chapter nine
ice cream

aunt may and peter parker didn't go out and get ice cream a lot, it wasn't their thing. uncle ben and peter on the other hand would go out and do it all the time, especially when he was younger.

it was a treat, something peter would receive after his report cards or something else along that line.

eat every flavour of ice cream at the queens ice cream shop.

peter could practically head his aunts voice saying those words as he read it from the list. how could he do that? was he supposed to do it in one sitting?

peter had a lot going on. from his duty's as spider-man to working towards graduating — which was only a few months away. he was still learning how to do things himself, he was still learning how to be alone — he had may and ben when his parents died, then he had may when ben died, then he had tony and the avengers, then tony died and he still had his aunt and friends, and then his aunt died and his friends forgot who he was.

it was something peter wished didn't happen, all of it. he wished his aunt was still with him, along with all his other family.

but things don't work like that.

he couldn't bring his dead family back. he couldn't bring tony back. he couldn't do anything to get them back. but he could work hard, and be the man they all wanted him to be.

"sir?" a small woman questioned just above a whisper as she looked to peter. he had been sitting alone, tucked into the corner of a booth for a little while now. "sir?" she tried once more.

"huh?" peter snapped out of his daze and looked towards the lady — emma — her name was emma.

"I had asked if i could get you anything else." she spoke so softly.

in times when peter missed his aunt the most he would end up at their favourite thai restaurant. peter started off getting his regular meal. it was what he normally got anyways. but the more days that passed, the more time it had been since may died — he would end up with aunt mays meal.

it was now his comfort thing — besides nova — he would end up with a sweatshirt of mays on and sitting down either in his now normal booth, or at the table him and may sat at.

"no. im okay, thank you though." peter shook his head and stood up, handing the lady a tip before he walked towards the counter where he could pay.

he payed for his food before he left to walk the streets of queens. his spidey sense tingled and peter looked around frantically — if his spidey sense was going off then he would need to change.

peter rushed down the dimly lit sideway. he awkwardly ran forward as he took his hoodie off, stumbling forward as he did so. he shrugged of his pants, revealing his new homemade spider-man suit.

he pulled his mask on before he checked his webbing fluid, he had lots. he was good to go.

so that's what he did. peter swung up and between building until he grew closer to where things were going down.

a few buildings away from novas apartment was a fire. a large one too. he couldn't help but cast a worried glance towards her apartment building, he just hoped she was okay.

peter swung to the ground where he surveyed the area. people were screaming left and right for their children and family left in the building. peter took action and rushed into the first floor where he directed people out.

he made it to the last floor sadly when he spotted a purplish-magenta looking bubble out of a window. he didn't know it yet, but in that purple bubble was nova and whoever she had been able to get out.

"help!" someone called out, they sounded young and scared.

peter ran forward and found a young boy, who didn't look a day older then six curled up in a ball.

he crouched down in front of the boy. "hi."

the little boy looked up with wide eyes. "your spider-man."

"i am."

"my son is still in there!" peter could hear the yell of the mother. "he's only six! he's on the top floor." peter had the woman's kid, just in reach.

"can i help you? maybe you wanna go see you mom?" peter asked as he reached his suit clad hand out.

the little boy shook his head stubbornly. "no. no. out there is bad."

"okay, okay. uh, what's your name?" peter was thinking fast on his feet, if the kid didn't go with him yet, then he'd have to get the little boy to trust him, allow him to help him outside.

"mat." the little boy — mat — muttered softly as he glanced behind peter where the fire was growing.

"mat! that's such a cool name." peter said with a smile hidden under his mask.

"what's yours?"

"spider-man."

the little boy looked happy with that answer. he grinned with wide eyes. "my momma said spider-man saved her once."

"that's so cool, bud." peter glanced around nervously. "do you think maybe we could go outside? yeah? it'll be fun! we can stick to the wall."

mat shook his head. "scary out there."

"hi." a girl came into both boys view, she was dressed in a dark purple, almost black body suit. peter recognized her from the news, she had worked with bucky and sam once. her eyes were purple, and her hair was hidden away too.

peter couldn't tell who she was.

"can i help you? look." she held out her palm to show the little boy a bubble. "I can put you in one. it's safe from the scary."

the little boy looked to spider-man, almost as if he was asking him for permission. peter nodded. "i'll even get in it with you."

the little boy nodded and reached forward for peter, wanting to be held. peter picked up the little boy, holding him tightly as a purple bubble surrounded him and the boy.

nova stepped into the bubble and walked forward, spider-man trailing closely behind him.

they made their way through the burning building quickly and once they reached the outside, and were safe from the fire nova removed the bubble.

"my son!" a woman ran forward, she took mat from peters arms with a thankful smile. "thank you!" she gasped out.

peter nodded. "of course ma'am."

"anytime ma'am." nova nodded too.

»

"hey. wanna go get ice cream? it's number two on the list." peter pointed out as he walked beside nova. it was around an hour and so since the whole 'building on fire' situation. both needed some ice cream.

"sure." nova nodded and walked beside peter towards the queens ice cream shop.

the two entered the shop, both not ready for whatever was next. "i'll pay?" nova asked, she had been saving up and not to mention the money she got from sam every few weeks when he felt generous.

"half and half?" peter suggested.

nova nodded. "sure."

the stepped up to the glass where they could look at all the ice creams.

"what can i get you two?" a man with floppy hair asked, looking between the two.

peter looked to nova. "we'd like one of each ice cream."

the man blinked, thinking the two were playing with him.

nova smiled. "minis please."

they were not prepared for the stomach aches they would get after this.