Archive of Our Own ^beta

"Gwen! You... scared me." Miles sat up, taking his headphones off and trying to catch his breath. 

Gwen put her hands up apologetically. "Sorry. I tried knocking on the window so I wouldn't... scare you. But you were in the zone."

Miles shrugged. "I mean, you did almost give me a grabber. But... I'll let it slide this time." 

Gwen chuckled, placing her hand gently on Miles chest. Miles tensed against her fingers and felt his face warm as he stared into her eyes curiously. 

"... Thank goodness. We have a heartbeat, ladies and gentlemen." 

Miles smiled, feeling a laugh emit from his lips. Gwen giggled a little as well. As she withdrew her hand, her warmth left with it.  

"So... not that I'm not happy you're here... but you normally don't just... drop by like this." 

Miles scratched the back of his hair in nervousness. Gwen sat beside him. 

"... I know... you're my only friend. After Peter died. And... I really... wanted to talk to you."

Miles stayed silent. Gwen sighed. 

"... I told my dad I was Spider Gwen... or rather I showed him." 

"Woah... really? What made you do that all of a sudden?" 

"... I had no choice. And... the next thing I knew, I was here." 

"Did he... say anything?" 

Gwen shook her head. "Yes... none of it was what I wanted to hear." 

Miles placed his hand on her shoulder, causing her to meet his gaze. 

"... Give your dad some time. I mean... you did just tell him you're Spider Gwen. That's a big deal." 

Gwen didn't say anything. Miles withdrew his hand, but before putting it back by his side, he gently pushed the white hood of her suit down. Her blond bob, complete with pink highlights, stared back at him.

"You changed your hair."  

"Yeah... sometimes you need one." Gwen shrugged. 

"I feel that. And I like it. A lot." 

"Really?" Gwen raised a curious eyebrow. Miles nodded. 

"As for... what you said earlier..." Miles trailed off.

"For today, be... just Gwen. Leave Spider Gwen to rest for a little while." 

"And what would Gwen do?" She asked. 

"Spend the day with her friend... I mean, we could hang out, I mean." 

Miles internally cringed at his suggestion. He was terrible at this. Gwen chuckled. 

"I'm in, Miles."

"Cool. You wanna borrow some... non Spidey clothes?" 

Gwen chuckled, nodding. "If you've got some to spare." 

As they left the house, Miles couldn't help but steal glances of Gwen. In his oversized red and navy blue hoodie which she put over her black leggings, she looked really... 

"Miles? Earth to Miles?" 

He blinked, her hand waving back and forth in front of his face. 

"Oh... uh yeah, yeah. I'm here."

Gwen shook her head. "You sure?" 

"Absolutely." Miles scratched the back of his curly hair nervously. As he continued to lead her to the subway, he looked over again and sighed contently. 

Cute. She looked really cute. 

He could feel his face burn with embarrassment as he finished the thought he'd been interrupted from before. 

As the two got on the train, Miles went straight for the corner of the train car where a pair of unoccupied seats remained. Gwen joined him. 

"Is it always this crowded?" She asked. 

Miles nodded. "Pretty much. This is Brooklyn, after all." 

"And this loud?" Gwen added. There were several booming phone conversations going on as well as the screeching of the train against the tracks and someone trying to sell trees for a low price. 

Miles laughed. "Yeah. But that's what these are for." 

Before Gwen could ask what he meant, he pulled out his red headphones and put them over her head and ears. Soon, a song began playing, 

Who would’ve thought That it was possible To make love by telepathy The moon is full, my bed is empty What I would do to you If I had you in front of me, your mind would be blown By night and by day, by night and by day

As he removed the headphones, he could feel sweat beading at his forehead as well as Gwen's lingering stare. 

"The woman is singing about... how she feels alone at night... and how if she had this... this friend who she hasn't seen in a while in front of her, it would be uh... a mind blowing experience." 

Gwen blinked, seemingly processing the words. Miles looked away, feeling his chest tighten with anticipation. 

"Really? Well, we can kind of relate."

Miles paused. "We?" 

Gwen nodded. "Us seeing each other after a year... separated by universes... is a pretty mind blowing experience. Isn't it?"

She looked away and Miles could feel his face burn and as he reached up to touch his cheek, he confirmed it. He was definitely blushing and he could feel his lips curving into a smile. 

It's... it definitely is , Gwen. 

Eventually, their stop came and Miles led them to a nearby movie theater. After grabbing popcorn, candy and something to sip on, the two sat in the next showing of a super hero flick. During trailers, Miles reached for the popcorn at the same time Gwen did. Her fingers felt soft and warm against his in the air conditioned theater. 

"If you wanna hold my hand, all you gotta do is ask." Miles whispered, withdrawing his hand. Gwen giggled. 

"Uh huh. That's exactly what I'm trying to do." She said playfully, carefully shoveling a handful of popcorn into her mouth. 

Miles could feel his heartbeat quicken and had to take a minute before reaching for the popcorn again. 

As the movie played, their laughter seemed to mesh together in between lines of dialogue and the accompanying music. And at points, it felt like they were back in school again where they first met. In a dark classroom lit only by a projector. Whispering to avoid getting into trouble. As Miles peered over at her, he began to smile a little. Gwen, in the dim theater lighting, looked even prettier than she did in his dreams. 

At one point, Gwen laid her head on his shoulder. At first, Miles stiffened against her. But as she relaxed, he took a breath and tried his best to relax too. He wrapped his right arm around her gently, which she didn't seem to mind. He could feel his lips curving into a smile again as he returned his eyes back to the screen. 

Before either of them knew it, the movie was over and their feet naturally seemed to lead them to the photo booth out in the lobby. 

"Updated selfie time?" Gwen said with a smile. 

Miles nodded in agreement. "We both... grew. A lot." 

Gwen chuckled, staring up at Miles. He really had sprouted up seemingly overnight. But... a lot could change in a year. 

As the two of them got into the small photo booth shielded by a red curtain for privacy, Gwen and Miles both smiled. For the second picture, Gwen stuck out her tongue and Miles did the same. Gwen giggled as another flashing from the photo booth came. For the third picture, Gwen turned her head to lean in and kiss Miles' cheek. His spidey senses alerted him to her sudden movements. 

Is she... leaning in to... 

Kiss me!? 

Shoot... what do I do? Do I turn to her? 

Is this really happening? Or am I dreaming again? 

Miles! Focus, man... okay, if it is really happening, it's go time. Turn your head... pucker your lips... be a... man.

Here goes... take a deep breath, man. And get it together. 

As he turned his head as well, their faces were so close they could feel each other's breath. 

"Miles, I... " Gwen started to say. Before she could contunue, Miles put his hand on her shoulder and said, 

"Hey..." His voice got a bit deeper and his hazel eyes shifted from full to half lidded. Miles then leaned in and closed the gap between them. She froze at first, eyes widened, but soon closed them and began to kiss back. His lips were softer than she imagined they'd be and he still tasted like the orange Fanta he'd been sipping on during the movie. Another flash from the photo booth could be heard, but neither acknowledged it. They continued to kiss in the small photo booth. 

Gwen eventually pulled back and their eyes met. Both were pretty red in the face and their breathing was more labored than before. 

"Miles... " She said softly. 

"Yes?" He answered back. 

"That was... unexpected." 

Miles chuckled. "Really? Well... I wasn't sure what was happening myself... but... I had to do... something." 

Gwen parted her lips. "... Do something?"  

"I've... this is gonna sound corny, but... I've thought about kissing you. Here and there... pretty often, actually."  

"How often?" 

Miles could feel his face burning with embarrassment. "Oh... uh... for the sake of not embarrassing myself further, I'd better not answer that." 

Gwen giggled, but didn't say anything. Miles smiled back at her shyly. She stared back at him, seemingly still processing things. He put his finger to her lips.

"It's okay... you don't need to say anything, Gwanda." 

He hadn't called her that since learning her actual name. But now, it sounded nice. Kind of endearing in a way. Before she could say anymore, he moved his finger and replaced it with his own lips. Gwen reached for his hair, gently combing through it with her fingers. It felt soft and she could feel Miles relax against her the more she massaged it. 

It wasn't until they heard a, "Oh shoot - sorry." That they pulled apart. Both were beet red and panting from lack of air. 

"Guess we're busted." Miles said, shrugging. Gwen began to laugh and cleared her throat once they subsided. 

"Appears so. Wanna get out of here?" 

Miles stood up, extending his hand to her which she happily took. Gwen swiped the two photo strips before they took off. 

"What do you feel like doing now?" Miles asked. 

As they headed outside, Miles patted his stomach. 

"I dunno about you... but I could use a bite." 

Gwen grinned. "I like the way you think." 

Miles tightened his grip on her hand, leading her down the street and maneuvering through the Brooklyn foot traffic. After a few minutes, Miles led them inside a popular pizza joint. All of the tables were occupied and there was a line nearly out the door. 

"Must be good." Gwen said. Miles nodded. 

"One of the best in the city. It's pretty packed right now... so whaddya say we get a pizza to share and eat it on the pier?" 

Gwen smiled. "Sounds... nice." 

"Soo... are you a sausage or pepperoni person?" 

"Ahh. Asking the important questions, I see."

"Yeah. Got to. But... if you're feeling the pressure, we can say it at the same time."

"Deal." 

"1... 2... 3..." Both counted together. 

"Pepperoni!" Both gasped, Miles clasping her hands with his in excitement. 

"We really are the same... " He said in astonishment. Gwen could feel her heartbeat quicken. 

"Yeah. We are, Miles."

Of course, both knew it was more than a favorite pizza topping that made them so similar. But still. It was nice... and for the first time in forever, neither felt so alone. 

After securing their pizza, they found an empty bench on the pier to sit. 

"I should eat outside more often." Gwen said grabbing another pepperoni slice for herself. Miles nodded. 

"Yeah. It's pretty nice, right?" 

"Hey, Miles?" 

He turned to face her. "Yeah?" 

"... Back there in the booth... did you... mean to kiss me?" 

"You want the truth?" Miles asked. Gwen nodded. 

Miles smiled. "Well... yeah. Did my very charming heyyyy not tell you that?" 

Gwen chuckled. "No offense, but no. I haven't heard you say that since-" 

"The hair incident. I'm sorry, Gwen... I still feel bad about it sometimes." 

She placed a hand on his shoulder. "You're forgiven." 

Miles smiled. "Thanks. But... going back to your question... there was no doubt in my mind. I've wanted to kiss you... for quite a while now. That booth just... presented the opportunity. And I took it." 

Gwen turned to him, scooting herself closer and embracing him. Miles was caught off guard but soon relaxed and wrapped his arms around her. 

"Not that I'm complaining but... what's all this for?" Miles asked sheepishly. Gwen chuckled against him. 

"I just... wanted to be close to you. That's all." Gwen answered back. 

Miles began to rub her back gently, closing his eyes. Being this close to her reminded him of his dreams. But... the best part of all this? It was no dream. It was all real. 

On the way back to Miles' dorm, Gwen grew quiet. Miles could feel tension in the air all of a sudden. 

"We're here." Miles announced as they stopped walking. 

"Yeah." 

"Gwen... your mood seems to have... changed since we left the pier. Everything okay?" 

"... I guess I'm just... a bit sad thinking about how we'll have to say goodbye so soon." 

Miles frowned. It wasn't something he thought fondly of either. 

"I know how you feel... but, the night doesn't have to end here. We can watch a movie in my room. Eat some snacks. Chill out. You know."

Gwen stared back at him. Miles swallowed hard. His face was burning with embarrassment and he felt hot despite the chilly night air. 

"Oh man - I realize now how that must have sounded. I didn't mean it like that, honest!" 

Gwen turned around, crossing her arms. 

"I know, Miles." 

"So... then, what's up?" 

She shook her head. "We... shouldn't be doing this." 

"Doing what? Hanging out? I thought that's what friends do." 

Gwen turned back around to face him. "I think we're way past that. We kissed earlier. We... crossed a line that we shouldn't have crossed." 

"Uh... I'm no kissing expert but... it felt pretty good to me. Am I... missing something here?" 

"... You and I, we're... from different universes. How could we ever make it work?" 

Miles was quiet for a bit. "Well, I'd... I'd do whatever I could to see you whenever I can. Isn't that what... people who care about each other do?" 

"... But how long would we go without seeing each other? Surely there's a girl in this universe who... could make you... happy. A girl you could see every day even."

Miles shook his head. "I don't want another girl. I just... want you, Gwen. I'm not sure why you're doing this right now. We had an amazing day together, didn't we? And even though I haven't seen you in a year... it felt like no time has passed between us." 

Miles stepped closer to Gwen, reaching for her hands. He took them gently. 

"I know you're scared to get close to people... especially with what you've been through. But... pushing people away won't help."

Gwen turned, taking her hands from his grasp. "I'm sorry, Miles... the last thing I wanted to do is hurt you." 

Before he could respond, she spun a web around the middle of his body, pinning him to the wall of his dorm building and swung away. Miles squirmed and eventually broke free, but by then, she was out of view. He sighed. 

"Well... that went horribly." He murmured to himself. 

As he buried his hands in his pockets, he felt something. As he pulled the object out, he couldn't help but smile. It was the photo strip from the photo booth earlier that day. The first photo had them smiling. The second had them sticking their tongues out playfully at the camera. The third one displayed them kissing, Gwen's eyes were open likely from surprise. The fourth had them kissing too but Gwen had closed her eyes. 

I'm sorry, Miles. The last thing I wanted to do is hurt you. 

Miles could feel tears building in his eyes. Was that her way of saying goodbye... forever? 

He shook his head. No. It couldn't be.

Miles spun a web for himself and swung his body deeper into the city. He had to find her. 

Just a few minutes away, Gwen had tucked herself in a fire escape of an alley to take a breather. She was exhausted. 

She tried wiping her tears away but it was no use. More kept coming. The thing that she was so afraid of happening... happened. She didn't know what to do. The thought of losing Miles was too much to bear. Suddenly, a web shooting across the air could be heard. Her spidey senses alerted her right away and she shot up, looking for the source of the noise. 

"It's okay. It's just me." Miles lowered himself down on the stairway. 

"Wh-what are you doing here?" Gwen choked through her tears. 

"Are you... crying?" Miles asked. 

"No." Gwen softly answered back. 

He reached out and wiped some of her tears away. "There's no need to lie to me."

Miles pulled her closer, embracing her tightly. 

"I'm... always gonna be here for you. No matter what you say." 

This caused Gwen to cry a bit harder. Miles rubbed her back trying to soothe her the best he could. 

"I know it won't be easy... for you and I... but I don't care. For me, there is no other Gwanda... no other person who... gets me like you do. Gwen, I... " 

Miles paused. He had never truly said his feelings out loud. Though he knew exactly how he felt, it was quite intense to put it into audible words. 

Gwen pulled back, placing two of her fingers to his lips. 

"It's okay, Miles. You don't have to say anything else." 

Soon, she replaced her fingers with her lips. Miles eagerly returned her affections, tasting her lips and appreciating how warm she felt against the chilly night air.

Pulling back for air, Gwen spoke first,  

"I know what you were gonna say... and I feel the same way."

Miles smiled. "In that case... snacks and a movie in my dorm?" 

"Sure. Though I'm honestly too exhausted to swing back... can we walk instead?" 

Miles chuckled. "I'll do you one better." 

"Huh?" 

Before Gwen could say anything more, Miles lifted her up into his arms and spun a web for swinging.

"You really are something." Gwen said. 

"Oh yeah?" 

Gwen nodded. "Yeah. You're... amazing." 

The two fell asleep in Miles' bed with Big Hero 6 on in the background. Miles stirred awake around three in the morning to pee. Returning to his bed, he smiled. Gwen looked so peaceful sleeping. He laid his head against hers, closing his eyes. 

"I love you, Gwen..." He whispered softly before falling into sleep once more.