Embarrassment
As they get closer to Stark Industries, Peter's feelings of butterflies intensifies. He just hopes that his dirty little secret of what went down last time he was there doesn't come out.
As they pull up to Stark Industries everyone is gobsmacked by the gorgeous architecture, everyone but Peter who only just remembers to look like he's never seen the place before when in fact he'd stayed over on multiple occasions. When they enter the head through the security and get their badges. He nods to one of the guards who smiles at him before remembering to not blow his cover.
Peter hangs around the back of the group, hoping he can seem like he feels sick enough that Mr Harrington would let him either go home or head to a room so he could hide out the rest of the trip. He was becoming increasingly anxious about being back in this building, the same building that haunts so many of his nightmares. He so absorbed in his thoughts that he doesn't notice MJ falling into sync with him.
"Yo dude, what is up with you?" She asks him, he looks up surprised and then he realises it's her. He tries to speak a little but just mumbles. He does eventually manage to make a coherent sentence come out.
"I don't feel well." He manages to spit out before he blushes a little. She shrugs a little but continues to walk with him.
"You know, I might be contagious." He continues, he wants her to leave him alone because he needs to continue thinking but he really likes her company so he's testing the water to see how willing she is to stay.
"I don't mind, plus you don't seem contagious." She shrugs again before plugging in her headphones and leaving him in a comfortable silence. Peter's actually pretty grateful that she decides to stay, he's even more grateful that she doesn't want to talk to him but instead just keeps him company so he can go back to being deep in thought.
As they were coming to the end of the tour, they were sitting in an auditorium watching a presentation on the technology behind Stark Industries. Peter sat there feeling very bored; he'd been through the same seminar countless times, whenever he came as Spiderman to be Tony's right-hand man. He walked over to Mr Harrington and took a seat next to him.
"Sir, I really need to toilet. Please can I go?" Peter asks him, Harrington waves him off and he gets up and leaves the auditorium. He stretches briefly before going for a brisk walk. He finds his favourite spot in the whole building, a small alcove with a huge window. He looks out into the inky black sky, staring at the bright lights that twinkle in the distance. He lets his forehead rest against the cold glass, breath fogging up the window ever so slightly.
He stays that way for a long time, until a voice brings him out of his dream-like trance and frightens the life out of him.
"Peter, I thought you were meant to be in a seminar" a voice asks me with a hint of curiosity. He jumps up from his seated position and stands up straight immediately.
"Mr Stark, sir. What are you doing here?" Peter rambles out quickly.
"I own the building." Tony states, with a hint of sarcasm.
"Oh yeah, right. I was just going for a walk." Peter continues, trying to relax a little but clearly still very anxious.
"Kid, what's up?" Tony asks, concern flashing across his face.
"I just don't want to blow my cover." Peter says before shrugging nonchalantly.
"Come on Peter, give me more than that." Tony says, stepping closer to Peter.
"If I blow my cover, everyone will find out who I am. All the bad people might go after May and my friends. I mean look at you, everyone knows you're Iron Man. Don't you worry about what might happen to your people?" Peter asks, a very young and innocent expression is on his face and Tony softens slightly.
"I worry everyday about what might happen to the people I love. Peter, your too young to have to need to worry about the people in your life because of you. But I can assure you that no one is gonna figure out your secret. You must've known that well enough. Peter, what's really on your mind?" Tony asks, he has a feeling that there was something much deeper going on.
"I'm scared." Peter states, he looks at the floor; feeling a little ashamed at having to admit this with his mentor.
"Scared about what Peter?" Tony asks him softly. His heart breaking at the sight of watching this 15-year-old admit he is scared of something; he could only imagine what has him frightened.
"The last time I was here. It holds so much raw emotion. I felt so powerless and so scared that I wouldn't get to see the rest of my life." Peter says, his voice barely louder than a whisper. His shoulders start to shake as he cries a little. Tony takes another step forward and pulls him into a bone crushing hug. Tony thinks back to the last time Peter had been here. Tony was being held at gun point, tied to a chair, and forced to watch Peter be tortured by these horrific people. He was being tortured for classified information that Peter did in fact know, that had the rest figured out they only needed the last bit that Peter knew. The knowledge was spread between all of the Avengers and then Peter but they didn't know each other's information. Tony had begged him to give in but he resisted. In the wrong hands it could cause serious damage. He hadn't given up a single piece of information even though he was tortured for a whole week.
"Peter, I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry you had to go through that. I need you to know that I'm here for you. Whatever you need, I'll help you okay." Tony says sincerely, he feels Peter nod into his shoulder and he lets him go gently. He digs around in his pocket and finds a tissue. He hands it to Peter who takes it gratefully. He blows his nose and wipes his eyes before throwing it in the bin. He takes a seat back on the alcove and Tony smiles at him before walking away.
Peter takes a few deep breaths to calm himself down. He feels a little better having spoken with Tony about it. He knows that Tony will encourage him to see a therapist and he thinks he'll probably agree to that offer. Just as he rests his head on the glass again, he hears another voice.
"Some toilet break?" a voice says that makes him jump.
"MJ? Why aren't you watching the talk?" He asks, feeling slightly flustered for the second time today. This feeling seemed to go hand in hand whenever MJ's around.
"I could ask you the same question. Mr Harrington sent me; now you, why are you out here?" She asks, a questioning look on her face.
"I didn't feel too good in the auditorium. It was a little stuffy, I think I might be running a fever. It'd probably be best if I just left and went home, I think." He rambles, trying to excuse his absence. MJ walks over to him and puts her hand up to his face. She checks his temperature before frowning a little.
"Yeah, your temperature is a little high. Maybe you should go lie down?" She says, a worried look now gracing her face. He silently thanks the crush he has on her because he doesn't believe that he would've been able to fool anyone else. Just being around her forces a red tint onto his cheeks and makes his temperature rise.
"I think I'll just head home, tell Mr Harrington I wasn't feeling too good so I went home, okay?" He says and climbs off the alcove and starts walking down the hall a little.
"Peter, wait" She calls after him. He freezes, hearing his name come from her was nice. He turns around slowly; she looks at him with what could only be described as a cute expression.
"Please, stay." She pauses before adding "Everyone else is dull but you make it fun."
Peter could only hope that those words have a slightly deeper meaning but he isn't going to deny her request. If it had been anyone else, he might've kept walking but she isn't anyone else.
"Okay, I'm gonna go lie down in one of the rooms." He says, sounding calm for the first time all day.
"I'll go tell Mr Harrington. When we get dinner, I can bring some up to you if you want."
"Yeah, that would be nice. Night MJ."
"Night Parker." He walks away from her and to one of the rooms. He opens the door before closing it. He flops onto the bed and just stares at the ceiling. He takes his headphones out and tries to relieve his anxiety from his last experience.
