Arc One. Chapter Thirteen. Fun House

Aunt May was stunned, which went past shocked, right into what the hell, and straight out the other side of sweet Jesus. Peter hadn't been joking when he said he'd been busy tidying up and upgrading the once meth lab. White floors, clean windows with a nice cool breeze filtering through the whole place. This was nicer than where they currently lived and May couldn't find anything to pick over, well almost.

"You live here?" She asked, raising an eyebrow at Peter's sparse living conditions. He had a cot bed with a few blankets thrown over it, a kettle with discarded instant noodle pots surrounding it and an overflowing trash bag. Clothes were piled into two categories she could see, one clean, she hoped, and one that was definitely dirty going by the smell.

Peter just shrugged, of course he didn't, this was just a pit stop for when he got tired and Aunt May knew it. He was home most nights by 11 and while he might be gone at 7 in the morning he wasn't ready to live here full time just yet, too much painting and welding needed to be done and airing out the whole place took days just because of its size. He'd even had to waste several days simply because spraying foam insulation and painting filled the warehouse with so many toxic fumes he had started to get dizzy and choke when working.

Aunt May came in and hugged him. "Peter, never forget that I'm proud of you and that your Uncle Ben would be too." She felt the tears coming and held Peter tight until they passed. Her fears he was lost and directionless were unfounded, right now, she couldn't be prouder.

Peter left her to explore the warehouse and she took the chance to do so while he went out to get some food for them. She wasn't a fan of burgers but Peter told her there was a Mexican taco truck that should be open and he could get them both wraps.

The outside of the homes was spotless, whitewashed floors, painted white cladding over the corrugated iron walls meant the warehouse was warm even if the spring had refused to shift into summer, and the windows had been coated in privacy film. While it muted the sunlight each window must have been 5 feet by 5 feet and the lower amount of sunlight was negligible.

The engineering that he had put into each of what he called box homes was astounding, the welds were spotless and the seams neatly covered, the wiring was neat and while May had little experience of the work herself she had seen some of Bens and what Peter had done was impressive

As she explored the inside of one of the homes she saw there were still pencil marks on the floor but the main walls had been put into place and they were sturdy. Each box now consisting of a living room, bedroom, a bathroom fully kitted out as a wet room, and a kitchen. Peter had taken the 20m by 20m space and made it cosy and as roomy as possible. The walls were still bare wood but May could see from the neat row of nails, the neat channels cut for not just the wiring and the sockets but the water lines and other pipework that Peter hadn't rushed, he had taken time and care to make sure each home was professionally done.

"Look who I found," Gwen's voice rang out and with Peter in tow, Gwen hoisted bags of food leaving Peter to hold the sodas.

"Gwen dear," May reached forwards and helped her, setting the bags of food down on a table Peter was using. The food was filling, a polite way May had of saying that it was edible but not great, but the atmosphere was warm and comfortable. The three chatted about the future and Gwen hinted about moving in.

"Now you two, I know things will be rosy to start with but you should keep your own space. Ben and I started out in a cramped one-room place and it was a nightmare."

"Aunt May!" Peter exclaimed, he had told her about Gwen and him but he didn't realise that they would be moving in together, "it's the same building, we're not moving in moving in, I'm fixing up the porta offices uh eventually. Plus, Gwen's already called dibs on the first box."

"Oh on that Pete, MJ will come round in a few days, I told her and she's interested." May shook her head,

"I hope you two can start to get along again, it was such a shame you never reconnected." Peter hung his head to avoid May's gaze, he couldn't tell her that Flash was the reason they never spoke in High School.

"Felicia said no though, her dad needs her to stay home and house sit or something, I dunno, she seemed pretty stoked about it but then changed her mind, you guys fight?" and Peter shook his head

"She seemed pretty upset I was leaving the club, well upset for Felicia," and he shrugged, one less tenant was a blow but if MJ moved in it was still better than none. Sliding a thick book out from beneath the camp table he had set up, "paint, uh, try not to pick something too expensive," and Gwen rolled her eyes as she flicked through it,

"I was thinking gold on everything," and May covered her mouth to hide the small laugh as to how gaudy and tacky that would look.

Finishing their meal Peter called Aunt May a taxi, wanting to spend a little time alone with Gwen before she had to head home as well.

After they had hugged and Peter watched Aunt May leave, he turned to find Gwen behind him, leaning on his shoulder and wrapping her hands around his waist.

"So, Petey Pie, whatcha wanna do?" Sadly though, Peter groaned, after finishing off two mega burritos and Mays mini-meal he was stuffed.

"Sleep!" he exclaimed and pulled over some foam cladding he had for insulation and lay down, patting the space next to him. "A bed fit for a princess." Gwen laughed as she lay next to him, feeling nicely stuffed but happy to just lie there. It had only been a week since,

"Hey Pete, are you sure about this? I mean, dropping out just gave Flash another smug face to pull and well, it kinda sucks without you there." She pulled his arm over and cuddled up to it. "Even Felicia seems a bit, off, well, off for Felicia," and Peter chuckled

"Yeah Gwen. May asked me the same and I am, I couldn't stand it anymore, Flash, the teachers, you know Felicia spoke to me."

Gwen scowled, "she did huh?"

"Yeah, she was pretty upset I'd been kicked off the math team but the thing was, everyone blamed me, no one gave Flash any crap, even if it was his fault. It just, it got to me when I don't want to ever be in that situation again, and now I've left, I won't be."

Gwen sighed, she sometimes wished that she could do the same but Peter had the warehouse and plans, he had a supportive Aunt whereas Gwen would be grounded till she was 40 if she dropped out or quit her internship. Her dad already was giving her grief over her relationship with Peter, and as sad as it was this was just more ammunition for him. To be honest, everything that happened with Peter had made her question her own future. She was just passively riding along on what she thought she wanted, but did she, did she really?

Peter noticed the change in atmosphere and kissed Gwen gently on the nose. "Hey, it's okay, things happen, plans change. I'll be okay." He was trying to reassure himself as well as her but

"I was thinking about me doofus." She snorted and began to laugh, the look on his crestfallen face adding more to her laughter. "You seemed to have gotten everything together, all this bad crap and you landed on your feet, I dunno, it's just, my life, my dad and just thinking about moving out is a huge step but you there and I'm worried you be a step ahead all the time Pete, you know?

He hadn't, "but it's fine Gwen, you know like how I started to read at two but you were still putting porridge in your hair," he teased her and she fake scowled at him. Her dad had told that story when they first met as an ice breaker and she'd never lived it down, each time she won something Peter would mention at least you don't have porridge in your hair but it was funny and he did make her feel better.

"Okay okay, so it's fine, I get it, at least I don't have porridge in my hair." They shared a smile and Gwen cuddled closer to Peter, this wasn't exactly what she had planned but she had to admit that it was nice too.

They had fallen asleep next to one another and it wasn't until there was a banging on the front door that they stirred. Peter shrugged as Gwen mouthed "who is it?" at him.

"Hey, is anyone in there?" came a yell from the door."

"One second." Peter yelled back, "Geez, talk about impatient."

"Open up, it's the Police." The voice was accompanied by the door handle rattling, but Peter's deadbolt system would stop anything short of a tank from breaking it down.

Gwen scowled and searched for her phone, there were a half dozen missed messages and three missed calls. "My Dad." She frowned.

"I'll deal with this," and Peter shook his head. "Not this time, I said no more, Gwen, even from your Dad. No. More."

Peter pressed the switch on the intercom, rather than buzzing the door open "Yes Officer, what can I do for you?" Peter asked,

"We have a report of noise disturbance and complaints."

Peter shook his head, "really? So you came to the quiet warehouse with no open door and upon hearing absolutely nothing, decided to try and gain entry?"

There was a pause, "Can you open the door please Sir, I want to perform a visual check of the property."

"Okay, Officer, this is how this is going to go. I'll allow you to leave peacefully, if and I mean if, you stop lying to me. I know Captain Stacy put you up to this and I know that right now, you're guilty of performing an illegal search, the property starts at the main gate, which you ignored and buzzed the door here. So, trespassing and no warrant search. So, tell me," Peter swivelled the camera around to see the officer's badge, "Officer Vasquez. What's going to be, open the door while I call my lawyer or tell me the truth and Gwen'll give her dad hell in your place?"

The officer stared at the camera and sighed, holding up his hands in surrender. He clicked his radio on his shoulder, "Officer Vasquez here, yeah, no noise, no disturbance, tell Stacy the kid's too smart and he won't fall for this again, Vasquez out."

Peter hit the buzzer and opened the door. "Thank you, Officer."

Vasquez peered inside and nodded, "We won't bother you again, Mr Parker. You two have a great night okay," he nodded at Peter and left.

Gwen though was livid and Peter could hear her yelling at her dad on the phone. After texting for a taxi she grabbed her bag and stormed over to Peter "Get the home finished. I'm tired of his crap Pete, please, but uh sorry I gotta go I'll uh make it up to you." Checking over his shoulder, she made sure the officer was gone before flicking the buttons of her blouse apart, revealing the black lacy underwear beneath. Peter's breath caught in his throat as her very pink and very prominent nipples peeked out from underneath the fabric as she pulled it down and gave him a clear view of her chest. "Finish fast enough and you can see if the panties match." Gwen kissed the stunned Peter before running down to the gate and disappearing off in a taxi.