Disclaimer: I state that I have absolutely no rights to Spider-man, except to write fics for others enjoyment using it.

Human Courtship

Zina was now sitting at one of the outside tables of the corner café she had visited often since she had been in New York. She was calmly sipping her lightly sweetened vanilla coffee after having a nice conversation with the friendly owners.

A light breeze had begun to pick up as she ran over what she would be able to do for the rest of her day, before her classes tomorrow. She decided it was best to go home and exercise for a while. She swiftly finished the last sip of coffee out of the plastic container and tossed it in the trashcan.

She was just walking off when the ding of the bells on the door caught her attention, and she faced that way. Zina spotted Peter walking out and was about to wave when a young, red-haired girl dashed out the door behind him and grasped his hand. She forgot about the waving, mumbled something about human courtship, and turned to walk off slightly green with envy.

"Hey, Zina!" came a sudden cry behind her.

Drat, caught.

"Hello, Peter," she replied facing him and his female companion.

"Zina, this is Mary-Jane. MJ this is Zina. She's a new girl in my class."

"Nice to meet you Mary-Jane," she responded, shaking her hand.

"You too," MJ said, kindly returning the gesture.

"So, this is your girlfriend Peter?" Zina inquired.

"Uh…yeah."

"Good. Well, I really must be going. I think I'll leave you two alone," she mumbled hurriedly, waved, and walked away.

"Bye, I guess," he said to her retreating form.

"Why'd she leave so quickly?" MJ wondered aloud.

"I'm not sure, MJ. I'm really not sure."

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Zina was quickly moving toward her home, using darkened alleyways to lessen the distance. She was still completely green with envy and jealousy. She kept moving along in the dark shadows as she became one herself.

"It isn't fair!" she almost shouted to herself. "Why is it the humans like Peter and Mary-Jane get to live mortal lives, living, loving, and dying together, while I'm trapped in the immortal world of oblivion?!" Zina muttered angrily and then realized what she was saying. "Why am I so jealous? I have many things mortals don't. I won't die so quickly, my youth will last while their own has faded, and I can still love even though it doesn't last," she ended solemnly and kept walking with a less vigorous pace. Keeping her head hung she continued forward along a particularly dark alley.

She was suddenly seized from behind by a pair of rough hands, and a knife was pressed to her throat. Panic swept in, only to be replaced by rage, as he hissed the usual speech of give me your money in her ear. To say the least she was very pissed off, and as her anger grew her eyes changed from blue to deep crimson.

"Sorry, can't help you with that," Zina muttered through clenched teeth as she elbowed him hard in the gut, "but I don't mind giving you a black eye."

With that she spun around and delivered a punch to his eye that sent him into the nearest wall, leaving a very noticeable dent. As he slid down her rage disappeared; her long fangs returned to normal human canines, and the red in her irises returned to illusionary blue.

"Stupid muggers are all the same," she stated as she rounded the corner to head for the door of her buildings. "Why do I always attract them?"

Zina shook her head slowly as she made her way through the entrance and upstairs to her apartment. She located her door, unlocked it, and let herself in, and closed it behind her.

She let out one hopeful wish before she let loose her first kick on her poor hanging punching bag.

"Have a nice night with her Peter.

Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews everyone. Sorry about not writing in awhile. I really have no excuse. I can only hope you'll forgive me and can be satisfied with this chapter. My next chapter is called "Fires and Cameras", I believe. Please R&R. Thank you and I will be doing a Peter/MJ scene next chapter.