Meltdown (BRANCH IS SPIDER-MAN AU)

Yesterday Came Suddenly

"Baby I'm yours."

A woman with curly dark navy-blue hair, almost black, held her baby and swayed with the music, never breaking eye contact as she sang to him.

"And I'll be yours until the stars fall from the sky / Yours, until the rivers all run dry"

She sang along to the CD that plaid in the radio. The boy giggled as he reached for his mother.

"In other words, until I die-"

The woman looked up from her baby to see what stopped the music from playing. She moved her baby to one arm as she investigated the player. She took out the CD and groaned. She walked into the living room and shouted.

"Okay, which one of you boys scratched my CD?"

"Not me!" JD said, partially distracted by the Nintendo game he played with Clay.

"You didn't even look at it."

JD shrugged and glanced at her for only a moment. "Didn't have to, I steal Dad's CD's. Not yours."

Floyd giggled and the woman's gaze snapped to him next, "Okay Floyd, who did it?"

Floyd glanced at Bruce with a nervous face, then back at his mother. "I dunno," He said with an over exaggerated shrug.

Bruce, who had his headphones on as it played music from his Walkman. Besides being engrossed in his music, his attention was currently focused on a magazine as he took up an entire couch. The mom walked over and took off his headphones with one hand. Bruce looked up at her and smiled.

"Hi mom."

"Mhmm, you want to explain to me why you had my CD?"

"I-" Bruce looked panicked then noticed Floyd trying to sneak away. "Floyd, you told her!?"

"I didn't tell her Bruce, I promise!"

Bruce groaned and turned back to his mother to plead his case. "I just wanted to listen to it, JD didn't let me use his at all! I thought it was a different one too, I didn't know it only had one song on it."

Clay's head looked away from the screen, ignoring John Dory's shout when he paused the game.

"Why does it only have one song?"

She smiled thinking back to it. "It was the song your dad played when we found out I was pregnant with John."

Bruce looked away and set his magazine down. "I'm sorry mom."

She took a deep breath and alternated the arm she used to carry Branch. "Just please ask before you get a CD."

He nodded and she set Branch down next to John.

"Watch him please, make sure he doesn't get hurt. I need to make dinner."

John groaned and paused the game, handing the controller to Floyd, who had been waiting patiently for his turn. He picked Branch up and made his way to the kitchen, his mom was rushing around, taking things out of the fridge and the oven.

"When is Dad getting home today?"

"He should be home in a bit, as long as traffic doesn't keep him."

John sat in a chair and placed Branch on the table, playing with him and making sounds.

"C'mon Branch, Say John Dory. Say Dooory" He over annunciated the word, but Branch only babbled at him in baby Gibberish. "Mom when did I say my first words?"

"Uhh- I can't remember. I'll have to ask your father, why?"

"Don't you think it's been a little long for Branch said his first word?"