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“Dude,” Peter heard Ned whisper, “You okay? You look, like, really bad.” The enhanced teenager could hear the concern lacing his friend's voice, but couldn't seem to truly focus on it. It seemed like he couldn't really focus on anything. His mind felt foggy and fuzzy.
Ned had been voicing his recent concern for Peter a lot, and, while Peter is most definitely grateful, it doesn’t help that, by habit, he always brushes his loved ones’ worries away and assures them that everything is fine. He could be bleeding out with a bullet wound in his bedroom and he would still try to downplay it and convince May that he was fine.
Right now, Ned had plenty of reasons to be worried for Peter. The pair were currently attempting to do laps around the school’s track field, which would normally be not much of a challenge for Peter, given his enhanced abilities. The keyword of that sentence was “attempting.” One glance at Peter Parker and anyone could tell that he was struggling. The boy looked exhausted, his drooping eyes accentuated with smears of discoloration underneath them. His skin was pale and covered in a sheen of sweat. His movements were alarmingly sluggish, and he was obviously having a hard time keeping his head up. Ned was also quick to notice how, every twenty or so minutes, Peter would quickly put his hand on his stomach as his face twisted into an expression of pain.
Ned came to two conclusions: either his best friend was nursing nasty bruises on his abdomen, or he was extremely hungry. He had to find out. He was getting tired of watching Peter clearly be in pain for the last two weeks.
“Peter. Peter,” Ned called out quietly as he grabbed ahold of the other’s arm and tugged him aside. Peter allowed himself to practically float along with Ned’s tug, not responding verbally. He simply looked at Ned curiously, his usually bright brown eyes now drooping, threatening to slip shut and remain that way.
“Peter. Seriously. What’s going on with you, dude? Are you okay? I’m, like, super worried about you,” Ned explained.
Peter gulped, but it was unfortunately rather dry. He hadn’t drank from his water bottle at all since they stepped out on the field.
Peter wanted to tell Ned what was going on, but how could he? He personally didn’t think it was too big of a deal, especially since it was all only temporary (he hopes).
You see, nearly three weeks ago, May sat Peter down and told him that they were tight on money. She told him that they would have to cut back on a few things, including food. She mentioned food heavily because of how much food Peter consumed on a daily basis after the spider bite. She told him that he would need to drastically cut back on his food intake so that they could save a money. At first, Peter wanted to protest and say that he couldn’t do that because, if he didn’t eat at least the amount of food he had been, he and his enhanced metablolism would have hell to pay for it. However, he couldn’t protest. He couldn’t, because she didn’t know about his superhero shenanigans, and this needed to be done. He couldn't be selfish. May’s done so much for him for so long, and if she needs him to do this one thing, then he will do it no matter what.
So he did.
He cut down a lot. It seems that May still hasn’t picked up on just how much Peter’s cut down, but he did it. It did come with a price, however, one that May has seemed to also not pick up on: Peter’s rapid weight loss. He was well on his way to skin and bones, especially after three weeks of near complete starvation.
The changes that Peter has been going through were honestly hard to miss, but when you’re working so many shifts, like May, it can happen. Peter, who was usually a bubbly chatterbox, was now quiet and closed off, lacking his room-brightening energy, which was a major shock for his classmates—Ned, most of all. He went from having complete focus and dedication in class, to constantly zoning out or falling asleep. It was also noticeable how he’d scarf down his school lunch like never before. It was all odd, and only added more and more fuel to the fire that was Ned’s concern.
Tony and Pepper have been a big help, though. They've practically been like a lifeline for Peter, these days, more than ever. Peter spends three days a week at the Tower, and he's never been more thankful for something like he has whenever Pepper would stop by the lab with a tray of snacks for Peter and Tony, or when Tony wordlessly splits his own portion of the snacks with Peter because he's aware of the boy's enhanced metabolism.
Both adults, however, are unaware of Peter's situation. Peter refuses to tell them about it, because he honestly doesn't know how to. Sure, Tony's been rather paternal towards him lately—Peter only realized this a week ago, when Tony helped him from the floor after he got knocked over during a training session with the Avengers, and the older man had looked at Clint and said, “You’re supposed to be training, Katniss, not doing everything in your power to knock my kid out.”—but Peter’s still unsure if this is something Tony should know. He's unsure if he and Tony are close enough for that, or if Tony would care. That, and he doesn’t want to burden his mentor with something that surely isn’t that big of a deal.
After all, Peter would rather suffer in silence than tell someone. That's just how he's always been since he became Spider-Man.
“Yeah. Yeah. Everything’s cool, man,” Peter responded quietly as he came back from his thoughts. His eyes were squinted in the sun, and if he was being honest, black spots had begun to invade his vision, and Ned was swimming in and out of focus. He also noticed that he was lightheaded and dizzy, and his stomach was cramping with a sharp, stabbing pain.
Ned furrowed his eyebrows. “Peter, please. Can you just tell me the truth?”
Peter sighed. Just then, his stomach growled so loudly that Ned honestly thought he might have imagined it. But he hadn’t.
“Oh. Oh! You’re hungry. That’s why you’very been so off lately! Dude, this is bad! You’ve been like this for, like, weeks! With your metabolism, that can’t be good,” Ned sputtered, looking nervous.
Peter frowned in response. “N-No, Ned, it’s-” Peter paused as he briefly blacked out. When he came to a few moments later, he found himself leaning against Ned, who was lowering them to the ground. The enhanced teenager, under even just slightly better circumstances, would have gotten right back up and resumed running, but in his current state, the only thing he could manage to do was sit there on the ground, sweaty, limp, and weak. He honestly thought he was dying. Maybe he was. It would be one less mouth for May to feed.
But then again, he would miss her too much. Would she miss me? Of course she would. She always told him that he was her ray of sunshine. And Tony. Peter really wanted Tony right now. But if Tony were here, if he knew, he would probably reprimand Peter in front of his classmates. Peter could care less, though. All he wanted was to be wrapped up in Tony's arms as the man told him he would be okay. Everything would be okay. Maybe he would ruffle Peter's hair, and then perhaps they would go get ice cream with Pepper. Maybe in a perfect world.
Mr. Stark and I aren't there yet, I don't think. I wish we were. Either way, it still sounded nice.
I don't wanna die.
“Peter, come on, stay with me.”
Peter hadn’t even noticed that he was going in and out of consciousness. Some dull corner of his brain just barely registered the words “emergency contact” being mentioned somewhere, floating in the air like a lifeline for Peter to cling to. May would be here soon.
Peter could feel himself losing the fight against unconsciousness. Eventually, he decided to call it quits, but not before the coach said one last thing that confused him.
“Don’t worry, Leeds. Parker’s father is on his way, along with an ambulance.”
Wait, what?
- – — ✮ — – -
Tony took fast strides down the corridor, Pepper easily matching his pace in her heels as they followed behind the student leading the way. The teenage girl seemed frantic and worried, which did nothing to soothe the two adults’ own panic and worry.
Tony had felt his heart drop when he had gotten the phone call from Peter’s school just ten minutes ago, saying that Peter had collapsed while doing an outside activity with his Physical Education class, and that emergency services were being called. It was startling to hear that Peter Parker, the teenage vigilante that swings from the tall buildings of New York and can catch a speeding car with his bare hands, had collapsed during a PE activity. Tony was worried that the teenager was possibly hiding an injury from him. Again.
The school receptionist had been surprised when Tony asked what the hell happened to ‘his kid.’ Tony briefly recalled the school principal’s memorable (read: hilarious) reaction to when May put Tony Stark as Peter’s emergency contact and wrote down ‘Father’ as his relation to the boy. Tony never told anyone—and made Happy swear he wouldn’t tell anyone either—but he cried after reading the text May sent explaining the new change.
Tony had been out of his seat in seconds, ignoring the board members calling after him. He had heard Pepper hurrying behind him, probably wanting to question what was happening, and as soon as he informed her, she was equally as worried and was quickly on the phone with Happy.
Tony decided that the fastest way to their kid was via suits, so he called for his and then one for Pepper, before the two were on their way. Nothing was going to stop Tony from getting to his kid.
As soon as they stepped foot outside, they began to jog towards the scene. They could hear sirens in the distance. Students were surrounding something by the track, and Tony instantly knew it was Peter that was in the center of the commotion. He and Pepper ran faster.
Tony was quick to push through students and make way for him and Pepper, and the two dropped down to their knees as soon as they saw their fifteen-year-old unconscious in Ned’s arms.
“Mr. Stark, thank God,” Ned practically wheezed out. It was clear that he was panicking. “He- He won’t wake up!”
Tony ignored the shocked looks of Peter’s classmates and took Peter into his arms, while Pepper came to Ned’s side and patted his back. “Can you tell us what happened, Ned?” She asked.
Ned looked over at her. “He’s, like, super hungry! I think that’s why he passed out. He didn’t tell me anything, but I’m pretty sure that’s what’s wrong. I noticed that he’d been kinda off for a few weeks, but I never thought it was this bad,” Ned rambled.
Pepper gasped quietly and looked Tony in the eye, sharing a look of surprise and concern. “Oh, God. His metabolism, Tony,” Pepper whispered.
Tony took a shuddering breath and tightened his hold on Peter. He tapped the boy’s flushed cheek a couple times. His heart broke as his eyes raked over the boy he’s come to see as a son. The sight of his kid’s sunken cheeks and pale skin, the sound of his raspy breaths, the touch of his feverish skin; it all had Tony’s heart plummeting. How had he not noticed the signs sooner? Why hadn’t he asked Peter what was wrong?
Before he could fall too far down the rabbit hole of self-reproach, he felt the body in his arms wriggle. And then he was staring down into familiar brown eyes that looked a lot more exhausted than they usually did.
“Hey, Roos,” Tony said quietly, his hand coming up to fondly brush a few curls away from Peter's face. “How ya’ feeling?” He tried his best to push down his panic, knowing that it would only freak Peter out.
Peter grunted and rested his head on Tony's chest, near his arc reactor. He didn't give another response, he simply closed his eyes, feeling a heavy weight of exhaustion settling over him.
Tony clicked his tongue and brushed his thumb across Peter's cheek. “Uh-uh. Eyes on me, kiddo. Let me see those baby browns.” And then the teenager felt Pepper’s fingers carding through his hair, and heard footsteps rushing towards them. But he was so tired, and so hungry that he was struggling to do as Tony said. He just wanted to rest.
Soon, paramedics were hoisting him up onto a stretcher, with Tony's hand reaching out to hold his. He squeezed his kid's hand tightly. Then, Peter was out again.
- – — ✮ — – -
“Pete? You with me, bud?”
Peter made a quiet noise in the back of his throat as his head lolled to the right. A rough hand was cupping his cheek with a gentle touch. His eyelids felt like lead—he was having difficulty opening them. His entire body was aching, and his muscles felt heavy and weak.
Eventually, his eyes opened. He was greeted with the sight of Tony standing to his right, peering down at him with a worried frown settled on his face. He looked around and saw that it was just him and Tony in what he quickly recognized as the Medbay.
“Mr. Stark?”
Tony sniffed, a smile finally tugging at his lips as he helped Peter sit up and then lie back against the pillows he propped up. “Hey, kiddo. You gave us quite a scare, you know,” Tony said quietly. His voice lacked the charm and playfulness that it usually carried, and that had Peter gulping. This is what he wanted to avoid: worrying Tony.
“‘M sorry, Mr. Stark,” Peter muttered, dropping his gaze down to his lap. “I didn't mean to. It really wasn’t that big of a-”
“Peter Benjamin Parker, don't you dare finish that sentence. You nearly died. Do you understand that?” Tony asked, voice clipped. Peter could see, deep in his mentor's eyes, that even the thought of what he just said scared him. That look alone had Peter's eyes widening and his chest tightening.
“I could have lost you, kid,” Tony added woefully. He grabbed Peter’s hand and held it tightly. Peter squeezed it. “Your Aunt May is outside. She was a mess when she found out what happened, and… she’s really confused right now, Peter,” Tony said. “She doesn’t understand why your body is reacting the way it is to what she thought was you eating a perfectly normal amount. I didn’t tell her about your secret identity, but… you may want to think about it. She looked like she was about to pass out.”
Peter looked down again, pursing his lips as tears welled up in his eyes. One trickled down his cheek, but it was quickly swept away by Tony’s free hand. “Hey. None of this is your fault, Underoos. May told me about the situation, and I already know what was probably going through that selfless head of yours. Nobody is mad, okay? Just worried and goin’ gray,” Tony joked.
Peter cracked a small smile. “‘M still sorry.”
Tony chuckled. “I know you are.” He ran a hand through Peter’s curls. “May and I talked. You’re taking a two-week leave from school and staying with me and Pep for a bit while you rest up and get better. You're also in for a big lecture from me and your aunt about asking for help when you need it, and not keeping these kinds of things to yourself.”
Peter’s eyes widened. He’s never stayed the night at the Tower. He can’t believe this was happening. He doesn’t want to burden his mentor with taking care of him. He’s fifteen! “Mr. Stark, no, I can’t- I don’t- I don’t wanna be a bother!”
Tony frowned disapprovingly at Peter and then did something the young vigilante wasn’t expecting: Tony stood up and pulled Peter into a tight hug, being careful of the tubes and wires around him.
“You’re my kid, Underoos, I'll always be here to take care of you, even when I'm old and wrinkly. You’re never a bother. Ever. You always have a home with Pepper and I. With me,” Tony stated firmly as his hand gently rubbed up and down Peter’s back in a soothing manner.
Peter’s eyes clouded over with tears, which he finally allowed to fall. He swallowed thickly. Tony just said he was his kid. His kid.
Peter sniffled quietly against Tony’s chest as he thought over his next words. As he mulled them over, he considered the fact that they might not be there yet, but he didn’t care. “Love you, Mr. Stark. Thank you for everything,” the teenager whispered meekly.
Peter could practically hear the smile in Tony’s fond voice as the older man responded.
“I love you too, Pete.”