Gwen Stacy really, really did not want to talk about her perfect world. Just thinking about the framed wedding photos and the cozy, domestic academic life she had shared with an adult Peter Parker in that illusion made her face burn with a mixture of profound embarrassment and longing.
The problem was, if she didn't bring it up, someone else inevitably would. Or rather, something else.
If it hadn't been for Venom's big, telepathic mouth, Gwen never would have believed that a girl as quiet and reserved as Cindy Moon would actually take the initiative to kiss Peter. (Though, to be fair, expecting Peter Parker to take the initiative in kissing anyone was an even more absurd concept.)
But Cindy had kissed him. The supposedly taciturn girl was secretly incredibly proactive. She had bluntly admitted to Gwen inside the Soul Stone that her perfect world was exactly the same. So what was going to happen now that they were back in reality? Gwen couldn't just sit back and wait to find out. She had to address the elephant in the room. But how?
Sitting next to Gwen on the hotel lounge sofa, Peter just stared at her in terrified silence. He had no idea what she had seen inside the Soul Stone, but her intense, unblinking stare was making his Spider-Sense hum with sheer social anxiety.
Peter mentally reached out to the alien parasite currently wrapped around Gwen's body. Venom. What exactly did she see?
[I SUGGEST YOU JUST LISTEN TO HER, PETER,] the symbiote's deep, rumbling voice echoed in Peter's mind, sounding entirely too amused. [TO PUT IT BLUNTLY: IT IS HIGHLY EXPLOSIVE. BRACE YOURSELF.]
What kind of mental preparation am I supposed to do for that?! Peter panicked internally. Did she see a world where she rules the planet as an evil spider-queen?!
Gwen hesitated for a moment, her fingers drumming nervously against her knees, before she finally broke the silence.
"Well, first of all, we saw your perfect world," Gwen started, deciding to pivot the conversation slightly. "And it really was perfect, Peter. The hopeless bad guys were locked up, and the villains you thought had a decent reason for their actions were given a second chance and a normal life. We saw your ideals. It was beautiful." She paused, crossing her arms. "But I have to admit, I was a little disappointed that I didn't see a single picture of me on your CEO desk."
Peter was momentarily at a loss for words. He blinked. "Um... sorry?"
"No, you don't need to apologize. It's not about that," Gwen sighed, looking down at her black sneakers. "It's just... your picture existed in my world."
"I'm sorry," Peter said, leaning forward. He really did have to apologize this time, because his brain had entirely stopped working. "What did you say?"
"I mean... ah, how should I put this?" Gwen's cheeks flushed a bright, cherry red. She pushed through the embarrassment. "In the perfect world I saw inside the Soul Stone, there was a photo of the two of us. As adults. We were both researchers working together at Empire State University..."
She didn't explain everything. She conveniently left out the wedding rings. But the implication was clear enough: in Gwen Stacy's ultimate, perfect dream, she and Peter were together.
"It was there that I realized what my actual role could be," Gwen continued, her voice softening. She looked Peter dead in the eyes. "Under normal circumstances, my job isn't to cause you trouble. My job is to let you know that someone is standing right behind you when you need support. If... if the universe asks you to carry the weight of the whole world on your shoulders, I want to be the one to tell you that the world isn't solely your responsibility."
Peter sat completely frozen. He heard every word she said, but the sheer emotional weight of the confession left him entirely speechless.
Gwen quickly flicked a strand of blonde hair behind her ear, her tone suddenly sharpening. "That's why I said it was a bit strange not to see my picture on your desk. And, by the way, I didn't see Cindy's picture either. Why is that?"
Startled by the sudden, aggressive change in topic, Peter visibly flinched. "What?"
"Cindy," Gwen pressed, her eyes narrowing slightly. "She was bitten by the same spider as you. She can sense you anytime, anywhere. She's incredibly pretty. You saved her life. And, apparently, she kissed you."
Peter's jaw practically unhinged.
Wait. How did Gwen know that?! Cindy wouldn't have willingly told anyone about the kiss in a million years.
Peter's eyes instantly snapped to the black fabric of Gwen's sleeve. VENOM. Did you do this?!
[IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH ME BEING A GOSSIP,] Venom purred smugly in Peter's head. [I MERELY BELIEVE THE HOST HAS A RIGHT TO KNOW THE TRUTH.]
What the hell does the truth have to do with you snitching on my love life?! Peter screamed internally. That's it. You're going back in the glass tube.
But Gwen completely ignored Peter's silent, furious glaring at her sleeve. She was busy torturing him herself.
"So..." Gwen leaned in closer. "It's obvious she likes you. Literally everyone around you can see it. So why isn't she an option? Do you not like her?"
Peter stammered, his hands waving frantically in the air. "No! I mean, it's not that I hate her! I just... I just thought maybe she acted impulsively! Maybe she didn't know how to express her gratitude, so I figured..."
"She told me her perfect world was the exact same as mine," Gwen dropped the bomb flawlessly.
Peter froze entirely. His brain blue-screened. He smoothed a hand nervously through his hair, let out a long, shaky breath, and tried to reboot his central nervous system. Clearly, navigating a teenage love triangle was a threat far beyond the proportional strength and speed of a spider.
"Okay, let's summarize," Gwen said, counting on her fingers. "Since you don't have any pictures of girls on your desk, it means one of two things. Either you haven't fallen for anyone at first sight, or your guilt complex is telling you that Spider-Man shouldn't—or couldn't—be in a normal relationship. Right?"
Peter just stared at her. If he had actually just fallen for a girl at first sight, this problem would be infinitely simpler.
"Besides, you don't dislike her," Gwen continued relentlessly. "Which means you shouldn't dislike me either, right?"
"How could I dislike you?!" Peter finally managed to squeak out. "Gwen, we've known each other since we were kids!"
"Okay. Good," Gwen nodded firmly. "So... would you refuse to go on a date with me?"
Peter's mind spun like a derailed train. The conversation was flowing so smoothly and aggressively that he had completely lost the steering wheel. "What?!"
"Exactly what it sounds like, literally," Gwen said, her face red but her gaze absolutely unyielding. "If I told you right now that I wanted to go on a date with you, would you refuse?"
Peter's mouth opened and closed like a fish. He desperately searched for an answer, an excuse, an emergency supervillain attack—anything to save him.
Instead, he got the absolute worst possible interruption.
"He probably can't find a logical reason to refuse."
Cindy walked into the lounge, holding a hardcover book. She casually bypassed the coffee table and sat down on the empty cushion on Peter's other side. She calmly marked her page, set the book down, and listened to Peter let out a pained, defeated sigh.
"I'm guessing," Cindy added coolly, not looking at Gwen, "that if I asked him the exact same question, he would give the exact same stammering non-answer."
Cindy turned her head, locking eyes with Peter. "We were lovers in my world, Peter."
"Oh, yeah?" Gwen fired back, leaning across Peter to glare at Cindy. "Well, we had wedding photos."
[WOW,] Venom practically brought popcorn to the mental theater. [SHE WAS PLAYING IT SO SUBTLE EARLIER, BUT THE SECOND A CHALLENGER APPEARS, SHE JUST BLURTS OUT THE WEDDING PHOTOS. HAVE THEY FORGOTTEN THIS WAS JUST A FANTASY? WHY ARE THEY ACTING LIKE THEY ALREADY OWN YOU?]
If you had just kept your alien mouth shut, none of this would be happening! Peter mentally roared.
[I THINK THIS IS A NET POSITIVE FOR YOU, PETER,] Venom mused. [ESPECIALLY SINCE TWO HIGHLY CAPABLE FEMALES ARE ACTIVELY COMPETING FOR YOUR GENETIC MATERIAL. UNDOUBTEDLY, AS YOU GROW MORE POWERFUL, YOU WILL ATTRACT EVEN MORE MATES.]
Is this seriously based on your alien experience?!
[IT IS THE FUNDAMENTAL LAW OF BIOLOGY,] the symbiote replied sagely. [THE MORE SUPERIOR THE APEX PREDATOR, THE MORE ATTRACTIVE THEY ARE. AS FOR ME? I AM A SENTIENT PUDDLE OF ALIEN SLIME. I DO NOT HAVE A GENDER. I AM MERELY AN OBSERVER OF YOUR MESSY PRIMATE MATING RITUALS.]
"I have an idea," Cindy said suddenly, ignoring the bewildered boy wedged between them. She stared directly at Gwen. "If we discount today and our travel time, we have Tuesday through Thursday. Three full days left in Puerto Rico."
Cindy crossed her arms. "We pick two of those days. We each get one full, uninterrupted day to go on a date with Peter. Let him figure out for himself who he actually likes more."
Gwen didn't even flinch. She met Cindy's intense stare with equal fire. "Fine. But I get to go first. After all, he invited me on this trip. Not you."
Neither of them even paused to consider the possibility that Peter might refuse the arrangement. And, looking at the sheer, terrifying determination radiating from both sides of the sofa, Peter knew perfectly well that refusing was not an option if he wanted to survive the afternoon.
"I just have one question," Peter said weakly, raising a hand like a student in the back of a classroom. "What happens if Thursday rolls around and there's still no definitive result?"
Gwen and Cindy both slowly turned their heads, fixing him with identical, intensely scrutinizing glares.
Peter slowly lowered his hand and sank deeper into the sofa cushions. He raised both hands in absolute, unconditional surrender.
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