When Peter returned to the roof of the Empire State Building, only Gwen remained. Apparently, after the initial shock subsided, Felicia had asked Gwen to take her home first.
Peter could guess what Felicia was agonizing over. For him, however, this was a blessing in disguise.
There were things Felicia wasn't ready to hear—and frankly, things Peter didn't want to say in front of her just yet.
"Peter, you're back."
Even though she knew his identity now, seeing him in that hollowed-out mask still felt a bit surreal. But as Peter pulled it off, revealing that familiar, mischievous smile she had missed for a week, the unease vanished instantly.
A week's worth of longing detonated in her chest. Gwen lost all pretense of control. She lunged forward, throwing her arms around him, burying her face in his chest for a good ten seconds before self-consciousness kicked in and she tried to pull away from that warm embrace.
But Peter wasn't about to let her come and go as she pleased. He pulled her back, leaning into her ear to whisper:
"Isn't someone going to explain that 'wonderful' speech she made earlier?"
Even without him spelling it out, Gwen's mind flashed back to her mid-battle confession—half a desperate test, half a heartfelt truth. Her face went nuclear, turning a shade of red so deep she looked like she wanted the roof to swallow her whole.
After a long, agonizing silence, Gwen attempted the ultimate feminine survival skill: playing dumb.
"What speech? I don't... I don't remember any speech."
Peter, however, was prepared. He snapped his fingers, and a recording began to play from the Glider's internal speakers:
"The person I love is my neighbor who grew up with me! Aside from him, there is no one else!"
This was another perk of the Wheel of Fortune. Since the "Will" of the soul possessed absolute control over the vehicle, Peter could manifest any equipment the vehicle was capable of having.
He had commanded the Glider to generate a recorder the moment Gwen started her confession.
Hearing her own voice broadcast back at her made Gwen's face even hotter. When did Peter become so... wicked? Things were so tense, and he still had the mind to record that?!
She buried her face in his shoulder, refusing to look up. She knew if she did, she'd meet his teasing, predatory eyes.
But even without her looking up, Peter had ways to make her comply. Sensing Peter's hand on her waist starting to wander a bit lower, Gwen felt a jolt of electricity—the non-Electro kind—shoot through her. She grabbed his hand, looking up to glare at him in mock fury.
But the moment she lifted her head, something soft and warm pressed against her lips.
Gwen's brain went completely blank. Her eyes were wide, staring at the person inches away. Her first instinct was to push him back, but somehow, her superpowers seemed to have malfunctioned.
The strength that could hurl a car across a parking lot felt like wet noodles against his chest.
Then, a wave of dizziness hit her. Her eyes drifted shut as she surrendered to the strange, exhilarating sensation.
Until...
Gwen pulled back slightly, breathless and a bit annoyed, grabbing Peter's large hand again. "Can't your hand stay still for five minutes?!"
She forced his hands behind his back, pinning them there with her own grip until she was sure he couldn't cause any more "mischief." Satisfied and feeling a surge of triumph, she took the lead.
No wonder the leads in movies want to kiss 24/7 once they fall in love... this really is addictive.
It wasn't until even the super-powered Gwen felt lightheaded that they finally broke apart. She was panting, her body feeling soft and strangely "sticky," but she still tried to act tough.
"Just... just this once! Don't let it happen again!"
In truth, a strange thought was looping in her mind: I really want to try this again, but hanging upside down...
But she worried that being the one to suggest it would make her seem too "forward" or "easy."
"Are you sure? Just this once?" Peter whispered into her ear, intentionally stimulating the sensitive little Spider.
"J-Just once!" Gwen's body was trembling, but her mouth remained stubborn. It took a long moment before she worried Peter might be upset, so she added weakly, "I... I just think... It's moving too fast."
Peter: "..."
teenagers: either remarkably open or strangely conservative, he thought.
"Fine, I respect your choice." Peter played the part of the understanding gentleman perfectly.
Gwen's eyes crinkled into beautiful crescents at his words. They sat down on the spire together, Gwen leaning her head on his shoulder. "Peter, when did you find out I was Ghost-Spider? And where did your powers come from?"
"From the moment you were bitten by that radioactive spider at Oscorp, I suspected you might change. Don't forget, the decay-rate algorithm was my parents' work."
"As for my powers..." Peter looked into her deep blue eyes and whispered, "I sought them out specifically to protect you."
It wasn't a total lie. He had indeed pursued the Horse Talisman to ensure her safety.
Realizing Peter had known her secret from the very beginning, Gwen felt her face heat up again. So all this time, he's been teasing me while I was trying to stay 'incognito'! How can he be so bad?!
Though her heart was sweet as honey, she still pushed back. "Oh, stop it! Seriously, how did you get those abilities? Oh, and there's this..."
Gwen reached into her pocket and pulled out the Emerald Dragon Scale.
Peter blinked. "Felicia didn't take it with her?"
"She said you only lent it to her for the emergency. Now that the trouble is over, it should go back to its owner," Gwen replied.
Looking at the scale in Gwen's hand, Peter's respect for Felicia grew. No wonder the Emerald Scale chose her.
He thought back to an old saying from the "Founding Masters"...
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