Pietro was excited for Halloween. The man was anxious to see fresh faces, to see a look of pure joy on someone, to just see a change of scenery. He’d been stuck at the apartment for about a month, with only Sharon and the occasional doctor for company. And as of late, Pietro had been doing his best to get Sharon back out into the field and working for SHIELD. It may have meant that he was going to spend more time alone, but most of what he did was sleep, so it really wasn’t too much of a sacrifice. Plus, he knew that Sharon needed it desperately. It appeared to do her a lot of good--color seemed to return to her cheeks, she smiled more, slept better, and her appetite seemed to grow. It made the mutant (could he still be called that without his powers?) so incredibly happy. He hadn’t felt that emotion for a while now.
On the night of Halloween itself, Sharon had insisted on staying with Pietro for giving out candy to the kids. He had requested that she go to a party of some kind, go out and have some fun and forget about their troubles for a couple of hours, but she refused. The most he could get her to do was to send in the $20 he’d been saving to the charity event to help mutants who couldn’t afford the vaccine or the cure. Pietro helped Sharon into the elaborate dress he made for her, making sure that the corset wasn’t too tight and was laced properly. She had offered to help him into his, but he waved her off, asking her to get him a drink that he didn’t actually want. He was afraid of her reaction to seeing him without clothing.
Ever since he’d noticed the extreme weight loss, he’d hidden his body from her. It was difficult, especially with how close they were, and how much he adored her. His heart ached not just from the physical separation, but also for the fact that he just didn’t have the energy to give her the proper love that she deserved. As Sharon was out on the task, Pietro slipped out of his clothes and put on the costume he’d sewn. He’d started making it a month ago, and every time he picked it back up, he had to bring the material in. Even now, after not working on it for almost a week, the outfit was too big. Letting out a deep sigh, he did his best to put on a happy face for Sharon.
It didn’t take long for him to have his fake smile turn real. Sharon truly did look like a princess in her dress, and the way she looked at him made him feel like melting. In a couple of minutes, there were children knocking at the door. Sharon was in charge of giving out the candy, so Pietro just stood behind his princess and complimented the kids on their costumes. The girls oohed and ahhed at Sharon’s dress, and even a couple of the boys stared up at her with wide eyes. He himself even got a few compliments for his costume--something he wasn’t expecting at all.
The children didn’t seem to register that he was sick. They just saw a nice man with his princess saying kind words. The were so grateful and just so full of life and pure excitement. Even the older kids just seemed to be dripping with joy. It was when one girl tugged on Sharon’s dress that Pietro was truly blown away. The little girl was also blond, and wore a store-bought version of Sharon’s dress. She even had a little crown to go with it. However, it was clear that she was shy, and almost afraid to speak to Sharon. Picking up on this, Sharon crouched down to get on the girls’ level and give her that smile that turned him into jelly.
“Hello princess,” Sharon greeted her. “You look absolutely lovely. Would you like a treat?”
She looked at her with wonderment and accepted the candy, but lingered, staying in her spot while most other kids would have started leaving. With a tug at Sharon’s shoulder, the girl opened her mouth and asked a question with a quiet and high voice.
“Miss Princess, can you tell me about true love? Ya know, since you have your prince?”
He didn’t even hear the response. Pietro simply looked down at the little girl with shock and a kind of joy he’d almost forgotten about. Maybe it was because he never got to have a real childhood, maybe it was because he could feel that he was dying, or maybe it was because he was naturally inclined to take care of people, but the mutant was suddenly overwhelmed with the desire for a child of his own. It didn’t even have to be his by blood. Just as long as he was the one that was taking care of the child.
He could feel his eyes water as images of Sharon with a full, pregnant belly, painting a room, shopping for little outfits, and holding a small little infant filled his mind. He would imagine they’d have Sharon’s hair, his eyes, be energetic and stubborn, but also loving and sweet. He couldn’t care less what the gender would be--he just wanted a little one to take care of alongside Sharon. Somehow he found himself crouched on the ground right next to his love, smiling stupidly at the situation unfolding right in front of his eyes.
Once the girl was gone, Pietro excused himself to the bathroom. It wasn’t because he needed to use it or anything, but because he was just so overwhelmed with emotion. He wanted this. Bad. But how could he have a child when he was like this? He doubted he would make it through the winter, let alone make it nine months to have a child, and that would be if they were able to conceive right away. The man splashed some water on his face to calm himself down, trying his best to think of something else, but to no avail. So he looked at himself in the mirror, the water dripping down his pale face, and made a promise to himself. He had already promised himself that he’d get better so that Sharon wouldn’t have to go through the pain she already endured with Aiden. Now he promised himself to live long enough to marry Sharon and raise a family with her.
After another minute, Pietro returned to Sharon’s side to help her greet the never ending stream of children coming to their door, re-energized.
