Broken Web

A painful over shear

Michael Johnson

Mr Stark led me into a secluded part of the cafeteria. I trailed behind him like a lost child wiping my tears away with my sleeve. He sat me down and gave me a couple of napkins to wipe my face dry and placed a comforting but still awkward hand on my wrist.

We sat in silence for a while before either of us moved to start a conversation.

"He was my baby boy!" I sobbed out after a while. "I let him die!" Suddenly old emotions had resurfaced, ones that I had buried and disowned. Months of counselling and two years of couples therapy couldn't fix it. The wounds of my lost child had reopened.

"How old was he?" Mr Stark asked.

I swallowed thickly. "12," I said after a long pause.

"Raye? Did you say his name was?" I nodded.

"I didn't know he was sad. I just thought he was stressed, with school work and moving house. I didn't know he was hurting himself. When he locked himself in his room I thought it was teenage behaviour. " I took a jagged breath. "If... If I could go back and tell him I loved him. Just hold him, one more time, kiss his cheek..." Tears dripped down my face in a constant stream. "I would trade the world. " 

Mr stark seemed to agree with me. Nodding his head.

There was a long and heavy pause, filled with scrapes of treys and cutlery, loud talking and clanging coming from the food caught. People were stuck in their little bubbles.

"I lost my wife and daughter in a house fire a few months ago." The statement hung heavy in the air.

"I'm sorry.." It was the only thing I could come up with. What else could you say?

"I miss them so much. The pain never seems to go away." He paused again. "It's like... Every time I get better I feel like I'm forgetting them..."

I gently reached my hand out and rubbed his writs.
"But you can never forget them," I respond.

There was a long silence. One where we both mulled in our bereavement and self-pity.

"I didn't mean to snap at him...." Stark said. "I just... I was so not angry but annoyed. He went against my orders and I was so caught up with the thought of damage control that I didn't realise till much later what he was doing. " he admitted " I reacted like the person I wished I never to become... My father."

I stayed silent, he needed to talk it out.

"You see my father was barely a father, he was emotionally unavailable and always seemed to expect better than my best, for years I was forced to wear shoes five sizes too big,... It did a lot of damage." Tears rimmed his eyes.
"Why was I a father figure to him?" He asked the air.

"Because you proved an example, you were everything he wanted to be, so naturally, he looked up to you, when you took him in as an apprentice you spent more time, you weren't... How do you say this without being mean... A shitty boss." I answered him.

Peter Parker

I hugged aunt may like the world was going to end. She whispered apologies over and over again. We held each other for what felt like ages until we both pulled apart.

A nurse entered the room to change my feeding bag and did other checks.

Not long after she left Mr Stark and Michael came back into the room. I didn't realise they left.

I locked eyes with Mr Stark and the world seemed to freeze for a second. He had taken off his glasses and they hung to the top of his shirt. His eye was rimmed with redness and they were puffy, as we locked eyes they quickly filled up with fresh tears.

My own quickly filled mine.

"Peter i- I'm so so sorry." His voice broke as he audible held back a sob.

Although I hated him, hated how he made me feel for months I could stop myself from opening my arms.

"D...dad?" I quietly barely above a breath begged out.

Within the second I was engulfed in a suffocating hug. His cologne burned my nose.

Fresh tears streamed down my face as I ugly cried into his shoulder where my face and been smooshed. I gripped onto him not wanting to let go.

"I'm sorry!" I sobbed repetitively and he copied with his apologies.

We cried and held onto each other for what felt like hours. We both eventually stopped crying and just held onto each other. My eyes started to sting so I closed them.

I felt myself slowly drift to sleep as I was shifted so I was laying on someone's chest and a hand was sieving through my hair.

Tony Stark

I moved so my body was half in the bed and Peters's head was on my chest.  His breathing evened out and I ran my hands through his hair.

I sat in thought for a bit.....

"Is there a way for Peter to be realised into my care?" I asked out loud.

Michael sighed in thought. "Not in a state like this."

His eyes wandered to Aunt May in thought. He seemed to battle with himself, it wasn't until May gave him a gentle but confused smile.

Hesitantly he began "but..." He seemed to think a bit more and straightened his posture. "If Miss May gave up some custody... Primarily the amount that would normally happen in divorce agreements such as joint custody. The courts will consider it."

"I'm sorry? The courts? What have they got to consider?" I asked.

Michael breathed a sigh. "Peter hasn't been getting any better, with the recent advent..." His eyes flicked over to the sleeping boy "he will be sectioned under the mental health act. This means he has reduced control over his care and his stay in the hospital will be longer. If Mr Stark does get custody and can... Donate and follow a strict schedule, and attend classes. The courts may be able to sway his favour."

"Donation?" Aunt May asked.

"Shows that he can pay for therapy and other treatments, maybe some child support if you have more parental rights over him." Michael reply. She nods and thinks for a while.

"And this could help Peter?" She asked looking at me.

"I owe it to the boy. and he'll have someone with him 24/7. I have the resources to homeschool him and get him the best medical insurance possible."
I promised.

Aunt May looked at the floor lost in thought. I held my breath.

She replied, ".... Okay... I'll sign the forms."

......................

*Slowly enters the room*
Hehe. Hi?/

I'm so sorry this took so long ~•~. Please forgive me. Things have been hectic for a while.

Love you guys lots and thanks for reading.

......

Update, spelling and the plot whole with tonys family