Flower Child (Peter Parker, MCU)

Truth is Stranger Than Fiction

still feel. - half∙alive

"May, I don't understand why I-"

"You already agreed, Peter."

"But May, I-"

"Peter, stop." May turned to face her nephew, who was standing on the other side of the kitchen counter, staring her down. She waved her hands in front of her. "What is this, huh? You said you would help me."

"I just don't get why it has to be me, why - why I have to go. I mean, I just got back from my trip-"

"Yeah, a trip where Lila Landry almost died, hon. You do understand what all she and her father have done for us, right? Without even asking?"

Peter understood some of it. He knew Lila volunteered at May's work every week, as she'd mentioned it when Peter was over at her house. He was aware that her father helped May grieve the loss of a spouse. He also knew they donated flowers for Ben's service without May even asking. If anyone knew loss, it was the Landrys, and Peter knew it. But the note Lila left-

A heavy plastic container was shoved into Peter's hands, interrupting his train of thought. Upon closer inspection, Peter saw chocolate chip cookies, his favorite chocolate chip cookies, sitting in the container, bits of steam clouding the sides. "I get it May, I just - I'm not really that close to her. I-I-I've only been talking to her for a week-"

"Blows my mind, really, she's such a sweetheart. I feel like you guys would get along great."

Yeah, except she might be onto me, Peter thought. "I just don't know why we've gotta do this."

May's eyebrow lifted over her glasses. A hand was placed on her hip which cocked out. Gesturing to Peter, she said, "Give me one reason why you shouldn't."

Because I'm Spider-Man, and Lila might know that.

But it wasn't like he could say that. His shoulders slumped in defeat, and a tiny smile graced May's lips out of satisfaction. She walked over to Peter and gently kissed his forehead. Muttering a few thank-you's, May inadvertently made Peter feel guilty about not wanting to go at all. The pit in his stomach grew heavier as he shouldered his backpack, and bid his aunt goodbye before making his way to Lila Landry's house.

He opted to walk, so to delay his arrival to Lila's, but also to give himself more time to think of an alibi. And to talk himself out of the fear that maybe Lila discovered his deepest secret. But the note she gave him didn't leave a lot of options. It was fairly to the point.

I have questions about you and what happened today.

Maybe he could chalk it up to shock, to trauma, to anything but the truth. He immediately rid himself of that idea. He knew if the roles were reversed, he wouldn't want his questions brushed aside because he was traumatized, and left to think he was crazy. But that left the question of whether or not he tell her the truth. If she asked him, could Peter lie?

It was his first instinct, to lie. When Ned found out he was Spider-Man, he was literally wearing the suit, and hastily tried to take it off, like Ned hadn't already seen it. Even if he could have played it off as a costume or other, Ned saw him crawling around on the ceiling. He was backed into a corner, and had no other choice. Would Lila do the same?

He didn't know Lila to be interrogative by nature. But to Peter, Lila was a wild card. At least he knew Ned, and knew that Ned, while excited about the prospect of Peter basically being an Avenger, wouldn't tell anyone. Sure, Peter got along with Lila just fine, dare he even say he was friendly with her, but they weren't familiar. The only thing about Lila that might be in Peter's corner was the fact that she was painfully shy. She didn't really speak to anyone besides her dad and Michelle. And that woman, Sophie, from her dad's shop, who had mentioned she was a journalist major. That thought alone left him unsettled.