"That's some really good stake, uncle." Peter spoke while he ate the meat they had just served to him. He stood still next to the grill and held an empty white plate with a single hand of his own. "Better than sum' meatballs, like - a whole lot better."
Uncle Ben laughed. "I'm glad you're doing alright, but you shouldn't be too harsh on your aunt. She does her best." He pressed the spoon against the beef in the grill. "But between you and me, that's for sure." He whispered.
"You two are quite the pair." Richard Parker approached them and gave each a glass of soda, showcasing his grizzly white beard. "How are you doing, son? May told me you woke quite alarmed." He looked into his child's brown eyes.
Peter took a sip and licked his lips. "I'm fine now, dad. That's what matters." He cheered as Ben put another cooked steak over his plate. He immediately went for it, moaning slightly in pleasure.
Richard raised an eyebrow. "Careful not to starve yourself." He sighed. "Anyways, just be careful with changing light bulbs next time, it's not like you're some sort of superhero."
"He's right, Peter. Let my old experienced self do that for you.
Peter shrugged his shoulders. "You built bridges, uncle, not power grids."
Ben grinned, cheekily. "I built a bridge between you and your wife's heart back at highschool."
"Cheeky." Peter had to agree. He recalled the time he got in trouble with Flash. He passed Ben's number to the director instead of his father's, he was too busy at work, like always back then. They never even spoke about such occurrence to Richard.
His father tilted his head to the side, wondering what he meant with that. "What are you two -"
"The three men Parkers reunited, the world can't be too careful now." Mary interrupted, carrying her one year old baby grandson, David, with both arms. "Only one is missing. This little one is too cute to cause any damage at all."
"Hey mister," Richard caressed the baby's feet who was drooling over himself.
She smiled at the sight. "May has Aiden inside the house."
'I think I can't be too careful with you girls around my boys." Peter joked, lowering the plate and glass in the small rounded plastic table besides the grill.
"I had my share of raising boys," Mary joked back. "But I can make an exception for such a chubby cheeks baby like this one here." She kissed David's hair.
He grinned, contently. The entire family reunited, and his friends as well, it couldn't get any less perfect.
Mary looked over Peter's shoulder and spoke to the visitor behind them, "Oh, look who finally left the kitchen's pipes alone, let me call someone to fix that, honey. This isn't maintenance day."
Peter moved around his feet. He teased, "I thought you would never stop playing Mario and leave all the food to me."
The person grinned, cheekily. "There's no need to do that, mother, they're working now." Ezekiel met Peter's eyes. "You... always forced me to pick Luigi, brother, time's changed."
"It's all quiet now." Peter said lowly, sat in the comfortable chair at his Aunt's porch, taking a carefree glance at the silent street
"A rare moment for Queens." A brown haired Ezekiel replied from the chair besides Peter. They could hear the the sounds of many crickets around them.
"I was talking more about the house itself, now that everyone is taking a second to rest." All their friends were gone already, only family remained. Peter continued, "But agreed, you can even find the stars tonight."
Ezekiel looked up to the sky. "No wonder Uncle Ben isn't willing to leave this neighborhood, you don't get to see this often anywhere in this city.
Peter added, "They should move to an apartment, safer and easier to manage. I guess our Uncle just grew really attached to the house he built. Lots of memories."
"You would know, you were born first than me."
Peter smiled to himself, "Three years earlier, not really that much."
"Remember when we stayed here with them while our parents went out and May stepped over that Lego in the stairwell? She didn't even complain to us."
Peter chuckled. "We did get a ear pull from Ben, though. It didn't happen ever again."
"And he made us an hamburger later, extra cheese, triple burger." Ezekiel could still sense the tasteful smell.
"Those were the days… we basically grew here, didn't we?"
Ezekiel nodded. "Yeah, and now my niece and nephews took this spot. Time does fly."
"Yeah… I… I couldn't ask for a better life." Peter laid a hand over his brother's shoulder next to him. "I have all I need here, the people, in this house."
"Ditto, brother." Ezekiel smiled. "The smile my niece gave me when I lifted her from the ground… there's no such thing like it, a kid's truthful smile." He spoke about Elizabeth.
"Wanting to have a child of your own, eh?" He teased.
Ezekiel sighed, tired. "Honestly, I'm still trying leave my own mark in the world before anything else… find my place in it, a purpose. I'm grateful for what Ben taught me, but fixing everyday people's problem isn't only what I want when people remember me."
"You still don't want to work with me?"
He shook his head. "I'm grateful for the offer, Peter, but it's really not my thing, that science thing you do. You started at the Bugle, and now? You did great. I want something similar, I just don't know what that might be yet."
"I… I understand, I do." Peter paused. "You do know you can count on me with anything, right, 'Zeke?"
He smiled at him and nodded. They remained in silence for some minutes, just staring at the shiny stars. Peter brought a hand to the side of his head, feeling the one aching in pain.
He grunted slightly.
Ezekiel asked, concerned, "You okay, Pete?"
"W-What…?" Peter slowly shook his head. "Whe-... I, yeah. I'm fine. It's nothing."
"Are you sure? I can talk to Mom."
"No need for that, you know her, she will probably want to do an X-Ray from my head." He joked, and rose from the chair.
"Alright, I'm just looking out for you. That's what we do."
Peter offered his hand. "Don't forget… I'm the older brother here."
Ezekiel happily took it as he got up with Peter's help. "Don't get too cocky."
They shared a chuckle. Peter said, "You take a rest, I'm gonna look for Gwen if she isn't in bed already."
"Night then, bud." They shared a hug. "See you tomorrow." Ezekiel opened the door and went inside.
Now alone, Peter took a deep breath and rubbed the back of his head. He turned over his shoulder and gazed the moon. He smiled. "Thank you… thank you… for this day, and all the others so far."
Currently on his way upstairs to meet his wife at one of the two guest rooms, Peter caught the weak light coming from light-bulb inside kitchen. There he found his old man passing some time with his smoking pipe, while leaning his waist against the sink and taking a look outside through one of the windows over the sink.
"... figured it was you dad," Peter leaned his shoulder against the kitchen's door.
Richard met his son's gaze. "Gathering my thoughts, there's no better time for it."
He smiled. "You always were a mysterious one."
Richard shrugged his shoulders lightly. "Guilty. Although you don't seem any less than me, son."
Peter licked his lips and smiled again. "You think I hide secrets?"
Richard placed the pipe close to his lips and inhaled. He eventually replied, "I think everyone have secrets, some less, some more. Life's a secret, you just have to crack it, and the answers will come… to anything."
Peter nodded, impressed. "You ain't wrong about that, old man."
Richard chuckled briefly, before putting a more serious expression. "This is my father's, your grandfather's, pipe. After he passed, it came to me. All he left, basically. We weren't very wealthy. Now, despite our 'mysterious' talk, from what I know from you, my son…", He paused. "... makes me proud of you, you're a good man, both of you, and I will eventually rest knowing I left two good things that makes this world… much better."
Peter silenced. He had no words for moment. His father wasn't really the praising type, and it wasn't that he didn't recognize good deeds, but he was just busy with work. He felt as if Richard meant much more than meets the eyes, though.
"Thank you," Peter watched him inhale again. "It's good to hear that… Ezekiel would probably like to as well, if he weren't sleeping in the couch."
Richard sighed. "He insisted for us to stay for the night, and for Mary and I to take the other guest room."
"It's not a bad couch, I must say. Drooled a lot there before." They chuckled lightly. "But yeah, Ezekiel just wants everyone together for a change, sometimes I wonder if he is indeed alright on his own."
"I see, your brother is resilient, both of you. Like I said, there's no other world aside from this that I'm not proud of you, boys, while I am here - you two can count on me for anything."
Peter nodded. "I hope you're right, dad, I… I wouldn't want to live in a world without you guys."
"You won't."
After the final night talk with his father, Peter found himself reaching the end of the stairwell, now moving past the door where his mother should be sleeping, Peter arrived in front of the closed bedroom he and Ezekiel often slept inside whenever their parents couldn't take care of them due to business they had to attend.
He gently turned the knob and slowly pushed the door forward, it was rather dark, the only source of light came from the moon outside that trespassed inside through the window.
A crib was set next to said window, and besides it, there she was. Gwen held Aiden with her arms, taking a glance at his tiny face the light revealed to her. She smiled at the baby.
Peter noticed she sang him a lullaby.
"Hey," He carefully closed the door.
Gwen looked over her shoulder. "Hey, you."
He approached her from behind and snaked both arms around her waist. "How are you guys?" He whispered.
Gwen caressed her husband's clean chin with her now free hand. "Dave's out, but Aiden here took a little longer." She looked back to the baby in her arms, smiling in adoration.
"They're beautiful."
Gwen nodded, before saying softly, "They are." She paused. "This is my life… you, they… us. I wouldn't trade this for any other."
"Neither would I," Peter gripped her waist and gently turned her around so that they could look at each other's eyes. "I love you, Gwen Stacy."
She smiled, delicately. "I love you too… Peter Parker."
They connected lips.
"You have to wake up."
Peter snapped his eyes open. He stared the ceiling where the fan kept spinning to his favor. He inhaled deeply, never taking his eyes from it, before taking a look to his side, and seeing a golden haired woman sleeping while facing the opposite side, he could see her bare back and part of her waist before the sheets started to take place.
He slowly sat up and moved both his legs to the ground, stretching his shoulders. The door to the bathroom was open, he watched himself through the mirror, seeing his strong muscles in evidence, and a black goo coming from his shoulders and sliding down his chest.
He gasped and looked down to his chest. There was nothing. The same could be said for his reflection. Just him and the woman behind him.
Peter shook his head, grabbed a pair of shorts from the floor and wore it. He opened the door for the bedroom, took a last glance at the beautiful woman, and headed outside before closing it.
Now in the dinner table, Peter sat down with a cup of coffee by his hand and some closed envelope he found under his front door in the other.
After taking a sip, he unfolded the envelope and found a letter. It was meant for him.
"What in the…"
Mr Parker, your request for an expansion of Richard Parker's grave through dark rock material has been approved by the site's manager, the details of the order and values are in the other side of this page. Thank you for your patience.
He felt delicate hands over his shoulders. "Hey, handsome." Gwen appeared wearing one of his big shirts.
Peter didn't move. Neither did his eyes. They were focused in the letter.
Gwen noticed his behavior. She came to his side and held his arm. "What's the matter?" He seemed stunned.
"I…" Peter cleared his throat. "What's this, baby?"
"May I?" Peter nodded. She took the latter in her hands. "This is great, honey. Took some time but they conceded you more space." She looked him in the eyes. "You don't seem happy…?"
"Dad's… dead?"
Gwen narrowed her eyes in confusion. "Honey…"
"How?"
She caressed his shoulder. "You know why… leukemia."
"Leukemia… yes." He moved his eyes from her and focused nowhere, but her words. "Yes… it was… natural."
"Are you okay?" Gwen caressed both sides of his face and made him look at her.
"Yeah, um… I don't know why I asked that. I was confused."
"This week was a lot to you, just rest a little more, okay?" Gwen begged.
"I will," Peter smiled, weakly.
She kissed his hair. "I'm gonna quickly check on the kids. Come back to bed after this coffee, it's five in the morning."
He nodded.
Gwen planted a kiss on his cheek and walked away and out of the kitchen.
Peter took another sip. His eyes ended up on the fridge, catching the many pinned against it. Family photos.
"Mary…" His heart rose. What if they both…
Peter instantly rose from his chair, leaving the coffee cup and grabbed the car keys from the wall.
The ride to Mary Parker's house was a silent one. The sky remained dark, yet a bit tad brighter. He pulled into his mother's driveway and quickly hopped out of the car, pushing the driver's door back so that it was closed as he headed up the driveway and up the porch steps of a house similar to Ben and May's in Queens.
"Mom!" After Peter repeatedly knocked a woman opened the door.
May appeared with her tired brown eyes while engulfed by her night robe. "Peter… what are you doing here this late?"
"Can I come in?" Peter took a step closer.
"Of course, honey. " She allowed him the passage by moving off the door and closing it afterwards.
Peter entered the living room and analyzed every corner of the house of two floors. It was the same cozy house he lived over the course of many years.
I remember...
"I haven't been here in ages…" Peter whispered to himself.
Mary sneakily sniffed him from behind but couldn't catch any smell of alcohol in him.
"Not much, but you're a busy family man nowadays, Pete." She held his arm, gently. "Are you okay? Does Gwen know you're here?"
He began without looking at his mother, "Um… yeah. Does my… brother still live here?"
"No, he doesn't." Mary raised an eyebrow and stepped in front of her son, cupping his cheeks. "You know that, sweetheart."
He smiled in contentment, feeling loved, but the smile slowly faded away to his incoming question, "Dad… where… he's gone... isn't he?"
Mary sighed and moved his head to her shoulder, despite him clearly being taller than her. "It's not being easy to anyone, I know that, dear. I know." She caressed his hair.
Peter eyed a portrait that had a close up of Richard posing to the camera during a neighborhood gathering baseball match. "At least… he went peacefully."
"He did…" Mary eventually pulled him back so that she could look into his eyes. "Should I call Gwen? I -"
"No," Peter delicately interrupted her. "Just… I don't want to go now, I want to stay with you, mom… just a while longer, please…?" His eyes began to blink as he held his emotions back.
Mary absorbed his state and replied weakly, "Come here, baby." She pulled him to her embrace again. "I am here with you always… I'm not going anywhere…"
They remained embraced by each other's arms for as long as they could.
A/N: Ooof... I did put this out in the end. I do know this chapter isn't really that long, at all, but it's what I have been able to put together recently. I'm at the stage of life where I don't have much the time to focus here nor the will sometimes, but I keep trying. I did say I wanted to finish this story, and I now hope to, one way or the other, I'm gonna let the reception tell me how I should treat this fic. I appreciate the words of encouragement, I really do. Thank you. So, I hope you enjoyed this, even if just a little.