— well fuck. 

He told his parents he was sleeping at a classmate's house again. He can stay as long as he wants. 

His "Yes" comes out distinctly higher-pitched than he was aiming for, and he might have the mask on but given the angle of his face it's hard to imagine he's looking at anything but Asher's bare chest. 

That was the intention!

Asher gets up to put the movie on and then sits three inches from Spidey. He is, in fact, very very shirtless. The arc reactor shines in the middle of his chest.

Fuck. Those. Sure are some shoulders. The arc reactor keeps catching his eye, mostly because it's a noticeably different color from all the other light in the room, but those are some really good shoulders and Sasha's a little bit overwhelmed with how much he would like to be kissing them. 

He takes the hoodie off but keeps the t shirt underneath it and definitely keeps the mask. He cuddles up to Asher. Which means he is touching Asher's arm and his side and parts of his chest. Aaaaaaahhh. 

Fortunately, Velvet Goldmine is a colossally stupid movie and it's possible to follow the plot while extremely distracted. 

Asher traces little circles along Spidey's back and sides and chest.

That sure is a thing that is happening! 

He keeps gasping and shivering and if Asher is paying enough attention he might be able to get Sasha to make a tiny choked-out noise. He is paying roughly zero attention to the plot. 

Why would he be paying attention to Velvet Goldmine when he has a gasping shivering tiny-noise-making Spidey right there?

He takes Spidey's hand and puts it on his chest, a little bit to the left of the arc reactor.

Sasha really should say something and end this but Asher is incredibly attractive and Sasha feels nearly drunk on the attention and. It's a really nice chest. The arc reactor casts weird shadows on it. 

Sasha keeps his hand where it is for a moment, then runs one finger along Asher's collarbone. 

Asher hisses. "That's nice."

He'll keep touching Asher, then, his fingertips tracing a trail from Asher's chest to his shoulder to his bicep and back to his chest again. 

He's not even pretending to pay attention to the movie.

"Say, not-quite-boyfriend, would you like a not-quite-blowjob?" His hand creeps across Spidey's stomach. "You can leave your mask on."

He takes his hand away from Asher's chest and moves another inch away from Asher, because letting his dick make this decision will not end well for anyone. 

Deep breath. Use your head. 

"You are incredibly, insanely attractive," he says, "and you have no idea how difficult it is to say this, but. I can't." 

"--if you're trans I don't care."

"I'm not trans I'm fifteen." 

"...fuck."

He takes off the mask. 

His face is very pretty, and also very young. 

"I'm so sorry-- did, did I make you feel uncomfortable, I don't--"

"Don't be. You didn't. That was the best thing that ever happened to me. I just. Can't." 

"I said your ass looked great in spandex-- I'm so sorry--"

"Literally the only thing I minded about that is that I didn't want you to pick a fight with Marlo. You've been great." 

He does not say, "in three years it would be legal. In six years it would just barely not be creepy but I'm not sure that I have it in me to wait six years."

He does not say, "I didn't think I was capable of experiencing love and now I'm falling in love with you and you're fifteen and I don't know what to do."

He does not say, "I don't care how old you are, you're beautiful and I love you, kiss me."

He says, "I don't think I'm comfortable even kind of dating a fifteen-year-old. Sorry."

"Yeah, that's. Legit. 

…I'm sorry I waited that long to say anything." 

He does not say, "I'm glad you waited so long because I got to hear you make those noises and I'm going to jerk off to that an unhealthy amount."

He does not say, "why did you tell me at all, I could have sucked you off."

He says, "it's cool. Friends?" and doesn't manage to keep all the hope out of his voice.

"Friends," he says, audibly relieved. He moves so he's leaning on Asher again. This time, Asher can see the way he smiles. 

Oh no his smile is really good.

"...I'm going to go put on a shirt."