An-Peter's PTSD manifests into hallucinations

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Peter smiled and hummed as he tottered around his room. He vaguely remembered that he needed to cut his nails before Monday, so that's he found himself tottering into the bathroom. He looked up with a lazy smile on his face, which was wiped off when he saw Ben standing there. His face paled and his blood ran cold. Ben smiled at him, walking forward and slinging an arm around Peter's shoulders, swaying them slightly.

"What's up Petey? What you up to this fine afternoon?" Ben said. Peter shook his head frantically.

"You aren't real." He whispered. Ben raised an eyebrow at him, his face twisted in confusion.

"What are you saying, Pete? I'm right here." Ben said. Peter cried out in frustration.

"You aren't real, you aren't real, you aren't real!" Peter muttered over and over again, rocking on his heels. Ben's smile haunted him in the mirror. Peter screamed bloody murder as he punched the mirror, shattering it into hundreds upon hundreds on pieces. Peter kept crying as his hand was cut open, spilling blood all over the clean white tiles. He stumbled back, clutching his bloody hand in his other.

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Tony was sitting in the worlds most boring meeting ever, Fury's eyepatch was extremely interesting. He almost fell out of his seat when FRIDAY interrupted Steve's speech.

"Boss, Peter has had another episode and is extremely injured, I recommend immediate medical attention," FRIDAY said. TOny shot up and out of his seat at the words.

"Where is he FRI?" He asked frantically, already scooping up his phone.

"He is just outside the door, sir, I directed him here when he asked for you," FRIDAY said, being interrupted by the door slamming open, Peter stumbling into the room, blooding dripping onto the floor from his hand. Peter looked up at Tony, his eyes frantic, darting around the room frantically.

"I saw, I saw him. I saw him again in the mirror and I, and I, I, I punched it because he wouldn't go away and I, I-" Peter's stuttering was cut off by Tony who was running toward him, already tearing off his blazer and wrapping it around Peter's hand.

"It's ok kid, I don't care about the mirror. I care that you're safe." Tony said, Catching Peter as his knees gave out. Peter looked up at him, his eyes still darting around.

"He was so real Tony, but I knew he wasn't and and, I couldn't get him out of my head. He was just there and and-" Tony but of Peter's stuttering again.

"I know Underoos, I know. But you're ok, he's gone and you're ok." Tony said softly, wrapping the blazer around his hand tighter.

"But I broke your mirror." Peter chuckled softly, letting Tony slowly bring him back onto his feet.

"I don't care about the damn mirror. I'm just happy you came straight to me this time." Tony said, holding Peter steady as he swayed on his feet.

"Only cause FRIDAY would have gotten on my ass if I hadn't," Peter said with a sly smile.

"I detest that statement, Peter," FRIDAY said.

"Sorry FRI," Peter said sheepishly.

"You've lost a lot of blood kid, we need to get you to medical." Tony said, only to be stopped by a worried Steve.

"I'll carry him, there's no way he should be walking," Steve said. Tony surveyed him then nodded. Peter looked at Steve starstruck, trowing an awed look at Tony as Steve effortlessly picked him up.

"You're Captain America," Peter muttered Steve couldn't help but snort.

"Yeah, I am kid." Steve said, noticing how light the kid was.

"Wow. Can You sign my arm?" Peter said the team who were following chortled at Peter.

"Sure kid. After we get all the blood off." Steve said, making Peter frown, he seemed to have forgotten all the blood.

"S'not that bad. Just a little bit of blood." Peter slurred. Steve rolled his eyes.

"Sorry to break it to you kid, but you're soaking my shirt there kid," Steve said. Peter nodded, his facial expression was dazed.

"Yeah, Tony always gets mad at me because I get blood on his nice carpet. I have a pile of bloody shirts in my room." Peter said.

"Jesus who is this kid Tony?" Steve asked. Peter laughed a little.

"No no, don't tell him, Tony, I wanna. 'M Spiderman. Ya know Pew pew with the webs. Stole your shield. Sorry, bout that by the way." Peter said. Steve frowned.

"Queens?" Steve asked, realising where he recognised the kid's voice.

"The one and only," Peter said.

"Ok queens, why the hell are you do light?" Steve asked, Peter rolled his eyes.

"Spiders don't have bones." He muttered, Steve paled, shooting a look in Tony's direction, who was cackling.

"Don't worry Cap, the kid has bones. He just has a very low bone density." Tony said. Peter nodded.

"My bones are bendy." Was all he said as he was deposited on the bed. He giggled at Steve's face, "Tony, look at his face. D'ya see it?" Peter giggled again. He almost fell off the bed, but Tony steered him onto it again.

"Stay put Kid, you've lost a hell of a lot of blood there. Cho will be here in a second." Tony said, holding Peter on the bed, who nodded, a dazed smile on his face. Cho rushed into the room and paled at the sight of bloody Peter. She immediately got to work, disinfecting his hand and stitching him up.

"Another episode Peter?" She asked gently. Peter nodded.

"Punched a mirror." He said guiltily.

"Don't worry about it Peter, Tony doesn't mind. He likes excuses to spend money." Helen said. Peter grimaced as she continued stitching him up, "Do you want to talk about it?" She said quietly, Peter shrugged.

"Saw him again. I was going to cut my nails, and then he walked into the bathroom, put his arm around my shoulder and asked what I was doing. I told him he wasn't real but he didn't go away like normal." Peter said, "I was having a good week too, no manifestations or other symptoms. I don't even know what triggered it." Peter said, wincing when his hand moved.

"Well you're symptoms are definitely getting better. How are the sessions going?" She asked. Peter shrugged.

"You mean with Susan? She's ok, really freaks me out though, and she's always asking me about MJ. So how's MJ? Are you thinking of taking MJ on a date? Are you and MJ intimate? Like who asks that? She's more nosy about MJ then TOny." Peter said, a grin making its way onto his face. Tony made an offended noise at the statement, making Peter giggle.

"Yes well, I think Susan is just concerned about your relationships." She said, a smile present on her face.

"Yeah well, she doesn't need to ask me what MJ and I do at her place," Peter said, a blush spreading across his face. Helen couldn't help but burst into laughter, pausing the stitches in favour of laughing.

"Sorry Peter, but I know for a fact that you and she would be reading books or watching StarWars." She said, continuing the stitches.

"Hey, StarWars is great! Besides her dads scary." Peter muttered. Cho finished the stitches and straightened up, disposing of the tools, Peter went to get up but Tony stopped him.

"Is he allowed to move?" He asked, Peter huffed and rolled his eyes.

"I still need to wrap his hand. He's not allowed to move it al all for at least three days. No patrol for a week. Don't want those stitches coming undone." She said calmly, already wrapping his hand.

"A week?!" He said incredulously.

"A week. And I recommend not walking, you lost a lot of blood." Peter huffed at her words. But he let himself be manoeuvred into a wheelchair and wheeled out of the room, "How many stitches?" He asked, stopping Tony from wheeling him out of the room just yet.

"67." She said. Peter grinned up at Tony. Tony rolled his eyes at him.

"New record I know," Tony muttered.

"Wheeeeeeee." He said sarcastically as Tony wheeling him to the lounge room. Tony laughed as he wheeled Peter.

"We can watch StarWars if that makes you feel better," Tony said. Peter hummed.

"And cuddles?" Peter questioned hopefully. Tony sighed, but couldn't fight the smile making its way onto his face.

"And cuddles," Tony said. Peter smiled in triumph as Tony helped him onto the couch.

After the movie was softly playing in the background, the team had settled in the couches, and Peter tucked himself into Tony's side, he smiled in content. Tony was running a hand through his hair, Peter hummed, nuzzling further into Tony's grasp. Tony sighed, hearing as Peter's breath evened out into sleep. Tony sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose, he looked up at the team hesitantly.

"I adopted Peter here after his aunt moved for work. He had a severe case of PTSD, which manifests into hallucinations. Sometimes he can snap out of them, but days like this they are really really vivid, and he hurts himself. Believe it or not, that's not the worst he's done. He broke a couple of bones that last time he hurt himself." Tony said, looking down at Peter who looked perfectly content curled up in his arms, his breath hot on Tony's chest.

"The kids gone through a lot?" Bucky said. Tony nodded sadly.

"Parents died when he was still a baby, watched his uncle die, and has intense separation anxiety. He gets attached to certain people." Tony said. Leaning into the couch and feeling his own eyelids dropping.

"I'll tell Fury we will re schedule the meeting," Natasha said quietly. Tony only hummed in response, already falling asleep.