Chapter Text
Peter awoke to the sound of a heart monitor beeping and wires in his arms.
"Whaaa?..." What the hell was going on? He can"t be alive right? If he was dead where was uncle ben and his parents. He tried to take the wires out but he could barely move his arms.
F.R.Y.D.A.Y alerted Tony that Peter was awake and he sprinted into the room.
"No dont pull that. It"s just fluids. To hydrate you. Nothing bad I promise."
Peter looked in tony"s eyes and asked him "What"s happening?"
"Peter you tried to kill yourself. I almost lost you."
Peter looked at the celling and silently cried. "so im alive."
"Yeah thankfully."
"Why did you save me. I wanted to die! Why couldn"t you let me die!! You didn"t care before why now?"
Tony stood up and grabbed Peters face gently forcing him to look into his eyes. "You matter most to me. I was worried id lose you and im so sorry for everything I said and did. You are better than me, you"ve always been better than me."
"Why didn"t you tell me that before. Why did no one text or call me. I see where I stay in peoples lives now. I always thought that Steve would call or something. He was always so nice to me."
Tony looked at Peter guilty and told him everything he said to Steve about not wanting to talk and how sorry he was. "I promise I"ll make it up to you."
"It"s ok. I"m not mad. I know how badly I messed up, I wasn"t right but I"d probably react the same."
"No you wouldn"t your too good for that."
"I think you think I"m better than what I really am."
The opening caught both mens attentions
"Oh my god! It"s dr banner. I"ve read everything you wrote on Nuclear Physics the way you wrote it was. amazing. I could understand exactly your thought process. It was great."
"You understood that? How smart are you?"
"My iq is 220. Aunt may had me tested last year."
Tony opened his mouth to talk but bruce beat him to it "That"s impressive. I"d love to talk to you more scope out that brain of yours. Have you done anything other than the web fluid?"
"Yea I was looking at components of certain liquids mixed together and what they do for the brain. Like how they react."
"Amazing. Anyway I came in here to tell you about the plan that"s been put in place and I"ll obviously need to monitor you to see how fast you heal. Your health is the most important thing."
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"Why didn"t you tell me?"
"What?"
"Peter.. you"re smart. Like really really smart. You could have been in the lab with me. Or gone to a better school, one that would look better on college applications."
"Who would have paid for that? Money dont grow on trees Mr Stark."
Tony looked to Peter and said "ok that internship is real now. You"re gonna get paid and you"ll be working in the labs with me."
The reaction Tony thought he would get is not the one he got.
"If you had asked me that before I did THAT then I would have been so fucking happy but I dont want your pity. And that"s what it is right? Pity?"
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Steve couldn"t stop pacing. He was so worried about Peter. He knows physically he"s all healed but mentally is another thing. Bruce is keeping an eye on him.
Sometimes Bruce comes to Steve to tell him how smart Peter is and how many conversations they"ve had that"s lasted hours.
All Steve wants to do is go to Peter and tell him he"s sorry. Sorry for not making more of an effort to see what Peter actually wanted. All he keeps thinking is "I left him all alone. he might have succeeded and the world would have lost a hero and Steve would have lost a boy with a heart too good for this world. A beautiful, kind intelligent soul"
He doesn"t blame Tony. Just himself. This is on him. He hasn"t even gained the courage to talk to Peter.
He decided enough was enough. He was going to Peter. He was gonna make this right.