Left in the rain

twenty-nine

Monday 27th June 2022

Peter hasn't improved much and he's obviously not enjoying the tea in place of all his milk. He wants his milkie.

And this seems rather mean but Pepper and Tony are loosing their minds with him. He's not able to eat and he doesn't like the supplement things that Bruce made. If he's not crying he's sleeping and when he's awake they get a small amount of the drinks down him before he starts to cry again until he eventually tires himself to sleep.

Pepper can't even sleep with Peter next to her because he keeps trying to latch on through her shirt. Tony is even having Peter trying to latch onto him and he doesn't even have the milk. 

Peter's cough hasn't changed much but on a plus side it hasn't gotten worse. But my God that child has a set of lungs on him. Literally all the Avengers can hear his screaming and it is constant. All day. All night.

There isn't a cooling down period because Peter isn't sleeping more then 20 minutes at a time and he's slipped slightly younger than 7 months. And it's hard enough to deal with the 12 month old while ill. But how can someone explain to a baby that he can't have his milkie.

Pepper is stood in the bathroom and she's patting Peters back while running the shower. He's sobbing into her shoulder and letting out wheezy coughs. 

"Ma.." Peter cries and he's trying to shove his head into her neck. Pepper presses kisses along his sweaty hairline.

"I know my boy. I'll go see Bruce huh. Maybe we can see if you can have milkie." Pepper calms him and Peter gives a small sniffle against her shoulder.

"'ilk?" Peter softly murmurs. 

Pepper turns the shower off before carrying the diaper clad boy out of the bathroom.

She makes her way down and she can't help but hope that the answer is yes.

Bruce looks concerned when she walks in with a quiet but not asleep Peter. Mostly because Peter has been non-stop crying when he can.

"Pepper, is he okay?" Bruce questions and Pepper nods.

She turns Peter in her arms. "Say hi to uncle Bruce" Pepper says and Peter gives another sniffle "hewwo B'uce" Peter slurs out "B'uce I wan 'ilkie" Peter states and Pepper can't hold back her laugh.

"Yeah I bet you do little guy" Bruce chuckles "Bruce we did come to check whether Peter is okay to have milk. Me and Tony are going to die of sleep exhaustion unless he sleeps more than an hour at a time." Pepper sounds like she pleading.

"Okay lets have a little look then my little dude." Bruce says while helping Peter to lay on the bed so he can do the ultrasound. Peter does a happy wiggle and Pepper holds him still. Bruce releases a content sigh as he sees what has changed in the past couple of days.

"This looks good but I'm just going to check his lungs with my stethoscope" Bruce says before pressing the cold metal against Peter's skin and the boy whines.

"It's okay little man, take a deep breath in for me" Bruce directs. Peter does and Bruce hears less of the crackling noise from last time and it's obvious that his airway has cleared a bit. 

"And out" Bruce instructs and Peter let's out a big breath which gives a little bit more crackling then the inhale but nothing too concerning.

Bruce get's Peter to repeat this again but he concludes that Peter is fine to breastfeed.

"Okay Pepper, I believe that Peter is well enough to breastfeed but if he gets how he was make sure you put him on the oxygen and get Friday to alert me" Bruce states.

Peter claps his hands and does a happy dance.

Bruce laughs when Peter tries to straight up pull Pepper's breasts out and Pepper has to pull his hand off.

"Just wait baby." Pepper coos and thanks Bruce before going to the elevator. Peter didn't agree with the fact that he'd have to wait until they got to the penthouse so he cried which Pepper knew she couldn't listen to when she didn't have too so she asks Friday to stop at the common room and she'd just have to feed him there.

As she was exiting the elevator Peter whines and clings to her while trying to pull off her top. Se walks into the kitchen where Peter spots Tony.

"Dada! I gets 'iklie" Peter states and the men in the kitchen turn to look at Pepper. 

"Yeah, Bruce has said that as long as we keep an eye on him he can feed." Pepper states while undoing the breastfeeding top she's wearing and Peter does a happy dance and as soon as he sees the nipple he's leaning forward to latch on. He hums happily at the taste of his milk.

"I think we're all gonna get some sleep tonight. And I'm probably gonna have him attached all night" Pepper laughs softly while wading a hand through the soft curls on her son's head.

Peter is kneading the breast between his fingers as he suckles. He makes happy humming noises and he tugs harder on her nipple and Pepper winces.

"Peter stop. You'll still get it even if you aren't hurting mama"  Pepper lightly scolds and Peter's eyes well up with tears and he lets out a small cry. Pepper drops her shirt back into place a pulls Peter to cradle against her chest. Tony gives a confused look because he's not normally so easy to sadden.

Pepper stands up and bounces her crying son. She knows what Peter wants.

Pepper goes up to the penthouse while swaying with Peter. 

She coos and whispers to him which helps calm him slightly. She asks Friday to run a bath for her and Peter and the AI said that she would.

Pepper takes the boy into the bathroom and strips out of her clothes leaving her naked and Peter is still in the diaper which needs changing soon anyway so it isn't a waste of a diaper.

Once the water has fully run Pepper takes of his diaper and holds him against her chest before carefully climbing into the bath with him. Peter sniffles and leans down on Pepper skin. 

She takes hold of her breast before guiding it towards his lips and he starts to suckle lazily. Pepper could tell he was tired which is why she'd thought about having him get a bath.

Soon enough Peter had fallen asleep. She holds the boy against her as she closes her eyes and sits in the quiet. That is before Tony walks into the bathroom and he helps take Peter off her chest so she can get out too and with exhaustion in all of their bones they curl up with the baby in between them. 

This is what love feels like.