Gwen Stark (First POV)

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The party is finally over, 2 am, and everyone has gone home.

Peter is washing dishes and emptying out cups of beer that had been left out. I focus on cleaning the living room.

"Did you enjoy the party?" Peter asks, breaking the silence.

"Um, yeah," I responded. I finish cleaning the floor and bring all the cups left in the living room to the sink. Peter drops his head and gives an exhausted sigh. I can't help but laugh a little. "If you want I can take over the dishes while you take the trash out?"

He looks up at me but doesn't answer. I give him a confused look. What's going through his mind. He steps closer and I can't help but let out a surprised gasp when he wraps his arms around me.

We're hugging.

Peter Parker is hugging me?

"I didn't get a chance to wish you a happy New Year." He says in a soft voice. I feel his breath brush my ear as he speaks and I suddenly find it hard to breathe. He loosens his arms around me but I tighten mine.

"Wait, not just yet." I say, partly because I felt my face burning red, but also because this was our first hug, and I wasn't ready for it to be over. He secures his arms around me without protest. "Thanks for putting up with me," I say to fill in the silence.

"Likewise." He says, his voice sounding different than usually, more intimate, vulnerable.

We finally let eachother go and finished cleaning. To reward our hard work, we sit and watch a movie.

I couldn't even tell you how it happened. I don't even know myself.

I woke up at 5 a.m. in the living room. The television is still on playing the credits to the movie. And I am leaning my head on Peter's shoulder, and he is asleep leaning his head on mine. How did I get here? Of course, I know how I got here. But it's still hard to process.

I try moving slowly without waking him up, but it fails.

"What time is it?" He says with a groan of lingering sleep. His voice is so tired, so soothing, it's intoxicating.

"I don't know," I say, shifting my placement on the couch to create space between us. He takes out his phone to check the time.

"Wow, thank god for winter break. It's late, well, early, you should go to bed." He says looking over at me. His eyes still adjusting to the light, I hold back a smile at the face he makes. Then I clear my throat, shoving my own thoughts down.

"Um, yeah, I should go." I get up and rush to the room closing the door behind me.

That was weird, that was not normal, a moment ago we had our first hug, never had one physical interaction before that.

And now I was comfortable enough to fall asleep next to him? On  him?