Last Snip to Chapter 36

(Aunt May’s Apartment Building)

He wants to be anywhere else but here right now. He’d rather be fighting Rhino, Scorpion, Electro, Kraven, and all of his rogues all at once than be in this building working up the nerve to do what he set out to do right now. 

Deep breath in. Deep breath out. 

He’s been standing in front of her door for fifteen minutes now. Surprisingly nobody else has come or gone to question why he was just standing there like a weirdo. But then again, that would’ve likely gotten him out of his head so he can knock on the door. 

‘Typical that when I need something to happen it doesn't happen,’ he mentally grumbles to himself.

He shakes his head. He can’t lose his nerve now. He has been mentally preparing for this since he came back to life weeks ago. He knows what he needs to do.

‘Just don’t think about it,’ he tells himself as he takes a calming breath, ‘Don’t think about it and just-’

Knock knock knock. 

He opens his eyes and blinks in surprise at his hand knocking on the door. He pulls his hand back and looks at it, ‘Huh, wonder why I don’t do that more often.’ 

Peter's heart races as he hears movement inside the apartment. The lock clicks, and the door swings open to reveal Aunt May, her warm smile instantly melting away some of his anxiety.

"Peter! You came!” She exclaims as he walks in and hugs her tightly, enjoying her warm embrace, “I was worried you wouldn’t have made it.”

He pulls back and smiles at her in confusion as he walks in, “Why would you think that?”

“Well, maybe because you haven’t called in weeks,” she points out as she closes the door, missing his wince of guilt, “I just thought you were busy with some big project at work or something. I didn’t want to pop by unannounced and bother you.”

“You are never a bother, May,” he tells her warmly. He then looks around, “Is John here?”

May shakes her head and walks by to go into the small kitchen, though its bigger than his, and she says, “No, he stepped out. He got a call from the police sayingt that Jonah might be in trouble.”

“Oh,” Peter exclaims, before he tries to play it off, “Jonah is in trouble? That isn’t so shocking.”

“Oh, Peter,” May lightheartedly admonishes him as she prepares a meal, “I know Jameson isn’t the easiest man to get along with, but he is a good man and he is family.”

“I know. Him yelling and ranting is his way of saying I love you,” Peter jokes, “Makes me wonder if all these years he’s had a secret crush on Spider-Man.”

That elicits a genuine laugh from his beloved aunt, making him smile too. They continue to chat, mostly May recounting her volunteer work at FEAST and Peter asking all about it.

May settles into a chair at the small kitchen table, gesturing for Peter to join her. "So, tell me what's new with you, dear. How's work? Are you eating enough?"

Peter sits down, his mind racing and heart beating as he tries to come up with the best way to tell her the truth about everything. He knows what he needs to tell her, but he doesn’t know how to broach the subject. Hell, he wants to tell her all the good stuff that’s been going on, mainly how he and Mary Jane are trying again, albeit in an unconventional manner that might or might not be well received by his old aunt.

He clears his throat and starts with, “Well work is work, you know? We do what we do and make sure we don’t blow up the labs doing it.”

May raises an eyebrow, “Is that what keeps you from calling your aunt?”

Peter winces, guilt washing over him, and raises his hands, "No, no, that's not it at all. I've just been... dealing with a lot lately. But I should have called. I'm sorry, Aunt May."

May reaches across the table and pats his hand. "It's alright, dear. You have your own life. I just worry about you, that's all."

Peter nods, his throat tight. He wants to tell her everything - about being Spider-Man, about MJ, Felicia, Sonja, and how she didn’t screw up with him. But the words stick in his throat.

"Actually, there is something I wanted to talk to you about," he begins hesitantly.