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Fears came from experience, paranoia, and the realization of one's own vulnerability and its effects on their mortality. Whether or not a fear is rational didn’t matter, though it was much easier to justify if it was.
Peter wouldn’t be swayed that his fear of flying was nothing more than childish. Peter often didn’t want to tell the people who made fun of his aviophobia that his parents had died in a plane crash. Personally that was already enough of a reason for the boy to be afraid, he’d been beyond nervous on the plane ride with Happy. But he hadn’t wanted to show them that, so he ended up acting as if he were an obnoxious kid.
Hyper really, and Happy hadn’t been pleased. Peter couldn’t be too angry at himself for acting like a fool at the time though, he was a random kid with superpowers that Tony Stark had called upon to help him defeat Captain America. Those facts certainly made it easier for the plane ride to not be so scary, especially the ride home where he was sore after crashing through the wooden crates when Ant-Man’s flailing sent him flying.
Peter tried to explain this to Ned, who simply glared, “Dude you jump off buildings and you're afraid of planes?” If only they knew in just a few months Peter would have to crash one, only adding to the list of reasons Peter didn’t find his fear to be so unreasonable.
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When Tony decided to take him on an impromptu mission to Germany, Peter started to wonder if Germany was becoming the new New York. It kinda reminded the boy of how in almost every syfy movie the USA is always the ones being invaded. He guessed Germany was just coming into their streak of other worldly threats.
Except Mr. Stark didn’t ask him to fight an alien threat, just some guy that apparently could rival Doctor Banner when he was the Hulk. Hence why he brought him since Tony was more than flabbergasted when he realized the teen could quite easily throw the green rage monster.
The teen wondered what the man had gone through to also be a green rage monster called the Abomination, but no one seemed to want to explain since Tony and Happy were preoccupied with their own things as they flew.
At least after the Vulture, whether it be Mr. Stark decided to be kinder in his mentorship role or had a feeling his run in with the Vulture left him with some trepidation when it came to flying made sure he was seated closely on their private jet.
It did help having the man sitting right across from him, but the memories were quickly catching up with him. He only hoped they didn’t leave him exhausted before his fight with the Abomination. Mr. Stark needed him in tip top shape.
Peter would totally thank the pilot for the soft and gentle landing, and was a little horrified to find out the plane drove itself. He should have realized both were Stark planes, but Happy was right there, the flight plans most likely in the tablet settled in his sleeping lap.
“You ready?” Tony questioned, gaining the boy’s attention. Peter nodded, pulling on his mask as the man’s armor painted itself on his skin. Considering he survived the plane ride, Peter was sure he was ready to fight.
---
The Iron Man armor had been broken and chipped, not working in the slightest leaving the battle up to the Spider themed hero. Tony hadn’t been pleased, ribs severely bruised, knee dislocated, and an ankle badly sprained. His left arm wasn’t much better either.
Happy had appeared to help him away from the battle, both honestly worried for the arachnid who surprised them by subduing the Abomination with little property damage and nearly no civilian injuries.
The two felt overwhelming pride and saw so much raw potential as Spider-Man stood tall, straight, unwavering as SHIELD soldiers loaded up the Abomination. Peter watching them vigilantly, the two adults were so taken aback at the sight they were nearly breathless.
Even while he was in pain, Tony couldn’t help his prideful smirk. When he’d been struck down at first Peter had rushed to his side, using his webs to keep the thing at bay for the time being and was nearly frantic needing to know if he was okay.
But now Peter was picking up the pieces of the fight, making sure the people were safe. Micromanaging the Abomination's capture, even instructing a medic to come over to them. Tony figured the boy did want to check in on him, make sure he was okay hence the medic, but Peter had lost his childish glee of heroism for the moment. He was Spider-Man, that was all and that was it. He had a job to do.
Tony couldn’t help but be proud because the future was upon them. That boy, no the...young, very young man was the future. A future Tony couldn’t wait to see, especially when he had the privilege of helping shape it. It was a privilege. Tony had taken it for his ego at first, but now that he knew, truly knew Peter did not need him to be a good person and a great hero. The mess of a man had to admit he was lucky for Peter wanting him in his life. Anyone would be.
The second the truck holding the Abomination was out of sight, the hero was running back over to the inventor and the bodyguard. His words coming a mile per minute as usual, “Oh my god, Mr. Stark are you alright? Your suit, oh no-”
“Underoos,” the boy stopped then, the suits eyes widening as the taut body straightened. Alert.
“The medic you sent over gave me some pain killers and we can fix the suit when we get back, okay?” Tony waited until he got a jerky nod before giving into the urge to praise the boy’s work, “You did good kiddo, I’m proud of you,” the suits eyes squinted at that as if he was smiling quizzically.
Tony had to laugh at the look, the movement making the pain spike causing a groan to escape, and again the squinty eyes were wide and scared. Happy just as worried, helped the man of Iron back up. Peter waved Happy off, settling under the Avenger’s arm instead. His height a better crutch for the hero, but to the boy’s surprise Happy didn’t get back on the plane.
“I have to stay here kid and make sure they get the Abomination out of here,” the man explained, which didn’t make any sense to the young hero until he realized the dwindled SHIELD security had been atrocious after something Steve had to try to remedy in the past, meaning Mr. Stark was handling it.
“Safe flight,” was Happy’s parting words, Peter slipped his mask off, already at unease with his mentor hurt but now even more so with Happy gone.
“I’m sorry if you want to talk kid, but I think I’m going to sleep for the rest of this flight,” Tony called, adjusting in his seat so he was reclined and succumbing to the drugs he’d been given.
“No it’s okay, you should sleep,” the boy assured, shuffling back into his own seat and onto his side. Facing away from his mentor because he didn’t think he could sleep too while facing his mentor. Peter doubted they’d ever be at the stage where hugs were on the table, the compliments earlier were nice but it was easy to brush those off since Tony had said he was proud when he gave him the suit back too.
The rumbling of the aircraft didn’t help the boy in his quest for sleep, the small twinges throughout his body didn’t help either. The worst damage he’d taken was a hard hit to the shoulder which throbbed the longer he thought about it. Pressing the emblem on his suit, the boy grimaced as he checked the appendage, not surprised to see his shoulder was purple and swollen.
Begrudgingly rising from his seat, the teen uneasily walked throughout the cabin. His feet may be sticky and secure but the turbulence still made him tremble with nerves. In the back, Peter found some ice and some baggies.
He almost wanted to rouse Mr. Stark and see if he wanted some ice too but figured waking him up would be rude. Putting the ice in the bag, Peter slid it over his shoulder, tightening it up again as if it were a cold compress before wobbling back over to his seat. A step away from his chair when his spider sense pinged and a crackling rang through the air before the engines exploded in a fury.
Peter was quick to jump over and onto his mentor, cursing himself for forgetting to let Mr. Stark know he needed to put the parachute back in. He’d have done it himself, but Mr. Stark didn’t like it when he messed with the suits settings.
After the Vulture he was also a little afraid too, he didn’t want to be left alone to fight for himself if his only communication with the man was severed. Tony’s eyes were wide before they rolled back at the drop in altitude, unconscious as Peter tried so desperately to stay awake but darkness stole him. Body acting on instinct to curl around the other breathless form, sticking them to the seat as the plane fell from the sky and into the ocean below.
The arachnids eyes opened, trying to close as blood fell from his scraped temple and head into his eye. Tony’s tablet having knocked into him on the way down. Water was slowly filling the cabin, and the boy whimpered. Looking down at his mentor who luckily was breathing.
The teen knew he had to move quickly, wrapping his arms around the older man’s waist Peter as gently as he could propped the man half way over his good shoulder, the pressure under Tony’s arms as not to mess with his ribs.
Peter rushed over to the door, kicking it open before swimming them out of the craft. The back end of the plane was a good distance out of the water, leading the teen to crawl up and set the unconscious man down before diving back into the water.
When he managed to get back into the planes cabin, it was half filled with water aside from the back where it was clear. Yanking several oxygen masks that had deployed, a first aid kid, and two life vest, the teen’s took a breath and ducked beneath the surface. Eyes wide as he swam beneath and found two of the large rafts.
His lungs ached at the action, his swimming form atrocious from the pack of ice beneath his suit. Peter knew he could hold his breath much longer than most, nearly three times as long, but the quick shift of their landing hadn’t given him enough time to recuperate.
Swimming back up to the surface, the boy took heavy breaths before diving back beneath the surface and then out of the craft. Leaving the equipment next to his mentor, before taking another plunge and looking for anything of use.
The salty water made his cut sting, but luckily kept the blood from his eyes, although it discolored the water around him. Head wounds never seemed to stop bleeding, even when it wasn’t terribly serious.
Clicking on the spider emblem, Peter filled it up with as much of the prepackaged foods he could, tucking the drinks under his arm before coming back up. He’d have grabbed the man’s tablet but knew it was waterlogged and cracked after a meeting with his skull.
One of the obscenely large life rafts inflated on the open waves, his loot and his mentor piled inside. Luckily awake, the inventor was quick in pulling him up and into a hug, hair wet and his voice frantic.
“Jesus kid, I was about to jump in after you,” Peter couldn’t help but notice as the bottles of water fell out from under his arm that the inventor was trembling. Peter assumed it was shock and went to pull away but the man didn’t let go.
Sounding absolutely heart wrenching as he growled, “Don’t you ever scare me like that again,” By the time he allowed the boy to pull away he was laugh sobbing about how stupid he looked with the food stuffed in his shirt. Holding his ribs in pain, the boy to open up his suit and piled up the food packages before offering the makeshift ice pack to his mentor.
A mistake because Tony looked absolutely pissed the second he saw he his mangled shoulder.
“You swam and carried me out of a plane crash with your shoulder like that?”
Peter nodded dumbly, not seeing the problem before the man’s calloused hands were cautiously grabbing his head, “And your head,” Peter was sure the man was hyperventilating now.
“I’m okay Mr. Stark,” the boy assured, confused as the man opened the ice pack and pulled out an ice cube. Running it over his head wound while holding the teen to his side. Peter couldn’t bring himself to object, knowing the man was doting in either panic or shock. It seemed more constructive than the man shutting down.
Peter could hear the man’s panicked heart beat calming the more he coddled him.
“Happy will have gotten an alert by now, rescue will be on it’s way,” Tony said after some time, his breathing and heart rate closer to normal but still weary but on account of his injuries Peter didn’t look too much into it.
“How’d you get into the raft with your legs?” the teen whispered, a knot of worry tying up in his guts as he hugged his mentor. Feeling a little silly because at the start of the day he didn’t think that’d ever really happen.
“Jumped into the water and pulled myself up,”
“With one arm?”
“You did the same kid,”
Peter went quiet at that, waiting a minute before pouting, “It’s just my shoulder, and I heal fast,” The sinking plane had slight waves shaking them, giving Peter an idea.
“If we open the other raft we can flip it and put it on top of this one, It’ll keep us covered until help gets here,”
Tony frowned at the setting sun, the waters chill not helping as it started to grow cold. “Do you think you can flip it?”
The boy nodded in the affirmative, noticing the cold too. His hair was blood matted to his head and he was sure by the time he got them covered his lips would start to grow blue. He and the cold did not do well, and with his mask seemingly nowhere in sight he couldn’t ask Karen to help keep him warm, so he ignored it.
Hopefully when he covered them his mentor wouldn’t notice his cold lips, he didn't need Tony worrying about him more. Grabbing the folded raft Peter held it over the edge of the raft and pulled on the string. It exploding into fullness before the teen slowly began sliding it over them, hiding them from the cold air and droplets of waves.
Each of them had their respective sides, Tony laying out on his back with his feet towards the center while Peter turned away and curled against the rounded sides of the raft. The ice on his shoulder was starting to melt, and Peter still felt the need to ask if the man if he was sure about not taking it but as he turned to do so he could see his mentor shaking his head.
“These water bottles are fine kid, keep your ice,”
After that the two continued on with their silence, both under the belief the other had seemingly gone to bed. This led the boy to roll over, stomach gurgling, body shivering.
“C’mere Pete,” was called out and Peter complied. The inventors dark eyes going sad as he took in the kid’s blue tinted lips and pale shivering form. His heart clenching when he realized he couldn’t call upon Karen to heat the boy up.
Tony didn’t hesitate to hold the teen close, uncaring as the boy pressed on his injuries. But even soaking wet Peter weighed absolutely nothing. Tony understood his powers made the boy unbelievably light, which made it absolutely astounding when he realized Peter could lift the Hulk.
“Eat something kid, you grabbed enough peanuts and stuff for you to indulge,” taking the advice Peter snacked on some pretzels before a baggie of peanuts. Sipping out of one of the many water bottles he'd managed to snag.
“Mr. Stark?”
“Yeah kiddo?
“Do you think theres any sharks in this water?” Tony could hear the fear in the question, and was quick to assure.
“I’m sure the crash scared them off, but you didn’t seem too worried about shark’s when you dove in to get all this for us,” Tony hummed, ruffling the boy’s hair and using the hold to lean the boy into his neck so more of his heat was shared.
“I had to help you though, see I got the first aid kit and oxygen masks!” the boy worriedly started to protest.
“I know, I know Pete. You did good kid,” Tony soothed, hearing the boy mutter under his breath ‘I even came today’. That took the older man by surprise, fuzzied mind whirring, remembering this is the second plane crash the boy had experienced. On one of his planes no less.
“I guess I can see why you’re afraid of flying now,” Tony sighed, rubbing the boy’s back. Heart jumping at the boy’s next words. Words Peter wasn’t sure he’d ever tell the man, not only because he assumed the adult might already know but because it just wasn’t something he thought to share. It was his life, his burden.
“My parents died in a plane crash.”
Peter concluded after that the cold and calming of nerves after his stressful day made him utter those words, but he didn’t regret them. Not when it got him a tighter, warmer hug, that followed by the whirring of an aircraft above penetrating the air.
“Tony, Peter!” Happy’s voice called over a loudspeaker, Peter moving quickly to push the raft on top away to see the landing helicopter. The water attachments smacking water towards them, but Peter didn’t care as he went to help the inventor get in. It was a rough process, Peter falling back into the waves several times before he and Tony were wrapped in blankets and flown away.
Neither Tony or Peter were pleased with being flown back to Germany, it being closer. The doctors ended up putting the boy’s arm in a sling which seemed a little pointless and made sure to ice it. That also seeming counter productive as they warmed him up.
Happy had made sure to keep the spider suit hidden before they’d got in, Peter wondered when he had the time to buy him a shirt, some sweats and a sweater and boxers, but he didn’t question it.
A kind nurse brought him some thick fuzzy socks and a hefty blanket, sneaking him a cookie as well. Peter didn’t have it in him to feel bashful, after being in another plane crash being spoiled by a nurse that very much reminded him of his loving aunt was alright with him.
He’d have to hug May extra tight when he got home. If he was right though she wouldn’t let him out of her arms for at least a month after this. His mom had been her best friend, it was practically a dream they married into the same family. This experience, like him himself, was just another reminder that her friend was gone.
“Your aunts been calling nonstop,” Happy broke in through the door, his timing coincidental.
“You have my aunts number?” Peter had to ask, receiving a stuttering blushing mess of Happy retreating while the boy’s face scrunched in confused surprise.
“Okay then…” Peter announced into thin air, munching on his cookie. Mr. Stark was in the next room over, it was only for a little while as Peter’s room was heated. They hadn’t seen any signs of hypothermia in the inventor meaning the extra heat would likely just make his healing process uncomfortable and wouldn’t help the ice on his ribs.
Peter drifted off after his cookie, napping until he woke up again to the nurse checking his vitals. She gave a soft accented apology, making it up to him with a meal and two cookies and two juice boxes with a small teensy carton of milk.
She murmured something about how growing boy’s needed to eat, especially after such ordeals and Peter couldn’t help but agree. Little did he know the nurse happened to be Tony’s as well and gushed to Tony about how adorable his son was.
Happy looked at his boss perplexed when the inventor didn’t disagree nor did he correct her, but for the time being he put it up to his friends current state. They’d be able to leave soon enough though, but the man was starting to worry if putting the two on an airplane after their jet crashed was a good idea.
It wasn’t the planes fault though, someone had tampered with it during their fight. They didn’t know who but Rhodey was on his way out to investigate.
“Can I see my kid now?” Tony asked the actual doctor, leading the man to check in on the teen’s progress before having the nurse push Tony’s bed into Peter’s room.
The teen seemed content with his meal, dipping his cookies in the opened flap of his teeny milk carton. Tony grinned, figuring the kind nurse gifted the boy with sweets and couldn’t blame her because the kid basically gleamed in unreserved guileless.
He didn’t know that in the boy’s head Peter was currently trying to figure out how to ask the man in the bed beside him if he was okay.
“Well the doctors think we can go home tomorrow,” The avenger regretted the words when the sweet peace of cookies the kid was seemingly caught up in immediately went creased in worry. Making the inventor a little afraid the head wound under the boy’s butterfly bandage would open again.
“I promise we’ll be okay this time,” Tony tried, the teen nodding, giving a soft smile that didn’t reach his eyes. Tony knew the kid would be tucked under his arm the whole flight.
“Rhodey’s bringing my latest mark with him, the suit’s will make sure everything is okay,” his next words are what seemed to sway him, “I won’t let us fall,”
“I know,” Peter returned, his smile finally reaching his eyes.
“Good, now give me some of your jello I’m starving,” Peter giggled and nodded, handing it over, he was much happier with his cookies anyway.