𝐌𝐚𝐱𝐢𝐦𝐨𝐟𝐟 • Wish You Were Here

From Black Cat Records

When Peter came back it was with a couple of bags worth of groceries. He emptied the contents onto the counter where Hank had left the first-aid kit. The kitchen was borderline empty except for Erik who was just sitting at the counter deep in thought. His brows were creased his eyes were fogged over. Wherever he was in his head, it was far from consciousness. It reminded Peter of the times he'd be running and get pulled into the rabbit hole of thoughts to the point where he'd lose complete track of time. He wondered if the same had happened to Erik. Had he even noticed that everyone had left the kitchen and headed to the other areas of the mansion since he left?

"Hey, you ok, man?" he asked, concerned for the metal bender.

"Hmm," Erik said snapping his head over to where Peter had miraculously appeared sifting through the first aid kit and taking his new shoe off. "Yea, sorry. I was just... thinking." Erik informed the speedster before glancing down at the younger man's foot. It looked painful; His sock had fused with the skin, and although his foot had somewhat healed already, the red and black dyed sock from all the blood and asphalt held enough evidence to show that Peter hadn't been lying earlier when he said he could use a first aid kit.

"Here, let me help."

Peter scooted the first aid kit closer to Erik who looked through the contents, grabbing the cleaning spray and some gauze to help in disinfecting.

"Thanks."

Peter gave the man an awkward but grateful smile. The whole experience was weird. Good, but weird. Father or not, he never would have in his wildest dreams imagined Erik helping him out with this. But it wasn't like Peter was going to turn down the opportunity, so he took a seat and let Erik care for his bloodied and bruised foot. When the retired terrorist had finished treating Peter's wound, the speedster gave another awkward smile and thank you before running over to his bag to put on a new pair of socks.

Erik wouldn't have caught on because Peter was just too fast, but before Peter slid the one sock onto his foot, he sat and looked at the job Erik had done. The wrapping was tight and snug to the perfect amount preventing the wrapping to slide off or cut the circulation to his toes off. The speedster looked at it, noting the care put in, and felt the corners of his mouth twitch upward. The thought that his father had helped Peter – albeit decades too late – treat his wound was something doubted he'd forget anytime soon.

When Peter had returned to the kitchen, Erik was already washing his hands in the sink. The two of them shared the kitchen space in content silence. The only sounds were the running tap and the muffled conversations going on in the common room down the hall.

However, in this silence, Peter couldn't help but think back to how Erik had been when he first appeared with the groceries. The man's eyebrows were furrowed again in concentrated thought that Peter couldn't help but interrupt.

"Mind if I ask why you're so lost in thought?"

Erik had finished with the sink, turning off the faucet and drying his hands to buy himself some time. He turned to face the silver-haired mutant and Peter could make out the slight hesitance on Erik's face as he decided how to respond. Before Peter had the chance to tell Erik not to worry about giving a response, Erik filled in the silence.

"You, actually."

By themselves, those two words were so soft-spoken, they would be easy to miss, but when you catch the meaning behind them, it made it were impossible to ignore.

"Oh?" Peter asked, his curiosity getting the best of him wanting elaboration. Erik didn't immediately respond. The man was still hesitant to start this conversation and it was starting to take root in Peter too making him look away from the man. Peter still remembers the last time he kept pushing a conversation, only to learn he wanted no part of it in the end. The look on Hank's face looking back though was far more distraught than Erik's who was more cautious. He must be familiar with the saying 'curiosity killed the cat.'