Chapter Text
Soft beeping and cozy linen sheets that smelled of lavender gently welcomed Peter back into consciousness. He was in a hospital bed with the head propped up, so he was in a seated position. There were various machines connected to his small body. However, he only recognized the heart monitor clip on his index finger, his mind still too cloudy with sleep to distinguish any of the other medical equipment. An IV was attached to the back of his right hand, which, on any other day, probably would have unnerved him since he hated needles. But right now, he didn’t feel stressed, anxious, or angry. All he felt was calm, a tranquility he never felt before. It was nice.
A muffled snore drew his attention to the left. Tony was sitting beside the bed in one of those uncomfortable plastic hospital chairs, the upper half of his body slumped over onto the bed. Tony’s face was tucked into the crook of his elbow, the baggy fabric of his MIT hoodie dampening his snores. One hand firmly grasped Peter’s.
Tony didn’t appear to be injured, which did wonders to ease Peter’s mind. One of Peter’s biggest fears was that somehow, Tony would get hurt or killed because of him. That Tony would be gone, and he could never get back the man he saw as a father. Even if the Avengers decided to get rid of him, at least they would still be alive; Peter could still watch out for them. But seeing as he was in the Tower’s medical wing with Ironman beside him, Peter believed it was safe to assume that neither of his fears had come to fruition.
“Mr. Stark?“ Peter’s throat felt so dry, causing his voice to crack. Clearing his throat, he tried once again to get the mechanic’s attention. “Mr. Stark.” He squeezed the larger hand gently, hoping it would help pull the man back into consciousness. “Mr. Stark, are you okay?”
“Wha- Pete? Bambino!” Tony promptly sat up, blinking rapidly as his eyes adjusted to the hospital room’s bright lighting. His deep-seated fear of Peter never waking up, turned to relief as soon as he realized that Peter was awake and talking. No longer lying unconscious in a hospital bed that swamped his small form, his malnourished and battered body barely clinging to life. The drastic shift in emotions had the billionaire launching into nervous rambling, unsure of what to say or do.
“Holy shi- Ah shoot. I’m so glad you’re okay! We’re all so glad you’re okay.” Without hesitating, Tony wrapped his arms around the teen, carefully so as not to disturb any of Peter’s wounds, and pulled him against his chest. “Oh, Peter,” he spoke against the fluffy curls tickling his cheek, “you scared the living shit outta us. Ya know that?”
Reluctantly, Tony released the teen after a few minutes and returned to his hard seat, never releasing his hold on Peter’s hand, their fingers entwined. Peter looked much better than he did five days ago. The nutrients being given through the IV helped to jumpstart his healing factor and rapidly speed up his recovery. He was no longer as pale as the sheets he rested on, his cheeks dusted with a soft-pink hue. Most of his smaller scrapes and bruises were healed entirely, and his more extensive injuries were steadily mending. Keeping his weight up would always be an issue because of his metabolism. His body mass was already way too low due to abuse and being kidnapped. But it was something they could work on. With lots of food, rest, and support, Peter would recover just fine.
“How are you feeling? Any pain? Are you thirsty or hungry?” Tony asked in rapid succession, hardly taking a breath in between words. “Dr. Cho said you would definitely be hungry, so I can tell FRIDAY to call Steve and I have water here so-“
“Mr. Stark!” Peter cut off his mentor’s rambling. “I’m feeling alright, Mr. Stark.” He chuckled at how flustered Tony looked and squeezed the hand entwined with his. “But I am really hungry and thirsty.”
“Okay. No problem.” Tony nodded. “FRIDAY, can you call Steve? Tell him to bring food up for Peter.”
“Of course, boss,” the AI replied dutifully. In an almost happy tone, she said, “It is wonderful to see you awake, Peter.”
Peter smiled. “Thanks, FRIDAY.”
“Here.” Tony held up a plastic cup filled with water for Peter, who drank it greedily. Peter drained the cup quickly and handed it back with a quiet thank you.
Tony set the empty cup on the nearby overbed table tucked against the wall to his left. “Your healing factor sure is outstanding.” Tony mused, genuinely amazed by Peter’s incredible powers. “But I guess sleeping for almost five days can help too.”
“Wait!” Peter squeaked. “I was out for five whole days?”
Tony nodded somberly, looking away as his eyes took on a misty sheen. “Y-yeah. You were in pretty bad shape when we found you. I- uh, we were afraid you were too starved to be able to recover and that… that you…” his voice cracked emotionally, the tears he’d been trying so hard to hold back finally broke the dam, rushing past the floodgates and down his cheeks.
Peter was surprised, to say the least. Seeing the billionaire openly crying and expressing his feelings was an unusual sight. Outside of the Avengers and his closest friends, no one saw Tony’s softer, more emotional side. An air of snarky confidence and sometimes arrogance always being worn by the seemingly infallible man. But in private, the iron walls thinned, revealing Tony’s ability to be empathetic, kind, and loving. His ruffled edges softened even more around Steve and Peter.
Because Tony wasn’t made of iron, as his father always drilled into his head. He was a human being. And humans could get bruised both emotionally and physically. And that frightened Tony. He refused to wear his heart on his sleeve, believing that, if you left yourself vulnerable, you would always get hurt. But that simply wasn’t the case.
“It’s okay, Mr. Stark.” Peter rolled his head to the right, so he was facing away from Tony.
A sudden thought hit him, I’m alone. May was dead; therefore, he no longer had a place to stay. CPS would try to put him in the system, and if he went into foster care, he’d likely have to switch schools and leave his friends. And that was something he would not allow. He would have to mull over his options during his temporary stay in the med bay. If Tony and the Avengers let me stay, that is.
“No!”
Tony’s strong, almost angry response caught Peter off guard. He turned back to the mechanic with a look of confusion on his face. “What?” he asked.
“It is not okay.” Tony turned, so he was facing Peter fully, his hold tightening on the teen’s hand. “I yelled at you and sa-said awful things. I was so mean to you.” His voice shook on every other word, laden with the crushing weight of guilt. The self-deprecation overt. “And because of my own arrogance, you got hurt. Again. Just like Homecoming. They took you and- they… you nearly died, Pete! And it was all my fault.”
“But, Mr. Stark, I yelled at you first.” Peter didn’t regret being honest; it had been a long time coming. But he could have gone for a more gentle approach. Yelling rarely solved anything. At least in his experience.
“You were right, though, Pete. I… I hurt you in so many ways, and I never even realized it.” He wiped his face with his sleeve, removing some of the salty tears slipping down his cheeks. Looking away, he murmured, “I really am a shitty mentor, aren’t I?”
Peter shook his head then abruptly stopped when the motion made him dizzy. “Everyone messes up sometimes, Mr. Stark. The important thing is that you learn from your mistakes.” A content smile grew on his lips as he recalled the many things Tony had done for him. “You’ve helped me a lot ever since we met, more than you realize. And I appreciate all of it.”
Tony just stared at him for a good five minutes, surprise coating his facial expression.
Of course, Peter would forgive him. The kid was compassionate and the most selfless person in the universe. There wasn’t a spiteful bone in his tiny body. One thought kept circulating Tony’s mind. What the Hell did I do to deserve him? And to be honest, Tony had no clue how he got so lucky to have Peter in his life, bringing him joy and hope. But he’d be damned if he continued to take Peter for granted.
“Can- can I hug you?” Tony asked, unsure of how Peter would react. Hopefully, it would be a good reaction, considering how much the vigilante enjoyed physical affection.
A huge grin broke out on Peter’s face. And, as fast as his battered body would allow, he rushed into his mentor’s arms, basking in the affection offered by the man he saw as a father.
“I love you, Peter,” Tony said with as much conviction as he could muster. He meant it with all of his heart, and he needed Peter to believe it. “I love you so much. You’re my son. My bambino.”
Happy tears spilled from Peter’s big-brown eyes. “I love you too, Mr. Stark. Very much so.”
The two geniuses remained in each other’s arms, even when Steve entered the room with a tray of food in his hands. Instead of pulling apart, Peter beckoned the Captain over, grabbing his hand as he approached. Without needing to be prompted, Steve wrapped his muscular arms around his boyfriend and son, holding them in a gentle grip.
They stayed that way for a long time, comforting each other as a family. The family they were always meant to be.
******
The funeral was a quiet affair. A small crowd attended despite the chill in the air, winter’s frigid temperatures biting at everyone’s fingers. Cumulonimbus clouds gathered in the sky above the congregation, darkening the somber event in a literal sense. May’s coworkers and friends attended, offering their respect to their fallen colleague and gave their condolences to the last remaining Parker.
Tony and Steve never once left Peter’s side, providing emotional and physical support in the form of affectionate touches and soft reassurances. All of the Avengers attended in a show of support for their youngest teammate. Each hero wore some form of a disguise and stood scattered throughout the crowd to divert attention from themselves. Both Pepper and Happy hung towards the back. Neither one liked May, but they were there for the sweet kid that had so easily worked his way into their hearts.
Even Ned, MJ, and most of his fellow decathlon teammates were there, offering their own form of moral support. Ned gave his best friend one of the biggest hugs possible, even controlling his inner fanboy when he saw the Avengers. And in MJ’s case, a big hug and a kiss on the cheek accompanied by a soft, “I love you.”
Peter was silent through the whole thing, processing everything that happened and readily accepting the support he was given. He also allowed himself to grieve. Because, while May and him never had the best relationship, he still loved her.
It was only three weeks since Peter’s rescue, and none of the Avengers let him out of their sight. All of his wounds were healed within a week, his healing factor taking care of everything. Dr. Cho’s main concern now was how underweight Peter was. But it was something he was working on, slowly but surely. Tony, being a billionaire, had more than enough money to feed Peter’s extremely enhanced metabolism. And Peter was looking forward to not feeling hungry 24/7.
For Peter, the most challenging part was adjusting to living full time in a place where he was safe and wanted. Where he could be himself. The Avengers wouldn’t hurt him, and neither would his dads. Too bad, his instincts didn’t know that yet. The behaviors he learned from a lifetime of abuse were carved deeply into his mind. It would take a long time and a lot of work to wash away the innate fear and anxiety.
But, with the help of his friends and loving family, he would get there.
“You ready to go, bambino?” Tony asked once the service came to a close, his hand still resting on Peter’s shoulder.
Peter looked up at Tony and Steve, his dad and papa. The adoption process was still in the works, but Tony had gotten custody of Peter with the help of Fury, Pepper, and his team of lawyers, including Matt Murdock. But Peter had started to call Tony dad and Steve papa the day he woke up in the Med Bay. Both older heroes had expressed how much they and the team adored Peter and that they wanted him to be a part of their crazy, somewhat-dysfunctional family, permanently.
“Yeah, dad.” Peter nodded, ready to go back to the Tower, his new home.
The superfamily headed towards their car as the crowd dispersed, the Avengers trailing silently behind them. His friend’s and family’s support meant the world to Peter, more than he could convey through words. But there was something else he needed to do before leaving.
“Ca-can I just have a second, dad, papa?” He asked, pointing over his shoulder to seemingly nothing.
Tony just stood there, confused as to what his son was pointing to. But Steve picked up on the hint easily. “Go talk to your ghost friends. We’ll be in the car with Happy, waiting for you.”
“Thank you, guys.” Peter hugged both his dads so tightly they both nearly squeaked. “I’ll be right back. Promise.” With one last thank you, Peter headed off towards the little grove of dogwood trees at the edge of the cemetery. Under the ancient trees stood a group of long-since diseased beings that were not ready to move on, friends of Peter that tried to look out for him whenever they could.
“Hi.” Peter smiled at the ghosts he had come to know over the past few years. When humans couldn’t be there for him, the spirits often were. “Thank you for being here.”
Each ghost gave some form of consolation in an attempt to make their living friend feel better. Most of them knew what it was like to lose a family member. After each spirit said their piece, they waved goodbye with a smile and vanished back into the Unknown, where they resided until deciding to move on.
One spirit remained, taking the time to thank her savior before finally laying to rest.
“I must thank you,” Mary Rivers said, a cheeky grin on her face. “Because you destroyed the Knot, I may finally rest in peace.”
Peter couldn’t help but blush at the praise. “I should be thanking you,” he said, “you warned me that they were coming.”
She waved her hand, dismissively. “Nonsense. You would have figured everything out regardless if I intervened.” Mary looked at the gifted boy in front of her, happy that she got the pleasure of meeting someone so special. “You are a brave young man. I know you will do great things.”
And with that, Mary’s ghostly form dissolved into tiny specks of gold light, the sparkling particles floating up into the sky above. Finally, she was at rest.
Peter smiled to himself as he made his way back to the cars parked along the road. His parents waiting beside the car as promised, their lips turning up into smiles when they saw Peter returning.
There were sure to be hard times coming with his and his family’s line of work. But the ups and downs, that was a part of life, and nothing he couldn’t handle. And Peter was more than ready to start this new chapter of his life, with his family and dads beside him.