Lucky Guess

I stepped out of the school doors and wrapped my scarf more securely around my neck. It was not as cold as it looked, but with the grey overcast sky above it could be expected for snow to begin flitting down at any moment. The schoolyard was eerily empty, a drastic change from earlier in the day. I had stayed after the final bell for my semi-weekly tutoring session with a freshman girl who was struggling in algebra. I did not mind helping others-I enjoyed it. My only problem came after, when it came time to walk home in the darkening, cooling evenings. Oftentimes my boyfriend will walk with me: he would sometimes help with tutoring sessions or work with his best friend Ned in the science lab. Of course, that was when he did not rush off after school for his internship with Tony Stark. But even when he did, he was often waiting to accompany me home later, like the gentleman he was. I had been dating Peter Parker for several months now and I could honestly say he was the best thing that had happened to me.

As I plotted along the sidewalk, loud laughter from up ahead drew my attention. A group of men in their early twenties loitered outside a shop. I groaned inwardly but it was too late to turn around-they had already seen me. I hated this aspect of living in New York City. Normally I avoided walking anywhere alone. Where was Peter when I needed him? Just having him around was a comfort. Avoiding eye contact, I quickened my pace and stepped around the group. Half a block away I chanced a fast glance over my shoulder to see two of the men had broken off from the group and were walking this direction. It could be nothing, but this was New York: you always assumed the worst.

"What are you doing out alone?" one of them called.

"Get lost," I muttered.

"Do you need someone to make sure you get home safely?"

"I'll do that," a different voice offered from above my head. None other than the Spider-Man was squatting on the wall at a ninety-degree angle to the ground, clad in his red and blue. "Thanks for offering, though." He dropped to the ground. "Can I take you home?"

I nodded, overcome that the hero of New York was standing before me. Do not freak out. I had seen pictures and video and in person but always from a distance, never at this close proximity. His voice was deeper than I would have expected. "Uh sure, thanks."

Despite the mask, I knew he was smiling and could hear it when he spoke, "It's no problem at all." Wrapping my waist in a tight grip he shot a web and slung us into the air. I was amazed at the view of New York below. Of course I had seen it from skyscrapers but this was different.

Spider-Man set me down gently on a rooftop that overlooked a large portion of Queens. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm okay. I hate running into people like that," I griped.

"Everyone hates people like that; and if they don't they should." I nodded but a furrow deepened my forehead. Those were the exact words I had told Peter the other day. Flash had been yelling rude insults directed at Peter and I had taken his hand and led him away. "I hate him," Peter had growled through clenched teeth. "Everyone hates him; and if they don't they should," I agreed.

As soon as Peter caught sight of the frown on her face, he knew he had said slipped up. "Didn't you have anyone to walk you home from school?" Peter asked in an attempt to redirect the conversation away from himself.

"My boyfriend normally does or I ride the bus; but today I was tutoring someone and we finished late because it was so confusing to her."

"Algebra can do that to a person."

There were only a handful of people who knew that information. Her parents, the freshman girl and her parents, and...Peter. "How did you know we were working on algebra?" Peter swallowed a lump in his throat and knew he was treading on dangerous ground littered with landmines.

As he stuttered out "lucky guess," I stepped back and saw Spider-Man with new eyes. He was about the same height. His voice was disguised-if my growing suspicions were true. He stiffened when I stepped forward and wrapped my arms around him, they same way I normally did with Peter. The same strength rippled under my touch. I caught a faint, familiar whiff from his clothes. Reaching up, I slowly eased his mask up. Peter stood stiffly, a sense of heightened nervousness and apprehension rising inside. I did not pull the mask any higher than his nose, only high enough that the lower portion of his face was visible. Pearly white teeth worried a bottom lip. I had to know. And if I was wrong, then so be it.

Leaning forward, she gently connected their lips. Peter had steeled himself against her touches. But as strong as he tried to be, the stone statue could not resist his girlfriend's searching kiss. He knew what the consequences were going to be but dismissed it. A squeaky voice that sounded similar to Tony Stark rattled of warnings but he brushed the angel off his shoulder. His mouth slipped into sync with hers.

After a moment I softly pulled away. My suspicions were confirmed. There was no doubt in my mind of who the formerly mysterious masked hero of her city was. I would recognize a kiss from those lips if I were dead.

"This is where you go every time you rush off?" I finally managed to ask. Peter's head hung low.

"I didn't want you to know. If somebody found out who you are and how much you mean to… I couldn't live with myself if you were put in danger because of me."

"I am dating Spider-Man." The words were a dream. Surely this was not real. "I'm dating Spider-Man. Sorry, I need to process all of this." My hands ran through my hair. Peter pulled the mask off the rest of the way. We were on one of the tallest rooftops in the area-nobody could see us. I started laughing uncontrollably. Peter was caught off guard by my reaction. "What is it?"

"This is crazy! Out of the millions of people in this city it just so happens you're...and I'm…" I couldn't finish the sentence between loss of breath and hysterics.

"What do you think?" he posed the question nervously but a slight smile danced from my face to his.

"I think that I'm a lucky girl." With a grin I kissed his lively face again.

"You cannot tell anyone this."

"I promise." A million questions were buzzing in my mind.

"I am going to protect you. Always." His gaze locked with mine to seal his covenant.

"You already do a good job of that, even when you aren't Spider-Man. Now, can I wear the mask?"