IronDad/SpiderSon One-shots

Disoriented and Disorganized

Third Person POV:
Word Count:
Spooktober 2022 Day Eight: Sirens

If you've ever been to New York City, you know that the city is so alive. There's always something going on. Loud conversation along the streets. Cars honking repeatedly while stuck in traffic. Sirens blaring almost all of the time. The city really lived up to its nickname. The city never really slept.

For someone like Peter, that could be a real pain sometimes. With his enhanced hearing, it really was rough sometimes. Most times, it didn't bother him. He had lived in the city his whole life, so he had grown used to the noise. There were times that it was all too much, though. There were times that it felt like he could hear every conversation in the city. There were times he could literally hear someone moving their hand to push the horn, which would echo through his head. There were times that the sirens were just too much.

Before he met Tony, he would just hide in his room and shove his head under mounds of pillows and blankets to try and block out the sound. This was before May had known about Peter's spider powers. He always told her that he got migraines. She would get so worried because, when the bit first happened, these 'migraines' were so frequent. She almost took him to see the doctor, but they started getting less frequent and farther apart.

After he met Tony, things changed. When Tony found out about this, he made Peter a pair of noise canceling headphones that were perfect for Peter. He made him a pair of earbuds too so if he wanted to go a little more incognito, he could. He also made him a special pair of sunglasses to help with lights. Tony wasn't about to have his kid suffering just because his senses decided to try and kill him. Nope. He simply wouldn't allow that.

All this to say that Peter had grown used to the sounds of the city. When he heard a siren, he didn't think twice. There were times he wondered if he should go out as Spider-Man to try and help, but if emergency services were already on the way, then it would be a waste to get there. To start, they would most likely beat him there. Not only that, he would just get in their way. Besides, he still wasn't exactly great with the cops. They all thought he was just some wreckless vigilante.

Peter was walking home from school. Since May had found out he was Spider-Man, she set some rules. One of her rules is that school came first. No more patrolling right after school. He had to come home to get his homework done first. Then he could go out and patrol. At first, Peter really hated the rule, but he grew to like it. It took away the opportunity of coming home so late just to find he has a pile of homework to do. It helped his sleep schedule in the slightest way.

He was about halfway home when an ambulance flew past him. The sirens were so loud, especially right next to him. Almost immediately, it felt like his head was going to explode. A wave of dizziness washed over him and he stumbled towards the wall. Sensory overload happens just like this sometimes. One minute, he's fine. One small stressor and bam! It feels like he's been hit by six trucks filled with ten tons of concrete each. He reached for his book bag, trying to find his headphones from them. He couldn't feel them. He groaned, which only echoed in his head. He forgot them at home on his desk. Right next to his ear buds and sunglasses. That's what he gets for cleaning out his book bag at three in the morning.

Slowly, he opened his eyes. The sun was now entirely too bright and the world looked like it was inside of a kaleidoscope. Buildings swirled together and colors were fusing into a giant rainbow blob. This was going to be a rough walk home now. He could already tell seconds in. All because of a stupid siren. It irritated him, but he was feeling entirely too lousy to think about the irritation.

He stumbled forward like a drunk man, his every step swaying more than the last. In a way Peter hadn't experienced before, his every step hurt. An ache would shoot through his entire body. From his toes all the way to his hair. His whole head pulsed with every step and Peter swore if he started running, his head would explode. Every step was harder than the last and with the amount of pain it caused, he wanted to stop. He couldn't stop, though. He had to make it home.

He didn't even make it a block before realizing he wasn't going to be able to make it home. He wobbled and swayed more than a baby that was just learning to walk. His entire body hurt, but his head hurt the worst. Every sound was amplified. Every color felt stronger and they were all so bright. The sun was the worst to see. And, god, don't even get him started on feeling. Every single brush or slight movement sent pins and needles along his entire body.

Slowly, he reached into his back pocket, grabbing his phone. He slowly made his way to the next ally, afraid of passing out in the middle of the street. Not that an alleyway was any better than the middle than the street. He just knew he would attract less attention in the alleyway. He pressed the call button. He didn't know which name he clicked. He just picked the first one.

The second the phone started ringing, Peter's legs gave out from underneath him. He felt another dizzy spell fall over him. God, how he hated sirens. Sirens were the worst. He heard a distant, "hello," before he passed out.

[This timeskip was brought to you by the following: The lack of oxygen in my lungs™]

Waking up was much different. When he came to, things were absolutely silent. The lights were definitely not as bright and, thank god, his entire body didn't hurt. His entire body felt relieved. So much so, he was half tempted to go right to sleep. Except, he knew that was a bad idea. Why? Well, he had two very concerned parental figures staring down at him with wide eyes. He was in his apartment. How he had gotten there was foreign to him, but hey, better than the streets. He knew that however he had gotten there had something to do with the looks that were plastered onto Tony and May's faces.

Wanting answers, he reached up to take off the headphones. Immediately, Tony's hand stopped him. He shook his head and pointed to a pad and paper. Peter gave Tony a 'are you joking' look, but Tony shook his head. Before Peter could, Tony picked up the notebook and started writing. Peter was surprised how fast Tony's hand wrote the message scrawled along the top of the notepad.

"Nope. Keep it on. We don't need to experience that again."

Peter gave Tony a confused look before writing down a response and passing the notepad back.

"Experience what? Sensory overload? I feel fine now."

It looked like Tony scoffed out a short laugh. Peter guessed that's what he did. He didn't have to hear to know what Tony was doing or saying exactly. He just could see and know.

Tony wrote a quick note before handing the notepad to May, who started writing what seemed like a paragraph. May was just as fast, if not faster, of a writer as Tony. Peter was starting to think that his longhand writing skills weren't very good by the time the notepad was handed back to him.

"Exactly. Let's keep it that way, alright? Just play it safe for a little bit."

"No taking anything off until Tony or I tell you that you're allowed. You're bed ridden to the couch, too! Nothing that can stress you out or put your senses into overdrive. Easy for the rest of the day. You really had us worried."

Peter doesn't remember anything after passing out. He can still get the answers he was looking for, but he doesn't really want them right now. If it was that bad, maybe it was better that he didn't know. He was content just chilling on the couch and doing nothing. That would satisfy him for a day.

"Okay. Sorry for scaring you guys."

When May and Tony read the message, they both reached out towards Peter. Gently, May took Peter's hand and kissed it. The movements were delicate though, as to not hurt him. Tony's were the same, but just more like Tony. He grabbed Peter's shoulder and gave it the lightest squeeze Peter would ever receive from Tony. He smiled and then handed Peter a glass of water.

"Thanks," Peter said. Tony and May winced. "Oh, sorry," Peter said, making sure he whispered. They smiled at him and shook their heads.

At the end of the day, Peter was fine. He just had a really bad case of sensory overload. But, Tony and May were more than grateful that he was okay. Really, it could have been a lot worse.

Those sirens could have been for Peter.

That's it for this chapter! Remember to drink some water, eat something, take medicine (if you have to), and rest today. You did a good job and I am proud of you :)
Till next time
- Storm