Chapter 7: The Hunter

Spidey's spider sense buzzed and he barely managed to dodge an arrow flying at his head!

"What the?!" He landed on a rooftop, then someone landed a few feet away from him and swung a dagger at him!

Spidey dodged and weaved around, then flipped over the man's head. He finally got a good look at his attacker; he was tall and muscular, had short black hair with a mustache and goatee. His outfit looked like he came from the jungle.

"And just who might you be, my tall, rugged friend?" Spidey asked in his usual overconfident quipster tone.

"Call me Kraven the Hunter," The man responded in a deep voice with a thick Russian accent.

"Hunter? Don't you know they outlawed hunting Spider-Men?! We're an endangered species!" Spidey remarked.

"Then I will make it my job to bring about your extinction," Kraven responded, unsheathing a VERY large knife from his side.

He rushed towards Spider-Man, swinging the knife with vigor. Spidey managed to stay one step ahead of him as he did, but only by a small amount. The man was precise, not just swinging wildly around like he was used to. After several dodges, Spidey finally got an opening, kicking Kraven in his stomach, sending him flying back, though he managed to steady himself when landing. Spidey fired a web at his foe, but the man jumped out of the way just before it reached him. He fired another and another, but Kraven dodged them too, getting close to him once again. This time, the blade managed to catch Spidey in the arm. Thankfully it only nicked him, but it tore clean through a small section of his costume!

"Ah, jeez!" Spider grunted before he attempted to tie Kraven up in webs, again, but Kraven managed to cut through them!

Spidey braced himself as his adversary lunged for him again, this time managing to disarm him of the knife when it came.

"Aha!" the hero cheered, which turned out to be premature as Kraven grabbed him and wrapped him into a bear hug, squeezing him tightly. Spidey felt as though his insides were being crushed together, but after a forceful struggle, he broke free of Kraven's grip, elbowing the man in the neck before immediately spinning back and connecting with a punch square to his face. This sent Kraven flying back and landing hard against the edge of the roof.

"Incredible," Kraven marveled. "I have never hunted something that could break my grip before." He smiled a menacing smile that sent shivers down Peter's spine. Was the man really enjoying all of this?

"Listen Tarzan," Spidey spoke up. "It was all fun and games at first, but what do you say we finish this?"

"I fully intend to. You are truly a worthy prey, Spider," Kraven said, apparently commending him. "However, it will have to be another time."

With that, he dropped a smoke grenade on the roof, which filled the air when it went off. Spidey lunged forward to catch his foe before he could make a quick getaway, but all he connected with was air, flying off the roof in the process. He fired a web back towards the roof, pulling himself back onto it, but it was too late. Kraven was gone.

Peter spent the next thirty minutes trying to pick up the man's trail, but it was no use. His mask's tracking technology couldn't even pick up anything; it was as if the man had just vanished into thin air.

Suddenly, he heard his phone ring.

"Oh, man, MJ," he muttered before he picked it up.

"Peter, where are you?" asked MJ. "You said you were on your way."

"I am, but someone came after me," he responded.

"Are you okay?" she asked, with obvious concern.

"He managed to nick a small cut on my arm, but otherwise, I'm fine," he assured her.

"You know what, forget the date," MJ said. "You get yourself taken care of first."
After a brief pause, "Come to my place."

"A-Are you sure?" Peter asked.

"I wouldn't be saying it if I wasn't sure," said MJ.

"Okay, I'll be there soon," Peter responded rather apprehensively, then hung up.

As he swung to MJ's apartment, he felt extremely nervous. He knew where she lived, but he'd never actually been inside of it. It was usually a big step when a boyfriend got to see his girlfriend's place, but...
MJ was normally so closed-off and normally didn't invited people to her place.

"OH CRAP!" Peter just realized that he didn't know what floor or room she lived in.
Somehow, as if she'd known what he was thinking; he received a text from her.

"Third floor, window on the left with the patio."

Peter sighed in relief as he made his way to her apartment building. As he got to the building across from it, he saw her sitting by the window, and when she spotted him, she waved.

He swung over and she opened the window for him, "C'mon, it's cold out there."

Soon, Peter climbed into the window, taking off his mask as he did.

He looked around, seeing MJ's room for the first time. It wasn't girly, although, he never expected it to be. It was definitely larger than his room, but not as big as Harry's. She had a lot of books, which was no surprise. Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, and more. There was a desk with some sketches that she'd done in her spare time, and some were on her wall. Some portraits of famous philosophers like Friedrich Nietzsche and Albert Camus on her walls as well. A picture of Andy Warhol and some of his art, and a picture of Marilyn Monroe. What really surprised him was seeing a poster of Beyoncé.

"You like Beyoncé, huh?" Peter asked. "Any favorites from her?"

"Yoncé, Single Ladies, Beautiful Liar, Rocket," she counted down with her fingers. "But I also love the songs she did with Destiny's Forgotten Children."

Peter chuckled at the joke, and also noticed a pink hat on her desk. It was the one worn for the Women's Rights Protest. It didn't surprise him that much to learn she was a feminist.

"What happened here?" MJ asked as she noticed the cut on his arm.

"It's just a small scratch," replied Peter.

"Let me see," she said in a tone that left no room for argument.

Peter pressed the emblem on his chest so his suit deflated off of him, and he sat down next to her.

She lifted his arm so she could get a closer look, "Doesn't look too bad, but I'm definitely bandaging it."

She grabbed a first aid kit on her other side.

"Hold still," she said as she used alcohol to clean out the cut, first, causing Peter to hiss at the stinging.

"Oh suck it up, big baby," she griped.

"Whatever you say, baby," he responded.

She paused for a minute to glare at him, "Don't call me that."

Peter almost panicked and tried to come up with an apology, but noticed the playful glint in her eyes, so he knew she was joking.

Then, they both began to laugh.

"You're getting better," she complimented.

"I told you I would," he responded as she finished applying the alcohol, then started wrapping the bandage around his arm.

Once she did, she snipped the bandage off and tied it tightly so it wouldn't come off.
"So, who did this to you?"

"Some Russian guy who looked like he came from Africa," Peter said. "He called himself 'Kraven'."

"A Russian Tarzan?" MJ questioned. "That's a new one."

"Tell me about it," Peter quipped. "And the guy acted like he knew all my moves before I could make them."

"Maybe he has a lot of experience in fighting," MJ suggested.

Peter nodded, then took notice of MJ's attire. An oversized grey hooded sweatshirt, and some black colored shorts, strangely. It was really warm inside her warm, so it was alright. He never noticed till now how long and smooth MJ's legs were. Hell, her whole skin was smooth.

"Yeah, my legs are long, quit staring," she spoke out, startling him.

"Sorry, it, it's just..." Peter stammered, trying to save himself. "It's just the first time I'm seeing your legs, and, uh...your skin looks so smooth, and-no! Gah, I'm not trying to be a creepy or anything like that, it's just...you're really pretty..."

"So you've said-" she responded, slightly brushing it off.

"You are," he reiterated, not sounding nervous this time. "You have this rare, natural beauty, even though you never wear make-up."

MJ glanced up at him before she smiled.

"Well...between you and me...I always thought you were cute," she said.

He smiled back, then leaned over to kiss her, but she stopped him.

"Could you put some clothes on first?" she motioned that he was still only wearing his boxers.

Peter blushed sheepishly, "I...didn't bring any clothes with me..."

"Well, I guess I could give you something of mine," She suggested.

Peter's blush reddened even more at that.

She got up, went to her dresser and pulled out some dark blue sweatpants, and a grey shirt, then tossed them to him.

"Oh, thanks," Peter said.

"...You were expecting tight-fitting stuff, weren't you?" asked MJ.

"Uh, n-no! No!" Peter stammered. "...A little."

"It's fine, I have some clothes like that, but I don't really wear 'em."

"I wouldn't mind seeing you wear them," Peter commented as he got dressed.

Someone knocked at MJ's bedroom door, causing Peter to panic a bit. He quickly finished dressing and hid his costume under her bed.

"Who is it?" MJ called.

"The pizza guy, who do ya think?" A much younger, male voice replied sarcastically.

MJ groaned and rolled her eyes. "What is it, Caleb?"

"Dinner's ready," he responded.

"I'll be there in a second," MJ answered.

"Relax, your boyfriend can join us if he wants," Caleb stated. "Mom's not here."

"Okay, then we'll be there in a minute," said MJ.

Peter looked shocked, "How did-?"

"He's observant as well, but not as much as me," MJ answered.

Peter nodded, then she led him to the living room/dining room/kitchen area. There was definitely more space than his apartment, but not as big as Harry's. All in all, it was cozy-looking.

"Hope you like pasta," said MJ.

"I do," Peter answered.

Soon, dinner was served. It was just spaghetti with organic tomato sauce and some basil since MJ didn't eat meat.

Caleb looked to be about 12 years old, with a darker complexion than his sister. His black hair was braided in cornrows.

"Oh, this is my brother Caleb," MJ introduced him. "C, this is my boyfriend, Peter Parker."

"Hey, what's up?" Caleb asked.

"Nice to meet ya," Peter replied. "How goes things for you?"

"Pretty sweet, since I'm meeting Spider-Man," Caleb answered.

Peter's eyes went as wide as dinner plates, while MJ tried to remain calm and stoic.

"What are you talking about?" she questioned. "Peter's not-"

"We live on the third floor, Misha," Caleb countered. "How else could he have gotten in through your window? Plus, he's wearing your clothes."

"...Okay, fair enough," Peter said. "But look, promise me you won't say anything to anybody, okay? This'll be our little secret."

"I know how to keep secrets, right sis?" Caleb gave MJ a look that close siblings would share.

"You can trust Caleb," she said. "He'll be cool about this."

"Good to know," Peter said as he and Caleb did a fist bump. "I see you share MJ's brains, and her wit."

"It's a gift," MJ remarked, smirking.

They continued eating, talking about things like Caleb's school and some of Peter's Spider-Man exploits.

After that, Peter decided to head home.

"I should leave a change of clothes here for myself, for next time," he mentioned. "That is, if there will be a next time."

"There just might be," MJ replied.

Peter gave back her borrowed clothes, put his suit back on, and exited from her window.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~The Following Friday~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The night of the Winter Formal dance and Peter was struggling with his bow tie, again. Thankfully, May helped him.

"You look so handsome," she said.

"Thanks, May," Peter replied.

Pepper had definitely rented him a great tux, with a note that said "Enjoy your night. Wait till you see your prom tux!".

The week had been pretty uneventful; no more appearances by Kraven the Hunter, whom Aaron and Ned gave him a 411 on.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Flashback~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Good thing you only got one scratch," Aaron stated.

"So, who is he?" Peter asked.

"I actually did some research on anyone with the name "Kraven" who was into hunting," Ned chimed in. "And there was one match; Sergei Kravinoff."

He handed Peter a picture, and MJ took a look, "Ugh, a face only a mother could love. Is that the same guy?"

"That's definitely him," Peter said. "So what's his deal?"

"He's one of the best big game hunters in the world," Aaron said. "On my Earth and this one."

"Yeah, but get this: he NEVER uses guns when subduing his prey," Ned said excitedly. "He only uses weapons that he makes on his own, which is mostly knives and the occasional bow and arrow."

Peter glanced up at his best friend, "I'm glad you're so enthusiastic about the capabilities of someone who is trying to kill me."

"Sorry" Ned said sheepishly, realizing he was getting caught up in something cool again.

"It says here that he disappeared from public life 2 years ago after he was attacked and nearly killed by a lion," MJ observed.

"Yeah, that's the most recent thing I could find on him," Ned said. "Nobody has had any clue on his whereabouts until he came for you last night."

"Seems like more than a coincidence," MJ stated.

"What do you mean?" Peter asked, giving his girlfriend a puzzled look.

"Two criminals come after you armed with new battle suits in the last couple months, and suddenly some guy with a penchant for hunting things comes after you?" MJ clarified.

"I don't know," Peter started skeptically. "He made it seem like I was some big prize to him. He seemed like he was enjoying the whole fight and even called me a worthy opponent at one point. It could just be that he came after me because he enjoyed the thought of taking me down."

"Maybe," MJ said. "But I wouldn't rule out the idea that the guy who hired Scorpion and Rhino didn't hire Kraven."

"Does Kraven operate as a mercenary?" Peter asked Aaron.

"Not usually," he answered. "He lives for the thrill of the hunt. Spider-Man is somewhere at the top of his list. If he's ever hired by someone, he won't accept payment, unless it's something so valuable that he could use for something else."

"So basically, I'm just sport for him," said Peter. "Fantastic."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~End Flashback~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The fact that Kraven hadn't made a reappearance was a relief, but also unsettling.

He was out there, somewhere. Peter knew that much...but he couldn't walk on eggshells, watching his back for every second of his life.

"So, let's head over to MJ's," May stated.

"Right," Peter said, remembering that the dance was tonight.

~~~~~~~~~~~About 10 minutes later~~~~~~~~~~~~

May's car pulled up in front of MJ's apartment.

"Wow, this is definitely nicer than our place," she commented. "Do you want me to go up with you?"

"That's okay," Peter told her before he got out of the car. He was let inside the building, went to the third floor to Apartment #312, and Caleb was waiting at the open door.

"Misha's just finishing up," he told him. "Fair warning; our Mom is here."

Peter tensed a little. Somehow, he had expected this.

MJ's bedroom door opened and she stepped out, albeit shyly. She was wearing a deep navy-blue dress with a deep V-neck, showing a fair amount of cleavage, and on it was the print of iris flowers. She still wore her black dahlia necklace, which went well with the dress. Her hair was done up in a messy bun and she had sparkling silver eyeshadow, to represent snow.

Peter's jaw nearly dropped, she looked beautiful. It was rare to see her wearing any makeup, but it looked good on her.

Coming out of the room behind her was an African American woman in her late 30s, and Peter could tell where MJ got her height from.

"So, you must be this Peter I've heard so much about," she said. Her tone didn't sound very intimidating.

"Yes ma'am," he shook her hand.

"Desirée Jones," she introduced herself.

"Dr. Jones," Peter added with a grin, making everyone laugh.

"Too obvious, but never gets old," Desirée chuckled.

"It's very nice to meet you, ma'am," Peter said.

"You too," she walked away to the kitchen.

MJ approached Peter, twiddling with her fingers, "Be honest, I look ridiculous, right?"

"Are you kidding?" he questioned. "You look beautiful! Not that you don't always look that way, I just-"

MJ shut him up by kissing his cheek, "Thank you."

Peter smiled at her, endearingly before kissing her on the lips.

"Okay, you two," Desirée gently beckoned them out the door. "Have fun, but not too much."

MJ glared playfully at her mother as they headed downstairs.

"So, your mom seems nice," Peter said.

"Yeah, she's pretty cool," MJ replied as she walked with him.

They reached May's car and got in.

"Wow MJ, you look great!" she nearly squealed.

"Thanks May," MJ smiled.

"Okay, you two all buckled in?" May asked.

"Yes, May," Peter replied as he and MJ put on their seatbelts, and soon, they were off to the dance.

"Where did you get that dress?" May asked.

"Apparently it was a gift," MJ replied, glancing at Peter. "From Pepper Potts Stark."

"She also sent Peter his tux," May stated, glancing at the rear-view mirror at Peter. "How did-"

"She found out somehow," he answered. "Though, she mentioned Tony would've been more extravagant if he was behind it. I don't think I even wanna know."

"Well, let's hope nothing drags you away from THIS dance," May mentioned. "I'm sure The Avengers take breaks, so Spider-Man can, as well. Tonight, just be Peter and MJ."

"We'll try, May," said Peter.

"No, don't try," said May. "Tonight, you WILL be just Peter and MJ. That's all you two are going to be focusing on."

"I'll keep him under control, May," MJ assured her.

Soon, they arrived at the school. There were banners up for the dance, and there were some flashing lights in the gymnasium.

The music was loud, but not to the point where it was overwhelming.

"Okay, you two have fun," May told them.

"Thanks, again, May!" Peter said as she drove off.

MJ shivered a bit from the cold, so Peter wrapped his arms around her and led her inside.

"Better keep you warm," he joked.

"I'm sure you've got many ideas on how," she joked back.

Soon, they made it to the gym, which was all decorated for the dance: banners and streamers on the walls, white and icy blue balloons, and snack tables.

There were some flashing lights of different winter colors.

"Hey, Peter! MJ!"

Peter and MJ looked up to see Ned waving to them.

Standing with him was Betty, "Wow MJ, you look great!"

"How many times am I gonna hear that tonight?" she groaned a bit.

"Oh, come on, MJ, you really do look great," Peter reassured.

"I agree," Harry's voice chimed in. "Then again, all our dates look great."

On Harry's arm was Gwen Stacy.

"Hey, guys!" Gwen waved. "Look who asked me out~!"

"Congrats!" Ned cheered. "After getting saved by Spider-Man, you deserve a good date."

"Speaking of which, let's dance!" Betty dragged Ned to the dance floor.

"Enjoy Pete," Harry encouraged before he and Gwen went off.

MJ suddenly felt really nervous, cause she didn't know what to do. This was the first dance she'd come to where she had a date, but...

"You feeling okay?" Peter asked her, noticing her tension.

"I-...*sigh* I don't know how to dance," she confessed, a little embarrassed.

"You think I do?" Peter remarked.

"Really?" she questioned.

"Well, I mean, I've seen it in movies, but I've never actually done it," he replied. "We probably should've practiced, huh?"

"Yeah, probably."

Still, they went on the dance floor. MJ took Peter's right hand in her left and put her right over his shoulder. She felt a slight tingle of excitement and nervousness go through her body as she felt him place his other hand on her hip, completing their positioning. They locked eyes, and next thing they knew, they were gently swaying in rhythm to the music.

MJ had to admit, there was something peaceful about just being completely in rhythm with one Peter Parker, gently dancing along to nice, soft music.

She usually didn't get so romantic...but it was a very nice, safe feeling. It almost felt like she and Peter were the only two people there. It seemed the longer the two of them were together, the more he was turning her into a great big pile of softness and mush, and the craziest thing was that she didn't even mind.

All that mattered to them was right here, right now, this very moment...and it would be something they'd cherish forever.

More so when Prom came around.

Feeling bold, Peter leaned in to kiss her, and she responded eagerly. She got bolder when she tried to slip her tongue in his mouth. At first, he was a bit surprised. MJ had never really kissed him like this before...but then again, she had been a bit more outgoing, lately. She was probably growing more confident. So, he allowed it, and their tongues battle in each other's mouths. He felt really surprised when he heard her moan. So he pulled her closer and deepened the kiss.

Sadly, their tender moment was interrupted by some girls screaming in terror as some school security officers were thrown across the gym!

Peter and MJ separated, and turned to see that the one who had thrown the guards was Kraven!

"Oh, crap...!" Peter cursed in disdain.

"Quiet!" Kraven shouted, making the students quiet down and the DJ stopped the music. "If you all cooperate, I promise no harm will come to you. My name is Kraven, and I am hunting the hero you call Spider-Man."

"Then, why come here?" Brad Davis questioned.

Kraven stared him down, "Because I tracked the spider to this place. Apparently, he attends this school. So, Spider, why don't you show yourself?!"

Peter cringed as he and MJ slowly backed away.

"Seriously, at the school, Señor Mustache?!" Someone remarked, and everyone looked up at the ceiling to see...Spider-Man?

"Whoa, it's Spider-Man!" exclaimed one of the students.

"...Thank you, Aaron...!" whispered Peter.

"Let's see how our senior does," MJ whispered back.

Spidey dropped from the ceiling to land in front of Kraven, "Honestly Kraven, I thought you preferred not having an audience."

"I make exceptions for prey such as yourself," Kraven replied, drawing twin kukri knives.

Spidey sighed in exasperation, "Alright, everybody stay back!"

They did more than that: they cleared out of there! Though, some students, like Peter, MJ, Ned, Betty, Harry, Gwen, Flash, Brad and more stayed by the doors to watch the fight.

"Yo, DJ?" Spidey called to the guy at the music equipment. "Can we get a good fight song? This feels like a funeral."

The DJ nervously checked for a good song on his computer, and clicked play. The song went to the speakers and everyone heard it...

Many people recognized the soft monologue intro, then came the upbeat pop music, and Spidey started dancing, to "Let's Go Crazy" by Prince!

"Is this a joke to you?" asked Kraven, clearly annoyed.

"Joke? I'm just having fun!" Spidey responded.

Kraven growled and charged at the dancing hero, who expertly dodged every strike, and hit back with a couple punches and a backflip kick to Kraven's jaw, knocking him back! Interestingly, all of Spidey's attacks hit in time with the beat of the song.

Needless to say, everyone was enjoying the show, since they were clapping along to the beat...but Kraven was only getting more frustrated. Which was just what Aaron wanted. He was familiar with Kraven's attitude; blinded by the thrill of the hunt, that when someone didn't take it as seriously as him, he got angry. And if someone gets angry during a fight, they can lose focus.

Peter was surprised by Aaron's moves; they weren't coordinated, but completely unpredictable. Still, there was some kind of experienced refinement to it.

Spidey then delivered two hooks to Kraven's face, then a triple spin-kick combo using both feet! First right, then left, then right again! To finish, Spidey leapt into to the air as Kraven was sent flying, then performed a web-slingshot feet first, slamming the crazed hunter into the hard-wood floor!

Then, silence... Spidey slapped Kraven a few times, and got no response.
"Yep, he's out!"

Soon, everyone broke into cheers and applause.
"Spidey! Spidey! Spidey!" they cheered.

Spidey did a mock-bow for everyone, "Okay, I'm 'a take out the trash for the cops! Ya'll get back to this dance!"

He picked up the unconscious Kraven and carried him to the school's entrance, where the police were just arriving.

All the students got back to the festivities of the dance.

"Well...that was something," said MJ.

"Yeah, no kidding," Peter replied.

MJ rubbed her knuckles a bit, and Peter noticed they looked a little red.

"Hey, what happened?" he asked, holding her hand.

"I, uh...punched Damien Warmack in the face," she answered, sheepishly.

(AN: Damien Warmack is a one-time character borrowed from Modern Family. He was this super arrogant, mean and disrespectful kid that picked apart other kids' insecurities in front of everyone. But only because Damien couldn't deal with the fact that he was gay.)

"Oh..." Peter muttered. "You know, I can't help feeling sorry for him."

MJ scoffed, "He asked me 'why was I wearing something so showy when I have practically nothing to show'."

"...Okay, now I feel just a little bit sorry," said Peter, annoyed by Damien's bullying. "Seriously, is he that insecure about himself that he has to pick on everyone else?"

"It's pathetic," MJ stated.

Some more upbeat music picked up, "Sucker" by The Jonas Brothers. Peter and MJ decided to forget about Damien and got more adventurous in their dancing, going faster.

An hour and a half later, people began to leave.

Peter and MJ headed outside to wait for May to pick them up. Being a gentleman, Peter draped his tux jacket over MJ since she was shivering.

"You didn't have to do that, but thanks," MJ said as she walked out with him.

"It's part of Gentleman and Boyfriend 101," Peter remarked.

MJ couldn't help but chuckle and shake her head. "You're still a dork."

"But I'm your dork," he grinned back.

After a pause, "Peter, be honest; are you seriously okay with the way I look?"

"What are you talking about, MJ?" Peter questioned her like she was crazy. "I told you; you're beautiful."

"I know," she responded, then quickly looked around to make sure no one would hear them. "But...dammit, I hate to admit that Damien got to me! *sigh* I'm super skinny, I'm taller than most boys, I'm always wearing boy clothes...and, my breasts are on the small side..."

"Hey, look at me," Peter stopped her rant by cupping her cheeks, making her look into his eyes. "Don't let that insecure asshole get to you. I love you just the way you are."

MJ's eyes widened, and Peter realized what he just said.

"Uh...I-I mean...uhh...that is to say...uh...!" Peter stammered, flustered.

MJ backed away a bit, gasping a little. She felt her heart swell up and it was pounding.

At that point, May arrived and she looked a little worried. She got out of the car and hugged them both.

"I heard the school got attacked, what happened?"

"Uh, that Kraven guy that was hunting me somehow followed me one of the times I was swinging to school," Peter managed to say. "But, Aaron showed up in his suit and took care of him, rather quickly, I might add."

"Oh, thank goodness," replied May. "Come on, both of you in the car."

They did as told, and soon, they were off.

"Are you alright, MJ?" May asked. "You seem flustered."

"Um, yeah," she responded, clearing her throat. "Hey, um, if you and Peter don't have any plans for the holidays; you could spend it with Caleb, my Mom and I, if you want."

"What do you think, May?" asked Peter.

"Sure, it sounds wonderful," she responded.

"Well, I guess it's a date," Peter smiled.

They eventually pulled up to MJ's apartment and Peter walked her the door.

"Hey, I'm sorry that I said, what I said before," he tried to apologize. "I mean, I'm not sorry I said it, because, you know, I meant it. But, I-"

She put her finger to his lips to shush him, "It's okay, I was just caught off guard. I need some time to think, okay?" Peter's face fell. "No, we're not breaking up. I mean, I meant I need to sort through my feelings, okay?"

"I understand," Peter replied. "Take as much time as you need to, MJ."

She gave him back his jacket, quickly kissed him on the lips and went inside.

After a short elevator ride, she entered her door.

"Hi honey," Her mother greeted her. "How was your night?"

"It was...eventful," MJ answered as she walked inside. "Peter and May said they can spend Christmas with us."

"Oh, good," Desirée responded. "I'd really like to meet Peter's aunt."

"I think you'd like her," said MJ. She sat next to her mother on the couch as she watched TV.

Desirée noticed that her daughter had that look she had when she was thinking hard about something.

"Michelle, what are you thinking about?"

"...Peter said he loved me," MJ answered.

Desirée paused whatever she was watching, "Oh...and, what did you say?"

"I...I told him I needed to think," MJ replied.

Desirée opened her arm for Michelle to scoot in closer, which she did, "Sweetie, I know I'm not around much because of my job, but I do love you and your brother."

"I know, Mom," MJ replied, smiling a bit.

"How does Peter make you feel?" Desirée asked her.

"He makes me happy," MJ started. "He likes everything about me, and he never asks me to change. Although, knowing him has made me want to come out of my shell more, but...sometimes I feel like he's too good for me..."

Desirée smiled as she held MJ a little tighter,
"Michelle Resheida Jones, you are a strong, intelligent, confident young woman. The only thing you haven't had confidence about was feeling like you were good enough for people. I can already tell you feel the same for Peter; you just need to figure it out yourself. That's why you accepted this sweet gift from Venice."

She gently fiddled with MJ's black dahlia necklace.

"...Thanks, Mom," MJ said as Desirée kissed her forehead.

Yep, Peter said those three words~!

I know MJ is a confident person, but even she can have some insecurities. I mean, pretty much everyone does. I hope that was okay.

Read and review, please!