Treacherous
Tony Stark had experienced betrayal numerous times throughout his life, to the point where he no longer keeps track. However, this specific act of treachery has struck him with a unique intensity, akin to a knife twisting in his heart. He is uncertain about the source of his pain—perhaps it is the fact that a mere child has betrayed him, or maybe it is the seamless execution of the betrayal that has left his ego wounded for not recognizing it sooner.
"Override system," the man says, his voice dismissive.
"Override declined."
"Override code: 1564892p.a.s," Tony says, his patience growing thin.
"Override accepted." FRIDAY answers back, "Would you like me to connect to Karen?"
Tony's brows clash, "Karen? Who's that?"
"It seems that Mr. Parker had named the Spider-suit's system, Karen."
And for a split moment, Tony almost smiles, "Right, Karen--like the wife of that one eyed character from Spongebob." he mumbles to himself.
"I don't know if that was the reason why Mr. Parker had named his AI, Karen. Should I ask him, boss?"
Tony shakes his head and replies, "Don't bother," he says, "Just connect me to Karen."
"Pleasant day, Mr. Stark," a woman's voice rang out after a minute, completely different from FRIDAY's.
Peter's suit data started displaying in front of the Avenger as soon as FRIDAY was connected with Karen. Tony lets out a sigh of relief, feeling a bit reassured as he checks Peter's stats on the screen--his heart rate's a little bit elevated but other than that, the kid's doing good.
"Karen, patch me through the kid." the man says.
Tony wants to yell at the kid and tell him the hundred one reasons why he shouldn't have done what he did and even though Tony was feeling hurt and mad about what happened, he knows that yelling isn't the answer. He'd been there—his dad would always shout and even hit him when he was a kid, not even giving him a chance to explain himself. So when Peter--his son Peter was born, he made it a point to never do the same thing to his child. He was determined to make sure that his child would never experience the same feeling of insignificance that he had in his own youth--like his voice didn't matter. Though, his Peter never really got into the age of rebelling, he'd been pretty prepared nonetheless. And well, who would've guessed that he'll be hashing all those lessons to a web slinging spider instead?
"Mr. Parker," he calls, trying to sound calm but he sounded strained instead, "Got a sec?" he asks as he clears his voice.
"Uh," Peter stalls that got Tony raising his brows in suspicion, "I'm actually at school." the kid says, rather quickly.
Tony nods as he looks at the data in front of him, "Location: Staten Island Ferry." he reads.
And the kid still have the nerve to lie to me, huh? Tony thought.
The billionaire breathes, trying hard not to bust the kid in a snap, "Nice work in DC," the man compliments, because truth be told, even though he's mad at the kid, he knows that he needs to give compliment where compliment is due. "My dad never really gave me a lot of support..." the man almost mumbles. "...and I'm trying to break the cycle of shame."
"Uh, I'm kind of in the middle of something," the kid says, cutting Tony off.
Breathe. Don't be like Howard. Don't be like Howard.
"Don't cut me off when I'm complimenting you." he says, his patience growing thin, "Anyway, great things are about to--" But before he can finish, a loud horn blares, and of course, the man new it was from the ferry. Still, he's holding out hope that the kid will finally be honest with him. Come on kid, don't let me down now. Just tell me the truth. "What is that?" Tony asks, giving the kid another opportunity to come clean.
"Uh, I'm at band practice," the kid lies, again.
At that, Tony closes his eyes, trying to keep his composure, "That's odd," he sighs, disappointment slowly lacing in the tone of his voice, "Happy told me you quit band six weeks ago. What's up?" he asks.
Come on, kid... just tell me the truth, please.
Tony saw when the kid realized he fucked up because the next thing he knew, Peter had hang up on him, "I gotta go. Uh, end call."
"Hey--" Tony tries to retort.
"The call is disconnected." Karen informs him.
This kid better be joking. No one hangs up on Tony freaking Stark.
"Call him again," Tony says to Karen, "FRI, what's the status on the FBI thing I told you about?" he asks as he gets his hands busy, typing into his computer and browsing through the news.
"The FBI is already deployed at the Staten Island Ferry as of the moment. They're tailing some key persons that are tied to the production of the alien techs Peter had told you about."
"Very good dear," Tony says as he tries to dig through the news and even Twitter just to see what he's dealing with.
"The FBI is currently pointing guns at Peter, Mr. Stark," Karen's voice rang out.
"What?!" Tony shouts, "FRI, get those men to back the fuck up!"
"You don't have any authorization for that order, boss,"
"Fuck," Tony curses, "Get me a suit, FRIDAY."
"Put the kid's data on the side of my screen," Tony says as he flies out of the Avenger's compound. "How long will this flight take?"
"25 mins, boss."
"That's too long. Give me more juice, FRI," Tony says as he pushes his suit to the limit just so he could get to the kid in record time.
Tony had a reputation for being reckless and self-absorbed, or at least that's what Steve constantly reminded him during their post-mission debriefs. Steve would often scold him for charging into battle without a strategy. But if you asked Tony, he'd argue that he did have a plan—just one that revolved around going in guns blazing and attacking without a second thought.
But over the years spent alongside the Avengers, Tony picked up a few lessons from Steve about how to strategize. And right now, he really hopes Steve is feeling proud of him for being a bit more cautious and actually approaching the kid with a solid plan instead of just diving in headfirst. What plan, you ask? Basically, Tony's plan is to repeat all of Steve's words and wisdom to the kid and prays that the kid would be able to pick up one or two things from the captain's wisdom. Because this? A fourteen year old going to a battle alone? For sure, the kid didn't think things through.
Now, the billionaire understands Steve's frustration with reckless and self absorbed people like him, because he's seeing himself in Peter and it's not a good look. So Tony wonders if Steve had been a saint for putting up with him all those years because Tony is already raising the white flag in surrender after all these stressful things Peter is putting him through in just a span of months.
"Karen, what's happening there?" he asks as he notes that the kid's heart rate started spiking up.
"A guy in wings had showed up Mr. Stark," Karen answers back.
"A guy with wings?" and the man remembers now, it's the same guy that Peter had told him about. "FRIDAY, what happened to your homework about that flying guy?" the man asks because of course, even though Tony had been busy, he made sure to look into it, though he didn't find anything.
"I still haven't gotten any major leads about it, boss."
"Report to me as soon as you get any leads about it, capiche?"
"Capiche," FRIDAY answers in affirmative.
Peter was right, the guy with the wings was the source of the weapon that's why Tony took a note of that and ordered FRIDAY to find out who's the guy under those techs. And when their search had been unfruitful, the man decided to hand the matter to the FBI. Well, it seems that the FBI did a better job than him because they're there in the ferry with the Spider-kid busting out that flying vulture guy and Tony's here, having a stressed induced heart attack.
They were nearing New York when his HUD started flashing red. At the corner of his eyes, he can see Peter's vitals fluctuating--an injury to his shoulder, and arms then to his chest, among other things.
"What the fuck is happening with the kid, Karen?!" he asks, his heart on his throat.
"The ferry had split in half and Peter's barely holding it together."
Tony's head started pounding, his own blood pressure skyrocketing, "What do you mean holding it together? Because I sure hope it's not what I'm imagining." he says, "FRIDAY, deploy repulsor engines. You know what to do."
"Detecting multiple muscle strains, left elbow--"
"Mute Karen," Tony immediately says before the AI could even finish listing all of Peter's injuries because he doesn't need the additional stress or he might truly keel over. My heart's not cut out for this kind of stress anymore, kid.
"Multiple repulsor engines has successfully attached on the ferry."
"Good girl, FRI." the man beams.
And finally after the long flight from the Avengers compound, Tony finally spots Peter. And there, the kid was truly holding the ferry together, with his freaking body--Tony doesn't even know if the idea's brilliant or just plain stupid.
The man didn't waste anymore second as he flew on the side of the ferry and started pushing, finally removing the strain from the kid's body as the billionaire and his techs came to the rescue. "Hi, Spider-Man," Tony greets sarcastically as soon as he make eye contact with the kid, "Band practice, was it?" he asks.
Tony can't see the kid's reaction but he's sure that the kid was surprised--as he should be.
"FRI, scan the ferry for any casualties or injuries." Tony says as he flies, scanning the ferry so that he'll be able to plot out a plan to fix this.
"Zero casualty, one injured."
"I'm guessing it's the Spider-kid, huh?" Tony asks, almost shaking his head in disbelief.
"Correct, boss," FRIDAY answers back dutifully.
Tony nods at that, "Get an ambulance on standby, make sure it's from the MedBay."
After plotting a plan and making sure that Peter was finally out of harms way and not being torn into two, Tony started working. He started welding all the broken parts of the ferry, making sure not to miss any spot.
"Uh, Mr. Stark," someone had called. Tony turns towards the voice and sees Peter. Whoops, almost forgot that the little spider's still here. "Hey, Mr. Stark, could I do anything?" Peter asks, swinging and following Tony like a duckling.
Tony was livid and he's not sure if he could maintain his composure as of the moment if he speaks with Peter so he tries his best to ignore the kid--he's angry and he might say something he might regret. Tony doesn't want that so for now, space.
"What do you want me to do?" the kid asks again.
With that, Tony finally turns towards the kid and said with finality, "I think you've done enough."
--
Well, maybe overreacting was the best course of action and Tony should've gone with his gut intuition... maybe, if he did, they wouldn't be here.
"Previously on Peter screws the pooch..." Tony starts, turning his anger into sarcasm. He already had plenty of time to deescalate his emotions. And what's repeating in his head right now was--don't be like Howard--and he'll make sure to do just that. "I told you to stay away from this. Instead, you hacked a multimillion dollar suit so you could sneak around behind my back doing the one thing I told you not to do."
Tony couldn't read the kid since he was facing away from him but he figured it was probably for the best. If he caught a glimpse of Peter's eyes, he might give in. The kid's eyes looks like Puss in boots from Shrek and once he sees that, he knew he wouldn't be able to lecture the kid as much.
"Is everyone okay?" the kid asks, his voice small.
"No, thanks to you." Tony says dismissively.
That got Peter's attention as the kid finally turns towards him. And--uh oh, the kid's angry.
"No, thanks to me?" Peter parrots back as he takes his mask from the ledge and turns towards the billionaire, "Those weapons were out there and I tried to tell you about it but you didn't listen." the kid was surely angry, his eyes shooting lasers at Tony's direction and his voice trembling. And the billionaire couldn't even imagine this happy-go-lucky kid be angry, but here they are, "None of this would've happened if you had just listened to me." Peter scoffs as he walks closer to Tony, "If you even cared, you'd actually be here."
Tony's lips pursed as he stares at the kid because how dare he accuse him that he doesn't care. Because the truth is, he does, he does care--even too much.
"Fri, get me out of this thing," Tony commands, stepping out of the suit. "I did listen, kid," he says, immediately locking eyes with Peter as soon as he was face to face with the kid. "Who do you think called the FBI, huh?" he questions, moving closer as Peter instinctively backs away. The kid looked terrified, like a deer caught in headlights, and Tony could see the fear creeping into his eyes. "I believed in you, just like Natasha did," he continues, staring right at Peter because he wasn't going to back down after that accusation. "I was frustrated when she brought you on board, but I recognized your potential... that even if you are just a fourteen year old kid--"
"I'm fifteen,"
Peter should've kept quiet because that comment really sets Tony off, the repressed anger finally exploding on his chest, "Now, this is where you zip it!" he shouts, his voice loud. But he quickly reins it in to avoid fully yelling at the kid. "Alright? The adult is talking," he says, his heart racing from the tension, but he tries to keep his tone steady--calmer, less angrier. "What if somebody had died tonight, huh?" he presses, "Different story right? Cause that's on you." He jabs a finger at Peter's chest to emphasize his point. In the few months that the Avenger had known Peter, he knows the kid's already dealing with a lot, and Tony had seen the massive guilt complex the kid has from a mile away. That's why the man knows that kid will take a civilian's death really hard and today's confrontation almost made that a reality. Tony understands the pain of losing someone you didn't even know and not being able to save them, and he never wants Peter to experience that. Taking a deep breath, he locks eyes with the kid again, "And if you died, I feel like that's on me," he concludes with a sigh.
Tony had already taken full responsibility of the kid ever since he dropped Peter off at his apartment with the suit. And when the billionaire took that responsibility from Natasha, he had swear to keep the kid safe even from far away. The billionaire had already tons of kid's bloods in his hand and he wouldn't be able to take it anymore if another kid adds on that list.
"I don't need that on my conscience." Tony truthfully says.
"Yes sir, I understand," Peter says, finally realizing how bad he fucked up. "I'm sorry," he almost whispers, regretting everything that he had said to Tony.
Tony smiles sadly at that, "Sorry doesn't cut it." he says--because it truly doesn't. He remembers apologizing to Charlie Spencer's mother and though he truly meant what he said, he couldn't shake off the look that the woman had given him. It was full of regret, pain, anger and mourning and Tony doesn't want Peter to see those same eyes sending daggers at him. Peter's just a kid, he doesn't need the debilitating guilt and regret to constantly gnaw at his heart.
"I understand," Peter almost pleads, his voice trembling, "I--I just wanted to be like you."
Tony almost falters at the kid's words because not in a million years had he wished for someone to look up to him. He's a failure--does Peter not see that?
Tony's breath hitches as he looks away from the trusting eyes of the kid because he remembers something from the bottom of his heart--that look of certain trust. He had only seen that once and he never wants to see it again because the last person who looked at him like that died. All the people who trusts Tony Stark always dies and he doesn't want that to happen to this kid too.
"And I wanted you to be better." he says. It was cold and manipulative--Tony knows that because it was a classic Howard Stark script. He had heard the same words time and time again when he was a kid.
And Tony wanted to take his words back but he couldn't because he knows that even though his words were cold, he knew that it's the truth. He doesn't want anyone to be like him--a failure, a coward... he wants people to be better than him.
Peter looks away, not able to stomach the look of disappointment Tony was giving him.
And after everything that had happened, Tony realized it was time to put an end to this. The kid had willingly walked into his death trap two times already and each time, Tony had come perilously close to not being able to save him and that has to stop, now.
Tony breathes as he looks away, "Okay, it's not working out," he says, "I'm gonna need the suit back."
"For how long?" Peter immediately says, the kid's eyes quivering.
"Forever," the billionaire says with finality.
Peter's eyes started to water as he looks at his idol, "No, no, no, please, please," he begs.
"Yeah, that's how it works," Tony says, "Let's have it."
"Please, you don't understand," the kid begs, "This is all I have... I'm nothing without this suit."
Tony's heart jumps at the kid's confession as it echoes the very words he once heard in his own mind many years ago, back when he first embraced his role as Iron Man.
Tony held his wrist in an attempt to ground himself and not spiral, "If you're nothing without this suit," he breathes, "Then you shouldn't have it, okay?" he asks.
Over the years as Iron Man, Tony Stark learned this very important lesson that he hopes the young kid will also grasp: Iron Man is just a part of who Tony is; it doesn't define him entirely. The same applies to Peter—Tony has caught a glimpse of the real person behind the mask, and he knows that Peter has so much more to offer than just being Spider-Man. And it truly pains Tony to see Peter leaning so heavily on his superhero persona as his sole identity. Because what captivated Tony about Peter wasn't just Spider-Man; it was the kid's passion for science, his brilliance, and his genuine desire to make a good difference in the world. Tony wishes Peter could recognize that side of himself, because to him, it shines through so clearly.
Peter looks down, sighing, "I don't have any other clothes," the kid says, realizing that Tony was serious.
Tony shrugs as he nods at the kid, "Okay, we'll sort that out."
--
"Boss, the ambulance is still waiting at the port, waiting for your further instructions," FRIDAY's voice rings out.
Tony sighs as he watches the kid walk inside his apartment, his shoulders hunched and his feet dragging, "Tell them that everything's okay now and it's just a false alarm." he says.
Tony closes the window of his car as he looks at the paper bag on the passenger's seat where the kid's suit is. The man couldn't get rid of Peter's face when he had given him the clothes that he bought in one of the souvenir shops near the kid's apartment. The kid wasn't able to buy his own clothes since he was still wearing the suit so it was Tony who went inside the shop and grabbed whatever shirt and pants he could get his hands on.
"Karen, injury report."
"Injury report: Grade 2 muscle strains and pulled chest muscle, subluxation on the left elbow and minor bruising on his palms."
Tony closes his eyes at that, "FRIDAY, dispatch the ambulance again and keep them on standby in front of the kid's apartment. Whoever calls emergency hotline for the Parkers, make sure our ambulance will be the first one to intervene,"
"Noted boss."
Tony sighs, feeling guilty more than ever. He should've treated the kid's injuries first before he screamed his lungs out and gave him a piece of his mind.
"Karen, how was the kid after the fight... uhh, is there anything more I should be worried about?" the man asks, pinching his nose.
"Some of his muscles were already healing while you were shopping for his clothes. I don't believe there is anything more that you should be worried about."
Tony nods, feeling a bit reassured, "FRI, also dispatch one of our surveillance cameras near this apartment. I--we need to make sure that the kid's doing well."
"On it boss."
–
Peter had never felt so lost. All the past few days had been a dream--he got into the September Foundation, THE Natasha Romanoff had seek him to ask for help, Tony Stark finally noticing him and he was finally doing the thing that he was supposed to do: saving people, fighting for the greater good. And people always say that the higher you climb, the harder you fall but they didn't say how much it was going to hurt.
It was one thing to be disappointed at something, but to be disappointed in yourself and have no one else to blame? Yeah, it's the most despicable thing.
Peter stares at the door of their apartment, contemplating whether or not he should go in. He wanted to not come back because he knows May will be disappointed in him too and he can't bear to see another dismayed eyes looking back at him. But in his selfish heart, he wants nothing else but to feel his aunt's hug and to hear her comforting words.
The kid sighs as he finally finds the courage to knock. Not later than a second, the door opens revealing May's worried eyes--worried not disappointed.
"Hey," Peter greets, his voice small.
May just breathes heavily as she walks inside the apartment, "I've been calling you all day," the woman starts, "You didn't answer your phone." the woman breathes heavily yet again, trying to stave off the anxiety that was about to explode in her chest, "You can't do that." she added.
Peter can't even look at May, not wanting to see his aunt's worried face.
"Then this ferry thing happens... I've called five police stations, five." she emphasizes, her voice trembling. The woman had been a bundle of nerves ever since the school informed her that Peter had skipped classes, but her anxiety deepened when she realized Peter wasn't picking up his phone. May's imagination started running wild for hours—visions of Peter bleeding in an alley, having a heart attack on his way home, or lying in an emergency room... it felt like an unending film looping in her mind. "I called five of your friends. I called Ned's mother--"
"I'm fine." Peter says, trying to make his aunt see that he was standing in front of her, in one piece. "May, I'm okay," he repeats but May couldn't hear him, she was still lost in the trouble of her own mind, "Honestly, just relax. I'm fine."
May huffs as she finally turns and stares at Peter's eyes, "Cut the bullshit," she says sharply, "I know you left detention. I know you left the hotel room in Washington. I know you sneak out of this house every night. That's not fine." And despite everything that Peter did, May understands. Peter isn't a rebellious child—Peter has always followed the rules. And the only reason why she hasn't confronted him for the past few days is because she recognizes the pain he's going through. She knows Peter is facing challenges that are beyond what most kids like him experience. So, she allows him to cope with his grief in his own way, but she won't hesitate to step in if he puts himself at risk.
Peter's heart was hammering hard against his chest and he doesn't even know if it's because of this confrontation or his heart's just getting messed up again.
May tries to catch her kid's eyes but he's not even looking at her. Peter was looking down and she can clearly see how troubled the teen was, "Peter, you have to tell me what's going on. Just lay it out," she almost pleads, wanting nothing more but to lift the heavy burdens that's weighing him down, "It's just me and you,"
With that, Peter finally had the courage to look into his aunt's eyes as he sighs, "I lost the Stark internship," he says, almost whispering.
"What?" May asked in surprise.
"Yeah," Peter nods as tears started to well in his eyes.
May sees Peter's tears so she sighs, backtracking, "What happened?" she asks calmly. It wasn't accusing, she just wanted to know what happened or how she can help.
"I just thought that I could work really hard and he could--he would--you know," Peter stammers as he collapses on the seat, his legs giving out, "But I screwed it up."
May purses her lips as she comes closer to the kid, wanting nothing more but to comfort him. Even though she's angry at the teen for sneaking behind her back and rebelling, she knew the moment when Peter had raised the white flag and surrendered from his own thoughts and actions, "It's okay, it's okay," she says, putting her hand on top of the kid's head and rubbing his back with the other.
"I'm sorry I made you worry," Peter whispers.
May sighs, all the fear in her heart slowly dissipating, basking in the presence of her kid and knowing that he's alright. "I'm not trying to ruin your life." May says.
Peter nods, finding comfort as he leans his head on his aunt's stomach, "Yeah, I know," he answers back.
"Just, I used to sneak out too," May mumbles, wanting Peter to know that she understands him.
"Yeah," Peter nods, his heart getting a little less heavy.
They stayed like that for a moment, just lolling in each other's presence.
After a beat, May leans into Peter's head, "And take a shower. You smell," it was supposed to be a joke, to make the situation lighter but she realizes that her kid truly needs a shower. Nevertheless, May continues to pet the kid's hair, tousling it, "You smell like garbage," she adds.
Peter almost smiles at that as he nods, "I know."
--
After May had scolded Peter that afternoon, the kid had cooped up in his room and stayed there for the remainder of the day. May didn't think too much of it because she knows that Peter needs to process his emotions on his own.
May knows that Peter is disappointed. The kid had been working hard for years now just to get into that internship. He had spent his summers making techs in order to put on his portfolio. But no matter how groundbreaking Peter's techs were, he was never enough for the discriminating eyes of Stark Industries' HR personnel--he was too young they said.
That's why she had been beyond proud when Natasha Romanoff came knocking on their apartment door, bearing the good news of the September Foundation. She had been excited and she knew Peter was too. It was going really well and she hasn't seen Peter that happy for a long time.
But today, that all came crashing down when she saw her nephew, downcast and his eyes full of tears. And though she was beyond livid that the kid had skipped his classes and went missing for hours, she understood. Peter had been waiting to get accepted in the Stark Internship and he had already got it in the bag, only for it to disappear in the blink of an eye.
She wanted to pry. She wanted to ask what happened, she wanted to ask where he'd been but Peter didn't answer so she left it at that. May knows Peter well and the kid never liked questions so she didn't press. Instead, she did what she always does, comfort her kid.
"Yes, that's all for tonight," she says as she balances her phone on her shoulder, being sandwiched by her ears since her two hands were busy taking the baked chicken breasts out of the oven. "Okay, thank you." she says as she puts the tray on top of the counter then taking the phone away from her ears and putting it down too.
"Peter," she calls, "I just got us some pasta from the Italian restaurant down the street. I told them that you'll pick it up." May plates the baked chicken breast and carries it to the dining table. "I still have to make your smoothie," the woman says, licking some of the leftover olive oil from her fingertips.
Peter has always had a strict diet ever since he was young and May had learned all about it when the kid was placed under their care. And ever since then, May has tried to learn how to cook so that she'll be able to meet Peter's strict diets. However, she was never really gifted at it, that's why they rely on the delis around Queens to feed Peter. The only thing that she truly mastered to cook is the baked chicken breast that she learned from Ben.
May looked up when she was met by silence.
"Peter?" she calls as she looks at the kid's bedroom, "Honey, are you sleeping?" she asks as she puts down the fork on the table and dries her hands on her shirt. "Peter?" she calls again as she walks to the kid's bedroom.
May knocks twice and when she's met with silence, the woman opens the door.
"Peter?" she calls again.
Peter was sleeping on his bed and even from far away she knew that the kid wasn't doing great, there was a sheen of sweat on his forehead, his brows scrunched up like he's in pain.
"Honey, are you okay?" she asks as she quickly walks towards Peter's bed and sits on it, looking at the boy's frame.
Peter was sick.
May's been an expert at telling whether Peter was sick or not because it never ends well. "Peter, honey," she calls, rousing the child.
"May?" Peter asks, his voice sounds like and probably feels like sandpaper.
"Are you okay?" she asks as she places the back of her hand against Peter's forehead and easily noting the kid's temperature, "You're burning up, kiddo." she says, trying to stay calm.
"Hmm," Peter hums back, not having the energy to talk.
May's heart started beating fast as she panics, "Just hang in there, honey." she says as she quickly grabs Peter's medicine box from the cabinet and quickly takes the pulse oximeter from it and puts it on Peter's index finger.
May never do well when Peter is sick. Sure, she's a nurse and it requires someone to be level headed in order to deal with patients, however, it's different when it comes to Peter. He's her child after all and all rationality in her head just goes out the window seeing him sick and in pain.
She's always been the one in charge of calling the hospital, filling up forms and the like. She was never the one to make the decisions of whether or not it was time to take the kid to the hospital or to decide whether or not the kid will get a temporary or permanent pacemaker. She was never that because her emotions always take over her mind and body. She was not the calm--that was Ben... and now, Ben's gone. It's only her--it's only May whom Peter can depend on.
"Honey," May calls softly, "Can you open your eyes for me?" she asks as she eyes the pulse oximeter, sighing softly as she sees the kid's number on a somewhat normal range.
"Hmm," Peter hummed as he did what his aunt had asked him and opened his eyes.
"What are you feeling, hun?" she asks, "You feel hot and sound bad. Are you having a hard time breathing? Is your chest hurting?"
Peter just groans as he shakes his head, "No," he says, "I just feel really bad but my heart's good. Don't worry,"
May smiles sadly at that because even when Peter is sick, he still makes sure that she's okay and not worrying too much.
I'm okay, May. Don't worry.
My heart's not beating that fast anymore, May. I'm okay.
Heart's calming down, May. You should too.
Peter always reassures May whenever he's sick and though the woman tries to stay calm, she still couldn't, not until the doctor says that Peter's going to be okay. And sometimes, even after the doctors say that everything's going to be okay, there's still this part in her heart that worries. It's as if her heart's about to beat out of her chest whenever Peter's heart takes an unwanted somersault.
You see, Peter is her chance of being a mom--a luxury that she wasn't able to afford. May struggles with infertility and though she and Ben had wanted a child, they weren't given that gift. But come Peter, with a heart so big he can barely fit it in his body. So everything be damned but she will make sure that her kid will stay by her side till her last breath. No one can take her child out of her clutches, not even death itself.
"Are you sure?" she asks, "I heard you cough after you showered. I shouldn't have ignored that. I'm sorry, honey."
"I'm okay," Peter groans, "Just the flu." the kid says as he turns towards May, opening his hand. May smiles at that as she takes it, gripping it tightly, "No need to worry. I'm fine."
"Yeah?" May asks, "Guess we'll only have baked chicken for tonight then." she says, clearing her throat.
In the end, May had asked the deli to deliver the pasta at their apartment, the service fee was worth it as long as Peter got to eat half of his food. And now, here they are, cooped in Peter's small bedroom.
Peter had told May that he was fine and that it was okay for her to sleep in her own room but May obliged. She knows she won't be able to sleep peacefully anyway, knowing that her kid was sick.
It was 2:00AM when it happened.
Peter woke up coughing. It felt like there was a huge elephant sitting on top of his chest. It was a familiar feeling but it still doesn't make it easier.
Peter groans as he tries to sit up, wanting to elevate the crushing feeling on his chest. He knew he needed his medicine so he tried to take one from the medicine box that was on top of his end table but instead of taking it, he managed to knock everything off the table, waking May up in the process.
The kid groans in annoyance, small tears forming in his eyes, "I'm fine," Peter tries to say but all that came out was an unintelligible groan.
"Peter?" May asks as she quickly sits up, looking at the mess beside her. "Are you okay?" she asks as she quickly stands up and rushes to Peter's side.
"It's okay," Peter reassures as he tries to smile a little, "I'm... I just need my medicine." he says, out of breath, "Sorry for the mess."
"Is it your heart?" she asks as she quickly scans the mess to find the tablet and in just a few moment she finally sees it but in that second, Peter's breathing starts to get more and more labored. "Here," she says as she grabs the water bottle from the end table and gives both to the kid.
After downing it, Peter's eyes scrunched in pain as he felt a flare of pain on his chest, the crushing feeling still there.
"Do we--do you need the hospital?" May asks in panic, "I--I... should we call an ambulance? Or can you still make it and we'll take the cab?"
Peter notes that May was panicking and he is too but he tries not to show it. This was his first time having an attack after Ben's death so he knows that May was probably cursing herself right now and having an internal battle of what she should and shouldn't do.
"I'm okay," Peter says as he breathes deeper, "Just, can I... can--maybe I--I should probably take the oxygen right now." he says, trying his best to level his breathing but it was getting hard to do that.
May nods at that as she quickly leaps to her feet, "That's right," she says, "Ben always takes the oxygen whenever you have an attack." she mumbles to herself as she drags the oxygen tank next to Peter and hands the mask to the kid, "Here," she says.
Peter took it gratefully as he basked in the sweet air.
"I--we really should go to the hospital now, right?" she asks, "I'll get my phone."
Peter quickly held her hand before she could go, "I'm okay," he says, "I'm okay. We don't need the hospital."
"Peter--"
"It's fine," he says, "I'm... I just need a minute."
"You don't need a minute, Peter! We need to get you to the ER."
Peter closes his eyes, not wanting to see his aunt's nervous face, "I'm fine," he says, clenching his jaw as he tries to wait for the pain to subside even a little.
Of course, May saw that and it pains her to see Peter this way. "No, I'll call an ambulance." she says and tries to get up.
"We can't afford it anymore, okay?!" Peter shouts, closing his eyes in the process as he feels another pang of pain on his chest, "I--I'm okay, May, please. We..." Peter breathes as he looks at May with tears in his eyes, "We don't have the money to call for an ambulance." he says, "I don't want you to slave over your work just to meet my needs. I'm fine, I can still tolerate the pain, okay? I'm fine."
Peter didn't want to go to the hospital, not only because he knows they can't afford it anymore since they're a one income family now but also because he can't risk people finding out about his powers. He had barely managed to let his secret slip from Dr. Liv so he couldn't risk going to the hospital and worrying about all those nurses and doctors knowing about his enhancements too.
Besides, May had been working overtime already just to pay back the loan she had when Peter got his ECG. She won't be able to cover Peter's ambulance and ER fees if they go now.
"You're not okay, Peter!" May shouted back, "You're--you might be having a heart attack and we won't even know." she says as she pries his hands from hers and quickly stands up to go to the living room but before she could, Peter almost throws himself towards May as he holds on to the woman's legs.
"May, please, please," he begs, tears now streaming down his face, "I--please, we can't." he says, "I'm fine, please, I'm fine." he says as he coughs, losing his tight grip on the woman's legs.
"Peter," May cries too, feeling helpless.
"I'm fine, please." Peter begs, "I'm okay. I'll–I'm–" the kid wasn't able to finish what he was about to say when he started coughing hard.
May quickly nods as she helps Peter back into his bed, "Okay, okay, honey," she surrenders as she takes the oxygen mask and puts it on Peter's face, "Okay, okay," she says again, "We're not going anywhere. We're not, so you need to calm down, okay?"
Peter nods as he takes the oxygen mask and holds it on his face, his hand never letting go of his aunt's hand on top of the mask, "No hospitals," he says, wanting to make a point.
May nods, tears streaming down his face, "Okay, honey," she says, sniffling, "No hospitals," she repeats, "You just need to calm down, okay? You'll be fine."
"Don't go anywhere,"
"I'm not."