58 Adjusting to Reality

Bokuboy

“I'll pick you up first thing in the morning for training.” Natasha said as she dropped me off in front of my apartment building.

I blinked my eyes and stared at her face, because I had kind of lost track of what happened around me since we left the New York office HR department. “What do I tell Aunt May?”

Natasha took out an envelope and handed it to me. “Your official cover assignment for the next three weeks is a data entry clerk at the office building downtown. Pick up some different suits to keep up the facade and send the bill to Gail in HR. You can expect to be reimbursed at the end of the month.”

I nodded and she drove away without another word. I stood there and stared after the car for several minutes before I shook myself. I picked up my gym bag that was stuffed with information packages and tucked the envelope into my inside breast pocket. My fingertips brushed the leather ID wallet and I felt a laugh bubbling up my throat. I entered my apartment building and managed to hold the laugh in until the elevator doors closed.

“Ha. HA ha. HAHAHAHA!” I laughed, almost maniacally, while the elevator took me to the floor with my apartment. Oh, my GOD! I thought, completely giddy with happiness. I had immense potential power in my breast pocket and my mind filled with all of the things I could do with it.

The elevator doors opened and I walked out and down the hallway. I used my key in the lock and entered the apartment, then I closed and locked the door before I checked the time. I should be able to cook a quick supper for May and get the chores done before she came home, so I went upstairs and stashed my things in the closet, changed my clothes, and went back downstairs to get to work.

*

May came home exhausted after a hard day at work. She entered the apartment and she tried to cheer herself up. She would be spending time with Ben and he had been home alone all day again, so she didn't want to look so tired around him. She kicked off her sensible shoes and her sore feet made her groan as they touched the warm floor.

“Somebody needs another foot massage.” Ben said as he walked over to her.

“Ben, I was just...”

“May, there's no need to explain.” Ben said and took her jacket. “I'm here to take care of you. When you're feeling good, when you're feeling bad, when you're full of energy and when you're too tired to enjoy a great tasting meal.”

May felt her heartbeat speed up a little at the sincerity in his voice and the bright and happy smile on his face. “Why are you so happy about that?” She asked, a little confused. “Shouldn't you be arguing and complaining that you have so much to do?”

Ben took her into a hug and held her tenderly. “I told you a long time ago that I'm the best roommate anyone could ever ask for. I can't shirk my responsibilities, even if I have a day job until school starts in the new year.”

“Ben!” May gasped. “How did you get that?!?”

“A friend of a friend of Pepper Potts called me and said they needed a data entry clerk while one of their people went on vacation for the holidays.” Ben said and kept one arm around May's waist as he led her across the apartment to the kitchen. “I'll show you the letter later.”

May sat down and started eating without even paying attention to the food. “Why would they hire you without interviewing you first?”

Ben gave her an even bigger smile. “Can you guess where I was all day?”

May kept eating and didn't respond, even when Ben started to massage her feet.

“I left the apartment about half an hour after you did.” Ben said and ate with one hand. “The assessments took most of the day and the boss was so impressed at the end that they handed me the letter and said they would pick me up in the morning.”

May didn't say anything until the food was gone. She hadn't even tasted it, because she had been fighting the feeling of how good her feet now felt. “Ben, you're doing too much. If you have a full time job in the day and a part-time job at night...”

“Don't worry, May. I gave them my schedule and they literally worked around it to accommodate me working for them.” Ben said and stood before he walked around the table and helped her stand. “I get off work an hour before supper, which leaves me plenty of time to cook for you and clean up the apartment. I'll do the laundry tonight when I come back from work.”

“Ben, you shouldn't be pushing yourself.” May said as Ben led her up the stairs to the bathroom.

Ben chuckled. “May, do you understand what a data entry clerk does?”

“I think so.” May said.

“I sit on my ass all day and my right hand types while my left hand keeps track of the numbers I'm entering. That's it.” Ben said and started to strip her off. “I blew their test out of the water and made a joke about being able to do that all day without breaking a sweat. The head of the department even said that she would beg them to hire me and assign me to her department, because she needed me there.”

“Oh, my god.” May whispered and she did her best to ignore her nephew as he diligently removed all of her clothing to toss into the hamper, except for her bra and panties.

“I know! I sure was shocked at the end of the day.” Ben said and pointed to the tub. “Finish getting those sweaty clothes off and enjoy your soak. I'll bring you the letter and you can read it when you're done.”

“All right.” May said and waited for the bathroom door to close before she popped her bra off and let out a sigh as her breasts were freed from their constraints. She was a bit too chest heavy to go without a bra, especially while working in a hospital, so she would have to set it in the sink to let it soak to get the sweaty smell off of it.

Her panties were next and she was glad that she had worn a slightly thicker pad, because sweating a lot down there with her hair still prevalent, really made her pungent. The panties were just normal, so they went into the hamper and the pad went into the garbage. She half-filled the sink and dunked her bra under the water's surface to let it soak before she climbed into the tub. She moaned as the perfect temperature of the water hugged her and let her immediately relax.

May laid there and didn't bother trying to wash at all as she closed her eyes. Her mind went over what Ben had told her and she wasn't sure what to make of it. He really was doing too much, and yet, he wasn't complaining about it. He actually looked happy to be doing even more work and May almost laughed at that.

She couldn't understand how he could do so much and still take care of her like he was. She had been raising him since he was a baby and she never found enough time in the day to get everything done, even when her Ben was alive. He had been a good father and a great husband, even when they discovered that they couldn't have kids of their own and little Ben had come into their lives.

May's thoughts stopped and she gasped, because not only had she associated her reminiscing to her nephew Ben and not Peter, it was the first time that she had thought about her deceased husband and wasn't an emotional wreck because of all the memories that thinking about him usually brought up.

That was when May realized that Ben had been right to change his name to honor the man that had raised him. It had started to let May heal both her heart and her mind, which gave her the chance to accept that things were so much better now. This was her life. Her happy life. Her happy life with Ben.

May felt all warm in both the outside and the inside as she started to wash herself. It didn't take her long to freshen up and she climbed out of the tub and dried off, then she wrapped the towel around herself and put one around her hair. As she did, she saw the letter on the toilet seat with a note.

'I'm visiting Val at the hospital before going to work and I'll still be home in time to cuddle on the couch and tease you about the shows you like! Love, Ben'

May chuckled and opened the letter, then her eyes widened at the assessment results. The ridiculous speed he could type would have made anyone drop to their knees and beg him to come work for them. She read the rest of it and the praise heaped upon Ben for an exemplary work ethic, seemed appropriate, because she knew how hard he worked at everything he did.

She left the bathroom and went downstairs to settle on the couch as she read the letter several times and she drifted off to sleep with a smile on her face and the letter hugged in her arms.

*

Claudia was just settling in for another long night as the receptionist at Mercy Hospital when the handsome young hero she had met the night before sauntered in through the emergency doors like he owned the place.

“Hi, there!” Ben said happily and walked right over to her. “I wasn't sure if you ate meat or not, so I played it safe and made you a veggie quesadilla!”

Claudia was actually touched at the thoughtfulness. “You didn't have to bring me anything.”

“Of course I did.” Ben said and opened his backpack. He took out a thermal bag and opened it up, too.

Claudia took a sniff automatically and her mouth watered a little. “What's in it?”

“A little bit of this and a little bit of that.” Ben joked and pulled out a large triangle shaped thing covered in wax paper to place on the counter. “It's actually black beans, chopped onions, chunked green and red peppers, diced tomatoes, shredded lettuce, some sweet corn, chopped spinach, a few olive pieces sprinkled in, and to top it off, feta cheese crumbles and shredded mozzarella cheese.”

Claudia's mouth watered even more at the description and she wanted to eat it right now.

“I hope you like it.” Ben said and closed the thermal bag and put it into his backpack. “What room is Valerie in?”

“I can't disclose the condition of a patient to non-family members.” Claudia said with a smile.

Ben chuckled. “What if I told you that her parents are either going to kill me or make me marry her for sleeping with her?”

Claudia chuckled this time. “You're going to look in every room and disturb all the patients if I don't tell you, aren't you?”

“You do remember me! Thank you!” Ben exclaimed and she laughed.

“It's 604 and her mother left about an hour ago.” Claudia said.

“Thanks, Claudia.” Ben said in a serious voice. “I mean that.”

Claudia nodded, because she knew by the look on his face that he did.

“How about that kiss you owe me?” Ben asked and leaned over the counter and turned his head slightly to the side.

“You're incorrigible.” Claudia said and for some reason, didn't hesitate as she leaned in to kiss his cheek. At the last moment before her lips touched his skin, Ben turned his head back and pecked her right on the lips.

“Oops! You missed my cheek.” Ben said and moved back, grinned at her blush, and walked over to the elevator.

“I can't believe you just did that!” Claudia almost shouted, even though she thought it was cute for him to have stolen a kiss like that.

“I didn't want you to disappoint Val by not giving me her message.” Ben said and stepped into the elevator. “I'll make it up to you on my way out.”

“I am not kissing you again!” Claudia said and fake glared at him.

Ben chuckled and hit the button for the sixth floor. “Enjoy the quesadilla.”

Claudia lost the glare and sat down as she quickly unwrapped the end of the triangle shape. She took a bite of the exposed end and it was delicious. She had eaten veggie food before and it didn't taste as good as this did. Before she knew it, she had finished the thing off and sat back on her chair with a satisfied feeling in her stomach.

I suppose I can forgive him for stealing a kiss. Claudia thought with a smile and bundled up the wax paper before she tossed it into the trash.

*

Val reclined on the hospital bed and she felt horrible, both physically and emotionally. Her mother wouldn't let up on berating her for the mistake she made, which didn't help her emotional state at all. She knew she had been stupid about going to that party and didn't need to be reminded of it constantly.

As soon as her boyfriend had ditched her, Val had called the first person she could think of that she knew would be able to come and get her without judging her. She also deeply regretted not paying closer attention to her drink, because everything was blurry after that.

Val felt tears form in her eyes as she thought about the implications of what could have happened and a soft sob escaped her throat.

“Hey, it's okay.” A male voice said from the doorway. “I made it in time.”

Val looked up and caught her breath, because there he was. The one she trusted with her safety and he had come through for her. He had also called her friends and told them to be supportive and to not call her stupid or an idiot over what had happened. That had been such a relief to hear from Liz, Max, and Gina, that she had cried for nearly an hour.

“B-Ben.” Val whispered.

“That's me.” Ben said and walked inside the room and shut the door.

“The nurse said to leave that open in case...” Val started to say.

“I'm here to spend time with my friend and I don't need anyone else listening in.” Ben interrupted and walked over to her bed to see the half-eaten tray of food on the nightstand. “I see you enjoy hospital food as much as everyone else does.”

Val chuckled and wiped at her wet eyes. “I'm relegated to baby mush for a couple days because... they had to... pump my stomach.” She said, haltingly, then the tears started again.

Ben put his backpack down and surprised her by climbing onto the bed with her and hugged her. “Shh, it's okay.”

“No, it isn't! I was so stupid! I was...” Val started to rant.

“Shh.” Ben said and and put a hand on her cheek to turn her head to face him. “You made a mistake.”

“Ben, I was almost...”

“I know.” Ben said and his face showed deep sorrow. “I was devastated when the detective said she was always called in for rape cases.”

Val stared at his face and she wasn't sure what to say.

“I felt like a failure because I thought I didn't make it. I thought... even though you were dressed when I found you...” Ben let tears roll down his cheeks. “I'm so sorry I didn't get your message as soon as you sent it. I'm really, really sorry.”

“B-Ben...”

“I carry my cell phone all the time now, no matter where I go.” Ben said and leaned in to give her a soft and tender kiss. “I never want to miss an important message again. Never again.”

Val stiffened at the kiss. “Ben, I... you... why...”

“You're my friend and you could have been seriously hurt. You could have died.” Ben said and gave her an intense look. “I don't want that to happen, Val. I don't want you beating yourself up over something that could have happened. That's not what friends do.”

“Parents do.” Val whispered.

“Then I will have a talk with your parents and inform them of how stupid they are.” Ben said in a stern voice. “Making you feel even worse than you already do over this, isn't going to help you get past it.”

“Ben, I... I don't know if I can get past it.” Val whispered.

“You will.” Ben said and then smiled. “Even if I have to fuck you six ways from Sunday to do it.”

“Ben!” Val gasped. “I don't even want to think about doing that right now.”

“I know.” Ben said and gave her that intense look again. “I'm going to show you the difference between having sex and making love.”

Val gave him an odd look. “You think there's a difference.”

“I know there is.” Ben whispered and gave her another soft and tender kiss. “The first step is kissing someone you like properly.”

Val thought back to watching Ben and Liz as they made-out in the hallway at school and she blushed.

“Yeah, like that.” Ben said and leaned back in and proceeded to kiss her like she needed to be kissed.

Val felt her heartbeat pick up and her blush intensified, because she could almost feel how much Ben cared about her, not that she needed to. His reaction about her situation had been genuine and no one could fake that, so she wrapped her arms around him and let out a happy moan as she kissed him back. They didn't do more than make out and Val felt very grateful to him for that.