The One Where Peter Takes the First Steps to Stopping the Apocalypse
Peter hadn't heard of Extra Ordinary the day it came out. In fact, he'd only heard of it six months later. And he'd heard only heard of it because of Tony.
Tony and Peter had an agreement. They'd made it after the first time Tony had dragged Peter to the hospital after an OD. It was after Tony got kicked out of Police Academy. Peter only took small time drugs, aka joints, that wouldn't cause an OD, and Tony bought him food once a month. Bruce was overjoyed that Peter agreed to this.
Lately, Tony had changed the once a month to once every two weeks. He'd been antsy, and seemed to have a harder time letting Peter disappear. Peter was going to ask, but Bruce quickly cautioned against it. Tony had looked a little trigger happy that day.
Peter was slowly getting more and more concerned for Tony. Over one of their dinners, Peter finally broached the topic with him. "Hey, Tony, not that you're not my favorite living brother, but what's with the prolonged contact with yours truly?"
Tony cocked an eyebrow. "Before you elaborate, know that I have a knife in my pocket."
"I mean, a couple hours a month used to be a bit much for you, but every two weeks? What's going on?"
Tony's eyebrow cocked higher. "Is it that hard to believe I find it refreshing to be around you?"
"Yes," Peter answered instantly.
"Fair enough," Tony muttered, rubbing his forehead. "It's because of what Wanda wrote in my chapter. . ."
"Wait, what?" Peter asked. "What chapter?"
"You don't know?" Tony asked.
"Yeah, 'cause this is the face of someone on the in!"
Tony sighed loudly and got up and left. "Don't move!" he yelled to Peter.
Peter looked at Bruce, who looked just as dumbfounded. "You wouldn't happen to know, would you, Brucie?"
"Nope," Bruce said.
Tony came back, holding a book with Wanda's face on the cover. "This came out six months ago," Tony said, tossing it to Peter. He caught it and traced his sister's face. "It's an insiderview on our childhoods. Every dirty little secret, out in the open."
"Damn," Peter muttered. Honestly, Peter wasn't too pissed that Wanda wrote the book. Kind of proud, if anything. Bruce didn't appear to share this sentiment, if the look on his face was anything to go by.
"There's bad things in there, Petey," Tony muttered quietly. "I don't even think you're in the mental state to read that. She freaking bad mouths Bruce and Stephen."
"I'm rarely in the mental state to read anything," Peter answered. "But that hasn't stopped me. Mind if I have this?"
"Sure," Tony grumbled. "I only keep it around because I need to get myself pissed off occasionally."
"Wanda did what?" Bruce finally asked, sounding vaguely ill.
"Wrote a book about us, weren't you listening?" Peter asked absently, turning the book over to read the summary on the back.
"Hey, Peter, can you ask Bruce something for me?" Tony asked hesitantly.
"Sure," Peter said, still reading the summary. He was dyslexic, so it took him longer.
"Can you ask him what my real favorite Disney movie is?"
"It's Peter Pan. It's the only one he's seen," Bruce said, smiling sadly.
"He said it's Peter Pan. It's the only one you've seen. No idea why, I'm an Aladdin kinda guy myself," Peter translated, not fully paying attention.
Tony launched himself at his brother, wrapping his arms around Peter's smaller figure, pressing his face into Peter's shoulder and blinking the tears out of his eyes. "It's okay," Peter said, squeezing Tony back.
"Bruce has been looking out for you?" Tony questioned, his voice cracking.
"Of course he has," Peter said gently. "Do you really think I'd still be alive if it wasn't for him?"
"Hey, Bruce," Tony said, glancing in Bruce's vague direction. "Miss you, bro."
"Tell him I miss him, too," Bruce said, blinking tears out of his eyes.
"He says he misses you, too," Peter said softly. "He misses you a lot."
oOo
It took Peter two weeks to get through Extra Ordinary. It took Bruce three, because he couldn't stomach more than 20 pages a day (Peter bought and burned a copy for him, of course).
Bruce was pissed, reasonably so. Wanda talked about everything, from Natasha and Steve's complicated relationship, to Tony's stutter and his flitting around through their gangs as kids, to Stephen's prickly nature, to Bruce's long lasting body issues, to Peter's descent into drugs. Peter wasn't sure how to feel. At first glance, one would feel kind of hurt, but if you took a closer look, you'd see that it was just a testimony to Wanda's loneliness.
Peter's chapter wasn't too bad. He'd always been closest to Wanda, growing up, followed by Bruce. Tony was third. Peter was with Wanda while she left sandwiches out for Stephen when he disappeared. Wanda had helped drown out the worst off the ghosts.
A particular chapter had caught his eye.
Peter was always my best friend growing up. Bruce was nice, and Tony was also decent when he joined, but Peter was always the one who was willing to rebel against our father enough to talk decently to me. Before he found drugs, I was always his first choice when the ghosts that haunted him were too much for him to deal with. It was the only time I was every anyone's first preference. It meant more to me than he'll ever know. He was my best friend. Who am I kidding? He's probably passed out in a seedy alleyway high off his ass and he's still my best friend. He certainly still acts like it. Sometimes I get weird little trinkets or pieces of candy shoved under my door, and I don't know of any other person who'd ever spare me enough thought to slip me a mini Skittles packet. He did it when we were kids, and I wish I could tell him how much I appreciate it now.
"Of course you take her side," Bruce muttered darkly. He and Peter were walking through alleyways. Peter hadn't told Bruce where he was going, and didn't intend to, because he knew Bruce would have issues. Tough luck, though.
"Didn't you read it closely?" Peter asked. "She sounded lonely."
"Maybe some loneliness would do her some good," Bruce said, his voice even darker than before. "Remind her of the concept of loyalty."
"Hey," Peter reprimanded gently. "No one deserves that. Not even Steve."
Bruce snorted, but what little humor Peter managed to gain was lost the minute Bruce saw where they were at. "No," he said the minute Wanda's apartment was in their line of sight.
"Yes," Peter said, walking around Bruce to get in.
"No," Bruce said, more insistent this time.
"Yes," Peter said, matching Bruce's tone. "I found this keychain and thought she'd like it." He held up a clear violin keychain.
"Peter I don't want to see her," Bruce pleaded, following Peter as he picked the lock to the entrance.
"Then don't come," Peter said, walking in. "You're dead, Bruce. The world's your scallop."
"Oyster, Peter. The world's my oyster." Bruce still followed Peter as he climbed up the stairways.
Peter smiled fondly at Bruce's spirit trailing after him. "Don't worry about little ole me, Brucie," Peter said. "I won't be alone. I'll be with Wanda."
"That's what worries me," Bruce muttered, not quitting trailing after Peter.
Peter rang Wanda's doorbell. She opened the door cautiously. "Peter?" she breathed.
"Hey, Wanda." Peter grinned.
"What are you doing here?" Wanda asked, seeming to be trying not to get her hopes up.
Peter fidgeted for second, before pulling out the violin keychain. "Saw this. Thought of you."
Wanda paled. "You read the book?" she finally whispered.
"Yeah," Peter said, smiling slightly. "Thought I hid that it was me sneaking you the good stuff."
"No one else would spare me that thought," Wanda whispered. "Why are you here?"
"You've said your piece. Now we can leave," Bruce said anxiously from next to Peter.
Peter ignored him and took a step forward. "I didn't find out about the book until after six months after you wrote it, and it kinda took me two weeks to read it. Dyslexia and all."
"And?" Peter could barely hear her.
Peter struggled to phrase what he was thinking for a second. "You sounded lonely," he finally said. "I was wondering if you wanted a roomie, sis."
Wanda didn't say anything for second. Then, she threw herself into Peter's arms. Peter stumbled before he caught her and wrapped his arms around her tightly. Wanda pressed her face into Peter's shoulder and weeped.
Wanda thought that all her siblings hated her. Tony and Natasha certainly did. Wanda was so very elated to hear that her favorite brother still loved her. "Of course you can, Peter," she said through her tears. "Stay as long as you want."