There is happiness past the blood and bruise
Peter walked into the penthouse a couple weeks later having returned to school. He found a note from his dad on the fridge that he was at SI but he’d be home later. It had been odd having his dad get to know him all over again. Tony had not gotten any memory of Peter back but he watched videos Friday had saved every night and asked tons of questions. It wasn’t perfect but Peter felt like they had settled into a good routine. Rhodey had trusted them enough to go home even.
He set to work on his homework in the living room. It wasn’t due right away but he wanted it done sooner rather than later. He had a headache most of the day though and the words kept blurring. He sighed. This was the start of a sensory overload. Peter pushed his homework away and laid on the couch, “Lights out protocol, Fri.”
Friday silently put the protocol in place.
~
Tony walked into the penthouse finding it extra dark and quiet, “Friday, what’s going on?”
“Lights Out protocol has been activated for sensory overload.” Friday responded at a volume that almost could not be heard.
“Sensory what?”
“My senses are out of wack.” Peter mumbled from the couch, “Can you stop talking please?”
“Sure. If you explain it all to me later?” Tony quietly headed to the lab and started to research what Friday had stored on sensory overloads.
~
Peter walked into the lab later that evening still scrunching his eyes when the harsh lights hit him.
“Friday lights at 40%.”
Peter sat on the stool and put his face against the work bench.
“Feeling any better?” Tony asked.
“Kind of.”
“You think you’ll be okay for school tomorrow?”
“Dad, this is the part where you hug me.” Peter whimpered in pain.
“So sorry. I’m still learning all of this again.” Tony still found himself hesitating when it came to hugging the kid or telling him he loved him. It felt like they had just met and they weren’t really there yet. But the kid needed him and he had promised Rhodey before he had left that he’d meet the kid’s needs even his emotional ones.
Tony walked around the desk and pulled the kid into a hug kissing the top of his head, “How can I help?”
“Can I lay by you tonight?”
Tony’s heart rate sped up.
“Never mind.” Peter pulled away from the hug, “I can hear your heart rate. I know you don’t want this.”
“Bambino—I’m doing my best. All of this feels very new and scary to me still. It doesn’t me I don’t care.”
~
That is how Tony had a Spider-Baby stuck to him that night. He wasn’t sure about a lot of things regarding Peter but he knew his heart remembered him even if his brain didn’t because he hated seeing the kid in pain or upset like he had been this day. He had already called him into school despite Peter’s protests.
“Dad?” Peter mumbled half awake, “I don’t feel good.”
“I know, Bambino.” Tony hugged him tighter, “Try and sleep.”
“Tell me a story.” Peter told him.
Tony laughed, “Asking the man with memory issues for a story is a bit silly.”
“That one about you and Rhodey at school.” Peter told him.
“Which one?”
“The one where he wrote your paper for you but you got a bad grade because of it.”
“I’m sorry, Roo. It’s not ringing a bell.” Tony just to pull the story to memory but came up with nothing, “Maybe you can tell it to me?”
“One time in school you were sick. You didn’t want to admit it though because you’re stubborn.” Peter started.
“This is how I’d tell the story?” Tony teased.
“You and Rhodey tell it together sometimes. This is his part.”
“Of course it is.”
“Anyhow, you had a paper you had put off because you figured you could write it in a couple of hours and get a good grade. You just couldn’t function though so Uncle Rhodey offered to write it for you. Oh and you normally remind me at this part that cheating is not okay and it was a one time thing.”
“Sounds about right.”
“Anyhow you didn’t get the grade back for weeks and it was your lowest grade in school ever. It was a B by the way. You flipped out and yelled at Uncle Rhodey and then Uncle Rhodey threw the piece of lunch meat in his hand at you instead of putting it on his sandwich. It stuck to your face and suddenly you were both laughing instead of fighting. And Uncle Rhodey said that’s how you solve all major arguments now.”
“That’s a true story?” Tony raised an eyebrow.
“Or you’re both lying about it.” Peter shrugged.
“Okay. Go to sleep, kiddo.”
“Love you.” Peter yawned.
Tony knew he should say it back but he just wasn’t quite there yet.
~
“Dad!” Peter yelled from the living room.
Tony was on a video call with one of the board members, “Sorry. That’s my kid. I’ll be right back.”
He made his way to the living room, “You called?”
“Are you almost done? I miss you.” Peter blinked those big brown eyes at him.
Tony knew he was a goner. The kid had him wrapped around his finger, “I’ll try to hurry.”
“And then can we make hot chocolate?”
“I’ll even bake some cookies.” Tony ruffled the kid’s hair.
“Yes!” Peter grinned.
~
Except Tony rushed out of the office a few minutes later, “Mutant lizard downtown. I’ve got to go.”
“I’ll come too.”
“No. No school, no Spider-Man.” Tony reminded.
“You only know that because of Friday.” Peter whined.
“It’s a good rule. I’ll keep you updated if I can!” Tony yelled as he ran to go suit up.
“This is stupid.” Peter grumbled.
Tony hesitated for only a second this time, “Love you, kid.”
~
Peter watched from the TV. It wasn’t the same as being there but better than waiting for an update. He watched Cap get in a good hit but the lizard just got more angry. He wanted to yell at them GO FOR THE LEGS! No one would hear him anyway.
Peter sat up straighter as Iron Man flew closer to the lizard. He saw it coming before anyone else. The giant lizard’s tail swiped at Iron man making impact. His dad fell to the ground. Peter waited for him to get back up feeling his heart race. He wasn’t moving. Cap moved in picking up Iron Man and yelling orders at the team before leaving them to finish the fight. Peter knew where he was heading. Peter was going to meet them in the MedBay.
It wasn’t long before his dad was being brought in. Peter was grateful for the jet, “What’s going on?”
Steve glanced his way, “The news covered it?”
“Is he okay?”
“He’s been through worse. He’s already awake and grumbling about me taking him out of the fight. You can go see him for yourself.”
Peter could hear Tony talking as he made his way down the hallway.
“Stop touching me! Where is my kid? He’s probably worried sick!”
“I’m here, dad.” Peter walked into the room.
Tony’s face softened, “I’m okay.”
“Yeah.” Peter sat down in the bed next to him, “No magical recovery of your memories though?”
Tony’s gave a subtle shake of his head, “But the way I see it that means we get to make a whole bunch of new memories..”
“Sure.” Peter agreed. What other choice was there? And they were doing well. It was stupid to think that another hit to the head would cure him.
~
Six months later*
“Roo, if you aren’t home in the next five minutes I’m throwing your legos away.” Tony threatened the kid who was not thirty minutes past curfew for Spider-Man.
“Sorry, Dad. I got caught up. Please don’t throw away my legos!” Peter all but whined at the end,
“There is no way I can make it home in five minutes.”
“Ten then.” Tony couldn’t help the smile that his lips formed seemingly of their own accord. He may not have gotten his memories back but that had just given him a chance to learn to love this kid for a second time. He would never take this for granted.
“See you then.” Peter yelled.
“Love you! Swing safe.”
“Love you too!”