Loose Threads

Chapter Ten

Chapter Ten

Peter was right, May's spaghetti really was the best he'd ever had. Granted, Ace hadn't ever really eaten spaghetti before, but still. It was good, and he told May that. May was honestly the sweetest person Ace had ever met.

She didn't ask him personal questions or give him those pitying looks he got from most people. She did tell him he wasn't eating enough and that he could over anytime he wanted. (Which Ace knew he would take advantage of).

Peter spent the whole time looking vaguely embarrassed. (Which Ace thought was really cute). After they were done with dinner, Peter dragged Ace to his room, mostly, Ace thought, to get away from May, who was starting to talk about bringing out the photo albums.

Peter's room was messy in a charming way. His bunk bed was ruffled and there were posters all over the walls. He had a desk covered with lots of sciency-things, and a shelf stocked with lego. Peter hastily chucked some laundry in his closet and sat on his bed. Ace sat next to him.

"So," Peter said.

"So." Ace parroted. He leaned into Peter's side, tired. Today was long, and exciting. Ace wasn't used to spending a whole hour with anyone else. Let alone a whole day. He yawned. "Your aunt is really nice," he muttered. Peter laughed a little. "Yeah, she's the best."

As if being summoned, May appeared in the doorway, holding a shoe. "Hey, boys, you haven't seen my other- oh." Ace sat up, rubbing at his eyes. "Oh, honey, do you want to stay over tonight? I'm sure Peter can lend you some pyjamas."

Ace looked at Peter. "Would you really let me stay?"

Peter smiled. "I mean, if you really want to, I'm sure we can- I mean, I can, uh," he looked at May, all flustered and panicked and Ace giggled. "If you want me to, I'll stay. I'm too tired to go all the way back to the tower."

Peter lent Ace a pair of Star Wars pyjama pants and a grey shirt which were both too big and Ace had to roll the waistband at least five times so the pants wouldn't fall off. It was still early-ish, so May told them they could watch a movie before bed.

Peter wanted to show Ace the Star Wars movies, which of course, Ace had never seen, so while he was setting that up, Ace texted Tony that he would be back tomorrow. (Stark had bought Ace a phone and installed all the Avenger's numbers, 'for emergencies'. Ace hardly ever used it.) The man replied right away with a thumbs-up. He had been...surprisingly nice to Ace.

At least, it seemed like he was making an effort. He made sure Ace was comfortable and had more than he could ever ask for, making sure to check in a couple times a day. Ace knew that Tony was mostly curious about his apparent healing abilities, and wanted to start experiments next week. (Although he didn't use that word, he called them 'scientifically educational inquiries into the principle and mechanics behind' Ace's abilities.)

Truth be told, Ace wasn't that nervous about next week. He always assumed he would end up in a lab sooner or later, and compared to his nightmares, this seemed like it would go really smoothly.

Ace ended up falling asleep halfway through the movie, being woken by Peter once the credits had started. "Hey, let's get to bed, yeah?" The brunet whispered, taking a very sleepy Ace's hand and leading him back to Peter's room.

The next morning, Ace was woken by the very ugly blaring of an alarm. He rolled over, stuffing the pillow over his face. His blankets were once again tossed onto the floor and he groaned, cold.

"Sorry, sorry, I forgot it was a school night!" Peter's groggy voice sounded from above Ace as the boy jumped down from the upper bunk, fumbling with his phone and finally shutting the alarm off. "We can give you a ride back to the Tower on the way to school." Ace grumbled into the pillow again, having momentarily forgotten, upon waking, where he was.

He rolled off the bed, flopping onto the floor and covering his face with an arm. Peter laughed. "I'm gonna shower, you can raid my closet if you want. May's in the kitchen making breakfast, I'll meet you there."

It took Ace a full ten minutes to get off the floor. He took a pair of Peter's jeans and a long-sleeved shirt; dark blue and made of material that Ace had seen on mannequins in sports stores. It was still slightly too big and he pulled the cuffs over his hands, still cold.

May was making pancakes, a luxury from Ace's childhood that he hadn't been able to indulge in for...years, honestly. She smiled brightly when he walked in. "Ace! Did you sleep well? Peter's snoring didn't keep you awake, did it?"

Ace laughed, shaking his head. "No, it was a good night." He sat at one of the barstools at the counter, finger-combing his hair. May flipped some pancakes. Down the hall, Ace heard the shower turn off. It was all so normal, and Ace loved it.

Peter emerged smelling like cinnamon soap and wearing a flannel over a plain t-shirt. His hair was still damp, and he stole a pancake off the stack, sitting beside Ace, who grunted as his fingers caught in a tangle. "Oh," Peter said, swallowing his bite. "Do you want me to braid that for you?"

Ace looked at Peter like he had never met the other before. Peter blushed and swallowed again. "Well, MJ makes me braid hers sometimes, and Nat and Wanda sometimes ask me too–"

"Sure," Ace said, interrupting Peter's flustered monologue, laughing gently. "That would be nice, actually." Peter blushed harder, trying to hide it by stuffing another pancake in his mouth. May smiled to herself, unnoticed by either boy.

Peter's fingers were gentle as they finished separating the tangles. The soft tugs sent shivers down Ace's spine, but he enjoyed the feeling. Peter french-braided his hair, nice and straight, and then they both ate their fill of pancakes before May shooed them out the door. "I have to take the car, I was called in for an early shift today instead of this afternoon, you'll be okay walking, right? I could call Happy for you–"

"We'll be fine May, go or you'll be late!" May smiled at Peter, kissing him quickly on the head and giving Ace a little side-hug as she pulled her shoes on. "Call me if you need anything!" She shouted as she pulled out of the driveway.

"Where does she work?" Ace asked as he followed Peter down the sidewalk, the older shouldering his school bag. "She's a nurse, but she also works at the university library on the weekends." Their small talk carried them several blocks, about halfway to the Tower, where Peter said he'd catch a ride from Happy to school.

They were waiting to cross the road, standing at the corner- by themselves, it was still only seven in the morning, which also meant that traffic was slow and they didn't have to wait too long. (Peter still somehow didn't understand that the stoplights worked on automatic timers, not according to how many cars there were on the road.) They were talking about next week, and the sorts of experiments Ace might have to expect. Peter went through much the same when the Avengers first recruited him, too.

"They'll start with really surface stuff, like PET scans and things, and they'll want blood samples too, probably, and then they'll move onto the physical stuff. One time Bruce hooked me up to like five different monitors and put me on a treadmill. I ran for like forty minutes before he told me I didn't have to go for that long."

"That was all they made you do?" Ace asked. "Nothing...worse?"

Peter scrunched his eyebrows, stepping out onto the crosswalk. "Worse? No, it was all pretty much harmless stuff, just for–" A U-haul came hurtling down the road, seemingly unaware of the teenage boy it was about to hit.

"Peter!" Ace screamed, watching from two steps behind the boy as Peter realised- too late, too late- what was about to happen and his eyes widened in horror. Ace took a step and was suddenly right beside Peter, which was impossible but Ace didn't care because he was close enough to push Peter out of the way- to save him.

Even if it meant letting the truck hit him.

Even if it meant that he knew the image of those bright headlights would be seared into his mind, even if, in his mind's eye, he could hear the heavy 'crunch' of metal on metal, he could hear the high screams of his sisters and see the blood on the back of the seats. 

From fluff to uh oh faster than you can cry! (im sorry guys it gets better- oh wait no. it doesnt)