Marvel What If?- An Autism Story

First connections

The dull sound of music filled the room and slowly brought Steve from sleep. The slow hum of the song got clearer as he brushed away the fog and he realised it was the national anthem.

He hadn't even opened his eyes and he already knew who was to blame for this.

With a groan, he tries to pry his eyes open to see decorations all over the walls. Some of them reading 'happy 4th of July', and others say 'happy birthday'. Small groups of balloons with his name on hang in the corners of the room and Tony stands by the tv grinning over a cup of coffee.

"Happy birthday", he says, tauntingly.

Steve replies with a gargle that could have been a thanks but its also equally likely it was some kind of insult. Lets just say it was best it came out as an unidentifiable noise.

He tries to focus on anything but the annoying noise coming from the tv when he noticed Mary sat beside him, blanket in her arms and her legs barely dangling over the edge. She was staring intently at Tony.

Steve looked between them for a moment as Tony noticed her and started to fidget from foot to foot.

"Why's she looking at me like that?"

Steve didn't answer as the sides of his lips curled up. The fury in her eyes is evident as she stays statue still, eyes boring into Tony's.

"Cap, whats going on?"

"You're annoying", Steve says as he wipes at his eyes with a smile.

The song comes to an end in the background before starting over again, making the tension between the two even thicker.

"She looks scarily like Bucky", Tony whispers.

Barely a moment later, Mary finally moves, leaning over to pick a coaster off the table and launching it in his direction. With its impressive accuracy it hits the wall right beside Tony's head, making him cover his face with a curse and spilling some coffee in the process.

"She's exactly like Bucky", Steve grins before gasping. "We need to teach her to high five".

"Teach her to not throw coasters at people!" Tony shouts as he leaves, his eyes not leaving Mary's until he's in the hall.

Steve shakes his head and chuckles before looking at his watch. Its just past seven in the morning so this could be the day they finally start Mary's morning routine.

"Right, little one. Its time for breakfast".

He thinks about taking her into the new playroom and have that little table as he special food place, but he expects they'll do a lot of crafts in there. So whilst he figures it out, they can just eat on the couch.

"Have a fish", he says and makes it swim around her making bad fish noises. "Fishes swim in water. They go..." he makes the noise again as she seems unaffected and keeps taking them.

After two fish crackers get thrown across the room, he decides she's probably done and leads her to the bathroom.

"Okay, do you remember this from yesterday? We put the toothpaste on the toothbrush and then we move it around on our teeth and it makes them nice and clean!"

She tries to push it away so he crouched down and pulls her back to his chest so he can brush them without her running.

"Ahhh!" She shouts and shakes her head, but he carries on.

"I know, it's yucky sometimes. But you have really nice teeth now", he says happily and holds his hands out to show he's done. "Now we have to get ready for the start of the day, remember?"