The Spider and the Web he Weaves of Tragedy and Sin

VII

Ringing in his ears. There's a hand on his chest holding him down but he still shoots up and punches who ever was on top of him in the face. Which is so very luckily Bucky! Yay! And he's crying too which is fun. He wipes his face of tears.

"I'm, so sorry." Peter breathed, standing up to help him up off the floor. He took his hand.

"Shit, kid." He huffed.

"I-I didn't mean it I just-"

"I know you didn't.

"Are you mad?"

"I'm upset you didn't tell me that you scream in your sleep, but no, I'm not mad."'

"I'm sorry."

"It's fine, kid. But I need you tell me what to expect." Peter nodded a little. "I'm gonna go fix breakfast."

Peter sunk into the wooden chair, looking much like a little kid caught doing something bad. He looked small, he looked pathetic. But to Bucky not the pathetic "I wanna beat it up," the pathetic "I want to take care of it." Like a little kitten in the rain without his momma. Bucky could only imagine what his kid has gone through if he had no one and lived in an abandoned factory.

"Penny." Peter said after a while, waking Bucky from his trance of making poor quality pancakes.

"Huh?"

"That's who I dreamed about. Penny Parker."

"Who was she?"

"My little sister. I dreamt she was still cuddled up in my arms, like the little sweetheart she was. And she was laughing at- at something... I don't know what, but she looked up her face, it just wasn't right, and she was so cold. She was telling me how it was my fault, and how I did this to her, and... I don't know why I'm telling you this." Peter dropped his head onto the table, his eyes filled with heavy tears. Bucky dropped the fork he was using to flip the pancakes and went over to him.

"How... old was she Peter?" He asked with worry in his voice.

"She was six, and she was sick, and it was all my fault." He choked out.

Bucky had absolutely no clue what to do. When he was alive, boys didn't cry, if they did, they were told to man up, but that's not exactly something you tell to someone who lost a little sister and were convinced it was their fault. Someone who was already too messed up. Bucky wrapped his arms around him, letting him cry into his stomach.

"I'm such a failure, and look at me I'm crying all over you." He wiped his eyes, trying and failing to collect himself.

"Kid, it's not your fault."

"Yes it is! I'm a monster! I let her die!"

"You where a kid, Peter. You are a kid. It's not your fault that she died."

"I could've done something!"

"You probably couldn't have. It was probably just meant to happen that way, which sucks, but you're here for some reason. How about do that for her?"

"Okay. I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"Getting your shirt all wet."

Bucky chuckled a bit. "You're forgiven, kid."

"You forgot my name that quick?" Peter cracked a sad smile, wiping the rest of his tears.

"I just might have, punk."