He did his best to get into her head. Then it came to him. Betty was waiting for another sign that he was not too immature for her. She wanted Peter to take the lead, like an adult man. She wanted him to make the first move.

Nervously, but hopefully, Peter put his hand gently around her upper arms, and leaned in slowly. He would give her a chance to pull away and resist his advance, just in case he had guessed wrongly about her expectations at this point. He did not want her thinking that he presumed any privilege because of his rescue.

Betty was not flinching. She had closed her eyes and tilted her head to the side a little.

Peter slowly and pleasantly kissed a beautiful woman who had once told him he was at least four years too young for her. He took his hands off her arms, and she put her arms around him, and went with the kiss with enthusiasm. He hugged her tightly and felt the sweet feminine softness of her face. She had treated him as something more than the insignificant whipping boy that her blustering hypocritical employer had considered Peter to be.

He loved her. All of this put a new slant on his Spider-Man career. Now it meant something to be coming home with a future partner in his thoughts. Perhaps the Avengers and the Fantastic Four and the other teams of super heroes had enough members well equipped to take up the slack. He would help fight super villains on occasions, but he hadn’t asked to be bitten by a radioactive spider. He had asked Betty to be with him, and kept asking until she’d said yes. Admittedly his spider powers had opened the door to the development of this opportunity to be with her, but he had a life of his own to lead. Spider-Man took direction from Peter Parker. It should not be the other way around.

It was the 21st century. Much greater age differences in such relationships were now common place, with the term ‘Cougar’ and the phrase ‘toy boy’ being used as regular components of the English language.

Peter and Betty began dating frequently, and she was proud to be seen with him at his next school social function. Jonah Jameson become strangely more endearing towards the boy, having seen the happiness in his secretary’s eyes and observed the reason.

All in all, things were looking up for Peter Parker.

Betty had her 21st Birthday in a few weeks, and held a big party with people from the office and various other friends invited to her apartment. She was proud to show Peter off and dance with him publicly, now that he had proved the depth of his feelings for her.

When all of the guests had gone home, except for Peter, Betty asked if he’d like to stay the night on the couch. He thanked her, and called Aunt May to explain. His Aunt had seen how the boy had grown up in his defence of his romance with Betty, and had begun to allow him a lot more autonomy.

“So Peter, how many months until you’re 17?” she asked.

“Another six,” he said, “Do you mind being five years older than me for a while?”

“No,” she said, “Besides, you’re a science student. You know it really means I’m 4 ½ years older than you all the time.”

“I think it’s lovely,” said Peter.

“Of course it also means, that for the next three years, you’re a teenager dating a woman in her twenties.”

“Yes,” he said shyly, and then went silent.

“What are you thinking?” she asked at last.

“I just hope that you feel as lucky about it as I do,” he said.

“I will if you kiss me,” said Betty, and Peter enjoyed granting that request.