Parker's Partner

Chapter 3

Peter's POV

When I got home after the fire, I took a shower and flopped into bed, exhausted and still wheezing from the smoke. I had told Aunt May I was home, and said goodnight, but she hadn't said anything back except for goodnight. My thoughts wandered back to why she had been so distant lately, and then it clicked. Uncle Ben.
I got up out of bed and went out in the living room where she was still sitting watching TV. I sat down next to her and muted the TV. She turned to me with a questioning look.
"Aunt May, are you okay?" I asked slowly.
Her eyes started to water a little. "No, how did you know?"
"You've just been really distant and quiet lately, it got me thinking. Does it have anything to do with... Uncle Ben?"
The tears gathering in her eyes started falling down her cheeks one by one. "Yes and no."
"It has to do with Uncle Ben d-dying, and the fact that I risk my life every day?"
"Y-yeah," confident Aunt May started breaking down right before my eyes. I had only ever seen her break once before, when uncle Ben died.
"Aunt May, you know you don't have to worry about me," I tried comforting her.
"Yes I do!" Her sudden burst made me jump a little. "I raised you! It's my job to worry about you, and I worried about you more than anything else before I found out. So what do think I'm going through now!"
Her yelling made me scoot away from her a little bit, shrinking back into the couch.
When she saw me shying away from her she stopped, the tears sliding down her face even faster.
"Oh Peter, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to yell. I just..."
"No, it's okay. I understand. I miss uncle Ben a lot too. But I'm not like he was... I'm, Spider-Man," I said hesitantly.
"But that makes it ten times worse, because you go out looking for danger, he just accidentally ran into some."
I grabbed a tissue box and handed it to her. She took one and blew her nose before continuing. "You're just a kid, Peter. A kid that I love very much and I won't be able to go on if I lose you too."
I reached out and hugged her. "You're not going to lose me, Aunt May. I promise."
And I meant it. I wasn't going to let her lose anyone else, especially me. I had no intention of dying anytime soon.
I let go and put my hands on her shoulders, looking her in the eye. "I'm going to be fine. You are going to be fine. But you," I wiped away a last tear that ran down her cheek. "Need to get some sleep, you look exhausted."
"I've been up at night worrying about you," she smiled a little.
"Well you don't need to worry anymore, now get some sleep."
I got up off the couch and so did she. We walked to her bedroom and I closed the door after she had gone in, whispering a goodnight before returning to my own bed and falling on my pillow. I lay there for a moment, thinking. But before I knew it I was fast asleep, dreaming about being an Avenger.

---

"Morning sunshine!" Aunt May called from my doorway, jolting me awake. I sat bolt upright and whacked my head on the top bunk.
"Ow," I rubbed my head, glaring at May.
She giggled, "Oops! Well, breakfast is ready, and you don't wanna be late for school!"
She walked away back toward the kitchen, and I still glared at her as she did.
"Thanks," I muttered, getting out of bead and throwing my suit on under a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt. I put my gloves, mask and suit shoes into my backpack along with my finished homework and went out into the kitchen.
I grabbed my plate of scrambled eggs and toast and scarfed it down.
I looked at the clock and cussed under my breath. "Crap, I'm gonna be late, bye!" I kissed Aunt May on the cheek and ran out the door.
"Bye!" She waved after me as I slammed the door shut in a rush.
I jumped down three flights of stairs and out the front door of our apartment building, running towards the train station.
I got on the train just as it was pulling away, and because I was late there were no seats, so I had to stand.
I pulled out my phone and slipped my earbuds in, playing one of my favorite songs - Act My Age. Closing my eyes I slightly nodded my head to the tune.
As I listened, my senses took in everything around me, the vibration of the train, the heat radiating from all the bodies around me, the cold of the metal, the flicking of someone's thumb over their phone screen. The tapping of someone's foot as they listened to their own music, the thumping of the train wheels across each piece of track, and the continually increasing patter of rain starting to hit the roof.
The train hitting a jolt as it started its deceleration snapped me out of my trance and I opened my eyes.
The train pulled up to my stop and I maneuvered myself over to the doors just as they opened. I ran up the steps of the station into the fresh air and smell of freshly cut grass out in the yard of my school.
Once inside I headed to my locker, where I wasn't surprised to see Ned waiting for me, holding yet another LEGO set.
"Hey," I said, opening my locker and grabbing my books for first period.
"Hey," he replied. "I heard about the fire last night, I assume it was you who got those two people out?"
"Yep," I popped the p.
The day went on with me telling Ned about the previous night's events, and our regular constant hang out with MJ, until school was over and I dawned my Spidy mask once again.