Chapter 7
The drive home was quiet. Tony and Peter were stuck together in the backseat, and Happy had the radio on low, silent for the hour long drive to Queens. Tony had contacted May who had been working her night shift, telling her what had happened. She tried to keep her cool, but Tony could hear the worry waiver her voice, and her breath hitch in the back of her voice as she held back tears. She blamed herself for not checking her phone or calling him on the ride. Tony told her that she shouldn’t worry, that he was okay, and he would bring him home tonight. May gave her apologies, and Tony responded with a simple, “I’m only doing what’s right.”
And he truly felt like he was. He sympathized with the way May felt, because Tony felt exactly the same. He felt guilty for not being there to protect him, and for leaving the kid to fend for himself. The guilt weighed hard on his conscious, and he blamed himself. May wasn’t the one at fault, it was him. Because he could have actually done something to prevent it.
Peter was resting his head against the window, his eyes closed, and his breathing shallow. And Tony took the time to watch him, knowing he was asleep from the amount of pain killer he was on.
Although it was dark in the car, Tony could make out the edges of his face. His high cheekbones, and the curve of his jaw. His shirt was untucked, mostly to keep the restriction off his ribs, but Tony couldn’t help but realize how beautiful he truly looked.
He brushed the thought away quickly. He shouldn’t think about him that way, he was a thirty five years old, and Peter wasn’t even eighteen yet.
Tony ran his fingers through his hair, trying to get his mind off Peter, staring out the window to avoid looking at him. Usually at moments like these his thoughts would fall to Steve, wondering how he was doing, what he was up to. After the incident they rarely ever talked, and now that Bucky was back, off in cryo halfway across the world, Steve was constantly there visiting and rarely even wrote to anyone else. Except Natasha, but she was the only one who could ever break through his icy cold demeanor. Not even Tony’s affection could mask that away.
But this afternoon, he had a new face in mind. Bright blue eyes, perfectly groomed salt and pepper hair. God, Tony didn’t think he’d ever seen a man radiate charm like that. The way he spoke, which was so precise and scientific. That was enough to get anyone going.
He shivered, whether at the thought of Stephen or the chilly fall air rolling through his open window, he didn’t know.
He looked over at Peter again, whose eyes were now open, watching the city lights roll by on the highway. He saw the way the light sparked off his deep brown eyes and felt that tightness grow in his gut again.
Peter glanced over and caught his eye, and for once, Tony didn’t look away to pretend like he wasn’t looking at him. Peter gave a soft smile that quickly turned into a wince, as he twisted his body to face him.
“H-How much longer until I’m home Mr. Stark? I’m really sorry you had to take me home, I-I could have…” And Peter trailed off as Stark’s face became stern.
“Kid, I suggest you stop running your mouth.” His expression became gentler after seeing Peter’s face fall with the remark. “We are about twenty minutes away.”
Tony cursed himself internally. Peter was so sensitive, so fragile, and Tony was constantly fucking things up. He wanted Peter to see him as a mentor, but everyone in the whole universe knew he wasn’t the best influence, or the best example. He wasn’t strong like he used to be. He wanted to be strong, for Peter’s sake. But there was no telling if he could ever live up to the hero-status that Peter held him under. He couldn’t even protect him, and he learned that tonight.
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Peter walked himself inside, since Tony had to somehow come up with an explanation on why he ditched his own benefit to Pepper. He turned on the kitchen light, stumbling in to make himself an ice pack. He felt like crap, not because he had three broken ribs and a headache from hell, but because he knew what Tony was thinking. He knew Tony was blaming himself, and he hated that, because he already had enough to deal with.
He made his way to his room, laying down on the bed and propping his back up with pillows, trying to avoid the pain as much as he could. He spent most of the night staring at the ceiling, the ice pack burning cold into his skin, thinking about everything that had happened in the past 5 hours. And he couldn’t stop thinking about the doctor, and the way Tony reacted when he whispered to him…
He felt another jealous pang rattle his heart. Stupid. Stupid, stupid, stupid! But what had he whispered to him anyways?! He had never seen that expression on Mr. Starks face. And no, he wasn’t jealous. He kept telling himself that it wasn’t jealously, just curiosity. He saw the way the Stephen looked at Mr. Stark, it was the way he saw men look at May when she was walking with Peter to the corner store. And it pissed him off.
It really pissed him off.
When morning came around, May woke Peter up with a fresh icepack and a plate off eggs.
“Hi sweetie…” her face wore that expression that matched the time he fell off the swing set in elementary school. And it made him feel like a child again.
He smiled at her, and she brushed the hair out of his face, sitting on the edge of his bed while he started to eat. The pain was worse now, since the pain killers he had taken last night had worn off, and he felt that sharp string of pain every time he took a breath in.
Peter tried his best not to show his pain on the outside, since May already had enough going on… And he knew how she stressed over the smallest things.
“I think we should talk about a few things.”
Peter nodded, he knew this would happen eventually. Especially after Mr. Stark probably gave her the lay down last night. Which it wasn’t his fault, he probably assumed Peter had already told her.
“Why didn’t you tell me you were working for Tony Stark, first of all?! I am so proud of you! But also angry at you for keeping that from me!” Her voice went through a rollercoaster of emotions, and Peter almost laughed at the way her expressions changed.
“I was going to tell you eventually, but I-I just know how you make things into a really big ordeal- and it’s not…”
“But it is! Peter you are so intelligent, and I want to make you feel appreciated and loved!”
Peter couldn’t help but smile through his mouthful of eggs, and May let out a laugh, ruffling his hair.
She let out a sigh, “I have news that you aren’t going to like, though.”
Peter sat up a little more, swallowing down his food. And it was good thing, because he almost choked at May’s next words.
“No more internship until you graduate, okay?”