Midtown recently had their latest decathlon win. Since Flash had made it into the team, he was so generous to throw a pool party at his house and invited all of his teammates. Peter, Michelle, and Ned all decided they were going to go together. Peter drove them to the suburbs and arrived there around 6:30pm.

After hanging around there for a few minutes, Peter and Ned decided they were going to change into their swimming trunks.

"Michelle, are you gonna go swim with us too?" Peter asked.

"I'm actually not gonna change."

"Why not?" asked Ned.

"I don't feel comfortable wearing my swimsuit around Flash's friends..." She whispered to them. "They're literally going to judge me and give me looks all night."

"Michelle, you shouldn't care what they think. You look beautiful. Always remember that." He assured her, making her blush. He put his hand on her arm. "Plus, we're here for you. We won't let anything happen to you, right Ned?" He turned to him.

"Right." He patted her shoulder.

"Thanks, guys."

"No problem."

The two went ahead and changed and Michelle changed a few minutes later. She runs over to the two sitting on the edge of the pool and tapped on their shoulders.

"So, what do you guys think about my new swimsuit?" She asked, putting her hands to her sides. Peter looked at her in awe. She looked amazing in her yellow two-piece bikini.

"You look great, MJ." said Ned, smiling.

"Thank you." She replied, then turned to Peter whose jaw was dropped and was left speechless. "So?" She asks him after a while.

"You look perfect." He blurted out. She blushed at this.

"You really think so?"

"Yeah. You look gorgeous, Michelle."

"Well, thanks." She blushed once more. "I'm feeling a little thristy so I'mma just grab a drink. Be right back." She left to go get some water. Once she was out of earshot, Peter scooted nearer to Ned and whispered something.

"Hey dude," He started. "Do you know that feeling where you know a person really well and like, you're just friends. But then suddenly you feel something... different. Like, you look at them differently now."

"In a good way or...?"

"Yeah, in a good way. Like, you have a best friend who you're so close to and now, you feel like... attracted to them somehow?"

"Oh, I know what you mean. I have this family friend Amelia and she and I used to always play together at my house cause she would always come over. That's when I had a crush on her but, she never really liked me back."

"Aww, dude, I'm sorry." He patted Ned's back.

"Yeah, well, it was a long time ago. And whatever you're feeling is totally normal." Peter nodded at this.

"Hey y'all. I'm back." The two boys made room for MJ to sit in the middle. Peter slowly put his hand around her. "You guys have no idea how much this means to me. Wearing this..." She sighed. "Reminds me so much of my mom."

"Did she give this to you?" asked Peter.

"Yeah. God, I miss her." She rested her head on Peter's shoulder and he felt tingles down his spine.

"Looking good, Jones!" shouted one of Flash's friends from the other side of the pool. Him and his group snickered at MJ. Flash wasn't with them and was somewhere else entertaining other guests.

"Stay here." said Peter, standing up and walking towards the group. "What is your problem?" He asked to the guy. Michelle followed him and tugged on his arm.

"Peter, don't. It's fine. Let it go." She said, but Peter ignored her.

"If any of you have nothing good to say to her, then shut your goddamn mouth. Nobody wants to hear your bullshit." With this, the guy stood up and walked nearer to him. He was a good 7 inches taller than Peter, making him gulp but stood his ground.

"Peter, let's go." She continued tugging. He shook her hand off.

"Listen, Parker," said the guy in a threatening tone. "Do you want your sorry ass to be kicked out?"

"Peter." MJ's tone was very serious now. He finally turned towards her and she shook her head in reply. Peter gave in and they walked back towards Ned.

"Yeah, that's right. Walk away." He shouted to Peter. Then, he whistled at MJ. "Sweet ass, Jones! Wanna hook up sometime?" He shouted towards her.

"OKAY, THAT'S IT!" Peter launched himself at the guy and punched him square in the face.

"Goddammit, Peter. I told you, just stop." MJ said in a low voice. Ned ran over to them. People huddled around them to see whatever was going to go down. The guy was just punched in the face but shrugged it off like it was no problem.

"Oh, you wanna fight, Parker?"

"Peter, please stop making a scene."

"But he was being a pervert to you!" He whisper-shouted at her.

"Please." He looked directly at her and saw desperation in her eyes. He sighed.

"Okay. For you." He quietly said to her.

"Thank you." They walked away and the people around them booed while the three walked back inside.

"You know, I didn't want to go for a swim anyway." said Ned, trying to lighten up the mood. "I'm gonna go change. Be right back." He went to go look for his clothes and change, leaving the two alone for a while.

"I can't believe you punched that guy." She said to him.

"He was being inappropriate. I couldn't let him do that to you."

"Everything they say mean nothing to me, Peter. But I really appreciate you doing that. It seemed like you really cared."

"I do. I care about you so much. And I'm sorry I ruined this night for the three of us."

"What do you mean?"

"We were supposed to have a good time, but then I ruined it."

"No, no. You didn't. They did, Peter." She pointed at the guys outside, laughing about something. "You just did what you thought was right. And I love you for that." She put a hand on his shoulder and a few seconds later, she realized what she had said. Both of their eyes widened.

"You... love me?" He asked. It took her a while to respond.

"...Oh, you know, I love you... as a friend." She chuckled nervously as she slapped his shoulder playfully.

"Oh. Right." He chuckled along too. A few awkward seconds later, Ned arrived.

"Hey, guys. You haven't changed yet?" He looked from Peter to MJ.

"Oh. Woops." Michelle smiled awkwardly. She looked around for her clothes and grabbed them. She grabbed Peter's as well and handed them over to him.

"Thanks." He replied. "You wanna go change together?" He had no idea what was coming out of his mouth and why he said it. All of a sudden, he was sharing his thoughts out loud. Michelle and Ned's eyes widened.

"What?" She asked.

"I meant it'll be faster if we just used the bathroom at the same time."

"O...Okay." She lowkey did want that too anyway. They both headed over to the bathroom and locked the door.

"Too bad there's only one bathroom here." said Peter.

"Yeah." She said in response. They looked at each other awkwardly.

"I'll let you change first." He said, turning back from her.

"Hey, Peter." She said.

"Yeah?" She turned him around until they were face-to-face.

"Please don't get mad at me for doing this." She said as she leaned in. Their lips met as she put her hands around his head and he put his around her waist.

As the kiss got deeper, Peter lifted Michelle onto the long table with the sink. He pinned her onto the flat mirror and placed soft kisses on her neck.

"Oh, Peter." She let out a moan. He pulled away.

"Is this really the most appropriate place to do this?" He asked.

"Oh shut up and kiss me." They kissed the night away until they had forgotten they were in Flash Thompson's pool party, locked in his first floor bathroom.