Peter and Kate collect themselves and go back downstairs to Kate's apartment, where Kate whips up a quick batch of box mac-and-cheese. They watch television (not really paying attention to it) while they talk and wait for dinner to cool down, sitting right next to each other on the couch, with Peter on the right.
Peter apologizes, "Sorry I had to lie."
"Yeah, why DID you lie?" Kate asks. "I mean, like, I'm cool with it, as long as there's a good explanation. Like, you couldn't have been lying just to lie, or just to have fun and be sadistic."
"It wasn't that," Peter says, "because I hate to lie."
"Then why'd you do it?" Kate asks.
Peter sighs. "It's complicated," he says.
"Try me," Kate replies.
"Okay," Peter says cautiously. He explains, "So, you remember what I said about having a summer fling with MJ?"
"Yeah…" Kate reacts.
"Well, that's totally true, we did," Peter says, "but she doesn't remember it, because of a spell that Doctor Strange cast to make everybody forget who I was."
"That makes… zero sense," Kate remarks.
"Okay, let me put it this way, then," Peter says. "You know how Mysterio claimed Spider-Man killed him?"
"He did," Kate says, forgetting for a moment who Peter is. Sheepishly, she says, "Sorry."
"Well, the charges were proven false," Peter blows off the accusation. "Anyway, because I was with MJ at the time, her, my Aunt May, my best friend Ned, and my good friend Happy were… how do I put this… under allegations for corroborating with me. MJ and Ned couldn't get into MIT because of me."
"That's cool and all," Kate interjects, "but what does this have to do with your identity being covered up by Doctor Strange or whatever?"
"I'm getting there," Peter says. "I went to Doctor Strange for help, and he cast a spell to make everyone forget who I was. But I kept changing it, because I wanted just MJ, Aunt May, Ned, and Happy to know. It screwed up the spell. There was some multiverse stuff going on. That's how Doc Ock, Green Goblin, Electro, Sandman, and Lizard came into this universe. See, in other universes where there are other versions of Peter Parker, there are people who know that I— Peter Parker— am Spider-Man. They fell through the cracks when the spell was messed up. Then, Doctor Strange wanted to send them back to their own universes, but they got to talking and found out that some of them are from the SAME universe, or different versions of the same universe, and we found out that they all either die or lose their powers or we didn't know. So I fought Doctor Strange and I totally won."
"Wait, wait, wait," Kate interrupts. "There's more than one universe? I'm not buying it."
"Well, what about that giant robot in the sky in London a while back?" Peter responds, referring to Arishem in the end of Eternals. "That happened. You got involved with the mafia. Heck, a giant purple space alien got a bunch of rocks and killed half the universe."
"Mmm, yeah, but that's all in THIS universe," Kate says. "It's called a UNIverse for a reason."
"Ours is one universe in a multiverse," Peter says. "Can I get back to the story now, or do you wanna just not believe me? Because everything I'm telling you is one hundred percent true."
"No, no, go on," Kate replies. "I want to know why I don't know."
"So I beat Doctor Strange, right?" Peter continues. "I trapped him in another dimension. Then, I tried to come up with ways to cure the bad guys, so they wouldn't die when they went back to their own universes. Well, I cure Doc Ock and I'm almost done curing Electro, but then Green Goblin turns everyone against me. They want power. He called them 'gods.' It was unsettling. He killed May."
"Wait, WHAT?!" Kate exclaims. "The person he killed— THAT was your aunt?"
Peter nods. "I don't really want to talk about that part."
"Okay, skip that, then," Kate says. "What happens next?"
"The absolute craziest crap that's ever happened," Peter says. "I meet two other versions of myself. Peter Parkers from other universes. We work in a lab, them, me, and MJ and Ned, and we come up with cures for the bad guys. Then, we go to the Statue of Liberty to lure them there so we can cure them."
"I've rewatched the highlights from that fight SO many times," Kate says. "Well, the amateur footage on Youtube."
"There's footage?" Peter asks.
"There's footage of everything these days," Kate says. "Don't be so surprised."
"What happens next, though," Peter goes on, "is kind of the final thing that made me go, 'okay, me being Spider-Man has to be a secret.'"
"What happened?" Kate asks.
"We get everyone cured," Peter says. "But the Goblin wasn't there. Strange showed up with the errant spell trapped in a box, but—"
"What?" Kate interrupts.
"Take it like it is," Peter says. "He trapped the screwed-up original spell in a magic box. The Goblin threw a bomb in it, and the spell got loose, and the power made the infrastructure around the Statue fall. MJ was on it. She was high up and she was falling. I tried to save her, but the Goblin stopped me. Then, Peter 3 saved her."
"Peter 3?" Kate interrupts again.
"I was Peter 1," Peter says, "Peter 2 was Peter 2, and Peter 3 was Peter 3. If it wasn't for Peter 3, MJ would've died, because of me screwing up the spell in the first place. If you knew I was Spider-Man, and someone like the Green Goblin wanted to take me on, you could get hurt like MJ did, because she knew me, or you could almost die like she did, because she was there. I can't let anyone risk that. That's why I kept it a secret. But it's hard, Kate. I was alone, all alone, for like four or five months. It sucked. So, when the chance to have a friend, or a girlfriend, came along, I wanted to take it, but I didn't know if I should."
Kate does not respond for a moment. She lets it all soak in. Then, she asks, "Then why didn't MJ remember you?" She completely ignores Peter's rant about loneliness for the moment.
"When the bad spell got loose," Peter says, "the only way to fix it was for Doctor Strange to make literally everyone forget who I was. A bunch of people from other universes were showing up who knew I was Spider-Man. If everyone forgot, no one would show up." He sighs heavily, a weight being lifted off his shoulders for someone finally knowing his story. Someone finally knows what he went through. Someone finally knows who he is. Having someone to talk to, to be honest with, to relate to, Peter is happy. Overwhelmed by remembering all that happened to May and MJ and just having someone to talk to about all this, or to talk to at all, having someone who knows who he is, he starts crying.
"Hey, don't cry," Kate says softly. "It's all good. I get why you had to lie, I really do. I would've done the same thing, honestly."
"I still lied," Peter says with a broken voice, wiping away his tears. He remembers why he did not want to be with anyone in the first place, and those thoughts take over his mind. "I don't deserve you. You're a… an awesome person for listening, but I can't let you risk this."
"I already said you would," Kate says. She now sees that Peter really needs someone. He needs a friend. Putting that first, she knows she cannot let him escape for his own sake. "Now let ME risk it, too. I can fight. No one knows who you are, except me. It's okay, Peter." She puts her hand on Peter's and looks him in the eye.
Peter pulls his hand away and turns away his face. He mumbles, "It's not right. I want to be with you, but you know why I can't."
"If you can't, then I will," Kate says. "I'm not letting you go. Come on, man. You're freaking Spider-Man! Even Spider-Man needs someone. You're not invincible."
things. Peter turns his head to look at Kate. She puts her hand on his again, having to reach a little further this time. Their eyes lock. There is an unspoken understanding. Finally, Peter can see someone and know that that person sees him, too. Kate can finally look at someone and feel love for that person, warm love, romantic love. And pity. She pities Peter. He needs someone by his side. Spider-Man needs someone by his side. That person has to be her. However, she feels nothing out of obligation; she feels genuine love, love for this guy who needs her. Not just anyone. He. Needs. Kate. Bishop. Someone who has gone through similar things, though not quite to the extreme he has. Loved ones in danger. Losing family. Being basically invisible to everyone else. She can help. She will help.
She says, "Peter, it's like that for me, too. I mean, I'll explain another time, but you're not alone. I'm like you. Just be with me."
Peter nods in short motions. "Okay," he says, wiping away the last of his tears.
Peter has someone who knows him and who can know him deeply. Kate has someone who likes (or loves) her enough to trust her with all this information. With this feeling of mutual admiration and love, nothing is superficial or on-the-surface anymore. Instinctually, they kiss, Peter cradling Kate's cheeks in his hands and Kate putting her arms around Peter's shoulders. Everything is light. There is no worry about enemies or life outside right now. They are here, together, and that is what matters. They separate for a second, then, more lovingly, more passionately, they kiss again. Their eyes are closed, but they are seeing all they need to see.
After what feels like an eternity, they slowly, reluctantly separate, opening their eyes and looking at each other. Both sees a gleam in the other's eye, trying to find their own reflection, but only seeing the other. For a moment, they just gaze at each other, without expression yet expressing everything at once.
Finally, Kate says softly, "I think the mac-and-cheese should be cool enough to eat now."
"Good," Peter replies quietly. "I'm hungry for mac-and-cheese."
Kate gets them their dinner, and they watch TV into the night. They do not really talk; nothing needs to be said. After a while, at around maybe 7PM, Peter heads home. Nothing more needs to be done; they have done all they needed to, and both are happy.