Chapter Text
About a year ago, Peter's life changed drastically. That happens pretty often, but this time it was for the better. Villain of the week, transported to a different universe blah blah, a fairly standard story. The point is, he regularly travels between his original universe and a different one he lovingly nicknamed Craphole. The place is a shit show, mainly Gotham. Thus the name. Though its heroes are a serious upside.
So when he needs backup or when the residents of Craphole need backup, he uses the little device he fabricated to travel between dimensions. Or if he’s lonely. Or bored. And also sometimes just because.
Not that May knows. Or Tony. Or Ned and MJ. Or anyone from his universe really.
——-
May was on the phone, the device resting between her shoulder and her tilted head so she had her hands free. Shuffling between stirring the pasta, sauce, and looking over the details of her W-2 while discussing it with her employer. Vaguely aware of Peter washing dishes next to her.
“No, what I’m saying is that you must’ve issued the wrong form to me, I’m at an entry level position and this much shouldn’t be taken out of my pay for tax-“ she pauses as the other individual on the phone interrupts her, then a sigh “yes I understand ... Yes I know I live in a big city ... Sure, bye” and a soft click to end the call.
“You know I can ask my friend for help filing our taxes. One less thing on your to-do list” the nervous voice rings out beside her.
“I know Pete, you’ve got genius friends. That does not mean we’re asking them to help with our taxes.” She sets down the phone, switching to a spoon to taste the sauce and- ew. “Blegh, eugh-“ the sounds of her spitting out the sauce into the trash, and a glass of water suddenly being pushed into in her hand “thank you, oh god.” Thankful to wash out the taste of whatever went wrong while cooking.
Peter removes the offending saucepan from the stove, covering its thick nauseating stench with a lid “If he can’t help with taxes I bet he could at least offer an easy sauce recipe. Alfredo, marinara, pesto, anything” when his aunt looks at him with a guilty expression he tries to hammer it home “he really wouldn’t mind. I bet he could even do cooking lessons. He learned from his grandfather…”
“Fine”
“Yes! Oh my god we’re gonna start eating real foo- oh uh, I mean… I love you?”
May rolls her eyes and cards her fingers into the back of Peter's brown curls, pulling him forward to lightly press a kiss to his forehead “I love you too. Tell him to start with something easy. And we’ll need a shopping list”
——-
May was walking through the busy streets in downtown, trying to get home- I’m already so late!!! The plastic bags rustling as she scoots and squeezes through the thick crowd. Whoever this friend of Peter’s was, seemed very experienced. A week after their conversation, Peter handed her a paper from this mysterious friend, the shopping list. Written in neat handwriting, an estimate of the total cost, and possible substitutions.
If May was being completely honest, like totally honest… she was expecting it to be a girlfriend. Nameless friend, showing off skills, Peter trying everything in his power to get this person to meet his Aunt. His family.
And if it wasn’t a girlfriend that’s fine too! Most realistically it was another nerdy kid from Peter’s grade. Or from the academic decathlon team.
What she wasn’t expecting was a six foot four brick shithouse in what looked like his early twenties. Heavily scarred. And is that a holster? At least it’s empty. She walks over after setting down the groceries and shakes the man’s hand as Peter does introductions “May, this is Jason. Jason, this is May”
——-
“No no, you have to mince the garlic. That thing you’re doing, whatever that is, is shredding it somehow.” Jason once again grabs the knife from her, showing her how to more neatly cut the garlic, and adding it to the skillet alongside all the other ingredients.
“Woah, be nice to Aunt May, she raised me” her pseudo son grins, pulling and tugging on Jason’s arm
“What are you doing? Are you- you’re trying to mess me up!” The clatter of the knife dropping into the sink and Jason puts a hand on either side of Peter’s torso, throwing him on the couch, the younger boy laughing all the way.
“Nu uh! Not fair, caught me off guard- plus I have super strength so-“
Dear god. May watches in abject horror as her vigilante superhero son, the one trying to keep that fact a secret, proceeds to climb across the ceiling and land on their guest in a halfhearted tackle “PETE- JASO- WHAT IS GOING ON?!”
Didn’t work. The two continue to pull at each others hair, kicking and scuffling, grinning like madmen. If she didn’t know who they were, she’d almost guess they were brothers.
Oh, okay she knows how to stop them now. “Peter Benjamin Parker” she growls through gritted teeth. The two freeze and separate, looking down at their feet.
“Sorry May” “Sorry Ma’am”
She puts her hands on her hips, opening her mouth and filling her lungs to start a lecture when smoke fills her nostrils. Bigger things at hand.
——-
May keeps an eye on Peter as he mouths the words along to whatever Star Wars movie he put on. “What was that today?” breaking the silence.
Pete blinks at her, one eyebrow raising after a short while “Jason? We talked about the cooking lessons ages ago-“
“No not that, obviously not that” she scoffs, ruffling his hair a bit. “I mean the… I guess the… brotherly fighting? How long have you known this guy? He knows about Spider-Man?”
“Oh, he’s kinda in the same circle? The vigilante stuff anyway…” he rubs the back of his neck, shrugging it off “I’ve known him maybe a year? He’s stitched me up, saved me from getting shot, used emergency antidotes on me… I guess we’re close.”
“Emergency antidotes? Does Banner know? He’s supposed to be running tox scre-“
“Not Banner. But a different doctor? Jason’s team… uh medic. The same grandpa that taught him to cook”
This kid is going to give her a heart attack. She leans her head back and takes a deep breath “and you trust him?”
“With my life”
-bonus-
”so Jason is a vigilante too?”
”crime lord”
”oh!”
”but he’s good! Like… a male Black Widow”
”so does he kill people?”
”well…”