Standing At The Door
New York.
It was definitely bigger than Detroit. The buildings stretched higher, flicked closer together, and seemed much... newer. Riley loved their city... but Detroit had its wear. New buildings sprinkled throughout, and plenty left abandoned and lifeless, hollowed husks and bare bones of what once was.
They doubted all of New York looked new. But as Harry, Norman and Riley were driven into the city, they couldn't help those thoughts.
Riley hadn't expected a car to be waiting when they arrived, but considering who Norman and Harry were... it should have been expected. Rich men with more money than they knew what to do with. Another reason to feel uneasy around them. If Riley had learnt anything from their decade of fighting crime, it was that the rich were usually the most corrupted.
Riley didn't like dealing with the wealthy because of it. They just sat in the corner and watched the world go by, only really falling back down to reality when they pulled up outside someone's home, likely Peter's.
Whoever that was.
Without prompting, Riley happily got out and fetched their things, not bothering to wave or show any sign of acknowledgment to the Osborn's. No offense to rich people... but full offense to them. Riley may have been wealthier than most with their job, but that money went towards their city, not these rich exploits.
Without prompting, the car drove off the moment Riley stepped up to the curb, sighing with deep relief when they were finally separated from all that nonsense. Riley dragged their suitcase up to the home, seeing it was slightly detached from their imagined average home from New York. It wasn't an apartment, which was what they expected. They stopped just shy of the doormat, staring at the wooden frame of the home, sighing.
Hopefully these people weren't annoying. Though, it did seem one of them was a scientist, which they weren't exactly a fan of, but they'd manage. Riley took in another deep breath, raising their hand to knock on the door, hearing it echo against the doorframe.
Their ears detected footsteps, calm and collected as they made their way to the front door. When the door opened, Riley noticed red.
Long, healthy and vibrant red hair, that laid so wonderfully across strong shoulders. A pair of green eyes meeting theirs.
She was pretty.
The woman in the doorway was strong looking, with muscles barely showing under her sweater that hugged her arms. Her hands were lightly calloused, with a few scars dancing across her exposed hands. Extremely faint, likely from long ago. "Riley?" She asked.
"That's me. Riley Rowe."
She nodded, extending a hand out. "I'm Mary Jane Watson-Parker, a pleasure."
"Nice to meet you Mrs. Watson-Parker. Thanks for letting me stay with you," they thanked, despite the still nestled unease.
She stepped to the side, beckoning Riley in, who pulled their suitcase to them as they stepped inside. Immediately taking off their shoes and putting them by the front door, not wanting to track dirt inside the house.
Stepping inside felt... strange. The home was cozy, with blankets and kids toys strewn about, and plenty of magazines and books were stacked on many surfaces. Pictures hung freely of her and a man and of their child, Riley could assume, and some people that had to be relatives. Beautiful photos of cityscapes and daily life also hung freely.
So cozy, because it was truly a home. It didn't stand as a testimony to the accomplishments of its occupants, instead merely stood as a house for them.
A little tension eased from Riley's shoulders. "I'm sorry for introducing."
"It's fine. I don't mind it. And I'm sure Peter is glad to have another person to show our daughter off to."
"He's a real girl dad then?" Riley tried to joke, and thankfully, Mary Jane liked it, her smile carved onto her lips.
"He is. He'll likely be back soon. He's running errands with Mayday. And knowing him, he'll stop to show her off to everyone he can..." the amusement on her face betrayed her fake frustration. She genuinely seemed to adore that husband of hers, which was sweet to witness. And considering she seemed particularly strong willed, Riley imagined Peter was a soft mess for his wife.
Cute.
"Let me show you to the guest room. Watch your feet. Peter and I try to keep the space clean, but you can imagine how careless some kids are." Again, she spoke with such warm fondness that it made even Riley feel warmth from her words. And they followed Mary Jane through the hood to the guest room. "Ah, the door locks as well. So you have some privacy."
Oh. That was nice of them. Riley just nodded awkwardly as the door was opened, looking into a pretty normal room. It was pretty much a standard bedroom. Nothing especially out of the ordinary or bizarre. Just... a room.
"I know it's nothing special, but it probably feels a bit less awkward then a hotel."
"No, no... I like it. Your home it really... warm."
Mary Jane smiled softly, nodding at their words. "Thank you. I'm glad you feel that way. Now, I'll make something light for you to eat, feel free to unpack. I'm sure Peter will swing by to say hello soon enough."
"Thanks again."
"No problem. And... any allergies I should be wary of?”
Riley shook their head, and Mary Jane left the room, shutting the door behind her to go make some snacks.
It was strange how normal this felt for them. Mary Jane was a very sweet person, which meant Peter should've been as well. It was strange. A bubbling type of strange they couldn't explain. Maybe it was the normalcy of it that made Riley feel buzzed. For now, they went to unpack their suitcase, unsurprised that the clothes inside were all meticulously picked out to make Riley look prim and proper no matter the combination.
Appearances were important in the world of science, and that meant there was never a moment to slack off. So Riley took care putting their things away, not really stopping until they emptied out their suitcase, zipping it up and rolling it into the closet to save space. With that done, Riley decided to venture out to talk to Mary Jane, as she kept making Riley feel at ease, and they liked the feeling. It was a lot different to home. If anything, Mary Jane reminded Riley of their brother, that same unabashed warmth.
Their footsteps were light against the flooring, explorative and careful as they made their way towards the front of the house, where they could then navigate to the kitchen where Mary Jane would likely be making snacks. They made their way towards the kitchen, and saw Mary Jane happily fixing up some snacks. Just simple cut up fruit. Simple, yet completely delicious.
She glanced up when Riley entered, offering a soft smile. "Already done unpacking?"
"Yes."
"Well then, have a seat, we can chat for a bit."
Riley nodded, and sat at the counter,, being handed a small bowl of fruit.
"Now, I'm guessing you didn't exactly plan to be here?"
Riley nodded, scratching lightly at the back of their neck. "Was it obvious?"
"No," she assured. "You just seemed a little stressed dear."
"A bit," Riley admitted with a sigh. "I only met the Osborn's last night and next thing I know, my parents and them are pushing me on a plane to New York."
"The Osborn family can be a bit much at times. Peter and I went to school with Harry, so we're pretty used to it."
"I knew my fair share of strange people in college, never that eccentric," Riley muttered, then was quick to correct themselves. "Harry seems okay I guess."
"No need to spare any feelings here. I'm sure first impressions may not have been ideal." She knew her old friends well. "That said, I do hope you enjoy your stay in New York."
Riley nodded, eating some of the fruit given to them. They weren’t exactly sure of what to talk about. They didn’t exactly know her. They imagined they’d learn about her a bit while they were there, but at the moment, there was no forward momentum to their conversation, stalling dead in its tracks. Thankfully, Mary Jane didn’t seem the mind, perhaps used to awkward scientists. Used to awkward silences. She just smiled kindly and let Riley eat, not pushing for any conversation.
This was… nice. Warm and fuzzy. Riley felt respected and acknowledged by her simply not engaging with them. So they finished the little snack prepared, Mary Jane whisking the dish that held the snack.
“Feel free to rest and settle in. I’ll be out here if you need me. I’m just going to catch up on some work.”
Riley nodded and scampered off towards the guest room. It was nice to have their own space. And to just be left to their own devices.
So they fell onto their bed, staring up at the ceiling, thinking of how this time would go. How their experience would be shaped. As they lay, they raised their hand to the arm, feeling a stinging pain arise, and goosebumps slowly start the ripple under their skin.
Their phone went off with a notification that felt so much like home.
New York City was in danger.
Well, perhaps Mega-Byte could lend a helping hand to the “one and only” Spider-Man.
Without thinking, Riley got into their suit, lifting the window in the room and slipping out. A city to save and people to meet.
Time to be a second spider-man.