An Actual Date, 27/6 Finally Peter doesn't Stand MJ up

[Mary Jane]

Before she could even really process it, Peter swooped in and kissed her. And it was... really nice, she observed absently as her eyes drifted shut and she leaned in towards him, returning the kiss.

This was still a relatively new aspect of their relationship. The friends part they had down pat. They were experts at it, had been for years. The romantic, kissy-touchy-feely part... well, that was apparently coming along quite nicely, she thought.

Reaching up, MJ threaded her fingers through Peter's hair, parting her lips slightly to deepen the kiss a bit. After a few seconds, though, and far sooner than she would have liked, she pulled away and grinned at him, eyes searching out his.

"What was that for?" she asked, amused, fingers absently toying with his hair. "Not that I'm complaining."

[Spider-man]

There were a great number of things that plagued Peter Parker in the arena of doubt. He doubted a lot of the time that he had what it took, as a man, and just generally as a person. Just for example.

But no matter how difficult his emotional attachment to Mary Jane was, he did not doubt his feelings for her, ever. Right now, during this kiss, he had this strange sense of knowing that his heart would always be given to her.

That was on one level of his mind.

Another level was pleasantly more 'base'. As her fingers wound into his hair, her nails scratching at his scalp lightly, Peter could feel some of his self-conscious inhibitions slip away. With a strong arm he gathered her in closer.

"What was that for?"

She had pulled away just slightly, and Peter almost didn't dare to open his eyes. Reluctantly he did, and was surprised when that electric feeling didn't leave him right away.

"Not that I'm complaining."

Right now there were a number of different answers to that question. Somehow Peter should have been smart enough, but since he said it with a smile, he figured it couldn't be that dangerous.

"I just wanted...to get your attention."

Which was actually better than, 'I wanted to shut you up.'

[Mary Jane]

He seemed to be considering his reply a little too carefully, by MJ's standards, and she narrowed her eyes at him just slightly. If Mr. Superhero knew what was good for him, he'd tread veeery carefully.

"I just wanted...to get your attention."

One fine, red eyebrow arched speculatively. "You had my attention," she pointed out, curling her fingers and tugging gently on his hair. "I was asking questions about you, in case you missed it."

Cocking her head, her expression changed slightly, slipping into a playfully seductive look. "Okay, you've got my attention," she informed him, looking up at him, through thick, dark lashes. Her lips curled into a coy smile, and the hand not in his hair found its way to his knee. She trailed her nail over it absently. "Now that you've got it, what do you plan on doing to keep it?"

[Spider-man]

The arched eyebrow was never really a good thing as far as Peter could tell. It could mean a number of different things ranging from skepticism to something far more predatory. Peter had the urge to climb a very tall wall when MJ gave him that look. His grin took a turn for the sheepish, his eyes darting over to the open window.

"You had my attention," she said slowly and deliberately. "I was asking questions about you, in case you missed it."

Peter tried to calm her fears with an overexaggerated scoff. "Missed it? Are you kidding me? I was all over that...string of..." He really needed lessons on when to stop. "...unending questions." He grinned again. She had asked how he planned on keeping the attention. Somehow he doubted this was the way.

"I did not miss it," he said offhandedly. "Questions are good. They're...inquisitive." He gulped at the long lashed seductive look she gave him. "Because if you don't ask questions...you don't have anything to answer."

Somehow he doubted this was the way very much.

He had this knack for destroying a moment with social ineptitude and awkwardness. To tell the truth it was partly his own self-consciousness, and the fact that when MJ turned on the heat like she did it just reminded him how he could never, ever in a million years be in the same league as her.

No way.

She was bound to wake up and realize what a dork he was. No matter what superpowers he had, he was a dork.

Peter hung his head. "Can we start over? Maybe with me climbing up here to see you or something?"

[Mary Jane]

"I did not miss it," he said offhandedly. "Questions are good. They're...inquisitive." He gulped at the long lashed seductive look she gave him. "Because if you don't ask questions...you don't have anything to answer."

The play seduction was over, and the eyebrow once again crept up her forehead. Poor Peter. He really didn’t have a clue sometimes. One of these days she was just gonna thwap the living daylights out of him, Spiderman or not, to try to knock some sense into that otherwise brilliant head of his.

Peter hung his head. "Can we start over? Maybe with me climbing up here to see you or something?"

MJ felt herself frowning in response to his pathetic, hangdog _expression. Now, that just wasn’t right. He’d had a great day with a job offer from one of his apparent heroes, and now he was sitting in his girlfriend’s bedroom, on the bed, with the perfectly adorable owner of said room flirting with him, and he looked like someone had just kicked his puppy.

Sometimes she seriously wondered about that boy.

Leaning forward, she kissed the tip of Peter’s nose, then pulled back with a cheeky grin. “Sure. If you get here a couple of minutes earlier than before, you can see me in my panties, too.” Then she sobered, and smiled encouragingly at him, taking one of his hands in hers and squeezing it. “Okay, so seriously. Tell me everything you know about this dream job of yours.”

[Spider-man]

The tiniest gestures seem sometimes to have the biggest impact. Peter was thinking himself into another state of depression, a fairly regular event for the poor awkward teen. In the midst of this ritualistic self-abuse, MJ leaned in and placed a perfectly timed and infinitely sweet kiss on the tip of his nose. It had the effect akin to the sun breaking through the clouds after an unbearably long amount of time being obscured and hidden.

Peter could not resist a grin as he looked up at her.

“Sure. If you get here a couple of minutes earlier than before, you can see me in my panties, too.”

The thought of MJ in a bra and panties was enough to almost give him a coronary. Peter couldn't help that the grin slipped toward the sheepish, and cleared his throat. Before he could (or had to) make a comment, MJ mercifully continued.

“Okay, so seriously. Tell me everything you know about this dream job of yours.”

Her words were followed by a swelling in the argument coming from downstairs. Peter checked his watch, and his eyes widened. "I'll tell you all about it on the way. We got dinner reservations, and the only way we're going to make it there in time now is if we..."

Peter looked up from his watch at her and the sheepish grin returned. He always told her he would not take her for joy rides as Spider-Man. But this was different...wasn't it?

"You up for it?"

[Mary Jane]

Before Peter had a chance to answer, her parents decided to intrude rudely on the conversation. The sound of shouting was joined by the tinkling of glass as something was no doubt hurled against a wall, shattering on impact. Despite all efforts, she couldn't help but cringe slightly, even though the grin on her face never faltered.

And they were saved by the watch, apparently, as Peter glanced down at his wrist, eyes widening at what he saw. "I'll tell you all about it on the way. We got dinner reservations, and the only way we're going to make it there in time now is if we..."

Cocking her head, she waited expectantly, until the sheepish smile on his face mad his meaning perfectly clear. Now it was her turn for wide eyes, but hers were a result of excitement. She was practically bouncing on the bed, grin impossibly huge.

"You up for it?"

"Well, duh," she exclaimed, hopping off the bed and holding her hand out to him. He was going to swing them to the restaurant! How incredibly, amazingly cool was that? He never took her web swinging!

"Have I told you lately that you're the best boyfriend ever?" she asked sweetly, still grinning widely.

[Spider-man]

Peter should have known better. I mean, you would have thought that he would have known better by now. That rock-star-struck look was glazing over her eyes again. She was clearly not seeing Peter Parker sitting in front of her, but rather him. Which of course was as ironic as it was insane! Peter was essentially jealous of himself.

Note to self: these are thoughts that you never ever share with anyone.

"Well, duh," MJ said, breaking into his thoughts mercifully. She hopped off the bed and Peter stared at her hand of invitation for a moment. ”Have I told you lately that you're the best boyfriend ever?"

Despite himself, Peter grinned as he reached out to take the hand and stood to his feet. “Not lately,” he said in a pathetic sort of way.

So she’s into Spider-Man…which is me. I really need to lighten up.

He started to unbutton his shirt and thought twice about it. “We should get away from here before I…” And he really didn’t know how he felt about changing in front of her…but that was another story.

Before she could respond he squeezed her hand. “Come on,” he said. Hopping back up into the window, he held onto the frame with one hand and pulled MJ to him. It wasn’t really that far to the ground. Before she could object he leapt, landing on his feet two stories below and cradling her like a newborn.

By the look on her face he had to ask. “You sure you’re not gonna puke on me or anything? You don’t know how hard it is to get the smell of puke out of my uniform.”