Marvel What If?- An Autism Story

New routine, new room

The day starts well rested for Steve, and after speaking to Pepper, he decides to start Mary's routine as soon as possible. But he doesn't know where to start so he drags himself out of bed and into the shower. The warm water helps him think and he needed that.

The biggest question he needs an answer to is whether or not he should ask Bucky his opinion. Perhaps the man wanted Mary to do something specific with her day? But then he had only seen her once and hadn't been able to look at her or hear about her since without shutting down. Maybe he won't ask yet.

Getting dressed and sitting at his desk, he opens his laptop and starts writing down the basics of every day. All three meals plus two snack times. He debates adding a third to try and get her to eat more but that might be pushing it. It can always be added on later.

Getting ready in the morning is a big thing for her so he adds that and includes brushing teeth but then is stuck on anything else. A bath at bed and teeth again. She liked the last bath once she calmed down and actually got in it. He filled in the rest with some activity time and will adjust is as they figure things out.

So everyone else is on the same page, he prints it out and walks downstairs to stick it on the fridge. Its already hours into the routine so he thinks about what activity they can do before lunchtime.

He's already in the kitchen so chooses something he used to do a long time ago with trash they found on the street. Only he wouldn't give Mary trash, but he can use pots and pans instead. And wooden spoons can be used as the sticks. He'll make a whole set of instruments for her from the kitchen.

He always wanted to use the pots in the kitchen, but if he broke any, his mum would probably have smacked him over the back of the head.

Heading into the living room, he see's Mary curled up on the end of the sofa with her blanket scrunched between her hands.

"How long has she been sleeping?" He asks Clint who's engrossed in something on the tv.

"Oh, not that long. She woke up earlier and just went back to sleep. You can go chill for a while longer if you want, i got this".

Steve decides to go and see Bucky. As carefully as possible, he places the things from the kitchen on the floor so they can use them once she wakes up, and he goes into the kitchen to find some food to make.

He doesn't understand his cooking ability. Sometimes he could make an entire three course meal with ease (and have it be delicious), and other times he can barely fry and egg without burning the place down. It seems to be the latter today so he boils some carrots and pours them over basic dried noodles.

It's a pretty good meal for the ten whole minutes it took to make.

It would be too hard to carry up two hot bowls so he chucks it into one big one and makes his way back upstairs. The entire time is spent wondering if he should add a nap time to the routine. She's six, but everything about her is much younger. But if she sleeps through the night will she still need a nap or will that just make her go to bed later and mess it up? Jeez, how do people do this?

Bucky's door is already right there and he knocks clumsily before walking in and seeing him already awake and on his phone.

"Hey, Buck. I made noodle soup".

"Does it have the nice carrots?" Bucky asks as he switches his phone off and watches Steve place the bowl on the bedside table.

"Of course, it's my specialty", Steve jokes.

Once the bowl is definitively not going to fall over, Steve wipes his hands and jumps on top of Bucky, making him wheeze.

"Steve you fat— urggg", he grunts and holds his stomach. "Thats it!"