The Andromedans

Peter Parker has plenty of backing now. He has rich friends but refused to accept any financial contributions from them. The investors in Parker Industries are the plethora of people who think that any corporation run by Spider-Man will be a success based on popularity alone, and most of them praise Peter's ingenuity, work ethic, leadership skills and tactical thinking.

His first release of personal technological devices are in mass production, marketing them has been a complete success and now, he's having a conversation he anticipates to rather not have.

Miguel O'Hara of Alchemex requested a private meeting and Peter's office lights are dimmed so they can look each other in the eye.

They stare in silence for a minute. Miguel's focus flicks to Peter's lips for a split second and then back to his eyes.

"Miggy, I'm sorry, okay," Peter says pleadingly. "Can we actually be friends at some point or—"

Miguel slides a small disk across Peter's desk to him and it glows with a tiny gold hologram of the approximate form of Marilyn Monroe.

Peter softens as he looks at her. "Hello, Lyla."

"Good morning, Peter!" the A.I. says cheerfully. "Congratulations on your new business!"

"Thank you, Lyla. How's Miguel doing? He's sure as hell not telling me – or even taking my calls…"

Miguel stares bitterly and catches Peter's eye with his scowling frown. "You dumped me for your highschool sweetheart-slash-bully and didn't even tell him you were in a relationship – and you were shocking him behind my back before even telling me you moved across the country. Why the shocking hell do you think I owe you the time of day after that?"

"Look, I shocked up, okay!" Peter says in a near-panic as he throws his hands up in surrender.

Miguel leans back and rolls his eyes. "Nobody says that. That's not how you use that word."

Peter puts his face in his hands. "I can't tell if you're edifying my exo-temporal colloquial grammar just shockin' with me."

Miguel bursts out laughing. "I guess you'll never know!"

"Lyla?" Peter says with a smirk.

"The 'with' in your latter use of 'shocking' is superfluous but occasionally used. Your former usage of 'shocked up' is nonsensical."

Miguel laughs again, this time, at Peter's triumphant expression.

"What's so funny?" Peter says with a cocky grin.

Miguel shoots him a feral grin. "She says anything I program her to. You'll still never know if either of us are just fucking with you."

Peter's grin turns to a challenging smirk. "You just said 'fucking' so I wouldn't hear you use 'shock' in that context. Just give it time. I'll hear you say it."

Miguel answers the challenging smirk with his own lopsided sneering smirk, baring one fang and raising an eyebrow. "I could tell you 'shit' is the future word for gourmet cuisine and you wouldn't know if I'm lying. Modern usage: 'I've never slurped such delectable shit!' Antique antecedent: 'This is some good shit'."

Peter stares at him in disbelief.

Miguel leans forward and points to the hologram. Peter had been looking at Lyla and then focusing past the translucent holograms to look at Miguel. Now, he's seeing what appear to be lists, Venn diagrams and charts in addition to Miguel's biostatistics and an annotated point-by-point life history of his successes. There's also quite a few references to times when Peter fucked up, times when Peter never paid back a favor and times when Miguel has saved his life.

"This is the most professional ex-fiancé guilt trip I've ever seen," Peter says in amazed annoyance. "If you had to be so thorough, why'd you leave out your dick size and the tensile strength of your glutes?"

Miguel points to the bottom of the biostatistics chart.

"Right there, Cariño."

Peter scoffs in utter shock.

"Nine inches??! We both know that's a lie."

"I figured admitting 'eleven' would be too ostentatious. As much as I love to brag, it isn't usually favorable to include how excessively overqualified you are in a job application."

Peter looks at the charts again. "This is a job application??! Why does your résumé have a list of blackmail material? All this dirt on me is—"

"—Is proof that I can exercise professional discretion regardless of personal grievances. This isn't new info, you treated me worse than garbage and I've still kept your secrets even after you shared so many of them online."

"And why the honeymoon plans? This itinerary is incredible!"

Miguel panics and puts his fist through the text to block it – unintentionally showing Peter that he's never removed the engagement band Peter gave him.

"It's nothing!" Miguel says quickly, "Just an old wishlist!"

Lyla smiles charmingly at Peter and says, "Miguel made that list this morning after buying you a new ring. He was convinced your previous engagement ring must have been inadequate."

Miguel expects Peter's disdain or even laughter at his expense. Instead, Peter's face lights up.

"Miguel! I can't believe it?! You still want me? You still want to get married?!"

"What I want is a job at Parker Industries as the head of Research and Development, Medical Technologies and Bioengineering," Miguel says firmly.

"You're hired! Ohmygod! We've got to get Gabi from 2099 so he can be your Best Man! I bought a lot of resources from The Future Foundation. There's a time portal generator in one of the vaults! Let's go give him the good news!"

"I know about the time vault because I built it! And Gabriel's at my apartment. I retrieved him when you left me in case the future changes again. I didn't want to miss the opportunity to have him around."

Peter smiles sadly. "He left his life behind because you needed him. After our —"

"— It gets lonely at night and it's nice to just hold him sometimes. Yes, I need him, and if you get a clonecest and general sluttiness pass, I get an incestuous erotic cuddling pass."

"Ouch."

Miguel glares at him. "You don't get to say 'ouch'."

Peter stands up and walks around the desk to sit in Miguel's lap and stare lovingly into his red eyes. "Do I get to say 'I do'?"

Miguel softens and gives Peter a fond, cocky smirk. "I have the blessings of both of your Doms. I won't force you to marry me, but they just might."

Peter laughs and holds him tight before giving him a deep kiss. When they part, it's by millimeters and Miguel whispers against Peter's lips, "Best job interview ever!"

"Where do you think you're going, young man?" Eddie says as Dane tries to sneak past the livingroom. "Chainbreaker, you're grounded. What part of that don't you understand?"

"But Dad!" Dane says, "I met this total babe the other day and I have a date! I can't cancel it! It'll look like I'm unreliable!"

Eddie sighs in disappointment and Flash walks up to stand next to him. "What's her name?" he asks as Kaine goes to stand between Dane and the balcony.

"Uh… Do I have to answer that?"

Kaine rolls his eyes and says, "Shapeshift into something presentable and be back by noon tomorrow." Kaine promptly grabs Dane and throws him over the edge of the balcony. Dane can hear his dad questioning Kaine's intelligence and parenting skills, but that doesn't interest him as much as going to see his date and the fact that he's falling from about eighty stories.

He dives like a missile and does a graceful somersault as he adjusts his physical orientation to shoot an organic chain line.

He swings through the city and arrives at his date five minutes late. It's a nice night and the air is perfect. The rooftop picnic on a Midtown apartment building is already laid out and the boy of his dreams is waving excitedly at him as he swings and leaps onto the building.

"Dane! You made it!" he says as he runs to greet him with a hug.

"Wouldn't miss it for the world! Do you want to bond before we eat?"

"Shock yes, I do!" his date says as he hugs him tighter. It's euphoric when Chainbreaker sinks into his body and they meld into one being.

"Shock! I missed you so much! Where have you been all my life, 'Mano?"

I missed you too, babe. Did you tell your brother yet?

"He thinks I'm seeing a girl… I couldn't… I just can't tell him yet, okay? I know he's into guys, but he's not beyond judgemental abject hypocrisy. He came here from 2099 four years ago. I came here from 2089 two and a half years ago. He's not the brother I knew…. He wouldn't like me being with a guy, muchless an older man."

'Older man'? I'm only three years older than you.

"Dude, I'm thirteen! I don't think he's gonna worry about shocking specifics when he finds out you've been inside me in more ways than one!"

There's a wonderful meal all laid out. You did a fantastic job setting up the perfect romantic date. Let's eat and go make out in your room.

"We gotta be careful," the boy says as they sit down to eat. "I don't know when he's going to be home."

The date is perfect. They talk about music and what their respective worlds are like. They talk about their families and dating histories. They finish their meal together enjoying the food through each other's senses.

They unbond and pack up their picnic just as it starts to rain and laugh as they rush to the roof access door to go down the stairs. They're making out feverishly as they stumble through the front door of the apartment.

Then a man clears his throat.

His voice is deep and intimidating and his red eyes seem to pierce the dimly lit apartment. "What. The. Shock. Are. You. Doing?!"

"Miggy!" Gabriel exclaims. "We were just practicing our roles for a school play!"

"One: you're homeschooled. Two: I'm talking to the little asshole mauling your mouth! Who the shock are you and what the shock makes you think you'll get away with molesting my baby brother?!!"

Dane is scared shitless when the feral rage on Gabriel's brother's face reveals fangs dripping with venom as talons protract from his fingers.

"It's not what you think!" Gabriel shouts. "He's only a year older than me, Miggy! We're dating! We've been together a week! And he has a healing factor so it's not like he can give me an STD!"

Dane's and Miguel's eyes widen at the implication – Dane's in fear and Miguel's in rage.

"YOU'RE SHOCKING??!!!!" Miguel yells. He stares down Dane and gets ready to slice his throat open with his talons. "You sick, sick freak. Your epitaph is going to say 'child molester' – not that anyone will ever find your body…."

"Hey, Miggy!" a voice shouts from Miguel's bedroom. "Did you tell Gabi about… Dylan?"

Peter is staring at Dane and then at Miguel's combat stance, extended talons and anger-ravaged expression.

"Down, boy!" Peter says as he jumps in front of Miguel. "Remember Eddie Brock? My Dom? He might redact that blessing to marry me if you attack his son."

"You're engaged?!" both boys exclaim.

Miguel throws up his hands as his talons retract. "Shock it. My little brother's dating a teenage pervert and now, my fiancé outs me to him. Great job, Peter."

Gabriel's jaw drops.

"Miguel—" he starts, but Miguel interrupts him.

"—Yeah, I'm shockin' gay. I know you used to look up to me, but now you know."

"Miggy—"

"I really tried to be a good influence on you. I thought raising you would save you from all that shit with our folks, but apparently, my influence just made you vulnerable to predators like your new boyfriend!"

"Hey!" Peter says sternly, trying to get Miguel's attention. "That's not fair! He's not—"

"—It's all my fault," Miguel says sadly, clearly still enraged, but now that rage is saturated with remorse – remorse for the wrong thing in everyone else's opinion. "I ruined your life, Gabi! I'm so sor—"

*SMACK*

Miguel is stunned. Dane slapped him faster than a striking cobra. His spider sense didn't even warn him of an attack.

"YOU IDIOT!!!" Dane roars. "There's nothing wrong with either of you and nothing wrong with Gabe and I being together! We're almost the same age! I'm not any of those things you called me and you aren't killing anyone! NOW CALM THE FUCK DOWN!!!"

There's a long pause and Peter finally says, "...You know how sometimes people seek lovers with the same traits as—"

"—Finish that sentence and you don't get venom-hickies for a month."

"I don't have to be home until noon tomorrow," Dane says mischievously as he pins Gabriel to his bed.

Gabriel just holds him close. "Not in the mood after that. I can't believe he thought I didn't know he's gay…."

"You didn't have to mention my healing factor… or the subject of STDs," Dane says gently. "Just something to think about in the future."

"Yeah, I know…. You sure mi hermano loco won't scare you away? I mean, I kinda can't believe I'm even getting to talk to you, muchless… this."

"My sweet angel, you have no idea how hot, interesting and wonderful you are. Keep it that way, 'cause once you figure it out, you'll be dating the best of the best instead of settling for me."

Gabriel smiles up at him and gives him a sweet, adoring kiss. "I'm already 'settling' for the best of the best, and nothing's going to change that."

"Miggy, you were so out of line," Peter says dramatically. His tone is dripping with 'judgy superhero', and while that style of admonishment may be called for, belittling Miguel with arrogant patronizing is a counter-effective method of convincing him of anything.

Miguel is insulted that Peter doesn't remember that about him, but then he remembers how Peter tends to speak from his heart with zero attention to strategic interpersonal psychology.

Miguel grits his teeth as he responds with, "My baby brother is pure and innocent and that creep is too old and too violent for him."

"Miggy, they only lied about the age difference because you were flying off the handle! Three years isn't a big deal."

"At that age, it is. In five years that wouldn't bother me so much, but Gabriel has barely started puberty and that shocking pervert looks like an adult. If you initially thought some bithead in his early twenties was fucking your preteenage kid brother, how would you handle it if you had my temperament?"

"Look, I get it. But just because I understand doesn't mean I approve. Slitting the throat of Gabi's significant others is a no-no. I've been in abusive relationships and Dane is definitely not that kind of guy. He'd risk death to help a stranger, so what do you think he'd do for someone he loves?"

Miguel shoots Peter a flat glare. "If I didn't change my mind about him, he wouldn't be sleeping in Gabriel's room tonight. Trusting Dane to treat him right doesn't make that bithead any less of a pedophile."

Peter glares right back. "They're both teenagers and a teenage ephebophile is just a teenager who's interested in his peers. You're right to be protective. You're not right to jump to conclusions or catastrophically misperceive Gabi's maturity."

"You're saying he's old enough to be having sex?"

"No. I agree with you about that. I don't agree that consensually having a romantic relationship with a peer at that age is wrong, and I don't agree that you consider any aspect of their relationship to be violation or rape. I know the difference from experience, and if you were thirteen and had the opportunity to have amazing sex with a peer, I know you would jump at the opportunity and have the same ability to consent as your partner."

"Oh, so they're 'partners' now? You think our wedding will be first, or theirs?"

Meanwhile, in Gabriel O'Hara's Bedroom…

"Whoa!" Dane says in amazement. "That is a noice fucking rock! You sure about this?"

Gabriel gives him an adoring grin. "Yeah, hunkalicious. I'm sure about this. It's not like you weren't gonna ask post-coitally."

Dane blushes and pulls a wedding band out of his dimensional aperture. "I thought pure vibranium would be better than a diamond. Now, I'm humiliated that there's not a huge chunk of diamond inlaid in it like the one you got me."

Gabriel offers his wedding finger and Dane puts the promise ring on it.

Gabriel returns the gesture and they kiss passionately. "Okay, Dane. Now, I'm in the mood."

Two Weeks Later…

Kaine loves his baby twins. Scrimmage and Savage are amazing!

The problem isn't them. It's that they're growing up too fast. They're sixteen already and they were born less than a month ago. They've had as much attention and love as Klynt, Andi, Ghost, Raze and Mercury ever had and there's plenty of holographic and two-dimensional video of their precious moments growing up. Axel, Greg and Kaine are always there for them, and they've had plenty of exposure to ethical philosophy and advanced education.

But they've been symbiotically bonding with each other and sexually active for a week, and none of their fathers are happy about it.

A week ago, they were twelve-year-olds.

A week ago, they met thirteen-year-old Gabriel O'Hara and immediately became obsessively infatuated.

A week ago, they started dating Adam, Gabriel and Dane.

Now, they're all making out in Kaine's bed.

"Daddy!" Scrimmage shouts enthusiastically, his voice already deeper than Kaine's used to.

"About time you showed up," Adam says with a mischievous smile.

"What the hell are you kids doing in my room?" Kaine calmly demands.

Gabriel blushes and pulls the sheets over his flushed face while Adam walks up to him with an impressive hard on and kisses his neck.

"Not in front of the kids, babe," Kaine says as he hugs Adam and pushes him back towards the bed. "I'll sleep on the couch tonight, but—"

"Get the fuck in bed with us, asshole!" Adam says angrily. "We're not in here for no reason and you're already fucking me. Join the fun or at least cuddle."

Kaine goes over to the bed, kisses each of them on the forehead, grabs all the pillows and blankets and heads over to Axel's room.

Axel laughs when he sees Kaine's unamused expression.

"I told them it was a stupid idea," Axel says fondly as he pulls Kaine into bed. "The twins tried that on me and Greg last night."

"This is why I told Dylan and Ghost to keep their liaisons with Eddie a secret," Kaine mutters grumpily. "They're still impressionable."

"They saw Jase and Captain Walker go into Ghost and Dylan's room yesterday and you know those four aren't exactly quiet."

"RRRRRRGGHHH!!! John's getting a knuckle sandwich with a foot to the ass on the side! Please tell me Gabe isn't trying this shit with Miguel…. I don't want him trying to kill the twins – or me for that matter."

Axel laughs hard. "Aren't you screwing him?"

"Yeah, but it's a fucking miracle. Neither one of us really like each other and I'm not sure we even like the sex."

"Then why are they dates instead of hookups?"

"They're not dates! We just eat first because it's like when spiders give each other food so they don't eat each other while mating!"

"Hmmm… as a relatively recent human spider mutate, I'm still learning the ropes. Perhaps you should teach me the wise ways of arachnid mating rituals."

Kaine rolls his eyes. "I'll go get the ice cream…. By the way, your pucker's gonna get very cold."

Axel gives Kaine a contented hum and a joyful smile before leaning over to peck him on the cheek. "Espresso mocha marshmallow," Axel says smugly.

"I blame Trevor that we even have that as a staple…. Yeah, Ax, ten-four."

Miguel is a little alarmed when a parade of Gabriel and his boyfriends burst into his bedroom and start climbing in bed with him.

"What the shock, assholes?!" Miguel says in dismay. "Why aren't you bitheads wearing any clothes?!"

Kaine's alternate clone crawls on top of him and kisses him hard on the mouth.

"Mmmph!" Miguel says until the taste against his lips drives him insane and he kisses back.

Dane kisses him on the neck as Adam makes out with him. "Kaine left when he saw us waiting in his bed, and you were already in yours, so it's really the only logical thing to do."

Gabriel has already locked lips with Miguel's nutsack and Scrimmage and Savage are now on either side of him lifting his arms to lick his pits.

Then Miguel pushes them all off of him and leaps out of bed. "I'll go get the ice cream! All we got right now is chocolate cherry swirl, that okay?"

The boys nod and Miguel happily rushes to the kitchen.

The next morning, Miguel is walking into Axel's room like he owns the place. His dark red hair is perfectly styled, his button-up and swanky vest are ironed smooth and his shades are freshly polished.

"I swear, Kaine, I thought Dane had already been fucking them! I had no idea they were virgins and—"

Suddenly, there's a stinger at his throat and Kaine's face is frighteningly expressionless. "What do you mean 'were'? You better not be talking about our twins."

Miguel swallows, his throat suddenly dry.

"I wanted to tell you in person," Miguel says stiffly. "You deserve that much. I'm hoping that you won't literally bite my head off since I'm marrying Peter, but I don't expect to be that lucky."

Kaine growls ferociously and kisses Miguel hard – all teeth, no mercy.

"Uh, should I go get the ice cream?" Axel says in confusion.

"No," Kaine says in a low, rumbly voice, "I don't want him to think I won't eat him the second he makes you cum."

Axel starts to panic. "Hey, Ghost was younger when Eddie started fucking him! You haven't even considered eating—"

"—You don't know that!" Kaine snaps. "And more importantly, neither does Miguel. Alright you motherfucking piece of shit—"

"—Rude—" Miguel interjects.

"—Get ready for the most painful hate-fuck of your life! At least until Vice gets ahold of you…."

"Um, does that mean no venom-bites this time?" Miguel says anxiously as Kaine throws him onto the bed and slices his clothes right off with red, blade-tipped pseudopods.

Kaine growls and morphs into Carnage midair as he jumps up and slams down on top of him. "Try it and see what happens."

Seven hours later…

Greg yawns as he rolls over and shoves into Miguel again. "You're such a pussy…" he mutters.

"How the shock was I supposed to know Kaine wanted me to bite him?!" Miguel demands as Axel lifts his leg and double penetrates him from the front. "Ooof!"

"I literally told you to try it," Kaine says as he crawls over Greg and climbs on top of him, "Repeatedly."

"Damn, that paralytic wears off fast," Greg says before mouthing at Miguel's neck.

"Even with a healing factor it doesn't," Kaine whispers smugly. "This is all Carnage."

"Should I have worn a condom?" Miguel asks nervously. "I mean in the front?

"Probably," Axel says smoothly as he gives Miguel a gentle thrust. "Kaine would already know if he's pregnant and who the fathers are, but after letting you wonder if he was going to kill you for the first hour do you think he'd actually tell you?"

Kaine hums happily and kisses Miguel's ear before whispering, "I'll tell you this much. Each of you came in me and it's a boy. Ready to put your healing factor to the test again?"

"I'll go get the ice cream!" Greg shouts eagerly, suddenly wide awake and pulling out of Miguel so fast it burns.

That night, Peter walks into Axel's room and snuggles up between Kaine and Miguel. "You three have been in bed all day. I was waiting with champagne to celebrate with my co-parents, but you jerks never left the room long enough."

"Co-parents?" Miguel says nervously as Axel hugs him tighter from behind and Greg reaches around them to put a hand on Peter's hip.

"I mean, we're getting married. He's at least going to be my stepson, right?"

"I was gonna make him wait to find out until he saw our kid's red irises," Kaine says sleepily. "By the way, we are never going to tell him what precipitated his conception, agreed?"

The others give their assent and Peter kisses Miguel softly.

"I love you, Pete, but after fourteen hours of sex, we're a little tapped out," Miguel says softly. "...It's scary as shock, but I'm really glad I'm going to be a father. And yeah, they didn't tell me, but I figured. Kaine's never looked at me that way before."

Kaine laughs. "Quit messing with Peter. That's not how you use that word."

Miguel smirks wryly. "You don't know that. And more importantly, Peter doesn't know that. Now, how the shock do we get Pete a pussy? It's an alien thing, right? Can Carnage do that for us?"

Peter is astounded. "I, uh, umm… Maybe we should just let Kaine have our babies!"

Miguel growls erotically and kisses Peter hard. "It's for recreation, not procreation," Miguel whispers. "You never use your dick anyway. You're a total bottom."

Peter's face heats up and the blush quickly crawls down his chest, almost to his abs. "Um, okay. Yeah. I guess it's reversible, right? I'll try, uh… changing things out."

Kaine laughs and says, "We'll get Ghost to do it. Carnage and I are not unbonding if we don't have to. You gonna exchange or add to?"

Peter blushes harder and whispers, "I'll ask Flash and Daddy if I can *ahem* swap 'em out."

"'Swap them out'?" Greg says indignantly. "Aren't you taking gender change a bit too flippantly?"

"I'm a chronic levity-a-holic!" Peter says desperately, "I really want this, I've wanted it since before we moved to New York and I don't want to make a big deal about it! I'm still gonna be me either way and 'being me' means levity!"

Miguel smiles warmly. "I am gonna love you with all my heart and make you so sore all the time, no matter how you decide to be you."

He takes Peter's left hand and kisses his wedding finger over their engagement ring. Then Peter's hands are gently holding his face and as they stare into each other's eyes, Miguel whispers, "My God, you're beautiful," kissing him softly and urgently as Peter melts against him.

Miguel heaves a huge sigh of relief when he takes Gabriel home to their apartment. The past week was incredible and despite his internal conflict about most of what happened, he doesn't regret a thing – except not being the first to give Gabriel a good, hard dicking!

How was he supposed to know his little brother was gay and always in love with him? (It certainly explains Gabriel’s dating history in Miguel's original timeline….) Miguel's selfish enough to fuck him but not cruel enough to damage him, and now that he knows the lifestyles of the Patriots and Andromedans hasn't seemed to cause any psychological damage to their boys and now that Gabriel is so happily affectionate and constantly asking him to do it, Miguel has no problem ignoring his internal conflict and letting them enjoy each other.

Miguel is pretty wiped out, even with his additional healing factors, so he just strips them both, crawls into bed and cuddles Gabriel against his chest.

“AAGH!” Miguel screams as Gabriel quickly jerks his hands away from Miguel's bleeding chest.

“Shock, Migs! Tá brón mór orm!”

Miguel relaxes as the wounds knit closed. “‘S’okay, Gabi. I had the same problems when I first changed. Why'd you choose my mutation instead of Peter's?”

“I– You knew? You're not mad?”

Miguel smiles at him and carefully takes his brother's hands in his, palms to palms, and intertwines their fingers. “Gabi, your eyes are red. It was a dead giveaway. Not to mention how shocking enticing you smell now…. You didn't answer my question.”

“Right… I guess because we're brothers. I didn't even consider getting someone else's mutation.”

Miguel kisses him softly on the lips and breathes heavy against him. “Does Adam smell better to you now?”

“Shock… I nearly cum when he kisses me. If I'd realized how he smelled to you, I would've had him with us when you met Dane.”

“If I'd realized you were in love with me, I wouldn't have proposed to Peter. I think things worked out okay, even if I should have been your first.”

“Yeah… I just thought you'd get rid of me if you thought I was perving on you.”

“Trust me, I would never get rid of you. Forearms itching yet?”

“Like crazy.”

“Then your spinnerets will be fully developed soon. For the first couple of weeks, don't put pressure on the insides of your forearms unless it's safe to shoot webbing. It dissolves naturally over time, but it lasts longer than the organic webbing Kaine and Axel make, so be careful when you bathe. That shit clogs the drains.”

“That's okay, Migs, I'll just skip a few showers. I know you like my spider pheromones.”

Miguel levels a glare at Gabriel. “Pheromones, yes. Teenage body odor, no. You're my darling little brother and I'd rather you not be my stinky little brother.”

Gabriel grins and sniffs at Miguel's armpit. “You're my stinky big brother and I love it.”

Miguel rolls his eyes. “So does everyone else, but none of you would if I didn't shower every day and I'm not about to test that theory. Now, don't think. Put your fingertips on your chest and memorize that sensation.”

Gabriel expects to be memorizing the sensation of stabbing himself with his talons, but they naturally retract before his fingers are within two inches of himself.

“What the shock?” Gabriel whispers in disbelief.

“It's an autonomic instinct. Don't put any intention into putting your hands on yourself. Just do it, observe and memorize how it feels when they retract. That's how I learned to pull them in consciously.”

Gabriel smiles and curls up against Miguel's chest. “You're a great big bro and I know you'll be a great dad.”

Miguel wakes up in the night and can't help but think: What a night. That fight with the Vulture took so much out of me….

... I barely had enough strength to get my costume off before falling into bed. Ache’s worn off, at least…

Miguel stands into a crouch on the bed and tiredly says, “Lights to half.”

Nothing happens, and Miguel looks around in confusion. “Huh. Why aren't the lights coming on? … Lyla?”

There's a groan next to him on the bed and he looks down as a bedside lamp clicks on.

“SHOCK!!!!” he curses at the top of his lungs as he leaps off the bed.

Eddie laughs under his breath and says jovially, “Hi there, Cupcake! Did you miss me? Or did you think Kaine was sleeping in our room tonight?”

“What the shock?!” Miguel exclaims as he looks for his clothes. “This can't be real,” he says to himself as Eddie looks at him with concern plastered across his face. “It’s a dream. Wake up, Miggy! Wake up!”

“Miguel? Are you okay?” Eddie asks as he gets out of bed and walks around it towards his unexpected bedmate.

Miguel stares in dawning horror at the giant, naked, blond muscle man he was just in bed with. The man has bulging muscles like Miguel has never seen before and he's got to be over six and a half feet tall! Seeing that this man's genitals are larger than proportionate to his enormous stature, Miguel feels his own ass with his hands, desperately hoping he's still intact.

“Who are you? Where am I? Was I drugged? WHAT'D YOU DO TO ME???!!”

“Uh, JARVIS?” Eddie asks as his eyes move to the side, “Do you know if something happened to Miggy? He's kind of freaking out. Maybe ask Scorn if there's been another anomaly?”

“ANSWER ME, BITHEAD!!!!” Miguel roars.

“Look, just—”

“I don't want to look!” Miguel exclaims as he stares in combined admiration and terror at the fourteen-inch-when-flaccid, wrist-girth monster cock hanging between Eddie's legs.

“I meant listen. I don't know what's going on. Flash and Peter are supposed to be with you at your place tonight. I went to bed alone and woke up just a second ago when you started talking to yourself about lights. Where are Flash and Peter?”

Amazed comprehension dawns on Miguel as he looks around the room at furniture and tech from a hundred years ago. He knows those names in conjunction – from history books. And did that mountain of masculinity say ‘Kaine’ earlier?

“A-Are you…” Miguel stutters before gulping and forcing resolve onto his face, “Are you… plural?”

“Of course,” Eddie says indignantly. “Even when I'm just Eddie, he's with me. We're always Venom. You know that.”

Miguel thanks his superhumanity that he doesn't faint. “Prove it?” he asks meekly.

Eddie holds his hands up like he's about to deny the request, but Venom envelops him in their monstrous form and takes a large, intimidating step towards Miguel, leaning down to look at him.

Miguel can't believe his eyes. Standing right in front of him is one of the greatest heroes of the Heroic Age. The alien monster sniffs at him from a foot away before licking his serpentine tongue all over Miguel’s head, neck and bare chest.

Miguel doesn't know if he's more frightened, confused, enamored or turned on, but then Venom hums and looks at him like he's considering his options – or maybe solving a Rubix Cube.

“You taste different,” Venom rumbles. “You are nearly identical to Miguel O'Hara, father of our unborn grandchild, but your diet, soap and smog exposure is a vast improvement. A similar scent is coming from the bathroom and Gabri smells different too…. Older…

Miguel turns to the en suite bathroom as he hears a familiar voice squeak in terror. He runs to the bathroom and pulls his younger brother into his arms, careful to make sure his talons are retracted.

“Gabriel! Are you okay?”

“I..” Gabriel starts, “Why are you naked?”

“Why aren't you? It's the middle of the night and we both sleep in the buff.”

“I had a bad feeling and went to your place. I thought you could hold me tonight like you used to…. I didn't realize…”

Gabriel looks past Miguel and practically melts. “This is the wildest shocking dream I've ever had!”

He grabs Miguel by the hand and rushes over to Venom to put his hands on his torso, feeling up the colossal form of his abs and chest before pulling his arm in front of him and squeezing on his huge biceps.

“Gabri—” Miguel says, but Gabriel interjects, “—This is the most fantastic dream I've ever had! It's so real! I must have an incredible imagination to think up something this vivid! The two and only Venom! Migs! You gotta feel these muscles!”

Venom sighs, enduring the tactile explorations in boredom before looking at Miguel with his equivalent of a raised eyebrow.

“Should we tell him or just let him have fun for a while?”

Miguel's jaw drops as he tries to grasp a response.

“Venom! Lick me!” Gabriel exclaims, spreading his arms wide in welcome.

Venom scoffs a laugh and opens his razor-lined maw wide for show as his elongated tongue swipes all over Gabriel's head and neck, covering him with extraterrestrial saliva before wrapping his tongue around his neck and again around the back of his head before licking the tip across Gabriel's lips.

Gabriel eagerly sucks the Symbiote tongue into his mouth and lets out a loud, filthy moan. “Holy shock, Migs! I wish this were real! I wish you were really here or could at least see this dream! This taste is shockin’ awesome!”

Venom holds Gabriel in his giant clawed hands as Gabriel resumes making out with him, and Miguel leans in closer and tentatively licks the huge, python-like tongue on Gabriel's face – before leaning in with an open mouthed kiss and soon, licking and sucking on it right over Gabriel's mouth and kissing them both as Venom wraps his arms around them.

Miguel cradles Gabriel’s head in his hands as they kiss and massages Venom's tongue where it wraps around the back of Gabriel’s head. For minutes on end, Gabriel laughs in delight between loud erotic moans until his eyes suddenly widen and he freezes in shock.

“Thiff ivn’t a dweam….” he says with a mouth full of Venom's tongue.

Miguel shakes his head with a smile before kissing him over Venom's tongue again. Gabriel starts getting a bit freaked out and though he's not particularly showing it, his kissing isn't quite as enthusiastic and Venom, Eddie and Miguel can see it clear as day. The three of them back off as Venom morphs back into Eddie.

Miguel is helplessly staring at Eddie's manhood again and Gabriel's starting to hyperventilate, so Eddie guides them over to sit on the edge of the bed with Gabriel in the center.

“Shock, this is real!” Gabriel says between quick, shallow breaths as Eddie sits next to him and hands him a bottle of water. “I just cheated on Kasey with a superhero! A shocking MALE superhero! Oh, shock, I am SO dead!”

He leans against Eddie’s side as he tries to drink the water and it seems to be helping his breathing even out.

Miguel takes a deep breath as he tries to stay calm while reasoning with his stupid, stupid little brother. “Gabri, you need to analyze your priorities. We've traveled through time or to an alternate dimension, you and I were just shocking kissing, we're in the presence of a shocking legend and your first response is to worry about your psycho nut-job girlfriend who's been cheating on you with four other people and is so shocking obsessed with me that she's constantly treating you like shocking garbage. You're not worried about how we'd ever get home, whether our current predicament endangers the fabric of reality or the fact that your shockin' brother's naked shockin' erection was just jammed against your shockin' thigh while we made out with an alien. I think you need a little shocking introspection.”

Gabriel just wraps his arms around Eddie's waist and buries his head in his shoulder.

“She's gonna shockin’ kill me….” he whimpers.

Eddie groans in disappointment and sexual frustration. He's naked and fully hard, a gorgeous man who was just making out with him is hugging him tight and not only is the guy solely focusing on thoughts of infidelity and presumptions of impending mariticide, he's utterly failing to consider his circumstances as a whole.

Eddie looks at Miguel, communicating his concern, compassion and aggravation with just his eyes.

Miguel gives him a look that says, ‘Story of my life, bro. This is all part of the Gabriel O'Hara package’.

Finally, Eddie relents and says, “Alright, boys. I'm gonna send a few text messages to see if we can figure out what the hell happened. Then, you two can lay down and cuddle in here and I'll find somewhere else to sleep unless you want me to stay. You're welcome to stay in this time or world or whatever or we can try to send you home if you prefer that. …Miggy, you're staring again. You said you don't want to look, but now you're practically falling off the bed to lean around Gabri so you can have a staring contest with my dick. I guarantee you it won't blink first.”

Venom covers Eddie’s cock in Symbiotic tissue and forms opalescent Klyntar eyes on the shaft before winking at Miguel with as much charm as the bizarre phenomenon can muster.

“Stop it,” Eddie mutters to him.

After continuing to stare for another minute (half-wondering if Eddie's cock will sprout a mouth and fucking smirk at him), Miguel looks up at Eddie's face like a deer caught in headlights.

Eddie scoffs – almost jeeringly – at him and grabs his phone from his nightstand to send his texts, noticing JARVIS sent him a silent message regarding concerns about ‘the protocols and proprieties of interrupting an interdimensional xenoromantic courting-in-progress’.

Eddie can't tell if the A.I. actually doesn't know how to respond to the situation or if this is a patented Stark-Prank.

Then Eddie reads a text message from Gwen saying Scorn was able to find transtemporal anomalies related to a diverging timestream. As far as she can tell, with Miguel (Peter's fiancé) and Gabriel (Dane's boyfriend) being in this time, their previous future analogues were pulled back to the present when their original future context ceased to exist. Apparently, the readings from which Scorn was able to decipher this were heavily covered by simultaneous interference patterns of very similar energy ‘erupting’ from one of the subterranean labs in Alchemex.

The text also says that she's going to ‘eat chocolate with Kaine and Ben and go the fuck back to sleep’.

Eddie guesses this can all wait until morning, and he sets a scheduled message with a sitrep for Flash, Peter and Miguel to be sent at ten antemediodia to give them an uninterrupted night together. It's the first time Flash and Miguel are being intimate and Eddie doesn't want that to be fucked with.

Eddie finally puts his phone down and turns around to see Gabriel and Miguel spooning naked over the sheets and both looking up at him in exhausted longing. Gabriel grasps his hand and says, “Please stay.”

Eddie nods and lays down facing Gabriel to wrap his arms around both of them. Gabriel buries his face between Eddie's pecs and presses his body flush against Eddie. Then he moves his hips a little to get their junk comfortably arranged against each other as Miguel scoots closer and puts an awed hand on Eddie's chest.

“Thanks for being cool about this,” Miguel says quietly. “I, uh… I'm glad to be here. Even if it's just one night, you're incredible and this has been amazing.”

Eddie leans over and kisses Miguel’s head. “I'm sorry to tell you this, but you need to know…. As far as our sources can determine, the future you come from doesn't exist. It was erased by something changing in the present. You might never be born because of history itself changing. It's a real miracle you're here at all, and I'm going to do everything in my power to take care of you.”

Gabriel begins to sniffle and shudder as Miguel holds him in a firm, comforting grip with Eddie’s arms snugly embracing them both.

When Eddie wakes up, Jon is in bed with him and Miguel, and Gabriel’s and Mercury’s voices can be heard speaking quietly in the bathroom.

Eddie knows his boys are smart, proactive and virtuous, but they're also adventurous, troublemaking pranksters and Eddie doesn't like not being in control of the situation. Miguel seems upset about the destruction of his temporal reality, but Gabriel was absolutely heartbroken – very possibly traumatized. Eddie just hopes that whatever his boys are up to, it doesn't make things worse for the newcomers.

Eddie starts to get up, but Jon is immediately out of bed at parade rest in front of the bathroom door, clearly standing guard.

“Where's Gabriel?” Miguel asks lethargically as he wakes up.

“Bathroom,” Eddie says absently, more focused on Jon and whatever's happening on the other side of that door.

Miguel yawns and gets out of bed. When he sees Jon, he melts in admiration. “Is that Vigor?!” Miguel asks hopefully.

Jon tilts his head in curiosity but doesn't move his posture a single modicum.

Then the door opens and Mercury and Gabriel walk out together, Mercury still in his silver Klyntar form and Gabriel only in boxers.

Eddie puts his hands on his hips and Gabriel walks over to him with a smile and gives him a hug.

“Scott Brock, a.k.a. Mercury, right?” Miguel whispers to Eddie without looking at him.

“Are you going to do that for everyone before being properly introduced?” Eddie says in annoyance. “What if I looked at you and asked Gabriel if you're Tyler Stone? Just ask ‘Who is that?’ or ‘Care to introduce us?’. You had no clue who I was at first so don't presume identities, got it?”

Miguel glares at him. “You're conversing with Venom about how to handle a situation with your kids and projecting that frustration on me.”

“You're perceptive, but you're also presumptuous. I'm conversing with Venom, but he's not the one frustrating me right now. You are.” Eddie looks at Mercury and says, “What the blazes are you kids up to?”

“Ghost isn't the only expert intuitive geneticist in the tower,” Mercury says with a half-cocky smirk.

“He needs a healing factor if he is to stay,” says Jon.

Eddie shrugs. “Okay. I'm gonna go get some coffee. It's after sunrise, so I'm guessing Trevor’s already bought forty cups of overpriced espresso by now.”

Casual clothes melt outward from Eddie's skin and he walks out of the room.

“What are we gonna wear?!” Miguel calls out.

“How about a Klyntar?” Mercury says as he bonds with Jon. In their combined human form, they're even more gorgeous than Jon is alone, which is to say, they're a more beautiful young man than is humanly possible.

Vigor grabs two sets of folded clothes from a reading chair and hands them to Gabriel and Miguel.

As the permanent guests put on the clothes, Vigor walks over to the closet where they've mischievously hidden a large canister of vibranium and a glass-like advanced polymer.

Miguel is startled when he sees the amorphous blob moving inside the canister, but Gabriel becomes even more excited about his current situation.

“Meet Musk,” Vigor says proudly. “Musk is a match for Gabriel and we're offering Miguel the opportunity to become a Klyntar hybrid. You can turn down these opportunities, choose to bond on a trial basis for less than forty hours at a time or bond indefinitely. More than forty-eight hours is the cutoff point. After that, breaking the bond can be dangerous. Miguel, changing back to your current self is possible but may have psychological consequences, particularly if you choose to bond with anyone.”

Miguel and Gabriel look at each other with intensity – one cautious, one enthused and both eager.

Vigor heads straight to Astron's room with the anaerobic chamber in his dimensional aperture while Miguel and Gabriel take a look around. Trevor walks up to them with Lasher's body and his own head. There's a coffee caddy in six of his eight dorsal pseudopods and a joyful smile on his face.

“Iced caramel latté for Gabri and a mocha hazelnut cappuccino for Miggy,” he says cheerfully as he passes them each a very large coffee cup with his anterior dorsal pseudopods. “By the way, Gabriel, there is no escape. You and I are going to play holographic computer games later. Congrats and welcome to 2023! I gotta go caffeinate the rest of the tower!”

Then Trevor’s walking out the door to harass the Patriots with cups of overpriced coffee. One day, he will win Grant Barnes over to the Dark Side of the Espresso Force and throw out that disgusting mash the shrimpy philistine calls coffee grounds.

Miguel and Gabriel find a quiet reading room to the side of the main living room where Gwen, Kaine, Ben, Greg, Axel and Leslie are eating breakfast, watching the news on mute and conversing boisterously.

They've just sat down on a couch near the bookshelves when Daken walks into the room and seductively smirks at them. He sniffs the air and stares into Gabriel’s eyes. “You have pheromone powers you don't know how to control. I can smell you three floors away.”

Gabriel looks at him in bafflement. “Um, okay…”

Daken's long, black trenchcoat ruffles as if the wind is blowing it and his hoodie sweater underneath it seems to echo the motion. Daken sits down on an armchair facing them and says, “Reilly, get out here.”

Suddenly, the charcoal gray sweater surges forward into a human form sitting in Daken's lap.

Miguel looks scrutinizing and suspicious, but Gabriel bounces in his seat. Then Reilly stands up, introduces himself and shakes each of their hands.

“So who are you?” Miguel asks Daken, seeming more curious than suspicious at this point. “The trenchcoat says Maniac, but I didn't think Lee Price was Asian.”

“‘Was’?” Daken asks with a raised eyebrow. “Yes, I am Maniac at the moment and yes, I'm half Japanese. Name’s Daken.”

Reilly sits back in Daken's lap and says, “They just got here from 2099. We're ancient history to them.”

Miguel almost argues that seventy-six years isn't anywhere near the actual definition of ‘ancient’, but then Daken's leveling an assessing stare at them. “I see….” Daken says ominously. “Sleeper or Vice can help Musk learn to moderate his human pheromone production. I've got a wedding to plan. We've got at least four weddings coming up and I plan to have the best one. Party competitions are my specialty.”

Musk suddenly envelops Gabriel in skin-tight symbiotic armor and he runs into the living room.

“Has anyone seen Sleeper and Mania?” Gabriel asks in bubbling excitement.

Eddie walks into the room, recognizes Musk instantly and suddenly, Venom's arms are around him.

“Hey, Little One…” Venom says affectionately. “We are glad you have found a host.”

“And we're glad Sleeper is okay!” Gabriel nearly shouts.

“What's happening?” Greg asks in confusion.

Venom morphs back into Eddie and Eddie tightens his arms around Gabriel. “Gabriel O’Hara is hosting a Symbiote from the comet – the young Symbiote who broke out of containment in the rocket and later jumped into Flash while Anti-Venom was still healing him from being dead. He's the one who told me that Klynt and Andi survived.”

Gabriel and Eddie have tears streaming down their faces and Klyn walks out of his room to approach them. “Musk?”

Eddie turns with a brightening smile. “You know each other?”

“Musk gave me my pheromone powers,” Klyn says with a small, joyful laugh.

Klyn wraps his arms around Gabriel from behind and kisses the side of his face.

Miguel feels like the odd man out, but is truly happy for his brother and for the Symbiotes’ reunion.

He decides he should meet his Klyntar parents and goes to a nearby couch, picking Ben up, taking his seat and setting him in his lap before wrapping an arm over Gwen’s shoulders. He holds Ben firmly against his chest and gives Gwen a peck on the cheek.

Gwen forms into Scorn and leans her head on him. “Good to see you, honey. How's the change going for you?”

“So far, I'm liking it,” Miguel says as he hugs Ben tighter. Ben laughs as Dagger forms his red suit and blue hoodie over his bare chest and pajama pants. “The enhanced senses will take some getting used to, but it's nowhere near as intense as my light sensitivity.”

“Hey, son,” Ben says happily as he turns in Miguel's hold to look him in the eye. “We’re glad you’re doing okay. I was pretty excited when Mercury told me what he did with you.”

Miguel gives him a confident smirk. “It's too soon to tell, but I'm pretty sure I'm never changing back.”

Scorn gives him a playful look. “What do you think about meeting the other you? You’ll be a match for any humanoid if you choose to bond. I'm sure he'd find you irresistible.”

Miguel hums in appreciation at the idea of his other self finding him irresistible. His innate narcissism and vanity are ignited and satisfied by the fantasy of seeing his own o-face while fucking the other Miguel with savage brutality.

“Damn, someone's hung!” Ben says as he feels Miguel harden beneath him.

“Nine inches around and eleven in length,” Miguel says casually as he grips Ben's hip hard and thrusts against him. “I hate to brag, but I'm gonna be the best fuck of your life and you are gonna call me ‘Daddy’.”

Scorn turns into the Violet Spider, then Gwen kisses Miguel on the cheek and says, “I've got to get ready for work, but I think you two should go smoke some pot and have some time for male bonding.”

She gets up and gives Ben a sweet, lingering kiss on the lips and goes to their room to get dressed for the day.

Ben turns and puts an arm around the back of Miguel's neck and lays his other hand against Miguel's side. “Wanna get stoned and fuck?”

“I don't do chems,” Miguel says, “but I don't mind if you do. Right now – sober – do you want me to shock your ass and shoot my load in you?”

“Abso-shockin’-lutely,” Ben says softly as he beholds his son with admiration and lust.

Miguel smirks at him in satisfied confidence.

“Good Boy.” Miguel pushes Ben off his lap, grabs their coffee cups and motions for Ben to follow him. When Miguel leads him into Flash and Eddie's room to find Gabriel worshiping Eddie's body with licks and kisses, he sets the coffee on the nightstand, strips and lies down next to Eddie. “Alright, Dagger, get over here and make your Daddy proud.”

Eddie moans at Gabriel’s ministrations and huffs a small laugh. “See the sapphire ring? It's the equivalent of a collar. We're his Daddy.”

Miguel looks at Ben's hand and says, “Not anymore. I'll give him a diamond one.”

Eddie's a bit insulted, but figures they can have a serious discussion about it later. “Fine. You're his Daddy – for now.”

Miguel smiles at him and they kiss as Ben sucks a hickey on Miguel's pec and puts an arm over Gabriel's back.

“Fuck, cuddle, nap, coffee?” Eddie asks.

Miguel kisses him softly. “Yeah, Venom. Sounds good. It was a stressful night.”

“You can call me ‘Daddy’.”

Miguel gasps as Ben scrapes his teeth over his nipple.

“Shock… Fine. I'm his Daddy and you're mine.”

“Deal.”

“You're my Daddy too?” Gabriel says timidly as he looks up at Eddie.

“Yeah, Musk. We're your Daddy.”