Mike, one of the drug dealers present in the apartment, looked at himself in the mirror within the bathroom. He searched for any scratches from their earlier job. "Hey, Jimmy! Crank that volume up!"

Jimmy, sitting on the couch, did as ordered and increased the volume of the speaker, allowing the loud beat of the music to hit even order. Besides him, another goon could be found unconscious on the couch.

A couple of guns were laid over the coffee table where they were also resting their feet upon. It was dark and rainy outside, the windows were dripping with water. In any other location, it was a good moment to just lay back and enjoy a peaceful and quiet evening.

Back at the bathroom, Mike noticed that his reflection in the mirror was shaking a tiny bit. He suspiciously leaned his face slightly towards the mirror. As he got closer to the glass, a hand covered in black spandex violently came through the mirror and grabbed his face. He let out a horrified gasp as his eyes widened. He was pulled into the wall that was immediately shattered in many pieces of concrete, destroying the sink and more.

Mike disappeared.

The loud noise of destruction wasn't enough to disturb the people in the living room. The strong beat of the music helped camouflage what had taken place in the bathroom.

Spider-Man calmly walked out of the bathroom and walked down the corridor that led to the rest of the apartment. He stood still at the corner of the wall and looked at the two men found in the living room, relaxing to the music.

They didn't notice his presence. The side of the couch was pointed towards Spider-Man. The latter noticed the door that led to one of the bedrooms on the other side. He resumed his pace and walked towards the said door, ignoring the two goons.

Jimmy felt some movement on his left side and turned his head towards it, but found nothing at all. The two were still the only living souls present in the living room. He shrugged his shoulders and laid his back on the couch once again.

Spider-Man had entered the room and spotted the conscious woman tied up in the ground. She was being held for ransom. Her mouth was covered with tape. She was initially scared of his sight, not realizing who stood in front of her.

He brought his index finger to his mouth and gestured for her to stay in silence. She calmed herself and eventually complied. He headed out of the bedroom and left her alone once again.

The lights of the apartment were suddenly no more. Everything was now dark. Mike was instantly alarmed. He bumped his partner in the shoulder to wake him up. Eventually, his partner shook his head and opened his eyes towards the ceiling. His expression was quickly changed to one of horror.

Spider-Man was set against the ceiling and stared at the two goons, like a spider giving its prey one last look. They jumped on the couch and tried to reach for their guns. Spider-Man had already thrown himself at them with his hands open and ready to hold on to their necks.

The woman flinched as she first heard a couple of shots fired outside and then the repeated sound of someone, or some people, being punched over and over again. Eventually, the apartment emerged in deep silence. The door of her room was opened by Spider-Man, his suit was slightly bloody.

He began to untie her.

April 24th - 2019

Gwen woke to a strange sensation on her face. At first, she thought it was Peter, showering her with light morning kisses. But then she realized it couldn't be him, firstly they were less like kisses and more like miniature licks – and he had never exactly licked her face before. Secondly, there was some pressure on her chest, four small points of pressure to be exact and they were far too light to be him. And finally, she heard a chuckle from the other side of the room, clearly Peter's. She opened her eyes, seeing the perpetrator on her chest.

She raised an eyebrow. "A puppy?"

"Happy birthday, Gwendy." Peter took a seat on the bed next to her, giving her a passionate kiss that lasted minutes before he broke it to pick up the tiny pug in his arms. It squealed slightly as he did so, waving its paws in the air.

"Thank you." Gwen smiled happily.

Gwen sat up in the bed, regarding the dog closely. It was very round, the body of it with plenty of puppy fat. Rounded, floppy, dark ears were continuously moving around as the puppy eagerly took in the sounds of its surroundings. It was also looking around, curious brown darting from right to left. It bore rather similar eyes to the man currently petting it.

Perhaps dogs do reflect their owners, Gwen amused. Though she didn't know that much about dogs, she was pretty sure about this one.

"This is a pug right?"

"Correct." Peter placed the dog back on Gwen, setting it down on her lap. It looked up to her with those eyes, a pink tongue lolling out to one side of its mouth rather comically. "... and he's all yours.

"You do know how much affection they need?" Gwen put up a more serious expression. His enthusiasm was infectious, however, and she couldn't keep a straight face at all.

"We will give him all the love in the world."

"It'll also drool everywhere."

"That's not the end of the world." He gave her a playful grin. "I know someone who drools just a little in their sleep."

"I don't drool." She lowered her tone, now managing to hold a glare.

"I'm only joking, Gwendy. Watch this, though." He moved properly onto the bed, lying next to her. He picked up the puppy and placed it standing on his lap before speaking. "Sit."

The dog didn't do exactly as commanded though. Instead of sitting down it just flopped onto its back, legs flying up into the air. Then it lay still, staring up at the pair of them and panting wildly. It was perhaps the cutest and adorable thing Gwen had ever seen, prompting her to pout slightly.

"That is just..." A sudden realization hit her. "That's why you got out of bed last night, right?"

"Among other things, yes."

"I felt you moving away from me. It won't work again." She winked.

"Keep trying, miss." He continued, "I've been trying to train him but… you just saw what happened." Gwen placed a hand on the puppy's stomach as Peter talked, scratching its fuzzy belly. Its paws flailed in the air in response, a slight whine escaping its snout. He added, "To be honest he's still very young, only ten weeks old."

"Naw, he is very cute," She placed her other hand under its back, lifting the puppy and holding it at arm's length in front of her. It yawned, stretching its mouth obscenely wide and succeeding to make itself look cuter. "And I suppose it would be nice to have a puppy."

"Exactly, I..."

"But you're training him," She placed it back on her chest, the puppy resuming its exploration of the bed and sniffing happily.

"I'll try my best."

"And what's he called?"

"Feel free to pick a name." Peter placed a hand underneath the sheets and caressed her thighs.

Gwen whistled to get its attention, the puppy immediately flipping its gaze to her. It watched her with a cocked head.

"He looks like a… Ren?"

"It fits." Peter leaned closer and kissed Gwen on the lips. Ren didn't like the fact he wasn't receiving any attention, so he climbed Gwen's chest and lay on it, interrupting the kiss. She smiled at his behavior;

"He's so lovely," Gwen caressed Ren's fur. "Thanks, honey."

Peter joked, "Yeah, just don't forget me,"

"Oh, poor you." Gwen smiled. "Don't worry, I'm officially older than you now, though. I will take care of you."

"I'll be twenty-five in a month too." He leaned in and brushed his lips against Gwen's. "Happy birthday, beautiful." He kissed her forehead.

Gwen smiled happily. "Thank you."

Peter looked down to his future wife's stomach and saw the puppy lazily spread over it, enjoying the comfort.

"Boy, you better not get used to that place, because it already has its owner."

Empire State University

Peter entered the gym section of the university. He was ready for action, he wore a pair of pants and a black shirt. His backpack was found on his shoulder. Gwen had suggested that he should exercise his body, without any compromise to occupy his mind a little bit more.

That way, he might have better sleep nights.

He approached the table where a woman was sitting on a chair. She typed viciously on her keyboard.

"Hello." Peter greeted. "I'd like to work out here."

The young woman raised her chin towards him and later lowered her glasses. She analyzed his muscular build.

"I see… would you need a personal trainer?" She questioned without ever taking her eyes off his figure.

"I think I can handle it."

"Sure, I just need to register you in our system. After that, you can choose the equipment that you want. You can also change in the bathroom on your left." She pointed to the area with her pen. "If you need anything else, just let me know."

"Thank you." He handed her his ID so that she could get him in their systems.

A couple of minutes later and Peter was already on his way to the bathroom. He removed his shirt and exposed his toned chest and abdomen. He wore a tight gym shirt and a pair of shorts. Later, Peter stepped out of the bathroom and walked towards the stand with the majority of the dumbbells while the heaviest ones were lying on the floor.

Not satisfied with the options on the stand, Peter took the pair of dumbbells of five-hundred pounds in his hand.

Here we go then.

Peter started to lift the dumbbells in his hand. He didn't seem to be suffering much from it. Some of the people at the gym even stopped their activities to watch him work out. He was barely putting much effort into it.

About twenty minutes later, Peter dropped the dumbbells, placed his hands on his waist, and inhaled deeply. A person he didn't know walked over to him.

The tall and blonde man who looked to be in his mid-twenties affirmed then questioned, "I think you have all of us impressed."

Peter sighed. "Thank you, I guess. It's quite difficult."

"You're managing just fine." He continued, "I'm Eddie Brock… by the way."

"Peter Parker, nice to meet you, man." Peter smiled friendly as they shook each other's hands.

"Likewise." Eddie smiled back. "Do you wanna do some deadlift? I'm sure you will be putting all that strength into good use."

Peter nodded. "Well… when do we start?"

Gwen walked out of the bathroom wearing a bathrobe around her slim frame. She had taken a warm shower that made her feel lighter and relaxed. She and her groom had spent most of the morning snuggling on the couch while watching a rerun of last night's talk show.

She spotted Ren lying on Peter's side of the bed. The puppy waved its tail in excitement once Gwen was spotted.

"I'm allowing you to stay over there, but if Peter discovers it, it's all on you." She smiled, happy over the morning she was having.

Her family had already called her during the morning to wish the very best to her on her birthday.

Gwen sat down in the bed and laid her back against a pillow as Ren moved up to her lap. She picked her phone from the bed stand and called MJ.

"Hello?"

"Goodmorning, MJ."

"Hey, Gwendy. What's up? By the way, happy birthday!"

"Thank you. I appreciate it." Gwen continued, "Also, I believe I didn't tell you that Peter proposed."

"What?! Oh my god… I knew it! I had a feeling. What did you say?"

"I said yes, of course." She caressed Ren's soft fur.

"Do you already know when the wedding is going to happen? I need to find our dresses."

Gwen chuckled. "Well, there's a lot of things to do. You can certainly help me if you want to."

"Yes…!" MJ quickly replied, excitedly. "I can help you pick the decorations, food… everything. I'm so excited!"

Gwen smiled to herself. "We have a deal then. Are you free tonight?"

"For you? Always."

"Can Peter and I meet you at the club you mentioned? I'd like to go out tonight."

"Yep! I will wait for you guys there."

"Can't wait. See you later, take care."

"You too. Bye!"

Gwen turned the call down and placed her phone back on the bed stand. She later spotted Ren already sleeping peacefully on her lap. She thought it was weird how some pets got attached to people so quickly. She caressed the top of his head and received a content snore in return.

Gwen gently moved Ren off her lap to place the puppy back to the bed and beside her. She then got herself out of bed and reached for her part of the wardrobe. She began looking up what she would use for the night. She wanted to impress Peter.

They hadn't been to many dates after coming back to New York. Their agenda only got busier as the days went by, but she now wanted to do something else with Peter. It was her birthday.

Hmm...

Gwen eyed one of her dresses. There was a red that revealed a bit of her cleavage. She nodded to herself, maybe that could be it. She later opened Peter's part of the wardrobe, curious as to how he was stashing his things. Much to her surprise, everything was in place, something that Peter rarely managed to do while living with Aunt May. His things like perfumes and shavers were in their place.

I'm a good influence.

A dark figure sat against the digital and transparent table that was developed at Oscorp. The only source of light in the room was the one coming through the windows, the moon. That way his eyes wouldn't suffer any risk from abrupt exposure.

He scrolled down the many recent pictures of Peter Parker and Gwen Stacy. The one that caught his attention the most was the photo that showed Spider-Man's black suit.

Everything so far was working as planned. The symbiote was in direct contact with the target. It was already absorbing the best traits of its host. The moment Harry is done gathering the team and goes after Spider-Man, that was the moment where the symbiote would finish its work.

The perfect specimen… the cure… soon.

The figure turned the holo screen off and bumped his way out of the chair and towards the window. He began to reflect on the last turn of events. The day in the spider's room was when everything finally started to move back towards the right path. The ultimate weapon was created. There was nothing that Richard Parker could do to stop him now.

Do you have any idea… of what you truly are?

Peter stepped inside of his apartment and carried with him the bag full of supplies like food, health kits, and Gwen's things. She wasn't anywhere to be seen.

"Hey… I'm home."

Peter placed the bag over the kitchen countertop as Ren ran out of their bedroom and towards him. He lowered himself on the floor and petted him. "Hey, buddy. Do you know where's Gwendolyn?"

With that, Ren quickly shook his little tail and ran back to their bedroom.

Well, that's the answer I think.

Peter went after the puppy. They entered the bedroom and stood together in front of the door that led inside the bathroom. Soft lights were coming from underneath the door.

"Gwen, it's me."

"Don't come, Peter!" She shouted through the other side of the door. "It's a surprise."

Peter raised an eyebrow. "Okay... I guess."

"Sure, love you."

"Love you too." Peter walked away and sat on the edge of their bed which was filled with clothes his fiancee decided not to use.

Ren jumped over the bed and rested beside Peter. He picked the shirt which Gwen was using before she went to prepare herself for the date. He felt her soft natural scent, something that he would never get tired of. Her wedding right was also found in the stand, he took it in his hand and analyzed it close to his eye.

"Coming up now...!" Gwen was almost done with her makeup.

"Still here," Peter replied, still inspecting the golden right.

The door opened and Gwen stood in the doorway with a bright, dazzling smile. She was more vibrant than Peter had seen her in a long time, he was simply transfixed by her. Her body was accentuated by a strapless black mini dress that fitted like a second skin and ended halfway to her knees. It was a tight and snug dress that accentuated all her curves and her golden hair.

"How do I look?" Gwen questioned. She noticed how Peter's mouth almost made contact with the ground.

"You… look… fantastic. You're so gorgeous… I don't even know what to say right now. You… are hot, Gwen. You're just hot, so hot."

Gwen approached him and added some sway to her hips. She then rested her hands on his shoulders. He wrapped his arms around her waist and looked up, meeting those hypnotic green eyes.

She spoke, "Thank you." She cupped his cheek. "For you only."

Peter kissed her stomach. Gwen's smile grew wider at the gesture.

"Don't forget this," Peter gently slipped her wedding ring on her finger, before kissing it. "Now you are ready to party hard."

"How could I ever leave behind what my future husband gave me?" Gwen leaned down and slowly kissed his lips. Her perfume invaded his nostrils, increasing Peter's temptation of just throwing her into bed. She continued, "Now, go prepare yourself. You don't want to be late, do you?"

"You're right." He rose and gave her a quick peck on the lips, before heading towards the bathroom.

"Don't take too long."

"Do you want to take a shower with me?" Peter lifted his shirt and exposed his toned chest much to Gwen's appreciation.

"As tentative as that would be, I already did." She winked.

"Fair enough." He left for his shower.

Gwen smiled to herself and looked at the wardrobe, noticing that Peter's Spider-Man suit had changed quite a bit during the last weeks. The spider on the chest was even bigger and now connected its legs to the spider symbol on the back of the suit.

"That's… surely weird." Gwen raised an eyebrow at the sudden change. She didn't remember Peter modifying the suit recently. She would ask him some other day, she didn't want to focus on anything else than themselves.

Later in the night...

Peter stepped out of the taxi and looked over his shoulder. He took Gwen's hand on his own and helped her move out of the cab. He wore a pair of dark blue jeans and a long-sleeved black shirt.

"Thank you." Gwen snaked her arm around her waist.

They made their way towards the restaurant's main door and showed their IDs to the doorman. The soft lights greeted them instantly, there were also candles and a pattern of reddish decoration, creating a cozy sensation for anyone present. The tables were all ready to go, a stage with musicians present was set in the middle of the area.

"It's so pretty." Gwen analyzed the restaurant.

"It is." He planted a kiss on her pinky cheek.

They walked to the nearest table which contained plates, glasses for drinking, and candles as well. Peter helped Gwen to sit by pushing the chair for her, before sitting beside her as they intertwined their fingers.

"Is your friend coming up?" He looked at her side and kissed the spot behind her ear.

"Soon, I think." She stroked his hand with his thumb. "You behave now."

He stopped and met her big and green eyes. "Not with you around, Ms. Stacy."

Gwen chuckled. "Look, she's over there." She nodded towards MJ. The latter now headed their way. She wore a red dress and had her bag around her shoulder.

"Hey, guys." MJ approached them at the table.

"Hi, Mary Jane. I'm Peter Parker." He leaned in as they shook hands.

"Nice to finally meet you, Peter. I've been hearing a lot about you."

"All good things, I guess."

"Mostly." MJ focused on her friend. Gwen raised and they embraced each other.

Gwen smiled, "I'm glad you're here, MJ."

"Thanks for inviting me over." MJ sat in the chair on the opposite side of the table so that she could face the pair. "Most of the time, yes."

Peter questioned, "So, what do you ladies want to eat? I'm quite hungry myself."

Gwen narrowed her eyes at him, playfully. "Didn't you just have an appetizer back home?"

"Still hungry." He focused on the menu in his hands. "It's mostly Italian food, I don't know much about these… and it's not cheap either."

Gwen smiled, "Peter…"

He continued, "... but we all should give ourselves a treat tonight."

MJ suggested, "There's this spaghetti… Jo Mama's? It looks really good."

Peter nodded. "It does. Gwen?"

"Sounds good to me. Shall we get us some wine?"

MJ replied, "Definitely, let's get this started."

"Cabernet?" Peter questioned them.

Gwen agreed to his suggestion, "Seems good enough to me."

"Same."

Peter called for the waiter and told him what they wanted to order for the time being.

Meanwhile, MJ questioned, "Can I see the ring?"

"Of course." Gwen moved her hand over and against the table. MJ gently held her friend's hand on hers.

"It's so beautiful" She looked at the tiny crystal on top of the golden ring. "It looks even better in your hand."

"That's sweet, thank you." Gwen added, "Peter has good taste."

The waiter approached the table and served them wine. "Can I get you anything else?"

"We're good for now, thanks." Peter wasn't much of one to drink alcohol, not that he didn't enjoy it, but he had focused whenever he went to patrol, therefore he didn't have the habit of drinking beverages. He always made an exception for Gwen, though.

Once the waiter left, MJ questioned, "So, Peter, are you from here?"

Peter took a sip of his wine. "I was born here, yeah. I used to live in Queens with my aunt and uncle." He offered his glass to Gwen which she happily accepted.

"What about your parents?" MJ questioned, unaware of his past. She had never questioned Gwen about the subject.

Peter hesitated for a brief moment. "Well, I never really knew my parents that much." He continued, "They left me with my uncle and aunt when I was very young and before they died, so yeah, I don't remember that much about them."

"Oh… sorry," MJ apologized. "... I didn't mean to."

"Don't worry. I've moved on and now I'm focusing on what's important." He looked at Gwen and received a warm smile.

"I understand."

In time, they kept talking about other subjects for half an hour before their food finally arrived. Peter watched Gwen have and that just made him happier. That's the life he wanted to give her and that was a life would fight for until the very end.

Ryker's Island

The guard strolled calmly through the hallway of the prison block he was in. On his sides, fortified cells could be seen. They were made of reinforced glass. He checked on each one of them, verifying if everyone was doing well. His usual late-night routine when at work. Eventually, he approached Aleksei's cell. The Russian was lying on his bed and staring at the ceiling, fully awake.

"Hey, Aleksei?" The guard knocked on the glass with his flashlight.

Aleksei ignored him at first.

The guard insisted, "Don't make me go over there?"

'What do you want from me now, American pig?"

"Hey, that's not very nice. Watch your tongue, go to sleep, now."

"I'm not sure I feel like it."

Suddenly, all the lights from the corridor started to blink. The guard looked up to the lights, noticing the weird behavior that had never happened before.

Aleksei teased, "Something's wrong?"

The guard looked down at him again. "You like to feel some pain, don't you?" He started to type the codes in the panel beside the cell. He entered the cell and was finally about to teach Aleksei a lesson, but he spotted the green smoke coming from the vents out of the cell and filling the hallway.

A spark then came through the guard's chest. He instantly fell to the ground.

Aleksei widened his eyes at what he was seeing, the blue aura came from the lights and formed a humanoid figure right in front of him. Max Dillon finally emerged.

Max ordered, "You're coming with me."

Aleksei laughed. "That doesn't seem to be safe."

"You don't know who I am?" Max questioned after tilting his head to the side.

"Yes and that's exactly why I shouldn't be around you."

"I'm... Electro."

"Yes, yes… Erecto. Sure. You know what I meant."

The green smoke started to become denser and a humanoid shadow appeared from the smoke. The person turned out to be Quentin as he wore his new armor. He stepped inside the cell and stopped next to Max. He held a breather in his right hand.

"We need to go, Aleksei." Quentin threw the breather in the ground near the Russian.

"Who... is that fishbowl in your head?"

"I don't think you have the intelligence to understand. Just take the damn breather before we leave you to your nightmares."

Aleksei complied. "Where are we going?"

Quentin answered, "Fiers."

The group was now laughing and going deep in their wine. Later on, MJ decided to dance a bit, leaving the couple alone at the table.

"Peter?" Gwen called, observing her future husband now eating viciously another plate as usual.

He looked at her and chewed the food within his mouth. "Yes?"

"Would you like to dance with me?" She pressed herself closer to him, adding some kind of physical pressure.

"Are you sure? It's been ages since the last time I put on the moves."

"Pretty please?" She elbowed him.

"Alright, I'm all yours."

Gwen rose from the chair and brought Peter along to the stage. She wrapped her arms around his neck, bringing him very close as he snaked both arms around her waist and leaned his head in so that they could touch foreheads. They stood there, slowly dancing to their own and slow rhythm as if they were the only ones there.

Gwen whispered, "I want to spend the rest of my life with you."

He sighed heavily. "I want the same thing, no matter what." He leaned him for a soft kiss. Gwen kissed him back.

Gwen later moved her hands to Peter's shoulder and rested her head on his chest, hearing the relaxing sound of his heartbeat while he gently rested his chin on top of her head.

They stood like that for a few more couple of minutes just enjoying each other's presence.

Later on in the night...

Gwen opened the door to their apartment and headed inside with Peter closely behind her as he held on to her right hand. It was already dawn and they were tired. Peter was somewhat smiling most of the time for no reason at all, probably because of the wine.

They went directly to their bedroom. Peter urgently kissed Gwen before she gently pushed him down to the bed, he removed his T-shirt and jeans while Gwen walked to the bathroom to stare at herself in the mirror and took out her tight dress.

"Peter?" Gwen called. "I could use your help to take the dress off… if you want."

Of course, he would want to.

Some minutes went by and Peter hadn't replied yet. Gwen looked over her shoulder and saw him already fastly asleep on their bed. He only wore his pair of boxers. Ren was spread across his chest.

She giggled at the super cute view before finally joining her family.

16/09/2021: The dialogues of this chapter were the main focus of the revision. Yeah, I came a long way since the first couple of chapters of the story. Many improvements were needed here. Grammatical mistakes were also fixed. Some of the romantic 'fluff' was also toned down. The chapter now has a new opening with the ramson scene. Aleksei's scene was also revamped a little bit with better description and dialogues.