Pointe Shoes and Spider Webs

45. Mask

Daphne still can't see his face, but she can imagine what it must look like right now. For once she's glad his puppy-dog eyes are hidden behind those lenses. She has yet to call him by his name. His real name. She's not sure if she even can. Not when he's dressed like this. She slowly moves back towards Spider-Man, until she stands in front of him.
"Who else knows?" She asks softly. She can tell he is shaking.

Spider-Man's shoulders droop. She really knows.
"May," he mumbles. "Ned..."
"Stark, I assume?"
"All the Avengers know." It's quiet for a second. She can feel there's another name at the tip of his tongue.
"And...?"
"Madame Touha found out this week."
"Mada-" Daphne interrupts herself to take a deep breath and looks away for a second.

"She figured it out herself," Spider-Man starts rambling. "From the start she knew I wasn't joining the ballet school cause I wanted to learn ballet for what it is. I wanted to use it for Spider-Man and then there was a news article that mentioned that I started using ballet moves in my fighting and then she called me out on it and I couldn't pretend anymore. I'm so, so sorry for not telling you, but everyone who knows about me being Spider-Man has been put into dangerous situations and I don't want you to be thrown into that kind of stuff ever again, like with David and the whole Loki thing and you always worry about being a bother so I didn't want to put even more pressure on you and I-"

Daphne puts her finger where his mouth is behind the fabric to shush him and he freezes. She lets out a shaky breath as her hand slowly ghosts down from his chin to his neck. She tugs the fabric slightly, trying to find the edge of the mask. When she finds it, she starts pulling it up with both her hands. Slowly and gently. Time seems to have stopped and Spider-Man holds his breath.

A few of his brown curls pop out from under his mask in his neck and she pushes one hand through them, tangling his hair in her fingers. The other hand keeps pushing up the mask. She reaches his jaw and uncovers it. The hand she had in his hair moves back forward to trace his jaw. She pulls the mask up over his nose with both hands. He finally lets go of his breath and closes his eyes. The lump in his throat weighs him down and he has trouble holding back his tears.

Spider-Man stops Daphne's hands from bringing the mask up further by grabbing onto them with his own. His clothed thumbs rub softly over her fingers, not seeing her, but feeling her. He whispers.
"I'm so sor-" His eyes fly open when he suddenly feels her closed lips against his. They're so soft and warm and- he short circuits. They're... They're...?!

As suddenly as she was against him, she steps back too. Spider-Man just stands there, mouth agape. Daphne's touch lingers on him and he quietly hates the cold she leaves behind. He stares at her wide eyed and she looks back at him. He can't read her expression, there's too much happening on her face to know what exactly she's feeling. He can hear both their heartbeats fast and loud.

"Peter?" She whispers with a cracked voice. Something inside him snaps when she finally says his name. Like an elastic band that was stretched too far for too long. He steps forward and takes her face in his hands, pressing his lips back onto hers in a hungry kiss. She gasps as she opens her mouth and closes her eyes, answering his desperation by taking his top lip between hers and suckling on it.

Daphne's hands cup Peter's face and they run to the back of his head as their kiss continues. No tongue, but they still taste each other. Peter's unsure if his regulator still works, because he feels like he was set ablaze. His hands roam down her arms. He snakes one around her back carefully, so he won't press against her scar. He pulls her flush against him, feeling her warmth. Enveloping himself in it.

Daphne takes the fabric of the mask in her hand at the back of his head and starts tugging it further and further over his face until it glides off his head. She opens her eyes and breaks the kiss, pressing her forehead against his. They both pant as they hold each other tightly. She still has the mask clutched in her hand.
"You have no idea how badly I've wanted to rip that thing off your head," she breathes. He chuckles.
"You have no idea how badly I've wanted to kiss you," he replies.
"I actually think I do," she says softly.

They smile into another kiss. Peter has to remind himself to not go too overboard. He's still Spider-Man. He can still hurt her with his strength. He needs to restrain himself. But the way she feels against him. With him. It's so much better than he could ever imagine. How is he supposed to hold back? Focus, Pete, focus. He pulls back and looks at her. At how divine she is. She stares at him, doe-eyed, but he can tell there's a hint of lust in there. Her lips are slightly redder than they were before. And plum. God, he wants to kiss her again. And again, and again. Forever.

Peter raises his hand to tuck a strand of her hair behind her ear. He didn't expect her to suddenly look down, her brows curling up into a frown.
"Are you okay?" He asks, afraid that he might've hurt her. She scoffs and looks back up at him.
"I really am an idiot, aren't I?" She answers his question with another question. He shakes his head with a smile.
"Idiots don't get into Midtown Tech."
"Well, you did," she teases and she sticks out her tongue.
"Hey!" he pokes her in the stomach and she jolts backwards with a cackle. Her laughter feels like warm sunshine on his skin. 

Daphne throws Peter's mask at him and he catches it with ease. He fumbles with it shyly. Her smile quickly falters.
"May will be back soon with dinner," she gasps. "Should we tell her I know? Should we tell anyone I know?"
"No- no, we shouldn't," he replies slightly panicked. Right when he says it, the front door opens. Daphne and Peter turn to the bedroom door, startled.
"Lasaaaagna!" May singsongs. They can hear her pause physically. "Daphne?"
"Here!" Daphne yells as a reflex. Her eyes go wide. Why did she call out?!

Daphne looks back at Peter, scared.
"Idiot," she whispers through gritted teeth as she points at herself. Peter doesn't really know what to do next. His brain quickly goes over his options in his panic. He can't leave. That would make Daphne look weird. May would think she's snooping around in his room. But if he keeps his suit on, May will know Daphne knows. And scenario number three is the one where he takes off his suit. However, he won't have the time to put on other clothes and all he's wearing underneath are his boxers. He would never live down being found in his room with a girl while being half naked. He really doesn't want to get the Talk from May. Before he can really decide which option is best, May is already there.

"Oh, is Peter with y-" May pokes her head around the corner and comes to a halt when she sees Peter in his suit. She glances at Daphne and raises her eyebrows. "Ah!" she exclaims. "Did- did you finally pick up your Halloween outfit for this year?" The stutter in her tone is obvious.
"It's okay, May, she knows," Peter mumbles. He notices a shift in Daphne's stance. She's making herself smaller and she's looking down at her feet, frowning. Her mind must be racing with everything that just happened.

"Oh, thank God," May groans as her shoulders relax. She leans back and takes a deep breath. "So, eh," she says as she turns to Daphne. "How long have you known?" Daphne swallows.
"About five minutes?" Daphne tries to keep it light by shrugging slowly.
"Hoo, boy, sorry for intruding then!" May obviously didn't expect that reply and immediately turns around with her arms raised. She quickly makes her way back to the kitchen. Peter and Daphne look at each other with wide eyes. They hold their breaths, not saying a word. Dinner is going to be awkward tonight.