Southern Drawls and New York Fist Fights

IV's and Dads

"Harley, jeezus christ. Are you okay?"
"M' fine."

-Harley-

I woke up again when the quin-jet landed. It took me a moment to get a sense of my surroundings and when I finally stood up I almost collapsed back into the seat. Tony reached out a hand, hesitating when I flinched but decided to wrap it around my middle back to help me walk. It took us a few minutes to get into the elevator, but we managed.

"Majority of the team is out on mission, it's just us, Bruce, Loki and Pepper." Clint said as we walked out onto the common floor. "I'll drop these in your room, you two up to watch some movies?"

"Sure old man." I said, sitting down on the couch and trying my best to ignore the pain.

"FRIDAY get Bruce and that IV up here." Tony said, heading into the kitchen.

"Sure thing boss." FRIDAY replied. I leaned my head against the backrest of the couch, my eyes shut. The elevator opened with a ding maybe a minute later. I brought my head back up to see Bruce coming towards me with an IV drip on a wheely stand.

"Do I have to take that with me?" I asked, holding out my arm so he could attach it. Bruce just shrugged, but Tony answered from the kitchen.

"You're the one who wanted to leave the hospital early." I rolled my eyes, shifting into a laying position with my head against the armrest of the couch. "We are watching movies if you want to join Bruce."

"No thanks, I have some work I need to get done." Bruce said. "I can stop by Loki's room and see if he'd like to if you want?"

"No." I answered quickly. "He doesn't need to worry yet."

"Alright." Bruce turned and left.

Tony tapped my leg and I moved them so he could sit down, stretching them across his lap. He rolled his eyes but didn't object as he handed me a mug of something, setting the large bowl of popcorn on the coffee table.

"What's this?" I asked.

"Hot chocolate."

Clint appeared again, sitting down beside Tony who started to scroll through movies. We settled on watching the Hunger Games. I sipped my hot chocolate as we watched, glad to be able to focus on something other than the current issues in my life.

"Where's Peter?" I asked as we switched to the second movie.

"School." Clint answered as he changed positions to stretch his own legs across Tony's lap and entangle them with mine. Tony grumbled about being used as a foot rest while I rolled my eyes.

When the elevator opened again we were half way through the third movie and the pain killers Bruce had given me were really starting to put me out of it. I was still relatively 'here' and didn't feel loopy, just drowsy and like everything was slow.

"We don't know when they will be back, it'll be fine though. Tony and Clint have this handled." Someone said, Steve, I think.

"Oh my god- you guys are back!" Natasha was suddenly in front of us and I blinked up at here drowsily. "Harley, jeezus christ. Are you okay?"

"M' fine." I mumbled, turned my head to lay with it slightly pillowed against the hood of Peter's hoodie.

"Go to sleep boy genius." Tony said patting my leg gently. "I'll tell the worried group of children what happened." My eyes slowly flitted closed even as the movie played on and Tony's voice filled the background with a lengthy explanation.

-Peter-

I was worried about Harley. He had been gone for just over two weeks now, and had not contacted any of us besides Clint, and that had resulted in him and Mr. Stark flying down to Tennessee very suddenly.

It had been three days since they left and everyone was getting antsy, although I think the adults were for a different reason than Loki, Shuri, MJ, Ned and I were. They seemed to know something we didn't.

I stared out the window as rain streaked down outside. School had just ended and Happy was driving Shuri and I back to the tower. She had joined us this year at Midtown, claiming it was to evaluate the school system but we all knew it was so T'Challa wouldn't drag her back to Wakanda to do her actual duties as a princess.

Happy seemed more tense than usual. I wondered if it was to do with Mr. Stark being gone with no explanation as well. Shuri and I stayed silent for once, Happy sending us slightly worried glances in the rear view mirror as he drove. I focused on the rain.

As we road up to the common floor Shuri broke the silence.

"Do you think his disappearance is to do with Harley?" She asked. I shrugged.

"Maybe."

As we walked out onto the floor, we shared a look and froze to hear the conversation.

"...adopted him?" That was Steve.

"It was the only way they'd let me take him home. I'm not comparing he was like  a son to me before to." Tony said.

"Well it's good he is here now. For the stuff Bruce put in the IV he must have been hurt pretty badly." Natasha said. I looked at Shuri, wide eyed.

"He was passed out for three days Tasha, yeah it's bad." Clint told her. "And the first time I speak to him when he wakes up he calls me old."

"Sounds about right." Bucky said. Natasha laughed quietly.

"What are you planning for school?" Steve questioned.

"Midtown, with Peter, Shuri, MJ and Ned." Tony said immediately. "Not immediately, after he's healed at least a bit. I'm sure it won't take long for him to be demanding to go."

"Yeah, I doubt it will." Natasha sighed. I walked forward into the room, glancing around.

"Hey Pete." Clint said. "Shuri. How was school?"

"You're back!" I said, grinning. Maybe we would get some answers, instead of just context clues from the conversation.

"It was good." Shuri said, eyes staying on the IV situated beside the couch Clint and Mr. Stark were on. "What's with the IV."

Natasha sighed. "This is going to be hard for you to hear, but Harley was being abused at home. He was in the hospital for three days which is why Clint and Tony were gone. Bruce put him on some strong pain killers since he got discharged early."

Woah... that was not what I expected. It wasn't a complete surprise, MJ had suggested it when I brought the situation up to her, and he had been acting odd, but to hear that it was really happening.

I dropped my bag and headed over to the couch to check on my friend. He was passed out with his legs tangled with Clint's across Tony's lap, wearing one of my hoodies. My breath hitched, seeing the black eye and bruised jaw he was sporting. It look like his nose had to have been broken at least once.

I sat down on the floor in front of him, ignoring the noise of the others talking quietly and staring instead at Harley.

I couldn't protect him.