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It was a normal lab day. A Wednesday, to be precise. Peter had been invited to spend time with Tony in his lab every Monday, Wednesday and sometimes on the weekends. Ever since the Vulture incident, the two had become a lot closer. Neither of them held a grudge from what happened. It was all forgotten.
At least, most of it was forgotten.
Peter had one tiny secret. He couldn't forget the feeling of a building falling on top of him, out of his head. The feeling of not being able to breathe, the memory of thinking he was going to die. He had regular nightmares and panic attacks about it, but of course, Peter being Peter, he didn't tell anyone about it. No one even knew he got crushed by a building.
That was all about to change, in one small lab session on a Wednesday afternoon.
"Pete, could you get me the spare toolbox in that storage room over there?" Tony had asked, gesturing to the door in the lab. Peter hummed, he always wondered what was behind it.
"Sure." He said, jumping up and walking over to it.
"Thanks, kid."
Peter flung the door open and scanned the storage closet. He noticed a shit ton of boxes, and widened his eyes in surprise. His eyes then fell on the toolbox Tony was after. It was underneath the boxes. He smiled and went after it, trying to be careful as he tried to wedge it out from underneath everything.
But, of course, nothing ever goes his way.
Suddenly, all the boxes came crashing down on him and he yelled in shock as he was pushed to the ground.
He was stuck.
Holy shit, he was trapped.
He couldn't move.
I can't move. I'm stuck. I'm trapped. I can't breathe.
Can'tbreathecan'tbreathecan'tbreathe-
"Kid?! Are you okay?" He heard Tony's panicked voice ask. He couldn't see the man since he was laying on his back, facing away from the door.
Peter couldn't respond. He just needed to breathe. "I-I..."
"Let me get you out of there. Are you hurt at all?" Tony's voice was getting closer, but it wasn't enough to drag him out of his trance. He was back at the warehouse. He was trapped underneath the building again, and he couldn't breathe, and everything hurts, and there's water everywhere, and-
"Peter! You need to breathe!"
Peter jumped, shocked at the voice that was right above him. He had blacked out, and he was still trapped.
"G-Get me out, p-please!" He gasped, trying to shuffle his way out but failing.
"Okay, okay. I'm trying, just hang in there." Tony said, voice trying to reassure him.
”N-No, you - you don’t understand…I-I can’t…p-please,” Peter begged, now aware of the tears streaming down his face.
Tony quickly shoved a couple of boxes to the side, finally getting to the ones that were pinning Peter to the floor. “Alright, kid. I’m gonna lift these two boxes up. The one on your legs and the one on your torso. When I do that, shuffle out as fast as you can. Ready?”
Peter shakily nodded his head the best he could. “Y-Yeah, y-yes.”
“Okay…three, two, one,” Tony counted down, then lifted both boxes up at the same time, grunting from the weight of them.
Peter instantly used his elbows to shuffle himself backwards and away from the boxes in a panic. Once he was out, Tony dropped them instantly and rushed over to the boy who had curled himself up on the floor, sobbing into his hands.
”Peter! Peter, look at me!” He said, grabbing the boy’s shoulders and leading him to sit against the wall.
”Buddy, you need to breathe, okay? With me.” He said, taking Peter’s hand and placing it on his chest. He took exaggerated breaths in hope that Peter would match them.
It took some time, but Peter was finally breathing normally again. He was now curled into Tony, sobbing into his chest.
”Shh, you’re okay, Pete. It’s okay.” He didn’t exactly know what he was comforting Peter from but his kid was in distress, so he didn’t care. Yes, being trapped by a bunch of boxes can be scary, but surely they shouldn’t cause that strong of a reaction?
As the fifteen year old started to calm down, Tony decided to ask, “Want to tell me what that was all about?”
Peter sniffed. He took a few deep breaths before replying. “M claustrophobic.”
Okay, that makes a little more sense.
“Oh, Pete. Why didn’t you tell me that?” He asked, running a hand through the kid’s hair.
”Haven’t always had it.”
”Oh? What happened?”
Peter didn’t reply. Only shook his head.
”Peter, please tell me. I just want to help you, I…I care about you, kid.”
Peter sniffed, then sat up so he was looking at the man. “You’ll only blame yourself.”
Tony tensed.
God, what have I done now?
”You need to promise me that you won’t do that.”
”Peter, I-”
”Please?”
Tony sighed. “I can’t promise anything, Pete. But I will listen to whatever you have to say, and I’ll support you no matter what.” He compromised.
Peter whined and shifted nervously. He opened and closed his mouth before finally confessing. “It was the Vulture. When I went after him…it was a-after you took the suit…and he, uh, he dropped a building on me.”
Tony stilled, staring Peter in the eyes.
”He…he dropped a building on you?!”
”Yes…I had to lift it off myself.”
Tony’s soul shattered. His kid. His sweet, poor kid.
”Pete…I’m so sorry that happened to you. And I know you don’t want me to blame myself but…if I had never taken away that suit, Karen would’ve reported back to me. I could’ve come to help you. I’m so sorry, bud. I cant even begin to-”
”Mr. Stark, it’s okay. You didn’t know. Besides, I’m fine. I have no permanent damage.”
”Maybe not physically, but mentally? God, you just had a panic attack, kid!”
Tony stopped himself when he noticed tears building up in Peter’s eyes.
”Shit, I’m sorry. I don’t want to shout, I’m just…I’m so worried about you, Pete. All the time. I just want to make everything all okay again.”
”N-No, it’s okay. I-It’s okay. Can we just…can we just watch a movie? Or something? I want to distract myself ‘n stuff…”
Tony softened with a small smile. “Of course, buddy.”
He helped Peter stand up, then walked over to the living room.
As Peter sat on the couch, curled up in a blanket and watching The Lorax, he glanced up at Tony.
”Hey…I-I know you feel bad. And that’s okay. Would it make things easier if I said I forgive you?” Peter asked.
Tony looked taken back, but then softened. “Yeah, it would, kid.”
”Okay, then. You’re forgiven, Mr. Stark.”
”Thanks, bud.”
They watched the movie for a few more minutes before Peter spoke again.
”A-Also, I know that if I did have my suit, you would’ve done everything to get to me and to protect me. I just…I really appreciate all you’ve done, Mr. Stark. And…I-I love you.”
This time, Tony was the one to start tearing up. “I love you too, Peter. And you’re right, I will do everything and anything to protect you. I’m sorry I failed to last time.”
”Hey, I’ve already forgiven you. Stop apologizing.” Peter ordered, pointing a finger at him and not ignoring the warm feeling in his stomach from Tony’s words.
”You’re right, you’re right.” Tony laughed, then pulled Peter in closer.
He might’ve failed to protect him against the Vulture, but he can sure as hell protect him now.