Work Text:
One afternoon, while Miss Holloway was washing dishes, she noticed a little white spider resting by her sink. She set down her dirty plates for a moment. The spider crawled into the palm of her hand, and Holloway felt a surge of affection towards the small creature. Seeing Webby always put a smile on her face. Her lover didn't visit enough.
A glowing, white light flooded the room. In the blink of an eye, the spider in Miss Holloway's hand was replaced by an ethereal woman with long, white hair. Webby sat beside her, resting her head on Miss Holloway's shoulder. She didn't say anything. Her multiple pairs of black eyes were red and puffy. Her cheeks were damp. Something was wrong.
"Do you want to talk about it?" Holloway asked. Webby didn't respond. Instead, she started running her fingers through Holloway's hair. "I could get you a slice of pie if you'd like." Webby gave her a nod.
Miss Holloway got a slice of cherry pie from the counter. Business had been slow today, so she had plenty of time to console her partner. Webby quickly devoured the slice of pie. She didn't often feel the need to eat, but Miss Holloway's cooking was always an exception. Her face was covered in crumbs, which Holloway wiped off with a napkin.
"Can I get anything else for ya?" Webby shook her head.
"Hannah doesn't want to play with me anymore," she suddenly blurted out.
"Why would you say that?" The last time she spoke with Hannah, the girl had missed Webby a lot.
"She told me so!" Webby held back a sob. She found that this human form was bad at hiding her emotions. "She said she doesn't have time to play games anymore. I'm not useful to her anymore. She even pushed me out of her mind!" Webby was unable to hold back the tears. She was not used to showing emotion in such a way, so she was a very messy crier.
Holloway got another napkin to wipe the tears away. "I'm sorry she said all those things to you, my darling. I don't think she meant all of it. She's frustrated. They all are at that age. Hopefully she'll realize that she hurt your feelings."
"She used to like games," Webby whispered. "Our favorite game to play was slumber party. Hannah didn't have any friends her own age, so I would braid her hair and paint her fingernails. We would stay up all night talking… Oh Holly, why did she have to grow up?" Everything was easier when Hannah was young.
"I have just the thing to cheer you up. Why don't we play a game together. It would have to be after I get off from work of course—"
"Yes!" The idea made Webby's face light up. Holloway knack for making her smile.
Miss Holloway pressed a soft kiss to Webby's forehead. Then, she got back to work. These dishes weren't going to wash themselves. Webby helped her out, and the spider goddess' multiple arms lightened the load. She tried to help with baking too. That didn't go nearly as well. She knocked a bag of flour over and it spilled onto the floor. Holloway went to get the broom with a laugh. Once the spill was cleaned up, she began to teach Webby the delicate art of making baked goods.
After that, Miss Holloway waited tables. Webby was tasked with watching over the pies. She almost burnt them, but luckily she took the pies out of the oven in time. Her partner was very proud. She even put Webby's pies out on display. She couldn't wait for them to be eaten by customers. Miss Holloway was very thankful for the help. Webby made her typical work day feel exhilarating. Sure, she had to keep a constant eye on her in order to keep her kitchen from burning down, but her company was well worth it.
When it was time to go home, Webby sat in the passenger seat of Miss Holloway's Pontiac Firebird. She hummed along to the music playing from Holloway's car. She had grown fond of the 80's pop music that her partner loved. Of course, nothing compared to hearing Holloway sing. She didn't sing as much as she used to. Webby thought it was a shame.
Webby demanded that Holloway get into her pajamas the moment they got through the door. She took playing slumber party very seriously. Miss Holloway went into her dresser and pulled out a pair of flannel pajamas and a graphic tee shirt with the words 'I love the 80's' printed on it in bold, colorful letters. It was comfortable. She was going to change in her room, but Webby ushered her out so she could set up. Holloway went into the bathroom. When she came back, her bedroom was completely transformed.
The room was suddenly aglow with a wash of multi colored neon (neon has always been Holloway's favorite). Music played from one of her old records. Various board games, card games, and snacks were spread out across her bedroom. Multiple images of Webby had taken over the place. Some of them jump onto the bed, while others sat in a circle on the floor. Each Webby was styled in a different pairs of pajamas reminiscent of the 1980s. Some of them wore ponytails and others had their hair down. All of them had voluminous hair like Miss Holloway's. They also had similar, albeit much messier eyeshadow. Holloway giggled at the sight.
"I brought popcorn!" The first Webby announced. Miss Holloway shoveled a handful into her mouth.
"Is your refrigerator running?" A second Webby asked using Holloway's landline.
"Webby! No prank calls! Oh my gosh, we're gonna get in trouble!" Another one scolded.
A Webby sits behind Holloway, braiding her hair. "So, Holly, who do you like?"
"I can't tell you that," Holloway replied, playing along. "It's a secret."
"What if I pinky promise you that I won't tell anyone?" Webby extended her pinky out towards Miss Holloway.
"All I'll say is that she's very pretty. And very good at sleepovers." Webby beamed with a lovestruck smile.
"She sounds lovely."
A door creaked open, and a Webby in mom jeans peaked in. "You girls want some snacks?"
"Get out, Webby," groaned a Webby with pigtails held together by two hot pink scrunchies.
"Alright, I'll be in the den if you need me. Just me, my book, and a glass of wine."
The Webby in mom jeans materialized a bottle of wine and a couple glasses out of thin air. She handed them to Holloway with a wink. Holloway poured wine into the glasses before giving one to Webby. "Cheers!" She exclaimed before they both took a sip.
"We should play a game," A Webby in a MTV shirt remarked.
"How about spin the bottle?" Suggested a Webby in a fuzzy bathrobe.
All the different images of Webby, along with Miss Holloway, sat in a big circle in the middle of the room. Holloway was given a bottle to spin. Every Webby looked hopeful for a chance to kiss Miss Holloway. Some of them crossed their fingers while others chanted 'please be me' over and over again. Holloway gave the bottle a spin. It eventually landed on the original version of Webby. She rejoiced. The others glared at the two of them with bitter jealousy.
Webby crawled into Holloway's lap. She gently cupped her lover's face in her hands. They felt so perfectly soft against Holloway's cheeks. Their lips met in a familiar kiss. Miss Holloway's lips travelled across Webby's face and down her neck until she is completely covered in her lipstick. Holloway then rested her head on Webby's chest and the two of them laid there together for a moment. It was comfortable. They're both at home with each other in a way that's always seemed impossible.
"Alright, we get it, you're in love," a bored Webby muttered under her breath as they leaned in for yet another kiss.
"I think it's sweet," another Webby commented, as if they weren't all copies of Miss Holloway's girlfriend.
A Webby snuck up on Holloway from behind and started smacking her with a pillow. Two could play that game. Miss Holloway broke their kiss and grabbed a pillow off of her bed. She hit the Webby back before being ambushed by another one. This was war. The group ganged up on Holloway. Between their many sets of multiple arms, they could hold a lot of pillows.
"Webby, help me!" Miss Holloway cried. The original Webby just sat back and watched the action.
Piles of pillows were flung rapidly in Holloway's direction. The sheer force of them was overpowering. Holloway was knocked to the floor. She laid down in a sprawling field of pillows. The whole room burst into laughter. Then, Webby snapped her fingers and the pile became a gigantic pillow fort with blankets and stuffed white spiders tucked inside. Unlike her brother's plushies, the Webby dolls were actually quite cute. They also wore pajamas, and one of them was covered in red lipstick marks.
The next activity on Webby's agenda was karaoke. Webby snapped her fingers, and a karoke machine appeared. It was filled to the brim with retro pop hits. Holloway picked a song. She used a hair brush as a microphone while she gave the performance of a life time. Webby served as her backup singers. She was excited to be hearing Holloway sing. Holloway sang without care. She just shut her eyes and let the music take over.
When she opened her eyes, she was standing in a stage. She was no longer in her pajamas. Miss Holloway wore a dress of neon pink and sparkling silver, complete with her denim jacket. Her guitar was in her hands. She began to play the guitar too. She switched from a cover to one of her original songs. Miss Holloway hadn't been able to perform one of her songs in years because no one was able to remember it. No one was able to remember anything about her—not until Webby. She had forgotten what the thrill of performance felt like.
The crowd went wild. They leapt to their feet with applause and screams. Some of them even sang along. Her lyrics were repeated back to her; her words not forgotten but adored. The pieces of herself that could never be shared were known completely to Webby. She blinked and they weren't on stage anymore. Webby and Holloway were back in the bedroom, but they continued to sing their hearts out together. They went through everything song Miss Holloway had ever written.
Well, every song except for one. Miss Holloway spoke into her hair brush microphone and said, "This is a new song, one I'd like to dedicate to a very special someone." Webby looked at her with shock. She hadn't written a new song in a very long time. The song in question was a cheesy love ballad that she had come up with on the spot. It wasn't exactly a chart topper, but it was a huge hit with Webby. The crowd waved their arms back and forth to the pace of the music.
"I'm your biggest fan!" Screamed a fangirling Webby in faded merch of a certain long forgotten popstar. Another Webby held a camera and kept taking pictures of Holloway, as if she was the paparazzi. Miss Holloway struck a dramatic pose, complete with a goofy smile. Webby had missed seeing her smile that way. It had been too long since they've done something like this.
Neither of them realized how much time had passed. Webby usually had no grasp on the passage of time whatsoever, but Holloway typically liked to keep an eye on the clock. It was getting late. The two of them decided to watch a movie on the couch. There was only one Webby now, and she found her favorite spot right away. Miss Holloway hadn't gotten a new coach since 1983. She rested her head on Holloway's shoulder. It was a familiar gesture, yet it made her heart flutter every time.
Miss Holloway queued up one of her favorite movies, The Breakfast Club. She still remembered going to see it in theaters. Oh, how she missed the art of movie theaters. She didn't know what a 'streaming service' was and she never intended to find out. Holloway was doing just fine with her vast collection of well-loved vhs tapes. Webby had always been fascinated by movies. The concept of film was still a novelty to someone as old as she was. It was fun to watch her eyes light up every time.
Webby had never seen this movie before. It was hard to fully grasp the plot when a sleepy Miss Holloway was lying next to her. She was just so cute. "When was the last time you slept, my darling?"
"I dunno. Does it matter? It's not like I'm gonna die." Webby glared at her.
"I bet you could quote this movie in your sleep. Get some rest, dear."
"But then our slumber party will be over," she said between yawns.
"I'll be here when you wake up. We could play again tomorrow." Webby pressed a quick kiss to Miss Holloway's cheek.
"You'll be here tomorrow?" For a moment, Holloway forgot who she was talking to.
"And I'll remember everything." Holloway spent the rest of the night sleeping in her partner's arms. The movie played in the background as Webby looked down at her with awe. How did she ever get this lucky?