Wrong number :/~~Spider-Man

Llama

"Wanna tell me what that was all about?" Tony said quietly, breaking the silence that had weighed over them for the past half hour.

The two were now laying on the floor, Thunderstruck playing quietly in the background. Friday must have turned it on at one point, because neither remember asking her for it. Peter had calmed down considerably. All that's left from the previous hour was a red face and the occasional sniff.

"Not really" Peter replied, basking in the setting, arm over his face as the two lay on the floor, looking up to the ceiling in peace.

"..will you though?" Tony asked, unsure if Peter would take it as a 'now' or 'later' thing. Whichever worked, but Tony wanted 'now'.

Peter stayed silent, pulling his arm from his face.

"I don't know.." he replied honestly.

That seemed like the first honest thing he'd said all day. He had an ill feeling, almost rotten. All the lies he told.. it didn't feel right.

Tony took a breath to speak, but was interrupted.

"I was feeling confused, mostly. Why, I don't want to say, but I don't want to think about it" he looked over the lab as he spoke.

Tony watched Peter. Something was hidden in those words, but Tony couldn't see it.

Taking a shuddering breath in, Peter continued. "I thought I was safe.." was all he finished off with.

That struck ice in Tony's heart- or.. ARC reactor. Safe? Peter was safe. He was in one of the safest places Tony could think of. He had a great aunt and awesome grades. Did it have anything to do with spiderman?

Tony couldn't remember seeing any big battles on the news, and Peter probably would've shown some signs if he was being bullied by someone new.

"Safe from what?" Tony gave in, he couldn't figure out what Peter would have to be afraid of, or feel the need to be afraid of when he clearly doesn't fear death.

"That's just it, I don't know" he said plainly, his panicked state was almost completely gone, Tony almost doubted it was ever there.

"Is it that sense thing?" Tony reached over and stuck his pointer finger on Peter's forehead, a habit he was picking up.

"No.." he paused, sort of zoning in the conversation for the first time that day "that's something that happens in the moment. I think it's just anxiety or something" he looked to the farthest corner of the lab, realizing he had just made a pretty big scene.

Tony propped himself up on his elbows. "I don't think that's all there is to this, Pete, but I'll trust you. For now" he paused, looking to the seemingly distracted kid "Let's get some work done, alright? Help get your mind off of things".

If there was one thing Tony was good at, it was ignoring things. He ignored his emotions for years, why can't he ignore Peter's until he can figure out how to help?

Maybe it was the fear of screwing him up, or seeming annoyed by Peter opening up.

Maybe it was the responsibilities that followed getting close to someone. Someone other than an adult who he could run background checks on and see through them like foggy glass. Not a a teenager who only reflected a broken mirror. Tony's broken mirror. And Peter's was cracking too.

Maybe it was just Tony. Tony had a husband, all the money he could want, and the fans he could need, he lived a life of a dream, and he knew it. Yet he still looked to the things wrong. Therapy helped, he learned dealing and opening up, but old habits die hard. He didn't want to subject Peter to his own throwing stones he'd collected from years through attacks on his own well-being.