Natasha watched the others as Peter sat on the couch beside her spaced out. The party had been for him, but he had barely spoken all night. Wanda and Vision, however, had taken the show -- they danced horribly, fumbled, and laughed when they fell. Peter, however, would answer vaguely to questions he was asked, and Natasha assumed that he had come up with a variation of answers to use.
"Hey, little spider," Natasha nudged Peter to get him out of his head. She remained quiet to keep the others from hearing and when she was sure that she had Peter's attention, she asked, "What's your favorite hobby?"
"Oh, uh," he scratched at the back of his neck, "I guess helping people?" Natasha smiled at his simple response before she turned her attention to him.
"No, what's an actual hobby that at the end of the day, even the worst of your life, it doesn't feel like a chore to do," Natasha corrected herself and Peter stared.
Dance, Peter immediately thought, but his face heated up and he took a sip of his nearly untouched drink instead of answering. "Helping people is never a chore," he defended his cover-up, and Natasha sighed as she turned back toward the group and took a sip of her own beverage.
Wanda walked over to the two and outstretched her hands to both of them. She wanted them to dance.
"Stop being scared of what everyone else thinks about you, little spider," Natasha told him before she took Wanda's outstretched hand and allowed herself to be pulled up. Peter watched them before he placed his drink down and grabbed her other hand.
Wanda basically squealed and dragged them to the clearing in the room. She bounced to the music with Vision, and Peter smiled slightly at the awful dancing. "Come on, it's fun," Natasha nudged his shoulder again, and Peter let loose as his thoughts were drowned out by the music that was a little too loud.
Wanda grabbed his hands, and Peter laughed as they jumped off-rhythm to each other, singing along to the lyrics before Peter twirled the older girl. Wanda giggled, and Vision and Natasha laughed at their idiocy.
Natasha walked over to Steve and Sam, held out her hands, and dragged the two to the small dance floor with her. Peter watched as she skillfully danced with the both of them.
"Mr. Stark," Peter walked over to the drinking man, and he bent down instead of holding his hand out as an invitation, "would you like to dance with the rest of us?" Tony shook his head immediately, and Peter's grin faltered only slightly. "Oh, okay." He stood and headed back to the others.
"Come on, Tony," Pepper stood to her feet, and Peter glanced back to find her slipping out of her heels. "It will be fun. You too, Hogan." Happy didn't have to be told twice to dance, and Peter laughed as he started performing stereotypical 80's dance moves. Pepper soon joined in with Natasha, dancing with Black Widow as if they were the only two in the world, and Peter noticed how close the two women were.
He assumed it was because they both had to keep the men calm and rational.
Peter danced with the others for nearly an hour before his head started pounding and he realized how little sleep he had gotten before his nap. "Mr. Stark," he played with his hands as he walked to Tony and Pepper, who were slow dancing to a fast-paced song. Their attention went to Peter, "I'm going to bed."
Tony nodded his head, and Peter noticed him hesitate. "Goodnight, kid," Tony managed out and Peter smiled.
"Goodnight," he told him before he headed back to the stairwell. It took him only a minute to climb and find his room. Peter slipped out of his shoes and pulled his socks off before he climbed back into the exaggeratingly soft bed. If he could, he would stay there for the rest of his life.
It didn't take the boy long to succumb to rest.
***
Peter woke up abruptly to the sun burning his eyes through his eyelids. He yawned as he turned on his side and pressed his head over his face, trying to force himself back to sleep in the darkness.
When sleep seemed once again impossible, Peter pushed himself out of bed. He was sure that nobody else was awake, but he still tried to remain quiet as he walked to the bathroom. He brushed his teeth before he looked through his suitcase for clothes. When he found clothes and his hygiene products, he headed to the bathroom.
He showered quickly before he stepped out and searched through his satchel. His hands rested on a small bag, and he grabbed it before he stepped out of his room. Peter could vaguely hear music downstairs, and he decided to head toward it.
He tip-toed past the other bedrooms and hesitated on the steps.
You can do it yourself, he mentally told himself, and he glanced at the bag. You do not need other people to help you with this. You did it by yourself after Aunt May's passing.
He tried to take a step, but his body recoiled and he nearly fell down the steps. After another moment, he sighed --louder than he meant to -- and he headed back for his room. He sat on his bed, an unsteady breath escaping him before he pulled a vial free from its boxed packaging. He pulled the liquid slowly into a needle before he focused on his thigh and pushed his shorts up.
Peter inhaled sharply before he measure his leg and pinched the skin that he was sure was the right spot up. He injected the needle, checked there was no blood, and he pressed down on the end of the needle allowing the liquid to slowly enter his body.
YOU ARE READING
One Month
Fanfiction**This is an Alternate Universe story where Peter Parker faces some large changes a year after the events of Civil War.** Dancing had always been his passion. He had danced since he was a young child and Peter Parker was quite extraordinary at the s...
