~Broken Family~

...Or Maybe A Fish

"Why di'you put away your helmet?" Harley asked, stumbling over his words as Tony crouched next to him. Everything was sore and tired. He was cold.

"Because," Tony sighed, tugging the blanket around Harley's arms. "Just because. The world doesn't need saving right now, it just needs healing."

"Why?" he mumbled, trying to blink away the lights that still blurred across Tony's face.

"Because I lost," Tony explained. "We tried to stand together, but we failed. I failed."

Harley sighed, rubbing at his heavy eyes. He wondered where everyone else was.

"Where's Peter?" he slurred.

"He's...he's not coming, buddy."

"I'm tired."

"I know." A goatee bristled against his skin as Tony kissed his forehead. "Just go to sleep."

"M'kay." Harley willingly sunk back down into the stiff sheets, Gwen's soft hand still squeezing his own.

***

"I."

"I..."

"Like."

"Like..."

"Potatoes."

"Potatoes."

"I like potatoes."

"Ah lahke puh-taytuhs."

"No!" Gwen shook her head and laughed. "Stop it, stop it. Now you're doing it on purpose."

Harley's face broke into a grin. They were trying to pass the time while Tony went to pick Billy up from the Roberts' house.

"I am not."

"Y'ar too," she argued, mocking him. He rolled his eyes, managing to push himself up a little farther. His leg was a lot more sore and weak than he'd thought it would be. He hoped it would have been like the first time---when he'd hardly been able to feel it until the weeks following.

Gwen had given him back his sweatshirt after he'd grown cold, but luckily she had packed her own denim jacket. Her converse were kicked up on the side of his bed as she played with her hair. He still couldn't believe she hadn't left his bedside all day.

"What time is it?" he asked blearily. She glanced down at her watch.

"Around three."

He groaned. "Why is this day passing so slowly?"

"Because you're bored in here." Gwen smirked. "Look at you, all high and mighty. Can't even keep your own attention."

"It would help if you'd quit mockin' me," he grumbled, crossing his arms in feigned annoyance. His voice cracked hoarsely, and he coughed.

"Just shut up and rest your voice," Gwen snapped, giving her head a playful shake. "But seriously---how do you get a sore throat from leg surgery?"

"It was the oxygen tube!" He glared at her. "And stop making fun of me."

"Whatever."

The door opened and a little freckled hurricane flew in, launching at Harley with a hug.

"Woah, Billy!" Harley laughed, wrapping his arms around the kid's back and giving it a few pats. "Calm down."

WORRIED, he signed, grabbing Harley's cheeks and moving his head up and down to inspect him. Harley saw Billy in the corner of his vision before being swiveled around to the other side and back and forth.

"I'm fine," he protested through his squished face as Billy scrunched his cheeks in with a giggle.

YOU FEEL WARM. Billy let his head go and stepped back, giving him a concerned look.

I FINE.

Billy gave a shrug, then jumped off the bed and smoothed down his plaid shirt. Peter would have been proud of him.

The kid had grown up so much. He looked nothing like the little ten year-old who'd stayed at the compound for a few days, goofing off with the other kids late into the night until Happy had to practically bust down the door, yelling at them to be quiet.

AND YOU LOOK OLD, Harley signed, miming an old man.

HOW YOU FEEL? Billy asked, glancing at Harley's leg.

TIRED. Harley gave a shrug. BUT O-K. YOU?

GOOD. WORRIED ABOUT YOU.

WHY? I FINE.

Billy signed something really fast that Harley didn't understand, and he glanced at Gwen for clarification.

"He just wanted to know how long we're both staying here, and if I'll be coming back with him," Gwen explained. "Am I, Tony?"

"What?" Tony glanced up from across the room where he had been chatting with Happy, who had driven Billy here with Tony.

"Yes," Happy answered, running a hand along his little beard. He'd grown it out and was strangely proud of it. "I'm gonna take you and Tiny over there after dinner."

Harley was thankful Billy was facing away from Happy and didn't have to read his lips, otherwise the man would probably be on the floor with a freckled fist in his face.

He blinked tiredly. "Tony, when's Rhodey coming?"

"Maybe later," Tony promised. "Not right now, you don't look so good. You're kinda green and pasty again. Why don't we turn on a movie?"

"Okay." Harley reluctantly leaned back, but relished the feeling of relief it brought his aching muscles. "Princess Bride? Captions on, please."

He relaxed back against Gwen's head, half-registering that she'd leaned it against his shoulder.

***

The next thing Harley knew, he was reluctantly blinking open his eyes to a darkened room, the only light being various machines, a sunset behind the closed blinds, and a soft blue glow from Tony's phone.

"Tony?" Harley pushed himself up weakly, trying not to panic because of the closed blinds. "What time is it? Where is everyone?"

"Hey, Harl," Tony sighed, stretching his legs and switching his phone off. "It's about nine. Everyone else's gone, they went home."

"Pepper?"

"Yeah." Tony stood, a creepy silhouette in the dim light. "You want the blinds open?"

Harley nodded, pushing the sweaty blanket off of him. His breaths came in quick gasps---he'd never slept with the blinds closed since...

"I'm cold," he mumbled aloud, taking note of how his skin felt weird and sensitive, like the way it used to feel when he was sick when he was younger. He felt like he was burning up one second and freezing the next. "But I'm also hot."

Tony pressed a cool hand against his sweaty head. "You've got a fever," he mumbled, eyes widening in alarm.

Harley wanted to ask if it was common, but his mouth felt like it was filled with cotton. Tony had already run out of the room, shouting for a doctor at the top of his lungs. Probably disturbing a lot of people.

Soon, the impatient nurse had given him medicine, which made him feel even crappier, and calmly explained to Tony that it was common. She changed his bandages to check for infection, but it was apparently just inflamed. She put some other kind of medicine on it that made him nearly scream.

It didn't reassure Tony. Even after the nurse left her routine check, late into the night, Tony was up and pacing.

Harley felt himself drifting into another feverish sleep. He wanted to say something to make Tony stop, but he knew he wouldn't rest until he thought that Harley was asleep.

His footsteps came closer and the leather in the chair creaked under his weight as he sat down next to him. He pressed his freezing hand against Harley's steaming forehead and cheek again, then sighed.

"I can't lose you, too," he whispered into the darkness. "You're all we have left, Motorcycle."