The Ways We Drown || Peter Parker

Tony

The ocean is all consuming.

Basic survival skills seem impossible to follow as he sinks lower into the water, yet he kicks his feet anyway in a useless attempt to swim. The waves are ruthless as they crash into him, and the temperature only seems to drop as he begins to lose consciousness.

Tony is shocked that he's even managed to survive the initial landing, and for some reason that's the only thought he is able to focus on as he closes his eyes and allows the muscles in his body to loosen. The feeling reminds him of the calm before a storm, where all stress seems to vanish for just as a moment as he relaxes instead.

It was vital to plan the jump so they were far enough from the plane crash but close enough to the water where either wouldn't die from the impact. He supposes if he was still alive then he had managed to do exactly that, but the question on what to do next was one that felt not as important anymore.

But then he barely registers the hand that is pulling him forward, and it takes longer than it should for Tony to realize that he's not alone in the middle of the ocean.

Peter.

Any calm that he was experiencing is quickly replaced with blind fear which gives him the energy he needs. Before he knows it his head is above the water, and he thrashes around while desperately searching for a quick solution. Meanwhile, his heart thuds loudly against his chest and acts as a reminder as of what was on the line.

Peter, Peter, Peter, Peter-

It's hard to focus on anything other than his terror, and he looks around only to find the remnants of the private jet they were on minutes ago. It's completely destroyed with pieces and parts floating all around them, and it causes the waves to react in a way that makes Tony feel seasick.

He ignores the nausea and keeps moving his arms, and it's not until then when he feels the same hand from before gripping desperately on his own. The hand keeps tugging and makes him aware of what was happening, and it's only then when Tony forces himself to look past the ocean to see where they were headed.

Directly in front him lays a relatively large piece of metal that seemed able to hold two people, and he finally understands what Peter was trying to accomplish. He finds his bearings as he moves with him, and with Tony no longer acting as dead weight the two are able to reach the area in record time.

Peter effortlessly hops onto the aluminum before turning back and physically dragging Tony on as well. From there he drops him so roughly that he thinks it's going to leave a bruise, yet it's the least of his concerns as he leans forward and chokes the salt water out of his lungs.

His chest hurts more than ever before, and the lack of oxygen makes him believe that he's going to die either way. Nevertheless, he forces the water out of his mouth and doesn't waste another second as he crawls over to Peter.

When Tony is finally able to take a good look at the kid, what he sees makes his heart leap out of his throat. Peter's lips are practically blue as he continues to cough, and his whole body shakes and spasms as he's barely able to hold himself up.

Tony thinks that he's going to have to perform CPR, though he doesn't know how he's going to achieve this when he can barely breathe himself. Fortunately however, God seems to be on his side for once in his life, because right when Tony slams his palm against Peter's back is when he hears wet gasps for air coming from the boy. It's outright painful and Tony can barely hear it over the sound of the waves crashing into each other, but it's there nevertheless.

And it's a beautiful sound, for it's proof that they both have somehow survived against all odds.

Peter glances up at Tony then, and he can barely see his eyes with his soaked bangs covering most of his forehead. Still, he notices a look of resolve on Peter's face, and it's the only warning Tony receives before he turns and attempts to dive right back into the unforgiving water.