Work Text:
In Ned & MJ 's apartment
Peter is sitting finally with Ned and MJ, Building Legos with his best friend while his..ex girlfriend draws on her sketchbook, and for him it feels like everything he wanted, missed and longed for at the same time as it being everything he didn't want because he wanted to protect them. He is assembling a piece following the instructions while letting Ned ask all the questions he wishes on him, Spider-Man, it feels like before everything, before the spell, for just a moment he lets himself enjoy this, thinking to himself that he missed them.
Ned is talking about his 'theory' on the web shooters and Peter can't do anything but smile under the mask, he wants this to be the norm again, for this to be the start of a brand new day, but he can't do this when they don't remember him, so he keeps enjoying the break he is getting as they keep being together like as if nothing changed.
Ned and Peter keep acting like they know eachother since forever as the Lego gets built, one brick at a time, he feels enthusiastic in a way, listening to Ned talk about his life too, watching the way that Ned and MJ are now, in this apartments, he wishfully hopes that this won't be a one time thing, he wishfully hopes he will be able to connect with them again, Ned shows him his research, or also known as the board, and also the tracker he made, he listens to them talk, like as if he's meant to be there, even if he knows he isn't, they don't remember him and his life, his alter ego, it's too dangerous for them, not again, not after aunt May.
But then it becomes just him and MJ and she shows him the drawing, him and Ned, acting like as if they're still best friends, Peter without his mask, and Peter he wants to cry at how much he misses it and yet how much it is similar and familiar, if only they remembered, he thinks about telling Ned, but then he realises the lie he was told, and he needs to go, a part of him doesn't want that, a part of him wants to stay with the two, to stay with his old friends, but he knows that he is Spider-Man, and his job calls him, he needs to be Spider-Man first now, not Peter Parker, but while he swings the thoughts stay, about wanting to stay behind with them, to still play and laugh together like they did before the spell, he'll be back, he'll see them again, he makes that promise to himself.