A Slice Of Life, Death And Everything In-Between

Colors Of The Spirit

A/N: I wrote this in exactly an hour lmao I hope you all enjoy and please let me know what you think! 💖🥰

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"T-Tony?" Peter shivers, tugging his blanket further around his shoulders. With his free hand, he reaches out, gently shaking his father-figure's arm. He tries again. "Dad?"

"Wha--?" Tony blinks, shooting up at the speed of lighting, a blazing repulsor held a mere inch away from Peter's wide eyes. The teen takes a stumbling step back, but his father's free hand reaches out at the last second, gently grabbing at Peter's arm. "Pete?"

"Uh, hi." The teen blinks, watching as his mentor extinguishes the Iron Man repulsor with a snap of his prosthetic wrist, Tony's own dark eyes reflecting the dim blue glow below his chin. "Sorry for-for scaring you."

"You didn't, I was just--" Tony trails off, heaving a deep sigh before sitting up, face pinched. "What're you doing up, kid? Everything alright?"

Peter shrugs, picking at the loose hem of his night-shirt with his own free hand, ducking his head as his cheeks heat in a blush. "I dunno, just couldn't really sleep. Everything felt too, um, too floaty? Ugh, it's stupid."

"Not stupid." Tony says, giving a gentle tug against Peter's arm and the boy follows suit, falling into bed beside the billionaire and snuggling up underneath his chin. Tony's arm wraps around him and Peter sighs, grateful that both Pepper and Morgan left the lakehouse the day before. "Did you have a nightmare, buddy?"

Reluctantly, Peter nods, reaching up to grip at his father's own night-shirt with a hand, tangling his fingers in the soft fabric. Tony hums in response, leaning down to press a sweet kiss against the teen's forehead, brushing back his curls. Peter leans into the touch with another sigh, feeling the fear and anxiety from his dream slowly begin to fade away.

"Was it about Titan or something else?" Tony asks, knowing that talking the nightmares out sometimes helps Peter to ground himself, to prove that where he's at in the present moment is real.

"I-" Peter swallows, squeezing his eyes shut. He listens as Tony's heartbeat speeds up under his cheek and the spiderling grips the man's shirt even tighter. "Can we not talk about it? Not right now? Please?"

Tony nods, grabbing the discarded blanket and wrapping it around both himself and his kid, tucking the ends underneath Peter. "Course, bubba, we don't have to talk about anything if you don't want to."

"Do you ever get nightmares?" Peter asks after a few seconds of silence, biting his lip when he hears how his mentor's breath hitches. "Nevermind, forget I asked--"

"No, no, it's okay, kiddo." Tony cuts him off, speaking the words against Peter's soft chestnut curls. "And yeah, I do get them. Not as-as bad now, though, but sometimes, yeah."

"What are they about?"

"Oh just--" Tony clears his throat, shifting them until he's cradling Peter closer, the boy practically laying in his lap. Peter blinks up at his dad through the fizzling, blue-tinged darkness, watching as the shadows along Tony's face deepens. "A lot of things. The cave, uh, space and what happened on Titan."

"You have nightmares about that too?" Peter's eyes widen and he sits up slightly, leaning so that his head is propped up against Tony's shoulder instead.

Tony nods, blinking. "Of course, it-it was one of the worst days of my life, watching you, uh, watching you --"

Tony's voice cracks and Peter slips down to nuzzle against his chest again, both of them squeezing their eyes shut against their own memories, shared but not the same. Finally, Tony exhales harshly, reaching up with his free hand to scrub at his eyes before doing the same to Peter, his thumb gentle and soft against the teenager's cheek.

"But that's behind us now, huh, bambi?" Tony's voice is warm, soaked in affection and relief and when Peter meets his eyes, the boy is not surprised to see them glistening in the darkness. "You're back and you're safe and that's all the matters."

"I'm broken, though." Peter's own voice cracks this time and he's almost as surprised by his words as Tony is. The man's grip around him tightens, the kiss that gets pressed against Peter's temple almost too frantic and Peter regrets ever opening his mouth.

"No --"

"B-But--"

"You are not broken, baby, you hear me?" Tony gives Peter a firm but gentle shake and the boy glances up, meeting his mentor's serious gaze through the black. Tony's human hand reaches out, cupping Peter's cheek again, forcing the boy to keep their eyes locked. "You are anything but broken. Cracked? Maybe, but we all are in some way or another. But that's not a bad thing, not at all."

"But, I-I shouldn't be this--"

"This what? Weak?" Tony shakes his head. "Am I weak, buddy? Because I have nightmares too, and I have a million different issues, ones that you don't even know about. Does that make me a tiny, baby twig, huh?"

Peter shakes his head, eyes wide in dismay. "N-No, of course not, you saved the freaking universe, Mr. Stark, you're one of the strongest people I know."

"That's funny, bug." Tony gently pokes at Peter's button nose. "Because I say the exact same thing about you. You get me?"

Peter nods, forcing his tears away. He collapses back against Tony, closing his eyes. "Thanks, Tony."

"No need to thank me, pumpkin, that's what dads are for." Another kiss is pressed against Peter's forehead, lighter this time. "I want you to repeat after me."

". . .after me." Peter smirks. His triumph is short-lived, however, before Tony reaches down, lightly flicking his ear and the boy pouts, rubbing at the slightly stinging spot. "Ow, you meanie."

"Yeah, yeah, I'm a monster." Tony seems to roll his eyes, huffing out a laugh before falling serious against, his chest expanding against Peter's cheek. "Now, for real, kid, repeat after me, okay?"

Peter nods. "Yeah."

"I am not broken."

"I-I'm not broken." Peter swallows, grits his teeth. His next words are stronger. "I'm not broken."

"Good, good." Tony's voice is a mere whisper now, barely a rumble deep in his chest. "I am not weak."

"I'm not weak."

"I am strong and capable, even with my nightmares."

Peter inhales. Tony gives him an encouraging squeeze. "I'm strong and capable, even with my nightmares."

Tony says the next words against Peter's curls again, his own voice wavering slightly and this time it's Peter's turn to comfort him, grabbing the man's human hand and giving a squeeze. The one Peter gets back in return makes his smile.

"I am loved."

"I--" Peter swallows, chest blooming. "I'm loved."

"One last one, bambino , and then it's bedtime." Tony whispers, before speaking louder, his voice ringing clearly in the fuzzy nightair and Peter pictures the way the words would look, a blazing yellow, red and gold against the backdrop of navy. "And everything's okay."

Peter's own words spill out, as bright as the morning sun. His own heart blooms just as warm.

"And everything's okay."

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A/N: Thank you for reading! 😊❤️