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“Are you sure May won’t mind?” MJ asked, shifting the duffle bag for the 100th time to find a way for it to rest comfortably while still letting her have enough range of motion to drag her suitcase behind her.
“May loves you, Em. You know that. You’re practically a daughter to her.”
Peter reached over, snagging her duffle bag and effortlessly hauling it up and over a shoulder as he reached for the door.
MJ hummed in acknowledgment, her attention distracted by Peter’s arms as she watched the casual display of strength. Using her newfound freedom to lift the suitcase, she continued to drag it through the halls up to May’s apartment.
“You don’t wanna spend New Years just with her?” MJ asked, again feeling like she was intruding on time with his aunt, something MJ knew Peter valued more than he’d admit.
“The more the merrier. Seriously.” He reassured her as they finally made it to their door. Peter was fishing around for his keys when the door swung open, revealing a beaming May who immediately wrapped Peter up in a tight hug before spinning around crushing MJ in a tight embrace of her own. “MJ!”
“Ms. Par-“
“May.” The aunt corrected, without hesitation, practically shoving both of them inside.
“Thank you for letting me stay here, May.”
“No, thank YOU for staying, dear. I love having you around, you know that.” She said, before heading over to the kitchen and continuing to stir something on the stove.
“That smells delicious.” Peter offered, moving over and peeking over shoulder. He recoiled a moment later, holding his nose and wiping off the gravy from the spoon where May booped him with it.
“Entertain your guest, dear. I’ll take care of dinner. No weird recipes, promise.”
Peter laughed, wiping his nose clean before going back to MJ who had been hovering in front of the door a bit awkward.
“Come on, we can throw your sh- stuff in the guest room.” He offered, grabbing her dufflebag again and leading her in.
Walking right past Peter’s room, she saw the guest room turned up immaculately. Peter dropped her duffle on the bed, before plopping back on the sheets. MJ gently put her suitcase against the end of the bed, before laying down next to him as they both stared up at the ceiling. They were quiet for a moment, both just soaking in the moment and the proximity. They hadn’t seen each other much since before Christmas, where MJ had spent it with her family. For as much as they normally spent together, the distance had been odd. Even if they both pretended it hadn’t bothered them, they both knew better.
Their arms were flat on the bed next to each other, their pinkies barely brushing either. A small part of Peter’s brain was yelling at him to just do it. Just move his hand an inch and take her hand. He knew, he knew she would return the feeling. But it scared him.
“This feels like a sleepover.” He said instead, and MJ burst out into laughter, caught off guard.
Her eyes pinched as she curled up laughing, something about the innocent comment catching her off guard and melting away the anxiety and stress about staying over at his aunt’s place for New years and a couple days after while they waited for the local dorms to open up again.
MJ’s laugh set him off, and soon they were both on the bed, giggling about nothing as all the stress they had just melted out between them. Eventually they both settled down, abs sore from joy as MJ reached out, stretching out her arms, truly relaxing for the first time since stepping in the apartment.
“I missed you, Peter.” She confessed.
“I missed you too Em. I’m glad you’re here.”
She rolled her head to look at him. “You sure you didn’t plan this?” She teased.
“You got me. I suited up, snuck over to the school and set off a bug infestation, just for the chance to stay with me for a couple days while they clean everything up.” Peter offered, rolling his eyes.
MJ laughed and leaned over, punching his arm. “You would.”
Peter shrugged, glancing at her. “I didn’t. But if it meant more time with you? Yeah, I would.” He confessed quietly. They stared at each other for a moment, his words settling between them.
MJ could feel her heart pounding in her chest, and she recalled all the times they had been here before. Faces inches away from each other, full of adrenaline, daring both him and herself to make the next move.
Then doubt crept in. The fear of connecting herself to someone else, so openly and intimately. Of someone who lives in an even more dangerous world than she’s used to. The fear of Peter opening himself to her, and revealing stuff she might not wish to know.
She hesitated a brief moment, and she saw recognition pass through Peter’s eyes. He pulled away, rolling back to look up at the ceiling again. He didn’t say anything, pretending yet again like they weren’t on the verge of something more, though she noticed his fist clench a little tighter on his stomach. She almost wanted to push through her doubts, but she knew Peter wouldn’t let her. He was too observant of her at times, knew her too well.
They stared like that for a few moments, before May called them for dinner. Standing up, Peter offered her a hand and a shy smile.
Rolling her eyes with a laugh, MJ took it and let him pull her to her feet, with far less effort than it should take someone. Not letting her thoughts linger on that, and trailing down that path just before they eat dinner with his aunt, they left the room together.
“Are you settled in? Will that room be okay for you?” May asked, setting the spread of food out on the table.
“It’s lovely, thank you again May.”
May brushed off her thanks while she went to get another plate, before Peter jumped in and started to move dishes for her. MJ stood up and moved over to the kitchen, hoping to help but not exactly sure where to jump in.
Once again, how well Peter knew her came in handy.
“Can you get glasses, Em? In the cabinet over the dishwasher.”
“She can just wait at the table.” May tried, but MJ just flashed Peter a grateful smile and moved over, getting glasses out for them.
Before long together they had everything set up. They settled in and started to dish themselves up.
“This smells amazing May.”
“Nothing burned either.” Peter teased his aunt, causing her to swat his arm, but she still smiled.
“Hush. I stuck to the plain old boring recipes for tonight, since we have an important guest. I’m a great chef.” She huffed.
Leaning over, and speaking in a loud whisper Peter dramatically spoke. “She means edible recipes.”
MJ laughed, doubling over when May swatted Peter again. As she regained her composure she missed the dreamy look Peter was giving her, and the knowing smile May was giving Peter.
May continued to give Peter a playful glare until he raised his hands.
“May is an amazing chef. She just has a questionable taste in recipes. Some of them even she can’t save.”
MJ just nodded, deciding to keep her mouth shut about the fact she had heard horror stories from Peter before about some of her more questionable culinary experiments.
May seemed satisfied and gestured for them to start eating. They dug in and soon all the conversation gave way to voracious eating. The year was ending soon, and they were certainly going to end it on good food.
Eventually though, even Peter’s appetite started to give way as they all settled down, picking at their plates and chatting.
“Are your parents doing well?” May asked, sipping from her wine she had used MJ as an excuse to pop open, even if MJ had only indulged in one glass herself so far.
Nodding, MJ shifted in her chair.
“They’re doing well. We had a nice Christmas, even Gayle came back from college to join us. It was nice, but their flight was leaving yesterday so I had to get out of their hair and into yours.”
May scoffed. “More of you for us. I’m not going to complain, and Peter certainly won’t.”
“May!” Peter squeaked. He grabbed the bottle of wine and slid it a little farther from her. “Maybe you’ve had enough.”
May just snickered and flashed MJ a wink, and MJ could tell May wasn’t as far gone as Peter might have thought.
“He was talking about how excited he was that you were going to be staying here.”
“OKAY!” Peter declared loudly, starting to gather the empty plates and move them into the kitchen, clanking the plates loudly enough MJ worried they would chip. “I’ll do the dishes.” He announced, continuing to gather and wash the things loudly.
May just cackled from the table, her mission having gone to plan.
Taking pity on Peter, MJ gathered up her plate and a few others and moved them over for Peter to wash. Even from behind she could tell his neck was as red as his suit usually was. May was packing up the leftovers while MJ dutifully took the rinsed dishes to put them in the washer.
They quickly fell into a groove, and MJ tried not to dwell on how comfortable she felt in the family already. May had that effect on people, making them feel welcome and loved when they stepped through the door as a guest.
Before long the chores were out of the way and together with Peter, Michelle had facetimed their friend group on her tablet. Most of them were scattered across the city, or in some cases, the world. But they were able to check in, wish each other good cheer and see each other once more before they rang in the new year.
MJ hadn’t realized before they started though that her and Peter being in the same place on New Years would start a wave of gossip that had questions for them by the time they started calling the last people on their list, they were opening up the calls with questions on if they were dating.
Deciding that had arguably been a mistake, and ignoring May’s peals of laughter as more and more people answered their calls with excitement, they decided to change things up as they waited for the last bit of time to pass before the ball dropped. They settled around the table to play cards, and MJ quickly learned that was a mistake.
Thankfully they weren’t playing for money, but Peter and May were both ruthless. May in particular, it seemed, was vicious with cards, and Peter had learned to keep up with her as a matter of survival. MJ’s own competitive side didn’t like to lose though, and the time flew as they continued on. They had nearly missed the actual event they were staying up for.
A couple minutes before midnight one of them had caught the clock, and while May set it up on the table and dimmed the lights and lit candles, Peter was pouring them all glasses from their cheap bottle of champagne.
The news was on, the hosts getting increasingly drunk as the hype started to build up.
MJ knew it was just an arbitrary tick over in time. An agreed upon start of a set length of time, that nothing would be different the minute before and minute after, but she couldn’t help the bubbling level of excitement she felt. Also the tradition that kept playing in her head.
Based on the nervous glance Peter was giving her, it seemed like he was remembering the same tradition. Shaking her head slightly, she knew it was just a silly tradition. They didn’t need to pay it any mind.
The clock continued to tick on, and the moment in the bedroom earlier played in her head. How close they had come, and how often they came that close. She wasn’t someone that believed in New Year's Resolutions. Wanting to change yourself was good, and setting goals was healthy, but she knew framing them around an event wasn’t the best way to make a sustainable change.
But…
Maybe there was something to say about using it as a spark of motivation. A chance to do something crazy going into the new year. The romantic in her heart loved the idea of being swept up in the moment. Of taking the leap she wanted to take. Tired of stopping herself.
One minute was left. Peter had slid up to her side, and she was faintly aware of May stepping back, giving them space.
In the dimly lit apartment, lit only by flickering candles and their TV, she watched Peter fidget more than he had the rest of the night.
Thirty seconds left.
MJ wanted to down her champagne to just hopefully not think about it, but she was saving it for midnight. That tradition was fine. Peter was holding his too, and she was a little impressed he had enough self control to avoid breaking the glass despite how much he was fidgeting.
10 seconds.
Everyone was counting down on the TV and MJ’s heart was pounding in her chest. It was just a silly moment. There was no reason for this.
Nine.
She glanced over at Peter, who was staring at the TV still, but took a nervous swallow.
Eight.
It was fine, just a new year, and a fun week of staying with Peter. Friends like they had been since high school.
Seven.
Just friends. Nothing more. Could she really live like that again for another year? Could both of them? Did she even want to?
Six.
MJ set down her drink on the table, a burst of courage and adrenaline starting to run through her.
Five.
Peter glanced over at her, eyes flicking down to the drink then back up to her and she could see the gears in his head turning.
Four.
Peter set down his drink too. They both stepped a little closer to each other. They were searching each other's eyes for something. Permission. Confirmation. Support. She wasn’t sure which, but she was finding everything.
Three.
MJ slowly reached over and took his hand. She was terrified he’d pull away. Recoil, or give them the usual space he did whenever she was nervous.
Two.
She wanted to throw up. She was pretty sure she was going to throw up. She was going to ring in the new year by ruining the moment and making her crush hate her.
One.
Her pulse was pounding, but she leaned in closer. So did Peter. Her brain came to a screeching halt and exploded somewhere off to the side.
His lips were soft. The kiss was gentle. Nervous but excited at the same time. It only lasted for a brief moment before they pulled back, both wide-eyed at their own actions, but neither second guessing themselves.
They heard an approving squeak and a soft “Happy New Years” from May, before a few footsteps and a door closing to give them some privacy.
They closed the distance again as they kissed each other. More passion, less nerves. Like they had years to make up for. And maybe they did. It felt right, and if MJ wasn’t riding the high of the moment, she’d be kicking herself for denying herself this for so long. For denying both of them this.
She wasn’t quite sure when they went from standing to sitting on the couch, but when they finally pulled apart, resting their foreheads against each other she was all giggles as all the pent up emotions were escaping her and being replaced by euphoria. Maybe there was something to these traditions after all.
“Happy New Years, Em.” Peter said, looking equally dazed and excited from the moment. He ran a hand through his hair now that MJ had untangled hers from it and offered her her favorite lopsided grin from him.
“Happy New Years, Peter.” MJ offered, before leaning forward to give him another peck.
They paused, separating for a moment before standing up.
“Happy New Years, May!” Peter called, letting her know it was safe to come out.
May emerged, bright smile on her face. She was grinning between both of them, clearly thrilled with what had happened.
“This year is already starting off great.” She gushed, looking between them happily, before reaching over and pulling them both into a tight hug.
“Happy New Years, you two” They returned the hug, glancing at each other over her shoulders with wide grins and heavy blushes.
They all toasted with champagne as they cheered in the new years with a little more conversation, before they turned in for the night.
——
Waking up to the lights filtering through the window, MJ groaned. Stretching out, she ignored the faintest hangover, and moved to sit up until she felt something around her waist. Glancing down she saw Peter’s arm draped over her, and her the soft occasional snore from behind her. She froze, realizing this wasn’t one of her dreams. Last night had been real and they were finally together. She bit her lip to keep from flailing in excitement and waking him up.
His arm shifted, pulling her tighter against him and a content sigh escaped her. Following his lead, she snuggled back against him and relished in his warmth. This year was already starting off better than the last one, and she had a feeling they weren’t going to need that spare bedroom after all.