Their Itsy Bitsy Spider

Bad Dreams And New Routines

"Don't hurt me," he cried out. "Please, please don't hurt me. I'll try harder, I promise." He felt the bed dip as Y/n came to sit down, the mattress lifting him just a little as it took her weight. "I'm sorry!"

Y/n felt her heart break in her chest as Peter pleaded with her not to hurt him. It didn't take a genius to understand what was happening. "Peter it's alright," she said calmly, fighting to keep the anger towards his previous caretakers and sadness she was feeling out of her voice. "It's just Y/n. Do you know who I am?"

Peter looked up and locked eyes with her. He nodded his head, clinging to his lamb like his life depended on it. Okay, that was something. At the very least he knew who she was.

"Do you know where you are?" She asked softly.

Peter shook his head, more tears falling down his cheeks. "I'm sorry," he cried out. "I don't know."

"There's nothing to be sorry for," she assured him. "Do you want me to tell you where you are?" The shaking little boy nodded his head. "You're in the Avengers compound, in a suite that you live in with me and Bucky. Remember Bucky?" Peter nodded again. "Good," she smiled at him with far too much love. He didn't understand why she was being so kind, but he knew better than to question it.

"I'm in my bedroom, right?" He asked quietly, wiping at his eyes.

"That's right pumpkin," she said softly. The nickname seemed to completely bring him back to where he was and he started crying even harder than before, desperately reaching for her to hold him.

A small amount of relief washed over him when she picked him up, holding him tight on her lap as he cried into her chest. "Please," he sobbed. "I'm sorry, don't make me go back. I don't wanna go back."

Y/n began rocking back and forth, trying to soothe the frightened child in her arms. She couldn't help but hear traces of her husband in Peter's words, remembering the countless nights that he had tearfully begged her not to hurt him, not to betray him and send him back to Hydra. "You're safe," she murmured, gently rubbing his back as she held him close. "They can't hurt you anymore, I won't let them." She wasn't even sure who 'they' were, she just knew that her child was afraid and she'd do anything to keep him safe, no matter what. "You're home, no one will hurt you here."

"Please, I'll be good," Peter cried, clinging to her like she could disappear at any moment. "Don't send me away."

"I would never send you away," she reassured him, continuing to rock her child back and forth as he cried. "I'm here, you're mine. I promise you always will be."

Peter kept crying, releasing the fear that his nightmare had brought to the surface, and much to his surprise Y/n stayed the entire time. She rubbed his back and whispered gentle reassurance while he sobbed and got snot all over her shirt, not once complaining or telling him to stop.

"I'm sorry," Peter said quietly once he had settled down. "I didn't mean to mess up your shirt and make you get up."

"There's nothing to be sorry for," Y/n soothed, pressing a kiss to the top of his head. "You're so much more important than a hoodie or a couple hours of sleep. I'd stay up all night and have to wash a thousand sweatshirts if it meant that you didn't have to be all alone after a bad dream."

"Are you sure?" Peter asked in a shaky voice, leaning back to look her in the eye.

"Absolutely pumpkin," she assured him. "You're my little boy, part of my job is to comfort you and I don't regret that in any way."

Peter rubbed at his puffy, red eyes and sniffled. "Why? Why are you being so gentle with me?" He asked, desperation bleeding through in his voice as he searched for a logical answer.

"Because I love you," Y/n said simply, pulling Peter closer in her lap. "And when you love somebody you take care of them."

Peter was silent for a long time, processing her words while she rocked him back and forth. Finally he let out a deep sigh and relaxed completely in her arms, rubbing at his face again. "Is Bucky awake?" he said quietly. "My eyes hurt."

"Let's go wake him up," Y/n responded softly. "I'm sure he'd be glad to wash your face for you." She could've offered to do it herself, but she knew that Peter was looking for the security of both her and Bucky. She knew that her husband would do anything to make Peter feel better, just like her.

"Really?" Peter asked tentatively.

"Of course pumpkin, I'll show you." She stood up, settling Peter on her hip and wrapping a blanket around him. She saw him turn around when she got to the doorway and paused. "Oh my goodness I almost forgot! Here sweetheart." She walked over to the bed and grabbed Dolly, handing it over to Peter who let out a relieved sigh.

They went to the bedroom where Bucky was sleeping and Y/n gently woke him up, running her fingers through his hair while she whispered his name. He groaned and cracked his eyes open, only sitting up when he identified his wife and child standing in front of him. He noticed the way that Peter was clinging to Y/n and the redness in his eyes. "Bear what happened?" He asked softly.

Peter shook his head, looking up at Y/n for help with pleading eyes. She pressed a kiss to his forehead before looking back at her husband. "He had a bad dream," she said quietly. "And he has a question for you."

Peter took a deep breath. "Will you wash my face for me? Please?" He asked in a tiny voice. "You don't have to if you don't want to, it just hurts and I thought-"

"Bear," Bucky cut off Peter's frightened backtracking. "Of course I'll wash your face. I love you, remember? You can have whatever you want." Tears welled up in Peter's eyes all over again as Bucky stood up and held out his arms, letting the little boy hang onto him for a moment. "It's alright. You're safe with us."

When Peter was ready to let go, Bucky helped him get settled on the bed, wrapping a blanket around him and placing him in Y/n's lap with his lamb. He went to retrieve what he needed to wash Peter's face and got to work, cleaning his face with a warm wash rag and helping him to blow his nose while Y/n mumbled reassurance to their child.

"You ready for the cold one?" Bucky asked gently, making sure to wait for Peter's nod before carefully pressing it to his face. "There you go," he soothed. "Let's dry you off." He patted the little boy's face dry as softly as he could before setting all of the supplies on the nightstand to be put away in the morning. "Does that feel better?"

"Thank you," Peter said sleepily as he nodded. The calm routine and gentle touch, combined with Y/n's solid presence and comfort had managed to soothe all the remaining fear in his mind. All that was left was exhaustion and a desperate desire to feel safe. "Can I stay here a little longer?"

"Pumpkin you can stay as long as you want," Y/n said gently. "You can even sleep in here."

"I can?" Peter asked, looking up at her with wide eyes.

"Of course," she assured him, moving him from her lap to the center of the bed and scooching down to lay beside him. "You're always welcome here, okay?"

"Always?"

"Always bear," Bucky said softly, coming to lie down on his side of the bed beside Peter and his wife. He draped an arm around the two of them, securing Peter between his wife's chest and his own. "You're our son, we love you so much."

Peter let out a content sigh and burrowed his face into Y/n's chest. His lamb was squished between the two of them and Bucky's arm was a warm comforting weight across him. He could feel the man's chest against his back and found security in the way that he was surrounded by his parents on all sides. No one could hurt him here. Not tonight.