tom grit his teeth. “Honestly. I promise, I didn’t plan that. If I did, it would’ve been something a lot cooler than dragging a drunk dude to puke in the parking lot and calling him a cab home. Michael’s a fine dude, but he gets mean when he gets drunk, and you don’t really seem like you have the grit for his attitude.”

“So, you were really just being nice?” Ryland asked.

If only he knew. This is another example, he decided, of why thoughts didn’t matter. It didn’t matter that he was trying to find Ryland to convince him to come home with Tom. It didn’t matter that he just so happened to be looking at the right moment to stop Michael from blowing up on Ryland. And it didn’t matter that Tom was pissed off that, by the time he got back into the club after dealing with Michael, the twins were already gone, so he’d effectively blown his chance. Those thoughts didn’t matter. His actions did. And his actions said that he was just a nice guy, helping Ryland out, because he just wanted to.

“Yeah.” Tom agreed, taking a sip of his coffee to wash down the bitterness of self-loathing. God, he loved this coffee.

Seeing Tom enjoy his cup must have reminded Ryland that he hadn’t tried his own, so he plucked out one of the metal straws from the island he was seated on, setting it into his drink to take a sip. “Oh. Wow, that’s— That’s really good.” Ryland seemed totally surprised, as if it didn’t just make sense that the Tom Ryder could brew the most delicious cup of coffee you’d ever taste in your life. “How did you learn how to make a cup of coffee like this?”

“A lot of trial and error, and a lot of getting pissed off with Starbucks baristas sucking at their job.” And it wasn’t a total lie. Ryland didn’t need to know any more than that. Of all the things Tom would like to forget, his barista days were definitely among the top. “So, did you really only want to ask me that one question, or did you have anything else on your mind?”

Ryland studied the actor, and Tom could practically see the cogs turning in his head as he deliberated on something. “I… Honestly? I just can’t get a read on you.” Ryland took a sip of his coffee again before he started rambling, his foot rapidly tapping in the air as he did so. “To be honest, Colt has talked about you plenty of times, but everything I’ve heard has been nightmare stories. And I searched you up, and there are so many news articles talking about what it’s like to work with you or be around you, and so many of them are saying all these things that… that just don’t seem true. Or I guess, they could be true, but like, it just doesn’t sound like you.”

Tom listened to his tangent, moving his foot up to nudge the bottom of Ryland’s so he’d stop fidgeting so much, and shrugging. “Like I said before, I seem like what I want to. I am an actor.”

“So do you always put up a mask then, even outside of work?” Ryland asked, his tone a bit more worried than before.

“Outside of work? Only with the people I wanna fuck.” Tom answered bluntly. 

The warmth flooded Ryland’s face again as he looked down uncomfortably. “And you’re masking around me.”

“Astute observation, Einstein.”

Ryland didn’t seem to know how to respond to that, but the fidgety foot that had stopped a moment ago was back in action for all of five seconds before he corrected himself and stopped again. “This is weird. Right? It’s just, I dunno, I have the same face as your stuntman, just— kinda sounds like you’re projecting onto me—”

“I don’t wanna fuck Colt.” Tom interrupted, his tone matter-of-fact, like it was just the most obvious thing in the world. “It’s not about Colt. It’s about you.”

This did not help with Ryland’s feverish red cheeks, but his shoulders were square, and he was trying to wear that polite smile again, like he was deeply uncomfortable. Tom was about to suggest a new topic when Ryland asked, “But why? You don’t even know me.”

This earned a small laugh as Tom set his glass down on the counter. “I don’t know half of the people I sleep with. But I know enough about you to like the difference. You’ve got this kind of cute and pathetic thing going on, and I can’t get enough of ruining the cute and pathetic types.”

There wasn’t much shift in Ryland’s stature, so Tom decided it was time for a topic change. “So. Dr. Ryland Grace, huh?” Tom asked as he picked up his coffee to take another sip, “What’s the weirdest case you’ve encountered in your career?”

“Huh? Oh— Oh, no, I’m not… not that kind of doctor. I have a PhD in molecular biology. I study molecules and their DNA makeup, which helps us to understand how certain things or creatures work.” Ryland seemed to notice at this point that Tom was not listening. Or, he was, but he just didn’t care to process any of it. “Uhm. I’m a science teacher. For middle school.”

“Oh!” There we go. He can relate to being a teacher. “I actually played a teacher once, in The Science Of The Heart. Super steamy, you would not expect the twist at the end. Have you seen it?”

The expression on Ryland’s face looked like he’d just swigged a gallon of rotting milk. “I’ve seen it.”

Tom couldn’t help but laugh, covering his mouth as he tried to cushion it. “Not a fan, I take it? What’s so wrong with it?”

Ryland took a long sip of his coffee and then sucked in a deep breath like he was preparing for a long-winded rant. “Just be warned, you did ask.” And Ryland started talking, and he did not stop talking, and he was gesturing along with some of the things he said, but most of it flew over Tom’s head. He talked about how the scientific inaccuracies of The Science of the Heart are numerous because flying cars are not feasible with the technology we have now, since it was set only five years in the future of when it was made in 2016, and because there’s no way there could be life on a planet totally devoid of stars, and so many other things that Tom just did not care to recount.

The entire time Ryland was talking, though, there was a faint sparkle in those baby blue eyes that were intentionally dodging Tom’s. He knew it was intentional because every time Ryland looked at him to gauge his reaction, they’d make eye contact, Ryland would lose his train of thought, and quickly look away before continuing with his rant.

By the time Ryland had finished talking, Tom’s coffee was empty, and Ryland’s was almost there too. Ryland didn’t even come to a smooth stop on his rant; he was just about to start on yet another subject that pissed him off about the movie, when he realized how long he’d been talking. He skidded to an awkward halt through a few stammers and then just paused altogether, his hand cupping over his mouth as the red re-entered his face. “God, I’m so sorry.” Ryland laughed sheepishly. “I’ve been talking your ear off about a movie you didn’t even have a hand in writing. Whiiich… I am now realizing, it also sounds like I’m trashing your work.” He had to set his cup aside on the counter to fully cup his face, pushing his glasses out of the way. “I am so, so sorry.”

And Tom laughed, the most whole-hearted and genuine he’d laughed in a while. “You’re just now coming to these conclusions?” He asked, but the smile on his face held absolutely no offense to it. He was just sincerely amused by Ryland’s thought process. “It’s fine, genuinely. I never liked that movie much, anyway. Now I have a reason not to.”

Still, Ryland was not content enough with this answer to uncover his face, so Tom did the only sensible thing he could think to do, which was to use this as an excuse to touch him. He took gentle hold of Ryland’s wrists, drawing them to the side and fixing the glasses back onto Ryland’s face. “Calm down, sweetheart, it’s okay. I promise.”

The intimacy of their pose must have hit Ryland all at once, as the starstruck look in his eyes shattered just as fast. Ryland scooted back on the counter to get away and stiffly scrunched up his pants into his fists, looking away again. “Uh, thank you.” He spoke up as Tom took the hint, stepping back and letting him have his space. “For listening to me, and for the coffee, and just… Y’know. Everything, I guess.”

Tom only shrugged nonchalantly, picking up his glass to rinse it out. “It’s nothing.” An easy silence settled over them for a moment, which Tom only vaguely debated on whether or not to break. Ultimately, he decided, he must. “So, are you planning to tell Colt when you go back home, then?”

“Hm? Oh. Uh, yeah, I think so. I don’t like to keep secrets from Colt.”

A smug smile appeared on Tom’s face, thankful that his back was to Ryland so he couldn’t see it. “Good. So, in that same vein, Colt and I… We have a little bit of a competition going on. It’s an actor-stuntman bond. Sort of unspoken, actually, but we just kinda know, y’know?” He turned back to face Ryland now, masking his smile as best he could, so he could gauge Ryland’s reactions here. “We like to piss each other off. And so far, you’ve helped me get under his skin like nothing else I’ve ever done. So, do you mind if I keep flirting with you for the sake of winning that little competition? Even if it doesn’t go anywhere?”

To say it was an absurd question was probably an understatement, and the look on Ryland’s face read perfectly like that. But it was an absurd question he had to ask; Tom Ryder may be many iterations of a dirtbag, but he’s not the kind of dirtbag to neglect consent. “Uhm… I— I don’t know.” Ryland laughed like he still hadn’t fully processed the request. “I don’t want Colt to lose his job over that kind of competition.”

“He wouldn’t. I give you my word.” Tom put a hand to his heart, a reassuring grin on his face.

“I don’t think you can give me your word on that. As far as I understand, you’ve never seen the extent of Colt’s rage, and he’s a lot when he’s actually enraged.” Ryland picked at a loose thread at the bottom of his blue graphic tee. “He got expelled from our high school during sophomore year cause of his mouth. Flew off the handle at one of our teachers and then cursed out the principal, cause he got accused of plagiarizing someone else’s homework during chem finals.”

The story actually made Tom laugh again, as he nodded like it was the most sensible thing he’d ever heard of Colt. “Yeah, that sounds like him. But trust me, people say some nasty shit to me all the time, so I can honestly deal with anything Colt says. He won’t lose his job over it. I swear on my right eye— and that’s a big deal! I use that eye for winking. Wouldn’t be half as charming without it.” He offered a little wink just to make a point.

Ryland couldn’t help but laugh, shaking his head as he thought for just a moment longer. “...Fine. Okay. Just as long as Colt doesn’t get in trouble for retaliating, I guess it’s okay.”

“Fantastic! I promise he won’t.” Tom picked up Ryland’s forgotten glass, which was almost empty, and offered it to Ryland for one last sip. Ryland shook his head, so Tom rinsed it out before setting it with the other glass. “Are you coming to set tomorrow?”

“Uhm, probably not.” Ryland shrugged.

“Are you still thinking about what the director said?” Tom crossed his arms over his chest, quirking an accusing brow.

“...Maybe.”

“Don’t let him get under your skin. He says shit he doesn’t mean all the time when he’s drunk off his ass.” Ryland seemed to contemplate this, scooting off the island to stand up. “You didn’t ruin anything; He was frustrated with me and took it out on you, and that’s not your fault.”

Ryland went across each of his fingers, stretching them out one by one to pop his knuckles as he nodded. “I guess I can come tomorrow. It’s, uh, it’s pretty interesting to see how a movie set runs.”

Thank god. The movie was at that dull point that he struggled to get through sometimes, so having some entertainment to speak up would be wonderful. “Awesome, so I guess I’ll see you then. Unless you wanna stay over?” He suggested with a tilt to his head, his smile quickly turning flirty.

“No.” Ryland quickly denied. “No, I’m good, thank you.” He laughed awkwardly, scrubbing under his nose with the back of his hand the way Colt did when he was tensed. Was that like a genetic fidget or something?

“Worth a shot.” Tom shrugged as he gestured for Ryland to take the lead back towards the door.

A little laugh escaped the doctor as he paused at another pillar layered in post-its, picking up one that Tom couldn’t read. “I’ll see you tomorrow.” Ryland smiled back at the actor, folding up the post-it and tucking it into his pocket.

“What was that one?” Tom asked, gesturing where he’d hidden the sticky note. “What did it say?”

“You’ll have to figure it out.” He shrugged innocently, clicking open the door. “Bye, Tom.”

Tom quickly raced to the door as Ryland left, pausing at the doorframe to watch him go. There was no way. That was a flirt, wasn’t it? He wasn’t misreading that. Ryland just deliberately did that to keep him curious, didn’t he? His heart had no business skipping the way it did as he lingered in the doorway, rereading the situation in six different angles to make sure he didn’t misunderstand.

Huh. Maybe today wasn't a waste, after all.