Spiderdad

49

A sharp cry abruptly shot into the air, making MJ jolt upright in bed. Peter sat up slowly and gently pushed his fiancé back into a laying down position. 

"I got it," he mumbled softly.

Too tired to protest, MJ yawned and closed her eyes again. Peter didn't bother to twist his legs onto his body. Instead, he grabbed onto the nearby, heavily cushioned chair and hoisted himself into it. He slid down the side of the light blue crib and scooped Natalia into his arms. 

"She hungry?" MJ groggily murmured.

"No," Peter replied quietly as held her in one arm and used the other to drape her pale gray baby blanket over her tiny body, "just cold."

Natalia's whimpers relaxed as she nuzzled into him. Peter's half-opened eyes gazed down at her as she giggled, as if satisfied with interrupting his sleep at one in the morning.

"You think you're so funny," Peter grumbled.

"Try singing to her," MJ suggested, still hardly awake.

Peter sighed and sang the first song that came to mind:

"Well, she's walking through the clouds
With a circus mind that's running wild
Butterflies and Zebras
And Moonbeams and fairy tales
That's all she ever thinks about
Riding with the wind

When I'm sad, she comes to me
With a thousand smiles she gives to me free
It's alright, she says it's alright
Take anything you want from me
Anything
Fly on little wing,"

His voice was quiet and gentle, making little Natalia snuggle a little closer to his touch. She made a quiet humming sound as she listened to her father. Of course she couldn't understand the words, but the steady, rhythmic sounds were enough to make her drift off to sleep. Peter sighed in relief as he finished the last line of the song. Briefly, he glanced at MJ and smiled when he saw she, like Natalia, was fast asleep once more. This was the third time Natalia had woken up her parents that night, and Peter knew this pattern would only continue if he set her back down. Honestly, he was afraid to breath wrong and make the baby start wailing again. After a moment of hesitation, Peter leaned his head back against the chair and closed his eyes lightly. Looks like I'm gonna be here a while. 

MJ awoke gradually, blinking sleep out of her eyes as one hand searched for Peter. She needed him to hold her and make her aching dissipate. When she was met by nothing but a pillow, her stomach sank. Yesterday must have been a dream, right? Surely he wouldn't forgive her for- or maybe he would. 

She smiled softly as she spotted Peter, hardly awake as he sat in a chair with Natalia snoring in his arms. That sight alone was enough to make joyful tears well up in her eyes. I can't wait to marry him, she thought giddily. 

"Good morning, love," Peter mumbled as he forced his eyes open, "sleep well?"

"Better than you," she replied as she painstakingly swung her legs over the edge of the bed so she could get a better look at her fiancé and baby.

Natalia awoke with a whimper and Peter sighed softly, "I'm sure she's hungry."

"Hand her over," MJ ordered then allowed Peter to gingerly pass their baby into her arms.

"I'm going to get something to eat," Peter said and he shifted his weight so he could lean forward and snatch his legs off the ground, "want anything?"

"A glass of water and some yogurt sounds nice," MJ replied as she propped herself up against the headboard of her bed, "and could you grab my vitamins too, Mom says I should still be taking them."

Peter nodded as he stood up and rubbed exhaustion out of his eyes. With one last sweet smile, he left the bedroom and made his way to the kitchen. There, he found David pouring himself a bowl of cereal.

"Good morning, Mr. Jones," Peter greeted politely.

"Morning, Peter," he returned with a small smile, "anything I can get you?"

"No thank you, sir," Peter replied, "just some yogurt and water for MJ," he explained as he opened the refrigerator.

"You're a good kid," David praised, "thank you for taking my daughter."

"Thank you for raising her to be the best woman to walk the planet," Peter flashed him a brief half-smile.

David beamed proudly then the two parted ways as Peter returned to MJ and Natalia. He quietly shut the door behind him as he looked over at his baby who was securely latched onto MJ with her eyes closed lightly. 

"Thank you," MJ murmured as he set the glass of water and yogurt cup down on her nightstand.

"You're welcome," Peter replied as he sat down next to her, positioning himself to get the perfect view of the only two people that mattered in his life.

"Are you going to give up Spiderman?" MJ asked abruptly.

Peter swallowed thickly, "what?" He replied dumbly.

"We're running away, Spiderman can't come with. Even if we weren't running away, I'd expect you to step up as a father and spend more time with your family and less time doing someone else's job," MJ explained flatly.

No, I can't give that up. Not in a million years. I'm not doing that, Peter thought then forced a smile onto his lips, "for you? Yeah, I think I can do that."

"Peter- ow!" MJ cut herself off as Natalia gnashed her mother's skin with her rock hard gums, "no biting," she sighed, "Peter, I know you love being Spiderman and I can't imagine letting that go would be easy for you. But, I can't raise Natalia without you. I just..." the thought of loosing Peter made her stomach twist and turn as tears pricked her eyes, "I-if you-"

"Em, don't worry about it," Peter interrupted, "I stopped drinking, I can stop Spiderman-ing too."

MJ let out a small laugh, "did you just say 'Spiderman-ing?'"

"Yeah- Uh... yeah forget I said that," Peter ran his hand through his hair, "I can- you know what I mean."

"Yeah, I know," she smiled and rested her head against him, "ow! Natalia, stop biting me."

Peter chuckled and kissed her head, "she's a biter like you."

"Oh hush," MJ rolled her eyes.

He grinned softly then remembered a lengthy train of thoughts from the night before, "I think I'm gonna sell my legs."

MJ sat up and looked at him with wide eyes, "hang on- did you... correct me if I'm wrong, but I think you just said 'I'm gonna sell my legs.' As in you— Peter Parker— are going to sell your million-dollar, Stark Tech legs."

"Yep. You said it yourself— million dollar legs. If I sell them on the black market the day that we leave, the avengers will eventually get worried, track down the legs, and find people illegally buying expensive tech, and arrest them. It's a two-in-one, money and take down criminals," Peter illustrated, "I can live in a wheelchair, so don't worry about that."

"Pete- ow, Nat, please with the biting- are you really sure you want to do that?"

"Of course. I can pay for an apartment, and if we use it well we won't have to worry too much about money for a while. I mean, I'll still get a job, but we'll be able to focus on Natalia, instead of bills."

"You're too damn nice to me," MJ sighed as she leaned forward and gently kissed his neck.

"I think I'm just the right amount of nice," Peter replied with a smile.

Natalia detached from her mother then whimpered softly.

"I think she wants you to hold her," MJ stayed as she slipped her bra back on.

"I think you're just saying that because you have to use the bathroom," Peter disagreed as he gathered his baby in his arms. 

"Yep," MJ grinned then carefully stood and gingerly walked away. 

Peter gazed down at Natalia and tenderly stroked her cheek with his thumb, calming her soft whimpers, "it's okay, Natalia. I'll take care of you."