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“ WOOOOOOOOOOOO! ”
The sound of an excited squeal echoed through the night sky as two figures swung through the space between towering buildings. As long as she could remember, Mary Jane Watson had never been able to put the right descriptor to what it felt like. Even thinking back to the first time she’d been snared up in Peter Parker’s webs, all the way back at the World Unity Festival, she hadn’t been able to settle on just one. Instead, it had been a night where she had tried seemingly every possible one, and then some. By the time they had met next, she’d had one decided upon for him; ‘ amazing ’.
But the free-falling feeling that had always been present when she’d found herself in his arms or with her own wrapped around his neck? Maybe there was no appropriate word that could completely capture the feeling. She certainly wouldn’t ever stop trying, however.
“Easy there! Pretty sure they heard you over in New Jersey with that one,” he playfully chided her as he quickly shot another line of webbing out towards the closest building. Swinging the two of them around that very structure, he did his best not to make too many abrupt movements. If he’d been by himself, it would have made for a slightly faster trip, and probably a more camera worthy one at that. Easily one that would've been more than enough for a few photos that Jonah would haggle with him over the price for. But with Mary Jane there? He wasn’t about to send the two of them diving headlong towards the steady flow of traffic underneath them.
Though she certainly had shown off a wild streak of her own, a time or two, so maybe she would have enjoyed it just as much as he often did time and time again.
“Get me even higher, and I can make it even louder! ” she called back to him with a giggle, her fingers doubling their hold on his costume as they soared through the air. Hearing the soft sound of her giggle was more than enough to inspire laughter of his own.
“And ruin that beautiful singing voice of yours? Wouldn’t dream of it!”
Bringing the two of them down a little more to street level, Peter hoped that MJ hadn’t been able to venture a guess at where they were going. He’d considered possibly having her wear a blindfold during the trip, but considering how cameras seemed to be everywhere these days, the last thing he’d wanted was to have someone possibly giving ol’ JJJ any more ammunition than what he already had saved up. Even if it was true that it seemed more newspapers across the city were starting to print more positive things about him as of late, he felt it was best not to tempt fate.
“First time I’ve ever heard you complain about me being too loud… ”
He caught the teasing tone in her voice just as easily as he caught the next line of webbing. It was a moment where he was completely grateful for the mask, otherwise any of those stray photographers might have caught sight of his face turning just as red as his suit. Or her hair, for that matter.
He hoped by the end of the night, however, he wouldn’t be the only one. Not with what he had planned.
Compared to the night he’d first attempted to propose to her, this night just felt… different. He couldn’t explain it, but it was as if a voice in the back of his head was telling him over and over again that everything would work out fine. In the wake of all that had happened with Harry and the alien costume, their relationship had never been stronger. All the challenges they’d weathered had calmed, and even with all the doubts that could still rise up in the back of his mind, he knew he was ready to put her before anything else in his life. Even before Spider-Man. He’d already started from the moment he’d walked into that jazz club, and held her in his arms.
He was ready . More than he had ever been before. Tonight, he was going to ask Mary Jane to marry him. If necessary, he would take on the entire world to do just that.
“Hang on tight, bringing us in for a landing.” Scarcely had the words left his lips did he begin to descend the two of them down towards one rooftop in particular. Instantly, her fingers tightened their hold on him even further, her legs likewise wrapping around his waist for a bit of added security. As his feet touched down on the roof, Peter almost felt a pang of disappointment as she carefully got back onto her own two feet. He could have easily carried her everywhere with absolutely no complaint, if need be.
“Wait… Isn’t this the school?” Even the momentary glimpse she’d gotten of the rooftop had been enough for her to recognize it right away. Looking at him curiously, Mary Jane had been harboring an idea or two when it came to where he’d been whisking her away to, but seeing where they’d landed now, all of those ideas had completely gone out the window. “Did you forget some papers?”
“Yeah, it is the school…” Nodding, he pulled up his mask to expose one of those goofy grins that she adored so much. “It’s a surprise, you’ll see. Trust me.”
“What exactly are you planning, Pete?” she asked, playfully poking his chest with one finger as she returned his smile with one of her own.
“You’ll see! I promise, you’ll love it.” Still smiling, he leaned in to peck her cheek. Hearing that promise from him put any anxieties, however small, to rest within her. Whatever he had in mind, it would be good. MJ was sure of that.
“I trust you,” she answered, nodding just a tiny bit. In a moment’s time, she made a quick face, acting as though she were contemplating some great decision that had the utmost importance hinging upon it. “If you must insist.”
She offered her hand as she spoke, and as he reached out to take it, Peter carefully led her over to the large skylight that crowned the auditorium. Curiosity bit at the inside of her, the feeling continuing to build up inside her as he pulled one of the windows up high enough they would be able to both slip inside. He let go of her hand as he wrapped an arm around her, carefully easing the both of them down into the darkened room on a webline with ease.
A slew of backup lights were all that illuminated more than enough of the room to let them both see what they were doing. At one end of the room lay a stage, one that Mary Jane had been all too familiar with at one point in her life. In some ways, that point seemed like it had been an entire lifetime ago. They had both certainly come a long ways from then to now.
“Alright, I give up… What’s going on?” The question carefully passed her lips as she looked around the room, absorbing every single detail for the parts her memory had omitted.
“Nothing, I guess I’m just… feeling a bit nostalgic, that’s all,” he shrugged, almost painfully aware that he was hardly as good at acting as she was.
“ Just nostalgic? Nothing else?” Mary Jane teased. The room was littered with chairs, clearly in preparation for an upcoming performance. Just looking at it had her feeling a rush of her own nostalgia as a few choice memories rose to the forefront of her mind’s eye. If there had ever been a place she’d felt at home with, it had been here. Especially when the alternatives had been underneath the same roof as Philip Watson and his temper.
Up on that very stage, she’d been able to forget everything and just become someone else altogether. At the time, it had been the most freeing feeling she’d ever been able to experience. And even now, she’d been able to feel that exact sensation every time she had performed. The biggest difference now was that she had one face in particular to focus on. Acting was something she had always loved, but being able to pour out her heart and soul into a performance to the love of her life sitting in the front row? That made those feelings a thousand times more potent.
Whether it was on stage in front of a few hundred people, or singing to a crowd of no more than twenty who were hardly paying attention, one thing remained constant; if Peter was there, she knew exactly who she was pouring her heart out to.
“God, it feels like it’s been forever since I’ve been in here,” she mused, moving along the floor as she let the sights continue to fill her eyes. In a way, it felt like there were somehow ghosts in the room, watching the two of them with every step they took.
“It’s a little different when you work here, but I know what you mean,” Peter chuckled as he pulled off his mask and moved just a step behind her. He had his own memories of high school, and while there were a great many that were hardly good ones, there were still a few that would forever stand out to him. Not the least of which was being in this very room to watch the woman of his dreams perform. There had scarcely been a performance of hers that he had missed willingly, especially once Aunt May and Uncle Ben had found out about her role in them. Considering the way MJ’s home life had been, both of his parental figures had been all too easily convinced that she’d needed someone there to support her.
In a way, he’d been doing that ever since. No matter how many missteps he’d made, he was, at heart, still that same child who had watched her and cried as she played the part of Cinderella…
“This used to be my favorite place in the whole world…” Gaze still focused on the empty stage, Mary Jane’s mind buzzed with a thousand different memories. If she closed her eyes, she was convinced she could open them back up to find herself transported back in time. Things had been so different and yet in so many other ways, things hadn’t changed at all. The most important change in her life, as it had turned out, had been right in front of her the whole time.
They’d both just needed to recognize it.
“Give me a flashback performance, Miss Watson?”
His request caught her attention almost immediately. Turning her head to look back at him, MJ just as quickly found herself smiling in return.
“Not sick of hearing me practicing lines yet?” The playfulness in her voice easily summoned another grin from him. No matter how many times he watched her act; even if it was just practicing lines in the living room of their apartment, he couldn’t envision a moment where he would grow tired of it. Seeing the career comeback that she had mounted with a vengeance had been one of the most inspiring things he’d ever seen. Having a front row seat for all of that had been the proverbial icing on the cake.
“That’s impossible, and you know it,” he laughed while gesturing towards the beckoning stage. “Pretty please?”
“How could I deny such a request from an adoring fan?” Continuing to put on an exaggerated but playful front, she nevertheless led the way to the stage, knowing he would be in tow right behind her. Sure enough, as they both reached the edge of it, she felt his hands on her hips, carefully lifting her up onto the wooden surface. If just looking at it had been all it took to inspire a second rush of nostalgia within her, then being up on that stage ensured it would overtake her completely. Waiting until he was sure she was safely back on her own two feet, Peter stepped back, captivated by the familiar sight in front of him.
“Anything in particular you want to hear, Tiger?” Getting reacclimated to the stage, Mary Jane already could recite more than a few scenes from the latest production she’d been involved in. But with this being purely on his request, it wasn’t a secret that he probably had something particular in mind. “Maybe… The Importance of Being Earnest ?”
“I, uh… Actually, I was thinking about…” There was a hint of nervousness to his voice, matched by the way he ran a gloved hand through his hair. Even in the low light of the room, she could see the smallest hint of color in his face.
“C’mon, Pete, don’t leave me hanging here,” she gently coaxed, smoothing a wrinkle or two out of her jeans in the process. Gathering up the right words, Peter drew in a short breath.
“Could you do… one of the scenes from Cinderella ?” he finally pushed out, with a nervous chuckle following thereafter. “If you remember anything from it, I mean.”
“... The one from first grade?” Of everything he could have said, that wasn’t a role she’d been expecting to hear him request. Heck, any more recent role wouldn’t have made her bat an eye, but to know that the one he was requesting from her was one from when they’d barely been tall enough to open a door on their own? If she had to describe it, there was only one thing that suited it perfectly.
It was definitely a ‘Peter Parker’ request. Of that, she was more than confident.
“Yeah… You know, you made me cry like a baby during that…” Of course, he had told her that before, but it felt like it bore repeating. Sure enough, she found herself positively beaming at the request. It had been a few decades since she’d played the part, but she was more than willing to give it a shot.
“And you know that it’s been a long time since I did this, right?” she giggled in response. Gathering her thoughts, she closed her eyes, trying to remember any of the dialogue she’d once pored over to try and memorize. Getting the role had been, at the time, one of her proudest achievements. Even if her parents had never seen her perform it. To them, arguing in the parking lot had apparently been a better use of their time. But, now that she looked back on it all, seeing Peter in the audience with his aunt and uncle had made things better.
Her memory landed on a few scattered lines as she stepped back into the center of the stage. Taking a deep breath, she opened her eyes, launching herself into the role with passionate abandon, even despite how long it had been.
“But how could I go to the ball? Look at me! I’m a mess ! My clothes are torn !” she exclaimed with an exaggerated bravado. Even without someone there to play the opposite part, she kept going, stepping over to another part of the stage and twirling herself around, her eyes closed as she did her best to simulate what it might have looked like to have her outfit change. Spinning a few times, unable to stop herself from laughing in the process, she lost herself for a moment or so, until finally she came to a stop. Arms extended outwards, her hands outheld so as to aid in the illusion that she was wearing the most elegant gown and tiara imaginable, she wore the widest possible grin on her face.
“This is so wonderful ! So beautif --” The lines left her lips with all the confidence that came to her so naturally while she was on stage. Opening her eyes, expression blooming under the spell that performing always put her under, Mary Jane felt the words freeze on the tip of her tongue as her eyes adjusted back to the dim lighting. Amongst all the chairs arranged on the floor was Peter. Only now instead of standing, he was kneeling, and even amidst the somber lighting she could see him holding something in one hand. Eyes narrowing as she tried to focus, she felt them go wide yet again as she realized just what it was he was holding.
All at once, everything about this evening made sense. And that sent even more surprise flooding through her.
“Pete…?” she asked, realizing she was still holding that same pose she’d taken during her impromptu performance. Looking up at her, she might as well have had a spotlight shining on her, in Peter’s eyes at least.
“Mary Jane Watson…” This had always been the part that he’d struggled with in his mind; actually figuring out what to say. He’d tried out so many different combinations against his own reflection in the mirror. In fact, he was sure he’d tried out every single sentence possible. Not a single one of them had fit exactly what he’d wanted to convey to her. How much she and her love had been a light in his life as long as he could remember, and that without it? He would be as lost as a ship in the middle of the ocean.
In the end, there had been only one way that he’d foreseen being the right one. And that had been doing exactly this; having her on stage, the sole thing in the world he could just stand back and marvel at.
Just like she always had been. As much as she had told him once that she had always been standing in his doorway; perhaps it was true that he had always been in the audience watching and rooting for her.
“... Will you marry me?”
In spite of all the difficulty that he’d thought asking that question would pose, saying those simple words in that moment had been the easiest thing in the world. Looking back at him from up on stage, Mary Jane could physically feel her heart skipping precious beats inside her chest. She knew at one point he had wanted to ask her that very question, before things had gotten so… complicated . Knowing that had made what Harry forced her to do to Peter on that bridge so long ago now break her heart even more. And even with all the time and effort that had separated that moment from where she and him were now, it still didn’t help to ease away the tiny pangs of guilt that shot forth from the back of her mind.
In spite of it all, Peter still wanted to marry her. No voices in her head, real or imaginary, could ever hope to compare to the burst of joy that came from knowing that Peter was right there in front of her, awaiting an answer. All she had to do was say one word.
It was the only word that she could even think about saying.
“ YES! ”
As quickly as she had frozen in place on stage, Mary Jane felt her entire being explode with energy. The hands that had been outstretched at her side flew to cover her mouth, eyes utterly wide as she stared back at Peter. Seeing a smile to match her own on his face gave all the necessary fuel to ensure the last thing she would do was stop. Still holding the ring in his hand, he started to rise back up onto his feet, eyes glued solely onto her, the answer she’d given still ringing in his ears.
He was grateful to have done so. No sooner had he returned to his full height did he see her rushing towards the edge of the stage, throwing herself towards him with reckless but loving abandon. His feet quickly brought him closer, catching her midair as the sound of her excited laughter filled his ears. From the second she was in his arms, her lips had no trouble finding their way to his, her entire being seeming to melt into his. It hardly mattered to her that her feet weren’t touching the ground, or that the ring she’d seen wasn’t on her finger just yet.
What did matter was making sure that he felt every single ounce of love she had for him, right here and now.
“Yes, yes, yes!” she quickly squeaked, still happily giggling as she felt him set her back down on the ground. Arms still wrapped around his neck, she swore she was never going to stop smiling. For the rest of her life, she’d be wearing this exact beaming smile whenever she looked at him. Smiling back just as happily, Peter pulled back just enough to reach between them and carefully take one of her hands into his own.
“May I?” There were hints of relief and excitement painted across his face, something she couldn’t have missed if she’d tried. Even as lost in her own as she was. Looking down, she nodded quickly. It wasn’t the biggest ring she’d ever seen; the one from John had obviously had a fair bit of NASA and Daily Bugle money behind it. But looking at the one that Peter held in his hands now, she could say with confidence that it was the most beautiful ring she’d ever seen. Knowing it had come from him made all the difference.
As he slipped it onto her finger, carefully and with all the precision in the world, Peter was only now noticing the way his heart was trying to escape from his chest. How could it not be? Against everything the world had thrown at them, things had worked out just right in the end.
Their story had been one of ups and downs, twists and turns, starts and stops. But now? From this moment forward, the both of them felt like their paths were no longer two separate ones, but rather, a single one they would share. Together . And as she spared a loving look at how the ring looked perched on her finger, Mary Jane had one thought in mind, quickly finding out it was one that Peter shared as well as she looked up into those familiar blue eyes.
What better way was there than to seal it with a kiss?
Not just any kiss would do, however. Even as he leaned in, intent on capturing her lips with his own, Mary Jane had her own idea on just how she wanted to put a bow on all the meaning with this night. Raising her hand between them, fingers pressing against his lips in a way that instantly caught his attention effortlessly, she held his gaze.
“I think maybe we need to celebrate this a certain way... After all, it's not every day that my superhero stalker gets to hear me saying 'yes' to marrying him,” she said, voice gentle despite the teasing hints in her words. Almost instantly, the playful nickname summoned the appropriate memory in his mind. It wasn’t raining in here by any means, thankfully, but he already knew just what it was that she wanted. And just as swiftly, he had his own idea on how to pull it off.
A few shots of webbing, one at her feet and a few others to secure her to the steel rafters above them, quickly allowed him to lift her into her place, at first to her surprise and curiosity, and then to the return of her light laughter. At eye level with him now, albeit upside down, like he had been that night in the alley, she could feel every ounce of heat burning in her face as she continued to smile back at him, just as much as she could also feel all the blood rushing to her head.
They would have to make this one quick. Otherwise, the headache was going to put a damper on all of this.
“I think this is the only way this could have ended, Mr. Parker,” she teased lightly, playfully sticking out her tongue at him. “This was our first kiss. Only fitting, right?”
“You took the words right out of my mouth, Ms. Watson.” As he lifted his hands to cup her cheeks, Peter slowly leaned his head back towards hers, torn between wanting to have the kiss in order to get her back on her feet, and wanting to just enjoy all of this. The importance of this kiss, their kiss, wasn’t lost on him in the slightest. But as their lips finally met, his eyes closing in the process, he lost himself fully in kissing the woman who had agreed to be his wife. The soft hum from Mary Jane that filled the space between their lips scored the entire scene better than any musical cue ever could.
In spite of everything they had been through, they had found a way to make things work. Things would never be easy; especially with the things that came hand-in-hand with one of them being Spider-Man. No matter what would come after this moment, what challenges would arise, they would find a way to face them.
And they would face them as husband and wife.
Pulling back from the kiss, Mary Jane graced his ears with another soft, gentle laugh, her eyes seeming to twinkle as her gaze met his.
“You know, I think I’m going to love being ‘Mrs. Spider-Man’.”