A/N: Guess what? I'm back already. (grins) Not sure how much you'll like me for it soon, but I AM back.
HOLY…! THANK YOU, a million times over, for the BAFFLING amount of reviews, listings and love! I'm already in love with writing this (despite the pain) and you're getting me even more into it. (HUGS) You're AWESOME!
Awkay… It's time to go. But first… This is gonna be one those HEAVIER chapters. And one of the reasons why I felt you deserved a far cheerier previous chapter. Hang in there, dears, there'll be some turbulence!
We Break Our Hearts a Little More
That Thursday morning Tony received a message that made his knees grow weak. Not in the good way. He stared at the words, not quite comprehending them.
'Peter had a heart attack.'
Tony had been planning on a business trip with Pepper. He barely heard her worried voice. "Tony? What's wrong?"
Tony swallowed thickly. He had no idea of the moisture gathering to his eyes. "I… I've gotta go", he managed. "I'll… explain later. But… I've gotta go." He sped away without offering any further explanation.
Tony had no idea how he made it to the hospital. All he knew was that it took frustratingly long because of traffic. His mad dash to the already familiar ward was nothing but blur. May sat there, crumbled to a chair with her face buried to her hands. Her whole frame shuddered from shock and tears she wasn't able to hold back.
"How…?" Tony had to clear his throat when his voice broke pitiably. "How is he?"
May jolted, startled. Her hand trembled when she wiped her eyes. "He's, ah… They've got him pretty stable." She bounced up and began to pace, the chaos inside her clearly making it impossible to hold still. "But… They're still working on him." She blinked furiously when a new storm of tears threatened to strike. "I don't… I don't know…" Her voice faded away entirely.
Unlike most people probably imagined, Tony didn't gift hugs easily. But at that terrifying, heart-wrenching moment he couldn't stop himself. Unable to utter a word, he wrapped his arms around May and pulled her close. For about two seconds shock paralyzed her. Then she clung to him desperately, like he was the only thing keeping her from drowning. And broke down to sobs that sounded like howls of agony. Tony didn't know that he was crying as well while he held her back just as tightly. Right there, his own heart racing and breaking for the child he'd only just started to get to know, he prayed for the first time in his life.
Both adults were too preoccupied to notice the nosy reporter who'd been tailing Tony since the man left the Stark Tower in a visible amount of distress. A predatory grin appeared while the man snapped a picture of the embracing couple. He could already imagine the headlines…
It took until noon before Peter's primary doctor finally approached them, his face grim and exhausted. Tony didn't understand half of what the man was saying. He clung to the bits and pieces he felt he could handle.
Peter wasn't awake just yet. But the child was responding to the medication given to him. The boy's heart suffered one more little bit of damage, but it was still beating.
Still in a shock, Tony wondered what he was supposed to do next. May made the decision for him, her nearly convulsive hold on his hand never breaking. Neither was able to speak as they followed the doctor to Peter's room, the billionaire's ears deaf to the man's warnings of what awaited. For the second time that day Tony felt his knees go dangerously weak.
Peter was either unconscious or sleeping deeply, even paler than usual. An oxygen mask sat on the child's face but his lips still held a hint of blue. A painfully loud heart-monitor reported an unsteady but existing rhythm. Peter seemed so hopelessly tiny and fragile that Tony's breath caught in his throat. He could barely even imagine how May had to feel.
The doctor left after some hollow words of comfort Tony paid no attention to. He stood paralyzed close to the door, fighting to convince himself into taking the next step. May approached Peter slowly, a dazed look in her pain-filled, moist eyes. She swallowed convulsively while sitting to the edge of the boy's bed and started to comb her fingers gently through the child's unruly hair. Tears ran down her cheeks while she shook from how hard she tried to stay strong.
It took several minutes before May remembered that the billionaire was there. She seemed to feel awkward all of a sudden. "I'm… I'm sorry about that message. You must be busy, but… I didn't know who else to… And I didn't want you to come here today, not knowing…"
Tony shook his head to interrupt her. "I'm glad you let me know." And he was, no matter how freaking badly this hurt.
May nodded and continued to focus on Peter. It took a considerable amount of time and effort before she found her voice again. "The last time he was… this bad… my husband, Ben, was still alive." She sighed and blushed ever so slightly. "This is embarrassing, but… I'm glad I'm not alone right now."
Tony felt tempted to ask what happened to Ben but didn't. This wasn't the right time. "It's okay to need someone. Or so I've been told. And, if it's any consolation… You're tougher than you think." She'd been at this war for over eight years without shattering. He had no idea how she did it.
May smiled faintly. She nodded towards Peter. "Not as tough as he is." She bit he lower lip, hard. "When he was born they said he had months. Until they operated him, and it failed. Then it was years. When he… When he has a good day he's just so bright and bubbly, alive, that I almost forget. And then… Then something like this happens, and I remember again." She wiped her eyes. "It's like I've always only had him on loan. I… I keep dreading when the universe remembers to snatch him away. When… When his heart gets too heavy, and he just…" She trailed off.
Tony clenched his jaw to keep himself from breaking down. He needed to stay strong, too. ('Stark men are made of iron.') "We're not letting him give up. And we're not giving up, either." If there was one thing he was absolutely certain of, that was it. Because losing this battle… He wasn't sure if his heart could take it. (Not that he would've ever admitted as much out loud.)
It was around four in the afternoon when Peter woke up, briefly. Tony had dozed off at some point but was just coherent enough to witness the event. The child whimpered and fought so hard not to sob that he shook, clawing at his chest. "… ouwh …"
May stopped the unhelpful motions with a gentle but firm hold. Careful to not disturb any machinery, tubes or wires she lay down before pressing a kiss to the child's temple. "Shh… It'll get better soon, I promise." She sounded like she'd been through this all far too many times. The hand that wasn't holding the boy's wrist caressed his hair tenderly. "Try to sleep."
Peter whimpered again, then bit his lip to keep the sound from repeating. "… heart hiccup again?" the boy mumbled.
May nodded. She looked towards the ceiling and blinked rapidly. "Yeah, larb. It did. But you got the magic medicine, so it's doing better now." She sounded almost convincing. Almost.
Peter nodded slowly, his eyelids drooping already. He buried his head to his aunt's shoulder to hide his face, his whole tiny frame shaking. "Hurts…"
It was fortunate, really, that the kid was spared from having to see May's eyes overflow. She gulped laboriously. "I know." She closed her eyes for a second and kissed the boy's hair. "Remember why your heart hurts? Because it's so big that it has enough love for the whole wide world. And it's heavy because…"
"… 's made of pure gold", Peter murmured. Sounding more than half asleep already. After some deep, shuddering breaths the child opened a pair of bleary eyes just enough to see his aunt. The agony and sadness in his gaze weren't only for physical causes. The boy reached out a small hand to wipe her cheeks. "… feel better now. Promise. Don't cry."
May did her best to blink away the tears. She wasn't very successful. "I'm not crying, silly child. It's the allergies." She kissed the tip of the boy's nose and he feigned being appalled. "Now sleep. We'll both hurt less when you wake up."
That seemed to soothe Peter, at least a little bit. Unable to fight back any longer the boy closed his eyes and fell asleep. It wasn't until after that May stuffed one fist into her mouth, closed her eyes and broke down to soundless sobs. Completely forgetting that there was someone watching.
Tony was so focused on her tears that he didn't notice his own.
It was almost midnight before Peter woke up again, halfway at least. The boy seemed to feel marginally more comfortable, mainly because the dosage of pain medication given to him had been increased dramatically. The child blinked sluggishly at Tony, then smiled. "Hey, Mr. Stark", Peter croaked in what wasn't louder than a whisper. "… it still Thursday?"
Tony couldn't help but smile as well, despite everything. "Yeah, kid. It is. Barely."
"Good. … worried I slept through … and missed you…"
"Hey!" Tony ruffled the boy's hair. "No way I would've gone anywhere without seeing you."
Peter smiled again. Then sobered upon remembering something. "… May okay?"
"She is", Tony hurried to reassure the child. There was no way he could've been heartless enough to reveal just how not okay she was, in the middle of all this. "She's just taking a nap." It took hours before she fell into a light, fitful sleep. The only reason she refused medication was that she wanted a clear head in case Peter needed her.
Peter frowned. "You look tired, too."
Tony shook his head as firmly as he could. "Nah, I'm fine." He hadn't slept in two full days. And wasn't sure he'd be able to get any rest for a while. He did his best to seem stern. "Leave the worrying for adults. All you need to worry about is getting more sleep."
It didn't seem like Peter was planning on obeying. The child looked at him. No matter how much it obviously hurt and how little strength the boy had, the kid pushed himself to a sitting position. Then flung his arms around Tony, practically slumped against the man when the exertion proved to be too much.
Tony hugged the child in return. Because there was nothing else he could've even imagined doing. "What's this for?" he barely managed from how choked his throat had gone.
"… looked like you needed a hug", Peter murmured.
Tony couldn't answer anything. Not when even breathing without it transforming to sobs was a battle he barely won. All he could do was tighten his hold, as much as he dared to. His eyes stung so badly that it threatened to drive him crazy. In a matter of minutes Peter had fallen asleep in his arms.
It was two in the morning before Tony finally made it home. Pepper was still awake, of course. She seemed ready to berate him but changed her mind at the sight of him. It wasn't until in her arms the supposedly heartless billionaire finally let go, completely and utterly.
Tony didn't remember falling asleep. But he woke up to a headache and sunlight, which wasn't a good combination. Pepper sat on the other side of the bed, looking like she hadn't gotten any rest for a while. There was an unnervingly solemn look on her face. "I… really want to know what yesterday was all about. But first… I think we need to talk about…" She tossed a tabloid to the bed beside him. "… this."
Dread squirming in the pit of his stomach, Tony inspected the paper. The squirming transformed into knots at what he discovered. "Shit…!"
There was a picture of him and May embracing. Along with a headline that made him see red. 'BILLIONAIRE PLAYBOY'S BEST KEPT SECRET? DOES TONY STARK HAVE A SECOND GIRLFRIEND AND A CHILD?'
"I know that you'd never cheat on me." Pepper's voice held no hesitation. "But… Who is she? And… If you have a kid with someone… I'd like to know." She didn't sound accusative, only hurt and confused. Which somehow made him feel worse.
Tony realized that he'd been stupid to not tell her sooner. Because she would've deserved to know, and he had no idea why he'd kept his silly secret for this long. He choked in a breath, exhaled. And started telling her exactly what he did on Thursday afternoons.
Later that day, after getting a permission from a hesitant May, Tony held a press-conference. And made sure that the reporter interviewing him wasn't from the same newsroom that transformed the one selfless thing he'd ever done into something hideous. "So, we're all curious to know…", the painfully nasal interview began. "Do you really have a child with that woman?"
Tony snorted and shook his head forcefully. "Of course I don't! And although I've done a lot of stupid stuff, I'd never cheat on Pepper after being lucky enough to trick her into loving me."
Tony spent a few seconds searching for the right words. "My big, scandalous secret is that I've been visiting my biggest fan at a children's ward. That woman in the picture is his aunt. And, the thing is…" He focused on the TV-cameras filming him, a pleading look in his eyes. The twenty surgeons he and his people had contacted had declined to operate on Peter in varying levels of politeness. (It was against ethics to operate on a patient who'd die on the table, one stated bluntly. And awakened a beast inside the billionaire.) It was time to use the unraveling of his secret for something good. "He's a great kid, probably the most awesome person I've ever met. And his heart is in a horrible condition. So, if there's anyone out there who can help, or knows someone who can help… Please, reach out. Because… He could kind of use a miracle."
TBC
A/N: Oh, dang… What have I done…? Poor, poor Peter – and Tony and May, too! SO… MUCH… PAIN. What in the world is going to happen next?
And GO TONY, using his fame and fortune like this! Now, who wants to maim that paparazzi-reporter from the hospital? (lifts both hands)
SOOOO… Thoughts? Comments? Rants? PLEASE, let me hear from you! It ALWAYS makes my day.
AS FOR THIS FIC'S UPDATING SCHEDULE… How would you feel if I TRIED TO update twice a day, on Mondays and Thursdays? I should be able to, if plot-bunnies and my head stay in control. (chuckles)
Until next time, folks! I REALLY hope that I'll see you all there.
Take care!
Guest (1): We NEED more of those two in the movies! Poor Tony, he was struck speechless and absolutely crushed when Peter… went. (whimpers at the memory)
Aaaw! SO GLAD you liked that little detail with the robot-names. It just rang so right for me. (smiles) I think they both had an AMAZING day. Peter seriously needs and deserves more days like that! We'll see just how bleak his future is… (gulps)
EXCELLENT point, there! How long will Tony's secret remain a secret…?
Don't worry one bit, I'm a non-native English writer, too. (HUGS)
Monumental thank yous for the review!
Guest (2): Bittersweet is DEFINITELY the word! But I'm REALLY glad you've enjoyed the ride thus far, anyway. (BEAMS) We'll see what the chapters to come will bring…
Oh, how I wish I could make promises…! I really hope that you'll keep enjoying this tale, anyway.
Colossal thank yous for the review!
Stark staffie: Sorry… (smirks sheepishly) BUT, it means a lot that you find this story so moving!
OUCH! Sounds PAINFUL. Glad you received such good care!
LOVE the poem! I REALLY hope that you'll keep enjoying this story, emotional as it'll get…
Massive thank yous for the review! Until next time. xoxoxo
