Thick as Thieves Ch. 22 (Marvel) (Patreon)

(Every character depicted in the story below is a consenting legal adult over the age of 18)

A/N: Gwen’s thoughts.

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It all feels too easy.

Admittedly, that might be a bit silly for Gwen to say given how run ragged she’s been these past two weeks. Keeping pace with Cameron’s plans has had her pushing her patrol times hours out from when they usually were. She’s spent more time swinging on a web than anything else in the last couple of weeks, including sleeping.

But then, what other option did she have? Cameron had made his choice. He’d decided on this plan over any other and he would not be moved away from it. All Gwen could do in response was try and mitigate as much of the damage done to innocents as she possibly could.

And so Ghost-Spider had been more active in the last two weeks than any time previously in her ‘career’ so far, rushing back and forth to try and keep the innocents put in harms way by the escalation that James Wesley had been unknowingly used to cause.

As criminal enterprises of all shapes and sizes had gone ‘hot’, Gwen had been there to try and stop them from killing anyone. Mostly, she’d succeeded. The city had reached a boiling point these last two weeks, but it hadn’t quite tipped over the edge. Most of Fisk’s cronies had been taken out before they could do anything too damaging, arrested by a variety of government agencies.

All part of the plan, of course. Cameron’s plan. The more Fisk lost, the more likely he was to notice something was wrong even though his right hand Wesley was unknowingly keeping him in the dark. Meanwhile, Wesley himself had been kept in the dark by Cameron’s illusions… a dangerous power that Gwen had to admit was used to devastating effect to unknowingly turn the loyal criminal against his employer.

Mind control or hypnosis would be one thing. But Wesley couldn’t even fall back on that. He’d been in full control of his own mind… just not his perception of events. And when Fisk was finally tipped off by some of his moles about just how many of his associates were being processed in the system, it had looked like James Wesley had completely and utterly turned on him.

… But would that work? Sure, it had already sort of worked. Gwen watches from a nearby rooftop as Fisk and his gunmen are bustled into armored trucks with an FBI escort in one direction, while Wesley is bundled up and stuck in an armored SUV going in another direction.

By all accounts, it should be over. The FBI should be able to flip Wesley easily, especially when she’d saved the man’s life moments before Fisk could crush his skull barehanded. Part of Gwen worried that even now Wesley would try to stay loyal though. If he did, would the numerous government agencies still have enough to put Fisk away? She didn’t know…

But she did know one thing. Right at the end there, as the FBI had shown up and began arresting everyone, there had been a moment before Gwen left where Wilson Fisk, the Kingpin of New York, had looked at her. Really looked at her. Like he was studying her mask intently, memorizing it. Or maybe like he could see through it and knew exactly who she was.

Gwen didn’t necessarily think that last part was true, but she also couldn’t shake the feeling that she’d drawn Fisk’s ire in a big way. And based on previous history, he probably wouldn’t stay locked up forever. When he got out… she was on his shit list now. Guaranteed.

That had to be better than Cameron and Brandon staying in his sights though, right? Surely this was the best outcome, all things considered. Fisk was going to be locked up for at least a little bit, and even if he did get out, his organization was in shambles. Half of them were currently locked up as well and the other half would almost certainly fall to infighting the moment they found out about what had happened between Fisk and Wesley.

“Hey.”

Startling, Gwen glances over to see Cameron approaching from across the rooftop. Beneath her mask she bites her lower lip, even as Cameron glances over the side of the roof where the last of the FBI are policing the scene and gathering evidence before heading out.

Finally, he looks back at her… and smiles.

“Thank you.”

Something in Gwen’s heart clenches. It’s not Cameron’s face; he’s wearing his illusionary disguise… but receiving his heartfelt thanks along with a smile nevertheless has her feeling a certain sort of way.

“Y-Yeah… don’t sweat it.”

“I’m serious. I couldn’t have pulled this off without you. I would have had to resort to… drastic measures. So thank you for everything you’ve done for me.”

He was right, of course. If not for her… the only way Cameron would have been able to truly guarantee his brother was safe from Fisk was by killing Fisk himself. And while Gwen doubted there were many people who would mourn the Kingpin, that wasn’t the main reason she wanted to prevent that eventuality.

No… she wanted to keep Cameron’s hands clean. She didn’t want him to have to become a killer just to protect his brother. He’d already given up so much for Brandon… and she didn’t doubt for a second that he would stain the rest of his soul too if he had to.

But now he didn’t have to. And that… maybe that made everything alright. Though at the same time…

“It might not be over yet, you know. Fisk… if Wesley doesn’t turn on him, he might be out sooner than you think.”

Cameron frowns, glancing back at the street below.

“He’ll turn. He has to, right? Fisk was literally about to kill him… he has no choice now, if he wants to live.”

Gwen shakes her head.

“People will surprise you, sometimes. The sacrifices that they’re willing to make most of all. Still, even if he does turn on Fisk, the Kingpin will still have some resources. We’ve done what we can to strip those away, but we can’t have accounted for all of it.”

Namely, they’d set the IRS on as much of Fisk’s illegitimate business enterprises as they possibly could, but unfortunately much of his income was actually properly taxed, even the illegal stuff. So getting his accounts frozen was… difficult to say the least. In the end, they’d had to fabricate some tax evasion just to get Fisk on the hook with the IRS. Hopefully their fabrications will hold.

Meanwhile, Cameron chuckles.

“You’re a worrywart. But… I appreciate the heads up. It’s not over until it’s over, yeah?”

Nodding, Gwen smiles beneath her mask. Maybe she is a worrywart, but it’s not paranoia when they really are out to get you. Still…

“What’s next for you?”

That question sucks some of the air off the roof. Cameron glances at her, glances away… and then fully turns to regard her.

“You can ask what you really want to ask, you know.”

Gwen squirms for a moment before biting the bullet.

“Are you still going to work with that woman? Are you still going to continue stealing from people?”

For a long moment, Cameron just stares at her quietly. Finally though…

“’That woman’ is the only one who has so much as taken a chance on me in the past couple years. And the money I’ve been earning goes directly to my brother’s treatment. Taking down Fisk doesn’t change anything, it simply secures my brother’s safety for the time being. But if I want to earn enough to save him…”

He trails off but Gwen understands. She hates it… but she understands. Fuck, this is just the absolute worst. She wants to… she needs to… a sudden impulse strikes Gwen and she decides to go with it before she second guesses herself again.

Stepping forward, she reaches down and lifts up the bottom of her mask, exposing the lower half of her face. Cameron goes still even as she looks into his eyes, invading his personal space.

And then? She kisses him. Right there, full on the lips, arms looping around his neck so she can go up on her tip toes to put them at eye level. Is it spur of the moment? Yes. Is it impulsive and reckless as all hell? Also yes.

After a moment, Cameron’s hands fall to her hips and briefly Gwen thinks that he’s going to pull her in closer. But… no. The kiss ends as he gently yet firmly drags her away.

“… What was that, Gwen?”

His voice is strangled and Gwen can’t even bring herself to be upset that he’s throwing out her real name on a random rooftop. Because she can tell she’s had an effect on him… she can tell he feels similarly about her as she feels about him.

“Just… making up for lost time and old regrets, I guess.”

He frowns, his brow furrowing in consternation.

“What’s that supposed to mean.”

Gwen scoffs as she takes a step back, mouth still uncovered and twisting into a frown of her own as she crosses her arms over her chest.

“Don’t give me that bullshit, Cameron. I’ve been carrying a torch for you for years. I just let everything else get in the way of acting upon it for far too long. And sure, maybe it’s too late now… too late for us, I mean. But I would only continue beating myself up if I never actually bothered to show you how I feel. And don’t try and lie to me that you don’t feel something too.”

Cameron is silent for a while, which is itself enough of an answer for Gwen, really. He does have feelings for her… otherwise he would have already rejected her.

“… Its too late for us, like you said.”

His voice is faint. Uncertain. And dare she say it, unconvincing as well. Stepping closer once more, uncrossing her arms, Gwen reaches up and places a hand on his chest.

“Does it have to be?”

Cameron scoffs.

“I’m a thief… a criminal. You’re a hero. You shouldn’t be kissing me; you should be arresting me.”

The worst part is that part of Gwen knows he’s right. She knows she’s letting her emotions run rampant here, that she’s allowing her feelings for Cameron to impair her judgment and blind her to her responsibilities.

… But as she’d already said previously, Gwen had set her feelings for Cameron aside once before. She’d focused on her studies first and foremost; she’d taken him for granted and let him slip through her fingers like sand. She’d failed him and at least part of the lifestyle he now chose to lead was her fault.

But what if she could fix him? What if she could help him back into the light? Wasn’t that worth trying at least? She could maybe get him a proper job, something that paid well for his smarts. Well enough to help take care of Brandon. She could get him away from that bitch Black Cat. She could… if she was just willing to take the plunge.

Gwen leans forward again, this time with less impulsivity and more determination. She plants her lips on Cameron’s once more, kissing him deeper than the previous kiss. The thing is that she knows he could stop her if he wanted to. Before she kissed him, that is. Both times, Gwen thinks he had the reflexes and perception to block her mouth from reaching his if he really wanted to.

Instead, Cameron lets it happen. Just like last time, he lets her kiss him this time too. And this time… this time he doesn’t stop her. His hands fall to her waist again, his fingers digging into her hips a bit, but he doesn’t drag her away from him.

Gwen loops her arms around his neck and holds Cameron close as they makeout there on the rooftop, his lips and tongue eventually becoming active participants in their continued lip lock.

Yes, this is really happening. Yes, she’s potentially making a huge mistake. Gwen though… Gwen doesn’t care. Call it whatever you wanted, a celebration of their success or a hail mary to try and save Cameron’s soul… but she was diving in one way or another.

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Unlike Gwen, Cameron isn’t quite as convinced. Part of him is still torn, even as he makes out with his blonde childhood best friend. Because on the one hand, he knows that this is at least partially what Felicia wanted… what she was trying to set up between him and Gwen. A relationship where Gwen would turn a blind eye because of her affection for him.

On the other hand, it still feels a bit like a betrayal… even if Cameron isn’t sure who exactly he’s betraying. Gwen, because he feels like he’s using her? Felicia, even though they’ve never put a name to their ‘situationship’? Himself, simply because he doesn’t know if he wants to stoop this low?

He could still back off… or at least end things here with just some kissing. Anything further would be too much too fast anyways… right?

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