Notes: Trigger Warning: Mentions of death, trauma, anxiety, and gun violence. I added the song peter is singing in the story for reference but you don't have to listen to it to read the story. It works with or without the music. Also I know that uncle Bens death story isn't the same as the one in the movies but I took some liberties. Enjoy! :)
----
Peter could sing.
Something none of the avengers knew.
Peter could hurt.
Something... none of the avengers knew.
--
Peter woke up with a start. His heart pounded and he felt tears slipping down his face. Breathe peter, breathe.
He couldn't breathe.
It was just that memory over and over in his head on blast. He was shaking as he rocked himself gently in the dark room. It's not real peter. He tried calming himself down. But it had been real. And it could happen again.
Don't spiral. Stay grounded. "F-Friday?" Peter said weakly, " Can you turn on the lights on dim in the music room?" He was still shaking.
Friday responded calmly, " Of course peter." Peter got up and made his way down the hall. It was still pretty dark out. It was 6:04. Not as early as he had thought but still the avengers didn't wake up for at least another hour. He sat down on a chair once he was in the room. The door was left open a crack.
Peter picked up the guitar. This was his way of coping. No one really used the music room except for him, in the dead of night usually. That's when he had the nightmares.
Peter took a shaky breath and strummed the first chord. " There, is a swelling storm. And I'm caught up in the middle of it all." Peter voice started out shaky. " And it takes control, Of the person that I thought I was, the boy I used to know!" By the end of that part, Peter had found his confidence.
His voice belted out beautifully. He didn't realize he had gotten louder than he intended, " but there, is a light in the dark and I feel it's warmth, in my hands in my heart, why can't I hold on?" Emotion drove over peters voice. Tears streamed down his cheeks. All he could hear in his head was bang.
BANG.
And then minutes later Aunt May coming in to peter crying, " He's gone- the man came but left when he- he killed" peter had sobbed. Aunt May released him from her close hold when she looked over at Bens limp lifeless body. She let out the most horrible scream.
It broke peter.
"It comes and goes in waves! It always does. We watch as young hearts fade into the flood. Into the flood." Peters voice was beautiful as it mixed with the guitar.
Tony and some of the avengers had silently gathered in the doorway. They watched in silence. They couldn't see peters face- they couldn't see the tears that steamed down it. And on top of that, peter hadn't told anyone how his uncle died.
No one knew. Peter continued to sing out the lyrics through sobs. He remembered what May had screamed first, " What happened? What happened?" Peters heart had broken.
He could've stopped it. He was there in the shadows- and he just watched his uncle get shot- he watched as the murderer got away. "I don't- this man- I'm sorry." He had said through sobs. She was shaking Ben, desperately trying to get him to wake up, "Call 911 Call 911!" She screamed.
Screamed. Like a blood curtling horribly real scream.
Peter continued singing until he reached the end and dropped the guitar which let out a musical thump. He curled his knees up to his face and started sobbing.
This is when the avengers came in. Tony rushed over to peter, " Peter tell me what's going on?" Peter sobbed violently. The avengers had never seen peter like this before. They hadn't seen him shed a tear once.
Now they realized how oblivious they had been. The kid was broken. "C'mon kid, you gotta work with me." Tony pleaded. Finally peter looked up, " I've never- never t-talked t- to anyone- I've n-never t-told you h-how my uncle d-d-died." Tony's face fell.
Something happened. Bens death obviously wasn't easy. Peters breath was jagged but he calmed himself, his voice now pure sadness, " I'm awake every night, thinking- remember when we first met? And I-I said, When you do the things I can, but you don't- a-and the bad things happen, they happen because- because of y-you" his voice got quiet at the end. Tony nodded, " So?" Peter took a shaky breath, " I had my powers- when my- my uncle died."
Steve but in, " So? You couldn't have prevented it."
Peter closed his eyes for a second, " Yeah... I think I could have. You- you don't know how it happened." There was a moment of silence, " Someone- Not someone, g-Gavin r-reds, came into our apartment late on a Saturday night- Aunt May had gone to g-get eggs for in the morning and- and then I heard something slam in- in the living r-r-room. So I went down the hall b-b-but I stopped when I saw- this- g-guy And-d he w-was holding a- a gun- so I stopped. Th-th-then I saw" peters voice was starting to faulted again.
Tony rubbed peter back, " I saw Uncle B-Ben and h-he was holding the phone b-but the guys said he would shoot if he m-moved. So h-he froze b-b-but he- he Sh-shot anyway." Peter was sobbing as tony held him close. He knew peter had gone though some horrible stuff but, he, nor any of the avengers ever knew that he watched his uncle get shot.
"I d-didn't know w-what to do- the man ran away a-and I went to u-uncle b-Ben But it w-w-was to late. Then I few minutes later I heard May come in and she- she was s-so happy a-and then I c-came crying to h-er and when s-she saw she screamed and c-cried so much and she kept s-screaming t-to c-cal the police t-to call 911 and" Peter broke out in sobs.
He couldn't hold it in anymore. The avengers around him
were almost moved to tears. How could they have not seen through that happy face. Why did peter have to have all the pain.
End.