After the Secrets
The rooftop was quiet after the green glow of the Omnitrix faded. Peter had just confessed, Brendon had just transformed, and for a moment, they stood as equals—two boys carrying more than they should.
Peter exhaled. "Thanks, Brendon. I… I don't feel so alone anymore."
Brendon nodded once, expression calm, but his eyes thoughtful. He studied Peter for a long beat before speaking.
"You trust me, right?"
Peter blinked, caught off guard by the question. "Yeah. Of course I do."
"Then stay calm," Brendon said. "Because I think it's time you realized: trust doesn't stop with me."
Peter frowned. "What do you mean?"
Calling Them Out
Brendon raised his voice, turning slightly toward the shadows. "MJ, you can stop hiding now. You've been watching long enough."
MJ froze mid-step from her crouch and straightened, sighing dramatically. "I swear, you have eyes in the back of your head."
But Brendon wasn't finished. He looked to the far edge of the terrace. "Gwen. You too."
From behind a ventilation unit, Gwen Stacy emerged, wide-eyed but calm, biting her lip like she wasn't sure if she was intruding.
Finally, Brendon glanced at the stairwell. "And Aunt May, you can come up. Alicia made sure you found your way here safely."
The door opened with a creak, and Aunt May stepped out. Her expression shifted from confusion to disbelief as she saw Peter, mask in hand, and the residue of emerald light fading from Brendon's wrist.
Peter's face went pale. "Wait—Brendon, what did you—?!"
Brendon cut him off gently. "If you can trust me with your truth, then I'll show you mine: there's strength in not hiding from the people who matter most. Secrets left in the dark rot. But secrets shared with loved ones—those become something stronger."
Astonishment
Peter stammered, but Aunt May stepped forward first, her gaze sharp on her nephew. "Peter Benjamin Parker… what exactly have you been keeping from me?"
Peter swallowed hard. "I… I'm Spider-Man."
The words tumbled out awkwardly, but May had already pieced it together. Her eyes glistened with fear, but beneath it was recognition. "Oh, Peter… I should have known. All those nights, all those excuses…" She pressed her hand to her chest. "My boy."
Gwen, meanwhile, couldn't tear her eyes off Brendon. "You… that wasn't a trick, was it? You really turned into… whatever that was?"
Brendon smiled faintly. "Diamondhead. Fourarms. Names for forms I can take. And yes, it's real. As real as Peter swinging between skyscrapers."
Gwen shook her head, muttering, "Unbelievable."
MJ crossed her arms, struggling to sound unimpressed. "So let me get this straight. Peter's a bug-themed vigilante, and you're some kind of… alien transformer?"
"Something like that," Brendon said.
The Speech
He looked at all of them, his voice softening. "I didn't bring you here to overwhelm you. I brought you here because trust matters. You're Peter's circle. And now you're mine. We shouldn't have to carry this weight alone, not when the world is only going to get heavier."
For a moment, even MJ was silent. The gravity of Brendon's words settled over them like the night air.
The Teasing
Then Gwen, eyes glinting, tilted her head. "Wait… you said 'loved ones.' That's a big word, Brendon. Care to explain?"
MJ immediately smirked. "Yeah, Brendon. That's not a casual phrase. Sounds like there's more to it."
Peter groaned. "Oh no…"
But Brendon only stepped closer to Gwen, gaze steady. "You're right. No point hiding it. Gwen… I like you. More than a friend. More than a colleague. Will you be my girlfriend?"
The rooftop seemed to hold its breath. Gwen blinked, stunned—and then laughed, light and teasing. "You're insane, Brendon. Proposing this on a rooftop with my best friend and his aunt watching?"
Brendon shrugged, deadpan. "Why wait for the perfect moment when the right one's here?"
Her laughter softened, eyes warm. "Fine. Yes. But if I find out you're secretly made of wires or crystals twenty-four-seven, I reserve the right to reconsider."
Brendon grinned. "Deal."
Aunt May's Look
MJ gagged loudly. "Ugh. Romance and superpowers. Can this night not get any cheesier?"
Brendon smirked at her. "Funny, coming from someone who's been circling Peter like he's the last donut in the box."
Peter turned bright red. "Brendon—!"
MJ sputtered, her face heating. "Wha—no! That's not—"
Aunt May, however, tilted her head, her lips twitching into the faintest smile. Her eyes shone with that unmistakable glint—the look of a matchmaker spotting fertile ground.
Peter groaned. MJ buried her face in her hands. Gwen tried—and failed—not to laugh.
Closing
When the noise quieted, Peter's voice broke through, softer but firm. "For the record… MJ… I do like you. I just didn't know how to tell you. I didn't want to drag you into danger."
MJ froze, caught between fluster and awe. She didn't answer right away, but her eyes betrayed her—soft, unsure, but not rejecting.
The rooftop was filled with tangled emotions—astonishment, laughter, a trace of fear, and the fragile warmth of bonds being pulled tighter.
Brendon stepped back, watching them all with quiet satisfaction. For once, the Omnitrix wasn't the most powerful thing on that rooftop. Trust was.