I'm not really sure what the schedule is on updating this story because on the other one I'm working on I update every Sunday. I'll see and inform you guys in the next update!
Hope you like the chapter!
If you prefer to read on Ao3, it's posted there, as well.
Hope you like the chapter! :)
DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of these characters! They belong to the MCU! I only own the plot!
"Kid! Where were you?" Steve asks, looking up as the elevator dings.
"Hey guys." Peter says sheepishly. They all come towards him, demanding answers.
"We never saw you come home!"
"Where did you and Harley go Pete?"
"I swear to God if you went clubbing."
"Oh my Gosh guys let me explain!" Peter exclaims. He pauses. "What no! We didn't go clubbing jeez. I'm 16 guys." Peter says slapping his forehead.
Rhodey shrugs. "You two are copies of Tony. I wouldn't be all that surprised...but very disappointed of course." Rhodey adds, eyeing him.
"I didn't!" Peter groans.
"Ok ok kid. What happened? Friday said someone is in the MedBay and said Tony would explain everything." Steve tells him.
"Yeah well he's too busy yelling at Thunderhead to remember that you guys were up here freaking out." Peter snorts.
They glare at him and Peter shuts up.
Peter walks past them and sits on the couch, gesturing to them to come sit with him.
Natasha and Steve sit next to him as everyone else finds a seat either on chairs or the floor.
"Me and Harls we're walking home from a movie and there were these dudes. They surrounded us and said something about us being Tony's kids." Peter tells them.
The team exchange looks, making metal notes to search the footage and find these douchebags.
"Then suddenly they're like coming at us, and me and Harley fight them off." Peter takes a deep breath.
"One had a knife on them and I didn't see it cus I got punched in the head really hard. Harls...h-he saw it coming and jumped in front of it. I called Tony and he took us to the MedBay." Peter says in a low voice.
He's met with a chorus of sighs, "It's not your fault's", "Are you both ok's" and "Where's Harley's".
"Yeah. We're ok now. Harley's in the MedBay still." Peter answers.
"Can we see him?" Rhodey asks. He feels terrible for Peter. He knew those kids were inseparable and were brothers in everything but blood.
Peter looks down. "Bruce said not to let anyone else in cus he has to rest."
They nod in understanding and sit back down.
"Pete can you tell us when he's ready to come out of the MedBay?" Wanda asks. Everyone had a soft spot for Tony's kids. It was impossible not to love them.
Peter nods. And the group disperses.
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Natasha leans over and puts a hand on Peter's arm as he shudders.
"Hey." She says softly.
"Hi Nat." Peter says, matching her tone.
"You know Harley's as stubborn as you right? It's not your fault little паук." Natasha tells him.
"Yeah." Peter whispers. Natasha sighs and slicks Peter's hair back.
"Don't do this. Don't make this mistake. That was his choice and if you don't let it go it's going to change your relationship with him." Natasha tells him sadly.
Peter whips his head around to look at her with wide eyes. "What do you mean change our relationship?"
Natasha gives him a sad smile. "You'll start treating him different. And acting different around him because you're so afraid something bad will happen and you'll lose him. He'll get tired of it and-well…" Natasha trails off. This hit too close to home.
Peter nods. He knows Natasha had a lot of knowledge and he should listen to her. She always had his best interests at heart.
"But what?" Peter asks. He has to hear it out loud. It had to scare him enough that he snaps out of whatever his thought process had led him to.
"You won't have the same bond with him that you do now Peter." Natasha pauses. "The thing is, he feels more pain when you're hurt than when he gets hurt himself. He's always anxious when you leave for patrol. I've calmed him down from panic attacks when you were being healed in the hospital. I know because he's come to talk to me about it...a lot." Natasha says wincing at Peter's expression.
"Why didn't you tell me!?" Peter asks angrily. His brother was in pain because of him and no one bothered to tell him so he could make it right?
"He made me promise I wouldn't tell you Peter." Natasha says in a low voice. Peter sighs. Of course he would do that.
"I'm going to have a talk with my brother. Instead of coming to talk to me, he avoids me!?" Peter seethes.
"Peter. He didn't want to burden you with his worries and problems. He told me he knew you had enough problems to deal with." Natasha informs him.
Peter sighs. "His problems are my problems Nat! I don't know why he can't understand that!"
"Why don't you talk to him?" Natasha asks.
Peter gets up. "Oh I have a lot to say to him." Peter growls.
"Pete. Just remember he loves you. He would do anything for you. At the expense of himself. Just as you would." Natasha tells him knowingly.
Peter deflates a little at that and nods. He walks over to the elevator and tells Friday to take him to the MedBay.
"He's still a little shit though." Peter mutters half-heartedly.
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A little of Peter's anger melts away when his brother smiles at him when he comes back into the room. But it's still there.
Peter stomps into the room and sits on the bed eyeing Harley angrily.
Harley scrunches up his brow. "You ok?"
"No." Peter says. "I talked to Nat."
Harley's eyes widen a fraction of a degree. "Yeah? How did she take it?"
"She told me some things." Peter says crossly, ignoring Harley.
"Oh yeah? What'd she tell you?" Harley asks, hoping it's anything but what he's thinking.
"So you're talking to everyone but me?" Peter says, his voice low.
"What are you talking about Pete?" Harley asks cautiously. Yup Nat's definitely told him. And he can't even blame her because she had told him she would tell Peter if he asked. Something about not lying to his brother or something like that.
"Cut the crap. You know exactly what I'm talking about." Peter says sharply. Harley winces.
"First I thought you were keeping it to yourself. And I was pissed but I thought I could get you to talk to me. Then, I hear that you're talking to everyone else but me about something that's my fault to begin with!?" Peter growls.
Harley is taken aback. He hasn't really come across an angry Peter a lot.
"Pete I-" Harley starts.
"Don't give me all that shit about I have my own problems or whatever." Peter tells him, looking away.
Harley closes his mouth.
"Ok. Ok. Can you look at me please?" Harley asks softly. Peter turns and looks at him with tired, red eyes. Harley's gaze softens and he reaches out for his brother. Peter knocks it away, glaring again.
Harley sighs. "Look. I didn't tell you because I didn't want you worrying about me on top of worrying about yourself. I know you Peter. Instead of paying attention to what's going on, you're gonna be thinking about how I'm feeling and then you'll get hurt more when you're out on patrol. Did you really think I didn't tell you because I don't trust you?" Harley asks.
"What I'm thinking when I'm on patrol has nothing to do with this-" Peter tries.
"It has everything to do with this! If I told you and you got distracted and got hurt more, how the hell do you think I would feel?" Harley asks, his voice hard.
"I would deal with it! Why don't you ever care about yourself!?"
Peter winces. That came out the wrong way.
Harley's eyes go wide in hurt and he swallows the lump in his throat.
"I-" Peter swallows. He stands up, looking anywhere but at Harley. "I'm going to go get some air."
Harley flinches. "That means patrolling right?"
"Yeah." Peter says as he walks out the door.
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It was an hour into patrol when Peter realized he messed up. First, he had hurt his brother when he was already hurt. And then, he had left to patrol literally seconds after he was told Harley was anxious when he did. Idiot.
Peter swings back as quickly as he can to the Tower. Man he messed up.
Peter sprints into the Medbay and through the hallways he had memorized, toward Harley's room.
"Harls?" Peter asks, coming in quietly. Peter stops at the door and his heart pretty much shatters. His older brother was curled in on himself on his side, clutching a pillow tightly. And Peter didn't miss the tear-tracks on his face either. "Shit."
Peter hurries over and sits down on the edge of the bed, afraid to touch him.
"Shit. Shit. Shit. I'm sorry Harls." Peter whispers. Peter rips off his suit and changes into his normal clothes keeping a close eye on his brother for any signs of a nightmare.
As Peter expected, several minutes later, Harley starts to tense up and shift around. "Hey. Wake up. Dude." Peter says, shaking Harley's shoulder, A single tear falls down his face as Harley jerks awake. His eyes find Peter, filled with horror.
"Thank God." Harley mumbles, running a hand down his face. Harkey takes a shaky breath and looks up and sighs at Peter's tear-filled eyes. "I'm ok." He assures.
"I'm sorry." Peter tells him, looking down at his hands. Harley frowns. Why was he…? Oh. Right.
Harley shakes his head. "Not your fault. I messed up."
Peter scoffs. "I yelled at you and left you here alone when you're hurt. And you messed up?"
"I should have talked to you. You tell me everything. It should have been the same way. It was my bad. But you just blame yourself for everything." Harley says tiredly. He can't even sleep one hour without seeing that stupid knife being stabbed into Peter's stomach instead of his. And he was the one that got stabbed!
"I shouldn't have left." Peter says, wiping away his tears angrily. Seriously! He can't go one minute without bawling like a baby.
"Hey. Just slow down a sec." Harley says softly. He takes Peter's hands away from his face and notices blood dripping down them.
"What the...? Pete?"
Peter looks down. "What?"
Harley frowns and looks up to Peter's face. He flips Peter's hands around and shows him the crescent shapes on his palms, five on each hand. The ones on his right were still bleeding.
Peter winces and looks to the side but doesn't pull his hands away.
"Pete." Harley whispers. He leans over to his drawer and grabs some tissues, a roll of bandages and some antiseptic ointment. He wipes away the blood and Peter flinches away with a pained expression on his face.
Harley grabs Peter's hands again and spreads the ointment on gently, careful not to make contact with the slits. He then wraps the bandage around them and lets go. "How long have you been doing that?"
"Since like...forever." Peter sighs.
"Jesus Pete." Harley groans.
"Don't tell Tony." Peter pleads.
"Stop doing it and I won't." Harley retorts.
"I can't help it. It's a habit." Peter says frowning.
"Pete. You can't do that. Promise me." Harley insists.
"Promise what?" Peter sighs.
"That's you'll try to stop. Or I'm telling Tony." Harley threatens.
"Fine." Peter mutters.
Harley rests his head back and winces as his wound rubs up against the bandage again. He suddenly feels a sharp pain and he cries out quietly.
"Harls? What's wrong?" Peter asks anxiously. He reaches for Harley's hand and clasps it firmly. "Hey. Talk to me. I'm getting Bruce."
"No I'm fine. Pete it's gonna hurt when it heals obviously. Just chill. I'm fine." Harkey says giving him a pained smile.
"Chill?" Peter asks incredulously.
"I take that back." Harkey says quickly. Peter shakes his head and scooches closer to his brother, shivering.
"You better take that back." Peter says, smirking. Harley rolls his eyes and notices Peter shiver again.
"You cold?" Harley asks.
"I'm never warm. Spider don't thermoregulate remember?" Peter reminds him.
"Come 'ere before you turn into a spideysicle." Harkey smirks.
"Doesn't have the same ring to it as Capsicle." Peter laughs, climbing onto the other side.
Harley frowns.
"Whatcha doing?" Harkey says looking over his shoulder. Peter carefully slides underneath Harley and shifts him onto his lap, holding him close.
"Hey! You switched!" Harkey complains. Peter giggles and rests his chin on Harley's head.
"You're always here. It's my turn." Peter reasons.
"I'm always there cus I'm older and you're the baby. So you have to do what I say." Harley's says, smushing his face into Peter's stomach.
"Whatcha doing?" Peter mocks, only slightly weirded out. He can't say anything though...he's probably done creepier things when he was loaded up on meds.
"Agh. Hurts like hell." Harley says. He's not sure if it's supposed to feel like this. Like squishy? He can feel his bandage starting to feel weird too. But he didn't feel like checking on it.
"I'm getting Bruce." Peter says, starting to get up.
"Noooooo." Harley says grabbing his sleeve. Peter raised an eyebrow.
"Who are you? Me?" Peter smirks.
"We can switch for today." Harley says, resting his head on Peter's leg. Agh he was so tired. He was getting a bit lightheaded too. Being stabbed sucks.
"You need more meds! And it freaks him out when I use Friday to get him. Ever since he was in the bathroom and Friday scared the poop out of him, he's been scarred." Peter laughs.
Harley cracks up. They made fun of the man for a solid hour for that. Then they moved on...aaand told everyone else. Yeah he never really lived it down.
"Pete I'm fine. Can we just stay here like this?" Harkey asks, looking at him with his best puppy dog eyes. Peter scoffs.
"You haven't mastered the art like I have." He teases. Harkey rolls his eyes and frowns. It's getting harder and harder to concentrate and stay awake.
"H-hey Pete. I think I-"
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Peter is more concerned as each minute passes by. He tries not to make it obvious but he's constantly looking for any signs of pain when his brothers talks. He seems more and more tired with every word. Just as Peter is about to tell him to get some sleep, Harley frowns and stutters out something.
Before Peter can reply, his brother's eyes roll back into his head and he falls back into Peter's arms.
"Harley? Oh my-What the hell?" Peter asks, as Harley slumps onto him. "Harley!" Peter yells, shaking his shoulders.
He quickly shifts Harley off of him and onto the bed.
"What did you do!?" Peter asks frantically. He lifts the shirt up and checks the bandage to find it slick with blood.
"Hey did I hear some yelling?" Tony asks, walking down to Harley's room, finally off the phone.
"Tony! Get Helen or Bruce! He just passed out!" Peter tells.
Tony runs over and checks his pulse. Then looks down to the bandage and curses.
"Friday, Tell Bruce or Helen to get down here please!" Tony requests urgently.
"I have already alerted them. They are on they're way." Friday tells him.
"Hey Pete? You need to calm down bud. You're gonna make yourself sick." Tony says gently. Peter continues to hyperventilate and runs out of the room to find a bathroom. "Pete!"
Tony sighs. He can't be at two places at once.
"Damn kid. How the hell did you bust your stitches?" Tony asks, putting pressure on it. Helen comes sprinting in. She relaxes a bit when she understands what happened. She grabs a bag of Harley's blood and attaches it to an IV, then sticks it into Harley's wrist.
"Bruce isn't here." Helen says, still breathing heavily. "He went over to help out with the patients down in the hospital."
Tony nods. "Will he be ok?"
"Yeah. I'll stitch him up."
"Ok. Tell Friday to tell me when your done." Tony tells her. Helen nods her brow creased in concentration as she stitches Harley up.
Tony walks out of the room, hoping Peter isn't too shaken up.
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"Pete?" Tony calls, walking into the nearest bathroom.
"Mmm." Peter mumbles from inside. Tony walks in and takes in the scene. Peter was standing up, leaning against the wall with his head resting against it.
"You ok bud?" Tony asks, coming over.
"Throwing up is always fun. Why'd you ask?" He asks sarcastically.
"I'm sure it is. Harley's fine Pete. He just busted some stiches, that's all." Tony ruffling his hair.
"I knew something was wrong." Peter says, slapping his forehead. "That idiot."
"Of course he played it down. He's Harley. It's not your fault." Tony says sternly.
"Is Helen working on him?" Peter asks.
"Yup.
She said he'll be good as new in no time." Tony replies. Just then Friday's voice echos through the room.
"Dr. Cho is finished. Harley is stable." Friday informs them.
"Perfect timing sweetheart. You good kiddo?" Tony asks. Peter nods.
"Let's go."
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Helen meets them as they step into the room.
"Make sure he doesn't move around to much and try to convince him to get some sleep. I applied some adhesive tape on it this time so he shouldn't be able to rip the stitches again." Helen says, smiling kindly at Peter.
They both nod. "When is he gonna wake up?" Peter asks, beating Tony to the question.
"He should wake up in an hour or too. He passed out because of the dizziness caused by loss of blood." Helen explains. Peter swallows thickly and nods.
"We'll keep an eye on him Helen. Thank you." Tony says gratefully.
Helen smiles at both of them and exits the room.
"Here we are again." Peter sighs.
Tony snickers. "We're gonna kill him."
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Stay safe y'all!