[The laughing is good. It does help ease the anxiety. She can hear his heart racing, knows he probably hears hers too, but she feels calmer than she did while she was getting ready.
It feels stupid to be nervous, when they've spent so much time together already. She's seen him naked already, too, and yet!! Calling it a date. Putting labels on something they skirted around for the last month is stupidly scary. It just makes it...real. And when things get real, they hurt you much more.]
No, no. I never said it wouldn't work. [As long as it was them, it would. Not so much with someone that wasn't a spider.]
I'm still not about to try it, though. That one can stay right there in that weird head of yours.
If I do the math, does that convince you a little better?
(because the nerds would definitely would love to prove math right or their calculus wrong, so it makes him laugh at the thought of him presenting a blackboard of physics to conclude that this was a practical way to travel.
but it doesn't matter. the restaurant is just around the corner, so they are now in front of the door, and he takes a quick look over the window.)
... This is the fanciest place ever! Hey, take a look!
[He's just being an annoying ass at this point, and she nudges against him playfully. She still laughs at his ridiculousness, though, also imagining them arguing over their calculations. God, they were such nerds, weren't they?
Thankfully the walk wasn't a long one, and Gwen peeked inside, a little taken aback.]
...Oh, Peter. This place is too much. It looks way too expensive, we should just go somewhere else-- [She doesn't want him to spend all his hard earned money on her like this!!]
I know you are, but can you put together a kick-ass presentation?
(yep, actually, probably, no doubts about it - just different aesthetics, it's all. but when she talks, he takes her hand again, so they can have an actual conversation - he knows the weight of money, what it does, but he also knows that there are things that are worth spending money for.)
Is that what you really want? If it's money, I'll make it again, but if you're not comfortable, then that's another story.
[He is a bit more technologically savvy than her. He probably can code and do all sorts of wild animations via drone, or some other wild and crazy thing he has in his back pocket.
When he takes her hand again, her stomach twists, the guilt she's feeling for ruining the moment causing her cheeks to redden.]
No. No, it's not that. I just-- hate for you to waste all your money on me. On dinner. It looks amazing, but I can't ask you to do this for me.
I'm not wasting anything, and you didn't have to ask, really. I'm doing this because I want to! So, if you wanna go in, that's totally fine, if you want to go somewhere else, that's totally fine, too.
(the level of understanding here is out of this world, but he means every word. he'll be happy as long as she's happy - and either way she wants this to go would be fine by him. he can make more money, and it's not like they have bills or big spendings other than the club.
I know, I know-- [She stops herself, squeezing his hand in hers. She knows all of this, so why is she resisting? Peter is always so kind and thoughtful, of course money wouldn't matter to him when it was something like this. She's just not used to anyone making a deal about something when it came to her, especially when it came to her birthday, so she doesn't really know how to feel about it, when it came at such a cost for him.
But he was doing it because he wanted to, not because she was forcing him. That made it different, right?]
You're right. I'm sorry. I'm not.. trying to be difficult. I just don't want you to over-do it, just for the sake of doing something big and exciting. But if it's really okay, and you're sure it's not going to hurt you, then... okay. Let's do it.
[She has been eyeing this place in passing for some time, she just figured it was outside of their budget. But maybe he's better at budgeting than she expected.]
I don't think you're being difficult, it's fine, Gwen.
(he's just concerned, with comes out in anxiety and a little push and pull. at this point, he's used to her, used to how she reacts to things, so it couldn't bother him even if she did try to. at the confirmation, he just fixes her clothes a little bit, a pull on the collar of her jacket here, a smoothing there, making her hair fall just right-- and he beams at her before he gestures with his head towards the door before he opens it for her.)
[Her cheeks feel hot again. Even if he's fended off her worries and concerns, a part of her still feels bad. At least momentarily, because it's almost impossible to feel too bad when he looks at her like that. When he's adjusting her, making sure she looks her best. She smiles, and before he could lead her inside, she leans up, giving him a quick kiss.]
Peter... thank you.
[She probably doesn't say it enough, how much he means to her. How grateful she is for his kindness and attention. He's probably too good for her, honestly, but for whatever reason, he likes her too. She'll head inside after the kiss, but she just wanted to make sure she made her thanks clear.]
(there's a little dorky dance of joy at the kiss that she gives him, categorizing this as a victory - one less brick off that wall, and it feels very sweet. gwen is too amazing to limit herself out of fear, attachment or otherwise.
once they arrive at the table, he, naturally, pulls a chair for her to sit, a little gentleman-y flair of his hand to punctuate it with a playful gesture. it's weird, both know it, but if he can be a little stupid, he's sure it'll dissipate soon.)
[Of course his dorky dance just makes her face brighten with laughter. It's impossible to be sad or down for long around him. Everything he does is so silly and fun, but she loves it.
And his dramatics while pulling out her chair help nothing. She's covering her hand to hide her laughs once she's sitting, nudging him with her foot under the table.]
Peter.
[This place was fancy, they needed to behave! But it's them, so. That's going to be questionable. Either way, the grin hasn't left her face.]
[Pre-Spider-Woman, her dad was still on his "you can't date until you're married" nonsense. She was only fourteen, when she got bit. Funny, how she was old enough to become a superhero, but not old enough to date-- but the first thing was most definitely without her dad's permission.
And then after Peter died, she just...didn't want to risk getting close to anyone else. Until Miles anyway, and even then, while it was painfully obvious Miles had a crush on her, he was waaay younger than her, and in another dimension anyway, so it didn't matter. She knew she would never see him again. Just another friend, lost to her.]
Yeah. Yeah, it is. [It's impossible to stay too serious, though, and she's fighting back laughter again.] Sorry-- we're both so bad at this, aren't we?
(perhaps it's part of how they're all so damn weird - the fact they are so bad at these things, the reason why neither managed to go so far.
peter's always been too idealistic, too romantic. plan too much, think too much, these little things here, those little things there, and then spider-man happened. a divide between wanting to be normal, to date, go to parties, and his responsibilities to the city and to stark.
of course, both would understand that. that's why, while horribly awkward, he can't help the layer of comfort he finds.)
We're definitely really really really bad at this. Worse separately, I think.
[Without him, she wouldn't be trying to date, anyway. Even after meeting Miles, she had still been struggling to let anyone in. No one else understood people like them. The sacrifice, the danger, the stakes-- It just wasn't compatible with people not on the same level.
She could barely keep up with her band, how could she do the rest of being a teenager, while never being able to be fully herself?
But with Peter? It was different. He was different. Kind and courageous, and more than anything, he got it, in a way only another spider-person could. He never pushed her too hard, gave her space when she needed it, but was there when she needed him too. How could anything be better than this?]
It helps that we don't have to hide from each other. [No lies. No making up stories to explain being late for things. No covering up injuries. And they both know how bad they are when it comes to lying, so it's honestly a relief to get to be honest for once.]
(as someone who has seen another person before gwen, he can list a whole lot of difficulties in being spider-man and a normal person, but that's the point here. she knows them, a little too well. she too needs to break promises, to be a little isolated, and to trade a normal relationship for a disaster. it's what the job is, and it's a lonely, sad experience if someone looked at it too deeply.
with them, there's no need. they'd both go for the danger, they'd both sacrifice and come together after, and it's refreshing in ways he can't easily put into words.)
Thank God, I'm like, not that great at lying. Sure you've noticed.
[Gwen just grins as she speaks, trying to contain herself from full on laughter. They're in public, a nice restaurant at that. She can't just be cackling at all the stupid shit they say to each other.]
No, but seriously. I was trapped in Miles' dimension for like-- a week? Trying to make up excuses for that? Nightmare.
[She could not wait to be out of highschool and onto being an adult. Of course, she has plans for college, but at least she won't be under the direct, constant supervision of her dad. She hated lying to him, but there was no way he would take learning who she was well.]
So, I...might've stolen a school uniform and pretended to be a student at Miles' school? [IN HER DEFENSE, it technically was the same school she went to, just a different campus. But it says volumes about the school's security that she was able to sneak in and go through the motions so easily.]
It was just until the others got there. For some reason, I ended up there a whole week before everyone else? Weird, I know. After that, we stayed with May.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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It feels stupid to be nervous, when they've spent so much time together already. She's seen him naked already, too, and yet!! Calling it a date. Putting labels on something they skirted around for the last month is stupidly scary. It just makes it...real. And when things get real, they hurt you much more.]
No, no. I never said it wouldn't work. [As long as it was them, it would. Not so much with someone that wasn't a spider.]
I'm still not about to try it, though. That one can stay right there in that weird head of yours.
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(because the nerds would definitely would love to prove math right or their calculus wrong, so it makes him laugh at the thought of him presenting a blackboard of physics to conclude that this was a practical way to travel.
but it doesn't matter. the restaurant is just around the corner, so they are now in front of the door, and he takes a quick look over the window.)
... This is the fanciest place ever! Hey, take a look!
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[He's just being an annoying ass at this point, and she nudges against him playfully. She still laughs at his ridiculousness, though, also imagining them arguing over their calculations. God, they were such nerds, weren't they?
Thankfully the walk wasn't a long one, and Gwen peeked inside, a little taken aback.]
...Oh, Peter. This place is too much. It looks way too expensive, we should just go somewhere else-- [She doesn't want him to spend all his hard earned money on her like this!!]
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(yep, actually, probably, no doubts about it - just different aesthetics, it's all. but when she talks, he takes her hand again, so they can have an actual conversation - he knows the weight of money, what it does, but he also knows that there are things that are worth spending money for.)
Is that what you really want? If it's money, I'll make it again, but if you're not comfortable, then that's another story.
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[He is a bit more technologically savvy than her. He probably can code and do all sorts of wild animations via drone, or some other wild and crazy thing he has in his back pocket.
When he takes her hand again, her stomach twists, the guilt she's feeling for ruining the moment causing her cheeks to redden.]
No. No, it's not that. I just-- hate for you to waste all your money on me. On dinner. It looks amazing, but I can't ask you to do this for me.
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(the level of understanding here is out of this world, but he means every word. he'll be happy as long as she's happy - and either way she wants this to go would be fine by him. he can make more money, and it's not like they have bills or big spendings other than the club.
they'd live through it.)
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But he was doing it because he wanted to, not because she was forcing him. That made it different, right?]
You're right. I'm sorry. I'm not.. trying to be difficult. I just don't want you to over-do it, just for the sake of doing something big and exciting. But if it's really okay, and you're sure it's not going to hurt you, then... okay. Let's do it.
[She has been eyeing this place in passing for some time, she just figured it was outside of their budget. But maybe he's better at budgeting than she expected.]
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(he's just concerned, with comes out in anxiety and a little push and pull. at this point, he's used to her, used to how she reacts to things, so it couldn't bother him even if she did try to. at the confirmation, he just fixes her clothes a little bit, a pull on the collar of her jacket here, a smoothing there, making her hair fall just right-- and he beams at her before he gestures with his head towards the door before he opens it for her.)
Let's go then!
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Peter... thank you.
[She probably doesn't say it enough, how much he means to her. How grateful she is for his kindness and attention. He's probably too good for her, honestly, but for whatever reason, he likes her too. She'll head inside after the kiss, but she just wanted to make sure she made her thanks clear.]
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(there's a little dorky dance of joy at the kiss that she gives him, categorizing this as a victory - one less brick off that wall, and it feels very sweet. gwen is too amazing to limit herself out of fear, attachment or otherwise.
once they arrive at the table, he, naturally, pulls a chair for her to sit, a little gentleman-y flair of his hand to punctuate it with a playful gesture. it's weird, both know it, but if he can be a little stupid, he's sure it'll dissipate soon.)
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And his dramatics while pulling out her chair help nothing. She's covering her hand to hide her laughs once she's sitting, nudging him with her foot under the table.]
Peter.
[This place was fancy, they needed to behave! But it's them, so. That's going to be questionable. Either way, the grin hasn't left her face.]
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(considering the fact that he dipped out of homecoming for spider-man reasons.
he does take a look around and then to gwen, with her little smile behind her hand, the nudge, the way she's looking at him...)
It's perfect.
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[Pre-Spider-Woman, her dad was still on his "you can't date until you're married" nonsense. She was only fourteen, when she got bit. Funny, how she was old enough to become a superhero, but not old enough to date-- but the first thing was most definitely without her dad's permission.
And then after Peter died, she just...didn't want to risk getting close to anyone else. Until Miles anyway, and even then, while it was painfully obvious Miles had a crush on her, he was waaay younger than her, and in another dimension anyway, so it didn't matter. She knew she would never see him again. Just another friend, lost to her.]
Yeah. Yeah, it is. [It's impossible to stay too serious, though, and she's fighting back laughter again.] Sorry-- we're both so bad at this, aren't we?
[But maybe that makes it even more perfect.]
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peter's always been too idealistic, too romantic. plan too much, think too much, these little things here, those little things there, and then spider-man happened. a divide between wanting to be normal, to date, go to parties, and his responsibilities to the city and to stark.
of course, both would understand that. that's why, while horribly awkward, he can't help the layer of comfort he finds.)
We're definitely really really really bad at this. Worse separately, I think.
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[Without him, she wouldn't be trying to date, anyway. Even after meeting Miles, she had still been struggling to let anyone in. No one else understood people like them. The sacrifice, the danger, the stakes-- It just wasn't compatible with people not on the same level.
She could barely keep up with her band, how could she do the rest of being a teenager, while never being able to be fully herself?
But with Peter? It was different. He was different. Kind and courageous, and more than anything, he got it, in a way only another spider-person could. He never pushed her too hard, gave her space when she needed it, but was there when she needed him too. How could anything be better than this?]
It helps that we don't have to hide from each other. [No lies. No making up stories to explain being late for things. No covering up injuries. And they both know how bad they are when it comes to lying, so it's honestly a relief to get to be honest for once.]
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with them, there's no need. they'd both go for the danger, they'd both sacrifice and come together after, and it's refreshing in ways he can't easily put into words.)
Thank God, I'm like, not that great at lying. Sure you've noticed.
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[Gwen just grins as she speaks, trying to contain herself from full on laughter. They're in public, a nice restaurant at that. She can't just be cackling at all the stupid shit they say to each other.]
No, but seriously. I was trapped in Miles' dimension for like-- a week? Trying to make up excuses for that? Nightmare.
[She could not wait to be out of highschool and onto being an adult. Of course, she has plans for college, but at least she won't be under the direct, constant supervision of her dad. She hated lying to him, but there was no way he would take learning who she was well.]
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(doesn't excuse the fact that he personally sucks at it, but hey, if they're not constantly dragging one another, well, then where's the fun of that?)
... Where were you sleeping?
(did she steal the place of the gwen who lived there...)
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[Is she, though? Really?]
So, I...might've stolen a school uniform and pretended to be a student at Miles' school? [IN HER DEFENSE, it technically was the same school she went to, just a different campus. But it says volumes about the school's security that she was able to sneak in and go through the motions so easily.]
It was just until the others got there. For some reason, I ended up there a whole week before everyone else? Weird, I know. After that, we stayed with May.