Assumptions

Peter

Peter would be lying if he said that the last couple months hadn't been super awkward. After MJ's outburst, his friends and the entire decathlon team elected to ignore it. Well, for the most part. Flash, obnoxious as always, would occasionally bring it up when they saw something on the news about Spider-Man.

"Oh, look MJ, it's your boyfriend."

He would immediately shut up when MJ gave him a glare and in some cases, a gentle twisting of his arm behind his back. Either way, no one dared bring it up or else face the wrath of MJ. And for some reason, it bothered Peter.

Everyone choosing to ignore it, including MJ, meant that he couldn't ask her if she meant it. Because if she did, that meant that MJ liked Peter. Well she liked Spider-Man. But weren't they one and the same?

"No, Peter," Ned sighed. He was getting tired of this conversation. "It's not the same thing."

"Why not?" Peter whined. "I'm the one behind the mask. I'm the one risking his life to save people. Why can't Spider-Man and Peter be one and the same?"

"Because as far as everyone knows, Spider-Man is not an 18 year old senior," Ned said, returning back to his forgotten physics homework. He adjusted himself on the floor next to Peter's bed. "Because you know, that's the point of keeping a secret identity. To remain two different people. Ring a bell?"

"I know. You're right. It just kind of sucks."

"Why? Because the girl you like likes your alter ego and not you?"

"Exactly."

"Then why not just tell her you're Spider-Man. Maybe then she'll have feelings for you through transference."

Peter groaned and spun around in his desk chair. "Ned, you know why I can't do that. Besides I don't think that would even work."

"Why not just talk to her?"

"Talk to her? Have you gone mad? Absolutely not!" Peter scoffed. "Why would I willingly subject myself to ridicule by trying to talk to her. I'll look like a bumbling idiot in front of her."

"It's not like you haven't before."

"Ned! I'm serious."

"So am I." Ned got up from the floor and walked to where Peter was sitting and slapped him.

"Dude!"

"Talk to her," Ned replied. "Or else you're going to drive yourself crazy."

"Fine, I'll talk to her. Tomorrow."

Tomorrow came and went without Peter talking to MJ. Then days passed. Days turned into weeks and soon enough a full two months had passed without Peter mentioning Spider-Man. He had been too busy throwing himself into his work. Building new suits and spider gadgets and all around consuming himself with Spider-Man.

Ned would continuously give him looks whenever MJ was around, but he chose to ignore it. It wasn't until a Friday night study session/ movie marathon that Peter had to confront what he'd been strategically avoiding.

Halfway through the night they had abandoned their homework and Ned had claimed his place at the armchair and began browsing Netflix for a binge worthy tv show. Peter settled on the floor since MJ and her long legs had claimed the couch. Her nose was buried in her book, not a typical book, but her sketchbook. For the past half hour she had been focusing on drawing Flash from the morning when a freshman spilled water on his crotch. The look on his face when he realized he looked like he peed himself was too good not to draw she had said.

May came out of her room to get herself a cup of tea. "Do you kids want a snack?"

"Yes please," Ned said.

"I'll help," MJ offered. She haphazardly threw her sketchbook on the couch and followed May into the kitchen.

"Ooh, how about Lucifer?" Ned asked. "It has an 87% rating on Rotten Tomatoes."

"I think I saw someone on YouTube talking about it. Let's do it ." Peter gets up off the floor and moves their books to the table. As he sat on the couch, MJ's sketchbook slid off. Peter bent over to pick it up and froze at the drawing on the opened page. Or rather drawings. They were all of him. Well him in his Spider-Man suit. There were a couple of older ones that looked like the day in D.C. Some appeared to be newer, such as him with his mask over his nose, crouched on a rooftop and eating a sandwich.

Someone clearing their throat caused him to look up. There stood MJ with an unreadable expression, two bowls of popcorn in her hands. Peter immediately shut the book and tossed it to the side.

"It fell and I-"

"It's fine," MJ said bluntly. She set the popcorn down and sat at the opposite side of the couch. It was dark, but Peter could see the faintest whisper of a blush on MJ's cheeks. "Just drop it."

"Were those drawings of Spider-Man?" Ned asked.

"And you're not dropping it."

"So its true!"

"Ned-"

"You do like Spider-Man!"

"I don't like Spider-Man!"

Peter and Ned stood frozen in shock at MJs outburst. Normally she was cool and collected and she never lost her temper.

"Then why did you say you did?" Peter asked, hoping it wouldn't set her off again.

MJ sighed. "You guys wouldn't leave it alone. So I said the first person I could think of."

Peter contemplates his next words carefully. "So why Spider-Man?"

Michelle sighed, looking down to avoid their gazes. "No on knows who he is, right? So even if I had. A crush on him he would know. And honestly, he's not that bad."

Peter and Ned stared at her. She fidgeted in her spot, uncomfortable with the attention on her. Peter could've sworn she was blushing. He didn't she could get embarrassed.

He assumed wrong.