Dark Paradise

It hurts.

Tony tried to help the shaken boy to stand up. However, Peter's legs refused to listen. The man therefore carefully took the boy in his arms and ordered him to put his arms around his neck. This position was especially uncomfortable for Peter, but he thought it would be better to keep it to himself. Tony with the boy walked upstairs and opened door that Peter hadn't had the honor of looking what is behind them. They found themselves in another bathroom, this time with a bath, not a shower, which the one upstairs could be proud of.

The man sat the boy on the washing machine next to the bathtub and turned on the water. Then Peter watched Tony silently as he unbuttoned his pants and pulled them with his underwear down.

"But please, I've already seen you naked," Stark said as the young man's hands moved to his crotch to hide. Then he sat the naked boy in the bath. Peter pulled his knees under his chin to cover as much as possible, wrapped his arms around them and rested his head wearily on them.

Stark stopped the stream of warm water and picked up washcloth he had soaked and ran as gently as he could over the red ornaments. He washed away the dried blood, which colored the snow-white bath, and immediately disappeared into the outlet.

The young man's dark brown eyes seemed tired until he finally closed them, imagining he was back in the comfort of home. No, this is home now, isn't it?

"Hey," a hoarse voice and a stream of warm water distracted him from thinking and ran down his face to his chin as the man held the shower hose over the boy.

After cleaning and drying the boy sitting on the edge of the tub now, Tony pulled the first T-shirt he found over Peter's head, put on his pants, and knelt on the floor in front of him. He took his hand and placed it on face of the boy, which did not take his eyes off the ground. The young man's body continued to tremble, tilting his head slightly to the side, closing his eyes and letting Tony stroke his still wet face.

"Are you hungry?" The man in front of him asked quietly. Peter slightly nodded and his stomach rumbled. He was incredibly hungry. The man chuckled when he saw and heard the young man's reaction and spread his arms again.

"N-No, I-I'll go alone," he shook his younger head and slowly got to his feet. The punishment and time spent on the hard, cold floor signed him, there was not a part of his body that wouldn't hurt. Yet he rejected the idea that Tony would carry him like a princess again.

"We'll be watching TV for the news during eating," Tony informed the boy as he walked slowly behind him. The journey to the couch wasn't too long, but it came to Peter like an eternity before he could finally sit down again. Although he couldn't lean properly, but he had to praise himself that he did it. And all alone.

Tony wrapped the boy in a bushy blanket and moved to kitchen, where he prepared the food. After a few minutes, he stood in front of Peter and handed him a bowl of noodle soup. Peter wanted to stretch his arms in front of him, but the wounds on his back didn't want to be forgotten. So he hissed loudly and jerked his arms back to his body. 

"I c-can't," he sobbed. "It hurts."

"Okay, wait," Tony sat down next to him. He set one bowl on the table and turned on the television with the remote control. He kept the other bowl with him. He took a bite on spoon and lifted it to Peter's mouth. The young man flinched.

"Baby, be good and open your mouth," a hoarse voice said.

"Please no," the boy answered, leaving the way he was addressed aside. He understood what the man was striving for and did not want to be fed like a two-year-old child, especially not from him.

"Don't talk and eat, that's what you wanted, isn't it?" Tony urged. It was easy to tell from his expression how much he enjoyed the whole situation, he put a spoon to the young man's face again. The hungry one slowly, carefully, half-opened his mouth so the bite could be put in his mouth. At least the soup was delicious. The following minutes were quiet and calm. The young man obediently let Tony to feed him and began to feel tired again. Suddenly he stopped, he froze.

"What?" Tony asked, setting down an almost empty bowl. The frightened young man watched the glowing television screen with tears in his eyes in disbelief.

"They... ha-have... buried me?"

At that moment, something broke in him. Before Tony could do anything, Peter hugged him and pressed against him again, and his sobs mingled with a speech from one police spokesman describing how hard they tried to find him and bring him back home safely.

Liar.