Pressing the enter key on his laptop, Peter submitted his latest application, this time to an entry position at Rand Industries. It wasn't his first time applying for such a position within the company, as he'd applied for multiple jobs almost everywhere, from startups with decent money to multinational conglomerates. Would this one finally be the one? At this point, Peter had no idea how much to get his hopes up, though he was trying to remain at least somewhat optimistic.
Switching tabs, he then went to his email, pulling up some pictures he'd shot from earlier that afternoon to send to Robbie. He liked going there and dropping them off in person as much as possible, but even with his unique method of transportation that could bypass literally any traffic, he was still unlikely to make it to the Bugle in time to get the pictures in before the deadline, having spent most of the afternoon job hunting. He attached the files and hit submit. With that task complete, Peter shut down his laptop, closing it and stuffing it back into his bag.
Observing that it was just a little after Six O' Clock, Peter took his last bite of his sandwich before gathering his trash and his computer bag, throwing the former away on his way out the door. He then hurried to a nearby alley, changing into his Spider-Man outfit while webbing his clothes and his computer bag to a secure location higher up the side of the wall next to him. Scurrying to the roof, he then used two webs to launch himself into the air, swinging off and beginning his evening patrol.
Mere seconds into it, he heard his phone going off; he checked to see that it was Robbie.
"Hey Robbie!" he answered, firing a web with his free hand.
"I just wanted to say that I got your pictures," the man replied.
"You really do hate texting, don't you?" Peter teased. It was well known and even an occasional gag in the Bugle that Robbie preferred phone calls even for simple things like this.
"What can I say?" the man questioned. "An old man like me never knows when his hearing is going to go out, so I want to hear people's voices for as long as I can."
"Nonsense," Peter protested. "We all know you're somehow going to live to a hundred and ten at least, and knowing you, you'll be in perfect health all the way to the end!"
"Yeah, tell my doctor that!" Robbie teased.
"I'll be happy to give him the message!" Peter teased back before switching gears as he fired another web. "By the way, how's Jonah doing today?"
"Pretty much the same," Robbie replied.
"Well, if anyone can figure out a way to keep the Bugle going strong, it would be the two of you," Peter tried to assure the man.
"Peter, I really wish I had your optimism," Robbie replied.
"That's funny, because you have no idea how many times I've said the same thing about you," Peter said.
"I'm trying, but... the media landscape is changing so much," Robbie admitted. "Jonah has always prided himself on not compromising when it comes to going after certain stories, but unfortunately, they're just not what sells these days. We'll figure something out though."
"You will," Peter repeated. "Anyway, I have something I need to take care of, so I'll have to get going."
"Take care, Peter," Robbie said, "and thanks."
"Any time," Peter replied. He then hung up, firing another web as he pressed onward.
Twisting the keys and pushing open the door, Hobie stepped inside his apartment, tossing his keys onto the counter as he shoved the door closed behind him. As he made his way to his room, he heard his phone ringing, so he pulled it from his pocket to see that it was Mindy.
"Hey, baby!" he answered.
"So, how did your first day on the job search go?" she asked.
"Pretty great, actually," the man assured her. "I submitted ten applications to different engineering positions, and I managed to get a few meet and greets in as well!"
"That's great!" his girlfriend replied enthusiastically.
"I got a few other places I'm going to hit up tomorrow too," Hobie said as he strolled into his bedroom. "But babe, I just know that something good is going to come my way very soo..."
He was interrupted by a notification ding on his phone. He glanced to see that he already had some emails that looked as though they might be responses to his applications.
"Hang on a sec, Mind," he said as he put her on speaker before pulling up the notifications. Sure enough, Hobie recognized all three of them as being from places he'd applied at earlier today. He pulled up the first one from Stark Industries. Eventually, he came across these words:
"Unfortunately, we are not able to consider your application at this time."
Only mildly dejected, Hobie opened the next one, still anticipating something better this time around. Instead, he was greeted with a similar rejection from Rand Industries, only worded a little more politely.
"What's is it, baby?" his girlfriend spoke up. "Is everything okay?"
"Just some responses to my applications," Hobie replied. "Hang on, I got one more to check."
The last one was for Oscorp Industries. Unlike the others, this one didn't even include so much as a "thank you for your interest," but was simply telling him that he was being rejected due to his record.
"Oh, man."
"What is it?" Mindy asked. "Something good?"
"No," Hobie replied. "I just got rejected by three of the places I applied to today. One of them even point blank said it was because of my record!"
"Oh, Hobie," Mindy replied.
"At least one of them had the courtesy to actually tell me that was the reason," Hobie added. "The others put on some nicey-nice facade or whatever, trying to come up with something to make it go down easier."
"It's going to be okay, Hobie; you still have all those other places still," Mindy tried to encourage him.
"Yeah," he said, forcing his tone to perk up a little. "Yeah, you're right, still seven more to go!"
"How about you come over and enjoy a nice homecooked meal for your efforts?" Mindy suggested.
"That would be nice," Hobie replied. "I just got to shower and change, then I'll be right over."
"Okay, see you soon," his girlfriend said. "I love you."
"Love you too, baby," he replied. "Be there soon."
After he hung up, Hobie just stared at his phone for a minute, his mind remaining on the rejection messages he'd just read. Ultimately shaking himself out of his fog, he tossed his phone on his bed before removing his tie from around his neck as he prepared to take a shower.
"It's alright man," he said quietly to himself. "So what if a few places didn't want me? I have other options, and besides, I knew this wasn't going to be easy. I'm going to this; yeah, I'll show you, Mr. Wesley. I'll show you!"
"Thanks, Spidey!"
"Hey, no problem!" Peter assured the store manager as he set the last box of supplies in the store's back room.
"I really appreciate this, and I know this kind of thing isn't exactly in the job description of a crime fighter," the man reasoned.
"Hey, I called myself the 'Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man' for a reason when I started... because I was young and couldn't think of anything catchier to create the right public image," Peter joked. "Either way, I figured that meant that very little was outside of my job description."
"Either way, I appreciate you saving me a lot of work," the manager replied as he finished counting everything up. "I'll actually be able to make it home in time for dinner; the miss is making her famous homemade steak dinner tonight!"
"Sounds wonderful," Peter replied. "Well, I better get going. Take care!"
Peter then waved goodbye before firing a web, making his way to a much higher point in the city and landing on a perch at the edge of the building. He glanced out to see that the sun was almost halfway set, his heart beginning to speed up a little at the sight. Would his previous attacker make his grand return tonight? Things had been quiet in the city so far that evening, but it usually wasn't until the sun disappeared from the sky that the real fun usually started.
Before he could ponder the matter, he heard his phone ding, and he checked it to see that it was a text from May:
"Care to come over for a bite to eat?"
Between the store manager's comments and his aunt's reputation when it came to all things culinary, Peter felt as though he could hardly turn her down.
"Be there soon!"
After sending his reply, he went and recovered his clothes and computer from where he'd left them before making the swing from Manhattan to Queens, eventually finding an isolated spot to change back into Peter Parker. From there, he quickly strolled the remaining few blocks to his old home, not even bothering to knock as he turned the key and let himself in. As soon as the door cracked open even a little, the smell of the warm aroma within filled his nostrils.
"Mm, I'm guessing it's Italian tonight?" he asked as he stepped inside, shutting the door behind him.
"You're just in time, too," May said as she turned from the counter with two plates in hand, setting them down at their usual spots on the table.
"Smells great, May!" he assured her as he put his computer bag in the chair next to him. "Also, I'm sorry again for being in such a hurry this morning."
"You did seem a little frazzled," his aunt remarked as she filled two glasses with water. "What was on your mind?"
"Oh, just work stuff, in a sense," Peter replied. Even after all these years, he still had a hard time lying to the woman who'd raised him to always tell the truth.
"Well, you don't have to worry about me," May replied, taking a seat. She then held out her hand for Peter to take, which he reciprocated. It had been a time-honored Parker family tradition to hold hands and say grace at the dinner table since he was a kid, and he'd been in no hurry to let it go even as a grown man.
Once she'd finished the prayer, May spoke up again.
"I would also add that I think you might owe an apology to someone else though."
Peter narrowed his eyes, looking at May curiously before it suddenly clicked.
"Mary Jane."
"She was worried about you after you abruptly took off last night," May explained.
"I know; I just... I thought I recognized someone who might have been following me, so I just thought it would be wisest to get her home," he explained. Truthfully, Peter was now kicking himself mentally for not even thinking to text M.J. in the back half of the day. What would he even say though?
"I think she was hoping to talk to you," May added.
Peter narrowed his eyes towards the woman again as he finished swallowing his bite of food.
"May, did you mettle again?"
"Well, I figured someone needed to be hospitable towards the young woman!" May reasoned.
"Aunt May..." Peter moaned, burying his face in his hand. He knew she had good intentions, but he couldn't stand when the woman stuck her nose in his personal life like this.
"Okay, okay, I might have mettled a little!" May conceded. "But honestly, I'm just trying to figure out what's going on with you two. One moment, you sound happier than you'd been in a long time when you talked about her, and the next, there suddenly seems to be this distance between the two of you. I'm just trying to understand why that is?"
Peter sighed, still not meeting his aunt's gaze.
"Yeah," was all he could say.
"I won't say anything else, but I really think you owe her a conversation," May said. "A real, honest conversation."
"Trust me, I want that as much as her," Peter replied. "We'll figure it out."
"Okay," his aunt replied. She then was true to her word and dropped all things concerning the redhead, but Peter's mind remained on her even as the conversation spread through a variety of topics. Once he was finished and told his aunt thanks for the food, the first direction he looked was towards the Watson home once he stepped outside. There was still a part of him that didn't want to sort through this until after he'd handled the situation involving his fierce and furry opponent of late, but he still found himself strolling over next door anyway, eventually ringing the doorbell.
After a few seconds, Peter was greeted by Mary Jane's Aunt Anna.
"Oh, Peter; just a second, I'll get Mary Jane. Want to come in?"
"Thanks, but I can't stay," Peter said. "I just wanted to plan ahead on something with her before I left the neighborhood."
The woman then excused herself from the door, shutting it back most of the way. Peter waited as patiently as he could, glancing around and kicking his feet a couple of times. A short time later, the door opened again, this time revealing Mary Jane.
"Hey."
"Hey."
Well, this conversation was off to a fine start!
"Listen, first off, I wanted to apologize for this morning," Peter explained. "I had something I had to get to, but I still feel rude for brushing you off."
"It's fine; I recognized that you weren't expecting me," M.J. reasoned. "I also didn't know you got your own place."
"Yeah," Peter confirmed. "Speaking of that, I was thinking maybe you could come over tomorrow at some point? It's not exactly much to see, but I'm hoping there will be less chance we get interrupted from an overdue conversation that way."
For the first time since she'd greeted him, M.J. smiled.
"I'd like that."
"Great!" Peter replied perhaps a little too enthusiastically. "I'll text you the address a little later. What time should I expect you?"
"I go in for my final callback at two, so I can stop by after that."
"Sounds perfect," Peter replied. "See you then."
"Awesome," Mary Jane responded. The two then said their goodbyes before Peter slowly turned and strolled down the stairs.
Frankly, he had no idea how he would approach the conversation tomorrow, but right now, he'd count it as a win if they actually got to have it!
Hope you're still enjoying it!
Continuing to pray for you all; stay safe and healthy!
"Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever." Psalm 73:25-26