Peter tried his hardest to keep himself together on the car ride over to the nursing home.

"Will you visit?" Aunt May asked as he got ready to depart, confident the staff could take care of her.

"Of course! As often as I can!" He hugged her, as tightly as he could without breaking something. He pulled away, and she kissed him on the cheek.

"Goodbye, Peter."

"Goodbye, Aunt May." He smiled bravely as he left out the door.

"Come on, May. Let's get you to your room." He heard one of the staff from behind him. He walked out into the parking lot, got into his car, and began to drive home. So much was going on lately. Aunt May had moved into the nursing home. He and Wade were sort of dating, and he still hadn't figured out what to do about MJ. He still sort of hoped their relationship could work out. Maybe I'm bi? A voice said to him in the back of his head; it could still work. Well, then, what about Wade? Another voice remarked. He ran his hands through his hair as he stopped at a red light. His thoughts began to drift back to a conversation he'd had with Wade the other day.

"So, what's up with this Mary Jane chick?" Wade had asked as they sat on top of a skyscraper, watching the world go by.

"She's… my girlfriend."

"But…?"

"Yeah, yeah I know. I just don't know what to do about it."

"Just dump her! What've you got to lose?" He shook his head mournfully. What have I gotten myself into? He thought. He arrived back home just in time for the start of the school day. Luckily they had left early enough, and the home was close enough that he only had to miss about half a class. He walked through the college that day in a bit of a daze, devoting every bit of his mind that wasn't needed not to look like a dunce in front of his professors to solving his little problems. Problems being the operative word; little not so much. He was startled, then, when his phone began to ring loudly in the hallway between classes. His ringtone was the chorus of All the Single Ladies; he had no regrets. He put the phone up to his ear.

"Hello?" He answered.

"Parker!" Jameson, or J. Jonah Jameson, if you want to be specific, shouted so angrily into the phone Peter could practically feel the spittle. "You haven't been to work in days! Do you think you can just slack around doing whatever tickles your boat and no one would notice?" Peter was fairly sure he was mixing phrases there, but he didn't dare point it out.

"I'm sorry, I've just been really busy lately-"

"Well, I don't give a damn! I need pictures, Parker, now!" Peter sighed. What was he planning on pinning on Spiderman now? The economy? Global warming, perhaps?

"Yes, sir." He said, a little too sarcastically. Jameson grunted angrily, then hung up the phone.

"Guess who!" Two hands were suddenly clapped over Peter's eyes.

"Err… Oprah?" He guessed jokingly.

"Bzzt!"

"Scarlett Johansson?"

"Bzzt! One more try!"

"Mary Jane Watson?"

"Ding ding ding! We have a winner!" She turned him around, reached up and kissed him. Peter pulled away quickly. "What's wrong?" She asked, looking hurt.

"We need to talk." He took her to their favorite place, a shady bench out in the quad. They sat down, she with the same worried look on her face.

"Peter, I know what "we need to talk" means." He took a deep breath. And told her the story - the whole story – about him and Wade. It was a long one, to be sure. She even laughed a little once, when told the true identity of the "physics board". And when he finished, she seemed… relieved.

"How can you be so calm about this?" He asked. She smiled, sadly.

"Peter, I know it comes with the job and all, but you've lied to me so many times in this relationship. To protect me, to protect yourself, sometimes just to protect your ego. And even though I don't like the way it came about… I'm glad. Glad that you're finally telling me the truth." She stood up, and he followed. "Do you love him?" He didn't even have to hesitate; he nodded. "Let me just try something." She cupped his cheek in her hand and kissed him, one last time. This is the difference between her and Wade, Peter realized; when I kiss MJ, it feels like kissing. When I kiss Wade, it feels like the world falls away, and it's only us two. It feels right. She pulled away. "Anything?" She asked. He shook his head.

"No. I'm sorry." She looked down. "We can still be friends!" He said hastily. He did not want to lose her over this. Even if he didn't love her the way he did Wade, she was still like a sister to him.

"Yeah. Sure." She didn't wait for a reply before she took off, walking briskly back to the main building. Peter plopped down on the bench, head in hands. He had really messed up this time. There had to have been some way, some combination of words he could've used to break the news without hurting her, but he'd just gone ahead and blurted it out! He just hoped their relationship wouldn't be ruined forever.

"Come on, stay a few more minutes!"

"I can't, there's a bank robbery down the street. I can get there hours ahead of the police, we both know it."

"Please, Pete?" A year after graduation, Mary Jane was sitting with Peter and Wade in their new, shared apartment. After being introduced, she and Wade had become fast friends; as evidenced by her adoption of his nickname for Peter. "I want you to be here when I try my first chimichanga!"

"Trust me, MJ, I'll be back in fifteen minutes, tops." He swung out the window. Fifteen minutes passed, and he was still absent.

"They're getting cold." Mary Jane observed of the plate of deep-fried burritos sitting before her.

"That's it, I'm calling him." He picked up the landline and dialed Peter's number, waiting anxiously for him to pick up. MJ shut her ears for the inevitable loud, unintelligible rant.

"WHERE ARE YOU? I slave over a hot microwave for minutes on end and you can't even bother to come home in time to eat before it gets cold? I made chimichangas Pete! Chimichangas! For you!"