#nwh speculation

Peter stands for a moment, in the light snow outside the shop. “Happy Hanukkah” the window sign says. Deep in Peter’s subconscious, he can’t help but hope that Michelle chose to work here with him in mind. It’s silly. She doesn’t remember him. Not well, at least. But he hopes anyway.

He steels himself and walks in. It’s a delightful little bakery. Peter can’t say he pictured Michelle in a place like this, but when he sees her behind the counter, he can only smile. She’s beautiful, and her no-nonsense attitude may not be the best for the service industry in the typical sense. But she no doubt endears her customers instantly with her wit and authenticity.

Peter steps forward, and his smile falters when he sees what’s around her neck.

“Hey...it’s Peter, right?” she asks. Normally, the question might be a dagger through his heart, even though he knew to expect it. Michelle’s memories were so tied to Peter being Spider-Man, that what was left after the spell took effect was like that of a classmate she’d never spoken to.

“Yeah,” he mumbles in response. “Hey MJ.” She frowns. “Michelle, sorry.”

Eyes narrowed, she tilts her head up. “What’ll you have?”

Peter can’t stop his eyes from drifting down to her necklace again. “Your necklace,” he breathes out.

Her hand covers it, and then she plays with it in her fingers. “What of it?”

“Black Dahlia. It’s broken. And you still wear it.”

Peter can’t tell if she’s defensive or offended by his statement. “Broken things can still be beautiful.”

A laugh bubbles up in him. Joyous and hopeful. “Yeah,” he grins at her. “Yeah, they can.”

She looks at him, head tilted and trying to figure him out. Peter may be botching this reunion, but he can’t seem to care in this moment, with his gifted necklace to her staring him right in the face.

“So what’ll it be?” she asks again, waving at the many pastries and cakes on display.

There were two good things to come out of the hell of the past few months. First, even though MJ, May, and Ned forgot that he was Spider-Man, the rest of the world did, too. They wouldn’t be in danger from his enemies, or hounded by press and conspiracies. Second, he had a chance to be honest with MJ.

“I was wondering if you could meet me for coffee some time,” he tells her.

Her eyebrows lift, and her eyes widen. Michelle hoped when her memory was taken that she’d still remember him enough that her crush would still be there. Peter hoped so too, but was less optimistic. Her crush may not have been because he was Spider-Man, but all of her observations that led to her liking him were inextricably linked to her theory that he was the masked hero. And her reaction now seemed to back his pessimism.

“Did you seriously just walk in here to ask me out?” she asks, mouth open in disbelief.

Peter can only smile and shake his head. A lot rides on this reunion with her. But he’s surprisingly calm. He knows her. He loves her.

“No, hopefully that part will come later,” he admits to her. “This is just a chance to talk to you. There are some things I want to tell you.”

I’m Spider-Man.

You and I were together for months before I screwed up a spell and almost broke the universe and lost you.

I’m in love with you.

He’s still not sure how much he can tell her at once. But he knows he wants to do it differently this time.

“How do you tell someone that you’re Spider-Man?” he’d asked.

“Someone you care about?” she’d responded. “You just tell them.”

So he’ll tell her.

She’s still frowning in confusion at him. He can’t imagine how strange this conversation has seemed to her. But he’s confident that she’ll say yes. He’s being honest. And she’s wearing his necklace.

“Okay,” she says, chin raised.

He continues to smile at her. “Okay.”

He orders some donuts or something for May. They decide on a place to meet. He bids farewell.

“Bye Michelle.”

“MJ,” she says with just a hint of confused reluctance.

“Goodbye, MJ,” he beams, and steps out of the shop.