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“ Boss? ”
Sometimes, Tony doesn’t even need F.R.I.D.A.Y. to finish her full thought to know what she’s going to say. She’s developed a certain tone when it comes to a certain teenage superhero, one that always sounds like a bit of a warning.
“Let me guess,” Tony says, standing up from his chair and reaching out to dismiss the hologram in front of him. “Peter’s here?”
“ Yes, Boss. He is in need of medical attention .”
Tony is already making his way to the elevator. Sure enough, F.R.I.D.A.Y. is quick to display a live video feed for him while he takes the short elevator ride up, showing Peter climbing though the window in the common area, and Tony can see that Peter is moving slowly, one arm wrapped around his midsection while his right arm is held close to his chest. When the doors open, he’s face to face with the superhero in question.
“Hi! I think I need stitches,” Peter says with a sheepish grin. “Sorry to bother you so late.”
“Hello to you too,” Tony smirks. He takes Peter by the shoulder and leads him into the kitchen, giving him a gentle nudge in the direction of the counter bar. “And you know I’m always up late.”
“I’d do it myself, but I think my right wrist is broken, and I’m not very good at stitches with my left hand.”
Tony moves around the room, gathering up various supplies while Peter settles himself onto a stool with a pained grunt, and carries everything back to the kitchen. “Strip down, let’s see what we’re looking at.”
Peter obediently presses the emblem on his chest and then tugs his suit down to his waist, wincing every few seconds as he peels the tight-fitting spandex away from his body. He shivers a little once his skin is exposed to the air, and Tony stops in front of him to examine the large gash in Peter’s side.
“Wow. Okay.” Tony drops his armful of supplies onto the counter, then turns back to Peter. He puts his hand on Peter’s shoulder and starts to lean closer, then frowns and moves his palm up and down Peter’s arm. “Jeez, your skin is frozen.”
Peter shivers again. “Yeah, it’s a little cold outside. I’m already warming up, though!”
“You’re still using your heater, yeah?” Tony doesn’t have to look up to know Peter’s rolling his eyes, and he sees him nod in his peripheral. He takes another moment to inspect the wound, then straightens up. “Well, it’s nothing the 3-S Protocol can’t fix.”
“Three ‘S’ Protocol? Is that new?” Peter tilts his head in confusion, nose scrunching a little.
“Yeah, I made it up just now. Snack, stitches and sleep. You’ve mentioned something about healing faster when you’re asleep, and I’ve noticed that eating seems to speed it up too. So,” Tony pushes a banana, a cup of yogurt and a spoon in front of Peter. “You’re gonna eat that, and I’m going to stitch you up, and then you’re gonna take a little nap.”
“Hmm.” Peter’s face is still scrunched up in thought, but he picks up the banana and tries to peel it with just his left hand while Tony prepares the medical supplies. Tony pauses when he sees Peter struggling, and he takes the banana from him and peels it, then tears the foil off of the yogurt cup too before washing his hands and getting to work.
Tony is fast with the stitches, and he’s done by the time Peter finishes the yogurt. He cleans up his work area, washes his hands at the sink, then slides onto a stool next to Peter. He takes Peter’s hands gently in his, brushing his thumbs over the fresh scrapes that cover his knuckles before turning his focus to his swollen right wrist.
“Yep, that looks broken. Think it will be all healed up by tomorrow?”
Peter nods.
“That’s not your worst problem, though,” Tony says, releasing Peter’s hands. He stands and starts to head out of the kitchen, leaving Peter sitting at the counter without an explanation.
“What’s my worst problem?” Peter shouts after him.
Tony chuckles. “Your hands are cold and dry!” He calls back over his shoulder. He returns a moment later holding a bottle of expensive lotion, and Peter snorts. He looks down at his hands. They are pretty dry, the skin rough and cracked, just how they always get in the winter.
“Make sure the smell isn’t going to bother you,” Tony says, uncapping the lotion and holding it out to Peter. Peter leans forward and takes a sniff, his eyes widening immediately.
“Oh, wow! That smells really good!”
“Perfect.” Tony squeezes a dollop of the lotion into his palm and gestures for Peter’s hands again. He’s careful not to jostle Peter’s right wrist as he rubs the lotion into his right hand, taking a moment to warm his skin up, then switches to the left. He grins when Peter takes another deep inhale through his nose.
“Seriously, this smells amazing. And that feels really nice, thanks.”
“Of course, kid. You can keep this bottle. You need it more than I do.”
Peter’s eyes light up. He takes the bottle of lotion from Tony and brings it up to his face to smell it again. When he pulls it away, there’s a tiny spot of lotion left behind on the tip of his nose. Tony laughs, taking the bottle from Peter and twisting the lid back on.
“Okay, go get changed. Then it’s time for a nap.” Checking his watch, Tony amends his statement. “Actually, it’s late. Why don’t you sleep here tonight? I’ll text May. You want your bed or the couch?”
“Couch,” Peter replies.
After Peter changes, they make their way into the living room. Peter gingerly lowers himself down onto the cushions with a stifled moan, and Tony tosses the remote and a blanket into his lap before sitting down on the other end of the couch.
“We could add an ‘S’ to the protocol,” Peter grins. There’s still the tiniest bit of lotion on his nose, and Tony can’t fight a smile. He probably should have made the kid brush his teeth and wash his face first.
“Oh yeah? What ‘S’ would that be?”
With a small whimper, Peter scoots closer to Tony and carefully leans over until his head is resting on Tony’s shoulder. Then he grabs the blanket and pulls it all the way up to his chin, sighing once he’s settled and warm. “The fourth ‘S’ is for snuggles.”
Tony gives a long, dramatic sigh. “Fine, I’ll consider adding a fourth ‘S’. But if we do that, we might as well make it five. Because I swear you always pick Star Wars when you’re injured.” He gestures at the screen. “While we’re at it, add an ‘S’ at the beginning for shelter. Or Stark Tower, since you always end up here.”
“Too many ‘S’s,” Peter replies sleepily. Tony looks down and sees that his eyes are already closed.
“Safety could be a good one too.”
“How ‘bout silence?” Peter mumbles. His face is now buried in Tony’s sleeve and the blanket is pulled up over his ears. “Need that or else I really won’t heal.”
Tony laughs softly. “Point taken. Get some rest. I’ll sit here and watch this boring movie by myself, I guess.”
The only reply is a snore from Peter. Tony shifts a little, slightly uncomfortable in this position, and wraps his arm around Peter, settling in for a night of Star Wars and sleepy spider snuggles.