Would it help you if you talked about it? What can I do to help?
(little does he know that just staying alive, as much as 'alive' in this place might mean, is exactly what she needs. gentle fingers move along her head, through the strands of hair, as another attempt to soothe.
she must be really hurt, so just being there feels what he should do - that's what his instincts tell him. the hand from the arm that embraces her touches the one against his chest, as to recenter her focus to the breathing.)
[Gwen closes her eyes again as she feels his fingers through her hair. It nearly sends a shiver down her spine at his touch, but she tries her best to keep her composure. She has a lot of feelings right about now, and his touch is definitely amplifying those feelings.
As his hand reaches for hers, she shifts it, intertwining her fingers into his, and pressing it to his chest. This is nice. Calming. But also...exhilarating? Yes. Definitely.]
After the Decathlon, one of the rooms I found... it was you, only you became the Lizard, just like he did, and I-- I was supposed to fight you, but I couldn't. I couldn't do it again.
(he couldn't ever completely understand what she is going through. he can logically comprehend that he's a real reminder of what her peter could have been, and from many items on the list, alive makes the top. grief is a strong thing, he's seen it in may, he's seen it in himself, and he sees it in her right now, as she presses against him.
there isn't a whole lot he can do, but he's going to do the little bit that he can do the best way he knows how.)
Hey, but that wasn't real, yeah? I'm not going to-- You're not gonna have to really fight me, it's not going to happen again, okay? It's just this place playing with you. I'm here, alright? Like I said, it's you and me. Here, see? No scales. You're okay.
[She knows he's not her Peter, but there's still a part of her that clings to the idea that this is almost like a second chance. But he's different, and has powers, so it's very much not the same. Her Peter was way more awkward, way more shy, but it's still sometimes hard to separate all the Peters. They're still him, even when they're different.
Still, he's so very Peter. He's smart, and witty, and he makes her laugh, when she hasn't laughed in so long. It's a nice feeling, to have such a connection that she has with him, with them both being spider-people.
And she had to admit, that kiss they shared before wasn't half bad.]
I know. It just-- felt so real. It doesn't help that that was one of my worst memories. [which was probably intentional. throwing it in her face, to test her. and she failed, miserably.]
Also, Matt Murdock can fight? My Matt. Matt #2, or whatever you're calling him now. He was there in the challenge with me.
(they just got here, after all. there's so much to unpack about this place, and if this is what happens just as they did, it means they're gonna have to fight harder. have thicker skin. stand up, even if they fall down a million times. the last one, though, seems like a theme for being a spider. he has faith they'll come out on top, but the road there has never been easy.
both know that.
without much thought, he presses his lips to the top of her head, another attempt to tell her they both are fine, as if they had just woken up from a horrible dream.)
... I know. They did say rehabilitation, like we did something wrong. I think... I think this is just gonna be the start. We gotta find whatever evil lair these people plan these things in and take it down.
Which...makes sense. That's my crime, after all. ["Murder of Peter Parker". It still stings to hear, no matter how many times she hears it. She never would have fought him, if she had known it was him. Almost like now, where she refused and gave up the fight. But even if she had, what would have happened? What if he had hurt someone else? What if he had hurt her dad? It was one of those questions you could never really answer, but would always wonder.
The kiss to her head makes her face feel warm, and there's a part of her that wants to tell him he missed, but she holds back. Even if their kiss has lingered on her mind, she doesn't want to mess this up, doesn't want to make it something it shouldn't be, when they're already both dealing with so much.
Too bad his answer about Matt was Not convincing at all, and she has to pull back a little to give him a questioning look.]
...Did you know that already? Can your Matt fight too?
(he gets the what-ifs. what if he had just stayed on that bus. what if he had managed to get that gaunlet back. what if he didn't fade into specks, and what if they were not in that one chance. what if being here is jeopardizing everything? peter has his share of anxieties that keep him up at night, that make him drown into what he can do to feel useful.
hence, why he's never home. if he can equip the others, and learn about this place, maybe he can do something. maybe he can go back home just before quill snaps. maybe he can get there earlier, and tell stark all he knows.
maybes. he's working so hard on the basis of maybes, but if it's a one change out of millions that he's facing at home, then it's enough to keep him going here, too.
but, god, he's bad at the lying.)
Not that I have ever seen?
(see, not a lie!)
But it seems like Aldrip pulls real capable people in, right? Maybe he can throw a punch?
[And she's noticed. She has a hard time sleeping too, so it's been impossible to miss his empty bed, the late nights out, him getting so lost in his work. She gets it, because she's been there. She's still there, trying to occupy the pain part of her brain so everything doesn't hurt so much. It never really goes away, but it can be numbed sometimes. She just hopes whatever he's trying helps him.
But lying? Definitely not it.]
You are a terrible liar, you know that, right? [shaking her head!!] So you haven't seen it, but you know it?
(he would do the same for her if they hadn't decided that keeping the secret here was a little useless. it's fine if he messes up and people find him out, it's not fine the other way around.
so, okay. she's not going to sleep, so he'll drop both on the bed and stretch a little bit.)
[She appreciates his commitment, since he's terrible at protecting his own secrets. He obviously knows something, and if that means he's keeping Matt's secret, then she isn't going to push it.
When he flops back onto the bed, she moves to lie next to him on her side, tucking her arm under her head in somewhat of a side fetal position while facing him.]
Yeah, maybe.
[or they could just stay like this. this is nice, too.]
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(little does he know that just staying alive, as much as 'alive' in this place might mean, is exactly what she needs. gentle fingers move along her head, through the strands of hair, as another attempt to soothe.
she must be really hurt, so just being there feels what he should do - that's what his instincts tell him. the hand from the arm that embraces her touches the one against his chest, as to recenter her focus to the breathing.)
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[Gwen closes her eyes again as she feels his fingers through her hair. It nearly sends a shiver down her spine at his touch, but she tries her best to keep her composure. She has a lot of feelings right about now, and his touch is definitely amplifying those feelings.
As his hand reaches for hers, she shifts it, intertwining her fingers into his, and pressing it to his chest. This is nice. Calming. But also...exhilarating? Yes. Definitely.]
After the Decathlon, one of the rooms I found... it was you, only you became the Lizard, just like he did, and I-- I was supposed to fight you, but I couldn't. I couldn't do it again.
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there isn't a whole lot he can do, but he's going to do the little bit that he can do the best way he knows how.)
Hey, but that wasn't real, yeah? I'm not going to-- You're not gonna have to really fight me, it's not going to happen again, okay? It's just this place playing with you. I'm here, alright? Like I said, it's you and me. Here, see? No scales. You're okay.
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Still, he's so very Peter. He's smart, and witty, and he makes her laugh, when she hasn't laughed in so long. It's a nice feeling, to have such a connection that she has with him, with them both being spider-people.
And she had to admit, that kiss they shared before wasn't half bad.]
I know. It just-- felt so real. It doesn't help that that was one of my worst memories. [which was probably intentional. throwing it in her face, to test her. and she failed, miserably.]
Also, Matt Murdock can fight? My Matt. Matt #2, or whatever you're calling him now. He was there in the challenge with me.
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both know that.
without much thought, he presses his lips to the top of her head, another attempt to tell her they both are fine, as if they had just woken up from a horrible dream.)
... I know. They did say rehabilitation, like we did something wrong. I think... I think this is just gonna be the start. We gotta find whatever evil lair these people plan these things in and take it down.
(as if everyone hasn't been trying...)
... Really? That's, uh, unexpected...
(it is not...)
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The kiss to her head makes her face feel warm, and there's a part of her that wants to tell him he missed, but she holds back. Even if their kiss has lingered on her mind, she doesn't want to mess this up, doesn't want to make it something it shouldn't be, when they're already both dealing with so much.
Too bad his answer about Matt was Not convincing at all, and she has to pull back a little to give him a questioning look.]
...Did you know that already? Can your Matt fight too?
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hence, why he's never home. if he can equip the others, and learn about this place, maybe he can do something. maybe he can go back home just before quill snaps. maybe he can get there earlier, and tell stark all he knows.
maybes. he's working so hard on the basis of maybes, but if it's a one change out of millions that he's facing at home, then it's enough to keep him going here, too.
but, god, he's bad at the lying.)
Not that I have ever seen?
(see, not a lie!)
But it seems like Aldrip pulls real capable people in, right? Maybe he can throw a punch?
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But lying? Definitely not it.]
You are a terrible liar, you know that, right? [shaking her head!!] So you haven't seen it, but you know it?
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Hey, come on, why would I know anything? No idea.
(GWEN...)
Come on, no interrogation mode, it's late, we gotta work in the morning. Wanna sleep here? I'll stick to the wall or something.
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You do realize you just keep making it even more obvious. But fine. I won't push it.
[she just. rests her head back on his shoulder again, almost in defeat. she knows it's late, but she can't bring herself to get back up either.]
I don't think I could go back to sleep now.
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so, okay. she's not going to sleep, so he'll drop both on the bed and stretch a little bit.)
We can watch a movie.
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When he flops back onto the bed, she moves to lie next to him on her side, tucking her arm under her head in somewhat of a side fetal position while facing him.]
Yeah, maybe.
[or they could just stay like this. this is nice, too.]