Peter soon found out that Katya was an excellent conversationalist when she wanted to be, and had managed to keep May talking mostly about herself throughout the meal, rerouting any questions May shot her way with the grace of a ballerina- enough information to be satisfying but vague enough to be dismissed. Peter was having fun watching it, to be sure, but mostly he was exhausted. He was still banged up from the fight with the alien tech, and his chest ached in a way that suggested he hadn't gotten all the smoke from Delmar's shop out of his lungs. He was hungry, but the nausea from the lingering smoke was making it hard for him to get much down, which would've concerned May if she hadn't been so wrapped up in conversation.
Behind them, the television mounted on the wall was showing a news report, which was covering the incident in the bank and at Delmar's because of course it was.
"A beloved Queen's institution, Delmar's, was destroyed tonight after an ATM robbery gone wrong." the television trilled, catching May and Katya's attention. The footage panned through footage of the aftermath of the fire, before showing security camera footage of the fight Peter had just left.
"The ATM robbery was thwarted by Queen's own colorful local crimestopper, Spiderman. As the Spiderman attempted to foil their heist, a powerful blast was set off, slicing through the bodega across the street. Miraculously, no one was harmed." Katya glanced at May, who was glued to the TV, before nodding in Peter's direction, as if in approval. Good job she mouthed.
Peter offered her a small smile. Thanks he mouthed back.
Aunt May was the last to turn back to their table, flustered. "Either of you ever see something like that happening-" She looked each of them in the eye in turn "- you turn and run the other way, got it?" she shook her head in disbelief. "Not even six blocks from us."
Peter and Katya looked at each other before nodding hurriedly. "Yep, definitely, of course," Peter assured his Aunt.
"Absolutely." Katya added.
May's shoulders managed to relax at that, seemingly reassured. Peter began to jostle his knee, a nervous habit. This is exactly why he couldn't tell her, couldn't get her involved in any way. She was always so worried, and Uncle Ben had passed so recently. And he'd just fought men armed with anti-gravity guns that had burned a whole bodega down He'd thought he'd had it handled-it just looked like another burglary- but those glowing weapons were much more dangerous than he'd expected, and to be honest, he had no idea what he was getting himself couldn't have her worrying about him, too.
"Sticky rice pudding." A waiter announced as he dropped it off to the table. Katya began to examine it with glee- as she had the whole meal, fascinated by this new cuisine- but Aunt May looked perplexed.
"We didn't order that."
"It's on the house," assured the waiter, before gliding away, back behind the red curtain that separated the front from the back of the house. Peter fiddled with his chopsticks, glancing down at his half-eaten dinner. He reached across the table to grab one of the rice pudding rolls from the plate Katya handed him. "I think he larbs you." He said to Aunt May, before passing the dish over to her. Aunt May rolled her eyes, but was in seemingly good spirits, which put Peter's mind much more at ease.
What was even better, though, was watching the gears turn in Katya's head from the corner of his eye as Katya knit her brows and looked down at her plate, then glanced at his, then slowly smiling until she snickered as she finally got the joke.
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