Chapter Text
Your daughter was not a mutant. Your daughter was not super-powered. She was not a government secret, and nor was she a god in any way.
Yet she had the oddest ability.
She befriended supervillains regularly.
You would see villains getting their asses handed to them on the news, and mere moments later, your daughter outside drawing with chalk on the sidewalk with the same villain. One night, she came home saying that a ‘Mr. Loki’ needed a place to stay, to which the literal god of mischief crashed on your couch. Luckily, he was very respectful about the whole thing. He even helped with the dishes.
Yet you didn’t realize being a parent came with the very thought of your daughter- your six year old daughter- regularly coming home from school and casually talking about villains as if they hadn’t murdered people or caused billions of dollars in property damage.
So it wasn’t too surprising to hear your daughter, after opening the door, scream-
“Pama! I made a new friend! He’s got six arms!”
You inhaled slowly, expecting a mutant of some kind, and looked to the door. There, next to your grinning daughter, was Doctor goddamn Octopus, looking quite scuffed up, one claw being held in your daughter’s comparatively small hands. Your daughter looks excited.
“He’s a doctor man too!”
For a doctor, he could use some patching up. You didn’t say it aloud, and instead donned your ‘parent voice’-
“That’s great, Susie! Why don’t you go do some homework and then you can go outside and play with the nice doctor man? I’m sure he’d like to see the new colors that came with your brand new chalk box!”
Susie’s face lights up and she lets go of the claw, which rises a bit, open, almost looking at Susie, “Okay! Can you get him a bandaid please? He got hurt!”
Susie then runs off, leaving you with the villain in the doorway of your home.
He does look banged up- dried blood sticking to his hairline, a bruise on the left side of his face, clear scuffs and cuts on his body. He was taller than you, wearing black sunglasses that were scratched to hell and beyond, a long trench coat, a loose yet layered shirt, loose pants- everything about him was loose, including his brick red hair- messed up and tousled possibly by the fight. He looked a bit nervous if anything, gloved hands twitching by his sides. The arms behind him are open, claws panning around now and then, as if examining the new environment. He appears to be waiting for an invitation. From you.
“You can come in,” You state firmly, “Just keep the claws and everything to yourself. I’ll get the first aid kit.”
The man enters, hoarsely replying, “I’m sorry.”
“For what?” You continue, heading to the bathroom and opening the small cabinet beneath the sink, “Susie brings home weirder folk. Like a giant lizard. Or a god of mischief. Really, you’re not as odd compared to them. Bit nice to see a normal human, even if you’ve got those arms coming out your back.”
You get up, the kit in hand and grab a box of Scooby Doo patterned band-aids. You turn around, almost colliding with the man who had followed you, almost swearing.
“Hey- you don’t need to follow me, sir, you can just sit on the couch.”
You could’ve sworn his face went bright red, “Oh, right. Right. Sorry. Again.”
Jeez, for someone always fighting, this man was tame. He shuffled to the couch, the arms independently waving around. They realize he’s about to sit and hold the couch, easing his aching self down. He let out a small grunt of pain, hands on his legs. You go to the fridge and pull out one of the many ice packs you kept for Susie. She fell a lot. You kind of chose the Hello Kitty shaped ice pack on purpose, but won’t say it. You walk to the man and set the kit on the coffee table.
“So should I call you Octopus man or do you have a name?”
The man gives you a look.
“I don’t read the paper. Susie steals it so she can get the cartoons from it. And when she can’t find any, she turns it into a hat.”
The man’s eyebrows raise, “I’m… Dr. Otto Octavius.”
That name rings a bell, but you can’t place it yet.
“Well, Dr. Octavius,” you say, starting to clean the blood off his forehead, “I’m guessing Susie found you in a dumpster after a bad fight?”
“She- yes, how did you know?” The doctor asks, confusion on his spectacled face.
“I’m good at guessing. This isn’t my first rodeo. Don’t squirm around, that’ll only make this hurt more.”
“I’m not squirming!”
“You’re wiggling like a worm, now stop it before I have Susie get her jump rope.”
The doctor seems to pout, gripping the cushions of the couch. After cleaning the blood, you start applying bandages and band-aids.
“This feels excessive,” Octavius states.
“The arms are excessive. This is standard in my house.”
The man goes silent, letting you patch him up. You apply the ice pack to his head, a claw rising and holding it in place.
“Thank you.”
“You’re Susie’s parent then?”
“Yup. What tipped you off? The pama or the striking resemblance?”
You chuckle a bit. The man represses one, “She, uh, told me she only has one but the best one.”
“Well she’s right. I am the best parent. Possibly in the world.”
“You’re very sure of yourself.”
“I am.”
“You realize I could attack you at any moment.”
“I know.”
“So why are you helping me?”
“You look like you need it, Doctor Baggy-Clothes.”
He looks down at his attire, “I- Well you try finding clothes while being hunted by the police!”
You laughed, packing up the first aid kit, “Well if you want to stay, I’m sure we can find clothes for you. That fit better than those. Susie isn’t the best fashion designer, but she can make great hats. You should see what she makes at school, she’s so creative.”
You get up to put the kit back. The doctor’s silence endures for a moment, before cautiously asking, “I can stay?”
“If you want. I’m sure we can work out a trade. Babysitting hours for Susie, help with her homework, mowing the lawn so my back doesn’t give out in two years time- I doubt you can come up with rent without robbing a bank, and I don’t know how Wendy’s would feel about some supervillain asking for a job flipping patties.”
You come back out to the living room and notice Octavius’s surprised expression.
“What, nobody offered you a job yet?”
“Anything, really,” He admits, “People are usually too afraid of me. Or they hate me. Or they call the police.”
“Well I don’t feel or do any of those things. You didn’t do anything wrong to Susie, you haven’t wrecked my home. Yet.”
“I won’t!” Octavius quickly says, throwing his normal arms up, “I swear and promise I won’t! I can help out with Susie, she’s a very nice kid. I… Suppose I know where she gets it now.”
You feel your face getting a bit hot. C’mon, you, it was just a compliment! You itch the back of your neck, ready to respond, until Susie walks out with a booklet and a pencil, “Pama, how do decimals work? There’s too many dots and not enough words.”
“I can help you with that!” Octavius blurts out, getting up carefully with the help of the arms, and looks to you, “Would that be alright… Um…”
You give him your name.
“Y/n- is it alright if I help Susie with her homework?”
You look at Susie, who is nodding excitedly.
“Oh, go ahead. Dining room table is free.”
Susie cheers, “OCTOPUS MAN GONNA TEACH DECIMALS!”
She runs to the dining room, Octavius following. As he leaves, he gives you a smile, leaning on the doorway a bit.
“Thank you, y/n.”
He then turns around and keeps walking, ready to help the child with math that you yourself probably had trouble with. And you yourself are feeling butterflies in the pit of your stomach, that smile flashing through your head. You hiss out a whisper, so Susie can’t hear.
“Fuck.”