Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Peter has had his fair share of “off days” over the years. He’s had good days, anxious days, heavy days, you name it. Sometimes he knew how the day would turn out from the start and other times, like today, it would take awhile for the things to unfold.

He arrived at school with Rusty by his side. Thankfully the novelty of having a service dog around had worn off for most of his classmates by the end of the second week. Well, for the most part.

“Hey buddy! Hi good boy, how are you mister? Hi Peter, you too.” Ned cheerfully greeted, crouching down a little to focus on Rusty. Ned had made sure from the very start to get permission to address the service dog. He researched as much as he could on proper etiquette as soon as he learned his best friend had a new addition to his life.

“Wow, thanks dude. Good morning.” Peter playfully rolled his eyes as he grabbed his books out of his locker.

“You’ll always be my best friend but how could I not love a dog just as much? It's cruel, Peter, cruel to put a puppy in front of me and not expect my attention to wander!”

“Wow, Mr. Stark says I’m dramatic. I think you and him need to hang out more so he can stop calling me a drama queen.” Peter joked as he shut his locker, cringing slightly at the noisy clatter.

“Um, I would not be upset with that. At all. Unless he’s still mad about the whole suit hacking thing still.”

“No, Ned. I think he’s more impressed than anything. He says the only thing better than a programmer is a programmer who’s also a hacker. I bet you would have gotten an internship before I ever did if it wasn’t for you know, my friend.”

“I don’t know about that but –“ Ned was cut off by the sharp ring of the bell overhead. “Ah man, I better get to English. I'll see you at lunch and don't forget the presentation this afternoon.”

“Oh yeah, alright, see you later.” Peter turned and made his way down the crowded hallway to his first period class, Economics. He didn't even notice the way his teeth started grinding together as the noise level around him grew due to everyone starting their day.

Rusty stayed by his side throughout the morning. He was always thankful when he could reach down and give his dog a pet, knowing he'd always be by his side. One of the first tasks that Peter learned was to have Rusty be on his right side and act as a barrier between himself and other people. It easily became a habit and the pair instinctively fell into the position without thought. Although, Peter noted, it especially helped to soothe him today as he made his way to his next class. The hustling students with lockers slamming and bags zipping were making him tense but the physical distance Rusty provided kept his senses at a manageable level.

After his morning classes finished, Peter was self aware enough to know he was toeing the line of too much input. The sights and smells and sounds had steadily increased but only his hearing was really giving him problems so he figured he'd be fine. Besides, he had a Spanish test later and he was not about to miss that.

He dropped his books off before grabbing his lunch and making his way to the cafeteria. Honestly he wasn't that hungry which was another clue things weren't going the best. And as he got closer to the cafeteria it was like waves of noise were descending upon him, getting steadily louder, then receding a bit and then louder again. It was like the sounds were all pulsing and throbbing, or maybe that was just his own heartbeat.

A solid wall of sound greeted Peter as he turned the corner and entered the large and brimming lunch room. He and Rusty paused for a moment, letting others walk around them so he could adjust to the volume. He spotted Ned and MJ in their usual spot.

"Okay boy, we got this. Come." Peter said to Rusty as they made their way across the room. When they got to the table, the boy took a seat across from his friends who immediately eyed him with suspicion. "Under." Peter quietly commanded.

In response, Rusty lowered himself to the floor and crawled under the benched seat of the table, drawing his paws and tail out of the way of passerbys.

"You look like shit, what's wrong?" MJ spoke first; she was blunt but her tone held a note of concern.

"Yeah, you're really pale, like more than usual. You'd probably glow in the dark." Ned added.

Peter leaned his elbows onto the table, resting his head in his hands. "Thanks guys, you're doing a great job of making me feel better."

"So you admit you're not feeling well."

"I'm fine, everything's just a bit loud right now. My other senses are fine, it's fine."

"Is that why you're shielding your eyes with your hands?"

Again, Peter hadn't even realized he had buried his own face into his hands, seeking refuge from the harsh overhead lights. Gosh, why did schools always have those annoying lights? Peter quickly put his hands down after being caught.

"Smooth." MJ rolled her eyes.

"I just wanna make it through school and then maybe I'll skip AcaDec, okay?"

"Peter, you haven't even opened your lunch and I know you love eating as much as you love reading the little notes May and Mr. Stark put in there every day." Ned's big round eyes were staring back at him when he chanced a look at his best friend.

Peter debated whether it was worth it to keep the charade up or not. If he opened his lunch he wasn't certain the smell wouldn't add to the problem, but he really did like the notes May and Mr. Stark always slipped in.

Before he could reach for the zipper on his Spider-man lunch box, someone nearby dropped their plastic tray, the clattering noise reverberated through Peter's head. He flinched and immediately covered his ears as the sound seemed to tip the scales into overwhelming sensory input. The screeching world around him whited out a moment before coming back blaringly garbled. It slowly dialed down to a painful but tolerable level, sort of. Peter incrementally relaxed the tight hold his hands had on his head, also relaxing his clenched jaw before looking up at the others. He saw MJ, Ned and Rusty all staring at him. His friends stayed silent, understanding and worry in their faces.

Rusty had noted his handler’s distress and was now sitting on the floor to his left in a heel position. He was at attention and ready to intervene if needed. Maybe he needed to get his master’s funny ears, they helped sometimes. But squirrels, they were locked in the wall cage and he knew he wouldn’t be able to get them. Thankfully he could see his human calming down a bit. Peter exhaled and gave Rusty a couple pats.

"Dude."

"Peter."

"Are you gonna make me call Mr. Stark again? Cuz I will even though you know I hate talking on the phone! Even if it is with Iron Man!"

"No, Ned, I just have a bit of a headache. You can have my lunch if you want though, I'm not gonna eat it and I don’t want it to go to waste.” His friends had unfortunately handled situations like this one before and knew how stubborn Peter could be, especially when it came to his own well-being which was all the more frustrating for everyone involved.

“I’ll take your cosmic brownie but you should save the rest for later.”

After a few minutes of quiet conversation, at their table at least, the bell rang. Peter took a deep breath before grabbing his lunch box and Rusty’s leash. He walked with Ned back to their lockers while MJ headed straight to the auditorium for the guest speaker they had coming for the afternoon.

“Are you sure it’s not going to be too loud with everyone all together for the presentation?” Ned asked as they dropped their lunches off.

“I don’t know man. I think it’ll be okay. And besides, I still have Spanish after. I’ll plan to skip AcaDec practice, okay? Straight home after school, I promise.” Peter tried to reassure Ned but was really trying to bolster himself. His skin felt scratchy and his ears had been aching since before lunch but he really couldn’t skip. He had missed half a week of school just a couple weeks ago after getting hurt on patrol. If he could tolerate it, he figured he should try to save his absences for when he really needed them. Of course, his friends and family seemed to have a different opinion when it came to their definition of necessity.

The pair, with Rusty in between, began walking with everyone else towards the auditorium. Peter was glad he didn’t have to keep a hold of his books or lunch anymore, instead trying to focus solely on holding tightly to Rusty’s leash as the crowd around them seemed to thicken. And wow, there were so many people all together in one space. When did the hallway get so small?

Rusty knew that a lot of people around wasn’t the best for his human, and he especially didn’t like how close they all were. He could feel the waves of tension beginning to build in his boy and made sure to create extra extra space between them and all the other people. Peter’s breath quickened as all his classmates and other students started filing into the narrow doors and he was somehow stuck in the middle of the slow moving mass. Gosh where did Ned go? How did he...He had to...Okay, yeah, he couldn’t breathe.

Before he could really spiral and cause a scene, the thought of which only made him more anxious, he was being tugged away from all the people. He squinted his eyes as the combination of people bumping him, the noise levels fluctuating and the stupid overhead lights flaring were all way too much. He couldn’t catch his breath and he had no clue where he was being led but he didn’t even care. As he left the busy area, the pain in his head was still screeching like static but felt a decibel more tolerable. He opened his eyes more and found himself in a lonely hallway with Rusty confidently pulling him along. Peter would have smiled but he was almost certain the extra movement would hurt.

The pair paused once they reached the end of the dead-end hallway, it even had a broken light but Peter was sure that was a coincidence. He looked at Rusty who was looking right back at him. He decided to just sit and let his senses balance out a bit, maybe try some starfish breathing. Yeah, definitely in need of some breathing techniques. He was almost certain his vitals spiked enough for his watch to have alerted Mr. Stark but he didn’t have the wherewithal to contemplate that right now. As Peter sat on the cool tile floor, he let go of Rusty’s leash and began running his hand up and down the dog as his furry friend stood next to him.

“Rusty, closer.” Peter whispered and the dog listened. Rusty stepped forward and sat in between his master’s outstretched legs, snout just a couple inches from the boy’s nose, allowing him to be pet more easily. Peter huffed out a breath, wrapped his arms around the dog and buried his face into Rusty’s neck. He felt some of the tightness in his shoulders ease as he concentrated on the comforting warmth he was leaning heavily on.

The boy focused as much as he could on the sensation of the fur under his hands and not on the air prickling at his skin or the hundreds of heartbeats thrumming from across the school. Bit by bit he was able to tune the world down until he wasn’t brimming on the edge of complete overload or panic. He opened his eyes halfway and leaned back against the wall. “Thanks buddy, I really owe you one.”

Rusty continued to sit perfectly in front of his human boy; enjoying all the attention while helping his master settle at the same time was a good feeling. He’s sure his human got overwhelmed because of all the people and their distracting smells and sights. Even he had trouble focusing sometimes and he was trained! He couldn’t imagine how tough it must be for his boy who he knew hadn’t gone to all the classes he had, besides the last couple of course. That’s okay though, he was there to make sure his human was alright and stayed that way. They made a good team, Rusty thought. He got to go on walks, and got lots of pats, and lots of snuggles too all while making his master feel better. Yup, a good team.

Chapter Text

Peter wished he could say that having Rusty by his side solved all his problems, but he couldn’t. His problems ran deeper than that and his therapist would probably be proud he was able to acknowledge that without being overwhelmed by it.

Peter opened his eyes and the moment he did, he wished he hadn’t. He swung his arm over to shut his alarm off and it felt like he had already expended the only energy he was given for the day. He didn’t even retract his arm, leaving it where it was draped over his nightstand and clock. He squeezed his eyes shut trying to avoid thinking about every task he had to get done today, even as they flashed across his mind in grey colorscale.

The worst part was that on a regular day, going to school, Acadec and lab time wouldn’t even make him blink, and he knew it. He knew the activities of the day were one-hundred percent accomplishable because he’d done them a thousand times. Unfortunately, he also knew that didn’t mean a thing when dealing with mental illness.

A knock on the door broke him out of his thoughts. “Hey Squirt, you better get up if you don’t wanna be late, again. You know, it’s kinda surprising you haven’t had more truancy meetings actually.” Tony joked as he entered the room.

"Yeah they don't really bring it up much when you're an orphan with a dead uncle."

Tony froze in place. If that mumbled statement didn't tell him what mood the kid was in, the dull unfocused eyes staring at nothing would have. Tony took a seat on the edge of the bed near Peter's hip. He placed a hand on the kid's back and ran long circles up and down the knotted muscles.

"Pete."

"M sorry."

"It's okay Bud. How have you been sleeping lately?"

Peter turned on his side to see the man better, grateful that Tony didn't retract his hand as he repositioned. "Rusty's woken me up once in the last few nights but it wasn't anything major. Where is he?"

"He's outside getting some fresh air with Happy. Don't tell him I said this but the guy would do just about anything to spend some time with animals. He loves 'em."

Peter didn't reply, he didn't feel like he had much to say even if he had the motivation to. Tony's eyebrows furrowed in concern. He hated seeing his lively kid so...deflated.

"I'm going to call you off school today. Do you want a session with Dr. Nelson?"

"Wan' Rusty." Peter mumbled after a moment of thought, his face halfway smushed in his pillow.

"Alright Bud, I'll go get him." As Tony went to stand, he was stopped by a tug on the bottom of his shirt. He looked down and saw Peter's small fist holding him, even as the boy stared off to the side not making eye contact.Tony would be lying if he said his heart didn't melt a little bit at the sight. "Okay Roo, I hear ya. FRIDAY, be a dear and let Happy know we require Rusty's presence." He said as he sat back down, this time with his back supported against the headboard. Peter scooted over just enough to make room for him before merely sliding his arm off the nightstand and over Tony's legs.

Peter tried to let the warmth of having Tony close by seep into him. Normally it would do the trick, having May or Tony at his side, fingers combing through his hair like they did now but he knew it wasn't a normal day. Today was a heavy day.

A knock on the door interrupted Peter's thoughts for the second time.

"Hey Boss, hey Mini Me." Happy said opening the door as he let Rusty in, disrupting the silence of the room.

Rusty hopped on to the bed, taking one of his most familiar positions, laying the length of Peter's legs with just his head resting on the boy's lap.

Peter moved his arm off of Tony to pet the soft fur along the side of his dog's face, letting his fingers feel the smoothness as he slowly dragged his hand along it repetitively. He looked down at the big brown eyes, getting lost in the depth and comfort they exuded.

"Thanks Happy." Peter said, unable to look up and away from one of the things he felt his attention drawn to.

"Any time Kid, I mean it." His tone was light and fond despite the important intent of his words. He'd only seen the kid in this bad of a funk once or twice but it always left him unsettled. He would take the mindless endless chatter any day over what he was seeing now. He returned to the silent conversation he was having with Tony before the kid unknowingly interrupted.

Tony's eyes were concerned but honestly that was nothing new when it came to the kid. Happy and Rhodey always teased him about the mother henning, even if they were just as bad they at least knew to hide it better. Happy raised his eyebrow and nodded towards the kitchen in an attempt to ask if they pair needed anything fetched.

Tony gave a little shake of his head, they'd be fine for now. He continued brushing the boy's hair back from his forehead, letting it soothe some of the emotion in his chest.

"Thanks Hap, I'll text you later."

"Sounds good Boss, see you 'round." Happy partially closed the door as he turned and left.

The remaining pair and dog stayed in bed awhile longer. Peter wasn't sure how long exactly, he didn't really care to know. He was drifting while completely awake. He followed one trail of thought before another tried to get his attention, dragging him in endless circles.

From above where he laid, Tony kept an eye on Peter and Rusty. Occasionally reaching over to run a hand over the golden retriever's face, praising him for doing a good job even though the lack of vest meant he wasn't currently 'on the job' so to speak.

"Pete, buddy, you awake?"

"Mhmm."

"I'm gonna go make us a late breakfast okay? Do you and Rusty want to come out for a little bit?"

"No."

"Are you sure? I'll let you burn the bacon all you want."

"'M sure."

"Alright Buddy, I won't be too long." Tony said as he got up slowly enough to let Peter reposition from where he was leaning against him. He then turned towards Rusty who's head turned to watch him get up "You keep him company while I'm gone or no milk bones later." He smiled as the dog simply laid his head back down on Peter's legs. Gosh, those brown eyes were something else. His heart always melted at big brown eyes looking up at him with so much knowledge and understanding in them.

After Tony had left, Peter couldn't keep himself from spiraling. It only made him hate himself more, the fact that having Tony or May by his side really did make him feel better. He shouldn't need them to be okay and he definitely shouldn't put his problems on others, especially since they have their own stuff going on. May is always working so hard, no doubt trying to keep up with the burden a nephew like him causes. And Tony, gosh, Tony is the owner of a multi-billion dollar company and a legit superhero, not to mention all the other things they both have going on in their lives. Gosh, how pathetic. And why on Earth did they even want to be around him anyway? He always seemed to take, take, take. He took up their time and their money and he knows he causes so much stress.

At some point in being stuck in his endless thoughts, he had squeezed his eyes tightly closed, his hands fisted in his sheet. He hadn't even realized he had the energy to get so angry, at himself, at the world. He came back to himself with enough knowledge to know he needed to get his panting breaths under control, if for no other reason than to make sure Friday didn't alert Mr. Stark. Wouldn't want to add more stress to the man, right?

As he calmed himself down, he noticed Rusty had scooted over a bit, now with his snout resting on top of the boy's fisted hand. The cold wetness was enough to move his attention more fully onto the dog.

"I'm such a mess, Rusty, I'm sorry you got me as an owner." At his name, Rusty perked up a bit. His head tilted slightly before sitting up to stare better at his boy.

"Sorry, sorry. Didn't mean for you to get up." Peter mumbled, sitting up himself since he wanted to hold Rusty anyways. Peter leaned over and wrapped an arm around his dog, rubbing his own face against the dog's fluffy flank. Rusty stayed where he was gently held, leaning lightly into his master. His soft panting shook the pair just a bit where they sat cuddled. After about a minute, Rusty turned and jumped off the bed, paws padding against the floor as he left the room.

"Wow," Peter started, "rejected by man's own best friend. That's a new low even for you Parker." He was just about to flop back down into bed when Rusty returned. "Oh, you came back, I was just getting ready to decide if Ned was gonna leave me next."

Rusty hopped back on to the bed, but this time he was carrying something in his mouth. A leash.

Peter was quiet as he stared at Rusty and Rusty stared back, the occasional tail wag sweeping across the bed and back made the only sound in the room. Their stare down didn't last too long before Peter gave in.

"Ugggh. Fine! You win. I'm not getting changed though." Peter groaned out as he sat up, shamelessly glaring at the dog the whole while. He grabbed the red and blue leash before he shuffled his way into the hallway to find Rusty's vest. He nearly smacked face first into Mr. Stark who must have been heading his way.

"Woah, kiddo. You're up!" The man's face was a multitude of emotion, surprised, confused, maybe a little proud.

Peter looked away, he didn't need to add other people's feelings on top of his own today. "Yeah. You seen Rusty's vest?"

"Yup. His uniform is washed and on the kitchen island. I was just coming to get you, food's on." Tony put his arm around the boy and steered them towards the kitchen, Rusty dutifully followed half a step behind.

As soon as Peter smelt the food his stomach turned. He knew he couldn't actually skip any meals, not unless he wanted a lot more problems than he had now, but he figured if he didnt take Rusty out now, it'd be too easy to excuse later on.

"Actually, Mr. Stark, I think I'm gonna go outside quick with Rusty first." He didn't miss the way the man's eyes squinted at him. "I'll eat, I promise. I just...maybe fresh air…" Peter trailed off. Thankfully Tony's face softened in understanding so he didn't have to figure out more words.

"I understand. Let me turn the stove off and I'll head out with you, if that's okay, I mean?"

"S fine, I'll get my shoes on." Peter agreed, chest loosening just a smidge.

"And a coat! Can't forget a coat!" Tony hollered down the hall.

"It's seventy degrees out Mr. Stark." Peter deadpanned.

"Yeah, that's like fifty degrees in spider weather. Coat."

After shoes, service vest, leash, and one coat were donned the trio made their way outside to find some joy in the sun.

They stayed out longer than any of them thought they would, besides Rusty of course since he usually got his way.

As they made their way up to the Penthouse, Tony was happy to see a bit more ease in Peter's expression, even if there was still hurt swirling behind the boy's eyes.

And Rusty was all too happy to have taken his humans on a walk. It was always fun getting to smell all the different things outside and watch all the people walking around, although he always makes sure to pay most attention to his boy, he matters most after all. He could tell the human didn't feel good today, he wasn't talking a lot and when he did his happy voice was gone, and he didn't get any chases in around the living room before the funny older human made them stop, and they spent a lot more time laying in bed today too but it's okay. He took his boy for a walk and he was sure his master got to smell lots of smells and that's probably why he felt a little better.

Once they reached their floor, Peter took Rusty's leash off his harness and hung it up by the elevator entryway.

"So, are you gonna crawl into bed or do you wanna try the couch for a little while?" Tony asked as they took their shoes off. He made sure to keep his tone light and inoffensive as possible, not wanting the kid to think anything more of his words than just what they were. He knew Peter's anxiety, much like his own, had an amazing way of twisting normal words into something of much different meaning.

"Um. Couch." Peter decided as he threw his jacket, that he begrudgingly did end up needing, onto one of the hooks. With his back to Tony, he missed the beaming smile that was sent his way. It was a small decision, deciding between the two places, but it still felt like a victory in a way. Tony decided right then that Pete would be getting extra chocolate chips in his pancakes, and if Rusty got an extra milkbone or two well, he was just in a grateful mood that's all.

Tony threw his arm over his kid's shoulder, warmth spreading through him as the boy leaned against him while they made their way to the kitchen.

Peter himself enjoyed the closeness of both his companions bracketing him on either side. He knew 'happy' wasn't always an achievable goal, especially on days like these, but the constant reminder of Mr. Stark's unending support made him think that maybe it was okay to lean on others a bit, until the happy moments were easier to come by. Having Mr. Stark and Rusty by his side didn't solve all his problems, but it sure did make things seem just a bit more conquerable. And if that's all he had to hold on to on days like this, well, he knew he'd be okay.

Chapter Text

Peter had an amazing therapist, an encouraging family, and an incredible service dog. Don’t get him wrong, he was extremely grateful for the support and resources he had at his fingertips, but sometimes that made him feel worse. He had all these things and yet, his anxiety didn’t seem to care one bit. It was aggravating knowing that so many people didn’t have any of the help he did and yet here he was still struggling. Dr. Nelson would probably say something like even with the right tools, recovery isn’t linear. And oh how he knew that little tidbit to be true. He had been doing so well the last few weeks, no nightmares, no panic attacks, nothing. Of course things had to take a turn on Avengers movie night.

It started off small thankfully, and since Peter had been doing so well he figured hey, maybe it’ll just stay small. The quiet buzz of anxiety under his skin made him feel a bit itchy but he could handle that. Thankfully school was done for the weekend and he didn’t have to contain himself to a static desk in a quiet classroom any longer.

Peter smiled when he walked down the school steps with Rusty and saw Tony’s car out front. When Peter first got a rusty he had been worried that the dog would scratch up the man's expensive leather seats but it turned out to not be a problem.

Like that first day with Rusty, they both hopped into the familiar audi and took their normal positions with Peter in front and his well mannered furry companion simply laying down in the back seat, no claws, no leather ripping, none of that.

“Hi Mr. Stark! Happy Friday!” Peter greeted as he buckled up.

“Hey Kid, hi Pup. How was school?”

“The usual. Although Betty and Ned might be dating again. It’s hard to tell with them sometimes.” Peter was nearly bouncing in his seat as they drove towards the Tower, continually turning to look back at his dog then out the window and back again.

Tony of course noticed the kid’s antsy behavior but wasn’t too worried yet if the kid was still able to grin Rusty’s way whenever he looked over his shoulder at him.

“You know he's not gonna disappear if you take your eyes off him, right? I mean, we are in a locked and moving vehicle after all.”

“I know but Mr. Stark! Just look at him! It's been a few months but it’s still so cool he’s mine. He's such a good boy, I mean his whole deal is literally to be of service to others. It’s amazing!” Peter said, partially turned in his seat, watching Rusty lay still with his head resting on his paws and big brown eyes watching him curiously.

Instead of looking back, Tony glanced towards his kid with softening eyes. “Yeah Buddy, pretty amazing.”

Tony took a moment to appreciate the smile the kid was sporting. He never wanted that smile to fade, although he knew that was an unfair expectation to have when it came to dealing with PTSD and anxiety. He would know after all.

---

Once they made it back to the Tower, Tony had plenty of time to observe his spider-kid without the distraction of driving. They went through their regular routine of walking Rusty, having a snack, finishing homework before the weekend truly started and then settled in for team dinner, hopefully getting through it without a fork in anyone’s eye (long story).

"I call dibs on sitting next to Peter!" Tony said as he set a bowl of salad at the full table. He had gotten more than one amused and slightly concerned look from the others over the last couple hours of keeping an eye on Peter but he knew his kid and he knew what anxiety looked like in him.

Peter threw a confused smile his mentor's way from where he was already seated but still pulled the chair next to him out for the man. As Steve and Bruce finished setting out platters and bowls, Peter turned his focus on Rusty who was happily watching the room full of people take their seats for chow time.

"I'll feed you soon Bud, but you-know-who is making me eat first. Yes he is." Peter teased as he ruffled Rusty's ears a few times.

"A growing Spider-boy needs his nutrients, Roo." Tony chimed in, ignoring the eye roll sent his way.

"Wow, is there like a broken record in here or something?"

Sam snorted from across the table and ignored another eye roll, although this one was specifically meant for him.

"You should listen to Tony, you need to eat your veggies so you grow tall and don't end up short like him." Sam joked as he tilted his head towards Tony.

"Laugh it up. I know the guy who fixes your wings, Birdie."

"Alright, let's just enjoy this nice hot meal, okay?" Steve tried to settle everyone even though it never worked.

Peter couldn't contain a groan at Steve's mention of a hot meal exactly like his PSA videos. He connected eyes with Steve whose face was questioning until it reddened in dawning understanding. Peter outright laughed as Steve ducked his head and began shoveling broccoli into his mouth.

Peter ignored the questioning glances from the others, deciding his knowledge would best be used if saved for the right opportunity later.

Smaller conversations started up around the table as dinner continued; all the while Tony kept watch over Peter, noting the boy eating a little slower and not responding to jokes as much either. But since Peter hadn’t actually mentioned anything about his anxiety yet, Tony figured it was best to not bring it up and keep his helicoptering to a minimum, or at least the appearance of so. Besides, he wasn’t the only one overprotective of the kid. Rusty was always alert and by his boy’s side. Tony knew to watch Rusty just as much as Peter since he was like an early alert system for the kid.

After everyone finished eating and cleaning up, they adjourned to the living room to get comfortable for the evening when Bruce spoke up.

"Guys, I'm gonna head back to my lab for tonight. I'm trying to find some different molecular entities that will generate new functional molecules."

Peter perked up a little bit at that even if almost everyone else simply nodded and took their usual spots.

"Are you using different biosynthetic pathways or Carbon-Carbon bond formation between different components?" Peter asked, completely missing the impressed looks on everyone's faces. Organic chemistry was pretty much Peter's Thing, ya know besides the whole crime fighting web slinging Thing.

Bruce stepped closer towards Peter, eyes lighting up at the potential discussion. "Actually, I'm combining-"

"Okay, okay! No shop talk in the living room! It's movie night not science dudes lab day." Clint said.

"It's Science Bros, but he's right kiddo. We have all day tomorrow to geek out with Bruce. How about we relax tonight?" Tony could watch his kid ramble on forever, and he knew he could too, but Tony wanted to wind the kid down not up.

"Okay, okay. That sounds good too. I'll see you tomorrow Dr. Banner!"

Bruce gave a happy wave as he headed towards the elevator while everyone else settled into their usual lounging spots.

Thor and Clint took one couch filled with snacks in between them, Natasha took the loveseat and was already slipping sideways to get more comfortable, while Steve Bucky and Sam took the long couch, leaving Tony, Rusty and Peter on the corner couch.

While the rest of the humans got settled and were waiting for the talking box to start, Rusty nestled his way onto his master’s lap. He was glad to see the kind man was within reach as well.

The team learned very early on that a bit of organization was best when approaching a group movie night. They had a list of everyone’s recommended movies and a rotation for who got to pick on which night so that everyone had an idea of what to expect ahead of time.

"Natasha's pick tonight right, Friday?" Clint asked the room at large.

"Correct, Mr. Barton."

"Ooh! What production has Lady Natasha chosen for us tonight?"

The woman in question sent a smirk towards Tony and Steve, most excited in their reactions. She knew Tony would roll his eyes and Steve would no doubt have some interesting thoughts on the fantasy.

"Let her play, Friday." Natasha requested and the lights automatically dimmed.

Tony groaned as the title song played but he secretly enjoyed the series that Peter loved so much, even if it was as far from science as one could get.

Peter was pleased as soon as the first notes of the opening played and couldn't help but laugh at his mentor's exaggerated irritation at it. As Peter assumed his usual couch position, resting against Tony’s chest with the man's arm wrapped around him, he absentmindedly began petting Rusty who also snuggled close. Peter hummed a bit in satisfaction at the comfortable position he found himself in. It still felt unreal sometimes, not only having Rusty but Tony and all the other Avengers in his life too. He honestly felt so undeserving sometimes but he tried not to let his thoughts turn down that path at the moment.

Rusty decided that even though the talking box could steal his attention sometimes, that would not be the case tonight. His boy had been off all day, not a lot, but enough to keep his ears perked for more trouble. He also saw the older human looking at him more often too which usually meant Rusty would have some soothing to do.

Peter thought the movie choice would help his plan to settle in and focus but that proved to be easier said than done since by the time Harry and Ron met on the Hogwarts train, Peter was already trying not to squirm and change positions for the third time. He knew the last thing to help the thrum of anxiety racing through him would be for the others to notice it or god forbid comment on it, excluding the two who were always hyper-aware obviously.

Tony thankfully didn't comment or make a big deal out of his jitteriness, simply rubbing a steady up and down motion on the kid's arm. And Rusty was all too happy to nudge his snout into Peter's belly whenever he thought the boy needed a distraction, earning him some ear ruffles and pats in return. Peter sent his pup a soft smile before turning back to the tv and occasionally chiming in to the various conversations around the room.

Rusty noticed his human was still wound up, but he had some more tricks up his fur! Rusty sat up and waited until the boy finished chatting with the giant man who was kindly dropping food all over the floor as he ate. As soon as his boy was done speaking, Rusty leaned forward eagerly and started licking Peter's face. He made sure to kiss him all over his face and was pleased at the giggles that followed. Rusty took notice of the kind man's laughter as well and couldn't keep his pride from bubbling up within, letting his tail wag wild. He continued to lick the boy's chin and cheeks and nose until he got peppered with kisses in return. He had never had his own human before, but he figured he got the best one in the whole world.

After the trio calmed down a bit from the laughter fit, Tony murmured a soft, "You good?"

Peter hummed in return, trying his best not to concentrate on the uncomfortable feeling that ached in his chest for no reason.

"Just nerves, don't know why." Peter whispered back.

"Can I do anything?"

"Not much more to do." Peter shrugged, knowing very well that once his nerves started acting up there was no walaying them.

"More snuggles it is then." Tony nodded matter of factly as he moved his hand up to run through Peter's curls.

"Can't hurt."

And it didn't, but it also didn't help as much as Peter wished it had. He decided the external distractions were not working so he held on to Rusty's harness handle and closed his eyes to try and ground himself.

He honestly didn't know how it happened but half a minute later he was completely spiralling. He squeezed his eyes shut in vain hope that he could ignore everything, especially the liquid panic bubbling up inside. His breaths came too quickly without any chance of true ventilation and oxygen exchange. Even without sight the world felt skewed and tilted out of balance. Peter knew he heard distant voices, probably Mr. Stark's, but all that did was send dizzying images through his mind.

Peter had no way to tell how long he was lost in the flashes of the past but it was long enough for his chest to ache. He felt completely stuck, until he didn't. Awareness slowly started washing over him, including the sound of...growling?

---

Rusty knew the instant things took a turn for his boy. The jump of his heartbeat, the tensing of his muscles and the smell of fear was almost overwhelming. Rusty immediately began whimpering to make sure everyone knew what was happening. He was glad to see the kind man startle and sit up, turning his attention to his boy.

The older humans were aware now but Rusty still had work to do. Thankfully, his master's master gently took hold of the boy's shoulders and laid him down fully on the couch. Rusty rushed forward along the cushions until he could lay on the boy's chest and stomach.

He tried to calm his own frenzied energy as he looked between all the humans and back to his boy. As soon as his human started whimpering,Rusty noticed almost every human in the room took a step towards them. He couldn't explain why but his instincts were screaming for space. His boy needed him and he needed space. And maybe the kind man too. But everyone else was a no!

Rusty jumped down from the distressed boy to the ground in front of the couch. He faced the humans and felt the deep growling rise up from the back of his throat. He had to let the humans know his thoughts on their overwhelming approach. His little body just kept screaming protect, protect, protect.

"Rusty! Go to Peter." Tony instructed the dog who caught his eye and immediately returned to his boy. Thankfully he himself apparently had the dog's approval seeing as he received no reprimand for staying close to Peter. In that moment, Tony felt such a strong bond with the dog; they both loved Peter to pieces and felt the need to keep him safe at all times.

"It's okay, we're okay." Tony honestly wasn't sure which party he was speaking to but the reassurances seemed to apply to everyone. He saw Peter begin blinking, trying to regain focus. He saw the other Avengers frozen where they stood, heeding the dog's command to stay. And he saw Rusty lay completely on top of Peter's chest and stomach, providing as much pressure as possible.

Tony's was seated at Peter's head, hands cupping his kid's face as he hovered over him as he reoriented himself.

"Wha' um, what?"

Eloquent.

"You back with us, Buddy?" Tony asked, rubbing his thumb across Peter's cheek, wiping away an errant tear.

"Uh, yes?"

Tony saw the moment Peter realized what had happened; the boy's gaze darted to everyone looking at him and his cheeks blushed.

"None of that, Roo." Tony softly chided as he gave a little tap where his thumb rested.

The Avengers had the grace to give them the room for a few moments it seemed as they all filed out quietly after seeing Peter back to himself.

Peter decided to ignore the gentle looks of concern as everyone left and instead looked down at the comforting weight against his chest. He came nose to nose with Rusty who began wagging his tail when he saw his boy looking at him.

Peter heaved a sigh, his breath coming out in a stutter as it returned to normal. He took stock of himself and couldn't describe just how much it grounded him having Rusty laying on top of him. He would have thought it'd make him feel claustrophobic or restrained but instead it felt so safe, like he was cocooned and nothing could big him.

He must have made a content sound as he relaxed back into the cushions since Peter heard a quiet chuckle from above him. He opened his eyes again and sure enough he saw Mr. Stark smiling at him.

"Is Rusty okay where he is?" Tony asked, nodding towards the eighty pound dog sprawled across him.

"'He's perfect." Peter soaked up the warmth he was surrounded by on both sides. He kept his mind as clear as possible, not wanting to tempt fate with a follow up panic episode.

Rusty was more than pleased to hear his master's earlier panting return to normal, and his body language was much calmer than it'd been all day too. He decided his boy had earned a couple good licks across the face and was happy to oblige. He then tucked his head under his human's chin and made sure to nuzzle down as much as he could. Rusty felt himself relaxing at the slow rhythm of the chest beneath him expanding and contracting. Yup, he could stay here awhile.

Tony also felt himself relax as he listened to the kid's steady breathing. He moved one hand to run through Peter's honey-brown curls.

"Kid, don't fall asleep here." Tony tugged a little on a curl, causing Peter to blink his eyes open again.

"Not sleepin', yo're sleeping."

"Mhmm. Well as convincing as your argument is, I think we should get you in bed. You'd be more comfortable, especially after the hooligans return."

"Nooo. I'm comfy here with, with you 'nd Rusty." Peter felt the man next to him sigh, probably in defeat.

"So I can tell them they can come back and keep watching sorcerers waving around sticks while ignoring the use of normal pens and pencils?"

"Wizar's, not sorcerers."

"Whatever you say Buddy, whatever you say. Fri, let the others know they can come back now."

Everyone came back to the living room just as quietly as they had left it, each sending Tony, Peter and Rusty warm looks.

"Kid's okay?" Steve directed his question towards Tony since he was the only one who looked awake of the three.

"Not completely, but you know how it goes."

Everyone nodded solemnly, completely understanding the struggles that occurred "behind the scenes" so to speak.

"He's got us. We'll make sure he's okay." Natasha added, followed by more nods of agreeance.

"Damn right we will." Tony said as he smiled at the pair cuddled next to him, soft snores coming from both the boy and his dog.

Chapter Text

Green eyes.

Crushing Weight.

No air.

“Nnnh..no please! No. Noo.”

Whistling wind.

Deafening metallic scraping.

“Please...I. Can’t. I can’t.”

Peter gaspsed awake, trying to draw in as much breath as possible. He awoke to a pair of brown eyes about an inch from his own that - wait brown eyes? Not green?

Wait, eyes?! What?!

“I, I…” Peter tried to expand his lungs against the sludge that seemed to be surrounding and disorienting him.

“Rusty! Up! Up!” He called out into the darkness, his hand reaching wildly out like a fish stuck on a line.

His breath hitched as soon as he felt the knotted pull he kept close by. He gripped the steel handle and was grateful when, who he assumed was Rusty, helped to pull him upright by grabbing the other end. Like a very helpful game of tug and war.

“Lights! Lights!” Peter called out once he was sitting upright. The abrupt change from inky blackness to piercing white when the lights came on blinded him, sending him spiraling once more into overwhelming territory. His arms flailed in panic, unable to sit idly by while his body was steeped in anxiety.

Rusty, who had watched his human awaken after worrisome mumbling and whimpers, was continuing to watch his boy in distress. He helped his human to sit up but waited for a further command...until he saw his boy’s panic worsen. Maybe Peter needed his special ears? The ones he needed sometimes when he wasn’t feeling good.

With that in mind, Rusty jumped off the bed and trotted over to the desk in the corner. Gently using his teeth, he grabbed the green set of earmuffs that usually made his boy’s pain go away. He quickly returned to his boy who was curled up with his eyes tightly pinched shut so Rusty nudged the headphones against Peter’s arm to get his attention.

Peter squinted momentarily to see what was going on and caught a flash of familiar green. But he didn’t need his noise cancelling headphones right now. If anything, the thought of his senses being taken away only sunk him further into the terror he seemed to be stuck in.

When his human closed his eyes, started muttering again and shook his head, Rusty drooped a bit. He was so sure that was what his boy needed but he was apparently wrong. His own dis-ease worsened when Peter began scratching at the crook of his arm; a nervous tic Rusty was familiar with by now.

Peter felt like he was lost, drop drop dropping further into a pit of overwhelming unease and breathlessness. He’d had nightmares before, sure, but for some reason thinking about his nightmares coming back, and oh what if they came back way more frequently, just made his anxiety worse. He didn’t even realize he was rubbing his fingertips forcefully up and down his arm near his elbow until Rusty stepped closer and literally laid across his lap, effectively burying Peter’s arms below his fur.

Peter huffed out a breath as he was momentarily shaken from his thoughts. He leaned forward to rest his forehead against Rusty’s soft flank, trying to focus on the feel and texture of the fur and not the haunting images that wanted to dance across his mind.

“That uh, thanks. Thanks buddy,” Peter said, his voice muffled from where his face was smooshed into Rusty’s side, being jostled up and down in a steady rhythm with every breath Rusty panted.

Rusty wasn’t sure how long it took with his human hunched over him and buried in his fur but after a while quiet snores filled the otherwise silent room. Aww, his boy literally fell asleep on him.

Rusty finally laid his head down, resting himself on his paws that were still draped over his boy’s legs. His ears dropped forward as he allowed himself to relax, hopefully for the rest of the night.

Or about twenty minutes as it turned out.

Rusty’s ears perked up at the first distressed noise Peter made the second time around. He figured the boy was still asleep seeing as he hadn’t moved from his position but he was flinching and starting to mumble.

“No, no. Stop, please.”

Rusty wasn’t sure if he should move to help wake the boy or continue laying with him and provide him what little comfort he may be getting from his provided warmth.

“Hhhelp, please mis’er Sta’k. Help! Tony!”

The decision was made for him apparently. Rusty sat up as soon as he heard the familiar name. He could get that! Rusty slowly moved away from his boy, seeing him slump sideways instead. He knew getting the kind older human would help but Rusty’s heart still ached when he heard a whimpering mewl from his boy once he jumped down from the bed.

Rusty picked up his pace and ran down the hall to his second favorite human’s door that was cracked open. Rusty lowered his head and pushed his snout into the tiny slip of space causing the door to open fully. He hopped up onto the bed and nudged his snout into the sleeping man’s face which was more than enough to startle the paranoid man awake.

Tony awoke with a shout, sitting up in a flash with his hand forward and ready to fire.

“What?! What!”

Rusty barked. Man, humans were hard to get focused.

“Rusty, what are you- PETER!” Tony effectively cut himself off as soon as he pieced together why he would be abruptly woken in the middle of the night. He threw his covers off and ran alongside Rusty back to Peter’s room.

As the duo rushed in, Tony let out a heavy breath at the sad sight of his kid who frankly looked terrible. Peter was sitting up once more in bed, his doe eyes red and puffy from crying, tears streaking his round cheeks and loud hiccups straining from his throat.

“Oh, Kid.” Tony stepped the rest of the way into the room and sat on the bed next to his child, while Rusty took the spot on Peter’s other side.

Tony wasn’t new to the upset having nightmares caused. He also wasn’t unfamiliar with Peter’s struggles with them, having been in this exact position before more times than he would like. He knew holding the boy close would help to settle him and did exactly that.

Without a word and before long, the pair slowly transitioned to laying down. Once Peter’s sobs and hiccups ceased, Tony leant forward and placed a gentle kiss on the side of Peter’s head.

“Sleep tight, Buddy. I’m not going anywhere. And neither is Rusty, huh?” Tony pointed his question at the dog currently stretching almost the entire length of Peter’s left side.

Rusty lifted his eyebrows to look over at Tony, before settling back down as close to his human as possible.

That was answer enough to Tony, who quickly found himself dozing off too.

Chapter Text

Peter knew better than to go to bed with his anxiety beginning to make itself known, but he had optimistically hoped that if he ignored his nervous stomach it’d go away.

Turns out it only led to nightmares and more upset.

He was choking on nothing. Why couldn't he breathe? Where was the air? Surrounded by inky darkness, Peter couldn't see what was squeezing his chest, his throat. It was like a gnarled hand was clamped over his nose and mouth making him writhe trying to suck in air.

Shots and sirens rang out in the otherwise deafening abyss he was lost in. He reached and clawed and kicked. He needed to get out. He needed to breathe. Swirls of confusing images crashed into him, images and sounds all clashing into an overwhelming symphony of chaos.

“Noo, no. Please…” Peter whimpered, thrashing in bed like a fish stuck on a line, tension coiled tight around him, unable to escape.

“Please, Tony...Dad, Dad.”

Dark tendrils and terrible memories oozed across his mind from behind his clamped eyelids, until something caught his attention.

Something...soft? Without opening his eyes, his hand reached out for whatever the source of warmth was. His hand clamped down and he felt the surface he was laying on shift. Before he knew it, a cold wet snout was being nuzzled against his face repeatedly.

Peter’s eyes snapped open and input from all around him flooded in. He could feel his clothes soaked through with cooling sticky sweat,
his lungs heaved with the effort to take in oxygen, a furry thing - Rusty, Rusty was laying nearly on top of him.

"What...what?" Peter questioned aloud. His stomach cramped painfully as a new wave of anxiety settled over him in his disorientation. He tried focusing his eyes to see the room around him but there was hardly any difference between his blinks. Keeping his bedroom as dark and silent as possible was usually beneficial to his senses but Peter was obviously regretting that decision as he laid panting, his heartbeat quickening in further panic.

Nearby movement reminded him Rusty was with him. Rusty crawled closer and gently bit down on the front of his boy’s shirt, near his collar. Once he had a good grip he started backing away, pulling the panicking human upright.

Peter was confused and almost lightheaded at the motion of being sat up but once he was there it seemed his lungs didn’t have to contract so hard for air.

Once Rusty got his human’s panting under better control, he hopped off the bed, pausing at the quiet whimper that came from behind him but carrying on all the same. He trotted over to the door and jumped up to nuzzle the light switch on. It was a little out of reach but he got it on his second try.

Peter’s eyes scrunched at the painful light but the relief at the ceded darkness was more than worth it.

“I, I…” Peter stuttered, trying to gain his bearings.

Rusty padded back to the edge of Peter’s bed, taking a seat on the floor looking straight up at his boy, ready to help more. He wasn’t sure why his boy was ignoring the invisible lady who’s voice kept trying to get Peter’s attention but he assumed his boy had a reason. Probably.

Rusty watched silently as his human began to curl into himself more, his eyes squeezed shut again as he slowly started rocking back and forth in a poor effort to self-soothe.

Peter’s thoughts had begun, or rather continued, to spiral. With the lights turned on, his focus changed from the nightmarish images that chewed him up in the dark to the feeling of dread caused by having a nightmare in the first place. And yes, he knew that hardly made sense but thinking about his anxiety episodes always seemed to kickstart his anxiety and the same went for nightmares.

Rusty of course noticed the tension immediately and realized that if the invisible voice couldn’t help, then maybe they needed someone with a real voice.

He turned tail, hating to leave his human in distress but knew that he had one more option, and if this option didn’t help then Rusty knew nothing would.

Neither Rusty or Peter knew it but before the Spiderling started sleeping over at the Compound and Tower, Tony always made sure to sleep with his door closed, locked, and secured six ways to Sunday. There was no way he would ever be caught unawares in such a vulnerable position as sleeping. Until of course, Peter Parker entered the equation.

A fact that Rusty was unknowingly very grateful for as he was able to walk right into the billionaire’s room even while he was sleeping. This wasn’t the first time Rusty had to retrieve the kind man to help soothe his boy, but it was the first time he would have to wake the man up to do so.

Rusty quickly made his way in the dark to where the man was sleeping. He didn’t want to startle the kind man when he knew he had troubles of his own but Peter was his first most priority and he knew the man felt the same.

Rusty stood as close to the bed as possible and growled as softly as he could before increasing the volume with rumbles and whining.

Tony stirred but wasn’t moving quickly enough for Rusty’s liking, so he let out a sharp BARK.

Tony flung himself upright, a similar action to Peter’s own just a few minutes earlier.

“What?! Huh, what?”

Rusty barked twice more and wagged his tail as soon as he saw he had caught the man’s attention.

“Rusty, what- Peter!” Tony flung his covers off and ran alongside Rusty as they made their way to Peter’s room, “Friday! Why didn’t you get me?”

“I was attempting to gain the Spiderling’s attention. One more unsuccessful attempt would have prompted further action, however in this case, Rusty acted more quickly.”

“Good boy, Rusty,” Tony commented, trying to calm his breathing as they reached the lit up bedroom at the end of the hall.

Rusty beat him back to the kid, jumping up on the bed but giving Peter enough space to continue rocking and the occasional hand flailing he was doing.

Tony blew out a breath. Okay, the Tower was not under attack, Peter was not being murdered by some crazy lunatic from his past, and he looked uninjured. Knowing all that made his chest loosen a bit but seeing the kid so worked up didn’t get rid of the ache in his heart.

Tony could hear the kid mumbling through choked gasps and hiccups but was unable to make out any of the words.

“Roo, buddy. It’s okay,” Tony slowly approached Peter, trying to catch his eye, “It’s okay, you’re okay honey. I’m right here and Rusty is right next to you too.”

Peter’s rocking motion slowed briefly as he lifted his head up. Frantic eyes met Tony’s, ushering the man to sit on the rumpled covers.

“Hey, there you are Petey. You had quite the scare, huh?” Tony wrapped an arm around Peter slowly, sitting close enough for the kid to all but collapse into him.

Peter grabbed onto Tony’s shirt like it was the last and only thing keeping him tethered to the ounce of safety he felt. In response, Tony continued to shush the boy, rubbing a hand firmly up and down his back to help ground him.

“Rusty. Water,” Tony commanded over the top of Peter’s head.

Rusty dutifully responded, jumping down from the bed and trotted to the kitchen. Once there, he pulled the knotted fridge handle that swung the door open. He stepped forward and gently grabbed the bottle of water that was always kept on the bottom shelf. Rusty made sure not to dig his teeth in too far. He then turned tail and ran back to his human.

Rusty was glad to hear his boy’s cries had settled some when he joined the pair on the bed again. He sat at attention in front of the cuddled man and boy ready to release the beverage when cued.

Rusty’s return caught Tony’s attention and even Peter’s eyes peeked up at his furry companion. Tony reached out for the water bottle while Peter moved a shaky hand away from its tight hold on his father figure and instead out to pet Rusty.

“Good boy, Doggo. Such a good boy,” Peter murmured as he stroked the smooth spot on top of Rusty’s head between his ears.

“How you feelin’ now, Kiddo? Should we get your meds or do you think it’s over?” Tony questioned, matching Peter’s quiet and soft tone.

Rusty perked up a bit at the mention of meds, knowing it was another task for him to retrieve them if asked to.

“Mm..no. I, I think I’m okay. They just put me to sleep and I’m honestly so tired already that if I blink too long my eyes probs just won’t open again.”

“Okay. How about we lay down then, try to relax a bit,” Tony suggested, not moving an inch until Peter agreed, “We can leave the lights on dim and I’m sure Rusty here will gladly keep guard.”

Peter would never ever wish for anyone else to have the anxiety, panic, or nightmares he himself had but in that quiet moment in the middle of the night he was so beyond thankful that Tony could understand exactly what he needed.

“Okay.”

“Take a couple sips of water and then we’ll get comfy, deal? We gotta keep our resident spider-baby hydrated huh?”

“Very funny, Mr. Stark.” Peter rolled his eyes but took a couple swallows from the offered beverage anyway.

“Well I thought so. And I’m sure Rusty agrees with me too, isn’t that right Bud?” Tony smiled, glad to see the tension in the room slowly draining away. Along with the spiderling’s energy, if the droopy eyes and increasing body weight were anything to go by. He gently grabbed the water bottle out of the kid’s hands and put it on the nightstand next to the Avengers Lego figurines all lined up.

“Nuh uh,” Peter tried to argue as Tony effortlessly maneuvered them onto their backs, each with a head on a comfy pillow. “Rus’y is...Rusty’s my dog. He agrees with, with me.”

Said dog had waited for the pair to lie down before he walked up to Peter’s trunk and promptly laid all his 108lbs of golden retriever fluff right on top of the boy, stretching across his stomach and chest and resting his snout under Peter’s chin.

“Hmm,” Peter hummed as he sank even further into his bed, his mentor’s arm wrapped around his shoulders and his bestest furry body keeping as close as possible with some deep pressure grounding to boot. Peter’s nightmares and terror were long forgotten as he quickly dozed off at the familiar warmth and safety that completely encompassed him.

“Good night Petey,” Tony whispered as he pressed a scratchy kiss against the kid’s temple before sinking down into the bed himself, feeling the night’s events catching up to him. “And good night Rusty. All in a day’s work, huh Pup?” Tony mumbled before his eyes fully closed.

Rusty’s big brown eyes swiveled his direction without otherwise moving an inch. He was glad to help this disaster pair of humans have as many “good night”s as possible, no matter how much work it may be.

Chapter Text

Rusty was as happy as could be. He and his boy had ventured out to a park this morning and oh man were there a bunch of new smells to find! Not to mention all the birds and squirrels he got to chase.

He was also happy because his human was having a good few days too. No midnight wake ups or school time episodes. Nope, his boy was doing well.

And now, Rusty got to relax on his dog bed in the living room with a new toy!

Rusty bonked his nose at his toy, excitement building each time it squeaked. Even though he was technically off-duty right now from his service dog duties, Rusty’s head still popped up when Peter padded into the room. He watched as his boy dropped an armful of blankets in front of the couch before retreating back down the hall.

If dog’s could shrug, Rusty would have. Instead he turned his attention back to his toy that he had perfectly snagged between his front paws. Take that toy squirrel. Rusty grabbed it with his teeth and gnashed it repeatedly, his tail lazily wagging in enjoyment as he did.

A minute later his boy returned. Rusty’s head popped back up, his eyes tracking Peter’s movement as he brought another bundle of blankets into the room before dropping them and retreating once more.

Rusty watched his boy disappear around the corner another time before returning back to his game of besting the silly squirrel.

The cycle repeated until Rusty noted there was a substantial pile of blankets, sheets and pillows in the center of the living room. He heard a new set of footsteps enter alongside his boy’s light steps and saw the kind man with his arm sling over Peter’s shoulders. They were smiling as they talked. It made Rusty feel comforted inside.

Tony took a seat on the couch while their boy literally jumped into the impressive linen tower, attempting to swim around in it while laughing his head off.

It was safe to say Rusty’s attention was fully on his boy now. He was content listening to the pair chatter and the periodic giggles that floated through the air.

Rusty’s ears perked up though when the room fell into an odd silence. He chanced a glance at the kind man first, knowing he was usually the first to take action when it was needed. But the man didn’t seem like anything was off. So Rusty took a look over at his boy. Within a second he realized he couldn’t see Peter! Where did he go??

Rusty immediately stood up, still as could be as he trusted his senses to tell him what to do next. His kid’s smell was still strong but that was because he had literally been rolling around on everything in the room. Rusty also realized he couldn’t hear his boy anymore.

So without a second thought, the service dog raced across the room, startling a little yelp out of Tony.

Rusty leaped onto the blanket pile and immediately began digging down the bottom. He had to save his boy!

Before he realized it, he had gotten down to the bottom layer of blanket and was met with a laughing red faced Peter.

“Rusty! Oh my gosh,” Peter giggled as he wrapped his arms around his dog that was now fully laying on top of him.

Rusty licked the boy’s face repeatedly, glad he had been found.

“Good boy, Rusty! You’re saving me even when I don’t need it,” Peter cooed as he scratched behind his pup’s ears.

Tony had leaned forward by this point and peeked over the blanket walls with a huge smile.

“Wow, kiddo. With Rusty around, I might just have to worry about you less.”

“See, you say that but I know you’ll still worry just as much as you always have.”

“Hey I’m not the one that needed rescuing from evil blankets,” Tony smirked, leaning back against the couch.

“Cmon, you know I didn’t actually need saving,” Peter rolled his eyes but settled further against the floor, the weight of Rusty against him now a familiar comfort.

“Don’t discredit your Super Dog’s save there BugBoy. We could enroll him in the Olympics with that long jump and speed of his.”

“You want that, Rusty?” Peter asked, “You wanna win the world games? I bet you could, cuz you’re the bestest boy there is! Yes you are!” Peter peppered kisses along Rusty’s snout and soft furry face.

Tony’s heart melted at the sight of his kid and dog cuddled together in a plush pile of blankets. Only his kid would bury himself under a mountain of linen and have his dog save him. The man didn’t have words for how appreciative he was of Rusty’s attentiveness. Knowing that the Golden Retriever had time and time again been there for Peter in the spaces Tony hadn’t been did lift some of the unease the man felt. But if he had learned anything since meeting Peter Parker it was that he’d always be at least a little worried. That’s how a parent feels about their kid after all.