Family is More Than Blood

Nightmares

Peter woke with a sense of strange but comfortable warmth next to him. Was Ned sleeping over? No... he was at Mr. Stark's house. But why was there someone next to him? Peter realized with embarrassment that he was in Mr. Stark's bed. With Mr. Stark next to him! He must have crawled in here because... he paled suddenly with the remembrance of what had brought him in here in the first place.

He was standing on the precipice of a craggy cliff, staring at a raging beast snapping up at him. He could only see the creature's gaping maw that seemed to stretch the length of the bottom of the ravine. If he feel down it, he would fall directly into the creature's mouth. He was just out of reach of the monster's teeth, standing there mocking it. The air was hot and heavy, dust swirling in clouds around him. It smelled of rotting meat, and he was pretty sure that was the monster's breath. He was coughing up the dust and he didn't know what to do, paralyzed with indecision. Then, in the distance, he heard a raw shout.

"Peter!" That was Mr. Stark.

"Peter here!" Aunt May. He looked up on instinct and realized with horror that Ned, MJ, Aunt May, and Tony Stark were falling from the sky - right towards the open maw of the creature.

"Please catch us, Peter!" Ned shouted.

"You're the one who got us here - get us out!" MJ let loose a scream of pure terror as they gained speed. Peter shot out a net of web to catch them, silvery threads shooting across the canyon. If they attached to the opposite end of the cliff, it would form a net that would bounce his friends and family back to safety.

They web missed the other side.

His only friends, the only people he loved and cared about, plunged to their death.

And it was his fault.

Peter shivered. He was immediately glad that Mr. Stark slept quietly next to him. His presence was the only thing keeping Peter from having a full on panic attack. He knew that the exact circumstances would never happen, but something similar could. The thought both terrified and devastated Peter. He knew he wasn't good enough, but somehow he had the power anyway. His breathing quickened as he remembered the feeling of desperation, and he ducked into Mr. Stark's side without thinking. He felt his mentor stir, and a blush crept across his cheeks as he made to move away. Before he could, Mr. Stark put his arm around his shoulders.

"Kid, you okay?" He asked, his voice still layered with sleep.

"Y...yeah," Peter stammered. Embarrassment at being caught in Mr. Stark's bed coupled with the remaining traces of fear from his dream made it difficult to speak at all.

"What's wrong?" Mr. Stark asked.

"Night-m..nightmare," Peter managed. 

"Wanna talk about it?" He suggested.

"No!" Peter answered quickly. 

"You wanna stay here?"

Peter knew he should say no. He was in high school, he shouldn't be sleeping in an adults bed just because he had a bad dream! Especially an adult whom he idolized and so obviously did not need Peter himself. But hopelessness flooded over him as he thought of returning to his bed alone. He nodded his head with shame. He felt Mr. Stark laugh a little at his side.

"Kid, no need to feel ashamed," he assured him, "We all need someone sometimes."

Peter let the tension drain out of him as he took in Mr. Stark's realness beside him. He fell asleep curled into the man's side.