Spiderman: Finding Home

Chapter 10

MJ'S POV

When Michelle opened her eyes the next morning, they still felt swollen and puffy. She felt incredibly warm despite the cool bite to the tip of her nose and she let out a groan as she rolled over, right into a warm, hard lump. Michelle bolted upright with a yelp as the lump beside her did the same and dark brown eyes met her own blue ones. Michelle clutched her hand to her chest, exhaling sharply as she tried to regulate her breathing.

"I'm so sorry," she croaked out. "I completely forgot."

Peter's alarmed eyes settled as he also took a deep breath, running his fingers through his hair.

"Don't apologise. You did scare the crap out of me though."

They surveyed each other; Peter with a light smile on his face. His hair was ruffled and sticking in all sorts of directions. There were light circles under his bright eyes but they weren't the deepest she'd seen. Considering the late-night, she expected worse. She suspected she looked worse for wear compared to him though.

MJ cleared her throat and looked away, suddenly feeling very awkward. There was a boy in her bed. A boy who she'd cried her eyes out to last night. A boy who listened to the story she had yet to tell anyone else.

Peter knew her secret now, just as she knew his. It was a fair trade, but she began to reassess her decision to tell him. When it was just her that knew, it could be ignored and pushed aside and let out when she felt like it. But now he knew, would he want to talk about it? Would he bring it up randomly?

She stumbled out of the bed and slid as far away from him as possible in her tiny room. She surveyed him with a scowl while his eyes shifted to confusion.

"What's wrong?"

"You need to promise me something," she demanded and after a pause, he nodded slowly. "What happened last night stays between us. Please don't tell Ned. Please don't tell a teacher or literally anyone. Not even your Avenger buddies. When I want to tell people I will, should I ever decide to"

He looked away momentarily before also climbing out of the bed and standing before her.

"Okay, I promise," he met her gaze. "but..."

"But?" she bit. "There is no but."

"But," he continued, watching her cautiously, "I want you to consider telling someone who can properly help you, sooner rather than later. And I want you to promise that you'll tell me or literally anyone if you ever see that man again."

Her scowl turned into a blank stare. She didn't like being told what to do and frankly, it felt unfair for him to request that of her.

"But it is a request. A suggestion," her brain prompted so she took a breath.

"Fine," it came out terse. "I'll think about it."

Peter visibly relaxed at her response, offered a nod and headed for his discarded Spidey suit he had stashed in the corner.

"What time is it by the way?" he asked as he began to head towards the bathroom. "I need to get back to my Aunt's before I go to school."

The pale light was a sign it wasn't too late in the morning but she checked her phone.

"It's only 7," she told him through the bathroom door.

As Peter changed in her bathroom, she quickly got herself ready for the school day as well after telling Peter sternly through the door not to leave the bathroom until she told him she was done. MJ pulled on a pair of dark grey slacks, a black singlet and then her favourite cardigan before stuffing her feet into her favourite pair of black converse. She knocked on Peter's door to say it was okay to leave before trying to pull her messy hair into a high bun. He left the bathroom as she was adjusting the stray strands, hoping she looked semi-decent.