Chapter Text
Friday, September 22nd, 2017
Golden sunlight bathed the street, illuminating the houses with a glow that was almost magic. Gwen didn’t often come out to the suburbs, but hey, Harry offered to pay the Mary Janes for doing a set at a house party. Her feet dangled over the porch railing as she watched the cars go by and listened to her bandmates chat.
“Hey, Gwen, you still with us?” Betty snapped Gwen out of her trance.
“Uh, yeah, sorry, what?”
“How’d you get your voice to sound like a girl already? Doesn’t it take like, months of training?”
“Well, I kinda did train it already? I’ve always liked doing other people’s voices.” She switched from her New York accent to a distinctly English one, “It’s smaller on the outside!” She switched back, “that’s Clara from Doctor Who. My ‘girl voice’ is just me imitating someone else.”
“Who are you imitating?” MJ asked.
Glory added, “Anyone we know?”
“No, just a regular at the bodega Peter and I hang out at.”
“Speak of the devil, I think that’s him.”
A lone figure was trotting up the sidewalk with the sun at his back. It was him; a short, stocky boy looking like the world was gonna pounce on him. And was that a polo shirt he was wearing?
“Go get your boyfriend, Gwen.”
“Hey! He’s not my—”
“Yet,” stressed Glory, “y’all were practically making heart eyes at each other all day.”
“Fine.” Gwen left her Coke bottle on the railing and leapt off, landing precisely and jogging over to him. She couldn’t resist giving him a hug.
“Hi, uh, Gwen, you look, uh, nice.”
“Thanks for coming, Peter,” she smiled as she broke the hug and started walking back with him to the house. “But I was going for hot.”
He took in her sight: a purple Jimi Hendrix Experience t-shirt with the sleeves cut off (which showed off a black sports bra), a black skater skirt, fishnet tights, and a pair of teal converse sneakers. “Yeah, definitely hot.”
They reached the house. “MJ helped pick it out for me.”
“So Peter,” Betty shouted, “ready for your girlfriend’s grand debut?”
He blushed.
“Stop torturing them Betty,” said MJ, “Peter, there are sodas in the drink fridge. Norman splurged and got us glass bottles.”
Glory asked, “Hey do you know where everyone is? Party starts in 10 and you’re the first one here besides us.”
He shrugged, “I think I saw a few at the beach.”
“Makes sense, probably the last warm night of the year.”
Gwen took his hand and brought him inside. “Sorry, they can be a bit much.”
“No, they’re your friends, they want you to be happy.”
“Peter,” she said as they reached the drink fridge in the back corner of living room, “they’re your friends too, not just mine.” She popped off the lid of a tamarind Jarritos and handed it to him.
“No, they just tolerate me because I’m a package deal with you.”
“They’d still hang out with you even when I’m busy. They think you’re kinda funny and definitely lonely and…what did Betty call you…adorkable.”
He took a sip. “No they don’t.”
“Yes they do, I wouldn’t lie to you Peter!”
Footsteps approaching. Norman Osborn announced himself, “ah, Peter and Ro—Gwen, welcome. I am very glad you made it here safely. Sorry, Gwen, Harold only just told me about your change mere hours ago. I would have greeted you earlier, but I was upstairs, working on my hobby project. The mind of a scientist never stops.”
“Thanks, Mr. Osborn. I’m prepared for people to mess up a few times.”
“Nonsense, one look at you and it’s obvious you are much more suited for womanhood. I shall endeavour to use your real name every time. Is your father supportive? We can find space for you if he is not.”
“No, no, I came out to him this morning. He called the school to update their records and scheduled an endo appointment for me.” She laughed, “He did say he wouldn’t call me Gwen, insisted that my name would officially be ‘Gwendolyn’ after my great-great aunt.”
“I am happy for you then, Gwendolyn.”
Gwen rolled her eyes, another father figure in her life insisting on needless formalities.
Peter spoke up, “What hobby project are you working on this time now, Mr. Osborn?”
“I am sure it will be of great interest to you and Gwendolyn. I am attempting to induce sex changes in invertebrates via radiation. It has already proven fruitful.”
“Oh, interesting.”
“That’s cool!” Gwen added, “I’d ask for the details, but I’m more of a Physics person than a Biology one.”
“When I finish this round of tests, I will send you my results—written, of course, for a student of physics. Have a pleasant evening, Peter and Gwendolyn.” He turned and walked out to the porch, presumably to greet the other Band members.
“I always forget how weird he talks.”
“It’s a transatlantic accent, I looked up when I was learning voices. A lot of actors in the 20s learned it. Think Orson Welles, Fred Astaire.”
“Oh yeah, like Singin’ in the Rain.”
Gwen switched voices, “I’m driving to Beverly Hills, can I drop you someplace?”
Peter laughed, “Gwen, you can’t even drive.”
She switched back, “Parallel parking is scary!”
“And being a girl isn’t?”
“Not when I have friends and family and teachers and a church to support me. Fuck the haters.”
“So, am I friends, or—”
“Peter? Broooo how’s it been?” Harry caught him off guard by going in for a bro hug.
Peter obliged. “It’s been weird, I think. I came out to Gwen last night as bi, she came out to me as trans. Yeah, definitely weird.”
“Sorry I couldn’t make D&D on Wednesday. I hope nobody died because the party’s cleric was missing.”
“No, Aunt May is an insane DM. You were kidnapped and we looked for you. And she left us on a cliffhanger.”
“Well, I think you can find me next week. Gwen, can I make a song request?”
“Uh, I’m not really the girl you should be asking, talk to MJ.”
“Well it’s probably a bit too much to ask so I wanted to run it by you. Can you play something off the album The Killers just dropped today?”
“Oh, definitely, Betty made us learn ‘Run For Cover’ back in July. We just need to run thru it before the party.”
“Hell yeah, let’s get the band in here before the beach rats show up.”
“Sorry Peter, we’ll talk later.” She left him behind as she walked with Harry out to the porch.
“Hey Harry, how’s it hanging?” Glory asked.
“He has a song request, told him he could ask it.” Gwen picked up her Coke.
“‘Run for Cover’ by The Killers.”
“Fuck yeah, Oz, I knew I liked you for a reason.” Betty was the only person who called him that.
“Sure, fine, we’ll do a run-thru.” MJ wasn’t gonna argue with her pianist and her paycheck. “Let’s go, girls.”
A couple people from Jazz band showed up as the Mary Janes were finishing up their cover, and started chatting with Harry and Peter about their D&D campaign. Gwen grabbed another round of Cokes for the Mary Janes, where she ran into Liz Allan of all people, who offered an apology for being a jerk at school that day.
The evening went on like that, Gwen bouncing between acquaintances, confirming rumors of her newfound girlhood. Harry had managed to only invite people who were, at least, mostly not transphobic.
Eight o’clock came. Harry paused the playlist. “All right! I think we got everyone we want here! I wanna invite up the reason we came here tonight! My favorite rock band and yours, the Mary Janes!”
Cheers erupted from the small crowd. Gwen had been given the honor to open the set: Pat Benatar’s ‘Heartbreaker’ starts with nothing more than Drums.
MJ ended the song with a guitar solo that was just a little Extra, even for her. “Thanks for coming out here tonight! I’m the original Em Jay, on guitar.“ Cheers. “On bass we have the extremely talented Glory Grant.” More cheers. “On synth over there is the awesome Betty Brant.” More cheers. “And on the drums is the incredible GWEN FUCKING STACY!” Riotous applause. “Which makes the Mary Janes AN ALL GIRL BAND!!!”
Applause washed over them as they immediately dropped into a cover of No Doubt’s “Just a Girl”. Gwen couldn’t stop grinning. She loved performing, yes, but tonight was the first time she was performing as herself. The joy she felt, the electrified air around her, it was like nothing she’d experienced before. And it didn’t stop, it was as locked in to Gwen as much as the band was. Everything was falling into place.
Songs continued, both covers and original Mary Janes numbers. “Run for Cover” got plenty of appreciation, and MJ shocked the crowd by passing Gwen the mic to belt out Against Me!’s “Transgender Dysphoria Blues” while playing kit. She made sure to look directly into Peter’s eyes when she sang the line “rough surf on the coast, I wish I could have spent the whole day alone with you.”
The set ended with their most popular original song, the only one to get more than a thousand views on YouTube. A grand, sprawling number called “The Stars I Wish I Saw”, which showed off each of their instruments and waltzed thru three genres (Jazz, Funk, and Rock). And when it ended, the cheers they got practically carried her offstage.
Directly into Peter Parker’s arms. “Gwen, that was incredible.”
She was positively giddy, the post-show high was higher than it had ever been. “I think I might love you, Peter Parker.”
“What?”
“Come with me.” She grabbed his hand and dragged him onto the porch.
A chill was in the air, but that’s not why they had goosebumps.
She pulled him in close before lacing her fingers into his hair, leaning down, and pressing her lips against his. She ended the kiss, then dropped into a husky voice halfway between her old one and the one she habitually uses now. “That’s what you wanted right? ’Cuz that’s all I’ve been thinking of tonight, between every song.”
“Yes. God, yes, Gwen. I—” but he was cut off by the pair of lips now covering his mouth. Her tongue darted in, teasing him, as her hands ran up and down his body. She pushed him against the wall and kept kissing. He shuddered with pleasure, and Gwen noticed.
She made a mental note for each action she took that got a reaction out of him. Gwen didn’t want to forget any part of tonight.
Then, as she ran her fingers thru his hair, she felt a sharp sting on the back of her hand. She reflexively smacked it against the grey siding of the house.
A spider.
“Ow, shit,” Gwen cursed, “Fucking spider.”
“Wait,” Peter snapped out of his haze, “Do you think that was one of Norman’s?”
“Oh fuck, you’re probably right. Grab something we can bring it to him in.”
Gwen examined the dead spider. It was mostly brown, but had a few spots that seemed to glow a faint purple. Definitely one of Norman’s then. Peter returned with a thin magazine. He slid it under the spider, then rolled it up. They took it inside and immediately upstairs, avoiding the crowd who would bombard them with questions if they knew what they’d been doing on the porch.
The door to Norman’s home lab was open, and the two stepped in. Peter gave a half-hearted knock, “Uh, Mr. Osborn.”
He spun in his chair, “What is it, Peter? Excellent show, Gwendolyn.”
“Thanks, Mr. Osborn, bu—”
“I am going to send the recording Harold made of it to a friend of mine in the industry.”
“Wow, that’s—”
“If you are interested in a career in Physics and Rock music like Dr. May, I am sure my friend would assist.”
“That’s, uh, generous, but uh, I may have accidentally killed one of your subjects.”
Peter unrolled the magazine and showed Norman the dead spider. He took a magnifying glass to it. “Ah, Araneus diadematus, one of my failures. I was never able to change the sexes of Orb-weavers. This female is still quite female. I assure you, my work is unimpeded by her death.”
“It bit me, am I in any danger?”
“Orb-weavers are rather harmless to humans. The only lingering effects you may feel would be from the radiation it was exposed to.” He rummaged thru a nearby drawer, then pulled out a blister pack of six pills. “Take one iodide pill a day, starting tonight, to limit your exposure.”
“Thank you so much, Mr. Osborn.”
Peter and Gwen left the lab, but paused at the top of the stairs.
“Kiss me again,” Peter said.
Gwen happily obliged.