After his lecture, Peter and Ned strolled through the campus. The raindrops pattering against the cobblestone path as the bloated clouds quenched the earth's thirst. The streets up ahead, blossoming with colors of umbrellas that were invited by the rains. Drops of water like pearls on a string fell from Peter's red shade, shielding him from the ice-cold drizzle falling from the heavens.

"Where are you meeting MJ?" Ned asked, rolling the metal of his umbrella between the palms.

"Culture Espresso," a sigh left from Peter's lips. Peter was not ready for the talk, he knew where it would head. Downhill. And he couldn't blame MJ, his exhaustion was rubbing off on her, she was tired of everything that he'd put her through, and for once she wished to have a normal dating life. MJ wished that she wouldn't have to worry about her significant other dying every other night.

And as for Peter, he was emotionally distraught. He hadn't known when, he hadn't even known how, but he had fallen out of love and it broke him. It broke him to know that he wasn't capable of loving someone who'd loved him with all her might, who'd loved him through his thick and thin, who'd loved him exactly the way he was. He felt like a dickhead and MJ deserved so much better.

They were dancing, balancing on a delicate branch, ignoring the dark abyss below them. Their steps were too fast, too heavy, their hands occasionally slipping from each other's shoulders.

But they twirled on their tiptoes, looking deeply into each other's eyes with a loving smile plastered on their face. Until both had realized the branch was getting too weak, and the couple wanted to reach the land. The only way to do that was to fall into the abyss, hoping it would harbor the calming waters that would wash them away on the shores of the tropical beach, the ultraviolet morning light marking a new beginning.

Their love, which shone golden like the sun, was now dwindling. Their love, which spread across the world just like the shimmering rays was now fading. Their love which cast bright orange and yellow hues across the aquamarine sky was fogging up. The sun representing their passionate feelings, now dipping below the horizon.

But it wasn't extinguished, the sun shone every single day, nevertheless with less intensity as the New York skies changed to the November chilly nights. The sun rays still widespread, but less intense, still spreading warmth under the grey clouds that blanketed the New York skies. The sun dipping below but always rising the next day, marking a new hope, marking a new beginning.

So though they were tired, they were still attached. So though they did fall out of love, they still cared about each other. So though their passion did dip below the horizon, they were still family at the end of the day. Peter couldn't push MJ out of his life, he couldn't imagine moving on with his day without MJ by his side, she was his family, just like May, just like Ned, just like the Avengers.

But she deserved a break, she deserved a chance to start something new in life, and deserved to be deeply and passionately loved. MJ wanted to be at peace, to be laid to rest away from the constant worries Peter would give her. MJ deserved the whole damn universe, but Peter couldn't give it to her. 

But after this, Peter had decided, no more relationships. No more golden strings. He would gladly rip it apart before it even knitted itself by some magical force to someone. He'd want to know what it was like to be a free bird, gliding through the skies with fewer people to worry about.

"I hope stuff goes fine," Ned said.

"Ned, I don't think it will. We're never ever getting back together," Peter said. Saying it out loud almost felt as if now, the universe had etched it across the cosmos, finalizing his decision. Peter hated how he was being so selfish, hated how he wanted to just distance that one person out of his life so his worries could be dampened. He hated how he'd fallen out of love and severely despised himself for not being able to give her all the stars that shone in the firmament. Peter wasn't the one for MJ, and that was the bitter truth.

"Oh," Ned let out, a sad look, similar to the sky was cast on his face. Peter studied his expression, and his urgency to say something that would change Peter's mind died down. Ned had also known deep down that this was meant to happen.

"So you're breaking up with her?"

"If she doesn't then, yeah, I am," Peter sounded painfully bitter. He wanted to crawl out of his own body and smash himself into a building.

"You're still going to be friends, right? Cause like, I'll obviously still have movie nights with the two of you. So if you don't end it on good terms, it's going to be fucking awkward."

"Hopefully."

Peter reached the cafe, shedding down the water from his umbrella and hanging it on the wall. He spotted MJ, sitting in the far corner of the cafe, sprinkling sugar into her coffee and rubbing the sleep out of her caramel eyes. Seeing Peter, she gave a weak smile, waving him to come to have a seat.

Peter ordered iced water, taking small sips, his stomach twisting into knots as he anticipated the words spilling out from her soft lips. MJ always had the politest way of breaking up with people, that most people would even think they're on a date until the words spilled out of her mouth.

"You wanted to talk?" Peter said, finally not being to consume the awkward silence. The golden light from the glass chandelier brightened her face, the copper brown flecks, jumping out from her amber eyes. The purple top contrasting her dark skin beautifully, matching the floral patterns on the white walls. Outside, the rain had shifted to a lazy sprinkle, the street changing from colorful to a dull grey or black. MJ cleared her throat, toying with an owl pendant that delicately sat in between her collar bones.

"Why the fuck does she have to look so beautiful doing this," Peter wondered. She always looked beautiful, but she was practically glowing as she sat in front of him like an angel.

"You know what I'm going to say," MJ said, her eyebrows twisting into an apologetic frown. Peter looked away, sighing deeply, concentrating on the little wet dog that fought for the bread from the baker's hand across the street. He gathered up his courage, knowing this time that MJ wanted to hear him say it, knowing that she would hurt a lot lesser if the words came out from his mouth.

"MJ, I'm breaking up with you."

Peter studied MJ's face, the apologetic frown twisting into a melancholy one, the copper flecks from her eyes swimming away, dullness taking their place, she parted her lips to speak something but closed them again. It was so excruciating to see her low. Peter's heart clenched and his gut wrenched, this was fucking difficult and he'd rather fight the drug dealers out there than see her sit there in this hurt.

She pulled back a brown curl behind her ear, her face contorted in pain as if someone had ripped the heart out of her. "We've been seen that coming from miles away, didn't we? She let out a half-hearted chuckle.

Peter dug his head into his hands, twisting the curls that fell over his forehead in frustration, "I'm sorry, MJ, I am sorry that I burned us down," he choked.

And the branch broke.

The branch had broken, and they were free-falling in the gloom of the abyss, the distances between them growing with every second as they fell, not knowing what was down there. But glad that the torturous dance over the breaking branch was over. A bittersweet goodbye was shared as they fell apart, drifting off into the darkness.

"I really am, you don't deserve me, you don't deserve any part of me, and I'm sorry you had to put up with my bullshit," Peter said, gulping down the lump in his throat. He wanted to smash his head against a wall, wither out of his body and fly away forever.

Please say it's not my fault. Please say we'll be fine.

"Parker, don't you dare apologize, or I will sell all your web-shooters," MJ said, her voice hoarse as tears brimmed up her eyes which she immediately wiped. MJ hesitantly took Peter's hand in hers, squeezing it and giving him a reassuring nod.

"It isn't our fault, we tried our best, but I wish time had better timing for you and me," MJ gave him the most beautiful smile he'd ever seen. Peter realized he was extremely lucky to have MJ handle it in such a mature manner. She wanted to hurt less for the both of them, so she blamed it on time, and time was indeed a vicious culprit.

They'd done this twice before, but this time the ache in Peter's heart was phenomenal. It felt as if his own heavy words had reflected from the walls, puncturing his heart. A heartbreak that would take eons to heal. He wanted to ask Dr. Strange to rewind time, so that he could trace back his footsteps on the thin branch that were balancing on, analyze where the branch went weak, and web it up. He wanted to rewind time and not let those words ricochet out of his mouth. But that wouldn't be fair to MJ. Or him.

"Y-you'll s-still see me, won't you? We'll still be friends, right?" Peter stuttered, his heart fearing the wrong answer. He looked like a five-year-old child, begging for his friend to stay even if he'd eaten their last cookie.

"Peter, do you want me to kick some sense into you? Of course, we'll be friends," she said sternly, shaking her head in annoyance.

"After all, friends are all that we're meant to be," she whispered, her eyes now trained on the dog that sparred with the baker.

"Maybe," he choked back a sob. Peter didn't know if he was destroying them, he didn't know if he was saving them, all he knew was he was putting them to peace for the moment. And a sudden cool warmth spread through his mind, as the realization struck.

They were putting themselves at peace, and that was okay. As long as the pain ebbed away. 

a/n: ahhh! double update, did not think it was possible lmao, well it's not quite double since it's literally around 1 am here but you get what i mean. also it took me a week to write this chapter alone 💀 i worked really hard on it, pls show it some love.