Part 2! WARNING: This chapter contains discussion of sexual assault and contains some minor vomiting PLEASE TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF AND READ WITH CAUTION.
Peter dreamt of Skip three more times that week.
Harley tried his best to keep his concerns at bay, but he was really starting to worry. It's unusual for Peter to have the same nightmare that many times consecutively–especially considering the fact that it happened so long ago. He was feeling desperate so he decided to go talk to the only two people who cared about Peter as much as he did, Steve and Tony.
The two men had officially adopted Peter after May's death a year ago, but they were parents to him long before that. Peter tells them everything–which is sometimes unfortunate for Harley–but it just means they're close.
Plus, Peter is a terrible liar.
Harley decided to approach the two heroes while Peter was at school, not wanting to risk Peter's super hearing eavesdropping on this conversation.
"Do you guys know who Skip Wescott is?" He ends up blurting when he spots them in the kitchen. The teen was hoping for a smoother approach, but his impatient side beat him to it.
"Should we?" Tony looks up from his StarkPad with a raised eyebrow.
"Isn't that the name of one of the receptionists?" Steve wonders aloud.
"No, no, that's Stacy–she's a girl, Steve."
"Well it sounded like a nickname I wasn't sure-"
"You guys." Harley interrupted.
"Right, right, right." Tony shakes his head, trying to get himself back on track. "No, we do not know Skip Wescott. Right Fri?" The genius decided to ask his AI, knowing that he's not the best at remembering names.
"I am not seeing anything about a Skip Wescott in any of my databases." She confirms.
"Damn it." Harley slumps down on a barstool next to Tony.
"Language." Steve chides from where he's cooking lunch.
"Who's Skip anyways?" Tony asks somewhat distractedly, sipping at his coffee.
"I was hoping you could tell me." Harley reveals, disappointed. "Peter's been having nightmares about 'im."
"Oh?" That gets Tony's full attention.
"And he hasn't told you anything?" Steve turns to face the island in their kitchen, abandoning the food he was making.
"He said he was a babysitter that used to be mean to him." Harley sighs. "But that's it."
"That..."Tony trails off, trying to think of the right words to say. "There's got to be more to that story.
"I would've thought he'd at least have told you guys what happened, but he said he never even told May or Ben about Skip" The southern teen reveals.
"Do you think Skip...hit him?" Steve asks, paling at the thought.
"Maybe? Peter seems pretty distraught about whatever happened. He's dreamt about him every night for the past 4 nights." Harley adds worriedly
"I mean, Peter was young when this happened. Maybe it's not as bad as we're thinking. Hopefully, it's just a childhood bully, dramaticized by how young he was." Tony offered optimistically.
"I hope so." Steve adds. "It's not like he needs to add any more trauma to his life."
"Do you think..." Harley licks his lips nervously. "Do you think we should ask him about it? Normally I let him come to me but, I'm really, really worried about him."
'I think that's our best option." Steve agrees. "If he's dreaming about it consistently, something is bothering him."
"Obviously we can't force him to tell us anything, but I think we need to, at the very least, ask him about it."
"Okay." Harley feels a little bit lighter knowing that he's not being overdramatic about all of this.
But now he just feels a puddle of dread sinking in his stomach, thinking about the conversation to come.
When Peter comes home from school, three of the most important people in his life are waiting for him on the couch.
"Am I in trouble?" He asks, confused. He takes out his earbuds and looks at the three men in front of him.
"No, Bambi, you're not in trouble." Steve chuckles slightly. "We just wanna talk. Go ahead, sit down." Peter still looks skeptical, but he sets down his backpack and takes a seat next to Harley. Harley immediately wraps his arm around Peter, he can practically see the anxiety radiating from the younger teen.
"We're worried about you, Pete." Tony says seriously. "Harley told us you've been having a lot more nightmares recently."
"Oh." Peter blushes slightly, refusing to look anyone in the eyes. "I'm okay, I promise."
"I'd love to believe that, bud, but you seem to be having a conversation with the floor and not with us." Tony disagrees, not unkindly. "It's okay to not be okay. We're here to help." Peter tries his best to hide the tears he can feel building behind his eyes.
"Peter." The use of his full name causes Peter to look up Steve, his papa. "Who's Skip Westcott?" It's such a simple question that should be easy to answer, but it has Peter letting out an unwanted sob.
"Oh, darlin'." Harley coos sadly, pulling Peter in for a hug.
"'M sorry." Peter hiccups on a sob, digging his face into Harley's shoulder.
"Peter." Steve tries again. "Who is Skip Wescott?" He knows he needs to keep asking until Peter says something–clearly this is a lot more serious than any of them had anticipated.
"H-he used to babysit m-m-me." The poor teen stutters through his tears. Harley instinctively holds Peter tighter, keeping him safe. "He-he was really mean."
"And..." Tony prompts, trying to be strong even though the sight of his baby breaking down in front of him hurts his heart.
"That's it." Peter says, almost in a pleading manner.
"Darlin'." Harley looks down at the boy in his arms. "We just want to help you."
"P-please don't m-make me say it." Peter begs, looking up at Harley.
"You're really starting to worry me here, Petey." Harley says honestly, looking into Peter's teary-red eyes. Peter just lets out another pitiful sob and buries his face into Harley's sweatshirt.
"Peter..." Steve starts again, looking at hsi boy with worry. "Did he...did Skip ever hit you?" When Peter shakes his head 'no' the two dads let out a sigh of relief.
False hope.
"Can you tell us what happened, bambino?" Tony asks, almost begs. "We just want to know how to help.
"He-he..."Peter can't even get out a sentence, his breathing speeding up dangerously.
"Breathe." Harley instructs quietly, his lips almost brushing Peter's ear. "You're safe." He states firmly. "It's just me and your dads. We're here to protect you. You are safe."
"He..."' Peter starts again, avoiding looking at his family by playing with Harley's sweatshirt strings. "He lived d-down the hall from us." He takes a deep breath–I'm safe. "He was...17 I think. Um, he was cheap so May and-and Ben really liked him." Peter knows he's stalling but he's trying to work up the nerve to tell them. He's never told anyone before. "I was 8, m-maybe 9, the first time he, uh, he came over." He can't do this. "I feel like I'm gonna be sick." He mutters, standing up and rushing to the bathroom before anyone else can get a word out.
When Tony, Steve, and Harley finally catch up to him, they find him hunched over the toilet, throwing up his lunch. Harley is quick to crouch down next to him, offering words of comfort and reassurance. Peter heaves three more times before collapsing back onto Harley.
"Sorry." He offers weakly.
"Quit apologizing." Harley mumbles back. "You have nothing to be sorry for."
"Small sips, Bambi." Tony instructs gently, handing Peter a cup of tap water. Peter grasps the cup with both hands, feeling a little shaky from anxiety.
"There ya go." The southern teen encourages quietly. "You just keep breathin', honey."
"Normally I wouldn't want to pry after a panic attack like that, but," Steve takes a seat on the bathroom floor to be level with his son "we're all worried about you, buddy."
"We're here to listen...and potentially do some ass kicking." Tony agrees.
"I want to tell you." Peter whimpers. "I'm just-'m scared."
"You're safe." Harley says again. "Whoever this guy is, he's not getting through the three of us."
"We just want to help, but we can't do that if you don't tell us what happened." Steve holds both of Peter's hands in his own.
"Are you okay if we move back to the living room, baby?" Harley whispers the question into Peter's hairline, pressing a few kisses there as well. Peter nods his head, but before he can get up, Harley stands up, still holding onto Peter. Harley frowns when Peter barely shows any reaction, he just rests his head on the elder boy's shoulder. This only makes Harley tighten his grip.
Once they're all settled back into the living room, Peter safely nestled in Harley's lap, the conversation resumes.
"Take your time, bambino." Tony ensures. "You've got us as long as you want us."
"O-okay um..." Pater takes a deep breath and curls into Harley as much as he can, grabbing ahold of the other boy's sweatshirt strings once again. "The first few times he, uh, he came over were fine. May and Ben–they were happy I liked him, so they-they'd ask him to babysit me while th-they went on dates." Peter takes a shaky breath as tears start to form in his eyes again. "One day he asked me if I...if I wanted to play a game." Oh god he can't do this hecan't-
"Peter." His dad's voice breaks through the fog in his brain. "Breathe, bambi. You're safe." Harley runs his hand up and down Peter's back, effectively grounding Peter and reminding him that he's here, he's safe, Skip isn't here.
"H-he, he had, um..."Breathe, Peter. "Magazines? And he show-showed them t-to me."You're safe, you're safe, you're safe. "I guess th-they were like, adult magazines. There-there were pictures o-of naked people and they were-they were um, doing things to each other." Peter stutters through his story. "And h-he told me we should, we should copy what they were, um, doing." The tears hiding behind Peter's eyes made themselves known as they slid down his cheeks.
"Oh, Peter." Steve says, his own eyes shining with unshed tears.
"I promise I said no." Peter whimpers, choking on another sob. "I said no, I kept telling him no, but he didn't listen." Peter rambles as he cries. "I didn't want to, Papa. I didn't- I don't-"
"I believe you-We believe you, baby." Steve promises,getting up to crouch down right in front of Peter, cupping his son's face in his own hands. "I think I know what happened, and god I hope I'm wrong, baby. Peter, did Skip rape you?"
"I'm so sorry, Papa." Peter sobs, not being able to look Steve in the eyes.
"Did he?" Harley can't help but ask the question again, not wanting to believe it.
"He-he did." Peter broke down once again, leaning forward into his papa as Harley rubs his back. "E-every time he came over f-for the next y-year."
"I'm gonna kill him." Tony declares, abruptly standing up from his spot.
"Tony-" Steve starts.
"I'm gonna fucking kill him." The genius repeats angrily.
"'M sorry. I'msorryI'msorryI'm-"
"Peter." Steve interrupts his sons upset rambling. "Tony, you can hunt him down later, but right now you have a son that's very upset and needs us right now. And Peter," he pulls Peter's head away from his chest so he can look the boy in the eye, "you need to stop apologizing. What he did to you, is not your fault."
"If-if I was-" Peter tries.
"No." It's Tony who interrupts this time. He finally gets up and walks over to the group huddled up on the couch. "You were just a kid–hell, you are just a kid. That man is going to rot in hell for what he did to you."
"I saw him." Peter whispered, almost so quietly no one heard.
"What?" Harley asks, trying his best to keep his voice calm.
"He was outside my school." Peter sobbed, relieved that his family finally knows and they don't hate him. "I-I don't know why."
"Did he say anything to you?" Tony questions.
"No, which is why this is so stupid. He-he didn't even do any-anything and I keep crying about it like a baby." Peter's surprised that he has anymore tears left to cry.
"Darlin'." Harley says in disbelief. "I can't stand to hear you say such bad things about yourself." He coos. "You, Peter, you did nothing wrong. You're the strongest person I know-"
"No I'm not." Peter interrupts.
"Yes, you are." Harley disagrees firmly. "You've gone through so much, baby. And I'm sorry that you did. Yet, you're still the most considerate and kind person I've ever met, even though the universe seems to like to drag you through the mud."
"Harley's right, Bambi. You've been dealt a pretty shitty hand in life—but you still help the little guy and you are so full of love I'm pretty sure you're half carebear." Tony agrees. "And I hope you know that your mom and dad, Ben and may, and all of us are so so so proud of you."
"I just don't want to be scared anymore." Peter almost whines.
"Your Dad and I will take care of it." Steve assures.
"Please don't kill him." Peter says with wide eyes.
"But-" Tony tries to argue
"We won't kill him." Steve promises, standing up with Tony following.
Peter doesn't know what his dads did, but all he knows is that Skip turned himself into the police, only a little banged up. He knows that the nightmares aren't going to stop, Skip still holds some power over his life whether he's a free man or not. But for now, Peter can rest a little easier. He's tucked safely into Harley's arms, secured under their growing pile of blankets. Now he just feels safe, safe, safe.
T H E E N D
woohoo! finally got this chapter up. I rewrote this probably four times so...I hope you enjoyed!
word count: 2420 (dayum)
thanks for reading!!
xoxo spiderxmarvel
YOU ARE READING
parkner stories <3
FanfictionTHERE IS NOT ENOUGH PARKNER IN THIS WORLD!! why do I literally ship Peter with everyone tho...
