╭ ╮
━━━━  " 📂 "

𝘼 𝙋 𝙊 𝘾 𝘼 𝙇 𝙔 𝙋 𝙎 𝙀

╰ ╯

IT WASN'T THE LAST TIME that MJ saw Spiderman. In fact, it was merely the first, and it became somewhat of a routine thing. It wouldn't be every night - although sometimes it would be - but rather every other day, sometimes two being in between. And he didn't always come through her window. She would see him swing by, perch on the edge of the fire escape, landed on the rooftop above.

He helped her with her dad and had even appeared once when she was getting off the train and diverted her journey home - which meant she narrowly avoided something happening because sirens echoed in her ears all the way back. They would talk, for mere moments at a time before she heard the low buzz of police radios coming from his bag and he would swing away to aid the police once again.

And the next morning he'd be the top story on the front of the papers and on the news like he had helped the criminal instead. It was odd, MJ thought, that the police managed to paint him out as some form of vigilante when they had caught more criminals because of him - and she only knew that because Gwen had accidentally overheard her father on the phone and came to school the next day muttering how much of a hypocrite he was.

However, all things considered, MJ knew he wasn't this. She had questioned him on it, found out that he just wanted to help people and avenge the death of someone close to him. He couldn't do it any other way, and by pulling a blue and red mask over his head and securing his identity was hidden, that meant he could partake in the search himself. That and he had superhuman powers that could hardly be explained by the young scientist - and so she didn't even try.

But that didn't mean she could let her mind slip into questions, or wonder if some of the conclusions she quite naturally came to were correct or not. And it was the topic on her mind as she came to sit down in the back corner of the nearby red brick public library, extracting several textbooks, notepads and her bulging pencil case out of her bag.

So much had gone on in her life recently that, when combined, hadn't left her with much time. And so, she had decided to spend her Sunday off attempting to catch up with as much as she could before seeing Peter later that afternoon. Which ultimately meant that MJ would periodically take a minute-long break so that she could answer the texts thrown back and forth between them, before focusing her mind back on not only the task at hand but also the wondering of her newfound friend.

Peter was always interested in hearing about him as well, and although MJ had been sworn to keep some things a secret - like the time she had helped him refill his web cartridges that proved he wasn't shooting... some form of natural-made silk fibre from his skin but instead had to make do with what he could create - she didn't mind divulging that information. Spiderman knew about Peter as well. He had listened to her worries that come up in conversation the second time he had swung by, which was when MJ had finally allowed herself to freely voice her worries about the purple circles under his eyes and the bruises and cuts covering his face.

There were the obvious worries that Spiderman was some creep, but MJ could never fault her instincts before, which lead her to believe he was actually a nice guy under the suit, and that really - when the entirety of the NYPD was against him and there was a somewhat growing fear in civilians despite their admiration - he just liked having someone to talk to, and it didn't matter to him whether she was a seventeen-year-old girl or someone else. There was naivety within both of them, and Margot couldn't complain when he was helping her with her falling down drunk of a father.

But it wasn't Spiderman as a person she was wondering about. It was instead him as a superhero, and how could she be faulted if her Biology textbook just so happened to be focused on human anatomy and her attention slipped to thinking about his enhanced strength and other spider-like traits that he possessed.

His speed, agility, stamina, speed and durability were humanely impossible. There was more than one occasion that he had knocked something off when slipping into MJ's room and easily caught it - his reflexes were quicker than most, and seemed to be able to sense oncoming danger before the interceptor even announced the next location of police interest. His web fluid was what was most interesting to MJ. She had refilled one of the cartridges for him once and asked questions about its components under the guise of pure interest. But she knew an Oscorp design when she saw them - she had actually listened in on a talk given about the web fluid and the durability of it once - which seemed to narrow something down.

In all of New York City, the one person with superhero powers and abilities also had access to something else; Oscorp information and technology. Which shrunk down the faction of people it could be behind the mask. But that was as far as MJ could go with her discoveries. There was no telling who had access to the web fluid technology in particular; she was only a lab assistant and as much as she tried to use her break in a useful manner nothing she attempted bypassed the heavy security details that surrounded the other departments. She was only a lab assistant in the Cross-Species Division after all.

Which, in itself, was coming on in leaps and bounds. Dr. Connors had emerged to inform them that miraculous progress had been made, and MJ had been introduced to one of the once three-legged mice they tested on (much to her moral dismay), that now had four legs. And with that discovery and progress to their investigation came much excitement, but also a lot of paperwork and other attempts to replicate it using other like-minded substances. She didn't have so much time to try and find out who exactly had access to the web-fluid, which brought her own, personal-interest-based investigation to a stop.

Not that she minded. She had enough to think about as it was, and even if she did find out who had access it didn't mean that she had any way of narrowing it down further. Which left her in a place of having nothing to tie loose ends up with. Instead, she would just be a teenager; plan for the weekend, help with the interns, work her job as well as she could, spend time with her boyfriend and best friends and go to sleep way too late.

And forget to do biology homework, apparently. Which was what she was supposed to be focused on. So with one last quick message tapped out to Peter to inform him she was planning on getting some work done, MJ delved back into her homework.

Things didn't have to be complicated unless she wanted them to be.

🕸

"You look pretty when you're focused." The voice broke through her concentration with the same ease that wonders of Spiderman's abilities had, and MJ's gaze flickered upwards, head turning towards the source of interruption. It was only moments before a smile broke onto her face and a kiss pressed to the top of her head, Peter pulling up a chair as he came to her side.

"Here, before I forget." He had a smile on his face as he pulled the hidden hand out from behind his back. Clasped in his hands, in the prettiest shade of lavender tissue paper, were a bouquet of tulips. "Some of the first blooms of this year. I would know - the woman didn't stop talking about it as she wrapped them."

Margot stared down at the bouquet as he placed it in her ink-stained hands - a product of her habit of twiddling her pen between her fingers - before the grin on her lips only widened and she admired them. "They're pretty - thanks, Pete." Her finger ran along the bottom of the stalks before moving up to the cream coloured flowers and the pink ruched tips, lifting to her nose. Her eyes widened. "They smell nice as well... How did you know I was here?" MJ asked, unable to stop herself any longer. "I didn't tell you I was in my texts and-"

"I'm not stalking you if that's what you're building to." Peter swung the backpack from his shoulder and sat down in his chosen seat, their knees brushing. "And you didn't have to tell me, because Jack did."

"Pardon?"

Peter laughed at her dumbfounded expression. "I went to a few thrift stores today to see if I could find anything worth something. I managed to find the entire box set of Harry Potter and stopped by to give it to Jack in hopes of seeing my amazing girlfriend and appeasing her family. Only she wasn't there, and when asked, Jack very easily gave up that you were at the library. And this is the closest library to your house, so I came to the pretty easy conclusion that you were studying here." He shrugged. "I left your dad and Jack putting the Sorcerer's Stone on. And your dad did manage to mention that you were an hour late to getting back and that if I was going to where he thought I was going to hurry you up a bit."

MJ carefully place the bouquet down on the desk, unfolding her legs. "You managed to find it? He's been waiting for my dad to get something like that forever. I think Jack'll love you forever now."

"That's the plan." Peter nodded. "In the time I became the modern-day version of a pigeon messenger, I was also informed that your dad was planning on getting takeout and turning it into a movie night. I'm afraid you've gotten the job of not only getting home within the hour but also getting the candy."

"I'm sorry he bothered you with it all." MJ sat up and began to tidy her stuff away and push the binder and textbooks into her tote bag. "What about the rest of your day? Find anything else?"

"Well, I went to Brooklyn instead so I found a lot more. For me, several t-shirts. And then I found a couple things I think you'll like - I left them in your bedroom." Peter replied. "There's a few shirts and sweaters for you, a couple of skirts and a pair of shoes that were very luckily in your size. There were a few bits of jewellery that were vintage pieces I got, and a couple of books. I honestly might as well have been shopping for you."

MJ stared at him for a moment, dumbfounded. She hadn't realised that those few times that she had decided to distract Peter from the tragedy his life had fallen into that he was actually paying attention to everything she was doing. She put the textbook down, quickly leaning forward and enveloping her boyfriend in a hug, a smile shining in her eyes. There was something about hearing that he had taken care in knowing enough about her that he could easily define her taste and pick things out for her that made her feel so incredibly... loved. And that wasn't a feeling that came often for her.

There had always been doubts in her mind that no matter how well she got on with Gwen and Flash and Felicia that she wasn't actually fit to be their friend. Whether it was was insecurities that came from the mind-numbing anxiety that crept further and further into her system or from her life away from school in comparison to her own. These doubts had been eased only as of late when she found that having Spiderman on her windowsill did great things for being able to speak openly to people, and she also had someone else in her life that was something more. Peter had helped her with it a lot, unknowingly or not. He never thought it was weird that when they went to unfamiliar places that she didn't like ordering or that the late-night calls produced from tension and overthinking that stopped her from sleeping were strange. He listened to her worries and didn't instantly offer her solutions to her problem but instead helped her.

Peter had seen the flurry of emotions pass through her without a moment to spare, and didn't question the hug at all. He didn't falter to pull her even closer, until she was sat on his laps and her arms were at a more comfortable angle, chin on his shoulder. Despite seeing how his words would fail to help him now, he knew one thing that could, and his palm curved over her hair, running his fingers through.

Before long, MJ had sat up with a glow of happiness coming from the pink of her cheeks, the corner of her smile, the depth of her eyes. "I should get ready to go." She said, momentarily shifting her position and letting her gaze flicker back to him when he inhaled sharply. "Huh. Maybe you should too."

"Don't tease." Peter bit back his grin, watching as she stood up with a little more care and finished packing away her things. Eventually, she had finished and cradling the bouquet in the curve of her elbow, she turned back to him. He stared up at her for a moment, eyes filled with adoration before standing up himself, pulling his backpack over both shoulders and sliding his arm under the strap of her bag, transferring the weight onto his own shoulders. "Don't complain either." He shook his head gently, reaching to hold her hand as they made their way past the shelves and multitudes of other people using the services before stepping out into the evening.

MJ certainly hadn't realised it was that late and felt a pang of guilt for leaving her brother and father for so long. But ultimately, there was nothing she could do now and Margot knew this, returning the squeeze of her hand Peter sent her way at seeing her expression.

"I was wondering if you wanted to stay," MJ asked, almost suddenly. "I mean tonight." She quickly added. "Not overnight or anything... I don't think my dad would let you - but I mean for the movies. You might end up leaving pretty late, but you do get takeout and your pick of candy." She shrugged.

"The invitation was already extended." Peter smiled. "And I accepted. I'm in charge of making sure you get sweet and salty popcorn instead of just sweet. And soda. You get to pick the rest of the snacks."

"And I'm honoured." MJ shook her head, unable to believe that her father had been so brazen in inviting him. "I would be more embarrassed... but I think I expected it at some point. You've been coming and going for over a month now. It's about time you got invited to a movie night."

"That big of a deal?" He asked.

"They don't happen as often as you think," Margot replied. "And besides, this is what happened when I was friends with Felicia. Obviously, my dad knows you're more than that so when he does invite you over for dinner at the end of the night I think Aunt May will also be invited. She doesn't have to accept, of course-

"We'll come," Peter replied, far too quickly. "No - really, I'm being serious. I think it's a good idea."

"Yeah." MJ nodded. "Okay." It took her a moment to let the news settle in, and Peter pretended he didn't see the hidden smiles of pride that managed to seep through into her lips. "Yeah. It's a good idea." She agreed, and held his hand just a little tighter.

🕸

They had returned to the apartment armed with candy and popcorn and had found that John had already outdone himself and ordered what could possibly be the entire menu of the Chinese takeaway around the block from them. Jack was already curled up, eyes trained on the sight of Harry in the seat of the flying Ford Angelia, using a fork to eat egg-fried rice with a pair of chopsticks on the table in front of him suggesting that he had already tried and failed to use them.

MJ had slipped away to change into something more comfortable and put the tulips in one of the vases that usually held dried flowers, taking a little more time to delve into the bag filled with thrift store finds she found on her bed. And Peter was underexaggerating the extent of his finds - because they were unusually amazing. The sweaters were knitted and sometimes patterned, the t-shirt he had slipped in being the merch of some of her favourite groups, and the other tops not only being her size but also being absolutely gorgeous. The skirts were pretty as well; one pleated and denim with a couple of strawberries embroidered around, and the same design found on the pockets of some jeans he had found.

The books seemed interesting, and the vintage jewellery in fact actually vintage. But the shoes - they were amazing. They were 90s block toeless heels from Sketchers, their old tag sewn into the red sole of the shoes. The outside was of black leather with a tiny heart printed on the top of the band. And they were incredible condition.

Quite frankly, Margot couldn't express her appreciation for how well he had done and found that her heart swelled warmly and a fuzzy feeling filled her legs as she left her room to thank him, promising to wear them when she had them properly cleaned and checked over.

They sat down to watch the movie minutes later, Chinese food spread across the group, ice cream in the freezer and popcorn and candy on the counter for when they were finished. Peter had MJ slotted into his side as perfectly as a puzzle piece, his arm around her shoulders and easily answered any questions John got out before Jack - who was half climbed onto his sister's knee - shushed him.

The questions would keep coming - what were his interests? What did he plan to do after school? What colleges had he applied to, where had he chosen to go when acceptance letters arrived in mid-March? - until Jack had fallen asleep and it had gotten even later, MJ's eyes drooping more and more until she joined him. And then John was free to ask as many questions as he wanted, and Peter could only hope his answers were what he wanted to hear.

John had only advised him to be careful when he heard about the skateboarding and asked if he would be able to take a family portrait of them one day when he heard about the photography - and he had used his questions about college to boast about MJ's acceptance to Empire State University - and when he found out that Peter had also received an offer and accepted a place there he seemed... happy. As much as he attempted to play the concerned, skeptical father, John couldn't help it - he knew his daughter struggled as a result of his own actions, which he so wished he could change but he just couldn't - and he knew that Peter Parker, whilst only being a new influence in her life after years of not being friends, was good for her.

Which was partially why he felt comfortable to leave the two teenagers and Jack in the apartment. John knew it was bad and had tried to combat it with an overload of takeaway and sugary dessert, but he could feel the itching and the longing for a drink. He just had to have one - just one to satiate the need. And then he would be back. There was never any in the apartment, which left him with the option of the bar - which never ripped him off either. And with an apology to Peter, he had left.

And Peter felt a little sick that he had just watched John go. But arguing would have only put him in his bad books, and he hadn't been able to say anything. Instead, he just trained his eyes back on the movie, hoping the girl in his arms would be able to understand that there was no use in him convincing her father to not go. She would - of course, MJ would - because she knew what it felt like. He was a stranger to it, and he hated that she was used to it.

But even that distraction of a movie and the reassurance that his girlfriend was perhaps the nicest person to exist couldn't stop the guilt and eventually, the product of overthinking and too much comfort food caused him to fall asleep as well, the last person in the apartment able to stop something his alternate self would always find himself helping her with.

🕸

MJ woke up to a bad feeling in her stomach and a bitter taste in her mouth. A feeling she recognised and knew she wouldn't jug from her mind. She woke when she felt Peter shift from under her, her eyes flickering shut again out of instinct as she listened to what was going on behind her. The movie was still playing; she could hear the girlish voice of Dolores Umbridge echo around the living room. The couch by her legs dipped as Peter moved to sit there before getting up properly. His phone was buzzing and he let out a sigh, pausing to answer before retrieving his shoes and bag.

He came back for a moment, pressing a kiss to the top of her head and pulling a blanket over both her and Jack before leaving, pulling the door closed behind him. When MJ heard that, she sat up. Her hands reached for her eyes, wiping the sleep out of them as she yawned. Jack was curled up in her side, sucking his thumb. It was a childish habit that managed to come back when he was asleep or unfocused, and carefully Margot pried it away from his lips, instead placing the arm under a pillow she was sliding his head into, instead of it being her she rested on.

It was dark outside, as expected, and the room was lit up in blue light from the movie. It revealed just how much mess they had left, and MJ would have to get to work despite the feeling settling within her. But before that, her phone buzzed and revealed a message from Peter apologising for leaving, but his Aunt May had wanted him to come home before it got really late. She tapped back a reply and threw her phone to the edge of the sofa, leaving it so that she could tidy.

The open packets of candy were emptied into one container instead of the plastic and hidden away in the cupboard. The ice cream was finished, and she collected the spoons and bowls and placed them by the sink. Then, the takeaway. Most of it was eaten, but what was left was put away in the refrigerator. Her hands were covered in suds and hot water when her phone rang - typical - and as she hurriedly wiped her hands clean she answered before it could wake Jack up.

"Evening, MJ." Kev's voice was apologetic. "I heard about your movie night and your new boyfriend... sorry to ruin it."

"Not your fault... I know he's one of your best customers." Margot let out a sigh, knowing exactly why the bad feeling had settled. "I'll be two minutes. I have to put shoes on and find a coat or something."

"See you in a minute." Kev confirmed. He did seem genuinely sorry, and was more than grateful to Margot for helping him with the drunk man - and he was sorry that she even had to deal with it.

MJ stuck to her word and was quick to find a hoodie to pull over the tank top and sweat pants, trainers tied loosely as she ignored the feeling that felt like tightening around her body, anxiety and guilt closing in on her mind. She locked Jack into the apartment, the young boy fast asleep, hammered on Mrs Lewenski's door and shouted for her to keep an ear out. She didn't wait for an answer and instead hurried past, hoping that she would get that little bit of help that night.

It seemed to have paid off. Margot never knew how Spiderman just seemed to sense that she needed help - because it wasn't as if she was in danger - but when he landed nimbly several feet in front of her and John, no words were exchanged before he hooked an arm around Mr Watson and began to make their way up to the apartment. They made their way through the door, MJ so grateful to find that Jack was still asleep, and deposited the man in his bed.

And once again, MJ was sat on her fire escape, with Spiderman sitting on the railing beside her.

"No more crime to fight tonight, Spidey?" She asked, elbows balanced on her knee, trying to use far more confidence to battle away the anxiety. He shook his head, eyes behind the mask examining the exhausted expression on her face. "No? Then why'd you swing by?"

"Thought I'd chance it, just come back to see if you were in need of help." He shrugged. "And it just so happened that I saw a pretty lady having a not so good time. You were frowning a lot - you'll get wrinkles."

MJ narrowed her eyes, just a little suspicious. There was the chance that he was an intern at Oscorp, or another assistant. There were plenty of young people there, but she couldn't help it. "What's with the compliment?" She asked. "I've been pretty trustworthy so far but... how do I know you're not some pervy old guy looking to get his rocks off?"

"What?" The shock of her words invoked somewhat of a voice crack and he cleared his throat. "I'm not - I swear.. really. I'm your age, actually."

"And what's my age?"

"Gotta be - er - seventeen?"

"Correct." MJ nodded, her fingers knitting together on her lap. "Although I did tell you the first time we talked, so I guess props to you for remembering. "So then Spidey, if you came by to tell me I frown all the time, isn't there something else for you to be going and doing? Like fighting crimes."

"That's not my only mission." He replied.

"What?"

"It's not my only mission."

"I got that bit, what are your other missions." She replied.

He shrugged again, unable to do much else to voice his opposition. But he was bored now, pushing himself up on the rail and holding his arms out to balance as he walked long. "Just helping whenever I can, doesn't matter with what. And that includes your dad... and asking you want to talk about things."

MJ paused. "Is it that obvious?" She cringed, knowing it was. "I just woke up feeling awful... and definitely you're fine just offering yourself up as a candidate for me to dump my life story on?" There had already been the foundations for this sort of friendship introduced before but never had he explicitly said he was ready for that.

"You wouldn't be dumping it, per see... it's just a time for you to take a weight off your shoulder. Plus you don't know me... so it'll be different." He was lying, but MJ didn't know that. And Peter wanted her to have someone like that, even if it couldn't be him straight away. He had no intention of informing her of the secret he held so close to his heart just yet and wanted her to have that until then.. even though it was potentially over a year away. "Go ahead."

"I don't even know what it is. I was fine earlier... we had a movie night and I fell asleep and I just woke up feeling... awful. Guilty and anxious. I'd just felt different this week - good different... but now it's back to how it used to be." She replied, avoiding his gaze as he swung upside down in front of her.

"How so?" He asked.

"If it isn't obvious enough, my dad likes to drink - not in the way that he comes how and treats me differently.. but he just drinks and drinks and drinks. It's been like that since my mom died. Before you were around, I'd managed to get him sober for a week, but then he just got worse." MJ's voice grew quiet, and if he hadn't been in such close range it could have easily been lost in the noise of the city.

"So what does he do when he's drunk?"

"Keep drinking, wait for me to get him. It's frustrating. And... I pretend it doesn't happen. I pretend to be someone else a lot."

"You do?"

"Yeah. I'm not happy a lot of the time and just distract myself with work and school and friends. Now it's a little different though, so I guess I'm a bit happier now... I'm not like my other friends in that I can just talk to anyone. It's a miracle I'm telling you any of this, you know." MJ didn't really know what was happening, didn't really understand why she was suddenly spilling her guts or able to explain what she was feeling. Because it had never been that easy for her.

"I am so very honoured you are."

"I suppose it's the mask." MJ hummed, trying to deflect away from some of the seriousness. She let out a sigh. "Even with Gwen and Felicia I always felt was so lonely."

"Now what? You sound conflicted." Spiderman pointed out, he let go of his grip of the platform above him, landing on the rail again. "You don't feel lonely?"

"It's a bad thing to worry about, not being lonely anymore. It's stupid. Besides, I have Peter now"

His head shot up. "Right - the boyfriend. Then it's good.. no?" Spiderman tilted his head, watching the flickering through emotions.

"I'll get too attached too quickly, depend on him too much, do something stupid like fall in love with him."

"Is that such a bad thing?" He couldn't lie and not say that his heart ached to hear the words. It hurt, to hear just how difficult it was for her even when she was feeling at her best.

"Maybe - I don't know. It's probably not. I probably need to fall in love with him - and he's so nice.. He listens and he knows me and understands in a way my friends don't. I'm just afraid that something will happen and I'll end up hurting him. I don't feel like I'm wasting my days anymore when I'm with him, even if I'm waking up late or doing nothing all day or spending an evening on the couch watching movies."

"You used to feel like that?"

"I felt like I was wasting away my life.. trying to distract myself with my work and Gwen and everyone. I hadn't felt like that for a while until I woke up to find my Dad gone to go and drink and left me with my sleeping brother and a shit load to clean up. Peter is different."

"Peter sounds like a great guy." Spiderman watched as MJ nodded, confirming this.

"You have no idea. You would probably like him, considering your whole Spiderman ethics thing." MJ replied.

"You won't end up hurting him, I can tell." He said gently.

"How do you know?"

"Just got a feeling."

❛ AUTHORS NOTE ━━ apologies for the updates on this getting later and later, i try my best to write them on the week but it never goes to plan

anyways these couple have been a little bit of a filler and i haven't loved writing them bc they feel too jumpy so i hope they've been okay for you as readers - but i promise that action will start next chapter!! as in like, important action!!!

<3