Flowers trapped in the web

Chapter 15

I must've drifted off at some point because the sound of knocking woke me up, I didn't answer it. It wasn't anyone I knew, if anything it was probably the reception asking why I didn't check in yesterday. But it didn't stop, the banging got louder and louder until I had curled up in the corner of my room with my hands covering my ears. I just wanted it to stop, for everything to stop.

"-id, Alexandrite" a soft voice spoke, and I peeled my eyes open, my heart in my throat only to see Tony Stark crouched in front of me, worry written across his face. "hey, it's okay, just Tony" he cracked a smile at the joke, but I couldn't find it in myself to be amused. Water quickly built behind my eyes and a sob escaped my lips, my hands coming up to cover my mouth as my eyes squeezed shut. I can't do this. Cries wracked my body and I trembled with each breath that was stolen from my lungs.

Tentative hands touched me gently before I was wrapped in a hug, Tony silently holding me whilst I let it all out, ruining his shirt.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry" he shushed me, rubbing my back.

"hey, you have nothing to apologise for, come on let's get you up" he helped me stand and I was briefly reminded that I was only in a towel, clutching it against me in embarrassment. "I'll wait outside, get changed okay?" his eyes searched my face and I nodded, watching him leave.

I put on some underwear and a pair of joggers with one of Peters Nike jumpers he had left, settling for fluffy socks and slides. A hiss left my lips, and my knuckles brushed the fabric of the jumper and I realised that I'd fucked up my hand pretty well. The cuts were fresh, and it was still bleeding, although a lot less than earlier. I just washed it dabbing it with my tea towel before opening the door, Tony had my bag on his arm as he texts on his phone, shoving it into his pocket as I walked through the door.

"Where do you keep your first aid kid?" he asked, and I shook my head.

"it's fine"

"Kid, where do you keep it?" I sighed, running my uninjured hand through my hair before digging around in the cupboard under the sink, producing the little green bag. He wrapped my hand up silently and I couldn't bear to look at him, my knee bouncing as I looked intensely at the pattern of his tie.

"how did you know?" I asked as we sat in his car, curled up in the passenger seat.

"Peter, he told me to check on you when he rang, and you didn't answer. He said he could feel something was wrong." My lips trembled and I wiped at my eyes harshly, looking out the window. "I'm sorry kid, I really am" he looked over at me as he drove us towards the tower. "Do you want me to call anyone? Your parents?"

"they're dead" I told him softly, my lip twitching ever so slightly at the awkward situation.

"Did they have the whole flower thing too?"

"no. just me" I picked the flowers from my hair, twirling them between my thumb as they crumbled into nothing. Dust. "did Peter tell you?"

"Clint. He said that all the dead plants in his room magically healed when you came to the tower, then I checked the plants everywhere else and well, things matched up." I sighed, "how long have you had them?"

"since puberty. And still, I struggle to manage"

"it's not a piece of cake, look at the team, they all struggled. Some of them still do, your pal spiderman for example, god only knows where that kid's head is half the time" he muttered to himself, and a ghost of a smile crossed my lips.

"Thank you for this"

Tony placed a gentle hand on my back as we exited the lift.

"It's not a problem kid," we walked onto a floor I was unfamiliar with, a corridor with doors either side. "so, you have a choice, you can have your own room, or you can stay in Underoos'"