Their Itsy Bitsy Spider

Boys Don't Cry...Right?

Y/n woke up the next morning at 4:00 am to the feeling of someone watching her. Now this didn't panic her, Bucky had a habit of watching her sleep when he woke up in the middle of the night. But a glance at her husband revealed him to be fast asleep.

"Y/n?" She heard a tiny voice on her other side and fought the urge to jump. Y/n turned to see Peter standing beside her bed. "When am I supposed to wake up today?"

"It's 4:00 pumpkin," she said patiently. "We don't have to be up until 6:00, remember?"

"Sorry," Peter said quietly. "I forgot."

"It's alright," she said gently. "I'm not mad. Do you think you can go back to sleep?" Peter looked uncertain, and Y/n realized that he was too afraid to tell her the truth. He looked so small, clutching a stuffed lamb that she had bought for him. It was the only toy that she had bought before he arrived and he had immediately latched onto it. She thought that every child deserves a comfort item and was relieved that the lamb was serving its purpose. "Peter?"

"I don't know," he finally said, and Y/n's heart sank when she saw tears well up in his eyes. She cursed herself for not seeing his behavior for what it was. Her little boy was scared and all she had done to help was ask him if he could go back to sleep. "I'm really sorry," Peter whispered.

"There's nothing to be sorry for." Y/n pulled back the blankets on the bed. "Do you want to come lay with me for a while? It might help you sleep," she offered.

Peter hesitated. "I don't want to bother you," he said quietly.

"You're never a bother, kid," Bucky said, having been woken up by Peter's presence in their bedroom. "Get in the bed if you want, we don't mind."

Peter thought for a second more before climbing up onto the bed, and Y/n moved even closer to her husband to make room for the little boy beside her. Bucky slung an arm around her waist and she extended her arms towards Peter in an offer to hold him. He carefully laid down in her arms and let out a little sigh of relief when he felt Y/n tighten her hold on him.

"What if the meeting goes bad?" He whispered, hoping that his guardians wouldn't get upset. He really was trying to sleep, but it felt impossible.

"What do you mean by bad?" Bucky asked softly, not a trace of irritation in his voice.

"My teacher doesn't like me," Peter said in a defeated little voice. "What if you guys decide to give me back? I don't wanna go back." There were tears spilling down his cheeks now and he had to fight to keep his voice from breaking.

Y/n pressed a kiss to the top of his head. "Do you remember what we talked about yesterday, pumpkin? You're my little boy now. I'm never going to send you back to the system."

"Peter, we like you. Who cares what some asshole teacher thinks?" Bucky chimed in, earning a giggle from Peter as Y/n swatted his arm. "Don't tell your teacher I said that though."

"Look, I can't promise that this meeting will go well," Y/n admitted. "But no matter what happens today, you have us on your side. We don't care what your teacher tries to tell us, we will always pick you."

Peter nodded his head, hanging on tight to Y/n. "Are you sure you don't want someone else?" He choked out. "It's not too late to pick a better kid."

"We're sure, pumpkin," Y/n reassured him. "There's no better kid out there for us."

"You're stuck with us, Peter," Bucky said gently. "We're a family now." Peter let out a little sob and for a second Bucky thought that he had ruined everything. But then he heard Y/n reassuring the little boy, telling him that Bucky really did mean it and he realized that he'd actually done something right. He reached over his wife to brush Peter's hair away from his face.