"Tony, don't be stubborn. You need to sleep." Rhodey had lost his patience with the mechanic, sick of watching him wear himself down.
"No. What I need to do is fix Peters suit. He's going to want it back when he's better."
Tony hunched over his tray table, suit draped over it as he tried to repair the damage. Peter lay in his bed beside him, still on a ventilator, still in a coma. Bruce had said his body was too weak and he needed more time to rest but Tony was sick of waiting.
Rhodey scrubbed a hand over his head and tried again. "Peter isn't going to go anywhere while you take a break. He'll be fine and he'd want you to take care of yourself."
Tony's head snapped up, glaring at his friend as he gestured to the teenager. "Don't talk about him like that. Like 'it's what he would have wanted'. He's not gone."
He wasn't gone, he was right there beside him and yet every time Tony thought of leaving the room he just...couldnt.
"It's been four days. This isn't healthy."
Rhodey looked worried and Tony pulled his gaze back down to the suit, ashamed. "I can't leave him."
"Why?"
"Because I promised I wouldn't."
Rhodey shook his head, kneeling in front of his friend. "No, that's not it. I know you, Tony and I know you're scared. Tell me why."
Peter's ventilator hissed and Tony's throat was tightening with anxiety. How could he even explain? No one else remembered the other timelines, none of them knew what it was like, what Tony had been through.
To hold a child in your arms, to love him more than you thought your heart had the capacity to, and then watch him disappear? He'd never be the same. That fear would never cease.
He closed his eyes, voice hushed and broken. "Because if I leave, he might disappear again."
Rhodey didn't understand the true meaning of his words but he understood. Tony was terrified of losing that kid.
"Oh, man. Come here." He leant forward, pushing Tony's table away and wrapping him in a hug.
He fell to Rhodey's chest, exhausted beyond belief. He just wanted everything to be okay again.
Rhodes held him, his voice low and soothing, the same voice Tony had first heard when he'd been rescued from the desert and it was the same healing balm it had been then.
"He's not gonna disappear. He's going to be fine and so will you, but you need to take care of yourself. Or at least let me do it for you."
Tony sighed, miserable. "I'm so tired, Rhodey."
That comforting hand rubbed over his back, warm and solid against him. "I know, buddy. I'm sorry."
Tony sucked in a shaky breath as Rhodes let him go, pulling the tray table and his work away and grabbing a blanket instead.
"Here, lay down."
Tony pulled the lever on the side of his armchair, leaning back when the footrest flipped up. He curled on his side, watching the teenager's chest rise and fall, slow and deep.
Rhodey laid the blanket over him and tucked it in before taking a seat in his chair at the end of the bed. "I'll watch him, for you. You sleep."
Tony looked over at Peter. His face half covered by the blue bite block holding the tube in his mouth, skin still pale, eyes softly closed as if he were just sleeping.
If only he were merely sleeping.
Tony watched those pale fingers resting on the blanket, so graceful and delicate. He wanted to hold them tight, to squeeze them and warm them up, to tell Peter that he was there. But he shivered instead, pulling his own hands to his chest as he curled up in his blanket.
He couldn't touch those hands without thinking about how it felt for the weight of Peters body to float away, ash sticking to his skin as the only remnant of the bright young boy he'd held just seconds ago.
So, no. Tony didn't hold his hand but he kept his eyes on Peter until he could hold them open no more, and they slipped closed as he finally fell asleep.
…
He was back on Titan, the planet dead and cold beneath his feet. It was so quiet, like a graveyard for an entire species.
"Mr Stark?"
Peters' voice echoed across the vast space, wind whipping at his hair. There was blood dripping from his mouth, his suit stained and smeared as the wound on his stomach bled unheeded.
Tony stumbled back as Peter stepped forward, frowning. "Peter- You're-"
His voice was so calm, his eyes sad. "Why didn't you save me? You promised me everything would be okay."
Tony shook his head, breaths coming in heaving pants. "I tried. I did everything I could."
The teenager stepped closer, blood pouring down his chin, down the front of his suit. It was everywhere, he was dying. "I could feel you holding my hand. You told me you wouldn't let go. Why did you let go?"
"I'm sorry-"
Tony fell back, tripping over his own feet and landing hard on the dusty ground as Peter came closer, frowning as he held out a dripping red hand.
"Don't leave me, Mr Stark. Please. I still need you." His hand was outstretched, his own blood falling in thick rivulets from his fingertips.
Tony reached out, about to take that hand, when Peter suddenly shuddered, an awful gurgling sound coming from his mouth.
He jerked back as Peter choked and fell to his knees, hand still reaching for his mentor. "To-ugh...Tony...wake up."
The voice morphed, no longer that of a teenager. It was Rhodey, panicked and loud.
"Tony!"
The mechanic snapped awake, jerking forward in his chair as his heart pounded. Rhodey was leaning over Peter's bed, grunting in effort as he held the kid's arms down.
Peter...Peter was still choking. The horrible noises and gurgling gasps had not stopped when he'd woken up.
Tony jumped from his seat as Bruce ran in. "What's happening?!"
Peter's eyes were blinking open but they didn't focus on anything around him, they were glassy and unseeing as he choked on the vent. His weak hands jerked up to the tube in his mouth as he tried to breath past the plastic. Rhodes was doing his best to hold them down but the kid was panicking, his heart monitor screaming as tears fell down Peters pale cheeks.
Bruce hastily pulled on gloves and prepared to take the tube out, grunting in effort as Peter turned his face away.
"Hold him still!"
"I'm trying!"
Tony watched in shock until a thought came to him. Peters' hands were reaching up to pull the tube out, his eyes blinking at the ceiling, terrified. Tony knew what he had to do.
He reached out, catching Peters hand and squeezing it tight. Peter let out another gag and Tony brushed his hair back, sliding his hand down to cup his cheek.
"Peter, listen to me. You're safe, I'm here. I won't let go."
The teenager seemed to pause at the voice, giving Bruce enough time to carefully remove the bite block. Tony almost wished he hadn't. Seeing the tube snake through Peters' lips and down his throat made Tony so uncomfortable it was as if he were the one choking.
It was almost a claustrophobia that rose up in him and he just wanted to tube out already, like he couldn't breathe right until Peter did.
Bruce took the kids brief lapse in panic to take hold of the tube, but as soon as he touched it, Peter frowned again, choking once more.
He jerked, trying to move away from Bruce's hands as a gurgle coming from his mouth and his hazy eyes found his mentor. His fingers tightened in Tony's grip and Bruce muttered unhappily. "He's biting on the tube. I need him calm."
Tony's eyes flickered up to his friend, long enough to see Bruce inject something in Peters IV before he brought his gaze back down. "Peter, just relax. I know you're scared but I'm right here. Just squeeze my hand."
Whatever the kid was injected with began to take effect and Peter's eyes dropped, his struggling slowing as the choking died down.
Bruce leaned over him and carefully took hold of the tube again. "Peter, I'm going to take the tube out. Take a deep breath in."
Tony brushed Peter's hair back, keeping their gazes locked as the spiderling obeyed, eyes squinting shut with the effort.
"And breathe out." Peter squirmed, fingers tightening on Tony's hand as the tube was pulled out in one go, feeling awful coming out of his throat.
He coughed weakly, sucking in his first breath on his own, exhausted already. Rhodey let go of his arm, stepping back with a sigh as Bruce checked the teenager over, making sure he was okay.
Peter's chest heaved with the effort of breathing, his eyes flickering open at the touch of Tony's fingers on his cheek, wiping his tears away.
"Hey, kid. It's really good to see you awake. You had me worried."
Peter's warm brown eyes, the ones that Tony had been waiting to see open again, blinked up at him, swimming with relief. "T-Ton...y."
Peter struggled to get the single word out, breath dragging in as a painful wheeze. Tony rubbed a warm hand over Peter's chest as the kid winced, Bruce deftly lacing a nasal cannula under Peter's nose.
"Don't try to talk just yet. You still need your rest. I'll be here."
Peter's fingers tightened on Tony's, his eyes so tired but so determined to stay open. He mumbled, words coming as nothing but a moan as he tried to speak and Tony laughed.
"Hey, come on. Do as your told. Get some sleep Spider-Man. I'll be right here when you wake up."
No one doubted that he meant it, even if it wasn't the healthiest option, it did make Peter feel better and his eyes slipped softly closed.
Tony looked up as Rhodey sighed, shrugging as he gave up. "As long as you sleep and eat, I won't pull you away."
Tony smiled. "Thanks."
He had no intention of leaving Peter's side ever again, especially not when he needed him so badly.
…
Peter didn't know where he'd been but it felt far away. It was cold and dark and he didn't like to be on his own.
But suddenly he wasn't. Mr Stark was there, his wide eyes lit up with a mixture of relief and worry.
His voice was warm and reassuring and Peter didn't want to close his eyes, he didn't want him to leave. Peter didn't want to be alone with his dreams but he was too tired, too weak and his eyes slipped closed of their own accord.
He drifted, unsure of where he was, not knowing who was with him. He could hear voices, familiar but distant and they didn't sound happy.
One belonged to a woman, furious and warped with emotion but it sounded strange and small like it was coming from a phone.
"How could you bring him into that?! I've seen it on the news. God, he could have died!"
The other voice belonged to a man, one that Peter had heard when he'd woken briefly. Tony.
"I tried to get him to stay back. I sent him back but he-"
"Well, you didn't try hard enough! Look at him! How could you-" That was May, it had to be.
Tony raised his voice, words shaking and heavy. "I'm the one who had to watch him die! I'm the one that held him when he…" He let out a sigh, sounding as tired as Peter felt.
Peter hadn't realised he'd had hands until he felt warm, rough fingers take his, squeezing gently. Tony tried again. "I'm sorry, May. I wanted to make him stay home and believe me, I did everything I could to keep him safe but we needed him. He helped save the universe, that has to count for something."
Peter scrunched his eyes shut, trying to wake up to see his Aunt May. When was the last time he'd seen her? It felt like such a long time since they'd spoken.
Her voice had lost its anger, now just sad and guilty. "It does. And you saved him. I am grateful, Stark, don't think I'm not. I'm just...I'm so scared of losing him. What am I supposed to do? How am I supposed to protect him? It's my job to take care of him but I don't even know where he is most nights."
Tony's voice was rough as Peter frowned in frustration, trying to wake up to stop May and Tony from sounding so sad.
"I know. I feel the same way. I mean, every time I see him running into danger I want to drag him back but.." He laughed suddenly, the sound bubbling from his mouth.
"He's stronger than me, I can't stop him."
May laughed too, sniffing her tears away. "That's true and I know you try. I actually don't know what he'd do without you."
Her voice was warm and Peter never wanted her to stop talking. He'd missed her voice. "Could you move the phone up? I want to see my boy."
Tony shuffled beside Peter and he heard May sigh, her voice choking up. "He looks better than he did before. Has he woken up yet?"
"A little when Bruce took the breathing tube out. He's getting there."
May's wistful voice was soft. "He looks much better with it out. Thank you for taking care of him when I can't and for staying with him. I hate the thought of him being alone like that."
Tony vehemently agreed. "Me too. He won't be alone, I promise."
Tony's promises didn't always hold so much weight and May hadn't always been so quick to accept them, but now it was all she had. Unable to go to Wakanda with the mess there, she had to entrust her nephew's safety to Tony and the other Avengers.
Thankfully they were up for the job.
Bucky sat down beside Peters bed with a sigh, trying not to move his bandaged arm too much, lest he be reprimanded for tearing Bruce's handiwork. Again.
"Hey, kid. Tony's asleep and I've been told talking to coma patients can help them get better. So, I'm going to tell you about this one time Steve got so drunk I had to carry his skinny ass home."
Peter's eyes remained closed and his chest continued to rise and fall in deep even breaths throughout the entire story but it didn't matter. Bucky still laughed at the memory of poor Steve draped across his shoulders singing the national anthem.
"That sounds like Steve. Too bad we can't get him drunk now." Natasha's voice joined the White wolf's, amused as she made her way to Peters side.
Bucky laughed, leaning back in his chair as he watched her. "I hear Thor can. I'd like to see it sometime."
Natasha brushed her fingers over the teenager's cheek, her voice hushed in the quiet room. "You wake up soon, Peter. We still need you."
Bucky's tone was softer in its teasing. "Didn't think you were the mothering type."
Black Widow's eyes narrowed as she turned to glare at him, hand leaving Peter's cheek to tuck his blankets tighter around his middle. "You make any jokes about it and I'll break you."
Bucky raised his good arm in surrender, still smiling. "Stand down, I'm not making fun of anything. He's a good kid, even if he did kick my ass that one time."
Natasha laughed, carefully laying Peter's IV lines out when the machine beeped irritably.
"You're a hundred years old, Clint's kids could kick your ass."
"Haha. Burn." Tony snickered from his seat next to Peter's head as he stretched his cramped muscles. He was ruffled and definitely had not gotten enough sleep but there was no telling him that.
"I love hearing you two insult each other, I really do but Peter has a scan in ten minutes."
Natasha kicked Bucky's boot, his smile widening as he playfully tripped her when she stepped out the door. Tony shook his head, rolling his eyes at them and their antics as he rubbed a hand over his hair.
Peter still wasn't showing any signs of waking and hadn't since he'd been extubated. It seemed as though he should have by now and Tony was getting worried. Well, more worried then he had been already.
He looked down at the pale teenager, frowning. "What's going on with you, Pete? I thought you were waking up. We're all waiting you know."
Of course, Peter didn't reply. His heart monitor continued to beep in the same slow rhythm and his eyes didn't even flicker.
"Come back, buddy. Please."
