Chapter 7 – A New Day

Days became weeks until the doctors were sure that their unusual patient was nursed back to health and could leave the hospital without too much trouble. The time until then had been spent on routine medication and physical therapy. Everyone was there to support Miles throughout his progress; things were finally starting to look better.

When all was said and done, Miles could finally return home.

Miles' room had never been more of a sight for sore eyes than now; everything was just as he had left it, even the toy collectible that Gwen had absently ripped out from its package.

Sitting up on his bed, he bathed himself in the morning glow that spilled in from the windows. The teen couldn't believe how liberating it was to breathe properly again, even with a nasal tube that he had attached to a stand next to his bed.

"Today is a new day." he said quietly to himself; his voice had come back too.

Coming down the stairs in his Visions Academy uniform, his breathing tube now fixed to a special little backpack of his, his mom and dad greeted him at the table.

"Morning, champ."

"Morning, dad."

Miles didn't even make it to the foot of the stairs when his mom came over to shower him with hugs and kisses before she went on to fix his blazer, which he didn't mind at all; he was just glad to have both his loving parents.

"Have you checked that you have all your books?" she asked in her usual firm tone.

"Si, ma."

"And everything else?"

Miles nodded quickly.

His mom wore a bright smile on her face, yet he could still see a faint twinkle of worry in her eyes. "I can't tell you enough how happy I am to see you out of that hospital gown."

"We'll still have to make a few visits, though."

She nodded, acknowledging that fact, then finally let go of his clothes to let him have breakfast.

Now at the table, Miles could feel his parents' side-glances as they quietly enjoyed their son being able to eat independently, even if each bite had to be taken in smaller quantities than he was used to.

"I reawwy… miffed your food, ma."

"Thank you, but please don't talk with your mouth full, okay?"

Miles hummed as he continued chewing spiritedly.

"Tonight, we're having some friends and family over for dinner." she then said.

"Really?" Miles swallowed his food. "What's the occasion?"

His dad chuckled, taking his wife's hand, both beaming at him. "Should be obvious what we're celebrating."

Miles couldn't help but snicker warmly when his dad gave him a wink.

Another thing that Miles didn't expect was for his mom to ride along in his dad's police car as he dropped him off at school.

"You didn't have to come, mom." he stated sheepishly, bunching his shoulders in the back seat. "Not that I'm trying to sound ungrateful or anything." It wasn't that he was embarrassed; he just didn't want his parents overextending themselves for his sake.

Thankfully, his mother understood. "You may be Spider-Man," she said, looking at him in the rearview mirror, "but you are our son first."

"We are in this together." his dad added. "Copy?"

Miles paused, then answered. "Copy that."

"And if anything feels even slightly funny, you call us, okay?"

"Copy." he repeated.

Once they pulled up in front of Visions Academy's entrance, the boy decided to do something he wouldn't normally do. He undid his seatbelt and leant forward to kiss both his parents before diving out the door.

"See you later!" He waved.

"Bye, son!" his dad replied through the speaker.

"Don't be home late!" his mother called out.

He stood on the front sidewalk and watched as his parents drove off, disappearing from his view.

Right on queue, all students raised their heads and smartphones as two colorful figures blurred through the air above them, all gasping in excitement to see two Spider-Men swinging across the street. Miles smirked, recognizing Hobie and Pavitir in their costumes; as a favor, they had decided to look after his city so he could focus on his health and studies.

"Thanks, guys." he whispered gratefully, turning to enter his school.

During first break, Miles went up to his dorm and knocked on the door. Inside, he heard quick rustling noises, followed by approaching footsteps. The door clicked and swung open, and there was his friend and roommate, Ganke Lee, staring him in the face in bug-eyed shock.

"Holy shit!" he exclaimed and immediately hugged him.

The sudden impact to his chest made Miles wince in pain, causing his friend to pull back apologetically. "Oh, I'm so sorry!"

"It's alright, man." He waved off, pushing through the pain. "I missed you too."

"Come on in!" Ganke stepped aside so he could enter and closed the door behind them. "How have you been, man? Tell me everything and—" he quickly remembered the tube connecting his nostrils to his bag, "What happened to you?"

Miles laughed. "It's… quite a long story."

He sat down on the bottom bunk and faced Ganke, who sat in his computer chair and shuffled forward with undivided attention.

By the time Miles finished his story, his friend's face faded from nervous excitement to paling silence. He slumped back in his chair, completely overwhelmed.

"That's…" he shook his head, staring far away through his glasses, "… that's rough, man."

"Yeah." Miles stated matter-of-factly. "But it's fine… really." He tapped his chest. "Just gotta find a new battery, right?"

The two friends snickered, finally clearing the tension.

"I'm glad you're back." Ganke said, half-grinning, then spun back to his computer to do his usual business. "Well, you better catch up on all your assignments before they fail you."

Miles Morales went about the rest of his school day without incident, despite the attention and gossip he was receiving from all the other students thanks to his visible breathing device; he literally couldn't go anywhere without it, after all.

He hardly cared, however, because no matter what, he wouldn't let this hindrance get him down; the last thing he wanted was to be treated differently, let alone babied, because of his condition. He had to count on himself… he was a Morales, after all.

Without his superhero duties to get in the way, at least for now, he could focus his determination on improving his attendance and hopefully raising his grades; he still had time to turn this all around, and he was going to make every day count.

For his first day back, he could confidently say that he did a pretty good job and go home proud for a change.

That very same evening, Miles dressed in his best sweater and evened his afro a little, having done so without any help. The tube around his face, of course, was a little distracting as always. Regardless, he looked and felt like a million bucks.

There was one thing that felt strange though, and it wasn't anything to do with his health, it was the fact that he wasn't wearing his costume underneath; it made him feel naked in a way. As much as he missed living his normal life, he also missed being the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man.

Downstairs, many of his relatives, his cousins, aunts, and uncles, had gathered tonight. The whole living area had been tidied and decorated with lights and candles. The food on the dinner table scented the air, which truly tickled his appetite; it was most definitely his mom's cooking.

A ding rang from the door right then.

"I got it!" Miles cried out, and he strutted through the crowded interior.

When he opened their front door, a radiant sight blessed his eyes.

"Hey, Miles." It was Gwen; she had come in a dress, her pink-streaked hair hanging smoother down her left shoulder, having clearly been brushed, conditioned, or blow-dried.

"Gwen…" Miles almost couldn't believe it. "… is this really my girlfriend?"

Gwen blushed, swaying on the porch, before he produced a poorly wrapped package from behind her. He took it half-mindedly. "Thanks! What is it?"

She only winked, then he brought her inside while trying to restrain his own glee.

He introduced Gwen, with her real name, to all the other guests, all who greeted her with kind pleasantries that were mixed with a few shifty glances. When they sat down, the two teens next to each other, all joined hands in prayer.

Rio Morales led the prayer. "Thank you for bringing my son home. Thank you for saving all of us. Thank you for this wonderful food on the table, even though it isn't Thanksgiving." Some snickers were heard. "And please, gift him with a long and healthy life with his loved ones."

"Amen." they all said.

This was especially familiar for Gwen whenever she and her dad ate with Peter at Aunt May's house; she hadn't been there since… his passing… so she made a mental note to go and visit her soon. She was truly grateful to be here with Miles and his whole family.

Everyone spent the rest of the feast with full bellies, hearty exchanges, and joyful laughter. When they left, all except for Gwen, whom his parents allowed to stay behind, Miles retreated back upstairs, his social battery spent at last.

Alone in his bedroom again, Miles carefully removed his sweater and undershirt and tossed them both on his bed. His skin, especially the sensitive area, needed some air without any fabric or cotton brushing against it.

He stood, breathing in deeply and breathing out, while facing the reflection in his center window; since it was now dark outside, it was easy to use as a mirror.

His chest now had a large vertical scar over what appeared to be a dark coffee-stain. It was looking better compared to a few weeks ago, but it was still bulged and visibly pulsing; it was at least leveler and easier to hide now.

Strangely, he didn't feel tired after tonight; staring through his reflection at New York's numerous city lights, he felt this urge to dive out of his window and spread his wings. Unfortunately, he couldn't wear his suit, since it had been cut open for medical purposes.

Still… he had his hoodie… and was nighttime now… so who was going to see him?

He turned away from the window when he saw Gwen's reflection blushing in the doorway behind him, his still-packaged gift in her hand.

"Hey." he said to her in an unusually low voice; it was borderline seductive.

"H-Hey…" she replied, trying to keep her composure. "I-I… I got your gift still… you haven't opened it."

"Oh, shoot! Sorry!" He hurriedly stepped across to take her gift, which only flustered her more.

Despite the markings on his chest, she couldn't quite take her gaze from the rest of his toned body; this was her first time ever seeing him shirtless… she could swear she was going to have a heart attack herself at any second.

"Did I… walk in at the wrong time?" she timidly asked, shifting her gaze away.

"Nah, nah… I wasn't changing, I was…" Miles shifted his eyes, hesitating, "… admiring the view."

"With your shirt off…?"

He just nodded… technically, he was telling the truth.

Mustering some of her courage back, Gwen looked to him, then down to his chest where the source of all her worries was, and the awkward tension went away at once.

"What does it feel like?" she had to ask, her voice lowering to a whisper.

Miles didn't answer her question. He instead opened the wrapping of her gift and beamed at the sight of a purple packaged figurine just like the one he had before.

"I… felt bad for ripping your other one out of its package, so…"

"Gwen…" Miles placed his new figuring on the bed next to them, "… do you know that you're the absolute best?"

He didn't wait for her response and just pulled her into a tight hug. Their hearts, pressed together, raced at the same rhythm, Miles not caring about the added pressure to his soreness. Just as their hearts synced, so did their spider-senses, and Gwen understood.

"That is what it feels like."

Being this close to each other, another sensation had awakened between the two, and it was coursing through their veins like electricity…

Want…

Desire…

These feelings weren't unfamiliar, yet they were also foreign… this boundary, either of them had yet to cross… but not now… not here.

"Still got your suit?" Miles suddenly asked, still holding her.

Gwen nodded against his shoulder. "Why?"

"Wanna get out of here?"

She thought about it for a second… the time… the risks… and then she sighed, laughing nervously.

New York, the city that never sleeps, always looked its best in the peak of night, which also provided the perfect cover for the young superpowered couple as they swung through their playground. Normally, they would be doing their usual death-defying stunts, like threading the needle.

Tonight, however, Gwen had requested to take it easy and stay high above the streets, seeing that Miles only had his hoodie on, which didn't hide his identity too badly… from a distance. She also didn't want Miles to push himself too hard.

Miles, regardless of what he's been told by his doctors, took a few chances anyway, much to his girlfriend's consternation.

"Miles, take it easy!" she cried, flinching each time a performed a spin, a flip, or a somersault. "You can't push yourself!"

"Come on!" he protested playfully. "I know I'm sick, but that don't mean I'm weak!"

"I never said you were weak!" she replied defensively. "I just… don't want my baby to get hurt, that's all!"

Did I really just call him baby?

"Aww!" Miles cooed, joining her side again and circling her. "Does Spider-Woman care so much?"

Gwen was glad she had her mask on; her face was probably turning pinker than her hair right now.

Miles eventually did as she requested and took it easy. When their swinging motions mirrored each other soon after, they held hands for the rest of their night escapade.

Once again, they were back on the same clocktower, viewing the world from upside-down, or in their case, downside-up, as they sat on the underside of their favorite perch. Gwen leaned on Miles as they cherished this view.

"You never know how easy it is to take this all for granted until you've almost lost it all." said Miles.

Gwen smiled sadly. "For what it's worth… I never took you for granted."

"I know." The teen boy smiled as he put an arm around her.

Both sat in silence for another minute until Gwen bounced a bit, suddenly remembering something.

"The Mary Janes called me back." she stated. "They want me for their next gig."

Miles pulled away from her, his mouth open in excitement. "That's great!"

"Wanna come?" She swayed, eagerly awaiting his answer.

"Do I wanna come?" Miles scoffed. "Is that even a question? Of course! When is it?"

"Next Sunday, in my dimension." Gwen replied. "I'll get you a ticket."

"It's a date, then?"

Gwen snorted at his question and kissed him, the answer being obvious.

TO BE CONTINUED.

Author's Note: I've changed my name to DeeAberration to match my new AO3 account, which you can also follow, but I will also continue to update this. The next few chapters will focus more Gwen and Miles' relationship while also planting nuggets for the ultimate endgame to this story. See you next time.