The twilight of evening approached lent a magical glow to the room. It went quite nicely the feelings flowing through MJ's body. She lay with her head on Peter's taught stomach, her eyes closed as she relived the afternoon they had shared. No words could have described the wonderful things that had happened in Peter's bed, on Peter's floor, and yes, against Peter's wall. Their lovemaking went from playful, to breathtaking, to earth shattering all in the matter of a few hours. Not once during the entire time did MJ think about the reason she had come to see Peter. Her mind wouldn't have let her then, but now, she had time to think. MJ lay there as Peter played lightly with her hair and gently ran his fingertips up and down her naked back. The motion made MJ shiver in delight. She didn't have to look at Peter's face to know that he was smiling. MJ decided she want to make Peter shiver as well, so she ran her hand up Peter's side to his underarm. She lifted her head to see Peter's reaction as she ran her hand in towards is pecs and back down again. She smiled as Peter mouth fell half way open in pleasure, his breath hissing through his teeth as MJ moved her hand back down his chest. MJ rested her chin back on his abdomen, enjoying the faces and sounds Peter made. MJ rose up slowly and started to move over Peter's body.

Peter's eyes opened seductively as MJ slid up his body, bringing her face hovering over his. MJ's hair hung around both their heads, obscuring the light and creating their own private curtain as their lips brushed each other. Peter's hands came up and framed MJ's face, pushing the hair from around them. Peter held her face away from his, and just stared in wonderment.

"What have I done?" Peter whispered

Confused, MJ asked, "What?"

"What have I done? To deserve you?" Peter asked earnestly, stroking his thumb across MJ kiss swollen lips. Maybe I should have gone a little easier that last time, against the wall, Peter thought ruefully as he stroked MJ lips.

MJ smiled, taking Peter's hand from her lips, kissing the backs of them. "You didn't do anything, Peter. Well, maybe just one thing. You just were you."

"I'm afraid…" Peter whispered again as MJ continued to kiss his hands.

"Afraid of what?"

"Of…everything. How this, this afternoon, is going to change everything." Peter's face became very solemn. MJ stopped kissing Peter and peered soulfully into his eyes. Here it comes, he's going to tell me, MJ thought. Peter slowly moved MJ off from on top of him. He swung his legs over the side of the bed, his head falling into his hands. Peter ran his hands through his hair a few times, messing it up more than before. That's when he saw it. The glove, there among MJ's and Peter's hastily discarded clothes. He paused as he stared at the glove. It was almost offensive to Peter. It reminded him of the folly of starting this relationship. A relationship he didn't want to start, because he couldn't bear to lose it once he had it. Better to love and lost, than to not love at all, Peter thought as he continued to look at the glove. That was what he was afraid of, the loss. Peter was so engrossed in his thoughts he didn't feel MJ get up from the bed.

MJ wrapped the plaid blanket around her body, tucking neatly under her arm. She saw what Peter was looking at so intensely. He seemed torn as to what to do or say. So, she didn't try and help figure it out. MJ walked quietly around the bed. She thought for sure that Peter would try and hide the glove before he thought she had seen it. As she walked slowly, giving him plenty of time to do just that. He didn't move. Just sat there, waiting. Was he waiting for her to notice it? Was he waiting for her to run away? What was he waiting for? MJ came around the bed, standing at the corner next to Peter. He didn't look up. He didn't move, not even to cover his nakedness. He just sat there, his head in his hands. MJ knelt slowly and picked up the glove, holding it in her hand reverently. She walked towards Peter's hunched over form. She knelt at his feet, peering through the hair that hung around his head. She leaned forward and kissed his cheek softly, sweetly. Her kiss seemed to bring Peter back from wherever he had gone to.

"Come what may." MJ whispered breathlessly into Peter's ear.

Peter looked into MJ as she knelt by his feet. He saw the glove in her hand, heard what she had said. There was no need to deny it anymore. He had made his choice that afternoon with that first kiss. MJ hadn't run away. She wasn't afraid. She was there, before him, with her love shining in her eyes. Her eyes glowed with how much she cared for him; Peter couldn't believe that she was even there. Peter reached down to MJ's hand that held the glove, grasping firmly in his strong grip.

"I guess I can't lie to you anymore." Peter spoke his voice shaking and quivering with emotion.

"You never lied to me before."

"Yes I did. At the cemetery I didn't tell how much I loved you, how much I wanted you to be in my life. Because I was afraid." Peter voice broken as tears started to flow down his cheeks.

MJ couldn't say anything; she just wrapped her arms around Peter as he cried, sobbing into her shoulder.

"All I could think of was when you were falling. I relive that nightmare over and over. Sometimes I don't get there in time. Sometimes I get there, but you hate me afterwards for not saving the kids. I don't want to lose you MJ, but I know I might. I guess I'm not as brave as people think I am."

"No, you're not as brave as people think you are. You're braver." MJ smiled as she wiped Peter's tear stained cheeks. "You know being brave isn't the absence of fear. But rather the judgment that there is something out there more important that fear. The brave don't live forever, but the cautious don't live at all." MJ smiled as Peter smile emerged from his face.

"Where did you get that from?"

"My grandma said to me one time right before she died. I've never forgotten it."

"She was smart lady."
"Yeah, she was great."

MJ leaned back again as the conversation drifted off. Peter seemed to notice his lack of clothing and decided to cover himself with a sheet from the bed. MJ giggled at his display of modesty.

"What's so funny?"

"Your display of modesty is funny, considering what happened today." MJ replied saucily.

"Yeah, I guess I don't have any secrets from you now." Peter replied back, laughing.

"All you secrets are safe with me." MJ whispered as she moved between Peter's legs. Peter widened them, as MJ got closer, wrapping his arms around her.

"I'm safe. But are you?" Peter asked seriously.

The smile faded off MJ face. "I'm always safe with you, Tiger. I always have been and I always will be." MJ snuggled closer to Peter's chest. A pain, one not associated with Flash's surprise attack, knifed through Peter's heart. MJ trusted and believed in him so much. Of all the people in the world, her belief in him was what mattered the most. This one small, beautiful, feisty, red-haired angel was all that mattered in Peter's world. God, or whoever, and designed to send her to him, so he would do everything in his power to protect her. To make sure he was worthy of her love.

"How's your side? I hope I didn't hurt you with my….enthusiasm." MJ asked as she looked around at Peter's injured side.

"No, you didn't hurt me. Did I hurt you? I mean, I'm a lot stronger than normal men. I hope…" Peter never finished the sentence, cause MJ started to laugh in earnest.

"I love you." MJ stated matter of factly. "Now, what are we going to do tonight?"

MJ rose from Peter's embrace, holding the blanket with on hand, her other on her hip. God, she looks beautiful, Peter thought as he looked up at MJ.

"I don't know. What do you want to do?" Peter asked playfully. With lighting fast speed, he snatched up the corner of MJ's makeshift toga, tugging at it. MJ saw his game right away, and stepped back in resistance. It was no use; Peter was much, much to strong.

"It looks like you have something on your mind, Mr. Parker." MJ replied as she continued to struggle with Peter.

"I was thinking, I could take this blanket and remake my bed with it." Peter motioned to the destroyed bed that he sat on as he continued to pull on the blanket.

"But then all your hard work would be for nothing. We'd just mess it up again." MJ stated wide-eyed and innocently as Peter continued to "reel" her in by the blanket.

"Not necessarily. There are other 'places' for…us to…use." Peter replied cryptically, waggling his dark eyebrows at MJ's 'shocked' face. Then MJ face changed to a seductive smile. At Peter's next pull, MJ let her hold on the blanket go. Peter sat there holding the loose blanket, a truly "shocked" expression on his handsome face. MJ turned slowly towards the bathroom, pausing at the doorway. She glanced over the shoulder, looking straight in Peter's intense blue ones.

"Well, I guess we could start in here." MJ sauntered into the bathroom, turning on the shower.

Peter, still holding the blanket, fell backwards, groaning as his side hit the mattress. At this rate I'm never going to get this thing to heal, Peter thought ruefully as he touched the bruise on his side. As the steam from the shower wafted into the bedroom, Peter suddenly realized he was all right for a little more of MJ "enthusiasm."