Spiderman Oneshots

Holding Back (3)

Beep

Beep

Beep

Feeling groggy, Peter opened his eyes. They immediately began to water at the harsh brightness, so he squeezed them shut again. The beeping began to increase in speed and seemingly volume. The light grew brighter, spearing through his eyelids, and he could feel the air on his face with painstaking clarity. Not now. This is a very bad time, sensory overload. I don't know where I am, I could be injured or in danger and that infernal beeping- wait... Peter recognised that noise. It was a heart monitor. He'd been injured enough times now to know that, and the knowledge steadied him. He moved his hands up to his chest, ignoring the pain the motion caused, and pulled the contacts off his chest. 

With the monitor quiet, the light seemed to dim until he could attempt to open his eyes for a second time. He was in a hospital room, as he'd suspected, and the table by his bed was covered with cards, magazines, chocolate, flowers, and... homework. Peter reached over, fumbling around until his hand grazed the remote he knew would be there. He pressed the up button, and the bed slid upwards until he was in a reclined sitting position.

Flicking through the homework as much as he could with every inch of his body screaming in pain - maybe he shouldn't have pulled all those needles out, too - Peter decided he'd been out for at least a week. But the real question was, what had happened? He cast his mind back, but all he could remember was an ordinary school day. Walking to school, talking to Ned, Maths quiz, Spanish lesson, break, and... gym.

The memories came flooding back. Had he really jumped on top of a bomb? Were his classmates okay? He was about to ring for help when there was a commotion in the hallway. Peter froze, a chocolate from the box he'd opened halfway to his mouth. The door burst open, revealing a very angry Tony Stark with tears running down his face. The billionaire was halfway across the room before he registered Peter sat up, chocolate still in mid-air.

"Mr Stark?" Peter asked, confused.

"Kid," Tony blinked. "Oh god, kid!" His voice broke, and he covered the last few steps to give Peter a bone-crushing hug, which wasn't very hard seeing as most of his bones were already crushed. Or they felt like it, anyway.

"Ouch," Peter said quietly, and Tony withdrew quickly. "Mr Stark, are you okay?"

Tony let out a strangled sob. "Am I okay? Peter, they said- I thought you had-" he took a deep breath. "You flatlined, Pete. I thought you were dead!" He choked. Peter stared. 

"Mr Stark, I..."

Tony took a deep breath, composing himself and wiping away the tears. Peter took the opportunity to rescue the chocolate from the sheets where he'd dropped it during the hug and return it to its box. Then Tony turned on him again, this time looking mad.

"What were you thinking?" He demanded. "I don't know what happened exactly, but apparently you jumped ON TOP OF A BOMB! Do you know how much stress you've put me through? For a while there they thought you weren't ever going to wake up, and just then, when I thought- Never, and I mean never, do anything like that again, okay?" Tony fumed, but his eyes were still damp.

"Wait," Peter frowned, realising something. "Just then, were you crying... Were you crying because of me?"

Tony stared at him, doing his best to stay mad at the oblivious cinnamon roll. "Yes, Peter."

The boy's brown eyes widened. "Oh no, Mr Stark I am so sorry! I didn't mean to upset you, I'm sorry that I hurt you. The beeping was hurting my head so I took off the contacts, I didn't think about how that would affect you! I'm so, so sorry, I understand if you-"