The Avengers all hung around the kitchen, eating their breakfast. Some had cereal, others had pancakes made by Steve.
The team all made fun of the apron Steve was wearing. It was a light shade of pink and said "Kiss the Cook." Everyone took their turn at making fun of him, while Steve just laughed it off saying, "Quiet or I won't make you anymore pancakes."
Then Peter, who was almost always the last to come downstairs, walked through the doorway. Once again he was the last one there.
He took some pancakes and thanked Steve for making them. Peter joked about the apron as well, earning a threat for his pancakes to be taken away, which cause him to sarcastically apologize.
The day seemed to be off to a great start for Peter. That was cut short when Tony stood next to where he was sitting and tried talking to him.
"Hey, uh... how you doing?" Tony asked, hopeful for a response.
Peter shrunk back a little, still uncomfortable being near Tony. He looked down at his food and didn't say anything. The rest of the team acted like they weren't watching what was happening, but they were all secretly listening.
"Oh come on, are we back to this again?" Tony asked.
"No," Peter said simply.
The Avengers were all shocked. When did Peter say something to Tony? He had been faithful to his promise to never talk to Tony again, why did he break it?
"Thank goodness. Did you want to tell me what happened last ni-"
"Just because I said something to you doesn't mean I'm not still mad. Don't think we're cool," Peter said, cutting Tony off.
"Oh please, cut the drama. Do you actually think that staying mad at me forever is going to change my mind?" Tony said.
"Do actually think that keeping me from being Spider-Man will keep me safe?" Peter fired back.
"Well I mean-"
"How about all of the crime that happens in New York. What's going to happen when I go back to school? I can't stay in this prison forever, you know. Some day I'll walk the streets of New York again, and you're never safe when you do that," Peter said, again cutting Tony off and standing up.
The rest of the team just watched the argument play out. Steve and Bruce were worried it was going to get ugly, and fast, while Clint and Natasha sat back and enjoyed the show. Tony opened his mouth to say something but Peter spoke before he could.
"And you think that the time you decided to take it away will help either? I thought you said you lost your parents, so you would know how to help me. How did you cope with it? What would you do if the one thing you loved, the only thing that kept you sane, helped you forget, was unexpectedly taken away? Oh, but this way you'll be safe, right?
"I know the risk I take every time I go out as Spider-Man, the same risk you take when you go out as Iron Man. But Spider-Man, that's me. Take the suit away, whatever. You think I needed it? Before you came I wore normal clothes with eye holes cut out and goggles placed over them. I am Spider-Man," Peter said, almost spitting in Tony's face from how passionately he spoke.
"Fine, you're right. You are Spider-Man. But you're crazy if you think what I'm doing is wrong. If Spider-Man is your only distraction what are you going to do when you can't be him anymore? You can't cope by going out and saving people's lives then. You need to understand where I'm coming from.
"It's too dangerous now. You have to find a different way to deal with this. Talk to someone for a change. Do you want me to sign you up for therapy? Will that help?" Tony asked, frustrated.
"Stop controlling my life!" Peter said angrily.
"Look kid, I want the best for you, honest," Tony said, placing a hand on Peter's shoulder, "but if-"
Flashbacks of his dream flooded Peter's mind, and he wanted nothing more than to just get away from Tony right now.
Peter pushed Tony's hand off his shoulder. "D-Don't touch me," Peter said before running out of the room.
That made all the Avengers stand up and watch as Peter ran off.
"You really did it this time," Clint said to Tony. The team all went back to eating. Except Steve.
"I'll go talk to him," Steve said, untying his apron.
"No, Steve, I can handle it," Tony said, holding his and up.
"Sure, last time I checked you're the reason he ran off," Steve said, being stopped at the doorway by Tony.
"He's got a problem with me then it has to be fixed," Tony said.
"I agree, but now is not the time for that. Just—trust me, okay," Steve said, looking Tony in the eyes.
Tony stared back, pondering what Steve said, then just sighed and moved out of the way. Steve nodded at Tony and ran out to look for Peter.
It took a couple of minutes to find where the kid was, but then Steve actually thought about where he might go and found him immediately.
Peter was at the top of the building, sitting on the ledge and looking at the city. There was a cool breeze that circulated through the air.
Steve walked towards the kid and stopped behind him. He was about to say something when Peter beat him to it.
"Tony, if you're here to tell me I overreacted, then-" Peter stopped, turning around and seeing that it wasn't Tony. It was Steve?
"Hey," Steve said, then proceeded to sit down next to Peter.
"Hey," Peter said back, then looked down as he fidgeted with his hands.
"What was that back there?" Steve said after a minute of silence.
"I don't really want to talk about it. You'll think I'm immature," Peter said as he continued to look down.
"That's not true, Peter. Look at me," Steve said.
Hesitantly, Peter lifted his head and locked eyes with Steve.
"You can talk to me. Whatever the reason, I will not judge you. And if you want me to keep it a secret, then I won't say a word to anybody else," Steve said.
Peter nodded, slow at first, then a faster and more confident nod.
"It's just—I don't know. I get these nightmares, and they're all pretty similar. I end up seeing my aunt die, and I'm not able to save her cause I can't move or something," Peter said, earning an understanding nod from Steve to go on.
"But, last night's dream was... different. I still had to watch her die, only this time I could move. I tried to save her, but I was being held back by something. When I looked back to see who is was, it-it was Tony," Peter said, looking down again.
"And he said that since I wasn't Spider-Man anymore I couldn't save her. There were more people too. I saw so many people just die because I couldn't save them. The worst part was... Tony made me watch. I closed my eyes when May was about to die, but everything stopped. Tony—he forcefully held my eyelids open and made me watch May get killed.
"I woke up to Tony being in my room, he-he was holding my arms just like in my dreams. I don't know why he was there, he must get alerted when I have a bad dream or something. He seems to always come in the room when that happens. But now, I just can't stop thinking that Tony is holding me back from saving people. He... scares me. See, it's dumb," Peter said as he fidgeted with his hands once again.
"No it's not. I can't imagine what you're going through. I know Tony says he's experienced the same thing, but I doubt he was as close with his parents as you were with your aunt. People have different ways of dealing with the pain that comes, and I think that's something Tony doesn't understand," Steve said.
"That's just it, he doesn't understand. I mean, I get telling me I can't be Spider-Man for a couple weeks to heal—but he wants me to give it up?! I don't get it," Peter said with a sigh.
"Honestly, you've gotta understand where he's coming from. Now I'm not at all saying that what he's doing is right, but his heart is in the right place. He wants you safe. I haven't talked to you that much, but I can tell you're a good kid. Tony sees that. He likes you. I think almost losing you made him realize how much he cares about you.
"Was it wrong for him to take away Spider-Man? Of course. But at the same time it should mean something to you. I know if I almost died and Tony had the authority to say I couldn't be Captain America anymore he wouldn't enforce it. You mean more to him. I just don't know how to make him see it from your perspective," Steve said.
"Well... yeah. I get where he's coming from now. And I don't know how to get him to actually open his eyes either. It's like Spider-Man means so much I can't even put it in words. I can't describe how much it helps," Peter said.
"I totally agree. If someone tried telling me I couldn't be Captain America anymore I'd laugh at them. It's become such a huge part of my life, I couldn't just quit or give up," Steve said.
"Yeah," Peter said.
The two heroes looked at the city for a while, neither saying a word.
Interrupting the silence was Peter's stomach. It growled loudly, making Steve laugh.
"Guessing you're still hungry?" Steve asked.
"Haha, yeah. I didn't get to eat much earlier," Peter said.
"How about we head back down and I'll make you some more pancakes. Those other Avengers are savages, I'd bet the food's gone by now," Steve said.
"Only if I get to make fun of your pretty apron," Peter said, laughing.
"Deal. Race you," Steve said.
It was a race indeed. Both Steve and Peter tried tripping each other to make it before the other did. In the end, Peter won.
He laughed and told Steve he lost because he was old. Steve just laughed back and started making more food.
The rest of the team was gone now, and Peter wondered where they went. His mind drifted away from that question when Steve slid pancakes off his pan and onto Peter's plate.
Peter was glad he talked to Steve about what was bothering him. It made him feel good to know someone understood. He just hoped Tony would too.
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Another chapter in the books :)
I'm going on a couple of trips next month, so expect really scattered updates from here on. I'll do my best to get it out as quickly as possible.
Please review :D
