Gwen was cuddling Peni in the RV's bed. She was surprised at how quickly the little girl had fallen asleep with her face snuggled between the taller girl's generous bosoms, despite Peni wanting to just relax until Bitsy would return from her meal. The increased cannabidiol dosage from earlier seemed to have had a stronger effect on her, relaxing her probably so much and therefore making her sleep far easier than expected. As Gwen gazed at the girl who looked so snug and at peace between her cosy boobs, she didn't want to wake her up after all. She decided that when Bitsy comes, she'll just ask the spider to drive the rest of the way from the rest stop they're at right now. She wanted Peni to take it easy and rest well on her vacation.
She noticed a ray of sunlight from the half-curtained window on their side, showering the side of Peni's head. The little girl looked adorably beautiful under it, but Gwen worried the ray would wake her up if it moved to her eyes. She would pull down the curtains completely, but she didn't want to get up and risk waking the little girl, and her web slinger was out of reach.
After a moment of thinking, she decided to take the nearby blanket they weren't using and drape it over the smaller girl's head.
Unfortunately, the movement and the blanket had caused Peni to groan and open her eyes. Gwen bit her lip. Fuck. …Wait. The little girl wasn't exactly awake—at least not yet. Her eyes are just open, and they're unfocused as she simply stares at the chest in front of her. And Gwen knows she's unresponsive and unaware in this state, and a literal example of "the lights are on but nobody's at home." Maybe if Gwen tried lulling her back into sleep? She cupped Peni's head and gently pressed her face into her boob, making sure the smaller girl's lips were around the nipple so that it wasn't poking her face. Gwen hoped the warmth and softness of her boob was enough to lull her back into sleep.
…
Many seconds have passed and Gwen realised that Peni should've regained her consciousness by now, but she didn't. Maybe she managed to not wake her up after all.
She then felt Peni sloppily adjust her mouth around her nipple, and Gwen silently gasped when she felt her nipple being gently sucked. She could feel the smaller girl's tongue and teeth gently trying to milk her boob. Gwen simply stared at the little girl who suckled at her boob with half-lidded, unfocused eyes. She wondered if Peni was just horny, or if this was actually a filial instinct of hers to naturally suckle. …Or maybe she was longing for her mother.
Gwen then noticed Peni's eyes gradually closing completely, and the sucking intensity had lessened, though it didn't stop. Gwen felt a sense of comfort and contentment from Peni through their psychic link. The smaller girl felt lulled, and she was actually falling back into her slumber. Oh my God… This stimulated Gwen and made her horny, but… she also felt maternal, like she was actually nursing Peni—like she was a baby—her little baby. It was a very nice feeling. She couldn't feel anything coming out of her boob, nor could she see any milk trickling out of the little girl's mouth, so she's sure she wasn't lactating. She wished she was, like earlier today when they had their first simultaneous orgasm together. She'd gladly feed her as much milk as Peni wanted. But for now, Gwen liked to pretend she was breastfeeding her.
She carefully picked up their console and took a selfie of the suckling, as well as a short video of it. She then pressed a soft, warm, loving kiss on Peni's forehead while the smaller girl continued suckling in peace.
After Gwen put aside the console, she took in the setting. It was a little dark in the bedroom, and the window allowed some light from the day to seep in. The world outside seemed like it was going on without them two while they were living their own lives. Whatever was going on outside, it wasn't important to them. As she cuddled and watched the little girl suckle away, it felt more and more like Peni was the only thing that mattered to her right now. In fact, Gwen felt like Peni was literally the only living being other than herself to exist at this very moment; like Gwen's sole purpose in life was to just enjoy it being herself and with Peni. She felt content, and she wanted to cherish this moment for as long as possible until either the smaller girl wakes up or Bitsy returns.
Gwen planted one more kiss on Peni's head and shared her feelings of contentment with the smaller girl who was still sharing her own feelings of contentment in her sleep. You're my little baby.
≈ …≈
…
Some time had passed, and Gwen was still holding the little girl closely and lovingly. She was then a little startled when she noticed a spider from out of nowhere crawl onto the cover. It was just Bitsy who appears to be back from her meal. "Uh… Hey." the girl whispered to the spider who was now on top of Peni's head. There was no response from her—at least nothing noticeable. She assumed the spider could understand her and probably said it back telepathically, even if Gwen couldn't sense her back. She did see Bitsy as a person, but it felt weird trying to talk to a spider since she was not used to it. But Bitsy was unlike any ordinary spider, that much was for sure.
"Check it out." the taller girl murmured about Peni, "She's my little baby."
Bitsy still didn't verbally respond, but she moved towards the little girl's shoulder, perhaps to get a better view of Peni very gently suckling at Gwen's boob. The taller girl liked to think the spider was enjoying the sight as much as she did. Now that she thought about it, she presumed Bitsy liked teasing Peni about being with Gwen, like Peni already claimed the spider had done a couple of times today.
After gazing at Peni for a bit, Gwen looked back at Bitsy. "Hey, um… So, like, I want her to keep resting, and I don't think she's gonna wake up anytime soon. So, um… Could you maybe drive the rest of the way? If that's okay, you know? She's been through so much shit, and I really want her to kick back."
The spider didn't respond for a moment, and when she did, she just suddenly crawled out of sight. Gwen hoped that was a yes. She sighed. She wished she could understand her like Peni did.
A minute later, she felt the RV start up and begin to move. She couldn't see past the curtains that separated the bedroom from the rest of the RV, she could tell Bitsy was now driving. She wasn't sure how. Maybe the spider was using Peni's robot to drive. Anyway, she was grateful towards the spider, and then returned to focusing on the smaller girl peacefully in her arms before eventually using her console to pass the time.
…
Peni moaned before barely opening her eyes. As she lazily stared into space whilst trying to regain her consciousness, she felt herself being incredibly warm and cosy all over, especially on her face and legs. Her legs were sandwiched between two smooth, toasty, marshmallowy thighs that were large enough to completely engulf her own thighs in warm, squishy goodness, and her face was resting in soft boobage. She finally regained consciousness this time, and looked up to see Gwen gazing back at her with a soft, freckled smile that proudly exhibited her diastema. By that point, Peni had realised she was in the RV with her, on their road trip to Brooklyn. "Morning, baby." the taller girl cooed, gently kissing her forehead. Through their psychic bond, she felt the little girl feeling warm and fuzzy from getting a kiss "first thing in the morning."
Peni smiled softly. "Morning, babe." she moaned back, leaning up for their "morning" kiss and rubbing her eyes and then letting out a cute, uncovered yawn. "How long was I asleep for?"
"Hmm… About two hours."
She blinked in surprise. "Eh?"
"Yep. You fell asleep real quick at the rest stop, baby. I think that second cannabidiol dosage hit you hard. When Bitsy came back from her meal, I asked her to just drive us the rest of the way. Hope you don't mind. I just really didn't wanna wake you up."
"No, that's okay. I feel rested. Thanks for not waking me."
"No problem, baby. I'm glad."
Peni tiredly turned her head, trying to see who was at the driver's seat, but the view was blocked off by the door's curtain, dimming the lighting. "Are we there yet?"
Gwen struggled to get out of the cuddle due to its comfort, and got out of bed to look out the window. "I guess. Looks like a parking lot, probably in Brooklyn." She wasn't looking forward to dealing with bustling streets again. "Can't say I missed this place. I forgot how crowded as hell it is here… Let's just get this shit over with and then get back to the woods, ASAP."
Peni sighed, already feeling colder and less comfortable from the cuddle being released. "Yeah. Can't wait for the road trip back to start already." She let out another yawn "…Man, I'm so tired…"
"You are?" Gwen supposed the cannabidiol and excessive sleeping made the smaller girl feel too relaxed and fatigued. "Wanna just go back home now? I seriously don't mind, you know? I'd actually prefer that."
Peni hummed in amusement. "Me too. Well, we are here now, so let's just get it over with, like you said. But in a bit. I really don't feel like doing anything right now. I just want you to come back here and keep holding me… I need you and your body right now."
Gwen admired the adorable and sexy sight of a nude Peni holding her arms out to her. "Sure thing." She gladly returned to bed and pulled Peni in, cuddling her the usual way they're always comfortable with. "Comfy, baby?"
She kept her eyes closed with her face stowed away in Gwen's sufficient cleavage. "Mm-hmm… We'll go out soon. I just wanna stay like this for a bit first."
"No problem."
"And, uh, if I end up falling asleep again, make sure you actually wake me up this time."
Gwen chuckled and held her closer. "I'll keep that in mind."
…
She spoke again after some time of blissful silence. "…Hey, baby?"
"Hmm?"
"Do you remember waking up earlier at the rest stop?"
Peni scanned through her memories, but her waking up at the rest stop didn't ring a bell. "…No? Did I actually wake up?"
"Yep." Gwen then grinned in excitement and mischief. "I mean, you sorta did, but not really. Like… I don't know if you know this, but as soon as you open your eyes, you just stare in space or at me, and it takes you like thirty seconds before you actually wake up?"
Peni meekly smiled. "Oh. You know, I never realised I do that, but Mom, Dad, Benjy, and Aunty May told me that's how I always wake up."
"Well, they're right. I'll try and record it when I get the chance so you can see it. It's super cute."
Peni giggled rosily. "Ehehe. Okay. But I don't remember waking up earlier though."
"That's 'cause you didn't this time. You were staring like usual, but then you just fell asleep before you could wake up, and you were doing the cutest thing." To her delight, Peni started blushing adorably. Gwen couldn't wait to make her blush even more.
"Um… W—What thing?" Peni asked. She had no idea what she had done, but she just hoped it wasn't embarrassing.
"Well, it happened when I covered your face from the sun with the blanket. I interrupted your sleep by accident, and I didn't want you to wake up, so I thought maybe pressing my tit up against your face would make you feel comfortable enough to fall asleep again. And it was working. But then… Well… Then you started suckling on my tit like a baby, and you kept on going even when you closed your eyes and went back to sleep."
As the taller girl expected, Peni got into a blushing mess and partially covered her face, leaving her eyes uncovered. "Oh my god, are you for real?!"
"Uh-huh. It was so fucking cute that I just had to record it, though I only got to record the part when you were doing it while sleeping."
She completely covered her face now. "Oh my god, Gwen!"
Gwen just chuckled at her cuteness, enjoying her embarrassment. "Come on, watch it with me."
The little girl let out a squirmy moan and then let out a lengthy groan before eventually moving her hands away and mumbling, not wanting to disappoint. "…Okay. I'm totally gonna die of embarrassment though."
"Totally not one of the reasons why I wanna show you." Gwen joked, giggling in mischief, anticipating to embarrass the smaller girl even more! She the console in front of them, making sure to give the little girl a comfortable viewing angle before playing the footage.
The video showed Peni peacefully suckling on Gwen's nipple in her sleep. It was just how the taller girl described it. Peni, now being even more of a literal tomato or apple with her red face combined with her apple/tomato-like hair, felt very embarrassed and hid her face into the pillow with a muffled groan. "Oh my god, please kill me! I'm such a baby!"
Gwen giggled at the adorable sight of a flustered Peni which she wished she saw more often, though she'd rather see her embarrassed face uncovered. The taller girl lifted Peni's bangs from her face, revealing more of her adorable red cheek, and then stroked it with her finger. "Come on, baby." Gwen cooed, "Let me see your cute face." The affectionate gesture as well as the gentle request persuaded the little girl to eventually turn her face away from the pillow, gracing Gwen with her with her big, adorable, shy eyes. "That's better." While Gwen mischievous with her smirk, she was also secretly in awe and disbelief at how a human being could possibly look this adorable. But then she realised Peni is a literal anime girl, so she's naturally super adorable. And yet, her cuteness still takes her breath away. "Mmm, you're so fucking cute, especially when you're embarrassed, baby." Gwen cooed, biting her lip before kissing Peni's lips. "Mm, makes me wanna embarrass you even more."
Peni looked at her vulnerably, feeling even more submissive towards the taller girl. "Really?"
"Mm-hmm." Gwen conjured up scenarios that focused on embarrassing the smaller girl. "I was thinking of taking off your skirt in public when you least expect it, letting everyone check out your panties and your junk in the trunk. And you'd desperately try to cover yourself, but I wouldn't let you and I'd hold your hands, and you squirming and trying to cover yourself would only attract more attention. And people would probably take pictures and videos 'cause they like what they see and they'd share it online. I bet that would get you blushing like the cute mess that you are."
Peni groaned and moaned at the idea. The idea of Gwen exposing her like that really got her excited. "I think that kind of embarrassment would kill me, but… it also sounds really hot. W—Will you actually do it?"
"Oh, yeah. Definitely at some point. Maybe even later today. But don't expect it. The surprise will make it even better."
That made Peni's heart race in a mix of nervousness and anticipation. "O—Okay. But you do know my junk in the trunk is nothing compared to yours. You're carrying an entire freckly dump truck back there." She snaked her hands down Gwen's back and gave both her hefty buns a hefty squeeze to support her point. Peni couldn't help but let out a soft moan at how amazing they felt in her palms—or rather, what little of them she was able to fit in her palms since Gwen's buns were far too large, but in the best way possible.
She continued playing with them while Gwen bit her lip and hummed in pleasure at the attention she was getting back there. "Well, yours is definitely catching up, baby." She played with Peni's buns that also proved to be quite a handful that failed to fit in her palms.
Peni giggled rosily. "I told you earlier that you have the best ass in all dimensions, and it's gonna stay that way. Even if mine catches up, yours are so much better in every way, especially since I'm their most devoted fan and worshipper."
Gwen giggled in understanding. She knows Peni loves her ass, so much so that she really does want it to be the very best ass, easily outdoing everyone else's by miles. That made her feel prideful of hers, and she decided to play along. "Fair enough, baby. You do make a point. Obviously, there's no comparison here. My fat buns clearly blow yours out of the water. And I don't mean to brag—or maybe I do—but I do remember you saying something about feeling like you were in a different dimension earlier when I sat on your face and my fat buns swallowed it whole."
Peni bit her lip and hummed as she remembered. "Mmm, exactly. Can't wait for your fat ass to engulf me again. And I'm so glad you're gonna start wearing more revealing skirts from now on. Can't wait to see you flaunting what you've got in action."
"Mm. It's gonna be new for me, but surprisingly, I'm looking forward to it."
"Great."
"I mean, I am also nervous about it, you know?"
"That's part of the fun. And I know you'll pull it off perfectly."
"Thanks, baby. So, um, you're not actually ashamed about the suckling you were doing, are you?"
Peni blushed and shrugged a little. "I… I just don't wanna make you think I am a baby—like, in the literal, immature sense."
Gwen smiled warmly, showing off the gap in her teeth. "Don't worry, baby. I'll never think of you that way. Besides, you can be as much of a baby as you want around me, you know?" She saw Peni look up at her vulnerably. "You know why, right?"
Peni had a pretty good idea why, but she wanted to hear it from Gwen anyway. She couldn't get enough of hearing it. "Why?"
Gwen hummed and then leaned into her ear, whispering, "Because you're my little baby." She then pressed her lips against the little girl's. Peni moaned into the kiss and squirmed in pleasure, blushing even more while hugging the other girl close and kissing back. Her own face felt hot to the touch, and she felt Gwen's tongue slipping through her lips, allowing their tongues to lubricate each other even more. And with the pleasures of kissing amplified by each other's spider senses, the girls were feeling ecstatic right now. This felt too good. They were certain that making out with anybody else who didn't have a spider sense would never feel anywhere near as good.
Gwen pulled away and took in the sight of Peni's face, their mouths still clinging onto each other through their mixed saliva string. When the smaller girl opened her eyes, Gwen saw those hearts on her pupils that she loved seeing. Peni was screaming in delightful embarrassment just a few moments ago, but now she was just soaking in all the affection and dying for more. "I know you love being my little baby. Those hearts in your eyes and your spider sense can't lie to me." Gwen cooed, reaching to grope her very small boob and ass bun that was massive in comparision.
Peni gladly took in Gwen's hand indulging in her body. Having an idea, she lowered herself to be on level with Gwen's boob—but not without the taller girl offering to assist, considering the smaller girl's injury. "Oh, let me help you, baby."
"Thanks. I wanna try that sucking I did in my sleep earlier, like a baby."
Gwen was intrigued. "Oh, okay, baby."
Peni then put her mouth over her nipple and started suckling while gently kneading the other boob. Gwen let out a sigh of pleasure at the stimulation. The smaller girl eventually closed her eyes, resembling herself suckling on the boob a few hours ago, except now intentionally. Gwen just watched, feeling genuine, maternal fondness that Peni was embracing being her little baby in that way, and so she secured her arms around the smaller girl more protectively.
Peni felt a sense of comfort from the embrace and her suckling, creating a lulling and sleep-inducing feeling. Maybe it was just a natural instinct from her babyhood, but she felt safe, especially when being with Gwen. The smaller girl's hands slid lower across the taller girl's back, taking in the soft, warm plumpness of her body while she absent-mindedly continued suckling like it was her purpose. She felt safe and content, feeling like Gwen would take care of her, and shared her feelings of contentment telepathically, letting Gwen know of it as well as feel it for herself.
…
Some time later, Peni ended the suckling and looked up to Gwen, who just silently watched her the entire time with a peaceful look. "That felt… really comforting." the smaller girl commented before letting out an uncovered yawn. "It actually made me feel a little sleepy."
Gwen grinned softly. "Really?"
"Mm-hmm. It was just so warm and soft and quiet and peaceful. You know, I forgot what it was like being a literal baby, but now I think I can remember better why babies want to suckle. I felt really safe. I mean, I already feel safe just by cuddling with you, but like… I felt I knew I could just keep suckling while I left everything to you, and I knew everything would be okay. It felt like…" Peni trailed off, blushing. "…like you're my mommy. And I know you'd make a badass Spider-Milf. You're already halfway there with your big mommy milkers."
Gwen's heart raced and melted at the same time at being called "like her mommy." She chuckled at the comment after that, but also felt her maternal instincts kicking in. "Yeah, baby?"
"Mm-hmm."
Her smile softened until it was gone. "Say… Do you miss your mom? Was that why you were sucking my tit? Or was that just an instinct?"
"Hmm… I don't know. Maybe it was just an instinct? Like, I don't remember thinking about her. But… I do miss her."
Gwen frowned and stroked the smaller girl's hair, remembering earlier today when Peni sobbed into her ruined backpack that was one of the few things she had left of her parents for as long as she was stuck in this dimension. She kissed the little girl's forehead and sank her face into her hair. "I know, baby. I miss my dad." she added. She then realised she was saying this to a fatherless girl who hadn't entirely gotten over her own loss. Gwen pulled her face out of the smaller girl's hair, feeling instant panic. "Shit! I'm so sorry, baby! I—I just wanted to let you know you're not alone, you know—" She stopped when she felt the smaller girl's smaller hand caress her cheek, instantly calming her, and the sincere smile from Peni's face that showed no signs of pain soothed her even more.
"It's okay, babe." Peni said softly while still stroking. "I know you meant well. And I know you miss him. I miss my dad too—lots."
Gwen leaned into the hand, feeling relieved, but also feeling great sympathy towards the little girl who didn't deserve the loss and consequential grief. Gwen resolved to comfort and assist her throughout the rest of her grieving process for as long as they were together. She sank her face back into Peni's hair while caressing her soft, warm cheek with the back of her fingers. "I know, my little baby." she cooed, "But you'll reunite with him some day. Like how I'll reunite with my Peter. I promise, as long as you're with me, everything will be okay. We've finally got a new override key for the Super-Collider, and it's thanks to you. All we have to do is wait for the collider to get fixed, and then we'll use it to take us back home and get you back to your mom."
Gwen then blushed and looked at Peni. "You know… If you ever need a mommy in the meantime, to feel safe… I'm your gal."
Peni blushed and smiled at the warming offer. "Thanks, Gwennie. I already feel plenty safe with you, but maybe… you can be my mommy when I do the exposure therapy treatment? I wanna feel extra safe."
Gwen nodded and held her face closer to her cleavage. "Sure. I'll make sure you feel safer than ever, my baby. Between my tits will be the safest place you'll ever be in, and you'll be invincible once I wrap my arms around you and keep you there, and you can always suck on my titties as much as you want."
"Thanks. I just wish your big mommy milkers still gave out that sweet mommy milk for me to have as a sweet treat while I'm feeling extra safe."
Gwen chuckled. "Oh, I really wish I still could give you that, baby. Too bad I don't have a fucking clue how it even happened in the first place."
"Maybe you felt so good that you gave it? Remember it happened right when we came at the same time and had our orgasms multiplied?"
Gwen tried recalling. "Maybe. And you did suck my tits a lot that time."
She realised that as well. "Oh yeah! Maybe we can try that and cum at the same time again after I've done some exposure therapy, as a reward? I'm pretty sure I might need it."
Gwen grinned. "Sure. Looking forward to being mind-blown again."
"Same." Peni said mischievously and licked her lips, empathising how much she really enjoyed sucking out the milk and tasting it. Gwen bit her lip, finding the gesture sexy.
She then remembered something. "Oh, Gwen?"
"Yeah, baby?"
"I remembered something before we left. Remember when you held me up the stairs and I called you my hero, but you didn't seem to like it? You said you'll talk about it later. So…"
Gwen remembered. "Oh. Right."
Peni showed concern and caressed her body. "You wanna talk about it now? You know I'm here for you, babe. You can tell me anything."
Gwen sighed and gazed at her friend. "Yeah. I know." Peni just laid in silence, allowing Gwen to prepare herself without pressuring her. The blonde felt the small girl caressing her body, and she pulled Peni further into the cuddle to ease herself. She smiled softly when Peni snuggled more comfortably between her boobs and they tangled their limbs around each other. Gwen sighed again, this time in relaxation, before speaking up. "Would it be better if we looked each other in the eyes, or is it okay if I just talked like this with you between my tits? I'm comfortable like this."
Peni giggled softly. "I'm more than fine staying between your mommy milkers."
"Cool." She chose to stay in this position. She was too comfortable to bother moving. "Um, so… This was… actually something I've been keeping to myself for a good while now, even back in my dimension. But after I ended up in this dimension and found people who were Spider-People just like me, I've been wanting to talk about it, mainly with you or Miles."
"Okay. Sounds good."
"But then, you know… you got shot. And the only thing that was on my mind since then was the fear of losing you, and just making sure you got better. So, I kinda forgot about it. And even when you did get better, I was kept distracted by hanging out with you, like we were normal people without spider powers. So, it stayed at the back of my mind."
"Um… That's a good thing, right?"
"Totally. It was bothering me. And like, being in such a peaceful house out of town and being with you, like you were my little sister, made me feel like I just belonged there with you guys. It made me forget I was even Spider-Woman, so I also forgot what I wanted to talk about."
"I'm glad. I'd love to be your little sister."
"Who said you aren't, baby?"
Peni looked up from Gwen's cleavage to see her looking back with a playful smirk. She grinned back and returned to snuggling between her boobs.
A minute later, neither had said a word. Peni remained quiet, giving Gwen complete control of the conversation.
Gwen eventually said it. "Being called a hero back there reminded me that I'm still Spider-Woman. But… I don't know if I wanna be Spider-Woman any more."
She didn't get a comment from Peni—not even an "okay." But that was fine. She actually preferred it. She just wanted to go at her own pace and let everything out of her chest without any interruptions, and having someone here to silently and non-judgmentally listen was just what she needed. She didn't need comments or questions during the middle of her vent that would halt it. "Like… I keep helping people. But, like, it's become such a chore, you know? Honestly, I don't even feel like helping anyone any more. It just always takes a lot out of me, and I get sick and tired every time. I just wish I never had this responsibility."
Peni listened, but she was confused by this responsibility that Gwen just mentioned. Nevertheless, she remained silent.
Gwen eventually gave context. "…'With great power comes great responsibility.' You probably heard of it. Miles and Peter know it too. And if Miles knows it, then that means the Peter from this dimension and even May know it too. But that phrase basically forced me to keep pushing myself to help people. Otherwise, I'd feel like I'm the bad guy. And the guilt would just keep getting to me until I actually helped."
That cleared things up for Peni, and she put more thought into that phrase. In the meantime, she slowly caressed her friend's back and gently rubbed her face between her bosoms. The taller girl sighed and returned the caressing gesture. She felt comforted and relieved. "God, it feels so nice getting all that out of my chest." She planted a kiss on her forehead followed by another longer one on the lips. "Thanks so much for being quiet and just listening, baby."
"You're welcome, babe. Was that everything you wanted to let out?"
"Pretty much, yeah."
"Okay. Sounds like you've been through a lot. So… Truth is, I've never actually heard of that phrase before."
"Oh. Really?"
"Yeah. Was I… supposed to know it?"
"No, not really. I just assumed it was part of being a Spider-Person, but I guess not. It's no big deal. Don't know if Benjamin or Porker know it."
"I can ask them for you. So, where did you hear it from?"
"It was something my dad said a couple months ago."
"When your Peter was still alive?"
"Yeah."
Two months ago
Gwen's dimension
After the final boring class of the week, Gwen was on her way home from school, relieved and ready for the weekend ahead of her. She made her way to a private spot around school to change into her spider suit. She opted to swing instead of walk since that was always the best way of commuting for her. She wouldn't have to deal with any form of rush hour, she'd feel more free soaring through the sky, and she had way more space to herself in the air. Plus, it was way more fun.
She decided to stop by the convenience store she frequently shopped at to top up on her snack stash. She didn't mind going straight inside in her spider suit.
Entering the shop through the front entrance, she was met with the usually enthusiastic greeting from the cashier. "Welcome back, Spider-Woman!"
"Yep." she replied with a hand up as a wave, speaking in a slightly deeper tone to make herself more anonymous.
She browsed aisle to aisle, creating the usual assortment of snacks she's comfortable with, as well as adding a few new ones to try on top.
Spider-Woman then heard the shop's doors open as two more customers entered. She didn't recognise one of them, but the other one she did, very well. It was her close friend, Peter. The boy grinned as soon as he saw her, and eagerly approached her. "Hey. Spider-Woman, right?"
She always found it hard to pretend not to be herself towards Peter whilst being Spider-Woman, but she tried keeping up her façade. "Yep. That's right. And you are?"
"Peter."
"Cool. Uh, don't mind me. Just getting some snacks for myself. Did you, uh… come for a signature or something?"
"Oh, no. I was just gonna get some snacks too, for my best friend."
Spider-Woman blushed, but she didn't show it through her mask. She knew who he was talking about. "Oh. Cool." She appreciated Peter going out of his way to buy them for her, though she did feel a little inconvenienced since she already went through the effort of coming here to buy them herself when she could've been chilling in her room naked by now.
Peter looked at the snacks in Spider-Woman's basket and smiled. "She likes those snacks too."
Spider-Woman glanced at her basket before looking back at him. "Sounds like she has good taste in her snacks."
"She sure does. She has great taste in music too."
She felt happy hearing that. "That so?"
She then heard a gun cock in the distance, immediately followed by a man yelling "Take me to the safe!" By instinct, she protectively tackled Peter and made sure they were both hidden behind the shoulder-tall aisle.
The man with the gun noticed the sound, but then returned his attention to the cashier.
Spider-Woman peeked out from the side of the aisle, seeing how the robber was now following behind the cashier who had their hands up and still had the gun pointed at them. They entered the door near the checkout area, supposedly where the safe is.
Once they were out of sight, Spider-Woman leaned against the aisle with an exasperated sigh. "Fuck." she said, her voice accidentally slipping out of her Spider-Woman façade and now sounding just like herself.
Peter looked at her, having noticed her annoyance. "You okay, Spider-Woman?"
She glanced at him and then leaned on her hand, not yet having noticed her slip, and unintentionally continued letting her voice slip into her natural speech. "It's just… When am I ever gonna catch a break? All I've been wanting to do all week was to come home with snacks and just… do nothing for the rest of the week. Seriously, at the rate these crimes are happening, I'm starting to think the real problem with this city is the way things work and not the criminals."
Peter sighed. "They do say New York's the land of opportunity. But they never talk about how so many people aren't that fortunate enough and have to resort to stuff like… well, what we saw just now."
"Not fortunate enough, huh?" Spider-Woman then turned to Peter. She knows Peter already knows everything about her, but since she's being anonymous as Spider-Woman right now, she supposed it wouldn't hurt to talk about her circumstances. "Can I… tell you something?"
"Go ahead."
She nodded. "Cool. So… I'm not actually fortunate enough myself either. Like, I'm not rich, and I'm just living in an apartment with my dad who doesn't earn that much. And it's not like I'm even being Spider-Woman as a freelance job. I'm just… volunteering."
"So, why don't you charge for your services then?"
She sighed. "To be honest, I don't even like doing this service in the first place."
"So why do it?"
She closed her eyes. "I don't know. The guilt gets to me, I guess. Seeing those innocent people get fucked over by robbers and people like that, and not doing anything about it just doesn't sit right with me. And I can't bring myself to charge, because those people shouldn't be getting fucked over in the first place. I'm not really for 'charging for essentials,' you know? Almost feels like extortion. It's like those gang members who demand protection money, and if the people can't afford it, then they're left to fend for themselves."
Peter shrugged. "I guess you can try accepting donations."
Spider-Woman thought about it. "Ha. I'd feel like those street performers, or rather, a beggar."
"Come on, you're not a beggar. I… I don't know how old you are, but from the looks of it, you seem like a teenager, and most teenagers don't have a job."
"I guess. But now I'm starting to think these crimes are just something that happens, no matter how often I try to stop them whenever I come across them. So… I've just been thinking recently about wanting to live for just myself."
"Yeah, you should do that."
Spider-Woman felt a little relieved at his encouragement. "You don't think people will hate me for not being there to save them?"
"Well, they shouldn't. They can't hold it against you. It's not like it's your responsibility to help them."
"But what about morals? Would it be morally wrong to not help?"
Peter pondered for a moment. "Well, there's no definite answer to that. But I know the best thing to do is to put yourself first. Don't help if you don't feel like it. You'll be a much happier person."
Spider-Woman decided to take his advice. "Alright."
"By the way… You sure you're not fortunate enough?"
She turned to him. "What, you actually think I'm rich?"
Peter chuckled. "No, what I mean is there's more to fortune than just how much money you have. Like… having great friends and family is good fortune."
"Oh." Spider-Woman knew she was fortunate in that regard. She dearly loved her dad and Peter. They both mean everything to her. "I see your point."
"Do you know what fortune I think you have as well?"
"What's that?"
Peter placed his hand on her shoulder as comfortably as he would've done if she was Gwen. Spider-Woman already felt like leaning against him and cuddling him after that touch, but she'll save that for when she's not Spider-Woman. Peter smiled. "You going out of your way and putting yourself at risk to help others without asking for anything in return. That selflessness is a precious fortune. It's something we don't have enough of in this world. We need more people like you… Spider-Woman."
Spider-Woman felt really warm and appreciated, and she couldn't resist pulling Peter in for a tight hug. She felt even better when Peter didn't hesitate to hug her back just as enthusiastically. As he expected, Spider-Woman's hug was just like Gwen's hug.
She then broke the hug. "Alright. I guess I'll start living for myself from now on."
"Great. You do that."
"But I don't mind helping out this cashier. She and I are a little acquainted you know, being a frequent customer and all."
"Fair enough."
"Pretty sure there's another exit where that safe might be, so I'm gonna head out round the back. You keep watch here in case the robber decides to leave through the front for some reason."
"Got it."
"Appreciate it." Spider-Woman made a beeline for the store door and sneaked around the building into the alleyway, waiting behind a dumpster that was sitting right beside the back exit. Soon enough, she heard the door slam open, and saw the robber pass by the dumpster without noticing her, empty-handed, but wearing a big backpack. Using that as well as his blind spot to her advantage, she shot web slings at his hands, lassoing them into handcuffs and making him stop.
"Alright, mister." Spider-Woman spoke up. "Where's the money?"
The man tried pulling himself away from Spider-Woman's grasp, but she had already stuck her end of the web to the ground, and there's no way he's going to beat the concrete floor in a tug-of-war. The man eventually resigned, feeling scared for the punishment. "M-My backpack."
Spider-Woman started walking towards him. "Okay, mister. I'm gonna take it from you. And no funny business. I've got the spider sense, you know? It's a sixth sense that will warn me if you're about to pull something off before you even start trying."
"Sounds like bullshit."
Spider-Woman walked around, stopping right in front of him with her hands on her hips, her body almost touching his. He was significantly taller, but to her, that meant nothing if she was Spider-Woman. Her voice lowered, but it also turned threatening. "You think it's bullshit, huh? Then try me. I've been through many robberies like this before, and I swear some of the robbers think I'm some sort of psychic." She undid the web from his hands, setting them free. "Come on, let's make a bet."
"…A bet?"
"Yup. If you manage to shoot me, I'll let you keep all the money, and I'll even distract the cops and send them in the wrong direction. But the moment my spider sense tells me you're about to attack me at all with or without your gun, I'll just web you to the floor, take your gun off you, and use it to blow up one of your balls. Hope you can afford the hospital bills without the money you just stole. But I'd worry more about my jewels if I were you right now. And by the way, I've built up a pretty good bullshit detector." she warned while paying attention to her fingers, pretending to look bored and distracted, but her voice and body showed no sign of hesitation or fear—just pure confidence in winning.
They stood like that for about ten seconds, and the man was sweating buckets, trying really hard not to have any thought of attacking her.
He noticed Spider-Woman chuckle and take a photo of him with her phone. "W-What are you doing with that picture?"
She looked down at her phone. "You're sweating like crazy, dude. It's meme-worthy. Don't worry. This picture isn't gonna go on a watchlist or anything like that. See?" She held her phone to the man, showing the photo. He wasn't in the mood to laugh, but she didn't let that stop her from enjoying the photo. She continued looking down at her phone, pretending to look distracted, silently daring him to risk his balls for the stolen money. It was a taunt. "So, how come you're robbing a defenceless convenience store?"
The man was quiet for a moment. "I'm barely living off on unemployment benefits."
"Look, dude, I don't blame you for wanting more, but a convenience store isn't going to have much in store bank-wise. I get it's called a 'convenience' store for a reason, but it won't conveniently have a lot of money. It's still one of those 'low risk, low reward' situations."
The man scoffed. "Low reward, my ass. This store had a couple hundred grand in the safe."
"That much?" In all that time, her spider sense hadn't gone off, which meant the man had submitted to her and was now at her mercy. "Looks like you weren't gonna pull anything funny. Smart guy." she commented, putting her phone away, her voice no longer threatening. "Just leave the money right here, and then I'll let you go."
"…You won't turn me in?"
"No, but if you take too long and the cops do show up, then I won't be able to stop them. Every second counts, dude."
The man nodded before hastily taking off his backpack and opening the main compartment. He dumped hefty stack after hefty stack of dollar bills onto the ground that looked like enough to buy several sports cars with. Spider-Woman's eyes widened. That man wasn't kidding when he said a couple hundred grand.
He then showed her that the compartment was empty and held his hands at her as if surrendering. "That's all of it!"
"Right, except you only emptied the main compartment. You expect me to just take your word for it? Show me the proof. Remember, the cops could show up any second~" She used her phone again, making it clear to the man that whether he took his time or not isn't her problem.
He looked more stressed out now and hastily showed her all the other compartments of the backpack, and even showed her his other pockets on his clothes. She honestly felt a little bad for putting this much pressure on the guy, but in fairness, he must've put just as much pressure on the cashier.
But she seemed satisfied that he gave up everything he stole. "Alright. Get going now."
The man wasted no time running away, but Spider-Woman stopped him one more time. "By the way."
The man stopped and turned to her, looking worried.
"Chin up. Employment benefits are better than nothing, and you are getting by. Just keep trying to get a job and then you'll be more comfortable." she said, trying to cheer him up.
"Thank you!" he said. They both heard police sirens coming, and the man run away with a lot of adrenaline.
Spider-Woman just watch him and chuckled, shaking her head in amusement. She decided to send the photo to his phone through a close-range messaging feature that requires only the nearby presence of his phone. Successfully sent. Hopefully, the photo will amuse him when he looks at it some day.
She felt a little proud of herself this time. Not only did she help the cashier whom she meets with a lot, but she also felt like she might've helped a robber turn over a new leaf.
Putting her phone away, she stared at the mess of cash stacks laying around her. Shit, that's a lot of money, and a lot to deal with. I can't be bothered to take all this back. It's right outside the convenience store. I'll just leave this mess for the cops to deal with. I've already done their job, anyway. I just wanna relax at home with my snacks now. Well, better get going…
…Hm. This is all actually a couple hundred grand? Instead of leaving the crime scene right away, she picked up one of the stacks and flipped through it. She estimated this single stack in her hand to carry at least ten thousand dollars. Damn. She was impressed by how such a small thing made out of paper can carry this much value. She's just never seen this much money in her life before, let alone all in one place. Whatever that cashier's saving up for, she's sure got herself one hell of a safety net with this much cash in her bank.
…Hmm… Maybe I should be charging for my hero services. I mean, sure, I don't like the idea of it, and I don't like the impression it might leave, but holding this much cash right now feels pretty damn good! And, since I'm not well off, and being a hero is way out of my comfort zone, I might as well get a little something more out of it than just a "thank you" or some good vibes or karma. Heh, now that I think about, I probably have a shitload of good karma on me by now. Too bad I have no idea how to spend it. At least I can spend cash on almost anything anytime I want.
Gwen stared at the stack in her hand. …Maybe I can keep this one to myself and leave the rest for the cashier? Will they find out?
Forget it. That would make me a robber too, and it would definitely make things suspicious and I'd end up as a suspect. Besides, over ten grand sounds like too much of an asking price for saving the money, but then again, coughing up that amount is better than losing all the money to the robber. Well, anyway, I just can't imagine myself asking for a reward. It would make me seems so… desperate.
It honestly feels like my head is going round in circles, procrastinating on whether I should take this money, like I just keep coming up with reasons not to. Almost like I don't want the money deep down.
And besides… that selfless fortune Peter told me did make me feel a hell of a lot better about myself. Maybe I should keep that fortune alive and just keep doing what I've been doing without asking for anything. I'm sure one day, the people I've been helping all this time will finally wanna give back. They can't be that selfish, right? I mean, it's only fair…
"What do you think your doing with that?"
Spider-Woman froze at that sudden question that sounded like the voice of her own dad, especially when he's giving her a suspicious look. Slowly turning around, she sees that it was indeed her dad, George, standing outside the convenience store's backdoor, armed with a gun albeit not pointing it anywhere near her. His brows were furrowed. Peter and the cashier were standing right beside him, and they looked confused by comparison. She looked at the money in her hand and realised the impression she was accidentally giving. She immediately dropped the stack on the ground next to the others. "O-Oh! Um, I just got this from the robber! I wasn't gonna… Um…"
This was awkward now. Peter and the cashier looked concerned, while her own dad was straight up looking at her as if she could betray him.
Fuck this. She swung away quickly, leaving the mess to George and the cashier to deal with. After all, that was the original plan.
"Wait!" George called out, managing to stop Spider-Woman from disappearing into the rooftop. She looked down from the edge of the building. "…Thank you." he said.
That did ease things for Spider-Woman. She gave him a nod before walking away from the edge of the rooftop, disappearing from their sights.
By the time Spider-Woman had entered her room through her window, she sighed as she stripped herself out of her suit and hid it in a safe place. She then changed into her tank top and shorts that didn't leave much to the imagination, which was why she liked them, and also why they were comfortable. She was already in the mood for snacks. But first, she slumped onto her bed and took a moment to rest.
…
Her eyes opened at her apartment door opening, and judging from the voices, it was George and Peter. Shortly after their arrival, her own door was knocked on, and she heard Peter's voice. "Gwen, you in there?"
Gwen smacked her lips. "Yeah. Come in."
He entered with a smile that she always found infectious. "Hey. Sorry, didn't mean to wake you."
She waved her hand casually. "Don't worry. I was getting hungry, anyway." She then held her arms out to him. "You gonna give me a hug or what?"
Peter grins and approaches her, leaning in for a hug. "You always want hugs, huh?"
Gwen squeezed him back with heartfelt enthusiasm. "Mm-hmm. They're like the best things ever, dude."
Peter hummed. "Yeah. They are."
They spent a moment of silence together, just soaking in each other's hug and boosting their own mood as well as each other's. This was already the best part of their day so far.
"Got any hugs left for your dad?"
Gwen and Peter broke their own hug and turned to George asked that at her door. The girl smirked and broke her current hug, holding out her arms for her dad. "Sure do."
Her dad approached her and she gave him a long squeeze too.
"By the way, Gwen, I bought you more snacks." Peter brought up, giving her the shopping bag packed with snacks in case she wanted any right now.
The girl grinned toothily. "Thanks, dude." She scavenged through the bag. "You got some chocolate?" She was in the mood for some.
Peter joined her in the scavenge. "Yeah."
George put his hands on his hips. "Speaking of snacks, the shop Peter was at got robbed."
Gwen feigned surprise. "Shit, really?" She looked at Peter in fake concern, knowing nothing actually happened to him. "You didn't get hurt, did you?"
Peter shook his head. "Oh, no, no. I'm all good. Spider-Woman was actually with me the whole time, and the robber didn't even notice us. He just took the cashier to the staffroom and then Spider-Woman followed him and took care of it. Then George came in too late as usual."
The man sighed in embarrassment. "Sheesh, you didn't have to tell her that part. You make me sound like I'm bad at my job."
Gwen chuckled. "So, got a chance to speak to her or anything yet?"
"No. She just swung away. Besides, I don't know if she was taking care of it the way you think."
Peter defended her. "Dude, she wasn't going to steal it."
Gwen continued feigning innocence. "What do you mean 'steal it?' Steal what? The money?"
"Yeah, but she just took it back from the robber and then just… held it in her hand for a bit, but then she dropped it when I asked her about it."
"Exactly." George said. "The way she was holding it looked like she was seriously considering taking that money for herself."
"Well, the cashier said she can have it."
Gwen asked while eating her chocolate, being genuinely curious this time. "Really?"
"Yeah, she said Spider-Woman deserves some payment, and she was going to pay her a couple grand."
Gwen's breath was taken away. Someone actually wanted to give back. She felt… excited. "Shit. That's awesome."
"Right? And this is probably the first time she's actually being rewarded for it."
George sighed. "Can't deny she's just doing it for free. She is some hero, alright. And a hell of a good one." Gwen contained her excitement. It meant so much more to her when her dad indirectly called her a hero than when so many strangers say it right to her masked face. "In fact, she's too good, and quite frankly, I'm worried about her. And I can't catch up to her. None of the other cops can. And we can't even track her down either. Where would we even start?"
"Skill issue." Gwen commented, making Peter laugh. "Seriously though, why are you worried? I never thought you actually cared about her. You always talked about her like she was just some kind of punk."
"Well… There's more to her than a punk. I always got the impression that she's a young woman, and I'm worried because if one day she entertains the idea of doing robberies herself and realises she can actually get away with them, then she might actually go for it and end up a bad guy herself. And we won't be able to stop her. The girl's got a lot of potential, and I don't want her to be outcast."
Gwen remained silent with her treat while George continued. "You know, when I told my family I was joining the police force, my brother, Bentley—we call him Ben for short—anyway, he was happy for me. But he was also worried. He told me to not to get carried away, because there are a lot of abusive cops out there who exploit their power, you know? He told me 'with great power comes great responsibility.'" He was met with an amused look from his daughter, eliciting a chuckle from him. "I know, it's super corny. But he had a point. I guess he knew I was always a good guy, but he just didn't want me to lose myself in being a cop. And now I think I finally understand why he was worried about me, because I'm worried about Spider-Woman the same way now. …You wanna know what the worst part about all of this is?"
Gwen frowned. "Okay."
"…I feel helpless because I don't know her, let alone what she's going through. In fact, I don't so much as know a damn thing about her. At the very least… I just wanna see her face. It's a start, at least. Is that too much to ask for?"
Gwen had lost count of how many times she considered coming out as Spider-Woman to her dad, but every time she built up some confidence to do so, it always ended with her procrastinating out of uncertainty of how he would take it.
And this time was no different. She just couldn't help feeling like she's been dishonest to her dad ever since she first became Spider-Woman a few months ago, and she felt like coming out now would definitely make him at least a little disappointed that she had kept it from him. But finding that to be inevitable, she still plans to come out at some point. When she's properly mentally prepared. "Better late than never." she'd often reassure herself with.
"Well, anyway, that's enough moping from me," he said, deciding to leave it at that. "Want anything for dinner?"
Gwen raised a brow. "You're just gonna end it there?"
"What do you mean?"
"Well, I mean, there was no closure."
"What else am I supposed to say?"
"Just… let me know you'll keep trying. And maybe… I don't know, don't try and scare her off? People can find cops intimidating, especially young people like her—and me."
George chuckled. "What, you want me to treat her like she's some abused and stray kitty?"
Gwen smiled. "Nah. Just be outgoing."
George smiled back. "Alright. I'll keep trying, I promise. And I'll try to be friendlier."
"Cool."
"So… what are we gonna do about dinner?"
Gwen casually ate her chocolate and answered without even a second thought. "Gonna order buffalo wings."
"Right. Guess I don't need to cook." He then left the two alone.
Gwen sighed and shifted to make space on the bed, patting the extra area for Peter. "C'mere, my dude."
Peter smiled at the invitation and lay beside her, soaking in the warmth from her body having warmed up that area until now. He shortly felt Gwen learn her head against his shoulder. "It's really warm."
"I'm glad." While Gwen and Peter were laying beside each other on her bed, the taller girl was lost in thought about what George's brother told him and how George didn't want Spider-Woman to lose herself.
She leaned her head back on her pillow and let out a much needed and satisfying exasperated sigh. She didn't wanna think about it now. She's not even being Spider-Woman right now.
"What's the matter?" Peter asked.
Gwen let out another sigh that was a casual one and stretched her limbs and toes. "It's been such a long day." She continued munching on her chocolate bar, savouring its sweet taste and just enjoying herself as a teenager and not a hero.
"Yeah, it has."
Gwen went through her chocolate bar in silence, and the more the silence went on, the more she cuddled up to him. By the time the chocolate was fully consumed, she had her head resting on the crook of his neck, her arm around his torso, and her thick leg tangling his.
"You're really tired, huh?" Peter asked rosily, hesitantly wrapping an arm around Gwen's waist.
"Mm-hmm." she hummed lazily, "Gonna continue my nap like this, if you don't mind."
"I don't."
"Thanks, dude."
Peter took out his phone and tried passing time with it while keeping his arm around the taller girl, who was feeling content having him around to keep her company and comfortable.
She was glad he was here for her.
…
"…Hey, dude?"
"Yeah?"
Gwen cuddled him closer and tighter. "I'm glad you didn't get hurt."
That made Peter feel happier. He caressed her waist. "Thanks. I'm glad you weren't there to risk getting hurt."
Gwen chuckled softly. "Thanks, dude." She felt Peter move his hand to her head and gently stroke her hair. She smiled softly as she continued resting against his comforting body.
…
The more Gwen thought about that day and snuggle she had with Peter, the more she longed for him, and the more emotional she got thinking about him. She could feel her eyes feeling tingly, which was a clear sign of the imminent waterworks. She thought she was already done grieving over him, but it turns out there was only so much grieving she could've done before she'd need to do some more.
Peni, having felt the taller girl's feelings through their newfound psychic link, looked up at Gwen with a soft expression of empathy. Raising her hand to the taller girl's face, she cupped her cheek and very gently caressed it with her thumb to sooth her emotional pain.
Gwen felt her eyes beginning to water. "Hey, baby? …It's okay if I just… cry… Right?"
Peni felt sadder from the shared feelings, but she understood, and she nodded supportively. "Of course, baby. You can cry anytime you want. Here, put your head here," She signalled to her very small boobs and pressed them together with her arms to form a modest, squishy cleavage, making for a comfy pillow for her. Gwen gently moved down until her head was resting right between Peni's soft pair, already feeling more comfortable from the pillow and heartbeat. The smaller girl ran her fingers through Gwen's hair and caressed her bare back using mainly her fingers. She continued cooing while feeling her own eyes getting tingly. "I'm here for you, baby; whenever you need me. So just let it all out. Don't hold back."
Gwen sniffed, feeling herself close to crying. "Okay. I'm so sorry if I make you cry too, my baby. I just feel like I need this."
"Don't be sorry. I want to feel your pain—all of it. Let me into your broken heart, baby. Let me fix it up and make you feel whole again."
Gwen acknowledged her words gratefully and shortly began choking out her first wave of gentle sobs that were somewhat absorbed by Peni's chest and her small, comforting boobs. Being able to understand the taller girl on a literally sympathetic level, Peni continued caressing Gwen's body until she eventually muffled her own softer cries into Gwen's hair.
It was like back when they cried together earlier at the house over the ruined backpack: their psychic link forced them to share and amplify each other's negative feelings. The taller girl unfortunately felt so much worse from the little girl's own crying, but she didn't regret that; she didn't want her to stop; she wanted her to never hold back on her. Gwen caressed the smaller girl's body in return while still letting out her own feelings into the girl's chest. She felt Peni squeeze her in return, and she reciprocated, resulting in their cuddle being tighter.
"I—I'm so sorry, my little baby." Gwen choked.
Peni choked back and sniffed. "Don't be. I'll take anything you throw at me, and I'll still hold you close. I'll be your safety net to squeeze out all the bad feelings away, and I still won't let go even when you're all better."
Gwen gave a weak, quivering smile and chuckled. "You're so fucking sappy, baby. But that's really sweet."
Peni smirked weakly. "You're one to talk. You've been just as sappy when we last cried."
"True that."
…
Gwen sniffed. "I just… I miss him so much. He was like a brother to me."
Peni frowned. "I know, baby."
"I really don't wanna lose you next, baby. I can't. I would literally fucking kill myself if I did."
Peni remained in silence for a moment before nuzzling more into the taller girl's hair. "Don't say that, baby." she cooed weakly.
Gwen didn't respond, and just continued silently venting her bad feelings into Peni who was being her safety net.
A minute later, their crying soothed to an end, and their breaths started shuddering which brought relief to them.
Peni looked down to Gwen whose face was still buried in her barely-there cleavage. "You okay, Gwennie?"
Gwen looked up with half-lidded eyes which were slightly bloodshot, and the rest of her face looked steaming hot. The smaller girl's face looked the same, and she gave a soft smile as charity in hopes of cheering up the smaller girl. "I feel better, baby." Gwen murmured. "You?"
Peni smiled wider and assented with a hum and leaned down to press a gentle kiss on Gwen's forehead. The taller girl closed her eyes and soaked in the warm, soothing affection. She moaned softly. "Do it again, baby."
Peni grinned, feeling how good that kiss made Gwen feel, and pressed her lips once again, this time for longer to let the taller girl savour it more. She then pulled away with a soft-sounding smack and continued stroking Gwen's hair and bare back while Gwen did the same to the smaller girl's back and shoulder.
Gwen kept her eyes closed for a moment longer before making eye contact again. She then moved towards Peni's lips and kissed it before retreating back to her chest and gazing into her. "You know… For someone who's supposed to be on their day off, you've been having a pretty shitty day from crying twice and feeling like shit both times. Sorry about that."
"Well, that's not true, baby. I see it like this: I was just venting those two times. I felt a lot better after each time I cried. And today was also the day I had sex for the first time, and had a lot of it so far today—not to mention that mind-blowing synchronised orgasm—and I hope to have a lot more of it. And today was also the day our relationship developed into our Gweni one." Peni started getting rosy, but she also smiled wider. "And… We kissed for the first time today, and did lots of that too. And we started doing lots of naked cuddling. And our road trip today was… I think it was perfect. And getting to know you more as you told me about when you heard that responsibility saying…" Peni sniffed happily. "My day wasn't shitty at all. It was the best one of my life so far."
Gwen looked up at the girl who was beaming through her tears, and she felt better herself from the little girl sharing her happiness. She smiled softly and toothily. "I'm so glad, baby. It was the same for me too. And we're just getting started." She leaned up and kissed Peni on the lips, making the little girl softly giggle into the kiss. This was just what they needed after crying their eyes out.
…
"So…" Peni brought up, "What did you spend the money on?"
"Hm?" Gwen then realised the girl was talking about the reward money that the cashier had supposedly offered in her story. "Oh. Um… I never collected it."
Peni frowned. "Really?"
"I just told her I wasn't doing it for the money. Plus… I was worried that doing it for the money might make me lose my selflessness."
"Well, there's nothing wrong with being selfish. And the money would've made your job more bearable." Peni caressed Gwen. "Well, that's in the past now. At least you got a better reward in the end."
Gwen looked at her. "And what was that?"
Peni looked at her rosily. "…Me."
Gwen was silent for a moment, and then smiled. "Yeah. I like the sound of that. So, since you're my reward, that means I get to do whatever I want to you, huh?"
Peni got shier. "Mm-hmm. And I also wanna spoil you rotten, especially since you rejected that reward money."
"Oh, I don't know, baby. I always thought that I'd be the one to spoil you rotten instead—with my ass."
Peni bit her lip. "Mmm, giving me the best ass in all dimensions is definitely spoiling me super rotten." She then giggled. "Well, let's spoil each other. I'll spoil you with my ass too, and my mouth too."
Gwen bit her lip too. "Fuck yeah."
"I also wanna keep treating you every time we go out."
"If you're offering that, then it sounds like you're loaded."
Peni giggled. "Mm-hmm."
"Well, let me at least treat you sometimes too, baby."
"Sounds good."
They remained cuddling in silence, and Gwen found that she couldn't move away from Peni's chest even if she wanted to. Not that she was complaining. But she knew she will definitely be very reluctant to get up once they'll eventually have to leave the RV. Peni on the other hand wasn't even thinking about leaving the RV.
…
"Hey, Gwennie?"
"Yeah, baby?" Gwen mumbled, keeping her eyes closed while still snuggled against her chest.
"What do you think that saying means—'with great power, comes great responsibility?'"
"Uh… Basically, with my spider abilities, I'm responsible for using it for the greater good."
"Do Peter and Miles think the same too?"
"Uh, I guess? I mean, I never really asked them. I just assumed they do since they're Spider-Men too."
Peni was silent. "I don't think it means that."
"What do you think it means then, baby?"
"Well… before I tell you, I want you to forget about that saying for a moment."
"Honestly, baby, I'm ready to just forget everything and fall asleep…"
"Fine by me." Peni said, hoping Gwen was too distracted by the idea of slumber to dwell on that saying and instead just succumb to the comfort of her chest.
However, Gwen's curiosity got the better of her, and she couldn't stop thinking about how Peni might go on about it. She sighed and took a moment to clear her mind. "Okay. Forgot about that saying. What now?"
"Okay. So. Remember the time you got bit by a radioactive spider?"
Gwen remained silent, remembering her encounter. By the time she realised that spider was on her hand, it was already too late to do anything about it before it bit her. "Okay."
"Was it on purpose?"
"You're asking if I deliberately had a spider bite me?"
"Mm-hmm."
"No, it was an accident."
Peni nodded and continued stroking her hair. "Okay, good. So, am I right in saying you didn't want to be bitten?"
"Yeah. It just came out of nowhere and bit me."
"Okay. In that case, you never actually wanted to be a hero or vigilante, right? Since you couldn't have possibly known that a radioactive spider bite could turn you into a hero."
"Right."
"Do you still wanna be a hero?"
It didn't take long for her to shake her head with confidence and assert. "No. I just wanna be nobody to everyone. Like, I don't want anyone to think of me as a hero or whatever and have any expectations for me. I don't want them to expect anything from me. I just wanna do whatever I want. Like, back at the rest stop, when we were just cuddling and eating lunch together while watching the view through the window. It felt perfect. I didn't want anything else. I felt so free, like I didn't need to do anything or wasn't expected to, and everything I did at that moment was just something I wanted to do, you know? Not because anyone wanted me to. And it felt like the world could just move on without me, like it didn't need me to help, and that's fine. I still wanna have the choice of helping others, but only if I want to, not because I should. So, yeah. I don't wanna be a hero. I don't wanna be anybody. Nobody is who I wanna be."
Peni smiled and gave Gwen an affectionate kiss on the lips. "There you go, babe. There's your answer: be nobody. So what if you have the spider sense and can stick to surfaces and stuff? Sure, that's super cool and all, but it was never your responsibility to be somebody and help people in need; it's the emergency services'. You can always help, but nobody should ever expect it from you since it was never your job. You're not even getting paid. You know, Spider-Woman doesn't even need to be a hero; those are two very different things. Spider-Woman can be a nobody who just likes swinging around and being super sexy and secretive. So, you can still be Spider-Woman, but you don't have to be a hero."
Gwen found this revelation to be very refreshing, but she wanted some more reassurance. "…But… After helping out as Spider-Woman a lot, people are now expecting me to help. Like, what if people start hating me for not being there to help any more? And they start booing whenever they see me? What if they see me as a bad person?"
"Why would they? Choosing not to help doesn't make you a bad person, babe. Besides, you've already been super helpful in the past, so they don't even have any right to judge you, especially when they don't even know the girl behind the mask who's way more beautiful and amazing than her hero persona. And if they do start booing you, then obviously they were never worth helping in the first place, and that's all the more reason not to help them at all from now on. You shouldn't even care about what they think about you. But there will definitely be people who'll still appreciate you, like me, Aunty May, Benjy, and the other guys. They know that Spider-Woman has a life of her own, and they respect how she wants to live it."
"You and the others are really okay with me not wanting to be a hero any more?"
Peni gazed at her. "You know… Your dad worrying about Spider-Woman losing herself and becoming a bad guy can work both ways; you can lose yourself in being a hero as well if it's not something you want to be. That's what 'with great power, comes great responsibility' really means, Gwennie: With our newfound spider abilities, we're responsible if we let it change us. He doesn't want you to change. And neither do I. I don't want you to change a single bit. I want you to stay as the cool, fatassed, squishy, sexy, protective, soft, warm, cuddly, sweet Gwen Stacy you've always been. So, I don't want you to be a hero any more, just like you don't want to. I want you to be a nobody like you've always been without the mask."
Gwen felt very flattered at the sincere compliments Peni threw at her, and especially at the smaller girl's concern for her wellbeing. And know that she thought about it, that interpretation of the saying made more sense to her. It sounded more ideal than her own interpretation. "It's settled, baby: I'll quit."
Peni smiled. "I'm so glad. And you know, I'm speaking for all of us Spider-People when I say none of us wanted to be heroes in the first place. So, you don't have to be one, let alone even have an obligation to. I know I called you a hero back at the house, but don't worry about it. You've always been nobody to me, and you'll always be nobody."
Gwen chuckled. "Thanks, baby."
"But…" Peni looked at her more timidly, "Even though I don't consider you a hero… Will you still stick to your promise and protect me from everything?"
Gwen's smile was lost, and she spoke more sincerely while caressing her friend's cheek. "Of course. baby. Heroism has nothing to do with wanting to protect you. I… I really like you. I wanna keep you safe in my arms, between my tits, for as long as I can. I can't imagine losing you. I don't ever wanna be without you."
"I won't let you lose me." Peni said with a grin, "You're stuck with me. And I'll protect you as well."
"Thanks, baby." Gwen said with a smile, pressing her lips against Peni's. "You're still not a hero though." The little girl giggled at that. "And I'd say you're a nobody too, but…" Gwen put her lips to the smaller girl's ears, almost silently whispering right into her canal and sending waves of tingling pleasure that even tingled her spider sense. "You're my little baby."
Peni closed her eyes that were rolling up. "Fuck, Gwen~"
"Mm-hmm."
She opened her eyes again when she returned from her high, and blushed. "Y—You can also be my little baby when you need it."
Gwen pulled away and looked at her with a smirk. "Yeah?"
"Y—Yeah. Like you were when you cried on me. I… I'll also be your mommy for you who'll make you feel better anytime you want."
Gwen bit her lip, feeling even more grateful for her. "You're so good to me, baby."
Peni gently gripped on her shoulders. "You're so good to me too."
They leaned in to kiss each other again, feeling fuzzy and tingly from it.
…
Gwen spoke up. "So, uh… Do you think the others will be okay with me not wanting to be a hero? I'm still gonna help with the whole Super-Collider thing, but I might not feel like helping out in the city."
"Oh, I know Aunty May and Benjamin will support your decision, 100%. I know they'll always want what's best for you, and I think this is best too. And if the others aren't so supportive about you retiring, don't worry. We'll talk some sense into them for you."
"Thanks, baby."
"You're welcome, babe."
…
"As much as I'd love to stay like this," Gwen said, "we'd better get going before we end up missing dinner by the time we get back home."
Peni hummed. "Yeah, you're right." She then groaned. "I hate having to get up from you…"
"Hehe, you and me both. So, what do you wanna do first? Do the shopping now? Or stop by Miles's place and surprise him?"
Peni put a finger to her cheek in thought. "Hmm… Let's see Miles first. He can help us with the shopping."
Gwen was on board with that. "Cool." She very reluctantly got out of the two-person cuddle puddle, instantly feeling the almost unbearable desire to jump right back in. Instead, she helped the smaller girl out of bed with her and then started putting on her school uniform back on, helping Peni with her own with her panties, socks, and shoes as the smaller girl sat on the edge of the bed.
Peni checked out Gwen in her uniform, especially her now shorter miniskirt that she had trimmed for her back at the home, exposing some of her thighs and giving a taste of its promising plumpness. She hummed and gently gripped the hem of her skirt. "Mmm, you're looking good in that skirt." She lifted the skirt to expose Gwen's panties, though she didn't look down to see it, keeping her eyes on Gwen's. She then gently tugged on the skirt before letting go. "Can't wait to see you in a micro skirt. I'm gonna pick out the shortest one for you. You're gonna look like such a hot tease."
Gwen smirked. "I bet I will. You're looking cute, but to me, you're also looking like a tease who's always begging for me to play with." She then leaned in to Peni's ear and whispered. "Remember how I said earlier that I'd lift your skirt in public?"
Peni's eyes widened and she felt excitement at that idea. She gulped from the thrill. "Mm-hmm~"
"Looking forward to it?"
"Mm-hmm~"
"Good." She gently nibbled on and gently sucked on the smaller girl's cheek while the latter closed her eyes and enjoyed the affection. Gwen then pulled away and smiled toothily. "Ready to go?"
"Yeah."
After helping the girl get up and step out of the RV, they waited for Bitsy to join them in her robot before making their way out of the car park and down the street.
It was pretty loud and busy, a polar opposite to the peace and quiet when walking from the holiday home to the target practice area in the forest. But they could tolerate it. Meanwhile, pedestrians around them were surprised and amazed at the large robot walking by the girls.
Gwen noticed Peni was doing less walking and more skating. The youthfulness put a grin on her face. "Forgot you had those roller shoes."
Peni grinned. "They're fun and convenient."
"They're trendy with the kids in this dimension." Gwen said, remembering Peni's dimension was far ahead in time. "And also those shoes that flash every time you take a step."
"Oh, I heard about those. They looked super cute on some of the girls I've seen them in."
Gwen smirked. "I think they'd suit you too, baby."
Peni got rosy. "You really think so?"
"Oh, yeah. Maybe we can find a nice pair for you around here—on me."
The little girl beamed. "Really?" When she received a nod, she leaned in for a kiss. "Thanks, babe."
…
"I wonder if there are shoes that makes custom sounds too. I'd love shoes that make fart noises." Peni said while giggling.
Gwen imagined Peni wearing those shoes and making a loud, overused fart sound every step she took, and the taller girl shook her head at the thought, laughing. "No, please. I'd never get over that. I'm such a sucker for fart noises."
"Yeah?"
"Uh-huh. They're so fucking stupid, but that's why they're so funny. They're like dad jokes, you know?"
The smaller girl giggled. "Yeah. Benjy makes great dad jokes too."
"Oh, yeah? I'd love to hear some from him when we get back."
"I'll let him know. He only does it when it's just me and him because he gets embarrassed about telling them to the others."
"Cool."
They continued walking (and skating) down the street, holding each other's hands and on their way to pay Miles a surprise visit.
To be continued…