Chapter Text
It was about 2am. Peter Parker was in his usual spot, some high rooftop that displayed all of New York. He got used to it now, no one remembered Peter Parker, no one knew he existed. Apart from at least 3 people.
It had been devastating, whenever he fell asleep he kept rethinking, kept replaying that moment in Frank's home. MJ, his MJ standing right there, having read the letter he had written over 5 years ago, it had creasing from constant opening and closing from a social anxietied Peter. She had read it and she knew the truth. Her face was all that his head could ever picture.
"I love you." He had said just to be met with:
"I don't love you, I don't even know you." It was devastating, infuriating, saddening but most of all, it was true. She didn't know him anymore, he never had the guts to give her the letter earlier, to talk to her, to get her back. And now he had to face the truth. MJ didn't love Peter Parker. She loved whoever her partner is. And he couldn't force her to love him, it was wrong and absolutely sick. The swing back was painful, but of curse he wasn't going to leave her there, no phone, no clue where she really is and new York isn't always the safest place to be a woman and alone.
However, everything has its bright side. For that, it is the fact he has at least the second most important person back in his life, His best friend, Ned. It was some Miracle, a simple handshake had brought everything back, and thinking back it may have been an unconscious spell, their muscle memory with their last handshake thanks to Ned's magic, it created a spark, a potential to revive Ned's memory. He may not have MJ, but at least he has his man in the chair back. They're just simply too busy to be together at every hour of the day. Ned had college, and Peter had Spiderman to continue being.
Though despite the joy of Ned, his new friendship with the Punisher and the idea that Jean Grey was relatively safe out there his brain was still fogged with MJ, the little details, how everything was before the spell, how she was with him now. The pain didn't go away, he didn't know if it would go away. And as much as it pained him, if he wanted to hangout with Ned he'd have to do this outside of Ned's home. He could be around MJ, if he forced himself, forced his thoughts to quiet down and not be thought about until everything would crash when he was to return home. It set off his newly understood hormones. Yes he has more or less some control over them but high moments of explosion of emotional baggage made these resurface and he'd wake up with his apartment covered in webs or hanging somewhere from the roof. Slowly these happened less and less as he found himself able to forget and forget by swings around the city, much like those he did when he found MJ with her new boyfriend, swing, plunge down and before he would hit the roof of a car he would do another web until he was out of breath and just landed down on a rooftop to rest.
It wasn't mentally ideal but it's what it is.
Today had been one of those nights, he had finished hanging out with Ned, and MJ was there, she was absent with her stuff while he and Ned had geeked out about some reboot. He had spoken to her, the ache got bigger and the moment he left their apartment, he started swinging again. same movement, Swing,plunge,swing again before hitting a car, thankfully it was too dark for anyone to fully notice him. He had finished his adrenaline session right on his rooftop, after catching his breath he moved, testing his windows, which were locked. He always forgot to keep at least one open, so he had to take the front door. Even as he climed the stairs his vision became blurry around the edges until he reached his door and scavenged his pockets for his keys. As he reached to take out those keys he felt his tingle begin. It didn't signal danger, but did signal for being prepared.
"Oh! Hi, you're up late."
A voice came from his right. It was a feminine voice with a tinge of personality he couldn't quite pinpoint. Standing there was a woman, not much older or younger than him, around his age he guessed. The girl had long, blonde hair with a decorative headband in black burried perfectly intentionally in her hair. Her eyes were brown and didn't seem threatening. She was wearing easy outgoing clothes, A pair of joggers with a simple hoodie and some snickers.
"I'm your neighbor if it wasn't obvious, do you usually come home this late? I don't mean to intrude but I do usually hear you."
She said, looking at him and waiting for her answer. Peter could only really stare at her in disbelief. No one talked to him unless he was masked, or it was Ned or Frank. Never someone else, much less a neighbor.
"Yeah... I have, stuff to do..."
Peter responded. He didn't really know what to do, shock and internal recent turmoil had left him without the ability to respond with his charm of jokes or sarcasm.
"Oh! I forgot. My name's Gwen, Gwen Stacy."
She introduced herself, offering him a smile he could feel his tingling ease, but not enough to completely unguard himself.
"Nice to meet you Gwen.... I'm Peter Parker."
He said, offering her his name.
"Great, well, it was lovely meeting you, my apartment is just a knock away if you need something. Well I'll let you back to your... Hobbies in there... Well anyway, see you around, Peter."
And she disappeared back to her place.