Ding dong~
The doorbell rang at the Stacy residence. Standing outside with a thermos in hand was Jack Kadere, wearing a casual hoodie and a faint smile.
The door opened quickly. Gwen's mother, Helen Stacy, peeked out and brightened when she saw him. "Oh, Jack, come in! There aren't any reporters following you, are there?"
Jack stepped inside and shook his head. "Not yet. But give it time. Jessica's little debut made quite the splash. If this keeps up, I might have to move her back to the estate in Sunnyvale. No room for personal security in this building."
Helen chuckled, shutting the door behind him. "So you've seen the news, too. Jessica's always full of surprises, isn't she?"
She poured him a cup of hot tea and gestured toward the living room.
"George already went down to the scene to handle things. He'll make sure reporters keep their distance."
Jack nodded. As NYPD's Chief of Police, George Stacy had clout — but even that wouldn't keep every camera at bay.
"I actually brought something for Gwen," Jack said, lifting the thermos slightly. "Something… unique. Icelandic stew. Fermented shark base. It's packed with protein and omega fats. Super restorative."
He didn't mention the real purpose — accelerated tissue recovery. Gwen's wounds, especially from the Green Goblin's glider, needed more than rest.
Helen blinked. "Fermented shark?"
Jack gave her a modest grin. "It's a delicacy in Iceland. Smells horrible, but works wonders. Gwen's system can probably handle it."
Helen's eyes lit up despite herself. "You're so thoughtful. She's upstairs — why don't you bring it to her yourself? She'll love it."
"Only if I give you a bowl first," he replied warmly.
"Oh no, I couldn't possibly—"
"She won't mind."
Their voices were loud enough that Gwen, upstairs, could hear every word. She winced.
Mom, seriously? Pushing rotten fish stew on me like it's a love language?
To be fair, Gwen didn't distrust Jack. She'd even given him a spare key to her room. But timing was everything — and right now, she was hurriedly rewrapping a bandage around her forearm. The deep cut left by Osborn's glider had nearly closed thanks to her enhanced healing factor, but it still looked bad.
If her dad saw it, she'd be grounded until graduation.
Downstairs, Jack finally wrapped up the small talk and made his way to Gwen's room. The door was locked.
"Gwen, can I come in? Brought something for you."
Gwen sighed, tightening the bandage. "You have the key, genius. Use it."
Jack smirked, pulling the key from his pocket and slipping inside.
There she was — Gwen Stacy, perched neatly at the edge of her bed in spider-print pajamas, looking like she hadn't just dodged death a few hours ago.
"Well, well," Jack teased. "Sitting here all cute in your Spider-Man merch — were you waiting for me, sweetheart?"
Gwen shot him a look, then grinned. "Qapla', nerd."
Jack blinked. "Was that… Klingon?"
Gwen giggled. "Yeah. Been watching Deep Space Nine while I recover. Jessica walked in during a bat'leth fight and now she's hooked."
Jack gave her a dramatic bow. "Victory and honor to your household."
"Dork."
Gwen giggled as he handed over a brown package. "What's this?"
Jack shrugged innocently. "Jessica said you asked her to grab these for you. Sanitary pads."
Gwen's smile dropped into full embarrassment mode. "Ugh!"
She snatched the package and stuffed it behind her back. Jessica had offered to pick up bandages and antibiotics… but what a dumb cover story.
Trying to steer the conversation elsewhere, she leaned toward the table. "So, what exactly did you bring me?"
Jack popped open the thermos lid and poured the thick, grayish soup into a bowl.
"Traditional Icelandic remedy. Fermented shark meat, ginger, sea moss, and a couple of protein boosters. It's good for tissue healing, circulation... and probably gives you nightmares."
Gwen stared into the steaming mixture. "It looks like swamp water. And smells like a fish tank died."
"Accurate. Now drink up."
She took a sip and gave a reluctant nod. "...Okay, not as bad as it smells."
Jack sat nearby, finally relaxing. Compared to Jessica's dramatic resistance, Gwen was a dream. They chatted casually, the post-battle tension slowly easing between them.
"I saw the news," Gwen said between spoonfuls. "Jessica's debut aside… I still can't believe Norman Osborn was the Green Goblin. Harry's going to be devastated."
Jack's eyes narrowed slightly. "He'll get over it. Osborn came after you. He made his choice."
"But still… it's Harry's dad."
"I'm more worried about Jessica," Jack said. "Now that her identity's out, she's a walking target. I'm already looking at security contractors. We may have to move back to the manor."
Gwen paused. "Do you really think it's that serious?"
Jack nodded. "Superheroes aren't public yet. Every cape who gets unmasked becomes someone's obsession. Reporters. Criminals. Politicians."
"Unless someone even flashier comes along…" Jack smirked.
You mean like Tony Stark? Wonder if he's in a cave right now, building a flying suit out of spare parts.
Gwen laughed. "Honestly, wouldn't surprise me."
Jack looked at her more seriously. "I'm thinking of relocating, Gwen. Too many eyes on the city. I want Jessica safe."
"…I don't want you to leave."
Jack leaned in. "Then come with me."
Gwen flushed. "Dad's been talking about moving to a quieter neighborhood. Maybe… we could live nearby."
Jack's voice softened. "I'd like that."
And so the clock ticked on, the quiet hum of the city filling the silences between their words.
One boy. One girl. Alone in a room.
Naturally, they edged a little closer. And closer still.