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Peter let out a quiet groan as he let his eyes wander over the different colored yarn that was placed on the coffee table in front of him. He wanted to scream as he looked through all the colors that he had laid out in front of him.
It had been hard enough picking out yarn last time when he had just made two gifts, one for Ned and one for his Aunt May, but now he had even more people to make them for.
Peter always honestly believed that crocheting was the hardest part of making Christmas presents for the people he loved. That is until he had to pick out the colors and patterns he thought they would like.
Peter had learned to crotchet when he was around eight-years-old and he had been left alone with one of the older ladies in their apartment building named Joan. Peter would often go over to her and her husband Stan’s apartment to spend time with her after school. Half of the time Joan would tell him stories from when she and Stan were young, and other times she would teach him things. Those things ranged from baking cookies to playing the old piano that they had in their living room which better had never been very good at.
One of those new things that she taught him just so happened to be crocheting and for some odd reason, Peter took to it like a fish to water or in his case nowadays a spider to a web. She had taught him how to crochet many things in the time that she and Stan lived in that apartment but when Peter was thirteen; they had moved to live closer to their children.
They would always send Peter and May a Christmas card every year not to mention Joan would call every once in a while to see how they were doing and to ask Peter about his life. Every time she called, she never failed to ask him if he was still keeping up with crochet and practicing as much as he could.
Peter let out another groan, this time louder than before as he buried his face in his hands. As these thoughts ran through his mind, he began to feel like he had failed the woman that had been like a grandmother to him.
“What’s wrong?” A soft voice from the kitchen asked, only for Peter to groan once again this time even more dramatic from before. “I see,” The voice said as footsteps could be heard heading towards the living room where he was waiting. “It seems to be very serious if you can only communicate through teenage angst,” His Aunt May said, with a laugh as she walked around the corner to look at him.
Peter groaned even louder than before as he let his eye peek between his fingers to look at his Aunt who only rolled her eyes and shook her head.
“Peter, I’m sorry to tell you this,” May said as she moved to walk towards him, letting him notice the dish towel that she had in her hands. “But I haven’t been a teenager in a long time so I have no clue what you’re trying to say,” She explained as she finally stopped next to the sofa that Peter was still sitting on.
“So?” Peter asked as he covered his eyes again, still trying to be dramatic as he heard his Aunt move towards him before running her hand through his hair.
“So if you want me to help you, you need to usual actual words,” May pointed out as she ruffled his hair, causing Peter to laugh as his hair became a mess.
He pulled his hands away from his face to look at May, who was now sitting with him with a smile on her face and the dish towel that was now thrown on the coffee table next to all the yarn.
“Now do you want to try to tell me what you’re groaning about over here?” May asked, still smiling as she looked over the yarn that was before the two of them.
“Don’t bother, I hid your colors away,” Peter teased, knowing that his Aunt was trying to find the yarn that he had picked out for her.
“Peter Benjamin Parker, how dare you accuse me of snooping,” May said as she playfully glared at her nephew who held his hands up in defense.
“I’m just saying you do it every year,” Peter said as he gave his Aunt a smile before looking back to the yarn that he hadn’t hidden away from his Aunt’s slightly prying eyes.”And to answer your question about my teen angst, I’m having trouble figuring out what to make,” He admitted as he let his hands fall to his jean-covered legs.
“You’re making scarves this year, right?” May asked as she looked over the yarn trying to figure out which was going with what, and who it was going to be for.
“Yeah, but I meant I’m having trouble trying to figure out what to make for a certain person,” Peter explained with another sigh as he looked at the colored yarns once more as if they would give him the answers he needed.
“And who might that certain person be?” May asked, giving Peter a look that said she couldn’t help him if he didn’t give her all the details.
“Mr. Stark,” Peter said as he let himself fall back against the sofa, an annoyed look on his face that was obviously meant for himself. He looked annoyed and slightly stressed as he waited for his aunt to speak. Of course, none of his irritation was aimed towards May.
It wasn’t that he didn’t want to make the scarves; it was the fact that he was nervous about giving them away. This was the first time in years that he was giving things that he had made to more than just two people, and it had him worrying just a little bit.
“Peter, Tony will love whatever you give him,” May said as she gave her nephew a soft smile, trying not to let on that what she had just said was the biggest understatement of the year. From what Happy had told her on one of their date nights was that Peter could give Tony a cup of dirt and the inventor would act like it was the greatest thing in the universe.
“Aunt May, he’s Tony Stark,” Peter explained as if his Aunt hadn’t known this already, even though she was the one who sometimes drops him off at the inventor’s home every second and fourth week of the month. “He’s a genius, billionaire, philanthropist, who kicks ass,” He said, ignoring the slight jab that May gave to his side.
“Yes, Peter, I am very much aware of who Tony is, and watch your language,” May said as she gave him a slight glare. “Now what’s your point?” She asked, pulling her hand back from where she had poked Peter in the side.
“My point is that he can afford designer clothes from any brand he wants,” Peter said as he gave his Aunt a sad frown that honestly broke her heart a little.”So that’s why this has got to be good, no not just good great!” He explains as he looks back towards the yarn with a slightly defeated look in his big, puppy dog eyes.
May looked at her nephew with another soft smile, wanting so badly to help him since she knew how important this was to him. She slowly reached her arm out towards him but before she could touch him something seemed to clock in his mind.
“Oh sweet, Thor! I can’t give any of them scarves!” Peter said in a panic as he suddenly stood up causing May to jump in surprise.
“What? Why not?” May asked confused, trying to figure out why Peter couldn’t make scarves for the others since she was sure he had some ideas for them.
“Because just like Mr. Stark they’re probably all used to wearing top brand items, even Mr. Rhodey and Happy, they don’t even like things like that” Peter said with panic in his voice as he passed back and forth worrying his lip as he did. “Then there’s Ms. Potts, who probably has all kinds of expensive clothes that she’s bought herself or that Mr. Stark has bought her,” He said as he bites at his thumb which he did when he was extremely nervous or upset about something.
“Peter…” May started trying to get her nephew to calm down and breathe, knowing that he would sometimes freak himself out by over thinking. Before she could get another word in, Peter unknowingly cut her off.
“I mean, why would they want to wear something made out of cheap yarn?” Peter asked as he looked at his Aunt clearly getting more worked up by the second.
“Peter…” May tried again as she reached out to take his hand but once again Peter cut her off.
“They’ll probably hate the scarves and they’ll probably hate me!” Peter panicked as he started pace faster, a panic filling his big puppy dog eyes. “And I don’t want them to ha…” He started but jumped as May finally cut him off, this time stopping the negative train of thought that was filling his mind.
“Peter!” May yelled, wincing slightly as she watched Peter jump. She hadn’t meant to scare him, but she needed him to listen to her. “Peter, you and I both know that none of that is going to happen,” She said as she reached forward and carefully grabbed Peter’s hand. “And we both know that they’ll love your gifts no matter what they’re made of,” She said as she gave him a stern but gentle look as she pulled him towards the sofa to pull him into her side.
“How?” Peter asked softly as he let May pull him to the sofa before making him sit down. Peter leaned into May’s side as she wrapped her arms around him to pull him closer into the hug. “How do you know that they’ll even like them, let alone love them?” He asked, letting his Aunt hold him as she ran a hand through his hair.
“Because they love you,” May said with a sweet smile before leaning down and pressing a soft kiss against Peter’s forehead. “They love you just as much as I love you,” She said and gave him a slight squeeze, hoping that what she had said made him understand everything was going to be okay.”Which means you could give them a popsicle stick picture frame and they would treat it like it was made of pure gold,” She hugged him a little tighter as she laid her head on top of his own.
“But what if they don’t?” Peter asked, a small bit of hopelessness lacing his words as he curled up against her side.
“But they will,” May said, trying to make sure that he understood there was no room for doubt. As she held him a little tighter wanting to make her baby feel better an idea suddenly formed in her mind causing a tiny smile to spread across her face.“Now if you’re still trying to figure out what to do for Tony’s color scheme I think I have an idea that might work,” She explained gaining Peter’s creative attention as she did so.
“What’s the idea?” Peter asked as he pulled back from her slightly so he was facing her once again.
“You could do a scarf with the colors of his favorite hero,” May suggested her smile growing even bigger and even brighter as she moved her arms away to loosen her grip on him.
Peter blinked up at her with wide, confused eyes trying to figure out what she meant by his favorite hero. He knew she couldn’t have been talking about Captain America since Mr. Rogers had stopped being Tony’s hero after what had happened and after what he had done.
“Who? “Peter asked letting a list of heroes run through his mind as he tried to figure out who could be Mr. Stark’s favorite. “Dr. Banner?” He asked as he looked at his Aunt knowing that the doctor was still one of Tony’s best friends.
“No, silly,” May laughed as he reached forward and ruffled Peter’s hair causing him to look even more confused than before.
“Than who?” Peter asked, still confused and unsure about where he Aunt was going with this.
“You, Sweetheart,” May laughed as she looked at her nephew’s shocked face. “His favorite hero is you,” She said once more, making sure that he understood what she was saying.
“I’m his favorite hero?” Peter asked blinking in surprise as he watched May nod her head before she leaned forward and kissed his forehead once more before standing up.
“Yep, you’re his favorite hero,” May promised as she fixed his hair that she had messed up once she had stood up. “Now what do you want for dinner?” She asked, ignoring the fact that she had just dropped a bombshell on her fanboy of a nephew.