Left in the rain

two

Friday 15th April 2022

Peter is sat in the cold alleyway next to Stark tower, the tower is so warm that Peter is convinced he can slightly feel the heat coming through the walls, probably not. He's so cold that he's not quite sure all limbs are intact, or not starting to freeze off anyway.

He's used to bad weather, of course he is. When you spend two years all alone with no roof over your head or even a promise of a meal each week, you adjust to the environment you are forced into. That doesn't mean he enjoys the weather when it's like this. It's another level of cold. Cold that seeps into your bones and leaves you feeling stiff and sick. Like you can't breath.

///

Tony is sat in his bedroom with Pepper when Friday alerts the both of them.

"Mr Stark. It seems that their is a child sat outside of the building, he is pressed against the wall and I can read an estimate of his temperature. He's near hypothermic sir." Friday informs Tony.

Tony and Pepper share a worried glance before Tony get's up and grabs his coat and towel for the child, he's not leaving a young boy out in this type of weather.

The sight he is met with as he sees the young boy is just heart breaking. The boy is sat with his arms wrapped around himself, hugging himself. "Hey, what's your name?" Tony says when he get's closer to the shaking boy. His eyes snap up to Tony's and then widen "'m s-sor-sorry. I'll move" he curses the stutter that he's blaming on the chill in his body. He tries to stand rom his position but he's just so cold and his legs give under him. His hits against the concrete floor and let's out a sob, quickly muffling it. Not quick enough.

Tony rushes over to the boy "okay, let me help you. Can I pick you up?" he questions and Peter nods, maybe he'll steal some of the mans warmth. Tony wraps Peter up in his arms, pulling the towel around him, and Peter sighs while cuddling into the man. 

"what's your name?" Tony asks as he enters back into the building. Peter mumbles quietly, falling asleep in Tony's arms, he's just so tired and Tony's just so warm.

"What?" he questions again, this time Peter mutters out a name that is just understandable.

"Peter?" Tony questions to confirm the name, Peter nods against his neck.

"Okay, Peter. I'm going to take you upstairs and run you a bath but you need to warm up a bit first. I can't let you get in the nice warm bath because it can really harm you" Tony lets Peter know. 

Then he walks into his room where Pepper is sat on the bed waiting.

"Hey Pep, can you help me find something for him to wear, he's a lot smaller than me but maybe you could take in the sides of one of the new pairs of boxers and grab him a shirt. His names Peter" Tony asks his wife, Pepper nods and makes her way over to Tony's dresser while Tony takes Peter into the bathroom.

He sits Peter on the toilet lid with a new, dry towel wrapped around him, the other soaked up a lot of the water. Tony watches the bath fill and out of the corner of his eyes he can see Peter suckling on his thumb. His very filthy thumb.

"Hey Bambi. Stop sucking your thumb, it's gross right now" Tony says, using a nickname on the boy. Peter does and sadly pulls his thumb out of his mouth.

Thankfully bath time went without a flaw, Peter is half asleep most of the time, and by the time they get him dressed and tucked into bed. He's only had a cup of Hot chocolate. But he snores happily with his thumb tucked nice and snug between his lips.

///

The feeling of wet is what woke Tony, the unusual wetness that only follows his fierce nightmares.

Peter.

Tony shakes Pepper awake and she notices the urine surrounding all three of them.

"Pete, Bambi. Wake up time" Tony shakes the boy lightly, Peter grumbles but his eyes flutter open, and then he feels the mess around him. And tears fill his little Bambi eyes. He doesn't say anything though, just wails, crying like a child. 

And Tony scoops Peter into his arms and rocks the boy slightly, trying to calm him and only following what his caregiver side wants to do. "shhh, Pete. My boy, you're okay" Tony coos. Pepper starts stripping the bed which thankfully has a waterproof bottom sheet for Tony's darkest nights.

"'m sorry." Peter sobs and repeats his apology. "It's okay Pete. You didn't do anything wrong. should we get you cleaned up?" He questions and tries to put him down. Peter clings on tighter.

"noes, no downs" he whispers. However the speech catches both of his and Peppers eyes.

"Do you want to wear a pull-up Pete and a shirt. I even have something that can replace your thumb sucking habit." Tony says, holding his breath in preparation of rejection but instead peters snuggles closer and nods against his neck. 

Tony goes and grabs a paci out of his draw to slot between Peters lips. His freezes for a moment before giving an experimental suck. And then he was using the paci as it is intended. He then pulled a pull-up on the boy and a top over the boys head.

Then, with a clean bed and everyone in clean clothes. They snuggle back into bed. This time Peter is different. Now he feels completely like him.

How cute is he in that first picture.