You can trust now, Peter darling

33

"Come on, Pete. You need to eat something." Steve urged. Bucky was standing to the side of him as he pushed a bowl of fruit in front of the boy, who was sitting on a barstool.

'Leave me the fuck alone' Peter signed and shoved the bowl away. Steve sighed.

"Peter, we don't know sign language."

"Good." Peter grunted and rolled his eyes. He wasn't in the mood for anything anymore.

"Actually, I do." Bucky said, his arms crossed as he eyed Peter down. The boy's eyes widened and he sat up straight, face growing red.

He only signed that because he thought neither of them would understand it.

"If you eat the fruit, I won't tell Tony what you said." He bribed. Peter groaned and snatched the bowl.

Bucky smiled at Steve in triumph. Peter picked up a grape and plopped it in his mouth. He didn't feel like eating. He didn't feel like...anything.

Sometimes, he kinda just wished he was dea-

"I'm back!" A voice called from the hall. Peter was too distracted by his thoughts that he didn't notice the sound of the elevator and the footsteps of Tony walking out.

Peter sighed and turned back to his bowl of fruit. He was dreading this awful conversation he was about to be forced to have.

"Hey, Pete." The man said in a soft voice once he entered the room, Nat following after him. It aggravated Peter. He knew everyone was stepping on eggshells around him.

Maybe it was so he didn't get upset. Or maybe it was because they knew he was right when he said he could be triggered by something, causing him to become murderous again.

Tony placed his jacket on the couch before walking over and placing a kiss on Peter's temple. "Do you need anything?"

"I'm fine." Peter mumbled as he poked at the apple slices in his bowl. Tony sighed and looked at Steve, Bucky and Nat. They all took the hint and left the room. Peter groaned and put his head on the table.

Tony sighed at Peter's state and sat on the stool beside him.

"I know you don't wanna have this conversation, Peter. But we have to." He said, running a hand through his hair. "We can get it over and done with really quickly, yeah?" He tugged at Peter's hair slightly. The boy got the message and lifted his head up.

"Fine." He mumbled and Tony smiled. He twisted Peter around so he was facing him before continuing.

Peter may have agreed to have the conversation, but now that it was actually happening, he regretted it.

"I didn't actually mean those things I said. It was just a...y'know...in the moment thing?" Peter gulped. Tony didn't believe him. Of course he didn't, it was a terrible lie.

"Peter, I need you to be 100% honest with me. Can you do that?"

Could he do that?

He traced the countertop with his finger nervously before answering.

"Yeah..." He whispered.

"Thank you. Now, are you being serious about these...triggers you're worried about?"

Peter thinks he knows the answer. He tries to retrieve his reply, but it was like all his words were buried in the back of his mind, and it was dark so he couldn't navigate his way to them.

It was dark. Everything was dark. His mind, his vision, his heart, his sole. That's how it's always been for Peter, and it's how it will always be.

"I...I-I don't know." Was all he could muster. His answer probably wasn't good enough, otherwise Tony wouldn't have sighed.

"Well, I have a proposition for you. You can think about it...but I can pull a few strings for you and get in contact with Ayo. She's from Wakanda, and she's a warrior. Do you know what she's done for Bucky?" Tony explained. Peter swallowed to clear his dry throat before shaking his head.

"She helped free him from the mind control. I know yours and Bucky's situations aren't the same, but I think it will be worth it. She can help dig deeper in that big brain of yours and see if there's anything to be worried about. What do you think?"

Peter doesn't like that idea. He knew he was being unreasonable...or was he?

If Ayo dug too deep, she would get lost. She would get lost in the maze of Peter's thoughts that he's been running through for years. Running around and around in circles, trying to find an exit.

Sometimes there's exits. He can see them. He can reach them. But once he does, he's stuck in another maze. But it's not the same. They're different thoughts going around and around. Different problems he has to face.

He's learnt to try and ignore the exits.

He's learnt to keep himself stuck in one place. No matter how much it hurts.

"Y-Yeah...okay." Peter has to do a lot of things, no matter how much they hurt.

But seeing the smile that it brought on Tony's face, it made it all worth it.

"That's great, Peter. I'm so proud of you." He said and engulfed him in a hug.

"Will, uh...will I have to go to Wakanda?" Peter asked nervously as they pulled away.

"We could do. But if you feel more comfortable here, then we can try and negotiate with Ayo."

"Um...I think I would prefer to go to Wakanda. It's safe there...right?" Peter looked up at Tony with glassy eyes. Tony gives him a sympathetic look.

"It's probably the safest place you could go, Pete."

Peter let out a deep breath.

"Okay then...let's- let's do it."