Dreaming of You

You're My Sunflower

— Exiting the portal, I couldn't help but let out a sigh and leaned against the wall of the unfamiliar alleyway. "Ugh, I can never get used to that," I admitted, feeling a bit disoriented. Gwen stood beside me, offering a reassuring smile. "It takes a little while, don't worry about it." "How long did it take you?" I asked, curious about her experience. Gwen chuckled softly, "Well, I was fine at the start, so..." She left her sentence hanging, not wanting to make me feel uncomfortable about it. "But it doesn't matter. Come on!" She exclaimed, pulling on my sleeve, and her enthusiasm instantly brightened my mood. As we began walking through Gwen's city, I couldn't help but notice an oddly nostalgic and familiar feeling. Her dimension was surprisingly similar to mine. The layout of the city was the same, with only minor differences such as shop locations, street names, and architectural details. It felt like I was walking through a slightly altered version of my own home. While heading to the park, I spotted a peculiar graffiti on the wall. It was a stunning depiction of Gwen in her Spider Suit, captured in all her heroic glory. "I see that your city likes you," I teased, noting the artwork. Gwen rolled her eyes playfully and replied, "Shut up, come on!" She tugged on my sleeve to urge me forward, but I caught a glimpse of her lips curling into a small smile before we continued on our walk to the park.

— After strolling through the city, we eventually reached the park. The weather was perfect for our little outing, with a gentle, cooling breeze and fluffy clouds that acted as a natural sunshade, allowing the area to be brightly lit but not overly hot. The sounds of children's laughter filled the air, emphasizing the peacefulness of the park. I couldn't help but remark, "This is nice." "Told you," Gwen replied with a smug grin as we found a bench to sit on, taking in the relaxing atmosphere. It was a welcomed escape from our regular responsibilities, just to be able to enjoy the moment. As we sat there, I suddenly felt Gwen's head leaning on my shoulder, causing me to tense up a bit, uncertain about how to react. However, before I could say anything, a loud gurgling noise came from Gwen, making her quickly pull away from me, surprising both of us.

— "Was that you or the monster behind us?" I quipped, laughing as Gwen's face turned a bright shade of red, and she playfully hit me. "Alright, alright. What do you want to munch on?" I asked, trying to make amends. Gwen replied with a pout, "There's a really good food truck just a few minutes from here." I extended my hand to her and playfully suggested, "Shall we slay that dragon, milady?" "You're so dumb," Gwen retorted, her smile returning as she took my hand to help herself up. Together, we walked towards the food truck, putting our playful exchange behind us.

—The food truck had a massive line that curved into the park itself. People of all ages patiently queuing up. "Wow, that queue is nuts," I remarked. Gwen grinned and proudly proclaimed, "Best hot dogs in NYC, or at least my NYC" I sighed playfully, "This is gonna take a while." Gwen teased, "Oh, what a bummer. You have to stand here next to me and talk to me while waiting." "Har har, very funny," I said with a playful eye roll, to which Gwen responded with a satisfied smile. Time seemed to pass quickly as we engaged in light conversation, our patience rewarded when we finally got our hands on the delicious food. We walked away from the food truck, savoring the flavors of our hot dogs as we strolled down the street. "This is nova!" I exclaimed after swallowing a large bite. "Glad to hear!" Gwen replied, matching my enthusiasm as we continued our leisurely walk. I asked, "Where are we headed now?" Gwen answered with excitement, "Thinking of heading to the mall, there's a bunch of stuff for us to do!" "Sounds like a plan," I agreed, eager to continue exploring.

...

— "Arcade first?" I asked as Gwen led me into a large, bustling arcade, the space filled with dozens of machines, their sounds and lights creating a lively atmosphere with people's excited yelling filling the air. "Yep! Let's start with that!" Gwen exclaimed, her eyes lighting up as she ran over to a massive machine with the title 'Time Crisis' prominently displayed on its side. It was one of those first-person shooter games where you used fake guns to take down enemies on the screen. "It's been a while since I've played one of these. I could barely peep over the counter back then," I remarked, a sense of nostalgia washing over me as I picked up one of the replica guns and aimed it at the screen. Gwen turned to me with a playful smirk. "How about we play a round? The one with the higher points wins." I hesitated for a moment and then responded, "You know, I want to say yes, but I feel like I'm going to get smoked again." Gwen, clearly not one to back down from a challenge, teased me. "Oh, come on, you chicken?" "Boy, you suck," I retorted playfully, giving in to her taunt as I inserted some coins into the machine. "Ready for your redemption, Morales?" Gwen replied with a mischievous grin, deftly spinning the gun around her finger. "You're so going down." I replied as the cutscene on the screen started to play. We both aimed our barrels at the screen, and the game began.