Ship: Peter Parker/Michelle Jones
Summary: When Peter goes out on patrol one evening, it feels like the longest evening of MJ's life.

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"You can go," MJ said, to no response from her boyfriend. "Peter." She said again, looking up to see her boyfriend still facing away. Pushing her notes off her lap, MJ rose from Peter's bed and walked over to her boyfriend, working hard on his revision notes at his desk.

"Hey, I'm talking to you," MJ said, poking his arm.

"What? Oh sorry, what were you saying?" Peter asked, after removing his earphones.

"You can go on patrol."

"But I thought you said-"

"Just be back by 7, I'm not rebooking the restaurant again," MJ said, with fake annoyance.

"Thanks, MJ."

She kissed his cheek, "Just get going, I think it's almost 5 now."

"Fine, fine. I know when I'm not wanted." Peter joked, picking up his suit and walking into the adjoining bathroom. Only to quickly emerge, fully changed, just a few minutes later.

"How do you get into that thing so quickly?"

"This thing, darling, is a high tech suit. Also practice, I guess."

"Don't call me 'darling'."

"Sorry babe."

"Don't push your luck," MJ replied, though failing to hide a smile.

"Love you too!" Peter added, jumping from the window and swinging away from the Tower.

Sighing as she watched Spider-Man's form get smaller and smaller, MJ returned to her discarded Sociology notes.

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Finishing her sentence, MJ fumbled blindly to her side eventually landing on her phone. It was 18:39, and though it gave Peter another twenty-one minutes, MJ was worried. Two, no three, possibilities outlined themselves; either Peter had simply forgotten unlikely given he excitement for tonight, he had remembered and was on his way back, or that Peter had been injured. The last of which pushed itself further and further to the forefront of MJ's mind, and she knew it wouldn't be helpful to let it consume her. She breathed out once, twice to centre herself before picking up her phone and messaging her recent new friend, Wanda.

MJ: Hey are you busy?

Wanda: No everything ok

MJ: Peter's not back yet
MJ: We agreed he'd be back by 7

Wanda: Want me to come and sit with you

MJ: If that's ok

Wanda: Wouldn't have offered if it wasn't
Wanda: omw

MJ smiled and flopped back into her pillows, she'd first met Wanda a month or so ago. She'd come to the Tower to pick up Peter for a date. Wanda had sat with her while she waited for Tony and Peter doing whatever they were doing, MJ understood as much science as Peter and Ned did, it just wasn't her passion. Wanda and her had talked about all sorts once they'd both stumbled round new people small talk, afterwards becoming good friends.

MJ heard the door lock click, and watched as Wanda floated into the room, just a few inches above the floor. "Just because you can fly, doesn't mean you can't walk once in a while."

"Steve said I should practice as much as I can, it's also really convenient." The young Avenger said, taking an empty spot on Peter's bed. "So what's the matter."

"I'm worried something's happened to Peter."

"I get it, I do. Clint's a father to me and when I got here at first I couldn't go on missions. When he went I worried that would be it, Ms Potts understood too. She once told me that she worried about Tony at first, and though she still does, now she knows he can handle himself."

"I know he can handle himself, but I still worry." MJ said, glancing out of the window again.

"That worry won't go away but overtime you'll get used to it, rationalise it, and soon you'll be managing it better."

"It's just the waiting though, that's the worst bit."

"You need a distraction then, tell me about all this." Wanda said, waving her hand across MJ's scattered notes and books.

"You sure? Well ok then." MJ added on Wanda's nod. "So these are my Work, Poverty and Welfare notes, which basically cover the nature, existence and persistence of poverty in contemporary society."

As MJ delved deeper into her work, with Wanda listening attentively, she quickly forgot all about her worries for Peter. Occasionally Wanda would cut in to ask questions, but MJ led most of the conversations, and it was when she was about to go onto Crime and Deviance when MJ nudged her.

"What?" To which Wanda pointed behind her. Turning she saw her Spider-Man pulling open the window.

"See you later MJ." Wanda said, hugging her friend before, to MJ's delight, walking out of the room.

"Everything ok?" Peter asked, taking off his mask and pressing the spider symbol on his suit, decompressing it.

"She just came for a chat, how was patrol?"

"Oh good, thought maybe I was in trouble. Yeah it was good, oh thanks." He said taking the fresh clothes from MJ, "Just a couple of muggers and house robber, nothing exciting."

"Boring but safe then, I missed you." MJ said pulling him for a hug.

"I may not be as good as the people watching as you-."

"Public observations." MJ corrected.

"Right yeah, anyway, I've learnt to know when something's up with you."

"Guess I'm finally rubbing off on you." MJ smirked, watching as a blush tinted Peter's face. "You're adorable sometimes Parker." She added kissing him softly.

"Love you too, now what's wrong." Peter said, sitting down in the bed as he pulled on his socks.

MJ sat down beside him, "I was worried about you, I've always hated the waiting part. Wanda was here for reassurance."

"Did it work?"

"I think so yeah."

"Good but if you want I can go out less or-."

"No, no I wouldn't want to be the reason for depriving you of all this." MJ took his hand. "I'll work on it."

"Would it help if I phoned you halfway through or whenever, to update you?"

"Yeah maybe, I wouldn't want to distract you though."

Peter squeezed her hand, "I want you to be as comfortable as possible, let's try it. If it doesn't work we'll think of something else."

"Thanks."

Peter got up and then leaned back down to kiss her forehead, "Come on, let's get ready."