Picking Up The Pieces

39. I Can't Say I Larb You

   "What's the matter with you two?" May inquired as Peter and I toyed with the plates of larb laying in front of us. Don't get me wrong, it was one of my favorite meals to eat during my stay in their home. I just was still freaked out about the conversation with Ned, and I had a feeling Peter did too. "I thought you guys loved larb. It's to larby?" Peter winced, dipping his chopstick up and down from the corny joke. "Not larby enough." Okay, now it wasn't even funny. "How many times do I have to say 'larb-"'

I jerked my head up, causing May to give me an uneasy smile. She was trying so hard to connect with Peter, and it was just going over his head. Back before Germany, Peter's Uncle Ben passed away. He wouldn't go into details. It hurt the both of them a lot in a way I wouldn't know, but it kind of felt like I was filling that space for May. Was it weird? Kind of, but meaning something to her was kind of like me being loved by the Mins. I had another family.

"I'm just stressed," Peter finally said, breaking the ice and bringing me back to the present. "The internship, and I'm tired. A lot of work." May pursed her lips, tapping her left chopstick against her bowl.

"Bella, how do you even do it?"

"I have a different... role in Stark industries than Peter," I said slowly before realizing my mistake. "Not that Peter doesn't play a major role- he's important- what I'm trying to say is that we do different things. Mine is just less... time consuming than Peter's." May nodded, and Peter quickly mouthed 'thank you' in my direction. "And I think that it's his choice wether he pursues it more, not mine." He looked so surprised and somewhat relieved at my words, while as May shook her head disapprovingly.

"The Stark internship," she sighed. "I have to tell you, not a fan of that Tony Stark. You're distracted all the time...." Peter's gaze went from his aunt to the TV behind her, and I turned around to see what was on the screen: a news report on Delmar's sandwich shop, completely destroyed by a fire and what looked like a bomb. "What does he have you doing?"

"Hmm?" Peter murmured absentmindedly. May sighed, knowing her point was getting through, and turned around to look at the TV.

"...after an ATM robbery was thwarted by Queens' own crime stopper, the Spider-Man," the reporter's voice narrated, and a picture of Peter coming out of a portable bathroom with toilet paper stuck to his foot filled the screen. I sniggered, giving Peter a raised eyebrow. He responded by kicking my leg under the table. "As Spider-Man attempted to foil their heist, a powerful blast was set off, slicing through the bodega across the street. Miraculously, no one was harmed." May shook her head sadly before turning back to the both of us.

"If you two spot something like that happening, you turn and you run the other way," she said sternly. Peter and I glanced at each other simultaneously before nodding at the same time. "I'm serious! Six blocks away from us, and two from you!" May pointed at me when she addressed my apartment. "Thank god the both of you are safe, I don't know what-"

"I need a new backpack," Peter interrupted, and May blinked in confusion. She gave him an annoyed stare. I stared down at the food I had ordered ten minutes ago, fully ready to start eating and ignore the conversation.

"What?"

"I... I need a new backpack," Peter said again, giving May a cute, innocent smile. I bet he lost it when he hid it by another dumpster like last time. I offered once to keep it safe at my place, but no, he insisted.

"That's five..." The three of us jumped when one of the servers set a bowl of dessert on the table.

"Sticky rice pudding," he announced as he slid it in May's direction. May gave him a small smile.