A/N : Final chaper of this one. I'm going to miss Toddler!Peter so much too, isn't he just the most adorable little thing? Thanks all readers and reviewers as always. As I've said I'm working on two long, multi-chapter prompts at the moment and want to get a fair chunk done before I start posting, but if you want to see anything shorter and posted faster, feel free to prompt and request. You know by now that I will write almost anything.
7.
"You're fine," Hank said. Peter rolled his eyes, grabbed his t-shirt to slip back into.
"Yeah, I know. I knew that before you did. Can I go now? Is that Okay?"
"Yes, you can –"
"Awesome. Dadneto? Catch you in the morning, K?"
"The morning?" Erik looked puzzled, "What are you doing now?"
"What I do best, dude"
"You're going for a run?"
"No. I'm going to go eat everything I can lay my hands on and go to sleep. I told you, I'm absolutely starving and every second you keep me here talking is a second wasted, so can I please just – OOF!"
Unseen by Peter, Scott had heard his voice when he'd been passing by the infirmary door, rushed in and unexpectedly thrown his arms around the boy's waist, squeezing him so tightly it felt like he was trying to give him the Heimmlich.
"Oh my god Maximoff, you wouldn't believe how glad I am to see you!"
Scott told him, squeezed until Peter had pulled his arms forcibly apart. Gave Scott a curious look them reached for paper and a pen from Hank's trolley, held it out to the other boy
"I want that in writing" he grinned, "S'good to see you too man. And hey? No hard feelings"
"Really?"
"Really. Honestly I think we should keep that machine – being a toddler for a week is like the best vacation ever, you should try it. Now really, anyone else got something urgent to say to me? No? Great"
With that he was gone in a blink, presumably to find the nearest open pizzeria and make a thorough pig of himself. Erik had missed the little body beside him when he went to bed that night, taken a long time to drift off without the soft sounds of a child's breathing in the room. Still found himself semi-awake and downstairs making a sandwich before he had even thought about it at 3AM the next morning.
Realising what he'd done, Erik smiled a little sadly then was struck by an idea, carrying the sandwich and milk up to his son's room, where he could hear the smallest little signs of movement. Tapping on the door quietly, and entering to see that Peter was just awake, still sitting in his bed in pyjamas with his hair sticking up, rubbing his eyes and looking thoroughly confused at Erik's appearance.
"Dad?" he yawned, "Whatcha doing here?"
"I thought I'd bring you breakfast in bed" he said, placed the plate on the nightstand, took a seat on the edge of the bed, couldn't help smoothing down the waves of unruly silver with one hand, "Or the start of breakfast, at any rate"
"Thanks!" Peter beamed at him. The sandwich was gone in seconds, the milk likewise, sitting back against the pillows contentedly, "Hey, I didn't say, but thanks for the past week. It's been awesome"
"Really?" Erik looked incredulous, "You… didn't mind being a helpless child?"
"Doesn't matter if I was helpless, dude. I had an amazing Dad to take care of me," he smiled sweetly, reached out a hand. Erik took it immediately, forgetting for a moment that he wasn't a baby anymore, "You were brilliant. I never realised what a sweet Dad there was under that crusty old exterior"
"It's 3AM and I've not slept well, Peter. Don't push it"
His son laughed at that, hauled himself out of the bed and began stretching out. Erik couldn't help but think of the little boy flexing his non-existent muscles proudly, smiled fondly at him.
"I had a good week too" he said quietly, "You were a very well-behaved child. What went wrong?"
"Oh I dunno – hormones? My X-gene? Not having the kindest Dad in the world around to push me on the swings?"
"You really remember everything?"
"Sure do" he smirked, "Especially the horsie rides, those were *amazing* - you know you could still do that, I'm pretty light"
"Not if you begged on your hands and knees," Erik told him firmly. He zipped off into the closet, returned a moment later with his sweats on, kneeled to tighten the laces of his trainers.
"You wanna come for a jog with me?" He asked hopefully, "I'll take it slow, I promise"
"What's 'slow' to you? Only 200 miles an hour? It's a kind offer, Peter, but I'm going back to bed. Some of us need more than four hours sleep"
He allowed his son to find his headphones, collect his keys, strap on the belt with everything he needed, before at last he had asked
"Peter, when you were de-aged… Did you have your adult memories? You seemed to retain something, I'm not sure though"
The boy looked thoughtful, Came to sit down on the edge of the bed, shoulder-to-shoulder with his father. Snuggling close even now – Erik had never noticed how close he liked to sit to people before, but it seemed the obvious antecedent of his cuddle-seeking nature as a child.
"Kinda… but kinda not" he said, frowned and tried to find the words, "Like I knew some stuff, but it was as if the memories were there but I couldn't access them. Does that make any sense?"
"I think so. Hank thought your undeveloped brain might not be able to process adult thoughts"
"Yeah, it was like that, I think. I didn't feel like I do now though – emotionally, I mean" he fell silent a moment, looked up at Erik a little sadly, "It was nice, not having a tornado in my head. Peaceful. I sort of miss it. I wasn't worried about anything, and you made me feel really safe, so I didn't even get fretful about Mom not being here, or Wanda. It was really great"
Erik put an arm around his son's shoulders. Peter sank gratefully into it, rested his head against Erik's shoulder for a few minutes, feeling his father's head come to rest against his own. After a while, he had realised that the arm around him was feeling heavy and limp, nudged his father. He sprung out of a doze with an undignified little snort, blinked blearily at him.
"You go on back to bed, Dadneto" he grinned. "When you're up later though, do you have much planned for the day?"
"No, I should catch up on some work, but nothing that can't wait"
"Cool," the boy said, "Wanna go feed the ducks later?"