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All of the X-Men, with the addition of one Erik Lehnsherr, were seated at the table having dinner. Hank and Raven were talking, Erik and Charles were catching up, Jean, Scott, and Ororo were doing whatever it was they were doing, and Peter and Kurt were being oddly silent. It wasn't abnormal for Kurt to be quiet, but it was for Peter. He wasn't talking, just eating and resting his head on Kurt's shoulder.
Erik now knew that Peter was his son, and he did try to be there for him, but their relationship was still a little uncomfortable. Erik was glad he still had family left, but Peter didn't know what a dad was supposed to do, especially not one that finds out about your existence when you're in your 20s, and definitely not one that killed the president and tried taking over the world. They already had a weird relationship without being related, that fact just added onto it.
In addition to Erik knowing, everyone else knew too. It's not like Peter tried hiding it at that point, he wanted to have a normal family and what normal family pretends they aren't a family? Everyone also knew about Raven and Kurt's relationship, though they were far less open about it. Raven was always uncomfortable around Kurt, not knowing what to say, and Kurt seemed to not pay any mind to it.
That all made their seating arrangement uncomfortable, though. At the head of the table was Charles. To his left, Erik, Raven, Hank, and Ororo. To his right, Peter, Kurt, Scott, and Jean. Peter and Kurt were sitting right in front of their respective parents. Everyone tried ignoring how uncomfortable it was, Hank and the others got that feeling too, but it was hard to push aside. The awkward tension was horribly overbearing.
The first time Peter finally spoke up, after initially thanking Ororo and Jean, who made the meal, was to ask Kurt to pass a dish. He tapped Kurt’s arm, not using his words, to get his attention.
“Could you pass the potatoes?” Peter asked. His voice was barely over a whisper.
“Of course, Liebling,” Kurt said, reaching for the dish. Peter loved when Kurt called him that.
“Thank you, Tata.”
Erik choked on his drink and Raven froze mid bite. Peter's attention quickly turned to them when Erik started coughing and he realized they understood him. He quickly got up and ran away while Charles put his hand on Erik's shoulder, trying to get him to calm down and breathe. Raven quickly shoved a bite of food in her mouth, just in case anyone wanted to ask what their reactions were about.
“‘Tata’?” Erik repeated, his face red from coughing. He cleared his throat. “Is that what he called you?” He asked Kurt.
Kurt looked around the table, not understanding what this was all about. Everyone was staring at him. “Ja… why?” He asked. “What does it mean?”
“Don't play dumb with me, boy,” Erik said sternly. His tone lost a bit of its effect since he was just choking on water.
“Erik, leave him alone,” Raven said, holding him back from standing up.
“‘Tata’,” he repeated again.
*“You already know your son has psychological issues, what's one more?” Raven asked in Polish so no one else could understand her.
“Wait, what are you saying?” Kurt asked quickly.
“It is none of your business,” Erik said, turning back to Raven.
**“It is his business,” Raven said in German.
**“Why is Peter calling you ‘Tata’?” Erik glared at Kurt.
**“I really do not know what it means. It is a nickname. I have asked him what it means, but he will not tell me,” Kurt explained.
**“You’ve never looked it up?” Raven asked.
**“I respect his boundaries. If he wants to tell me, he can. I am concerned now, though,” Kurt told her.
**Erik started ignoring him again. “I am his father, Raven–”
**“You sure as hell don't act like it, maybe that's why he found someone to replace you,” Raven interrupted him.
**“Why wouldn't he come to me? I'm his father. Why would he be calling anyone else that?”
**“He's tried to,” she put emphasis on the word ‘tried’, “but you always push him away. He is your son, you are his father, act like it.” Raven near-shouted at him.
Kurt was still just as confused as before, nothing was being cleared up and he only had more questions. What did Erik mean? He implied Peter called him his father, but why would Peter do that? He opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off by Erik.
*“Why do you care so much about my relationship with Peter?” Erik asked. He went back to speaking Polish. It wasn't an actual question, he didn't really want an answer, but Raven answered anyway.
*“Because you have a son that still loves you,” Raven said. Erik started to say something, but she cut him off again. “My son wants nothing to do with me and I don't blame him. Peter forgives you for not knowing about his existence, while I don't deserve to be forgiven for abandoning Kurt. Take what love Peter still has for you, or that will be gone too. Don't force yourself to lose another family member.”
Erik didn't say anything. He kept the same strict expression on his face as he stood up. Raven stood up with him. “Erik Magnus Lehnsherr, sit your ass down right now,” she shouted at him. In the background, she heard Scott stifle a laugh.
“I'm leaving,” Erik said, grabbing his coat and pushing in his chair.
*“That's all you do,” Raven said, sitting back down.
**“Where is he?” Erik switched back to German to talk to Kurt.
**“Peter?” Kurt asked.
**“No, the king of Spain,” Erik said sarcastically.
Raven shifted into the big guy with the claws Kurt met before the Apocalypse fight. He later learned the man's name was Logan and that he was from the future. Raven had her eyes shut for a moment, before turning back into herself.
“Peter's in the next room. Erik,” Raven said, stopping Erik before he could walk off, “leave him alone. Kurt, you go.” She didn't mention that Peter kept repeating the same phrase to himself, ‘I’m only six, it can't hurt me.’
Kurt nodded and hopped up quickly, jogging to the other room where Peter was. “Why did you turn into the time traveler?” Erik asked, sitting back down.
“He has good hearing,” Raven said. “I'm sure with his full powers he can track anyone down.” She switched back to Polish to say one more thing, “You leave Peter alone for a while, he doesn't need you questioning him right now.”
Kurt ran off to find Peter. He stopped at the next door, like Raven said, though Kurt didn't understand why Peter would be in the laundry room, and listened for a moment. He heard quiet sobs being drowned out by the noises the dryer was making. Kurt waited for another moment, going over the series of events that just happened, then knocked gently.
He heard the crying pause when he knocked. “Peter, it is only Kurt,” Kurt said softly. Peter went right back to crying. “May I come in?” He asked.
“Y-yeah,” Peter hiccuped. Kurt slowly turned the handle and entered the room. He closed and locked the door behind him. “Make them stop fighting,” Peter whispered, looking up at Kurt sadly while the younger mutant kneeled beside him.
“I think they are done,” Kurt said. He rested his hand on Peter's knee, but was quickly tackled by the speedster in a tight hug. “I am right here, Liebling, I have got you,” Kurt whispered reassuringly, holding Peter close.
“I-I’m sorry,” Peter sobbed. “I'm sorry, Tata, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to make everyone start fighting, I really didn't.”
“It is not your fault, Peter,” Kurt kissed his forehead. “I do not know what set Erik off, but I am sure you did nothing.”
“He's mad at me, I know he is.”
Peter was trembling in Kurt's arms and Kurt wanted nothing more than to help him calm down. “Why would he be mad at you?”
“Because I called you Tata. He said it himself, he doesn't like that,” Peter whispered.
“It is none of his business,” Kurt said, petting Peter's hair. “Prince,” Peter held him tighter at the nickname, “what does that mean?”
Peter bit his lip and refused to look at Kurt. “You'll hate me if I tell you. You'll think I'm weird or gross.”
That hurt to hear. Kurt’s chest tightened when Peter said he thought his own boyfriend would hate him over a nickname. “I will not hate you, and I will not think you are weird or gross. I promise.”
His eyes screwed shut and more tears rolled down his cheeks. “D-daddy,” he whispered. Peter was so scared of Kurt's reaction, but Kurt only nodded.
“Tata’s here,” he whispered, cradling Peter's face in his hands, “and I will always be here, no matter what.”
Peter started sobbing again at the words. “I don't wanna be a big kid, it's hard and scary,” he cried.
Kurt tried to understand, even if he had no idea what was happening. “You do not have to be all the time,” he said, hoping that was a good answer.
Sure, he's noticed Peter acts childish, and sometimes it seemed like he actually thought he was a kid, but Kurt just thought that was Peter just having fun. He didn't know it was an actual thing. He'd watch kids cartoons with him because he just thought that was what Peter liked. Kurt started piecing different things together. The cute pajamas, the stuffed animals with silly names, the cartoons, the drawings that would sometimes be really bad, but Peter was always proud of it as if he created the new Mona Lisa. It all started to make more sense.
“I don't wanna be a big kid right now,” Peter snuggled into Kurt’s chest.
“You do not have to be. It is just us here,” Kurt whispered, kissing Peter's forehead again.
“What if they start fighting again?” Peter whispered.
“Erik and Raven are none of our concern. They can handle themselves.”
“Mom and Anthony would fight a lot,” he said.
Kurt tried thinking of anyone with that name, but no one came up. “Who is Anthony?”
“My step-dad. He moved in with us when I was five,” Peter answered. “He was really mean to me and Wanda. He didn't like us because we weren't his kids. The only people he cared about in our family were Max and Mom.”
“I am sorry, you did not deserve that,” Kurt said.
“I did,” Peter choked. “I was a horrible child. Anthony would get mad every time I did something wrong, even if it was just forgetting to do the dishes one night. When I started stealing things, he- he-” he started crying again, unable to finish his sentence.
“You do not have to tell me,” Kurt said. He hugged Peter to his chest again, wanting to fight off any back memories and feelings.
“It was my fault,” Peter sobbed. “I wanted him out of the house so I made him do bad things, but Mom never believed me when I told her what she did. But then Wanda found out, and now she's gone. She's probably being treated like a monster right now, all she wanted to do was protect me,” he squeezed Kurt’s shoulder, needing something to ground himself.
This was a lot for Kurt to process. Peter didn't talk about his family much, and now he knew why. All Kurt knew about was Wanda and Max's existence, he didn't know anything else about them, though.
“How about we get out of the laundry room. We can go upstairs and cuddle until we fall asleep,” Kurt offered. Peter always loves cuddling with Kurt.
“Please,” Peter whispered. Next thing he knew, they were both upstairs and lying down in bed together.
“We should get dressed,” Kurt said, though he didn't move to get up until Peter was ready.
Peter shook his head. “Please stay,” he whispered again.
“Of course,” Kurt said, stroking Peter's hair. “I will always stay with you.”