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Peter 1 was slowly but surely adjusting to the current situation his life was in right now.
Peter had offered up the idea of re-casting the spell to make everyone forget who he was to send the other 2 Peter's and their villains back home but Dr. Strange was very adamant that he could find another way, Stephen had been working tirelessly to send them all home along with kindly offering his sanctum as a place for the villains to stay since there were plenty of rooms for them to stay in as long as they didn't touch or wreck anything. Peter 1 however, asked Happy if the other two versions of himself could temporarily stay at the apartment he'd moved into after his identity was revealed, reluctant and little shocked at the idea of 3 Peter Parker's he agreed.
There was only one proper bedroom and Peter 1 did bring up the idea of sharing the bed but the other 2 declined the offer even looking a bit uneasy at the idea but Peter 1 didn't think anything of it. So, they made do setting up blow-up mattresses in the same room it felt like an extended sleepover and Peter 1 would be lying if he said he wasn't enjoying it as Peter 3 said it was like having the brothers he'd always wanted. Peter 3 was very funny always starting up conversations wanting to know more about 1 & 2 especially Peter 2's web situation, his smile lit up a room and was so infectious you couldn't help but smile back. Peter 2 was a little more shy but was so caring and kind often lending an ear to his younger brothers if they needed to rant and of course giving them pep talks if they ever needed them and giving the warmest hugs ever afterwards, needless to say Peter 1 couldn't help but be happy about the situation of course he missed May more than anything he didn't have any time to properly process what had happened until after everything had settled he only could breakdown at the realisation that she was gone it's been nearly impossible to deal with but at least he had MJ, Ned, Happy and his brothers to support him.
The three Peter's spent a lot of time doing almost everything they could possibly do together they Peter 1 & 3 often traded advice about their web shooters and web fluid (and Peter 2 kindly letting them do tests on his wrists), to help out Peter 1 whilst he was grieving they assigned different days for them to go out as spider-man Peter 3 taking the most days since Peter 2 needed time to recover from getting stabbed but he insisted he didn't mind, they watched a lot of movies, Peter 1 got Peter 2 & 3 up to date on current events in his universe including the avengers, they cooked together (well Peter 2 cooked Peter 1 & 3 tried to help without screwing things up) and told stories from their childhoods and from how they became spider-man to all the villains they've fought. They'd talked about the serious and emotional things too at night when they should be sleeping, they talked about some of the consequences being spider-man has brought them. Peter 3 slowly talking a bit more about Gwen, Peter 2 whilst very hesitant to talk about any of his own trauma did so occasionally Peter 1 could tell he had never really talked about it before.
Tonight, was another one of those nights they now knew a lot about the people they had lost Peter 1 knew about Gwen Stacy, Harry Osborn and they had all lost their parents and uncle Ben. Peter 1 told them about Tony Stark and how much he meant to him, but there was still one thing he was curious to know if the other two Peter's had gone through. It was a grim topic, but he was hoping it would be okay to ask.
"Guys?" He asked looking up at the dark ceiling
"Yeah?" Peter 3 responded twisting on his blow-up mattress to face Peter 1's bed
"Since we've gone through similar things, I was thinking about something that happened to me when I was younger, and I just wondered if you guys ever experienced the something similar"
"What is it?" Peter 2 asked sitting up. Peter 1 took a deep breath after all these years bringing it up was still nerve-wracking
"Did you guys ever have a babysitter called Skip Westcott?"
He was met with silence. A very uncomfortable, eerie silence like the air had been sucked out of the room. He could make out Peter 3 shifting uncomfortably in the darkness whereas Peter 2 was very still like he had seen a ghost. It sadly gave Peter 1 all the answers he needed.
"Sorry I shouldn't have brought that up so abruptly forget it-" Peter 1 started apologising only for Peter 3 to interrupt
"No, it's alright" He reassured "Yeah I knew S-Skip" He confirmed
Peter 1 nodded his head not sure if he could see him in the dark, so he reached over and flicked on the bedside lamp Peter 3 silently got up and joined him on the bed. They both looked over at the still unmoving Peter 2 who had not said a word.
"Um... 2?" Peter 1 started
The man turned his head like he had forgotten he was in the room with other people the tips of his ears turned red, and they always do when he is embarrassed. Call it his spider sense but both Peter's could obviously tell this was very difficult for him and sensed he needed some comfort Peter 1 warmly patted the side of the bed that open next to him gesturing for Peter 2 to join he cautiously got up and sat with his brothers still not saying anything or looking either of them in the eye.
"I met him at a library" Peter 3 started "I thought he was my friend he liked science and everything else I liked and when aunt May said that they needed a babysitter for me I suggested him" Peter 3 paused to take a shaky breath and continued "He was nice the first few times he let me stay up late and let me eat whatever I wanted even bought me science books. It was not until the fourth time he babysat me when showed be these explicit magazines and when he first... touched me" He choked out Peter 1 grabbed and squeezed his hand.
"It only escalated after that he told me not to tell anyone and I didn't until aunt May found b-blood in my underwear and asked where if came from I couldn't hold it in after that so I told her everything she told uncle Ben and reported him to the police" Peter 3 stopped to wipe his tears that had formed "I kept having nightmares and flashbacks I couldn't even let myself be hugged by my uncle for a while but May and Ben couldn't afford therapy so I learnt to cope and they were there for me all the time so it wasn't all bad"
"Ben hired Skip as my babysitter" Peter 1 started "Like you said he was really nice the first few sessions I didn't have any friends other than Ned so of course I wanted to do anything Skip wanted to do because I thought he was also my friend" Even his name left a sour taste in Peter 1's mouth but he kept going "It started small he showed me magazines too saying we should copy those people... until Ben came home early one day and found saw what Skip was doing I'd never seen him so angry or violent before Ben blamed himself for the whole thing which made me feel a lot worse for letting it happen-"
"You didn't "let it happen" You were just a kid" Peter 3 argued
Yeah, I know that now, but I did not back then, but Skip was dealt with at least and sent to jail... but like you said I had to learn to cope with how it affected me even years after when I became spider-man if I had a nightmare about him, I would sleep with my web shooter's on just so I could feel safe and reassure that I could protect myself from him"
Peter 3 nodded in understanding, the two brother’s turned to look at Peter 2 who still had not said anything they saw silent tears running down his face Peter 1's heart broke a little Peter 2 was usually the comforting collected one he almost didn't want to know what Skip had done to him he reached out his other hand to lay it on Peter 2's shoulder but Peter 2 flinched away almost webbing him in defence. Peter 1's heart broke fully at that.
"I-I'm sorry" Peter 2 whispered before hiding his face in his hands and softly crying.
Peter 3 got up and moved to the other side of the bed asking his brothers to move over so he could sit next to Peter 2 who would be in the middle and could be comforted by both his brothers.
"Can I hug you please 2?" Peter 3 asked softly.
Peter 2 nodded attempting to stop his tears as his brothers wrapped their arms around him.
"You don't have to talk about it 2 I'm sorry I should've thought about how triggering this might've been" Peter 1 said
"No, no I just... You guys told people?" He asked
Peter 1 & 3 exchanged a very concerned look silently hoping that question didn't mean what they thought it meant.
"Yeah, we did" Peter 3 answered "Did you?" He asked
Peter 2's bottom lip trembled as he shook his head, and more tears ran down his face his brothers hugged him tighter.
"Why didn't you?" Peter 3 asked
"I don't know I was scared he threatened me every time it happened saying that my aunt and uncle wouldn't believe me or that they would be ashamed for me... I tried to make up excuses for him to not babysit but he always came back and would always force himself on me" he said
"H-how... how long did this go on for?" Peter 1 asked
"A year... it stopped when he moved away and couldn't babysit me anymore" Peter 2 confessed
Peter 3 was visibly angry at the idea of 2 suffering for that long Peter 1 felt sick and suddenly very grateful that his uncle had caught Skip that day he also felt terrible for Peter 2
"And you didn't tell anyone?" Peter 1 asked "Not even MJ or that Harry guy you talked about?"
"No, I couldn't I thought if I did, they would tell Aunt May and I didn't want her to know I guess a part of me still believed Skip I tried to bring it up, but I heard his voice taunting me and I bottled it... he had moved away, and it had been years after anyways it was pointless"
"Sexual abuse or rape doesn't have an expiration date 2 it doesn't matter how old you you were how long ago it was you can and should always tell someone when you're ready" Peter 3 told him. Peter 2 flinched at his words but nodded.
"Yeah, I know I just hate that he's done this to me every time I... do things with MJ, I hear him, and I always cry silently afterwards it's not like I don't want to with her I wholeheartedly do but I just can't not think about him"
"Yeah, I understand but it's never too late to talk about it" Peter 3 smiled "You've done it with us that's a big first step"
"Yeah, will you guys have made it easy I'm really sorry that you both went through the same thing but talking helped... I feel less lonely thank you" He smiled shakily but you could hear the sincerity in his voice
"Of course, it's what brothers do" Peter 1 smiled warmly
The three of them fell asleep on the bed snuggled close together for comfort and they were all able to wake up with their chests a little lighter than before knowing that they didn't have to suffer with the haunting memories of Skip Westcott alone anymore.