Runaway | Peter Parker angsty fic

Chapter 15

Tw: sewerside attempt

Peter woke up with a gasp. He was soaking wet for some reason. A fight? Maybe, his body was in pain but when was it not? He looked to his left. There was a little kid, also soaked.

"Hey" He started as he shock him. "Hey kid, wake up"

With a coughing fit, the kid woke up. As he opened his eyes, he gasped. "Spiderman?"

"The one and only" He boasted.

"I almost didn't recognize you without your mask" He stated. "You're just a kid, like me"

Peter felt for his face. Shit, his mask was off. He looked at the kid with an almost pleading face.

"Don't worry, I won't tell anyone what you look like. Especially not that you're a kid" He assured him. "But you should be getting home too, the sun is setting and I'm sure your parents are worried"

"I, I don't really have a home" He admitted. He didn't know why he was saying this. "Not in the way you're thinking, anyway"

"Do you... not have parents?" He asked with hesitation.

"They've been gone for a long time"

The kid thought for a minute. "Then go to an Orphanage. That's where the kids without parents go"

"Then I couldn't protect the city" He argued.

"That's true." He agreed. "Hey, you're normally in New York City, do you have anyone there? I'm sure they're worried about you"

Peter looked up at the kid. "You're right.  Maybe I should go back to New York. But first I'll get you home."

Peter woke up back on that roof. The bag he got sat in the corner, wrappers and water bottles littered the ground. He was surprised they didn't blow away. His big friend in the sky wasn't in its usual spot, setting over the city, instead it was rising behind him. How long had he been in Jersey City? It was mostly a blur now. He wanted to go back to New York, like the kid said, but his body hurt too much to move so here he stayed. Would he even be able to move for a scream?

Behind him, he heard someone approaching. They were light, had to be a child.

"Ah! I wasn't expecting anyone to be up here" A soft and weak voice jumped. They sound like they've been crying.

"Why are you up here?" He said as he put on his mask.

"Spiderman?" They gasped.

"Why are you up here?" He asked again as he turned to face the voice. It was a teen, tall yet incrediblly skinny. "Why are you so skinny?"

"Why are you so skinny?" They turned the question towards him.

"Answer my questions and I'll answer yours" He barged.

The teen stared at him. He could tell they wanted to run. Deep down he knew the reason they were up here but he needed them to say it.

"I- uh I-" They tried to talk through the river that wanted to flow from their eyes.

After a few more seconds of stumbling over their words, the dam broke and the water came rushing out. Peter, despite his joints feeling rusted over, rushed to their side. After asking, he hugged them. The hug, for Peter at least, felt more like one of recognition and relation then one of comfort. Whether he admitted it or not, that morning was the aftermath of an attempt.

The two stood on the roof like that for another 5 or so minutes. The hug felt like it would last forever. Peter didn't know what to do after they pulled away.

"Just, go home kid" Was the only advice he could give. "Tell your parents what happened and get some help. You are not alone"

"Can you take me home?" They asked.

"Of course"

When he woke up again it was noon. The sun shined down on him like a spot light and a light breeze blew through the area. It almost felt like the sun was healing him in a way though his body still felt like it was a rusty old car withering away in a dump. From the cuts to the bruises to the burns, none of them were the same as a few days prior. How many fights did he get into?

He felt a whoosh come from behind him. That's not where the wind is coming from. The sound of metallic clinks fill his ears as he scrambles to get his mask on.

"Hey Stark" He says as he turns his head.

"Don't 'hey stark' me, Peter" A teary-eyed Mr. Stark yelled as his suit opened. "You've been missing for nearly 2 month! Do you know how worried I've been? I thought you were dead! "

Peter was stunned. How did he know? Is that why he thought it'd be a bad idea to go to him? 2 months? Had he really been there for that long? It felt more like a week. Why was Mr. Stark so worried about him anyway?

"I- " Peter stambered. He slowly pulled off his mask and the wind hit his face like a gentle kiss from a mother. He felt his eyes tearing up even though he had no idea way.

Mr. Stark hugged him. He was shocked. Mr. Stark doesn't like physical touch at all so why? After a few moments, he felt a wetness on his shoulder and took that as a cue to hug back. He felt tears leave his own eyes but it wasn't him crying.

"I just wanna go home"