It's a Spider Thing. {Peter Parker and Natasha Romanoff}

{49} bullet in her skull

EVERYTHING HAPPENED IN A BLUR once Peter reached the quinjet.

He was taken from Clint's arms and sealed into the med suit that Tony had created, stabilising his vitals for the duration of the journey to everyone's relief which left the team to wait as they travelled home. So, it wasn't long before silence settled over the group; it was stifling since no one had the nerve to break it. All conversation topics seemed futile and empty when despite having rescued Peter, they weren't certain that he would pull through.

Tony was seated with Harley in the far corner, their voices nothing but low murmurs.

Harley had broken down when he saw the blood that soaked everyone's clothes and their distinct lack of serious injuries. Then he had caught sight of Peter sealed into the med suit and the billionaire had had to physically restrain the teenager before he started a fight with the occupants of the quinjet in a blind rage despite the tears streaming down his face. With Tony occupied, Clint had taken up the responsibility of getting them all back to the tower in one piece. He was grateful for the distraction, and his control over the speed limit despite Barney's grumbled protests that fell upon literal deaf ears when he joined him up front.

Thor had happily collapsed into an open seat once he had ensured that Peter was stable and offered a weary smile to Bruce as he passed, which the scientist had accepted gratefully. Despite also being exhausted from the fight Steve approached Natasha, albeit warily. He sat down beside her for a moment; her eyes never strayed from Peter's chest as the super-soldier settled.

"Nat." He whispered; voice quiet- she didn't blink.

"I'm sorry for what happened to Peter. He didn't deserve any of this." Steve's eyes trailed over to Peter for a moment too, taking in the scars and bruises he could see on the teenager's face; they were dark and ugly and Steve dreaded what the rest of the damage was. "Were there any survivors?"

"You mean did I kill her?"

The question hung between them as Natasha finally tore away her gaze, jaw clenched painfully at the mere thought of the woman who had tortured Peter. Who had orchestrated the experiments on her kid and watched as he writhed in pain- "I put a bullet in her skull."

Steve swallowed and nodded once. "Good."

Natasha simply turned back to Peter, her hand inched out and encased his own when Bruce walked over again to studiously check the teen's vitals. Steve took that as a cue to leave and joined Thor on the other side of the quinjet while Bruce continued to flit around the duo.

The journey home was tense- they'd gotten Peter back. But they didn't know if they'd still lose him.

-

When the group arrived with Peter's body still encased in the med suit, the tower's medical room was already operational and waiting; curtesy of Jarvis.

Once they'd stabilised the teenager, Tony had taken Natasha aside and explained that she could have any doctor in the world and the finest medical facility, the best of the best- he'd didn't care about the price, just about Peter's recovery. But she had quickly dismissed the offer; Bruce and Helen Cho were the only ones she trusted to take care of her kid.

And despite hating hospital settings, Natasha had firmly planted herself in the tower's medical wing, only ever leaving to shower and change clothes.

It became common to find her curled into the visitor's chair, hair drawn back into a loose plait and in a set of sweatpants with her feet tucked underneath her. Tony was usually sat on the other side of the bed, sleeping uncomfortably or pouring over Peter's vitals on a tablet- Harley was never far either despite the billionaire's complaints of him needing rest. Harley had stubbornly sat down and glared at the older man in defiance until he relented by throwing a blanket and pillow at the kid's head.

Clint came and went; he never did like sitting in one place if it weren't for a mission- there was too much anxious energy so he spent his time flitting between the medical wing and Barney who was sticking around till Peter woke up, though he wouldn't admit that aloud when Clint had his hearing aids in and turned on. The rest of the avengers came and went, always sticking around for a few hours before the rest of the world called on them. Even Director Fury had dropped off a bouquet of flowers the day after they'd arrived back at the tower- they'd been anonymous, but Natasha had known. They were the same ones she'd woken up to after a particularly bad mission.

"How are the kids?" Slurred Tony, finally waking up from a nap.

Natasha continued to flick through the book on her lap, periodically glancing back up to watch Peter's chest rise and fall to satisfy the dread churning away in her stomach.

"Peter's stable. Harley dozed off half an hour ago." She summarised.

As if to prove her point, Harley let out a small puff of air that stirred the strands of his hair. He was leaning his head on the bed, hand still grasping Peter's even as he slept. Tony grunted while he shifted positions, making Natasha's eyes snap to him in curiosity. He recognised the usual analysing stare and shrugged it off. "Just stiff."

"Naturally. Not even you can make comfortable hospital chairs." She teased, though it lacked heart as she turned back to the book in her hands- it was Lord of The Rings. Peter had wanted to read them before everything went south; so, she was slowly reading them aloud whenever they were alone.

"I got him." Tony mumbled once he had somehow got to his feet.

Natasha's lip quirked as she watched the billionaire struggle to lift Harley- the sight was almost comical- Tony carrying someone who was all limbs and practically dead weight as he slept. While the man adjusted the teen in his arms, he had an internal debate over whether there was any point to asking the woman to get some rest. The unasked question teetered on his lips before he ultimately left with a snoring teenager wrapped up in his arms, letting the door swing shut behind him.

A moment later, Natasha uncurled herself and set the book down before reaching out for Peter's hand. It was warm beneath her fingers before she searched for his pulse point, content at its steady rate.

"Hey Pete."

There was so much she wanted to say these past few days of just sitting by his bedside, but the words kept getting lodged in her throat when she tried to voice them. She was unsure whether he could hear her anyway, but she needed to tell him, needed to say them aloud. "You've been through hell and back." Her voice was quiet as her fingers carded through his hair. He was so young- too young to have scars that marred his pale skin, making the assassin's chest ache because she hadn't been there to protect him like she'd promised. "And no matter how badly I want to ask you to stay. To fight."

Natasha forced the words from her mouth.

"I understand if you're tired and you want to rest. You were the family I never had, and I understand if you just want to sleep now. It's okay." Her voice dropped to a whisper as tears gathered in her eyes.

"I'm right here and I'll watch over you."

Natasha pressed a lingering kiss to his hairline, brushing away the curled strands whilst she smiled down at him. Hesitantly, she wiped away her stray tears and turned back to the book before opening it again, beginning to read aloud. 

A/N

Natasha getting emotional will always make me emotional- she's literally willing to let Peter go if it means that he's not in pain anymore. I love my dorks.

And Nick Fury sending flowers is hilarious to me because you know he would deny it so much and scoff at the idea- but we all know he loves his murder child, and now his murder grandchild.

Anywho! Let me know of any spelling mistakes! xoxo.