man up; trans peter parker

three

peter woke to the phone ring of his aunt may, a call that he got each morning to remind him that she missed him very dearly and she loved her nephew very much.

"mornin' pete! it's aunt may!" she cheered through the phone to the exhausted kid.

"hey aunt may, and i know who it is i have your contact in my phone." peter replied groggily, his morning voice rough.

"don't forget you have to stop by to get a t shot today kiddo, you can't miss those."

"ugh, can you do it with me please?"

"peter, buddy, i know its hard and i know you don't want to do it by yourself, but i'm not gonna be around forever to do it with you."

peter went silent, he lost his parents and his uncle ben when he was just a young boy and he hated the fact of thinking that he might lose his aunt may too. peter parker just could not take another heartbreak, but he also knew that his aunt may was sick.

"pete? you there still?" May asked concerned, breaking peter out of the depressive trance that he was stuck in.

"oh what um yeah? yeah of course, how are you feeling aunt may?"

"for having cancer i'm feeling pretty good, i've got a round of chemo coming up next week."

"can i please come with you?"

"no buddy, i don't want you to see me that sick, plus, spiderman has really gotta help new york city stay out of trouble and he can't do that from a hospital now can he?"

"i guess not, but i just want to be there for you."

there was a sudden knock on peter's door followed by the sound of steve rogers' voice telling him that thor had tried to make breakfast.

"hey aunt may, i gotta go but i'll stop by to see you later and pick up my things alright?"

"alright pete, i'll see you later buddy, i love you!"

"i love you too may. bye!" peter hung up the phone and carefully sat up, remembering that he forgot to take off his binder last night. he felt harsh pressure on his ribcage and lungs and struggled to stand up out of his comfy bed. he wobbled away from the bed and out of his room to the dining room where most of the avengers crew sat.

"morning young peter!" thor boomed from across the kitchen, scaring peter who wasn't even half awake yet. most of the crew said hello or good morning to peter as he sat down at his seat at the island next to sam and wanda. peter laid his head down on the polished granite of the island and groaned in pain of his chest, sparking the attention of stephen and bruce.

"you alright there peter?" bruce asked carefully. peter looked up and nodded at bruce with a smile on his face. thor began passing out plates of omelets to each avenger. as people began to eat peter stood up with a wince.

"i'm gonna go take a shower, aunt may wanted to see me today and i have to pick up a few things from the apartment. im taking a day off from spiderman." peter declared as he took a bite of thors omelet.

"should one of us come with you?" clint asked, standing up to leave to go take a shower too. peter shook his head and kindly declined his offer.

after finishing eating, peter retreated to his room where he quickly took off his binder and scolded himself for wearing it for so long. he let out a long and held back breath as he felt his diaphragm and ribs expand painfully yet blissfully. there were a sharp three knocks on peter's door, bruce banner's voice following quickly after, asking if he could come in.

"just a second!" peter shouted in response. he hastily pulled on his tattered and old binder and threw a random shirt on top of it. he jogged towards the door and opened it to reveal the concerned looking scientist.

"hey mister banner can i help you?" peter asked anxiously and rather quick.

"call me bruce. and yes i'm concerned about you, this morning at breakfast you seemed like you were in a great deal of pain is there something you should tell me? i am a doctor and i am sworn to confidentiality unless you're inflicting pain upon yourself." bruce explained casually to him.

"really, i'm fine, thank you though."

"peter, i'm a little smarter than that my friend."

bruce sat down at a desk and gestured for peter to sit down on the bed so that they could have a conversation keeping each other's full attention. peter ran his fingers through his hair and exhaled deeply. peter hadn't come out to any of the avengers quite yet, he didn't think that any of them would understand or accept him in the slightest, but here he was about to come out to bruce banner, who turns into a giant green monster when he gets angry.

"mister banner, er, bruce. i need to tell you something." peter breathed, looking at the pattern of the rug beneath his feet and not to the eyes of the scientist.

"i'm listening peter." bruce replied kindly, folding his hands neatly in his lap.

"i'm transgender." peter said with as much confidence as he could possibly muster which wasn't as much as he was hoping for. bruce smiled and pat peter on the shoulder.

"thank you for telling me. i want you to know that not i nor any of the other avengers or heroes are going to think any differently of you. you are still the peter that we met three weeks ago and you always will be."

peter looked up with the biggest grin on his face, he quickly wrapped his arms around bruce's shoulders and hugged him tightly, bruce returning the favor before pulling away and speaking again.

"peter i do want to make sure that you are binding safely, and if you don't mind i'd like to know your testosterone doses to see if they need to be heightened."

"thank you, bruce."