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Chapter Twenty-Four
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L. Thompson Lincoln was sitting at his desk, burning the midnight oil - a price to pay for one that lived a double life. He was currently reviewing the latest negotiation document that he had received from Walter Hardy - AKA, The Cat Burglar. Rumor had it that he had broken into S.H.E.I.L.D. headquarters undetected and saw a secret formula written on a projection board - a formula to create a suit that gave the wearer super-strength. Lincoln was not naive to the fact that Mr. Hardy had built quite the reputation for himself over the years. No place was too difficult for The Cat Burglar to break into, and all while keeping under the radar - something that even the Avengers were not privy to. Not even the illustrious Black Widow, who prides herself as one of the top spies in the world knew of The Cat Burglar.
But what also made Mr. Hardy exceptional was his photographic memory… which was why he was going to sell the formula to the highest bidder.
Lincoln was many things, but among them was not stupid. He knew that many of his enemies wanted to get their hands on that secret formula. Fisk and Osborn, especially.
But there was also a new name on the scene… the masked man who dubbed himself 'The Big Man' of crime. Quite ostentatious and not at all Lincoln's style. No… he preferred his double life where he was able to keep under the radar from the mass public.
By day, he was L. Thompson Lincoln, humanitarian and Times Magazine's 'Man of the Year'. But by night… he was Tombstone, crime boss extraordinaire. For years, he owned this city. Organized crime in New York had been his domain alone. But the time has come for those who threatened his rule…
Lincoln wanted to end it. Wanted to kill all thoughts of treachery or treason forever. He wanted that formula, and he was prepared to spend as much as it took to get it.
He was interrupted from reviewing Mr. Hardy's counter offer by the door of his office opening. His young secretary, Glory Grant, walked in holding a package.
"Mr. Lincoln?" She asked, hesitantly hovering in the open door. He almost smiled. He knew that she was afraid of him. She had seen the many sketchy characters that have walked through those doors and into his office… and some never returned to exit the building.
"Yes, Miss Grant, what is it?" He asked, trying to push back the irritation at being interrupted during such a pivotal moment in his criminal career.
Miss Grant swallowed before she stepped forward."The portfolio that you asked me to keep an eye out for has finally arrived."
Ah. Yes. Finally. He had been waiting for this.
"Of course. Please, set it on my desk."
Miss Grant nodded and did as she was told, stepping forward and setting it on the corner of his desk in front of him.
"Will that be all, sir?"
Lincoln didn't even look up at her as he responded, "Yes, thank you, Miss Grant."
With that, Miss Grant took her leave, quietly closing the door behind her.
As soon as it was closed, Lincoln reached over for the portfolio that he had been waiting for weeks to arrive. Setting it in front of him, he opened the cover and managed to crack the slightest of smiles.
Yes, this was the girl. Mary Jane Watson.
He had known the moment that he had seen her at his Charity Auction Ball that she was a party-crasher. Not because she didn't look the part of New York's elite - no, in fact, she fit in quite nicely. It was because Lincoln prided himself on his particular planning skills. He knew the guest list by heart and this girl had not been on it.
Still, he had been unbothered by the insignificant girl at the time of her arrival… until he caught her in one moment that had actually made her significant.
That moment had been after the bomb had been disposed of by Spider-Man. Most of the guests were gone from the ballroom at that point. But not Lincoln. He had stayed behind, watching the fascinating scene of the girl conversing and bantering with the infamous Wall-Crawler. It was quite the sight to see… that much familiarity didn't happen between strangers that hardly knew one another.
Oh no.
He was quite certain that the girl had spoken to Spider-Man before. And he wanted to know exactly all that it was that she knew about the nuisance that called himself a hero. It was high time Spider-Man regretted interfering with his criminal empire.
Lincoln pressed a button on his desk phone. It only beeped once before the other line picked up.
"Yeah, boss?"
"Hammerhead. We are one step closer to finding out what the girl knows about the wall-crawling menace. How are the preparations for phase two?" Lincoln asked as he leaned forward in his chair.
"It's all underway, boss. The hiring process is nearly complete." Hammerhead responded in kind.
A feral grin spread across his lips.
"Excellent."
…
Her Aunt Anna had not taken the news well. Not at all. There was a lot of crying and pacing and panic involved throughout their whole conversation that they ended up going around in circles over and over again. Mary Jane had to repeat the story at least five times. But it was still difficult for Aunt Anna to accept that her younger brother was now considered a super-villain. Mary Jane didn't blame her… she could hardly believe it herself.
Her aunt was also not very impressed with her when she found out that Mary Jane had befriended a superhero.
"Do you know how dangerous that is, Mary Jane Watson?" Her Aunt Anna had ranted, wearing a hole in the floor as she paced. "That reporter, J. Jonah Jameson, is always saying that Spider-Man always deliberately gets himself into trouble!"
"You've got it all wrong, Aunt Anna!" Mary Jane had immediately protested, hating the sound of that man's name in her presence. "All that J. Jonah Jameson sells is a bunch of lies when it comes to Spider-Man."
"But how do you know for sure?" Her Aunt Anna had stopped pacing to stare at Mary Jane with a critical eye.
But Mary Jane could no longer keep silent. "Because he has saved my life twice already!"
Her aunt's face had gone very pale. She stumbled backward until the back of her knees hit the bed and she sat slowly. "W-What?"
Mary Jane had swallowed hard, already regretting her outburst. "I'm sorry that I never told you. But dad isn't the first super-villain that I have a history with… The day that I moved in with you, a man who could morph his body into sand tried going after me. Spider-Man stopped him. And that party that I went to a few weeks ago? It wasn't some high school party, Aunt Anna… it was a high-profile charity ball. The one that had the bomb planted there. Spider-Man threw it out the window before it set off."
For a while, this had stunned her Aunt Anna into silence. But it hadn't lasted forever and they went in circles again, and again, and again…
Until finally, "Why can't you just spend your time with nice, normal boys?" Her Aunt Anna complained. "Like Peter Parker."
Ah, yes. Peter… She had hardly forgotten about him. He was always ever-present in the recesses of her mind, no matter how hard she tried to shake it.
Which brought her to the present, having just landed in the JFK Airport, realizing that she had never reached her intended goal of her trip to Denver… to figure out her thoughts and feelings between Peter and Spider-Man. The situation with her dad had distracted her so much that her conflicting feelings had hardly crossed her mind for the rest of her vacation. It was too much for her to focus on. Instead, she had chosen to dwell on good memories that she had with both Spider-Man and Peter for the remainder of her trip… as well as look through Peter Parker's Instagram photos…
It wasn't productive, but… it helped her to cope.
As they made their way to baggage claim, and got their luggage from the carousel, they then stepped outside and immediately spotted a slightly stout man with brown, curly hair - holding a sign that clearly stated, 'Watson'.
So this was their chauffeur…
The two ladies both approached him, his eyes surveyed them with something akin to curiosity, especially Mary Jane. Her aunt was the one that spoke up. "Hello, I am Anna Watson, and this is my niece, Mary Jane."
The man nodded at them and lowered the sign. He held out his hand. "I'm Happy Hogan. I'll be taking you to the apartment that Ton- I mean, Mr. Stark has set up for you."
"I see…" Her Aunt Anna surmised slowly, as her gaze studied the man in front of her critically. She hesitantly reached forward to shake his hand. "And where exactly is this apartment located?"
The man seemed unmoved. "That is classified until we are in a more secure location. I'll tell you about it along the way."
This didn't seem to appease her aunt very much but Mary Jane was satisfied by the answer. Mr. Hogan reached forward for their luggage and the two women let him help them place their suitcases in the trunk of the nearby car. It looked shiny and sleek. And expensive. Something that Mr. Stark would send to pick up important clients in.
Was this seriously her life now?
When they settled into the back of the car, with Mr. Hogan starting the engine in the front, he pulled off the curb and they were on their way toward the highway.
Mary Jane studied the man curiously before her as she leaned forward and crossed her arms around the headrest of the passenger seat in front of her. "So who exactly are you, Happy Hogan?"
He shot her a quick glance out of the corner of his eye before he focused on the road again. "I'm your driver for the day."
Mary Jane nodded dismissively as she waved her hand in the air. "I get that. But who are you exactly?"
The man frowned as he focused even further on the cars that were driving in front of him. Mary Jane knew that she was hitting at something. "I'm not sure what you mean."
She scoffed and rolled her eyes at him playfully. "Please. You seemed to be trusted with some highly classified information here. That tells me that you're more than just a driver…"
"My niece has a good point," Her aunt chimed in from behind her, though her voice was now suspicious.
Mr. Hogan sighed. "You mean that on top of working for Mr. Stark? I am an associate of Spider-Man."
Her brows may have raised up to her hairline. "Associate?"
His head nodded in what was supposed to appear as a nonchalant way. But she detected a gleam of pride. "Yeah, I drive him around sometimes."
She felt the initial reaction to stagger back, but she resisted. Instead, she had to smother a laugh. Spider-Man had a chauffeur? The idea sounded so ridiculous for some reason. She could only picture Spider-Man swinging through the city, not sitting leisurely in a fancy car. "So what is this? The Spider-Mobile?"
Mr. Hogan rolled his eyes. "Calling it the Spider-Mobile would go against the whole secret identity thing, wouldn't it?"
Now she really did stagger back as she fell back into her seat. "What do you mean by that?"
"What do you think I mean? If we called it the Spider-Mobile but then he got in the car in his street clothes-"
"His street clothes?" Mary Jane echoed just as much as she interrupted. The dots immediately connected in her head. "You know Spider-Man's real identity?"
It was as if she were watching in slow motion as she saw his expression change when her words caught up to him. From neutral to panicked. "Wha-? No! That is- Shit."
"Can you please mind your language?" Her Aunt Anna scolded. Mary Jane always liked her gumpton.
"I'm not telling you anything," Mr. Hogan warned as he sent a stern glare Mary Jane's way through the rearview mirror.
She held her hands up in surrender. "I never said that you had to."
If she wanted anyone to reveal his secret identity to her, she wanted it to come from Spider-Man himself.
The rest of the car ride was spent in silence. Mr. Hogan didn't even keep his word on debriefing them on where they were actually going to be staying. They were kept deliberately in the dark.
With a sigh, she took out her phone and opened the conversation that she had been both dreading and excitedly looking forward to texting again.
Mary Jane: Hey Tiger. We just landed. Are we still on for off-campus lunch tomorrow?
She hit send and then looked out the window, trying to get her bearings about her and try to figure out where exactly she would be sleeping tonight.
….
In the end, Mary Jane was surprised that Mr. Hogan had driven them to Queens. He pulled up in the ritzier end of town, but it was still Queens. The building itself was grand. It was almost like pulling up to a four-star hotel. A bit too grand for what Mary Jane was used to, but the longer that she thought on it, she supposed that was kind of the point.
Her father would never expect her to be staying here. He thought too little of her to belong to the life of the rich and glamorous.
Resentment bubbled up inside of her as she thought on it. She deserves so much better than what her father has given her for her entire life. Or better described, lack of what he has given her. Like love, security, protection…
With her dad, it was always about possession when it came to her.
She could see it so clearly now. But she only wished that she had made this observation sooner. Then, maybe things could have been different. Maybe she could have taken her Aunt Anna's offer to move in years ago. Maybe she could have had a happier childhood. But then, would she have met Spider-Man? She couldn't say… but she would have been neighbors with Peter for years now by this point.
Peter…
She shook her head as she exited the car. Her aunt was warily looking up at the building while Mary Jane went to the trunk to help Mr. Hogan get their luggage. It sort of amused Mary Jane that Mr. Hogan was actively avoiding speaking to her now, though he did sneak suspicious glances out of the corner of his eye at her. It appears that she made someone's shit list.
With their suitcases in hand, Mr. Hogan led them through the front doors and lobby to the elevators. This one was a lot faster than the one in their own apartment building. She supposed that she could get used to this if the luxury of a fast-working elevator impressed her.
The elevator stopped on the twelfth floor. She was a bit superstitious so she was very glad that it wasn't on the thirteenth floor. That would just be her luck, wouldn't it?
Mary Jane dutifully followed Mr. Hogan down the hall and nearly ran into him when he stopped in front of the door of 1208. He jammed the key into the deadbolt and turned the doorknob, then opened it for them and stepped aside. The two ladies walked inside.
The apartment was lavish, but not at all ostentatious. More that it was very modern with its updated appliances and white cabinetry. But the most surprising thing was not a part of the apartment at all. Mr. Stark was sitting in one of the leather chairs in the living area, sipping on a glass of scotch.
"Ah," Mr. Stark said as soon as he saw the door open. He stood and held his arms out wide in greeting. "Welcome to the Witness Protection Program, courtesy of your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man - funded by me, of course."
This was the third time Mary Jane was meeting Tony Stark, and she still couldn't quite get over the shock of it. She couldn't imagine how her aunt was feeling right now… peeking over, she was proven correct given by the expression on her aunt's face as she outright gaped at the man.
Mr. Stark maneuvered his way through the chairs and couch and didn't stop until he was standing right in front of them. He held out his hand to Mary Jane. "Nice to see you again, Kid. Seems like you've developed a bad hapid of attracting trouble."
Looking at his extended hand, Mary Jane took it in a handshake while saying, "Blame it on the red hair. Everyone does."
She beamed when she actually got Mr. Stark to start laughing. "I hope not. Otherwise I'm in a world of trouble when it comes to Miss Potts."
Then he turned to her aunt and Mary Jane jumped to start making the introductions. "This is my Aunt Anna, sir. She is my guardian."
They shook hands but her aunt seemed to be in too much awe of the man in front of her to say anything. Mary Jane was glad that she hadn't acted like this when she first met Mr. Stark… or Spider-Man for that matter. Perhaps, there was a part of her aunt that hadn't believed that any of this was truly real until she saw Mr. Stark sitting in their temporary apartment.
With the introductions out of the way, Tony clapped his hands together once. "Right. Now, Happy has already debriefed you of the plan, but I'm here to smooth out the finer details-"
"Mr. Hogan never debriefed us on anything, Mr. Stark," Her Aunt finally felt the need to chime in, her desire to be kept up to date on the information out-weighing her awe.
Mr. Stark paused, then turned his head and shot a look at Mr. Hogan - whose eyes widened as he held up his hands as if to say he was innocent. "Don't look at me," Mr. Hogan said defensively, then nodded his head directly at Mary Jane. "That one over there was fishing for information."
Mr. Stark looked decidedly amused as he shook his head at the man. "That was the whole point of the whole 'debriefing' thing - that they needed the information."
The smirk on her lips couldn't be helped. It formed on its own merit at Mr. Stark's hilarious rebuttal. Mr. Hogan didn't seem quite so amused. "No, I mean, she was fishing for information about the kid."
Affronted, Mary Jane started to reply, with her hands on her hips, "I was not-"
"Information about the kid?" Mr. Stark echoed, a dubious expression to the tone of his voice. It was as though he hadn't even heard her.
Mr. Hogan nodded definitively. "Yeah, she wanted to know his identity, but I wasn't going to talk."
Positively indignant now, Mary Jane tried to interject. "I wasn't-"
But Mr. Stark cut her off with a wave of his hand, seemingly unbothered by any of it. Instead, he looked at his watch. "Speaking of the kid, I called him over."
Everything in her froze at this statement.
"You called him over?" She dumbly repeated his statement.
Mr. Stark looked up from his watch. "Yep. Should be here any minute."
He was coming over? Now? When she didn't even have time to shower after traveling all afternoon? She had yet to see herself in a mirror and she could probably guess that she looked quite unkempt to say the least. With her hair in a knot on the top of her head and she hadn't even bothered putting on any makeup today… now she really regretted that decision.
As if in answer to Mr. Stark's statement, like he had put out the red carpet and announced his arrival, there was a timid knock on the window pane. Everyone's heads snapped over toward the balcony, where Spider-Man was upside down, waving through the glass.
A beaming grin overtook Mr. Stark's face, which surprised her. He was sarcastic, yes, but she had never before seen him look positively delighted before. If she had any doubts before, they were put to rest here - Spider-Man and Iron Man had the closest of bonds throughout all of the Avengers. Was it strange that she was slightly jealous? Not of their bond, but from how much time the two seemed to be able to spend together. She wanted to have that close bond with Spider-Man too. Which was why, despite her concern with her current appearance, she was glad that he was here.
In several quick strides, Mr. Stark unlocked and opened the balcony doors at the same time Spider-Man flipped down from his position on the wall outside. Turning, he walked inside. It was really good to see him. She wanted to run forward and throw her arms around his neck. Let him comfort her about this situation with her father without words this time. She craved being in those strong arms, held close and safe until he made all things right in the world.
Spider-Man paused just inside of the doorway and waved his hand timidly again. "Hey, everyone."
Mr. Stark clapped him on the shoulder in a fatherly manner. It was a very endearing sight to witness. "Just in time, kid. We were just about to debrief them. We could use your input."
Spider-Man nodded as Mr. Stark led them to the sitting area. Mary Jane and her Aunt Anna followed suit. Mr. Hogan stayed in his place by the wall. As everyone else sat, Spider-Man remained standing and approached her aunt slowly, as if afraid any sudden movements would scare her. He extended his gloved hand.
"Hello, Ma'am. You must be Aunt Anna," Her aunt looked at the hand held out in offering to her for a moment before she reached out and took it, "I'm Spider-Man. It's nice to meet you."
"The pleasure is mine," Her aunt said, shocking Mary Jane in the process, "I understand that I have you to thank for saving my niece's life. Twice now, if not including what has recently happened with my younger brother."
They released hands and Spider-Man's immediately went to the back of his neck. His whole demeanor screamed that he was feeling incredibly shy. He was just modest like that. "Well, she saved my life first. If Mary Jane hadn't helped me when I was at my most vulnerable, I would probably be dead right now. Or at the very least, unmasked."
Mary Jane's cheeks flushed with pleasure from his words. They really were quite the pair, weren't they? Always saving one another. In her mind, it was just another reason why they belonged together.
Spider-Man then turned his attention to her, took a step and lowered into a crouch in front of her seat. Then he reached out and took her hand, surprising her with his boldness in front of other people. The warmth that she felt emanating from beneath the thick fabric was surreal. It felt like home.
"Mary Jane… I can't tell you how sorry I am," He began, sending shock-waves to her system in the process, "I was hoping to end this before you came back but I haven't been able to find any trace of your dad."
Her eyes pricked as she reached up and covered his wrist with her other hand. "You have nothing to apologize for, Spider."
"You really don't," Her Aunt Anna interrupted, jolting Mary Jane and causing the both of them to drop their hands in the process. In that split second, she had forgotten that they weren't alone. "Mark was raised better than this. If anyone's at fault, it's his own."
"Which is why we need to discuss this in order to be on the same page," Mr. Stark said with a clearing of his throat and a pointed look at Spider-Man.
Spider-Man gave her one last look before he stood and took his seat in the empty one next to Mr. Stark. When he was situated, Mr. Stark began, taking charge.
"So, we've established that Mark Watson hasn't been caught yet. And since you have now returned to the city, we have to set a few precautions," He then turned his gaze to Mary Jane, "Spider-Man says that you still want to go to school."
She bit her lip and nodded. "If it's not too much trouble, sir."
Mr. Stark nodded. "I shouldn't see it becoming too much of an issue. Happy will be the one to drive you to and from school every day."
Looking over to the man in question, he looked far from pleased from this prospect of being her own personal chauffeur. Mary Jane turned to Spider-Man. "But then who will drive you around without the Spider-Mobile?"
She couldn't help but tease, he was a bit melancholy ever since he had entered the room. And she knew that the reason was because he was taking the burden of all of this entirely on his shoulders, even when he wasn't the one to blame. She was immediately awarded with a small laugh for her efforts.
"What?" He asked, laughing, while looking between her and Mr. Hogan. "Spider-Mobile?"
She smirked at him. "You can't hide it from me, Spider. I now know your secret… that you are just as lazy as the rest of us normal people - enough where you get driven around from time to time. It's a shame though. Web-slinging looks like a good form of exercise."
He seemed unbothered by her jab at his supposed laziness - as if - and waved a hand at her. "Can't web-sling in places without skyscrapers or trees, Re- I mean, Mary Jane."
She was about to open her mouth to respond when her aunt interrupted, "Mary Jane, perhaps we should stop wasting Mr. Stark's time."
Mr. Stark nodded with a devious smirk. "You two can table your flirting for later."
Wow. The corner on the ceiling looked very interesting all of a sudden. Spider-Man must have felt along the same lines, because his head fell forward into his hand.
"How is it that you plan on catching Mark?" Aunt Anna chimed in, thankfully ignoring Mr. Stark's comment.
Spider-Man lifted his head, though he avoided looking in her direction. It was cute that he was embarrassed. It helped her to manage her own. "Mr. Stark and I managed some experimentation in the lab at the Avengers Compound. My webbing is now heat resistant."
"And when he is caught? What happens to my brother then?"
Spider-Man looked to Mr. Stark, seemingly at a loss of what to say to a woman who's brother was bound for federal prison. Mr. Stark noticed and chose to answer for him. "He will be immediately contained within the Raft Prison."
The Raft Prison? She had heard of it. It was a super maximum security prison for super-powered criminals… like her dad. Mary Jane swallowed and hung her head, not really knowing how to feel. No matter how many times she thinks she has finally wrapped her head around the type of person her father is now, things such as this were mentioned - leaving behind an empty feeling she wasn't quite sure how to manage.
"The Raft Prison?" Her Aunt Anna echoed her thoughts with her tone. "Can't he just be sent to a normal federal prison? That way, I could at least visit him there and maybe try and talk some sense into him."
Mr. Stark was already shaking his head as her aunt was speaking. "Sorry. My hands are tied on this one. Because of the Sokovia Accords, I am legally bound to report characters just like your brother, Ms. Watson. He is considered high risk and dangerous. A normal prison wouldn't contain him."
Taking a deep breath, Mr. Stark continued, ignoring the look of loss on both of their faces. "I'm sorry. But I also feel that it is what's best for Mark in the end. Once they are able to study his condition on the Raft, they would be able to look for a cure. Which leads me to another set of business."
Mr. Stark paused and looked over at Spider-Man. "I have to go to China for the next month at least."
Spider-Man's eyes-pieces widened. "What? You're going now?"
This was apparently news to him. His voice sounded slightly panicked as he sat up higher in his chair. Mr. Stark nodded at him. "General Ross is sending me there, I have to go. I'm leaving first thing tomorrow morning." He paused, seeming to hesitate on his next words before he spoke them. "The Ten Rings have been active again. I'm not disappointed that I'm going. You know how it's personal for me."
Mary Jane held her breath at the indirect mention of Mr. Stark's captivity in a cave by The Ten Rings organization. This was where Iron Man had been born. Of course it was personal for him.
Spider-Man still seemed to be at a loss. "But what if I need-"
"You've got this," Mr. Stark interrupted, donning a look of confidence as he stared at Spider-Man. "You have all the tools to finish this and I have complete faith in you."
"So do I," Mary Jane felt the need to say aloud. Spider-Man turned his head to meet her gaze but despite her blush, she didn't look away this time.
After that, Mr. Stark and her aunt discussed all of the finer details to their safety plan. He had stationed a drone on the roof of the apartment building that detected high heat signatures and would automatically alert Spider-Man if any higher than 130 degrees fahrenheit was within a three block radius - this really seemed to put her Aunt Anna a bit more at ease.
They also talked about the potential of a 10:00 PM curfew for Mary Jane, which she immediately agreed to. She didn't want to be any more of a burden than necessary. She wanted this to go as smoothly as possible, so that hopefully, things like the new curfew would only be temporary. Her Aunt Anna seemed proud at how maturely she was taking all of these decisions made on her behalf. She may have been expecting teenage rebellion but she wasn't going to get any.
But if she were being honest with herself, she was mostly doing it for Spider-Man - she didn't want to rock the boat for him and ruin this by making stupid decisions that could put her in harm's way.
When they had finally finished the discussions, Mr. Stark stood, and everyone followed suit. Her Aunt Anna was the first to step forward and shake his hand. "Thank you so much for all of the lengths you are taking to ensure our safety." She paused before she looked over at Spider-Man. "The both of you."
Warmth gathered in her heart. Her Aunt Anna had apparently changed her tune since meeting the superhero duo. And honestly, how could she not? Spider-Man was just that lovable and Mr. Stark was downright charming.
"Of course," Mr. Stark said with a disarming grin, "I am leaving you in some very capable - albeit sticky - hands."
With a manly pat on Spider-Man's shoulder, Mr. Stark told him, "Be good. You've got this. Don't do anything that I wouldn't do."
Some of the tension left Spider-Man's shoulders at that and he actually released a breathy laugh. "I thought that we've already established that there isn't much that you wouldn't do?"
With a laugh, Mr. Stark shook his head as he patted Spider-Man's shoulder again. "Let me rephrase that. Don't do half of the things that I would do. You're smart. You can figure out which half."
And with that, he turned toward Mr. Hogan and said to him, "You really just stood there that entire time? You could have left and I wouldn't have even noticed."
"I thought that I needed to be a part of the discussion," Mr. Hogan remarked as he opened the door for Mr. Stark.
"Yeah? Because you were a real Chatty Kathy back there, Happs-" Mr. Stark's voice echoed from down the hall as Mr. Hogan closed the door behind them.
Silence lingered in the room after they were gone. Mary Jane turned her attention to Spider-Man, who stood awkwardly in the middle of their temporary living room. He was lingering, but also seemed to have a twitch to him that indicated to her that he was ready to bolt at any moment. She decided right then that she was going to make the decision for him.
"Well…" He said, hesitantly, as he slowly made his way for the patio door. "I guess I'll see you arou-"
"Aunt Anna," Mary Jane interrupted, her voice definitive and confident, "I'm going to go out to the balcony for a conversation with Spider-Man. In private. Is that alright?"
Before the meeting that had just occurred, Mary Jane was pretty sure that her Aunt Anna would have plenty of objections with her spending time alone with him, even if it was on a balcony that was facing a public street. But now? She seemed to have softened to the idea that he was genuinely there to help them. Still, her Aunt Anna pursed her lips as she looked between the two, no judgement in her eyes, just some old fashioned curiosity. "I suppose that is fine. I will be in my room, unpacking my things. Don't stay up too late, Mary Jane, you've got school tomorrow morning."
Mary Jane nodded as she watched her aunt turn toward one of the bedroom doors. "Thanks Aunt Anna."
"Thank you, ma'am," Spider-Man said quietly by the door, to which they both got a nod from her aunt before she closed the bedroom door behind her.
The scrape of the patio door opening brought her attention back to the boy in question. He had opened it and was indicating for her to walk through. She smiled at his chivalry and walked forward, but not before running her fingers down his strong bicep as she passed by him. She felt him shiver at the touch.
The September air was chilly but not overtly so. She could feel that there was a turn in the season and summer would soon be considered over. She walked forward to the edge of the balcony and leaned her arms against the ledge as she heard the scrape of the door being closed behind her. She felt his approach more than heard it, keenly aware of his presence. And in no time at all, he was standing right beside her, mirroring her own position against the ledge.
"How was Denver?" He asked as he began the conversation. She was glad as she was still fighting with her own nerve to say the words that needed to be said.
"It was good but I would be lying if I didn't say that I'm glad to be back home." She replied, a breeze blew at some of the wisps of hair that had escaped her bun and it tickled at the back of her neck.
"You know…" Spider-Man said as he turned his body to face her, one arm on the ledge now, "I almost asked you if you could stay there for longer." Her eyes widened at this revelation. Did he want her to stay away? "But I couldn't bring myself to do it." He admitted, much to her relief.
"I'm glad that you didn't. I didn't really get to accomplish what I set out to do while there anyways, and I don't think that extra time would've helped to motivate me on that front." She said quietly, her heart thudding in her ears. She told herself that she needed to be honest with him. And she was taking the first step toward doing that.
"You went out to Denver to accomplish something?" He asked, his voice held an invested curiosity. "Now you've got me speculating all sorts of theories. Was it rock climbing? I could give you some tips for that if you were trying to work up the nerve. It's all about the stickiness of your fingers, you see…"
It was clear that he assumed that she would laugh. And any other time, she probably would have because it was funny. But not now. Not with the sensation of her nervous system seemingly shutting down and rebooting at rapid fire succession.
"Spider…" She said, her voice building in boldness the more that she talked. She just needed to get it out there, in the open. "There is no other way for me to say this, so I'm just going to say it. I like you. I mean, I really like you. But I told myself that I needed to start being more honest, with both you and myself."
She took a deep breath and let it settle in her lungs before she was able to continue. "There was a reason why I went to Denver. I was running away from my problems and hoping to resolve them from afar. You see, I have feelings for you… but I also have feelings for someone else."
It was impossible for her to miss how he had staggered back from her at this newfound information. But she continued to trudge forward, before any misunderstandings took hold. "That was why I went to Denver. To figure out my feelings. But I found that it was difficult to focus on that when the both of you are just so wonderful. It's just that… you're so extraordinary. And he's so ordinary, but in the most extraordinary of ways. I guess that doesn't even make any sense…" She took another deep breath. "The reason why I'm telling you this is because I want to be completely honest with you. One hundred percent transparent. Because I've come to realize that my next course of action is really all dependent on you."
She looked up at him from under her eyelashes, wishing that she knew what color his eyes were in that moment. Would they have been hidden by the glasses that he used to wear? "I have feelings for you and I need to know if you have feelings for me too. Because I want to explore what there is between us. I've felt this spark ever since the moment that I saw you after you hit that garbage can with your head. And I need to know if it is the same for you because there have been many moments where I felt like you could just up and disappear and I would never see you again. I guess what I'm trying to say is… I want honesty from you, too."
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A/N: Sorry to leave you guys with that cliff-hanger but I will hopefully be able to post the new chapter tomorrow anyways, so you won't have too long to wait.
Thank you so much to everyone for reading this far! If you like this story, please consider leaving me a comment/review. They motivate my fingers to write faster.
One thing that I have noticed about this community is that you are all just so kind. I see zero toxicity throughout the Spider-Man fandom and I am living for it.
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