Idiosyncratic || Peter Parker ||

||32||

"Issie, you don't have to help me -- that's Peter's job." May attempts to swat the teenage girl's hand away from trying to set the table. Isabelle shook her head with a smile, completely natural and makeup-free given she took everything off the moment she walked into the apartment. Sporting a pair of Peter's sweats and a sweater and completely comfortable, contrasting her day spent in a somewhat tight dress and uncomfortable shoes. "May, it's fine - I don't mind helping you... you do enough already." Isabelle continued to set the table for three. 

Tonight wasn't exactly a celebratory night, but May definitely wanted to celebrate the fact that Peter had snagged his very first girlfriend. "You are my favourite child and you don't even live here - you hear that Peter, I love Issie more - god what does he do in his room that's so important - Peter! Can you come out and stop your girlfriend from doing housework for you!" May looked back down toward Isabelle, leaning in slightly with a smile, "you know, I get since you two are dating now and you want to help about and all and that's very sweet of you - but Peter is the man of the house - Peter!" May shouted out his name with a quick annoyed sigh and walked over to the kitchen. 

Isabelle giggled lightly and placed the cutlery around the table as May served up a lovely pasta for dinner. "I'm coming!" Peter's muffled voice finally emerged from his bedroom, he was frantically trying to clean up the mess he had made due to his web-shooters malfunctioning and declining the small capsules of web fluid he had made up during the day. Both girls seated themselves at the table and May beams at Isabelle, she was definitely not trying to hide how ecstatic she was that Peter finally asked the girl out. 

"I'm sorry - I'm just... so proud of Peter and so happy for you two. You're just the sweetest." May pulled a loving face at Isabelle making the teenager laugh and coyly smile, "thanks... He's been great so far, so gentle and kind... you've done one helluva job on bringing him up, May." The words really struck a chord with the middle aged woman, enough to make her put down her fork and reach over, grabbing Isabelle's hand. "You have no idea how much that means to me, Issie... god - I just wish Ben was here to meet you, he'd adore you -- you'd love him, I know it..." 

Standing up from her seat, Isabelle walked over and hugged May gently. Sometimes, Isabelle would think how things would be different if her parents and brother were still alive, her thoughts would linger on how much her brother would adore Peter, and how much her parents would be grateful to have her first boyfriend as sweet and as kind as Peter. The two quickly embraced before Isabelle sat back down and they continued eating. 

Finally, emerging from his bedroom was a dishevelled Peter, his hair was a mess and he was slightly flustered from cleaning his entire room out. "Wow - glad you could help us with dinner, Pete... you did a magnificent job." May pointed out sarcastically making Peter bite his lip in guilt as he took a seat beside Isabelle. Isabelle's eyes widened upon noticing bits of web fluid stuck in his hair, given that Isabelle was aware of his superhero alter-ego it was easy to acknowledge, however, for someone like May who wasn't aware of his secret crime-fighting lifestyle, to see him emerge from his room, flustered and out of breath with white substance in his hair, what is she going to think?

"Uh - Peter... what's in your hair?" May's voice seemed higher pitch than normal, although she needn't ask what was in his hair because she thought she knew exactly what it was. No one could blame her for assuming the worst. Isabelle cringed visibly, biting her bottom lip to suppress an embarrassed sigh. Not that this situation had anything to do with her, but she could take an educated guess on a talk that would follow after this debacle.  

Peter's glanced at Isabelle then over to his aunt, a sweat breaking out on his skin, "Uh-uh nothing - it's i-it's -- uh...um..." He stuttered, once he brought his fingers to his hair to examine what she was talking about. He couldn't tell her the truth, no, not after what happened with Ben he wasn't going to do that to her. Hanging his head low in shame, he simply just accepted the assumption and stood up, "I'll be back." he mumbled and darted to the bathroom leaving Isabelle and May in an uncomfortable silence.