Peter sat at the kitchen table, head buried in his hands staring at his phone screen.
“Three?” Uncle Ben lowered his newspaper, his eyebrows shooting up so fast they nearly vanished into his hairline.
“Peter, when I said ‘get yourself out there,’ I didn’t mean all at once”.
“I didn’t plan this!” Peter groaned.
“They insisted”.
“Liz wants to go to the Science Museum this Saturday.
Which is great!
Educational, public, low risk of me accidentally saying something stupid because I can just read the plaques out loud”.
Aunt May walked over from the stove, wiping her hands on a dishtowel said “Well, Liz sounds very practical.
But what about Mary Jane and Gwen?
Romeo” Peter winced he heard Aunt May calling him Romeo.
“MJ says a museum is ‘nerd jail’.
She wants to go to that new underground jazz club downtown, the one with the neon sign shaped like a cat.
And Gwen…
Gwen wants to do a rooftop picnic overlooking the Brooklyn Bridge.
She said she’d bring the homemade cronuts”.
Uncle Ben whistled, leaning back in his chair.
“A jazz club and a rooftop picnic?
Kid, you’re not James Bond.
How are you going to pull off three individual dates in one weekend without them finding out?”.
“Absolutely not” Aunt May interrupted, tapping her finger on the table.
“Just choose one Peter”.
Peter dropped his head onto the kitchen table with a dull thud “They know, Uncle Ben” Peter muffled into the wooden table.
“They all know” Uncle Ben paused mid-sip of his coffee, lowering the mug slowly.
“What do you mean they know, Pete?”.
Peter lifted his head, eyes wide with genuine panic.
“They’re going in turns to see ‘who I actually like best.’ I’m not a guy getting dates, I’m a prize on a reality TV game show!”.
Aunt May burst out laughing, dropping a fresh batch of pancakes onto the table.
“Oh, Peter.
You’re a brilliant man but you are completely outmatched here.
“It’s an intervention disguised as romance” Peter groaned.
Saturday morning arrived with bright, unforgiving sunshine.
Peter stood outside the New York Hall of Science, tugging at the collar of the ironed polo shirt Aunt May had forced him into.
Peter muttered to himself, bouncing on his heels “No pressure.
You are just a normal guy, doing a normal evaluation on a very weird highly organized reality-TV-style weekend”.
“Talking to yourself already?
Good.
That means you’re looking forward for the date” said Liz Allan walk up the steps, looking effortlessly stunning in a casual denim jacket and a sundress.
Peter felt a sudden, involuntary spike in his pulse.
‘Okay, she’s definitely attractive’ his brain whispered.
‘But keep it friendly.
One step at a time’.
“Hey, Liz!” Peter smiled, holding open the heavy glass doors.
“Ready for some heavy-duty learning?”.
“Oh, I’m ready,” Liz said, flashing a brilliant smile as they stepped into the cavernous echoing lobby.
She immediately slipped her arm through his, leaning in close.
“But I was thinking we could skip the boring elementary school exhibits and find the quiet corners.
You know…
where the lighting is better”.
Peter stiffened slightly, his arm frozen in place.
Liz smelled like vanilla and having her this close was definitely making his face hot.
“Right!
Quiet corners.
For…
maximum focus on the text plaques.
Obviously”.
Liz giggled, shaking her head.
“You are adorable, Pete.
Come on”.
For the first hour, Liz pulled out all the stops to turn the academic setting into a romantic comedy.
When they visited the mirror maze, she “accidentally” bumped into him staying close enough that Peter could feel the warmth of her shoulder.
When they stood in front of the giant glowing deep-space nebula projection, she leaned her head against his arm, sighing softly.
“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” Liz murmured, looking up at him through her eyelashes, the purple and blue light of the nebula reflecting in her eyes.
“Makes you realize how small everything else is.
Just you and me, staring at the universe”.
Peter looked at her.
He could acknowledge she was beautiful, smart, and being incredibly sweet.
But inside, that spark that made your stomach flip and your chest tighten was just wasn’t there.
“Yeah” Peter said softly before gently stepping forward to look at a control panel, smoothly breaking the physical contact without being rude.
“It’s, uh, a lot of hydrogen gas.
Fascinating stuff”.
Liz blinked, taking a half-step back, a look of amused exasperation crossing her face.
“Hydrogen gas?
Really, Parker?”
The butterfly conservatory proved to be the turning point of the date.
As they stepped into the warm, glass-domed room filled with lush tropical plants and hundreds of flashing wings, the intense “romance test” energy finally melted away.
Liz stopped trying so hard to create a movie moment and Peter stopped overthinking every move.
“Oh, look at that one!” Liz whispered, pointing to a massive, electric-blue Emperor butterfly resting on a broad green leaf.
“It is not really blue it is structural coloration” Peter said softly and then immediately caught himself.
“Sorry.
Nerd instinct.
I’ll shut up”.
“No, go on” Liz smiled as shr nudging his shoulder playfully.
“Why is it blue if it’s not blue?”.
“The scales on their wings are shaped like tiny ridges” Peter explained with his face lighting up with genuine enthusiasm.
“They bend the light so only the blue wavelengths bounce back to your eyes.
It’s a total optical illusion”.
Liz watched Peter speak, a soft warm expression replacing her earlier teasing smirk.
She realized then that forcing Peter into a suave guy was missing the point entirely.
His genuine unpretentious excitement was his actual charm.
For the next hour, they walked side-by-side sharing a pretzel and genuinely laughing.
There were no more forced arm-holds or dramatic sighs but just two friends having a genuinely great time.
Peter felt the heavy knot of anxiety in his chest finally loosen. Find the original chapter at g.com.
He didn’t feel a romantic spark but he felt an immense amount of gratitude for how cool Liz actually was.
By 1:00 PM, they were back on the museum’s front steps.
The afternoon sun was warm, and the sound of distant traffic hummed through Flushing Meadows Park.
“Well, Parker” Liz said spinning around to face him, her hands tucked into her denim jacket pockets.
“The Science Museum tour is officially over”.
“It was actually really fun, Liz” Peter said sincerely, rubbing the back of his neck.
“Thanks for dragging me out here.
Hope it was not…
boring”.
“Liz laughed saying “Hey, I learned about butterfly wings.
I’m calling it a win.
And for the record…” She stepped in closer before giving him a quick warm hug that smelled like vanilla and fresh air.
“You didn’t do half bad”.
“Did I pass?” Peter grinned and took a step back”.
“You got a solid B-plus, Peter.
Mostly for being a good sport” Liz said giving him a wave as she turned toward the subway stairs.
“Good luck tonight with MJ.
Dress sharp, Pete” Peter watched her go, a genuine smile on his face.
No drama.
No hurt feelings.
Just a sweet, friendly goodbye.
He checked his phone.
1:15 PM.
He had exactly five hours to get home, change into something and mentally prepare for Mary Jane Watson.
While Peter rode the subway back to Queens feeling a sense of relief, he was completely oblivious to the quiet sigh Liz let out as she boarded her own train.
She leaned her head against the window, watching the graffiti-covered walls flash past.
The date had wrapped up great.
Peter had been sweet, attentive and his nerdy explanation had been genuinely endearing.
But that was the problem.
Seeing him completely relaxed, unfiltered and passionate about his interests had only made Liz’s feelings for him grow stronger.
He wasn’t just a cool interesting guy anymore, he was someone she truly wanted to be with.
Yet, she wasn’t blind.
She had noticed how smoothly he broke away from her romantic gestures, and how his heartbeat had remained perfectly steady when she leaned against his arm.
He liked her as a friend.
Liz stared at her silent phone, a wave of disappointment washing over her.
She hadn’t lost the “competition” yet but she knew she had a massive uphill battle ahead.
By 8:00 PM, Peter was standing outside The Crimson Cat, a dimly lit jazz club tucked away in Greenwich Village.
He wore a dark blazer over a crisp black shirt, a look Aunt May had spent twenty minutes adjusting while Uncle Ben gave him a thumbs-up from the couch.
“Lets go!” Peter pumping himself up before exhaling the crisp night air.
Peter turned and for a second, his brain completely short-circuited.
Mary Jane Watson stood under the club’s buzzing neon sign, looking absolutely breathtaking in a sleek emerald-green dress and a black leather jacket.
Her signature red hair cascaded over her shoulders and she wore a confident look that made Peter’s pulse do a sudden, violent flip.
“Wow” Peter stammered, his smooth composure instantly evaporating “MJ.
You look…
wow”.
“Good answer” MJ laughed linking her arm through his.
Unlike Liz’s gentle and tentative touch, MJ held on with an effortless commanding confidence that practically dragged Peter into the venue.
The inside of The Crimson Cat was a sensory overload.
The air was thick with the scent of coffee and illuminated only by low candlelight and the warm glow of the stage.
A saxophonist was currently tearing through a sultry complex solo and the bass line thumping.
MJ navigated through the crowded room, sliding into a cozy velvet-lined booth right near the stage.
The candlelight flickered across her face as she leaned across the small table, resting her chin on her hand.
“So” MJ purred, her eyes locked onto his.
“Liz said you were a perfect gentleman this morning.
A regular Boy Scout.
But we’re in the Village now, Pete.
No flashcards.
Just good music, dark corners and me”.
Peter swallowed hard, suddenly feeling very warm in his blazer.
MJ wasn’t just trying to make the date romantic, she was treating it like an art form.
She ordered them a plate of spicy sliders to share and every time Peter took a bite or a sip of his soda, MJ would lean in close whispering commentary about the band or the eccentric people at the bar, her breath brushing against his ear.
When a slower deeply romantic blues melody started playing, the couple at the next table stood up to slow-dance in the narrow aisle.
MJ looked at them then turned her gaze back to Peter, her eyes softening with a rare genuine vulnerability.
She reached across the table, her manicured fingers gently sliding over Peter’s hand, gripping it firmly.
“You’re always so stressed, Peter” MJ murmured, her thumb tracing small circles on the back of his hand.
“It feels like you are carrying the weight of the world.
But tonight, you don’t have to be anyone else.
Just be natural”.
Peter looked down at their joined hands, then up into MJ’s striking green eyes.
He could feel the magnetic pull of her personality and his heart was definitely beating faster than it had that morning.
But as he took a mental breath, checking his internal compass.
He is deeply flattered and undeniably attracted to her but he can’t helped himself from wanting to keep his guard up.
He smiled softly, squeezing her hand back in a comforting genuine gesture “Thanks, MJ.
I really needed tonight”.
MJ smiled back but her sharp perception didn’t miss the subtle boundary Peter was maintaining.
She squeezed his hand one last time before letting go to take a sip of her drink, a playful but determined glint returning to her eyes.
The night was young, and Mary Jane Watson never backed down from a challenge.
As the night wore on, Peter found himself relaxing in a way he hadn’t in months.
There was a unique magnetic pull to Mary Jane.
Unlike anyone else, she didn’t demand explanations nor did she expect him to be a nerd from Midtown High.
Her effortless confidence acted like an anchor, allowing him to just breathe.
He had to admit to himself that he is definitely started to like her, even if it was just a slight budding feeling.
MJ noticed the shift.
She leaned back in the velvet booth swirling the straw in her drink, a knowing smile playing on her lips.
“Look at you.
You’re actually present, Parker”.
Peter smiled genuinely, leaning forward.
“It’s a nice change of pace”.
“Good.
Because you’re still playing it a little too safe” MJ challenged, her eyes flashing with playful mischief.
She gestured toward the stage, where the house band had just stepped down for a twenty-minute intermission, leaving the polished mahogany grand piano unattended.
“Do something completely natural.
No scripts. This chapter was taken from g.com without permission.
No calculated responses.
Show me a side of Peter Parker nobody else gets to see.
You don’t have to sing.
Just make a simple joke or simple dance will do”.
Peter blinked, looking from MJ to the empty piano.
In this life, he was a science prodigy.
But Peter carried memories of a past life,a completely different existence where he had spent years learning to play music because his mum used to say it help build character and impressed girls.
Peter hadn’t touched a piano in this timeline but as he stared at the keys, his muscle memory tingled.
“You’re serious?” Peter asked a sudden spark of adrenaline hitting him.
“Dead serious, Tiger” MJ smirked, crossing her arms.
“Unless you’re chicken”.
Peter stood up, smoothing down his blazer.
“Alright.
Hold my soda”.
MJ’s eyebrows shot up as Peter walked straight across the dim club and slipped onto the piano bench.
A few patrons at the bar turned to look, murmuring.
Peter took a deep breath, placing his hands over the keys.
Peter took a deep breath, placing his hands over the polished ivory keys.
He decided to play a massive, chart-topping global hit from his past life a track that didn’t even exist yet in this timeline yet.
He chose “Die With A Smile”.
In his past life, it was a sweeping, grand pop-soul duet.
But as Peter struck the first chord, he completely re-imagined it.
He slowed the tempo down to a low sway.
His left hand laid down a moody walking bassline while his right hand played rich, smoky jazz chords that hung in the humid air of the club.
He leaned into the vintage microphone, his voice dropping an octave into a soft, gravelly baritone that perfectly matched the late-night aesthetic of The Crimson Cat.”I, I just woke up from a dream” Peter sang softly, closing his eyes as his fingers danced over the keys.
“Where you and I had to say goodbye” The lyrics carried a heavy, melancholic weight.
For Peter, it wasn’t just a love song but it was an unconscious reflection of his past life.
“If the world was ending, I’d wanna be next to you,” he murmured into the mic, shifting the melody into a gorgeous, bluesy cadence.
Down in the booth, Mary Jane Watson’s playful smirk completely vanished.
She sat up straight, her eyes wide staring at him as if seeing him for the very first time.
The calm weird boy from high school was gone.
In his place was someone profoundly talented, soulful and deeply mysterious man.
The candlelight flickered against her face, capturing the exact moment her jaw dropped.Peter hit the final chorus, letting the vocals swell with a raw, emotional intensity that made the house bassist at the bar sit up and whistle in appreciation.
Peter wrapped up the performance on a fading, melancholic minor seventh chord, letting the sound hum through the dim venue before the keys went silent.
For a second, the club was dead quiet.
Then, the crowd erupted into enthusiastic applause.
Peter give a polite nod before quickly sliding off the bench and walk back to the booth.
He sat down, suddenly aware of how quiet MJ was.”Uh.
Was that natural enough?” Peter asked nervously rubbing the back of his neck.
MJ didn’t answer right away.
She just stared at him, her green eyes locked onto his entirely captivated.
The dynamic had completely flipped, Peter had just thrown a massive wrench into her expectations.
“Peter Parker” MJ said softly, a slow breathtaking smile spreading across her face as she reached out and took his hand, locking her fingers tightly with his.
“You are an absolute mystery.
What on earth was that song?”.
“Just…
something I’ve had in my head for a long time” Peter said softly, his heart doing a very real, very undeniable flutter.
The rest of the night at The Crimson Cat was an absolute blur of laughter and deep conversation.
Peter had completely dropped his guard and MJ, while thoroughly smitten by his performance, was a master of keeping her cool.
When they finally stepped out of the club into the crisp Greenwich Village air, she didn’t cling to him or gush about the song.
Instead, she just slung her leather jacket over her shoulder and gave him that classic, knowing smirk.
“Not a bad pipeline of talent you’ve got there, Parker” MJ said casually, though her heart was secretly thumping against her ribs.
“You might actually survive the weekend if you play your cards right”.
“Thanks to your coaching” Peter joked, walking her to the subway station.
They took the train back to Queens together, the steady clack-clack of the subway tracks filling the quiet gaps between their conversation.
By the time they walked up the steps of MJ’s front porch, the neighborhood was completely still illuminated only by the warm amber glow of the streetlights.
MJ leaned against the railing, her leather jacket slung casually over one arm.
The playful, guarded mask she usually wore at school seemed to slip away in the quiet night.
She looked up at Peter, her green eyes reflecting the porch light.”Thanks for walking me all the way back, Pete” she said softly, her voice dropping its usual teasing edge.
“You didn’t have to.””Of course I did,” Peter smiled, his hands shoved deep into his blazer pockets to keep from fidgeting.
“It’s late.
Plus…
I really had a good time”.
MJ let out a short quiet laugh, taking a half-step closer to him.
“A good time?
Tiger, you literally serenaded an entire club full of jazz musicians”.
Peter rubbed the back of his neck “Yeah, well.
You told me to do something natural”.
“And it was beautiful” MJ murmured.
She reached out her fingers gently grabbing the collar of his blazer, pulling him just an inch closer.
For a second, Peter’s breath hitched.
Her gaze dropped to his lips, then back up to his eyes creating a heavy electric silence between them.
He felt that distinct magnetic pull again, he was definitely starting to like her.
But true to his promise to himself, Peter took a mental breath, maintaining his steady friendly boundary.
He smiled warmly, gently placing a hand over hers on his collar.
“I’m glad you liked it, MJ”.
MJ recognized the gentle holdback.
Instead of being disappointed like Liz, a small respect-filled smile touched her lips.
She let go of his collar and patted his chest playfully.
“You’re a tough nut to crack, Parker.
But I like a challenge”.
She stepped back, unlocking her front door.
“Get some sleep.
You’re going to need your energy for Gwen tomorrow”.
“Goodnight, MJ” Peter said.
As the door clicked shut, Peter walked down the porch steps a genuine smile on his face.
He felt incredibly relaxed.
But the moment MJ was inside, she leaned her back against the door, her heart hammering wildly against her ribs.
She smirked.
‘Sorry, girls” MJ thought, tucking the phone away without typing a single word.
‘This one is mine’.
‘If the other girls find out he can play and sing like a literal jazz god, they’ll step up their game’.
MJ complained to herself.