Revenge...

Bucky

Tony's POV-
I held my drink in one hand and sat down at the table. Steve, Bucky and I talked for a while before he woke up.
There was a light whimpering sound coming from Peter, I sat my drink down immediately. He turned sharply from one side to the other.
"Kid? You okay?" I whispered.
He rolled again, "...my...no don't...don't hurt him...ow...oww...don't hurt my dad..." He spluttered louder again, "don't hurt my dad!" His eyes were still closed, I ran over and sat down beside him.
"Peter, kid. You're having a nightmare, wake up." I held his hand in mine. His eyes shot open.
"Dad! Dad!" Peter scrambled to his feet and looked around.
"I'm here. Look at me. Right here." I stood up and pulled him close to me. He grabbed onto my top and pulled me back down to the sofa.
"Dad." He hugged me tighter. "I had a nightmare. A really bad one. Please help me."
"It's okay. I was just in the kitchen. I thought you wanted to sleep. What was it about? You can tell me. Also, put on this top, you're still burning up." I held out a T-shirt.
"Is it my fault?" He dropped the shirt to the floor.
"Wh...what?" I stuttered.
"Everything that happened. Loki said you would hit me. He said that I'll only feel pain for the rest of my life. He said I deserve it. All of it. He said I made you upset and "caused you pain." I'm sorry. I didn't mean to." The room stayed quiet for a minute.
"Why would it be your fault?" I whispered.
"Cause...I...I couldn't save anyone, not uncle Ben, not myself. And you...you were in danger because I let Loki get me." Peter stuttered, completely avoiding eye contact. It was silent, no one dared to breathe. When I finally looked up, he was crying silently.
"Dad, I'm sorry. I didn't want to make you upset, I didn't want to hurt you." He cried. I put my hands on his shoulders.
"Peter kid. I need you to know this. I would never lay a hand on you. Never. You are the best thing that's ever happened to me. You have never made me anything other than extremely proud and happy. Okay? You need to understand this."
He wiped away a tear from his eye.
"Do you understand?" I repeated. He nodded, breath hitching through fear of sobbing again. "Not your fault, never was, it was mine. I put you in danger, we can talk more later, I promise. Get changed okay? Here." I picked up the top and gave it to him again.
"I...I'll be back." Peter muttered, walking out to the bathroom.
I walked back out and into the kitchen and sat beside Steve.
The kid doesn't know how much that hurt me, I can't believe he would ever blame himself for this.
"Tony. Are you okay? That was...intense." Steve spoke up.
"Fine...fine... Jesus, that was horrible." I rubbed the back of my neck.
"God, I teared up and he's not even my kid." Bucky sighed.
"His face Tony. How hard did he hit him?" Steve said quietly.
"I tried not to think about it, I really did. But the truth is, it's not how hard he hit, it's how many times he did it. So, so many, and of course he can hit hard too, he's a God. And Peter's just a kid." I sighed, avoiding eye contact. The door opened from down the hall. I nodded at the two to keep them quiet. He walked in.
Oh my God. It was only now that I realised how bad Peter was. How could I have even thought about sending him to school? His arms were black and blue. His eyes were dark and he had huge bags underneath them. His cheeks were still swollen with bruises. His entire face was completely white and his neck was still red raw. I noticed Peter's face when he saw that I was staring.
"St...stop looking at me...please." He walked over to the sofa and got underneath the blanket, hiding himself away.
"Fuck." I whispered.
"Jesus Tones. You didn't say it was that bad." Steve said quietly.
"I can hear you... stop." Peter turned away.
"So. What happened to you?" Bucky asked.
"Buck!" Steve hissed. "No questions." Peter didn't look up anyways.
"Uhh...kid. This is James Barnes, or Bucky. He's a friend of Steve's." Peter still didn't do anything.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you feel bad." I sighed, I walked over to him and sat down. I put my arm over his  and he laid his head down on my shoulder.
"Do you forgive me?" I asked.
"Mmm." Peter nodded quietly.
"Okay, no school for a while. Not until you're completely healed up. Here, you have to take another tablet. Steve can you get the kid some water?" I called over. Bucky just watched us intently.
"Yeah sure." Steve came back over with the water and handed it to me. I put the tablet into the water and gave it to Peter.
"I don't want it. Can't I just leave it?" He said sadly.
"No, I'm sorry kid. What did Banner say? Next week you can stop." I rubbed his back.
Peter groaned in response, but downed the drink anyways. He lay next to me.
"Wow." Bucky sighed.
"What?" I asked.
"Oh...oh...you're just so close. It's nice." He sighed.
"Who are you?" Peter turned to face him.
"I'm...I'm Bucky. I'm kinda like you, I was taken before too. And...and hurt." Peter stared at him confusedly.
"Wh...what?" He asked.
"Bucky. This is not the time. He's just a child." Steve interrupted.
"I wanna know." Peter said quietly.
"By a group called Hydra, for years and years." Bucky said quickly. Peter's face dropped.
"Stop. This is not the time!" I raised my voice then immediately felt bad. "I'm sorry but this is not appropriate, he's a kid."
"I didn't mean to make him upset, he asked." Bucky replied.
"Yeah and you should know better than to answer." I said angrily.
"Why are you treating me like I can't protect myself?" Peter spoke up. "I didn't ask for any of this, but I'm not just a child." He stood up and walked into the kitchen. He's right, it's not his fault, it's none of ours. It's not Bucky's either.
"I'm sorry Bucky. I know you were just answering a question." I stood up and grabbed Peter's crutches. I walked over and held them out.
Peter took them from me but sat them down on the table.
"You're not getting better by disobeying my orders you know?" Bruce said, suddenly walking out of his bedroom door.
"I don't need them." Peter said annoyedly.
"More talkative today, that's a good sign. Maybe the anxiety pills are working." Bruce smiled. "Use your crutches Peter, you should take my advice."
"Fine." Peter mumbled and grabbed them off the table.
"Don't get huffy with Dr. Banner, he's just trying to help." I put my hands on his shoulders.
"I...I didn't mean to. I'm sorry." Peter sighed. He walked past Bruce and I seen his face change. Banner stared down at Peter's arms.
"Oh...why didn't you say anything about your arms?" Banner asked, Peter stopped walking.
"He didn't want to say." I butted in, I didn't want Peter to feel uncomfortable. Banner went over to Peter and stood, studying his arms, especially the right one.
"What?" Peter asked, looking to the floor.
"I'm just... fascinated. How much pressure would a person have to put on skin to turn it this colour? I mean, clearly a lot. But why did it bruise so badly if you're healing was still working at this time?" Peter shuffled his feet.
"A... a lot of pressure." His eyes filled with tears. "I don't know why my healing and my spider sense isn't working."
"You said Loki gave you painkillers and had you on a drip, yes?" I asked.
Peter muttered a yes.
"Fascinating. What if he did something to stop your healing and dull your senses? That would explain why he gave you painkillers instead of letting you heal by yourself." Bruce said, walking up to the lab. "I'll be back later!" He called down.
"What if my healing never works again?! What if I can't fix myself?!" Peter ran over to me. I held him tight but I could feel that he was still shaking.
"Listen. I don't know what's gonna happen, but I know that Banner will try everything he can to make you better. I swear." My heart always beats faster when he's hugging me. "And for God's sakes kid, use the crutches." I smiled.
Peter didn't move, just stayed, hidden between my arms, his arms wrapped around my back.
"What if Ned sees? What if I keep feeling pain forever?" His voice cracked slightly, and I assumed he was crying.
"Then we'll work something out. We can do anything, both of us. You're so strong! You think healing will stop you?" I asked rhetorically. "You are the bravest person I know."
Peter scoffed. "Yeah, I can't stop crying for ten seconds, but I'm so brave." He said sarcastically. It was muffled by my top.
"That's not a lie, I think you're amazing. Okay? We all do."
I do...