5504/But I Have A Good Excuse

But I Have A Good Excuse
Date of Scene:	08 March 2021
Location:	5D - Gwen's Greenwich Loft
Synopsis:	Eddie's arrest causes him to miss helping Gwen with her paper. He finds out about band, and that they have both been through more than he realized.
Cast of Characters:	Gwen Stacy, Eddie Brock

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Gwen Stacy has posed:
College is being frantic now that they are reaching mid-semester. It also means lots of writing assignments because Professor Descoteaux likes those. And being the stick up his *bleep* that he is he is an hardass for properly written english. Gwen knew it already so she had 'recruited' Eddie's help in revising the work so she wouldn't look like a sad spider come grading day.

Mid-afternoon, around the time they had arranged for Eddie to come to her place had come. She had even cleaned it up too even if most of the time she was muttering to herself. "Why are you doing all this? It's *just* a work revision."

But she had cleaned it up. And this time made SURE there were no webshooters in plain sight. Or parts of her Ghost Spider uniform. No need to let Eddie know her alter-ego. Because secrets never hurt anyone.

An hour had passed. Two hours. A few messages sent and no answer. Well, hopefully he wouldn't be at Saul's. Yet it's weird, it wouldn't exactly be like him to ditch without saying anything. But then again how well did he know Eddie?

Still, she is a curious spider, and as all curious spiders do she dresses herself for the cold, jeans and large jacket along with her beanie hat and off she goes onto the street. It's just a small walk and soon enough she is in front of Eddie's door, knocking on it. "Hey, Eddie. You home?"

Eddie Brock has posed:
To get to Eddie's door requires going past the spot where the residents of the building above leave their garbage for the trashman. Thankfully it was trash day yesterday, but it still isn't a particular appealing spot to pass. Then down a second small flight of stairs to his door itself. But there's no answer there.

About the time Gwen gives up and heads back up and emerges on the street, a car pulls up. It's a little bitty compact, and Eddie has to fight a bit to get himself out of the small door. The car has a sign on the side that identifies it as "Bail-R-Us. Your first choice in bail bonds."

The driver leans over and tells Eddie, "Congrats on the charges being dropped. Just remember us if you need us." He passes a card over. Eddie takes it and gives a little wave of it with a grateful look. He closes the door and the man drives off.

Eddie sighs and waits for the car to be far enough away he won't see Eddie throw the card down on the sidewalk. He turns towards his apartment, and spots the blond-haired young woman there.

"Gwen," he says, and shakes his head. "I'm so sorry. I had a little... accident," he says, his expression suggesting he knows she can tell from the ride he got what type of accident it was. "I tried to call you once I got my phone back but my battery was dead," he says, walking over to her.

Gwen Stacy has posed:
Mmm, noone home. No signs of break-in either, or broken windows. Detective Gwen is already getting in action. Had anything happened? Perhaps she should go talk with the landlord. Landlords always know. But then as she is hopping up the stairs back to the sidewalk she notices the car pulling up. A familiar figure? Yea, wouldn't mistake the burly man anywhere.

"Eddie?" she asks. Busted! Her eyes are down on the card briefly and then up on the man. Head cants to the side in a questioning manner.

When Eddie calls it an accident she lets her gaze follow the roaming car and then back. "It doesn't look like the usual kind of accident." she murmurs, "Are you alright?" she then asks, concerned about the man's well-being.

She approaches, "It's okay, the important is that you are alright."

Eddie Brock has posed:
Eddie lets out a soft sigh. "Yeah, not the usual kind. And I'm fine, not hurt or anything. If it's not too late for me to help, why don't we head up to your place and I can look your paper over? And, if you want to know what happened I'll give you the details. Not exactly my smartest hour I'm afraid," he tells her.

The man's eyes seek out the soft blue of her own. "I'm really sorry for being late though. If I'd have been able to get at your number I'd have used my call to let you know," he tells her, "But they already took my phone by then."

He looks away from her, eyes drifting away and his expression that of someone who is a little embarrassed. Though he only lets it take his eyes from her for a brief time, looking back to her. As if owning it.

Gwen Stacy has posed:
There is a moment of hesitation there. Not because Gwen doesn't want to hang out with someone who just got out of jail but mostly from being worried. But the man seems fine enough at least, no visible bruises, just the embarassment. But no better balm for that than to proceed life as planned. "It's not too late." she assures Eddie with a faint smile going up to her features, "And tell you what, I can even cook dinner." then she lifting a finger, "Just don't expect a banquet."

She waves off in dismissal about calling to warn her, "It's fine. You were the one arrested." she says, "You don't have to be sorry." she starts leading the way back to her place, stuffing her hands inside her jacket because it's damn cold.

"Come on before we freeze to death." she says, "And you can tell me what happened. If you want to of course. I hope you didn't get into a fight at Saul's or something. Specially for not that tattooed girl on that other guy's arm!" a wink as if to bring some levity to the situation, her smile brightening a touch as if to reassure him all is fine.

Eddie Brock has posed:
The joke from Gwen seems to help, Eddie giving her a soft grin as he walks along with her. Reaching out to hold the door to her apartment building for her once she's unlocked it, and then traveling up to her apartment upstairs.

"I actually tried to be smart," he says with a soft sigh and a shake of his head. "I went to meet someone. A job doing some investigation and then writing part of the story on it for someone else," he says. "It's called ghost writing. Well, anyway, I was talking to someone else I hadn't seen in awhile. And my old boss strolled through. The one that helped put me where I am today," Eddie says. He manages to not clench his hand into a fist, but only because he doesn't want Gwen to see him do that.

He instead brushes his fingers through his hair. "So he was kind of berating me and I was just trying to take it and not do something that would get me in trouble. Well, he got me mad and I just, kicked my chair rather than hit him. Only it slid across the floor and took out this big floor to ceiling window there at the entrance."

They get to her apartment, Eddie following along behind Gwen, already removing his jacket. "There were some cops there. He had them arrest me. The guy I knew talked him out of pressing charges. Real decent kid. But they still took me down and booked me before they released me," he says. "So I'm going to have to figure out how to pay for the window. I don't even know what it's going to cost. Hundreds, a thousand? I don't know," Eddie tells Gwen with a sigh.

Gwen Stacy has posed:
Gwen wanders inside while Eddie is telling his story, eyes going to him occasionally, showing she is listening, sliding out of her jacket and boots once they are within her diminutive place. "I read about what happened to you, Eddie." she admits to Eddie. It's not as if she wouldn't do a search on his name after that night. Specially when he mentioned Spider-Man being a culprit. "I can understand the anger." she has felt it too. Enough that it made her kill someone. Because she wanted to be the big damn hero for the papers.

"It's time to look forward." She tells him with a faint smile, reaching to tap him on the shoulder quietly. "Go ahead and make yourself comfortable. I will go see about dinner. The work is over there on the small table by the couch." she points out.

And then off she goes to the kitchen which .., well it's right there. Her house is small remember?

"If you need some I can try asking Mrs. Wong for an advancement. I am her best employee afterall." and her only one too. Even if she does the work of 2 or 3!

Eddie Brock has posed:
For a moment Eddie misinterprets Gwen, looking curious at where she'd have read the incident just that morning at The Daily Bugle. But then he realizes his mistake quickly enough. A slight wince. "Suppose its for the best," he says quietly. "That is, now you know I can stop worrying you're going to find out about it someday," he tells her.

He hangs up his jacket, and offers to take hers as she removes it, hanging it up as well. "Yeah, the guy who was berating me? Same guy who pressured me to print the story before I had definitive enough proof. Then threw me under the bus for it," he says. It's really difficult to keep his hands from clenching into fists. Thankfully Venom isn't yelling in his ear as he was in the Daily Bugle building.

"You don't have to do dinner if you don't want. I mean, geez I'm the one who owes you for making you wait," the older man says. He does the most he can though to make up for it right now, going over to where he sees her work is set out.

His eyes swing back over to Gwen. "Oh, no. Look I appreciate it, but you're a college student, you have expenses of your own. I'll figure out a way to take care of it," he says. His eyes stay on her though. It shows in his face, how he feels that she'd even make that offer for him.

Gwen Stacy has posed:
"Why should you worry about me finding out about that, Eddie?" Gwen asks, head slightly canting to the side before she brushes some loose locks of hair behind a ear. She smiles faintly afterwards and then continues on to the kitchen. "If the guy you are talking about is the same I am thinking .., yea. He really gives an hard time to a good friend of mine _always_." a shake of her head to herself. Damn JJJ. A multiverse nemesis!

She starts looking around the fridge, taking out a couple of steaks, some pre-cooked fries because no way she will lose time peeling some off and then she turns into a busy bee around the kitchen. "Well, I am hungry, so this is as much for you as it is for me. And since I am cooking might as well just make it one more portion, right?"

The laptop is open at the table by the couch, she glancing over, "Should be unlocked. Get on working to pay for dinner." she offering him a grin.

"But I am still serious if you need some money. I have saved a little." She says with a shrug. "And I am sure you'd pay me back."

Eddie Brock has posed:
Why should he worry about her finding out? With everything he'd been through today, and just that she is the lone bright spot today, he hadn't even realized he'd said a little more than he might have intended.

"Well," he replies, resting his forearms on his knees and his fingers steepling for a moment as he looks down at them. "I lost most of my life. Job. Career. My... people who I drove away in my anger over it. Some who maybe weren't the friends I'd thought."

Eddie looks up and over to Gwen. "I didn't want the nice girl from the corner store who brightens my day, to treat me different if she knew." He draws a breath and lets it out. "But, as I say it out loud, I can't picture someone as nice as you doing that. Sorry, that was just my own worries. Not a statement on you."

Eddie notes the food she's taking out. He wants to object to her wasting steak on him, but maybe figures he's said enough. "I'll get to work, the genetics paper I won't know the science parts. But things like laying out evidence and arguments, passive wording, things like that? I might be able to help you polish it."

Gwen Stacy has posed:
"Most of your life." Gwen focusing on that part. "But not all of it." she getting the stove going and focusing on it for a bit before finally adding, "You are still here, and that means you can turn things around." apparently she being quite the optimistic one! "We all fall down sometime in our lives, it just means we need to get up and fight harder." and for some reason she seemed as if she was talking from experience.

The files appear to be on the desktop, some on folders, all neatly organized, "Yes, that's the objective. Nerd part you leave to me, the style I leave to you." a glance over the kitchen door to wink before getting back to it.

"It seems like you still have some friends though, like the one who helped you with not having charges pressed on you?" She comments, the sound of the fries starting to .., well, fry, heard.

Eddie Brock has posed:
Eddie double clicks on a file icon with a name that sounds like it is a genetics report, and with one of the most recent timestamps. "Oh, yeah, he's a good guy. Haven't seen him in awhile. Always thought he was treated kind of poorly there. Got a good brain on him though, I'm sure he'll end up making something of himself," Eddie says, his voice a little distracted as he's begun reading the paper.

He reads silently for a little bit before saying. "I went to a kind of a dark place after it all happened. It took me time to climb out. Well. I'm still climbing. So, I guess I'm not a lost soul yet."

The older man glances up and over to the pretty blond college student, not saying anything as he spends a few moments just watching her as she cooks. Finally he looks back down, pushing thoughts out of his head as he refocus on the paper. He moves the cursor and starts typing. "I'll add notes and we can go over them together then," he says.

Gwen Stacy has posed:
The report is indeed filled with a lot of jargon on genetics, and while perhaps the meaning itself isn't exactly clear at first grammar is universal. And some of it's flaws are visible. She certainly is no writer. So it will seem like he will have quite a few corrections to do. If it's to be perfect that is!

With the apartment being small it also means that soon enough the smell of cooked steak and fries are felt in the air, she adding in a bit of seasoning while she goes. "So, how's the work? How bad am I?" she lets out a laugh. "Wait, I am not sure I want to know. Yes, give me a pretty lie, like, it's all so perfect I barely need to do anything on the report." she snorts out another laugh and peeks over the corner back at Eddie again, finding herself smiling at the man before getting back to work, blue eyes focusing on the cooking ahead of her.

"That's the important part." She then says about Eddie's explanation on having been down in a dark place, "..., making sure to not stop climbing."

Eventually the cooking is done and she gets a couple of plates ready, bringing them to the living room. "There we go." she offering the plate to the man.

Eddie Brock has posed:
A warm, deep chuckle results as Gwen asks for the verdict on her writing. "Oh I've seen far worse. For someone who isn't pursuing some sort of liberal arts degree, you're doing pretty well I'd say," Eddie tells her. "I almost feel like I understand something about the effects of RNA degeneration on mitochondrial... ah... whatever the mitochondrial thing is," he says, adding another warm chuckle.

When Gwen comes over with the plates, he moves the laptop aside so they can eat. "Whew. I don't know who taught you how to cook, but that smells delicious," he tells her. Eddie scoots over just a bit as he'd sat right in the middle of the couch, giving her more room beside him.

He takes the offered plate. "So your father was a cop, I think you said? What about your mother? And are there brothers and sisters out there?" he asks Gwen.

Gwen Stacy has posed:
"Oh, come on. Everyone knows what mitochondria is." Gwen replies without missing a beat, "It's what makes our cells work after receiving all that chocolate food in. Energy to cell processing." she explains, waving her fork about before finally settling down on the couch to look at the work on the screen before smiling faintly. "Thank you." this about her cooking. But then she laughs. "Hopefully it will taste good too. And then we can get those mitochondrials to work." see? Spending time with Gwen is educative. She just needs her teacher glasses.

She stretches her legs in front of her, crossing them by the ankles and starts to go through the food on her plate, attention up from the computer when Eddie puts that question. "Captain George Stacy." she confirms, even making a salute with a raised brow. "Sir.", then smiling a bit, "Bit too overprotective.." but when her mother is mentioned her expression shifts and she shakes her head, "My mother died when I was small, rare cell disease.." she explains. And perhaps a clue on why she chose to follow Genetics of all things. "So it was me and Dad mostly. And a few friends."

Hand goes up to brush some hair out of her face and she asks, "What about your family?"

Eddie Brock has posed:
An astute person might suspect from Eddie's grin that he does know a bit more about the science side of things than he's let on. Especially when Gwen sees his notes, that impression might grow. Not a scientist, but just someone who was educated and didn't focus solely on liberal arts.

Eddie eats slowly as he listens to Gwen's talk about her parents. "Sort of the inverse for me," he says. "It was just my mother and I. My father? I don't know. He was never in our lives. My mother didn't like to talk about him much. I don't think she'd wanted him around if he had wanted it though," Eddie says, giving a small shrug of his shoulders as if it's something he's lived with for so long it doesn't have any sting for him now.

He motions with his fork towards the plate. "This is... fantastic. Thank you, Gwen," he tells her. He continues making his way through the food, obviously hungry considering he was sitting in a jail cell most of the day. When he's finished he sets the plate side for now to pull the computer back over. He starts going through some of his notes. "You can organize this a little differently to help the reader," he says, and starting to give details on moving a few sections about, adding more explanation or focus in some areas, shortening others that are less pertinent to her topic.

Gwen Stacy has posed:
"It's only fantastic because you haven't eaten in a while I am guessing. So I am taking advantage of your hunger." Gwen says with a brief laugh, taking a few more fries into her mouth. "It's as basic a meal as it gets." she admits. As Eddie speaks about his parents she nods slowly, "Family is never as simple as we want it to be.." she lets out a sigh before her focus goes back to the work itself.

She scoots over to take a closer look when Eddie starts explaining, she lifting a brow. "I see." about the organization. "Organizing by DNA reference isn't good?" is she joking? But at least she is smiling.

"And ooo, seems you like playing the fool, mm?" she is a smart one, spotting those notes that show he has more knowledge than he lets out, "You know a bit more about all this than you show." a snort but then her focus is back on the explanation, absorbing the info about how to 'pimp' up her presentation.

Eddie Brock has posed:
A warm, quiet chuckle is given as his deep voice takes on a teasing tone, "Steak and fries? I'd expect a college student to say ramen or mac and cheese is as basic as it gets." He motions towards his plate, which he cleaned. "Trust me, that was good cooking. I'm the one who got all the advantage there."

As Gwen scoots over nearer so they can both see the computer well, Eddie gets into the details of the notes. At some point his arm goes about the younger woman without the man even realizing it. It's just easier to both fit there in front of the computer together on the couch.

He gives a little wave of his other hand. "I know a bit. I took science classes even if it wasn't my major. I figured, the kind of investigative journalism I wanted to do, I'd need at least some kind of foundation so I wasn't clueless when a story had something scientific involved," he tells her. "But, no, trust me, the details of what you do is far beyond me."

As they finish the first paper, he closes it and goes to click on the next one. Though he intends to open another of her papers, the icon that the mouse ends up over is a video file though Eddie doesn't have any way to realize that. He double clicks it.

Gwen Stacy has posed:
"Ramen? Mac and cheese?" Gwen makes a face, lifting her chin in a joking manner, "Do you take me for a savage, sir?" then shaking her head, "I am in genetics, and as a consequence I know enough of those foods to know they aren't good to eat constantly. Besides, we do need to take care of our cells." see? More mitochondrial. Doctor Gwen in the house.

If Gwen even notes the arm around her she says nothing, just staying close and taking in what's being shared about the organization of her work, her head bobbing from time to time and she giving in her own critical thinking about it, not one to just listen without questioning further!

The response about Eddie's knowledge has her smile. "Didn't know that was the kind of field that interested you." she admits. "Most journalists focus on just the story. But I should had expected it from a pulitzer winner." then a beat, this wasn't true in this world. So she ehms and corrects herself. "I mean, hopefully future pulitzer award winner, mmm?" her grin widening just a bit further. Uff, saved! But that was close.

When the video is clicked it opens up a window. In it there's Gwen, holding her phone up and saying. "This one is for the Mary Janes.." a grin to the camera phone and she setting it nearby. It's a music shop, and she is sitting on the drums and soon enough she starts to play it. Not exactly a full on professional but what she appears to lack in polish she appears to compensate with heart.

Eddie Brock has posed:
Eddie Brock hasn't noticed his arm draped about the blond coed yet either, between being focused on the paper, and just enjoying the conversation with Gwen. He breaks out in a soft laugh. "Pulitzer winner?" he repeats, before she amends the comment. "I'm afraid they don't give out too many for stories about two-headed cows and aliens abductions," Eddie says of the kind of writing he's stuck doing now. "Tabloid wanted me to not only write a story about alien's abducting all of some farmer's chickens, and then returning them. But they wanted me to go out into the field to interview the guy like it was real," he says, shaking his head.

As the video player comes up, Eddie is about to close it and find the right document, when he sees Gwen's lovely face and hears her. He turns to look over at Gwen, a curious look on his face, then back to the video as Gwen starts to play the drums. "Wow. I didn't know you played!" he tells her.

Gwen Stacy has posed:
The talk about abducted chickens has Gwen cough into her hand. She still remembered Gertie, and how she BEAKED her hand viciously! Damn chickens ... "You know, sometimes there's a truth behind those things, even if it's not exactly alien abductions.." sure, she could tell him what it was. But then her Ghost spider identity wouldn't be a secret anymore. Yet she does look amused, shaking her head, "Sometimes the truth can be even more ludicrous."

Gwen has her eyes focused fully on the video. She had actually forgotten about that one. Of almost a year ago. There's a bittersweet look on her expression as she looks at it, the smile gaining some contours of sadness to it. "Yea, I do. Or did." she explains. "Used to be part of a band from where I- from before." most likely meaning from before her coma. Seems to have been a turning point for her.

"We were really bad at the start, as in awful. But hard work paid off. It was easy to practice with those friends too. It's good memories."

The video continues playing with her getting more into it in the store, the sound echoing. The store owner is seen approaching from behind and waving his hands as if to call her to stop.

Eddie Brock has posed:
Eddie's arm tightens just slightly around Gwen, drawing her a little nearer as she tells him about the band. Feeling her closer against him is also the moment that realizes his arm is there, and for how long he doesn't quite know. Yet she hasn't seemed to pull away.

Those thoughts fly through his brain, though pass quickly as he focuses on Gwen's story about her band. His dark eyes sweep the beautiful younger girl's face. Picking up on some of the emotions inside of her.

"You aren't around them any more, are you?" he asks quietly, his eyes studying hers. His coarse, gravelly voice manages to be gentle. "I think I can see in your face how I felt when... when life fell apart," he tells her quietly.

Gwen Stacy has posed:
If anything the young woman only seems to have gotten closer, specially as they started to watch that last video, perhaps seeking for some warmth. Warmth that has been seriously lacking after Gwen took that trip through another universe and landed in a different, yet similar place. Was it home now? She was still figuring that out.

The girl on the screen seems to detect the clerk's approach, stopping to play and reaching swiftly for her phone. "Time to jet!" a V sign made with her fingers to the screen and she nimbly jumps over one of the drums before the recording ends.

"No, I am not. It's complicated." She tries to explain, perhaps without much success. Eyes turn to look up at Eddie's, blue gaze shining, "And yes, it feels like that. As if life had fallen apart. Things aren't as they were even if a lot looks similar but .., it just isn't the same anymore." head lifting just so towards Eddie, almost as if she was being pulled to him.

Eddie Brock has posed:
Eddie Brock is struck by the sense of connection he has with Gwen Stacy. He doesn't understand what she's been through exactly. But the ways he felt marked by losing the important things in his life, he senses in her as he looks into the younger woman's vivid blue eyes.

His hand slides up from Gwen's hip, moving along her side, still holding her close. Perhaps even closer than before. Eddie quietly clears his throat. "There isn't much about how my life changed that I'd say was good," Eddie tells her quietly. "But there is one thing."

He reaches up his hand to softly cradle Gwen's cheek. More impulse than conscious decision. "You've been that bright spot, Gwen. I walk down the street towards the store and my day brightens just thinking you might be there."

Gwen Stacy has posed:
Gwen wasn't as far down the 'well' to think there aren't still good things in her life. She had a new chance at it, even if in an alien place. A chance to find the happiness she had lost when she killed her best friend. It had still happened though, and sometime somewhere there was still a place in which she had killed Peter.

But right now? She felt the warmness in the man's gaze, the words that told her she was important, or that she could make someone happy. The hand on her cheek has her cant her head to rest her cheek against it, letting it feel her skin and features, and almost as if inviting him to do so.

Through it all she says nothing, one hand reaching to rest on the man's thigh and squeeze it, eyes showing what she wouldn't say. That this man was just as important to her.

Eddie Brock has posed:
Somewhere in the back of Eddie's mind, part of him is whispering what it has anytime he's felt feelings for the girl that is quite a few years younger. Though seeing her accept his touch and lean her cheek into his hand silences those murmurs.

He doesn't say anything either. Just slowly lets his fingers move in a caress across the soft skin of her cheek. As the sky blue of her eyes focus up on him, his gaze holds her for several long moments.

Then Eddie leans forward to bring his lips to her forehead. He brushes the gentlest, warm kiss there. Then slowly, another, a little further down. If she does not stop him, the kisses continue. Each one, Eddie savoring the feeling of the affectionate little contact. Savoring how it feels to kiss her skin.

Each kiss trails a little lower. Nuzzling against her temple. Then down along her cheek. As if he is giving her time to stop him. To stop him before his lips are finally drawing near to her own.

Gwen Stacy has posed:
The girl feels that acceptance, the way Eddie gives in to her and starts to move those rough fingers across the smooth skin of her face. She appears to welcome it, to look for it, eyes closing for a brief moment as she basks in the touch, a soft exhale leaving her lips.

The feeling of those ruby lips is felt briefly on the exploring hand before the man is leaning forward to her, placing that kiss on her forehead which brings a radiant smile to her lips, then further down. At no point does she stop him, instead her head continuing to slowly angle up even as Eddie's is turning down.

Finally a word is spoken, "Edward.." just before lips meet, smaller hand sliding up to wrap around the man's. Lips meet lips then, a slow gentle kiss, she savoring every moment.

Eddie Brock has posed:
Long pent up emotions are given release as Eddie's lips press against Gwen's. His caring and concern for her are the only reasons it stays as soft and gentle as it does, for as long as it does.

But his arm about her gathers her nearer. Gently pressing the soft curves of her body against his firmer, muscular planes. His fingers fold about Gwen's hand, feeling the softness of her touch and the difference in size.

Eddie lets the kiss slowly break, but doesn't move his lips back from hers very far. "Gwen," he whispers, that deep, coarse voice managing to sound so gentle. So warm when he says her name. He moves his mouth to brush more soft kisses against her cheeks, and then her temple and beside her eyes. Savoring the feeling of her, of finally expressing what he's felt for her. Soon his mouth is finding hers again, this second kiss a little deeper than the first.