Tony Stark hated being confused.
Peter Parker had been hiding in the underground bunker with them for a day. According to Natasha, he hadn’t lied once. He was just some random kid tangled up in an insane mess where HYDRA was hunting him down and he had some insanely important data imbedded in his arm.
And somehow, he was pretty okay with it.
Sleeping arrangements had been a bit of a struggle. They didn’t have enough beds for everyone so Tony begrudgingly agreed that Peter could sleep in his with him since he had a super-king-sized bed. He didn’t really like the idea of sharing with a sweaty teenage boy but it was the option that made the most sense.
Now he was regretting that decision. They were in an uncomfortable silence and neither of them wanted to be the one to break it.
“I’ll take the floor,” Peter said at last.
Tony was relieved but confused again; a feeling he utterly despised. “Why would you do that?”
Peter took a moment, rubbing the back of his neck. “I don’t have my asthma pump with me. Normally I take ten pumps before bed, otherwise I really struggle to fall asleep,” he shrugged.
Tony still didn’t understand. “So why would that mean you take the floor?”
“Because I’ll keep you up if I’m still awake at three in the morning. At least if I’m on the floor you’ll be able to sleep.”
“Kid,” Tony started. “You’ve had one hell of a day. The least you deserve is a mattress to sleep on. Maybe not the most expensive one in New York, but this is unfortunately all we have,” Tony smiled, raising his eyebrow slightly in jest.
Peter let out a small huff of laughter. “Yeah. Yeah okay,” he agreed. He slid his legs under the covers and sat there, totally upright. Tony just closed his eyes and tried to think of paperwork. Nothing sent him to sleep quite like paperwork.
Although it wasn’t working now. He kept getting distracted by the personification of anxiety beside him.
“Kid, try lying down. Heard it’s useful for sleeping,” Tony said. He heard Peter rustle the sheets, embarrassed, and slide himself down so he was horizontal.
There was a moment of silence. “I don’t like being awake on my own. I always think everyone else will never wake up and I’ll be alone forever,” Peter admits.
Tony lets out a huff of annoyance.
He sighs, opens his eyes and looks over at Peter with a side glance. The kid is lying there, eyes wide open, anxiously looking at the ceiling. Tony does not want to deal with this, but he will.
“Well, looks like I’m not gonna be sleeping even if I want to, so I guess I’ll stay awake with you.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, I’ll tell you all about my latest bit of paperwork Pepper made me do. Always helps me sleep,” he shrugs.
Peter settled down, a tentative smile on his face.
Tony starts. “I got handed six pages full of nonsense about health violations in labs. Apparently some inspector-person asked some of my employees about health and safety and they told him that it was fine in the R&D department but my personal lab? Oh, apparently that is a health hazard,” Tony complains.
“Is it?” A sleepy voice asks. Tony looks over to see Peter with his eyes closed.
“Well, it’s not the safest place in the world… but it’s a lab! I’m a scientist and an inventor! I can’t create crazy new inventions and crazy iron suits without a little bit of fire and destruction, you know what I mean?”
Tony looks over and Peter is out like a light.
Strange.
Either Tony’s story really was as boring as he thought or the kid was exhausted.
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THIS IS NOW AN AO3 FANFIC CALLED “The Hand that Plants the Seed” by El1zabethJ!!
