Gwen's eyes went wide.
She watched as Vincent single-handedly hauled a one-ton Great White Shark onto the deck like he was lifting a bag of groceries.
At that moment, she realized her boyfriend was hiding more than just a writing career.
No normal human could lift 2,000 pounds with one arm.
Gwen narrowed her eyes, a smile playing on her lips. "Mr. Hall, you got lucky with the shark. But I won't lose. Tonight, you're telling me everything."
She was Spider-Woman. New York's friendly neighborhood wall-crawler. How could she lose to a writer?
It must be beginner's luck. Or maybe he just works out... a lot.
"Round two!" Gwen declared.
She cast her line again, focusing her Spider-Sense on the vibrations in the water. She adjusted the bait, guiding it toward the shadows below.
But the shark's presence had scared away the other large predators. Twenty minutes passed, and she had nothing.
Vincent calmly knocked the shark unconscious and secured it to the deck. A thrashing shark was a liability on a luxury yacht.
He cast his line again, casually throwing it far out into the deep.
The ocean was his domain. Even without his Atlantean bloodline (from the Mera power set), his Hydro-Kinesis allowed him to visualize every fish in the vicinity. He could sense their shape, their size, their species.
He wasn't fishing. He was shopping.
Tug.
Vincent pulled up a large yellow croaker. A delicacy.
Gwen finally managed to catch two large groupers. Impressive for a human, but compared to the shark?
She slumped against the railing. "You win."
She couldn't figure out how she lost.
"Your Spider-Sense is excellent," Vincent said casually, unhooking his catch. "But the ocean interferes with vibrations. You're getting fuzzy feedback."
Gwen froze.
The words hit her like a thunderclap.
"You... you know?"
"Know what? That you don't sleep at night? That you swing around New York in spandex?"
Vincent rolled his eyes. "Gwen, I live next door. You're not exactly quiet when you land on the fire escape at 3 AM."
Gwen turned to stone.
He knew. He really knew.
Panic.
She hadn't even uncovered his secret, and he had already blown her cover.
"How... why...?" Gwen stammered.
"Please. I know Kung Fu," Vincent shrugged. "Martial artists have heightened awareness."
"Kung Fu?"
"Obviously. How else do you think I hauled up that shark?"
"Kung Fu..." Gwen repeated, trying to process it. "Okay. Fine. But aren't you curious why I became Spider-Woman?"
"Not really. I know who Daredevil is, too," Vincent said, tossing the croaker into the cooler. "This fish is good. We should grill it."
He looked at Gwen's groupers. "Those are dead from the pressure change. We'll freeze them."
Gwen stood there, completely deflated.
The mystery was gone. Her big reveal was ruined.
Vincent started processing the fish. The cooler was full, so he simply froze the remaining catch with a touch of his finger, encasing them in ice.
Gwen finally snapped out of it. She took a deep breath.
"Vincent. We need to talk."
Vincent poured two glasses of red wine and handed one to her.
"On such a beautiful night? Let's drink first."
"I'm serious," Gwen said, looking hurt. "I feel like I don't know you at all."
"I never intended to hide it from you," Vincent sighed. "It's just... how do I explain to my girlfriend that I wrote Fifty Shades of Grey?"
"WHAT?!"
Gwen literally jumped. She swung around him, staring at him like he had grown a second head.
"You wrote Fifty Shades?"
Vincent shrugged. "People are curious about taboo subjects. I wanted to make money, so I catered to their curiosity. It's just business."
He downed his wine and looked out at the ocean.
"So, Gwen. Now that you know I'm the author of that book... do you still want to be with me?"
Gwen's brain was misfiring.
Wait. I need to process this.
He wrote it? He was... sixteen when he wrote it?
Gwen's face turned bright red.
She had investigated him. She had bought the best-sellers list. And yes, she had bought Fifty Shades.
She had read it under her covers with a flashlight. It made her blush furiously, but she couldn't stop reading.
"No! It's not about the book!" Gwen stammered. "I mean... I haven't read it! Definitely haven't read it! I just... thought it was unfair that you knew everything about me."
She was lying through her teeth.
Vincent smiled, stepping closer.
"Love is never fair. You were attracted to my mystery. And now the mystery is gone."
He wrapped his arms around her waist.
" knowing my biggest secret... are you going to dump me?"
Gwen looked up at him. The moonlight caught his sharp features.
My boyfriend writes BDSM romance novels. And knows Kung Fu. And is rich.
"I... I'm still processing," Gwen admitted weakly.
But then Vincent kissed her.
Gwen stiffened for a second, then melted. Her arms wound around his neck, her Spider-strength forgotten.
"Do you want to hear my story?" Vincent whispered against her lips.
"Mmhmm."
"But first," Vincent pulled back, a wicked grin on his face. "I won the bet. You owe me a request."
Gwen swallowed hard. "No Fifty Shades stuff! Absolutely not!"
"No, nothing like that," Vincent laughed.
"I just want to see you wearing your Spider-suit."
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