Spider-Man Oneshots || Peter Parker

Sensory Overload

Tony was in the middle of reading Morgan a bed time story when Pepper barges in the room with panic on her face. It's not often that the women is seen in a frenzy, and Tony automatically knows that something bad has happened.

"Morgan, I need to see Daddy for a moment- is it okay if we end story time early tonight."

Tears begins to form in Morgan's eyes but Pepper shuts it down before it could manifest into a full blown temper tantrum. She sees something dark in her mother's eyes, and goes to bed with no further fight.

The moment the two are out of the room, Pepper grabs a key and locks Morgan's bedroom door shut. Then, she grabs Tony's hand and drags him to the living room.

"Pep, slow down- tell me what we're up against here."

Pepper shakes her head and continues to pull him down the stairs.

"It's Peter." Tony's heart drops at the two words, yet somehow he had been expecting them.

"He keeps begging for you, and I tried to ask him what was wrong but he won't tell me."

Pepper's rushed explanation is put to an abrupt halt once they reach the living room, and Tony suddenly understands why Pepper looks so frazzled.

Peter was sitting at the edge of the couch, knees tucked into his chest and rocking back and forth as if trying to comfort himself. His hair was disheveled and his eyes scanned the room as if he didn't trust it. Tony listens closer and notices Peter whispering to himself, but he is unable to understand what he was saying.

Tony is shell shocked, never having seen Peter in this state of mind. Yet he watches in amazement as Pepper swallows her trepidation by approaching Peter with light steps.

"Hi sweetheart, I brought Tony here just like you asked."

Peter continues to rock back and forth, not acknowledging that he was being spoken too.

Pepper glares at Tony from across the room, and he can tell that she is silently berating him for not doing anything.

He moves into action at that, getting as close to Peter as he could without physically touching one another.

"Hey buddy, what's happening?"

He wishes he could put on a mask like Pepper had, but he's unable to camouflage the tremble in his voice when he speaks.

He supposes it doesn't matter anyhow, because Peter completely ignores him. He takes the palm of his hands and smashes them against his ears.

"No, no, no, no, no-"

Peter begins to pull at his hair, and that's finally when Tony finally intervenes, grasping onto his wrists and pulling them away from his head. When Peter looks up, Tony's heart skips a beat as they make eye contact.

His pupils are completely dilated and his eyes are blood shot, as if he had been crying for hours upon end. There's something fierce and desperate written on his face, and Tony has to force himself not to look away.

"Mister Stark?"

Tony doesn't hesitate to hold onto Peter when he extends his arms out, grasping for contact. He places both of Peter hands on top of his chest where his heart lays.

"Take a deep breath with me, in and out, follow my heartbeat-"

Tony coaches him out of a panic attack, and after what feels like years Peter can breath in his own. Still, the hysteria doesn't fade, and Tony worries.

"What's got you so worked up buddy?" He tries to speak in a soft tone, but Peter's eyes snap open as if he had just yelled in his face.

"I- I don't know, I was fighting that guy and he had this- thing and then I took him down and now my senses are all works up and I don't know what to do anymore."