By Moonlight (P.P + M.J)

36. A Walk With Werewolf

Peter stayed home after talking to Mr.Stark. He just didn't have the energy to go out and fight crime. He was working over what the billionaire Avenger had said. Mr.Stark hadn't outright said that he shouldn't be with MJ, but he had implied vaguely that maybe being with her wasn't the safest idea. She could easily be put in danger, and the last thing Peter wanted was to be responsible for not be able to protect her. He'd never forgive himself.

But what was he going to do? If he broke up- God, how could he think that?- if he broke up with MJ, she'd be blindsided. And his explanation would be weak as hell, and there was no way she would buy it. But they hadn't really talked about their relationship in the first place, and Peter didn't really know what they were. But he didn't doubt that she would be upset. He'd be lucky if he made it out of the conversation alive.

The next morning, school was cancelled, due to destruction that was caused due to Werewolf, Lizard, and himself. Damage Control was on the scene to clean things up. Peter didn't know whether that was a lucky break or not, because he still had no idea what he was going to say. He was in a dejected mood from the minute he woke up. Even when he went out as Spiderman, he couldn't enjoy it like other times. Even as he captured a car thief and stopped a burglary, he never even cracked a smile.

Around five, he was hanging upside down off a balcony. His temperament hadn't improved and he was bored out of his mind, but he couldn't come up with the energy to do anything.

What's wrong, Peter?

"Nothing, Karen," Peter sighed, walking around under the balcony.

Doesn't seem like nothing. You've been dreary all day.

"I've just got a lot on my mind," he said, not really wanting to go into detail about his moral debacle.

Is this about MJ?

"Uh, yeah. Which reminds me, did you tell Mr.Stark about her and I?" Peter questioned.

He asked for an assessment on your weekly activity. I only told him that you'd been talking to someone.

"Define "talking to someone" for me," he said in an investigative manner, "Like, how much did you actually tell him?"

I told him that you liked her, and that you're blood pressure always skyrocketed when you saw her, and that your heart rate picked up-.

"Alright, alright," Peter said, waving his hand dismissively, "I was just curious."

Well, it's true. She's special, isn't she? It only makes sense.

"Yeah, she's- she's special..." Peter said, shaking his head as he climbed back up to the roof.

He tried to go for a swing to get his mind off MJ, but she wouldn't leave his thoughts. There was nothing he could do to make himself stop thinking about her, and at one point, he found himself in front of the Broadway Cafe, her favorite coffee shop in Soho. He scanned the inside and found MJ within. He wrestled with the idea about seeing her, but he couldn't seem to convince himself.

The sun had dipped below the horizon, and a chill had settled over the city. As the days got colder, they also got shorter. It wasn't even six and it was already dark. Two police helicopters circled the buildings, searchlights on and probing the rooftops. Sirens wailed in the distant, and Peter wondered if they were chasing something. Maybe a good cop chase was what he needed to get his mind off things.