Drowning In Oxygen [2] {Sequel}

~ Ten ~

He should've known it would make him upset.

He sat there watching videos for who knows how long.

(He didn't know how he did it with a hitched throat, tears dripping down, not being able to take in air, oxygen, anything -)

He was at peace. It was nice seeing her alive, laughing, teasing, pranking, walking, eating, anything.

He didn't notice when a figure slipped into his room.

He didn't notice when said figure had a tear drip down his eye.

He didn't notice how his phone kept going off. He didn't notice how the figure glanced at the messages, replying once, before switching his phone off.

He did notice when the figure came up behind him, turned him around and gave him a fatherly hug.

"T-Tony..." Peter whispered.

"I'm here," he whispered back in a comforting tone.

And Peter finally allowed himself to break.

His breathing seemed a little better now.

~~~

Breathing was odd, most times. He had become so accustomed to being unable to breathe than now it came easy to him...

He didn't really know what to do.

Tony always somehow knew that he needed him. He had a sort of sixth sense for the thing.

Peter wished he didn't. He wished that Tony would leave him alone, let him deal with his breathing problems the way he was used to doing, and leave it at that.

And even though the way he was used to doing wasn't entirely the best, it would do.

Besides, he had Ned, MJ, Harry, and even Gwen now.

Only two out of the four knew his secret identity.

Only one knew who he was really adopted by.

Only one patched him up every time.

He just hoped the other two would stay out of it.

"Hey, loser," MJ greeted, nodding at him as she stood with him at his locker. "You okay?"

Peter shrugged. "Nightmares."

MJ nodded at that, leaving it. She didn't need to know what they were about. He didn't need to relive his nightmare again.

They had a strange friendship, but it worked, to say the least. At least it worked.

"How - how was your sleep?" Peter offered up another topic for conversation wearily, hoping she would continue on.

"I slept. It was okay, I guess," MJ responded. "It's not like we get a good amount of hours of sleep anymore."

Now that Peter could relate to. He was so busy being awake from nightmares during the night, he caught up on sleep during the day, which was not nearly enough.

He gave a small, appreciative chuckle.

MJ understood him. She didn't ask him why he was being so quiet all of a sudden, she didn't ask where he'd been for such a long time, and she didn't ask if he was okay every five seconds.

It was nice hanging around her, for a change. He'd give anything to be his normal, peppy self, just so it wouldn't be as awkward, but he couldn't muster up the energy to do so.

Oh well.

Ned, Harry and Gwen entered at that point, and Harry greeted Peter with a massive hug (which involved them both collapsing to the floor, Harry apologising profusely).