Chapter 2: 02 Settling In

Aunt May pulled me from school for the rest of the week because I was sick after the school's trip to the radiation testing lab. She kind of lied a little, because I was only sick for the one day. She said it was okay, because I had fallen right afterwards and she thought it was the major cause of what happened. I didn't bother contradicting her because it was as good of an excuse as any.

So, while she was at work, I did my best to look for everything I needed to know about Peter and his life. I found a journal after a search of the bedroom and it sure was enlightening. He had just started his first year at high school and had been bullied at his old school. His intelligence made him stand out, for all the wrong reasons, and May had to fight to get him into the prestigious science and technology high school and its smart kid program.

I am definitely going to blow that class! I thought with a laugh. Why couldn't Peter leave me some of his IQ when he died? I sure would use it much better than he did. At least, I hoped I would. That was an odd thought for me to have, considering I believed that I was fairly intelligent. I wasn't egghead smart by any stretch of the imagination; but, I was no slouch, either.

On a whim, I picked up what I thought was one of his high school books. I opened it and discovered that it was Advanced Calculus. My eyes nearly bugged out at the gibberish it showed and I shook my head as I closed it with a snap.

May is going to be pissed. I thought with a sigh, then I realized something. I was looking at step four out of six and hadn't done steps one through three yet. I went to the desk where there was a large cardboard box underneath. I suspected what was in it and pulled it out. It was heavy and I smiled, because that meant my suspicion was right.

I opened the box and it was filled with old textbooks and scribblers. “Score!” I exclaimed out loud, then dove in to sort out the contents.

It took twenty minutes to empty the box and I had my bed covered from head to foot. It was a fortune in both knowledge and cost, because they were not cheap to buy. If they hadn't been spread out over years of schooling, there was no way anyone could afford this large of a library of books. It was just too bad there wasn't a market for selling the things after they were used.

I opened the basic math book and the spine cracked, as if it had never been opened. I sighed at that thought and started to read. By the time I reached the end, I was shocked that I actually remembered it. I went back through it with a blank scribbler, because there wasn't one paired with it, and did all of the assigned problems. It was easy.

I sat back on my chair and stared at the scribbler and all of the check marks for right answers. It was amazing, because I really had applied the knowledge I just learned. I wasn't cocky about it, though. Once could be a fluke, so I set the book aside and picked up the next math book. It was a grade higher and looked browsed through, so I checked for a paired scribbler.

I found it and read through each chapter and checked the scribbler as I went over the problems in my head. They matched. I looked in the back of the book and marked each right answer with a check mark. They were all correct and I would have solved the problems in the same way.

Maybe Peter did leave me some of his IQ and I just lost the connection with the knowledge he had. I thought and picked up the next book. Advanced Math and Trigonometry. Since our experiences were different, my mind in his body wouldn't make the same knowledge connections.

I had to accept that and grabbed the paired scribbler for the book. It took twice as long, because I had to do the drawings and measurement calculations myself. Just looking at the work of someone else wouldn't help me much, except to show me where I went wrong. Only, I didn't.

I once again stared at the results and they were all right. I was almost a savant with how quickly I was picking it up. It seemed to fit into my head like it was supposed to be there... and I finally realized what was going on. I was reestablishing the missing knowledge connections!

With that happy thought, I looked over the piles of books for each subject on the bed and groaned at the amount of work that was ahead of me.

“Food break.” I said and went downstairs to the kitchen and made a couple of sandwiches, grabbed a bag of chips, and a bottle of orange juice. I ate quickly, washed up, and went back to my room. I had a crap load of work to do and I only had six days left to do it. I set the alarm to an hour before suppertime and planted my nose into the books with a passion.

*

May entered the apartment and a wonderful smell filled her nose. She closed and locked the door, kicked off her shoes, and hung up her jacket. “Peter?”

“In here.” Peter's voice said from the kitchen.

May walked through the living room and stopped at the doorway to the kitchen. “What the hell is this?”

“Beef Bouillon with string beans and home fries.” Peter said and waved at the made up kitchen table. It had a white tablecloth and a little vase with a flower in it. There were also two unlit candles.

May watched as Peter put two plates of great smelling food on the table and then the cheeky little bastard lit the candles. “Peter!”

“Actually, I was thinking of using my middle name.” Peter said with a smile and held out a chair for her.

May stood there and stared at him. “You can't be serious.”

“Please, sit.” Peter said and motioned at the chair.

May held in a sigh as she walked over to sit where he asked her to. To her surprise, he didn't whack the back of her knees with the chair and eased her in close to the table as if she weighed nothing. “Peter...”

“Benjamin.” Peter corrected. “I wasn't kidding when I said I don't remember anything about being Peter. Not one thing.”

“But...”

Peter sat down across from her and took her hand. “May, if you will allow it, I want to honor him.”

May opened her mouth to say no. She wanted to refuse, just so she could avoid thinking about her lost love. When she looked into Peter's eyes, she saw the lost look in them. “F-fine. If you're not comfortable with me calling you Peter, I shouldn't force you.”

“Thank you, May.” Peter said with a wide smile. “Now eat up before it gets cold.”

May looked down at the food and then at Peter. No, not Peter. Benjamin. She thought and then said a name that she hadn't spoken since her husband's death. “Ben, where did this come from?”

“I made it.” Ben said with pride and cut into the meat. “I read through one of the cookbooks looking for something quick to make and this popped out at me.”

“But, you... you don't know how to cook.” May said.

Ben chuckled. “Apparently, I can. It was easy, actually.”

“Wh-what?” May asked, surprised.

“I studied math all day as I tried to jog my memory and when I read the cookbook, I realized it was the same, only simpler. Input A into the formula as the main ingredient, add in B as seasoning and flavoring to enhance A, then combine and cook to create the final product of C.”

May stared at him with her mouth open.

“Eat, or I'll have to microwave it and that makes the meat a bit rubbery.” Ben said and pointed at her plate with his fork.

“R-right. Eat.” May said and cut a small piece of the meat off, dipped it in the gravy, and tasted it. “Oh my god!”

“I know! It's good, right?” Ben asked, happily. “I think I have a talent for it or something.”

“Muu moo.” May said with a mouthful of meat, which made Ben laugh. “You do.”

“I made enough that it should last a couple of days, even if you take some to work with you for lunch.”

May blushed a little and didn't want to admit that she hadn't eaten lunch at work in a very long time.

“Things are going to change from now on.” Ben said, as if he knew what she was thinking. “I told you I was going to start helping out around here and I wasn't joking or making light of how much you do for me.”

“Pete... Ben.” May corrected. “I told you that you didn't have to do anything like that.”

“I know, which means it's needed even more than I realized.” Ben said and ate some fries. “I'm home all week, so you're getting a good home cooked meal every day, a nice bath, and if you're up for it, maybe some movie watching at night. I'm apparently really behind in modern culture for some reason.”

May made a sound between a laugh and a sob. “Ben, you shouldn't joke about that. You were severely hurt and...”

“...there's nothing to be done about it.” Ben said. “I'm going to joke, and laugh, and I'm going to be the best roommate that a beautiful young woman like you could ever ask for.”

May blinked her eyes at him several times and didn't know what to say.

“Maybe later you can teach me how to do the laundry?” Ben asked. “Oh! I'd like a small laundry basket for my room. It will save me from having to run to the bathroom all the time to put dirty clothes in the hamper under the sink.”

May could only nod and she began eating again. She observed the young man across from her and she didn't know what to think. She loved him with all of her heart, because he was the only family she had left in the world. The problem she had now was that the young man sitting across from her, whom had made a meal that even she couldn't have made half as well, was someone that she didn't know at all.

*

My mornings were filled with studying, my afternoons with chores, and my evenings spending time with May. It was honestly the greatest time I've ever had in my life. My brain seemed to absorb knowledge like a sponge as it re-assimilated what it already knew. At least, I thought so. May's surprise at my ability to cook was funny to see every time.

I really had read all five cookbooks in the kitchen and I really did see the recipes as math problems. I even saw some of the ingredients as variables that could be easily changed. It was a novel thing for me to realize, especially when nearly everything I tried came out great. Except for the custard.

We are never, ever talking about the custard.

I don't think May had ever laughed so hard before. She almost hyperventilated and I had to rub her back to calm her down. She helped me clean up afterwards and now every time she sees the color yellow, she lets out a little laugh. It was cute and I did not tell her so. I was calling her pretty and beautiful already and dropping to cute could be considered an insult.

The weekend arrived and May had to work on Saturday, so my daily routine continued on that day, except for one change. I practised my powers in the morning instead of studying, and I had a great time!

Have you ever wanted to walk on the ceiling? It's a blast. Run down a stair railing on your toes? It's like running on a metal floor. I couldn't do wall running or any real acrobatics, which meant I needed a lot of practice using my wall crawling powers and I needed to get to a library to research some more. I would ask May when she came home to take me tomorrow and we could make a day of it.

Maybe a picnic? I asked myself and nodded. I could pack a backpack with what we needed and stop at Central Park to eat before going to the library.

With a tentative plan set, pending May's approval, I looked around for something heavy to lift. There was nothing except the couch, which I had easily moved out of the way to vacuum underneath every day. I went to one of the windows with a fire escape and looked down at the alley below. The garbage dumpsters were empty and would be lighter than the couch.

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I debated going for a walk to find an out of the way car or something, then decided against it. I needed May's help with navigating in a city I had never been in, which meant I couldn't go any significant distance from the apartment without getting lost. I had my wallet and ID with the address on it, too.

I ate lunch and did the chores and the laundry, even May's unmentionables. She was upset about it at first, until I told her that I only wore her panties on my head once and that her bras didn't fit over my pectoral muscles anyway. She gave me an odd look before she laughed and made a snorting sound. I called that a win and she handed me her dirty laundry without another word.

I set her bath and made supper again before May came home and she looked tired. I quickly helped her with her shoes and coat, led her to the table that I started to jokingly call it our date table, and we ate in complete silence.

When she was done, I led her up the stairs and took her into the bathroom and quickly undressed her down to her underwear. I bundled up her clothes into the hamper and stood to leave when May caught my arm and I turned to look at her face.

“Ben, you... you've been...”

“I may not remember what you did for me before; but, I sure do remember what you've done for me since I woke up after hitting my head.” I said and gave her a warm smile. “You worked your ass off all week and the least I could do was what I did.”

“Ben, I was only...” May started to say.

“You don't think I studied all of those schoolbooks and don't realize how much money you've spent on me?” I asked and she blushed. “You are a wonderful woman and I feel very blessed that I have someone like you in my life.”

“Oh, Ben!” May said and pulled me into a hug.

I put my arms around her and hugged her back. I did not miss her bra-covered chest being pressed into my own t-shirt clad chest. They were quite nice and warm, which made a certain other part of me respond in kind. Luckily, she was a few inches shorter than I was and my erection did not press right into her crotch. It was a close thing, though.

May eased her hold on me and her face was bright red. “B-Ben, that... is a normal bodily reaction...”

“I know.” I said and smirked at her. “When a beautiful woman gives you a hug, you better thank her with a proper salute. She deserves nothing less.”

May blinked her eyes at me for a moment, then she looked down. Her eyes widened at the significant tent pole she had given me and she looked back at my face. “Ben...”

“I'm not embarrassed by it, so you shouldn't be, either.” I said and she nodded, albeit reluctantly. “I just hope you don't think I get one every time you hug me.”

“I'm sure that... you don't, do you?”

“I'm not some horny teenager that can't control his impulses.” I said with a laugh. “I wouldn't be able to be in the same room with you if I was. You're smoking hot.”

May's blush went a little redder.

“Believe me, I'd have one every time you've bent over the counter to pass me something, every time you reached for the top cupboards in pants or a tight skirt, and when you give me that happy smile after you soak in the bath for half an hour.”

May blushed even more. “B-Ben, you... you really...”

“Notice you? Of course I do. You're smoking hot, remember?” I asked and laughed at the expression on her face. “May, don't think like that. I could have groped you hundreds of times and pretended it was an accident.”

May gasped and she covered her mouth with a hand.

“I would never treat a woman of your calibre like that. I respect you too much to try for cheap thrills or to stare at your breasts at every opportunity.” I said and pointed at them without looking. “Your body is your own and it is always your choice to allow someone to see it or to touch you.”

“Ben, I... why are you...”

“You're comfortable enough around me to not be embarrassed, even undressed like you are, and we've only known each other for a week.” I said and her blush started to fade. “I thought it was about time you understood that there are two people living in this apartment and that I am here for you.”

May just stood there and didn't say anything.

“I'm just as comfortable around you as you are with me.” I said and pulled my t-shirt off.

“Ben!” May gasped and covered her eyes.

I chuckled and pulled off my pants to toss them in the hamper. “I'm not naked.”

“I know.” May said and kept her eyes covered. “You... ah... your thing.”

“I'd like to point out that yours are sticking out, too.”

May let out a squeak sound and put an arm over her chest while also trying to keep her eyes covered.

It was hilarious and I burst out laughing. “I was kidding! Can't you tell when you're excited?”

May opened her mouth and then closed it before she spoke. “I thought you were looking at them.”

“Like I told you before. If I was a horny teenager, I could see them whenever I wanted to. I'm not. I don't ogle you, pretend to fall into you, or anything that might put you into a compromising position.”

“Except for now.” May said and uncovered her eyes to look at my face.

I grinned at her. “I'd have your bra off already if I wanted you compromised.”

“BEN!” May gasped.

“What? You've pretty much just stood there and let me talk.” I laughed. “You can't tell me that I haven't had the chance to get you all naked and sweaty by now.”

May looked angry for a moment, then she shook her head. “I guess I can't.”

“And that's what I want you to remember.” I said and took the hand of the arm covering her breasts, which revealed almost nothing, because her bra covered everything. “You know I've had so many chances to make things awkward and uncomfortable, especially with the laundry.”

May couldn't stop her laugh this time. “You would never wear my panties as headgear!”

“Ha ha! No, I wouldn't. It sure made you laugh, though.”

May nodded and then she gave me a questioning look. “You better not tease me about this.”

“About what? That I survived seeing you in just a bra and panties?” I asked and pretended confusion.

May barked a laugh and smacked me upside my head. “Yes, exactly!”

“Ow! Okay, maybe I didn't survive.” I said and rubbed the spot, even though it hadn't hurt.

“Get out of here and let me bathe.” May said and pointed at the door.

“But, I wanted to watch!” I whined and gave her my best puppy-dog eyes.

May laughed again and smacked me half a dozen times as she chased me out of the bathroom. “Out! Out, you mongrel!”

“You're so demanding.” I said as the door shut behind me and left me in the hallway alone. I knocked on the bathroom door. “I need the bathroom!”

“You have to hold it!” May responded and then there was a splash and an 'ahh' sound.

“Enjoy your relaxing bath while I suffer!” I said and I could have sworn I heard her laugh. I went to my room in just my underwear and smiled at her not even noticing that my erection had disappeared while we talked. I slipped on jogging pants and another t-shirt and went back down to the living room to wait.

May came out of the bathroom and looked both relaxed and comfortable.

“See? That's the smile I like seeing so much.” I said and pat the couch beside me.

May didn't pause as she came down the stairs and plopped down beside me. “You really are comfortable with me walking around in my underwear.”

“Says the woman that sometimes forgets to button her shirt all the way up.” I said and she laughed.

“What do you want to watch tonight?” May asked me.

“It doesn't matter.” I said and rested against her side. “I just like spending time with you.”

May put an arm around me and hugged me as she picked a movie she had always wanted to watch.

“I should have kept my stupid mouth shut.” I joked as a musical about cats came on.

May laughed and kissed my cheek, then the two of us watched the people in cat suits frolic to the dumbest songs to ever exist.

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