FIREWEAVER | A Spiderverse Fanfic

Chapter Fourteen

Neon lights. The scent of alcohol heavy in the air. The chatter of voices and rumbling of feet that ricocheted off the walls. A warm hand touching Gavin's shoulder as he turned around and felt his lips immediately form a smile.

Esme felt the words she prepared caught in her throat as she met his blue eyes. His face was so perfect. Skin like cream puffs. An angelic softness to him that was riveting. Hair slick back with gel, wearing a sleek black top that did the muscle on his chest and arms wonders- dude hit the gym and she dug it.

Sophia interrupted her visual journey by pushing Gavin aside, jumping up and down to the music.

"Esme! You made it! Damn you've gotten way faster at-"

Esme cut her off quickly, "-finding good subways? Yeah, I've been perfecting my technique over the years."

She glanced at Gavin to see him still smiling at her and felt relief. She hadn't seen him since her aunt died. A part of it wasn't intentional at first, but the more she thought about hanging out with him, the more she heard the sound of the gunshot that echoed through the streets of her mind, her aunt replaced with Gavin's petrified scream.

"How have you been doing, Esme?" His voice was soft but loud enough to hear above the noise. Or maybe he was the music.

She blinked out of her delusion and forced a smile.

"Getting by." She didn't really know what else she could say. "And you?"

"Doing good now that you're here."

'This man-'

"Girl, come dance!" Sophia interrupted and grabbed Esme's arms, pulling her forward.

Esme glanced back at Gavin and he shrugged, chuckling as he watched her be whisked into the moving bodies. She shook her head as Sophia broke out into laughter and twirled around, shaking her hips and moving her arms above her head.

Esme couldn't help but join in, moving with her and letting herself delve into the rhythm. It had been a while since she got to dance like this. Usually, her schedule was jam-packed between two careers now. And even when she did have free time, it simply felt... wrong to be happy about anything so soon.

Blue and pink fragmented off of the spotlights overhead, the tile beneath Esme's feet sparkling and moving in waves. She quickly realized the tile was actually screens below a thick sheen of glass, playing videos of ocean waves that gave the illusion she was hovering above water.

She looked back up and noticed Sophia's lips were saying something but her words were drowned out.

"Huh!?" She tried to ask over the music.

"Sooo what do you think about him?!" Sophia repeated, louder than she probably needed to be and making Esme cringe.

"Oh, uh..." Esme looked around, spotting Gavin sitting at the bar with a cup of water. Once she was sure he was out of earshot she looked back at Sophia. "He's hot, but I can't do anything."

Sophia lifted a brow. "Why not?!" She whined.

Esme rolled her eyes. "Because of our little super friend?"

Sophia narrowed her eyes as if she was trying to follow what she was implying, then widened as realization clicked. "Ohh.... But why not?"