🕸 mcu/nikke || ❝ i'm just a believer things will get better. ❞

[withresponsibility]

[ Ssshk.

Beep, beep, beep.

Peter Parker quietly slides the door closed behind him.

Click.

Beep, beep, beep.

He winces slightly before looking over at the occupants of the room.

Ariel is sitting next to the hospital bed that belongs to the man that saved the universe. At least as far as Peter's concerned it's the universe. Half the universe? Right, not the time to worry over the details. He came by for a reason and that's more important.

His classic awkward smile is given to Ariel when she looks up. A small smile is given to him with a nod, giving him permission that he hadn't really asked for just yet. He glances over at the bed again before sliding his backpack down onto the floor beside the door. Then, as quietly as he can, he moves to stand at the foot of the bed. Hands slide down into the pockets of his jeans.

A silence fills the air as the machines still beep at a steady heart beat. Which, really, is good news. That alone should be enough to ease the fears coursing through the teenager. Except the fact that Tony Stark is laying in the bed, not waking up, with right hand, arm, and side of his face bandaged. Peter let's out a sigh before rocking forward and back on his feet. He looks back at Ariel. ]

Any change?

[ She looks back up at the teenager. Instead of answering with words, she raises a hand and gestures to where he stands. Peter gives her a inquisitive look back before looking down at the digital clipboard. Medical terminology is pretty above him, but he can at least follow that things look good. It seems like they're giving him a lot of pain medication. It makes sense, but, he can't help but worry about it.

Hell, he can't help feeling guilty. That it's his fault.

Peter sighs and looks back up at Ariel. She's never one to really be a chatterbox (unlike him). She still usually says something, or makes her presence known somehow. Now, it's like she is trying to disappear from everyone who might walk into the room. He frowns and glances back at his unconscious mentor in the bed. ]

I'm pretty sure that Mr. Stark wouldn't mind it you talked. It's not like you're loud ... like me. [ He gives her an awkward smile and scratches the back of his head. ] They say that people can still hear even when they're unconscious. He'd probably prefer if you did over all the beeping.

[ Ariel gives him a smile that's not really a smile. Those are the kind of ones that people give when they try to convince everyone else that things are okay and they're not. He's seen it plenty of enough times and even been the one to give it to people. Of course, it never really worked on Tony and Ariel, and now he can see why.

He frowns. ]

No, I'm positive he'd want to hear you talk. [ Peter insists gently. ] If you've been with him for years, then--

[ He stops because Ariel pulls out a tablet. One of the fancy ones from Stark Industries that has the crazy holographic tech. No, on second thought, it's probably because of Tony that she has that and not the company. Her fingers gently move over the screen before she holds it up for him to take. Peter gives her a skeptical look before taking the tech from her and looking down at the typed text. ]

I TOLD him to come home. I promised I never would. I did.

[ Peter reads it over again. The initial response of "obviously you'd say that, you're pretty much married" is held back as he glances at her. Her gaze has fallen back to Tony. Peter once more looks her over. Her hands are centimeters away from touching Tony's non bandaged hand, but she's not touching him. Almost like she's afraid she'd hurt him more if she did. He looks back down at the screen in his hand. ]

Oh, [ he finally breathes out the realization.

He doesn't know much about what Ariel can do. He's seen the bubbles she makes, even tried studying it a few times along side Tony. He's seen her command them and change them into crazy shapes like she's making paintings or sculptures. But, he's heard where she has another power to command people. Not that he's ever seen it--he thinks. He can recall Dr. Strange and Tony arguing about it on the ship when they initially went to fight Thanos. Something about Dr. Strange thinking he could use it and Tony saying it "was off the table."

Peter frowns more as another realization sets in. He remembers seeing her bubbles seeps out of the suit Tony wore in the battle. Everyone but Dr. Strange was confused as to why it was there. Not that the Sorcerer Supreme gave any indication as to what was happening or why. Now, Peter thinks he gets the basics of it. Ariel must have given a command to her bubbles to ensure Tony would come home... and that's bad?

He looks up at Ariel and really looks at her. Then, he can see it. It's not just worry or fear that Tony Stark may not wake up. It's guilt--the same guilt he feels. The feeling that tells him it's his fault that his mentor is in the state he's in. If he hadn't have just died--disappeared--it wouldn't have happened. If he had been better, stronger, faster, more alert to stop Thanos it wouldn't have happened. Except, he gets the feeling Ariel blames herself for the medical state that her partner is currently in. ]

I still don't think he'd mind. [ Peter says after a long moment and hands her the screen back. ] I'm sure he doesn't mind whatever it was your bubbles did, because he's still home--

[ Ariel looks up at him immediately. It's not sharply or even in anger. More like she's horrified that someone else was aware of what she did.

Peter puts his hands up. ] No, not, it's okay. Don't freak out, okay? Your bubbles were in the suit and we saw them! That's all. We didn't even know why. I mean, now I do, because I read what you said. Still. I'm one hundred percent positive that Mr. Stark doesn't mind. He loves you, Ariel. It's kind of obvious.

[ Her fingers brisk across the screen and types once more. This time she doesn't hand it to Peter to read. He has to lean to the side on one leg to see what she's written. Her hands shake and then he notices the water specs on the screen. Peter looks up at her face to find it hidden with all the crazy amounts of hair she has, but he can tell she's started to cry. His heart sinks and he looks back to the screen. ]

I promised. He might not remember it. I promised.

[ Another sigh comes from the teenager. Another scratch on the back of his neck. He quickly grabs his backpack and sinks down in the chair next to Ariel. The bag opens and out comes the school laptop. He glances up at her to see she hasn't quite looked at him, but he can tell he's caught her attention. ]

Homework. [ Peter says flatly, but it's not a lie. ] Mind if I do it here?

[ Ariel shakes her head and he can tell she has something of a smile despite her face being hidden.

That's more or less how the next week goes. Peter stops by the hospital and does homework next to Ariel. There had been one day when he crawled in from the window and stayed on the ceiling until the nurse left, given he was still done up in his suit. He was pretty sure she almost laughed at the idea of Spider-Man entering a window holding his backpack. Eh, whatever works. He still has a grant and internship to live up to in his mind.

Harry and MJ ask him what's going on. He's more or less truthful about it. He's been stopping by to check on Ariel and Mr. Stark. After all, authority guardianship wise, they're who he has now. He promises to go out to the movies with them on the weekend and prays nothing is going to catch on fire, or explode, or some crazy maniac decide now to come out and destroy half of New York City. His friends need the time to feel normal and like the world is normal again... when it really, really isn't normal anymore.

Thankfully, he gets his wish.

Which makes him wonder what monkey's paw curled somewhere.

Harry is the one that had to break up the outing. Something going down at Oscorp, which he's been in charge of since everything happened between Spider-Man and Norman Osborn--the Green Goblin. Peter wishes him well and then offers to walk MJ home since well... it'd be awkward hanging out with his best friend's girlfriend alone. There is an awkward tension between the two that Peter tries to brush off as quick as he can.

Then, he's back to the hospital.

Ariel is standing out in the hallway this time with a woman he doesn't know. She has long silver-white hair, ruby eyes. She has Ariel pulled off practically to a corner and talking to her in whispers. Ariel is consistently shaking her head and at one point simply puts her hands to her face and curls up. The other woman pulls her into an embrace and Peter decides now is the best time to stop looking and slides into Tony's room quietly.

Ssshk.

Beep, beep, beep.

Click.

Beep, beep, beep. ]

Hi, Mr. Stark.

[ No response, not that Peter really expected it.

At some point he ends up in the corner of the room with his homework. Not on the floor, on the ceiling. He's sure one day someone is going to make man-spider jokes at him and he's just hoping that it's not that day. Sometimes just hanging upside down is weirdly comfortable to him. It also puts him out of the way of the doctors and nurses. They all know who he is anyways. It's the same hospital he dropped Norman Osborn off at years ago... and more or less the whole ER staff saw who Spider-Man was. Now, most those doctors and nurses are the ones that are attending to Tony.

He wonders who pulled that string. ]

"I was wondering if you'd show up today."

[ Peter tilts his head down and practically jumps out of his skin. The voice isn't unfamiliar but just... surprising he's there at all. ]

Holy shit. Oh my god! Dr. Strange, don't... [ Peter puts a hand to his forehead and immediately quiets his voice down. No extra stress needs to be in the room. ] Wait, how long have you been here?

"Long enough to see you perch yourself upside down." [ Strange raises his eyebrows and gives a smug smirk. ] "How can you focus with all the blood rushing to your head like that?"

Well, you know... uh, I was... spider bitten? [ Peter offers an odd grin before it fades away. He looks back at the sliding door that's fully covered, noticing that someone hasn't rejoined them. ] You wouldn't happen to know...?

"Ariel is currently visiting with an old friend. Her name is Cinderella. And yes, we all know the fairytale naming conventions. Don't bother pointing it out." [ The Sorcerer Supreme waves his hand before picking up the digital clipboard and looking over the information. ] "Well, thankfully, they've kept Stark in great condition. Good. I'd hate to see standards drop so far after I left."

Hold on--after you left? Wait, you're really a doctor?

[ Strange rolls his eyes before turning to look at Peter. That's when the teen realizes that Strange is dressed in normal clothes. That's somehow weirder than seeing the guy in a cape. Jeans, a nice shirt and semi-casual jacket. It makes Peter's head do a spin to actually see the Sorcerer Supreme as a normal human being. ]

"Yes. M.D., Ph.D. Neurosurgeon. Who do you think was there overseeing surgery when Stark went in?" [ Strange says it almost as if he's offended to trust some other neurosurgeon with an Avenger. ] "My old colleague and I made a technique that ... nevermind. It's not important. What are you doing here?"

[ Peter pauses almost as if he's offended that Strange would ask such a dumb question. A hand lowers then gestures outside to where the two women are at. ] You know! Just... visiting, and trying to keep Ariel company. I've been coming here for a week. Where have you been?

"Keeping the cosmos together so you can keep Ariel company for the last week." [ Strange smirks, amused at how annoyed the teenager gets. ] "Cinderella wanted to check on Ariel, and I wanted to make sure Stark was actually recovering. Which, by the way, he is.. just slowly. Not that it would be too surprising after having the entire energy of cosmos flood through your highly advanced technological suit. And, the bubbles your girlfriend makes."

Wife. Right? [ Peter tries to correct the former surgeon. ] I mean... they're, you know. Married. Right?

"Probably something to ask your benefactor once he wakes up. Wouldn't you know? I was under the impression he pretty much had you legally adopted."

[ Peter puffs his cheeks out and shrugs, crossing his arms across his chest. He never really thought about it or to ask. The two just seemed... married already. It reminds him of how his aunt and uncle were when he was growing up. Just with a lot more technology and snarkiness... and money. ]

"Well, anyways. I'd imagine Stark will wake up in the next few days if things keep going at the pace they're at. Which will be a relief to all of us, and you can stop hanging out in the corner of a hospital room like a spider." [ Strange makes his way to the sliding door. Then, he stops. He half turns back to Peter with something of an approving smile. ] "She'd want me to say it, so, I'll pass it along. Thanks for keeping Ariel company. She probably needs it more than the two of us would realize."

[ Peter looks out the hallway at the slightly opened door. He can partially see the two women. ] How do they know each other?

"Old friends. I'm not in the habit of repeating myself, Parker." [ Strange opens the door further and sighs. ] "Teammates. They were their own sort of Avengers."

[ Then, he slides the door shut.

Peter leans back against the walls again. A sigh leaves him as he looks at the floor. Well, his attention is gone entirely from homework. Not that it was really on it to start with. It was going in about seven different directions that had nothing to do with homework. MJ and Harry, Ariel and Tony. The fact Strange would even come by a hospital and was an actual real doctor. He turns his head to look at the television that's muted and has been the entire week he's visited. ]

Comments

[doesntpaint]

[ Well, this is awkward, and Tony knows full well that "awkward" isn't the word most people would use. But it's the only word he can think of right now that describes this situation he's in; for one thing, he doesn't have the slightest clue where he is, and for another, his own brain isn't really helping with that at all.

He doesn't remember being brought to this hospital, and he doesn't remember the reactions in the operating room when his vitals couldn't decide if they wanted to tank or not. Maybe there was shouting, or at least raised voices, or maybe there wasn't. Maybe there was almost complete silence except for the whir of machines. Tony doesn't remember, and maybe it's better that way.

What he does remember is an annoying feeling of drifting and even more annoying dreams of things he'd rather forget, like wormholes (damn wormholes) and his house blowing up and Little Mermaid being damaged and needing to be repaired.

Other than that, he might as well be dead to the world. Every once in awhile, small snips of conversation register in his mind:

-can still hear even when they're unconscious
-loves you... it's obvious
hanging out in the corner like a spider

Some of the words are obscured, sounding more like a bzzzz in Tony's mind, but the sentences keep reaching him somehow. Thinking about what's being said is too hard, so he's not really thinking at all, which is unusual for someone like him.

Moving is also a thing that's not happening right now, except for the motions the various machines he's hooked up to are making happen. If he could say it, he'd tell anyone who'd listen that he hates being hooked up to machines for basic, every day things like breathing.

Oh, and for the record, he hates bandages too. Somehow, even though he's unconscious, he can feel the bandages on his hand and arm, and if he could, he'd frown about it.

But really, that's not even the worst thing he's feeling right now. Some part of him has identified the voices speaking, but he doesn't hear one specific voice. Did she leave, or did she-

Even unconscious, he can't finish that thought. He won't think about it. He can't. If a nurse or doctor or anyone is watching, at that exact moment, they might notice a slight blip on the monitors. He's not agitated, exactly, but even the possibility that Little Mermaid isn't there is too much for him right now.

Eventually, though, the slight disturbance flattens itself out, and Tony seems to flatten with it. That is, until a moment or two later, seemingly randomly, his index finger on his unbandaged hand curls just barely on the surface of the bed. ]

[withresponsibility]

[ At some point, Ariel comes back into the room and closes the door behind her. Peter offers her a smile and motions her over. She spares a glance over at Tony before walking over to Peter, trying to hide how she's brushing tear streaks on her face. ]

Hey, it's okay. I don't mind. [ He gives the only other real maternal figure he has left a gentle smile in hopes of getting one from her. No such luck. ] Uhm... by the way, did you know Dr. Strange is an actual doctor? I thought it was his, you know, made up funny superhero name.

[ Ariel nods in confirmation and gestures to the digital clipboard once more. Peter makes a face as if he should of realized that the name would of been in it if he really was an attending doctor. A slow nod comes from him before he lowers himself down onto the ground to gently place the book for homework on one of the chairs. Then, he flips himself to stand up. ]

So... Cinderella, huh? She seems nice. [ He awkwardly tries to point out that he saw her with a friend. Ariel pauses before nodding once again in agreement. ] Dr. Strange mentioned she's an old friend? A teammate? Like an Avenger?

[ Ariel's expression seems to fall into something reflective, but at least not withdrawn and sullen. Another nod is given before she makes a gesture to herself and the nearby digital clock. Peter feels like he's playing charades, but he can't really figure out how to get her to at least make her customary little "ooh"s and "aah"s. Which, funny enough, he never thought he'd really miss because it just seemed natural to the woman. Now it's like she shut her voice off entirely. ]

A long time ago? [ Peter guesses and she gives something of a smile. Okay, well, at least they're figuring out how to talk. Kind of. ] Well, I'm glad she's still around for you. Everyone needs friends. I mean, here--[ he pulls out his phone and shows her the lock screen that has Harry and MJ on it, ] --these are my best friends. Harry, I met in school, and MJ I used to live next to when I was a kid.

[ Ariel tilts her head and for a brief moment he thinks she might make one of her customary sounds. Instead, an approving nod comes from her and a hand on his head. He huffs and brushes her hand away with an embarrassed look taking his face. He's almost eighteen, definitely not a kid, and he's going to graduate soon. He doesn't need his head pat like he's twelve or something! ]

Oh, by the way. Uh. [ He awkwardly puts his phone away and gestures to the door. ] I'm going to get something to eat. Want anything? I'll sneak it in. And, graduation is here in a few months... want to come?

[ For the first time all week, Ariel's eyes seem to light up. Not due to the ceremony, he thinks, but at the idea of him graduating early. Almost like she's proud of him. That just makes him feel the red on the back of his neck spike. Great, now he's embarrassed. ]

Cool. I mean, good. I'll let... school people know. [ A glance over at the bed. ] I'll let them know Mr. Stark might be coming too. He'll probably be up by then. Dr. Strange said he'd be awake in a few days. So... you might want to talk to him while I'm gone?

[ And he knows that was the absolute stupidest way to segway into his point as he's leaving the room. Especially by the sour expression that he catches. He's got the feeling she really won't make a sound until Tony's awake. He knows his guilt is eating at him and sometimes consumes his thoughts, but, Ariel is on a different level. It isn't hard to see that she thinks even making a sound is going to send Tony into a nosedive and he won't recover. Peter just wishes he understood why and no one is really telling him.

Not even JARVIS seems to answer the question, which is really annoying.

All the thoughts mull over his head as he stares at the ceiling a few days later. He hasn't hung by the ceiling or the wall since the wizard's visit, and instead has taken up to laying down in weird places. The floor is the current position, dressed in a familiar shirt with his suit underneath it. His hair is a bit of a mess and Ariel has already gotten him an icepack for the eye. Not that it really helps, but, he isn't about to tell her not to take care of him right now.

Despite the thoughts of the situation at hand with his more-or-less adopted parents, graduation, Harry and MJ together, his senses have been running on overdrive in the background waiting to hear anything from the machines. The blip catches his attention and he's immediately sitting up. Not just sitting up but launching himself onto his feet. He scoots over to the side of the bed Ariel sits next to and looks up at the monitors. The blip is almost off the screen by the time he comes over. Maybe he imagined it--that's what he'd think if his senses aren't pinging him again and his eyes move down to the curling hand on the bed.

Oh, God. He hopes that means what he thinks it means.

A hand raises and taps Ariel in the arm increasing speeds as nerves take him. Ariel lifts her head from the mattress, looking up at Peter. The teen gestures to the monitor then the bed. She turns her head to look at Tony with the most hesitation that Peter has ever seen. There's stalling, then there's moving as if anything is going to break the situation around them. He nods and gives her another not so pointed nudge for her to look at Tony's hand. ]

Mr. Stark? [ Peter leans over slightly, keeping the balance on the balls of his feet. Another glance at the monitors. ] H--hey, Mr. Stark.

[ He raises his hand again and practically gives a push to Ariel to do something. Then, he all but slides over around the bed to stand on the other side. The side that's covered with bandages. He can handle it. Definitely. Even if it feels like someone's shoving a hot knife of guilt straight into him every time he looks down at the bandaged side. He can tough it out because Ariel should be the one that is holding the hand that isn't recovering.

Peter looks up over at Ariel. She uncurls almost more like a sloth than the mythical creature that's her designated name. A hand raises to slowly touch Tony's curled hand. Peter notices that she's trembling. He knows this is the right thing to do even if she's scared out of her mind for something he doesn't really understand.

Her fingers curl around his, hooking underneath them in the way she does when she is trying to calm him down. Reassure him that she is there at his side no matter what the world or universe throws at him. Her thumb brushes along his knuckles. ]

H-hey, [ Peter tries again and clears his throat attempting to sound more in control of himself than he is, ] We're here. Ariel and even JARVIS. You feeling... better?

[ He picks up the screen beside Tony's bed that's usually the interface used to access the AI. Besides it sits the ring that Peter has always seen Tony wear, except now that he's in the hospital. Peter press his lips together and almost asks the AI to contact Rhodes and Potts, but the expression on Ariel's face makes him pause. She's raised her other hand and placed it on top of the one holding Tony's. For the first time all week from what Peter can tell, she's actually looking at Tony's face. Tears are rolling down her face and it's obvious to him that she's trying to remain silent as to not upset the man in the bed.

Right. Rhodes and Potts later then. Even if they scold and yell at him later. ]

[doesntpaint]

[ Silence settles back down around Tony, other than the slight puff sound that the ventilator makes as it keeps the man it's attached to breathing. Bits and pieces of Peter's conversation that feels more like the young man talking to fill the space filters in through Tony's subconscious, but he's not really reacting to it. It's kind of like white noise, in a way; not that what Peter's saying isn't important, but it's kind of something familiar, a familiar voice and a reassurance that at least one person in Tony's life is still alive. He wanted to keep Peter alive, so it gutted him when he failed to do that, but knowing that he's back and alive and hopefully in one piece reassures Tony on some level.

What doesn't reassure Tony is the absence of another familiar voice: a voice belonging to someone he also tried his best to protect. Is she alive? Dead? Damn it. At least that's what Tony would think if he could string an actual sentence of thoughts together right now.

The monitor with its leads attached to Tony's chest doesn't blip again, but it does give off a sort of whine as if responding to some internal sort of distress before tapering off into silence again.

Tony's hand doesn't move again for what probably feels like an eternity, until the moment that Little Mermaid's hand barely touches the top of his. Then her fingers curl around his, and only then does the rest of his fingers curl slowly as if trying to latch onto hers.

Tony doesn't speak yet, or even make a sound, but after about a second, his eyes slide open slowly trying to follow the sound of Peter's voice and find him in the room that way. As he's doing that, but his fingers curl the rest of the way around Mermaid's, as if trying to hold her hand as best as he can.

He can't actually form words to answer Peter's question, but a low sound that sounds more like a groan comes out instead. And if Tony was able to do it, he'd roll his eyes at himself. Now that's embarrassing.

He tries to turn his head slightly to better see both Peter and Little Mermaid but moving is just as hard as everything else. And with only one actually functioning eye, he can barely see Peter no matter how hard he tries. In an attempt to ask them both if they're all right, he tries to make the words come, but he just manages to produce a barely noticeable rasp because the breathing tube is in the way, obstructing speech as much as it's keeping him breathing. So much for talking. This sucks.

... At least he can still think vaguely snarky comments, right? Right. ]

[withresponsibility]

That? Don't do that. [ Peter quickly grabs a chair from behind him and pulls it up against the bed. He sits down in it, but more with his feet in it and crouched down, trying to elevate himself so Tony can hopefully locate him a bit easier. ] The tube is kind of in the way, so, we'll figure out another way to communicate.

[ His shoulders sag as he truly gets a good look at Tony for the first time since the battle against Thanos. The burnt skin is covered with bandages that have been dutifully changed by nurses, but, Peter can still see where some is prevalent through the gauze. The eye closest to the burns looks less blood shot, but he's not sure if Tony can really use it like he normally would. He can imagine how his mentor is going to be annoyed if he only has one eyes and he can't help the smirk that tugs at his face at the mental image of Tony ranting away in a workshop about it.

Then, there's the breathing tube. It never stuck out to Peter until this moment. Probably because he was trying to keep his mind on anything but all the details on how damaged his mentor really is. There's no doubt in his mind that Tony Stark can come back from this. It's the question of how long will it take? ]

Not really feeling better. Got it. I mean, you're awake now. That's huge right there. [ A glance is given up at the monitors to see everything is steady again. ] It's probably best if you don't move either.

[ A smile still tugs at his face but he can feel the well of emotions inside him building up. The tears trying to gather. It feels like yesterday he saw Tony up against a sheet of metal, JARVIS speaking loudly about critical damage taken, and the Avengers trying to figure out what to do. Strange took them all home in portals, of course, but Peter feels some of it happened in a blur as he tried to wrap his mind around the fact he could lose another father figure.

He gives a shaking inhale and shakes his head to try and dislodge the emotions that just won't let go. Instead, he raises a gloved hand and awkwardly rests it on Tony's good shoulder. He has to stretch the way for it, but, he hopes it at least helps Tony find where in the room he should be looking. ]

I'm... really glad you're back with us, Mr. Stark. [ Peter flashes another smile and shakes his head at himself. So much for being a strong superhero and giving an example to others in the room. He lowers his head and hides his eyes with his hand for a moment. More like a handful of moments, but, who is really counting anyways? ] ...shit, I wasn't supposed to...

[ He'd never hear the end of it if Tony saw him cry.

The sound of a chair moving echoes in the room.

Peter looks up across the bed at Ariel. She's pushed herself off the chair she's barely left for a week--probably ever since they gave Tony the room. He can see the tension in her arms and how tightly she must be holding onto Tony's hand. A pat is given to the shoulder he's touching before he pulls away in order to let Ariel have her moment. Which works for Peter, cause he's dragging his hands down his face in attempt to brush whatever water or emotions are showing. That doesn't stop him from watching his would-be-mother figure closely.

Ariel lifts the hand that was resting on the top of her own and gently places it on top of Tony's head. Her fingertips gently brush through his hair in a motion that Peter can only assume she's done thousands of times. It's too natural for it to be abnormal for them. Then, she leans down enough so that her lips brush against the side of his head. Peter feels another wave of emotions hit him as all he can see once again is an echo of his previous parental figures. Their relationship seems to be the one thing Tony doesn't make a huge show of, and Peter has learned why over the last few years. It has it's own deep level of intimacy in a language that only the two of them really seem to speak. ]

Aouu... [ Ariel makes one of her normal sounds against Tony's ear.

Peter feels himself freeze. Not because she's used some crazy power, but because it's the first time he's heard her voice in a week. The first sound she's made. Part of him wishes he hadn't of heard it--and he would have missed it if not for his enhanced senses as it was masked by the machines monitoring Tony. Peter shakes his head as it's like he can feel every single thing Ariel is feeling in that moment with that one small sound.

Worry, heartbreak, concern, love. Even more though is that undercurrent of how she must really be feeling.

All Peter can imagine is that the sound was meant to say one thing:

"I'm sorry."

He looks away and presses his lips together.

Ariel stays close to Tony, but the hand that is on the top of head lifts once more. Fingertips brush over the blankets and shirt that hide the arc reactor. Her lips touch his temple to leave a gentle kiss. She won't be leaving even if he's been damaged by a cosmic gauntlet. He's her magnet, and she couldn't pull away from his force even if she had wanted to at any point. ]

Aouu...

[doesntpaint]

[ Tony's processing words a little better than before, now that he's actually awake, but his brain still feels sluggish and uncooperative. It should make sense, as it feels like he almost died. Maybe he actually did almost die and they brought him back before the big guy with the scythe finished the job. That was the plan: the sacrifice play or whatever the hell Cap called it. Guess I didn't go all the way. But was it enough?

Somehow, Tony senses that Peter's getting worked up, emotional, the whole nine yards. On an ordinary day, he'd have some jab about ugh, feelings but at the moment, Tony's supply of jabs seems to have run out. Actually, if he could say anything, he'd just tell the kid- he'd tell Peter he's sorry. I'm... really glad you're back with us, Mr. Stark.

Well, that did it. Tony's other hand is still holding (or trying to) onto Little Mermaid's, so even though it's probably going way against medical advice and hurts like hell, he tries to move the fingers of his bad hand to try and curl them against the bed in an attempt to keep Peter from pulling back. He wants both him and Little Mermaid there, but communicating that is difficult. Curling his fingers doesn't play nice with the burns or the bandages but he manages to at least get his first two fingers to do the action. Another huff of air escapes Tony instead of actual words, but that seems to be the best they're going to get.

But then Peter's touching his shoulder and pulling back, and then Mermaid remains the closest to him. His eyes try to move in search of her now, but only one of them actually responds. Jury's out on whether the other eye is even functional at this point, but that's not even on Tony's radar.

He feels her hand brushing through his hair followed by her lips on the side of his head, and his hand curls more against hers in response. But then he hears it, dimly, barely, and he almost missed it. Aouu...

He's halfway to turning his head to look at her, when he feels something wrong. If he had to explain it, he'd say it feels like about eight sharp knives just got driven into his heart all at once. Damn it, why now? Just give me a moment with her before it all blows to hell.

It takes him another few seconds to actually realize what's going on. Yes, Mermaid's here, she's alive, and Peter's back and that's great, but- what if this is just a fluke? What if none of this is even real? Tony likes to think that he knows his own mind better than that, and he wouldn't just go diving off the rails, but then again, he remembers when his brain screwed with him before: anxiety attacks, panic, PTSD.... Maybe this is just on brand for his brain now.

What if I blink and I just see them both turn to dust again?

Recognizing this for what it is (another BS panic attack), Tony tries to force himself to calm down. Breathe through the nose. Breathe through the mouth. Except the stupid tube they put down his throat won't let him. His attempts don't work, and he can't do anything more than lie there as the pressure in his chest increases (What the hell happened to the arc reactor?) and his eyes widen slightly, a response to the sudden cascade of everything going wrong in five seconds or less. It doesn't take long for the monitor he's hooked up to to start blaring a warning. ]

[withresponsibility]

[ His senses ring again, directing his attention back to Tony's hand--the burned one. That can't be good. He isn't quite sure how to even touch it without setting off some sort of pain response, so, Peter just leans forward on the balls of his feet while still squatting in the chair. It's pretty impressive even for his abilities. Anything could probably send him off balance. ]

No, hey, it's okay. Don't move alot. [ Peter says it lowly in hopes of not pulling the moment from Ariel. His accent gets thicker the more emotional he gets. ] We're both still here, so, you know, just take it easy?

[ Suddenly, everything feels like it's in hyperactive.

His sense ping off the moment the machines start to go insane. Peter jumps up out of the chair, hand sticking him to the ceiling out of pure reflex. He jerks his head towards the hallway as he hears the staff standing up and getting ready to rush over. With an easy flip, his feet and hands are on the ceiling to easily be out of the way. Then, he swirves his attention over to Ariel. ]

Ariel, you gotta move--

[ Ariel doesn't quite do what Peter expects her to do. She leans closer to Tony, lips against his ear and fingers sliding between his. The situation is escalating and she somehow just seems calm as if all hell hasn't broken loose. The hand that had moved to his chest is back to the top of his head in a practiced motion.

Peter barely hears her over the commotion in the hallway and the monitors. Even his enhanced hearing is strained for it: ]

Tony, [ her voice is hoarse from not speaking in at least a week, ] Please, calm down... it's going to be okay.

[ The sliding door to the room is thrown open as the over night staff floods the room. The nurses aren't even phased as Peter shuffles along the ceiling and eases himself down to Ariel. The staff look back and forth one another and the monitors before grabbing the IV bags. One of them says something about cardiac arrest. That's when Peter grabs Ariel by the arms and pulls her away from the bed the moment they start wheeling it out of the room. ]

"Get Stephen down into surgery! Yes, tell him Christine is demanding it! I don't care what weird octopus he might be dealing with!" [ A female voice is shouting from the hallway as the entire floor seems to suddenly be alight. ] "Room six is open!"

[ Peter takes Ariel by the arm and gently leads her to the door to the room. He looks down. The hallway at the bed being wheeled into the elevator and a mouse brown haired woman being the one to shout. The elevator doors close and suddenly it seems like all the sound drains out instantly. ]

He always is the center of the party, [ Peter tries to elevate the suddenly tension in his body. He looks over at the woman he has by the arm. ] I guess we're going down again.

[ Ariel pulls her attention from the door and looks back at the young superhero. Her hand gently knocks his side, and he looks down and remembers he is still in his suit. Shit. ]

Right, uh, one sec. Hold on.

[ After changing into really the only thing he has on him, being flannel pajama bottoms, the two make their way to the waiting room outside of surgery. The nurse on duty gives what updates they have. Extreme distress and cardiac arrest, which shouldn't be surprising given his condition, but Peter can't help but feel his stomach fall. He was hoping things were getting better, not worse.

The two take their seats towards the corner of the room. At some point, Peter gets Ariel to put her head on his shoulder and wraps an arm around her. He's the man of the house now that Tony is down, right? It's nothing new. He was when his uncle died too. He can hold up.

He looks up at what feels like hours later when the doors to the operating hall open. The pair stand up watch as Strange walks into the room, dressed in surgery scrubs. It throws Peter for another loop as it really settles on him that Strange was a doctor. A seasoned doctor.

Holy shit. ]

"Ah, Parker. Siren." [ Strange crosses over to them with a sense of ease and yet Peter can sense an urgency too. His eyes dart down the hall before looking back at the doctor. ] "Good, you're both here. This makes this easier."

[ Peter holds up the screen in his hand. ] I brought JARVIS too.

Good evening, Dr. Strange. How might we be of assistance?

[ Strange stares at the screen before blinking and shaking his head. He dismisses the entire AI thing for now. There are more important things at hand. ] "We have Stark stabilized again, but, he won't be that way for long. The thing in his chest--"

Arc reactor. [ Peter fills the hole in. ]

"--yes, that. It's failed entirely. There is no power circulating or spinning or whatever it does to actually push the shrapnel away from his heart. Now, I have managed to throw together a half-assed spell for now to keep the asshole alive, but, it won't be long." [ Strange looks between the two. ] "So, does he have a back up?"

[ Peter stares and blinks, trying to process the fact that Tony Stark has shrapnel in his chest and thats what the arc reactor is for. He can feel Ariel tense beside him and a hand goes out to grab her arm. ] Uh, well, I don't--I don't know? I thought it just powered the suit.

The arc reactor's primary function is to indeed create a current that would stabilze and keep the shrapnel from entering Mr. Stark's heart. [ JARVIS speaks up. ] Mr. Stark also designed it to power his suits as a secondary function. The element used to power the reactor is a fusion that will not be found on any pereiodic table and would need to be synthized again.

"Oh, of course." [ Strange shuts his eyes and let's out a low frustrated sigh. ] "What about a back up?"

Mr. Stark does not have any arc reactors in storage, Dr. Strange. A new one would need to be crafted.

"Why would a genuis have a back up?" [ The annoyance and frustration is clear in Strange's voice. ] "Is making one going to be possible?"

Yeah. [ Peter beats JARVIS to the punch. He feels Ariel look at him as well as meeting Strange's gaze. ] I mean, I made my own webslingers and suit. As long as JARVIS has the skematics I should be able to figure it out. How much harder can making a super magnet be?

[ Strange stares the teen down as if to answer the question. A shake of his head follows before turning his pointed gaze to Ariel. A scarred hand raises, fingers pointing directly at her. ] "You're Stark's power of attorney. We can't proceed further without express permission from you. So, Mrs. Stark, can we proceed in saving your husband's life?"

[ Ariel looks between the two. Peter notices that she's gone pale, probably since the moment Strange walked up to them. Her hands curl against her chest and amber eyes fall down to the ground. She twists the ring on her hand before giving an affirming nod. Strange inhales then and turns his attention back to Peter. ]

"Parker. Take the AI and get working on the new arc reactor. We'll keep him stable as we can." [ He waves his hand to silence the outburst of confusion that Peter begins to have. A portal opens and another wave of his hand and Peter flies through, catching himself on the ground of the Avengers Tower. Strange flicks his fingers and the screen/phone pops out of Peter's hand. ] "Have Stark's AI contact us when you're done."

But--[ Peter tries to rush towards the portal to no luck. It shuts. He throws his hands up and looks around the familiar workshop. ]--I don't have my regular clothes.

Welcome back to the Tower, Mr. Parker. I have already alerted Ms. Potts and Colonel Rhodes of the situation at hand. A list is already procured of what we will need in order to create a temporary arc reactor and has also been forwarded to Ms. Potts. Are you ready to begin?

Uh. Yeah. Sure. [ Peter drags his hands down his face before placing them on his hips. ] Being up the schematics and whatever else we need. I've honestly got no idea what I'm doing.

Not to worry, Mr. Parker. I have been present for every interation of the arc reactor except for the very first made in Afghanistan. I can walk you through the process.

Yeah. Good. Sure... yeah. Oh, shit, man. Okay. Let's get to work I guess.

---

"And as for you, Siren." [ Strange turns his attention back to the Nikke. ] "You're under doctor's orders to talk to your husband. We need him as stable as we can get. I don't really know own what attracts you to him, but, I do know that he will change any sort of trajectory if you're involved. So, when he wakes back up in his room? Talk to him."

[ Little Mermaid opens her mouth to protest, but remains silent. Instead her gaze falls once more. How can she after everything he's had to endure at the battle? She has the details to some extent thanks to Peter's recounting. Enough to know that her bubbles did the job they were supposed to so. They saved Tony and delivered the message that she had for him. No, it wasn't a message, it was a command. She used the kotodama on her bubbles and on Tony. She promised years ago, after they first met, that she would never use it on him... and she did. Twice now.

You HAVE to come home... and tell me the story of victory.

Little Mermaid looks to the side. How much pain has Tony gone through because she was scared of losing him? Is she... really that good of a person if she would use it on her husband? ]

"Siren," [ Strange all but barks her name at her. ] "I don't care what is going through your mind at the moment. I don't care what the order is that you gave to Stark, because yes, I know you did. And I know whatever that order was made it so we could bring him home. I don't care because what I care about is saving the man in my operating room. Do you really think that Stark would follow any command from anyone without question if some part of him didn't agree with it? That some part of him trusts you enough that he would do what you told him to do? If he didn't want to be here? His vitals would have dropped the first operation and he would be dead."

[ She looks up at him and stares. Not in shock and horror, but if cold water has been splashed on her face. Strange holds the holographic screen for her to take that contains JARVIS. ]

"We're going to move him to his room in the next hour once we're sure he's stable and, I expect you to follow the orders from his doctor." [ Strange pauses. ] "I don't want to have to explain to Cinderella why I lost Tony Stark on my table."

[doesntpaint]

[ Fortunately for Tony, his awareness of what's going on ends relatively quickly as he's brought in for surgery, and it doesn't seem to be returning anytime soon. By design, of course, as who wants to wake up after emergency heart surgery? Not anyone who's not a masochist, anyway.

But being sedated doesn't mean a complete lack of awareness. No, while medical staff are bustling around both during and after Tony's surgery, Tony himself is floating in some weird kind of limbo. Not literally, of course, but his mind is on some sort of overdrive, caught between some strange looping dream that he won't remember when he wakes up.

Sometimes he sees Thanos; sometimes he sees himself fighting Thanos, wresting the Infinity Stones away from him.

Other times, he sees Thanos snapping his fingers and watches as 50% of the world's entire population turns to dust before his eyes. Sometimes he doesn't just stand there and watch. He chases down his friends and the people he cares about most: Peter, Little Mermaid, Happy... Hell, even Steve and Nick Fury are there. But all of them disappear just as he manages to reach them; sometimes he manages to latch onto a hand or an arm, but all of them disintegrate into dust.

After the last one of his friends disappears before his eyes, Tony drops to the ground, onto his knees.

Then the scene changes again, coincidentally timing itself perfectly with the moment that he starts to rouse.

Except it's not an easy awakening nor an easy moment that his mind is conjuring up. There was no transition from the scene of people disintegrating into dust to this new scene in which Thanos has both hands firmly around Tony's throat.

... at least this time, it's the ventilator blaring a warning, not the one monitoring Tony's heart activity, right? Right. ]

[withresponsibility]

[ Tools drop to the counter and he rakes his hand through his hair.

They call Tony Stark a genuis for a reason.

Hands drag down his face before returning to raking through his hair.

How the hell did he build any version of this thing in a cave with only scraps?

Peter didn't want to admit to Dr. Strange's face, or in front of the only mother figure he has left. He knew the arc reactor was way above him. Above his knowledge, above his skill, and apparently above what he understands is of how elements work because he's not even sure how Tony even fused the element that is at the core. Thankfully, he doesn't need to do that part. Even if there aren't back up reactors there are at least fused elements on hand. Probably because every new Mark of the suit needed different demands of the reactor.

He knows he can figure it out if he had the time. If he had months to break down everything and follow Tony's thought process. Not days at best. It concept of the reactor isn't hard, but the meticulous work of everything needing to be in the right spot and aligned properly is the most time consuming thing. He also isn't like his adopted father-mentor figure in going seventy two hours without sleep working on a project. Not woth how his senses are enhanced and practically spin him into overdrive. He has barely slept the past week trying to make sure he's on top of school work to graduate early. Been keeping Ariel company because he knows she's going through what he's going through.

He has to figure this out, or it'll be his fault that Iron Man died.

It'll be his fault that a father figure died. Again.

The heel of his other palm presses to his face as he tries to hide everything from.... well no one, cause the only other "person" in the room is JARVIS. It's been a downward hill ever since the final battle with Thanos. Since Tony took the Infinity Stones and clicked his fingers together. Peter feels as if the image of seeing his hero, his mentor, his father figure slumped against the sheet of metal with the sparkling liquid metal leaking from his suit is burned into his mind. Something he'll never forget. Just like seeing his Uncle Ben bleed out on the street is burned into his memory. Both times his father's paid because he wasn't enough to stop it all.

A soft thud echoes in his head suddenly.

He's jumping up on the stool, balanced perfectly on the balls of his feet, looking at the affronted item that startled him. A paper bag from Burger King stares at him. Peter slowly looks to his side to see Colonel Rhodes standing there, eyebrows raised. ]

"I thought you had some sort of weird spider sense that goes nuts when something is around you?"

[ Peter let's out a low sigh. ] Not for food.

[ Or people he doesn't consider threats. ]

...Burger King?

[ Rhodes let's out a smirk as he pulls another stool over to join Peter. ] "I thought we could have it at your old man's expense. Make him envious you get the cheeseburger." [ He gestures for Peter to take his seat again. Then, he looks over at the in progress mess that is supposed to vaguely resemble an arc reactor.] "How's it coming? JARVIS filled me in."

[ Peter slowly sits back down before sliding the project away from him. A glance is sent to the colonel for permission before opening the bag. He actually can't remember the last time he ate. ] Bad.

"Yeah? That sounds normal for anything regarding Tony's health." [ Rhodes looks at the project, Peter, then back to the project. He leans against his arm on the workbench before simply watching Peter eat. ] "You know how to build an arc reactor?"

Oh, yeah. Sure. JARVIS has the schematics. You know, just, follow the instructions like it's an IKEA bookshelf.

[ An uncomfortable silence falls between the two. Peter glances over to find the Colonel sitting there with his hand covering his mouth, just watching him. He looks down at the food then away before taking another bite. It doesn't taste the greatest. Still, better than nothing. ]

What are you looking at?

"You. And getting one hell of a case of deja vu."

Look, Colonel Rho--

"--Rhodey. You're family." [ Rhodes makes a vague gesture to Peter. ] "I couldn't believe it when Tony told me he legally adopted you. If you told me a decade ago he'd be settled down, married, and with a kid? I would of said you were insane. Which is why I'm guessing you're the one putting it together instead of someone like Banner."

[ Peter presses his lips together and sits up. ] I have to be the one to do it.

"Pete, come on. You're seventeen. This isn't your--"

Yes. Yes it is. [ His hand (and food) slam down onto the workbench before he stands up. His hand in his hair again as he walks away, then whirls back around. A flailing motion is made to the in-progress arc reactor. ] Everyone is going to say "Oh, Peter, you're a kid. This isn't your job to fix it!" But it is! It's my job to make it right because it's my fault. And, don't say that it is! I know that it is! Okay? I know how he looked when we all came back. He did it because I wasn't--I didn't--[ he frowns and bites his lip. Then, he throws his hands up. ] It's my fault. I should have been able to stop Thanos just as much as everyone else. Instead, I....

[ Peter feels shoulders deflate. He puts his hands on his hips and just looks down. Eyes shut. He has an idea of what the last five years must have been like given how Tony hugged him--the look on Ariel's face when they came home and she saw them. His room felt like coming home after a long time, but that stood out to him. They left the room the same like they knew he'd be coming back. It must of driven Tony into such an overdrive that the only logical recourse was to do whatever it was to bring them all back--bring him back.

Rhodes simply rubs his jaw before looking back at the schematics and the attempt at the arc reactor. He doesn't pretend to understand the first damn thing about how any of it works. Hell, they couldn't even really figure out how to outfit War Machine properly at first. Though, he can tell one thing looking at the mess in front of him. ]

"There's been one thing I've learned about people like you and Tony. I figured it out a long time ago, and it just keeps proving to be true." [ Rhodes turns properly to the hologram projection that JARVIS has pulled up. ] "You get so caught up in the details and the 'How The Hell Do I Do It' that you don't see the obvious answer in front of you."

[ Peter pauses and looks up, knowing he had tears in his eyes and that he looks like a wreck. Rhodes grabs the hologram projection of schematics and tossed it into the holographic recycle bin. Peter nearly rushes over in shock, but the man that pilots War Machine stands up. ]

"JARVIS."

Yes, Colonel Rhodes. How can I be of service?

"I doubt he's got it on hand in the Tower, so, next best thing. Can you render a schematic of the framed reactor? The one that Pepper did up."

Of course. This version will include the new core I presume.

[ Rhodes looks back at the teen who clearly has no idea what he's talking about. ] "You don't need to build an arc reactor that powers Iron Man, Pete. You just need to make sometbing that is going to power Tony Stark."

[ Peter stares at Rhodes as if he has two heads. He doesn't get it. Iron Man is Tony Stark. They're one in the same. You could have a suit exactly like Iron Man, but if Tony isn,' the one in it? It's just another armor. The arc reactor powers both because Tony is both.

Right?

Rhodes motions for Peter to sit down and continue eating. Peter does so, but it's clear his mind is still going into overdrive. ] "That reactor is the one Tony built in Afghanistan in the cave. The first one. It doesn't need to power an Iron Man suit. Sure, it probably can, but he replaced it once he got home. Which tells me it was always temporary and just kept him alive. That's all you need to do, kid. If Tony wants a reactor to look good, power a fleet of suits, and make his breakfast? He can get his crisp ass in here and do it himself."

[ Peter presses his lips together and ducks his head down to try and smother a laugh. Not at the image it brings up, but just at the fact Rhodes would even put it the way he did. They both know Tony isn't even near the state to build, let alone sit up. ]

"Admit it. You thought it was funny."

No. No, it definitely wasn't.

"Not everyone has Tony's gift. Curse, more like it. I've seen that man get punched for saying less. Now, we'll work on it after you eat. It should give JARVIS the time to render schematics and run whatever math he needs to do."

... You have no idea how it works, do you?

"Not a damn bit. My job was to make sure Tony and the military got along. He's the one that built the fancy stuff. I'll help where I can, but, don't expect me to know anything about what you're saying."

Right, okay. [ Peter let's a small smile crack. ] That's... fine. Okay. So, how do we get this to the hospital exactly? I don't think we can just carry a mini-fushion reactor in a purse.

"Tony probably did at one point. There's probably no harm in it."

[ Peter huffs a laugh before nodding. A sniff makes it's way out before he continues eating. Rhodes smiles a bit at him before giving him a strong pat on the back.

Two days later, Peter makes his way to Tony's room. He slides the door open quietly and pokes his head in. Ariel instantly looks up from Tony, eyes wide in slightly surprise, but a fondness and light is back in her eyes that he hasn't seen since everything with Thanos started. He gives her an exhausted smile. The bags under his eyes are probably obvious, as well as his messed up hair and at least he has changed into sweatpants and a more fitting t-shirt. He glances back at Rhodes who nods and motions for him to go in the room.

Peter steps inside and leaves the door open enough for Rhodes to follow of he wants. Then, he quietly moves over to the bed with a box in his hands. He looks over at Ariel again. She gives a confirming nod, and he wonders if she's even spoken since he got thrown into the Avenger's Tower. Her hands are holding onto Tony's good one. She stands up and leans over, pressing her lips to Tony's ear. She must say something along with how she rubs the left arm, because Peter notices Tony waking up.

He also notices that the ventilator tube is gone. Ariel is wearing a Black Sabbath shirt. His eyebrows knit together before looking back and forth between the adopted parents, feeling as if he's missed a week worth of development in two days. He moves to ask Ariel something and is stopped by her standing up properly. Her hands reach out to his shoulders and moves him to stand beside the bed where she had just been. His eyes watch as she then steps back nearly to the other side of the room and motions at Tony.

Peter bites down on his lip before he looks down at his mentor. He looks better in some ways snd worse in others. ]

Uh... h-hey, Mr. Stark. How are you feeling?

[doesntpaint]

[ Time has stopped being a thing that means anything to Tony. After he fell asleep with Mermaid next to him, he sank so deep that he was just drifting somewhere between sleep and just below awareness. He could still hear voices sometimes, but most of the time, he just slept. Slept, drifted, floated... Sometimes he imagined he saw bubbles around him. Other times, he just felt exhausted, even old. Maybe sometimes before all this, he felt that feeling of being old and tired, or at least, not as young as he used to be.

Now, though, there's a heaviness that seems to be pulling him down, making him want to just curl into the thin hospital sheets that he vaguely registers covering him and not feel or think about anything.

Well, that's not entirely true. He's thinking about two people in particular: two people who have more or less become his world. His friends and teammates still mean everything to him, even after all the times they've argued and fought and hurt each other with words and actions. Something about 50% of the world's population being killed and fighting as hard as they could to get everyone back made them even closer as friends. And, well, Tony remembers the friends that they lost, the ones who didn't come back. If he could really form the thought in his mind, he'd think about how he was almost one of them. If he was up for thinking about it, he'd think about the funerals they need to have.

But right now, Tony's not thinking at all. He's just sleeping, and lying there waiting for something to happen. Once, he wanted to move instead of lying still in a hospital bed, but as hours passed, he found he couldn't really move anymore, or even find the strength to even attempt moving. A side effect of shrapnel in the heart, not to mention the serious burns he'd sustained.

Somehow, though, the doctors decided he was strong enough to not need the ventilator tube anymore. He doesn't even remember that decision being made or when they took the tube out. That's probably for the best.

About two days later from something (not being able to keep track of the passage of time sucks), there's a slight change in Tony's condition. He's moving more, although it's only small movements at the most, but where the change is most obvious is in how his eyes seem to be moving beneath his eyelids.

Voices are becoming louder and clearer as if his senses are slowly turning themselves back on, and he can feel Mermaid's hand on his arm and hear her voice in his ear. He stirs slightly, shifting what he can of his weight, and then he registers Mermaid's hand leaving where it had rested and hears another set of shuffling steps approaching the bed.

Next, he registers a hesitant voice that he immediately clocks as belonging to Peter. He's not entirely sure where Mermaid went, but he doesn't think she left the room. She just moved somewhere else as Peter moved forward.

Peter asks how he's feeling, and in response, Tony's eyes open fully for the first time in- well, he doesn't know how long it's been. He can't know that his right eye still looks a little bloodshot or that vision out of that eye isn't as clear as it could be, because everything looks blurry to him, at least for right now.

They took the tube out of his throat, but the power of speech hasn't fully come back yet, so rather than answer with words, the best Tony manages is a low huff of air. But at least he can somewhat zero in on Peter's face and hold eye contact with his good eye, and unlike before, he manages to almost fully flex the fingers of his left hand.

It's as close to saying hello as he's going to get right now. ]

[withresponsibility]

[ Honestly? That "hello" is enough for Peter right now. ]

Oh, crap. God. [ He mumbles it to himself and one hand goes up to rake through his hair. It's become his nervous habit the last few days when he's trying not to just break down under the weight of everything from Thanos, and Tony being in the hospital, Ariel being upset. He purposely exhales to force everything down and out in a controlled manner.

He can't just fall apart the moment that Tony properly responds to him. He's supposed to be the "man of the house"--the one keeping it all together until Tony can do it again. ]

T-that's good. [ Peter just goes along with it as Tony had actually answered him with something more than a hello. He looks over to Ariel who nods her head enthusiastically and makes a motion with her hands for him to continue. ] Uh, sorry about... not being here when they took the ventilation tube out. I...

[ I was busy building the new arc reactor is suddenly something that feels like the stupidest thing to say.

It brings to mind the first time he met Tony and having his hero inspect his very first suit. The homemade one. Except, the anxiety for this is way worse. It's not asking for judgement, critique or approval for something of his own. This is something that has to power Tony. Something to keep him alive until they can actually get the shrapnel out of his chest so he doesn't need it anymore. It's not like this is show and tell, this is life or death.

Peter holds the box up in one hand, fully closed, but he gives it a slight side-to-side motion. Nothing rattles inside. ] I was... I mean, it wasn't just me. JARVIS helped and Rhodey did too--[ he glances over to hopefully point out the Colonel, but the man has stayed outside the room it looks like. Shit. ]--I-I don't know how good it's going to be or how well it's going to work. Dr. Strange made it sound like it was urgent, so... it might not even ...turn on? Does it even actually turn on?

[ Of course, Peter knows it doesn't turn on. It's a fusion reactor. It's always on. His nerves, lack of sleep, and fear of disapproval are all working against him. It shouldn't be this hard. He should be able to just open the box and show off the project inside. Maybe he could of if this was a project for a science fair or trying to get him into MIT or anything other than the power for the heart of the man in the bed in front of him.

His head snaps to the side as his senses register movement. Ariel has stepped up beside him and gives him a gentle smile. He looks her over as if trying to figure out what she's going to do, but instead, she lifts his other hand and has it cradle the box. Her hands squeeze his trembling ones before reaching up and opening the box herself. Not for the first time, but certainly in recent memory, Peter wonders how someone so sweet and kind can even exist in the world. Even more how she married Tony.

Ariel gently picks the temporary arc reactor out of the box. Her eyes widen in slight surprise, namely due to its shape and how it looks. It's clearly not a design she is used to seeing. Which just makes some part of Peter's brain wonder when she met Tony if she wasn't familiar with his original design of the arc reactor. Regardless of the tangent his brain goes on, Ariel gently nudges Peter to take the seat she had just been in. Then, she leans down and holds the reactor between both her hands up against Tony's good hand. That way he doesn't need to reach far to touch it.

Peter leans back in the seat when Ariel then shifts over him to lean up to Tony. The reactor is still in her secure hold, but now she holds it up so he can properly see it. Another glance is sent up to his adopted mother's face, and he can't help the sudden feeling that she's extremely proud of him. Something about the look in her eyes and the smile on her face--even if she still hasn't even made a sound to Peter in a week. ]

Sorry if it's... [ basic, rudimentary. ] I can probably make a better one in a few weeks.

[ Ariel turns her head to him and he looks up at her. She gives a shake of her head but still wears the smile on her face. He gets the feeling she means he doesn't need to, but, all Peter can see is how the device is lacking. ]

[doesntpaint]

[ It takes a couple of seconds, and at first, it might look like Tony's just trying to move his jaw or something like that, but what he's actually trying to do is get enough motion going to mouth words. So maybe it's stupid, but in the absence of being able to talk, it's as good as it's going to get, right? How good are they at lip reading? I'm guessing not very.

So he decides to start small: Hi. It's not really the best greeting to give, not when Peter looks like a mess of a teenager who hasn't slept in days. And Tony knows what that looks like because he's done it, but in contrast, Peter looks like an absolute wreck. If Peter can figure out that he was saying hi, he'll mouth a few more words. Stop apologizing. You were busy. Or, well, it's as close to it as Tony can get. This whole mouthing words thing is stupid, but what else can he do right now?

He can't launch into full sentences as that would most likely get lost in translation, so Tony just listens as Peter stammers out his explanation of what he's been doing and why. But then at the question of whether or not the arc reactor turns on, Tony's mouth twitches and one side of it turns up like he wants to grin but can't fully control the movement. Still, he manages to mouth Duh... like Peter just answered his own question.

But it's not meant to be insulting or a criticism, just an attempt to express humor when he really can't express much of anything. You need sleep. For a week. Tony adds next, hoping again that the gist of what he's saying gets across to the two of them.

After that, Tony just watches Peter and Mermaid doing something, opening the box, maybe, and taking out the reactor that Peter made. At first, he can't really see it as Mermaid's hands are in the way, but then she leans down and holds the reactor in both hands close to his one good hand. He feels the surface of it and it feels like an arc reactor to him. The materials used to make it feel familiar. Then he watches Mermaid hold it up so that he can get a better view and he's quick to sweep his eyes (both of them) over it, looking for the key details of an arc reactor. Of course the schematics would have laid it all out, but everything is exactly where it should be.

Even in the state that he's in, Tony can see that clear as day.

He fixes Peter with the most pointed look that he can manage, which might not be saying much given he's still kind of foggy from the medication and from sleep and from trying to recover from something that should have killed him, but then he mouths three words: You did good.

If they're listening, they might even hear a slight sound as Tony mouths the word "good". It's not actually saying the word, but it's actually a recognizable attempt at a letter. And with that hovering in the air, he just looks at both Peter and Mermaid, wondering what they'll do next. ]

[withresponsibility]

[ Peter looks between the two as Tony starts to inspect the arc reactor. That anxiety spikes further, making him bounce his knee up and down. He can't really help it. If one thing is out of place or misaligned? He imagines it could aggrivate the shrapnel even more. JARVIS gave him some details on how it happened and worked, but insisted that Peter ask Tony himself once the man was able to sit up and talk.

Knowing something from the internet or a documentary and seeing it in person are really, really different things.

The tug of emotions is evident on his face as Tony starts to mouth the words. He can follow to some extent, but, not to the degree he knows Ariel can. He nods along until he's pretty sure Tony mentions sleep. Then, he huffs and ironic laugh. Right. Sleep. Who can sleep right now with things like this? He's pretty sure Ariel hasn't slept since they brought Tony home.

Then, looks over at Tony once he begins inspecting the arc reactor. He feels his stomach drop. Judgement day, moment of truth. It reminds him of the first time he brought home major test results to Uncle Ben and Aunt May (because yes, he remembers that). He squares his shoulders and meets Tony's pointed look. Bracing himself for scolding, minor details out of place, rejection, anything that would tell him it wasn't enough.

'You did good.' ]

Oh, God. [ The words escape him without really realizing it. The back of his hand presses to his nose and mouth, and he's leaning forward, curling up so both of them can't see the emotional reaction he's having. He's pretty sure they can tell anyways, but, he doesn't want them to see all of it.

There's a sense of relief and also exhaustion. He knows it's not just because he's done something to help save Tony Stark. It's not just that he was the team player and did his part to save Iron Man. He's finally saved someone when he couldn't save Uncle Ben. He's finally saved a father figure after losing two already in his short life. It would almost feel like an accomplishment if the tidal wave of everything else wasn't going through him.

Peter feels a gentle hand on the top of his head. He let's out a really ugly (and honestly embarrassing) stifled sob before reaching up and playfully brushing the hand off his head. He knows Ariel isn't going to take it personally. He just doesn't want Tony to really see his breakdown.

Ariel gives a gentle small laugh and it registers in his head she's made in front of him and towards him. It hits him as well and his hand uselessly flails towards her again. That's not fair to be so sweet when he's ... breaking down.

Ariel smiles at Peter again before she turns her attention back to Tony. She waits until he's looking back at her. Then, a hand raises and ever so gently rests over his chest. Her head tilts slightly, the older designed arc reactor resting on the tips of her hand. She leans forward so he doesn't have to exhurt much strength before asking her wordless question. ] Aou?

[ Peter raises his head just enough to watch the exchange and make sure that his work really is going to do the trick. Except, he can't help but feel frozen in place by the display between his two legal guardians. They always seem to had some sort of language no one else really spoke, but, Peter realizes now he's never really seen it. He's not sure how Ariel can become even more gentle and yet there she is seemingly doing exactly that. As well as holding the arc reactor like it's the most precious thing in the world to her. ]

[doesntpaint]

[ In a way, this just feels wrong and ridiculous and honestly, a little humiliating. He can't even sit up on his own and he can hardly move his own hands or arms to properly inspect the arc reactor. What he wants is to actually hold it and look at it closely, taking in all the details so that he can proclaim what he already knows: that Peter knocked it out of the park. He didn't expect anything less, and so he's not surprised that he was able to construct an arc reactor, but it gnaws at him a little bit that he can't verbalize the praise that Peter's work deserves.

He can also tell the moment that Peter's emotions overwhelm him; Tony's not the most touchy feely person, but at this moment, all he really wants to do is to sit up, pull Peter into a hug, and just hold on for several minutes. He'd even settle for just reaching out to hold his hand, but at the moment, even that's out of reach.

Tony's gaze shifts to Little Mermaid's, the look in his eyes containing a question, a request: if he can't comfort Peter properly, maybe she can do it for him. Of course, Little Mermaid is already moving even before Tony's nonverbal request even begins, and in a much more comforting, even motherly way than anything Tony could have hoped to pull off, he watches her place her hand on top of Peter's head.

He continues watching as the two of them interact, with Peter seemingly reacting with embarrassment and Mermaid just being kind and loving, almost like a mom would do with her son.

Eventually, however, he registers Mermaid turning her attentions back to him, placing her hand over his chest, and then asking a question in the form of her usual vocalization. His eyes latch onto hers and his fingers curl more against the bed, moving more than they had previously, although the pace is still slow.

It takes him a moment to decipher what she's asking, but given how she's still holding the reactor and given where she placed her hand, he figures it out. After a second's pause in which Tony tries to conjure up enough strength for what he's about to do, he manages to nod his head once. It's barely a movement, just like how he can barely move his hands, but he figures Mermaid will notice it.

Yes, you can plug it in.

It's better than lying around here waiting for something to happen, either good or bad. And, well, honestly, Tony would rather live after all this and after they went to all this trouble to keep him here, so if they plug the arc reactor in and it takes off, that's fine with him. ]

[bubblesong]

[ Little Mermaid opens the sliding door to Tony's hospital room with a smile on her face and phone in hand. Her amber eyes fall on the two men in the room, ready to exclaim her victory over the oh so impressive Dr. Strange. She bargained and in exchange for letting Tony eat a cheeseburger (or two), she would make certain he was ready for it. Watch him closely, make sure he has small bites. Of course, she is more than willing, but Dr. Strange also insisted she speak more with him as well. That... Little Mermaid feels will be harder to do, but still, she made a bargain. She has to do it in order to get Tony what he wants. ]

...ooh. [ The exclamation of victory (no matter how silly it really is) dies in her mouth and is instead replaced by a sadder exclamation at the sight in front of her.

Tony has fallen asleep again.

Amber eyes fall and she nods. Peter gets up and immediately crosses over to her. She gives him a sad smile before holding up the phone. She had the menu pulled up already for them to make the order together, and then submit it when Tony was hungry. Peter looks over the phone with a frown as he instantly understands what the surprise was she was trying to achieve. He pulls her into a tight hug and her head lowers to rest against his. ]

"Sorry. I know you want to spend time with him. He just... wanted to catch up."

[ Little Mermaid nods once more. She understands. She has had the last five years with Tony alone. He needs his time with Peter, alone, to talk about things boys usually do or superhero things. Her hands raise and curl around Peter to return the hug. She simply wanted to do the activity together as a family. Their first meal all together again, even if it is just in a hospital with take out. Some people might thing it stupid or absolutely silly, but in her eyes? That's the exact sort of first meal together Tony would have wanted. ]

"So, Dr. Strange said it'd be okay?" [ Peter pulls away and gives her a smile then. She nods to him in confirmation. ] "I told him I'd sneak it through the window if I had to, because I was going to even if he said no. You know what he'd like better than I would, so let me know and I'll grab it on my way here tomorrow."

[ Another nod and she begins to press the order into the phone. Then, she screenshots it and texts it to Peter's phone. The buzz goes off in his pocket and she smiles. Peter nods again and awkwardly scratches the back of his head. She tilts her own in an unspoken question. ]

"It's getting a little late and I need to make the rounds before getting some sleep before school. Is... that okay?"

[ Little Mermaid smiles at him. A hand raises to his shoulder and gives a squeeze. Of course it's okay! Peter is a hero just like Tony. They have to go and do these things. Peter does it far more often, but he is the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man! She leans forward and kisses his forehead as a "good luck" blessing. A large smile crosses Peter's face before he grabs his bag and slips out of the room. She watches him leave and notes the bounce in his step that hasn't been there since he returned home.

The room falls quiet except for the heart monitor that monitors Tony's heartbeat.

She closes the door behind her. Within a few steps she settles back into the chair that has been not only where she has slept the last week, but an odd companion when Peter is unable to keep her company. A long sigh leaves her before she looks back up at the sleeping hero. He seems more at ease, and she knows it's not only just the arc reactor. The young adult he sees as his son is home. He's healing both inside and outside physically and emotionally. Her gaze falls.

She wishes she could have healed that part of him so it hadn't of hurt for the last five years. Nothing she did or could do would heal that massive hole left inside him when Peter died. He might have said she was doing everything she could and that she was still all he ever needed her to be for him. That still didn't change the fact that some days he sat in Peter's room instead of his workshop at their Hampton home. It didn't change the fact that more often than not he would stay awake in Peter's room at the condo they owned in New York City. She couldn't make him smile the same way he did when Peter was still alive... she was and still is far from being the Goddess of Victory he needs now.

Especially once she broke her promise and used the kotodama on him.

Little Mermaid sighs and sits back in the chair. At least now things will get better. Maybe that's all that really matters in the end. Tony can heal... and Cinderella can too now that Dr. Strange is back.

Night falls and eventually Peter returns by knocking gently on the window. She lets him in and he drops himself on the floor. A hand removes his mask and she gasps at the series of cuts, bruises, and welt on the side of his face that wasn't there before. He tries to wave her off that it was just another fight and it was closer to the hospital than the condo. She gives him a look, because she can tell whatever it was that happened? He wants to be with her and Tony afterwards. So, with a sigh, she gathers a t-shirt and sweats that she has started to keep with her for him to change into when he stops at the hospital. He closes the window and nods in thanks.

Eventually, he falls asleep in the chair next to her. She creates a long pillow out of bubbles for him to rest against. She is leaning against the hospital bed, her arms acting as a pillow with her head resting on them. NIKKEs hardly need sleep. She is only resting. Which is why the moment she feels Tony shift her head raises immediately. First, her eyes move to the arc reactor to make sure it is still working. Then she looks up to his face and waits until he opens his eyes.

Little Mermaid gives him the brightest and widest smile she can. Her hands curl around his good one. A brief pause as she remembers the bargain and doctor's orders that she is under. Still, she can't bring herself to talk. Not until she's forgiven for breaking her promise to him. Tony may not care as much about the promise as she does... but she made it from the bottom of her heart.

Then, her selfishness made her break it. So many people had already suffered and he was being the hero to make it right.

Still, her smile is absolutely beaming.

"Good morning, Tony." ]

Aoou!

[doesntpaint]

[ Tony blinks awake slowly, his gaze adjusting to the hospital light that's dim but somehow too bright at the same time. The first thing he sees isn’t machines or sterile walls: it’s her smile, brighter than anything else in the room. His good hand tightens weakly around hers, the corner of his mouth tugging upward. ]

You know, I always thought if I died, I'd just hang out in some kind of limbo before being shuffled off. But I'd just as soon stay here as long as I get to keep looking at that smile. Though I wouldn't say no to some champagne foutains and less beeping.

[ His voice is still gravelly from sleep, but his tone is lighter than it’s been in years. Five years, to be exact. His eyes flicker down to her hand gripping his, then back up, reading everything she isn’t saying. ]

‘Good morning, Tony,’ huh? No lecture, no medical checklist? Just vowel sounds and handholding? I think I like this new arrangement. Though I did hear a rumor somebody struck a deal with Strange. Something about cheeseburgers being back on the menu?”

[ He totally wasn't listening to her conversation with Peter, or hearing the odd word leak in as he slept. He's not saying which one it is, but it's more the latter than the former. ]

Listen, whatever promises you think you broke, we’re past that, okay? You did more than anyone ever should’ve had to. You kept me standing when there wasn’t a reason to.

[ He stops talking, letting his words trail off, and just looks at her, really looks. ]

Morning, hon. You and me and the kid are gonna get that first meal together. Hospital chairs and all. Feels like victory to me.

[bubblesong]

[ She doesn't quite giggle at his statement, but instead smiles more. It's very Tony. It says more than others would think. It might be just a wisecrack about what he would expect it to be like when he died, but, she takes it as a way for him to describe why he chose to live and stay through all the pain and discomfort his injuries are surely causing him.

Her hands squeeze his single one, fingertips brushing over the ring she made him. The liquid metal down the center that reflects the colors of his suit depending on the light. It has held up amazing over the years despite all that the two have been through. Her engagement and wedding rings remain shinning on her own finger as she keeps them in pristine condition.

Her gaze lowers to the side for just a moment. He's more or less back to his old self. She knows it's because Peter is home and their family is reunited. A part of her still feels as if she has failed to be his wife because she couldn't make him happy like he used to be before Peter was taken in the snap. Or course, he'd surely argue about it, but she knows that just her wasn't enough. Not really anymore.

People change after they have children... maybe because she remembers everytbing in detail from being a NIKKE she feels this way.

Little Mermaid looks back up at him. A feverent nod. She has no reason to medically scold him now. He's recovering and not pushing himself too far. He isn't teetering on the edge of dying anymore. It's okay!

A playful smile touches her face. How much does he really hear when he's asleep? Still, another nod followed by a victorious tone: ] Huh huh!

[ Little Mermaid 1 and Dr. Strange 0.

Cinderella may have something to say about that next time she sees her.

Her expression softens then falls. Amber eyes fall back to his hand and their rings. ] Aouu...

[ No one will understand why she feels the way she does. She accepts that. They might see it as a good thing because it brought Tony home... in some shape or form. But, she promised not only Tony but Abe. The kotodama was only supposed to be used for good. Abe trusted that to her. Trusted her to be a good person. What sort of good person uses that power for something utterly selfish? She didn't issue the command so that Stark Industries still had Tony, or so the Avengers had Iron Man. While keeping their family together was apart of it? At it's core, Little Mermaid didn't want to lose her husband--her magnet.

Not for the first time since everything with Thanos began, the thought creeps into her mind. I wish we had more time together. That I met him sooner.

A smile tugs at the corners of her mouth at the endearing nickname. It always makes her happy when he calls her 'hon' or 'honey.' She raises her eyes to him and doesn't quite smile because she knows he is really looking at her. Noticing. He'd probably notice it all if she tried to hide it anyways.

Then, she tilts backwards and away from him. Before he can even worry or tell her to lean back to him? The reason why is obvious. Peter is asleep in the chair beside her agains the bubble pillow she made him. New bruises and cuts that weren't there before for Tony to see. She at leasts wants him to realize Peter has come back. ]

Ahhh. [ A slight tone of disapproval at how the teenager always seems to be getting new injuries. Just like certain hero she knows. ]

[doesntpaint]

[Tony feels her squeeze, the brush of her fingers over the ring, and his eyes dip there for just a second. Liquid metal, still holding up better than most of the hardware he’s designed. Figures. Leave it to her to make something that lasts longer than all of his bad habits. ]

You know, hon, if you're gonna go toe-to-toe with Strange, maybe we should get scoreboards: Mermaid vs Strange, best outta five. The good doc's ego can take the hit.

[ That might have made more sense in his head, but he's rolling with it. Then, e sees the shift, the way her smile falters when she looks down at their rings. He doesn’t need to be a mind-reader; he’s spent enough years reading her. ]

Don’t start with the “not enough” routine. You were enough when it was just us, you were enough when the kid was gone, and you’re sure as hell enough now. Only reason I’m still here annoying you is because you dragged me back from the finish line.

And for the record? I didn’t stay alive for the suits, or the company, or the Avengers. I stayed because you’re here. I stayed because I knew the kid was going to come back, but you were always the main thing.

[ She tilts back, his eyes following as she shifts, but then he catches the reason: Peter knocked out in the chair, bubble pillow under his head. Tony notices the new bruises immediately, jaw tightening. ]

Guess the “always throwing yourself into danger” gene runs in the family. It's almost impressive. [ Impressive because none of them are actually related. ]

[bubblesong]

[ Bubbles hardly last forever... they're nostalgic. He said that on his first birthday they shared together. It was part of the reason why she decided to use her liquid metal on his ring. She wanted to give him something that would last forever and wouldn't only be nostalgic. Unlike the seashell string she had made for him on his birthday. That was shattered when the Malibu home had been destroyed.

Then, a proper giggle from her. She nods feverently at the idea. Cinderella may find it funny too! She can tell that Dr. Strange has had his own humbling moments... but he and Tony's egos certainly clash.

A lot.

Her hands curl around his good one at his next comment. Fingers brushing along his. She has missed this. It's only been a few weeks, but, Little Mermaid has always been aware of how much more dependent she is on Tony rather than the other way around. Maybe it's the years she spent locked away from the world compared to his years in the spotlight. Still... it's good to hear that even if he's unhappy that she's enough to keep him going.

He always says she has a power of words, but he's equally as skilled with it when it comes to knowing what she needs to hear. ]

Huh huh. [ She nods in agreement about the assessment of Peter and their family. The two men aren't the only ones that throw themselves into danger. Her time of heroics namely came before meeting Tony, but there still have been times. A certain missile can come to mind.

Little Mermaid stands then. Her hands move to the rails on the side of the bed that she faces. Then, she easily and fluidly pulls herself to sit next to him on the hospital bed. After being certain it can hold both their weight, she carefully puts one arm on the opposite side of him. She doesn't want to aggrivate the bandaged burns. Especially as she is certain they ache no matter the amount of pain medication they give him.

They probably would of put him in a medical induced coma if he had been anyone else.

She leans down then, hair covering their faces and looks him straight in the eyes. The bloodshot has mostly healed, but the bandaged burns still stick out. His eye probably hasn't fully healed in terms of vision either. She doesn't bring their foreheads together but certainly close enough to afford privacy. She promised him that she'd shield him whenever he wasn't "on" so the world didn't see beneath the non-physical armor he created long before he met her. ]

I'm sorry for pulling you back. [ She knows he'll rebuke it again, but, she needs to speak the words if only for her own conscious. ] I'm sorry for all the pain you're going through right now. It's okay if you're ever angry, or frustrated, or even hate me a little now or in the future. You can tell me if you ever are.

[ Little Mermaid knows he definitely won't agree to any of the proposal. But, she knows there will be bad days. There will be hard days. She'll stay by his side and help him even if he snaps and bites at her. They've been together eleven years now. If she was going to leave his side it would of been a long time ago.

Still, she gives him the biggest smile she can. The brightest one she can muster given the situation at hand. ]

Welcome home, Iron Man.

[ She kisses him gently. ]

[doesntpaint]

[ Tony has a rare moment of silence (well, maybe not so rare anymore after the days or weeks that he spent not being able to say anything) as he lets the moment sink in. He doesn't remember everything about the past weeks, but he remembers bits and pieces of it all; the one thing that sticks out the most is that she was there with him. She refused to leave. He knew she was there even if she didn't say a word. She never needs to say a word for Tony to know she's there. He still feels like he owes her for that, and for bringing him home, regardless of how she feels about how she did it. ]

You know, I could get used to being welcomed home like that. Not bad for a hospital room. Feels almost like a real homecoming. Maybe I should start expecting this from every recovery room from now on. Oh, too soon for that? Yeah, you're right. After this, I don't want to see the inside of a hospital again.

[ He shifts slightly, wanting to let her closer, brushing a hand lightly along hers, careful not to disrupt her touch but also holding onto it. ]

And hey, don’t apologize. You pulling me back? That’s kind of my favorite part of this story. When people tell this story later (in grand, epic fashion, I hope), they'd better do that part of it justice.

[ He watches her as she moves to sit next to him on the bed, and his gaze follows her arm as she rests it next to him. Of course he understands her worry about agitating his wounds, but what's a little pain when it comes to being with one of the two most important people in his life?

Never mind that Strange would say it's more than a "little".

He finds he has to squint slightly to see her properly, as whatever happened to his eye hasn't fully rectified itself yet. Part of him wonders if it ever will. He's not sure he really wants to ask Strange about it and get an answer he doesn't like.

But bloodshot eye or not, that doesn't stop his eyes from flicking to her ring, then back up, letting the gesture linger as a quiet acknowledgment of everything they’ve been through together. ]

Welcome me home again, hon, and I might just start thinking this is my favorite part of the day too, not just my favorite part of the story.

But let’s be clear: I expect a full report on all bubbles, chaos, and minor miracles that went down while I was out of commission. Consider it my initiation back into the world.

[strangereality]

"I can't believe you actually said yes, Stephen! He just had his ventilation tube taken out. We don't know what damage he has internally on his digestive track yet if at all!"

Well, we are going to find out, aren't we? Come on, Christine. He saved the universe. I think we can allow him a cheeseburger as long as the pieces are small enough. His wife will follow doctor's orders to a T even if she doesn't agree to it entirely.

[ Christine Palmer stops outside the janitor closet on the floor that Tony Stark is being treated on. ] "When did you get so empathetic? Did you come back to life in different pieces?"

Ah, no. That's not how it worked. I'm not a zombie, Christine. [ A hand on the handle to the janitor closet. Dr. Stephen Strange turns to look at his former colleague and girlfriend. ] It took awhile. I had people teach me how to be empathetic again. You know how long it can take me to admit--

"--That you were wrong?"

Yes, that, [ Iritation is clear in his tone while Christine simply smiles. ] I was going to go with "how stubborn I can be." Anyways. You're in charge now. Call me if you need something more with Stark and the kid. I think I need a nap.

"Let me guess. You haven't been sleeping or resting between surgeries?"

Ah... nope. Cosmic universe needing to be saved and all that. Hey, are you really seeing that guy in radiology? Wilson or something? You can do better, Christine--

"Good-bye, Stephen."

[ He let's out a chuckle as she shoves him into the janitor closet and closes the door behind him. A moment is taken to look down at the watch that she gave him. He hasn't bothered to fix it just yet. Something sentimental along the lines of being a reminder of what not to become again. Or, maybe, he just wants to remember the moment it froze on. Something like The moment life changed and I couldn't go back. After all... Christine Palmer is the one that got away.

Entirely because of him.

Regardless, Strange makes a circle motion with his hand and steps into the open portal. Ir closes behind him and his footsteps echo in the New York Sanctum Sectorm. No fanfare or people lined up to greet him like Tony Stark has. Not that he really expected something like a hero's welcome home when they finally beat Thanos. Wong and someone else already saw to that.

He looks at the cloak hovering beside him. ] Remind me to bill Stark for time taken away from being the cosmos defender to save his ass. Maybe a surcharge for time that I should have taken a certain someone out to dinner as multiple apologies.

[ The cloak jerks back as if offended and Strange waves off the reaction. Great. He's talking to mystical relics as if they were people. He's officially losing it. He'll blame the lack of sleep over the last week to make sure a certain billionaire philanthropist genius superhero didn't die on the table. Seeing the reaction from the superhero kid and his wife would of been bad enough, but, he also knows Cinderella wouldn't have taken it well at all.

She has always had a fond spot for Stark. Something about knowing his father back in the day. Maybe it's time he asked about those details.

Strange pauses outside the bedroom door. The realization suddenly hitting that if Cinderella and Siren are sisters, and Siren is married to Stark... Oh, God. They're in-laws.

Well, time to pretend that revelation is just inaccurate. He isn't ready to be considered apart of the Avengers let alone an in-law to Tony Stark.

He sighs and opens the door to the bedroom.

A glance around reveals Cinderella to be sitting right where he expected. ]

There's some old ancient saying, [ Strange uses it to announce himself as he closes the door and steps into the room, ] that if you stare at the abyss long enough it'll stare back. The same might apply for mirrors the more you obsess over them, Cinderella.

[ He never said he wasn't something of an asshole.

He crosses over and stands behind her. Hands curl on the back of the chair. Now he realizes he looks like a wreck. Minor injuries still from the battle with Thanos are all over his face. Scrubs from the surgery that he hasn't bothered to change out of because it's either the hospital or some cosmic thing to take care of. The cloak is floating somewhere by the door. So, at least that isn't clashing with his attire. ]

Anyways, good news. No more hospital trips for awhile. Peter got the arc reactor built and it's properly powering the not-so-Iron Man. He's awake and talking. [ A scared hand raises and points to Cinderella's reflection in the mirror. ] And, by the way? I think Stark has been a bad influence on your sister. She was bargaining with me to clear him to eat cheeseburgers again.

[brilliantgleam]

[ Cinderella doesn’t move at first. She keeps her gaze fixed on the mirror in front of her, fingers brushing through a strand of her silver hair as though smoothing something that isn’t there. One might find that her habit of sitting in front of mirrors for hours at a time strange, but in a way that probably only makes sense to her, it soothes her. And, well, considering how the last five years have gone, she would wager that all of them have developed ways of settling themselves down as best as they can. Only when Strange finishes does she lift her chin slightly, the faintest smirk curving at her lips. ]

So, my sister wrestled the Sorcerer Supreme into permitting the consumption of ground beef and grease? That is... very Stark of her. If he’s already infecting her with his habits, I dread to think what she’ll look like in another five years. Probably demanding a garage filled with gaudy cars instead of bubbles.

[ And she hardly understands the appeal of the food that her sister's husband enjoys. It does not sound appetizing to her in the least, but she supposes everyone has their own likes and dislikes. She finally turns her head, eyes meeting Strange’s reflection rather than his actual face. ]

Still, I suppose that after everything, doesn’t he deserve a small sin? A cheeseburger hardly compares to the weight he’s carried. And, might I add, that after everything you have carried, I believe you are deserving of a little indulgence as well.

[ She lifts a hand to her own reflection, tracing the edge of her cheekbone as if reasserting her poise. When she speaks again, her words have a slight edge to them that wasn't there moments ago. ]

Is that a lecture about mirrors I hear? I am quite certain you have barely an idea of what I see looking back at me in these mirrors. What I see is very real, and it has teeth. And further more, staring into it is how I remember I’m still here and am still me.

[ And having said that, she rises from the chair, her smirk returning like armor. ]

So, next time, do try to change your clothes before visiting. If you’re going to stand behind me like a grim phantom, you could at least make an effort to look less like you crawled out of the laundry bin.

[ She is smirking, of course, but the look of genuine worry is unmistakable, as is her tone of voice. ]

Since you are no longer required at the hospital, it's high time someone looked after you.

[strangereality]

"Wrestled the Sorcerer Supreme" makes it sound like I lost. I didn't, by the way. It was a bargain. I approve Stark for cheeseburgers and she actually talks to him. Using words. Not the weird cooing sounds she makes. Which, for one, has she always done that? For two, Wong is technically the Sorcerer Supreme. I need to get the title back.

[ He gives her a look. ] Did you just try to find the fanciest most obscure way to describe an American cheeseburger?

Are you prescribing me a sin? [ Strange tries to keep the humor going. He used to be funny. ] What would you stay is an adequate indulgence for having helped saved the galaxy from Thanos?

[ He rolls his eyes and turns towards the closet, a hand gesturing as he begins to walk. ] See, the thing is? I need to walk into the room in order to use the closet to change. If I just used a portal to enter the closet then exit it changed? Someone with twin tails and silver hair would of been mad that I didn't use the door like a normal person.

[ Strange stops at the closet door once it's opened. Then, he slowly turns to look back at Cinderella. A serious expression has taken the place of the joking and almost sassy sort of commentary a moment ago. ]

I have more of an idea of what you see in any mirror than you'll ever be able to comprehend.

[ 14,000,605 timelines. Failed attempts at stopping Thanos. ]

[brilliantgleam]

[ Cinderella folds her arms, not unkindly but with that faint, knowing look that has disarmed more than one soldier before. ]

I know that you didn't lose. Because of what you did, she'll speak, she'll use words. She'll uphold her part of the bargain, cheeseburger in hand and talking to the man she loves. That, I think, is a win.

[ She tilts her head, a small smile tugging at her lips. ]

And yes, I did just try to find the fanciest way to describe a cheeseburger. Sometimes dressing something ordinary up makes it feel extraordinary. No, I wouldn't say I'm prescribing you a sin, but I think I just found one for you. Gluttony for words you didn’t earn. Tongue in cheek, of course. Siren made you work for your bargain, and yet here you are, smirking like it’s a victory. That’s a sin only a clever man could commit.

[ She shifts slightly, a faint smirk playing on her lips as she addresses his question about Siren. ]

And as for your comment about her sounds, don’t let that fool you. Those coos, chirps, whatever you call them, aren’t nonsense. They’re her language. She’s telling you more than you’re hearing; you just have to pay attention.

[ She studies him carefully as his tone shifts, her expression sharpening when he brings up mirrors. ]

I believe you. About what you’ve seen. But don’t mistake my reflection for weakness. I’ve looked in my share of mirrors too, Stephen, as you know. The question is: are you just carrying the weight of it alone until it breaks you?

[strangereality]

Well, I hope you use that way of describing his terrible guilty pleasure of food next time they try to invite us to a family dinner. Technically the first time. Not that I'm agreeing or acknowledging even being an in-law to Tony Stark. [ A pause. ] Or that matter an uncle to Spider-Man.

[ What a screwed up family they must be. Not that he particularly likes the idea of using the words "family" and "Tony Stark" in the same sentence. The man may have saved the galaxy, universe, from Thanos, but that doesn't mean egos won't clash.

A lot.

He manages a chuckle. ] No one didn't say I didn't have an ego. My mentor loved reminding me of the fact. Not that she ever considered why I became a doctor to start with. She probably thought it was egotistical too somehow.

And, it was a win, because she refused to even speak to her adopted son. I'm guessing you managed to wrangle some words out of her when we visited. All I got was a few nods or shakes of the head when needing permission to proceed with saving her husband's ass.

[ Which reminds him the fact that Peter didn't know who Cinderella was... which also means that Little Mermaid hasn't shared much about her past with the kid. Interesting. ]

You mean I need to be well versed in coo-ing if we go to Thanksgiving dinner? [ His humor might not be what most people consider humor or even a good deflect, but it is what it is. ] Not that the invitation has been given, but, I'm sure your sister will want some big family reunion now that Peter is back.

[ And him, but he rather doubts Little Mermaid even considered him being gone a tragedy (although she did).

Strange looks back at Cinderella as he begins to remove the dirty scrubs, shoe covers, gloves. Carry it alone until he breaks, huh? He could give a snide comment asking if that was supposed to be an offer for her to carry the burden with him. If he was still the man he was before he found the mystic arts? He would have. Defense mechanism to keep people away and from getting too close. When he couldn't do something on his own. Asking for help had been to demeaning, admitting to failure, admitting he couldn't fight against the currents of destiny or whatever to make his own way.

He feels the tremor in his hands increase and sighs. ]

Do you really want to know that badly, Cinderella? Do you want to know all the failures I saw? How when one thing changed it increased the rate of failure? Do the details of how life could be different really capture your imagination that much? [ A hand raises and makes a circle motion to the room they are in. ] This? This wasn't the timeline I saw where we won. I didn't leave it to Stark to follow the timeline I saw. I left it to him to make a better one... and I left it to his wife to make sure to happened.

We wouldn't be standing in the bedroom talking about family Thanksgivings or mirrors or burdens if he followed on what I saw. We'd be in the Stark's house watching a funeral procession so Earth's mightiest heroes could say their good-bies to Iron Man. Peter would have lost a third father.

[ Strange pauses as he knows all of this would be upsetting enough for Cinderella. She has an affinity for Tony having know his father. She loves her sister. It feels too much like giving the bad news to the family of a patient. So, he tries to deliver the news in a way he would have when he was still a doctor. ]

And your sister sure of hell wouldn't have been "Ariel Stark" anymore. More like the name you call her, Siren.

[brilliantgleam]

[ Cinderella lets out a long breath, one part disbelief, one part quiet acknowledgment. She sits forward a little, resting her elbows on her knees, eyes fixed on Strange as he slowly sheds the layers of his usual professional armor. She imagines it's a holdover from his hours spent in surgery working to save people's lives. There’s a soft exhale, almost a laugh, but it's more bitter than amused. ]

Well, I suppose I should thank you for sparing me the full spectacle of that timeline. Not that I would have wanted to see it. A funeral procession for Stark? Earth's mightiest heroes paying their respects? That's almost more horrifying than it is a beautiful moment of recognition.

[ She shakes her head slightly, trying to shake off the image. Her gaze softens when she mentions her sister. ]

And my sister... Ariel, or Siren, in that reality. That's a name that doesn’t belong to her. That's... [ She pauses, searching for the words. ]

That's someone else entirely. I can't even imagine having to see her like that, or to know her life turned so cruelly upside down.

[ Her lips twitch in a faint smile. ]

And here I was worried about cooing at a Thanksgiving dinner.

[ There's a quiet chuckle that follows, though it's more nervous than joyful. She leans back slightly, watching Strange's hands tremble, and she tilts her head, thoughtful. ]

You're carrying so much. Failures, timelines, the weight of everything that could go wrong, and yet here you are, still trying to steer it right even now. I can't imagine living with all that. Honestly, I don't know if I could.

[ She offers him a small, steadying smile, the kind that tries to anchor someone amid the chaos. ]

But you did. You made choices. You tried to save what mattered. And maybe that's enough. Not perfect, not the way anyone would want, but enough to keep people alive. To keep people like my sister, Peter, even Tony, alive.

[ Her voice softens at the edges, almost a whisper. She pauses for a moment, then shifts slightly closer, as if bridging the emotional distance. ]

Thank you for keeping us in this timeline. [ Perhaps that's not the exact wording he would have used, but it seems accurate enough to her.

Her hand hovers slightly, not touching, but offering the silent reassurance that she's there, that he isn't alone. ]

And if you ever feel like the burden is too heavy to carry alone, I'll help, despite any of your protestations to the contrary. I don't know if it will make it easier, but I won't let you face it by yourself. Not if I can do anything to share it.