"Hey, Mr. Stark!" Peter says, sliding into the backseat. "You didn't have to pick me up, you know, I could've taken the bus."
"Yeah, but I figured I have a chauffeur and he gets bored. Say hi, Happy."
Happy extends a hand, looking bored indeed.
"So how was school?"
Peter shrugs. "Same as always. I got a math test back. Oh, and the geography teacher assigned an essay."
"About what? Tell you what, we could go, I'll get the jet. You feel like taking a field trip? Maybe get extra credit. We'll take the class-"
"Mr. Stark, what can you tell me about Afghanistan?"
Tony falls silent and Peter looks at him. "Mr. Stark?"
Sand and fire and blood. Water in his lungs and a scream in his chest. He's dying. He's trapped and his chest is full of shrapnel and he's so far from home. Tony inhales desperately and chokes on the stale air of the cave.
Not again. Please, not again.
Vaguely, as if from a vast distance, he hears a kid's voice. Mr Stark? it says, and he shakes his head. What's a kid doing in a war zone?
"Tony," and that's Happy, they got Hogan too? Tony's trembling now and he can't seem to stop. Happy, this kid, they'll die like Yinsen and he won't be able to stop it he'll have to watch he'll be helpless and useless and-
"Tony, you're okay," continues Happy calmly. Tony's pulse stutters, confused. "It's alright. Breathe in. Open your eyes. Come on, let's go, Tony, come back."
Opening his eyes is one of the hardest things he's ever done, but he manages it.
Peter's staring at him. Tony mutters something he shouldn't say in front of a teenager and presses the heel of his palms against his eyes.
"I'm so sorry, that was dumb of me, I forgot, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, Mr Stark, I shouldn't have-"
"Thanks, Happy," says Tony.
"All good, boss," but there's concern behind the casual tone and it could be a question.
"Yeah." His voice shakes and he sits back up. Peter's still apologizing and suddenly he's holding Tony.
Tony tenses at the unexpected contact. Then he relaxes into the hug. And maybe he even hugs back, a little.
He's here, he reminds himself.
"No field trip," Tony says, but he's able to smile.