Peter sat restlessly outside of the white doors. He had never been to the Avenger's compound but he was too worried to be excited. He couldn't stop replaying the moment over and over again in his head. Watching her fall to Earth, watching Mr. Stark rush down, his hands outstretched, only to hit the ground as well. He has never been so scared in his life. If she died… if she died he would have never forgiven himself. He wasn't sure what he would have done.
It felt as though he had been sitting there for hours before the doors opened and Mr. Stark walked out, his suit switched for a tee shirt and cargo pants. Peter was still in his suit, Evan's blood still staining his hands.
"Is she okay? Is she going to be okay?" The questions came out in a rush and he stood so quickly that he nearly knocked over the chair he had been sitting in.
"Multiple fractures, multiple contusions, and a pretty bad concussion… how many times was she hit?" He seemed to ask this to himself before scratching his head and continuing on,
"But she's going to be okay." Tony could feel the relief radiating off the boy and saw his body release the tension that had been growing there. Peter sat down again and put his head in his hands. She was going to be okay. Thank god.
"Can I see her?" He looked up at Tony, some of the contempt still there from earlier, but not nearly as much now that he knew she was okay. Tony nodded and he stood quickly, making his way to the door. He was about to push his way through when a hand on his shoulder stopped him.
"First kid, I should have never gotten you two tangled up in this mess in the first place." Although the words weren't much, Peter could see the regret and guilt on his face and knew that however bad he felt about this, Tony felt much worse. Although Peter knew that Tony was right, the words still stung. When Tony showed up offering him this gig, he felt like his potential was finally being recognized. For Tony to go back on his decision, even if his reasoning was sound, still made Peter feel as though it was because he had failed a test Tony had given him.
"We wanted to help. We wanted to be… useful. We're just as strong as you, you know. Just because we're young doesn't mean we should be excluded from the fight. These accords involve us, too." Peter's voice was tired, its occasionally irritating wonder was gone. Still, he wasn't in the mood to be pushed aside; chalked up to being too young to understand or to fight.
"No one is disagreeing with you, kid. It still doesn't change the fact that you are kids. No matter how strong or capable you may be, sending kids to fight your battles is a mistake." Tony swallowed hard, again confronted by his blatant lack of judgment. Peter nodded at his words but surprisingly found that they sparked a new fear in him. He didn't want this to go away. He had tasted what it was like to play in the big leagues and he didn't want anything less now. He had also tasted what it was like to have attention from Tony, something he wasn't going to give up easily.
The two stood silent for some time until Tony spoke up.
"What you said to me back on the tarmac: that I need to keep her down. I take it that this isn't the first time her altruistic streak has gotten her into trouble?" Tony's eyes narrowed as Peter stared at him with wide eyes, trying to figure out how to respond.
"I just mean, you talk about her like she's your little sister. Like you're responsible for her well-being." Tony could see something different in Peter's eyes as he spoke. Something he hadn't seen from the happy-go-lucky kid.
"Mr. Stark. She's fifteen. I am responsible for her." His eyes were hard as he spoke. The conviction behind his voice was more than telling that he cared for her like she was family; she needed protection and felt it was his place to give it.
"And you're sixteen, kid. Someone needs to look out for you too. Her choices aren't your responsibility." Although the words seemed harsh, Tony spoke with a gentle grace that acknowledged Peter's devotion as something to be admired.
"All due respect, sir, but I have people looking out for me. Evan… not so much. I can afford to look after her." Peter's voice was colder than Tony thought was possible and the look in his eyes seemed to age him. Tony understood that something was happening below the surface that he wasn't aware of. He thought back to his own childhood and swallowed hard. He nodded at Peter and watched as he left him alone to contemplate the weight of these kids' lives.
