Hey everyone! Sorry this is shorter than most, but again, its the second half of the other chapter, and tacking it on to the last or next would make them massive! And I'm sorry updates are coming so slowly an unpredictably; I just can't keep a schedule right now. Still, next should be ready soon, and I love you guys so much! Hope you enjoy!

"But you're Iron Man!"

Of all the things Peter was expecting to hear Morgan say, that wasn't one of them. But as soon as he hears it, something clicks.

Daddy always gets hurt when he does hero stuff too.

Morgan had said that to him. And Tony, when he had attempted to use Morgan as a sort of barrier between them, the way he'd scolded him, the way Peter had thought he sounded like he had some idea of what it meant to be someone in a position of power-

I just… happen to know the person who made your suit.

Of course he did; it was him.

Lies; it was all lies. Lies and deception, exactly what he'd come to expect, and it hurt all the more now because he hadn't. Peter had started to trust him, had honestly and truly wanted to, had started to let his guard down-

He's not conscious of the decision, but he suddenly decides he's done, he's leaving, and he throws the blankets the rest of the way off himself and is struggling to his feet. Tony is instantly in front of him, and he knows they've been talking around him this whole time, but he's not hearing it through the blood pounding in his head. He's on his feet, and fuck, does that hurt, the bones have healed wrong, he can feel it, but his need to move overrules the pain-

Tony is reaching for him, grabbing at him and talking and Peter doesn't think, just shoves him hard away and stumbles forward. The elder man falls back onto the bed with a sharp exhalation of air. Peter glances around, and quickly decides to go for the window over the door. He knows somebody went that way with Morgan, and he doesn't want to cause her any more turmoil, nor does he want to have to hurt anyone. Plus, window is closer.

This plan is all well and good except for the fact that he doesn't make it there. His leg twists and gives out, just a few feet from the wall, and the pain is so strong that for a minute his vision whites out.

When his grip on reality returns, Tony is back in front of him, and he's on his knees, his wrists gripped tightly in a cold, metal grasp.

Do you have any idea how long it's been since I've had to break these out?

Gauntlets. Metal gauntlets. Iron Man's gauntlets. How did he not notice before? Had he really been so out of it the first time that he didn't realize? They were even his signature red for God's sake!

"Peter!" Tony's voice comes into focus around the same time his face does. "Come on, kid, focus up. Please."

Peter squeezes his eyes shut, unable to look at him. Tony. He'd even told him his name was Tony, and he hadn't put the pieces together. This was his own fault.

I don't want to hurt you-

His fault for believing that. How could he be so stupid?

Yet his heart wasn't really caught up with his head.

"You promised," Peter chokes. It's not at all what he intends to say, but it's what comes out, surprising them both. "You said you didn't want to hurt me. You lied- about so much-"

"I know. Peter, I'm sorry, okay? I knew you wouldn't trust me if I told you, not with everything you've been through because of me. You would have been terrified - you're terrified now - and rightfully so. And I'm sorry for that. I'm so sorry for everything, kiddo. Will you look at me? Please?"

Peter opens his eyes, slowly, glancing up at him and then immediately looking down. He doesn't meet his eyes, but Tony can work with that.

Now that he's not frantically trying to shove him off, Tony releases his wrist, carefully holding both of them in one gauntlet and letting the other retract so he can wipe Peter's eyes gently. He doesn't think he's even noticed that the tears have started falling, and he says nothing about it, instead running a hand through his hair gently. "Peter, I'm so sorry. I was going to tell you, I just… wanted you to feel like you had a reason to trust me, first, because I knew who I was wasn't going to be enough for you with everything you went through. When you told me people had hurt you looking for me, I just…" He stops, unsure how to even put into words for anyone to understand how bad that had hurt. "I would have never left you to that, kid. If I had known, I would have helped you, retirement be damned."

"You don't have to say that, Mr. Stark," Peter mumbles, and Tony's heart aches at both the words and at Peter finally addressing him, even if it's by his last name and not what he told him to. "If I had a daughter and a wife like that, I wouldn't want to keep risking myself for nobodies either."

"You're not a nobody," Tony says firmly. "You're a hero, Peter. That's why I made you the suit. And I'm going to fix it, buddy, and you're going to keep doing great things. And this time I'll be watching, and I'll make sure no one ever touches you again." He tilts Peter's chin up, forcing down the pang of disappointment when the younger man closes his eyes rather than meet his. "You still with me, Pete? I'm serious. If you don't want to look at me, or talk to me much, fine. But at least tell me what you want."

Peter is quiet for a long few minutes, sniffling a little. "I just…" He lets out a long breath, still not looking at him. "I just want to go home."

Tony sighs, wiping away another stray tear. "We'll get you home as soon as you're better, I promise. Where is home, kid? Do you want to tell me about it?"

A shuddering sob tears from Peter's chest, and Tony realizes his mistake an instant before Peter's answer. "Nowhere," the boy whispers, so quietly Tony doesn't think he's supposed to hear it, but he does anyway, and it's an admission that confirms everything he's been worrying about.

"Oh, kiddo," Tony murmurs, feeling his own heart break for him. "Come here."

He pulls him in, and Peter doesn't resist. It's like whatever dam was holding everything back finally breaks, and he's sobbing into him. All the fear and pain and grief and loss and trauma hit him at once, once he allows himself to feel it, and he can't stop until it's all come out. He clings to him, and Tony holds him just as tightly, as if he can anchor the kid and keep him from completely falling apart all by this motion.

Neither of them are sure how long they stay on the floor like that, but eventually Peter starts to calm down. Tony feels everything as his sobs start to teeter off into shaking and his grip loosens some as he tries not to succumb to the major headache and exhaustion. "Easy, kiddo, it's alright," he murmurs, carefully shifting so he can lift the young male and carry him back to the bed.

For the second time, he lays Peter down only to find him stuck to him, and again he simply lies down with him and lets him cling. The only difference is this time Peter is conscious, and he manages to murmur an apology thick with exhaustion before he passes out in Tony's arms.

Tony holds him in silence, resting his head back against the headboard. Part of him knows he needs to go talk to Morgan, needs to explain to her that he didn't know, that he was only trying to protect all of them by keeping the distance he did, but the other part can't fathom leaving Peter and breaking this fragile bit of trust the kid has given him by asking him to stay and falling asleep on him again. He knows if he leaves, Peter will wake up, and if he wakes up without him there… no, he can't do that. Not only because of what Peter will think, but because they need to talk for real. Besides, Happy knows, and he'll talk to her and calm her down in the meantime.

So he just lays there, and eventually tries to doze off himself.