Work Text:
1.
“For heaven's sake Parker.” Michelle mumbled to herself. The idiot had gotten himself shot and he wanted her to cover for him in front of his aunt.
The way Peter’s brain worked, Michelle would never understand.
She brought her hand to the door and knocked.
May opened it with a wide smile.
“Michelle! It’s lovely to see you! Peter’s asleep right now, but he told me you were coming over!” May greeted her.
Asleep my ass. Peter was certainly not asleep. In fact, he wasn’t even home.
“My friends call me MJ.” Michelle heard herself saying.
May’s eyes softened. “Oh well MJ , it’s lovely for you to be here! Make yourself at home! I’ll get you a cup of tea--something I can actually make without burning the house down.”
May talked a lot, Michelle noted, but she didn’t mind.
“Is something on your mind?” May asked, as she handed Michelle the cup of tea.
“No.” Michelle lied.
“You sure? I know I’m just Peter’s aunt, but I promise I’m a good listener!” May added.
When May put it that way, Michelle couldn’t help but comply.
“Just stupid teenager stuff.” Michelle said.
“Crushes? I was a teenager once, I know how it is.” May said, with a twinkle in her eye.
Michelle didn’t have it in her to blush. She nodded.
“He doesn’t like me though.”
“You’re a lovely young woman, what’s not to like about you?” May complimented.
“I mean, like, we’re friends? But lately he’s been weird around me? And he’s been asking me to do favors? So I think he trusts me? But like, I don’t know?” Michelle said, phrasing each sentence as a question.
“It sounds like he trusts you a lot then. How many people do you ask for favors?” May asked.
“I guess I don’t really ask for favors.”
“Exactly. Sounds to me like he almost just wants an excuse to talk to you. Tell me, what are some of the favors he’s had you do?”
“Well he asks me about homework all the time. Sometimes he asks me my opinion on something he’s talking about with someone else? He knows that like I’m not going to do stupid shit like throw his lunch away, he’s never asked me to do that.”
“It sounds like he definitely cares about you. You should talk to him.” May prompted.
“What do I say?” Michelle asked quietly.
“Be honest honey, honesty is the best policy.” May advised.
To: Bug-Boy
Hey dipshit, I’m with your aunt rn. Can we talk later?
Being Spider-Man’s girlfriend was no different from being Spider-Man’s occasional girl in the chair.
But it didn’t make her any less scared.
Peter was out there, getting shot, and saving people, and Michelle was at home, helpless.
“How do you do it? The knowing that he’s out there, getting injured and putting himself at risk?” Michelle asked May one Thursday night. “Does it get easier?”
“Oh honey, of course it gets easier. It’s never not difficult for someone you care about to be in a risky situation, but it just becomes more of a habit, an understanding of sorts. It helps to understand a little bit why he does what he does. But, if I’m being honest, I’d stop him any chance I got. I hate it sweetheart, but I know there’s no stopping him.” May admitted.
“He’s a high schooler . The jobs of the fucking police shouldn’t fall to a teenager .” Michelle sighed.
“No, they shouldn’t. But Peter does their job way better, doesn’t he?”
“He’s got such a fucking hero complex. He’d take a bullet for almost every human on this planet, in a heartbeat. Like the whole vulture incident? He didn’t have to save Toomes, and anyone in their right mind wouldn’t have. But he did?” Michelle complained.
“He blames himself. For what happened to Ben. That’s why he tries to save everyone. He thinks that saving everyone else will somehow make up for saving the person he couldn’t.” May explained.
Michelle winced. She’d forgotten about that. “Shit, I didn’t mean to be insensitive. It’s just so infuriating. He’s been through so much shit, hasn’t he?”
“He’s my hero. I know it’s difficult MJ, but worrying doesn’t help. Just take a deep breath or two. Remind yourself why he’s out there. Make sure he’s not going to school while injured. The little things. I know it’s hard baby, but it’s our job to trust him.”
3.
“Y’know he has scars all over his chest? I’m so scared I’m going to hurt him.” Michelle admitted, over their weekly tea talk.
May nearly choked on her tea. “I did not know that.” She managed to say.
“Sorry. That was weird.” Michelle said, already regretting it.
“No honey, don’t stress it. I’m honored you feel comfortable to share things, anything with me.” May said in truth.
Michelle smiled at her. This woman had the kindest heart.
“Can I ask you something totally tmi?” Michelle asked.
“Of course.” May responded warmly.
“Do you think I should have sex with Peter?” Michelle blurted.
May’s eyes widened. She choked on her tea.
When she’d regained her composure she said “Honestly, I thought you already had.”
Michelle laughed. “It’s not that I don’t want to? But like, I don’t want to do it just because everyone else is, like it's gotta be right for us.”
“If you think you’re ready, it’ll just happen. You don’t need to blatantly say “Peter let’s have sex”’ May paused, clearly mortified by the words that had just come out of her mouth. “Sex is a natural thing, what I’m trying to say is that it’ll happen when it happens.” May finished.
“What if he doesn’t want to?” Michelle asked.
“Then you shouldn’t. You know that MJ.” May smiled.
“Of course! Consent is just common sense. I hope Peter isn’t a save myself till marriage kind of guy because virginity is a social construct and I don’t think I’d be able to stand that.” Michelle thought aloud.
“What if we’re not good at it?” Michelle wondered. Michelle tried not to let it show, but she had a lot of insecurities. She was scared. If they had sex, she wanted to do it right.
“Then you can try again. It’s not a one time thing sweetie.”
“I know! Y’know what forget I ever asked.” Michelle said.
“Asked what?” May teased.
When Michelle left later that day, May winked at her and yelled “Don’t forget to use condoms!”
“I think I love him.” Michelle admitted to May.
“That’s wonderful!” the woman smiled, pouring tea into Michelle’s cup.
“I never expected to fall head over heels for the dorkiest white boy in New York, but here we are.” Michelle sighed.
“Love is rather unusual.” May said.
May turned on a love songs playlist on her phone.
“You have spotify?” Michelle couldn’t help not masking her shock.
“I’m not that old sweetheart!” May teased.
They listened to the lyrics in silence.
“Does Peter come to mind when you hear these songs?” May asked.
“Yes.” Michelle admitted. Michelle Jones was head over heels in love, and damn did it scare her. Being in love put her in a vulnerable and unusual place.
“I love him.” Michelle added, more confident.
“You should tell him.” May said.
“You think so?” Michelle asked.
“Honesty is the best policy.” May reminded her.
“I know. I love him and I know he loves me.” Michelle said.
“Have you said ‘I love you’ to someone before?” May asked.
“A couple of people. My siblings, my parents. The Decathlon team. You. I love you too May.” Michelle listed out.
“I love you honey! People treat the word love so fragile. It doesn’t have to be.”
“Exactly! I really don’t think it’s that big of a deal to tell him I love him...But I’m still scared anyways?”
“That’s perfectly normal sweetie.” May encouraged.
“I love you.”
5.
Michelle felt the vile acid creep up her throat. She ran down the hall to the Parker’s bathroom.
She puked into the toilet.
When she returned, she apologized. “Sorry, must have been something I ate.”
May gave her a look.
“Okay, maybe it’s not just something I ate.” Michelle said.
“Sweetie, I’m a nurse.” May reminded Michelle with a wink.
“I think I’m pregnant.” Michelle admitted.
“Why don’t you take a test?” May encouraged.
“Fucking K-Mart keeps their pregnancy tests in a locked box.” Michelle sighed.
“That’s bullshit.” May announced.
“Tell me about it.”
“I can go get you one.” May offered.
“Would you really?” Michelle asked.
“Anything for you MJ.” May smiled. “I’ll be back in ten minutes.”
True to her word, ten minutes later, she arrived back, pregnancy test in hand.
“Why don’t you go take this now.” May said.
Michelle did. She was 99% sure it would be positive. And she certainly didn’t know what to think.
The 5 minutes of waiting passed.
“I don’t want to check.” Michelle admitted.
“Do you want me to look?” May said sweetly.
“No. I should do it myself.” Michelle said, trying to encourage herself to flip the goddamn stick over.
She reached for it.
Two solid pink lines were on it.
“Fuck.” Michelle whisphered.
“Oh honey, it’ll be okay.” May whispered back, combing her hand through Michelle’s hair.
“What do I do?” Michelle asked.
“What do you think you should do?” May tended to answer Michelle’s questions with questions.
“I have no idea. I could abort it? I know Peter is pro-choice, but somehow I don’t think that’s the choice he would want me to make. Of course it’s my body, so it’s my choice, but I do want Peter to be involved. We could put it up for adoption. I’m sure there’s plenty of families that would love that, but just something about carrying a baby for nine months and not keeping it just feels wrong to me. Of course I could keep it, but then I’d have to deal with being slut shamed, as well as dealing with the whole pregnancy, and figuring out my future and finances.” Michelle said.
“I know, it is a difficult decision MJ, but I know that whatever decision you make will be what’s best for you. I’ll be here for you, every step of the way, no matter what.” May promised.
+1
May knew Michelle would be arriving any second. It wasn’t a Tea Talk Day, but May had a sense, call it the May Tingle if you will, and she just knew Michelle would be there.
She turned the TV on, switching over to HBO, getting ready to play Euphoria . It was Michelle’s favorite. Michelle bore an awful resemblance to Zendaya, May thought to herself.
She already had a cup of tea ready for the girl. She’d attempted to make cookies, but eventually decided store-bought ones would do.
Michelle knocked on the door.
“Come on in!” May yelled, as she threw a blanket onto the couch.
Michelle had tears streaming down her face.
“Come here, give me a hug.” May cooed.
“I told my parents.” Michelle said through sniffles.
“You don’t have to talk about it baby.” May said, leading her to the couch.
Michelle gripped the mug of tea, blowing on it.
“Thank you May.”
“Anything for you honey.” May said, settling herself next to Michelle.
“Cookie?” She offered.
“How’d you know I was coming over?” Michelle asked, taking the cookie.
“Maternal instinct I suppose.” May teased.
“Do you want to watch Euphoria? Or do you want to talk about it?” May added.
“Talk. Then Euphoria.”
“Go ahead.” May encouraged.
“I told them. My dad started yelling about how irresponsible I was and my mom told me that I’d ruined my future. I just ran out and came straight here. I don’t know what I’m going to do.”
“You always have a room here sweetie.”