Disclaimers:

Spider-Man and all its related characters belongs to Marvel Entertainment, which is owned by Walt Disney Company, and the Sam Raimi Original Trilogy belongs to Sony Pictures Entertainment. No infringement of these copyrights are intended, and not authorized by copyright holders.

One windy afternoon, several number of people dressed in black suits were gathering around the cemetery for the funeral of the late Norman Osborn. Attending among them were Harry, Peter, Aunt May, Gwen, Mary Jane and her mother.

After most of the attendees already gave their respects and departed, Harry stepped away from his father's coffin, staring at the distance, as if he was in deep thought.

Peter walked towards his best friend, hoping to offer some comfort for his best friend. "Hey," Harry turned his head to his best friend when he heard him. "I'm so sorry, Harry. I know what's it like to lose a father," He said, feeling sympathized about how this happened.

"I didn't lose him, he was stolen from me," Harry corrected darkly. "One day, Spider-Man will pay. I swear on my father's grave, Spider-Man will pay," He declared with hateful conviction in his eyes and voice.

Having no idea how to respond to those last three scary words, Peter offered nothing more than mere silence.

"Thank God for you and Gwen, Peter," Harry broken the silence he didn't seem to notice. "You two are the only family I have." He said with a genuine voice.

After Harry gave Peter a grateful hug, he eventually broke it up and turned away, walking to his limo that was awaiting for him by the side-curb of the cemetery.

Despite feeling a little glad that Harry still had some kindness left for Peter Parker, despite what happened at Aunt May's hospital room nearly a week ago, he looked down in sulk, now being forced to live with the terrible fact of his own best friend had a hatred for his masked alter ego, even though Peter only wished to respect Norman's dying wish for his son's sake.

No matter what I do, no matter how hard I tried, the ones I love will always be the ones who pay. Peter said mentally to himself.

Broken out of his pessimistic thoughts, he felt a touch on his shoulder. Peter turned around to see Gwen giving a sympathetic smile. He still had no words to say, leaving with nothing but the same sulking look.

"You okay?" Gwen asked, hoping to try reassuring him.

"Yeah, I just wish that..." Peter's voice trembled when he tried to speak to his blonde best friend. "I wish I know what to do."

Gwen offered a side hug, hoping to comfort him.

After breaking up the short hug, Peter turned to her, wanting to change the topic in an effort to uplift the depressing mood. "Congrats, by the way, for winning that scholarship."

"Thanks, Pete," Gwen smiled.

"When will you go?" Peter asked curiously.

"My flight to London leaves in a few days," Gwen said. "But I can tell them I can go for another semester."

Peter shook his head. "No, you're finally achieving your dreams you've always wanted. I don't want to take that away from you, just for me," He said, not wanting Gwen to give up her future for him. Besides, it probably would make it easier for him when she stayed away from the potential dangers that could be brought on her because of his life as a crime-fighter.

While Peter didn't have much of a good argument for MJ's case, despite trying at first when they discussed about it the next day after Norman's death, he just didn't want the possibility of adding another of his best friend's life to his guilty conscious.

"Are you sure?" Gwen asked, just wanting to be certain he'll be alright without her.

Peter nodded with full confidence, his mind was clearly already made up. "I'm very sure."

Knowing his typical stubbornness, Gwen sighed and reluctantly let it go. "Okay. I hope things will get better for you," She said, before walking off. "I'll see you around someday."

"Good luck, Gwen," Peter said.

Before the blonde could walked any further ahead, she stopped in her tracks for a moment and gave one more glance at Peter, walking back to him for a moment and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. "Just keep being the hero, okay, Parker?" Gwen whispered with a grin.

Peter nodded with a chuckled smile. "You got it, Ms. Stacy."

After giving his best waving farewell to Gwen as she was leaving the cemetery for her upcoming trip to Oxford, Peter's hand slowly lowered as his forced smile faded into a frown line when he was left standing by himself. He then gave a side glance, seeing Mary Jane, her mother and Aunt May standing by Norman's resting coffin.

Before that boy turned his head back and walked away, MJ quickly took notice of his apprehensive expression.

Realizing how much Peter means to her now and how much he needed someone to be there for him, especially after seeing two of his best friends left his side, Mary Jane followed him.

Not too far from the late Osborn's burial, Peter was standing in front of the gravesite of the one man who taught him the lesson of responsibility since his journey as a hero began all those months ago.

BEN PARKER, BELOVED HUSBAND AND UNCLE

After paying his respects to his late Uncle Ben, Peter turned around when he sensed Mary Jane's presence coming in from behind.

Even after all this time, Peter still couldn't believe the two girls he was crazy about, both in mask and off, were actually one and the same. Maybe this universe had a twisted sense of fate for allowing the spider-bite to happen to himself and her.

MJ walked up to Peter, wrapping her arms around his neck as she was soothing him in a comfortable hug. "You must've missed him so much," She said in soft, empathetic voice.

"It's been so hard without him," Peter said in a somber voice.

"There's something I've been wanting to tell you," MJ said, as she broke up the hug, making herself look at Peter directly with her happy eyes. "When I saw you being taken away, I was scared that I was gonna lost you. All I thought about was, I wanted you to be safe. When I ran for that place, I kept thinking you'll able to make it through it okay."

Peter smiled as he felt the redhead placed her hand on the side of his cheek. "Really?"

"And when I saw you hurt back at that horrible place, that's when I knew I couldn't live without the only person who's always been there for me, who makes me feel like I could be, that I'm just me, and that's okay," MJ smiled, before finally, she broke through her deep shackles that was holding back her true feelings all this time. "The truth is... I love you."

Peter's mouth dropped in shock the moment he heard those words from the girl he loved.

"I love you so much, Peter," MJ collided her lips with his, giving him a sweet lovely kiss after confessing to the boy she loved.

After moments that felt like forever, they broke up the love-felt kiss when MJ pulled herself back, only to see the unsure look on Peter's face. She couldn't help but feel worried about what's going through his thoughts about her confession.

"Are you still sure?" Peter muttered.

"Am I still sure of what?" MJ asked, still confused by his expression and now his words.

Peter looked up at her again. "Are you still sure this is what you really wanted? To live this life with me?" He said with concern in his voice. "With all the dangers, with all my enemies -?"

MJ shook her head, cutting him off his words with her finger on his lips. "I already told you this. I know there'll always be huge risks living this life with you. But I also believe that spider bit us for a reason - that we'll always find a way to be together no matter what, that it's wrong that we should live only half-alive... half of ourselves."

As she moved her hands from his lips to his cheeks, MJ continued. "Remember, no matter what challenges we may face, we'll always find our way to back to each other, Peter Parker."

Peter's unsure expression turned to a happy one upon hearing those words.

"Well, say something," Mary Jane said with a soft, lovely voice.

Peter's smile widened with contentment in his eyes. "Thank you, Mary Jane Watson."

With that, they leaned into each other's faces once more, their lips moved in sync for another kiss, only feeling more passionate this time. In the midst of their lingering kiss, they felt their spider-senses tinkling but more calmly yet somehow stronger, resonating with one another like, as if two once disjointed souls finally became a whole again.

When Peter and Mary Jane finally broke the kiss again, they smiled widely as their eyes filled with the undeniable love that was finally broken free from their deeply-buried shackles.

"Let's go, Tiger."

Peter nodded with a smile, walking away from the cemetery as he intertwined his fingers with the hand of the girl he loved, knowing he didn't have to worry about keeping his double life a secret from her.

Little did the young boy and the fellow redhead realized, their lives only just begun interweaving together in their Web of Life and Destiny.

End of Book 1

Words: 1572

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