Chapter Text
"Oh, really?" Gwen stepped inside her unaccompanied apartment. She was carrying one bag in one arm, and in the other, balancing her iPhone while talking. It was a chilly Wednesday afternoon in New Jersey. Her boss canceled work, not wanting to risk her or the other employees from driving before the weather grew worrisome. Luckily, at home, food delivery existed.
"That's what I told Mike," her coworker, Benjamin, spoke. "Let's just see how this winter storm holds up first. Shouldn't be too terrible."
"Yeah, better safe than sorry." Gwen agrees, placing her groceries on the kitchen island. A knock sounded at the door. "Hey, Ben, I'm going to have to call you back. It's my neighbor again."
"I thought you were already dating your neighbor, Stacy," Benjamin playfully teases, and Gwen rolled her eyes, ending the call with a click.
Pretending that she didn't care, even though she clearly did, Gwen did a once over in the bathroom mirror. She wore knee-high heeled black leather boots with a black mini-dress and a brown checkered coat. Nothing seemed off-putting about her hair, other than how wavy and long it gotten. Satisfied, Gwen opens the door, coming face-to-face with her next-door neighbor, Miles Morales. The two were around the same age, same friend group, but rarely ever spoken to each other in any type of setting.
Until now.
Like Gwen, Miles dressed in fall themed attire. He wore an oversized grey hoodie over a black coat, black jeans, and his trademark Air Jordan 1s. Though Gwen stole brief glimpses here and there at him during social gatherings, she knew Miles had them on. They were his lucky charm. Realizing she was staring a little too long at him, Gwen profusely apologizes, blushing.
"You want to know what's weird about this?"
"What?"
"That this is our first time speaking." Gwen couldn't argue with him there. "I've lived down the hall from you for a while. I've seen you at events and yet I'm super nervous right now, standing here in front of you."
"Well, it's not like I'm going to bite your head off." Her tone came out as defensive to Miles, even though it was downright playfulness on her part.
Unfortunately, the other person didn't get the message Gwen was passing on.
Miles gasped. "Oh, no! That's not what I—" But the panic he feels quickly subsides when Gwen giggles.
"Dude, relax. I'm just messing with you." To show, Gwen gave Miles a playful, hard nudge on the shoulder with her fist.
Miles chuckles, rubbing his injured arm. "Right."
The silence was brief. Not uncomfortable in the slightest.
Clearing his throat, Miles stretches out his hand to her. "I'm Miles. Miles Morales."
She could've had said 'I already know who you are' but for both of them this was their very first meeting, so instead of ruining the thoughtful gesture, Gwen accepts his hand. "Nice to meet you, Miles. I'm Gwen. Gwen Stacy."
They both share friendly smiles.
"Anyway, what brings you here, Miles?"
"Margo," he answered, fumbling inside his back jean pocket. "She wanted me to give you this. I already opened mine."
Gwen takes it, inspecting it. The envelope itself was lavender and, aside from Gwen's apartment address, the handwriting was in Margo's cursive. Other than paying occasional bills, Gwen rarely received letters from friends, let alone Margo. So what was the occasion? While she's looking, she could sense Miles' nervousness.
"Would you like to come in?" Gwen offers, throwing him off guard. "I mean, you came all this way just to bring this to me and it's better than awkwardly standing around while I open this, you know?"
"Uh, yeah, sure," Miles accepts, his hands in pockets. They step inside as Gwen quietly shuts the door.
Gwen's apartment was spotless. The only messy aspect of it was the unattended items fallen out of the grocery bag.
"You're welcome to have a seat, Miles," she tells him, walking back over to the groceries. "This won't take long at all."
It didn't. Gwen put the groceries away by category. One-by-one. It impressed Miles by how precise Gwen was with filling in the gap, as if there was never anything to repurchase. Dramatically dusting off her hands, Gwen swiftly turns around, scooping up the letter addressed to her.
"Alright, let's look at this bad boy, shall we?"
Miles walks over to her.
Gwen carefully opens the envelope, not wanting to shred the message itself. Her eyes roam over the text, then widen.
Big.
"Oh, my god."
Good afternoon, Gwen! This is Margo.
I know you were probably expecting it to be Miles G., and I'm sorry to disappoint you. Miles G. wrote a letter addressed to Miles, but it would have defeated the purpose and made it a tad bit awkward if it were you in Miles' place reading this.
Anyway, I just wanted to reach out to you and ask you a very important question: Will you be my bridesmaid?
That's right! Miles G. finally proposed and I'm over the moon about it!
The wedding will take place in mid November. The fifteenth.
I will give you some time to think this decision over, Gwen. Whatever you decide, just let me know, okay?
— Margo Kess
"Oh, my gosh!" Gwen shrieks, making Miles jump. "I'm so happy for Margo! Oh, wait, she's marrying your brother."
Miles shrugged. "That's not entirely a bad thing. I mean, we were separated at birth and raised by different parents."
"Like the ultimate parent trapping."
"Pretty much."
Gwen places the card down. "Well, I, for one, can't wait. I'll need a few days, though."
"Okay." Miles says, heading for the door. He looks over his shoulder. "It was nice meeting you, Gwen."
"It was nice meeting you too, Miles." She smiled. "Thanks for delivering the envelope to me."
"No problem." Miles wholeheartedly returns the smile, opening the door. "See you around, Gwen."
"See ya."
The door closes, and Gwen was yet again left alone in the quietness of her own apartment, but for once it's not a sinking, lonely feeling.