Chapter Text
A tea kettle goes off in the small apartment, and Peter doesn't even need his advanced hearing just to know that it was there. A groan escapes him as he blinks open his eyes to see the faded paint chipping off his ceiling. Before he can even get up the sound disappears and he looks off to the side to see Jean back in his apartment again, this time appearing to be making some tea. She pours the hot liquid out into two chipped mugs— one of which Peter only vaguely remembers owning— and who knows where she got the tea bags from.
It's been a couple months since the whole Damage Control fiasco. Actually, more than a couple, because around the one month mark of Peter getting out of the hospital he found Jean in the attic that the landlord has been letting him use. She was standing in the middle of the room when he saw her, but then she just collapsed. Sleep deprivation and dehydration, he thinks it was, and a number of other factors that had played into it. Peter had sat her against the nearest wall carefully and had EV (he was still contemplating a different name for the AI) monitor her vitals because as much as he wanted to take her to the hospital or a doctor he knows it wouldn't be much appreciated by the currently unconcious girl to be poked and prodded at again.
So, Peter employed his best patience (and internal worrying that was only partially quelled by EV's vital updates), and he waited the hour it took for her to wake up.
Peter being Peter had dinked around with his webshooters and other trinkets he had laying around while he waited. He of course only felt more comfortable laying his more important stuff all over the place only once he upgraded and added some actual security measures to the door and windows, since a certain somebody had show him how easy it was to get into his Spidey-Room— and yes, that's what he's calling it. That being said, Peter was tightening a small screw he had in one of his thingamabobbers while spinning in his chair when he heard an intake of breath.
Peter turned his head around and was met with the most awkward staring contest ever as he wasn't actually prepared for what he was going to say when she woke up.
"Hi..." he cautiously tries out.
Jean seems to open her mouth to try for a 'hey' back when all that comes out is a rasp.
"Wait- shoot- I'll get you some water for that. Just... just wait here for a moment."
He sees her nod as he runs off down a couple flights to get a glass of water from his apartment, cause lord forbid she drink anything that has been in that attic. It would probably give her some virus or something, Peter thought.
When he gets back Jean is still sat where she was, like she knows getting back up is a bad idea.
He hands her the water, and getting a better look at her now as she sips carefully Peter can see that there are dark eyebags under Jean's eyes. Her clothes are the same ones he last saw her in, but she is no longer drenched in sweat and tears. Her hands shake a little around the cup and her shoulders' are wound half tight to her frame. She feels less grief ridden and angry though so Peter will take that as a win, but is no less concerned. He hasn't seen her since he took that bullet, and has no idea what to expect out of this following conversation, or have any idea where she has been for one whole month.
Surprisingly the conversation had flowed easily enough. Jean asked for a favor— to let her stay at his place just until she could find her own. Apparently when she had gone back to where she had been staying while looking for her sister the place was in her words, "no longer somewhere I can stay". So she had been on the run for a while, bouncing around the area, looking for somewhere she could stay. It certainly helped that once Yelena got involved with the situation Jean's identity wasn't outed to the press for her protection, but part of Damage Control still got away and who knows what they would do if they saw her again. She mentioned that it would be dangerous to house her and that Peter could get into trouble, but really that's just Peter's whole life. She also offered to find a way to pay for part of the rent, but not knowing how she would be able to do it he declined, and after a quick yell to his landlord about allowing a friend to have an extended stay at his place, Peter had found himself with a new roommate.
Aaaaaand that's why Peter is now tripping over an air mattress they had gotten out of a dump and disinfected the crazy out of for her to sleep on, and this is what feels like 20th time he has tripped on this thing this week already. I mean... what's the point of a Spider-sense if it won't tell you when you are going to trip on things in the mornings? Well, that's besides the point now, because in reality this is a little bit part of their routine now.
Peter stays out late patrolling, Jean wakes up early which eventually wakes up Peter, and then Peter shows how graceful he is out of the suit because of course he had to room with a morning person. Not that he's complaining about Jean being here. It's been... nice having another person around. He guesses this must be how Frank feels now that he asks Peter to come by his place every so often, to which Jean does not come. Peter has kinda failed to mention to the man that the girl he was trying to shoot months ago has been rooming with him, but maybe Peter will get around to mentioning it one of these days? Maybe? Maybe....
"...are you seriously falling asleep on my mattress right now?"
Right. Jean. Warm tea.
"Mff-maaaybe?"
This is why you don't trip onto mattresses. It's cause you'll fall asleep on them.
Peter makes a dramatic roll onto the floor then, catching himself just right so that the downstairs neighbor won't hear a loud bang to start off their day. It's not like any more people need to be awake right now.
He then heads over to where Jean is— and it doesn't take long, it's a pretty small apartment— and he takes one of the mugs of tea off the counter and holds it between his hands. It's too hot to drink right now, but he can still savor the warmth.
"You ready to go?" Peter asks her, so she starts towards the door.
She makes a noise of affirmation and they head up to the attic so Peter can get to work, and get his mini-project done in time to play a rematch round of Yahtzee with Jean.
That's also something Peter does now. While he was alone he made his money doing the odd job like Door Dashing, or driving for other people. He would also prototype and sell certain designs of his to tech companies so that he wouldn't have to work for a while and could spend most his time Spider-Manning. But that was it. He was either always working or working as Spider-Man, but now between hanging out with Jean, hanging out with Frank, and getting to talk to Ned and MJ again (which he still feels like that part is a dream), he finds he actually takes breaks now in order to spend time with them. Though Peter does feel bad that Jean has to do it in his musty attic/Spider-room. He makes a point to tell her this.
"You know, there are probably, like, diseases in here and asbestos..."
"I know. Don't you remember the things I said when I first saw your apartment? You live in a sad, sad place, man. Also asbestos isn't a disease." She snarks back.
"I know, I know! You know what I mean... like we could play somewhere better, like in the apartment... or something?"
I get the side eye and eyebrow raise for that comment, which I wince at and should have expected. The apartment isn't exactly big enough to be playing board games in, especially now that that mattress is crammed in there. It's not like the floor there is in much better shape either, but at least it's carpet so it's nicer to sit on. Once again there probably wouldn't be enough room to play on the floor, and on the bed or mattress isn't ideal so Peter gets what Jean's laying down. He just wishes there was a better place they could go....
...
...
...
Well, maybe there is.
They reach the top floor where the attic is and when Peter enters, instead of going straight to his desk like he usually would and let Jean do... well whatever Jean does with her free time, he turns to her. With the motion she stops in her tracks as she was probably about to head to the corner window to lean and sip her tea. Full attention on him now though, Peter speaks up.
"I think... I know a place where we could play Yahtzee a little better..."
I see a frown start to form on her face before I even finish the suggestion.
"Jean, how about we go to Ned and MJ's?"