When we left the shop, we chose a direction and just walked. It wasn't exactly the most exciting start to our hang out, but she didn't seem to mind.

"So, how was your day?" I asked.

"It was okay, I guess," MJ replied plainly. She took a moment to grab a strand of hair from the front of her face and tuck it behind her ear. "I just had class and work. I hung out with Ned and Betty during lunch. And… I had to curb Brad… again."

"I'm guessing he's a guy at school?" I looked at her with a look of curiosity, trying to act like I didn't know who he was.

"Yeah, he is." She grimaced. "A lot of people say that he's a nice guy… and he does seem like it. But I can't help but get the feeling that there's something underneath all of that, like a wolf in sheep's clothing, you know?"

"I see." I myself frowned, remembering the trip to Europe and how Brad tried to sabotage my chances with MJ. He was quite the tool, maybe even more of a tool than Flash, if only because Flash was at least open with his jerkiness.

"So, prior to you becoming an American Idiot, what does a normal day in the life of Peter Parker look like?" MJ asked, looking at me.

"Well… I get up, eat breakfast sometimes," I began as I looked up towards the sky. "I clean up around the apartment. Then I head out to GED class, go through that. I stop by the coffee shop to meet the number one barista in the world." I glanced as her just in time to see her roll her eyes. "I go home, study and do homework, maybe watch something on YouTube, then go to bed to do it all over again."

"Real exciting stuff there," MJ deadpanned. "Why do I feel like Ned and I saved you from a life of boredom?"

"Because you did." I said this in an ambiguous tone.

"I don't even know if you're being sarcastic or sincere."

"The sad thing is neither do I."

We went quiet again for a bit. We then stopped at an intersection and looked both ways.

"So, what made you choose Peter Pan for your caffeine and sweets addiction?" MJ inquired.

"Well, when I moved to Manhattan, I asked a couple of people where there was a good spot for coffee, and Peter Pan came up," I lied. "It was a bit out of the way, to say the least. But I figured I'd give the place a shot. Ever since the first cup, I figured it was as good as any place to make it my go-to. I'm happy I did." I decided to change the subject. I knew I could only lie to MJ for so long before she asked the one question that could make me lose my composure. "So, want to like, head to Central Park or something?"

"I'd rather not," MJ said. "There's a whole sad story behind that place. You know, there was a neighborhood called Seneca Village that was…" She trailed off. "Sorry, I'm not trying to sour the mood."

"No, please, keeping going," I said in earnest. "I like hearing bits of dark trivia from you…" I trailed off for a moment as I looked down at the ground in thought.

Sour, I mused internally. Sour… wait…

"But, tell me on the subway," I said suddenly as I looked up at her. "I got an idea."

MJ narrowed her eyes. "Where are we going?"

"Red Hook."

"…Okay, I know we didn't make any set plans, but… why?"

"Remember that video Ned sent to the group chat the other day?"

"The one with that wrestler Big E? Yes, I…." Her eyes went wide. She then laughed as she shook her head. "No. No! Absolutely not!"

"Come on," I pleaded. "It'll be fun!"

MJ held up her index fingers at me as she stepped back, shaking her head. "Peter, I know certain things about me are morbid, but my set of taste buds isn't one of them! And that thing in that video… that is just weird!"

I tilted my head and pouted, trying to give her a puppy-eyed look. "Then let's be weird together."

MJ looked back at me, clearly unimpressed. "You're not cute."

"You're right. I'm adorable."

MJ drew her lips into her mouth and closed her eyes. She was trying not to laugh, and she succeeded for the most part, even though her shoulders were quivering. After she took a breath, she opened her eyes and sighed.

"Fine," she said in a defeated tone. She then made a tsk sound. "But you're paying."

"Sounds good to me."

We made our way to the nearest subway station and took the train to Brooklyn Heights. During the ride, I listened to MJ as she told me the story behind Central Park. It was dreary. It showed a very disgusting side of humanity and the history of New York City.

"You know, sometimes we forget how blessed we are," MJ said at the end of it. I looked at her curiously.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Like nowadays, we have heroes that are willing to stay local instead of just going off to be a part of The Avengers or some other super team to fight abroad or take on a threat that threatens the world or universe." She looked at me. "People like Spider-Man, Shadowcat, and Frictor… Luke Cage, Daredevil, Iron Fist, and Jessica Jones… even The Punisher, to an extent. We have heroes that are willing to help out the little guy. Back then, Seneca Village didn't have that. Imagine if they did. Maybe we'd be looking at a different kind of New York."

I remained quiet. Little did she know that I was an Avenger for all of a few days (not counting Blip Years). I couldn't leave the city behind if I wanted to. So many times I wanted to quit, and yet whenever I came close to doing so, something would happen that made me think about what could have happened if I wasn't there.

"You're right," I finally said.

Once we got off at Brooklyn Heights, we ascended to ground level and took the bus to Red Hook. Once there, we made a walk through the streets until we arrived at a certain bodega.

"Red Hook Food Corp," I said as I read the sign. I nodded. "This is the place." I looked over at MJ. "You ready?"

"Ready as I'll ever be," MJ replied in a very not excited tone. "If I get the bubble guts, you're paying for Pepto Bismol, too."

"Fair enough."

I stepped up to the door and opened it, allowing MJ to enter first. I walked in after her, we both walked up to the counter, which was being manned by none other than Rahim Mohamed – more famously known as General Ock.

"Hey guys," he greeted happily. I walked up to the counter.

"Hello," I greeted. I cleared my throat. "I'm sorry if this is a weird question but… do you happen to have Booty O's in stock?"

"Sure do, boss. I tend to keep a box at the deli." He then looked back and forth between me and MJ. "Can't say I've seen you guys around. You're new to the neighborhood?"

"Visiting actually," MJ said. "We're from Queens."

"And you two came all the way here for some Booty O's?"

"No… well… technically yes… but we were hoping that we could get two Big E style Chopped Cheeses – The Ocky Way, of course," I explained.

At that, Ock smiled. "Suuuuuuure, suuuuuure!"

About twenty minutes later, we left the shop. After that, I called up an Uber had the driver drop us off at Brooklyn Bridge Park. From there, we walked over to the Granite Prospect and took a seat.

"Well, now that we're actually seated, we can finally try these," I said happily as I pulled one of the chopped cheeses out of the bag and handed it to MJ.

"YAAAAY!" MJ deadpanned as she took the sandwich. I took my own out of the bag before I slowly unwrapped the foil from around it. "Seriously, Peter, look at the size of these things!" She wasn't lying. Each of our sandwiches had four pieces of buttered and grilled bread with multiple layers of chopped up and seasoned burger patties, mozzarella sticks, bacon, and, of course, cheese. But, it had spinach and radicchio lettuce, so it balanced out, right?

"Yeah, this is going to be the biggest thing I ever put in my mouth." I paused for a moment, realizing how that sounded. I then gave MJ a sideways look. She had a mischievous smirk on her face.

"Ditto," she replied. I snorted out a laugh. I watched as she unwrapped her sandwich. She shook her head. "I'm really about to eat this monstrosity and I can't help but feel for the toilet I'm likely going to wreak havoc on in the morning." She looked at me. "This better be the best thing ever."

"Only one way to find out," I chuckled out. I held my sandwich out towards her. "Cheers."

She lightly tapped her sandwich against mines. "Cheers."

After that, we both bit into our sandwiches. I chewed for a while. After swallowing, I had a smile on my face as I nodded in approval. I looked over at MJ, who didn't look disgusted.

"Okay, I'll admit it, this was the move," MJ conceded.

We ate in silence for a while. Once we were done eating, I pulled out two cans of Arizona Iced Tea from the bag and handed one to her. We then got up and took a stroll through the park for a bit, drinking our teas silently as we just took in the ambience. After some time, we found a bench to sit on.

"Thank you for asking me to hang out tonight," MJ murmured. "I had a great time."

"Thanks for obliging me," I responded quietly. "I had a great time, too."

"I was surprised you asked me out, to be honest." She looked out towards East River. "It seems like the only time I ever see you is either at the coffee shop or during the get together with the rest of The American Idiots."

"Well, to be honest, I wanted to hang out with you for a while." I looked down towards my lap. "I just… never got the nerves to do it until yesterday.

At that, MJ scoffed. "Peter Parker – brave enough to risk getting shot to save someone, yet nervous about asking me to hang out. I guess fear doesn't follow a logical progression."

At that, I smirked. I looked up at her. "I guess not."

MJ nodded. She then chuckled as she shook her head. "You know, us sitting on a bench and looking out towards the river… this is a scene straight out of a romance novel or movie, don't you think?"

I felt my face heat up. "I-I…" I cleared my throat. "I suppose it is." I smiled slightly. "This would be the part where the guy's love interest lays her head on his shoulder, no?"

MJ rolled her eyes. "Is that what you're expecting from me?" She glared at me. "Is that what you want me to do?" I opened my mouth to say something. "Maybe I want YOUR head on MY shoulder." I closed my mouth and looked at her in confusion. She then briefly raised her left shoulder as if she was offering it up. It took me a moment to realize what she wanted. So, slowly, I scooted closer to her until our legs were touching. I then lay my head on her shoulder. She brought her left arm around my shoulders and pulled me in a bit closer.

It took me some seconds to relax. That was because I was loathing how unfair this was. It was unfair to Michelle because she doesn't know that she held me like this plenty of times before, not wanting me to hog all of the big spoon privileges to myself. It was unfair that her holding me like this brought back a flood of memories we shared, to her following Ned and I around until she naturally became a part of our circle, to the time we finally kissed in London. It was unfair how much I wanted to kiss her but I couldn't because of The Spell, something I've been regretting a little more day by day.

Fuck you, Past Peter.

However, my frustration was eventually overshadowed by my joy of being in MJ's arms again – or, I guess, arm, in this case. So, with a contented sigh, I relaxed into her. I then closed my eyes when I felt her fingers moving through my hair.

"Thank you," I whispered.

"It's no big deal," she muttered. "I just figured you could use a shoulder to lay your head on."

"Is that right?"

"Mhm. I'm very observant, you know? Especially when someone intrigues me."

"Have you been observing me?"

At that, she chuckled. "Maybe."

I smiled slightly. "So, what conclusions have you made about me based on your observations?"

I felt her body expand a bit as she took in a breath. "Well… from what I can tell… you're a walking paradox. You want close relationships and genuine bonds with people. I'd go as far as to say you crave them because you're starved of them – you're lonely. And yet, you have a tendency to keep people at a distance. Maybe it's because you think you'll get people hurt. Maybe you're afraid you'll ruin things. Maybe you think you're bad luck. And I think certain things happened in your life to make you believe that, if your near-breakdown during American Idiot was anything to go by." It was at this point when I clenched my eyes shut and deepened my breathing, trying my best to keep it together as pre-Spell memories bubbled up. "And now you're here, at a crossroads, deciding on whether or not you want to fully open up to us." She paused for a moment. "…Am I right?"

I wanted to lie. But I couldn't. MJ had me figured out. "You are," I choked out. A few moments later, I felt her body shift right before I felt a hand on my cheek.

"Peter, look at me," she whispered. Without hesitation, I slowly raised my head from her shoulder and opened my eyes. She had a look on her face that was unreadable to me. Still, I kept my eyes on her, staring into her eyes. "Do you want to know what else I think? …I think I can take care of you so fucking good. All you have to do is let me in."

After that, she pulled me into a hug. This gesture I immediately accepted as I brought my arms around her. We held each tight for several moments. I remembered how I missed all of this – her touch, her scent… Hell, her very presence.

"MJ, I – "

It was because of that that I almost slipped up and told her that I love her. I stopped myself – we weren't there yet. Or, rather, she wasn't there yet.

"What's up, Peter?" she whispered in my ear.

"…I was about to say… that… I'm going to need some time," I lied. Well, it wasn't really a lie, per se – I really did feel that way. "I'm still getting used to trusting people again and not keeping them at arm's length. Will you be patient with me?"

"Would I be your favorite barista if I wasn't?"

I chuckled. "No… well, maybe?" MJ laughed as she squeezed me tighter.

We spent about a half hour more on the bench before we made our way home.

When I got home, I walked over to my bed and sat on it. I reflected on the night I had with MJ. All the while, I reflected on how I felt. For the first time in a long while, I felt happy, joyous, elated, hopeful, optimistic and… I wanted nothing more than to call up the others and tell them all about it. But it was late. Craig and Kitty were on patrol, and the latter told me to keep Spider-Man off the streets tonight. Ned and Betty were likely sleeping, as well as Scott. Speaking of Scott, well, I was sure I could talk to him about it in the morning.

Instead, I decided to do the next best thing.

I stood up walked over to my desk. I looked down at the list that still remained there. I contemplated it for a moment before I grabbed the pen and took the cap off. I looked down at third item on the list.

3. Decide on whether or not to tell them the truth.

I drew a line through that sentence. I took in a deep breath before I set the pen down.

"Don't flake Peter," I said to myself. "Don't flake."