Hello everybody. This chapter was a lot harder to put out than I thought it would be, mainly because the latest reviews gave me a lot to think about. So first off I am not telling you who I am shipping in this story. Both girls are very compatible with Peter in different ways so you will be seeing moments with both girls and our favorite web head. As far as the rating goes I will not be making any changes to the rating but if this story starts going to darker routes then i will see about bumping the rating to M. As far as anything sexual Good things come to those who wait but if you are expecting me to have either MJ or Ava dropping their skirts both figuratively and literally for no good reason, you're reading the wrong story. I would hope my story comes across a little more character driven than that but that's not to say there won't be anything more "Spicy" down the line it just means we got a ways to go before we get there. So without further adieu I give you Chapter Four.
Worlds Colliding
Have you ever seen something so surreal, so unimaginable that you felt like the whole thing was an illusory delusion conjured up by your subconscious, serving as a gateway towards some hidden desire? Peter was having this moment right now.
He slowly opened his eyes his heavy lids prying apart despite the unrelenting impulse to roll back over and fall back into a deep rejuvenating sleep but what he saw snapped him wide awake, shattering any delusion of ever achieving any kind of rest.
Ava Ayala stood in his kitchen working diligently to make breakfast but that's not what hit him the hardest. Ava Ayala, one of the most composed and serious woman he had ever met was humming happily while wearing his blue button up shirt lying open just below her collarbone. "Morning Web Head," Ava said flashing him a wide smile, "I hope you like spinach and cheese omelets."
Peter was dumbfounded sliding off the couch and colliding face first with the floor. "You ok Peter," Ava said moving towards him. That was when Peter noticed the pair of baggy jeans that hung loosely off her hips, his jeans. He tried to stand but that was when he realized just how stiff and sore his body still was. 'Note to self, never get on Ava's bad side ever again,' he thought as he was met with a slender hand out in front of him. "Kind of, just not really used to see a woman in my kitchen making me breakfast that wasn't my aunt," Peter said taking her hand and used it to help him get to his feet, "What's with the outfit." "Well it was either this or the White Tiger costume." Peter let out a big sigh and shook his head, "honestly, I think I'd rather explain to Aunt May that there is a super hero in our basement than have to explain why a girl from my school spent the night at our house and is walking around in my clothes. I'm really not looking forward to having the talk with my aunt"
Ava couldn't help but smile, "Well relax "spidey" your aunt left this morning to go on some two day camping trip," Ava said pulling a crumpled yellow sticky note from the pocket of the jeans she was wearing, "Found this on your forehead this morning, it says she'll be back by Monday and that you shouldn't be sleeping on the couch."Peter rolled his eyes as he took the note from her hand. "The good news," Ava said taking Peter by the hand and examining it, "is that most of your injuries from last night healed up. I can barely tell they're there." He felt a light blush go to his face, "yeah got to love the enhanced healing, wouldn't want to explain to Aunt May why I came home looking like I got mauled by a tiger," Peter said as he sat down at the kitchen table. "Cute Parker, really cute," Ava said placing two plates on the table and sitting down across from Peter, "all joking aside I think we really need to have a talk." Peter nodded, "Yeah, was kind of waiting for you to start this off."
Ava nodded taking a bite out of the omelet taking a moment to savor the creamy melted cheese and washed it down with a cold refreshing glass of water. She let out a long sigh before starting, "Look what happened last night was a onetime thing and won't be happening again. So no going easy on me or treating me any different than you normally would." "And exactly what did happen, Ava?" Ava shook her head, "Look you've have your secretes and I have mine. There are just something's I'm not ready to share with anyone yet. I need you to respect that." He placed a soft hand on Ava's "Alright I get that but you got to promise me if you start feeling like this again you'll let me know." Ava's stared down at the hand lying on hers, unable to bring herself to meet his cerulean gaze. What was going on? Why was she letting him touch her like this? These thoughts plagued her as she spoke, "Alright Peter." "Good now we can move on to more important issues. What are we going to tell Fury?" Ava dropped face first into the table letting out a loud groan, "Oh god he's probably going to suspend me from the team. I can't believe I forgot about him." Ava looked up with light brown eyes as Peter spoke, "take all the time you need and we'll face Fury when you are ready, together."
Ava would typically call herself a "do it herself" kind of person, never really relying on anybody. Maybe it had to do with her father's death but it had been a while since she had really made a real connection with anyone and this is the only reason that came to mind as to why she asked him this question, "You think I could crash here till your aunt gets back." At first Peter was taken back, unsure of what to say. "Well, sure I…," Peter said but was cut off by a loud knock at the door.
Peter stood up making his way to the door and the only thought was of how bad this situation could get. He imagined opening the door and Nick Fury himself would be standing there saying, "Hell no, she can't stay at your house. This ain't my first rodeo." But as he cracked open the door he was met with something even more terrifying.
A firm fist connected with his arm impacting harshly, making him let out a loud yelp.
"What the Hell, Parker," MJ said moving through the door. "You leave my house in the dead of night," she said jabbing a firm finger into his chest, "telling me you are going off to go look for Ava and promise me you're going to call me when you get back. So imagine for a second, how I felt when five o'clock hits and I hear nothing from you." Mary Jane said pushing Peter up towards a wall, "So I call you eight times. EIGHT TIMES Peter! I thought you we're hurt or in a gutter, dead but no here you are ok and not a scratch on you, you insensitive jerk." Mary Jane finally wrapped her arms around her child hood friend, "I swear to god Parker if you ever make me worry like that again, I'll hurt you myself."
…
Mary Jane had been going crazy since she woke up this afternoon. It started when she had walked downstairs after getting four hours of sleep after her long night of research to find her mom in the kitchen. "Morning mom how was work," she said yawning loudly. "It was fine. Hey sweetie where's Peter." MJ froze in her tracks, "Why would you think Peter was here?" Her eyes went wide with realization as she let out a small gasp, "You asked him to check on me didn't you." "What? Sweetie don't get mad I was worried about you," Madeline said giving her daughter a big hug. "So what happened I was kind of worried he was going to be up in your room with you when I got home?" "MOM," Mary Jane yelled, " you know Peter and me aren't like that." Madeline put her arms up defensively, "I know, I know. So where is Mr. Parker?" Mary Jane sat on the couch thumbing through channels, "he had to go help a girl from our school." "Peter Parker always playing the hero," Madeline said sitting down on the couch next to her daughter and smiling to herself. Mary Jane had finally settled on the news. She watched a report about a super villain fight downtown, J. Jonah Jameson's face popping up,
"That's right you heard it here first. Early this morning the notorious criminal known as the Spider-Man and an unknown assailant waged a turf war in downtown New York today, the battle resulting in the complete destruction of a young couple's home. Eye witness reports state that Spider-Man was seen severely injured carrying another woman who was covered in blood. We even have a photograph shot by a Roxanne Emerson, a local street photographer that lived in the building."
Mary Jane could feel her heart stop as she stared at the two pictures. One was Spider-Man and White Tiger; a woman MJ had found info on being one of Spider-Man's known associates, falling out of a window. The second was a shot of Spider-Man kneeling on one knee blood dripping from a wound on his chest.
She got up grabbing her cell phone and dialing his number the tiny device going straight to voicemail. "You know it's weird when I was driving home this morning I thought I saw Spider-Man walking down the road holding that girl." Mary Jane turned around shocked, "what do you mean you thought?" "Well I kind of wasn't paying attention and when I realized what I saw I looked back and they were gone. I thought I was just seeing things it was 5:00 in the morning and I'd just gotten off work." "Uh look mom I'm heading over to Peter's I got to go," Mary Jane said rushing out the door, not waiting for her mother's response.
She sprinted over to Peter's house banging on the door until it opened revealing an uninjured Peter Parker. She was angry but knew she had to play this off right if he wasn't going to suspect she knew.
…..
So there she was her arms wrapped around Peter think only one thing, 'Thank god he's ok.' She let go of him pulling back, "I'm not letting you out of my sights Park…" Her words dying on her lips as she finally noticed the brown haired woman sitting at the table wearing Peter's light blue button up. She looked back at Peter looking him from head to toe the sloppy hair, the wrinkled white shirt, and the thin boxers. Her gaze altered between the two, worlds unable to come to her mouth.
"What the heck Pete, when I said to do what you had to make up with Ava I didn't mean that." At first he was confused looking back at Ava, her normally flawless hair a frizzy mess of curls that hung wildly, a small curl rolling in front of her eyes giving her an exotic look. "OH god we didn't do that," Peter yelled. "Calm down Parker I'm just kidding," Mary Jane said throwing her arms over Peter from behind, "So, does she like it like this?" "God MJ, stop." "What's going on," Ava said walking up to the two Peter's face almost as red as Mary Jane's hair. "Can you tell her we didn't do anything," Peter said trying to dislodge himself from MJ's grasp. She looked at Peter and the large smile on his face maybe that's what spurred her to unleash a little.
She brought her gaze to Mary Jane's flashing flirtatious smile, "Please," she said gazing back at Peter and giving him a seductive wink, "should he be so lucky." She turned around and walked away allowing her hips to sway seductively from side to side.
Peter stopped moving in a state of shock, 'Leave it to Mary Jane to get oh so official Ava Ayala to loosen up.' Mary Jane drew close to his ear and whispered, "Oh, I like her." He turned towards her their faces centimeters apart. "You bring out the worst in people. You know that," he said letting a smile form on his face. "You are so blind Parker. I'm pretty sure it was you," she said letting go of him and walking away taking a cue from the seductive Ava and allowing her hips to sway from side to side. Peter stood there mouth agape but then looked up at the ceiling, "If this is you giving me a break then you have a wicked sense of humor."
Mary Jane followed after Ava seeing the girl at the sink cleaning dishes. "So did you enjoy that as much as I did," She asked leaning against the counter next to her. Ava let a small smile form on her lips, "yeah it's actually kind of fun." "So the question is do you want to keep wearing Peter's clothes all day or do you want to come to my house and pick something out." Ava took a sniff of the clothes she could smell Peter's scent and sweat. "Yeah these clothes stink a bit. You sure you don't mind?" "Hey what are friends for." And there it was something else Ava wasn't used to. Ava usually didn't have very many friends. She did have the team but she never really tried to connect with any of them. She put up that strictly professional barrier and refused to let anyone in so she wouldn't seem weaker to anyone. Peter was the closest and now here was this redhead showing her a kindness she just wasn't used to.
Mary Jane led Ava to the door glancing at a still bewildered Peter. "We're going to my house to get some clothes you think you can handle being alone?" Peter flopped down on the couch, laying down and closing his eyes. He smiled, "Yes mom. I won't burn the house down while you're gone."
Peter laid there thinking to himself even after the girls had left the room. His body still felt stiff and his muscles ached more than ever but at least he had a full stomach. 'Who knew Ava could cook,' he thought to himself as he slowly sank back into the couch allowing the comfy cushions to swallow him whole. "I swear sometimes I think this couch is my arch enemy," he said as he felt himself drifting back into sleep.
…..
"Wow I didn't know you lived so close to Parker," Ava said from the redhead's bedroom. "Yeah it's kind of how we got to know each other," Mary Jane said passing Ava a dark green towel. "The bathroom is just across from mine. I should have something for you to wear for you when you're done." Mary Jane didn't wait to see Ava leave moving towards her TV and flipping to the nearest news station.
…
Ava stood in the bathroom slowly unbuttoning the shirt, savoring the intoxicating smell filling her nostrils. She hated it, hated that she loved it. Last night had been almost like a dream or something she would have read in one of her books. She allowed the garment to drop to the floor and stared at herself in the mirror. Not in some conceited sense like she was trying to look at her appearances but to see who she really was. She tried so hard to be a strong willed independent and controlled woman but last night proved that those illusions where nothing but a façade, like some sort of cheap mask she wore to keep other people out. Last night Parker had seen behind that mask and she hated it and loved it. Reveled in it and at the same time rebelled against it. The truth was maybe she did want someone to come in and show her that she was a woman as well as a super hero but the idea of that person being Peter, a guy she worked with who was also her leader filled her with so much fear. She dropped the last of his clothes and walked towards the shower.
She stood there letting the water wash over her body, almost cleansing her. Washing away all the filth of last night as she reflected on everything she had done. She had lost control severely hurt at least dozen people that night plus she almost killed someone and she knew the tiger side would have killed Peter too if it had the chance. But what was even more dreadful was that the tiger was her. She had wanted Peter dead.
She turned the water off grabbing the green towel and drying her body. She wrapped it around herself and bent down and picked up Peters clothes as she made her way back to Mary Jane's room.
…
Mary Jane had found the clothes she would loan to Ava and was now currently on her bed watching the news.
"Well Rebecca I think it is obvious from pictures of the fight that Spider-Man was there fighting this woman. What we have to remember is that what we see is only one tenth of the story." Mary Jane stared at her TV screen Rebecca Chang one of Mary Jane's favorite reporters and a new girl, Indira Daimonji, where in a heated discussion on air about the events of last night. "The neighbors of the couple have made previous complaints to the police of loud noises coming from the apartment like there was some kind of fight. So I went to the hospital myself and asked the woman. She claims she received her bruises from the fight that ensued between Spider-Man and the woman that our background check has confirmed goes by the alias White Tiger. Her story seems highly improbable as one look from her husband shows he has many extensive injuries and I find it odd that she has only one tiny bruise and a couple of cuts while her husband had very severe cuts and bruises plus the one on his neck." The woman paused composing herself, "I know we report facts but with one of the biggest news organizations around putting out biased opinions such as "a turf war amongst opposing criminals" I think we should strive to have an open mind of the situation." Rebecca Chang placed a slender finger along her face and rested her chin on her thumb before speaking, "So are you saying these two were not fighting." Indy let out a long sigh before she spoke, "No, they defiantly where fighting. What people are not grasping is that these heroes, vigilantes are just like us ordinary people. They can break and snap just like any human being put under pressure. Now the things they face are worse than any normal person could be put under so these people could easily be suffering from personality disorders."
Ava slowly opened the door stepping inside the cluttered room. "Thanks for the shower it felt great." Mary Jane looked back at Ava noting the contrast of the green towel on her skin. "I knew green would look good with your complexion. I got you a moss green button up a black shirt and some black Jeans. There on the bed there." Mary Jane noted the small accumulation of bruises, fading scars, and the sleek and toned muscle.
She turned her attention back to the news. They were showing a video of the fight that a man had caught on his cell phone from the building over. Mary Jane felt anger at what she was seeing. Peter her friend being thrashed around for trying to do the right thing and this woman the person in her house right now had done it to him. The anger filled her to the brim till she couldn't take anymore. She paused the video.
Ava took notice of the silence. Looking over at Mary Jane staring at a frozen picture of Peter holding her against him on the screen. She could see the gashes on his bloody the blood dripping from them and leaving a horrific contrast on her costume.
"My home life wasn't always so great," Mary Jane said not even turning away from the image. "My father wasn't always the nicest person you could meet. I mean there were times when he'd almost be sweet and kind but those were overshadowed by the times he would beat on my mother." She stood there shaking her head lost in her memories, "I remember being so scared that I felt paralyzed, like I couldn't do anything. I remember begging Peter to run away with me and god we literally spent the whole day running around his yard trying to find a safe place to stay where no one would find us." She smiled to herself letting out a soft almost nonexistent giggle. "You could imagine we didn't get very far," Mary Jane said smiling to herself.
"The truth was Peter kept my spirits up in the dark times, until his uncle died. Everything changed after that. I remember the day I found out. He seemed so lost so broken. Pretty soon he stopped talking to me all together. I'd barely even got a chance to see him at school and when I did he'd always be sleeping and god the horrible bruises he would have," Mary Jane said staring out the window lost in her thoughts. "I remember thinking that I'd have to go through all this alone. My father's drinking continued to get worse." "One day I'd had enough," she said resting both hands on the window sill her grip tightening. "I remember seeing Peter sneak out of his house that day and I stared out the window wondering where he could be going that late at night. Hours passed. It must have been around two when my father finally got home after one of his binges." She put both hands on her arms cradling herself.
Ava looked at the girl, "why are you telling me this?"
Mary Jane let a fierce gaze drift to Ava's. "Trust me there is a point. All I remember was the noise of him hitting my mom and her just trying to hold it all in, probably in some vain attempt to hold our family together. I lost control. I was no longer that little girl who hid away in the crawlspace of her closet to get away from the world. I marched out there ready to defend my mother. God he hit me so hard I remember getting thrown off my feet and landing on the ground and him just standing over me ready to hit me again and shouting "Look what you made me do." I braced myself for a hit that never came and when I opened my eyes he was there. Peter standing there so distorted by the shadows and his own suffering I didn't even recognize him anymore and my father I remember him crashed over against the wall and Peter he just walked over to him and grabbed him by his hair and dragging him out the front door. He kept hitting him and hitting him over and over again and somewhere in that moment I realized he was going to kill him. I ran up to him grabbing him by both arms begging him not to do it, not to save the pathetic excuse of a man I called my father but to save my friend and some where I saw him listen he let him go and shouted at him "if you lay a finger on them ever again I will come back here and finish you." Mary Jane said drawing closer to Ava. "My father ran and never came back hell I still haven't seen him to this day but you know what got me the most is afterwards while my father was picking himself up off the ground trying desperately to escape. Peter just stood there sobbing it wasn't till I touched him and he just looked back at me not a tear in his eyes all his emotions threatening to break the visage and said, "sorry It took so long MJ but kind of had a lot on my plate right now." I should have known then who he really was and I hate myself for it, for knowing that he was in that much pain and allowing myself to forget about it." She placed both arms on either side of Ava's shoulders. "I love him as much as I do my own mother. He and my mom are the only two people I have left." "That's why if you ever hurt him again, White Tiger I kill you myself," Mary Jane said casting a glare in Ava's direction, "Peter's been through too much for you to add to it."
Ava froze the realization of all her words finally sinking in. "you know?" "Peter Parker fought a known super villain at our school dressed as Spider-Man and won. I'm not an idiot. Figuring out who you where just took time and reasoning and because you two made headlines it made it that much easier." Ava stared at the screen, the image of Peter carrying her away in his arms still on it and for some reason it drove her to tell this woman she had never met before the truth, "My powers work off the talisman that belonged to my father. When he was murdered I inherited the tiger talisman from him. I left my family to keep them safe and to become stronger so no one in my family would ever get hurt again. Peter, he said something before he left last night that reminded me of that. It awoken the tiger side and I was unable to hold it back. Peter even after everything that's happened, he pulled me back from losing myself completely before I killed anyone. I swear I would kill myself before I ever hurt him." She froze. What was she saying? Peter was just a teammate why was she caring so much. Looking back at the TV she gazed at Peter holding her. 'And that would be why,' she thought.
Mary Jane looked at the girl a new understanding between the two forming this very second. Mary Jane smiled and said, "Good that makes two of us," as she moved towards a small blanket she had hung over the wall with her timeline on it. She pulled it down and proceeded to take down the entire timeline and throwing them in her waste bin. "I hope you can keep this between the two of us because I want him to tell me when he's ready. Now why don't you finish getting dressed and we can head back. I could use some Parker time right now to lighten the mood but don't worry. I got some more story research to do later. You'll get him all to yourself tonight." "What's that supposed to mean?" Mary Jane Smiled to herself and shook her head,' she's just as clueless as he is.
