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Johnny glares at his phone looking at the pictures of Mary Jane Watson in perfect lighting and the more likes even if they have the same amount and pretty much the same followers.
The difference was made up in race car and BMX fans vs her movie fans.
The superhero game was stronger for Johnny but Spidey made a few cameos for her and so did her photographer who everyone is convinced is dating Spidey. Johnny knew better because he was dating them both, well he was dating Peter because he knows who Spidey is.
It became pretty well known that Johnny and Mary Jane were having a like war and the followers evened out so they could see both pictures of the day.
Mary Jane turns her head back jaw clenched shoulder forward as she leans against the steps of Peter’s apartment building. It was expensive the nicest place Peter had ever lived since he broke it off with her and moved back in with Harry.
This was a four-bedroom apartment. One for Peter, one for Harry, one for Normie, and a nursery for Stanley.
Peter is bent unnaturally close to the ground while his torso is still up his muscles bulging as he clicks the photos. And she grins as she gets to tag no filter when Peter takes her pictures he took care of it himself.
The sun is rising and her red hair is lit up and Peter refuses to even put on shoes for this. She laughs as he mumbles about something chemistry-related and gets distracted taking her picture he hands her the phone and she looks at the last one as she’s laughing and smiles.
He’s racing upstairs declaring he’s worked it out and she turns on her Instagram Live.
“MJ I figured it out it wasn’t a single light source on the chemicals I had too many on” Peter shouts as he runs into the apartment.
“Uncle Peter, MJ” Normie cheers from the couch and Peter drops a kiss in his hair before sprinting to his room. Harry Osborn looks really done in the kitchen eating his cereal.
MJ turns the video off and Harry kisses her cheek sitting on the couch and lying down forcing Normie to sit in between his legs to watch TV.
She scrolls through the photos making Harry put his head in her lap so she can sit and Normie makes him grunt crawling up his stomach to talk to her.
Peter comes out smelling like chemicals but he’s grinning. “There’s three of my favorite redheads where’s the littlest?” Peter wonders.
“Playing with his blocks” Normie informs him pointing to the door he closed on his brother.
They all give him a look Peter opens the door and Stanley comes tumbling out he was clearly trying to reach the doorknob.
Peter scoops him up before he can’t hit the ground and kisses his temple. “Morning little one” Peter grins and sits on the couch with him and MJ makes it clear she's annoyed by gasping dramatically and falling down.
“Johnny just tripled my likes by posting with the X-Men” Mary Jane cries out.
“Alright MJ I can probably manage a Spider-Man swinging adventure tomorrow” Peter shrugs bored with the Instagram thing.
She groans and rushes to call her agent to see if she can cameo in a show or something.
Peter sighs and takes her seat Harry grumbles about freeloaders and pulls his work out still refusing to move from Peter’s lap as his friend types on his laptop.
Normie wanders off bored and Harry sits up his neck sore.
Mary Jane runs back in stepping over Stanley and cheers. “Alright, I just got a pretty safe audition to be the lead role in a show about running a crime syndicate. My co-star/ rival mob boss/ love interest has already been cast. “You ever heard of a Claudine Sinister?” Mary Jane asks.
“Yeah she’s a villain made by Mr. Sinister” Peter deadpans.
“I’m sure it’ll be fine” Mary Jane shrugs and gets her stuff.
Johnny huffs great MJ was just cast as the lead in a tv show and Spider-Man rescued her from a sinkhole that she filmed. Great cool.
He has Spidey meet him on the Statue of Liberty and demands they take a picture.
“Johnny” Spidey sighs. “Look,” He says and Johnny throws himself against Peter.
“Baby Peter you gotta help me win, bros before” and Johnny cuts himself off. “Not that MJ is one or anything” he finishes grinning.
“Darling in this situation you’re the hoe” Peter deadpans and Johnny scoffs. He kisses his cheek and they take a selfie which Johnny posts right away.
Peter shakes his head and leans against Johnny. “Why do you guys even care?” Peter wonders.
“We don’t it’s just fun” Johnny assures him.
“You know I could be your photographer too” Peter offers.
“And connect you to me? Peter, we talked about this I don’t need Doom kidnapping you or some aliens trying to ransom you” Johnny says waving him off.
“I can take care of myself, Johnny,” Peter sighs and his boyfriend is already moving on from the conversation.
Peter sighs and shakes his head listening to Johnny make a plan for his Instagram and frowns leaning against the railing and yawns.
Johnny doesn’t pay him any mind till Spidey collapses asleep and he sighs time to take the spider home. He brings Peter home with him and curls up with the guy.
Months Later:
It keeps going and even the Bugle forgoes a front page on Spider-Man for the day to discuss the phenomena the two have caused with their like wars. Instagram is promoting it because it's, of course, promoting their business.
Peter glares at Johnny phone as he asks Peter to come with him to his race today. For months from both of them, it's been come here do this with me which just turns into him being an unpaid photographer for MJ or Johnny the former/current love of his lives respectively.
“Can’t got class and then patrol I don’t have time for Instagram” Peter snaps and Johnny hears the window slam.
Well someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed. Johnny gets ready for his race and grins as he’s photographed and Mary Jane is there grinning at him from the seat she took from Peter.
She throws her arm around his shoulder and they pose for the press before she gets in his car and zooms off with him.
Peter stares at the paper actress and model Mary Jane Watson dating superhero Johnny Storm. He crumbles it up and tosses it in the trash as the boys argue over who gets the last pancake.
Peter splits it in half and they settle down. Harry is busy with the lawyers making sure Norman gets no claim to the company.
Harry has full custody of the boys seeing as Liz gave all hers up to devote her life to her company. And Lily lost hers by being a supervillain.
So if something happened to Harry, Peter was actually first in line as their godfather in the will.
He leans against the fridge sick and tired of the world right now. “Come on boys get dressed, brush your teeth, and grab whatever you need for the day. We’re going to Aunt May’s” Peter declares and yeah he was running away to hide.
Aunt May welcomes them with open arms and Peter breaks out the board games having all their phones charging in the corner just in case ringers are on.
“See isn’t this nice no phones?” Peter asks just as Normie plays a draw four on him smirking. “You totally have a red to play” Peter accuses.
“Challenging me Uncle Pete?” Normie asks smirking and Peter can hear his heart he’s lying but he sighs and holds his hand up in surrender.
“No, I’m too close to risk it” Peter jokes He holds ten cars while everyone else is down to four or three.
Stanley looks confused when Normie declares it yellow and glares at his brother. May hands him a card from the middle and he sticks his tongue out playing a yellow five.
May then switches it back to Red where Normie grins at Peter playing a red skip card. He shouts in indignation sighing as Stanley goes again.
“What’s this no phones crusade about Peter?” May wonders shuffling the discard deck.
“Nothing Aunt May its good for the kids you know” Peter grins.
“MJ and Johnny Storm are having an Instagram competition” Normie fills her in leaving out that Johnny is dating Peter. He’s smelled fire in Peter’s room often enough but he also knows Aunt May thinks Peter is single.
“MJ” Stanley cheers and May brushes his hair back.
“Oh grow up Peter, let them have their fun. Honestly, sometimes I think you’re older than me” May teases.
“Uno” Normie cheers playing a draw 2 red card.
“You’re a menace Normie Osborn” Peter sighs.
Stanley plays a blue draw two and May gasps. He giggles and she ruffles his hair before Stanley drops a blue seven down and wins.
“Ridiculous” Peter sighs and May goes to get their lunch while Peter cleans up the deck.
She sets down the sandwiches and fruit punch before there is a knock on the door. Peter goes to open it to see Harry and Liz on the porch.
“Room for two more?” Harry wonders.
“Always come in” May grins at them hugging Harry and shaking Liz’s hand as they walk to the table.
“Daddy” the boys cheer before Normie wraps his arms around Liz.
“Hi Mommy” he grins and she picks him up kissing the top of his head.
Stanley ducks behind Peter and Liz kneels setting Normie down.
Peter smiles at them and his phone rings. It’s Johnny. Peter goes outside and answers. “Hello,” he greets.
“Hey Pete I won’t be able to make patrol tonight,” Johnny tells him and he sounds guilty.
“That’s okay Johnny don’t beat yourself up about it. I’ll talk to you later we’re just sitting down for lunch. Love you” Peter says quickly and hangs up.
“Love you too,” Johnny says to the sound of nothing.
He and Mary Jane are getting ready to walk the runway for his very own fire line at Gucci and MJ volunteered to walk if she could get a pair of slippers for free. They’d agreed.
Johnny smiles at her and he feels guilty for bailing on Peter but the guy seemed fine with it. They could enjoy the night and it was unlikely they'd even be bothered or photographed together.
Harry stares at the news feed showing Johnny carrying Mary Jane on his back her heels hitting his chest as they walk giggling clearly both drunk.
Peter was going to be pissed. Harry remembers when he dated Gwen and how angry he got when people flirted with her. Jealousy was one of Peter’s biggest issues.
He hears paper being ripped yep Peter was pissed alright.
He watches him leave in a huff and the bike engine roars to life outside.
Johnny grins at Peter who isn’t grinning back. “Baby, what’s up?” Johnny wonders scrolling through Instagram. Hah, he was totally winning.
“You and MJ Huh?” Peter wonders.
“Me and MJ what?” Johnny asks not looking up.
“Dating? Going on dates? Canceling our dates to hang out?” Peter wonders.
“If you ever bothered to check the Instagram feed you’d know it was a fashion show,” Johnny says still not looking up.
“If you stopped checking it for once you might have noticed how pissed your boyfriend is getting” Peter counters and Johnny looks up annoyed.
“Oh, I realized you just have no reason to be worried or upset. She’s my friend just like she’s yours. The media is putting us together and this whole Instagram rivalry thing is nothing but a joke” Johnny snaps standing up.
Peter scoffs tolling his eyes. “I get it Johnny really I know I’m not that fun and I work too much and I don’t really like the things you do but” Peter begins listing.
“But what Peter? If it’s so exhausting pretending you love me then go” Johnny screams eyes burning. He knows he likes the spotlight and Peter doesn’t that’s why he didn’t want to let the world know Peter and him were dating. It was to protect Peter but from his own bullshit.
“I’ve never pretended to love you, Johnny. I do love you and I love how excited you get about things but those things don’t matter and you get so caught up in them and you forget about the people who love you” Peter exclaims.
“And you don’t? Peter, you do the same thing every day. Go to class, patrol, sleep rinse and repeat” Johnny hisses.
“People need my help, Johnny. I need to get my degree and I’m sorry I can’t sustain myself off of the opinions of others but I really did try to let you and MJ have your fun. It’s been months of this and you cancel more dates than I do at this point. When’s the last time I slept over Johnny huh?” Peter demands.
“Four months ago” Johnny sighs. Maybe Peter had a point but he could chill a little. “I’m sorry Peter look Harry is going to move into Oscorp soon and you’ll need to move again” Johnny begins.
“I don’t want this is to an olive branch Johnny” Peter warns.
“No seriously I want to live with you, I love you. And I’ll chill out on social media. If you promise to tell me when things are bothering you before they explode like this” Johnny says and Peter nods.
“I love you too and yes I will move in with you” Peter grins kissing Johnny.
While Harry and Peter are packing their apartment Peter goes to take some boxes down after MJ and they’re both not anywhere around.
Johnny tries calling Peter but it’s on the ground in an alley.
“You’ve got to be kidding me” Johnny growls.
Reed manages to figure out that Mr. Sinister kidnapped MJ to get his robot back and Peter was just in the way. Johnny sighs as Claudine kicks Sinister's ass and saves MJ while he gets a bemused Peter.
“Telling you Parker luck and I can take care of myself” Peter grins at him. Johnny shakes his head and kisses Peter knowing full well they’re being filmed.
Many people know he’s MJ’s photographer and when Johnny posts a picture of Peter in bed with him drinking coffee the world knows for sure he’s Johnny’s boyfriend.
Peter reads all the comments of people who don’t know them and are happy for them. He also receives texts from friends congratulating him because they saw the post. Plus there was a petition to keep MJ’s show on the air even after the disaster.
Johnny helps Peter set up an account and the first post is from the top of the Baxter Building Johnny on fire. Peter smiles at him and kisses him. Maybe Instagram wasn’t so bad after all he muses scrolling through Gwen’s old profile and Johnny gives him a wide grin.
“See memories can get hazy but pictures are forever. Gwen’s memory is here and so is ours now” Johnny tells him as they take a selfie.
Peter laughs as Johnny kisses his jaw and the sun sets behind the buildings. “Patrol?” Johnny asks and Peter grins at him.
“Let’s go save people” Peter whoops and pulls his shirt and jeans off already dressed as he pulls his mask on and they’re off phones left on the roof buzzing with notifications.