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[ Moving to the city was supposed to be the beginning of a new chapter of Eddie's life. He had spent the past ten years being ridiculed by the rest of his school, between his interest in Dungeons & Dragons, his fashion sense, and his familial history. So graduating (a couple years too late, but better late than never) from high school and packing all his things up to move out of the hick town and into the big city should have been a turning point, should have led to much happier experiences.

Instead he's crashing with a friend of the family before his lease on his new studio apartment and before he starts his new job at the record store in town. He tells himself it's just until he can get his demo listened to by some A&R schmuck that'll sign him a deal and get him some radio play, but he's got the funniest of feelings that this is where his dreams go to die, once again.

His decision to go out that night was made impulsively. He should have gone to sleep, really, but he needs to get out of the apartment and get some fresh air before he snaps. He doesn't even have a destination in mind, nor is he really paying much attention to his surroundings. Why should he? The small town he's from was safe, and he's only ever been jumped when he dared to go to the whopping one gay club.

It's easy to understand, then, how he managed to miss the fact that he is very much not alone. It's easy to understand how, if he didn't have seemingly divine intervention at the exact right moment, Eddie Munson might have just been another casualty, another name in the paper, another statistic for the mayor to use for his re-election campaign. ]

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( it's just another night of patrol for steve. no one asks him to do these patrols; it's a task he's taken upon his own shoulders. he tells himself it's because no on else can do what he can, that he has the power to help people, so he should, even when certain people disagree strongly, and loudly. law enforcement call him a vigilante. tabloids call him a menace. but the people who know him—the kid whose bike he recovered from a thief, benny whose bodega he prevented from being robbed—they call him their friendly neighborhood spider-man. and at the end of the day, it's their opinions that matter.

the city is full of hidden dangers. it's nothing like the sleepy small town where he grew up, which is one of the reasons he moved out here in the first place. it's where he felt like he could do the most good, and if the tall buildings make for some exceptional web-swinging, that's just an added bonus. some nights he just finds himself swinging from rooftop to rooftop, watching young people stumble drunkenly out of a bar, listening to snippets of conversation from passersby, or sitting and admiring the twinkle of the city lights. it's impossible to see the stars from here. sometimes he misses that about his hometown.

but his eyes aren't on the lights tonight. after doing this for as long as he has, he's developed something of a sense for it. it's not the same thing as his spider-sense, which warns him of imminent and immediate danger to his own person, but it pings him to when something might be amiss. so when he sees a lone figure walking down an empty street, and another lone figure who looks tense and a little twitchy walking in the direction of the first person, he immediately clocks it. steve waits for another second, just in case he's off-base, and then—

there's the telltale glint of metal. the second person drags the first person into an alley, and steve climbs down after them. the mugger has his victim held at knifepoint against the wall. steve flips off the opposite building and lands soundlessly in the alley behind them. the mugger is making his demands (the usual, "give me your money, empty your pockets, etc."), but steve doesn't let him finish. in fact, he says— )

Let me stop you right there—

( —and shoots a web at the center of the mugger's back. he pulls, and the mugger flies towards him. steve dodges him with ease and lets the guy collide with the dumpster against the wall. )

I've definitely heard that one before. Seriously, is there a script you guys follow? You might want to change up the material. ( the mugger is half-sitting, half-lying against the dumpster, looking dazed. he's somehow managed to hold onto his knife through it all, so steve webs his weapon-wielding arm to the dumpster. ) It's getting a little stale.

( he webs up the mugger's other arm for good measure. then he turns to the almost-victim. steve is dressed from head-to-toe in a red-and-blue form-fitting suit that's covered in a black web pattern, a spider symbol on the chest. the red cowl covers his face, with two large, white eyes that catch a little of the light from beyond the alley. )

Hey, man. You okay?

[ It's easy to get paralyzed by fear in these types of situations. When Eddie is initially cornered, he barely registers anything that is being yelled at him. All that is looping through his mind is shit, shit, shit, they're gonna kill me, shit.

In fact, he braces himself for death. He knows he's moving too slowly as he tries to cooperate, but knows he has nothing of interest to them. Barely any money to his name, no credit cards, no valuables. If they decide he's holding out on them, they'll surely kill him, gut him like a fish.

But before they can do anything of the sort, there's the addition of another figure, and Eddie's eyes light up immediately. That's. That can't be possible. That's webbing that's adhering them to the wall. He's starstruck even before the superhero can start making his quips. It doesn't even register that the spider-man guy is talking to him until he seems to be looking at him, expecting a response.

And Eddie is still stuck in a daze as he points to his chest as if to ask, you're talking to me? Because of course he's talking to Eddie. He's surely not talking to the incapacitated muggers. ]

Yeah, yeah, I'm fine, I'm. Wow, holy shit, that was. [ And before he can stop himself from making a fool of himself, he blurts out ] You're incredible.

( not many people react to steve with surprise anymore. that's the first thing that tips him off. most people in the neighborhood have at least heard of the web-slinging masked vigilante who goes around stopping criminals and rescuing the occasional cat from a high place, even if they've never come face-to-face with him. in fact, some people even like to give him a hard time when he doesn't perform his services to a certain standard. his completely free services that he renders at great personal risk to himself. but it comes with the territory, he supposes. they see the super powers, they see the costume, and they forget there's an actual person behind the mask.

it's not like anyone's making him do this, so he can't get too mad.

even so, a reaction like eddie's is a breath of fresh air. steve is sure it'll wear off; people only remain starstruck for so long. but for now, steve smiles, even if it's not super obvious behind the mask. for one thing, he's just glad he acted in time and that the guy is okay. unharmed and unmugged. for another thing, well...it's nice to be called incredible. steve puts his hands on his hips and shifts his weight from one foot to the other. )

All in a day's work. That'll be ten bucks. ( he holds out a hand, waits a beat, and then pulls it back. ) Kidding. Obviously...

( all right, steve. this is the part where you tell him to stay safe and swing away into the night. sticking around for small talk is not advisable. and yet... maybe it's eddie's starry-eyed reaction, or the fact that it's been a slow night and patrol can get a little lonely sometimes. but steve says, ) So, uh. I don't think I've seen you around before. New to town?

[ eddie can't really keep himself from staring. and when he realizes that's exactly what he's doing, he feels himself flush and hopes that it's not obvious in the moonlight. what a great fucking first impression this superhero guy must have of eddie

he raises an eyebrow at the outstretched hand, and the joke lands, with eddie shaking his head and laughing before trailing off with a sigh. ] Yeah, yeah. Hilarious. Sorry to say, those muggers weren't exactly going to walk away with much from me, I'm afraid. [ so it was a damn good thing that steve showed up when he did.

eddie braces himself for the goodbye that hasn't come, and if he looks a little stunned at steve's question. that spider-man, if he's not mistaken, is actually trying to get to know him? ] Oh, uh. Yeah, just moved here. Like, so freshly moved that I'm waiting for my lease to start so I can finally get a bunch of shitty furniture for it. [ He pauses for a moment and, so help him god, he cannot fight the urge to lean in a little bit, ignoring spidey's personal space as he flashes him a grin. ] You try to get to know all your damsels in distress better or am I just special?

( inwardly, steve gives himself a pat on the back for guessing correctly that eddie's new in town. it would've been pretty embarrassing for steve if he turned out to be a local. it's also pretty unfortunate that this is one of eddie's first experiences in the city. some welcome to the neighborhood, huh? he's about to say, until eddie leans in closer and gives him that grin. steve unconsciously sways a little backwards, maintaining some of that distance between them, but probably not as much as he should.

it's nothing against the guy—steve is just generally wary of people getting too close. as if they'll somehow be able to figure him out. or worse, get pulled into harm's way by being near him.

but eddie does have a kind of—magnetism. something about his dark, doe eyes or his dimples or his wild rocker hair. steve feels heat prickle across the back of his neck, which is never good when he's in the suit. ) Uhh. Well you're not like my usual damsels. ( lame attempt at a joke. ) But I try to get to know the people in my neighborhood, yeah. Since I'm...you know. The friendly neighborhood Spider-Man.

( the mugger still trapped against the dumpster scoffs, and steve spins and neatly webs his mouth shut. he turns back to eddie. )

If you need help finding some shitty furniture, or maybe even some halfway decent furniture, I might know a guy who knows a guy.

[ if eddie is a little disappointed that steve backed away so quickly, well, he doesn't show it. besides, the superhero probably has a superheroine knocking at his door, so he knows better than to get his hopes up.

but that's not going to stop him from checking out the way the spider costume hugs his body once he goes to leave, either. he is but a simple man.

he laughs, though, when the spider-man goes to web their mouth shut. ]

You really are something else, Spider-Man. Maybe I'll see you around...though hopefully not as the one in trouble. Again.

[ eddie might lack self preservation but not enough to deliberately put himself in harm's way in order to get spider-man's attention.

the offer to get him in touch with someone who can help him with furniture, though, does catch eddie's attention, though. ]

You know what? Sure, I'll take you up on that. You know, so I don't have to sleep on an air mattress for another week.

( something else. it's not like he hasn't heard it before, or things of a similar sentiment, but something about the way eddie says it has steve smiling slightly under the mask. and if he notices the way eddie's eyes sweep over him, well. maybe eddie's just impressed by the suit. doesn't mean he's necessarily impressed by anything else, right? )

Yeah, I'm sure you'll see me around. Just—watch your back, okay? In case I'm not there to watch it for you.

( steve clears his throat. if it weren't for the cowl, he'd probably be running a hand through his hair. as it is, he just rubs the back of his neck. )

You, uh, got a phone? Or a pen and paper? I can give you the number—of the guy I know.

[ a guy like this, he probably has hundreds of girls cooing after him, right? yet here spider-man is, still talking to eddie munson. he could have made any number of excuses, like oh, i don't know, more crime to stop? in order to move on from this exchange. yet, the superhero is still here. ]

But of course, can't have you worrying about me, now, can we? [ he teases, trying his damnedest not to imagine what the man looks like under the mask, whether he's blushing. maybe that adds some kind of mystery to it all, makes all of this even more interesting. ]

Oh! Yeah, hold on, I think I've got something. [ he doesn't have paper, but he does have a sharpie, which he hands to the masked hero, and offers up his arm instead. ] I'll write it down on paper as soon as I get home, you have my word.

( when the sharpie appears, steve takes it and pauses for a second, wondering if this is a stupid idea. it wouldn't be his first stupid idea, and hardly his stupidest idea, but still. well, it's too late now. he uncaps the marker and steps close enough to take eddie's arm, turning his wrist to expose his palm. the yellow-orange light from outside the alley glints off of eddie's rings. steve starts to write. )

This guy, uh. Just tell him Spider-Man sent you.

( when he's done writing, he caps the marker again, gives it a little twirl, and hands it back to eddie. on eddie's palm, in steve's scratchy scrawl, is written a phone number and the name STEVE H.

steve takes a step back and prepares to depart, but stops just short of swinging away when he realizes something. ) What's your name, by the way?

[ hopeless. that's the word that swims around eddie's head as he watches intently while spider-man writes this guy's name and number on his hand. it's probably the adrenaline, and thrill of having been saved from a mugging by this extraordinary guy, but--

that doesn't change the fact that he is already feeling his stomach squirm at the touch of his hand even through the uniform, and, shit. he can't do this, can't go through another stupid crush that's going to go nowhere, needs to tamp this down before it goes out of control.

his eyes snap up to spidey's at the question. ] Eddie. Eddie Munson. [ the smile he offers spider-man just before he leaves is much softer than the manic grin he's been using so far. yep, he's officially doomed. ]

( it's not unusual for people steve has saved to become kind of attached to him. it comes with the hero territory. he has as many fans as he does enemies. what's not that usual is for steve to feel any kind of way about people he's saved. and it's not that he really feels anything for eddie—how can he when he hardly knows the guy—except, he knows his name now. his full name. steve doesn't normally ask people their names. and he doesn't normally linger when they look up at him with their ridiculous doe-eyes and a soft smile that brings out the dimple in their cheek.

steve clears his throat, shifting back into hero mode. ) See you around, Eddie. ( without hesitating another second, he leaps onto the fire escape behind him. ) And don't get mugged, okay?

( with that, he shoots a web at the opposite rooftop and swings away into the nighttime air. )

[ it takes eddie a moment to realize that he should probably get a move on when spider-man leaves. there's just something about the way the masked hero says his name that leaves him in a state of disbelief, like -- holy shit, this actually just happened.

and now he doesn't know what to do with himself. besides get the hell away from the crime scene before the cops get here and think he is to blame even though his assailants are right there.

so he brushes himself off, pushes his hands into his pockets, and wanders back to the apartment he's been crashing at until his new lease starts.

eddie doesn't dial the number at first. no, he's in the process of moving boxes upon boxes into an empty, unfurnished apartment, which might not be the brightest of ideas. but hey, at least he has a mattress, which seems like the most important part, right? somewhere to sleep? he figures once he's all settled into the new place he can call this steve guy up and see about getting some affordable furniture, but for now?

for now, he just wants to make sure all of his belongings actually make it into the apartment. which they do, and there's probably been a lot of commotion, and it's so early, eddie hopes he hasn't woken his neighbors. what a bad first impression, right?

he stares down at the number that he transferred to paper as soon as he got home, not wanting to lose a single digit to soap and water, and is fully about to retreat to the phone to dial the number, even though he's still got boxes everywhere, but then he hears a knock at the door. ]

Huh. [ which is weird, because other than the friend who let him crash, he hasn't told anyone else that he's living here. a neighbor, perhaps? he drops the piece of paper and shuffles over to the door, answering it.

and whoever is on the other side of the door -- the alter ego of a certain webbed vigilante, perhaps? -- would be greeted to the sight of eddie, wild hair that refuses to be tamed, metallica shirt rolled up to look like a muscle tank, and ripped jeans with combat boots. ]

( one of the drawbacks of living in a cramped city apartment is the noise. it's nothing like where steve grew up, where the wide property lines kept the neighbors at a comfortable distance, and the big house kept even the occupants of the harrington household apart most of the time. but the big house got lonely. so, sometimes steve likes having his neighbors so close, with the bustling city right outside his window.

and sometimes, like when he's been out until the early hours of the morning doing vigilante shit and wants to sleep in on a saturday, and one of his neighbors is apparently throwing boxes down the hallway (at least that's what it sounds like), it really fucking sucks.

at some point between sleeping and waking for what feels like the twentieth time, steve realizes the sounds are coming from across the hall, where the apartment has sat vacant for the past few months. and if the sounds are boxes, he further realizes it could mean someone's finally moving in.

since sleep seems out of the question, steve's curiosity gets the better of him. he pulls on a pair of sweats to accompany his hawkins high basketball t-shirt, steps into his sneakers, and slips out the door. after crossing the hall, he stands in front of the neighbor's door and knocks.

and he is completely unprepared for the familiar face that greets him.

a flicker of recognition passes through his eyes, hopefully too quickly for eddie to notice. steve schools his expression into something more neutral, even as his heart kicks against his chest. it's not so much that eddie makes him nervous (because why would eddie make him nervous? steve may have, weirdly, been thinking about eddie a lot since the night spider-man saved him from that mugger, but he barely knows the guy); it's just that fear of being recognized out of the suit that steve can never quite shake. )

Hey, uh... ( don't say eddie. don't say eddie. you don't know his name yet. ) Hi. I live across the hall and...just wanted to see what all the commotion was. Everything cool? ( he tilts his head slightly, peering a little past eddie into the apartment, and then looks back to eddie. ) You need a hand?

[ eddie does not, in fact, catch any sort of unusual reaction from steve, probably due to how early it still is, and how out of it eddie feels from having to wake up ungodly early to get this move underway. he smiles sheepishly, rubbing a hand against the back of his neck. ]

Sorry, I know it's early, I hoped it would be over quicker than that. [ he glances behind him, where there is a large stack of boxes, and a distinct lack of furniture besides the mattress, and shrugs. ]

I think I'm good, at least until I get furniture and shit so I can actually unpack all this crap somewhere. [ he smiles apologetically and gives steve a quick up and down. there is not even a single part of him that suspects he's met this guy before, nor does he look all that impressed with what he sees. the basketball t-shirt, if anything, loses steve points in eddie's eyes, because ugh, sports. he makes up for it in general attractiveness, though, but eddie figures there's no way in hell steve swings that way.

not that he's even considering that right now. ]

I'm Eddie by the way. Eddie Munson. You said you live across the hall? [ he sticks out a hand for a handshake.

( the utter lack of recognition on eddie's face allows steve to relax a little. steve is still running on fumes and reeling from the fact that eddie is apparently his new neighbor—and trying really hard not to show it—but the fear that eddie might clock him as spider-man recedes. he sees the way eddie looks him up and down, and maybe it's his imagination, but he notices the way eddie's reaction to steve differs from his reaction to spider-man. there's not the same sense of awe or admiration. and why would there be? steve didn't check a mirror before he stumbled out of his apartment, but he's sure he looks like shit. it doesn't bother him the way it would have, back in high school when he wouldn't have been caught dead without his hair perfectly styled. but he'd be lying if he said it doesn't sting at least a little bit, knowing he'll never be as impressive as his alter ego.

he folds his arms, wincing slightly as he brushes a fresh bruise, and then puts his hands on his hips instead. in response to eddie's question, steve nods and jerks his thumb over his shoulder. ) Yeah, right over there. ( then he reaches with the same hand and clasps eddie's outstretched one for a shake. ) I'm Steve—Harrington.

( he waits to see if the name rings a bell. it's completely possible that eddie never intended to call the number spider-man gave him. that the marker washed off without eddie thinking to write it down somewhere else. if steve glances down at eddie's hand after he releases it, it's not because he's trying to check eddie's palm for ink or anything.

steve reaches up and rubs a hand over the back of his head. ) Well, if you change your mind and you do want a hand, you know where to find me. Welcome to the building. ( and he starts turning to go. )

[ there's not even the slightest bit of recognition on eddie's face. not for a single second would eddie believe this guy capable of being the spider-man. he doesn't seem at all impressive from first glance, but it does occur to eddie that anyone in this city could be the man under the mask. even so, steve would be at the bottom of his list of possibilities, if he were to start compiling.

but then steve says name, and it's like the whole world tilts a little sideways. there's no fucking way. steve h. could it be? no, steve h. could be literally anyone, just because it happens to match doesn't mean shit. ]

Thanks, Steve. [ maybe it's the association with spider-man, but he's starting to feel an overwhelming urge to just see if it's one and the same. it's still a little early, so if he's wrong about this, he's going to piss some other poor sap off by waking them up.

or, he could just ask. ] Wait! [ he's probably going to regret this later as he surges forward to grab at steve's wrist. ] This is going to sound incredibly dumb, maybe even a little insane, but. [ he winces in anticipation of the reaction he's expecting to get, which is a laugh in his face. ] Do you...know Spider-Man?

( the hand on his wrist, even prefaced by the wait, sends a tiny jolt through steve's system. a fleeting urge to twist his arm out of eddie's grasp as soon as his fingers wrap around it. it's not that steve thinks eddie's a threat—his spider-sense would've told him if he were—it's just that steve is still a little wired from last night. his fight or flight response is held back by a hair trigger. but he keeps his composure, stopping in his tracks and turning to look back at eddie as eddie fumbles out his question.

for a second, steve almost smiles. the corner of his mouth tightens, and he quickly schools his expression into one of mild surprise. eyebrows slightly raised. he does free his wrist, then, pulling it gently from eddie's grasp and tucking his hand against his side as he crosses his arms. ) I mean, yeah. Everyone in this city knows Spider-Man.

( he lets that hang in the air for a couple seconds, then takes a step closer and lowers his voice slightly as he says, ) But if you're asking if I know him know him, then...also yeah.

( steve allows himself a small smile then. slightly teasing. it's probably stupid, flaunting his connection to spider-man. he barely knows eddie. for all steve knows, eddie could be secretly working with any one of spider-man's enemies. but...steve's spider-sense is quiet, and it's hard to imagine eddie, with his doe eyes and his dopey smile, being in any way nefarious. so, for the same reason that steve wrote his name and number on eddie's palm, he throws caution to the wind now. )

Why?

[ what are the fucking odds? that eddie would move into this building and become neighbors with the very person that spider-man had tried to set him up with, to help him get set up with furniture? eddie forgets for a moment that he was asked why and just...stares at steve. trying to figure out if this is a joke, if he's about to find out he's being punk'd.

but nobody pops up to say just kidding and eddie is left trying to figure out how this is possible, the odds must be insanely high and eddie's just never been that good at math, unless it comes to dungeons & dragons. ]

Had a run in with him the other night. [ this sounds incredibly lame and unbelievable, but if the guy really does know spider-man, then he must have a way to verify the validity of eddie's claims, right? ] This sounds ridiculous when I say this out loud, I know, but uh. Might have mentioned I was moving and he recommended I call you for help with furniture.

( once again, steve has to pretend that this is all brand new information. he has the sense to look mildly surprised, eyebrows slightly raised. ) Oh, he did, huh? No, that doesn't sound ridiculous at all. It, uh. Sounds exactly like something he'd do.

( steve would know. he clears his throat. ) But yeah. I mean, I've lived here long enough. I can give you some recommendations. You know, places that won't break the bank. That way you're not buying a mattress from some creep online.

( not that he's giving an inordinate amount of thought to eddie and mattresses, or anything. steve wets his lips, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. he wants to ask more about spider-man. mostly he wants to ask about what eddie thought about spider-man. but he also feels like maybe it's not the kind of conversation to be having in the middle of the hallway in the early morning. the neighbors can get a little testy. )

Hey, you wanna come over for breakfast, or something? After you're done moving boxes, I mean. ( that's not weird, right? god, he hopes it's not weird. ) I just—I know what it's like, when you're in a new place, and you haven't gotten to the grocery store yet.

[ no matter eddie's thoughts on steve or spider-man, he can't deny that it would be nice to have a friend nearby. he's not stupid enough to pretend he can get by without some kind of support system, and even though he would rather throw himself at spider-man than steve, a masked superhero probably can't really afford having too many friends. something about putting them in danger.

besides, it's not that steve isn't nice to look at in fact quite the obvious, he is nice to look at, he's just...

it's difficult to compare to someone who can shoot web at criminals and look fucking amazing in spandex to boot. ]

Breakfast would be nice. All I've had was coffee, so. [ he smiles, almost shyly, moving a hand to rub behind his neck, his shirt lifting a little in the process to reveal a sliver of skin, and the barest hint of ink. ]

Let me just, like, figure out where my essentials box wound up so I know I'm gonna be able to sleep on a mattress tonight and I'll swing by in a minute, yeah?

( it's tough when your alter ego is arguably cooler than you'll ever be. how do you compete with someone who has actual super powers? steve is halfway bracing himself for a rejection, so when eddie agrees, steve's posture changes. he stands slightly taller, squares his shoulders, and a smile pulls the corners of his mouth up. he takes a step back, clasping his hands in front of him and rubbing his palms together. )

Cool—yeah, sounds good. I'll just, uh. Go actually see what I've got.

( he feels a momentary flash of panic as he tries to remember what he has in his fridge and draws a blank. but he's pretty sure he has something. at the very least, he probably has more than eddie. and if he's wrong—well, they can always head down to the local greasy spoon, benny's. )

See you in a minute.

( with that, steve turns on his heel and crosses the small distance to his own door. he slips inside and makes a beeline for the kitchen, muttering to himself, ) Shit, shit, shit...

( for as much as eddie's interest has been monopolized by spider-man, he has to admit that it is at least a little endearing the way he perks right up when eddie agrees. it might even be -- dare he think it -- cute. but he has to focus, because the unpacking process is still very much a work in progress.

and if he has any hope of getting any sleep that night he's going to want to at least make sure he has the essentials squared away.

so once he waves steve off, he gets to work, finishing up the beginning of the process, with moving all the boxes into the apartment, and rearranging them so they are based in the room the contents are meant for. it's an arduous process, especially on his own, and he hasn't even gotten to the difficult part of actually putting things away, but it's nice to feel like he's actually claimed this space for himself.

and who knows, maybe after he wrangles up some furniture, he can con steve into helping him unpack. but first, breakfast. he locks up his apartment and then walks the short distance to steve's apartment, giving a gentle knock to the door. )

Hey-o, it's me. ( he cranes his head forward so that his ear is pointed towards the door and tries to see if he can hear if steve is still in the process of throwing together breakfast. )

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