Spiderdad

42

"I mean it kinda hurts, but the doctors say it's normal," MJ explained as she held Peter's hand.

Peter frowned, "is it normal?"

"I dunno," she shrugged, "I've never been pregnant then repeated jabbed in the stomach before."

Peter cracked a small smile then kissed her forehead gently, "I love you."

"Thank you," MJ gave him a close-lipped grin and earned an eye roll in response, "anyways," she continued, "I'll be out by tomorrow. Apparently everything's fine."

"It better be," he sighed.

For a moment the two were quiet as Peter gently held his girlfriend's hand with both of his. He stared at the ground and listened to the hearts of his family. His family. Damn, he loved to say that. Not the Avengers, not Ned, and dare he say: not May. But his own family: his girlfriend and his baby. 

"What're you smiling about?" MJ asked after a few beats. 

"I think I'm excited to be a father," Peter replied, not dropping the smile he didn't realize he had.

MJ's lips press into a small grin, "and I think I'm excited to be a mother. It's something that never crossed my mind before all this, but now that I think about it everyday.." she looked down at her stomach, "It doesn't even make sense how I love this child so much, I haven't even met her yet," she felt tears of joy sting her eyes. 

Peter stroked the back of her hand with his thumb, "I know what you mean. I haven't even met this girl, but there's nothing I wouldn't do for her."

"I know," MJ replied warmly.

Peter leaned forward and laid a sweet, gentle kiss on MJ's lips. MJ couldn't help but cherish the moments she spent with Peter, even if the moments were spent in a hospital room. He truly was the one person she cared to be around and would risk letting herself get close to. He was the one person with enough sway in her life to hurt her and the one person she trusted to never hurt her. Their relationship had been holding together for just over a year, and Peter had spent all too much of that time trapped in a fog of alcoholism, night terrors, and PTSD. His trauma was something that seemed to go intentionally unnoticed by most people, but not MJ. She was the one that let him into her bedroom at midnight just so she could hold him and show him everything was okay. She was the one that would cry on the floor with him until it was physically impossible for either of them to shed another tear. She was always there for him, and he tried to always be there for her.

They pulled away from the kiss hesitantly and stared into each other's eyes. Peter cupped MJ's face in his hand as he smiled.

"I'm so fucking in love with you," Peter stated with such a fierce passion in his voice, it almost caught MJ off guard. 

MJ looked up at him, "and I can't even believe I fell so hard for an idiot like you," he smiled and chuckled softly at that, "trust me, I... I don't even want to think about what my life would be like without you in it." 

Peter rested his forehead against hers and closed his eyes, "it's so strange. We haven't even been dating that long."

"I know..." her voice trailed off before she anxiously found it again, "And that makes what I'm about to say sound... weird."

Peter leaned back so he could gaze at her, "what is it?"

She took a deep breath and felt herself grow a little nauseous, he's going to think I'm obsessed and clingy... "this might sound crazy... but I think we should elope."

Peter stared at her with an unreadable, blank expression, "you're right... that does sound crazy. Because I have no idea what 'elope' means."

Oh great, you can back out now and say nevermind! 

"It means to run away and get married," she explained, her voice tight with nervousness as she trembled in Peter's touch.

"Oh," then his eyes widened as the message broke through his thick skull, "oh! You think we should run away and get married."

"I-i don't know," MJ was internally panicking as she broke eye contact you just fucked up Michelle Jones, "it was just an idea- not even an idea! Just a-"

Peter cut her off, "just the best idea you've ever had."

MJ met his eyes with hers filled to the brim with tears, "y-you're serious?"

"Does it look like I'm joking?" This became one of the few situations were there wasn't a hint of humor in his tone.

MJ lost her voice completely. She threw her arms around his neck and pulled him into a tight embrace. Peter wrapped his arms around her back and breathed in her sweet, floral scent (she always smelled amazing) as her crazy curls ticked his face. There was nothing else that needed to be said. They knew they were in love with each other. They knew they belonged with each other. And they knew they belonged to each other. Those weren't words that needed to be spoken, not when they felt it as strongly as they did. They didn't just emotionally feel it either. It was a physical sensation that bubbled warmly in their chests and rattled their bones to the point it created a loving heat that each could feel radiating from the other. 

In the dead silence of the moment, Peter could hear quiet tears tricking down his girlfriend's cheeks. He could feel the joy in her tears and he couldn't blame her— he was crying too. 

"Ma'am your brother would like to visit," the brunette nurse from earlier announced, killing the moment sharply.

The couple let go of each other and MJ nodded, "he can come in."

Peter brushed away his tears as Adrian entered. Adrian flashed a lopsided grin which his friends returned.

"Hey guys. Um- I brought the book you asked for," Adrian passed a hardcover book to his sister. 

"Thank you," she grateful replied as she grinned at the cover labeled Chasing King's Killer.

"Where you guys crying?" Adrian frowned in heavy concern, "is something wrong?"

"No," MJ replied with a mischievous tone, "we were just talking about how it's been a really long time since we last had sex and-"

Adrian's hands flew over his ears, "okay! Forget I asked!"

MJ snickered and Peter shook his head playfully. Adrian groaned in annoyance, encouraging Peter to lean in to kiss MJ.

"No, please not right now," Adrian tore his eyes away to stare at the floor, "Peter, seriously never lay a finger on or in my sister ever again."

Peter barked a laugh at that, "no promises."

"Ugh, I'm out," Adrian turned to leave.

"No, no, nonono," MJ waved him over, "you can stay we were joking."

Peter didn't listen to whatever Adrian's response was. He merely beamed at his fiancé and her bright smile. Damn, I love this woman.