Pride Is Not The Word I'm Looking For

Chapter 15

^how the frick you guys!! Like when I started his book out I never would have thought I would get 4K reads, 316 votes, or #1 in whump. I expected like 20 reads most but iskjsiskajsjksjs. You guys are all amazing and I love each and every one of you. 💖🥰
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-+*+- Tony -+*+-

Tony stepped into the dimly lit room. The sun hadn't risen yet and shadows still danced on the grey walls. He needed to know what Peter meant by 'skip' and he hoped that looking around his room would help. He had just opened the closet door when he heard mumbling. Tony froze thinking that he had woken Peter before realizing that the kid was dreaming.

Tony closed the door softly and padded over to the side of Peter's bed. The poor kid was tossing and turning under his covers and shaking all over.

Nightmare, Tony thought.

He had experienced enough of those before to know what it looked like. Pepper was the one who usually calmed him down after one but she was currently out of the country attempting to make a deal with another engineering company. Tony suspected she'd be back in a few weeks so he tried to keep himself together.

He shifted his weight to his other foot and wrapped his arms around himself thinking. He debated on whether or not to wake the sleeping boy. If what Bucky said was true, Peter needed the sleep, but Tony didn't want him trapped in a nightmare either. He knew how bad those could get.

He decided to leave him be. If he woke him up, Peter would have to explain himself and Tony knew how uncomfortable that was to the kid. He hated talking about his past. He wanted to be so strong for everyone. It reminded Tony of himself and that was enough to scare him half to death.

He tiptoed back to the door before stepping through and closing it with a soft click. He sighed and walked back downstairs to the living room.

Tony entered the vast living room and was met with a lot of questioning glares. Tony rolled his eyes.

"He's fine, and I'm fine, I just wanted to check is all," he explained, "So can you all get off my damn back?"

"Alright fine," Natasha spoke up.

"I suggest we all get some shut-eye before we actually have to get up," said Rhodey from the back of the group. Tony rolled his eyes again. "That means you too Tony."

Tony huffed and stalked upstairs to the penthouse, while everyone else headed downstairs to their rooms. He had no plans on sleeping.

-+*+- Peter -+*+-

Peter was walking the halls of a large library. He didn't seem to be looking for anything, he was just... walking.

He turned on the corner of the wall and he was suddenly sticking to the ceiling. There were bookshelves still lined across the former ceiling so he continued on.  He saw someone crouched down looking at the magazines on the bottom shelf of an aisle. He sped up in an attempt to reach the man. He looked strangely familiar.

Peter wanted to ask his name but before he could the man snapped his attention to Peter with a magazine still in hand. He smiled eerily at Peter and stood up. His height seemed to go on endlessly but Peter could still see the man's face from where he stood.

"Hey Einstein!" The man called.

Peter's face turned ghost white and he stumbled backward falling in the process. Skip walked towards him with his face pulled in an unnatural smile. He could feel each step that he took shaking the entire building. Peter felt so vulnerable and afraid that he could barely even move.

He saw Skip kneel down in front of him again.

"Did you miss me?" he asked.

Peter was jolted and suddenly he was on a couch. He looked around and saw his Aunt and Uncle on the other couch facing him.