He jumped, somersaulted in mid air, and landed on her stomach.

Betty put her spare pillow on top of the other one, and sat up in bed, leaning against the pillows which rested against the wall of the room.

“Let’s see how well you can climb,” she said.

Peter climbed up her dress until he got near her chest.

“Don’t be shy, little Spider-Boy. I thought Super Heroes would surmount any obstacle.”

He accepted the implied invitation and kept on climbing until he had surmounted her appealing obstacles and reached her shoulder.

“That was nice,” she said, “I still can’t believe Spider-Man is just a boy, let alone one I’ve been dating.”

“JUST a boy.”

“In a cute sweet kind of ‘just’ way. Is there anything you’ve wanted to do with me at this size?” she asked.

Peter immediately recalled the Black Cat’s kiss. It had been physically pleasurable, but lacked the joy of doing it with the girl he loved.

“Could you kiss me? Your lips will be so big now.”

Betty steadied him with her hand and pressed her lips to him again and again, each time for periods of several seconds.

They enjoyed this for nearly an hour, and then the costume started making strange noises.

“I think my costume needs to go to the Little Spiders Room,” said Peter.

“Spider-being now bond with other!” snarled the costume.

Suddenly the costume removed itself, and ran across the bed.

“Okay! I get it. You’re jealous, but don’t leave me at this size!” said Peter, and ran across the bed after the costume.

Before he could catch it, it fired its own webbing all the way up to the roof, and swung over to the windowsill, lifted the window a little and swung out into the night. Betty picked up Peter and ran to the window, opened it fully and looked out.

“It’s nowhere to be seen,” she said.

“But I’ll never get my size back,” said Peter.

“It looks that way.”

“I can’t even get home. Can I stay the night?” he asked.

“Of course you can,” she said.

Betty closed the window and lay down in bed, letting Peter rest on the pillow beside her lovely giant eyes.

“It’s funny how things work out,” she said in an amused tone of voice, “I was getting serious with Ned. I was wondering how to break it off with you, when you knocked on my door. After you shared your secret, I spent the rest of the night wondering how to break if off with Ned. Now it looks like I’m back to wondering what to do about you.”

“Do you mean you’d rather be with Ned now?”

“I think I do,” she said.

“Oh Betty, being with you is the only thing that would make being tiny worthwhile for me.”

“But it wouldn’t make it worthwhile for me, Peter. Still, maybe your change of size is not without its compensations.”

“I don’t see how.”

Betty moved her mouth towards him, and he saw the first centimetre of her tongue come out and press against his face.