Hope you have as much fun reading this as I did writing it! And yes, I did write it at three in the morning...
Mary Jane stirred, opening one eye groggily. Must be somewhere around two in the morning... what had woken her? Oh yes... Peter... he had just gotten out of bed. She moved to sit up and groaned in frustration as her hair fell in a hopeless tangle over her face. She heard a low laugh and felt his fingers gently brushing her hair aside as he leaned over her. He was wearing his suit, mask in hand, she realized as she peered up at him.
"Going out?" she mumbled, stifling a yawn and wishing she was more than half-awake. She had always had trouble waking up from a dead sleep, while he could be out of bed and dressed in literally less than five seconds.
"Yeah. Alarm on 42nd street. Looks like a bank robbery." He reached over her head, pulling the window open just behind the bed. "Gotta fly."
"You be careful out there," MJ warned, pausing as he bent down to drop a swift kiss on her lips. "Come back to me in one piece."
He laughed, climbing over the bed to perch on the windowsill. He hesitated a moment and she grinned, knowing why he waited.
"Go get 'em, Tiger."
At those words, he stood, then launched his body in a head-first dive towards the street fifty stories below. She watched as he swooped over the ground, firing a webline into the sky to swing up again, and turning a somersault in midair as he jumped to the next line.
"Never ceases to amaze me," she shook her head, wide-eyed as she knelt on the bed to pull the window back down. It was chilly outside and she shivered as the cold wind rushed into the room, blowing the covers aside. Not that the covers could have gotten any more rumpled than they already were… Peter had made a mess out of the bed, climbing over it like that. What a dumb place to put a window, anyway. Or rather, it was a dumb place to put the bed.
"Don't know why we never thought of it before," she mused, sitting back on her heels to regard the window critically. "We could just move the bed." The window being directly over the bed, Peter practically climbed over her head nearly every night to get out of it. He could have used the balcony or the living room windows of course, but the bedroom window was more convenient. To him, at least. MJ didn't particularly enjoy it.
"Well, there's no use in trying to get any sleep while he's gone," she shrugged, feeling suddenly wide-awake. She had gotten into the habit of talking out loud to herself when she was alone. Made the empty apartment seem somehow less empty. She had also gotten into the habit of waiting up for him... at least, most nights that he was gone... although he insisted that she stay in bed.
"No sense in both of us looking like sleep-deprived vampires," he had joked, ducking as she had swung a pillow at his head in indignation. "Not that you look like a sleep-deprived vampire that is.." he had quickly rectified his mistake. "But just cause you look like an angel doesn't mean you don't feel like a sleep-deprived vampire."
But it was hard... so hard... to simply stay in bed and sleep while he was risking his life out there. Although she had gotten used to it in the few years since they had been married, there was still part of her that was vaguely terrified every time he left... wondering if it would be the last time... afraid he would never come back to her. Those long, weary night vigils were the loneliest and the hardest ordeals of her life. But surely a bank robbery wouldn't be so bad...
MJ wasn't one to stand around and wait. Crossing the room swiftly, she switched the TV on. There was no need to change the channel... she kept it permanently on the news. The late night news was dragging on, nothing of importance. Yet. Turning up the volume so she would be sure to hear if anything happened, she turned back to the bedroom and frowned at the unsatisfactory arrangement of furniture. Surely... there had to be a better way to do this. In grim determination, she dropped to her knees and pushed at the heavy bedstead. Nothing. The stupid thing refused to budge. Not even one inch. Bracing her feet against the wall, she pressed her back against the frame and pushed harder. With a sudden rush of momentum, the bed slid rapidly across the carpet... no more than a mere six inches. It now lay at a haphazard angle. More frustrated and angry than ever, MJ braced herself again, heaving and grunting and groaning as she practically attacked the stubborn piece of furniture. The bedside table toppled over with a crash, the lamp landing safely on the rocking chair, a stack of books spilling over the floor along with Peter's old, patched glasses that he kept for some odd reason, although his vision was more than perfect. MJ rolled her eyes at the mess and pushed harder. At last the bed smacked into the bureau and she gave up, falling back exhausted on the floor. At least she had gotten the thing clear of the damn window. The TV was still blaring in the next room and she focused her mind on the words.
"And now a bulletin from the New York Police Headquarters... an attempted bank robbery at the American National Bank on 42nd street was just foiled, early this morning around 2:30, by the masked vigilante known as Spider-Man. He arrived on the scene just as the police did, effectively ending the theft before the criminals were able to complete their opening of the vault..." the voice seemed to fade as MJ sighed in relief, allowing her body to relax. It was okay, he was okay, it was just a routine job, he would be coming back to her soon.
Within a few minutes, she could hear the window sliding open, followed by a thud and a groan. Remembering suddenly, she sat bolt-upright on the floor with a gasp, staring at the dark form just across from her. He lay crumpled on the floor, playing dead.
"You okay?" she grinned ruefully, remembering the times she had seen him fall from heights hundreds of feet tall. Surely the distance from the windowsill to the floor couldn't hurt him.
"What have you done now, MJ? Where's the bed?" Peter groaned, slowly raising himself to a sitting position. MJ picked herself up off the floor and knelt at his side.
"Sorry Pete," she laughed, hearing the teasing note in his voice. She pulled the mask from his face, meeting the dancing blue eyes beneath. Yeah, he was definitely fine.
"What's happened in here, anyway? Doc Ock raid the place while I was gone?"
"I couldn't sleep," MJ flushed and grinned sheepishly. He just laughed and shook his head.
"Not many people who would voluntarily move furniture around at three in the morning." He glanced around the disheveled room as he spoke.
"Well?" MJ stared at him expectantly. "Are we gonna leave it looking like this, or are y'gonna help me finish?"
"I don't know," Peter said slowly, as if pondering carefully. "I kinda like the earthquake look... Naturalistic. Unique. Original. Very MJ-ish."
"Oh, come on. Cut it out, Tiger," MJ slapped at him. "I'm serious. I don't want the bed in front of the window. If it was just on the side, then it'd be easier for both of us. You wouldn't have to climb over my head all the time."
"Sure, sounds great. Your wish is my command." Rising, Peter gave her a sweeping bow, then turned to the bed. In one swift motion, he lifted it effortlessly and raised it above his head. "How's this, MJ? Where d'you want it?"
Mutely, MJ pointed, staring as he lowered it to the ground in the spot she had indicated. He flipped into the air, turned a double somersault and landed on the bed in his trademark crouch,
"Ta-da!" he grinned and MJ rolled her eyes in mock annoyance.
"Show-off."
"Hey. None of that." he waved an admonishing finger at her. "Don't forget who you're talking to!"
"Course not," MJ grinned. "The amazing..."
"The one and only," Peter added, flipping up to hang upside-down, suspended from the ceiling by a thin webline.
"Spider-Man," MJ finished, plopping down on the bed under him, her face level with his. She stared at him, cocking her head sideways. "What does it feel like, upside-down like that?"
"I'll show you," came the unexpected answer and MJ shrieked as, without warning, he snatched her up, turning her upside-down as he did so. "Here. Hold on to this."
She clung desperately to the webline he placed in her hands, flailing wildly in midair, even though she could feel his arms around her waist, knowing he wouldn't let her fall.
"Peter... Peter... Parker..." she gasped out, breathless with laughter and shrieking. "I'll... I'll get you... for this!"
"I dare you," Peter challenged, grinning as he lowered her to the bed and scampered back up to the ceiling, just out of her reach.
"You do, do you?" MJ seized a pillow and fired it up at him as he dodged it nimbly. She grabbed another and another, missing him again and again as he leaped out of the way. The pillows now strewn all over the room, she found herself weaponless. Instantly she was on her feet, jumping up to just barely reach him before falling back to the bed.
"Can't do it, eh?" Peter laughed. "The amazing Spider-Man outwits you again!"
"I'm not... finished... yet..." MJ answered between set teeth as she jumped again. This time she managed to grab hold of his arm and they fell together, landing heavily on the bed with a crash. "Now look what you've done," MJ snickered.
"Is it broken?" Peter leaned over the edge of the bed to stare underneath it. "Rats."
"Tsk, tsk." MJ shook her head regretfully. "I can see the headlines now. Masked Menace Vandalizes Private Home. Destroys Bedstead Along with Several Pillows."
"Hey! Careful who you accuse! You're the one who destroyed the pillows," Peter fished one up from the ground and slung it at her. "Although they don't appear to be the worse for wear..."
"They will be when I get through with you," MJ slapped the pillow full-force on his face, laughing as it burst open, feathers spilling out in a mini-explosion.
"I surrender... I surrender!" Peter called out, holding his hands up as she attacked him with the nearly-flat pillow.
"There is no surrender," MJ spoke ominously. "As long as there's feathers in this pillow, I'll..." she broke off suddenly, falling into death-like silence as both stared at the hall door. Someone was knocking... very loudly... and yelling at them.
"Don't mean to interrupt, but it's past three in the morning and some of us would like some sleep," came the angry voice from the hall. "This is an apartment, y'know. My rooms are right below yours and I've heard nothing but pounding and shrieking for the last half hour. I know you're probably enjoying tearing the place to pieces, but can you keep it down? Seriously!"
Peter stared at Mary Jane, his expression warning, while his eyes glinted with amusement. MJ buried her face in the mattress, her shoulders shaking with silent laughter as the neighbor stopped yelling and his indignant footsteps faded off into the distance.
"Well. Will you accept my surrender now?" Peter spoke in a stage whisper as she lifted her face, her eyes sparkling merrily in the semi-darkness.
"The great Spider-Man... surrendering to me?" she whispered back, teasingly. "What will everyone think?"
"Let them think what they like," Peter grinned as he bent over her, smoothing her tousled hair back with gentle fingers. "You're so beautiful, I can't help but surrender."
"Can you, Tiger?" She reached up, laying her hand against his cheek, smiling up at him. "I'm glad you're back." She let out a long, deep breath as he settled down next to her. "So glad..." her voice trailed off as she nestled her head against his chest.
She was asleep within moments, her brief rush of adrenaline gone, leaving her more tired than before. Peter pressed her closer to his heart, laying his cheek against her hair as he stared out at the starry sky beyond the window. What had he done to be so blessed... to deserve her? His life was hard and at times seemed so unfair but... as he lay there with his angel in his arms, it all didn't seem to matter any more. He felt as if he could face anything... any monster, any danger, any threat... as long as he could come home to find her waiting for him. Even if she had been turning the apartment into a wreck in his absence.
If you enjoyed, please leave a review and I might just write you another!
