The Many Loves of Spider-Man

Intellectual Memories (Theresa Fox, aka Sage)

He heard the chime of the door, his eyes immediately scanning the small yet comfortable coffee shop. The quaint shop was nestled in a busy street near Empire State University, so it was very easy for him to find it. He even heard the soft instrumental music that filled the shop, which actually made him relax quite a bit. It was then that his eyes managed to see the one he was looking for, a small smile appearing on his lips.

Theresa Fox, someone he knew better by the alias of Sage, was sitting on one of the tables that was near the main window of the coffee shop. The dim lighting that was over her made her face glow marvelously, and he almost blushed with how beautiful she looked. It was then that he was able to reach the table, his hand grazing softly over her shoulder.

"Sorry I'm late, Tessa..." He gave her a soft smile to the dark-haired female, one that she returned. His eyes managed to catch the soft makeup that she had over her eyes and the dark red lips which only made him smile a bit more. It was not much, but she managed to elevate her beauty with simple makeup and that only made him even more attracted to her. "Had to help Aunt May with moving some furniture around her house"

"There is no problem, Petey... I understand that Aunt May needed the help" She replied, his eyes noticing just how she grabbed his own hands with care. He just sighed in relief, not disturbed by the female holding his hands with her own. The two of them have had previous outings like the one they were currently having at the moment, it helps him and her with the constant tension in their minds. "I also hope that you don't mind that I ordered for the two of us..."

"As long as you ordered me a macchiato, then we are good" Peter commented, a sly grin on his face. That only made the female chuckle a bit, something that made her look cute as well. He still couldn't understand just how he was able to constantly enjoy an evening with the bombshell of a mutant, but he was definitely not going to say anything about it.

It was not long before the waitress gave the two of them a large caramel macchiato for him and a white chocolate cappuccino for her, his head only nodding in thanks. He took a sip of his macchiato, savoring the salty caramel that was mixed into the drink and enjoying the heat that passed through his throat.

"Peter..." He looked up to her, his brow rising slowly in confusion. The outing was planned by the female across from him, her hands already holding her cappuccino carefully. The curiosity sparked a rather intriguing question in his mind, one that made him realize that he also had something to say in this outing. "There's something I've been meaning to tell you"

"What is it, Tessa?" He asked, his voice lowered a bit to express his confusion only to her. He didn't want to be public about what they wanted to discuss. It was not anyone's problem, and it should be only discussed between the two of them. He even watched just as she took a deep breath, and he definitely saw just how her fingers traced nervously the rim of her coffee cup.

"It's about... us, Peter..." She whispered, her beautiful blue eyes glancing at him. He blinked, ignoring his macchiato for a bit as he stared at Theresa with worry over his face. He could see her blushing a bit, her lips drinking the cappuccino that she had ordered and trying her best to hide her blush. It made him conscious of the fact that they have never talked about what the two of them were for one another. "About... what we are..."

He could only nod, his gaze still fixed on her. He leaned forward, she held all of his attention over this topic. He could see that she was trying to be as gentle as possible. It made him doubt a bit, and he felt bad for actually doubting her without even hearing her explanation. So he could only stay silent, patiently waiting for her to speak whatever she held in her mind.

"These outings that we have been making... It has made me conscious of what I feel..." She finally met his gaze, which made him straighten his back. He could feel her loving gaze right at him, one that he returned without even thinking about it. "Peter, there has not been a day where I don't think about you. And it hurts not being there with you on every second of the day" He could only soften his gaze a bit, her soft tone only making him realize just how hurt she really was. But he noticed that she was not faltering, that she was letting everything out. "I have never felt like this before, never felt so strongly for someone... Until you came, Petey..."

He could feel his lips twitching, a smile forming over his face. He couldn't help it, and it even made his heart throb against his chest in glee. It could be said that he was over the moon at her words, the first time in quite some months. It had been almost a full year since he had consciously decided to leave Mary Jane and Paul live quietly. He even ignored some of the messages that the now rookie heroine called Jackpot, who was the alias of Mary Jane's hero persona, left him from time to time. He had someone else in his life right now and he was not going to look back to his painful past.

"I've tried to push these feelings out... But I can't... Not when you're involved..." His eyes caught her hand extending towards him. That only made him react instinctively, his own hand also moving forward to grab her own. The two of them lost themselves within each other's gaze. The instrumental songs helped the two create their very own world. "Petey, I love you... I love you so much that it hurts..."

"Tessa... I feel the same" He moved his hand towards her cheeks, carefully and lovingly removing the tears that were falling down her beautiful face. He could only give a smile, one that she returned to him even when she had tears in her eyes. He leaned forward a bit more, the two approaching for a searing kiss. And in that moment, amidst the soft glow of the café and the gentle melody, two souls found solace in each other's company, their unspoken connection blossoming into something beautiful.