Owner	Pose
Peter Parker	MARCH 2ND, 6 PM. Peter has been doing a lot of soul-searching since he threw down the gauntlet, as it were. He and Kara had had a short but meaningful relationship. It had never been intimate (Harry would have said it as "Made it to first base, tossed out at second," but that was Harry he could be quite blunt at times). They had wanted it to work...but with their own lives pulling them apart for weeks on end, it was best just to end it. He had loved her, she had loved him, but as the old song goes, sometimes love just ain't enough. So it was for both their sakes. No hard feelings, no ill will, no laughably melodramatic breakup. When he spoke to Susan, he felt something, something he wanted to make sure was real, not just some need for closeness, for attention. If he wanted this, it had to be without any chance for it to be a "rebound." Yes, folks, he does this a lot. But the time came, and he felt he knew the score. So, with only a few hours to go, the message came. <Susan, it's Pete. How would you feel about having dinner at our house, with me and Aunt May?>
Susan Sullivan	Susan hadn't really hesitated. It was seconds after when Peter had gotten a great big smiley face emoji in reply. In less than an hour, there was a knock at the door of the Parker household. Susan was dressed very similarly to last time, padding and all. The specifics of her gothy apparel were different--pants instead of a skirt, a differently logo on her form-fitting tee--but she was recognizably the same woman in the eyes of whoever would open the door, Peter or Aunt May.
Peter Parker	Aunt May opened the door and blinked. "My word, dear, you certainly are a prompt one. Never know quite what to expect when Peter invites someone over." She smiles and holds the door open for Susan, chuckling. "Peter's doing homework in his lab. Did you know, he has a lot of new equipment? That nice man, Dr. Richards, donated some science equipment to Peter. Did you know he has an electron microscope down there now?"
Susan Sullivan	"Sorry, Aunt May," Susan says with a smile and a slight blush or possibly just cheeks rosy from the cold. "Am I too early?" she asks. "I just got a text from Peter that said to come over for supper. I didn't really wait to get a 'when' or anything like that." She's clearly excited, just bristling with enthusiasm. She takes off her coat and hat as she enters the house. "I didn't really get any info about more than dinner. I figure if he wants to surprise me with neat equipment, I'll let him do it. No spoilers, yeah?" She concludes with a friendly smile.
Peter Parker	Aunt May smiles faintly, but there is a sigh in the smile. "Thank goodness the Angels were nothing but fakes. The damage they caused, the cost...Thank God they didn't threaten Queens." "They would have had to deal with YOU and ME, Aunt May. THEY KNEW BETTER." Peter walks down the hall towards the front of the house, smiling to Susan. "Hey there, Suze." Peter stops and stands next to Susan, looking to Aunt May. "Oh, and Aunt May...?" He smiles. "This is our first date."
Susan Sullivan	Susan's muscles all tighten as she goes up onto her tip-toes. Her smile broadens until it's all over her face. Peter may feel the pull like gravity's slightly turning on its side. The clothing he wears made of natural fabrics shifts like Susan is one big ball of static cling drawing it to her like a charged balloon. She throws her arms tightly around Peter's neck and lets out a high-pitched squeal. "Eeeeeee!" she squeaks, excitedly as she squeezes him. Clearly, this is the first SHE's hearing about this being a date. She seems like she approves...a lot...an awful lot.
Peter Parker	Peter smiles, but the smiles falters a bit as Aunt May admonishes him, "REALLY, Peter Benjamin Parker? You just SPRING it on her like that?" "Well, uhm..." He tries to look serious, but having two armfuls of Susan is a bit distracting from the cool, calm vibe he's trying to cultivate as an adult. "...There's CONTEXT." Aunt May shook her head. "Well, be aware that I will be hearing all ABOUT this 'context' you speak of." She looks to Susan. "I hope you like Yankee Pot Roast with potatoes and carrots, mashed potatoes, and green bean casserole, because that is what we are having tonight. And if you eat all your food, there's apple pie for dessert."
Susan Sullivan	Susan doesn't lessen her grip on Peter as she turns to look at Aunt May. "We could have stale bread and tepid water, and it wouldn't stifle my mood, Aunt May. I'm sure what you've made will be delightful." She goes back to hugging Peter tightly. She whispers into his ear, "I've wanted to say this since I first saw you." There may or may not be tears as she squeezes him a bit tighter against herself. "Mine." She lets out a nervous giggle as she buries her face in Peter's neck. It turns into laughter, and when she finally parts from Peter completely, it's quite a guffaw. She wipes some tears from her cheeks, her face more flushed than when she was out in the cold.
Peter Parker	Aunt May hmphs. "There will be no stale bread and tepid water in MY house, thank you kindly. Now, I'm going to check on the food. When I call for help, you will come to help me bring it to the dining table. BOTH of you." She gives Susan a canny smile. "Everyone works for their food here, young miss." And with that, Aunt May heads into the kitchen, humming a tune. Peter turns to face Susan's embrace once Aunt May leaves. "Uhm...sorry if it felt like I was stringing you along. After Kara and I...broke up, I wanted to make sure I wasn't seeing you as a rebound. I respect you too much for that."
Susan Sullivan	Susan nods. "I really appreciate that level of respect," she says. She glances toward the kitchen, then quietly says, "Sorry I've been so clingy the past few days. I fell in love with you before I was even alive, again." She taps her chest with her fingertips. "You made my heart pound when it couldn't even beat. 72 hours was a challenge, but not more than months of trying to control myself when you were with Kara."
Peter Parker	Peter exhales. "Well...things had to take their course, Susan. I had to stay true to her until the end. The reasons have to be the RIGHT reasons. So I am sorry for making you wait...but if I just dumped Kara for no reason, or...WORSE, cheating on her...then I'm not the kind of guy you'd want to be with, am I?"
Susan Sullivan	"No," Susan says, scooping up Peter's hands in her own. She brings them to her lips and closes her eyes as she kisses his left hand, then his right. "I like who you are more than just what you look like." She looks up into his eyes and smiles. Her face suddenly gets more serious. "Oh," she says, letting go of his hands. She slaps her stuffing gently, making the silicone jiggle. She quietly says, "And don't get too attached to these. If we're not going to be around Aunt May, I have no appearance to keep up." She blushes slightly and folds her hands in front of herself, clasping them with her fingers interleaved. She smiles again. She doesn't have to worry about Peter overlooking her, now, and there's both excitement and relief in her features.
Peter Parker	Peter looks at Susan, startled for a moment, then snorts laughter. "Honey, I'm not some steroid-riddled man-boy who judges people on how they LOOK. believe me, we're LONG past that hurdle. You can be yourself, here. Heck, I think even Aunt May would understand if you talked to her privately about it. I care for Susan Sullivan the PERSON...not the PERSONA."
Susan Sullivan	Susan looks toward the kitchen. She looks at Peter, then back at the kitchen. She reaches one hand behind her back, then starts pulling her arms inside her sleeves. After some finangling, they come out from her t-shirt holding a bra and some pale, jello-looking masses, which she shoves into one of the deep pockets of her coat. What's left may be inappropriately unsupported, but it's honest and her.     "There," she says. "Relationships need honesty as much as communication, right?"
Peter Parker	Peter blinks. "Well...okay. I guess you could say you use them for ballast..." Aunt May calls from the kitchen, "Come and get it!" Peter takes a deep breath, then heads into the kitchen with Susan. Aunt May is sipping a small spoon for the gravy when the two of them enter. Aunt May looks at Susan, and without skipping a beat, says, "Oh, good you got rid of those things. The mashed potatoes are in the blue pot, just take that and put it on the blue potholder on the table. Peter, you can get the pot roast." Peter nods and waits for Susan to get the mashed potatoes. It's not a very big kitchen.
Susan Sullivan	Susan's blush returns slightly, and her grip on Peter's hand tightens CONSIDERABLY as Aunt May brings attention to it. She doesn't speak. She maybe can't, in the moment. She's not strong enough to hurt Peter, of course, but it takes her a few moments to let go. She closes her eyes and Peter can feel her grip loosening a bit. When she does let go, she's not trembling, but she's not smiling either. She is in that place he sees when she's doing martial arts for meditation. She's no longer there with them as she picks up the mashed potatoes. Regardless of how hot they are, she doesn't react as she picks them up. "Everything smells wonderful, Aunt May," she says, though somewhat blandly. She walks out of the kitchen. She knows the way.
Peter Parker	Peter follows as soon as there is room, and Aunt May brings up the rear with the green bean casserole. The table is sorted out fairly quickly, plates filled, food passed around, and soon all three are seated as they like. Peter pulls out the chair next to his own, the same place he's eaten his meals at home since...forever.
Susan Sullivan	Susan makes a pit-stop on her way back from putting the potatoes out, and when she continues to put things out on the table, her padding is back in place. She says nothing else as she puts all the things out on the table she's given to do. She doesn't even look at Aunt May and barely at Peter. When he pulls the chair out for her, she smiles at him in gratitude, then sits. She's still mostly not there--checked out into her mental safe space.
Peter Parker	Aunt May raises an eyebrow, but says nothing at Susan's change back. She does pause as she and Peter fold hands together. Peter speaks quickly. "Bless us, o Lord, for these Thy gifts from thy bounty through Christ our Lord, Amen." It's something he's said thousands of times, it probably painful if he doesn't say it. Aunt May nods. "All right. Let's eat." As they eat, Aunt May asks, "Let me know what you think of the food. Peter always loves it, but I say he is profoundly biased."
Susan Sullivan	Susan grips Peter's hand, interleaving their fingers as he prays. She finally lets go when he needs it to serve himself food. Finally, she serves herself and samples several things. Only after she finally eats a bite of everything does she say anything at all. "Peter is accurate with his assessment," she says, almost aloofly. She will eventually clean her plate, of course, but eye contact with Aunt May is still...not a thing she's doing just now.
Peter Parker	Aunt May looks a little distressed, and Peter can tell he is going to have a sit-down with her later, worrying about being too brash, too honest. Well, one can debate the possibility of unscrambling eggs, or just go ahead and hope you can still make a good omelet. Aunt May does remain polite as she speaks to Susan, "Peter does meet people of all sorts. I was wondering how you met?"
Susan Sullivan	Susan swallows a bite, then clears her throat. "Mutual friend from school," she says. "Teacher. I work for her and Peter was learning from her, I think." She shrugs. "I don't know how they were connected." She taps her fork on a chunk of food on her plate. After a moment of silence, she says, "I'm apartment-sitting for her, but I haven't seen her in months." She's already had that conversation with Peter about being nervous about what comes after they decide to kick her out of that apartment and fire her. It isn't like she's been able to do much for the school in Mairin's absense.
Peter Parker	Aunt May nods. "Well, the last few months have taught a lot of people how fragile life is, and how unexpected the future can be. I'm sure there are many people in similar situations. You seem like you have a solid grasp on things, but if you need help of any kind, I am sure Peter and I can assist in some way. Peter knows many people, and I'm gradually reconnecting with the world after my long vacation in Florida."
Susan Sullivan	Susan looks at Peter. She furrows her brow. "Can we just be...this for a while? I talked to someone to get advice about you. He suggested something that was hard, but wise. I kind of want to keep that relationship separate. Go to him for advice, and just let you take me out for pizza and to movies and hold doors for me and kiss my hand and stuff." She hesitates before concluding, "For now, anyway."
Peter Parker	Peter is noshing on a large chunk of well-cooked rump roast, so he takes a few seconds to chew and swallow. Aunt May looks pleased, but says nothing. "I don't see any problem with that, Susan. No one's going to push anything. If you want to talk about weighty stuff, I don't mind if it's not me, as long as you are talking to SOMEONE. We'll just try to have fun, relax, socialize, and just hang out. I would like it if we get to occasionally hang out with Harry. He's my best friend, after all."
Susan Sullivan	"Have I met him?" Susan asks. SO many masks, it's virtually impossible for her to know unless he tells her. "He wasn't the russian guy, was he?" She looks wary, as if she's hoping he'll shoot that down. He's probably a nice guy, but first impressions weren't great for her.
Peter Parker	Peter shakes his head. "Nope. You'll know Harry when you meet him. He's got even more personality than I do, but the truth is he's a really great guy." "His father, on the other hand..." Aunt May says, a little soberly. "We promised not to speak ill of the man to others as best we could, Aunt May." Peter sighed. "Harry deserves a better father, if I may be so bold, but we do our best to be there for him when his father isn't. We'd never say anything bad to him about his father out loud, but he is free to vent from his own perspective. Richer than Croesus, but his father would rather have ME as his son than Harry."
Susan Sullivan	Susan seems to loosen up as the conversation drifts toward Peter's best friend's family, rather than herself. She's happy to get to know Peter better, but lets out an, "Aww, that's sad," for Harry's predicament. "Does he have a lady?" she asks. "We could go on a double date?" she tries.
Peter Parker	Peter nods. "He's very active in the dating field. Sometimes, it's people like models, or even the occasional movie star or entertainer. I'm sure he'd be THRILLED to do a double-date thing. He's been after me to try to be a little more assertive, a little more outgoing like him. I think he worries about me being single and not having someone after...well, Kara." He grins sheepishly. "There is one thing, though, guaranteed to get on his good side. Call him 'Harry.' Not 'Mr. Osborn.' I don't think you'd call him that, though...but when people do call him that, it reinforces unhealthy comparisons to his father. It gets under his skin. So, it may be an unnecessary warning, but I have the WORST luck sometimes."
Susan Sullivan	Susan furrows her brow again, looking more confused, this time. "Why would I call him Mr. Osborn?" she asks. "Do you introduce him to people as Mr. Osborn?" Her face turns to a slightly playful smirk. "If you do, that might be the problem." She looks at her empty plate, then turns to Aunt May for the first time since she called her out. "Did somebody mention Apple Pie earlier?" she asks with a hopeful grin.
Peter Parker	Aunt May nodded. "I'll go get it. I think we could all use dessert." After she went into the kitchen, Peter said, "Harry was dating this girl who was a friend of Mr. Osborn. Beautiful, but...a little inattentive. When we met our dates, She called him 'Mr. Osborn' when they met for the first time. Total time of date...TEN SECONDS. Harry and I hung out in the basement for the rest of the night, noshing on pizza and sodas. My date felt a little uncomfortable, so she and I rescheduled."
Susan Sullivan	Susan frowns a bit. She then smiles and hooks her hand under Peter's arm. She leans against him a bit as she says, "That happens to us, take me for icecream, yeah?"