Cora wakes with a groan, unsure if what she remembers is a dream or actually happened. Whisked away to another world, a world where there was a Spider-Man whose name was Peter Parker, but he wasn’t her Peter Parker. The local news channels plaster his face over every screen and skyscraper, and there’s nothing familiar about it. She didn’t meet him, but she’s certain that his scent wouldn’t have been the same either.
She spent days wandering New York City, trying to find her Peter, going to his favorite places, but he didn’t come. And from the state of things, the destruction and damage that was being done, she could understand why. She remembers standing hypnotized under the screen in Times Square, watching as he battled it out with two other Spider-Men, and saved the day. As he does. He’s her best friend, and she’s never been so grateful that she has at least one friend who does the right thing.
Ninety percent of the time.
(She knows how bitter he’s been, the way it clouds his scent, adding an acidic tang that sits uncomfortably on the back of her tongue. But seeing him in that fight, working with other people like him, finding that camaraderie she always had with her pack felt right, even if it wasn’t where they belonged.)
But soon it all fades away, and she’s back in her apartment, in her bed, still dressed, and very confused. Dismissing it as a dream, she moves about her day, almost as though she never left. Around dinner, however, there’s a light rap on her window, followed by Spider-Man, her Spider-Man, and she smiles before making her way over to open it.
“Can I ask you something weird?”
His cheeks lift under his mask, and she can tell he’s smiling as he slips inside. “With our conversations, weirdness sort of goes with the territory.”
“True.” But she still feels she should ask, anyway. “Did you have a weird dream where New York was different and another Peter Parker was Spider-Man?”
He pulls his mask off the top of his head and frowns at her, eyes concerned. “… Maybe.”
Cora’s eyes narrow as she takes another step closer. “Maybe it was definitely a dream, or maybe it wasn’t actually a dream and that actually happened?”
He shrugs, looking at her in that way when he’s dancing around the actual answer, because the answer is too weird, or he’s trying to be slick. Her eyes narrow some more and he sighs, shoulders slumping.
“It wasn’t actually a dream. I—we, I guess—went to another universe.”
“Another universe?” Her brow furrows as she tries to make it make sense. “How?”
“There was a sorcerer involved, and a spell. It was all very Dungeons and Dragons, if I’m honest.” He moves to sit on the edge of the bed, running a hand over his face. “But basically, the spell went wrong, and everyone in all the universes who knows that Peter Parker is Spider-Man got brought into that world.”
“Wow.” She makes a face. “That was an oddly specific spell.”
“It’s a long story.” He turns to face her, concern overriding everything else for a moment. “And a surreal one. Did you know that there’s a Peter Parker who just generates his own web fluid?”
Cora must seem unimpressed, based on the look on his face, and she cringes. “Sorry. Just… there are shifters who can do that.”
“I have so many questions. Do you know one I can ask?”
“Personally? No, not really. But if I ever find one and they’re not trying to kill me, I’ll see if they’re okay with scientific inquiry.”
He grins. “Good. Peter Two seemed very baffled because Peter One and I had to make our own.”
“I take it you were Peter Three?”
“Peter One had seniority and Peter Two was older. I drew the short straw.”
“But was it good? Spending time with them?” She knows Peter has been struggling with his responsibility as of late, given all he’s lost. But there’s something about how he is now that seems lighter. Like some of that weight is gone.
“Yeah.” His shoulders slump a bit, relief clear in his frame as he leans into her a bit. “I saved MJ.”
“MJ?” Cora asks, confused.
“Peter One’s… his Gwen. She was falling and he couldn’t get to her and… I did.” He looks up at her, tears shining in his eyes, and squeezes her hand as he takes it. “I saved her, Cora.”
She knows how much it means to him, after Gwen. She smiles back at him, brushing her hand against his cheek gently to catch one tear. “Good. I’m so glad.”
He nods and leans into her forehead, resting against her shoulder. She tips her cheek against the top of his head and they sit like that for a while. There doesn’t seem to be anything else to say. He’s okay, she’s okay, and their world is okay. Everything else can wait.
“I’m going to be better. About the Peter Parker side of things. I know you’ve worried about that.”
She lifts her head to look down at him, and she acknowledges that with a nod. “I think May has been more worried about it than me. You’re always Peter Parker with me.”
He nods, before turning back to her with a smile. “But instead of just hanging out in your apartment, we could actually go out, and do real world things with me as Peter Parker.” He hesitates before winding his fingers in hers. “Maybe I can finally go meet your pack.”
Her eyes brighten, turning back to him with a smile. “Yeah?”
“Yeah. I want to be part of your life. I want to be present in your life. And I know that for a long time I didn’t think I could, but…”
“I know.” And she had been patient, keeping his secret and keeping him on the fringes, even though he’s just as dear to her as the rest of her pack. That he is family after all they’ve been through together. “You know, that means they’re all going to catch your scent now.”
“I do.” He makes a face. “That’s going to be a little weird.”
“I’m pretty sure Derek’s already figured it out.”
“Well, your brother is pretty smart. I appreciate that he’s kept it to himself.”
“I think he just wants me to be happy.”
“I want you to be happy, too.” He pauses before turning to face her. “Are you happy?”
“Yeah. Of course I am.”
“Do you think you could be happier?”
She looks up at him, trying to figure out what he’s getting at. She takes a breath, picking up the edges of nerves, and she thinks she could get around the edges of what he’s asking her. Peter’s her best friend. She wouldn’t deny that there have been moments where she’s thought of him as more—moments where he’s been more, only to pull away again, afraid of the implications of his past. She knows what he wants, how he feels. But she also doesn’t want to be a rush to judgement while he’s high on a win.
Her feelings, she knows, run deeper than that. And she wants this to be real.
“Maybe,” she says, squeezing his hand gently. “Let’s have you meet the pack first. Then we’ll see where it goes, okay?”
“Okay.” He doesn’t take it as rejection, which is good. It’s more opening the door of possibility, and one day, hopefully, they’ll be able to walk through it hand in hand. But for now, she’s good with where they are.
“Hungry?” she asks. “I was about to cook dinner.”
“I think you should know by now that I’m always hungry,” he grins, before pushing up to his feet. “Let me get changed and I’ll help you cook.”
“Deal.” She nods as he disappears into her bathroom. She smiles as she watches him go, and can’t help but relax back against her bed. Even if she doesn’t understand all of what happened today, she’s at least glad it’s ending in the right place.
post-spider-man: no way home [SPOILERS] | the amazing spider-man/teen wolf | 1,362
She spent days wandering New York City, trying to find her Peter, going to his favorite places, but he didn’t come. And from the state of things, the destruction and damage that was being done, she could understand why. She remembers standing hypnotized under the screen in Times Square, watching as he battled it out with two other Spider-Men, and saved the day. As he does. He’s her best friend, and she’s never been so grateful that she has at least one friend who does the right thing.
Ninety percent of the time.
(She knows how bitter he’s been, the way it clouds his scent, adding an acidic tang that sits uncomfortably on the back of her tongue. But seeing him in that fight, working with other people like him, finding that camaraderie she always had with her pack felt right, even if it wasn’t where they belonged.)
But soon it all fades away, and she’s back in her apartment, in her bed, still dressed, and very confused. Dismissing it as a dream, she moves about her day, almost as though she never left. Around dinner, however, there’s a light rap on her window, followed by Spider-Man, her Spider-Man, and she smiles before making her way over to open it.
“Can I ask you something weird?”
His cheeks lift under his mask, and she can tell he’s smiling as he slips inside. “With our conversations, weirdness sort of goes with the territory.”
“True.” But she still feels she should ask, anyway. “Did you have a weird dream where New York was different and another Peter Parker was Spider-Man?”
He pulls his mask off the top of his head and frowns at her, eyes concerned. “… Maybe.”
Cora’s eyes narrow as she takes another step closer. “Maybe it was definitely a dream, or maybe it wasn’t actually a dream and that actually happened?”
He shrugs, looking at her in that way when he’s dancing around the actual answer, because the answer is too weird, or he’s trying to be slick. Her eyes narrow some more and he sighs, shoulders slumping.
“It wasn’t actually a dream. I—we, I guess—went to another universe.”
“Another universe?” Her brow furrows as she tries to make it make sense. “How?”
“There was a sorcerer involved, and a spell. It was all very Dungeons and Dragons, if I’m honest.” He moves to sit on the edge of the bed, running a hand over his face. “But basically, the spell went wrong, and everyone in all the universes who knows that Peter Parker is Spider-Man got brought into that world.”
“Wow.” She makes a face. “That was an oddly specific spell.”
“It’s a long story.” He turns to face her, concern overriding everything else for a moment. “And a surreal one. Did you know that there’s a Peter Parker who just generates his own web fluid?”
Cora must seem unimpressed, based on the look on his face, and she cringes. “Sorry. Just… there are shifters who can do that.”
“I have so many questions. Do you know one I can ask?”
“Personally? No, not really. But if I ever find one and they’re not trying to kill me, I’ll see if they’re okay with scientific inquiry.”
He grins. “Good. Peter Two seemed very baffled because Peter One and I had to make our own.”
“I take it you were Peter Three?”
“Peter One had seniority and Peter Two was older. I drew the short straw.”
“But was it good? Spending time with them?” She knows Peter has been struggling with his responsibility as of late, given all he’s lost. But there’s something about how he is now that seems lighter. Like some of that weight is gone.
“Yeah.” His shoulders slump a bit, relief clear in his frame as he leans into her a bit. “I saved MJ.”
“MJ?” Cora asks, confused.
“Peter One’s… his Gwen. She was falling and he couldn’t get to her and… I did.” He looks up at her, tears shining in his eyes, and squeezes her hand as he takes it. “I saved her, Cora.”
She knows how much it means to him, after Gwen. She smiles back at him, brushing her hand against his cheek gently to catch one tear. “Good. I’m so glad.”
He nods and leans into her forehead, resting against her shoulder. She tips her cheek against the top of his head and they sit like that for a while. There doesn’t seem to be anything else to say. He’s okay, she’s okay, and their world is okay. Everything else can wait.
“I’m going to be better. About the Peter Parker side of things. I know you’ve worried about that.”
She lifts her head to look down at him, and she acknowledges that with a nod. “I think May has been more worried about it than me. You’re always Peter Parker with me.”
He nods, before turning back to her with a smile. “But instead of just hanging out in your apartment, we could actually go out, and do real world things with me as Peter Parker.” He hesitates before winding his fingers in hers. “Maybe I can finally go meet your pack.”
Her eyes brighten, turning back to him with a smile. “Yeah?”
“Yeah. I want to be part of your life. I want to be present in your life. And I know that for a long time I didn’t think I could, but…”
“I know.” And she had been patient, keeping his secret and keeping him on the fringes, even though he’s just as dear to her as the rest of her pack. That he is family after all they’ve been through together. “You know, that means they’re all going to catch your scent now.”
“I do.” He makes a face. “That’s going to be a little weird.”
“I’m pretty sure Derek’s already figured it out.”
“Well, your brother is pretty smart. I appreciate that he’s kept it to himself.”
“I think he just wants me to be happy.”
“I want you to be happy, too.” He pauses before turning to face her. “Are you happy?”
“Yeah. Of course I am.”
“Do you think you could be happier?”
She looks up at him, trying to figure out what he’s getting at. She takes a breath, picking up the edges of nerves, and she thinks she could get around the edges of what he’s asking her. Peter’s her best friend. She wouldn’t deny that there have been moments where she’s thought of him as more—moments where he’s been more, only to pull away again, afraid of the implications of his past. She knows what he wants, how he feels. But she also doesn’t want to be a rush to judgement while he’s high on a win.
Her feelings, she knows, run deeper than that. And she wants this to be real.
“Maybe,” she says, squeezing his hand gently. “Let’s have you meet the pack first. Then we’ll see where it goes, okay?”
“Okay.” He doesn’t take it as rejection, which is good. It’s more opening the door of possibility, and one day, hopefully, they’ll be able to walk through it hand in hand. But for now, she’s good with where they are.
“Hungry?” she asks. “I was about to cook dinner.”
“I think you should know by now that I’m always hungry,” he grins, before pushing up to his feet. “Let me get changed and I’ll help you cook.”
“Deal.” She nods as he disappears into her bathroom. She smiles as she watches him go, and can’t help but relax back against her bed. Even if she doesn’t understand all of what happened today, she’s at least glad it’s ending in the right place.