Sleepy Spider

After Michelle was changed, she stepped out into the common area. May was bustling in the kitchen, the electric kettle bubbling away. There was also a distinct smell of popcorn. Chuckling, she hoped that May didn’t somehow manage to burn it. Walking over to the couches, she peered at the one that Peter had claimed. He was still there, the cover tucked around him with his arms curled against his chest. His hair had dried funny and was a curly mess over his eyes, but it didn’t look bad. Not bad at all. He did seem a little paler though, making his lips stand out a little more on his face.

Michelle shook herself off that train of thought and perched on the adjacent loveseat. “You asleep?”

“Merf.” He jerked a little and blinked at her. He frowned, tilting his head to face her more clearly. “MJ?”

“Yup.” She smirked. “Did you forget I was here?”

“Noooo…?” he drew out, then fell back against the pillow. “No.”

“Did you just decide that?” Michelle asked, pulling her legs up onto the cushions.

He frowned again and shook his head. “No. I just…?” He blinked a few times, then his eyelids fluttered shut.

Snickering, Michelle decided to leave him alone. He was obviously too out of it to think clearly. Although she did wonder why.

Getting up, she joined May in the kitchen. “Do you know why he’s been so tired?”

The older woman glanced at her then finished scooping hot chocolate powder into three cups. Pouring the boiled water evenly into them, she hummed, “Honestly? I’m not too sure. It started about a week ago, Tuesday… night? Or Wednesday. Anyway, it just seemed like he hadn’t woken up at all.”

Leaning against the fridge, Michelle mulled that over. “Did he even go to bed?”

“Oh, he was in bed,” May assured her. “Tony called me two days ago to comment on the lack of hours in the suit. Apparently, he’d asked Peter about it, and he’d just insisted that he was fine.”

“Yeah, he’s good at that,” Michelle commented dryly.

“Too good,” May agreed. She looked at the cups for a moment then rubbed her cheek. “I hate how he’s become so sure that he’s a bother to people.” She sighed then shooed Michelle away from the fridge. Taking the cream out, she poured some into the cups. “Anyway, Tony wanted to know if he was doing anything that would explain why he was staying home. Unfortunately, I really don’t have the answer.”

Michelle hummed in the back of her throat making a merrrr sound. “Well, I don’t either.”

May glanced at her, face scrunching affectionately, and they shared a shrug. Capping the cream carton, she held it out and Michelle took it. As she put it away, she heard the clinking of china and accepted her cup after May had properly stirred it.

She took an experimental sip and sank against the fridge again. “So warm,” she practically sang.

May chuckled and grabbing the other two mugs, leading them back to the living room area. Michelle claimed her original place on the loveseat. Once she was seated, she perked up. “Oh, I stole a pair of fuzzy socks.” Sticking out a foot she showed off the candy cane fluff on her feet.

Setting a mug on the coffee table in front of Peter, May looked at her and laughed at the extended limb. “I can see that.” She reached out and tweaked her toes. Michelle squeaked and pull it back. “Just give them back to me tomorrow.”

“Sure,” Michelle agreed and tucked herself further into the loveseat corner, sipping at her drink.

May smiled at her, the lines around her eyes deepening, and Michelle tried not to squirm at the obvious affection on her face. She’d gotten used to it from May, but from time to time, it still made her slightly uncomfortable.

Soon enough, but longer then she was comfortable with, May turned away and knelt down beside her nephew. Shaking his shoulder, she peered into his face. “Peter? Hot chocolate is ready.”

At first he didn’t even twitch, but as she shook him, he stirred. “Hmmermm?” he groaned and blinked foggily up at his aunt. Yawning, he rubbed a fist into one of his eyes. “Whaaa?”

Michelle bit her lip at his sleepy confusion and hid behind her mug. He really was too precious at times. Quickly, she scowled to herself and focused her eyes on May instead of her friend. Emphasis on friend.

May smiled softly and sat back. “Hot chocolate. SG-1. Sound familiar?”

“Maybe?” he hummed, his eyes drooping.

“None of that, Mister,” May scolded and flicked his forehead. “Wake up enough to eat and drink something. Then you can fall back asleep.”

He grumbled incoherently but heaved himself up and swung his legs over so he was sitting properly. He leaned his forearms on his knees for a moment and just blinked, trying to wake up. May smirked and got up, mostly likely to retrieve the popcorn and something for Peter.

With her gone, Michelle sat quietly, sipping her hot chocolate, watching as Peter gathered himself. It took him maybe a minute to finally look up and around. When he saw her, he blinked and his face morphed into a dopey grin–and nope that did nothing to her heart. Not a damn thing. It certainly didn’t make her bite back an equally sappy smile.

Peter didn’t seem to notice her dilemma and glanced at the coffee table. When he saw the Iron Man mug, he pointed at it, then at himself, twisting to face her. There were those puppy dog eyes again.

Michelle laughed. “Yes, that’s yours, you dork.”

“Just checking,” he murmured but otherwise didn’t seem bothered as he reached for it. He gulped some of it down, and she winced; it was still too hot for that, but he didn’t react. Instead, he leaned back against the couch, cradling it to his chest. It looked like he might be trying to absorb it into to his body, to seep the warmth right into his bloodstream.

She snorted and he opened one eye to frown at her. “What?”

“Nothing.” Michelle smirked and sipped more of her hot chocolate.

Peter tilted his head, and his brows furrowed as his gaze traveled around her face. She quirked a brow as an answer.

Before either of them could decide what to do, May danced back. “Here we go! Popcorn for the ladies and this for you,” she added, offering a plate of reheated pizza out to her nephew, keeping the popcorn bowl balanced on her hip.

Quickly he took it from her, and May placed the popcorn beside Michelle. She watched her find and place the first disk of SG-1 into their player. She looked around for a moment before finding the remote. Soon enough, they were snickering at the outdated movie effects and making disgusted faces at the Goa'uld. They plowed through about three episodes before May called it a night.

Seeing no reason to argue with her, Michelle got up to help her clear the dishes. She grabbed their mugs while May claimed the bowl and Peter`s plate. Although she did pause when she reached for the Iron Man mug. Maybe half way through the pilot episode, Peter had flopped back onto his side and he was obviously asleep.

Noticing her hesitation, May smirked. “Leave him. I’m happy that he’s getting any sleep. He spends too much time in the suit. Sometimes getting him to even go to bed is a hassle.”

Michelle hummed, following the woman to the kitchen. “Oh, I know.”

May paused and glanced at her. “What does that mean?”

Quickly she realized that could have been taken differently than she meant it. She fought a flush and placed the mugs on the counter. “Nothing bad,” she assured her. “He’s called me a couple of times to get my opinion on Spider-Man issues.” May nodded slowly, her mouth pursing thoughtfully.

Michelle observed her for a moment before snorting. “Although, once it was about homework he forgot. I told him that it was two o'clock in the morning and to figure it out himself.”

May huffed a laugh, shaking her head. “He needs better time management skills,” she commented and placed the butter covered bowl into the sink and started to wash it.

“Yup,” Michelle agreed, picking up a drying cloth. “He’s lucky that he’s so academically smart otherwise there would be no way he would be passing.”

“Just academically?” May inquired, running a scrubby around the inside of the bowl, soapy water sloshing around.

Michelle raised a brow at her. “Has Peter ever had common sense?”

May paused for a moment then pointed a soap covered finger at her. “Point.”

She chuckled then accepted the large bowl when May handed it to her. They worked in silence for a moment then May looked up at her. “Oh, did you call home to tell them where you are?”

Michelle nodded, “Yup. Mom’s fine with it. Even wanted to thank you for keeping me out of the storm.”

May smiled. “Well, you can tell her that it’s no problem. You’re always welcome here. You know that.”

Michelle nodded and looked down, biting her lip. No matter how many times May complimented her, it caught her off guard. It always prompted a warm feeling in her chest. It was never unpleasant, but if she was being honest with herself, she was scared of what it could mean, or more specifically, afraid of the responsibility kindness brought. She knew that the Parkers never expected anything in return, but not everyone was as wholesome as they were. However, she was getting used to it from May. When she first started coming around, she’d frozen and basically hid behind her books.

A comfortable silence blanketed them and they finished the dishes soon enough. When Michelle had placed the last mug into the cupboard, she quirked a brow at May. “So, who’s going to wake Peter so I can take the couch?”

May laughed and shook her head. “No, he’s completely out. I’d rather not wake him. Just use his bed. He won’t mind.”

Michelle blinked. “Umm, okay.”

May rolled her eyes and flapped a hand at her. “Shoo, it’s late. Get to bed.”

“Yes, Ma’am.”

Moments later, she found herself closing Peter’s bedroom door behind her, the room was dark with only the yellow street light illuminating the cluttered space. Making her way to his bunk bed, she pushed aside scattered pieces of a Lego set with her toes. Then with a snort, she stepped over the half completed Star Wars… thing. She wasn’t too sure what it was but decided that she didn’t really care and the bed was more interesting.

Reaching it, she climbed onto the lower bunk, the mattress squeaking under her weight. Flopping down, she pulled the covers up, wrapping herself in warmth. Snuggling against the pillow, she breathed in the comfortable smells around her as she drifted off.