Work Text:
The cold air seemed to sweep Mary Jane inside the doors to the apartment as fast as she could. Winter-time in New York was always a force to be reckoned with. And considering the huge amount of snow that had already fallen upon the entire city, she had zero intention of underestimating just what Mother Nature might still have in store. When it came to winter, it was better to be prepared for anything and everything.
“Nippy out there, isn’t it?” Still shivering underneath her puffer jacket and hat, MJ glanced over at where James, the doorman for the apartment, was stationed. The presence of a large space-heater right next to the desk made the question seem even more facetious than it already had.
“You could say that again.” Nodding in agreement, MJ gave a quick stomp on the rug to make sure her shoes wouldn’t track in any snow from outdoors. Outside, a snow plow pushed by on the street, taking with it a huge portion of the wintery white dusting that was still in the midst of coming down, however lightly.
“Don’t really think I need to though.” Shaking his head, James already could tell how cold it was outside without even having set foot beyond the doors. One didn’t simply live in the Big Apple without knowing just how vicious her winters could be.
Pulling off her hat, setting her red locks free once more, Mary Jane was already fishing her keys out of her pocket as she stepped closer to the desk.
“Anything in the mail today. James? Before I go upstairs and throw myself under a hundred blankets?”
“Just a couple things. One of ‘em seemed pretty important.” Reaching underneath the desk, James quickly retrieved a small stack that seemed a mix of letters, bills, and junk, alongside a neatly packaged box. Taking them out of his hands with a smile and a quick ‘thank you’, MJ offered a goodbye before moving towards the open elevator. After the cold front she’d just made it back from, the last thing she would consider was taking the stairs. Not when the elevator would get her back to the apartment and the warmth it offered even quicker.
A short ride upwards, with Muzak playing in her ears, found the door opening to a familiar hallway. As far as her eyes could see, every door seemed to be decorated for the holiday. What doors that weren’t hung with a wreath had some kind of decoration regardless, including a few featuring images of Menorahs. From underneath a few of those same doors, the faint sounds of Christmas music could be heard. Combined with the winter wonderland that the city had been turned into, there was no way a movie could have scripted things better.
If she hadn’t just come in from the cold, she might have even been tempted to start singing. Shivering teeth, however, made that just a little bit difficult.
By the time she reached the front door of the apartment, however, she already had the key out and was ready to shove it into the lock. The weather outside might have been frightful, but the warm entrappings of home were more than delightful enough to make up for it. And at the moment, wrapping herself in a hundred blankets sounded like the best idea she’d ever heard.
Reality didn’t disappoint. From the moment she set foot in the apartment, the heat was already going enough to make it a welcomed sanctuary from the cold. Tossing her keys and the small stack of mail onto the small table in the landing, she closed the door behind her with her foot. The minute her hands were free, the coat and pair of gloves she’d been wearing were done away with.
She loved her line of work, and the thrill that she got from being the undeniable focus of a camera wasn’t one she had grown tired of yet. But being home was its own kind of comfort that didn’t have any kind of equal in all the world.
Unless one counted having a certain husband of hers in the apartment with her.
An hour’s span brought the promised comfort offered fully into being. The clothes she’d worn to the shoot were traded for an even warmer pair of sweatpants and a long sleeve shirt. With a blanket wrapped around her shoulders, and one around her legs, the cold that reigned supreme outside was slowly forgotten about. With the additional help of a mug of hot chocolate and a Christmas movie playing on the television in the background, warmth and comfort quickly overtook everything else.
Going through the mail had been the last thing on her mind. But when half of the mug disappeared, Mary Jane finally decided to dig into it. Naturally, a sizable chunk of them were destined for the trash. But a few were welcomed arrivals nevertheless. A Christmas card or two, including one that featured a very amusing photo of a clearly unamused J. Jonah Jameson. Along with a postcard from Kristy that featured a photo ridiculous enough that it could have come from no-one else, there was enough to bring a warm smile to Mary Jane’s face.
The real mystery remained what was in the box.
She recognized the name of the business on the return address. A few months prior, she’d gone in to do some work for a winter catalog, modelling a few pieces that would have warmed even the coldest body. The catalog itself had appeared timely, and from what she’d seen, the pieces inside were already starting to sell out in a few stores. Naturally, she took a bit of pride in the ones she herself had modelled being among the top sellers.
Which made the box’s sudden appearance perk her curiosity. It wouldn’t have been the first time that she’d gotten a complimentary set from one of the lines she’d modelled for. But regardless, it was always sweet whenever they did show up. If it just so happened to be a set of the green Christmas lingerie she had worn for the shoot? She already knew one husband who would be very appreciative of that gift.
The thought of Peter followed her even as she moved to try and rip open the box. With only a few days remaining to Christmas, she still hadn’t come close to finding the perfect gift for him. There were already a few gifts wrapped underneath the tree parked in the corner of the living room. She didn’t doubt they would go over well. But all of them lacked that certain ‘oompf’ that she was after. That special quality that would leave her husband wide-eyed with excitement.
That gift was out there, she was sure of it. It was just a matter of actually finding it.
Peter surely already had an idea in mind for what to get her, if the years prior were any indication. So far, there hadn’t yet been one time she’d been disappointed when it game to Christmas presents. Somehow, it was like he just knew what she was after year in and year out. The pair of webshooters he’d gifted her still maintained a high place of honor within their little abode that proved that fact.
It also still left her needing to find a gift of her own that would blow whatever expectations he had completely out of the water.
Tearing a large strip of packing tape off of the box seated in her lap, MJ made fast work of ripping said box open. Plunging her hand into a small sea of green packing peanuts, she felt her fingertips brush against a plastic baggie. Whatever was inside, it was soft. And the more her fingers explored what lay inside, but still yet out of sight, the more excited she started to get. She could recognize the unmistakable feeling of wire mixed in with what could only be fabric. Feeling just how silky smooth that fabric was only added to her budding excitement.
The secret piece held inside could only be one thing. And as she excitedly pulled the bag out of it’s packing peanut tomb, her suspicions found themselves all too happily confirmed. Inside a secure plastic bag lay one of the pieces she’d modelled. Specifically, a lingerie set in dark green, and certain to hug every curve perfectly. As she sat looking at, Mary Jane felt a lightbulb immediately go off in her head.
Perhaps that certain gift she’d been looking for had literally just dropped itself into her lap…
Web-swinging through New York in the wintertime wasn’t for the faint of heart. And while it wasn’t his first time around the block doing so, Peter couldn’t help but already find himself wishing he was home already.
It wasn’t the coldest winter he’d ever suffered through. The time that he had encountered Morbius in the midst of one of the worst storms New York City had ever suffered through certainly ranked up there. Considering he’d almost found himself a victim of frostbite when everything had been said and done, he wasn’t eager to repeat that experience.
Which was why he had gone to lengths to augment his usual costume. In addition to the set of long underwear he’d donned beneath the familiar red and blues, he’d also pulled a cap around the upper half of his masked head, and a scarf had been wrapped tightly around his neck. Neither of which would exactly leave criminals shaking in their boots, as if they’d suddenly found themselves running into Batman, but it would help keep his chattering teeth from being heard a mile away.
If he could have gotten away with it, a nice pair of boots wouldn’t have been so bad either. He really needed to get to work on trying to come up with a pair that wouldn’t interfere with his wallcrawling.
Speaking of things that needed his attention, there was one thing in particular on his mind as he swung himself past a building that was illuminated with a long series of red and green lights. He hadn’t been planning on delaying his Christmas shopping as long as he had. It had just worked out that every single time he’d set out to finally secure a perfect gift for his wife, something had happened to call him away as Spider-Man. He would have bemoaned something about it being the result of the ‘Parker Luck,’ but it was painfully obvious that leaning on that would have been an old cliché. Nor would it have changed the outcome, at any rate.
He needed to find the perfect gift for his wife. It was that simple. And what was worse was he had no idea where to even start.
In a way, he supposed it made sense. The last few years, he’d been right on the money with his hunches about what Mary Jane had wanted. And even the few times he had gone out on a limb with her gifts, it had gone well. As he swung through the briskly cold skyline now, it felt like that streak had finally reached its end.
It hadn’t helped that he’d been so busy lately between the few classes he’d been subbing, the usual routine of haggling with prices at the Bugle, and the unending wave of trouble that Spider-Man always attracted, that he hadn’t even had time to think. The few times that he’d had the apartment to himself, he’d ended up falling asleep for those precious hours, only to be awoken by the sounds of his wife returning. His dreams hadn’t exactly been the greatest source of inspiration either.
What was he supposed to get for the person who seemingly always did better at this gift-giving thing than him?
Asking Mary Jane herself what she wanted was absolutely out of the question. The whole season was about surprising people, and where would the fun have been in getting her something she’d specifically asked for? He could do that anytime. No, he would have to find this gift on his own. He’d done it before! There was no reason he couldn’t push past all the haze in his own head and discover that perfect gift.
He wished that his Aunt May were still around. Her advice would have went so much further than anything anyone else could have offered him. There would have been that one sentence from her that would have left him absolutely sure of what he could do to find that perfect gift. That was how it had gone more than once before. There wasn’t a day that went by that he didn’t miss having her advice so readily at hand.
In so many ways, though, Mary Jane’s strength had guided him through as many things as his aunt’s advice had just as well. All the times that he had been convinced that throwing in the towel was the only course of action he could take, she had been the one consistently to tell him he was acting like an idiot. And naturally, when he decided the best response was to sometimes dig in his heels and refuse to move, she proved to be just as good at doing that in return. In every possible way, there was no-one else he could picture being Mrs. Spider-Man than Mary Jane Watson. And he was thankful day in and day out that he had her in his life. In some ways, she was just as strong as-
Wait a minute…
Diamonds!
That was it! The answer had practically been looking him dead in the face the entire time, and he’d been too convinced the answer lay elsewhere to notice it. Something that symbolized strength and elegance in all the same ways that his wife did. It was a perfect match. And not to mention, it would be something that he could see her pairing with almost anything and for any occasion at that. A gift that was as practical as it was symbolic.
God, he had been hanging around English teachers too much recently.
As he swung himself around the nearest cluster of skyscrapers, Peter moved with a renewed sense of purpose. The hour might have been getting late, but there was still time to swing over to the latest jewelry store and see what his funds might allow him to get. At the very least, maybe there was some kind of a layaway option, or a way he could split the payments up.
This was New York, and the land of opportunity at that! There was sure to be a way!
It was that very hope that followed him as he not only sighted the store, but angled himself to land in a connecting alleyway. As many times as he had either changed in or out of his civilian clothes, it would be an outfit change that would take hardly any time at all. With a quick check to make sure that he didn’t have any kind of an audience, in person or in the form of security cameras, he did just that. By the time his mask was safely tucked into his pocket, he was all but strolling out of the alleyway.
This was the perfect gift for MJ. He just hoped that his wallet would be able to match his enthusiasm.
“Mary Jane? I’m home!” As he closed the door behind him, Peter couldn’t even begin to hide the excitement that was in his voice. As a matter of fact, he was almost positive that anyone who had seen him all the way back from the store had been able to see every ounce of that excitement, and then some. Even before they had handed the gift-wrapped box back to him at the store, he hadn’t been able to stop smiling. Thankfully, his life hadn’t depended on it. Otherwise, he wasn’t quite sure he’d have made it home in one piece.
“MJ?” he called out again, having neither heard a response from his wife nor seen her anywhere in their living room, or what he could see of the attached kitchen unit.
“In here, baby!” Quickly, Mary Jane’s voice came to him, the open door to their bedroom looking like the most inviting thing he had ever seen. Instantly, he smiled even larger. It might not quite be Christmas Eve just yet, but what would one early gift hurt? Especially one that was bound to leave his wife absolutely stunned. That was worth breaking a ‘don’t open until Christmas’ pact.
“How was work?” she called out to him again. Moving quickly to hang up his coat, Peter carefully set the set of diamond earrings down onto the small landing table, lest they slip out of his hand.
“Alright. You can tell everybody’s stressed because of the holidays. But at least school’s out for a week or two now.” Kicking off his shoes, he deposited his scarf and hat in the same place as his coat, before making his way towards that open bedroom door. Every step seemed to bring more excitement shooting through him. The entire way home, he’d been able to imagine what Mary Jane’s reaction might be. And now that the moment was finally at hand, he fully expected what he’d imagined to be completely blown out of the water by reality.
There was only one way to prove that, however.
“So, I know we said no opening presents until Christmas but…I really think you’re gonna like what I got you.” Stopping right outside the door, he looked back, only to realize that said gift was still sitting out in the landing. Quickly taking aim with his webshooter, he fired off a quick line, waiting only a second or so as it found its target, before giving a quick flick of his wrist. Effortlessly, the gift shot through the air, before swiftly finding itself caught in his one hand.
“What a coincidence, I had a gift come today too that I know you’re gonna really love.” There was a certain hint in Mary Jane’s voice that left Peter’s curiosity more than perked. As well as he and his wife knew one another, it was truly rare for one of them to surprise the other. Not when it seemed they could complete one another’s sentences. So whatever gift she had waiting, there was no ‘thinking’ about it. She already knew he was going to love it.
And who was he to try and argue with her about that?
“Is that so?” Taking one final look at the wrapped box in his hand, Peter turned and entered the room. The entire length of time it had taken him to get to that very moment, he’d imagined quite a bit. What his wife’s reaction would be, what she might say, and certainly how she would look with that set of earrings on.
What awaited him, however, made him feel as if his brain had short-circuited.
Perched atop their bed was Mary Jane, a smile of her own sitting proudly atop her lips. Sitting just as confidently atop her head was a Santa hat, its white fluffy tassel hanging just ever so slightly above her shoulder. As his gaze wandered ever downwards, Peter quickly discovered what her ‘gift’ had been.
He’d seen the photos from the shoot, but they were hardly a match for just how stunning his wife made the lingerie look in reality. The way the green, almost lacey material clung to her curves, or how the white fluff that decorated her hat lined the slope of material that drooped down between the curve of her breasts, crowned off perfectly with a heaping of red bows placed at precisely the right spots. After all of that, the stockings and garter belt she wore alongside them was merely the icing on the cake. Against the deep green, her red hair almost seemed to pop, putting even her hat to shame.
She was easily the most stunning woman he had ever laid eyes on. It was a fact he was extremely knowledgeable of. But as he stood frozen in the doorway, already practically drooling over the sight of her, Peter felt as though he’d suddenly learned that all over again.
“See something you like, Mr. Parker?” Eying her husband like a hungry lioness would her mate, Mary Jane was already more than satisfied with the effect the lingerie was having. She’d seen it turn plenty of heads in the stores, but there was something about seeing it all but have her husband’s jaw dropping through the floor that was as grand a sight as anything could be.
“Definitely…” Somehow, Peter was able to get the word out without stammering, much to his own amazement. The more he let his gaze wander along his wife’s alluring form, the more it felt like his mouth had gone from being dry as a desert to a waterfall in a matter of mere seconds.
“I see you came bearing gifts.” Keeping up the sultry tone in her voice, Mary Jane glanced down at the brightly wrapped present in his hand. Walking her gaze back up to her husband’s face, she waggled her brow enticingly at him, before curling a finger in a come-hither gesture.
“Wanna show it to me?” Those five words might as well have been gasoline poured on an open flame. No sooner had he heard them did Peter cross the floor in seemingly the blink of an eye. Looking up at him, MJ’s face was the perfect mixture of amusement and allure all at once.
“I figured we could get away with opening a present early this year.” Recovering rapidly from the pleasant shock of seeing his wife dressed up for him, Peter took a seat beside her on the bed.
“Guess I was extra good this year then, wasn’t I?” Unable to resist teasing him one more time, MJ gently took the wrapped box into her own hands. It took only a small bit of work to peel the brightly colored paper away from what it was hiding underneath. But the moment she had peeled it all away, it became obvious what the gift likely was. A quick glance back at Peter preceded her pushing open the jewelry box with a muted snap.
Her eyes widened at the sight that greeted her. Perfectly perched inside the box were two diamond earrings. Ones that looked expensive, as they more than likely were. More than that, however, they were absolutely beautiful.
“Peter…” her mind went blank at what she could possibly say. Once again, her husband had completely knocked it out of the park when it came to the gift department. “…these are gorgeous!”
“I mean, they look good, but…they’d look even better on you instead of in the box.” Savoring every bit of her reaction, Peter was aware how corny his response had probably sounded. Even if he completely believed what he was saying was the truth. Considering the reaction he’d gotten to see from her, he was more than ok with being accused of being a little bit corny.
“I don’t think you really need to try your luck, tiger, considering what I’m already wearing.” Playfully smiling back at him, Mary Jane took the hint and carefully pulled one of the pair from its box. Moving to put it into place, she quickly repeated the action with its twin. Once they were both in place on her ears, she cocked her head slightly to its side, posing for him.
“Well…how do I look with them?” she asked. As he stared at her, Peter gently reached up and cupped her cheek with his hand.
“Same as you did before you put them on. Beautiful.”
Letting his words wrap around her, like the world’s coziest blanket, Mary Jane’s own hand rose to place itself atop his. For a moment or so, all they had to do was stare into one another’s eyes, communicating in a way that words would have been completely unsuitable for.
Slowly, Mary Jane found herself leaning her head forward, matching the way Peter was already making the same move. With how little space there was separating them, it took little time for their lips to meet. But when they did, the fire that ignited between them blazed as hot as it ever had before. Their tongues swirled and danced around one another, tempting as well as caressing.
When they finally pulled back, hot breath against one another’s lips and their faces lightly tinted with red, their smiles were perfect matches for one another.
“Merry Christmas, baby.” Peter said, breaking the silence between them both.
“Merry Christmas, tiger.” Answering in turn, Mary Jane nuzzled her nose against her husband’s. For a moment, silence hung between them, before that smile of hers turned upwards just a bit more. Biting down on her lip, she leaned in, nearly until her lips were against Peter’s ear. With what she had in to say, it was a combination that proved most potent.
“I think you’ve still got a present to unwrap.” Purring each and every word, MJ needed only to pull her head back to see the effect those words had on her husband. It was instantaneous. Matching his wife’s gaze perfectly, Peter wrapped his arms around her, his lips effortlessly finding their way back to hers. The giggles that followed soon gave way to an array of pleased sounds from Mary Jane.
Outside, snow continued to fall, a cold wind blowing along the streets of New York. But inside the apartment of Peter and Mary Jane Parker, the cold was the very last thing on either of their minds. Rather, the spirit of Christmas brought out something even more powerful in every conceivable way, and it could be only one thing, and one thing only.
Love, the most powerful thing in all the world. And in so many ways, it was all either of them had ever needed.