Just in Case

He was late.

He was so late that he didn’t even have enough time to think about how late he was.

He just had to book it over rooftops, sliding and weaving through clotheslines and generators. 

He faintly heard Karen in his ear, gently informing him of the time. And the fact that he was late. Which he knew. But he didn’t, at the same time. Super late , remember? 

His phone was ringing. He thought it must’ve been Ned. Or MJ. Or…well he hoped it was Ned or MJ, the third option was a bit too close to his whole predicament. 

He stopped on the ledge of a rooftop three buildings away from home. He could see into the living room window, illuminated faintly by a light on in the kitchen. Uh-oh. 

Resigned to his fate, he hopped down the wall, peeling his bag off from its spot hidden behind a few wooden crates in the alley. His hair was stuck to his forehead with sweat, and he was sure he smelled like smoke and petunias (long story, but the old woman he saved from a fire was very insistent that he take some of the…not so burnt flowers. He dropped them off at MJ’s a few hours earlier, one of the reasons he was still clinging to hope that she was the one who called). 

His window sounded a lot louder when it creaked open, letting in a waft of cool spring air, as well as his hastily-clothed body. The house was silent, the only noise being the hum of the dryer against the floorboards. He probably needed to wash his suit again. If he wasn’t dead within the next fifteen minutes. 

He tried to use his spider-stealth footwork as he made his way out of his room and towards the light. His brilliant plan of pretending he didn’t exist was foiled, however, when he locked eyes with his Aunt as soon as he appeared around the corner. She squinted at him, then turned her head back to the cup in front of her. 

“Hey, May–”

“Sit.”

He winced, slumping into the room and pulling out the chair across from her. “Sitting, sitting,”

He waited for her to speak, taking in the bags under her eyes and the bandaid on her arm. He guessed her shift at work wasn’t as peachy as she tried to convince him it usually was. She quickly sloshed her drink back and forth, and Peter felt the anticipation crawl its way up his throat, stopped only by the force of his teeth clamping down on his fingernail. 

Another few seconds went by before he crumbled. “I swear I didn’t forget curfew, but I was five blocks away and I heard a bunch of guys getting into a big fight by the liquor store near the churro vendor, and I just spoke to the churro guy earlier and he gave me a free one so I thought I’d help him out, y’know? And then once that was broken up, I heard some lady in an alley, her shoe broke, so I swung over as fast as I could, and then it was ten minutes till I was supposed to be back, and then this big fire broke out closer to the pizza place by the subway station, and…”

He placed both hands flat on the table, letting the nervous energy thrum down to his feet, which began tapping against the floor. May was completely silent, her eyes closed and her mouth pulled into a tight line. He felt his stomach clench. “I’m sorry, May. I should’ve…I was going to call but then I…I shouldn’t make excuses. I’m just….I’m sorry,”

He waited for a response, but she was completely still, the only indication that she wasn’t asleep being the hand moving the cup against the table. 

It felt like years ticked by, and Peter shifted up, prepared to flee the table until she was ready to yell. “You call me,” She said, just as his back lifted from the chair. Her voice was quiet and steady. He felt the shiver up his spine, settling back into the chair numbly. “You call me first, Peter. That was the deal,”

“I know, but I was—”

“No buts ,” She hissed, eyes snapping open, forcing the words back down Peter’s throat as his jaw tensed. “You call me. If you’re gonna be late, you call me . Even if it’s just a minute . You. Call. Me,”

He nodded mutely, his tongue paralyzed. 

She looked at him, her eyes tinged red as her shoulders shook. “You know what time of the year it is, Peter. You know how much I worry. And now—” She took in a shaky breath. “Now I have a reason to worry! A thousand reasons! Every time you go out in that suit, all by yourself!” 

Peter felt the words hit him, stinging his eyes. He blinked hard, his voice shaking in his throat. “May…”

“And then you don’t call ?” She pushed herself up from the table, then stood there, her arms glued to the countertop. She looked at him, and he felt something wet fall down his cheek. Her anger melted, and he saw the tired resignation settle in her expression. She sunk down again, cradling her head between her hands. “You have to tell me what’s going on in your life, Peter. I can’t keep doing this. I can’t keep thinking….just a call. A text even. That’s all I’m asking for,” 

“I know,” He felt himself say, wiping his face with a sleeve. “May, I didn’t mean to…I just…when I’m out there, and I hear someone….I don’t know. My brain sorta…I get this tunnel vision. I’m going to be better,” He decided, moving his hands to clasp together. “May, I’m going to call. Even when I’m not going to be late,” 

She cracked a smile at him, swiping under her own eyes. “Just in case,”

His legs moved before he could think about it, and she met him in the middle, tucking his chin into her shoulder. “I’m not…I’m not going to leave like…like Ben. Even if it means calling a witch and getting myself resurrected,”

Her fingers raked through his hair slowly, and he buried his face into her neck. “I know,” She laughed, and he felt the rumble in her chest tickle his skin. “I wouldn’t put it past you,”

“I have connections,”

“I’m sure you do, Spider-Boy,” He yanked his head back, offended, and she just laughed, pulling him back.

They stayed like that until she wrinkled her nose and told him to take a shower, and he made sure to rub his sweaty head against her shirt extra hard before he was detached.

He climbed into bed that night, taking his phone out and clicking through the missed calls. He smiled, opening his chat with May and typing out a quick ‘I’m here’.

The next morning, he woke up with a text back, just a simple heart. He rolled out of bed, grinning as he walked to brush his teeth. He had to teach her how to use the ‘<3’ instead of an emoji, just so he could call her a dinosaur for real.