What lies behind a smile

19

Tony
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"So you have a due date?" I ask looking up to Pepper

"August 19th!"She says I smile. "And the first ultrasound is on Thursday."I turn my attention back down to Peppers's belly.

"You poor child, your birthday is right around the school year," I say.
"But it's okay because your my kid so you'll be out of school before you know it."Pepper laughs.

"I want a boy."She says I sit up looking back at her.

"What's wrong with girls?"

"Nothing! Just look how sweet Peter is, and how kind he is even Harley."

"Harley a smart ass."I joke she smiles. "But he's good, a boy would be nice. They're not as much work plus I have plenty of experience with them." I met Harley when he was little and had absolutely no filter still doesn't. Peter has always been well-behaved. Ben and May did great raising him.

"You know what they say, having a little girl is a payback for everything you did when you were younger!"

"Were doomed" Pepper rolls her eyes.
"What are you thinking about Tony-" we jump when there's a scream. Peter.

I get up and run to Peter's room turning on the lights.
Tessa is nuzzling him but he's curled up rocking himself.
"Hey Pete, hey peter it's okay your at the tower your safe."He sobs and I gently wrap my hands in his arms. I need to get him to stop pulling at his hair.

"Peter, bud hey Peter it's me. Can you breathe?"He shakes his head sobbing. Suddenly he starts to gag and turn his head over throwing up. Great.

"Hey, Peter that's fine let it out." He shivers sitting up. "What's going on?"He shakes his head still sobbing, gasping for air.

"Bud, I need you to tell me what happened was it a dream?" His brown eyes are staring at me full of tears. Those doe eyes used to be so happy.

"Bud, hey what's going on?"I ask trying not to freak out. He hasn't had a nightmare like this with me.

"Cant b-breathe." Fucking hell. He just needs to calm down.

"Okay I know it's scary let me see your hands follow my breaths."I put his hands on my chest. "In. Out. In. Out. In. Out." I try everything to help calm him down and thankfully he's finally settled after what felt like forever. That one was rough, May told me he was having bad night terrors but I didn't think it was like this. She was probably much better at comforting him.

"I'm sorry, i-am so- sorry."He says wiping his face. "It's okay hey let's get you out of here do you wanna go brush your teeth?"He nods gets up and I walk to the kitchen to get cleaning supplies and theirs is a concerned Natasha and Bucky.

"What happened?"

"He had a nightmare which gave him a panic attack. And he threw up."

"He can lay with me for a bit?" Nat says. "you sure?"She nods.

I go back into the room Peter washing his face now in the sink. He's shaking tears still falling on his cheeks. "Hey, bud how about you go lay with Nat I'll clean this up real fast."

"I can clean it." He says taking in a shaky breath. I pull the cleaning supplies away.

"P-please let me-"

"No, go with Nat."

"I wanna clean it, please just."

"It's fine I got it, just go
lay down in Natasha's room for a bit okay."

"I-it my damn puke let me clean it!"His voice raises a bit.

"I got it I need you to just rest right now Peter." He stands there for a moment but eventually nods grabbing Tessa and walking out. I can hear him still sobbing from the halls.
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I walk into Nat's room Peter is passed out by her side, Nat singing some song.

"Them good ole boys were drinking whisky at night. Singing this will be the day that I die, this will be the day that I die." She looks up with a frown on her face.

"He's okay with me tonight Tony, he had a pretty bad dream."

"He told you what it was about."She shakes her head and I sigh. "just that it was about May."I nod walking out. "You sure he's fine with you?"She nods. This kids just having a bad day.

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4-3-22
Word count 755