Alternate Reminder
Pairing: Miguel O'Hara x F!reader
Word Count: 3.4k
Content: Miguel has trouble trying to treat you fairly when you remind him too much of what he had lost. Angst, misunderstanding.
A/N: I havent truly proofread this so Iâm sorry. This took super long.
   Miguel thought you were special. He thought it was maybe the universe giving him a second chance when he saw you. His first love and his beautiful wife, standing in front of him while wearing a Spiderman suit. Maybe, he was destined to be with you, after all, a universe where you could understand him. A universe where he could finally be happy with you and Gabriella, a universe that he actually belonged to and he didnât have to worry about destroying a whole universe just to be with you.Â
   The only problem? This version of you had zero ideas of who Miguel OâHara is. Miguel thought it was a canon event, for the both of you to fall in love. In most universes he had been to, you were with Miguel. In most, you were happy and had a family with him. In the more unfortunate universes, things didnât work out between the two of you. The only thing that was unchanged was that Miguel and you were bound to find and fall in love with each other at one point.Â
  However, Miguel hated your guts. His amor was sweet, responsible, and well-organized. You were the complete opposite of that. You were rude, irresponsible, and very messy as a person. He dared say that you were the messiest person he had ever met. There was no sign of organisation at your workstation. Papers were messily stacked on top of each other or swept across the desk. The mini shelf you had beside your desk was filled with books that were all falling to one side, some had completely collapsed. More files were squeezed on top of the books. Miguelâs greatest pet peeve was seeing the bent and folded pages being shoved into a file. The urge to help you reorganize was almost too big for him to handle causing the frustration to build up and was let out onto you instead. Miguel groaned as he met eye contact with you while he was buying his morning coffee. It was almost insulting to him how you had the same exact face as her, the woman he falls for in every universe.Â
   On the opposite side of the same coin, you loathed Miguel OâHara. He was bossy, pompous, and couldnât take a single joke. Any conversation you have had with him ended up in the both of you arguing. Sarcasm was something everyone around you had gotten used to, except for Miguel of course who never seemed to catch on. He would simply give you a judgemental stare before giving a literal answer which you would roll your eyes at. At that point, Miguel would think that youâre being rude, and depending on his mood that day, he would either scold you or scoff at you.Â
   âJust get over it, youâre always mad at Miguel anyways. I thought you would get used to it by now.â Gwen sighed, giving you the same response every time you ranted about Miguel. âItâs not like you donât know the big guy,â Hobie said nonchalantly, having long gotten used to your rants about Miguel. âYou hate him, we get it.â Pavitr groaned, complaining for the umpteenth time about how you always seemed to be talking about Miguel. Gwen chuckled, âIf you didnât point out every single flaw of his so heartlessly every time you rant about him, I would think you have a crush on Miguel or something.â Gwen said. âHell no. Iâm not fucking blind.â you defended, offended she would even think this way. âYou gotta admit, big boss is quite the looker, too bad heâs a prick.â Hobie pointed out. âSpeak of the devil,â Pavitr warned, straightening up as he stared at Miguel who was walking to your tableâs direction.Â
    You merely glared in his direction. Gwen was right, you should be used to him by now. He shouldnât be getting under your skin so easily. So why canât you just ignore him? Why does your mind always drift to him when youâre alone, why do you realise when he was due for a haircut? How his hair curls at the end when he lets his hair grow, how he reaches 10 minutes early to any appointment, and how he would get his coffee at exactly 9am in the morning. You shook your head, riding yourself off those thoughts. There was no way you actually had some sort of attraction to him right? Your mind drifted to the fight you had with him 5 days ago, his words still causing a dull ache in your heart. The both of you always fought but you were sure Miguel was going to kick you off the team until he called your friends the next day and gave you a mission through them while also completely disregarding your presence if he saw you around after.Â
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   âMind your own business!â Miguel exclaimed, you flinched at his harsh tone. âI was just-â âWho said you could touch my property?â Anger was practically the only emotion in his voice as he pushed you to the side. âLyla told me you were having some troubles, that your screens had some kind of issue-â You gritted out, closing your eyes to calm yourself too. You only had good intentions to fix the issues he was fixing and now you were being accused of invading his privacy. You couldnât even remember any of the files that appeared on the screen while you were fixing his terrible code. Too focused on solving the technical errors to be poking your nose into his business. âI donât need your help,â He seethed. âShe was going to help you, Miguel. You have been complaining about it and even I canât help you, you very well know sheâs the only one equipped with the knowledge to fix this.â Lyla defended you. The fury in Miguelâs eyes scared you as well, âYou need to mind your own business as well.â He snarled to Lyla before turning to you, switching off the orange screens completely. âI would rather let everything burn to hell than trust you to fix anything. Youâre a fucking mess if you didnât realize. â Miguel spat.Â
  It was your last straw. You had more self-respect than let anyone speak to you like that. âKick me off, fucking kick me off already. You hate me anyways, right? So why do you bother keeping me around?âÂ
   âGet out!â Miguel bellowed and you didnât need him to repeat himself. You took off the watch on your wrist and threw it to the floor, letting it break into pieces. In that moment, his words hurt you more than glitching ever would.Â
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   Peter found you at a bar in your universe that day. You downed another glass of whiskey at the sight of Peter, you were in too bad of a mood to talk to anyone now and you know you would regret it if you lashed out at him.
  Peter didnât say anything, simply sitting beside you and staring as you downed one glass after another.Â
 Peter ordered a drink, taking sips of his drink as he decided on the best approach to talk to you. Your anger was practically radiating off you, making everyone else stir clear of you.Â
   âHeâs all bark no bite.â Peter started. You scoffed lightly, letting the silence fall between the both of you. You turned to peter, feeling bad for putting him in an uncomfortable situation. âYou heard already huh.â Peter simply shrugged, âWord travels fast. Practically the whole society knows.â You downed another glass at that, you wondered how much the story had changed as it was passed from one person to another. It was probably a field day at headquarters.Â
   âThere is barely anyone at headquarters, Miguel has been bringing hell to anyone he even makes eye contact with,â Peter answered as though he could read your thoughts. You had to bite back your words, to tell Peter that you really couldnât care less about Miguel now nor did you need the company. Silence fell between the both of you, Peter lightly bobs his head to the music that was playing in the bar to relieve the tension that was building up. He was never one for tense situations. âYou know, youâre not really that different from Miguel.â Peter immediately put his hands up in defense when you practically growled at his comment. âWell, itâs just that both of you would rather die than talk about your emotions. Thankfully, I managed to crack Miguel so I think I can do it for you too.â Peter confidently stated. You remained silent, swirling the whiskey in your hand. You didnât trust yourself to not lash out at Peter, especially when heâs practically comparing you to Miguel. The man you hated in all of the multiverseÂ
  âHm, silence. Miguel screamed at me when we reached this point.â Peter observed, laughing nervously at the memory of his talk with Miguel. âI guess Iâll just go on first then.â Peter wrung his hands nervously. âIâm sure Miguel didnât mean anything. You just hit a sore spot.â You scoffed again, âWhat? By trying to fix his stupid system?âÂ
Peter took another swig, he definitely needed the alcohol. âDo you not know about what is on those screens? One that probably popped up while you were fixing it.â âContrary to popular belief, I wasnât snooping on him. I was focused on the system itself.â You defended. Peter cringed ever so slightly at your response. âThere is this girl on the screen, the one with a happier, better-looking Miguel.â Peter took another swig, this really wasnât his story to tell. You pursed your lips, you did remember seeing the footage that Peter mentioned. You had to force yourself to look away, that you were invading his privacy.Â
   âThatâs his daughter.â Peter finished, trying to gauge your reaction. You simply preserved a blank look and Peter groaned slightly, he detested how stubborn you were. âMiguel found a universe where he had a family and was happy, but him in that universe had an accident so he replaced himself. Some butterfly effect happened and the whole universe collapsed on itself and he lost everything.â Peter explained. You finished your drink, everyone has lost someone. You understood why it was a sore spot but it doesnât justify being a total asshole.Â
âMiguel didnât mean anything he said to you. It was just- tough.â Peter finished. âI didnât even do shit Peter, just decided to fix his system and he accused me of invading his fucking privacy. Itâs not like heâs the only one who lost someone. We all did.â Peter shuffled uncomfortably in his seat. âHe just fucking hates my guts and I donât know why? He literally told most people about my past when he explains about anomalies so why is he so mad when I know about it?âÂ
    âBecause you have the same name and face as his wife, the woman who he falls for in every universe.â Your jaw dropped at the information. You couldnât ever fathom the thought of you and Miguel even being in love. The anger in you simmered ever so slightly. It would explain how his features softened when he sees you sometimes, the vulnerable look in his eyes when he stares at you for too long. A stranger with memories, that is what you are to Miguel. Miguel tries his best to treat you like others. It was exceptionally tough when you shared the same name and face as the woman he had spent his happiest moments with. âHe never told me,â you told Peter. Peter shook his head, âNo one was allowed to tell you. Not like many people knew anyways. He didnât want to stir up any unnecessary trouble. You know how he is, he doesnât like it when people try to share his burdens.â You pursed your lips, cursing out your alcohol tolerance. It was times like this you wished you could just forget everything. âIt doesnât matter. Miguel probably wants me out of his life.â Peter threw his hands up frustratedly. âIf he wants you out he wouldnât send me here to tell you about everything.â Peter admitted. Peter was worried when he heard the news of you and Miguel having a fight which is what brought him to talk to Miguel. Peter wouldnât be able to find you by himself, only Miguel could. You closed your eyes, you had enough of everyone. You were so exhausted, everything has been so draining.Â
      âJust leave me alone alright?â You said, stumbling out of your seat slightly before leaving the bar and Peter behind.Â
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   âThe anomaly was caught. We ensured there were no loose ends. Everything should be fine.â You reported to Miguel. Your hands were behind your back, there was a blank look on your face. Miguel bit his lip slightly at your cold demeanor toward him. He used to complain about you taking things too lightly. When you would stroll into his office with a grin, confidently telling him all the details of the mission even if it was insignificant. Now, you told him the bare minimum with a professional tone and stand.Â
    Miguel used to complain and bluntly tell you that he didnât care for some of the details you told him after. Details like you and Gwen dropped by a Mcdonaldâs to grab some fries or that you also managed to finish a recent show. Now he wishes you would tell him, instead of you acting like this., all quiet and serious.
 Miguel took a deep breath, staring at you as the platform descended. He looked away slightly, knowing things were still tense between the two of you. âSorry about that the other day. I was not in the right place.â He apologised, forcing himself to meet your eye. Your expression was still blank, âItâs fine.â You brushed it off like you hadnât been thinking about it ever since. âIf thatâs everything, Iâll take my leave now.â You told him, bowing slightly as you turned. Miguel flinched at the tone. âWait.â He wanted to stop you from leaving. Then his head turned to the orange screens behind him that glitched every so often. âWould you-â Miguel hesitated, thinking if this was the best move.â
   âI- can you help me fix the screens?â Your eyebrows raised in surprise. âI promise I wonât lash out at you.â Miguel weakly joked. You simply nodded, stepping up onto his platform. Miguel stared at you, you were so unlike yourself. There were no teasing comments, no laughter, not even a hint of a smile. You stood in front of his screens, diligently and skillfully opening and typing away a new code. Miguel shifted and fidgeted behind you, he was wrecking his mind for a conversation topic. You were the one who usually initiated or continued the conversations. His mind replaying all the conversations he had with you. A smile tugged on his lips, music was your common ground with him. He remembered how your eyes twinkled when you talked about your favorite songs.Â
   âI recently got into classical music.â Miguel shared. Miguel was half-convinced that he wouldnât get a reply when you let his words hang in the air while you focused on the task at hand. âOh? Mahler?â You finally replied. His eyes widened. âHow did you know?â He was greeted with silence again and only then did he appreciate how quick your responses used to be. âI just want to know, because you seemed really confident about it. Did I tell you?â Miguel filled the silence himself. âI just saw it.â You gestured to the screens. He nodded, letting the tense silence take over again. You were never so quiet, he never had to deal with this uncomfortable silence when he was with you.Â
    âYou changed.â Miguel blurted out. There was no response from you as you continued working on the screens. You didnât know how to respond either. The news about you being an alternate version of his wife, it was rather overwhelming. You used to spite him and annoy him just for the fun of it, but after everything, you couldnât bring yourself to do it anymore. His gaze made you self-conscious now, of what he thought of you, and nor did you want a repeat of what happened that day. You did a lot of thinking the past few days and you had to come to terms with the fact that you didnât hate Miguel OâHara. You couldnât hate him. The thought of him hating you, it was terrifying.Â
     âWhat?â You muttered, Miguel barely caught onto your response. He placed his hands on his hips, looking down. âLook, Iâm really sorry for that day and I know I canât take back anything but I really hope you donât distance yourself from me because of that.â Miguel swallowed, it was publicly known that the both of you never seemed to get along but the thought of you becoming cold to him made him shiver to his core. âYouâre overthinking things.â You stated plainly, forcing out a laugh. Miguel sighed, âYou just seem, very different. Letâs not even talk about our interactions. You have just been more distant with everyone, youâre taking things way too seriously and well, youâre a lot more well organised now. The biggest shame was losing the constant smile, boosted many of their morale even in the most difficult of times.â you swallowed bitterly, debating internally if you should snap at Miguel right now while you stared at the screens before you. âI had to work on not being a mess right?â You answered, quoting his exact words. Miguelâs eyes flashed with a hint of pain and you knew it was a low blow. He had already apologised, youâre the one who keeps bringing it up. But those words haunted you even till now.Â
    âYou really changed huh?â Miguel continued. He didnât expect you to use his words against him. When you know that he regrets it, it was a low move even for you. âItâs done.â You announced, ignoring his comment towards you. Your patience was thinning again. He merely glanced towards the screens before looking at you again. âYouâre not the person I knew,â Miguel stated plainly. You turned your head to him.Â
   âIâm not the woman you had in mind, Miguel! Iâm not your fucking wife and Iâm sorry you had to go through that.â You looked away, running your hands through your hair in distress. âI never was. Iâm sorry I remind you of her but Iâm not her.â You snapped at him. Walking out of his office.
 Everything made sense now. Miguel would be annoyed and frustrated with you most times, but there were times that he acted differently towards you. The times when he had carried you to a more comfortable place when you had fallen asleep on your table, the jackets that he had given to you to keep you warm still hung in your closet. The late-night conversations where he was more vulnerable towards you and had conversations with you about your interests while you hung from the ceiling, claiming that it helped you stay awake while you sift through the paperwork with him. You found it weird how he could hate your guts one second but be even sweet to you when it was just the two of you. At one point, you even thought you had fallen for Miguel OâHara.Â
   You shook your head, ignoring Miguel behind you as you rid the thought of even entertaining a possibility with Miguel. He never treated you as you are, he never liked you for who you are.Â
  You simply shared a face and name with the woman he was destined to fall for.Â
   You chuckle at how foolish you were while you stepped on the watch that Peter had given to you as replacement for your old one.Â
   âI fucking quit.â You announced to a surveillance camera in the hallway, knowing fully well that he is monitoring the camera for your whereabouts now.Â
Miguel angrily swept the files off his table, growling out in frustration. He buried his face in his hands, he never saw you as the woman who he had fallen for and had Gabriella with. Sure, there were a few times your identical looks made his heart pace with what could have been. However, Miguel had started spending more time with you and getting to know you as a person. In those times, he reckoned he enjoyed it too much.
There was no way he was falling for you right?
Was there a point even if he did? You had already left him.
Miguel O'Hara always messes up his own happiness. That seems more like his canon event than falling in love with you.