Superdads (XMA) Part 3/?

[lillian]

Okay so I am brand new to the X-Men fandom (I considered being Rogue for Halloween once but that doesn't count). But I just fell in love with Evan Peters as Quicksilver. Honestly Evan Peters could be a judge sentencing me to life in prison and I'd be like "yasssss Evan Peters."

ANYWAY I wrote this thing this afternoon bc I love Superdads. Even heroes need dads right? I'm super sorry if I get things wrong but I'm just playing so if it's too OOC for you just pretend it's some kind of AU where lillian redoes everyone's personalities to fit her specific tastes. This is supposed to be set post-Apocalypse, and is inspired by Jazz's Quicksilver fic. You did a super job Jazz! 

 

 

There was something wrong with the kid. Logan hadn’t had anything stolen for two days. There hadn’t been a blur of silver at the corner of his eye or the annoying chime of tinny music in the hallway outside of his room, either. The only time he had actually seen Peter in the last 48 hours was when he’d run into him in the kitchen the previous night. Peter had been very slowly stealing Twinkies.

Slow for a speedster anyway. In the glow of the pantry overhead light, Peter had looked tired (unsurprising, as it was almost midnight) as he removed boxes of pastries from the shelf at a normal human speed. Logan had shrugged it off and left with his sandwich.

*******

Peter sniffled and wiped his nose on his sleeve. He glanced around Magneto’s desk. Did the guy have any tissues? Probably not. He slid open a drawer. Pushed into a corner was a picture of the Professor. Peter’s silver brows drew together.

“Weird…” he murmured. He picked it up. “Should be like up on the desk. In a frame or something…” he muttered to himself, setting it on top of a pile of papers. Why would someone leave a photo crumpled in a drawer? He crinkled his nose and scrubbed at it with his knuckles. It was starting to get sore and pink. Kind of ruining his chrome color scheme. His sinuses felt like they were literally buzzing, but rubbing his nose as hard as he could seemed to keep him from sneezing his brains out. He could either look like Rudolph or be sneezing and look like Rudolph.

He pinched his nose tight and closed one dark eye as his breath began to hitch.

“umph! Huh… umpshh!” Dammit.

He lowered his hand sniffled again, wet and gross-sounding.

Footsteps sounded in the hallway, drawing near to Magneto’s office. Peter glanced up. A shadow blocked the light coming under the door. Peter dashed for the closet and slammed the door just as Magneto entered the room.

*******

Logan walked purposefully to Peter’s room. It felt odd to confront someone about not stealing, but mostly he wanted to see what was wrong with the kid. He kept replaying the image of Peter in the pantry stealing Twinkies. Now that he thought about it, the kid had looked pale. For God’s sake he used to live in his mother’s basement, of course he’d be an unhealthy white. But what about the bruised skin under his eyes? The reluctant sniffle and the ensuing using-sleeve-as-tissue move? And why on earth was he moving at a human pace?

Logan sighed. He brought the kid here, and he guessed he was responsible for whatever was wrong with him. He knocked on Peter’s door and waited. No response.

“Peter?” Logan called gruffly. “You in there?” He turned the knob. It was unlocked. He opened the door and peeked inside. The walls were covered in posters and what looked like every item of clothing the boy owned coated the floor. Apart from the clutter, the room was empty. “Dammit,” Logan sighed. Maybe Erik would know where the kid was.

*******

Peter pulled his knees close to his chest. His nose was still itching. He pinched it tight. He could hear Magneto bumbling around in the office. His breath caught and hitched. He could feel his nose filling with snot as his eyes began to water from the tickle. As he pinched his nose harder, his eyes fluttered closed.

Erik immediately noticed the picture of Charles on his desk. He picked it up and carefully put it back into its drawer. He glanced around, taking in the other signs of intrusion. His papers where scattered, the lamp was on, and there was a scuffmark on the baseboard that had not been there before.

“gkt…hnk…hehhh….heh’xxt…!”

Erik looked up, identifying the sound as coming from his closet.

Peter caught his breath and winced at the throbbing in his temples.

Erik threw the door open, revealing Quicksilver huddled on the floor, wiping his nose on his sleeve. He looked up.

“Hi,” he said stuffily. 

 

 

 

Edited August 12, 2016 by lillian

[VividBubbles!]

Ahhh! I wish I had more time to elaborate but OMG THIS IS SO CUTE! EVAN PETERS IS THE LOVE OF MY LIFE I CAN'T WAIT TO READ MORE!

[lillian]

23 hours ago, VividBubbles! said:

Ahhh! I wish I had more time to elaborate but OMG THIS IS SO CUTE! EVAN PETERS IS THE LOVE OF MY LIFE I CAN'T WAIT TO READ MORE!

yay! he's the love of my life too! I feel like I've gotta do more research. I know exactly how to write Quicksilver bc the Loud Dork™ is always my favorite character and I spend a lot of time analyzing how they use their aggressive obnoxiousness to hide their pain. But like Charles and Erik? All I know is that they're in love. 

[Sitruuna]

Delicious. Very well written. Really nice.

Better than any arrangement of compliments I could write. Definitely looking forward to more.

[lillian]

1 hour ago, Sitruuna said:

Delicious. Very well written. Really nice.

Better than any arrangement of compliments I could write. Definitely looking forward to more.

I'm glad you like it!

[Jazz]

Oh my goodness, this is exactly what I needed today, let me tell you! First of all, can I just say I am beyond stoked that my lil fic inspired you to write this? Thank you so much, I'm so glad you liked it! And that we share a love for the world's snarkiest speedster! He's just the most fun to write, isn't he? Anyway, on to your lovely fic! 

I absolutely adore Superdads, so I kind of lost my shit a little bit when I saw the title. That's honestly been my favorite thing to read right now, so this was perfect! And you did it so well, too! The whole thing was well-written and felt very in character! So cute, too, especially this little bit: 

On 8/2/2016 at 11:03 PM, lillian said:

Erik threw the door open, revealing Quicksilver huddled on the floor, wiping his nose on his sleeve. He looked up.

“Hi,” he said stuffily. 

Oh, god, I lost it. Seriously the most adorable thing to imagine??

Anyway basically what I'm saying here is I loved it and I'm looking forward to when you continue! You make me want to get to work finishing my next chapter.

[lillian]

@Jazz I'm so glad you liked it!! Please finish yours, I love it so much! Actually, I was wondering what kinds of shenanigans your dudes were going to get into and then I was like "ooh what if it involves trying to hide while sneezing..." and this was born! 

okay so this has kind of become crack. but please bear with me because a kid like Quicksilver needs three superdads and I really needed this to happen. It wrote itself. 

 

"What are you doing here?" Magneto asked, glaring down at the intruder. 

"I could ask the same of you, dude!" Quicksilver replied hoarsely. "Why you got an office here, anyway? And what's with the photo of--"

"Get up," Magneto snarled, grabbing Quicksilver's arm and hauling to his feet. The speedster stumbled towards the wall, and without thinking, Magneto caught him. Quicksilver got his footing and latched onto the closet door with half a mind to pull it shut and barricade himself inside. He heaved a breath he didn't know he needed and winced as it caught on something nasty in his lungs. He coughed, hard and deep and scratchy, into his fist. 

"Peter?" Logan was suddenly in the doorway, then striding through the room. 

"He was snooping," Magneto said distainfully, looking at Quicksilver like he was the worst kind of thief; a bad one. 

"I was... uh..." Peter knuckled his nose. Sneezing would be just about the worst thing to do. Logan looked from him to Magneto. 

"Let's all come out of the closet, okay?" he said, backing into the office. Peter sniggered, then muffled the resulting cough into his wrist. 

"Still... in the closet, bro..." He wheezed, dimpling. "You get back in here t- huh..." A look of panic came into his brown eyes, and he pinched his nose tight. 

"Stop that," Magneto said, narrowing his eyes at Quicksilver. 

"Stop wha- ...agg'sht!...ow." Quicksilver let go of his nose and dabbed at it with his sleeve. 

"Holding them in like that. It's not... good for you," Magneto said reluctantly. He fished around in his pockets for a tissue. 

Logan was looking at Peter with a mix of pity and amusement. "Dust?" he guessed, raising an eyebrow. 

Peter sniffled and looked away in lieu of answering. His silver eyebrows slid up and in as his breath began to hitch again. Magneto frowned in frustration when he couldn't find any tissues in his pockets. 

"Was there a party I wasn't made aware of?" asked a voice from the doorway. 

Peter pinched his nose and jerked forward with a silent sneeze and a less successful "hrgk..!"

"Stop it! I mean it!" Magneto exclaimed. 

"Bless you, Peter," said Charles, wheeling himself into the office. "Here," he pulled out a packet of tissues from his pocket and handed it to Peter. "Now, what's going on?" he asked. 

Magneto glared at him. "This boy was rooting through my things like a pig looking for truffles," he said. Charles turned to Logan. 

"I was just looking for the kid, and I found him here," Logan said, shrugging. "He's been acting weird," -Peter stiffened- "and I was just making sure he was doing okay." 

"I'b doig fide..." Peter mumbled, wiping his nose. 

"Blow," Magneto snapped. Peter blushed and turned away slightly. He held the tissues to his nose and blew softly. All he produced was a stuffy gurgle and he wasn't about to make that any louder. 

"Go ahead and blow harder, Peter," Charles said kindly. "That won't do any good." 

"He's bunged up," Logan said, crossing his arms. "He needs a decongestant. Also, he looks kinda flushed," he added, leaning closer.

""He" cad hear you," Peter shot back. Magneto cleared his throat. 

"He could be running a temperature. When I touched his arm earlier, he felt warm," he said, looking anywhere but at Charles. Mothering was the Professor's job. 

""Touched by arb"... you yadked be!" Peter protested. 

Charles reached instinctively to lay his palm on Peter's forehead, but then remembered that he was confined to a sitting position. Logan noticed and shot a hand out towards the speedster's forehead. Peter ducked to the side and wobbled on his feet. 

Magneto caught him and pushed a hand to Peter's forehead before he could wiggle out of his grip. Magneto's brow furrowed. 

"Fever," he said shortly, and let go. Peter stumbled into Logan, who steadied him and felt his forehead for himself, while putting his other hand to his own to compare. 

"Definitely," he said. 

Peter scowled, then acquired a helpless expression as his breath hitched. He pulled his shirt collar over his nose and mouth. 

"'tschoo!"

"Bless you," said Charles and Logan. 

"...Bless," Magneto sighed. 

[VividBubbles!]

I think the squealing sound I just made may have worried my dog a bit. The look he just gave me was a mix of some confusion and a great amount of concern. BUT IT WAS JUST SO. FRICKIN'. CUTE! I can't wait to read more!

[lillian]

7 hours ago, VividBubbles! said:

I think the squealing sound I just made may have worried my dog a bit. The look he just gave me was a mix of some confusion and a great amount of concern. BUT IT WAS JUST SO. FRICKIN'. CUTE! I can't wait to read more!

there's more on the way, so you're in luck!

[Sitruuna]

I find myself in need to take a break from reading this because the idea of Eric carrying tissues around in his pockets it too appealing. Because if he didn't carry them around at least sometimes he probably wouldn't bother checking id he had any with him at that moment...

And another break becausd of caring Logahn. You are killing me (in a positive way).

Definitely killing me. With an overdose of of adult men who don't seem like the types to be very adwpt at care taking and general worrying (exept Charles lol) being so... Like that.

[lillian]

@Sitruuna I'm happy you like it! 

[lillian]

Part 3!

 

“Now stay in bed for me, alright Peter?” Charles said gently, patting Peter’s knee. The speedster was tucked in, propped up against the headboard. 

 

“Okay,” he mumbled. Any fight he had previously possessed was leaving him quickly. It was hard to keep his eyes open and his ears were buzzing. His… dad… was leaning in the doorway, cool and sleek as a New Yorker in his black turtleneck. Even without his (in Peter’s opinion) stupid-looking helmet, he was impenetrable. 

 

Charles’ brow furrowed. The boy thought as fast as he moved, but his feelings seeped into every crevice in his mind, creating a clearer map than any thoughts could. Charles could feel Peter’s achy limbs, his frustration at not being able to breathe through his nose, the painful throbbing in his left ear, and the uncomfortable fullness in his sinuses that was indicative of a cold that’s been hanging around for awhile. 

 

Apart from his physical discomfort, Charles sensed Peter’s emotional turmoil. Under Erik’s cautious gaze (which, Charles noted, his friend was trying to disguise as lazy observation), feelings of embarrassment, abandonment, and longing poured from the boy and into the telepath. As Peter’s thoughts slowed into an exhausted trickle, Charles was able to pick up on a specific one. 

 

...dad…stupid helmet...

 

Of course Charles had known. Peter had Erik’s lips, if very little else. His thoughts organized themselves the same way. Erik didn’t know, that was obvious. Maybe he sensed something…? Charles glanced back at Erik. 

 

“What?” Erik asked, raising an eyebrow. “Go on, read him a story.” 

 

No. Didn’t suspect a thing. 

 

“Rest,” Charles said, giving Peter's knee a squeeze. “And call if you need anything.”

 

Peter snuffled in reply and slid down so his head was buried under the covers. 

 

“G’dight…”

 

Before he followed Charles out the door, Erik waved a hand at the curtains and they snapped shut, blocking the daylight. 

 

 

Logan!

 

Logan took another sip of his before-bed drink and ignored the voice in his head. 

 

Logan! 

 

What, Charles? He shot back. He was trying to relax with a nice 4/5ths of whiskey. 

 

Check on Peter, he’s woken himself up. 

 

Logan sighed and pushed himself off the couch. Charles was a worry-wart. 

 

He rethought this statement as he approached Peter’s room. The deep, crackly coughs he could hear through the door made him wince in sympathy. He knocked on the door, and let himself in at Peter’s wheezy “yeah?”

 

“You okay, bub?” Logan asked, reaching the bed in two long strides. He placed a palm on Peter’s forehead. The kid just looked up at him with watery eyes. Christ. “You’re still runnin’ a fever. I’m gonna get you another blanket,” he said, walking to the closet. He found a (slightly dusty and moth-eaten) blanket folded in the corner. A wet and rattling cough from the bed caught his attention and he quickly shook the blanket out. No need to irritate the kid’s already-inflamed sinuses with a dusty blanket. 

 

“huh’shh… uh’schtt!” 

 

Crap. 

 

Logan turned, holding the blanket still. “You allergic to dust at all?” he asked with a frown. Peter shook his head. 

 

“Dot… really…”

 

Logan inspected the blanket as best he could in the dark room. An unfamiliar tickle was blooming in the back of his sinuses, and he rubbed his nose against his shoulder. Deciding the blanket was clean enough, he walked to the bed and tucked it around Peter. 

 

“Th… thehh.. there,” he said, rubbing his nose. “Warmer?” 

 

Peter nodded, burrowing into the blanket. His lungs were burning, but at least now he wasn’t so cold. He hadn’t meant to call out to Charles. He’d been hacking up a lung and Charles must have noticed-

 

“HR’ShHHEH!” 

 

Peter jumped, jerking out of his own misery to see Logan wiping his nose with a tissue snatched from the box on Peter’s bedside table.

 

“Bless you,” Peter said. Logan sniffed. Had he been feeling better, Peter would have peppered the mutant with rapid-fire questions like “what’s the use of super-healing if you still gotta sneeze,” but he was too tired to be impolite. 

 

“Thanks.” Logan cleared his throat and threw the tissue in the direction of the wastebasket, where a couple days’ worth of missed tosses littered the ground. Another painful-sounding round of coughs from Peter reminded him of his purpose. “Okay, how long has it been since you’ve had medicine?” He asked. He kinda missed the laudanum of his childhood. It sure eased a bad cough. Peter shrugged. 

 

“Whed I wedt to bed, I guess,” he said, breathless and hoarse. 

 

“Okay, time for more,” Logan said, picking up the bottle of NyQuil Charles had provided. He squinted at the instructions for a moment, then looked over at Peter with a raised eyebrow. “Wanna just swig some?” Peter reached for the bottle. 

 

An approximately adequate amount of cold medicine downed, Peter was blinking sleepily up at Logan, his lips tinged slightly blue from the NyQuil. 

 

“Gonna be okay, bub?” Logan asked, sitting on the edge of the bed. Peter answered with a cough that shook his shoulders. Logan frowned. Peter kept coughing, muffling the gravely sound into his pillow. When it didn’t look like he was going to stop soon, Logan grabbed his shoulder. “C’mon, sit up.” He pulled the boy up and rubbed his back. 

 

Peter finally stopped coughing and tried to catch his breath. 

 

“Okay, easy, easy,” Logan murmured. Peter’s eyes fluttered closed and his eyebrows raised in a now-familiar expression. 

 

“hehh… heptshhu! eschhyuu!” As Peter belatedly threw an arm up to cover, Logan realized this was the first time the kid hadn’t squashed the sneezes. 

 

“Getting sleepy?” he asked. Peter sniffled, eyes droopy and teary. 

 

“…kschhew!” 

 

“Bless ya. Alright, try to get some shut-eye,” Logan said, standing. Peter lay down, pulling the covers tightly around himself. “Here,” Logan added, getting the other pillow and lifting Peter’s head to slide it under. “Keep your head elevated.” Peter coughed again. “And stay off your back, you won’t cough as bad.” He felt Peter’s forehead a final time, then tucked the covers up to his chin. 

 

“Logad?” Peter asked hoarsely. 

 

“Yeah?” 

 

“Thadks.”

 

“No problem, bub,” Logan replied. He headed for the door, then turned around. “Yell if you start hacking up blood.” 

 

“Okay. Good dight,” Peter murmured. 

 

“Night, kid."

Edited February 1, 2021 by lillian

[Sitruuna]

I don't really know what to say but I want you to know this chapter, too, was as enjoyable as the previous ones.

Also. Logan snz. Yes pls.