Chapter Text
- Miles, stop it," Miguel looks up from under half-lidded eyelids at the boy, who has appeared so suddenly in this strange sort of hiding place from outside trouble.
- Huh? Did someone say something? - Miles puts his palm to his ear and puffs out his chest smugly, "Gwen, tell my dad he screwed up a bit," the boy laughs and grinds his teeth viciously.
- Yeah, Miguel, you fucked up big time," Hobie folds his arms across his chest, arching an eyebrow. His skinny arm, hidden under a pile of baggy clothes, puts his arm around Miles' shoulder. They're getting ready to leave.
- I didn't give permission," O'Hara hissed angrily, fangs grinning, fists clenched.
- I don't give a damn about your permission," Miles grinned, smacking Hobie behind the ear. - Come on, sweetheart," he said more calmly, looking his boyfriend in the eye.
- Okay," Brown hummed, putting his arm around his boyfriend's waist.
This gesture made Miguel twitch angrily, but Gwen's equally stern and judgmental gaze prevented him from moving.
As the door behind the two boys slammed shut, Miguel let out a muffled guttural growl.
- My son is gay?! Universe almighty, why the fuck is Miles dating this spider from a parallel universe and I'm the last to know?! - Yelled Miguel, smashing everything in the living room.
- Which is exactly why you're the last to know, you miserable homophobe," Gwen snorted, not reacting to the way O'Hara almost lashed out at her.
- Don't you dare call me a homophobe! I'm not, I'm just... Just shocked! Why the fuck is my son dating some punk! Gwen and you knew and everyone knew, absolutely fucking everyone but me! - Miguel hovered over the girl, unemotionally blowing another bubble of gum.
- That's exactly why no one told you," Gwen looked like she was facing a stupid pug rather than one of the most dangerous Spiders in all sorts of variations of the universe.
- А?! You still dare talk like that, you nasty girl, have you forgotten that I...
- ... helped you escape your problems by hiding from your father for half a year and took you in," Gwen mouthed every word, helping herself with her hands, imitating a talking man.
- Hobie, I knew his reaction, we shouldn't have talked about our relationship," Miles squeezed the boy's thin hand tightly, pursing his lips and lowering his eyes to the floor.
- Sweetheart, you don't have to apologise," Brown put his palm to the lad's cheek, forcing Miles to look at himself, "he does. Not you," Hobie kissed Morales softly on the lips, involuntarily engrossed.
- Mm, Hobie, don't get carried away," Miles playfully pushes Brown away from him, however, not insisting much on finishing.
- I can't, you're too good a kisser," Hobie laughs, getting his fingers under Miles' jacket, pulling him into a soft embrace.
- He won't accept us," Morales surprisingly responds to the hug very emotionally, almost digging his palms into Hobie's ribs.
- He loves you," Hobie says for some reason, resting his head on Miles' shoulder.
- Yeah," Miles murmurs softly, covering Hobie's lean body with his voluminous jacket.
- You love Miles," the two barely surviving chairs stand in the middle of the trashed living room, one of them supporting Miguel O'Hara with the last of its strength.
- I know," the man hisses, looking up at the calm face of the girl opposite.
- So what's the problem? What's your beef with Hobie, in case you hadn't noticed, he's a great guy and for that matter, a partner out of him is unbelievable. - Gwen flared her hands to the side, sticking her lip out and glancing around. Like Miles and Hobie were about to come back.
- I'm not a homophobe. - Blurted out Miguel.
- No, you're definitely him, there's no way," Gwen grinned. 'The gum burst.
- It's awfully hard, Gwen, after he decided to stay, I... I had to protect him," Miguel shrank back in an instant. Almost physically gone, but a small part of him remained.
- I know Miles has accepted you as his father, but his orientation doesn't depend on you," Gwen rolled her eyes and sighed deeply, "do you understand that or not?
- Gwen, how can you talk about this so calmly, like it's normal! - Miguel was ready to bang his fist against the wall, but held back, clutching his elbow so that the blood briefly stopped flowing to his palm.
- Because 'it' is normal, Miguel," the girl's voice was surprisingly even, almost nonplussed and quite self-contained. After a little while, the girl continued:
- We don't choose who we love, Miguel, who better than you to know that? - O'Hara stiffened, pressing his already thin lips together.
- You loved your daughter with a father's love. Deceived yourself, frankly. So why can't you accept that Miles loves the kid? Is that so hard to accept? - Gwen stared at the man in silence.
Miguel stared at the floor, clenching his fingers into a fist forcefully.
- It's not complicated," Miguel's voice was different in an instant. Slightly sad and depressed. The emotions on his face changed faster than Gwen could keep track of them.
- I know I can't be a real father to Miles," the man said muffledly, "I wanted to keep him out of danger. He's still so young, he... he doesn't know how cruel the world can be, how evil people can be. - Miguel grinned sadly, he reminds me of her sometimes, my daughter was just as obnoxious a prankster, but you know Gwen, unlike Miles, I could control her. I know it sounds very selfish, but it's true. It's different with Miles, he's not a kid anymore, he doesn't need my help to solve problems, he doesn't need me. - Miguel clucks his tongue and sits in a daze for a few minutes.
- I wanted him to need me," he continued. - Because I needed recognition. I wanted to be acknowledged, I wanted my daughter to love me, I wanted to protect my loved ones, but I didn't get any of that, you know? I wanted Miles to only want me, and when he said he loved someone else, I panicked. Like someone told me that I wasn't enough for him and he wanted to love someone else. - Deep breaths. Exhale. Inhale.
- He loves you," Gwen repeated the recent phrase. This time, it had a different meaning and fit the situation much better than the first time.
- Yes," Miguel muttered, lowering his eyes again.
- Let's go home," Hobie muttered hoarsely, stroking his boyfriend's hand with his thumb.
- Yeah," Miles muttered quietly, and he glanced involuntarily upward, to where countless spider-men were living their normal lives. Somewhere the sounds of portals opening again and again could be heard, somewhere children's voices and meows could be heard, but that wasn't what interested Miles.
- Hey," Hobie nudged Miles surreptitiously to the side, forcing the boy to look into his eyes. There was no shadow of excitement in his own; unlike his boyfriend, Hobie accepted any problem as part of something obligatory. There were no mistakes or inaccuracies, for Brown it was just life and its involuntary oddities.
- М? - The young man tilted his head to the side, trying to squeeze out a smile. It was working out extremely lousy.
- I love you," Hobie muttered, squeezing Morales' hand forcefully. Miles smiled appreciatively, squeezing Hobie's fingers in return.
The guitarist decided to look up too. To see what Miles had been admiring so much.
There was nothing unusual about upstairs. Humans, animals and hybrids scurrying back and forth. It was a place worth taking note of and not trying to change things. The world was already changing enough as it was.
- Let's go home," Miles said after a while.
Suddenly the door lock clicked and two black guys appeared on the doorstep, discussing something zealously and for a few seconds carefully ignoring the mess around them.
Finally, Miles saw the size of the disaster. He wasn't surprised by the trashed table and chairs, the broken crockery, and a few cheap vases lying in shards on the floor. It was all to be expected, especially from Miguel.
- Hello," muttered Miles, retreating to his room, dragging Hobie, who compliantly followed him.
- Miles! - Miguel didn't notice how he raised his tone, but it had a fitting effect. Morales stiffened, then, with a little hesitation, picked up a rickety-looking chair from the floor and sat down in front of his named father.
- Yes?" the son asked his father deafeningly.
- I'm glad you and Hobie are dating," Miguel's words made Miles almost fall out of his chair, and for a moment he imagined Miguel standing up and shaking Brown's hand.
And no, Miguel did get up from the chair and shook Hobie's hand. The boy did not seem at all taken aback by this development, his curiosity was stronger than his fear, so he unashamedly shook Miguel's outstretched hand.
Miles was in a panic.
What had his father said to Gwen?
Why wasn't Miguel angry?
Why? How? What?!
- I'm glad you're not angry anymore," Hobie said, smiling all over.
- I am glad," grinned Miguel. The problem seemed to be solved or suspended indefinitely.
Hobie tsked his tongue and protruded a little on his lower lip.
- 'Dad,' Miles forced his attention back to his named father.
- М? - Miguel grinned. An incomprehensible tenderness of his own, the lost, somewhat frightened look of the older man stopped Miles from saying any words of hate.
- Just that I didn't say," Miles turned on his heel quickly and, paying no attention to anyone, pulled Hobie with him into their common room.
Left in the middle of the room alone with Gwen, the man involuntarily scratched the back of his head.
- It was easy, you tell me," Gwen grinned and, puffing her gum one last time, tossed it into the godforsaken trash can.
- Yeah," was all Miguel could say.