Work Text:
[Drum Solo]
[Written by Celeste Kyanite]
Their music drowned out the city.
Gwen's sticks tapped across the drum set, the sharp rhythm echoing through the garage that doubled as their rehearsal space. Sweat clung to her neck, strands of blonde hair falling into her eyes as she caught M.J.'s gaze across the room.
The redhead sang with emotion in her voice, the kind that made Gwen feel free, like the world didn't matter.
She forgot everything else: the late nights, the bruises, and what the world thought of her.
When the final note hit, silence filled the room.
"That was awesome!" M.J. said, brushing her hair back, and flashed Gwen a smile. It was only for her since Glory and Betty were too busy to come for this session.
"You killed it on that fill."
Gwen grinned, heart pounding like a tempo. "You weren't so bad yourself, Em Jay."
They both laughed, M.J. throwing a water bottle at Gwen. "Dont get so cocky, drummer girl."
"Man, I forgot how great rehearsals can be, don't do anything but hit things," Gwen spoke before downing the whole bottle. Her other career often made her exhausted, so she could drink a full bottle without the risk of choking.
"Basically, rhythmic therapy."
M.J. chuckled, finishing her entire bottle, "It doesn't get old after a while?"
Gwen shook her head, taking her sticks and tapping them absently against the floor. "Not when it's the only thing that actually listens." She simply says, without giving much thought to those words.
M.J. tilted her head. "What is that supposed to mean?"
Gwen stopped her beat and shrugged. "Just some cryptic words I like to use. It's been a long week for me. Drums don't judge you."
"It's nice having time to ourselves," M.J. said softly, sitting down beside Gwen. Trying to mimic Gwen's slouched posture, knees almost touching. "Dont get a lot of that anymore, gotta get ready to be proper adults." She sighed, twisting her empty bottle. "Feels like everything's changing, and not in a good way."
"Yeah," Gwen mumbled. "Tell me about it."
"Gwen, you've been different for a while lately. You okay?" M.J. brought up.
Gwen looked at her, caught off guard by the question. "Me? Yeah, totally fine."
M.J. gave her that look, one which always seemed to cut right through her lies. She hated making her loved ones worry. "You sure? I mean, I get it, Gwen. You lost.. a lot. Anyone would need time."
Those words hit harder than M.J. meant for them to. Images flashed through Gwen's mind. Her mother died when she was three. Her father needed to spend all his time at the clock. Peter being dead, and the fact that she killed him.
She swallowed, voice tight. "Yeah. I just need some more time. Dont want anyone else to get hurt. That's all."
M.J. smiled gently, "You're a good person, you know that?"
Gwen snorted, shaking her head. "I try, sometimes it doesn't work out."
"Well, it's working for me."
Gwen looked up at M.J.'s eyes; their moment stretched for longer than it should have. Gwen was feeling her heart beat a little too fast for her liking. Hands fidgeting with the drumsticks to focus on something else. She wanted to say something, anything else, but then her phone buzzed.
One glance made her stomach twist.
A citizen alert app.
A robbery was occurring.
Only a few blocks away.
"Hey, I uh gotta go." Gwen blurted, nearly tripping over her drum stool as she grabbed for her bag.
"What? Everything okay?" M.J. asked, worried that something bad must have occurred.
"Yeah, just my dad needs me," Gwen lied, forcing a smile. "You know how he can be, just needs my help with cooking."
The two laughed at that, remembering when George Stacy had somehow managed to ruin the simple ramen he tried to make.
"Go ahead, text me when you get home, alright?" M.J. said.
"Promise." Gwen hesitated before leaving for the door, looking back at M.J. "Your voice was great tonight." God, that was a horrible line.
Still, it made M.J. smile. "Thanks, Gwen."
Gwen let that linger in her for a few seconds before heading into the nearest alleyway. The moment she knew that she was alone, she ripped open her backpack and pulled out the mask.
Her world is now webs and rooftops as she swings through the night.
She was Spider-Woman now.
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The robbery was easy to deal with. Show up and web up the bad guys.
They weren't a pain, just had guns and masks on.
Very easy to deal with.
The cops were a little more difficult.
Since everyone knew that she killed Peter, Spider-Woman was public enemy number 1.
No good deed she did would ever make up for killing a kid who just wanted bullies to leave him alone.
Sighing, Spider-Woman decided to lurch on a random building near a bunch of fast food restaurants. She wanted to have some time to herself before picking up her dinner.
It was then that a mysterious scream rang out in her ears.
It made Spider-Woman freeze. That voice sounded familiar. Like it was Em Jays.
Her heart stopped, Spider-Woman using adrenaline to swing over to the street where the crime was occurring.
There she was, M.J. pressed against a wall with three men surrounding her, one with a visible knife.
"M.J.," She whispered, fury lighting up in her.
Spider-Woman dropped from the shadows, alerting everyone to her presence.
One man went down with a single kick; another found his eyes, and mouth webbed to the wall before he could blink, and the third ran, dropping his knife. What a coward.
"Hey, it's okay," Spider-Woman whispered, trying to keep her distance. Knowing that going any closer meant that she would try to touch the girl's cheek. Which would be very awkward since, to M.J., Spider-Woman was a vigilante, not her drumming girl.
M.J. was trembling, her makeup running. It was then that Spider-Woman noticed the takeout bag at the corner. Heh, they both had to same idea for dinner.
"Yeah, I-I God, you saved me," M.J. said, getting closer.
Looking right at Spider-Woman's eyes, they were too close.
She needed to leave. "Be careful walking alone, okay?" Spider-Woman said as if she wasn't going to spend the rest of the night making sure the redhead got home safely.
"Wait!" M.J. shouted, grabbing onto the heroine's arm.
"Can I at least… thank you?" Her face turned red, making Spider-Woman realize what she had wanted.
A kiss.
M.J. wanted a kiss from her.
That was shocking, not even because they were the same sex, but because Spider-Woman was a murderer. She killed Peter Parker, whom M.J. knew.
Sure, M.J. was always on the side that it was an accident, but still. Hearing that the girl wanted a kiss of all things from her was something else. Did M.J. always have these feelings, or did saving her make them come out?
Would she like her even if she knew who was behind that mask?
Spider-Woman grabbed M.J.'s hands. The girl let out a small squeak. Spider-Woman placed her fingers over her mask.
M.J. slowly pulled it off, making sure that the one guy still left wasn't looking.
He wasn't since his eyes were blinded, and seeing as he never struggled was also out cold.
It was just the two of them.
M.J. stopped up to her nose, but just the facial structure alone was enough for the redhead, who gasped.
"Gwen?" She breathed.
Spider-Woman didn't say a single thing, letting that be the confirmation.
"It's you," M.J. whispered, not sounding sad by the reveal, but still, the whisper hurt her.
Gwen hitched her breath. "M.J., I-"
Before she could finish, M.J. surged forward, wrapping her arms around her in a tight hug.
"It's always been you." She murmured into Gwen's shoulder, making Gwen realize that, like her, M.J. had always had feelings in some way.
Whether as Gwen or Spider-Woman, it didn't matter anymore.
The city was mute to them.
It was just the two of them under the light.
And the taste of the kiss they had that night.