Spideychelle one-shots

After: Part 1

Peter

It was raining, but that wasn't much change from the normal, given that this was England and also it was November.

Peter was cold, which also wasn't much change from the normal. He was late for work, though, which was unusual. Peter had made it a point never to be late, or leave early, or hand in his research late. He loved his job, which helped.

His mind was somewhere else today, running over the email that was currently sitting in his inbox. 

Of course, he'd known this was coming. Still, most days he couldn't believe it'd already been ten years. Ten years since they'd graduated.

Ten years since he'd last seen MJ. The break-up hadn't been her fault, and he knew that. It hadn't been the fault of either of them. But it still stung a little, and the thought of seeing her again was like a loose tooth he couldn't help wiggling. 

It was there, in his brain. Seeing MJ.

Assuming she came, of course. But no one that successful missed their ten year high school reunion. Why would you, when you had so much to brag about?

Not that MJ would brag. Not her style. No, she'd just tip her chin at you in that way she had, eyes dark and a little bit cutting. Peter'd seen pictures of her, clips on the news, how couldn't he have? She was everywhere. 

And somehow, she was even more beautiful, wavy hair pulled back into a loose braid or done up in a tight bun that only accentuated her high cheekbones. It wasn't like that, though. Peter had moved on years ago; he'd taken the hint when MJ had ended it. No use pining over something that wasn't ever going to happen.

 Maybe more impressively, though, she was maybe even smarter than when they'd known each other, which was a scary thought. Peter half thought she was another ten years away from running the world. 

Not that he was doing to shabbily himself, with a PhD in Biochemistry with a focus on Biotech under his belt. 

So if he was a little nervous about the reunion, well that was normal, right? Seeing all of his old friends, old faces... Reminding him of everything he used to be and wasn't anymore. 

Reminding him of Spiderman.

He'd given it all up: the suit, the name, the heroics. Something he'd never lost was the attention of the public and the press; to say that people were outraged when he'd dropped the mantle of Spiderman was an understatement. 

It had been hard enough after he was unmasked. Secret identities were secret for a reason, and he was no Tony Stark, with a billion-dollar facility and body guards. 

He'd given it all up for his studies, to help the world in a different but just as important way. And if there was the occasional article on him, the fans that still wouldn't leave him alone, well. After ten years it was just a part of his life. Which he liked, thank-you very much.

He didn't have (barely) any regrets. 

He was successful, he was happy, and if he still couldn't find a girlfriend who wanted to date him and not Spiderman, well, he'd get there eventually. And he would go to that reunion and see Ned and MJ and all of there other classmates, and it would be fun.

Peter like having fun. 

MJ

She froze when she saw the email in her inbox. Like she didn't know that it was coming, that she hadn't thought about this for months, dreamt about it for years.

Their reunion.

Peter would be there, she was sure of it. He would be there, and she would - she would have to talk to him, and pretend that she didn't still have the most embarrassing crush on him that took up far to much of her mind. 

She'd broken up with him. That was true. But MJ had done it for both of their sakes - they were young, and stupid, and the long-distance thing was hard enough on it's own, without adding the pressure of high-stakes school and the leftover baggage from the whole saving the world thing. 

Did she regret it? Yes. But she knew that it had been for the best. And maybe now, that they were older and wiser - 

MJ shut down that particular train of thought before it could get any more pathetic. Peter and her were friends. Nice friends, who hadn't seen each other in years. At least not in person. 

With the way the press had hounded him at first (and still did, really) it would have been nearly impossible for her not to have seen pictures of him. He looked good; at nearly 28 he'd grown into his lankiness, into the sometimes clumsy gestures and mannerisms. He was wearing his hair different. It looked good. 

He looked good. The rest of the world thought so too. He was a bit of a heartthrob, sort of a sexy professor type, and he still had a very loyal fanbase, even after giving up Spiderman.

MJ remembered when he'd made that decision, remembered the shock she'd felt. She hadn't been sure how to react, thrown off guard. Peter not being Spiderman anymore?

Being a hero, saving people - it had all seemed so hard-wired into him. Obviously it hadn't always been easy. There was trauma that he would never recover from. But he had fought for his right to fight, fought for his right to be a hero. She couldn't imagine the world without him. It had been an uncertain time - everyone had assumed he would take up the mantle that Tony Stark had left. Work for Stark Industries, alongside Pepper, lead a new generation of Avengers.

And then he'd left it all and gone to Britain. And that was that.

MJ still kept the occasional contact with May, who had told her that Peter refused to talk about it. About any of it. The battles, losing Mr. Stark. The Blip. Giving it all up.

It didn't sound healthy to MJ, but then again, what did she know? She was still hung up on her high school sweetheart. She didn't exactly have the high ground in this situation.

But she would see him, at the reunion.

She'd already made sure she could get time off of her job. Not taking a sick day or vacation in the past 3 years made that easy.

Being a high-ranking diplomat for the U.S. wasn't exactly easy, but it was her dream, so she'd worked every second of every day to make that happen.

And that's what it was all about, wasn't it? Working hard, but working hard for her dream.

MJ guessed that Spiderman hadn't been Peter's dream. Good for him, then, for being brave enough. Strong enough, to say no not only to Nick Fury, not only to SHIELD, but to the country. The world, even, after the stuff they'd done in Europe. 

He was the bravest person she knew.

And she was hopelessly in love with him. Really, shouldn't she be smarter than this?

Happy New Years, everyone!  I love y'all.

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-Viwrit3r