Chapter Text
Peter had just got out of school. The teen said bye to Ned after promising to spend the weekend with him. They were gonna build the Millennium Falcon Mr. Stark had bought for him. Peter had no idea what he had done to deserve the generosity.. but he wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth.
On the way to the tower, Peter decided to get them some snacks, since lab work usually made the boy hungry and hey the boy had superhuman metabolism, he needed to eat a lot.
He got to the store and saw an old lady having a hard time crossing the street. He didn't have his suit on, but he still liked to help people as Peter Parker. So he was just gonna help the old lady cross the street to the grocery store.. then help her get said groceries. It was supposed to be quick and easy. He would help her get the stuff, help her carry it out, then head over to the tower while snacking on all the stuff he'd bought, and have lab time with Mr. Stark.
Of course, that’s not how it goes, classic Parker luck.
“EVERYONE FACE DOWN ON THE FLOOR! NOW!” 3 people, 2 guns, 1 knife. If he webs the guns he could knock the knife out of the third guys hand. Then web them all up for the police to deal with and go on with his day.
It's just that Peter doesn’t have any web fluid. Shit. He was gonna make more later today in the lab with Mr. Stark.. maybe he should call him. The curly haired boy doesn't like to disturb the man. He has his company to run, the avengers to keep together and doesn't need Peters problems to take care of on top of it all. But this did seem like one of those scenarios where Mr. Stark would be disappointed in him if he didn't call for help.
"You! cash in the bag now. Start with the vault in the back." One of the criminals held their gun to the cashiers back and walked with them to the back of the store.
Peter feels the adrenaline coursing through his body, he should fight, but he can’t. He could, but there are so many people in the store, without his webs they could have the time to kill someone or shoot Peter before he gets them all. The adrenaline in his body has nowhere to go, he's of no use shaking like this.
“We said DOWN!“ The first guy is back and points the gun he had held to the cashiers back now at a man by the doors, the guy was trying to crawl out of the store.
“Karen, call Mr. Stark.” Peter's holding onto his phone like a lifeline. “Calling Mr. Tony Stark Ironman now” Well that's embarrassing to hear out loud. The AI said it very quietly, probably programmed to listen to her surroundings and felt the need to let Peter know he'd been heard but not let anyone else hear it.
“Hey Underoos, you on your way? I’ve got an upgrade for your..” he doesn’t get to finish his sentence before Peter interrupts him.
“Help, Mr. Stark, please,” Peter whimpers quietly. Peter sounds like a wounded animal in need of rescue, so of course it makes Tony pause.
“Peter,” he pauses. Then he hears the gunmen shouting at people in the background. “I’m on my way, Friday! Track Peter's phone! Stay on the line Peter, tell me what's going on.” He can hear the low buzzing from Tony’s suit meaning that he's already on the way. The boy lets out a small sigh, he’s coming.
“3 people. 2 guns. Grocery store.. I don’t have any web fluid, I don't know what to do. Mr. Stark please hurry.” Peter whispers.
“Hey you! On the ground no fucking moving around!” he points the gun at a little girl that was trying to get to her mother. “Stop fucking shaking, Are you gonna cry? oh this just get's better and better." The girl has tears streaming down her rosy cheeks. "You’re getting on my last nerve, little lady.”
Peter whimpers into the phone, “Nearly there kiddo, don’t move, you’re doing so good Pete, stay still, I’m coming.”
The cashier is slow with putting the money from the registers in their bags, too slow, they’re getting more irritated. Peter can sense it before it happens, like a tingle down his spine, so he does the only thing he can do. He flings himself in front of the little girl, pushing her towards her mother before they can shoot her.
Peter was prepared for the pain. He’d been shot before. He just hadn’t ever been shot by a guy with anger issues and an automatic weapon. He's so happy Tony doesn't make weapons anymore, they suck.
He felt all the individual bullets hitting his stomach, 5, he blinked. Then suddenly all he saw was Mr. Starks face and the blue sky. The faceplate on the Ironman suit was open, showing the worry on his mentors face. “Hang in there kid, please stay with me”.
“Misser starr.. it hurts” Peter groaned. Tony’s face twisted as if he was the one who'd been shot. Peter blinked again.
“We’re here kid, stay with me, you’re doing so good Pete, just stay here with me.” The bright lights hurt his overly sensitive eyes.
“Mm, Starrk.. ju.. just gonna close my eyes.” The last thing he saw was the anguish on Tony's face. Then everything went black.
-
“He’s gonna be alright Tony, he’s already begun healing, your kid is remarkable” that’s Dr. Banner's voice. Peter must be in the med bay. Oh. He survived.
“He could have died.. what if I didn’t make it in time..” Tony sounded as if he were in pain. No, that just won’t do.
“I’m ok. Just don.. don’t like guns.” Peter opened his eyes and this time Mr. Stark's face was filled with pure relief. His eyes were red and glossy. Peter could feel the warm hand he was holding tightening its grip.
"Peter. You’re ok, you’ll be fine” Mr. Stark's here, Peter wants to get closer, the need to bury his head in Tony's embrace high.
Peter starts trying to lift himself to a sitting position. “No no no, you gotta stay down baby, I know it hurts. You just gotta keep still for me ok?” Peter was whining and whimpering from the pain in his abdomen. But he settled down and felt fingers card through his hair.
“That’s a good boy, stay down for me. Don’t want you to pull any stitches.” The fingers in his hair were steady and calm, it made him feel better.
“Hug? Please?” he felt Tony weigh down the side of the bed then Peter's head was buried in the older man's embrace. Peter sniffled into the acdc shirt Tony had on. "Shh, it's ok, you did good, I'm so proud of you kid." A sob tore its way through Peter without his permission.
"I didn't know what to do Mr. Stark." His voice cracked and he looked up at Tony. "They had guns, I don't like guns, and I didn't have my web fluid and the old lady I was helping held onto my hand so hard and the little girl.. I.. she, oh my god, the little girl, she was so scared and I couldn't just do nothing." Peter was talking himself into a panic attack.
"Shh, Peter, You need to breathe. The girl is fine, you saved her, nobody was hurt except.. you." This time it was Mr. Stark's voice that gave out. He hugged Peter tight chest to chest, guiding the boy with his own calm breathing. Whispering sweet nothings that Peter couldn't hear. The boy was able to calm down. Silently crying, tears soaking Tony's t-shirt. Peter fell asleep in his arms.
-
Peter opened his eyes, he wasn't in that much pain this time around. It still hurt, I mean come on, 5 bullets is enough to kill someone. Peter is lucky that he has faster healing than the average 16 year old. But no, the pain didn't make him feel like he was dying, he was pretty hungry though. Peter let his eyes wander, he wasn't in the med bay anymore. He was on the huge sofa in Mr. Stark's penthouse, the man in question was nowhere to be seen.
"Mr. Stark?" His voice is so pitiful it makes him cringe. He hears something drop to the floor then footsteps making their way over. "Peter!?" The boy sits up and is about to ask how long he was out when Tony's face comes into view. He feels calloused hands run up his arms, stopping to cup Peter's face in the palms of his hand. "You're awake, thank god."
"Tony" Peter breathes out his name, voice filled with relief. "How long was I asleep?" Tony's hands left his face to hold his hand instead. "Almost 2 days, I moved you from the med bay when your wounds started healing.. I wanted you where I could see you, where I could help you if you needed it."
"I'm sorry." Peter felt so dumb, he was spider-man, and he couldn't even handle a robbery himself. So stupid! What superhero leaves the house without their equipment? He should've tried to take them down, he's strong, he should've tried.
"Hey no. Baby no. What are you apologizing for hmm?" Peter looked down at his lap where Tonys thumb was rubbing circular motions into his wrist. "I'm Spider-man, I shouldn't have to call for help, it's pathetic."
"Peter. It's ok to ask for help. All of the avengers ask for help when they can't deal with a situation on their own, it's better to have some backup." Tony's voice is soothing.
"I just wanted to get some snacks for us, I was excited for our lab time. I just really wanted to hang out with you cuz I'm gonna spend the weekend with Ned, and we're gonna build the Lego set you got me so I won't really have as much time with you as I actually want.. oh god you said 2 days, does Ned know what happened?"
"Ned knows, I called him yesterday. He wanted to come over but the big green man said that you needed to rest and heal." Tony seemed to relax after Peter's long talk, if he had the energy for that long of a monologue then he would be alright. "And kid, you're welcome any time you want ok? just give me a heads up that you're coming over."
"Oh, then couldImaybestayherewhileihealplease?" Peter felt the warm blush rush over his cheeks. "Kid, again please, but slower." oh god, why was it so hard to ask. "Could I stay here while I get better please?"
"Pete, there's no way in hell I'm letting you out of my sight before you're all healed up." Peter stomach chooses this wonderfully amazing moment to make itself known. "And you also won't be leaving this couch for the foreseeable future. Let me go make you something to eat."
As Tony starts to rise, Peter grabs onto him "Thank you Mr. Stark, I love you" Peter mumbles. "Love you to kid" Tony ruffles his curls and heads to the kitchen. Peter sometimes hates that he was bitten by that radioactive spider.. but right now he's so thankful for it. It gave him a reason to meet Tony, and get to know him more than all the crazy fanboy stuff Peter read about the man. And it seems like he isn't going to leave Peter.
"Mr. Stark! can Ned come over and build the Millennium Falcon with me?". It doesn't hurt to ask right?
"Sure kid, call him over tomorrow." Yeah getting shot isn't nice, but Tony really is.