Spider-Man Mayhem-Chapter 437: To Be Love

[Third Person Pov]

Despite it being summer, Gwen still preferred to sleep bundled up in warm clothing, a habit that came naturally because of her cryokinetic abilities. The chill that clung to her body made lighter fabrics uncomfortable, so she compensated by layering up. She was currently lying in bed, curled slightly into herself beneath a thick blanket, wearing pink Hello Kitty fuzzy pajama bottoms paired with a warm hoodie that swallowed her frame just enough to keep her comfortable.

The room was quiet, and for all appearances, she seemed completely asleep.

Above her, however, a small movement broke the stillness. A thick strand of webbing stretched from the ceiling, and slowly descending along it was a spider. That spider, of course, was Peter.

He hung upside down with ease, shirtless and dressed in his own pajama bottoms, his hair sticking up against gravity in messy spikes. Perched on his head was a brightly colored party hat, slightly crooked from the angle, and between his lips rested a coiled noise maker. He steadied himself, inching closer until he hovered just above Gwen’s head, clearly preparing to make his move.

Peter took in a deep breath, puffing out his chest as he got ready to blow into the noise maker, no doubt intending to startle her awake.

"Peter," Gwen said flatly, her voice cutting through the quiet without her even opening her eyes, "if you blow that in my ear, I’m freezing you solid."

Peter froze mid-action. His shoulders slumped almost immediately, all that built-up excitement deflating in an instant. The noise maker extended weakly with a soft, pitiful toot, brushing lightly against her cheek instead of erupting loudly as intended.

"I just wanted to wish you a happy birthday," Peter muttered, his tone dropping as he sulked a little, still hanging there upside down.

"You can do that without potentially blowing out my eardrums," Gwen replied, still calm but clearly unimpressed. "Did you forget how sensitive our senses became?"

She finally opened her eyes, blinking away the last remnants of sleep as she pushed herself up into a sitting position. Her hair was a mess, sticking out in uneven directions, and she let out a quiet yawn behind her hand.

"Sorry..." Peter said again, this time softer, the disappointment clear on his face.

Gwen took one look at him and felt her resolve crumble almost instantly. The way he looked so genuinely disheartened made it impossible to stay even mildly annoyed.

"Redo?" she offered, her tone softening.

Peter perked up right away and nodded. He released the webbing and flipped down with practiced ease, landing directly on top of her. His arms wrapped around her as he pulled her into a tight hug, immediately showering her cheeks with quick, affectionate kisses.

"Happy birthday, my dear Gwendolyn," he said warmly, his earlier enthusiasm returning in full.

He pulled back just enough to take off his party hat and place it gently on her head. Then, with a mischievous glint, he tugged the strap so it snapped lightly against her chin.

Gwen yelped at the sudden sting and swatted at his shoulders in a playful manner. "Hey!"

They both broke into laughter, the sound easy and natural. Gwen’s smile softened as she leaned in and gave him a small peck on the cheek in return.

"Thank you," she said, her voice warm.

Peter beamed before shifting slightly, still holding onto her as if he had no intention of letting go anytime soon. "We better get ready, because I have the whole day planned out for us," he said, sounding even more excited than she was. "I know you don’t want anything grand, so don’t worry. I put a lot of thought into it."

Gwen’s arms settled comfortably around his neck while he kept his hands at her waist, looking up at her with that same eager expression.

"First, we’ll have a family-style breakfast with everyone. Nothing too crazy, just something small and controlled," Peter explained. Then he reached into his pockets and pulled out two tickets, holding them up between them. "After that... I’m taking you to an aviary."

"Seriously?" Gwen asked, her eyes lighting up immediately at the idea.

"Well, birds are your favorite animals, aren’t they?" Peter said, smiling with quiet pride.

Gwen blinked, clearly caught off guard. "How did you know? I never told anyone that before. I’m pretty sure not even my dad knows that."

"You seriously think I wouldn’t know my girlfriend’s favorite animal?" Peter replied with a small snort. "You decorated your notebooks all the way through middle school with bird stickers. And every time you use your ice magic thing, you always make bird constructs. There are other animals out there, you know."

"Do I?" Gwen said, a small laugh escaping her as she thought about it. "Huh. I never actually realized that... but I guess you have a point."

She caught the smug grin creeping onto his face and narrowed her eyes slightly, a playful challenge forming.

"Alright, big guy. Since you seem to know me so well, which bird is my favorite then?" she asked.

"Trick question," Peter answered without hesitation. "You like all of them. You just like birds in general. But if I had to pick one you lean toward the most... I’d say hummingbirds. They’re the only birds capable of omnidirectional flight."

Gwen stared at him for a second before shaking her head in disbelief, a smile tugging at her lips.

"Just so we’re clear, you just gained a ton of brownie points with me," she said as she tightened her arms around him, pulling him closer as she settled back into the bed with him.

At that moment, Gwen couldn’t help but feel it clearly. To be loved was to be seen, and Peter had seen her in ways she wasn’t expecting. The fact that he had paid that much attention, that he had noticed something she had never explicitly said out loud, told her everything she needed to know.

...

When George awoke, he found Peter leaning casually against the kitchen counter, a cup of coffee in his hands. The early morning light filtered in through the window, casting a soft glow over the scene, making it all feel strangely normal despite the situation.

George blinked a few times, still shaking off sleep as he stared at the shirtless teen standing in his kitchen like he belonged there. "What are you doing?" he asked, his voice rough from just waking up.

Peter didn’t seem bothered in the slightest. He simply held out another cup of coffee toward him. "Gwen is taking a shower, so I figured I’d make some coffee while I wait for her," he said with a small shrug.

George took the cup, eyeing him over the rim before letting out a quiet scoff. "I would’ve thought you’d have joined her or something. Seems like something you’d do."

Peter paused for a split second, then his eyes lit up like a switch had been flipped. "Great idea!"

Before George could even process what he’d just said, Peter tipped his head back and downed the entire cup of coffee in one go. He set the empty mug in the sink with a quick clink and immediately took off, sprinting out of the kitchen and across the house.

George turned his head slightly, already knowing he’d made a mistake.

A second later, Peter burst into the bathroom, the door flying open as steam poured out into the hallway. "Gwen, baby, make room, I’m coming in!"

The door slammed shut behind him, and from inside came a sharp, startled shriek. "Ahhh! Peter?!"

George stood there in the kitchen, staring ahead for a long moment before letting out a slow sigh. "I just had to say something, didn’t I..."

...

A little while later, things had settled down.

Peter stood behind Gwen in front of the bathroom mirror, both of them brushing their teeth. Their mouths were full of foam, and neither of them could really talk, but that didn’t stop the quiet amusement between them. They moved in sync without even thinking about it, matching each other’s rhythm as they brushed.

Their eyes met briefly through the mirror, both of them holding faint smirks.

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