Enjoy
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Mary Jane heard the quiet thud of Peter's arrival on her balcony, and stood from her seat on the couch, placing the pillow where she had been sitting. Moving towards the doors, Mary Jane stopped upon seeing Peter emerge from the darkness, his hand against his stomach. Turning his masked face towards hers, Peter heard her gasp before watching her move to him, her fingers tenderly touching the bleeding skin of his face.
"Come with me." Three short words, both comforting and foreboding, if the emotional undertones were to be noticed in her voice.
Peter silently followed Mary Jane into the bathroom and gently removed his mask as he sat on the toilet seat cover. Mary Jane's hands skimmed through the small closet; pulling out hydrogen peroxide, triple antibiotic ointment and bandages. Placing the medical supplies on the sink top, Mary Jane soaped up Peter's washcloth and moved in front of him.
"MJ, I can take care of myself, you know." Peter gently rebuffed, moving slightly away from her hand.
"I know, and I just watched you get beaten up on television, so don't argue. It doesn't hurt to let others take care of you now and then, you know." Mary Jane replied, her tone brooking no argument.
As her left hand gently held his jaw, her right placed the washcloth on Peter's face, causing him to wince. Pulling away for a moment, Mary Jane again placed the washcloth against his cheek, and moved it slightly against the wound before putting the washcloth in the sink and rinsing it out with warm water. Placing the clean washcloth upon his cheek one last time, Mary Jane wiped the soap and remaining blood from his face. Brushing Peter's towel against the wound to dry it, Mary Jane waited until Peter's hand moved to hold the towel in place before turning to the medical supplies.
Grabbing a tissue, she doused it with the hydrogen peroxide. Gently gripping Peter's hand, Mary Jane lowered the towel and cast one look into his eyes before touching the stinging solution to his cheek. Peter winced a second time, and a quiet hiss quickly followed. Tossing the bloody tissue into the trash, Mary Jane leaned forward, her lips dangerously close to Peter's skin. Just as he was about to ask what she was doing, Peter felt cool breath tickle his skin, effectively drying the flesh around his wound. The shiver shooting down his spine caused Peter to move slightly, accidentally causing Mary Jane's lips to brush against his cheek.
Pulling away, Mary Jane smiled softly before dabbing some triple antibiotic ointment on a large band-aid. Leaning in again, Mary Jane tenderly placed the bandage over his injury, successfully covering it.
"There, all done. Is your stomach all right?" Mary Jane asked, standing up straight.
"Yeah, thanks." Peter stood also, his hand cautiously moving over the bandage. Peter watched in silence as Mary Jane put the supplies away and shut the door after she left the bathroom.
Emerging a moment later, Peter yanked down his t-shirt over bruised, but bare skin. Fatigue was getting the better of him, and when Mary Jane told him to take a seat on the couch while she made tea, he had no argument. By the time Mary Jane returned, he was sound asleep on the couch, his whole body lying across it. Mary Jane sighed before retreating to her bedroom. Emerging shortly thereafter in her pajamas, Mary Jane moved to where Peter slept and slid onto the couch, her head resting underneath his chin. As Peter's hand moved in his sleep, adjusting to the new presence against him, Mary Jane felt its' grip tighten around her abdomen. Falling soundly asleep with a smile upon her face, Mary Jane would never imagine how often the rigors of Peter's dual life called for him.
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Peter jerked awake, his spider-sense tingling. He knew he must've only gotten a few hours of rest, but his body felt rejuvenated. Looking down, Peter saw Mary Jane sleeping in his embrace, her hand resting over his. Feeling the familiar tingling sensation a second time, Peter carefully slid out from underneath Mary Jane and moved towards the bathroom. Changing swiftly, Peter jogged out to the balcony and swung off. If he had cast a last glance back before he had left, he would've seen the tired eyes of Mary Jane watching him exit.
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Landing softly on Mary Jane's balcony, Peter moved inside and shut the doors, his work done for the night. Looking towards the couch, Peter saw it vacant. Moving into the bathroom, Peter again changed into his jeans and t-shirt before moving towards Mary Jane's bedroom. Stopping at the kitchen, Peter saw her sitting at the table, her eyes looking straight at him. Sighing to himself, he moved into the kitchen and sat across from her.
Mary Jane took a sip of milk from her cup before speaking, "I guess I didn't think that you would be leaving every two hours. I never thought Spider-man would be so busy."
"I'm not usually this busy. My spider-sense was picking up quite a bit of things happening around here. It's quite sensitive sometimes. I can't control when it goes off." Peter shrugged, running a hand through his hair. "I told you before that Spider-man would always exist, and he is needed in New York, I cannot just ignore my duties to be with someone, no matter how much I want to."
"You're only human Peter, you can't do everything." Mary Jane replied tiredly.
Peter paused, he'd been with her for one night, and she was already stressed about what he did. "I don't expect everyone to understand why I do this, but I want you to. Two years ago, I saw Flash Thompson with a brand new car. He picked you up and you two went off somewhere. It made me want a car to show off to you. When I was looking through the paper for car sales, I saw an ad where I could win enough money to buy a car. All I had to do was beat a wrestler in a fighting match.
"So I went, and won the money, only the man wouldn't pay me. As I was leaving some guy came in and robbed the place. He was running right towards me, and I could've stopped him, but, out of revenge, I didn't. The robber got away, and tried to steal my Uncle Ben's car. He was waiting for me at the Library, because that's where I said I would be. My uncle wouldn't give the robber the car, and was shot for trying to do the right thing. He died that night because of my selfishness, and that is why I do what I do, no matter the sacrifices."
The silence that followed was deafening. Peter looked anywhere but at Mary Jane. He heard her stand and move the seat closer to him before feeling her hand push his chin up. Blue eyes met understanding green for a long moment before Mary Jane's hand drops to grip Peter's. Rubbing her thumb over the smooth skin between the thumb and the index finger, Mary Jane titled her head and smiled softly.
"I'm sorry." It was only two words, but it was all that needed to be said; the man and the hero could rest easy.
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The color green spread through the dream, maniacal laughter stung the brain. Harry Osborn snapped awake. Sleep had been coming to him in fitful clumps, his father's secret life and work shaking Harry to the core. He hated Spider-man with a passion, but Peter, his best friend, how could he ever hate him? He killed my father... but... my father was the Goblin... maybe he had reason-no! I cannot think that! Harry shook his head free from the cobwebs and painful thoughts.
Standing, Harry moved towards the balcony in his room. As he leaned on the railing, he decided that if he was not to end Spider-man's life, and, knowing what the green liquid could do to someone- then some unlucky human would do it for him. Harry allowed a quiet laugh to escape his lips, the idea that he would kill his best friend all but forgotten.
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Daylight streamed through the windows in Mary Jane's bedroom, pushing the darkness further and further back towards the far wall, while warming the woman in the bed. Stretching her arms above her head, Mary Jane smiled happily as she slowly opened her eyes. Shutting them almost as quickly, she groaned and pulled the blankets over her head.
"Wake up sleepy head." Peter was in the doorway, hidden from Mary Jane's view. He had almost burst out laughing at her reaction to the bright sun coming in the window, but waited silently nevertheless.
Stifling another burst of laughter at seeing the form of the woman he loved jump from beneath the covers, Peter moved forward and placed a hand on either side of Mary Jane's body.
"Go away, I don't have any work today, thus, I sleep in. Meaning past seven a.m." A soft, barely audible, yet clearly cranky voice mumbled from underneath the covers. "Do not think for one second that you leaning over me will make me get up any earlier."
"I have to go to work." Peter replied softly, his eyes moving slowly over the lump that he knew was Mary Jane.
Beneath the covers, Mary Jane opened her eyes, saddened by the news. Peter watched as two hands suddenly appeared at the top of the blankets and pushed them down, revealing Mary Jane's face.
"Which work?"
"Photography. Jameson, my boss, wants more pictures of Spider-man. I was out last night, and was just lucky enough to catch a couple of shots." Peter jokingly replied.
"Oh really? How is it that you 'just happen' to be around when he saves someone?" Mary Jane coyly replied, going along with the joke.
"Like I said two years ago, I'm his unofficial photographer." Peter smirked before placing a soft kiss on her forehead.
Standing, Peter cast a last glance at Mary Jane before exiting the bedroom. Entering the kitchen, he wrote a short note for Mary Jane before opening the door and leaving. Moments after he left, Mary Jane came into the kitchen and put a pot of coffee on. Glancing around the room for a moment, remembering the night before, her eyes landed on the note. Picking it up, she couldn't help but smile as she read it.
"MJ- I'll be back around five, unless "something" comes up. I'll take you out to dinner tonight, my treat. I also have a surprise for you after dinner, so, wear something warm. –Always, Peter"
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"Parker! Where have you been, it's almost 8 am! Do you have any idea how much has happened in the last twelve hours?" J. Jonah Jameson yelled as Peter slid into the boss of the Daily Bugle's office.
"Yes sir." Peter quietly replied.
"Well good for you! Now, did you get any pictures of Spider-man?" Always on topic, no matter how high the chaos around him was.
"Yes sir." Peter held out a manila folder, only to feel it snatched from his hands.
"Crap, crap. Robbie! Tear up page one, put this on it with the headline, 'Masked Menace Flees the Scene!'" Jameson moved his hand through the air, gesturing wildly.
"Jameson, I told you before-" Robbie began, only to be cut off.
"Sir, page four is over-booked by Nike and Motorola." Hoffman burst in, Miss. Brant right behind him.
"Your wife is on line one, she says the dog got into the fishbowl again."
"Move Nike to page eight and give them 10 percent off, and Miss. Brant?" Smiling gleefully as Hoffman hung his head and left, "Tell my wife to thank the dog for giving me more room. Now Parker...Robbie!"
Robbie came back in, still holding the manila folder. Jameson grabbed the folder and reopened it.
"I'll give you $200 for the three of these." Jameson shut the folder and shoved it into Robbie's hands, his eyes on Peter.
"I was out late last night, on the off-chance I would get a picture. You're lucky that's what I got. $350."
"That's insane! Where do you think I get that kind of money?" Jameson took a step back, shocked.
"$350, or I'll take them to someone else." Peter knew he was out on a limb, and had a higher chance of being fired than being paid, but stood up and grabbed the folder back from Robbie, who still stood in the doorway.
"You play a hard game Parker. Done." Jameson scowled at Peter before scrawling out the check.
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One more chapter after this, and then it's done.