Wolf Spider

Sharp Voices

-Peter's P.O.V-

Peter was alone when he woke up again. The phantom touches of Steve still there to provide comfort for the exhaustion of the post-sensory overload. He lays in bed for a while, not wanting to really do anything, but knowing he should do something productive.

He sits up when his hearing catches sharp voices. Tilting his head, and focusing on the tense conversation, he sucked in a sharp breath when he heard that he was the focal point of the conversation.

"He isn't ready," Steve said sternly.

"And you get to decide that?" Tony hissed. "He's a kid, Rogers. We can't just keep him inside forever."

Peter flinched, understanding the basic topic they were talking about. Inside, Peter knew that he probably wasn't ready. He'd seen the heavy crowd of the city, but he also knew that there were the calmer parts.

"I know we can't do that," Steve mended, "But we all know that right now? He isn't anywhere near of being able to be around civilians."

Peter clenched his hands, feeling his fingernails digging into his palms. That point especially hurt right there, mostly because Peter couldn't find a good point to counter it. There wasn't any proof that he was clear to be around people with no self defense training. He could easily kill someone.

"How do you know that, Steve? You haven't given him a chance," James butted in.

So James was defending him against Steve? No, Peter didn't want that. He didn't want to come in between the people who took him in, and gave him much more than he deserved. Peter didn't want them to fight over him. He wasn't worth it.

"Because nearly ten years of being under control of HYDRA doesn't go away within a month," Steve growled.

"And a few years erases over fifty years of it?" Bucky replied, voice equally as sharp.

Peter bit his tongue, James shouldn't compare himself to Peter. James was good, he had had the years of being his own person. James had the time to make his own character, and to be himself. Peter never had that chance, and if he had, he didn't remember the type of person he was.

"I do not think you should have this much leverage in the decision," Wanda added, surprising Peter in the fact that she was defending him on this topic. Steve must have made a confused face, because Wanda continued her point, "You do not know the type of things Peter dealt with in his time with HYDRA. We do."

Peter looked down when he felt something warm drip down his palm. He glanced down to his palm, to find that he had dug his nails into his palm so roughly, he'd broken the skin. As if he was burned, Peter opened his palm, staring at the red crescent mars already healing over.

"He isn't ready," Steve insisted, "It hasn't been nearly enough time for him to learn how to control himself."

Peter hunched in on himself, wrapping his arms around his waist in the same way to give himself comfort like he'd done so many times in the past. He wanted to stop listening now. He wanted to stop himself from hearing how Steve didn't trust him as much as Peter thought he did.

He didn't want to listen to arguing on if Peter was okay or not. That shouldn't be... that shouldn't be something that should be a long conversation. Peter wasn't okay, he knew that. He even wanted to work on it, but didn't know how. Now he wasn't even sure if he could go to the others for help with that problem. Peter didn't want to give them any more of a reason for them not to trust him.

"Steve, we all can't control ourselves sometimes. We all have our bad moments when we forget that we aren't in a battle, so you can fight for your point, but don't act like he is the only one working on control," Natasha said coldly.