New friends
He woke up in a dusty bed. He felt a warm body pressed to his chest. Opening his eyes, he registrued the small black kitten sleeping on him. Then it all came back to him, he was in his church. Looking around it didn't look much more different in the light.
He thought it was hours he laid there, not wanting to disturb the cat, and not needing to. Using that time he distracted his mind from the dark thought circling about. Instead he thought of a name. If the cat hasn't left him all night, then it certainly wasn't leaving now. One problem. He didn't know how to tell. And cats were notoriously not about showing their bellies.
He was now stuck, mulling over the two names. Kiki if it was a girl, and- well probably still Kiki. he wasn't very good at boys names. Peter Jr. that's his boy's name. He's really hoping it's not a boy. Finally, the cat sat up, stretching its little body and jumping off him, sitting at his side.
When it was stretching he looked, she’s a girl. Silently and definitely not out loud, he cheered. Kiki jumping off the bed quickly was for no reason at all. Nope. finally getting out of bed he grabbed his bag, taking stock of what he and Kiki needed.
He had some clothes, his phone and its charger, $20, and a granola bar. Fun. sighing he headed to the bathroom, might as well check for water first. Thankfully the church was still connected, and it was an old system. The city wouldn't even notice!
He took a-very much needed-shower, scrubbing his greasy curls. He found a pair of rusty scissors in a drawer and resigned himself to his fate. It was choppy but he looked better, fluffier curls framing his face. He put on some actually clean clothes and left the bathroom.
He did some more exploring, Kiki at his heels. She also seemed to be looking around. He found a laundry room, with thankfully a still working washer. He could use the clothes line for linen for his laundry. With the water connected he ran back and stuffed his sheets in. turning it on. Even if he doesn't have soap at least it wouldn't be as dusty.
Speaking of dust.
He needed to clean. Bad. everything was covered in a nice thick layer of it. Maybe he could even get the lights working eventually.
Back in his room he looked at the $20, then to Kiki, and back to the money. They needed food. And cleaning supplies. And just a nice trip to Dollar general. He stuffed the money in his pocket, next to his halfway charged phone, wow he needed electricity.
Walking straight out the door he was about a block away when he heard a meow. Kiki had followed, and her small body was tired. She wanted to be held. Peter huffed and grabbed her, holding the small cat to his chest. She nuzzled into his neck and purred.
No one, not even an employee, batted an eye at Kiki. He pushed his way into the Dollar General expecting a ‘you can't have an animal in here.’ But nope. Nothin’.
Grabbing a basket he got some cleaning supplies, like a duster or 2, and some fabric soap. In the food aisle he grabbed as much cheap yet hardy food he could. In the pet aisle he grabbed a toy and some food. Kiki sniffed at the direction of the basket a few times, clearly interested.
At the checkout he got a reusable cloth bag for his groceries. He shoved the door open, Kiki was in the hood on his hoodie now.
He walked home, $20 broker (now fully broke) with the weight of his purchases. And the world. But he’s ignoring that one right now. Hunched over he went back to the church, making it there without incident.
Once back he started cleaning. Dusting, bleaching, wiping, more dusting, and you guessed it, more dusting. The place was now practically sparkling when he was done. It only took him the rest of the day. It felt more like a home now. All the bedrooms are clean-never know when you’ll get a house guest-and so was the main room. He bleached his bathroom and the kitchen, which was now set up.
The tuna and a few other things went in the fridge while he cleaned all the dishes, pots, pans, and silverware, Kiki played with her new toy. His home was fully spotless now. The sun had long left the day behind, the moon peaking through clouds.
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It had been a few days since he cleaned his house, he was wearing thin on supplies. He had spent the last few days hauled up or wandering the city, creating a mental map. Finally he decided to check his email, he probably has an email that starts with “we’re sorry to inform you” and it will be the most devastating news.
It had been a few days, and Kiki now refused to leave him for a second, curled in his hoodie pocket or the hood. He never took off the MIT hoodie now, it was his one connection to home, and it wasn't even his. The soft purple of the hoodie reminded him of the purple from that night. The purple splitting the sky, the universe. He also remembered the hands, the calloused purple one like Tonys, and the soft grey one like May’s. He tried not to think of the hands.
Pushing open the hollow oak doors of the library, he went straight to Barabras desk, it would be polite to greet the woman. He also wanted to put off the inevitable rejection. Except his plan had a slight problem. There was a boy at her desk already. He was tall, a head taller than Peter, but looked around the same age. He had dark black hair and looked like he hadn't seen the sun in a few years. But in Gotham that seemed normal.
One problem about the boy talking to Barabra.
He was cute.
He felt his face heat up just at that thought, pulling Kiki out of his pocket he calmed himself. Cuddling her to his chest he walked up, greeting Barabra. “Hey Babs!” he smiled, once in actual talking distance. They both turned, Barabra smiling brightly, the cute boy startling. Peter was used to that reaction, the spider bite made his footfalls too light to be heard by normal people, it seemed to freak people out when they didn't hear his approach.
“Peter!” she exclaimed, hugging him over the desk. It was a little awkward, Peterleaning over the desk more to accommodate her, one armed as Kiki squirmed. When the hug was finally over she introduced him to the boy next to her.
“This is Tim, he’s a family friend.” it seemed to snap the boy back to reality, his cheeks lightly pink, his hand raised in a half wave. Peter, deciding to be the bigger person, held out his hand.
“Peter!” He smiled widely.
“Tim.” he took his hand, a small smile on his face.
They talked for a while, Tim opening up more. Mentioning school Tim brought up he went to Gotham prep, Peter told them about why he was there in the first place. Peter had plugged his phone in when he got to Barbara's desk and now pulled it off. Babs and Tim waited with bated breath for his eventual acceptance.
“I got in!” he startled the black mass of Kiki in his arms who meowed, startling and drawing the attention of his two friends. They were in the middle of congratulating him.
“Awwwww, whose this little one?” Babs cooed softly, letting Kiki sniff her hand before petting her. Tim just kept looking at the little cat. He introduced Kiki, who was quickly swept up and into Babs arms with little resistance.
They spent the rest of their time-the next few hours-just chatting. Kiki was passed from person to person when an older gentleman with a smoothe British accent came and called Tim to dinner. Peter allowed his cat to go into his pocket again, waving goodbye to Babs on his way out.