Chapter Text
May squatted down and smiled at Atty. “Hi, Atty. I’m May. My nephew and I lived in the same building you did. You’ll be coming to live with us for a little bit, okay?”
Atty nodded. She clung to May's leg all the way outside where Peter and Millie were waiting.
"Doggy!" She raced to Millie and started petting her with an open palm.
"We're going to have a fun time with this one," May said to Peter.
Peter smiled at Atty. “Don't worry, sis. Dr. Cho is my doctor too, she just needs to take some blood to see how to keep you safe."
Atty scratched the top of her head, struggling to itch underneath the braids May had put in after giving up on taming her thick curly hair. She'd ended the two braids in a bun on the back of Atty's head, which was now being pressed against the chair.
"Will it hurt?" Atty's eyes were squeezed shut and her fingers crumpled the patterned leggings she'd picked out herself.
Dr. Cho scooted her rolly chair next to Atty. "Just a pinch," she reassured her.
Atty flinched violently when Dr. Cho started wiping the crook of her elbow with a wipe. "She's only sterilizing it," Peter chuckled.
"I don't know what that means," Atty said bluntly, her whole body still tensed up in nervous anticipation.
"It means that she's cleaning it and getting rid of all the germs." He stroked her hair fondly, tracing the braid all the way down to the bun and following the other back up.
"What are germs?" Atty flinched again when Dr. Cho slipped the needle into her arm and it began to draw blood.
"They're microorganisms that can get you sick, so she needs to wipe them off so you don't get any in your body."
"What are micrognisms?"
Peter laughed. Such was the life with a young kid. Endless questions. " Micro-organisms . They are so small you can only see them with a very, very strong magnifying glass called a microscope."
"Oh." Atty peeked one eye open after Dr. Cho pulled out the needle and put a Spider-Man band-aid over the miniscule wound. "You're really smart, Peter." She studied the band-aid. "I like Spider-Man. Will I have a scar like Petey?" Her finger traced along a scar on Peter's forehead from a pipe a bad guy had decided to hit him with. Atty tended to jump from idea to idea like this, asking another question before anyone could get an answer out.
Dr. Cho chuckled. "No, hon. It'll heal." Atty's shoulders slumped.
"Darn it," she whispered. "I want to look like Petey. He's cool, you know." She assured Dr. Cho.
"Very cool," she agreed, and winked at Peter.
"C'mon, Atters," he said, taking her hand and leading her off the seat. "I'll order us pizza and we'll watch a movie on Netflix."
Atty squealed with delight. "Can we get soda too? And cuddle with Millie?"
"Sure," Peter agreed, kissing the top of her head.
"Woah, are you okay?"
Atty leaned over Peter, lying on the floor. He groaned.
"Is that a no?" She inquired. "My teacher says if someone gets hurt bad you call 911." She cocked her head. "Should I call 911?"
"No," Peter mumbled. "Not 911… just… oh hey Millie," he directed the last part at his dog, who'd gotten up from a nap to check on him.
"Friday, call 911." Atty took a bite of a cracker.
"Sorry, Ms. Athena. Peter is not hurt enough to constitute a call to 911. I will, however, alert Mr. Stark that Peter is injured."
"No, don't do that, Fri… I'm fine, really." Peter attempted to wave but winced and brought his hand to his ribs.
"You're not fine, Pete." A voice said from the doorway.
"Tony… no… fine. I'm fine . Just great." Peter laughed then winced again. "Sorry, I just remembered something funny."
Tony rolled his eyes as he approached the injured teen. "Atters, why don't you go in the T.V. room and watch Puffin Rock?"
Without a word, she patted Tony's leg then turned and ran.
"What a weird kid, Pete." Tony remarked. He squatted down and felt the kid's forehead. "What happened?"
"I fell," Peter said thickly.
"Mhm."
"Onto someone's metal baseball bat."
"That's more like it," Tony patted his shoulder, getting Peter to sit up. "Up, kid. Let's go."
"Hmm? No, it's fine. My healing will kick in soon. I just need to sleep," he muttered, laying back down on the ground and closing his eyes.
Tony sighed. "FRIDAY?"
"Under normal circumstances I would not recommend for someone with a concussion to sleep without medical attention, but with Peter's healing he will be fine with a dark room and a good night's sleep."
"Okay, Pete. Let's get you to your room," Tony attempted to pull Peter to his feet via a tug on the arm, but Peter was no help with that endeavor whatsoever, so he carried the teen bridal style to his bed. He knew that if Peter was in a clearer state of mind he’d be extremely embarrassed. So he made a mental note to tell him about it in the morning.
“Fix it.”
Tony slammed the paper on the table, visibly upset. Peter threw his arms up in exasperation.
“It’s a ransom note; I don’t care about proper grammar!”
“There is no excuse for bad grammar.”
Atty peeked out from behind the doorframe of Peter’s room. “Is Tony rescuing me?”
“If he would stop bit- um, complaining about improper grammar on your ransom note!” Peter said, hoping that Tony wouldn’t notice the almost-swear.
“Peter, you go to a smart kid school! How can you still use improper grammar?” Tony replied, most definitely noticing the swear.
“I’m more of a science guy, hence the A- in English.”
“Whatever. I’ll just give you the cookies you demanded and take back the warrior princess.” The billionaire slammed a bin of Lofthouse Frosted Pink Sugar Cookies- Peter’s favorite- on the table, obscuring the note.
“Ah-ah-ah, not so fast!” Peter said around a cookie. He swallowed before emitting a piercing whistle. “You’ll have to get past the dragon first!”
Millie came trotting around the corner in the perfect reveal of her dragon costume, sat down and itched her ear nonchalantly.
“I’m terrified,” Tony monotoned. “But luckily, I came prepared.” He took a tennis ball out of his pocket and tossed it airily over his shoulder. The “terrifying dragon” raced after it.
With both threats out of the way (Peter eating the cookies and the dragon chasing the ball), Tony scooped up the warrior princess. “She’s mine; I’ve rescued her!”
“My hero!” She clapped and giggled. “Can we have popsicles now?”
“Sure.”
“Um, why do you have a stuffed animal on your desk?”
Tony leaned on Peter’s door frame and pointed to the build-a-bear sitting on Peter’s mountain of homework.
“Hmm?” Peter turned around. “Oh, that’s Wall-E. He was a gift from Atty and he keeps me from losing my mind.”
“Cute. Now, get your jacket and let’s go. If we’re late they might not let you guys adopt her.” Tony walks out to the door without waiting.
Peter freezes. “Wait, really?”
“No!” Tony calls from the entry. “Hurry up!”