Connections
The common room buzzed with the usual energy. The team was scattered around, either lounging on the couches or grabbing snacks from the kitchen. It was a rare moment of calm—one that everyone cherished after a mission. Arthur, who had taken to sitting by the window, was absentmindedly tapping his fingers on the table. His leg, thankfully, wasn’t bouncing today, but the restlessness still lingered beneath the surface. It always did, even on the quieter days.
Steve was sitting beside him, reading through some mission reports. Peter Parker, who had become a frequent visitor to the compound after his recruitment by the Avengers, was on the other side of the room, fiddling with some new gadget Tony had given him.
Arthur glanced over at Peter. The kid had a habit of bouncing on his leg when he was excited, or tapping his fingers incessantly when something caught his attention. Arthur could relate to the restlessness, but he didn’t have the words to talk about it—not yet, at least.
Just as he was about to lose himself in his thoughts again, Tony Stark’s voice cut through the air, loud and unmistakable.
“Alright, team, gather ‘round! Time for a little show and tell.”
Arthur glanced up, his eyes landing on Tony as he strutted into the room, a smirk on his face. Behind him stood Peter, grinning shyly, his eyes darting around the room like he wasn’t quite sure what to do with all the attention.
Tony clapped his hands together. “Everyone, this is Peter. Peter, these are the Avengers. You’ve probably heard of them. Or at least, seen them in the headlines. Don’t be shy, kid—introduce yourself!”
Peter, looking more than a little overwhelmed, cleared his throat. “Uh, hey… I’m Peter. Peter Parker.” He laughed nervously, running a hand through his messy hair. “You know, Spidey. The web-slinger. The guy who’s been hanging out with… uh, Tony.”
A few of the Avengers chuckled, but Arthur could see Peter’s awkwardness—he knew that feeling too well. Standing out of place, feeling like everyone’s watching every little thing you do.
“So, uh, I guess you guys are, like, really good at what you do?” Peter continued, voice faltering for a second. “I mean, I’ve read a lot about you all. You’re like... legends. Seriously. I can’t even believe I’m here.”
“Well, you’re here now,” Tony said, ruffling Peter’s hair. “And we’re here to help you fit in. Show you the ropes. And you know, all that jazz.”
Arthur watched as Peter, though still nervous, relaxed slightly under the easy camaraderie of the team. They hadn’t had a chance to interact much, but Arthur couldn’t help but notice a certain energy around Peter—something he didn’t see too often.
Peter had a kind of frenetic energy that Arthur recognized immediately. The way he kept fidgeting, his hands bouncing from one thing to another, his leg subtly shifting in place. It was the same restlessness Arthur fought every day. The difference was that Peter seemed to embrace it, almost like he didn’t feel the need to hide it the way Arthur sometimes did.
Steve, ever the observer, seemed to notice it too. He shot Arthur a glance, then gave Peter a warm smile. “It’s good to have you with us, Peter. Tony’s got a pretty good eye for talent.”
Peter beamed, but it was Tony who spoke up next, taking a more serious tone. “So, I’ve been talking to Peter here, and we’ve realized we have a little something in common. You know, beyond the whole ‘superhero’ thing.”
Peter blinked, a bit confused. “Wait, what?”
Tony grinned, putting a hand on Peter’s shoulder. “Yeah, we both have something a little extra going on in our brains. ADHD. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Something Arthur and I both understand all too well.” He pointed a finger at Arthur, who froze, blinking in surprise. “Arthur’s been struggling with it for a while, and it’s time we acknowledged that not all of us are, you know, ‘neurotypical.’ And that’s okay.”
Arthur’s eyes widened as Tony made the connection so casually, but something inside him relaxed. For the first time, someone was saying it out loud—he wasn’t alone in his mind. Peter was dealing with the same things. Tony too.
Peter shifted nervously but nodded, his words quiet but honest. “Yeah. I mean, sometimes, it’s like… I just can’t focus on anything, and everything’s going a million miles an hour. My brain’s kind of like a hamster on a wheel, and it’s hard to keep up sometimes.”
Arthur felt a strange sense of relief flood him. He wasn’t the only one who had days where his thoughts scattered like confetti, impossible to pin down. Maybe they could help each other. Maybe they didn’t have to feel so isolated in their own heads.
“I get that,” Arthur said softly, his voice almost lost in the room. He hadn’t meant to speak up, but the words had tumbled out of him before he could stop them.
Peter turned to look at him, his eyes wide. “Wait, you—”
“Yeah,” Arthur muttered, nodding. “I’ve been dealing with it for a while. It’s... it’s not easy, but it’s something you learn to work with.”
Peter grinned. “This is weird. I thought I was the only one. But hearing you guys talk about it, it’s like... it’s not so bad when you know you’re not the only one struggling with it.”
Tony stepped in again, looking satisfied. “Exactly. That’s what I’m talking about. It’s not about fixing it. It’s about finding a way to make it work for you. All three of us here—me, Peter, and Arthur—we’ve got our quirks. But we don’t let them stop us. We just... do our thing.”
Peter smiled more confidently now, his nervous energy settling into something more comfortable. “I guess I can do that. Just... keep trying.”
Arthur nodded, feeling a warmth spread through him. It was strange, but he felt connected to Peter in a way that he hadn’t expected. Maybe it was the ADHD. Maybe it was the shared experience of feeling like your mind was always running just a little bit too fast. But for the first time in a while, Arthur felt like he had found someone who understood—not just the superhero part, but the part of him that wasn’t always in control of his own thoughts.
“You’re doing great, kid,” Steve said with a smile, ruffling Peter’s hair.
Arthur chuckled, his own anxiety starting to ease as the conversation flowed naturally around him. Maybe, just maybe, the team had grown even stronger today. They weren’t just heroes fighting side by side—they were people, too. People who understood that the fight didn’t always happen in the field. Sometimes, it was just about being there for each other.
And for Arthur, that was enough.
To be continued…