Peter didn’t even try to make it to his bedroom, instead just collapsing onto the couch.
He didn’t know what it was, but crime in New York had skyrocketed lately. And what’s worse, they seem to have realised the hours that Spider-man comes out, being more and more reckless during the early morning or the school day. (How nobody had figured out that he’s a teenager yet, Peter had no clue.)
So after almost ten hours of trying to come up with new quips while fighting people who wanted him dead, he didn’t have the energy to swing back to Queens, instead lock picking the window and deciding upon the bright red couch to be his new home for the next while.
He knew Friday wouldn’t alert anyone that he arrived, he showed up unannounced enough to know that he was no longer (or ever) seen as a threat if he broke in.
So, he clumsily pulled off his mask and let it drop to the floor, barely able to grumble a hello to Friday before he passed out.
—
Peter awoke to a hand holding up his head. He frowned and opened his eyes, only to be shushed as soon as he did.
“Just givin’ you a pillow,” came the quietly gruff voice. True to his word, Peter felt a small pillow getting slipped under the base of his neck. Peter’s eyes opened again, meeting icy blue ones.
“B’cky?” This was the last person he had expected, but Bucky’s hand was cold and Peter could feel himself burning up, so he didn’t complain.
“Shh, kid,” A metal hand slowly pushed Peter’s curls out of his face. Peter exhaled softly and leaned into it, eyes falling closed again. “You’re burnin’ up”
The hand shifted to comb back his curls, cupping the back of Peter’s head in a firm but gentle grip once he did.
Peter frowned again when the coolness of the hand left him, and even in his dazed state, he could hear footsteps as Bucky left. He groaned softly and shifted onto his side, tucking his knees up to his chest and closing his eyes again. He didn’t want to be alone, he had been alone all night and had gotten kicked in the ribs more times than he could count.
Something cold and wet touched Peter’s forehead and he jumped, blinking repeatedly to wake himself up again. Bucky raised his eyebrows slightly and pushed on Peter’s shoulder to get him to lay back down.
“It’s alright, it’s just me,” He said, and Peter could see the effort the man was putting into looking approachable. It made him smile a little, and Bucky relaxed as a result.
Peter shifted so the wet rag on his head fell down to cover his eyes, sighing as the burning behind his eyelids almost fully ceased.
Bucky chuckled lowly and ruffled Peter’s hair, eliciting an indignant almost squawk from him.
“Oh shush,” Bucky’s smile was audible in his voice, “I think you can handle your curls being touched when you’ve been fighting crime all day”
The hand shifting from ruffling his hair to just…touching it. A thumb rubbing back and forth over the back of Peter’s scalp. Peter leaned into it, earning another laugh from Bucky. He didn’t usually hear him laugh. It was a nice sound.
“I’m fine,” He said in a slightly rough voice. Bucky nodded and slowed his hand.
“I know you are, but better safe than sorry,” said Bucky, settling down beside the couch and twisting his arm at an uncomfortable position just so he could keep a hand on Peter.
While he knew Bucky was keeping an eye on him, Peter decided to keep an eye on Bucky too. This wasn’t anything he would’ve expecting from an ex-assassin, but he supposed he should’ve. This was the same Bucky who had apparently taken care of Captain America when he was tiny and constantly on the brink of death. Brainwashing couldn’t take away instinct.
“What time ‘s it?” Peter asked with a yawn. He shifted to lay on his stomach with an arm hanging loosely over the edge of the couch.
After looking down at his watch, Bucky replied, “8:53, you should go back to sleep. The robot girl-“ This was said with a bit of disapproval. Bucky had never liked Friday, “-said you got here at 5:00. You should go back to sleep.”
“Her names Friday,”
“Good for her,” Bucky said gruffly, “Now go to sleep”
Peter snorted a laugh and pressed the side of his face into his pillow. He yawned again and nodded. Part of him wanted to stay awake just to keep this side of Bucky around, but he wouldn’t be able to appreciate it if he was sleep deprived.
So, he let his eyes fall closed again, relaxing that little bit more when he felt Bucky adjust the rag on his head.
“Night,
“Night” Peter mumbled back.
—
“Morning, Spiderling”
Peter’s eyes opened once he heard the familiar voice that was Tony. He raised a hand to shield his eyes from the artificial light.
“Hi,”
“What time did you crawl up the waterspout?” Tony remarked as he went about making his coffee. The way the building was set up made it easy for Peter to see him, even from the sitting room. He scrunched his nose in distant at the joke as he sat up.
“Early,” He yawned and rolled his shoulders, clumsily grabbing his mask from the floor and slipping out of the blanket that must’ve been placed over him at one point during his sleep. He walked over to the kitchen and put toast in the toaster, setting it to a quick setting so he could get out of Tony’s hair soon.
“Hey, did I leave my biology notebook here?” He asked as he grabbed the butter and a knife. Tony pulled a face while sipping his black coffee.
“You do biology?”
“Mhm,” Peter grabbed the toast as soon as it popped up and buttered it, then took it in his mouth and made his way out of the kitchen, “It seemed interesting,” He spoke with words muffled by the toast.
Tony raised an amused eyebrow “And is it?”
Peter shrugged one shoulder, “Eh”
He waved over his shoulder as he left the room, hopping over any small obstacles that stood in his way.
When he was just about to leave, he felt two hands grab onto his shoulders and turn him around. Bucky.
Peter rushed to take the toast out of his mouth and looking up at the man. He was frowning down at Peter, examining him.
“You well enough to go?”
“Yeah,” Peter replied at once, tilting his chin up a little as if to prove it. A hand touched his forehead and Peter’s eyes fluttered closed for a moment until it left again.
Bucky’s features had eased up a little, which must mean that Peter was back to an acceptable state by his standards. He nodded, then flicked Peter’s forehead, ignoring the yelp it got him.
“Take a rest day,” He ordered, leaning against the wall with crossed arms. Peter already discounted the option in his head.
“Uh huh”
“Seriously, no crime fighting until 5am again”
“I won’t!” Peter raised his hands and walked backwards to leave, when Bucky’s eyes rolled (he looked more fond than annoyed, but Peter didn’t want to jinx it) and he was pulled back.
“Wha-“ He was cut off by his mask getting pushed over his head. Peter paused, looked at the door, then over exaggerated his smile so it was visible through the fabric. “Thanks”
Bucky nodded in response and didn’t stop watching Peter until he was halfway out the door.
“Enjoy your toast”
Peter grinned and got his webshooters ready as he broke into a jog. “Bye, Bucky!” He shouted over his shoulder.
He didn’t have to look to know Bucky was rolling his eyes again.