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"You should have thought!"
Steve yells this loudly in Tony's face which seems to catch the attention of their family around them. The super soldier is pretty close and up in the billionaires face, towering over Tony in a threatening way. It makes Peter want to jump forward in front of his father, but he refrains from doing so.
"I did think, Rogers. You just don't understand what I'm trying to say to you because you refuse to listen to anything I say."
Tony's response is quiet, refrained, like he's trying to stop a sarcastic comment from just flying off of his lips. Tony balls his fists at his sides as his shoulders tighten when Steve steps impossibly closer to him.
"Are you really calling me dumb?" Steve spits out, his face practically red with fury.
"I'm not." Tony's voice sort of wavers as he speaks which is surprising for him. I mean, yeah, all that stuff that happened with civil war is still fresh but he's Tony Stark. "I-I was just trying to explain to you why we have to wait to go for the mission. My suit isn't fully done and I need to--"
"See there's that voice again!" Steve all but screams in his face. "That damn condescending voice of yours!"
Tony flinches, his chest starting to visibly move up and down faster, his fists only slightly beginning to shake. The way he's reacting makes Peter want to punch out Steve, but again, he refrains.
"Steven." Natasha's voice is stern and authoritative as she looks at her panicking friend warily. "You need to back up."
"No! I don't!" Steve gestures aggressively with his arm. "He thinks he's the best hero here or something! But he's dumb! He's an idiot and acts like he knows everything! It's pissing me off. I can understand things!"
"Steve." Bucky speaks in a warning tone.
"I-I never said you c-couldn't." Tony manages through big, sharp inhales of breath. "I was trying to explain s-something. That's all. I-I didn't know that you would--"
"You didn't know that I would what?!" Steve questions him, pushing his finger up against Tony's arc reactor.
Tony stumbles back, a gasp falling from his lips as his hands go to clutch his arc reactor. His breathing picks up so clearly that they all can tell but before they have time to react the former playboy is gone and rushing to get to his lab.
"You shouldn't have done that." Sam speaks up, his hands crossed over his chest. "He wasn't giving you any reason to be mad."
"Peter you should . . ." Natasha trails off in a low voice while gesturing in the direction Tony went.
"Yeah." Peter nods.
He walks fast, not looking at Steve and heads down the hall. Once Peter makes it to Tony's lab door he knocks on a few times before just letting himself in, not waiting for a response from his mentor.
The sight before Peter makes him want to cry.
Tony is on his knees, a hand placed over his arc reactor as he draws in ragged and uneven breaths. Tears are prominent on his cheeks and continue to fall from red, puffy eyes as small, heartbreaking sobs leave Tony's lips. His hand curls around the metal of his unusual sort of heart and that's when Peter feels it's the moment to step in.
"Dad?" He walks over and is quick to fall to his knees beside his father. "It's okay. You're okay. You're in the lab right now."
"He was just-- and I--"
"I know." Peter interrupts him right away. "You just have to focus on breathing right now. It's all gonna be fine." He gently and carefully pries Tony's hand off of his arc reactor, releasing his fingers from the death grip they had on it. "Dad, you need to breathe. That's what you always tell me to do. Just focus on your breathing. You're gonna be okay."
Tony presses the palms of his hands into his eyes as he cries, shaking his head slowly. "He-He shouldn't h-have touched my a-arc reactor. I-I can't ha-have people t-touching it. Especially n-not him."
"You're right." Peter whispers, putting his hands on Tony's shoulders. "He shouldn't have touched your arc reactor. He clearly wasn't thinking right."
Tony pulls his hands away from his face as his breath sort of starts to even out, but only a little. He looks at his son and manages a small smile, grabbing the boy and pulling Peter to his chest.
"Dad, I'm supposed to be comforting you."
"Th-This is comforting me." Tony whispers into his sons curls, starting to rub a hand up and down his shoulder.
"Okay."
After a while Tony's breaths calm and he lets go of his son from the tight hold he had him in. They pull apart and Peter attempts a smile. "Are you okay?"
"Better." Tony amends, standing up with the help of his son. "Let's go."
They head out of the room together, back into the living room where there family sits in silence. Steve sits on the couch, staring at his hands and looking like he feels completely guilty.
Walking over to him, Tony looks over at the wall, not making eye contact. "I'm sorry."
The soldier looks up from his hands in surprise at this statement but then he apologizes too. "I'm sorry too."
"Okay, we're cool now, Capsicle." Tony does look down this time while Steve smiles up at him.