Dimension Danger

Chapter 6: Swooning

"I still can't believe you got vanilla." Miles repeated for what had to have been the fifth time.

The two had finished yet another day of stopping small crimes in Miles's dimension. Afterward Miles suggested they get ice cream. There were no more seats available in the parlor so the teenagers decided to eat it on a rooftop across the street. Their feet dangled over the edge and they each held a cup of ice cream in their hands.

Gwen shrugged lazily, "I like it."

"But it's so bland and they had so many different flavors." Miles continued, his face scrunching up in mock disgust.

"Meh, I just like to stick with what I know."

Miles shook his head disapprovingly and heard Gwen chuckle lightly. His cup of mint chocolate chip ice cream was nearly empty already. He leaned back, his head facing skyward and watched as various shades of orange and red painted over the once blue sky. It had been nearly two weeks since their last encounter with Olivia, which was both nice and unnerving, but Miles decided to push it into the back of his mind for now.

A comfortable silence had fallen over the two teenagers. The only sounds to be heard were the cars racing past through the busy streets of Brooklyn. A car blared it's horn as the taxi in front of it stopped at a yellow light. Everyone was always in such a rush in this city. Miles had found himself, on more than one occasion, wishing that everyone would just slow down for a change. That people would just suck it up and be late for work or whatever it was that they were on their way to.

Miles wondered if there was a version of New York, in the vast array of dimensions, where everything was quiet and peaceful- where there was no Spider-man or Spider-woman needed to keep the peace. A dimension that didn't have villains rampaging around and the biggest issues were things like politics. The curly haired boy smiled to himself. Maybe that did exist somewhere.

Miles's eyes wondered over to the girl beside him. She gazed out at the sunset, mesmerized by it glamor. Miles noticed the way her lips had tilted upward slightly as her eyes drank in the warm colors.

The hero's stare was no longer fixed on the sunset, but rather he was engrossed in the way the light bounced of Gwen's face, highlighting the slight freckling on the bridge of her nose and how the suns rays reflected off her blue eyes, making them glisten like sapphire. Her flaxen hair now seemed to shine a radiant gold. Miles drank the sight in. She reminded him one of the main characters in those romance movies his mom would always watch. Flawless.

"The sky's so pretty here," the words snapped Miles from his thoughts. He jerked his head away so fast he was lucky not to get whiplash.

"W-what?" He stuttered, his voice reaching two octaves higher than normal.

"The sky," she repeated softy her eyes still fixed on the view in front of her, "It's so pretty. Everything looks so different here than my universe."

With that Miles's shoulders relaxed and he released a relieved breath. She hadn't noticed his staring, "Maybe I could come see it sometime."

Apparently it was Gwen's turn to tense up. Her entire body stiffened and her eyes went wide, though she caught herself quickly, taking on a neutral expression, "Yeah... maybe."

Miles squinted in confusion. There was clearly something about her universe that made her uncomfortable. He was really curious now, but decided not to push.

A beat later Gwen stood from her spot, stretching her arms out above her head. "It's getting late. I should get going."

Miles nodded, standing to his feet as well, "Yeah, I guess I'll-"