Evening had settled in.
After washing up and changing into something comfortable, Lynn Hall was just about to lie down for the night when he heard it—soft, almost imperceptible footsteps outside his door.
To most people, the sound would've gone unnoticed. But not to Lynn. He recognized it instantly—Gwen.
Sure enough, the door creaked open a moment later, and Gwen Stacy peeked in. She was wearing a pajama dress decorated with little cartoon bears.
"You're still awake?" Lynn asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Shhh!" she whispered, finger to her lips, before slipping quietly into the room and gently shutting the door behind her.
Then, without hesitation, she dashed to his bed, dove under the covers, and curled up beside him—her head resting on his arm like it was the most natural thing in the world.
"You're not worried your dad or Helen might catch you?" Lynn asked, amused as he pinched her cheek.
"Why would I be?" she replied, nuzzling into his chest. "I'm not a kid anymore, Lynn. I'm turning seventeen tomorrow!"
She looked up at him with a gleam in her eye, then leaned in to give him a quick kiss on the lips.
"Hehe…"
"You're in a good mood tonight."
"Just because."
Bathed in the soft moonlight that filtered through the curtains, Gwen's eyes shone. Lynn leaned down and kissed her again.
But before he could pull away, Gwen hooked her arm around his neck, deepening the kiss with the kind of hungry intensity that caught him off guard.
Moments passed. Then, as things escalated, Lynn gently tapped her on the rear and asked, "Where'd you learn that trick?"
"They cover that in health class," she said with a mischievous glint in her eye. "Besides, if you weren't so obsessed with waiting until I'm eighteen…"
She trailed off, then leaned up to whisper something in his ear. "All my friends tease me about it."
"They tease you?"
"Uh-huh. I mean, I'm turning seventeen and I'm still a… you know."
"In school, tons of girls are already dating. Some are way past just dating…"
"Mary Jane, for example—oh! Speaking of her, for tomorrow's party, I didn't invite too many people. Just Mary Jane, her boyfriend Peter Parker, and Harry Osborn."
Lynn raised an eyebrow. "Peter Parker's her boyfriend now?"
"Yep!" Gwen replied, clearly relishing the gossip. "She dumped the baseball team captain and started seeing Peter. But here's the messy part—Harry's Peter's best friend, and he likes MJ too."
"So yeah, it's kind of a love triangle, but somehow they're all still besties."
"No one's chasing after you at school?" Lynn asked.
"Of course they are. I am the school's 'it girl,' remember?"
She gave him a playful kiss on the cheek. "But I don't care about any of them."
Truthfully, it made sense. Gwen was bright, beautiful, and confident. She might've played the spoiled little sister around him, but at school, she carried herself with poise. No doubt half the student body was in love with her.
As she shifted closer, her hands began to wander with a bit more urgency.
"Oh, right!" she said suddenly. "Did you get the concert tickets? You promised you'd take me to see that all-girl rock band."
"Of course. Sunday's all yours."
Lynn chuckled, remembering the ridiculous "terms" Gwen had made him agree to in exchange.
"Hehe. MJ, Peter, and I are planning to intern at Oscorp this summer," Gwen continued excitedly. "And next week we're visiting the science museum. You know how much I love biology—they've got rare animals and insects on display!"
"Also, I've decided I'm going to NYU next year. That way, I can come home anytime I want. Or not," she added with a sly smile. "And I can stay at your place whenever I feel like it."
She looked up at him, eyes twinkling. "No more curfews. No more parents hovering over me. College life, here I come!"
Lynn leaned in and whispered, "You don't have to wait. Want me to show you a few tricks now?"
Gwen shot him a playful glare and quickly buried her head under the blanket like an embarrassed ostrich.
Compared to someone like Jessica from the Bureau—a sharp-tongued, silver-talking department head—Gwen was still adorably green. Jessica could talk circles around seasoned agents, even if she clammed up around Lynn. Gwen, on the other hand, could only rely on more… physical persuasion, albeit a bit clumsily.
Lynn gently stroked her golden hair as she peeked up at him, eyes glistening like a small, flustered animal.
He smiled.
But in the back of his mind, he replayed something she'd mentioned—next weekend's trip to the science museum with Peter Parker.
If the timeline plays out as expected…
That would be the day Peter gets bitten by the genetically enhanced spider—the moment everything changes.
The origin of Spider-Man.
Of course, Peter wouldn't realize it immediately. It wasn't until Uncle Ben's death that Peter would begin to understand the meaning of "With great power comes great responsibility."
Lynn inhaled slowly, his mind already working.
Maybe… I could "accidentally" become a mentor figure to Peter during his early days. Build trust. Earn favorability points.
A sudden cough broke his thoughts.
"Ahem ahem…"
Gwen sat up, her face flushed and eyes watery as she grabbed the glass of water on the nightstand and drank half in one go.
When she finally caught her breath, she plopped back down beside him.
They stayed like that for a while, talking quietly.
Eventually, Gwen slipped on her slippers and tiptoed back to her own room.
As she opened Lynn's door, she nearly bumped into her mother, who was just leaving her own room.
"Were you chatting with Lynn again?" Helen asked casually, though there was a knowing glint in her eye.
"Uh-huh. He hasn't been home in almost a month! I had so much to tell him."
Gwen glanced at the clock. "Whoa—it's already midnight? I'm exhausted. Night, Mom!"
She scurried off to her room in a blur of bare feet and flannel.
Helen watched her go, then turned and walked back into the master bedroom with a smile.
"You worry too much," George said, folding up his newspaper as Helen returned. "Lynn and Gwen are both good kids."
Helen slid under the covers beside him. "You really don't see it, do you? You've never noticed the way our daughter looks at him?"
"I noticed," George said with a grin. "I've known since she was fourteen. That's why I'm not worried."
"I'd be happy if they ended up together. Lynn dotes on her—he'd never let her get hurt."
He reached over and turned off the bedside lamp.
The room faded into darkness.