and i still need reminders of why its unwise to stare

and i still need reminders of why its unwise to stare (oneshot)

After the spell had been cast and everyone forgot Peter Parker. He had thrown himself into being Spider-man. The times when he wasn't fighting bad guys, stopping crime, and helping cats out of trees, was spent in his tiny one room apartment. Well— two. If you consider the small closet bathroom a room.

More times than Peter would like to admit, he'd been stopping by the shop (cafe? the name was a little misleading, in his opinion) that MJ worked at. He didn't know if she noticed him coming in almost every week. He wouldn't know what to do if she did. Some part of him wants her to. For her to ask why he stops by so often, or maybe to invite him into her conversations with Ned. But Peter wasn't stupid, you couldn't be if you were a superhero. He knew MJ wasn't like that. Especially not to a stranger.

A stranger. 

The word didn't hurt him as much as he'd like it to. If he was honest, Peter wouldn't say he was completely and totally upset about it. It was more like suddenly she and Ned were there, and suddenly they weren't. But Peter knew that if he tried to talk to Ned, or to MJ... to genuinely talk. It probably wouldn't go so well. For him. He can't help but feel guilty for not feeling completely shattered, for not having the guts to go to the shop, or see them again.

When he stops by for his morning, or afternoon, or even evening cup of coffee, he never got much out of his conversations with MJ. If you could even call them that. "What would you like?", "What can I get you?", "That's gonna be two-fifty.". It would be rare to even get a 'good morning' from here. Peter tried not to take it all too personally, she was like this with all of her customers (Peter also tried not to think about the fact that he was suddenly 'just like all of her other customers'). He doesn't bother to try and talk to them anymore than a casual greeting. He doesn't try to start up a conversation with Ned either, because how weird would that be? If a stranger suddenly tried to get to know you and be your friend out of nowhere? Suddenly acting like he'd known you for years?

No, Peter didn't try and talk to them.

Well, not exactly. He did talk to one person. Kind of. Sort of. He's not entirely sure if your deceased Aunt's grave counts as a good chat buddy, but it was nice to talk to someone. A small, selfish part of him was glad May was gone. So he wouldn't have to live through her forgetting him. Though it wasn't a big part, because as much as May would've hated it, he would have rather she forget him than die for him.

Her grave had new flowers every night, he'd usually visit her right after patrols. Occasionally not even bothering to change out of his suit, just sweep down with a heap of whatever kind of flower he could manage to get his hands on.

Most nights he would chat away to her about whatever was on his mind. His most recent hobby, how his day was, todays patrol. But on some nights, it got bad. He would have a particularly rough fight that evening, he would still be pumped with adrenaline. Peter would go to her grave and just cry, suit or no suit. He would cry until his throat was sore, his eyes puffy and red. Some nights he couldn't believe that he'd never see her again, never have awkward puberty talks with her again, or watch crappy tv with her. He would never hear her voice again. Never talk shit about people with her, or ramble to her about his newest interest. It was all gone and he had no way home.

But those nights didn't happen often. If anything, Peter was happy with his life as it was.

Well, okay. Happy isn't the best way to describe it. He was more... alright. Just. Alright with it. He was alright with his life now. He wasn't completely shattered about it, but he certainly wasn't thrilled either. He had come to peace with the fact that no one remembered him or loved him anymore! Really! He had totally come to peace with his girlfriend and best friend and probably all of the Avengers forgetting him, and he—