Unfortunate Habits

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**I had this chapter down with no notes (bad Bumble!) and I forgot what it was supposed to be about, so this is something else I thought of to match the title. Pray to the muses that I remember what it was because I liked what the first paragraph said and I'm kinda sad I don't know what it was for. I also had a Parker-Luck moment yesterday and tripped on the patio and have an open wound fracture in my foot so I'm on bed rest and will probably be writing like crazy. Anyways... Enjoy!**

MJ and Peter weren't the 'it' couple at Midtown, but that had more to do with the fact that no one knew they were dating than them being nerds on the Academic Decathlon team.

MJ couldn't have people thinking she'd gone soft for the doe-eyed loser.

Peter couldn't have people from outside school getting word and using MJ against him.

So they kept things quiet. MJ and Peter were careful to not hold hands in the halls, or exchange quick kisses before classes, leaving those simple pleasantries for weekend dates at the Tower and trips overseas with Tony and Pepper.

Even when Peter had to rush off for a mission in the middle of class, MJ resisted the urge to kiss him good luck and make him promise to come home in one piece. And Peter resisted the urge to shout "I love you" as he dashed out the door. It was even harder when he got back from long missions, when the first time MJ saw him in days was at his locker, where she couldn't check him head-to-toe for injuries.

Ned was completely oblivious, too. Which is why, in the entire month Peter had been gone on a reconnaissance mission with Bucky, Natasha, and Clint, Ned hadn't noticed MJ getting more and more worried.

"Do you think Peter's mission went okay? Do you think he got hurt at all?" MJ asked over lunch. It had been 3 days since Peter was supposed to be back, and neither MJ or Ned had heard anything yet.

"I think Tony would burn the country to the ground before Peter got hurt."

"Tony's not on this mission," MJ reminded him.

"Natasha, then. Why are you so worried? The most emotion I've ever seen you show is when someone in your book dies."

MJ went pink in the face but didn't say anything else. Ned was a blabber-mouth. He couldn't keep a secret to save Peter's life, and that's exactly why MJ and Peter were keeping things on the down low.

"I just think-"

MJ looked over Ned's shoulder and her eyes went wide. Ned spun around.

There, at the front of the cafeteria, was Peter. He was banged up pretty bad - a bandage wrapped over his shoulder and chest, his arm in a splint, a black eye blooming over his face. MJ didn't think twice as she stood up and marched over, her eyes fiery and her mouth drawn into a tight line.

"What the hell is this?" She asked, gesturing to Peter's injuries. The whole cafeteria seemed to grow quiet with bated breath as they waited for Peter's explanation and MJ's explosion. It was their ritual after any mission. Injuries first. Unfortunately, their habits were on display for the whole school now.

"There was some trouble at the end. Clint's local was blown and I stepped in to take the fall. They had me for 2 days, M, but Nat and Bucky called backup and I was out of there in a jiffy. The eye socket was fractured, but it's healed. The rotator cuff is healing without surgery, and they cleaned up my chest and back. We're just waiting on the bullet wounds, now, the other stuff is all scarred over."

Peter spoke in low tones, but the other students in the cafeteria had heard him loud and clear. Everyone was buzzing with theories on what had happened to the nerdiest kid in school, but they were shocked back into silence as MJ began to sniffle.

"You didn't call. I should have known when you didn't call."

Peter twisted his lips into a frown. "Hey, hey, hey. I'm fine. They couldn't do anything to me that mattered. I'm sorry I worried you."

MJ punched his arm, then leaned up to capture Peter's lips in a kiss. The cat was out of the bag now, but she didn't care. All she cared about was Peter in front of her now. "You should have let Clint go with them."

"Clint doesn't have radioactive spider healing factors, baby."

MJ laughed into Peter's shoulder, but didn't pull her way out of the embrace. The cafeteria was reeling from the big reveal - MJ and Peter were dating, and Peter was Spiderman.

"I got you something," Peter whispered.

"While on mission?"

Peter shrugged. "I can't stop off and get my girlfriend a present while overseas?"

MJ held out her hands. Peter rummaged in his pocket for a moment, the sling making it a little difficult, and then brought out a little box. MJ opened it excitedly.

Inside the velvet liner sat a beautiful locket, reflecting in the light. "I got it while coming through Ukraine, but I spruced it up. Open it."

MJ opened the locket happily, startling when holograms were projected forward. One of them was a video of Peter spinning MJ around in a hug. The other was a spread of his vitals and location.

"For the next time I'm gone," he explained. "So you don't have to worry."

"How is it tracking you?" MJ asked.

Peter lifted up his pant leg to show off a raised bump on his ankle. "Chip."

"Weird. I love it."

The two kissed again, but the noise of Ned clearing his throat made them jump apart. Ned had his arms crossed and his eyebrow raised. "Really? You couldn't even tell your best friend?"

MJ just shrugged. "We didn't want word to get out."

"I do have villains after me daily," Peter said with a smirk.

Ned just shook his head. "You two are so freaking weird."

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