Mary Jane woke up on Monday morning still in a surreal bliss over what had transpired Saturday night. Peter had initially started to mumble apologies for "pushing her too fast" or some other equally insane apology before she stopped him with another kiss. He had pulled back even then, asking her if this was what she really wanted and she reassured him again it was what she wanted.
And it was.
Literally five days ago if he had asked her the same question she probably would have tried to gently decline him, mistaking the feeling of budding love for just a deep friendship. In these short few days Peter had changed her completely. He had done so many things that she'd never known a man to do. He had protected her from harm, taking the blow for her, he arranged a surprise that genuinely surprised and delighted her, and he had been considerate of her feelings. He had even proven he wasn't a bad kisser.
She got out of bed and suddenly remembered the field trip they were having today. Peter had been talking excitedly about it all through dinner last night. Something about genetic research and studies on mutating DNA. She had tried her best to follow Peter's drawn out explanation of how it connected to the advanced physics class he was taking but had gotten lost (along with Uncle Ben and Aunt May) by the second sentence.
She finished getting dressed and stepped outside into the hall. Peter was just opening his door, and he smiled when he saw her.
"Good morning MJ."
"'Morning Tiger." She came up to him and kissed his lips quickly.
"I think it might take me an eternity for me to get used to that."
"Practice makes perfect." She kissed him again. "You excited for the field trip?"
"Oh boy yeah!" Mary Jane had to smile, Peter was the only one she knew who would respond with "Oh boy yeah." And yet it just made him all the more endearing.
They grabbed a quick breakfast and then headed to the prescheduled bus meeting place.
The bus was loading when they got there and they stood in the line of students waiting to get on. Finally Mary Jane stepped onto the bus and was greeted with a few "heys" and some genuine smiles.
Her friend Amanda called out to her from a few seats away.
"MJ! I saved you a seat, sit here."
She could hear Peter's soft voice behind her hesitantly ask one of the school's nerds if he could sit by him and she could tell he wasn't surprised when the boy responded "No way."
Mary Jane reached behind her and grabbed his hand.
"Tiger you're sitting with me." She half dragged the startled Peter to an empty seat, yelling apologies to Amanda.
Peter sat down and then dropped her hand, looking at the floor.
"...Pete? What's the matter?"
He looked up, his eyes full of quiet reservation and humiliation.
"You don't have to sit with me."
"Oh Peter, I want to sit with you. I want to sit with my boyfriend ok? And absolutely nothing is going to change that."
"But... I don't... I don't want you getting laughed at Mary Jane." He finished quietly.
"Peter, if people laugh at me then their not my friends and I'm ok with that." She smiled at him and reached for his hand again. "I'm just happy to be here with you."
Peter's eyes widened and his grin nearly split his face.
"I'm glad to be here with you too MJ."
...........
They arrived at the imposing brick building and filed out of the bus. People stretched their cramped legs and then gathered in groups, laughing and talking.
Mary Jane and Peter strolled hand in hand to the building, ignoring the whispers that followed. They went into the building and met their tour guide, a stern looking Chinese woman in her early thirties.
They began the tour, Peter whispering to her some other scientific facts that she digested with a smile. Peter Parker was in his element. She could tell he was restraining as much of his enthusiasm as he could and was doing a good job of it actually. Only Mary Jane, who was close enough to hear his intake of breath at each new revelation and how he jerked her hand slightly when he was excited could tell he was anything more than a bored student.
He pulled out his camera. "MJ? Want to pose? I need one with a student in it."
She laughed. "Sure. Don't make me look ugly."
Peter winked at her and then his face disappeared behind the bulky camera.
"That's impossible Mary Jane and you know it."
Peter quickly snapped off five pictures in rapid succession. Sure it was a little more than he needed, but that was quite ok.
"Ok thanks Mary- Augh!" Peter cried out in sudden pain and closed his eyes as he felt sharp pangs shoot up his arm.
"Peter! Oh my God, what's wrong?" They both looked down simultaneously and saw a small red and blue spider scurry under the nearby table.
"Peter are you ok?!?" Mary Jane looked up at Peter, concerned. He was pale but other than that he looked normal.
He coughed. "Yeah I'm… I'm fine."
MJ slipped her arm around his waist and helped him steady himself.
He shot her a weak grin.
"Don't worry Mary Jane, I'm ok."
MJ didn't exactly believe him but he seemed to be okay now so she let it pass.
Later when they finally got home Mary Jane walked into the Parker household with Peter.
Peter had been oddly quiet during the rest of the trip and now Mary Jane was concerned.
"Alright Parker. You're going to bed. Don't you dare fight it." She pushed him gently up the stairs and stopped at his door.
"Pete you're looking really sick," She said softly, pressing her forehead against his as they stood outside his door.
"I'll be okay MJ I promise." Peter's breath was warm, almost unnaturally hot on her face and she pulled him into a hug.
"You better be Tiger. Now go to sleep, you'll feel better in the morning."
"'Right MJ," He mumbled sleepily. "Love you."
"I love you too." He seemed to vaguely perk up at that but then he slumped back.
"I'm just… a little tired. 'Night MJ."
"Goodnight Peter."
Peter shut the door and Mary Jane leaned against the side of it. She blew out her breath.
She hoped he was ok. Feeling a bit sleepy herself she went to get ready for bed and finally she fell into a fitful sleep.
The next morning Mary Jane woke up and her thoughts immediately flew to Peter. She got out of bed and quickly tied back her red hair before hurrying to Peter's room.
She listened at the door. It was quiet. He must not be up yet.
She quietly pushed open the door and saw Peter on the floor, his shirt off, sheets strewn everywhere. And then she did a double take.
Her eyes widened and her mouth fell open. His… chest was… perfect. Wasn't it only 3 days ago that she had walked into this very room in the middle of Peter taking off his shirt? And his torso did NOT look like the bronzed, well defined chest she was looking at.
Part of the strewn sheets covered his chest so she shook her head, guessing that she was seeing thing.
She reached down to touch his shoulder to wake him up and her eyes widened again. His shoulder muscle was rock hard.
"Dw-ahugh." Peter mumbled incoherently, turning over in his sleep.
"Pete, Peter wake up."
He cracked open a sleepy eye and took in Mary Jane's face right above him.
"Hi MJ."
"Hi Peter, how are you feeling?"
He cocked his head to the side and stared at her, an odd expression creeping over his face.
"I... I can see you!"
That was the last thing in the world MJ was expecting.
"Um... Pete? Maybe you should go back to sleep... I don't know how great you're feeling."
He sat straight up.
"No, no MJ I'm fine but... I can see. ...Perfectly. Without my glasses. Even... better than with my glasses." Peter studied MJ's now clear as crystal face. Man she was beautiful.
Mary Jane's face looked as shocked as his. "That's... weird... but uh... Peter, I think I found something even more weird." She hid a half smile and helped him up, making sure he didn't look down and that his back was to the mirror.
She gasped again softly as the covers fell off and his whole chest was revealed. Every muscle was lightly defined and rock solid. She put her hand on his now toned arm and spun him around to look in the mirror.
His mouth fell open wordlessly and he seemed to choke. He looked down incredulously and put his hand on his stomach.
He had a six pack.
Oh God.
Peter looked up at her, his eyes comically wide.
"Mary Jane... I have a six pack." He didn't mean it to sound funny or to impress her. He was shell shocked.
Mary Jane burst into nervous laughter.
"Yeah Peter. I know."
"What... happened??"
"I have no idea. Did something happen last night?"
"Well after you left... I took off my shirt because I felt like the house was burning up. It was really hot and then... everything got colder and colder. I think I dreamed about..." He left off there, realization dawning in his eyes. "MJ I dreamed about spiders."