Chattel update (Patreon)

“And that’s everything,” Mary Jane finished, looking at Paul, wondering what his reaction would be. The irony of it all was that she knew how Peter would be. Understanding, a little frustrated, maybe a bit perversely eager to deal with the problem but tamping it all down to properly comfort her. She knew him so well. Paul was more of an unknown. She knew… she thought… she could trust him, but it was so strange now, being pursued by Peter instead of being in this holding pattern. Her and Paul had to feel different too, because Peter was such a constant to her he was like the bedrock of her world.

She’d been ready for Peter to go after Felicia, or start some new relationship, make it easy on her with the choices she’d made. Things were always a little easy with him. And now they were all hard and jagged and difficult. She didn’t know how to handle a Peter Parker who knew her better than she knew herself and declared he was going to give her what she needed, even when she said she didn’t want it.

“Well, obviously the guy’s lost it,” Paul said.

“No, not obviously—I don’t know what’s with him, what he’s thinking…”

“He’s not thinking clearly, that’s what I mean. He can’t just have you. That’s nuts.”

“I just don’t know what to do with him. He’s always been under so much pressure, as long as I’ve known him, and I tried my best to… it’s not right that he does so much good and his life is such a mess. Maybe if we were still together, he’d still, you know, have his house in order.”

“Hey, MJ, you can’t think like that,” Paul said, moving in to hug her. “It’s not your fault what Peter does or doesn’t—”

“I told her she wasn’t allowed to touch you.” Peter’s voice was cool as water flowing underground.

Cringing in fright, Mary Jane leapt away from Paul’s embrace. There Peter was, descending from the ceiling on a slender webline, his eyes fixed on Paul.

“I don’t know if she told you,” he continued. “I haven’t been listening that long. But in case you’re wondering: that’s why.”

Barely a flicker of anger ran through Peter’s face as his fist leapt out and clouted Paul on the head. Mary Jane gasped. She saw Paul jerk harshly with the blow, wobble, then fall. Blood trailing from his nose and one ear. The sound of the impact had been like a blackjack landing. She could only imagine Paul was concussed, at best—certain not to wake up anytime soon from the drooling purgatory Peter had sent him to.

“That’s the painkiller applied,” Peter said, the rawness in his voice undercut by joviality. “Now I’ll break a few fingers. I’m really not going to enjoy this, it’s just he has to remember this thing about touching you—”

“Peter, no! You can’t!”

Peter looked at her. His gaze wasn’t harsh, exactly, but curiously aloof. He really wasn’t angry, Mary Jane realized. He’d just given a dictate, decided how he would punish Paul for not obeying it, and now… now it was a chore, the same way he would change the batteries in a remote after it stopped changing channels.

“MJ, I told you what would happen,” Peter said magnanimously. “Have I given you any reason not to take me seriously?”

“This is insane!”

“What’s insane is that I didn’t take you back the moment he stole you from me.”

“I’m not property, Peter. His or yours.”

“Oh, I agree. You’re free to date whoever you want. Just like I’m free to break a few of the fingers on any hand he puts on you. You can date from separate rooms, right? Consider it a long-distance relationship.”

Mary Jane set her jaw. There was no reasoning with Peter. If he wasn’t mad, he was so determined, so utterly without doubt, that she couldn’t dissuade him with anything she might say. She could only… she didn’t know… bend a little until this thing was figured out.

“I’ll break up with him. I’ll stop seeing Paul. There’s no need to hurt him.”

Peter grinned mirthlessly. “MJ! After all the times I broke our dates, all the times you wanted commitment, now you want me going back on my word?”

“What would hurting him accomplish if I’ve already ended our relationship?” Mary Jane asked. “You’d just… make me feel sorry for him. Is that what you want for a member of your harem?”

Peter continued to smile, the look frozen on his face, but she could see his eyes working furiously from thought to thought. Then he blinked for a long heartbeat. “Mary Jane, how many times have you prevailed on me for one thing or another while wanting nothing to do with me? It’s not a lot, thank goodness, but it is a nasty habit you’re getting into. I’m going to need to ask for some reciprocity.”

Mary Jane felt her mouth go dry. “What would you want in return?”

Peter canted his head to the side. “Well, after all the fun you’ve had seeing me and Felicia and Jen naked, I think it’s about time you return the favor, don’t you?” He turned his head the other way. “Strip.”