(Post-Tragedy) - Keep Holding Me Tightly
Peter sat on the couch, watching as Tony made pancakes in the kitchen. It had been a week since they had drug him from the lake, and Peter didn’t know how to handle himself. He knew Hammer was dead, knew that he was safe now. Tony had spent hours in the lab, and he had assured Peter over and over that he was safe now.
Natasha, Sam, and Clint were sitting in the living area with him, arguing about what they wanted to watch as Peter sipped on the juice Tony had brought him. He pulled the blanket tighter around his body. He had been cold since he fell into the damned pond. A chill in his bones that he didn’t know how to get out.
“Alright - breakfast is served!” Tony cried.
“Stark - it’s ten o’clock at night.” Natasha said over her shoulder, before grabbing the remote and twisting it from Clint’s hand. He cried out indignantly but didn’t fight back.
“Yes - and this is breakfast food! Therefore - breakfast is served. Let’s go!” Peter went to grab his cane, but Tony held up a hand. “Ah-ah, breakfast is coming to you.” He said as he grabbed two plates and sat right next to Peter. “Here you go!” Tony handed peter the plate as he sat down on the couch. Peter thanked him and began to dig in.
He heard bickering about the movie, but eventually sound came from the television. Peter finished his dinner, setting the plate on the ground as he stretched his bad leg out over Tony’s legs.
“Oh, am I just a foot-stool, now?” Tony jabbed, but the only movement he made was pulling the blanket over Peter’s leg.
“Mm-hmm.” The kid murmered, and Tony knew that Peter would be sound asleep as soon as the movie started. The kid hadn’t been sleeping well - he was constantly woken up with nightmares, and Tony hated to see it. The bags under Peter’s eyes were just getting worse and worse. The kid had been meeting with Sam, but it wasn’t helping him much. He seemed to be withdrawing more and more, and Tony didn’t know what to do about it.
Peter was sound asleep within ten minutes of the movie, soft snores coming from his mouth. Tony rested his hand on the kids knee and tried to tune out his worries.
-
Peter was running - but his leg screamed at him in pain. He could hear Hammer yelling his name over and over again. He was running through the woods. Gunshots and yells echoing around him.
It was so cold - he wanted to cry.
“Please -” He huffed, his breathe leached from his body.
He came to a fork in the road.
“You’ll never escape me, Peter!” Hammer screamed from behind him - his voice manic.
Peter took the road to the right, basically hopping as he tried to favor his bad leg. It was so dark - the moon hidden by the trees - that he couldn’t see the cliff before it was too late. At the last
second he screamed, turning his body to find Hammer at the ledge. Peter’s hands wrapped into the man’s suit jacket as the two of them fell over the edge of the cliff.
-
He jerked awake screaming - his hands flying for purchase to keep him from falling into the ground below.
“No -no!” He cried as he sat up, almost slamming his forehead into Tony’s.
“Hey - Peter- Peter - you’re at the compound. You’re safe.” Mr. Stark’s voice hit him like a truck as he wept. Peter folding himself forward, ignoring his pounding head as the man wrapped his
arms tightly around his body.
“I can’t- I can’t stop - I keep seeing his face - falling - I don’t know what - Tony! I can’t breathe!” He cried, his voice frantic. “I need to breathe again - I need to - I can’t!” He cut off his cries with a cough as he continued to shake in the man’s arm.
“I know - I know, but you will be able to. You’ll get better, the memories - they won’t go away - but they’ll hurt less. You have us, you have me. You’ll keep on moving forward, buddy.” Tony had motioned the others out of the living room when he noticed Peter was panicking, knowing that the kid would hate them seeing him panic like this, and he was thankful for the quiet.
“What if- what if I can’t walk?” Peter muttered, his initial panic leaving him in an exhausted wake.
“Well - then I’ll be right here to carry you, buddy.” Toyn whispered. He ran his fingers through Peter’s head until the panicked kid managed to fall back into a quiet sleep.
Peter had been through Hell. Tony couldn’t deny that. The kid was so strong - too strong - he would make it through this. He was going to struggle - it would be hard. But, Peter had the best support team in the world. People who would carry him for the rest of his life if he needed it. But looking down at Peter, tucked safely in his arms, Tony knew the kid would be okay. He knew they
would be okay.