the one where sh*t happens

Chapter Nineteen

*y/n pov*
As the seatbelt sign came on as we descended, I started to panic.
We were about to land in New York, and I would have to see everyone again.
I'd have to get through all of them pretending they missed me, and then getting mad I left in the first place.
I don't think I was ready.
I hadn't realised I was shaking in my seat until Peter reached over to hold my hand.
I held it really tightly until the plane had completely landed and most people had gotten off.
We were the last people on the plane, but Peter made no effort to hurry me off.
"Peter I don't think I'm ready" I told him.
"That's ok. We have time."
"No. No, it's too much. There's going to be all these people..."
"We won't go and see them until you're ready. Ok?"
"Okay" I nodded.
Holding hands still, we got off the plane, and walked through baggage claim and security and out of the airport into the city.
Everything looked the same as before, and it was very much like London. All the buildings were so tall and they'd look over you to make you feel tiny.
Peter called over a cab and he told them an address as we got in the back seat.
He looked at me and squeezed my hand. "Let's go see Aunt May."
I took a deep breath, and nodded my head in agreement.
The city flashed past out the window while the cab drove.
It felt like it was closing in, so I closed my eyes to block it all out.
———
Peter awoke me when we pulled up to the apartment, as I had fallen asleep on his shoulder.
"We're here" he spoke gently.
My heart quickened in my chest and I got nervous all over again.
I forgot about his spider abilities: he could hear my heart beating fast and pulled me into a hug.
We sat there for a moment before the cab driver made us pay and kicked us out.
We stood on the sidewalk, and I looked up at all the windows on the building.
I found the one that I knew looked out from our kitchen.
After a moment, I looked back down at the front door and marched towards it.
If I was going to do it, it was now or never.
I swung the door open and Peter followed close behind.
We walked up the stairs, passing an old couple on the way.
They saw us and started whispering between themselves.
I walked slower as we passed them, and even slower when I saw the door.
I walked up to it, and was about to knock.
I hesitated, squeezing Peter's hand, before knocking on the door.
We heard rustling from inside, then someone unlocking the door.
I grasped my hand tighter around Peter's.
The door opened.
"Peter! I didn't expect you home so soon. I missed you!" May cried as she embraced him.
"I missed you too" Peter returned "and I brought home a surprise."
May looked over his shoulder and our eyes met.
"Y/n?" her eyes teared up. I smiled and nodded eagerly.
Peter stood out the way as I jumped to hug her.
"Oh my god. Y/n it's so good to see you. I missed you so so much. Where were you? I thought you died! I'm so glad you're ok!"
"I'm sorry. Can we go inside to talk about it?"
"Mhm. Yeah. Of course" May agreed.
I followed the others into the apartment and sat on the couch.
"Ok, yeah make yourself comfy. Are you hungry? We can order a pizza? Or I can cook one? Or we can make ice cream?" May seemed a bit flustered.
"No May I'm fine. I'm just... so happy to see you."
"Ok. Ok I need some water. This is a lot" she laughed as she left for the kitchen.
"Um y/n..."
I looked at Peter.
"Could you not tell her the reason you left? It would break her."
I paused for a minute to consider it. "Ok. I wont."
May came back in with a glass of water in her hand, which was shaking so much she almost spilled her drink.
She sat and sipped on it until it was all gone. Peter and I were silent as we watched her.
"Okay. Okay y/n. T-tell me. Tell us what happened. Please?"
"Okay" I began "it all started when I got taken up on that ship with Peter. And Thanos killed me. Well I thought he killed me."
"Yeah so did we" Peter sighed.
"Ok. Then what happened? You came back right? After 5 years?"
"Yes. I-"
I looked at Peter then back at May.
"I came back, but I, um, I'd completely forgotten who I was."
Peter's headed nodded slightly in approval. I knew he was right, that if I told May the truth she would have died thinking she wasn't good enough.
"And so I moved to London. To get away from the life I knew nothing about. Then Peter found me and I remembered everything. So he brought me back here."
"Thank god. When I first saw you, and you weren't dead, I thought maybe you had just run away before. I thought that maybe you didn't feel loved enough" she laughed.
I forced a laugh back "yeah, I would never do that."
Reaching over to hold May's hand, I looked at her with a straight face and tears in my eyes "I would never leave you, May. You loved me more than enough. And I love you too. You're like the mother I never really had."
"I love you too y/n. Just like my own daughter" she smiled.
I pulled her into another hug and gestured at Peter to come and join us.
We all sat on the couch in each other's arms.
"Well. You must be starving. Let's order some pizza" May suggested "oh and y/n, I didn't lay a hand in your room. I just couldn't bear to. It's exactly as you left it."
"Yeah that was probably a mistake. I had food everywhere" I told her. I went to freshen up before pizza arrived.
As I opened the door to my room, a nasty strong odour attacked me.
"Oh that's fucking disgusting" Peter sniffed from behind me. "Almost as bad as you."
I stuck my middle finger up at him as I walked into the bathroom.
———
When I got out the shower, I went back to my dump of a room. I did appreciate May not changing anything though.
I stood in a towel, searching my drawers.
"Hey Pizza's here" Peter said poking his head through my door.
"Peter!"
"What?"
"Towel!"
He walked  fully into my room and smirked. "What about it?"
I rolled my eyes in frustration and carried on finding something to wear.
From the bottom of the drawer, I pulled out a black hoodie. I sniffed it, but it just smelt of dust and mould, and not him.
"Do you want to go see him?"
I swung my head round to where Peter was still standing, leaning against my wall.
I looked back at the hoodie and held it close.
"Tomorrow" I whispered. "Now get out before I hit you, dork" I snapped at Peter and threw my hair brush at him.
He caught it and smirked again.
I picked up a bottle to throw at him, and he threw his hands up in the air mockingly and walked out my room.
I changed into the hoodie and a pair of shorts, then went to have the pizza with the others.