Do you think Mj and Johnny watch shows like say yes to the dress together and get like rlly invested. They're like suuuuuper honest if the dresses are hideous and pause the show to give feedback as if they're sitting on the coach in the store with the clients family lol.
Johnny always gets into the family aspect of it and tries to play devils advocate like 'well I get why she's changed her mind. It sucks they couldn't agree on her first choice, but Maryanne just wanted to make her sister happy I get it, especially after what happened to their Mom :// the mermaid shape looked great but the beading on the one they're going for is still cute' but Mj always thinks that the bride should have final say and will just be like 'What?? Her Sister is being sooooo controlling. She needs to stand her ground and kick her out tbh she's ruining the vibe and backseat driving when nobody asked for her opinion!! She said she wanted the mermaid style from the start of the episode so she should stick to that.'
and then Peter's annoying ass who no one invited (he didn't even know they did stuff like this together before this) just butts in to say something dumb on purpose like 'mermaid? but i'm not seeing any fins' and all he gets is silence and synchronised eye rolls before he shrugs muttering something about a tough crowd.
With that new Marvel game, I've seen an increase in Spideytorch stuff (Johnny Storm/Peter Parker). Every time I see that pairing, I can't help but think of the similarities between Johnny and iconic Spidey love interest Mary Jane Watson, which suggest to me that it would be reaaaally easy to pull off a canon divergence AU in which Johnny and MJ meet / become acquainted first and start dating each other instead. (End goal poly relationship in this post.)
Like, they're both good-looking celebrities, right? They could easily meet as teenagers at the same photoshoot, in which up-and-coming young model MJ and her fiery red hair are paired with the Human Torch for some luxury fashion brand. MJ is a riot, she's so funny. And Johnny is so nice and he wants to gush about his nephew. They're both used to putting on a smile for the cameras and being perceived as shallow partygoers for liking to have a good time. They could both use a friend. And also their agents see some publicity opportunities here.
Ideally, in this AU, I think they'd know each other for a few years before their casual flirting and friendly outings actually go anywhere serious, so that Peter has also met MJ and they're in the same college friend group, and the Human Torch and Spider-Man are also fairly good friends. Peter is regularly interacting with both of them. He has mocked both of them for being vain, probably, and also made incredibly bisexual comments about just how good Johnny and MJ look together. There has been in this universe many a scene that, in the dating simulator that is Peter Parker's life, would signal the start and progression of romantic relationships.
At some point, both Johnny and MJ are single again, and they're lonely, and their lives are frantic and wild in the way of comic books, so why not give it a shot? "Beautiful, dumb superhero finally officially dates a new beautiful, dumb model/actress and this is big news somehow," say the satirical websites, still reposting all of the Johnny-MJ hard launch photos for clicks. "Stay tuned for their messy breakup in three months!" But then the relationship just... lasts.
In the way of lasting comic book relationships, it's not easy, of course! Johnny and MJ are probably alternating getting kidnapped by supervillains and needing rescue from the Fantastic Four, and Spider-Man has lent a hand more than a few times, but Johnny and MJ are somehow managing to work it out and be (ugh) vulnerable with each other. They both have big hearts. They both want love.
Peter is... coping. He missed his shot with MJ! You just don't go around trying to steal your best friend's girl like that! You definitely shouldn't be having wet dreams about your best friend's girl in which he's also there? What's that about??? (Mere seconds after this guilty thought is when MJ shamelessly announces to her friend group that she and her boyfriend once had pretty kinky sex while talking about how hot a threesome with Spider-Man would be, and Peter goes "?!" and snaps a plate in half.)
Eventually, Johnny nervously says to Spider-Man, "You know, I think I'm going to ask her to marry me."
And the Fantastic Four are just thrilled! And all of MJ's family and friends are thrilled! Aunt May is over the moon about that nice girl next door getting married, and making many, MANY passive-aggressive comments about how Peter also ought to think about settling down with someone.
And meanwhile Peter, who btw does NOT have a good understanding of polyamory at ALL, is seething in his internal monologue while swinging around the city, like, "I don't understand! I should be happy for them! But this marriage is also an abomination, just terrible, and it has to be prevented, why can't anyone else see that?! If MJ really is at all in love with me, it would break Johnny's heart!" (Johnny is also in love with him. Unclear how aware of this Johnny is. Johnny is going to ask Peter to be his best man either way.) Peter is straight-up shaking with the urge to homewreck but he doesn't have a damn clue where to start.
"It's funny, I'm not used to my date being on time." laughed Mary Jane, dressed to impress and sitting across from one Johnny Storm.
"Well, anyone who keeps a beauty like you waiting doesn't deserve you. Besides, you're with me now, and I love showing my dates a good time." said Johnny, with all the bravado that she'd grown accustomed to. She only hummed in response, feeling no need to feed his ego.
"It's a lovely restaurant that's for sure." Said Mary Jane as she took in ambiance of dim lighting, violin music that played over the speakers, and a beautiful chandelier that hung high above the center of the room.
"Wait until you see what I have planned after, a nice walk in Central Park, some ice cream later, then I'll fly you up to Empire State building an-"
"Um- Maybe not the Empire State Building." interjected Mary Jane, who flushed at the memory of Peter looking at her as they sat on top said building.
"Oh. Um- Well, where would you like to go?" asked Johnny. Mary Jane eyed up Johnny, a handsome young man who shone brighter than most. With golden hair and the bluest eyes she'd ever seen. She smiled, as she took her drink.
"If this date goes well, maybe the Baxter Building?"
Johnny paused for a moment, as if he was trying to process what she was implying. Then he smiled and leaned in closer to her.
"MJ, this is gonna be the best night of your night."
“I think we should date,” Mary Jane slurred as she clung to Johnny’s shoulders. She smelled like cosmopolitian and perfume, her dark red hair waving down her shoulders, Her black dress hugging her curves in the best way.
Then Johnny remembers Peter and her dancing at their wedding, the sadness on Peter’s face after they divorced. And how Peter and MJ were laughing like long times friends. But he’s been down this road, falling for a woman who is also his best friend’s ex. He had a problem
“We should,” Johnny answered, half joke, half accepting, but he helped her out of the Uber. She slurred her words and babbled about random subjects, and kept saying they should date. Johnny agreed every time, even as he opened the door.
Her knees gave out, so Johnny lifted her up, her arms wrapped around his shoulders and her head resting in the crook of his neck. Johnny carried Mary Jane to the bedroom. As she mumbled something about Johnny being a hero.
He helped her into bed and when he was about to leave, Mary Jane leaned up. Her lips press against the corner of his lips. But Johnny remained frozen. She hummed as she fell back against the bed.
Johnny was in a daze after that. Remembering coy smiles with dimples, radiant dark red hair, and her ruby red lips against his lip. But in his pocket, a white card with Mary Jane's information on the front and the back, the words call me were written in red ink and had a red imprint of a kiss.
Johnny smiled, he couldn't wait to talk to Mary Jane again.
24. Things we said when we're alone
On quiet nights, if a New Yorker were to look out their window, on the roof of the next building could see two figure sitting up on the ledge. One crouching like a hawk perching for prey. The other a man dangling his feet without any fear and the horns to match.
What that same New Yorker would think is that they were simply on patrol or a stake out. What they couldn’t hear was their conversation, of things they only talked about when alone. Of losses, of regrets, of people they loved who died under their protection.
Tonight, they talk about boxing.
“Dad used to let me use his gloves and I would be there for hours practicing my punches. Daredevil says. He motions the punches like a professional. Spider-Man slips from croching to sitting in the blink of an eye, dangling his feet along with Daredevil.
“And your mom was okay with that?” Spider-man asks, he regrets it as he sees that slight smile fade into a sad frown.
“She wasn’t around enough to know. About a lot of things.” Daredevil dropped it there. And Spider-man searched for something to say, but all he could find was the story of his Uncle Ben.
“My uncle tried to teach me how to fight.” Spider-Man says, unsure if Daredevil was looking at him. “But my aunt put a stop to it” Spider-Man laughs at the memory of his aunt charging out of the house giving his uncle an earful.
“You’ve mentioned your uncle a lot. Was your dad not around?” Daredevil asks and Spider-Man pauses. He realizes then that he only knows so much about Daredevil, What his lips and chin look like, that he has a friend. He’s rich, he has a strange relationship with his dad and something about a stick. What he doesn’t know is Daredevil’s name.
“My parents died when I was young, so my aunt and uncle raised me.” Spider-man looks over to see an expression of worry on the Devil’s face. It makes him flush “It’s okay, I barely remember my parents. Besides my aunt and uncle are great. I love them”
They’re silent for a moment as they listent to the city. The sounds of people, cars, and the late night scurrying of rats. Then Daredevil says something that make his heart drop then flutter.
"Your uncle sounds like a good man. Especially if he raised someone like you."
They're silent the rest of the hour before leaving. But Spider-Man kept staring at Daredevil. His big bug lenses hiding the man's expression. His face flushed and eyes of a doe eyed teenage with a crush.
But then, two men departed. They would think of these moments alone. Where almost every secret was shared, except their real names.
