Irondad Oneshots

Stuffies and Sleepless Nights - Irondad

Peter didn't like to admit it, but he had a secret that only 2 people knew about.

Not Spider-Man, something worse. Something that he feared would ruin his entire reputation, in school and everywhere else.

Something that doesn't actually really matter, but Peter was scared that people would regard him as more of a kid once they found out. People like Tony already think of him as a little kid, and he knew that this little secret would just make it worse.

He still slept with a stuffed animal.

It's a little koala bear, maybe the size of a water bottle, and pretty well-used.

It's missing it's left ear, and the claws on most of its paws. But it's still soft, and smells like home. And to Peter that's all that matters.

Aunt May knew about it forever. As soon as little Peter moved in with her, she knew that he wouldn't be letting go of his koala bear for a long time. She figured he had stopped using it until she washed the sheets when he was 13, and found it underneath his pillow.

Ned's the only other person who knows. He found out when Peter and him had a sleepover. Peter tried to keep the teddy hidden, but Ned didn't even bug him when he inevitably saw. He just shrugged it off and said that everybody needs a comfort item.

But now, Peter is terrified.

May had left for a 2 week long vacation at the beginning of August, and he was to stay with Tony at the tower.

Not too big of a deal, but his packing was rushed and in his hurry he had forgotten his koala on his nightstand.

He doesn't want to have to ask Tony if he can head back to get it, because he doesn't want to tell him what it is that he forgot.

So he decides to just try to sleep without it. Because he's 16 and he shouldn't need it anymore. Because he's not a kid.

But this proves to be more difficult than initially thought.

Peter physically cannot sleep, constantly being tormented by nightmares that his teddy isn't there to keep away. He even makes himself a dream catcher, but ends up throwing it out when it doesn't work.

And one night turns to two turns to 4 nights without sleeping. And it's starting to take a pretty obvious toll on him.

He feels weak. Tired. Messy.

And Tony seems to notice too.

He's not the best at hiding that sort of thing. He doesn't know how to pretend to be lively when it comes as a second nature to him. And now, he's just too tired to pretend.

"Mister Stark?" he calls out softly upon entering the lab. He doesn't remember if Tony mentioned a meeting or something else that he had to be at, but he can't seem to find him anywhere.

He stumbles over his own feet, clumsily catching the edge of a table. His vision blurs, meshing the room into one big silver blob.

"Pete? You okay, kiddo?"

Tony's voice cuts through the misery, setting the world right. He needs to figure this out. Maybe he can go over to Ned's and while he's there he can go to his apartment to get his koala? Anything to make this sleeplessness go away.

For a few moments he can't force any words out of him to reassure Tony that he's alright, but a big, warm hand lands on his shoulder and Peter straightens himself out. 

"I'm okay. Just a little dizzy is all," he sighs, not looking his mentor in the eyes. Afraid that he'll be able to look straight through him and figure the whole thing out.