What If
"Eat it! Eat it! Eat it!" Gwen Stacy looks up from her book with furrowed brows. 'What now?' She thinks getting up off the picnic table she was sitting on. She follows the sound to find a group of her peers as the source of the noise. They're circled around what looks like a fight.
"Put him down…Eugene."
Gwen arrives in time to see Peter Parker get punched right in the face by Flash. She grips her backpack strap tightly. Why is no one stepping in? Because, it's high school.
"C'mon, get up, Parker! Get up!" Flash yells as he kicks Peter in the gut. Gwen winces.
"I'm still not taking the picture." Peter grunts out.
"Stay down, Parker!" Flash says turning in a circle, "Who wants one more?"
Gwen being the type of person she is decides it's time to stop this. She decides the best way to stop Flash is by embarrassment. She reminds him of their tutoring session after school. He'll be angry with her but she doesn't care.
Gwen glances behind her to see Peter struggling to get up. She wonders for a moment if she should help him up, but she'll see him a few minutes in class and she'll just check up on him then.
Gwen saved him. That's Peter's only thought while he lips into class. Well, that and: 'Flash is very strong.' But mostly the former. Gwen, the girl he's been in love with since the first grade just saved his butt.
Despite the pain that puts a smile on his face.
He sits in his usual seat resting his head in his arms. Ow.
"I thought that was great. What you did out there." A familiar voice makes his head snap up. Holy crap. She's talking to him. She is talking to him. "It was stupid, but it was great." He swallows thickly. "You should probably go to the nurse, you might have a concussion."
"What's your name?" Oh. Of course. She doesn't even know who he is. Why would she? They've only been in the same classes since Kindergarten.
"You don't know my name?" He manages through the shock and the crushing disappointment.
"No, I know your name," His spirits are instantly lifted, "I just want to make sure you know your name." She's concerned about him! That's good, right?
"Peter." He says noticing her raised eyebrows. "Parker. Peter Parker." She nods.
"Okay." With that she turns back around to face the front. Peter's eyes are still glued on her. "I'd still go to the nurse, though." She says over her shoulder.
"You're Gwen, right?" He asks knowing good and well she is. She turns back around to look at him.
"Gwen Stacy." She nods. He knows. He also knows a lot more about her that may or may not make him sound like a creep. He blames it on the years of 'first day of school introductions'.
He's not sure what class was about that day. She talked to him. She was concerned about him. He's the happiest guy on earth.
Aunt May asks what happened to his face when he gets home but he's smiling so big she forgets that and asks why he's so happy instead. He shrugs it off as 'just a good day' but after he skips up the stairs Ben looks at May and explains that he's in love.
"How do you know? Did he tell you something?" May asks inquisitively.
"No, I just know." Ben responds smiling.
"How?"
"That's what Parker men look like when they're in love."
"So, who's the girl?" Ben asks later that night.
"What?" Peter asks eyes wide.
"The girl you like."
"U-uncle B-ben t-there isn't a-a girl." Peter stutters his neck heating up.
"Is that her?" Ben asks nodding toward Peter's computer screen where the debate team photo he took is. "She's pretty."
"Yeah, she's very pretty." Peter says almost inaudibly.
"What's her name?"
"Gwen. Gwen Stacy."
Ben nods, pleased with the information he's gotten out of Peter.
"You should ask her out soon. Pretty girls like her are only single for so long. I should know, I almost lost your aunt." Ben winks as he exits the room leaving a very fluster Peter staring at the picture on his computer desktop.
The next time Flash picks on Peter he knows Gwen is watching. He thinks it's not manly to have your woman fight your battles. Even though he knows she'd hit him if she knew he referred to her as his 'woman'. So, like any man would, he fights back. Well, he tries. Flash is much bigger than Peter, he's also more athletic, and stronger, and the list could go on an on.
Peter gets one good shot. One. With a basketball, to Flash's nose. Right as the principle walks in. Great. So, while Uncle Ben is standing in the hallway at Peter's school lecturing him about morals. All Peter can think is that his uncle doesn't understand. Peter tunes in to hear Ben tell him to pick Aunt May up.
"She looks familiar, that's the girl from your computer." Ben says looking up. Peter looks over his shoulder to see none other than Gwen. He shakes his head. "He's got you on his computer! I'm his probation officer." Ben shouts to Gwen. "Don't for get Aunt May." Ben pats Peter on the shoulder as he turns and walks down the hall.
"Okay." Peter says chuckling nervously. He turns to Gwen. "He's a character. That's my uh, my uncle. He um, he's a pathological liar and he thought you were someone else." Smooth, Parker.
"Ah man, so you don't have me on your computer?" Gwen asks walking closer to Peter.
"Well, I mean yeah, I took a photo of the debate team and you're in the debate team so…"
"Right." Gwen nods.
"So, he must have seen, I was uh, touching up stuff." Peter waves his hand in the air.
"You were touching up stuff?" Gwen asks humor laced in her voice.
"C'mon," Peter chuckles nervously," I was- I was just. I'm not going to answer that." Peter says blushing when Gwen laughs.
"Did you get expelled?" She asks.
"No, no I didn't get expelled I got community service." Gwen nods and looks over her shoulder. "Um so uh do you want to uh I don't know…um." What is he doing?!
"Want to what?" Gwen asks praying the hopefulness she's felling doesn't show.
"Just uh." He gives her a look that looks like a smolder. "Um…I don't know, I don't know we could uh, or we could do something else. Or we could, if you don like um…" He scratches the back of his head and she's smiling so wide.
"Yeah." She's nodding.
"Yeah?"
"Yeah, either one." There's a stretch of silence.
"Really?" He can't believe it. Not only is he speaking to the girl he loves, he just asked her out and she said yes! Kind of.
"Sure."
"Okay, good. Sounds good."
"Cool." She doesn't know what to say anymore than he does.
"Okay. Uh, I can't- I can't right now."
"No, yeah."
"I'm so busy right now."
"So busy me too."
At this point they're both talking over each other.
"But uh maybe uh…"
"Yeah just…"
"Some other…"
"Time." She finishes for him while doing some strange twirl complete with moving her binder while spinning around. He can't help but laugh. "Alright."
"Okay."
He stares at her as she walks away. She turns and looks at him while she's walking and even though he can't see her face due to the darkness of the hallway he can almost feel her smile. That, of course, causes probably the biggest, goofiest grin to take over his face. He turns around and literally skips down the opposite hallway. If he thought he was happy the first time she talked to him he didn't know what happiness was.
Two days later she asks him over for dinner. He has no idea what 'Branzino' is. Apparently some sort of fish…
Through the confusion he finds it in himself to be the happiest guy on earth again (third time this week). He's grinning like a fool when he gets home.
"How was your day, Aunt May?" Peter asks sitting down across from her.
"It was just fine. How was yours." May asks unsure of herself. Peter usually isn't this…happy.
"It was absolutely fantastic!" He exclaims standing up. "Now, if you'll excuse me I need to shower." Peter springs out of his seat and kisses May on the cheek. May sits there a moment looking confused. That is until Ben sits down in the spot previously occupied by Peter.
"Our little Peter's growing up." Ben says.
"Oh really? I was going to ask you to go check up on him but since you seem to know, what's going on with him?"
"He's in love."
"Oh, Ben. That's your answer to everything."
"Oh? Come on I'll prove it to you."
"Peter, are you okay, son?" Ben asks as him and May stand in Peter's doorway.
"Yeah, yeah I'm fine. I'm great, actually." Peter says looking between the two shirts he's scrutinizing. "Which of these do you guys like best?" Peter asks holding up the two shirts.
"Why?" May asks.
"I-I uh I-I have a…" Peter trails off heat spreading up his neck.
"A date?" Ben asks giving May an I-told-you-so look.
"Yes, no, kind of, I don't know."
"What do you mean you don't know? Did you ask the girl on a date?" Ben asks.
"No, she-she asked me…kind of. I'm just having dinner with her and her family. N-nothing big."
"Is it the pretty girl from your computer?" May asks.
"Uncle Ben, you told her about that?" Peter blushes. Ben shrugs.
"Yes, yes it's that girl. Gwen. Her name is Gwen."
"I like the red one." Ben says offhandedly.
"What?" Peter asks.
"The red shirt. I like it. All Parker men look good in red."
"Well, I like the blue one. Peter looks good in blue." May counters. Peter groans.
"Great. Well, thank you both very much for all you help but I need to change." Peter says ushering them out of his room.
"You're wearing that?" May asks when Peter comes down the stairs in a black tee shirt with a jacket and jeans.
"Yeah, why?" Peter asks.
"Those aren't the shirts you asked us about." May says.
"Well, I couldn't decide. So I went with this. Gwen won't mind." Peter shrugs. "I'll see you both later tonight." Peter says as he kisses Aunt May on the cheek.
"We won't wait up for you." Ben shouts after Peter. May elbows him in the stomach. Peter is still blushing by the time he reaches Gwen's building.
The door man is terrifying. Or maybe it's the fact that he's about to meet the family of his long time crush. Peter, not the doorman. He looks up. Maybe he could climb the fire escape. Twenty stories? It's not like he has superpowers or anything.
"Hello." The doorman says to Peter. "Who are you visiting?"
"U-uh Gwen. Um I mean the-the Stacy's."
"Very well, I'll let them know you're on your way up."
"Th-thank you." Peter walks to the elevator and hits the 20 button. His stomach is in knots and his palms are sweaty. What if Gwen's parents hate him. What if they forbid Gwen from seeing him again.
"Oh gosh, oh gosh." He mutters as the elevator gets closer and closer to the 20th floor. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. "Oh gosh…" 20. The elevator dings to a stop and it takes Peter a minute to get his feet moving.
He finds the correct apartment number and stands in front of it, palms sweating. He finally makes a fist and knocks on the door. Before he even has time to put his hand down from knocking, the door swings open revealing Gwen. Peter cant help but think that even in the simple blue sweater and skirt, she looks so beautiful.
"Hi." Gwen finally says.
"H-hey."
"You found the apartment."
"Yep. Yeah. Your doorman is very intimidating." What? Who says that? She laughs. Thank the Lord.
"I haven't heard that before." If he things the doorman is intimidating wait until he meets her father.
"Is-is that what you're wearing to dinner?" Gwen asks.
"Y-yeah. I-I…I'm sorry."
"No-no I think you look fine…it's just my parents are a little…"
"Gwen…" Perfect timing, "Oh, hello, you must be, Peter."
"Dad, this is Peter." Gwen says.
"H-hello, sir. I'm uh I'm Peter." Captain Stacy shakes Peter's out stretched hand.
"Come in, Peter."
"Y-yes, sir."
'Sir?' Gwen mouths to Peter. He shrugs and follows Captain Stacy into the dinning room.
"Peter, these are my brothers Howard, Simon, and Philip. Boys, this is Peter." Gwen introduces the boys to Peter.
"Hello." Peter waves.
"And, this is my mother." Gwen says. "Mom, Peter, Peter, Mom."
"Nice to meet you Mrs. Stacy. Oh, uh these are for you." Peter says pulling out a bouquet of flowers.
"Oh, thank you, dear." Mrs. Stacy smiles. "Have a seat." Peter nods and sits right next to Phillip with Captain Stacy sitting at the head of the table to his right, and across from Gwen. Almost right after they start eating Mrs. Stacy can tell Peter is having trouble with his fish.
"Phillip, help Peter cut his fish." Mrs. Stacy tells the youngest Stacy.
'Branzino' Gwen mouths to Peter. He may or may not have told her he knew what Branzino was. He shrugs. After Phillip finishes cutting Peters fish the 'interrogation' starts.
"So, Peter, have you though about what college you want to go to?" Captain Stacy starts.
"Uh, w-well, I was thinking of applying to NYU…I really want to stay close to my aunt and uncle." Mrs. Stacy smiles at this.
"Thinking? You mean you haven't already?" Captain Stacy questions.
"N-no, sir. I'm still-still checking out all my options."
"Still checking out your options, it's a little late in the year for that, don't you think?"
"Dad," Gwen starts.
"W-well, sir, I'm-I'm trying to get a-a scholarship." This surprises everyone at the Stacy's dinner table.
"Really? What do you play? Football? Basketball? You don't strike me as a sporty type of guy, Peter."
"I'm-I'm not, sir. I-I I'm trying to get a scholarship through photography." There's a long stretch of silence.
"Photography? Like taking pictures?"
"Yes-yes, sir."
"Peters very good at it too, dad. See that picture up there?" Gwen gestures to a picture among many hanging on the wall. It's a picture of the debate team. "Peter took that."
"Hm." Finally Peters off the hook. He takes a bit of the fish.
"So you want to date my daughter." Captain Stacy says offhandedly. Peter starts choking on his Branzino. Which spirals into him having a coughing fit.
"Dad!"
"George!"
Gwen and her mother say at the same time Peter starts coughing. Gwen pushes Peter's drink towards him. He takes it and drinks greedily from it.
"Are you alright, Peter?" She asks tenderly.
"Yeah, yeah I'm fine. I-I just…I'm fine."
"So, what's your answer then?" Captain Stacy asks again.
"Dad!"
"George!"
Mrs. Stacy and Gwen exclaim at the same time again.
"I-I-I uh I um." Peter stutters his face as red as Gwen's. Suddenly he straightens up. "Yes. Yes, sir. I want to date your daughter." There's a stunned silence. Surprise evident in Captain Stacy's face.
"Well, we'll see about that." Captain Stacy says. Peter nods respectfully. And takes his last bite of fish.
"Dad, Peter and I are going to go outside. C'mon, Peter." Gwen says standing up. Peter follows suit.
"Don't be long, dessert will be ready soon." Mrs. Stacy calls after the retreating teens. All Peter can think about is that he's in trouble. He can feel it. Gwen must be mad at him.
They end up on the roof. The cool air feels nice on Peter's flushed face. They walk to the railing and look over at the city. Neither of them say anything for a while.
"Wow." Gwen finally says.
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that. I'm not even sure if this is like a date-date or just a friend-date thing and I'm sorry but its true and I get it if you want me to leave and- and why are you laughing?"
"Peter, trust me, I'm not mad. I'm flattered actually." She says looking into his deep brown eyes.
"Really?" He asks subconsciously leaning closer.
"Really."
"Well, I'm glad because I really wanted to ask you out on another date…now that I know this is actually a date." She chuckles at that. She's leaning closer, too.
"Oh yeah? And is that date going to be a horrible as this date?" She asks.
"Well, I was thinking about maybe having you meet my aunt and uncle."
"That would be nowhere near as bad of an idea as this was."
"I don't know. I'm sure it won't be bad for you, but Uncle Ben likes to embarrass me, so." He tentatively reaches out and cups her cheek in his hand. She moves even closer.
"You know I think I'd like that. You're cute when you're flustered." Her eyes widen when she realizes what she said. He laughs. And she wraps her arms around his neck moving them even closer.
"So you like it when I'm embarrassed? Is that why you arranged this dinner?" She rolls her eyes.
"Yeah, you caught me." She says sarcastically.
"You're so nefarious." Peter says moving closer until their lips are only a hair away from touching.
"Do you even know what that means?" Gwen asks cocking an eyebrow.
"I think I probably do, but I can't concentrate on a whole lot of unimportant things right now. I'm kind of busy."
"Oh? With what?"
"This." Peter says before he connects their lips.
Gwen is a little surprised at first, but she recovers quickly. She knots her hands in Peter's hair as she deepens the kiss. He moves his hands from cupping her face to wrapping around her waist. He pulls her even closer to him, to the point that there's not space left in between them. Their noses bump as they try to find a comfortable position for their heads.
Peter feels like he's going to explode. He's kissing the girl of his dreams. And the word kissing is being generous. It seems every time he can't get happier he does. Just last week he was only imagining talking to her and not making a fool of himself, but now. Now he's kissing her. Like, he's really kissing her.
Gwen has a little secret of her own. She's liked Peter for a while, too. Not nearly as long as he's liked her, but since the beginning of 11th grade. Last year. So, maybe she hasn't been imagining this scene as long as him, but it's still a glorious, absolutely glorious feeling. He's running his hands up and down her sides and she doesn't think life can get any better than this.
They barley register a sound. It could be anything. A bird, a person, a gunshot. At this point they really don't care. They're so into each other they only notice Mrs. Stacy when she's at the roof's doorway trying to muffle a gasp. When they realize that she's right there, they separate themselves.
"Gwen, I was coming to tell you that dessert is ready, but it seems you already had some sugar." Mrs. Stacy smirks.
"Mom!" Gwen gasps and Peter can't help it, he busts out laughing. Not just laughing but belly laughing. Gwen punches Peter's chest but it barely stops his laughing.
"That was awesome, Mrs. Stacy." Peter says recovering.
"Oh, I was talking to you too, Peter." He sobers and Gwen smirks. "And please, call me Helen."
"Thank you for having me, sir. Mrs. er, Helen, the Branzino was great. And you two," Peter turns to Howard and Simon, "Next time, Phillip and I will prove once and for all that Batman is better than Superman."
"Not gonna happen. Superman is and always will be better than Batman." Howard shoots back. Peter and Phillip gasp dramatically.
"You take that back!" Peter says in mock seriousness clutching a hand to his heart.
"Never!" Howard grins.
"Alright. Well, you guys at least be good for your parents…and your sister." Peter says ruffling Phillip's hair and patting Howard and Simon on their backs.
"Bye, Peter!"
"See ya."
"Bye!"
All the brothers respond at the same time. Peter turns back around to their parents. And nods.
"Goodnight."
"Goodnight, Peter. It was nice meeting you."
"Nice meeting you too."
Captain Stacy nods at Peter. Peter turns to Gwen.
"I'll walk you down," Then she whispers, "So you don't have to face the scary doorman by yourself."
"You truly are my hero."
"So…" Gwen starts when they get out of the apartment.
"So, dessert was a lot better than dinner." Peter says taking Gwen's hand in his.
"Well, thank you. I made it myself." Gwen smiles.
"Not what I meant."
"You're really good with kids." Gwen says cuddling into Peter's shoulder once they're on the elevator.
"Well, I mean I'm an only child. I've always wanted siblings. And your brothers are pretty cool."
"Ugh. Try living with them."
"Touché."
They get out of the elevator and Gwen nods at the doorman on their way out of the building.
"Norman."
"Gwendolyn." Gwen cringes at the use of her full name. Peter chuckles at her expression. How she can make one of the most unattractive faces and still look like the most gorgeous girl in the world, befuddles him. Peter, not the doorman (Norman).
"So I guess this is goodbye." Peter says once they get outside.
"Gah, don't be so dramatic. You're going to Queens not to war." Gwen says.
"What?"
"Sorry, I've been reading a lot of Nicholas Sparks… you wouldn't understand it's a girl thing." She adds on when she sees his confused expression. He nods.
"Well, I'm going to kiss you goodnight, now." Peter says leaning in.
"Oh, okay." Gwen says surprised.
This kiss is nothing like the one earlier. That one was heated and rough, getting out year's worth of pent up passion. Where as this one is soft, sweet, and slow.
"I should probably get home." Peter says softly as he pulls away slightly.
"Just a little bit more." Gwen says pulling his head back down.
They kiss for another couple minutes. Him trying to get home, even though he doesn't want to (Aunt May will worry), and her pulling him back every time he pulls away. Finally he gives in and the kiss quickly starts getting heated again. Finally when some guy, presumably drunk, whistles at them from across the street. Peter pulls away.
"As much as I would love to keep doing this, and believe me I would love to keep doing this, I really should get home."
"Okay, just-just call me when you get there so I know you're safe." Gwen says trying hard not to kiss him again.
"Will do. Goodnight, Gwen."
"G'night, Peter."
Okay lovelies. I will be continuing this. It will most likely be a two or three shot. I could make it a whole story but I don't really have a plot. I would make it a one shot but it's late and I'm tired. So, I'll probably update tomorrow. If you enjoyed, or even if you didn't, don't be afraid to say hey in the reviews or in my PM.
Goodnight my lovelies.