I Dreamt We Had a Kid

Chapter 7

It didn't take much convincing for Nebula to join Tony on the trip to Wakanda. When he approached her again, she simply walked by him toward the ship.

Tony, unwilling to repeat the awkward ride to earth, decided to remain silent for the whole of the short ride. Instead, he stroked the necklace around his neck, eyes closed, remembering a day with Peter.

"Thank you for picking me up again, Mr. Stark, sir," Peter said nervously, getting into the car with Tony for the third day in a row.

"My pleasure, really, a billionaire like myself do sometimes have to drive himself. Especially if it is for his slightly annoying intern." Tony didn't mean it at all, he was so happy with peter around him. His youthful energy pulled at him and made him feel better about himself as well. Knowing someone as amazing and brilliant as Peter could see him as a role model suppressed his self-hatred to a tolerable degree, something he never thought possible.

When they got back to the tower, Tony and Peter were going to start decorating the lab for Christmas. Tony claimed it was so Peter would "Use his abilities to help a tired old man," but Tony just wanted to enjoy something with Peter that a normal .... Family..... Would do.

"The ornaments are in the crawl space," Tony said, pointing to a small, dark space.

Peter looked hesitant but went into the crawl space anyway. Tony was hanging a garland when he realized it had been several minutes since Peter went in the crawl space. In a moment of worry, he went over to it.

"Peter?" he called into the darkness. No answer. "Peter!" he called again, pulling out his phone flashlight and shining it into space. There was Peter, a curled up ball, head in his knees, rocking back and forth, faint cries could be heard.

"Hey Pete," Tony nervously said, crawling toward him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "You're okay." Peter kept crying and shaking.

"FRIDAY what's wrong?" he asked as calmly as he could, panic rising in him.

"It seems Mr. Parker is having an anxiety attack." her calming voice said from the ceiling.

Tony wrapped his arms around Peter holding him close, trying to ground him. "Peter it's me, your ok." Tony started to half carry half pull Peter from the crawl space. He set him gently on the couch and saw his breathing start to return to normal.

"I'm sorry Mr. Stark," he said, voice raspy from crying, "I..."

"Peter, stop." Tony looked him in the eyes, still gripping his shoulders. "It's ok."

Peter fell into Tony, hugging him close and crying again. Tony felt his heart breaking. gripping Peter close, never wanting this young, happy boy to have to endure that EVER again. He was far too young. Peter calmed down eventually, his cries turned to sniffles.

"What happened, Underoos?" He said as gently as possible.

"When..." Peter swallowed, seemed worried. "When I was in the crawl space, I remembered something that happened to me." He paused again. "I felt like I was in there again and I...."

"Peter, I'm lost," Tony said confused.

"When I was fighting Toombs, he collapsed the building we were in and I.." His voice was cracking again. "I was stuck under rubble, and I called for help but no one came, I, I couldn't use a phone because I didn't have my suit, and I..." Peter was rambling.

Tony felt his heart stop. His fault. Tony took Peter's suit. Peter could have died. Died because Tony took the suit. The suit he built to protect Peter. He had taken it as his father would have and Peter almost died. He couldn't call for help. Died.

Died.

Tony took a shaky breath, determined to keep it together until later. In his most gentle, sincere voice he could conjure without cracking like an egg, he looked Peter in his brown, deer in the headlights eyes. Red and swollen from crying.

"I'm so, so, sorry Peter." Tony pulled his hand away, Peter probably never wanted to see him again.

"No, Mr. Stark, I deserved it. Screwed the pooch, you know?" His lip turned up in the slightest way possible, but it was sincere. "It's my fault. Please don't blame yourself, Mr. Stark."

And then, slowly and cautiously Peter leaned into him and hugged him. He was clearly hesitant, since the last time he had tried to hug Tony, Tony had said. "We're not there yet." Tony hugged him back, tighter than he ever had. His heart rushing with a mix of guilt and happiness. Peter had to be some kid to forgive him. And even though Tony hadn't slept for a week after that, working on Peter's iron spider suit and drinking his guilt away, It was the most...... loved, he had ever felt.

Tony wiped a tear from his eye and glanced at Nebula, hoping she hadn't noticed his sudden show of emotion. He squeezed the necklace once more before letting it cling against his reactor, happy knowing it was this close to his heart.

"Nebula what are you doing!" He said in a panic as she drove the ship head first into the Wakandan forcefield. Tony was thrown back in his chair with a jolt. When he finally opened his eyes, he saw the most beautiful forest he had ever seen. Luscious green jungle, surrounded by the most skin warming sunset he had ever seen.

Peter would have loved it here.