The Ways We Drown || Peter Parker

Peter

"I'm okay," he eventually spits out.

Tony glares in response, "well at least you're feeling well enough to lie through your teeth, that has to be a good sign."

Peter doesn't fully understand what Tony was saying but he nods anyway, trying to catch up with what was happening.

"Mister Stark?"

"And you remember my name, that's another good-"

"How did we get here?"

Tony eventually sighs, "and that's red flag number thirty eight."

"What?"

"Never mind, don't worry about it- how about we get you back to the fire and put some food in your stomach while you're actually awake, which I might I say is a true miracle."

Peter doesn't know what to say to that, yet Tony doesn't seem to mind as he physically drags him back to their original location.

Peter can't help but feel the slightest bit impressed with the distance he was able to make in his delusional state, but he doesn't say the thought out loud. Before he knows it he's next to a campfire in the middle of daylight, and he doesn't think twice on it even as a fish his practically thrown into his face.

"Eat up kiddo, you've got a five star meal in front of you."

Peter examines the fish in his hand, noticing the way it's cooked but not too evenly. Tony nudges his shoulder, causing his body to tip over more than it should before the man catches him seconds later.

"Don't question it, just put it in your mouth."

"How did you even catch this?"

"What did I say about the questioning?"

Peter gives a small laugh at that, which seems to surprise Tony from the way his eyebrows shoot up. He then takes a hesitant bite of the fish and tries not to gag at the texture of it.

He hates seafood, but he forces himself to swallow after Tony gives him a stare that leaves him no other choice.

"Now tell me that isn't the best fish you've ever had."

Peter stares at the fish with a critical eye, trying to hide the distaste on his face.

"Well, uh- it's a fish..."

"Alright smart ass, I'll leave you to starve next time."

Peter laughs again but this time it has more life to it, and the way Tony's own smile grows so his eyes crinkle in the corners throws him off guard for just a moment.

"What?"

Tony doesn't answer right away, though when he does Peter takes note of the emotion laced in his voice.

"You really freaked me out for a minute there."

"Oh, I'm sorry."

"No, I'm not saying it to make you feel bad," Tony lets out a sigh that seems to hold more meaning than Peter could fully understand in the current state he was in. Tony looks like he wants to say more, and there's an uncomfortable silence as he  collects his thoughts.

When he continues however, it's less than what Peter was expecting, "I was simply concerned, that's all."

"Oh."

Peter is at a complete lost, and he thinks this is the most emotion that the man has ever shown towards him. He goes to say exactly this but Tony interrupts before he can get the words out.

"Are you still cold?"

"What?"

"Come on kid, work with me here. Are you cold?"

Peter thinks on this before answering. He doesn't remember being cold, and the question seemed a little ridiculous with the sun out as well as the fire next to them. If anything he should be asking about heatstroke.

He tries to keep the skepticism out of his voice as he answers, "I'm not cold."

If anything it was the perfect temperate, which was odd considering that it was the middle of summer. He looks at Tony with a different eye, seeing the way the man was sweating profusely next to the makeshift camp area.

"Mister Stark, why are we sitting next to a fire in this weather."

Tony lets out a chuckle, but it misses the mark in sounding carefree. "You weren't thermoregulating, without that fire you would be dead by now."

Peter looks back at Tony, not realizing that he had broken eye contact to begin with. The man says the statement so casually as if they we're talking about sports or the news, and Peter feels his eyes widen.

"But I don't remember dying?"

"Don't worry about it now."

"But how did-"

"I made sure it didn't happen, that's all you need to know."

Peter sputters at that, and his barely functioning brain works on overtime as he connects all of the missing pieces together.

"You saved me?"

Tony tilts his head as if he were confused, "of course I did, I'm Tony Stark."

Peter considers this for a moment, and he wishes that he had all of his memories of the past few days to know how they have gotten themselves stuck in this situation. He thinks about asking, but even when Tony acts flippant he can see how tense his shoulders were.

A couple months ago Peter would have never noticed this, but he has gotten better and reading Tony's body language despite how subtle they may be.

Peter doesn't ask any more of the burning questions he has, but instead he pulls Tony into a hug before he can psych himself out of it.

"Thanks for taking care of me."

Peter feels Tony's shoulders once again go rigid as he wraps his own arms around him. The hug is uncomfortable, with neither of them knowing how to fit themselves into each other's bodies, though Peter doesn't mind it.

Tony awkwardly pats his back, and that's when Peter finally pulls away to give the man some room to breathe. He expects Tony to look aggravated when he faces him but instead he finds the man to be touched as he smiles at Peter with all of his teeth

"Don't get too sappy on me now. I promised your aunt I would keep you alive and frankly, I don't want to be on her bad side."

Tony says this as if he were completely serious, but Peter is able to read between the lines. He can tell that Tony actually cares about him more than he was willing to let on.