Spider verse: The Twist

Chapter 14: Smile and Cry with Me

Miles's POV

I was sitting on the roof of May's house, silently staring out at the sun as it set over the horizon. I let out a long sigh as I lolled my head back.

"Maybe they're right. Maybe I can't do this. Maybe I can't get them home."

I felt my body fill with anger and... something else. It felt warm, powerful, and strange. I felt the familiar warmth once again flood through my arms and into my right hand. I let out an frustrated yell as I slammed my fist into the roof of the house. The electricity that I released arced across the tile of the roof in various directions and I know I heard the sound of shattering glass somewhere. I rested my forehead against my knees as I grit my teeth.

I heard petite footsteps behind me. I didn't need to look. I knew who it was. Instead I refocused my gaze on the sunset.

"Queens is nice. It's so much calmer than Brooklyn," I said in almost a whisper, but I knew she heard me, "I don't know why, but it's just... nice for the change.

"It's quieter," Gwen stated in the same silent tone. She sat down beside me, but I still didn't look at her.

I closed my eyes for a few seconds as I sighed, "Yeah."

Gwen's POV

We sat there for a while just watching the sun as it slowly lowered over the distant houses. I don't know why, but it gave me a weird feeling. It made me feel warm inside. I felt a sense of calm, but at the same time I felt extremely nervous... and I loved the feeling. I knew Miles felt it too. I didn't want to ever move from that spot. I just wished time would stop so we could sit there forever.

That's when I began to wonder, "Is it the sunset making me feel this way... or was it Miles?"

"So, why did you come up here?" He finally asked breaking me from my thoughts.

I took a deep breath before responding with, "I know how it feels." For the first time since I came up here, Miles looked at me. His eyes were pleading, begging for comfort. He didn't speak and I knew he was wanting me to continue.

"It's crazy," I gave a humorless laugh as I shook my head.

"W-What is?" he stuttered.

"You and I," I started turning my gaze toward the sky, "We lost the same person." He gave me a confused look so I elaborated further, "Peter Parker, was my best friend in my dimension. He looked just like the Peter of this universe but younger and he didn't have the blond hair."

Miles's eyes widened and his lips parted slightly in surprise. "After I had gotten my powers I told him about them. He was so excited and proud of me for becoming a hero. He told me he wanted to be just like me- that he was going to be just like me, but I didn't think anything of it..." I continued. My body shook as I tried to hold back the tears that were threatening to spill from my eyes. Miles took notice of this and comfortingly wrapped an arm around me. I instantly leaned into his side as the tears that I had held back for so long began to fall.

"He... he took an experimental serum that he thought would give him powers, but..." I choked out as Miles held me a bit tighter, "It turned him into a monster. It messed with his mind. He went on a rampage throughout Manhattan. He hurt and KILLED people. I... I had to stop him, but me stopping him... it killed him. I KILLED HIM!"

I buried my face into Miles's shoulder as I cried. I soaked his shirt with tears, but he didn't care. He just held me and whispered into my ear, "No, you didn't. You saved people. People he would have hurt. It's like you said. He wasn't in his right mind, but if he was I bet that's what he'd want you to do. That he'd want you to keep on saving people. He'd be proud of you."

"Thanks, Miles. Y'know your Peter would be proud too. I mean, you've only had your powers for a week and you learned to control them better than I could in the first month that I had mine," I commented earning an appreciative smile from him.

We stayed like that for what felt like hours, just holding each other. We both cried over our loss of our friends. After we had calmed down we looked to each other and both gave a warm smile.

I hadn't given anyone an honest smile like that since Peter died. It just didn't feel right to smile. I just could not do it, but Miles just made me want to tell him everything and be around him constantly. I had never felt this way about anybody before.

"We should probably head back," he said as he stood up and helped me to my feet. I gave him a nod and he smiled. I leapt off the roof and landed softly of the grass below, with Miles following suit, before I began to head toward the back door of the house, where I knew everyone would be waiting. I held my hands behind my back and smiled to myself as I thought.

"I could smile with him. I could cry with him... and it felt right."