Chapter Text
Otto was eternally grateful.
He gets to get a 2nd chance of life again.
After the whole multiverse shenanigan, with talking lizards (he totally talked to dr. Connors and made sure he stayed away from ANYTHING reptile) to magic swirling all around them like some clown trick, Otto was yes indeed, a free man.
No more voices. No more destructive AI telling him what to do. It was just Otto.
Of course when he returned back to his universe in 2004, helped Peter stop the fusion reactor in time, Otto was rightfully paying for his mistakes behind bars.
For a little bit of course. Norman, now freed and cured as well , bailed Otto out of jail and started a journey of the early stages of newly founded friendship.
As such, Otto immediately started working at Oscorp. Norman made sure to help Otto funding wise, whilst also making sure the doctor doesn’t make the same mistake twice again, making sure he has the extra help for his projects to peer review his work.
“You know, I could make a few calls and get you some astounding student interns, Otto.” Norman babbled as Otto and him had a friendly dinner.“There’s many bright students Harry knows at ESU-
“Why not Peter?” Otto asked carefully, wondering why Norman didn’t bring up the idea from the start. “All Peters, brilliant young men. Our Peter, extremely brilliant. The kid has skill Norman, you saw who he grew up to be. “
Norman slightly paled at the mention of him, whether the businessman was thinking of the baby Peter hurt terribly from the other universe, or their Peter he possibly traumatized for life at a young age, Otto couldn’t tell.
In a normal Norman fashion, he put his hands in a placating manner. “Someone sounds defensive now. Look Otto, do you really think Peter could be reliable though?”
Otto was taken aback. “Why not?”
Norman did the hand gesture of shooting webs. “Otto, Harry tells me that Peter still managed to fail his some of his semesters. Peter doesn’t have a proper schedule. You need someone reliable.”
“Peter is reliable. He saved me, Norman. He also saved you too.”
Norman raised a brow.
Otto sighed as his actuators whirred thoughtfully. “Look, fine. He’s not that reliable. But as far as having the time management of a middle school boy…I’ll teach him. I’ll properly train him to manage his time wisely.”
Normans eyes widened. “You know that’s not part of your paid job…right? You don’t have to do that.”
“Yes, I know. Life is far more important than money, Osborn.”
***
“So, what are you working on Doc? I suddenly thought about how we could possibly drabble in the multiverse theory-
A claw stopped Peter walking further into the lab gently.
“Hold on, Peter. I know you are excited to start our research projects together. But there’s somethings you should know for being an intern. As for, there wasn’t a best track record with you and DR. Connors, so it was pretty difficult for your name to get considered.”
“But you know why though, Otto.” Peter frowned, pulling down his shirt to show his other persona. Ottos eyes widened slightly.
Does he really wear that under his clothes all the time?
“Yes, but that still doesn’t take away that you aren’t reliable when it comes to commitments. Per say your superhero duties. That’s why we’re gonna run things a little differently to get you adjusted.”
Otto really wanted to help Peter out. Now that Otto can be present in his life, he knows that Peter no longer has to be alone in figuring stuff out.
He’s not a child, but he’s still a young kid, figuring out how the world works while he has the weight of it on his shoulders. At Ottos age, he just worried about missing finals or spilling coffee on his reports.
Those blue eyes have seen so much, yet Otto knows that they will start to wear in the future, like when he saw his older Peter.
“Otto. Are you making fun of me?” Peter’s question broke him out of his trance.
Otto raised a brow. “No. Why would you say that?”
“Well, I remember having these charts from preschool to 3rd grade.” Peter pointed to the kindergarten themed attitude chart, labeled with colored bears and clothing pins. There was even a set of stickers next to it that said ‘you’re on time superstar’ or ‘you can do it!’
What? Otto thought it was hysterical at the time…or was that Harry? Or Flo? Hmm.
Peter’s voice was a little more high pitched now, for an unknown reason to Otto. “Doc, you know I’m 20 years old, right? And im in college, I pay for my own-
“Apartment. Yet, the rent is always late and you manage to fail your classes while being on top.”
Peter looked at Otto quickly before his expression saddened, akin a kicked puppy look. “I also save people on a daily basis, you know...” He muttered.
Otto sighed softly, not meaning to hurt the boy’s feelings but merely get his point across. He laid an actuator on the boy’s shoulder.
“Peter, look. I… want to help you dear boy. You don’t have to do this “adult” journey alone, you know? I just want to prepare you on how you can manage your superhero life while you have your Peter Parker life. You deserve that at least.”
Peter’s mouth slightly slacked open, trying to speak but failing, like a gasping fish.
Otto watched as the boy gained his composure, slowly walk to doctor and looked up with big blue shiny doe eyes. The lad put a small hand on his shoulder.
“Thank you Otto. I really…really appreciate it.”
Otto smiled, glad that Peter understands.
***
Otto never really wanted kids, but never got the chance to explore that when his work got on the way or when his lovely Rosie passed away.
But now, after losing her, a pain of loss still sat with him and he believed no one other than her could fill it.
However, when a certain little spider called Peter hopped into his life, his perspective might have..shifted on what it truly means to love …
Again, Peter was not a child yet he was still a young kid. Otto knew the boy had parents, they died, had an uncle, he died too(Norman never explained how though)- he even had Norman temporarily as his father figure but that kinda shifted when he- yeesh, what’s going on with Peters and their parental figures?
A month went by and well- yeah, the kid definitely needed this practice. Peter has been late to his internship with Otto for the past 2 weeks, 1st week went really well, on time and he was ready to work! But after Sunday hit- Peter was just constantly late all the time.
It varied from school excuses, Spider-Man or even one time Peter slept in for 2 days and know one knew. Not even Harry knew.
Otto sighed, wondering if suspending him from projects would help. What is he supposed to do? Make a checklist for the boy, have him set alarms? How do you properly discipline your intern without firing them?
Today, was probably the latest that the kid has been. Longest he’s been late has been 20 minutes. “Peter. You’re 2 hours late. Where were you?”
A sullen figure messily placed his backpack in the corner of the room before already moving his pin to the orange bear.
Otto took off his glasses as he fully inspected the very quiet spider. “Peter? What’s with the silence-
“I don’t want to talk about it.” Peter said not unkindly, putting on his lab coat and goggles. “Just…not up for conversation today, if that’s okay with you sir.”
Otto cocked his head in surprise before deciding to not intervene now, especially to pay to the boy’s wishes.
“Okay, then, we should get to work. We can talk about your tardy later I suppose.”
Otto and Peter immediately began to work on lightweight prosthetics for Connors(since again?, no lizard DNA Connors) since this Peter didnt know about the alternate endings their reality had. Otto decided to save the multiverse research he was working with Norman when Peter was quite literally, old enough.
Otto didn’t really mind the silence he received , Peter was usually quite chatty despite being a quiet little wallflower in public. Figured he was having a little rough day like any person does.
Since Peter was working diligently, he decided to give Peter a break and sent him to make some tea for the both of them in the small kitchen on Otto’s floor.
That was about 15 minutes ago. What’s taking him so long?
Father, i sense disturbance outside the lab , Flo hissed quietly.
“Really? Is it a threat? Is someone intruding?” Otto absentmindedly kept working, not really worried since his children pick up on the slightest of disturbances .
No, no it’s not a threat at all, Harry twirled a bit, trying to get a sense on what was activating their protective mode. I think it might be the boy, I sense emotional disturbance. I sense it from the ground.
“Hmm, I see,” Otto sighed as he put his tools down, admiring his and Peter’s work. It was strange to think his arms could detect an emotional disturbance, but could it be that bad that they sensed it from the ground?
Maybe because we are advanced? Duh. I don’t understand why you would question our abilities Father, you created us!
“Larry, I’m not questioning anything of the sorts. This…just never happened before.”
Otto rounded the corner outside the lab quietly, following the directions his children gave him as he went to the kitchen.
I hypothesize that we are evolving… Moe snickered.
Otto fondly rolled eyes before he heard he heard glass shatter.
He instantly ran into the kitchen, arms up ready to fight, before freezing.
“Peter?! You’re bleeding!”
Glass from 2 mugs were shattered on the floor along with the tea splattered on the ground as well. Peter was standing over the 2 shattered mugs with arms out, like he was still processing what happened. His back was turned to Otto but Otto could see the drips of blood coming from Peter’s lab coat.
“What happened? Did the glass cut you?” Otto quickly grabbed a towel to cover the tea and glass. He instinctively moved Peter away from scene and led him back to the lab. His actuators grabbed a first aid kit, helped sit Peter down on a stool as Otto grabbed a wet rag. He noticed Peter looked a bit dazed and felt his head.
“Hmm, no fever.” When Peter didn’t say anything, Otto opened up Peter’s coat sleeve to find his left arm cut near the wrist, blood dripping to his forearm. “Holy guacamole boy, what happened?!”
“Clumsy I suppose. I’m sorry about mess I made,” Peter muttered quietly, wincing as Otto began to wipe the blood off his arm. Otto sighed as he looked at the damage, he didn’t burn himself thank goodness, but left a nasty cut along his wrist, blood dripping to the floor.
“Do not apologize for being clumsy, I knock things over all the time. Doesn’t help with these little munchkins purposely trying to pull my leg,” the actuators whirred in delight to match Otto’s attempt at pulling a joke, but when Peter didn’t smile or laugh, only getting a sigh from the boy, Otto frowned as he continued to patch up a clearly unhappy Peter.
Since Otto was used to getting hurt quite often, he knew the procedure on how cleanings cuts involved with liquids or glass since he’s been a scientist for as long as he could remember. He bent down to get a better angle of wiping Peter’s wound. He then had his children hand him supplies, such as the antiseptic spray, bandaids and wraps.
Otto carefully held Peter’s hand to work on the wound, slowly drying his skin until the antiseptic was no longer dripping. He then grabbed a large water proof brand aid and wrapped it around Peter’s wrist, until he was fully patched up.
“Peter, come on. What’s going on with you today?” He asked in now desperate frustration. “Look, I don’t mean to pry but you are really slacking this week Parker.”
When Peter just looked at him with a tight lipped expression, looking away from him, Otto snapped the first aid kit shut and stood up quickly.
He really didn’t have time for this right now. He really didn’t need Parker living up to the lazy title he got from Curt.
“Okay. That’s it, we are done for today. Go pack your stuff Parker. I really, really don’t have time for this right now, we will continue our work next week.” Otto mildly snapped as he went to go pack up his things for the day, about to lecture Peter about how he wasn’t taking this job seriously before he heard faint sniffling.
Otto turned around quickly, only to see Peter still sitting down now grasping his wrist tightly. Peter looked up with a trembling figure.
Whatever Otto was going to lecture instantly died on his mouth.
“Peter?” Ottos eyes widened as he bent down and looked up at Peter’s downcasted expression. What’s going on? Was he too harsh? “Easy, now. Are- are you okay?”
Peter finally looked up at Otto, Peter’s lips started to quiver dangerously.
Otto felt his heart beat faster as he tried figure out why Peter was about to-
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” Peter whimpered, bringing his knees up on the stool before wrapping his arms around himself, making himself look smaller.
WHATS GOING ON WHATS GOING ON-
“Peter? What are you sorry for-
“I already failed you by arriving 2 hours late- I lost my subway ticket so i couldn’t turn in my paper i stayed up working on last night- and and- then Jameson gave my assignment to someone else because during patrol I broke my camera but now I can’t get a new one and that was Uncle Bens-“ Peter babbled as tears ran down his face, the bottom of his palms pushing into his eyes as he tried to stop his tears.
“Woah woah slow down, Peter.” Otto quickly put his hand onto the emotional boy’s shoulder, Ottos heart completely shattering at the sounds of Peter’s cries.
Peter simply stifled his cry by shoving a fist in his mouth, hiccuping.
Ottos breath hitched watching Peter trying to quiet his own crying- seemingly like he was trying to suppress more emotion.
What do I do what do I do?? Otto was beyond flabbergasted, not expecting this outburst from Peter at all nor the seeming shitty day Peter seemed to have.
Otto was never good with comforting-Rosie was more on par with that. But when he had friends or family that were grieving- he offered a quiet hug or apologies in remembrance.
But this was Peter- Peter Parker. A young adult who has too much on his plate as a baby faced 20 year old, same Peter Parker who goes to school while he fights crime and works to stay in his crappy apartment- same Peter who’s fought for justice- simply the definition of how good humanity can be.
Otto, an ex villain if you will, hardly tries dealing with emotions now. Hardly offers comfort- rarely, and rare, and sometimes isn’t sure on advice that isn’t science or love related.
But why should that stop me? Clearly, Peter felt the need to break down or couldn’t hold it any longer- deciding to vent to Otto, and here,Otto hasn’t done nothing but probably embarrass the poor boy and making him feel bad.
The boy is human. Peter Parker is just a young kid.
Didn’t matter if Otto didn’t feel qualified to offer comfort to the sobbing hero.
Kid, distressed. Peter. Unhappy. Unhappy boy. Had a very very crappy day. Very unhappy- crying-
You don’t have to do this “adult” journey alone, you know?
“Oh Peter. You didn’t have a good week, did you?
Peter looked up with watery eyes as he nodded. Otto felt his own eyes sting as he gently pulled his intern for a tight hug. Peter kept hiccuping and shaking.
“It’s okay, it’s okay, let it out.” He wasnt sure if he was doing this right, but he made sure to hold on tight as Peter gripped his back tightly as he cried softly onto his lab coat. Peter tucked his head and Otto decided to gently cup Peter’s back head and mumbled reassurances.
“I had a really bad month, it’s just been piling up-“ Peter gasped.
”Oh my dear boy,” Otto felt his coat getting gripped, hearing Peter’s wails hurting his heart as the boy let out his frustrations. These problems may seem small- but no, they’re just… so innocent.
Loss of materials, failed a college assignment, work problems- on top of that being Spider-Man, just, seeing Peter this vulnerable, small, young..just sparked something more unexpected, a very very protective urge to shield Peter away from worlds problems and just wrap him up…make his life easier as it should be.
Soon, the cries quieted as they shared an embrace in silence- then, the sniffles stopped.
“Peter?” Otto whispered as he looked down, peeling Peter’s head gently from his coat to see Peter’s face pressed onto his chest, asleep.
Maybe Otto should have woken him up- worrying if having a breakdown then immediately falling asleep was normal or healthy- but seeing Peter’s face, calmly slackened, breathing softly as his body moved gently up and down, made Otto decide that Peter was staying at the lab tonight.
“Urm- alright, up we go I guess.” Otto chuckled nervously as he lifted himself up gently along with having Peter stand up with him. He asked his children to gently pick up Peter to help lead him to a couch Otto had in the lab.
Harry laying him down gently on the couch, Peter started to mumble, Otto instinctively put his fingers through his hair, shushing him gently. He had Larry go grab a blanket while Flo kept an eye on the boy.
Father, what was that back there? Moe asked as Otto wrapped the blanket around the young superhero, taking off his shoes as he made sure he was comfy. Otto also made sure to change the boys bandaid as it was already dirty.
What…is this? Moe whirred quietly.
“Peter had a bad day, so, I’m trying to help him. The boy has endured enough.” Otto sighed gently as he pushed some hair out of Peter’s face, a small smile appearing on the scientist.
“Well, looks like we are sleeping here tonight. I’ve done it before and I’ll do it again.” Otto turned off the lamp next to Peter to make sure Peter rests comfortably, wanting to wipe the now died teartracks off his face but felt he did all he could do.
“Sweet dreams, Pete.”