THE REDHEAD ENCROACHMENT, WIP (Patreon)

PART 1:  HITTING THE JACKPOT 

"I don't know about this."

"Oh, you'll do great, Peter.  I'm sure."

"But...  here?  Like this?"

"I know you've got it in you, Tiger.  I know you can."

"I just never-"

"I'm here!  I'm hot!  I'm willing!  Take advantage!"

"You ARE hot, yes, but-"

"Oh, please!  How hard can it be?"

Much harder than she thought, actually.  

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People said exercise could provide relief.

It did not.

Each push was about him.

Each pull, each tug, was about him.

Each grunt, each groan was about him.

Always about him.

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"Er...  Arch your back, can you?"

"Like this?"

"Yeah, but...  Move your leg a bit, please.   No, the other way."

"Which other way?  Where-?"

"There.  There.  That's fine."

"Fine?"

"Great.  You're great.  Just stay still now, ok?  Just let me-"

"Sure, Tiger.  Take your time."

"Are you comfortable?  I wouldn't want you to-"

"I'm fine, Peter.  Just..  go ahead.  It's ok."

"Are you?  Really?"

"It's alright, Tiger.  Take it."

"I mean, if you aren't-"

"Peter, relax.  I'm ok.  Just do it."

"I'm doing it.  I'm doing it."  He frowned, shifting the angle.  "Just look at me while I-"

"Like this?"

"Uh, yeah.  I think so.  Wait, I think-"

She sighed.  What was there to think?

He froze at her sigh.  It spoke so much.  "I'm sorry."

"There's nothing to be sorry about, just-"

"I really-"

"Go on.  Don't stop."

He stepped back.  "This... isn't working."

"What?"

He shook his head.  "I can't."

"Come on, Peter!  You can.  Just-"

"I just can't get the right...  It's not how I thought it'd-I...  I just can't."  

She straightened, tossing her long red hair to a side.  "What is it?  Is it me?"

"No, no, it's not you.  You're beautiful, MJ, you know that.  Everyone knows that.  But it's not-"

"I do this all the time, you know.  It's not THAT hard."

"For you, maybe.  But-"

"What do you mean with that?"

"I don't mean anything, just that-"

"I mean, why can't you?  It's not the first time you've-"

"Not like this.  It's not the same."

"So you can go ahead and do it all over the city, in your costume, even, but not like this with me?"

"It's different!"

Mary Jane breathed in deeply.  She had to be supportive.  "What if I took it off?"

"What?"

"The clothes.  All of them.  Would that help?  To grab your eye?"

"You'd want to-?"

"Why not?  It's no biggie.  I've been thinking about it a lot, really."

"You never told me.  Isn't that a bit too-?"

"Alright."  She shook her head and looked away.  "Forget it.  Forget I mentioned it.  Forget I ever suggested this.  Any of this."

"Look, I told you I wasn't-"

"Yes.  You did.  But I wanted you to try.  To do it with me.  To do it for me."

"I tried, alright?  Like you wanted to.  I did!  Even if I-"

"There's quite a few who'd want to have me like that, you know.  I've had many offers before."

"Well, if you really want to-"

"I wanted it to be you."  She walked towards the windows, staring at the New York citiscape outside.  "Was that wrong?"

"No!  No.  I...  I'm sorry.  It's just not my thing, MJ.  You know-"  

"Hefner's people, even.  But my own boyfriend just-"

"That...  That's it, really.  You're a damned supermodel and I'm just some guy who-"

"You are MY guy!"

"But you deserve better!"

She winced and turned around.  "You got grow past this insecurity of yours.  If I could make it-"

"It's not insecurity.  I just know I'm no good for-"

"What the hell do know?  About anything?"

"That's my point!"  

"We're together, Peter!  What does that tell you?"

Peter grimaced, placing the camera back into its case.  "That you have lousy taste?"

"Do you know many morons make a great living with this?  Just taking pics of hot women like me?  How is that more difficult than fighting freaks in tights?"

Peter Parker sighed.  How could he ever explain? 

TO BE CONTINUED