𝐕𝐈𝐋𝐋𝐀𝐆𝐄 . [peter parker]¹ ✓

iii.

𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵: 1,063

everyone sat around in the commons, the meeting leaving the team quiet except for sam and rhodey who argued. colin sat there, wringing his hands. there wasn't a particular side he was on. he felt like switzerland but worse because it was his family going after one another. colin knew that the accords would split up their family... it's only a matter of time.

"i have an equation." vision spoke, halting the argument between the two. "in the eight years since mr. stark announced himself as iron man... the number of known enchanted persons has grown exponentially."

halting, colin choked a bit on his spit. seeing this, natasha and dara spared a glance at the boy; both of understanding. colin had discovered his true self after his father had come out about iron man. vision kept talking, subtly blaming tony and the avengers for the statistics of danger and devastating world events going up.

"our very strength invites challenge. challenge incites conflict. and conflict... breeds catastrophe." as vision finished, rhodey looked at sam.

"boom."

sam rolled his eyes, annoyed with the situation. natasha decided it was time to speak up, shocking colin. usually, natasha tends to stay away from conflict like this, and leave it to others to hash out.

"tony. you are being uncharacteristically non-hyperverbal." knowing his father and how talkative he usually is, colin was a bit worried. he knew it wasn't just because his father had already made up his mind.

colin spaced out, the outside world becoming a blur to him. he wasn't oblivious to dara and natasha's eyes on him. even tony spared him a few concerned glances. if they were arguing already, colin can only imagine how worse it'll be when it gets physical. if he can avoid witnessing that, he will.

slipping out his phone, he sent a text message to peter, in hopes to run away to his place once more. make it as if nothing has changed and pepper was still around, sending colin to the parker residence when they knew bad things were happening. it was almost instinctual for colin.

after peter responded, saying it was okay, colin stood. sniffling, he wiped his nose with his sleeve. this caught everyone's attention. "i'm gonna go pack and spend a few days with peter. i've seen this film one too many times to know how this is gonna end. and i'm not gonna be here to watch you all tear each other apart. i won't." walking away, colin couldn't pause the tears that fell.

nothing seems to go right for him, and he was getting sick of it. he just wanted it to stop for a few hours at most. he needed a break. that's when a thought came across, risky, but worth it to him. if he couldn't die, and it'd take a while for him to wake... couldn't he just kill himself to get away for a couple of hours and come back?

sighing, colin shoved the last item in his suitcase, zipping it up. he looked towards the bathroom like it holds all his answers. he never told peter what time he would arrive, just that he would show up eventually that day. giving into his impulsiveness, colin made sure f.r.i.d.a.y was shut off in his room and all entryways were locked before walking into his bathroom. it'll only be a few hours.

———

colin didn't know if staying with peter was a good idea. his mind was everywhere and didn't know if it would be healthy for the two to be near each other. contrary to his belief, being with peter is exactly what he needed.

colin never knew how much he missed spending time with the parker's until he hadn't for a long time. he missed aunt may's terrible attempts at cooking and peter's commentary about whatever tv show was on. he missed the hours spent on building the new lego sets uncle ben had bought the boys.

returning to residence with no uncle ben was different, and he made sure to act as if it didn't bother him. he wouldn't want to be a rude guest and bring up a recent death because he wanted to reminisce on good times.

it was nearing midnight, may sat at one end of the couch while peter laid down on the other side, the couch long enough that his sprawled limbs didn't hit his aunt. colin took this opportunity to throw himself on top of peter, claiming him as his mattress and pillow. if peter and colin noticed may taking photos, they didn't say anything. instead, they stayed quiet and focused their attention on the tv that played their favorite go-to movie, heathers.

may had made sure that the boys went to peter's room so that they can get proper rest in a bed and not in an awkward position on a couch. and as soon as peter was comfortable once more and ready to pass out from the long day, colin repeated his actions once more.

"there's still a whole side for you to fit on this twin bed, and yet you decide to choose me as your personal mattress?" peter sarcastically commented to which colin smirked. wiggling around to try and annoy peter, colin couldn't help the soft chuckles that left his lips. this is what he needed to forget the family drama. even if it didn't last forever, despite him wanting it to, it was a perfect moment in time he wished he could freeze. "also, did you take out your packer? i know it's annoying for you to deal with it when you forget."

"thanks for the concern, but i took it out when i got changed for bed." colin reassured the worried brunette before his lip twitched upwards, "didn't know you thought about my fake dick, pete. what? you wanted to have a sword fight?" colin watched in amusement as peter's face turned a shade of pink, the younger boy stuttering. colin simply cut him off, "anyways, you're very comfortable ragazzo carino." colin stuffed his face into peter's neck, exhaustion catching up to him quickly.

"rag- huh? what did you just call me?"

"just go to sleep, pretty boy."

after long nights of grieving his uncle, peter had finally fallen asleep contently with a smile on his face, holding the boy who he deep down loves.