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Peter strolled up the sidewalk to his old abode. He was on his way to see his aunt, May. He never visited her as much as he should now that he was at Avenger’s Tower. He made it a priority to see her once a month, more if time allowed. Even so, he always felt guilty when he would come to see her, always feeling it was never enough. She had always been, and still was, his biggest fan.
He hopped up the steps and opened up the door. She would always scold him if he ever knocked, telling him it was still his home.
“Aunt May! I’m home!” He called, closing the door behind him while thumbing through the mail he brought in for her.
“In here, Pete! I’m making up some dinner!” She called back to him from the kitchen.
He popped into the kitchen and sat the mail on the counter, coming up behind her and giving her a hug. “Hey , Aunt May.” He sucked in a breath through his nose over her shoulder. “Smells good!” He commented.
“Oh, Peter. Same old, same old. I made meatloaf because I know you like it so much.” She smiled at him and hugged his neck with her free arm. When she let go of him, he went to the cabinet to get the china and set the table. He knew she would make meatloaf. She made it a lot more since he told her he liked it so much that one day…
“So what’s new and hip, huh?” She asked him with a smile as she turned from the stove, wiping her hands on the apron around her waist.
He was getting a couple glasses down as he replied. He shrugged. “You know, the same old same old.” He said to her, mocking the tone she had used when she had said those same words to him moments ago.
She put her hands on her hip and gave him the look. “Oh, Peter, come on now. The last I heard from you, you were headed off to South America for you experiments or whatever.” She iterated with a hand motion.
He smiled up at her as he sat the milk on the table. “That’s right!” he remembered. “It was a good trip. Everything went smoothly.” His smile deepened a little as he thought of all that happened on that trip. And Gwen. That was the real reason he was at his aunt’s. To talk to Aunt May about important matters.
She nodded at him and turned back to the stove. “Looks like everything’s just about done. Help me get it on the table, then we can eat the hog.” Her laughter always warmed him and made him miss her even more. He did as she asked, and finally sat down with her to eat.
He talked with her as they ate, catching up with her. They laughed and reminisced as they washed her dishes the old fashion way in the sink. “You go on and relax, I’ll put the dishes away.” He said to her.
She patted him on the cheek, smiling. “You’re a good boy, Pete.” She laid her dish towel on the sink and started walking out. “Ben and I must have done something right by you…” She said more to herself than to him as she passed out of the kitchen. He smiled, knowing that he made her proud. He dried all the dishes and put them away, then headed out to the stoop to sit and talk with her some more.
He sighed as he sat down, completely full from their meal. “So…” he began. She looked up at him.
“I knew something was on your mind. Can’t hide anything from me..” she teased him.
“Hmm. Yeah,” he agreed, laughing.
“Well, out with it, Pete. What’s on your mind?” She asked him.
He stammered. He’d never been good with words. Throwing a pun at the bad guys sure, but when he was trying to be serious? Forget about it.
“Do you remember Gwen?” He had brought her to meet Aunt May a while back. She nodded, letting him go on.
“She was the intern that went with me to South America, you know…” He saw her give him that subtle smile she had… The one that told him she knew more than what she said. She was always three steps ahead of him. He continued, anyways.
“I’ve been thinking a lot lately.” He looked forward to the setting sun as he spoke now. “And I’m thinking that I want to marry her.” May didn’t say anything, so he looked over at her. She was studying him. “What?” he asked her.
“And?” she countered. “What do you want me to say, Peter? I told you a long time ago when that girl came here after her father died that you were worth her.” She let a small smile creep up to her eyes. “But I don’t know why you’re here, telling me about it before you’ve asked her?” She grabbed his hand.
“You are good enough, Peter. I don’t think you would feel about her the way you do if you weren’t.” She drew in closer to him, taking his hand in both of hers. She turned her head a little, shaking it.
“You didn’t have to come here for validation, Son.” Pangs of memories shot through him when she called him son… It was what his Uncle Ben always called him. He found her eyes, searching them. She continued. “Any woman would be lucky to you have you, Peter! And I saw the way she looked at you when you brought her here.” He saw a smile on her face that he hadn’t in a long time. Happiness was spreading across her face. He could feel it radiate through her and up into his own heart.
She squeezed his hand, making him realize what she was saying was important… that she wanted him to take it to heart. “I’ve always wanted the best for you, Peter Parker. Lord knows Ben and I didn’t have much to offer when you ended up here with us. But we gained so much when you came to us.” He saw her eyes glistening.
“Aunt May…” he began to protest her out pouring, but she silenced him.
“No. Let me finish.” She said to him as she squeezed his hand tighter. In response he simply put his other hand on top of hers and did as she said.
“Let yourself be happy. You deserve it, Peter. Don’t make yourself miserable because you feel like you have to.” His eyes widened slightly at her words. She was talking to him about responsibility. How could she always know what he was thinking? How he was feeling? He squeezed her hands back. Her smile turned almost sad as she looked at him. “If you love Gwen, then go get her… You deserve her.”
A tear caught the sunset in it as it rolled down her cheek. He sighed. “Thanks, Aunt May..” He said to her as he caught the tear.
********
He had the ring in his pocket. After he talked to Aunt May he went to the jewelry shop. He had had a special ring commissioned for her.
He took the scenic route back to the Tower, walking and not web-slinging. His visit with Aunt May had made him light hearted. All felt right within his world.
And he was going to ask Gwen Stacy to marry him. The woman he loved. All was right.
He was smiling, thinking of a memory of him and Gwen as he walking. He shook his head, half laughing. “House made of chocolate…” He mused.
Then the sight of it assaulted him. The black iron gates of the cemetery rising ominously before him. He stopped short. There was someone else he needed to talk to before he popped the question.
It was late, so he crawled over the walls, jumping down to the other side soundlessly. He knew the path. It wasn’t the first time he’d been here. He walked solemnly toward his destination. He noticed a rose bush on his right, and carefully plucked one of the late bloomers.
He finally made it to his destination. He knelt reverently, looking at the tombstone.
“I’m going to ask your daughter to marry me…” He said to the wind. His mind flashed him the memory of the Captain’s death. He winced slightly.
He laid the rose atop the grave. “I won’t let anything happen to her, Captain Stacy.” He looked up into the sky, hoping it would stem back the pressure building behind his eyes. He sucked in a deep breath.
He started nodding his head. “She was your world once… But now she’s mine. Everything I do from now on will be for her. For her safety.”
He stepped back from the grave. “I promise.”
*********
He made it back to the tower and headed up to his room. He was going to take a quick shower to freshen up, and then head over to Gwen’s room. When he opened the door he found a letter on the floor.
He picked it up, his brows knit together in confusion. A humungous grin spread across his face as he read it. It was perfect. He looked at the clock. Not much time to waste. He immediately set about getting ready.
He looked in the mirror and tried to put his hair in some semblance of formal. It was no use. He finally raked it into a shape he approved of and fixed his tie. He stepped out of the bathroom and into his kitchen area. His smile returned as he picked up the tiny box and dropped it into his pocket. He looked at the clock.
Time to go. Gwen was waiting for him.