37. Timebomb
Anxiety, fear of recapture, referenced past captivity and torture, pain medication use, platonic bed sharing, comfort
AU Masterpost / Previous / Next
Harrison was starting to get nervous. Maybe they should have left right away. Maybe waiting would only give the people hunting them time to close the net. Maybe -
“You keep bouncing your knee like that you’ll wear a hole through the floor.” Dan didn’t look up from where he was helping Merrill copy the files. A backup, just in case, with Merrill’s neat scrawl transcribing the redacted portions as Dan handed her fresh prints.
It was something to spend the day doing, at least.
“Take a nap, Harrison. You’ll need it.”
Merrill paused her scrawl to meet Harrison’s eyes. They had decoded most of the redacted sections of the other files together (as much as Harrison could help with his mild concussion). Decoding Wolf’s…Harrison wasn’t sure she had finished before starting the copying project. He didn’t blame her if she hadn’t.
“Not sure I can do that right now. Just - stressed.” Thomas said he would stop by after doing his rounds and he hadn’t; it had been hours. What was keeping him?
“Kid, go close your eyes for a few minutes. Or at least check on Wolf - he turned down pain meds earlier and we both know he could use ‘em.” Dan was right. And Harrison was happy to stand and stretch, as much as his body protested.
The bedroom was quiet and dark, blinds drawn but the little blue night light casting its soft glow across the floor. Wolf wasn’t on the bed - as Harrison expected - but the cot was also empty. Looking at the floor, he had moved the pillows from the bed to the carpet and stripped the blankets from the cot to make a slightly worse combination of the both on the ground.
But Harrison wouldn’t deny, the nest Wolf had made looked safe in a way he couldn’t describe.
(Did he really miss sleeping on hard cell floors or did he just miss sleeping next to another warm body?)
Wolf sat up, hair mussed and eyes bloodshot as though he had been crying. The hoarseness to his voice didn’t do the suspicion any favors either. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. Dan said you didn’t take your pain meds.” Harrison crouched and handed over the glass of water and pills. Wolf looked at both for a moment before dry swallowing the medication and downing the glass in a few gulps.
“Thank you.”
“Don’t mention it.” Harrison took the empty glass and set it on the nightstand by the bed, still crouching next to Wolf. Who was watching him with…expectation? Anticipation? “Uh, I suppose - I’m supposed to try and get some sleep too. Doctor’s orders.” He chuckled nervously, tilting his head to the closed door in reference to Dan. Wolf nodded seriously, unraveling the blanket nest he had crafted on the floor.
“I understand - here, they’ll be warm for the bed - ”
“Wait I was - ” Would Wolf even want to share his space with anyone? Let alone Harrison, all bony and cold and - fuck it. Wouldn’t hurt to ask, would it? “I wouldn’t mind sleeping down here, if that’s alright.”
Wolf didn’t freeze up, but his hand slowly stopped stripping away the blankets around him. His brow furrowed, unreadable eyes glancing up to Harrison.
“Oh.”
Harrison was suddenly less sure that asking wouldn’t hurt.
“You can say no - I - it’s fine - ”
“No.” Wolf didn’t quite pause, but it was clear the words in his mouth weren’t wholly confident. “No, it’s alright. It’s - it’s a little…cramped.”
“Cozy.” Harrison suggested, carefully shifting to sit at the edge of the nest. “Uh, how - how close are you comfortable being?”
“As close as you need.” Wolf shifted, laying back down and leaving roughly half the nest open. Wolf rolled to his side, his back to Harrison as he carefully curled into the blankets.
(They were warm. Just as Wolf had said they would be.)
Harrison procured a pillow from the upper perimeter of the nest, the neck support a luxury he had sorely missed. He closed his eyes and breathed.
The carpet was a nostalgic kind of dusty, like the guest bedroom at a cousin’s house. The pillow sheet was freshly washed, the cotton clean and dry under his skin. It almost startled him that he recognized the faint smell of sweat and sterile gauze as coming from the body behind him.
(He briefly wondered what Wolf smelled like when he wasn’t injured and exhausted.)
Harrison turned his back to Wolf’s, tucking the blankets around him an under his chin - snug as a bug on a rug, he supposed. He had nearly drifted off when Wolf shifted behind him - closer to Harrison.
He started to doze again, the warmth and safety relaxing whatever fears he had about the future. Harrison leaned back, into that solid warmth, dimly aware Wolf’s meaty shoulder was under his head. It didn’t matter. Right now they were warm, and safe.
And Harrison didn’t survive the bunker by ignoring the little moments of respite and safety. Here he could sleep, for however long the peace lasted.
Which apparently wasn’t long. (Not that he was sure how much time had passed since he fell asleep.)
He woke with a jolt as Wolf’s arm snaked around him and hugged Harrison against his chest. The door squeaked slightly as it finished opening, Merrill’s familiar silhouette above them.
“Thomas is back. He has news.”
AU Masterpost / Previous / Next
(An AU of my Freelancers series)
Taglist: @i-eat-worlds @whumpy-daydreams
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Sticky Sickie
Title: Sticky Sickie
Fandom: Irondad
Word Count: 2500 (Read on AO3)
Prompts: #76 from @irondadmadlads and @comfortember prompts falling asleep on someone & quality time
“Pep!” Tony doesn’t care that he sounds whiney. Well, maybe he cares a little bit, but he has other, more important things to focus on. “Honey, I can’t stay in bed all day! I have things to do. I’ve been in bed all week, and–”
“I thought you might say that.” Pepper smiles brightly. “Would you rest if someone stayed with you? Misery loves company, after all.”
“Is that so?” Tony grumbles, feeling irrationally annoyed at the way his hopes soar at the thought of not having to be alone today. He stuffs down the hope and tries to sound indifferent. “You’re really going to stay here with me today?”
Pepper gives him a smile and Tony knows she can see right through him. “Mm, not quite.” She doesn’t explain herself, just leaves the room without another word, and Tony flops back onto his pillows with a heavy sigh that makes him cough a little. He’d been knocked on his ass almost a week ago by the cold from hell and though he’d love to be able to get up and get on with his life today, he’s actually still feeling really exhausted. Not that he’s going to admit that to Pepper.
Tony drags a hand down his face and starts to make a list in his head of things he’d like to get done today. When Pepper comes back into the room, she has someone shuffling along behind her, and Tony immediately forgets his entire list when he sees who it is.
“Peter?”
Peter pokes his head around Pepper, raising his hand in a little wave. He’s holding a box of tissues to his chest with his other arm, and he looks terrible, his face pale and his nose red. He’s wearing sweatpants and a hoodie, and he shuffles over to the wall closest to Pepper’s side of the bed, kicking his sneakers off and lining them up neatly before dropping his backpack down next to them.
“Hi, Mr. Stark!” Peter says, his voice so congested it doesn’t even sound like him.
“You’re sick too, huh?” Tony asks, guilt straining his voice. “I’m so sorry, Roos.”
“I’m okay,” Peter replies, sounding anything but. “Ms. Potts said you’re not feeling well and wanted my company. Which, I’m not sure I’ll be any entertainment because I’m also not feeling well, but–”
“Pete,” Tony cuts him off, because Peter is grimacing and rubbing at his throat as he talks, his voice croaky and fading fast.
Pepper notices, too, and she ushers Peter toward the bed. “You’re running a fever, sweetheart, so you’re going to get into this bed and rest today. Both of you are going to rest, got it?” She says, looking pointedly at Tony over Peter’s head.
“Got it,” Peter replies obediently. He climbs into the bed, sitting with his back up against the headboard, and lets Pepper pull the blanket over his legs. She smoothes her hand over his forehead, and he leans slightly into the touch, closing his eyes and making a little humming sound that turns into a whimper when she pulls her hand away.
“We stopped by and got a dose of meds from Bruce,” Pepper tells Tony. “F.R.I.D.A.Y. is going to be keeping him updated on Peter’s temperature. And she’s going to call me if either of you need anything. Okay?”
“Okay,” Peter says, answering again for the both of them. He shivers a little, then drags the sleeve of his hoodie under his nose, wincing as the action irritates the raw skin around his nose. He sheepishly grabs a tissue when he sees the way Pepper is looking at him, pressing it to his running nose and mumbling an apology.
“You two take care of each other, okay?”
Tony and Peter both nod, and Pepper leaves, kissing Peter on the top of the head and then making her way around the bed to do the same to Tony before she goes.
“Well,” Tony says once she’s gone. “Guess we’re gonna get a little quality time together today, huh?”
Peter, who’s dabbing at his nose with another tissue, swallows with a wince. “Huh?” His eyes look a little glassy when he looks over at Tony. “Oh, yeah!”
Tony crosses his arms over his chest. He feels terrible for getting Peter sick, of course, but he’s glad Pepper thought to coordinate him coming to the Tower for the day with May so he won’t be in his apartment alone. Being alone while sick isn’t Tony’s favorite thing, and being alone in general isn’t Peter’s favorite thing, so the arrangement works out. Plus, he really does enjoy Peter’s company, even if Peter will likely be sleeping for most of the day. Tony’s thoughts drift to his mental to-do list again, thinking about how much he might be able to get done while Peter naps, but he pauses when he realizes Peter is still staring at him.
“So,” he says, rolling onto his side to face Peter. “How are you feeling, bud? What do you want to do?”
“We could watch a movie?” Peter suggests. “Ms. Potts said to choose Star Wars if you want to be awake, or a movie that was made after I was born if you need to sleep.”
“Did she now?”
Peter nods seriously, completely missing the smile that Tony tries and fails to fight from spreading across his face. “I also have some homework I could work on, but that’s kind of boring.” He takes a long, shaky breath, and Tony suddenly realizes that he’s trying to be his usual chatty self, despite his rapidly fading voice and the fact that he’s clearly miserable.
“Hey, Pete,” Tony says, watching Peter shiver. “Why don’t you lie down so you can get all the way under the covers?” He holds the comforter up, and Peter nods, practically melting down the headboard until he’s completely horizontal. He curls up on his side, facing away from Tony, sniffling while Tony tucks the blanket around his shoulders.
A shiver runs through Peter, and Tony reaches out to rub his back, hoping the motion might help him feel a little warmer. Soon, Peter is almost asleep, his breath whistling in and out through his nose, and Tony is startled a little when Peter clears his throat loudly and reveals that he’s still awake.
“Your heart sounds really loud,” he whispers, and a second later he’s rolling over to face Tony, scooting closer until he’s fully pressed up against Tony’s body. He feels Peter’s hand against his face as he clumsily reaches up, his fingertips aiming for Tony’s pulse point and landing on his cheek instead. Tony’s skin is pulled slightly under the touch as Peter’s sticky powers are activated, his fingers prickly and clinging to his face.
“You’re…alive…I think?” Peter says, his eyes closed as he tries to assess the results of his failed attempt to check Tony’s pulse.
“I’m alive.” Tony reaches up and gently takes Peter’s hand, pulling it away from his face and wincing when the removal of his sticky fingers feels like someone ripping a bandaid off of his cheek. “Ouch.”
“Sorry,” Peter whispers, letting his hand fall to Tony’s chest, fingers immediately sticking to the skin above the collar of his shirt instead. It’s an odd feeling, slightly uncomfortable, but Tony doesn’t mind. Peter is almost asleep again. Tony reaches over and cards his fingers through Peter’s hair, and Peter snores a couple of times, then shakes his head slightly like he’s fighting sleep.
“Mr. Stark?” Peter’s voice is so small and so hoarse and Tony cringes because he knows it’s probably painful for him to talk, if his own experience this past week is anything to go by.
“Yeah, bud?”
There’s a long pause, during which Peter tucks his face into Tony’s shoulder, nuzzling the fabric of his shirt with his nose. “I have to cough,” he finally says, his voice muffled.
“Thanks for letting me know,” Tony chuckles dryly. “This is the part where you unstick yourself from me so you can cover your mouth. You know, keep your germs to yourself.”
“You’re the one who got me sick though,” Peter murmurs, then promptly sneezes right into Tony’s shirt.
“Oh, what the– That wasn’t a cough!”
“Oh.” Peter sniffles. “My bad.”
“You are absolutely disgusting,” Tony grimaces. He looks around for the tissue box, but it’s on the far nightstand on the other side of Peter.
“I…am?”
Tony sighs. “No. You’re not. You are pretty sick, though.”
“Yeah,” Peter agrees. He lifts his head, unsticking his hand from Tony’s chest and tucking his face into the crook of his elbow to cough. “It sucks.”
“Want to try a movie, or do you want to sleep?”
Peter nestles himself back against Tony’s side and closes his eyes with a congested sigh. He doesn’t answer, but two minutes later, he’s snoring.
Tony grabs his phone from his nightstand. He can work on a lot of things from his phone, which is the only device Pepper didn’t confiscate from him. While Peter sleeps, he plans to get at least five things from his list done. The first task is checking his emails. He taps on his inbox, but he doesn’t even get through the first email before Peter shifts in his sleep, tugging Tony’s shirt down with his hands as he tries to burrow further down into the warmth of the blankets.
“Hey!” Tony protests softly. He looks at where Peter’s hand is attached to his shirt, stretching out the fabric, and tries to gently slide a finger between Peter’s palm and his shirt to free himself. Peter moans unhappily, but his hand doesn’t budge. Tony tries a slightly more forceful approach. He peels Peter’s fingertips up one by one, but he’s not entirely successful until Peter moans again and lifts his hand up all the way. As soon as his hand is free, however, he slides it up under Tony’s shirt sleeve, seeking warmth for his fingers. His cold, sticky fingers.
Tony sighs. When Peter had been awake, unsticking himself from Tony felt like a bandaid being ripped off, uncomfortable and a little painful, but he’s worried it will be worse now that Peter’s asleep and he doesn’t want to risk losing skin or something. As soon as Peter stills, he pulls up his emails again, resigning himself to staying very still and very stuck.
He lasts about one hour before he gets bored of reading and responding to emails.
“Pete?” He whispers, satisfied when Peter doesn’t answer. He just needs to unstick Peter from his arm, and he can sneak down to the lab while Peter rests in bed. He reaches his opposite arm over and takes Peter’s wrist, giving an experimental tug. The motion pulls at his skin, but Peter’s hand stays firmly pressed to his bicep.
“Mr. Stark?” Tony looks over to see Peter blinking sleepily up at him.
“Your hand is glued to my arm,” Tony explains. Peter sniffles and looks down at where his hand is tucked under Tony’s shirt sleeve. It takes him a moment to move, and when he does, his motions are sluggish and clumsy. When he pulls his hand away, Tony clamps his mouth shut to keep himself from crying out in pain.
“Sorry for stickin’ to y–” Peter’s cut off by a yawn. “To you. When I’m sick it’s harder to control.” He yawns again, and Tony chuckles, adjusting the covers over Peter and sliding away and out of bed before Peter can stick to him again.
“Go back to sleep,” Tony says. “I’m just going to run down to the lab for a bit.”
“Pepper said I’m supposed to keep you in bed,” Peter says weakly. His voice crackles on the last few words, and he buries his face back into his pillow to cough a few times. He lifts his head, rubbing at his eyes with a fist and looking sad. “Sorry I’m not very good company.”
“You’re the best company, Pete. I just have a little work to do.”
“But you’re not supposed to work today,” Peter argues hoarsely.
Tony sighs. “I’ll just be down in the lab for an hour, two hours tops. You can stay here and nap the whole time.”
“I could read you my book for English,” Peter offers. “Or you could read to me…?”
“While that is a very tempting offer, what if we go down to the lab for a little bit first? You can come with me and keep me company down there,” Tony tries again.
After a moment of consideration, Peter nods. “Okay.” He sits up carefully, scooting to the edge of the bed and planting his feet on the floor, shivering hard when he loses the warmth of being under the comforter. Tony takes a blanket from the bed and wraps it around Peter’s shoulders, then helps him stand, frowning when Peter sways a little on his feet.
“Here,” Tony says, grabbing the box of tissues from the nightstand for Peter and immediately smirking when Peter holds up a finger and inhales sharply, but instead of taking a tissue from the box right in front of his face, he tugs the sleeves of his hoodies down over his hands and aims a sneeze into the fabric instead.
“Wha–? Okay,” Tony says, rolling his eyes. He shakes the tissues in front of Peter’s face with a pointed look. “Bless you.”
Peter sniffles wetly and takes the box, crossing his arms to hold it against his chest, but still not using a tissue. “Thanks.”
In the elevator, Peter leans up against the wall, letting his head rest against the cool metal side. His face is flushed red, and Tony reaches out, pressing the back of his hand to Peter’s cheek.
“Feeling pretty warm there, bud,” he says. Peter responds with a cough, sagging against the wall like it’s the only thing keeping him upright. When Peter is done coughing, Tony holds his arms open.
“Want a lift?”
Peter shuffles forward, sniffling miserably, and lets Tony pick him up, blanket and tissues and all.
“Hold on,” Tony says, and realizes his mistake a second too late when Peter actually latches on to him, his arms and legs wrapped around Tony like he’s a sticky koala. He tucks his warm face against Tony’s neck and huffs out a little sigh, and Tony doesn’t move when the elevator doors slide open. He looks out into his lab, at all of his waiting projects, and then down at Peter dozing off in his arms. With Peter clinging to him like this, he’s not even going to be able to sit at his lab table, let alone get any work done.
That’s how Tony finds himself back in his bed a couple minutes later, literally stuck to a sick, feverish teenager, and falling asleep to the sound of Peter’s loud snores and a movie from 2003 playing in the background.
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