Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Peter Parker’s spider-sense had gone off exactly 312 times that day.

He knew, because he was counting.

Not out loud, of course, he wasn’t that far gone. But he’d scratched a tally into the inside of his notebook margin every time the buzzing started. It was either that or scream into a locker.

Number 313 happened when she laughed.

A soft, effortless laugh— light, like wind chimes. Not mocking. Not directed at him. Just… her being happy about something. A book, maybe. Or the shape of the clouds.

Peter flinched anyway. Pen stabbed straight through the paper.

She didn’t notice. Of course she didn’t. She never noticed his reactions, no matter how much he looked like a squirrel during a thunderstorm every time she was near. She just sat there with her pastel backpack, her softly glowing eyes (no they didn’t glow, Peter, stop being insane), and her damn sunshine energy like she hadn’t completely short-circuited his nervous system for seven days straight.

Seven. Days.

That’s how long it had been since she arrived.

Her name was Minari, and she had transferred from “somewhere upstate.” That was all anyone knew. The principal hadn’t even made a big announcement. She just walked in, the door opened, and

BOOM.

Peter’s danger sense went feral.

Like, bank robbery in progress, alien symbiote crawling up his spine, Aunt May finding his suit under the bed feral.

And the worst part? It never stopped.

At first, Peter assumed she was a villain. Obviously. The smile? A trick. The soft voice? Misdirection. The way she helped Flash Thompson find his inhaler when he pretended to have an asthma attack just to impress her? Definitely a trap.

But then she held the classroom door open for people, even Flash, and offered to share her notes when Peter forgot his. She giggled during physics. She helped clean up spilled coffee in the teacher’s lounge even though it wasn't her mess.

She was good.

Too good.

Unsettlingly good.

And Peter was losing his mind.

By Wednesday, he stopped sitting near her. He moved across the room. Changed his lunch schedule. Even wore earbuds in the hallway just to dull the instinctive screaming every time her shadow touched his shoe. Which was all weird for his friends Ned and Michelle.

It didn’t help.

The spider-sense didn’t hate her.
It hated the world around her.

Desks? Too sharp. Lights? Too flickery. People walking too close to her backpack? Massive threat. A fly buzzing near her face? DEFCON 1. The world itself was a danger to her, and Peter’s entire body reacted like it was his job to stop it.

Which… didn’t make any sense. He had literally fought guys with laser swords, alien warlords, and a disgruntled vulture dad. He knew what danger looked like. And this girl was wearing a cardigan with embroidered strawberries on it.

He was doomed.

Then came Friday.

It started normal— as normal as it got, anyway. Tension headache, sweaty palms, and a buzzing behind his eyes that didn’t fade no matter how much water he drank. He avoided her all morning. Victory.

Until gym class.

She was sitting alone on the bleachers, clearly trying to avoid dodgeball. Peter was mid-game, hyper-aware of her from the other side of the gym. She didn’t even look at him— just hugged her knees and watched the game with a peaceful expression.

Then, out of nowhere— a rogue ball. Fast. Hard. Flying directly toward her head.

TINGLETINGLETINGLETINGLE-

Peter bolted.

Everyone else saw a blur. Next thing they knew, Peter had caught the ball one inch from her face, crouched in front of her like a guard dog.

Silence.

She blinked at him.

Peter blinked back. “Uhhh. Sorry. That ball was… evil.”

She tilted her head. Her voice was soft. “Are you okay?”

Peter wanted to say no. He wanted to say absolutely not.

Instead, he said, “Do you always… cause mild cardiac arrest wherever you go?”

She raised an eyebrow and smiled half-heartedly. “Only to the people who need a hug.” She was joking, obviously, but the effect was different.

His spider-sense purred like a kitten.

Chapter Text

Peter sat in his usual seat in chemistry, notebook open, pen in hand… and absolutely no idea what the teacher had just said.

Because she had walked in again.

Same soft smile. Same calm presence. Same exact static in his spine like the world might collapse if she sneezed too hard.

His spider-sense buzzed faintly in his skull, a low warning hum like a faulty alarm that wouldn’t turn off.

She’s not doing anything.
She’s literally just breathing. Stop it.

Ned nudged him under the desk. “Are you staring again?”

“I’m observing.”

MJ didn’t even look up from her book. “You’re stalking her with your eyeballs.”

“I’m not—okay, I’m just trying to figure her out.”

“Because she’s… what?” Ned asked. “Too nice? Too quiet? She helped you find your pencil on Friday. That’s not suspicious, that’s just basic human decency.”

Peter muttered, “It was my backup pencil. In the back pocket of my bag.”

Ned blinked. “Okay, yeah, that’s weird. But also: not criminal.”

MJ finally looked up. “Do you think she’s secretly a mutant or like… a time traveler?”

Peter opened his mouth.

MJ cut in. “If you say 'maybe' I’m leaving.”

“I don’t know!” Peter hissed. “But every time she’s near me, my danger sense goes nuts. It’s not like… slightly uneasy. It’s like I’m about to get dropkicked by reality itself.”

Ned raised an eyebrow. “What’s she doing when that happens?”

Peter scowled. “Laughing. Sitting. Existing.”

A silence between friends.

MJ spoke as if she was uncomfortable saying something very obvious. “Peter. Buddy. My guy.”

Ned was agreeing with her. “You might be in love.”

“I’m NOT—this isn’t like that!”

MJ leaned in with mock seriousness. “Then what is it?”

Peter hesitated. He didn’t have an answer. Only that her presence made him feel like something in the universe was just slightly off-kilter. Like she was a puzzle piece from a different box, too smooth to fit in this messy, cracked world.

And yet… she smiled like she belonged here. Like everything was fine.

“Maybe it’s a teenager thing? Your senses go mad because you are a little piece of shitty teenager?” MJ spoke without looking at them.

“I don’t know, maybe. It shouldn’t be this way. I’m always on the edge.”

They stopped talking when their teacher throws them angry glances.

The bell rang.

Peter bolted upright, nearly knocking his chair over.

She stood at the same time. Her movements were slow. Unbothered. Like she wasn’t swimming in the same storm that Peter apparently was. Her eyes met his for half a second — soft, unreadable — and then she turned and walked out with her notebook hugged to her chest.

MJ gave Peter a solid smack on the shoulder as they followed her out.

“Be normal,” she said.

“I am normal,” Peter muttered.

Ned snorted. “You flinched when she sneezed earlier.”

“That sneeze had intent, man.”

They sat outside at one of the picnic tables, mostly because Peter claimed he needed “air”. Unfortunately, she ended up choosing the table next to theirs anyway.

Peter tried not to notice. He failed.

She was eating strawberries. MJ noticed him noticing.

“We’re gonna prove something,” MJ whispered.
“What?”
“That she’s not some undercover demon. That she’s just a nice girl who likes berries.”

She stood up and casually walked over to her. Peter watched like she was approaching a wild animal.

“Hey. New girl.”

She looked up. “Hi.”

“I forgot my lunch. Can I steal one of those strawberries?”

She smiled and nodded instantly. “Of course.”

Peter blinked. “What.”

MJ sat back down, chewing slowly. “Yep. Pure evil.”

Ned: “Confirmed.”

Peter rubbed his temples. “That doesn’t prove anything.”

“She also complimented my playlist when I walked by earlier,” MJ said. “So, she’s clearly trying to infiltrate our souls with kindness.”

Peter groaned.

Then looked over.

The girl was staring at the sky, lips parted slightly like she was listening to something no one else could hear.

“Why is she alone anyways? Wasn’t she surrounded by people all the time?”

Ned exhaled. “Dude, everybody needs some space sometimes. Now you are just trying to find errors.”

They talked a bit more and returned to their classroom when the bell ring. But this time Peter couldn’t escaped her. She was sitting beside him, listening to their teacher.

It was his destiny. He was going to sit there; nothing could stop that.

At the middle of class hour; something happened, something he wasn’t prepared for.

She turned slightly in her seat, just enough to whisper:

“Do I make you nervous?”

Peter blinked.

“What?”

She didn’t fully turn. Just kept her head tilted, almost like she wasn’t sure if she should’ve said anything at all.
“You’re always… tight, around me. Like you’re waiting to bolt.”

His throat went dry.

“I—no. I’m just… like that.”

“Around other people?”

He wanted to say ‘around you’— but couldn’t. “No, around people I don’t know. Don’t worry.”

Time flew by like this. His spider-sense was always exploding and was at the edge of going mad. But he ended the school day without doing anything weird.

He went home quickly; he had homework and needed to finish them early. He had patrol duty. He didn’t think anything during his way to home nor his homework. He was focused.

He hoped this carried on to his patrol but it didn’t.

“Do I make you nervous?”

Yes, obviously. But not in the way she thought. Not in the way he could explain without sounding insane.

His Spider-Sense had never reacted like this, not even to actual threats. It didn’t spike. It hummed. Buzzed. Wrapped around his ribs and tugged, like it was urging him toward her. Constant, low-level panic.

“You’re always tight around me,” she had said.

Peter stopped on a rooftop, crouched over the ledge, watching the street below. Cars passed. Lights blinked. Somewhere, someone was shouting over a hot dog cart.

He sighed and mumbled, “I’m losing it.”

Then sirens in his head started to ring, it was like his mind was gonna explode. It meant serious danger. He had to find the source; somebody might me in danger.

Spider-Man leapt between rooftops. He was checking every corner, alley and street. Then he found it, an alley. A woman and a man. Man was holding a knife towards the woman. His senses became more urgent.

The closer he got, the more his spider-sense made his head spin, and when he got close enough, he recognized the woman, she was Minari.

He landed between them and throw webs to the knife and caused it to bang to the wall next to the man.

He started to run back in alley when he saw Spider-Man and lost his weapon. Spider-Man was supposed to follow him but unable to do so.

His head was killing him. He couldn’t hear anything, see anything. It was like his world was collapsing.

“Are you okay?”

He shook his head. “Yeah… I’m fine. I just need some- Just a little time.”

He leaned back against the wall, his hand gripping the brick surface tightly. He was trying to regain his composer but his head was spinning and it was getting hard to focus.

“Oh my god! You don’t seem well at all!” She crouch right next to him. She was worried and didn’t know what to do. “Are you hurt?”

Spider-Man wasn’t able to talk so he just shook his head negatively.

Then, Minari placed her hand on his shoulder.

Silence.

Everything was gone. All the buzzling in his head, all those noises were gone. He lifted his head to look at her. She looked calm too.

“Are you okay?” She asked again. His answer should be different now.

“Yeah, I’m… I’m okay.” He was okay. Really okay. Actually, he never felt better in the last 7 days. “How did you do that?”

She looked at him with empty eyes. “How did I do what?”

He didn’t ask her twice. He was melting under her touch.

“Okay then. Thank you for saving me but I got to go. Thank you so much.”

She turned and went straight to the crowded street, leaving Spider-Man in the alley.

It took some time for him to pull up his mind and leave. She just touched him and… He was in perfect condition.

The world was a perfect place, being alive was the most precious thing. The sun was shining, even though it was night. He felt like he was with his mother, father, Aunt May and all his beloved friends; eating dinner or just chatting. Everything was good.

 He shook his head and returned to his patrol for the rest of the night…

Chapter Text

It hadn’t been long since Minari enrolled in this school, but she was already well known. Not in the flashy, loud way most popular students were. It was something gentler. People liked her. Easily. She was always kind, always calm. If someone had a problem, she’d try to help. And even if she couldn’t solve it, somehow, people walked away a little lighter.

Not just that- things simply didn’t go wrong around her. Fights fizzled out. Awkward loners got included. It was like bad energy didn’t know what to do with her.

You couldn’t feel bad around Minari. Well- most people couldn’t.

Peter Parker was the exception.

At first, it wasn’t obvious. That was part of what made her so suspicious in Peter’s eyes. He watched her constantly now, carefully. And by the end of the week, he noticed something strange:

Stress just didn’t survive near her.

It started with simple things. She’d hand a tissue to a crying student. A normal gesture. But instead of sniffling harder, they’d go still - as if a wave passed through them. A full-body exhale and calmness.

That could’ve been coincidence.

But then came the cafeteria incident.

Two known bullies were yelling over a missing earbud, ready to throw punches. Peter saw the moment it would turn ugly - tight shoulders, flared nostrils.

Then Minari sat at the next table. And smiled at them.

Just that. A quiet, unshaken smile.

They stopped mid-sentence. Blinked. Looked confused, then embarrassed.
And a second later - they apologized, really quietly. Sat down together and ate in silence.

Peter’s jaw clenched. It had felt like magic.
And worse, when she smiled… he had calmed down too. Just like them.

Teachers adored her too. Even the ones Peter couldn’t stand. Like Mr. Martin - strictest man alive, allergic to late homework.

During their last lesson, someone admitted they forgot to turn theirs in. Peter braced for the explosion.

But at that exact moment, Minari walked by and set hers on the table, like any other student.

Mr. Martin… paused. Looked at her. Then turned to the student and smiled. “It’s alright. Bring it tomorrow.”

Peter almost fell out of his seat.

That had never happened before.

Of course, Peter didn’t know everything.

He didn’t know that after school, Minari often walked to Queens’ older neighborhoods.

That she stopped at shelters.

That she volunteered at crisis centers.

That she helped people not because she had to - but because she knew what it was like to be cracked and quiet and still choosing softness anyway

That evening, she arrived at the community center. The one that homeless or poor people go.

Inside: cots, blankets, cold fluorescent lights… People speaking in low, uncertain voices.

They weren’t physically hurt. But they looked hollow.

Some kind of wave had swept through the neighborhood. Fear, dread, disorientation. No one knew what had caused it. But something had rattled the air.

Minari set down her bag.

The coordinator greeted her with a warm smile. “You came back. We don’t get many high schoolers returning after one shift.”

“I like being here,” Minari said. And meant it.

She handed out tea. Sat with a woman who hadn’t spoken in a day. Read a picture book to siblings too scared to sleep.

And when one of them cried, she didn’t say anything wise or profound.

She just stayed close.

That was usually enough.

Later, the TV buzzed quietly from the corner. News headlines scrolled across the screen:

“Police investigating unexplained psychic episode…”
“Multiple victims emotionally traumatized, no signs of physical harm…”
“Possible meta-human involvement suspected…”

Minari watched in silence.

Her fingers brushed the pendant at her collar - something old and half-remembered. Something that hummed when the world cracked like this.

And though she didn’t know what caused it…
She knew she would be there when the next tremor came.

Chapter Text

Seeing Minari laugh with the most problematic kid in their school made Peter feel aomething. He didn’t want to get effected by whatever she does- even if it would help him.

He decided to stay away from her. It would help with the spider senses too. They weren’t as laud as they were but still there.

He avoided eye contact. Just shook his head when she said good morning. Didn’t turn towards her when he was giving her the homework sheet- even when she said thank you.

That wasn’t easy. He was feeling unstable, high then low; stressed then calm.

Then, Minari sat next to him in lab – she didn’t let Ned sit, he didn’t seem upset about it. But Peter was.

Although he thought he nailed it, he wasn’t fooling anyone. Minari was aware of everything.

First, he felt calmer and calmer, then heard her voice: “How are you feeling, Peter?”

It was like a lullaby to his ears. How was he feeling? He felt great for a second, but when he realized it; he tried to feel the opposed.

“You look like you’re holding your breath.” She spoke.

Peter looked into her eyes for the first time in that day. “I’m okay.”

It was a lie- obviously.

But she knows the weight of a lie when she hears it.

She smiled at him and return to their assignment.

Peter thought he would have a heart attack at that moment.

He rushed to his locker when the bell rang. At least it was lunch break, so he could stay away from her for a while. He couldn’t be more wronged.

When he reached at his friends’ table, he saw that Minari was there too. Speaking cheerfully with his friends.

He sat beside Ned.

“Dude, did you know that Minari was volunteering at the community center?”

Ned was asking him to prove that she was just a nice person. Maybe he was right- but that would be accepting that something was wrong with Peter instead of Minari.

“That’s… Nice Minari.”

Peter stuttered when speaking- Minari was smiling at him. Not like his hollow-hearted ones. Like it was coming from her heart.

He wanted to ask why did she smile like that, how she could fix everyone around her while breaking Peter? Did she know she break him? That she was the cause of non-stopping tingling in his head. That, he was afraid of her getting hurt even from a sharp pen?

He managed to not think about her rest of the day- until his patrol.

The city should’ve been asleep.

But something was wrong.

Spider-Man crouched on a rooftop above Midtown, eyes narrowing. Sirens weren’t blaring yet. No screaming. No running. But his Spider-Sense had flared minutes ago- louder than it had in days.

He knew this signal now. It was the same as last week: The psychic pressure. The emotional static.

He landed in the alley behind the city hall its back door wide open. No security alarm. No broken glass. Just… silence.

He entered.

Inside: cold air. One body - slumped in the center of the building, blood already pooling beneath it.

A woman, late 40s. Her eyes still open, mouth frozen mid-breath.

And around her, spread like the ripples of a stone thrown in a lake: people curled against the walls, clutching their heads, gasping. Not injured—at least not physically.

They looked like they were drowning in their own fear.

Spider-Man dropped to his knees next to one of them. A teen. Hands shaking. Eyes vacant.

“What happened?” he whispered.

The girl didn’t respond—just trembled violently. Her pulse was there, but faint.

That’s when he saw him.

At the far end of the gallery, half-lit in the glow of a broken EXIT sign: Soma.

Dressed in quiet shades - gray coat, dark gloves, like the absence of color. Like he had stepped out of someone’s nightmare and borrowed a man’s skin.

“You again,” Spider-Man muttered.

Soma tilted his head slowly. “I didn’t come for you, you know. But you always chase me like a loyal dog.”

His voice didn’t echo. It was flat, heavy. Like it pressed against the eardrums instead of passing through them.

“You killed her,” Peter growled, gesturing to the woman. “Why?”

“She was a scientist. A designer of cages.”

A pause.

“Cages meant for people like me.”

Soma took a step forward. Peter didn’t move.

“They say it was for protection. Containment. Registration.”
He looked down at his hands. “But it always starts with cages.”

Peter’s fists tightened. “So, you murdered her.”

Soma’s expression didn’t change. “I silenced her fear. That’s all. The rest…” He glanced around at the whimpering victims. “Collateral empathy.”

Spider-Man lunged. He couldn’t take another word.

But before he reached him- Soma vanished. Not in a blur. Not with a sound. Just… gone.

The psychic wave lifted instantly. Peter stumbled back, gasping like he'd been submerged. One of the victims coughed. Another blinked slowly.

He reached for his comms, but hesitated.

This wasn’t something he could fix with a web.

Later that night.

Peter leaned against a bus stop outside the site of the attack.

Soma was gone. The police were there now. EMTs were trying to sort through the people who hadn’t moved in twenty minutes. Victims were scattered, some crying, some just… staring.

They needed care. More than paramedics.
They needed grounding.

Peter offered to help with transport—he couldn’t leave them there. He carried few with his webs till he reached the building

He didn’t expect to see her again.

But when they arrived at the temporary support center- an old gymnasium converted into a trauma shelter- Minari was already there.

Same oversized hoodie and a clipboard. Same steady, radiant quiet.

She was pouring water into paper cups when she looked up. And paused.

Peter froze.

Minari didn’t say anything right away. She just walked to Spider-Man and helped the first victim down, murmuring something soft as she guided them inside.

Peter followed like a ghost.

And then- her hand brushed his sleeve.

“You look worse than some of them,” she said gently.

He didn’t deny it. He couldn’t. Not after what he’d seen.

“I’m fine,” he muttered.

“You’re not, Spider-Man.”

She didn’t push further. She never did. Instead, she handed him a cup of water.
Then… her hand rested briefly on his shoulder.

That hum. That warmth.
His senses dulled. The sting in his chest vanished. The headache pulsed once- and quieted.

It was just like before.

He stared at her. The way she focused on someone else already. Like he hadn’t just drowned and been revived in a single breath.

She calmed the room without even trying.

Peter stood there, away from eyes, until last of the victims left the support center. Just like Minari. He didn’t know why he stayed there; he just waited.

When Minari was free from the work, she returned to Spider-Man. “You’re still here?”

Spider looked at her with his expressionless mask. “Couldn’t leave before everyone did.”

“Wanna talk about it?” She was gentle. Like when somebody wants to pet a stray.

Peter just looked at her eyes under his mask. He didn’t know what to say.

Yeah, I want to talk about it, how can you calm everyone? Why do I feel better around you?

“There’s nothing to talk about. I’m just here to make sure that everybody is safe.”

Minari shook her head up and down. It didn’t matter if she believed him or not. She was polite enough not to push him.

“So, you help people feel better?”

Seeing Spider-Man with a 45 cm angle- looking at her made Minari smile- until her eyes closed.

That even made Peter worse. He wasn’t feeling calm until he saw it, like she was turned off her mysterious powers- but now, with that smile…

“Something like that, Spider.”

Peter shook his head. It was getting late- actually, it was very late.

“You look young. Don’t you have school tomorrow? Let me give you a ride.”

Minari thought about it for a second and said yes. “Okay but, like, how?”

Peter smiled at her even if he knew she couldn’t see it. He warped his arm around her waist and throw his webs into the night.

Chapter Text

“Dude, I thought we were over this.”

Peter come out of his trans and looked at MJ back. “What?”

“You are starring again. Why?”

Yeah, he was looking at her, again- but this was different. It wasn’t because of suspicion; it was because of curiosity.

Peter didn’t answer right away. He just watched Minari laugh at something, her hand resting lightly on her notebook. No buzzing, no alarms. Just… that hum. Like his body was remembering something his brain hadn’t caught up to yet.

That night was supposed to fade. Just another weird moment in the life of Spider-Man.

But she had touched his shoulder, and he’d felt… peace.

Not relief. Not safety.
Peace.

And God, he needed that. Especially now. He’d been spinning out until he got to school. Until he saw Minari. Somehow, she calmed him- like she had in the alley. Like she had at the trauma shelter. Without even trying.

Soma’s attacks were happening regularly; Peter had noticed the pattern now. Every three days. Three attacks already. Which meant… the next one was soon.

Too soon.

Peter’s calm was unraveling just thinking about it. After he left Minari to her house, his calmness only carried him for a few hours. After that, the stress came roaring back.

How could he save the person Soma going to attack when he doesn’t even know who that is? Everything would be easier if he could understand who Soma was, but he had no idea about that.

And, being around Minari was helping him. He didn’t know how or why. He wasn’t in love or something, he didn’t even know her. But he was feeling calm and happy around her, like other people do. In fact, this made Peter want to spend more time with her.

He was unaware that this situation was actually causing him distress. Why was he feeling this way? He was feeling calm, happy and thoughtful at the same time. Where did even his spider-senses go? He wasn’t sensing any tingle since morning, was that normal?

MJ and Ned got up from the bench to go for their next lesson, and Peter followed. And with every step away from Minari, he felt it; the calm peeling off his chest like smoke. The tension crawling back in.

He wanted to stay near her.

He told himself it was fine. She’d come to class eventually.

But somehow… that didn’t feel like enough.

Peter followed MJ and Ned down the hallway, trying to shake the strange tightness in his chest. The kind that didn’t feel like danger. Just… ache.

He didn’t say anything. Neither did they. But MJ shot him a look over her shoulder — the kind that said we’ll talk about this later.

They slid into their usual seats just before the bell rang. Peter opened his notebook, stared at the first page, and tried to remember what the subject even was.

The door opened again, and Minari stepped in.

Peter didn’t look up.

He didn’t need to.

He could feel it. That slight shift in the room. Like someone had opened a window and let the pressure out. Like the air got easier to breathe, just by her being in it.

He kept his eyes down.

Don’t be weird. Just be normal. She’s just a classmate.

Mr. Gordon walked in a few seconds later, shuffling papers in his hands.

“Alright, class,” he said without preamble. “Hope you all had your caffeine this morning, because it’s time for group work.”

A collective groan echoed through the room.

Peter tensed.

Mr. Gordon smirked. “You’ll be working in pairs on a short presentation due next week. Topics are on the board. You can choose your teammate.”

Then, Peter did something even he didn’t expect himself to do. He went straight to Minari’s desk.

Minari turned her head slightly to meet his eyes and blinked once; calm, soft, unreadable.

He didn’t know why. Maybe he wanted to feel stress-free for a longer period. Just maybe.

“Hello Parker. I didn’t think you would be this eager to be paired with me.”

There it was. That soft, kind; smile and look. He couldn’t speak. He was mesmerized.

“Y-yeah… I thought we could break some ice, you know?” He was nervous somehow. But it was okay. He wasn’t stressed or something.

Minari tilted her head. “Breaking ice?”
Her tone wasn’t teasing. It was genuine curiosity, like she was still getting used to the idea that someone would approach her like this.

Peter rubbed the back of his neck. “You know. Just… working together. For the project.”
He paused. “Unless you already picked someone-”

“I didn’t.”
She closed her notebook and stood, motioning toward the empty desk right next to her. “Let’s sit?”

He moved. Peter felt every step like he was walking across glass, even though nothing was actually wrong. In fact, that was the problem.
Everything felt too okay. Like the silence between them wasn’t awkward, it was comfortable.

She opened her notebook. “What topic are you hoping for?”

Peter blinked. “Huh?”

She pointed at the list on the board. “I was thinking maybe number four. ‘The Ethics of Surveillance in Modern Science.’ It sounds… dramatic. But important.”

Peter nodded slowly. “Yeah. That actually sounds cool.”

She smiled again, small but sincere. “Cool.”

They got to work in soft murmurs, jotting down a few ideas, passing a tablet between them to look at articles.

And for once, for once, Peter felt like time wasn’t chasing him. No alarms. No buzzing. Just two people sharing a desk, pencil scratches and page flips the only noise between them.

When they made it to the end of the class, their teacher announced the presentation schedule. They were going to present it on Wednesday.

“So, are you free after school? I got two hours free time. If you are okay, we can meet at a café and work on drafting and some articles?”

Yeah, he would love that. Did he have anything to do after school? He hoped he don’t because he was going to accept the offer anyways.

After they agreed on time and where to meet, Peter left her and went to hang out with his friends. He even forgot about his stress until he walked away from Minari enough for it to run back to him.

“You left me alone for the project, dude. I will never forget that. I will remember this…”

Peter laughed and gave him a piece of cookie from his backpack. “Sorry, I needed that. I’ll make it up to you.”

They chatted and took other classes as always. Ended the day without any damage.

After the last bell rang, Peter rushed to his home to leave her bag and take necessary things. He didn’t have much time. He took his stuff and went to the agreed café.

It was a calm one. There weren’t many people, perfect to study. And plus, it had great cakes.

After a few minutes, Minari came too. Peter could tell it without looking at the door because… tingle was back. His spider-senses was trying to kill him again. The buzzing. The pressure. It was back, loud and sharp.

Why? Why now? Why again?

Peter winced, holding his head. The pressure spiked as she approached. She was getting closer.

He opened his eyes to look at Minari and met her serious eyes. She was coming to him.

“Peter?” She sat to the chair and put her hand on his shoulder…

The buzzing died. The world exhaled. Peter could breathe.

He calmed down and breath a few before lifting his head up to look at Minari.

Minari was staring at him, wide-eyed. Shocked. Her mouth was slightly open. Eyebrows lifted. Staring right into his eyes.

What was this shocking? He didn’t make a scene right? He was just holding his head. Nothing more.

“W-what?”

Minari pulled her hand back and smiled, like everything was okay. “Nothing. Let’s start.”

Just like that, they started their two hours session. They were analyzing articles and drafting slides.

“Yep,” Minari said, stretching her arms. “That should be enough for today.”

Peter shook his head and rubbed his eyes. “Couldn’t agree more. So, what are your plans after this?”

Minari looked at him with thoughtful eyes. “Hmm… I volunteered at the support center. There are hella work because of the trauma shelter. Would you like to come?”

Trauma shelter, helping center for Soma’s victims.

Would Peter want to help people without his costume or webs? Absolutely.

“Count me in. Let’s go.”

When they packed up, Peter stood and adjusted his backpack. “You sure I'll be helful at the shelter?” he asked, still trying to act normal.

Minari gave him a look that was both knowing and kind. “I think you’ll want to see it.”

That was all she said.

The shelter was quieter than before. Not empty. Just… hushed. Like a place still breathing through bruises.

Peter followed Minari inside. She moved like she belonged there, like the air made more sense around her.

They didn’t talk much. Just passed out water. Straightened blankets. Sat with people who couldn’t stop shaking.

And Peter noticed something he hadn’t before:
She didn’t try to fix anyone.
She didn’t offer advice or platitudes.
She just stayed.

Present. Gentle. Unmoving.

At one point, Peter paused by a girl sitting against the far wall,  same one he’d helped pull from the city hall incident.

She still wasn’t speaking. Her fingers trembled in her lap.

Minari approached and knelt beside her. She didn’t ask questions. Just handed her a warm drink, then sat, shoulder to shoulder.

Minutes passed.
The girl slowly stopped shaking. Her breathing slowed.

Peter watched. His throat felt tight.

Minari glanced back at him, catching his eyes.

There was no accusation in her gaze. No surprise. No fear.
Only understanding.

She knew.

But she said nothing.

And Peter, for once, was grateful for the silence.

Chapter Text

It was the kind of morning that made you forget things went wrong in the world.

The sun sat lazy and golden in the sky, not too harsh, not too soft; like it had been painted there just for the occasion. The streets shimmered with leftover dew, and the school buses waiting at the curb gleamed under it like polished beetles.

Students trickled in with half-zipped backpacks, iced coffees, and museum waivers crumpled in their pockets. There was a hum in the air, the low-grade electricity of leaving school grounds, of being almost free but not quite. Teachers gave tired instructions.

But Peter’s head was too full to notice any of it. It was the fourth day, the attack day. Soma was going to be active tonight. Not just that, what if he sat next to Minari and acted weird again like he did at the café?

He didn’t want to sit next to her. Just being near her was enough for him to get calm, being right next to her was unnecessary. He could sit far from her and still be okay. But apparently Ned had other plans.

While everyone quickly filled the bus, Ned pushed Peter to the back of the line, far from Ned and MJ. It was clear that Peter was going to sit alone, so he put on his earpods.

When he set his step inside the bus, he realized the only empty seat. Of course, it was next to Minari. He just sent a glance to Ned and made his way to her.

He wasn’t listening to anything, but with every step closer to her, melodies began rising in his ears. A little smile rosed on his lips. It was okay.

“Hello Minari. It looks like we’re going to sit together.”

Minari smiled at him with tired eyes. “Yeah, how nice.”

She was tired, it was obvious. He wanted to know why. She was still smiling tho, so it should be fine.

He sat in his seat and started to look at her. “Are you okay? You look tired. Did you sleep well?”

Minari, to her surprise, began to smile more sincerely.

“Yeah, I’m a little bit tired. I had a hard time trying to sleep last night. You are the first person to notice it, thanks for asking.”

Peter felt proud. He was all pumped up as if he had accomplished something. He wanted to stand up and shout as ‘I did, you losers!’ Maybe he even would if they weren’t on the road already.

When he noticed that he continued to look at Minari strangely even after they finished talking, Minari started talking again.

“Anyways, I think I’ll sleep through the ride. Do you mind if I borrow your shoulder?”

Her voice entered his brain from one ear and left from the other. He nodded, he think he nodded because she throw one last smile at him and put on her earpods.

He turned straight, waited for her next move.

The weight he felt on his shoulder felt as if the world slowed down. When he slowly shifted his gaze to his shoulder, he saw Minari lying with her eyes closed. He turned his head back to the seat in front of him.

His heart was beating irregularly.

BADUM BADUM

He felt a pressure in his head. A sense of unease, of stress. At the same time, he felt excited.

He was aware that his hands were shaking. When had he started the music in his ears?

At least, she was sleeping peacefully.

The bus hissed to a stop outside the Queens Museum of Neurotechnology & Psychological History, a sleek, modern building all glass and white stone, gleaming like a sculpture in the sun. Students peeled themselves off the vinyl seats one by one, stretching limbs and adjusting backpacks, voices rising in that lazy excitement reserved for school trips and long weekends.

Peter stayed seated a second longer.

Minari shifted against his shoulder, blinking herself awake. Her eyes were still glazed with sleep, lashes fluttering as she sat up, pulling a stray headphone from her ear.

“Oh. Sorry,” she mumbled, brushing her hair back. “You make a good pillow.”

Peter’s heart was trying to kill him again. “Anytime,” he said, and meant it too much.

Sunlight bounced off the museum’s chrome accents and glass walls, flashing across the group of high schoolers as they stepped out into the light.

Peter followed last, backpack slung low, heart still uneven from the ride.

He didn’t know why sitting next to Minari felt like slipping beneath the surface of something warm and quiet, but it did. And now, as she stepped out in front of him and stretched slightly under the morning sun, Peter felt that weird ache again. The kind of ache you don’t want to fix.

“Don’t get lost,” one of the chaperones shouted. “And remember, the meeting room in the west wing is off-limits. Big science talk happening today.”

Students barely listened. They clustered in loose groups on the stone steps, laughing, tugging hoodies off their heads, taking selfies in front of the museum’s carved lettering.

Peter wasn’t laughing. He was watching Minari again.

It wasn’t suspicion anymore. Not even confusion. It was just… her. The way her hair caught the wind. The way she squinted into the sun like she belonged to it. The way she made everything feel slightly less sharp, like life wasn’t out to cut him open all the time.

“You good?” MJ asked, sidling up beside him.

Peter blinked. “Yeah. Just tired.”

She raised an eyebrow. “Right. Definitely not pining.”

He didn’t answer.

Inside, the museum was cooler. Quieter. Almost too quiet for a field trip. Their sneakers echoed faintly across polished floors. Exhibits flanked both sides, neural mapping timelines, emotion-sensing devices from the '90s, outdated cognitive headsets, flickering simulation screens. Some cases lit up automatically when students got close.

Peter walked through it all like in a dream. Everything felt distant, until he spotted Minari again near an exhibit labeled “Emotion-Linked Neural Networks: Early Experiments.”

She stood in front of it like she wasn’t seeing tech at all, like she was looking at something older. Something sad.

Peter didn’t approach her. He didn’t need to.

His chest tightened the way it did when he was about to leap off a rooftop. Not from fear. From anticipation.

He liked her.

And it terrified him.

Before he could linger on that too long, one of the guides clapped their hands. “Alright, folks, we’re splitting into groups for the self-guided tour. Don’t forget to take your notes for the report. Please keep clear of the west wing meeting room, there’s a closed session with guest scientists.”

He didn't have time to run away when Minari suddenly turned around. Peter broke out in a sweat as Minari approached him with a gentle smile.

“Hi, I guess you won’t be able to run away from me today, haha.”

Peter’s tense face suddenly relaxed when he heard her laugh. His lips curled before he realized. “I guess you are right. Not that I'm complaining. Let’s start.”

With that, they started their tour.

While they were looking around Peter realized that Minari was still looked tired. Like something was consuming her energy somehow. He didn’t want her to tire herself out.

“Hey, if you want to; we can head back and sit at a café. You don’t look very well. Report is not that important anyways. I can talk to the teacher and handle it later. If you want to, of course.”

Peter knew he was talking nonsense. The same words kept coming out of his mouth. He kept forgetting the beginning of sentences, unable to finish them. He kept forgetting what he was going to say in his leaky excitement.

Just as he was about to say something else, he noticed Minari's flushed cheeks. She was eating her lip and looking down at the floor.

“N-no, it’s okay. Let’s return to tour.”

As they walk around and talk, Minari become worse. It wasn’t just her, Peter felt weird too. He was feeling just… bad.

It was just bits and pieces. The feeling would come and go. It wasn't enough to dampen the mood.

They decided to go where the crowd was.

The museum’s east hall swelled with students clustered around exhibits on neural interfaces and emotion-mapping tech. A buzz of conversation echoed between the displays, punctuated by laughter and sneakers squeaking on polished tile.

Peter should have been focused on the exhibits, or on Minari, who still looked pale and distracted. But the unease in his chest was growing.

Something didn’t feel right.

Then, it shifted.

At first, it was hard to notice. A drop in the noise, like someone pressed mute on the world’s background sound. Students' voices thinned, and the ambient hum of the museum exhibits dimmed under the weight of something colder, heavier.

Peter slowed his steps. Minari stopped completely.

She blinked hard and touched her chest, like she was trying to catch her breath.

“Peter,” she said, her voice faint. “Something’s… wrong.”

He turned fully toward her and caught it in her expression — a tight, unblinking dread.

And she wasn’t the only one.

Around them, students started clutching at their arms, looking confused, dizzy, disoriented. One girl sat down abruptly against the wall, eyes darting. A boy next to her began to shake.

Peter’s breath caught in his throat.

Soma. He’s here.

He glanced at Minari. Her hand had moved to her temple, her shoulders trembling slightly. She looked like she was fighting off a wave of pressure inside her skull.

Peter touched her arm. “Minari. Are you-”

She flinched.

“I… I can’t-” Her voice was cracking. “There’s too much. It’s like, everything bad all at once-”

Her knees nearly buckled but Peter caught her, just barely.

He needed to move. Fast.

There were too many people here. Too much panic building.

“Stay here,” he said quickly, setting her gently against a bench. “Just breathe. I’ll be right back.”

Minari didn’t respond. She was staring ahead, glassy-eyed, frozen. Peter hesitated for a second longer. He didn’t want to leave her, but Spider-Man was needed now.

So, he slipped away. Down a side hall. Behind a display.

Seconds later, Spider-Man swung up through a side service corridor and burst back into the main wing just in time.

Screams. A security alarm half-triggered and then glitched out. And Soma, right in the middle of it.

He was taller than Peter remembered. His movements slow, deliberate. The mask across his face flickered like circuitry, distorting slightly at the edges. Behind him, an older man; a scientist, badge still on his coat; lay slumped near the glass wall of the closed meeting room.

Soma stood over him, one hand extended.

“Stop!” Spider-Man landed between them. “It’s not your day, buddy.”

Soma tilted his head. “You again.”

The voice was too calm for someone mid-murder attempt. But Peter didn’t wait. He launched forward, webs flying.

They clashed hard.

Soma fought like a blunt instrument; no finesse, just overwhelming force. He fed off fear, grew sharper with every second. But Peter fought back fast, pushing him toward the museum’s higher-level exhibits to isolate the battle.

At first, Peter was holding his own.

But then Soma twisted his wrist mid-swing and raised his hand; not to strike, but to unleash.

A wave hit Peter like a storm surge crashing through glass. Not physical: emotional. The world spun, then contracted into a pinpoint of grief, guilt, and loss.

His breath caught. His knees hit the floor.

The fight dropped out of him like his bones had turned to ash.

He couldn’t move.

Couldn’t think.

Every person he couldn’t save.

Every scream he’d ever heard. Every time he arrived too late. Every headline blaming him. Every glance that said: You failed them.

It was all there.

Screaming in his head.

“Stop,” Peter choked out, curled slightly on the floor, shaking. “Stop! Please-”

But Soma didn’t move. He stood like a conductor in a concert hall, watching Peter crumble beneath the weight of his own mind.

A dry sob escaped Peter’s chest. Then another. He curled tighter, covering his ears, trying to shut it out, but the wave wouldn’t let go.

A sound tore out of him- a scream full of everything he kept buried. Raw and helpless.

People on the floors below heard it.

They heard Spider-Man scream.

But something was changing.

Minari’s breath had steadied. Her hands still trembled, but her gaze was locked forward now, aware.

She pushed herself up slowly. The emotional static in the room was unbearable; echoes of fear, despair, confusion, all bouncing off each other like ricochets in her head.

But she closed her eyes.

She remembered the girl in the trauma shelter. The one she didn’t say a word to, just sat with. Just breathed beside.

Minari inhaled deeply.

Then, she reached out.

To the nearest student; barely standing.

A gentle hand on the arm.

A soft word.

One by one, her presence rippled out. Students nearest to her began to steady. Crying turned to breathing. Shaking to stillness. Like fog pulling back from glass.

And then-

Soma felt it.

Mid-swing, his head snapped in the direction of the lower floors. His fist missed its mark.

The wave of strength that had been building, was suddenly… stalling.

His breath hitched.

“What…?” he muttered, eyes glowing faintly through the mask.

Something was wrong.

He turned, looking over Spider-Man’s shoulder toward the crowd.

Someone was unraveling his work.

Not with force. Not with tech. With calm, presence.

He saw her.

Minari.

Standing in the middle of it all; soft, quiet, steady… Reaching one hand toward a sobbing student on the floor.

And for the briefest flicker of a second…

He felt it too.

Stillness. Peace.

Then it vanished.

And he wanted it back.

He didn’t know what she was. But he knew one thing with terrifying clarity:

He needed her.

Soma’s gaze locked on her.
His posture changed. Less predator, more… haunted. Like he was remembering something long buried. Or yearning for something he had no name for.

But the moment passed.

A rumble built in his chest. He spun toward Spider-Man, voice sharper now, almost panicked.

“What is she?” he demanded, like Spider-Man would know.

Peter forced himself upright. His limbs still shook. His mind still rang like shattered glass. But Minari’s presence… he could feel it too now. That strange quiet in the chaos. That thread of calm he could follow, even here.

“She’s…” Spider-Man steadied his voice, web-shooters raised, “...not yours.”

Soma growled; inhuman and low.

Another psychic pulse pulsed outward, weaker this time. His strength was dipping. Fear was slipping out of his grasp as Minari pulled people out from under it.

He couldn’t feed. He couldn’t win.

With a distorted crackle of light, Soma stepped back into the shadows of the exhibit. And vanished.

No explosion. No theatrics. Just... absence.

Like a nightmare slipping behind your eyes again.

The emergency lights flickered. Students groaned softly, like waking from heavy sleep. A few sat up, confused, their terror already beginning to blur at the edges. Security scrambled in from other wings, calling for medics and lockdown protocols.

But Peter stayed there for a second longer.

Breathing. Alive. Shaking.

Then he turned, and saw her.

Minari.

Standing exactly where she’d been. A few students still leaning on her, others just breathing easier nearby. Her eyes met his from across the chaos.

She didn’t smile.

She simply stood there, calm at the center of the storm. And somehow, that made everything stop.

Chapter Text

The museum lights flickered like dying stars.

She stood in the middle of the east hall, but it didn’t feel like the real one. The glass was too clean. The silence too heavy. Every footstep echoed like it came from somewhere else.

Then she saw him.

Peter.

Or, not Peter. Not exactly.

Spider-Man was on the floor, curled in on himself like a child trying not to drown. His suit was torn in places, and his breath came out in broken sobs. His fingers clawed weakly at the tile, as if digging for something under it.

He was screaming. Not from pain. Not exactly.

It was worse than that.

The kind of scream that empties your lungs of everything but regret. The kind that says: I’ve failed. Again.

Minari tried to move toward him. Her legs wouldn’t work.

A cold air swept behind her like gravity had shifted, and that’s when she felt it.

Him.

She turned her head slowly, too slowly. Soma was there. Not attacking or moving. Just… watching her.

His head tilted slightly, as if studying something fragile in a jar. His mask flickered. And his voice—flat and calm—echoed into her skull without moving his mouth.

“What are you?”

The tiles beneath her cracked.

And she fell-

Minari gasped awake, hands fisting her sheets. Sweat clung to her neck. The air in her room was still, but her breath came in short, ragged bursts.

It was just a dream. Just a dream.

She said it out loud like a spell. Like repetition could make it true. Like she did the day before.

“Just a dream.” 

But her hands were still trembling. And for some reason, her chest still felt like it was echoing with Peter’s scream.

She needed to calm herself and start her day.

On the other hand, Peter was having a wonderful morning.

He shuffled into the kitchen, hair sticking up in ten different directions, hoodie half-zipped. May was already at the counter, reading her phone with one hand and flipping pancakes with the other.

“You look like you fought crime in your sleep,” she said without looking up.

“Funny,” Peter mumbled, grabbing a glass of orange juice. “I actually slept… okay.”

Which wasn’t a lie. For once, he hadn’t jolted awake from nightmares of collapsing buildings or familiar voices fading into static. For once, he hadn’t felt the weight of New York pressing against his ribs. If anything, he felt… lighter.

He remembered why halfway through his juice.
Her.

Minari’s head against his shoulder on the bus. The way she laughed softly at her own joke during the tour. The way she looked at him when no one else was paying attention. It was enough to make him bite the inside of his cheek, embarrassed by the stupid grin forming on his face.

“Good dreams?” May asked, smirking over her coffee mug.

Peter nearly choked. “Uh… yeah. Normal ones. Very normal.”

He wolfed down pancakes and bolted out the door before May could press further. The air outside was cool, the kind that made your lungs sting in a good way. For the first time in weeks, Peter wasn’t dragging his feet. His chest felt like it had space in it again.

He got to school earlier than usual, the hallways still echoing with the hollow chatter of lockers slamming and sneakers squeaking. For once, he wasn’t rushing in with his shirt half-tucked; he actually had time to breathe.

“Look who decided to show up before the bell,” MJ said as she slid a book out of her locker. Her eyes flicked up to him, unimpressed but amused.

Peter grinned, a little sheepish. “What can I say? I like to keep you on your toes.”

“Please,” she said, shutting her locker with a slam. “You don’t even keep yourself on your toes.”

Ned jogged up a second later, out of breath from carrying way too many binders. “Guys! Did you hear they’re serving churros in the cafeteria today?” He shoved his glasses up, beaming like it was breaking news.

Peter laughed, falling into step between them as they made their way down the hall. The sound bounced easily off the walls, blending with the rising noise of students pouring in. For the first time in a long time, Peter didn’t feel the need to hide his smile.

As they continued their conversation, Minari appeared at the end of the long corridor. She looked thoughtful; her mind was occupied.

The group continued their pace, approaching her. Peter was happy to see Minari so early in the day, his heart arrhythmia exciting him.

He bit his lips, trying to suppress his smile. He didn’t want to seem like a creep when Minari smiled at them.

“Hello guys, how are you?”

He couldn’t hold himself; he sent his biggest smile possible to her.

They greeted her, one by one.

As they began their daily conversations, Peter was already beginning to get lost in her eyes and smile. He wasn’t interested in home works or new drink at their favorite café.

“Have you tried it, Peter?”

When he realized Minari was looking directly in his eyes, his heart started to beat even faster.

Then suddenly, Minari’s cheeks flushed. She was turning red.

She averted her eyes and started watching the ground while brushing the dust on it with her feet, bit her lips.

“P-Peter?”

She was biting her cheek as she kept her eyes fixed on Peter.

Cute

“Y-yes? I mean no… I didn’t. We can try it later if you’d like to.”

Minari smiled widely at him.

“Yeah! I would love that. I gotta go now, see you later guys.”

Peter’s hand lifted automatically, waving until she disappeared down the hall. He probably would’ve kept waving like an idiot if MJ hadn’t let out a strangled gasp beside him.

“You asked her out on a date!”

Peter frowned, not understanding what she was saying.

“What?”

Ned started laughing. “Dude, you are fast. I’m proud of you.”

He asked her out, literally.

“Oh my god! I really did that. What should I do?”

MJ and Ned laughed again. “You take her out of course! Ask her if she is free after school.”

Peter nodded at Ned. He was stressed. “What if she says I’m not busy? What if she says that she doesn’t want to go out with me?”

“Dude, she already agreed.”

Peter scratched his head.

They continued their day. While others focused in classes, Peter was focused on how to ask Minari out today.

Why didn’t I asked her while we were talking?

Why was he in such a rush? He could ask tomorrow. Yes, he would do that. He could come to school in the morning early, and ash her out.

But it was weekend tomorrow. So what? He would ask on Monday! Yes, he had the whole Monday.

He left the class by himself, smiling. He figured his problem out. He could go home with a clear mind.

As he walked down the corridor, he saw Minari, alone, leaning against the wall, watching the ground.

“Hey Minari. Are you okay?”

Minari looked at him with a half-smile. Her eyes looked tired.

“Hi, Peter. I’m… I’m okay. How are you?”

Peter knew that was a lie.

“Minari…”

Peter felt bad. Maybe he shouldn’t push her. It might be personal.

“Okay okay, I just don’t want to go home. My parents are at work and I’ll be alone. But nowadays, I don’t really like to be.”

Was this his chance?

“Well, we could try that new drink if you don’t already have plans in your head.”

Her half smiled completed fastly. “Yes, I don’t have plans. Let’s go.”

Chapter Text

Peter was happy with how his day was going. He'd gotten through school without a hitch and was heading to the café with Minari for their date.

Their first date. Unless the homework sessions counted. Did they count? Probably not. And if they did, then why was he so nervous? He’d already spent hours with Minari, sitting side by side, sharing notes, even laughing at the same dumb science memes Ned texted them.

But this felt different. Because it was just them. Because she kept smiling at him like she knew something he didn’t. Because his heart wouldn’t stop trying to punch through his ribs.

So, what was he supposed to talk about? What did people even say on dates? He needed something casual, easy-

“So,” he blurted. “Do you, uh, come to this café a lot? Wow, that sounded like a bad pickup line. I didn’t mean it like-”

Minari’s lips curled. “Not really. I usually go home after volunteering.”

"Oh, right. I don't come here much anyway."

Silence again.

Thankfully, they had reached the front of the cafe, and there would be no more awkward silence.

Peter, like a proper gentleman, opened the door for Minari and followed her inside. As he'd predicted, this gesture pleased Minari, point for Peter!

Peter followed Minari up to the counter, rehearsing what to say in his head. Just order the drink. Easy. Normal. People did this all the time without combusting.

“Two of the new raspberry-matcha things,” he blurted before the barista even looked up. “For, uh… for me. And her. For us. Together. Not like, together together. Just… classmates-together.”

He wanted to crawl into the pastry display.

The barista raised an eyebrow but punched it in without comment. Minari, however, was already laughing softly into her sleeve.

“That was… very specific,” she said as they moved aside to wait.

Peter rubbed the back of his neck. “Yeah, well, I didn’t want them to think we were, you know, together; not that it would be, like, bad if we were together, but-”

“Peter.” Minari tilted her head, her smile both kind and mischievous. “You’re overthinking ordering a drink.”

Heat crawled up his neck. He groaned and dropped his head into his hands.

Minari giggled, grabbing the drinks Peter hadn't noticed arriving, and headed towards one of the empty tables.

Despite it being afternoon, the place wasn't full. Peter felt lucky, but he knew the reason. Lately, people had been going out less, avoiding crowded places. They thought they could protect themselves from the attacks.

Perhaps they were right, Peter thought. After all, you never knew when Soma would appear, or where, or who he would attack.

Peter tightened his grip around the cup as he sat down across from Minari. Soma had a pattern. Three days. Always three days. But something in Peter’s gut told him that pattern was breaking, bending.

The last attack hadn’t gone the way Soma wanted. Which meant…

Peter swallowed hard, forcing a smile as Minari looked at him over the rim of her drink. He didn’t want her to see the storm in his chest. Not today.

Not while she was still smiling at him.

"So, do you want to talk about what happened today? Or let's say the last two days. You look tired."

Minari's smile narrowed a bit, and her gaze drifted toward the table. It was clear this topic was bothering her. Pater didn't want to talk about the things that were bothering him.

"I don't sleep well at night. Do you ever get strange dreams?"

Hell yeah.

Dreams where he ran out of web while trying to save the city as Spider-Man. Dreams where Aunt May learned the truth.

Dreams where he couldn't save anyone, where the murderers and thieves he'd brought to justice, who swore revenge, found him...

Or dreams where he realized he'd forgotten his pants while fighting someone bad. Dreams that made him lose the will to go back to sleep the next night... There were plenty of examples.

"Sometimes... Yes."

“I guess our brains don’t always want us to rest. But the day always feels less heavy when you talk to someone about it.”

Peter let out a small laugh, rubbing the back of his neck. “Yeah, maybe. But if I told you half of mine, you’d think I was crazy.”

Minari tilted her head, studying him with that soft, unreadable expression. “Crazy’s better than keeping it all in. Even silly dreams tell you something.”

Peter wanted to say Mine aren’t silly. They’re… terrifying. But instead, he shrugged. “Okay. Once I dreamed I was fighting a giant lizard, except it was also my chemistry teacher. And every time I tried to throw somethin at him, they just turned into… noodles.”

Minari blinked. Then laughed; an honest, startled laugh that made her hand fly to her mouth. “Noodles?”

“Yeah.” Peter grinned despite himself. “Like, spaghetti-thick. Totally useless. He just kept throwing homework at me, and I was stuck in this giant bowl of soup.”

Minari laughed again, the kind of laugh that made people around glance over, curious. It faded slowly, leaving her smiling at him in a way that made Peter’s stomach flip.

“See? Even your nightmares have a sense of humor,” she said, stirring her drink idly.

Peter tried to hold her gaze but found himself looking down at the swirl of raspberry matcha instead. The air between them was warm, easy. Too easy.

And then… it wasn’t.

Minari’s hand froze around her cup. Her smile lingered, but her eyes had shifted. Not on him, not on the table. Past him. Beyond him.

Peter followed her gaze toward the café window. Nothing unusual. Just people passing, a couple arguing quietly on the corner, a bus groaning at the stoplight. Normal.

But Minari’s shoulders had gone tense.

“You okay?” Peter asked quietly.

She blinked and looked back at him, her smile sliding back into place a little too quickly. “Yeah. Just… thought I saw something.”

Peter’s spider-sense gave the faintest buzz, low in his skull, then quieted again.

He tried to joke, tried to keep the air light. “What, like, giant noodle monsters?”

Minari chuckled softly, but her eyes flicked once more to the glass, thoughtful. Searching.

"Lately, I've been feeling like someone's watching me. Like there's a bell in the back of my head that just rings for no reason. I don't know if I'm making myself clear."

Peter nodded. He understood perfectly, even knowing that no one could understand her better than he did.

Peter blinked, then nodded. “Yeah. I… I get that. Sort of.”
He meant it in the most useless, human way possible: he’d felt that bell himself sometimes, a tiny ping that made his skin prickle. Usually it was the city, not people-sirens, collapsing scaffolds, the kind of noise that lived inside his chest and never quite let him rest. He didn’t say any of that. He didn’t want to put the heavy words in the air between them.

“You don’t have to explain it,” he said instead, and tried for a smile that sounded steadier than he felt. “Sometimes things just feel… off. You’re not making it up.”
Minari’s fingers tightened around her cup and then loosened. “Thanks,” she whispered. It was small, but it landed like a reply.

Peter found himself hovering in that moment, the stupid impulse to protect kicking in for no reason other than she was right there and looked fragile. “Hey! if you want, I can walk you a little? Not all the way home, if that’s weird, but-” He almost added I can stay until you feel safer, but the words tangled.

She studied him for a beat, that soft, honest face folding into thought, and then nodded. “I’d like that.”

They then continued their date with jokes and laughter until it was time to leave.

They left the café together. The afternoon had gone thin and gold outside the window, and for a while the world felt as simple as steps and conversation. Peter was careful, funny in the small ways, pointing out the ridiculous window display with the mannequin that looked like it was trying to flex, and Minari laughed, the sound warm enough to push back the tiny shadows trailing him.

When she paused at the curb, Peter noticed the way her shoulders drew up. “You okay?” he asked again, because some instincts kept insisting.

She glanced over her shoulder as if checking a blank doorway. “Yeah. I just-sometimes the air tastes wrong. Like rain when it shouldn’t.” She tried to laugh it off and failed a little; a crease lived between her brows now.

Peter wanted to ask more. To press, to offer a solution, to promise things he couldn’t possibly keep.

Minari stopped in front of an apartment building, and Peter did the same. They had reached the end of their journey.

"This is my home. Thanks for the walk. Thanks for today too; it meant a lot to me."

Peter blushed a little, thankfully not as much as he thought Minari would notice.

"It was nothing. Always."

They stood there for a few seconds. Both of them were watching the floor. Minari was the first to speak, of course.

"I'd better go upstairs now. Thank you again. See you later."

And the kiss that followed the last word.

Lips brushing Peter's cheek. That slight but pleasent feeling.

Before Peter could say anything, Minari was already inside the apartment. He was immobile for a few seconds in shock.

Minari. She had kissed him.

His hands gently moved to his cheek, and he placed his palm there. A wide grin spread across his face as he turned toward to the way to his house and began to walk.

It had been a wonderful day. His date with Minari had been less tense and awkward than he'd thought. Minari's friendly demeanor and smiles had calmed him down. He wanted to do it again.

Yes, he should ask Minari out on another date. But where? This time, he didn't want to go to the cafe; he wanted to do something different. Maybe he should take her to the park, have a drink, and have fun.

No, what could they do at the park?

Did she like amusement parks? If she did, he'd want to take her. Besides, it would show her he wasn't afraid of adrenaline, girls usually liked that.

Peter's thoughts were interrupted by the sudden ringing of the phone. It was Minari. Peter's smile faded. Why would she be calling?

"Minari?"

There was no sound on the other end for a few seconds. Finally, he heard Minari's whispered voice.

"Someone's here..."

Peter's heart leaped into his throat. What do you mean, someone's here? Was Minari in danger?

"I'll be right back. What floor are you on?"

He started back immediately, following Minari's directions. When he reached Minari's house, he found the door wide open. He couldn't be late, could he?

"Minari!"

A few seconds later, on the verge of a heart attack, Minari replied. "I'm here, you can come in. He's gone."

Peter stepped inside cautiously and found Minari. She was standing in the middle of her room. He walked over to her and nervously scanned her for damage control.

"What happened, Minari? Please tell me."

Minari took a deep breath.

"Something seemed wrong when I got home, but I didn't quite understand what. So, I said, 'Whatever,' and went into my room, but it was just like this, scattered everywhere."

Peter glanced around the room as if it had occurred to him for the first time since he'd arrived. Indeed, everything was scattered. But it didn't look as if anyone had searched for anything; it looked as if every item had been examined one by one.

All her clothes had been taken out of her closets and left in the same place, and her drawers were open; it had clearly been rummaged through. Her bed was messy, as if someone had slept on it.

"I didn't leave any of this like this. I'm a tidy person; I don't leave my bed like this. I was just about to turn to leave, but I saw him. He was looking at me from the doorway..."

Peter was having a hard time controlling his anger at what he was hearing. "Who?"

Minari looked sharply into Peter's eyes. As if to say, ‘You know who he is, too.’

"Him, the man from the museum."

Chapter Text

Minari turned in her bed, the sheets whispering like restless thoughts. She didn’t remember what was bothering her, only that something was- a wrongness that pressed on her chest without a name.

"Couldn't sleep?"

The voice didn’t sound like it came from the room. It was too still, too close.

Minari’s eyes flew open.

Someone was at the foot of her bed.

She sat up in bed and stared at the silhouette before her. The man was waiting in the darkness. He had come right up to her feet. How had she not noticed him?

"Who are you? How did you get into my room?"

The man before her didn't answer, but for some reason, Minari could tell he was laughing from his movements. He seemed to be in a good mood.

"You know me, and I know you."

At that moment, Minari realized who he was. It was him.

Minari jumped out of bed and ran for the door, but... Where was the door? The door to her room had vanished, as if it had never existed. How could this be possible? What kind of reality had she fallen into?

A wave of panic gripped her body. She was alone in the room with him. She had nowhere to escape. The stress was eating away at her mind.

"No, no!" Soma turned to her in panic and waved his hands as if signaling her to calm down.

"You must calm down. Calm down!"

And Minari did. Not because he wanted to, but because she had to stay calm.

She leaned against the wall where the door should have been and waited. Why was he here?

"What do you want from me?"

She could see his face now. He had an expression that suggested he was enjoying the situation. He wasn’t smiling, but it wasn't as if he was frowning.

"I just thought it was time we got to know each other."

He held out his arms like a politician trying to reassure his right.

"I can sense your fear. There's no need. You don't need to be afraid of me. But don't worry, we'll have plenty of time to figure this out."

"What are you talking about?"

Minari felt like she was losing her composure again. She feared for her safety. But she couldn't leave the room that was causing her such fear.

"Come on, Minari! Don't you think it's time we got to know each other instead of just exchanging glances? I'm tired of watching you from afar, aren't you? I want to have a real conversation now."

"W-what?"

She was going crazy. The he was already crazy, and he was going to drive her crazy too.

He smiled calmly at Minari. There was no need to tense things up. He could sense her fear.

He slowly moved back and settled into the armchair.

"Why don't you sit on your bed, Minari? Let's talk calmly, come on."

He ordered calmly.

"I have nothing to talk to you about!"

The smile faded from his face momentarily, but then it returned. There was no need to be nervous. He could calm down, after all, she was there.

"It doesn't seem like you have much of a choice right now. Go to bed, let's talk. I just want to talk."

Minari looked at the bed, then at him. She had little choice. He seemed to have the upper hand. She would do as he said.

With trembling hands, she approached the bed and gently lowered herself onto it. She was in her comfortable bed, at her most uncomfortable.

She waited silently.

He studied Minari for a moment. Despite her discomfort, Minari couldn't object; she had to wait for him to speak.

"I just wanted to talk to you and get closer. All I know is your name is Minari and that you go to Midtown. You don't even know my name."

Minari clutched her head in her hands helplessly. "Why would I want to know? Aren't you Soma? You're a murderer! I don't want to know anything."

"Yes, I'm Soma. But of course, I have a real name. And everything I do has a reason. But before we get to that..." He slowly lowered his mask and looked at Minari. Soma wasn't exactly young. Minari hadn't expected him to be, anyway. He was probably nearing or in his 30s. He wasn't ugly, and he wasn't particularly handsome either. He just looked tired.

"I want you to see the real me. My name is Clark. You can call me that. Let's not be formal between us. I want to get to know you, Minari."

Minari sank deeper into his arms. She couldn't understand what was happening.

"I don't want it! Please go!"

Clark sighed deeply.

"Yes, I know this is uncomfortable for you, Minari, but I'm not leaving here until I get over this. This is my final decision."

He was starting to tense up towards his last words, Minari could feel it. The calm atmosphere in the room had been shattered, replaced by that familiar tension.

Minari could sense the energy emanating from the other side, it was starting to hit her. The emotions she'd felt in the museum flooded back into her mind. The familiar nausea, the urge to vomit, the headache...

They were all there. She wanted to get rid of this feeling. And she did. But she didn't know that what she'd done had also made the other person feel relieved, even happy.

"Ah... What a priceless experience. You're good for me, Minari. That's why I'm here. Because you're good for me."

Minari froze. She knew what he meant. She couldn't figure out where to turn her words.

“Do you know what it feels like?” he said suddenly. “To hear them. All of them. Their fear—it’s deafening. It eats at you until you can’t tell if it’s theirs or yours anymore.”

Minari stayed silent. She didn’t want to listen, but something in his voice made her chest tighten.

“But you,” he continued, leaning forward slightly, “you quiet it. You hush the noise. That’s why I need you. You make it stop.”

“I’m not helping you,” she whispered.

“You already are.”

“You feel it too, don’t you?” he asked. “People’s pain. The weight of their sadness. It clings to you.”

Minari’s breath hitched. “That’s not the same as what you do.”

“No?” He tilted his head. “Maybe not. But tell me, when you calm them—doesn’t it feel good? Doesn’t it feel right? Like the world finally makes sense?”

“You twist it,” she said.

He smiled faintly. “Maybe I just see what it really is.”

“How could you compare you and me? We are not the same! You feed on fear, on pain; you choose to. Don’t pretend it’s something you can’t control! Did you though that I wouldn’t notice that? You are a monster!”

He chuckled. "Yes, I may be a monster. It's a fair analogy. But I don't always want to do it. It's unintentional!"

Minari was growing angry. Her composure was slipping away from her, as if it had slipped.

"Unintentional? Did you kill those people unintentionally, too? Did all those people spend days recovering in trauma tents by mistake?"

As the rope drifted away from Minari, Clark's presence became more apparent. The same emotions washed over her again. "You need to calm down, Minari!"

The command hit her like static. Her breath hitched—and suddenly, the air in the room eased, just slightly. Her gift, responding to his chaos like muscle memory.

"You understand, don't you, Minari? It's like we were made for each other. Makes sense, doesn't it? “ he whispered. “The pull. Like gravity trying to make opposites meet. We were always meant to find each other, Minari.”

Minari shot him another shocked look. She didn't even know what to say; the man was completely insane.

"You were there... At school, in the cafe, in my room... I always thought I'd imagined it, but you were there. Why won't you leave me!?"

Minari was on the verge of tears. But she had to hold herself back; she had to avoid appearing weak in front of him.

"Because I feel normal again, around you, Minari. And I want to be with you always. And I will be, don't worry. I can't stand being away from you anymore."

Minari put her hand over her heart. She was horrified. "You're crazy! I'm seventeen! Can you hear what you're saying? You have to stay away from me!"

"No, no. Don't worry, I won't do anything you don't want. I just want you to understand that we were made for each other."

Clark sighed deeply again and continued to stare at Minari with his half-smile. It was as if he was trying to calm her down, but he didn't realize he was having the opposite effect.

"I won't do anything until you're ready, don't worry. Of course, you need some time before we live together. I'm not that inconsiderate."

This couldn't be real. Maybe she was dreaming. Yes! It was all her imagination. How else could the door have disappeared?

"This is a, isn’t it nightmare? Yes, yes! You're not real, you're just my imagination."

Clark chuckled. The whole thing amused him. "Ah, little Minari... Yes, we're in your dreams, but at the same time, we're not. You can be sure you're asleep, though."

Minari lifted her head from her knees at Clark's words, but the sight she encountered horrified her.

She wasn't in her room anymore. She was in a different room, a completely unfamiliar room. A room furnished in pitch black, devoid of any soul. A sofa, and a coffee table in front of it. She was sitting on a bed with black sheets.

"W-what's going on? Where are we!?"

"Do you like it? This is my room. Don't worry! We can decorate it however you want later. I mean, when you come. What do you think?"

Minari suddenly let out a scream, one she hadn't expected.

"You're sick! I'm not staying with you!"

Clark shook his head. "Of course, you're not. I haven't finished my preparations. I haven't taken my revenge from the ones made me this way, and when I'm free of them all, I'll take you with me."

He laughed as if he'd said something funny. But his voice was far from joyful; it sounded like he had some very sinister plans.

"I have to go now. You can wake up."

And so Minari was able to leave that terrifying cage. Her awakening was far from comfortable.

She woke up screaming, tangled in her parents’ sheets, their startled voices the first real thing she’d heard in hours.

But her terrifying nightmare was far from over. It felt like it had only just begun.