A/N: I say this every time I update, but it honestly feels like I posted the last chapter only a week or two ago! Geez, my sense of time is being seriously warped here. Anyways, another longer chapter today!

Over a year ago amanipaz requested a fic where Peter has an allergic reaction. I apologize for the huge delay, and I hope you enjoy!

Peter looked absolutely exhausted.

Pepper could see the dark half-moons underneath his eyes, the sluggish way he walked, how his hands shook and it took him a few seconds to register what was said to him. No matter how many times he brushed it off and claimed he was fine, the truth was still there in plain sight. Tony and May and seen it, too, and apparently the two co-parented Peter into staying the week at the Compound. Tony had pulled Pepper aside and said that being there would give him a chance to take a break from school and patrols, and hopefully relax a little. His grades were slipping, Tony said, and his friends were worried, and it's because the kid just doesn't give himself a chance to breathe. Some time spent away from it all could help.

So far, however, it didn't seem to be working. If anything, the insomnia was getting worse.

It finally came to a head when Pepper woke early on the morning of the fourth day. Her assistant had scheduled a meeting in a few hours that she'd been dreading for weeks, and she was hoping to get a little sunrise yoga in to boost her patience before breakfast. She returned from the roof terrace, water bottle in hand and a rolled mat under her arm, to find Peter in the kitchen.

He was slumped over the table, shoulders hunched almost defensively against the light streaming in through the large windows. Pepper brushed a hand over his upper arm and he jumped, whipping around in his chair.

"Oh-Pepper-hey," he said, rubbing one hand blearily over his eyes. "I didn't realize you were awake."

She hummed and set her things down on the countertop, peering over at the items strewn across the table. There were multiple coffee mugs around him, all drunk to the cold dredges. She remembered Peter saying he burned through caffeine. He must have drank half a pot at once to stay awake, but it didn't seem to be of much help now. Her eyes drifted to the papers and textbooks.

"Homework, Peter? I thought we agreed you'd set that aside for now." Her voice wasn't laced so much with disappointment than concern.

"Yeah, I know, but...I've got this group project in my chem class, and it's worth like a third of our grade. I can't just-bail. On everyone." he shrugged and picked up his pencil again. "Besides, I'm just the research guy. I just have to, like, pour over science encyclopedias for a few more hours and then send everything over to Ned."

Pepper pressed her lips together. "How long have you been working? It's nearly five in the morning, sweetheart."

Peter glanced at the digital clock gleaming on the oven's display and groaned quietly. "Ugh, really? I was hoping to be at least halfway done by now." he glanced up at Pepper's worried gaze and sighed. "It hasn't been that long, I woke up less than an hour ago." The way he was two steps away from physically prying his eyelids open said otherwise, but Pepper didn't mention it. Instead she nodded and rubbed his shoulder gently, trying to ease away the tension mounting there.

"Are you sure you don't want to head to bed, hun? Maybe take a nap until Tony gets up and you two head down to the lab?"

In all honesty, she knew both that if Peter shut his eyes now she doubted he would wake up until dinner, and that Tony had purposefully planned a full-blown movie marathon that day in the hopes that it would get him to conk out before the first set of credits started rolling.

But Peter shook his head again. "No, I really gotta get this done if the rest of the group has any hopes of making the actual presentation. I'm already behind by a full day, so." He waved a hand over the materials before him. "You know."

Pepper made a mental note to get him excused from schoolwork the next time this happened. It was clear he'd been up all night to no avail, his brain too sludgy to focus much on anything. She knew the feeling.

"Okay, if that's what you need to do. But at least let me make you some tea. I doubt you've had breakfast yet."

Peter met her eyes briefly and Pepper knew he was on to her. Her chamomile tea was famous for knocking out the Avengers after particularly long missions or nightmares. Bruce had even started making a stash of his own for post-Hulk transformations. She was expecting another refusal, but instead Peter attempted a tight-lipped smile.

"Sure, thanks."

"Perfect." It was an olive branch. Pepper smiled warmly and patted his arm before making her way to the cupboard where she kept the boxes of probably too-expensive tea. She shuffled through them, trying to find the extra-strength chamomile among the stacks of bags. She really should organize these-strawberry pomegranate, orange ginger, cinnamon vanilla, acai berry...no chamomile. Did she really drink that much of it last week? Those phone calls were stressful…

If chamomile wasn't available, another one of her favorites would do. Pepper pulled down a green box and read the label. Organic mint. Her go-to for feeling better after a long cold or intense workout.

As she boiled the water (no microwaving it today, Tony), she cast a glance over her shoulder at Peter, who was running a hand through his hair in agitation. Her heart ached. He was a spitting image of the Tony Stark she knew at times like these, and if she glimpsed him out of the corner of her eye too quickly, she'd have to stop herself from asking how FRIDAY's new pop culture coding was going. She remembered a conversation she'd had with May over the phone the previous day.

"He pretends like everything's normal, but I know bullshit when I smell it," May had said with a sigh. "I caught him walking laps around his room at three in the morning on a school night and he tried to cover it up by joking that he was a hot mess."

I'm a piping hot mess, Tony had admitted, finally, his hands in the air and weary panic pressed into the lines of his face. Pepper shifted on the couch.

"Do you think he's having nightmares?"

"I'm sure of it, but he doesn't want to admit to anything. I just...Pepper, I don't know what to do. He won't let me help him."

"I know the feeling." And she did. Tony had a nasty habit of covering things up for the sake of others, too. She spun a lock of hair around her finger absentmindedly. "I'll have Tony talk to him. It'll be okay, May," she said, letting her warmth for the woman seep into her voice. "We'll take care of him for you. I'll make sure to send you plenty of photos of the two of them passed out in the lab with grease in their hair."

May laughed, rich and bubbly. "You better." a pause, and then, "Our boys. Always running themselves ragged."

Pepper smiled and dipped her head. "Our boys."

Pepper set the steaming cup of tea next to Peter and pulled up a chair next to him, smiling fondly at his quiet "thank you" and running her hand through his tangled curls as he took a sip.

"You need a shower." she murmured. Peter slurped.

"I will, after." For a brief minute he looked at peace, his face relaxing at her touch. But then he took another sip and went rigid. He set the cup down with a dull thunk, sending droplets flying over the lip of the mug. "Pepper-" he croaked. "Is this peppermint?"

"I-it might be, but I can get you a different one if you'd like?"

"No, no-" Peter said, brow furrowed and face red. He was practically breaking into a sweat. His mouth twisted into a frown and he met her eyes. "Pep, I-I'm allergic."

Pepper could practically feel her face draining of color. That's right. Oh, nonono. She pressed a hand to her mouth, mind screaming at her in as many languages as she knew. Three seconds passed in which she let herself panic before she kicked into action. Stay composed now, freak out later.

"Okay, okay-FRIDAY? Get Tony, now." her voice cracked and she chanced a look at Peter, who was rubbing at his throat. "Peter? Sweetheart, where's your epi-pen, we need to get that."

"I think...backpack, it should be in my backpack."

"FRIDAY, tell Tony to bring one here. That one or-or there's one in the lab. And tell whatever doctors are in the med-bay what's going on. Peter, sweetie," she said, turning to look at him. "How're you doing?"

"I'm good, it's just-" he waved a hand at his throat. His arms and neck were blotchy, swarmed with hives. "Starts hurting really fast after this."

"Okay, that's okay. Here, let's go-" she helped Peter to his feet and steered him towards the elevator, arms shaking. It opened with a ding and Tony stepped out, gripping an epi-pen and meeting her eyes wildly.

"Peter-! Pep, what-FRIDAY said-"

"No time," Pepper interrupted as Peter wheezed next to her, his face pinched. Tony nodded as Peter reached for the pen, yanking off the cap and jabbing it into his thigh. Three seconds ticked by and he pulled it back out again, collapsing against Pepper with a series of gasps that each sounded-thank God-a little easier than the last one.

Two minutes into her panic attack, Pepper breathed.

Peter had an IV in his arm.

There was a cannula wrapped around his ears and under his nose, and a pulse oximeter clipped to his right index finger. He was asleep. The sheets he was on looked too starched, the pillowcase too stiff. The lights were too bright, the walls a shade too white. Maybe the room was just too silent. Pepper could find a million and one things wrong with it if she had to, if only to distract herself from what she'd done.

She couldn't believe it. She knew Peter was allergic to peppermint, he'd mentioned it the previous Christmas, for God's sake. He'd avoided every candy cane in the place like it was the plague-well, except for the cherry-flavored ones. Those he ate like there was so tomorrow.

But, God, she should have remembered. She was Virginia Potts, for crying out loud. She didn't forget anything. She knew both her and Tony's schedules on any given day, she knew the names of half the janitorial staff, she knew how to sign killer deals with old, rich business men who didn't look past her smile to read the fine print.

But, somehow, she couldn't recall the thing that could have killed the boy lying in front of her.

Damn insomnia. Damn cups of tea and organic mint flavoring and her overpowering motherly instincts that backfired horribly. Damn it all.

Pepper buried her face in her hands and sighed, silent tears escaping and darkening the material of her sweatpants. She heard the door slide open and looked up.

Tony was leaning in the doorway, lips pressed into a thin line and eyes dull. Even from where she was sitting by the bed she could see his crow's feet, crinkled ever so slightly as he chanced a tight smile.

"Hey, Pep."

She wiped her eyes instantly. "What's the news?"

"Just got done talking to Cho. She says he's gonna be fine, they're just going to monitor him for a bit."

"Good." Pepper glanced over to where Peter was lying, utterly still except for the steady rise and fall of his chest. At least he's sleeping, she thought, then immediately scolded herself for it. It seemed, however, that Tony was thinking the same thing.

"Kid was overdue for a nap," he said, moving to sit on the edge of Peter's bed. He brushed his thumb gently over Peter's forehead, tucking a stray curl behind his ear. He glanced up and Pepper smiled softly, nodding.

"Have you called May?"

"Not yet," Tony sighed. "I was...kind of hoping you could do that, actually."

Pepper froze. Explaining to May Parker that she accidentally poisoned her nephew wasn't high on her to-do list, especially after assuring the woman that they'd take good care of him. She wasn't worried May would be angry, per se, but the whole conversation loomed over her, tense, awkward, stilted. Those were not traits she wanted to portray.

Tony must have picked up on her uneasiness and cut in, "Or-if you don't want to, I can do it. No biggie. Aunt Hottie's heard far worse from me before, and I'm somehow still standing."

Pepper nodded again, this time in agreement. Tony furrowed his brow. "You alright, Pep? Because usually at this point you're already on top of everything, ordering food and thanking everybody on call. Not that you have too, I'm just...something's up. What is it?"

And that was part of it, wasn't it? Because Tony was right-she did do all of that, and near flawlessly. It was practically her job. If she didn't, she doubted anyone would pick up the slack just as quickly. She was always the one to coordinate events, refill prescriptions, or put flowers in a nice vase on the hospital room's table. If she didn't, it wouldn't get done. Simple.

And for the most part, she didn't mind. Enjoyed it, even. It was the little touches, the small things that showed you cared. Remembering details deemed unimportant and saving them for later, so that she knew exactly what kind of ballet slippers Natasha lusted after, or the brand of paint brushes Steve would use the most. She'd always been that way, and the reactions of the people- and the kindness she received in return-made everything worth it in the end.

But now-now, when everything was her fault-she couldn't make herself put on a brave face and get out there. The whole reason for this mess was her-it was probably best she step back and let others handle it for a while.

"Pepper?" Tony was still looking at her. Shoot. "You're zoning out on me, babe. You want me to get you something? Coffee, bagel, a shoulder massage?"

"Yeah," she plastered a small smile on her face and ran a hand through her hair. "If you could call May, that would be great."

"Okay," he tapped his fingers against the edge of the bed, then stood and opened the curtains covering the lone window across the room. Sunlight filtered through and danced lazily on the linoleum floors, illuminating the tired creases of Peter's resting face with bright clarity. Pepper watched the rays catch streaks of dust floating lazily in the air for a moment.

Tony sat back down on the bed with a "There. Less depressing," and turned to face her again. He tilted his head toward Peter.

"Do you know what happened?" he asked. "Did he eat something? If it was those salt and vinegar chips again, I'm gonna kick his ass."

"Not exactly," Pepper sighed and rubbed at her face. "Tony-it...I did it. I gave him peppermint tea."

She could see the confusion flick over his face. "I...What?"

Pepper gestured weakly with one hand. "He was up before five this morning, working himself half to death. I made him tea and didn't even think before I gave it to him. I...God, I'm so sorry."

She expected Tony to be silent for a beat. She expected him to exhale and run his fingers through his hair. She expected a half smile, a reassurance, a shrug that said okay, it's okay, he's okay. She expected him to disappear in his lab the next day after Peter woke up to burn off all his nervous energy, tinkering and creating until his hands ceased to shake.

What she didn't expect was for Tony to completely relax, slumping forward with a soft exhale.

"That's what happened?" he asked, eyebrows raised. "You made the tea for him, no one-nobody else was involved?" At Pepper's confused nod his shoulders loosened, draining of any tension held there. "Oh, thank God. I thought it might have been done by someone else."

"Someone...else."

"There was this guy, this plucky jackass with stolen alien tech-we think he got it from Toomes, we're not sure. Anyways, somehow he put two and two together and figured out spiders hate minty stuff, and he got Peter in the face with this spray, like, honest-to-God exaggerated breath spray, and it got through his mask's filter. Sent the kid into anaphylactic shock mid-patrol. I've fixed the mask, now, but I was worried maybe he'd figured out a way to do it again."

"I see." That was...worrying, to say the least. No wonder he was relieved. "I still poisoned him, Tony."

"Yeah, by accident. Am I gonna be a little upset? Yeah, sure, I am. But, Pep, you didn't mean to. I know you, you're probably ripping yourself to pieces right now-" at the look on her face he grinned. "-See? Called it. But you were just trying to help him. Lord knows I've gotten the poor kid into more than his fair share of dangerous experiences. You remember that HYDRA raid in Florida? Because I remember that HYDRA raid in Florida far too well." he paused, lips twisted to one side in that face he did when he was trying to remember his train of thought. He snapped his fingers and pointed at her. "The point is, Peter is gonna be okay. And you also acted way faster than I did last time this happened, God, I stood there gaping like a fish for a solid five seconds."

Pepper huffed a laugh, short and stressed, but it made Tony's eyes soften all the same. It was the exact look she'd seen him throw her all the time, not to mention the absolute doe eyes he gives to Rhodey whenever he shows up, practically clinging to his pressed polo shirts like a koala. And oh, look at that, it's also the one she sees him take on whenever Peter enters a damn room Tony's already in.

When her husband got so sappy, Pepper doesn't know, but she loves it all the same.

"So you're not going to be filing a restraining order against me?"

"Hell no. If we're left unsupervised we're gonna accidentally blow up Dum-E."

"Well, we certainly can't have that."

Peter stirred and scrunched his face up in his sleep, muttering something unintelligible. Tony turned and swept a thumb over his cheek. He murmured in Italian, words to a song she didn't know, something about a bird and a meadow. Pretty and soft. Peter's face smoothed out and he turned his face into his pillow, dislodging the cannula. Tony hooked it back in place.

"I'm gonna go call May. You alright staying here in case he wakes up?"

"Of course." Pepper moved to take his place on the edge of the bed.

"Mm-kay. Shout if you need anything." Tony kissed her briefly and was gone, leaving the room quiet and calm behind him. Pepper breathed in deeply, shakily, raking one hand through Peter curls and gently working out the knots she found, the other rubbing at the ache in her temple. "Will we ever get a weekend where you come over and Tony and I don't have a heart attack?" she whispered, fondness creeping into her voice. "Next time it's going to be strictly pajamas and Pixar movies, no exceptions."

Peter's eyelids fluttered open and he grinned dopily at her. "Sounds good'ta me."

"Oh, you little-how long have you been awake for?"

"Mm...few minutes? Long enough to know Tony croons lullabyes like a sparrow." his voice was hoarse, and he still looked positively beat, but his eyes were brighter than she'd seen them in days.

"He does, doesn't he?" Pepper pulled her hand away and ran a finger over her wedding ring. Nervous tick. "How are you feeling?"

"Throat's a little sore, but 'm fine. May?"

"Tony's on the phone with her now. I'm sure she'll take a cab over as soon as her shift's done."

Peter nodded bearily and yawned, wriggling deeper into the mattress. "Cool, that's cool. Are you okay?"

Pepper had to hold back a scoff. Was she okay? Lord, this angel was too pure for her.

"Yeah, sweetheart, I'm all right. Just really, really sorry."

"Don't be," Peter mumbled. His eyes were starting to droop shut and he blinked, fighting to stay awake. "I should've realized sooner."

"No, you shouldn't have, honey," Pepper said, pushing aside the lump of guilt still sitting heavy in her stomach, creeping up like acid to bleed through her chest. "That was all on me."

"Should've slept, 'n I would've known."

"Maybe, but that doesn't change it now."

"Mm. I guess not." Peter turned to look her dead in the eye again, hazy and sleepy and pumped with drugs. "Still not upset, though."

"Okay," Pepper whispered, and she felt tears prick at the corners of her eyes. Not enough to spill over, just enough to burn. She held one of Peter's hands in her own and pressed a kiss to his knuckles. "Okay."

"Okay." Peter said. He squeezed her hand and yawned. "I think 'm gonna sleep now."

"You do that, honey. You've got a lot of drugs in your system."

Peter nodded and laid back. He closed his eyes for long enough that Pepper thought he might have fallen back asleep, but then, "L've you."

God, he was gonna tear her heart in two, wasn't he? But something in those two words split the tension building in her core, letting it ease out through her limbs and drain like mercury. Like liquid glass, evaporating. She smiled, and this time she felt it, sunlight streaking through wisps of her hair and tracing freckles on Peter's face. She planted another kiss, this time on his forehead, and hummed made-up melodies until he drifted off for real.

When May arrived that evening, Pepper was reading The Hobbit to Peter in bed, and a blue vase of violets sat by the window.

fin

A/N: I've been struggling with this one for a while now-Pepper's a tough cookie for me to write! I tried to make her as in-character as I possibly could-did I do okay? (I also had Peter's allergic reaction happen a lot faster than the average person due to his enhancements.) I'm a big tea drinker, so-fun fact-all those tea names were part of my own assortment I drink (strawberry pomegranate is fantastic, really).

Thank you for reading, please drop in a review, stay safe, and I love you all 3000!