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synthneon2025-07-07 09:33 pm
withresponsibility) wrote in synthneon2025-07-07 09:33 pm
🕸 mcu/nikke ||
[ 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. ]
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. ]
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Her eyes drift to his chest. Even through shirts and sheets she could usually see the glow of the arc reactor. Now, there is no reactor there. She hasn't been brave enough to inspect what exactly Dr. Strange had done to the area where the arc reactor had been. Because, as much as she wants to deny it, some small part of her feels connected to Tony because of their reactors--their cores.
The thoughts and attention are broken the moment she feels his gaze on her. Amber eyes move back to meet his gaze. Eyes lock. The breath catches in her throat just as it had all those years ago when they shared their first dance. The look in his eyes isn't the same as it was that birthday night, and he's certainly older as well.
She pulls herself closer so he doesn't have to push himself so hard. Leaning more over and onto the hospital bed. Hovering over him with her weight on her elbows so her long black hair cascades down around them. She promised she'd hide him from the world when he wasn't "on", and she'll keep that promise. She has to, because she already broke the first promise she made to him.
'Are you okay?'
No one else might be able to, but Little Mermaid can hear his voice in her mind. Not because she can read his mind and not because they are telepathically linked. She simply knows him. She's been able to read him for so long; seeing the little things no one else picked up on. Not his closest friends, not even his teammates.
Being able to read what he is asking even when it seems like only one of his eyes can find her is second nature. ]
Huh huh. [ She nods, but she knows that her voice betrays what she truly is feeling. The guilt, the heartbreak, the relief, the longing, the worry. It all compiles into one obvious octave range.
Little Mermaid then lowers her head to try and be closer to him. She wears his shirt to try and feel closer to him, and the shorts because he had always made comments of how she'd look good in them. He'd need little things like that to help him recover. Tears begin to roll down from the corner of her eyes as she nods as if she's trying to convince herself. ]
I'm okay. [ Because he's home and he's awake, as much as she feels a growing hatred at herself for using her power on him. ] I'm okay.
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Now, as he lies here in the hospital, with his thoughts being as sluggish as the rest of him, he wonders if there won't be more performances from him after this. Who knows what the lingering effects of all that gamma radiation on a living person are? Well, Tony can guess, and there's studies to that effect, but it's different when it's happening to him and not to some case study on a page.
His eyes remain locked on her, even the one that doesn't quite respond properly, and he tries to keep his focus on her and not on the discomfort in his lungs and everywhere else. The medication being administered through an IV is keeping him from really feeling it, but he can tell that he's a wreck without even having seen the damage done to his body.
No more press conferences for me, not that I was planning on giving one anyway.
He's not exactly vain about his appearance or even really upset about the fact that he probably looks like a monstrous version of himself, but he just wonders how his day to day is going to be now. I always wondered what it would be like to be a hermit.
She leans over him and he wants to reach for her, to touch her face or her hair or something but his limbs just feel too heavy to even move more than a fraction. He can't even make his fingers curl like he did before they whisked him off for another surgery.
If Little Mermaid is looking, she might notice a slight increase in Tony's breathing as if some worry or anxiety (not about him, this time) is sinking in.
The look in his eyes shifts this time, and he figures as good as she is at noticing him, how much can she decipher from just a look?
If nothing else, at least he can think the thought in his mind and maybe she'll get some of it.
Is everyone back? Did they all come back okay? Where's the team? Probably doing damage control, or trying to.
It's a little too much of a rush of thoughts all at once and even though it was just thoughts, Tony has to stop for a moment and just lie there. Even now, it's still too easy for him to forget about resting.
But then he has one more thought to try and communicate, and it's more important than all the others:
Don't cry, Ariel. He doesn't mean it to dismiss her emotions or tell her she shouldn't have them, but he can't reach up to dry her tears or offer actual comfort, and that's what he's trying to communicate to her: she saved him, he's alive, and hopefully this will be the last time she has to cry because of him. ]
no subject
Her fingers continue to brush his hair in the familiar smoothing motion. Then, her other hand raises and hesitantly rests on his chest. She doesn't want to disrupt what Strange has set into motion. He had said it was temporary--long enough until the other option was available.
Of course he would wonder about the Avengers. They're his team--extended family. Which simply makes her feel worse about the selfish thought of just wanting to focus on the three of them; their little family. She smiles at him and tries to push down everything that wants to burst to the surface.
A nod, continuing to talk in that soft tone he knows: ] Steve said he was handling it all... but didn't tell me the details. They'll come and visit when you're okay to see visitors. I don't think Dr. Strange would let them come before them... uhm, he's been overseeing everything for you here in the hospital. Along with another doctor he knows named Dr. Palmer. She's really nice, you'll like her.
[ Little Mermaid looks down. Did she really save him? He's alive, but she can tell the pain and discomfort he's experiencing. Part of her can't help but berate the fact that she never should of used the kotodama like she promised. It's only to be used for good... and she used it selfishly. Tony went to save the universe and all she could think about what not losing her universe. She gave up the concept of being a Goddess of Victory years ago, being happy to simply live a life with the man she loves. Now, she never really could be what she was transformed to be.
Still--she can't cry and she can't share those thoughts with him. Not when he's in this state, and maybe never. ]
Peter has been here every day since they brought you here. He comes in after school or being ... [ well, Spider-Man, ] he's back at the Tower with JARVIS right now... trying to make you a new arc reactor.
[ And, before he can even have a minor panic attack, her lower lip turns red: ] Don't panic. Please. He can do it... and Dr. Strange has something in the mean time making it so you're going to be okay. It's going to be okay.
[ She presses a kiss to the top of his head and closes her eyes. She wants to pull him into her arms and hold onto him, but he has to be still and hooked up to everything to keep living for now. If this is even considered living--if he'd even want this. ]
Peter said he's graduating early--in a few months. He wants us both there at the ceremony. [ He said so in so many words. ] Ahh... do you think you would be able to go?
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But if anyone should be blamed for how so many lives were disrupted, it should be the people responsible for the disruption. Thanos is just one of those people.
Tony might be pulled down by sedation and by the physical state that he's in after the surgery, but he's not fully resting either. Perhaps the best way of describing it is by calling it a state of 50% rest and 50%... not rest. But then Little Mermaid places her hand on his chest, he stills almost instantly, except for the slow rise and fall as he breathes. He listens as she gives her explanation of what the team has been doing, and how Steve has been handling things. Steve might be a lot of things, but at least he's capable when he needs to be.
She mentions Strange, and another doctor he's never heard of, and while Tony's doing his best to listen, he finds himself more focused on the sound of her voice than the actual words. It could be the lingering sedation making him not as sharp as he would be if this were a normal day, or it could simply be the fact that he really likes her voice.
But once she mentions Peter, he finds himself paying closer attention again. Right now, Peter and Little Mermaid are the most important people in Tony's world, and most everything else pales in comparison to the two of them, even his own health. Of course, he'd rather be healthy with the two of them, but if something should ever happen to both of them, leaving Tony on his own, he's reasonably confident that all bets would immediately be off.
She mentions the arc reactor, and that Peter's trying to make a new one, and immediately, his eyes widen. It didn't register with him before that the arc reactor was damaged and not functioning, given how close to the edge his condition was, but now... now he knows it's not there. It's not functioning. Why would it be, after the damage it sustained?
Shrapnel in the chest... too close to the heart. That's bad. No, that's really bad.
Tony's breath hitches abruptly, and his eyes widen further, but then he hears it: Don't panic and the change happens instantly. He settles back down against the bed, uncertainty still obvious on his face, but the panic that was threatening to break loose has disappeared.
He listens as Little Mermaid tells him about Peter's graduation plans, and as she talks, asking if he'd be able to go, if she's looking, she might notice how Tony's eyes have lit up for the first time since all this began, probably starting with the moment he collapsed after completing the snap. ]
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The only disruption he has ever caused in her life is when she thought he was dead. After the missile attack in Malibu, after he had been missing in space for months and she thought she lost him and Peter. When they brought him home again barely alive and her bubbles hadn't done more to save him. They didn't take enough of the damage--whatever it was that he did or caused.
The fingers on his chest gently begin to move in what she hopes is something soothing. That way it isn't only her command that is making him relax; trying to keep the panic away. Things had been good for awhile. Then, Thanos happened, and the nightmares came back. Except they were so much worse now.
She's never used the kotodama to stop his panic attacks until now. Was it really the right thing to do? ]
I don't know what Dr. Strange did. Not really. He didn't tell us. He just said it was some spell that would work temporarily until the new arc reactor was made. [ Her hand moves to rest over the spot where his reactor usually resides. Now, it's just a hollowed area. A hole in him. One she knows has been there for five years after Peter disappeared. A hole she couldn't really repair physically or mentally. ] If you panic it might cause the spell to not work. So, please, don't panic. Peter is being coached by JARVIS. He'll make something that works until you can make another one...
[ She returns the lit up expression in his eyes with a smile of her own. One that speaks of how proud she is of their adopted son. He is becoming a good man, having learned from some of the best around him. He can build amazing things! He knows down to his core what is right and wrong. Now, he is going to graduate despite the five years that have passed for everyone else.
Talking about their adopted son is easier than talking about them. The things that she wants to say would cause him distress. Panic. She can wait to apologize and to cry and hold him. As much as it hurts to not be able to hold him as she would normally. ]
Oooh, [ a customary sounds of gentle realization comes to her, ] we will need to get a present for him, don't we?
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For someone who hardly ever stops moving, this is just way too much stillness for Tony's liking. It doesn't matter that he can barely move; he wants to do something. He should be up and fixing his own arc reactor, but obviously that's so far off the table it's not even funny.
Maybe Little Mermaid can tell there's a ripple of annoyance beneath the stillness that's forced on him by his current condition. Still, it doesn't show or take away from the way he lit up when she began talking about Peter. She asks if they'll need to get him a graduation present, and while he can't answer out loud, inwardly he's already thinking that the present they get him needs to be something very special.
... now if they can just figure out what that is.
And speaking of figuring things out, Tony's figuring out that he actually really wants to move. He knows that Dr. Strange would get mad, and Little Mermaid would worry, but he's tired of being still. Sure, he's not ready to move, and maybe he can't anyway, but he was able to get his fingers to move, wasn't he?
His eyebrows narrow as he tries to corral whatever strength he can in an attempt to move. He'd love to sit up, but that seems like a tall order, but if he can make even his arm move or if he can raise himself off the bed even an inch, that's something, isn't it?
So, in a moment of sheer stubbornness, that's what he attempts to do, fully expecting to be stopped before he even starts. ]
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[ His name slips out of her almost immediately as she sees him trying to move. Her voice is only slightly louder than before, not wanting to attract the doctors and nurses and lose the moment she has with him.
There's no command, no use of her powers. Nothing but pure force of emotion that comes from deep inside her. Not the Nikke with her powers, bubbles, or core. The woman that she truly is and the woman he married. His name wrapped in so much worry and fear. Fear that she'll lose him. That he'll do something that cause irreversible damage. Something no one can heal and he'll slip away from all of them. Everything they've done to try and save him will be for nothing and he will still be the Avenger that died for the universe.
Little Mermaid's arms immediately move around him. One underneath his good side, the other gently moving around his side. She holds onto his body weight with no effort, regardless of the muscles needed to operate his suits. She rarely shows what she is truly capable of with her strength and body, but there are times it simply happens.
He said not to cry but she feels she can't hold it back in this moment. Her head tilts down to hide her face from him as she feels the tears prick her eyes again. Shoulders rock for a moment before she is able to contain everything again. He can't know what a mess she is inside. He may look like a mess, but she... ]
You can't move! Not like that--not that much! [ Despite visually hiding it, everything she feels is evident in her voice. She's always been like water, with emotions flowing from her. Tony puts his behind bravado and charm but she has never been able to be another way. ] Not until Peter comes back with...
[ What if he moves too much and the shrapnel moves into his heart?
She gives a shaking exhale, almost on the verge of crying again before she looks up at him again. The tears put back in their box and the obvious repression of words that want to spill out. She can't tell him. He'll start to panic or be upset or... and he can't in his condition... she failed to prevent all this damage to him. Ordered him to come home, making him suffer in the state that he can't even move... ]
I know--I know it's my fault. I know you can't move the way you want and it's--[ it's my fault, ]--but let me help this one last time. Ask me to help you up or rest against one of my bubbles if you want to sit up. But, you can't push yourself...
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Of course, because he tried to move, now he gets the dubious added bonus of feeling even more worn out than he already was. And "worn out" doesn't begin to cover it. Even though he wasn't really aware of Strange saying it, he can hear the doctor saying: "You're going to stay still. That means no moving, no sitting up, definitely no standing, and did I mention staying still?" At least, in Tony's mind, that's how Strange sounds when he's giving a lecture that he's only half paying attention to.
He feels Little Mermaid's arms circling around him, and he doesn't even pretend that he's not all but sagging into her supportive hold. Right now, he's beyond pretense, and as much as he hates that, he doesn't really have the energy to hate it either.
She tells him he can't move, and as best as he can through eyelids that don't really feel like opening more than halfway, he tries his best to look somewhat apologetic. Blame his stubborn streak and the fact that he's tired of just lying here. Except he's too tired to do anything else, so that makes about as much sense as a paper balloon.
And damn it, he made her cry again. He really has to stop doing that. Well, he just resolved to not try and move again but now he's hearing her words and he knows he has to break his own resolution just once more. This isn't going to be fun or easy, but he knows it's something he has to do.
The muscles in his left arm, the one without all the burns, tense and stick out as he tries to put what little strength he has into this one gesture: what would be a finger wag if he had more strength behind it. As it is, he only manages to move it an inch, and he makes a frustrated huff, as he's certain she won't get the full meaning of it from that pathetic little movement.
Oh well, you can't win them all, right? But the point is, he does not want her blaming herself. This is not her fault, and he refuses to let her say that it is. ]
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She knows he hates being still, because he's never just in one place. Even in semi-retirement and he's working in the workshop? He's moving around. A foot, a hand, his head along with the music that plays over speakers. In meetings he walks around. Press conferences he's gesturing or shifting his weight. Those times he sat in Peter's empty room he would change how he sat. He is always, always, moving. The only time she has ever seen him not move is when he's asleep in bed next to her--if the nightmares, anxiety or panic attacks don't wake him up. That's why she wants to apologize over and over for insisting he be still and be opposite of his natural self.
He sags against her and her eyes raise to look around the room. There's no sign of the doctors or nurses coming and none of the machines have started to blare warnings. She inhales quickly, making her mind up on the matter. It may not be exactly what he wants, but it's the closest thing she can do for him and not compromise his fragile health. A hand raises from his back to create a bubble in the shape of a pillow. Then, she eases him out of her arms and against it. Now, at least, he is angled upwards some degree. Tony may not be able to notice the normal consistency of her bubbles is missing.
Little Mermaid feels the small movement in his arm and looks down at his hand. Her gaze softens as she can imagine what the gesture is meant to convey. He has never liked the idea of her blaming herself for anything, especially regarding him. The huff makes the smallest hint of a smile tug at the corner of her lips. Tony is still Tony even if he has had cosmic power flow through him.
She gently takes his left hand into hers. Then, the other hand raises to trail her fingers down it. He's always had some sort of problem with the left arm. Injury after injury, which is why her eyes glance to the right arm on the opposite side of the bed. She imagines the right arm will give him the most trouble now. Strange has yet to mention what sort of lasting damage will be present... maybe because no one truly knows just yet.
The injury might not be her fault. Tony may have even chosen it himself. What remains her fault, in her mind, is the fact that he is frustrated, in pain, and barely awake because she made him come home. Her bubbles didn't take enough of the force of whatever it was that he did. She didn't protect him well enough--just like those years ago when the missile hit their home. ]
I'm sorry. [ Another apology because she can't fix anything about the situation he's in now. All she can do is sit beside him and hope every day is better than the last. He's awake now, which is already an improvement, but she can't do more.
In a slow and careful motion, she raises his left hand and holds it securely in hers above the bed. If she holds it and gives it support and weight, maybe he can move it as he can. ] Do... you want to go back to sleep? You should sleep if you're tired. I'll be here.