Starks Apprentice

Chapter 8

Peter helped me out the car, keeping his arm around me as we made our way inside and up the lift, into the lab.

“Hello again, Alex, Peter” Bruce greeted as we stepped in, instantly spotting our injured forms, and directing us to sit on a metal bench which he reeled over “Tony filled me in, I’m going to take a look at both of you, okay?”

“Look at him first,” I gestured Peter’s way as I lay down, goosebumps appearing across my arm. Bruce protested but I shot him a look which made him go quiet and ask Peter to remove his suit.

It turned out Peter had sustained minor injuries to his arm and shoulder, some cuts needed cleaning, but it would all heal within a few days thankfully.

“Jeez you two look like hell” Sam’s voice echoed through the room, Bucky following him out of the lift and looking us both over, blowing the air through his teeth.

“What hurts the most Alex?” I directed him towards my rib and let him raise my top, struggling to undo my bra which Nat came over and did for me, saving us both from the embarrassment.

“How does it look?” grimacing, I tried to see what my side looked like, only for Peter to hold my shoulders down gently.

“Not too good” The doctor muttered, pressing against my skin gently and I grabbed the edge of the metal bed, my eyes slamming shut, hearing him apologise briefly as the tears burned in my eyes.

“You have a bruised rib” I felt Peter run his fingers through the ends of my hair comfortingly. “And a bruised left eye socket, along with a bruised throat, but I think that much was obvious”

I chuckled humourlessly, exhaling deeply.

“How do you heal a rib?”

“we’re going to have to amputate” Tony joked as he landed on the balcony nearby, his suit fading around him.

“Bed rest and pain medication” Bruce reassured, patting my leg sympathetically, “it’s probably best that you stay here for a few weeks until it heals enough that you don’t damage it more”

“Or she could stay with May and me, we have plenty of room” Peter suggested hopefully.

“You have school, which means you can’t be there all the time” Bucky pointed out.

“I could take a few weeks off”

“You are not missing school for me” I shut him down immediately

“education is important, and you have your end of semester exams coming up. I can take care of myself; my flat is only 10 minute-”

“Out of the question, bed rest means bed rest, Queenie. You’ll stay here. If not for your benefit, then for mine and your parents state of mind”

“Oh shit” my parents, fuck. How was I going to explain this to them?

“Do we have to tell them what happened?” disapproving looks were shot my way and I sighed, closing my eyes.

“I’ll talk to them, let them know you’re okay, although they’ll probably want to talk to you.”

“thanks” I sat up carefully, Peter’s hands supporting me “is it okay if I talk to them after I’ve got the stuff from mine?”

“You seriously think we’ll let you go back to yours?”

I bit my tongue at Steve’s rhetorical question, I knew that they had my best interest at heart but going from almost complete independence to being babied wasn’t exactly my cup of tea.

It was just a broken rib, after all.

“at least just to grab my clothes.”

“You have clothes here” Tony stated, pointing a pencil at me.

“Pyjamas” my eyebrows furrowed as he shook his head.

“No, I had some ordered for you when you first arrived”

“oh” I didn’t know that, and I felt my insides soften “thanks” he waved me off, returning to his tablet.

“You might need a new phone” Peter said as he looked down at my cracked mobile, running a gloved finger over a long split in the screen.

“Why don’t you guys go get cleaned up whilst we sort everything out?” Nat suggested and everyone was quick to second the notion.

“Okay...” Peter and I shared a look, and we made our way to the lift, the others ominously quiet behind us, smiling as we looked back at them.

“That was weird”

“Too weird” I agreed, looking him over properly for the first time since we entered the alley. “You sure you’re, okay?” he smiled softly, hair falling over his eyes.

“you’re worried about me?” he tucked a piece of hair behind my ear, thumb brushing over my tender face with big eyes.

I could almost see the gears churning in his head, opting to hug him.

I know he was worried, hell, so was I, but we wouldn’t do much good just standing and going over everything, wishing it had never happened.

He cradled me against him, burying his face in my hair as he took some deep breaths.

I just kind of melted into him, even just the sight of him bought me comfort most of the time, but hugs were always a part of my love-language.

“Stay with me tonight?”

“isn’t May expect you home?”

“I’ll text her, let her know I’m staying here with my best girl” I snorted quietly.

“You sound like the grandad’s downstairs” I felt him smile, pressing a soft kiss to my head.

“Then the lessons are working” I pulled back slightly with a suspicious face.

“Lessons? What lessons?” he just grinned down at me, wiggling his eyebrows.

“don’t worry about it, baby doll” I hid my face in his shoulder, feeling my face grow warm.

“Oh my god” I muttered, hearing the doors slide open and letting Peter guide me out with our hands linked.

“Did Tony say where he kept all these clothes he bought me?”

“I believe they are in your room, Miss Greene” Jarvis answered for us.

“My room? I didn’t know I had a room?”

A door lit up near the end of the hall, opposite Thor’s, and we approached.

Everyone had something on their door, Peter had a little spider, Nat had an hourglass, etc. On the door in front of us, there was a little crown.

Queenie.

I chuckled as Peter bowed, swinging the door open for me. Oh wow.