Chapter Text
"This is the last one," Peter said with a sigh as he set the heavy box down on the floor. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and closed the door. Peter looked around the hallway, cluttered with boxes, and shook his head. Aunt May smiled at him. Dust floated in the air, and Peter couldn't help but sneeze.
"All that's left is to unpack all this," Aunt May said with a smirk. She was trying her best to smile in front of her nephew, but Peter could see how hard it was for her. Dark circles were visible under May's eyes. Her right eye twitched from time to time, betraying the stress she had endured and the sleepless nights they had spent moving. "Did you text Dick to let him know everything's okay?" May asked, pulling Peter from his thoughts.
"Yeah, I did," Peter nodded. "But he hasn't read my message yet."
"Dick must still be sleeping," May said, nodding to herself. "Yeah, it's still really early. Well, he'll reply when he wakes up. And we’ll have time to tidy up a bit here." May babbled to herself, mentally calculating how long it would take to unpack all the boxes. Carefully stepping over the boxes, May squeezed through to one of the doors. When she opened it, she frowned slightly. The small bathroom had dirt in the corners. "We need to buy some floor cleaner at the store. I'd like to clean everything here, including the tub and toilet, preferably with bleach," Peter was too tired to argue and just nodded.
After checking the bathroom, Aunt May closed the door and moved to the second door. Behind it was the bedroom. Peter saw May's lips quiver when she noticed the torn wallpaper. He was sure she was adding that to her list of necessary expenses for the coming month, even though their budget was already stretched thin.
The room had a double bed, a wardrobe, a nightstand, and a little desk by the window. After assessing the space, Aunt May nodded again and went into the last room—the kitchen. The last one. Peter's heart skipped a beat. He thought he saw another door out of the corner of his eye, but it was just a cupboard.
Tears glistened in May's eyes as she looked at the small fold-out sofa next to the desk. She quickly wiped them away with her sweater sleeve.
"I'm sorry, Peter," she whispered, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath to calm herself. There was no time for sorrow right now. Too much still needed to be done. Before Peter could say a word, May spoke again. "You'll sleep in the bedroom. I'll sleep here."
"But..."
"No 'buts,' my dear. You're a teenager, and you need your own room more than I do. I'll be spending a lot of time at work anyway, so I can sleep here just fine."
Peter hesitated. He didn't want this. He didn't want his aunt to have to sleep on the kitchen sofa because there were no other options. He didn't want May to take on two shifts at the hospital just to make ends meet. He didn't want to move out of the apartment where he and Ben had lived for five years. He didn't want to move to Gotham from the city where he had grown up. He just wanted to see Aunt May happy. And Uncle Ben beside her.
"Oh, Peter," Aunt May pulled him close and hugged him tightly, then kissed him on the forehead. "We'll get through this," she said firmly, and Peter honestly didn't know who she was trying to reassure more: herself or him.
"When do you start work?" Peter asked, yawning.
"Tomorrow, sweetie."
"Already tomorrow?" Peter's eyes widened in surprise. "Why so soon? You need at least a little bit of rest!"
"We need money, and they need a nurse. That's all there is to it," May said with a gentle smile.
"Maybe I should try to find a job," Peter tried once again to bring up the subject, but May was resolute.
"Peter Benjamin Parker," she said, placing her hand on his shoulder. "You got into Gotham Academy on a full scholarship because of your good grades and high test scores. If your grades slip, we'll have to pay for your tuition. Do you think your part-time job will be worth that expense?"
"No," Peter replied quietly, realizing she was right.
"Sweetie, you just turned fourteen; enjoy this time. You'll have plenty of time to work later. I'll manage; just trust me," May looked him in the eyes. "Have I ever let you down?" she asked, and Peter shook his head firmly. "I knew having a child would be a big responsibility when I adopted you. We're family. Even when things get tough, nobody gets left behind. Parents and aunts," May smiled, "always take care of their beloved kids. My job is to work and raise you. Your job is to study hard and listen to me. Got it?"
"Yeah," Peter replied, shyly smiling.
"Are you hungry?" May asked, and Peter nodded. "I thought so. I saw a diner downstairs; we can go eat now and then start unpacking."
"Okay."
"Sweetie, I can see you're really tired. I totally get it. But I want there to be not a single box left by evening. After work, I won't want to unpack anything, so please, let's get it done today. If we can, we should also clean at least the bathroom. If we run out of time, we can finish the rest of the rooms tomorrow evening. The apartment, as you can see, isn't big; we can manage quickly together. Tomorrow morning, you can sleep in as much as you want; I won't wake you up before work."
"Yeah, sure," Peter said with complete confidence. He didn't want to make Aunt May even more anxious about the mess in the apartment, so he was ready to help with the cleaning.
***
Since May was adamant about having breakfast before the big cleanup, Peter had no choice but to agree with her. So now they were sitting in a diner right by their new home, and May was quietly chuckling at Peter. The diner was called "Batburger," which, of course, she didn’t mention to her nephew.
Being a huge Batman fan, Peter couldn’t resist ordering the burger named after him. He also chose the chicken nuggets that came with three sauces in honor of Robin’s costume colors.
May snapped a picture while Peter wasn’t looking, then smiled to herself. She would never admit to her nephew that there was another diner nearby, but she chose this one because of his favorite superhero. May smirked as she remembered how much bubble wrap Peter had used to protect the frame with Batman's autograph during transport.
Peter was, to put it mildly, thrilled with the place. He wasn’t too excited about the move, but knowing that Gotham was Batman’s city lifted his spirits just a bit. However, the real joy for Peter was Dick, his best friend. For the first time in four years, Peter found himself in the city where his friend lived. Usually, Dick and Bruce would come to New York since the Parkers couldn’t afford to travel around the country.
“May, is Dick asking if we’re coming for dinner tonight like we promised?” Peter was glued to his phone, one hand texting his newly awake friend while the other was munching on nuggets.
“Yes, of course,” May felt a warmth in her chest at the thought of finally seeing Bruce and having a heart-to-heart like they used to. How long had it been? Six months? The last time Bruce had come to New York was for Ben’s funeral. After that, May hadn’t really been up for chatting, so they rarely called each other. “At six, right?”
“Yeah,” Peter nodded. “Dick says he and Alfred will pick us up.”
“Tell them not to bother,” May frowned slightly, “we’ll just order a cab.”
“Alfred is insistent,” Peter said, and May sighed, accepting defeat.
“Then we need to clean up before five so they don’t have to wait for us,” May glanced at her wrist but quickly realized she forgot to wear her watch. Peter noticed her gesture and quickly offered the time.
“It’s eight now, so we have about seven or eight hours to clean.”
“Then finish up, and let’s head home. We’ll get there and dive right into unpacking,” May said as she continued eating her burger. Well, it wasn’t bad at all. At least something was enjoyable.
***
“Don’t fidget, Master Dick,” Alfred said, casting another glance at his charge, who couldn’t sit still from excitement. Dick had been on edge all morning. The night patrol hadn’t stopped him from waking up quite early due to his friend’s move.
“Alfie, I haven’t seen Peter in six months. I’ve missed him so much. Do you think he’s gotten taller than me in that time?” Dick’s expression turned genuinely worried at the thought. “God, I hope not. Otherwise, I won’t be able to tease him.”
“Teasing others is quite improper, Master Dick,” Alfred replied, unable to hide his smile. Dick grinned back.
“You can tease your friends,” he said, smirking.
“I doubt that.”
“It’s so cool that we’re going to the same school now!” Dick fell back into his thoughts. “I wonder if Mrs. Parker will let us go to the manor after school and play video games? It would be awesome to have a sleepover. Too bad Bruce is so strict. I’d love to show Peter the cave! I’m sure he’d be thrilled with the Batcomputer.”
“I don’t think Mrs. Parker would mind your visits,” Alfred said, and Dick nodded in agreement. “In fact, quite the opposite.”
“Well? How much longer?” Dick asked impatiently, glancing at his chat with Peter every now and then. No new messages. Peter must be getting ready.
“Patience, young man. We have about five more minutes to go.”
After seven torturous minutes, Dick managed to change positions about ten times, draw a heart on the foggy window, drink a bottle of water, take a deep breath several times, and of course, spout a bunch of nonsense that Alfred listened to while occasionally chiming in with comments.
Dick barely held back a squeal when they pulled up to the house. For a moment, he was worried that Peter would be living too close to Crime Alley, but he quickly pushed those thoughts aside and jumped out of the car. Fortunately for Dick, even though Peter had grown, he was still shorter than him.
“Peter!” Dick beamed and hugged his friend tightly. A thought flashed through his mind about how he had held his friend just as tightly during his uncle’s funeral. He shivered at the thought of potentially losing Bruce as well and becoming an orphan again. For a whole week after the funeral, he couldn’t stop worrying about Batman, which made him extremely distracted and put him in danger. Bruce had noticed this, talked to Dick, and assured him that he wasn’t planning on dying anytime soon, so he could relax. “Hello, Mrs. Parker!” Dick said, pulling away from Peter. “That dress looks great on you.”
“Thank you, sweetie,” she replied, ruffling Dick’s hair.
Alfred stepped out of the car and opened the door, inviting May and Peter to get in. Without waiting for Alfred, Dick opened the door himself and hopped into the car. The butler let out a quiet huff, already used to his ward’s antics and complete lack of patience.
Peter yawned from exhaustion. He and May had unpacked all the boxes and cleaned the entire apartment. His aunt had been so insistent on getting everything done before Alfred and Dick arrived. Because of that, Peter was incredibly sleepy now, but he couldn’t miss seeing Dick just because he was tired.
When the car pulled up to Wayne Manor, Peter couldn’t contain his surprise, which made Dick laugh.
“You live here?!” Peter exclaimed, horrified as he looked around at the massive house. The thought of cleaning such a big place overwhelmed him. He and his aunt had spent hours tidying up their apartment, and at Mr. Wayne’s estate, Peter figured they’d be scrubbing floors until they were old.
“Yep,” Grayson replied with a shrug as they got out of the car. “In the first few months, I kept getting lost. One time, I was so desperate to find my room that I fell asleep in some closet, and Bruce and Alfred found me a few hours later, scared out of their minds. Luckily, I know my way around the manor pretty well now. I can’t wait to show you everything.”
“After dinner, Dick,” Bruce Wayne said, waiting for them at the door. “Let’s eat first. I’m sure Alfred’s cooking is just as amazing as always.” Bruce paused and turned to the Parkers. “Hey, May,” he said, hugging the woman who approached him, and she hugged him back. He pursed his lips when he noticed the dark circles under her eyes but said nothing out of politeness.
“It’s great to see you, Bruce,” May smiled warmly at him, and Peter’s heart ached painfully. Lately, May rarely smiled at anyone but him. He was just glad she was starting to feel a little better after Uncle Ben’s death.
Peter was incredibly hungry after all the cleaning, so he was thrilled when Alfred led them into a large dining room. He swallowed hard at the sight of all the delicious food laid out before them, and he and Dick sat down next to each other.
“How’s Talia?” May asked as she sliced into her salmon. She was sure Bruce had told his butler how much she loved that fish. “I haven’t heard from her in a while. Such a lovely woman. I’d love to have dinner with her again sometime.”
“We recently broke up,” Bruce said with a hint of regret in his voice.
“She dumped him,” Dick chimed in simultaneously with Bruce, snorting.
May choked and coughed.
"Is everything alright, Mrs. Parker?" Alfred asked, handing her a glass of water.
"Yes," May nodded, regaining her composure a bit. "It was just, let's say, unexpected. Are you okay, Bruce?"
"Yeah, I'm fine," Bruce replied, nodding. "We can talk about it after dinner, when Dick and Peter leave," he added quietly so only May could hear.
"The break will be over in a week. Are you boys ready for school?" May delicately decided to change the subject.
"No," Dick sighed. "I loved sleeping in until noon all summer and not thinking about anything. I think I forgot how to write while we were on break."
Bruce huffed, having heard this tirade more than once before.
"And you, Peter, are you ready?"
"Probably," Peter shrugged. "I didn't want to switch schools, but I'm afraid commuting to New York from Gotham every day is going to be a bit tricky," he said, and Dick laughed.
"Well, that's it, Pete, now you'll have to put up with my face every day. Hope you're excited," Dick smiled and then leaned back in his chair, showing that he was done eating.
"What about the broccoli, Master Dick?" Alfred raised an eyebrow at the untouched vegetables on his plate.
"Maybe another time," Grayson beamed, flashing his bright white teeth. Alfred shook his head.
"I'm afraid you'll have to eat the chocolate cake another time too," Alfred said, and this time it was Peter's turn to stifle a laugh.
"Alright, alright," Dick mumbled, picking up his fork and skewering the unfortunate broccoli.
"Take a page from Peter's book, Dick," Bruce pointed at Parker's plate, "he ate everything down to the last crumb."
Peter's face instantly turned red.
"I was just really hungry," Peter said quietly. "May and I were doing a deep clean and unpacking boxes. I thought packing things was bad. Well, I was wrong. Unpacking them was a hundred times worse," he grimaced. "I hope we won't be moving again anytime soon," Peter told himself.
"Mrs. Parker, can we help you with anything?" Alfred asked, and May shook her head.
"No, thank you," she said with the polite smile she always used when declining, "Peter and I are almost done. I'm going back to work tomorrow, so I tried to get everything done today."
"If you need any help, don't hesitate to ask me," Alfred said, and May nodded. Peter knew his aunt wouldn't even think about taking him up on that offer. Alfred glanced at the disgruntled Dick, who had set his fork down on his empty plate. "That's better, young man. Now I can bring out the cake. Everyone will have tea, right?" With no objections, Alfred headed to the kitchen. Dick licked his lips at the sight of the chocolate cake, and he and Peter quickly started digging in.
"Where are you two rushing off to?" Bruce asked, raising an eyebrow. He and May hadn't even finished their main course, while the teenagers were already on dessert.
"I have to show Peter my room and my Lego collection," Grayson said, and Parker's eyes lit up at the mention of Lego. He hadn't bought any new sets in a long time because they had been struggling financially since his uncle's death. In Peter's opinion, it was better to have a roof over his head and a warm dinner than a new Star Wars ship.
"Well, then go ahead, we won't keep you," Bruce nodded understandingly, and the boys quickly dashed out of the dining room, racing to Dick's room.
"What happened with Talia?" May finally asked after waiting for the right moment. "You said you wanted to propose to her..."
Bruce shook his head, thinking of all the pictures of rings that he had sent her shortly before Ben's death.
"I really did want to, but..." Bruce hesitated. "Talia was pregnant," May's eyes widened in surprise, as this was the first she had heard of it, "but she lost the baby. I tried to be there for her, but after a while, she suggested we take a break and went back home to her father. I haven't heard from Talia in months. And for some reason, I feel like I won't again."
May walked over to Bruce and sympathetically placed her hand on his shoulder.
"I'm so sorry, Bruce. I'm sorry I brought it up."
"Don't worry about it, May, I was going to tell you anyway. It’s just that the boys were around. I haven’t told Dick. And honestly, I don’t plan to. He thinks we just broke up. What's more, he’s convinced that I bored Talia, which is why she left me," Bruce scoffed at the absurdity of that statement.
"I can't imagine what I would do if I lost both Ben and Peter at the same time," May said, visibly deflating. She returned to her seat. Bruce noticed her hand trembling, so he gently covered it with his own.
"Even after the darkest night, dawn still comes," he said softly. "The pain won't go away; I learned that lesson after my parents died. But over time, you just learn to live with that pain, and it dulls. It will definitely get better. Don’t doubt that."
***
Peter and Dick were playing Mario Kart when there was a knock at the door. May peeked inside. The boys turned their heads toward the door and noticed Bruce standing next to May, his hand resting on her shoulder.
“Peter, it’s time to go, it’s getting pretty late,” May said, and the boys immediately sighed. Peter wanted to ask if they could stay a little longer, but quickly bit his tongue, remembering that Aunt May needed to get up early for work tomorrow. Plus, he had promised to clean the sinks, so he planned to wake up before noon.
“I’ll give you a ride home,” Bruce said, and May nodded. “Dick, you can come with us if you want,” he added, seeing the boy’s desire to spend a bit more time with his friend.
“The break lasts another week, so you’ll have plenty of time to hang out, don’t worry,” May said as she and Bruce headed toward the stairs. Without him, she would probably get lost in this house. Dick and Peter quietly whispered as they followed them.
“I’m so glad you’re living in Gotham now. I’m sure we’ll do a lot of cool stuff while you’re here,” Dick said, grinning at his best friend, with whom he had spent years communicating long-distance and only occasionally seeing in person.
“Yeah, I hope so,” Peter replied, shyly smiling.