Chapter Text
Peter didn't run into Daredevil often. Despite working the same city, he had his own territory, and Peter respected that for the most part. It didn't mean he'd turn a blind eye or let a stray run loose, so the occasional team ups were unavoidable. Daredevil seemed… odd this time around. Something strained to his voice, more insistent than usual about how Peter needed to leave. It lacked the bite of anger, but not light enough to be taken as easy banter. Maybe he knew something Peter didn't.
"Watch out!"
His spider-sense was more than enough warning, but Daredevil jumping in front of him was completely unexpected. The blow slammed into the other man and sent him flying.
"Woah!" Peter quickly shot out one web to prevent Daredevil from hitting a wall full force and snagged the assailant's weaponized arm with his other hand. "Where'd you get this? Alien tech? Stark?"
Unsurprisingly, the crook wasn't offering up much information. That was fine, Peter was mostly stalling for time until Daredevil could get back onto his feet. Removing the tech proved difficult as it gave the man strength beyond what a normal human could wield.
With Peter straining to keep the arm webbed, Daredevil had gone for the man's legs, sending him to the ground hard. As he wheezed for breath, the vigilante pair were quick to tear off the weapon from the man's arm and hopefully broke it into an unusable state. Once webbed up, Peter turned his attention to the Daredevil, the man resting a hand on his upper chest, grimacing.
"Dude, I could've dodged that," Peter couldn't help but say. "I could take it too, and you know that. You're acting weird tonight, what's up with that?"
Daredevil opened his mouth, slightly tilted his head towards the criminal, and moved further away without any other prompting. Peter followed.
"What's up with you?!" he snapped back, voice hushed. "I get that you're young and think you're invincible, but don't you think you should take a step back from being on the streets for a while?"
Huh?
"I fought the Hulk without breaking a bone! You really think that guy could really hurt me?" Peter asked, kind of offended. It wasn't like him to treat Spider-Man like he was a kid (at least, not since forgetting his age).
Daredevil let out a sigh, the kind of sigh of a man who couldn't believe how unreasonable Peter was apparently being let out. "Look, you know I have really good hearing. I know."
"Yeah, sorry, still not following you here. Can you just say it?" Peter demanded, though he was already trying to think of what Daredevil could've possible known. His identity? Unlikely, unless Peter had met the man off-duty and not realized. Knowing he was Peter Parker wasn't a good reason to take a hit in any case.
What if he knows about Frank?
Oh. That was a scary thought, but more in an embarrassing way. Somewhere between Frank shooting him and becoming friends, they had slept together… Perhaps many, many times. Mostly initiated by Peter. Frank would tell Peter to screw someone his own age, but never seemed to actually turn Peter away.
If it weren't for the few times Frank dragged him into an abandoned building or a hidden corner, Peter would've been afraid that it was all extremely one-sided. They both needed it. At least, that's the way Peter saw it. While he was rebuilding his friendship with Ned, MJ was still taken. Peter wasn't ready to be on the dating scene yet and fumbled enough attempts to go home with someone that he had given up.
Peter trusted Frank, and he wasn't blind, the man was so hot. The fact that Peter didn't have to be careful about his identity helped a lot too.
And on Frank's end of things? Peter knew that he had other people in his life, people he stubbornly struggled to call his friends. However, Frank wasn't ready to commit to romance as far as Peter could tell. They both needed to feel the warmth of someone else every now and then… even if Frank always said it was the last time they were doing this. Even if he sometimes stayed in bed longer, didn't leave, didn't nudge Peter back out the door when they were done.
Maybe Peter had started to hold on a little tighter, kissed a little more, hoped he'd wake up with Frank still warmly pressed against his back…
Okay, so maybe things were a little complicated.
Back to the matter at hand, perhaps Daredevil had overheard them once when they weren't at a safe house or Peter's apartment. Maybe Daredevil overestimated the relationship and thought Frank would get pissed if anything happened to Peter under his watch. The two could get rather violent with one another.
Daredevil took several steps closer, shaking his head in frustration. "I can hear both heartbeats," he muttered, voice almost too soft to hear.
…
…
Huh???
"Do I have some kind of parasite?" Peter asked, keeping his voice low too if only out of complete bewilderment. Did he mean he heard both Peter and Frank together?
Finally, Daredevil seemed confused at the situation he himself had created. "Are you playing dumb…?" he asked in exasperation. "God I hope you are. I mean, it's in poor taste, but some would call it a parasite, yes." He went from gripping his chest and slid his hand down to his stomach.
For a moment, Peter stared, then it clicked.
"WOAH!" Peter held up his hands. "Woah, no, no no—Definitely not!" His voice lowered, hair standing on end even though his senses weren't going off. "If you're saying what I think you are, I can't be."
"Are you missing the parts?"
"Well, no," Peter stammered. Between testosterone and the weird spider DNA, he didn't remember the last time he had a period aside from a random speckling of blood.
"Then I'd go see a doctor," Daredevil urged, voice a little more gentle.
Peter nodded, staring off into the distance for a moment as the possibility of pregnancy settled in. "That's—" he cleared his throat, "that's why you took the hit?"
Daredevil nodded. "Of course. I'm just relieved to know you weren't being reckless… well, more than usual."
Five months.
Peter was five months pregnant.
It terrified him. He asked the doctor if she was sure a million times. He wasn't even showing! Was the baby healthy?
"Perfectly healthy! Maybe a bit small, but nothing worth any concern," she assured. "Cryptic pregnancies are rare! It doesn't mean you've done anything wrong."
It was maybe a bit horrible to think, but Peter had been hoping that since he wasn't showing, it meant he was still incredibly early on, enough to get an abortion. Peter liked kids! But he never planned on actually having any kids. When him and MJ brought up children, in the faraway future they never got to, they both agreed they weren't really interested. A huge "maybe" they'd decide on when they were older.
After the spell, Peter was certain he couldn't bring a child into his life. He was still certain on that. He had gained more support as Spider-Man, but as Peter Parker? All he had was Ned, was in a weird but friendly spot with MJ, and Frank.
Oh fuck… Frank.
Actually, Peter didn't want to think about that right now.
He looked around his apartment, a hazard to most living things much less a baby. He couldn't bring a baby home to this, and he couldn't afford better. Hell, he couldn't afford to even have this baby!
Whether he liked it or not, the baby was coming, and adoption wasn't an option. Peter wondered if maybe because he was mutated and not born this way, there was a chance the baby wouldn't inherit any powers. He spent an entire day analyzing his cells, praying they'd tell him that the arachnid DNA wouldn't pass onto any offspring.
Well there was a chance the baby wouldn't inherit any powers, it was a roll of the dice. He couldn't give some random couple a super powered baby. Who knew what the odds were that they'd be loving and accepting amidst the current rise of mutant fear. Anyone who wanted a super power baby was probably someone who should never have kids in general. Peter had seen what a government agency could do to a child with special abilities.
There wasn't any away around the fact that he had to have the baby and he had to keep it—her. The baby was a girl.
Peter spent even more time trying to figure out if he could ensure a "normal" baby before his sleep deprived brain reminded him that what he was looking into was called eugenics and was generally considered a pretty fucked up thing to do!
All in all, everything pointed towards a reality where he'd have to step up and become a dad. This let to some of the most intense budgeting he had ever done, but it seemed endless, constantly thinking of new things he'd have to buy to accommodate a baby. Maybe he'd have to dust off social media and see what the market place could offer him. Baby clothes would probably be the easiest thing to get a hold of through clothing donation drives and thrift stores. This wouldn't even touch on the nightmare they'd be daycare. Man… could he even put the baby in daycare? Who knows if and when she'd get powers.
From somewhere in his apartment, Peter heard his phone vibrating with the tone of an incoming call. He had dropped it somewhere and turned off crime alerts when he first got home knowing he couldn't go out now knowing what he did. If Daredevil figured out he was pregnant, who knew who else would. Most stuff Peter dealt with was "low level". Big threats weren't a daily issue. However, Peter couldn't predict what he'd face in any given day. Better safe than sorry.
His phone kept ringing again and again until Peter dragged himself away from his desk and rummaged through his tangled bed-sheets to find it.
Ned.
Peter stared at the date on the screen, realizing it had been three whole days. Whoops.
"Hey, Ned!" Peter answered, voice chipper despite the fact that he'd spent all this time barely sleeping and stressing. It was now starting to really hit him. When was the last time he ate? "What's up?"
"Dude!" Ned exclaimed. "You haven't been texting me back and Spider-Man hasn't been seen in days, are you okay?" He didn't give Peter a chance to respond before rushing to add on. "I mean, if you're taking a self-care day, yay! You need it and deserve it! But you don't really do self-care."
"Oh, yeah, uh, I'm fine!" Peter lied. He paused for a moment. "Well, actually, could you maybe come by? I need to talk to someone."
Ned readily agreed. "Of course! Is this an emergency, I need to be there as fast as possible,or like, you want me to pick up food while I'm at it?"
"You don't have to get me food… though god if you could, that'd be great." Peter rubbed at his face. "I think I last ate yesterday morning." He thought about what the doctor said about the baby being a little bit small and felt a stab of guilt. Was he starving her? Is that why she was small? Peter didn't always take the time to eat, and certainly not eat well. He lived off of whatever was on sale at the store and whatever he could make within minutes.
While waiting on Ned, Peter winced at all the notifications he had. Muted crime alerts, a call from DeWolff, about a dozen texts from Ned, two texts from MJ, and a thumbs up reaction from Jean. Even Yelena sent him a, "You're unusually quite" text.
God… what was he going to do about Spider-Man? He was lucky enough to where if he disappeared now for the last few months, it wouldn't for a suspicious nine months… but that was more free time than Peter has ever had before. Well, he'd be working as much as possible so he'd have money for the baby, but the first time in years he wouldn't be running around as Spider-Man.
Despite the fact that Peter could theoretically hear Ned's footsteps approaching his door, Peter still jumped at the following knock as it snapped him from his thoughts. He glanced down to make sure he had pants on before opening the door.
"Hey, man!" Peter smiled, look at the large bag in Ned's hand. "Oh, awesome!" He was really hungry.
"Hey—woah dude, are you sure you're okay?" Ned asked pushing his way in. "You look really rough."
Peter nodded despite knowing what bomb he was about to drop. "I'm fine! Just uh, I might not have showered the past couple of days, sorry." He rushed over his table to clear off some room and to hide all the notes and budgets he had been making.
"Are you sick?" Ned placed the take out bag on the table and begin to sift through it. He then paused and squinted. "Can you even get sick?"
"I can! But not normally for long, and I'm not sick right now, no," Peter answered as he took a seat. "Well, maybe I am, in a way."
It's not like Peter hadn't felt off at all these past several months… he just assumed it was the hormone thing and stress. Emotional fluctuations, random bouts of sickness, and new aches in his body. So many things he had just attributed to other causes.
Ned pushed over a container to Peter before popping open his own. "Oh, are you having issues arachnid DNA again?"
Taking in a deep breath, Peter decided to rip off the bandaid. "I'm pregnant."
Ned's reaction face would've been more funny if Peter weren't so terrified. Saying it out loud made it seem more real.
"Uh, um, so like, did an alien probe you?" Ned asked slowly and cautious, eyes widening even further. "Oh my god, are the aliens back?"
Peter whole body jerked. "What?! No! No aliens!"
"Were you bitten by a female spider and your body is mutating to be female? Are you going to lay eggs?!" Ned stood up. "Are you going to eat the father?"
"No!" Peter froze as the last question fully settled. "And no! What in the— Ned, my body was already born female, what are you going on about?"
The panic vanished from Ned's face, mouth dropping into an, "Oh."
At nearly the same time, it hit Peter. "Wait, oh my god." He buried his face in his hands. How the hell did he forget?
"You're trans?"
"Sorry!" Peter apologized with a laugh, still reeling. "You knew me before and during transition, I just- I forgot you didn't know anymore."
Ned sat back down. "Actually, this makes so much more sense—not that you don't pass!" He quickly rushed to correct. "It's just, certain things you've said, like, that time MJ said men's underwear was more comfortable and you agreed. I thought you maybe liked to express yourself femininely sometimes, or something. I don't know!"
Peter was now thinking about every time he had openly related to MJ bringing up struggles of having been a little girl, particularly a girl who didn't conform, and now wondered if he had ever seemed pretentious. He was more discerning around people he wasn't sure if he wanted them to know he was trans, but he had always been open with Ned and MJ. It had never crossed his mind that they no longer knew.
"God, I have to tell MJ. I mean, she probably picked up on me accidentally dropping clues, but still," Peter sighed and shook his head.
They were both silent for a moment.
"So, you're pregnant?" Ned said. "I'm sorry— or congrats? Is this a congratulation?"
Peter snorted out a laugh though this was honestly far from funny. "Not a congratulation," he shook his head. "I wouldn't have the baby if I didn't have a choice."
Ned frowned. "We could take you to another state—"
"Not that, exactly," Peter stopped him, but did love Ned for wanting to help. "We're far past that point. I'm five months."
Ned glanced down at Peter's stomach and back to his face. "I saw you in the suit last week, that's skintight…"
"It's called a cryptic pregnancy," Peter explained. "I'm pregnant, but not showing. Trust me, I have the ultrasound pictures." Honestly? His body had changed, but he thought he was bloated or gained weight from stress. Enough to the point to where he felt insecure and added slight padding to his suit to "even" himself out. Not that he'd ever tell anyone that.
"How'd you find out?"
"Daredevil," Peter huffed. "That man thought I was some huge idiot risking myself and a baby."
Ned winced. "Ooh, yeah. That would seem pretty reckless, huh? "
"Any other sign I thought was just the arachnid DNA acting up or stress," Peter sighed. "I shouldn't even be able to get pregnant."
Ned was silent for a moment, considering. "Maybe it still is the arachnid DNA's fault? You were getting those hormone fluctuations, maybe you were more… uh, fertile, than usual." He cringed at his own choice in words.
Oh. Now that Peter thought about it, it did make sense. He didn't sleep with Frank all that often. It was a once every other month type of deal, maybe a little but more if he was having a particularly rough time and needed the stress relief. Five months ago, he remembered being so incredibly restless and horny. He spent nearly the whole day and night fighting crime, but that restless buzz under his skin wouldn't leave.
[You home?]
[What's it to you?]
[Coming over]
[Don't.]
Peter did anyways. Frank huffed in annoyance, telling Peter to leave but did nothing to stop Peter from coming inside the boat. Things quickly spiraled from there. Maybe that sudden bout of horny energy was his body being ready for pregnancy.
Fuck.
They almost never used protection, especially since Peter so confidently declared he couldn't get pregnant and neither of them were sleeping around with other people.
Peter realized he accidentally tuned Ned out. "Wait, what?"
"Who's the other parent?" Ned asked again. "You've never mentioned seeing anyone."
That was something Peter felt bad about. He never told anyone because he knew how it'd sound, some 23 year old sleeping with a violent man old enough to be his dad. He also didn't want MJ to know… he'd tell her if they were ever moving to getting back together! But he didn't want to seem fickle or unavailable. Obviously sleeping with Frank would come to an immediate stop.
"It's nothing serious!" Peter assured. "Just, someone I'm sleeping with on a random occasion."
"Who?" Ned leaned in. "Is it someone cool?"
Peter stared down at his food that he hadn't even begun to eat yet, Damn he was hungry. "It's, um… the father is Frank Castle."
"THE PUNISHER?!"
Peter winced at the volume. "Are there any other Frank Castles?" he snapped without much bite, feeling heat rise to his cheeks.
"You know the Avengers and you chose the serial killer?" Ned's hands were waving. "If you wanted a big guy with muscles, why not Thor?"
The notion was absurd enough to make him laugh. "You think if I had the chance to sleep with the God of Thunder, I wouldn't have taken it?" He then shakes his head. "No. Most of the old Avengers are gone, and the new ones? I only really know Black Widow, and I've never gotten the impression she likes men anyways. Well, I know Bucky too, but I beat him in a fight once and I don't think he's ever forgiven me."
Ned looked so amazed. "You beat the Winter Soldier in a fight?"
Peter shrugged. "I mean, he wasn't the Winter Soldier anymore when I fought him, but yeah! Both him and the new Captain America… He also thinks I'm annoying, so he's a no go too." Not to mention who's to say they even swung that way. Online forums buzzed about Bucky and Sam having a close relationship, but there was no substantial proof.
"Isn't the Punisher also the guy who nearly killed you?"
"Well, I mean, he was trying to save me, I'm the one who jumped in front of the bullet," Peter said defensively. "And really, he's not that bad of a guy."
Ned tilted his head. "Gonna say he's misunderstood next too?"
"Aw, c'mon," Peter laughed, trying to shrug off the embarrassment. "Honestly? We're both just lonely. It's been great reconnecting with you and MJ! But for a while, Frank was kinda all I had. I'm the one who initiated, and he rejected me the first time. I promise he's not some weird old pervert."
That first rejection was probably the most embarrassing thing Peter had felt since high school. The way he leaned in and the hand that was on the top of his shoulder moved down to hold him away.
"You don't want this," Frank had told him. "Go find someone your own age if you want a rebound from getting rejected by your girl."
At the time, Peter scurried back home, heart pounding and face so unbearably hot from shame. He thought about that moment again and again until he narrowed in on the detail that he had only been bold enough to try and kiss Frank in the first place was because, while helping treat a nasty wound, he had been leaning in so incredibly close. They were talking, and Frank's eyes had dropped to Peter's lips, his voice trailing off in hesitation…
Then Peter got angry at being treated like a kid who didn't know what he wanted. They acted like nothing happened the next time they saw each other, and Peter had been a lot more bold in his approach.
"Still, quite the choice," Ned said, judgemental in the way only a friend could be without it being offensive.
Peter sighed, finally grabbing a fork so he could eat. "I know, I know." Ned's interrogation could continue between bites of food.
They ate in silence for a moment before Ned pressed on.
"So… does he know?"
Peter shook his head. He chewed longer than necessary, as if prolonging his answer would help any. "No, and I think I might not tell him."
Ned waved his hands in a way Peter so clearly read as, come on, man. "Seriously?" Ned pointed his fork at Peter accusatorily. "Since when has hiding information from people you care about ever worked? This seems to be a recurring problem with you."
Although Ned had a point, this time, Peter felt at least a little justified. "Look, how much do you know about the Punisher's backstory?"
Ned thought for a moment before shrugging. "Honestly? Not at all, I've just seen him in the news a few times, there was that court case he was in when we were teenagers. Ex-military, yeah?"
Peter nodded. "Honestly, I don't know all the details, but the reason why he started killing criminals is because his wife and two young kids were shot and killed."
At that, Ned froze. Then he slowly nodded and held his hands up in brief surrender. "Okay, I can see why you're nervous about telling him you're about to give him another child."
It wasn't even just that. "I've been trying not to think about it, but every scenario scares me," Peter said, poking at his food. "I'm worried he'll think I've been lying about not being able to get pregnant, or that when I tell him, he'll just… cut me off, never talk to me again. Maybe he gets freaked out, paranoid, and becomes really controlling."
Even in the best of scenarios, Peter wasn't expecting Frank to step up or anything… the thought of rejection still stung. Despite it all, Peter liked Frank. Losing him and raising his baby at the same time would be rough.
"I still think you should tell him," Ned suggested. "He knows your name, he knows your face. Does he know where you live?"
Peter nodded.
"And are you planning to adopt the baby out?"
"I can't," he shook his head.
"Why not?" Ned asked before almost immediately answering his own questions with a snap of his fingers. "Potential spider-baby?"
"Yeah."
"Okay, assuming he's not stupid, if he ever finds out about the baby, he's probably going to know it's his, and be really mad you didn't tell him."
That was the other side of not wanting to tell Frank. He'd likely find out anyways, and the information coming from anyone else would likely piss Frank off.
"Alright, alright," Peter sighed. "I'll tell him. I just— I just need more time. Can you fake Spider-Man sightings on your app for a little bit?" he asked. "Just so the bad guys don't decide to get bold too quick. I want to let Black Widow know that I'll be gone for a while, so she knows that all the potatoes are hers."
Ned smiled. "Of course!"
"Thanks, man."
For a brief moment, it was like a weight was lifted. Maybe getting some food into his stomach helped with that too. A peaceful quiet settled.
"So, what's sex with the Punisher like?"
Peter choked. "DUDE!"