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Peter had been having a pretty good day. He had plans to take the bus to see Tony in the lab, and they were going to finally add the upgrades to his suit that he’d been begging for. He passed every test that Friday with remarkable scores. Scores Tony would no doubt insist on celebrating. And then, plans for tomorrow: he would go to Ned’s house and build the new Avengers Lego set.
Everything was perfect.
And then Ned collapsed in front of the school.
“Ned?!” Peter yelped, crouching to his side. “Holy shit, dude, oh my god.”
People around them stopped walking, freezing to surround them with murmurs of oh my god and is he okay? Unfortunately, Peter had no clue. And none of their questions were helpful.
He silently thanked God when Mr Harrington broke through the crowd and barked an order at a student to call 911. He ducked next to them. “What happened?”
“I- I don’t know. He just fainted,” he explained miserably. “He has a pulse. Maybe- maybe he’s just dehydrated?”
Harrington nodded, and then moved Peter aside to begin helping him. He had never felt so useless in his life. He internally punched himself. He should’ve called an ambulance and flipped him over the second he saw his best friend collapse. He should’ve called 911 himself. He should’ve done something.
But he’d never seen Ned collapse. It was so shocking, he turned into a deer in headlights. He was so embarrassed. He was Spider-Man yet he couldn’t handle a simple medical emergency?
“Peter!” Another voice broke through the crowd, and suddenly his girlfriend, Mj, was holding his hand. “What the hell happened?”
He shook his head slowly, eyes pinpointed to Ned, who was now being hauled into an ambulance, Harrington jumping in after him. They’d call his parents at the hospital. He’d be okay.
Mj squeezed his hand, and he was brought back to reality. The crowd had dispersed, but he could still hear their mumbles, talking shamefully about Ned. His ears turned red. Why was he still standing there like an idiot?
“They’ll call us if something happens,” Mj said. And she sounded so sure and grounded, Peter felt that he had to believe her.
He nodded. “Yeah. I mean- Nona would want us to know if…”
“Yeah,” Mj agreed. “She would.”
—
Tony spun in his chair, blinking to himself. “Friday. My kid isn’t here.”
Peter was running late. Which, usually he’d set aside as an afterthought. It wasn’t uncommon for him to be a few minutes or even an hour late, stopping to grab them food. But today it had been over an hour. Running on two.
Tony decided that was enough of giving him the benefit of the doubt.
So he called Peter.
“Tony?” Peter answered in a hoarse voice, as if he’d been crying.
He was immediately on his feet. “Pete? Are you okay? Where are you kid?”
There was a sound of shuffling on the other end, as if he was standing up. Or maybe sitting down. “I’m uh- I’m at the hospital.”
Tony froze. “You’re what?!”
He was seconds away from calling a suit when Peter said: “it’s not me. It’s Ned.”
“Ned? Your friend? What happened?” He was slightly calmer, but still unsatisfied with the kid’s disheveled tone.
“He had a seizure. I’m in the waiting room, but I uh- I don’t think they know I’m here?” There was a beat of silence. “May’s here. Somewhere. I texted her.”
Tony was growing unbelievably worried about his demeanor. His usually sparky and bright kid was suddenly sounding lost and confused. He could imagine him alone in a hospital waiting room, waiting for answers that nobody was giving him.
“I’m on my way, Pete,” he said decisively, walking toward the elevator.
“What? No, Tony, it’s fine. You can keep working. I don’t wanna bug you.”
“Kid, I was literally waiting on you just minutes ago. Besides, I don’t want you to be alone,” he explained. And then when Peter didn’t respond he added, “and you don’t sound like you wanted to be alone.”
—
He hadn’t expected Tony to show up, on a whim, to a hospital waiting room, just to sit with him in silence.
Peter couldn’t do much more than pull his feet up onto his chair and stare at the floor. Tony couldn’t do much more than sit next to him, sending him worried glances.
To be fair, Tony hadn’t ever seen Peter like this. Tony didn’t know how many times Peter sat in this room. How many people he’d lost in this building.
“Peter?”
He realized too late that he was being asked a question. He turned to blink. “Yeah? Sorry what?”
“Are you hungry?” Peter couldn’t even open his mouth before Tony said, “I’m hungry. I’m going to a vending machine.”
Peter didn’t have the heart to tell him they could probably just go to the cafeteria if he was that hungry. And also that he wasn’t hungry and he probably wouldn't be able to stomach anything right now even if he was.
Tony returned faster than he expected, arms full of candy. Peter blinked at him. “That’s not food.”
He looked down at his arms, and then at Peter. “It’s not? Huh. Didn’t notice.”
He plopped down into his chair, and then the sound of a very loud wrapped filled the quiet room. Peter offered a sympathetic smile to a lady across the room, who looked very confused above her novel.
Tony offered him a peanut m&m. “Want some?”
He shrugged. “I’m not really hungry.”
He got an eye roll in return. “Now that’s a damn lie. You’re always hungry at this hour.”
He tried not to let it affect him that Tony remembered the little things. “I’m fine.”
Tony promptly shoved the entire bag into Peter’s lap. He was so startled, a laugh emitted from his lips. Tony grinned at him.
Peter frowned. “Shut up.”
Before Tony could come up with a snarky response, a nurse they both recognized and loved was walking toward them. Peter was on his feet in seconds, peanut m&ms in a tough grip in his hands. His mentor took a moment to dump his candy into the chair next to him before standing.
“Peter,” May breathed, yanking him into a hug. “Why are you here?”
They pulled apart and he gave her a scrutinized look. “What was I supposed to do?”
“You know we would’ve called you if something happened,” she said gently. And with a glance at Tony, “you boys should be in the lab right now, right?”
Tony shrugged. “I’m fine being here for the kid.”
Peter blushed, unsure if he was talking about him or Ned.
May sighed, “okay. Well it’s family only right now. His Nona is in there with him, but as soon as he’s cleared you'll be able to see him.”
“So you’ve been taking care of him?” He asked.
“Yes,” she smiled softly. “He’s okay, Peter. It was just a blood sugar issue.”
“Wait, is he diabetic?” Tony questioned.
“That’s the current development we’re working on,” she offered.
“Huh,” Peter hummed.
“I’m gonna head back there. Give Mj a call and let her know you can see him in an hour.”
“Alright.”
—
As soon as Mj got to the hospital, Peter felt a world better. Of course, he felt better when Tony got there, but this was different. With Tony feeding him candy and Mj in the chair next to him holding his hand, it was hard to worry too much.
Also the fact that it was just a blood sugar issue. Peter should’ve noticed. He should’ve made sure Ned was eating, right?
“Hey, you know this isn’t your fault right?” Mj whispered.
Peter turned to see her giving him a worried look. She whispered, but he was sure Tony could still hear.
“Because it isn’t,” she added.
He pursed his lips. “I know.”
“She’s right kid,” Tony called from his other side, not even bothering to whisper. He held back the urge to smack the man, but he kept his eyes on Mj instead.
“I know that,” he insisted.
She raised an eyebrow. “What’s it gonna take for me to get you to talk about your feelings?”
He slid down in his chair, pouting at her jokingly. She rolled her eyes. One hand was entangled in his, another carding through his hair. Months ago, this would’ve been preposterous, but now it came easy to them.
He wasn’t even worried about what Tony was thinking, watching them PDA right in front of him.
“I just…” he managed, “I’ve never seen him drop like that. He didn’t even warn me.”
“Did you expect him to?” She chided gently.
He shook his head. “I just can’t believe I didn’t notice the signs. I should’ve.. I mean he was acting off, I just didn’t know why.”
Truth was, Ned had problems before. Issues he wasn’t gonna air out to neither Tony nor Mj. It wasn’t exactly their business and it was barely even his.
“He’s gonna be okay, kid,” Tony said. Peter lifted his head to look at him. “Bruce has a couple blood sugar issues too. Look at him, he’s a freaking Avenger.”
Peter snorted. “Alright.”
And then May was back.
“He’s ready,” she said, a smile creasing her eyes.
Mj squeezed his hand. “Go.”
“We’ll be here when you get back, Kiddo,” Tony called.
Peter’s heart squeezed in his chest. He hauled himself down the hall, following May.
—
Ned didn’t look good, but he definitely looked better than Peter expected. Besides the IV running in his arm, his skin was bright. And despite the fact that he was lying in a hospital bed, he was grinning at Peter.
Nona and May left, giving them the room.
Peter opened his mouth, but was cut off before he could even talk. “Is Tony Stark in my waiting room right now?”
Peter’s jaw dropped. “That’s what you’re worried about right now? Ned, you almost died!”
Ned gave Peter a look. “Dude I’m fine.”
“You collapsed, had a seizure and then were shoved into an ambulance. You are not okay.” He was aware he sounded like Tony after a patrol injury, but he couldn’t bring himself to care.
“Peter, why are you lecturing me? And why are you standing there? Come on! Sit down!” Ned patted the chair next to his bed insistently.
He plopped down with a grunt. “You can’t just fall like that,” he murmured.
Ned gave him a weirdly soft look. “Peter…”
“You scared the shit out of me, dude.”
Ned sighed, leaned his head back, and frowned. “I have diabetes, apparently.”
Peter huffed. “Yeah apparently. Dude, what the fuck happened!”
Ned was quiet for a minute, twiddling his fucking thumbs, when he sat up to look at Peter. He had a serious, burdensome look on his face. “You’re gonna be mad at me.”
Ned and Peter had been through hell and back together. He was mildly sure there was nothing Ned could say that would make him leave, turn his back, or fart his happy ass out the door. Peter’s face pinched with concern. He really hoped Ned wouldn’t say what he was expecting.
“What?” He said, voice almost too quiet.
His friend sighed again. “I’ve been.. skipping meals again.”
Peter’s eyes widened remarkably. “What?! Ned-!”
“I know, I know. I’m sorry. I just- I don’t know what’s wrong with me,” Ned broke into a weak cry and Peter’s heart shattered. He can’t believe he didn’t notice.
“Ned, Ned it’s okay. It’s fine.”
“It’s not fine. I’m not fine. I don’t know why I keep doing this.”
It was an issue almost four years ago, when they were still eighth graders. And now they were nearly seniors. It happened before they even knew Mj. Before he was Spider-Man. Nobody knew about it besides them and their parents, because Ned’s Nona and his aunt were ever all-knowing.
“Ned,” he said softly, reaching out to grasp his hand. It wasn’t often that they got touchy-feely. But this was important. “I’m here for you. Whatever you need… if there’s- if there’s anything I can do…”
“Just, maybe stay with me?” He offered, obviously embarrassed.
But Peter was able to smile, even if his eyes were glossy. “Yeah. Of course, man.”
They were silent for a couple minutes. And Peter said, “Ned I don’t think I know what I’d do without you. These hospitals… I’ve lost a lot of people. You’re important to me, dude. And this is so corny but I love you and you’re my best friend and I don’t want to lose you.”
He realized he was ranting and cut himself off, swallowing thickly. But Ned was looking at him, in half-shock and half-honor. “Yeah,” he choked. “Same for you… man.”
—
“So is Tony in my waiting room?”
“Oh my god, Ned.”