Tell me you didn't discover something
The first time that Tony saw Peter passing out, it sent a revolting wave of shock and fear through his soul. Even now, weeks later, thinking back to that time, he couldn't help the rapid increase in his heartbeat. Tony, clad in his iconic Iron Man suit, meticulously fine-tuned intricate circuitry, while Peter, donning his Spider-Man suit, analyzed data and ran simulations with unparalleled focus. Sparks flew as they exchanged ideas, their conversations filled with a blend of scientific jargon and witty banter. Their day unfolded in a harmonious rhythm of collaboration, punctuated by sporadic bursts of laughter and occasional friendly pranks. And all was going well really until Peter wasn't well.
"Pass me the wrench, Pete."
Peter replied and Tony reached back to grab the tool, but instead of receiving it, he heard a resounding thump. He turned around and saw Peter lying on the floor, eyes closed.
"Peter!" shouted Tony, who nearly threw the thruster away from him in his haste to get to the boy.
Tony desperately shouted Peter's name once more, his voice filled with anguish and fear. He ran toward the fallen teenager, feeling the adrenaline pumping through his veins. His knees hit the ground with a thud as he knelt beside him, his heart pounding wildly. With trembling hands, Tony checked Peter's breathing, his fingers desperately searching for any sign of life. He placed his ear inches from the boy's face, closing his eyes in an instant of relief as he felt the soft gusts of air brush against his cheek. A sigh of gratitude escaped Tony's lips as he prepared to help Peter on his road to recovery.
"Peter, please," Tony pleaded, his voice heavy with concern. With a trembling hand, he stroked Peter's unruly curls, gently brushing them away from his face. With the other hand, he placed two fingers gently under the boy's chin, feeling his pulse, rapid but steady. "It's okay, kiddo," Tony murmured, though at the time only to himself, trying to remain calm. He settled himself on the floor, carefully, and placed Peter in his lap, with the boy's head resting on his chest. Still trying to wake him up, Tony continued to whisper words of encouragement, wishing with all his being that Peter would regain consciousness.
Tony was about to slap (as a desperate measure) the boy when Peter's eyes began to open and a few moans escaped him.
Tony stopped abruptly, his hand suspended in the air, about to slap Peter. Before he could react, however, the young man's eyes began to open and he let out a few moans of pain. "Ow," Peter groaned, raising a hand to hold his head. A shiver ran through his body as he touched a sizable knot that had formed at the nape of his neck.
"Welcome back to the world of the living, buddy," Tony joked, trying to ease the tension of the moment. Peter's eyes strayed to his mentor, noting the worried look Tony had failed to hide. Taking a few seconds to take in the situation, Peter tried to decipher the mystery of how he had ended up in his mentor's arms.
A mixture of confusion and gratitude filled Peter's face as he tried to recall the previous events. Tony, for his part, couldn't help but feel a knot in his stomach at the fragility of his young protégé. He knew there was much to discover, but at that moment, the most important thing was to make sure Peter was safe.
I felt sick. My head was spinning and an intense twinge of pain clung to my temple. I tried to open my eyes, but the intense light made me blink and squint again. A groan escaped my lips as a hand rested on my head, trying to ease the discomfort. "Peter?", I heard Tony's concerned voice. I tried to speak, but could only utter a faint whimper. I felt myself being helped to sit up, leaning against my mentor's comforting chest. My mind struggled to remember how I had gotten into this situation. The images were blurry, as if they were fragments of a hazy dream. I tried to piece together the scattered memories, but only managed to feel more confusion. Tony's eyes met mine and I could see the concern reflected in his gaze. I knew I was in good hands, but that didn't lessen my unease. I clung to the hope that I would soon find answers to what was happening to me. For now, I could only rely on Tony and let his support give me strength to face whatever was going on.
"Do you want to tell me how we both ended up down here?" questioned Tony, watching as Peter's eyes roamed the entire lab and then fixed on him again. Confusion and concern flashed across both of their faces.
"I'm still trying to figure that out too, Mr. Stark," Peter replied quietly, his tone lacking the energy he had brought to the lab that afternoon. The uneasy feeling still lingered, preventing me from fully concentrating on the present moment. I tried to recall the previous moments, but it was all a fuzzy blur in my mind. Tony frowned, his expression showing his attempt to decipher what had happened. Together, we searched for clues, any clues that would help us understand how we had ended up in this puzzling situation( Peter's luck, strike again) I looked around, trying to find any clues in the lab, but nothing seemed out of place.
Tony let out a tired sigh before gently sliding the young man off his lap. Peter frowned at the loss of contact, but immediately found himself being lifted into his mentor's arms. Without thinking, he wrapped his arms around Tony's neck. Normally, he would have resisted being carried like a child, but at that moment he only felt comforted in Tony's safe arms.
He closed his eyes and rested his head on the man's shoulder, allowing himself to let go for a moment.
"Friday, turn on the lights," Tony ordered as he entered the infirmary. Peter jolted awake, not realizing he had fallen asleep. He was exhausted, my God.
"I'm fine, Mr. Stark," Peter argued.
"Boy, you don't pass out in my lab and tell me you're fine," Tony retorted.
"Mr. Stark!" groaned Peter, "I didn't pass out."
Tony shot him an unimpressed look. "Sorry, kid. You did faint. I'm sorry for my choice of words. How rude of me. You went down like a sack of potatoes."
Peter pouted. Tony turned away for a few moments before turning back and attempting to call the medical bay.
"I'm not sick, Mr. Stark," Peter said as he looked at his temperature reading.
"Then why did you pass out? Is this from...food? When was the last time you ate anything, kid?" asked Tony, tossing the thermometer on the table and checking the other readings.
"A few hours ago, at lunch," Peter replied.
"And what did you eat?" inquired Tony.
In an awkward silence, Peter averted his eyes in embarrassment as he took a single gulp of water from a bottle. The man sighed deeply, trying to control his frustration.
"I'm not hearing a civilized response here, Peter."
"I... I don't think I've had anything to eat... come to think of it!
"You can't afford to skip meals, Peter. Your body needs energy," Tony reprimanded in a serious voice, though he softened his expression a bit. "I understand that sometimes things get complicated, but you need to take better care of yourself. I don't want you to pass out again."
Peter nodded his head, feeling guilty for worrying his mentor. "I'm sorry, Mr. Stark. It won't happen again."
Tony sighed again and placed a comforting hand on Peter's shoulder. "I don't want to hear excuses, Peter. Just make sure you eat properly and don't skip any more meals, okay?"
Peter nodded with determination. "I promise, Mr. Stark. I won't forget my lunch again."
Tony nodded in satisfaction and stood up. "Good. Now, get some rest and make sure you drink enough fluids. I'll send you some food from the cafeteria so you can get your energy back."
Peter gave his mentor a grateful smile. "Thank you, Mr. Stark. I really appreciate your concern, but I think it's okay...really. I'll have a sandwich at Mr. Delmar's."
Tony smiled back. "Yes, and I'm Miss Universe. You'll eat what I tell you and when I tell you Peter. I think when I signed on to be your guardian it included something about -keeping the boy alive- . You are important to me, Peter. I don't want you to lack for anything, least of all food, for God's sake. Now, get some rest and get well."
"But Mr. Stark."
"Eh- Shhh! . Don't think you've been spared this and this conversation about why you're not eating at school."
"Mr. Stark, it's really not important."
"This isn't just about forgetting lunch, Peter! ", Tony replied in a serious tone, as he held a hand to his face. This kid was going to have him sporting a lot of gray hair before the year was out. "It's about taking care of yourself, being attentive to your needs. You are valuable to me, and you must always remember that."
Peter nodded, feeling the warm comforting touch of Tony's fingers on his head. "I understand, Mr. Stark. I appreciate your concern and I promise to take better care of myself, it's just...well sometimes I forget to eat."
Tony gave him an intense look, with a mixture of concern and affection in his eyes. "Friday, start a reminder program through Peter's watch with hypoglycemic monitoring and daily meal reminders.".
"But Mr. stark!!!"
"No! Peter, what is it? What is it? I really don't understand!"
Peter felt between a rock and a hard place.
"It's... it's about money?"
"Mr. Stark! ..."
"Is, is that it?"
For God's sake. He couldn't even have the child with guaranteed food.
Mentoring with Peter -1, Peter's Hunger +1.Peter's Welfare -1000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000.
"Boy...is it about the money? Be honest with me please."
"Just... we don't want to, I don't want to be a burden. But... just sometimes and I swear we have difficulties with May. But I work and .. sometimes I get paid tips like Spiderman , you know, cats and old people. That. That helps me pay for food and utilities."
Can someone explain to Tony the FUCKIN stark , what he just heard?
"You're telling me... you don't have food? FUCK PETER! I'm a millionaire for a reason and I swear to God May is going to listen to every millimeter of this."
Peter determined to sit down in the face of a dizzy and -suddenly- dizzy.
"I'm so sorry Mr. stark."
"I'm sorry? Friday, ensure minimum 20 meals a day for Peter at school all paid for, please."
Peter jumped off the couch, hey, he couldn't be that abusive to Mr stark. Although technically he hadn't asked for anything.
"MR. STARK, CONTROL YOURSELF!"
"Never mind that. I'm going to take full charge of your lunch bill," Tony noticed Peter preparing to argue, "No! There's no room for argument. Any objections you had have been overruled after you passed out."
"But, no no no no Mr. Stark. No need. Control your wallet. Friday, please."
"Control myself , Peter? You, control yourself, boy."
"I... I just... I feel sorry for you. I don't know what to say."
"Nothing, you just don't have anything to say. You're my holy kiddo, you're my intern, my ..., my mentorship, my ssss-, hey. This don't even discuss."
The young man nodded gratefully. "Thank you, Mr. Stark."
Tony smiled slightly and gently stroked Peter's cheek. " Now, get some rest and get well. I'll be here if you need anything."
With those comforting words, Tony rose from the couch and walked away, leaving Peter with a sense of security and support. He knew that, with Tony by his side, they would get through any challenge together.
"That's right - isn't it nice when everyone follows my instructions and we do things my way?"
"Um..."
"Don't start a sentence you don't want to finish, kid."