Side Spider

Okay now that I got your attention read my bodyswap au here

Five times Peter brushes off an injury, and one time Harry didn't let him.

Chapter 1: Broken Nose

Resonance by @lactoseintolerentswag

Daisy Daisy give me your answer do!

I'm half crazy all for the love of you!

It won't be a stylish marriage.

I can't afford a carriage.

But you'd look sweet upon the seat of a bicycle made for two!

Everyone say HAPPY BIRTHDAY to one of my favourite fics EVER!!! I mean it, please oh please go read this incredible fic. It is so beautifully written, the talent and set up of every single scene is incredible, every character is characterized perfectly and oh my god the STORY???? THE STORY HELLO THE STORY? T4T Parksborn that have been body swapped and they don't know how or when or where the other even is. The mystery kept me in suspence for so long and I LOVED IT. It was all done so so so well it has me in awe. Every chapter that comes out has me screaming in excitement and horror like oh my GODDD the twists!!!! The turns!!!! The stupid shit that the boy failures do!!! Someone stop them!! And someone please kill Norman and Otto thanks <33 I want to rant so much more but I refuse to place spoilers so that everyone can read it themselves. You can see my comments on each chapter anyway AHAHAH

If I could frame this fic on my wall and not be scared of questions about why I'm doing that, I would. I love this fic so much and it's not even done yet, GO READ IT RIGHT NOW!!!!!!

Chapters: 1/6 Fandom: Marvel’s Spider-Man (Insomniac Games Video Games), Spider-Man - All Media Types Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Harry Osborn/Peter Parker Characters: Harry Osborn, Peter Parker, Mary Jane Watson Additional Tags: 5+1 Things, Injury, Minor Injuries, Injury Recovery, Serious Injuries, Hurt/Comfort, Unhealthy Relationships, and then, Healthy Relationships, Miscommunication, Secret Identity, Secret Relationship, Childhood Friends to Lovers, Canon Compliant, well this is written before whenever the third game releases, Scars, Light Angst, Domestic Fluff, POV Harry Osborn, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, adding that tag bc that guy (spider-man) has a complicated relationship with combat and self care, but it’s not like that heavy, On-Again/Off-Again Relationship Summary:

He quirked up a brow. “Bull.”

Peter squirmed in place. “Really! Nothing happened, I was just being stupid!” And there he was, back to being that whiny, snot-nosed kid he’d known since fifth grade.

Harry smirked. “Since when have you not?”

In 1987, when Spider-Man finally tied the knot and married Mary Jane, Stan Lee held a real-life wedding at Shea Stadium as a publicity stunt.

Bear with me. 🐻 👈

For all intents and purposes I'm not taking sides, and would very much love a petermj endgame.

A highlight of the story, and in my opinion the best boss fight, was Scream!MJ versus Peter. It's a climax of the conflict brewing between them, but also puts pressure on the biggest weakness between petermj as a couple. This being the dynamic duo of MJ's poor communication skills and Peter’s self-centered obliviousness.

We've seen this before with that one very controversial argument between the two in the first game, yeah the one that people use to bash on MJ for being annoying, in which MJ is pushing against Peter for treating her like a baby and Peter pushing against MJ for running into danger (military compound). What gets brought up in this argument is the reason they broke up, which Peter claims he thought it was so she could focus on her work while she claims it was because of his babying.

I'm inclined to believe Peter, in that he didn't really understand why they broke up. Just because of a few other instances that reference their breakup. One being the dialog when he finds the backpack with their apartment application.

Here's that obliviousness in play. Then, there's also their conversation at Mick's. When MJ asks if he remembers why they broke up, and he responds with an unsure "this is a trick question isn't it?"

These responses are a symptom of two things.

The first being Peter’s tendency towards being self-centered. He's easily caught up in his own head, wants, and worries. It doesn't give much space for someone else, which we can see drains MJ by the second game. She's always having to tend to his wants, needs, and troubles. She always has to be the one to step up and help him out emotionally and financially. This self-centered nature he has also made it that much easier to symbiote to latch onto him. We can see this behavior evolve into extremes, and it exaggerates that tunnel vision he so easily falls into.

The second being MJ's communication style. She is not as direct as it may seem. This is a strength to have as an investigative journalist, when she may have to fib or play up reactions or keep calm in danger in places she should not be. MJ also has a tendency towards microexpressions to fill in what she's really feeling rather than words. Another way her struggle with communication is portrayed is how she texts. In this first game she's indecisive and struggles to get to the point of what she really wants to say, and continues to push this line of subtlety to her desires.

I'm sure it doesn't help that Peter is terrible with emotional confrontation, and is avoidant when it comes to hard conversations. He deflects with jokes, withholds information, and allows himself to stew on things until he explodes much later on.

These issues between them is under the guise of being addressed when they become equal "partners" during the devil's breath crisis. MJ's insecurity is being seen as incapable, which is something rooted in her relationship with her father (from a throwaway line in the Fisk art front). This is also something never addressed explicitly, because MJ is not explicit with her concerns. As seen with her publishing that article on Peter’s behavior as well. MJ wants to leave an impact on people. She feels lost after the failure of her book, but that article she wrote to cater to JJ was an indulgence in that desire for impact as well as a jab at Peter for being a dick.

Another key misunderstanding between them is MJ's dislike for the mask itself. This is another throwaway line in the Fisk art front, where she mentions that she was never a fan of the secret identities and that people should stand by their actions proudly.

At their best, Peter and MJ have great synergy as a team. They know how to have fun together. Their banter bounces back and forth so easily. But they never got over that state of miscommunication between them, despite the hurdle of being on equal terms. What equal terms really meant was more emotional baggage and responsibility on MJ's end. I can't blame her for not wanting to move in with Peter. On his own he's not able to take care of the house or himself. He's smothering and all encompassing to her time and her own goals. Spider-Man covers any impact she tries to seek with her work at the Bugle. Her most favored article by JJ was even an article that bashed Spider-Man.

So that all being said. Her melt down as Scream was also completely built up to and understandable. Nothing she said wasn't true, which is why I'm flabbergasted she agreed to move in with him.

On one hand it's a sweet moment for them to both acknowledge their flaws. It's a commitment to show she's serious about them. On the other it's the perfect setup for implosion. Peter has proved over and over he's not emotionally mature enough to pick up when MJ's upset, and he still gets tunnel vision over his own motivations. Like when he was so set on finding Harry that he ignored all of Miles' pleading that he waited. Also MJ quitting her job and suddenly moving in with Peter after staunchly putting it off so long just seems like a jump off a cliff. It's an impulsive decision made immediately after a high stakes event. And neither of them have stable jobs at the end of the game, a point MJ made in her tirade against Peter as Scream. It just seems like that "understanding" that they're equal partners all over again.

Ergo, I feel like they need something to shake up their relationship. They need a change of perspective, the both of them. I think space to develop as individuals would be helpful, but also I'm a biased fan of divorce and think peak petermj is in that phase of reconciliation after breaking up and getting back together. It would be nice to have some more development between them rather than just symbiote angst, which I also feel was resolved way too quickly. But that's another post, for another day.

Chapters: 3/? Fandom: Marvel's Spider-Man (Insomniac Games Video Games), Spider-Man - All Media Types Rating: Mature Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Harry Osborn/Peter Parker, Harry Osborn & Norman Osborn, Peter Parker & Norman Osborn, Otto Octavius & Norman Osborn, Otto Octavius & Peter Parker, Miles Morales & Harry Osborn, Miles Morales & Peter Parker, Harry Osborn & Mary Jane Watson, Past Peter Parker/Mary Jane Watson - Relationship, Anti-Venom Symbiote & Peter Parker Characters: Harry Osborn, Norman Osborn, Otto Octavius, Miles Morales, Mary Jane Watson, Peter Parker Additional Tags: Terminal Illnesses, Peter Parker has the Anti-Venom Symbiote, Emily Osborn Haunts the Narrative, Human Experimentation, Body Swap, Canon-Typical Violence, Captivity, Kidnapping, Gaslighting, Post-Break Up, Post-Video Game Series: Marvel's Spider-Man (Insomniac Games), Trans Harry Osborn, Trans Peter Parker, Harry Osborn-centric, Peter Parker Whump, Good Friend Mary Jane Watson, Good Friend Miles Morales, Fake Character Death, Angst, Slow Burn, Past Drug Addiction, Unreliable Narrator, Settling the beef between Miles and Harry, but not before antagonizing it bc it's funny, Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Medical Experimentation, Medical Horror, Cunnilingus, Grinding, Mild Smut, for one ☝️ chapter Summary:

“'I can tell that you’re upset and still processing.' His father stood and began gathering the dishes. Harry doubted he took any part in making that banquet of a breakfast. The sentiment was meant to be placating, just as the action of cleaning up was meant to soothe and misdirect. Norman ran a hand through Harry’s hair, and cupped the back of his head. 'Just please consider how much of a real second chance Peter has given you. The switch is temporary, you’ll have a better-suited body in no time. I promise.'

He smiled and left before Harry barked out a hysterical laugh."

A t4t parksborn body swap au with the added ethical dilemmas, identity crises, and existential dread. To my Harry Osborn enjoyers, I made this one for you 🥂