"Thank you for helping," Gwen said when they reached her car. "And for being honest. That matters."
"Always."
She hesitated. Then leaned in and kissed his cheek quickly. "Goodnight, Peter."
She got in her car and drove away. Peter stood there for a moment. Touched his cheek where she'd kissed him.
'This is getting complicated,' he thought. But not in a bad way. In an interesting way.
---
Saturday. Noon. Felicia Hardy's address.
Peter pulled up in his sedan. Reliable.
Unremarkable. Exactly the kind of car a responsible teenager would drive.
Felicia came out wearing jeans, sneakers, and a leather jacket. Practical clothes like he'd suggested. Her silver hair was pulled back in a ponytail.
"So," she said, getting in the passenger seat. "Where are we going?"
"Rock climbing gym," Peter said. "You said you wanted something fun. I figured something physical would be interesting."
"Rock climbing. Interesting choice." Felicia studied him. "Testing if I can keep up with you physically?"
"More like doing something where we can talk while also doing an activity. Less pressure than just sitting across from each other at dinner."
"Smart. I like it."
They drove to the climbing gym. Peter had discovered it over the summer. Good facility. Experienced staff. Challenging routes.
Felicia proved to be naturally athletic. Strong grip. Good instincts for finding holds. She climbed with confidence and grace.
But Peter was better. His enhanced Physique and years of training made every route accessible. He moved up walls like gravity was optional.
"Okay," Felicia said after watching him complete a difficult route. "That's not normal. You move like someone trained by professionals."
"I practice a lot."
"Understatement of the century." She moved closer. "Peter, I'm going to be direct with you. I don't play games. I don't waste time. I like you. I think you're interesting. And I want to get to know you better."
"I appreciate the directness."
"But," Felicia continued. "I also know you're involved with MJ and Gwen. I've watched how you interact with them. You're being fair. Honest. Not leading anyone on."
"I'm trying."
"I respect that. So here's my position. I'm not trying to compete with them. I'm not trying to make you choose. I just want a chance to spend time with you. See if we have something real. If we do, great. If not, at least we'll know."
"That's very reasonable."
"I'm a reasonable person. When I want to be." Felicia grinned. "But I'm also persistent. And patient. If you're worth having, you're worth waiting for."
They climbed for another hour. Talked about life. About goals. About what they wanted from the future.
Felicia was evasive about her background. Peter noticed. His enhanced awareness caught the careful word choices. The redirections. The topics she avoided.
'She's hiding something,' Peter thought. 'Something significant.'
But everyone had secrets. Peter certainly did. He wouldn't judge her for keeping hers.
When they left the gym, Felicia linked her arm through his. "That was fun. We should do more activities like this."
"I'll think of other options."
"Good." She looked up at him. "And Peter? Thank you for giving all three of us a fair chance. Most guys would just pick the easiest option or the hottest girl or whatever. You're actually trying to make a real decision."
"Because it is a real decision. One that affects real people. I don't want to be careless with anyone's feelings."
"See? That's why you're worth the effort." Felicia stood on her toes. Kissed his cheek quickly. Different spot from where Gwen had kissed him. "Talk soon, Parker."
She got in a cab. Left with a wave.
Peter stood there. Two girls had kissed his cheek in the past week. And MJ had held his hand with clear intent.
'I really need to figure this out,' Peter thought. 'Before it gets even more complicated.'
---
*September 20th. Five Days Until Oscorp Field Trip.*
Peter worked in his dimensional training complex. Final preparations.
His suit was complete now. Designed for maximum flexibility and protection. Sensor systems integrated throughout.
Communications equipment hidden in the mask. Medical monitoring running constantly.
Dark blue and red colors. Spider motif subtle but present. Web shooters built into the wrists. Mechanical. Not organic. Because Peter wanted control over every aspect of his abilities.
FSIS ran final diagnostics.
"All systems operational," the AI reported.
"Suit is ready for field deployment. Web shooter fluid reserves at maximum capacity. Sensor calibration complete."
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