(disclaimer: i know the names are references so i tried to put itty bitty lore in... except for flash and mj who i snatched entire plotlines for but that's because i loved agent venom in the two spider-man shows that aired in the 2010s and i think every single live action actor could have pulled it off while comic mj cannot pull off jackpot the way MCU mj can. also these are all the mcu confirmed classmates before snap happened btw)
advanced class is an au where more sophomores than just peter parker become superheroes in their own ways. soon, they've got to band together and become a group, whether they like it or not.
ned leeds: ned figures out his portal powers way earlier. whether it's by jokingly following doctor strange's movements or being interested in certain books, it doesn't matter. all that matters is he's now superpowered too. it's definitely odd going from man in the chair to someone who can be in the field too. he hopes he can figure it out in time.
michelle "mj" jones: mj respected the fact that her crush and now boyfriend had superpowers. she also respected the fact that she likely wouldn't be getting her own. but after another debacle at oscorp and some strange DNA slots machine, she's supposedly testing her luck everyday. if only they knew that it's not luck, it's math. who knew math related to probability and time could save people's lives outside of the ordinary event tracking?
betty brant: betty always thought she had good intuition. it was more than that. her psychometry came out as weak words and flashes of ideas. now with how much worse nyc has gotten... she's absorbed more mental resilience to have full-on flashbacks. time for her to invent a new way to investigative reporter.
flash thompson: there's nightmares and then there's what flash's having. he just wanted to prove he could fall into an internship the way parker did. and instead, he's now got a monster attached to his body, calling itself a symbiote. guess it's time for the oddest redemption arc yet.
cindy moon: cindy's powers should have never come to her. but with interdimensional mistakes, she's just like spiderman... well, except for her webbing. that's organic material. that means she can focus on a different kind of chemistry. with enough time, she can poison these freaks.
jason ionello: jason was always the entertainment side of the news. he learned guitar from his dad before he died. it makes sense that he has powers that can make people be enamored by his every word. time to show these villainous assholes that they shouldn't mess with jason ionello and his friends.
sally avril: sally's the most focused on the group. the multitasker, the one with all notes, the one who can do everything all at once. a connection to the entire universe might have been expected. the aether is a thing that's odd to be tapped into but she's learning. there's many ways to take this energy around her, control what she can mold, and how she can hurt people. all she needs is time.
brian "tiny" mckeever: fate said tiny wasn't meant to be a superhero like the rest of his classmates. he's not tall, he's not "built different", he's just an average teen. hell, he only stole the shocker's gauntlet off him for shits and giggles. he was genuinely planning to turn it in after the photo the school news took of him. when everyone's in danger, he decides fuck fate. time to pull a tony stark and make this tech his own.
charles murphy: charles did feel like he was always distracted. maybe it was the opposite. maybe he was just observing too much. with his enhanced senses similar to a spy trained since birth, he's realizing how many things he's been looking at and overhearing and sensing. when he's one of the few students to notice when people are in danger, he decides it's time to figure out how to narrow down his variables.
abraham "abe" brown: abe keeps to himself. he usually only ever speaks up in big situations. so it's no wonder that his superpowers went by in a very discreet manner and now need some long traditions and the amulet his parents hid from him to awaken them back up. somehow, it feels like he's had them for centuries. time has passed down great strength and noble power to him.
seymour o'reily: seymour was always the friend who went with the flow. he was the one who lifted everyone's spirits. now he can do that a little more... literally. with his gravity defying superpowers, it's only a matter of time before he can blast these bums into outer space.
i do actually have an entire plot for this group. i have sm angst and sm fluff. and if i added in a mr. harrington having to be the powerless but heavily inspiring monitor? OH YOU WOULD BE HIT WITH SO MUCH ANGST AND INSANITY.
After a year in which they were absent from theaters & streaming services, #WandaVision serves notice that Marvel Studios is back in 2021. I found myself caught off guard more often than you might think; in parts it’s exactly what we’ve been told it is, it’s also more than that.
Olsen and Bettany are charming, hilarious and work perfectly off one another. There is real magic here between these two and it’s at its best and most noticeable when they were in front of the live studio audience.
However as the series progresses, the couple continues to become aware that there is something not quite right about their idyllic existence. What’s brilliant here is the audience is left to ponder the mystery alongside the unusual couple.
There’s no sense of dramatic irony here...each episode leaves both the characters and the audience in suspense.
Feige, Shakman and Schaeffer deserve a ton of credit here. They don’t just pay lip service to trip through the decades, they make every effort to ground them in that time period: the audience reactions, the camera work and lighting and even the cultural sensibilities are on point
#WandaVision is the perfect way for Marvel Studios to reintroduce itself. While we know this series is destined to turn into a full-fledged spectacle, the time spent with these characters in the intimate setting of these shorter episodes is time well spent.
Perhaps the real treasure here is the discovery of Bettany as an A+ comedic actor. We see him do it all from corny jokes to slapstick physical bits and he pulls it all off effortlessly.
Olsen’s range as an actress is on full display. Like Bettany she’s essentially playing a different character in each episode, but it’s her ability to relay the feeling that there’s another part of her, just out of her own reach, that sells her performance. She’s simultaneously elated and terrified; in control and fighting to keep it; hilarious and tragic. Olsen is a gem.
Comic fans and MCU fans alike will find references and Easter eggs galore in every episode. The creators have cleverly integrated 1980’s comics, modern comics and MCU specific events into the show.
WandaVision IS something you’ve never seen before but it accomplishes that by taking you places you’ve been before and playing with your notions of what should happen there. If this is what Marvel Studios TV is headed, we’re all going to be very happy for a long, long time.
//This post is acting funny and won’t come up, so I’m reposting!
Summary:
“You can’t go back to your room.”
“Um, yeah. I don’t think I should, with Mysterio’s tech and everything.” Peter admits. “But, I mean, I’ll figure something out. There’s always Mr. Harrington-”
“Or you could stay here.”
Characters: Peter Parker x Michelle Jones, Ned Leeds x Betty Brant, Mysterio, Mr. Harrington, Charles, Abe Brown
Wordcount: 4,529
Warnings: Fluff, Touch of Angst, Nightmares
Daydreams and Night Monkeys
Even though it’s the brightest night of the year in Prague, Peter can’t help but feel as if he’s stumbling around in the dark
After his quick departure from his hotel room, he did manage to contact Happy, who assured him that Mr. Fury would be alerted about Beck’s deception
It’s something, at least, but Peter knows the fight is far from over
Beck isn’t going to let it rest that easily, and figuring out the next move while keeping him in the dark will be a bit difficult now that he has access to E.D.I.T.H.
To top it off, Happy will be arriving the next day to get Peter out of the field, where Beck is certain to be searching for him
Which means that Peter is going to go far away from Prague, far away from the trip he has been looking forward to for ages
And far away from black dahlia necklaces and the girl who has seen right through him for months
The girl who has been watching Spider-Man so intently that she fooled him into thinking that maybe, just maybe, she might have been looking for Peter Parker
Peter shoves the thoughts out of his mind as he swings over the rooftops, paying no mind to the lights that flicker in the streets below
He doesn’t want to think about how they smolder just like the destruction of the carnival, burning as a reminder of his failure
It is only as the glowing lights of the hotel come into view that Peter realizes he can’t go back into his room
Mysterio may have bugged it, so returning there would be putting himself in harm’s way
He really only has to make it one night until Happy comes to get him tomorrow, so Peter decides to room with Ned
After all, he memorized the number of Ned’s room off of the list of room numbers that came out on the bus
So, as Peter slides through an open window down the hall and climbs the ceiling to keep out of view of any cameras, he knows which door he is looking for
There’s only one problem
When the door does come into view, Peter already recognizes it– and it’s not because it’s Ned’s
He knows it because this is the door that he saw MJ leave through earlier, and it’s the same door he knocked on after to suggest they go for a walk
Peter’s heart skips a beat at the thought of showing up at her door at two in the morning, but he’s out of options
So, after steeling himself, Peter knocks on MJ’s door for the second time that night
The door opens unexpectedly quickly, and Peter doesn’t know what he was expecting, but it isn’t this
Because, when MJ answers the door, she seems to be wide awake
The slightly taller girl is wearing a large, comfortable-looking grey hoodie with a faded picture of Rosie the Riveter on it, as well as a pair of black leggings and black socks
Her hair is loose, completely free of the style she had worn earlier that evening, and her dark eyes are alert as they find his
Peter is rather grateful for his mask at that moment because he can feel his eyes widening and his cheeks heating up
It takes a moment for him to finally find words, and when he does, Peter just barely keeps himself from becoming a stammering mess
“I, uh– Sorry? Sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you up or anything–”
Before he can continue, MJ cuts his off, blinking a couple times before she does so
“Um, it’s cool. You didn’t. Wake me up, I mean.”
Peter lets out a quick breath in relief as she glances away from him, fiddling with the cuff of her sleeve
“Right, okay. Good.”
MJ glances up at him, raising a brow in question, and this causes him to continue
“Uh, I thought this was the room Ned was assigned.”
A gleam of understanding enters MJ’s eyes, and she nods slowly as she replies, “Oh, right. Yeah, he traded me for a room closer to Betty. I think they’re right next to each other.”
Peter nods quickly, several times in succession, as he rambles, “Yeah, that makes sense. Do you, uh, remember your old room number?”
MJ’s fingers tuck a few stray strands of hair behind her ear as she seems to ponder the question for a moment, eyes wandering upwards
Peter is almost glad not to be the object of her piercing gaze for a moment since his face currently feels like it’s hot enough to melt into the mask
“Well,” she says slowly, “I remember the last room I was in. But that was after I traded with Charles for the Wi-Fi and with Abe so he could have the corner room, so…”
“Oh. Okay.”
For a moment, there is an awkward silence as Peter’s mind races, and he tries to think about any possible alternative
He could pretend to be sick and spend the night in Mr. Harrington’s room, but then he’d probably have to fake throwing up or something, and he doesn’t think he’s a good enough actor for that
And spending the night on the roof doesn’t exactly seem brilliant when Beck has access to a host of flying, killer drones
“You can’t go back to your room.”
Peter’s eyes flicker to MJ’s as she says it, finding that her gaze is locked on his again
“Um, yeah. I don’t think I should, with Mysterio’s tech and everything,” Peter admits, a hand rising to scratch the back of his neck awkwardly
“But, I mean, I’ll figure something out. There’s always Mr. Harrington-”
“Or you could stay here.”
Peter’s eyes widen as he looks to her, surprise filling them
He hadn’t expected her to say anything of the sort, and now he is certain that his face is burning holes in the Stealth Suit
She, for the record, looks about as comfortable with the idea as he is
MJ is religiously avoiding his gaze now, almost like she did earlier in the evening when they both suddenly became aware of the fact that he had stripped down in front of her
But Peter knows he’s pretty much out of options, so he manages to mutter, “I-I, uh, I mean… Sure. Thanks.”
MJ lets out a wordless nod and quickly turns around, entering the room and leaving the door open for him
Peter glances over his shoulder, making sure that he’s managed to avoid the cameras in the hall before he disappears into MJ’s room
The thud of the door behind them suddenly snaps Peter to reality
All at once, Peter is very aware of the situation in which he has found himself
Because, even though the plan went down the drain days ago, this possibility?
It is not one that Peter would have even dreamed of considering
And now, Peter is standing in the middle of MJ’s hotel room in nothing but a skin-tight Stealth Suit in the early hours of the morning with no idea what he’s supposed to say
“Um, I can crash in the bathtub,” Peter offers quickly, shutting down the train of thought
“But then I’ll have to reschedule my three AM bath,” MJ points out, voice deadpan as she stares at him
There’s a little glimmer in her eyes, however, that tells Peter that she may not be as serious as she seems
“Messing with me again?” he prompts, unable to keep a small grin from forming on the edge of his lips
MJ tips her head slightly to the side, and a hint of a smirk creeps onto her lips
“Yeah. You’re catching on.”
Before Peter can let the warmth that’s fizzling in his chest spread too far, she’s turned away
“But yeah, you probably shouldn’t sleep in the bathtub,” MJ reasons, her back turned to him as she walks to the chest of drawers and begins to rifle through them
“I mean, you need sleep with everything that’s coming.”
It’s the first time anyone’s vocalized it, and it’s kind of like getting a kick to the chest that he somehow really needed
Even on the phone, Happy didn’t really talk about anything past getting Peter out of the field, and the discussion about Fury didn’t include any future involvement in the affair
But deep down, Peter knows that he’s been a part of this from the beginning
And whether he likes it or not, he’s going to have to see it through to the end
It’s his fault Beck has the glasses, his fault that these Elementals are about to become more dangerous than ever
So it’s his responsibility to remedy it
Peter lets out a breath in a controlled exhale, nodding slowly as he says, “Right. Sleep is always good... I can take the chair, in the corner.”
Peter gestures to the upholstered armchair by the window, and MJ shoots him an unimpressed look in response
“You’re going to be sore if you sleep sitting up,” she counters firmly
“You can take the bed, and I’ll take the chair.”
Peter’s eyes widen as he stares into the unflinching gaze of his classmate, who appears so resolute that Peter is almost afraid to try to change her mind
Still, the idea of taking MJ’s bed is ridiculous enough that he still has to try
“I’m not making you sleep on the floor, MJ,” he presses, attempting to make his voice sound as insistent as hers
MJ raises an eyebrow and Peter knows he’s not going to win this argument-- she is much, much smarter than him, much better at arguing, and has the added energy that comes from not swinging across Prague all night
“You’re not making me,” she counters, crossing her arms, “I’m offering. And you are going to sleep in a bed because even if you don’t I’m taking the chair. So it’s the bed or the floor.”
Peter is quiet for a minute, brow furrowed as he looks at her
She’s infuriating, but as they stand opposite one another, squabbling over something as stupid as sleeping arrangements, the sight of her sharp eyes and each word from her quick tongue is enough to make his heart race
“I just don’t want to take your bed from you, since you’re letting me sleep here and everything.”
Peter’s words are honest, just like she is: they’re tired, and they are earnest, and they reveal the truth
Which is that Peter is too tired to fight this fight right now, but he’s not still going to try because he knows he owes it to her
For a moment, MJ’s eyes widen, but she quickly recovers
And then it’s Peter’s turn to be surprised, because she tips her chin up and says:
“I mean, we could share it.”
A lump immediately rises in Peter’s throat, and his eyes feel like they must be bugging out as he looks at her, blinking rapidly
His voice, when it leaves his throat, is higher than usual as he stammers, “What?”
“I mean, it makes sense,” she says quickly, turning around
As MJ moves to the drawers beneath her TV and begins to open them, Peter thinks her words might be coming slightly faster than usual
Still, her tone is nonchalant as she reasons, “You need to sleep for tomorrow, and you aren’t going to sleep well if you’re freaking out about me being in the chair. So it’s kind of a convenient solution.”
When she turns around, MJ has a pair of flannel pajama pants in her hand, as well as a t-shirt that says “Feminist AF” on it
“But if you’re not cool with it, I guess we could-”
“Wait. Wait, uh, no. I-I’m cool.”
MJ arches an eyebrow as she looks at Peter, and he is grateful for the moment to collect himself
Because, due to the fact that his heart is currently trying to chisel its way out of his sternum, he barely remembers even choosing to speak
Maybe she hasn’t been watching him for the right reasons, and maybe she doesn’t like him the way he likes her, but Peter knows that he’s still head over heels for Michelle Jones, even if he doesn’t have the right to be
He’ll get over it, because he knows it would be disrespectful to keep pursuing someone who isn’t interested
But he can start getting over it tomorrow
Because tonight, with a battle looming over him and exhausting dogging his every step?
Tonight, Peter can’t deny himself one last night imagining he has half a chance with the most incredible person he’s ever seen
“Then you should go change,” MJ replies slowly, dragging Peter out of his thoughts and extending the bundle of clothing in her hands to him
“Huh?” Peter stammers, a few seconds delayed in realizing what she’s doing
“You’re- you’re gonna want pajamas.”
“Oh. Right... Thanks.”
“Uh, don’t sweat it,” MJ murmurs, the corner of her lips quirking upward slightly
Still, she appears slightly stiff, and Peter can’t help wondering... Is she nervous?
Rather than trying to puzzle that out, Peter takes the clothes and turns to enter the bathroom, shutting the door a bit too quickly behind himself
It takes a few moments to catch his breath, and then a few more when he realizes, as he’s changing, that the clothing smells like lavender soap
The fabric is soft against his skin, and as he steps out of the bathroom Peter realizes he finds the slightly-too-long pants comforting
He’s so caught up in having his enhanced senses overwhelmed with MJ that it takes Peter a moment to realize she’s turned off the lights
Prague is still bright outside the window, and the lights from the city combined with the light of the moon keep the room illuminated enough that Peter can see pretty much everything with his sharp vision
This is how he spots MJ, who is standing by the bed
She has turned down the sheets, something strangely particular that fits perfectly among her other quirks, but she is currently staring out the window, at the city below
A few of the lights have flickered out due to the time, but the city still sizzles and sparks below her, and the lights cast a warm glow that bathes her face
The soft light illuminating the curves of her features causes Peter to catch his breath, a sound that alerts her to his presence
She glances his way, and immediately warmth floods Peter’s face, making him grateful for the low light
MJ quickly tucks a curl away from her face, breathing, “Sorry. It just looks like...”
She doesn’t finish the sentence as her eyes come to rest on his face, and Peter watches as she swallows uncomfortably
For a moment, uncertainty flickers in her eyes, as well as an apologetic gleam, and Peter realizes she’s worried she said the wrong thing
“No, you’re right,” he murmurs, glancing at the window and back to her
“It does. Uh, but I’m not gonna let that happen anywhere else.”
For a moment, MJ stares at him across the room, and her dark eyes gleam with the reflected shine of the streets below
Peter catches his breath and wonders if he is imagining the gleam of something else that he can see, the little spark that seems to be lit as she looks at him
“I know.”
Her voice is filled with quiet confidence, and for a moment neither moves
And then MJ turns to the bed, letting out a breath
“Uh, I normally would close the curtains, but...”
“No, it’s okay,” Peter says quickly
He understands: it’s too easy to imagine, in the dark, that they are cornered in the room
And it’s also just a bit too easy to imagine other things, things that Peter knows will have everything to do with the girl he’s crazy about on the other side of the bed
MJ hesitates at the side of the bed, then swallows
“I, um, normally sleep on the left side of the bed...”
“Right, okay,” Peter agrees, slowly coming around to the right side
He hesitates for a moment, heart hammering, and then before he can tell himself this is a bad idea, he pulls back the covers and slides underneath them, then turns his back so that he is facing away from her
Across the bed, he can hear the rustling of blankets, and then after a moment the bed creaks slightly as she slips in
Peter catches his breath, and he seems unable to let it go as they sit in silence for a moment
He tries to shut his mind off, but it’s extremely difficult to think about anything but the fact that, an arm’s length away, MJ is bundled up in the blankets
His enhanced senses make it even more difficult to focus on sleep, because every inhale and exhale from across the bed is loud and booming in the relative quiet of the room, and he can hear the sound of her curls brushing the pillow as she adjusts her head
A million hypotheticals race through Peter’s head
What if he sleeptalks? What if he moves in his sleep, and like, punches her in the face or something? What if he does something super embarrassing, like drooling or stealing all of the blankets?
What if he is thinking so loudly that she can hear every single one of these hypotheticals?
After a few minutes that feel like hours, however, Peter relaxes as MJ’s breathing deepens and evens out into a rhythmic cadence, and he finds that knowing she’s asleep is starting to make him sleepy, too
Because the blankets are thick, the mattress topper is soft, the room is cool, and the lavender soap on the clothing paired with the cinnamon shampoo scent that his senses are picking up from the other side of the bed are soothing
Peter is just about to drift off when MJ’s breathing begins to speed up
The change is gradual at first, but Peter’s senses pick it up almost immediately as the time between breaths speeds up and the breathing becomes shallow
Peter barely has time to wonder if she has woken up before her inhales become ragged and desperate, and he slowly rolls over in the bed, cautious in case he wakes her but swift in case something is wrong
“MJ?” his whisper is soft and careful, but it doesn’t seem to have any effect on the girl across the bed
His eyes adjust quickly, and his heart sinks as he finds MJ’s face
Her brow is furrowed, and though her eyes are closed, the expression on her face is pained and fearful in a way that makes him feel sick
Her breath is coming in uncontrollable bursts now as her eyes roll beneath their lids, and a few sounds somewhere between whimpers and strangled gasps leave her lips as she silently mouths words, almost like she’s crying or calling for help
The sight is one that causes Peter’s heart to ache in his chest
Never has he seen such pain in the eyes of the girl who isn’t afraid of anything, the one who discusses true crime and conspiracy theory like the weather and who walks backwards into every fire armed with a well-aimed retort
Peter doesn’t know what he’s doing as he reaches for her shoulder, but her name leaves his lips in a whisper that is laced with concern
“MJ?”
The murmur is not enough to wake her, but it seems that there is no need
Because as soon as his fingers find her shoulder through the hoodie, her breaths pause
And then, slowly, the expression of pain begins to melt to one of exhausted relief
Peter doesn’t know why he suddenly can’t breathe-- maybe it has something to do with her soft, worn hoodie beneath his fingers, or the slim, strong shoulder he can feel beneath that
But he knows, as she slowly turns so that she presses further into his touch, that it is the contact between them that has calmed her
To test this, Peter begins to withdraw his hand, and immediately an incoherent groan leaves her lips as MJ turns her body in search of it again
Peter hesitates for half a second before carefully returning his hand to her shoulder, struggling with what to do next
Because on the one hand, he knows she is asleep and he doesn’t want to take advantage of her
But she’s also in pain, and he doesn’t want her to have to fight it off alone
So, slowly, Peter begins to slide just a bit closer under the blankets
As he does so, MJ angles her sleeping body towards him, burrowing slightly closer to him
The action brings a small, reverent smile to Peter’s lips, but it fades as he focuses entirely on getting closer without waking her
Peter manages to close the space between them, moving so that their bodies are a few inches apart
Just when he is about to settle, though, sleeping MJ decides that this is not enough for her
Peter’s heart just about shoots out of his chest as her willowy frame presses against his, as MJ tucks his head into the crook of her neck and brings them to close that one of her arms is pressed against his chest at a slightly awkward angle, while the other comes to drape haphazardly across his torso
For a moment, Peter doesn’t breathe at all
But then a long, quiet sigh of relief is breathed from just a little bit above his head, and MJ’s breathing returns to normal
And before he can stop himself, Peter slowly brings his arms to circle her torso, keeping them innocently positioned so they are wrapped around where her ribcage meets her abdomen
She is warm, against him, and the rise and fall of her chest is rhythmic again
Warmth of a different time floods Peter’s chest, and he savors the moment of quiet peace so long that he doesn’t even realize he’s slipping into a deep sleep
Peter hasn’t slept this long or this peacefully for a long time, since before the Blip entirely, so when the sun streams through the window, waking him, he finds himself extremely disoriented
For one thing, he isn’t in his bedroom, and for another, he’s not wearing his clothes...
It all comes back to him in one instant, and then Peter’s eyes shoot wide open
His head is on his pillow, and one of his arms is folded beneath his head, clutching the pillow while the other is sprawled across an empty bed
His heart hammers desperately as he remembers the events of the night before, and Peter sits up so rapidly that he experiences a head rush
The sunlight is so bright that it takes Peter a moment to realize that MJ is across the room, packing her backpack
She’s gotten dressed, in the dark green jacket she likes, and her hair is pulled back into a familiar ponytail
Her dark eyes flicker to him immediately, and she quickly scans his face before commenting, “Nice hair.”
Peter runs a hand through his mess of curls, swallowing as he struggles to find his voice
It’s slightly husky from sleep, but he finally manages, “What time is it?”
“Almost time for breakfast,” MJ replies simply, glancing at the hand in his hair before returning to her bag
“But you were out late, so I didn’t want to harass you until I had to.”
“Thanks,” he breathes, not looking away from her even though she’s not looking his way
The only sounds are the rustling and swishing of her cloth bag for a moment, and Peter’s mind races
Because all he can think about, in that moment, is the way that her curls felt against his cheek last and the smell of cinnamon and spices that he almost imagines still linger on the sheets where she slept beside him
Finally, he’s brave enough to ask it
“How did you sleep?”
Her eyes snap to his so fast that Peter can’t breathe for a moment, and he wonders if they narrow just a fraction
But just as he thinks he might have seen it, they are dark and inscrutable as always again, and he is convinced he imagined it
“About as well as you can when there’s a drone threat snoring across the room.”
Her deadpan relaxes Peter immediately, though he winces at the last comment
“Did I snore? I’m sorry, MJ, I sleep alone so I didn’t know-”
“Kidding,” she hums, returning to her bag
“Oh,” he says slowly, exhaling in relief.
“Yeah, you were fine.”
“Good. Uh, thanks again. I should probably change and then go to the spot where I’m meeting Happy.”
“Happy?”
“Oh, um, he helps me out with... Mission stuff. He’s gonna get me out of here, and Harrington got a call that says I had an emergency at home.”
“Right,” MJ replies, nodding in understanding
For a moment, there is silence as Peter glances at her in the daylight
It had to have been a dream, then
She would have told him if he had overstepped with her, he was certain of that
He should have been relieved... So why was some small part of him disappointed that, last night, she hadn’t fallen asleep in his arms?
But Peter has bigger things to think about, bigger drones to fry
So he pulls himself out of bed and crosses the room to the armchair, where he left the stealth suit
“I’ll, uh, leave your pajamas on the bed,” he says as MJ crosses the room to the door
She glances over her shoulder, nodding as she hums, “Sounds good.”
There is a pause as Peter crosses to the bathroom and lingers in the doorway, and she says it so quickly he almost doesn’t hear her
“Good luck, Peter.”
He lets out a breath and nods in return, murmuring, “Thanks,” and then he has disappeared into the bathroom
But MJ lingers in the doorway of the hotel room when he is gone for a moment, eyes wandering to the bed
Her eyes take in the depression left in the very center of the mattress: a shape too large for just one person, but the perfect size for two pining high school students, tangled together
With a glance to the bathroom, she crosses the room and quickly makes the bed, pulling the sheets so that they’re crisp and so that they erase the picture that the bed had drawn of the night before
Peter still hasn’t come out of the bathroom by the time MJ reaches the door, so she casts one more glance over the room, which has been transformed by the daylight
A soft smile crosses her lips, and it lingers there as she lets out a long breath, straightens up, adjusts her bag, and then disappears out the door so she can pretend with the others to be surprised by Peter’s “sudden departure.”
So I clicked on the article again and this time followed the rumor-mill through to the source, which apparently is some guy on Twitter named Charles Murphy. I don’t know who he is or what his job is in capacity with Marvel, but skimming through his tweets seems to show that while he is 100% on board with a younger Loki, he doesn’t actually know that this is the case, he’s just speculating like the rest of us.
So, I don’t know what to think; I don’t know where this guy gets his sources from or why he’s important enough to be able to leak a rumor and have it spread across the internet like wildfire, but I guess it means there’s a slim chance that the rumor isn’t true and we’re all getting upset over nothing. Personally, I’d rather get upset and be proven wrong than to get my hopes up only to have them crushed (which is why I have zero expectations for Loki in A4), but in case anyone out there needs a sliver of hope to hold onto, I figured I’d pass this info along.
Spider-Man Songfic Series: I Don’t Care - Ed Sheeran & Justin Bieber
summary: Pre Infinity War, post Homecoming. Dinner with the Midtown Tech decathlon team after a day of competing.
word count: 1,554
pairing: PeterxMJ
WARNINGS: swearing
a/n: repost cause user error :P
*****
“How many?” The hostess at the restaurant asks.
Mr. Harrington turns around and starts counting heads. Ned rolls his eyes and answers for him.
“Eleven,” he smiles at her. “How are you doing tonight?”
“I’m alright,” she says simply as she collects the menus and steps out from behind her podium. “This way.” She starts walking and the decathlon team shuffles after her.
“So,” Ned continues. “What time do you get off tonight?”
“Dude,” Peter groans under his breath and quickly ducks past them to slide into one of the booths she’s led them to.
She doesn’t respond to Ned. She straight up pretends she didn’t hear him while she sets out the menus on the tables.
“Your waiter will be with you soon.” She smiles at the group, making a point of skipping over Ned while he tries to catch her eye, then heads back to her station.
“Smooth move Ex-Lax,” Flash laughs as he steps past Ned.
Ned slumps down into Peter’s booth on the opposite side of the table and picks up his menu.
“You good?” Peter asks him.
“Fine,” he responds. “Let’s just move on before Flash comes up with anymore insults.”
They look over their menus while the rest of the group picks their seats. Rather than push a few tables together so they’re all sitting together, probably because it’s a busy night and there seem to be quite a few big groups here already, the hostess gave them a few booths that are back to back and right across the aisle from each other.
Mr. Harrington and the other chaperone take their own table and the students cram into the remaining two. Peter and Ned end up sharing with four other people. Both pressed up against the wall, Ned sits next to Abraham with Cindy on the edge and Peter’s struggling for elbow room beside Charles, who’s decided to sit as comfortably as he possibly can while still giving Michelle enough space at the end. Peter’s forced to basically become one with the wall, because he’d rather be uncomfortable all night than make MJ sit on the corner of the seat.
“There’s room over here,” Flash says when he cranes his neck over the back of his booth.
They all glance each other, but no one moves.
Their table decides to split bottomless chips and salsa and they fall into overlapping conversations. Reviewing the questions from today’s meet, judging the students and their uniforms from the other schools, and picking back up the main topic most of Midtown Tech, and basically the whole country has been talking about again after another press conference with the Wakandan king: what the hell is really in Wakanda??
“It’s Area 52. No, strike that. Area 69.”
“Shut up, Charles.”
“It’s where they’re hiding all the clones they’ve made since those sheep.”
“How do we know for sure that those were the first?”
“Exactly.”
“It’s where they’re keeping patient zero of the zombie apocalypse.”
“It would’ve gotten out by now. Especially if it’s airborne.”
“You don’t know that.”
“Neither do you.”
“It’s the biggest nuclear testing site.”
“How the fuck is it so green?!”
“It’s an illusion.”
“You’re all wrong. It’s where they’re keeping all the alien tech and survivors and shit from the New York battle and all the Avengers fuck ups since.”
Peter is very noticeably not adding to this conversation.
He’s taken the liberty of collecting all the remains of the straw wrappers from the table and is meticulously twisting them together.
“What are you making?”
He looks up, but the table is still immersed in their discussions.
“Looks cool.”
He turns to his right to find Michelle leaning back to see around Charles’ back.
Peter smiles slightly. “Thanks.”
“What is it?” she gestures at the paper scraps.
He looks back down at them and shrugs. “Not sure yet.”
“Looks kinda like a bug,” Cindy speaks up from across the table and Peter looks up to find that the whole table has turned their attention on him.
“Not a bug,” Abraham corrects. “More than six legs, possibly eight? Maybe it’s an arachnid.”
Peter’s eyes widen and quickly flick up to meet Ned’s who’s have also grown to the size of half dollars. He quickly crumples the papers in his hands and messes them into a ball.
“You’re all wrong,” he laughs lightly. “It’s a dung beetle. See, here’s it’s ball.” He opens his palm, displaying the crumpled paper and smiles awkwardly.
Everyone is looking at him like he’s insane.
Dung beetle was definitely not a good cover up. There are literally hundreds of thousands of insects out there and he had to go with dung beetle.
Nice one Peter. Real nice.
“Well anyway…” Charles cuts in, returning to their previous debate. “It’s Area 420.”
“And we’re done,” Ned says finally right as the waiter appears with their food.
Peter flicks his eyes to the side without turning his head and notices MJ looking questioningly at the ball of straw wrappers and then over to Peter and he quickly picks up his Coke and swallows some massive gulps before she notices he was watching her, because that fast response was totally a casual, normal thing to do.
Eventually, after they’ve all finished their food the two booths become one when the other teammates drag over chairs and sit at the end of the booth or get up on their knees on the cushions and crane their necks over the top of the seats. The conversations turn into random games and stupid things and someone, Flash, proposes the idea of shots.
“Don’t even think about it,” Mr. Harrington says loudly, without turning to look at them.
“Non-alcoholic,” Flash whines over his shoulder then turns back around in his chair. “Who’s all got Coke?”
Peter and a few others grab their glasses.
“Anyone got any leftover limes?”
A few students start picking them from their plates and Flash grabs an unused saucer to collect them.
“Okay,” he starts once he’s got everyone’s attention, which is surprisingly instant. “Here’s what you do…” He demonstrates by first: licking the back of his left hand, then shaking some salt onto it, then licking his hand again, taking a large swig of the nearest Coke, and biting one of the lime wedges. He swallows it all together and finishes with a loud “Ahhh!” like in every soft drink commercial ever.
“Gross,” Cindy says flatly.
“Yeah, I’m not doing that,” seconds Ned with an added grimace.
“Fuck it, I’m game,” Charles pops up.
“Do we have to lick our hands?” Betty asks.
Peter glances at Ned questioningly and Ned rolls his eyes.
“Pass me a lime,” he says.
Peter watches as everyone around the table takes their own non-alcoholic shot. Most are indifferent about it, a couple really don’t like it, and Charles goes back for seconds.
After Ned downs his like a champ, earning some noticeable praise from the table, it dawns on Peter that he’s the last one.
Or not.
“Cheers, loser,” MJ nods at him and holds up her Coke.
“Oh uh,” he picks up his own glass and raises it to hers. “Yeah, cheers.”
They smile slightly at each other and clink their drinks, then lick their hands and toss back their shots.
With their eyes on each other, Peter almost chokes on his Coke but manages to bite into the lime before things go south.
“I gotta be honest with you, Eugene,” MJ turns to him. “I think I would’ve preferred to wait to try the alcoholic shot first.”
Most of the table chimes in with a chorus of agreeds and sames and me toos.
Not long after, their parents start to arrive to take them home and the group starts to break off. When it’s down to only about five people left, they wander outside to wait.
Some people are hugging each other goodnight and it kinda feels like everyone’s supposed to hug each other so no one feels left out.
Peter and Ned dramatically fake sob into each other’s shoulders as they hug tight, then turn to their classmates to continue overdoing it with their goodbyes. That is, until Peter comes to his last hug, with MJ.
Unsure of who’s supposed to make the first move, they both end up hesitating for a step before wrapping their arms around each other. But, of course, neither knows which direction to go with their arms so they each end up with one arm over and one under.
“Bye MJ,” Peter says.
“Bye Peter,” she responds quietly.
And it’s almost as if in that moment, maybe their classmates aren’t around and maybe their hug lasts a second longer than the others and maybe their heads turn into each other’s necks rather crane over their shoulders and maybe their hands linger on each other’s arms as they maybe slowly separate and maybe they smile shyly at each other as they turn away and maybe Peter’s cheeks are still flushed when he climbs into his aunt’s car and maybe he spends the rest of the night analyzing the hug and whether it means anything significant.
Or maybe it’s just a hug and maybe they say see you tomorrow and maybe that’s it.
Or maybe they’re both still thinking about it when they fall asleep that night.
*****
Hope the run-on sentences didn’t annoy anyone. My editor thought I should cut them up or rewrite them, but I really like how they make you read like a spiral. They feel innocent and rambly to me so I hope they worked alright.
Let me know your thoughts in the tags or drop a review or more song suggestions in my inbox.
