[Third Person POV]
"It's best if you drink it before you go to sleep," Gwen advised after finally calming down from her fit of laughter, her breathing still a little uneven. "The effects take time to settle in, and they're… well, they're not exactly pleasant to go through. We're talking about mutating your cells here. That's never going to feel like a warm bubble bath. It would be easier on your body if you were already in a deep sleep—your mind will be less aware of the strain, and your body will have time to adapt naturally."
Lydia nodded slowly, her fingers brushing along the can as if it were more dangerous than it looked. "Do I need to keep this refrigerated in the meantime or…?"
Peter scoffed under his breath, a grin pulling at his lips. "Depends on how you want to drink it. Room temp, chilled, poured into a martini glass—doesn't really matter. It's still going to taste terrible."
"Noted," Lydia muttered, rolling her eyes. She stood, crossed the kitchen, and slid the Red Bull-looking container inside the fridge with exaggerated care, as though locking away a grenade. When she returned, her posture was a little more tense, her shoulders drawn up. She glanced at Gwen, then Peter, before admitting, "I've been thinking about all of this, honestly I can't help but be… uneasy. I mean, I'm going to drink something that'll literally change me forever. That's not exactly a light commitment."
"That's completely normal," Gwen reassured, softening her tone as she offered a patient smile. "If you want, I can walk you through the process step by step—how the formula will trigger the changes, what symptoms you'll feel first, how your body will adapt and stabilize. Sometimes understanding the science makes it less scary."
Lydia leaned against the counter, resting her head in her hand with a groan. "You're telling me I'm about to get a lesson on the changes of my body from a girl who hasn't even finished puberty yet? I can't help but feel like the roles are reversed here. What has my life come to?"
Gwen reached her hand out dramatically, trying to keep her face serious even as her lips twitched with restrained amusement. "I understand this can all be confusing, but there comes a time in every adult's life—"
Her mock-serious voice was instantly drowned out by Peter and Felicia bursting into giggles. Even Lydia cracked a smile at the sight of the three of them so relaxed, the tension in her chest loosening. The heaviness of what she was about to do seemed, for the moment, a little easier to bear.
By then, Felicia had finished drying the last dish and stacked it neatly in its place before joining the group. She leaned against the table just as Gwen wrapped up her long-winded explanation, her hands gesturing wildly as though she were giving a university lecture.
"Yeah, so… I'm not a biologist," Lydia admitted when Gwen finally paused for breath. She rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly. "I only understood, like, two quarters of what you just said."
"You could've just said half," Felicia deadpanned, smirking as she leaned closer to Lydia. "What's with the two quarters thing?"
"Shut up, will you?" Lydia scoffed, nudging her playfully.
"Speaking of quarters…" Peter cut in like he'd been waiting for his chance to jump into the conversation. He turned toward Lydia with a grin. "Are you going to be joining us tomorrow? You know, when I finally open F.E.A.S.T.?"
Felicia blinked and stared at him. "How the hell did you go from 'quarters' to 'feast'?."
"A quarter is another word for a room," Peter explained with patience. "Which reminded me of all the rooms we'll get to see tomorrow in the new building. They're finished, decorated, polished—the whole deal. We're heading over early to take a look around before I have to give a speech and officially open it to the public." His enthusiasm was practically radiating as he spoke, his words quickening with each sentence.
Lydia looked baffled, clearly missing some context. The three of them took a moment to explain Peter's long-time project—how much effort he'd poured into building F.E.A.S.T., how it was meant to serve as a shelter, a community hub, and a lifeline for people who had nowhere else to go.
When the explanation sank in, Lydia blinked in genuine surprise. "Whoa… that's really sweet of you. Not a lot of people would go through the trouble of building something like that, let alone making it a non-profit. I honestly forgot for a second that you're, you know… a billionaire-slash-celebrity." She gave a wry little smile, then grew thoughtful, her voice quieter. "Although, I'm not entirely sure I'll be able to attend. I mean, I will wake up tomorrow sprouting wings out of my back and everything… I don't think showing up in public would be the smoothest idea since I will need time to adjust."
"Actually, if you don't mind," Gwen interjected, raising her hand a little, "I'd like you to drop by the lab tomorrow so I can give you an official check-up, just to make sure everything proceeds smoothly. Felicia can guide you there."
"Tomorrow sure sounds like a busy day," Felicia said with an exasperated grin, drying her hands on a dish towel before tossing it aside.
"First we'll check on your mom," Peter recounted, ticking off each point on his fingers, "afterwards we'll explore the finished building, then I've got to give a public speech and announcement, and finally…" He let out a long sigh, his lips curling into a tired smile just thinking about it, "I officially cut the ribbon and open the place. Sounds like a blast, doesn't it?"
The group chuckled lightly at his sarcasm.
They hung around the kitchen for a little while longer, chatting idly about small things until the night began to stretch too far. With morning looming over them and the promise of a long, hectic day ahead, Peter and Gwen finally called it a night.
Lydia and Felicia walked them to the entrance, seeing them off as the couple exited the complex. Peter slipped an arm over Gwen's shoulders, pulling her in close as they descended the steps together. The street outside was calm, washed in soft yellow glow from the streetlamps, the air carrying the faint chill of night.
Gwen leaned comfortably against his shoulder, her hands tucked snugly inside her sweater pockets. Peter glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, lips twitching into a mischievous smile. "So… wanna fuck?"
Her cheeks puffed as she stifled a laugh, tilting her head to glare at him playfully. "Wow. Straightforward. You're really a poet, you know that?" she said, dripping sarcasm. "I sometimes forget how romantic you are."
"My bad, my bad," Peter said quickly, clearing his throat and adopting a mock-suave tone. He straightened his posture and, with a ridiculous amount of fake charm, said, "Hey beautiful, would you like to partake in some… coitus with me?"
"Wow…" Gwen deadpanned, eyes narrowing in amusement. "Break out the scientific terminology, huh? You sure know how to get a girl all riled up." Her lips curved into a smirk as she let out a soft laugh.
She jabbed her elbow into his ribs lightly. "And maybe don't ask me that while we're in public, you perv."
Peter leaned down slightly, his voice dipping into a playful whisper near her ear. "Hmm… I've yet to hear a no."
"And you're not gonna," she murmured back, the sly grin on her face daring him to keep pushing.
Peter turned his head slowly, blinking at her in shock. Gwen just gave him that foxlike grin and kept walking, refusing to elaborate. His lips parted like he wanted to say something clever, but for once, he found himself at a loss for words.
---
Later that night, well after the city had gone quiet, Lydia padded into her room with the can of Red Bull clutched in her hand. The metal hissed with a crisp click as she popped the tab open. Using her hip, she nudged the door shut behind her and made her way to the bed.
She raised the can in a mock toast to the empty room. "Bottoms up," she muttered, her voice tinged with a mix of nervousness and determination, then tilted her head back.
The liquid burned slightly on the way down, its sharp tang doing little to mask the weight of what it represented. Lydia chuckled dryly between gulps. "Heh… Red Bull gives you wings… what a bunch of smart asses."
She finished it all in one go, forcing her eyes shut until it was gone. The empty can clinked softly against the wood of her nightstand as she set it down. Crawling under the covers, she pulled the sheets up tight around herself, cocooning in the warmth of her bed.
"This honestly better be worth it," Lydia muttered into the quiet, her body sinking deeper into the mattress as the first hints of drowsiness crept in. She closed her eyes, steadying her breath, waiting for sleep to claim her.
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