Rooftop Talk Beneath the Stars
Title: Rooftop Talk Beneath the Stars
Author: quietprofanity
Fandom: Spider-Girl
Disclaimer: May “Mayday” Parker/Spider-Girl, Mary Jane Watson-Parker, Peter Parker/Spider-Man, that dude from Spider-Girl #51, Logan/Wolverine, and Rina Logan/Wild Thing are all property of Marvel Comics and are used without permission for non-profit purposes.
Notes: This fanfic is a reaction to Spider-Girl #51. May contain spoilers.
Acknowledgments: This one’s for Cyberweasel, for all he’s done for both me and Spider-Girl. Thanks, man.
2008 Notes: Sean McKeever apparently read this, once. :-D
~*~*~
“She’s been up there for almost an hour…”
“Hmm?” Peter Parker looked up from the book he was reading and turned to his wife. Mary Jane was standing at the window, her head tilted as if she was straining to get a glimpse at something above her.
“May’s been up on the roof for about an hour,” she repeated.
“Really?” Peter picked up his cane and made his way over to the window. He craned his neck to get a look. His daughter’s feet hung over the edge of the roof, swinging back and forth every so often. “Hmm. She may just be thinking, but now that you mention it, she was a little listless after the game tonight.”
Mary Jane nodded. “Do you think something’s wrong?”
“Do you?”
“I don’t know. She’s rarely like this. Is something going on with Spider-Girl?”
Peter laughed. “Your guess is as good as mine. She never tells me about anything that goes on when she’s Spider-Girl.”
“Good thing, too.”
“What do you mean?”
“You know exactly what I mean. Do you know how many Spider-Girl debates I’ve had to sit through in the past month?” Mary Jane’s voice dropped a few octaves lower. “‘Maybe Wolverine lets his daughter run around New York in her underwear, but you’re my little girl and while you’re living in my house…’”
“Okay, okay. I get the point.”
Mary Jane laughed. “It’s all right.... Tsk… Why is she still up there? Usually she can’t sit still for more than three seconds.”
“Well, why don’t you ask her?”
“Me? Why me?”
“Well, since everyone’s sick of hearing me lecture…”
“Peter…”
“And you obviously do think something is bothering her.”
Mary Jane sighed. “I do.” There was a pause. “I guess I’ll go talk to her.”
Peter nodded as Mary Jane made her way towards the stairs. “Call for back-up if you need me.”
“Sure thing.” Mary Jane grinned and made her way upstairs and to the attic. From there she walked to the window and climbed out onto the roof.
May hadn’t moved since Mary Jane last looked out the window. She still sat on the edge, legs over the side. Her brown hair curled around her face as her head hung from her shoulders. A piece of paper rested on her lap, and her right index finger lazily flipped the edge back and forth.
“Hey, hotshot.”
May looked up from the paper as Mary Jane edged towards her. She smiled weakly as her mother sat next to her. “Oh. Hi, Mom.”
“You’ve been up here for about an hour, you know.”
May just stared at the paper. “I’m thinking.”
“Penny for your thoughts, then?”
May shook her head.
“Oh no? What’s in your hand?”
As if on instinct, May folded up the paper. “Nothing.”
“Ah. It’s a love letter, isn’t it?”
May sighed in exasperation. “Mom!”
“Don’t get defensive. It’s just a question.”
“I don’t want to talk about it.”
“Why?” Mary Jane’s face turned serious. “Nobody’s harassing you, are they? Because you can always tell me…”
“Oh no!” May said quickly. “No, I’m fine Mom. It’s just…”
There was a pause. “Just what?”
“I… I don’t know. This letter…” May shook her head. “Never mind.”
Mary Jane held out her hand. “Why don’t I take a look at it?”
May sighed.
“Oh, come on. It’s not like I’m asking to frame it and put it on the mantelpiece.”
May grimaced for a minute, then handed her mother the paper. “Here.”
Mary Jane smiled and took a look. Her eyes scanned the page. She giggled. “‘I am totally, utterly in love with you,’” Mary Jane read. “‘I know that sounds super dramatic but it’s essentially the truth. You’re so beautiful that it’s like-’”
“Yeah, yeah. I know.” May’s face was a bit pink. “I read it too.”
“May, this is very sweet. Who wrote this?”
“Didn’t leave a name.”
“Oooh! So you have a secret admirer?”
“Had a secret admirer,” May corrected. “If you read further down it says something to the effect of ‘I love you, but I’m moving away so I won’t leave a name. Sorry to trouble you, just forget about the whole thing.’”
“Well, you sound bitter.”
May pulled her knees to her chest. “I am a little. I don’t know, Mom. On the one hand I’m really flattered. I mean, he talks like I’m… I don’t know… a goddess or something and he says all these nice things…”
“So why not take it as a compliment?” asked Mary Jane.
“Well, I would, but then he does this big ‘I’m sorry I never talked to you, please remember me’ thing and… I don’t know. He sounded really sweet. If I knew this before… well, I don’t know if we would go out or anything like that. But I would have liked to have said ‘hi’ or something.”
“But could you have, May? Did he already move away?”
May nodded. “He left tonight. The letter said he’d be at the Central game tonight and that would be the last time he’d ever see me. But even still, I would have liked a name. Or a face. Or an assurance that this letter was written by a guy…”
Mary Jane laughed. “Well, whatever it is I bet it took him, maybe her, a lot of guts to write to you in the first place.”
“Yeah…” May took back the paper.
“You have to remember that not everyone is a basketball star, straight-A student or a superheroine, May. Talking to others comes naturally to you. I’m the same way. Others aren’t like that. And hey, you have to admit that you could be a little intimidating to someone who isn’t like us.”
“I know that, Mom. But I’m still me at the end of the day.”
“I know.” Mary Jane brushed the bangs away from her daughter’s eyes. “And your father and I think the world of you for it. I bet if this guy knew you as well as we do he would too. I think he wanted to.”
“Yeah. I… I think so too Mom, but…” May groaned. “I still want a name!”
Mary Jane laughed again. “You’re not letting this go, are you?”
“It bothers me. I’m ticked that I can’t do anything about it, either.”
Mary Jane nodded.
“What do you think I should do, Mom?”
“I already said it. ‘Take it as a compliment.’ There’s not much else you can do.”
May nodded a bit. “Still can’t help feeling sorry, though.”
“Sorry? For who?”
“For him, I guess. Not like ‘he’s so pathetic’ sorry or anything. I’m sorry he feels so bad he’s leaving just because of me. And I guess I’m sorry for me, too. He had such a huge crush on me and I never noticed.”
“Well, May. He may not have wanted to be noticed.”
May ran her fingers through her hair. “I guess you’re right.”
Mary Jane wrapped an arm around her daughter’s shoulder and pulled her close. “I love you. Don’t worry about this too much, hotshot.”
“Okay. I love you too, Mom.”
Mary Jane kissed her daughter’s forehead. “Coming downstairs anytime soon?”
“Just a few more minutes.”
“Good. If you want, we can go out for ice cream with Dad.”
“Sure.”
Mary Jane got up and went to the window. She let out a laugh.
“What is it?” asked May.
“Oh…” Mary Jane turned her head back. “You know, when I came up here, I thought this was going to be a talk about some Spider-Girl thing. And it’s a love letter! It’s like, ‘Finally, a problem I can handle.’”
May giggled. “See you downstairs, Mom.”
“See you.”
“Oh, and Mom?”
“Yes?”
“Could you not tell Dad before I get a chance to?”
“Sure thing. See you soon.”
“Bye.”
As the window closed behind her mother, May looked up at the sky. It was a clear night, and the diamond stars were beautiful. May glanced at the letter.
“Thank you,” it read. “Thank you, May Parker.”
May looked back at the stars. “No,” she said. “Thank you. For letting me know you care.”
~*~*~
Peter Parker looked up from his book once again when he heard his wife’s footsteps as they descended the stairs. “Is she all right?”
“She’s fine.”
“What happened?”
“Well,” Mary Jane smiled a bit wickedly. “It looks like our daughter just got a love letter.”
The End.
Author: quietprofanity
Fandom: Spider-Girl
Disclaimer: May “Mayday” Parker/Spider-Girl, Mary Jane Watson-Parker, Peter Parker/Spider-Man, that dude from Spider-Girl #51, Logan/Wolverine, and Rina Logan/Wild Thing are all property of Marvel Comics and are used without permission for non-profit purposes.
Notes: This fanfic is a reaction to Spider-Girl #51. May contain spoilers.
Acknowledgments: This one’s for Cyberweasel, for all he’s done for both me and Spider-Girl. Thanks, man.
2008 Notes: Sean McKeever apparently read this, once. :-D
~*~*~
“She’s been up there for almost an hour…”
“Hmm?” Peter Parker looked up from the book he was reading and turned to his wife. Mary Jane was standing at the window, her head tilted as if she was straining to get a glimpse at something above her.
“May’s been up on the roof for about an hour,” she repeated.
“Really?” Peter picked up his cane and made his way over to the window. He craned his neck to get a look. His daughter’s feet hung over the edge of the roof, swinging back and forth every so often. “Hmm. She may just be thinking, but now that you mention it, she was a little listless after the game tonight.”
Mary Jane nodded. “Do you think something’s wrong?”
“Do you?”
“I don’t know. She’s rarely like this. Is something going on with Spider-Girl?”
Peter laughed. “Your guess is as good as mine. She never tells me about anything that goes on when she’s Spider-Girl.”
“Good thing, too.”
“What do you mean?”
“You know exactly what I mean. Do you know how many Spider-Girl debates I’ve had to sit through in the past month?” Mary Jane’s voice dropped a few octaves lower. “‘Maybe Wolverine lets his daughter run around New York in her underwear, but you’re my little girl and while you’re living in my house…’”
“Okay, okay. I get the point.”
Mary Jane laughed. “It’s all right.... Tsk… Why is she still up there? Usually she can’t sit still for more than three seconds.”
“Well, why don’t you ask her?”
“Me? Why me?”
“Well, since everyone’s sick of hearing me lecture…”
“Peter…”
“And you obviously do think something is bothering her.”
Mary Jane sighed. “I do.” There was a pause. “I guess I’ll go talk to her.”
Peter nodded as Mary Jane made her way towards the stairs. “Call for back-up if you need me.”
“Sure thing.” Mary Jane grinned and made her way upstairs and to the attic. From there she walked to the window and climbed out onto the roof.
May hadn’t moved since Mary Jane last looked out the window. She still sat on the edge, legs over the side. Her brown hair curled around her face as her head hung from her shoulders. A piece of paper rested on her lap, and her right index finger lazily flipped the edge back and forth.
“Hey, hotshot.”
May looked up from the paper as Mary Jane edged towards her. She smiled weakly as her mother sat next to her. “Oh. Hi, Mom.”
“You’ve been up here for about an hour, you know.”
May just stared at the paper. “I’m thinking.”
“Penny for your thoughts, then?”
May shook her head.
“Oh no? What’s in your hand?”
As if on instinct, May folded up the paper. “Nothing.”
“Ah. It’s a love letter, isn’t it?”
May sighed in exasperation. “Mom!”
“Don’t get defensive. It’s just a question.”
“I don’t want to talk about it.”
“Why?” Mary Jane’s face turned serious. “Nobody’s harassing you, are they? Because you can always tell me…”
“Oh no!” May said quickly. “No, I’m fine Mom. It’s just…”
There was a pause. “Just what?”
“I… I don’t know. This letter…” May shook her head. “Never mind.”
Mary Jane held out her hand. “Why don’t I take a look at it?”
May sighed.
“Oh, come on. It’s not like I’m asking to frame it and put it on the mantelpiece.”
May grimaced for a minute, then handed her mother the paper. “Here.”
Mary Jane smiled and took a look. Her eyes scanned the page. She giggled. “‘I am totally, utterly in love with you,’” Mary Jane read. “‘I know that sounds super dramatic but it’s essentially the truth. You’re so beautiful that it’s like-’”
“Yeah, yeah. I know.” May’s face was a bit pink. “I read it too.”
“May, this is very sweet. Who wrote this?”
“Didn’t leave a name.”
“Oooh! So you have a secret admirer?”
“Had a secret admirer,” May corrected. “If you read further down it says something to the effect of ‘I love you, but I’m moving away so I won’t leave a name. Sorry to trouble you, just forget about the whole thing.’”
“Well, you sound bitter.”
May pulled her knees to her chest. “I am a little. I don’t know, Mom. On the one hand I’m really flattered. I mean, he talks like I’m… I don’t know… a goddess or something and he says all these nice things…”
“So why not take it as a compliment?” asked Mary Jane.
“Well, I would, but then he does this big ‘I’m sorry I never talked to you, please remember me’ thing and… I don’t know. He sounded really sweet. If I knew this before… well, I don’t know if we would go out or anything like that. But I would have liked to have said ‘hi’ or something.”
“But could you have, May? Did he already move away?”
May nodded. “He left tonight. The letter said he’d be at the Central game tonight and that would be the last time he’d ever see me. But even still, I would have liked a name. Or a face. Or an assurance that this letter was written by a guy…”
Mary Jane laughed. “Well, whatever it is I bet it took him, maybe her, a lot of guts to write to you in the first place.”
“Yeah…” May took back the paper.
“You have to remember that not everyone is a basketball star, straight-A student or a superheroine, May. Talking to others comes naturally to you. I’m the same way. Others aren’t like that. And hey, you have to admit that you could be a little intimidating to someone who isn’t like us.”
“I know that, Mom. But I’m still me at the end of the day.”
“I know.” Mary Jane brushed the bangs away from her daughter’s eyes. “And your father and I think the world of you for it. I bet if this guy knew you as well as we do he would too. I think he wanted to.”
“Yeah. I… I think so too Mom, but…” May groaned. “I still want a name!”
Mary Jane laughed again. “You’re not letting this go, are you?”
“It bothers me. I’m ticked that I can’t do anything about it, either.”
Mary Jane nodded.
“What do you think I should do, Mom?”
“I already said it. ‘Take it as a compliment.’ There’s not much else you can do.”
May nodded a bit. “Still can’t help feeling sorry, though.”
“Sorry? For who?”
“For him, I guess. Not like ‘he’s so pathetic’ sorry or anything. I’m sorry he feels so bad he’s leaving just because of me. And I guess I’m sorry for me, too. He had such a huge crush on me and I never noticed.”
“Well, May. He may not have wanted to be noticed.”
May ran her fingers through her hair. “I guess you’re right.”
Mary Jane wrapped an arm around her daughter’s shoulder and pulled her close. “I love you. Don’t worry about this too much, hotshot.”
“Okay. I love you too, Mom.”
Mary Jane kissed her daughter’s forehead. “Coming downstairs anytime soon?”
“Just a few more minutes.”
“Good. If you want, we can go out for ice cream with Dad.”
“Sure.”
Mary Jane got up and went to the window. She let out a laugh.
“What is it?” asked May.
“Oh…” Mary Jane turned her head back. “You know, when I came up here, I thought this was going to be a talk about some Spider-Girl thing. And it’s a love letter! It’s like, ‘Finally, a problem I can handle.’”
May giggled. “See you downstairs, Mom.”
“See you.”
“Oh, and Mom?”
“Yes?”
“Could you not tell Dad before I get a chance to?”
“Sure thing. See you soon.”
“Bye.”
As the window closed behind her mother, May looked up at the sky. It was a clear night, and the diamond stars were beautiful. May glanced at the letter.
“Thank you,” it read. “Thank you, May Parker.”
May looked back at the stars. “No,” she said. “Thank you. For letting me know you care.”
~*~*~
Peter Parker looked up from his book once again when he heard his wife’s footsteps as they descended the stairs. “Is she all right?”
“She’s fine.”
“What happened?”
“Well,” Mary Jane smiled a bit wickedly. “It looks like our daughter just got a love letter.”
The End.