#how could i forget. the polly pocket bullies too...

[starker-endgame]

Hello! I think it would be epic if there was a fic of Starker where Peter is trans and got hurt because of it being in a place where he wasn’t able to defend himself and tony comes to the rescue and it’s just great hurt/comfort and all the gorey bits would be great! I love really heavy angst

Yes to this! Beautiful prompt! 

Notes: I am not trans nor do I know anyone close to me who is, so I had to do a ton of research. I am so sorry if I got anything wrong or if something isn’t right. Also, a HUGE trigger warning. Please do not read if you are triggered by violence and transphobic slang.

Warnings: Transphobia, discrimination, violence, bullying.

Word Count: 1.9k words!

Request prompts here!

Polly Parker and Tony Stark have been life-long friends. They’ve been glued to the hips for practically their whole lives, thanks to both of their mothers being best friends.

They told each other everything– there were no secrets between the two– or so Tony thought.

They were in their first year of high school when Tony figured something was up. Polly started dressing differently, always wearing loose or baggy clothes that were way too big for her, and started distancing herself from her other friends. She was close to pushing Tony away, as well, but Tony wasn’t going to let that happen. 

“Polly Pocket, please tell me what’s wrong,” Tony pleaded one day while they were sitting in Tony’s backyard, both of their backs against a tree as Tony read and Polly sketched.

“There’s nothing wrong, Tones,” Polly huffed out. Tony watched as she took her bottom lip between her teeth, something she normally does when she’s not telling the truth. She continued to sketch, and Tony watched for a good few seconds as her hand move gracefully across the paper, before sighing. 

“Polly, you know you can tell me anything. Remember in, what fourth grade when we vowed to never keep secrets from each other?” Tony said, a frown playing his lips. Polly hates when he’s sad, because it makes her sad. And Tony knows that.

Tony watches more as Polly sets her pencil down and then closes her sketch book, taking a deep breath before looking over at the boy she’s been friends with since diapers– the boy she’s loved since fourth grade. 

“Anthony… I– I’ve just been feeling… different. I don’t really understand it fully… but��” She drags on, and Tony cocks an eyebrow at her. He knows where this is heading, and his eyes turn sympathetic. 

“Polly! If you’re feeling this way, it’s totally normal. You’re not different. Do you know how many lesbians go to our school? Everyone is so accepting of it and–” But Polly cuts him off.

“Oh, God, no! Tony stop, that’s not it! I– I like boys… It’s just… I feel more like I am a boy, too.”

And, oh. That’s definitely not what Tony was expecting. It took him a minute to process fully what Polly was saying, but after a minute, a smile broke out on his lips.

“So, you’re what, transgender?” 

“You could say that, yes.” 

Tony was right by Polly’s side when she went to get her first hair cut. Her once long, brown hair that went down to her mid-back was now styled in a fluffy pixie cut. Tony would never forget the way her eyes brightened and filled with happy tears when she looked in the mirror for the first time. 

Tony was right by Polly’s side when she went shopping for more masculine clothes the first time. He was there to help her figure out what style of clothes she liked best. Tony would never forget the way she stood in complete admiration as she stared her body up and down the body-length mirror.

Tony was right by Polly’s side when she came out for the first time after Tony to both of their mothers, his hand holding her’s tightly as they all cried silent tears as she spoke how she felt. Tony will never forget how broken her voice sounded when she asked everyone to call her Peter and to start using he and him pronouns. 

Tony was right by Peter’s side when his first chest binder came in the mail. Tony would never forget how Peter cried in his arms for what seemed like hours after he tried tried it on for the first time. ‘It looks so… Flat, Tones… Like a boy’s chest.’ 

But Tony wasn’t by Peter’s side when he got beat up for the first time.

“If you want to be a boy, you have to fight like a fucking boy,” Flash snarled, pinning Peter up against the lockers in the quiet hallway. The final bell had rang, and Peter was already running late as he scrambled to his books. He wasn’t expecting Flash to be on the other side of his locker door when he shut it.

“Flash, please,” Peter said brokenly, his eyes pleading for Flash to let him go. Ever since word got out about Polly Parker being transgender, Flash and his group of minions started giving him a hard time. 

“You used to be so pretty, Polly. Oops, I mean Peter,” The bigger boy spat out venomously. “It’s just too bad you have to be a fucking shemale or tranny or whatever the fuck you are,” 

And then Flash released him, and Peter let out a sigh of release. It’s over, he thought. He was just saying stuff. Nothing more. But then, a fist comes colliding with his jaw. Peter’s eyes welled up with tears at the pain because fucking hell that hurt like a bitch. 

And they just kept coming. Flash threw fist after fist until finally Peter fell to the ground. The hurt boy was sobbing now, curling in on himself as he tried to make himself as small as possibly.

“What’s wrong, tranny, can’t take a little heat? You need to fucking man up.” Flash growled, and that’s when the kicks began. Flash kicked hard at Peter’s legs, at his chest, at his stomach. And every time foot made contact with Peter, it burned. Peter could feel the blood dripping from his mouth and nose, and choked a bit on the liquid from sobbing. 

“Look at you, you’re fucking pathetic,” Flash said, spitting down at Peter’s face. “So fucking pathetic, what a waste of space you are.” 

And then the kicks stopped coming. And the words stopped being said. And then footsteps were being the only thing heard throughout the hallway. However, Peter could barely hear them over the ringing in his ears. 

Peter laid there, sobbing, for a few more minutes before finally lifting himself up off the ground, groaning as the pain made itself more noticeable. Blood continued to drip from his nose and mouth.

And that’s where Tony found him. 

Tony had to piss. Bad. So, he raised his hand and asked to be excused to the bathroom. He was grateful when his maths teacher handed over the pass, and quickly made his way out of the room. 

He hummed a bit as he walked the familiar hallways to the bathrooms and stopped dead in his tracks when he saw Peter. His Peter. And holy shit, Tony’s never seen him look so bad. 

Tony rushed over to Peter’s shaking figure, running his fingers through that soft, short hair as he used the sleeve of his sweatshirt to try and stop the blood from Peter’s nose. 

“Oh, God, Pete, what happened to you? Who did this to you?” He asked, voice trembling. Peter didn’t reply and just continued to stare straight ahead.

Tony ended up carrying him out to his car, and taking him home.

It took Tony approximately two days to figure out who did this to his Peter. Flash Thompson, a senior and best football player on their high school team. And fuck anyone who thought that Tony Stark was just going to let him get away with this without any consequences.

So, once the final bell rang and school was dismissed for the day, Tony waited outside by Flash’s car, twiddling his fingers and biting his tongue as Flash made his way over to him.

“What’s up, Tony? Can I help you?” Flash said innocently, as if Tony didn’t know what the fuck he did to Peter. Tony couldn’t even speak, but instead let his fists do the talking as he swung fist after fist, just like Flash had done to Peter.

Flash fell to the ground, and Tony followed, not holding back, even when his knuckles made a crack! sound. Adrenaline pumped through his veins as he continued to abuse the boy below him. 

And Tony only stopped when his body physically couldn’t handle it anymore. He stood up, admiring his work as Flash laid there, now being the one crying. “Huh? How pathetic. Looks like you need to man up.” Tony spat. “Don’t ever come close to Peter again. And if you do, it’s going to be ten times worse.” And with that being said, Tony made the trip back to Peter’s home.

Tony was right by Peter’s side as he bruises healed, offering his support and getting the icepacks when Peter asked. He’d never forget how bad the boy’s bruises looked or how long it took them to fade away.

Tony was right by Peter’s side as they walked into the school’s office for the first time after the incident. He sat between Peter and Flash, placing a comforting hand on his boy’s thigh as they listened to what their principal had to say. ‘Flash and Tony, you’re both in the wrong. We’re going to have to suspend you both for a week.’

“Thank you for sticking up for me, Tones,” Peter said as they sat against their tree. “It means the world to me.”

Tony looks over at him, taking in the view of Peter Parker. It was hard to believe that it was only a couple months ago that Peter came out to him in this exact same spot.

“I’d do anything for you. You’re my best friend, Pete.” Tony shrugged, eyes lingering another second before turning their attention back to the book.

“Yeah, best friends forever.” Peter nodded, returning to his sketch. Tony smiled and glanced over again, catching glimpse of what Peter was drawing. Tony scooted closer to get a better look. His eyes widened a bit, and a smile broke out on his face.

“Is that me? Pete, it’s looks so realistic!” Tony complimented. Peter’s head snapped up, not realising how close Tony had actually gotten to him. They were face-to-face, and Tony couldn’t force himself to look away from Peter’s brown, doe eyes. “Peter, have I told you how handsome you look?”

“You’ve mentioned it a couple times here and there..” Peter whispered out, a blush spreading across his cheeks. Tony brought a hand up, running his thumb over the soft skin of Peter’s face. There was still hint of a bruise there, and Tony frowned as Peter flinched a bit.

“Can I… Can I kiss you?” Tony asked after a moment of silence, and Peter sat in shock. Tony Stark– his basically life-long crush wanted to kiss him? He had to be dreaming. Right? 

But he nodded his head anyways, and Tony finally closed the distance between them. It was most definitely not a dream.

Tony was right by Peter’s side when they graduated high school together. Tony would never forget how lovely Peter looked in his black cap and gown– the colour that the boys were wearing.

Tony was right by Peter’s side when he started testosterone. Tony would never forget how much deeper his voice would get throughout time, and how facial hair started forming on his once smooth skin.

Tony was right by Peter’s side when he got his top surgery. Tony would never forget how Peter squeezed his hand right before the surgery, and how he cried happily after the surgery was done.

Tony was right by Peter’s side as the two boys walked down the pier at one of New York’s harbour. Tony would never forget how Peter’s eyes lit up and eyes got watery as Tony got down on one knee and asked for his hand in marriage.

Tony was right by Peter’s side as they shared their vows with each other. Tony would never, ever, forget how handsome his boy looked in his white suit as they shared their first slow dance together at their wedding as husbands.

fin.

[anistarrose]

Ford in Amphibia - Chapter 2

Summary: Ford is subjected to mild bullying, and the gang decides to hunt an endangered species but makes an unexpected new friend along the way.

Warnings: none

AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19375102/chapters/47328493

The Beginning

This chapter references a few more episodes of Amphibia than the last one, but doesn’t spoil any overarching plot details past the first episode, so it should be possible to read even if you’re not caught up. This is starting to look like it’ll eventually wind up as four-chapter fic, so stay tuned for more!

***

Ford sat on the couch next to Anne, watching intently as she flicked through albums of photos on her phone.

“Here’s my cat, Domino — oh, and here she is again, in my parents’ kitchen! What a little troublemaker!”

“She’s quite precious,” Ford agreed. “You say you have music on this device too?”

“Of course!” Anne answered. “I’ve got all the best tunes — stuff to dance to, stuff you can sing along with, stuff to listen to as you think about how far you are from home and regret your life choices —”

“Do you have anything by Eurythmics? Or Talking Heads?”

Anne stared at Ford blankly.

“Or do you prefer classical? The Planets by Holst, maybe?”

“Uh, I’ve got All Star by Smash Mouth —”

“Mention that song again and you’re dead to me,” Ford growled.

There was an awkward pause, and then Ford sighed. “Sorry. I shouldn’t be surprised that we appreciate different aspects of human culture. You’re young, and I… left my dimension a very long time ago.”

“That’s, um — that’s too bad,” Anne stammered, not really knowing what to say. “Uh… do you want to keep looking at pictures?” she finally asked.

Ford didn’t say no, so she opened a new album. “Here’s some of me and Sprig, and of some wildlife we saw the other day — oh, and here’s where I tried to teach Sprig how to use the camera! You can tell because it’s all blurry and —”

“Wait!” Ford interrupted. “Go back! To the one with the caterpillar — er, the cat-erpillar, rather!”

“This one?” Anne pulled up a picture of a black, orange, and red cat-erpillar glimpsed from across a meadow.

“That’s it! See the flame pattern, and those prominent tufts on the neck? That’s the endangered Sunburst Mountain Cat-erpillar!”

“Whoa, are you like a conservation expert?” Sprig asked, springing onto the couch. “Do you need to capture it and get it to breed with others of its kind to save the species?”

“Quite the opposite, actually,” Ford told them. “I need a sample of its chrysalis for my own use — and ideally I won’t seriously harm any specimens, but you never know!”

Noticing Anne and Sprig’s mildly horrified looks, he went on: “Let me explain. For years now, I’ve planning a mission to a very dangerous dimension, of which the atmosphere is contaminated with just about every pollutant imaginable. There will be zero margin for error on this mission, but if I inhale too many of those pollutants, they’ll almost certainly hamper my performance. So for the past few weeks, I’ve been searching for a solution…”

He pulled a carefully rolled-up piece of paper from his pocket, and spread it out in his lap to reveal a detailed scientific drawing of the cat-erpillar and its cocoon, along with a sketch of a mountain with wisps of smoke emanating from the peak.

“Every generation of the Sunburst Mountain Cat-erpillar pupates near volcanic vents, and as a result, they’ve evolved so that their chrysalides absorb and break down a wide variety of toxins. I learned of their existence shortly after coming to your world, and I’ve been trying to track one down ever since in the hope that harvesting some of that chrysalis material would help me design an air filter to get around that pollution problem — but unfortunately, the location of Sunburst Mountain has been lost to time, since those vents are dormant most of the year. The whole time I’ve been here in the valley, I’ve just been stumbling around blindly without glimpsing hide nor hair of any of the right cat-erpillar species.”

He flipped his paper over, and pulled out a pen. “The period of vent activity should only last another week or two this year, and at this rate I’m probably going to miss it — but if you could tell me where you saw that specimen the other day, then I’d have my best lead yet!”

“Cool!” Sprig exclaimed, at the same time that Anne spoke up:

“I gotta admit, tracking down a lost volcano sounds like loads of fun, but… cat-erpillars are a lot more dangerous than they look. Sprig can tell you about the Domino Two incident — did not end well for anyone, except maybe Domino Two herself.”

“Oh, I know how to handle myself, don’t worry! I’ve conquered many foes more deadly than a mere —”

They were interrupted by a yelp as Hop Pop jumped straight up, slamming into the ceiling.

“Darn it, Ford, I know you mean us no harm, but every time I walk by here I think there’s an owl perched on our couch and my heart skips a beat!” He rubbed his head, and began collecting the books he’d dropped.

Sprig snapped his fingers. “That’s it, an owl! I knew he reminded me of something predatory!”

“What?” Ford scowled. “I do not look like an owl!”

“Uh, except you kinda do!” Polly chimed in, bouncing into the living room behind Hop Pop. “There’s your big wide eyes, and the way your eyebrows jump up and your head whirls right around whenever you hear something behind you — oh, and the way your cloak billows behind you like giant wings!”

“You’ve got to be joking! I —”

“Such a majestic and terrifying creature!” Polly went on, tugging on Ford’s cloak. “You are the swift and deadly hunter I wish to emulate! Will you teach me your ways?”

Ford’s mouth opened and then closed, at a loss for words, but Anne cut in.

“Hey, that’s enough. Owls are supposed to be wise, remember? Ford set his face on fire less than five minutes after we met him. I think that instantly disqualifies him from owl resemblance.”

Ford just shook his head as Anne and Hop Pop cackled.

“And did you see how he slept on the couch last night?” Sprig added. “His face was buried in a whole stack of pillows and his feet were practically out the window! No majestic old owl would sleep like that!”

“I still want to see him in action, though,” Polly declared. “What do you hunt, old man? Tell me so that I may watch you and learn your ways of stealth and dismemberment!”

“I’m not planning to dismember any endangered species if I can avoid it,” Ford corrected her. “But you’re welcome to come with me anyways. The more eyes who know this area, the better!”

“Ooh, can we take Bessie?” Sprig asked. “Anne can drive us!”

Hop Pop’s eyes narrowed. “I don’t know. I’ve got errands to run, and I’m not sure how I feel about letting you all run off without a chaperone…”

Ford stifled a laugh. “Hopediah, I’ve earned degrees in everything from cryptobiology to quantum physics — I’m basically the best chaperone these kids could hope for. Think of it as an educational outing!”

“Oh, well why didn’t you say so? That’s fine, then — just be sure to be back before nightfall!”

“Woo-hoo!” Anne cheered. “Time for an adventure with the weird hobo scientist from outer space that we adopted!”

“Adventure! Adventure! Adventure!” Sprig and Polly chanted. Anne joined in almost immediately, and after a moment, Ford did too.

***

“Okay, I think this is where we saw it,” Anne announced as Bessie the snail slowed to a halt at the edge of a clearing. The meadow was dotted with patches of mud, and seemed devoid of any life besides a lone chickfly that squawked and flew off as the gang dismounted.

“It looks… swampier than last time,” Sprig mused. “Did it rain over here or something?”

Ford knelt down in front of one of the patches of exposed mud, removing his glove to run a finger along the edge. “If anything, it looks like a creature tore up the grass at the surface while hunting here, revealing the damp earth underneath.”

“But these claw markings are huge! Whatever made them must be bigger than me!” Anne shuddered. “Ford, do you know why everything is so giant here?”

“Not for sure, but I can certainly speculate!” Ford’s face lit up. “For one thing, my preliminary scans have shown that there’s more oxygen in the atmosphere of this dimension than there is in the environment either you or I would’ve came from, which paleontology suggests may allow for life to grow larger.”

“Ugh, forget I asked,” Anne muttered, but Sprig bounded over to Ford’s side, eyes wide.

“Wow, really? If you and Anne keep breathing our air, will you get bigger too?”

“Not necessarily due to the oxygen concentrations,” Ford told him, “but that’s not the only difference between our dimensions! Gravity is slightly weaker here too, which most importantly means that it’ll be easier for the skeletons of megafauna to support their body mass, but also could cause Anne and I to pick up a few extra millimeters when our spinal columns expand. The effect should be subtle, but less weight pressing our vertebrae together means we’ll stand a little taller.”

“You’re not a majestic owlish hunter after all,” Polly groaned. “You’re just a nerd.”

“He’s a brave adventurer and he knows all about everything!” Sprig told her. “I want to be just like him when I grow up!”

“Two nerds,” Polly grumbled.

“Hey, guys?” Anne poked Sprig in the shoulder with a stick. “There’s something coming this way, and it’s kinda… on fire?”

“Where?” Ford leapt to his feet. “Is it a cat-erpillar?”

“No, it’s more like… an amorphous blob.” Anne pointed towards the creature, which had made its way almost halfway across the clearing. “I’d stay back, in case it explodes in our faces… oh, or you could just walk right up to it! That too!”

“Would you look at that!” Ford exclaimed, kneeling at the creature’s side. “I hadn’t expected to find any cryptozoological oddities I was familiar with here!”

“Cryptozoological?” Sprig tilted his head. “I thought that stuff was all bogus.”

“As in, like, cryptids?” Anne asked. “I saw a Moss-Man here once, does that count?”

Ford plucked a twig from the ground and placed it in the palm of his hand, which he then slowly extended towards the anomaly. The mass of its body seemed to be concentrated in a blob of mud that spilled across the ground with a radius of about half a foot and a height of about five inches at its highest point, from which several plumes of glowing green gas extended.

Two small, dark eyes blinked within the largest plume, and a muddy tendril extended from the creature’s base. For a moment, the mud began to pool in Ford’s hand, but then it pulled the twig back to its main body with a sudden slurp, leaving almost no dirt or moisture behind whatsoever. The twig vanished inside the muddy blob, and the creature gurgled in satisfaction.

Ford ran a hand through the fiery-looking plumes and Anne cringed, but he didn’t get burned. The creature’s flickering eyes widened as it responded with some semblance of a purr, apparently eager for more petting.

“Fascinating! I’ve encountered Scampfires back home, but I think this individual might be better referred to as a ‘Swampfire!’ Although technically speaking, there doesn’t seem to be any actual fire involved — I suspect it’s fueled by phosphorus and hydrocarbon compounds from that muddy blob of biomass, which undergo some form chemiluminescence to produce light without a substantial amount of heat.”

“Is it dangerous?” Polly asked. “Or will it help us on our quest?”

“Neither, I think,” Ford replied. “It seems perfectly content to just ooze along here and keep absorbing plant matter while we head on our way — although, I should really get a quick sketch first!” He pulled out a pen and notebook, adjusted his sitting position, and set to work.

“What happened to finding the cat-erpillar?” Anne groaned. “I thought that was some critically vital mission or something!”

“Oh, it is!” Ford told her. “But it’s not every day one gets to discover and catalog a new anomaly! You know, I wouldn’t be surprised if Swampfires exist in my dimension too, but are endangered due to habitat loss… Humanity really needs to do a better job of preserving wetlands and all the biodiversity they contain…”

Sprig peered over Ford’s shoulder at his work — a set of simple drawings, cartoonish yet detailed enough to capture all the details of the Swampfire’s form in multiple poses. “Wow! You drew that so fast!”

“Thank you, I’ve been doing this for quite a while! Now, Swampy, if you could hold that pose for just a moment…”

Swampy, naturally, chose that moment to bolt, darting back between the trees with surprising speed as its lights dimmed.

“Drat. Well, what I’ve got down here is still better than nothing —”

“Hey, guys?” Anne asked. “Is it just me, or did a really big shadow just pass over us?”

In unison, the four of them looked up. Above, a massive shape blocked out the sun — a shape with wide eyes, a pointed beak, and long, silently flapping wings.

“Scatter!” Ford shouted as the owl dove towards the clearing, and the children bolted as its talons raked the ground.

***

End notes:

Thanks for reading, feedback/reblogs are appreciated as always!

This was very fun to write, as fics with Ford often are, because I got to use him as an excuse to ramble about science! Since Sprig showed an interest in science in “Family Shrub,” I figured he’d be pretty inquisitive, and look up to the whole adventurer-scientist deal Ford has going on.

Swampy the Swampfire, also known as the best character I’ve ever written about, is based partly off the Scampfires from Journal 3, and partly off of the “will-o-the-wisp” ghost lights, which are believed to be a result of gases produced in wetlands by decaying plants. (The endangered due to habitat loss detail Ford mentions isn’t a joke, either — according to Wikipedia, will-o-the-wisp sightings are rarer nowadays, and it’s probably because wetlands keep getting destroyed. We need to save the Swampfires!)