Work Text:
After what happened on the ferry, Tony believed that taking Peter's suit away wasn't really a punishment. It was his way of protecting him. He didn't even want to imagine what would happen if something happened to the kid because of him. He would never forgive himself.
Then, one night, he received a call from Happy—or rather, several calls. When he finally heard what had happened and learned that Peter had stopped Vulture on his own while he was trying to steal equipment from the plane relocation operation, Tony didn't know how to react. He knew Peter no longer had the suit, so how had he managed to do it?
Then he remembered the homemade suit the kid had built himself. The realization filled him with guilt.
Now, Peter had his suit back, and Tony had also bought Avengers Tower again. The media kept asking questions about the sudden change. Many assumed it was because he and Pepper were engaged.
But that wasn't the reason.
Tony had done it because he wanted to be closer to Peter. After everything that had happened, he didn't want to lose sight of the kid ever again.
"Boss," Friday's voice interrupted.
"Mmm?" Tony hummed from his workbench, barely paying attention.
"Karen has sent me an alert."
Tony immediately stopped what he was doing and looked UP. "What happened?"
"She reports that Peter has been injured. He sustained a stab wound to his shoulder—"
Tony was already suiting up before Friday could finish. Moments later, he shot out of the workshop, following the location she had provided. It was thirteen blocks away, on top of a building. At least it was close, but even so, he flew there as fast as posible. He soared over the designated building and immediately spotted him.
Peter was sitting against a short wall, trying to pull the knife out of his shoulder by himself. The teenager lifted his head when he heard the sound of the repulsors overhead, and the look of annoyance on his face said everything.
Tony landed beside him, stepped out of the suit, and quickly approached the injured spider.
"Damn it, kid, this doesn't look good," Tony said worriedly, looking at the boy, whose face was twisted in pain.
Peter tried to force a smile. "Hi, Mr. Stark." He glanced at his injured right shoulder and the blood running down his suite. "Don't worry about this," he said, then winced when he tried to move his arm.
"Yeah, sure, I'm not going to worry about this." Tony looked at the blood still flowing through the suit. He stood up and headed toward his armor. "We need to get you treated fast or that bleeding is going to get worse."
Peter muttered something under his breath. He watched as Tony stepped into the suit and then approached him.
"I'm going to be as gentle as possible, kid." Tony moved closer to pick him up bridal style, being as careful as he could. He grimaced behind his helmet the moment he heard Peter let out a scream. Then he started heading back to the Tower.
~~~
"Well, according to the CT scan, there doesn't appear to be any serious damage. The wound didn't reach the bone or damage any nerves, so surgery won't be necessary. However, we are going to put his arm in a sling to limit movement," one of the doctors explained.
Tony let out a long sigh of relief. "Do whatever is necessary."
The doctor nodded. "If you'd like, you can go see him now. In about two or three hours, you'll be able to take him home. For the moment, we'd like to keep him under observation."
"Of course. Thanks again." He watched as the doctor nodded and stepped aside to let him enter the room.
He carefully closed the door and then looked over at Peter, whose eyes seemed a little droopy. He assumed it was because the pain medication was hitting him pretty hard. Tony approached as gently as he could, and Peter immediately shot him a quick, nervous glance.
"I think I already know what's coming," Peter muttered, lowering his gaze.
Tony stopped beside the hospital bed and crossed his armas. "First of all, how are you feeling?"
Peter looked down at his healed shoulder. "I think I'm okay. Besides, my healing factor helps a lot."
Tony nodded. "What were you thinking, Peter?!" he snapped, annoyed.
"I was stopping a robbery."
"That could've cost you your life." Tony looked at him and then at his shoulder. "Did it ever occur to you that you could've been stabbed somewhere a lot more critical?"
Peter frowned. "I was doing my job, okay?"
"Kid, your only job is to make it home safely and keep up with your schoolwork."
Peter shot him an angry look. "Then why did you decide to give the suit back to me? I'm supposed to use it to help people!" he shot back, his voice rising.
Tony stopped himself from responding for a few seconds. Then Peter spoke again. "You know what? Take your suit. If that's not my job, then I don't need it."
Tony decided to sit down in one of the nearby chairs and said, "Peter, I'm not going to take the suit away from you, and before you say anything—" He stopped him with a hand when he saw that he was about to respond. "I know that helping people and protecting the little guy is important to you, but I don't want you putting yourself in so much danger. After what happened with Vulture and the ferry incident, I don't even want to imagine something happening to you. Believe it or not, you're still a kid who shouldn't have to worry about trying to keep everyone else safe if you aren't doing it for yourself first."
"But it feels like it's my responsibility," Peter murmured, his head lowered.
"I know, Underoos, and that sounds great, but just try to be more careful. Being a hero isn't... easy," Tony whispered the last part. He had been Iron Man for nearly a decade now, and he knew all too well how many dangers came with it. "That's why I want you to promise me that if something really serious happens, you get out of there or tell Karen to call for backup."
"You?"
"Especially me," he assured him.
Peter looked at him and nodded. "Okay... I'm sorry. I didn't mean to worry you, Mr. Stark," he said sheepishly.
Tony ran a hand through his messy curls. "It's okay, Roo. I'm just glad I got there before anything worse happened to you." He gave him a small smile.
Peter nodded and returned the smile, looking a little sleepy. "I feel tired."
"The pain meds are doing their job. Try to get some rest, and I'll go let May know that you're okay."
"About that..."
Tony shot him a look. "What's going on with May?"
"She's working the night shift and won't be back until tomorrow around noon," he said, followed by a yawn.
"Oh... well, you're staying here then," Tony replied as he got up from the chair. "I'll let her know anyway. You'll be wearing that sling for a few days, and I'm pretty sure she's going to ask about it."
"I know. Can I get some sleep?" he asked, already sounding stubbornly tired.
"Yeah, kid. I'll be outside, so if you need anything, let Friday know." Tony watched Peter give a vague "yeah" before drifting off to sleep.
Before leaving, he instructed Friday to dim the lights, then stepped out of the hospital room.