#peterandmiles

Peter Parker has a lot of nightmares. At this point he basically considers it a part of the job. He isn’t Spider-Man or Peter Parker, if he is without nightmares.


Waking up at three o’clock in the morning trying to keep his screams and cries quiet, desperate to not wake up Aunt May or waking up in the middle of some rare sleep in his early adult years, trying to reassure MJ that, “it’s nothing” or “go back to bed.” Sometimes he would ever so quietly sneak around to check up on his loved ones and make sure that they’re actually alive. To make sure that the dream-that felt real at the time- wasn’t actually real.

Ever since the entire symbiote incident, it has multiplied ten fold. Even though he knows, he’s got MJ to be there with him and for him at all times (he almost killed her. He almost killed the love of his life) Even though he knows that Harry is alive (He could’ve killed him. He almost killed his best friend). Even though he doesn’t have to be Spider-Man for a while, Miles got that covered. He knows he does but a part of him just itches to get into his suit every time he sees the name “Spider-Man” pop up on the news channel next to a picture or video clip of Miles’ being a dangerous predicament.

So he decided to keep away from that type of news for a while, while he tries to be Peter Parker for a while. Which is, a hard thing to do, might he add. Being Spider-Man was a big thing, a big change in his life. It’s a big part of his identity, it’s what he considered his “job” for over ten years.

So while he tries to be Peter Parker, the effects of Spider-Man still lingers in his dreams.

He’s been through the cycle. Doc Ock, Rhino, Scorpion, Martin Li, and yada yada yada. He wishes he can say that he’s gotten used to it, he really does but, sometimes the mental games wins.

And he awakes with a gasp.

He clutched the blanket tight to his chest and bit his lip to suppress a cry. MJ stirred ever so slightly next to him but she didn’t wake, which he was grateful for, he didn’t want to wake her up again. He ever so carefully swings out of bed and makes sure that the blanket is still covering his girlfriend before he makes a trek downstairs. A glass of water always seems to help him calm down.

Typically, he would probably just take a breather, sit up, and then go back to sleep and hug MJ tighter. But in this particular dream, Miles was there. In the same predicament he found himself a year ago with the Sinister Six and he couldn’t help him. Miles was screaming. But he couldn’t move, the feeling of being helpless and the feeling of being useless is something that despises the most.

Miles was getting hurt.

Then he looked down and saw a familiar and unwelcome black suit. His voice was not his anymore, it was theirs.

Miles was getting hurt, because of him.

His vocabulary suddenly became plural as he spoke and the last thing he remembered seeing was his own hand piercing through his mentee’s heart.

Peter harshly grabbed a glass and turned on the tap, sighing softly.

Miles wasn’t exactly new to his dreams but, it was never that vivid. It was never that real.

Peter Parker was used to nightmares but the newer ones, are going to take time getting used to.

He turns off the tap and start to drink from the glass when he almost dropped it, seeing a figure lying down on the couch with a thin blanket almost fallen off their body.


He almost slapped his own head when he finally remembered, Miles slept over for the night. He came over and enjoyed some dinner that him and MJ cooked (somewhat decently without burning it) then they had a movie night. They offered it to Miles as a way to relax and destress, to take his mind off the stresses of starting college soon and getting used to his mom’s new boyfriend.

His body moved faster than his mind, as he took quick and long strides to the teen. A protective and fuzzy buzz came at the back of his head.

Sometimes he can’t believe what a person Miles’ has become, what he has been through and the person that he grew into. Peter is proud to say that he had some part in. His hand lightly brushed over his head, gently caressing his hairline.

Miles stirred softly before smiling, leaning into the touch with a soft mumble.

Miles is okay.

He’s safe, in his house. With a belly full of food and warm with a blanket that he provided. Though, he should get him a better one since it is a little thin-

“Pete?” A sleepy voice broke him out of his daze and he almost flinched.

“Yeah?” Peter cleared his throat and whispered back cringing that he got caught.

“Is everything okay?” Miles asks softly, shifting around on the couch to lay on his back so he can speak to him properly.

“Ye-yeah, of course. Just uh, go back to bed.” Peter immediately tries to reassure him and turns to leave when Miles’ hand gently grabs his pinky.

“You sure? You sound…well, sad.” Miles sits up, looking at him with furrowed brows.

“How…how can you tell?” Peter turns back around, there was no point in lying to him. He needs to get better at communicating his feelings, he remembers MJ talking about that to him.

“Your voice mostly,” Miles states. “And your eyes, they look red as hell man.”

“Pff, am I that easy to tell now? My poor, Parker Pride.” Peter jokes.

“C’mon, sit down and talk to me,” Miles scooches to one side of the couch before pausing. “Of course! Only if you want to!” He adds quickly.

Peter thinks about it for just a second, before taking him up on that offer and sat down next to him before clearing his throat. “It was just a stupid nightmare,” He starts off and Miles waited, seeing if he would continue, so he decided to. “I usually get nightmares but, this time uh, you were in it.”

“Oh man, was I causing chaos?” Miles adds in with a perked brow and a slight smile.

That got a small chuckle out of Peter. “No, though I wish…you were,” He swallows thickly. “You died. And it was all my fault.”

“You carry too much guilt on you man,” Miles states as if it was common sense. “Something, anything that’ll happen to me, won’t be your fault and it was never your fault.”

“So I’ve been told…but it’s hard to not think about it. When it was such a big part of my life so long.” Peter spills out, was he really confiding in his mentee? Isn’t it supposed to be the other way around?

“I know what you mean…for my Uncle, it took him a while for him to go straight. I know that he regrets a lot of things in life. Especially when it comes to family, but he once told me, we gotta push the past away so we can make room for the future,” Miles recalls, a small smile growing on his lips. “There’s…going to be a lot of things out of our control and that’s okay, the big thing is that we keep going.”

Peter laughs softly, rubbing his brow before breathing in deeply. Miles already seems so grown up, his mind flashes back to the fifteen-year-old boy who kept pestering him for Spider-Man lessons. To the boy who always tried helping people even without the use of his spider-powers. To the boy who he helped in that alley-way who smiled brightly, at the man who let his father get killed.

Not your fault. Peter tells himself, mind going back to MJ supporting him and the words Miles gave him. He’s okay. They’re okay. For now everything is okay, he can relax.

“You have a lot of advice to give for someone your age.” Peter jokes.

“Well, what can I say? I learned from the best,” Miles shoves Peter shoulder lightly. “I’m just wise, beyond my years.”

Peter simply retaliates with a tired arm swinging around the younger spider’s shoulder and allowing his chin to rest on his head.

“Pete…you’re gonna be okay,” Miles pressed his face into his chest, speaking lowly once more. “We’re gonna be okay.” He grabs his hand and gives it a reassuring squeeze, holding it up to his chest.

Peter squeezes back with purpose, gently pulling away only to reinstate contact by letting his forehead rest against his. One hand curling around the side of his neck and letting his thumb gently caress his pulse.

“Yeah…we’re okay.” He repeats as he feels his Spider-sense go fuzzy in pure happiness.

Little tingles in his head that are saying “Yay!” over and over again. Is it the physical contact? Maybe but him and MJ have a lot of physical contact and his Spider-sense has never gone haywire or make it feel all fuzzy. Maybe it’s…it’s…

Damn, he’s getting tired.

His thought process waves off and he decided to just think about it in the morning. He can tell Miles is getting tired too, his head is slowly lolling and he’s trying to keep his head up so he doesn’t fall onto the couch.

“We should get back to bed.” Peter whispers, but he doesn’t want to lose the contact, at least not right now. So, he doesn’t make a point to move, staying in his spot as he waits for the younger spider to.

“Yeah…yeah, I guess we should.” Miles nods though he doesn’t exactly move either. A few seconds of silence pass before he speaks up once more. “Can we…can we sleep together?” Miles cringed softly at himself, his request felt so childish. “Only if you’re comfortable.”

“I was about to ask the same thing.” Peter smiled reassuringly. He took the outside, if someone was going to fall he’d rather it be him.

Their legs dangled off the couch but they can complain about that in the morning. Peter almost hummed in contentment as he wrapped a protective arm around Miles’ head and the other lying limp outside of the blanket. Miles shimmied his arms underneath Peter’s arms, hugging him as tight as possible, pressing his face against his heart as much as he could. If his arm is asleep in the morning he can complain about it later anyways.

Peter smiled, wrapping his hand tighter around his head. He found himself relishing in the cuddling, he knows he has to explain a little to MJ later but maybe he can convince her to join in. That’d be a sight.

He scratched Miles’ head lightly before finally drifting off to a thankfully, restful rest of the night.

~

“You guys are so cute!” MJ squeals, shoving the phone in Peter’s face.

Peter takes her phone with a smile as he stares at the comfortable sight of him and Miles.