Chapter Text
Tony didn’t leave Peter’s side, terrified that his son would wake and need something.
Dr. Cho, accompanied by Bruce and a team of nurses, had ordered him to go to sleep. “Peter’s going to be fine. He’s already healing.” They said.
Tony was never a good listener. He helped clean his son’s wounds and watched diligently as Dr. Cho bandaged him up. When the IV was inserted, he held Peter’s hand and stroked his curls. The kid absolutely hated needles.
A day after being brought home, he was still unconscious. Tony sat dutifully beside the bed - his body gave out the night before, so he was deeply sleeping - holding his son’s hand.
Nine Avengers, one trickster god, the CEO of Stark industries, head of security, and a mercenary stood watch over the two Starks.
“Peter’s vitals are stable. So hopefully he’ll be ready to wake up soon.” Dr. Cho spoke softly as she entered the room. Addressing everyone standing guard, a soft smile on her lips when she caught sight of Tony’s slumped form. “Finally listened, I see.”
Natasha rolled her eyes. “Tony, listen? His body just decided to give out.”
“Makes sense.” Dr. Cho shrugged.
“When can Peter’s friends see him?” Clint asked, eager for the kids to finally see each other. “Ned and MJ haven’t stopped asking?”
Friday backed the archer up. “I concur. Both Mr. Leeds and Miss Jones have been requesting to see Mini-Boss since his return last night. Very adamantly, might I add.”
“After he’s woken up and I’m sure he’s stable, then I’ll send them up. Press the button if he wakes.” She smiled at the two Starks once more before leaving, closing the door quietly behind her.
******
Peter jolted upright with a scream. Pain seized his chest and stomach, turning his terrified cries into groans. He scrunched his eyes shut to block out some of the bright lights. Why was everything so bright? What was that incessant beeping? He would’ve screamed if he had the energy.
“Easy, Pete.” Two strong hands grasped his shoulders, holding him steady as he trembled. The lights dimmed, and the beeping stopped. “Please open your eyes, bud. I’ve got you. Promise.”
Hesitantly, Peter opened his eyes. The room was clean off white, with sunlight streaming in from a window to his left. It certainly wasn’t the dark and damp cell he’d expected. His family was surrounding him, their faces pinched in concern, tears falling freely.
“D-Dad?” Peter rasped. His voice was hoarse from screaming and crying.
“Hey, bambino.” Tony sat down on the bed, caressing Peter’s face in his hands. His voice shook as salty tears clouded his vision. “We got you. You’re not there. You’re home.”
Tony pulled his son against his chest, holding him tightly as they cried. Peter clung to his dad and nuzzled against his neck, trying to get closer, afraid he’d disappear.
“M’ sorry. Thank you… Th-Thank you.”
“Don’t apologize мой ребенок паук.” (My baby spider) Natasha sat opposite Tony and hugged Peter from behind. Her arms easily reached around her nephew’s thin frame. One hand squeezed her friend’s shoulder in reassurance.
“We got videos,” Rhodey began, “the last one was live, and we traced it back to an abandoned sewer system. You weren’t conscious… we thought…” he cut himself off with a choked sob.
Sniffling quietly, Peter turned, so he was facing his family. “Is everyone else okay? Ned? MJ?”
“They’re perfectly fine. Your dad brought them and their families to the tower as a precaution.”
“How long was I gone?”
“Three days.” Bucky brushed the - now clean - curls away from his nephew’s forehead. “You were unconscious for a little over a day.” He wiped the traitorous tears from his cheeks. “Scared the living shit outta us. Even that idiot Deadpool stopped to help.”
“He did?”
“Yep, just left half an hour ago. Asked us to give you a hug for him. Don’t know why he kept calling you Tom Holland.”
“The guy’s weird.”
Thor chuckled. “Aren’t we all?”
“Yeah. I guess.” Peter leaned back with a heavy sigh, grimacing when his stomach cramped. “Did… did you… get him?”
Tony looked to the team, unsure of how to answer the question. They hadn’t discussed how much to actually tell him.
“Yes,” Loki confirmed before anyone could object. His eyes glowing green in his anger. “That worthless scum is lying dead under a pile of rubble.”
“He tried to fight us.” Steve continued. “We wouldn’t have been able to get to you in time if we fully engaged. He wasn’t worth your life.”
Peter sat in silence as he contemplated the new information. “Okay.” He mumbled weakly. “What about… the others… what-”
“They’ve been buried. All the people Otto took.” The billionaire pulled the vigilante back against his chest. There was nothing to do but hold Peter as he cried. His sobs were breaking everyone’s hearts. “May’s been given a proper burial. Everything she had on her will.”
A harsh sob tore through Peter’s throat. He’d never forget his aunt’s screams. Her lifeless eyes and bloody body was all he could see every time he closed his eyes. “It was my fault. I’m so-sorry. I was supposed to save them. It’s-“
“None of what Otto did was your fault.” Tony held Peter at arm’s length and looked him straight in the eyes. There was absolutely no way he or any of his teammates would let Peter blame himself for those people’s deaths. His voice was stern yet apathetic. “You were not in control of Otto’s actions. Therefore none of what happened was your fault. You’re the best hero, bambino, but you can’t save everyone.”
“B-but I can tr-try.”
“I know, bud. I know you try. You try so hard, and you do so well.” He buried his nose into his son’s thick curls. Suppressing the fear clenching his heart.
Who knew how Peter would recover from this. Physically he’d be fine. But mentally… that was the big question. Everyone had tried so hard to get the kid’s weight up and keep him from falling into depression. They’d even managed to break some of his habits formed from abuse. Tony just hoped their hard work hadn’t been completely reversed.
“Helen is gonna check on you, okay?” Natasha ran her fingers through Peter’s hair. The soothing action was already making his eyes droop. “Once she gives the go-ahead, you can see your friends.”
Peter leaned into her touch and nodded sleepily. “Okay, momma.”
Natasha kissed Peter’s cheek and pulled him into a loving embrace. Her tears spilled over her cheeks and onto the honey-brown curls tucked under her chin. Warmth blooming within her chest as she held her baby spider close.
One hour and a thorough examination later, Peter was finally free to see his friends. The team stepped out to shower and change, leaving Friday to alert them should Peter need anything.
Ned was the first to see Peter - having practically sprinted into the room. It was hard not to react physically. Peter was covered in white gauze, and he looked so tired and thin. The skin he could see was discolored and stood out against his friend’s pale skin. But Peter smiled at him.
“Holy shit, man!” He’d held Peter in a loose hug, afraid he’d hurt him. “You can’t… you can’t scare us like that.” A few teardrops soaked into Peter’s shirt, where Ned was hiding his face.
“Sorry, man.” He didn’t mind that his shoulder was getting wet. “I’m so glad you guys are okay. Dad and I have safety protocols for stuff like this. If one of you got hurt because of me-“
“But, we didn’t.” MJ sat on the edge of the bed to hug the smaller boy.
She had to keep reminding herself that this was real. Peter was alive and safe. It was all she could do to stop herself from crying. The hug lasted for a minute or so before MJ forced herself to pull away.
“H-hi, MJ.” Peter internally cringed when his voice cracked. “I’m happy you’re okay.” His eyes fell to her soft pink lips then back up to her deep brown eyes. Even half-asleep, he was mesmerized by her.
“I’m gonna.. um, go.” Ned stood abruptly and winked at Peter. “You two have fun.” He finger-gunned in an attempt to be cool and nearly tripped over a chair on his way out.
“Oh my god.” Peter groaned.
“He’s not very discrete,” MJ laughed, “is he?”
“No.” He couldn’t help but chuckle at his friend’s attempt at being a good wingman. They sat in comfortable silence, taking pleasure in each other’s presence.
“MJ,” Peter looked to his crush. Her heartbeat being one of the most soothing sounds he’d ever heard. “I-I have to tell you something… two things, actually.”
“You’re Spider-Man.” She deadpanned.
“Wh- how did you-“
“I’ve been keeping a close eye on you. It’s not that hard to figure out if you know what you’re looking for.”
“Oh.” His IQ was above two hundred and fifty, and the only thing he managed to choke out was ‘oh’. “Wait. You’ve been watching me?”
“No.” She crossed her arms and blew a strand of hair from her face. “Well… sorta. I wasn’t stalking you. Just-just curious.”
“I really like you, MJ.”
“What?”
“I like you. Like, like you, like you. I didn’t know how to tell you, and then all this crap has been happening recently, and I thought yo-“
MJ’s lips pressed against his, effectively cutting his jittery speech short.
“I like you, like you too, loser.”
******
MJ, Ned, and their families left to go home, seeing that the danger had passed. The avengers had retired to their rooms for the night, giving the father and son their privacy. Tony was lying beside the teen, holding his boy close and petting his curls.
“I love you, Underoos. You’re the best thing to ever happen to me, kiddo.”
“I love you too, dad.” Peter yawned and closed his eyes. The warmth and love of his father lulling him to sleep. “You’re the best dad ever.”