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visionsofus · 3 years

Note

i just binge read ur scarlet vision mixtape collection n i am in lov w it. is it possible to request me and my husband by mitski? thank u xx

anon thank you SO much for requesting this song - I’d never listened to it before! It fit perfectly and I hope you like the direction I took <3

Track #14: Me and My Husband by Mitski

| read on AO3 here | mixtape playlist | send me an ask with your song/prompt request |

Synopsis: Vision is reminded that it is Valentine's Day and decides to show up at Wanda's safehouse to surprise her. Fluff ensues and Wanda's fugitive teammates realise exactly how close the pair have become.

“So, when are you leaving?” Tony asked around a mouthful of egg and bacon. They were sat at the dining table, Tony eating his hastily prepared breakfast while Vision perused the news on the tablet in front of him. Many a morning was spent this way, just the two of them. Occasionally they were joined by Happy and other times it was just Vision on his own.

“Leaving? To go where?” Vision asked looking up in surprise.

Tony raised his eyebrows but finished chewing before he spoke again. “To rendezvous with your lover?”

“Oh,” Vision said setting the tablet down, they usually didn’t speak about the weeks he disappeared from the compound to see Wanda. It had become something of a taboo, out of sight out of mind, which he supposed helped Tony cope with the risk Vision put himself in every few weeks. “We don’t have plans to meet up until the end of February.”

“You’re missing Valentine’s day?” Tony asked, surprised.

“Oh yes, that is today isn’t it?” Vision murmured folding his hands before him in contemplation. “Well, we didn’t speak about needing to spend the day together, it never really came up…”

Tony looked aghast.

“I mean I don’t think it’s important,” Vision continued hesitantly but Tony had begun to shake his head.

“No, no, no that’s not gonna cut it,” he said wiping his mouth on a napkin and standing up. “C’mon you’re going to Canada.”

“Canada? Why?”

“Because I am not going to let you stand her up on the most romantic night of the year.”

That was how Vision ended up taking the quinjet up to Canada, arriving in the late afternoon. Tony had given him obscure coordinates taking him somewhere north of Calgary. With the jet safely cloaked and hidden off the main road he began to short walk towards the nearby converted barn that the rest of the team were reportedly residing in. In the afternoon light the fields turned a golden green and seemed to stretch on for miles.

The barn was fairly unassuming from the outside, the only evidence it was lived in being the wide windows on the second floor and what appeared to be a recent coat of paint. He hoped that they wouldn’t have to move on for a while, that this would be isolated enough they could spend some time not running for their lives.

A thin path had been carved out through what would usually be a wild assortment of plants in the front garden, though it was now scarce thanks to winter’s frosts. Set in the middle of the front of the barn was a Dutch door and Vision stepped up to it, rapping the door knocker sharply. The house was silent inside and the only sign that anyone was home was the car sat dormant in the driveway. A distorted head shape edged into view through the frosted glass, and it floated there for a moment before the door swung open to reveal Sam Wilson.

“What the hell are you doing here?” He asked in disbelief.

“Very nice to see you as well, Sam,” Vision said smiling, “is Wanda in?”

“Is Wanda in?” Sam shook his head and looked over his shoulder. “Can’t think of anywhere else she would be, we are fugitives you know.”

“I am well aware.”

Sam sighed when the sarcasm didn’t hit. “Yeah sure, c’mon in. You weren’t followed here?”

“I cloaked the quinjet through the Air Defence Identification Zone and used a secure flight path,” Vision assured him as he stepped inside, immediately noting how warm it was.

“The others are through in the living room and I think Nat is out shopping,” Sam said shutting and locking the door behind him. “Why are you here though? Anything we need to be aware of?”

“Of course not,” Vision said trying to be assuring, suddenly realising how his presence could be misleading, “I’m just here for—”

He was cut off by the welcome sound of Wanda’s voice. “Vis!” she cried in excitement running around the corner, her sock clad feet slipping on the floor and sending her careening into his arms.

Vision laughed and dipped to catch her in a tight hug. She was wrapped up in a woollen sweater that he was quite sure had once been his, but that she must have commandeered on one of their trips in the last year. She had to stand on the tip of her toes to reach but pressed several kisses on his cheeks.

“What are you doing here?” Wanda demanded, leaning back to take him in, her eyes glowing happily.

“I thought I might surprise you,” Vision said quite conscious that Sam was staring open mouthed at them.

At that precise moment Steve walked in to join the group coalescing in front of the door. He was about to bite into an apple but paused when he saw who had joined them, disbelief colouring his newly bearded face.

“Captain,” Vision nodded, “sorry for dropping in unannounced.”

“Vision,” said a dumbstruck Steve, “you’re here… not in America…”

“Yes,” he said holding his arms out to demonstrate he was indeed, physically present.

“I thought we agreed to end of the month in Venice?” Wanda asked turning to him suspiciously.

“Well, you can’t expect me to not show up on Valentine’s day,” Vision said as though it were obvious, though it had not too been obvious to him mere hours ago. The other three stared at him blankly.

“Huh, 14thof February already?” Steve said to himself.

Wanda looked surprise and laughed in disbelief. “You’re right I had no idea you’d show up for Valentine’s day.”

Vision suddenly felt a little out of place. He always met Wanda alone, never with company. They hadn’t been around the other Avengers as anything more than friends, and by now they were much more than that. It had made so much sense to come for Valentine’s day when Tony had been explaining its significance, but perhaps he had overstated the day’s importance. Feeling like a bit of a fool Vision fished around in his pockets for an apt distraction his hand landing on a bar of chocolate. “I suppose you wouldn’t be wanting any of this chocolate then?”

“Not that I need bribery to have you near me,” she said more quietly taking his hand even as Vision withdrew the Sokovian chocolate she was so fond of. It was challenging to get a hold of thanks to limited imports since the Sokovia incident. Vision made sure to buy it at any opportunity and had since amassed a small collection back at the compound for times like this. She grinned as she accepted the chocolate bar and gave him a quick peck on the lips.

“Well chocolate and Valentine’s day wishes delivered, I suppose I should leave,” Vision said looking around to see that Sam and Steve were having a silent conversation that was mostly raised eyebrows and shrugged shoulders.

“What are you talking about?” Wanda asked. “You’ve come all the way here you’re at least spending the night. Come on, I’ll show you the house.”

Secretly glad, he let her lead him around. She started at the floor they were currently on, showing him the quaint kitchen at the back of the house and the interconnected living room complete with cosy armchairs and a crackling fireplace. Upstairs were several bedrooms, not particularly large but it meant that they could each have their own spaces. Her bedroom was cast in a warm orange glow as she led him in around a small bed and pointed out the view that she had come to love over the last few weeks. It comforted him to know that she was able to have a space in this way, where she could keep things on a bedside table and put her clothes in a closet instead of the living out of a bag she did when they travelled together.

Back downstairs Natasha had returned, and Sam and Steve were unpacking the shopping in the kitchen as she unwound a scarf and removed her beanie, which had apparently been in the interest of protecting her identity.

“Good to see you Vision,” Nat said grinning at him, and he found comfort in her reaction. It wasn’t that Sam and Steve hadn’t been friendly, but it was as though they didn’t know why he was here and that made him nervous, it made him doubt.

But Wanda was his grounding force and she continued to act as though nothing were different. And so, Vision chose to follow her lead, focusing on his most important person instead of his worries.

They didn’t leave each other’s side for the remainder of the afternoon and he helped Wanda prepare the dinner when she explained it was her turn to cook for her fugitive housemates. She’d decided on a stir fry and he diligently set about slicing up the vegetables for her.

“You travelled here ok?” She said leaning her head against his shoulder as she cooked the noodles and Vision slid a responding arm around her waist.

“Of course,” he said kissing the top of her forehead.

“There was no trouble with Stark even though this wasn’t in the calendar?”

“It wouldn’t matter even if there was,” he replied and knew it was true. He was glad that Tony was so supportive of his relationship with Wanda but equally understood that nothing would have stopped him continuing to see her.

Steve and Sam came bustling through the kitchen collecting plates and cutlery for the dining table. Vision made to draw back but Wanda grabbed his hand and kept it pressed to her side, giving him a reassuring smile that said all he needed to hear, he ducked his head to kiss her once more. On the way out Vision heard Steve loudly whisper “I think they’re really cute”. Sam’s exasperated response was, “Of course you do”.

“Who would have thought Captain America was such a sap when he wasn’t working,” Wanda said quietly to Vision as he drowned out the bickering now taking place in the other room. “He watches more rom-coms movies than all of us put together.”

It was nice to share a meal with the teammates he had grown so close to but hadn’t seen in so long, even if Vision wasn’t actually eating. They told him stories of their travels in the last eighteen months, mostly sticking to the good times though he was aware there were difficult sides to every anecdote they shared. Vision had heard stories from Wanda of the early days on the run where they took turns sleeping and keeping watch, no matter where they were or how strong the locks might be. It was a time of constant strife from what he understood. It was a relief, then, to see them in a place like this and though he knew it would be hard to stay here for ever, he was glad to hear they had plans to stay until Wanda returned from the Venice trip in April.

Afterwards he hung behind with Steve in the kitchen and helped wash up.

“It’s good you’re here,” Steve said handing him a clean plate to dry up, “it’s nice to see her so happy.”

Vision smiled at the acknowledgment, wiping the plate dry with a tea towel and setting it on the counter. “She is the strongest person I know.” Then, softer, “but I wish I could be there more often to help shoulder her burden.”

Steve hummed in agreement. “It sort of came as a surprise to all of us when she told us she’d started seeingyou. Sure, we assumed things, but I don’t think it was really clear until tonight. I’m happy for you both.”

Vision was aware that Wanda had never really sat the rest of her teammates down to hash out the specifics of what she was doing with Vision when they were away. She was content in knowing that they supported her in pursuing the relationship they now had and had never seen reason to share more than she needed to. She’d confided that there were times when she wanted to boast about their relationship, taking pride in the bond they shared which made him happy. But they both shared the feeling that the intimacy they had couldn’t be explained simply, it was uniquely theirs and he was content to not share it with anyone else if Wanda was as well.

“It’s a relief for me, knowing that she has you,” Steve went on, “the loneliness is hard on all of us, all this moving around. Wanda had only just begun calling the compound home when we had to leave, so I’m glad she has you to come back to.”

It warmed Vision’s heart to hear how highly Wanda was appreciated in Steve’s mind, and it reassured him that she had a strong friendship with her team that could keep her afloat when they couldn’t be together.

The evening was growing late by the time they reconvened in the living room with the rest of the house’s inhabitants. Sam had stretched himself out on the couch and was starting to nod off. Nat sat in raptures over the program on television, which, by the sound of the narration, was a David Attenborough wildlife documentary.

Wanda rose from where she had been curled up in a comfy armchair and took Vision’s hand, pulling him over. Her eyes glowed with such open happiness that he couldn’t help the feeling that he was falling more and more every time they were near. It had been happening for months now, or years more likely, but at times like this it hit him just how in love he was.

He sat down in the chair, sinking into its comfy embrace and held his arms out for Wanda who didn’t hesitate in climbing into his lap, settling against his chest and dangling her feet over the arms of the chair. He closed his eyes sighing in content, if only every night could be this way. They didn’t need a fancy dinner out, and the chocolates he gave her had been more than those little heart shaped ones he saw on tv, they’d shared a dinner with her closest friends and now settled down in a space she felt comfortable and safe in. It was his perfect evening, and he did his best to capture it in his mind, saving it to pour over and relive in the moments when they were separated, and he missed her most.

As he opened his eyes, he found her gazing at him and she scrunched her nose up happily when their eyes met. She kissed him once quickly, but he managed to tease one more longer kiss out of her before she settled into his arms fully and closed her eyes.

Vision had expected some sort of sarcastic comment regarding their affection, but the living room was comfortably quiet aside from the calming voice over of David Attenborough on the tv. A quick look over his shoulder showed that Natasha was the only one paying them real attention, she smiled at Vision and gave him a slight nod. He smiled back, a moment of gratitude for each other for being such constants in Wanda’s life.

One by one Steve, Sam and Nat trickled off upstairs, Steve pausing to whisper that he’d checked all the locks and the security system and to just turn the lights off when they went to bed. Wanda was asleep against Vision’s chest and had been for a while now, but she was so peaceful that he couldn’t bear to move her.

So, she slept on and Vision peered outside the windows into the desolate fields that spanned out from the property. He could just see the rising moon peeking out from behind the clouds, casting a strong milky glow on the fields. The fire popped and crackled more quietly now, nearly out, its last embers of warmth keeping the room nice and toasty against the February chill outside.

It was sat there in the old leather armchair with his lover gathered in his arms, miles away from any of the problems they faced in the real world that Vision stole a few breaths to let his thoughts wonder. Thinking of all the time they had been together, all that they had been through and with more challenges no doubt in their future. How he had, against all odds, fallen in love with the remarkable woman asleep in his lap, and that she had returned his affection so fervently. He often thought about the different kinds of love, wondering what he had with Wanda. Initially, when they’d lived at the compound together, he had been sure it was just curiosity, that he was only responding to how she treated him. As someone normal, a friend, a companion. Then, as time went on, he thought it might be infatuation, the desire he’d felt to be near her, to be the reason she smiled but ultimately, a short term attachment. That had all changed in the polarising events of the Accords which he had been sure would tear them apart, but here they were, over a year later and he was still very much in love. Perhaps it was as the Greeks said, six different kinds of love for different relationships. Of all the renditions, Vision supposed Pragma was closest to how he felt, the love that was not only about falling but learning to stand up and keep walking. Beyond this, Vision felt a strange certainty that they’d always be together, in some shape or form and that, when separated, they’d always find their way back to each other.

The fire finally seemed to have given all it could, and so Vision shifted slightly, rubbing Wanda’s arm to rouse her. “I’m going to take you upstairs, Wanda,” he said quietly.

“Alright,” she smiled raising her arms up sleepily which he laughed at, winding them around his neck before he lifted her up.

Upstairs he pulled the covers aside and lay her down, brushing her hair out of her face and pressed a kiss to her forehead.

“Get in bed,” she hissed covering her eyes against the overhead light which he quickly switched out.

“So demanding,” he chuckled but relented, going around the other side and changing into lighter clothes for sleeping in.

“Is there anything else you need?” Wanda said absentmindedly, still playing the host. “Another pillow? Blankets?”

Vision sighed and instead pulled her closer so that he might press his chest to her back and wrap his arms around her waist. He kissed her cheek and felt her smile into the cosy room. “I have you, my love, what else could I possible need?”

——————————————

Updated taglist open on request (dm or ask me and I’ll tag you when I update)

#wandavision #wanda x vision #Wandavision fanfiction #scarletvision #wanda maximoff #scarlet witch #sweet Vision #Scarletvision valentine's day #soft Vision #Wanda just wants him to be with her all the time

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parkernotes · 5 years

Text

sick day

also available on ao3

post-endgame / sickfic / domestic fluff

featuring worried parents pepperony & big brother peter

word count: 4646

The shrill sound of the bell indicating the end of the last period of the day is definitely the best thing Peter has ever heard. Mrs. Warren starts reminding them about the next week's quiz, but her voice gets muffled by the sound of Peter's classmates packing their bags and dragging their chairs across the floor noisily as they stand up. Peter is able to hear it due to his super hearing, so he messily writes down a reminder on his planner before throwing everything inside his bag and hurrying up to catch up with Ned who is already waiting by the door.

"So, MJ and Betty told me during lunch they want to go grab some pizza tonight, are you in? I think Zach and Tyler are coming too, but I'm not sure," Ned says as they step out of the classroom into the hallway, already packed with students. He pauses for a moment before continuing, "You know, it's enough time for you to… hang out. In Queens. For a while. If you know what I mean. We were planning to meet up at 8."

Peter chuckles, but shakes his head. "I'm gonna spend the weekend at the lakehouse. I'll only have time to pack a bag when I get home, so no hanging out in Queens today, I guess," he explains, tugging the hem of Ned's jacket, silently indicating he needs to stop by his locker.

Ned hums as Peter inputs his passcode on the lock. "I thought you were going to be around again this time. It's been a while since you went there, yeah?"

"Not that long," Peter says, pulling out his Chemistry and Calculus textbooks. His Physics one is already inside his bag, and with three different exams scheduled for the following week, he will have no choice but get some revision done during the weekend. "It's because Pepper went on a business trip, and Tony had to tag along, for some reason. Guess it was pretty important."

Tony mentioned something about going with Pepper to California to deal with some issues of the company - Peter didn't really understand what those entailed, only that the couple would be gone for two weeks. They left Morgan in Mrs. Rhodes' care, who is by all means Morgan's honorary grandmother. She invited Peter over multiple times the past few days to hang out with them, but due to the pile of homework he had to complete, the countless of tests his teachers were scheduling plus patrols, he had no time to barely breathe, let alone visit them. It didn't stop him from feeling bad, though.

Peter doesn't think he has sleep for more than four hours during the past week while trying to balance all aspects of his life, and it's getting to him. Despite the stamina that came with the spider bite, he can still only push himself so far. He feels quite lethargic due to the exhaustion, and just can'twait to fall asleep in his room at the lakehouse tonight.

"Well, we'll miss you, man," Ned says as they start walking towards the exit again.

"I'll come back Sunday afternoon, though," Peter says as they head down the steps. "Maybe there'll be some time to hang out."

"Alright, you let me know," Ned says.

They hurriedly do their handshake when Ned spots his bus parking in front of the school, and Peter watches him run towards it in order to grab a seat, pushing some people by accident in the process. He smiles a bit to himself, but as soon as his friend is out of sight, he can feel the exhaustion creep on him again.

He feels bad for not patrolling after school as usual, but at the same time he knows he wouldn't be able to do much. At best, he would stop some muggings before falling asleep on a random rooftop out of pure fatigue. He doesn't really want to be woken up by a desperate call from Tony asking if he's alright - not again - so Peter decides it's probably for the better.

Happy knocks on their door at 5 p.m. sharp, only a few minutes after Peter is done packing his bag. From his room, he hears May opening the front door and greeting Happy excitingly, as if they hadn't seen each other just yesterday.

Peter cringes to himself. He still refuses to stop and think about that .

He pauses when he hears a third voice in the living room, loud and familiar.

"So, where's the kid? Please don't tell me he forgot we were coming."

At that, Peter stands up right away, heading to his door as May laughs, answering he's just getting ready. He walks through the short hallway and into the living room, pausing as the three adults turn around to face him.

"Tony," he breathes, a big smile on his face as he closes the distance between them. Tony catches him in a warm hug, chuckling against Peter's hair and patting him on the back.

"Missed me much?"

"I didn't know you were coming!" he smiles as he steps back, glancing up at the other man. "Hey, Happy!"

"Hi, kiddo," Happy says. "How have you been?"

"Good, good," Peter says, despite everything.

"You look a bit tired," Mr. Stark points out, not unkindly. "School's been tough?"

"He's been working hard," May answers for him, her tone proud but somewhat concerned at the same time. She pats him on the back softly while looking at Tony. "This weekend will be good to him, so make sure he rests a lot."

"Don't you worry, there will be no studying done under my watch," Tony reassures her, winking at Peter. "So, you ready?"

Peter nods, already turning towards his room. "I'll just get my bag!"

Turns out Tony was already in town to meet with someone and decided to wait for Peter so that they could head to the lakehouse together. However, he also finds out Happy will actually be staying behind with May, which is fine, but also totally weird. After hugging May goodbye, he tries to glare at Happy but only ends up receiving an amused - but also suspiciously nervous - chuckle and a hair ruffle from the man.

Once finally on their way to the lake house, Peter can't help but nod along sleepily as Tony talks away about his time with Pepper in California, sat comfortably on the passenger seat of one of Tony's many fancy cars. They're not even out of town when he finally dozes off, head resting on top of his hoodie crumpled up against the window.

He doesn't know how much time has passed once he wakes up, but they're on the road. The sun is setting on their left, and the sky is all shades of purple and orange. Music is playing softly from the speakers, and Tony glances at him once Peter raises his head.

"Hey, sleeping beauty, thanks for conking out on me," he says.

Peter smiles, stretching his arms in front of him with a groan. "Sorry, it's been a long day."

"I'm just kidding," Tony says, but Peter already knows. "Sleep more if you want. We have around half an hour left before we get there."

Peter nods, raising his hands to rub up and down his arms. Even though the AC is off, he feels colder than usual.

He catches Tony looking at him again through his peripheral vision, and soon he's supplying helpfully, "There's a blanket in the glove department."

"Oh, thanks," Peter says around a yawn.

He opens the glove department and pulls out a carefully folded Paw Patrol blanket, certainly Morgan's. It's thick enough though, so Peter doesn't hesitate before covering his upper body with it, resting his head on the same place as before. He's out again a few minutes later.

The next time he wakes up is by Tony shaking him gently, a hand on his shoulder. Once Peter's eyes flutter open and focus, he realizes they've arrived at the lake house, and night has fallen.

"We're here, bud," Tony announces, opening the door on his side to step out.

Soon enough, the dark landscape is illuminated by the warm light coming from the inside of the house as the front door opens and a tiny figure steps out. Morgan comes running directly towards Peter as he steps out of the car, and despite all the fatigue, he picks her up easily.

"Pete! I've missed you," she says, loosening the grip her short arms have around his neck only to kiss him on the cheek with a loud smack .

He giggles despite himself, twirling them both around. "Me too," he says. "Sorry for not visiting you at Mrs. Rhodes house."

"It's okay," she says.

Peter puts her down and she runs to greet Tony just as Pepper steps out of the house, heading towards the car. Peter meets her halfway in a gentle embrace, sighing softly against her shoulder.

"How have you been, sweetheart?" she asks, pulling Peter back to look at him properly. She brushes a curl away from his forehead, studying his face attentively. "May told me you've been so busy with school."

"Yeah, it's been hard, but I'm almost done with most tests," he shrugs, smiling softly.

He's sure Pepper knows how tired he feels when she says, "After dinner you'll go to bed right away, yeah? We can do whatever you kids want to do tomorrow."

"Yeah," he breathes, smiling gratefully. He turns around to face the car, "I just have to get my-"

"Tony will bring your bag inside for you," Pepper interrupts, raising her voice so that said man can hear. She wraps an arm around Peter's shoulders, leading him to the front door. "Right, honey?"

"Yeah," Tony grunts, and Peter looks behind his shoulder only too see him balancing Peter's bag on his right shoulder and Morgan on the left one.

Peter feels weirdly dizzy when he steps out of his room after showering and changing into some comfy clothes. He suspects it might be because he hasn't eaten in a while, or because he hasn't slept for a long time the previous night despite his nap on their way from the city, but, either way, he feels like crap.

He plops down on the couch next to Morgan, who's attentively watching My Little Pony on Netflix. He can hear Tony and Pepper cooking in the kitchen, and the smell of homemade tomato sauce drifting from there.

Peter closes his eyes, resting the back of his head against the soft cushion of the couch. He hears Morgan giggling at a particular funny line and Pepper complaining about something Tony's done in the kitchen, but soon these sounds become muted and he starts to fall asleep.

He almost dozes off when he startles himself with a violent sneeze.

Morgan jumps from where she's sat next to him, looking at him with wide eyes before saying, "Bless you."

"Thanks, Mo," he says, the sound coming off a bit nasal.

He makes a quick trip to the bathroom to blow his nose, and settles on the same spot next to Morgan when he comes back. This time, he falls asleep without any interruptions.

"Bud, dinner is ready," Tony's voice drags him back to reality. "You're really worn out, hm?"

Peter groans in response, feeling the man's brushing through his hair. A moment passes, then the hand pauses.

"You're a bit warm," Tony observes. His hand travels down to press against Peter's forehead, then his cheek. "How're you feeling?"

After a moment of consideration, Peter opens his eyes tentatively. "Head hurts a bit. I'm feeling kinda weak, too," he admits after a few moments of hesitation, not feeling like hiding it.

"Well, you might be coming down with a fever," Tony sighs, a worried crease between his brows. "Pep, can you get me the thermometer?"

Pepper, who had just entered the room with the plates to set the table, frowns at them. "What happened?"

"Kiddo's a bit warm. He's not feeling very good, either," Tony replies, hand gently landing back on Peter's hair.

"Oh no, sweetheart," she sighs, placing the plates down on the table. "I'll be right back."

Morgan makes her way from the dining table, where she was excitingly waiting for her spaghetti plate, to the armchair near Peter and Tony. She looks down at Peter with a frown, so similar to her dad's - Peter softly smiles up at her, reassuringly.

Pepper comes back only a few moments later with the thermometer. She turns it in and hands it to Peter, who closes his lips around it with a sigh.

"Come help me put the table, baby," she calls Morgan. "Peter's just fine, hm?"

Morgan follows after her mom silently, not before throwing one last fearful glance behind her shoulder.

Once the thermometer beeps, Peter pulls it off and Tony takes it to check the reading.

"105.3," he pronounces. "Well, you do run a little hotter than us, but that's a little bit high for you."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah," Tony sighs, looking down at him empathetically. "I would only really start worrying if it goes above 106, though. I think with some proper food in your system and a long night of sleep you'll be just fine."

"God, I hope so," Peter groans, rubbing his hands across his face. "That would suck."

He hears Tony chuckle, and in the next moment the man is standing up. "C'mon, before Morguna eats all the food."

Peter usually helps to wash the dishes after dinner when he's over at the lake house, but this time Tony brushes him off.

"I can handle a few dishes on my own," he says, patting Peter on the shoulder and turning him towards the staircase. "Go on, I'll check on you after I'm done."

Peter can only nod sleepily in response, slowly starting to climb the steps behind Morgan and Pepper. The little girl is already proclaiming which bedtime story she wants to read this time, and once they reach upstairs she turns around to look up at Peter.

"Do you wanna read, too?" she asks, reaching out to take Peter's hand in her own tiny one.

Peter's heart breaks a little. Throughout dinner, he tried to speak up and join the conversation not to frighten Morgan with his condition, but it wasn't much. Looking down at her, he can easily understand she doesn't want to let him out of her sight just yet.

Pepper puts a hand on top of Morgan's head, gently brushing her hair back while giving Peter a reassuring look. "Peter needs to rest, sweetheart," she then says, looking down at Morgan. "You can play with him tomorrow, alright? Say goodnight."

Morgan pouts, reluctantly letting go of Peter's hand. "Goodnight," she says.

Peter smiles tiredly, reaching out to pat her in the head. He'd usually give her a hug and a kiss, but he doesn't want to risk spreading any germs. "Goodnight, Mo."

After turning around and heading to his room, Peter doesn't even bother to turn on the lights. He makes a beeline for his bed and crashes into it, then tiredly arranges the covers on top of his body.

He wakes up to someone touching his hand. He startles, eyes shooting open, but once his vision focuses he sees Tony sitting on the edge of his bed in the semi-darkness, holding Peter's wrist against his chest. The lights from the hallway are entering his bedroom through the narrow opening of the door, and thanks to that Peter is able to see the watch Tony is slipping on his wrist.

"What…?" he begins, trying to sit down.

"Hey, it's alright," Tony reassures him, easing him back against his pillow with a hand on his shoulder. "Didn't mean to wake you up. This is to track your vitals during the night, okay? FRIDAY will let me know if your temperature rises."

"Oh," Peter replies, bringing his wrist closer to his face to inspect it.

"How do you feel?"

"About the same," Peter replies, eyelids already starting to feel unbearably heavy again.

Tony sighs, tucking the covers up to Peter's chin before standing up. "Even though you have the watch, let me know in case you need anything, yeah?"

Peter hums in response, eyes fluttering close. The last thing he hears is Tony softly wishing him a goodnight and the door behind closed with a muted click after he steps out of the room.

The next time he wakes from sleep, is to quiet voices talking in his room.

Before even opening his eyes, the next thing Peter feels is a pounding headache and how... damp his clothes feel. He whimpers softly at the pain, and suddenly he hears someone shushing him and a hand brushing through his hair.

"Pete, come on, I need to give you some medicine," Tony's voice says. "Can you sit up?"

Peter tries, but there slightest movement he makes with his head makes the headache pound at his skull. "Hurts," he manages to groan softly.

"I know, kiddo," Tony replies. "The medicine will help."

He blinks his eyes open, and he spots Tony sitting on the exact spot to when he was slipping the watch on Peter's wrist. Behind him, Pepper is standing up with her arms crossed over her chest, looking over them with a frown.

"I'll get him another shirt," she says once as Tony helps him up.

Looking down, Peter realizes his shirt is almost soaked in cold sweat.

"Come on, arms up," Tony tells him quietly, minding his headache, tugging at the hem of his shirt.

Peter weakly lifts his arms in front of him, and Tony drags the fabric up his chest, through his head and then through his arms until he's shirtless. He whimpers, feeling colder than ever, but soon enough there's another shirt - completely dry this time, thank God - going over his head.

The movements make Peter feel a bit dizzy, so he closes his eyes as he leans back against the pillows Pepper arranged against the headboard of the bed.

"Don't fall asleep, Pete," Tony urges. When Peter's eyes flutter open, he sees Tony opening a small pill bottle. "Give me your hand."

He drops two pills on the palm of Peter's hand and gives him a glass of water.

"This should work for your metabolism. Superhero Ibuprofen, if you will," he says conversationally as Peter swallows the pills. "Courtesy of Bruce. Your Aunt should have some back in Queens, too."

Peter feels a wave of warmth wash over him. Knowing that there are people thinking ahead for him, taking care of this kind of stuff even though he thought he would never get this sick ever again, makes him feel a little bit better despite the pain.

Peter didn't even noticed Pepper was gone, but suddenly she steps out of the adjoined bathroom of his room with a wet cloth and a hand towel.

"Come here, sweetheart," she guides him forwards gently so that Peter is sitting on the bed but not leaning back against the pillows. She uses the towel to wipe off some of the sweat from his collarbones, neck and his face.

While she does it, Tony hurries to change his pillowcase, so that when Peter's eased back to lay down on his back again, he's not grossly covered in cold sweat anymore. The slightly cold wet cloth is placed against his burning forehead, and as Tony adjusts it against his skin Peter can already feel himself drifting off.

"Th'nks," he manages to murmur before falling asleep.

Peter's temperature doesn't rise again throughout the night, but he doesn't sleep very well. He turns around a lot and the movements only serve to make him even more dizzy. When morning comes, instead of waking up to FRIDAY or Pepper announcing that breakfast is ready as usual, the door opens slowly and Tony steps into the room with a bowl on one of his hands. Peter wasn't deeply asleep to begin with, so his eyes flutter open at the noise.

Peter only blinks up at Tony as he sits down on the edge of the mattress and places the bowl on the nightstand. Through his mostly clogged nose, Peter can smell oatmeal, banana and honey.

"Your temperature dropped," Tony observes, voice almost a whisper. He raises a hand to brush Peter's messy curls away from his forehead, and he notices that the wet cloth placed there during the night is gone. "Feeling any better?"

"Head doesn't hurt anymore," Peter replies. "It feels kinda heavy though. Feeling kinda weak."

"That's because you haven't eaten anything since dinner," Tony observes promptly. "Try eating this and then going back to sleep, alright? You gotta sleep it off, rest as much as you can."

"Kay," Peter agrees, only because he just wants to get over this sickness as soon as possible.

"Good kid," Tony praises. "You should get sick more often. You're never this compliant."

Peter scoffs. "Ha ha," he says, slowly getting up. "You know I-"

He interrupts himself when the door creaks as it's slowly pushed open. Both he and Tony turn around to look, and sure enough Morgan is peeking through the narrow opening, wide eyes fixed on Peter.

"Mo, weren't you eating breakfast?" Tony asks.

"I finished already," she replies, unusually quiet.

Tony sighs fondly, reaching his hand towards her. "C'mere."

Morgan hesitantly steps inside the room as Peter reaches for the oatmeal bowl on his nightstand.

"Your brother's fine," Tony reassures her, pulling her up to sit on his lap once she's close enough. "He's improved a lot already, yeah? It happens. He'll be up soon enough, climbing up walls and giving us all heart attacks."

Peter smiles. "Yeah, don't worry," he agrees, holding back a wince at how hoarse his voice sounds. "We'll get to play before I leave."

"Today?"

"I'm afraid not yet today, baby," Tony answers for him. "Maybe tomorrow. Petey needs to sleep as much as he can to be strong again."

Morgan huffs, but nods. "Okay."

She only stays for a few more minutes, still looking terribly sulky as she goes away to find her mom. Peter sighs after swallowing a spoonful of food, feeling terrible about the whole ordeal. He was supposed to be perfectly fine , playing on the edge of the lake with Morgan during the morning and then coming back inside to revise for his exams during the afternoon, only to spend the evening before and a little bit after dinner with Tony in the garage. He missed them all so much, but now he's making them spend their time looking after his sorry self.

Being sick really fucking sucks.

"Stop sighing, you're depressing me," Tony pipes up a while afterwards, looking up from the phone he pulled out of his pocket. "Don't blame yourself for this, alright? Pep and I were expecting this. She spent a long time away from everything familiar to her, but even now that we're back her routine is still not back to normal. It would be kinda weird if she wasn't acting up a little bit."

Peter thinks a little about it. Before Tony and Pepper had to leave for California, Peter saw them practically every weekend and therefore was able to spend a lot of time with Morgan. She's still probably facing the same separation anxiety as he is, but worse. Not surprising for a five year-old.

"Still sucks," he concludes grumpily. "I hate being sick. I didn't think I would fall sick again after the bite."

"Me neither," Tony sighs. "But it's alright. The good news is that you're improving really quickly, so you should be fine by dinner."

"Yeah," Peter nods, putting the bowl back on the nightstand. He rubs his hands over his face. "Gosh, I feel so tired."

"As expected," Tony sighs, patting his ankle above the covers before standing up. "Go back to sleep. I'll wake you up for lunch."

Peter naps during the day as advised, but again, it's a weird kind of sleep. He can't get comfortable no matter what, and his head starts to hurt again. He dutifully eats the soup Pepper brings him a few hours later, but he's quite dizzy and doesn't even manage to finish it. Tony gives him another dose of medicine and tells him to go back to sleep, looking down at him with a worried frown Peter thought he wouldn't see again this weekend because he's supposed to be feeling better already.

Well, his condition does improve a little bit, but he still feels like utter crap. Tony thought he would be as good as new by dinner, but he doesn't make it to the dining table. They bring him more soup, and afterwards Tony convinces him to take a shower. Peter manages to shower on his own, leaving the door unlocked in case he crashes, but thankfully that doesn't happen while he's under the showerhead. However, it's once he's weakly pulling a pair of clean sweatpants over his boxers that he loses his balance, colliding painfully against the sink before descending to the ground.

"Fuck," he hears Tony say, and in the next second the man is dressing Peter's trembling frame in a shirt and hoodie. Peter didn't even notice he had entered the bathroom. "Are you okay? Did you hit your head?"

Peter shakes his head softly, but his vision suddenly becomes blurry as his eyes well up with tears.

"Kiddo, what's wrong? What hurts?"

"Everything," he whimpers, quite pathetically. But it's true - everything hurts. His head feels heavy and fuzzy, his nose is clogged all the time, he feels like he's fucking freezing , and while he was supposed to rest during the day, his fucked up brain decided to give him disturbing nightmares instead.

He starts crying out of pure exhaustion, mental and physical. This weekend was supposed to help him relax and recharge, but so far it only made him more miserable and turned him into a huge bother to Tony and Pepper.

"Hey, hey, hey," Tony says, sounding quite startled. He wraps a hand around Peter's shoulders, crouching besides him on the bathroom floor. "Don't cry, buddy. It's alright, I'm here. Tell me what's wrong."

"I'm so fucking tired," Peter whines, choking on a sob. "I just wanna rest but I can't."

"Oh, Pete," Tony sighs, pulling into into a warm embrace. Peter rests his cheek on his chest, hiccuping softly as tears run down his cheeks. "It's okay. You're getting better. I know it sucks, but it'll be over soon."

He runs a hand up and down Peter's trembling back, squeezing him against his chest for a moment before pulling back. He wipes Peter's tears away with his thumbs, even if they keep on coming.

"Come on, let's put you in bed," he says, standing up and pulling Peter up with him.

Tony tucks Peter in, but follows suit and lies down next to him on the bed once he's settled and covered in blankets like a human burrito. He wraps his arms around his covered frame, tucking Peter's head under his chin.

"Try to rest now, yeah? I'll be right here with you," he reassures Peter. "If it doesn't work, I'll still be here."

Peter sniffles. "Okay," he whispers back. "'’M sorry."

Tony clicks his tongue, pressing a kiss against the top of his head. "You have nothing to apologize for," he says. "It's not your fault you got sick. It probably had to do with some weak self care skills, but it wasn't your intention. We'll work around that, yeah? Don't you worry."

"Okay," Peter says again, sleepier by the second. "Th'nk you, Tony. Love you," he adds as an afterthought.

He both hears and feels Tony chuckle lightly. "Love you too, kiddo."

#irondad #fic #peter parker #tony stark #fanfic #slice of life #mine

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