RECKLESS

« lily collins, twenty nine, she/her, the amazing spider-man movies » ∙∙ loading case file for mary jane watson. known aliases, if any: mj. current location: new york, new york.  current occupation: struggling actress/waitress. he/she/they have known to be charismatic and inconsiderate, so proceed with caution. their current alliance: civilian.

“ Go get ‘em, Tiger.”

"So. Many. But number one would be Christine Daaé."

&

He’d been furiously rummaging through the takeout bag like a starving child–when had he last eaten?–and paused with his chopsticks half-unwrapped, his mouth hanging open in feigned horror. “Mary Jane Watson,” he said, “how did you graduate without knowing that the mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell? I thought they legally couldn’t let you graduate if you didn’t know that the mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell.” He knew exactly how she’d managed it: afternoon study sessions at May’s kitchen table, her full lips, that crooked smile. 

“Please, you didn’t peak in high school. Look at you.” Eating mediocre Chinese food with your shitty ex-boyfriend in his rat trap apartment. Miles too good for a place like this. “You wanna talk peaked in high school? Maybe I should bring back the sweater vests. Chicks dig pocket protectors now, yeah?” He cringed at the sentence and, chopsticks finally ready, dove into the food before he processed the rest of her sentence. “Oh no,” he said around a mouthful of chicken. “Do you want to talk about it? Want me to–” he mimed a thwip with his free hand, “fight someone?”

»

♕ — MJ waited until he had stopped rummaging through the take out bag. She knew better than to get in Peter’s way when it came to food. She personally liked having all her fingers intact. Once she was sure it was safe enough, she reached into the bag to grab out her chow mein and potstickers before she settled down in the chair beside him and toed out of her no-slip shoes that she absolutely hated with every fiber of her being before she simply draped her feet over his lap. She had done it a hundred of times before she knew very well she probably shouldn’t be doing it now but she was tired and Peter was always comfortable. “I always seem to manage to work the system into my favor,” she replied, “with the help of a friend or two.”

&

He looked up from what was definitely not a small adult temper tantrum to see her–her–in his doorway, and his breath caught in his throat. The late-evening light, the takeout, the–stop. That was over and done. You blew it, tiger. So he swallowed and shrugged. “Gotta pay the bills somehow. Might as well teach the youth. Inspire the next generation. Or, you know, make sure at least three teenagers know that the mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell.” He sat up straighter, running his hands through his hair. “That’s a lie, it barely pays the bills, but I’m not complaining!” (He was very much complaining.)

“Nah, I walked right into that one. I mean, look at me.” He laughed. Even after all this time, after he’d given her every reason not to be, she was in his corner. “But you can pass me that.” He reached for the takeout bag with a contended sigh. “Please tell me you got kung pao chicken.”

»

♕ — MJ only let out a soft snort. She knew all too well about barely pay the bills jobs, that was part of the reason that she found herself at his apartment-- her soul-crushing job at the diner. She looked over at him with amusement as she casually tossed her coat over one of the chairs as if it had belonged there all along and untied her apron from her waist. “Well, you managed to teach me that, so, I’m sure you can reach at least three students.”

open.

“I am,” he said, “and I cannot stress this enough, not paid enough for this.” The stack of homework to grade was dizzyingly high, the bags under his eyes nearly as big. Could he have assigned less work? Yeah, maybe. But the kids were struggling with chapter 12. Could have have skipped patrol last night? He guessed, but he’d finally busted the bicycle theft gang on the Upper West.

“And Jamie D called me a nerd today. Nice and loud. To the whole class. Really just went at it with his whole chest.” Peter groaned and slumped across the table, cradling his head in his arms. “I hate high school.”

»

♕ — “Honestly, I’m surprised you went back to teach.” MJ’s hand was raised, her knuckle poised to knock against the open door frame when she was greeting by Peter’s -- valid -- complaints about his current line of work. Well, the other line of work. She dropped her hand and raised the other one to show the bag of Chinese take-out that she had brought with her. She took a step forward and placed the bag down on the table just centimeters from his nose. “I would ask how you are, but you already answered that, Tiger.”

“Yeah,” he returned her smirk as he looked down at her. Johnny smiled and shrugged at MJ’s question. “I don’t know,” he started, pulling her closer. “I guess that depends on how much I like her. If I like her a lot, yeah. I’ll do whatever I need to.”

»

♕ — MJ’s smile stayed present as she nodded at his words. “I’m not really sure how well you’re going to succeed then. I happened to like this boy who invited me here. He’s been one of the few good things about being in this city for me. Rather not lose that, you know?”

“Yeah? Lucky guy.” He led her to the middle of the dance floor and pulled her into his arms. “Kinda hoping it’ll go bad for him, though.” Johnny smirked, tilting his head to the side. “Maybe I can slide into his spot.”

»

♕ — Mj followed him with ease and gently wrapped her arms around his neck when his went around her. “Oh?” She smirked up at him. “Is that the kind of guy you are, Johnny,” she asked curiously as she tilted her head to look up at him. “Do anything to get the girl?”

“Come on,” Johnny started, walking over to where his date was sitting. He smirked and held his hand out for MJ to take, nodding back to the dance floor. “You look way too good to be sitting there all night.”

; @marvelingenue​

»

♕ — MJ glanced over at Johnny in surprise when he stood in front of her. She chuckled softly and set her glass of champagne down on the table before she took a hold of his hand. “Why thank you,” she said. “I have this date I’m trying to impress. Can only hope that it’s working.”

»

♕ —  Mary Jane looked over at her friend with amusement. Never in her life had she ever used the term going steady, so she couldn't help but to chuckle when Jessica spurned it. "You are hanging out and getting to know each other. There's nothing complicated about that. It's only as complicated as you make it." She should know. The on and off nature of her relationship with her spider-man was complicated and probably not worth the drama that she and Pete had put into it. She took sip of her drink and let out a soft snort when Jessica made her threat and she rolled her eyes playfully. "I'll make sure that he knows what's at stake. But like I said, we're just friends. I'm not really in any rush to get into anything here. I'm trying to focus on me right now."

Johnny gave her a teasing look, moving his arms to her waist.” You’ll allow it? Well, thank you, Miss Watson.” He caught her gaze and smirked. “MJ, why would I lie about it? You were really good. Don’t be so self-critical.” Johnny’s smirk turned into a smile and he stopped moving, reaching behind his neck for one of her hands. “So, are you too tired or busy?” He started, keeping her hand in his. “Or are you free and feel like doing dinner with me?”

»

♕ — MJ just shook her head playfully. Her not being so critical of herself wasn’t really an option. Everything she did, she still had her father’s voice in the back of her mind telling her that she was never going to be enough. She pushed those thoughts aside and looked up at him he took hold of her hand. “I’m not tired or busy,” she replied. “I’d like dinner. I’m starving.”

Johnny laughed and looped his arms snug around MJ’s waist, tilting his head in a mirror of her as he looked down at her. “Okay. Well. What if I said I only came for your ten minutes?” He held a completely serious expression for a solid minute, before smirking. “What?” He laughed again, “You said I couldn’t give an opinion unless I saw you perform.” Johnny started swaying them gently to nonexistent music. “And if I told you I was coming, you’d have said: no. It’s not worth it. I’m only in it for ten minutes,” Johnny mimicked and held her closer. “So, surprise.”

»

♕ — Mary Jane didn’t want to agree to his logic no matter how sound it was, she couldn’t give him that satisfaction. She pressed her lips together and scrunched her nose all in the effort to keep herself from smiling too much. “Definitely is a surprise,” she finally said as she looked back up at him, swaying along with him. She clasped her hands together at the base of his neck and allowed her thumbs to toy with the ends of his hair. “I guess I’ll allow it, what did you think? Be kind please...”