Work Text:
Peter stumbled into the lab and four eyes settled on him. He was hyperventilating. He needed to calm down. He was worrying them. He tried to take a deep breath but the only thing he accomplished was a weird sound.
Tony was in front of him in seconds, “Pete. Breathe. It’s a panic attack!”
Peter was shaking his head and clutching his throat. Before he knew it someone dumped cold water over his head and he took his first deep inhale.
“Good. Good.” Tony sighed in relief, “Come sit down.”
Rhodey watched both of them with worried eyes. It was the middle of the school day. What was the kid doing here having a panic attack and why had he been alone?
Tony just coached Peter through his breathing for a while until Peter finally slumped against him exhausted. He ran a hand through the kid’s curls, “What’s going on, Roo?”
“I messed up.” Peter’s eyes teared up.
Tony could feel the kid tensing up. He needed to fix this before he started to panic again, “So let’s fix it.”
“Together?” Peter whispered.
“Together.” Tony said firmly.
~
“Wow.” Rhodey looked at the mangled car in front of them, “And you proceeded to drive this here?”
“It was making a weird noise.” Peter shrugged, “But it made it here.”
“Part of the car is wrapped around the tire.” Rhodey gestured.
“Oh um yeah. You think we can fix it?” Peter asked them.
“No.” Rhodey shook his head.
Tony was still moving around the car, “I’m glad May said to go with the cheaper sensible car.”
“You’re mad.” Peter started to cry again.
“Nope. Not mad. It’s a car. I’m just glad you’re safe. I do need to know what happened though, bud.”
“A lady ran a stop sign. I hit her and she ran off.”
“Did you call the police?” Rhodey raised an eyebrow.
“No. I was scared. I just wanted to come here.”
Tony walked back by Peter pulling him into his arms and checking him over for injuries,
“MedBay.”
“But—“
“MedBay.” Tony said again.
~
“I’m fine.” Peter whined.
“Concussion, whiplash, it hurts when you move your neck and your back.” Tony raised an eyebrow, “May would have your head for not calling the police and not getting checked out first thing. Lucky for you I’ve calmed her down and contacted a buddy on the force to write up the report.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be sorry. You came here because you craved safety.” Tony’s heart warmed at this, “We just want you to be okay and sometimes leaving a scene can be a bad idea.”
“I was so scared.” Peter wrapped his arms around Tony’s waste and pressed his face against his chest, “And your car is ruined.”
“Your car.” Tony teased.
“Semantics.”
~
“He’s okay?” May asked quietly taking a seat on the sofa in the penthouse.
“Yeah. He’s asleep.” Tony sat down next to her, “He was pretty worked up though.”
“I’m so glad he’s safe.” May’s eyes watered, “How could someone just a hit his car and take off?”
“People do terrible things. We both know this.”
“Yes but she did a terrible thing to our baby!”
“She’s right. I think we should track her down and set her on fire.” Rhodey came into the living room.
“We can’t set a person on fire.” When had Tony become the voice of reason?
“You’re right. An eye for an eye. We set her car on fire!” May grinned, “Friday track down the person who hit Peter please.”
“Of course.” Friday replied.
“You two are impossible.” Tony sighed.
~
Peter shook Tony awake in the middle of the night, “I don’t feel good. My stomach hurts, my head hurts, and my back.”
“It’s the concussion.” Tony mumbled.
“Make it better.” Peter sat down on the edge of the bed.
“Can’t. Try and lay down, Bub.” Tony rolled over trying to go back to sleep. It wasn’t long before a certain spider had cuddled to him, “In your bed, Pete.”
“Comfy here.” Peter sighed in relief.
“Become a dad they say, it’ll be fun they say.” Tony teased.
~
“Pete. You have to choose a new car.” Tony was trying to stay calm but they had gone to four dealerships and looked at countless cars and Peter had said no to each and every one of them.
“I don’t want any of them.” Peter insisted.
“What are you going to do then?”
“Subway. It’s safer.” Peter shrugged.
“Kid—“
“—Please don’t make me do this.” Peter’s voice cracked.
It was too soon. Tony had wanted him to get back on the road so he wouldn’t be anxious but he was just making this more traumatic for the kid, “Okay. We’ll go home. Subway it is.”
Peter hugged him, “Thank you.”
~
Peter came into the penthouse looking frazzled the following Monday after school. He glanced around but no Tony. He went down to the lab no Tony. He sighed, ‘Fri?”
“He is in his office until he’s caught up on paperwork per Ms. Potts.”
Peter made his way there not even bothering to knock.
Tony glanced up when Peter burst in, “Hey kid—“
Peter started crying again.
“You took the subway!” Tony stood up.
“Insurance keeps calling and they ask so many questions and I keep telling them I don’t know all of the answers and I think they are going to send me to jail.” Peter wiped at his wet cheeks.
“Woah, kid.” Tony tugged him into a hug, “They should be calling me. I’m not sure why they’d call a teenager instead of his—“
Peter leaned back to look at Tony, “His what?”
“You little shit.” Tony rolled his eyes.
“You know what I mean.”
Peter’s phone rang again and he groaned, “Here we go again.”
Tony snatched the phone, “This is Tony.”
~
Tony’s phone rang later that night, “Kid? I warned them not to call you again.”
“No, I just want to call and talk to you before bed.”
“You left two hours ago.”
“I miss you.” Peter whined.
“I miss you too. Did you finish that paper for English?” Tony started closing down the lab for the night.
“I have an extension because of the accident.” Peter reminded.
“You are perfectly fine. You need to turn it in on time.” Tony settled on the couch for what could be a long talk.
“But—“
“No—“
“Tony.”
“Peter.”
“Stop.” Peter said but his laughing said he was enjoying this conversation as much as Tony was.
“Peter? Is that Tony?” May came into his room.
“Yeah.” Peter glanced over at his aunt.
“Ask him if he’s coming to family dinner on Sunday.”
“Why? Of course he’s coming. He’s family.” Peter rolled his eyes.
Tony was sure the smile was going to be stuck on his face permanently, “Tell May I wouldn’t miss it. I think Pepper is going to make it this week too.”
“Oh! Yes! I wanted to talk with her about something.”
“Why can’t you talk to me?”
“It’s a taco burrito conversation.” Peter teased.
“Fine. Fine.” Tony yawned.
“Five minutes, Pete.” May reminded before leaving quietly.
“Tony? One more thing before I go to sleep.” Peter climbed under the covers laying down.
“Let’s hear it.”
“It’s okay if you want to admit you’re my dad.” Peter closed his eyes.
“Go to sleep. Love you to the moon—“
“—And to Saturn.” Peter finished.