Spider-Gwen 3 || The Fall

Backup || Mary-Jane Watson

"I'm not happy when I try to fake it"

-Easy, The Commodores

It was too quiet for there to be so much going on.

MJ was seated at the Morales family's kitchen table, the entire apartment filled with silence as everyone there looked at Miles, who was sprawled out on top of the table. Light movement from his chest and nostrils signified that he was still breathing, but every breath must've been painful. Those scars on his chest were pretty deep...

She looked away, her lips forming a frown as she dwelled on how badly Miles had gotten hurt. Thankfully, nothing internal had been damaged, which mean that he was guaranteed to make it. His superhuman healing abilities would get him back in tip top shape in no time.

So why was the mood so somber?

MJ's eyes went to Jeff and Rio, who were seated on either side of where Miles's head rested. The two parents stared at their son's resting face, with his mother gently running her fingers through his curls of hair. While they had been distraught at Miles's condition when Gwen had first brought him to the apartment, the two adults looked significantly calmer now, taking occasional glances at the patches on their unconscious son's chest.

Across from MJ was Ganke, who exuded a peculiar combination of relief and awkwardness as he stayed at his friend's side. It looked fairly clear that Ganke had no concerns about Miles making it out of this, but he could feel the mood in the room, too.

MJ's eyes flicked up to Ganke, whose eyes widened momentarily upon noticing her look at him. The redhead looked on as Ganke cleared his throat, adjusting in his seat while continuing to show signs of discomfort.

Her eyes looked away quickly, and she started feeling a bit guilty-had she made him feel weird? Were her eyes too wide when she looked at him? Any one of those things could've happened, and MJ wouldn't have a way of figuring it out. But she felt like she was closing in on why nobody seemed to feel happy about this moment.

There was an absence at the table.

MJ's eyes drifted towards the staircase that led upstairs to Miles's room-where Gwen had gone to immediately after helping patch up Miles. Thankfully, she was free from the symbiote-which was now in a tupperware box that Gwen had covered in several layers of webbing. But the way she'd averted looking at anyone while helping with Miles had told MJ that her friend was still not okay.

The silence continued, and MJ found herself wringing her hands in her lap. She hated awkward silence so badly... normally she'd be the one to break it by a positive anecdote.

And, somehow, MJ felt responsible for not being able to do it now.

That layer of responsibility only grew as MJ noticed Rio and Jeff looking up at her-MJ's uncharacteristically quiet and still mood had gotten their attention.

"You good, MJ?" Jeff asked, his kind eyes showing concern.

Rio's head tilted ever so slightly as she, too, spoke up. "Do you need something? A drink, or-"

"No, I'm fine." MJ said quickly, feeling her shoulders tense up as they politely questioned her. A few moments later, she was able to whisper a, "Thank you," to Miles's parents before getting up from her chair.