Author Notes: Enjoy everyone! Little more Fluff before the plot.
Chapter Two: Coffee
The two walked in blissful silence down the chilly winter street of New York. Vibrant lights swung across the sky as gusts of wind tugged on the Christmas decorations. Last minute purchases and gift ideas were obvious in the bustling street. Even with a scar along his cheek, Peter was content, feeling Gwen snuggle into the sleeve of his thick Hoodie. Her blonde hair ruffled and flickered in the snapping breeze. He could hear her teeth chattering and knew that the cold of late evening was attacking her skin.
He pulled his arm up around her shoulders and pulled her in against his warmth. The grey beanie hat on her head matched the grey of her thick sweater. The warmth of his body soothed her for now, but they both needed something to warm their stomachs.
Peter turned to the road and they both crossed. A Coffee shop beckoned them with the smell of crushed coffee beans, hot pastry and the clinking of cutlery and furniture. They stepped through the double doors and the warm embrace of internal heating prickled their numb skin. Gwen shivered with relief and Peter rubbed his hands on his face.
"You wanna Coffee?" Peter asked. Gwen bit her lip and examined the board of options held above the counter. Her eyes darted from option to option and she even bounced on her toes a few times, making Peter's heart flutter. This adorable girl was his, she loved him! He always valued her compassion, but to know she loved him made him happier than he had ever been.
"Erm...can I have a...ooh! No...umm..." Gwen mumbled as she tapped her creamy skinned chin. Peter blew air through pursed lips as loud as he could, eyebrows rising in feigned frustration. Gwen bobbed on her toes, begging him to make a choice for her, pouting at him.
"How about a caramel cappuccino, you like those?" Peter asked her. Gwen's overly animated facial expression made him chuckle to himself as she pondered the choice.
"Err...Yes please." She smiled. He nodded sharply, stepping up to the counter where a very patient woman was waiting.
"Hi, two caramel Cappuccino's please." He said, fumbling for his wallet. She nodded with a smile and turned to the huge machine, similar to the Ganali device in appearance.
Gwen raked her fingers through her hair and tried to sort the tangled windswept mess. Peter smirked and reached over, taking a long lock of her hair between his fingers and slowly swinging it down into her eye line. She frowned at him as he choked a laugh. With a puff of air from her lips, the blonde lock flicked up and out of her eyes. She eventually decided to just rake the curled hair over her shoulders and pull her beanie further down.
Peter pulled his frayed leather wallet out and flipped it open. Inside was his I.D, a pouch of copper change, a few creased photos of Uncle Ben and Aunt May, but slotted in the window of the wallet, was a gorgeous photo of Gwen, the photo he'd taken of her at lunch all those months ago, before they were an item, before he was Spiderman.
Gwen smiled warmly. Knowing that the most valued thing in his wallet was her photo, alongside his Aunt and Uncle made her feel more loved and cherished than ever before. Sure her family loved her unconditionally, but to have someone outside the family love her in a deeper way sent her heart spiralling.
Two coffees with cardboard sleeves sat on the counter before them, piping steam whipping up through the slots in the plastic lids. The sweet scent of caramel infused with the strong aroma of coffee beans made Gwen's nostrils beg for a succulent warm sip to entice her taste buds.
"That's five fifty five please sir." The cashier smiled, looping brunette locks behind her ears. Peter scoffed to himself at the steep price, rooting in his change pocket for some coinage. Coin after coin was placed in a pile atop the counter; Quarters, cents, dimes, all stacking up. Gwen felt for him, she could see Peter getting flustered and embarrassed with how little money he had in his frayed edged wallet. He mouthed through gritted teeth a Come on.
A queue was forming behind them and Gwen was seeing Peter getting very embarrassed. She knew him, how he hated to feel inadequate for her. He'd berate himself for ages about how he should be able to afford a coffee for her at least. She never expected gifts from him, and hated when he felt he couldn't. Obviously money was tight with the loss of Uncle Ben.
He slid the change to the cashier and she counted it all, turning back to him.
"That's only five fifty three sir, I need two more cents." She smiled sadly. Peter stared at her like she'd insulted his Uncle. His breathing hitched and Peter had a flashback that enveloped his ears and vision.
"No, you can leave a penny, you can't take a penny." The large long haired man at the counter snarled. Peter stared at him dumfounded.
"W-what?"
"You can leave a penny anytime; you have to spend ten dollars to take a penny, Store policy." He snapped at Peter again, light glistening off the name tag "T-Bone."
"You gonna pay, you're holding up my line?" T-Bone shouted at him, spittle forming in the crevices of his mouth.
"Look, I don't have two cents-
"You can't afford your milk, just step aside. What, Daddy not give you enough Milk money today?" He sarcastically smirked, aggravating Peter.
How dare he, he knows nothing about my parents! Peter thought, fists turning pale white with tension.
"It's two cents, we're talking about two cents here." Peter weakly chuckled at the insane situation.
"Just step aside kid!" The rotund cashier snarled, and Peter did just that. He stepped aside...and the chain of events leading from a damn Chocolate milk led to the death of his beloved Uncle. All because he hated the cashier and wanted to get some payback, because it wasn't Peter's "policy".
Suddenly Gwen's soft hand on his awoke him, seeing the large irate queue behind them. "Peter?" She gently spoke.
"Sir? Two cents please?"
"I-its two cents...I" Peter stammered.
"Sir, I need to take two cents." The woman said, masking her frustration. Peter's teeth grated beneath his thinly pressed lips.
"I don't have it." Peter shrugged, eyeing the counter, not her. His eyes were glassy with embarrassment and upsetting memories.
"Then sir, I'm going to have to ask you to step aside." She spoke. Gwen slid two cents along the counter with two of her fingers, her eyes flaring at the cashier.
"Thank you." the Cashier longed out at Gwen, closing the cash machine with a dinging thud. Peter grasped his coffee and stormed out of the queue, left hand shoved into his deep Hoodie pocket. Gwen thanked her and took her coffee in both hands, following Peter to a small table in the corner. She could feel the eyes of all the queue goers searing into the back of her head.
He was already sat at a table, swirling his finger along the coffee cup's brim, steam whirling with his finger tip. His dark blue hood was pulled up over his long hair. His eyes flicked up at Gwen quickly, and then back down in shame. She sat opposite him in their little quiet corner, eyeing him softly, both hands around her cup.
"Hey...what's wrong?" She asked gently, leaning forward. He slapped his palms on the table weakly and rubbed his bottom lip over his top one, shrugging as his eyes scanned the shop.
"I didn't have two cents." He bobbed his shoulders, looking at her with red puffy eyes; her green eyes so full of care that it made him feel guilty for not telling her the truth. He huffed and dropped his lame defense. "The night...The night Uncle Ben died, I was out. I went to this-this small shop, and I wanted a drink. I went to buy one, and I-I didn't have two cents." He sighed. Gwen struggled to connect the dots, but Peter continued.
"He wouldn't let it go; I mean its two damn cents! Not really gonna affect the profit margin. I mean, T-Bone...wha-what kind of..." He dropped the insult and huffed. "The guy...the guy..." Peter took a deep inhale and shook his head. "Whew...the guy who shot Uncle Ben-
Star tattoo on his left arm, long greasy blonde hair, unshaven wisps of bristly hair, stench of alcohol, blacked out glasses over his dead eyes.
Peter snapped back to the gorgeous pale face of Gwen across the small table from him, calming him as he got lost in her evergreen eyes. "He was behind me in the queue. He...he threw me the Milk...I accepted. When he robbed the store, I never helped." Peter shrugged, shame plastered over his features.
"He then went out...and shot Uncle Ben. My Uncle died because I didn't help stop the guy...because of two damn cents and milk." He sighed, dropping his head in shame. Gwen didn't speak straight away, making him nervous.
"It's not your fault." She finally said before sipping her coffee. Peter peered up at her.
"What?" He mumbled.
"You had no idea, and that store owner...yeah, he was a jerk." She nodded, face scrunched in disgust. Peter scoffed a faint laugh, and Gwen had her edge in. "I mean T-Bone? What is he, a dog's chew toy?" she joked, making Peter laugh, a smile on his lips. Feeling her mission complete, she reached her hand across the table and waited for him to respond. He smiled softly, sliding his hand into hers, as if squeezing soft delicate silk.
"Thank you. I don't deserve it, but...Thank you." He sighed, smiling at her. She leaned across the small square table and enveloped his lips with hers in a warm, soft kiss. Her hair softly stroked against his cheek and she peeled back, eyes set on his.
"You do deserve it." She warmly beamed. Quick to change the subject, Peter cleared his throat.
"Let's table this for now, and have a nice time, yeah?" he smiled at her, cocking his head to the side. Gwen scoffed and over exaggeratedly nodded.
"I can do that." She grinned.
"Thank you Gwen." He softly spoke, sipping his hot coffee.
"Saaaaay it..." She hummed, beaming at him. His cup slowly lowered, his lips frozen in a pursed position, trying to think of what she means. She raised her eyebrows at him. He smiled and leaned forward.
"Thank you, you're the best, I love you." He whispered gently. She giggled and kissed him on the lips, savoring the taste, the emotion, the happiness. He smiled mid kiss, feeling his lips firm and crease against her soft mouth.
"Love you too." Gwen smiled. Peter sipped his Coffee again. After a moment of silence between them, Peter spoke.
"So...How's work going at Oscorp?" He asked. Gwen shrugged while pouting in thought.
"It's pretty quiet actually. Yeah, We've cleaned up all of Connor's mess and destroyed all of his research and trials." she explained, sipping her coffee. Peter nodded and rubbed his brow, once again feeling guilty for having helped Connor's make the formula that accidentally transformed him into a titanic humanoid lizard. But he did stop him, with the help of his lovely sidekick Gwen Stacy, having made a cure to combat Connor's airborne virus.
"Anything new on the agenda?"
"Stem cell research on Brain cells. We're trying to combat Alzheimer's." She smiled, proud of her work.
"Wow. That-that's awesome Gwen." He nodded. "Quite the Brainiac." He smirked at her, sipping his Coffee. Gwen narrowed her eyes at him, tilting her head to the side.
"Oh yeah?" She chuckled in her husky voice, nodding her head sarcastically, lips parted. He shrugged at her with a thinly pressed smile, raising his eyebrows. Gwen laughed till her eyes squinted and she shook her head at him.
"But besides all that, yeah, it's been quiet. What about you? Daily Bugle Photographer." She announced, her voice dripping with silvery tones. Peter smiled and swallowed a laugh that bobbed his shoulders.
"Money? good...ish. Being Freelance? Great. Boss? Spiderman hating, cheap, angry man." Peter growled. Gwen gave a half smile at him. "Jameson just...argh, you know?" he sighed.
"But other than that...good right?" she said in a tremulous tone. Peter rolled his eyes and nodded. "Oh come on, you take a couple of photos of yourself all...you know...dressed up and Spiderish..." she whispered across the table. "...Then give it to him and accept the money!"
"Yeah...I guess." He shrugged with a smile to her. Gwen chuckled and peered around at the shop to the door. Inspiration arrived, as an idea hit her.
"Come on, shall we go see the tree in Times Square?" She smiled, getting up and gesturing towards the door with a head tilt. Peter chuckled and couldn't help the genuine smile on his face.
"Sounds great." He nodded, getting up, sipping his coffee and offering his arm, which Gwen snuggled under, against his torso. He and she headed out of the shop and down the biting cold street of night time New York.
After a while they both started walking independently, both of their hands deep in their pockets. Discarded coffee cups slung in a dustbin and only the night ahead occupying them. Her curled long hair fell over her shoulders after each billow of cold wind. Peter turned his eyes and admired her.
There was so many ways to say it: Gwen was beautiful, drop dead Gorgeous, stunning, so many options. He smiled at how this absolutely fantastic woman with a great sense of humor, stunning looks, amazing figure, and brilliant personality loved him. He was a lucky guy, and he knew it. He took his right hand out of his pocket and held it by his side as he walked the curb alongside his girlfriend.
Before too long, warmth filled his palm and he smiled, looking to his side to see Gwen's fingers intertwined with his. He pulled his hand towards his torso, Gwen with it, and with a fit of giggles she bounced off his shoulder. His thumb run along her soft knuckles and a wave of pure bliss enveloped him. Sure he felt guilt everyday on from Uncle Ben's death and from Captain Stacy's, but right now, he was happy. Happiness was a rarity for Peter Parker, and now that this ray of blonde haired beauty had lit up his life, it was becoming more common.
"Hey, look...I'm sorry-the coffee shop. Sorry about all that." Peter sighed, rubbing his brow with a free hand. Gwen squeezed his hand and looked at him with a smile across her pale smooth face.
"Don't be."
She rested her head on his shoulder and sighed contently as they rounded a corner to see the huge expanse of Times Square. People filled the Square but there was still plenty of room to manoeuvre care free. In the center was a massive pyramid of Evergreen, laden with dustings of snow, bright multicolored lights and rotund shiny baubles. The huge Christmas tree reflected speckles of rainbow lights onto the shimmering glass of the maze of skyscrapers, like galaxies of color swirling in the breeze.
"This is gonna be a much better Christmas than I thought it'd be." Gwen said quietly as she hugged his arm. They came to stop by the frozen hand railings under the titanic tree of light, leaning their backs along the cold metal. She slid from Peter and stood on her own, looping her foot over the other as she crossed her arms and lent against the rail. Peter stuffed his now free hands in his pockets and peered at her with a lop-sided grin.
"Wha-what d'ya mean?" Peter asked, admiring her golden veil of hair as the Christmas tree lights seemed to give her an alluring glow. Her eyelids batted and she peered up from the floor at him, shrugging.
"I thought I was gonna be alone."
Peter sighed and his smile faded to a frown of guilt. He forgot about how he pushed her away, courtesy of her Father's dying wish. How she'd turned up on his door in a maelstrom of heaving rain, mascara running down her soft cheeks in rivers of upset. How she'd asked him why he wasn't at the funeral, and how he'd told her he couldn't be with her. But Gwen wasn't stupid, and she saw the truth instantly.
"I'm sorry." Peter mumbled, peering up at her and licking his lip once. Gwen adjusted her beanie hat and ruffled her hair, looking at him intently. "I'm sorry I did that to you." She smiled warmly and slightly sadly, looping her fingers with his. She never said it, but the gesture alone told him she forgave him.
Quick to keep the night full of joy, he clicked his fingers and brightened his expression, startling Gwen with the sudden emotion flip. "Okay-okay, how about I make it up to you...Christmas Eve?"
"What'd you have in mind?" Gwen giggled, biting her bottom lip and widening her eyes on his face. He shrugged and looked around at the bustling people.
"Surprise." He smirked at her, Gwen rolling her eyes but chuckling gently.
"You know I hate surprises!" she softly thumped his shoulder, Peter laughing at her.
"That's the fun of it!" he smiled, the happiest he'd ever been. Gwen sucked in her laughter at the beeping in her pocket. She growled and pulled her phone out, gulping at the caller I.D.
"Uh oh...Mom." She winced, lifting the phone to her ear, curling a curtain of blonde hair out of the way. She inclined her head towards the phone and rested her right arm across her chest and under her left elbow, sighing. Peter smiled at her and turned to look upon the huge glimmering tree.
"Hey Mom I-...what? N-no, I'm not out on a date! W-why? Mom, Peter was nice to me...No he did not dump me!" Gwen animatedly shouted at her phone, pacing slightly. Peter sighed and lent his elbows on the railing. To know even her mother hated him for what he did hit home right in the heart. He drifted out of his self loathing to hear Gwen arguing.
"Grrrah! I told you I am not on a date! What? What do you mean? No Pe-he-Can I just-Mom!" Gwen moaned at the mobile in her hand. Peter smiled at her, all of her many emotive expressions. Her crumpled button nose and scrunched brow, flaring eyes and snarled lip. Even angry she was adorable.
"Fine! We'll talk about it tomorrow! When will I be back? Why?" Her eyes snapped wide and she lifted her sleeve sharply, astonishment on her face at the angle of the clock hands.
"One in the morning?! Uh, I'll be home soon. Bye." She sighed, hanging up. Peter smiled at her, hiding the boiling laugh he wanted to chortle at her pouting lip, frowning eyes and scrunched nose.
"Argh, Mom's going to kill me!" She huffed, staring at her feet. Peter stepped forward and brushed his fingers through her hair, making her look up. His fingers grasped the brim of her beanie hat and slowly pulled it down, Gwen raising an eyebrow.
"Let's just cover...this...frown." He said, pulling the hat down over her eyes, nose and finally lips. He heard a chuckle inside and she quickly pulled the hat off, ruffling her windswept locks. She quickly lunged forward, pulling that hat down over Peter's head in one quick motion, his face hidden behind cotton.
"Come on, I'll take you home." A muffled voice said within the hat, Gwen giggling. Slowly Gwen stepped closer. She pulled the hat lip up slowly up to his nose and softly kissed his lips. Her lips gently merged over his top lip and she kissed him passionately. The taste of her was intoxicating; the smell of her lavender skin and hair, all of it sent waves of crashing ecstasy enveloping his fluttering heart. Nobody but Gwen could melt his knees like this. Slowly she peeled away, both panting for breath.
Peter ripped the hat off his head and set his wide eyes on her. "Okay, we need to do that again! B-But me in my Spidey gear, upside down...in an alley."
"Keep dreaming Bugboy." She rolled her eyes and took his hand, leading the love struck man away. "Now take me home!" She giggled. Peter obliged, striding off with her into an Alleyway and soon swinging high above the city from a stream of Biocables, Gwen latched to his chest tightly. The cold air licked her face and ruffled her long blonde hair.
She peered down passed her feet at the disorientating vertigo of streets and speckles of car lights. She peered up at Peter, who was concentrating on gently swaying from Biocable to Biocable with a swoosh. She had her arms wrapped around his neck, so she used her arms to pull herself up and peck his cheek. He peered at her and smiled.
"Thank you." She sighed contently, lightly enough to just be heard. He smiled happily and continued his stride of swings.
Finally they landed atop the frozen fire escape by her window with a gentle thud. He shimmied her window open and let Gwen fall in gently. He stepped in and shut the window behind him, blocking the howling cold winds.
"So umm...I'll see you...Christmas Eve, yeah?" Peter stammered, rubbing his neck. How could a man who swings on cables across the New York skyline get flustered this easily? The blonde beauty Gwen Stacy seemed to have that power.
"Yeah...sounds great...what little I actually know." She deadpanned at him. He gave a big toothy grin and Gwen burst into giggles. "See you then, I guess." She shrugged with a sigh. Peter leaned forward and met her lips with gentle passion. Gwen wrapped her arms around his neck and deepened the lip smacking, Peter raking his hands through her hair.
"Gwen? You home?" sounded the mothering voice of Helen Stacy. Gwen and Peter parted with a dry whispering chuckled between their barely parted lips.
"Can't get five minutes..." Gwen whispered with an eye roll "yeah, I'm home!" she shouted, Peter wincing from the sudden volume change.
Peter's spine tingled and his cerebrum jolted with a warning. All his nerve ends seemed to sizzle and all his senses enhanced. His spidey sense had kicked in. Just as the door handle to Gwen's room began to slowly twist, He shot a web behind her armchair and pulled, sliding across the carpet floor and hiding behind. Gwen quickly pulled her grey sweater and under top off, revealing her pale creamy skinned toned stomach and black bra.
Gwen's Mom opened the door and Gwen made a Shakespearean act of covering her body. "Mom, I'm getting changed! Knock, jeez!" She feigned disgust on her scrunched up face.
"Oops! Sorry Gwenny!" She closed the door sharply. Gwen pulled her white top on and sorted her hair, looking out the corner of her eyes at Peter's face, chin resting on the arm rest.
"Go to acting school for that one?" He gave a lop sided grin. Gwen stuck her tongue out at him and straightened herself up.
"Shut up, and stay put. Capisce?" She hissed, pointing at him as she neared her door. Peter raised his eyebrows and slowly reeled his head down behind the chair. Gwen huffed and turned to the door, opening it halfway.
"Hey Mom! Sorry I was so late." She over exaggerated each word, hands sandwiching the door.
"It's...okay. Was somebody in there with you?" she tried to look passed Gwen into her room but she blocked the view.
"Wha? Pfft, no! Of cour-no!" Gwen overacted. Helen raised an incredulous eyebrow and tapped her foot, arms crossed. Gwen drummed her fingers on the door.
"So...I'm gonna go to bed Night!" Gwen said brightly and incredibly fast, slamming the door, leaving Helen gobsmacked. She shook her head and sent herself off to bed, still questioning her odd daughter.
In her room, Gwen turned and frowned at Peter sat in her spinning chair, tapping away at her computer. She huffed and crossed her arms, drumming her fingers against her biceps.
"What are you doing, Parker?" She said.
"You look good." He gulped, avoiding her eyes as his blush deepened, staring at the computer screen. Gwen raised an eyebrow that quickly shifted to a look of shock. She had just removed her shirt in front of him.
"oh...yeah. Well you know, you go to the gym, eat right, look after you bod-
"Here, in this photo of the debate team, remember when I took that?" He said, pointing to her monitor.
"Oh...I thought you meant...never mind. Thank you." She walked over and rested her arms on the back of the seat.
"You looked incredible a minute ago." He mumbled, Gwen shaking her head but smiling at the compliment. "You always look incredible." He continued to mumble, scrolling through photos. She leaned forward and kissed his ear.
"Thank you." She smiled in his ear. "What are you looking for?" She asked at his fast scrolling.
"Nothing." He shrugged. "Just you know...scrolling."
"Well stop. I have to get to bed." She huffed, walking to her bed and pulling the lip of covers back. Set out in a neat pile was a pair of grey sweat pants and large pale grey t-shirt. He smiled warmly at her and nodded, getting up and grabbing his bag, slinging it over his shoulder.
"I'll umm...see you on Christmas Eve then. Sleep tight Gwen." He smiled, brushing his lips to hers.
"Can't wait." She breathed. He nodded and kissed her once more, then turned towards the window.
"Love you." He smiled. Gwen's heart skipped a beat and she raised her finger, curling the tip, beckoning him over. He obliged. She kissed him incredibly softly and passionately, massaging his lips with hers. They parted and she looked up at him.
"I love you too Peter." She whispered. Peter smiled warmly and they simply held each other for more than five minutes. Finally she gently pushed his shoulders away. "Come on, time to go, I need to go to bed, and so do you." She pointed at his chest. He nodded and made his way onto the fire escape.
"Sleep well Gwen. I'll see you on Christmas Eve." He smiled.
"Yeah...Can't wait." She bit her smiling lip. Peter swung off into the night and Gwen closed her window.
