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Do You Ever Really Know? - Chapter 3

Chapter 3 time!!! Chapter 4 will be the last chapter of these two, for now.

Summary: After deciding to find a way to reverse the effects of the collider explosion, Jonathan Ohnn (now going by 'The Spot') had set out to find a dimension where there was no Spider-Person. However his plans get foiled almost immediately by someone who shouldn't even exist in that universe. Who was this 'Spider Lily', and why did she want to help him? And why can't he get her out of his head?

Only warnings are eventual smut in the final chapter and brief mentions of death and a destruction of a universe. Also fair warning, these two flirt, A LOT.

All of this was beta'd by the beautiful @morning-sun-brah <3

Enjoy!

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Chapter 3 - Dadaism

The dark teal of the door seemed to taunt him, calling him a 'coward' as Jonathan struggled to find the courage to knock. He was already here, all he had to do was raise a fist and make his presence known to the woman within.

His arm stayed frozen as he cursed inwardly at his hesitance.

For the past three days, his mind was at war with itself. There was a small part of himself that still insisted he was undeserving of Lily’s kindness. Even though that thought was greatly overshadowed by her words and actions that told him otherwise, it was still loud enough to make him second guess showing up.

He would have shown up sooner if it wasn't for that voice in his head, like the following day after they kissed. His cheeks flushed as he remembered the way her lips felt against him, cleansing him of all doubt and sin in an instant. He allowed that memory and her previous words to remind him that she didn't see him as a burden.

“ I hope to see you soon. ” She wanted to see him again.

“ I want to know everything about you, spots and all. ” She wanted to be near him.

“ I’ll help you out the best I can for as long as you’ll let me. ” She wanted to help him.

And who was he to deny her? Especially when he wanted to see her again, wanted to be near her, wanted her help.

Something told him that he could rebuild everything he lost and more. He’d be able to find a job, turn himself back to normal, and find a new place to call home. He could live a happy life with someone who truly wanted him.

Someone he wanted just as badly.

He knocked.

The seconds ticked by at an agonizingly slow pace. He fidgeted with his fingers as he felt his body tense up, his anxiety increasing the longer he waited for her to answer.

Finally, the door opened.

A ghost in the shape of a woman beamed at him. She was clad in only a tank top and a pair of sweatpants, feet covered with mismatched colored socks, but Jonathan’s gaze was drawn to the details of her face. His stomach churned while his heart rate accelerated, feeling his voice catch in his throat. The spot on his face rippled in shock.

This had to be a joke.

Before him was a near perfect image of Liz, the Liz from college who hurt him, except this one was a bit shorter. Besides that one discrepancy, it was like looking out of his past self’s eyes, looking up from his physics textbook to smile at his lab partner. The same wild green eyes that sparkled with joy stared up at him. Light brown hair woven with strands of gold and copper framed the same rounded face. Familiar freckles that he still so desperately wanted to map out with kisses.

This couldn’t be happening…

He must have misheard her the other night - gotten the address wrong or came to the wrong door. The likelihood that he was standing in front of an alternate version of Lizbeth Stone, let alone her being the same Spider Lily who has successfully made a home in his heart, was exceedingly slim.

She leaned in the doorway in a casual manner as she smiled.

“There you are, handsome.”

No, he was definitely at the right place…

He floundered at that realization, considering for a brief moment to turn around and flee to another dimension.

"Hey."

Jonathan jumped as he felt a hand take one of his own. Liz ( ? ) held his hand as concern flashed across her features.

"Do you want to come inside?" She asked him gently, as if she knew the turmoil brewing in him.

He couldn’t stop himself from nodding and stepping into her apartment as she closed the door behind them. A plethora of colors swam into his vision from his periphery but none of it captured his attention since he was unable to tear his gaze from her.

“Is everything okay?” Her brows knitted together as she squeezed his hand.

He could feel the coil in his chest tighten further around his heart, making it increasingly difficult to breathe as his ribs threatened to constrict in on themselves. His thoughts circled around one another, a howling cacophony that did nothing to ease the anxiety taking over.

If she really was an alternate version of Liz, would that change anything? Would that make her actions any less genuine? Would he see her differently?

No, it wouldn’t change anything, but he had to know.

It was now or never…

“What is your real name?” His voice came out clipped along with the nervousness that seeped into his words.

“Oh, well it’s Liz-”

“Lizbeth Stone.” He finished for her. Whether it was a question or more of a statement, he didn’t know. All he knew was that her narrowed eyes and set jaw told him all that he needed to know.

“How did you know that?” She asked evenly as she dropped his hand, the crease in her brow deepening.

Before he could stop himself, Jonathan began laughing dryly at the irony of the situation which only confused her more. "Sorry, I just… I knew you before all of this happened." He explained while gesturing to his unnatural appearance. "Not you specifically, but an alternate version of you. We met in college, physics with Dr. Birmingham specifically. Sometimes we studied together or hung out around campus, but she moved away and, uh, we fell out of touch."

The flurry of words left him without much thought, only catching himself from saying too much at the end. He wrung his fingers together as her eyes searched his face, as if she was solving a complex riddle and he was the answer. After a tense silence she finally spoke.

"Wait a minute. What's your last name?"

"Ohnn." He revealed.

Out of all the things that he expected to leave her lips, a wry chuckle wasn't anywhere near the top of that list.

"You don't say? Guess my life really is a joke." She muttered as she crossed her arms. "Back on Earth‐728, I made friends with your alternate self when we were in college. We didn't have any classes together, different majors and all that, but after bumping into him near the end of my second year we became fast friends. I used to have the biggest crush on him too."

She shook her head as a sigh escaped her, recounting simpler times while he gawked at her, unable to say a word. "But then he moved away after he got his degree; had to take care of his family back in Norway and gave me his email so we could still talk. Didn't do any good since he gave me an email that didn't exist."

"The Liz from my universe gave me a wrong number." He shared which earned him another chuckle.

"Wow, she sounds like a bitch." She gave him a half-smile.

He let out an amused huff. "And it sounds like the alternate version of myself was a dickhead.”

“It’s their loss anyways.” Her eyes shone as she took his hand once more. “C'mon, I'll make us some tea."

Jonathan allowed her to lead him into the living room, motioning for him to sit on the couch before she moved to the kitchen.

"Is chai okay?" Lily- No, Liz called back to him.

"Chai tea sounds great." He replied.

"You know that 'chai' means tea, right? So you're essentially saying 'tea tea'."

He shrugged. "Really? Silly me…"

He could still see her from where he sat, puttering about the kitchen, however curiosity got the better of him as he peered around her living space. Intimate pieces of her everyday life were all around him, from the several Dungeons & Dragons handbooks and journals messily strewn about on the coffee table, to the throw blanket that resembled a tortilla balled up on the opposite end of the couch, and he made sure to take all of it in. Every keepsake he could see was a testament to the personality of the woman who resided in this home, like the couple of anime figurines occupying the empty spaces of her bookshelf and the posters tacked on the far wall behind the television. A stack of canvases leaned against the wall near a closed door, all barren, but allowed him to gather that she was an artist. He glanced around to see if he could find any of her work, expecting to see several paintings lining the textured walls but besides the posters of varying franchises and the large tapestry depicting a multicolored galaxy that hung by the small dining table, he found nothing else decorating the soft sky blue surfaces. That was until a medium-sized black frame near the front door caught his eye.

It was a colored drawing of three people with wide smiles. He knew right away that the woman was a younger version of Liz, even if her hair was dyed several colors in the drawing. She was in the middle with two arms wrapped around her shoulders, each one belonging to the men on either side of her.

Jonathan liked to think he was more perceptive than most about certain things, so while he didn't recognize the two men, he immediately knew who they were.

"That's Jay on the right, David on the left." She noticed his gaze land on the drawing as she poured the tea into the mugs. "I wasn't exactly able to save any pictures before shit hit the fan so I had to draw that from memory, which took forever."

"It's very well done." He expressed. It was true too - the colors blended together smoothly to a point where it could be mistaken for an actual photograph from a few feet away.

"Thank you." She smiled warmly at him as she put the pot in the sink to clean later.

With a drink in each hand, she walked into the living room and handed him one of the steaming mugs before taking a seat beside him. The rich aroma of the spiced beverage immediately filled his senses. He brought the mug to the hole on his face and gently poured a small amount inside, the warm liquid pooling in his stomach in an instant.

It was a strange feeling to him, not having the need to swallow and being unable to feel the warmth travel down his throat. Granted ever since the Super-Collider explosion he found that he never grew hungry, however he still ate when he was able to afford to. It made him feel normal again, just like drinking tea did.

Even if he could hardly taste anything.

The silence that fell covered the two of them like a warm blanket, simply finding comfort in each other’s presence. It felt oddly domestic to him, sitting beside the alternate version of the woman he thought he’d never see again while they drank their chai, but he knew there wasn’t anywhere else he’d rather be.

He moved to set down the mug on the coffee table which caused her to sit upright, cursing under her breath as she began gathering up the numerous handbooks and journals.

“Sorry.” She apologized for the mess, stacking everything on the far end of the table and producing two coasters.

He set down his drink on the coaster closest to him. “Are you putting together a campaign?”

“Yeah. Some friends of mine wanted to play Curse of Strahd and I offered to be the DM since it’s one of my favorites. You’re welcome to join, if you’d like.” Liz offered before taking a modest sip of her tea.

“Oh no, that's quite alright.” He waved both of his hands to further emphasize his refusal. “Besides, wouldn't your friends be a bit... put off by my appearance?”

“No.” She stated, a single word spoken so simply and plainly. “They don't really have room to judge others based on their looks since they are mutants themselves.”

It took him a few seconds to fully comprehend what she said, but when he did, he was immediately reminded of the news stories. “The mutant reptiles living in the sewers?”

“The very same. Mutated turtles if you want to be specific.” She shrugged. “They really wouldn’t mind a fifth player.”

An inkling of hope began to spread in his chest at the prospect of having a small slice of normalcy in his now unusual life, already imagining himself playing an artificer like he did back in college. He wanted nothing more than to live a normal life again, to have a new start, and in that moment he believed he finally could. And it was all thanks to the beautiful woman sitting beside him. To anyone else this may not have seemed like such a big deal, but to Jonathan...

It meant the world.

“Alright, I’ll join.”

She smiled broadly at him, pleased with his answer as she finished the rest of her tea. After setting the empty mug on a coaster she sat back into the couch cushions, letting out a soft yet weary sigh. It was then he took note of just how tired she looked; he could make out the barest hint of dark circles underneath her eyes, combined with a slight puffiness that told him she might have been crying earlier.

“You doing okay?” Jonathan asked her.

“Yeah, it’s just been a stressful day.” She spoke in a way that was meant to reassure him, but it only concerned him further. “Why do you ask?”

“You just look dead tired.” He immediately regretted his choice of words as he began backtracking. “Not that you look dead! You don’t look nearly as bad as a decomposing body would - Not that you look bad! You look beautiful, radiant even! I just mean you look beat. Not that you look beat up, just that you look like you could use a nap and… And I’m gonna shut up now.”

Throughout his frantic attempts at properly conveying what he meant, he couldn’t help but notice the way her eyes twinkled with amusement as he went on. A soft, airy chuckle escaped her throat and he decided that his minor embarrassment was worth it if he got to hear her laugh.

“No, don’t shut up. I want to hear you talk about how beautiful I am.” She teased.

He could feel the heat creep up his neck as he rubbed the back of his head bashfully. “I’m afraid we’d be here all week.”

“Maybe some other time then.” She suggested and he found himself nodding in agreement. Whether or not he’d actually follow through was another story entirely. He was certain he’d grow too self conscious to continue after just a few minutes, but when it came to her, it was as if all his insecurities disappeared.

However the lilt of her voice did nothing to dissuade his concern.

“Do you want to talk about it?” The question left him without a second thought and he grew worried he may have overstepped, especially when he noticed the way her grin slipped for the briefest of moments. “Only if you want to, of course! You just look like you could use a listening ear.”

“You’re fine, Jonathan.” She soothed. “I can tell you care which is endearing, don’t get me wrong. It’s just… I don’t want to bother you with my drama.”

“It’s no bother at all.” He shifted in his seat to turn towards her.

“Well, if you insist.” She took a moment and let out a drawn-out exhale, one filled with exasperation. “I had a lovely visit from Miguel earlier…”

~~~~~

“We need to talk.”

Liz sighed, knowing that her perfect morning was now ruined with the impromptu visit of the man she detested. The portal behind him closed just as quickly as it formed, and the only evidence it had even existed was the fact that several of her belongings were free falling back to earth, gravity in motion.

“Hello to you too, Miguel.” She didn’t look up from her phone as she spoke. “I’d say ‘make yourself at home’, but you did just portal into my living room unannounced like you own the place.”

Miguel ignored her sarcastic remark and pointed a finger at her accusingly. “You need to stop whatever it is you’re trying to do.”

“I have no idea what you mean. You tend to disapprove of everything I do so you’ll have to be more specific.” She continued scrolling on her phone, putting off an air of disinterest as if this was a monthly occurrence.

“Por el amor de Dios , with the anomaly!” He snapped, taking a step forward as he spoke.

She huffed and finally met his gaze. “Your fancy Spanish words mean nothing to me.”

“Stop deflecting! I saw you kissing that… that thing !”

She put down her phone and straightened up against the couch cushions as her brow furrowed. “Excuse you, that thing is a whole ass person , with a name!”

“I couldn’t care less what its name is! It’s a dangerous interdimensional being who could destroy the very fabric of the multiverse without lifting a finger!” Miguel gesticulated frantically with his hands as he shouted.

She rolled her eyes. “Well you don’t have to worry because he won’t do that.”

“And how do you know? Your propensity for becoming involved with villains is getting out of hand, Liz.” He spat, words laced with a venom that caused raw anger to boil up in her veins. “I turned a blind eye before, but this is going too far.”

Liz stood up in a flash, eyes narrowing in an icy glare. “I didn’t know that David was the Prowler! You can’t hold that against me forever!” She pointed at him, fist clenched so tight that her knuckles were turning white.

A growl rumbled deep in his throat as he aimed a finger back at her. “You destroyed your entire dimension! Innocent lives were lost due to your negligence!”

“How hypocritical can you be?” She scoffed. “Well guess what Miguel, you did the same exact thing! You have just as much blood on your hands as I do!”

Neither one of them dared to speak as the weight of her words fell over them, the quiet of the room a sharp contrast to the raised voices that resounded moments before. Miguel placed his hands on his hips as Liz took a few controlled breaths before crossing her arms. She peered at her bookcase where a figure of Monkey D. Luffy was now toppled over and shook her head.

“You don’t have to worry about Jonathan. He promised me he wouldn’t be doing any more crime and I plan on helping him out.”

“A promise?” Miguel questioned in disbelief as he brought a hand up to pinch the bridge of his nose, completely annoyed with what he was hearing.

She looked at him once more with a scowl that easily rivaled his own. “Yeah, a pinky promise.”

“So let me get this straight: you’re betting the entire fate of the multiverse on some childish gesture?!” The hand on his face swung down to point at her with all fingers before returning to his hip.

“Hey, a pinky promise is legally binding. But what do you know? You don’t have any friends.” She taunted, mouth twisting into a mocking smile.

The crease in his forehead deepened as he felt the need to defend himself. “Of course I have friends.”

“No Miguel, you don’t.”

“Yes, I do.” He insisted. “I can name them all on one hand!”

“Oh, then by all means, name them all since there’s so few.” She cocked a hip, exuding an aura of nonchalance as she waited eagerly for his response. “And LYLA doesn’t count!” Liz added as soon as he opened his mouth, swiftly cutting him off.

Miguel’s eyes scanned the floor, seemingly searching the hardwood for an answer as he struggled to think of someone, anyone, who he would consider a friend that wasn’t his digital assistant.

“Well there’s… Uh…”

“Don’t strain yourself.” She snickered.

“There's Alyssa!” He held a finger up and slowly began counting the remaining digits. “And… And Peter B. Parker… I guess I consider Jessica, Ben, and Lego Peter Parker friends too.” He trailed off, sounding unsure about the last three people mentioned.

She raised a brow at him. “And how many of them actually talk to you outside of work?”

Four of his five fingers lowered. He took a moment to stare at the lone index finger, a small crack forming in his stone-cold demeanor before he quickly hardened his facial features, balling his fist as his arm fell back to his side. “I’m not here to discuss my lack of friends.”

Her eyes narrowed at Miguel. “Then why are you here?”

“Your meddling has caused the canon in this universe to be thrown out of balance and that’s ignoring the blatant fact that your existence here should have caused this universe to be destroyed years ago.”

“Maybe this dimension wants me here.” She shrugged, having no clear explanation on the how’s and why’s of her situation.

“But it shouldn’t!” He hissed. “And now these new canon events are popping up-”

“The kiss…” She interrupted him, finally understanding why Miguel had paid her a visit. “That’s how you knew about it, because it was a canon event, right?”

He rolled his eyes. “I hardly consider it canon.”

“But it was. It showed up on your little canon screen and everything.” She retorted. “How else could you have known about it?”

“But it shouldn’t have happened!” He argued back, arms cutting through the air with his fingers spread out like claws.

Liz worried for a moment he would bring out his talons, but squashed that unease down. Instead she kept putting on a brave front, fueled by pure anger at the audacity of the man before her. “Well, it did. Maybe you don’t know as much about canon events as you claim you do.”

She knew it was a leap to make such a claim, but his silence spoke volumes. Realization dawned on her as she tilted her head, eyes widening.

“Oh my god, that’s what this is about, isn’t it?” She asked.

“Liz…” Miguel warned her, taking a step forward which she met with one of her own as she continued.

“I’m poking holes in your supposedly solid theories and you don’t know what to do with that information.”

“Don’t-”

“No!” Liz closed the distance, invading Miguel’s personal space and jabbing a finger at his chest. “You’re going to fucking listen to me for once! You don’t get to come into my home with this superiority complex that you parade around like a badge of honor and tell me what I can and can’t do!”

Miguel’s lips were pulled tight as his nostrils flared, unable to do much else as she threw her arms out to the side. “So what if I become involved with Jonathan? Frankly that’s none of your goddamn business! But I know for a fact that things will be different this time.”

“You don’t-”

“I do know!” She exploded, reaching her boiling point. “And for you to come here and make a mountain out of a molehill just shows the kind of person you are. You’re a miserable, pathetic man who lost his daughter, who wasn’t even yours by the way, and wiped out an entire dimension for selfish reasons! Well newsflash - I lost people too!”

Her voice cracked towards the end as an intense wave of emotions flooded her senses but she was swiftly able to keep them under wraps. “But I didn’t let that take control of my life. I moved on. I started a new life in a universe that loves me and possibly found someone who cares about me, despite my past. I’m finally happy again! You could be too if you got your head out of your ass and took a risk instead of making everyone’s life a living hell!”

She swallowed dryly as the sound of her shallow breaths filled the room, Miguel glaring at her while neither of them spoke. The air was tense enough that it seemed to almost buzz in tandem with the resentment that rolled off both of their shoulders. An indeterminate amount of time passed which did nothing to dispel the hostility between them.

Finally Miguel made the first move, turning around and slicing through the air with an arm. The blades attached to his suit seemed to tear at the fabric of reality, opening up a colorful portal that was all too familiar to Liz. Before he stepped through the hexagonal wormhole that would lead him back to the Spider Society, he glanced back at her over his shoulder.

“Do what you want, but the society and myself won’t be there to clean up your mess.” Miguel spat out before walking into the portal.

Liz’s eyes widened at the vitriol laced in his words as she yelled back at his retreating form. “I don’t want you or your semi-fascist Spider-Man police state helping me anyways!”

She was all alone as the last of her words left her lips. Several loud curses reverberated off the walls before her entire apartment grew eerily quiet. In the hopes of fighting back the tears that threatened to spill she looked about her living room, seeing a variety of her books and papers now in complete disarray from the inverted gravity that both of Miguel’s portals caused.

With a loud sigh Liz set to work, cleaning up the space as tears escaped her eyes and slowly trickled down her cheeks.

~~~~~

Jonathan listened attentively as Liz explained the significance of canon and canon-based events before recounting her argument with Miguel - the same dispute which left her distraught for the past few hours. He knew she was a strong woman, having lost the people she cared about the most alongside her entire dimension so quickly, yet she was still able to laugh and find joy in her life. However, even the strongest people could only take so much.

Miguel was now at the top of his shit list for making her cry.

“That must have been painful…” He commented, which earned him a quizzical look. As soon as he noticed her puzzled expression he began to clarify what he meant. “To have all those memories resurface, I mean.”

She gave a slight hum in understanding as he continued. "I'm sorry you had to deal with all of that. I know the two of you don't get along, but that still didn't give him the right to show up in your home to throw around accusations when you did nothing wrong."

"He always finds something to blame me for." Liz stated dryly. "He's upset that he's wrong about canon, even if he doesn't realize it yet, and there's nothing Miguel hates more than being wrong."

The spot on his face rippled in tandem with his curiosity. "How do you know he's wrong?"

"Call it a gut feeling. Plus, canon events get disrupted way more often than he'd like to admit, yet nothing bad happens." She pointed out while repositioning herself, taking the tortilla blanket and draping it over the back of the sofa haphazardly before she settled into the corner. With her back comfortably laying against the armrest with the help of a throw pillow, she bent her legs and leaned her knees against the back of the couch. "There's only been a handful of universes that have been destroyed, but from what I gathered, they all had one thing in common."

"And what's that?" Jonathan asked.

She smirked, as if she was expecting him to press further. "An outside force was added to the mix. Take my home dimension for example. It wasn't destroyed because my canon event got disrupted, but because Doc Ock intervened and played a role in it." Liz paused and her smile slipped. "I found out months after everything happened that only Jay was supposed to die by falling and I wouldn't have been able to save him in time. Instead, Doc Ock, the anomaly in this case, killed him and David also died."

Slowly, he was beginning to understand why she thought Miguel might be wrong. If these anomalies tampered with a canon event then it could lead to the most disastrous outcome he could think of - an entire dimension no longer existing.

At Alchemax, they weren’t aware of the ramifications that came with messing around with alternate universes. If he knew back then, he would have never become obsessed with the possibility of dimensional travel. He would have never stayed on to continue working, even after the person he considered a close friend stole the schematics of his experiments for her own nefarious purposes. He would have never brought over the radioactive spider from Earth-42 which escaped and…

Jonathan’s blood ran cold from the sudden chill that wracked his frame, dread twisting in his gut.

Shit…

"Then there's what happened to the universe with Miguel's daughter." She further revealed, unaware of the turmoil that had taken hold of him. "An alternate version of himself was murdered and left behind a daughter so he decided to take his place in order to raise her. This went on for a while until the universe started falling apart, due to the fact that he was an anomaly who disrupted a canon event. There's a few other instances but you get my point."

Her words sounded fuzzy to him as his mind spiraled. Did his interference cause Earth-42 to be destroyed? Did he unknowingly cause the deaths of billions of innocent people all in the name of science? He knew that the new Spider-Man in his home dimension came to be because of that blasted spider. Did that mean his universe could fall apart at any moment? What about this universe? He was technically an anomaly.

Oh god…

Did that mean this dimension would start falling apart since he was part of a canon event? Liz… Everything she built here would be gone, all because of him. He would be the one responsible for reopening her wounds, effectively putting her through the same trauma she experienced not even three years ago. She would hate him for it. He’d lose her, and it would be all his fault. All his-

He jumped in his seat and frantically looked down at where Liz’s hand rested on his knee. His heart hammered wildly against his ribs as he hesitantly lifted his head up and met her gaze, just now noticing that she moved closer to him.

“Hey… You’re okay.” Her voice was barely above a whisper. “I’m right here. You’re safe…”

She began to calmly instruct him to take a few deep breaths which he struggled to follow, each inhale only further constricting the tightness in his chest. After what felt like several hours his pulse slowed and he gained an ounce of clarity as the adrenaline wore off.

The corners of her mouth were slightly turned upwards in a gentle smile. “There you are.” Her thumb rubbed back and forth on his knee as she spoke. “I lost you for a minute there.”

Jonathan didn’t deserve her, especially when his very existence in this dimension could potentially do more damage than good. A rush of anxiety surged through his veins, thankfully smaller than the last, which made his chalk-white skin feel cold and clammy.

“Want to tell me where you went?” Liz proposed, giving him the option to wave off her concern but he allowed himself to voice his troubles.

“I think I caused a universe to be destroyed.” He declared.

Her brows snapped together at his words. “What do you mean?”

“The experiments I did back at Alchemax. Remember when I told you about the first successful one? I brought over a radioactive spider from another dimension which escaped and bit the kid who is now Spider-Man back home. The spider was from Earth-42 and since I took the spider, then-”

“Woah, Jonathan. Slow down.” She cut him off, her voice gentle and comforting. He hadn’t realized he was speaking quickly, his nerves fueled by the sickening fire that churned in his stomach. “Last I heard, Earth-42 is still there, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

“Really?” He breathed.

“Yeah, but it is heavily monitored because there is no Spider-Man there, same with your dimension.”

“My dimension? Why?”

“Because of the incursion that happened about a year ago, with several universes colliding into one another.” She disclosed, giving his knee a soft squeeze before withdrawing her hand. “It’s still under watch for any potential future mishaps.”

He found himself able to relax more with that information, knowing that his past work didn’t jeopardize the safety of not one, but two dimensions. “So they’re both safe? No risk of collapsing in on themselves?”

“They’re both safe, sweetheart.” She assured him.

Her words were like a calming rain shower, quelling the flames that fueled his worries. However, there was still one thing that was bothering Jonathan.

“You don’t think that this dimension will be destroyed, do you?”

Liz regarded him for a moment, finally understanding what he was getting at. “No, I don’t think that. I feel like it would have done so already, what with a new canon event popping up involving two people from different dimensions.”

It felt as though an invisible weight lifted from his shoulders, the last of his unease leaving his body just as quickly as it came.

“Since I’ve been in this universe so long, maybe it really is adapting to my presence here. Or maybe creating a canon event is different from interfering with one.” She shrugged. “It’s hard to know for certain.”

The scientist in him wanted to know more, despite knowing she didn’t have all the answers. He was certain no one did. There were too many unknowns to form any concrete explanations and his time at Alchemax only raised more questions. Frankly, he wasn’t willing to mess around with the fabric of space and time to even try to understand any of them. Not anymore, at least. He didn’t know how risky the experiments were back then. But now…

Now he knew the repercussions, and the cons vastly outweighed any scientific breakthroughs he may stumble upon.

No, he wanted to put his time at Alchemax behind him. It was time for him to turn over a new leaf, one that wouldn’t be possible if not for the incredible woman beside him.

“So our kiss was a canon event.” Jonathan mused, breaking the silence that had settled over them.

“That it was.” She smiled before tilting her head, as if she was mulling over something. “You know, I’m a firm believer that canon can go and screw itself, but I’d be lying if I said that I wasn’t over the moon that our kiss was a canon event.”

He didn’t trust his voice in that moment, but thankfully she further expanded on her words.

“What I mean to say is, I don’t regret it, and… I’m glad I met you.” She confessed.

Warmth spread in his chest as he felt butterflies flutter in his stomach, their wings tickling the inner lining. He hung onto every syllable that left her lips and he knew that there was no place he’d rather be than right here, by her side.

“I’m glad I met you too…”

#the spot spiderverse #the spot x oc #spiderverse oc #spidersona #spiderverse fanfic #jonathan ohnn x oc

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zprites · 12 days

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Do You Ever Really Know? - Chapter 2

Chapter 2 is now up! <3

Only warnings are eventual smut in the final chapter and brief mentions of death and a destruction of a universe. Also fair warning, these two flirt, A LOT.

Enjoy!

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Chapter 2 - Anamorphosis

There were some things about Earth-9210 that were different from his home dimension. As soon as Jonathan traveled through the portal he was immediately aware that the sky here was a rich lavender rather than the blue he was accustomed to.

There also seemed to be quite a few vigilantes roaming the streets if the numerous conversations he happened to overhear were anything to go by. Like the group of teenage girls giggling as he passed by them inconspicuously, gushing about some guy in a red and black suit who saved a cat from a tree before proceeding to blow up a vehicle carrying a massive amount of drugs, killing everyone inside.

And that didn't even scratch the surface. Apparently there was an alien symbiote who ate the heads off of murderers and rapists while whispers of mutant reptiles living in the sewers occasionally circulated the news.

Thankfully he hadn’t run into any of these so-called ‘vigilantes’ yet and he planned to keep it that way.

Now heroes on the other hand, there was one that he was dying to see again.

He didn’t quite know what it was about that Spider-Woman but with one conversation, she had managed to make a home for herself in his head. Maybe it was the way she was the only one who treated him like a normal person since the Super-Collider explosion. Maybe it was the fact that in such a short time he felt connected to her in some way, drawn to her like a moth to a flame. Or maybe it was because she reminded him so much of the woman he had a crush on thirteen years ago.

Liz...

Last he saw on Facebook, she was happily married with a second kid on the way. Fragmented memories were all he had left - caramel brown hair that shined like fire in the sunlight, green eyes with golden rings that reminded him of summer, a light smattering of freckles across the bridge of her nose and upper cheeks, her pinky linked in his as a promise was made.

A promise to keep in touch.

A promise that turned out to be disingenuous, as the number she gave him was a random string of digits that belonged to a middle-aged woman in Ohio.

It wasn't that he was left heartbroken, it was just a bout of puppy love that ceased as soon as he disconnected the call. Then years later, by some twisted sense of fate, he saw her name pop up on his 'People You May Know' list and after a quick gander at her life, he promptly hit 'Remove'.

He scoffed out loud as he ambled along the barren sidewalks, the only source of light coming from the street lamps above. Just because both women partook in the most sacred of oaths didn’t mean that they were similar in any way.

“ Well believe it or not, I do like you. ”

Yeah, they were entirely different.

He stopped in his tracks and stared up at the night sky. With all of the city lights it was almost impossible to make out the twinkling of stars yet he still searched for them, as if finding one would help him understand this feeling inside him.

A small voice in the back of his mind told him that he knew exactly what this feeling was, he was just too scared to admit it.

With a sigh he focused his attention back to the concrete, intent on continuing on his path but stopped short when he caught a glimpse of something bright out of his periphery. He turned to look across the street at the mural decorating the brick of the building.

Swirls of violets and pinks blended together seamlessly amidst a deep crimson. At the forefront was a near perfect illustration of this universe’s Spider-Woman, body frozen in a back flip as she shot out her webbing from fingerless gloves.

Jonathan stood there for an unknown amount of time. A myriad of thoughts tormented him, all of them circulating back to one singular wish.

He wanted to see her again…

He wondered… Did she think about him too? If he went to that same rooftop, would she be there waiting for him? If she was, what would she do?

There was still a small chance she meant none of what she said, that her proclamation of feeling drawn to him and flirting was all a lie. He didn't know anything about her after all. Hell, they only met a week ago. And yet...

Every fiber of his being told a different story.

“ Like I said hun, I mean what I say. ”

Before he could second guess himself, he opened up a portal in front of him and stepped through, destination clear in his mind. He allowed the portal to close behind him as he scanned the roof for any sign that she might be there.

His heart did a somersault in his chest when his gaze landed on her. It felt as though the world around him stopped existing for a moment as something akin to hope sparked through him.

She was dressed in her spider suit, just like last time, sitting on the edge of the rooftop with her back to him. A halo of soft light originating from the adjacent windows where insomniacs thrived in the beauty of the night bathed her form, making her look like an angel. Her shoulders shook in time with the melody of her laughter that filled the stillness of the air, sending tingles along his unnatural skin.

She was more of a siren than an angel, luring him in with an ease that would put even the most powerful of enchantresses to shame.

“Aly, that man is more emotionally constipated than a sea sponge. He has no backbone either!"

At first he thought she was talking to him, but the confusion he felt turned into realization as he quickly understood she was on a phone call despite no device in sight. He surmised that she probably had some type of Bluetooth accessory set up inside her mask.

"You're welcome.” She said with a hint of amusement. “But honestly, it's painfully obvious that you two like each other."

Jonathan shifted from one foot to the other, uncertain if he should make his presence known to her. It didn’t sound like an important conversation but he didn’t want to interrupt. He also didn’t want to leave so he stayed rooted in place.

"Want to make him proud? So you see him as a father figure? Damn, putting a whole new spin on ‘daddy’." She devolved into a fit of giggles. "I kid, I kid."

She laid back onto the asphalt of the rooftop while her legs dangled off the edge. The black lenses of her mask widened when she noticed him standing there, giving him an enthusiastic wave that caused his cheeks to flush.

“ There you are, handsome. ”

Her gentle voice echoed inside his head as he waved back dumbly.

“ I’ll be done in a minute or two then you’ll have my undivided attention, okay? ”

He nodded as she turned her focus back to the person on the other line.

"Sorry, thought I saw someone getting mugged. You were saying?"

He waited patiently, watching as she listened intently until she spoke up in a dismissive tone.

"I'm not really the mission type, you know this… Plus I doubt Miguel needs, let alone wants my help for anything. Although it would give me a front row seat to the soap opera that is you and Miguel."

She didn’t give them a chance to respond before she hastily said her goodbyes. “I have to go, but just know that LYLA sends me a lot more than you realize. Buh-bye now!”

He watched as she pressed a finger to her ear, confirming his theory that her mask had Bluetooth capabilities. She then patted the spot to her left without a word, an open invitation for him to sit beside her. With timid steps he made his way over while trying to calm his nerves before sitting down, his long legs hanging off the ledge next to hers.

“I was wondering when you were going to show up.”

He looked down at her, doing his best to not gawk too much at the way her large breasts fell to the sides. "You’ve been waiting for me?”

“More like I found myself coming up here a lot this past week.” She clarified. “Although each time I was hoping to see you here too.”

“Why though? I mean, I'm just some guy that got caught in the middle of a failed robbery and you - you're Spider-Woman for crying out loud! I just... I don't get it...”

He fidgeted with his fingers, staring down at his lap as his anxiety grew by the second. Shame creeped into his bones the longer she stayed quiet.

He shouldn’t have come here.

After what felt like hours, she broke the silence. “Do you remember what I said when you asked me what I saw when I looked at the spot on your face?”

He remembered… How could he not when her words occupied his waking thoughts, bleeding into his dreams to form a silhouette in her image, holding him close against the tides of doubt and dejection that wreaked havoc inside of him.

Gentle fingers came to rest atop his restless hands and he turned his gaze to her. She was sitting up once more, staring with an intensity that held nothing but a tenderness he felt undeserving of.

“You’re more than just ‘some guy’. You found a way to occupy every fraction of my mind without even trying. So of course I wanted to see you again. I meant it when I said I want to know everything about you, hopefully you share that same sentiment.”

He cursed the feelings of inadequacy and self-loathing that continued to swirl in his stomach, battling against the surety of her words. Words that told him he was enough, he still had purpose in life, and he was deserving of love.

“I do.” He rasped breathily before he cleared his throat. “I-I mean, I want that too, to know you...”

Her smile reached the lenses of her mask which crinkled in response. "We can start small, like names. You called me 'Spider-Woman' earlier but I actually go by Spider Lily."

"Spider Lily." He repeated back with a touch of wonderment.

“Yep.” She pulled back the hand that rested atop his own. “But you can call me Lily.”

He was already missing her touch. “Is that your real name?”

“No, but there’s no harm in a little mystery, don't you think?”

What she said sounded surprisingly similar to…

“Wait, you play Baldur’s Gate 3?” He questioned excitedly, his feet doing a little dance in the suspended air.

Lily chuckled at his enthusiasm. "Hell yes I do. I'm glad that some things stayed the same across our dimensions. Maybe we could play it together sometime once the full game is out in August.”

“August? Man, where I’m from it wasn’t set to release until November. I'd love to play it with you!” He recalled countless hours he spent playing the early access of the game, trying out different classes with each new update and testing the limits of what the player could achieve.

However mundane it sounded, he missed playing video games.

“It’s a date then.” She declared lowly. “So does my co-op partner have a name?”

Her co-op partner… If that didn’t send a new round of warmth to blossom in his chest…

“Ah, yes. My name is Jonathan.”

He saw her body tense at his introduction and for a brief moment, a flash of dread pumped through his veins.

Did he say something wrong?

“Is everything okay...?”

His question pulled her out of her trance as she let out a deep breath. “Sorry. I just- I knew a Jonathan once, a long time ago but we drifted apart.”

She couldn't possibly mean... No. It was irrational to even think that she could have known another version of him. There were probably a few hundred thousand other people out there who shared his first name.

Still - he couldn't stop himself from wondering who this 'Jonathan' she used to know was, yet one glance at the way she hugged her arms to her chest and pointedly looked down at the street below had him holding back any further questions on the matter.

“Well, why don't you tell me a bit about yourself.” He suggested, hoping to add a bit of levity to dispel the heavy topic that still filled the space between them.

Thankfully she took the bait, turning her attention back to him. “What do you want to know?”

Everything...

Instead he found himself asking the one of the first things he wondered about when they first met.

“Why do you live in this universe?”

“What do you mean?” The lenses of her mask narrowed slightly.

“I told you that I came to this dimension because I thought it would be easier to steal enough money for my machine here. That's because I knew that this universe’s Spider-Man died three years ago.” He was suddenly reminded of the numerous Super-Collider tests and Olivia’s orders to document all possible universes, especially those without a Spider-Person. Just thinking about what she planned to do with that information had she survived the collider explosion sent a shiver up his spine. “So either you're from another dimension or a series of events similar to my own dimension happened here that caused another Spider-Person to be created, and something is telling me it's the former.”

She let out a huff and shook her head. “Should’ve known you’d figure it out sooner rather than later.”

Jonathan took note of the way she ran a manicured nail across her fingertips, most likely a nervous habit of hers. “I suppose I owe you a story, huh?”

In lieu of responding he stayed silent, allowing her some time to gather her thoughts and hopefully feel more at ease.

“You’re right, I’m not from this universe.” Lily finally spoke up. “I'm originally from Earth-728 which no longer exists.”

The spot on his face widened before scrunching in on itself to imitate a frown. “What happened?”

“About two years ago there was a hostage situation. My best friend, Jay, was one of the civilians involved.” Her words held an aura of melancholy that had him almost regretting asking in the first place. “We grew up in the same foster home. Although he was a couple years older than me and called me ‘annoying’ at every opportunity, he took me under his wing. He taught me sign language since I was practically nonverbal when I was placed and even beat up some bullies from school who were picking on me one day. I was a senior in high school when I was bitten by a radioactive spider and… he was the first and only person I told I was Spider Lily.” She exhaled shakily as she peered up at the dark sky above them. “Jay was a lot smarter than me when it came to building tech so when I brought up the design for my suit, he helped bring it to life and also made my web-shooters. He… he was the closest thing to a brother I ever had.”

Before he could stop himself, Jonathan reached out and took one of her hands in his own. “You don’t have to tell me-”

“No.” She gently squeezed his hand. “I want to, it’s just a hard story to tell…”

Neither one of them pulled away, holding onto each other’s hand as she continued.

“I didn’t know anything about the multiverse back then, so I thought it was going to be another simple rescue - save Jay alongside the rest of the hostages and apprehend whoever was behind it all. There was a man, someone who claimed to be from another dimension, who was demanding that MetroLife hand over some sort of prototype. He called himself Doctor Octopus.”

A pit settled in his stomach, a wave of nausea clashing against the chill that spread throughout his body at the mention of Olivia's alternate self.

“This 'Doc Ock' guy got the help of my universe's Prowler and together they took over Metro Tower, holding the hostages ransom on the top floor. After a long winded speech he ordered Prowler to keep me busy, so we fought.” Her hand tightened around his as she closed her eyes.

“He... His mask got knocked off and... He should have told me he was the Prowler, it would have made things simpler... Maybe...” She trailed off and he closed the distance between them, scooching over so that their shoulders touched.

“Hey, it's okay. Take your time.” He soothed.

Lily let out a shuddering breath while gently nudging her knee against his in a show of gratitude.

“Or maybe things wouldn’t have been simpler since we were both hiding our secret identities from each other for nearly two years.” She let out an unamused scoff.

“You knew him?”

A drawn-out sigh escaped her. “Yeah, his name was David and we were dating at the time…”

He was a bit taken aback by that revelation but did his best to not let that show on his features, telling himself that she needed comfort right now, not any superfluous reactions.

“I was upset so I tore off my mask, but looking back on it I don’t blame him for keeping his secret. Hell, I did the same thing. Thankfully he helped me fight Doc Ock but… We were too late… He had already killed Jay…”

His heart yearned to envelop her into his arms, to console her, to shield her from the somber memories of the past that still tormented her.

“The two of us followed after him as he tried escaping from the roof.” She recounted. “I should have known that he had bombs planted on the lower floors. The remaining hostages got out just in time before they detonated. David slipped as the floor began to collapse and fell... I- I jumped after him, tried to save him before he hit the ground but I wasn't fast enough... I relied too much on my webs and he... My webs didn't reach him in time...”

“I'm so sorry...” Three words that didn't do justice to the magnitude of what she had gone through. Not only did she lose her brother but her partner too, within minutes of each other - He couldn't even imagine what that was like.

She gave a half shrug. “It's fine. I’ve had plenty of time to process it all.”

He still wished there was something he could do, something more than providing a sympathetic ear while holding her hand.

“But yeah, after that shit hit the fan. The universe began crumbling, falling apart at the seams.”

The hand in his began to slide against his palm, fingers coming to play with his digits. “I was able to make it out with the help of some other Spider-People who brought me to their HQ after they were able to capture Doc Ock. That was where I had the misfortune of meeting Miguel who runs everything.”

He watched the way her fingers danced along his with great fondness. “You really don't like the guy, huh?”

“That's a bit of an understatement. He's a stubborn hypocrite who expects everyone to fall in line, no questions asked. He's the byproduct of a wet blanket fornicating with a literal stick in the mud. If I had to choose between going on one of his 'missions' or being buried alive with a coffin filled with fire ants, I'd choose the latter. Japanese land snails are smarter than him.”

Jonathan laughed at her rant coupled with the distinct phrasing she used. “Okay dear, I get it. Hate is a more appropriate term.”

He heard her breath hitch in her throat as she stared at him, her hand ceasing its movements that he was beginning to grow used to. Her lenses crinkled and he could swear that he could feel the way her mouth was twisted in a smirk.

“What?” He asked.

“You called me 'dear', sweetie.”

“Oh my god!” He spluttered while his body temperature rose several degrees. “You- I- It just came out! I'm sorry, I-”

It was her turn to giggle at the way he fumbled over his words as she intertwined their fingers together. “It's okay Jonathan. I liked it.”

His heart felt like it was about to soar out of his chest with how fast it was beating.

“Duly noted.” He cleared his throat. “So after all of that, you came here?”

“Yep. I found a somewhat chill dimension where there wasn't a Spider-Person, moved into a modestly-sized penthouse, and surprisingly didn't destroy another universe in the process.”

The slight undertone of self-loathing was almost too meager for him to notice. Almost.

Everything inside of him wanted to reach out to her and squash those feelings, cleanse her of all negativity while offering up hushed affirmations, trace hymns of vows unsaid onto every inch of her skin. The urge to allow her to consume him completely resurfaced again, a craving that felt almost second nature to him, a longing that surpassed all logic.

She may not have known it but in that moment he knew that he was unconditionally hers, irrevocably under her spell.

“So I'm curious about something.” Lily began, breaking him out of his reverie. “If you're trying to get money, why not find a job instead of robbing banks?”

"I can't exactly get a job with this whole situation." He gestured to himself, all paper white skin and undulating spots. "Believe it or not, people haven't really been too perceptive of my appearance… Besides you, that is."

"What about online jobs, like freelance programming?"

The thought had crossed his mind, however there was one glaring issue…

"I would love to do something like that, but I have no computer."

She let out a hum as he stared at her, a puzzled expression clear on his face despite having no features. The familiar anxious feeling settled in his gut yet again as neither of them spoke - Lily deep in thought while Jonathan's nerves increased with each passing second. Finally she broke the silence, her mind made up.

"I wouldn't mind giving you my computer."

The spot on his face widened. "You would do that…?"

She shrugged. "Yeah. I've been meaning to replace the motherboard and processor in it since they're a touch outdated but it still runs well. I really don't mind having to rebuild a new PC either, especially since a graphics card I've had my eye on finally went on sale but it's not compatible with the current motherboard."

She babbled on about computer components as he struggled to register her words, bewildered that she even offered, let alone thought about giving him her computer. Anyways, he couldn’t accept her offer even if he wanted to. What could he do with it? He didn't have a home, not since he was evicted from his apartment a couple of months after the accident, and it wasn’t like he could use it out on the streets where it was ripe for the taking. Maybe if it was a laptop but that wasn't the case.

"But enough about that." The hand still in his squeezed gently, coaxing him out of his thoughts. "How about I give you my number? That way we can work out the logistics tomorrow."

"I don't have a phone either." A subtle hint of shame found its way into his voice. “And thank you, but I... I wouldn’t be able to use it anywhere…”

She frowned at him before letting out a soft “Oh...”, seemingly understanding the predicament that he was in.

He shouldn't have said anything... Now she knew who he really was: a lowlife, a bum, a hopeless case that felt undeserving of any kindness. A mixture of worry and helplessness swirled in his chest, playing tag with despondent pleas that echoed endlessly in a sickening loop.

He didn’t want her to see him differently…

"Alright, how good is your memory?" She tilted her head a bit in time with her inquiry, not at all deterred by the insecurities plaguing the man beside her.

He scratched the back of his neck, unsure as to why she was asking. "Uh, I'd say it's pretty good."

"Great! I live in Greenwich Village off of Washington and…" She rattled off her address, apartment number and all.

Jonathan was perplexed. Here was this beautiful woman giving him her address, as if she didn't care he was homeless. As if he wasn’t anything less than human. As if she saw him for who he truly was.

"Why are you giving me your address?" He interrupted her as she talked about her neighborhood and the cafe she liked to frequent on Hudson Street.

"I want to help you out." Lily stated simply, providing no further reasoning.

He was baffled at the intense earnestness in her tone. "You hardly know anything about me though."

"True, but I'd love to know more."

"And what makes you think I won't go to the news with this info?" He probed rather boldly.

Her gaze bore into him, the intensity of it almost palpable. "Will you?"

She managed to see right through his meager bluff, the weak foundation it was created on already a crumbled heap before them.

He rubbed his feet together abashedly. "Well… No…"

“Look.” She began. "When was the last time you slept in an actual bed?”

There was a pause as Jonathan combed through his memory, remembering the dirty, grubby mattress he found in an alleyway before coming to this dimension. The meager comfort it provided was short-lived since the fourth night he slept on it, his slumber was interrupted by a homeless woman shouting at him to get off her property. Her screaming only got louder once she had noticed his white skin and lack of facial features. He tried his best to explain his situation and calm her down, but he ended up absconding through a portal once she started hitting him with one of her overstuffed grocery bags.

He squashed that memory down and answered her, albeit reluctantly. “4… Maybe 5 weeks?”

“I don’t have a spare bed but I’m sure my couch is a lot more comfortable than sleeping on the streets.”

For some strange reason, he almost felt disappointed that she was offering her couch and not her bed. He knew it was an absurd presumption but he would give anything to lay beside her, to hold her close as they slept peacefully, their legs tangled up in the sheets.

Maybe he was reading everything wrong. All the pet names and flirtatious remarks…

“Although my bed is much more comfortable, warmer too.” She knocked her knee against his in time with the wink she sent his way.

Nevermind.

“In all seriousness though, I’m not going to force you if you don’t want my help. However if you do decide to drop by, my door is always open to you Jonathan.” The sincerity in her voice made him want to break down. “Whatever you need: money, food, a computer, a place to stay. I’ll help you out the best I can for as long as you’ll let me.”

Neither one of them spoke as she turned to look up at the night sky. His stare stayed fixed on her for a few seconds until he too looked up. Amidst the darkened sea he could have sworn he could make out a glowing tail of space rock entering the atmosphere, burning up in the heat before it reached the ground.

He still made a wish.

They stayed that way for a while, simply enjoying each other’s presence.

Sirens wailed in the distance, breaking through the serenity of the moment. With a sigh she squeezed his hand one last time before slowly sliding her fingers away.

“I suppose I should do some more patrolling before calling it a night.” She stood up and brushed off any dirt that may have accumulated from her backside. He stopped himself from outright ogling and got to his feet as well, only allowing himself a peek which rewarded him with the sight of her asscheeks jiggling somewhat under her movements.

Once she was satisfied with the lack of dirt she reached out and took hold of his wrist, rubbing her thumb along the inside where his heartbeat could be felt, sending goosebumps up his arm. He tried his best to keep his erratic heart under control but he could tell his efforts were in vain since he heard it ring dully in his skull.

“No need to give me an answer right now, just think about it. Okay?”

He nodded. “Okay.”

She let go of his wrist and shot out a web towards the adjacent building. “Until next time, sweetheart.”

Her feet dropped off the edge of the roof and she swung through the air, leaving him to wave after her retreating form.

“Next time...” He echoed out loud to the now desolate rooftop.

Lily… She really was something else.

When she first offered to help him, he was ready to decline, having already resigned himself to living on the streets for an undetermined amount of time. Of course he could easily just go to a different dimension and try robbing banks all over again, but he didn’t want to do that. He made a promise to her, one he had no intention of breaking. He wanted to stay here, where she was. And maybe, just maybe, she wanted him to stay in this universe just as much as he did.

Jonathan knew he would find himself at her doorstep soon, he just needed to build up the courage to do so.

He opened up a portal and walked through, bringing himself back down to the ground below, in the alleyway; the same alleyway that Spider Lily caught him in a week ago. The sound of her laughter played in his mind, accompanied by the sincerity in her gaze and the softness in her voice as she spoke his name.

It was almost as if he could hear her calling out his name now.

Wait…

“Jonathan!”

He whipped his head around and the spot on his face widened in shock as she came into view, twirling in the air with a grace that seemed effortless to her. Lily came to a halt before descending slowly, the web tethered to the bottom of the fire escape keeping her aloft. Finally she stopped once her face was level with his own, hanging upside down only a couple of inches away.

“Hi.” He said before he could stop himself, doing his best to not leer lasciviously at the way gravity pulled at her breasts.

She tilted her head. “I want to try something.”

His breath caught in his throat as she reached for the edge of her mask, pulling it down slowly. He couldn’t do anything but take in the fairness of her skin, the plumpness of her lips, and the beginning of what appeared to be a decent amount of freckles on her nose and lower cheeks which disappeared under the rest of her mask.

“Is it okay if I kiss you?” She spoke so quietly that he almost didn’t hear her.

He could hardly believe that this was happening. She could have chosen anyone, yet here she was asking to kiss him of all people. It felt as though his nerves were on fire and she hadn’t even touched him.

And he desperately wanted to feel her lips…

“Please.” He whispered breathlessly.

Without any hesitation she leaned in, kissing him where his lips would be.

He was certain he had died and gone to heaven.

The gentle press of her lips carried a sense of longing that made his knees weak. His skin buzzed as sparks danced through every cell of his body, igniting his very core. He felt like he was melting, like the spots that littered his calescent skin had become a liquid and were dripping onto the concrete where the puddle of dark matter threatened to swallow him whole.

All too soon she was pulling away, a small smile on her lips.

“Wow…” He murmured in astonishment.

“Yeah… I think you quite literally took my breath away.”

Her words emboldened him. The fact that even though he was unable to properly reciprocate the kiss, he was still able to elicit that kind of reaction from her, and it caused his heart to swell with pride.

"And that's without a mouth. Once I'm back to normal, you won't be able to breathe properly ever again.”

The sight of her smile squashed down any panic he may have felt over what he just said. Her singsong laughter held him hostage and he could do nothing but surrender into its sweet refrain.

“I’ll hold you to that.” She bit her lower lip in a sensual way that sent a shiver up his spine.

Her hand came to pull her mask back up, securing it in place before reaching out to cup his cheek. “I hope to see you soon…”

“You will.” He found himself saying as he watched her fling out another web and weave through the air, disappearing into the night once more.

Recalling the wish he made on the shooting star, Jonathan swore that nothing would prevent him from seeking her out soon.

#the spot spiderverse #the spot x oc #spiderverse oc #spidersona #spiderverse fanfic #jonathan ohnn x oc

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