“I was feeling more in the mood of getting some sleep, but this shouldn’t take long, she just needs to see it done, and add the finishing ‘touches’ ” Jacob thought out loud before taking out the vile from his sweater’s pocket. He looked at the black and red spider, It looked similar to a black widow but bigger, and even more menacing. He quickly put it away before heading off. Gwen’s house was at the bottom of Uptown Gotham while he was currently at midtown, so he decided to take a train there. He saw and heard people occasionally talk about the scarlet spider. It was an interesting experience for him when children put his name in the same conversations with the likes of Nightwing, Robin, Bat girl, and Batman but what made him smile was seeing a child wearing a homemade mask that was obviously done in haste. He was quickly becoming a part of Gotham that the people needed, and he wasn’t sure how to feel about it now.

‘Being people’s hope, people’s ideals, morals, and future wrapped all in one. It sounds like a job for Superman more than the Scarlet Spider. I’m sure it will be easier eventually..right’ Jacob thought before hearing the unclear voice on the train’s old intercom system announcing his stop. He got off and luckily the snow had stopped and the soft snow had turned into a wet and slushy mess. Ignoring the lack of places to walk and not get his shoes wet, he quickly walked down to the streets and looked towards the block decorated with mid rise building and high rise skyscrapers. He managed to find the one he was looking for and entered it. The doormen looked at him suspiciously until he walked up and put his hood down revealing his face.

“AH, Sir Jacob. I wasn’t expecting you, I’ve missed you. Where’d you been for the past couple of months.” The doormen smiled,

“I’ve just been busy but Gwen and I have a project so I figured to stop by, How have you been Mr. Wilson, how’s your daughter?” Jacob returned the smile.

“Good, very good. I’m glad that you still remember us Jacob” Mr. Wilson winked before Jacob waved, and entered the elevator, which was going up to the 47th floor of the High rise. It took awhile before he was able to enter the floor but once he did. He made a left, knocking on the last door that he saw. The knocks resounded throughout the hall while the rest of atmosphere resumed it’s static silence.

“Coming..” A murmur was heard muffled by the door and the distance until the door was unlocked and a pair of blue eyes laid upon him.

“Hey Jacob, Gwendolyn told me you were coming, but I didn’t expect you to see you so different” Ms. Stacey grinned, coming out of her peeking spot behind the door to hug him tight. She let go only to hug him again. She then tapped his chest smiling before dragging him inside where the smell of cookies and brownies loomed through the air from the kitchen.

“I’m guessing Gwen baked a couple of things?” Jacob probed. Ms. Stacey’s mom released the smile ever so slightly before her eyes shirt.

“You know how she gets when she is stressed. She bakes forever, but she won’t tell me anything. Her first words exactly were ‘Jacob is coming, can we order some Big Belly Burger?’-”

“Well as you say honey, She is at that age. Hey sport, how are ya’. Did you get taller?” A decently built older man came to the living room and started walking towards Jacob before patting him on the shoulder, outstretching his hand for a handshake.

“I’m alright, Detective Stacey. I don’t think so, How about you? How was your day?” Jacob shook his hand firmly.

“good, son- though any day I’m not at work is a good day. I haven’t seen you recently. You’ve been too busy to visit?” Captain Stacy replied he put his hand on his hip.

“Very. A lot of my plate recently.”

“I hear ya, Why don’t you go to Gwen’s room for the time being the food isn’t going to be here until another half an hour or so” Captain Stacy grabbed Jacob’s shoulder before letting him go, sending him off to Gwen’s room. He strolled through the halls looking at the pictures that he remembered being up in his memories. Most of them were of the Stacy family during their trips together to different parts of the world when Captain Stacy had time to take off, though this was before his father had died. Now that he had, Captain Stacy had been swamped with work. Jacob continued walking down the hall until he found a door that was pure mahogany, He saw that the thick brown slab of wood laid ajar, only having the tiniest of windows to peek through, and what he saw was Gwen reading one of her favorite books, a book that he had bought he when they were at middle school. It was one of Charles Bukoski’s poetic collection that eventually would become a masterpiece “You get so lonely that it just makes sense”. Jacob sighed softly, leaving the condensation on the wood as he leaned his head on the door causing it widen silently. Gwen snapped the book shut, sharply turning to see who had invaded her room but when she saw him, her harsh demeanor softened. She tried to toughen it up but she looked regretful, almost sorrowful every time their eyes crossed paths.

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“Jacob” Gwen stated plainly. She didn’t attempt to move to greet him. She just opened the book back up, not minding his presence as he made his way in to the strawberry scented room.

‘I haven’t been in here forever, it still smells the same. I think’ Jacob grinned before walking to her desk the was covered in pictures of her and her family, Ganke and him, Her and Jacob’s family, and finally her and him together. He had picked up one of the photos of Gwen and him, going to the annual carnival in Gotham. He picked it up inspecting it closer until he waved it in the air, gaining Gwen’s attention.

“Wasn’t this where you wanted that huge bunny but I didn’t have enough money to buy a round to play the game. So we ended up selling candy for most of the day until it was nightfall and at the end we just barely made enough. I totally sucked at that throwing game, but we got the bunny” Jacob said as he chuckled midway through.

“He felt bad for us since it started raining. My dad brought us home and our moms made chicken noodle soup while we watched movies. Didn’t Ganke cancel because his grandma said it was going to rain that night?” Gwen took her eyes off of the book to see the picture.

“Yeah” Both of them exclaimed with Gwen going back to what she was doing while Jacob looked at other photos reminiscing on the times they had spent together. Gwen even had a collage of their friends and family with him making an appearance numerous times but what stood out to him was a photo of her hugging Tim as she took a photo of them.

‘She looks happy’ Jacob thought as he compared them pictures. He did that for awhile before Gwen looked over and spotted her newly printed picture missing from its spot. Jacob smiled solemnly as he saw his friend happy. He put the picture of him and Gwen down, and looked towards Gwen who looked worried.

“Jay I-” Gwen tried to speak but the words were caught in her throat. It welled up as her face reddened, and her tear ducts threaten to burst. Jacob raised an eyebrow concerned with her unable to cast words into the air but when he saw the wet streaks of tears chasing the ground his enthusiastic behavior turned in to caring one. He got up and walked towards Gwen who backed away slightly. He sat on her auburn and creme-colored bed, wiping the tears in her free hand until she broke down. She grabbed him ruthlessly before her physical strength also dimished, she lost her grip but he still let her hold on. They stayed like that for awhile before the streams of emotion were once again contained within her. Gwen sniffled, chuckling, laughing before she became silent.

“You know. Jacob, I knew you liked me. I knew for awhile, the week before your dad died you were writing a note to me- a love letter that fully admitted that you had the biggest crush on me and how you always thought about me day in, day out. Wanting me to be happy….wanting me to do the best, and be the best version of myself that I could be. For a long time I thought we had this bond- something that compelled us to be there for each other and nothing more. Which was weird when I saw my girl friends liking other boys that just didn’t seem right for them. So that day you came home from the end of the year testing and you went to do something with my mom.. I dug into your book bag and found the letter you wrote. At first I couldn’t believe it but then everything just seemed to click and I quickly took a picture of it and put it back. My heart started to race and when you came back you were sure I had a cold cause I either was as pale as a ghost or as red as a tomato.”

“Probably both” Jacob quiped. Gwen ignored him.

“Jacob it wasn’t until your letter that I realized- or more appropriately. I came to the terms that I have only liked you as much as you liked me. I’m sure deep down I knew and that I was just afraid to admit it but then your father died, when he did I- you just went and left from my life. You stopped coming over, you stopped going to school, you stopped texting. It was like this gaping hole had been dug in your absence and I didn’t have anyone, don’t get me wrong Ganke is a awesome guy, and I love him as a friend, a brother even. But it wasn’t us, and I didn’t want it to be. So summer months go by and then school rolls around and you are still AWOL. So I started to make good friends with others especially Tim, and then you came back. I tried to get things restarted between us and at first it worked until we both realized that you wanted nothing to do with me anymore and I originally tried to get over you. After crying for a long time.” Gwen sobbed. Her mixed sniffles fluently matched with her voice cracking whenever there was tension in her words from the weight they carried. Jacob remained quiet for the entirety of it and during it, he thought about what she had said. He knew he hadn’t been fair, but maybe this is what he needed. He had come from having people in his old life to no one in this one while she had lost her best friend in this one.

“Gwen I’m sorry” Jacob hugged Gwen softly as her body stiffened before relaxing melding into his.

“Doofus” Gwen had a small smile before they had let go.

“I don’t exactly regret what I said but it’s obvious that I haven’t been exactly truthful to myself for a while. I fucked you too, so how about we just go back to being friends.” Jacob asked.

“Is that what you want?” Gwen asked curiously almost like she was holding on to something leading Jacob to nod. Her expression diminished before being cast away for a brighten alternative. A bigger smile crept up on her face and they she hugged him once again before taking the photo, and putting it on her night stand.

“We should finish the project then friend” Gwen emphasized friend before Jacob took his laptop out, and they went back to Gwen’s desk where he showed her all of the finished code.

“I thought we were supposed to work on this together. You know I don’t like -”

“Handouts I know, and we did technically work on it together..at the library plus this the most efficient code for what we need to do.” Jacob interrupted

“No I can’t take credit for this Jacob” Gwen point his fingers towards his handy work.

“Right then do the hardware assembling with Stephanie and Tim, You could design the robot too.” Jacob offered, Gwen thought about it for a while before getting up to grab her phone that was suffocating inside a tumbleweed of bed sheets. She started texting a simultaneously rapid fire alerts came from his phone.

“Sir, text messages from Gwen. Shall I read it?” Link offered but Jacob shook his head.

“What did I tell you about sir Link and don’t worry about it.” Jacob whispered dismissing the A.I.

“Food’s ready!” Ms.Stacy called out, Gwen’s stomach started grumbling, and she went to leave her room but she took a peek into the ovoid mirror and screeched a little before rubbing her eyes.