Chapter Text
Tony looked over at Harley, and his heart ached. Gaunt face, sunken eyes, trembling hands. Tony’s gaze flicked to Peter for half a second. He was hunched over his desk, focused on his project. Or maybe even lost in thought, he did that a lot lately. But Tony’s attention was back on Harley. The kid was visibly sick.
“Kid? You alright?”
“Huh. Yeah… just a bit tired, I guess.” Harley put down the tools he was fiddling with.
“Get some rest, okay? You don’t look too good.”
Harley nodded once and got up, shuffling back to his room. Tony’s eyes follow him, and they eventually land on Peter, who hadn’t moved an inch. His table lamp illuminated his face, and Tony caught a glint of the light in Peter’s wide, glassy eyes. His hands lay limp in his lap, just staring at the empty table.
Empty table. Peter hasn’t even taken out what he was supposed to work on. It has been fifteen minutes since he sat down, though.
“Underoos?”
Peter didn’t even blink.
“Kid? Peter?” Tony’s eyes furrowed together, and he fully spun around in his chair to face Peter’s back.
“Y-Yeah?” Peter spun around almost immediately, blinking at Tony.
“Peter? Is something wrong?” Tony’s voice was laced with concern.
“Oh, no-no, Mr Stark, I was just lost in thought was all...” Peter waved him off, wearing his classic dopey smile, even though it didn’t reach his eyes.
Tony let out an amused huff, though not entirely convinced. “If you say so…”
Harley’s been getting worse. He passed out in the elevator, and FRIDAY alerted Bruce who had been monitoring his vitals this whole evening. Tony sat outside the Medbay, dread pooling in his stomach. For what, he wasn’t quite sure.
Who was he kidding? Apparently not Pepper.
“You’re worried that it’s just gonna get worse, aren’t you, Tony?” His wife voiced the feelings that even Tony himself hadn’t recognised yet.
God bless that woman.
“It’s not gonna get worse. It just can’t, Pepper.” Tony’s voice shook as he spoke. Pepper put a reassuring hand in between his shoulder blades, rubbing circles on his back.
“But we always have to consider that possibility too, Tony.”