Chapter Text
The first thing Olivia noticed was how badly she ached.
This went beyond the ache of old age, or of health problems that no amount of yoga and dieting could fix. It even went beyond the pain of a superpowered scrap, as her usual nemesis tended to pull punches to avoid seriously injuring her. No, it felt as if there had been an attempt on her life, and a nearly successful one at that. Everything inside her hurt.
The second sensation she noticed was nearly the opposite. These weren’t her clothes. They were much too nice and clean and soft to be hers. And instead of the usual weighted blanket she kept at home, there was a very light and fluffy one draped over her (probably for the best, considering her current injured state). For the fact that her insides felt like someone had attempted to puree her, the soft textures on her skin felt surprisingly comforting.
The third and most surprising thing was how calm she felt despite all of this. Even on her best days, Olivia always had this current of restless energy in her, like someone who had drank five cups of coffee. But now, even with multiple things that should arouse alarm in her, she felt peaceful, more peaceful than she had in months.
She almost wanted to lay there, eyes closed, forever.
But Olivia had always been a curious person, and she knew she couldn’t stay that way for long, anyways. Wincing as the light hit her eyes, she squinted without her glasses as the room she was in came halfway into focus.
“You’re awake.”
That voice was familiar. Olivia turned her head despite the protests of her neck to look at her. From the vague shapes she could make out, she was on the couch, May seated across from her with (presumably) a cup of tea in her hands. “How do you feel?” May added, and Olivia wished she could read her expression.
“In pain,” she answered truthfully. “May… what happened?”
“Well, at least your head seems fine.” May’s tone seemed to get colder at that. “You’ll have to tell me. All I know is you turned up on my doorstep beaten to a pulp. I just want to know why you came here.”
Olivia’s head pounded as she tried to recall the events before this. The Collider. Fighting multiple Spider-people. Getting struck by dimensional debris. Crawling her way out of the machine. Finding the first safe place she could think of…
“I thought you could help me.”
“Well, I guess you weren’t wrong,” May said with a sigh. “It’ll take a while for you to heal without spider powers, but I fixed you up as best I could.” Olivia gingerly tested her limbs, reaching up to where she felt her glasses on her forehead. While everything still ached, she was at least thankful that her bones didn’t seem to be broken.
The stern look on May’s face made her almost regret putting her glasses back on. “Now, give me one good reason I shouldn’t turn you over to the police.”
That made her heart skip a beat, panic starting to bubble up. “May, you know what’ll happen to me,” she pleaded. “The men at the Raft would eat me alive.”
“You never seemed that concerned about fighting before.”
“They’ll take my arms! I can’t fight without-” She paused and shifted where she was laying, an uneasy feeling rising in her stomach as she realized something. “Where are my arms?”
“I had to take them off to treat you. I’ve hidden them until you prove I can trust you again.” The look on May’s face made her heart ache. Olivia closed her eyes. She couldn’t look May in the eye right now.
“I’m sorry.”
“Are you?” It should sound accusatory, but May made it sound like a genuine question, and somehow that felt worse. Olivia wanted to run far away from this conversation, but she could hardly move her legs, and she knew this might be her only chance to get this out.
“I know I don’t deserve help.” Her voice was quiet. It was a topic she had to face no matter what she wanted to do. “I just thought… You always brought out the best part of me. So if anyone could help me fix this… I figured you were my best shot.”
May was silent for a long time, to the point Olivia opened her eyes again just to make sure she was still there. Eventually, she stood up, setting her tea on the coffee table, and came over to her side. “Liv.” Olivia’s heart fluttered at the nickname, and the gentle way May spoke it. “Are you actually going to listen to me if I help you?”
She glanced around the living room. It was a mess, debris everywhere, a sheet hung up as a temporary measure over the huge hole in the wall. And though her memory of it was foggy, Olivia knew she did most of that. Before, she would have been numb to it, but her heart felt like it was thawing out, and guilt tugged at her.
She nodded slowly despite how her skull protested. “I will.”
May gave a small smile at that, and Olivia’s heart melted further. Truthfully, she had never quite shaken her feelings for May. Even when they were on opposing sides, there was still a current of affection there, running just under the surface. And now that she felt as if she was finally waking from a strange dream, that feeling was rushing back. She watched May’s face, infatuation taking over again.
“Liv. Are you paying attention?”
Olivia blinked, a far-off look on her face. “Have I told you how nice your face is?”
She had only been in the campus library for a few minutes, but May couldn’t shake the feeling of being watched. Sure enough, glancing around, there was another student right beside her who seemed to be staring right at her, almost as if she didn’t realize she was doing so.
“Can I help you with something?”
The student reacted as if she had been shaken awake. “Oh! Sorry for staring, you just have a very nice face.”
May’s cheeks reddened at that comment, giving an awkward smile. “Oh, thank you.”
“We have chemistry together, right?” Wow, this girl was forward. Before May could stammer out a response, she continued, “On Thursdays, in the lab on the second floor? You always wear those cute scarves.” Oh, right, that sort of chemistry. “What’s your major?”
“Engineering,” May answered, still feeling very caught off-guard. “What about you?”
“Oh, I’m a physics major! I considered engineering too, though, and I might take a couple of courses if I can fit it in my schedule. Maybe we’ll get to work on some projects together.” The energy in this girl’s wide, slightly crooked grin was surprising for someone who she had only just met.
“Maybe so. My name’s May, by the way.” She returned the smile. Honestly, this girl’s enthusiasm was almost infectious.
“Octavius! Future doctor Octavius. Not a doctor yet, but might as well get used to being called that, right?” Wait, did this girl really go by her last name? “Anyways, I have a paper I have to get back to, but I’ll see you around!”
May watched the girl’s retreating form, still feeling bewildered. She got the feeling that would not be the last she saw of “future doctor Octavius”.
This time, May didn’t seem so pleased with the compliment. In fact, she looked exasperated. “Olivia. Not the time.”
Olivia shrunk back sheepishly. “Right. You were saying?”
May gave a sigh, one that was less of her old indulgent “what am I going to do with you” sigh and more of a “this is why we broke up” sigh. “House rules. One, I don’t want any of your ‘sinister six’ friends showing up here. Or any criminals, for that matter. If you want to be better, don’t let them drag you back into it. Two, you’ll have to stay on the couch.” Before Olivia could point out that this was a two-bedroom home, May amended, “For now, at least. I just… need time to go through the second bedroom.”
Oh. Right. In the chaos of the past couple of days, it had almost escaped her mind. Peter, the Peter of this dimension, was dead. She hadn’t felt anything at the time, but a very uneasy feeling settled in her stomach again as she realized she was at least partially responsible.
Before Olivia could apologize, however, May straightened herself out again. “Three, the basement is off limits. So is the shed, but you can’t get in there without a key anyways. And no, that is not a challenge,” she added pointedly. “I’m sure I’ll think of more. Any questions so far?”
“Just one.” Olivia propped herself up painfully on the couch. “Why are you helping me? I’m glad, but...”
The smile May returned was tinged with a deep sadness that seemed to make the very atmosphere heavy. “Because Parkers don’t give up on people. I remember how things used to be, Liv. And if you say you want to change, I want to help. Peter would have done the same.”
May’s hand came to gently rest over hers, and she found herself blinking back tears. Even after everything she had done… May truly was the best part of her life. “Thank you.”
“Don’t thank me yet,” May answered with an almost playful look. “Once you’re feeling better, you’re helping me repair that hole you put in my wall.”
That was fair.