Spider-Kid OneShots

Replaced (Part 3)

One month. That's all they asked of them.

To show that the earth's mightiest heroes do care about Peter and Nat, to show that they were sorry for all that they had done. To show that all the things that they had done and said weren't them, but someone else- their polar opposite. To show that their lives had become living hells for every single day that they were away.

They apologized and pleaded, cried- and then cried some more.

One month. That's all they asked.

Was it all Peter could give?

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Scene 4

Path 1

Peter sighed, dragging a palm across his face as the sun rose up in the sky. The light shined through the big glass windows, causing Peter's face to scrunch up.

Today was Peter's first day back in the Avengers tower- and he had to admit, he missed the constant buzz that ringed through NYC.

Sure, the fact that the Avengers had kicked him out the last time he was here was enough of a buzz kill to ruin anyone's mood, but Peter had Nat, his mom, the one who truly loved him. He was ready to move the Earth for her, so it wouldn't be so hard to give her this month, would it?

He had convinced himself to accept the Avenger's pleas for his mother's sake as he wanted his mother to be happy, but deep inside he knew that there was always a small part of his heart that dreamed about crawling back into the Avenger's lives and that it had dominated his mind at the Avenger's return.

He laughed mirthfully at the thoughts clouding his mind as he stuck to a schedule he had developed while in Russia. Brush, bathe, dress, eat. He quickly finished the aforementioned tasks and tentatively walked towards the kitchen.

Everything was fine until now, a little too fine. Everything Peter experienced was too mundane, and that shook him up. Somehow, he knew that this was worse.

"Hello, мама!" Peter said, eyes curving into happy crescents when he looked at her and turning stone hard as he gave a sharp nod to the rest of the Avengers present. Tony and Steve winced a little at that. Good. They had to feel what he had felt, even though their emotions paled in comparison to his.

"Here," Bruce said warmly, sliding a plate of eggs in front of him.

"Thanks." Peter replied, emotionless. He quickly took a few bites and threw the plate in the sink.

"Only one?" Tony asked, puzzled. "But you have to eat a lot more usually, right?".

Peter stiffened at this and curtly replied, "I lost my appetite ten months ago".

All the Avengers stared at their shoes at this while Peter sat stiffly.

"It's OK." Steve said. "Why don't you and Tony head down to the labs and tinker with something?" He suggested.

Peter subtly glanced at Nat for reassurance, and she reached over the table and ruffled his hair, "It's okay, Peter. You can go with Stark. I'll be here, talking to Clint and Wanda if you need me."

Peter wordlessly nodded and stood up, his eidetic memory remembering the exact location of the lab he used to work in.

"FRIDAY, take us to level 46 please." he told her as he and Tony entered the elevator. When FRI didn't reply, he looked towards Tony, confused.