Chapter Text
Pain was what Peter felt. But then again, it was all he ever felt. So what was so different now?
Everything was muffled. It felt like he was underwater, and the thought of wanting to stay there crossed his mind. He didn't want to swim back to the surface, not when he knew what awaited him. He clung onto the darkness, never wanting to escape it. He bathed in it. Bathed in the little freedom he had, even if it was his own insanity. He stayed in the muffled water, hoping he would drown in it. Hoping it would all end.
But something pulled him out. Something didn't want him to drown. Peter didn't know what.
"Peter, can you hear me? Open your eyes, Peter, please!"
He didn't know what.
He fell back under.
Six months.
Tony hated himself. Hated how he let six months go by without bringing Peter home. Hated how long it took him to figure it all out.
It was all he could think about as he stared at the broken fifteen year old, laying in a hospital bed. So many bandages were wrapped around him that he looked like an Egyptian mummy, blood leaking through the cracks of them.
He still remembers getting the call from Midtown, saying that Peter never made it to school. He still remembers the anxious feeling he had as he begun to track Peter's phone, his suit, his watch, anything.
He still remembers the agonizing days, weeks and months passing without being able to hold his son. He remembers it all, and he doesn't think he'll ever forget.
"The good thing is that he's stable." Helen said from beside him. "He's not going to get any worse."
Tony scoffed. "I don't think there is a worse." He glanced at Peter again before dropping his eyes to the floor.
"Tony...you got him back. That's what matters as of right now. He's going to be alright." Bruce said. When Tony finally found where Peter was being hidden, he instantly called every person with any sort of medical qualification he could. That included Bruce.
"Yeah, physically maybe." Tony muttered. "Fuck, this is gonna ruin him. He'll never be the same again." The man said, running a hand down his face.
"I think it's best you get some rest, Tony." Bruce suggested. Tony nearly laughed at the idea. But he didn't. He wasn't sure he could.
"Yeah, no. I'm staying here. Thanks for the offer, though." He sighed, leaning back in the chair he was sitting on. "And thanks for patching him up. Both of you." He said, glancing at Helen.
"Tony...you haven't gotten any sleep in the past six months because you've been up trying to find Peter. Well...he's here now. You can rest. You've got him." Bruce added.
"Bruce, I'm fine." Tony spat. "All that I lost over the past six months was a couple of nights sleep. That's nothing. Do you know what the kid lost over these six months? Everything. He lost everything. I'm not leaving this fucking room."
Bruce and Helen glanced at each other, knowing there was no convincing Tony. "Okay...just tell us if you need anything. We'll be doing regular checks on Peter also." Helen said before leaving the room. Bruce hovered for a few more seconds before finally leaving too.
Tony sighed, staring at the empty space that the two doctors previously stood in before turning his head back to Peter. Tears sprung in his eyes as he looked at him again. He swore under his breath and took Peter's hand in his.
He buried his face in the kid's hand and silently cried, placing a kiss on the boy's palm.
"I'm so sorry, Pete."
Peter had been home for one week, 10080 minutes and 604800 seconds.
And he still hasn’t woken up.
Helen said it was okay. He wasn’t in a coma, he wasn’t going to suddenly crash during the night. It was just going to take some time for him to recover from the injuries before his body even thinks of waking up.
The injuries.
The injuries were something Tony was trying to forget about. The broken bones, the sprains, the internal bleeding.
Walking into that cold, dirty dungeon to find Peter bleeding in a corner, completely naked.
He didn’t want to think about it. He didn’t want to remember. But he knew he would never forget.
Tony couldn’t wait until he found Steven fucking Westcott and squeezed the life out of him. He couldn’t wait to watch the life drain out of his eyes. He couldn’t wait to be the one to take it.
“He wasn’t there. He did a runner.”
”What the hell do you mean?!”
”Steven. He - He ran away.”
“Then find him!”
”Tony, we’re trying. We’re doing everything we can to find him but-“
”TRY HARDER!”
Tony turned to Steve, the conversation from the day they found Peter running through his mind. The Captain had done so much for him through the months without the kid. He had done digging, and research, and patrolling. He almost worked just as much as Tony did.
He knew it was the decent, human thing to do. Knew Steve is too righteous and noble to not at least try and look for Peter. He also knew that the kid had everyone wrapped around his finger. Knew that everyone loved him and his dorky ways.
Because Peter Parker is the most innocent, kind and precious soul you will ever meet. And he didn’t deserve any of this.
Anyone who would even think about hurting Peter Parker is insane.
Steven Westcott is insane. He’s evil. He doesn’t deserve to live. And Tony would make sure that he doesn’t.
”Heard anything?” Tony asked, voice raspy.
”Nat is currently hacking into every cctv camera she can find around the area we found Peter. A truck appeared out of no where. We’re not promising anything, but we have a hunch about it. We’re running the plate as we speak.”
Tony nodded along, eyes fixed on the floor. He’s learnt not to get his hopes up over the past few months.
”How’s he looking?” Steve asked, nodding towards Peter. Peter, who was laying in a hospital bed, looking as good as dead.
Tony sighed, dropping his hand from his face and looking at his kid. His kid. His kid who he couldn’t protect.
”As good as you could expect. Not sure when he’ll wake up, but apparently he will.” Tony scoffed.
They both fell into an uncomfortable silence. Steve then stepped forward, footsteps echoing on the floor before he sat down beside Tony.
”Tony…he- Peter went through something that…something unimaginable.” Steve explained, finding it hard to structure a proper sentence in a situation like this. “It’s time we think of the possibility that Steven…used him for…sexual purposes.”
Tony squeezed his eyes shut, holding back a wince. In reality, he knew as soon as he set eyes on Peter, naked in a corner, that Steven touched him in sexual ways. It made Tony angry. Angry that not only did Steven kidnap Peter, not only did he keep him away from his friends and family, not only did he hurt and torture him, but he also took away his innocence by raping him. He did everything evil that a human could possibly do to another human.
”I know.”
”He’s improving.” Helen said as she pumped up Peter’s drugs. “None of these injuries will last more than a month. Especially because of his enhanced healing. It’s a being a little slow at the moment, but he’ll soon get the nutrients he needs to get it working again.” She said, gesturing to the tube going into Peter’s arm.
Just when Tony is about to answer, they both hear a murmur. They stop moving, and the room falls completely silent. Helen turns to look at Peter, just in time to catch his hand twitching.
”Oh my God.” She mutters as she rushes over to the machines to do God knows what because Tony can’t think of that right now if something is wrong with his kid.
”What is it? What’s happening?” He asks as he jumps up from his seat.
”Tony, take a breath. It’s okay, he’s waking up.” She explained slowly.
Tony’s eyes snapped back over to Peter, only now noticing his slightly parted lips and scrunched up eyebrows.
Tony’s heart aches and all he wants to do is hold his child and tell him everything will be okay, even if it won’t be.
He steps forward and takes Peter’s hand carefully. “Peter?”
No response. Tony gets deja vu.
”Open your eyes buddy, you can do it.” The man whispers.
Tony’s eyes water as he continues with the encouraging. “C’mon kid, open your eyes. It’s okay. It’s okay, it’s just me and you.” Tony manages to crack a smile. “It’s just me, it’s Tony. It’s Mr. Stark.”
And just as a tear rolls down his cheek, Peter opens his eyes.