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Vests, Motor Oil and Biceps
It was supposed to be a relaxed, fun, and easy night. Just the Avengers chilling together after another hard week of work, spending a little bonding time with one another, trying to regain what they'd once had. It had been Barton's wonderful idea to play a game of Truth or Dare when Peter had snorted and said the trouble with that game was anyone could lie and claim it to be a truth. Barton had said Wanda was able to make it so no one could lie for a set amount of time, and though reluctant at first, the Sokovian agreed to do it so long as she retained her own mind in case anything went awry, or they were called to work.
One by one, Wanda had worked her way through the team and used her magic to make it so each member of the team would be incapable of lying for a total of four hours. Bruce had asked her if she could silence Hulk for that long just in case his heart rate spiked, the last thing they needed was a Hulk-Out in the middle of a game. She smiled and did as asked. Vision had sat out the game, choosing instead to go and retire to his room. Tony suspected that Wanda would be joining him shortly anyway so he made no comment.
At the start, it was light hearted, almost high school comedy dares that gradually increased. No one, not one single member of the team could have predicted what was going to happen.
-oo0oo-
"Alright, alright, everyone ready?" Tony called around the group.
Unanimous cheers resounded and Tony took it upon himself to go first. Going clockwise, he found Nat on his left and grinned. "Nat, truth or dare?"
She rolled her eyes and muttered something in Russian he didn't quite catch. "Dare."
"Try to flip Pete."
Pete hopped to his feet and moved away from the group so no one could get hurt, and try as she might, Nat was incapable of getting the upper-hand on the boy from Queens. Russian assassin-spy or not, she was no match for Peter's spider senses and quick reflexes that rivalled even hers. Which was amusing since they were both spiders. With the dare failed, the two returned to their positions and Nat endured the teams teasing with surprising candour.
Nat turned to Steve and asked the question. "Truth," he said.
"Did you and Bucky ever…get involved?"
Steve turned an interesting shade of red. "Yeah, once, turned out we're better suited as friends, despite the mind-blowing sex we had."
Peter had nearly swallowed his tongue, Bruce's eyes got very wide, Bucky was looking anywhere but at Steve, and the rest of the team didn't seem to know what to say. It wasn't often that straight-laced, whiter than white Steven Grant Rogers talked about his sex life, even if it was under the influence, so to speak.
Steve turned to Barton. "Alright Bird-Brain, what about you and Nat? Ever gotten physical?"
Barton laughed. "Well, firstly, I should be choosing truth or dare, and secondly, you can bet we've gotten physical. She's beaten my ass more times than I care to count and honestly? It gets hotter every time. But, as much as it pains me, Nat ain't got eyes for me."
Tony could guess what the next question was going to be, but he was surprised.
"Petey, truth or dare?" Barton asked the teen.
"Dare, Mr. Barton."
"Jesus, kid, how many times? It's Clint, or Barton, or fucking Hawkeye! Anyways, I dare you…to give Bruce a lap dance."
Expecting the raucous noise of jeering, Tony was shocked to find the room was silent. Bruce looked uncomfortable, and Tony almost called an end to it all when Peter rose to his feet and approached Bruce, kneeled in front of him and asked if he was okay with it.
"I am…not entirely comfortable but nor am I unwilling," Bruce admitted.
Peter asked FRIDAY to put some music on and the teen began to move, his movements fluid thanks to his abilities, the shirt was lost, then the belt as he rubbed his ass in Bruce's lap, the trousers followed quickly and just as he reached for his boxers Barton kindly called an end to it before things got out of hand. Tony had never been more grateful for Barton than he had been in that moment.
The teen redressed and resumed his place amongst the group, and on the game continued. Peter dared Thor to kiss Nat, Thor requested a truth from Rhodey, and so on. It was only as time wore on that things grew more heated and then came the blow no one was expecting.
Clint asked Peter, Peter chose truth, and Barton asked the fatal question. "Who's your biggest crush, Petey-Pie?"
Because they were all hyped up on sugar, laughter and such, Peter's answer spewed forth like word vomit. "I've crushed on Mr. Stark for years but it got real bad when he recruited me for the fight in Leipzig, and it just kind of spiralled from there. I mean, when you asked me to lap dance for Bruce I was a little upset it wasn't Mr. Stark. I mean, jeez, have you seen him with only a vest on, or when he's got motor oil all over him, or when he's building something and those biceps flex?"
It only took a handful of seconds for someone to bellow for Wanda to come and release them but the damage had already been done. When she quickly undid her magic, Peter stared at Tony in abject terror, and Tony, the coward that he was, fled the room before anyone could open their mouths, least of all the young man who'd just confessed his darkest secret.
-oo0oo-
It had been a full week since the incident and Peter still hadn't seen much of Mr. Stark. Every time he'd entered a room that Tony had been in, the man had quickly vacated it. Peter had known, deep down, that the game they'd played was a seriously bad idea, but he also hadn't thought that anyone would ask something so high school.
Trust Barton to zero in on something like that. Peter supposed he was called Hawkeye for a reason. Peter didn't understand why the reaction had been so terrible, it's not like he'd said he wanted to marry Mr. Stark and have his bloody babies! It was a crush, nothing more! Peter really hoped things would return to normal soon, it was starting to break his spirit how he was being avoided all the time.
The rest of the team had taken it upon themselves to inform Peter why Tony was such an obviously terrible choice for him to want a relationship with. Well, every team member but one, and that one encouraging voice had come from the unlikeliest of sources.
-oo0oo-
Steve had been the first to grace Peter with a "Tony is not the right guy for you, Pete" talk. Peter hadn't even been shocked. As time had gone by and Peter had spent more time with the Avengers he'd noticed the way Steve would always put Tony down a little. And it really pissed him off. Tony worked around the clock making all their gear for fighting, paid for all the food, toiletries, gym equipment and everything else in the compound.
The majority of the others would politely ask Tony for something when they ran out, and he always told them to just order it with FRIDAY. But not Steve, if he ran out of punching bags he'd just tell Tony they'd ran out, but only when he'd gone down to the gym to workout and found there were none left. Or, when the last of the coffee has been used, no one thinks to put a fresh pot on except for Peter, and usually Bucky.
So, when he found Steve the other side of his door, Peter did not exactly welcome the man with open arms. "Yes, Mr. Rogers?"
Peter was taken aback when Steve shouldered the door wider and stepped inside. It made Peter extremely uncomfortable that the man thought he had some sort of right to go where he pleased simply because he was the team's leader. Peter muttered a very quiet command to FRIDAY to make sure everything was recorded and that someone was alerted to a potentially dangerous situation.
"I think we need to talk about what happened last week," Steve said, plonking himself on the sofa.
It took Peter a few moments to get his brain into gear. "Erm, I don't really think there's anything to discuss, Mr. Rogers. In all honesty, the only person who needs to discuss anything with me is Mr. Stark himself and until he does, if he wants to, then there's nothing to say."
He mentally patted himself on the head for how level he kept his voice and remained calm. And for the fact he didn't babble like an idiot, which usually happened when he was placed under pressure.
Steve splayed his long legs out and rolled a shoulder in a half shrug. "Pete, seriously, there are multiple reasons as to why Tony Stark is the worst person for you. You're about thirty years his junior, he's an alcoholic, drug addict, self- destructive asshole. It would all be fun and games for a little until he moved onto the next thing that caught his eye."
Peter was extremely glad that he had told FRIDAY to warn someone of a potentially dangerous situation…for Steve Rogers. He practically vibrated with anger over it and had to take several deep, calming breaths before he could answer.
"Let us get a few things straight, Steve," Peter snarked. "Mr. Stark is a recovering alcoholic, and he hasn't drank a drop since his Humvee was blown to shit in Afghanistan. The drug addiction is no more, he's been clean since Aldrich Killian and I don't even mean things like cocaine or heroin, he hasn't touched that stuff in eons, but I mean the drugs that allowed him to stay awake for days on end, he doesn't do them anymore."
He say Steve open his mouth to argue but Peter beat him to it. "I am not finished yet!" He growled. "The age gap is a bullshit reason and you damn well know it. Mr. Stark's age does not make a goddamn bit of difference to me, and I certainly never heard you complaining when he was sleeping with that reporter from the Manhattan Gazette a few weeks back, and she was fresh out of college! And that self-destruction? That's just a part of who Mr. Stark is. He gives people give everything or nothing. So, when someone betrays him, gets into a dangerous situation, or any other something that gives him cause to be concerned, he is going to be self-destruction. Obadiah Stane was a father figure to him and he paid The Ten Rings to have him murdered! I mean, Jesus Christ, it doesn't take a genius to work out that Mr. Stark has severe abandonment issues."
Peter was panting by the time he was done with his tirade. Steve chuckled. "You got heart, kid."
The teen pulled his face into a snarl. "Fuck off, Captain."
The look of shock on Steve's face would have been priceless if Peter hadn't been on the verge of losing his normally very under control temper. How dare the very man who had betrayed Tony in one of the worst ways lecture him on the man of his affections. The very fact they had all managed to remain together as a team, and welcome Bucky Barnes into their midst was a damn miracle and Peter knew it.
Regaining his composure, Steve rose to his feet and sauntered toward Peter. "Language, Pete, there's no need to get nasty."
Peter clenched his hands into fists. "At least I don't lie to my friends' faces. My feelings for Mr. Stark have absolutely nothing to do with you, and I'll kindly ask you to leave. Now."
Steve looked about to argue, his normally soft blue eyes hardened and cold. But, thankfully, Bucky chose that moment to appear in Peter's door and ask if the kid was ready for their sparring session. As it happened, no such session was planned, but Peter was more than willing to go along with it. If he stayed, he feared he might actually punch Captain America.
-oo0oo-
Later that day, Peter's door was knocked on again and he found Barton on the other side of it, messing with his hearing aid. "Yes?" Peter asked.
Clint dropped his hands from his aid and smiled crookedly. "Could I talk to you for a minute, kid?"
He resented the term "kid" but stepped back to allow Barton inside, he had asked nicely after all. When Clint seemed unsure what to do with himself, Pete remembered he preferred being up on high, so, he grabbed a web shooter and climbed up onto one of the beams, waiting patiently for Clint to follow.
When they'd gotten comfortable, Peter gestured for him to take the floor. Barton rubbed the back of his neck and sighed heavily. "Look, Pete, I know you're old enough to make your own choices, and that you've got a brilliant head on your shoulders, but I can't help but worry you're wanting something that ain't good for you."
Fighting the urge to roll his eyes for fear they might never front face again, Peter cocked his head to the side. "Clint, I appreciate your concern, but it's not needed, or wanted. I'm sorry for being rude but it's got nothing to do with you."
Hawkeye gave him a smile at that and swung his legs about. "Yeah, I know that, kid. It might not be my place to give you any sort of lecture but as someone who's seen Tony at some of his lowest points I really don't think your…infatuation, is a great idea."
Peter had to snort at that and did roll his eyes. "Oh, man, you all really do talk some shit, don't you?"
"What?"
"Dude, seriously, if you think you've seen some of his lowest points you are very sadly mistaken. Mr. Stark has made some massively public and downright horrible mistakes, errors of judgement, and many other things that make him the devil in some people's eyes. But he turned his life around."
Clint conceded that point with a tip of head and clasped his hands between his spread legs. "Pete, he turned his life around only after he almost lost it."
"Isn't that the epitome of turning your life around though? You have to hit rock bottom before you can really start to climb. That's exactly what Mr. Stark did! He saw what his weapons had become to the world and he realised that it was not the way he wanted to be remembered! He shut down weapons manufacturing the second he got home. Jesus Christ, Clint, why can't you just see that Tony Stark has done a great deal of fucking good? Are you telling me you can't think of a single reason to encourage me to chase him, instead of trying to deter me?"
Clint opened his mouth to respond but nothing came out. Peter hadn't meant to let out that he wanted to still chase after Mr. Stark but whatever. Did no one have a good thing to say about Tony? Nothing? He was completely aware that the man had a plethora of demons and baggage, and that would put off most people, and he knew May would definitely balk at the idea of an eighteen-year-old college student want a man thirty years his senior what that many skeletons in his closet.
"I think you ought to leave, Mr. Barton."
For once, Clint didn't correct him. "Yeah, alright kid, just, please, think about what I said, okay?"
Peter hopped off the beam and landed soundlessly on the floor just as Bucky walked in and asked if he wanted to go for a run. Peter agreed and glanced back up at the Hawkeye. "No, Mr. Barton, I won't."
-oo0oo-
Though they hadn't scheduled a run, Peter was glad for the interruption and the two men ran for a couple of hours before they called it quits and returned to the compound. Bucky waved goodbye and Peter ran off for a shower to wash all the sweat off. In his haste to clean off he misjudged a turn and accidentally slammed into an equally sweaty Tony when turning the corner.
Being enhanced, Peter remained in place but Tony was bounced away and to the ground. Stammering out an apology Peter tried to help him to his feet but Tony swiped the helping hand away and got to his feet without assistance. A muttered "it's fine, kid" was all he got before Tony disappeared from sight, leaving Pete to stare after him, wide brown eyes sad.
He trudged back to his room and hopped into the shower, dressed himself in loose clothes and took to the roof to watch the sunset. Might as well enjoy the pleasant weather while it lasted. It wasn't the tower, so the spot wasn't as great as it could have been, but Peter settled for it and sat on the ledge, letting his feet dangle. He savoured the two minutes of peace he had before he heard the door to the roof open and close, light footstep approached and Peter knew without turning around it was Miss Romanoff.
A light breeze blew her soft curls into his face and he swiped them away, throwing a barely heated glare at her. She smiled and quickly tied it back. "Hey."
"Hey," Peter returned.
"Nice night."
He rolled his eyes. "You haven't come here for small talk so let's hear it, what are your reasons I shouldn't want Mr. Stark?"
He didn't have to look at her to know she was smiling. "I don't have any reasons, honey, just a warning."
That took him aback. "I'm sorry, what?" He hissed.
She chuckled. "No, not that kind of warning, not a "do as I say or else". I mean the kind of warning you get before doing something."
Peter met her warm gaze and softened a little, letting his shoulder bump hers. "Well, that's different to what I've been getting so far."
Nat took one of his hands and held it between her two. "Sweetheart, when it comes to Tony, he is a very complicated person. Tony loves with everything he is, he gives it his all and sometimes that isn't a good thing. He will burn himself out to do something for someone without bothering to consider to consequences to himself."
Peter looked down at the two smaller hands holding his one and frowned. "I don't see how that's a warning, Miss Romanoff."
"Pete, I think you've earned the right to call me Nat. Okay, let me put it another way. Let's say we're all out on a mission and something goes wrong, for arguments sake, you get kidnapped and your life is threatened. How do you think Tony would react if you were together?"
"Well, considering how badly he reacted when you got shot on that last one I guess he wouldn't take it too well."
Nat's lips twitched in mirth. "Indeed. Now, if I am only a teammate, and that was his reaction, how much worse do you think it would be if he loved you, Pete? Tony would burn the world down for you. Being involved with someone is dangerous, sweetie, and that's why the vast majority of us don't bother getting in a relationship. They'd only be a weapon to be used against us."
Peter gaped at her and withdrew his hand. "Wait, so you're telling me that if I'm an Avenger then I shouldn't ever be in a relationship?"
She shrugged. "It's safer that way. I'm not saying you can't have dalliances, and nor am I saying you definitely can't have a relationship, but consider this. Reverse it. Say Tony is captured and the options are surrender the team, or save Tony. Which are you doing to pick?"
"I know I'm only eighteen, Nat, but I'd like to think you'd all give me more credit than that. I'd weigh up the options for any of you, not just him. If I knew I had a strong chance of stopping them I'd take it, for any one of you, not just Mr. Stark. I'm really insulted you would think so little of me."
When Peter jumped to his feet Nat did the same and levelled him with a serious stare. "It's not about having a higher opinion of you, Peter. It's about what's right for the team, and I'm sorry, but any sort of relationship among teammates is a terrible idea. All I ask is that you think very carefully before you decide to pursue anything with Tony."
"Right, well, you've made your stance clear. But you're a fucking hypocrite."
Nat's eyes widened in shock and her cheeks flushed red in what he assumed was anger. "I beg your pardon?"
Brushing his hair back from his face, Peter huffed out a breath and narrowed his eyes at her. "You think no one has noticed the way you look at him? The little touches? You have the temerity to lecture me about having a relationship with a teammate when you are quite obviously fucking Steve Rogers?"
Peter dodged the hand that struck out to slap him.
"How dare you!" She hissed.
"How dare I? You weigh judgement on me but not yourself? You tell me not to go after a relationship with someone on the team but you're sleeping with a member of the team? Jesus Christ you're all as bad as each other! I have no idea why Tony ever allowed any of you back into his life, he clearly doesn't need a single fucking one of you."
Without bothering to wait for any kind of retort Peter jumped over the ledge of the roof and hit the ground with ease. Seething in fury, he saw Bucky on his way back into the compound. "Spar. Now."
He assumed the ex-soldier was following, there had been no refusal. He didn't understand how Bucky was always in the right place at the right time but Peter was grateful nonetheless. Pete didn't want to think about what might have happened if there hadn't been anyone there.
-oo0oo-
The normal nightly gatherings in the common room didn't happen, and hadn't done so for the last week. Instead, Peter had the entire room to himself and stuck Alien Resurrection on. A few of the others passed him by but mainly paid no attention to him. Peter suspected he'd hurt Steve, Clint, and Nat's feelings but he couldn't bring himself to care.
At some point Tony made an appearance, or rather, Peter sensed the man stood in the doorway though he didn't show that he knew. He could feel the older man's scrutiny but remained glued to the screen for fear he might balk and run away again. A part of him wished they could just have it all out, be done with it so Pete knew where he stood. But the main part of him didn't want to, because he knew that Tony Stark would never want an eighteen-year-old intern as his lover.
It took everything he had not to flinch when Tony spoke. "Is this the one where she has the creepy hybrid kid?"
Peter nodded. "Yeah, it's quite sad really."
Tony moved into Pete's peripheral vision. "How so?" He asked.
Moving his eyes away from the screen, Peter drank in the sight of Tony in an MIT t-shirt and a pair of grey sweatpants. "Erm…well, because on the one hand, Ripley is disgusted by the xenomorphs but this one has her DNA in it, and in a way, she cares for it. But, she also knows that this is something that can never see the light of day. So, she uses its love of her to lure it into letting down its guard then has it sucked out of a hole in the ship. It's painful, and horrible, but she knows it has to be done."
The mechanic's eyes never wavered from Pete's while he'd talked and he began to feel scrutinised. "Yes, doing the right thing isn't always the easiest, in fact, it can sometimes be the most painful."
Peter's heart squeezed painfully in his chest, fearing the next words he was going to hear from Tony. "I guess so, Mr. Stark. But, on the other hand, you might think it's the right thing to do, but really it isn't, it's just that everyone else is telling you it's the right thing to do."
Tony's hazel eyes stared unblinkingly into Peter's. "Fair point, Underoos."
The breath he hadn't known he'd been holding burst forth as Tony turned around and walked out of the room, leaving Peter to wait for his hammering heart to return to its regular pace. For a second there, he'd really thought Mr. Stark had been about to tell him that it wouldn't, couldn't happen. But, maybe, just maybe, Pete had managed to give the genius something to mull over.
-oo0oo-
Despite everyone giving him their two pence worth, Pete had managed to sleep pretty soundly that night. Of course, the peace wasn't to last. The moment he sat at the breakfast bar to eat Bruce appeared at his side with a cup of coffee and a croissant in hand, the morning's newspaper tucked under his arm.
"Hey, kid."
Peter swallowed his mouthful of cereal and smiled warmly. "Morning, Dr. Banner."
Bruce seated himself and plopped the paper down. "Peter, please, it's Bruce. We're all friends here, there's no need for formality."
He grinned and returned his attention to his cereal, browsing through some online comics on his StarkPad. Pete got another three mouthfuls of breakfast before Bruce interrupted his reading and Pete locked the tablet and gave the man his full attention.
"I hear some of the others are giving you a hard time about Tony?"
Pete was a little surprised that Bruce was opening with something like that. "Well, yeah, they are, but it isn't anything I can't handle. I know everyone thinks I'm just this dumb kid with no idea how the world works and a silly crush on his mentor but you're wrong, you know. People don't ever give me enough credit."
Bruce sighed and ate the rest of his croissant, sipped his coffee and cleared his throat before he answered. "You're eighteen, Peter, I think that qualifies as an adult and therefore you have enough worldly knowledge to know when it's okay to do something, and not okay."
He suspected he knew where Dr. Banner was going with their conversation but he was willing to let it play out. "Right, exactly, I know right from wrong, good from bad, and so on."
The doctor smiled warmly at him. "Quite right. That also means that you're smart enough to weigh up a situation and know when it shouldn't be acted on." Pete nodded. "Right, so you also know that Tony is not in the best place right now to be taking on something this huge."
And there it was, although, Peter had to admit that Bruce didn't outright say it should never happen, only that it shouldn't happen yet. "Why is he not in the best place at the moment?" Pete asked.
Bruce laced his hands together and worried his lip for a second before he answered. "Okay, so, you are more than fully aware of Siberia, yes?" Peter nodded again. "Good. Tony was…hurt. Badly. And I don't just mean physically, Peter. The man he called friend for years almost put a Vibranium shield through his skull, and instead smashed the arc reactor that powered the metal suit his body was encased in. The power quickly died and Tony was left in the arctic temperatures, in a metal suit that had no power and would become his tomb. Both Steve and Bucky admitted that they had no idea T'Challa was there and so didn't know that help would be on the way for Tony. It has taken a considerable amount of time for Tony to even remotely trust them again."
Peter knew all this and said as much to Dr. Banner. He was more aware than many of the team of just how much Tony had suffered not only from Siberia but over his years with the Avengers. "I still don't get your point, Bruce."
"I know, I'm getting there, Pete. Every day Tony feels like he's waiting for the other shoe to drop, for things to go south quickly because Steve was so quick to turn on him when Bucky was in trouble. Tony has been hurt by those closest to him so many times now that he doesn't let anyone in easily, and if they somehow manage to work their way into his heart, if he loves, eventually, he gets hurt. You might not mean to hurt him, Pete. In fact, it might be a silly argument where you say something that Tony just takes the wrong way and it all blows up. Tony will lash out, and things will be said that can't be taken back. By then it's too late, the damage has been done, and then the team is dragged into it all trying not to take sides and before you it, that's it – game over."
The teen mulled everything over and actually took in what Bruce was saying to him. He could understand the point Bruce was making, and knew the man was protecting his friend. "I understand what you're saying, Dr. Banner, and I'm not going to promise to leave it alone. But, I do promise to really think about what you've said."
Bruce patted him on the back. "That's all I can ask of you, Peter. Remember, when Tony loves, he loves with all he is and he would gladly fly into the sun if you asked it of him."
He chose to leave then, passing Bucky by as the former assassin was likely going to fetch his own breakfast. He gave the man a lop-sided grin and carried on his way, his brain ticking over everything that Dr. Banner had told him. He was the only one that had told him 'not yet' instead 'don't'.
-oo0oo-
In the days that had passed since the fateful night of Truth or Dare, Peter hadn't set foot in the lab and he missed it terribly. He'd been trying his best to keep out of Mr. Stark's way not wanting to be turned away. But that was where his feet had carried him while he'd been lost in his thoughts. He half expected to be turned away by FRIDAY when he tried to enter his code but it was accepted like it always had been.
He walked inside to the blaring sounds of AC/DC's Shoot to Thrill and Tony tapping rapidly across his worktop, oblivious to Peter's arrival. Instead of announcing himself, Peter went to work station across the other side of the room and pulled up the designs for his suit on a holo-screen and began working on some of the changes he wanted to make.
Peter wasn't sure how much time had passed since he'd started but he was working on the formula for his web fluid when a hand touched his shoulder, making Pete jump onto the roof and cling on. He looked down to find Tony's lips twitching madly to fight a smirk.
"Ha-ha, very funny, Mr. Stark," he grumbled and dropped back to the ground.
Tony rubbed the back of his neck. "Sorry, kid, I didn't mean to make you jump, I called your name like ten times and you didn't answer."
Flushing red, Peter stammered out an apology but Tony just waved it off. The two worked together in companiable silence for a while, upgrading Peter's suit and when done, Tony asked FRIDAY to render it. "Mr. Stark, I just -"
"I'm gonna stop you there, Pete. I don't want an apology, or even an explanation. You don't owe me anything. I've missed having you down here so let's just agree to move past it, yeah?"
It wasn't what Peter wanted to hear but for now, he was willing to comply if only to be able to spend a little more time with his favourite Avenger. There would come a day when Peter may never be allowed back into the lab, so he'd take all he could get for now. He needed to get Tony to see that anything between them would not be a mistake, but he could tell that Tony wasn't ready to hear that yet.
-oo0oo-
Peter had been running track on the grounds of compound when the lawn in front of him was lit up and Thor suddenly appeared before him. He would never admit to the girly scream he let out in shock. The god laughed and helped him to his feet. "My apologies, Peter Parker, I did not mean to startle you."
"It's fine, Thor. It's good to see you."
"And you, Peter Parker."
Pete rolled his eyes. "Thor, come on, man, it's just Peter, you don't need to keep using my last name. How long are you back for?"
Thor put Mjolnir down. "I do not yet know, I had not intended to return to Asgard after our game however my father required my assistance in dealing with my brother. Regrettably, he has not cooled down as much as we had hoped and had staged an escape attempt. Alas, all is resolved now and my brother has once again been incarcerated until such a time as my father sees fit to release him."
The teen nodded. "Yeah, your brother is kind of a dick."
Thor boomed with laughter and picked up his hammer, walking back inside with Peter. "You are not wrong there, Peter. I would like to go out for one of those corn dogs you so love, might I trouble you to accompany me?"
"Yeah, sure thing, Thor, let me just go shower and change out of track clothes."
Peter showered and changed in record time, grateful for the time away from the compound and the others who kept interfering with his life. He asked FRIDAY to let Mr. Stark know that Thor had returned and that they'd gone out for corn dogs. He made a mental note to bring one back for him. When Peter found Thor waiting for him on the lawn he was carrying Mjolnir.
"Did you want to drive or something less conventional?" Peter asked, grinning.
Thor's child-like grin told Peter everything he needed to know and he tapped his chest where the compartment for his suits nanobots was hidden beneath his clothing. The suit enveloped him and he webbed a lamppost, swinging off toward the city. He heard Thor winding up Mjolnir then the god appeared at his side.
When they landed in the north side of Central Park, Peter put the suit away and went to the corn dog vendor, getting them both an insane amount of the delicious snack. They consumed them as they walked around the park, talking about this and that, but Peter could tell that he was gearing up to something.
"Have you spoken to Brother Stark since our game night?" Thor asked softly.
There was a gentleness to the god's voice that Peter had not heard before. "Erm, yes, I have. Why?"
"I was under the impression that your truth was not received well."
Peter scrubbed a napkin over his face to get rid of any sauce lingering and dropped it in a trash can. "Well, I suppose you could say that. A number of people have already told me that I shouldn't pursue it and given me a number of reasons why. I don't agree but for now, I'm carrying on like normal as much as possible. I know Mr. Stark wasn't happy about it and I wish it'd never been revealed that way but it's out there now and I can't take it back."
Thor stopped and looked at him carefully. "Would you want to take it back?"
After noticing Thor had stopped moving Peter turned to face him. "I don't know, in all honesty. On the one hand I'm glad this secret I've been hiding is out there and I don't have to keep it quiet anymore. But, on the other hand, it's changed everything and I miss how things used to be."
Blue eyes stared at him, an unusual intelligence about them that Peter wasn't used to seeing. Not that Thor was dumb, far from it, he was just more brute strength than ticking brains.
"I…can understand that. Lady Jane and I could not take back what was said and I regret it terribly. But, in looking back, I can see that we were not truly suited. I am Asgardian, I will be alive for many thousands of years long after she has left this world. It hurt for a while, but when the air had been cleared we both realised it was for the best and now we remain on terms of friendship rather than lovers."
He was fully aware of what Thor was referring to. He had proposed to Jane Foster and she had refused, saying that he was away more often than he was there, she didn't want to spend her life pining after him. But, Peter suspected it was because she didn't want to age while Thor remained young looking. Peter cocked his head and scrunched his face up. "So, are you saying that I need to clear the air?"
Thor laughed and sat down cross-legged in the grass. "No, Peter, not exactly. Lady Jane and I needed to clear the air, but perhaps what you need to do is show why you believe this is the right course of action."
Sitting opposite, Peter scratched his head in thought and mulled it over a moment. "Right. Actions speak louder than words? It's an Midgardian saying," Peter clarified at Thor's puzzled look. "It means that I can make someone understand better by doing something rather than just saying something."
"I do not understand."
Peter pursed his lips and blew out a breath. "Erm, right, okay. Look at it this way. When you and Jane had an argument, before you split up, would it have been better to use your words to apologise, or buy her some flowers and apologise?"
"I would purchase a gift for her, something to aid her research, and tell her more about Yggdrasil."
Peter smiled. "Exactly. Saying you're sorry isn't always enough so buying something Jane would like and telling her more about the world she wants to know about is a better way of apologising. Actions speak louder than words."
It seemed the god understood what Peter meant and they moved their talk along. Peter explained that he'd managed to be alone in a room with Tony without something going wrong or it being awkward. He told Thor of how the others kept giving Peter reasons he shouldn't be with Tony but all he could do was think of all the reasons he should be.
"Did you know my father enchanted Mjolnir so only those worthy of its power may wield it?"
Stunned by the abrupt change in subject Peter blinked at Thor. "What?"
"Yes, he said that only someone who is worthy would be able to possess the power of Thor."
"Thor, please, what are you talking about?"
The god rose to his feet and shrugged. "Nothing, Peter, forgive me, I was rambling. Come, let us return."
Peter followed without comment and tried to ignore the headache that was forming in the back of his skull. He knew Thor could go off on a tangent sometimes but jeez that was a totally different direction to what they had been talking about. One moment they were talking about Tony and Pete and the next it was about Thor's hammer.
When they arrived back at the compound most of the team were lazing about on the grounds enjoying the afternoon sun. As Peter was walking away, he heard Thor call his name and turned around. He barely had time to react when his eyes zeroed in on Mjolnir flying towards his face. There was no time to get out of the way so he did the only thing he could. Held up his hand, closed his eyes, and prayed that he wouldn't be killed.
He vaguely heard someone scream. "Peter! No!"
But the crushing blow never came. When Peter opened his eyes, Mjolnir was in his hand, the hammer singing softly whenever he moved it. He was more shocked at how light it was than the fact he'd caught it. "I don't understand."
Thor took the hammer back and smirked at him, an honest to god smirk. "'Whosoever holds this hammer, if he be worthy, shall possess the power of Thor'. You are worthy of Mjolnir, Brother Peter, and in the eyes of the Allfather, that makes you worthy of Asgard."
Peter realised something significant had just happened that tipped the scales of balance in his favour. No one except Thor had ever been able to lift the hammer. Well, Vision had but everyone was in agreement that it was likely down the fact he was an android so it didn't really count.
"Whoa," he breathed.
Thor laughed and tossed the hammer to him. "Whoa, indeed. Go ahead, summon the thunder."
Peter raised it to the sky and the clouds immediately darkened, thunder rumbled and lightning struck down into the hammer. His veins thrummed with it, but it didn't hurt. He released the power back into the sky and gave the hammer back once again. "That's…jeez that's a lot of power."
"It is, and if you are worthy of possessing such power, you are worthy of anything, Brother Peter."
At that, Thor went inside the compound and Peter was left dumbstruck. Had Thor just told the entire team that Peter was worthy of Tony's love? He didn't think it would be that easy, and Peter had no doubt that Thor probably had a reservation or two of his own. But it was the first real headway he'd made since the whole sorry affair had started.
-oo0oo-
Many of the team tried again to dissuade Peter from his course but he rebuffed them all as fiercely as he had the first time. Only it didn't stop them, and he was growing increasingly irate over it all. It all finally came to a head a few days after Pete had caught Mjolnir. He'd been in the lab with Mr. Stark all day, and it was all like it had been before. They were messing around, cracking jokes, bumping shoulders and for those blessed hours, Peter really thought it was all going to be okay.
But, unfortunately for him, Steven fucking Rogers chose that day to walk into the lab needing something and catch Peter blowing mock kisses in Tony's direction. "What the hell, kid?" Steve yelled.
Peter actually flinched at the harsh tone and that set his teeth on edge straight away. "What? We were joking around."
The blond marched over and planted himself firmly between the two men and blocked his sight of Tony. "Joking around? Are you serious? Haven't we all told you to back off and leave it alone?"
Feeling his temper rising, Peter slowed his breathing and fought to remain calm. "Did Mr. Stark seem uncomfortable to you? Did it look like he wanted me to go away?" Peter hissed.
Steve scowled at him. "Grow up, Peter! You're acting like a goddamn child!"
"No, you are!" Peter screamed. "If Tony showed any sign of being in discomfort I'd have removed myself from the lab straight away because I'm not an asshole!"
"And I am?" Steve growled.
"Yes, you are. I'm not the one who put a fucking shield through Tony's arc reactor. I didn't leave Tony in Siberia in below freezing temperatures in a dead suit with no way home. And, I sure as shit didn't put one man before my team!" He bellowed in rage.
Vibrating in fury, Peter struggled to keep a lid on it all. When Steve placed his hand on Pete's shoulder in what was likely an attempt to calm him down, he saw red and threw a punch that sent the Super Soldier careening down the lab and into a concrete wall. Bucky came charging down at grabbed Peter round the waist before he could go and put Steve through another wall.
"You gotta calm down, Pete, don't let Steve get to you!" Bucky yelled over Pete's struggling.
Peter glanced at Tony and saw the wide-eyed look on his face and instantly regretted his actions. He calmed down and Bucky released him. "Mr. Stark…I'm so sorry, I…I swear I'll find a way to pay for the damage."
Tony burst into hysterical laughter. "Don't sweat it, Petey, you did what I've wanted to do for ages. And no, you won't pay for the damage."
Footsteps stomped over and Steve loomed over Peter's much smaller frame, his face bleeding and very red. "You little shit!" He spat.
"Why? Because I stood up to you? You're a bully, Mr. Rogers, and I get enough of that in college without taking it from you. You didn't even bother to make sure Mr. Stark was okay you just automatically assumed that he much be in severe discomfort and took it upon yourself to play disciplinarian," Peter said.
"I could see he wasn't in any immediate danger, but after everything that you've done so far it really wasn't a good idea leaving you both alone."
Peter scoffed at the Super Soldier's defence. "Are you jealous? Cause last I checked you have a beautiful woman in your bed but you're more interested in what Mr. Stark and I get up to?"
"He's had a lot to deal with and he doesn't need to be taking on the ridiculous crush of an eighteen-year-old boy!"
"And who put him through all that? Where were you when Mr. Stark was having a nightmare and couldn't pull himself from it? Where were you when he had to have a large part of his ribcage reconstructed because you caved in the arc reactor of the suit and crushed his ribs? I bet you didn't even know the shield left a cut across his chest that still hasn't finished healing! How many times did you visit him before you actually returned to the compound full time?"
"Pete…"
The soft call of his name brought his tirade to a screeching halt and he realised it came from Tony. The engineer's face looked twisted in misery and Pete came to the conclusion he hadn't wanted Steve to know any of that. The guilt that twisted like a hot knife through his stomach made Peter feel sick.
"Mr. Stark…I'm sorry…"
"I think you should leave, Peter," Tony said firmly.
"Mr. Stark?"
"Now, please, Peter," Tony insisted.
Tears filled his brown eyes but Peter acquiesced, the last thing he wanted was to make things worse for the man. "I'm sorry," he whispered, climbing the stairs out of the lab. He could just hear Tony revoking Peter's access to the lab and workshop and that hurt more than anything the man could have hurled at him in anger.
He'd blown it. He'd done just as the other's had said, he'd hurt Tony. But they'd also been wrong, it wasn't Tony that wasn't good enough for Pete, it was the other way around. He would never be good enough for someone like Tony Stark. He was a dumb teenager trying to live in a world of heroes and he knew he couldn't.
Racing to his room, Peter packed his bag, and penned a letter to Tony. He couldn't stay here when Tony no longer wanted him around, he'd done the one thing he swore he wouldn't do and he couldn't be around to witness the damage. He couldn't bear to see the sad look in Tony's eyes again. As he passed through the doors he felt a hand grab his wrist in an iron tight grip.
"Peter?" A familiar voice asked.
"Miss Potts!" Peter cried, flushing red.
"Where are you going, sweetheart?"
"I uh, I gotta go, Miss Potts, May called and she wants me home."
The slim fingers didn't loosen their grip. "Peter, please don't lie to me, what's happened?"
Peter couldn't bring himself to tell the fiery Miss Potts that he'd hurt Tony enough to have the mechanic tell Peter to leave. She must have seen something in his face though, because the next thing he knew, he was enveloped in a strong hug. Bursting into tears, Peter allowed himself to be bundled into the car Miss Potts had just arrived in. "I did something bad," was all he said as the car sped away from the Avengers compound, away from Tony.
-oo0oo-
Peter had heard about the fiery temper that was Virginia Potts but he'd not much witnessed it beyond forcing Tony to go to certain board meetings for SI, but when she'd finally pulled it out of the teen why he'd been fleeing the compound, the woman went ballistic. Peter was quick to defend Tony which stopped her in her tracks.
"What?"
"It's okay, Miss Potts, Mr. Stark did the right thing sending me away. I was putting him in an awkward position."
Miss Potts frowned. "Peter, I'm not mad with Tony, I mean sending you away was a little harsh but I also know he didn't mean leave the compound, he probably revoked your access to give himself a little distance and he would have reinstated it in no time at all. He adores you, Peter. No, I'm pissed off with those so-called teammates of him."
Secretly, Peter was glad that she also saw them for what they were, well, most of them. Thor had actually proven himself a good friend of Tony's, but he didn't tell her he could lift Mjolnir just yet. The pair talked some more and Miss Potts decided he should return and apologise to Tony for the damage but that was all he needed to be sorry for.
"But, Miss Potts, I don't understand. I put Tony in a really difficult position and now I've told Mr. Rogers things Tony didn't want him knowing. I've ruined it all."
Her slight frame perched on the arm of the chair he was seated on. "Peter, honey, listen to me. You are an adult, if you have feelings for Tony there is nothing to stop you from acting on them – unless Tony explicitly said he wasn't interested no one else had any right to have any input."
"But he didn't explicitly say yes either," Peter whined.
She smiled. "I know, but Tony has a moral compass that would rival the fucking pope sometimes. He didn't used to have one, especially when he was in weapons manufacturing, but, since Afghanistan and joining the Avengers, Tony has really turned into a wonderful man. All the things everyone else told you why Tony wouldn't be a good match are all the things he already thinks about himself. You should talk to him, Peter, really talk, get the air cleared and know where you stand."
Brown eyes filled once more and he hated how small his voice sounded. "What if he doesn't want me?"
"Then he doesn't, Pete, and as much as that would hurt, you would be able to start healing and eventually move on. We all get our heart broken at least once, Peter."
He looked up at her. "He broke your heart, didn't he?"
Miss Potts pressed a kiss to his forehead. "He did, yes, but it was a long time ago now. I will always love Tony, Peter. But that time in our lives is over, I couldn't handle the fact Tony would never give him the hero life, and I hated always being terrified that the next battle might be the one he doesn't come home from. But you, Peter, you're enhanced and can actually protect him. Tony needs someone who will be there when the darkness tries to win, when his nightmares call his armour to him, when he's too proud to ask for help. You'll push him, Peter, to be better, and that's something he needs, someone who will drive him to go further."
Peter told her everything he thought about Tony. The way he would get giddy with excitement when he figured something out, or came up with a new project. His inability to self-care but he'd listen to his AI when she told him to go eat. There were so many wonderful things about Tony and no one else on the team except a select couple seemed to see them.
-oo0oo-
There were a great deal many regrets in Tony's life, but allowing Steven Rogers back into the compound, and the Avengers, was quickly becoming one of the top few. He'd thought now that he and Nat were seeing each other she might actually temper him down, but it seemed that absolutely nothing had changed. Steve was still an asshole that loved sticking his neb where it wasn't bloody wanted.
"You did good, Tony. Peter needs to have his access to the lab workshop taken away for such insubordinate behaviour," Steve said, nodding to himself.
And Tony saw red. "Fuck you, Rogers. Get your shit and get the fuck out of my compound."
"What?"
"You heard me! Get out! Insubordinate? He's eighteen for fuck's sake, Rogers, not some military cadet that needs keeping in check! He stood up to you, and you didn't like it, get over yourself. That kid has done nothing but stand up to all of you that have dared to tell him he shouldn't want me. So fucking what if he does? Did any of you stop to think that maybe I would be able to do the right thing and tell him myself all the reasons I'm not right for him? Jesus Christ, you're so fucking self-righteous it physically makes me sick."
Steve's blue eyes were wide, his cheeks flushed. "I was protecting you, Tony."
Tony laughed and took a step toward the Super Soldier. "No, Rogers, you weren't. You were doing what you do best – demanding everyone march to your tune."
"Boss, I'm sorry to interrupt, but Peter has just left the compound," FRIDAY broke in.
Tony looked at the nearest sensor. "Is that a bad thing, Fri?"
There was a very pregnant pause before his AI answered him. "He didn't take his suit, and he was crying."
Her words settled like a lead weight in his stomach and he looked at Steve through narrowed eyes. "If anything, and I mean anything happens to him because he didn't feel wanted here, I will fucking end you, Rogers." He dismissed the man and asked FRIDAY to assemble Thor and Banner, they needed to find Peter.
"Boss, he left a letter for you. It's in his room," FRIDAY told him softly, all the playfulness in her Irish lilt missing.
Tony took off at a sprint to get to Peter's bedroom and found the letter on the little desk under the window, overlooking the grounds. His name was printed across the front in Pete's scrawled handwriting and Tony wanted to cry. Peter had been too upset to even talk to him and instead opted to leave a letter. Hadn't the kid realised that Tony was only taking away his access until he calmed down? That he didn't want Pete to leave the compound, just the lab while he talked to Rogers?
With shaking hands, Tony picked up the letter and fiddled with it until he found the strength to open it. The words tore at Tony and the tears did finally fall.
Dear Mr. Stark, I know it's cowardly writing a letter instead of just telling you to your face, but in truth, I don't think I can handle seeing that look on your face again. I did wrong by you, Mr. Stark, and for that I'll never be able to apologise enough, or do anything that would be enough to earn for your forgiveness.
You probably didn't know this, but at the Stark Expo in 2010, you saved a little boy dressed as Iron Man that was almost killed by a Hammer Drone. That boy was me. You saved my life, Mr. Stark. That was when I knew I wanted to be just like you, and it's what got me into robotics in school, and physics, and all the other things that would help me be like you.
I adored you long before I realised I loved you. You were my hero before the Expo though, before you even revealed yourself to be Iron Man. It was your press conference after Afghanistan. You were so human, so desperate to be seen as still in one piece despite everything you'd survived. I realised I was falling for you when you offered me the internship, for real and not just as a cover for being Spider-Man.
I knew I was fully in love with you when I saw you in the hospital bed, in the compound, surrounded by machines and doctors who were desperately trying to keep you alive. You had hypothermia, most of your sternum and rig cage had to be reconstructed again, you were bleeding out, and there was a moment when your heart stopped. And so did mine. It shattered. But they brought you back, and I sat by your bedside every single day, until you regained consciousness. You opened your eyes and I'd never felt so much relief in my life.
I know you said you wanted me to be better, but here's the thing, it was you that made me want to be better, to live up to your expectations. But, I can see now that I never would. I never deserved you, I never would have been able to be what you needed, and for that, I'm sorry. I'm sorry that I blurted out something that made you feel as if you needed to avoid me. And I'm even more sorry that I told Mr. Rogers those things you so obviously didn't want him to know. It was never my place.
I've left the suit in my wardrobe, tell Karen I'm sorry for leaving her there like that. I don't deserve it, her, or you. I'm sorry I let you down so badly, Mr. Stark. I really am. I love you so much. I'm sorry.
Always yours,
Peter.
Tony read the letter several times over and eventually had to put it down for fear his tears would ruin it. "Oh, Petey," he whispered. "What have I done?"
It was plain as day this was more than just the school boy crush many had told him it to be. Peter was completely gone on him, and he'd avoided him like he was the damn plague. He asked FRIDAY to scan for Peter but she came up empty. The last footage she had was him climbing into Pepper's car, and if he were still with her, FRIDAY would know.
He had to hope, for the moment, that Peter would return when he'd cooled off. This letter from him couldn't be the last contact Tony ever had with the kid. "FRIDAY, pull up all footage of every interaction Pete's had with the team since game night."
He watched through the footage until he came across one video that left him speechless. Peter was talking to Bucky, the two hanging out in gym after sparring. The ex-soldier was hugging Pete, the kid crying into his chest and clinging on for dear life.
"Hey, Petey, come on, tell me what's wrong."
Peter calmed down enough to speak and cleaned his face on his towel. "I can't take it anymore, Bucky. The way everyone is trying to warn me off, it's driving me insane. I want him so badly it's killing me!"
Bucky sighed and sat down on the floor mat. "Then tell him, Pete. Bottling it up isn't getting you anywhere."
The teen sat down with him and huffed out a breath, stirring his sweaty fringe. "I can't, you know why. It's better I keep my distance, if Mr. Stark was interested in me he would have already spoken to me, done something, anything, to let me know he wanted me too."
"Did it occur to you that he wants you to make the first move? He's older than you, Peter, and likely is worried he'd come across as some creep if he made the first move. It's harder for him, Pete. He's in the public eye and if he made a false move, he could be in so much shit with the world."
"But I'm legal!" Peter cried, his cheeks flushing red in embarrassment.
"Yes, you are. But morally, there are a lot of people who would see Tony as taking advantage of a young, impressionable man. Tony is your hero, Pete, and it wouldn't be too hard to jump to the assumption that he used that starstruck heart of yours to worm his way into your pants."
Peter opened his mouth to say something then shut it with an audible click. He seemed to me mulling something over when he did finally speak again. "Yeah, I guess. I just wish everyone else could see what I see."
Bucky glanced up at a sensor and winked. "And what do you see, Peter Parker?"
Peter smiled, the goofy smile that he usually reserved for the engineer himself. "He's brilliant, Bucky. When the Avengers first came together, he gave up his tower for them, and made sure everyone had their own floor, in their style. He pays the shopping bill without question, makes sure everyone has access to everything they could possibly need and he never asked for a thing in return. When Miss Romanoff was injured in that fight with Doom, Mr. Stark sat at her bedside for hours at a time to keep an eye on her until she healed enough to be let out of the hospital. And when Steve lost a load of skin off his stomach, it was Mr. Stark that had the Cradle flown in with Dr. Cho to heal him. He cares about everyone so much, and all they ever do is tear him down. I'm a fucking kid and he always makes sure he gives me his full attention no matter how busy he is. He phones me randomly to make sure I'm okay, even when there's no reason to think anything is wrong. He keeps sending me presents, for nothing, and it's always something I only mentioned in passing but the next day I'll have it. I love him, Bucky. And not like the silly schoolyard crushes, I mean I would literally take a bullet for him. I love him, and he doesn't want me."
Tony had to cut the footage when he saw Peter burst into tears again. Jesus wept he'd really fucked up this time. Pete saw all that in him and Tony didn't see any of it in himself. He just had the money to pay for everything so why not? It wasn't like he'd ever be able to spend it all, even if he had three lifetimes.
That wink…it was like Bucky knew he'd see it. Son of a bitch! He thought. He'd made sure FRIDAY would get the footage to Tony, so he could see how Peter really felt. He had to find him. Now. He had FRIDAY scan again but she came up empty. He rang Pepper, but she said Peter had left her company ages ago, intent on finding Tony.
"Boss…"
Tony looked at the screen at FRIDAY's fearful voice. The news was on, and the latest story was a young man being held hostage at the top of Stark Tower. The camera zoomed in, and Tony could see Peter encased in a ball of green. A spell. And next to it stood Loki, a maniacal grin on his face. "Bring me the Avengers, or I drop him."
-oo0oo-
Peter did his level best to remain calm while he suspended on the edge of the tower, his web slingers gone and no suit to save him. The fall would kill him. He didn't know what Loki wanted, all the god of Asgard had said was that he had a score to settle. He assumed it was to do with the battle of New York.
When the Avengers, well, most of them, arrived, Peter felt far from relieved. Tony was there, Iron Man armour around his body and all Pete wanted to do was scream at him to go.
"Ah, brother, how lovely of you to join us," Loki drawled to Thor.
"What is the meaning of this, Loki? Let the boy go and return to Asgard at once!" Thor boomed.
The God of Mischief laughed and spread his arms wide. "And why should I? You will all do anything I say to keep the child safe. Should my concentration flicker, oops! Down the little spider plummets."
Peter heard Widow swear and ask how he knew who Pete was. He wasn't too sure himself but it didn't matter. Unless he could get himself out of this mess, the Avengers were going to have to do as Loki wanted. In a blur of motion, Romanoff tried to get a shot off at Loki, but it bounced through him harmlessly.
"An illusion," Thor growled.
The real Loki appeared behind the Widow and took the gun from her forcibly, and shoved her away. She managed to grab Peter's arm and yank him out of the green orb containing him, and the pair fell to the floor, away from the edge of the tower.
Time slowed down. Peter watched in horror as Loki disappeared from sight and reappeared between Thor and Tony. Loki shoved Thor over the edge, the God of Thunder lost his grip on Mjolnir and went out of sight. He then grabbed the arc reactor in Tony's suit, yanking it out just as Tony screamed for the suit to open up.
He fell down and rolled away, fear in his hazel eyes. Peter scrambled to his feet so he could grab Tony and run, get him to safety until FRIDAY could get another suit to him, along with his own. Loki raised the gun and smirked. "Such a simple human weapon but capable of so much damage to your fragile bodies."
He fired once, aiming at Tony. Peter dived in front of him, taking the bullet that would have killed him. Peter cried out in pain as it struck his abdomen and lodged itself with his body. He could see Loki raising the gun again to fire another round, his vision blurred from tears of pain. And fear. Peter raised his hand and called Mjolnir to him. He threw it at Loki, the hammer smacking into him with a sickening crack and knocking him down.
Romanoff grabbed the gun off him and Thor came barging out from inside the tower and onto the landing pad. He quickly subdued Loki and hurriedly checked on Peter. The teen's vision was swimming, his abdomen on fire, his fingers slick with his own blood. He healed fast, extremely fast, but he wasn't sure he could heal quickly enough from this.
"Peter! Hold on!" Tony cried in his ear. "I got you, kid."
He was pulled against the mechanic, his stomach protesting enough to make him scream in pain. Peter raised a blood coated hand to Tony's cheek. "M'sorry, Mr. Stark."
-oo0oo-
The pungent smell of disinfectant invaded Tony's nostrils as he woke. He looked at the bed he'd fallen asleep leaning against and found Peter still unconscious and very pale. The bullet had done serious damage to the kid's body, and he'd lost a ridiculous amount of blood on the landing pad of the tower.
All Tony could think about was Peter talking to Bucky and saying he would take a bullet for Tony, and that was exactly what he had done. He'd jumped in front of him without a second's thought. Love like that was hard to come by. He slipped Pete's smaller hand into his calloused ones and pressed his lips to the knuckles.
"Please wake up, Pete. I swear to never be the boneheaded idiot I have been so far. Come back to me, Petey, I'm begging you," he whispered.
Bucky walked into the room and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Why don't you go shower and change? I'll keep an eye on him."
"No, I don't want to leave him, he could wake up any moment."
"Tony, he's been unconscious for three days, I doubt he'll wake up in the next fifteen minutes while you go clean up. Come on."
He acquiesced and took a scant ten minutes to shower and change his clothes. He returned to find Bucky talking to Peter, the kid still unconscious.
"You gotta wake up, kiddo. I don't think Tony can take much more of beating himself up. You're stronger than a bullet, kid. Come on. He needs you, Petey, more than you ever realised. Show him those chocolate browns he adores, please?"
Tony made enough noise to sound like he was only just coming in and Bucky rose to his feet. "Thanks, any change?"
Bucky shook his head sadly. "Afraid not. His body is still healing, though. He'll wake up."
"You promise?" Tony hated how small his voice sounded.
"Yeah, Tony, I promise."
"What are we promising?"
-oo0oo-
Although it was hazy, Peter saw Tony's head whip around so fast he was sure he heard the bones crack in protest. His voice was hoarse, and his body ached in ways he'd not known since pre-spider bite, but all in all he didn't feel too terrible.
"Mr. Stark? What are we promising?"
Tony laughed, his eyes sparkling with joy. "To never let you do anything so daft again."
"Aww come on, you loved seeing me in action," Peter whined croakily.
A smile crinkled Tony's eyes but then grew serious. "Peter, don't ever do that to me again. I don't ever want to see your body diving in front of a bullet for me ever again. You scared me, Pete."
Peter raised his arm and held out his hand for Tony to take. Warm, rough fingers slid over his own and Peter closed his eyes in joy at the contact. He tugged weakly and the engineer easily came to him. "I can't promise that," he said softly. "You see, I'm kind of in love with this guy who's unfortunately a magnet for trouble."
Tony chuckled. "Yeah? He sounds like a bit of a handful."
The young man nodded. "He is, but it's part of the charm. I wouldn't change a single thing about him."
Peter wasn't entirely sure what he was expecting in response to that, but the soft warmth of Tony's lips on his wasn't it. He whimpered, a thing of fantasy was now reality, and it was so much better than Pete had ever imagined. Teeth nibbled his bottom lip and Peter eagerly granted entrance and met Tony's questing tongue with his own, his arm slipping around Tony's neck to cradle the back of his head. Eventually, they broke apart, and Peter was panting a little, his eyes glazed in pleasure.
"Well, it's about fucking time!" Bucky yelled happily. "Jesus, if I was gonna have to deal with you two moping around for much longer I was going to bang your bloody heads together."
The two laughed and Bucky excused himself, leaving the two men to talk. "I'm sorry, Pete. I had my head so far up my own ass I didn't let myself really think it over. The age gap alone had me staggering and I convinced myself it was just a crush, that there was no way you'd want to have a relationship with someone who has maybe thirty or forty years left in them. And even then, my drinking and substance abuse days have likely knocked some years off me."
Peter brought Tony's hand to his lips. "I don't care how much time I have with you, I love you, Mr. Stark. Please, I know I hurt you and I don't deserve you, but please let me show you how much I love you."
"Petey, you deserve so much more, but I can't be selfless anymore, I'm yours. For as along as you'll have me."
Peter crowed in delight and tugged the genius onto his hospital bed, ignoring his newly repaired stomach and kissing the engineer with everything he had. He covered Tony's face in kisses, whispered soft words in his ear and cried happy tears that finally, finally, Tony was his.
-oo0oo-
Epilogue
When Peter was finally released from the doctor's care (he was extremely grateful the compound employed several) he was overjoyed to be able to spend time snuggled on the sofa with his boyfriend. The word still seemed surreal to him and he'd managed to obtain an apology from every Avenger except Steve Rogers.
It was a couple of days later that the Captain himself approached them and apologised profusely. Peter had been unforgiving, at first, going so far as to threaten to go round two with the Super Soldier. But Tony had calmed him and asked the teen hear him out before casting judgement. Reluctantly, Peter agreed and allowed Steve to explain himself.
"Pete, I owe you such a massive apology. I…I believed that because of Tony's past that he would drag you down to his level, but really, I can see now that you would lift him up to yours. I come from a time when homosexual relationships are taboo, and yes, I know I said Buck and I did get…involved, once, the only reason I admitted to it was because of Wanda's magic. I let a time I'm no longer part of rule over me and I shouldn't have done. The fact is, your relationship doesn't affect me in the slightest and it was extremely wrong of me to ever try to dissuade you from going after what you wanted, after someone you love."
Peter was flabbergasted at the heartfelt words and he tried to discern any falsehood in them but he couldn't find any. "Are you and Nat doing okay?"
Steve cocked his head and raised an eyebrow at the question, caught off guard, it seemed. "Erm, yes, we're alright. She didn't approve of my attitude in the lab and gave me quite the dressing down. It's what made me realise I was being an ass. Don't you dare, Tony Stark!" He glared before Tony could make a quip about swearing. "She also felt terrible about the way she spoke to you and we both admitted that we'd been wrong to try and convince you otherwise."
Laughing at Tony's petulant expression at being shot down before he could comment on Cap's language, Peter thanked the blond for his apology and promised that he'd see Nat later to talk it out with her. In hindsight, he could understand their concern but wished they had discussed it with him like an adult instead of treating him like a child. Yes, he was a teenage but he'd had to grow up fast and was more mature for his age than he was given credit for.
He'd lost his parents before he was old enough to realise what death even meant. He'd witnessed his Uncle Ben's murder and been helpless to stop it from happening. He'd been bitten by a radioactive spider and developed powers that left him having to calculate every movement he made. He had to take Flash's bullying because if he lost his temper and hit him he could kill him.
"I get it, and thank you. I really appreciate your being here. But, please remember that even though I'm eighteen I know enough to make my own decisions and if I mess something up then it's my problem to deal with. Now, if you don't mind, I was about to engage in some heavy making out and I don't think you want to be around for that."
Steve laughed and disappeared, shaking his head. Peter turned to his boyfriend and kissed him deeply, revelling in the hard planes of Tony's body against his. They'd agreed to take things slowly, carefully, neither one bothered about rushing off to bed the other. They'd slept in the same bed but done nothing more than cuddle and make out, happy to just be in one another's presence.
"When do you think Peter will figure out that Tony isn't as fragile as he thinks he is?"
Bucky turned to meet Bruce and smiled warmly at the other resident genius. "I really don't want to think about it, we'll all need ear plugs."
The man chuckled softly and rested his hand on Bucky's shoulder. "Come on, let's leave them to it," Bruce smirked and shook his head. "They don't need an audience."
The pair left the entwined couple to their antics. After all, the two had a lot of time to make up for.
I've already planned out a few side pieces for this so this won't be the last we see of our sweet couple.
