"Christmas…" Peter scrolled through his phone, seeing his feed full of Christmas posts with well wishes and pre-big-day gift giving.
"I thought you loved Christmas!" Tony gave Peter his cup of hot chocolate in his Iron Man mug, sitting down on the common room couch with his own cup of coffee in his Spider-Man mug. He sat sideways, facing the teen.
Peter wrapped his hands around the cup, staring into the delicious drink, watching the mini marshmallows swirl around. "I-I do, it's just that there's peppermint everywhere, all the time, for a pretty long time."
Tony's face clearly showed his confusion, "What? How does that make Christmas hard to get through?"
Peter laughed. "I'm part spider, Mr. Stark…"
"Oh, right. And spiders-"
"-don't like peppermint." The two, in unison.
Peter took a sip of his drink, relishing in the warmth flowing down his throat into his stomach, keeping his whole body warm. Tony had a machine that made it especially hot for the super-beings in the compound as they had a higher resistance to temperatures.
"Sorry, kid." Tony stood, going over to the kitchenette behind the couch. Peter turned, keeping one hand on his mug and one hand wrapping around the back of the couch. "I've been thinking about doing this for a while. I guess now's as good a time as any."
"It's okay. I'm used to it." He paused. "Wait, what?"
Tony grabbed his wallet off the counter, handing Peter a golden card. "Here."
"W-What?" Peter took the card, looking at the front and back. Why would Mr. Stark give him this? Was this a card to…
Tony laughed. "A card connected to my bank account."
Peter tried to hand it back, half thankful, yet, half uncomfortable. "I- I can't take this, Mr. Stark."
"Can and will," Tony closed his wallet, not bothering to outstretch a hand to entertain the idea of him taking it back. "I trust you, kid. Use it for food, rent, video games, I don't care."
"I-" Peter tried not to tear up, "Thank you!" He set his mug down, stood and lunged forward, over the couch, jumping into Tony's, barely ready, arms in a tight hug.
"No problem, kid." Tony held Peter as long as the young spider wanted.
When Peter finally released the gratuitous hold, he stepped back, wiping a small tear from his cheek with the back of his hand that was engulfed in a sweater paw. Tony dropped his wallet back on the counter, to bring both arms to Peter's shoulders, looking him in the eyes. "Hey, kid, what's the matter?"
"Uncle Ben's life insurance policy was starting to run out and-" He hiccuped, "May was having trouble finding a new job after the layoffs with the other one and we were getting scared we couldn't pay for the apartment." He looked down to the floor, tears hitting the ground, splattering in every which way. He sobbed with gratitude.
Tony tightened his grip on Peter's shoulders, "Look at me." Peter lifted his head slightly before Tony brought a finger under the young Avenger's chin, lifting it to his satisfaction. "You will never have to worry about money ever again. And if you get evicted for any reason, whatsoever, you will be more than welcome to move May in here. If not, you can let her pick whatever apartment she wants in the whole city and she can use my account to pay for it."
Peter came back with another hug, shaking with emotion. For someone, a father figure no less, to show him that measure of kindness was something he just couldn't help but be thank Tony. It was all so much, the love he was receiving. Losing his parents, then Uncle Ben… It made Peter feel like maybe he wasn't so alone- maybe he was gonna have a dad again.
"-ter?" Tony's voice snapped Peter out of his thoughts. His eyes focused, fully taking in the sight of his mentor. "Want me to come on patrols, with you, after school? I'm free, today."
Peter hugged Tony, yet again. He pulled back, staring the mechanic right in the eyes. "Yeah, that sounds awesome!" The older Avenger smirked.
"It's time for you to go to school. I'll see you after, yeah? Top of the Chrysler building?"
Peter grabbed his backpack off the couch. He pulled his thin wallet out of the side pocket, sliding the gold card inside. "Sounds great, Mr. Stark!" He ran off to the front doors, ready to meet Happy at the car and ramble his ear off about what Tony had done and how he'd be getting a really cool Christmas present, this year.
:::::::
The whole school day couldn't have gone by slower. It felt like years. Actually, years would have gone by faster. All Peter could think about was bolting through the door, running as fast as he could to meet Mr. Stark at the Chrysler Tower. Who could possibly think about chemistry or Spanish or math when Iron Man was gonna go on patrols with them?!
When lunch rolled around, Peter's class lined up at the lunch line, ready to slide their trays down and get questionable food on their plates from lunch ladies that really didn't give a shit, regardless of the fact they were paid so much better than public school lunch ladies. When it came time to pay, Ned stayed around the register while Peter handed the cashier the Gold Card Tony had given him that morning at the compound. Flash stood behind Peter, gaping at the sight of the name on the card. Ned pretended not to be impressed since Peter had Skyped him that morning telling him. It was still cool, so it was undoubtedly hard.
"Woah! Did you steal that from your boss?!" Well, at least he believed 'the internship' was real. Of course… When Peter thought about it, it might present more problems now that he believed him.
The cashier took a look at the name on the card, raising a brow, knowing fully that this teen in front of her sure as Hell wasn't Tony Stark. She dug her phone out of her back pocket, dialing up the bank the card was with. "One second, kid. You can understand I need to check, right?" Peter nodded, always patient with people. Even Flash. "Hi, I need you to call one of your clients, Tony Stark. I-I know, but I have his card, here, and there's a kid who has it. Yes, I'll hold."
A moment passed and Flash was getting impatient. "Just keep the card! It's obvious Penis stole it!"
The cashier read the card number to the bank as Peter held his temper with Flash's comments. It was getting hard, staying patient. Especially when he knew he could one-hit-KO this guy. But he'd never do that. It'd make him just as bad. The cashier held her finger up to Flash, gaining a thankful smile from Peter and Ned, alike. The young Avenger thanked God that they were the last ones getting lunch and there was nobody behind Flash or he'd have not eaten at the displeasure of inconveniencing people.
"Yes sir. Mr.- M-Mr. Stark? Yes, there's a teenager here who has your card, and-" She paused her speech, swiping the card with wide eyes on Peter. "Yes, sir. His name is…"
"Peter Parker." Peter said, silently.
"Peter Parker." She handed the card back, hand shaking. "Yes, sir." She handed the phone to Peter who laughed, happily taking it.
"Mr. Stark, what did you say?"
"I didn't say anything rude. I think she overheard me yelling at my bank for not informing the school you'd be using my card. Guess I scared her."
Peter huffed with a smile. "Guess you did." Peter remembered something he'd meant to ask that morning. "Oh! I totally forgot, this morning! Do we need anything at the store before tonight? I can stop right after school since the store's right down the street. If King T'Challa brings Cap, Bucky and Mr. Lang from their mission, they're gonna empty out the compound." The two laughed at the thought. In his peripheral vision, he could see Flash's jaw on the floor. He wasn't gonna lie; it felt good. But he was right. Those guys could eat!
"Sure, I'll text you the list. See you tonight?"
"Wouldn't miss it for the world!"
"You want me to pick you up, today? Or do you want Happy to bring you to the compound or do you want to meet at the Chrysler Tower?"
"Compound sounds kinda good since I think I left part of my suit-" He panicked. "My cufflinks… on my desk in my room. You can pick me up. Sounds good!"
"I'll bring the most expensive car I have and your 'cufflinks'." Tony laughed. "You've gotta go, I know. See you in a few hours."
"Okay! Bye!" Peter hung up the phone, handing it back to the cashier who stood, mirroring Flash, jaw on the floor. The two watched as Peter stuck the Gold Card back in his wallet. He went with Ned to their table with MJ and ate their food.
Flash payed, hastily, walking over to his table next to Peter's. His facial expression hadn't changed.
"You okay, Flash?" A girl next to him asked.
"Penis Parker's internship is real. He's really close with all the Avengers…" Flash sat in disbelief. Peter Parker was… cool?!
:::::::
When the last bell finally rang, Peter grabbed his backpack from beside his leg, throwing his books and papers inside, not caring how unorganized it was. He walked out with Ned to the front through the sea of students. Some funneled over to the buses as some waited out front for their guardians came through the carpool line.
"Mr. Stark's gonna pick you up!" Ned couldn't help it.
Peter bounced on the front balls of his feet, holding onto both straps of his backpack as he looked around. Tony's statement about 'bringing the most expensive car he had' played through his head. There were plenty expensive cars! McLarens, Ferraris, BMWs, etc. "Yeah, we're working on the internship, tonight." Ned nodded, excited he knew what that really meant.
The two waited a little longer before Flash came up behind Peter, attempting a tight grip on the teen's shoulder. Peter pretended to be in pain at the unsolicited hold. "Parker! I need a favor from you. You'll officially be cool!"
Peter effortlessly pulled his shoulder out from Flash's grip, pulling his backpack back up to its desired spot. "Flash, I don't care about being popular."
The bully scoffed at the correct implication, "Fine. I'll leave you alone, then. Get me into the Avengers Compound?"
Peter's eyes went wide at the thought. "So you can destroy my room or-" He realized his mistake. He'd pay for that one. He'd forgotten, at lunch, about mentioning his room in front of people. Now, it was undeniable. Just one mention of it, he could say it was a misunderstanding but twice… No, not twice. Again: undeniable.
"You don't have a room! No way!" Flash crossed his arms, bringing his eyebrows lower.
A roaring engine was heard in the distance as Tony pulled up in the most expensive car in the world. The older Avenger got out of the car, walking up to Peter, Ned and Flash. "Hey, Peter." He brought the spider into a hug before giving Ned a polite one, as well. "Ready to go? I thought when we got back from the store, you could see something I got for your room. I noticed, when I went in there to get your cufflinks for your suit, your desk needed a little something, so I did a thing."
Ned snickered, straightening out when Tony turned to face him.
"What did you do? I told you I like it the way it is," Peter didn't want to get into it in front of everyone, who were all staring at the two, but he was a little freaked out. Last time, Tony had a mural done that was way too vain for his taste.
"No, it's nothing like that. Ugh. I didn't want to spoil it but I get it. Last time was a little much. It's a new work desk. I added more tools and storage." Tony mirrored Peter, smiling. "You like the idea?"
"Yeah! Thanks, Tony!" Peter jumped up into the mechanic's arms, hugging him as hard as he could without injury. He didn't mean to show off. That wasn't Peter. He was just really happy and Tony was like a dad to him. It was kinda like hugging May. It was just familiar and right.
Flash scoffed before speaking under his breath. "Tony. Asshole's on a first-name-basis with Iron Man."
Tony's head snapped in the bully's direction as he lowered Peter back to the ground. "You're Flash Thompson?" Before the older Avenger could do anything, Peter grabbed onto his sleeve, a silent plea for him to do nothing. He looked back at the spider, sighing. "Fine."
It wasn't like Peter didn't want Flash to get a stern talking to, but it just wasn't worth it. And it wasn't fair. It'd feel like he was using his powers to hurt Flash. He knew good and well it wasn't that. But he had powers which made him Spider-Man which got him to be an Avenger which got him to get close with Tony and the others so, by a convoluted means, he'd be using his powers against someone that wasn't trying to kill him and it just wasn't right. He wouldn't. Couldn't.
:::::::
"On your left!" Cap shouted to Sam, passing to get to a bad guy shooting lasers at civilians.
"Say that one more mother-"
"Sam!" Tony called out.
Peter laughed, swinging around to web a guy to a wall. "Language!"
Cap stopped mid-punch, "Hey!"
The group laughed. "Sorry, Steve." Peter swung back around to be next to Tony before he started to move on to the next floor. "I'll clear this next one."
"We'll call if we need you. Be careful," Tony shot a blast towards the guy who was fighting to get out of Peter's webs, successfully.
The spider crawled up the ceiling, going onto the second floor. The battle on the level below remained loud, drowning his hearing, creating a near sensory overload. He quietly maneuvered throughout the floor, looking for anyone else who might be a problem. He cleared nearly every room before being met with a weird looking orange and yellow spray. It wasn't long until he felt his muscles melt and he was met with the harsh, hard floor.
He kept conscious, though, fighting as hard as he could. He called out to his teammates, heart racing as he watched the man come out of the darkness, sauntering towards him. "Tony! Help!" It's all he could manage. All he could get out before his eyes rolled into the back of his head and much like a vintage movie, the film of his sight burned into blackness.
::::::::
The older Avengers punched, kicked and shot their way through the men.
"Tony! Help!"
"What's going on, Underoos?" Tony hadn't even thought about it being a code: red plea for help. Peter had asked for backup, before, but he always asks a little before he thinks he's going to be fully outmatched. The mechanic assumed he'd had a little time before they'd have to get upstairs.
No answer.
"Ay, Spider-Man?" Sam's voice came through the comms.
Nothing.
"No pranks during battle, kid. What's going on?" Tony was starting to get scared. "I'm gonna go see what this is." He flew through the hole in the dilapidated apartment building on the outskirts of NYC.
He had Friday scan the floor. When she found nothing, the panic truly started to set in. Had Peter just left? No, obviously not. He wouldn't. He'd know it'd scare Tony and he just wouldn't do that. He couldn't have been taken. Not because it was impossible, but it wasn't hat Tony wanted to happen. If he said it wasn't so, then it wouldn't be so, right? Right?!
Wrong.
Sam and Steve ran up the stairs, seeing Tony, who was now pacing, running a, now, unarmored hand through his hair. Steve came up to the mechanic, making him stop in his tracks. "Tony, just have Friday run his tracker in his suit."
"That's what's been broken these past few days. We've been working on it because its functionalities have been spotty."
"Just try," Sam kept a hopeful tone.
:::::::
Peter's eyes opened, slowly. The lack of bright lights in the room helped the forming headache not hurt so bad. He sat on the ground, chained to the floor. He tugged at the chains, weakly, feeling the pull of the large cuffs.
"What?" His voice came breathy as he looked around the room. A house? A living room. He looked out the windows to see an orange and blue striped tarp blowing in the wind. It was relatively stretched out, pulled tight to encase the house. "No…" He struggled as hard as he could in his bindings, only succeeding in pulling his skin too much, irritating it, producing blood from the cuts the cuffs created.
He whimpered, ignoring the cuts, pulling on the restraints even harder. "Karen? Karen!" He cried out, kicking his legs, pulling his arms up to his chest.
A whirring sound met Peter's ears before that sweet, calming voice came up. "Yes, Peter?"
"Call Mr. Stark! Call him, now!" His voice shook as he spoke. He just needed to talk to him. If he was really gonna die, he'd at least hear his voice before he did.
"Your heart rate seems to be high and I'm sensing holes in the wrist area of the suit."
"Just call Tony!" His voice was harsh and he didn't care. Normally, he'd treat her- speak to her- like a normal person, but it wasn't the time. At the end of the day, she was just an AI. He didn't need to.
"Right away."
The suit rang three times before Tony's panicked voice came through. "Peter! Where are you, kid?"
"Mr. Stark!" Peter sobbed, whole body shaking. "I don't know where I am! I-I'm in a house and it's covered in a fumigation tarp!"
"Tell me whatever you can. What sounds do you hear? What can you smell around you? What can you see? Use your senses."
Peter looked around the room, taking note of the architecture, technique. "It-It's expensive. It's a really expensive-looking house."
"Good. Very good. That narrows it down, some. Keep going. What do you smell?" Tony watched as Cap came into the room, eyeing what Friday was doing on the screens in front of the mechanic.
"What's going on? You got a hold of Peter?!"
Peter jumped, a little, joyous at the sound of his one-of-many father figure's voice. "Steve!" The teen's sobs came even heavier. "I wanna go home!"
Steve continued Tony's line of thinking. "You need to keep your senses under control, don't work too hard and smell something a mile from where you are, okay?"
Peter sniffled, taking in a deep breath, "O-Okay." He closed his eyes, taking in another deep breath. He coughed, curling up in on himself. "I'm gonna die…"
Steve's calm and controlled voice came through. "You're not gonna die. What do you smell?"
"Fumigation chemicals! I-I can't survive that!" His panicked breaths became worse, hiccups coming in fits.
"What else do you smell?"
"Oak. A lot. A lot of it." His voice shook even worse. "Moss. Mossy water, too."
Friday chimed in, adding to the heavy conversation, "Bugs B-Gone, is fumigating in a million-dollar neighborhood being built. A mossy lake is half a mile from the house. There is an oak forest about a mile from the house, as well."
"Send me my suit. We're coming, Peter!" Tony followed Steve towards the front doors as his suit followed closely behind him, enveloping his body.
A loud humming sound filled the house, making Peter flinch. "It's starting!" He pulled on his chains more, the sound going through the call to the older Avengers.
"What's keeping you in the house?"
"I'm-" He hiccuped, pausing at the words he was going to have to say, "I'm chained to the floor."
"You've been chained before, kid." Steve visibly hated saying that. "You broke out of 'em."
"I don't know. They're too strong. I don't know why. It's getting-" Cough. "-really hard to breathe. I can't do this, Steve."
"We're almost there, kid, hold on!"
"Mr. Stark… I don't feel so good," Peter's vomiting was heard through the comms, making the older heroes cringe. When he'd finished, the coughing fits started- and they were violent. His breathing became labored as he laid on his back on the floor, chains falling between his legs.
His ragged, labored breaths came through the call, making Tony and Steve speak up, once again. "Peter, you need to stay with us!"
"We're not far. We're less than five miles." Steve's calm voice helped. So much more than he could possibly understand. It was quieter. Peter knew he was panicked, but he didn't show it. It was nice, either way- having that quiet, calm voice in his mind as his spidey-senses screamed at him, enveloping his entire body. His body shaked with the severity of the screaming senses.
"I can't…" Peter's voice was breathy, trailing off as he mumbled random things under his breath. Another violent coughing fit started, this time, wet.
"Kid?"
"Blood…" Peter's voice was terrifyingly frank. He was losing it both physically and mentally. His panic turned into apathy and it was dangerous.
"Peter, remember the movie you showed me a few weeks ago? The one with the funny song?" Steve tried keeping Peter alert.
"Yeah," The teen smiled. Sweet Christmas, it was working!
"You know all the lyrics?"
"Yeah," Peter's head lolled on the expensive hardwood floors.
"I need you to sing it for me. As fast as you can, as many times as you can. Okay?"
"Okay."
Silence.
"You can start, buddy."
/
"The space goes… down down baby-" coughing fit, "down down the roller coaster-" His speech was at a normal pace, concerning Steve, given the fact that he was known to do it much faster.
"Keep going." The two Avengers were almost there. Almost to their friend. Bruce had finally caught up in the medical Aven-jet.
"Sweet sweet baby, sweet sweet don't let me go-" Another coughing fit, producing a choking sound. Dammit, the kid's body was drowning itself.
"Good. Good! Peter, before you keep going, are you on your back?" Steve ran faster, watching as the Medical Aven-jet passed him by in the air as Tony stood on the top of it.
"Shimmy shimmy- Yeah," The word was spoken through a mouthful of blood and it sounded like it.
"Can you turn on your side for me?"
"Cocoa pop, shimmy shimmy rock… I can do that," He was audibly struggling to breathe and speak. This kid didn't have much time left.
There was a staticy sound before Bruce's voice came through the speakers on the outside of the jet. "Tony, you need to send a low-radius EMP down to that system so it stops sending fumes inside that tent. Shoot a hole in the top, too!"
Tony did as he was told as Steve got Peter to continue after he was convinced the dying teen was on his side, in the recovery position.
"Shimmy shimmy cocoa pop. Shimmy shimmy rock. I met a girlfriend, a triscuit-" The coughing fit was sounding different, at this point. Not good. He was too close to dying.
"Mr. Stark, Spider-Man's pulse is getting dangerously weak." Friday's voice came through all the comms.
"Peter, keep going! Don't you dare stop!"
"She said a triscuit, a biscuit. Ice cream, soda pop, vanilla on the-" Cough. "-top. Ooh, Shalida, walking down the street-" cough "-ten times a week. I read it. I said it. I-"
Silence.
"Peter?!"
"I'm gonna die?" Everyone relaxed, a little bit, happy he was alive before their hearts broke at the three worded question.
"I promise you won't die. Finish the song, kid. We're almost inside."
Peter sighed, body aching. "-stole my mamma's credit. I'm cool, I'm hot."
The older Avengers ended the call after tearing the tarp down, using the jet to suck all of the fumes out and get it safely into a containment unit. The teen watched as they entered, coming up to break the chains.
As Tony's repulsor blasts melted the metal apart, Peter finished his song. "Sock me in the stomach three more times…" His eyes rolled into the back of his head, making the Avengers panic even more. They rushed him outside onto the Medical Aven-jet, laying him down on a state-of-the-art gurney. Bruce got straight to work, getting an IV into his arm and an intubation tube down his throat.
Poor kid. He really didn't deserve it. Who could have done something like this? Steve's gears turned as he had made up his mind: Nat and Sam would run point on the investigation. Nat would ruthlessly find whoever did this to the poor thing and Sam would talk her out of killing the guy so he'd spend the rest of his life in a tiny-ass cell for what he'd done to such a wholesome human-spider hybrid.
:::::::
Tony paced the waiting room for hours as Bruce kept Peter beyond those damn double doors in the OR. Okay, that wasn't fair. He could go up into the Observation Room, but the last time Peter was hurt, being in the OA only made things worse. So, he'd have to settle for waiting around with the other Avengers and then some. At least May wasn't there, because he couldn't hear her cry one more-
"My baby!"
Well fuck.
Tony's head snapped to the side to see May Parker knelt on the ground in Cap's arms, gripping his shirt as tight as she could, sobbing into his chest. The mechanic hoped to God Steve hadn't told her everything. He knew it was hopeless, though. She'd been in this situation too many times. He'd been the one to inform her quite a few times and she always asked for every single detail. It was so self-torturous. Hell, it was so Tony-like.
When she'd gathered herself enough, Steve brought her to sit next to the large group of Avengers. She, of-mother-effing-course, sat right next to a leg-bouncing Tony Stark.
"You were there?"
Tony brought his hands to his forehead, bringing his torso to lean where his elbows were on his knees. He stared at the white-tile floor. "Yeah. He was strong, May. So strong."
"Who took him? Who took my boy?"
"I-We don't know. Not yet. That's why Natasha and Sam aren't here. They're finding the person."
"I want to see this person when they find them."
Tony came out of his position, staring fully at the woman. "I don't-"
"You don't get to decide that. Not this time." Her face was… No wonder Peter was such a good kid. It'd be terrifying not to be, with an Aunt with a 'I'll cut a bitch' face like that!
He hesitated, ultimately giving in, feeling she had the right, anyway. "Behind the glass."
"In the room."
Okay, she's crazy. It's official. Absolutely crazy. If this person had done this to Peter, what would he say or do while May was in the room?! Hell, maybe she'd scare this person. "In the room with Natasha."
/
"Deal." She wasn't about to push it any further.
:::::::
"Sir Spider-Man, King of the Avengers who Avenges the Needing-of-Avenging is awake." Friday chirped.
"The Hell?" Tony laughed, coming out of his REM.
Peter held a hand out to Tony, startling the older Avenger when he was pulled into a shaking hug. Peter sobbed in the man's hold, breaking his heart.
"I know. I know." Peter's sobs grew louder and his shaking grew more violent.
May casually walked in with the two cups of coffee promised. When she saw the hug, she quickly raced over to the side table, setting down the java to sit on the bed beside Peter's thigh. When the teen felt the mattress dip, he pulled May in closer to him, keeping his hold on Tony. His tears and vibration hadn't stopped or slowed.
He stilled.
Alarms sounded from the machines next to his bed. Tony pushed himself from Peter's grasp, May followed suit. When the two caught sight of Peter's wide-eyed catatonic-looking state, they laid him back on the bed, calling for Bruce and demanding Friday do the same.
The doctor burst through the door, pulling out a stethoscope, calling out numbers to nurses running in after him. "I got the alert on my phone a minute ago. He took his observational measures before getting a needle out of the shelf under the EKG. He injected the clear liquid into Peter's IV and stood, watching the screens. When the alarms shut off, he sighed, setting the needle in the bio bin.
"Was he overly emotional? Excited? Upset?"
"He was sobbing really bad and shaking," May spoke before Tony had even gotten a word out. He was glad. He wasn't sure if he'd be able to talk after that. He thought the kid was dying.
"He was dying."
Well, shit. "What do you mean?"
"His body's still pretty compromised from the fumigation. His heart and brain were heavily affected, so the chemicals creating the emotions were flooding his weakened brain and his emotions from said chemicals made his heart rate rise to a point where, to personify, it wanted to take a break."
Tony's heart was the one that was gonna take a break if something like that ever happened again. He could see May felt the same. "So what do we do?"
"Well, I gave him a sedative, for now, to slow everything down and give his body a little more time to heal before it can process the trauma. It's not ideal, but, he can't handle emotions at the moment."
Tony looked at the sleeping spider, hating the whole situation. He didn't deserve it. He deserved puppies and hugs and trips to cool places and whatever his little wholesome heart desired. He was so mature! Much more than Tony was at first. So much more. He handled his abilities in a way that most people just wouldn't be able to, especially with the circumstances.
The Avengers, after the whole deal with Thanos, managed to convince the world governments that they were necessary and not to be messed with, as they'd just fought their mother-effing billionth alien terrorist or whatever you wanted to call that space-raisin.
For anyone, absolute power corrupts absolutely. Sure, Peter didn't have absolute power but he was pretty close. Yet, he was still wholesome and innocent and overall damn-near-perfect.
What had Tony done? Had he really half adopted this kid? May was still his sole guardian, sure, but Tony had a huge role in his life. He lived at the compound half of the time and, at the end of the day, he was basically the kid's father-figure. He took that role and faced it head on. Now, Peter was lying in a med bay bed, in the compound he half called home. So much had changed. Some better. Some worse. Tony had completely blocked the world out as his mind ran through everything.
"-ny?" May's voice broke through the thoughts.
"Yes, dear?" Huh. He hadn't said that in a while. "Sorry. Yeah?"
"You okay?"
Wow. May's nephew nearly died twice in the past four days and she was asking if he was okay? He could see where Peter had gotten some of his personality from; the gentleness, kindness, empathy, maturity… It was all her. "Yes and no. I'm worried about Peter and Pepper's not gonna be back from her trip for another few hours, but I'm happy the kid's gonna be okay."
"I understand that." She pulled her hair into a ponytail before laying a gentle hand on Peter's.
"I'm sorry, May. I really am."
"It's not your fault."
"No, I-"
"It's not," She didn't even look at him to say it. Funnily enough, she didn't need to. Tony already knew the look she'd give him. "He Spider-Man before you. He'll be Spider-Man after you, until the moment he takes his last breath."
Tony opened his mouth to speak, again, but May held up a finger.
"I'm not done."
Tony's head dipped, slightly ashamed he even tried. "Right."
"You gave him that new high-tech suit, yes. But you made him safer with it. I don't know a tenth of what that thing does but he's come home to me every night. He used to 'spend the night at Ned's' but when I called Ned that night, looking for him, he'd denied it. Peter would tell me that it was just a joke and Ned was just being funny but I knew something was up. Looking back, I now know those were the nights when he was too hurt to come home because he couldn't hide it. Tony, you're protecting him. Sometimes, things like this happen. If he needed to stop, he would. It's hard, but I trust him. I trust you. You and the others."
Tony stared at the woman, no words forming in his mind or on his tongue. He wasn't necessarily shocked that she trusted them, but, he was shocked Peter had gone through those things all alone for so long. It only fortified the idea that the kid was so strong. So brave. Good. When he gathered his thoughts, he spoke, voice full of emotion. "He still beats himself up over the job, sometimes."
May tilted her head, slightly, hair swaying to one side as she did, gravity doing its job.
"He knows you worry. He hates it."
"If he hates being Spider-Man, then-"
"No. He-" Tony huffed through his nose, a soft laughter. "-he doesn't hate it. He hates making you worry. If I could attest to his thoughts, which, as much as I like to say I know him really well, I can't. But if I could venture a guess, I think he can't stop. It'd destroy him inside."
"I think so, too," She wrapped her long, skinny, cold fingers around Peter's hand. "Why does he have to be such a good kid?"
"Cus you had the guts to raise him that way." Tony's compliment made her smile. He liked that. She deserved it after everything. "Were you there when he told Friday to call him that?" He changed the subject, having enough of the emotional stuff.
"What?"
"You didn't hear what Friday called him, earlier?"
"No?"
Tony laughed, waking Peter, slowly. The teen's eyes opened, once more.
Friday chimed in, "Sir Spider-Man, King of the Avengers who Avenges the Needing-of-Avenging is awake, once more."
Tony and May laughed. "I can't believe he told her to call him that," May smiled.
"Mm." Peter grabbed for Tony, again. The mechanic's heart raced, terrified he'd have another sobbing fit, sending him into another episode. "Tony." He pulled the two into a hug, once again. "'M tired."
The two looked at each other and back to Peter before May spoke up, "I know, baby. Me, too."
"Go sleep?" His words were a little messed up, given the effects on his brain. "So many, tower, rocking blanket."
"This is going to be interesting…" Tony ran a hand through the spider's curls, taking comfort in Bruce's promise of a normal speech pattern within the next two days. "So interesting."