SLOW DOWN // X-MEN // PETER MAXIMOFF × READER

☆ Chapter 1 ☆

"Ma, I'm leaving," called Peter, throwing on his silver jacket. "You need anything while I'm out?"

   With a tired look on her face, she smugly scoffed. "Yeah, I need you to behave for once and don't steal, you hear me?" She pointed her mug filled with coffee to her son, spilling some of her drink as she did.

   Quickly, Peter swooped up the falling puddle of coffee after snatching the mug from her hand. He then carefully placed the mug back into his mother's grip, smiling at her exasperation before mimicking the look on her face. Of course, he wouldn't get in trouble for that last bit; she would never know he teased her.

   After giving a 'boop' to her nose, Peter sped back onto the spot where he was last standing. When time seemed to resume again, his mother blinked several times over before glancing at her mug and then to her son again.

   "...thanks..." she said before slowly sipping her coffee. She squinted her eyes, suspiciously looking towards the boy in front of her.

   "You're welcome," said Peter. At this point of time, they were used to it. After his biological dad left his mother, it was only them two. Of course, later he had a sister to help take care of, but they were nevertheless a close family.

   She accepted him for what he was: a mutant. Though it proved to be a difficult task to raise him alone as a single parent, she knew he was a good kid at heart.

   "Remember, be careful about what you do out there, alright?" She warned.

   Peter felt around his pockets. "What do you mean, when am I not careful?" he said, pulling out a pair of goggles.

"I swear, one of these days you're gonna get caught if you-" And just like that, she was talking to the air. She shook her head and took another sip. "That boy just doesn't learn."

☆ ☆ ☆

He shut the door behind him and made his way to his favorite gas station several blocks down. Well, maybe to him it felt like it was only several blocks down but, still, not too far for running distance. Either way, it was worth the trip just to get his favorite snack, Twinkies.

   But what made this gas station better than the others? Twinkies weren't exactly classified as decadent. Surely, most gas stations and grocery stores had them in stock, so why was this one considered a favorite location?

   With no working cameras or large amount of staff at hand, the security was undeniably inexistent.

   He could zoom past all the the employees and customers in the small establishment, and not hear a peep from anyone. It was as if no one knew he was there, rummaging through the shelves or even checking the back storage for freshly ordered packages of snack cakes and other junky treats.

   In fact, sometimes he'd indulge and eat an entire coconut Snowball on the spot without anyone noticing. Once he left the wrapper on the checkout counter just to see the cashier's confusion. Needless to say, they were spooked.

   Since then, that cashier quit the next day after their paranoia got the better of them. They claimed it was a ghost haunting the store and dipped as soon as they got the chance. The owner of the gas station cussed them out for the short notice and had to take up the position as cashier himself.

   Peter felt kind of bad for the whole thing. Kinda. Though sad, he had to admit, it was funny.

   But the funnier thing was seeing how upset the owner got with each customer. He clearly could not handle the counter himself, and Peter took advantage of that.