Peter bites his lower lip to hide his smile at her pressing against his arms, liking the feeling of her so close to him. He laughs a little at her nick name, turning back to the table and looking at where a bunch of them are talking loudly with one another - watching Ned talk, as he turns back to MJ again after a moment. The group chat. Peter’s gaze goes to the counter top, picking up a napkin there as he takes in a deep breath. It shouldn’t be a big thing for him, the group chat, but all he can do is scroll up to Gwen’s last message she’d sent, a quick, out with peter but we’ll be there soon! with her usual string of the red dress dancing emoji’s behind them.
His throat feels tight, like there’s a hand gripping his heart in his chest. “I just - you know. Don’t do well, in group chats,” Peter explains, even though it’s a lie, and he knows that. He has to pick himself back up, he tells himself, don’t get stuck in this now that you’ve come all the way out here. “But come on, admit it,” Peter adds, his hand reaching to gently pinch her arm, “you wanted me here.”
He did miss this, even if it still feels weird - after everything that’s happened, to be listening to their conversations, and not back in his room at home. Peter can still feel that itch, just under his skin, to put on the suit and go out there and help people. It’s sitting just under his bed, and while he’s here, looking at drink menu’s and listening to his friends talk, he could be out there. There’s a lingering sense of guilt, and Peter knows he isn’t bound to the suit, he knows that. But it feels like he won’t ever be fully whole after all of this until he puts on that suit, and he goes out and does what he knows he should be doing.
When Peter sees her lip curl into a smile, he knows he’s doing alright. Plus whenever he gets MJ to smile it feels like an accomplishment, or something, because she isn’t easily swayed. But for Peter? She smiles a lot. Or, it feels like a lot, anyway, as he feels a bit of pride well up in his chest. “You do?” Peter asks, playing along now, “I didn’t even know. He can’t be as good looking as me, though,” Peter says, smiling at her again.
Peter shrugs, looking at the drink menu for a moment before putting it back down. “Probably just a coke, or something. Or a beer,” he says, never really been one for a drink. When she mentions May, however, Peter looks over at her again. She is home tonight, spending it watching a marathon of her new show, Jane the Virgin she’s rather taken with.
But that’s how MJ works, she’s in the Parker family now, in a way. Aunt May always teases Peter she can’t wait to have MJ as a daughter in law, but Peter doesn’t understand where that comes from. They’re friends, he insists, but May just gives him a knowing look in response. But MJ fit so easily into their lives, it was almost seamless, really, with her coming over and sometimes cooking - other times May would leave a note or gift for her on the counter, thanking her for being around.
“Something with chocolate and peanut butter,” Peter says, leaning over MJ’s shoulder to look at the menu with her. He reaches to point at one option, his fingers brushing along her hand as he reads over the words, pressing his lips together in thought. “She said she was happy to have the apartment to herself tonight,” Peter adds, smiling a little.
❝ you’ll do better . ❞ it’s the little things , mj supposes : a name in a group chat , the messages they last sent , the habit you’re so used to and how you’ve manoeuvred your life around it until you realise there’s nothing at all to adjust to in the first place . it’s been months since gwen’s passed , and peter isn’t - he’s not really moving from where he stood when they first buried the blonde right in the ground - but slow progress is still progress . maybe yesterday peter wouldn’t even bother picking up shoes to wear 'cause the idea of going out still baffles him now that there’s no partner to go out with , and now he’s right here and insisting that mj must want him around , despite her lack of confirmation .
and funny that , because of course she does . she has always wanted him around , as a crush , a friend , a best friend , an unrequited love — she has never not want him around , which makes him dangerous , she thinks , in a way , but it’s one danger she’s willing to put up with . not that it’s a hassle to even begin with , being with peter . of course , it isn’t easy ; but mj has never opted for a simple route of living anyway . back in reality , she snorts , apart of her falling into their banter so simply — like it’s an old habit — when he mentions how good looking he is . ugh, dork . mj wonders how her eyes haven’t already fallen right out of her skull with how much she’s rolling them . ❝ can good looks even be measured in idiots ? ❞
his warmth pressed against her is always — it’s nice . mj has known this long ago when they first held onto one another after a particularly bad night and peter was shaken by something that nearly happened to aunt may . they were - sixteen , she thinks . god , that seemed like so long ago . and while mj has never been fan of public display of affection , whenever she does get them in forms like these — a hand on her arm , a chin on her shoulder , a knock of shoe against her boot — it’s comforting . or maybe that’s just the crush talking . she’s really whipped , obviously . and it’s embarrassing . clearly .
mj scrunches up her nose , turning a bit to him and is careful from knocking her nose straight into his temple , the shortie . ❝ uh . pretty sure peanut butter and chocolate existing simultaneously in a cake does not exist , you heathen . do not get my hopes up . ❞ so that should leave her with chocolate - anything , for may . maybe she should bake one of these days . mj couldn’t remember the last time she did that . maybe at her nephew’s third birthday . but that was , jesus , that was years ago . she wonders if may’ll be up for it . ❝ yeah , guess having a twenty year old something nephew hogging the couch depressingly ruins the effect of a hot single woman in their fortys trying to chill . ❞
she rests her cheek atop of his head , just because - when one of the worker finally , breathlessly , welcomes them .
mj orders another drink of lemonade , adds a chocolate cake in the mix and wonders if she should brought extra for ned . the staff behind the counter nods , smiling , all white-teeth and practised smiles , her bright eyes glancing once at peter . “ and for the boyfriend ? ” and mj doesn’t even splutter or choke . she’s just — a little surprised . back when peter was still communicating with civilisation , they got mistaken for being a couple all the time . the most awkward one was when gwen was with them when it happened . but just like then , mj rarely misses a beat as she replies , ❝ oh , no we’re not dating . i’m a terminator sent from the future to make sure he wouldn’t get himself killed before he had the chance to save all humanity from an artificial intelligence created by the US military . ❞
and then she groans , loud . ❝ god , your nerdiness has infected me . get away from me , parker . ❞
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