Peter's Protector

{19} aftermath

Peter lands onto the roof top with a soft thud. He carefully sets me down, "Can you stand? You're all good?"

"Y-yeah," I say, adjusting myself, "I'm just still really sleepy."

"Oh!" Peter softly exclaims, taking off his mask before helping me sit along the edge of the building.

I sigh, "Sorry, I definitely overdid it today."

"No no! Don't apologize, I-I'm sorry (Y/n), I should've told you what I was doing."

"So you did ditch me?" I halfway glare up at him.

"Um, well..."

Tony flies over us, interrupting our conversation, "Previously on Peter screws the pooch: I tell you to stay away from this. Instead, you hack a million dollar suit so you can sneak around my back doing the one thing I told you not to do."

"Is everyone okay?"

"No thanks to you," Tony scoffs at Peter before looking towards me, "no thanks to the both of you."

"No thanks to me?" Peter replied, hurt traced every word he spoke. He got up from where he was sitting with me, and gets closer to Tony. "Those weapons were out there and I tried to tell you about it. But you didn't listen. None of this would've happened if you had just listened to me. If you even cared, you'd actually be here."

I've never seen Peter so upset.

I sat there silently, focusing on staying awake, and too stunned to speak.

With a few mechanical whirs Tony's suit opens up and he steps out.

Oh.

Tony's face was as stiff as stone, clearly upset. "I did listen, kid. Who do you think called the FBI? Do you know that I was the only one who believed in you? Everyone thought I was crazy for recruiting a fourteen year old kid."

"He's fifteen, Tony," I mutter.

"Zip it," Tony quickly stated, pointing towards me, "I'll get to you later."

He inhales sharply before turning back to Peter, "What if somebody had died tonight? Different story, right? 'Cause that's on you. And if you died," Tony glanced towards me before looking back at Peter, "I feel like that's on me."

"Y-yes sir," Peter spoke softly.

"Yes."

"I-I'm sorry."

"Sorry doesn't cut it."

"I understand, I just wanted to be like you."

"And I wanted you to be better. I wanted both of you to be better."

Tony turns to me again, "and you. I didn't expect this from you. I thought after last weekend's event you would've had the common sense to lay low. But no, what do you do? Go and play hero and put so many people at risk."

"No, Mr. Stark, it's not her fault! I'm the one who left without telling her, she didn't know anything she was just there to help me."

"I was there to protect him, like you wanted me to," I said bitterly, glaring towards Tony.

"And clearly I gave you a job you couldn't handle."

I breathe in sharply, not expecting his jab towards me.

"Alright, none of this is working out. I'm going to need the suit back, and you are no longer allowed to play hero," Tony spoke looking between Peter and I.