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The nightmares aren’t a new occurrence. He’s had them since he became The Spider-Man and they usually entail May or Ned or if his brain is being particularly sadistic, Ben, getting hurt because of him. Some weird, demented villain storms into said dream wearing some weird mask, and either kidnaps them or hurts them and Peter always wakes up in a cold sweat. He’s even had one about Liz.
No, what is a new occurrence though, is the dream being about MJ. In this dream, a man wearing a clown mask dangles MJ off the side of the Empire State building and just as Peter swings to get her, his web snaps and he hears the thud of her body hit the ground. He’s awake in a second, hands clammy and heart beating frantically against his rib cage. He gets out of bed, heading to the kitchen before pouring himself a glass of water and downing it in one big gulp.
No one has ever died in his nightmares before. Ned’s been unconscious and May once broke her arm but it’s never been as violent or real as this one. Which is probably why Peter can’t fall asleep again. He tosses and turns for what seems like forever before he groans and grabs his phone. It’s 1 AM and so it’s a totally inappropriate time to call your new friend to check in on them and make sure they’re not like, dead in a ditch somewhere but Peter can’t shake off the feeling of restlessness that settles in his bones.
“Just a two minute phone call to check if MJ is okay and then I’ll probably be able to fall asleep again,” he murmurs as he presses the green CALL button. He’s surprised when she picks up on the second ring.
“This better be good,” MJ says and Peter feels a flush spread over his face. God, this was stupid. He should probably just hang up before he embarrasses himself or something. “Peter?”
“MJ, hi there!”
In all fairness, he’s never been that eloquent.
“It’s one in the morning, Parker,” MJ says although there’s no sting to her words. She actually sounds vaguely concerned.
“Yeah, no, I’m great. I was just checking in on you,” Peter replies and he can almost feel like the look MJ is probably giving him.
“I’m…fine?” Okay, she sounds really confused. Peter should probably explain but now that he’s talking to her, he realises saying hey I had a nightmare you died and freaked out too much and now I can’t sleep because I had to check if you weren’t hurt, sounds kind of really weird. And slightly embarrassing.
“Peter, are you drunk?” MJ asks after a handful of seconds, sounding almost accusatory.
“No!” Peter shouts before he quietens down, realising he could wake up May. “No ways. I just,” and he pauses here, unsure of what to say.
“You just….”
“I had a nightmare that I was on a mission and this dude in this really weird clown mask was dangling you over the Empire State building and before I could try get you, you fell and my webs snapped and then I heard you hit the ground.”
There, it’s out.
“Huh,” she says. “So you were checking in on me?”
Peter’s ears are kind of red, probably. “Yeah.”
“Well, I’m pleased to let you know that I am currently not being dangled off a building so you can rest peacefully, Peter Parker,” she says, sounding amused. Peter snorts.
“I figured since you picked up on the second ring,” he responds and she hums. “Hey, why did you pick up so quickly? Weren’t you asleep?”
“Parker, I know you need a full eight hours of sleep in order to save New York City but not all of us go to bed at 10 pm,” MJ answers. Peter can’t even deny anything, because he really did go to bed at ten.
“Hey, sleep is important,” he counters.
“Yeah, for babies.”
“For everyone,” Peter corrects.
“So how weird was the clown mask?” MJ asks, changing topic easily. He guesses she’s not going to tell him why she’s up this late. Peter thinks back to the dream, trying to remember the details. He’s pretty sure the mask was standard issue, except the mouth was mottled purple and twisted in a chilling smile and the eyes of the mask had been completely black.
“Pretty creepy. Like Stephen King level,” Peter settles on.
“That’s dark stuff, Parker,” she says and Peter shrugs before he realises she can’t see him. He’s about to respond when she speaks.
“I was reading,” she adds. “Jane Eyre.”
It’s an answer to his question and Peter wonders why she randomly brought it up but he doesn’t say anything.
“Is it good?” Peter asks. He doesn’t know he hasn’t made up some excuse and hung up since MJ is clearly safe and sound and it’s a school night so he really should get some rest. But he really doesn’t want to hang up. And that’s when the realisation hits him.
He has a crush on Michelle Jones. Like an actual crush, where he wants to hold her hand and stuff.
“It’s weird. Like really weird,” she says.
“Tell me about it?” Peter asks, voice kind of squeaky because he’s still coming to terms with this revelation and also maybe freaking out a bit. He’s pretty sure she’s going to say something smart and snarky about how he should get some sleep so he’s pretty surprised when she launches into what is probably one of the most bizarre story plots he’s ever heard.
“Wait, hold on,” Peter says a few minutes later. “He was hiding his first wife in his attic because she went crazy?”
“Yup,” MJ says, popping the p. “And Jane still doesn’t think that this dude is a complete creep. She comes back to him a few years later, and the wife died in a fire but the guy tried saving her life so Jane is like oh I guess he’s cool now and they get married.”
“That’s….something,” Peter says, and Michele actually laughs.
“Tell me about, Parker,” she replies and he can hear shuffling on the other end of the line. It’s almost two now, and he really should get some sleep. As if she can read his mind, MJ continues. “I should probably go now. It’s late and we do have geometry first thing tomorrow.”
“Yeah, me too,” Peter agrees although he really doesn’t want to.
“Goodnight, Parker.”
“Night, MJ.”
“Hey Peter?” MJ says just when he thinks she’s about to hang up. Her voice is softer now, almost sleepy.
“Yeah?” he asks, and he can feel his pulse quickening.
“Thanks for checking in on me,” she says and Peter smiles to himself. His palms are really sweaty and his pulse doesn’t seem to be slowing down any time soon. She hangs up as soon as she says it.
Peter is pretty sure he falls asleep smiling.