“Hey, Morgs?” Peter asked, his pulse racing. Was this a bad idea? Should he come out to someone older than a child first? He’s already come out to Aunt May because she grew up with him, but Mr. Stark and his friends don’t know yet. So many questions were running through his head, asking himself if he would regret this decision.
“Yeah?”
“Well, has… has your dad told you what transgender means?”
“Yep! Daddy says it means someone who was born in the w’ong body, and that their outside gende’ doesn’t match their actua’ gende’,” Peter sagged with relief. Tony isn’t transphobic! Not that he expected him to be, but… that was always a possibility, no matter how unlikely.
“Well, uh, how do you feel about that?”
“Sounds sca’y…” Morgan tapered off uncertainly.
“Well, uh, I- I’m transgender. I was born in a girl’s body but I’m actually a boy,” Peter says nervously.
“Rea’’y? How does it fee’? How did you know?” Morgan asks, fidgeting her hands.
“Well, I knew since I was very young, actually… I just didn’t feel comfortable when Aunt May called me her little girl and dressed me up in girly clothes. I wanted short hair like boys have, and I always felt a sort of longing whenever I saw the other little boys in my class. I wanted to be like them, play with them, and I hated doing things a lot of other little girls loved. I don’t really know how to explain it, I just felt… different from my body. Like, my mind is on one page and my body is on another. Every time I look in the mirror and see a girl, I think that doesn’t look like me. It’s not how I feel. Sorry, Morgs, I didn’t want to ramble like that, princess.” Peter smiles and ruffles her hair affectionately.
“Um, what if… what if I fee’ ‘ike that?” Peter sucks in a breath. Morgan’s voice is so quiet, so nervous, but if there’s anyone to talk to about this, it’s someone who experienced it for himself.
“What… what do you mean, Morgs? Can you tell me how you feel?”
“Well, Daddy a’ays ca’’s (always calls) me his qu’een, his p’incess, his baby gi’l (girl)… but it makes me fee’ all w’ong inside. I hate it when I have to wea’ (wear) d’esses, fee’s… fee’s so w’ong, Petey! I don’t wanna feel like this! I wanna b’end in with the othe’ gir’s but they like to p’ay do’’s (play dolls) and d’ess-up. I wanna be a boy! I wanna p’ay with ca’s (cars) and be ‘ike (like) the othe’ boys! Why can’t I be ‘ike them, Petey? I don’t wanna be t’ans- t’ans- t’ansgende’! (trans- trans- transgender)”
Peter gathers Morgan in his arms and hugs him, rocking him back and forth. Once he’s calmed down, he breaks the hug, keeping Morgan on his lap, and asks him a question.
“You… you’re a boy, Morgan? Is that what you’re trying to say?” Morgan nods frantically, trying to get his point across.
“Yes! Yes! ‘M a boy! ‘M a boy! ‘M not a gir’, Petey, p’ease, don’t wanna be a gir’!” He cries, sobbing desperately. Peter feels a couple tears slide down his cheeks against his will because he knows exactly what Morgan is going through. He’s been through that himself, he knows just how miserable and wrong it feels to be stuck in the wrong body.
“Morgan, baby, it’s okay. It’s going to be okay. You don't have to be a girl, okay? No one is forcing you to be anything. You can be whatever you want and your dad, your papa, and I and so many others in our family will love you just the same, okay? I know it’s scary but we can figure this out. You don’t have to tell anyone else if you don’t want to, but if you do, I’ll be right there if you need me, okay? I’ll be with you every step of the way.” Peter especially wants to make sure Morgan doesn’t feel as alone as he did, because as accepting as Aunt May is, she’s cisgender and just didn’t understand how much it actually hurts.
Morgan sniffs, tears fading as he hugs Peter one last time and then wipes his snot and tears on his shirt. Peter cringes, but he doesn’t like this shirt much anyway, and, frankly, the state of his shirt is the least of his worries right now.
“So, Morgan, are you okay with being called Morgan or do you want to change your name?” Morgan looks up at him, confused.
“Change… change my name? What do you mean?”
“Well, does the name ‘Morgan’ make you feel uncomfortable because it’s too girly or is it comfortable?” Morgan is a gender-neutral name, and Morgan is a bit young to be thinking about changing it, but he wants to check anyway.
“No, ‘m fine wif Morgan. Don’t wanna change my name.”
“Okay, great. What about your pronouns? You want to be called he/him when people are talking about you, and for them to call you things like baby boy, prince, and other things like sweetheart, honeybun, angel, muffin, flower…”
“Yes! Wanna be you’ ‘itt’e p’ince! (your little prince) You’ baby boy! You’ hun bun! You’... you’ a’’ (all) those othe’ (other) things!”
“Okay, prince, we can definitely arrange that. And, we still have some time until your Daddy gets back so we can go to the store to get some toys if you’d like!” Morgan perks up at this.
“Rea’’y? Yay! Toys! Tank you, Petey!”
“What about… what about your Daddy and your Papa? Do you want to tell them tonight, or wait a bit?”
“Um… can we wait a bit, p’ease? Not… not ‘eady (ready) yet.”
“That’s perfectly okay, honeybun. We can do whatever you’d like. I know this is a scary process, but if you ever have any questions than you can always ask me, okay?”
“Okay. Thank you, Petey.”
———
A trip to the toy store, and a night of playing and food later, Peter is reading a bedtime story to Morgan. It’s about a prince who saves his princess from being kidnapped and taken away by a scary dragon. Peter has his second emotional-breakdown when Morgan asks him:
“Petey, is it… is it okay if the p’ince wants to save anothe’ p’ince instead? Not… not anothe’ p’incess? Can… can two p’inces be togethe’ too?”
“That’s totally okay if the prince wants to marry another prince. Too guys, too girls. And anyone in between can love each other. Love is not limited by gender- love is just love. If you find yourself loving someone, when you’re older, in the end their gender isn’t what defines the love as right or wrong. It just is.” Morgan blinks at the long speech, then settles on his bed again.
“Okay. Just checkin’. Keep going, p’ease.”
“Okay, honeybun,” Peter says, and by the time he’s finished the story, Morgan is almost asleep in Peter’s lap, his arms wrapped around his stuffy and his curls resting on Peter’s lap. Peter smiles softly, pulling the blanket up to his chin and kissing him on the forehead before murmuring a quiet, “Love you, Morgs,” and Morgan mumbles “Love you too Petey. Thanks for… eve’ythin. (everything)”
Peter can’t say he was expecting this when Mr. Stark told him to babysit Morgan because he and his husband were going out of town, but he loves Morgan so much and protecting him is his top priority. If that means he has another big secret from Mr. Stark, so be it. He doesn’t like lying, but, really, who wouldn’t do anything for Morgan Stark.