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When Peter woke up that morning, he should’ve been excited. Happy would be picking him up by noon, and he would be on his way to spending a week at the Stark family’s cabin.
But all he felt that morning was his head spinning and his stomach lurching. He sniffled, trying to loosen up some blockage in his nose.
“No, I can’t be sick now!” He groaned aloud, struggling to get out of his bed. His whole body ached, his muscles screaming in protest at every movement. Using all the strength he had, he staggered over to the mirror on his wall- god, he looked awful! His face looked pale, and his eyes looked dry and like he hadn’t slept in weeks. Soon enough, he saw some snot starting to drip out of his nose.
Hurriedly grabbing a tissue and blowing his nose, he made his way out of his room and into the kitchen. A note on a fridge read, “Peter- got called in after a bus crash this morning overwhelmed the ER. I’ll see you when you come back. Give my love to the Starks! – May”
Part of him was relieved. If she saw him like this, she would try to convince him to stay home.
“But it’s all allergy, right? Or just a cold?” He reasoned to himself. Rushing to the bathroom, he opened the medicine cabinet for those extra-strength medications Bruce had created for him- allergy medicine, cold medicine, vitamins; any every day stuff, but in a formula strong enough for Peter’s metabolism.
Opting for the cold medicine, even if it was just allergy, he took the first dose, followed by vitamin C tablets. He decided to toss them both into his bag, just incase he needed them this weekend.
Dragging himself to the couch and wrapping a blanket around himself to try to stop the shivers that were starting, he reminded himself he’d be fine once the medicine kicked in.
Just a cold…it’s definitely just a cold…
~~~~
A loud knock at the door woke him with a start.
“Hey! Anyone home?” came Happy’s voice from the other side of the door.
Scrambling to grab his phone, the dizziness hit Peter even stronger as he tried to get off the couch. He ultimately sat back down, his head in his hands. “Sorry Happy! Just a sec!” He called, wincing at the pain in his throat when he called out.
“Well, hurry up, kid! I called you about six times! Let’s go!”
As fast as he could, Peter hurried around the apartment, gathering his toiletries, and taking a second to pull on a sweatshirt onto his slightly shivering body..
While doing this, he got a glimpse of himself in the bathroom mirror when he went to grab his toothbrush- he looked even worse! He certainly felt that way, too!
"What if I get anyone else sick?" He suddenly realized. He would feel awful if he got anyone else sick, especially Morgan! But Happy was already waiting, too late to cancel...
Thinking quickly, he spied a box of disposable medical masks- May always had incase she might’ve been exposed to a patient’s illness. He slipped one on, adjust the nose piece, and rushed to get his bag.
When he rushed out the apartment door, he almost bumped into Happy, who gave him an odd look. “What’s with the mask?”
The teen shrugged. “Ah…you know…cold season. Can’t be too careful!”
The security guard stood there, looking at him quizzically, before clearly deciding it wasn’t worth worrying over and picking up Peter’s bag for him. “Whatever. Let’s get back to the car. Morgan’s been talking nonstop about you staying the week, so we don’t want to keep her waiting.”
Peter smiled, even with the mask over half his face as he followed Happy out to the car.
~~~~
The moment the car pulled up to the cabin, Morgan came dashing out, barely giving Peter enough time to find his balance before she collided with his legs.
“Petey! I missed you!’
Her excitement was enough to make him forget about his stuffy and dizzy head, if only for a moment. “Missed you too, Morgs!”
“Why are you dressed like a doctor?”
“Huh?”
The screen door opened, revealing Tony slowly walking down the porch steps and over to the kids, “I believe she’s referring to your new look, Underoos.” He gestured to his own mouth.
Peter’s hand flew to the mask. “Oh! Um…”
“Cold season, right?” Happy commented with some sarcasm as he carried Peter’s bag out of the trunk and towards the house.
“Uh, yes.” Peter awkwardly untangled himself from Morgan’s grasp and took a step forward. “You know you don’t have to carry my stuff, Happy? Super strength and all?”
The security guard just waved him off and carried the bag inside.
“Morguna, how about you go on inside? Go see if Mommy has lunch ready. Pete and I will be just a moment.” The little girl nodded before bounding towards the house. Once she was inside, he looked at the kid. “How long have you been feeling sick?”
Peter blinked. “How…how did you…?”
“Kid, I’m a dad. I can tell when you whippersnappers are sick. It’s practically a sixth sense now. Also, you really are a terrible liar.”
Peter shifted his weight. “It’s just a cold, Mr. Stark…”
Tony raised his brow and placed a hand to his forehead. “That does not feel like ‘just a cold,’ kiddo. You head inside and head right to your room. I’ll whip up some chicken soup.”
“…you mean Pepper will whip up the soup, since she banned you from cooking anything?”
The inventor scoffed. “Even while sick you never stop being a little punkass.” He wrapped an arm around his shoulders, leading them both to the cabin. “Are you sure you’re not mine somehow? Maybe switched at birth?”
Peter weakly laughed as they walked inside. Pepper was placing a plate with a sandwich in front of Morgan who was sitting at the table. She smiled when they entered, but her face quickly changed to a look of concern. “Peter, honey, you look awful!”
“Mr. Parker’s temperature is currently 100.6 degrees Fahrenheit.” FRIDAY reported.
Morgan looked up. “Petey’s sick?”
Tony nodded. “’fraid so.”
“I detect further symptoms consistent with influenza.” The AI continued.
“Oh yeah. Definitely get your spider-butt to bed!” Tony said. Peter nodded.
“Sorry this week won’t be as much fun as we had hoped, Morgan…” he said.
“It’s okay, Petey…feel better!” Morgan said. The teen nodded again, dragging himself to the stairs.
~~~~~~
Later that night, after a bowl of chicken soup, and opening a crayon-scribbled ‘get well’ card from Morgan, Tony came back to Peter’s bedroom, glass of water in hand. The teen was in the midst of a coughing fit.
“That sounds terrible, Pete.” He handed him the water, and the teen gulped it down. “I think I know what will help you feel better.” He sat down on the side of the bed. “How’s about a movie night with your old man?”
Peter frowned, coughing twice more. “But aren’t you worried about getting sick? I mean, I could spread it to you, and you could spread it to Morgan…”
Tony waved his hand. “Morgan got her flu shot last month. Ya know, the same time I told you to go get one?” The teen just scratched the back of his neck sheepishly, but scooted over in bed to make room for his father figure. “Just keep distance from her...maybe wear your cool new accessory when you leave the room. But for now- FRIDAY, turn on A New Hope.”
The large TV on the wall opposite them turned on with the film.
Peter laid his head on Tony’s chest and was fast asleep by the middle of the movie.
~~~~~
When Tony awoke on the third day of tending to a sick spiderling, he felt awful. His whole body ached, and his head felt like it weighed a ton.
He had dozed off laying next to Peter as he had done the past two nights after caring for him and falling asleep to movie nights.
He let out a groan, which woke Peter up.
“Good morning, Mr. Stark.” He said with a yawn. “Man… you okay? You don’t look so good.”
“Thanks for the compliment, Rudolph.” Tony said, his stuffed nose evident in his voice, gently tapping Peter’s red, raw nose from the previous two days of wiping and blowing.
The teen laughed. “Snarky when sick. Maybe we are related some how.”
“Hey, I’m always sparky, and I'm not even sick!” But just as he said this, a large sneeze built up in his nose and came out a minute later.
“Daddy! Are you sick too?” came a question from Morgan, who had slightly opened the bedroom door when Tony was more focused on his sneeze.
Before he could answer, however, FRIDAY chimed in- “The Boss seems to have contracted the flu from Mr. Parker. He had neglected to get himself immunized in a timely manner, therefore is more susceptible to the virus.”
The inventor sniffled. “Dammit, FRI…”
“You designed me this way, Boss.” The AI’s tone could almost be taken as teasing.
He sighed. “Yeah, Morguna, I guess I’m sick too. Go let mommy know, okay?” Once she had left, he looked at Peter. “I guess I was so concerned about getting her, her shot, I didn’t get my own.”
“Was that before or after you told me to get one, too?”
“Hey watch it, mister.”
There was a soft knock before Pepper opened the door. “I heard we have another patient now.” Tony opened his mouth to reply, but then began to cough instead. She smiled. “I’ll take that as a yes. You boys want some soup?”
“Yes, please, Ms. Potts.”
The inventor coughed once more before clearing his throat. “Yeah, honey, that sounds wonderful.”
After Pepper left, Peter looked up at him. “Up for another movie?”
“As long as it’s something other than Star Wars, sure.”
“Disney classics it is then! FRIDAY, can you turn on Lady and the Tramp?”
The TV flickered to life again, Tony groaning good naturedly and reaching over to tussle his kid’s hair as the movie's opening credits began.