Tobey was no saint. As long as Kingpin offered, he accepted.
Money, luxury goods, he took it all.
Women, too.
However, the women Kingpin sent were strictly one-time affairs. Once the night was over, he sent them packing.
When dealing with a man like Kingpin, any woman he gifted could only be treated as a fleeting distraction. Taking them seriously was a death sentence. For all Tobey knew, they were venomous snakes planted by his side to spy on him.
As a spider, Tobey had no desire to share his bed with a snake.
Gwen, however, was a different story. He knew exactly who she was and where she came from, so he did not mind the idea of a long-term development.
Besides, the Gwen of this universe was undeniably gorgeous. She perfectly matched his aesthetic, looking exactly like a flawlessly drawn comic book character brought to life.
In fact, everyone in this universe, including Peter, Ben, May, and even Kingpin, seemed to lean closer to their idealized comic book designs.
After gaming with Peter a while longer, Tobey returned to his room to rest.
Despite having a physique that far surpassed normal humans, Tobey maintained a strict schedule of sleeping early and waking early, unless he was on a nighttime mission.
His Spider-Man physiology was the foundation of his rise in the Marvel Universe. Without a system to rely on, he had to take perfect care of his body.
The next day.
While Peter was still snoring away his weekend, Tobey had already finished pumping iron in his custom-built underground gym and run several laps around the neighborhood.
As he finished his final lap and prepared to head inside, Tobey felt a gaze resting on him from next door.
Following his Spider-Sense, he saw a girl with a head of fiery red hair standing in the adjacent yard, watching him.
Seeing that Tobey had noticed her, the red-haired girl confidently walked over and extended a hand.
"Hi there. You must be the cousin Peter mentioned. Ben and May Parker's son, Tobey Parker, right?"
Tobey briefly studied the girl. She was easily an eight out of ten and radiated a vibrant, sunny personality. Mary Jane Watson.
He reached out, lightly shaking her fingertips, and offered a polite smile.
"Yes, hello. I am Tobey Parker. Peter has mentioned you as well, the fairy neighbor with the beautiful red hair."
Nobody disliked compliments, especially not pretty words from a handsome guy.
Naturally, Mary Jane's first impression of Tobey was exceptionally good.
After a brief introduction, the two chatted for a few minutes.
During the conversation, Tobey noticed something entirely different about this universe's Mary Jane. Unlike the irritatingly dramatic or gloomy versions from many movies and shows, this MJ was cheerful, articulate, and poised.
It seemed his preconceived notions about Marvel characters had been a bit too heavy.
Just as his impression of Mary Jane was improving, her parents called out from the house, telling her it was time for breakfast, bringing their short conversation to an end.
Watching Mary Jane head inside and affectionately greet her parents, Tobey nodded in understanding.
It was not just Mary Jane herself who was different. Her entire family dynamic lacked the oppressive darkness of other timelines.
Her father was not an abusive alcoholic, and her mother had not passed away in grief.
She grew up in a genuinely happy home.
Perhaps that was exactly why this universe's Mary Jane possessed such a bright personality, completely unlike the unlikable, gloomy, or gold-digging iterations seen on screen.
Tobey felt a wave of relief. At least he no longer had to worry about his poor, foolish cousin getting his heart broken and cheated on in the future.
Returning home, Tobey took a quick shower.
When he walked out feeling completely refreshed, May was just bringing breakfast to the table.
Meanwhile, his lazy cousin, sporting a messy bedhead and a face full of reluctance, was being practically shoved downstairs by Ben.
Sitting in his usual spot, Tobey bit into a sandwich that genuinely did not taste very good. Yet, he smiled with profound happiness.
Having been an orphan abandoned at birth in his previous life, this rare, warm family affection was incredibly precious to him.
Wrapped in this cozy atmosphere, even May's terrible cooking somehow tasted delicious.
Of course, that applied strictly to Tobey.
Peter and Ben chewed their sandwiches with twisted expressions, looking as if they were trying to swallow leather shoehorns.
Seeing their faces, May immediately launched into another lecture, seamlessly pivoting to praise her own son for being so sensible and not a picky eater.
The uncle and nephew, already struggling to swallow, immediately looked as sour as lemons.
Salvation finally arrived when the doorbell rang. Ben and Peter looked as if a heavy burden had been lifted, practically fighting each other to be the first to open the door.
Swinging the door open, they were greeted by a literal ray of sunshine.
Bright blonde hair, a radiant smile, and a slender figure. It was Gwen herself.
"Hi, Uncle Ben! Hi, Peter!"
Gwen's arrival was like a descending angel saving the uncle and nephew duo.
They hurriedly ushered her inside.
Walking in with practiced familiarity, Gwen headed straight for the dining room and waved at the table.
"Hi, Aunt May! You are looking even younger today!"
May stood up and gave Gwen a warm hug, her face practically blooming with a joyful smile.
"Oh, Gwen, you are always so sweet. But it feels like you have lost weight again. We are just having breakfast, come sit down and eat with us."
Without missing a beat, May naturally pushed Gwen into the seat right next to Tobey. She ruthlessly snatched Peter's half-eaten plate away and brought Gwen a fresh serving of breakfast.
It was not that May had known Gwen was coming and prepared an extra portion.
It was simply because Tobey's massive physique required a staggering amount of food. A normal breakfast was never enough, so May always prepared two or three people's worth just for him.
Now that Gwen was here, sharing a bit of his portion was perfect. She knew her son would not mind.
After all, her son weighed three hundred pounds, and it was hard to tell if Gwen even weighed a hundred.
For the sake of their future marital bliss, her son really needed to lose some weight.
Wait, no. Her son did not have an ounce of fat on him. It was all pure muscle.
Well, then Gwen definitely needed to gain some weight! Otherwise, May was genuinely worried her son might accidentally crush the poor girl in bed.
Naturally, Gwen and Tobey had no idea what kind of dirty thoughts were running through May's head.
Gwen even rolled up her sleeve, flexing her firm but small bicep at May. She proudly declared that she was not losing weight; she had just started working out recently, hoping to catch up to Tobey's fitness level.
Hearing this made May even happier.
Look how sensible this girl was! To match her son in every way, she not only studied hard, constantly fighting Peter for the top two ranks in their grade, but she also refused to fall behind physically.
It seemed May could no longer let Peter wallow in his laziness. She decided she would make him join Tobey's workouts. Even if he could not build a physique like Tobey's, he at least needed to stop looking like a scrawny dog.
And her husband Ben, too. His beer belly was almost bigger than hers had been when she was pregnant with Tobey. He needed to join them and lose some weight.
At that very moment, having used the excuse of opening the door to sneak out for some fried chicken, the uncle and nephew had no idea what was coming.
May had already locked them into Tobey's hellish training regimen.