Honestly, the Gwen in this world could actually cook far better than Peter had expected.
She still wasn't on his level, of course, but her cooking had absolutely reached the point where it was not only edible, but actually pretty tasty.
Looks like all these years of life experience had changed this familiar stranger quite a bit.
"To be honest, I've always had doubts about Peter's death, and I've been quietly investigating it on my own. The place where it happened was very close to Kingpin's company, and then you just happened to arrive in this world right after that. I can't help wondering if those two things are connected."
As she cut off a small piece of steak, Gwen voiced the suspicion she had been carrying in her heart.
Her guess wasn't that different from Peter's. Both of them felt that this whole thing was probably that fat bastard Kingpin's doing.
"Don't worry, Peter. We'll find a way to send you back to your own universe eventually. The Gwen in your world is waiting for you, isn't she?"
She suddenly realized the Peter in front of her was only seventeen. In a strange, unfamiliar world like this, he had to be scared. That only strengthened her resolve to find a way to send him home as soon as possible.
"There's no rushing something like this. But yeah, finding a way back would be great. Still, can you really do it by yourself? You gave up the field of science you were most familiar with, after all."
Peter was a little doubtful of Gwen's current abilities. She had been away from research for so many years that he couldn't help wondering whether she could still keep up with the pace of modern technology.
"Come on, you don't seriously think all I do in my spare time is read comics, eat chips, and live like some shut-in, do you?"
Peter nodded without hesitation.
Because no matter how he looked at it, Gwen's current lifestyle really did seem pretty close to that of a female shut-in.
"Peter, you said that after becoming Spider-Man, you killed a lot of criminals, right?"
Gwen suddenly remembered what he had said earlier, about killing criminals without mercy and preventing the kind of tragedy that had happened to Uncle Ben. That still bothered her. In her mind, Spider-Man wasn't supposed to be like that.
"Yeah. Is there a problem with that?"
"Well... the Spider-Man in this universe was gentle. You almost never heard about him killing anyone. But the way you handle things..."
"You think it's too extreme, right? Gwen, I'm just pursuing the most thorough way to eliminate future trouble. Maybe the Spider-Man of this universe did things the right way, and maybe compared to him I seem like the villain, but you have to believe me, I'm not a bad person."
"If you lock criminals up and then let them escape just to come back and cause even more damage, then I'd rather send the truly unforgivable ones straight to hell and be done with it. Hesitation leads to consequences nobody can predict. I'm not someone who wavers. At least... I'm not the same as the me from this universe."
Peter spoke seriously. For some reason, he found it easy to open up to this Gwen. He was even willing to say things to her that he normally kept to himself.
If this had been the Gwen from his own world, she probably would have condemned this way of thinking immediately. But the Gwen in front of him had already weathered a lot in life and become a police officer. Peter felt she would understand what he meant.
"Yeah. And maybe that's why he was always so tired. If he had thought more like you, maybe he wouldn't have died."
"Don't say that, Gwen. He was great. I'm just more selfish. If he was a superhero, then antihero is probably the more accurate label for me."
Peter stabbed a little tomato with his fork and popped it into his mouth to cut the richness, then gave a small shrug and sighed.
"So like the kind of person in comics who has their own methods and rules, and who neither the good guys nor the bad guys fully accept? Oh my God, that's so cool. But wouldn't that make things even harder on you? Don't you ever feel lonely?"
Gwen's eyes lit up. She looked genuinely fascinated by what Peter was saying.
"A lone wolf doesn't need to be understood. But if one or two people really do understand you, that's not bad either. As for loneliness, I don't really feel it. As long as the other you is with me, I don't feel lonely."
Peter's words made Gwen blush a little. Even though she knew he was talking about the Gwen from another universe, it still felt almost the same as being praised directly to her face.
For the first time, she really found herself envying the other Gwen.
"Well, I've gotten hungry again from all this talking. Want dinner?"
Gwen seemed very pleased, then turned and walked into the kitchen. She leaned her head back out and asked.
"I'm still deeply suspicious of your cooking. Even if the version of you in this universe improved, I doubt it improved that much."
"Tell me honestly, Gwen. Do you actually eat your own food on a regular basis?"
Peter walked into the kitchen and looked at the spotless dishes. There wasn't even the slightest trace of grease on them. For a moment, he couldn't tell whether they were that clean because they were never used, or because Gwen actually kept the kitchen immaculate.
Probably not the second one.
A woman who casually left her underwear lying around probably wasn't going to care that much about a space she wasn't interested in.
"Who exactly are you looking down on?! I've changed a lot, okay?!"
"Fine. Then let me try whatever bizarre cuisine you've come up with. And afterward, remember to send me to the hospital."
Peter turned and went back to the living room, dropping onto the couch with a deeply contented look.
He had already eaten like a pig earlier, but he could still eat more. Sometimes enjoying good food was one of life's little pleasures.
Bizarre food, though... that was harder to judge.
The feeling was strange. Peter relaxed so much that he almost slipped into a daydream.
He found himself wondering whether, after he returned to Earth-65 and finally got together with Gwen and started a life with her, it might feel something like this too.
But just thinking about it made him realize it probably wouldn't.
The Gwen in this world was just an ordinary police officer.
The Gwen in his world was Spider-Woman.
Similar, yet not the same.
In the end, there was still a difference.
(End of Chapter)
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