Spider-Man: Marvel Knight

Chapter 17-Peter and Gwen

Daylight...daylight?
Peter woke up to a noise. What was that noise? It sounded like ticking. He felt his surroundings and could tell that he was in a bed, so he must've been in his room...then again, Peter didn't have an actual clock in his room besides an alarm clock. Whose house was he in, then?
He was sore from head to foot and his suit was gone. He felt bandages on his body where he was sorry as well. Leaning up, he saw bruises and cuts all over his body even in spots where there weren't bandages. His advanced healing helped some of it, but he was still pretty beat up more or less.
"You're awake," a soft voice said. That voice sounded strangle familiar to him. It sounded like...Gwen?
Peter turned to see Gwen and Harry sitting there. Harry had his arms crossed and Gwen's disappointed look gave everything away. They knew now?
Now he remembered. They knew last night. They tried to stop him but he didn't listen. The worst part for Peter was that if he had listened to them, innocent police officers wouldn't have been killed on those rooftops.
"Guys," Peter said to his friends, "I can explain..." He began to lean up in the bed to look at them better.
"Explain what, Pete?" Harry said sternly. He looked like he was really upset. "Explain that our best friend is a vigilante that loves beats the hell out of criminals every day?"
"Harry," Gwen said while holding his wrist. "Please..." He settled down and gave a big sigh. She looked at Peter. "Why didn't you just tell us? Why lie to and ignore us?"
Peter bowed his head in shame. He wanted to cry in an apology. "It's not that simple... I wanted to tell you, I swear."
"So why the hell didn't you?" Harry snapped. "Why make us go through this whole thing and not tell us, Pete?"
"And why have you been being so distant from us?" Gwen added, holding back tears. "What does that have to do with any of this?"
Peter's eyes began to well up with tears. "Because... Telling you...staying close to you two puts you in danger. I've already lost one person that I love I'm not going for three more..." His cheeks began to wet with tears.
Gwen looked at Peter in astonishment. "Aunt May doesn't know?" she asked. "You're keeping this from her?"
Peter nodded as he thought of his next words. "The only one who knew was..." He could feel the lump in his throat. "...was Uncle Ben." More tears streamed down his face as he said his uncle's name.
"Peter," Harry said while trying to hold back his tears, "you went up there to face that guy, and you nearly died. Do you know how that would make everyone feel? Knowing that you were the Spider-Man?"
"I'm so...so sorry," Peter sobbed. "I'm sor-- I'm sorry." He couldn't hold it back anymore, and neither could Gwen or Harry. They hugged Peter as tight as they could and all cried together. After they could cry no more, they moved away.
Peter looked around the room. "Where am I anyway?"
"You're in my room, nerd," Gwen said wiping tears from her cheeks. "Mom and Ricky are out of town for two days due to finding him a suitable preschool, or whatever. She made me stay because of school." She giggled. "Such a responsible mom, huh?"
Then, Peter realized what he told Aunt May last night. He straight up lied to his aunt...just like he had tried to lie to Ben when he had gotten bit. What if she found out? "Wait, did you tell May that I..."
"I text her that your phone died and that you and Harry were spending the night here because I had whatever you needed," Gwen said while nodding. "I've got your back, nerd."
Pete breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you, Gwen."
Harry looked at his watch and saw what time it was. He never told Norman that he was going to spend the night. "Hey, sorry, guys, but I better go before my dad wonders where the hell I am." He went and hugged Peter. "Rest and do whatever that woman tells you to," he whispered.
Peter chuckled and whispered back, "Will do."
"And also tell her how you feel," he whispered even more quietly.
Peter paused for a second. "What?"
He moved away from Pete. "Alrighty, Gwen, I'm gone. Take care of him. I'll See you two later."
"Bye," Gwen said back.
Pete trying to confess his feelings for Gwen right then was hard for him to do. He had never actually said those words, "I love you," to a girl, and he was absolutely terrified to actually do that.
Peter went to adjust himself on the bed, but winced in pain from even the slightest movement. Gwen went over to him. "Where does it hurt?" He pointed to his chest, and she saw the large burn wound across his pecs. Everything in her wanted to just observe his muscular mass, but she shook the thought out of her head and got up. "I'll get the first aid kit."
Gwen came back from the bathroom with the box. She opened it up, got some alcohol and opened the bottle. "This is gonna hurt, like... A lot," she positioned it over his chest.
Peter chuckled. "Please... I've stopped trucks and had a bomb blow up in my face, I'm pretty sure I can..." Before he could finish his sentence, she poured a little on his wound. The stinging, itching pain crawled across his chest. "...gah, dammit!!" he shouted from the pain.
Gwen chuckled. "Sorry, but I thought you were tough."
"I guess not," he replied with painful laughter.
She stared at him playfully with her mouth open. "That is the first time I've ever heard you curse! Oh my gosh that is hilarious," she said. Peter chuckled at her statement as his chest still burned from the cleaner. "You're never living this down, by the way," she added.
They were silent while she cleaned his wound with a damp cloth. Finally she spoke up. "So how did it really happen?"
Peter raised an eyebrow. "How did what happen?"
"You know..." she started, still patting the wound ever so slightly. "The powers, the muscles, and the fact that you're not wearing glasses anymore. What happened."
"Oh," he said with a mixture between a laugh and a cough. "That thing. Well, I uh...got bit by a spider."
She smirked. "So that's what happens if you get bit by a spider, huh? Superpowers?"
"Very funny..." Pete responded, still slightly wincing in pain. "Yeah, no, it was uh, covered in radioactivity, and it's genetic engineered DNA code...kinda I guess, merged with mine."
Her expression turned confused. "Genetic engineering? Radioactivity? Where did you get bit?"
"Science fair."
Her jaw dropped. "So that's why you were feeling sick and stuff after the thing?" She ran her fingers through her hair. "Well that makes more sense now!"
"Yeah," he replied. "I honestly thought I was gonna die, it sucked so bad."
"Please don't tell me getting bit let you shoot web's out of your wrist...because that's gross," she giggled. Peter looked at her like she was crazy as she tended to his wound. "What? Just a thought."
He chuckled. "No, that's my biocable that you see. I would show you my web shooters, but I think they kind of got destroyed in the blast." His expression turned grim. "What was the body count last night?"
Gwen smiled. "Those police officers on the roofs had some pretty nasty injuries, but the news says that they're gonna be okay," she replied while nodding.
"Thank God..." Peter said relieved. No one else died. He had done his job.
"I'm just glad you didn't get hurt," Gwen said while smiling. Peter looked into her Crystal blue eyes and she looked into his. There was something there between them...
He could do it now...he could tell her how he felt.
"Gwen, listen I..." His words were stopped by Gwen's lips against his. Their softness caressed him like the softest pillow he could imagine. He closed his eyes and moved into it. He savored every scent and every taste of her lips in that moment. It was truly special. They pulled away and looked at each other. "Well, that was..um...unexpected," he said with an awkward laugh.
Gwen giggled. "Was it bad?" she asked, not taking her eyes off of his.
"No," Peter said while stumbling on his words. "Not...not at all."
"Then can we...um, do it again?" Her lips moved a little closer to his.
"Yes, please." They moved in and pressed their lips against each other's. Her hands moved to his chest and his moved to her waist. She climbed on top of him and moved into the kiss deeper.
When they pulled away, and their lips were centimeters apart, Peter said, "Gwen?"
"Yeah, Pete?"
"I think I was going to say that I love you?" he said awkwardly.
She giggled at Peter's cheesiness. All she wanted was to be with him. "Same here, nerd," she responded.
They pressed their lips together again, this time being more gentle, and savoring every second of it. They were in heaven. The perfect match.
Spiderman and Gwen Stacy...together at last.