"To Aunt May — the real hero," Miles said, raising his soda can.
Everyone lifted theirs in agreement. "To Aunt May," they echoed, smiling as the soft city lights flickered around them.
Peter felt a warm ache in his chest — the kind that came from good memories. He took a small sip, then glanced at the others. "She'd probably be yelling at us right now for sitting on the steps instead of helping someone," he said with a laugh.
MJ grinned. "Yeah, but she'd also be proud that you finally took a break."
Lumia leaned against Peter's shoulder, smiling gently. "She'd be proud of all of you. You've all done more for this city than most people will ever know."
Peter smiled and wrapped an arm around her. "Maybe. But I think she'd be proudest of this — everyone together, getting along for once."
Flash let out a loud laugh. "Getting along? Speak for yourself, Parker. I'm still not over that time you webbed me to a lamppost."
Miles almost choked on his drink laughing. "Wait, you did what?"
"It was an accident!" Peter protested. "I was testing a new shooter and—"
"Uh-huh," Flash interrupted, smirking. "Accident, sure. I was stuck there for an hour!"
MJ chuckled. "And yet here you are, still hanging around him."
"Yeah, well," Flash said, shrugging. "Some habits die hard."
The group laughed again. It was the kind of laughter that came easy — full of relief, not hiding pain for once.
As the night deepened, the city lights glowed brighter. A few cars passed by, the hum of New York's rhythm carrying softly through the air.
Harry leaned back on the steps, looking up at the stars. "You ever think things might actually calm down one day? No villains, no chaos — just normal life?"
Peter thought about it for a moment. "Maybe someday," he said. "But if it doesn't… that's okay too. As long as we've got people to fight for, that's enough."
Lumia looked up at him, her eyes soft. "That's what makes you you, Peter."
He smiled at her, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "And you're what keeps me balanced."
Flash groaned playfully. "Alright, lovebirds, take it down a notch. Some of us are still single, you know."
Everyone burst out laughing again.
MJ shook her head, still smiling. "You guys are impossible."
Miles stood up and stretched. "Alright, before Flash gets jealous, how about one last picture? For Aunt May."
MJ nodded, raising her camera. "Everyone together."
They all crowded in — Peter and Lumia in the center, Miles on one side with Flash making faces behind him, Harry smiling quietly, and MJ setting the timer before running in to join.
The camera clicked.
A perfect moment — frozen in time.
Later, when the streets were quiet and the others had gone home, Peter and Lumia stayed behind. They stood together on the FEAST steps, watching the last traces of light fade over the city.
Lumia rested her head on his shoulder. "Feels peaceful tonight," she said softly.
Peter nodded, his gaze following the glow of the city lights stretching across the horizon. "Yeah," he said quietly. "It's been a while since it felt like this. Calm. Real."
Lumia smiled, her fingers brushing his hand. "You deserve it. After everything… you finally get to breathe."
He chuckled softly. "You make it sound like I forget to."
"You do," she said gently, looking up at him. "Every time something happens, you carry it alone. You don't have to anymore, Peter."
Peter looked down at her, the warmth in her eyes grounding him more than anything else. "I know," he said. "But old habits die hard."
Lumia tilted her head, teasing lightly. "Then it's a good thing you've got me to remind you."
He smiled, leaning in to kiss her softly — a quiet, wordless promise in the middle of a city that never stopped moving.
When they pulled back, Peter whispered, "You know… for the first time in years, I don't feel like I'm chasing something. I just feel—"
"Home?" she finished.
He nodded. "Yeah. Home."
They stood in silence for a while, watching the streets below. A gentle breeze carried the sounds of laughter, cars, and the faint siren in the distance — the heartbeat of New York.
Peter's phone buzzed in his pocket, breaking the quiet. He glanced at it and smiled.
"What is it?" Lumia asked.
He showed her the message — a photo MJ had just sent from earlier that night. Everyone smiling, the city glowing behind them. The caption read: For May. Always.
Lumia smiled softly. "It's perfect."
"Yeah," Peter said. "It really is."
He slipped the phone back into his pocket and took her hand. "Come on," he said. "Let's walk a bit. I want to see the city before it gets too late."
They walked side by side down the quiet street, the glow of lamplight stretching long shadows behind them.
Every step felt lighter. Every sound — the rustle of wind through trees, the distant chatter from a diner — felt alive.
Lumia glanced at him, her voice barely above a whisper. "What do you think comes next?"
Peter thought for a moment. "I don't know," he admitted. "But whatever it is, we'll face it together. You, me, the others. The city always finds a way to test us — but it's worth it."
She squeezed his hand. "Always."
On cue, a distant siren cut through the quiet night — sharp, urgent. Peter's head turned immediately toward the sound. His phone buzzed again, this time flashing a police alert: Armed robbery — 12th and Madison. Multiple suspects. Requesting assistance.
Lumia sighed softly, the faintest smile touching her lips. "Guess peace never lasts long."
Peter gave her hand a gentle squeeze, then stepped back, pulling his mask from his jacket pocket. "Yeah… but that's okay. Someone's gotta keep the night honest."
She nodded, her expression calm but proud. "Go. I'll keep an eye from here."
He smiled beneath the half-lowered mask. "Don't wait up too long."
"I never do."
And then — thwip! — the webline shot upward. Peter swung into the night, his figure vanishing between the silver-lit buildings. The air rippled behind him, the faint sound of his laughter mixing with the sirens as he disappeared into motion.
From a rooftop across the street, Max appeared beside Lumia in a quiet shimmer of blue light. He leaned casually against the ledge, arms crossed. "You know," he said, watching Peter's figure dart between towers, "you could've stopped that whole thing in one blink."
***
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