As Long As The Sun Burns

Chapter Eleven

"Peter?"

"Gwen?!"

"You're Spider-Man?"

"I..wait! How did you know?" Peter asked, his hands coming up to check his mask. No, it was still on, so how did she know who he was?

"Peter, no offense, but your voice is very unique," Gwen said, a grin stretching over her face. "There's only one prepubescent boy I know whose voice is that pitchy."

Peter scowled. "I'm fourteen," he said defensibly. "And my voice is not pitchy."

"Whatever you say," she snorted. "Help me up?"

Peter quickly offered her his hand and she took it firmly. When she was finally standing up right she put her hands on her hips and glared. Peter was taken aback by the level of hostility in her gaze. "What the hell are you thinking, Peter?" she hissed.

"I don't...what?" Peter asked, confused at the direction the conversation had gone.

"Does anyone know about your...nightly activities?" she asked. "You could've been killed just now! For the smartest kid at our school, you sure are dumb sometimes."

"Hey! I'm just trying to help! And I saved you, you should be thanking me, not criticizing me!" Peter cried. Gwen sighed.

"You're right. Thank you for saving me."

"You're welcome!"

"Now, what the hell are you thinking, Peter?" she continued. Peter groaned. "You could get seriously hurt! Does your dad know?"

"What? No! God, if my Dad found out he'd literally kill me! Then raise me from the dead only to kill me again! Then raise me again but this time, ground me for eternity!" Peter cried.

"So nobody knows about you?" she asked.

"Ned does..." and he did. And that was quite the conversation they had. Ned had ranted for hours, inspecting the indentations in his wrists (lovingly dubbed 'web-holes') and demanding as many answers at Peter could give. When it was finally over he begged to become the Guy In The Chair and help Peter out with all his patrols.

"Great. That's just great." Gwen snapped. "So you're telling me no responsible person knows you're risking your life every night?"

"Ned's responsible." Peter said, feeling like he should at least try to defend his best friend. Gwen just raised an eyebrow silently and Peter sighed. "Fine. You know. That counts right?"

Gwen nodded. "I do," she agreed. "And from now on, if you get hurt. You come to me. You have no self preservation, Peter. You're going to get yourself killed one of these days."

"Aww, I knew you cared." Peter cooed. Gwen scoffed and slapped his arm lightly.

"Hardly. I'd just hate for you to die before you put Flash in his place."

Peter laughed. "You and me both."

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"Peter? Hey, are you okay?" Ned called, snapping his fingers in front of Peter's face. Peter blinked and looked back at Ned who was staring at him in concern. "You good, dude? You were staring for like, five minutes."

"Sorry, guess I'm just thinking," Peter said. Ned's face lit up.

"Like, thinking about Spider-Man or like thinking about your family?" Ned whispered. Peter sighed.