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Compared to the cramped conditions inside a place like the Daily Bugle, there was absolutely nothing in the world that could hold a candle to the freedom that web-swinging had come to offer someone like Peter Parker. An entire life he had spent confined to the ground, stuck shuffling around like any mortal man would otherwise be resigned to, and all due to not knowing what was possible. But in the span of a few months his entire life had been changed, and in a way so drastic that it felt like he could separate it into two different parts; before and after.
Against the freedom that his powers had given him, it wasn’t even a competition which part had come out on top.
The only thing that didn’t leave him feeling like the world was his oyster was the way that he had felt forced to keep it all hidden from those closest to him. Even May finding out had purely been an accident, or, in his daughter’s mind, the right place at the right time. That kind of knowledge came with risk. Having these powers and going out to be a superhero was one thing, but letting people know about them was another entirely. Knowledge, as he’d heard preached to him so many times throughout his life, was a kind of power that could always bring danger along with it.
But everything that Harry had talked to him about had stuck in his mind since that fateful dinner date, and refused to leave him alone. Every choice that he himself had made, Harry Osborn seemed to have done exactly the opposite. In a way, they had paralleled one another, all without knowing who the other had been underneath the mask. The irony would have been amusing if the stakes they were contending with hadn’t been so high. All it would take to fall over the edge would be one misstep. One mistake could bring the tower crumbling down in a way that would leave the both of them dead, if not everyone around them.
With those kinds of possibilities hanging over his head, Peter had done his best to shield the ones he loved the best he could. It was all he could think to do. Letting them in could expose them to the very dangers that he was trying to help put an end to in the world. And if they got hurt in the process…
He didn’t want to entertain those thoughts whatsoever.
But was there something to what Harry had told him? Maybe keeping Mary Jane, Richard, and Ben all in the dark was only going to make it even harder to protect them in the long run. May had been handling it well enough, from what he could see, even if it was clear that they were burning through ice-cream at an alarming rate. And she’d only discovered the truth by accident. Maybe…
Maybe it was time to come clean to his wife. About all of this.
Throughout the time that he had known her, there had never been anything that had confronted his wife that she hadn’t left trembling in her wake when things were said and done. Surely if there was anyone in this world who could handle the knowledge and stress of his newfound alter ego, it would be Mary Jane Watson-Parker. She’d trusted him all this time to do all of this, even without knowing the full truth of what he was doing. His wife was smart, but could she have ever imagined it would be something like this that had been missing from his life?
Even his imagination, or May’s for that matter as well, weren’t that crazy to come up with something like what he’d found himself doing.
Another line of webbing brought him gliding between two buildings, his reflection following him side-by-side as he swung by the perfectly mirrored glass. Looking back on that night when he’d let the spider bite him, he still wondered just how much his wife might have known about the decision that had been on his hands before and after their conversation on the couch. Whatever possibilities for what he’d meant by needing a ‘change in his life’ that she could have come up with, he didn’t want to bet that ‘becoming a superhero’ had been the answer she’d settled on as being the right one.
He wasn’t even sure if he’d believe it if it hadn’t been happening to him.
Landing on the roof of their apartment building, Peter gave it a quick scan, just to make sure that it was as deserted as it should have been. Even with his mind already made up of what he was going to do once he was back in the safety of their apartment, he wasn’t about to let his guard down completely. The more press that Spider-Man got, the more he couldn’t quite shake the feeling that there was always someone watching him. Even when he couldn’t see them. And with the kind of attention and enemies both he and Harry had already made, that was a possibility that he wasn’t about to completely rule out.
Slipping in through the skylight in the bathroom, his mask quickly shifting away thanks to the suit, he gave the room another quick once-over. He’d been sure to drop down as quietly as he could. A paused breath had him listening to see if anyone else was home and might have heard his arrival. Within seconds, he had his answer.
“That you, honey?” Sure enough, Mary Jane’s voice reached his ears through the door. For a moment, his heart raced a bit quicker inside his chest. He’d been hoping that he’d have a little bit of time to prepare himself for this. Maybe even come up with exactly what he was going to say to her. With Richard and May both spending the day with Ben, he at least wouldn’t have to rehearse two different conversations. Not at the moment, that was.
A knock on the door served to remind him that he didn’t even have time to rehearse even one.
“Yeah, it’s me!” he quickly called back, looking around the room in search of any kind of normal clothing to throw over the costume. Just his luck, the hamper in the corner of the room was empty now. Of all the times for the Parker Luck to strike, why did it have to be now?! In any other scenario, he would have simply allowed the suit to retract, leaving him naked. But all things considered, he was running purely on instinct, and his instincts were, at the moment at least, not good.
“I didn’t hear you come in. Everything OK in there?” For a moment, it sounded like she was only mere seconds from coming in. They’d taken the lock off the door after the ‘incident’ where May locked herself in for an hour or two and refused to come out. Right now, he was wishing they’d chosen to revisit putting them back on. At least then, it would have been all he’d needed to ensure she wouldn’t walk right in on him like this.
“I just got here! Just needed to duck in for a second!” Scrambling for an excuse, he carefully leaned his foot against the door, making sure that it wouldn’t open.
“Well, when you’re done in there, there’s something I wanna talk to you about.” Thankfully, the sound of the doorknob rattling didn’t accompany her words. He could breathe a bit easier over that, at the very least.
“Sounds great! I’ll be out in just a few.” He responded, hoping that his tone hadn’t managed to raise any suspicions within his wife. Giving her a few moments to seal the deal, Peter cracked the door just a bit, after the sound of MJ’s footsteps had faded. Spotting a blanket, he rushed for it, wrapping it around himself to hide his costume, at least somewhat. All Mary Jane would have to do was look down at his feet and see that red and blue design that had been on more than a few covers of the Bugle so far. But he was going to have to bet on being able to keep her attention on his face. Or really anywhere but his feet.
He'd managed crazier things before. After all, he did manage to marry her.
“Mary Jane?” Searching the room, ears alert for any sound, he heard a few footsteps on the floor in their bedroom, although the sight of her didn’t grace his vision just yet.
“Just a second. Working on something,” she called back to him. “Don’t come in.”
“Is this surprise for me?” Smiling as he took a step or two towards the room, he kept his distance, more than happy to obey her request. It certainly gave him just a little bit longer to think about how he was going to break the news to her that he was Spider-Man. Was the direct way the best option? Or should he try to lead up to it? Softening the news might be a good idea, or it might make it obvious that he was stretching out just telling her.
“That would be telling.” He recognized the tone in her voice all too well, given how many times he’d heard her wield it against him. Especially when they’d been the only two in the apartment, like they were now.
“Alright then, keep your secrets,” he teased back, running a hand through his hair nervously. “So, what’s on your mind?”
“Well, I was just thinking about something earlier. Remember that talk we had a while back about you needing a change?” If her earlier words hadn’t grabbed his attention, she certainly held all of it now. Eyes widening, he could feel his heartbeat picking up just a bit more.
“Yeah? What about it?” Something that big couldn’t be coincidence. It just couldn’t be. Had she actually worked it all out? His wife was a genius, considering her line of work. And if she’d already figured it out before he’d decided to tell her? He was just hoping it wouldn’t result in fireworks.
And not the good ones either.
“The more I thought about it, the more I remembered how that husband o’mine sure has been working out a lot lately. Something I definitely appreciate, by the way. And he definitely found this honey hole for taking photos of that Spider guy in the papers.” The more he listened to her, the quicker Peter’s heart continued to pound. Did she think that he was somehow working with the world’s newest costumed figure? In that, she’d be close, but not completely on the money either.
He had to make his move now.
“Funny you should mention that, cause that’s kind of what I wanted to talk to you about, MJ,” he countered, forcing himself to take a deep breath.
“Oh yeah? What’s that saying about ‘great minds thinking alike’?” she teased again, this time accompanied by a warm sounding chuckle. “Well, tell me about it.”
This was it; the moment of truth was at hand. If her bringing up the conversation they’d had that night hadn’t been a sign of that, he didn’t know what else could be. Sucking in a deep breath, he couldn’t decide if what he was about to admit would be easier said if he was looking at her, or if it would only make things harder.
“That’s just it, MJ. I did make that change, and honestly? It’s been really good for me. I definitely believe that. And I think a few others do too,” he started, trying to ignore the continued beating of his heart against his chest. “It feels like this piece of me that was missing just… isn’t missing anymore. I feel like I’m whole.”
“Sounds like all that weight lifting has been good for you then.” That one made him chuckle.
“It’s been a little more than just lifting weights. A lot more.” A beat or two passed in between the two of them speaking, neither husband nor wife’s words filling the space between them. It was a kind of silence that reminded him that he was, effectively, only delaying the inevitable turn the conversation had to take.
Another beat, and he knew it was time.
“That Spider guy I’ve been taking photos of? Maybe you’ve wondered how I’ve been so lucky to get all of them. Well…” A breath escaped him, blood rushing through his veins faster and faster. “There’s no easy way to say this, MJ, so I’m just going to say it. That Spider guy? I’ve been able to get all those photos because… well… I am him.”
The seconds that followed might as well have been a tortured eternity as he waited to hear his wife’s response. It couldn’t come fast enough for him, and he rushed to fill the void between them with his own words, hoping that doing so would be enough to potentially augment any of the emotions that had to be already building inside Mary Jane.
“I’m Spider-Man, Mary Jane.” Reiterating it came easier than speaking it the first time. Somehow, it made it all feel more real. The secret was out, and there was no putting that genie back in the bottle. All that remained now was waiting to see what reaction that revelation would garner from the most important person in his life.
In that regard, the silence that hung in the air around them made the wait even worse. And in its wake, more words sprang to his lips with haste.
“I wanted to tell you before this. But telling you would have put you at risk, put May and Richard in danger. But the more I watch how Harry has been doing all of this, the more I think I knew what I couldn’t protect all of you by not saying anything.” The words flowed out of him faster than he could think of them. Turning away from how he’d been facing the doorway to their bedroom, Peter was aware that he was moving, but felt almost like his body had turned itself on autopilot as he spoke.
God, why hasn’t she said anything yet? Was she shocked? Angry enough that she hadn’t even begun to process it all yet? Hurt that he’d kept all of this a secret from her for months now?
All of them seemed like possibilities, and he wasn’t sure which one was making him more nervous still.
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you earlier, baby.” Forcing himself to bite down on his tongue, lest he keep talking, Peter felt her footsteps on the floor before he heard her come to a stop in the doorway behind him. “If you’re angry at me, I totally get it.”
“Can I say something?” The sound of Mary Jane’s voice broke the stream of words that had continued to pile up on his lips. Slowly turning around, unsure of what he’d find, Peter’s heart skipped a few beats at the sight that greeted him.
Standing in the doorway, Mary Jane had a wide smile firmly perched atop her lips, one that certainly played right along with the playful way her face looked to him. But compared to what she was wearing? Both of those things were merely vying for second place, and nothing more.
It wasn’t the white color of the shirt that drew his attention, nor the way that it hugged her curves in all the right ways. But rather, it was the huge red heart emblazoned across the front of it that held his attention completely. Not just any heart, but one that bore an unmistakable resemblance to his mask. The eye pieces and web pattern made sure that he would draw the connection instantly. Becoming all even more aware of how his jaw had practically dropped to the floor, Peter heard her clear her throat, drawing his gaze back to Mary Jane’s face.
All at once, that smile of hers took on a new meaning altogether. And from the sight of it, he felt a smile of his own firmly fall into place.
“What took you so long, Tiger?” Her tone accentuating the amused look on her face, Mary Jane kept her hands perched on her hips, arching a brow amusingly towards her husband. She watched him turn to face her, the blanket he’d wrapped himself as, admittedly poor, camouflage falling to the ground as he stood there completely stunned by her. It wasn’t the first time she’d left him speechless, but it was a feeling that would never fail to make her feel like the most beautiful person on the face of the Earth.
“I… you knew? The whole time?” he asked, his brain in the middle of short-circuiting over the revelation his wife had dropped on him.
“Not right away, but you kinda left me enough clues to start piecing it together,” she shrugged. Only now realizing that the blanket hiding his costume had dropped to the floor, Peter glanced down at the sight of his red and blue attire and then back to the emblem on his wife’s shirt. It had been a toss-up what the papers throughout New York had been printing about it. More than a few seemed to think that not only were his efforts pointless, but that they were done with a sinister intention in mind. If finding out that there were already people in the city gunning for his head hadn’t been a reminder of the difficult task ahead of him, knowing that some of the very people he was trying to help looked at him as no better than someone like Fisk?
That surely was one of the most potent gut-checks he’d ever received.
But considering the way Mary Jane was looking at him now, the last thing in the world that he would have trouble ignoring would be whatever something like the Bugle printed about him.
“Why… why didn’t you say anything?”
“Because I told you; I trusted you to make your choices, and I’d stand by you every step of the way. I figured when you were ready, you’d tell me.” Coming closer, her bare feet leaving silent steps in the wake, Mary Jane never once let herself look away from her husband, right up to the moment she came to a stop directly in front of him. Her hands carefully sought out his, entwining their fingers as she gazed up into his eyes.
“And you did. So here I am, more than ready to stand right by you.” God, seeing him up close in that costume was doing things to her. The way her heartbeat had increased in her chest was proof positive of that, certainly. She’d thought the figure in the photos on the Bugle’s front-page had been delectable, even before she’d put one and one together that it had actually been Peter she’d been admiring as if she had a school-girl like crush. But to be able to put her hands on him now, to look up and see that familiar smiling, bearded face looking back at her, all encased in a red and blue costume?
It gave an entirely new meaning to what she’d told him that night coming home from the restaurant.
“You’re sure you want that?” he asked, the thoughts in the back of his mind needing that confirmation once again that all of this was not only OK, but that he had her blessing for it. “This is… this is a lot . I know it is. But the world needs me to do this. Everything I’ve seen has told me that. But it doesn’t mean anything if you don’t want me to do this.”
This wasn’t just a fight for himself; every day and night he went out in costume, swinging high above the streets of the city, he was fighting for so many others. Not just people he’d never met, but for people like his family. Holding Mary Jane close to him now was all the reminder of that that he would ever need.
Still gazing deeply back into his eyes, Mary Jane continued to smile as she gave a small nod. Leaning onto her tip-toes, she quickly pressed her lips to his, trusting it would do just as well to seal the deal as much as her words had already done. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she leaned in close, resting her forehead against his.
“I told you, Peter. What do I need heroes for when I have you? As far as I’m concerned, you’re all the hero I’ll ever need. ”
Wrapping his arms around her in return, Peter’s smile couldn’t be wider. But somehow, he was sure that Mary Jane, wearing his likeness on her shirt, would find a way to make that happen.