softlymay

[softlymay]

May's smile softens. There's no point lying to Gabriel, he'll see right through her. So she nods. "It was really difficult. After Ben died, having Peter around gave me something to focus on. Without him it's just -" She looks around the apartment. "Lonely, I guess. The nights seem darker. The years ahead seem so long now, if that makes sense?" And then, because she's worried about sounding too depressed. "I've been throwing myself into work, so that's keeping me going." She reaches for her wine. "Anyway, enough of my misery. Tell me something fun about your life."

Hand reaches out to hold the glass, both circled in motion to let the liquid breathe.

"Fairly well, same as often." He responds, her smile matched with a leniency in his features, an acknowledgement that he really would like to smile had his face not been to so locked into itself. "Though even better now, I suppose." He takes a small, modest sip, nodding into it as he swallows. "I'm happy to hear Peter is growing into himself. I know it must be hard seeing him leave the nest, but I'm proud of you for not restricting him."

[softlymay]

May's nerves are on edge, so much so that she barely hears the question. Distracted, she looks around, hand dragging through her hair in frustration. "Hm?" The words finally land. She shakes her head. "No - No, I don't. I wouldn't write anything down. Everything's confidential. The only record I have is in here -" She taps her temple. So much of her work relies on anonymity, May wants people to know that they can come to her without the risk of their identities being revealed. She knows first hand from Peter how important it is.

"I can't - Where else am I supposed to go?" There's an edge to her voice. Frustration mixing with nerves resulting in a mild panic. "I have no family here except for Peter." She begins picking things up, righting the furniture. "It's fine. I doubt they'll come back - I mean, they didn't find anything, surely that'll stop them?" She doesn't sound too convinced, eventually resigning herself to leaving. "I could stay in a hotel."

ㅤHe took no pleasure in what effectively came off like a 'told you so', especially since he had actually told her that what she was doing was dangerous - that it could lead bad people back to her - the first time she'd stitched him up. That Peter had also warned her didn't surprise him, but Peter definitely deserved part of the credit (and blame) here. Frankly, Matt was just glad that whoever had trashed the place hadn't shown up when she was home. He also wondered if they were looking for something specific in her home, or if they'd expected to find someone laid up in the room she used as a makeshift hospital.

ㅤ"You don't keep any records of the work you do, do you?" he asked, and he assumed he knew the answer when she hadn't even asked for his name despite multiple philosophical conversations over stitches, but he had limited ideas at the moment. "May, do you have anywhere you can go? Somewhere they won't look for you? You're not safe here alone right now."

[softlymay]

"He shouldn't be too long. He said he just got held up on the way home." Literally held up, apparently. May wonders if she'll ever get used to the stress of having Spider Man as a nephew. "I'm good. Busy and tired, but good." She leads the way into the kitchen, grabbing the oven gloves. A few moments later the tray is on the table. "The ones on the left are chocolate chip and the ones on the right are peanut butter. Want a drink? Then you can tell me how school's going -"

"Hi, May," MJ says with her usual polite parent-pleasing smile. Her shoulders slump a little at the news about Peter; they were supposed to study together for mid-terms, where the heck is he? "Oh, uh, sure, that'd be cool, thanks. My parents aren't home and I don't really...like hanging out in an empty apartment. Plus, I'll never say no to cookies. How've you been?"

[softlymay]

"I'm feeling like a red wine tonight, I think." May stirs the sauce before leaning over to pull out the chicken. She places it on the counter, leaving it to cool for a moment as she watches him pour the wine. "Yeah - The guy got a bit aggressive, but it's fine." Peter's been nagging her to separate the clinic from her private home, worried about people knowing where she lives. But she doesn't have the money or the resources for that. So, instead, apparently he's opted to call in his superhero contacts. "I'm fine, you know. My alarm's hooked to Stark's fancy high-tech system." She moves to grab plates. "What I mean to say is - If you want, you can have this to go. I'm sure you've better things to do tonight than babysit me."

ㅤ"Yes, ma'am," he said by way of answer, both to her question and to the instruction about the cutlery. Setting a table was easy enough, even for someone who hadn't done it since the early 40s, though there came the pause about whether to set a place for Peter or not. If he sent Bucky to look in on her, it seemed pretty likely that he wasn't going to be there for dinner, but just in case? The wine was also easy enough, though he paused at the cupboard, hand on a glass suitable for red wine. "He was concerned about whoever you patched up last night, sounds like. You a red or white fan?"

[softlymay]

~ @hatt1tude || for Onyx ~

"So, you see -" May gives a faint smile. "I'm a bit stuck on what to do." The letter had come through the mailbox the day before. An eviction notice that claimed the building was being knocked down and replaced with an office block. Only problem was, the other apartments didn't get any letter. And it was on headed paper stating that it had come from 'Fisk Industries'. The message is clear. Stop.

Peter's gone into protective mode - May's more pragmatic. A lawyer can help, surely. She's not about to be bullied out of her home. She'd worked too hard for that. May had started renting it after losing Ben. She'd wanted someplace new, a fresh start in new surroundings. This apartment is where she'd set up her clinic, where she'd started looking after superheroes - It's the culmination of the last five years of her life.

"I think I'm being targeted." May fiddles with the strap of her bag, unsure about how much information to give. "I run a business from my guest bedroom and I think Mr Fisk has figured that out." Then, realising that it might sound a bit dodgy. "It's nothing sinister or anything like that - It's just a little unconventional."

[softlymay]

~ @malumxsubest || liked for a starter ~

May comes across unusual situations in her line of work. It's part of the job; generally, she doesn't dwell on them. However, something about this woman is making her feel a bit tense. "Are you alright? You're covered in blood. Do you need my help?" She has an emergency first aid kit in her bag specifically for these moments. "Did someone hurt you?"

[softlymay]

~ @musingmemories || liked for a starter || For Gwen ~

May has tried very hard to be chill. She's spent the day cleaning, doing breathing exercises and trying not to let the excitement get ahead of her. It's difficult though. She worries so much about Peter. So, for him to be inviting someone over to meet her? It feels big to May. It's a sign that he's not closing himself off. That he's allowing himself a life outside of Spider Man.

"Oh my goodness, look at you -" May can't help herself, the grin beaming onto her lips when she sees Gwen. "You're beautiful - Hi, sorry - I'm May." She extends her hand. "Come in, come in - Peter's running a little late." As usual. "But I was thinking maybe you could help me with the food?"

[softlymay]

~ @ofkatnisseverdeen || liked for a starter ~

"Oh, honey -" May's voice is soft, her touch gentle as she reaches to cup Katniss's jaw. She gently tilts her head towards the light so that she can take a look at the bruising. "That looks painful. Hold on a second, I've a cream that'll help -" Swivelling on her stool, May reaches for her medical pack, rooting around in it. "Are you gonna tell me how it happened? Or are you going to use the Peter Parker technique and deflect from answering?"

[softlymay]

//Someone take May on a date pls and thank you

[softlymay]

༘⋆｡ let's  get  trope-y.

almost a sequel to this. for the cliches, the relationships you read about in romance novels & see on your tv screen.

friends  to  lovers.

be  honest,  have  you  ever  thought  about  us?

if  this  ruins  everything,  i'll  still  be  glad  i  said  it.

you're  the  safest  place  i've  ever  been.

i  don't  want  to  risk  our  friendship.

i'm  terrified  of  losing  you.

you've  slept  over  a  hundred  times  before...  but  this  feels  different.

i  see  how  you  look  at  me.

you  look  radiant  tonight.

i'm  sorry,  but  i'm  in  love  with  you.  and  i  think  you  love  me  too.

i  don't  know  why  but  i  hate  your  new  [ partner. ]

if  this  is  a  dream,  don't  wake  me  up.

you  always  know  exactly  what  to  say.

fake  dating.

hold  my  hand.  act  normal!

we  said  no  falling  for  each  other.

you're  scarily  good  at  pretending  to  like  me.

i  thought  the  plan  was  to  fake  a  relationship,  not  be  in  one!

you  kissed  me  like  it  actually  meant  something.

oh  thank  god,  they  bought  our  story.

quick!  kiss  me.

don't  look  at  me  like  you  actually  want  me.

i  wanna  see  how  far  we  can  take  this.

why  does  everyone  think  we're  perfect  together?  ...are  we?

this  was  supposed  to  be  simple!  then  i...

quick  reminder:  we're  just  pretending.

rivals to lovers.

god,  you're  insufferable!

you're  infuriating. and  yet...  i miss  you  when  you're  not  here.

you're  the  last  person  i  want  to  care  about.

i  think  you're  the  only  person  that  actually  understands  me.

i've  never  felt  like  i've  been  pushed  so  far  by  someone  before.

i  want  to  win.  but  i  don't  want  to  lose  you.

you're  the  only  one  who  can  keep  up  with  me.

you  drive  me  crazy.  and  i  think  i'm  crazy  for  you.

i  think  you're  the  only  person  i  want  to  compete  with.

i'm  tired  of  pretending  like  i  don't  care  about  you.

if  you  win,  you  can  have  me  for  the  night.

mutual  pining.

why  did  you  say  friend  like  that  when  you  introduced  me?

do  you  ever  feel  like  you're  holding  onto  the  shadow  of  something?

don't  read  too  much  into  that.

i'm  not  staring  at  you!  i  was  just  looking  in  that  direction.

i  guess  i  just  know  too  much  about  you.

it's  nothing.  just  my  imagination  running  wild  again.

i'm  not  jealous  of  them!  you'd...  make  a  cute  couple.

i  wasn't  waiting  for  you,  i  just  happened  to  be  here.

it's  silly,  but  i  always  notice  when  you're  not  around.

you  don't  need  to  say  anything.  just  sit  with  me.

enemies  to  lovers.

you  make  my  blood  boil...  and  i  hate  that  i  like  it.

maybe  i'm  fighting  for  more  than  just  victory.

i  hate  you.  i'm  terrified  of  what  that  means.

i  loathe  everything  about  you.

i  will  destroy  everything  you  stand  for.  but  i  won't  hurt  you.

i'm  supposed  to  see  you  as  the  enemy!

i  can't  stop  thinking  about  you.  you're  in  my  blood.

you're  supposed  to  tear  me  down,  not  look  at  me  like  that.

i  want  to  crash  into  you.  i  don't  care  what  that  means.

we're  from  opposite  worlds!  this  could  never  work!

i  don't  care.  i  want  to  keep  you  safe.

[softlymay]

~ @trustrage || [ ZOMBIE ] :  for  our  muses  to  be  caught  in  a  zombie  attack  together  //we're resident evil-ing up in this joint ~

"Shit, shit, shit -" May practically trips over the threshold, slamming the door behind her. Her breathing is laboured, not helped by the pain from her sprained ankle. Eyes look to Loki as the sound of dragging feet gets louder. The gentle gurgling moans start to invade the empty cottage, seemingly surrounding them on all sides. May slides to the ground, her back against the door. "Got any ideas to get us out of this one?"

[softlymay]

~ @trustrage || “I know you do not have any reason to trust me, but you need to know something.” ~

May's wary, fingers curling around the cup in her hand. She ordinarily tries not to judge - But it's a little different when it comes to someone like Loki. She's never come face to face with him before, but she's heard enough to make her edgy. "Is it about Peter? Is he okay?"

[softlymay]

Thankfully, he doesn't jolt up. Although she can hear the panic in his voice, and immediately attempts to soothe. Her hand rests on his shoulder. "I have your mask here. I just needed to take it off to check your head injury. You're in my apartment. I operate a clinic from my spare bedroom for anyone who needs the help and can't go to a regular hospital." She's rambling a little, trying to get as much information out as quickly as she can in order not to spook him.

"This is a safe space, extremely confidential - I won't tell anyone anything." Her hand drops down to gently squeeze his forearm. "I'm close to Spider-Man, so I know the importance of anonymity." And then. "How are you feeling?"

ㅤIt wouldn't have been the first time someone pulled his mask away from his face to check for head injuries and found that he wasn't what they'd expected, which was probably a problem in itself. The head injuries really had to stop already.

ㅤHe felt the way the fabric stuck to his skin with the blood as it was pulled away and the brush of her gloved fingers as she got to work at the cut, bringing on more of a sting of pain that helped to rouse him, just a little. Her voice helped drag him closer to the surface, one that he didn't recognize bringing on alarm even if she had a good voice, soft and comforting. Safe. May. Spider-man. Well, she'd answered all of his questions before he could ask them, so he took the extra few seconds to try to get his bearings. His eyes opened and there was no brush of his eyelashes against cloth, no twist of fabric as he turned his head where it rested...wherever he'd been left.

ㅤ"My mask...it's gone," he gasped out, which might have seemed painfully obvious, but he was still messed up and at least he hadn't jolted up to try to leave...yet. He could still opt for that, but he might have learned his lesson one of the last times this had happened. "Where am I?"

[softlymay]

"Yeah, come on now - Think about the negative PR if they see Captain America spinning into a billboard. I can see the headlines already - 'Don't drink and Fly, kids'" May grins at Sam, watching as he takes the medication before turning to begin tidying up her workspace. A shoulder lifts into a half shrug. "Definitely not the easiest, but I wouldn't change a thing. I'm just happy to be able to help. It keeps me busy." Helps fill the silence and does something to the loneliness in her heart to know that she's been able to do her part. "So, what happened?" She gestures to the freshly bandaged cut on his head. "Or is that classified information?"

The familiarity of the situation was one that hadn't escaped Sam's watchful eye, May reminded him of his sister, always telling him to slow down after he'd taken a nasty fall off the monkey bars or to force him to sit down after he'd sprained his ankle playing tag. "You're right, sorry. I'm too quick to get up and go for my own good sometimes, I should probably wait for the room to stop spinning before I get the wings back on and fly off into a billboard." A light hearted chuckle can be heard as the Avenger graciously accepts the glass and medication offered to him, giving a nod in thanks. "Thanks, I'm sure us heroes ain't the easiest bunch to deal with, can't be an easy job doing this."

[softlymay]

May shakes his hand, taking a moment to survey him. Such tetchy energy. It causes her lips to quirk upwards. "Mhm, May." She turns away from him to begin tidying away, waving her hand. "No, no - Stay as long as you'd like. Besides, I'm sorta enjoying the gently hostile energy that you're giving off." Her grin widens.

"Want some food? I was gonna leave lunch for Peter and always make too much anyway. You've got a choice of tacos or pulled pork sliders."

He looks at the hand for a moment, eyeing her with a certain disdain for barging in. That had to be Parker's aunt - that peppiness in her has translated well into the other photographer. Still, irked as he is, he won't leave her hanging, hand eventually sent to shake hers.

"Yeah." Though why she knows that is a problem in and of itself. What has Peter been saying about him? "And y're the aunt, yeah? Named after some month or the other." He says, no attempt to even feign respect. If anything, the fact she's someone's guardian settles him a bit stiffer with caution evoked by past experience. "... He's not here, yeah. Want me ta fuck off?"

[softlymay]

"Mhm - A playboy who seems very interested in showing up whenever you're around." May prods his shoulder, giving a suggestive wriggle of her eyebrows. "So, come on - What's going on there? Give me something. I need to live vicariously through you."

"Ah. So that's why." He immediately fathoms his friend out, face marked with some realization. "Yes, well. Of course. No cause to deny that. He doesn't get called a 'playboy' for nothing, I imagine." An honest opinion which might have shown in his eyes, no doubt.

[softlymay]

May's gentle with her movements, not wanting to cause any additional stress. Especially when Mary Jane seems nervous. "I'm going to numb it so you shouldn't feel anything. And I'll give you plenty of medicine to take away with you afterwards. It'll hurt a little, but not half as much as if you leave it." She murmurs. A moment later she numbs the area with anaesthetic, pulling her tray closer and getting ready to stitch the wound. "Want me to tell you about the first time Peter talked to me about you? I remember it so clearly - He was trying to be nonchalant, you know the way he's not subtle in the slightest? He said 'Think I'm going to go get coffee with MJ tomorrow, so I won't be around to help with the cleaning' -" Her eyes flick to Mary Jane, checking she's okay before starting to suture. "It was so breezy, but I just knew he wanted me to ask about you, so I did. An hour later, he was still talking about you."

+ Mary Jane had managed to AVOID going to a hospital for the wound, but clearly, that MIGHT have been a MISTAKE all along . Especially as she heard that it was STILL in the process of bleeding . Sucking in a low breath, she NODDED towards May , knowing there was no chance of AVOIDING dealing with it now . Not if the alternative was letting it BLEED OUT . " Is it gonna hurt ? " she asked softly, not wanting to LOOK at the wound itself as she spoke .