Spiderson Oneshots

Panic--Peter and Stark!Reader

 Warnings: A bit of swearing, anxiety attack

Pairings: Peter x Stark!Reader

Peter's P.O.V.

I don't know what brought it on. Don't know why. It hadn't happened before, why was it suddenly happening now? I couldn't take it right now. I couldn't afford to do this now.

I missed him so much. I missed my mentor. My father-figure. I had listened as his heartbeat faded. Listened as his breath became pained. I watched the blood trickle down his face and watched him not wipe it away like he always did. Watched as his eyes stared unseeing at his wife. At me.

It should have been me. I could have done it. I would've done it. I had no family but May, who'd probably forgotten me. He had Pepper and Morgan. And Morgan didn't deserve to grow up without her dad. And Y/N, she'd gone through enough. Mister Stark had a family. I did not.

I hadn't noticed my breathing increase. I could feel nothing but the crowd pressing up against me even though no one was near me. My breaths weren't even but shaky and of varying amounts.

Hearts beat rapidly about me, while others were slow, and others went all over. So many heartbeats. Too many. And each and every one of them reminded me of Mister Stark's dying heart.

"Peter, your heart is beating above normal levels. Should I contact Miss Pepper or Miss Y/N?" Karen asked.

"No," I muttered quietly. "No, I'm fine."

"Peter, are you--" I pressed mute on my watch, and Karen's voice in my ears faded away. Everything became so real again. Voices pounded my ears. My head hurt. I pulled my legs closer and wrapped my arms around my waist. I wanted to be small. So that the voices, and hearts, and breaths couldn't reach me.

"Come stai? (How are you?)" Y/N's hand was on mine, and I hadn't even realized it.

"Bene, (Fine)" I replied. She took her hand and lifted my head. My eyes met hers, and I could feel hers searching mine. My eyes flicked around, trying to look anywhere but her, trying to concentrate on something other than the sound of her breathing and heartbeat. Heartbeats always seem to sound the same to normal people, but I could tell the difference. And hers sounded so much like her father's.

Her hand clasped mine, and she pulled me to my feet. We made our way past people. Past her mother, whom she sent a message to mentally. Past Morgan, whose hair she ruffled. She pulled me out to the atrium.

There was a bench, and she sat me down. I still didn't realize how rapidly my heart was beating. She let go of my hand and faced me.

"All right, what's really going on?"

"I'm fine, really." She shook her head, her long hair swishing.

"Peter Benjamin Parker, what is it? Don't make me have to take it out of you." She tapped her head.

"I don't know what's going on. I'm just terrified."

"Terrified? Why are you terrified?"

"I don't know, Y/N."

Her hands reached out hesitantly. "Can I?" I nodded. I felt her hands on my temples, rubbing gentle circles with her thumbs. I leaned into her touch. Her hands glowed warmly. When she was done, she drew her hands away. "It's my dad, isn't it?" Her power wasn't strong in that area. She was average at everything; that was her superpower. She used to be wicked smart, like her dad, but when she got her powers, she seemed to lose it but gained these abilities. But she was good at picking apart the brain and helping people understand. "You're terrified because you think that my family will hate you for not taking the gauntlet, right?" I nodded. "You're terrified because you think it will be you next?" I nodded again, savoring the ability to understand. She brought her hands to my head again. "You're terrified because you want to protect us. Because you think everyone will hate you now. Because you can everyone's heartbeat, and it reminds you of his. And because you hear mine, and it's just like his?" She withdrew her hands again. "My heart sounds like his?"

I nodded. "Not many people can hear that every heartbeat is different. Not at the same time. Slightly shorter or longer. Your heart is exactly like his. It's like...his never stopped."

"Do you want to feel to it?" she asked uncertainly.

"If it doesn't make you uncomfortable."

"All right," she breathed. She took one of my hands and brought it to her collar, where her heart beat clearly. With my other hand, she found her pulse on her wrist and let my fingers rest there. I could feel it clearly, and if I closed my eyes, I could pretend it was him.

She pulled me into her arms, and I snuggled against her. "Peter, let's go home. We can watch movies and make popcorn with way too much butter. We can binge Star Wars. We can make hot chocolate with way too many marshmallows."

"That would be wonderful."

"All right. I need to borrow your web-shooters."

"I can get us there--"

"Hell no. Just give them to me, Parker." I passed them to her, and she lifted me up, slinging my arm around her shoulders. She could barely hold me, but she didn't stop.

I burrowed into her neck as I felt the cold air. Soon, we were in the air, swinging back home to Stark Tower. When we arrived, she laid me on the couch, panting. "Friday, turn on A New Hope."

"Yes, Ms. Y/N."

"Turn on Petey-Baby Protocol." I snapped up at that and glared at her. Friday activated it. "Hey, I didn't make that up. It was Dad," she said, putting her hands in the air. The lights dimmed, and the windows all closed. It was completely quiet but for Y/N's footsteps, and the microwave beginning to pop popcorn.

It wasn't long before Y/N returned, bowls of popcorn in her arms and mugs in her hands. She passed them to me, and I accepted them thankfully. She sat beside me as the movie started, and she started singing in an off-key voice to the theme song.

"I love you," I said as she wrapped an arm around me and pulled me close. "Platonically, of course." She grinned from when her head had snapped up. "I can't thank you enough, Y/N. You've been so nice to me, and you've helped me. You're my best friend."

"Anytime, Petey-baby, anytime."

"Okay, why the hell did he call me Petey-baby?"

"I have no idea." Her eyes danced with mirth. "You know, he really did love you. He talked about you all the time. I thought he was going to adopt you and disown me." Her voice darkened, and I slid closer.

"He wouldn't disown you. You're too awesome. And that's one thing you can't be average at. And look at you. You're awesome at comforting and helping people understand. You're still wicked smart, just in different ways. You can learn too. I can tutor you."

"Ha. Think of that--a Stark being tutored by Peter Parker."

"Hey, what's wrong with that?" I protested.

"Nothing. Nothing at all," she whispered, as Leia gave the plans to R2. "I love you too, Peter." Except she didn't add the platonically as the joke had become.

"Not platonically?" I asked, not losing the opportunity to tease her.

"I--shut up."

"Love you too." We both grinned and watched the movie. I fell asleep pretty quickly against her. She was so warm, and her embrace was just comforting.

And it was in sleepy deliriousness that I heard her say "it's all right. You can rest now, darling," and press a chaste kiss to my forehead.

Even if she wasn't her father. Even if she wasn't as smart. She was still enough. She was still the person I needed. She was my best friend. And I loved her for that. 

Sorry this is a bit late; I got busy today and forgot that I had to do this. I have to tell you that I won't be posting for the next two weeks because, surprise, I'm going on another trip. Thanks for understanding. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and, as always, have a wonderful day.