Hi fellow Spidey enthusiasts. This little piece was brought to you by me being sick for the first time in two years. Grateful that it's not Covid, but I've definitely been feeling icky this week. At least some good came from it, in which it inspired this piece of mostly fluff. Timeline wise...just pretend it's pre-identity revelation. I didn't give it much thought other than that.

MJ felt like she'd been hit by a truck. She wondered if this is how Peter felt all the time, considering he actually did get hit by trucks with alarming frequency.

She sniffled and reached for a tissue, blowing her nose into it violently.

"Uggghhhhh," she groaned, rolling over and burying her head in her pillow. There were a lot of things she hated in life, so it was hard to keep track. But being sick definitely ranked in the top five.

Tap tap tap

Damn, she must be so sick that now she's hallucinating.

Tap tap tap

Ugh, couldn't her hallucinations at least have the decency to let her sleep? She yanked the pillow out from under her and covered her head with it.

Pssssst, MJ! Let me in!

Great. Now the hallucination had a voice. "Go away!"

Uh, MJ, I really don't think you want people seeing Spider-Man dangling out of your window for too long…

She removed the pillow from her head long enough to see her boyfriend, in his Spider-Man getup, sticking to her window. "Peter!" She jumped out of bed, then immediately regretted the decision when her world started to spin. She stumbled to the window and yanked it open, and Peter fell inside unceremoniously.

"Nice landing, Spider-boy," she deadpanned.

He quickly righted himself and had the decency to look sheepish. He tapped the button on his suit, and it dissolved revealing his street clothes. "How are you feeling?"

"Like sunshine," she said flatly, crossing her arms over her chest.

He took in her disheveled appearance, and the rings around her eyes. "I take it you mean lousy."

She sighed, wiping a little discharge from her nose with the back of her hand. "I told you not to come," she admonished him, climbing back into her bed.

"And leave my girlfriend sick and alone? I don't think so." She smiled a bit at the word 'girlfriend.' It was still so new, and she enjoyed hearing him call her that. She wasn't sure if it would ever wear off. Fortunately she was facing away from him, so he didn't see. She'd have turned an embarrassing shade of red if he had.

"If I get you sick then who's going to protect the city?"

"Hey," he said, sitting on the edge of her bed and gently pulling some curls away from her face. "I've got super healing abilities, remember? My body will knock that head cold out in no time. Plus, Spider-Man's entitled to take a night off. Especially if it's to take care of his sick girlfriend."

"You're such a dork, you know that right?"

"I've been called that once or twice. Mostly by you." She snorted. "Have you taken any cough medicine?"

"I don't know. Probably a few hours ago."

"Okay, I'll get you some. Where…?"

She cut him off. "Desk." As if she timed it, she broke into another coughing fit.

He frowned, pouring the liquid into the little measuring cap. He hated seeing her like this. "Can you sit up for me?"

Surprisingly, she did as she was asked without argument. She must be really sick, he thought. He handed her the cup, and she downed it in one quick gulp. She couldn't help but make a face as the vile liquid went down. He chuckled. "I know it's terrible but it will help." Spying her water bottle on her bedside table, he grabbed it and handed it to her so she could wash away the taste. "You wanna go back to bed?" She nodded slowly and lay back down onto the pillows. Kicking off his shoes, Peter lifted the covers and got in beside her, wrapping an arm around her waist.

She rolled over to face him. "What are you doing?"

"Didn't you know? Your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man just so happens to be a grade A cuddler. Known worldwide for helping sick people feel better."

"Oh? Is that one of the services he offers to all the great people of New York?" she asked, nuzzling further into him.

"No, only those who subscribe to the boyfriend package."

She couldn't resist the laugh that bubbled up inside of her. "Then I'm glad I took the upgrade." She punctuated the sentiment with a well-timed sneeze.

"All right, enough talking. Time for bed." He reached over and tugged the string on her bedside lamp, blanketing the room in darkness.

"You can't stay here," she said sleepily. "My parents will check on me."

"I'll worry about that. You just sleep."

She didn't have the energy to argue. She just curled into him a little farther, he tightened his grip around her, and they both quickly fell asleep.

And sure enough, when her parents checked on her in the morning, the only sign that he had been there at all was the slight breeze coming through the open window and the faint smell of him on her sheets. She smiled to herself. Being Spider-Man's girlfriend definitely had its perks.

Favorites & Reviews welcome and appreciated :)