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It occurred to Peter Parker, as the Avengers ran around him, barking out orders, trying to keep the panic and horror from their voices, that he had forgotten to tell them something very important about his powers.
“Look at me, kid,” Tony said, face hovering closer to Peter’s. Tony’s face was pale, jaw tight but he was looking at Peter with so much paternal love that it makes Peter’s stomach swoop. “You’re going to be okay. We’ve got you. Just keep looking at me.”
Peter could see the guilt swirling in Tony’s eyes and with his right hand, he clutched the fabric of Tony’s jacket. “It wasn’t your fault.”
“Underoos,” Tony choked out and then shook his head roughly. “Just – just focus on me, kid.”
The call had come out about an active Hydra ring. They had been operating close to New York and the Avengers had been called to take them out. Peter knew that Tony and Steve had been reluctant for him to come along but since he had been at the tower when the call had come in, they had allowed him to come along.
“Just web them up, kid,” Tony had said, voice firm.
“Keep safe,” Steve had added, giving Peter a firm look.
Peter had nodded that he had understood. And he had done exactly what they had asked. He had webbed up the hydra agents and kept a safe distance. But then one of the agents had lobbed a grenade and Peter hadn’t been able to get away as quickly as he had hoped.
The resulting blast had knocked him flying through the air, his body slamming to the ground hard. The wind had been knocked out of him and he had gasped for a breath that he hadn’t seemed to be able to draw in. He had managed to roll onto his back just in time to see Natasha sliding to her knees, gun up and firing off shots.
Peter was vaguely aware of a Hydra agent slumping to the ground but then Natasha was pressing down hard on his left arm. Her lips were moving but Peter’s ears were ringing and so at first, he had no idea what she was saying.
“-okay. Tony’s coming. Just hang on, kid.”
“M’fine,” Peter slurred out, going to sit up but then hands were pushing him down.
“Just lie still,” Clint had said, face grim.
Peter hadn’t seen the archer appear and wondered when he had gotten there. Clint was surveying their surroundings with sharp eyes, hovering close to Peter, one hand resting on Peter’s shoulder to keep him down.
“Steve, we need more bandages,” Natasha said, and Peter realised that she was talking into her comm.
Peter’s must have been damaged in the explosion as he couldn’t hear anything from his own comm. Natasha’s words finally registered and Peter looked down to where she was putting pressure on his arms. He could see blood soaking her hands and oh that was his blood.
“Here,” Steve said, having appeared while Peter had been staring at Natasha’s blood hands. His field of vision was obscured as Natasha shifted, blocking his view of his arm.
“PETER!”
Tony had come sprinting to him, falling to his knees beside him. Clint had moved to allow him the space and Tony’s hands had cupped Peter’s cheeks. He carefully removed Peter’s mask from his face and then his hands were cupping Peter’s cheeks again, eye’s boring into Peter’s.
“Just keep your eyes on me,” Tony said.
“His hands completely torn off,” Peter heard Natasha say quietly to Steve.
“Bucky, see if you can find it,” Steve muttered to his best friend.
“We’ve got you,” Tony promised, thumbs gently brushing Peter’s cheeks. “It’s going to be okay.”
“I know,” Peter rasped out, voice shaking. “I know. You’ve got me.”
“Yeah,” Tony breathed with promise. “We’ve got you.”
Things had moved quickly, and Peter was carefully transported in Tony’s arms to the waiting jet. As soon as they were on board, Tony had Peter on at the bench, a pillow under his head and then Doctor Banner was there, pulling on a shirt and hooking Peter to wires and a drip that instantly took away the pain that Peter had been starting to feel.
Tony hadn’t left his side as the jet lifted into the air and they were on their way back to the Compound.
“Helen is already waiting for him,” Bruce said quietly to Tony as the jet rumbled beneath them.
Tony had sat down, gently lifting Peter’s head to lie in his lap. Tony’s fingers had been in Peter’s curls, gently massaging his scalp. Peter’s eyes had closed, his thoughts sluggish but he felt safe and secure with Tony right there, so he just let himself drift.
“Bucky found the hand,” Bruce continued. “But I’m not sure if we will be able to re-attach it. It looks…we will have to wait and see.”
“S’be fine,” Peter slurred around the drugs in his system.
“Yeah, it will,” Tony promised, voice soft and soothing.
“S’grow back soon enough,” Peter hummed. He made a noise of protest when the fingers in his hair stopped moving.
“How strong are those drugs, Bruce?” Tony asked.
“Peter, did you say your hand will grow back?” Bruce asked, his face hovering over Peter’s.
Peter made another small whine and pushed his head into Tony’s hands in an attempt to get Tony to start petting him again.
“Underoos,” Tony said, his face replacing Bruce’s. “Can you focus for a second?”
“Then more petting?” Peter asked hopefully.
“Yeah.” Tony’s lips quirked upwards before they fell back down. “What was this about your limb growing back?”
“Can do that,” Peter slurred as Tony’s face started to blur. He blinked, trying to get Tony’s face to stop swimming. “S’cool.”
“Did he just say he can re-grow a limb?” Bucky asked.
Peter zoned out at the noise seemed to explode around the jet. He focused on Tony’s face which seemed to be shifting through expressions too fast for Peter to grasp. With his good hand, he reached for Tony.
The genius grabbed his good hand, squeezing it gently.
“Don’t be mad,” Peter whimpered. “M’sorry.”
Tony let out a breath before he ducked down, pressing a kiss to Peter’s forehead. “We’ll talk about this when you aren’t high.”
“Oh, I’m high?” Peter blinked at Tony. “M’sorry. I – I didn’t mean to.”
“That’s okay, Bruce did that to you,” Tony soothed.
“Oh,” Peter blinked. “But drugs are bad. May said so.”
“In this case, she’ll understand,” Tony said. “Not sure how I’m going to explain it to her though.”
Peter hummed. “S’cool. I love her.”
Tony face softened above him. “She loves you too.”
“Love you too,” Peter mumbled, fingers clumsily squeezing Tony’s hand.
“Love you, kid.”
“Dad,” Peter mumbled around a yawn. “Good dad. Best.”
Things from there get a little fuzzy. Peter found himself no longer on a jet but staring up at a white ceiling. His spider suit had been removed and his was in a hospital gown. His hand is wrapped in a bandage and every so often pain flared burning hot but the drugs in his system sooth it out.
Tony doesn’t leave his side. May joins them at some point, eyes looking teary which makes Peter want to cry. Maybe he does. He’s not sure.
Eventually, things start to get a little clearer. Peter blinked at the dim lights that had settled over the room they had set him up in. He’s more aware now that he’s in the medbay at the Compound and that it must be late.
May is curled up in a large, soft looking chair, asleep. A blanket had been draped over her and a pillow was tucked under her head as she snoozed. On his other side, Tony is there, the glow of a tablet illuminating his tired features.
“Dad?” Peter whispered.
Tony’s head whipped up in an instant. He set the tablet down and then got up, perching himself on the edge of Peter’s bed. “Hey. You lucid this time?”
“I think so.” Peter’s brows pinched together. “Have I been awake before?”
“A few times,” Tony chuckled. He reached out and smoothed Peter’s curls from his face.
“I’m sorry,” Peter said. “For all of this. I’m so sorry.”
“Hey, hey, not your fault, kid,” Tony soothed him. “Nobody is mad at you, okay. What happened wasn’t your fault. It was Hydra’s.”
Peter swallowed thickly. “I made you worry.”
Tony snorted. “I’m always worried about you, kid. Perks of being a dad.”
Peter’s heart gave a flutter at Tony’s words.
“And looks hand is going to be okay,” Tony said, nodding at Peter’s hand.
Looking down, Peter realised that his hand had grown back, looking like it had once before. There were no bandages, but a splint had been placed around his wrist.
“Just to keep it steady,” Tony answered his unasked question. “We were all in the dark about this handy part of your powers.” Tony smoothed back Peter’s curls again, giving him a steady look. “Do I want to know how you found this out?”
Peter thought back to the shop class he and Ned had been in, how his pinky finger had gotten a little too close to the saw. In their panic, they had wrapped it up quickly, Ned pocketing his pinky finger and they had hustled themselves out of the room as soon as the bell had rung. They hadn’t told anyone but had been fascinated when the bleeding had stopped, and Peter’s finger had started re-grow.
“Not really,” Peter said.
Tony chuckled. “Nice try kid. We will talk about it later. I know Ned was involved.”
Peter sighed. “Shop class.”
Tony hummed. “We’ll talk about that when the sun is up.” Tony’s gaze flickered over Peter’s face, expression softening. “I’m so glad you are okay.”
“Thanks for helping me,” Peter said. “And I’m really sorry I worried you.”
Tony leaned down and pressed a kiss to Peter’s forehead. “Any time. You were really brave and I’m so proud of you.”
Peter grinned and then gave a yawn, exhaustion pulling at his limbs.
“Go back to sleep,” Tony soothed.
“You staying?” Peter asked, shifting to get more comfortable.
“Not going anywhere,” Tony assured him.
“Love you,” Peter yawned again, letting his eyes draft close.
“Love you too,” Tony promised, and Peter fell back into sleep, knowing that he was safe and that Tony was watching over him.