1I apologize this is later than Christmas... it works that the Spider-Man: Far From Home trailer came out today, though!
This is a secret Santa fic for Queen Reagan.
I hope you enjoy it!
-Ava S
"PETER!" the feminine shout was rewarded with a sharp jab to the rib in revenge. "Dude, a little warning next time you decide to sound the alarm?" Ned's friend just grinned, or smirked, back while she swung her backpack onto her shoulder.
"Or, just don't be a wuss." Ned's face fell flat. He gave up throwing out a comeback for her quips.
3:15 and Peter was late. Again. Restless, MJ and Ned walked the side walk from the doors of Midtown to the outer gates. Grateful for a day off of Decathlon, due to the more than normal snowfall, they had planned a chill-out or warm-up day at May's apartment. A full roster of movies filled the list made up last night over the phone starting with The Empire Strikes Back and ending with such classics like A Christmas Story. Only, they couldn't start until they got to the actual TV.
Those thoughts were rewarded with an equally jabbing handful of snow to the side of MJ's face. She was still spitting out the salt-mixed snow while Ned laughed.
Peter filed that one away in his "Ned and MJ…don't ask" folder…which was growing larger every day.
"Hey! Peter!" Ned interjected half way down the main street on the way to May's apartment, "Did May fill out that survey for the possible trip to Europe next year? If enough parents agree with it, we might be able to go! That's what I heard…" his voice lowering"…do you think you could go anyway?" Peter gave him a side look…
"No…I'm grounded to my room and I can't leave except for school and Decathlon."
Ned's eyes widened…
"I'm joking!" he laughed in half-shock at his friend. "Dude calm down…May is cool. We talked and I have some ground…well…not ground, rules…but some guidelines. It's all cool."
"What about…Stark? Has he said anything about new events?"
Peter remembered MJ and continued as if interning, "Nah, I just go over every other weekend to work on projects that higher interns give me. Maybe someday I could get an assignment from him…but that won't be soon. I think it is because of school…needing to focus on education." Noticing MJ had fallen back, Peter glanced to see where his errant friend was, or wasn't.
MJ noticed Ned lowering his voice and figured it was about Spider-Man, when wasn't it? So, she took her time to watch the road with the rushing to get home before the storm-traffic. It was almost pleasant to watch; the yellow lights fade into the white flakes that fell in clusters, pilling onto each other to make towers, until others came to destroy them and build their own. Such beauty in the natural world. They are almost walking across the crosswalk when the lights of the traffic poles signals for the oncoming traffic to go and she sees a small boy, no older than five years, pull away from his mothers hand in the store exit. The boy, not looking, walks into the street toward the now moving traffic. Realizing the mother is further than the boy she lunges, dropping her school bag, and falls toward him…
Peter turns around just as a car horn sounds and the vision of two bodies falling toward the oncoming front of the vehicle flashes in his eyes. Without thought or breath, he flies forward and throws his shoulder into the front plate of the New York taxi.
In the second that Peter threw himself in front of the taxi, MJ had wrapped her arm around the boy and curled herself around him, breaking her fall with her open hand. With the vehicle stopped, she knew she was either dead or should have been dead. Silence pervaded the already frozen air and it was the pain that alerted her to life. Opening her eyes, she saw that the boy was successfully thrown into her arms and safe. She looked to the car to see one of her best friend's trying to pull his shirt out of the yellow metal of the once-new, now crushed front of the taxi. He looked at her with wide eyes …damn it… he stood frozen when he noticed MJ watching …fridgin…stupid snow day…. In the few seconds this exchange took the world returned to speed as the boys mother ran up crying and shouting. Relieved to be safe, MJ handed him to his distraught mom, grimacing in pain as she felt how messed up her hand was.
"Welp," MJ started…"That wasn't how I imagined today…"
Peter stared at her.
how could've you?...
The taxi man sat in the driver's seat, unsure of what he saw. What he did. Maybe he imagined it? A boy ran out to the street…he almost killed him when a girl ran out and jumped at him, he almost killed her, then another boy almost flew into the street and he didn't kill him…?
It was when the boy stood up with a grim look that he knew he wasn't dreaming.
My taxi is broken.
Peter stared at MJ.
She has to have figured it out now. This wasn't possible. I just gave it away. She almost died. She knows I am Spider-Man.
She knows I am Spider-Man.
Maybe she doesn't.
I mean…people save people from things like this all the time…right?
This was like that…
Right?
"Peter!" MJ quietly shouted at him, "Hey, you need to get that looked at." She pointed with her good wrist to his shoulder, which was bleeding.
"yeah."
Ned stood frozen as he watched his best friends probably die, almost die, then not die. Then watch as Peter gave himself up. Shoot…Peter's going to be so p.o'ed that I didn't say MJ knew. I mean…it wasn't like Peter was so discreet during Homecoming or after. Also, MJ isn't the friend to keep to her own things. Safe to say, nothing is hidden.
He sees the disaster about to ensue from this escapade and pulls forward to pull them away.
Thanking God for the snowy day, Ned sees that most foot-bound worker had been off the side-walks and only close-quartered vehicles would've witnessed the crash. Stark can deal with that.
Peter and MJ walk in silence the remaining two blocks to May's apartment, both with differing looks of apprehension on their faces.
She is going to hate me for not saying anything…
…he is going to hate me for not saying I knew…
She won't know…No…she isn't that stupid…
…
Ned unlocks the door, knowing Peter isn't quite thinking about that …glad I took that key from Peter earlier this year… and goes to the bathroom sink, knowing where Peter keeps the first-aid.
A sprained wrist and dislocated, bleeding shoulder was the cost of a secret kept.
MJ looks at Peter, leans in with a smile, and whispers, "Spider-Man, Spider-Man, does what-ever as spider can…including saving my life. Thank you."
With red cheeks, Peter sits down.
With the Empire Strikes Back rolling, the three fall into what's normal.
Life is good.
Finior