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21 YEARS AGO, JUNE 17th, MEXICO CITY
(Translated from spanish)
‘Oh now you’ve done it Gilberto.” Thinks Gil Corazòn as he rushes through the hospital’s entrance ‘Leaving her alone at night for a story is one thing. Not being there when her water breaks and being absent while she’s fighting to give birth to your daughter is a whole other level of lack of responsibility’. He stops at the counter and waits before the secretary tells him where his wife is before running through the hospital's floor like a madman. ‘Is it done ? Is Sofía okay ? Is our daughter okay ?” The question keeps looping through his brain cells as he climbs the stairs.
Finally reaching the right floor he rushes to the nearest doctor. After a few minutes they give him a mask, gloves and the rest of the outfit needed to make sure none of the bacteria crawling on his body can harm the battling mother, or the little girl arriving into the world.
After a few more steps following the doctor's lead, and there she is. The greatest woman in the world. His world. You can see her struggle and the pain she feels on her face. But you can feel her incredible strength through her eyes.
When Gil makes his way to her side, she immediately grabs his hand. “Hi” she just whispers through a sharp breath
“Hi” he whispers back “Sofía, I’m so sorry for…”
“It’s fine.” She turns her head, locking her eyes into his as love can be seen on every inch of her iris “You’re here now. I’m here. Aña is going to be here soon too. We’re all going to be together. And that’s all that matters.”
He simply nods while getting teary eyed when he suddenly feels her grip tighten all of a sudden, he lets out a grunt due to the sheer strength she displays in her pain, she clenches her teeth to resist but it’s not effective. “It’s time to push again” says the Doctor “We’re almost there Ms. Corazòn”.
Sofía nods before pushing. All the strength she can gather from every inch of her body is redirected to the lower half. And she pushes. Again and again. Without rest. And 10 minutes later, there she is. The most beautiful, precious thing Sofía and Gil Corazòn ever laid their eyes on.
A few hours later, the Corazòn family has been moved to a regular room where the two new parents just can’t help but gush about their little wonder.
“She has your eyes” Whispers Sofía
“And she has your face.” He whispers back, softly kissing his wife on the cheek “Let’s just hope she has your heart too.”
“Well I personally hope she’ll have a little bit of yours too. Would be boring if she was just like me.”
“Sounds like paradise to me”
Sofía jokingly slaps his shoulder before they both start laughing. Their laughter was the first sound she heard. Their smiles were the first thing she saw. Their loving embrace was the first thing she felt. Love was the first emotion little Aña Corazòn ever experienced as she was born in it and surrounded by it.
PRESENT TIME, JUNE 17th , BROOKLYN
All those she ever held dear are sitting around a table, shouting in joy and throwing her presents. Her parents and the Parkers were laughing together. Nat was telling old anecdotes to the Young Allies who would all listen in awe. The fantastic five finally arrives, apologizing for being so late, taking both Mr. Parker and her dad in tight embraces. Miguel and Nina were trying to make sure Ted wouldn’t die with how fast and how much he was eating. Rikki and Rocky were taking care of Annie and Benjy. And Mayday was right by her side, holding her by the arm and laughing, Anya must’ve said something funny. It was so… beautiful. Like everything she ever wanted. And then she woke up.
Anya groans as she manages to hit her phone and shuts off the infuriating sound coming out of it. She doesn't have classes today, but her stupid self forgot to deactivate the usual alarm before going to bed. So here she is lying awake with nothing to do. Maybe she could try to go back to sleep and…No who is she kidding.
She gets out of her bed and goes to the appartement’s kitchen. On the way she checks her phone notifications and sees she hasn’t received anything yet. ‘Guess they didn’t check the date’ Anya thinks to herself. She takes a quick bite of a waffle that was sitting in the fridge then goes back to her room and grabs her black and white suit before jumping out of the window. She had no real goal today, so for now she just swings through the streets of her neighborhood. The fresh wind blasting on her face and through her hair allows her to shake off the morning numbness. Nothing better to awaken your muscles than throwing a bola on a rooftop and pulling yourself through the air.
A few minutes later she lands on a random rooftop to stretch her limbs. ‘Still the best morning routine ever.’ she thinks as she sits to stretch her legs. ‘I should ask Mayday to join me once in a while for this. I mean I’m pretty sure she does it too on her own, but it could be fun to do it together…’
After a few minutes, she sits on the edge of the roof and takes out her phone. Her eyes stay fixated on the ‘June 17th’ written on her lockscreen. ‘Nobody sent anything yet.’ She shouldn't be surprised. After all, she doesn’t go out of her way to remind everyone, and a big party would not be to her liking…but a text saying “Happy birthday !” would be nice.
How long has it been since she had a proper birthday party ? Well it must have been at least 2 years ago. Right before her father… She clenches her teeth. She didn't know what to do today, she knows now. She throws her bola and swings towards her destination
3 YEARS AGO, JUNE 17th, CORAZÒN’S APPARTEMENT
Anya is working at her desk. Fixing and adjusting her Bola after it broke when she tried to help Gravity against some kind of Hulk like baddie. They won, but like every time they’ve teamed up since disbanding the young allies, all they did afterwards was exchange some awkward looks and words before walking away. Making sure her Bola is in working condition is vital. She has no carapace to take the hits anymore, and that sweet spider grappling is her only way to even the odds both on the movement and strength part. But fixing it isn’t the trickiest part of her current activity. No, dealing with the person on the other side of the phone call she's currently having is way harder.
“Really sorry Lynn, but my dad had something planned already. Maybe we can do something tomorrow though”
“Suuure.”
“Why would I lie to you about this ?”
“Well the Anya Corazòn I know wouldn’t, but I’m pretty sure she disappeared three years ago.”
“Don’t… Please not today Lynn.”
“And when then ? When will you finally tell me what the heck is going on with you ? Do you have a job ? A girlfriend ? Are you in trouble ? Are you the one causing troubles ? I don’t know and I’m sorry but it's starting to get on my nerves to feel like my best friend just… isn’t there anymore.”
“Lynn, I can’t…”
“Yeah I know. You can’t tell me. Same junk you’ve been serving me since we left middle school, I get it. Happy birthday Anya.” She says before hanging up
‘Yippie, great way to go through your special day Corazòn’ thinks Anya as she gives one last turn of screwdriver to her now fixed gear ‘well that’s at least one win today’
“Aña ! Dinner's ready !”
“Coming Papa !” She throws her Bola on top of her Spider-Suit that's laying on her bed and stands up before freezing for a few seconds and thinking ‘Wait. What do you mean HE cooked ? It was my turn !’ She rushes to the kitchen and shouts “Papa, you did not-” only to be met by one of the most flourished tables she has seen in a while. Multiple bottles of both of their favorite drinks. Tons of appetizers. Two good portions of steak. And to top it all of : home made arañitas that look and smell divine. “Dios” she whispers, right before her dad takes her in a tight embrace “Papa, it was my turn !”
“But it is also tu cumpleaños, and I will not let you cook on that special day” answers Gil, punctuating his statement by kissing his daughter on the forehead. “Come on now, let’s get to it or it'll get cold”
Anya hasn't eaten like this in months, she loves to cook and is able to make some pretty fine dishes, but between school and spider-heroing, most of her latest meals have been more efficient than ravishing. But as she’s about to get the first bite out of her steak, she stops, and can’t help but ask “How… How much did that cost ?”
“This information is only between me and my wallet Aña”
“Papa, c’mon, we just bought this place” she says waving around the apartment “We can’t just throw money out of the window”
“It’s not throwing money out of the window, it’s using some money I still had on the side to make sure my daughter has a good birthday dinner. I call that a worthy investment” his daughter’s expression doesn’t change, she's not convinced “Listen. This meal did not put the bank account in the red, and we’ll get the money from the sale of the old apartment soon. We are fine. Te lo prometo”
“...Fine. But I still think we should be careful.”
“Dios, I could swear I’m hearing your mother right now.”
“R-really ?”
“Oh yes. She was always the one that kept the count of the house in check. Always making sure we would never go over budget. I will never forget the glare she would throw at me if I spent even one more pesos than our monthly budget. Well it became more rare as we grew older and our income became more stable, but journalist and artist aren’t jobs that allow you to swim in gold either, so she still had to keep her eye out”
“That's funny I never heard her talk about that back then”
“You were so little Aña, those were jaded grown ups problems. Neither your mom nor me wanted to expose you to that. You know that’s funny, there was only one thing she never refused to go over budget for.”
“What was it.”
“You, our arañita. And that's why even though it can get rough, I will always make sure I have enough for you, for moments like these. This is what she would’ve wanted.”
Anya doesn’t answer and looks down at the piece of arañita she is holding in her hand. She would gobble at least a dozen of these a day when she was a kid. That’s even where her nickname comes from. It sounded like her mother’s maiden name, that made her laugh so she kept calling Anya like this and eventually it stuck and she became her parents ‘arañita’. Funny twist of fate that Anya would then inherit spider powers isn’t it ? Ted sure found that funny, he laughed for 5 full on minutes when she-
Suddenly she feels her father's hand reaching her free hand. “Is everything okay Aña ? You’ve been staring at your food for five minutes.”
“Oh uh yeah !” She throws the arañita in her mouth and eats it in mere seconds “Gosh it just as good as when I was a kid”
“Ah ! I may not be the best cook in the world, but when it comes to arañitas I'm the expert… wait. I was never taught how to do them, did I ?”
“Well no but-”
“Then that’s decided ! This is how we’re gonna end your special day, time for your surprise cooking lesson señora Araña !”
He takes her hands and brings her to the counter. She doesn’t even try to resist. Just thinking about how much of a bad idea it is for her waistline to learn how to cook her favorite food and how much she loves her dad. Hoping deep inside that moments like these, of pure and unfiltered love, will never cease to happen.
PRESENT TIME, JUNE 17th, BROOKLYN’S CEMETERY
“Hola Papa” Anya whispers tenderly as she races her fingers across the words written on the stone
GILBERTO CORAZÒN
BELOVED FATHER AND HUSBAND
BRAVE REPORTER OF THE TRUTH
A GOOD MAN
Anya always hated epitaphs. Genuinely. Through her journalism course, she had done a ton of writing exercises, shortening texts being a pretty prominent one. She knows how to keep only the important facts and tell them as shortly as possible. But you can’t do that with a person. Especially not your loved ones. If Anya was asked to write what was great about her dad, she would need more paper than she ever used. And here she was at 17 years old, drowning in guilt and grief, asked to do the impossible. She tried. But even though those words she had written are all true there was so much more to him. How happy he was learning a new recipe or helping Anya with her homework. How lovely of a neighbor he was. How funny he was. How kind he was. How proud he was of her. And just thinking about that makes her eyes drown in tears. She had taken her spider gear off and stuffed it into her bag. She didn’t want to draw any attention, but here she was crying in broad daylight. Now of course, crying in a place built to remember those you lost shouldn’t make her stand out much, but it doesn’t stop her from hating it.
“I should come more often, it would make it easier I know.” She whispers “But I don’t want it to be easy Papa. I don’t want you not being there feeling like the norm. It’s dumb I know. But I don’t want to.” she wipes some tears off her cheeks “Oh you must be fuming up there. I’m pretty sure that if you could you’d be shouting at me to go away and have fun today. But I needed to see you today. My day. Because without I just… I just wouldn't be me. You gave me so much. Taught me so much…loved me so much. So no Papa I'm not leaving you behind. Not now, not ever, and especially not today.”
She takes a few seconds to calm down. It must only be her fourth or fifth time visiting him since his passing. She feels like her heart is about to burst in her chest. All those thoughts and feelings she keeps inside all the time are now lashing out. And it feels as good as it is painful. “A lot of stuff has happened since my last visit
Papa. I kicked the ass of a lot of new villains. Got my ass kicked by a lot of others. College is going well, if we forget the classes I’m skipping. And I met a girl. She's probably the coolest, kindest girl I ever met. And I… I love her Papa. And I don’t just mean a crush, I mean real love. The ‘I think she’s the one’ kind of love. I just feel… amazing when she's by my side. I can’t really put it any other way. Just thinking about her brightens my day. You said a lot that whenever you were with mom you felt like sitting beside the sun. Well that’s how she makes me feel. Dios, you would love her, she would make you laugh so much. I genuinely think you would…”
And after a few minutes of rambling she's done. So despite how hard it feels she says goodbye and leaves the cemetery rolls under her eyes. It’s hard. But at the same time, she feels some kind of peace in heart. She should come more often.
As she puts her Spider-Suit back on and swings a few blocks, an idea springs in her mind. She has another place to go today.
4 YEARS AGO, JUNE 17th, CENTRAL PARK
“Nomad on your left !” Shouts Araña as she knocks a guy against the nearest wall
“Already on it !” Answers Nomad as she speeds towards her opponent, blocking the wave of bullets Unleashed by his tommy gun with her energy shield. Closing right as he needs to reload, giving her a high enough window to put his lights out with one well executed shield hit right in the jaw “And I think we’re done here !”
Anya swings right near her friend, taking a spider like pause on staircase “It would be soooo much easier if you could just throw like Cap do”
“Oh we tried to make it throwable.”
“Oh yeah, how did it go ?”
“The emitting bracelet overloads and blows up, which would turn my oh so dear left hand into a pile of dust, taking my forearm along with it.”
“Aw, yikes.”
“Like you said” she leaps to Anya's side with her vibranium boots “So, where are we headed next ?”
“Huh, maybe…” *ding* ”Whoops sorry, gotta check my phone”
“Seesh that’s like the twelfth text you got in an hour, if I didn’t know you I’d think you just got yourself a clingy girlfriend… You didn’t actually get a clingy girlfriend, did you ?”
“What ? Oh no, still free as the wind.” Rikki hides a sigh of relief ”My inbox is just getting flooded by the birthday wishes. Geez I don’t even talk to most of these people anymore.”
Rikki’s arms drop “It’s… It’s your birthday ?!”
“Well yeah, thought I told you.”
“No ?!”
“Oops. My bad.” Anya quickly taps an answer to the text she just received and puts her phone back in her pocket “Ok, so where should we go nex-”
She’s interrupted by Rikki grabbing her shoulder “You. Me. Hangout. Now.”
“What ? But I thought we would-”
“Nuh uh, it’s your birthday and you're not gonna spend it patrolling hun. Now come on, follow me sunshine” Says Rikki as she grabs Anya by the hand and drags her through the air, made easy by how little resistance Anya is putting as most of her brain power goes to not blush too much as her crush’s hand is wrapped around her wrist.
HARLEM
“So how is it ?”
Anya barely answers as she too focussed on making her way through her 3 scoop tall ice cream, only saying “Delicious” as she finishes the top one
“Best in New York ! That's where me and the allies used to take a break in my first world, glad that multiversal constants do exist and that ‘Avalanche Ice Cream’ is one of them.” answers Rikki as she eats her own ice cream (only one scoop, she said to Anya she wasn’t hungry enough for a double or a triple, but truth is her allowance just isn’t big enough to financially revolver if she did)
Anya ponders for a bit, taking a break from her ice cream as she ate the first half of the second scoop and looks at Rikki “Don’t you miss them ?”
“Who ?”
“Your friends. The Young Allies from your world. Don’t you miss them ?”
“... Sometimes when I wake up I feel like they’re here. When I open my phone I'll see their texts, and then I just don’t. And remember that I’m not with them anymore. So yeah I think I do. But…” she takes Anya's free hand “I got you Anya. And Toro. And Firestar… and Gravity too I guess. And that gets me going. You all are how I find enough strength to get out of bed when I wake up with this sadness.” Anya doesn't answer, simply looking in the void, Rikki takes a deep breath before asking “Is there something on your mind ?”
“What ? Why would I-” Rikki stares at her deep in the eyes, clearly not wanting to hear Anya’s usual escape tactics “I- *sighs* It’s dumb, really.”
“Well even if it’s something dumb bothering you, it still is bothering you. So I want to hear what it is.”
“It’s just… as each day passed and the date grew closer to today, I just… couldn’t stop thinking about the people I…lost… My mom and my old crew and it just…takes over my brain. Everything I see or hear reminds me of them in a way. So I wanted to keep my mind focussed on other stuff…”
“Keeping yourself busy to bury the pain, huh ? I tried that once. When I just arrived here, let me tell you something, partner.” She lays her hand on Anya’s shoulder “It doesn't work. It feels like it does for a while, but then you come home and it bursts in your face like dynamite. But I got better, with time.”
“With time ? That's it ? You didn’t do anything else to make it go away.”
“Didn't you listen to what I said earlier ? It didn't go away. It became easier because I met you and the others. Because I met people that understand and love me. And that, in addition to time, made it easier. But there’s no…how to put it… There’s no secret formula that works for everybody when it comes to this kind of feeling. All I know is that you being there for me helped me get through it all, and…” she grabs Anya's free hand, looking her intensely in the eyes “I want to be there for you. If you want me to.” They just stand there for a while, looking into each other's eyes before Rikki realizes how close they are to each other and backs off as her cheek turns to a crimson red “Sorry.”
Anya is just frozen in place, her face just as red as her friend before shaking it off and answering “No, don’t worry it was fine… and thanks. For being here.”
Rikki smiles softly “I’m never leaving you behind Rikki Barnes. You can count on that.” But her eyes catches something ”Oh your Ice cream is melting”
“¡Ah mierda!” Shouts Anya as she tries to save what she can of her ice cream while Rikki bursts into laughter. And despite can’t help herself from smiling, because how can you not smile when the girl you love says she’ll always be there for you ?
PRESENT TIME, JUNE 17th, ONE OF ROXXON’S RELAY TOWER
Anya tried to think of a better place but couldn’t. Rikki didn’t have a proper burial, how could you celebrate the memory of a girl that shouldn't exist ? The lack of any body found didn’t help. All members of the Young Allies tried to make it happen, at least to have a place to visit when they missed her. They had both Captain Americas, the Black Widow and even the Winter Soldier vouching for it alongside them, but alas it never happened.
For a while, Anya couldn't even come near here, it made her feel sick in her stomach. But ever since Steggron used it as his base of operation when he tried to take over New York, it…exorcised it in Anya’s heart. It became progressively easier for her to come near it. Last time she managed to get this close was when she had no other choice, her city’s fate was at stake. And today, for the first time since Rikki’s sacrifice, she's here of her own free will.
“Hi partner” she whispers, hoping the wind will be able to take her words to wherever Rikki’s soul is. “Been a while wasn’t it ?” Anya sits on the rooftop she was standing on “I miss you, you know ? Everyday. Even when I think I don’t, you always pop into my mind one way or another. Sometimes I wake up and I think I can text you, that you’ll answer. Just like you said.” She sighs and can’t help but scratch her wrist. The one Rikki took by the hand when their talk would get emotional “So. So much stuff has happened since you left. Mostly bad stuff if I’m being honest. And to deal with it, I did exactly what you told me not to do. I buried myself in work. Kept patrolling from dawn to the deepest part of the night. Skept classes hoping I'd find some crooks to beat up, hoping it’ll clear my mind. And at the end of the day, despite all my efforts to go on past all these memories, they would all flow back right to the front of my mind. And with time I just began to think that this was my life. That the sadness that I felt all the time and the void that took place in my heart would be my partners for the rest of my life. Honestly if you laughed at me and said ‘told you so !’ I wouldn't be mad at you. You warned me and I didn’t listen. But I know you wouldn't. You’re better than this.”
Anya stands back up, looking at the part of the relay tower Rikki was in before the explosion “But after all that. When I was deluding myself into thinking I was handling all this like I should. That this downward spiral was my life and I should just deal with it. I met her. I met the girl I love now. And without even trying, by just being herself, she just… made me see that I could be more than this. She brought back the best in me. Just like you did.” Anya takes a deep breath “But she’s not… your replacement. I love her. Just as much as I loved you. I was so scared for the last few years, of falling in love again. Fearing it would make me forget you. But moving on isn’t forgetting. Gosh that’s you again who told me that, right ? And you were right on everything.” She takes one last look at the tower, hearing their last discussion rolling in her head. Thinking back to that birthday she spent with her eating ice cream “You may be gone but… I’m never leaving you behind Rikki Barnes. You can count on that.” She blows a kiss towards the sky, hoping it’ll reach her, and swings away.
Why is she doing this ? That’s her birthday. She should be hanging out with her girlfriend. Drink like there’s no tomorrow while singing the most horrible karaoke performances you’ve ever heard. Why is she taking that trip down memory lane ? Why does it feel right today more than all other days ? Maybe she’ll find out when she's done. For now she has a few blocks to swing through until her next destination.
4 YEARS AGO, JUNE 17th, WEBCORP HQ
“Your reflexes are still too slow !” Shouts Nina as lands a kick to Anya’s side. Anya doesn't answers, simply trying to use the very small window she has until Nina retracts her leg to land a punch but she sadly isn't fast enough and gets blocked then slammed in the guts by Nina’s knee, making her fall down and rolling backward, much to her opponent's disappointment “What’s gotten into you today ? You’re not that bad usually”
Anya painfully gets back up “Love how you worded that in the most insulting way possible. But don't worry, I’m fine. Just need a few more rounds to get into it.” she the takes a fighting stance again
Nina doesn’t answer. She looks at Anya from head to toe, then starts unwrapping the bandages she had applied around her fist “No, we’re done here. Take your gloves off and go home”
“What ? But I-”
“No arguing. We’ve been going at it for an hour and half, you’re tired, we’re done for today.”
“Okay come on Nina you’ve just handed my tusco over to me for an hour straight, we can’t leave the training at that !”
“If you’re disappointed by what you did today then try to do better tomorrow.” Nina gets off the ring and is about to leave the room before stopping and looking back at a still dumbfounded Anya “And if you’re wondering, no, I did not have fun beating you so easily. My goal is to make you better at the end of the lesson than at the start. You’ve been making tremendous progress recently, so you giving me such a poor performance means that something was wrong with you today. So I stopped the fight because I actually want you to succeed. The Wasps would have killed you already. So whatever it is, either stop thinking about it, or deal with it. Sleep well”
Nina is long gone when Anya finally finds the motivation to get out of her training gear and back to her normal clothes. ‘Deal with it she says… believe me Nina if I could I would have done it years ago.’ She takes her school bag and goes to the lower floors
“Hey Anya, wait a sec !”
Anya stops as a blonde man rushes towards her. When he finally reaches her he has to take a few minutes to get his breath back “You should really work on your stamina Ted, especially if you want to go with us on the field”
“Y-eah… W…Well I would*phew* love to see you… try to practice that when your locked in that building”
“...I just came out of the biggest gym I’ve ever seen, Ted. It’s literally two floors upstairs. And there's an elevator if you're that lazy.”
“...”
“...”
“Anyway. Sorry for wishing it this late but-”he takes some sort of box out of his bag “Happy birthday !”
Anya can feel shivers going down her spine at the sound of those words. She hoped neither telling them would be enough to be sure they wouldn't know. “Thanks Ted” she answers, trying to look as naturally happy as she can. She takes the box and opens it, and all her uneasiness is replaced by sparkles in her eyes when she sees “All of Kamen Rider Blade ?! The original DVD release ?!?! How did you even- I thought they didn't even think they distributed that one anymore !”
“They don't ! But when you said this was the only one you didn't watch yet, then I had to pull a few strings to make your first viewing experience the best one possible. There's both the original format and an HD upscale of my own cooking that I added, depending on how you want it, plus the best subtitles I could find in both spanish and english !”
“Thanks Ted. That’s so great. Thank you so much !” She says jumping into a hug he happily reciprocates. A few seconds later she lets go and rushes to the stairs “Really sorry, but I gotta go now !”
“No prob ! Tell me what you think !”
“Will do ! See ya tomorrow Ted !” she answers waving goodbye at him before walking down the first steps
But suddenly, Anya feels her right arm tingling, just a few seconds before a feminine voice shouts “Catch !” Anya has just enough time to turn around and grab mid air what was thrown towards her. Some kind of small box. When she looks she sees Nina in a position clearly indicating she was the thrower “Good reflexes. Just wanted to be sure those weren’t gone after your performance today. Happy birthday Anya”
Anya opens the box to see some training bands. “Thanks Nina I needed those, see ya tomorrow” she answers after finally descending towards the entrance hall
Meanwhile Ted stays dumbfounded besides Nina “Why…why did you throw it ?”
“Well she was leaving. And I’m not gonna run up to her, I’m not a dog”
“So why…didn’t you give it to her after finishing your sparring session ?”
“Well that was the plan, but with how badly she did, I thought a little reflex wouldn't hurt, so-”
“You totally forgot it was her birthday until you saw the gift in your locker, didn't you ?”
“I totally forgot it was her birthday until I saw the gift in my locker. But ! She has it now and that’s all that matters !”
“Uh huh. Sure.”
ENTRANCE HALL
‘Who throws birthday gifts ? I mean sure I catched it but if it fell…nah it’s just rubber, it would've been fine’ thinks Anya as she finally reaches the door separating the inside of the super duper secret spider-society’s hq and the rest of the wall. ‘Gosh with how late it is, there’s no way I’ll catch a bus. Well I could always swing back home, but with dad already there he would notice me entering by the window. I could land near and then walk the rest of the way, but-’
“Need a ride back home ?” She suddenly hears as Miguel places himself between her and the door.
“Miguel ? What are you doing here ? I thought you had weird sorcerer stuff to attend to ?”
“I did. But I managed to cut it short, after all…” he reaches his hand in his pocket and takes out a wrapped object “it’s not everyday that my partner celebrates her birthday”
“Thanks Miguel.” Says Anya, she hoped she would manage to hide her muscles clenching at the sounds of those words, but the weird look Miguel gives her proves that she failed. She hastily took the gift and put it in her backpack “And I’ll gladly take on your offer. If you take me home I can totally blame y’all in front of my dad for why I'm back home so late.”
“No problem. As long as I don’t need to have another ‘talk’ with him.” He says shivering “Never again.”
“You face demons on the daily but you’re scared of a protective dad ?” she says, letting out a chuckle
“No. I just … Anyway let’s get to the car” he answers rushing to the company's garage, Anya follows as she does her best to hold back her laughter at the idea of her father out of all people, putting fear in the soul of a guy who laughs at the face of death.
ON THE ROAD
“I mean we should've seen it coming. We’re in summer soon, kids are practically all done with their classes and most of all… we’re in New York” says Anya as she can barely count the number of cars surrounding them. “Oh and the Avengers latest battle against Thanos leaving a hole in the middle of the city, that won't help either.”
Miguel doesn’t answer, too focussed on the road and on her partner’s expression and voice more than what she's actually saying. She’s pretty talkative, like usual, but something’s off about it. He can feel it. “So anything planned for your birthday night ?”
She can feel that her reaction was too tense again, gotta play it cool “Well dad probably made a cake, Lynn is probably gonna come by and take a little bite out of it. But after that I think a good night of sleep is in order “
“That's it ? That’s how young people celebrate these days ? Not pulling any all-nighter, not going out to party, not even a game night or something ?”
“That’s how people that spent their whole day training and also have school tomorrow celebrate. Some of us have actual stuff to do.”
He chuckles”Really ? Or is that how someone that doesn't like their birthday celebrates ?”
“...is it that obvious ?”
“Well to someone who doesn't know you well maybe not, but between the weird face you had when looking at Ted’s and Nina’s gifts, how you tensed when I wished it to you, and more importantly why would a teenager who doesn’t have any classes today would prefer to spend that special getting punched in the guts instead of celebrating with friends.” Anya doesn’t answer, she simply looks at the crowded road, as if she tried to let her mind escape this discussion. “So that’s how I know. But what I didn't manage to discover is the reason behind it.”
Miguel can clearly see Anya’s body shifting into a somewhat defensive position as all her body faces the door instead of just her head. But he continues “Now of course I totally understand if you don’t want to talk about it. I mean this obviously makes you pretty uncomfortable. But all I'm saying is that if there’s something bottled up inside you, then it’s better to let it out now and enjoy your evening rather than spend the rest of the night with whatever it is bothering you.”
Anya doesn't move an inch. This surprises Miguel. For the year they spent as partners he always knew Anya as a rather expressive girl. Whether anger or joy she always made sure Miguel knew what it was about. She was also really brave, never hesitating to jump into danger, powers or not. So seeing her crawling into the corner of her seat is something Miguel was not expecting and that makes him think that what she’s feeling is deeper than imagined. They stay like this in silence for twelve or so minutes ‘Yeah I screwed up’ thinks Miguel ‘I should maybe tell something, change the subject, or-’
“I miss my childhood.” she says in a sharp breath “I think. Or maybe it’s because I miss my mom. I don’t know, maybe both.” She positioned herself straight against the seet, facing the road “Ever since papa and I came here after…mama passed away i always felt like this on my birthday. Never to a point where I would just wish I'd skip the day and pass onto the next, but everytime I keep getting reminded of it, my mind flashes towards a random memory. And I don’t like it. That's it. Sometimes I wish it would just go away, you know ? The pain. Gosh I’m so weird for thinking about that everytime my birthday comes”
“Aña. Open the gift I gave you.”
“Wha-”
“Please.”
Confused, Anya still listens and takes the object out of her bag. On closer inspection, she realizes it’s not wrapped in paper like your usual birthday gift, but in a thin veil instead. She unties the knot and as the veil falls, she realizes what she’s holding into her hand was some kind of scroll “Miguel…what…what is this ?”
“Ever since we made the deal between our souls, have you ever seen flashes of a village in flames ?”
“I…did. Yes I did. But what…”
“Just like I saw flashes of your house in Mexico City burning and…what ensued.” Anya physically recoils but Miguel isn’t done “Our souls are linked Aña. When we’re asleep or at least unconscious the barrier between them weakens and our mind tends to take a look to the other side. I saw what you went through. And you saw what I did. We know each other’s pain. This scroll you’re holding was one of my family’s traditions. When one of us became ready to face life, we'd write a poem for them. To make them understand how proud we are and wish them the best of luck. I wrote this one for you’”
“Miguel I-”
“All of that to say to you that even decades later, despite their loss, my loved ones still shape who I am. They had an impact on me and that will never go away. And this pain you feel will never go away because you will never stop loving them. But what’s more important is that the pain is such a small fraction of it. You’re so focussed on what you’ve lost that you stop thinking about what they gave you.” Anya doesn't answer, she’s in some kind of shot, she never talked about those topics so freely, she just doesn't know how to react “And I'll just say, our birthdays are a celebration of who we are, of course we're gonna think about those who shaped us. But focus on who they were and what they gave you instead of just sulking on what could’ve been. I’m not saying it’s easy. But this is what you should do.”
The car stays silent for a few minutes before Miguel says “Sorry if I was blunt, maybe-”
“No ! No, you weren’t ! That’s…actually what I needed to hear actually i think. Thanks Miguel. And sorry for being this weird earlier, I'm just not used to actually talking about that.”
“Being a partner doesn’t mean we just have to help each other when our lives are in danger, right ?”
“Yeah… You know that’s the kind of stuff would say, maybe if you talked again, you two would-”
“No.”
She raises her arm in the air “Well you can’t blame a girl for trying.” she says before laughing. Miguel softly smiles as he finally recognizes the girl destiny paired him up with. And hoping deep inside that she will never have to stop laughing again.
PRESENT TIME, JUNE 17th, FT. GREENE PARK
Once again she wished she could’ve gone to where Miguel’s body is resting, but sadly cutting ties with Nina and Ted made that, to this day, she still doesn’t know where it is. A part of her hopes he rests somewhere in nature, being united with this world he gave everything to protect. But knowing how secretive the Spider-society can be, she has very little hope they'd let the body of one of their members rest outside of a secure facility.
So she took the next best place. Where they met. Where everything started. Them. And the rest. She makes her way towards the precise point it happened. Where he, and by the same occasion her destiny, fell on her.
“Hey Miguel, been a while. Gosh I just keep saying that on loop today.” She says laughing before climbing on the bridge, sitting on the fence. Making sure it won’t break like the night they met “So, SO much happened, but you know that already don’t you ? I mean…wait, maybe that's not how it… You know what ? I’ll tell you everything, it will make stuff easier. Today’s my birthday, and all day instead of hanging out with the amazing woman that for whatever reason is crazy enough to be my girlfriend, I've just been swinging around town. Thinking about all of you. And why today ? What pushed that ? And on my way here I remembered what you said. Our birthday is a celebration of who we are, and without all of you I wouldn’t even be here today. You know you were the first one I opened about my dark thoughts, right ? Not even Lynn got that honour. Too scared to make her run away I guess. Funny I still managed to make her leave me despite that, but that’s not the subject. Despite the fact we argued often, I really loved your advice. Rarely what I wanted to hear. Always what I needed. I miss it a lot. I miss you a lot… So like I said, I have a girlfriend ! You would love her so much ! She's brave, she’s nice, she cooks one hell of a wheetcake.”
She stops talking for a little while struggling to find what to say, until her lips open again “I’m not mad by the way, about you lying to me about my destiny. Sure it stung when Iearned it, but… I’m glad you did. I’m glad you believed in me to push through all of it. I'm glad you let me into a life that made me realize who I was and that made me meet my first real love, and the love of my life.” She stands up “You gave me the key to succeed. Papa and Rikki did. You all believed in me. I failed you all for so long. But no more.’ She takes a look at the now setting sun on the horizon “ You may not have been my parent. You weren’t my lover. But gosh I loved you Miguel. You were the best mentor I could’ve ever had, and I'm so happy to know that, in a way, you’re still watching…Gracias Miguel, por todo.” She says before swinging away.
She only got one stop left now on her little memory trip. Well two actually. But they both lead her to the same place. Home.
17 YEARS AGO, JUNE 17th, MEXICO CITY, CORAZÒN HOUSEHOLD
(Translated from spanish)
“Can we please not do that right now Gil ?”
“Well I'm sorry if I’m worried when my wife disappears without a warning and doesn't come back until the next day ! Do you have any idea how worried Aña was ?”
“I just needed to see some friends, that is all.”
“Well, neither Sebastian nor Maria saw you yesterday. Or was it the friends you don’t want to talk to me about ?”
“...”
“Oh so it was !”
“Listen Gilberto-”
“Oh I’m listening. But only if you're telling me who they are, but if you tell me again that you needed to be there for some dumb spiritual reason-”
“And do I bother you when you disappear god knows where ? Do I bother you when you start investigating incredibly dangerous people like Felix Jade ?”
“I- Sofía. We talked about this. Someone has to do it.”
“So you need to do this, because that’s what’s right ?”
“Well yes and you said you trusted my guts on this…”
She grabs his hand, and pierces his eyes with her gaze filled with determination, love and worry all bottled up inside her irises “I did. And I need you to trust mine on what I’m doing. It’s nothing dangerous. Believe me. I'm just trying to figure out something. About me. And more importantly about Aña.”
She can see his eyes shrink in panic “Oh god you’re not sick are you ?!”
“What ? No ! I would tell you if I was. Anyway ! I should be done with it soon and then I’ll answer any of your questions, even the dumbest ones.”
He puts his hand on her cheek “You promise ?”
She kisses his hand and puts her hand on top of it “Promise.”
“Papa ! Mama ! I'm hungry !”
“We’re coming mi arañita !” Shouts back Sofía as she hastily puts the remaining candles on the cake Gilberto baked this morning “Now enough about us. It’s her day today.”
“Isn’t it ours too ? I mean we brought her into this world too ?”
“This question requires way too much brain power. I suggest we just bring her this cake and enjoy both eating it and her smile as she does the same”
“Wise words honey. Wise words.” They both look at each other before exchanging a quick kiss and making their way towards the dining room
LATER
After finishing dinner, and a full afternoon of playing with a pinata and board games, Anya was so tired she simply fell asleep on her mother’s lap. Not that Sofía was bothered by that, quite the contrary in fact. She just spent the last hour passing her hand through her daughter’s hair and looking at her sleeping peacefully. This is the kind of stuff you’d never thought you'd find fun until you actually become a mom. And she could use the quiet time with everything that spins inside her head right now.
But suddenly she sees her husband rushing towards the door despite how low the sun is in the sky “Gil, where are you going ?”
“Got a lead on Jade. A big one.”
“Now ?”
He tries to find an excuse but the only words that come to his mouth are the usual “Sorry, I’ll come back as fast as I can” before slamming the door shut. This is what she gets for marrying a journalist, she knew the deal, and despite how much she loves him there are sometimes she wished he wouldn't have to leave so often.
Thankfully it didn’t wake up Anya who is still deep in sleep. It is such a comforting feeling to see the little human you helped to get here sleep peacefully, it makes it feel like you're doing your parent's job correctly. But with what she just learned she doesn't feel like a good mom.
The words this man said keep making back and forth in the inside of her brain “Your blood is special Ms. Araña. You are the descendant of a lineage that dates all the way back to the creation of our order. And if we are correct, then there’s a high chance that one day either you or one of your descendants will be our initiate, our hunter.”
She saw this man multiple times now, a white man who speaks Spanish even better than some of the locals. She had never seen him before last week. Ezekiel Sims was the name written on his business card, but Sofía has no way to check if it's his true name or not. But what actually matters is that if everything he says is right, then that means that she could be involved in a century, soon to be milenia long war with the fate of the world in play. But the worst of it, is that there’s a chance Aña will be their initiate and not her. And this scares Sofía to death. Just imagining her baby fighting for her life. Drenched in blood after a close call. This being her baby’s daily life. She hasn't stopped having nightmares of what could be. Is this her gift to her daughter ? Forcing her life to be a battle she did not choose. What kind of mother would that make her. Just thinking about it again it-
“Is everything alright mama ?”
‘Ah she’s awake’ notices Sofía
“Your face is weird”
‘And this must be the four year old way to tell you that you look worried’ Sofía wipes away the small tears that were forming under her eyes “I’m fine mi arañita. Just a little tired.”
“Then you should sleep with me !”
“I would love to honey.” But then suddenly as her mind circled back to Ezekiel’s words again, she had an idea. She takes the pendant she wore around her neck and places it on in her daughter’s hand “Listen to me Aña. There’s… There's a chance that pretty soon life will get harder for us. I don’t know how exactly but it can.”
“What bad things ?”
“The kind none of us can face alone. So I want you to take this pendant.”
“The one grandma gave you ?”
“Yes. And I want you to have it now. That way, whatever happens next, I'll always be with you.”
“Are you sure ? You love that pendant !”
“I do, but I want to be sure a part of me will always follow you.”
“You’re being weird tonight mama.”
Sofía laughs “I am, aren’t I ? But of course if you don’t want it…”
“No ! It’s pretty and… I’d like to have something that makes me feel like you’re here all the time, sounds fun !”
“Great ! Here let me put it on you…” she swiftly puts the pendant around Anya’s neck ‘It fits perfectly’ she thinks while smiling. She pats her daughter’s head then gets up and lifts Anya in the air and takes her towards her bed. And as she climbs the stairs while having her daughter in her arms, all she can think about is that if harm really does come her arañita’s way, if Ezekiel’s words do come true and Anya is forced to fight. Then she only hopes she won’t have to bear that burden alone.
PRESENT TIME, JUNE 17th, BROOKLYN, ANYA’S APPARTEMENT
Anya swiftly opens the window of her room and slides inside. She’s spent. Sure there was no super battle today but swinging all day with the summer heat starting to get here is one hell of a calorie burner. She checks her phone and smiles when she sees the notifications that pops on her screen. Rocky, Sue, Nat (or at least that who she thinks that hidden number is), heck even Mainframe sent her happy birthday wishes. That's funny, for someone who has felt so alone for so long to have so many great people in her life. How could she be blind to it for so long ? Well she knows who opened her eyes that’s for sure. But she weirdly didn’t send any text. Did she even tell her what her birthday was ? Well, she will call her tonight either way. Anya throws her phone to her bed alongside her spider suit and takes a quick but invigorating shower. She jumps into comfy clothes then goes back to her room. She rummages a bit through her bedside table and takes out what she was looking for.
For everyone of those she loved, they had a special place here in this city that Anya could go to talk to them. Except one. One whose loss made her come here in this city, in this country in the first place. But she has something even better to connect herself to her. A gift. ‘To make sure that part of me would alway follow you’ she said all those years ago. Despite Anya’s memories of her childhood being foggy. The night where her mom gave her this pendant is surprisingly clear in her head. It always bugged her. The timing of it all. Her mother gave her this pendant and only a few months after she…died. Did she know what was going to happen ? What fate had in store for her ? Did she just get a feeling ? Or was it all an incredible coincidence? The question never left Anya's mind for 17 years now. It probably never will. But she doesn't mind anymore. She’s just happy she did give it to her. Just happy she has a piece of her mom she can hold close when she needs it.
“Hola mama. How long has it been since I actually talked to you ? Gosh I’m not going to actually count, it would scare me. Life hasn’t been easy you know ? Things got rough after we left Mexico. Even more rough as each month passed. There was a time when I just wanted to throw it all outside of the window. To put this life of mine on hold for a sec and take a breather. Or sometimes, just put a stop to it all together. And then whenever I did, I just thought of you. What you would have said to me. How you would have held me and that just felt…nice. And this is all I needed. Then somehow life managed to get even worse. Got enrolled into some magical feud and ta-da mama, your daughter is a superhero. And then I lost Miguel, then Rikki, then…dad. And after all that a part of me just…disconnected. Of course grief is painful. When I became a teen the thought of you became as painful as it was recomforting. But after losing everyone I just couldn’t bear it anymore. So I tried to just stop. Stop thinking about you all, close everything up. Even tried to not bond with anyone new, to protect myself. And this was… probably the most miserable year of my life. And the worst thing about it was that I thought that I was getting better. And I would’ve continued if I didn't meet her. Mayday. She simply opened my eyes. I wanted to be left alone yet couldn't stop gravitating towards her, thinking about her. And what she said, how she acted. It just made me realize that I was a fool mama. Despite how cool it would be to just be alone and never lose anyone ever again, I need people. I’m not the loner type. And you knew that didn’t you ? That’s why you gave me this pendant. To make sure someone would always be by my side. That you’d always be there. And I thank you so much for it. For making sure I'd never be alone in the dark.” She slowly takes the pendant to her lips and kisses it softly. “Te amo mamá, espero que tu descanso sea tan dulce como lo fue para ti, y gracias por todo.”
By the time she’s done, tears are already flowing like waterfalls. She kisses the pendant one more time before putting it back on her neck, where it belongs. After this she just crashes face first on her bed. She just spent the whole day running around re-awakening some deep emotional stuff, she needs the rest. And as her eyes slowly close, she feels a growling in her stomach “Ok maybe skipping lunch wasn’t the best idea” she whispers before putting all the strength she has left in getting up and making her way towards the kitchen. She opens the fridge and “Sheesh barely nothing. *Sighs* Well I mean it IS my birthday so I can always order something, but-”
Suddenly she hears the sound of a key entering her front door. Anya stands there for a second approaching it as she hears the lock being unlocked. Who could that be ? And right before the door opens she remembers that she did give her the keys the other day. She does not have any more seconds to think before her guest rushes to her and hugs so hard Anya can feel her ribs cracking.
“Happy birthday tiger !” Shouts May “Mayday” Parker as she gives her girlfriend the most loving embrace she can while also giving her a dozen of kisses on the cheek
“Thank you ! I didn’t think you’d…”
“Come here ? Come on Aña you gave me the keys AND it’s your birthday, of course I'd… what is that” she gets her eyes even closer to Anya's face than they already were “Did you… cry ?” she says softly rubbing off the rest of tears that Anya missed earlier
“Well I… did but-”
“What ? What happened ? Are you okay ? Did something happen ? Did someone-”
Anya puts her hands on her girlfriend’s cheek forcing her to focus on her instead of any nightmare scenarios she was cooking up inside her mind “Calm down. I’m fine. I’ll tell you everything about my day in as much detail as you like. Now close that door and let’s get on the sofa instead of standing up like idiots.”
Seeing no clear sign of discomfort in either her girlfriend’s words or face, Mayday agrees and gives Anya a quick kiss before closing the door and following her into the living room. It’s only then Anya notices that Mayday was carrying two bags with her when she leaves them on the table while washing her hands.
Getting closer to them, Anya can smell something out of it. It’s a good smell, the kind that can make an already hungry person feel like she’s starving. Anya tries to grab it, but her hand is stopped in its tracks by some high speed water droplets. “No touching ! It’s for later.”
“What was that ?”
“What ? The water stuff ?”
“Yeah how did- Wait. Did you repel the water on your hand to use it as a projectile ?” Mayday’s smug smile is enough proof to show that Anya's right. “That’s awesome !”
“Right ?! That was Annie’s idea ! Only 5 years old but her mind is already coming up with great stuff !”
Anya let herself fall on the sofa “Still a lil’ genius, huh ?”
“Yep. Top of her class with such a huge gap that the number 2 almost had a breakdown.”
“And she's not being…”
“Bullied ? Well some jealous kids tried to, but I think Benjy made it very clear they shouldn’t mess with her.”
“How is he doing by the way ?”
“Fine. His results are pretty good, he has some pretty good friends and… his hearing is slowly getting better.” She hopes Anya won’t pick up on that. Mayday didn’t have the courage yet to tell her girlfriend how her brother lost his hearing exactly. Guess 5 years wasn't enough for the pain to die out.
“That’s great…really great…” manages to say Anya before slowly but surely falling asleep. There was no nightmare this time. But she still had a dream. The same one she had this morning
When she comes back to reality, the last rays of the sun that made their way through the window were now fully gone. ‘Crap, I hope Mayday didn’t leave’ She gets up from the sofa. Mayday is still there, humming a song while moving her way around the kitchen. From her movements to the sounds and smells Anya feels, Mayday is clearly cooking something. Perfect since Anya forgot to eat before her nap and now feels like a chasm has taken the place of her stomach.
“Hello sunshine.” Mayday playfully says “How was your sleep ?” Anya doesn't answer, making Mayday worried “Nightmares again ?”
“No. Even worse. A good dream.” answers Anya trying to sound as less sad as she can. But Mayday's expression shows her she failed.
“Listen tiger. You’ve told me you cried today, and then you fall asleep at like 7 pm when you usually stay up until like 1 am. Something happened. Can you please tell me what it is ?”
“...sure.” Anya sighs and tells her girlfriend everything about the little trip she took today. The places she went. The buried memories she forced back to the surface. How much pain was still there. How surprised she was at how good she felt afterwards. And the dream she just had.
Mayday doesn't answer straight away, processing what she just heard. “Celebrating ourselves also means celebrating those that shaped us” she whispers under her breath. “That's a really beautiful way to see it.”
“Isn't it ?” Anya softly lays her hand on her girlfriend's shoulder, kissing her on the cheek then hugs her from behind, wrapping her arm around her, all the while making sure she’s not getting between the chef and her art. “So what’s on tonight's menu ?”
Mayday giggles “Well I'm just finishing to cook some chicken here as you can see, I prepared some sauce before coming here, that’s what you smelled earlier” she says playfully tapping Anya’s nose.”aaand while you were sleeping I made some arañitas, they’re already done but I’ve put them in the oven so they won’t get cold.”
“You…made arañitas ?”
“Well yeah you gave your dad's recipe a month ago.”
“But I didn't you would already…”
“Did you really think I’d listen to you gush about how a dish is so important to you and how much you love it and then wouldn’t learn how to do it the very next day ? You underestimate me Ms. Corazòn.”
“...I could marry you for that.”
Mayday laughs “Yeah well put that ring down tiger and go dress the table instead. I’ll be done in a few minutes”
Anya gives a quick kiss to her girlfriend's neck and releases her embrace to go towards the cupboard containing the plates. A few minutes later dinner is served. The chicken and sauce are divine, Anya didn't have any doubt about it. But when it came to the third part of the meal, she showed herself more hesitant.
When she finally picks one arañita and brings it to her mouth, she can feel Mayday's gaze becoming more insistant, observing each of her girlfriend's reactions, her bicolored eyes also showing great pressure. Anya finally puts it in, chews it, then swallows it without saying a word. Mayday is about to blow up from the inside ‘Does she like it ? No if she did she would've said something already. Oh crap I blew it. I acted so sure of myself earlier and I blew it.’ But her downward mental spiral is cut short when tears start to form under Anya’s eyes. Mayday can't help but say “‘Oh god is that bad ?!” out loud
Anya waves her hand “No they're good ! Great ! Perfect even !”
“Then why are you crying ?”
“Like I said, they're perfect. They taste exactly how mama and papa would’ve done them and I just… never thought I would ever taste it again.” Anya wipes her tears as a big and bright smile forms on her face “Thank you Mayday. That means a lot.” Mayday simply answers with a smile as she feels light enough to fly now that the pressure is off. The rest of the dinner goes out perfectly. Great food and amazing company does make a good cocktail for a successful dinner. For dessert they simply finish the waffles Anya opened this morning for breakfast. After that, Anya opens her gift. A pair of earrings the two of them found a few days ago while shopping at the mall. With it, there’s also a bracelet matching the one Mayday is wearing.
Then they sit on the sofa. Anya laying her head on Mayday's shoulder while she searches for a movie. Anya passes her hand through her girlfriend's short brown hair, kissing her on the cheek “Thanks for being here.”
Mayday kisses her back, on the lips this time “Always.”
Anya softly lays her hand on Mayday's cheek “And I don't just mean thanks for being here today. I mean thanks for being here, in my life.” Mayday suddenly stops her movie search and slowly tilts her head to face her girlfriend before Anya continues “I don’t think you realize how much you did. How much you are doing for me. I don’t know why I have been so lucky for you to ever lay your eyes on me. Lucky enough to find someone like you who read through me like a book and still didn't run away. I’m just so grateful.” Anya takes her head off May’s shoulder, now the two of them truly face each other “Before I met you I was really going through it, I think you noticed that. I had all those feelings bottled up inside me that just would not allow me to think straight. Those same feelings that forced me to build a wall around me, whether as Spider-Girl or even as Aña Corazòn. I don’t know where I would be today if you didn’t break those walls on both sides. Alone probably after forcing the few people crazy enough to love me away. And then… I don’t want to think about it. You're the reason I’m still standing Mayday. So thank you for being there for me. And thank you for being as amazing as you are.”
“...” Mayday stays silent for a little while. She doesn't even react per say, she just stays still. “Can I tell you the one thing I don't like about you ?”
Anya feels her muscle tense as she is taken back by her answer. This was not the outcome she expected at all “Well…sure…I guess…”
Mayday leans forward grabbing her girlfriend by the shoulders “I hate the way you talk about yourself. Every time you make it sound like you are some kind of crumbling mess, ready to fall down at any second. As if I single handedly made your life better. This is not true. You did all the work. The reason you’re getting better is because of how much you are working for it. Did I play a part in it ? Maybe, probably. But I don’t deserve any award for just falling in love with someone and wanting what’s best for them, that’s like the bare minimum. But you do for managing to be where you are today. What you lived through tiger, I don’t know many people who would’ve been able to come back from it. I don't think I could have, or at least not like you did. You are the strongest person I know Anya.”
Anya catches her girlfriend’s shoulder in return “And the reason I found that strength was because of you ! Don’t minimize how much you’re doing for me. I would not have been able to push through without you ! You are one of the reasons I get up in the morning. Knowing I'll see you once in the day is what allows me to go through it most of the time !”
“And I feel the same way about you ! This is a two way relationship Aña ! I don’t stay with you to save you, or to fix you. I'm with you because I love you. Because you bring joy into my life. Because you inspire me to be the best version of myself. And I am really happy you feel like this towards me as well, but please stop acting like you’re not bringing me anything. Because you are giving me so much Aña. So. So much.”
They both stare at each other for a few seconds before jumping into each other arms, both of them feel their eyes tearing up as they tighten the embrace. They do not move for at least twenty minutes. Anya could have never even dreamed of this a few years back. This love she feels makes her heartbeat go as fast as a jackhammer, feeling her girlfriend’s heart echoing every beat through her chest. This connection. This feeling of being home. She wished this hug never ends. She wishes that this love, this tender feeling, will never extinguish. And that it will last forever.
A few minutes later, Mayday pulls herself away calmly “So what do we do now birthday girl ? A movie or- oh” she stops herself when she notices her girlfriend’s eyes are closed. Her suspicion is confirmed when she hears her quiet snoring. Mayday carefully picks her bridal style. Being able to pick up each and everyone of her loved ones is one of her favorite things about having super strength. She walks through the corridor of the apartment and slowly lays Anya on her bed. Gently putting the bed sheet on top of her. She knows Anya can’t sleep without it despite how hot it can get outside. Making as little sound as she can, she gets herself in more comfy clothes (she just steals one of Anya's shirts and shorts) then checks her phone to make sure Spider-Girl isn’t needed anywhere, but lucky for her, it’s a quiet night. She tiptoes her way around the apartment, shutting off every light before coming back to the bedroom. One more emergency check, still nothing. Mayday puts her phone down and slowly slips into the bed, taking her beloved in her arms. She puts her chest close enough to Anya's to hear her heartbeat. The echo of their hearts responding to each other lulls her. She just manages to say “Good night tiger” and kiss Anya on the forehead before drifting off to sleep. Joining her lover into the tender arms of morpheus.
And thus ends the 21st birthday of Aña Corazòn. Ending exactly like the first one. Surrounded by love.