I'll be your family now

Reactor X

Tony was extremely nervous, Peter was in surgery for an hour, and now it was finally over. He has been pacing, eating his nails and snapping all the time, trying to let off some of the fear that was running through him all the time; he knew Bruce was more than capable of doing it, but he couldn't help feeling afraid, he knew the risks and the odds, and he didn't like them.

Now he was seated next to Peter, a hole in his kid's chest... and because of him, but what more could he have done? If Peter got mad at him, at least he was alive.

He didn't know the hour, but it was late, and he should sleep, but he couldn't, a feeling that he knew too well for his own liking. He would have guessed it was around 3.00 am, he could have asked FRIDAY, but he didn't have the energy to do so, he felt like he was the one who was in surgery, not Peter, and he just felt too stressed to sleep.

The others have been there a few times, coming in and out, taking turns, so the med room wasn't too full of people, but they never made Tony leave, taking I'm food and showing comfort. He was glad that they didn't, because he has the feeling that if they did he might have not been so kind to them, who only tried to help.

Now the others were sleeping, and he was there, sitting in a chair next to his unconscious child, trying to sleep the worry off.

At first he was a little shook because Peter didn't wake up soon after he had the arc reactor, but Bruce told him that he may be in shock, and his body too tired to wake up, but that he will, because everything was alright.

He tried to believe it.

He put his head in the bed, next to the kid's waist, and took his kid's hand into his.

"Hey, Pete. You almost have me a heart attack back there, but it's good now, you're fine. I'm sorry" he paused, closing his eyes "Don't you ever dare of doing that again, okay? I was really scared, for a moment I thought I lost you, and that was the scariest thing in my life. I thought I told you that I prohibited you from getting hurt, always challenging me, are you?" he chuckled without humor and squeezed Peter's hand, before closing his eyes again. And this time, he really tried to sleep, convinced that his kid was there, too exhausted to fight off the numbness that was overcoming him. Welcoming the feeling of nothing.

He got up not too late, in fact, he was sure he only slept for an hour or two, but he was up now, and wouldn't go back to sleep.

However, he got up from his chair and walked, his sore leg muscles thanking him the little exercise.

"FRIDAY, what time is it?"

"It's 4.45 am, Boss, I suggest getting more sleep" she answered, sounding reproaching.

"No, you know me, I'd not be going to sleep anytime soon" he sat back again next to Peter, looking for whatever. For a sign. Something.

He knew he woke up because of something, not a nightmare this time, as he has woken up before, or a sound. He had a feeling.

"Yeah, I know that you're the God of Insomnia" she replied, sarcastically. And Tony imagined his AI rolling her eyes with a pout at him.

He didn't responded, instead watching his kid, looking for something, he should be waking up by now, based in what Bruce said, that Peter would wake up about 5 am, 4 am. One of the reasons he wanted to stay the night and not sleep, he didn't want Peter waking up from all that has happened and being alone, with a glowing thing in his chest.