Requested by artisticmonkeys03
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Peter woke up in pain. His eyes and lungs burned from the smoke and ash filling the air. He could feel door settling on his skin, in his ears and mouth and lungs. Peter felt the blood running from cuts on his head, arms, legs, stomach, anywhere, everywhere. There were pieces of the demolished building both small and large trapping him in place. The heat of the fire surrounding him burned. It wasn't close enough to touch his skin, but close enough for him to feel the heat.
The only thing that didn't hurt was his left arm. It was numb. Which was scarier than if there was pain. Peter opened his mouth to scream for help but there was nobody. No sound came out of his mouth anyway with all the smoke he inhaled. He was alone. Heck, he didn't even know if Karen still worked.
"Calling Mr. Stark"
Oh, Peter thought, she does.
And then he passed out.
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When he awoke again, there was no smoke or ash in the air. There was no fire to burn him or rubble to trap him.
Instead, there was the too sterile smell of antiseptic in the air and the blinding hospital lights and beige walls and bandages. Lots and lots of bandages. And off to the side, there was an ugly green hospital chair with a person sitting. Not really sitting. This person was sleeping. It was hard to tell who exactly it was but it didn't take a genius to put together the pieces.
There was only one man in Peter's life that would suffer through a nap in an uncomfortable chair for him. I mean, Ned would, but Ned's mother didn't know about Spiderman.
"Dad?" Peter croaked out, his voice rough and raspy from lack of use.
The word was quiet, almost a whisper, but it was enough to awake the man in the chair.
"Peter? Oh thank god you're awake! Let me go get the nurse and then I'll be right back okay?" The man waited for Peter to nod before leaving. He was halfway out the door before he paused and turned. He walked back over to Peter, still lying in his hospital bed, and pressed a kiss against his forehead. "Don't ever do anything like that again. Ya hear me?"
Peter nodded. "Yes, dad" He probably would've rolled his eyes but he could still feel the ghost of smoke clouding his vision.
The man smiled. "Good. Stay here, I'll be right back"
If Peter had a nickel for every time the man said he'd 'be right back', Peter would have a dime. Which isn't a lot, but the man said it every time he left the room, even if it was just to ask for a nurse.
That was the problem for Peter. He knew the man. He knew he did. But he couldn't remember who he was. Whenever he looked at the man, all he could remember was 'dad'. Nothing more. No name, no job, no memories. Just 'dad'. Peter tried to remember, but it wasn't coming back. At least not any time soon.
The nurse, a young man with a kind smile, walked into the room. "Hey, Peter. How are you doing?"
"ok" Peter's voice was small and weak. He hated it.
"Good, that's good. Any pain anywhere?" The nurse scribbled something on a clipboard.
"My throat hurts" he spoke quietly and slowly.
The nurse gave one of those smiles, the ones that show they feel bad for you, the ones that look like a smirk and a grimace had a baby, the ones that could be a smirk if it weren't for the pity eyes. Yeah, that smile. "Sorry, buddy," the man from the chair seemed to bristle at that. Was he jealous of something? "but that'll go away on its own. Does it feel rough and dry?"
Peter nodded.
"That's partially from not speaking or drinking and partially from smoke inhalation. You've been out for almost two weeks."
"Two weeks?!" Peter tried to shout. He instantly grimaced in pain after. "But I have school"
"Not anymore" the man from the chair spoke. "Your last day was Friday. It's Tuesday now. And before you say anything, I already spoke to your teachers. Your grades are high enough that they aren't making you re-do the year or anything. Actually, you'll be staying at the tower with me. Bruce and I are going to teach you now. How does that sound?"
Peter wanted to say yes. But he didn't even know this person. "Who are you?"
The man paled before chuckling. "Ha ha very funny Peter. You know me"
The teenager shook his head.
"Stop playin' around. You're gonna give me a heart attack."
Tears welled in Peter's eyes. "I know I know you. I know you're 'dad'. That's it. I don't know your name. I don't remember anything with you in it. The last thing I remember is the Vulture and the building and-" Peter's breathing picked up frantically as his heart began to pump faster.
"Peter? Peter!" The man yelled. "He's having a panic attack!"
The nurse moved forward before the other man had the chance to. "It's not anxiety. He's going into sepsis. Push one of epi and start compressions!" He shouted after pushing a red button. Multiple other doctors and nurses ran into the room and began yelling confusing things.
"Mr. Stark, I need you to leave"
He wanted to argue but he knew better than to interfere with medical personnel. With tears in his eyes and worry in his heart, Tony Stark left the room, found an empty closet, locked himself in, and had a panic attack.
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When Peter awoke the third time, he remembered everything. He remembered everything from before the attack and the attack and waking up in a hospital to see his dad. Tony. His name was Tony, Peter remembered.
The more Peter thought, the more memories that came rushing back. Working in the lab with Tony, movie nights with Tony, training with Tony, relaxing in Stark Tower's pool with Tony, making breakfast with Tony. He remembered it all.
With a jolt he sat up and screamed "Dad! Tony! I remembered! I remember you!"
The same nurse from before (Daniel? Doug? Dave?) ran into the room. "Hey, Peter. I need you to calm down for me. You just got out of surgery." Gently, the nurse pushed Peter back into a reclined position. "We'll get your dad in here soon, okay?"
Peter wanted to cry. "No! I need him now. Please get him here now I remember!"
"Hey, Pete, I'm right here" Tony jogged into the room and sat on the edge of the hospital bed. "I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere, okay?"
Peter nodded with tears welling in his eyes. "I remember you. Your name is Tony and you're my dad." He sniffled. "I remember everything."
Tony had a big smile on his face. It suited him. Peter made sure to voice his opinion, saying "You should smile more often," earning a chuckle from his dad.
The nurse muttered something about coming back later to check on Peter, but neither Peter nor Tony were paying attention. Tony hesitated for a second before wrapping his arms gently around his son in a warm hug. Peter instantly melted into the embrace and went to put his arms around him, but there was something wrong.
"I can't feel my left arm" He said, concern evident in his voice and eyes. "Dad, wh- why can't I feel my arm?"
Once again, Tony hesitated. He released Peter from the hug. It was clear from his facial expressions that he didn't want to tell Peter. "Son," he began cautiously as if walking on eggshells, "they couldn't save your arm. It was too far gone by the time they found you so they had to amputate it. I'm so sorry."
He didn't want to but he needed to. Peter slowly glanced down at what was left of his arm. It had been amputated just below the shoulder so there was barely even a small stump remaining. Thick white bandages hid the stitches that would inevitably lead to scars. Peter turned away. He wished he hadn't looked at all.
"Peter, please stop crying," Tony soothed.
Peter didn't realize he had been crying. He went to wipe his tears away but couldn't. That arm was gone. That just made him cry harder. Tony tried to hug him and comfort him but Peter pushed him away.
When the teenager noticed the flash of hurt across Tony's face, he cried harder and instantly apologized. He began to sob, "I'm sorry, dad, I'm sorry! Please don't go! Don't leave me!" He flung his arm around Tony and pulled him close. "Please don't leave me, dad!"
Tony placed a gentle kiss on the top of Peter's head. Using one hand, he began to stroke the soft curls on Peter's head while the other held the teenager close to him. "Shh," he comforted his son. "It's okay. I'm not gonna leave you. I'll never leave, okay? It's okay, son, it's okay."
And just like that, Peter was asleep once again.
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The next time he woke up, it was against his will. Someone was gently shaking his shoulder, as though they were afraid they were going to break his other arm off, and whispering "Hey, Pete, it's time to wake up, son." So maybe it wasn't just someone. There was only one person who called him 'Pete' and 'son'.
"Mornin', dad" Peter rolled over to face his dad. He yawned. Remembering basic etiquette, he went to cover his mouth with his left hand but stopped. Peter quickly closed his mouth and once again rolled over, this time to face away from Tony.
There was a sigh from behind him and the sound of a door opening. Tony wouldn't leave him? Right? Peter turned to see if his dad really had left, only to find Bucky standing with his metal arm on full display, quietly asking Tony some questions, probably about Peter.
"Mr. Jesus Barnes White Wolf Winter Soldier sir?"
Bucky looked at him and laughed. "You can call me 'Bucky'"
"Ah, sorry Mr. Jesus Bucky Barnes White Wolf Winter Soldier Sir" Peter apologized with a cheeky grin.
Once again, Bucky laughed. He turned to Tony and said "You're kid's pretty funny"
Tony smiled at his friend turned enemy turned friend. "I don't know where he gets it from"
Peter asked as politely as he could, "Why are you here, Mr. Bucky?"
This time, Bucky didn't try to correct him. "Well, you lost your left arm and I lost mine so I'm here to help you with your prosthetic. Your dad designed it similarly to the one you made for me so I'm just going to teach you how to work with it and get adjusted to it. That kind of stuff"
The teenager remembered making Bucky a new arm. Tony had made some technical upgrades to it, including more flexibility, stronger material, a hidden pocketknife, and a radio. It was a great arm, but after Peter made a comment on the new arm ('That is so cool!'), Bucky made his own comment about how uncomfortable it was. Taking matters into his own hands, Peter spent three days making a new arm that was lightweight and built more for comfort than combat. After that, Bucky only went to Peter whenever there was a problem with his arm.
Thankfully for Peter, Tony had used the new, comfier designs for Bucky's arm to make Peter's prosthetic.
"I'll be right back" Tony promised as he left the room to grab the new arm. Another nickel for Peter.
The room was quiet after Tony left but Peter didn't mind. It wasn't an uncomfortable silence. At least not for him. Bucky despised long silences as they reminded him of the war and being a weapon so he broke the quiet atmosphere to ask "Do you have any questions for me?"
Peter thought for a second. "Was it hard? Adjusting to a metal arm, I mean."
Bucky shrugged. "I got the new arm while I was with Hydra so I don't remember much of it."
"Oh. I'm sorry"
"It's alright, kid. I'm sure if I hadn't been under mind control, I would've had trouble adjusting. Luckily for you though, you have Tony Stark as your dad and Princess Shuri as one of your best friends. You are going to have the best arm and medical care there is. I'm willing to bet you're not going to notice any difference."
Peter smiled and decided to slightly change the subject. "Steve missed you, ya know. When you went to Wakanda. He would always talk about you and if something reminded him of you, he would tell us all the story and wouldn't let any of us leave until he finished. It was kind of annoying but also kinda cute"
"He's always been my best friend. Leaving him was hard but I needed to go." Bucky blushed. Peter didn't know he could do that.
"I think he's more than a best friend to you. And I bet he feels the same way."
Bucky shook his head. He tried to deny his feelings, saying "nuh- uh. Don't lie, kid"
"I've seen the way you two look at each other. You should ask him out." Peter insisted.
"No"
"Yes"
"No"
Peter was about to respond when Tony walked back into the room with a long white box tucked under his arm and Steve following close behind.
"Hey, Peter." Steve smiled, always so polite and grandfatherly. "How are you?"
"I'll be better when Bucky asks you out"
If looks could kill, Peter would be dead. Bucky's face was red in either anger or embarrassment as he glared at the well- meaning teenager while Tony stood with his mouth open like the surprised Pikachu meme. Steve, on the other hand, was smiling with a faint blush painting his cheeks a lovely shade of pink.
With a smile, a genuine one at that, Steve said "Well then, let's hope he does it soon. For your sake, of course." He turned to face Bucky and shot him a smile and a wink. Bucky's face flushed an even deeper shade of red.
"Can I talk to you for a minute?" Bucky asked. "Outside" He pointed towards the large window looking into the hallway. Steve nodded and they left the room, taking care to close the door behind them. It seems the two forgot that Peter and Tony could see through the open window as the blinds hadn't been closed.
The father and son watched with intense interest as Bucky moved his mouth. Unfortunately, they couldn't hear but it was obvious that he was asking Steve on a date. Steve smiled and nodded his head before he pulled Bucky in for a kiss. It started out semi- chaste but quickly turned into a full on make- out session. It was only after Steve pinned Bucky to the wall- the window actually- that they realized both Peter and Tony could see them. Steve said something else to Bucky with a large smile on his face and quickly walked away. Unfortunately for Bucky, he still had to talk to Peter and help with the prosthetic.
The first thing Bucky said with a huge smile on his face upon re- entering the room was "No one will say anything about what just happened. Peter, thank you but I hate you." His face was a little flustered although it wasn't clear if it was embarrassment at getting caught aggressively making out with Captain America or just from said intense make- out session with Captain America. It didn't matter though because Bucky looked happier than he had for a while. "Now," Bucky clapped his hands together. "let's get this arm on"
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Bucky was right. It didn't take long for Peter to adjust to the new arm. The arm was made of vibranium, just like Bucky's, and fit very comfortable. If it wasn't for being blinded almost constantly from light reflecting off the arm, Peter would've forgotten his human arm was gone. The arm felt and moved just like a real one, thanks in part to Shuri, Tony, and Peter's designs. Vibranium was incredibly light so they had to add extra weight to avoid altering Peter's sense of balance. While he would rather have an actual arm, Peter was pretty pleased with the metal one.
It had been hand painted by Steve at Peter's request. Red and blue paint seemed to enshroud the metal in web designs with the signature spider signal painted in black where Bucky's star had been on his Hydra issued arm. Originally, Bucky had wanted to get rid of the star, but instead had it repainted (once again by Steve) into the Captain America shield. How they hadn't asked each other out before he intervened, Peter didn't know. But it didn't matter as he had other things to worry about, like how to take care of his arm.
Probably the coolest part was the web shooters built into the arm. The prosthetic also had a button in order to call for help and a tracking device. While he would prefer to still have both of his flesh and bone arms, the metal arm had its benefits.
After the initial flexing and testing out the arm's movements, Peter used the new prosthetic to hug his dad. Both father and son promptly burst into tears. It would be a long recovery, even with Peter's enhanced healing and the advanced medical technology located in Stark Tower. But Peter knew that it would be okay since he had his dad by his side.
After three weeks, he was deemed healed enough to start training again. Another month later and he was permitted to return to Spiderman as long as there was an adult with him. For the most part, Tony went on the patrols with him. Surprisingly, Peter didn't complain about the babysitters and instead welcomed them. He claimed it was because he got lonely on patrol and liked the extra help, but the others figured at least part of it was fear of another attack and another injury or amputation.
The other heroes didn't mind though. Steve, Bucky, Nat, Clint, Antman, the Wasp, Thor if he was around, Bruce if he was up for it, and any other heroes in town all took turns patrolling with Peter. He loved it. Whichever hero was with him gave him tips and advice while keeping him company. As an added bonus, it meant he got to spend more time with his aunts and uncles.
While he loved all of his family equally, Peter's favorite person to patrol with was his dad. Tony was always more than happy to accompany his son on a patrol. They went out together as frequently as they could without getting called 'patrol hogs' by the others. Even then, Peter knew they were only teasing.
"I should've lost this arm forever ago" Peter commented after Scott and Clint got in a fight over who's turn it was.
Everyone in the room looked at him in horror.
"What?" Peter shrugged. "I'd lose an arm and a leg if it meant you guys would fight over patrolling with me."
Two nights later, after yet another fight, Peter yelled "Mom says it's my turn to patrol with Peter!"
When no one laughed at his joke, Peter left the room, muttering something about 'stupid old people that don't laugh at funny gen- z jokes'.
In the end, Peter forgave them for not being up to date on current jokes. So, he did what any other teenager would do and flew Shuri out from Wakanda for a 'Intro to Vines, Memes, and Gen-Zs 101' course. Unfortunately, Bucky and Tony were the only ones to attend. Peter didn't care about the turn out. He just inducted the two into the Gen- Z Club that he was the president of.
When Bucky and Tony walked in wearing sick shades and leather jackets with 'Gen- Zer' embroidered on the backs , they shrugged at everyone's shocked expressions and said "Should've come to the meeting"