The Stark Internship

Part 4

PETER

I spend over two hours working alongside Mr.Stark. And I leave with a new and improved spider-suit in my rucksack. It's dark by the time I walk out and as soon as I'm out of sight I pull the spider mask over my face and head off back to my street.
Before I get there, I realise too late that I'm still in my old suit and we took out most of my web fluid to test.
I fall to the ground and manage to soften my blow by going into a forwards roll.
For lack of much else to do, I begin to walk in the direction of the library. And, whether it be bad or good luck, I see MJ leaving.
She stops in her tracks and I go to wave without even thinking. I forget, for a moment, that I'm in costume.
'Um.' She says, stopping in her tracks, 'Hi.'
'Hi.' I say, wishing I could swing away from this conversation.
'Are you...?' She starts and I nod.
'Kinda.' I say, 'technical difficulties.' I say as I imitate my web shooting, 'ran out of web fluid.'
'Cool.' She says, 'do you...have a way home?'
'I...' I fall silent after realising that, no, I do not.
'I have a motorcycle.' She says after a moment, 'I can drop you to the nearest train station, or bus stop. Whatever.'
'That'd be great. If you don't mind. I'd appreciate it.' I say, unsure whether I should be doing this. If I mess up in the slightest then I've given my identity away. But on the other hand, May expected me home an hour ago and I have homework to do still.
'Sure.' She says, and leads the way to her bike, 'just quick before we go.' She says and proceeds to try to punch me.
I sidestep easily and spin her round on reflex, holding her hand behind her back.
'Sorry, just had to check.' She says as I let her go.
'Not too bad.' I say.
'You too.' She says. I get on the back of her bike and she starts driving. I've driven on the back of MJ's bike hundreds of times by now, but it still feels weird. I hold tight to her and close my eyes.
'Alright.' She says after ten minutes of driving, pulling up outside my building, 'here we go.'
I get off the bike without thinking.
'Thanks, I really appreciate it.' I say, starting to walk towards the entrance, 'I mean...what...where are we?'
I turn round in a panic and see MJ leaning against her bike and smiling.
'How did you...?' I start.
'I've had a suspicion for a while.' She says, 'plus you two sound very similar. The Stark internship. You disappearing when Spider-Man turned up at the airport fight, or at Washington. I just figured it out, I guess.'
'I don't...no one knows. Apart from Ned. And Tony Stark.' I say, weirdly calm. I think, to some extent, I always figured she'd find out.
'I won't tell anyone.' She says.
'I know.' I reply.
'Can I just...' She steps towards me slightly and reaches out to my mask. She raises it slowly to reveal my face.
Before I think about it I'm leaning in to kiss her, my arms around her waist. She clutches my mask with one hand and holds the other one around me.
We pull apart slowly, foreheads still touching.
'Well.' I say.
'I guess you'll need this back.' She says, putting the mask in my hands and stepping away, 'I'll see you in school, Peter.'
'I'll see you.' I say back, as she gets on her motorcycle and drives off.