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A/N: WARNING! WARNING! A LONG CHAPTER AWAITS YOU!
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Chapter Thirty-Seven
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It was hours later after Harry and Ned went home where Peter was lying in bed, trying to fall asleep. He was hyper-aware of the hardness in his briefs as his mind refused to turn off, flitting through the memories of the night while his overactive imagination added its new spin to his fantasies…
He heard a knock at his bedroom window and was shocked to see that Mary Jane was out on the fire escape, waving coyly at him.
Ned and Harry were nowhere in sight.
Peter scrambled to open the window for her. "Hi MJ." He said, a lot more confident in his fantasy than he was in reality. Then, he helped her through the window, and just like how it happened in real life, she grasped his shoulder for support. Only this time, she didn't pull away…
Her touch lingered as she slowly looked up into his eyes. "Hey Tiger, I've decided to crash your bedroom for the night. Hope you don't mind, because you really have no choice in the matter."
His fantasy counterpart was a lot more suave and raised an eyebrow at her. "I see… well you're more than welcome."
Her hand shifted so that it drifted down to caress his pectoral, hovering right above his nipple, as her eyes followed the movement of her hand as her thumb brushed over clothed skin above his beating heart.
"What are we playing?" She asked, her voice sultry and sweet.
Peter swallowed heavily before managing to rasp out, "PUBG."
"Great!" She replied back enthusiastically and she waited for him to sit on the floor before she plopped herself down right on his lap this time - her ass pressed right against his erection. He wrapped his arms around her as they both held the controller. They worked good together as a team and were dominating the game, until finally, Mary Jane spoke up.
"I think I've got the hang of it now, Tiger," She said as her fingers pushed his thumbs away, "I've got something else that I want you to play with…"
She released one hand from the controller to grab one of his, lifting it up so that it rested right over her left tit. His palm immediately grasped tightly to the clothed flesh as her other hand lifted and repeated the same action for his other hand.
Then she continued playing the game and his hands kneaded her boobs desperately - as though it were the only thing that he could hold onto to keep from falling over the edge.
Peter's hand drifted down mindlessly as he palmed his erection through his briefs. He closed his eyes as his thoughts shifted once again.
They were having the pillow fight - again Harry and Ned were nowhere in sight. Mary Jane was dressed in the stereotypical, Hollywood sleepover fashion - a braless tank top and pink, lace panties. They were laughing as they hit one another without abandon and again ended up near his bed… as in what happened in reality, Mary Jane tripped on something from his floor and fell backward onto his bed.
"Stop! Stop! I give up! You win." She breathed heavily, laughter in her voice. Only this time, she didn't chuck the pillow in his face… and Peter stopped his attack and took a moment to just stare at her…
Mary Jane was all things beautiful.
They locked eyes and Peter confidently leaned down to latch his lips to hers. Immediately, their lips were a clash of desperation and need. Peter lowered his body on top of hers as his tongue pushed into her mouth. Air wasn't a priority, not when memorizing the taste and feel of her mouth was of high necessity.
Peter groaned as his hand drifted past the elastic band and grasped at his bare cock.
"Peter, please!" Mary Jane keened when he finally released her lips. "I need your mouth on me. Please."
Releasing his cock momentarily, Peter spit into his palm before returning it back to its previous position, starting the jerking motion that was nearly as old as time.
Her underwear was down her shapely legs and in no time at all, Peter was on his knees between her parted thighs.
This was where his imagination took some liberties. He had no idea what she looked like down there, nor the experience of what giving oral sex to a girl would be like, but he's watched porn before and had enough of an idea to get a vivid enough picture in his mind.
Her sex was a dusty rose color that reminded him of the blush he sometimes saw on her cheeks. His entire being immediately wanted to devour her, so he desperately leaned forward to part his tongue between her lower lips. She immediately gasped and started moaning his name. "Peter! Oh yes… Peter!"
Her hands desperately knotted in his hair - the hair that she had deliberately messed with before while telling him that she liked it styled in it's natural messy state. Her fingers tugged firmly at the roots.
Peter jerked off to these thoughts, of him eating her out, his hips lifting up into his fist with his race to finish.
"I want you, Peter…"
Peter came with a suppressed groan, mindful to be quiet due to the thin walls in the apartment.
He allowed himself a moment for his breathing to slow and his racing heartbeat to steady. He was a sweaty mess. He reached over onto his nightstand and grabbed a handful of tissues from the kleenex box sitting there and cleaned himself up to the best of his capabilities.
He was still in denial about Mary Jane's supposed feelings for him, but he was tired of denying his own feelings for her. Because damn it all to hell, Peter wanted Mary Jane. Almost enough to risk their friendship on it.
"You'd better be right, Harry…" Peter muttered to himself before he threw the tissues into the small trash can next to his bed and finally fell asleep.
…
Mary Jane's eyes snapped open to the abrupt ringing that came from her night-stand. She groaned, squeezing her eyes shut as her hand blindly searched for her phone on the bed-side table. When she successfully located it, she grasped it tightly in her hand and pulled it close to her face in order to see the name displayed on the screen.
Her eyes widened and she bolted upright in bed before accepting the call.
"Mr. Lincoln," She said by way of greeting, her voice breathless and still a bit groggy, "How are you doing this morning, Sir?"
"Miss Watson," He replied back cordially in return in that disarmingly deep voice of his. The man was always so polite. "I'm doing well. I hope that I haven't called too early."
"Oh, no!" Mary Jane rushed to reassure, "I've been up for hours." She stifled a yawn that threatened to emerge.
"Glad to hear it," Mr. Lincoln responded in kind, "I'm calling because a potential opportunity for your modeling career has come up. I would like for you to come and discuss it in person. If all goes well, you will be signing a contract on the spot. Would tomorrow afternoon after school work for you?"
Mary Jane blinked. Stunned. Before excitement shot through her veins as she did a little bounce on the bed. "Tomorrow after school would be perfect, Mr. Lincoln!"
"Good," He sounded pleased. "I'll have a car pick you up from school again to bring you to my office."
"Great!" She beamed, trying to supress the jubilant laughter that wanted to desperately bubble forth. "I look forward to seeing you again, Sir."
"You as well, Miss Watson," He said, and she could hear an air of promise in his voice, "Have a good rest of your day."
The line disconnected and Mary Jane turned her head to scream excitedly into her pillow.
Things were really starting to look up for her. First, the look that Peter had given her last night - before Harry and Ned distracted her with their attack of pillows - held so much promise. And now, the next step to her modeling career was underway. She couldn't wait to find out what this 'potential opportunity' actually was. And she was about to burst as she thought on Peter's reflective look when she mentioned that she needed a 'knight in shining armor'...
Yes. Things were certainly looking up indeed.
….
Peter could tell that Tony was taking it easy by the way he was walking down the hall toward the lab in the Avengers Compound - his steps stiff and his body tense. But Peter wasn't sure if Tony wanted to talk about it or not, so he kept his conversation topics light until Tony was comfortable enough to open up to Peter about it. But of course, Tony being Tony, he didn't like to beat around the bush.
"Aren't you going to ask me about China?" Tony asked as soon as they were past clearance at the security door for the laboratory. Peter watched as Tony limped his way toward his desk, knowing that the older man was going to start tinkering with his mechanics, as he always does.
"How was China?" Peter asked, his voice quiet with his worry as he watched Tony.
"Peachy." Tony muttered as he took out one of his Iron Man gloves and started to disassemble it, only for later on to be put back together. It was a part of Tony's routine and Peter had learned to see it for what it truly was - tinkering was Tony's coping mechanism. Something to keep his hands and mind busy. It usually kept him distracted enough for some time while Peter watched him work, but then, only a moment later, Tony glanced back up at Peter. "No seriously. I had one of the best peaches when I was over there."
Peter made a face. Ugh. Fuzzy fruit. But the light-hearted comment caused a bit of the tension to ease within him.
"But honestly?" Tony continued as he grabbed a screw driver off of his desk, "It was just a colossal waste of time. But General Ross got what he wanted out of the deal - me out of his hair for a month."
Peter frowned at the mention of the General. He had never met the man personally but he heard Tony complain about him a lot. He had also heard a bit of the history regarding the bad blood between General Ross and the Hulk - where General Ross had basically hunted Dr. Banner like he was some sort of animal for years until Black Widow found him and officially recruited him for the Avengers.
From all that Peter had heard of the man, he was glad that they haven't had the opportunity to cross paths yet. Thunderbolt Ross seemed very formidable when it came to the law and superheroes. It was more than a little intimidating.
"What's the issue that he's got with you anyways?" Peter couldn't help but ask as he allowed himself to sit down in the chair adjacent to Tony's. He couldn't understand why anyone would have an issue with Iron Man - who has helped save the world on numerous occasions. If anything, everyone should be grateful to Tony. There was so much that he could've chosen to do differently with his inventions - he honestly could have taken over the world with them if he really wanted to - but instead, Tony chose to be the selfless hero… Hell, he nearly died during the battle of New York.
Tony paused his tinkering fingers and hesitated at Peter's question. "Besides what went down with Cap?" Tony looked up at Peter, a tension in his shoulders that wasn't there before. "He's trying to force me to recruit Spider-Man and have you sign the Sokovia Accords. Let's just say that I haven't been cooperative."
Emotion bubbled up in Peter's chest as he stared heavily at Tony. "Really?"
All these months since Berlin… Tony had been protecting Peter from the Accords? His throat suddenly felt constricted.
"Well, yeah. You turned down being an Avenger. Ross needs to learn to respect boundaries. 'No means no' and all that jazz. Besides, you're too young for him to send on 'covert missions' to China on a whim. But Ross doesn't know that since I haven't told him your identity or your age."
Tony shrugged like it was no big deal. But it was a big deal. It was everything. But he didn't want to make Tony uncomfortable with his overwhelming gratitude and instead thanked him in a way that he knew Tony would better appreciate…
"Wow. That must really piss him off." Peter said, dryly.
Tony snorted, a bit of smirk tickling his lips. "Yeah. That's the most enjoyable part of the Accords, to be honest. Pissing off Ross."
Peter looked on at him in sympathy, he could hear the bitterness in Tony's voice. Tony noticed the look and waved him off. "I've made my bed with the Accords, Kid. I've got to lie in it."
Peter swallowed. He would never regret fighting on Tony's side. Ever. They were a team. But… some part of him regretted them jumping right on the side of the Accords when they probably should have taken the time to hear Cap out first. His thoughts shifted and he wondered where Captain America was right now… Was he still out there, fighting the good fight? Was he even called Captain America anymore now that he was considered an enemy of the state?
"So… what really happened in China, Mr. Stark?" Peter asked, his curiosity finally getting the better of him. If Tony thought that the entire trip was a waste of time, then what had caused his injuries?
"The Mandarin is a myth," Tony said, much to Peter's shock at how blunt and blasé the statement came out, "Or if he was real, then he was around centuries ago and they kept his memory alive through an ever-revolving door of higher management and petty thugs. So when they dropped a building on me-" Peter choked. "-I decided that enough is enough and I'm coming home."
"Whoa! Are you okay?!" They dropped a fucking building on him? Jolts of red-hot electricity shot through Peter's veins. He tightened his fists by his sides. But the only thing that overcame his anger and sudden desire for action was his concern for Tony's well-being.
"Been better but I've also been worse." Still seeing the wide-eyed worry on Peter's face, Tony's features softened. "I'm fine, Kid. Just a few scrapes and bruises."
Peter nodded, accepting that answer. To not do so would be to question Tony's strength and resolve. Then Peter shifted the conversation as he forcibly unclenched his fists. "How's the wedding planning coming?"
Tony gave a little smile and a shake of his head. "Pepper's got it all handled. I'll just be the one to show up in a nice suit, as per usual," Peter rolled his eyes and gave a little laugh at the terrible joke, "Your invitation should be coming in the mail soon."
Peter blinked. Then he raised his pointer finger to his own chest. "I'm invited?"
Tony flashed him a weird look out of the corner of his eye. "Of course you are. Why'd you think you wouldn't be?"
Peter shook his head, unsure, before he beamed wide at Tony. "Wow, I just- thanks for thinking of me."
Rolling his eyes, Tony gave him a half-smile. "We're a team, Pete. Of course I thought of you," Then he cleared his throat, seeming to feel a bit uncomfortable by the teetering weight of tender affection from their conversation. "Speaking of beautiful redheads…"
Peter nearly groaned. He knew this was coming.
"Come on, you've got to tell me, right?" Tony coaxed, finally putting down the Iron Man glove in order to face Peter fully. "It would be cruel not to…"
Peter grumbled somewhat in acceptance to that and waited for Tony's question.
"So? Any development on that front?"
Peter bit his lip as he fidgeted in his seat. "…sort of?"
Tony was quiet for a moment, obviously expecting more of an answer than that. When he didn't get one, he scoffed. "I've been gone a month, Kid, and all you've got to tell me is 'sort of'? What have you been doing all this time? Sitting on your ass? Watching her from afar like some cheap Mr. Darcy knock-off?"
"No." Peter replied defensively. Unlike Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth, Peter actually talked to Mary Jane, thank you very much. And he knew for a fact that Mary Jane didn't hate his guts like was depicted in the famous novel.
Tony leveled him with a stare, not quite managing to believe him. Peter shifted uncomfortably under that stare. Why did he feel guilty all of a sudden? He had nothing to feel guilty for! "Then why haven't you sealed the deal yet? What's holding you back?"
Peter swallowed. His shirt collar suddenly felt too constricting. But… it was time to come clean. Tony wouldn't let this go until Peter caught him up to speed. And honestly? It was the least he could do after all that Tony did to help keep Mary Jane safe from her father. So, Peter squared his shoulders and surged forward. "The night you left, she brought me out as Spider-Man to the balcony."
"Yeah?"
"There she confessed her feelings… for Spider-Man."
Peter waited for some sort of reaction to this from Tony, but he was surprised when he didn't get one. Instead, Tony merely raised a brow at him and asked in a coaxing manner, "And?"
Peter blinked. Why didn't he understand? They had somewhat had this conversation before, right? Why was Peter the only one seeing the bigger picture here? "It didn't feel right. I like her so much but… I wanted her to like me for me, you know?" Peter broke off with a sigh. "But back then, she wasn't even considering Peter Parker..."
He trailed off and bowed his head so that he was looking down at his shoes, he felt Tony's stare on the top of his head.
"You said 'back then'," Tony finally spoke up. "Has that changed?"
Peter's cheeks darkened with a flush and he lifted his head to meet Tony's calculating gaze. "Well… see, Harry said last night that there was no way that she didn't like me. He said that he saw all these signs and Ned agreed."
He got a single nod in response. "And what do you think?"
Peter gave a sardonic laugh. "I think she's out of my league."
Tony snorted as he leaned back in his chair. "That's kinda the point, isn't it?" Peter shot him a surprised look, but Tony ignored it as he continued to speak. "A lot of the time, the woman is always too good for the man. Look at Pepper and I - I know I don't deserve her. But she wants to be with me anyways. You gotta respect that choice, Kid. If Mary Jane Watson wants to be with you, then I wouldn't question it. Regardless of whether you think you deserve her or not… Which, in my opinion, I think that you do. You've always had a bad habit of looking down on yourself and you know it."
Peter's eyes stung. But he forcefully shook away the feeling. There was always something that got him a bit choked up whenever he got praise from Tony. It simultaneously felt undeserved and also were the words he's been waiting - craving - to hear from him. "But what if Harry's wrong?"
Tony shrugged, completely unbothered. "Then you know for sure and you can allow yourself to move on. Wouldn't it be better to know either way, just so you can stop agonizing and stressing over it?"
Peter wasn't so sure about that… he valued Mary Jane's friendship too much to want to lose it over an awkward confession on his part… but maybe he needed to give Mary Jane some credit. Who said that they had to stop being friends if she didn't feel the same way? And if she didn't feel the same way, Peter would go out of his way to make this bump in the road in their friendship the least uncomfortable as it could be for her. He would be as understanding to her feelings and boundaries as possible - all the while hiding from her that his heart was actually shattered…
But Peter was strong. He's weathered a lot of grief in his short life - His parents died when he was at the young age of seven… and only two years ago, he lost Uncle Ben. He could survive the potential rejection of one Mary Jane Watson… it would just take a while on the road of recovery in order to do so.
Mary Jane would be a tough act for any girl to follow.
Peter sighed. "I suppose you're right." Then he paused, weighing his next decision in his mind before he spoke it aloud. "I'm, uh, going to ask her to the Homecoming Dance this Friday."
A slow grin grew on Tony's face. "Yeah?"
Peter nodded, only just slightly still unsure.
"Good. I thought I'd have to kick your ass soon if you kept this up. I'm not made for this much angst, Kid. I've always been a straight-shooter."
"Kick my ass?" Peter repeated, dumbfounded before he shot to his feet and morphed into a boxing stance, jumping from foot to foot in preparation for a fight. A wide smirk on his face. "You wanna go, old man? Let's go."
"Old man?" Both brows were raised up at him as Tony released a scoff. "Now those are fighting words, Kid."
"Are we going to talk or fight?" Peter laughed as he mock-punched the air around Tony's head.
To his credit, Tony didn't even flinch and instead shook his head at him in dismay. "Remind me why I keep you around again? With that disrespectful mouth of yours?"
Peter relaxed his stance with a laugh and a roll of his eyes. "Because I'm the only one that can tolerate your own disrespectful comments without threatening to send you to China for a month?"
Tony snapped his fingers at him. "Right."
….
It was Monday after school and Mary Jane was just entering the front lobby of the Manhattan skyscraper that belonged to Mr. Lincoln. The building ran on clean, renewable energy - something that the Lincoln foundation boasted about. And in Mary Jane's mind, they had every right to. The building itself was something else. Very sleek and modern. It was all very 'on brand' for Mr. Lincoln.
At the front desk, she was directed to go up to the top floor where Mr. Lincoln's office resided. Once the elevator doors opened, she was greeted by the sight of a large waiting room that was empty of people except for the receptionist behind the desk - which sat in front of some large and very impressive solid, oak doors.
The receptionist looked up at the dinged arrival of the elevator as Mary Jane vacated the lift. "You must be Miss Watson."
Mary Jane nodded. She could certainly get accustomed to getting recognized without having to introduce herself. For once in her life, she felt that she was finally on the cusp of being someone important - someone known. Inwardly, she grinned. Her parents could eat their hearts out. She certainly proved them wrong, and only a few short months after she had moved out of their house. It was so clear to her now that they had only ever been holding her back.
"That's me!" She said with a winning smile as she approached the desk and looked down at the nameplate on display. "Nice to meet you, Glory Grant."
Ms. Grant gave a weak smile. But her eyes were surveying Mary Jane's face with a deep level of emotion that Mary Jane couldn't quite place. It perplexed her. Why was this woman looking at her like she was about to enter a den full of lions? Her mind came up with the only viable conclusion: Ms. Grant must be one of those perpetual nervous types - the ones that were afraid of their own shadows. Mary Jane could see how intimidating someone like herself would be in comparison, so she relaxed her smile directed toward the nervous woman.
Ms. Grant then pushed a button on her phone and a buzzing noise came from the speaker. "Sir, Miss Watson is here to see you."
"Send her in," Was the immediate response from the deep baritone resounding out from the speaker.
Ms. Grant nodded to herself and gestured toward the solid oak doors. "Go right in."
"Thank you!" Mary Jane said, with what she hoped was a reassuring smile as she rounded the receptionists' desk and made her way toward the impressive doors. They were heavy, which was to be expected, and Mary Jane had to actually exert herself in order to open them. But in the end, she was successful.
"Hello, Mr. Lincoln," Mary Jane said in the open doorway as soon as she spotted the man across a vast, open-spaced room that sort of reminded her of the oval office. The room itself screamed how greatly important the man before her actually was. If Mary Jane were anyone else, she could see how they would feel intimidated. Poor Ms. Grant… to be so insecure and to work for such a power-house as Mr. Lincoln.
"Miss Watson! How lovely to see you," Mr. Lincoln greeted with wide open arms before he gestured to the chair in front of his desk, "Please, take a seat."
Mary Jane stepped fully over the threshold, closed the door behind her, and crossed the immensely spacious room before she took the seat across from him. She made sure to take the time to check her posture and ensure that her back was straight. It wouldn't do to be the type of person that slouched in front of Mr. Lincoln. Especially since she is a model.
"Now, I must have sparked some curiosity within you, so I'll cut right to the chase," Mr. Lincoln began, not even bothering to beat around the bush, much to Mary Jane's appreciation. She had been hanging on a single thread ever since his phone call yesterday in all of this anticipation. "The photos that Edward Brock took turned out great. We would like to further our contract with you."
Mary Jane was stunned. She almost fell backward in her seat but managed to catch herself just in time. "I- wow, Mr. Lincoln, I… I don't know what to say!"
It was a rare occurrence indeed when Mary Jane Watson was rendered speechless.
"Say that you'll come to Italy," Mr. Lincoln said in a deadpanned voice.
Mary Jane laughed. But Mr. Lincoln didn't join her in her laughter. Wait. Was he actually serious?
"What?" She nearly gasped.
Italy? As in the country? And not Little Italy - the neighborhood in lower Manhattan? Now that she could understand and wrap her mind around.
Mr. Lincoln nodded, unfazed by her apparent shock. "And then after that, Paris, France. We would like to start a European tour for you."
A European Tour… as in a European Tour? Meaning leave New York? Leave America?!
"F-For how long?" She was glad that she finally managed to find her voice enough in order to ask the vital questions. It also helped to give her the time for her mind to play catch up.
"Two weeks. The first week, we'll tour Italy and the second week, we'll settle in Paris. There, you'll join Madame Bouchard's runway to show off our new clothing line on the catwalk." He gave her a small smile. "We want you to be the name and face for the brand."
Mary Jane actually did fall back in her seat now but she let the slip slide this time, due to the fact that she suddenly felt a bit light-headed. Her heart nearly stopped beating in her chest for a moment. It still hadn't managed to quite hit her.
"When?" She breathed.
"Your flight will leave this Friday. That is, if you agree."
The offer was finally starting to dawn on her. They wanted her to be the name and face for his new clothing line. Her. Mary Jane Watson. A slow, beaming smile grew on her lips. "Of course I agree, Sir. Where do I sign?"
….
It was hours later, after conferring with her Aunt Anna over the phone - who was upset at first with Mary Jane for not letting her know of the meeting in the first place - and waiting as her lawyer looked over the contract that was faxed to his office, Mary Jane finally signed on the dotted line. Aunt Anna was going to come by the next day to sign off as her guardian. She only agreed to do so as soon as Mary Jane mentioned Mr. Lincoln's name - a prominent figure that Aunt Anna has admired from the very beginning of his career due to his environmentalist ambitions.
And then everything would be settled and she was going to Italy come Friday night… and then Paris the following week.
Mary Jane walked out of the building as if she were floating on a cloud. She drifted into the car that was waiting for her in a complete daze. They drove for a little while as Mary Jane reflected on her life and the turn it was taking. It was when they crossed the bridge into Queens when Mary Jane finally took out her phone to check her Instagram. Her mood was only improved upon when she saw text messages waiting for her on her home screen from Peter…
Peter: Hey Red! Are you coming to Delmar's today?
Peter: Text me if you're close.
Peter: I guess I missed you. Will you be coming tomorrow?
Peter: Haven't heard from you. Everything ok?
Shit. She forgot to let him know that she wasn't going to be there today. Even though they never expressly made plans to meet at Delmar's every day after school, it had become a part of their routine and she could see how he would come to expect to see her there.
She quickly typed out her response to him. He must be really worried by now since the last message was from over an hour ago. And the way that Peter worked himself up sometimes…
Mary Jane: Hey Tiger! Sorry, I had a meeting with my modeling agency after school today. Yes, I'll be at Delmar's tomorrow. Meet me there?
She hit send and settled back into the leather of her seat, looking out the window to watch the buildings pass her by… when her phone dinged. She smiled before she even lifted the screen to her greedy eyes.
Peter: Definitely. I'll be there.
Peter: My treat.
Mary Jane didn't know what to say in response to that. He didn't have to pay for her sandwich for her. But she was afraid that she might come across as ungrateful if she tried to dissuade him over a text message. She would just have to convince him tomorrow when she saw him.
The car suddenly stopped and she looked up to see that they were in front of her apartment building. She thanked the driver and got out of the car, making her way up the stairs to the apartment. When she opened the door, she immediately heard her aunt's voice drift out from the kitchen.
"Mary Jane?" Oh no… her aunt's voice didn't sound pleased.
"Yes?" She asked timidly, still standing in the open door.
"We need to have a talk."
Great.
Mary Jane sighed as she stepped fully inside of the apartment and shut the door behind her. She made sure to drop her backpack on the coffee table as she walked through the living room and made her way to the kitchen. Only to find that her aunt was stress baking. This was never a good sign. It meant that her aunt had a lot on her mind. Mary Jane waited patiently in the kitchen doorway as her aunt put a tray of cookie dough into the oven. She twisted her fingers nervously through the fabric of her shirt, bunching it and unbunching it in her fists. What if her aunt changed her mind about the European Tour? This worry only continued to fester in her mind before Aunt Anna finally turned to face her.
"Look." She began in that blunt, no nonsense tone of hers that Mary Jane usually so admired. But then again, it was rarely ever directed her own way… "I know that you're an independent girl, Mary Jane, and you are used to… less supervision when you lived with your parents." Mary Jane bowed her head and bit her lip at the mention of her parents and their lack of care. "But you live here now. And I expect for you to let me know where you are and what you're doing." Aunt Anna released a heavy sigh. She sounded so very stressed. "I feel that's not too much for me to ask-"
"It's not, Aunt Anna," Mary Jane rushed to reassure. She hated that she had caused her loving aunt so much anxiety when it could have been so easily avoided. "I'm sorry."
Aunt Anna sighed as she grabbed a towel and wiped her hands with it. "Okay. Good. Just… call me to let me know where you are, alright? I worry about you sometimes…"
Mary Jane immediately nodded. Genuinely surprised that was all that there was to the discussion. With her parents, there would have been hours of screaming and crying and swearing and… perhaps now there would be hitting too… "I will, I promise."
Nodding, Aunt Anna finally released a small smile. "Congratulations, by the way, dear. You must be so excited."
Mary Jane beamed at her aunt. She loved her so much. All of her life, Aunt Anna had been there to be Mary Jane's advocate - her biggest cheerleader. Aunt Anna had been the one to remind her parents to enroll her into school. She had been there in the audience at Mary Jane's very first play as Cinderella. And now, she was here as they chatted excitedly over the details of Mary Jane's upcoming trip to start her first modeling tour. To think… two months ago, she had never even left the city before. Now, she was leaving the country.
It wasn't long after that where Mary Jane then retreated to her bedroom, backpack strung over her shoulder so that she could get a late start on her homework for the night. She was in the middle of her English essay when her phone dinged. She lifted it and couldn't stop the smile from growing on her lips.
Peter: What are you doing right now?
Her essay now completely forgotten and abandoned on her bed, Mary Jane settled back into her pillow as her thumbs danced across her phone's keyboard.
Mary Jane: Just got back home not that long ago. Aunt Anna was a bit upset with me because I forgot to tell her about my meeting today.
Mary Jane: So now, I'm laying low and doing homework. You?
She didn't have to wait long for his response.
Peter: Uh, you know. I'm just out and about.
Meaning that he was currently out as Spider-Man. She was almost tempted to text him back telling him not to text and swing. She laughed as she could only imagine what his reaction would be to receiving that text message.
Peter: Bummer you're in trouble with your aunt. You didn't get grounded, did you?
Mary Jane frowned down at her phone. That was quite the odd conclusion to come to. But then again, Peter didn't really know much about the dynamic of Mary Jane and Aunt Anna's relationship. It was usually so relaxed. Peter's must be different with his own aunt now that he was Spider-Man. She didn't forget that he had once told her as Spider-Man that he was grounded after his accident that left him with amnesia…
Mary Jane: No, nothing like that, Tiger. The exact opposite, actually.
Again, she didn't have to wait long for his response. She had to fight a grin. She loved it when they found an excuse to text each other like this.
Peter: Good.
Peter: That's really good.
Peter: That you're not grounded, I mean.
Peter: What do you mean by it being the exact opposite?
Mary Jane laughed at the back-to-back text messages that seemed to almost come in all at once.
Mary Jane: Meaning… that I'll tell you all about it tomorrow, Tiger.
It was radio silence for a bit of time after that. Enough that Mary Jane sighed and put down her phone. She was able to finish all of her homework and began her nightly routine of washing her face and brushing her teeth.
It was just after she crawled back into bed underneath the covers when her phone dinged once again.
Peter: You've got me in suspense, Red. Can't you just tell me?
A surge of giddiness shot through her. If she didn't know any better, she would say that Peter Parker was actually flirting with her.
Mary Jane: Nope. It's a surprise. I'd rather tell you in person.
Peter: :(
Peter: Fine. Keep your secrets.
Mary Jane rolled her eyes at her phone and snorted good-naturedly. What a hypocrite! Talking about keeping secrets like he didn't have a mountain of his own.
Mary Jane: You'll find out soon enough.
Mary Jane: Besides, I love leaving you in suspense.
She watched on the screen as the dots that indicated that he was typing kept disappearing and reappearing. Did her last response really throw him off that much? But then, a text finally came through.
Peter: I've come to find that out about you, Red. That, and you have this odd fascination of trying to get me all worked up and embarrassed all of the time.
A genuine laugh burst forth from her chest.
Mary Jane: Well… if you didn't make it so easy... ;)
The winky face was added on as an afterthought after much deliberation. Let him make of it what he will.
Peter: Just you wait. I'll find out your own weakness one day.
Mary Jane bit her bottom lip as she considered her next response. Did she dare tell him? There were merits of him knowing her weakness for sure, that is… if he chose to take advantage of it.
Mary Jane: You don't have to wonder. I'll tell you. For a price…
Peter: Oh gosh. Should I be scared?
Mary Jane laughed.
Mary Jane: Terrified.
Peter: Fine. Lay it on me. What's the price I'd have to pay for such vital information?
Holy shit! Was he seriously asking? Or was this all still a part of the running joke? She paused in silent contemplation. She could get really bold with this. Outright ask him to take her out on a date? Or maybe a kiss…?
But as soon as the thought crossed her mind, she immediately vetoed the idea. She didn't want to have this conversation with him over a text message... She wanted to have it in person where she could look into his deep, brown eyes - where, if a favorable outcome was reached, then that conversation would lead to him kissing her immediately afterward.
And… if she were being honest with herself, she didn't want to trick him into dating her. She wanted it to be entirely his own decision.
Mary Jane: Another free favor? I don't have one in mind yet but one of my own choosing at an unspecified date and time.
Peter: Done. Now, what's your weakness?
Peter: I'm dying to know.
Mary Jane: I am…
Mary Jane hesitated. Did she really want him to know this? It could be dangerous…
Peter: ?
Peter: Come on, MJ. Time to pay the piper.
She was still hesitating when Peter sent another message.
Peter: Fess up! What is it?
Mary Jane: Okay! Okay! Fine, Mr. Impatient…
Mary Jane: I am extremely ticklish.
The bubbles on the screen appeared and disappeared numerous times, before-
Peter: Reaaalllllyyy…?
Mary Jane snorted.
Mary Jane: Now don't go and abuse this power of yours over me now that you know.
Peter: Mwahahahaha!
Mary Jane: Seriously, Peter. You only get one pass. Maybe two. But three? I'd like to see you try your luck.
Though, in the back of her mind, Mary Jane almost hoped that he would take advantage of this. Anything to get his hands on her would be most welcome, even if it came at the price of such exquisite torture. She genuinely was extremely ticklish.
Peter: :)
Mary Jane: I mean it, Peter. If you abuse this power over me, you'll seriously live to regret it.
There was no response.
Mary Jane: Peter!
Peter: Okay, okay. Fine. Great power comes great responsibility and all that jazz…
Peter: You can trust me with your weakness.
…..
Peter waited anxiously outside of Delmar's Deli, shifting from foot to foot. He could see Mr. Delmar watching him from inside and Peter flushed, remembering how this was an exact repeat of what occurred yesterday, except Mary Jane hadn't shown up. And Mr. Delmar had then tried to console him about how he once was stood up for a date too and Peter had to awkwardly explain that it wasn't a date and…
Gosh, he hoped that Mary Jane showed up soon.
He didn't think that he could bolster himself up for a third time if she didn't. He spent all of yesterday and today trying to work up the nerve to ask Mary Jane to the dance. His nerves would get to him if he had to delay it for another day and he was afraid that he wouldn't ask at all by that point.
Harry and Ned tried to help, giving him pep talks during lunch.
"Just rip it off," Harry had said as he leaned forward in his seat animatedly, "Like a bandaid. Just lay it all out there."
Peter inhaled a deep breath before he released it in a shaky staccato. "Like a bandaid. Easy."
"What's easy?"
Peter jumped as he whirled to face Mary Jane. How had he not sensed her presence? His spider-senses were usually more acute to his surroundings. He must be deeper in his head about this than he realized.
"N-Nothing!" Peter said before he gave her a shaky smile. As his eyes surveyed her. As per usual, she looking stunning as her gaze danced with amusement as she watched him. "H-Hi, MJ. How's it going?"
Ugh. When would he learn to stop stuttering around her? He wished that he could be as cool around women as Tony was. Hell, if he were like Tony, Mary Jane would probably already be his girlfriend by now.
"Not bad, Tiger. Just about starving. You?"
"Me too," Peter nodded, paused, before he jumped ahead of her in order to open the door to the shop for her. She smiled at him as she stepped through and walked by him.
"Thanks, Peter."
A jolt of pleasure shot through him at the sound of his name coming from her lips - like a gentle caress with each syllable.
They put in their sandwich order with Delmar - who looked relieved on Peter's behalf that Mary Jane showed up today. He hoped that Mary Jane didn't notice the silent exchange between them, otherwise, she might realize just how pathetic he actually is.
Peter held out a ten dollar bill to Mr. Delmar and Mary Jane tried to interject with her own money.
"I can pay for my own sandwich, Peter. You don't have to do that."
Truth was, Peter wanted to pay for her. Then, he could sort of pretend like this was a date that they were on… which, in turn, would make it easier for him to just outright ask her for the dance.
"I want to," Peter insisted, his voice practically begging.
Mary Jane tried to push forward her five dollar bill toward Mr. Delmar but Peter shoved his body in front of her, blocking her path to the cash register. "Don't make this difficult. Please?"
Mary Jane paused and they locked eyes. She must have seen something in his own gaze because he saw the exact moment when her resolve softened. "Okay…" He released a breath and smiled at her. "Thanks, Peter."
In response, he nudged his elbow against hers softly. "Anytime, Red."
Once their sandwiches were made and handed out to them, they both made their way to the cafe table outside. The weather was getting colder and pretty soon, they wouldn't be able to do this anymore for a while until Spring. The thought made him sad. He liked that he got to spend this time with Mary Jane every day. Somewhere down the line, this had become their place. And he liked that they shared something together. More than he cared to admit.
"So?" Peter began as he unwrapped his sandwich. "Spill. What's this dirty secret of yours that you're keeping from me?"
'Rip the bandaid off,' Harry's nagging voice echoed in his mind.
The bandaid can wait. Peter didn't think that he was ready to just throw it all out there immediately. No… it would be better to ease into it as the conversation went along. Then, maybe he could drop hints to Mary Jane about his intentions and then he could gauge her reactions to see how she would take to getting asked on a date by him.
"Who ever said that the secret was dirty?" Mary Jane asked coyly before she took a bite of her own sandwich.
A laugh escaped him as he wiped at his mouth. "Sorry, my bad. What's this entirely innocent secret that you're keeping from me?"
Mary Jane grinned. "That's better."
"Thank you."
"You're welcome."
"Well?"
"Well what?"
Peter groaned. "You're killing me, Red!"
Mary Jane laughed outright in his face. "Mr. Impatient strikes again, I see…" Then, she bit her lip, before it all just burst out of her, seemingly unable to keep it in for any longer. "I'm going to Europe!"
Peter's eyes widened. Of all of the things he expected her to say, this most definitely wasn't at the top of the list. "What?"
Mary Jane nodded eagerly at him. "Yep. First to Italy and then to Paris. I was offered to go on a European modeling tour!"
"I- WOW! Congratulations!" Excitement for her bubbled up in his chest for her. She was really doing it. She was following her dream!
"Thank you!"
"For how long?" He couldn't help but ask. He hoped that it wasn't too long. The three weeks that she had been in Denver had been near torture for him. If it were any longer than that, he might just go genuinely crazy from missing her.
"Two weeks. I leave on Friday."
Everything within Peter froze.
Friday… the day of the Homecoming Dance.
"O-Oh…" He plastered a smile on his face but it suddenly didn't feel genuine. "That's quick, right? Why so sudden?"
Mary Jane paused as her lips twisted in contemplation. Then she shrugged. "I'm not sure… the modeling world must be super fast-paced, huh?"
Peter nodded, unable to speak past the large lump that had formed in his throat. All his planning had been for nothing.
He spent the remainder of their time there together listening to all of the details about her trip, resolving that he was going to be happy for her. This was a big opportunity for her, afterall. A high school dance could hardly compare…
…..
Mary Jane was walking home down the street with a bounce in her step. Peter had given his 'Stark Internship' excuse and Mary Jane accepted it with ease as they parted ways. Everything in her life was going swimmingly. Her time with Peter just now only furthered this resolve in her mind that her life was on its way toward becoming nearly perfect. The only thing that could make it better was if Peter asked her out and they became a couple.
"MJ!" Mary Jane turned on her heel. She had just passed MSST on her way to the bus stop to head home, so it was really no wonder that she ran into Harry outside of the school on the sidewalk.
"Hey, Harry!" Mary Jane smiled wide at him as he ran to catch up with her. "How are you?"
"Good. I've been good," He said as he settled into pace next to her. "You?"
"Fantastic! I got the best news yesterday-" They both walked down the street together as she told him everything about the new modeling opportunity that had been presented to her. She really couldn't stop talking about it to people. It couldn't be helped. Harry gave all of the appropriate responses of congratulations.
"I leave Friday night!" Mary Jane finally boasted excitedly as they neared the bus stop.
A bit of the color left Harry's face, much to her surprise. He stopped dead in the middle of the sidewalk before he groaned and rubbed at his eyes with the heels of his hands. Mary Jane watched him, bewildered. "You're killing me here, Mary Jane."
She blinked.
"What? Why?" A bit of a defensive tone rose up in her. "What'd I do?"
Harry merely shook his head as his hands dragged down his face in what looked to be complete exhaustion. When he didn't answer, Mary Jane scoffed and crossed her arms over her chest, a little more than perturbed with him. "I thought you'd be happy for me…"
"Damn it, I am. It's just…" He sighed and bit his lip, hesitating. "Did you already tell Peter this?"
Her arms dropped to her side as she flashed him a weird look. Peter? What did he have to do with any of this?
"Yes…?" She replied, her voice hesitant.
Another groan resounded from deep within his chest. But still, he didn't bother to clarify what was going on. Instead, he turned his head away from her, staring off into the distance down the street, a calculating look in his eye. Mary Jane rolled her eyes at him. She was getting rather irritated by his mannerisms at the moment. "Are you going to tell me what's so awful about me pursuing my modeling career?"
He hesitated again as his wary gaze turned to face her. "I'm not sure if it's my place to say…"
She scoffed. Well it was too late for that. "Well I'm not going to let up until you tell me, so…"
Harry was quiet for a long minute as he was under the full scrutiny of Mary Jane's hard stare. Before he huffed.
"Damn it." He grumbled. "I feel like if I don't say something now then nothing will be done about it." Then he shot a glare Mary Jane's way. She almost staggered back from the full onslaught of it. "Do you know how long it took me to boost Peter's confidence enough to convince him to ask you to the Homecoming Dance on Friday? Only for you to just up and leave that very night?"
The air whooshed out of Mary Jane's lungs. She could feel her face going pale as the blood drained from her cheeks. "He… Peter was going to ask me to his Homecoming Dance?"
Harry nodded, looking extremely annoyed. "Yeah. Took a lot of convincing too."
Mary Jane shut her eyes tight and turned on the spot. "DAMN IT!" She yelled toward the street, startling some pedestrians close by. Her fingers ran agitatedly through her hair as she turned back to face Harry. Pure frustration at the missed opportunity welled within her as she asked in a terse voice, "I take it that Peter's not going to ask anymore?"
Harry stared at her, his agitated expression morphing with a level of curiosity. "Do you want him to?"
"Yes!" Mary Jane hissed out in frustration, "I've been waiting for him to do this very thing and I ruined it!"
She almost felt like crying. How was it that they seemed to keep passing each other by?
"So you do like him?" Harry asked, his gaze calculating once again as his thirst for information shone in his eyes.
"Of course I do! I've just been waiting for him to realize-" she cut herself off with another groan. She wanted to hit something. Here, she had been putting in the work, trying to get Peter to like her enough to ask her out, and when he finally does… Mary Jane's eyes widened as he dug into her back pocket for her phone. She managed to fish it out with her shaky hands as she looked up the email that Ms. Grant had forwarded to her of her flight details.
United Airlines
New York, New York (JFK) to Venice, Italy (VCE)
Departure - Sept. 29, 2017 at 11:45 PM
She closed her eyes and released her breath. Her flight didn't leave until 11:45 PM… She could still fix this. She just needed to calm down and think…
Her thought whirred with all of the possibilities on how to resolve this. She had the feeling that if she just left for two weeks without fixing this misstep with Peter, they would be settled straight back into square one - all of her hard work going straight out the window.
When she finally opened her eyes, she looked up at Harry, who was gazing down at her with a bit of concern. She could only imagine the picture she presented right now… She probably had a manic, desperate look displayed on her face. "My flight doesn't leave until almost midnight… I'm going to need a couple of favors from you, Harry."
She didn't even feel sorry for the level of demand that seeped out in her voice. If Harry Osborn was seriously her friend, then he should have no trouble helping her out with this.
His brows knitted together. "What sort of favors?"
Mary Jane took a deep breath, further trying to settle her resolve. "One- I'm going to need you to make sure that Peter still goes to the dance. Do not let him flake out."
This was met with a scoff. He was probably thinking along the same lines as her at how stubborn Peter could be at times when his mind was made up. And if he thought that he didn't have a date for the dance… "How am I supposed to manage that?"
"I don't know!" Mary Jane threw her hands up in this air as she tried to gather her wits. "Get Ned involved. Tell Peter you're making it a fun stag night or something. Just make sure that he makes it there."
"Okay… and the next favor?"
At this, Mary Jane leveled him with a stare, her eyes deeply determined. She knew that after all was said and done, she would have to seriously thank Harry for his help in this. "I'm going to need you to buy me a ticket to the dance."
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A/N: I've resolved that I can only write when I am on my walking treadmill at my standing desk. It's been a great motivator! I've been losing the 15lbs of winter weight that I gained in November-December (holidays are tough! The cookies were everywhere). Getting a jump-start on my bikini-ready body, though. Haha.
BUT as a result, I'm hoping that there aren't any more errors in the story than usual. I apologize if that's the case. I've just been trying to find ways to multitask better… because my life is so busy but I'm also obsessed with writing this story, so…
Gotta get creative with ways to exercise!
Anyway… please tell me what you think of this chapter! The next one is sure to be promising. ;)
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