My spider baby, my responsibility

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It took Peter a whole of twenty minutes to fall asleep. With fingers running methodically through his hair, a warm blanket, his teammate's casual chatter, and Tony's free arm wrapped around him, it was all he could ask for. It was so domestic and cozy, so safe. 

Natasha joined the group just after Peter passed out. She wanted to check on everyone and needed to see Peter for herself. She trusted her teammates, but the spy was extremely protective over her spider baby.

"I wanted to check in on my baby spider." She'd said, a motherly look in her eyes and a big smile on her lips once she caught sight of the sleeping vigilante.

The group fell into companionable conversation, quietly discussing everything and nothing as they halfheartedly watched tv; their focus primarily on their youngest teammate. It was quiet, relaxing, and peaceful. Bruce and Scott nearly started to drift off as well.

Tony waited another hour to join the conversation, simply content to hold Peter and pet his honey-brown curls, something they both enjoyed. He wasn't leaving here without Peter. No matter what it took, he was adopting him and wouldn't take no for an answer. He was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't notice the talking stop or the vibrations coming deep within Peter's chest.

"Is... is he purring?" Natasha looked to Tony for an answer, to which he sputtered out an unintelligible, "huh."

Scott sprung up and leaned down in front of Peter, his ear just an inch above his chest. "Holy shit!" he whisper-yelled. "He is!"

Tony swatted him away, slapping the back of his head, hard enough to hurt but not jolting enough to wake Peter, whose senses were very sensitive. He kept his expression neutral but found it incredibly endearing that Peter purred when he was content. Natasha even cooed at the sight. He really did have the cutest kid.

******

"What the fuck!"

Peter spun around so fast he almost gave himself whiplash. May stood in his doorway, shaking, from anger or shock, he didn't know, probably both. He attempted to explain the suit, about the spider, stuttering out how he was helping people and that Tony had saved his life countless times. What worried him was how silent his aunt was. He'd expected her to cry, sob and scream. Instead, she was eerily still.

"May? May, please... I just- please say something!" He squeezed his mask in a white knuckle grip, heart pounding in his ears and any other words stuck in his throat. When May did speak, just a single word, his heart shattered.

"Ben." Her eyes overflowed with fresh tears, and she took a step back. Peter could hear her heart racing, smelled the anger and fear radiating off her like a heavy perfume.

"Please-please listen." He reached for her, but she flinched back as if his touch was poison. It hurt so much to see her - one of the only people he ever cared about, ever loved - shy away from him.

******

"You're nothing but a freak of nature, a waste of space! Something like you should be in a lab." She waved around an empty wine bottle as she ranted and paced back and forth, unknowingly repeating the same cruel words his parents used to tell him. "Why would I feed the monster that killed my husband?"

Peter sat huddled in the corner of the kitchen, knees too his chest and back hunched, tears streaming down his cheeks. He dared not move or speak, keeping his eyes trained on the floor as his once sweet and loving aunt screamed her throat raw.

He hadn't eaten for three days, but it felt and looked like he hadn't eaten for months. It hurt to move, to cry, to think. May was screaming at him again. But while anger and grief consumed her, guilt and loneliness consumed Peter.