The Long Game, Lucas Sinclair

sam streams songbird by fleetwood mac (for no apparent reason)

"Hey, don't call me a... whatever you just called me," Steve defended half-heartedly. "I think your unreasonable fears of spiders and Spiderman are very adorable."

"I will bash your head in with this flashlight," Auggie threatened, shining the light into his eyes for an example. In English, he translated, "Asshole."

But Steve just grinned back, looking helplessly fond.

Auggie actually would've bashed him if it didn't look so attractive.

"Okay, little Auggie," Steve cooed mockingly. "Don't worry, I'll save you from the evil spiders."

Then Steve was pushing Auggie behind him before Auggie could curse him out anymore. Slowly, Steve creeped forward. He shone his flashlight on the floor vent, seeing for himself the cobwebs and reflections of glass that was underneath it.

Steve crouched down, and Auggie made sure to stay a safe enough distance away so he could sacrifice Steve if necessary. He outstretched a hand to remove the floor vent with a small grunt, and Auggie's heart beat faster out of fear.

"Oh, I'm so sacrificing you to Spiderman when the time comes," he whispered.

Like an insane man, Steve's hand reached past the cobwebs and into the vent. He fumbled with something for a little, before eventually pulling out a glass jar.

From the distance Auggie kept, he couldn't see what was inside, but Steve's breath caught the longer he stared at it. He inspected it closer with the light of his flashlight, and Steve's unease grew.

"Smiths, you have to come see this," Steve turned to see Auggie, amidst his crouch, holding the glass jar in his direction. "I'm pretty sure this is a black widow."

"Fuck no, Steve!" Auggie hissed. "I don't fuck with spiders!"

Auggie was pretty sure it was the first time he called Steve his first name, but he didn't even care right now.

Steve was too distracted by smiling at Auggie that he didn't immediately feel the small weight on his left arm. His head slowly turned, and when he saw a black widow climbing up the arm of his jacket—

Steve was thrashing and flinching madly. He dropped the glass jar and began swiping and hitting his body to try and get the spider off. Auggie watched him in confusion and fear as Steve began running backwards, looking around for an unknown entity.

"Steve? Steve, what—?"

Steve ran out of the room backwards, forgetting they had to duck to enter the room considering there was a large cobweb across the doorframe. His head ran into it, but Steve continued to swat at his clothes.

"Woah, Steve, stop, man!"

"There's a spider!"

Auggie screamed like a little girl, running out of the room right after Steve. He slammed the door shut quicker than the speed of light.

"Well, why didn't you tell me?!" he scolded.

Steve hissed, "I was too busy trying to get the black widow off my shoulder!"

"Black widow?" the two boys heard the voice of Nancy question from somewhere in the house.

"Yeah, don't go in there," Steve replied right back, shuddering to himself. When he turned to respond, Auggie noticed the graying of Steve's hair due to the cobwebs.

"Ooh," he winced, reaching up a hand to touch the back of Steve's hair before he could stop himself. "Wait, just—"

Steve looked panicked that a person could be staring at his hair with that kind of expression. He was sprinting forward for the nearest mirror before Auggie could try to help him, noting the large cobweb imbedded in the back of his hair.