Spideychelle one-shots

After: Part 3

Peter hadn't planned to ask MJ out. 

It had just sort of... happened. She'd run right into him, right back into his life, and it had been like nothing had ever changed. He'd held her in his arms, and he would be lying if he said he wasn't thinking about what it had been like when they were together. 

And now he was kicking himself, because this was not the plan at all. They were over. Done with. He had moved on. He should be asking out cute strangers at the coffee shop, not his ex-girlfriend from high school. 

But he couldn't lie: it would be nice to catch up with MJ. To go out. To have fun. He'd been so busy, he'd almost forgotten what that word meant. 

So. They'd have lunch, and catch up, and it would be good. 

Yup. 

MJ

Why on earth did she agree to this? Why had she thought having lunch with the guy she'd been crushing on for years, who was also practically a celebrity, was anywhere close to a good idea?

Okay, maybe it was going to be a train wreck.

But she'd probably have fun, if she didn't completely embarrass herself in the process. Yay. 

She'd pulled her unruly hair back into a loose braid, and she was wearing thick tights and a woolen shoe-horn coat to combat the winter chill. 

And Peter was sitting at a table, it was like - 

Well. 

Unfairly attractive, that's all she was going to say. Some people were just unbelievably good looking, and that was that. 

"Hey," she said, hoping she wasn't blushing too badly. 

"Good morning," he said, smiling. "Or afternoon, I suppose."

"Yeah," she said, sitting down.  "Um - how was the trip over?"

"Oh, good," he said. "Y'know, other than being in a giant metal tube surrounded by anxious people that could crash at any moment. Let's just say I was not... relaxed."

"Spidey senses going off," MJ said, smiling

"I suppose, yeah," Peter said, scratching the back of his head. "Sorry, it's weird to talk to someone about the Spiderman... thing. I think all of my friends and colleagues over in England sort of pretend it never happened? Like it's sort of embarrassing that I once swung around New York in a tight suit made of spandex."

"Well, when you put it that way..." MJ said, smiling.

Peter ducked his head. "Yeah. Anyway! How are you, how is your life, and all of that?"

MJ smiled. She had genuinely forgotten how awkward Peter had been, how awkward he still seemed to be behind the mask of professionalism he wore around strangers. It was endearing and unbearably sweet.

"Good," she said. "It's - I'm good."

"Good, good," he said. "I really am happy to see you again." 

"Me too," she said. "I missed you. You never visit, people would think you hate the place."

"Now you sound like May," Peter sighed. Then his face grew serious. "It's not that. It's just this place... So many memories. Good and bad."

MJ knew what he meant. Everywhere she looked there were memories: walking with her mom to their favourite café for hot chocolate at Christmas time. Space ships coming through a tear in the sky. Dates with Peter. Watching her body turn to dust.

This city held complicated memories for everyone who lived in it, but MJ had come to terms with that. She could tell that Peter hadn't.

"It's just, I left that life behind when I gave up being Spiderman. I left it all behind. Space. The Blip. Europe."

"Iron Man," MJ continued, voice soft. "Black Widow. Captain America. The Avengers."

Peter looked away. "No one talks to me about them," he said. "They don't mention Spiderman, they don't mention the Infinity War, they don't mention Mysterio and they never, ever mention Mr. Stark."

His voice broke on the last word. MJ reached out and put her hand over his.

"He would be proud of you," she said. "He would. Look at your life, look at all you have accomplished. Tony Stark would be so proud of you."

"I keep telling myself that," Peter said. "It's why I left, you know. For him. I was... lost. I was reckless. I knew that if I kept being Spiderman, if I kept fighting the endless battles, I would end up dead. And that was the last thing Mr. Stark would have wanted."

He looked away. "It's just hard, sometimes, to remember that. People used to come up to me on the street and ask me why I'd done it, why I'd left. And I never had an answer."

"They didn't deserve one," MJ said, catching his gaze. "You don't have to talk to people. You don't owe them anything."

Peter looked back at her. "I know. I do. It's just..."

"Hard." 

"Yeah." 

"You know what your problem is?" MJ said, leaning forward. "You, Peter Parker, are too nice." 

He laughed, and the moment was broken. They ordered food and chatted about nothing much, about the weather and jobs and how much they hated flying.

But MJ couldn't stop staring at him, couldn't stop thinking about what he'd said. 

I knew that if I kept fighting, I'd end up dead. 

People had this... view of him. Of the Avengers. It was like all they could see was the hero, that they couldn't understand that they were also people, with hopes and dreams and lives that didn't involve dying on some distant planet. That didn't involve becoming some sort of legend or martyr that people could fall in love with, could talk about, could dream about.

Peter was still saving people. He was still fighting. He was just doing it in his own way. And MJ hated that people couldn't understand that. 

"Penny for your thoughts?" Peter was looking at her, and she suddenly realized that she'd been completely and utterly spaced out.

"Sorry," she said, brushing her hair back with one hand. "I'm just in a weird headspace today."

"No, it's fine," Peter said. "I completely - "

That was when MJ heard the screams. 

Peter was up and out of his chair before she could blink, and she went after him, knowing that she couldn't convince him not to run headlong into danger but refusing to be left behind.

They skidded out onto the street, pedestrians running the opposite direction. Smoke billowed through the air, and MJ coughed, covering her mouth with her sleeve.

The street was empty, no cars, no traffic. The sight was eerie. 

MJ ventured out into the street, looking uphill, trying to see through the smoke. 

Her mouth fell open. "What the -" 

Please don't murder me.

I'm sorry it's been so long, life is a thing that happens apparently? IDK, seems like a scam to me. 

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-Viwrit3r