Peter: always gets back up.

The Stranger in the mirror + flinching

A/N: It's short. It's meh. It's the all new Chapters of Peter always gets back up! Just a lil something I wrote. I really don't know what I'm doing or what this is but maybe someone else will.

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It was the first day of Peter living with Tony and Pepper at the tower. 

It was the first morning. The first everything after everything.

Peter got up and cautiously made his way to the bathroom. When he was in he froze. A big mirror was on the wall. Peter looked at himself. He forgot what he looked like. He forgot who he was.

At Mr. Johnson's, he didn't have a mirror. He hadn't seen himself in months. He stared at his face with a awe. He felt like finally he might realize he was real. He might realize this was all real.

Without the punches and the pain to remind him, everything felt like a dream. But then he saw himself. Who was he? He didn't know anymore. He didn't even respond to his own name being called. Who was he? He just stared. He couldn't stop staring at the stranger in the mirror.

After a bit he heard Tony calling, " Peter? Hey you up..."

Right, I'm Peter, not Eli. Get that in your head.

Still he couldn't break away from his reflection.

He could hear Tony walking around trying to find him. Finally Tony went over to the bathroom. The door was left open.

"Peter? Peter, are you okay?"
Tony said, with slight concern in his voice.

After a second Peter blinked, " Oh uh yeah, I... I just forgot what I looked like. There weren't any mirrors where I was."

Tony still looked concerned but said, "I made breakfast, you want some?"
Peter nodded. Tony went to hug him. Peter flinched hard causing Tony to back away. I guess they weren't there yet.

Right, Tony thought, he probably got beaten up when he was in the foster home. He might not have realized he was trying to hug him.
"Sorry, sorry- I owe my life to you. You have been so kind to me. I don't deserve your love." Peter said in an almost robotic voice.

Tony hurt for the kid. There was so much of the story he hadn't heard. There was so much he didn't know.

"Hey, don't say that. You deserve everyone's love. You don't need to apologize Peter. You didn't do anything wrong."

"Oh." Peter said, like it was a new concept. "Oh, sorry."
Tony showed him to the kitchen and they ate there breakfast together.

There was so much hurt Peter had been through, that Tony would never understand.

But he would support Peter, till the end.