Peter's managed to survive his first two Honors biology classes. He had a bit of stage fright as he started off his first class, but then he remembered he's got bigger problems- swear to God, if one of his regular nuisances pops up on his first day of this new job, he'll curse the very day he was born. Thank God, his spider-sense is quiet, so far. Doesn't look like one of his students is a super-villain in disguise.
His first break is during third period, and ordinarily he'd be grading, but it's only the first week of school, so he loosens his tie and wanders to the teachers' lounge. It's shabby and empty, but there's a fresh pot of coffee percolating, and he grabs a mug and waits for it to finish.
The door swings open, and a voice sings out, "Hey, is the caffeine ready?" He looks up to see a woman peeking around a stack of what looks like stage costumes. Her vibrantly red hair is is a loose chignon that has pieces slipping out and framing her face.
"Yeah, yeah, let me- do you want help?" he gestures to the costumes. She shakes her head. "I got it, but I'd appreciate a cup of the good stuff." She drops the clothes unceremoniously onto the table and sits down. He fills both of their mugs and sits down beside her. She's pulled out a needle and started threading it, and she seizes what looks like a colonial dress and starts stitching together a torn hem.
"You new?" she asks. She keeps sewing, but looks up and mets his gaze. She's got green eyes. "Yeah," Peter manages. "I'm teaching biology."
"The senior girls must be thanking God," she grins. "Your predecessor was a grumpy old cat lady. You're much easier on the eyes."
He laughs, a little embarrassed and a lot flattered. "What do you teach?"
"Theatre. Thus, these," she gestures to the pile. "We had big budget cuts last year to the arts. I can't afford to buy new costumes, so I'm fixing the old ones we had in storage."
"Sorry to hear that," he says.
"You shouldn't be," she says. "You didn't make the call, and cutting my budget is what bought your AP class their new microscopes."
"So why theatre?" he asks, trying desperately to distract from how his department screwed over hers.
"Uh," she looks a little sheepish. "I did a few years on Broadway."
"Wow."
"Yeah, I...I enjoyed it, but I had to stop touring so I could be close to family. My aunt, she's getting older."
"Yeah, I get that," Peter nods. "My aunt May raised me, and I feel like I need to take care of her. She fusses over me, though, like I'm the eighty-year-old."
She laughs, then shakes her head. "Oh! Mary Jane Watson. And you are?"
"Peter Parker."
"Pleasure to meet you."
"And you."
Mary Jane quickly becomes Peter's best work friend. She's funny as hell and has a gift for making jokes under her breath at boring staff meetings. They eat lunch together most days, and get coffee during their breaks during the day, which align. It's only a matter of time before he's helplessly crushing on her. He checks her left hand, which is ringless, but the idea of someone as cool as she is being single seems unlikely. There are times he thinks they're flirting, but what the hell does he know about women? It's not until she pushes him into the counter in the staff room and demands, "Hey, do you like me or not, Pete?" that he realizes he has a chance.
He checks for students outside the staff room, and seeing the coast is clear, kisses her.
She's grinning when he pulls away.
"Face it Tiger, you just hit the jackpot."
"You free on Friday?"
"Only if I can take you to karaoke night."
"It's a date."
I know it's been entirely too long...hopefully this makes up for it.
