CHAPTER 19 - THE CULPRIT

TWO DAYS LATER

Aviva decided going home was a better option than staying longer in her dorm. The thing she didn't want to admit to anyone was how little she showered. It wasn't even because of the challenges that came with it, rather that she didn't want to ask for help. Aviva wasn't a dependent person, but her entire life she was one. It was an irony she chose not to think about.

Daily tasks were made near impossible thanks to her being unable to move. Showering required a special shower chair, and often times, help to get below her waist. That was why she went home so often, so her father could help her bathe. It was mortifying to have a middle-aged man help her with something as basic as showering, but Jin always made it fun with dad jokes and talking about the different foods he was going to make for her. He liked to surprise her with her favorite foods and treats whenever he could. Seeing as they had money, that was often.

That brought her to now, where she was resting on her shower seat, a towel draped across her familiar wheelchair that she was out of. The bathtub was filled, the water littered with bubbles thanks to her father's obsession with bubble baths. She couldn't wait to be in her bed, flopping around like a fish to get the best spot. For now though, she was cleaning, and her father was with her, cleaning out her hair while he hummed one of her favorite tunes.

"I can do that part myself, y'know," she said, but there was no hostility or anger in the tone. She kept it light and almost amusing, mostly because she actually was amused by Jin's persistence on doing his daughter's hair.

"My baby girl's growing up," Jin replied, continuing to scrub her hair. "One day, you'll find a lover and leave your old man behind."

"What if I already had one?"

Jin's jaw dropped, and she realized she said that out loud far too late. Before she could explain herself, Jin pulled his wet hands back and put them on his hips, not caring that his dress pants got soaked from the action. God, he still acted like a child sometimes, and he was twice her age. "Avi, did you fall in love with the bad boy? This isn't Wattpad."

"Dad!"

"What? Jeon Jungkook, right?" At her burning face, she squinted until her eyes almost shut, hoping that by closing them, she would turn invisible. "You know what I found out." At her silence, he snickered. "There were no group projects in astronomy this year. I stopped by to ask about it so I could snoop in on your progress, but your prof told me there were none." Shit. "Honey, you don't need to make excuses to have your friends over, you can have them over whenever you want." Okay, good. He wasn't suspicious. Whew.

"I know, but I felt awkward about having Jungkook over without a real reason, I guess," she said with a sigh. "He's changed."

"Uh oh, now this really sounds like Wattpad."

"You're impossible."

"Runs in the family," he replied with a wink. "And I don't think Jungkook's a bad guy. When I saw him, he seemed pretty genuine. Actually, he was kind of nice." Jin paused, going back to brushing his fingers through her hair. It was heaven, to be honest. As much as she hated depending on someone, it was therapeutic to have her father pamper her like this. She had her guilty pleasures in life, and this was one of them. "He's your boyfriend, then?"

"Yeah. He brought me to Central Park and we watched the firework show."

"That's... actually kind of romantic."

"See? Jungkook is a pretty cool guy once you get to know him." Jin, much to her surprise, didn't disagree. He went back to humming and cleaning her hair. And ten minutes later, they were done with her bath, Jin helping her on her chair and escorting her to her room. After he helped her into her bed, he kissed her forehead and grinned.

"Do you need anything else, sweetie?" he asked.

She shook her head, her mouth numbing up a bit. She grunted from the sudden sensation, Jin tilting his head. "S-Sorry," she said, her voice slurring more than usual.

"Has your voice been getting bad recently?" It took all her willpower to nod. Admitting that hurt her pride, but she had to. He'd find out eventually. The truth was, she was slowly losing her speech. She was lucky to have ALS and keep her voice for as long as she did. Most of that was thanks to Jin being as smart as he was, but that luck would run out. Sooner rather than later. She was guessing by this time next month, her voice would be almost, if not completely, gone.

Jin stroked her hair and hummed in acknowledgement, his eyes narrowing on her bed for a moment. "What?" she asked, her voice a bit smoother than before, but it still hurt to say anything at all.

"Nothing, sweetie. I'm just going to sit in my study for a while. I'll be by soon to check on you. Try and get some rest, alright?"

Although hesitant, she agreed, and he got up and left the room, leaving her to do whatever she wanted. Well, whatever she could get her hands on. If she could move her hands, that was. She could barely feel her body. It was like it was a 200 pound weight, and moving it at all brought soreness and strain to her. Aviva kept her eyes on the ceiling and held back sniffs and tears from how useless she felt. A visit from Jungkook would be nice, but how was she to text him when her phone was out of reach?

She glanced at the wheelchair by her bed and scooted a bit closer to the edge. It took all her strength, and she still didn't get into the chair. She grunted as she halted by the very edge of the bed. How was she going to get herself in the chair and able to move it using the joystick? She could barely feel her hands, and the idea of moving her body was an excruciating thought.

No matter what plan she thought of, none worked. She ended up resisting the urge to cry and scream into her pillow. All she wanted was independence. A chance at a fair life. To stand and walk, talk without fearing her stutters and slurs. But there was no point in cursing the ALS. She had lived with it for years, it wasn't like this was something she was adjusting to just now. She already adjusted. But that didn't mean she couldn't complain about it to herself when she was alone.

She kept thinking about her life and her friends, wondering what came next. Ten minutes passed. Then twenty. Thirty. A full hour went by in the blink of an eye, and Jin came back, Aviva tilting her head to him. He chuckled and leaned against the doorframe. "Can't sleep?" he asked. She blinked and hoped that answered his question. He could read her expression and came forward, kneeling by her bed. "Should I read you a bedtime story from when you were younger? You passed clean out whenever I did."

Aviva shook her head, motioning with her eyes to the phone on her nightstand she was too weak to grab. "Can Jungkook...?" she asked, trailing off to save her strength.

"Of course, but you better keep the door open. You know your old man worries." Jin grabbed her phone, her reciting her password to him and guiding him to Jungkook's number. Luckily, he called Jungkook. And of course, that simp ass picked up in a matter of seconds.

"Hey Avi, I was just thinking about you. What do you think about a lunch date tomorrow? O-Only if you're not busy though," he said, Jin keeping him on speaker and snickering at the boy's words.

"Alright Casanova, calm down in front of the father, eh?"

"M-Mr. Kim. I'm sorry, I didn't know you were there. Is Aviva there?"

"She is," Jin said, Aviva smiling as if that would tell Jungkook she was there. "She's a little tired and not speaking as much. She was wondering if you wanted to come over."

"Oh, I'd love to. I'll be there as fast as I can. Thanks, Mr. Kim!"

"Ah, young love," Jin replied before hanging up, placing the phone next to Aviva instead of on the nightstand. "I'll wait in the kitchen. If you need anything, scream like a banshee."

She gave him a 'really' look that had him busting out his windshield wiper laugh, and he kissed her head again before leaving. It was a classic dad Jin thing to do. He was affectionate with her, and he bought her a lot of gifts. She thought it was his way of apologizing to her. For the ALS, maybe. Or maybe for not finding a cure yet. But she didn't need an apology. Having him as her dad was more than enough, and despite how she felt like she complained too much, she was grateful for him.

Aviva did her best not to complain around her father. He deserved to know he was helping her, and that wasn't a lie. He truly was helping her. But she was sick, and even the best scientists haven't found a cure for her, so the odds that he could were slim. She had hope, but sometimes hope wasn't enough.

She waited in her room, falling into her imagination and making up fictional scenarios that could have gone on for hours. By the time she heard the doorbell ring, she wasn't sure how much time had passed. She was imagining herself on a rocket ship, soaring into the sky and landing on the moon. The danger of fictional scenarios was that getting caught up in them could take you too far out of reality. She would never go to the moon, and she had to remind herself of that. This time, she was okay with it. When Jungkook walked in the room, she realized reality wasn't too bad after all.

"You got here fast," she said with a small strain, clearing her throat afterwards.

Jungkook peeked back to ensure Jin was no where in sight, then came over and sat on the other side of the bed. He was wearing a leather jacket, and he reached inside and pulled out the web shooters. "Threw on my mask and took the back roads. Swinging is faster than cars anymore," he replied, shoving the shooters back inside his pocket.

His hair was thrown in several different directions, likely from wearing the mask. She had to admit it was amusing to see him so in a rush. All for her. As it turned out, the romance novels weren't too far off. Jungkook giving her all his attention... all his love? It brought an emotion to her that spiked her heart, and the blood rushed to her face, covering her neck in a sheet of rose.

"There a reason in particular you wanted me over? Like to stalk your surprisingly hot father?"

"You really are just dating me for him," she mumbled, him snickering and kissing the top of her head. Ah, shit. Her face flushed despite her begging herself not to succumb to Jungkook's charm. He noticed and smirked, her shooting him a dirty look he was quick to return. Then, he laid on her bed beside her and scooted closer, resting a hand on her waist. She did her best to turn on her side, and he helped her. Now they were facing each other, Jungkook keeping her steady.

"Can I kiss you?" he asked, and she was quick to burst out into a smile. He laughed at her reaction, brushing her hair out of her face and pressing his lips on hers. She closed her eyes and did her best to kiss back, but her lips were slow like the rest of her mouth and body. She was sure she'd have to be fed through a tube soon, and that was a terrifying thought.

The kiss only lasted a few seconds, Jungkook pulling back and staying close. She gave him a small frown, him tilting his head at her expression. "I'm sorry. I can't talk too much," she said.

"That's okay, you don't need to apologize. We can watch a movie if you want. How does that sound?" She agreed, and he helped her come up on him. Her head rested on his chest, and she placed her hand there to feel the way his heart beat. She counted each beat as if she was counting sheep in her head. Jungkook didn't notice since he was occupied with grabbing the remote for her TV.

Her room was simple, but it had everything she needed. Towels hidden in her closet whenever she needed them, a TV for her entertainment, books out of reach but there. It was perfect for her. She only wished she could walk around her room and pick up the books for herself instead of needing to call her father for it. But hey, she had Jungkook there. He could help her out. However, she was enjoying this moment. Cuddled up on Jungkook's chest, studying the way he inhaled and exhaled. It was her definition of a perfect moment, and she basked in it.

Jungkook got the TV working, and the news was on due to Aviva's newfound obsession with it. Trying to find out any information she could about the arcade became her new hobby. If she couldn't help physically, she wanted to have knowledge.

The spider boy turned to her and shrugged. "You got Netflix?"

She hummed and pointed to the black stick he was holding. "There's a button for it, dummy."

"Oh. Well, I was never the smart one in the friend group. Why do you think I need those nerds Jiven and Angelina?" he asked.

"I'm telling them you said that."

"Shit," he murmured, her letting out small giggles as he went to press on Netflix. However, he was stopped by a flash of carmine on the station, and a female reporter with dark skin and hair popped up on the screen. She was donning a gray suit, papers in her trembling hands. 'Breaking news' flashed in white with a scarlet background on the bottom of the screen, and the space behind the reporter was a greenscreen morphed into the arcade. And that was when Jungkook and Aviva's jaws dropped.

"This just in, a suspect for the arcade explosion has been apprehended only minutes ago. His name is Jacob Orelli, and he was spotted back at the scene of the crime searching through the ashes. Upon police intervention, they found him to be under the influence of alcohol, and while under influence, he spoke about feeling guilt. He was armed with a fully loaded Glock 19, and it has been proven that he did not legally purchase this weapon. He is in custody now, but the police won't release any further details. You're watching Channel 6 News, and as soon as we have more information, we'll give it to you."

The channel went to an ad break, and Aviva felt as though she fell back even though she was still on Jungkook's chest. He stroked her hair, but there was something in his movements that made her peek up at him as best she could. His lips were pursed, his eyebrows knit together, and his other hand stationary on the remote.

"Why would he go back? Alcohol or not, if he was going to commit a crime like that, he'd know not to go back to the scene of the crime. And he killed children. No one who can feel guilt would murder children. So why was he..." Jungkook trailed off and halted in his tracks, Aviva tapping her finger against his chest to get his attention. She got it, and he looked down, kissing her forehead. "What is it, darling?"

Her eyes almost fluttered at the word, but she remained calm and spoke as clearly as she could. "You need to see him."

"Me? No, this is in the police's hands now." But his phone ringing told a different tale. He pulled it out of his pocket in time to see Taehyung was calling him. He sighed and answered, putting it on speaker so Aviva could hear. "Tae, you calling about the news?"

"You need to go see him."

"Avi said that too, but this is out of my hands. What am I gonna do? Get a confession out of him?"

"I'm not saying talk to him," Tae said, Jungkook keeping his brows sewn together. "You know how my buddy cop got us a radio?"

"Sure, what does that have to do with anything?"

"I'm gonna talk to him about this case. See if he'll spill where they're keeping Jacob. If he does, you don't need to even go inside. You can crawl along the outside walls and see if you can hear anything. I'm gonna call him right now and ask about it, and if I get information, you can go crawl on the side and use your super hearing to eavesdrop. How does that sound?"

"Police stations have cameras. They'll think I'm a co-conspirator."

"Maybe, but if you can hear him, that may give us a clue to find anyone else involved," Tae said.

"Is our curiosity really worth putting Spiderman at risk?" Jungkook asked, the hand he had stroking her hair started going a bit faster than before.

"This is the biggest event that's happened in years. Everyone's involved, even people from other countries. We can't just sit here and do nothing. I don't want that. Do you?"

Jungkook made a sound that was a mix of a sigh and a grunt, then shook his head as if Tae could see him. "No. You're right. I have these powers for a reason, I need to use them for good. Call your cop friend, I'll gear up. Meet me at the lab in ten. How does that sound?"

"Good. Want me to call the others?"

"If you could, yeah. Let's all meet there." After bidding a few final goodbyes, Jungkook hung up and helped Aviva adjust. He hopped up and dusted himself off, shifting to meet her gaze. "You want to come with?"

"I've had a tiring day," she said, straining to say anything else. He nodded and flashed her a bunny smile, putting his knee on the bed so he could lean over and kiss her one last time. She cherished the kiss, memorizing it. They parted far too soon, and he stroked her cheek.

"I'll see you later. I was serious about that lunch date."

She returned his smile. "I know."

Jungkook couldn't resist, and he pecked both her cheeks, finally pulling back and jumping off the bed. He gave her a salute, opening her window. "If Jin asks about me, tell him my roommate got in trouble at a party and needed a ride. Want me to come back later?" he asked.

"If you can."

He hummed and sprung his spider mask free from his pocket, throwing it on over his head and attaching his web shooters to his wrists. He hoisted himself up on the window, his black, high top converse squeaking against the surface. He crawled on the wall and was about to close the window behind him when he paused, glancing at her. It was like even though he was wearing the mask, she could see his gorgeous eyes.

"Stay safe, Avi. I'll miss you, okay?" he said.

Her heart melted inside her chest, and she bit back a wide, toothy grin. "I'll miss you too." He dipped his head, then shut the window and swung away. The news was still playing, the ads nothing more than background noise to her. She kept her head on her pillows and stared up at the ceiling. They made a massive revelation, sure. This was arguably the most important time of their lives. It was depressing beyond belief.

But Aviva couldn't stop thinking about her love for Jungkook.