Summary:Peter and Helena talk about relationship things. Log Info:Storyteller: None |
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It has been one insane month. Morlun, recovering, midterms, Thanksgiving, and of course, webslinging…it can certainly fill up a person's time. But when you have a girlfriend, that level of neglect is a criminal act in itself.
So, here he is, sitting on the roof of the Parker house, and dreading making this call. He tried twice already, but cancelled before it could ring. Maybe she's PO'd that he hasn't called.
Well, if she is, then it's better to hear it from her than imagine it. And when he does imagine it, she exhibits a purple aura and her hair starts levitating and swaying as if she was Medusa's daughter.
God hates a coward.
He pressed the DIAL icon for Helena Wayne and put the phone to his ear before he tried hanging up again…
Peter isn't the only one who's been busy lately. Helena may not have had weird totem vampire creatures from another dimension hunting her down, but SHIELD Academy's no joke. Add to that her insistence on keeping up her end of patrols before her parents can tell her she made bad decisions, and…well, she hasn't exactly done a lot of calling lately either.
"Hey!" she exclaims as she picks up the phone, sounding far more pleased with a touch of guilty than angry. "Hey. Oh my gosh, did I forget something? Did we have plans? I thought that was-" There's a moment of silence on the other end as she scrolls frantically through her calendar only to realize there are no plans there.
"Wow. Long time no talk," she says sheepishly.
Peter sounds a little relieved, but still uncertain. "Yeah. Uhm…listen, I'm sorry I haven't called. Things have been…unreal. It's not an acceptable reason, but that doesn't change it. Uhm…look, we still have a few slices of Aunt May's apple pie. Would you like to…come over? We can talk about stuff…try to catch up with each other. It's…been a long time."
"Hey, it's a two-way street," Helena replies, rueful. "But yeah, totally. Just give me like…" She checks her phone, the time, and her books. "Thirty minutes? I'll be there. You need me to pick anything up on the way?" she offers, closing the book and reaching for her jacket.
Peter looks around, then down at where the kitchen is situated. "No…no. Just yourself. We still have plenty of leftovers, if you're really hungry." He took a breath. "I missed you. I hope to see you soon."
"I missed you, too," Helena says warmly, shrugging into her jacket. "I'll see you soon. Bye!" She hangs up quickly, slipping her phone into her pocket with a wince. That was…awkward. And it didn't exactly sound promising. Dick's advice about relationships echoes in her mind, but she heads out to her motorcycle, shoving the helmet onto her head as if it can stifle the words.
It's a relatively quick drive out to Peter's place. She has it shaved down to twenty minutes when the bike pulls up in front of the house, pulling off her helmet adn taking a bracing breath. Okay, Wayne. You can do this. A hand through her hair, a tug on her jacket, and she's knocking at the front door, smile in place.
Peter opens the door a few seconds later, his shy smile almost bashful when he sees her. Jeez, she's the whole package, all right. It amazes him sometimes that he had had a crush on him. He opens the door wide to allow Helena to come in. "Aren't you cold? It's getting downright frigid out there." Luckily his suit's heating system had been working just fine. The house is warm, a fire going in the fireplace, and Peter holds out a hand to take Helena's jacket.
"It's insulated," Helena laughs as she shrugs out of the jacket, turning part of it aside to show the lining. It's also got kevlar, but that's another conversation. Motorcycle safety. Totally. She hands over the jacket, starting to lean in for a kiss to his cheek. "I feel like we haven't had a chance to hang out in forever," she says sheepishly, reaching for his hands. "How's things? You look largely intact. That's always good."
Peter hugs Helena suddenly, holding her for a few moment before letting go. "…Sorry. It's been that kind of a month." He looks to her, then to the dining room table. "Uhm, have a seat…I'll go get that pie. Would you like something to drink? Juice, water, lemonade, iced tea?" He is already walking towards the kitchen as he talks, seeming nervous or excited. Most likely nervous.
Helena seems a little surprised by the hug, but returns it almost immediately, keeping her hands on his shoulders for just a moment longer when he retreats. "Lemonade sounds good," she calls after him, sliding into a chair at the table. Something is definitely up. Crap. Maybe she should text Zee, she usually has good advice for these sorts of…
Peter steps out a few seconds later with two slices of pie. Cool but still smell delicious. He also has two glasses—lemonade for her, Arnold Palmer for him. He sets everything down and sits down in the chair across from Helena.
He takes a deep breath, then says, "So…what's been going on with you?"
Helena pulls her plate a little closer to herself, taking a bite of the pie before she answers. It's just so good! "A lot of studying," she answers, smile faint. "I mean. A lot. And working out, to go with it. But it's really cool stuff, Pete. And I get to be hands on with things every day. It's exciting, seeing how things work, watching them move. What about you? Have things…Are things a little better now that Morlun's been handled?"
Peter looks thoughtful as he takes a bite of pie. "Well…it's been interesting. Aunt May found out about me being Spider-Man. We had a fairly long talk about that. Aired a lot of stuff we'd both been suppressing. I think it's working out for the best, though. Aunt May's becoming more socially conscious. Probably because she's been sitting at home while I've been risking my neck…and a few other body parts." He sips his drink. "I've connected or re-connected with most of the people involved. One was in a very dark place for awhile, but she's healing. I've come to terms with Morlun being killed. I wish it wasn't necessary…but as they say, wish in one hand, crud in the other, see which one fills up first."
"I'm not exactly in favor of killing people, Peter, but I'm honestly not sure he counted as a people so much as a…malicious magical force," Helena points out. "Or something. I love that you think about it and you care about it," she adds quickly, reaching a hand for his cheek. "But I'm glad you've come to terms with it too. That thing caused enough suffering already."
Peter nod, looking at Helena, his face sober. "Well, he wasn't along. He was the patriarch of a family of his kind. Called themselves the Inheritors. And they may not be too thrilled when Daddy isn't bringing home th4e Spider-Bacon anymore. In fact, they, might show up wanting a little payback. I sent info to SHIELD, WAND, and a couple of others. Forewarned is forearmed, after all." He looked down. "I…wanted to reach out to you. But Morlun seemed to take special pleasure in hurting people I knew. I couldn't take that chance."
"Spider-bacon sounds horrifying, for the record," Helena points out with a flicker of a smile, taking another bite of pie. "And it's okay, Peter. I get it. I mean, I'm not exactly helpless, but anything that can kick you and the rest of the spider-crew around the city is probably not going to be a great time for me. I'm not going to be mad at you for not making me a target. Is that-" She pauses, quirking a brow. "Is that what you're worried about?"
Peter sighs. "I dunno. You have a lot on your plate with the SHIELD Academy, I'm betting. And I'm sure it doesn't give you a lot of free time. I just…missed you, you know? We haven't been together in…jeez, nearly a MONTH. And add to that the fact that…well, yes, I'm worried I'm going to lead something to your door that's just going to blow it off the hinges, get a hold of you, and…" He sighs. "Morlun brutalized someone I was close to. Just to get to me. He killed someone else for the same reason. It's…it's been weighing on my mind. A lot."
Helena is quiet for a moment, pushing a hand through her hair and looking away. She doesn't seem upset. More…resigned. As if she's not entirely surprised to hear it. When she looks back, she pushes her plate out of the way, holding her hands out to him. "Peter, you are a good guy," she says quietly. "In all of the senses of that word. So…I know that when I tell you that you really don't need to worry about me or my family, you're going to keep worrying about us. And in a lot of ways, that's what makes you special. Not the powers. But the person who got them."
She catches her lower lip between her teeth for a moment, choosing her words. "I- I care about you, Peter. And I admire the hell out of you. But I care about you too much to make that decision for you. You live a crazy, dangerous, difficult life. You have to decide how you want to balance that."
Peter looked to Helena, then looked down. "You're…the normal part of my life. And I need that, that normal part, to even out the crazy. But if SHIELD is going to take up a lot of your time, and we won't get to spend very much time together…what kind of relationship are we going to have?"
He takes a deep breath. "I'm not going to force you to choose between SHIELD and me. And I don't want one bad month to force a choice. But if we are unable to see each other for long stretches at a time, from now forward…then I don't think we'll have a chance together. I'm not going to guilt you into giving up your dream. But if you know for sure that the Academy is going to take up a lot of your time…think I want you to tell me so. Honesty. That's how we handle this."
Normal. Yeah. Totally. Helena lets out a slow breath, giving his hand a squeeze. "I can't say, Peter. Not for sure. That's the honest truth. Academy's new for me, but it's something I've committed to. And I can't back out of that. But…But I know in the long run, being a part of SHIELD? That's going to be something that definitely keeps me busy. And maybe it'll be something I can do with you, if you aren't too worried I'll get hurt. But it's going to be a while before that's an option, too. Maybe…"
She hestitates, lips twisting as she tries to find her way through things. "Maybe we just…keep things open?" she suggests. Maybe not the strangest suggestion from the daughter of billionaire playboy Bruce Wayne. "We'll see each other when we can. But if you find someone in the meantime, someone that can be everything you need then…Then I'll understand, you know?"
Peter winces. "Jeez, I never thought I'd be having this conversation. I had this storybook thought about us…but fairy tales are fairy tales, aren't they? Reality bites, and it has sharp teeth."
He looks down, then to Helena. "I don't know if there's anyone like you, Helena. You're one in a billion. And I'm not going to be the guy to tell you to quit SHIELD for me. I want you to do your best, blow them all away with your brilliance. Who knows what the future will bring?"
Another pause. "If there is…someone…then I won't hide it from you. I'll be up front with you. I have never regretted telling you about Spider-Man being me." He pauses. "Aunt May found out. I was near-comatose and Aunt May saw everything. The costume, the bruises. She told me that she was angry I lied to her. She understood why I did, but she lamented all the opportunities lost. I told MJ and she hated the deception, as well. When I told you…it was like a weight lifted from me. That I could never lie to you."
But I have to lie to you. And this would be so much easier if I didn't.
"You told me about Aunt May," Helena nods, smile faint. "And I'm really glad you don't have to hide it from her anymore. I think it's going to be important for both of you. And it'll make things…a little easier. I'm sure Aunt May will worry about you, but at least she can help, too, and that has to make her feel better about it."
She takes a deep breath, pasting on a practiced smile. The one for the paparazzi. "Fairy tales are short too, Pete. It doesn't have to be forever. It doesn't have to be perfect. Maybe it's just…not right now."
Peter nods, but doesn't look happy. "Did I tell you she's volunteering now? She got a job for a homeless outreach program called F.E.A.S.T. She quit her bridge game, she doesn't stay in the kitchen cooking all day out of boredom. She told me she felt that if I was going to take risks, then she was too." He sighs. "She might have helped more people if she knew. And maybe Uncle Ben might be alive, too. But I can't unscramble eggs. All I can do is make the best omelette I can. And Aunt May seems like she's a couple of decades younger lately."
"You did, yeah," Helena says with that same smile, giving his hand a squeeze. "And you know if she ever needs help, she can talk to Mom. We know a thing or two about charities." She leans closer, reaching up to cup a hand to his cheek. "I want you to be happy, Pete. Seriously. And no matter what happens or where things go, I want to still know you. Because you're amazing. Okay?"
Peter smiles slightly. "Amazing. Hard to see myself as that, considering what I've dealt with. The world has grown so much. I started out stopping muggers and rapists, and now…I have creatures from another UNIVERSE coming after me." He looks to Helena. "Can you do me a favor, though?"
Helena's smile quirks, deepening at one corner. "Always," she answers, unhesitating. "In fact, if I find out that I could have helped you and you didn't ask, then I'll be mad at you."
"If you see ANY strange spiders…spiders with odd symbols…or numbers…or the OsCorp company logo…DO NOT APPROACH." Peter sounds completely serious. "TRUST ME. You get too close to one of those, and you'll wake up stuck to the ceiling and need to get fitted for spandex."
"Oh, so it's logos and numbers, then? Good to know." Helena's lips twitch against a broader smile. "No, don't worry. I'm pretty sure with my luck I'd be the first one who sprouted extra arms and eyes to go with the spider powers. That does remind me though, SHIELD brought in another spider-powered person. Seemed like a kid about our age. Boy. Had a weird…hoodie and shorts thing going on? Electrical shocks that packed a punch? If you're not hooked up with him yet, maybe I can slip him a link to the Spider-Comms and you guys can keep an eye on things?"
"I…think I know that guy already, but yeah, hook him up with the Spider-Comm frequency. He'd still need the custom rig, but at least he can transmit." Peter sighs again. "At least SHIELD will test you and train you. I met another Spider-Woman that worked for SHIELD and the competence just RADIATES off of her."
"I'll pass it along if I see him again," Helena nods. "But yeah. That's sort of the idea. By the time I'm done with the academy, you'll be calling me up for help. Again. Still," she teases gently. "I'm not going to spend my life worrying about being a target."
"Well, if you're doing the SHIELD thing, then you're going to be able to handle anything. Instead of almost anything like right now." Peter looked down. His pie was gona. Has he eaten it all? "And if you ever need anything…you know how to reach me. Anything at all. Unless I have multiple broken bones, in which case you'll need to give me 24 hours.
"Uh, if I call you and you have multiple broken bones, you better be prepared for the great Wayne invasion," Helena threatens, smile wry. "People forget my grandfather got into everything as a doctor, you know." With the hard part of the conversation over, she leans closer to wrap him in a tight hug, holding it. "Thank you, Peter. For everything. For trusting me. For believing in me. For being honest with me every step. I don't think I can ever tell you how much that means."
Peter hugs Helena, being very careful on his end. Proportionate strength of a spider and all that. "You deserve it, Helena. You work so hard. Whatever you do, you have my full support."
"And you better keep me in the loop." Helena leans back with a light threatening look. "Because I'm going to worry about you no matter what. So don't make me wonder if you're okay." There's one more tight hug, and then she reluctantly releases him.
Peter smiles. "I promise. If I can't tell you something, I'll say so. But I'll never lie to you."