Spider-Man. The House Of Venom

MJ's moving was a much quieter affair. She was on her own, so Peter offered to help her. Inwardly cursing Flash and her dad for leaving her to do this alone.

“I didn't tell him,” MJ admitted as Peter helped her grab a box from the taxi she had her stuff in.

Peter frowned, but she just shook her head, “I need my own space, Pete. Somewhere Flash or my dad won’t turn up and start giving me problems.”

Or you, she thought to herself.

Flash was already angry she’d rejected his offer to get a place together. Then, with prom cancelled had tried to get her to visit his apartment. It wasn't very subtle what he wanted when he let her know his dad was at work most of the day.

She knew what was happening and was taking steps to avoid it.

Which then led to her father picking up on it. The missed calls and messages from Flash on her phone just gave him more ammunition to yell. God forbid she wanted some privacy. When she put a PIN on her phone in case she lost it, all that did was cause an argument until she handed it over. And it made its way to Flash.

Peter saw the pained look on her face, “Hey, it's fine. Nobody gets in without your approval. Plus you’re renting the home, not the warehouse, so anyone starting something well. I  know the owner personally.” he said giving her an exaggerated knowing wink.

MJ chuckled and shook her head as she smiled.

She had missed this. The stupid teasing and the dorkiness that Peter just took everything in his stride. She knew it had been hard for him, but she was glad it was water under the bridge.

Peter helped her with the final box. Five in total. She paid the taxi driver, who had sat on the hood of his cab while letting the meter run. Then with the last of her things, she walked back up the path and closed the door behind her.

She was free. Nobody knew where this place was, and she wasn't going to tell anyone. Her waitress job was now too far to walk to, and so she wanted something closer. That was for another day though. Today was moving day, and then a small celebration.

Her plan to simply walk away from her past was now a lot clearer. As she set the boxes down on the wooden table, Peter smiled at her.

"Hey, it's gonna be okay?" he said and she felt a weight lift from her shoulders.

Peter lifted two of the boxes, "go ahead, I'll bring these." he said, and while MJ frowned in confusion she headed into the home she had picked. The one next to Gwen's.

“Ta-Da!” Gwen shouted and pulled a party popper.

MJ tried not to flinch as the sudden bang made her jump but her shock at the interior overrode it.

There was a couch, two chairs and a small table. A kitchen unit had been added over on one side and it was packed with things. There was a kettle, a small fridge, a stack of plates, and cutlery in a plastic tray, all ready to be put away.

“There’s a bed and linens in your room as well. Plus a few things Gwen thought you’d like in the bathroom,” Peter said as he put the box down.

MJ burst into tears and Gwen rushed to her friend to comfort her.

Peter looked on, knowing what having that stress gone meant. “I mean, I know green isn't everyone's colour but come on,“ he joked. 

MJ snaked an arm out from under Gwen and waved him to come over as well.

“Thank you” she whispered, and he wrapped his arms around them.

⁂

Peter had left them to unpack. MJ didn’t have a lot but it was mainly clothing and he doubted she wanted him there while he put everything away. So instead he sat at the table and began to work on designs for a few things.

Gwen came out, smiling and she bounced over to the sitting area, “sooo. Petie Pie.” she sang, “where's my deck?” and she pointed over at her bare home.

Peter raised an eyebrow and flipped the pages of his notebook until he found the right page. “Right here, where it's staying.” and he handed it over to her.

“What the hell?” she explained as she saw how much it was going to cost in lumber. The premade kits were almost three thousand dollars. Even if Peter built it himself, it only reduced the cost by a thousand.

“I uh, yeah.” Gwen said as she slumped down on the couch, “I had no idea, so.“ She flipped the pad closed and handed it back, grinning. “Where’s my deck?”

Peter snorted out a small laugh, “Yeah, not happening.”

Gwen pouted and fluttered her eyelashes at him, “pwease?” she said and leaning forwards squashed her arms pushing her breasts together.

Peter laughed again, “and they say feminism is dead.”

“It isn’t dead, and I'm an equalist. If my amazing chest gets me a deck, and you get my amazing chest. Then that's us equal,” she replied, sticking her tongue out at him.

“So you think.”

Gwen coughed, “if you finish what I think you are about to say, you’d better be very careful about how I’ll take that.”

Peter laughed, “if you think I’m putting a deck in, just for your chest? A lot more Stacy that needs to be added to that equation.”

Gwen, grinned, “Oh, so now It’s by the pound huh? I see. Just meat, just a thing for you to parcel up and sell off. Tut tut Pete, and here was me thinking you're a modern man, in touch with his feelings and sensitive.”

“You're the one's who sensitive when I touch her feelings," he replied and Gwen laughed and batted his arm. "So. I’ll put a deck in, but I want to move your washer/dryer.”

Peter flipped the pad to another page and handed it over. He was unable to afford a pair for himself. Even the settlement from the city wasn’t enough after he replaced all the wiring and plumbing. Once he had added in the security system and bought the last four homes. He was not quite broke again but a deck would push it close to that line.

Gwen looked at it. It was simple enough. With spare wood from the deck, Peter would build a small hut at the end of the building where the doors ended. Gwen's washer/dryer and a kitchen counter would go into it, and a line for drying clothes would be strung outside.

Gwen nodded, “I can live with that, but you know, it's kinda boring.”

Peter sighed “it's a washroom Gwen, it's supposed to be boring.”

Gwen grinned and slid off the couch and over onto the arm of the chair he was sitting at, leaning down. “No, I meant I thought you’d fight more.” As she leant down he could see that under her t-shirt, she wasn’t wearing a bra. “I thought I’d have to pay you back in cuddles and kisses.”

Peter slid a hand under her shirt, keeping it at her waist, “MJ is twenty feet away. Cuddles and kisses are on hold until she’s comfortable here.” Gwen squirmed as he pinched her side. “Behave.”

It wasn't painful but she giggled and slid away, moving back to the couch, “fine. So. Really?”

Peter nodded, “I can get the wood ordered and start at the weekend. You’ll need to move out though, take one of the empty ones.” He motioned to the two homes he had finished before the pair moved in. All he needed to do was hook them up to the water and power and they were finished.

“Not what I meant,” she said with a smirk.

“I know what you meant,” he retorted, “and once I build your deck, you can work on mine.”

Gwen snorted out a laugh, “and we find out how soundproof the homes are.”

⁂

MJ sat feeling overwhelmed in her new place. She had expected it to be quiet and sombre, but she walked back into Peter's life as if she had never left.

It was then as she was about to leave she spotted them through the window. She knew they had started dating, as Flash ranted about it to her on one of their supposed dates. His idea of a date was to go to a fast-food place with his friends and laugh and joke about everyone at school.

But seeing it drove a spike into her heart. She always liked Pete. He was kind and never once made fun of her. Never once stared when she blossomed. MJ knew she was a talented actress. But she also knew she had an amazing rack, even if all it did was attract attention and gave her back issues.

Gwen was leaning over him. From the window, MJ could see that Peter was staring at her chest, but it was more. She saw him slide his hand under her top and up. She turned away, collapsing on the floor and holding her knees with her arms,

It wasn’t fair.

⁂

“Oh, yeah. Why doesn’t my phone work?” Gwen asked as she hit the message send button a few times,

Peter sighed, “The uh, people who owned the place put in a signal blocker. I think it's down in the sewers, so uh.” He knew it was a lie, but it was better than the truth. He cared about Gwen and MJ but it was not the time to show them his powers.

Gwen huffed, “so what, I need to go outside to use my phone?”

Peter shook his head, and pulled his from his pocket, “no. here,” and he tapped his to hers, waited for her to accept the file download and set the app up. “I wrote a program to get around it. Cause, yeah, not going down there.”

He pointed at the front main door, with the sewer grate. It was big enough to be believable, but nobody would expect him to head into the sewer.

“Better let MJ know as well then. We do get wi-fi, right?”

Peter rolled his eyes, “You've got bars, right?”

Gwen looked at her phone, grinned and shrugged.

He lazily lifted himself from the couch. Slid his pad back into the table drawer he had stuck his name on and went to knock on MJ’s door,

“Hey MJ, forgot something, can I come in?” he asked loudly,

The door opened and a red-eyed MJ answered

“If it's a bad time” but she pulled him inside

“I’m fine,” she said but sat on her new couch and curled her legs up to her chest, “so, what's wrong?”

“Oh, your phone won't work until I give you access. Bad guys that owned the place put a signal blocker in.”

MJ huffed and handed him her phone, “go ahead.”

He installed the program, and immediately her phone lit up, buzzing again and again,

Before he could hand it back, the unlocked screen flashed up with her messages,

‘Where are you’

‘Where are you’

‘Where are you’

‘Getting tired MJ, where the hell are you’

‘Answer your phone’

Missed call 9:14 am

Missed call 9:24 am

Missed call 9:34 am

‘Fucking answer your phone’

‘I fucking’

But MJ grabbed it before he could read more.

“MJ, you’re safe here,” he said.

MJ looked down at her phone, scrolling and deleting the messages, “I, uh. I still need to deal with that though.”

“And Gwen and I are here. If Flash shows up, call the cops. This is your home, not his and he can’t come in unless you let him.”

“Pete, can I ask you something?” she asked as she deleted the messages on her phone,

“Sure. go ahead.”

“If I’d asked you out, what would you have said?”

Peter shook his head, “MJ, you can’t. Gwen and I are dating. Even if I said.” He closed his eyes and leaned back. “You were my best friend, my only friend, You stuck by me, I,“ and he looked at her. “You mean more to me than the world, but you left. Flash took you away and what happened four years ago happened.”

Peter stood and moved over to the door, "Even if I said yes right now. I’m dating Gwen, and I won’t hurt either of you. This is your home MJ. No pressures, no worries. Nobody demanding anything from you.”

Peter was halfway through the doorway, leaving MJ holding her pillow.

“Except rent. I kinda need the rent.”

He quickly closed the door behind him as he heard the pillow thump against it,

Yeah, she’ll be fine. And anyone giving her crap won’t be. He added as he walked back towards Gwen with a small smirk on his face.