Irondad and Spiderson Oneshots

Strep Throat

Word count: 1,147

I close the door and head toward the kitchen. As I walk through the living room I freeze. The kids here. Asleep on my couch.

"Friday? How long has Peter been here?"

"Mr. Parker has been here for approximately 30 minutes."
"Scan him." I said.
"Scanning." After a long pause the AI system announced, "He seems to have strep throat and a fever of 102.7 degrees."

"Hi, Mr. Stark," Peter mumbles, his face contorting with pain.

"Where's your Aunt May?" I ask him coming around the front of the coach and sitting on the coffee table.

"Work." He mumbles.

"Okay, I'll get you some water." I hurry into the kitchen and pour him some ice water. By the time I come back he's asleep. I set the water beside him on the table and fetch a blanket to pull over him. I'm a little out of my field here.

I sit in the couch next to him and pull out my phone. I text the Avengers, Peter showed up sick and is sleeping on the couch. Please be quiet.

"Friday? Do we have any medicine for Strep Throat?"

"Yes sir, in the med bay. Would you like me to ask Dr. Banner to bring it up for you?"

"Yes, thank you." I tell her.

Ten minutes later Bruce comes into the room with a small bottle filled with a pink liquid. "Poor kid," he said, when he saw Peter. "When he wakes up, give him a tablespoon of this," he handed me the bottle, "then again tonight. He should be feeling better in a few days." He said.

I thanked him and he left.

An hour later Peter suddenly sits bolt upright and races to the bathroom. I follow him and find him puking into the toilet. I kneel beside him and rub his back, in slow circles, letting him know I'm there.

When he stops puking he leans back into my chest and moans. "I know, kid, I know." I whisper to him. "Why don't we get you into bed?" I ask as I see his eyelids start to droop again. I scoop him up into my arms and carry him to his bedroom. I pull the blankets over him, move the trash bin next to the bed in case he needed to puke again, and bring the glass of water into the room, leaving it on the bedside table.

"Friday, dim the lights to 10%. Give me alerts on him every five minutes or if there are any changes." I whisper as the lights dim down.

"Of course." Friday answers.

I start to tinker in the lab, adding a small upgrade to peter's suit. But soon I stop, and I just wait for Friday's alerts. Each is the same, until 1:35 in the morning.

"Peter Parker's fever has risen to 104.3 degrees." Friday says.

"Damn it, kid." I mutter and hurry off to the kitchen. I soak a wash cloth in cold water and hurry into Peter's room. I place it on his forehead, hoping to bring his temperature down a little. I try not to wake him up, but he does.

"Tony," he mumbles.

I sit next to him on the bed. "Hey, Underoos. How ya feelin'?" I ask, keeping my voice quiet.

He didn't answer just groaned and curled into a ball, putting his head on my lap, closing his eyes again.

Peter had just called me Tony, and now he was asleep in my lap? Despite him being sick, a warm feeling spread in my chest.

We stayed just like that for the rest of the night and most of the morning. I didn't move for fear of waking him up.

At around 11:00 in the morning Peter woke up and stumbled into the bathroom, I followed him into the bathroom. He puked, but only once this time, and I sat next to him, rubbing his back.

"Why don't you take a nice long shower? It might help you feel better." I told him.

Peter nodded and I left the room, closing the door behind me as he undressed. I went to his closet and pulled out a new pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt from the small amount he kept here from when he stayed over on weekends every now and then. I placed them on his bed and then went to the kitchen.

I placed the tea kettle on the stove and turned it up to high. "Friday, call Pepper." I said.

A ringing sounded through the kitchen, it rang once, twice, "Hi, Tony!" Pepper said, her image appearing in front of me.

"Hi honey, hows your business trip going?"

She groaned, "Just a bunch of people who can't make any decisions for themselves. Hows it going back at the tower?" She asked, then frowned. "You look tired. Don't tell me stayed up all night in your lab." She crossed her arms and stared accusingly at me.

"No, I stayed up all night with a sick kid in my lap." I told her everything that had happened with Peter. "I'm not sure I know what I'm doing Pep." I ended with a deep sigh.

"You're doing just fine," Pepper reassured me "I'll be home by 6:00 tonight, I can help you then." She said, worried. Then said goodbye and hung up.

When the tea kettle started screaming I poured the hot water into a mug and poured it into a mug with hot chocolate mix. I loaded it with marshmallows, just the way he likes it. I walked into the living room, just as Peter came in.

"Here, maybe this will help your throat feel better." I told him as I handed him the mug. "Sit down," I told him and handed him a blanket. "Would you like some crackers?" I asked him. He slowly nodded and I went to grab them for him from the pantry. When I got back I handed him the box and said "I've got some medicine for you." Remembering about it, I had forgotten to give it to him last night before I took him to bed.

I sat next to him and wrapped my arm around his shoulders. He leaned into me, and I handed him the remote, "Why don't you pick a movie?" I said and he immediately began scrolling through Hulu. He eventually picked Star Wars, and curled into my chest, taking small sips from his hot chocolate and occasionally eating a cracker.

By the time the movie had ended Peter had fallen asleep, with his head on my chest. After a long, stressful night of no sleep, I dozed off later.

And thats just how Pepper found us, Peter curled up in a ball, sleeping on my chest, a cold mug of hot chocolate and a half gone box of crackers on the coffee table.