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Technically he wouldn't have to add it to his and Tony's tally.
He hadn't been stabbed this time, more like slashed which was totally different.
The wound was large stretching across his left side, a smaller one sitting below it, it was impossible to tell how deep they were in the night, however both were leaking blood at an alarming rate.
Peter sighed, it was supposed to have been a simple mugging quick and easy to stop, he would sort it out and head back to aunt May, that was of course until the man pulled out a large knife out and stabbed him.
Well not stabbed exactly (him and Tony had a bet going in the lab, Tony trying to prove a point to Peter about the "dangers of being careless") if Peter lost the bet he was going to have to go to Tony's after every patrol to get check for injuries something that he really did not have the time for every night- being a teenage superhero came with significant challenges like saving people but still having to go home and do his calculus homework- and he was dangerously close to losing.
So no he had not been stabbed, he had been slashed with a knife.
It was fine. He was fine.
He just needed to get back and get some rest. His healing abilities should do the rest- probably.
So he gritted his teeth and began to swing home.
He quickly found out that it was a bad idea.
Half way there he had to stop on top of a building, his vision turning slowly black the world spinning.
He sat down hard to stop himself falling off of the building entirely (he did not need videos of Spider-man falling off a building while bleeding going around) and contemplated what to do next.
May's was still at least another 20 minutes away and he definitely wasn't going to make it like this. Which left him with only one other option.
He opened his phone and quickly texted aunt may:
Peter-man: patrol ran late crashing at Tony's see you tomorrow love you!
That should stop her from getting too worried. He knew she wouldn't see it tonight but still, he didn't want her to wake up to an empty apartment, she worried enough about him being spider-man as it was. Which was why he opted not to tell her the truth of the reason for his impromptu stay at Tony's
Next he opened his and Tony's chat and sent another text.
Human kebab: crashing here tonight :)
That was all he needed to say to Tony. He knew that he had an open invitation to his room in Avengers Tower.
A few minutes later he swung through his permanently open window and pulled off his mask and suit just as his vision darkened again.
He crashed onto the bed that sat in the centre of the room face down and fell straight asleep counting on his healing abilities to fix his wounds while he slept.
A knock on his door woke him what felt like seconds later "Pete! Tony said you slept here last night- Peter... Is that blood... Are you ok?!"
Peter groaned. The words not registering to him.
"Peter! Are you bleeding!"
He rolled to his back and looked at his still bleeding side
"God damn it! That was supposed to have healed by now!"
"Peter! What is going on?"
He looked over to the man in the doorway, his metal arm obvious under his short sleeved shirt.
Peter had never seen him look so concerned in the entire time he had known him.
"Bucky! Erm this... It's nothing really, I'm totally fine" he tried for an unbothered smile but it came out as more of a grimace as he snapped up to address the man stood in his doorway aggravating his apparently not healed wounds in his side.
"Pete your bed and you are covered in your blood, what the fuck is going on"
"Err.. it's really, really hard to explain, but I promise it's totally fine!"
The metal armed man sighed.
"Can you stand?"
"I think so? Yes. Probably."
"Ok come one then. We're all in the kitchen. We'll get you checked out and then you have some serious explaining to do."
Peter pulled himself out of bed grimacing slightly at the pain shooting through his left side. He hastily pulled on a pair of trousers- thankfully having pulled on a shirt when he got in last night even if it was now mostly covered in blood.
"Hey there you guys are finally!" Clint's voice came from the kitchen.
They all turned to see the two walking into the room. Each of their faces dropped as they noticed the state the two men (well one of them) were in Peter could walk, though much slower than usual and Bucky's non-metal arm hovered next to him in case he fell- which he was determined not to happen.
"Peter"
"Oh my god what happened?!"
"Peterparkerareyoubleeding?"
"Hey guys!" Peter greeted, smiling at the concern across the assembled avengers faces, swaying slightly.
"Sit." Bucky said from behind him.
He did as he was told, his side still causing him a large amount of pain.
The room exploded with the sound of worried Avengers trying to be heard.
"Peter!" Steve said worry written across his face "what is going on, why on earth are you bleeding"
"That's so complicated to explain really"
"Hang on!" Bruce this time. "Peter, I need to look at your side if that's ok. It looks like you're still bleeding, we'll get to why and how later, ok?"
Peter nodded, he was slightly concerned himself why his wounds hadn't healed yet and he hadn't been able to get a good look at them last night in the darkness of the alley he had fought the muggers off in yesterday.
He lifted his shirt gingerly wincing.
There was an intake of breath from the room.
"Peter..." Bucky's voice said, again with more concern than Peter had even seen on him.
He had become close with many of the Avengers the past few months, they had been convinced for a long time that he was Tony's son- he wasn't totally sure that they didn't still think that but they had all grown to like him so much that was invited to every hang out and movie night, even getting his own room in the tower (much to Ned's immense delight).
The cut was a lot worse than he had first thought.
His entire side was covered in blood. The cut stretched across his left side; the edges raised the wound deep making no effort to heal itself; a much smaller one sat beneath it far less deep than the other, the edges scabbing, his healing abilities finally doing something though it had apparently no effect on the larger cut.
"Peter." Tony's voice "when you are stabbed you do not send a text simply mentioning that you're staying over. You call for immediate medical attention for god's sake we've been through this!"
"First of all Mr Stark I was not stabbed so you don't get to add it to the tally chart. It was more of a slash across which is totally different from a stabbing so I haven't lost the bet yet. Second of all I thought I would have healed by now and could just mention it later with a totally healed side so there would be nothing for you to worry about! Besides, I was still totally responsible. I came here instead of going back to Mays when I almost passed out and fell off of the top of a building! Old Peter would have totally just carried on."
"Peter, you can't seriously be thinking about the bet right now (although we will be finding out whether that's technically a stab or slash wound later because I'm not losing) and even if I strongly disagree with your idea to rely on it, why haven't you healed yet? It's not like you."
"I don't know Mr Stark. I guess I didn't quite eat as much as usual yesterday but I didn't think it would affect my healing that bad!"
Tony punched the bridge of his nose and sighed "we've been through this Pete you can't go on patrol without eating. In case of this exact thing happening!"
The other avengers who had watched the two men (who had entirely forgotten about their presence) in silence throughout the argument chose that point to interject.
It was Clint who spoke first “what the fuck! Why the fuck do you have a tally for how many times Peter gets stabbed Peter why where you on top of a building wounded, come to think of it, why are you wounded in the first place and what the fuck is patrol!”
Natasha rolled her eyes and muttered “my god you're supposed to be the super spy” though Peter was sure that no one else had heard, that was not how he wanted his secret getting out and he was sure now that Natasha knew.
Before him or Tony could open their mouths Bruce interjected “guys we’re not letting this go but Peter's still bleeding and I really think we should handle that first. I'm going to stitch up your side and then you can answer all the questions”
Peter just waved him off “that's very nice of you Dr. Banner, but I've found out why I'm not healing now all I need is some food, right Tony?” The boy pleaded at the disbelieving faces of the surrounding Avengers.
Tony took a moment to reply “Yes I think so, but you're still bleeding so let's bandage it first then when you eat you're healing should kickstart and you'll be ok in a few hours, though kid I'm still annoyed at you not eating before going out last night it was dumb and that wound could have been way worse. Then what would you have done?”
Peter hung his head and mumbled an apology as Bruce re-appeared in the doorway holding a roll of bandages and a new shirt for Peter.
Once his midriff was appropriately covered the room exploded once again in questions.
Tony looked at him “it's up to you kid, it's your secret.”
“What secret Tony. This isn't funny if the kid's being put in danger we and his aunt have to know.” Steve interjected.
“Aunt May knows I promise! She found out after a few months. She knows I'm here as well and how I get here.”
Bucky spoke up again “Knows what Peter.”
“Erm… well the way that I was not stabbed on patrol and how I was on a building is well.” He paused taking a deep breath. “Well I'm spider-man.” He continued doing his best to talk over the notice of the avengers shouting “that's why I was on patrol. And got hurt. I was trying to stop a mugging, which seemed like a normal one until the guy had a knife, which ,Tony, is totally not my fault.”
Once the room calmed down Peter looked out to the (mostly) shocked faces of the avengers.
Nat spoke first “well I knew and honestly Clint you should have been able to work that out as well.”
“HEY! The kid literally had Tony Stark covering his ass. You wouldn't have found out either if he wasn't stabbed!”
“I was not stabbed- Tony you're not adding it, it is totally not a stab wound I've not lost the bet!”
Bucky spoke up this time “you two have a bet based off of how many times Peter gets stabbed? Isn't that a little morbid?”
“We started it last month when he got stabbed six times. If it happens more than that this month then I win- and he has to come over after every patrol so that I can check he's not hurt (and I might add that if today proves anything it's how bad he needs that) but if he wins, he doesn't something about “homework” and “time” and “being fine most of the time so it being a waste of time” .”
“Oh my god.” Steve looked as if he'd seen a ghost “I dropped a bridge on a 14 year old boy. On Peter, oh my god I'm so sorry.”
“YOU WHAT?!”
“It's all good Mr Rodgers. You dropped it on Spider-man not Peter. Besides I'm just glad that you aren't mad about… all of that. I thought you'd all hate me if you found out.”
“Of course not! We’re over that and besides you're a kid. Spiderman is a 16 year old kid.”
“Hey! I'm not a kid!” Peter protested. The room erupted again with questions (and laughter from some but Peter decided to ignore that)
“Hey! Peter (and I if I can) will answer all of your questions but right now I'm worried if he stands he'll pass out so we’re going to give him some food so that his healing can kick in and he'll answer all of your questions. Is that ok Pete?”
Peter nodded and they all moved around the kitchen until they were at their usual spots at the table around their now cold plates of food.
They allowed Peter to eat enough for him not to look as pale as before before the onslaught of questions started again.
Steve went first “who else knows about this”
“Well before all you guys it was my friends Ned and MJ”
Tony grinned “tell them how they found out Pete”
Peter sighed “erm Ned came over to build a lego set and didn't tell me… so I came in through my window as usual after patrol and.. well he was just there on my bed and MJ figured it out after a few months. That wasn't my fault though! She's super smart. And then it was also Tony and my Aunt May (aunt may found our pretty much the same way as Ned- minus the legos.).”
Bucky asked the next question “how long were you planning on keeping this from us- you've been around here a few times a week for months. What did you think would happen?”
“ It wasn't that I didn't want to tell you! It's just I never want to put my loved ones in any danger by people finding out who I am. And well… after Germany I thought that you might hate me if you knew who I was”
Bucky looked directly into his eyes and said “Mistakes were made Peter. That is not your fault. We could never, ever hate you anyway. But especially not for what happened.”
The other rouge avengers sat around the table (only Nat, Clint and Steve currently) nodded in assent, then Steve spoke up.
“Besides kid you put up a seriously good fight and I liked you as spider man as well even if we were on opposite sides I mean I literally dropped a bridge on you”
“Which -by the way- capsicle I'm still annoyed about. How come neither of you ever told me?”
Any tension in the room melted away at Tony’s comment as they all began to laugh at Tony's indignant expression.
They continued to ask Peter questions though they were much less serious now (most asking about walking on the ceiling although Bruce was incredibly interested in his web fluid).
They ate and talked and laughed.
Peter could feel his stomach healing and he was extremely pleased with the response of the avengers.
Everything felt even better than before.
Now everyone in his life he loved and wanted to know knew and everything was fine.