Peter What The Hell™
Peter could hear voices around him, but they sounded distant and foggy
"He's fifteen?!" That must be Mr. Rogers. He sounded angry, but more like angry at himself
There was someone else talking, maybe Tony? It was hard to tell. Everything was so fuzzy.
He tried to open his eyes, maybe if he could see it would be easier to understand, but it felt like his eye lids weighed a hundred pounds.
"Peter can you hear me? Peter!" The voice was close to him.
"You can't fall asleep, Pete"
The teen's eyelids barely opened to see the face of an extremely worried sick Tony Stark.
"T'ny?" He murmured
"That's it, just keep your eyes open. Don't go to sleep. Happy's on his way to get us. Just stay awake"
Peter looked terrible. The billionaire had gotten an alert from FRIDAY that the kid wasn't doing to well. Then he got a message from Karen that Peter was heading East to stop a bomb.
God that AI was so amazing, he felt like he needed to give himself a pat on the back, but he was a little too busy at the moment.
When they showed up, the poor kid looked inches away from death. He was bleeding from multiple spots, his suit in tatters, his face was so pale it was scary. And in top of it all, he had the facial expression of a kicked puppy.
When he contained the bomb, the kid just passed out. He was holding himself up in sheer terror and stress, once the situation had been focused and he was no longer in immediate terror, he just fell apart.
"Th'rs a guy" Peter's eyes are fighting to stay open "he's...web.."
"Kiddo, save your strength. I got some agents rounding up the rest of the bad guys" Tony tries to keep him from sitting up without hurting him which is proving to be pretty difficult.
While the genius tried to keep the kid from dying in an alleyway, Steve was staring at Peter in horror looking extremely traumatized and maybe a bit nauseous.
"Oh my God, he's a little kid, Tony! A little kid!" He began pacing around the area "I threw part of an airport at a little freaking kid!"
"Steve calm down, I'm supposed to be the one panicking right now, my kid is bleeding out right next to me."
"Yeah but I just realized I was fighting a fifteen year old in Germany!"
As Cap was having his terrifying realization, Happy pulled up in his signature black sports car, his face creased in worry. Tony lifted Peter into the car, careful of his injuries.
"I would've flown back to the tower, but I'm not sure spidey would've handled that well and the drive is only a couple minutes" he gave as an explaination to the driver.
Steve sat himself down in the passenger side, still traumatized by the young age of the vigilante and the condition he was in.
The drive back was short, but agonizing. Peter passed out and now Tony was really wishing he had called in the med team. They had a team of doctors to meet them at the front, then the two men plus a few medical doctors ran off with the unconscious teenager.
-------
Several hours had passed and Tony was still sitting by Peter's bedside, biting his nails in worry. Working wasn't doing him any good, all he could think about was that dumb kid and forget about sleeping. His conscience was way to heavy for that.
Jesus, Peter really is going to be the death of him.
As the older man was lost in his thoughts, he didn't notice at first that the teen's eyes began fluttering open.
"Pete, hey kiddo, how you feelin?" Tony asked in a gentle voice
"Where--what happened?"
"Look, Pete, you and I need to have a nice long conversation about letting people help you"
"What are all these machines, I don't need them, I'm fine."
"Tell that to the seventeen stitches you got"
Steve bursts through the doors, looking frantically for something. He lays his eyes on Peter and makes a beeline to the kid.
"Hey, you're alright?" He asks, obviously worried sick
"What are you, Cap, the next mother hen? I didn't think you'd stick around this long"
"Shut up, Tony, I need to make sure that Spider-Man is okay." He turns his attention back to the kid "I feel like I have to apologize because I had no idea how young you were and I threw part of an airport on you back in Germany"
"Are you seriously still stuck on that?"
"Yes, Tony I am."
Peter began laughing, then winced a little bit, but was still chuckling "Oh my God, Captain America is apologizing for throwing an airport on me."
"See, look capsicle, no hard feelings, right? Now I need to talk to my kid. You can continue apologizing after. Okay? Yes okay."
Tony practically shoved Rogers out of the room, trying to get a moment to talk to Peter. He closed the door and gave a huff of air, walking back over to sit back down with the teen.
"So do you want to explain what happened back there or..." the smile on his face completely disappeared and was once again replaced with the expression of a kicked puppy.
"About the fight? Nothing happened. I'm fine, Tony. Really. I'm sorry for bugging you, I can just-" he starts sitting up but then the billionaire gently pushes him back into his bed
"Oh no you don't. You don't get to pull a Tony Stark and brush off major injuries and traumatic events. You have to be at least eighteen to do that." He shifted to look the teen in the eyes "You know I'm not talking about the fight, but I do want to hear about that later so: Beans. Spill."
Peter wanted to make up some lie, but the look on his mentor's face made the words die in his mouth. God, how was he going to explain it all.
"I just--Jeez this is hard to say--I just didn't want to be stuck here..." he gestured with his hands "No wait that's not what I meant, I mean like, reality. I didn't want to be in reality.
" he stumbles over his words
"I guess I lost track of things and I kind of just...I dunno, I ran?"
"Is that a statement or a question, because I don't have any answers, Pete"
"No-I mean I don't really know. I felt like--I feel like I should be able to handle this. I've had this kind of stuff happen to me all my life. Everyone always just...I should be used to it by now" his voice began to crack at the end.
"Kid..." Tony immediately feels guilty. He knows exactly what he's talking about.
"I-I mean, stuff like this always happens to you guys and y-you don't ever seem-seem fazed by it." He was crying now, tears falling from his eyes as he was trying to rub them away
"You guys always just bounce back a-and I should be able to also. I-I mean I have mo-more experience dealing with it s-so I should be used to it" Now Tony felt even worse. God how'd he not realize how much the kid was suffering, even before May happened.
"And I should be able t-to take care of myself, but I wa-wasn't even trying because I knew I pr-probably wouldn't make it to next week...not that I even wanted to"
"Peter, oh my god, no" Tony grabs him by the shoulders, desperately wanting to let him know how much he cares "Peter, look at me. Don't think like that. Don't think that just because we're adults, that we just brush this stuff off and that you should too. Peter, we all have issues, I mean, I'm practically falling apart at the seams! I used to push all my problems aside and would do all these things that nearly got me killed and I didn't freaking care, Peter.
"But then, I realized what I was doing, it wasn't good. I couldn't handle it anymore, so you know what I did? I had people help me. Peter, don't go an isolate yourself, don't do these things and think it's normal, because it's not."
The teen wanted to interject but remained silent
"I don't know if you know, but even after putting the suit offline, I can still see your vitals. I watched you get yourself hurt and still walk in a broken ankle, and that's not something you should be doing. Healing factor or not." He really wanted to emphasize how bad Peter was treating himself. "I saw so many times those screens over there just light up screaming at me to find Peter because he's having a panic attack and those are scary as hell
"I had not idea where you were and just knowing that you were dealing with that stuff by yourself, I was on the verge of a panic attack myself!" Tony's voice had risen while he was talking, but there wasn't a hint of anger at all. Just fear.
"You have-"
"Yes. I have panic attacks, not as many anymore, but I used to have them a lot. I knew it was a problem so I went and got help. Peter, let me help you. That's all I've ever wanted to do for you." He take a deep breath, running a rugged hand over his tired face "I was so scared that you were going to get seriously hurt and that I was gunna be too late."
"Tony, I didn't mean to-"
"I know you didn't, but you still did. Let me help you Pete, but you have to open up to me first"
The teenage superhero was staring at his hands, he could feel the tears burning the backs of his eyes.
"You really want to listen to some little kid ramble on about his problems?" he asks,
"Yes! That's why I gave you my number, so that when you have a problem, you can talk to me about it. I want to hear everything that is bothering you, but I know hat you're still hurting so I'll give you some time to rest. I'm sure Cap still wants to blubber some more apologies then ramble on about being a real hero too so watch out for that"
-----
Tony was right, like always, and when Cap came back to talk to the billionaire himself after a very long conversation with the kid, the first thing he says is that they're practically the same person.
"What do you mean we're the same person?"
"I was talking to him and, I don't know if it's that he spends a lot of time with you or if he's just like that, but he has the same kind of sarcasm as you. Especially when he's hurting. He's also got the same hero slash guilt complex of yours. You gotta save everyone and everything is your fault, even when you have nothing to do with it."
Tony gives a dry laugh. If this kid was just like him, this was only the beginning of the teenage angst and pain. Oh boy.
"Yeah, I guess so.."
"By the way, what up with him and calling all adults Mister or Miss, I haven't met a fifteen year old who says that other than him in today's age" he asked confused
"Tell me about it, it took months before I finally got him to call me Tony.." replied easily
"Jesus, I can't believe I thought he was like...I thought he was twenty or something and that you two..."
There was a pause
"We what Rogers?"
"I don't know, I thought he was a lot older and you two always hung around 'n stuff so, I just assumed.."
"You assumed what-oh--No! Gross! He's like my--he's my kid, Cap!"
"I know! I know! I see that! I just thought before that-I don't know--" his face was heating up
"Oh my god...we're you jealous?" He begins laughing. Really laughing. Steve turns a shade of pink
"No no no no no that's not it"
"Y-you--you were jealous! Oh my god! Who knew Captain America bats for the other team!"
"Tony shut up, it was just the first time I actually saw you really concerned about someone else in a really long time. Give me a break"
"I'm flattered, Steve, but I don't think I'm ready for a relationship yet" he's still cackling
"Oh shut the hell up, I'm not jealous."
The billionaire was hunched over, supporting himself with the wall, laughing tears. Steve was still standing there with a tint of pink on his face.
"I'm making some breakfast. It's like four in the morning and I know Peter's hungry. You should go and talk to him some more, he adores every word you say" the blond had left Tony standing there, still chuckling.
------
Peter practically dragged himself out of his hospital bed. He knew that he needed to walk around and stretch or else he would go crazy being cooped up in that room. Luckily he seemed able to move just fine, there was slight pain when he turned his torso. His ribs were still healing apparently.
He had only walked a couple of steps before he looked up to Stark staring right at him, shocked.
"What are you doing? How are you even standing?"
"Uh, super healing?" He shrugs "I really just can't stand being stuck in bed."
"Okay, well I was going to invite you over to eat breakfast with Steve and I. He made most of the stuff, but I'm gunna make pancakes"
He walks up to Peter and takes one of his arms around his shoulder, helping the teen walk without doing too much damage to his still healing leg. The two make their way to the dining room where a feast was laid out.
Did Cap make breakfast to feed a small army?
Peter's mouth was watering just looking at it. He knew he could scarf down at least half of the food right now and still have room for more.
He took a seat and an empty plate was handed to him. They obviously wanted him to pile up his own food buffet style.
"Hey Pete, you a pancake or waffles person?" Tony asked
"...pancakes?"
"Waffles it is."
"Wait how'd you know that?"
"That was the same exact thing Bruce said when I asked him that question. Same tone and everything. Turns out he's the waffle lord. Always stealing the eggos every time I buy them from the store."
"Wait, the Bruce Banner likes waffles just like me?!"
"Calm yourself, kid, he's not here right now. Kind of MIA, but I'm sure he can here you from wherever he is." He laughed playfully. The fifteen year old looked happy, it was nice.
They began eating their food, Steve having the most amount of food in his plate which struck him as odd. Tony had told him that Peter had a really fast metabolism, that he needed more food than most people, so why did he have the least amount of food?
The super soldier tried to discretely add food to the teen's plate, but he wasn't eating it. Maybe he ate more when they weren't looking? No, he was just not eating.
"Son, you have to eat your food" Steve gave up, addressing it directly
"I'm full." He replied
The truth is, Peter was embarrassed with how much he could and needed to eat. He was skinny and thin because he wasn't ever eating as much as he should, because he burns so many calories fighting crime every night and also because of his healing factor. Even so, he will still refuse more food.
"No you're not." Tony states
The two super heros began filling his plate up with breakfast options.
"Remember what I said about pulling a Tony Stark?"
"You have to be at least 18.."
"Then that settles it, go ahead and eat up because I don't have room for left overs."
He begrudgingly began eating, then Rogers turned to Tony and whispered something to him. The older man nodded and he turned to far the teen.
"I have to go, but son, just listen to Tony. He knows what's best for you. And from one enhance human to another, don't neglect yourself because you have a stronger tolerance. With its perks comes it's weaknesses and you have to rely on other people to help you. Take care of yourself, Peter." He said with sincerity. Before he had a chance to respond, Captain Rogers was out the door.
------
"So, Pete, you finally ready to tell me everything?"
Tony had been careful to give him space, but not too much because the last thing he needed was for the kid to go missing again.
"..yeah..."
He takes a deep breathe. He'd finally get everything off his chest and maybe, he would feel better after.
"I should start with the Vulture. I never told you what happened with him on homecoming. To make the long story short, he was the dad of my crush who I was originally going to take to homecoming, but instead I had to fight her dad. I almost got tazered to death next to a bus by one of his guys, but Ned saved me.
I found out his wings didn't need to be attached to him to work, and he collapsed a building on me, and there was a part with a plane where I had to steer it from outside the plane and it crash landed in the beach. We fought and i gift wrapped him for you guys to find and that's what happened."
"You had a building collapse on you? How did you get out?!"
"I just kind of...lifted the warehouse off of me? I tried to call someone, but I didn't have Karen and my connection with Ned was disrupted."
"Oh my god I took away your suit." Tony was horrified with himself. He knew some of what happened, but not much. Peter could've died under that weight.
"How much fell on you?"
"I dunno, maybe a couple tons?"
"a couple tons?" he was in utter disbelief
"Yeah. That was the scariest thing that I think had happened to me, b-but I'm alright, right?" He tried laughing, but it came out all wrong
"Peter, oh my god I feel so bad. I'm never doing that again, I know you won't stop just because I take your suit away. Jesus, I took away he only thing that was really protecting you!"
"Don't feel bad Tony, it wasn't your fault. I shouldn't have been dumb enough to not see his trap."
"Kid it wasn't your fault, don't blame yourself. Tell me more about literally everything. I'm here"
And with that, he began confessing everything. For the first time in forever, he felt truly safe and understood. Peter told him everything that happened the night of homecoming. How afraid he was. How much he thought he was going to die. Everything.
It actually felt so good to finally talk about some things, like about losing his parents, uncle and aunt.
"When it happens so many times, the more you realize that they can't all be coincidences" he had told him in the most gut wrenching tone. Like he really believed it was his fault everyone around him died.
He told Tony about the confession Hot Head had given him, that he killed aunt May and placed her body back in her car, faking a car crash. He situation left a sour taste in the billionaire's mouth. It felt all too similar with his own parents.
As he kept going, even covering the stupid bully at school, Stark realized how much baggage Oeter carries. If that kind of guilt weighed against any other fifteen year old's conscience, he wouldn't be surprised if they ran off to kill themself. It was a lot and Tony was shocked at how well he was dealing with everything.
It was terrifying to imagine how traumatic his life had been at a young age.
When he finally finished his hour long rant/life story, he was in tears.
He had been through so much, he didn't act like a kid. He acted like a grown up and that wasn't okay.
The man turned to Peter and hugged him. He gave him a hug and began praising the kid for everything he had dealt with. Tony was so surprised at how much he was holding onto. Peter deserves a fricken metal for not exploding at this point.
But that didn't matter right now, all that mattered was that Peter knew he was loved and cared for. That what he was dealing with, he should've never had to deal with alone.
"Peter, no matter what. I'll always be here for you. Don't ever think that what you're going through isn't bad because I'm letting you know now, kids at your age aren't worrying about the things you are. They're biggest problem is a project they procrastinated on." He pulled away from the hug, to look him in the eyes.
"I care about you, don't forget it, kiddo"