111. Speakerphone
An-Peter gets a phone call from his caseworker that he's gonna be fostered
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Peter honestly almost shit himself when his phone started ringing. Of course, it had to ring during his English class, couldn't ring during his maths class or his physics class. This was of course only a problem because Miss Bronx insisted you answer your phone on speakerphone as punishment. He paled when he realised it was his caseworker from Child Services.
"Miss this is really important that I take this call privately." Peter pleaded, holding his phone up to show the contact.
"Then they shouldn't have called you during my class. Speakerphone Parker." She said firmly, Peter sighed and pressed accept call.
"Hello Peter, how have you been?" Cindy said, Peter sighed.
"Pretty good Cindy, everything's been great at the orphanage, a couple of kids got adopted out last week," Peter said calmly, blushing under the attention.
"That's great Peter! I actually have some amazing news for you." She said excitedly, Peter rose an eyebrow.
"Actual good news or is this the kind of good news that's not actually good news?" Peter said nervously, he could hear Cindy's laugh through the phone.
"Actual good news. Peter, a couple has been accepted to foster you in the hope of adopting you." She said gently, Peter's jaw dropped open. He'd been in the system since he was five and he was being fostered for the first time. MJ reaches up a hand to rub his back, he stared open-mouthed at the phone, tears gathering in his eyes.
"Peter are you still there? Did I break you?" Cindy said, Peter blinked in surprise and cleared his throat.
"I'm here, I-I'm here. When, when do I meet them?" He asked quietly.
"They'll be by the orphanage this afternoon to pick up some of your things and get to know you. They've had their eye on you for a while now but the court order only just came in. We wanted to wait until they were accepted to tell you." Cindy said, Peter blinked again, a bolt of excitement flooding through him.
"This, this is crazy! What are they like?" Peter said, hurriedly wiping away the fallen tears.
"They're great Peter, lovely couple. They are fully aware of your history and were very anxious about whether you'll like them. They already have a room set up for you and everything, and Miss Cady at the orphanage hold them some of your interests so they've already put a couple of posters up and stocked their TV cabinet with movies you like." Cindy said, Peter nodded.
"So I meet them today?" Peter asked excitedly.
"Yes, they'll be at the orphanage this afternoon. They should be there after school." Cindy said, Peter was bouncing in his seat.
"Great! Will I need to give you a follow-up call afterwards?" Peter asked, fiddling with his open page.
"That would be lovely Peter. Have a wonderful day." Cindy said, Peter said a quick you too before hanging up. He had a wide smile on his face as he put his phone back in his pocket. When he looked back up at his class he blushed darkly.
"Um, congratulations Mr Parker." His teacher said awkwardly, Peter nodded, picking back up his pencil to write the notes.
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Peter slammed open the door making a couple of the younger kids giggle, he blushed and quickly shut the door, putting his bag down on the floor. One of the little girls, Sarah, came running up to him, making grabbie hands at her. He smiled and immediately picked her up, spinning her around in a circle.
"You're a princess today?" He asked with a smile, she giggled and nodded vigorously. Once he put her down he pets her on the head.
"Miss Cady says she wants to see you in the kitchen," Sarah said, Peter nodded, shouldering his bag and running into the kitchen, he immediately went to Miss Cady and placed his hands on his shoulders.
"Please tell me Cindy was not joking when she said someone wants to foster me." Peter pleaded, Cady, shook her head.
"She wasn't Peter." She said with a smile, Peter could just about cry.
"Oh my god." He breathed, this was actually happening, "This, this is insane! I got the call in class and my teacher made me answer it on speakerphone and I thought she was just doing a check-in like she always does but then she was like I have some good news and then I was like actual good news or good news that's not good news. And then she told me and I started crying because this is amazing and so cool. Can you believe it, Mis Cady?!" He blurted out in one breath, Cady didn't look dazed by the word vomit.
"Peter you're a lovely boy, it was just a matter of time before someone else saw that. Now before you word vomit again you need to meet them." Cady said, her eyes flicking to the other side of the room, Peter paled.
"Like right now? Like right here? But what if they don't like me? My files cool and everything jut I can be really annoying and I don't want to be annoying or anything." Peter said, Cady placed both of her hands on his cheeks, sighing.
"Peter honey, turn around," Cady said, Peter rose an eyebrow and turned around. Standing on the other side of the kitchen on barstools were two men. Two men, he'd idolised since he was a kid, The Falcon and The White Wolf. Peter looked between the two men and Cady. Bucky and Sam looked highly amused while Cady had a soft smile on her face.
"Miss Cady I'm going to need you to pinch me," Peter said quietly, Cady complies, Peter winced before his eyes widened.
"This. Is. Insane." He said, Bucky and Sam broke into laughter, along with Cady.
"Well, I'll leave you three to get to know each other. You can take them up to your room, you need to start packing anyway." Cady said, walking out of the room. Peter shifted on his feet.
"Um well, my rooms in the attic so you'll have to walk up the stairs, it's this way," Peter said nervously, tugging on his backpack strap. Bucky and Sam nodded, standing up and following Peter.
"So how long have you been here?" Bucky asked, Peter shrugged. The little kids weren't in the lounge room anymore, they must have gone to their rooms.
"I was five when I came here, and I'm fifteen now, so ten years," Peter said with a shrug.
"Wow. Why didn't someone foster you?" Sam asked, Peter cringed.
"Well usually people want to foster younger kids who they can eventually adopt, but I was under review for a while because of my psyche evaluation. I wasn't really that stable, kept trying to hurt myself and stuff. But um, don't worry, I don't do that anymore. I see a therapist twice a week to help with stuff." Peter said nervously, leading them into the house. One of the little boys came running out of the sunroom and crashed into Peter's legs. Peter stumbled back before smiling and hauling him up into his arms, bouncing him. For a three-year-old he was heavy.
"Hey Champ, what's up?" Peter asked, stopping in his tracks. The boy looked up at him and tugged on his hair. Peter didn't wince, he was used to this.
"Yeah, I know bud my hairs getting long. I need a hair cut don't I?" Peter said, Champ screwed his face up.
"Cady said you were leaving." He said sadly, Peter smiled at him.
"Yeah I am bud, I'm getting fostered by a very nice couple," Peter said gently, pushing Champ's hair behind his ear.
"Will you come to see us?" The little boy asked, Peter couldn't help but laugh.
"Course Champ, I'll come visit. But maybe you'll get fostered one day and you'll leave too." Peter said, Champ nodded.
"Don't cut your hair. It's better long." Was all Champ said, clambering down Peter who frowned. Peter turned back to Sam and Bucky and blushed darkly.
"Sorry." He said, continuing walking. They followed him automatically.
"You're good with kids," Sam commented, Peter shrugged.
"I'm the oldest here. The second oldest is ten, I take care of them a lot, they think of me like an older brother. I help with homework and stuff, sometimes science projects too." Peter said, slowly climbing the stairs. Another little boy came crashing into him, Peter smiled quickly picked him up, putting him on his shoulders.
"What's up Danny?" He asked, Danny frowned.
"Lila's being mean, she said I was ugly," Danny said sadly, Peter couldn't help but smirk as he kept walking.
"Well I think you're handsome, don't listen to Lila she doesn't mean it," Peter said, Danny nodded firmly, but didn't ask to be put down.
"You wanna put the stairs down?" Peter asked, if Danny bouncing on his shoulders was anything to go by it was a yes. Danny firmly held the rope and tugged, Peter stepped back allowing the stairs to come down.
"Down you go, Danny, go play," Peter said, Danny nodded and ran off down the hallway. Peter waved Sam and Bucky over, motioning for them to go first. Peter followed them awkwardly shuffling around his room, tidying his things.
"Sorry it's a mess, I wasn't expecting someone over today," Peter said sheepishly, pushing a pile of folded clothes out of view, and shutting his draws and tidying his desk a little.
"Cool posters," Bucky commented, Peter blushed darkly. The slanted walls of the attic roof were covered in Avengers and StarWars posters, but mostly White Wolf and Falcon posters.
"So you're a fan? Why?" Sam asked, looking around Peter's room. Peter shrugged awkwardly.
"You guys are like the only queer superheroes ever, and the only queer role models I have in my life so, yeah." He said quietly, pulling his blanket up his bed so it was less messy. He usually didn't have visitors.
"Are you queer then?" Bucky asked, Peter nodded and sat awkwardly on his bed.
"Yep. I'm asexual." He said simply, Bucky nodded.
"Well it's good we don't have to worry about you getting someone pregnant," Sam commented good-naturedly, Peter rolled his eyes.
"You say that like I haven't heard that one before," Peter said with a grin.
"So like what's your romantic attraction?" Bucky asked, Peter shrugged.
"I feel it, I'm panromantic so yeah," Peter said, hoping they wouldn't ask the fated question.
"You have a partner?" Sam asked, Peter blushed darkly making Bucky and Sam chuckle.
"Perhaps." He said slowly.
"For another day. Anyway, what are you interested in? Other then StarWars I mean."
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