Aunt May had left Peter a message on his cell phone. She was going out to see a movie with their neighbor, Ms. Franklin, and she had left him some money on the counter for supper. Peter liked that his Aunt was finally starting to do things outside the house again. Things had been rough, for both of them, since Uncle Ben's death, but they had slowly been getting a little bit better each day. She had even started to smile a little more.
Like his Aunt though, Peter also had plans outside the house for dinner. He had been invited to join Gwen and her family for supper. It was an invite he'd all to happily accepted. To him it meant spending more time with his favorite girl.
For supper Mrs. Stacy had prepared homemade Rack-of-Lamb, Cranberry Sauce, and Sautéed Asparagus Spears—and homemade dinner rolls too. It was a wonderful meal for all in attendance, and as usual it superbly showcased Mrs. Stacy's skills in the kitchen. The conversation over supper was relatively light, and the topics were varied.
Afterward Peter had volunteered to help with the dishes, and Gwen volunteered behind him. So he and Gwen ended up washing and drying the dirty dishes together. It was actually kind of nice to be honest. The two of them working together made it seem like less of a chore. Then the kiss happened.
The kiss happened unexpectedly, and of course two of Gwen's brothers just happened to be passing by. The two little boys skipped out of the kitchen and began to prance merrily around the apartment. All the while the two boys chanted loudly as they skipped.
"Gwennie and Peter, sitting in a tree. K.I.S.S.I.N.G!" the two little boys chanted as they danced about the apartment.
Gwen blushed with embarrassment. She tried to hide the redness that had crept up into her face, but Peter had seen it already. "I am so gonna kill those two." She whispered.
Peter arched a brow at his girlfriend. A look of amusement was painted across his face. "What's the matter…Gwennie?" he asked jokingly. "You look a little flushed."
Gwen shot her boyfriend a dirty look. "That does not leave this apartment…do you hear me Peter Parker?" she told him threateningly.
Peter chuckled lightly. "Hey, relax. My lips are sealed." He said quietly. He leaned forward, and planted a gentle kiss against her cheek. "I'll take it to my grave."
Gwen sighed. She wiped her hands dry on a nearby dishtowel, and then replaced it over the edge of the sink. "Well, I guess we're done here. Wanna go up to my room for a bit?"
"Sure."
Moments later, the teenage lovers slipped through the window in Gwen's bedroom, and stepped out onto the fire escape. The night air was cool, and was a most welcome departure from the heat of the day. Gwen leaned back against the edge of the windowpane, and Peter sat Indian style just across from her.
"Sorry about my brothers." Gwen said apologetically. "I kind of told them we didn't kiss…at least not yet anyway."
"Why?" Peter asked curiously.
"I don't know." She replied, with a slight shake of her head. "It doesn't really matter."
"Okay, well, dinner was great. I'm glad you invited me over."
Gwen smiled. "You're Aunt was going out. You didn't think I was just gonna let you eat supper alone, did you?" Gwen said with a chuckle. "Besides, you would have done the same for me, I'm sure."
"You sure about that?" Peter replied, arching a brow in his girlfriend's direction.
Gwen kicked the side of Peter's shoe, but giggled as she did so. "You are such an ass sometimes, you know that Peter Parker?"
Peter shrugged. "What else is new?" He replied.
Things seemed to get quiet after their playful little exchange. Gwen looked at Peter very earnestly. She loved how easily the two of them seemed to work. They never had to try very hard to make the other laugh or smile.
"So, I hear Oscorp's having some kind of scientific expo tomorrow night…you going?"
Gwen nodded, but did not look up at first. She shuffled her feet around somewhat nervously. "I did get an invite in the mail yesterday." She admitted. "But, I don't know if I'm going…yet. I mean, I don't really want to go alone, and the invitation does say plus one." Gwen looked up at Peter slowly, and a tiny grin played around the corners of her mouth.
Peter leaned forward. "If it's an escort you're looking for, I guess I could be persuaded." He replied with a slight smirk.
Gwen leaned down, and pressed her lips against his. The kiss lasted at least 30 seconds before the gorgeous blond finally pulled back. "That persuasive enough for ya?" she asked, with a grin.
Peter nodded. "I don't know." He replied. His face twisted up into a thoughtful expression as he sat there, still in his Indian style position. Then he and Gwen both chuckled together after a brief moment of silence.
"Sure, why not." Peter said finally. "Might be fun."
Then a thought occurred to her. That was exactly why Peter had brought up the expo. He was dying to go, and he knew that since she was an intern there, she probably got an invite. The gleam she saw in his eye at that moment was all the confirmation she needed.
"You think you're so smart, don't you?" she said scrunching her face up at her boyfriend. "You planned that. You're dying to go to the expo, that's why you brought up. Isn't it?"
Peter laughed. "Nothing gets by you, does it?" he quipped.
Gwen laughed along with him. "I really am glad that you're going with me, Pete. Especially since-"
A beeping sound nearby interrupted Gwen suddenly. Peter realized that the sound was coming from his jeans pocket, and he quickly dug out his cell phone.
Peter activated the touch screen, and then pressed a finger over one of the app icons. A radio screen popped up, and then after a second or so a voice came through the static.
"Its my police scanner." Peter explained.
"This is Detective Sanchez calling for back-up." "I am in pursuit of a red El Camino that fled the scene of a convenient store robbery. The voice said over the radio. "The car has no visible plates, and is headed for the…"
Peter didn't wait to hear the rest. He quickly pulled himself to his feet, and motioned for Gwen to hand him his backpack, which was setting just inside the bedroom window.
Gwen retrieved the backpack, and handed it over to Peter. She watched as he quickly peeled off his hoodie and blue jeans, revealing the red and blue costume that he wore underneath. Then she watched him stuff the articles of clothing down into his backpack. He unzipped a side pocket, next, and from within pulled out his mask and gloves.
As he pulled on his gloves, Peter could see the look in the beautiful blonds' eyes, and he wished like hell that he didn't have to leave her in such a rush.
Gwen seemed to read what her boyfriend was thinking, and she quietly stepped toward him. "Its okay." She said in a low voice. "I get it."
Peter nodded gratefully as he slung his backpack across his shoulders. "Thanks." He said.
Gwen leaned forward then, and pressed her lips to his in a quick good luck kiss, and then pulled back. "Go get'em bug boy." She whispered with a tiny smirk.
"Oh, so you're insulting me now?" Peter shot back with a grin.
"Cause you do realize that spiders and bugs are two completely different things."
Gwen chuckled. "Just go." She said, as she pointed towards the skyline. "But be careful, please." She added just a second later.
Peter pulled on his mask, and then hopped up onto the railing, balancing there effortlessly in a crouched position. He looked back over his shoulder at Gwen. "I'll see you tomorrow. Promise." He said sincerely.
He lifted his arm then, and fired a web line out across the way. It attached itself to a building setting just off in the distance, and then with a quick tug for good measure the costumed crime-fighter swung off into the night.
"I'm gonna hold you to that, Peter Parker." Gwen whispered into the wind.
…TBC…
Author's Note: Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, and I hope you'll join me for later chapters as well. As always keep those reviews a-coming!
