MJ wasn’t used to this kind of attention.
Once she and Ned had finally remembered Peter, things started going back to normal. Peter had wanted to just finish getting his GED, but as spring break of their senior year came around, MJ had convinced him to ask Pepper to put his records in the school’s system so they could graduate together (her main reason being she wanted to see him more.) It didn’t take much of her reasoning for him to agree. (He wanted to see her more, too. She had forgotten him for two months, after all.)
Even though the teachers were seemingly oblivious to a random student in their classes, that didn’t mean the students didn’t notice. Sure, he could go unnoticed the first three years of high school - which Michelle could admit she was thankful for. Peter Parker had been hers to secretly appreciate and watch until his smile was perfectly captured in her mind. His sudden appearance, unfortunately, changed that.
Their third day back after break, she overheard Susan Yang ask Sally Avril if Peter was dating anyone as she walked into class. A week into the quarter, shameless flirting had begun as he walked down the hall. She couldn't quite explain what had overcome her, but on the tenth day she stood up as he approached the desk next to hers, grabbed his face and kissed him, then sat down to continue reading her book. Her ears burned as mumbles and sneers filled the room, and Peter stared at her, still standing. News spread fast, and Michelle would never understand why. Heaven forbid she had a boyfriend. But what she really didn't understand was that for whatever reason, this news made certain people* feel inclined to take interest in her. Again.
(*Brad Davis: infamous for not being able to take. a. hint. Okay, he didn't remember Peter and therefore didn’t remember why she turned him down in Europe. But for the record, no means no.)
It was the middle of March, and with that came the buzz of prom season. She and Peter had spent the evening at his apartment procrastinating homework, then watched her favorite romcom. (He knew she’d kill him if he ever told anyone, even if he was Spiderman, she’d find a way.)
As the credits rolled and "I Want You to Want Me" played from his box TV, she gently nudged him in the stomach and asked, “so when are you asking me to prom?” His eyebrows practically launched into his hairline and she pressed her lips together to keep a laugh from escaping.
“I mean, I’d love to. I only hadn’t asked ‘cause I thought that wasn’t your type of thing, we didn’t go to homecoming or-"
MJ let the laugh escape. “Okay, I didn’t want you to get mobbed at homecoming. The whole world kind of hated you. And yeah, it's not my type of thing, but it's our senior prom. It wouldn’t kill me to be cliche for one night. And, God, this sounds so stupid,”
"You couldn't sound stupid even if you tried, Em."
"You'd be surprised."
"Try me."
She inhaled, then explained in one breath, “Brad keeps bitching about finding a prom date and if he asks me one more time if I'm dating anyone I'm going to end up behind bars. He needs to understand that ‘I’m dating Peter’ also means with ‘no I will not go to prom with you.'”
"Well I certainly don't want you behind bars."
"How kind of you."
“I hate Brad.”
"You're biased. Me too."
He put up his fists and pretended to throw punches, “I’ll show him who’s boss.”
“Two guys fighting over me. That’s exactly what I’ve always wanted.”
His jaw dropped in an almost comical way. “You don’t think I can take him? Well I hate for you to find out this way,” he looked her dead in the eyes, his voice dropping to a whisper, “I’m actually Spiderman.”
"Get out of here."
He made the classic Spiderman hands while adding ‘thwip’ sound effects for extra emphasis. MJ shoved his chest, pushing him back onto the couch, smiling in a way only he could cause. She loved him.
That following Monday, without fail, came Peter’s promposal. When she opened her locker she found a bouquet of flowers, as well as a paper taped to the back of her locker with “prom?” written on it. She turned to Peter, who was right beside her, with Ned on the other side of him, but only found them looking more surprised than she was.
“Did you-?”
“No, I didn’t. This is pitiful, MJ.”
"Peter's plan was way cheesier and was going to be a lot more embarrassing for both of you."
"Ned!" Peter's whispered through his teeth, his face reddening, which MJ found endearing. Sometimes he still slipped back to the Peter she knew in the months leading up to their Europe trip. If Michelle had known then that Peter Parker had a huge fat crush on her, she probably would've just, imploded or something.
Peter turned back to her after properly scolding Ned with his eyes. "This has to be Brad, come on. I'm honestly offended you would think this was my doing."
She smiled at him, and with a hum she grabbed her books and shut her locker as the bell rang, Ned and Peter doing their handshake before parting ways for their classes. She tossed the flowers in the first trashcan she saw and Peter had to stifle his laughter as a teacher eyed them.
"I mean, seriously," he whispered five minutes into Chemistry, "step one of wooing Michelle Jones: realize that although she may be secretly obsessed with romcoms, that does not mean she wants to live in one. But still, treat her as if she is in one because she deserves it - it's a fine line to walk. But a flower and a note is the lowest of all cliches imaginable. Do your research."
"Step two of wooing Michelle Jones,” she continues, fighting the smile forming on her lips, “deny all aspects of having a six step plan to tell her how you feel. Sell all your collectibles and buy a black dahlia necklace in Venice. Have Happy Hogan give it to her, now properly broken, while being chased by killer drones. That'll do the trick."
"I did my research."
"I'm glad you did."
"Peter and Michelle, quiet please," their teacher quipped from the front of the room.
In unison, stealing a quick wide eyed glance at each other, they responded with a quick "sorry."
Third period ended and she was putting her things in her locker before heading to lunch when an all too familiar voice was heard behind her.
“So, MJ, what do you say?”
She turned her head to find Brad leaning with his back against the lockers and she didn't, couldn’t stop herself from rolling her eyes.
“No.”
"Prom. You and me?”
“I’m going with Peter. No.”
“Peter Parker? Seriously?”
“Yup.”
“MJ, when are you gonna realize you’re way out of his league? He's such an idiot.”
She let out an airy chuckle as she turned to face him fully.
“Yeah, okay.”
”So, you’ll go with me?”
”No. God, you’re pathetic.”
MJ was more than satisfied as he scrambled for excuses, (if she would just give him a chance she’d realize they’d be great together, etc.) As he rambled on, a familiar weight pressed against her back and Peter's hand reached for hers. She felt better now that he was here. She let Brad get a final, pitiful sentence out, then with a final flip off from her, he turned to leave. She leaned against her locker, turning to face Peter.
“Looks like I won’t have to fight him for you after all,” he said with a laugh threatening to leave his lips. “You did it all for me.”
With a smile, she replied “It’s what I do.”
“What did he even say?”
"You heard the whole thing from down the hall," she grabbed the straps of his backpack and twisted them between her fingers. "Stupid super powers."
"Okay, yeah," he let the laugh escape his mouth. "But I want to hear it from you."
He looked at her in a way she personally thought should be illegal, immediately. But she laughed too, couldn't let him know she was this obsessed with him. “He was like,” and with the best impression she could muster, “‘Hey, MJ, what do you say about prom?’ and I told him no, multiple times, to which he decides to start taking digs at you as if I would go 'yeah, you're right. He is an idiot. What was I thinking dating him?' It was pathetic.”
“You are my favorite person.” She loved him.
“He had the nerve to say I was out of your league, as if I’m not dating a literal superhero.”
“You are out of my league though, so I’m with him on this actually.”
Her voice softened, “That’s not true.” Her eyes drifted to a spot over his shoulder, then down to her hands as she twisted the loose straps of his backpack between her fingers. “I was obsessed with you way before you ditched your glasses and could suddenly do an insane amount of sit ups in gym. That was a bonus though. You are just about as good as it gets, Peter Parker."
She met his eyes again, and if the look on his face could get even worse, he just added at least an extra ten years to his sentence. An expression full of pure love that only she got to see settled in his eyes. It always felt like the world stopped spinning and made her heart drop into her stomach. She loved when he looked at her like this. She loved him. Had she mentioned that?
Before she could melt into a puddle on the floor, with a quick pat on his chest she added on, "aaand yep, that’s about as much sentimentality you’ll get from me today.”
He grabbed her hand before she could pull it back down to her side, and her voice got caught in her throat. “You’re seriously the coolest person to ever exist. But you know that.” His voice was almost a whisper, and it made her stomach tie itself in knots.
"Yes, I do."
"Glad we've covered that then."
“How were you gonna ask me?”
“Hmm?”
“To prom. Ned said it would’ve been embarrassing for both of us.”
“…I plead the 5th.”
“I hate you,” she started to walk away, leaving him at her locker.
“You love me,” he said as he easily caught up and took her hand again.
“Just a little bit.”
That afternoon after school as she headed towards the parking lot, she saw someone standing on top of a school bus adorned in a cheap Spiderman costume, and quickly figured it could be none other than her Peter Parker. She wasn’t truly surprised that he had picked up on the fact that she secretly really wanted this. He knew her better than anyone. She knew he was fully committed to this, too, as he held up a sign saying ‘Let's swing to prom!’ He shouted, “Michelle Jones, will you go to prom with me?”
He had gotten the attention of the majority of the parking lot and unfortunately a few security gaurds. She didn’t hesitate to shout back, “Yes, Peter Parker, I will go to prom with you!”
“She said yes!” He laughed as he awkwardly climbed off the bus, pulling off the small mask and running over to her, letting his lips meet hers.
She heard another familiar voice as Ned, who was recording the whole thing, called out, “ew, guys seriously, get a room!”
She laughs and he smiles against her lips. She loves him. And she tells him, too.