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The day started out like any other. It was actually a pretty good day, dare Peter say it. He made it through all of his classes with barely any comments from Flash (that boy was adamant that Peter was lying about his internship at Stark Industries), and he aced his chemistry quiz. On top of that, today is a Tuesday, meaning it was a lab day, and those were Peter’s favorite.
Ever since the Homecoming fiasco and everything that went down with the Vulture several months ago, Tony kept a closer eye on Peter, and Peter would even dare to use the word ‘protective’ to describe his mentor’s change in behavior towards him. The billionaire had been so unbelievably angry at Peter at the time of the Ferry incident, but after finding out that Peter had been trapped under a building—which he lifted off of himself with his bare hands and sheer strength, much to Tony’s horror—he was quick to keep Peter closer and take the mentorship more seriously. He even offered Peter a real internship, and from there, the boy would come over after school on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and that slowly advanced into him returning on Friday nights to spend the weekend at the tower.
Peter loved spending so much time with Tony, someone he looked up to and saw as a father figure (though he would never ever tell the man that), and Tony felt the same way. Peter was a good influence on Tony, just like Tony was to Peter. They bettered each other, and Pepper and May were very happy about this. Tony made sure that Peter never hid any injuries, and helped the boy out with his guilt complex, and Peter unknowingly helped Tony get onto a regular, much better (and much needed) sleeping and eating schedule.
So, yeah, Peter was happy today. He was even happier when he saw that Aunt May was the one picking him up from school today to take him to the tower. His aunt rarely had a day off, so this was a nice change of scenery.
“Hi, May,” Peter greeted his aunt excitedly as he slid into the car.
May glanced at him with a smile as she left the school parking lot and merged into the New York traffic. “Hey, honey. How was school?” She kept her gaze fixed on the road, but Peter knew she was paying attention to him as well.
“It was fine. I'm just super excited for lab day today! Mr. Stark said I can work on Avengers tech, May! How awesome is that? I’m kinda scared to work on that kind of stuff, but I’m also so excited! I mean, who else can say that they got to work on the Avengers’ gear?” Peter rambled.
May chuckled fondly. “Not many people.”
She loved to see Peter so excited and happy. She was a bit hesitant at first, all those months ago, about letting Peter work with Tony, let alone being Spider-Man, but she eventually gave in when she realized how happy Peter was to be Spider-Man, and to be able to work alongside his idol. She knows that Peter is a bright kid, and she now feels thankful that Peter has Tony to provide a reliable outlet for Peter to showcase what he’s capable of. She likes to joke that she and Tony co-parent Peter, but in reality, they both know that it’s true.
“Hey, May, when I get home, can we watch that one movie you were talking about the other day?” Peter suddenly asked.
May nodded. “Of course we ca-”
May had been pressing down on the gas pedal. The light was green. But she was cut off by a loud screech, and then their car was upside down.
Peter's senses had gone haywire just seconds before the impact, but he was unable to do anything this time. He couldn't stop this. His side of the car had been hit. His neck felt like it was going to snap as he was violently jostled. His head was slammed against the window as the car flipped, and he blacked out for a moment. When he came to, his senses were out of order, and it was overwhelming.
There was glass everywhere. He saw blood. He could feel blood trickling down the side of his face. There was a ringing in his ears to accompany the screams he could also hear. He couldn’t move, trapped by his seatbelt and shock, but he could feel everything else. His body was on fire, flaring pain everywhere. Blood dribbled past his lips, and half his face was covered in crimson. He could barely feel his legs, which he was thankful for, because one glance at them revealed that they were pinned by the dashboard. Blood was slowly staining his pants, spreading steadily. His hands didn’t look any better—red and bloody and bruising, and a few of his fingers were bent out of place. His eyelids were heavy. He and May were hanging upside down in the car.
May.
As if a switch were flipped, his eyes snapped open (they had slipped closed for a second) and he turned his head to look over a May at break-neck speed. He ignored the strain it put on his neck. He fleetingly concluded that he had whiplash. But that didn’t matter. May was the only thing on his mind. His aunt was unconscious beside him, her skin littered with cuts. There was a deep gash near her hairline, but as far as Peter could see, she seemed to be in a better condition than him, and that gave him a small bit of relief. But they weren't in the clear yet.
“May! M- May!” His words were slurred, but urgent nonetheless. He hated that he was useless at the moment. God, he wished that could move, but his body wouldn’t cooperate. He couldn’t even move his arms. “Oh god. Oh, my god.”
With his enhanced hearing, he could hear that people were calling 911.
“Tony,” he whispered to himself. He looked at his watch. “FRIDAY!” He called out. He paused to cough, and his eyes widened as blood dripped down onto the roof of the car below him, some splattering on the pavement through where the windshield had once been. “F-Fri, send... send an SOS to-” He paused to wheeze. “To Mis'r Stark. Please!” He cried.
“Already done, Mister Parker. Boss has been alerted of the situation, and is two minutes out. Paramedics are three and a half minutes out, and Doctor Helen Cho is on standby. Please stay calm, Peter, help is on the way.” FRIDAY’s voice was soothing to Peter. It was nice to know that she cared. He was also comforted by the fact that Tony was coming to save them.
Would Tony mind if I closed my eyes for just a moment, though? He knew that he shouldn’t, that he should try his best to stay awake, but the exhaustion and pain were settling deep in his aching bones, and he desperately wanted to let go.
Peter's eyes fluttered shut. He missed the loud thud of metal hitting asphalt.
- – — ✮ — – -
Tony’s heart stuttered in his chest as he landed loudly in front of a sight that would haunt him in his nightmares. May’s car was flipped upside down in the middle of the road. Onlookers were surrounding the street, some with hands over their mouths, others staring at him with their jaws dropped. There was glass everywhere, and the car was in horrible shape. Smoke was in the air. But the car didn’t matter; the people inside did. His kid was in the car.
Paramedics had arrived moments after he did, and he quickly ordered them to get May out. He would get his kid.
The door on Peter’s side was crushed, dented everywhere, and Tony felt lightheaded as he understood that the teen took the brunt of the crash. He wasted no time in working diligently to get the door off. It took less than thirty seconds, and then the door was being flung away. He didn’t care where it went. He nearly threw up when he saw the state Peter was in. God, he never wanted to see his kid like this.
“Pete,” Tony whispered. His voice cracked with heavy emotion.
He fell to his knees, catching a brief glimpse of the paramedics carefully pulling May from the wreckage, before hurriedly getting Peter’s seatbelt off. But Peter didn’t fall into his hands like he thought he would—the boy fell out of his seat, yes, but something was keeping him hanging. Something cracked. That’s when he noticed that Peter’s legs were trapped. Crushed. The hero gagged at the sight of Peter’s legs bending at a horrifying angle. “Oh, God,” he muttered. He made quick work of freeing the boy’s legs, trying not to hurt Peter further, but also taking into account that the boy needed medical attention as soon as possible.
He was the most careful and gentle he’d ever been in his entire life as, once the kid was finally freed, he pulled Peter out of the car and into his arms. The suit’s helmet immediately retracted. He was on his knees, cradling Peter to his chest and trying to avoid looking at the boy’s mangled legs. He brought his hand up, letting the gauntlet melt away, and pressed two fingers to the pulse point on Peter's neck. He needed to know that his kid was alive. He burst into tears when he felt the weak beat of his kid's heart. It was barely there. He didn't care who saw, he didn't care about the public or the press or the paparazzi, he didn't care. His kid was dying in his arms, pale and covered in blood and glass shards.
“Oh, God, no. No. Please, Peter.” Tony held his kid impossibly closer as he pressed his lips against Peter’s curls multiple times. He ignored the shouts around him. He sobbed into Peter’s hair, which was matted with blood. “Hold on for me, baby. You- You can't go before me, kid,” he choked out against his kid's head. “My boy, my baby.” He cradled the back of Peter's head against the crook of his neck.
Before he knew it, Peter was being whisked from his arms by paramedics. “Hey!” He called out after them, quickly getting up from the floor as the medical professionals worked with efficiency to get the teenager strapped down to a backboard and place a brace around his neck.
“He needs medical attention immediately, Mr. Stark,” a woman explained urgently.
Tony nodded weakly as they rushed Peter into an ambulance. He was hot on their trail. He allowed his nanotech suit to melt away from his body and retreat back to the housing unit on his chest as he hopped into the back of the ambulance. He was going with his kid whether they liked it or not.
“We need to get to the tower now,” Tony demanded.
The paramedics looked like they wanted to protest, but Tony shot them a glare. “My team of doctors are some of the best in the field, and they’re already set up and ready for him and May Parker, the woman who was in the car with Peter,” he explained.
One of the paramedics sighed and pulled out his radio. “Change course. The Stark tower, ASAP.”
- – — ✮ — – -
Tony felt like he couldn’t breathe the entire ride to the tower. He wanted nothing more than to hold Peter’s hand and never let go, but he knew he’d only get in the way of the paramedics trying to save his kid’s life.
Seeing Peter lying lifeless and unmoving on the stretcher, with the paramedics standing over him and administering CPR because his heart stopped, was something Tony would never be able to forget. The relief that flooded his body when he heard that they got a pulse was dizzying. This is the most terrified he’s ever been in his life, which is quite the feat when you consider his track record of unfortunate events.
Peter is his purpose in life. His kid. He can’t lose him. He used to be intimidated by how fond he had grown for the teenage vigilante that he took under his wing, but not anymore. He was happy to say that Peter was the light in his life, one of the only things that kept him motivated and had him getting out of bed in the morning. He looked forward to Tuesdays and Thursdays, and Friday nights. Sitting here now, he could only pray that he would still be able to enjoy them. Without Peter, his life held little meaning. It would be akin to the earth without the sun.
“We’re here!” A paramedic called out.
The doors of the ambulance opened to reveal a frantic Happy standing alongside the tower’s medical staff, who rushed to transfer Peter to another stretcher. Tony offered the New York paramedics a distracted ‘thank you’ before he and Happy were taking off after his medical staff.
As they rushed towards the private elevator (which Tony was deeply unhappy about because he didn’t want to leave Peter’s side), Happy spoke up. “May arrived a couple of minutes ago, Boss. She’s receiving care as we speak. Friday showed me the stats, and May’s injuries aren’t as bad as Peter’s from what I could tell. Pepper’s on her way up to the Medbay, too.”
Tony nodded stiffly. He was glad that May was relatively okay, he was, but his top priority would always be Peter, and he knew that May knew that. He would check on her later.
He couldn’t help but feel like the elevator was moving too slow, but eventually, it came to a stop on the Medbay’s floor. Both he and Happy ran down the corridor, and rushed up to the first nurse they saw.
“Where is my kid?” Tony asked.
The nurse was startled but she knew exactly who Tony was talking about. They all knew who Peter was, and they were all fond of him, especially when he would come to the Medbay after patrol and joke around with them as they tended to his injuries (it was a more regular routine than Tony would like it to be).
“Peter is down the hall in the O.R., sir,” the nurse informed them. “He has severe injuries that needed immediate surgery, and Dr. Cho is in there with him right now. It could take up to five hours, sir. I’m so sorry.”
Tony let out a shaky breath and ran an even shakier hand through his hair. “Oh, God,” he muttered.
Happy tried to comfort him. “He’ll be okay, Tony. The kid’s a fighter, remember? He’ll push through.” Neither of them mentioned the waver in the bodyguard’s voice. Happy could deny it all he wanted, but everyone knew that he had a soft spot for Peter. The teen was just too damn lovable.
Happy led Tony further down the hall and into a small room where there was a window that gave them a clear view of the surgery Peter was undergoing. Tony suddenly felt lightheaded. Happy looked prepared to catch him if he collapsed.
It was a sickening feeling. Tony wanted to look away from the crushing sight of his kid on the operating table, unconscious and fighting for his life alongside the medical team, he really did. But at the same time, he found that he couldn’t. He couldn't take his eyes off of the boy he had come to love like he was his own. It felt as though if he looked away, Peter might disappear. There was too real a possibility that Peter might die.
Tony never even got to tell Peter that he loved him. That Peter was one of the best things to have ever happened to him. And now he might never be able to, and that thought devastated him. Would he ever be able to see Peter laugh or smile? Would he ever be able to attend another one of Peter's Decathlon competitions, or see him graduate high school, or go on a road trip someday like Peter talked about? Would he ever be able to hold Peter in his arms again, and be able to kiss his forehead?
Not knowing the answer to those questions was hard to come to terms with. All he can do is pray.
“Oh, my god. Tony!” A voice called out. He heard heels clicking against the floor at an urgent pace. “I came as soon as I heard.”
The billionaire, with great difficulty, turned his head and was met with Pepper running towards him. Worry was written all over her face. Within a matter of seconds, he was in his fiancée’s arms, and he was breaking down.
Tony cried quietly against Pepper's shoulder. “I can't lose him, Pep, I can't,” he whispered breathlessly. “I can't lose the kid.”
Pepper didn't respond verbally right away. She opted to tighten her hold on Tony, rubbing her hand up and down his back in a soothing manner. Eventually, she spoke up. “He'll make it, Tony. I know he will. Our boy is strong.” Tony's heart stuttered alongside a faint swell of happiness. ‘Our boy.’
All he can do is pray.
- – — ✮ — – -
Tony and Pepper were by Peter’s side the moment that the teenager was moved to a private room. Happy was with May.
Although Peter was now in the clear and on the mend after a long six hours in the operating room, the sight of him still had Tony’s stomach churning with dread. The kid looked so small and young as he lay unconscious on the bed. He had an IV in his hand, attached to a bag of fluid that was tailored to his enhanced metabolism. Both of his legs were elevated and wrapped in heavy casts, and his hands weren’t looking much better. They were also elevated and encased in casts. He had also suffered multiple lacerations and severe bruising all over his body, along with a bit of damage to his right eye.
Tony slowly approached Peter's bed. He lifted his hand and brushed the boy's brown curls out of his eyes, before letting the hand drop down to cup his cheek. He brushed his thumb against the skin. It was immediate, the wave of relief that crashed over Tony now that he was able to see Peter up close again, able to feel him and see that he was okay.
Tony and Pepper sat in silence for the next two hours, both of them sitting close to Peter’s bedside. It was now well into the night, but neither of them moved the whole time. While Pepper busied herself with looking at SI documents on her StarkPad and occasionally lifting her gaze to check on Peter and Tony, the latter hardly took his eyes off of the teen. He watched him closely, keeping a hand on Peter’s arm the entire time.
Because of this, he immediately noticed Peter’s eyes opening.
- – — ✮ — – -
Peter felt like he had been hit by a-
Oh, God. It all hit him so suddenly. He remembers getting to the car, happily asking May if they could watch a movie together when he returned home, and then the next moment, just… pain. Everything had been hurting. There was glass, and blood, and screaming. His senses went crazy, causing a brief full-body shiver, just before it happened. Before they were hit. Everything had hurt so much. But at the moment, he could hardly feel it, which he was thankful for. Where am I now? I’m not dead, am I?
Reluctantly, he opened his eyes, and was greeted with bright lights, causing him to close his eyes instantly.
He heard a shaky exhale to his right. “FRIDAY, dim the lights by fifty percent.” That voice was familiar.
“Dad?” He was vaguely aware that his words were a bit slurred, but he wasn’t worried about that. He had opened his eyes just in time to see Tony inhale sharply, and then promptly burst into tears.
Tony stood over Peter and cupped the boy’s cheeks, crying as quietly as he could. “I’m here, kiddo, I’m right here,” he said softly. He leaned down and pressed a kiss to Peter’s forehead. There was longing and desperation behind the man’s actions.
Tony was overwhelmed with joy and fondness and relief. Peter had never called him ‘Dad’ before. The two have had a father-son bond for a while now, but neither of them had ever pointed it out. Tony can’t describe how happy he is to hear Peter call him Dad.
“Dad,” Peter called out again. He sounded so fragile. It was as if he were trying to assure himself that Tony was really there, and that broke the man’s heart.
“Yeah, it’s me, bambi,” Tony responded quietly. His thumb gently caressed Peter’s bruised cheek. “Dad’s right here with you.”
Peter tried to lift his hand to hold Tony’s but found that he couldn’t. As best as he could with his aching neck, he looked down in front of him and noticed his casted hands and legs, and that was what set him off. Almost instantly, the heart rate monitor to the left of his bed (right beside Pepper, who he finally registered was there) started beeping faster. Peter’s breath caught in his throat before picking up speed as he kept his gaze locked on his hands and legs.
“My- My legs. Mr. Stark, wha’ happened to my legs? An’ my- m-my hands. Where’s- Where’s May? Dad, I-” he cut himself off with a sharp inhale.
Tony took the opportunity to grab Peter’s chin and have the kid look directly at him. “It’s okay, bambino. Everything’s okay. You will be okay,” the man assured. “You broke a few bones, but you’ll be right as rain in no time, I promise. And May’s fine, she’s across the hall, taking a nap.”
Peter relaxed as soon as he heard that his aunt was okay. He trusts Tony, so if he says May’s fine, he’ll take his word for it. He nuzzled his cheek against the palm of Tony’s hand, a gesture that warmed the latter’s heart. God, he loved this kid.
“I love you, tesoro. So much. More than you could ever know. Never forget that,” Tony suddenly said. “You are everything to me.”
Peter smiled and gazed up at Tony through lidded eyes. “Everythin’?”
Tony laughed quietly. “Yeah, bambino. Everything.”
“Ti voglio bene, Dad.”
Tony smiled wider and leaned down to kiss Peter’s forehead.
Peter then turned his head to the left and looked over at Pepper, who was watching the scene with tears in her eyes. She truly thought that the bond between Peter and Tony was beautiful.
“Hey, Mom.”
And the dam broke. She loved Peter just as much as Tony did, so to hear those words leave their boy’s mouth, she was over the moon. Pepper quickly wiped her tears and smiled. “Hey, baby. How are you feeling?” She brushed back Peter's curls, and Peter once again leaned into the parental touch.
“Mmm… ‘M tired. Wanna sleep,” Peter responded with tears in his eyes. He was exhausted. So much had happened today.
Pepper’s smile was soft, as was Tony’s. “You can sleep, honey. Your dad and I will be right here when you wake up,” Pepper said quietly. His mentor-turned-dad nodded along, mumbling a quiet ‘we’re not going anywhere, Roos.’
“Promise?”
Tony gave Peter’s forehead one last kiss. “We promise, kiddo.”
Peter fell asleep seconds later.
Right on time, there was a knock on the door, and then Helen was entering the room with a clipboard and an amiable smile. “Stark. Miss Potts,” she greeted with a head nod.
Tony offered her a grateful smile, eyes shining with many emotions. “Thank you so much, Cho.”
Helen shook her head. “No need to thank me, Tony. A lot of us here in the Medbay would do anything for Peter, and we know how important he is to you and Miss Potts. He’s a wonderful kid.”
Tony chuckled. “When he’s not giving Pep and I gray hairs,” he joked. In reality, everyone knew that Tony could never be truly annoyed or mad at Peter. He loved the boy too much, no matter how stressed out he was because of the injury-prone teenage vigilante.
Helen laughed for a moment, before walking over to the monitors to check on Peter’s vitals. “His vitals are improving. The bruising and most of the lacerations are already healing nicely. I predict that with his healing factor, he’ll be able to walk again with two weeks with PT, three max,” she stated.
Tony and Pepper nodded. “So bedrest until then?” Tony asked, although he already knew the answer.
Helen nodded. “Yes. I don’t want Peter out of bed and on his feet for at least a week. After that, two weeks of PT to help him walk properly again.” Helen noticed the couple’s stressed and worried expressions, and quickly spoke up again to assure them. “Peter’s a strong kid, and he has an amazing support system to help him out. He’ll make a full recovery in no time, so don’t worry too much, you two.”
Pepper shook her head fondly. “With this boy, we’re always worried. Especially Tony,” she said with a playful glint in her eyes.
“Yeah, yeah,” Tony responded. “I’m always gonna worry about him. He’s my kid, after all. God, I wish I could bubblewrap him and keep him here. Protect him from everything,” he whispered.
Helen and Pepper both smiled at that. “Like I said, Stark, he’ll be okay in no time. He's lucky to have you.” With that, Helen walked out of the room.