May 3rd - 2013

7:09 PM

A tranquil Peter Parker slept on the couch. The warm setting sun rays radiated through the curtains of the open window. His light gray t-shirt and black shorts Kept him cool and comfy as his body descended into the cushions of the living room couch. He slept in an almost sitting position with his legs bent and on the ground and his arms wrapped around each other. He had been up early that day taking pictures for the local news.

In his reposeful peace, he felt a sensation in his right ear. Not his gifted sensation but his normal one. He chose to ignore it. He felt it once again but in his left nostril this time. Once again he chose to ignore it.

For a moment the peace returned deepening his sleep back to its original state. That was until suddenly he felt a weight on his chest as if something had struck him. He jolted awake, gasping for air, trying to shake off the grogginess that enveloped him. As his vision cleared, he could hear soft laughter, barely audible at first. While he woke himself up the laughter became clearer and louder. It was a sweet and innocent sound. One that could make anyone laugh along with them.

After he rubbed his eyes he found the source of It all. It was a little girl. No taller than the sofa he was sitting on. She had a small round face with pale white skin. Slightly curly blonde hair that went down to her neck. Her wide smile and brown eyes shined in the sun rays, as did her light purple sundress with its daisy pattern spiraling around it.

"What's up?", Peter said yawningly.

"You Forgot", The little girl said with a slight frown on her face.

"What?", he replied confused.

"You promised me".

Peter went into deep thought for a moment.

"5 minutes", Peter turned to go back to sleep.

"Hey", she protested.

She used her little hands and grabbed both his cheeks pulling them back and forth repeatedly.

Peter looked back at her with an annoyed look; she had a big smile on her face knowing that she was winning.

"Omkay", Peter said with his mouth continuing to be reshaped.

"Okay okay okay", the little girl let go.

In Peter's attempt to get up, his still-sleepy legs gave way and caused him to stumble. Luckily, he managed to catch himself with his right hand before hitting the ground. The young girl, who had been holding his left hand, continued to guide him to wherever she was taking him.

"Would you like some more tea Queen Elizabeth?", Peter asked holding the toy teapot with his pinky up.

"Yes please", replied Elizabeth.

With a gentle hand, Peter carefully poured water from the pot into Elizabeth's tiny toy teacup. They sat together, sipping elegantly from their cups as if they were attending a grand ball. Peter had dressed up as a British soldier from the 1700s, complete with a long hat, blue coat, and frilly white pants, while Elizabeth shimmered in her pristine white dress.

The familiar sound of jingling keys broke Peter's concentration as the noise was amplified in his ears, He jumped up from the small plastic chair. As Gwen attempted to unlock the door, it suddenly swung open to reveal a beaming Peter in his blue coat costume. Gwen, dressed in her sharp red blouse and black business pants, carried her brown overcoat folded over her left arm, surprised by Peter's unusual attire.

She stood there silent for a moment, dazed at what she had been greeted with after her long-lasting day at work.

"Hi", She said in a deep and confused voice.

"Hi", Peter chuckled at her reaction.

"Mommy!", Elizabeth ran into Gwen's arms. "Me and Daddy were playing".

Gwen picked her up into her arms.

"Ooh, that's fun", Gwen kissed her cheek, "Hey, why don't I join you guys?"

She looked at Peter who was looking right back into her eyes shaking his head from side to side.

"Or... we could watch a movie tonight", suggested Gwen.

"Oh yeah that sounds like an excellent idea", Peter added.

"Hmm...", Elizabeth looked to be in deep thought, "Okay!".

"Great, um give Mommy some time to get settled and you and Daddy can pick a movie".

"Why don't we change into something more comfortable ourselves". Peter suggested with a gentle smile. He scooped Elizabeth up in his arms, feeling her small frame against his chest. As he lifted her onto his shoulders, she let out a burst of delighted laughter, her tiny hands grasping onto his hair for balance. Peter couldn't help but chuckle at her enthusiasm.

Shut up! Just shut up, you idiot!

Sherrif, this is no time to panic.

This is the perfect time to panic! I'm lost, Andy is gone, they're gonna move houses in two days and it's all your fault!

"Peter", he felt a soft hand lightly move across his face.

Slowly Peter opens his eyes.

"What happened?", Peter finds Gwen lying beside him on the sofa with her head resting on his leg.

"She fell asleep", Peter looked around and spotted Elizabeth sound asleep on the recliner adjacent to the TV. Gwen was now upright next to him.

Gwen lounged on the couch for a moment, feeling at ease in her oversized black t-shirt and gray shorts. Eventually, she stirred from her comfortable position, reluctantly getting up to take the bowls of popcorn they had made earlier into the kitchen.

Peter let out a sigh, followed by a grunt as he reluctantly lifted himself off the long couch that ran parallel to the screen. He reached down to pick up the remote from the coffee table.

YOU...ARE...A...TO-

Peter turned off the TV.

He walked over to the recliner and picked Elizabeth up, gently carrying her with her head resting on his shoulder. She was still too young for movies, he thought to himself. At least she still did enjoy the first half hour of it.

He made his way to the bedroom as Gwen cleaned up.

The cramped room offered only a narrow path for only one person to move around in. Two-bed frames occupied most of the limited space, with a queen and a twin mattress placed side by side. A small nightstand separated the two.

Peter gently laid her onto the twin-sized bed. Elizabeth's body sunk into the light blue sheets; she instinctively curled up, finding warmth and safety in the familiar surroundings. Peter carefully laid her favorite purple blanket over her. It had a slight weight to it and a tiger skin pattern with black and gray accents It was the only blanket that would keep her comfortable at night.

"Night kiddo", Peter whispered as he kissed her forehead.

He turned off the lamp on the nightstand and left her to rest.

In the dimly lit room, Gwen perched on the edge of the spacious couch, her laptop precariously balanced on its rolled arm. Her right leg dangled off the cushion while the other was crossed in front of her. The vibrant screen cast a soft glow on her skin as she typed away.

As Peter approached her, he settled down behind her, mirroring her position but wrapping his leg around hers. They both savored the warmth and coziness of their bare legs touching and rubbing against each other. Peter trailed feather-light kisses down Gwen's neck and wrapped his strong arms around her waist, pulling her in closer.

"What are you doing?", he asked her between kisses.

"Working", she replied unphased.

"You're always working." He said in an exhausted turn.

"I'm almost done, two minutes".

"You know what they say about things that take two minutes".

"What's that?", she asked slightly intrigued.

"If it takes two minutes, you should do it tomorrow".

Gwen snorted at what he said.

"No, it's not, it's if it takes two minutes, do it now", She corrected him.

"Oh right." he went quiet for a moment.

"Ugh what are you doing?", Gwen said in slight annoyance.

"I'm just undoing your ponytail, it's going to make me sneeze.", Peter undid the hair tie holding Gwen's golden blond hair in shape.

"There", Peter was successful, "Now shake".

Gwen did as he asked and shook her head while tilting it back, causing her hair to settle back down her shoulders to its natural wavy state.

"Good girl", He whispered into her ear.

Gwen rolled her eyes at his remarks.

"Silly" she whispered under her breath.

After more waiting Peter moved her hair to one side and rested his chin on her right shoulder.

"So, who are we emailing?", He asked.

"Abigail.", Gwen replied.

"Abigail...Is she the kinda person you would have lunch with or someone you try and walk away from as soon as you spot them"?

Gwen looked back at Peter for a moment, "She's my boss Peter."

"Oh... So, the second option"

"...yeah", Gwen sighed.

Seconds felt like hours as Peter waited for her to finish.

"This is taking longer than two minutes Gwen Stacy", Peter said as he tapped on his imaginary watch.

Gwen moved his arms out of the way. "I'm almost done".

"Be done faster", Peter said as he resumed cuddling her from behind.

As Gwen typed the final words of her email, she restrained her fingers from prematurely clicking the send button. This was the last thing she had to do before she was truly done work for the week.

"Done", she said in a satisfied tone.

Without wasting a second, Peter swiftly closed Gwen's laptop and flung it across the room like a frisbee. The laptop landed just barely on the cushion of the nearby recliner.

Gwen turned around and angrily whispered, "Peter! What's wrong with y-".

Her words were cut short as Peter jumped into her and began to place kisses on her soft lips.

Slightly displeased by his attempt at apologizing Gwen's feelings quickly turned in his favor as she was tired of working and wanted to have some fun too, after all, it wasn't the first time his methods had changed her mood.

He leaned forward onto her, pulling her in for a deeper kiss. As they both expressed their love and desire for each other, their bodies entwined, and they lost themselves in the moment. They both felt an intense rush of pleasure as they explored each other's mouths, feeling the warmth of their bodies against one another.

Eventually, they pulled away from each other, breathless and flushed. They both couldn't help but smile at each other. It was a moment of sweet contentment, a pause in the intensity of their passion. They looked into each other's eyes, silently acknowledging the depth of their feelings for one another.

With a soft chuckle, Gwen ran her fingers through his hair, tucking a stray strand behind his ear. He leaned into her touch, savoring the sensation. They settled into a comfortable silence, their bodies still close, and their minds at ease.

"So how was your day?", asked Peter.

Peter's eyes shot open, as his eyes adjusted to the darkness of the room he was met with the beautiful sight of his girlfriend. Her hair and skin shone with a soft white glow, illuminated by the light rays slipping through the gaps in the curtains. Disoriented but fully awake, Peter felt a wave of confusion wash over him. His usual experience waking up is more of a fight with himself, rarely was it ever this easy.

He lifted his chest up slightly and glanced over to the digital clock on the nightstand.

2:44 AM the clock displayed.

Peter's attempts to go back to sleep were in vain; his eyes seemed glued open. He eventually gave up and got out of bed, causing a slight moan from Gwen who reached her arm out, searching for her all-natural body pillow.

Peter froze, waiting for Gwen to return to her peaceful state. After what felt like hours she finally settled back into deep slumber. He felt relieved. Carefully, he tiptoed towards the door, making sure not to make any noise this time. He watched the floor carefully, trying to avoid any creaking floorboards.

Peter turned the doorknob slowly and stepped out of the room, holding the other side's knob to prevent it from making noise. He closed the door silently and let out a sigh of relief. He was glad that he didn't have to worry about waking Gwen or getting Elizabeth to go back to sleep again.

He walked towards the window next to the TV. After gently pulling the curtains aside, Peter was met with the warm glow of the streetlamps outside. He gazed up at the rows of apartment buildings and homes, his eyes traveling higher until they rested on the top half of the tower bridge. Beyond that, he caught a glimpse of the tip of the imposing and incredibly tall "The Shard" tower, it was just barely visible in the distance.

Peter was torn between two conflicting desires. On the one hand, he yearned to venture out into the night and witness the stunning cityscape from above, as he had done countless times before. Back in his hometown. And on the other hand, Peter knew the reason he couldn't. He had given up his former way of life almost five years ago now. He still felt envious of his past freedoms, but he also knew that the price of those freedoms had been too high.

Just as Peter was about to turn around and attempt to go back to sleep, a sudden and deep sensation shot up his spine.

The swishing and rubbing sounds of a puffy jacket being worn and the metallic jingling of keys on a chain became amplified in Peter's ears.

"Oi bruv, what you doing up in these parts yeah?", a rough British voice resonated loudly through his head.

"Just headed home", A male voice responded. Peter could sense the fear and nervousness in his response.

He felt another sensation, this time much more intense and urgent, resonating throughout his body. It was rare that he felt such powerful ones.

"No, you're not, this here is my street, it'll cost ya a score", demanded the man.

"No, no," Peter whispered to himself, his fingers tightening around the edge of the windowsill as he looked down and closed his eyes. He fought against an overwhelming urge that threatened to consume him.

"Looks like you need some convincing", the man thought out loud.

A high-pitched metallic screech, so amplified that it felt almost unbearable, pierced through Peter's mind. It made his eyes widen.

As the adrenaline surged through Peter's veins, his heart raced faster and louder in his chest. His breath became cold, and his body shivered. With trembling hands, he kept them poised near the opening, ready for whatever was to come.

The scene before him fell into an eerie silence as the constant urges in his mind screamed at him. His heart was racing, and his hands continued to be clutched onto the windowsill, unsure of what to expect next. With nothing but an uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach, he was left hoping that the storm was over.

A loud cracking and buzzing noise was followed by piercing and agonizing screams of pain, Peter's hands swiftly unlocked the window, but just as he was about to open it, a deafening siren started blaring up the street next to his apartment. The sound was so loud it made his ears ring and his head throb. The red and blue flashing lights illuminated the scene, casting an eerie glow on the walls of the buildings around him.

As the police sirens subsided, the sounds of radio chatter and officers talking took over. Peter stood silent in place. His heart rate gradually slowed as the overwhelming feeling of pressure that had consumed him just moments ago dissipated. Despite the calm that had settled around him, he remained frozen in place.

"What the hell are you doing Peter?", He thought to himself.

Even though it had been years since he retired from being Spider-man, Peter still found himself struggling to suppress the impulses that came with his powers. While the low crime rate in the part of London he stayed in provided some relief, whenever an opportunity to act presented itself, he felt an intense force consuming him, and tonight was the closest he had come to breaking.

"Why did I wake up now? Did It wake me up for this? Why? I'm not that guy anymore. But I could have done something, instead of standing here doing nothing". He had so many questions to which no one could answer.

"Peter?", a voice called from behind him.

Startled by the sudden sound, Peter's body jolted with fear. He quickly spun around.

He saw Gwen standing a few feet behind him rubbing her eyes.

For a moment all his self-conflictions vanished as he was reminded of the reason why he chose the life he had now. She was the reason. She was the answer to all his unanswerable questions, the calm amid the storms that raged within his mind. She was the girl, with such an incredible smile and so much good in her heart, who made him truly think that life can be great.

"What happened?", she asked him still half asleep

As Gwen asked the question, Peter cleared his throat and responded, "I think the police might have caught a criminal or something".

Gwen picked up on his nonchalant tone and knew he was hiding something. Too tired to investigate she chose to ignore it for now as all that was on her mind was going back to bed.

"Mommy? What's happening?", another voice called out behind them.

They both looked back to see their daughter standing in the doorway, rubbing her eyes.

"I think that woke the whole neighborhood up", Gwen said yawning.

"It's nothing Elizabeth, just the police.", Peter said reassuringly,

"Come on, let's all go back to bed.", requested Gwen.

"I want to see the police!", Elizabeth said as she was gently picked up by her mother.

"I can't even see them from here, next time I'll show you", said Peter as he followed them.

"Oh... Ok", replied Elizabeth.

"Hey, I'm just gonna go get some water", said Peter.

"Okay", replied Gwen in a sleepy tone.

As Peter filled up a tall glass from the kitchen sink, He looked back to the window he had been staring out of just moments before, still feeling ashamed of his actions and thoughts prior.

He moved to the middle of the small, run-down apartment room. His eyes followed the cracking off-white paint along the ceiling, down to the creaky vinyl floorboards. They then moved to the worn spot on the long couch facing their small 40-inch TV. It had naturally formed due to countless occasions they cuddled during movie nights. His focus shifted to the kitchen where he and Gwen had cooked countless meals together, experimenting with new recipes and learning from each other's culinary skills. Finally, he looked towards their bedroom and watched as Gwen gently put Elizabeth back to bed. His heart filled with warmth as he listened to the soft, soothing tones of her voice as she coaxed their daughter into sleep.

To him, it wasn't just a house. It was the place where he had rebuilt his relationship with Gwen, where they had welcomed their daughter, Elizabeth, into the world, and where he had felt truly complete and happy with his life. This was everything to him, all he could ever hope for in the world.

A/N:

Figured I should start making some author notes.

Just wanted to say that this fanfiction is heavily inspired by another on this site, It is called "This Is Our Path" and it's written by user "LucasA". It's also inspired by the Amazing Spider-Man Movies and the MCU.

Sorry for the delay in this chapter, the next one will come sooner.

Also, I have made some minor changes to the first two chapters. Nothing drastic. Check them out If you have read them before.