Wow...did I really leave you all off with that cliffhanger as the last chapter of 2020? Honestly did not plan that but ANYWHO welcome to 2021! We get to see Tony and Peter's reactions to the impromptu get-together and a super exciting character who will be joining later on in the chapter!
TW and spoilers/ nightmare! mild blood warning but not real, be safe nonetheless 3
also, i added images and gifs in the texting portion, which show up better on AO3 but i added links for you to copy and paste and remove the spaces! if you want any easier way to view them, AO3 displays them without having to follow a link!
Have fun and stay safe ❤️️ 💛💚💙💜
Chapter Ten: Avengers Assemble?
The air goes dangerously still. Peter almost can't believe that not only are Captain America and the Falcon standing in front of him, but also that they look completely normal. No suits, no shield, no wings, just Sam and Steve, save for Steve's uncharacteristic beard. Their expressions are stoic, holding no emotion and not particularly revealing anything as to why they're there. Steve's hands are clasped casually in front of him while Sam's arms are crossed. Tony stares at the two with his jaw set, eyes hard, and posture slightly defensive. He stands up straighter, but doesn't say anything.
Peter is tempted to blatantly turn around and leave due to the tension, especially since he hasn't thought of a believable excuse for being up in Tony Stark's penthouse with scrapes and bruises. Still, he also stands his ground, albeit awkwardly.
"Tony," Steve greets to finally break the silence. He also nods to Peter as a greeting, but leaves it at that. Tony's eyebrow quirks up ever so slightly, teeth grinding.
"Rogers," he responds with a tight voice. Peter looks between the two, briefly glancing to Sam, and chooses to stay quiet. He doesn't want to interfere or accidentally give away his superhero identity. Unless it's okay to tell other superheroes your secret identity? Superhero stuff is confusing. His toes curl under as he waits it out.
"You haven't answered my calls." Steve's voice doesn't sound irritated or indignant, he's simply stating a fact. He's pointing out the obvious, which of course only succeeds in making Tony more annoyed.
"Been too busy answering our lovely secretary of state's calls," Tony shoots back without missing a beat. "That's what happens when you try to cover for fugitives." Peter internally cringes at the thought of Secretary Ross and the Sokovia Accords. He isn't a stranger to the way those calls between Tony and Ross usually go, even being on the receiving end of Tony's anger once, so he doesn't like the idea of a conversation oriented around it.
"We need your help. We need to talk," Steve glances to Peter again, "in private," he adds.
"Hey, I can hear stuff too," Peter speaks up with a pout. Sam raises a cautious eyebrow at Peter, looking him up and down, but doesn't say anything. Peter doesn't think he's ever felt more uncomfortable in his life. Regardless, his Spidey Sense isn't going off so he at least isn't feeling threatened. He just has to keep his cool. Despite that, you know, Captain America and Falcon are here. That's kind of awesome.
"No. No, I don't want to talk to you. I don't want to look at you. In fact, I want you out of my damn penthouse. You think you can just waltz back in here like nothing happened?" Tony demands through clenched teeth in an accusatory tone. The tension becomes almost unbearable for Peter. He wrings his hands uneasily and tries to look away from the two. Steve takes a deep, calming breath. Tony is his friend and he never wanted it to be like this, but… No. He's here for business, not to get caught up in the emotions of it all.
"I'm not going to pretend like nothing happened. It did." Tony scoffs, not breaking eye contact with Steve's unwavering gaze. "But we need to move past it if-"
"Bullshit. Easy for you to say. It wasn't your mom," Tony interrupts. The room goes deathly still. Peter hasn't forgotten what Tony said about Captain America's friend doing something unforgivable and Cap hiding it. It was something about his mom? he wonders. Didn't his mom die before Captain America was even out of the ice? He does his best to start putting the pieces together.
"Then look me in the eyes and tell me you wouldn't do the same for Rhodey," Steve calmly fires back. Peter can see the way Tony's hands shake minutely, whether it's from rage or overwhelming emotion or anxiety is unclear.
"We aren't talking about hypotheticals," Tony counters. He doesn't relent, but neither does Steve, leaving Peter and Sam to quietly observe.
"This isn't about us." Steve chooses to redirect the conversation instead of fighting. "I'm concerned about a man calling himself Electro." Peter looks up with wide, intrigued eyes. That's a supervillain name if he's ever heard one. And he's heard, like, three of those.
"Electro? Who's that? Is he a bad guy?" he questions excitedly, peering around Tony to get a better look at Steve. Both Steve and Sam look at him, whereas Tony's glare remains unmoving.
"Who are you again?" Sam questions, more than confused as to why a kid is here. Peter looks to Tony, then back to Sam.
"I, uh, I'm an intern," he provides. He's not necessarily lying. Sam doesn't look entirely convinced, but Tony talks before either of them can continue.
"What about when I was concerned about a parading clown with hallucinogenic gas hurting my kid, huh? Where were you?" Tony seethes, taking a step towards Steve. His breathing picks up slightly due to the anger. The rage. That feeling of betrayal. Everything. It still hurts. Peter's eyes snap to Tony again. Mr. Stark called them about Mysterio? Because I was getting hurt? He called Captain Freaking America…for me?
"Since when do you have a kid?" Sam borderline interrogates. He's curious more than anything, though his tone comes off as disinterested. Peter smiles at the thought of his last encounter with Sam as Falcon, but presses his lips together to hide it. If only Sam knew this was the same fourteen year old from Germany. Steve sighs, his eyes almost conveying a deep set sadness, but his voice stays strong.
"It's complicated, Tony. We were dealing with-"
"You know what's not complicated? Kicking you out." Tony's voice is resolute, devoid of any hesitation or regret. Steve doesn't look away despite Tony's sharp words, even though he wants to leave. But he can't, this is too important.
"I told you this was a waste of time," Sam mutters as if he has said it a million and a half times. He leans against the frame of the elevator. "Dude, we aren't asking for forgiveness. We don't want to be here probably as much as you don't want us here. All we're asking is that you help us out." His nonchalant tone doesn't seem to convince Tony much further, if at all. Steve takes initiative again.
"This is bigger than any of us," he attempts to reason. However, Peter can see the explosion coming from a mile away, but that might just be because he's more accustomed to Tony's temper and how it works.
"I don't want to hear your high and mighty bullshit!" he finally snaps, breathing heavy. "Get out." It's that same, heartbroken look Steve saw when Tony found out the truth. Sam shakes his head while looking down, a humorless smile on his face. He doesn't seem very surprised by Tony's reaction either. Steve looks away though, maintaining his posture.
"I understand," he relents. Peter actually feels sad for him, regardless of knowing most of what happened. He knows the amazing things Captain America has done and even relates to him, both of them being scrawny kids from New York, but he doesn't want to get between the two heroes either. "Sorry to bother you. We'll handle it." Steve's eyes meet Tony's again, but Tony stubbornly looks away. "Take care of yourself, Tony." Steve smiles gently, then walks back into the elevator, Sam close behind. Tony doesn't respond and the elevator does close. Peter doesn't take his eyes off of Steve, who turns his smile on him before the doors slip shut. Once they're gone, Peter looks up at Tony.
"Are you okay?" he asks his mentor warily. Tony takes a deep breath in through his nose before answering.
"No," he responds honestly, then glances down to Peter. "But yes." He slings his arm around Peter's shoulders and steers them both away from the elevator.
"Shouldn't we be worried about Electro? He sounds dangerous, especially if Captain America's worried," Peter mumbles worriedly. Part of him expects Tony to get angry or not answer at all, but he does neither.
"Not our jurisdiction, kiddo. Which means not our problem and not our worries," Tony easily brushes off the idea. The reasoning is flawed, he knows, considering he'd drop everything at a moment's notice if a catastrophe took place anywhere in the world. However, this is Tony Stark logic, which serves to benefit him whenever he feels like it.
"But what if something goes wrong?" And people get hurt, goes unsaid but rings in Peter's mind. If people get hurt and he knows he could've helped prevent it… Tony huffs.
"There's more of them than there are us. If it makes you feel better, think of it as putting Scorpion first. Without us, who's gonna stop him?" He makes a good point and Peter knows that, he just can't help feeling guilty. Nonetheless, Peter nods and gives him a reluctant smile. "You staying around this dump or you want me to call Happy to drive you home?" Tony inquires as they walk into the open living area.
"I don't wanna bother Happy," Peter laughs nervously. "And May said it's okay as long as I let her know. I'll make it up to her." Tony snorts at Peter's excuses before sitting on the couch.
"You better, or she'll have both our heads." It's meant as a joke, but both of them know it's true. Peter can't bring home apology flowers twice. He just doesn't want Tony to be alone, because on Ben's anniversary the last thing he wants is to be alone. It's then that he remembers something particularly detrimental to their agreement of keeping May up to date.
"Uh, Mr. Stark?" Tony simply raises a cautious eyebrow. "I kinda don't have a functioning phone…remember?" Peter admits with a slight wince at the predicament.
"Ah, that's right," Tony recalls. "And you broke it during the fight?" For some reason, he already knows the answer to the question as he asks it.
"Not exactly…" Peter says sheepishly. The more embarrassed he gets, the more his words become jumbled together as he mumbles. "I might've accidentally forgot that my webs take two hours to dissolve and I webbed my phone to a pole to take pictures of me as Spider-Man for Mr. Jameson so if I could just borrow one that'd be great." The muttering comes out so rapidly that the words are incomprehensible.
"I'm sorry, what?" Tony asks, utterly perplexed. Peter takes a deep breath to calm his nerves and cool his cheeks.
"I webbed my phone to a lamppost and my webs take two hours to dissolve, so it was either wait or…" He doesn't even want to finish. Luckily, Tony is quick to connect the dots.
"Or crush it to make sure no one gets it," he provides, not entirely sure how to react. All in all, it was a good choice despite losing the phone.
"Yep," Peter confirms, popping the "p."
"Don't worry, kid. Happens to the best of us. I'll update your aunt and then we'll get you a StarkPhone," Tony assures, Already pulling out his phone. Of course, Peter tries to decline.
"Wait, no, it's totally not a problem I-"
"Relax. Consider it your intern gift for some shit reason. Trust me, I know best. No arguments." Tony sends the text and Peter doesn't try to fight it like he usually does. This time, he accepts the thoughtfulness.
"Thanks, Mr. Stark." He smiles gratefully as he sits next to Tony. "So, movie marathon?" Tony rolls his eyes at the typical suggestion, but a semester of a smile makes its way back into his face.
"Fine," he relents, "but I get to choose. And I choose eighties movies." Peter doesn't oppose and the pair spend the rest of the afternoon into the evening watching surprisingly funny 80s movies with good music and entertaining plot lines. It reminds Peter of the movie nights he would have with May and Ben watching old-fashioned movies. Well, they were old-fashioned to him. Doing mundane things like this helps him relax and get his mind off the superhero aspect of his life, and Tony is more than aware of it. It's well deserved relaxation that they both needed.
They decide to call it at 10 pm, and by "they" it's actually Tony who chooses when to stop for fear of enraging May. Her strict rules are to return her kid in pristine condition, which means no sleep deprived Peter.
"Holler if you need anything. I muted Fri," Tony easily provides while he's walking towards his room. Peter stretches his arms above his head and yawns while standing in the hallway.
"Sounds good," he mumbles tiredly. He turns around, then his Spidey Sense goes off and he catches something midair.
"Set your alarm for bright 'n early. We're going to be productive tomorrow, maybe even get out of the Tower," Tony calls back. When Peter looks at what he caught, he sees a brand new StarkPhone. He smiles, but he gives it about a week tops before it gets a crack. "All your contacts have already been set," Tony adds, lingering outside his doorway.
"That's handy. How long have you had this ready?" Peter inquires with a knowing look. Tony purses his lips and shrugs his shoulders.
"Two, maybe three, months? Somewhere around there, since you're so stubborn. Night, Underoos." With a chuckle, Peter watches Tony disappear into his bedroom.
"G'night!" Peter reciprocates anyway. He looks back down at the phone and opens it as he walks to his room. True to Tony's word, all of his contacts are there along with his apps and conversations. There's the usual messages from MJ and Ned, but another one catches his eye. It puts a wide grin on his face while he flops onto his bed.
Badass Princess
Shuri: first you're in all the online articles then you're on the news? you're getting harder to keep track of
Peter: youre in the most advanced place in the world
Peter: you'll find a way
Peter: keanu believes in you
Peter: (keanu reeves "you're breathtaking" h-t-t-p-s-:-/-/ media. giphy . c-o-m . media/ hv4TC2Ide8rDoXy0iK/ giphy. gif)
Shuri: Keanu Reeves: the only man i trust
Peter: (conspiracy keanu reeves reaction h-t-t-p-s-:-/-/ i. kym-cdn . c-o-m . / photos/ images/ original/ 000/ 203/ 685/ conspiracy-keanu. jpg)
Peter: what about me?
Shuri: i said what i said
Shuri: a new villain already? you and Stark have your work cut out for you. Think you can handle it? ¬‿¬
Peter: excuse me?
Peter: are you DOUBTING spider-man?
Peter: ye of ltitle faiht
Shuri: the only thing i'm doubting is your ability to text w/o typos
Peter: youre starting to sound like MJ
Shuri: because she's always right
Shuri: just like i am
Peter: i feel like even if i did disagree
Peter: which i dont
Peter: i would mysteriously go missing
Shuri: well done
Shuri: you have learned my disciple
Shuri: (the office meme "I saved a life. My own. Am I a hero? I really can't say, but yes." h-t-t-p-s-:-/-/ i. redd. it/ cjyeezjs4mf01 . jpg)
Peter: (the office gif "thank you" h-t-t-p-s-:-/-/ media. giphy . c-o-m . media/ IcGkqdUmYLFGE/ giphy. gif)
Shuri: so tell me about this incredible villain that even the amazing spider-man can't beat yet
Peter: hey i thougt we were trying to lower mr. Stark's ego not mine
Peter: but his name is scorpion and hes a jerk with a giant cybernetic tail and huhge claws and i'm like 99.9% sure hes mutating into some giant scorpion human hybrid thing
Peter: i'm thinking something along the lines of genetic mutation
Peter: gotta be caused by radiation or idk genetic testing? maybe? and i think its affecting his sanity h was talking jibberish
Shuri: hmm doesn't sound very good. radiation might be a good place to start, or mutagenic treatments
Shuri: but i can't confirm without samples or scans
Peter: i have scans i can send but n samples
Peter: *no
Shuri: if you can get me some pictures of that tail i can start to figure out how it works and possibly get you some schematics
Shuri: maybe even some countermeasures if you ask nicely (◠‿◠ )
Peter: shouldnt you be doing princess stuff instead of giving me a hard time
Shuri: shouldn't you be sleeping since it's past your bedtime
Peter: pretty pleeeeeaaaase oh great princess of wakanda take a look at the scans and don tell on me for being up late
Shuri: i suppose i can find time in my busy schedule for some analysis
Peter: tjank yoooou youre the best
Peter: OMFG I HAVENG TOLD YUO ABOUT J JONAH JAMESON
Shuri: W H O ?
Peter: KJFHDKJFJNS HE'S THIS DUDE WHO WORKD AT A NEWSPAPER COMPANY AND HE HAAAAATES SPIDEY
Peter: BUT I'M WORKING THERE UNDERCOVER AS A FREELANCE PHOTOGRPAHER SO IM SLOOOOWLY EARNING HIS TRUST TO FIGURE OUT WHU SCORPION WANTS TO KILL HIM
Shuri: first of all i'm still not over how unoriginal that villain name is
Shuri: second THAT'S INSANE!
Shuri: FINALLY SOMEONE AGREES WITH ME THAT YOU'RE A MENACE
Peter: ʷᴼᵂ ᴵ ˢᴱᴱ ᴴᴼᵂ ᴵᵀ ᴵˢ (WOW I SEE HOW IT IS)
Peter: (fragile cat meme h-t-t-p-s-:-/-/ i. imgur . c-o-m . / AgMAjEP. jpg)
Shuri: (goose "pathetic" meme h-t-t-p-s-:-/-/ i. kym-cdn . c-o-m . / photos/ images/ original/ 001/ 393/ 829/ 447. jpg)
Peter: ᴬᴺᴰ ᵀᴼ ᵀᴴᴵᴺᴷ ᴵ ᵠᵁᴼᵀᴱ ⱽᴵᴺᴱˢ ᵂᴵᵀᴴ ʸᴼᵁ (AND TO THINK I QUOTE VINES WITH YOU)
Shuri: everyone knows TikTok is the new Vine
Peter: ʸᴼᵁ ᵀᴬᴷᴱ ᵀᴴᴬᵀ ᴮᴬᶜᴷ ʸᴼᵁ ᴷᴺᴼᵂ ᵀᴴᴬᵀˢ ᴬ ᴸᴵᴱ ⱽᴵᴺᴱ ᴵˢ ˢᵁᴾᴱᴿᴵᴼᴿ (YOU TAKE THAT BACK YOU KNOW THAT'S A LIE VINE IS SUPERIOR)
Shuri: okay yeah you're right
Peter: HA
Shuri: spider-man: *does literally anything*
J Jonah Jameson: (shaking mannequin meme h-t-t-p-s-:-/-/ media. giphy . c-o-m . media/ VCmmtCoqeKYRo9RmVG/ giphy. gif)
Peter: KJDHSFKJDSKJS
Peter: baaasically
Peter: i should probably sleep cause mr. Stark has like a sixth sense about me staying up late
Shuri: you still let him boss you around? ¬_¬
Peter: yeah but its a mutual friendship
Peter: and i could always use blackmail
Peter: (blurry tony pic h-t-t-p-s-:-/-/ 1. bp. blogspot. c-o-m . / -iMiaZHpqQ3w/XMwmf7wagfI/AAAAAAAADwg/ Ft _ aYxdwrosRNZxKyyOF- FGPu0GQjNwxQCLcBGAs/ s16000/ light- blue- tinted- glasses- worn- by- tony- stark- robert- downey- jr- as- seen- in- captain-america- civil- war. jpg)
Peter: (another blurry tony pic h-t-t-p-s-:-/-/ vignette. wikia. nocookie ironman/ images/ 6/ 62/ Tony _ Stark _ In _ IM _ 3 _ Screenshot. jpg/ revision/ latest? cb= 20131116101421)
Shuri: aksjds candid pictures of tony stark are a gift
Shuri: and i should make sure my brother is actually awake
Peter: time zone differences suck
Shuri: agreed
Peter: gniiiiiight have fun balancing books on your head
Shuri: good night good luck not getting eaten by a scorpion villain
After they say goodbye, Peter sends May a quick good night text and vows to text Ned and MJ in the morning. Setting his phone down on the nightstand, he lies back in the bed and puts his hands behind his head. He has no idea how he'll be able to sleep with the Scorpion fight and Captain America's appearance both running through his mind. Not to mention whoever Electro is. With a heavy sigh, he turns onto his side and pulls the covers up. He'll worry about it all tomorrow, even though Tony told him not to worry. Life is conflicting. Sleep, however, is not. He adjusts the pillow under his head and closes his eyes…
His surroundings are strange, but somehow not unfamiliar. He doesn't question it. There's rows of houses with a cul de sac separating them, groups of people walking around with a sense of purpose, trying to get from place to place. They're all wearing odd clothing, some seemingly medieval leather and metal armor while others are more modern. They carry staffs and swords and shields. It's a video game. He's in a video game. Obviously. That makes sense.
He picks up his pace to keep up with his party. It's his first time playing, so he's still figuring out the basics. He's a mage, so he has magic and low HP. He doesn't know how he knows all this, but he does nonetheless. It just feels natural. The houses are safe spaces where people come to rest before using the portals to get to the next quest. It all makes logical sense.
He stands on his toes to see the leader of their party: Tony. Who else would be the leader? It's Tony, afterall. May is their healer, MJ is their tank, and Ned is their support. Right now, they're in the central hub to recuperate and head to the next quest. There are words being said, but they don't entirely register.
"Tony!" Oh, that's his voice. "Tony, where are we going?" he asks. He's pretty sure he's the newbie to the team.
"To the portals," Tony answers. Right, that's how they leave the central hub. It's supposed to be a safe zone…so why does Peter feel a sense of dread? Something's going to go wrong, but he doesn't say anything.
Then, everyone is running and screaming. It doesn't make sense, though. This is the hub, the safe zone. Orders are suddenly being yelled as people try to rally against whatever is attacking.
A giant fist rockets down and swipes at a line of houses, causing them to splinter apart on impact. Peter ducks as chunks and planks of wood fly over him. When he looks back up, he sees giant, orange-tinted lenses staring down at them. A massive Scorpion snarls down at them before roaring angrily. This can't be happening. They're supposed to be safe. The houses that were demolished are suddenly on fire. As countless of other players do their best to fight the larger-than-life Scorpion, Peter starts sprinting towards the burning houses.
"I've got the houses!" he yells, but gets no response. He's a mage, so he can put out the fires with a spell or something. As he runs, the edges of his vision blur and he does his best to avoid the falling, flaming beams of wood. Once he gets there, he tries to use his magic…but it doesn't work. He puts his hands out towards the raging flames, but nothing happens. Why isn't it working?! But now he's in his Spider-Man suit and there's fire around him and he has no idea how to stop it.
"Peter!" He whips around. That's May's voice. He starts running back to the central hub.
"Peter!" Another panicked voice, this time it's Tony's. Peter runs as fast as he can, but it feels like he's running through pudding.
"May! Tony!" he screams. His legs just aren't moving fast enough and it doesn't feel like he's going anywhere. Why can't he run faster?! He tries to use his web-shooters to help but they click uselessly. He forces his legs anyway and skids to a stop when a thunderous clang assaults his ears. It almost makes him jump out of his skin and he slowly turns his head…to meet brown eyes. "Tony?" Peter whispers, unable to move as the tears gather. His gaze wanders down to see the long extension of Scorpion's enormous blade has pierced clean through Tony's chest and out his back, the exposed metal bloodied. He got between them. Tony took the hit.
Tony hangs in the air with his feet dangling, too close to Peter for comfort. His head rolls onto his shoulder so that his empty eyes bore into Peter. He isn't panicked or screaming or doing much of anything, just staring as Peter is frozen in place due to the sight. Tony's eyes remain unmoving as a tear rolls down and off his cheek. Then suddenly, they're vacant. Lifeless. His arc reactor flickers out. He's dead.
Peter wakes up gasping with a flinch. His face and shirt are drenched in a panicked sweat as his chest heaves. He stares at the dark ceiling for a few moments, just trying to get his heart to calm down, then looks around the pitch black room. It's probably the middle of the night, or at least very early morning. He takes a deep breath and drapes an arm over his face. Stupid trauma. Stupid nightmares. Stupid. Damnit. He can handle a lot of nightmares, but seeing any of his family die aren't among those he can tolerate. No matter how hard he tries not to, he presses his lips together as the tears fall from the corners of his eyes. He hates that raw, emotional feeling after particularly bad nightmares.
With a deep breath, he wipes his tears and swings his legs out from under the covers. The cold, hardwood floor under his bare feet makes him tense and he distantly hopes that his senses won't overload. He rolls out his neck and tiredly stumbles out of his room to the open space of the penthouse. The first thing he does is shuffle to the kitchen, opens the fridge, then promptly shuts it. He isn't in the mindset for a midnight, or whatever time it is, snack. With his head slightly lowered, he walks to the couch and plops down.
Before getting settled he switches on the TV, then holds a pillow close to his chest for comfort. All he can see is his Tony being killed, even with his eyes open. He's already lost so many people in real life, can't he at least sleep without feeling that all over again?
"Happy two in the morning." He glances up in time to see Tony sit down next to him. Tony gets comfortable, but doesn't say anything else. Still, he doesn't need to say anything to notice Peter's red eyes.
"Hey," Peter returns in a mumble. His hold tightens around the pillow. A few quiet moments pass with the TV being the only sound between them.
"Rough night?" Tony casually inquires, leaving it up to Peter whether or not he wants to divulge any information. The kid simply shrugs his shoulders.
"How come you're up?" Peter asks as well, his curiosity getting the better of him. Tony glances to him, taking in the way he hugs the cushion, then looks back at the TV.
"Couldn't sleep and decided to check on you when I heard the fridge," Tony supplies. Peter nods in understanding, then they're quiet again. "Want to talk about it?" Tony gently offers after a few minutes. It's tempting, but Peter briefly wonders if he wants Tony to know at all. What if he laughs? Or thinks it's a dumb thing to worry about? Or doesn't wanna hear it? Or thinks I'm weak? If he thinks I can't handle a nightmare, he might take the suit. Ned said it could happen. Or- "I thought we moved past that whole overthinking thing?" Peter looks up with a timid smile.
"Sorry." Tony's amused, patient face softens at the kid's demeanor. "I, uh, just a nightmare," Peter admits quietly. That much Tony figured, but it's good to hear Peter say it. "It feels stupid."
"It isn't," Tony immediately turns down the negative thought. He sits up straight and turns to Peter. "Don't try and downplay how you're feeling, alright? Nightmares suck ass and it's okay to say so," he assures, speaking from experience. Peter is well aware of that and sighs, letting go the pillow to run his hands through his hair and ruffle it up a bit.
"I dreamt," he steadies himself, then says under his breath, "that you died." Tony catches it. His eyebrows pull together in concern and empathy, he just wishes Peter didn't have to go through the same pain he did. "And it just, it sucks, y'know?" Peter clears his throat when he starts to get choked up and sniffs. The thing is, Tony does know. He has those nightmares, the ones where he sees Rhodey plummet to the ground and he isn't able to save his best friend or where he watches Pepper get caught in the crossfire because he wasn't good enough. He understands.
"I'm not going anywhere," he says resolutely. "Nothing and no one will take me away. I'm too stubborn." His lopsided smile lifts the tension a bit. Peter chuckles breathlessly before sniffing again, then shakes his head.
"But I know you'd do it," he weakly counters, smiling as the tears fall. Tony gently catches them with his thumbs and pulls Peter into his chest. Peter doesn't try to fight it. It wasn't difficult for Tony to figure out that Peter wanted comfort, but wasn't asking for it. A few months ago, Tony would've ignored those signs. Now, he would give the kid all the hugs in the world if it meant taking away his pain. He supposes that's progress.
"Do what?" he softly prods, resting his chin on Peter's head. Peter slowly grips Tony's shirt. He's here. It was just a dream. It wasn't real. Everything's fine.
"Die to save me." Tony closes his eyes and lets out a breath, knowing Peter is right. He would absolutely give his life to save Peter in a heartbeat. There's no doubt in his mind, because he couldn't handle the pain of losing the kid or wondering who he would've grown up to be. Losing Peter isn't an option. Regardless, he orders his chaotic thoughts.
"Bud," he starts decisively, "you know I'd kill for you and I'd happily die for you without a second thought. But don't you think for a second that I wouldn't live for you. Capisce?" He looks down to make sure the kid is following. Peter bites the inside of his cheek and nods, more tears falling. He trusts Tony, he's just scared. And he hates that feeling of hopelessness.
"Okay," he affirms in a whisper and allows himself to enjoy the comfort. Reassurance from Tony Stark might be something he never gets used to, but he'll damn sure relish in it.
"No more tears, got it?" Tony jokingly reprimands when he notices Peter crying again. Peter nods in agreement, but it still doesn't feel right to Tony. Maybe, if he could just put a smile on Peter's face… "Hey, kid, guess what?" Peter shifts his head to look up expectantly.
"Hm?"
"I smell like beef," Tony references with a proud smile. Peter immediately snorts in surprise and can't help but laugh, not even remotely expecting the Vine reference. He grins widely and covers his face with his hands. Neither of them can hold back their laughter and they both end up losing it.
"Okay, that was the best thing ever," Peter concedes between breaths. He peeks up sheepishly when he can breathe properly again. "And thanks for listening and, uh, understanding," he says gratefully. Tony shrugs his shoulders as if it's no big deal, but maintains his smug tone and smile.
"I try. I'm allergic to emotions, you know," he looks down at Peter nonchalantly. "They give me hives, so look forward to that tomorrow." Peter wrinkles his nose in fake disgust.
"Yeah, well, you did pretty great. Peter Parker stamp of approval," he awards with a genuine smile, which Tony easily returns. Tony's, however, is one more of adoration. The two get more comfortable and watch the strange shows that are only ever on in the early a.m. until they fall asleep.
OKAY SO IM SORRY FOR THAT TENSION THAT WAS A BIT THICK BUT ALSO YOURE WELCOME FOR SHURI TEXTING AND THAT IRONDAD COMFORT I HOPE THAT MADE UP FOR IT 3 but also i will never not cry at Tony saying "don't you think for a second that I wouldn't live for you" please send help
Thank you for reading! ❤️️ 💛💚💙💜
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