#earth 42 rio morales

[bold-embrace]

How much longer can you keep lying

#my art #completed #miles g morales #miles morales #spiderverse fanart #spiderverse #across the spiderverse #atsv #prowler miles #earth 42 miles #rio morales #earth 42 rio morales #REPSOSTING NC IM STUPDI I noticed so many mistakes good lord #boldembrace

[brbzonedout]

Earth 42 Rio and Miles go grocery shopping!!

I saw this art by @bluumey and had to make something. Also, I wrote this all in one sitting so don't jump me too badly.

“No Miles…for the 47th time”. Rio sighs as she ducks into the driver's seat of her car.

He trails behind her and repeats the same motion on the passenger's side. “C’mon mami- hear me out! If you let me start driving now”, Miles clicks his seat belt into place. “I'll be a stupid good driver by the time I take my test”.

“And I’d be a stupid bad mother if I let my 14-year-old son drive through Brooklyn without a license or permit!…so we done here?” She pulls off from the street to the nearest store.

They arrive and park in a nearby garage then get out and make their way into the store then BOOM all hell breaks loose. Y’all know how moms (or other guardians) be in stores.

“De acuerdo, Hijo!” She snaps as Miles starts to walk away on his own. “No no, I need your help it'll be faster that way.”

Soon as he hears that it's over for him he knows that he's not getting out of this store until the sun goes down.

-

Rio drags him all over the store as he walks behind her picking everything off the shelf that she listed.

“Ma are these ripe enough?” Said as he gestures towards a group of plantains sitting in the produce section.

“Let me see…” The look on her face was confused as I don't know what, “Are they serious, putting these out knowing damn well they're not ready…you know what excuse me!” she exclaims as she flags down an employee.

“Oh lord-”

-

They finally grab everything from her list and make their way to the checkout line. Miles puts everything up on the conveyor belt, his job every time a trip to the store is taken. Rio hands over her coupons and cash to the cashier, everything is going great.

When all of a sudden they're about the walk back to the parking garage Miles hears…

“RIO?! RIO MORALES?! OMG!”

“Oh, a la mierda mi vida... cada vez...” Miles says folding his arms and laying down on the cart handle.

Mrs.Morales hears her name and spins around leaving him with the cart.

“You’re kidding!!! It's been so long!” They run up and hug each other.

“I know 7 years I think?! That's crazy, how’s the family- wait I'm so sorry about Jeff.”

“It's hard but you know one day at a time…”

“I know that's right- oh my god” The old friend looks behind Rio at the boy leaning over the shopping cart. “Is that the baby?!”

Rio giggle “Yeah that's him…not so much of a baby anymore…Miles! Ven aqui say hi!”

Poor Miles just wants to go home but reluctantly walks toward them the cart rolling in front. “Hi…” He waves with an awkward smile.

“Ah! He's so big…damn time really does fly what grade you in now?”

“9th…at Brooklyn Visions.”

“Oh ok! I see you gotta brain just like your mama..”

Rio and her friend talk for at least thirty more minutes. Until they finally hug and part ways causing Miles to get a lipstick mark on his cheek at just won't come off.

-

Finally, they make it back home and pull into a parking spot. “Ma…you know I love you but, please next time just send me down there with the list.”

Rio cracks up laughing, once again noticing the sunset and the prominent red kiss mark on his face. “Yeah, ok baby…maybe that's an idea for next time.” She says while licking her thumb trying to remove the stain.

“Stop- Mami!” he groans wiping the spit from his face, as she continues quietly laughing.

“Just stay still!!”.

That's all this definitely feels short and fast but I just wanted to put something else out! If y'all have any tips on how I can my writing sound more fluid let me know, thanks for reading<3.

#across the spiderverse #miles morales #earth 42 miles morales #earth 42 miles #earth 42 miles fluff #rio morales #prowler miles #earth 42 Rio morales

[kombuuuu]

I’m back to bother you again😏

This isn’t really an x reader hc, but it still works

Miles uses the money he gets from his job as The Prowler to save up for gifts for things like his mother’s birthday and mother’s day. He loves her so much, he’s such a mommy’s boy, and he isn’t afraid to show it to her.

UGHHHH HES SOOOO A MOMMAS BOY

he’s such a little suck up too — you know for sure he would borderline cry in shame if he disappointed her

he cooks for her and cleans whenever he’s home

he knows how late she works at the hospital so he gets genuinely offended when she tries to do stuff around the house — like it’s a crime for her not to be resting

he’d buy her things he thinks helps her de-stress as well, just little things like face masks to do with him or hot compresses to pack in hey work bag so she isn’t feeling stiff in the shoulders all day

he DEFINITELY packs her work lunches, and beats himself the fuck up if he forgets — then goes and gets her favourite for her, showing up at her break times with a goofy little smile

rio is always gently telling him not to worry about her but he just looks at her all insulted

“Don’t be stressing about me, Miles —! Focus on your grades or something, Mijo! Go out — Have fun with your friends or something!”

“Momma, What man would I be to neglect you? You care for me — I care for you. Both ways.”

She’ll sigh and resign, and pinch his cheeks lovingly

“Just like your dad.”

he feels sooo guilty for the prowler stuff but knows it’s to keep her safe so he continues anyways

i think if she found out, lord knows she’d be devastated. but i feel — eventually he’ll explain to her how he’s basically doing the same thing his dad did? like protecting the city cause no one else can

she still HATES him doing it, and he’s still guilty beyond all wits

but she doesn’t make him stop, and when she flicks on the news — to see reports of the vigilante saving civilians from an attack on a busy office building, she’d be proud.

++ ALSO REMEMBER THE HEADCANON ABOUT MILES GETTING HIS NAILS DONE WITH HIS MA? AND LEARNING VIETNAMESE JUST TO HEAR THEM GOSSIP??? I STAND BY IT MANNN!!!!

#miles morales #rio morales #earth 42 miles morales #earth42!miles #earth 42 rio morales #eartg42! rio morales #miles morales hcs #miles morales headcanons #across the spiderverse #spiderman across the spiderverse #miles my beloved #atsv miles

[liyawritesss]

ᴛʜᴇ ᴘʟᴀɴ ɪꜱ ᴛᴏ ꜱʜᴏᴡ ʏᴏᴜ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ɪ ᴜɴᴅᴇʀꜱᴛᴀɴᴅ

Characters: Spider-Verse!Earth-42!Miles Morales & Spider-Verse!Earth-42!Rio Morales

Type: Fic

Word Count: 1.4k

Synopsis: Miles tries to show his appreciation for his mother, for all she’s done for him. Even if he can’t verbally say it sometimes; he understands. More than anyone.

Warnings: not a reader insert, so no use of y/n or second person. Mentions jeffersons death on earth-42, so grief mentions as well. Miles is sneaky and kinda sorta lies to mama rio but its all to keep things under wraps and to keep her protected.

A/N: Inspired by @luvjunie ’s 42!Miles Headcanons, specifically as it pertains to him helping his mom out in secret. This headcanon hit home for me and I wanted to write a little content specifically catered to our favorite momma’s boy and his mom

Song Suggestions: “Dear Mama”, “So Many Tears”, & “Keep Ya Head Up” by Tupac Shakur; “Rose In Harlem” by Teyana Taylor; “Broken Clocks” by SZA; “You Got Me” by The Roots, Erykah Badu, Eve, Tariq Trotter

Tags: @6-noir @babyboiboyega @badass-dora-milaje @jacuzziwaters @mbakuetshurisprincess @shuriszn @verachii @writingintheshadowsforever @cafehyunji @lulu-network @niyahwrites @pantherheart @marsfunzon22 @briology @honeybleed @romiantic @queenofthespiderverse @onlyperc @starsoir @yasminisbroke @asensitivecookie @kdyance @sussybaka10 @daisydark @ykimobessed

Sign Up For My Taglist Here!

For as long as Miles could remember, his mom’s dresser had been littered with jars.

Clear, glass containers varying in height and size lining the length of the mahogany wood, situated at the back edge and labeled for certain purposes. They’d helped her keep track of spending habits and separating money for important bills. He’s watched from his youth as his mother counted out the money from her paychecks carefully, dividing the sums into each jar, only being left with a few dollars to her name to last her for the next two weeks. He remembers the overwhelming feeling of helplessness that overtook his young frame as a child when the look of dejectedness flashed across her face.

All he’d ever wished for was to relieve his mother of the stress and prejudice that came with being a widowed single mother. Miles remembers most of his childhood being filled with anger from the pitied looks the other neighborhood moms gave to Rio at the grocery store, and the way people spoke of her as if she were a porcelain doll that needed careful tending due to her ‘vulnerable state’. While it was clear that the loss of Jefferson changed their lives completely, the combination of ingenuine concern from the surrounding community and lack of resources that Rio had access to, mixed with the very raw and still fresh gash of grief left in the now broken family, created a culmination of woe and desolation felt between mother and son; and unfortunately, despite the increased dependency of their bond, such feelings became difficult to express.

Rio became akin to the strong woman trope; the one where a woman of color was expected to pull through all obstacles with a smile on her face, with complete disregard for the turmoil and trauma that would be suffered.

Miles became the pitied son; always angry, always looked upon with false sympathy, always wishing to do better and be better so his mother wouldn’t have to worry about him.

The jars that littered his mother’s dresser soon became the driving force behind his desires to ease her stresses. So when he approaches his uncle with a fire in his eyes and a will power unlike anything he’s ever seen on the streets, it doesn’t take much convincing for Aaron to take the boy seriously.

He thinks back on the nights where he could hear the muffled sniffles of his mother in the next room over as he sneaks into her bedroom in the early hours of the morning. He’d just gotten home, and Rio would be pulling up any minute, so Miles has to make this quick. His book bag rests at his feet, forest green hoodie contrasting against the color of the dresser as he reaches for the tall glass jar labeled ‘RENT’, his dark brown hands pulling the glass container closer as he pulls out a wad of cash from his pockets.

Last time he counted, the jar was about two hundred dollars short of the proper amount that allowed them to call the flat their home. He carefully counts out three hundred from the wad of green in his hands, slips it into the metal slit at the top of the jar, and pushes it back to its original spot.

He does the same for the other glass jars labeled ‘LIGHTS’, ‘HEAT/GAS’, ‘WATER’, ‘WIFI’, ‘GROCERIES’, ‘CAR’, ‘ENTERTAINMENT’, and ‘OTHER’; slipping the amount he knows his mother usually puts into each jar with a little something extra for each one (also paying close attention to the entertainment jar, as there is never much of anything in it, an allusion to Rio’s near non-existent life outside of work and her son, something Miles desperately wishes to change for her). While the wad of cash in his hand slowly depletes, there's a pool of pride that swells in its place, knowing that his secret endeavors make a difference, even the smallest.

The sound of the front door opening and closing causes Miles to jump slightly in his place. He fixes the jars back in their original position, hurriedly making his way out of Rio’s room, careful not to bump into anything or cause any scuffle that could alert his mother’s careful eyes of a disturbance in her space. He all but comes to a halt when he turns from her door to find her standing in front of him, brows furrowed in question.

“Miles?” It doesn’t take long for him to notice the way the dark circles under her eyes sag a little more than the last time she’d been to work, or the pure exhaustion that seeps from her small voice, tired and desperate for sleep. “What were you doing in my room?”

“The door was open,” it’s a practiced lie, one he’s never had to use much, but always has on hand, especially when the false proof of his words are etched onto his mothers face already, “thought you were in already, but I ain’t see you, so I was just closing it before heading out.”

Rio blinks, and Miles watches as she mentally retraces her steps from the night before as she rushed off to work, but the exhaustion that sags her body doesn’t allow her to spend much time on it. “Oh, right; thank you, papa.”

It’s tired and drained, her voice, no doubt from yet another double she had picked up in order to make rent for the month. The first of the month had always been a tumultuous time, where Miles watched Rio disappear through the front door at eight o’clock in the evening, not to return until eight o’clock that morning, then repeat for the next day until the hours added up sufficely on the paycheck. The process was just as hard to watch as it was to endure. 

His eyes quickly darted down to the bags his mother was carrying, and without warning, Miles swept them from her hands, alleviating the additional weight that pulled his mother’s frame into a sulking position. Rio dared not to object to the act of service; it had always been his way of helping her after a long shift, even in his younger years as a child. She remembers his greedy, eager hands reaching for her lunch bag and bookbag, the latter of which was far to heavy for him to carry, but he still made an effort to haul the items into the bedroom and tuck them away in the corner while she tread into the kitchen to fix him a hot plate before school. An unspoken ritual the two did with the passing moments that they had, the older that Miles got. Rio would be lying to herself if she said she hadn’t grown fond of the never ending care in Miles’ eyes, and how no matter his age or life experiences, he was always there.

“I made some breakfast,” Miles says as he guides his mother to the bed, gesturing to the loungewear clothes that hung across the foot of the bed frame, “it’s in the microwave.”

“Is it edible this time?” Rio nudges, her joke earning her an airy chuckle from her son. 

“Wow, goin’ on me this early in the morning? That’s crazy.”

“I’m not the one who thought that pancakes were done when they’re charred around the edges.”

“Llegar, mamá, eso fue una vez!”

The laughter that echoes throughout the four walls of the main bedroom resonate through the walls, and the air becomes a little lighter than before, the pressure on their hearts ease just a bit. 

When he’s done making sure that his mother is set to rest for the rest of the day, Miles grabs his discarded bookbag from the threshold, and bids his mother a bittersweet farewell. As he disappears behind the bedroom door, he heaves a heavy sigh, the sound of his shoes echoing further and further away, before Rio finds herself heaving a sigh as well.

She dresses into the loungewear that Miles had set out for her, immediately slipping underneath the covers after closing the blinds and plugging in her phone. Sleep delirium begins to set in as her head makes contact with the pillows, and yet, her mind never ceases. She’s always thinking, always planning, always working on the next move. Always contemplating on how to keep the jars that litter her dresser full for the rent and bills to be paid. 

It doesn’t take long for Rio to succumb to it, however, and as she closes her eyes and slip off to slumber, she can’t help but notice how the jars do seem a little bit fuller than when she had left the night before.

#black reader #black tumblr #black marvel #black spiderman #spiderman into the spiderverse #spiderman across the spiderverse #spiderman beyond the spiderverse #spiderman itsv #spiderman atsv #spiderman btsv #miles morales earth 42 #earth 42 miles morales #e-42!miles morales #earth 42 rio morales #rio morales earth 42 #rio morales

[pantherastevens]

His Sunshine in The Darkness: A Love Birthed From Blood

Bro, I'm not even going to hold y'all. Just writing this took a lot of me, I had to chuck this day by day. But finally, FINALLY, I present to you all Part 3 of His Sunshine in The Darkness.

Yandere!Miles42 still gives me extreme brainrot and I've been mentally jumping ahead to the part where Panthera finally finds out everything (that's part 4 and I haven't even started it yet. That part might be the shortest of them all and I'm still debating a Part 5). But I have to try to pace this out (not the greatest at it but I try).

Enough of my blabbering, on with the story!

Here are Parts 1 and 2 if you missed them.

Warnings: Blood, Death (Murder), Yandere tendancies (?), Suggestive themes (nothing crazy, I promise), Cursing

---------------------------------------

It all started on a chilly Friday in February. It was a week shy of Valentine's Day, and the school was abuzz about the upcoming holiday. Miles would roll his eyes about it as if he wasn't sporting a black eye due to a fight he got into yesterday over a cute purple and black panda plushie (he saw the stuffed animal first, damn it) to gift to Panthera on the holiday (amongst other things...)

The boy was minding his business in study hall, which was luckily the last class of the day, determined to finish his homework until his ears picked up a familiar name. He glanced out of the corner of his eye to find his two "homeboys" chatting.

"Aye, Andre, what do you think of that Panthera girl," Jamal asked. Andre, in return, raised a brow, noting the flustered look on his face.

"That weird, quiet girl from creative writing class? I mean, she aight, but she nothin' special," Andre said with a shrug. Miles felt his eye twitch at the clear dismissal of his girl. Jamal smacked his lips out of annoyance.

"You only sayin' that 'cause you prefer yo girls high maintenance 'nd shit," he scowled. Andre gave another shrug.

"So? Panthera's cute, but she ain't no bad bitch like Jasmine or Monique. Why you even asking about shorty anyway," Andre breezily asked. Miles could see the sheepish grin on Jamal's face and tighten the grip on his pencil.

"I'm thinking of asking baby girl to be my Valentine to be real..." Andre snorted.

"Be so fuckin' for real, bro. Weren't you talkin' to Beatrice just last week?" Jamal scoffed, shoving his friend.

"Nigga, shut the fuck up. I thought I was interested until I found out she was only talking to me to ask about Miles..." The Afro-Latino rolled his eyes. He knew who they were referring to and wouldn't touch the girl with a ten-foot pole. The girl thinks it's fun to collect niggas' hearts like Pokemon, and he's definitely not interested.

"So why Panthera? The girl is weird. Her hair looks like she's been without a retwist for two months, plus it makes her seem more like a nigga than a female. She barely interact with anyone outside of class. She speaks a weird language sometimes. She's named after a literal animal, for Christ's sake! Don't know what her parents were thinkin' when they named her. What about her seem to grab you by the balls, bruh?" Jamal, and Miles, gave Andre the evil eye.

"Mad disrespectful. I think her hair makes her unique. I know she takes care of it, or it wouldn't look as long and thick as it does. And her having locs doesn't make her look like a nigga. And I'm fine with quiet girls. That means she's not caught up in the rachet bullshit that goes on at school. She actually told me that it was the language of her grandfather from some African country. It's unique, which I think is pretty cool. And her name is pretty, don't be a dick. You might notice some really nice girls here if you stop letting these hoes come up in your face. I'm tryna find me a little boo, not someone to post flicks on the gram and then maybe lead into a one-night stand. Panthera could be the one for me." Miles was a smidge appreciative to hear Jamal come to Panthera's defense, but he still didn't like him.

He liked HIS girl. Miles can not let that slide.

"Tch, whatever you say. I can't help you with your lil crush, but I bet we know someone who can. Ayo, Miles!" Miles did his best to keep his face neutral as he turned to face his "friends."

"What's good," he said. Andre smirked, nodding to Jamal.

"Jamal here is thinking of asking Panthera to be his Valentine. You two are friends, right? Maybe you could help a brother out." 

"Joder no." Jamal and Andre blinked at the Afro-Latino.

"Uhhh, come again," Jamal asked. Miles shrugged.

"I said I don't know," he lied. Jamal's eyes pleaded with the boy.

"C'mon bro, is there anything you know she may like? I kinda wanna impress her..." Tawny brown eyes narrowed in annoyance.

Miles knows a lot of things that Panthera likes. 

Her favorite chocolate and ice cream were cookies and cream. Her top five favorite movies were "Spirit: The Stallion of the Cimarron," "Princess and the Frog," "Finding Forrester," "Dragon Ball Z: Cooler's Revenge" (and "The Return of Cooler"), and "Wall-E." Her favorite flowers were sunflowers, hibiscus, and roses. While she wasn't crazy about fashion, she loved some nice or cool-looking jewelry (as long as she could afford it). She loves art, finding comfort in her sketchbook or with her canvases. One of her treasured items was her iPod, filled with various playlists for her moods. Her two favorite games were Temple Run and Fruit Ninja. She loves basketball and can play the sport (his uncle had a good ass laugh watching her wipe the floor with Miles). She likes boxing and even helps Miles with his workouts. Her favorite colors were black, gold, silver, purple, green, and red. She loves canines and wild cats but has a soft spot for pandas. She loves to watch the sunset or the sunrise to watch the sky explode into a series of colors. She likes stargazing and getting lost in the vast night sky. 

Miles could write a book about her if he wanted to. But that information is for him and him alone.

"Maybe Miles doesn't want to tell you because he likes her himself," Andre said with a shit-eating grin. Jamal blinked before narrowing his eyes at the Afro-Latino.

Jamal didn't have anything against Miles. He felt bad for what happened to his dad and even attended the funeral. When greeting him, Miles' eyes seem thousands of miles away from here. He heard his heartfelt speech about his dad and how he felt sympathy for him when he was nothing but a wreck of tears. Of course, that same day, he saw Panthera. 

Now, it wasn't the first time he noticed her. But that day, it was impossible not to notice her. From her attire, her speech, the song she sang...

Jamal thought she was so beautiful. 

He saw Miles sought for her comfort during the service and even where they laid the Police Captain to rest. Jamal thought it was sweet for her to be there for the grieving boy.

That's when Jamal's crush really started. He was excited to share at least two classes with her that year: creative writing and music. 

And to be able to sit next to her in their creative writing class?

Jamal thought God was finally blessing him...

...only he could never get his mouth to work and talk to her. 

They only had a handful of conversations, and they were in February. Besides, calling them "conversations" was Jamal being generous. Unless Jamal could wriggle in some small talk (which Panthera didn't seem to be a fan of), their conversation would be strictly on the assignment given by the teacher. The boy tried talking to other girls to get his mind off the beauty, but it never worked. None of the girls were really into him like that, and a good majority were only using him to learn about Miles, which pissed him off more than he liked to admit.

What did Miles Morales have that he didn't? Yeah, he didn't have an accent or that effortless mysterious, bad-boy vibe Miles started giving off this year, but it's not like he was anyone special.

The one person he wanted to like him was being hoarded by the guy almost every girl in their grade wanted.

He can't take this shit anymore.

"Ain't no way Panthera would like him like that," Jamal huffed. Miles glared at him.

"What is that supposed to mean," Miles asked quietly, tawny brown eyes meeting near black ones. Jamal scoffed, his jealousy bubbling to a boiling point.

"You've known Panthera for how long 'nd you mean to tell me y'all still not togetha? She probably just pities yo sorry ass. You were the awkward kid mid-freshman year who she just happened to notice. 'Oh woe is me; I lost my daddy to gang violence.' Big fuckin' whoop, my guy. Ain't no way someone like her would ever like crybaby bitch like-ACK!" Jamal's rant was cut off by a sudden hand wrapped tightly around his throat. Fearful dark eyes met menacing light ones.

"Like what, bro," Miles asked quietly. The two boys were nose-to-nose in a silent stare-down. Miles could feel Jamal's pulse fluttering under his fingertips like a frightened caged bird. It made the darker side of him purr in delight.

"I-I..." Jamal couldn't get his words out. Even if Miles' hand wasn't wrapped around his windpipe, the dark promise in his eyes would've still rendered him mute. 

"Thought so. This is your only warning, Jackson: Don't let me catch your sorry ass talking to Panthera. You know nothing about our relationship and what she means to me," Miles mumbled, never taking his eyes off his prey. He moved his lips to Jamal's ear, whispering menacingly,

"Panthera's my girl. Always was and always will be. I'm not afraid of getting rid of anyone looking to come between me and her... and that's not just a threat. It's a fucking promise..." Miles shoved the boy away just as the bell rang, walking out of the still classroom without turning back. Still in shock over what happened, their classmates slowly filtered out of the room. Jamal gave a few ragged coughs, half-heartedly accepting Andre's help.

"Damn, he got you good," Andre mumbled as he held Jamal up. When he decided to be a little shit on purpose, he didn't expect Miles to lash the way he did. Miles wasn't going for a fight or anything, as if he knew the outcome.

Jamal shoved Andre back, irritated.

"Ion care what that nigga say, he thinks he big and bad and what he says goes. Nah, Imma try to see if I can ask Panthera out today just to show that fuck nigga he wrong," Jamal hissed, grabbing his bag. Andre stared after his friend with an eye roll, grabbing his stuff and jogging after him.

He wanted front-row seats to this, after all.

-----------------------

Panthera was shifting through her locker, grabbing the necessary materials for her homework, and placing the material she finished during her classes that day. The girl had her headphones on, humming along to a new song she discovered as she did this. Once she was sure she had everything, she shut her locker.

Only to jump at the sight of Jamal leaning on the locker next to hers. Panthera pulled her headphones off from her ears to rest around her neck.

"Hey, Jamal," Panthera greeted softly, her brows furrowed in confusion. Jamal willed his heart to calm down at the cute expression on his crush's face.

"Hey, beautiful," Jamal said with a flirty grin. He watched as Panthera's cute eyes grew a fraction wider.

"Bast, what happened to your neck?!" He let out a soft hiss when the light touch of Panthera's fingertips brushed against the rapidly forming bruises on his neck. He caught her hand with his, silently hoping his grin didn't transform into a grimace.

"Nothing you should worry your pretty little head about, but I appreciate the concern, sweetness. I got a question for you, though..." Panthera narrowed her eyes briefly, eyeing her hand in his, before meeting his gaze.

"...shoot," she said.

"You busy the night before Valentine's Day, princess? I would love to take you out on a date," Jamal said, feeling bold enough to kiss the palm of her hand.

Panthera blinked.

"You would love to do what now?" Jamal chuckled.

"I said-" Panthera shook her head.

"No, no... I heard you... I guess my real question is why. We barely speak outside of class."

'And that's on purpose...' she thought.

"I always admire you from afar. I'd figured now would be a good opportunity... so how 'bout it, baby girl?" Panthera sized up the boy for a few moments before shaking her head.

"I'm sorry, Jamal, but I'm gonna have to decline. I don't see you like that," Panthera sighed, freeing her hand. Just as the girl was ready to walk away, she felt a hand grab her shoulder.

"C'mon ma, just one date, I promise," Jamal pleaded. Panthera let out a long-suffering sigh.

"Bast, give me strength... if it keeps you from following me home. Fine," Panthera huffed. Jamal gave her a boyish smile, hugging the girl. Panthera let out a confused squeak at the sudden action and was released.

"I promise you won't regret it, Panthera. Meet me at the flower garden near the park at 7, alright?" Panthera gave a nod, watching as Jamal walked up to his homeboy. She shook her head, turning on her heel to walk to the school entrance, only to run face-first into Miles' chest. A steady hand found the girl's waist to hold her up.

"Easy there, gatita..." A soft flush colored Panthera's cheeks at the soft rumble of Miles' voice.

"H-Hey Mi," she said, looking up into his eyes. Miles nuzzled her hair.

"I've been waiting for you. What was taking you so long," he mumbled against her forehead. Panthera let out a tired chuckle.

"Looks like I got a date with Jamal next week." Panthera had her face buried in his chest, which prevented her from seeing the dark smile on Miles' face before it faded into a softer one.

"You don't sound too excited about that," he teased. Panthera looked up at him with a pout.

"I'm kinda not, but I'm not trying to be followed home until I say yes." Miles smirked, gently bumping his nose with hers.

"Hey, if anything happens, you could always hit me up. You know I'll do everything possible to bring that beautiful smile onto that sweet face." Panthera giggled, playfully shoving him.

"Mi! Stop flirting with me. My damn face hurts!" Miles chuckled, wrapping his arm around her shoulders as he and Panthera walked out of the school building. Miles sent a quick text as they walked before asking his little kitten about her day.

Elsewhere at a corner store, Jamal's phone buzzed with a new message. It was from an unknown number with a single phrase.

Unknown: Bet.

"Ayo, c'mon bro. You found everything," Andre asked. Jamal mentally shook his head, turning to his bro.

"Y-Yeah. Let's go."

-----------------------

It was the eve of Valentine's Day. The days flew by much quicker than Jamal anticipated, but he felt ready for tonight. 

It was 6:30 PM. Jamal sat on a marble bench in the middle of the flower garden. He was dressed in his freshly ironed white button-down shirt, the nicest jeans he owned, and his white Air Forces. He got a haircut yesterday, helping his newly twisted hair pop. A simple Cuban chain hung around his neck, and his nicest watch was on his wrist. He wore his favorite cologne for the finishing touch.

Beside him were a heart-shaped box of chocolates, a cute Valentine's stuffed bear, and a bouquet of purple and light pink roses.

'God, I hope she likes this. I really want her to like me... wait, what's that noise?' The sound of footsteps approaching caused his heart to quiver in excitement. A glance at his watch let the boy know it was 6:37. The young teen scrambled to his feet, holding the bouquet. Jamal could hear those footsteps getting closer, just about to round the corner to the space he was waiting.

He prepared his best smile to greet his date.

"Hey Panthera, you're ear-" The person standing in front of him wasn't Panthera.

Neon-purple lights lit up the garden surrounding them. The person wore a mechanical mask over their face, narrow white slits making up their eyes. Jamal noticed the spray-painted symbol on the person's chest and the sleek metal claw on their arm when the person's identity finally clicked in his mind.

"Y... You're the Prowler," Jamal whispered. A distorted, deep chuckle escaped the person's throat.

"You sound disappointed... expecting someone else," the Prowler asked rhetorically, approaching the frightened teen. Jamal tried to keep his distance as his mind raced.

Why was the Prowler here out of all places? Everyone knows about his reputation as a vigilante, though it was always wise to stay out of his way. Jamal picked a safe place when he planned this date; it didn't make sense for one of Brooklyn's notorious boogeymen to be here-

"Y-Yeah, actually... I-I have a date, so if you d-don't mind. S-she should be here soon..." The vigilante paused for a moment.

"Oh, I know..." Jamal's blood ran cold.

"Wha-ACK!" Before he could even ask what he meant by that, He felt the wind being knocked out of him. Jamal wasn't sure what was happening until searing hot pain shot through the boy's nervous system. Dark eyes looked down to find razor-sharp claws embedded in his abdomen. A firm, gloved hand gripped his jaw, focusing Jamal's teary and terrified gaze on the soulless white glare.

"W-Why," the boy whimpered, blood bubbling from his throat and spilling over his quivering lips. The Prowler didn't answer him, simply staring at Jamal.

Until the mask automatically pulled back. Jamal's lungs choked on his breath.

"M-Miles...?" The Afro-Latino smirked down at his "friend."

"I told you... Panthera's mine. I'm not afraid to take out those who try to take her away from me. Since you refused to listen..." Miles reactivated his mask, removing his claws from the gushing wound. He slowly trailed the bloody tips up the heaving chest before wrapping around the healing handprint he had left nearly a week ago.

"I'm just gonna have to make an example out of you. For anyone foolish enough to try come after what's mine." Jamal wanted to scream. Yell at the boy that he was crazy and that Panthera would never look at him the same way ever again if she found out. But before Jamal could utter a word, Miles swiftly broke his neck. 

Those white digital eyes watched as the light faded from those dark eyes before dropping the body. Miles grabbed his phone to check the time.

6:43.

Good. He had plenty of time to leave so he could clean up before Panthera would call him. Luckily, one of the hideouts he and his uncle used wasn't too far away. The young vigilante darted into the night, leaving his victim to bleed out in the garden alone.

-----------------------

It was 7:02, and Panthera had finally arrived at the flower garden entrance. She would be the first to admit she wasn't crazy eager for this date.

Mainly because she didn't see Jamal like that. But also because she had to deal with the headache of trying to find a nice outfit for the first real date in her life. When she got home from school last week, she immediately went online to find something to wear, already knowing she wasn't gonna find a real outfit in her closet.

It took her ages to find something she liked, seeing how most of the outfits showed too much for her liking. Like she would have to be careful if she needed to pick up something too much. 

But she found her ideal dress. She paired it with her silver angel wing necklace and matching earrings. She had delicate silver rings decorating her right hand. White gladiator sandals covered her feet to complete her look. For her hair, she opted for a half-up-half-down situation with a single loc in front to frame her face. She even went ahead to do a bit of makeup. Not much, since she wasn't looking to impress this boy. Just something light. Some brows, mascara, and some mauve-tinted lip oil.  

She liked the look she created, only wished she didn't go through all this effort for a guy who she barely looked at twice.

'Welp, at least I look cute for my first, and probably last, date of my life...' 

The girl shook her head at the fledging thought. Many people might deem her a "Negative Nancy," but she's calling it how she sees it. No dude at their school would look at her twice. She's heard the whispers and the jokes. 

"Would you sleep with Gabriella with no condom on... or go on a date with Panthera?"

"I rather risk catching something than be seen with a girl who is mistaken as nigga outside her uniform any day of the week."

If the girl wasn't secure about who she was as a person, those comments might have hurt her. From Panthera's point of view, those who say ignorant shit like that don't deserve her, and seeing the many sides that make up Panthera Stevens.

Only one guy thus far has seen her for who she is and hasn't shied away from her. And that's her best friend and ever-growing crush, Miles. 

When did those feelings start becoming apparent? If Panthera had to take a guess, it would be the night she kissed him. The domestic atmosphere never left the two, from her feeding him in the kitchen with his arms around her to watching the boy snuggle up against her, seeking her out in his sleep. 

Everything about that boy was just so endearing to her. Even as they started the school year and Miles gained more popularity amongst their classmates, especially the female population, he would still seek her out for moments of reprieve. 

He would always seek after her.

Panthera sighed as she walked through the garden, searching for the center.

If only he asked her out instead of Jamal. Panthera knew she could just come clean to him and see what happened, but damn it. She wanted to be courted.

According to her father, she would be a princess in the land of their ancestors. Was it wrong of her to want to be treated as such?

The girl sighed as the center of the garden came into sight. She was on a date with Jamal, not Miles. The very least she could do was try to give the boy a fair shot...

As she got closer, she immediately felt something was off. Firstly, there was no Jamal in sight. The garden was quiet except for the occasional chirp from the crickets. She double-checked her phone, noting that the time was 7:05. The boy should be here by now...

Cautiously, she explored a bit deeper, looking for anything amiss...

And then it hit her.

Just barely hidden under the natural perfume of the flowers was a sharp metallic smell. A smell Panthera was very familiar with.

Blood.

The girl froze, eyes narrowing as she tried to take in her surroundings to find anything amiss. Nothing. With a shaky hand, she reached into her bag to grab her phone. Jamal had input his number earlier that day so she could call or text him if she ran late or anything of the sort. The girl wasn't looking to use it, seeing how it meant the boy would have her number, but she had to call to see where he was.

Maybe to change the location of their meet-up. Something. Anything.

She hit the call button, bringing the phone to her ear as she heard the line ringing. Quickly, a phone rang to her right, a little beyond a bush. The girl prayed silently that the boy probably dropped his phone as she stepped along the stone pavement to where she could hear the phone ringing in time with her call.

Her heart stopped at what she saw.

The boy looked back at her with lifeless eyes as he lay in his own pool of blood. The roses he had bought were now stained red, along with the pavement underneath him. His neck was twisted in her direction, seeming broken as his lips were parted with a single streak of blood coming from the corner.

With numb fingers, she ended the call with Jamal and dialed 911.

"911, what's your emergency?"

"Yes, hello... I-I... I would like to report a murder..."

-----------------------

Miles had just finished thoroughly cleaning his claws when his phone rang at 7:29. The boy smiled as he heard the sound of Juice WRLD's voice.

Panthera was calling him. 

He answered after the second ring, putting the phone on speaker as he got dressed.

"Hey, gatita. How's your date," he greeted. He could hear the sound of police sirens and people talking in the background.

"M-Miles... can... can you come and get me, please? S-Something happened..." The boy expected the tremor in his little beloved's voice, but that didn't mean it didn't hurt his heart to hear it.

"Of course, Panthera. Where are you now," he asked, even though he already knew the answer.

"T-The garden... by the p-park..." Confirming that he'll be there in a few minutes, he hung up. Grabbing his jacket and slipping on his Jordans, Miles was out the door.

-----------------------

Panthera sat a little ways away from the crime scene, knee anxiously bouncing. The girl knew this was a common occurrence in their city, but she seriously wasn't expecting this.

After the police took her statement, they pretty much left her alone. That's when the girl called Miles, not feeling mentally sound to be alone. Her stiff posture finally relaxed when she felt a familiar pair of arms wrap around her.

"Hey, gatita," Miles softly said as the girl curled against his chest. He allowed her to use him to find the comfort she sought, rubbing her back soothingly.

"He's dead," Panthera said flatly as she clung to her best friend. Miles looked down at her, "rightfully," confused by what she meant.

"Jamal... he... he's dead... I found his body," Panthera mumbled. Miles squeezed her closer, kissing her forehead. He could feel the tension ease out of her body as he held her.

"I'm so sorry you had to go through that, Panthera..." Panthera pulled back to find worried tawny eyes staring back at her.

"Can... can I go home with you? Baba isn't gonna be home for a few days... and I don't wanna be by myself..." A kind smile spread on Miles' face.

"Of course, muñeca. As a matter of fact, let's make a date," Miles suggested as he pulled her up to stand alongside him. He chuckled at the confused look on his little kitten's face.

"C'mon, Panthera, let me bring that beautiful smile onto that gorgeous face like I promised. You went through hell tonight. It's the least I could do. Especially when you look so beautiful in your new pretty dress," Miles coaxed, tugging the girl closer by the waist. He watched in mild amusement as she hid her cheeks behind her hands, looking away from him.

"Okay, okay, you flirty menace. Take me somewhere," Panthera relented. Miles smiled, kissing her hand as he tugged her away from the crime scene.

Just as Miles planned.

-----------------------

It was 9:10, and the pair sat on the rooftop of Miles' apartment. To Panthera's pleasant surprise, Miles had ordered from her favorite restaurant, making sure to get her usual order of a full rack of baby back ribs, lemon pepper fries, and mashed potatoes, and arranged for them to have a little candle-lit dinner in the familiar warm atmosphere of his home. Miles refused to stop complimenting the girl, watching on fondly as the girl blushed and giggled at his comments.

After eating, the pair made their way to the rooftop, where they chatted and gazed out their city.

"You really have no right being this beautiful, muñeca. I could bask in your beauty forever," Miles murmured lovingly as he traced small hearts on Panthera's shoulder. The girl flushed, fidgeting with one of the rings on her hand.

"Miiiiiii, stop," the girl whined, the heat in her face making the girl lightheaded. A light chuckle brushed against her eardrum, eliciting a small shiver. Miles leaned in to kiss a warm cheek, wrapping his arms around his girl.

"Nah, you're too cute when you blush," he teased. Panthera slapped his chest in retaliation, but there wasn't a lot of force for it to hurt. Miles chuckled, taking ahold of her hand as he stood up. Panthera's confused gaze was met with a boyish grin.

"Dance with me, gatita," Miles whispered, tugging her closer. Panthera gave him a shy smile.

"Okay... what song do you have in mind," she asked. Miles whipped out his phone in a quick, decisive fashion, quickly going through his playlist before finding the song he wanted and cranking the volume up.

Panthera felt her face flush more as she recognized the beat. It was the ringtone Miles had set for her, but she never heard it longer than a few seconds. As she wrapped her arms around his neck and he wrapped his arms around her waist, she listened to the lyrics.

"...Really think I found my home,

Shorty make me feel at home...

She made me leave the thrills at home,

And I'm fine with it..."

"This is a nice song. I love it," Panthera whispered, looking into those tawny brown eyes that always seemed to hold a special kind of warmth for just her. Miles rested his forehead against Panthera's, content with drowning in her dark eyes and the lyrics.

"I'm glad. It's how I see you," Miles whispered, watching Panthera's eyes flutter with an innocent blink, the same one she does whenever she's confused or curious. 

"There's love at my front door, short notice,

You're not like the same girls I notice...

Think I met my soul mate,

Yeah, I know it...

When it gets dark outside,

In you I confide...

You help me face my demons,

I won't hide, hide...

Girls like you are hard to find,

I hope you don't mind...

If I give you the time of your life, life, life..."

"Miles..." "Shhh... just be with me in this moment, hermosa..."

As the song continued the play, the pair continued to dance on the rooftop. The boy couldn't take his eyes off the beauty in his arms, often twirling her under his arm to get that sweet smile he oh-so-loved. Miles loved how Panthera fitted in his arms. 

How right it felt to hold her in such a way. 

It felt like two puzzle pieces fitting together.

Deep down in his heart, he knew he had found his soulmate, his other half, his person.

"...Now that you're here,

I want nothing to change...

You pick me up when I'm down,

I need you around...

You seen me through my darkest times,

Girl, is there something that you try to find?

You brought meaning to my life,

All because of you, I do right..."

Panthera found herself in a trance. She could only acknowledge those brown eyes staring into her soul and the prancing of her heart. 

With the song filling the space between them and her being wrapped in the loving warmth of Miles' arms...

Panthera felt like she was home.

"...We're just two lost souls,

But we're fine with it..."

With the last lyric fading into the beat of the song, the pair stood in place, swaying gently. 

"Panthera?" Dark eyes fluttered open to find a lighter pair staring at her. She smiled.

"Yes?" Miles felt his knees weaken a bit, the weight in his pant pocket becoming more apparent.

"There's something I wanna ask you," Miles said slowly, pulling away a bit to hold both her hands in his. Panthera's brows pinched closer together as she gave a slow nod. Miles took a deep breath.

"I always looked back at freshmen year fondly. Being a new kid during the middle of the school year wasn't something I was happy about, especially since I managed to crush on a super pretty girl in several of my classes, and I had no idea how to approach her. But she turned out to be much bolder than I could ever be and sat next to me in art class to ask if we could be friends. Her smile reminded me of the sun; I just wanted to stay in its warmth forever. Our friendship was something I would always cherish because she always saw me for me and wanted me just as I was. My parents loved her to the point that they saw her as a daughter. My uncle had basically adopted her years ago and was ecstatic to have her back in his life again. She brought something special to my life..." Panthera could feel her heart thundering in her chest. The heat from her cheeks chased away the chill of the cool night air.

But she didn't dare take her eyes off the boy standing before her.

"Even during my life's darkest point, she shone bright as the sun. Wrapping me in the warmth of her loving arms, smile, and heart. She never left my side. Before papá died, he... he told me how she would be good for me. That she would take care of my heart the same way mamá did his; he would've loved to see the two of us get together. I already know mamá y tio having been dying for us to get together... and to be honest, gatita... I've been wanting to ask you this for a long time. Ever since the night of my dad's party, when we both said we loved each other..." Panthera watched with bated breath as Miles lowered himself on a single knee. He released one of her hands to grab the black box in his pocket.

"Panthera Genesis Stevens, I've had a crush on you even before our first conversation, which only grew with each day I've spent with you. While I always loved you as a friend, I knew my heart saw you as something more. The night of the party, I wasn't confessing my love as a friend but as someone who dreamt about being called yours, where I could show off that I had the heart of a literal angel in my possession. I would love nothing more than to shower you with love, affection, respect, comradery, protection, devotion, and dedication every day for the rest of our lives. That one day, I'll find myself in this very position again to ask you to become my Mrs. Morales. Where one day, we'll wear matching rings and be known as husband and wife. But for now, I ask you this... Panthera, mi vida, mi ángel, la reina de mi corazon, will you be my girlfriend?" Miles slowly opened the box, revealing the ring inside.

Panthera stared at the boy with teary eyes, her free hand holding an overheated cheek. But Miles could see the happiness in her sparkling eyes and her smile.

"Yes, Miles... I would love to become your girlfriend..." The stars couldn't rival the brightness in the boy's smile. Unable to contain himself, he quickly stood up, picking up the girl to spin her around. Panthera's joyful laughter was music to his ears.

"MI! I'm getting dizzy," she shrieked, clinging to the boy. Miles chuckled, slowing them to a stop before setting her down. Miles took ahold of her left hand with a smile, slipping the ring onto her ring finger. He watched fondly at his girlfriend's cute expression of awe.

"It's so beautiful," she murmured, lightly trancing over their names. Miles grinned, tilting her chin up so she could meet his gaze.

"Anything for you, mami," he said, squeezing her close. Panthera gave him a shy smile, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Kiss me, Papi," she asked. Miles inhaled sharply. His hands found her waist, squeezing down briefly.

'Mio dio...'

"Ask me again, gatita," Miles whispered, his tone reminded Panthera of a man starved. Their lips were just an inch apart, teasing the both of them, but they knew that Miles wasn't gonna close the distance until she asked. A canine tooth wore down on the glossy bottom lip as one small hand slithered down the boy's neck to rest over his erratic heart.

"Please, Miles... kiss me..." Who was Miles Morales to deny such a pretty, pretty plea?

Their first kiss was only witnessed by the celestial bodies from up above.

It was the start of something beautiful...

...and the birth of something deadly.

-----------------------

"Miles?" It was the next week. Valentine's Day weekend was a weekend Panthera would never forget. Miles had spent the weekend at her place, and the two spent the next two days inside, per Panthera's request. And boy, was she spoiled.

Her favorite chocolate? Miles got it.

The cute purple and black stuffed panda she named Milo in honor of her new boyfriend? Miles bought it (and fought for it, she came to find out).

Her favorite flowers sitting in a pretty vase in her room? Miles.

Her feet hurt? She would find her feet propped up on her boyfriend's lap, his steady hands working out the tense soles.

She wanted to watch one of her favorite movies? She would find herself lying on Miles' chest under a blanket with the said movie playing on the screen.

She wanted a scalp massage? Her boyfriend's gentle fingers would massage circles throughout the roots of her locs.

She was craving something? Miles already got a delivery app open.

Those were just a few examples. Panthera truly enjoyed herself (and enjoyed covering a lovesick Miles in kisses).

It was now Monday morning, and Panthera was just about to leave to head to school when she opened her door to find Miles standing on the other side, hand raised to knock.

"Good morning, gatita," Miles purred, kissing his girl's cheek. Panthera blushed, playfully pushing the boy away.

"It's too early for you to make me blush like this. What are you doing here," she chuckled. Miles cocked his head at her.

"I'm here to pick up my wife so we can walk to school together." Panthera would deny the deepening blush if you asked her. Miles laughed when the girl smacked his shoulder.

"Mi! What did I just say?!" Miles raised his hands in surrender despite the mischievous glint in his eyes. When he kissed Panthera's lips, he wasn't pushed away.

"Sorry, gatita," he said, wrapping an arm around his girlfriend's waist. As much as Panthera tried, she couldn't keep the smile off her face.

"Fine, I forgive you. And good morning to you too, handsome," she said, nuzzling his chest.

"Ready to go," he asked. The girl nodded, locking the door before the pair headed to school.

The walk was peaceful enough, and when they got to school, they arrived early enough to where there weren't a lot of people there. Which Panthera was grateful for, knowing the day was going to be a tense one.

Someone literally died. And she was the one who found his body.

Plus, she got into a relationship with her best friend/crush literally that same night? With his promise ring on her finger?

Yeah, she knows she's about to be a hot topic for a while...

"What's going on in that pretty little head of yours," Miles mumbled in her ear. The young couple was sitting on one of the many benches that could be found in the school's courtyard. Miles, ever the needy one, had the girl in his lap. Panthera fiddled with her ring.

"Just all the attention I'm about to get today... I'm not looking forward to it," she weakly chuckled. Miles tilted her head towards him so she could look into his eyes.

"Try not to stress over it, mi amor. Remember, I'm with you, Panthera. Always..." The girl smiled, kissing her boyfriend's cheek.

"Thank you, sithandwa sam..."

-----------------------

When the school day officially started, and just as Panthera expected, everyone was staring at her. And they were nowhere near subtle about it. Her keen ears could pick their whispers.

'...she was suppose to go out with him that night...'

'...she found his body...'

'...where did she get that ring...'

The situation wasn't much better when Miles picked her up from her math class to go to art together. The kiss on her cheek was enough to enrage the female population of their grade.

If Panthera didn't love him, she probably would've killed him for that stunt. Because now every girl in her classes was giving her the evil eye.

She's just trying to exist. Is that too much to ask for?

"Hey, Panthera." The answer was yes; it was too much to ask for.

Trying to keep the annoyed look off her face, Panthera looked up from her textbook to find Beatrice James looking down at her.

Beatrice was a rather pretty girl: sun-kissed golden skin, cloudy gray eyes, long black curly hair. She was only taller than Panthera by two inches, but she always found a way to look down at the quiet girl.

It wasn't a surprise to find Beatrice in front of her. While Panthera wasn't in drama, she certainly heard about it. So, she was well aware that the girl demanding her attention wasn't pleased about her relationship status change with Miles.

"Good afternoon, Beatrice. How can I help you," Panthera replied monotonelessly. Beatrice placed her manicured hands on either side of Panthera's desk, leaning into the girl's space.

"Don't play coy with me, Stevens. Is it true?" Panthera simply raised a brow at the girl's attempt to look menacing.

The girl literally had death stare at her dead in the face. Besides, if Beatrice were to put her hands on her, Panthera's hands were rated E for Everyone. She was trained to fight, even trained to kill if necessary. If this girl thought she could scare her, she clearly doesn't know Panthera well.

"Gonna have to be a little more specific in what you're referring to," she drawled. She did her best to suppress a smirk at the subtle twitch in Beatrice's left eye.

"Are. You. Dating. Miles." The girl was practically spitting venom at this point. Not that Panthera was particularly concerned or anything: quite the opposite, matter of fact. Something about having the guy that was unattainable to others was a bit of a power trip. While she knew wearing the promise ring was a recipe for trouble... she was proud of her relationship with Miles. She belonged to him just as much as he belonged to her.

"Why? Looking to get an invite to the wedding," Panthera taunted. Beatrice's face steadily turned red; if they were in a cartoon setting, Panthera was 100% sure that steam would be coming from her ears.

"You little-" Beatrice was suddenly cut off by Panthera's hand suddenly thrust in her face. Her ring-cladded hand.

She could clearly make out Miles and Panthera's names engraved on the metal, their birthstone sparkling in her face. 

"Does this answer your pointless question?" 'Oh, this bitch...'

Panthera yelped when she pulled out of her seat, feeling the slight burn sensation erupt on her cheek.

'Oh, is that what we're doing? Bet, hoe.'

Panthera growled, the sound a little more animalistic than human. It was enough to give Beatrice pause and give Panthera the opening to return the favor with a punch to the nose. The satisfying feeling of bone meeting bone made Panthera smirk.

"You bitch," she shrieked, going to scratch Panthera's face again. Two small hands wrapped Beatrice's wrists, grip ironclad. Panthera yanked her towards her, her knee connecting to Beatrice's stomach. Beatrice doubled over with a pained gasp. The girl didn't have time to react before Panthera grabbed her arm and flipped her on her back, her head hitting the floor hard.

Panthera glared down at the girl; blood trickled down her cheek. The girl pressed a foot against Beatrice's chest, looming over the dazed girl.

"I'm not some doormat for you to walk over, Bea. I suggest you learn that," Panthera said softly. Beatrice, stunned, didn't utter a word. Panthera finally tuned in, hearing the teacher yelling at her to get off the "poor girl" and go to the front office. The girl simply rolled her eyes, grabbing her bag and walking out. 

She suspected that she was probably gonna get suspended or something. Visions didn't tolerate fighting on school grounds, no matter the reason. Not like Panthera cared; she was ahead of her classwork.

Beatrice was sent to the nurse before being sent to the office. Panthera was glaring sightlessly as she was being reprimanded, her eyes only narrowing when she caught sight of Beatrice. Said girl shivered at the cold look in those dark eyes, opting to sit two seats away from the obvious predator in the room. Panthera fought back a smirk while listening to the principal drone on about her punishment. Her dad was "out of town," but he put her umalume as an emergency contact just in case anything happened to her. So he was called in for a quick conference, and she would go home with him.

Less than thirty minutes later, Aaron appeared in the office. Panthera couldn't help but smile at the sight of him.

"Umalume!" The man stumbled back a step when Panthera rammed into him, her arms coming around his waist as she nuzzled his chest. The older man chuckled, squeezing the girl briefly.

"Mr. Davis." The older man made eye contact with the principal with a raised brow. The man didn't partially care for Mrs. Manson until today. He was a bit confused when he received a call from the school. At first, he thought it was about Miles, which to him would still be strange because if the boy were to get into trouble (if he wanted to risk the chance of the wrath of the infamous chancla), they would've reached out to Rio first. 

But no, it was about his little niece.

Hearing that Panthera got into a fight struck the man as odd. As far as he can recall, Panthera was a rather passive individual. He knew Eric taught the girl how to fight; that man was adamant about his little girl's safety. But he knew that knowledge was supposed to be used to protect herself. 

He knew his little cub wouldn't get into a fight for shits and giggles.

"Mrs. Manson," he greeted curtly. 

"Mr. Davis, since you're Ms. Stevens' emergency contact, I hope you'll pass this along to her father when you can. Ms. Stevens will be suspended externally for a week for fighting and injuring Ms. James." Aaron balked at the woman before training his eyes on the other girl in the room. He could see the bandage over the girl's nose and the ice pack she was holding to her head.

"Ms. James sustained bruises on her stomach and back as well as a broken nose and swelling to the back of her head," Mrs. Manson informed. Aaron looked down at Panthera, finding deep scratches on her left cheek. The man narrowed his eyes at the dried blood.

"Any reason why you didn't send my niece to get her cheek bandaged," he drawled, his voice rough around the edges. Mrs. Manson didn't miss a beat.

"Panthera is a big girl, she could handle a small scratch-"

"Nah, you see, that's where you lost me. Those nails on that other girl are literal weapons. Matter fact, who struck who first," Aaron laughed mirthlessly.

"I don't see how that's relevant-"

"Lady, I'm giving you a second chance to answer my question. Don't expect a third." The older woman looked at Aaron with slight unease, eyes quickly scanning him for any possible weapons. She cleared her throat.

"It was Ms. James-"

"And how long is she suspended for?" Mrs.  Manson did her best not to wither under the sharp gaze of Aaron Davis.

"Three days internal suspension-"

"Enough said. Fine, suspend my niece over a petty fight that she didn't even start and got no treatment for while this little girl gets coddled because her daddy got money to fund this place. Panthera, let's go." The girl already had her bag in hand, following the man out the door.

"The nerve of that wrinkly, heartless white bitch, the fuckin' favoritism in this damn place is disgusting. I'm gonna need a fuckin' smoke after that," Aaron grumbled angrily, speed-walking off the school hallways.

"Umalume! Slow down! My legs aren't as long as yours!" Aaron paused, remembering about his little niece. He turned to embrace the girl once she caught up, taking her by surprise.

"Umalume?"

"Sorry, lil cub. You didn't deserve to be caught up in some bullshit by some nigga's spoiled brat that led you to get kicked out temporarily..." Panthera noted the sad look in her uncle's eyes before nuzzling him.

"It's alright, umalume. I expected today to be eventful... but it's okay! I'm still ahead of my classes, and I have some extra days off from school... that is, if I'm not in trouble..." Aaron chuckled, squeezing the small girl.

"Of course not. I know how you are and how your ol' man raised ya. Whatever that girl did mostly deserved it. Matter fact, what did she do?" Panthera nibbled on her lip.

She and Miles had planned to tell Aaron and Rio about their newfound relationship... just not like this.

Just before she could answer, her stomach grumbled loudly. Aaron raised an amused brow.

"Didn't have lunch yet," she mumbled. She always got hungry at least an hour before lunchtime. Aaron laughed, throwing an arm around the girl's shoulders as they walked off to where he parked his motorcycle.

"C'mon then. Let's clean up that wound, and then we can talk this over some burgers and milkshakes. My treat."

-----------------------

Miles was sitting in the cafeteria with some of his "homeboys" with a bored look on his face. He actually got there first in hopes of him and Panthera sitting together, but the guys found him first. He was half listening to what they were saying, something about Jamal's death and other random shit he didn't care for, all while looking for his precious girlfriend.

But the girl was nowhere in sight. He glanced at his phone, finding no new messages from her, and let out an irritated sigh. It wasn't like his precious gatita to ignore him...

"Yo, ain't that Beatrice walking up to us? She looks like hell," Kieran whistled. Logan chuckled.

"Haven't you heard? She got her ass beat by one of the girls last period. That one chick with the dreads. She was supposed to go out with Jamal the night he died, forgot her name..." That got Miles' attention.

"Panthera," he offered, finally turning his attention to the group.

"Yeah, her! Actually, it had to do with her relationship with-"

"Hey Miles~" 'Oh for fuck sake...'

"I'm a little busy, Beatrice," Miles said with a dismissive wave. The girl narrowed her eyes.

"But Milesssss, I need to talk to you! It's important," she whined, leaning dramatically on his shoulder. Miles could feel his eye twitch at the contact, shrugging the girl off.

"I said I'm busy-"

"Busy talking about that brute you call a girlfriend?" Miles froze before slowly turning his head to face the girl.

"Excuse me," he said. He finally took note of the girl's bandaged nose and slightly disheveled appearance. He could slightly see the change of colors peeking out of the bandage.

"Panthera's your girlfriend, isn't she," she asked rhetorically. The other boys focused on the duo, silently eager for more details.

"Damn straight she is, but she's no brute," Miles scoffed. Beatrice pouted.

"She nearly cracked my skull in the middle of class! All because I asked if you two were dating. It's not a good look for you to be with such a loose cannon, Miles. Especially with her seemingly violent family." Tawny brown eyes glared into gray ones.

"First of all, Panthera would never fight anybody without someone giving her a reason to, so I already know you're bullshitting me on a few details there. Second of all, what the fuck do you mean by that," Miles asked, his accent becoming thicker the angrier he got. Beatrice continued to try to play into her innocent act.

"The principal called her uncle into the office to let him know that Panthera has external suspension and she's supposed to be sent home immediately. The man looked as if he was gonna murder Mrs. Manson! He had the nerve to defend Panthera as if she didn't beat me up so viciously. My stomach and back are gonna be bruised for weeks!"

Panthera's uncle... Uncle Aaron.

So, not only is she talking shit about his girl, but she talking about his uncle too?

Miles chuckled. Everyone at the table looked at him as if he was crazy.

"Yo bro, what about that is funny? Beatrice got hurt, and Mrs. Manson was threatened," Logan asked, slightly unnerved. 

"So you expect me to fully believe in a girl who basically used other guys as she pleased and wanted me to be her next conquest over a girl I've known ever since I came to this damn school? You want me to believe a girl who is talking shit about my girlfriend but my uncle too? Are you so fucking serious?" Everyone blinked.

"You're dating your cousin or something," Andre asked after being silent most of this time. Miles stared at him blankly.

"No, cabrón. My uncle knew Panthera and her dad ever since they moved to Brooklyn. He's basically an uncle figure to her. My uncle is my dad's brother. As for you-" Miles returned his gaze to Beatrice, who looked a little shocked.

"Hop off my dick and find another to ride. I don't like you and will never like you, perra de dos caras. You already managed to get my baby suspended and disrespected her and my uncle. Lo juro por Dios, if I hear you continue to start some shit about her-" Miles paused, forcing himself to breathe. He simply glared at the group and walked off.

He had a phone call to make...

-----------------------

"IT'S ABOUT DAMN TIME!" Forget the cigarette; this was the best news Aaron had heard all day.

"Umalume! Not so loud," Panthera scolded as a few patrons turned to look in their direction, though the effect was lost thanks to her flushed face. Aaron playfully cooed, pinching one of her cheeks.

"D'awww, no need to be shy, little cub. I'm just happy for two of my favorite people," Aaron chuckled. Panthera swatted his hand away, looking away bashfully.

"You said my nephew bought you a ring? Lemme see the bling, girl!" Holding out her left hand, Panthera allowed the older man to inspect the metal band on her finger. Aaron whistled in appreciation.

"On the left ring finger, too, haha. Panthera, you sure Miles asked you to be his girlfriend and not his fiancée?" The older man cackled when his niece smacked his arm, her blush worsening.

"You're horrible," she said with a pout. Panthera took a sip of her milkshake in a futile attempt to help her cool down as she waited for Aaron to pull himself together.

Miles wasn't kidding when he said Aaron would be eager to hear they were finally together. She could only imagine how Rio would react...

"You can't blame me for my reaction, lil cub. Do you know how down bad my nephew has been for you? I swear that boy had heart eyes every time he saw you. Jeff, Rio, and I have been dying, waiting for you guys to finally come clean to each other and tell us the good news." Panthera's eyes softened as Aaron mentioned Jefferson. It's been months since he passed, and to think on his death bed, he basically gave Miles his blessings for a potential relationship with her filled the girl's heart with warmth.

"Well, now I know, thanks," she grumbled. Aaron smiled good-naturedly at her, taking a bite out of his burger.

"Soooooo, how long have you guys been together," he asked. Panthera took her time nibbling on her fry.

"Not long, just a few days... I was actually supposed to be on a date with someone else when Miles asked me..." The raised brow silently prompted the girl to elaborate.

"His name was Jamal, Jamal Jackson. He and I had creative writing and music class together. Almost a week before Valentine's Day, he asked me out the night before Valentine's. At first, I told him no since I didn't see him like that, but he was very persistent. So I said yes... the night I was supposed to go out with him..." Aaron frowned, not liking the nervous expression on Panthera's face.

"What? Fool stood you up or something," he asked as he casually sipped his shake. If her answer was yes, then he clearly had another person on his shit list-

"He was murdered." Aaron blinked. Once. Then twice. And then...

"He was what?" Panthera sighed.

"He was murdered, umalume. I found his dead body. He... he had claw marks in his abdomen, and his neck was broken..." A frown tugged on his lips.

'Claw marks, huh?'

"I'm sorry you had to witness that, lil cub... you okay?" Panthera gave him a weak smile.

"I'm fine, umalume. After I called 911 and the police took my statement, I called Miles, and he took me on a date to take my mind off it. He asked me to be his girlfriend on the rooftop of his apartment." Aaron nodded.

"At least something good came out of it. I'm just gonna take a wild shot in the dark and guess that your fight with that James girl was over your relationship with my nephew." Panthera scoffed.

"Yeah..." Another person on his shit list next to Mrs. Manson.

"No need to pay that crazy little girl any mind, lil cub. I know that Miles loves you more than life itself. That boy is not going anywhere-" Aaron was interrupted by Panthera's ringing from a FaceTime call. Aaron didn't recognize the artist by a long shot, but just by the small snippet, it definitely fits his nephew's cheesy, lovey-dovey nature.

Panthera blushed, silently telling him to shut up with a glare before answering the FaceTime call.

"Mamiiiiii," Miles whined. Panthera hid her smile behind a hand, doing her best not to laugh.

"Hey there, Papi," she cooed, snickering at the pout on the boy's usual passive face.

"Don't you 'hey there, Papi' me. Why you ain't tell me you're not in school anymore? Left me all by my lonesome with this bum ass niggas and clingy ass hoes," Miles pouted. The boy was looking forward to holding his girlfriend while she sat in his lap while he stole some kisses. Only to find out he's gonna be without her for a whole fucking week, the boy pissed-

"Not like I had time between getting suspended and getting lunch with umalume. He knew better not to let me go hungry," Panthera sassed. Both males knew how scary or cold the girl could get when she didn't eat.

"Fair- wait a damn minute... what happened to your cheek," Miles asked with narrowed eyes. Panthera let out a nervous laugh.

"Nothing, just a small scratch," she tried to wave it off, but Aaron wasn't having it. Kissing his teeth, he snatched the girl's phone. Miles regarded his uncle with a raised brow.

"Tío?" Aaron used one hand to hold Panthera's wrists so she couldn't get her phone back as he answered his nephew's unspoken question.

"Yo Miles, you know some girl by the last name James? Lightskin, dark curly hair, gray eyes, with some long ass nails that might as well be literal weapons. 'Cause apparently, she was bold enough to use them on Panthera," Aaron asked. Miles blinked at his uncle before letting out a curse.

"That two-timing spoiled bit-"

"Miles, focus." The boy took a breath to cool down his anger.

"Yeah, I do, unfortunately. The puta had the nerve to come up to me during class pretending to "look out for my well-being" by telling me that Panthera's a loose cannon and a brute and how "dangerous" her family could be to me." Aaron raised a brow.

"What was that last comment supposed to mean?" Miles shrugged.

"Something about you condoning Panthera's violent behavior and threatening the principal." Aaron chuckled. Miles knew that chuckle and smirked.

"Ah, so little Ms. James is an actress, okay then. And that old hoe was testing my patience. That little girl had a lesser punishment despite starting this mess first." Miles froze, eyes narrowing.

Panthera frowned, deciding she was done hearing about the two women who seemed to have it out for her.

"Can we change the subject? And can I have my hands back, umalume?" Aaron chuckled, releasing her wrists with a smirk.

"Sooooo... a little birdy told me you off the market, Miles," Aaron started. Miles groaned.

"Mio dio, tío. Don't start." Aaron laughed.

"Oh boy, just wait 'til your mother hears about this. She gonna end throwing a party in y'all's honor."

"Umalume!"

"Tío!"

-----------------------

Needless to say, after school, when everyone was in the Morales' residence, Rio was told the news.

At least more than half the neighbors heard her shout of joy—much to Panthera and Miles' fond embarrassment.

-----------------------

Beatrice was pissed. Livid. Utterly incensed.

Despite getting rid of her rival for a week and smearing Panthera's name for all it was worth (which, according to Beatrice, wasn't worth much), she still didn't have the boy she wanted. 

Beatrice would be the first to admit that she wasn't looking at Miles Morales twice in the beginning. He seemed to be like the quiet nerd. A cute one, but still not someone she would really give the time of day to.

Then, junior year started, and Miles returned as a changed person.

He had grown a couple more inches since she last saw him during the summer from the funeral. He lost the rest of the baby fat that lingered on his cheeks from their sophomore year. He buffed up a bit, not crazily so, but his lithe form had more muscle than what she remembered. His accent was much more pronounced. He seemed to lose that shy nerd vibe and took on what could be a bad-boy vibe.

Miles Morales became the most desirable boy in their grade, and Beatrice wanted him. She would flirt with any boy she saw hanging around him for more than a week in hopes of gaining some intel on Miles' type.

That turned out to be much more difficult to gain. Miles doesn't talk about his personal interests with the boys, and he gives no real reaction to girls who flirt with him. Beatrice briefly entertained the idea that he might be closeted because how come some of the prettiest girls in their class only get a blank stare and single-word responses from the boy while others would break their necks and ankles to look and chase them?

Then she thought that maybe Miles could possibly have a girlfriend. It almost sounded just crazy as the gay theory because Beatrice had never seen him interact with another girl like that.

Or so she thought.

She finally remembered Panthera Stevens when she saw her and Miles walking to one of their classes together. She remembered always seeing them together in the halls when Miles first got transferred to Visions Academy. She was Miles's first and perhaps the only friend for a long time. The sight of them together now shouldn't have struck her as unusual, but it did. The boy was holding one of her books and was smiling at her—and not just any smile.

It was one of those "Damn, I love her" smiles. One of those "I'm down bad" smiles. One of those "Where have you been all my life" smiles.

At first, Beatrice thought she was reading too deep into it. Panthera was... well... unique. And she didn't mean that in a nice way.

There was nothing eye-catching about the girl's appearance per se. She had regular dark brown eyes, dark skin, and wore her hair in locs. The girl stuck out because she was so plain-looking. Seeing her wear makeup to school or even having her nails done was incredibly rare. Plus, she was one of the only girls who would even wear her natural hair. 

What did Miles see in her that he didn't see in any of them?

Beatrice couldn't wrap her head around it, which pissed her off.

And apparently, Miles wasn't the only one. Jamal Jackson seemed to harbor a crush on the quiet girl and even went as far as to ask her out. It was like a miracle because finally, someone could get the one obstacle to Miles out of the way, and one of the girls, preferably Beatrice, could get with Miles.

The day for their date came...

Panthera found Jamal's body.

And now a promise ring could be found on Panthera's ring finger, with Miles' name on the metal band.

Panthera Stevens became a hot topic overnight, and Beatrice has had it. She wanted to ruin the girl. 

So she started a little rumor that Panthera killed Jamal so she could be with Miles; no other guy was feeling Panthera in the first place. Why would anyone date a murderer?

Now Beatrice doesn't really know if Panthera killed Jamal or not, but if people choose to believe it, who was she to correct them?

This should appall Miles so much that he had to break up with her.

Only... it didn't pan out that way.

It was Friday, and the murder was all anyone could talk about. A lot of people thought it made sense. With word about Panthera's fight with Beatrice and her (and Miles, shockingly) uncle's not-so-subtle threat to Mrs. Manson already circulating, it added some "validity" to the rumor. Beatrice couldn't help but feel pleased with herself. When Panthera returned next week on Monday, she would virtually become an outcast in their class. The attention of it all would eventually be too much for Miles, and he'll break up with her.

And Beatrice would be right there, ready to console him.

To celebrate, Beatrice went out with some of her friends for a night out.

The girls went out for a night of dancing and flirting with a few older dudes. Beatrice may have had a drink or two, but that was no one's business but her own. The girl called a car service to take her home safely since walking in the devil's playground at night while tipsy might as well be a death sentence. Beatrice called one of her friends, Jasmine, to let her know she got home safely. As the girl was chopping it up on the phone and fumbling around in her mini purse for her keys, she had no idea that white digital eyes were watching her. 

Finally finding her keys, Beatrice opened her front door and stepped inside. Beatrice shut the door behind her, completely forgetting to lock it, before walking further into her house. Quickly and silently, the figure entered through the front door, quietly stalking the girl in the shadows of her own home.

"Whew, girl! I'm so glad to be home; my feet are killing me," Beatrice said as she kicked off her heels. The figure watched as Beatrice laughed at something Jasmine said.

"Girl, even when I get with Miles, Imma still make time for my girls. What are you even talking about?! Just because I'm in a relationship don't mean I can't have fun," the girl giggled. Jasmine said something more, and Beatrice rolled her eyes.

"Girl, whatever, bye." Beatrice walked into her room with a yawn. The girl would love to crash in bed and call it a night, but unless she wants her face to look like that back of a Crunch bar, then she better-

White digital eyes met her eyes in her full-view mirror. She could feel her heart freeze in her chest, her blood slowing to a crawl as the cold brush of fear caressed her spine. It was like all the alcohol that was buzzing in her system was fizzled out.

"W-who... who are you?" The mask the person was wearing lit up, neon purple lights flooded her room. Only one entity would light up the night with those colors.

"P-Prowler..." A distorted chuckle filled the quiet room.

"So you are smart, aren't you, Beatrice?" The girl let out a soft whimper. 

"How d-do y-you-" The question died on her lips as she felt a gloved hand grip her waist and a clawed hand around her neck. The Prowler lowered his head, almost resting it on her shoulder.

"Such a smart girl, but yet you decided to make the stupidest decision you could've ever made," the Prowler cooed mockingly. 

"W-what are y-you even t-talking about?" Beatrice watched as the mask pulled back, revealing the cold eyes of Miles Morales.

"M-Mil-"

"I fucking warned you, Beatrice." The girl hissed when the hand on her waist tightened roughly.

"I told you not to start shit about my baby, and what do you do?" The tips of Miles' claw began to dig into her skin.

"You accuse mi dulce ángel inocente of murder?" Beatrice's chest began to rise and fall faster and faster with each breath.

"I-I-I'm sor-" Beatrice was whirled around to face the boy, a sneer tugging on his lips.

"Way too late for a sorry, puta. You all must've thought I was joking when I said not to test me. I guess Jamal wasn't a good enough example..." Gray eyes widened, and Miles smirked down at her as the look of horrified realization could be found in them. His clawed hand caressed her cheek, the tips leaving bloody streams behind.

"Maybe you'll be a better one. And trust me, I'm gonna take my time with you, Beatrice. You'll have my attention, just like you always wanted..."

-----------------------

It was roughly 1 AM when Miles finally leaves Beatrice's house. Just as he locked the door behind him, his burner phone began to ring.

"Yo, you took care of her," Aaron's distorted voice filtered through the line. Miles smirked; the memory of stuffing the girl's heart in her mouth as she bled out was gruesomely poetic. 

"Eat your heart out, puta."

To Miles' it was a fitting end for the girl—a vain, selfish heartbreaker who got what was coming to her.

"Yup, you took care of her," Miles asked. Aaron chuckled.

"Oh, most definitely," Aaron said, smirking at the sight of Grace Manson's hanging dead body. Her heart lay in a puddle of blood beneath her feet. 

"Thanks, Unc."

"Of course, I would do anything for you two."

-----------------------

The next morning felt like a fever dream. Panthera woke up that Saturday morning to watch the news, trying to see if there was any news on Jamal's murder...

...only to find out that Beatrice and Mrs. Manson were dead. Found by their families.

Their hearts were ripped out.

There were no signs of forced entry and no evidence.

The only thing that tied the murders together was how close the times of death were, meaning these murders had to be coordinated.

It was cold, calculated, and clean. While Panthera was annoyed about the whole ordeal from Monday, she wouldn't want the two people who put her in this position dead.

The girl nearly detached herself from reality, the key word being nearly. It was at that exact moment Miles called. It wasn't unusual for him to call when he woke up, and he was a welcome distraction. While she tried to hide her nerves, her boyfriend could hear the slight tremor in her voice. Plus, the rustling in the background.

Whenever she's stressed or upset, Panthera is known to stress-clean. Miles knows she saw the news, which had shaken her up pretty badly. He knew she would've been mentally spiraling alone if he hadn't spent the weekend over at her place for Valentine's Day. Deciding not to let his little kitten go through this alone, he just kept talking to her over the phone as he got ready to head to her place.

The boy used the apartment key Eric gave him to silently enter the home. Panthera was talking about a father-daughter date she and her dad had planned when he comes back later that week, so she was thoroughly distracted. Listening closely, it sounded like she was in her bathroom. With a small smile, he entered the apartment, her room, and the adjacent bathroom. Panthera's back was facing him as she reorganized her shower. Quietly, he snuck up on his girl before looping his arms around her waist.

As expected, Panthera let out a surprise squeal. What wasn't expected was the hard stomp on his foot and the headbutt to his face.

"AH! Gatita, calm down! It's me!" Panthera paused her attack at her boyfriend's voice, turning to find the boy holding his nose.

"Mi! I'm so sorry, but you shouldn't have scared me like that! There's a bloody killer, for Bast's sake!" The girl fussed over her man, checking to see if she may have caused any bleeding. Miles chuckled, holding her wrists.

"My apologies, mami. I wanted to see you to make sure you're okay, which I know you're not, so don't even try to deny it." Panthera sighed, getting on her toes to kiss the bridge of Miles' nose.  She allowed herself to be picked up and toted to her bed. Miles sat down, maneuvering her so she would be straddling his lap.

"Talk to me, mi amor. I'm here for you..." Panthera pecked his lips before nuzzling his neck.

"It's just that... I know this city has gotten darker after... well, you know. And I've been trained by my Baba to handle myself if need be, but I know it would be out of self-defensive. It would be my life or theirs... I could even understand if the person was terrible and needed to be taken out, but this..." Panthera shuddered. Miles kissed her forehead, gently rubbing her back. 

Silence befell the couple for a few moments before Panthera spoke up again.

"Did you know my grandfather was murdered?" Miles grimaced. Panthera didn't notice this, forging ahead.

"My utatomkhulu, N'Jobu, was a prince in his country. But he did bad things. He smuggled some precious materials out of the country and moved here. Most of the material he sold to a man off the black market, but the rest he kept hidden away. He met my Baba's mother, and they had him. Unfortunately, she died not too long after my Baba was born. It was just the two of them. Until one night, Baba was outside playing basketball with his friends. It wasn't until he looked up at the sky and saw a ship that was similar to the ones he heard in stories. He was excited that maybe our family from our homeland was coming for them, and he ran back to the apartment. That's where he found utatomkhulu's body, lying in a pool of blood. He had claw marks embedded in his chest. My Baba was left alone before he was even a teenager..." 

Miles nuzzled his face in her hair, holding her as tight as he could.

So this was what Aaron meant.

"Boy! I outta smack the shit outta you! You impaled the nigga and left the body for her to find?! Did you not think about how it might impact her? Do you not know her fuckin' family history?!"

When Aaron blew up on him for killing Jamal, he thought it was because he left behind the body. Turns out, it had less to do with Jamal and more to do with Panthera. When Miles showed clear confusion over what his uncle was talking about, the man calmed down.

"So she didn't tell you yet... Look, it's not my story to tell, Miles... just know murder is something her family is familiar with. Especially if it seems senseless.."

"Oh, gatita, I'm so sorry that your family had to go through that..." Panthera finally looked up, finding sorrowful eyes staring back at her. She offered a weak smile.

"I'm gonna be okay, love. I'm just happy that you're here with me." Miles smiled softly, caressing her cheek.

"I'll always be here for you, Panthera. Always..." Miles leaned in, kissing those soft lips he loved so much. A soft sigh escaped the girl's lungs. Her arms found their way around Miles' neck as she pressed closer. Panthera didn't change out of her sleepwear before Miles showed up, which the boy was glad for. The girl's pajamas leave little to imagination, as she preferred crop tops, tube tops, comfy short shorts, or little night dresses to sleep in. Only a brown crop top and brown cheetah print covered her body, meaning access to soft dark skin.

A soft moan left Panthera's mouth as she felt her boyfriend's hands massage her thighs. The small calluses that decorated his fingertips and palms felt good against her soft skin. Miles suckled on her bottom lip, earning a sweet little whimper.

"Miles," Panthera whispered, arching against the boy. He let out an inquisitive hum.

"¿Qué pasa, mi dulce ángel?" Miles started spreading kisses to her chin, jaw, cheeks...

"Just... need a second..." Miles nodded, burying his face in her neck. He could feel her pulse fluttering under his lips as he pressed a kiss there.

"Love you so much, mami," he mumbled against the soft skin, his hands rubbing her waist and hips. The girl let out a shy giggle, playing with his braids.

"I love you too, Papi..."

-----------------------

Time passed.

Panthera returned to school, doing her best to ignore the stares from her classmates. Miles had informed her that Beatrice had been spreading the rumor that she had killed Jamal before Beatrice herself was killed. At least she had the weekend to mentally prepare for the amount of eyes trying to flay her skin from her bones.

The students started moving on within a few weeks, much to her and her boyfriend's relief.

Despite the investigations, no clues or evidence that could lead to the killers could be found. Though Panthera doubts they'll ever be solved, the NYPD hasn't been the greatest at their jobs since Jeff died. If her life was on the line, the police would be the last people she would reach out to.

Funerals were had. Tears were shed. Life moves on.

Luckily, no one else was killed. The principal was replaced, and soon junior year was over.

Summer went off without a hitch. With school over, Miles could spend more time with his little girlfriend, much to his evident delight. With all the funds he saved up, he was able to spoil his baby a bit more.

Date nights, gifts, flowers, clothes, whatever he thought she would like, whatever she wanted, and whatever he thought would look good on her. He always loved the cute little surprised expression on her face whenever he gifted her something or where he took her somewhere new.

"Miles, you didn't have-"

"Shhh, I want to, mami. You deserve all this and more..."

Panthera was reluctant to accept a lot of the gifts, mainly because she's not used to getting "just because" gifts that look so nice. Not that her dad doesn't spoil her when he could, but she never expects it nor asks. She was content as long she had the presence of the person she loved. But soon, she felt comfortable wearing a lot of the stuff her boyfriend had got her, mainly the jewelry. Mainly the necklaces with his name on them or the name earrings (pleasing the possessive and obsessive side of his brain.)

Of course, that attracted the attention of some would-be thieves on one of her late-night walks.

Granted, the girl usually wore her necklaces under her hoodie, but she was a bit more spaced out than usual that night. She fiddled with the key-shaped necklace with Miles' name on it; her fingers tracing the letters of her boyfriend's name was the only thing anchoring her.

Her mind was replaying the last few months. As traumatic as it was, she was also happy. She was in a loving relationship with a sweet, handsome, clingy, strong, and protective Afro-Latino. She had a loving maternal figure for the first time in her life. She was reunited with the man she saw as an uncle.

She was happy...

But she couldn't shake the feeling something bad was going to happen... and for the life of her, she's not even sure what it could be.

Maybe she was overthinking-

"Well, well, well... what do we have here?" 'Oh, for Bast's sake...'

Panthera turned, finding three men staring down at her. The ringleader smirked at her.

"Lost, little girl?" Dark eyes narrowed.

"Not little." The men laughed.

"Fiesty, I like her, Rando," The guy on the left said. Rando looked Panthera up and down with gleaming eyes.

"You not the only one..."

"What do you want," Panthera hissed, glancing at the trio. Rando stepped closer with a disarming smile.

"Me and my boys couldn't help but notice that you were by your lonesome and wanted to see if maybe you needed some company..." 

"Not necessary, fellas. Now, if you'll excuse me-" Before Panthera could even take a step away, Rando trapped her arm. Large fingers studied the key charm around her necklace.

"Pretty necklace you got there. Your boyfriend got it for you?" Panthera sneered.

"Yes, not like it's any of your business-" Panthera hissed when the chain of her necklace dug into her skin as Rando pulled at it.

"I'm making it my business, little girl. A necklace like this probably didn't come cheap. It would be a shame if you-OOF!" Taking advantage of her free arm, Panthera quickly punched Rando's abdomen. Feeling the grip on her arm loosens, the girl jumped back, eyes narrowed as she glared the three men down. Rando returned it with one of his own, a sneer tugging on his lips.

"You little bitch. I'm gonna make you regret that." A wicked grin spread on Panthera's lips.

"I would love to see you try."

-----------------------

It has been some time since Panthera had been in a fight. Her dad was gone a little more frequently recently, so she didn't train often. Yeah, she trains with Miles and Aaron, but she knows they were pulling their punches because they didn't want to hurt her.

These men didn't know they chose the right one on the wrong day.

Rando's accomplices were out cold; one was shot since he wanted to be big and bad and shoot at her first. The sound of the man's pained scream when her bullet struck true into his shoulder, was music to her ears. 

Now, it was just Rando and her. Bruises were already starting to form on the girl's body, but she learned to ignore the pain. The girl spat out a glob of blood as she stared down the older guy.

"C'mon Rando, I thought I was gonna regret messing with you," she taunted, bouncing on her feet. Rando snarled, trying to appear intimidating, but the girl could see the fear in his eyes.

"You got a death wish?" Panthera grinned; the sight was enough to unnerve the would-be thief.

"No more than you do." Panthera didn't hesitate to rush forward, more than ready to finish this and go home when pain erupted in her back. A scream ripped through her vocal cords as she faltered in her pursuit. The girl glanced over to find the same man who shot at her earlier aiming his gun at her with a smirk. Before Panthera could do anything, two arms wrapped around her in a vice grip—one around her neck and one around her waist. A wince slipped through her teeth as the arm around her neck tightened.

"Why not you take a little nap, yea? When you sleep off all data the aggression, maybe you could make it up to me and my homeboys for all the trouble you caused." The girl could feel something poking at her lower back and started thrashing, clawing at the arm that was quickly taking her oxygen supply. 

She refused to let these guys take advantage of her. She won't allow-

"Let her go." Everyone froze, all eyes trained on the masked newcomer among them. Said mask flickered on, purple lights lighting up the dark alley. Rando quickly released her, backing up from the vigilante.

"A-Aye, easy man. We don't want n-no problems..." The newcomer cocked his head.

"Well, ain't that a shame." Rando didn't even have time to question what he meant as the vigilante slammed him against the nearest wall. The Prowler glanced over his shoulder. White digital eyes met with wide brown ones.

"E-Easy there, Prowler... I-I didn't know that w-was your girl. I-It won't happen again," Rando stammered. The masked being chuckled.

"I know it won't... because you wouldn't be around to attempt such a stupid thing." The soft whirl of the mechanisms and gears was the only sound heard as the Prowler unleashed his claws. Before he could tear into the older man, a loud yell came behind him.

"LOOK OUT!" The vigilante was able to duck, narrowly avoiding the bullet. Rando, however, wasn't so lucky. The man slumped to the ground, a bullet hole found in his neck. Rando let out a pitiful gurgle as his own blood choked the life out of him. The Prowler slowly turned to find the trembling figure on the dirty alleyway floor staring at him with fearful eyes.

"Ballsy, aren't you," the Prowler drawled, fingers flexing in his metal claw.

"I-I-I-" The man didn't get the chance to formulate a response when another gunshot rang out. The Prowler stared at the bullet hole marring the man's forehead before slowly turning to find Panthera holding her gun, albeit with shaky hands.

"Coldblooded, don't you think?" Panthera let out a shaky laugh, the adrenaline pumping in her veins.

"It was either him or us. I'm sure you know how that is." He does, but the vigilante doesn't voice his confirmation. Panthera met the soulless eyes of Brooklyn's shadowy anti-hero. Before she could say anything, she felt her body sway, unable to hold her weight. Before she could hit the ground, two strong arms held her up against a solid chest.

"Hey, stay with me. Keep those pretty eyes open for me. I'm going to help you." Despite the disoriented, gravelly voice of the Prowler rumbling in her ears, Panthera felt oddly comforted by him. She struggled to stay awake as the masked vigilante gently set her on the ground. 

She didn't protest when the vigilante lifted her hoodie and shirt to reveal her wound. All she could do was lay there as the Prowler fussed over her.

It kinda of reminded her of her boyfriend whenever she was going through the first two days of her period, where the girl would be dying in bed until her cramps and bleeding lessened. Miles is always so sweet and attentive to her, always looking out for her and taking care of her.

She missed her boyfriend; she just wanted to be wrapped in his arms and sleep...

"Aye, wake up, pretty girl. I'm almost done. Don't close your eyes, stay with me..." Panthera blinked blearily at the vigilante.

"Mmm... s..so tired," she mumbled. The girl obviously couldn't see the nervous panic on the guy's face, but she could faintly hear it in his voice.

"I know you are, but you gotta stay awake. I need to take you somewhere safe. It's not far from here. Just stay awake." The girl could feel herself being lifted up, cradled against the Prowler's chest before he took off running. Panthera felt the fatigue and bruising pain sing from the marrow of his bones; her own eyelids felt like two-ton weights.

"J...just five minutes," she whispered, laxing in the vigilante's grip, despite it tightening on her.

"No, no, no! W...up! P... Damn....!" The Prowler's panicked shouts were the last thing Panthera heard before her world went black.

-----------------------

"Will she be okay?" Aaron turned when he heard the small voice of his nephew. When Aaron received an SOS signal from his nephew, he was worried he may have gotten injured while on patrol. When he arrived at one of their secret warehouses, he quickly realized it wasn't him who needed treatment but his precious niece. The man was no medical professional, but he knew his way around bullet wounds and other injuries, seeing how it comes with the job, unfortunately.

He had just finished wrapping Panthera's abdomen where her bullet wound lay. Thankfully, there was an exit point (he would hate to try to dig around his niece's internal organs for the piece of metal), and it didn't touch any vital organs. If he hadn't tended to her when he did, they would've lost her due to blood loss. Aaron turned back to the unconscious girl to tend to the bruises on her body.

"She'll survive the night, Miles. Don't worry," Aaron said gently. He felt arms wrap around his torso, tears wetting the back of his shirt.

"Thank you, tío. I-I-It means a lot..." Aaron's heart seized at the tone of his nephew's voice. The relief tinged with the undeniable tremble of fear. The girl was more loved than she would ever begin to understand. They all did, Miles especially. He knew how deeply Miles loved Panthera, scarily so. 

Aaron didn't want to know what would happen to the boy if the girl was no longer with them. It would shatter him. Hell, it would break him and Rio, too.

"Like I told you before, Miles, I would do anything for you two."

-----------------------

The next time Panthera woke up, it wasn't in her bed. Bleary dark eyes tried to take in her surroundings despite fatigue weighing down on her like a million bricks.

"W-Where..." Bits of her memory flashed in her mind. Rando. A gunshot. The Pr-

"Easy..." The distorted voice she faintly remembered mumbling words of comfort sounded in her ears. Squinting in the dark, she turned to find not only one but two pairs of white slits looking at her. She blinked slowly.

"W-who..." Before she could finish her question, the cool lip of a glass cup kissed her dry lips.

"Drink, you definitely need it," the taller man said. Not in any real shape to argue, Panthera took slow, measured sips of the water being given to her. She let out a soft, relieved sigh when she finished. Soon, something was placed in her lap.

"Eat," the shorter stated. She looked down to find scrambled eggs, turkey bacon, sausages, a cream cheese spread bagel, and fruit on a plate. She raised a brow at the duo before chuckling.

"Bossy," she teased before digging into her food. The two looked satisfied (at least she could assume they were; hard to tell with them wearing masks and all) before leaving her alone in the room. As the girl ate, she couldn't help but take in her surroundings. The bedroom was sparse, leaving no clues of any personality from the two Prowlers. At the very least, the room was clean, so it must be used quite a bit. She could see the dark skyline of the broken city she called home outside the barred window.

Finishing her food, she carefully set her plate on the dresser before approaching the window, staring out in silence.

"Finished?" Glancing over her shoulder, she watched as the younger Prowler approached her. She turned to face him as he stood less than a foot away.

"Thank you... for saving me." The Prowler cocked his head at this.

"I can't say I did much. If anything, I should be thanking you. You were the one who kept me from getting killed and finishing off the other guy," he replied. Panthera let out a soft chuckle, hugging the vigilante.

"And if you didn't show up when you did, those guys would've done unspeakable things to me," she whispered. Prowler froze for a few moments, carefully wrapping his arms around her. The two stood there for a bit, neither saying a word. Panthera knew she shouldn't feel so comfortable around the vigilante, but something about him felt safe.

Like she could trust that he would never hurt her.

That he would always protect her.

Panthera let out a sigh before pulling away. She returned her gaze to the city.

"I need to go home," she said. She overstayed her welcome and would love to crash in her own bed for a few more hours. She felt the Prowler take hold of her hand.

"I can take you," he offered. The girl pursued her lips in contemplation before giving a small nod. Hand in hand, the duo walked out of the bedroom and into the main room. The older Prowler was still there, seemingly cleaning his claws when he heard them.

"You taking her home," the man asked. The younger nodded. Giving the infamous vigilante a shy smile, the girl bowed her head.

"Thank you for taking care of me, sir. I wish you well..." The older Prowler gave a nod.

"Take care of yourself, little one."

-----------------------

Panthera isn't usually afraid of heights. She took gymnastics at one point. But she supposes it's different when you rely on someone else to catch you rather than yourself.

The girl didn't scream but couldn't help but cling to the vigilante's back like a baby koala as he jumped from building to building, occasionally using grappling wires to help bridge the gap. She provided him with her address to make it easier for him to find. Luckily for her and her stomach, the Prowler didn't take long to reach her apartment. The boy swung onto her fire escape, carefully setting her down.

"There, safe and sound," he said once she got her feet on the metal platform. The girl nodded, glancing at the vigilante through her lashes.

"Uh, yeah. Thank you for taking me home," she mumbled. She turned to her window, carefully pulling it up.

"You shouldn't be wandering the streets at night anymore. Too many dangers." The girl paused, glancing over her shoulder, regarding the Prowler with a raised brow.

"'Fraid I can't promise that. It's not my first time doing this; this hasn't been my first fight. Just the first time I got shot," she mumbled. The vigilante didn't like that answer, his eyes narrowing before letting out a sigh.

"Guess I'll just have to keep an eye on you..." The boy trailed off. Panthera immediately caught onto what he was silently asking for.

"Panthera." The Prowler nodded.

"I'll just keep an eye on you then, Panthera." The girl laughed before hugging the boy.

"I guess I could use more people who worry about my well-being. Especially if he's such an infamous figure in Brooklyn's underworld with a soft spot for me," she teased. She didn't need to see the guy's face to know he was blushing. 

"I-uh..." Panthera laughed as she pulled away.

"Don't give yourself a stroke, I'm teasing. I'll see you around Prowler." The masked face nodded at her.

"Rest up, Panthera." The vigilante watched as the girl slipped through her window before disappearing in the fading darkness. The girl let out a loud yawn, blinking rapidly.

"Check wounds. Shower. Bed," she mumbled, mentally switching to autopilot. It's been a long night, and the girl wasn't in the mood to think about what happened.  She fiddled with her necklace with a sigh.

Never had she ever thought her relationship with the boy she loved would cause her this much hell in such a short amount of time. But she wouldn't trade it for anything.

She wouldn't...

Shaking off that intrusive thought, she went through her mental checklist. Her digital clock read was 8:49 AM when she finally crashed into her bed and fell asleep.

-----------------------

"Mio dio! What happened?!" Panthera groaned into her pillow as she was awakened by a loud cry. She tried to roll over onto her back but almost rolled off her bed if not for the strong pair of arms catching her.

"Jesus, gatita, what happened to you..." Panthera blinked blearily. The blurry picture of her worried and terrified boyfriend finally comes into sharp focus. Her sleepy brain took a few seconds to realize a few things.

One, Rio and Miles were in her bedroom.

Two, she was just in her bra and panties since the tired girl couldn't be bothered to put on actual clothes.

Three, all her bruises and wrapped torso were on full display, emphasized by the bright sunlight streaming through her window.

And four, one thing's for sure and two things for certain: the Morales family was known to the biggest worrywarts and busybodies concerning their loved ones. Which was both beneficial and almost headache-inducing. Miles is most definitely Rio's son, from the accent down to the mother hen nature when it comes to her.

This was not something Panthera wanted to deal with this Saturday morning.

"Uh... buenos días Rio y Mi... ¿cómo están?" Rio and Miles looked nowhere near amused at the girl's poor attempt at deflection. Rio turned to her son with a hard look in her eyes.

 "Mijo, set her down on the bed so I can take a look at her and go into the kitchen and see what you can make for her to eat for lunch. I'll pack a bag when I'm finished so she can spend a few nights with us." Panthera was about to protest but decided against it when a pair of green and tawny eyes glared at her.

"Si mamá," Miles replied, kissing the girl's forehead before setting her back down on her bed. Panthera sighed as she was left alone with the nurse, who proceeded to check her over.

"Now. I'm going to ask once, and I expect the honest truth from you, Mija. What happened to you," Rio asked as she looked over the girl's bruises. 

"I went for a walk last night, and these three guys tried to rob me. I fought back and knocked two of them out, but one of them woke up and shot at me before I could finish the leader. Using my moment of weakness, the leader tried to choke me out and threaten that he and his friends were gonna rape me..." Rio stared worriedly at the girl as she robotically told her tale. 

"That didn't happen, though, because the Prowler came and saved me." Rio rose a brow at this. She was aware of the vigilante that roamed Brooklyn's nightlife. He was something of a Robin Hood figure, albeit a dangerous one. To think this shadowy figure helped the girl she considered as a daughter eased her a bit.

"And I'm assuming he had something to do with why your injuries are healing nicely," she asked lightheartedly. The bullet wound was thoroughly cleaned and nicely wrapped; her bruises didn't look so bad either. Though Rio wanted to keep a close eye on her futura nuera to ensure she healed properly.

"Uh, I don't think so. It seems the old Prowler is his mentor? He probably would have a better understanding of bullet wounds and stuff, so it wouldn't surprise me if he was the one that took care of me." Panthera wasn't too sure what to make of the duo. The Prowler was a name that was feared in Brooklyn. While the vigilante isn't known to harm civilians, like any other Brooklyn underworld figure, it was best to steer clear of him. But it's like the two vigilantes went out of their way to help her. While they were rather firm with her, it was clear that they cared for her well-being.

She could trust that if she were ever to see either of them, she'd be safe.

It was kinda of a word thought to have...

"Well, either way, I'm glad that they helped you when they did, Mija." Rio's voice broke the girl's train of thought. The mother looked satisfied with her check over, finally leaving the girl be so she could pack a bag for her. 

"Here, wear this, querida. It's hot outside today after all," Rio said, handing the girl a sundress that she nearly forgot she owned.

The girl blushed. She never wore it because she would have to forgo the comfort of her trusty bras, seeing how it was backless. The material was a bit more on the sheer side. With just enough light, you could see the girl's silhouette underneath.

And considering she's wearing this around her boyfriend in front of his mother-

"You sure that's okay, Rio?" The older woman raised a brow before smirking.

"I was young once upon a time, querida. How did you think I caught my husband's attention, hm," Rio teased, laughing good-naturedly at the girl's growing blush. 

"You're beautiful, Panthera. No need to be afraid or ashamed to show off to your boyfriend every once and awhile," Rio said with a wink. Panthera smiled shyly at her maternal figure before taking the dress from her and changing in her bathroom. The dress complimented her skin nicely and fitted her well (a little snug around the chest, but Panthera wasn't gonna complain about the support it gave her). She looked good, even with her bruises. The girl threw her locs in a messy bun with a few hanging around her face. Applying some of her vanilla and sandalwood perfume oil on key parts of her body, the girl felt ready to leave.

Panthera stepped out just in time to see mother and son chatting in Spanish on her bed.

"I'm ready." Miles looked up to greet his kitten, only to stare with a slacked jaw as she approached.

"Buen Dios y todos sus ángeles misericordiosos..." Rio chuckled at her son's reaction.

"De nada, hijo," she said with a smirk. Miles shook himself out of his lovesick stupor, realizing his mom was still very present. The boy stood up to meet his embarrassed girlfriend halfway, kissing her forehead before leading her to the bed.

"Here you go, pretty girl." Panthera took the plate of some leftover subs she had made a day ago, along with some chips and salsa. The girl smiled.

"Thank you, my love." With a kiss on his cheek, Miles watched as his girl snuggled next to him with a content smile. Despite the hell his precious girl had been through these few months, she was still smiling.

She was still here. 

She was still here with him.

A small part felt guilty for putting her through half the grief and trauma she's experienced thus far in their relationship. He doesn't know how he'll be able to tell her the truth if she ever finds out that he was the reason behind their classmates' deaths. That his uncle helped to kill the principal for her unfair treatment towards her. That his mom now knows all this and was willing to keep quiet about all this (just as long he came to her for daily checkups after his patrols).

"No puedo decir que lo que estás haciendo sea moralmente correcto, Miles. Pero puedo decir que estás enamorado de esa chica. La has amado durante años. Ella te hace feliz, cariño... y eso es todo lo que quiero para ti. Haz lo que tengas que hacer para protegerla y preservarla, pero por favor no intentes matar a nadie más por celos. Eso es todo lo que te pido, hijo."

Despite his guilt, a larger part of Miles felt content. Panthera was his. He loved her. He loves her. And he would do everything in his power to keep her. No one is going to come and take her away from him. 

Not even herself.

Even if she hated him for his morally questionable deeds, they'll have forever for her to learn how to love him again.

"I love you, mi vida," he whispered against her neck, curling around her in a hug. Miles could feel her blush creeping up her neck as her shoulder shook slightly in time with her chuckle.

"Te amo por siempre y para siempre, mi rey," she whispered back. Miles grinned as he nuzzled her further.

They were met to be. And nothing could change that...

...at least, that's what Miles thought.

-----------------------

Alright, y'all gonna have to give me some time to drop the next one, I'm tired. Imma add the translations later. Hope you guys enjoyed it!

Dedicated to @444morales and @l0v3morales

#across the spiderverse #atsv #spiderman across the spiderverse #earth 42 miles morales #earth 42 oc #panthera stevens #earth 42 miles x oc #his sunshine in the darkness part three #his sunshine in the darkness #miles g morales #spotify #earth 42 miles fluff #earth 42 rio morales #rio morales #earth 42 aaron davis #aaron davis #earth 42 #yandere #tw yandere #Yandere!Miles42 AU #male yandere #tw death #tw murder #Spotify

[fellhellion]

42!Rio was rlly like and I was so relieved by the thought of my depressed son going to comicon that for a moment I lived in a world where i wasn’t surprised that he’d confessed to carrying a secret he was scared would change my love for him

#42!Miles for the love of god confide in ur mum she would never not love you #tunes talks spiderverse #atsv #earth 42 miles morales #earth 42 rio morales

[crxss01]

request ! 😌

i saw something about Mrs. Morales having a picture of Miles’ girlfriend in her wallet and i think it’s literally the cutest thing ever 😭😭😭 could you write some headcannons about Mrs. Morales absolutely loving Miles’ girlfriend? for both E-1610 Miles and E-42 Miles? thank you !!!

— Mama Love

pairing ʚɞ ⁺˖ ⸝⸝ 42!miles morales x fem!reader, 1610!miles morales x fem!reader

summary ⁺˚⋆｡°✩₊ tía morales really enjoys having you as her son’s girlfriend.

warnings ✧˖ ° fluff, cursing, tía morales offering to whoop miles’s ass for you.

m. list, main m. list.

translations ✧࿓☾ mi niña preciosa: my precious little girl, si la vuelves a lastimar te juro que—: if you hurt her again i swear that i’ll—, no la vuelvas a dejar plantada!: don’t you ever stand her up again, niño no hagas que te golpé: boy don’t make me whoop you.

a/n . . ◟੭ hey, sweet anon! i think i know what fic you’re talking about, but i don’t remember the author. i love tía morales, hope you enjoy!

42!miles morales

this boy does not play with his girl and mom so you better believe that he was so happy that his mom loved you so much.

at first he was worried that his mom wouldn’t accept you or get along with you because in that case he would’ve no choice but to break up with you in order to not make his mom uncomfortable.

she matters too much to him for him to just go and date someone she doesn’t approve of.

but his worries vanished the moment he saw the two of you in the kitchen after he had come from some prowler business and heard his mom talking about how beautiful you were and how you and miles complemented each other.

that was the first time you two had met and since then you were inseparable.

you were the it mom and future daughter-in-law duo.

many times you and tía morales were talking about him and she found absolutely adorable the way your eyes lid up when talking about her son

“mi niña preciosa,” she would sigh. “you and miles are made for each other.”

other times you would talk about the world of fashion and gossip about the women and men in the neighborhood.

one time tía morales argued with a woman after she had cursed at you, telling her about how she was too grown to be acting like that.

you two laughed about it later and she let you know that if you ever needed help from ladies who acted like children to just call her.

one time miles even complained about the amount of time his mother spent with his girlfriend and he got called selfish.

never complained to either of you again.

his uncle aaron once got to hear this complain and laughed at him telling him he’s a simp

miles got you and his mom matching neckless and you two absolutely loved them.

now, neither of you takes it off.

then he got jealous of that so he got you and him matching bracelets.

you have a picture of him and his mom as your homescreen and he got jealous because it used to be only him.

tía morales has you as her homescreen and everytime someone sees it she would tell them that you were her son’s girlfriend who was her niña preciosa.

you would come over even when miles was not there just to spend time with her.

she taught you how to cook many dishes puertorriqueños.

and if you didn’t speak spanish already, she would teach you many words.

would feel guilty when she said a bad word around you and you would repeat it.

“no, mi niña. don’t say that!”

miles always got an earful from his mom whenever he did something to you that she found out of line, like one time he yelled at you.

“si la vuelves a lastimar te juro que—”

yeah, he never yelled at you after that.

or like ever did anything that would hurt you.

miles might act like he didn’t like how close you and his mom were but he secretly loved that.

you and tía morales couldn’t care less if he liked your closeness or not.

1610!miles morales

now this one does love his mom but wouldn’t break up with you if you two didn’t get along.

but since day one you and tía morales got along right away.

it was like you were destined to be her daughter-in-law, like she would often say.

miles absolutely loved that and would often join both of you in your conversations and cooking lessons.

one time you were learning how to make patacón and miles was absolutely freaking out because he felt like you would get burned.

tía morales took him out of the kitchen, telling him that if he kept being in there with all that bad energy then you will end up burning yourself.

she taught you a lot of different recipes from her culture and if you are boricua then you would just make them together, since people use different seasonings for everything.

tía morales and you would walk around the neighborhood, talking about some lady from there who cheated on her husband and how he publicly humiliated her right in front of everyone.

one time miles stood you up for the fifth time and since you didn’t know he was spiderman, you just felt neglected by him for no reason.

his mom made sure to make things clear for him.

“no la vuelvas a dejar plantada!” the look she gave him was enough for him not to make his patrols around the same time as your dates.

he had to apologize with flowers and chocolates that his mom helped pick out for you, she also told him to give you some money.

after that you felt better and forgave miles, but not before thanking tía morales for talking to him.

tía morales and you went out a lot.

like going shopping,

buying ice cream,

going to restaurants where miles tagged along.

miles never felt jealousy of you spending time with his mom but he felt a little mad when he found out that he was no longer your homescreen wallpaper.

he was, but his mom was in the picture too so he got pouty.

he complained right there in front of his mom, acting like a damn child.

“niño, no hagas que te golpé.” tía morales had said, giving him a blank stare.

yeah, never complained again.

but you had to make him your perfile picture in every socia media or he will ignore you.

you made his mom your whatsapp perfile pic though, since she made you download it. (if you had it before then you just put it because you wanted to show off your bfs mother).

she had you as her homescreen and would feel so proud whenever someone called the girl in the picture gorgeous and would immediately say that it was her son’s gf.

in the end you and tía morales are besties.

taglist: @anikaluv @janaeby @queerponcho

ʚɞ ⁺˖ ⸝⸝ reblogs are really appreciated!

#earth 42 miles morales x reader #42 miles morales #earth 42 miles morales #earth 42 miles x reader #miles morales fanfiction #miles morales x reader #prowler miles x reader #miles g morales #miles g morales x reader #42 miles morales x reader #rosario morales #rio morales #miles morales prowler #1610 miles morales #earth 1610 miles morales x reader #1610 miles morales x reader #miles morales 1610 #spiderman x reader #spiderman #atsv miles #earth 1610 miles morales #1610 miles x reader #earth 42 miles fluff #earth 1610 miles fluff #spiderman across the spiderverse

[1-0t0r]

he is still Miles, she is still Rio🥰

#miles morales #rio morales #prowler #prowler miles #miles g morales #earth 42 #miles morales 42 #spiderman #spiderman across the spiderverse #atsv #spiderman atsv

[axeoverblade]

THINKING ABOUT…

42! Miles having to learn to drive from Uncle Aaron in their free time because Rio is too busy to teach him and he can’t learn any other way…

“If I say stop, you stop. understood?” Aaron reiterated for the fifth time. Miles nodded with a roll of his eyes, trying his best to not show how eager (and nervous) he was to be behind the wheel.

“Aight you’re goin’ to SLOWLY pull up here and make a right turn, S L O W L Y” Aaron said, checking for the seventh time to make sure he was buckled in.

Miles smiled, lightly pressing the gas to move the car forward.

He followed the correct protocols, making sure to stop at the stop sign, turn his signal on, look for cars, then swiftly (not so smoothly) turned his wheel to make the right turn. However instead of pressing the break to ease into the turn, he accidentally hit the gas making the car fly around the corner.

Aaron grabbed the handle above him, exasperatedly using his other hand to hold onto the dash in front of him. “STOP.” Miles winced, hitting the break harshly causing the car to jolt. They both rocked forward, the air falling into small awkward silence.

Aaron turned to miles aggressively, staring at him with a look of bewilderment “DAMN NIGGA I SAID SLOW.”

©axeoverblade

This has been on my mind non stop 😭🫶

Uncle Aaron and Miles:

#spider man: across the spider verse #42 miles morales x reader #miles morales x reader #42 miles morales #miles x reader #cute #earth 42 #miles morales #earth 42 miles x reader #Aaron Davis #miles 42 #earth 42 miles morales x you #earth 42 miles x you #earth 42 miles morales x reader #42 miles angst #earth 42 miles fluff #rio morales #Atsv #atsv fanfiction #atsv x you #atsv miles #spiderman atsv #atsv x reader #atsv fic #miles morales x y/n #miles x you #prowler miles #miles x y/n #earth42 miles morales #miles morales 42

[brbzonedout]

Earth 42 Miles needs glasses.

This one is inspired by another piece in a fic series and the fan art that goes with it by @moralesmilesanhour. Also I don’t know when Jeff died in this reality so, let’s just say it was around the time Miles was 11 for now.

“Is this even legal?” Miles mumbles and squints as a small flashlight shined in his hazel eyes.

Ms. Alisha Miless’ 6th-grade teacher chuckles and walks behind the nurse examining the boy. “You’ll still have plenty of time for recess, I just needed to see something.”

A few minutes pass as the nurse takes Miles through the steps of a typical eye examination.

As he looks into the screening machine the letters start to get harder and harder to read, eventually just turning into little black blurs before he even gets to the 10th row.

“Can you read the next row for me sweetheart?” The nurse asked in a sweet yet concerned tone.

He doesn’t answer.

“Miles?” Ms. Alisha calls out.

He sighs slightly annoyed. “The first letter is a D…or B after that I- I don’t know…” the boy huffs and sits back in his chair. “Can I go outside now?”

He was starting to grow impatient, his 11-year-old brain ticking with excitement about everything he’d rather be doing.

Lately, he'd been feeling a little better, not as sad as usual after the events of his dads death a few months ago. He’s finally wanting to partake in things that kids normally do again, like before everything went downhill.

“In just a minute..” The nurse spins around in her chair to speak to his teacher. “Was Miles having trouble reading from the board…or in general before today?”

“No-”

“Yes…” She side eyes the boy as he sits there arms crossed and a pout on his face. “..yes he has been. He was one of our fastest readers but lately, he's been slipping a little bit but, you don't have to be ashamed Miles.”

Miles reframed from rolling his eyes and groaning. If she wasn't his favorite teacher, he would’ve been on the blacktop by now…

“We done yet? It's been…” He attempts to look at the wall clock but gives up, instead opting for the digital one on the nursess’ counter. “…almost 15 minutes-”

Ms. Alisha squints at her student while he displays the exact behavior she's concerned about. “Alright, alright go ahead..” she says waving her arm for him to stand up.

Miles smiles slightly and stands up, quickly and swiftly pulling his olive green puffer jacket over his arms causing an audible swishing sound before he runs straight out the door.

“Zip up that jacket young man!” The nurse shouts out but, he's already long gone too far away to hear her.

-

At 3:10 on the dot the last bell rang, Miles was the first one to pack up and head out of the classroom.

As he walked out of the big front doors the sun shined brightly in his face making it so that he couldn’t see very far ahead of him.

Making his way down the schools' pathway he began to place his headphones over his ears before hearing what sounded like his name.

“Miles!! Hijo por aquí!” Rio waved her hand out of the car window trying to catch his attention.

The boy looked around trying to see where the voice was coming from and as he finally found it she starting beeping the car horn.

“Vamos! Cariño, tenemos un lugar donde estar!”

Miles quickly made his way to the car not wanting to draw any more attention than necessary.

“I didn't know you were picking me up… I could've walked you know.” He said while entering the car.

“Your teacher called- seat belt hijo..” The woman said gently pulling her son closer to kiss him on the forehead. “We’re going to the eye doctor…why didn't you tell me you were having trouble seeing?”

The boy shrugged and stayed silent for a moment clicking his seatbelt into place.

Miles knew he needed glasses for a while now but was able to fly under the radar enough so no one noticed.

“Well it’s not like i’m going blind, it's not a big deal.” He stated in a whiny tone. Though it was starting to frustrate him.

“It's a big enough deal for your teacher to be concerned right?” The woman shook her head and pulled off onto the busy school road watching for passing kids. “It's not the 90s anymore baby people aren't gonna make fun of you for needing glasses.”

Miles started to pout and turn towards the window watching as the brick building got farther and farther away until he couldn’t see it anymore.

Rio glances over and smiles at him for a moment.

“Besides..who could make fun of that face!” She says poking at Miless’ sides causing him to giggle begrudgingly despite himself. “Ugh! Solo quiero comerte!!"

-

The two arrive at the office, Miles looked up at the building. The blue sign above him flashed blue and white lights spelling out “Brooklyn Optical Boutique”.

As they walked in Mrs. Morales tells Miles to walk around and scout out anything that catches his eye while she signs him in.

He nodded and started to walk around ignoring her request and instead pulled out his phone and opens Pokemon Go to see if there are any in the store.

After about 10 minutes or so Miles heard his name once again.

“Miles Morales?” A tall man with brown hair and an “if you can read this you're at the wrong appointment” pin on his lab coat.

He couldn't read it.

Rio stood up and ushered Miles along with her to follow the man back into the examination room.

“Ok…Hi, my name is Doctor Andrew, you must be Miles.” The man smiles.

“Hi…” He says flatly. Wearily glancing around the room.

“Hi I'm Rio,” she extends her hand initiating a handshake. “Yes this is Miles, he's a little nervous.”

“I just don't wanna look like Urkel..” Miles mummers under his breath just loud enough for the doctor to hear.

The doctor laughed to himself genuinely amused by Miless’ statement.

“Don’t worry buddy..” He turned off the lights in the room causing everyones eyes to relax. “I'll make sure you leave here looking like Stefan Urquelle.”

The grumpy 6th grader began to smirk but turns his head away hoping no one noticed.

The doctor walked back to usher Miles up out of his chair. “Alright, Miles just look forward for me…and cover one eye with your hand.”

-

As the appointment ended Miles rubbed his eyes trying to adjust back from all the blurry images.

The doctor walks them out of the room and to the front desk to explain.

“So his eyesight isn't too bad, he's at about 20/40. He can see without them but just so he's not straining we’re gonna prescribe a pair.”

Miles pouts once again, catching the attention of the doctor.

“How ‘bout I ask the front our receptionist to scan your insurance card and I take you around the store to pick some out?”

Miles shrugs and turns to his mom waiting for her approval.

“Is that ok with you Mrs. Morales?”

“Yeah that's fine, go on ill be right over there if you need me, papa.” The women nods to the desk across the room and smiles letting him know it’s alright.

-

As Dr. Andrews walked around with Miles he threw out ideas along the way.

“What about these?” he demonstrated by placing the blue glasses on his face.

Miles shook his head causing his long afro to sway along with it.

“My favorite color is green if that helps….”

The tall man's eyes started to dart around for a moment as if someone manually started to turn the cogs in his brain.

“Gimme on second,” The doctor walked over to a section with glasses sorted by color. He unlocked one of the drawers under it and pulled out a pair of neon green frames.

Miles cocked his head to the side observing the frames from a far and walked closer to the guy holding them.

“Can I try them on?” Doctor Andrews handed them over. “‘preciate it.”

While he walked over to the nearest mirror placing the glasses over his eyes the boy watched himself in the reflection getting closer.

They weren't awful, they fit his face well and didn't make his eyes seem bigger than they actually were but, he's definitely not wearing them in school.

“Like ‘em?” The doctor chuckled walking up next to the young boy.

“They're cool…” He nods, continuously watching himself at different angles in the mirror.

Suddenly Miles heard familiar foots steps walk towards him but kept his gaze on the mirror.

“See anything you like ba- aw…you look just like your dad.” She wraps her arms around his neck from behind lightly squeezing him.

Miles smiled slightly, raising his eyebrows and a nodded in agreement with what she said.

“Yeah a little bit…” He quickly snatched the frames off of his face then turned around to face his mother. “But I’m not wearing these in school” he said shaking the pair in his hand.

Rio snorted a laugh and patted both hands on Miless’ shoulders twice. “We’ll see about that”.

Ok so! For anyone that didn’t get the Stefan Urquelle reference here’s a clip. He basically just turns from a nerd to a hot guy.

Now thank you for reading!! Again i’m always open to constructive criticism and feedback. I hope you enjoyed it<3

(P.S- Requests are open rn so if you have any feel free to ask!)

#across the spiderverse #earth 42 miles morales #into the spider verse #miles morales #earth 42 miles fluff #miles morales headcanons #spider man #rio morales #earth 42 rio morales #writers on tumblr #prowler miles

[kombuuuu]

Miles 42 headcanons?

no one asked but i’ll deliver !!

Miles!42 x Fem!Reader random headcanons

also a lot of snippets :)

You/Reader: Blue

Miles Morales: Purple

Mama Rio/Rio Morales: Pink

Uncle Aaron/Aaron Morales: Orange

Random/stranger: Black

—

gift giving love language duhhh

Will have you walk with him through malls and whatever you look at for a second too long he buys

You don’t catch on until you’re both eating at a nice restaurant, absentmindedly staring at some plant when a lull in conversation happens.

He purchases the plant.

“Fuck you mean I can’t buy it?”

“Sir, the plants aren’t for sale, this is a dining establishment.”

“Establish the fact I’m gettin’ that plant.”

“Sir—“

50 bucks down and a plant 🆙

He will damn right die if you refuse him. He’ll get all grumpy and pouty when you say he should save for a house, not for you.

convinced you just get shy when bought things (you do).

is even more motivated to buy things

“Miles, baby, you need to save up. Not spend on me!”

“This would look so good on you, Ma.”

“Are you listening??”

“Fuck, and this.”

“Oh my god.”

gets so jealous it’s unbelievable

but only when someone goes too far with you

it’s like 1–100 real quick

he’s not usually the prowling type (ha)

but when someone pushes the line he loses his shit

other than that he’s a supportive bbg all the way

“Wanna go home with me, butterface?”

“Fuck you just say?”

“Nothing homie just get outta here.”

“Say that shit again ‘homie’.”

“Chill the fuck out. Let the lady speak for herself.”

“I’ll fucking speak for my girl all I want, homeboy.”

maybe got a liiiiittle bit of an anger issue

guy went home with a broken nose and a missing tooth

better hope he can afford fill ins

he would never get mad at you though

he gets frustrated you don’t listen sometimes, but it’s never to the point of anger

feel like he has the patience of a fucking SAINT

calm and collected baby u know the deal

“Mami, we gonna have a problem?”

“”

“Didn’t think so.”

a SWEETHEART at times

stand by him being raised right

mama rio taught him to be a romantic

wanted him to take after his dad

so flowers and gifts and chocolates

followed by lovin of any kind

probably a baby for affection but doesn’t show it

so when you get all emotional about being gifted roses for the first time

and hug him and smother him

give him stupid little kisses all over

he’s fainting

poor boy doesn’t know love like u show him

“Baby, are these for me?”

“Yeah, Chiquita. They okay?”

“Wh… They’re perfect.”

“Are you cryin’? I can return ‘em.”

“No! No, no, don’t do that.

I love them, C’mere.”

when you guys get rlly comfortable, like a year and some dating, he ends up getting more chatty

willingly talking w you for hours

feels like you’re the only person he can rlly do that with

rambles so rarely that you kind of just sit in awe when it happens

doesn’t catch himself until he’s trying to name your future kids

“I’ll marry you one day, we’ll have like two, three kids. Get all nice an cozy.

You want a boy or girl? I kinda want both. Definitely not girl first, never having a girl without a brother to protect ‘er.

You’d be such a good Mami.

What’d you wan’ name ‘em? I have a few ideas—“

“..”

“But you could choose the girl cause I don’t know any pretty names. And i’ll choose—“

“..”

“..”

“You gon’ let me keep goin?”

“I love your voice.”

“Tranquila, mami.”

Takes you to every family event he ever has

sits you regularly with Rio and Aaron

they insist you call them uncle and ma

you do, obviously

miles doesn’t need to meet your family if you don’t want him to, but if he ever does he’s totally suave with them

like weirdly smooth

able to get on ur carers good side quick

when you meet his extended family they’re just as loving

his whole family is this bright dash of colour

and you fit right the fuck in

“¡Oh, hija estás preciosa!”

“Dice la estrella de la fiesta!”

“You flatter me, Hija.”

“Miles, come get your girl.”

“You look nice too, Uncle Aaron.”

“..Thanks, kid.”

“Hey Mami, havin’ fun?”

“Aight, I’m out.”

when you find out he’s the prowler you’re not really shocked

he’s hella nervous to tell you and kinda puts it off for a while

as long as you’re not in harms way, nothin matters, yeah?

no

the guilt eats him alive

he’s already lost so much, if he doesn’t do things right with you, then loses you too

he’d probably lose himself

so he tells you

“The Prowler?”

“Yeah.”

“The.. Panther guy I keep seeing on the news-?”

“Mm.”

“Miles are you—

..—Are you killing people?”

“Mami, it’s not like that—“

“oh my god.”

“These men— I kill,”

“Oh my god, oh my god.”

“,They’re bad, you understand.”

“Miles..”

“[Name]. Do you understand?”

“Yeah.. Yeah I understand.”

“You can’t tell anyone.”

“I won’t.”

“…”

“Are you mad.”

“I’m not happy.”

“Okay.”

you’re kind of devastated he’s killing people

but you eventually get it

like it takes a while

say a month or so

but you forgive quick

i mean, who knows what those men are doing, right?

(ur delulu but it’s ok)

he lets you have your space but talking with mama rio when she realises your absence knocks some sense into him

mans is going to GROVEL

he will fucking beg on his damn knees

knocks on your door and is already kneeling

will plead with you to come back to him

like i said a whole ass romantic

you know what’s romantic? a man who can get on his knees

he will suffocate you in gifts and affection

oh you like (insert sanrio esc character) ? look over there at that lifesize plushie woahhhh wonder who that’s forrrrrr

“Hello?”

“Mami, don’t close the door.”

“Miles, go home.”

“And please stop kneeling, the floor is dirty.”

“I’m not leaving ‘til you hear me out.”

looooong sigh

“Okay, fine— whatever, come inside. You have two minutes.”

“God, I missed you. You’re so beautiful Chiquita.”

“Three minutes.”

You talk it out easy, he’s a real smooth talker when he wants to be

“Okay Miles, I’ll see you tomorrow yeah?”

“Yeah, Ma. See you soon.”

“Wh—.. What is that?”

“Ohhh…”

“Why the fuck is it so big?”

“It said “Life Size” on the site? I was thinking like two feet tall.”

“You bought that?”

“Yeah.. I was thinkin’ you wouldn’t let me in. Would have to bribe you.”

“…That’s really cute.”

Annnnnd that’s all i can come up with i’ll probably do more later :P

#miles morales x reader #earth 42 miles morales #miles x reader #miles morales #earth 42 miles morales x reader #rio morales #uncle aaron #aaron morales #into the spider verse

[batatart]

"It's been a while since I've seen you laugh like that..."

#spiderverse fanart #gwen stacy #miles morales #earth 42 #earth 42 miles #earth 42 gwen stacy #rio morales #george stacy #ghostflower #gwiles #this was kinda rushed ngl #but UGH don't I love them already #batatart

[pantherastevens]

His Sunshine in the Darkness: It All Started With Her Smile

Hello everyone~ I'm back, and it's with a new little series (technically, it's really just one extremely long story, but I broke it up in parts because if not, this post would be dumb long). I literally read two Yandere!Miles fics and kinda been obsessed with the idea (?) ever since.

Here are the two works, written by the lovely @l0v3morales (please write more of these, I'm begging you):

Stay With Me

Yours Forever

Thus I present to you, His Sunshine in the Darkness: Part One! This will most likely be divided into three parts (because I'm still writing this story, I'm currently at 12,838 words and counting. Buckle up kiddies, this is gonna be a long one).

I title Part One, "It All Started With Her Smile." I'm gonna ease y'all in with some fluff. Enough of me rambling. Enjoy!

Warnings: None, unless you're allergic to fluff

---------------------------------------

It all started with her smile. 

Miles Gonzalo Morales was the new kid at Visions. It was the middle of the recorded school year, and he was a new kid. He wasn't a huge fan of the school, but his parents insisted it would be good for him... whatever that meant.

The first few days, he pretty much kept to himself. Socializing wasn't his strong suit, and he didn't desire to make a fool of himself in front of his new classmates, who seemed to understand that he didn't belong like the rest. It just so happened the school was "generous" enough to recognize he had a brain and offer him a scholarship to be there. His only escapes were his dorm (Ganke seemed like a cool enough guy), his home, and his art class.

Miles loved to draw more than anything. Whether it be his pencils, markers, or his uncle's spray paints, he found his freedom. Freedom to be himself.

And she noticed it too.

Panthera Stevens was a fellow freshman who shared quite a few classes with him—even art. She had to be the prettiest girl that he's ever seen. Smooth chocolate skin, thick dark shoulder-length locs, naturally full brows, plump lips, and almond-shaped expresso-colored eyes. Miles admired the girl from afar, seeing how he wasn't sure how to approach the beauty (Miles didn't care what his uncle said. The "hey" trick had to be the stupidest and most embarrassing thing he's ever heard.)

So you could imagine the boy's surprise when he heard the screech of a chair being pulled up next to him and found her big dark brown eyes staring into his soul.

"Hey, you're Miles, right," she said with a smile. The boy could feel his face heating up at the sweet sight.

'She even has dimples... Buen Dios Todopoderoso, ella es tan linda...'

"U-uh... yeah, that's me," he said, fidgeting with his pencil. Panthera giggled, making the boy's blush worse.

"Nice to meet you, Miles. I'm Panthera. I couldn't help to notice that you're always by yourself and... well, I was wondering if we could become friends," she said; a bit of shyness could be seen in that smile. The boy blinked owlishly at her.

His crush wanted to be friends with him? The awkward, quiet new kid?

"I'm sorry, was I being too forward," Panthera asked, mistaking the boy's silence as rejection. Miles mentally slapped himself, urging his mouth to form words.

"N-No! Not at all. I-I would love to be friends with you!" That could've come out much smoother, but it still did the job.

Panthera Stevens' smile could rival the sun at that very moment, and Miles wanted to bask in it forever.

-----------------------

Panthera and Miles became close friends very quickly. They would have study sessions at least three times a week and pretty much hung out every other weekend. Miles brought her to meet his parents toward the end of their freshmen year. 

As expected, Panthera was the perfect angel. She came to the apartment in one of the prettiest dresses he's ever seen with a bouquet in hand.

He always remembers her soft laugh at his dumbfounded expression.

"What are you staring at, Mi?" God, that nickname will always make his stomach explode with butterflies...

"I-uh, it's j-just that..." Panthera blinked those pretty eyes at him, waiting for him to finish.

"You look so beautiful, gatita," Miles muttered breathlessly. Panthera did a cute shy shuffle. A sweet smile could be found on those pretty lips.

"Thank you, Mi. My Baba always told me a good first impression is everything." Miles nodded mindlessly, eyes still trained on her lips.

"Mijo? Is that your friend at the door? Don't keep her waiting now!" Rio's voice broke the trance on the boy, who promptly ushered the girl inside. Miles secretly smiled as the girl slid off her shoes and left them by the front door, already knowing his parents would like that.

The meeting went even better than the young boy expected. Panthera greeted his parents with the same smile as when they first met. She called them by their last names. She gifted his mother with the bouquet, who happily accepted the flowers—even going as far as explaining the meaning of each one.

"I wanted to find something to represent the family you two built. The Black-Eye Susans represent justice, seeing how you live to serve and protect Mr. Morales. The Daylilies represent the Chinese emblem for the mother of the home, something you're doing such a wonderful job at, Mrs. Morales. And finally, the honeysuckle represents your love for each and your son. I hope you like them."

The more his parents talked with the girl, the more taken they were with her. Rio insisted that she stay for dinner, which Panthera accepted. As the two women entered the kitchen, Miles turned to find his father looking down at him with a knowing smile.

"You know, son, you seem pretty taken by Panthera... you sure you two are just friends?" Jefferson did his best not to laugh too hard at the sight of his son's red face.

"C'mon papá, stop it. W-we're just friends, nothing more," Miles huffed, not without shooting a glance of longing at the kitchen. 

Panthera and his mamá seemed to chat joyfully, Panthera even stepping alongside Rio to help cook dinner. Rio's green eyes glowed with approval as she taught the girl how to make Mofongo. 

God, if that didn't do funny things to his heart...

-----------------------

Miles knew his feelings were getting stronger by the day in their sophomore year. There wasn't a sketchbook he now owns that didn't have a sketch of Panthera somewhere among the pages. After meeting his parents, Rio insisted he bring her around as often as possible. His room started carrying the faint smell of her and her vanilla and coco musk perfume. 

If he cuddled his pillow that carried the scent of her hair oil that smelt like pineapples, that shouldn't be anyone's business but his own.

The boy had it bad.

Everyone in his family could see it. 

Uncle Aaron had demanded that he introduce the girl he was partially head over heels in love with (Miles can't even deny it anymore, it's been at least a year.) Only to find out it was Eric's little girl, who Aaron had basically adopted as his niece. The man was ecstatic over the fact, privately telling Miles that Panthera would make a kickass future wife. Miles nearly screamed that he was too young to think about that (even though that thought has passed his mind... multiple times.)

She was invited to his dad's party to celebrate his upcoming position of becoming the Police Captian. It was a little embarrassing having his family coo and giggle at the two of them, excitingly asking Miles if she was his girlfriend. Panthera was nice enough not to laugh out loud at the permanent blush that settled on his cheeks.

Miles thought his head would explode when his mom had the DJ play a song with everyone breaking into couples to dance bachata. 

"C'mon, Miles! You could dance with Panthera," Rio encouraged as she danced with her husband, who looked a little awkward trying to keep up with his wife's graceful movements. Panthera cocked her head at the boy, reminding him of the animal he, oh so fondly, nicknamed her.

"I don't mind dancing with you... but I don't want to step on your toes," Panthera offered. Miles focused on the girl, not the heat melting his face.

"I doubt you could do that, gatita. I could show you some basic steps," Miles said. Panthera nodded, relaxing as she allowed the Afro-Latino to guide her through the dance. Once she felt she got a feel of it, she was able to flow much easier with the boy. Miles' could feel his heart pounding away at his ribcage as he twirled the girl under his arm before holding the beauty close once more. 

"I don't think I ever told you how beautiful you look tonight, gatita," Miles said softly as he rested his forehead against hers. Panthera's dark eyes twinkled at him.

"Thank you, Mi. I asked my dad to take me shopping for the occasion. Since I was gonna meet more of your family and all," she said shyly. Miles couldn't help but drink at the sight of her for the umpteenth time that night. 

"I'm going have to send him a thank you card then. Not for just the outfit but for siring the most beautiful girl of all of Brooklyn," he said, a flirty grin tugging on his lips. Panthera laughed freely, the sound reverberating deep in her throat.

"Mi! Such a flirt," she giggled as she was spun about yet again. The girl seemed at peace, humming contentedly as she felt the heat of Miles' palms bleed through the material of her dress. Miles couldn't help the easygoing smile tugging on his lips as he lost himself in the music and those sparkling eyes.

-----------------------

"Your dad's speech was beautiful." Miles turned to look at the girl next to him. The pair decided to get some air from all the people. Panthera was looking out at the party lighting up the rooftop, her face glowing from the bright lights. Miles knew this image of her would be the newest addition to his sketchbook later that night when everyone went home, and he was alone in his room.

"Yeah, it definitely was," Miles said softly. Panthera turned to him, reaching up to cup Miles' face with her hands.

'So soft...' Miles thought as he was pulled to Panthera's height. Puberty finally decided to be nice to him these past few months and give him some inches, much to Panthera's annoyance.

"Something in me is telling me to say this, so listen to me for a second, yeah?" Panthera could be reading dictionary definitions to him, and he would still hang onto her every word like he was now.

"Y-Yeah, sure. Anything for you, princesa," Miles mumbled. Panthera chuckled and shook her head at the nickname. Miles could tell he managed to fluster her a little, which he joyfully counted as a win.

"Never for one moment think you're alone. You have beautiful parents who love you more than life itself. You have a dope ass uncle who considers you as his own son. And you have me. I wasn't sure what would happen the first day I sat next to you in art class, but I can say this is something I cherish deeply. You will always have me, Miles. Even if you feel like the world is crashing down around you... when you feel as if you have no one left... when you want to fall into the darkness... I'll be there to shield you as best I can. I'll be there to hold your hand. I'll be there to show you the light. I love you, Mi. Always." Miles felt his heart stall.

'I love you, Mi...'

God, Miles knew that Panthera could just be confessing her love for him as a friend, but his lovesick brain wouldn't let him see it as such. He wants to believe that Panthera sees him as something more. See them as something more.

Miles' shaky hands found Panthera's waist, tugging her closer.

"T-Thank you, Panthera... a-and I-I love you too," the boy whispered, breathless by the sheer intensity of it all. Her eyes, her warmth, her scent, her lips-

Miles nervously licked his own as he focused on Panthera's. So many times, he's daydreamed and dreamed about those lips. Full, soft, and how so kissable. He often saw her put on some tinted lip oil (she barely believes in chapstick, only having one or two as a backup) which made them all the more enticing. It made the boy wonder what flavors she uses and how good she'll taste. 

He may have kissed his pillow pretending it was Panthera for practice, but again, that was nobody's business but his own.

Miles leaned in, watching for the girl's reaction to him. Those sweet dark eyes lower, eyeing his wet bottom lip. Her hands migrated to his shoulders as she carefully balanced on her toes.

"I love you, mi vida," he whispered in the small space between their lips. He could hear the soft hitch in the girl's breath at his quiet confession.

There was no denying it. He loves Panthera Genesis Stevens. And finally, one of his fantasies was about come true.

Miles closed his eyes as he felt their lips brush against each other... only for them to snap open when he heard,

"Hey Miles, you up- WHOA, MY GOD!" Miles and Panthera instinctively jumped away from each other to find an embarrassed Jefferson and an exasperated Rio. 

"Dios mío, amor. I told you that there was a chance they would be up here and to leave them be. Now look what you have done," Rio playfully scolded her husband. Miles groaned out of embarrassment, tugging his braids while Panthera laughed nervously.

"Sorry about disappearing like that, Mr. and Mrs. Morales. Was there something that you need," Panthera asked, hoping to ease the tension and move on from... what almost happened between her and their son. Jefferson, still fighting off his embarrassed blush, let out a chuckle.

"Nothing crazy important. We just wanted to let you kids know that we're about the cut the cake Miles brought. Just in case you wanted some." The pair nodded.

"Yeah, we'll be there in a few minutes. Thanks for letting us know, papá," Miles said, finding the city skyline much more interesting than it was a minute ago. He could hear his mother's quiet laughter, dragging his father away to leave him alone with Panthera again. Before he could turn to her to apologize (for what, Miles wasn't entirely sure because, damn it, he wanted that kiss to happen), he felt something on his cheek.

That something was Panthera.

He turned to the girl, whose arms wrapped around one of his. She had a goofy smile.

"Don't apologize, alright? We're fine, I promise. Now come on, I heard you got red velvet, and I always wanted to try it!" Miles allowed himself to be dragged away by the cheerful girl, hand on the cheek that held a faint kiss print.

Not exactly what he was hoping for... but he certainly isn't complaining. And also trying to figure out how was he going to wash his face but preserve the mark...

---------------------------------------

Tags: @444morales thanks for being an amazing friend to listen to all my random ideas at odd hours at night. 💜💜💜

-Translations-

~Spanish~

Buen Dios Todopoderoso, ella es tan linda : Good God Almighty, she's so cute

Gatita : Kitten

Mijo : Darling

Papá : Dad

Princesa : Princess

Mi vida : My life

Dios mío, amor : My God, love

#atsv #across the spiderverse #earth 42 miles morales #earth 42 oc #earth 42 miles x oc #panthera stevens #spiderman across the spiderverse #earth 42 miles fluff #fluff #His Sunshine in the Darkness #His Sunshine in the Darkness Part One #rio morales #Earth 42 Rio Morales #jefferson davis #jefferson morales #Earth 42 Jefferson Davis #Aaron Davis #miles g morales #Spotify

[xxoxobree]

Another opinion cause I’m tired of seeing it.

WTF! Are y’all talking bout Miles G starves and doesn’t get enough food 👀 not being very wealthy and living in the hood doesn’t equal food insecurity. Rio would NEVER! Aaron would NEVER!! Let Miles starve. Rio literally gave Miles/Aaron a grocery list 😑. I’m tired of seeing that shit 🙄🙄. Miles literally has fucking Nikes on his feet and he’s starving ? Oh okay!

Update: it be you bitches who never stepped foot in an urban area in your life, who only know what tv & movies brainwashes y’all to believe about BLACK‼️‼️ people and lower income areas. Suburban racist ass yt people

#neteyamsmunch #neteyamsmunch fics #breeandhermunches #breeandhermunchesfics #miles g morales #prowler miles #earth 42 miles morales #aaron davis #rio morales #miles morales #accross the spiderverse #miles morales across the spiderverse #miles morales x reader #earth 42 miles x reader

[catsrulesworld]

Headcanons for Miles(s)

An: I kinda went overboard but that's okay 🤗 I appreciate all the love and kind words on the posts so again can never thank you enough but pls send requests I need to get more ideas anyway enjoys these head canons about these silly gooses

Miles 1610

He sometimes shocks himself when he sneezes

His dad cuts his hair

Hobie pierced his ears

He was a cat person before the whole cat thing during the chase

His love language is physical touch

He's super clingy

Makes tons of drawings of you from every angle in different outfits and everything

He definitely forget he was Spiderman one time and came to your house through your window in his outfit it was a little like this

You:“OH MY GOD ITS SPIDERMAN”

Miles looks around: “NO WAY WHERE”

He doesn't cover his mouth when yawning

Always texts you even if he's swinging around the city

Mi corazón ❤️: Miles are you on the way I'm worried

Spidey boy: I'm almostytgere

Spidey boy: Fivemotemuns

Spidey boy: Mins*

Mi corazón ❤️: Okay love you

Spidey boy: Live you more 🥰

Hobie has tried to teach him a little guitar but Miles gets mad so he doesn't do it

He makes playlists of your favorite songs and plays if he misses you

He used Photomath or Brainly even though he doesn't need it

Science and math is his strong suit but English and social studies aren't

He's good at sports he just doesn't like them

His favorite food his mom makes is Arroz con gandules, Asopao de pollo, and Arroz con dulce

During family BBQs his favorite dance is the cupid shuffle

Only knows how to do a few dances but when he does he's incredible at it

His favorite season is summer because everyone is outside having fun

If you play sports/instruments he's at your concerts or games and if he can't go he drowns you in apologies and kisses

He's overthinker so if you don't respond in the next ten minutes he starts to think the worst

Spidey boy: Hi my love! Do you want to come over soon?

Spidey boy: My love are you okay

Spidey boy: Are you mad at me

Spidey boy: I'm sorry if you are

Spidey boy: Please talk to me

Mi corazón: I'm sorry Miles I was asleep yes I'm fine I'm not mad at you ill come over to your house after school tomorrow make sure you save me some of your mom's food 🤤i love you bb 💋

He's a big family guy so he wants to drag you to every family event that happens

Mama Rio saves you plates if you can't come and if you do she gives you tons and tons of food ( and you have to eat it all it or else)

Remembers all your favorite things meals, flowers, movies, shows, colors etc anything and everything

When he's nervous he bounces his legs or picked at his nails

Helps you pick out outfits

During class, he draws little doodles of you on his paper plus he draws you guys as little stick figures holding hands with hearts and passes it to you

Helps stray animals like cats and dogs he feeds them and pets them

Has a mural for you

If he can't sleep because he missed you he facetimes you so he can sleep

When he does face time you, the call last forever

Loves it when you hold him holding his face while you place kisses all over him, while you draw lines with his freckles

His freckles come out a lot more in the summer because of the sun he has them all over his back

Loves hugs

Likes to walk with you to simple places like the park or to an ice cream place

He's the singer in the spider band

He's tenderheaded so he never has his hair in braids

He has like a million pictures of you

He's a picky eater

Miles 42

He spoils the crap out of you if you even glance at something in the store he's already ready to buy it

Worker: I'm sorry sir but the wine glasses are not for sale

Miles: If she likes the wine glass I'm getting her the wine glass.

Worker: sir why can't you understand these are not for sale

Miles: why can't you understand that I'm getting the glasses

He got the glasses thirty minutes later

He does your hair in whatever braids you want because his mom taught him

He knows how to dance but he only does it with you

His love language is gift giving

He buys matching stuff for you guys necklaces, bracelets, plushies etc

He draws but not super often but when he does it's beautiful

He sometime listens to his dad favorite songs when he misses him

Sees Uncle Aaron as his semi father figure

His favorite game is uno even when Uncle Aaron gets mad and almost punches Miles

Helps his mom cook

His favorite season is winter because he loves the memories it brings of his dad

Lays down flowers and talks to his dads grave

He's a dry texter but he does text you

Knows you better than yourself he can always tell when somethings up

He's a cuddlebug even if he doesn't show it

He loves kisses he doesn't use chapstick but if you're wearing some he’ll kiss it off you

Face times you while he plays his games or is spray painting

Knows all the cool secret abandoned spots

Hates pictures of himself loves them of you tho

He's good at every subject in school

Helps with homework if you need it

Mama Rio loves you because ever since you came into his life he started being more happy after his dads death

Has nightmares of his dads death

He hates the morning

Loves to stargaze with you (knows all constalations)

His favorite food his mom makes is Caldo Santo, Empanadillas, Flan de Queso

Loves all food not picky what so ever

Has a sweet tooth

He passes notes to you in class

He will literally do anything for you

Wears contacts because he hates his glasses

When you date him you get scary dog privileges

Will scare anyone away if they even glance at you but he's a sweetheart deep down

Doesn't know how to explain his emotions

Cats lowkey scare him but he likes them because they're more chill

His favorite gum is Polar Ice

Always completing you

“You look beautiful ma”

“My pretty girl”

“I love that dress on you Mami”

“Estás preciosa”

Loves to go shopping with you

Holds your bags

Helps you pick out clothes

“Miles do you think this looks good on me?”

“Yes mami get that one”

“What about this one? I think it looks a little weird in the back but I don't know”

“Oh lord I'm about to act up”

“Miles!”

His mom loves when you come over for dinner she loves the extra guests

Mama Rio shows embarrassing pictures of him from when he was a baby

“And this is when my beautiful baby got mud on him so he had to take a warm bubble bath with his favorite ducks!”

“Ma, please.”

Your biggest supporter in everything

Okay I can't think of anything else I love them there so silly goose

#miles morales x reader #earth 42 miles morales x reader #earth 42 miles x reader #earth 42 miles fluff #e!42 miles morales #earth 42 miles morales x black!reader #miles morales #headcanon #e42 miles #earth 42 miles x you #miles molares #spiderverse spoilers #spider man: across the spider verse #across the spiderverse #atsv #rio morales #spiderman #across the spider verse spoilers #into the spider verse #fluff #lovers #prowler miles #miles rambles #spiderman atsv #atsv fic #blurb #cute #such a cutie #send me asks #spiderverse 2

[nadiawritessomething]

I want to talk about how WRONG the fandom has misrepresented Earth 42, even in the short time it was on the screen. Not just Miles G (we talk about him enough), but every character from here and the universe as a whole. Earth 42 is not just an "evil and creepy" place, it has a full-fledged LORE, with Sinister Six taking over the city.

And almost every character on Earth 42 stoops to the level of "scary gangsters." Except for Rio - 42Rio and her influence on the upbringing of the child, which is clearly shown through the way he talks, are forgotten altogether.

Aaron is characterized as an "evil uncle" who walks around the city angrily and teaches Miles some bad things (believe me, I've seen too much of this, to the point of headcanons about Aaron abusing his own nephew).

Miles G suddenly becomes a toxic boyfriend instead of a traumatized child.

And Earth 42 itself, there is nothing but fires in the minds of many fans.

I could go on for hours about how Aaron and Rio can serve as examples of how traumatic events affect the psyche of an ADULT.

I could write rants about how Miles G is a perfect product of his environment in both positive and negative ways, as well as he's good at following and breaking them at the same time.

I could talk about how complex Earth 42 is, its rules, politics, customs, norms.

But no one but me will read this, right?

#across the spiderverse #atsv #miles 42 #miles morales #prowler miles #miles g morales #earth 42 miles #spiderverse #aaron davis #jefferson morales #rio morales 42 #rio morales #earth 42