Chapter Text
Peter’s punishment was even harsher than usual. He had never broken the “get home before the sun sets” rule before, so Norman was especially mad at him.
That night he cried himself to sleep in his closet, wishing he lived in an extraordinary world like Harry Potter or the DC universe, and that someone powerful would come get him and protect him forever.
He dreamed of hogwarts and loyal friends, and when he woke up in the morning, his whole body aching from the bruises he had collected the day before, he tried his best to stay in his inside world.
At school, he couldn’t bring himself to listen to the teacher or the rude comments the bullies made about his messy hair and inside out shirt. All his focus was on recalling yesterday events at the café. It was probably the happiest he had ever been since his aunt’s death. And he couldn’t let it go. He felt like May would approve of him trying to get closer to them. She always liked the people who were nice to him.
However, if he returned, he might have to explain why he left in such a hurry yesterday. The idea of having to tell them about Norman, and that they might tell him that his uncle is right to punish him this way, settled dread inside his stomach. And worse than that, what if they did not want to see him at all ? What if this was only a one time thing, and he was not welcome anymore ?
But as his doubts and anxieties grew louder, a small but fierce voice at the back of his head made itself heard. “I have the right to be happy” the voice kept repeating, an echo of that time Aunt May made him repeat it as if it was the most important thing.
And so Peter, still scared and full of doubts, decided that the only way to know was to go back.
This is how he found himself awkwardly staring at the café, from the other side of the street.
Should he come in just like that ? Or should he wait for Peggy ? But it looked like she wasn't coming today, and he didn’t have any money. He couldn’t just enter without paying for anything, right ? They won’t want him around if he doesn’t give them something back.
He stuck his hand in his pockets and searched. When he pulled them out he had a button he found on the playground at school, two pretty rocks that looked slightly blue in the right light, dust, and a single earring he had found in the street a while ago. It looked like it was made of gold.
“Bingo !” He cheered under his breath.
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“Do you think he’s gonna come in eventually ?”
Clint and Natasha had been watching the little boy that was standing across the street for about half an hour now, almost forgetting to tend to the couple of clients they were assigned to, forcing Maria to remind them of they duty every five minutes.
“Don’t be so impatient Clint. I think it depends of what’s in his pockets.” Natasha replied calmly.
The redhead was elegantly leaning against the kitchen’s wall. As there was only a counter separating it from the rest of the café, she had no problem monitoring the boy’s movement, and right now, he was looking at what he just found in his pockets, a hint of a smile on his lips.
“Here he comes.” She whispered while elbowing Clint.
“Oh my god i’m not ready, the hot chocolate isn’t ready, quick Nat go buy me some time !”
“Relax, bird brain, he’s not going to run away if he doesn’t get his chocolate the second he comes in.”
“How do you know ? You never even talked to him !”
“ Come on Clint, one doesn’t need to do more than look at him to know that.”
Clint grimaced at his stupidity. “Argh, you’re right.”
“As always” She replied smugly before leaving the kitchen to go greet the boy that was now shyly balancing his weight from right to left at the door.
As she approached his huge chocolate eyes filled with a weird mix, a sort of hopeful fear, if Natasha had to guess. He held something in his clenched left hand, and his lips were tight with determination.
“Hey Peter.”
“Hello, good evening, I would like to have a hot chocolate please ma’am.” He replied, very quickly.
“Of course, Clint is making it for you right now. Do you know where you want to sit ?”
“I- uh.” The boy was about to answer when he suddenly paused, and his face promptly turned red as his lips quivered. “Ho-o-o-w do y-y-ou know my name, ma’am ? And w-w-w-why is Clint a-already making me hot chocolate ?”
Natasha smirked. “Oh, so you’re a smart one. Tony and Bruce are going to love you.”
“W-w-who’s Tony ?”
She smiled at the blushing, panicking mess the kid was becoming. “Follow me, let’s make you sit at the counter so you can chat with Clint. He’s been waiting for you to come in for half an hour.”
She couldn’t help but laugh at the face Peter made. She didn’t know it was possible for human skin to turn his red.
When Clint lifted his head from the hot chocolate cup he had made and scanned the café for soft brown hair, only to be met by shy chocolate eyes from right behind the counter, he smiled widely and put the steaming cup in front of the boy.
“Kid ! I was waiting for you ! What took you so long to come in ! It’s cold outside you idiot !”
“Hey, don’t call him-”
Peter cut Natasha mid-sentence. “I wasn’t sure I had anything to pay for the hot chocolate, mister Clint sir… B-but I got this, I hope it’s enough ?” He asked very shyly as he opened his hand and showed the content to Clint. It was a single, golden earring.
Clint stared at it, open mouthed. “Kid..”
“If-if it’s not enough I can add this !” Peter panicked as he searched his pockets frantically, and put two stones and an old looking red button on the counter. When he was met by a second of silence, he lowered his head. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have came in.” He choked.
“Hey, no, kid, hey, calm down,” Clint said quickly. “Shit. Nat ! Give me a hand here ?” He whispered to his best friend.
The red head stepped forward and took the earring from Peter’s hand. The boy lifted his head and watched as she examined it thoroughly.
“This is made of gold.” She stated, very seriously. “That’s worth at least five hundred hot chocolates. Are you sure you want to give it to us ?”
Peter’s eyes widened, and something in them lit up. “Yes, yes I wanna give it to you, ma’am.”
Natasha smiled. “Well, that makes you our best customer, and our best customers get free cookies every time they come in, even if it’s just to say hi.”
The boy seemed to try really hard not to smile, and failed. “Thank you so, so much ma’am.”
“Hey ki- Peter, call me by my name, okay ?”
Peter blushed instantly and looked away. “I.. I don’t know your name, ma’am.”
“Bullshit ! I bet you know her name !” Called Clint from the kitchen he had gone back to.
Natasha smirked. “He’s right. So ?”
“Yes miss Natasha, ma’am. I know your name.”
“Such a smart boy.” She praised him. “But I’ll have to go back to work now. If you’re bored just ask for Clint’s phone, he has like fifty different games on it.”
“Hey ! I never said he could borrow my phone !” The cook protested. “But yeah, you can have it kiddo, as long as you don’t put any chocolate on it.”
Peter stayed in the café for more than an hour. When it was time for Maria’s pause, she sat next to him for a while to say hi and ask him about his day. The boy stayed shy and answered pretty generic stuff that was clearly not the truth.
He drank two hot chocolates and ate a couple of cookies. He had started to sneak glances at the window, where the light was beginning to decrease outside, when Clint brought him a third cookie. The boy made it disappear even faster than the first two, before standing up and saying goodbye to the three employees.
“Make sure you come back tomorrow !” Clint called as he passed the front door.
The bell rang as the door closed, and then the kid was gone. The cook sighed. “I hope he’ll come back, he’s so adorable. By the way, Nat, how come he had an earring made of gold ??”
Natasha, who was sitting at the counter, pulled the earring out from her pocket.
“He didn’t. Look at it.”
Clint took it and examined it. As he did, a smile slowly formed on his lips. “You are an absolute genius, Nat.” He declared, and then burst out laughing.
It was plastic. Cheap, golden coloured plastic.
The bell at the front door rang again as two men entered. “Hey guys ! What are you two laughing about ? Who did you prank this time ?”
“Oh ! Tony, Bruce ! I missed you guys ! I absolutely need to tell you about the boy Peggy brought in yesterday, he..”