15517/Late Night Conversations

Late Night Conversations
Date of Scene:	23 August 2023
Location:	Gwen Stacy's Apartment, Wavecrest Gardens
Synopsis:	After a busy couple of days Gwen and Peter have the chance to finally catch up. At least until they get otherwise distracted.
Cast of Characters:	Spider-Man, Ghost Spider

---

Spider-Man has posed:
It has been a busy few days.

Life has a way of getting away from Peter now and then. It's not something that he is particularly proud of. Indeed, it is one of the few things that he ever resents about being Spider-Man. Though Spider-Man is only partly to blame this time.

After the chaos and confusion with the Shroud, Pete meant to follow-up with Gwen straight away, he really did. But circumstances conspired against those good intentions pretty fast, tugging them in different directions in the aftermath of that particular confontation.

Then there was an issue back in Queen's with Aunt May and a some busted pipes. While Pete might not be a plumber, money is tight and Uncle Ben left him with a pretty solid and practical grounding on how to tackle things like that. So he has been spending a rather excessive time back home, working away in the basement trying to prevent a small flood.

It might not be quite up there with tackling the villains of New York, but in it's own way it is just as important to Peter.

There was also the incident with the... goo... monsters and the pigeon feathers. But the less said about that, the better. In point of fact, he and Jessica have pretty much sworn to never speak of the matter again and it is one vow that he won't particularly object to keeping.

He has, at least, still had the time to text -- and it tends to bring a smile to his face every time, no matter how brief that might be -- but he does consider himself pretty lucky that Gwen is in the know. That she knows how Spider-life gets sometimes.

Still, some conversations should be done face to face.

More importantly, he just misses her.

It's not like they've been tragically kept apart by circumstances beyond their control for weeks or months. It's barely been a couple of days! But that doesn't really change a single thing and Peter is impatient enough to don the costume and swing through the city to shave a little time off the trip. Not the wisest decision perhaps when one is wanted by the police. There it is though. By the time her apartment comes into view though, he knows very well that he wouldn't have done a thing different.

Even with his Spider-Sense there to help guide him away from risky situations, Pete still glances around carefully as he lightly lands on the ledge outside of her apartment. He has little doubt that she wouldn't mind if he just slipped in. It's faster, more practical given the nature of his entrance and he can at least be relatively sure that there is no one else inside at the moment or that little tingle in the back of his head would probably be shouting at him right now.

But it isn't exactly how he was brought up, barging into someone else's home and it is pretty much ingrained into him now.

So while he might be a spider and not a raven he still raps gently at that window, peeking inside.

Ghost Spider has posed:
It may be a studio apartment, but Gwen is fortunate enough to have a balcony -- one that actually overlooks the water of Rockaway Beach (over a street and a few other buildings, it's more beach-adjacent than beach-front). It's small, barely enough room for two chairs, but it's there.

So, there's plenty of room for a Spider to light and even relax comfortably against the railing if he so chose once he knocked on the French doors leading out.

What one inside hardly expects, however, is a knock from THAT door. So, there's a moment of confusion from the apartment's sole occupant, who's been busy herself between time at the lab, dealing with Kevin, a photo-shoot for one of her local fashion designers, band practice, and.. yes.. working on her thesis.

Plus sleep, which is kind of ridiculously absent from her schedule, recently, but she's been managing and all but live-texting Peter throughout. She tried not to be /too/ obsessive about it, but she really liked having him to share things with (even if he couldn't be there during all of them). So, he got updates on her goings-ons pretty regularly, including her frustration with Kevin (that included LOTS of exclamation points), a couple of selfies from her photo-shoot, and a goodnight and good morning text every day.

When Gwen quizzically opens the balcony door, however, those blue eyes go wide with pleased surprise and she throws her arms around Spider-Man without a second's hesitation, burying her face in his neck before she seems to realize they were still mostly on the balcony. Then she's dragging him inside.

"Get in here!" she laughs. "You know you don't have to knock, right? I don't lock those doors because.. well, a lock isn't really going to stop anyone that could get to them."

For her part, Gwen is just in an over-sized 'Empire State University' sweatshirt, sleeves pushed up to her elbows, and a pair of shorts that peek out out of the bottom. Her blonde hair has been pulled up into a messy bun.

Spider-Man has posed:
It's funny.

Those balcony doors open and she's standing there, backlit by the apartment beyond. Then his arms are around her too, slipping about her without any sort of throught involved. And suddenly all those little nagging problems are just gone. It's like magic. But waaaay better then Dr. Strange magic.

For a moment Pete just stands there, eyes closing behind that mask. Then she's hauling him in through that door, a low laugh slipping from him as he reaches up to tug off that mask, hair a little more touseled then normal thanks to that clinging bit of fabric.

"I know, I know," he agrees wryly, arms slipping from around her but not straying far as both of his hands seek out her own, slipping lightly there. Hey, it's been a couple of days! He's been a little Gwen-deprived. Well, maybe not, with all the texts that flow back and forth, bit ot feels like it. "One of these days, I'll break that habit. Maybe."

It might be a little old fashioned, but it certainly helped him growing up. The fact that it was just expected that Aunt May would knock at his door instead of just barging in to his room whenever she chose. Otherwise the secret of Spider-Man would most definitely not been one any more.

Leaning back a little and finding himself unable to stop smiling, Pete lets out a little sigh, a quiet sound of contentment. "You are definitely a sight for sore eyes," he admits. "I know you've been crazy busy too, but I wanted to see you and I figured it was a fair bet you'd still be up. I probably should have at least texted first," he admits. Apparently there's a few of Aunt May's good manners that haven't stuck.

"I wanted to see how you were doing, you know, after the craziness the other night," he says quietly, tone becoming a little more serious.

Ghost Spider has posed:
That mask is barely off before Gwen's on tip-toe, kissing Peter with that same warm, delighted smile on her lips. It's short -- not meant to derail him -- just utterly pleased to see him as she squeezes his hands back, beaming.

She might be feeling a little Peter-deprived, too. Texting was /great/, but there was no substitute for the real thing.

"Well, I have a smart lock on my front door, and we need to add your cell to that, too. I want you to be able to come and go as you please, especially with all the stuff going on. You never know if you'll need a place to lay low for a little while."

Gwen. Between her long-time fangirling over Spider-Man before she ever knew him (or knew that she knew him) and blissfully falling for Peter Parker, she'd probably face down an Army battalion, complete with tanks, to defend him if it came to that. With any luck, it wouldn't.

The mention of texting, though, as Gwen shaking her head. "I like surprises," she insists, one corner of her lips tugging into a grin. "Or, at least, I like /this/ surprise. I told you. You can /always/ come to my dot. No exceptions."

She bites her lip for a moment, then.. that brief vulnerability of being a little insistent about how much she really enjoyed seeing him slipping into something more subdued with the mention of the craziness.

"Ugh. Yeah. I went to see Kevin -- sorry, /Frost Phantom/," she says, groaning the new name and rolling her eyes. "Apparently some of the stuff he's been working on he hasn't been just pulled off of. He went looking for their prototypes, and they were /gone/. So, he followed his boss one day, and found out that he's been using the tech they've made in the lab to make his own suit. /The Shroud/ vanished when Kevin confronted him, but... that wasn't the only thing that was there. And now we have a Frost Phantom."

Gwen sighs.

"So, yeah. That's a thing that happened. What about you?"

Spider-Man has posed:
It might seem like a small thing.

But the willingness of Gwen to invite him into these parts of her life mean a great deal to Peter. Especially at the moment, with his costumed misadventures pretty much completely off the rails. Again that little smile creeps over his face and he is quick to return that kiss, no matter how briefly.

"Thanks," he says quietly, shooting a brief glance towards her front door and the smart lock there. It is truly impressive, some of the things that technology can do. That's a pretty good example of the practical applications of their shared interest in science. And way more practical then web-shooters.

Though not nearly so much fun, admittedly.

"Hopefully it won't come to that, but it's good to have options," Pete admits before flashing a grin. "Not that I need a whole lot of excuses to want to drop in, mind you," he admits.

To be sure, the whole thing with Kevin is something of a surprise. It probably shouldn't be, really. Sometimes it is amazing just how many people in their orbit tend to get pulled into this life of theirs in some fashion or another. Almost like the Spider-thing has a gravitational pull all of it's own, pulling anyone in their orbit into it's crazy sway.

Though that might imply that they are somehow responsible for that. And Peter at least has enough issues with guilt without taking on the burden for all of that.

"I mean, I guess it's good to know that there's problems with Oscorp scientists. Man, that place just seems to spawn the crazy, doesn't it?" he says with a slow shake of his head. "I just hope that he's not getting himself in over his head," Pete admits quietly, a small frown sliding over his face. "I mean, that suit seemed to have a fair bit of power to it and..." he pauses diplomatically. Kevin is still her best friend afterall. "he seemed to have a few issues properly controlling it. Or maybe more just how to properly use it without endangering others," he says before giving a small shrug of his shoulders, hands squeezing gently around her own. "We'll deal with it. Find a way to help him," he promises. "And do something about that weird guy and his weird suit. Ugh. Teleporters."

Maybe he would be more kindly disposed if he had teleportation powers instead of awesome wall-crawling, web-swinging ones.

"I got the leaky pipe emergency under control back in Queens, so that's a plus. Aunt May won't drown the next time she goes to do a load of laundry, which will help me sleep a little better at night," Pete offers up drily.

"Oh! There was an incident, that I'm sworn not to go into. It involved goo-spitting creatures and pigeon feathers, so I'll leave it to your imagination," Pete adds with a faint smirk. "But it did snag me an invite to Avenger's Mansion. And got me fed cheese toasties and malt shakes, so it wasn't all bad. There shall also be a murder board."

That might require a little elaboration.

Ghost Spider has posed:
"Good," Gwen answers the 'not needing excuses' comment, grinning. "I was trying to give you one, but I really just want you to come by whenever you feel like it. Sooo..." She shrugs, that grin turning sheepish.

"I'm going to try to offer him a little target practice tomorrow and see he can get it under control. You'd be welcome to tag along. It's either that or I text you when I get there and ask you to bring a hair dryer if you don't hear from me every fifteen minutes..."

She rolls her eyes to the ceiling and shrugs again. "But yeah, I did that internship at Oscorp that Harry helped me get, but that was never going to be a forever home. I still worry about Alchemax, but I've shown the draft of my thesis to a few people already.. I think I might be changing /some/ minds about /some/ research. We'll see..... do you want to sit?"

She nods over to the couch, even gives him a little tug that direction.

"Okay... wait. First, yay for non-leaking pipes! I bet May is thrilled." That broad smile quirks into another grin, though. "Of course, I'd like some sort of acknowledgement about the fact that I haven't made /one/ plumbing or plumber joke the entire time you've been working on them, and that may be some sort of record for me. Also, it's /super/ sexy that you can fix things around the house. Just saying."

Beat.

"Second... /what/?" That 'what' is said on an incredulous that that she doesn't seem to be able to restrain. "You got tarred and feathered? And I /missed/ it? Peter, that is comedy /gold/, and I'm going to need to borrow your camera for a minute because I /know/ there are pictures on there."

For a moment, those blue eyes of hers shine with mischief, but then it shifts to... pride.

"Peter, that's... awesome. If you could get the Avengers to help you clear your name, that would make it /so/ much easier." She blinks. "Wait.. are you going to be an Avenger, now? Can you fly? Are you going to be Pigeon-Man, now? Catches thieves just like breadcrumbs?"

Spider-Man has posed:
Who is he to refuse an invitation to get comfortable?

The couch does make a whole lot of sense and it has been a rather busy day for the both of them. It is not exactly slacking to take a load off and cuddle up, at least for a few, right? Surely they have earned that much at the very least.

Settling himself on the couch, he lets out a slow whistle at her update on Kevin, lips threatening to twist up into a wry smile once more. "That does sound like it could be... interesting. I think I can make time for that. At least until he shows that he can operating that thing without turning people into ice cubes it's probably better if there are a couple of people around that can help," he agrees.

While he may have known her for years, in some respects it feels like Pete has just found Gwen. It would be a terrible shame to lose her now, floating around in the ocean for decades as a popsicle like Captain America. It's probably not an actual threat, but why chance it, right?

More than a few of the threats he has faced over the years has spawned out of the 'research' done at Oscorp so it is hard not to have a somewhat cynical view of the place. Harry might be his friend but there is a pretty good reason he has never taken a job there, despite the fact that he might have a little more leeway given his associations. Gotta draw the line somewhere

"I hear you. I... don't think I could ever work there," he freely confesses before that smile pokes back through on his features, hand still gripping hers, unwilling to surrender that contact even now. "That's great. It might not be the most popular sentiment, especially among biochemistry researchers. But it's the right one. Whether they know it or not they're lucky to have you over there," he asserts.

So what if he's biased?

"I think so. Definitely a whole lot cheaper then getting an actual plumber in," he agrees, the line of his mouth curling into a smirk. "I had taken note of your restraint as a matter of fact. That kind of restraint is pretty impressive. I'll find a proper way to thank you sooner or later," he says lightly before offering a quiet laugh, arching once brow. "Well, of all the lessons my uncle taught me who knew that a little home improvement would be the most likely to land me a hot model girlfriend," he teases in turn.

"Goo'd and feathered," he corrects drily. "There was no tar involved, but the goo was sticky and I guess kinda warm at least. But I made a vow to never discuss it, so..." he trails off, winking at her. "The photos have been destroyed. For obvious reasons. No evidence can ever, ever remain. I just hope the Avenger's security system didn't catch it," he admits.

"I mean, it was just Spider-Woman. No one else was around. That place is so huge, I can see them going weeks without seeing another person," he notes with a shake of his head. There are likely bathrooms bigger then his entire apartment. "But yeah, she suggested that I start a 'murder board' to try and figure out who might be involved, or behind this whole mess. You know, pinning pictures and notes to the wall. Getting out the string to connect them together. Make a big ol' web of crazy. She volunteered one of the spare rooms to work in and keep it all so there's not much chance of anyone walking in and seeing the crazy in my head on full display," he says before flashing an almost wicked grin. "And if anyone does walk in, well, it is Tony Stark's place. We can just blame him."

"It's not crazy when rich people do things. It's 'eccentric'. Completely different."

He has a point.

Ghost Spider has posed:
Gwen follows, of course, still holding his hand, and she settles in beside him.. against him.. to listen.

/I think I can make time for that.../

"Thank you. I really is for a good cause. I'm willing to call it a favor to me because I'd rather not be a GwenPop, but I'm mostly doing it so that he doesn't end up hurting someone." Beat. "Or himself."

/I... don't think I could ever work there./

"Which is eventually going to bring us back around to the question of what you'd want to do if you weren't working for the Bugle. I have a couple of ideas..."

/...they're lucky to have you over there./

That seems to warrant a kiss, Gwen's smile broadening.

/All the lessons my uncle taught me... who knew.../

"I'm guessing probably your uncle," Gwen counters smoothly, her grin mischievous and eyes sparkling. "He was a pretty smart guy, from everything I've heard. Maybe you'll be the wise old mentor one day." Beat, her grin turning wicked. "I mean, you're already working on the old part..."

/But I made a vow to never discuss it.../

Gwen raises her hand (the one not holding his) defensively. "Oh, no. Do not get me in trouble with Spider-Woman. I'm not pushing for details. I wouldn't dare ask you to break that vow. But if there /were/ pictures, you say Tony Stark would have them..." She rolls her lips, smiling.

"Okay, yes, but if it's Tony Stark specifically, it's not eccentric. It's usually crazy. At least from what I've heard. Still, it does seem like a safe place to keep it, and if they /happened/ to take an interest, that wouldn't hurt, either. They're bound to be more help than I've been able to be."

Spider-Man has posed:
Are their lives somehow getting even more complicated?

It doesn't really seem like it should be possible, but somehow, some way it seems like it is. "Ha. I'm so far in the hole with you, there's definitely no favors required," Pete insists at once. Even if he didn't have a stake in her wellbeing, even if he didn't want to make sure that her friend is as safe as can reasonably be expected he would still find the time.

Spiders pretty much have to look out for one another. Sometimes it feels like they're the only ones afterall.

He does quirk a brow at her comment and gives a slow nod, thumb idly stroking against the side of her hand, a gesture as much meant to sooth himself as her perhaps. "I am giving it some thought," Pete admits quietly before smiling once more, leaning in to press a quick kiss to her lips as well before leaning back against the cushions of the couch. "But yes, you do tend to be full of all sorts of good ideas. It would be pretty silly on my part to ignore that particular fact," he freely confesses.

The comment on Uncle Ben makes him genuinely laugh, pursing his lips in amusement as light fills those eyes for a moment. "Maybe. I'm just sorry you never got to meet him," he says, tone fond more then regretful in the moment though an answering glint quickly lights in his eyes. "Old huh? It's a good thing you're adorable," he counters, wiggling fingers raising for just a moment in tacit threat before dropping once more.

"You do raise a good point about the security footage. I should probably talk to Spider-Woman and see if she can do anything about that. We may have underestimated that possibility when we were creeping around. She seems to get on well with JARVIS. Maybe it can help us out," Pete admits with a grin.

"But yes, I'm on the list of authorized people to enter. We should see if we can get you in too. We can work on it some one day. Maybe sneak around a little," he suggests, lips twitching in antcipation.

At the last though he gives a quick, firm shake of his head. "You have no idea of what sort of help you've been Gwen," Peter says quietly, earnestly, drawing that hand up slowly. "I think I would have absolutely lost it weeks ago if not for you. You're always there when I call, when I need a hand. Always there with an encouraging word," he points out insistently, raising that hand to his lips, head bowing over it for a moment as he brushes a kiss across the backs of her fingers.

"You're amazing. If you don't know that, clearly I need to do a better job of reminding you too."

Ghost Spider has posed:
Gwen laughs nervously, color creeping up into her cheeks as Peter's lips touch her knuckles. Maybe it was odd that she liked that as much as she did, but it seemed to make her heart flutter every time.

"I wasn't fishing for compliments," she chides warmly, leaning closer to nuzzle against his cheek, her breath warm against his ear. "I just meant.. I haven't gotten gotten you any closer to finding out who did it. If it /is/ the Chameleon, I don't even know where to begin. /Worst/ case scenario, if he just stops and disappears.. we'll never be able to clear your name with any certainty. Unless I'm missing something. And.. maybe they'd be more help with that."

She kisses his cheek, still lingering there, lips just brushing against his cheek.. sliding down to the back of his jaw.

"That's all I mean. You do a perfectly find job of reminding me. Like.. surprising me with random visits that make my night."

A soft giggle escapes.

"I don't know, though. I just can't even imagine hanging out with the Avengers. It's so far out of the realm of.. look, my best friend is playing with a fancy snow-cone machine and calling himself Frost Phantom. I'm not sure I'd really fit in with Thor and Captain Marvel, you know?"

It's then that she shifts. The movement is fluid, and surely one that Peter could sense in enough time to stop her if he wanted. But she turns and straddles his lap, her knees sinking into the cushions as she looks down at him.

For as intimate as it is -- and it /is/ very intimate -- it seems more affectionate than anything else.

"But, I've been thinking about you working for the Bugle, and it's sort of... twisted. You're /smart/ Peter. Like... crazy smart. What if you started your own company?"

Spider-Man has posed:
Even that creeping color makes him smile.

"I know you weren't fishing for compliments. You never do," Peter says with a smile, for a moment her presence simply overwhelmling as he leans into her, that free hand slipping up, tips his his fingers lightly drawing a line up the side of her neck, palm sliding to cradle her cheek for just a moment before slipping into that blonde hair. "*We* haven't figured out everything that's going on. Yet," he adds with a certain amount of quiet insistence. "But we will. Whether it is Chameleon or Doc Ock someone else entirely," he says firmly, nuzzling up against her for just a moment.

It is definitely a change, an unmistakable one. A sense that no matter how bad it gets with all these looming threats, she's right there beside him, with him. Dealing with it together.

And it makes a world of difference. It makes everything a little easier to face.

"Maybe the murder board slash room will help with all of that. Maybe just, going through all my old enemies will shake something lose that will make things somehow make sense," he muses thoughtfully. "I guess I could really just do notes on a computer, or even just go over it in my head, but supposedly laying it out all physically is supposed to help make those leaps, you know?"

That draws another quiet laugh from him, and Pete leans in, pressing his forehead to hers. "You think you don't fit in? At least you're not wanted by the police. I probably shouldn't let them get anywhere near me when I'm this toxic to anything close to publicity, but, well," he says drily.

Then she's sliding onto his lap and those little problems become something to worry about another day, hands coming to rest on her side as he draws her in close. That smile does grow thoughtful at her words though and Pete gives a small nod. "I mean, you're not wrong. Feeding Jameson's obsession hasn't done me a lot of good reputation-wise over the years. And it's barely kept me afloat, even, financially," he conceeds before giving a quiet sigh. "I've thought of that. I mean, it has a lot to recommend it. But it is definitely a risk," he admits.

Which is funny for a guy that throws himself off buildings on the regular.

Ghost Spider has posed:
A little shudder of pleasure runs down the length of Gwen's spine when Peter's fingers slip up her neck and into her hair, so effortlessly sending a ripple of electricity across her skin. A soft sound of pleasure escaped when her eyes half-lid -- a sensual little whimper that she seemed to have no control over.

But then she was swallowing, focusing again, and settling comfortably into his lap.

"I.. I mean, you could do it on the computer, but I really think the main benefit to having it there where people can see it is the help you might solicit. But I think you might need a better name. Murder board slash room sounds makes it sound like the set of Saw Thirty-One. Or whatever they're up to now."

She closes her eyes when she tilts her head forward gently against his, touching foreheads and brushing noses.

"What if you had help?"

She leans in when his hands draw her closer, sliding her fingers over his costumed shoulders and chest, a slow smile pulling across her lips as she runs her fingers up his neck, his time, and then slips them into his hair.

"...You should keep some clothes here."

Beat. More color creeps up into her cheeks.

"Not that I'm... I mean, I'm not not..." Ever more flustered, the red spreads up into her ears. "..I just mean you might want to change."

"Some day."

"In case... somebody else comes over."

Smooth, Gwen.

Spider-Man has posed:
Murder Board slash room doesn't really have the best of sounds to it, now does it?

Again she makes him smile -- she just really has that habit, that sense of humor so very much in tune with his own. "Mmmmm, you do make a pretty fair point," Pete admits. "It probably should have a web motif, especially if I'm going to use string and have it going just everywhere in the room," he admits.

He has a theme. He should stick with it. Well, maybe.

"True. I hadn't really considered showing it to anyone but you and Spider-Woman. Maybe Miles. But I suppose if one of the Avengers did walk in and di have a thought to offer, it couldn't exactly hurt," he admits thoughtfully.

"And trust me, I'm definitely counting on a little help. I mean, moreso then I've already gotten. And I've gotten a heck of a lot," he admits, growing a little more serious.

They are talking about some fairly serious things here. Figuring out who might be causing all of this trouble. Maybe plotting a pretty significant career change. It's definitely serious business. Things with some real potential impact.

And yet, she's right there? It's pretty hard to ignore. He leans in a little closer, letting his eyes slip close, letting her just register on all of his other senses before planting a soft kiss against the side of her neck. And then another. Feeling the warmth of her skin under his lips.

And for a moment he loses that train of thought.

"Mmmm, you mean with the business though. That's... a pretty bold idea actually," Peter says slowly, and not just because he is suddenly rather distracted by that smooth column of her neck, laid out so very nicely for him.

The sudden shift in topic, that flush that warms her skin under his teasing kiss makes his own mouth curve into a smile, fingers lightly playing through her hair. "I know what you mean," he says, maybe a touch of color in his own cheeks as he pulls himself back with a little effort, meeting her eyes with a little smile.

"It's a good idea. A lot better alternative to diving under the bed, or hiding in your closet if someone unexpectedly drops in.

Then the line of his mouth curves a little more, a mischevious light settling in his eyes. "Besides, your apartment is waaaay nicer for after-patrol make-out sessions."

Ghost Spider has posed:
"The Web of Whispers.. The Threads of Treachery... The Strands of Suspicion.. the Nexus of Nefariousness..."

That's Gwen. She never really turned off that part of her brain, but at least if the whole plumbing thing was any indication, she wasn't willing to use it to openly mock him. So, there's there.

"See?" she grins, eyes sparkling. "I'm helpful..."

She didn't /want/ to let him get too far into the weight of everything, so she'd ben trying to keep it light... but then there are those kisses against her neck and that ability she had to be /so/ quick thinking just shifts entirely into neutral.

She gasps.

The business. Good. Business... so good...

Bold? Very.. very bold... "Mmmmmmmmhmm."

She'd already tilted her head a little, not just welcoming that attention but inviting more, and when his fingers slip back into her hair, there's another soft gasp.

Her eyes... when he pulls away and they finally do meet his again, there's a hunger inside them that he's perhaps only ever glimpsed the edged of, before.

"No one else has a key except you," she says, her voice taking on a hint of a feral quality. "And I'd send them away, if you couldn't change. I will /never/ make you hide." It was probably supposed to be a joke, but there was something almost.. lioness-like in her protectiveness. Her boyfriend would not be relegated to hiding in closets or anywhere else.

There's a hint of a smile, then.

"Well.. there /is/ Nadia. The Unstoppable Wasp? She doesn't have a key, but there's nothing I can do to stop her from coming in. It's literally in her name." She shrugs. "She'd keep your secret, though."

"And.. for the record.. if /that/ is part of the make-out session, I don't care where it happens..."

She smiles, then, and leans down, claiming his lips with hers.. maybe a little more roughly than might be expected. Then again, it might be entirely expected, depending on how closely he was paying attention.