TW: this chapter is nsfw: smut, oral, swearing

Flashback: Sent home

I don't know why he needed to see me, but I mostly was dreading it. Ever since I gave him the gift Miguel had been acting very distant. I could barely concentrate on my mission with Hobie that day, we almost weren't able to catch the anomaly. Tombstone from a different dimension was found stomping around 91202 - I wouldn't even say a particularly difficult villain to catch, but I just couldn't focus.

Hobie walked back with me to that room with the platform that Miguel was in almost 24/7. Jessica was already there, and Peter B Parker had met up with us on the way. Hobie and Peter spoke amongst each other, but I was too busy thinking about what was to come. Jessica pinged us to meet in a different room, the one with the Go Home machine where Margo (Spider Byte) tends to work. The three of us were confused, but we assumed a villain a bit more "diabolical" was being sent home. Miguel usually has a couple of Spiders hang around in case things go awry.

"Hey Miguel, found the slackers." Peter called as we entered the room, jokingly.

"Come off it," Hobie chided at him.

I wasn't feeling as humorous as they were, Miguel looked serious and Jess appeared confused. Margo waved at me and I waved back, returning her smile. She was just a kid but she was very sweet, and so damn smart.

"So, where's the villain?" Peter gestured around the room, it was only the few of them standing around, that and Cyborg chilling in the corner.

"I'm wondering the same thing," Jess stated, flashing a look at Miguel.

His expression was stony, but his eyes looked very heavy like he had just woken up. I hadn't seen him look that tired in ages, I wondered if he was having sleepless nights lately. He didn't respond right away as we all waited for an explanation. He avoided my gaze, making me guiltily look down at my shoes.

"We aren't sending back a villain today." He informed us all, curtly.

"What?" Hobie questioned. "Then what the hell are we doing here?"

"Hobie, Peter, you guys can leave." Miguel ignored his question, dismissing them.

Confused and suspicious neither of them moved a muscle. I looked over at Hobie, suddenly worried why he didn't want me to leave. I know I didn't do my best catching Tombstone today, but I didn't think I did that bad, not enough to warrant a lecture anyway.

"Why?" Hobie questioned again, his tone a bit more serious now.

Miguel was starting to clearly get agitated.

"Just go," he clipped. "I need to talk to her." He gestured at me.

"What for?"

"Hobie, stop. Just leave."

"Miguel, what's going on?" Jess leaned close to Miguel, whispering to him but I still heard her.

This situation was stressing me out, I couldn't handle the runaround any longer.

"I'm sorry I didn't do as well as I normally did catching the anomaly today, but Hobie and I caught him. He's in a containment field as we speak." I interjected. "I'll do better next time, I promise."

"This isn't about that, Sunshine." He replied. He motioned for Lyla to go tell Spider Byte to do something.

I watched Lyla virtually materialize next to Margo and tell her something that was too faint for me to hear. Her expression warped from shocked to appalled very quickly. Margo peered over at Miguel in dismay.

"I'm not doing that!" She shouted at him.

"Doing what? What is going on?" Peter cut in.

"Get Lyla to do it, I refuse!" Margo shouted again.

"Do what?" Peter asked again.

"Miguel wants me to send Sunshine home!" Margo pointed at him.

I could've fainted right then and there. Hobie and Peter both riposted in shock, I could hear both of them shouting their objections at Miguel. Jess took a step back from him, aghast. I felt sick to my stomach. Hurt, betrayal? I couldn't exactly pinpoint which emotion started to overtake me. Miguel had his eyes closed the entire time he was being yelled at.

"Why?" I managed to croak out, all the strength in my voice leaving me.

He didn't answer me, once again it was like he could barely look at me. What was it, guilt? I took a step toward him, ready to get on my knees and beg if I had to. The closer I got the more he averted his eyes.

"Miguel, please, I beg you. Whatever I did, I'll correct it, please don't send me home."

"Lyla." Was all he said, side stepping out of the way.

One of the Go Home Machine's long, mechanical arms grabbed me. I let out a scream, upset, trying to fight it. I couldn't shake free from its grasp. I saw Hobie and Peter begin to dash toward me, but Cyborg stood up, closing the space in between them. The two of them, along with Jess and Margo watched in horror as I was placed in the center of the Go Home Machine's platform. It started to weave a holographic web around me. It was so strong, there was no way I could fight my way through it.

"Miguel! Miguel, please!" I cried, pounding my fist against the holographic web-barrier. "Don't send me home, Miguel!"

"I have to!" He finally responded, his tone shaky. "It's for your own good, don't fight it, you'll just make it worse."

"I can't go home, I have nothing there. Please!" I continued to pound my fists against the web, fully crying now.

Hobie and Peter were shouting at him, clearly angry and upset, but Miguel was doing his best to ignore them. Lyla had taken over the controls fully from Margo, so she couldn't stop it. Jess was frozen in shock, unable to react.

"It's for your own good." Miguel repeated, as if he was trying to convince himself.

"Miguel!"

"El tiempo todo lo cura." I managed to hear him say that, although he said it lowly.

The Go Home Machine was finished building its web. A bright light radiated from above me as the portal back to my universe was opening up. I kept crying out for him, but it was no use. I was whisked away from the Spider Society, unable to fight against the portal or the machine to go back.

I was gone.

Present Day

By day three of being in this medical wing I was finally discharged. When the nurses took the mechanical cast thing off I couldn't believe that my arm looked completely back to normal, like nothing had happened. Even though I was glad to be out of the cast and stupid hospital bed, I knew this meant I was going to be sent home. Part of me wondered if I could steal someone's watch or upgrade my "day pass" somehow to hide out here, but I knew Miguel would find me.

I signed out of the medical wing, picked up my plastic wrapped, damaged Spider suit, and made my way back to that monitor room. The walk felt longer than usual, I think it's because of all the Spider people who were staring at me. Hobie had made it obvious that everyone knew about my blow up at Miguel. I wanted to just disappear in that moment, already nearly overcome with an overwhelming sense of sadness and dread.

I entered the room, but no one was there, not even Miguel. I slumped against one of the walls and sat down, waiting for someone to come by to escort me to the Go Home Machine. I didn't have the will to fight back or beg anymore, if this is how Miguel wanted to end things then whatever. I'll just go back to my-disaster-of-a-life and try to repair it, although it felt like my life was currently broken beyond being able to be fixed.

I ended up nodding off, and was woken up by Peter B Parker nudging me awake.

"Hey, Sunshine. How long have you been here?" He asked, gently.

I only shrugged, rubbing my eyes as they adjusted to waking up. Miguel was standing a few feet behind him, and my heart immediately started to hammer in my chest at the sight of him. Maybe I underestimated how hard this actually was going to be.

"Are you going to be okay if I leave?" Peter asked. "I've got to go home and pick up May, but I can stay a couple minutes longer if you need me to."

"I'll be fine, Peter, thank you."

Peter used his watch to travel through a portal, leaving Miguel and I alone in this dim room. He had his hands on his hips, his eyes closed. Whenever he stood like that I knew it meant bad news.

"You ready to tell me what's going on?" I asked him.

"I'm glad you made a full recovery." He started, softly. "I was worried about you."

"Don't do that, you don't get to do that." I stood up, and approached, closing the gap in between us. "You don't get to be worried about me when you abandoned me with no explanation for months. And now that I'm back I'm being shown the door again, so please save me the sympathies and let's get on with it."

"You think I abandoned you?" He rebuked.

" " Think?!" I know you did! Look, I'm so sorry that the stupid mixtape I gave you was such a bad gift that you sent me home, but I deserved better than that!"

"That wasn't why-"

"Then tell me, please! What could be the reasoning?" I cut him off.

"Because I can't allow myself to get close to you!"

The room echoed on that last syllable.

"I am not a safe person to be around, there are things about me that you don't know. I have done nothing but cause harm to the people in my life that I care about, and I can't allow that to happen to you. I sent you home for your well being, but I never abandoned you, I always kept tabs to make sure you were okay. Why do you think Gwen and Pavitr arrived to your world so fast?"

I didn't know what to say, all I could think about was "I can't allow myself to get close to you." Finding myself completely speechless I let him continue on.

"Every time I had let someone get close to me and tried to make things work out with a friendship or relationship something always happened, and it was almost always my fault."

He paused for a moment, as if he was recalling a specific painful memory.

"You know I wasn't bitten by a spider like the others, my DNA was spliced. Because of this I have to keep myself balanced, but sometimes that balance tips more toward spider-like instincts and I lose it. I know how I am, I couldn't live with myself if I accidentally hurt you. I can't lose another person I-"

He caught himself before he finished his sentence.

"Miguel…" I managed to choke out.

"It's better this way." He started to walk toward me. "Please understand, I will escort you home this time, okay? And I promise the team will be more available to you." He gently grasped my shoulders.

I reached up to take one of his hands and nodded. The memories of being sent home with the Go Home Machine flooded back, but this time felt different. I could see how remorseful Miguel was, but that didn't make it any easier.

My apartment was clean like I left it. My civilian clothes were spread out on the bed, the ones I had worn to the laundromat nearly a week ago. Miguel looked around, studying my small studio apartment. He had been to my world plenty of times, but never actually inside my home.

I placed my plastic wrapped uniform on my bed. Miguel came up behind me, noticing the blood stains on it.

"I can get your suit repaired for you." He pointed out.

I only shrugged, making my way toward the bathroom. I felt weird, not as horrible as I felt before since Miguel spilled his guts like that. All I knew is I hadn't showered in a few days since I was in the medical wing. I felt so sticky and gross I couldn't take it anymore.

"I'm going to get in the shower," I announced, not waiting for his answer.

I kept the door open a crack so the steam wouldn't overtake my small bathroom. I swear I wasn't trying to tease him, I just really wanted to be clean while standing so close to him. I expected him to leave after dropping me off right away, anyway. He obviously wasn't one for goodbyes. I pulled my hair up into a high bun (not wanting to wash it yet) and got in, turning the water on very hot.

As I was in the shower I heard him calling my name. I stuck my head out to hear him better, the sound of the running water deafening everything else.

"What?" I called.

"You're getting evicted?" I heard him shout from behind the bathroom door.

Crap. I forgot I had left that paper on the bed by my clothes. Goddammit Miguel, why did you have to be so nosy?

"Yup, I meant it when I said my life is falling apart." I deadpanned.

I finished cleaning up, wrapping a towel securely around myself, realizing I had left any change of clothes out in the room. I don't know why he was still poking around out there. I came out of the bathroom, he was still reading the eviction notice.

"I should've checked on you more to help, I'm sorry." He stated. "I'll make sure it gets paid, don't worry."

I walked closer to him. It seemed like he was actively trying to avoid looking at me, like he was embarrassed. Maybe I was being too bold, but I felt comfortable around him (and it was worth watching him blush slightly).

"You don't have to do that, Miguel." I answered, snatching the notice from his hands. "Wouldn't that be interfering with a "canon event?"" I used air quotes around 'canon event.'

"Don't mock me, I'm serious."

I chuckled, throwing the paper back on the bed.

"I owe you after what happened." He gestured toward my bare arm, and my nose.

I couldn't hold it in anymore, since I was already back home I figured I had nothing to lose at this point. This hanging around wasn't helping, I wished he would just leave so I could get on with my shitty life. If he did have something to say then he needed to spit it out already.

"Miguel… what you said back in Nueva York, about caring about me… you know I wouldn't blame you for your spider instincts, you seem to have them pretty under control. I think pushing people away isn't good for you."

He put his hands on his hips, his eyes downcast. "It's better this way." He repeated.

"You keep saying that, but how will you know if you never try? I'm willing to try, if you are." I felt my face heat up as soon as I said something. I felt so vulnerable at this moment, but it was the honest truth.

"I want to, trust me-"

He looked just as surprised as I was from what he said. His face went red, he tried to hide it with his hands, by wiping his face with his wrist but I had already seen it. I softened, and something in my abdomen fluttered.

Was I actually breaking his walls down? I'd never seen him this near to being flustered before.

"Then try." I replied, my tone as soothing as I could make it sound.

We locked eyes. I was suddenly hyper aware of how the back of my legs pushed up against my bed. I was super aware of how heavily Miguel was breathing. I was hyper aware of how the back of my neck was still slightly damp from the shower. My bare shoulders had broken out into goosebumps as the two of us stared at each other. He took a step forward and I held my breath, my heart doing somersaults in my chest. His hand caressed my cheek and he leaned down to my level. Our lips met; he continued to hold my face but I was too stunned to react for a moment. I snapped out of it and returned the kiss, bringing up my arms to wrap around his neck.

Making out with Miguel in my tiny apartment in a towel. This isn't how I pictured my first kiss with him, but I wasn't complaining. He was a hell of a kisser, I couldn't help but moan during it and I think that excited him. His other hand found my waist, gripping it. I could feel my towel start to slip, suddenly. I didn't want to let go of his neck though, I didn't want him to stop kissing me. Part of me didn't mind if I was exposed to him, I honestly yearned for it. The towel slipped more, exposing the top part of my breasts. He noticed, and pulled back from my swollen lips. He brushed the stuff off my bed and laid me back gently on it. Even under his Spider suit I could feel how hard he was, it pressed against me in between my legs.

"Do you trust me?" He asked, looking down at me, still breathing heavily.

"Yes." I replied, practically panting from being breathless.

He reached for the front of my towel by my breasts and unfolded it, opening it fully up and exposing my naked body. He studied me for a moment, his eyes roaming hungrily over me. He leaned down as I stared up at the ceiling. I felt his tongue lick one of my nipples before fully taking it fully in his mouth.

My god it felt good. Actually better than good, it was pure ecstasy. If I didn't know better I was having an out of body experience.

He left my breast and trailed kisses down to my abdomen. He had to get on his knees, and pull me slightly forward on the bed. I sat up slightly, trying to see what he was doing but once he spread open my legs I knew.

My thighs were practically on his shoulders, his head now fully between my legs. His tongue slid into me. I couldn't help but squirm, his arms holding my thighs so I couldn't scoot away too far from him. I know I was moaning loudly, my damn neighbors could probably hear me through the walls.

Even though he was eating me out, I think part of me was in a state of disbelief. Was this actually happening to me right now? I went from being utterly heartbroken by this man earlier today, and now he was giving me oral on my bed.

Maybe things were moving fast, but I loved it all the same. I had been craving Miguel for so long, and I think he was, too.

To be continued