eunoia || Peter Parker (Spider-Man: Homecoming)

09

"It was touch-and-go for a while—"

"—that's not good enough!"

"—and he's almost stable—"

"—almost?"

"—he'll probably only need one more surgery—"

"—you've got to be kidding—"

"—Stark! He's alive! Isn't that enough to you?"

Tony froze.

"Yes."

"Don't lie to me."

Tony spluttered, "What? You think I want him dead?"

"No," Shuri snapped, "I think you want him fixed. It's not enough for you to just have him alive; you want him perfect. But you can't undo the past, Mister Stark, and you can't change him. What he did is a part of him, now, and I know he wants it gone just as much as you do."

Tony's heart shattered just a little bit more.

"And you of all people should know what that kind of guilt does to teenagers. So maybe, instead of trying to fix him, accept him. Because you, being one of the last people he has, are responsible for keeping him safe. And, in this moment, he just needs you to love him." She paused. "Maybe, when he's all healed up, you'll have an opportunity to confront him. Or to convince him to see a therapist. But for now, just be there for him. That's all he needs."

The Stark shook his head, jumping from his seat and striding from the room; leaving a disheartened Shuri behind.

-=+=-

His eyes were flying open, a strangled plea escaping his mouth. Everything around him zoomed in and out of focus, his body shaking just as much as it had in his dream. He was—

He was Peter. He was fine. He was fine.

There was a crash, "Peter! Oh my G—" a frantic voice shouted inside of his head, filled with a little bit of relief and a lot of surprise. And, just a little bit of worry.

Peter blinked, scrunching up his eyes as hard as he could, and opened them again. He managed to grasp onto his surroundings, bit by bit; first the echoey sound racketing through his ears dimmed, then his vision sharpened, and then...well, he felt the pain. And it was not a friendly; I repeat, not a friendly.

"Baby? Pete?" The same voice called out to him, as he desperately tried to delve his way through the agony.

His sight appeared before him, like water droplets in his eyes. Colour spread across the glassy surface, the image of a face before him.

"Mom?" Peter asked, squinting at the smiling woman above him. Her brown hair cascaded towards him, tickling his cheeks as she leant over him. Her eyes were glistening, a sad smile upon her lips. She had Peter's eyes. And nose.

She nodded, sniffling. "That's right, honey."

"Mom?" Peter asked again, voice tightening. "But—?"

"I know," Mary Parker hushed him, wiping a thumb underneath his eye and catching a stray tear. "You have to leave, Petey."

Peter frowned, chest feeling too light, "What d'you mean?"

"You have to leave me, baby. Okay?" His mom said, eyebrows scrunching up in sympathy. "You have to go back to Aunty May."

"What?" The teen was confused. Aunt May? Why did he have to go to Aunt May? His mom was here. "Why?"