Work Text:
By Dani Tsubasa
Peter skipped through the buildings to Gwen's house, thankful that today was a day when the bad guys weren't too excited and active.
In front of her window, he tapped on the glass as usual. Receiving no response, he looked inside, seeing his girlfriend lying on her bed, with her back to him. It was unusual for Gwen to sleep at this time of the afternoon, he was sure he would find her reading or writing one of her research on the computer.
He pulled up the window, grateful that Gwen had left it open for him, and jumped into the bedroom, leaving his backpack and mask aside and walking over to her, wondering at her lack of reaction until he heard her groaning in pain. This made him run to the other side of the bed and crouch down to be closer to her height, seeing Gwen open her eyes and tears spill onto the pillow. She was squeezing her feet together and holding her belly with her hands as she breathed heavily. Peter stroked the top of her head as his gaze sought explanations.
“I'm sorry...”
“Gwen, what happened?!”
“It hurts a lot sometimes,” she told him as Peter dried her tears.
“This what?”
“Remember that night? From the history of the chocolate house? What I invented to dismiss my father and he doesn't see you here.”
“Yes.”
“Today is real.”
Gwen wanted to hug him when she saw her boyfriend's eyes fill with understanding and affection. Peter came over to kiss her forehead and stroke her cheek.
“Tell me how to help you, because I have no idea.”
“I need the thermal bag, and pain medicine. Everything is in the kitchen. Nobody's home now, mom and the boys only come back at night. But just in case, you'd better change that uniform for normal clothes.”
Peter took a moment to absorb the information, then nodded, standing up and going to his backpack. Gwen heard him close the curtains and change his clothes, then go back to leaving them as they were and dropping his backpack beside the bed.
“Take me with you. It'll be easier to find things. And I need to go to the bathroom anyway, you can help me get there.”
Peter nodded, reaching forward to pick her up when Gwen tried to get up and her eyes narrowed with more pain. She curled up in his arms, trying to compress the sore area to reduce the discomfort, and tucked her face into his neck after Peter kissed her forehead and headed for the bedroom door.
“Can you open the door for me?”
Gwen nodded, turning the knob for the two of them to pass. Peter went with her to the kitchen, having no trouble finding it after so many times he'd come to see his beloved when her parents weren't there, and the two had time for Gwen to introduce him to the apartment. Peter did his best not to conflict with George, so the visits were almost always secret. And even now after his death, sometimes the two of them preferred to meet like this, alone, and have their time together without pressure.
He helped Gwen to a seat while she instructed him in which cupboards he would find what she needed, and what to do. Soon there was water boiling on the stove, and Peter handed her the indicated pill with a glass of water.
“I'll wait for you outside. I don't know if I trust your legs now,” he told her as he walked her to one of the bathrooms, holding her by the waist.
“Fine.”
Peter could feel the worry twisting his face as he watched his girlfriend walk into the room, slightly bent over by pain, and close the door.
“Are you okay?” He asked before her delay, minutes later.
“Yes.”
“I'll turn off the fire and fly back, watch out.”
“Right.”
Dousing the stove's flame, he dropped the thermos bag into the hot water as Gwen had instructed, and immediately returned to her, finding her already outside the bathroom. She looked relieved, but pale and exhausted.
“Gwen, you have to lie down. The color is fading from your face.”
“I realized. But it hurts a little less now,” she spoke slowly, her eyes closing involuntarily.
Peter reached for her, holding her shoulders to keep her steady.
“I'm terribly sleepy...”
Gwen didn't complain when her loved picked her up again and carried her back to her bedroom.
“Effect of the medicine starting… I still want the thermal bag, though,” the blonde asked when he settled her on the bed.
“I’ll get it.”
Peter gave her one more kiss on the forehead, and hurried to the kitchen, returning in moments with the thermal bag wrapped in a towel as she had asked.
“Gwen...” he called softly, seeing that the blonde seemed to be sleeping, despite her breath still a little panting. “Here it is. What to do with it?”
She slowly opened her eyes, and turned her head to look at him, reaching for her bag and placing it on her stomach over her clothes, closing her eyes again and sighing in relief.
“Do you need anything else?”
“Not for the time being. Just stay with me. And I wouldn't complain if you massaged my hair in the meantime.”
Peter nodded, and sat down beside her, reaching for the golden strands and doing as she asked.
“Gwen...”
“What?”
She looked at him, realizing he wasn't quite sure how to bring it up.
“Peter, if it's about that... That's a natural thing, there's nothing wrong with you being curious. And so you'll know how to take care of me. I'm fine on my own, but it's nice to have company.”
“You have your mother. Even though she's not here right now.”
Gwen smiled.
“But it's nice to have you too.”
Peter smiled, feeling his heart warm at the declaration of how much she trusted him.
“What you want to know?” She asked sleepily.
“It's always like that?”
“No, luckily. Sometimes only.”
“A lot of blood?”
If anyone knew well the ills and discomfort caused by sudden and severe loss of blood, it was Peter Parker, and he hated to see Gwen in a similar situation.
“This is so relative... But it's nothing I can't stand. My body was made to survive this. Sometimes more, sometimes less. So much influences it.”
“Like what?”
“Stress, food, sleep, strong emotional upheavals, sudden changes in routine, health problems, and other things.”
“Are you okay?”
Gwen stared at him, knowing he wouldn't stop until he found the balance, until they got to where he would know she was safe.
“Sometimes I miss my father. But it doesn't hurt like it used to, just... It's a void. We graduated two weeks ago, and he wasn't there.”
Peter intensified the stroking of her hair without realizing it. George's ghost seemed to haunt him, and he'd told Gwen that when they'd nearly broken up again that night, when he'd felt incredibly stupid and unworthy of her love as he cried in her arms, while his admiration for the strength of his girlfriend was growing up when she helped him pull himself together for the two of them to have dinner with her family, making him promise that they would talk about it later, before they reached a definitive break that would hurt both of them badly.
“I missed uncle Ben too.”
Gwen grabbed his free hand, and they intertwined their fingers.
“I also miss our colleagues, and I worry about what my adaptation at Oxford will be like. And about us. I... I hadn't realized until now how many things I have on my mind.”
“You're the smartest and most amazing girl in school, and you're going to be the smartest girl in Oxford too, it's impossible that they won't like you or that you'll have problems with your studies.”
Gwen smiled at him. She knew that, but the change still made her anxious.
“And about us... Let's find a way. Now... You just need to rest, and enjoy that I'm here.”
Gwen pulled him by the arm, and quickly Peter understood what she wanted, leaning over his beloved to reach her lips. Her fingers tangled in his hair as they kissed, and in her slower and late than usual movements, Peter sensed how tired she was, ending the kiss gently and pulling away.
“You need to sleep, or I think you'll end up passing out.”
She chuckled softly and nodded as she caressed her beloved's face.
“Open one of the windows a little. Or I’ll melt.”
Only then did the hero notice that her fair skin began to sweat, whether due to the heat of the thermal bag, more a natural reaction to what her body was going through, or both, he didn't know. But he nodded and got up to do as she asked, then went back to sit beside her.
“Gwen... About the chocolate... Is that for real?”
She laughed softly in amusement.
“Yes. Ironically, the brain asks for it at these times, chocolate has a substance called tyrosine, which stimulates the release of endorphins, serotonin and dopamine. Serotonin increases the feeling of pleasure and well being. Even the pain seems less. But it's still a dairy product, which can generate or worsen inflammation and infections in certain cases. So it's best to avoid it, but without exaggeration it doesn't really bad.”
“See? You are the smartest girl on the planet.”
She laughed.
“They teach us that at school, Peter.”
He smiled at her and gave her a soft kiss on the lips, seeing her green eyes close again, and Gwen settled her hands on her stomach, relaxing completely and falling asleep within minutes.
Sitting on the floor beside the bed, Peter ended up falling asleep as well as he continued to caress her blond hair. He warned Aunt May on his cell phone about what was happening before he fell asleep, and that he would take care of his girlfriend for now, not realizing the hours passed until he felt a gentle hand on his shoulder, and a voice calling him softly.
“Peter?” Finally Helen Stacy managed to get him to notice her.
Peter woke up still a little dazed, not realizing how tired he was too, and realized that the bedroom was darker and Gwen was still sleeping in front of him in the same way she had hours ago. He looked up, startled to see Gwen's mother, and backed away a little.
“Miss Stacy, I...”
“Alright,” she kept her tone mild so as not to wake her daughter. “I'm sorry for scaring you. I just arrived with the boys and saw that Gwen had taken the thermos bag from the kitchen. I didn't realize you were taking care of her. Thank you, Peter. You got points with me for that.”
He breathed a sigh of relief.
“I came to visit her this afternoon and she was crying and in a lot of pain. So I stayed. What time is it?”
“Five o'clock PM.”
“Wow... We blacked out for almost three hours,” he said looking at Gwen. “I'm sorry.”
“It's all right. Stay for dinner with us, call your aunt if you want. Gwen will like this. She should wake up soon,” Helen said turning on the bedroom lamp and adjusting the light so that it was softer.
Peter nodded, wondering if it would be a good idea. May and Helen had met a few times since he got back with Gwen and the two of them had worked things out, and to her surprise, the two of them had gotten along great, and Gwen's brothers liked May.
“I’ll do some things. If you need anything, or Gwen, call one of us.”
Peter nodded.
“Thank you.”
When Helen left, he sat up in bed and ran his hands over his face as he finally woke up, looking back as he felt Gwen stir. She rolled onto her side, sliding the thermos bag onto the mattress, and curled up, and Peter only wished that after all this she still wasn't in pain. Her clear eyes opened and she stretched, then curled back.
“Gwen...? It's ok?”
She closed her eyes again for a few moments and then opened them again, yawning and using one arm to lift herself onto the bed.
“What time is it?” She asked, her voice a little cracked by how deeply she had slept.
“About five in the afternoon. Your family is at home. It was your mother who actually woke me up.”
“Did you sleep here?!”
“I just sat on the side of your bed and fell asleep.”
“Spider-Man was exhausted too,” Gwen smiled. “Did she fight you?”
“No. She thanked me. She said she noticed our visit to the kitchen, and that I got points for it.”
Gwen's smile widened.
“And invited me and aunt May to dinner.”
“You accepted?”
“Don’t know yet.”
“Call Aunt May, I'd like you to have dinner here today.”
“Your mother said the same.”
“So phone and invite her.”
Peter nodded with a smile.
“Hey... Does it still hurt?”
“No. I just feel a little dizzy and... I feel like I've taken a beating.”
“This I know how it is.”
The two laughed together.
“You could go get Aunt May while I shower and get ready for dinner.”
Peter nodded, reaching for her as Gwen faltered in her movements and sat down beside him. The teenager wrapped his girlfriend around her shoulders and kissed her hair, letting her rest her head against him afterwards.
“Wait a minute, I need to finish waking up,” she said closing her eyes.
“So you go to sleep again.”
“Complain to my body, it's what's doing it.”
Peter stroked her back and hugged her for a few minutes, until finally Gwen's brain showed signs of being more awake, and she decided to get up, staggereing the first few steps to her feet, and Peter refused to let go until she steadied herself.
“You can't do anything like that. I'll leave you with your mother, just sit there for a while while your body wakes up.”
Gwen nodded, letting him lift her onto his lap once more after he'd slung his backpack, and go into the hall wih her in search of Helen.
“Hi Peter,” Howard greeted him as they passed through his bedroom door. “Sis, are you ok?”
“Staying, How. It's just that my legs still don't understand that I've already woken up.”
The blond laughed.
“Sit down until dinner.”
“Is Peter here?” Simon appeared from his own bedroom.
By now Gwen already knew how much her little brother enjoyed spending time with Peter and sharing his taste for superheroes with him, not even suspecting that he was talking about it with one of them.
“Hi Simon. I came to visit your sister and she wasn’t well, I took care of her for you.”
“Shut up, Philip!” Gwen said to the middle brother when he made a move to open his mouth to play with the situation.
“I was just going to say hi,” he laughed. “How are you, Peter?”
“I'm fine. Take care of your sister while I get back. It's not easy to go through this.”
“Will you have dinner with us?”
“Yes, your mother invited me, and Gwen will be angry with me if I refuse.”
The blonde laughed.
“I'll get my aunt and come back.”
“Bye Peter,” the three said together as he continued walking with Gwen, until he found Helen in the kitchen.
“Gwen, are you better?” She questioned when she saw her daughter in her boyfriend's arms.
“Yes, Mom, just a little dizzy yet.”
“I didn't feel safe when she tried to walk. And I was genuinely scared this afternoon,” Peter said. “So I'll leave her with you while I get my aunt.”
Helen smiled.
“So did you accept the invitation? I’ll help Gwen, she’ll be fine soon. Go get May.”
Peter nodded, placing his beloved on the floor and helping her into the chair her mother had pulled out for her.
“Did he do well, Gwen? Taking care of you?”
“I felt like a queen, mom.”
Peter laughed with joy as he saw Helen's approving smile and the happiness mixed with amusement flooding his beloved's eyes.
“I like that. Thank you, Peter,” the older woman told him again.
“I have to take care of my heart,” he replied, making both of them surprised by how sweetly he responded.
“Thank you,” Gwen told him softly as Peter came over to kiss her before leaving.
“I love you,” he whispered back.
“I love you too.”
They both watched him leave, and Gwen knew that despite going through the front door, he wouldn't bother going down the elevator or the stairs, and that he would probably be back sooner than expected.
“He surprises me more each day, despite seeming such a confused boy at times.”
“We're working on it.”
“Your father was like that too before we were married.”
Gwen looked at her impressed.
“How so?!”
“You know his job was a dangerous thing, despite how much he loved the job. He was reluctant to be with me when we were young. He already knew this was what he wanted, but he feared putting me, and the children we had, at risk. He still made a lot of mistakes out of that over the next few Years,” Helen said, already aware of what George had forced Peter to promise in his death, and that had hurt him and Gwen so much for several months. “Today I have na idea why.”
The two were silent, having no idea how much they would live to feel it even more intensely in the coming months, not even imagining how the Green Goblin would almost kill Gwen on the bridge the day Peter decided to go to England with her, and that he would ask her to marry him that same night, that they would have a future together.
“Have you ever thought about it?”
“No,” Gwen replied. “Not like that at least.”
Helen nodded.
“We took the risk together, talked for hours about it many times until we reached a consensus, and how we could always help the other with minimal risk in possible situations. And even with what happened, it worked Gwen. Don't give up over that, whatever reason George thought such a sweet boy was dangerous. I think he and Peter just didn't have time to get to know each other well.”
Gwen nodded, knowing they actually knew each other a lot better than her mother realized, and that she had no idea how many times her daughter had cleaned and treated Spider-Man's wounds while hiding him in her bedroom.
“I wouldn't do anything diferente,” Helen said smiling, going back to cooking. “Rest a little longer. When I'm done here, I'll help you get ready if you're still not well.”
Gwen nodded, deciding she would talk it over with Peter. She still didn't know how or when, but she would, hoping it would help him establish that this wasn't about him, it hadn't started with Spider-Man, no promises or ghosts past had the right to cut the future of them.
“Thank you, Mom.”
“You're welcome,” she replied with a smile.