A Place to Rest Your Head...and Maybe Call Home

by GeneCooper, PeterStark

Summary:

After May and Ben die, Peter is put into the system. After going through too many homes in too short a time, he decides he'd be beter off alone.
Living on the streets, Peter makes the best of what he has by using his brain and his powers to his advantage. He was prepared to hide out until he was old enough to hold a job and be considered an adult by the state. He'd find a way to live and survive until he could get back on his feet again.
Then an internship changes everything. It may even change his Parker Luck.

Notes:

This is going to be an expansion of the world sort of built in my story 'You're Gonna Be Okay', by popular demand, and because I liked this idea.
Next chapter I get to show you more of Peter's hideout and I wish I could draw it for you, because our spiderbaby has made himself a little nest and it's sad, but kind of cool too. He's doing his best with what he's working with. He wants to stay positive so, I'm going to try to be positive with him.
Anyway. I don't know where this is going, but I'm ready to go on the ride. Hope you enjoy this.
I own nothing.

Chapter 1: An Opportunity

The steeple was a temporary solution. It had a good vantage point. The loose ceiling boards were a good place to hide things and sleep, so the two suitcases he had and a bag of food were stashed there. It wouldn't work for too long though, the open slats and semi-leaky roof made it a chilly place, even if it was semi-shelter from rain. He couldn't stay there for much more than another couple of weeks or so. He just didn't have enough blankets and clothes to keep him warm, especially since he couldn't maintain his body heat anymore. It was a nice place though. Maybe if he got enough stuff from dumpster dives he could fix up the inside a little better to keep warm...but the winter would probably be too cold anyways. Shelters were just so damn hard to get into.

Peter had to admit, it had a good view. He climbed up the steeple, above the bell and pushed up the loose boards, retrieving his school bag. At least he still had school to lean on, but he didn't know for how much longer. If social services went to his foster 'home' as they should, he'd only get to go to school until the beginning of January. The problem, would be that social services would know he was living on the street and they'd be able to find him at school. He'd eventually have to drop out so they couldn't find him. He was never going back to a foster home again. He'd already been in three that were hell, just in the matter of five months. He was better suited to take care of himself. All he had to do was wait it out until he was sixteen. He'd have to somehow get a job before then and be able to afford a place to stay...but, he could do it...maybe.

Giving up school would suck though. It was the last connection he had to loved ones. He'd miss seeing Ned. Plus, school meant he had two meals and heat for a few hours, not to mention access to a shower and a place to make web fluid. He liked learning too, even though most of the classes were a bit too easy. But he wasn't going back to the system, even if he had to be homeless and school-less.

Peter slung his bag over his shoulder and dropped down to the floor. School was a ten minute walk, he needed to get going. He pulled his wallet from his back pocket and looked inside: $3.97. He really had blown it. He'd saved money from working odd jobs and the part time work he'd had for a few months. In the tin can in the roof, along with his important documents, he had $782.23. He budgeted to give himself ten dollars a week to get whatever he needed, which wasn't enough for his enhanced metabolism, but he had found a lot of places that gave out food to the homeless. He found a few churches that gave out bags of non-perishables, so he usually got two paper sacks a month. Then there was a cool spot that would let him 'shop' around and choose what he wanted as long as it fit into their box once a month. (Peter was glad he was good at geometry.) There was also a grocery store that sold their 'on it's way out' produce for as little as a dollar a box. It was fifteen minutes away by swinging, but Peter liked being able to have fruits and vegetables.

He had a good stack of food in the corner, but some of it he couldn't eat yet. He had a can opener, but he hadn't yet finished his project of converting the (almost) perfectly good coffee maker he'd found into a battery operated one so he could heat water for the instant meals and soups. He'd get the last bit finished in class today though, he knew it.

He really shouldn't have bought the sandwich from Delmar's. He'd just wanted one so badly. He missed it. So he bought one and now he had $3.97 to get from Wednesday to Sunday. He really hoped he could get his rechargeable battery pack to work in class, because if he didn't he'd be down to his last two boxes of cereal. And after one afternoon of patrol he could eat both of them in one sitting and still be starved. As soon as he had the coffee maker he could start cooking his canned soups and rice and noodles and just so many things. He'd be glad to finally have warm food again. It had been a month, except for at school meals, since he'd had a warm plate of food.

Peter shook his head. He needed to get to school so he could sneak into a lab early and get started on his battery. He went through the trap door and down the ladder into the church. He opened the door and stepped into the hallway. The church was empty, as it usually was this early in the morning. Peter only had to be careful later in the day. But, when there were people inside he could always swing up to his makeshift home.

He thanked God for letting him stay in His home as he left through the front doors. Ben had always said churches were the houses of the Lord, so Peter didn't want to be an ungrateful guest, even if he wasn't quite sure there was a god watching out for Peter Parker. Maybe if there had been he would have noticed Peter's utter lack of caring adults...but hey, Peter couldn't judge. He hadn't yet been evicted from the house of God, so he'd just hope and pray that sometimes bad shit happened and maybe there was a plan for it all in the end... Maybe something good could come from his unlucky existence.

-

"Yes!" Peter beamed. The battery was working. If his calculations were correct, the battery could work for seventy-two hours before needing to recharge. That would be simple. All Peter would have to do is buy himself a drink at a restaurant, plug it in, and wait it out. It'd be fine. He plugged the battery into the outlet at his lab desk and shoved the battery into his drawer. He'd sneak back out of the school and walk in like the rest of his classmates.

If it all worked out, he'd have a hot dinner to warm him before bed.

-

Peter chatted with Ned as they waited for class to start. He wished he could tell his friend, but he knew Ned. Ned would try to get him to come to his house, then Mrs. Leeds would figure it out in a snap and have Peter sent to yet another foster home. She wouldn't do it with ill intent, she would just not want Peter to be out on the streets. But even hungry and cold, Peter was doing better on his own. If he didn't heal as fast as he did, he'd probably still have bones healing from his last stint in a foster home. It was par for the course though. Peter knew there were lots of good homes out there, but he was a Parker and he'd always had shitty luck.

"Did you hear, dude? There's supposed to be some big announcement today. Wonder what it is?"

"Mr. Harrington called it an opportunity, it could be really bad or kinda cool." Peter shrugged.

"I'm going to bet 'really bad' on this one. Harrington's not the best with announcements." Ned laughed.

"True." Peter nodded.

Mr. Harrington walked into the room and took attendance before standing up in front of them. "Alright, all of us first hour teachers get to make a pretty awesome announcement today, so, listen up." The teacher pulled a stack of papers out of his laptop bag. "Stark Industries has, for the first time ever, made an open call for internships from gifted teens."

Excited whispers filled the room as Peter and Ned shared a wide-eyed look.

"It's cool, I know. Very cool." Mr. Harrington said. "Here's the dealio. Only five schools in New York are allowed to send their students. If you'd like to try to get the internship, you'll need to fill out one of these applications, here. There will be a selection process and Stark Industries will take thirty students for four weeks to intern, at the end of that period, one lucky student will become a full-fledged SI intern. The odds are low, but may they ever be in your favor, or whatever it is you kids say." He shrugged. "If you want to read up on it and apply, grab a packet on your way out. Now, onto class."

"Bro, you could totally get it." Ned elbowed Peter.

"What about you?" Peter retorted, elbowing him back.

"I don't think they'd let me stay if I hacked them...which I would, because I'd be tempted to and you know I don't deal well with temptation." Ned laughed. "I'd get kicked out at best, arrested at worst."

Peter laughed. It was true. Ned would take it as a personal challenge to see just how far he could get into the SI systems before someone caught him...and he would get in trouble for it. "I wonder how you qualify for this thing."

"You have to have your parent's signature." Flash commented. "So, I guess you won't be getting in, Penis."

"You know, the orphan jokes only get funnier and funnier after each parental figure I lose." Peter snarked. "Comedy equals tragedy plus time, after all. So orphan jokes times four dead guardians, man, you're starting to get funny." Peter used sarcasm to fight back, because if he wasn't trying to be witty or sarcastic, he'd cry.

"Whatever, Penis-OUCH!" Flash grabbed his arm where he'd been slammed by MJ's book.

"Oops, it slipped while I was accidently throwing it at you...it WAS supposed to hit your face." MJ sighed and picked up her book. She looked at Peter and smiled faintly. "Don't listen to him...loser." She never could just end the sentence nicely. But Peter liked that about her. It was refreshing somehow for her to be kind but not treat him like glass. "You should take a packet, Parker, I know you're into that whole SI thing."

"And you're not?" Peter asked.

"They create weapons and warmongers." MJ said with a straight face.

"Not Mr. Stark." Peter defended.

"He did though, and what good's he doing anyway?"

"There have been seven new departments developed since his kidnapping." Ned commented. "Some of them even help wounded soldiers by giving them prosthetics. He may not be...in control of SI, but it's progress, right?"

MJ's expression remained unimpressed. "I'll believe it when I see it. They still profit most from feeding war across the world."

Peter zoned out while Ned and MJ bickered. Would it be a paid internship? If he couldn't stay in school, at least he'd be able to learn...and maybe make some money if he managed to get it. He'd have to have a cover story so they wouldn't find out about him... Even if it wasn't paid he'd just be excited to work with those brilliant minds, plus, it would give him another warm building to go to in the coming cold months.

At the end of the class, Peter grabbed one of the packets. He could try. Sure, the odds of him getting past the first selection process, assuming half the kids in the schools decided they wanted to try, was less than a third of a percent, but...hey...he'd try. If he didn't try he wouldn't get it and if he did, he probably wouldn't get it either, but at least he'd know the truth.

-

Tony looked up at Pepper and folded his arms over his chest. Pepper, held his gaze without any sign of backing down. Tony frowned. "You did what now?"

"I thought you could expand your horizons, take on the future leaders, maybe teach them a thing or two."

"You want a teenager running around in my labs? A teenager?" Tony huffed.

"I thought you could use an intern."

"SI has plenty of interns, Pep."

Pepper face became stern and she straightened up. "I meant you, Tony."

"That's what I have you here for."

"No." Pepper shook her head. "I'm here to do all the business work you, not so politely, refuse to do, while you play with your toys in the lab. I think you need an intern in the lab. At the very least they're someone who can get you coffee so I can get my work done."

Tony spun in his seat and pointed to DUM-E and U. "I have robots to get me coffee."

"Dum-E gave you motor oil just yesterday."

Tony couldn't fight that one, she was telling the truth. "It's how he shows affection. Look, I don't want a little kid running around in here. What if they haven't got all their shots or they get a cold and wipe us all out? Plus how many kids could keep up with me in the lab?"

"That's why I sent out calls only to the most prestigious schools in New York. All the applicants with under a 4.5 GPA are being screened before they even get here. Tony, Tony." She repeated his name when he opened his mouth. "You were a kid yourself when you first started working in a lab." She nodded seriously to Dum-E and U. "Not only could it be good for you to interact with someone else, but it'll also be good PR, especially with all the Iron Man attacks recently." She narrowed her eyes on him.

Tony grimaced. Pepper was one of three people who knew he was Iron Man, the others were Steve Rogers and Rhodey. He slowly stood up and sighed. "I don't like the blackmail, Miss Potts."

"Well, we need something positive to distract from the negative. The news still hasn't gotten over you being deposed after Afghanistan."

"You make it sound like I'm a king, I like it, continue." Tony waved her forward.

"Anyway, the whole tension with you and Mr. Stane has things shaky, especially after that last public outing together, stocks took a dip."

"Yeah, funny how it works, he's getting bad flock for his weapons issues while I'm creating products that are revolutionizing every day life. It's funny how I'm being punished, I for one think I'm doing the right thing."

Pepper sighed and walked forward, putting her hand on his shoulder. "You aren't being punished and you ARE doing the right thing, but I'm trying to help you keep appearances here, okay? As far as the board is concerned, you're incompetent, but I'm trying to make the world see where the real SI is, okay? Work with me, that's why I'm here."

Tony sighed and leaned forward, resting his head on her shoulder. "I'll play along, but I do have a weak heart now, you know. If this teenaged bag of hormones and illness gives me a heart attack, I'm writing you out of the will."

Pepper chuckled and pushed him off her shoulder.

"Ah." Tony hissed in pain and grabbed his shoulder.

"What is that?" She demanded, and didn't ask for permission as she pulled the neck of his t-shirt to the side to look at his shoulder, which was bruised to hell.

"Just a little...present from an exploding arrow. It's just a bruise." Tony shrugged.

"What's just a bruise?" Steve asked as he stepped into the lab.

Pepper turned on Steve. "Look at it, have you seen his shoulder? It's purple!"

"He saw it this morning, in the shower."

Steve blushed, but recovered quickly. "Yeah, Clint managed to hit him, but it's just a bruise."

"I can't believe you create weapons that the A-team can use against you... On second thought, I can. You've always been self-destructive."

"At least it's not drugs and alcohol." Tony shrugged.

Steve sighed and wrapped his arms around Tony. "It's a little after lunch time, you need a break."

"Already?" Tony asked, melting into Steve's arms. He knew he was a juxtaposition. He didn't like people touching him, but he was touch starved. He could only ever lean into it when he trusted someone.

"Yeah, you promised we'd try something new, maybe fish tacos?" Steve wondered gently.

"Okay." Tony nodded. "Consider me convinced, big guy." Tony reached up and turned his head so he could easily pull Steve into a kiss. "Five more minutes?"

"Time starts now." Steve nodded.

Tony pulled away and got to work so he could finish his projects in a good spot before lunch. The thing about Steve was that if he came to the lab to take Tony out or to make sure he took care of himself, Steve wouldn't let Tony avoid it. Pepper and Rhodey would eventually give up if Tony decided to dig his heals in and go days without eating or sleeping. Steve understood Tony had important work, but always reminded Tony that the important work didn't get done it Tony passed out or got hospitalized because he didn't take care of himself. So Steve gave Tony his time, then, if he had to, he'd carry Tony over his shoulder to get him out of the lab.

Tony liked it and hated it at the same time. He felt cared for that Steve insisted that he be looked after...but sometimes Tony was in the zone and he just wanted 'five more minutes, mom'... (Or a couple hours, depending on the day.) He got his projects to a good stopping point and turned around. By his watch, it had taken him fifteen minutes, but Steve was still there, even though Pepper had run off, likely to work (he really needed to pay her more). "Sorry."

"It's alright." Steve smiled. "I saw how much you were working on, it's fine. Time for a late lunch."

Tony returned a smile. "Sounds great, sugar lips."

Steve wrinkled his nose. "No."

"I'll find one you like, sweetie."

"Not that one." Steve laughed.

"I'll find one."

"Whatever you say, darlin'."

Chapter 2: A Warm Meal

Summary:

Peter gets a warm meal and an idea.
Tony gives away a few warm meals.

Notes:

I'm glad you guys seem to like this one so far. I like the concept too. Like Peter, I'm going to make this up as I go. I have a vague idea, but I don't tend to follow plans.
There are a few Easter Eggs in here, by the way. Oh! and I also got to describe Peter's steeple... I don't know why, but I love the space he found for himself.
Enjoy.

Peter swung past his make-shift home and straight to the store that sold their cheap going-out produce. If he was going to have his first warm meal, he was going to try to do it right, complete with good nutrients. He hadn't learned much about cooking from May or Ben, but he knew enough to know processed food just wasn't as good for him. He hoped there'd be something he liked, but either way, he'd find something. He only had four dollars for the week, but he was going to celebrate his new innovation. Out of dumpster-dive trash, he might just be able to keep himself alive until he could get on his feet.

He dropped into an alleyway and webbed his backpack up onto a high wall so no one could grab it. He pocketed his web shooters and walked out into the street. He went the last block by foot. Entering the grocery store, he glanced around for any free samples. He might as well, right? But there was nothing. He almost frowned, but he shook his head instead. Being negative wouldn't help, besides, he was going to have a hot meal for dinner. Why be upset when he had something positive going? He needed to stay positive, if he got trapped in the negativity, he wouldn't survive, he knew that.

He went to the back right corner of the store and found the wire shelf. There weren't many boxes on it, but he wasn't going to be choosy. He looked up and down the shelf to see what was there. There was a box of green beans, a box with packages of sliced mushrooms, a box of apples, and a sack of pomegranates. Peter knew what pomegranates were, but he'd never had them and frankly didn't know what to do with them. He wasn't even sure what they tasted like. The mushrooms looked a little too far gone for his liking. The apples sounded so good...but Peter didn't want to waste food. He wasn't sure he could finish them all before they went out.

He turned to the green beans. They could be boiled. They could be added to soups and rice or lentils. It would be good and they looked like they would last the longest. He picked them up and looked at the sharpie on the side: $2.00. He carried the box to the scale. He couldn't really tell what things weighed anymore. Everything felt light to him. He put it down and smiled. It was just under five and a half pounds. It was a great deal. He was getting five and a half pounds for right around the price of one pound, and all just because a few of them were getting spots on them. He could wash them up and add them to the next few meals. It would give him some extra calories.

"Next time." Peter muttered. Next time he'd get fruit. He'd been craving sugar. He had to be sensible though. When he got donations they were usually soups and instant meals. When he got to go 'shopping' for his box of free food, he always avoided the sweets. Sure many of the processed foods had lots of calories, but they burned out quick and he needed them to stay on his feet. He'd learned in the first week that just sweets burned out too quickly after his brain had gotten fuzzy and he swung into a building. Fruit though, the natural sugars would probably not be as bad, supplemented with fiber and all that good stuff. Peter wished he paid more attention to his freshman health class.

He just knew his body felt better when he ate less processed food and more real food. Not that his body felt great these days. He could tell he was losing weight, not dangerously...not yet anyway. He knew he'd just have to keep an eye on it and work as many little side-jobs as he could. If he had more money, he could afford more food, the math was simple.

Peter paid for his food and walked back to the alleyway, hiding his food in his backpack. He smiled and headed back to the church. He'd make a warm dinner. He'd have a warm dinner.

-

Steve ate the last of his fries and jumped when he saw a red blur swing in front of the restaurant windows. "What was that?"

"What was what?"

"Someone just...swung past the building, on a rope or something."

Tony turned his head to look, but the figure was long gone. "Might be something to look into...unless you're just hallucinating, old man."

"Oh, shut up." Steve huffed. "There really was a person out there, in some sort of red...sweat suit?"

"Good for them." Tony shrugged. "I think New York has gotten progressively weirder since I came back from Afghanistan."

"I'd agree with that assessment, but I'd like to think it started with super soldiers in Brooklyn." Steve teased back. "You don't get to start all the trends, darlin'."

"Yeah, yeah... You ready to go?" Tony wondered as he put a couple of bills on the table. Really, it was too much, for their meals, but Tony didn't seem to care. They weren't even at a high-end restaurant. Most people assumed that Tony only ate in luxury, but the opposite was true. Tony knew every owner of every hole-in-the-wall restaurant within fifteen miles of the Tower, mostly because he frequented those places so often. Tony didn't care about fancy or cost, he just liked good food.

"Sure." Steve and Tony got up, heading out of the restaurant. Steve shivered slightly. It wasn't quite cold enough for jackets, but the hint of a chill made Steve think of the ice. He didn't care for the cold one bit. Tony noticed and grabbed his hand, squeezing.

"Alright, Winghead?"

"Yeah, thanks." Steve grinned.

Tony's eyes shifted and his body came to a standstill. He frowned and tugged on Steve, heading back for the restaurant.

"Did you forget something?"

Tony nodded and walked up to the counter. "Heeeey" Tony drug out the word as he looked for a nametag on the red-headed cashier. "Rachel, can I speak to the manager that's on now?"

The girl blushed and nodded, rushing off.

A few moments later a brunette appeared.

Tony grabbed a few bills out of his wallet and held them out to her. "There's a young woman across the street, looks down on her luck. Go and tell her she's got free meals for the next month. Whatever this doesn't cover, send me a bill for, alright?"

The manager's eyes widened. "That's really kind of you, sir."

"Don't make a big deal, just let her know she has food to eat. Say it's a pay it forward thing or whatever. If your owner has questions, just have Jim call SI." Tony led Steve out of the restaurant before the woman could say anything more. They were at the end of the block when Steve saw the brunette manager gently put an arm on the homeless woman's shoulder and tell her the news. The two woman embraced and went into the restaurant.

"That was kind of you, Tony." Steve commented.

"I don't need the money. I just don't give it out to people, though. You never know what they'll use it for." Tony shrugged. "I've been there."

"You have?" Steve asked.

"It wasn't for long. Dad got pissed at me, cut me off. I should have seen it coming, really. But it was back then." Tony frowned. "I was addicted to drugs and alcohol and I did everything wrong... No one even recognized me with how strung out I became. Someone would give me money and I'd blow it on a 'fun time'...then one lady got me a sandwich and talked with me for a while. Guess it stuck with me. The point is, I didn't need the money, I needed someone to give a fuck about me...and a sandwich. I really needed that sandwich. I can still taste it sometimes. Haven't figured out where it was from though, someplace in Queens, I think. Don't remember, too strung out."

Steve nodded. It was hard to imagine it. The Tony he knew worked so hard to stay clean. The Tony he knew hadn't had alcohol in four years, even had a chip he carried around with him. Sure, there were lots of videos and evidence of Tony having a...rough past, but it was like seeing two different people. Steve didn't understand it really, but he couldn't judge. Tony hadn't opened up fully about his childhood, but Steve was sure that if his life had been so devoid of love and affection and freedom, he probably would have looked somewhere else for it too. "Still kind of you."

"I don't need the money...but some people need a hand up sometimes. I can't fix all of it, but no one really can. Money doesn't fix everything and sometimes money isn't always the problem to begin with, but if I can do something small, I guess it's something I feel like I have to do... I start tasting that stupid sandwich in my mouth and get all soft-hearted and gross."

"I like that you're soft-hearted, darlin'."

"That's because you're a teddy bear. That's it! I can call you bear."

Steve snorted. "No."

"Love-bug?"

"Definitely not."

"Snuggles?"

"You need some serious rest if you were thinking of that as a possible term of endearment, darlin'." Steve laughed. "Let's get you home." Steve loved this side of Tony. It wasn't something the public saw. Most people thought his donations and scholarship programs were just PR stunts. Steve had thought so when he'd first come out of the ice. The more he got to know Tony, the more he realized that the rough façade he showed to the world wasn't Tony. Tony had a soft heart, one that he didn't show to people very often, because people had hurt him one too many times. Steve smiled and kissed Tony's cheek.

"Hey...what was that for?" Tony asked, pulling away.

They didn't do shows of affection in public, not much more than holding hands. They both agreed the press didn't need access to their personal life. "Just because."

Tony blushed. "Let's go home, fella."

Steve rolled his eyes. "Nope."

-

Peter swung into the steeple and shoved the broken boards out of his way. He crawled up into his space and put the boards back down. His circular room was eight feet in diameter, fifty-ish square feet, but the center was only six feet high, so most of the space wasn't livable. He kept his suitcases to one side, away from the leaky area of the roof. His food was pressed off to the other side. He reached up and turned on the lamp he'd made. The area lit up with a soft light, one that didn't hurt his eyes. He looked at his make-shift bed, a sleeping bag that he'd gotten cheep at a box store. Even with it and a blanket he'd salvaged from home, he wasn't staying warm enough. He just couldn't keep heat in.

Peter grabbed his coffee maker and opened his backpack. He put his innovation together and smiled when the clock on the coffeemaker came on. "It works...now to see if it cooks." He put his green beans in the corner and looked over his food. He grabbed his bag of rice and scooped a portion out, putting it into the glass coffee pot. Then he added some of his bottled water and a can of cream of chicken soup, he hoped for some flavor. He knew he shouldn't use too much food, but he was hungry, and today he was going to celebrate, at least a little.

He stirred the pot with a perfectly good (after scrubbing it anyway) spoon he'd found in a dumpster dive and set the coffee pot on the heater, turning it on high. Then he poured some more water into a bowl that he'd bought from a goodwill and put two handfuls of the green beans in it, washing them and snapping off the stems. Once that was done, he snapped them into smaller pieces and added them to the coffee pot and stirred them in. He looked at the pot and sighed, hopefully this would work.

While he waited for his dinner to cook, he pulled his school books out and began to study. It wasn't necessary. He understood it all, but...there was a test coming in his Algebra II class and he didn't want any mistakes on it. He studied for a solid minute in a half before he lurched forward and pulled the packet out of his bag, the one about the SI internship.

He read through it and took a deep breath. It looked like he had a high enough GPA to make the initial cut. He wondered what project idea he should take with him to present to get through the second section. He couldn't take his web shooters, it'd be a bad idea. The last thing he wanted was for someone to make the connection between him and Spiderman. But...it was a good opportunity. The initial internship lasted two months. It would be unpaid and there was no guarantees he could get the official SI internship, but it would be a great learning experience, better than school, anyway. (Not to mention it'd be another warm place for him to spend time at three days a week after school.) And, if he was lucky, he could get the full internship, which would come with pay...and an opportunity to work with THE Tony Stark.

Peter grinned and flipped to the last page. He frowned. The NDA wasn't a problem, but the parent/guardian signature was going to be one. He thought about it and, well, it wasn't for the school, it was for SI. He forged a sloppy May Parker, mostly because his aunts' signature was messy enough that nobody could usually read it. Her signature could have been of anyone's name. It was almost like a two-year-old got ahold of a crayon, but Peter'd always loved how she'd written her name. It was like her, free and energetic, without much stock in following the rules.

May would have wanted him to go for it, to try it.

She was the last real parent he'd had, so he wasn't going to put any other signature down. He nodded and flipped to the next page. It was for him to put his project down on. He was to have a proposal and a rough-build of it if he was to get past the first round. He read the fine print, he'd make it. He had a 4.98 GPA (it wasn't a 5.02 (with his extra credit), only because he couldn't preform great in gym class, he couldn't before the bite, so he couldn't now). He'd make the initial cut, so he'd need a plan and a rough prototype.

He'd have to get parts somewhere and an idea.

The wind whistled under the floorboards and the cold kicked up and into his make-shift home. He needed a space heater.

"I could do that." Peter commented, his eyes widening. "But it couldn't just be a space heater, those have been done, it'd have to be better somehow. Innovative." Peter looked around. He needed something small that could heat a large space and run non-stop. It needed high output and minimum energy intake, or he'd have to design an energy source that could last a long time...maybe like an arc reactor, but not an arc reactor, because he knew how to make one in theory and there was no way he'd find palladium just...hanging out in a dumpster. He'd probably get asked how he'd market such a thing, but...well that would be easy. It could be used for lots of places. Low-income houses or for the homeless or for soldiers or survivalists or camping. It would be an innovation, not really an invention. "Unless my invention is the power source, not the heater itself. I could invent a power source and use the heater to explain it's power capabilities."

Power sources were needed, especially clean ones that could store and create a lot of power. Sure, he couldn't make an arc reactor, but...maybe he could make something cheaper to produce, with similar power outputs.

Peter grabbed his notebook out of his bag and pulled it onto his lap. He began to work on ideas, sketching them out and considering the best materials and designs. He had a goal, create a clean energy source that was cheap and reliable and lasted a long time...and make it capable of running a heater that could keep him warm. He really liked the steeple, he didn't want to go find another place to stay, but he was going to need heat if this was going to be his home.

His phone timer went off. He didn't really have service anymore, not on that phone. He had a burner phone that had twenty dollars worth of service on it, but his old phone still worked. It played music and kept the time and allowed him to have alarms and pictures from better days. He even got internet when he got near enough to wi-fi. The church didn't have wi-fi, but the cafe across the street did, and sometimes Peter could get service from his abode, other days he just swung across the street. His phone was still functional and important, even if he couldn't make calls on it. He shut off the alarm and smelled at the air.

"That smells amazing." How had he gotten so distracted that he hadn't smelt his food? Peter pulled the coffee pot back and stirred it. He tested a small piece of rice, nibbling on it. It was warm, not too hot, and a little underdone, but it was the best thing he'd had since Delmar's. He added a little more water and set his timer for a few more minutes. He looked down at his notebook and sighed. He'd filled fifteen pages with equations and chemicals he'd need. He wondered if he could get a semi-functional prototype done by October first, when he was first due at SI to speak about his project. He'd only have a week, and he wouldn't have a lot of the tools that everyone else at schools like his would have. He'd just have to wing it and make it work.

He wrote a list of supplies he'd need and put his notebook away. He slid into his sleeping bag and leaned against a suitcase. When his next timer went off, he pulled his warm meal off the heater and scooped some out into a small bowl. He took a bite and sighed in happiness. If he had some cheese, he'd call it green beans and cheese...kinda like broccoli and cheese, but different. It was one of the best things he'd ever tasted, he was sure of it.

It hit his stomach and warmed him on the inside. He ate the whole thing. The cup of rice, the can of soup, the green beans... It was the fullest he'd felt in a long time. So full, his stomach hurt a little bit. He sighed, content and curled up in his sleeping bag. He turned on his phone and put on his headphones to listen to music. The music helped him stay somewhat sane when the noise of the street got too loud or the quiet of his little place was...too lonely.

It was a good night, the best night he'd had since he found his little home. If he could manage to make this battery work...not only could he get a paying job but...he also might get to stay in his new home. There were a lot of problems involved in this plan, but Peter would worry about them later. First, he would focus on getting the internship. He'd make the rest up as he went. Hell, he was surviving on his own, homeless while going to school and being a superhero. He could do anything he put his mind to really, he was sure of it.

He curled up on the floor and shoved a few old t-shirts under his head to act as a pillow. If he got the internship...he'd definitely buy himself a pillow...and some more blankets. And food. Lots of food. Like rice and cheese and broccoli... Something good and warm.

Notes:

Take care.

Chapter 3: A Bit Lacking

Summary:

Peter's not getting enough food, he knows he's going to have to spend more of his savings if he wants to stay close to healthy.

Notes:

I almost put Deadpool in this chapter, specifically a line about lemon and seltzer water, but I decided against it.
If you've read my other series, you'll notice a different character cameo in here. Next chapter Peter gets to go to SI.

Peter kept his hoodie up. He was sure not many people knew about Spiderman in this neighborhood, but he still wanted to be cautious. First off, he didn't want to be caught in Queens doing his laundry at a laundromat, just in case someone who knew him as Peter realized he wasn't doing his laundry at his foster house, or if someone recognized his improvised spider-suit. Unfortunatly, there was a tear in it and a blood stain. He'd learned enough in home ec class to sew the rip, but he hoped the blood would come out. He put a few quarters in and then found a arm chair to sit on. He opened his notebook and began to work.

The power source was starting to take shape. The trouble would be making it out of things he could easily get his hands on. His goal was to make the longest lasting energy source possible with the easiest and cheapest materials he could come up with. Arc reactors were great, but to get one, the initial cost was way too high. If he could do something similar with less...not only would it help him, but it could help a lot of people...and maybe get him an internship.

His machine dinged so he got up and pulled his clothes out. Thankfully, the blood had washed out. He moved it all to the dryer and settled in for another hour. He charged his phone and listened to music as he sketched out his plans, and got together a list of items that could help him make a prototype. Peter's stomach rumbled and distracted him. It did that a lot.

Before he got his powers, he'd done just fine with three meals and an after-school snack. Sometimes he even skipped breakfast and wasn't so hungry. After he got his powers, he got double portions at breakfast, a mid-morning snack, he two or three meals at lunch, snuck a power bar before school was up, ate after school, and had dinner...and sometimes a dessert.

Now...he maybe had a can of veggies for breakfast or some dry cereal. He got a single meal at school, a snack if he was good at portioning out his food, and now a cup of rice mixed with soup or veggies. It wasn't enough, especially when he patrolled. Peter'd done the math. He wasn't even getting half of what would support his normal activities. Even his super healing was a bit sluggish. He'd wanted to do patrols every day, but it was getting difficult to keep it up. He was losing weight. He'd have to go shopping for non-perishable. He could get a big box of instant ramen. If he budgeted he could get a forty-eight pack and it'd give him a calorie boost. If he had two on patrol days he'd probably feel better.

He ran the math. If he took off six nights a month, then he could eat two a day for patrols and it would only cost him a week and a half's worth of food money. Sure, he'd probably get tired of it real quick, but he could add his fresh vegetables and maybe if he got some sort of hot sauce he could change up the flavor every now and then. It'd make him feel a little better. In the end, the taste wouldn't get much say. He had to be alive, that was the most important. If he got the internship, at least he'd have some income to help.

If everything worked out, he'd only have a couple more months of scraping buy. Plus, according to his internet research, there were a few more food options in the winter. He just would have to avoid showing up consistently to the same place, or he'd maybe draw too much attention.

Peter gasped and sat up. "I can get a box today." As soon as his laundry was done he'd swing it back to the steeple and then head to get his new box of food.

-

Peter walked into the basement of the library, keeping his hood up. It smelt a little musty and he could smell someone who hadn't gotten a bath in too long, but Peter let it go. Not everyone could sneak into buildings to get showers like Peter could.

"Hello, you have your punch card?" A nice young woman asked. Peter was pretty sure she was his age. She was a common face at the front desk, always volunteering. She wore gloves all the time, even if she wore tank tops. Her red-brown hair was always pulled up in a bun. She didn't wear a nametag like the other volunteers. She had a bright smile though, when she smiled.

"Mmhm." Peter nodded and held out his card. He'd gotten it from a grandfatherly-looking guy when he'd first found the spot. As a minor, he'd gotten a punch card with eighteen months worth of punches instead of the standard twelve. It had a renewal date on it so they could tell when he could come back.

She took it and put a star-shaped punch in it. "Here you are." She held it out.

Peter took it back and his hand brushed her glove. He pulled his hand back quickly. "Sorry."

"It's okay...thanks for noticing." She smiled shyly and turned to grab a box. "You know the drill, if it stays in the box when it goes down the belt and through the hole, you get to take it."

"Thank you." Peter took the box and headed for the shelves. His options had opened up. He had heat now to cook with. He read all the labels, looking for the highest calories in the canned goods. He stacked them strategically. The things he needed, he stacked neatly at the bottom of the box. He always stacked rice and wants on the top.

He grabbed a six cans of vegetables and eighteen cans of soup. A third of his box was full. He browsed the cereals and opted for a big thing of oatmeal instead, figuring it would last longer. He grabbed a jar of honey to go with it. He grabbed instant mashed potatoes. He found some power bars and took two boxes so he could get through tight spots easier. He grabbed a bottle of shampoo, deodorant, toothpaste, and a thing of garbage bags (he didn't like leaving a mess). Then he started looking for non-essentials. He really wanted something sweet, so he grabbed applesauce and pudding. He grabbed some canned cheese sauce and a hot sauce that he recognized from his trips to a ramen shop with May. So he could at least have some flavor with his meals. He looked down and saw that his box was almost full. Given his plans to buy ramen...he'd be alright if he didn't strictly fill the rest with essentials.

He found a box of cookies that he and May used to eat together. He took it in his hands and tears welled up in his eyes. He wiped them with his sleeve and put it in his box. Now he just had to put the bags on top. He grabbed two bags of rice and navy beans. He found that if he added enough water, he could start rice and beans on low before he left for patrol and come back with the rice and beans done with a bit of soupy broth, if he added some flavors to it. It made finding a dinner solution easier, and so he didn't have to stay up too late on school nights. He was starting to get the hang of his make-shift cookware.

Peter hefted his box to the belt, convinced he'd filled it with as much as possible. He set it down and the man standing there looked at the box and then Peter.

"Isn't that a bit heavy?"

Peter shrugged. "A little." It wasn't though. Peter could barely feel the weight of the food.

"Alright, kid." The man pressed the button and the box rolled forward, making the cut without losing a single item. Peter stepped through the scanner. The program could only help so many people, and taking extra food wasn't tolerated. Peter, of course, came out clean. "We have cases of water there at the end, kid, if you can haul it."

"Water?" Peter's eyes widened and he turned to see huge stacks of bottled water cases on pallets by the exit. He always could use clean water.

"Got a donation from a local store, gave us six pallets. You can have one case."

"Awesome!" Peter grinned. He pulled a case down and set it on the end of the belt before lifting his box on top of it. "Thank you. And tell that store thank you too."

"Mmhm. And I have these to hand out too." The man chucked a small box at Peter and Peter caught it easily.

Flavored water packets. Peter sniffled, but recovered quickly. God, he'd been craving sugar so badly. The simple drink mix made his day. "Thank you."

"You staying safe, kid?" The man asked.

Peter nodded. "Yeah."

"You should be somewhere safe, off the streets. You seem like a good kid, a smart one."

"I'm safest on my own." Peter had a long list of family members who could vouch for that, all of his family members could, actually. Plus, every time he went somewhere, he either got good people hurt, or bad people hurt him. Taking care of himself was the best option he had. Even if it sucked. "Thanks again. This is...this is awesome." Peter shoved it in his pocket and hefted the case of water bottles up, everything stacked neatly on top of it.

"You sure you're alright?"

"Yup, thanks, though."

Peter left before the tears could spill. He climbed to the roof with his box, then carried up his water before walking the familiar path to his home over the rooftops. It was safer and less conspicuous that way. He'd put it away, fold his clothes, and get to work on his project. He didn't have a lot of time to get the rough-model done and he didn't really have many supplies. He was going to wing it.

-

Tony and Steve sat on the edge of the tower, their feet dangling as they held hands and looked out over the city. "You've been a bit off." Steve commented.

"Tired." Tony said, rubbing his chest where his arc reactor was. God, it was heavy. And his lungs were aching. He felt a slight cold coming on, and when he got sick breathing got hard, especially on his already constricted lungs. "Think I'm getting a cold and the little sick brats aren't even here yet."

"You know, you only have to see them once a week for the first two months, then you only have to deal with one of them."

"You do realize they're here three days a week, right?" Tony snorted.

"Pepper said you only had to be there on Mondays."

"Yeah, well, I have to sort through brats and find one that's remotely capable of keeping up with me and not getting themselves killed in my lab or selling out whatever information they end up seeing. So...gonna have to show up more than once."

Steve smiled, like he knew a secret. "Plus you like kids."

"I do not."

"You like Harley."

"That's not a kid, that's a monster, besides, he and I...we're connected." Tony laughed, then coughed.

"Should you go inside?"

"I'm fine." Tony shrugged. "I just don't want the little brats to leech off me. I have enough adults doing that. So this punk we bring in needs to be a good one, that's all. I don't classically have the best judgment. I mean, look at who's running my company."

Steve sighed and nodded. "In your defense...Obie wasn't your pick entirely, he was your father's."

"But I trusted him." Tony shrugged. "Anyway. I plan on thoroughly vetting anyone who comes near me...by extension you too."

"Thanks, darlin'."

"You're welcome, snookum."

Steve shook his head. "They've been getting worse all day."

"Oh, shut up, buttercup." Tony snapped, then coughed.

Steve gently put the back of his hand to Tony's head. "Little warm there, partner. Maybe you should get some sleep, maybe some broth. I think we have that emergency inhaler to help kickstart your lungs and use some of that medicine to help."

Tony sighed and nodded. He was probably one of the few people who'd rather get a nasty stomach bug over congestion. In his case, a light cold could quickly slip right down to pneumonia (and Steve, even in the future, was terrified of that diagnosis).

"Come on, darlin', let's get you snuggled up and healthy. If we attack it while it's young, we might just win before it begins."

"Sure, but you're snuggling with me, sugarplum."

"Still awful pet names." Steve rolled his eyes and pulled Tony toward the stairwell.

-

Peter cleaned his space up, taking his trash to a dumpster in the alley. He returned and neatly put all of his food in rows. It wasn't a lot. By his calculations he was probably going burn to many calories in the week. He'd likely lose more weight, especially if he did any patrols, which he would, because he was Spiderman and he couldn't just not be Spiderman. Going out on patrols helped him feel like things were normal, helped him feel less lonely. He couldn't think as much about May and Ben when he was running around stopping crooks and helping people. He'd have to make due. He couldn't cut back anymore on what he ate, not safely, he already went to bed with a growling stomach and the scale said he was down ten pounds in the time since he'd started living on his own. He could see it too, in his stomach and legs.

Peter started to heat up his food. He was supposed to be at SI on Sunday, but as soon as he was done with the initial intro to the internship, he'd stop at the store to get some ramen so he could start eating a little more. He was going to go through his savings a lot faster if he started buying food, but he'd need to buy food to survive. If he got the internship...all of this would ease up.

"I got to work hard." Peter nodded, beginning his work on his prototype. Not many kids would have a prototype by the first introduction. The packet had made it necessary to have a plan for a project and a list of necessary materials as well as a pitch. On the forms it was only mentioned that a prototype would be a nice touch. Most teenagers didn't really have the time to get something working by then, but maybe if Peter had a rough, but working version he could get some extra points. The packet had said that by the end of Sunday, SI would narrow down the student interns to 30. Peter wanted to have as much of an advantage as he could. He needed this internship, firstly because it was Tony Freaking Stark, secondly because he'd learn so much, and thirdly because he needed the money. He wouldn't be able to get a job legally until he was sixteen, which was two years out. Then if he could save enough between sixteen and eighteen he could rent an apartment. He could do it, he just had to make sure he didn't starve or freeze before then.

"I can do this." Peter told himself, but more than anything he wished he had someone, anyone to ask advice from. If he could have a moment to ask Aunt May what he should do...how he should tackle all of it.

Peter could tell he wasn't as bad off as most homeless were. He had superpowers and a brilliant mind meant he could find safer places and build things from scraps that most people couldn't. The super powers were a double-edged sword though. He could hold his own in many ways. But his powers also meant he needed more food and more heat, both things not suited for homelessness.

Part of him wanted to talk to Ned, but knowing how strict and mothering Mrs. Leeds was, he'd be sent back to the system. She'd think it was better for him to have a roof over his head, but while he might be warmer and maybe have more food (though it wasn't the case in two of the foster homes he'd been in that hadn't fed him properly at all) the emotional and mental toll had been too much.

Peter shook himself. He needed to stay positive. If he didn't, it would all get much worse. "I can do this." His stomach growled and he looked over at his dinner. It was almost done. He'd be able to eat soon. He stirred the coffee pot and looked at some of his snacks. He'd have some applesauce after his dinner. He'd really been wanting sugar. Instead of diving into the food before it was cooked, he grabbed a water bottle and added a packet of flavoring. He sipped it slowly as he tried to get comfortable. He pulled a shirt out and put it under his sleeping bag to try to cushion his seat a little bit. He didn't know why, but he couldn't get comfortable anymore. When he sat down he had weird pressure points now that bothered him.

His stomach growled and he looked at the timer on his phone. Ten minutes left until his food was cooked through. He could wait. He took another gulp of water. He would get to buy more food on Sunday. He just had to ration until then...only a few more days.

Notes:

Look after yourselves. <3

Chapter 4: Internship...Nailed It

Summary:

Peter goes to SI, enjoys food, meets Tony Stark...you know, no big deal. Except it's a huge deal.

Notes:

Our babies have officially met and I got Peter a full meal, which for a spider-teen is huge.

Peter landed in an alleyway a block from SI. He lowered his hood and hid his web shooters in a window ledge. The last thing he needed was for security scans at SI to figure out his superhero identity. He walked to SI after that and arrived just on time to see Miss Potts, a man in a suit, and a man in a lab coat step outside to greet the massive group of kids that were waiting to head in. Peter tilted his head to the side, something wasn't quite right about the guy in the lab coat his face was...sort of...fuzzy around the edges. Peter shrugged it off though and joined the throng of kids, spotting a few of his decathlon teammates and heading for them.

"Alright, settle down, everyone. I'm Pepper Potts, this is Happy Hogan head of security, and this is Dr. Curtis Andersmith, who will be helping with the selection process for the internship. We expect that all of you have read the paperwork you were given. Any breaking of the rules in that packet or any rule set by an SI employee will immediately disqualify you and you will be removed from the property. That's your one warning."

"We work with dangerous things in the labs, so you will follow the rules or you'll be kicked to the curb, plain and simple." Dr. Andersmith, the guy with the strange face, said without and teasing in his tone.

Happy then stepped forward and described the process they would take to enter the building. He seemed pretty strict about it, so Peter paid extra attention. When they all filed inside they got badges and their belongings were scanned by an AI. Peter kept count. There were 264 teenagers who'd come to get the internship. That meant there was just over a 11.3 percent chance that Peter would make it into the group of 30 who'd get to intern for two months. One out of ten wasn't too bad. Peter liked his odds...well...sort of. He had put a lot of work into his prototype. It wasn't quite there, but he'd managed to charge the battery to his coffee pot with his power source without his power source exploding or smoking or catching fire...so...that was a win. It wasn't ready, but certainly no scientist would think the first attempt would be perfect...right?

They were all herded into a room that Peter'd seen on TV, one where press conferences were held. Ten more people who were dressed in a variety of garbs, some business casual, some in casual attire, and some in lab coats, all stood on the stage. All of them had clipboards. Peter watched as Dr. Andersmith hopped onto the stage.

"I thought you were on vacation, Curtis." A young woman in a pantsuit said, sounding confused as she pushed her glasses up her nose. Peter could barely hear them over the noise of all the excited teenagers, but he heard them speak.

"Yeah, well, the boss wanted all hands on deck. I figured I could wait an extra day." Dr. Andersmith answered.

"You really don't know how to relax, do you?"

"Nope." Dr. Andersmith said cheerfully. "Ask anyone, they'll all tell you I have no idea what relaxation is." Then he stepped behind the podium and tapped on the mic. "Alright, kiddos. We have a pretty daunting schedule ahead. First I'm going to divvy you up into groups for my lovely underlings here. They'll lead you all to different rooms and speak with everyone in their group, getting paperwork and seeing your project plans. By that time, it'll be right around lunch. We'll lead you to the cafeteria and by the end of lunch we'll have a list of a hundred names posted on the outside of the cafeteria doors, if you are not on that list, you are to leave. Please know that we all know you're smart. We all know you put time and effort into this and if we could help all of you expand your minds, we would. We appreciate the effort, and if you don't get in, don't let it get to you, rejection's part of the process and one day you might still end up working here or somewhere else with super cool labs and science geeks. It's fine. But we've got to narrow it down, no matter how much it hurts you and us. So, if you're name's not on the list, take it with dignity and head home, hone your skills. That's all you can do. We can't give up every time we fail or...well, most of us wouldn't be standing here." Dr. Andersmith turned to a man in a lab coat. "Josh, how many times did you interview here?"

"Three... Stark said he was impressed with my skills, but didn't hire me...twice. Took me a while to figure out what I was lacking."

"See, fall down, and get back up. Sometimes you got to run before you can walk." Dr. Andersmith commented. "Each of my underlings here will step forward and read off their list of names. If you hear your name, follow them. Break a leg, give it your all, we'll all meet up for lunch in four-ish hours." Dr. Andersmith waved and walked off the stage, skipping down the steps.

One by one, the people on stage started to walk forward and read out names. Teens slowly filtered out, group by group. Peter waited, nervous butterflies in his stomach...or maybe he was just hungry...or maybe it was both. Then the woman in the pantsuit stepped forward. "My name is Jessica West, but you can call me Jessie. I specialize in chemistry and engineering, just so you know a little bit about me." She pushed her glasses up her nose. "Follow me if I call your name: Michael Tugg, Katie Sharp, Aanisah Amari, Erwin Masters, Peter Parker..."

Peter stopped listening after he heard his name. His foot began to bounce anxiously. As soon as she stepped off the platform he followed her with his group out the door.

"Alright, you can all calm down, kids, I don't bite." She grinned soothingly. "Let's get you to my office and we can all chat up there, okay?" They all fit onto a large elevator and once the doors closed she spoke. "JARVIS, thirty-second floor please."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Thank you."

Once Jessie had led them into a lab, she instructed them to find a workstation to sit at. "Alright. Please don't touch any of the SI projects. If you do, I'm sad to say, I'll have to have you disqualified. I will come around to each of you and take your paperwork. We'll just have a quick chat about your project, your plans, and why you choose your project. Simple and easy as that. Once I get around to all of you, we'll head down to lunch. Alright? So, for now, just set up shop and get ready to show me whatcha got."

Peter got all of his things out and organized in a logical order. He had his NDA and paperwork up first. His project plan paperwork next, his rough sketches and his material list next, then he had his prototype, that he hooked up to his dead cell phone. He waited then, looking around at all the cool projects that SI was working on. He couldn't wait to tell MJ just how many non-weapon projects he'd seen in one lab alone.

Jessie eventually came to his workstation and held out her hand. "Hello, what's your name?"

"I'm Peter...Parker."

"Nice to meet you, Peter Parker." She glanced at his desk and smiled. "Nice organization, let me take a look at this, make sure everything's in order." She looked over his paperwork quickly and added it to a binder that she put down on the edge of his workstation. "Alright, tell me what you're working on."

"Well, I was thinking about power and energy. Not everyone has access to electricity or even lights or heaters. Now, the arc reactor is cool and all, but I was running a lot of the numbers on cost of production, the ease of building them, and things like that and, well, it's hard to market that toward most of the population. So, I wanted to make a power source that can generate a lot of power for a long time, but be made with less expensive materials. Basically, I'm trying to make low-cost, high-output clean energy. Because to buy the palladium it costs to make even a mini-arc reactor, by my calculations, would be just under three grand, which people who already can't afford electricity certainly wouldn't be able to afford, especially if it's just one part of the whole system, you know?"

"You want to benefit the little guy." Jessie nodded. "That's cool. How did you know how the arc reactor works? It's not like it's public knowledge."

Peter shrugged. "I tried to make one once and once I figured out what was missing and what it would benefit from...well, I had to call it quits."

"Sounds fair." She said, her eyes narrowed slightly, but not in a bad way. "Is that an actual prototype?"

"Yeah...it works in that it charges things and has a good output. The only problem is that I want to have more, you know? It's just a first step. I think if I can fine-tune it I can make it something that could...eventually take a whole household off the grid for two-ish years. Here, these are the calculations. It all works in theory, I just have to get it right." He held up his workings.

Jessie flipped through the notebook slowly, her eyes widening as she took in all his work. "Wow, this is...really good work."

"Thanks."

"What did you make that prototype out of, if I may ask?"

"Um...this and that. Mostly," he thought of a delicate word for dumpster-dive tech, "recycled tech. You know, old computers and stuff, along with a few common chemicals from the lab at school, but...I'm trying to avoid anything that costs too much. I'm keeping it as simple and bare bones as I can."

Jessie let out a soft huff of air and continued to flip through the notes. "Interesting. JARVIS, could you tell me if Mr. Parker's phone was dead when he plugged it in?"

"Indeed, ma'am. According to the screen it is now at seventy-three percent power."

"And it's quick." She nodded to herself. "Very impressive, Mr. Parker. Thank you for your time." She put the notebook down, picked up her binder and walked away.

Peter froze. She'd only been with him for a few minutes. Everyone else she'd spent a longer time with. Was that a good thing or a bad thing. Had he fucked it all up already? Was he not even going to make the first cut?

-

At lunch, Peter ate as much as he could stomach, because he needed the calories and everything looked delicious. He tried a little bit of everything. Tacos, a burger, a slice of pizza, some pasta that went great with crunchy bread, a soup, some curry. He wanted things with flavor, flavor had been lacking in his life. Then he had several desserts. He felt over-full at the end, almost verging on sick, but it felt good too. He hadn't felt so full and warm and content in a long time. If he made the first cut, he'd have two months of this, of access to the cafeteria three days a week. That would be fantastic. He'd feel so much better if he got more food.

He was in the middle of finishing a brownie and some soda when JARVIS spoke. "The list has been posted, if your name is on the list, return to the cafeteria for further instructions."

Peter didn't get up or run to the door as many others did. If he didn't make it, he at least wanted to finish his free meal first. Plus, he didn't want to get caught in the stampede. It seemed that many other kids had the same idea, because some of them didn't move. Some kids whooped and stepped back into the cafeteria, others trudged away, one young woman even broke out into tears as she left. After he finished his food and tended to his dishes, Peter walked to the door where there was a much smaller crowed. His eyes slowly tracked down the list.

Parker, Peter

His name was on the list. He'd made it. He walked back into the cafeteria and sat down. About thirty minutes later, Dr. Andersmith walked in with the other ten SI employees. His face still seemed...fuzzy. Peter wondered why. "Congratulations. We're going to keep this next portion a little informal, so if you want to keep sipping on a drink or something, that's fine, but don't get up, until I finish the instructions." He held out a hand and Jeff handed him a packet. "There are a few worksheets in here, boring, I know, computers are so much more fun. No tech out, just your brain and a pencil. Answer all the questions in ten minutes and all the people who pass can come to the next stage, alright? Pretty simple. We'll tell you when the time starts."

Peter got handed his packet, but didn't open it until time was called. There was only one question. The thing was...Peter couldn't find a solution to it. He ran the numbers in his head several times, then wrote No Solution down in response.

"Time, hands up and lean back in your chairs." Dr. Andersmith called. "JARVIS, do a tally."

"Sir, it appears fifty-four students have the correct answer." JARVIS answered.

"Alright. If your answer is 1.768943, please collect your things, that answer is incorrect. If your answer was -2.94172, also collect your things." Dr. Andersmith stated. "Now, if you have any other number, real or not written on your paper, please follow suit. There was no solution to the problem I gave you. The lesson to be learned is simple. You need to know when you need to accept that your solutions aren't working, and you need to know when you're asking the wrong questions, or maybe just wording them wrong. Trying to force the wrong solution onto a problem will only lead to problematic results. Valiant efforts, but if there is a number on your page, I have to ask you to leave."

A few teens kicked up a fuss, trying to justify their answers, but with a few short words, Dr. Andersmith managed to dismiss them. Once there were only fifty-four kids left, the doctor nodded. "Alright, we have one last phase to go through. I'm going to look at all of your projects with my own eyes. I let everyone else narrow it down this far, so this is your chance to pitch it to me. Once we're done talking go to the elevator, if you're in, you'll be informed then if you're in or out. I'll start at this table."

Peter tapped anxiously on his desk. He had just over a 50% chance now. Those odds were way better. He got his stuff out and ready. Then he waited. He watched Dr. Andersmith move and paused. The fuzziness was only noticeable when he turned his head quickly. Peter had a theory...and...didn't Jessie say that Dr. Andersmith was supposed to be on vacation? And the speech pattern was familiar.

"Oh my God." Peter whispered, folding his hands over his mouth. Now he wanted to know what kind of mask that was, because it was brilliant. He doubted most people without enhanced senses would be able to notice it, the fuzziness was subtle. Maybe it was holographic or something. That was Mr. Stark. Dr. Andersmith was actually Tony fucking Stark. Peter'd bet his next two meals on it.

Ten kids left before Dr. Andersmith, Mr. Stark, approached Peter's table. He spoke to every kid at the table, Peter being the last one. "What's your name?"

"Uh, Peter, sir."

"Nice to meet you, Peter, whatcha got for me? Wait..." Mr. Stark reached out and snatched the prototype. "You're one of the few who actually brought something... You made this out of dumpster scraps, didn't you?"

"Uh, yes."

"Trying to make cheep and effective clean energy...this isn't half-bad for a first attempt." He pulled the casing off and peered at the insides. "This is...actually ingenious. You did this with one week of notice?"

Peter considered for a moment how he'd answer. "Yeah, but it's just a prototype, Mr. Stark, it's not where I want it to be just yet."

Mr. Stark paused, set down the prototype and leaned forward. "What did you just call me?"

"It's...a holographic mask, isn't it? I think it is. It fuzzes slightly around the edges when you turn your head too fast."

Mr. Stark stood up straight and scoffed. He patted Peter's shoulder a couple times. "We're done here, kid, pack up and head out." With that Mr. Stark walked away.

Peter felt sick to his stomach. Had he just blown it? He hadn't meant to out Mr. Stark. He'd said it really quietly. Had he fucked it up by trying to be clever? Peter looked down at his hard work and sighed. He felt tears prickle in his eyes, but he didn't let them well up. He put his things in his backpack and headed for the elevator. It took him down to the second floor and the doors opened. Peter waited, expecting someone else to get on.

"Mr. Parker, this is your floor."

"What?"

JARVIS said it again.

"Oh, okay?" Peter stepped off the elevator.

Happy was standing by a machine that was creating a security pass of some kind. "Alright, here is your badge, always keep it visible, kid. Welcome to the SI internship program."

"Wh-what? Really?"

"Yeah, kid. Peter Parker, right? Everything match up on here?" Happy held out a badge.

Peter grabbed it and stared down. There was a photo of him, obviously one JARVIS had taken, and his name on a black card. "Yeah...that's me."

"Congratulations, Peter. Hop back on the elevator. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, five PM. Don't keep Tony waiting, he doesn't like it unless he's the one making people wait." Happy grumbled.

"Thank you, Mr. Happy."

"You earned it, now get back on the elevator, JARVIS'll take you down." Happy took Peter's badge and ran it past a sensor of some sort. "Here, you can keep it as a souvenir, but that one won't work anymore, alright?"

"Tha-thank you." Peter pulled the badge close to his chest, like it was the most wonderful thing he'd ever had. (It was.)

"Just don't lose it, kid."

Peter nodded and got on the elevator. He leaned against the wall and let out a breath. "Aunt May...Uncle Ben, I did it." Peter knew if they were there they would be happy for him and proud. He wished he could share this with them. He'd celebrate alone tonight, then tomorrow he'd get to tell Ned.

-

"You look tired. I told you not to strain yourself." Steve huffed.

"It's just a cold, sweetie pie. I'm alright." Tony shrugged, pulling off his mask. "I tell you what though, I think I met the intern."

"Tony, you can't choose your intern on the first day. You've got two months with these kids."

"Nope. His name's Peter. He brought in a working prototype made up of garbage and he could tell I was wearing a holographic mask. Super smart kid and observant and sorta shy and adorable."

Steve snorted. "The last time you talked nice about someone like that, you were talking about DUM-E."

"Then you know how much I like this kid already. He's got some spunk. I like him."

"Well, I'm glad you're getting something out of this experience."

"You know, me too, I thought it was going to be an utter waste of my time. And yeah, most of the kids were, but this one...he's clever. Time will tell though." Tony shrugged as he pulled off his clothes, changing into a pair of loose sleep shorts.

"Alright, now get your butt in bed so you can rest. You've almost got the cold kicked."

"Sure, Mom." Tony teased and lay down next to Steve. "I am tired though, kids are really high strung." Tony buried his head against Steve's arm.

"Get some rest, darlin'." Steve turned and kissed Tony's forehead.

It was one of the things Steve admired about Tony. When Tony was awake he was doing a million things all the time, when Tony decided it was time to sleep and he felt safe, he could shut down like someone unplugged him. "G'night, honey."

Tony was asleep before he could see Steve blush and smile.

"Honey... I like that one." Steve commented. It felt right. Tony was always coming up with ridiculous ones. But a tired Tony was a truthful one...and Steve liked the honest, soft way Tony had called him 'honey.' Steve made up his mind then and there that he wasn't going to tell Tony that that endearment was the one he liked. Tony'd have to figure it out while he was awake.

-

Peter swung toward his steeple and fought five baddies on the way. He felt great. His body had food in it, energy. And now he knew he'd have that sort of energy three days a week for at least two months. The feeling of that security was just...amazing. Even if he weren't swinging through New York, he'd feel like he was flying.

Notes:

Take care of yourselves.

Chapter 5: Independent Variable

Summary:

Tony's coming down with something.
Steve meets Peter.
Peter's just wants to be warm.

Notes:

Sorry this took so long. I've been having some trouble with my health recently (not my mental this time, physical). Still trouble-shooting with doctors to figure out what's going on, but I'm super tired all the time so I've been napping instead of writing. Wanted to do something though, so I skipped an afternoon nap. I missed this story and my brain keeps playing it on repeat, so I had to write some.
I'm going to go nap now. Take care.

Peter was at a slight disadvantage...well, in one way. See, most of the interns had a method to get to SI after school. Peter, though, had his own two legs and that was about it. Hoofing it wasn't easy, not for a normal person. So Peter decided he'd swing half-way there, then walk the rest of the way. That way he wouldn't be too early, but still have time to grab food in the cafeteria, which was allowed, according to the welcome e-mail he'd gotten. Ned had been spazing out about it all day and Peter had joined him, until Ned had said something along the lines of "Are your foster parents excited too? They got a ride for you and stuff, right? Or cab money or something? Oh my God, my best friend gets to work with Tony Stark!"

Peter had gotten less enthusiastic after that. He wished he could tell Ned. Now, Ned was smart, he knew something had gone wrong for Peter to have gone from family to family, but he'd never pried. And Peter...well, Peter wasn't going to make his friend worry about him, but Peter was done living in abusive places, physically, mentally, or emotionally. Done. Peter couldn't risk it. He never wanted to go back to the system again.

"Bro, I gotta head out. I don't want to be late for the first day, okay?" Peter stopped Ned mid-ramble as they walked down the street.

"Sure, have fun." Ned beamed.

"See ya." Peter waved and rushed off. By the time he got to the Tower, there were a dozen and a half other interns there. Most of the interns were grumbling a little bit. They were all wondering if Tony Stark would even show up. After all, the man hadn't shown up for the actual competition. Peter smiled to himself. He'd been the only one to notice Mr. Stark's mask, it made him feel a little bit of pride. He filled a couple plates with food, nothing abnormal for a teenage boy's metabolism, but he choose foods that were especially calorie dense and as nutritious as he could. He'd snagged a book from the library on healthy eating to try to better figure out how to fuel his, frankly, super-needy super-body. He couldn't really get enough from donations alone or his meager weekly food allowance, but he would do his best to get as much food in at SI as possible. He felt a bit bad for it, almost like he was stealing, but the packet had said free meals to all interns and employees...so it wasn't technically stealing. Why he still felt a bit guilty, he didn't quite understand.

Shortly after Peter finished his food, a few familiar SI employees came down to collect the interns and lead them up to a lab to work in. The second Peter walked into the lab he tilted his head to the side. There was a man in a suit, who's face wasn't fuzzy around the edges, but the way his eyes moved was slightly wrong. Peter smiled to himself and put his bag down by the station that was assigned to him.

He got to work and waited for the man in the suit to make his rounds. "Mr. Parker, what're you working on?"

"Two things, actually." Peter said. "Firstly, I'm tweaking my design for my energy source and secondly, this." Holding out a sketch on a piece of paper to the man.

"Okay, I spent all last night working on this mask, there is no way you can tell by the edg-it's the eyes too?" Tony pulled the paper closer and began to read. "Huh...that would...help with that."

"The disguise is better," Peter whispered, trying to keep it quiet from the other interns. "But the blinking is slightly out of sync and the eye color isn't right. Eyes are hard to replicate. Fakes either look like dolls or discolored somehow. I say, either wear contacts or reconfigure the color schemes. Or just go with your natural eye color,." Peter shrugged as he continued to work on his own prototype.

"You're a sharp kid." Tony said, scratching at his chin.

"Plus you walk the same, Mr. Stark. The way you hold yourself is the same in any mask." Peter looked up. He would tell Mr. Stark that his heartbeat sounded different from everyone else's, but that'd be weird and revealing. Peter was pretty sure it was because there was something large and metallic in his chest, very near his heart which changed the sound.

"All good things to consider. I'm working on these for a friend of mine. I like the input." Mr. Stark said, looking down at Peter's plans. "Tit for tat, kid, you see this right here?" He pulled a cover off to expose some of the innards. "If you're looking for efficiency, you could configure this more..." He snagged a tool from Peter's hand and began fiddle with a few parts. "Like that."

"Oh! Oh my gosh, yes! Thank you so much."

"Yeah well, whatever, kid. Keep working on it, it might get there." Tony did not respond with as much enthusiasm as he had before.

Peter frowned for a moment, but then realized that Tony probably didn't want to get caught helping out an intern, even if the others didn't know he was Tony Stark. "Thank you." Peter said, quieter.

"Mm-hm." Tony nodded and walked away, he coughed into his hand and frowned. He really didn't want this cold to stick around.

-

"I kicked a kid out of the intern program today." Tony said cheerfully as he took off his mask and stepped into his apartment. Steve was in the kitchen, cooking something that smelled divine.

"You said that with way too much enthusiasm, darlin'. What did they do?"

"Tried to sabotage their desk-mate's work. One less kid to deal with." Tony shrugged, then sneezed.

"Did you take the medicine like you were supposed to?"

"Yes, MOM." Tony rolled his eyes. "If you had it your way, I'd smell like Vicks."

"It's in the bathroom, above the sink on your side. I bought some after my run this morning." Steve shot a smirk over his shoulder at Tony.

"You're the worst." Tony grumbled, secretly pleased though as he leaned against the counter. There was a very short list of people who actively tried to take care of him or help him. Fewer still put up with his stubborn ass and forced him to get better (IE, take medicine, eat, and sleep), basically just Pepper, Rhodey, and Steve (though sometimes Happy'd dig his heels in too).

"You're welcome, darlin'." Steve waved him off. "Aside from narrowing the pool down to twenty-nine and the obvious cold, how was today?"

"Alright. That Parker kid is really bright. In fact, I need to talk to Pepper, because if anyone's going to be my personal intern, it's that kid. Already he's doubled the output in his power source and he's made it less costly. Plus he sketched up plans to help me with the mask I'm making for Nat. I'm telling you, he's probably the smartest person in every room he steps in...except when he's with me, of course. He's humble about it though, probably more self-conscious and timid than humble though." Tony sighed. "What're you making?"

"Chicken and rice soup with crackers and tea."

Tony rolled his eyes, but gladly accepted the spoon Steve offered him a moment later. "Okay...I was going to tease you for being a mother-hen, but that's really good."

"Thought so. It's Mom's recipe, I was always sick as a kid so she made it a lot. It was my favorite. Always made me feel better."

Tony paused and blinked a few times. As long as they'd been together, family had always been a tough topic for them. Tony knew Steve adored his mother, so him sharing something so personal with him. He walked forward and wrapped his arms around Steve from behind and kissed his shoulder. "Thank you."

"You can thank me by eating the soup, drinking the tea, taking medicine, and getting some rest." Steve chuckled.

"Now you're just deflecting, it's okay, I do it too." Tony sighed.

"Yeah, but I'm being serious too. Iron Man can't go do his thing if he's sick and I certainly won't let Tony Stark go around sick either. You need rest." Steve turned and covered Tony's arc reactor with a hand. "This means you got to cut your lungs and heart some slack, okay?"

"Fine... I'll have the soup and only moderately complain about the rest."

"Deal." Steve laughed.

-

Peter climbed up into his steeple and shivered. Fall was definitely in full swing. His phone said it was 49 degrees. He was sure it was colder. He shivered and pulled on two sweatshirts before climbing into his sleeping bag. He slipped his whole body into the bag and curled up, shivering. He didn't know how long he stayed like that, but eventually the sleeping bag warmed up enough that he stopped shaking and was only left with goosebumps. He poked his head out cautiously and pulled up his hood before reaching out an arm and starting some soup in his coffee pot. He retreated into his sleeping bag again as the wind whistled below and through the floorboards.

"I need to make that heater, it's too cold." He'd hoped for the weather to hold out just a little bit longer for him, but it looked like winter was going to come faster than usual. "Just my luck." He'd have to look for scraps after school the next day, try to find something to make a heater out of, hopefully while the sun was still up. The only good news is that there was one less person in the running for the internship position. His percentage went up by a little over .1%. So...that was good. And the way Mr. Stark talked to him...Peter had a good feeling about it. He didn't know why, but it just seemed like Mr. Stark actually thought he had good ideas and that...was terrifying and exciting and uplifting.

Maybe he wouldn't have to dumpster dive. Maybe Mr. Stark would give him access to parts to make a heater. He'd given everyone equipment, maybe if Peter talked about using a heater for a consistent way to test his different energy source prototypes, then maybe he could get the parts. It sounded true, but also a bit manipulative. "I shouldn't ask for it... It costs too much." Peter didn't want to waste Mr. Stark's money or resources. "There's perfectly good stuff out there that people have thrown away, I could...figure something out." Peter shivered as the wind blew. "Definitely tomorrow."

The soup warmed him up a little, but it didn't last. He slept off-and-on, his own teeth chattering woke him up a few times before he buried himself in a pile of his clothes and the sleeping bag. If he were a little bit smaller, he would have folded himself up and slept in the suitcase for insulation, but he couldn't fit, he tried. Instead, he did the best he could with his sleeping bag, one blanket and a few t-shirts and pants stuffed into the bag to provide more insulation.

His body leaked heat though. If he couldn't make a heater, he'd have to find a new safe spot to call home.

-

Steve woke up to the sound of raspy breaths. "Tony?" He blinked blearily and rolled closer to Tony. "Hey, you a'right, darlin'?"

Tony was sleeping fitfully, and couldn't seem to get a full breath.

"Shit." Steve felt more awake. The rattling in Tony's chest sounded painfully familiar. "Come on, I need you to wake up, Tony." Steve gave Tony's back a few firm pats.

Tony jolted awake and began coughing, hard, getting in wet, crackling breaths inbetween his coughs.

"Easy, you're alright." Steve helped Tony sit up and gently patted his back to try to help him.

Eventually, Tony's coughing fit ended, but he still breathed with a rasp. "Couldn't breathe, underwater...in my dream. Makes it a bit more real when you wake up and can barely breathe."

"Sorry, love." Steve whispered, rubbing Tony's back.

"I didn't want to be sick."

"No one does..." Steve sat up against the headboard and pulled Tony's back against his chest. He gently rubbed Tony's chest, above the arc reactor. "You should see Cho about that."

"'m still tired."

"I know. I'll hold you like this so you can breath and get some more rest, but no work tomorrow. You need to get medicine for that."

"Okay...deal, pumpkin, but only if I get more soup."

"Fine by me." Steve nodded, still rubbing Tony's chest.

"You like 'pumpkin'?" Tony asked.

"No," Steve snorted. "Get some rest, you're working that brain too hard."

"I'll find one for you some day...promise." Tony was half-way asleep, judging by his slurred speech.

"I know you will. Try to sleep, love."

"Mkay." Tony went slack.

Steve used his chin to keep Tony's head from lolling uncomfortably to the side and used his free arm to pull the blankets around them. It was four, close enough to Steve's usual wake-up-call that he wasn't too bothered to stay up and hold Tony upright so he could sleep easy. He closed his eyes and kept focus on Tony's breathing, making sure the man didn't stop or have it become too labored.

Tony's body was a little too warm for Steve's liking, but they'd figure that out in the morning. For now, he wanted Tony to get some uninterrupted rest. He'd make sure Tony got the help he needed in a couple hours.

-

On Friday, Peter brought his parts to his heater-in-progress to SI. When he sat down in the lab after a lovely meal that almost made him sick, he noticed that there was less staff than normal. He took a careful glance at their faces as he pulled his hoodie down. He couldn't spot anyone with a mask on, nor did he notice Mr. Stark's usual posture...or his weird-sounding heartbeat. He slouched a little and put his head down, getting to work. He'd been looking forward to getting to talk to Mr. Stark again. He'd wanted to know about the mask, more about how they worked. They were a cool invention. Peter liked learning about stuff like that. He needed heat too though, so he kept working.

Peter slipped his headphones on and played his music, using his power source to charge his phone. He worked better with something to drown out all the noise his sensitive ears could hear. He worked until he felt a hand gently tap his shoulder. He jolted back and pulled his headphones off. "Holy shit!"

Steve Rogers. THE Captain America, laughed. "Language, son."

"Woah. You're...You're Captain America."

Steve sighed. "Steve is fine, I think."

"Wh-what are you doing here, sir?"

"Oh, well, Tony's got pneumonia. He was going to come down here today, but I convinced him to take a nap instead. I promised to take notes." Steve held up a note pad. "I'm not technically-minded like him, but I draw good pictures and listen well, and he tends to understand."

"You probably explained that already, didn't you?" Peter shrunk a little. "Sorry, I had headphones on."

"It's okay. Tony always has some sort of music playing, I got used to it. So, what are you working on? It's Peter Parker, right?"

"Uh, yeah." And Peter was NOT freaking out that a SUPER HERO knew his name. "Well, my main project is an energy source, right here. It functions, but I want to get more power of it. But to get accurate readings of how well it produces over a long period of time so I need to build something that draws a good amount of power to use as a constant."

"Alright, so, what did you choose to make as your constant. Like a...what's it called independent variable? Right?"

"Yeah, exactly like that." Peter nodded. "So I'm making a heater, like a space heater."

"Okay, but...why not just buy one?"

"I wanted to make one that could run hot for as long as the power source could hold up without overheating or causing a fire or anything else. Not many of those on the market." Plus, Peter couldn't afford one.

Steve reached out, then paused. "Can I look at this?"

"Sure." Peter nodded.

Steve looked at the frame Peter had started to create and the things across his workstation. "These are made of old appliances...right? Why? You know you can ask for any parts you want. Tony'd be fine with it."

Peter opened his mouth, then closed it.

"It's okay. I'm pretty tight when it comes to money too...I think it comes from way back then, we didn't have much. It's okay to ask for things you need though."

"Well, the point of my project is to make a power source at a very low cost."

"Yeah, but the heater's a constant. Won't most people be using normal products? The closer you get to that, the better you'll be able to judge your power source, right?"

Peter tilted his head to the side. It did make some sense. He didn't want to put Mr. Stark out though...but if Captain Rogers thought he'd be okay with it...then maybe?

"Here." Steve offered his paper to Peter. "Write a list of what you'll need to built your heater."

Peter looked at the paper and saw his own name printed neatly at the top, along with some notes of what Peter had said, then a drawing of what was on Peter's workstation. How had he drawn something so detailed so quickly? "This sketch is really good."

"Thanks, I'll put more detail in it before I head up, it's not quite right just yet."

"Looks good to me." Peter nodded then wrote a list in the corner at the bottom. "Thank you."

"Yeah, no problem. You should see some of the lists Tony puts together sometimes. I'm pretty sure the last time I worked with him in the lab he built some sort of accelerator with these big pipes-"

"He built a particle accelerator? That's awesome!" Peter's eyes lit up and he ran a hand through his hair. "Oh my gosh! The things you could do with one. What was he working on? Or was it like, super-secret? Sorry. It's just so cool...all the applications and...that's just so cool. Oh, here's the list for you."

Steve laughed lightly as he took the notebook. "That looks familiar. I don't understand half of this stuff, but you all have that same passion, it's cool."

"Passion's just cool that way. It doesn't matter what people are passionate about, it's a catchy feeling on anyone. Like your art." Peter shrugged.

"You have a point. Well, I'll let you have your music back and your station. I've got lots of notes to take today. Nice talking to you, Mr. Parker."

"You too, sir." Peter called after him. He'd just met a super hero. How cool was that? Now, if only he could make a temporary heater that would work through the weekend, until he got the parts for a new one.

-

"You look miserable." Steve frowned as he walked into their shared bedroom, kicking off his shoes.

"Shut up and snuggle, but give me your notes, since I'm not allowed to have tech."

"Okay..." Steve laughed and held out his notes before curling up behind Tony as he flipped through the pages. "I like him too."

"Hm? Who?" Tony asked absently, coughing a few times.

"Peter. He reminds me of you. He blares his music in his ears and his whole face lights up when he talks science-y. I can see why you like him. He's basically a mini-you, but with less...swagger."

"Captain America just said 'swagger' everyone, mark the date down." Tony teased. "Yup, he's a keeper. And your notes are fantastic for a layman."

"I'll take it as a compliment. I also had them all make lists of anything they needed to further their projects. I had to talk a few of them into it, but they all put together a list."

"Good. I'll forward the lists later when I'm more awake. For now, nap time." Tony turned and leaned against Steve's shoulder. "Be a good pillow and stay."

"Sure thing." Steve laughed.

"Pillow... Pilly?"

"No. Do not call me 'Pilly,' Tony."

"Fine."

Notes:

Have a good day. <3

Chapter 6: Fire

Summary:

Peter is having a very bad day, but it ends alright.
Steve and Tony find some things out about their favorite intern.

Notes:

Got some good test results back today, in that things were better than the doctors initially thought. So aside from a lot of pain and drugs I should make a full recovery if my tests keep getting better and my body doesn't try to rebel against me again (fingers crossed).
This chapter has angst, but I'm trying to balance all of the sad with some cheer, because we deserve it and I need it right now...so there.
(PS HOLY COW this is five thousand words...sorry guys. Love you 5,000? haha)

Peter had the day off, for the most part. The internship was still on, but school was closed for some teacher training thing. Peter was alright with it, he'd get some patrolling done and some housekeeping things done too. He mapped out a route to patrol so he could get to one of his donation places. He put his suit on over a sweater and jeans, to stay extra warm. He put on his webshooters and pulled on his mask before slipping out. The sunlight was warm and Peter adored it. He'd managed to get a working heater...in that it worked for about ten blissful hours, before something sparked and the whole thing died and...well...Peter now understood why someone had thrown out that old blender he'd borrowed wiring from.

Regardless, he knew he'd probably have the parts he needed to make a heater that wouldn't fizzle out on him. He just needed to make it through the day. He swung through the city and stopped a few muggings and a car jacking. There didn't seem to be anything big going on. He didn't hear any gunshots or anything like that. Peter almost wanted more to do, but he was glad that the people seemed to be safe and happy. That was the most important thing.

Peter patrolled his old neighborhood, making sure to avoid one street. He just...couldn't go down that road. It was ironic, really. Two blocks apart on the same, stupid, road Uncle Ben had been shot and little less than a year later, Aunt May had been in the car wreck that took her life after five terrible, long days in the hospital. Two blocks apart on the same road... Peter had been powerless both times. He had been too scared to help Ben and he'd been at home, waiting for May to get home from work... Both times, he could've been out and about. He could have ran forward and saved Ben, he could have been on patrol and heard the screeching horns. He could've helped May...

He didn't like that road. It wasn't good. Part of him didn't think he'd do any good on that road. That maybe he'd always fail there. He wanted to rub his eyes to get rid of the tingly watery feeling. It was all still fresh and raw. He didn't like it. He swung toward the church, it was going to be a little while before he got there, it wasn't really in Queens, but he didn't mind. He loved swinging through the city. It kept his muscles moving and warm and the sun was almost like a warm hug. The wind blowing past him made him feel like he was flying. It was a good distraction, to keep his mind off darker things.

He heard the sirens first. Then he saw the smoke. It was close to his destination. He'd go help the firefighters real quick, then change and get some food for the month. Then, he saw the source of the smoke. The church was on fire.

"Oh no." It was Monday, so the church wasn't in full swing, but he knew there were a lot of volunteers there and pastors. Sometimes there were even youth groups who volunteered to help with the donations. Peter quickly dropped down to the scene. "Is everyone out?" He asked quickly. He could see a group of children, covered in ash being held in a hug by a woman. He recognized a few of the faces. "Is everyone accounted for?" Peter turned to a volunteer he knew was there all the time, when the firefighter didn't answer.

"Pastor Cardin went to find Val, they're both still in there."

"I'll go get them." Peter nodded and started forward. A firefighter grabbed his arm.

"No good, son. It's not safe in there. It could collapse."

Peter pulled his hand free and ran forward anyway. He was tired of being cold, but this was a bit too hot, even for him. Fire was everything and the wood was making horrible noise. The church wasn't going to stay standing for much longer. Peter rushed for the basement. It was too hot and his eyes watered, the smoke was so thick he could barely get in a deep breath. "HELLO? PASTOR? Can you hear me?!" Peter shouted.

Even over the roar of the fire, he heard a choked cough. No matter how many times he got sensory overload, he was so thankful for his super senses then. He ran through the hallways until he found the pastor and a woman, huddled together. "Is there anyone else in here?" Peter asked.

The pastor, the only one of them who seemed to be alert, coughed and shook his head. "Take her out of here, she's having...a hard time...breathing."

"I've got you both, don't worry. I'll get you out." Peter pulled the woman over one shoulder and used his stickiness to keep her steady. Then he pulled the pastor to his feet. The man made a noise of pain and Peter saw the blood and blisters on his leg. The man was badly burned. "It's okay. There are doctors outside. It's gonna hurt, but I got to carry you, okay?"

Peter didn't wait for a response and he tried to ignore the shout of pain when he pulled the man over his other shoulder. He made sure the man stuck to him, then he ran. Several boards fell toward them, but Peter dodged them, feeling them coming because of his spidersense. As he entered the sanctuary though, he felt his body tingle all over. He heard a sickening crack and turned to see a support column, one that had once been beautiful decorated, carved, and painted, begin to collapse. The roof sagged with it. "Oh shit." The building was coming down.

He sprinted as fast as he could and barely got to the front steps when the building began to collapse. He shot a web out and swung thirty yards away, landing as the whole building came down, smoke, fire, and ash kicking up in the air. "Oh, thank God. Hey, are you alright?" Peter asked, gently putting the two down as a group of paramedics sprinted toward the three of them.

The woman was unconscious, but still breathing. The man looked out of it, but reached out and grabbed Peter's gloved hand. "Thank you, son."

"They need help." Peter gestured to the two, before he began coughing, the smoke had been bad. He could really feel it now.

"You do too." A woman said, grabbing his arm gently. "Are you hurt anywhere?"

"N-no. I'm fine." Peter shook his head. His eyes were watering, his voice hoarse. He couldn't get a deep breath in.

"Come with me." She said as the others tended to the two injured that Peter had pulled free of the fire. She led him to an ambulance and guided him to sit down before holding out an oxygen mask.

"No, no, I can't." Peter shook his head.

"Even superheroes need oxygen. Put it under the mask for all I care, but you saved two people and are barely breathing right, put it on." She said sternly.

For a moment...she sounded so much like May it hurt. Peter slid the mask on under his own and, yeah, the oxygen was really nice. A few deep breaths and he could already feel his super healing kick in, fighting to get rid of the smoke and get in all the oxygen. Even his eyes weren't burning anymore. "Thank you."

"No, thank you. No one else could've gone in there to get them... So, what do you call yourself, Mr. Hero?"

"Spiderman." Peter said.

"Oh, you usually hang out around Queens, don't you? My cousin mentioned you once. Well, thanks for branching out, it was bad in there."

"Any time." Peter nodded, finally getting a deep, good breath. "And thanks for this, I feel a lot better." He pulled the oxygen mask off and held it out to her.

"Hey, you can't just-"

"I heal fast." Peter shrugged, his voice sounding closer to normal. He couldn't stay until he was better though, or she might hear how young he sounded. "Gotta go."

"Wait!"

Peter was gone and half-way up a building before she could protest further. He climbed up to the top and sat down to catch his breath. He pulled off his mask and wiped his face with it. "Everyone is safe. I was a hero. They're okay. That's great." Peter muttered to himself, trying to list all of the good news. "The firefighters are containing the fire, it's good. It's going to be fine."

He felt selfish. People had just lost their church, the place they went to find peace and hope. People needed that. Children were going to be scarred by the incident for years... He felt so selfish because he was worried about himself. One of his food supplies had just vanished, poof, up in smoke. Wasn't that a fucking metaphor for his life? He finally starts getting good momentum and boom. Parents die in a freak accident. Boom. He couldn't save Ben. Boom. He couldn't save May. Boom. Foster home after foster home is full of abuse. Boom. He can't thermoregulate and needs more food than most humans could even stomach to eat. Boom. He loses one of his places to get food and his heater all in one day.

"Does everything I touch just..." Peter didn't finish his sentence. Instead a broken sob came out. He hid his face in his hands, keeping his mask crumpled in one of them. "I'm a horrible person." He sobbed. He didn't understand. The people were so much more important, but his mind wouldn't stop throwing calculations at him, at how much weight he'd probably lose now that he was down a bag of food a month. That was thousands of calories now he wouldn't get to have. And if he got kicked out of the internship, he probably wouldn't even be able to patrol. As it was he was going to have to cut back on Spiderman just so he could survive. And what if someone got hurt all because he wouldn't go out on an empty stomach? How dare he cut back on being a hero just because he was hungry to begin with? There were other people who were hungry, who were getting robbed, who were getting in accidents and he was going to sit back because he was hungry? The people were so much more important than his hunger. He was Spiderman, he was a hero. Heroes put people first.

He had great power, and damn it he had a responsibility because of it.

Peter wiped his face and pulled on his mask. He needed to get back home, maybe make some food and figure out how he'd ration. He knew some soup kitchens and donation centers would open up in December. He could make it seven weeks. He just had to be smart. His butt ached because he'd sat for too long. It was like that more and more. He hadn't had much fat on him to begin with, now his cushion was gone and he'd found pressure points all over his body that he didn't know he had. He stood up and crossed the roof before jumping off and swinging back toward Queens.

Swinging was so much more comfortable than sitting.

-

Tony got out of bed and dressed before he walked into the living room. The TV was on and Tony turned to look at the news. "-fire has devastated St. Mary's Church, but there were no casualties. Firefighters, survivors, and paramedics on scene are thanking a masked vigilante called Spiderman, who apparently ran into the burning building and carried out the last people trapped inside seconds before the building collapsed. One paramedic had the chance to speak with the vigilante after the incident."

A paramedic spoke now, doing an interview. "'Spiderman swung in out of nowhere and we were lucky he did. I know normally he looks after Queens, but we needed him today. He was a real hero and if you're watching this, Spiderman, everyone you got out are going to make a full recovery, thanks to you.'"

"Huh, is that the tracksuit guy you were talking about?" Tony wondered before he chanced a look at Steve. He was met immediately by Steve's 'I'm disappointed in you' stare. "What's up with you, sugarkins?"

"First of, yes, I saw him while we were out eating. Secondly, that pet name is a firm no. Finally, what are you doing out of bed?"

"Going to the internship."

"You have pneumonia."

"And an emergency inhaler and two medicines. I'm fine, sweetie-pie-apple-of-my-eye." Tony winked at him, awkwardly.

"That one's just a travesty." Steve huffed. "You don't need to go, you need more rest. I'm even making soup."

"The kids were promised Tony Stark at least once a week. So far, 'Tony Stark' has missed four occasions where the interns were here. If I miss again Pepper will have my head...or my balls in her purse, whichever she decides. I feel like we both lose if that happens, pookiebear."

"I'm not even going to dignify that one with a response. She'll understand if you're sick. I'll make sure she doesn't cut anything off." Steve walked forward and wrapped his arms around Tony. "I know how you are about work, but you need your health too. If you slow down for a few more days you'll be right as rain, darlin'."

"But, babycakes-"

"Nope. No."

"Cupcake, I'll be fine. It's not going to be strenuous. I just show up, look at their stuff. Intimidate some of the weaker ones, and walk away. Simple. No stress at all, pudding pop, promise."

"What is with the food pet names right now? They're all horrible."

Tony shrugged, then coughed into his elbow before speaking. "You're standing in the kitchen, peach."

"I can't even..." Steve ran his hand through his hair. "Okay. We'll make a deal. If you eat all of your lunch and keep your eyes open afterward. I'll take you down, we'll do a quick visit with the interns and you can come back up and get tucked in for a nap. Deal?"

"Fine. Deal...uh...beef cake."

"You really need to stop trying. It's getting really bad now." Steve scoffed. He leaned forward and kissed Tony's nose. "I still love you though, darlin'."

"Love you too, stud muffin."

Steve groaned. "Make the torture stop."

"Not until I find the perfect one, big guy."

-

Steve stood in the corner while Tony walked around to talk to the interns. He watched Tony cautiously, taking note of any time he so much as coughed. When he wasn't watching Tony, his eyes strayed down to the other person who'd set up shop in the back corner. Peter Parker always tried to hide in the back corner. Steve felt like they had a bit of a connection that way.

He watched the boy work eagerly with the new parts he'd gotten today. His slender, but sure fingers worked excitedly with the parts, even though his sleeves of his sweater kept falling over his hands. He pushed them up to his elbows after a few moments and pressed on. Steve watched the young boy and he was sure that he was looking at what Tony looked like when he was a teenager. Awkward, gangly, sweet, excitable.... Shifty?

"Huh." Steve muttered to himself. Now that he saw it, he couldn't unsee it. Peter kept shifting his weight as if he were trying to get comfortable. After about ten minutes, the kid stood up and pushed his chair away as if it offended him, then continued working. Steve heard the kid's stomach rumble. Then. "Oh..." Steve realized and began looking for signs. His sweater was a little too big, though it looked like it had once fit him well. The fibers in the upper arms had been stretched, as if he had been bigger at one point, but now the sleeves were loose there. His wrists were just a little too bony for a kid. His shiftiness made sense suddenly. Steve had been too skinny once, malnourished. Bones stuck out all over the place and made sitting or laying down uncomfortable.

Peter wasn't getting enough to eat. He wasn't quite...sickly looking, but it was obvious that he'd recently lost a bit of weight, more than Steve was comfortable with. Steve got his phone out and sent Tony a text.

'We should let the interns stay for dinner at the cafeteria tonight. They've worked hard today.'

Steve sent it and waited, hearing Tony's phone ping. He saw Tony turn and look at him with a puzzled expression before he shrugged and nodded, typing out a text, probably to the kitchen staff so they knew to bulk up on their usual dinner courses. Steve smiled and then frowned. He wondered what Peter was going through. He seemed to be doing alright otherwise. He whooped in triumph when he finished piecing his heater together and got it running with his power source. Steve could feel the warmth even from where he stood. Peter was very good and he seemed happy and cheerful... Still, his health was bothersome. Maybe his family didn't have enough money or they were going through a hard time...either way, SI could help, even if it was just one extra meal for a kid who could stand to gain a few pounds.

It sure as hell explained why Peter seemed to be so money conscious.

JARVIS spoke up suddenly. "At the end of this session, interns are invited to the cafeteria for a dinner spread for all of their hard work."

Peter shot up straight and let out a soft, happy breath. Steve could almost see the corner of his mouth turn up. The kid was obviously hungry. Steve could relate and, for the first time, he felt like he might be able to help...or at least enlist Tony to help. His phone vibrated in his pocket.

Darlin':

What was that about, big papa?

Steve snorted and rolled his eyes. Tony, of course, heard and was the faster texter.

Darlin':

But don't you love it when I call you big papa?

It sounded like a reference to something.

'I don't understand that reference. I'll talk to you about it later.'

Darlin':

Sure thing, cowboy. ;-)

Steve huffed and put his phone away. One day, Tony would figure it out. It wasn't going to be today though, Steve could tell.

-

Steve and Tony went back to their floor and Steve got around some dinner for Tony. "Hey, um, do you know what kind of living situation Peter Parker has?" Steve tried to ask casually as he heated up what he'd made earlier.

"No. Why?"

"Can you look it up for me?"

"I can, Captain Rogers." JARVIS answered. "According to his intake forms, Peter Parker lives with his aunt: May Parker."

"Is May Parker financially steady?" Steve asked. "Don't dig too deep, J, just...I want to make sure they're alright."

"Sir, May Parker died many months ago. It appears Mr. Parker lied on his form." JARVIS stated. "I checked for her financial status and found her death certificate. January 15th, her husband died six months before her."

Steve froze. "Wait, where does Peter live then?"

"According to social services, Mr. Parker currently lives in a foster home, his faster parents are a Mr. and Mrs. Marcos."

"What is this about, Steve?" Tony asked.

"Peter's too thin, like he hasn't been eating enough. I thought maybe it was financial... Could it be stress?"

"Maybe." Tony shrugged and grabbed his tablet. It took him an upsettingly short time to start spewing information. "Peter Parker, born August 10th to Mary and Richard, who both died in a plane accident when he was four. His Aunt and Uncle Parker took him in, they were apparently his only surviving relatives. Holy shit. He was found holding his Uncle Ben, trying to keep him from bleeding out after a robber shot him. The poor kid. A few months later his aunt was in a car accident when a drunk driver blew a stop sign. Jesus..." Tony covered his mouth with his hand. "They passed him through five foster homes, but he's been at his current one for over two months. He's probably not doing so great."

"He always acts so happy, so bright." Steve frowned and wiped his eyes. "The poor kid." Steve felt for him. He'd lost his family and ended up living on his own, too proud to take Bucky up on his offer. He knew what it was like to grieve and suffer. The kid really had it rough.

"Not every smile is a happy one." Tony said quietly.

Tony knew that intimately and Steve knew it. Tony almost always had a mask on. He even wore sunglasses almost all the time to keep people from being able to see any emotions he might not be able to hide. It had taken Steve months to realize that with Tony what you see isn't what you get. The confident, swagger-filled, arrogant, inconsiderate asshole Tony pretended to be just wasn't real. Tony had the softest, warmest, and kindest heart. He'd just learned that he had to hide it, because people liked to stab soft targets. Almost as proof, Tony had a bunch of metal in his test, constantly trying to escape and slice into his kind, giving heart. Steve sat down next to Tony and wrapped his arms around him.

"Why didn't the kid have his foster parents sign?" Tony asked, something like suspicion buried in his tone.

"Maybe it was a money issue... He doesn't seem to like costing anyone money, he might be worried about transportation or...something. Maybe he just wanted to feel like a piece of his family was with him in this." Steve shrugged. He would have tried to honor his mother if he'd gotten a chance to go back to art school after her passing. He knew she would have wanted to be part of his accomplishment in some way, she'd been like that.

"Maybe..." Tony shrugged, then began to cough. "He's a brilliant kid, ahead of all his peers. If I could already announce an intern I would...even before this. JARVIS, put a memo out to the cafeteria workers. Lunch and dinner will be available for interns."

"Yes, sir." JARVIS answered.

Tony shrugged. "I don't know what else we can do for now." He swiped his hand across his screen.

"What are you doing?"

"I may or may not be stealing some more records, this time on a Mr. and Mrs. Marcos..." Tony said before his hand paused. "Hm, they have good records as foster parents, no red flags, no complaints...nothing. Not even speeding tickets. At least there's that."

"You thought it might be abuse?"

"You never know. When Jarvis died I didn't eat much for months, but then again it could be abuse, so I wanted to make sure things were on the up and up. His grades are still good, he's doing extra curriculars... He just needs time probably. I did. I don't know how you get over something like that though... I mean, the kid was holding his uncle as he bleed to death that's...that's a lot for anyone, let alone a kid."

"He reminds me of someone strong I know...I think he'll pull through." Steve tried to reassure Tony and himself. "I'm sure his foster parents will get him some help. We can do what we can, right?"

"Wish it were more." Tony sighed and collapsed into Steve's side. "He's brilliant and so nice. He spent a quarter of his lab time helping another person with their project. He's just...a good kid."

"Yeah...and he reminds me of a good man I know." Steve kissed the top of Tony's head. "Let's get you dinner and sleep. You still gotta get better."

"Sure, babe. Not too much though... I'm...not feeling too hungry right now."

Steve sighed. "Me neither." The Steve paused and remembered something else about the brilliant intern...why had he smelled like smoke?

-

Peter felt full, he'd almost ate too much at SI. He'd had to run to the restroom, afraid he'd puke. He was grateful he didn't though. It would've been a waste of good food. He didn't know why the interns got dinner too, but he loved it, especially after his busy morning and losing one of his food sources. For how shitty his day had started, he had two large meals, which had more calories in them than he'd had all weekend. He got to talk to Mr. Stark and see Captain America...and...if it worked...

Peter plugged his newly finished heater into his power source and in fifteen short minutes, his steeple had gone from 49 degrees to 78. He was WARM. He breathed a sigh of relief as he felt warmth (that wasn't blistering fire) settle into his fingertips and toes.

He stuffed his sleeping bag with his clothes to try to make it softer and picked up his blanket from home. He lay down on the lumpy sleeping bag and clothes, but it was softer than the wooden floor and easier on his pressure points. He stared at the heater, waiting for it to short, for him to have to crawl into his sleeping bag. But it didn't. Even with the cold air kicking up from below. His small shelter was almost constantly in the high seventies...and the heat wasn't turned all the way up.

He wasn't going to freeze to death and he wouldn't have to find a new place to stay.

For the first time in a long time, he said a prayer and meant it. He was grateful for the warmth and the unexpected extra food. And he may have begged a little bit for his own church to not burn down...and for the safety of all the other churches in New York, for that matter. "Thanks for letting me stay rent free...sorry about that. I promise I'll donate or...tithe? When I finally can." May and Ben had always been religious, he'd been raised in it and believed, but...well, it had never been a super big deal or super big part of his life.

He rolled onto his side to get sort-of comfortable and turned on his phone. He set it to play music for an hour and listened to the quiet tunes instead of the millions of sounds outside as he finally fell asleep.

Notes:

Take care of yourselves.

Chapter 7: Friends and Frenemies

Summary:

Peter makes a new friend.
Tony fights his friends.

Notes:

I'm going to try to post one more today, because I want a certain super villain to meet a certain super hero...but we'll see.
I don't really have much else I can do right now, so I'm going to write. :-)

Peter woke up full. He'd had a huge dinner at SI the night before. He appreciated the warm, satisfied feeling, knowing that it was the weekend and he wouldn't feel really full again until Monday night. He sat up and stretched his arms out. His back and hip hurt. His bangs were in his face. He'd have to get a hair cut soon, to keep from looking too disheveled. He needed to start breakfast before he headed out to find a restroom. He started some oatmeal on the lowest setting and got dressed. He shut off his lights and rolled his bed up so he could lift up the loose boards. He held on by his fingertips and put the boards back in place before he dropped down.

"It's a nice view, isn't it?"

Peter winced. He felt betrayed by his spider sense. He turned and found an older gentleman, standing on the other side of the bell. He'd seen the man before. He was one of the head pastors. Peter didn't know his name. "Um...yeah, it's a good view."

"When I was a younger man I'd come up here all the time. The stairs hurt my knees these days...but the view's still good." He turned and smiled gently at Peter. "You don't have to worry, I'm not upset that you're living...in the attic." He held out his hand. "I'm Aaron Smith. You don't have to tell me your name if you don't want to, son."

"Nice to meet you." Peter whispered, shaking his hand.

"There's not much that goes on in this church that I don't see. My wife thinks I live here sometimes." He laughed. "I saw you up there a couple weeks ago. At first I thought our church was just a safe hideout to a superhero... Then on a Monday I saw a kid head off to school, climbing down the walls with a big backpack. I knew I should have found out where you belonged, gotten you a safe home... Something told me not to though. I prayed about it, got this feeling like you were doing alright." He gently put a hand on Peter's shoulder. "I'm not going to tell anyone, you can stay up there. I'm sure it's a safe place. I just wanted to see if you needed anything, young man."

"I'm okay." Peter shook his head.

"Can I take a look?" Aaron asked, nodding up.

"Uh..." Peter jumped up. Aaron already knew he was a hero, might as well roll with it. He pushed the boards upward and slinked inside. He grabbed his phone and snapped a picture before dropping back down. He held out his phone to the older man, but didn't let it go.

"Looks like you have some food. Is that a heater?"

Peter nodded.

"Okay. How about you come with me?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I'm an old man, my children have their own lives. I get lonely sometimes. Maybe we could get some breakfast and chitchat. I got a honey-do list to get done today. Want to join me?"

"I...have food cooking, I don't want to waste it."

"I'll reimburse you for it. You'd really make my day better."

Peter thought about it and crawled up into his home, turning off his coffee pot. He'd clean it all out later. "Okay..."

"Awesome. I know this nice cafe down the way. Sound good to you?"

"Um, sure." Peter'd have to be ready. His spider sense wasn't going off around this guy, but...he still didn't know if it was a trap or not. He wasn't going back to the system. Not again.

-

Tony narrowed his eyes on the information on his tablet. He was grateful to Steve's morning runs for the first time ever. Usually he wished that Steve would stay in bed and cuddle, but this time, Steve's absence was a good thing. He headed for his lab and called up his suit.

"Sir, are you healthy enough for an expedition out as Iron Man?" JARVIS asked.

"I'm fine, J. Let's go." Tony smiled as his suit wrapped around him. "Don't tell Steve, J, this is our secret."

"Is this about the mole I caught crawling out of his hole, sir?"

"Yep. Let's take out every last traitor in SI. Then rip Obie dear to shreds...let's get the rats first though. Time to go. Camo up."

-

Steve's phone went off as he headed back to the tower, carrying a box of donuts and two coffees, hoping to give Tony a nice breakfast. He'd really been doing good about taking it easy and Steve knew sitting still wasn't exactly easy for the genius. He freed up a hand and put his phone to his ear. "Rogers."

"Steve, it's Nat. Iron Man's on the move again."

All previous compliments drained out of Steve and he rolled his eyes. "Where?"

"Well, judging by all the explosions up in Poughkeepsie of all places, I'd say there. We're warming the jet right now."

"Be there in ten." Steve sighed. He put his food on a bench next to a sleeping man. He patted his shoulder. "Hey, have some food." Steve said as he hung up and began to sprint to the tower. "I'm going to kill you, Tony. This time I really am, dammit!"

-

Peter sat with Aaron in the cafe. Strangely, Aaron didn't give him a menu. Instead he took to reading out different items. "Ooh, you said you like sandwiches, how about this? It's chicken, bacon, egg, and cheese on a croissant with a house sauce. It's sort of like a honey-strawberry thing. I've had it before, it's lovely."

"That does sound good."

"Right? I think I'll have one too, with coffee. What do you want? You might be a bit young for coffee."

Peter wrinkled his noes. "Not black coffee." He agreed. He wouldn't order a coffee he'd like. Any fancy, sweet coffee always cost so much more.

"Milk? Chocolate milk?"

"Do they have orange juice?" Peter asked shyly.

"Yup! Done deal, kid." Aaron waved a woman over and it was obvious he was a regular, because she knew his order before he spoke. "And I'd like the same for my young friend here, except orange juice, can't give a teenager caffeine or they never come down, you know?"

The woman chuckled. "You've got it, Aaron." She took the menu and walked away.

"So, kid. What do you like to do, aside from swing around the city?" Aaron asked the second part quietly.

"Well...I like building things."

"Like the heater. It looked nice."

"Thanks. I like reading and I used to play piano a lot...I did some dance when I was younger."

"Explains your exceptional balance. That sounds like fun. I've never been musical. My wife says I like any old song. She thinks I'm tone deaf. I'm just not a judge for the art. I used to sketch, myself. Not well, but it was fun. My hands aren't as steady as they used to be though." He shrugged. "Speaking of the wife." He pulled a piece of paper from his pocket. "I really wasn't joking about that 'honey do' list."

The paper literally said Honey Do at the top in gentle, neat cursive. There were three items on the list as well as a grocery list under the word 'shopping.' "I thought those were only in the movies." Peter commented.

"Nope, unfortunately not." Aaron laughed. "My gal's worth it though. So, I got to fix the dishwasher, do the shopping, and fix the leak in the lady's sink at the church. Could use a pair of strong hands, know anyone up for the job? Pay's good for good work."

Peter blinked and looked up. Was Aaron serious? Was he offering him a job? "Yeah. I could help."

"Cool, gotta have the breakfast of champions first though, right?"

Peter smiled and his eyes watered a little bit. As Spiderman and as Peter, he knew a lot of people could be cruel...but they really could be kind too.

-

Tony heard his coms crackle to life and knew that it was Captain America arriving on scene. Every time Cap's suit got close his suit automatically connected with Tony's earpiece. Tony could hear all of the Avenger's chatter and speak directly to Cap without anyone else hearing him. "Oh, hey, Winghead. Fancy seeing you in a dump like this." Tony said as he continued to pull information from the computer. He knew they'd be a few minutes before they figured out where he was.

"Any visual on Iron Man?" Nat asked.

"Negative, but this is his work alright." Clint responded. "I'm dropping in."

"I'm in the basement, dearie, if you could lend me like, five more seconds, that'd be wonderful." Tony stated before he coughed hard into his elbow. "That's not me coughing, by the way, Casanova, that was the bad guy."

Steve sighed into the coms. "Clint, I need you to be the eyes in case he tries to bolt. Bruce, hang back, I'll let you know if we have a code green. Nat, let's start searching the first floor."

"Thank you, lover." Tony said cheerfully.

"What's this guy got against Stark anyway, you ever wondered?" Nat inquired.

"Ex-employee? Maybe someone who's family was hurt by Stark Weapons? I don't know." Steve answered.

"Could be." Nat shrugged. "Kinda makes me wonder which side he's on."

"Going soft on us Nat?" Clint asked.

"I've done bad things for the general good before...and I have more red in my ledger than Iron Man does and they still count me as a hero, so... I'm just saying. He seems rather focused for a baddie."

"Loki was focused. Also an asshole." Clint commented.

"Language."

"Hey, Thor's not here to get upset about it, I can call Loki a dick all I want."

"And keep the chatter down." Steve ordered. "This floor's clear."

"Looks like there's a basement." Nat called out.

"Almost done, pumpkin." Tony said before he snagged the information and stepped back into his suit. "Alright, I'm suited up, how about we have a party?"

"I hear incoming, get down."

"Show off." Tony shot through the ceiling and landed on the first floor, where Steve had covered himself and Nat from the debris with his shield. "Hey, Cap. Your boy band come with you? Sorry, not a boy band, my apologies, little lady."

"I take it back. He's an asshole." Nat rolled out from behind cover and fired at Tony.

Steve sighed as he stood up. "This is going to be a long day."

-

At the store, Aaron grabbed a cart for his groceries and then handed Peter a basket. "If you NEED anything, go ahead and grab it, alright?"

"I haven't done anything to help you though."

"I have a feeling you're a pretty honest kid, if your afternoon activities are anything to go by. Go ahead. I'll be getting my list."

Peter blinked at the man. Wasn't breakfast enough? But when Aaron shooed him again, Peter walked off and browsed the store. He tried to find a shelf with deals on them and, thankfully, found a wire rack with products the store was no longer going to stock and boxes and cans that were dented enough that most people wouldn't buy them. It was all perfectly good stuff, but cheap. Sticking to his usual allowance of ten dollars a week. Peter picked out some canned goods and a bag of rice. His basket cost $9.68 by his calculations, coming in right under his budget. It wasn't a lot, but it would help give him a boost, especially on Saturdays, Sundays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays, when he didn't have SI to get good meals in. He searched the store and found Aaron grabbing almond-milk yogurt.

"Is that all you need, son?"

Peter nodded.

"Well, you can put that basket in the cart. Had to find the special stuff, the wife can't have dairy. Is there anything you WANT?"

Peter paused. There was a lot he wanted. A haircut, something soft to sleep on, body spray, because deodorant just didn't cut it alone on a teenage boy who moonlighted as a superhero, a new notebook to write in, literally anything to read or do when he did have down time so he didn't stare at the roof and think of things that gave him nightmares...and a first aid kit, because he was pretty sure he was almost out of disinfectant and super-healing infections wasn't fun.

"Um..."

"Well, I figure this can be your payment. The needs I can handle, but if you want something, you can help me with my honey do list and we'll figure it out."

Peter smiled. The man wasn't just giving him something, he was going to have him work for it. It felt better than just being handed things. He felt useless when he was handed things. "Um, could I have a pillow?"

"Sure thing, let's go pick a pillow out for you." They walked to the pillow aisle and Aaron looked at them. "Now, one ain't gonna cover you, so, do you want to do two normal pillows or one of those body pillows? Looks like they even got one with a pokeball on it."

Peter turned and looked at the preacher with wide eyes. "You know about Pokemon?"

Aaron held out his phone to reveal a PokemonGo app. "Keeps me and my wife in shape, plus the church is a gym, gotta defend God's house from Valor and Instinct, right?"

Peter laughed and grinned. "I'm more of a Valor guy, myself."

"Don't go raiding my gym, young man, or I'll sick Jesus on you. I've got divine connections." Aaron teased. "What? I'm hip for an old man. We aren't all stuffy. I intend to be fully alive when I finally die. Plus, my kids used to love Pokemon."

Peter walked forward and grabbed the pokeball pillow, pulling it close to him and resting his head on it. It was so soft and nice. "You sure this isn't too much? I can put the other things back."

"Can't put back needs kid, plus, if you're going to help me fix the dishwasher, you're gonna need a nice place to rest afterwards. That old thing's been kicking up a fuss for five years now."

Peter didn't want to let go of the pillow. "Thank you."

"Thank you, my knees don't like crouching down so much anymore. I figure no one will hire someone as young as you, but in my day I was doing lots of little side jobs to get some pocket money. I figure I can do that for you, okay?"

Again, Peter's eyes watered, but he kept the tears from falling as he followed Aaron, holding the pillow tight in his arms.

-

Steve dropped his shield to the side and pulled off his mask as he stormed into Tony's lab. "You'll never guess who I fought today?"

"Uh...Dr. Doom?" Tony asked as he pressed ice to his arm that was six different shades of bruised.

"No. Iron Man, who should have been taking a sick day."

"He handled pretty well out there, worrywart." Tony shrugged and turned. "You got a little something on your chin. Looks like something aesthetically pleasing hit you pretty hard."

"Thanks for that, by the way." Steve rolled his eyes. "How's your arm?"

"Not broken, but it was a close thing." Tony frowned. "How's the team?"

"Nat's bruised up a bit. Clint broke his foot with that stunt of his, he's pissed at you, by the way. And Bruce is annoyed because he's 'not that kind of doctor' but he still put a cast on Clint's foot...and signed it. Sorry about your arm, had to make it look real."

"You do pack a punch, next time go for my right arm, my left arm has suffered enough. Whatever though, water under the bridge." He waved him off and held up a drive. "I got what I came for."

"What's on it?"

"Names of people involved in helping Obie sell Stark weapons to terrorist organizations, including but not limited to our friend Hydra and the Ten Rings."

"Lovely." Steve nodded, then paused at the dark scowl on Tony's face. "Not lovely?"

"Still isn't enough on Obie yet. He was careful keeping his hands out of it electronically. He's going to make a mistake though. I'll catch it. I'll stop them."

Steve wrapped his arms around Tony and pulled him close. "I know you will, but right now you'll rest. You're still sick, darlin'. And you smell like explosives."

"And you don't?" Tony snorted, then he smirked. "Want to share a bath?"

"I could be convinced."

-

Peter fixed the dishwasher and helped put the groceries away. Aaron's wife gave him some lemonade for it, but she didn't ask why Aaron had brought Peter along or even who Peter was, as if she was used to her husband bringing in strays in need of help. When she saw Peter's pillow, she smiled. "Valor!" She cheered. Peter high-fived her.

"Traitors, all of you." Aaron said. "We're gonna go get that leaky sink fixed up now, honey."

"Alright, I'll be testing it tomorrow, so get it right, boys. See you later."

They fixed the sink in the lady's room without much effort while Aaron held the flashlight. In fact, the fix-it jobs hadn't been difficult at all, but Peter figured most people probably wouldn't be able to fix a dishwasher the way he could. "You know, you can use the bathrooms in here, the trap door in the bell tower's always unlocked. And the kitchenette has filtered water. The food in the fridge belongs to staff though, so I can't really offer that. But if you wanted to put something cold in the fridge or use the microwave, you can."

"Really?"

"Mmhm. But if you want to avoid attention, I'd come down here early or late on the weekends. Wednesdays are pretty busy too and Tuesday's have groups, but you probably know the schedule by now."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome, kid. I don't know your story and I can't put myself in your shoes. I don't know what happened and I don't need to, but if you need anything or want anything, you let me know, okay? I'll try to help."

Peter smiled gently.

"We'll make a day of it. How about Saturdays we try to find something you can help me out with?"

Saturday. Just one day a week. Maybe then Peter wouldn't get too close to hurt this kind soul, the way his bad luck had hurt everyone else. "Deal."

Notes:

Have a good day. Take care.

Chapter 8: You're Gonna Be Okay

Summary:

Iron Man and Spiderman meet on the field of battle.... It goes about as well as you'd expect.

Notes:

I think three chapters in one day is a new record for me. Just saying.
This draws a lot from my original story, but it's changed and morphed a bit to meet the longer fic. Things'll start coming together soon, but for now we're doing the get-to-know-you's (alter ego edition).
Hope you all enjoy it.
Also, we're pretending that Steve's field medicine is enough training, I know it isn't, but pretend with me, okay?

Three weeks passed and Peter was making it decently. He now had a pillow to help cushion his pressure points. He got a haircut on the second week, which was good, because Ned, his history teacher, and Captain America had all made comments about how long his hair had gotten. He'd only lost two pounds, which was the least he'd lost since living on his own. With the boost from SI and Aaron, he was getting closer to breaking even. And there was only twenty-four interns left in the pool. So, his odds of getting the full internship had gone up to over four percent.

Plus, Mr. Stark had told him that he had to make the output of his energy source quadruple by the end of the second month. It would be tough, but he would try his hardest. Mr. Stark had set goals for everyone to see if he could push them. Peter was going to do his best to make it happen. Right now, though, he was going to go on patrol.

He stuck to the side of a building and looked over the city. "Let's do some good." Peter launched himself off the building and let himself fall through the air. He closed his eyes and then fired off a web. He'd swing through the city and listen for any trouble.

-

Tony tried not to flinch as Obie patted his shoulders. The man who'd paid to have him tortured and killed was posing for a picture with, smiling bright like he wasn't a monster. Tony kept his sunglasses on and kept a fake smile on his face. "You really are kicking up a mess with that prosthetic line, it doesn't send the right message." Obie said through a smile, squeezing Tony's arm as cameras flashed.

"And blowing off limbs sends a good message?" Tony smiled back and stepped away.

"Darlin', the presentation was great, I could understand like...five percent of it." Steve appeared out of nowhere and wrapped his arm around Tony's shoulders, pulling him into his side, which was closeness that they didn't normally show near cameras or the public, but Tony leaned into him. He hated being near Obie. The way the man leered at him, especially his chest where the arc reactor was... Tony hated it.

"Five percent, that's an improvement from my practice speech last night. Keep that up and you'll get it in a few weeks, wizkid." Tony teased.

"I'll work on it." Steve kissed Tony's cheek, then straightened to his full height and even though he was just shy of Obie's height, the older man shrunk a little bit at the daggers Steve shot him with a look.

Tony had no clue how someone as genuine as Steve could make such a look, seemingly friendly, but full of hatred.

"Mr. Stane, I know a lot of people who will be very happy with Tony's contribution. I've got lots of army friends who could use a brain like Tony's looking after them after they come home. Most people just like to forget that war's are fought and won by soldiers."

"Mm, I'm sure. We'll see how the board feels about it."

"Well, if they don't like it, I'm sure I'll hear about it. But I can always fund it myself. Oh, the perks of being a billionaire. It's always a pleasure." Tony turned his head to Steve, knowing Steve would watch his back. "Lunch?"

"Yup. We should celebrate. The press loved it." Steve walked off the stage with Tony, keeping a protective hand on his lower back.

"With some generous donations that you got for us, we can give the first hundred prosthetics out for free. I'm going to try to keep the profit margin to a minimum so the cost can be as low as possible."

Steve grinned and kissed his temple. "No matter what they say, you are a sweetheart."

"Don't let them know that." Tony said, pushing Steve playfully.

"Sir, you should check your phone." JARVIS announced.

Tony grabbed his and unlocked it. "Hm...interesting." He showed the screen to Steve.

"Be safe, darlin'. Don't draw any attention from the A-Team, I could use a restful week."

Tony kissed his cheek and led them to the elevator. "You're the best, honeybunch."

'So close.' Steve thought. "Yeah, yeah, just be home in time for dinner."

"Thanks, Mom!"

"You know, Clint and Nat are both calling me 'Mom' now because of you."

"Well, that's because you tell them to take off their shoes inside." Tony smirked.

Steve rolled his eyes. "I think it's because someone called me that on movie night."

"Oops." Tony shrugged. "Guilty." The elevator opened to his lab and he turned to exit. "I'll be in Queens, don't sick the A-Team on me."

"Don't draw our attention, and we won't show up. Practice stealth this time."

"Yeah, yeah."

-

Peter walked away from the ice cream stand and held out a popsicle that was worth half his allowance, but the little girl stopped crying. "Here you are, sweetie. I'm sorry that big kid knocked it out of your hands. Bullies aren't very nice, are they?"

"Do you have bullies, Mr. Spiderman?" She asked, unwrapping the package.

Peter tried to ignore the way his stomach growled. Off-days from SI sucked...bad. He was always hungry on those days. "Yeah, even Spiderman gets bullied. But it's okay, it just means us little people got to stick together and help each other out. That's why I'm a hero, you know? I just want to help the little guys, like me and you."

"Will I be strong like you someday?" She asked, kicking up the sand under her feet.

"Of course you will, sweetie. Bet you'll even be stronger than me." Peter patted her on the head and waved to her mother who was watching him cautiously. "See ya, stay safe out here, okay? Have fun, princess!" As he swung away he heard the little girl giggle.

"Mommy! Mommy! Spiderman got me a new ice cream!"

He smiled and continued onwards. He landed on the roof of a cafe and turned when he heard an unfamiliar sound. He looked up. Red and gold jetted through the sky. "Iron Man? What's he doing here?" Peter swung after the super villain, trying to figure out where he was going. Using a building as a vantage point and saw Iron Man descend on a warehouse. Peter's eyes widened. There was a super villain in Queens, one that often caused explosions and was skilled enough to keep the Avengers at bay single-handedly.

Peter had no backup, no one would come to save him...and he was weaker than normal, thinner, frailer... What could he do against Iron Man?

"Maybe distract him long enough to get the civilians out?" Peter spoke to himself.

Iron Man stole and destroyed Stark weapons. Sometimes people got hurt. Mr. Stark didn't want his company to create weapons and he had no part of them, but Iron Man was still hurting his company. And Mr. Stark...the generosity that he and his company showed was probably all that was keeping Peter from starving to death. And Peter wasn't going to let that kindness go unrepaid. This would be dangerous. Peter closed his eyes and grit his teeth. He couldn't let that chaos come into Queens.

He was seriously regretting that all he had were sweatpants and a sweatshirt to win a fight against Iron Man with.

-

"You have five seconds to spill it or I'll make you talk." Tony was almost bored, because this one was too easy, but he still this. That there were so many people in his own company who'd arm terrorists for money.

THWIP!

Suddenly the man was ripped out of Tony's aim as a young voice shouted "YOINK!"

Tony turned his head and looked at the person wearing a red sweat suit, who helped the bad guy get away. "Come on, I needed him." Tony said reading his display as JARVIS labeled the young hero as Spiderman. Powers and strength level seemed unknown.

"You're not going to hurt anyone. Queens is my territory." That voice was...young. Too young. And...was it familiar?

"What kind of guy is this one, J?" Tony asked without projecting it through the mask.

"A vigilante based in Queens. He tends to stop lower level criminals and aids civilians." JARVIS answered.

"What do we know about him?"

"Not much. Flexibility and acrobatic abilities, for sure. Some sort of adhesive gloves and webbing has been found on criminals he leaves tied up. That's about it, sir."

"Right." Tony sighed, then projected his voice again. "Look, I'm not out to hurt kids, so why don't you just step aside and let me-" Tony stepped to move around Spiderman, but Spiderman stepped in front of him.

"I don't know what you're doing, but everywhere you go, SI loses assets. So that's theft and destruction of property at the very least. Plus, people get hurt. I can't allow that."

Tony knew that voice. How did he know that voice? He was going to have to take it easy on him. He sighed. "I don't want to fight you, kid. Move out of the way and no one gets hurt. I just want to talk to my new friend."

"I'm not going anywhere." The kid's hands were shaking, but he closed them tight and stood up straight.

Tony felt a bit of pride. This kid was brave...or stupid. Either way, it took a hero to stand in sweatpants against a guy in a suit of armor. "Okay, fine, we'll to this the hard way." The kid dodged everything he shot at him, as if he could see it coming.

THWIP!

The kid launched forward and his feet hit Tony in the chest.

The suit flew back and hit a pillar. Tony felt the wind rush out of his lungs and saw a red alert blinking over the diagram of his suit's chest. "Structural integrity of the chest plate has been compromised."

"What?" Tony asked as he gasped for air. Hidden under the solid red chest plate, was his arc reactor. He put more reinforcements over his arc reactor than in any other place in his armor. And the kid had dented it.

"You know, the suit is cool and all, but I could think of like, fifteen upgrades." The kid quipped. "You wanna call it quits? Turn yourself in? I think Mr. Stark would totally appreciate it if you stopped stealing his shit."

The way the kid said Mr. Stark...God, it was so familiar. Maybe if it wasn't muffled by the cotton Tony'd be able to figure it out. "Be careful, sir. He seems to be in Captain Roger's strength class."

"No fucking joke."

The fight continued on and though Tony was pretty sure he could defeat the kid if he weren't pulling his punches, he quickly realized that Spiderman was also pulling his punches. This needed to end. The baddies were coming back with weapons and Tony did not want the kid to get caught in the crossfire. He shoved Spiderman off of his arm and hit him with a repulsor blast before the kid could recover. He flew backwards and hit a shipping crate, denting the side of it. Tony winced, but the kid got back up, as if it hadn't hurt.

"He really is pulling his punches." Tony said, lifting off the ground.

"If my data is correct, sir, he's never hurt anyone before. I'm guessing he has a very strong moral code." JARVIS commented.

"I don't want to fight you." Tony said, hoping the kid would get out of the way as he watched heat signatures approach.

"Me neither, dude, let's call it a day, get some churros. God, a churro would be so good right now. You just stop your crime stuff and then I can stop kicking your ass."

"Careful, sir. I'm sensing big weapons aiming at you. Spiderman could get caught in the crossfire."

"No kidding." Tony grunted, trying to fly backward to hopefully call all the attention onto himself.

-

The civilians didn't seem very civilian to Peter when they decided to launch huge weapons at Iron Man. Even the bad guys deserved a second chance. Peter used his webs and pulled Iron Man out of the way of the rocket with all his strength, getting him to move just enough. Instead the explosion took out a support beam. Peter tried to dodge, but the ceiling collapsed and he couldn't get out of the way fast enough.

-

"Where's the spiderling?" Tony demanded. JARVIS helpfully highlighted the heat signature, which was under a shit ton of rubble. "Fuck." He started forward and paused when the rubble swelled upward, as if someone was trying to heft it up, but then it collapsed and a wet, choking sound filled the air.

"Help!" A childish, pained voice cried out. "P-please help. Oh, God, that's a lot of blood. Please. Somebody?!"

"Where do I lift this at to not hurt him worse?"

JARVIS highlighted five different spots in the rubble and Tony got to work. After a few moments, he found a the kid, laying in an alarming pool of red. A piece of a rebar was sticking out of his side. Spiderman looked up at him and make a sound of protest before he tried to crawl away.

"Kid, stop. I'm not going to hurt you. You'll kill yourself."

"YOU'LL kill me." Spiderman protested.

"No, just stop." Tony flew closer. "You're gonna be okay."

Spiderman stretched out his hand, still trying to crawl, but then his body went limp.

"Kid? KID?!"

-

Steve smacked Clint's hand away from the pulled pork. "Not now."

"You're no fun, Mom." Clint huffed and sat on the barstool, waiting.

Nat laughed as she grilled the buns. "It'll be done soon, oinker."

Clint signed something at Nat that Steve was pretty sure was offensive, just judging by his movements, but Nat laughed.

"Captain Rogers, Sir is requesting your presence in the lab, immediately."

"On my way." Steve commented, heading quickly for the elevator. "Don't eat the food." He reminded Clint before he headed upstairs.

-

"Sorry, kid." Tony said, cutting off Spiderman's sweatshirt. Damn, he was skinny. Sure he still had muscle but...he looked unhealthy. Too thin. His ribs were visible. He pulled off the mask with the fancy goggles and froze. "Peter?" No wonder why the kid had been so good at attacking his suit, he was a genius. His favorite intern was on a table in his lab, bleeding. Except...his side was healing already, the blood flow was slowing and while Tony had gotten the rebar out, he could still see shards of metal in his flesh. "Fuck."

The elevator opened. "Tony what's- Oh, God. What happened to Peter?"

"Me and some douche with a bazooka." Tony said as Steve ran forward with Tony's first aid supply. "He's healing with the metal inside him. We got to get it out. I think he heals faster than you do. And his leg's broken, in two places according to JARVIS."

Steve was already in soldier mode. He had a level head while Tony felt panic rising in his chest. That's why Tony really, really needed him. Steve grabbed a scalpel. He had enough battle field training to get the job done, he just wished he didn't have to do this to a kid. "Get him some meds, Tony. This isn't going to feel good."

It was sort of too late, a building had dropped on him, but Tony got the medicine ready, finding the right vein in one of Peter's skinny arms, and pushed some in.

-

The world was hazy at first, but it came into sharp focus as something cut into his side. The last thing he remembered was Iron Man's hand coming toward him. Was he being experimented on? "Ah! S-stop. Stop! That hurts."

"Hold him down." A familiar voice ordered.

"Why aren't the drugs keeping him under?" The burning, cutting pain stopped as strong arms pushed him down.

Peter tried to open his eyes to see who was holding him down, but the light was too bright.

"Get him some of your drugs." The familiar voice called again.

"That could kill him." Was that Captain America's voice?

"He burned through human medicine faster than you do. He should be alright...in theory. He shouldn't be up to feel this though."

"Mr. S-Stark?" Peter lifted his head and saw cuts in his side, blood oozing out. There was blood on the gloved hands holding his shoulders down. It seemed like Steve Rogers had been cutting him open. For what?

"Take back over down here, honey." Tony grabbed something out of a bag and combed his fingers through Peter's hair. "Hey, Pete, you're hurt pretty bad, but we're fixing you up, okay? Can you tell me about how fast your metabolism is? Are you with me that much?"

"It hurts."

"I know, kid, I know. I need you to think real quick. How much do you burn through on a normal day?"

Peter muttered a number. "My leg hurts."

"Okay...wow. We're going to try this, it'll help with the pain, okay?"

"Tony, don't, we don't know what it'll do."

"I'm not going to let him be in this pain, Steve." Tony said. "I'm going to give you a little bit, kid. Count down from ten for me, okay? Can you do that?"

Peter winced when a needle pierced his arm. "Ten, nine, eight, seven," things got fuzzy around the edges, "sssix, fiiiive."

"He's counting longer than you usual do, I think he'll be alright. I gave him half a dose, just in case."

"Ffffou." Everything went black.

-

Steve washed his hands in the sink after getting the last of the metal out of Peter's side. JARVIS was keeping Peter's vitals on a screen next to him. Tony had managed to set Peter's leg with guidance from JARVIS, and a make-shift brace, but JARVIS said Peter's leg was already starting to heal. Tony looked at Steve. "Can you go steal a leg cast from the med bay?"

"Like a walking cast?"

"Yeah, I'll keep an eye on him. Don't talk to anyone."

"Got it." Steve nodded and headed out."

"Sorry, kid. Why did you try to pull me out of the way, huh? I have a suit, you should have looked out for yourself, not for the bad guy." Tony shook his head. "You have a heart of gold, don't you?" He ruffled Peter's hair gently. The boy looked too skinny, too pale. "What's happening to you, Peter? What's going on in that brilliant brain of yours, huh?" Tony walked to the sofa that he kept for naps and pulled the blanket off of the back of it, gently draping it over Peter's body. "We'll get you better." He promised, looking up at his steady vitals.

"Sir, at the rate Mr. Parker is burning through the medicine, he'll likely be awake in three hours. All of his vitals are within healthy ranges."

"Good, keep them up for me still." Tony nodded. Three hours on half a dose. So, Peter's metabolic rate was right up there with Steve's. Was that why Peter was so skinny? Did his foster parents not know that he was enhanced? That he needed so much more food to function, to survive? The idea of the kid going to bed hungry made Tony's stomach turn. Peter, being as kind and considerate as her was, probably never mentioned it to his foster parents. "How much does the kid eat when he's here, J?"

"From my video records, several plates of food at each meal he's attended. On more than one occasion he's overindulged and been sick in the restroom, however."

"You poor thing, just so hungry all the time." Tony's eyes watered and he leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss to his head. "You're going to be alright. I promise."

Steve walked back in with a black boot-looking cast. "It looked about his size." Steve said and they gently got his foot into the cast. "JARVIS is his leg set alright or will we need to get him a professional?"

"At this rate, Captain, the healing looks appropriate. The odds of it needing to be rebroken as yours have in the past are very slim at this point."

"Good." Steve nodded. He hated it when his bones had to be rebroken, it was painful...until Tony and Bruce had made him some extra-strength meds. "He's too small."

"He has a metabolism like you, he's probably eating what a normal teen should, but it's just not enough..." Tony sighed. "I'm going to call Peter's foster parents, let them know he's safe."

"Tony, what are you going to say to them?"

"I don't know? That he had internship questions? Something. They deserve to know he's alright."

"How did this even happen?"

"He tried to get me out of the way of a rocket launcher and it hit a support beam and the ceiling collapsed on him. He was still conscious and tried to lift it off of him. He could have if that rebar hadn't shifted and stabbed him... He was still awake when I managed to unbury him, Steve. He's strong..."

"He's too young for this gig, Tony." Steve shook his head.

"I don't think he's as young as the number of years he's lived...not after what he's seen and been through." Tony sighed. "But he certainly shouldn't be out there in a damn onesie." Tony shook his head and ruffled the kid's hair one more time. He didn't know why, but he had a soft spot for the little nerd. Ever since he'd met him he'd wanted to wrap him up and keep him safe. That was a new feeling for Tony. Sure, he often cared way too much, but a connection that instantaneous was...strange. "Stay with him, if any of his vitals change, let me know. I'm going to make that call."

Notes:

Take care.

Chapter 9: A Night and Morning at SI

Summary:

Peter is pretty sure his bed is made of clouds, though that could be the super-dooper drugs talking.
Tony is pretty sure that Peter's being purposefully neglected, though the truth is worse.
Steve is pretty sure he's allergic to dogs, though that could just be him remembering his asthma.

Notes:

Things are clicking into place, everyone. Whoo-hoo… Get ready for a ride, because it probably isn't going the way you imagine it is.
PS: Sorry, this chapter is also super long...like 5,000 ish words. Oops.

Tony got a machine. He wasn't too surprised. It was afternoon, maybe they were still at work. Technically, Tony never left his job. "Hello, this is Tony Stark. Just wanted to call you and let you know that Peter's with me. He had some questions about his internship that he wanted to go over. He's a super bright kid and, we've gotten a bit distracted in the lab working on his project. It might be a bit before he heads home. I'll make sure he gets a safe ride there. If you need to get ahold of me for any reason, just dial back this number."

Tony frowned and hung up, then headed back to Peter's side. In the three hours that Peter lay unconscious, he didn't get a call back, but JARVIS showed that the breaks in Peter's leg were now fractures, though the healing did seem to be slowing down. The kid would probably need the walking cast for another day or so. That wouldn't be fun to explain. Peter's side, however, was fully healed, so Tony had Steve haul him up to their floor and set him down on the guest bed. Tony pulled more blankets over the kid as Steve went to get food for when Peter woke up.

Peter slowly stirred awake just after the three hour mark. He turned with a tired snuffle and burrowed his head into a pillow. "Aunt May, can you turn down the lights? I's bright."

Tony frowned and ruffled the kid's hair. Peter hummed and turned into the touch. God, how was this kid so cute? Weren't Stark men supposed to be made of iron? How was this kid melting his heart? "Sure thing, kid. J, lights at thirty percent, please."

"Mm, thanks." Peter said. "Soooo soft. I's like a cloud. Five more minutes." He pressed his face into the pillow.

"Still a little high, there, huh?" Tony asked, pulling his hand away from the kid.

Peter turned his head and slowly blinked open his eyes, looking at Tony. "Misser Stark? Wha- Where am I?"

"Welcome to the land of the living. It was touch and go for a moment." Tony joked. It hadn't been, but it had been way too stressful for Tony's liking. His cardiologist would probably agree. "You're at Stark Tower, on my private floor. How are you feeling?"

"Tired." Peter groaned. "Wait! Iron Man, did he get away with your stuff?" Peter tried to sit up, but Tony nudged him down.

"Easy, kid. Take it easy."

"Mr. Stark. That Iron Man guy was there, trying to take the weapons or destroy them and he was trying to hurt this guy. I couldn't let him steal from you. Honestly, I don't think he was trying so hard to hit me. He wasn't as scary as when he fought the Avengers, but...whatever. Anyways, I sorta got the wind knocked out of me, and then these guys, who I thought were civilians showed up and they blew up the ceiling and I got Iron Man out of the way, but it fell on me and I tried to lift it up, but then that thing fell and cut me. I'm sorry, Mr. Stark. I couldn't stop him, I tried, Mr. Stark, but he was better. I failed, I'm so sorry." Peter looked like he was about to cry.

"Hey, no, no, you did good, kid. You did fine. Don't worry about any of that, okay? You shouldn't have been there in the first place. That's not your job." Tony tried to sooth him as Steve stepped into the room, carrying a tray he usually used to bring Tony breakfast in bed or they used it when one of them was too injured to get to the table.

"Wait. He pulled the stuff off of me and he... He was coming after me. Mr. Stark, how did you find me? Did the Avengers show up? I thought he was going to kill me."

"Iron Man would never kill you, Peter. Iron Man only goes after bad guys." Tony promised. "I'm so sorry. None of this should have happened. I'm just...God, I'm so sorry, Peter."

"Why?" Peter asked, then his head turned sharply, obviously becoming alert to the smell in the room. "Is that food?"

"Yeah... The medicine might have you a little nauseous, but I have some soft things for you to eat and if you can keep those down I have pulled pork in the kitchen. After a fight like that, you need the food, especially to help you heal. You've got a broken leg, kid." Steve walked forward and set the tray on the side table. "Do you need any help sitting up, Peter? Do you feel alright to sit up?"

Peter pushed himself up in answer and Tony put an extra pillow behind him. "Are you in any pain, bud?"

"No. Not really." Peter shook his head.

Steve gently put the tray down on Peter's lap. "Go easy, kid. I'm usually a little sick after I have that medicine, so take it slow. I know you're hungry, but it's better inside than out, okay?"

Peter nodded and lifted a spoon, taking a small amount of tapioca pudding and eating it. His eyes were wide as saucers. "This is the best pudding ever."

"I bet it is, underoos, you can have all you want too." Tony assured the kid.

Peter took a few tentative bites, pulling his tray closer to him, as if trying to protect his food. "So...you know my secret then, huh?"

"Yeah, kid. Sorry about that, you probably wanted to keep that under wraps. Does anyone else know?" Tony asked, wondering if his foster family was in on his afternoon activities.

Peter shook his head. "You said Iron Man wouldn't hurt me. Why?" Peter's eyes shot down to Tony's arm that was bruised, in the same place where he'd managed to crush the outsides of Iron Man's arm plating. "Oh... Mr. Stark are you...?"

"Identity for identity, kid. I guess that's fair. You're Spiderman and I'm Iron Man." Tony nodded.

"I figured that, but are you okay? I kicked you really hard."

"I'm fine, but you do pack a punch, kid." Tony smiled gently.

Peter's face lit up like a Christmas tree. "Cool. So...why Iron Man? I mean, why do you do it? I thought you were-"

"Tony isn't a bad man, Peter. And Iron Man isn't a villain, he's a hero." Steve explained.

"But that doesn't make sense. Captain America and Iron Man are like archenemies, but Tony Stark and Steve Rogers are dating. None of this makes sense. Am I still high on meds? I feel like I might be high on meds." Peter shook his head and had another spoonful of pudding.

"Long story short, my disappearance and torture was arranged by Mr. Stane. He paid to have terrorists kidnap and kill me, but...that didn't work out. I learned that he tried to have me killed and that he was selling my weapons to terrorists. He needed me out of the picture to keep doing what he was doing...but I survived. I've been trying to pin it on him so I-"

"Have been finding evidence to try to stop him." Peter finished with a nod. "Makes perfect sense, actually. That's why he had you kicked out of the leadership of SI. He was worried about you knowing too much."

"Exactly. Given my mental state he had an easy enough time doing it." Tony nodded.

"So, if you're trying to stop a bad guy who's giving weapons to terrorists, why do the Avengers fight you, or is that fake?" Peter wondered, taking a bigger bite of his pudding.

"Oh, that part's real enough. Steve's the only one who knows I'm not as evil as the news would paint me. I bruise them up enough to make it look real, and Cap makes sure they never pin me down. It works out. You're taking this really well, Peter."

"Probably still a little high, I can freak out later, but it all makes sense." Peter shrugged. "Man, that means you were pulling your punches. Please don't ever actually hit me, I feel like that would really hurt."

"I'd never want to hurt you, Peter." Tony swore. "I'm so sorry you got as hurt as you did, I never wanted that."

"It's okay, not your fault. Ceilings collapse sometimes. Bad shit happens like that around me." Peter spoke between bites.

Tony shared a look with Steve, seeing concerned mirrored on his lover's face. "I'm just glad you're alright." Steve said. "You had a building drop on you."

"It wasn't that heavy." Peter shrugged. "I was fine until I got stabbed." His spoon scraped the bottom of his bowl, the pudding was gone. "Can I have some more?"

"Do you want solid foods or more pudding, kid?"

"Yes." Peter said, then shook his head. "Sorry, solid foods, I think my stomach's alright."

Steve glanced at Tony again, before he left and returned with a plate of BBQ pork and coleslaw. "Here you are, eat up, kid. We can get you more pudding for dessert if you want it, okay?"

"Do you have your foster parent's cell phone numbers, Pete?" Tony asked gently. "I called their house and got a machine."

Peter looked at Tony with wide, panicked eyes.

"I know you wrote your Aunt's name on your intake forms, it's okay, I'm not mad, I just want your guardians to know you're okay."

"You can't tell them where I am, Mr. Stark." Peter's voice sounded as panicked as he looked.

"Okay, I get it. You don't want them to know your secret, I understand, but they deserve to know you're safe, right?" Tony tried to sooth him. "I told them you came here to ask about your internship and we got busy tinkering in the lab, so it's up to you what else you say, okay?" Tony held out his phone to Peter.

Peter took a few panicked breaths, but slowly calmed down. "Um...I can't go home with a cast... I could tell them I went to a friend's house to spend the night. That'd work." Peter'd have to lie his ass off.

"Okay, well, you can stay here if you're not going home, we can get you home tomorrow when you're able to stand up again, sound like a plan?" Tony asked.

Peter nodded and held out his hand. Tony handed him a phone and Peter tapped in the number for his own burner phone. He lifted it to his ear and waited three rings for it to go to voicemail. "Hey, Mrs. Marcos, it's Peter. I got some work done with my power source. I didn't want to bother anyone with driving a car across town though, so I asked Ned if I could stay at his place for the night so we could work on that Lego Death Star. I'll see ya after school tomorrow, okay? Bye." Peter hung up.

"Didn't take you for that good of a liar, kid." Tony nodded.

Peter looked at him blank-faced as he handed over his phone. "I have a secret identity, I have to be good at lying. You guys don't have to let me stay, I can find somewhere to crash-"

"And what are you going to tell your friend about your suddenly broken leg, huh? Something tells me you aren't that good at lying, bud." Steve shook his head. "You can stay here. We'll find a way to excuse you from school so you can rest up your leg. We'd feel a lot better knowing you're safe and healing well. Tony'd lose his mind if he lost his favorite intern."

"I'm the favorite?" Peter asked, his jaw going slack in shock, a sandwich in his hands as he gaped.

"You're the only one he says has half a brain, and that's a massive compliment coming from him." Steve chuckled. "He's been wanting to just give you the internship since day one."

"Really?" Peter asked.

"Yeah, don't tell anyone, but he's kind of a softie." Steve stage whispered to Peter.

"Am not. Take that back, Stevie-bear!" Tony protested.

"You're not helping your case, darlin'." Steve laughed. "Get some food in you, alright? Then we'll let you rest. We just want to make sure your stomach handles it okay."

Peter nodded and took a large bite of the pulled pork sandwich. "Oh my God, this is the most delicious thing ever." Peter said, barely chewing before he took another bite.

"Easy there, tiger. There's plenty more after that. I cooked enough to feed the Avengers, you'll definitely have more than enough to get by." Steve assured him.

"Thank you." Peter said, shyly. His eyes almost looked a little...wet.

"You're welcome, bud." Steve smiled.

-

Peter almost ate too much, but it was soooooo good. He hadn't had homemade food in too long and well...May's homemade food had never really been good. And the bed...it felt so soft and there were four blankets and they felt so warm and soft. Maybe he'd died and gone to heaven. No, he'd be with his family if that had happened, right? He snuggled into the pillows that smelled freshly clean and tears filled his eyes. They smelled CLEAN with like, fancy soap, not the bargain stuff, and there wasn't cold air whistling below him. It was so nice, perfect...maybe even too much.

"Would you like me to turn the lights down, Mr. Parker?"

"Yes, please." Peter called to JARVIS.

"It is my understanding that you are enhanced. Captain Rogers is as well and he prefers his room to be sound proofed so he can't hear external sounds, would you like that as well?"

"You can do that?"

"Yes, Mr. Parker."

Tears leaked onto the clean sheets. "Yes, please. Thank you."

"Of course, Mr. Parker. Sir, has told me to tell you that all you have to do is ask if you need anything. He said, and I quote 'mi casa es su casa.'"

"Thank you, JARVIS."

"Goodnight, Mr. Parker."

Peter closed his eyes and for the first time in a long time he didn't feel any of his pressure points aching as he relaxed into sleep. There were no sounds of cars or alley cats or angry people. There was no cold wind or leaky roof. There was no worry about staying safe or hidden or grumble of a aching stomach. For the first time in months, his body simply relaxed.

His body had been in pure survival mode for so long, that the weight of genuine rest was like an warm, heavy blanket, weighing him down.

-

By morning, Tony was a bit peeved. Peter's guardians still hadn't called him back. Sure, they might've gotten Peter's call, but...wouldn't they want to touch base, to check that Peter got to his friend's house safely? Because Peter's friend certainly didn't know where Peter was...unless it was the sort of friend who would just cover for Peter no matter what. Why hadn't they called to ask if he was alright?

"Why are you upset?" Were the first words out of Steve's mouth.

"I didn't say anything."

"I can tell by your shoulders that you're upset." Steve whispered, shifting in bed and spooning Tony, pressing a kiss to his shoulder. "You're tense."

"Why didn't his foster parents call back?"

"I don't know, could be many things. They probably got his message, you know?"

"I don't like it, Steve. Something smells." Tony sat up and narrowed his eyes on his phone. He looked at the time, then redialed the number. He put the phone to his ear and waited, feeling the tension in his jaw. Something wasn't right. If he had a kid, he wasn't sure no stranger could just 'assure' him that his kid was fine, especially when that kid wasn't where he was supposed to be. This, this going without calling to see if their kid was alright...it sounded like Howard's parenting style. It reminded Tony of times where he sat out on a park bench in the snow, waiting and waiting, until Jarvis eventually showed up after realizing, that, yes, Howard had forgotten he had son (again).

"Hello?" A woman's voice, sounding slightly annoyed, answered.

"Mrs. Marcos, I presume?"

"Yes, and this is?"

"Tony Stark, I called last night in regards to my intern Peter." Tony heard a beat of silence and quickly his heart plummeted. "I just wanted to make sure he got home safe last night." He knew this wasn't good. He felt it in his bones.

Steve tilted his head to the side, curious, but he didn't say anything.

"Sure did, we're getting ready for school right now. Running a little late, but thanks for calling. Got home safe and sound."

Tony's knuckles went white on the phone. "No problem, he's a brilliant kid. Have a good day." Tony said, hanging up. He felt sick to his stomach.

"Tony..." Steve whispered in warning, his voice just enough to make Tony loosen his grip on the phone. "What was that about?"

"JARVIS, pull up a feed of Peter's room." Tony looked at his screen and saw Peter, sleeping soundly on his bed, his brown head of hair sticking up out from under the sheets. Peter hadn't left. Tony shut of his phone and wrapped his arms around himself, his eyes burning.

"Tony?" Steve put his hands on Tony's arms. "Is everything okay?"

"They don't give a damn about him, Steve. She straight up didn't get any messages and lied. She said he came home last night. She's supposed to protect him, and she's not. If some other villain had gotten to Peter and dropped a building on him, he could be under the rubble, bled to death and cold and alone and no one would fucking know. She didn't even care, Steve." By the last sentence, Tony could barely breathe.

"Hey, sh, hey, breathe please. You have to breathe, Tony." Steve pulled Tony close and wrapped his arms around him tight.

"He's a sweet kid, brilliant, and kind and they...they just don't care. He's gone through so much. And look. They obviously don't pay enough attention to make sure he eats well enough. He's probably gone all hours of the day. He literally was stabbed last night and they just-"

"Sh...breathe."

"I thought Howard was bad." Tony muttered. "He can't live in a place like that, Steve. If they can't even feed him properly, how can I even begin to trust that they'll get him help with the trauma of losing his parents and aunt and uncle? They hurt him." Tony couldn't stop crying or shaking. He was angry, furious, but hurt too. They were neglecting him, a perfectly kind, brilliant young man. Tony, he knew how neglect felt. He still dealt with the repercussions of being neglected throughout his childhood. It hurt, that anyone could do that to a child.

"We'll figure it out. Okay? We can find a way to report it and get him to a nicer home, a safe one that'll look after him. But we got to take it a day at a time, okay? First, lets get him fed and make sure he gets healed up, okay? We can get him healthy and then figure out how to get him out of that house. We just have to be here for Peter right now, alright? He's hurt and needs help with this first, we can tackle everything else as we go."

Tony nodded against Steve's shoulder.

"To do that, we got to work as a team, which means I need you to breathe and get control, okay? Being upset doesn't help Peter right now."

Tony nodded again.

"So you take a shower and I'll cook a big breakfast so Peter has a good start to the day. Deal?"

"Okay."

-

Peter woke up and snuggled into his bed. There was a soft knocking sound. "Five more minutes, May, I don't wanna go to school today." He mumbled and pressed his head into the soft pillow. Then he jolted up. This wasn't his bed. He didn't have a bed. This pillow was too soft. The blankets were too warm. This wasn't his. Where was he? He wasn't at the Marcos' house with the gaudy yellow wallpaper that had a crack in the plaster from the time Mr. Marcos got a little too drunk and showed Peter 'his place.' It was a lovely room, with nice furniture, but no real ornamentation. It was simple, clean.

"Peter, are you up?" A soft voice called. Tony Stark?

"Uh, yeah?"

"Hope you're decent, kid." Tony Stark opened the door. He was wearing a AC/DC shirt and sleep pants. His hair was still wet from a shower and messy instead of styled. "I grabbed you some clothes. Mine are probably closer to your size, Steve's basically the Hulk compared to you and me. I know yours got...messed up. So shirt, boxers, and sleep pants, for you." Tony dropped them on the edge of the bed. "Sleep alright?"

"I slept..." Peter thought about it. He couldn't remember any nightmares and he'd been warm and comfy. "I slept great."

"How're you feeling?"

"Little tired...a bit sore, but not bad."

Tony smiled softly and nodded. "Cool. Well, momma-bear is making breakfast. It should be done soon, so if you want to grab a quick wash and a change, you'll be just in time. Do you need any help?"

"I think I'm alright, thanks." Peter swung his feet off the bed and put one foot down.

"Well, try before you buy, kid. I don't want to leave you flopping like a fish in here."

Peter tentatively put both his feet on the ground and stood up. Tony held out an arm, but Peter shook his head. "I'm okay. I mean, it hurts, but I'm not gonna fall over or anything." He put his hand on the wall and leaned a little to lesson the weight on the foot he had in the boot.

"You sure, kid?"

Peter stuck his hand to the wall and shifted his weight onto his hand, lifting his whole body parallel to the floor. "I could walk on my hands if I had to."

"Alright, show-off. That isn't fair. I get a broken bone and I'm at least laid out for a week." Tony rolled his eyes. "Well, hop to, kid (or hobble to). We'll have food and pain meds for you."

Peter put his feet back on the ground and hobbled to the bathroom and it was bigger than his whole steeple. Just the bathroom alone could fit all of his possessions like...fifteen times. And the water was warm and it didn't smell funny like some water did. He washed up and put on Tony Stark's clothes. Holy FUCK he was wearing Tony Stark's clothes...they didn't fit great, but he wore them. He followed his nose to the kitchen and his eyes widened when he saw the spread on the countertop. It was more than he ate in a week, French toast with what looked like freshly made strawberry syrup, scrambled eggs, fried eggs, bacon, sausage, coffee, orange juice, and bagels. "That's sooo much food."

"I eat a lot." Steve shrugged. "And I didn't know what you liked."

"Anything would do." Peter shrugged. He'd learned very quick to not be picky. Food was food. Food was life.

"You should see what Thor can put away." Tony added.

"Please don't. Thor has no table manners at all, it's kind of a terrible sight." Steve cringed. "Help yourself, kid. If there's anything else you want, just let me know."

Peter picked up a plate and looked at it in confusion. It didn't match the other plates below it and it was chipped a little bit around the edge. It reminded him of Aunt May and Uncle Ben's dishes. He smiled at the imperfections and walked to the counter. Tony snagged a plate and stepped up.

"It all looks good, huh?"

"Yeah." Peter nodded.

"Steve's good like that. I'm a disaster in the kitchen."

"So is Aunt May." Peter snorted, then frowned. "Was."

"Which is why there are Steve's in the world." Tony said as he began to load his plate.

"I thought Steve only existed to mine and craft." Peter muttered.

"Yes! He's a video game nerd too! You're cool, kid." Tony nudged his shoulder and headed to the table after stopping to grab a mug of coffee.

By this time Steve was loading two plates of his own.

Seeing Steve fill two whole plates with food made Peter feel a bit better about how hungry he felt. He took a little bit of everything and headed to the table.

"Want anything to drink, bud?" Steve asked as he headed to the kitchen with his own cup. "No need for you to put more stress on that leg. I can grab it while I'm up."

"Um...orange juice?"

"Sure thing." Steve smiled and headed back with two orange juices, handing one to Peter.

Peter ate a few bites and God everything tasted soooooo good. He looked between Mr. Stark and Captain Rogers a few time once he finished his plate and he slowly got up. They didn't even comment when he went to get seconds, so he piled his plate higher than the first time and sat back down. "Thank you for breakfast."

"No problem." Steve smiled kindly.

"Oh!" Tony got up and grabbed a pill bottle out of the cupboard. The label on it was definitely not from any actual company, as it was written in someone's messy scrawl.

WARNING! ONLY for Captain Steve Rogers
For Super-Dooper Pain Relief
Take two every six hours.
Do NOT take more than six a day.

"I figure we can start ya off with one and see how you feel. You did alright with his other meds, but we still want to be careful." Tony poured out a small capsule and put it next to Peter's glass. "If it doesn't take the edge off we can give you the full dose, okay?"

"Thanks." Peter said, swallowing it down with the orange juice. He ate quietly as the two older men chatted idly. It was a nice morning.

-

Tony put on his suit jacket and turned to Steve. "You see the way he protects his food, don't you? And the way he was scared to get a second plate?"

"Yes, Tony, I saw it."

"He flinched when you put your cup down really loudly. Steve, I think they're hurting him. It's not just neglect. I think they've actually laid a hand on him."

Steve nodded, a stiff look on his face. "I think so too."

Tony shook his head and looked down. "I don't know how to do this, but I'm going to make sure no asshole ever hurts that kid again. I'll...start trying to figure out how to work this."

Steve agreed and wrapped his arms around Tony from behind. "We'll get him out of there. You go get to work, I'll look after him, make sure he rests."

"Thank you, honey." Tony kissed his cheek. "I owe you one. Thank you for looking after the stray I brought home."

"Just don't bring a puppy home next time and we'll be fine. Humans are manageable...dogs...not so much."

"I'm telling you, it's a phantom allergy. You're just still traumatized by your childhood. Dogs are fantastic."

"We're not getting a puppy, Tony." Steve rolled his eyes and kissed him on the lips. "Go make the world a better place and then we'll figure out how to make Peter's world a better place, alright?"

"Square deal."

Notes:

Be happy. Take care of yourselves.

Chapter 10: Turn for the Worse

Summary:

Sometimes, doing the right thing can have negative side-effects.
AKA: Peter's life just got worse.

Notes:

Things have to get worse before they get better, right?
Poor Peter... :-(

Peter was thinking about it. The last thing Steve had said to him. Steve took him to Ned's apartment as soon as he could walk without the boot. A few pills in a baggie in his pocket, just in case he was in pain (which he had been). The last thing Steve had said, "Let us know if you ever need anything, Peter. I'm serious. Anything, let us know." Peter didn't know what it meant and he really wasn't sure what to make of it. They didn't owe him anything...

He pretened to go to Ned's, then, climbed to the top of the building and swung to his church. The pillow and sleeping bag was a far cry from the heaven that was the bed in Tony Stark's guest room. He looked through his things and took inventory, thankfully finding that no one or nothing had gotten to his things. He settled down and held what was left of his spider-suit. It was just his mask, one of the goggles had been broken. Mr. Stark had told him no Spidermanning until he got a proper suit and his leg was fully healed, promising that Iron Man wouldn't be coming into Queens for a while.

Peter didn't think he'd ever to get a 'proper' suit. That required money, or at least access to a lab and lots of stuff. Mr. Stark had seemed really serious about the no superheroing rule though. Peter was worried. What would he do without Spiderman? Spiderman kept him busy, kept him from thinking about bad things, things that made it harder to get through the days. He frowned and put his mask into his suitcase before he curled up in his sleeping bag and fell asleep, he had school in the morning.

-

"Dude, what the fuck did you do?" Was Ned's greeting.

"What do you mean?"

"Your foster parents called and got all...question-y. They wanted to know where you were and what you were doing. I didn't really understand what they meant. Did you like, skip out on them last night or something? I couldn't really cover for you, bro, cause then they would have asked to talk to you, but they seemed fussy about something."

Peter knew something had to be up. Maybe the social worker was coming to visit. Damn. A month and a half early. Peter might not get to stay in school for much longer. If the social worker found out, then the Marco's would stop getting their checks that they didn't use to buy Peter food or clothes...or anything at all, really. They hadn't given two shits about him, unless he was eating too much of their food or not keeping the house clean enough or well, breathing wrong that one time. He'd been on the streets for a long time and now they wanted to find him? That could only mean they needed him to keep their check. "It's nothing...really. Sorry they called you, bro." Peter gave his friend a hug.

"You alright, Peter?" Ned asked when they pulled apart.

"Not really, but is that new?" Peter shrugged.

Ned frowned. "Hey, but at least we got a freebie gym day, right? Like, we got to look at the little miracles, right?"

"Yeah." Peter so badly wanted to talk to his friend, to tell him anything...but he didn't want to pull him into his mess or risk having to go back into his own mess. "The little miracles."

-

When Peter stepped out of school, he pulled up his hood and started to walk down the sidewalk. "Boy?" Mr. Marcos never had addressed him by his actual name. Peter was convinced the red-faced man didn't know it.

Peter cringed and sped up his walk, but his leg ached. It still wasn't fully healed. Sturdy enough to walk on, sure, but it HURT. Whatever Mr. Marcos wanted, he wanted no part of it. Peter just wanted to get away. Damn it though, his leg wasn't letting him escape.

"I'm talking to you, boy."

"That'd be a first." Peter muttered. Mr. Marcos had ignored him on good days and screamed. He'd only become violent a few times. In all honesty, Peter had hated Mrs. Marcos more. She had been particular, about everything. Peter didn't like to say he hated anyone, but he hated her. Why though, was Mr. Marcos suddenly paying attention to him? Sure, Peter'd lived on the street, but he wasn't hard to find really, after all, he always went to school. They didn't care though. Peter was homeless and the Marcos' didn't care, they still got their stipend and Mrs. Marcos didn't have to part with her 'sufficient portion of food to feed the brat.' Why did they want to talk to him now?

Mr. Marcos got out of his car and jogged up to Peter, gripping his upper arm. "You need to get in the car, now."

"Why?"

"Because the social worker is coming for a visit soon."

So they wanted Peter to make them look good so they could get more money that they should be spending to keep him healthy and safe, but they didn't. "I'm not helping you with anything."

"You fucking brat-"

Peter ripped his arm out of Mr. Marcos' grip and ran. His leg screamed in pain, but he ran until he was out of sight of everyone. Then he climbed the brick side of a building and hid on a roof. "Fuck!" Peter hissed to himself as he grabbed his leg. It where it had ben broken, bad. What was worse, though...was that his worst nightmare had arrived. If his social worker was going to go to his foster home, then she'd find out that he wasn't there and they'd start looking for him. He couldn't be anywhere familiar then. That meant no more school, no Ned, no MJ, no decathlon, no internship.

He had to vanish.

That meant he didn't get his warm meal at school anymore.

He didn't have access to the school showers.

He wouldn't get the meals at SI.

And it was another month until other resources would open up for him.

"Fuck." Peter whispered again. He opened his bag and pulled his web shooters free. He wouldn't be able to walk for a while, not after what he put his leg through. He swung to his steeple. He didn't put any weight on his leg before he crawled up into his little home. He dug through his sparse things to get the baggie of pills Steve had given him. He took one and washed it down with a sip of water. At least he had clean water on demand, thanks to the church below. He would need to rest for a while longer, but at least that would mean that he wouldn't need extra calories, because he wouldn't be exercising.

He lay down on his makeshift bed and froze as he saw his small stack of food. It was all going to be gone in a week. He was going to have nothing. If he went back to the school, they'd take him back into the system, or even worse the Marcos' would find a way to pin him with something that would make someone send him to go to juvie or something. If he went to SI, they could find him or Tony or Steve would rat him out, because that's what heroes did. Heroes tried to help people...but that would be the opposite of help.

He stared at his food and a tear escaped his eye. The tear fell, then another, and another. Peter wrapped his arms around himself and began to sob uncontrollably. He thought he'd have more time. He'd estimated two more months of time and somehow it was all gone. Just gone! And he was supposed to get that internship! He was going to get to work with Tony Stark! But...no. It was all gone. Everything was gone.

He was finally, completely alone.

Sure, he'd been neglected and he hadn't been able to talk to anyone about what had happened to him, but at least he'd had some normalcy, friends at school and groups and a routine. But... It was all gone now. Just like his parents, just like Ben, just like May... There one moment, gone the next.

Peter sat up and cringed at the pain that shot through his leg. He was supposed to have taken it easy, but he hadn't. Now even his leg was in worse shape for a while. He reached for his food and grabbed the package of cookies. He and May would always share them after particularly hard days. He picked out one and tried to lift it to his mouth, but the sheer smell of them didn't bring comfort like he thought it might. Instead it enhanced the loneliness and sorrow. He put it back in the package and shoved the cookies away before throwing his head back down on the sleeping bag.

He felt sick and the tears wouldn't go away. He shook uncontrollably, unable to do anything. He was Spiderman, he was supposed to be a hero. People looked up to him to make things right, to save the day.

What would they think if they saw Peter Parker and how weak he was? They'd laugh if they saw the sobbing, sickly mess that was Peter Parker.

-

Steve looked at Tony as they ate dinner. "What is it, Tony? You're not touching your food."

"I got ahold of social services."

"Good news?" Steve asked gently, stretching his hand out to take Tony's.

Tony shrugged his shoulders as he gripped Steve's hand, his other hand idly poking at his food with a fork. "Not sure. Told them I suspected Peter was being neglected because he was so thin. They said they'd visit him, but I still have this bad feeling in my gut and... Peter wasn't at the internship today. It doesn't seem right. Steve, something's wrong about this."

Steve nodded. "But what else can we really do right now, Tony? You did the right thing. He's not being treated well and they should find him a home that'll take care of him. We've pointed them in the right direction." Steve frowned and squeezed Tony's hand. "I don't know what else we can do."

"Me neither. I just wish I could've seen him today. His leg still wasn't right when he left and I hoped that I'd be able to see him today to make sure his leg was healing well."

"Yeah, it seemed that Peter's healing slowed dramatically once it had gotten rid of most of the danger. I don't think I've ever seen healing work like that... It's like, his body just healed the dangerous bits to keep him alive, but it takes more energy than he had to heal so...once he was past the danger it just...slowed down as much as it could. His body's probably trying to preserve what energy he does have, it isn't much." Steve theorized. Since the serum he'd never really spent too much time without a good meal. He'd certainly never been to the point of starvation that Peter seemed to be at. Even the one time he'd been captured it hadn't gone so long that his body had had to prioritize healing wounds and keeping the rest of him healthy enough to function. If his theory was right though, surely Peter couldn't keep it up that much longer. Eventually, his healing factor wouldn't be able to keep up with making him functional and healing his wounds.

"I don't like that either." Tony sighed. He lifted his fork to his mouth and took a bite of his food. He barely managed to swallow it though. He didn't like it. He hated it. Something seemed very, very wrong about all of it. "Nothing against your cooking, hon, but I'm not hungry. I'm going to go tinker in the lab. I just need something to do."

"Need any coffee?" Steve asked after a few moments.

Tony thought for a moment, then nodded. "Sorry, love." He got up and kissed Steve's temple. He cleared up his dishes and wrapped up his leftovers for later. Then he started toward the lab.

"Make sure you come to bed, darlin', you still need sleep. I'll bring coffee down in a bit."

"Thank you..."

Steve smiled gently at Tony. Tony left the room and Steve frowned down at his food. It wasn't right. Nothing about the situation was. Peter's living situation was completely wrong and horrible. Steve didn't like it at all, but he had to keep his head. He could tell it was swiftly becoming personal to Tony. His partner was always more sensitive to things like that, all things that involved abuse or neglect, Tony picked up on it. Steve was sure it reminded Tony of his childhood, which wasn't a happy thing for Tony to think about. Steve had to be levelheaded in it, even if his own stomach felt sick, thinking of the smart, kind boy who was getting sent to bed hungry.

Someone had to keep their head, though. Because Tony had a nasty habit to not take care of himself...a habit born of the worthlessness he felt at the hands of his own neglectful parents. He finished his dinner and then began a pot of coffee, extra large. Tony'd need it.

-

"Suck it up." Peter said to himself for the fifth time. "Come on, get yourself together. Come on." Peter grabbed his notebook and began to write down his food supply options. He needed to figure out how he was going to ration out his food supply. In a week he could go get a box of food, which would help. If he skipped out on wants and only got needs when he worked with Aaron, he'd get about twenty dollars of food...then his usual ten dollar allowance. It wasn't going to be enough, but he'd have to figure it all out. "I'm not going to have enough." He would literally be starving himself if he went out to do any Spidermanning. But he couldn't just stop... He'd have to choose his days though, after his leg healed, he'd have to be picky about when he went out to patrol and eat more on those days.

"I just got to do this right...I can make it...just a few months before I can get a few more donations." Peter curled up on his side and turned up his heater. He sniffled and closed his eyes. The only upside to not having school was that he could rest his leg. He needed to stay positive, he knew that. He wouldn't be able to survive if he didn't keep control of his mind...but it was getting harder. Now the nightmares were spilling into real life. Everything was just getting...so hard. He turned his head and let sleep take him.

Notes:

Take care.

Chapter 11: Inside Peter's Steeple

Summary:

Peter loses something again, but gains an alley.
Iron Man chases down Spiderman, but loses sight of him.
Tony and Steve finally find where Peter Parker is hiding.

Notes:

You know, it occurs to me that I've never clarified this. This story is suuuuuper AU, what with Obie still alive, but Steve still there and all of the stories out of order. Here are some ages. Peter Parker just turned 14 and has been living homeless since a month before his 14th birthday. Steve Rogers is 30 (unless you count the ice) in this. Tony Stark is 35. They're all babies in this. I just realized I was probably seeing it a bit different than you guys, so sorry. Oops.
Next chapter we finally get to have a talk with Peter and find out what's been going on with him.
Finally, Tony and Steve know stuff, guys! It'll get better now! (ish)

Tony stared at the screens, red rimmed his eyes. There were four cups of coffee around him, one of them was full of oil, thanks to DUM-E, but Tony couldn't remember which one it was. "Sir, I'd like to remind you that it has been forty-three hours since you've slept."

Tony waved his hand kept looking through every camera he could get ahold of in New York. The door to his lab opened and Steve walked in, he looked just as tired, carrying two cups of coffee from their favorite place. "No luck, Steve?"

"None, I checked every back ally between his old apartment and his school, then between his school and SI. Nat's checking other hideaways she could think of. Remind me to get her something nice. She didn't even ask who Peter was, just took a look at his photo and started looking for him." Steve leaned against the desk and held out a cup to Tony.

"He's a smart kid, he probably found a secret place to hide. He hasn't sent any texts in a month and he's used a public library to send exactly one e-mail to his friend Ned." Tony sighed.

"What did it say?" Steve asked.

"'Sorry for bailing, Ned. I'm safe, but I can't come back to school. I'll explain someday, bro. I'm so so sorry. Don't come looking for me. I won't come to this library again. I don't want you to get in trouble if they ask you where I am, so I won't tell you. You're my best friend, always. I hope you can forgive me.' He signed it and I looked at the library. True to his word, Peter hasn't been back to the library. And it was across town, so he probably swung there. He doesn't have anything with GPS on him or he's disabled it. He's too smart and he's covering his trail." Tony shook his head. "I just wish I knew where he was. Why did he run away? I mean, right before social services was going to find out about his living situation, he's just...gone. It just doesn't add up." Tony ran his fingers through his hair.

"We'll ask him when he find him." Steve wrapped his hand around Tony's then leaned against his shoulder.

"I hope he's alright."

"You said it already, darlin'. He's a smart kid. He'll be okay." Steve smiled gently and took a sip of his own coffee. "Need a second pair of eyes?"

"Yes." Tony nodded.

"Okay, love. Just a few more hours, then we have to get some rest. We're no good exhausted like this."

"Okay... Just a little longer, we might find him."

-

Peter hated it, but he decided not to patrol for a while, not until he could get his box of food to sustain that amount of activity. He already made a very strict list for what he'd pack into the box to ensure he had the most calories possible. He dropped down from his home and landed next to the bell. His leg didn't ache at all and he smiled. He pulled up his hood, shifted his backpack on his back, using an extra sweater to make it look full, and lifted the trap door. He walked down into the church and slipped out the front door, walking casually with his headphones in. The more he looked like everyone else, the better it'd be. Nobody ever checked plain sight. They always looked for something to stand out, something to look wrong. They wouldn't see him if he just...acted normal.

It took longer than he liked to get to the spot, but it wasn't like he had school to worry about, he had plenty of time to walk around. He started felt his spidersense tingle, but...not in a bad way. He didn't feel like he was in danger...just like something had changed.

"Hey, this way." A hand suddenly snagged Peter's arm and pulled him in another direction.

Peter looked toward the one who'd grabbed him and paused. He knew her. She worked at the donation center. She was the nice young woman with auburn hair, the one who always wore gloves. "What are you doing."

"Stop, not here. Come on, this way." She pulled him again.

Peter went with her, without further question. She walked a few blocks down and then pulled him into an alleyway.

"You're late, Maggie, dear. What kind of time do you call this?" A man in a red suit asked from up above on a fire escape. Peter looked up. He knew that man. Deadpool. What did a volunteer at a food bank have to do with a mercenary like Deadpool?

"Wade, give me some time, he doesn't know you, he won't feel safe. Go!" She shooed him away and Deadpool shrugged and climbed upward. Peter heard him rush away across the rooftops. "Sorry, he's always around making sure I get places safe. It's annoying sometimes. I've never told you my name, I'm Maggie." She let go of his arm and held out her hand, which was gloved. "You're Peter, right? Peter Parker?"

"Yeah..." Peter nodded and shook her hand.

"I thought so." Maggie pulled her hand back and reached into her pocket, pulling out her phone. She unlocked it and held it out. "Look at this."

Peter saw his own face. It was an older picture, one from happier days. It was one of those 'have you seen this person' posters.

"It was on the news, you ran away from home, been missing a week. The thing is, the other volunteers at the place put two and two together, figured you'd show up today. They called the police, said that they saw you every month for the past couple months. They're hiding out, waiting for you to show up." Maggie explained, then took her phone back.

"Why are you warning me?" Peter asked.

Maggie nodded down to her gloves. "I was abused... It's why I don't like people touching me. I like to control who can touch me."

"I'm sorry." Peter whispered.

"I ran away...found someone who looked after me. I'm better." She shrugged. "The thing is, I don't know what you're running away from. I don't know what you're hiding from, but I can't judge you, because I did it too. Sometimes, people don't know the whole story. Sometimes we need to find our own way." She looked into the corner. "There's some food over there, it's not enough, I know and you probably won't trust me to meet with you or anything, but it should help for a little bit. You won't be able to go back there though. I'm sorry. They're looking for you."

"Thank you for warning me." Peter nodded.

"Come here." She led him to the back of the ally and pulled out a couple bags of groceries.

Peter knelt and pulled his sweater out of his bag, wrapping it around his waist.

Maggie helped him fit all of the groceries into his backpack and smiled shyly up at him. "I'm sorry I couldn't do more, I'm just glad I caught you in time." She stood up. "I hope you end up happy in the end. And if you ever need help. I'm at this address every weekday from three to five." She held out a slip of paper. The handwriting on it was messy. "Just...take care of yourself...cause sometimes no one else will. But...if someone will help, don't ignore that. I found my family because one person was willing to help me out. Just...take care."

"Thank you." Peter pulled the bag over his shoulders. "You didn't have to do all this."

"Yeah, well, you need to eat and feel safe." She looked down and pulled her sleeve up, looking at an old watch. "Alright. We're alright. You can go back, but go back the way you came to avoid any...people."

"Thank you." Peter held out his hand.

Maggie smiled and shook it. "See you around, Peter."

-

Peter got home safely and looked at the contents in his bag. It was more than he'd normally get in a box, but it wasn't going to be enough, because now he didn't have that method to get food either. And if other people had seen his picture... A tear escaped, but he straightened up. He had some money and he still had Aaron. He didn't want to lean on his friend, but...it'd be something and he had savings. He could survive. He would survive.

He cooked a large lunch and opened his suitcase. Two days earlier he'd bought a new red sweat suit. He'd drawn a spider on the top, just like before. His mask was still in decent repair. He pulled them on. Spiderman couldn't just stop. No. There were people out there who needed help and he wouldn't deny them that.

-

Tony woke up with Steve's torso half splayed over his own, which was odd. Usually, Steve was long gone by the time he woke up, running. Tony was used to Steve's side being cold, so having a warm body pressed against his was lovely. Steve was, thankfully, not completely laying on top of him, he was all muscle and heavy, at least for Tony. Still, Tony smiled down at where Steve was using his chest as a pillow. Steve's hand was half-under his own head and gently stretched over Tony's arc reactor.

Tony lifted his hand and gently ran his fingers through the golden locks that he loved so much. God, he loved that man. There was something extra special about seeing him sleep, something relaxed and honest. He ruffled the man's hair again. There was a ring, hidden in his lab...but Tony hadn't gathered up the courage yet, terrified that the younger man might say no. Well...he probably wouldn't say no, but Tony was still scared of that chance. Moments like this gave him hope.

Then Tony remembered why Steve was still asleep. They'd both been searching for Peter Parker. Tony gently kissed the top of Steve's head. Gently, he slipped away from Steve. "Sleep well, honey." Tony headed into the living room. "JARVIS, time?"

"It is currently 5:37 in the evening."

"Any news on Peter Parker or Spiderman?"

"It would seem Spiderman is patrolling."

"Did you see where he came from?" Tony asked.

"No, sir. I have narrowed it down to about five blocks, however, given his appearances and reaction times."

Tony sighed. "Is he still active?"

"Yes, sir."

"Call a suit and get me to Spiderman."

The flight was short and Tony soon found himself staring down a small-looking Spiderman who was backing up across the roof, stepping away. "Hi, Spiderman, what are you doing?"

"You know, Queens doesn't need a super villain. I'd have to protect them."

"You know, you act tough, but for someone who's about thirty pounds too light in a onesie, I'm not all that terrified of Spiderman." Tony landed on the roof and stepped out of his suit. "What the hell are you doing? I haven't seen you in over a week."

"Haven't really had time for the internship." Peter said, taking a step back again, crouching low, defensive. His head was constantly moving. He looked scared and cornered.

"Do I look like a ditchable prom date to you, kid?!" Tony demanded, taking a few steps forward. "Where the hell have you been, I've been worried about you."

"Well, you can stop worrying about me." Peter snapped back. "I've missed three internship sessions, that means I'm kicked from the program, according to the rules, so...you can just leave me alone."

"Kid, I'm not doing that. So why don't you just come along. You can't just disappear like that."

"I'm not going anywhere with you." Peter snapped. "You'll just send me back."

"Peter, you can't just stay out here. Where do you even live, Peter? You can't make it like this."

Peter scowled. "I'm not going anywhere with you." Peter shot webbing at Tony.

The webs held tight as Peter jumped off the roof. Tony's heart leapt up into his throat as he watched the small teen fall, then suddenly swing. "JARVIS, get me out of these." The suit moved forward and snapped the webs before the suit wrapped around him. Tony took off after Peter. But there was no sign of him. Somehow, Peter had vanished again. Even JARVIS was stumped as to how the kid had vanished.

"If he was able to get away from us that quickly, it suggests he's highly familiar with the area. I can narrow down his origins much easier now." JARVIS said, showing Tony a map narrowed down to the area he suspected Peter hid in.

"Closer, we need to know more." Tony sighed and headed back home. Why was Peter so insistent that he not go with Tony? Why wouldn't the boy just talk to him.

-

Steve stood in the living room as Tony sat on the couch. "At least we know he's alive." He said slowly.

"Well, there is that. He looked thinner though, it's...not good Steve." Tony shook his head. "He's at least still feisty, though."

"Okay, so, we've got it narrowed down, now we just have to figure out exactly where he is." Steve looked at the map JARVIS had floating in the air in their living room. He thought about all of the things he knew about Peter. "Tony...he's hungry and he's skinny."

"Okay?" Tony asked.

"And he created a heat source to test his energy source. He's cold, Tony." Steve smiled. "So he built something that would keep him warm. And in the lab, he liked to keep it on extra high, higher than most people would keep their houses."

"Oh, you're a genius. Certified genius!" Tony launched toward Steve and kissed him. "JARVIS, show me heat signatures in the area we've narrowed it down to. Show me any abnormalities."

"Three possible locations, sir. However, the most suspicious is in a church. The steeple is approximately 82 degrees, but the blueprints don't show any heating there. It seems like the roof might provide a suitable shelter for a small teen." JARVIS stated.

"Should we?" Tony asked. "Peter doesn't seem to be in the place. We might be able to get a look around and figure out what is going on with him."

"Yes, but as Tony and Steve, if we draw any attention, he'll figure it out. He's smart, so he'll probably stay away from his home to make sure no one follows him there." Steve nodded. "We could go check it out."

"And corner him later, when he's not expecting it." Tony nodded. Soon, they'd be able to make sure Peter got somewhere safe. He didn't like the idea of Peter living on his own. Sure, he'd been neglected in his foster home, but Peter needed to be in a home, somewhere safe, somewhere warm where he could be cared for. They'd figure out what was going on to Peter's world and make it right again.

-

Tony looked up above the bell in the tower. "I can feel the warmth down here."

Steve nodded in agreement. "There should be a loose board or two..." He reached up and knocked on the wood until he pushed a few upwards. "Hmmm... I won't be able to fit up there." Steve held out his hands to Tony. Without saying a word, Tony stepped into Steve's hands and Steve lifted him up into the hole.

Tony climbed into the small space and reached up into the rafters. There was a small switch that turned on a light, one that Peter had obviously made himself. He froze in his place as he looked around. There were two small suitcases that were half-full of clothes and knickknacks. Tony knelt down and gently shifted a few of the clothes. He found a small Star Wars figure, wrapped with care. He put it back the way he found it. One of the suitcases had a stain on it, water damage, Tony quickly realized.

A few of the walls had Peter's neat notes pinned up with thumb tacks. There was a coffee pot that seemed retrofitted to be a cooking top. There was a sleeping bag and a single long pillow. Tony covered his mouth as he thought of the words Peter had mumbled sleepily in his guest bedroom: "Soooo soft. I's like a cloud." Those hadn't been just sleepy words from a teen, they had meant so much more. There was a stack of food in one corner, one too small for anyone to live on very long.

Tony opened a rusty can he found to find a small bit of money and Peter's documents, his ID, his social security card, his birth certificate, and a few small items, a watch and a necklace and four wedding rings, obviously from someone he cared for.

Everything in the small area made for a very clear picture. Peter hadn't just decided to run away from his foster home. Peter had run away a long time ago. He had been homeless for months if the water stain on the luggage was any indication, a stain that was mirrored on the flooring under a leaky spot in the roof. Peter Parker had been surviving, going to school, going to an internship, and living and no one...no one had even known that he was homeless.

Except for his foster parents.

Anger boiled hot inside Tony. Peter ran away, likely from the abuse and neglect, and his foster parents hadn't said a damn thing. They only got scared and reported him missing after the social worker decided to show up. They should have reported Peter missing months ago, instead, they only did it to cover their ass. Hell, they probably even intended to make it out like Peter was the problem, not them. Tony really did want to be the villain for once. He wanted to storm into that house as Iron Man and rip them to shreds.

"Tony? Everything alright?"

"No." Tony shook his head and rearranged everything as it had been before climbing back down, thankful for Steve's help.

"What's up there?"

Tony wiped his eyes, not sure if he was more sad or angry. "Peter's been living up there for months, Steve. He's been homeless...for months."

"Oh God..." Steve whispered. "What sort of hell did his foster family put him through?"

"I intend to ask him." Tony snapped.

"Maybe you shouldn't. He's afraid of going back. He probably knows you made the call to child services, he's not stupid, Tony... Maybe I should talk to him, figure out what's happening, from his point of view. He probably doesn't want to feel outnumbered right now, Tony, he's scared and on his own. Just...let me try, then we can hunt him down however you want, okay?"

Tony nodded after a moment. "I'll let you try your way first, but after that it's my turn." With how angry Tony felt, he wasn't sure what he'd do just yet. Why hadn't Peter asked him for help? Tony would have helped him. But...then again, Tony knew all too well how it felt to not be able to trust anyone.

Notes:

Look after yourselves. Be kind.

Chapter 12: A Spider in the Guest Bedroom

Summary:

Steve somehow manages to bring a spider home.

Notes:

Not sure this one is exactly how I wanted it to go, like I think the wording could have been better, but it's working.

After being confronted by Iron Man two days earlier. Peter had been very careful to make sure he wasn't caught entering or exiting his home. He only left through the actual church doors and usually when it was dark. He hadn't dared to go out to be Spiderman. He didn't really want the people to think the wrath of Iron Man was coming down on Queens, and he really didn't want to be caught and sent back.

It was a Thursday evening, so the church wasn't busy. He snuck down from his home and instantly crouched, lifting the trapdoor and sneaking down into the church, his water bottle in hand. He continued down and pressed his ear to the door. There was no noise, except for one quiet, strong heartbeat, so he opened it and stepped into the sanctuary. He was going to head toward the basement, but he paused when he saw the man sitting in the second pew.

Why hadn't Peter's spidersense warned him?

Sitting in the second pew in casual clothes was Captain America, Steve Rogers. A shirt, jacket, and a scarf. His hands were in view, resting on the pew in front of him. He smiled gently. "Hi, Peter."

Peter took a few steps back and searched, if Steve was there, was Mr. Stark there too?

"I'm alone. Promise." Steve raised his hands in a placating way and leaned back in his pew. "Tony is a bit...close to this. He doesn't always react well to his emotions. He said he found you, didn't seem like it went too well. Thought maybe you could talk to me."

"Why are you here?" Peter demanded once he was satisfied that no one else was in the room.

"I'm not going to send you anywhere or take you anywhere. I just want to talk to you. I want to understand." Steve gestured to the pew in front of him. "You want to sit? Talk for a little bit?"

"I don't want to sit." Peter shook his head. He sat too much these days. He was too skinny, his bones stuck out and caused pressure points that ached.

"Okay...will you at least talk to me?"

Peter nodded. "Don't get up though." He didn't have his web shooters on him and he wasn't sure how well he could do against Cap at his full strength, let alone half-starved.

"Deal." Steve nodded. "Why don't you want to sit? Ah, it hurts, doesn't it?"

"How'd you know?" Peter asked.

"I used to be that skinny. I remember things like that. Hard to forget it." Steve scratched the back of his head. "I don't like to make assumptions, but I want to understand why you'd choose to be here. I have an idea, but I'd rather hear the truth. Because I want to help you, not hurt you. Tony doesn't want to hurt you either...but we can't help you if we don't know how to."

Peter narrowed his eyes. "I'm guessing you already did your research." Peter shrugged.

"Well, Tony did... I know you lost your parents and went to live with your aunt and uncle. I know you lost them too, but I don't know anything else. I really care about you though."

"You don't even know me."

"No...I don't. I know things about you, but I don't really know you, that's true." Steve nodded. "I know you're smart. I know you're talented and a hero, but knowing someone goes deeper than what they are, it goes into the who's and why's and how's. Maybe we can get to know each other."

If anyone else would have said that, it would have sounded like absolute shit...but Steve somehow sounded so honest, concerned, interested. "What could you possibly want to know?"

"You've been living on the streets for months, why?" Steve asked.

Anger flashed through Peter. "Why? I had the strength and speed to save my uncle, but I froze and he bled out in my arms because I was too scared. I could have saved my aunt, but instead of patrolling that night I decided to stay in. Then I ended up in the system, a superhuman kid who can't thermoregulate and needs to eat about as much as five teens team to function. I only got to pack two bags from my home and they shoved most of the rest into some smelly storage locker that leaks when it rains and then they sold the rest. The first place I got sent to for a week was basically understaffed halfway house, it barely had working plumbing, bad heating, and not enough food.

"Then, the first foster home I went to was run by a foster parent 'veteran' that my social worker assured me was the best. Sure, it was clean and warm and spotless and structured. But Mr. Lane's house was that way because he was hyper strict. If you missed curfew by even a minute you were punished. If your room wasn't spotless, you were punished. If you talked back, you were punished. There were two other foster kids there and I tried to explain to them that the beatings and punishments he dolled out were wrong, but they didn't want to speak up. The only problem was I couldn't give my social worker any proof, because he'd hit me and my super healing would get rid of the evidence before I could show her. It took me a month to convince the younger kids to speak up.

"The second house I got sent to was different. Those parents were smart. It was never physical problems. But the things they'd say... I still have nightmares. And their son Skip...he was, creepy and too...touchy. When he crawled into my bed while I was sleeping I decided to run away. I kicked up as much of a fuss as I could until those foster parents didn't want to handle me anymore. I got warned that if I acted like that again I might end up in juvie instead of a foster home. Those people lied about exactly how much I protested their home, saying that I raised a hand to Skip, but well, I only shoved him once and it was because he was trying to grope me in my sleep...not that his parents cared what he did to me.

"Then the Marcos house... It wasn't that hard to decide I was better off alone. Up until about a week ago, I've had more food and warmth and safety on my own, living on the streets than I was allowed to have in that house. I'm not going back to that house. I'm not going back to any fucking house again." Peter looked down. His face was hot and there were tears on it. He hadn't told anyone that much, even his social worker. It felt good and terrible at the same time.

Steve looked like someone had slapped him, but recovered quickly. "I can understand why you wouldn't want to go back."

"Good people get hurt around me and bad people...well, they just get worse around me."

"I don't think that's true, Peter. I don't think it's you, I think that sometimes bad things just happen to good people. You didn't deserve any of this... But, you shouldn't be on the street, Peter. You're just a kid who deserves to be safe and warm and fed." Steve said gently. "I understand why you would want to be on your own, but can you understand why I think you should be somewhere safe?"

"Do you honestly think this system could ever give that to me? Look at how much it's already fucked up." Peter scoffed bitterly.

"I think we have plenty of evidence that you've been neglected, so we can get your social worker to take you out of that home and even take legal action against them...but Peter, you need to try again, okay? Not everyone will hurt you. And I know for sure that Tony will not let anyone else hurt his favorite intern."

"I've missed too much. I'm kicked from the program."

"Tony isn't one for following rules." Steve snorted. "He's already decided you're getting the internship and I don't think he'd have mercy on anyone who hurt someone near him. He's protective like that. You have people that would look after you now, Peter, people who'd make sure you got treated right."

"I don't want to."

"And I don't want you to have to live like this. It's awful lonely and you're not doing well, Peter." Steve sighed.

Peter couldn't say that Steve was wrong, so he stayed silent.

"Can you trust me that I won't send you back to that house?"

"Huh?"

"Do you think Tony or I would ever send you to a place where they'd hurt you?"

Peter thought for a moment. "...No."

"Okay. Can we make a deal?" Steve asked.

Peter tilted his head.

"How about you come home with me for tonight? I really want you under a roof that doesn't leak and want you to sleep with a full stomach. So we can get you someplace safe and warm, and then we can get ahold of the social worker whenever you're ready. Technically, you're still missing, so we can let you stay for a bit, maybe get some pictures so we have proof that they neglected you at your home...then we can figure out the next steps, is that alright?"

"You don't even know me."

"That's alright. I have a pretty good idea about the state of your character. We have a spare bedroom. What do you say, bud?"

-

Tony's music turned down suddenly and he scowled at the ceiling. "This better be good, J."

"Sir, you have a guest upstairs. Steve would like your help as well."

"A guest?" Tony asked, heading for the stairs after dropping the tools he'd been using. He headed upstairs. Steve was holding a suitcase in the living room, one stained by the elements that had a pillow and a rolled up sleeping bag tied to it. Peter Parker was several steps behind him, looking a bit like a cornered, scared animal as he held another suitcase behind him.

"No one's here." Steve said, sending Tony a meaningful look. "Part of the deal."

"Okay, my lips are sealed." Tony nodded and turned to Peter. "Mi casa es su casa. Do you want help setting up in the guest bedroom?"

"Um..."

"You can stay in there, Peter, and we'll stay out if you want us to." Steve stated.

"Can I just...go by myself? Please."

"Yeah." Steve smiled gently. "We'll heat up some leftovers for dinner. You can go get set up, okay? JARVIS'll let you know when food's ready, alright?"

Peter nodded and grabbed his other suitcase before vanishing.

Tony turned and looked at Steve with wide eyes. "How did you get him here?"

"Promised not to send him back or talk to his social worker without taking with him first. We're not telling anyone he's here until he's ready."

Tony nodded in agreement. "I'm on board."

Steve walked forward and wrapped his arms around Tony, tightly, his eyes watering.

"You alright, love?" Tony asked, squeezing Steve close to him.

"It's worse than we knew, Tony..."

"We'll make sure it gets better." Tony responded. He'd make sure of it. He never wanted to see Peter get hurt by anyone ever again.

Notes:

Take care, everyone. Be kind.

Chapter 13: A Needed Talk

Summary:

Tony and Peter have a chat about the future over a midnight snack.

Notes:

All of our favorite boys are under one roof now, guys. Woo-hoo. :-D

Tony pulled out a chair for Peter at the table. Steve brought over some food to the table. "It's nothing fancy, kid, but even reheated Steve's chilli is good. I made some fresh grilled cheese." It was about as much as Tony was worth in the kitchen. He couldn't do anything too complex. "They're a little burnt, but that sort of gives them character."

"You did fine, darlin'." Steve chuckled.

Peter hedged forward and sat down.

"How much do you want, bud?"

"Can I just have a sandwich first?"

"Sure thing." Steve handed him one.

Peter didn't eat much, but everything that was dished out to him, he finished, religiously, as if he felt he couldn't waste food. He didn't speak, even though Tony tried to start some casual conversation with him. Tony eventually stopped prying and chitchatted with Steve, hoping some normalcy would help Peter feel better, more at ease. Soon though, Peter asked if he could go to bed.

"Of course, Peter. You don't have to ask." Tony nodded. "Sleep well."

Peter nodded shyly and headed to the guest room.

Tony watched the boy walk away with cautious eyes as Steve got up to clean the table. "Steve?"

"Mmhm?"

"I think I'm going to do something most people would call idiotic and ill-advised."

"Those people don't know you very well." Steve stated.

"You don't even know what I'm going to say." Tony shook his head.

"Yes, I do, and I know you'll be a fantastic foster parent."

"Um... I wasn't planning on being a foster parent, Steve." Tony said, his voice suggesting something more. "I thought I should...let you know. Since you and I are..."

"I've always wanted kids." Steve nodded. "Plus, I'm pretty sure you'll give me that ring someday."

"Ring? What ring?" Tony asked.

"The one you've been hiding for too long." Steve rolled his eyes, then grew serious. "You'll be a great father, Tony. I think he needs us. Maybe we're the best for him."

"I think I'll start off fostering him... I'll let him choose if he wants to stay." Tony nodded. "I think he deserves to have choices in his life. Let's keep a close eye on him for now." He looked toward the guest room. "He needs our help."

"Yes."

-

Tony stayed up and tinkered in his lab. "Sir, Mr. Parker has made his way to the kitchen." JARVIS called out.

"It's alright, J. He can eat whatever he wants. He's probably going to be around for a while, so let him roam like any other guest, for now, okay?" Tony stated.

"His actions are just strange, sir. He brought some sort of instant noodles from a suitcase in his room and is making them in the kitchen...with a coffee maker."

Okay...that was...different. "My coffee maker?"

"No, it came from his suitcase." JARVIS answered.

Tony stood still in the lab. What was he supposed to do? Everything in his body told him to stay in the lab. He took a deep breath and got up and headed toward the door. He wasn't great with emotions, but he still needed to do this. It wasn't in his comfort zone, but his therapist and Steve had been nudging him toward being more open and actually talking about the difficult things. Wanting to foster a teenage superhero with a shit ton of trauma to wade through...well, Tony'd have to get a lot better at this, more reliable at this.

He walked up the stairs and opened the door just in time to hear a bowl scrap across the counter and see Peter duck behind the counter. "Kid? Why are you in the dark? You can turn the lights on. J, lights at thirty percent." The lights came on a little bit. Tony rubbed his hand over his face. "It's too late for hide and seek, underoos. You don't have to worry about anything." Tony walked to the fridge and opened it, hoping the kid would understand that he wasn't the only one getting a midnight snack. While Tony's back was turned, he heard the bowl touch the counter again and counted it as a victory. He grabbed a cup of pudding from the fridge and turned around.

Peter was sitting on the bar stool, looking awkward. "This is okay?"

"Perfectly fine." Tony nodded. "Steve usually has a midnight snack, he's got a metabolism like you. And I'm up at all hours, so this kitchen is pretty much 24/7." He smiled gently and leaned against the counter on the other side. He grabbed a spoon and opened his pudding cup, taking a bite, in hopes that Peter would get the picture and eat some of his own food.

After a moment, Peter took a bite of his ramen. He looked a bit cagy still, one of his arms was wrapped around his bowl, as if to protect it.

"Coffee maker?" Tony looked at it but didn't touch it. He didn't want Peter to think he was going to take it from him. Peter seemed really protective of his things. "Retrofitted it to be a cooktop, huh? Impressive."

"Thanks." Peter said. "I had to do something."

"You're a smart kid." Tony smiled gently. They sat together in silence and Tony matched Peter, bite for bite, until Peter seemed to get the cue and he began to eat at a normal pace. They ate in silence and Peter finished his bowl. "Do you want me to put the bowl in the dishwasher for you?"

Peter looked at Tony. "Um, I can do it." Peter got up and walked around the counter.

"Okay, thanks for the help, kid." Tony said, opening the dishwasher and putting his spoon in it, holding it open for Peter, until he could close it. "Are you alert enough to have a talk with me, underoos...or do you want to go get some sleep?" Tony added the second part to make sure that Peter got to have a choice. He felt like Peter needed to have choices.

"Yeah, I guess."

"Wanna sit on the couch?" Tony suggested. He'd never been as skinny as Peter, but he had lost a lot of weight in Afghanistan. He knew what it felt like to have new, uncomfortable pressure points...not to Peter's degree though.

"Sure." Peter sat on the couch, so Tony took the arm chair. Instantly, Peter relaxed a bit more into the cushions.

Tony made a mental note to make sure Peter got to keep his space. "So, I have some...plans. If you're alright with it. I've set some people to work on getting me approved to be a foster parent."

Peter froze and looked at Tony with wide eyes. "What?"

"Well, I know you don't really want to go into the system again, but I figure, you're a good kid and a smart one and you need to be in a stable home that you feel safe in. I figure there isn't ever going to be a home fully equipped to help you. I mean, you're a super hero and not many people can understand that...weight and stress and stuff, but Steve and I can understand that and... You're a genius and I can understand that level of intellect that you live with and... I just think it would be easier on you to be in a place where people can relate and understand you, or at least better understand. If you don't want that though, it's okay."

"You'd...really want me?"

"I've already got the ball rolling, kid." Tony nodded. "If you're alright with it I can make sure you get to stay here as long as you want. But I haven't told anyone that I know where you are yet. I know you want some time and that's alright."

"I'd...like to stay. I don't think either of you would hurt me... I promise I'll...be good."

Tony's heart cracked a little bit. "You already are a good kid, Peter." Tony said.

Peter looked down and fiddled with his sleeves that were too big on his too thin arms.

"I think you should know a few things about me, you know?" Tony said. "I'm...well. I don't know how to be a parental figure. I, myself, came from an abusive home so I don't have any good role models. I don't handle emotions very well...when I was younger I turned to a lot of bad outlets. I promise I don't do drugs or alcohol. I'm four years sober. The closest thing to it is sparkling juice. I don't go in for that, I like having control over my mind."

Peter blinked, but didn't say anything.

"Um. I just want you to know that I might not know exactly how to parent, so maybe you will have to teach me a bit, you know? Steve'll probably be better. He actually had good role models, but I promise to figure it out. I'm a pretty quick study...and you can always feel free to talk to me, okay? If I'm fucking something up, you can say it, it's fine. You learn by mistakes and stuff."

"I...I'm okay with that."

"You're going to stay?" Tony asked.

"Um, yeah. I..." Peter seemed to think about his words carefully. "I have a good sixth sense about these things. I haven't felt safe like this since I was living with Aunt May."

A sixth sense? Tony thought. Maybe it made sense. Peter had been able to dodge almost all of his attacks when they'd fought that first time. Maybe Peter did have some sort of danger warning or...something. "I'm glad you feel safe. I don't want you to feel unsafe." Tony nodded. "Um, I guess I should have some rules, right?"

"Most adults do make rules." Peter advised with the tiniest touch of a genuine smile on his face.

"Okay." Tony smiled back. "First rule then, you can eat whenever you want, okay? Don't ask. Don't feel like you need to hide it. Don't feel like we'll take your food or say no. I know that'll be difficult at first, but me and Steve mean it. Eat whenever you need to, okay?"

Peter slowly nodded, but looked unsure.

"Second, no Spiderman un-"

"No." Peter said flatly. "I can't not be Spiderman, Mr. Stark."

"Listen first." Tony said and waited for Peter to relax. "No Spiderman until you're healthy again. I want you to be a healthy weight before you're back out there. And I'm going to make you a new suit so you're safe out there."

"Okay." Peter said in understanding.

"There are going to be some Spiderman-ing rules too. Like a curfew, because you need to sleep. And...there's going to be a GPS in your suit as well as monitoring that me and Steve will have access to."

"Why?" Peter asked with narrowed eyes.

"It has nothing to do with your capabilities, Peter. I know you're a strong kid and I know you can hold your own. But, when I go out as Iron Man, Steve can always get ahold of me. When Steve's out in the field, he has the Avengers and me who can look after him. Shit happens out there, kid. A building collapsed on you and you were too hurt to get yourself out, even though you normally could... Do you understand what I mean? We all need help sometimes, we all need backup who can help us. We all have teammates, just in case things go sideways."

"That makes sense."

"We can figure out anything else in that area as we go, okay?"

Peter nodded.

"I have a doctor that I'd like to check in on you tomorrow, to see how we can help you better heal. She won't tell anyone, but she'll give us a way to help you get healthy."

He nodded again.

"I don't think we have any big house rules. I guess just don't leave a huge mess. I don't mind disorganization, but Steve's still got a bit of the military cleanliness, so as long as we're on the lived-in side of messy he's alright. I just don't like leaving a mess for him, because he'd just clean it automatically."

"I'm not usually too messy."

"I am, I had to work on that one. Uh...don't skip school, I guess or stay up too late. I don't know, kid, we'll figure some of those out as we go? We'll wing it. I'm sure you're old enough to figure out that you need sleep and clean teeth and stuff." Tony shrugged.

"Most of the time." Peter smiled gently again.

"We can talk some other time about things like that. I feel like you should stay home from school for a bit, but we can get your homework collected so you don't fall behind. You can always say when you're up for going back, I trust you to be honest."

"Okay."

"And...look, I don't want to keep you up for much longer, but I do want to suggest this one last thing... I'm not going to force you to go, I, myself, had to choose to go and it's something you have to willingly pick. But I think...maybe therapy could be good for you...to help work on what you've been through. Because you have been through a lot, Peter."

"Yeah, that could help. I...know I'm not my usual self and, I've been pretending to be alright for a long time. I'm not though."

Tony smiled proudly. "We'll cross that bridge when we get to it, okay? We'll take this a day at a time and move forward. Let's just keep the communication lines open and honest, okay? I can't help you if I don't know how, you know?"

Peter nodded.

"And I'll try to figure this whole thing out, okay? There will probably be bumps in the road, but we'll make it."

Peter slowly stood up. "Um, thank you for...being cool about...all of this."

"Of course." Tony answered, then stood up himself. "Get some rest. I need to get some as well. Sleep well." Tony walked away so that Peter could keep an eye on him. He opened his door and went to his room. Steve, ever the light sleeper, blinked open his eyes as Tony changed and climbed into bed.

"Da'lin', you're up late." He turned and latched onto Tony like an octopus, pulling him close.

"Talking to the kid. I think we'll figure this out. It seems he's okay with staying here."

"Tha's good."

Tony smiled and kissed his cheek. "Go to sleep, honey. We'll talk in the morning."

"Mm, I like that one." Steve sighed, nuzzling against Tony's collarbone.

"What?" Tony asked.

"Mm like it when you call me 'honey.'"

Tony smiled triumphantly. He'd finally found it. "I'm glad, honey. Now try to get some sleep, okay?"

"Mmhm. You too."

"I will." Tony rested his head on top of Steve's and closed his eyes. They'd figure this all out, eventually.

Notes:

Take care of yourselves.

Chapter 14: Rest

Summary:

Peter finally crashes, his body no longer capable of feigning normalcy. But at least he has Tony and Steve, who won't leave his side.

Notes:

Sorry it's been so long. I recently did a stint in the hospital and I'm slowly getting back on the writing train. May not be as consistent right off the back, but at least it's something. I've missed ya'll. Hope you enjoy this. (Also, I'm no expert in legal stuff or health stuff. I just did a small bit of research and decided to wing it the rest of the way.) TW for child abuse.

Helen stepped out of the room and she looked haunted. She looked at Tony and shook her head. "Peter is lucky to be alive."

"How bad is it?"

"His body has been in starvation mode for a long time. In fact, if he didn't have a healing factor he probably would have been dead before he was even living on the streets. Even ignoring the malnurishment...he has lots of broken bones that haven't been set completely right. Some of them obviously came from impacts with things during his patrols, but I found at least five broken bones that were purposefully inflicted with...human strength. You could use that as evidence. From the pictures he showed me on his phone and the timestamps on them...you have enough right to kill his foster parents in my humble opinion...so you definitely have enough to get him out of that house."

Tony frowned. "The breaks...will they have to be reset?"

"Most of them? No. His healing factor seems to be slowly correcting the lesser ones, but there is a bone in his wrist that will need re-breaking if he wants full range of motion. Putting too much on his healing factor right now isn't advised. It's basically keeping him alive."

"And...the starvation. How can we help?"

"When he eats too much food he'll make himself sick. He's been sick since he's been here. His body needs the food but it doesn't fully know what to do with it anymore. We're going to have to continue feeding him more than I'd ever advise feeding a normal human, because as far as I can tell, he needs more calories than Steve does. I can write out a food plan to help him have an easier time. My hope is once he starts getting food regularly he'll be able to heal and then the bad symptoms will ease up so we can get him the amount of food he actually needs. I have him on a lot of fluids right now, and I'm going to want to keep him on them. His body is a marvel, but it's been working so hard to keep him alive for so long that I worry it might tap out...so we're going to try to take some of the stress off. I advise a lot of rest and a strict food schedule. I'll finish my report so you can fuck up his foster parents. No one should do that to a kid." Helen shook her head. "I saw pictures. He had more food on the street than he did in that home." She took a steadying breath. "He's sleeping now. He's not going to have a lot of energy for a while. I think pure survival instinct was keeping him running. Now that he feels like he's safe he's going to just...collapse and rest. He needs it, but I'll get you that schedule so you can make sure he eats enough. He's going to have to be watched and taken care of. This won't be easy."

"I'm in it for the long haul, he's a good kid. And Steve is with me too."

"He's lucky he's got you. I'll finish this, you can go see him."

Tony nodded and walked into Peter's room. He somehow looked smaller and paler than he had before. Hospital beds did that, but Peter had already been too small. There were tubes going into his arm that just seemed way too big. God, the teen was small. Smaller than even when Tony'd first met him. He thought the kid was just on the scrawny side when they'd first met, but now he knew better. Peter wasn't scrawny. Pictures of him from when he'd lived with his Aunt May showed him (after the bite) as being a well-built kid, not the skin and bones in front of him.

Tony gently took the pale, small hand in his. "We'll get you better, Peter. We can have all the midnight snacks. I'll make sure they can never hurt anyone else."

Peter made a soft noise and opened his eyes tiredly, looking at Tony. "Mr. Stark?"

"I'm here, kid. You can rest."

"Don't let anyone take me away."

"I promise. You're staying here, with me and Steve. We won't let anyone take you. Come on, you have superheroes on your side, spiderling. We'll look out for you." Tony nodded.

Peter reached out and fumbled. It was strange. Peter had been up and about just last night, but after a few hours with Helen, he actually looked worse, feeble, almost like someone on their deathbed. It was all down to him finally relaxing though, finally letting his guard down, finally taking off the mask he wore.

Tony saw that he was reaching for his phone. "Do you need your phone, underoos?"

"You need it."

"Okay?" Tony reached out and grabbed it. "What do I need to do?"

"774337626, that's the passcode."

Spiderman. Tony smiled. Peter's passcode was Spiderman. It was fitting.

"I got lots of pictures on there, videos too. Just...don't think bad of me."

"I won't, never." Tony promised. "Why are you giving them to me?"

"You can stop them, right? And you won't let them take me, right?" Peter asked again, his voice sleepy, slipping.

"I promise. No one's taking you anywhere. And I'll stop them." He gently kissed the back of Peter's hand. "You can rest, bambino. You're safe now. You just have to get better, that's all you have to worry about. I've got the rest."

"Thank you." Peter whispered, and it seemed to be what he needed to hear, because he went right back to sleep.

Tony frowned and gently ruffled the kid's hair. "You'll be alright, kid." He stayed next to Peter's bed, but began to work on his phone and Peter's. The pictures made Tony furious. And some of the older ones weren't just of Peter, but of other foster children who were being hurt. He made the mistake of watching one video, where Peter's latest foster parents had offered Peter hardly anything to eat. Peter was smart, filming for hours sometime to get the whole story. He had asked for more food in the video, even making a sound argument that teenagers needed more food. They'd taken back their meager offering and called Peter ungrateful and undeserving. The woman had then insisted that Peter sit and watch as they ate, writing lines about how ungrateful and undeserving he was.

Tony had never been so angry, or so sad. Tears ran down his cheeks. He wiped his face and avoided any more videos. He collected the evidence and even pulled together Helen's files as she finished them. He made sure to contact his lawyers. His paperwork had gone through, now he needed them to keep him out of trouble in case anyone wanted to scream 'kidnap' against him, and he'd need them to make sure no one would take the kid away. Then he began to work in the police and Peter's case worker. The good news was that Peter was in the safest building in the world, behind many walls of security, with the best doctors in the world, and two superheroes watching after him. It wasn't likely anyone would begrudge Tony for taking a dying kid in and saving his life or protecting him, but if they did kick up a fight, they'd never be able to take Peter away.

Steve walked into the room, holding a folder. "Helen says he can go up to his room, but he's going to need a whole setup up there. She taught me how to change the bags and stuff. Said she'd make lots of house calls and she's got nurses scheduled to do rounds to help us. She thinks he'll feel safer in a non-hospital room. She said he seemed uncomfortable with the smells of the medbay."

Tony nodded.

"There's a folder of stuff here, how to...help him get better. She gave us two copies so we both have a guide." Steve held out a packet to Tony. "He looks so small."

"He's just a kid." Tony sighed. "I got ahold of the authorities. I've made the proper moves to become his foster parent. It should all...fall into place, especially once they see what's happened to him."

"Well, not many people have the resources you do to help him get better. It'll go in your favor." Steve reassured, rubbing Tony's shoulders.

"If it doesn't, I'm not above kidnapping. He needs to be safe."

"He will be."

"I need to give Helen a raise." Tony sighed.

Steve nodded in agreement and pressed his lips to the top of Tony's head. "It'll be okay, darlin'. We'll help him."

"I hope so." Tony hummed and leaned back into Steve.

-

"Peter. Underoos?"

Peter frowned and opened his eyes. Tony was next to him. Peter felt more alert suddenly. He wasn't in the medbay anymore. He was in the room Tony'd let him sleep in. There was medical equipment in it and someone had slid his suitcases away from the bed so the equipment could reach him. But it smelled better and the bed was softer, so he tried not to be too upset. "What is it?"

"You gotta eat something, kid."

"'M tired."

"I know, bambino, but we gotta make sure you eat or Helen's probably going to insist on the feeding tube."

"I don' wanna have a tube."

"So how about a small snack?" Tony asked gently.

"Um...okay. Whatever you have is fine."

Tony frowned. "You've got lots of choices." He looked down at the papers in his hand. "So, we're wanting some protein right now for you. So we could do nuts, or meat, or yogurt, or cheese, eggs... Maybe a combination. What do you feel up to, underoos?"

"Can I have yogurt?" Peter asked tentatively. He'd missed having cold things.

"Yeah, Peter. I'll bring some. Try to stay awake for a little bit, okay?"

Peter tried to keep his heavy eyes open, but they slipped closed before Tony came back. He was still awake, though.

"Hey, still with me, kid?"

"Yeah." Peter whispered. "Why am I so tired?"

"Because you're body's been working hard and you needed more rest. Now you're crashing. It's okay. You need the rest." Ton assured him. He held up five tubs of yogurt. "It's all Greek. I don't know what you like, so we got some different flavors. Which one looks good to you?"

"Raspberry?"

"Raspberry it is." Tony opened it up and held out a spoon and the cup as he used a button to sit up Peter's bed.

"I didn't know this bed sit up."

"We switched out the base for you...well, Steve did, so you could rest easier." Tony smiled. "You got it?"

"Yeah." Peter nodded and ate the yogurt. "This is good, thank you."

"You're welcome, Peter." Tony sighed. "Sorry I keep waking you up, I know you're tired."

"You woke me up?"

"A couple times today. I know you need the rest, but we got to make sure you eat too."

"It's got to be better than a tube." Peter decided. "Thank you."

"Any time." Tony agreed. "I've got some meetings later today, so Steve will be the one to wake you for lunch, is that alright?"

"Yeah."

"So, for lunch you're supposed to have a more complex spread of food. Steve was thinking of tacos and guac, is that something you like?"

"Who doesn't like tacos?" Peter asked before taking a bite of the yogurt.

Tony shrugged. "We're going to try to keep it pretty easy on your stomach spice wise, but we also want to make sure you're not just eating the same thing every time."

"I don't mind it. You don't need to work so hard." Peter shook his head.

"You need the diverse nutrients, we can't just keep giving you yogurt and pudding as delicious as they can be." Tony pretended to smile, but he didn't like the way Peter had spoken, as if he were a burden. "If there's anything you don't like just let Steve know. He's the cook between the two of us."

Peter finished his snack and looked around.

"I can toss that for you." Tony said, taking the cup and spoon. "You need anything?"

"No. I'm okay."

Tony looked at him for a moment before he nodded. "I know you're still tired, bambino. You can rest. Steve'll probably be in in a couple hours, alright?"

"Okay." Peter frowned. "What about school and my case and Queens and-"

"Hey, relax. Focus on you. We'll look after the rest for now. I'm taking care of those things. You just get better right now."

Well...rest did sound nice.

Peter fell asleep without any more prodding.

Tony sighed and kissed the kid's forehead. "Sleep tight, kid."

-

Peter was in and out of it for a few days, but closer to the end of the week Peter was much more alert, able to remember the times he woke up and conversations he had with Tony, Steve, Helen, and whichever nurse was on duty to check on him every so often. Steve was sitting with them and they were both eating French toast quietly as they watched Indiana Jones (because Steve mentioned he'd never seen it and Peter was not okay with that). Tony opened the door as the torch was going out.

"Look at you, color in your cheeks and everything. Much better than this morning." Tony grinned. He seemed happy, very happy.

"I feel better than I have in a long time. Helen thinks my healing just needed a break. She says I'll probably start making good recovery now if I keep resting and eating on schedule." Peter smiled. He still felt exhausted, but it was better than he'd felt before, by a long shot.

"Great news. And I have some more."

"What's that?" Steve asked.

Tony nodded to Peter. "As of today they granted me temporary guardianship. They've already informed me that they plan on letting me foster you after the time is up. You're safe, kid. And those people will never hurt anyone else again. We made sure of it."

Peter winced. "You didn't kill them did you?"

"He thought about it." Steve muttered. "Hell, I thought about it."

"I decided you probably wouldn't like that, so we're letting the judicial system handle it." Tony waved his hand. "Now, you don't have to worry at all. Just get better."

Peter couldn't help but smile. It was good news. But part of him was worried. He was still a foster kid. What if this safe, kind place turned out to just be another temporary home? How long would it be before he had to pack up what little he had left and move again? It suddenly felt difficult to eat. Peter shook himself. No. Right now he had time. He needed to keep his mind on the good times while they lasted. He couldn't even bring himself to be bothered that some of his most recent 'good times' had him bed-ridden on the edge of death being nursed back to health. He didn't care. For the first time in a long time, he felt safe and cared for. He'd soak it in...for however long it lasted.

Notes:

Take care.

Chapter 15: It's Just a Jump to the Left

Summary:

Peter's still down, but not out.
Tony's gone full Irondad.
Steve does not understand Rocky Horror Picture Show.

Notes:

Peter is a sick spiderbaby that needs to be protected. Still a lot of after effects of being neglected going on here. He's much more alert though, so that's a plus. Promise we'll (sort of) have our spiderbaby back in a better-ish fashion soon. Even I can only take so much hurt before the comfort.

Tony rubbed Peter's back gently. He didn't really know what else to do. He could vaguely remember Jarvis rubbing his back when he was sick, but usually Tony had just taken care of himself. Peter gagged again and dry heaved. There was nothing left to come up. He groaned as he flushed the toilet, then he leaned his head against the side of the tub next to him. "I'm sorry." Peter whispered.

"It's okay. It's not your fault." Tony promised. It happened sometimes. Peter's body just didn't respond well to food sometimes. If he ate too much at once it usually didn't end up well. They'd slowly been upping what he was allowed to eat. When they'd first started giving Peter food on the schedule Helen set out, it was less than most normal humans ate in a day. Peter needed a lot more than normal humans, especially to support his healing factor. Helen, after a week, had raised Peter's diet to something more than what a normal human should eat. She'd said Peter might be sick a few times, that it'd be normal as his body adjusted to having more food.

This was the seventh meal Peter'd thrown up in four days.

"It's such a waste." Peter whimpered, tears leaking from his eyes.

Tony didn't know what to say to that. Peter'd been without food. It would be insensitive to tell him it was 'alright,' but the scolding tone Peter had toward himself was also wrong. "It's not you're fault. This is going to take time, okay? It's okay." Tony rubbed his back gently. "Do you want some mouthwash, kid?"

Peter sniffled and nodded.

Tony got up and got him a cup. He'd had to learn to be around someone else's vomit quickly. Steve had been much less disturbed by it, given his childhood illnesses, but Tony'd learned quickly, because he'd hated being a reason why the kid looked so guilty. Steve wasn't home right now. He had training with the Avengers a few floors down, so Tony knew he'd have to suck it up and deal, even if vomit was disgusting. He gently ran his fingers through Peter's curls as the kid washed out his mouth. "Better?"

"Yeah." Peter threw the cup away and wiped his eyes. "Why am I still hungry?"

"We can try a smaller meal, closer to last week's plan. Do you think that'll be okay?"

"Can I keep a bucket, just in case?"

"Yeah, kid." Tony nodded and helped the skinny boy up. Peter leaned against him and they walked back into Peter's room.

"Can I go to the living room?" Peter asked quietly.

"Of course." Tony agreed. Peter hadn't left his room and the attached bedroom much. He'd slept for most of the time, but it was obvious the kid was feeling a bit restless, tired of being stuck in one room. "Living room?"

Peter nodded. "Thank you."

"Any time." Tony promised. It took them a little bit to get Peter situated on the sofa, but they got him comfortable with lots of pillows to support his pressure points and a few blankets to keep him warm. Between his thinness and his trouble with thermoregulation (another negative to his powers) he was having a hard time staying warm. "Want to watch a movie while I get you dinner?"

"Sure." Peter said, staring down at his hands.

Tony could still see tear tracks and Peter's jaw was clenched tight. He grabbed the remote and handed it to Peter. "Go ahead and pick a movie." Hopefully it would distract the kid. Tony went to fix another, smaller plate of food for Peter before he came back to the living room.

"Um...is this okay?" Peter asked shyly, nodding to the screen.

Tony snorted when he saw the movie title. "You're probably old enough."

"It was Aunt May's favorite..." Peter whispered after a moment. "It made her laugh a lot."

Tony smiled. Whatever would distract the kid and make him smile, Tony was alright with. He handed Peter the plate and sat next to the kid, putting the bucket on the floor between them. "Go ahead. It's been ages since I've seen this movie."

Peter hit play and gingerly began to eat his food.

Steve walked in a while later and Tony couldn't help but smile. This would be priceless.

"You two doing alright?" Steve asked as he grabbed a plate for himself and sat in the armchair.

"Yeah." Peter nodded, taking a small bite.

"What are we watching?" Steve wondered.

"Rocky Horror Picture Show." Tony answered. This would be hilarious.

"What is it about?"

"Uh..." Peter muttered. "It's a musical, about aliens...sorta."

The elevator came down and there was Tim Curry. Tony had all the respect for that man, because who in their right mind would wear heels like that, let alone learn to move, dance, and run in them? Props.

Steve looked...very confused and looked at Peter. "Should...you be watching this? It's kind of racy."

"It's fine, honey." Tony commented. "It's a cult classic." He turned his head and found Peter's plate empty. "Feeling okay?"

Peter shrugged, but looked alright. Tony took the plate and put it into the dishwasher before returning. Peter was smiling at the screen, humming along with Sweet Transvestite. But he looked tired.

Tony sat down and put a pillow on his lap. Peter took the invitation and rested his head on his lap. It was only a few minutes before the exhausted kid was asleep.

"What is this?" Steve asked quietly.

"I don't think anyone really knows." Tony shrugged. "I think it's a comfort movie for him. He said his Aunt liked it. I'm just always left in awe at Curry's ability to run in heels. It's not easy to balance on those things."

"How do you know that?" Steve asked.

"Never lose a bet against Rhodey." Tony snorted, then ruffled Peter's hair. "I told him about tomorrow."

"It's just a visit, right?" Steve asked, his voice serious.

"Yes, just an environment and wellbeing check. He didn't seem excited about it."

Steve nodded in understanding, then pointed to the bucket. "Rough meal again?"

Tony frowned. "I don't know what to say to him. He gets so upset about wasting food, and I just feel bad that the poor kid is throwing up. I really hope Helen's right and that he gets used to this new diet soon, because it's really hard to watch him. He's so hungry, but he just keeps getting sick. I feel terrible for giving him so little food. Helen figures he needs around five thousand calories, and that’s if he isn't doing anything at all. That’s what it takes to maintain his weight. The plan he's on now is less than half that and he's still... I feel like I'm starving him, but he gets so sick."

Steve got up and crossed the room, putting his arms around Tony from behind the back of the sofa. He dropped his head down and kissed the top of Tony's head. "It's not on you. He's getting better, stronger. He'll get there. It's going to be hard to get through this, but he'll be alright."

"I hope so. He's such a good kid. I just...God a couple of months ago he was in the lab being so energetic and now he can barely stay awake. I should've seen this sooner."

"People can put on great masks, Tony, but eventually they break. He's going to be okay, he just needs time for his body to heal."

"It's not just his body that was hurt, Steve." Tony shook his head and ruffled Peter's hair. The boy slept like the dead. He stayed up for a short while, coherent, then he went right to sleep.

Steve sighed. "We'll get him help for that too. And I know you, darlin'. Before you start worrying about if you can do this, I know you can. You have the biggest heart of anyone I know. He'll get all the love and kindness he needs. He's going to be okay." Steve kissed Tony's temple. "Do you want me to help you get him to bed?"

"Nah, he's light. I'll let him stay until the movie's over. Maybe he can hear it. If it reminds him of his Aunt then he should get to finish it." Tony touched Peter's temple gently. "He's a bit chilly. Can you grab the heater he made? I'll move it to his room after the movie's over."

"I can do that." Steve nodded, then glanced at the TV. "I still have no clue what that is."

"Sci-fi/horror/musical/tragedy? Maybe, something along those lines."

Steve kissed him again and went toward Peter's room.

Tony looked down at the sleeping kid. "We'll be okay. I'll figure out how to help out... I promise." He'd realized very quickly that there was a foreign feeling building inside of him for the kid. It felt like love, but not like the love he felt for Steve, or the love he felt for his friends. It was a different type, powerful and protective. He leaned down and kissed Peter's temple. "I love you, underoos."

-

"You're not skipping out again, Tony." Obadiah insisted through the phone. "You should be at the board meeting."

Tony rolled his eyes. "Should I?" He asked into the phone. He hated this, the 'play nice' attitude. He knew Obadiah hated him and Obie knew that he knew it. Obie may have been able to kick Tony out of his position and take control over the company, but at the end of the day Tony was still in R&D kicking ass with his new inventions while Obie took the heat for the weapons Tony refused to work on any longer. Obie needed Tony to fix the mess the company was splintering into, but Tony didn't really feel inclined to help the man who tried to kill him. "Last I heard I was incompetent, incapable of leading due to mental illness and stressed gained during captivity. Sorry, doesn't sound like I'm gonna be much help in this meeting. You wouldn't want a madman like me ruining the vibe."

"Tony Stark-"

"I'm busy."

"With what?! What could be so important? The company is-"

"I'm gonna stop you right there. See, this sounds like a CEO problem, so that's on you. I'm just little ol' head of R&D, not even of the weapons division, so...maybe contact Scott. I have work to get done for the side of the company that isn't selling weapons." Tony hung up on Obie. "Block all calls that he tries to make to me, JARVIS."

"With pleasure, sir." JARVIS answered. "The social worker is nearly done with her meeting with Dr. Cho, sir. She'll be here soon to see Peter and the living space."

"Gotcha." Tony sighed and headed to Peter's room. He knocked on the door gently.

"Come in."

Tony stepped inside and walked up to Peter's bedside. The room was hot, Peter had his heater on high. "Feeling alright, underoos?"

"Yeah, just a little cold."

Tony looked at the heater and saw the temp: 87 degrees. "I can get you another blanket."

"I'm okay. I'm almost warm. I just got to get warm, then I can lower it. Sorry it's so hot in here."

"It's alright, kid. Got to keep the spiderbaby warm." Tony smiled. "Winter must suck with spider powers."

"It does." Peter nodded in agreement. "When I first got my powers I almost froze to death once when I ran out of fluid during winter and had to walk all the way to May's... And at the church-"

Tony frowned when Peter did.

"Anyway. Everything has pros and cons, right?"

"Suppose so, kid." Tony tapped his arc reactor. "Keeps my heart safe and runs a super suit, but my lungs are shit now. Pros and cons."

Peter smiled gently, seeming to appreciate the topic change. "Is the social worker here?"

"Yeah, she's going to want to talk to you and-"

"I know the drill, Mr. Stark." Peter sighed. "At least this time I don't have bad news for her." The Peter began to laugh, a little darkly. "The first time I don't have something awful to tell her and I'm stuck in a bed and look like shit. Funny, huh?"

"Only in a morbid humor sort of way." Tony sighed. "If you get tired, let me know. I'll find another time for her to come around."

"You've already taken so much time off for me, though. I know you're in trouble with Mr. Stane because of it."

Tony rolled his eyes. "It's fine. You're more important."

Peter narrowed his eyes. "You said Mr. Stane was the one who tried to have you killed. Probably best if you don't cross him."

"Thanks for the concern, underoos, but all you need to worry about is you right now, okay?"

"Captain Rogers didn't care for Rocky Horror, did he?" Peter asked sheepishly, changing the conversation.

Tony laughed wholeheartedly. "There are just some things he's not used to seeing. You should've seen his face when I openly admitted to being bi to him. He got all protective like someone was going to stone me. He still gets culture shock real bad. It's sort of adorable. He isn't scarred for life or anything, promise."

"Okay." Peter grinned.

"Sir, Miss Carver is on her way up." JARVIS stated.

"Got it. I'll be back in, you feeling up to breakfast?"

Peter shook his head. "I'm a little queasy. Maybe after she leaves? She probably won't be here too long."

"Alright, kid, let me know if that changes. Do you want one of the smoothies?"

Peter thought. "Maybe one of your pineapple ginger ones? That one helps settle my stomach and it tastes good."

"Square deal." Tony liked it. He was actually good at smoothies and they had lots of nutrients that Peter needed (and calories). Tony liked the idea that he could give something to the kid that didn't make him feel worse, something that actually helped. He left and headed for the kitchen, getting out the supplies. He followed Helen's advice, staying away from juices and using the whole fruit, as well as adding a little bit of a supplement to help Peter get a wider range of nutrients. As long as it helped the kid, Tony would do it. The elevator opened just as he turned the blender off.

Miss Carver looked a little shaken. "Mr. Stark." She nodded.

"Tony's fine." He responded. "Mind if I run this to Pete real quick before we get the ball rolling?"

She waved in assent, looking like she needed a moment.

Tony left and gave Peter the drink before coming back. "So, I know you want to look through the place and see Peter. You might want to talk to Peter first though, because he tends to sleep much of the day. He's awake right now, but who knows how long he'll be able to stay up."

"Does he look as bad as his doctor described? I mean...I saw the pictures and..."

"He's looking better than he was even last week." It was true. It wasn't like he was filling out. But his skin looked better and his healing had kicked in somewhat, helping him look less gaunt. He was still too small, his cheeks too hollow. Frankly, his hands bothered Tony the most. The hands that could stop a moving car looked just so fragile, thin. "It isn't...great, but he does look better than in those pictures."

"I was sick looking at them... I don't know how his last social worker didn't see it but or visit enough...but..." She shook her head and put on a brave face. "Let's go see him.

"Fair warning, we keep his room extra warm, you might want to lose the jacket."

She took off her jacket and followed him into the room. She paused in the doorway as Tony swept in.

"Hey, underoos, everything good?"

"So far. This tastes awesome. Thank you, Mr. Stark." Peter smiled faintly, lifting his glass and taking a small sip.

Tony smiled and ruffled his hair. "I'm glad. This is Miss Carver. She's going to want to talk to you for a little bit, but you can let her know if you get too tired, alright?"

"Okay." Peter nodded and waved at Miss Carver. "Hey."

She took a breath and walked forward. "Hi, Peter." She held out her hand and shook his.

"I'll make myself scarce for a moment." Tony leaned down and pressed a kiss to Peter's head. "If you need me, call me, okay?"

"Okay, Mr. Stark." Peter nodded.

Tony left the room to let the social worker get her questions out. She came out a short while later, looking a bit pale. She didn't say much as she toured Tony's home. Not until she was ready to leave.

"He looks healthier than in the pictures. Suppose I have to thank you for that."

"That's all Dr. Cho. I'm just following the doctor's orders."

"You're not what I expected. This whole thing is not what I expected. I thought maybe the pictures were somehow and exaggeration, perfect lighting and all that...but... God that kid's been through hell."

"Yes, but he's strong. He'll pull through."

"And I'll put down anyone who stands in the way of his wellbeing." She nodded and turned on Tony. "I really hope this isn't just some stunt."

"What? Like a PR stunt? This isn't Annie. He's a kid. A brilliant, adorable, kind kid that I've grown to love. There is a very short list of people who even know he's here with me and Steve. I haven't even told my best friend yet. This isn't just some whim. I'm going to take care of him." Tony swore.

Miss Carver stood at the door for a moment, then nodded. "I'll be back soon to check up on him again. It's a safe place and he has the care he needs. Take care of him."

"I will. He's my kid." And Tony felt it. Peter Parker was his kid, his son. How it had all fallen together so quickly and neatly, he'd never understand. But he knew that boy was his. His family, his responsibility, his child.

Miss Carver left.

Tony got breakfast around for Peter once she was gone. And while he cooked he searched for the procedures to adopt a child. Tony was all for it, he'd sign the papers then and there, but Peter was a teen, and he too would have to consent to the adoption. Tony sure hoped that one day the kid would feel at home with them, because if Peter wanted to be apart of Tony's family too, the way that Tony knew Peter belonged in his family, then damnit he was going to adopt the spiderling.

Notes:

Take care.

Chapter 16: More than a Place to Rest Your Head?

Summary:

Tony tries to help Peter have a warmer home-like environment in the tower.
Someone special helps Tony with the project.

Notes:

So...this is a thing. Happy Halloween everyone. I hope it was a good one and that ya'll like this chapter.

Tony was hoping the surprise would be good for Peter. After all the hard work to get healthy, and Peter even starting therapy like a champ... Tony wanted to do something nice for Peter. The first two weeks had been hell, but somewhere in the middle of week three, Peter's healing factor kicked back into high gear and he was finally able to eat his more natural diet without getting sick. He was looking much beter, though his cheeks were still sunken and his body looked frail, scrawny. Helen projected that even with his healing ability, he wouldn't be back to his normal weight for at least two months, but she expected it'd be closer to three. She didn't want him to be doing anything strenuous at all until the New Year, to give him time to put on weight.

Getting told that he was still under lots of restrictions didn't make him very happy, so he deserved some sort of reward.

Happy:

I'm there. Are we good?

Tony walked to Peter's room and knocked on the door. "Hey, kid, can I come in?"

"Yeah."

Tony opened the door and saw Peter sitting on the floor, fixing an alarm clock. He looked at the room, the walls, the empty space. It had served as a sick room, but was now devoid of the hospital equipment. Now it just looked...empty. Peter still had all of his earthly possessions in his suitcases, as if he'd have to leave at any moment. He had nothing that was...really his. In fact, the only things that were out in his room that made it his was a Pokéball body pillow on the bed, the space heater he'd made, and a photograph of him, his Aunt May, and his Uncle Ben. That was all he set out. "I know you're a bit stir crazy...if you're feeling up to it, how about we go get you some things later today, so you can start to make this room yours?"

Peter mumbled something.

"What?"

"You don't have to." Peter commented. "I know it wouldn't be in the budget. I'm okay. This is fine."

Tony blinked. "What budget?"

"The allowance you get for me. I know it probably all goes to food for me...not to mention the medical expenses. It's okay."

"I don't want to sound insensitive, Peter, but I'm a billionaire."

"I know that." Peter said.

"Peter, I'm not like the other people, okay? I want to buy you things. I want you to feel comfortable. I want you to be at home. This room doesn't look like a home, it looks like a hotel." Tony sighed. "I promise not to go overboard. I just want you to have things that you can call your own, and a few more clothes. That's non-negotiable, you need clothes, shoes especially."

Peter looked down. "I don't want to be trouble."

"You're not. I promise." Tony nodded. "Here. I have an idea. JARVIS, take a list down for me."

"Ready, sir."

"Okay, kid. You need clothes, a working cell phone so you can get ahold of friends and me and Steve or Happy, some sort of wall decoration, some sort of video game set-up, because I totally heard you reference Ocarina of Time the other day, bedding that you like... I don't know Peter, you just should have things you can do. Maybe books or music? It'd be boring without something to do. You're kinda stuck with your feet on the ground for over another month, and after that you're just on light duty, training with Steve and I and such until you're healthy again. I just don't want you stuck up here with just your thoughts." Tony frowned. "God knows I don't like being alone with mine. This is your room, Peter. It should look like you live in it."

Peter looked to his things in the suitcases. "My therapist did say I needed to try to work on trusting things again..." He sighed. "I...we can do that, but not too much. I'd feel bad."

"Okay. And we can save some for Christmas, alright? I promise, not too overboard. You can say no to some things, but there are some staples you need to have. We can start small and as you get more comfortable maybe make it more yours."

Peter took a few slow breaths, obviously thinking through it. "Okay. That sounds reasonable and smart."

"And you're going to have help." Tony nodded as he sent a text.

"Help?" Peter wondered.

"Well, I had to get help collecting your homework. How do you feel about a visit from Ned? He's been collecting your things for you...if you're feeling enough energy, Happy was going to get homework, he can pick up your friend at the same time."

Peter's eyes widened and watered. "I can have a friend over?"

Tony tried not to frown. Of course his other foster parents hadn't let him have friends over. "Yeah, kid. We all have friends over from time to time."

"Does Ned know where I am?" Peter wondered.

"Well, when I requested homework from your teachers, he volunteered to get it all around for you. Your school isn't...fully aware of your situation, but the principal knows and is alright with you rejoining when you feel up to it as long as you try to keep up on the homework. I told Ned only because he wouldn't stop trying to hack me and pester me about it. He was apparently running a search on the school computers for anything mentioning you. Then he stole my email and contacted me. I don't know if I really like your friend or if he annoys me because he's so damn good at sneaking around. I suppose I'll find out." Tony shrugged.

Peter got up and rushed forward (as fast as he could), flinging his arms around Tony. "Thank you."

Tony smiled and hugged the kid. "No problem. So, you can do a little visit and we can head out and go shopping after. Maybe we can stop for lunch somewhere too."

"Thank you."

-

The elevator opened and Peter looked down at his feet. He wanted to see his best friend, but he'd also lied to him. He didn't know how well this would go. Best friends shouldn't lie. "Peter! You're alright! Oh my God!"

Before Peter could look up, he was pulled into a warm, tight hug.

"Bro, I was so worried about you. I'm so glad you're okay."

Tears welled up in Peter's eyes and he hugged his best friend tight.

It felt like forever before they pulled apart and shared their secret handshake, both of them having to wipe their eyes. "I um, brought you your homework, which sucks and all. Are...you okay, dude? You don't look great."

"I'm alright. I'm just tired... I'll try to explain what happened, someday..."

"You don't have to. I'm just glad to see you Peter."

Tony came in after almost an hour and smiled. "Hey, kid. Snack time."

Peter looked up and nodded. "Okay."

"Oh my God, it's Tony Stark. Peter, it's Tony Stark."

"Yeah, and you hacked my email." Tony said, his arms folded across his chest.

Ned, strangely, stood his ground. "I had to find my friend."

Tony's face and body language softened. "I like your friend, Pete. He's cool. Just don't go sneaking around again. Maybe text next time." He went to the kitchen and returned with a smoothie for Peter. "I have to take Peter out shopping so he can get his room in better shape. You want to come with us, Ed?"

"It's Ned." Peter rolled his eyes as he took a drink of the smoothie.

Ned didn't miss a beat though. "I'd love to. And I'd like to get you something too, like a 'thank God my bestie is still alive present.' I bet even Hallmark doesn't make a card for that, so I'll have to find something." Ned rambled. "I saw your room, bro, you need stuff. I saw this science pun shirt the other day. We'll have to see if we can find it. Because you'd like it."

Peter smiled. This felt more normal, more real. Tangible.

"Peter's gotta finish his snack first, but then we'll head out, do some shopping, get lunch and come back. Sound good to you boys?" Tony asked.

"Yeah." Peter nodded as Ned beamed and said: "This'll be so cool."

-

"I think you'll like this one better!" Ned called. They were in the comforter section of a store Tony wouldn't usually frequent, but he'd promised Peter he wouldn't go overboard.

"Mm." Peter hummed. "I think I kinda like this one better." Peter pointed at a red, black, and blue comforter set.

"But, this one's all red. That's your favorite color." Ned protested.

Tony smiled, he had that in common with Peter.

"But I like blue too... And this one has black in it, which'll match my Pokémon pillow."

"Oh, man, I didn't even think about that. Maybe that one is the best choice." Ned agreed. "Here, I'll grab it."

"I can carry it, Ned-"

Ned was already putting it in the cart. "Dude, let me help. That's what friends are for, bro. You carried my school books when I broke my arm, I can carry this stuff to a cart."

"Um...okay." Peter smiled gently. He looked a little tired.

"You need a rest, underoos?" Tony asked.

"I don't want to, it's so nice to be out...but, can I maybe push the cart so I can lean on it when I walk?"

"All yours. If you need to sit down, let me know. I know it's a lot." Tony patted his shoulder.

"Thanks." Peter nodded.

"Oh, Mr. Stark, can I ask a favor, because I like...know Peter won't."

"Ned, what are you doing?"

"There's nothing wrong with asking a for a hand." Ned frowned. "You know what, go look for another pillow or something." Ned walked forward and reached out for Tony.

Tony pulled back. "Sorry, kid, I just...don't much care for people touching me."

"Sorry, Mr. Stark. Can we go talk over there?"

Tony glanced at Peter with a knowing look. He knew Peter would still be able to hear, but he humored Ned, because the kid obviously didn't know his best friend was a superhero. He walked with Ned to the end of the aisle and around the corner.

"Mr. Stark, I want to help with something, but I can't pay for it all on my own." Ned reached into his back pocket and pulled our a wallet, looked inside and thumbed through it. "Um, I have like, fifty bucks and some in my bank from a job I had last summer. I think it's like...two hundred dollars in total. It's not enough but-"

"You and Peter both like to ramble." Tony said fondly.

"Sorry. Look. Peter and I used to play video games together on the PS4. Video games mean a lot to him, his Uncle Ben taught him. And when...after May died they basically took most of his stuff, but at his first foster home someone broke his PS4. I have a feeling it wasn't an accident, even though Peter said it was. I want to help, but he's not good at taking help, he never has been. So I know he'll never ask you and I feel bad for just asking you for it, 'cause you're already doing so much for my best friend by getting him healthy and looking after him...but I can help pay for it. I want to help. It makes him happy. And between you and me, he isn't acting like his normal self right now. I don't expect him to, but I think a little more normalcy might help. And I know he can't go back to school right now. I mean, he looks tired just walking around. I just want to help."

Tony really liked Ned. He was a good friend to Peter. He reminded him of Rhodey. "You're a good kid. I'm not exactly hurting for money. And I agree. He needs to feel more at home, safe, happy. It'll be hard for him, but it'll really help to have a friend like you in his corner."

"You think so?"

"I know so. I have a friend like you. He helped me through mental health problems and addiction and the loss of my family and my trauma after Afghanistan... He still helps me. I'm glad Peter has a friend like you. We all need those when things get rough."

"Well, Peter's always been there for me." Ned nodded.

"How about we make a deal? I can buy they system, and you get some of his favorite games? I think you know those better than I do."

"Okay. Deal then." Ned held out his hand.

Tony looked at it, gritted his teeth, then took the kid's hand, shook it once and let go. "Square deal."

"I have to ask you a question. This...isn't just a short thing, right?"

"What do you mean?" Tony asked.

"I mean, do you care about Peter? Because you weren't there. They took most of his stuff, took apart his whole home and just...shoved it into some locker. They didn't even have boxes for him to carry his stuff. He packed his aunt and uncle's suitcase and they told him the rest could go into trash bags. Then they kept moving him around from place to place. And he never had a good or safe place to stay. Then to find out he lived on his own... I don't want you to hurt him too."

Tony didn't like that. He'd heard about the process before, but they'd really put Peter's things in trash bags? How inhumane was that? To a kid, that was like telling them that their things were trash, worthless. Even to an adult that would be an insult, but to a kid during a traumatic time... It was horrible. "I'm in this for the long haul. No one's going to pack up his things. No one's going to move him out. I really care for him and he can stay as long as he wants to. As far as I'm concerned, his home is mine. That's why we're here. I want him to feel at home."

Ned stared at him for a moment. "Okay. Normally I'd give some sort of threat, but you already spotted my last hack, so I can't really hold my tech skills over you like I do with others."

Tony laughed. "I'll accept this as the shovel talk. You're fantastic on a computer, by the way."

The kid beamed with pride. "Thanks, Mr. Stark, that's awesome!"

"Hey, sh." Tony said, pushing his sunglasses further up his nose. The ballcap was obscuring the rest of his face pretty well, but he didn't needed everyone in the store dropping on him at once. "Let's get back to Peter, we shouldn't leave him alone for too long. He might try to put everything back." He teased, but he really wanted to be with Peter because the kid was still very fragile, still easily exhausted. When they rounded the corner, Peter was looking at his best friend with wide, grateful eyes that looked a little misty.

-

Tony, Ned, and Peter worked on Peter's room when they got home. More like, Peter put his clothes in his closet, while Ned and Tony did more of the heavy lifting and got things placed where Peter wanted them. Peter looked exhausted, but he had a small smile on his face and Tony counted it as a win. "There's a stud here, so we could hang the poster here...or over there." Tony pointed, sticking his pencil behind his ear after marking the walls. "Where do ya want it, underoos?"

Peter turned and sat down on the gaming chair that Tony'd gotten him. Tony'd been mostly good, except for insisting on the PS4 and a good chair to sit in while playing it. "Mr. Stark, you don't have to put a nail in the wall. I don't want to...like, ruin your walls."

"If I can hang an AC/DC poster up in my lab, then you can totally have a Star Wars poster in here. Which wall do you want it on, bambino?"

"What does that mean?" Ned asked. "You keep calling him that and 'tesoro' too."

"Italian endearments, I think. I don't know what they mean though." Peter answered.

Tony must've made a face, because Peter shrugged.

"I asked Captain Rogers. He said you like to call people by lots of weird endearments. It weirded me out a little, so I asked him about it, but I notice you call him lots of different names too...so I figured it was normal."

"It's not weird, is it? I figure them out eventually. Like I know Steve's favorite is 'honey' now...it just took me a while to get there. I figure them out eventually." Tony shrugged.

Ned was already typing. "Bambino is like 'child' or 'baby' and tesoro is 'sweetheart' or 'treasure' but whatever, online translations are always weird." He looked at Peter over his phone. "Dude..."

Peter turned bright red.

"So, I use a lot of endearments, I don't know why you and Steve get all weird about it." Tony waved them off. "This wall or that one?" Tony asked, lifting a hammer.

They finished putting the room together and Tony left the boys to play around with video games for a little bit. He returned only to give Peter the food he needed and to give Ned a snack. He warned Ned that he'd have to head home soon so Peter could rest. But Tony was alright with Ned coming back to visit again whenever Peter wanted. He sort of liked the geeky kid, mostly because he was good for Peter.

Once Ned had gone home, Tony went into Peter's room with a smoothie and a sandwich. "Snack before bed?"

Peter was laying on his bed and blearily blinked his eyes open. "Um...okay." He yawned and sat up, propping himself against his headboard.

"That was a lot today, huh? I'm sorry. Maybe it was too soon."

"No, I missed going out and doing things. I just...I'm tired." Peter frowned, then he jolted. "I mean, thank you. This is all so nice. You didn't have to get me anything, It was really nice of you and I'm grateful and-"

"You're welcome, underoos." Tony said, then glanced to the side. Peter's suitcases were still in the corner, still full of what remained of his home with his Aunt May and Uncle Ben. He hadn't unpacked them. "Can I ask why you still have your stuff in those?"

Peter froze, the sandwich half way to his mouth. He slowly took a bite before he answered. "I don't want to ruin the guest room."

"This isn't the guest room, Peter. It's your room. You won't ruin anything." Tony assured him.

Peter ate silently for a few moments. "Can I tell you the truth without you getting mad?"

"Yeah, kid. What's going on in that genius brain of yours?" Tony wondered.

"It was really nice going out...but shopping gave me this...anxiety. I think I only got through it because Ned was there."

"Why didn't you tell me you were upset, kiddo?" Tony asked, keeping his voice gentle, trying to remain non-judgmental.

"It just...was a lot of pressure. It was hard because there was just so much stuff and I liked it all and I was worried because..."

Tony didn't say anything. He waited for Peter to talk.

"Well, because I can only fit so much in the suitcases. For when I have to leave." Peter sniffled and wiped his eyes. "And I know you didn't mean to make me stressed with the shopping trip, but it's just... I really wouldn't know how to choose what goes in those and I don't want to have to use trash bags or leave any more of Aunt May and Uncle Ben's things and... My therapist told me to try to be more honest with people, so...I just... It was really nice going out today but...it was really scary too."

"Can I hug you?"

Peter's eyes widened, but he nodded.

Tony moved Peter's food out of the way and hugged the skinny boy.

Peter clung to him, tightly.

It was a long time before they parted. "Next time tell me if I'm putting you through something that disturbing okay? Maybe we could even come up with a code or something, just for you me and Steve so we all know? Maybe just a scale of one to ten?"

"Okay." Peter nodded.

"Now, wait here just a moment, okay? I'll be right back." Tony kissed Peter's forehead. He went to his room and opened his side table, pulled out the papers, and headed back to Peter's room. He sat on the edge of Peter's bed. "This may be a lot, but I want you to know you have full control, alright?"

"Okay?" Peter asked.

"Legally, Steve and I can't adopt you without your consent because of your age..." Tony held out the adoption papers, ones that had his signature, as well as Steve's on them. "We decided a while ago that we want you here, Peter. This isn't just a short term thing for us. If you want to stay here. If you want to join our family, you can. And I know it's soon. I know you have a lot to work through and you probably don't feel like you fit just yet. I mean, this is your room and well...you're still not quiet moved in. I get it, maybe not fully, but I understand that you'll need time. I want you to have these though. Keep them in your desk or your closet, I don't care. You keep these and if you decide you want this to be permanent, you can sign them too. We won't kick you out, Peter. So long as you want to be here under our care then you can stay, and if you feel more familial and you want this to be...more than just a place to rest your head. If you want to, literally and metaphorically move into this home and family, then you can do that. It's your choice though. There's no rush. No time crunch. You have to take care of you and do what you need to do. Whatever that is."

"These..." Peter looked at them. "These are real. Like...I'd literally be your kid if...if I signed them."

"Yup." Tony nodded.

"That's..." Peter paused. "I don't know how I feel about it. There's...a lot to unpack there."

"I know. So you take your time. Hell, chit chat with your therapist about it or Ned or whoever. This is your choice. No matter what, how you feel matters a lot to me and Steve. We want you to feel safe and at home. And part of that is making sure you know you can choose whatever you want. Take your time and do what's right for you."

Peter stared off for a moment, then put the papers in his own side table. "That's about an eight."

Tony instantly backed off. Apparently, Peter'd already found use for their scale. "Okay. Well, make sure you finish up your snack. We can do dishes tomorrow. You need some rest. You had a long day. Plus Ned left like....a mountain of homework."

"That's gonna suck." Peter groaned.

"Probably." Tony shrugged as he got up. "Good night, underoos." Tony left when he didn't hear a reply.

-

Peter stared at the wall. His mind was buzzing too quickly. It was giving him a million reasons why he should sign the papers as soon as possible, as well as a million why he shouldn't, a million why he didn't deserve them, and a million why he was be the most selfish person in the world if he signed them. It was too much to sort through. It felt overwhelming. Too much. He took a few deep breaths, following the pattern his therapist had taught him to try to calm down as a question echoed in his mind.

Was this really a place he could call home?

Notes:

Take care.

Chapter 17: Beat the devil out of it.

Summary:

Peter and Steve spend some quality time painting and watching movies while Tony has a business meeting of the red and gold variety.

Notes:

I've neglected Steve. I'm sorry. I'm just such a huge Irondad fan. Also, if you've never seen Bob Ross, I suggest you educate yourself and watch an episode of the Joy of Painting. He's super soothing to watch and just the sort of thing and anxiety riddled Spiderbaby could need to help calm down after a tough day.

"How are you?"

Peter looked up at his therapist. Then he shrugged. "Weird, I guess. It's a mixture of things, good and bad."

"Okay." She nodded. "Want to start talking about the good things first? It usually helps, just to get the conversation going."

"Well, I'm allowed to leave my bed now. I can go outside and go for walks and stuff. That's been really nice. I'm not really able to stay on my feet for long without breaks, but I can get up and move around."

"That must feel freeing." She smiled gently.

"It is." Peter agreed. "I got to see Ned-my best friend. Mr. Stark is gonna let me have him over sometimes. I was so happy to see him and we can play together online and I have a phone to talk to him with. It's been nice, having a friend back. It feels more normal." Peter grinned. "It's strange. I even got a mountain of homework and I was glad to have it, you know? It sucks, but it feels...normal. Safe. Routine, I guess. Mr. Stark, Captain Rogers, and I have a sort of system now, with numbers so I can tell them when I'm stressed or upset."

"That all sounds pretty positive to me. You got to have a friend back in your life and your foster parents seem really supportive of your mental health, that's good, Peter."

"That's the good stuff." Peter shrugged again.

Silence hung between them for a moment. "Want to try to tell me what's upset you the past few days?"

"We went shopping." He said after a pause. "I got those feelings again, like it didn't matter what I picked, because I would just grow to love it and I'd have to leave it all behind again... It's so nice. My room, it has stuff that sort of reminds me of being back with Aunt May and Uncle Ben, and it's not stuffed with other people's things... It sort of feels like MY room. But every time I see it, I just feel...scared." He frowned deeply. "Is it wrong that I felt more at home in my church hideout?"

"Because you CHOSE the steeple and no one could really take that space from you it felt more reliable?"

"Yeah, like that. It was my hideout and no one knew and they couldn't take me away. But now, at the tower it's like...so many things could happen, you know? Like, they could decide they don't want me or they could get hurt or you know...just so much stuff. Some things are easier alone, but it's also more lonely."

"The shopping sounded tough, but there was some good in it, right?"

"Yeah, I guess. It's just, still really scary. I don't like feeling afraid." Peter bit his lip. He'd been afraid before. He'd frozen before because of fear. Because of fear he'd watched a bullet rip through his uncle's body. He hated being afraid.

"Is there more you want to talk about?"

"Mr. Stark gave me adoption papers."

The therapist raised an eyebrow almost unperceptively, but Peter noticed.

"Because of how old I am, he and Captain Rogers can't legally adopt me until I sign them. That...that's the scariest thing."

"What do you find scary about it?"

"Lots of things. Everything." Peter shrugged and wrapped his arms around himself.

"How about we do a list? Things are easier to manage for you in a list, right?" She pulled her laptop onto her lap and readied herself. "What makes you afraid about that?"

"Well, I feel like I HAVE to sign them, as soon as possible. They're the only people that have ever seemed to actually give a shit about me since May and Ben. And if I don't sign, they might get mad or they might decide they don't want me after all and I'll just be back in the system again or out in the streets and starving and even my healing can only take so much. Then there's the fact that I'd be a burden on them, you know? Like, I know Mr. Stark has a lot of money, but I've babysat before and looking after a kid is really hard work, I don't know how anyone could do that full time, it makes me feel paranoid about everything. I don't want to put them out and have them regret me and hate me. And I don't think I could do that...to May and Ben." Peter froze and pulled his knees up to his chest. His whole body ached suddenly at the tidal wave of emotion.

"Do what to them?"

"Well, they cared about me. I'd just be be-" A sob broke off his sentence. He tried, again, to speak, but couldn't get sounds out.

"Take your time, Peter. Breathe. It's okay. Just breathe and let it out."

Peter was embarrassed by how long it took him to regain control of himself. "I don't want to betray their love for me by just hoping in to the next set of people you know?" Peter kept listing things, even as he fought back tears, self-loathing, guilt, and shame. But, he was surprised when he got to the end and there were only eleven things he'd listed. It felt like so much more, like the weight of the world.

"Eleven things on your list. Does that cover it all?" She asked, holding the tissue box out to him again.

Peter nodded and wiped his face. "Yeah."

"It's a stressful decision to make."

"And I gotta make it, but I...it's like there's too many voices in my head. I can't choose." Peter shook his head.

"How about we make this our current goal?"

"I thought we were working on the food thing...?" Peter asked.

"Well, we meet twice a week, so, how about on Tuesdays, we focus on the 'food thing' and any other topic you feel like you want to talk about. And on Thursdays, we work on your list. And we work on your list until you can come to the decision that's right for you. How does that sound?"

"Good." Peter nodded.

She smiled kindly. "We can do that then. It's really brave of you to tell me all of that. I know how hard it is for you to express fear. You're doing a lot of hard work."

"Thank you."

"Do you want to reground yourself for today and end, or are you up for some more chatting?"

-

When Peter got out of therapy, he was a little surprised to see Steve there. Usually, he'd get a ride to the Tower from Tony. Steve stood up and smiled gently, even though Peter knew his face was an utter mess.

"Hey, bud."

"Hey, Captain Rogers...where's Mr. Stark?"

Steve paused, as he always did at the use of full names, but he quickly recovered. "He had a business trip. Unexpected one."

The room was empty, but Peter still whispered, quiet enough that only Steve could hear. "A red and gold sort of business trip?"

"That's the one." Steve nodded in agreement, grabbing Peter's hoodie off a rack and holding it out. "Do you need a moment to rest or are you alright?"

"I'm okay." Peter said, accepting the help with his hoodie, fumbling with the zipper for a brief moment before he managed to get it. He felt like he needed more layers, he was always so cold now, to thin to keep what little thermoregulation he had.

Steve noticed and took off his own jacket. "This one too."

"You hate the cold."

"It's okay. The car's still warm."

Peter took the jacket and it felt so nice and warm. He pulled it tight around him and followed Steve out and to the car. He was happy that the car really was warm and snuggled in against the heated seats.

"Seatbelt, bud." Steve waited to make sure Peter was buckled before he began to drive. "Where are we at, kid? How was therapy?"

"Seven." Peter said after a moment. Anything 1-3 meant he felt alright, not neutral, but decent. 4 and 5 meant he was managing and capable of talking through it. 6 and 7 meant he was under a lot of stress or emotional turmoil and didn't want to discuss it, preferring a different topic. 8 and 9 meant an immediate end to the conversation/topic. Peter was pretty sure 10 covered panic attacks, and he'd probably never be able to get out the number before the hyperventilating started.

Steve nodded. "Want to do something today aside from homework?"

Peter shrugged. "I'm kinda drained. What would it be?"

"Well, I thought I'd show you how I deal when stressful things come up."

"I'm not really allowed to hit punching bags right now. I don't think I could for very long anyway." Peter sighed.

"There's another way I take care of stress. I'll show you, and if you're game we can try it. If not do you want to watch a movie?"

"That sounds cool." Peter nodded. There were lots of movies Steve hadn't seen. It was always cool to see someone react to something amazing for the first time. "Have you seen Back to the Future?"

"Only the first two."

"The third one's really good too. We could do that?" Peter suggested.

"Sure thing, Peter."

-

"I don't have clearance for this floor." Peter whispered.

Steve patted his shoulder. "You're fine. No one's here right now. Clint and Nat are doing their weekly lunch/movie date, Bruce is out of town for some science thing, and Thor is off world."

Peter nodded and followed Steve onto the Avenger's floor. "So, what're we doing?"

"Well, my studio is on this floor. Tony said I could convert one of the bedrooms upstairs, but that sounded like a pain. Plus, this room is already stained and messy."

"Studio?" Peter asked, then Steve opened the door they walked to. Peter's eyes widened. There were paintings and sketches everywhere. "Wow...wait, is this me?" Peter walked forward and lifted a painting. It was of him in a lab.

"Yeah. When we first met during the internship program." Steve smiled. "Passion is always fun to draw or paint. You reminded me of Tony, you both get this same look. Here." Steve dug through a few canvases. He made a happy sound and pulled a painting out of Tony.

Peter's eyes widened. The paintings did look similar.

"This helps me de-stress, painting, sketching..."

"You're really good at it." Peter whispered, gently putting the paintings back.

Steve smiled. "Thank you. I went to art school for a time. Wish I would've had more time. I love fighting for people, but art's always been something I love."

"I like dancing." Peter said. "I've never really painted, but I can tell you love it."

"I've never danced much. Maybe we can try that sometime." Steve looked at the paintings. "Wanna try it? It might help."

Peter bit his lip. "I don't want to mess anything up. These supplies are..."

"Mine to share." Steve nudged gently. "There's a lot of paint. We could give it a shot."

"I just, I've never done this and I don't want your stuff, especially if it'll be terrible."

Steve looked at Peter, then at the paint. He walked forward and pulled up a canvas. He showed the abstract work to Peter. "It doesn't have to be a portrait or anything. Could be simple as this, abstract. Hard to get it wrong, you just go with whatever you're feeling or thinking. It doesn't have to BE something specific."

"You wouldn't be mad if I used your paint? It seems special to you."

"I want to share it with you. And if you find some sort of comfort from it, we could maybe make it a thing?" Steve watched Peter for a moment. "Where are you at?"

"Three, maybe four." Peter answered.

"Okay. You want to know what helps me?" Steve chuckled. "Hey, Friday?"

"Yes, Captain Rogers?"

"Can you put on my relaxing playlist?"

"Of course."

The room dimmed a little bit and a projector came to life, aiming at the wall. A soothing voice filled the room and Peter somehow felt instantly at ease. "Bob Ross?"

"Yup, Tony introduced me when I woke up from the ice. I was having trouble adjusting, so this helped. Art is still art, you know?" Steve said. "Want to sit and for a minute? We can decide on if we want to paint later, maybe if your number goes down?"

"Okay." Peter and Steve sat on the floor and watched Bob paint for a couple episodes. "He makes it look so easy. I kinda want to try it."

"Ummm, one sec." Steve got up and looked through his supplies. "I actually have the type of paint we'd need to do that. Want to pick an episode and try to make it work?"

"That sounds cool."

They painted along with an episode, Steve and Peter both got a bit more and more rambunctious about shaking out their brushes every time, just to see who could splash each other the most. Neither of them had painted in the style before, not even Steve, so their paintings did NOT match the happy little one on the screen. By the end, they agreed that Peter had better mountains and water, but Steve had the better, trees, cabin, and sky. Peter was just happy his painting looked like something. He didn't feel like it was a total waste.

"How do you feel?"

"Zero. Wow...that really helped. I was so upset this morning and..."

Steve smiled. "I'm glad you feel better, bud. But, we've missed food, so what do you say to a snack and then some dinner?"

"And Back to the Future?" Peter wondered.

"Sure thing, bud."

When they got upstairs, Peter headed to the sofa, but then he looked down at his arms and frowned. He jumped off the couch that was probably more expensive than everything he'd ever owned and anything his aunt, uncle, and parents had ever owned. Though, he didn't really know much about whether or not his parents had had money. He was too young when they'd died to remember. He couldn't even remember their voices or faces. Either way, there was no way that Peter would get paint on the couch.

"Is it okay if I go take a shower?" Peter asked.

"Of course, I'll get us something to eat."

Peter almost took off, then he felt worried. Steve had done so much cooking and cleaning and caretaking for him. "Are you sure you don't need help?" Peter didn't know a lick about cooking. He'd known enough to keep himself alive on the streets, but that was about it.

"I'm okay, Peter. Thank you for the offer." Steve smiled.

Peter frowned and stepped toward the kitchen. "Um, I can help. I'm not great at cooking, but I can help." He walked up to the counter and put his hands on the granite.

Steve looked up at him. "What's up, Peter?"

He blinked and stood up straight. Peter thought about it for a moment. "I feel bad. You and Mr. Stark are always doing so much. And...I can help. I don't want you to think that I'm not grateful or that I'm mooching off you two or...."

Steve stepped around the counter and ruffled Peter's hair. "You're a good kid. And I'm all for you helping if you want to do that. It's always nice to have an extra set of hands. I've been teaching Tony how to cook and, from what little you've told me, I think I could probably teach you a thing or two."

Peter snorted. "Yeah. Aunt May is, was, as disaster in the kitchen. I never learned much...but I can, like, cut veggies and stuff."

Steve nodded. "Peter, Tony and I want to take care of you. I like to cook so you don't have to worry about helping. I know you're grateful. Even when you were barely allowed out of that bed you wanted to help clean. To keep the honesty going, I really appreciate that you help clean. But you don't have to feel like you have to help. I, for sure, am not going to be upset if you're not always up and helping. I'm the p- I'm your foster parent and I'm happy to provide for you."

Peter looked down. "Um... So, it's like with May and Ben?"

Steve smiled and nodded. "Yup. Tony and I like to take care of you."

"I helped May and Ben too."

"And that's good. But don't feel like you have to somehow earn things. It's good to be helpful, but you don't have to earn us making dinner or taking care of you."

Peter took a breath and nodded. "It's just...different."

"I know. I don't want you to feel guilty for anything, so if you do let me know. It's one thing to be helpful, but I don't want guilt under that, okay?" Steve gently squeezed Peter's shoulder. "Now, you've got paint all over you. So how about we make a deal. I'll make food for us while you take a shower so we can eat and watch the movie. And we plan on maybe once a week I can teach you some cooking in the kitchen? I usually teach Tony on Saturdays, so we can all get together then. Sound good?"

"Okay." Peter smiled. "It could be fun."

Steve kissed his temple. "Alright. You go get cleaned up, bud. Then we'll watch this movie."

They sat on opposite ends of the sofa and watched the movie together, eating dinner. Peter leaned against the arm as soon as he finished putting his dishes in the dishwasher. Steve's phone rang and he sighed, sitting up and snatching it from the coffee table. "Pause, please, JARVIS." The movies stopped as Steve answered his phone. "Hey, Tony, you alright?"

Peter could hear Tony answer even from across the room, but he pretended he couldn't. "Yeah, got beaten up a bit. The armor held but I might've fallen a good ways. Turns out I was really good at designing weapons once upon a time."

"I'm sorry, darlin'."

"Yeah, well, hindsight is twenty-twenty and past me was an ass, but a smart one. I tell you what though, I'm tired of getting hit with weapons that Obie's slapping my name on."

"We'll get it."

"Mmhm." Tony answered.

"How long until you're on your way back?"

"Eh, probably twelve hours. Got a few more leads to check while I'm out here. Two birds with one high-tech tin can, right?" Tony laughed, but he sounded tired. "On a more serious note, how's our kid?"

'OUR kid?' Peter wondered, noticing the word choice.

"He's doing alright, he convinced me to watch Back to the Future three."

"Classic. How was he after therapy? I'm sorry I missed. Is he alright?"

Steve glanced at Peter with a look of question and Peter knew his jig was up. He wasn't fooling Steve. Steve knew he could hear Tony.

Peter nodded his head, giving Steve permission to talk.

"He was a little rough. 7, I believe. We relaxed though, I think he's doing better."

"2." Peter muttered.

"We're at a 2 now." Steve related. "It's good. Just movies and food."

"Alright. If you boys need me I can be home in a flash."

"We know. We're handling pretty good though. You do what you gotta do."

"Aye aye, Captain." Tony chuckled.

"Stay safe, darlin', come home soon."

"Always, honey. Fluff Pete's hair for me. And get some good sleep, both of you. I'll see you tomorrow morning."

"Love you."

"Love you too." (A/N: Tony says 'two' Peter thinks it's 'too'. Have fun with that.)

Steve hung up and put his phone back down.

"That was nice of you to ask." Peter muttered.

"Wasn't just gonna blurt it out if you didn't want me to." Steve shrugged. He reached out and mused Peter's hair. "That's from Tony."

Peter laughed.

"Resume, please." Steve called to JARVIS.

Notes:

Take care.

Chapter 18: A Few of My Favorite Things

Summary:

Tony comes home and the three go to church.

Notes:

I've been gone for a long time and I can't promise I'll be consistent in the near future. I'm sorry about that. But my life is upside-down at the moment. Things have gotten difficult and I'm trying to work through them. I don't want to go through it on here, but everything's really difficult right now. I've missed writing for you guys, but I've got a lot of stress on my plate and it's just a lot right now. I'll update my stories as I can. So sorry.

Steve's head was lolled back against the couch. He was almost asleep, trying to stay up for the last lines of Dead Poets Society. He found the movie incredible and was quite glad Peter had suggested it. The boy, of course, had fallen asleep thirty minutes in, his feet had somehow ended up on Steve's lap in the time since, but it didn't bother Steve. He let them rest there. He knew the poor kid still wasn't fully back. He still wasn't quiet eating what he should, somedays he couldn't eat at all, and he was still too thin, but his recovery was damn near a miracle. The kid's healing factor was really something, Steve had to admit.

"O Captain! My Captain."

Steve opened his heavy eyelids and watched. Dear lord this movie was powerful. Down to the very last moment.

"Thank you, boys. Thank you."

Steve smiled gently and leaned back, his eyes closing. Perhaps a short nap before he helped Peter to bed wouldn't be too bad. A gentle kiss to his cheek roused him what felt like seconds later. "Tony?"

"Oh good, I thought you just let any old stranger kiss you." Tony teased quietly.

"You're home."

"Astute, O Captain, my Captain." Tony chuckled, but he sounded tired.

Steve forced his heavy eyes open and looked at his partner. Tony was a little bruised and battered, but didn't seem too out of sorts. "You win, slugger?"

"Always." Tony kissed his forehead gently. "If this is the sight I get to come home to, then maybe I should leave more often. You boys bond while I was gone?"

"Mm, over Bob Ross and movies." Steve nodded. "To be honest, I always felt a bit distant from him."

"Why?"

"I don't know, he's just so smart, like you. I don't know why you like a plain guy like me, let alone how to relate to a teenage genius...but, you know, we actually get along pretty well."

"I knew you would." Tony grinned. "Well, I am exhausted and I'm not napping on the couch when I have a perfectly good bed. Let's all go to bed, huh?"

"Agreed. Should we wake the kid?"

"Yeah, that position can't be good for his neck." Tony walked around the sofa and gently kissed Peter's forehead. "He looks like he's gained a few pounds."

"Two." Steve agreed. "That healing of his is something."

Tony nodded and put a hand on Peter's shoulder. "Hey, underoos, time to go to bed."

"Missser Stark?"

"That's me." Tony said. "If you don't get up I'll have to carry you bridal style and you can bet your ass I'll have JARVIS keep the footage for blackmail."

"You're okay?" Peter opened his eyes and his face scrunched when he saw the bruises.

"I'm just fine, Peter. I could use a nap. I don't want you hurting your neck sleeping like that though, so let's get you somewhere comfy." Tony helped Peter sit up.

"Did you like the movie, Captain Rogers?"

"Very much, Peter." Steve smiled as they walked with the groggy, wobbly kid to his room. Peter would probably be fine walking on his own, but he still got dizzy from time to time and his senses didn't always help with that. He'd rather make sure the kid didn't trip and fall than anything else.

Peter climbed into bed and face-planted into the pillows, clothes and socks still on.

Tony chuckled. "You're like a sleepy kitten, underoos." He rolled his eyes.

"Not a kitten." Peter sassed back quietly.

"Whatever you say, fluffy." Tony said, ruffling Peter's hair. "Goodnight, kiddo."

"Goodnight, Mr. Stark."

"Goodnight, bud." Steve smiled.

"'Night."

Steve and Tony almost made it to the door when Peter spoke again.

"Can I ask for somethin'?"

"Always, kid." Tony responded instantly.

"Can I go to church?" Peter asked. "I gotta friend and he might be worried. He's really nice and I miss him and his wife. They were nice to me."

"Of course we can go." Steve promised. "Get some rest."

"Mkay."

-

A knock echoed on Peter's door. "Hey, kid, I made breakfast mostly right today. Toast is brown, not black this time. It's uh, borderline though."

"I'll be right out, Mr. Stark."

"Gotcha."

Peter stretched and climbed out of bed. When he got to the dining room he was surprised that Steve was there. Normally, by this time, he'd be on his morning run, which he promised he'd take Peter with him once Peter had medical clearance to start doing physical activity again. But Steve was still there, finishing a cup of coffee with Tony as they leaned against the counter. They were both dressed nice too, which was weird, because usually Tony headed straight for the lab around this time.

"Thank you for breakfast." He said, it was habit. After all the times he'd been called ungrateful and undeserving, he never forgot to say thank you anymore.

"No problem, Peter." Tony nodded. "And it mostly turned out, so score points for me."

Steve rolled his eyes and lowered his coffee. "Make sure you take what you want."

It was hard sometimes to eat so much, but the little, non-judgmental remaindered helped. He filled a bowl with oatmeal and grabbed a yogurt and some toast that was (thankfully) not burnt as promised. "You look nice, so you two going to brunch or something?" Peter wondered as he added sugar and some milk to the oats.

"He must've really been asleep last night. Do you sleep talk?" Tony asked with a laugh.

"Not that I know of. What's up?" Peter wondered.

"You asked to go to church to see a friend. We agreed. That's why breakfast is earlier than usual. Did you really not remember that?" Steve rinsed his mug out and put it in the dishwasher as he spoke.

"Oh. No, but that sounds like me. I do want to see Reverend Smith." Peter nodded. "You're really going to take me?"

"Yeah, underoos. I've never been one for church, though I went most of my childhood. Steve had me going again for a hot minute, but then people started taking pictures...well, then it's just difficult, but nobody will know we're going so it should be fine."

Peter looked down at the table. He felt a bit frozen. He couldn't tell if it was good or bad. He was happy that they would do something nice for him, especially when they totally didn't have to but...he felt like he was putting them out. Tony was usually covered in grease and singing rock music in his lab by this time, Peter knew because he got to work with Tony sometimes, now that he could get around well enough. Steve was usually training with Nat or running or sparring with the Avengers because it was training day, Peter knew that because he WANTED to go, but walking around for too long exhausted him, he didn't want to know what running and fighting would do to him. They were spending their time on him and he...didn't feel fully comfortable.

"Number?"

Peter jolted upright. He didn't know who asked the question or how to answer it. "Uh...five? Four? Somewhere in there."

"Okay, what's up, Peter?" Tony took a few steps forward to lean on the counter. He didn't invade Peter's space, just got a little closer and he looked fully present.

"I...don't really know. It's really nice of you guys to take time to do something like this for me." Peter said. "But I feel weird about it."

"What part?" Steve asked.

"Taking your time. Don't you have training today? And you probably have something to do for SI and... I just know how busy you both are."

"You're worth the time, Peter." Steve nodded.

"Yeah, if the Avengers are broken based on one training session, we've got bigger problems. Beside, if I spend too much more time in the lab this week, I'll be at the receiving end of his righteous Cap speeches."

"Tony, level head."

"Sorry. My defense mechanism is humor." Tony sighed, then looked at Peter. "The point is that we care about you and people who care for each other do things for each other. That's how it works. It's no problem to me."

"I use humor too." Peter said, understanding Mr. Stark's reaction a bit better than Steve seemed to. "Speaking of, have you seen the speeches he did for school kids?"

"No, Peter, no." Steve muttered.

"WAIT WHAT? JARVIS, find these videos for me ASAP, we'll have to watch them today after church."

"Tony-" Steve protested.

"We should really have popcorn. Do you like cheesy popcorn, Peter?" Tony asked.

Peter beamed. "Yup, love it."

"This is going to be a great day." Tony stepped around the corner and put his hand on Peter's shoulder. "You okay, really?"

"Yeah, it's still weird...people being nice."

Tony hesitated for a moment. "Come here, kid, going for a hug."

Peter hugged him back. He'd learned Tony did not do physical contact with people. Usually Tony kept everyone at a distance, but he always seemed more comfortable with him and Steve. Peter didn't know how or why, but he was glad. He'd gone months without much in the way of kindness or warmth, but Tony'd hug him. Steve would too, but he seemed a bit more afraid to get hugy. He didn't really shy away from it, but he was more cautious about it compared to Tony. It didn't make much sense though to Peter, not when he'd seen just how distant Tony seemed to be around everyone else.

It didn't matter though, the hug was warm and comforting. Peter sank into it.

"Kid, don't ever feel like a burden, okay? I know it's hard. I know we build up things in our heads and it's hard to see past those images, but sometimes our brains don't always tell us the truth. It's not right or wrong, it's just how we adapt. But you're not a burden to me or Steve, promise."

"I'm sorry."

"Now that I hate. Don't be sorry, underoos. It's not your fault." Tony patted his back. "I know I cook like shit, but you still need the breakfast of champions-heroes, if you prefer. And if you want to get to the church still, we're going to have to go in about twenty minutes. Or we could be fashionably late."

Peter snorted against Tony's chest. "The only one who'd be fashionable is Steve."

"I thought we were having a moment, kid." Tony laughed and pulled away. "Take your time and eat, okay?"

"Thank you."

"Of course."

-

Tony stayed in the back with Steve and Peter. The good news is that no one seemed to notice them. Sometimes if could be difficult to go out because people liked to watch everything he did. There was the problem that Peter wasn't publicly his and Steve's. They hadn't made an announcement that they were fostering Peter, mostly because Tony didn't want the pressure on Peter, especially when he was still recovering, physically, mentally, and emotionally. But they seemed safe in the church.

"Alright everyone, I've about exhausted all the jabbering I can do today." The pastor said, to some laughs. "Alright guys, I'll let you off the hook. Remember we've got worship this Wednesday. Be kind. Give of yourself. Help your fellow men. Take care of yourselves. God bless."

Peter remained seated as the others got up, chatting. "Can I go up front?"

"Yeah. Do you want to be alone?"

"Um...for a minute?"

"Take your time, Pete." Steve smiled.

Peter nodded and walked to the front of the church. The pastor turned from his wife when she pointed to Peter and he beamed. He pulled Peter into a hug, then pulled back and looked him up and down. "Peter!"

The man's wife also walked forward and hugged him. "My Valor buddy!"

Tony smiled and leaned against Steve's side.

"He's happy." Steve pressed back against him. "It's good to see him like that."

"Yup." Tony nodded. "It's starting to be one of my favorite things."

"Me too." Steve agreed.

Notes:

Take care.
Be kind.

Chapter 19: First Christmas

Summary:

Steve panics. Peter panics.
JARVIS and Tony are the only ones keeping a level head for Christmas.

Notes:

I'm sorry. I've been gone for almost two months now. I don't really want to go into detail, but I haven't been well. Lots of life things, and mental and physical health problems stacked up all at once. It's been really hard to find stable ground for me mentally, but I think I'm gaining on this. I don't know if I'm fully back, but there are going to be some changes to my writing load.
I'm going to try to focus only on one project at a time. I know that delays quite a few stories, but I need less on my plate right now. I want some normalcy back but I can't do all that I was doing. I'm sorry. But there's my little PSA.
Peter has a minor panic episode in this chapter, so be aware of that. I'm going to stop talking and let you read. I hope you like it.

"I have no clue what to do." Steve said as he flopped down onto the bed next to Tony.

"Ah! Easy, I'm pretty sure I'm bruised everywhere from the sparring." Tony frowned and shifted uncomfortably.

"You have to know to fight outside the suit, love." Steve defended, but his face was soft in worry. "You're doing great, by the way. Need anything for the pain?"

"No, just not for you to flop down like a fish out of water."

"Sorry." Steve sighed.

"So, what're you worried about?" Tony asked reading a book on his phone.

"Peter. Christmas is just a week out and I have no idea what to get for him. It's like walking on eggshells." Steve grumbled.

"What about it is difficult?" Tony hummed as he scrolled through his phone.

"What about it isn't difficult? I mean the kid feels guilty if you make him lunch. I want to do something to bring him joy, but doing nice things for him often brings him stress. And he deserves all the great things the world can offer. But I don't know what to do." Steve frowned. "Plus, this is his first Christmas since his Aunt died and it's just...so difficult."

"Has anyone ever told you about K.I.S.S.?"

"Kiss?"

"Keep it simple, stupid." Tony laughed. "Look, he's going through a hard time no matter what, that's certain. It's going to be his first Christmas after everything. He still isn't to full health, he isn't able to do much of what he loves, he's out of school, everything is new to him. He's going through a lot. We can't make that trouble vanish overnight, that doesn't happen. But what we can do is make sure he has a good Christmas. Now, you do small meaningful gifts and then something personal to round it out. It's trying, but not difficult. We just keep it simple, small, but thoughtful, and personal, but nothing too over the top with the personal thing."

"How do you just, roll with this? You have so much more grace with this than I do."

"I've dealt with mental health issues my whole life, along with neglect and abuse. No two cases are the same, but that doesn't mean I can't have empathy or understand that he's in a place that's rough." Tony shrugged. "I've accepted that I can't fix it all and it's not all on me to fix it all. I can help him and it's my responsibility to help him, but I can't physically fix his mental health. I can only offer support, understanding, and kindness. It won't always be right or perfect, but it has to be done. We'll muddle through."

Steve turned and hid his head in a pillow. "I don't know how you do it."

"I don't know how you do some of the things you do. Let's just agree that we have different strengths. Just do what your heart tells you to, honey, it'll work out."

"What are you doing for him?"

Tony put his phone down and turned his head. "Well, I got him a couple of books. He mentioned an author he liked one time while we were working in the lab, so, I got him two of those books. I got him a sweater that I think he'd like, it's blue, and cozy. He likes to wear them over his button ups, which makes sense because he can't thermoregulate. I got a hammock for his room, because I keep finding him sleeping on the ceiling and it's freaky. Um, what else... I got him a video game for him and Ned to play together. And I've got a set a tools for him he wanted, so we could finish one of his projects in the lab. That helps us spend more time together, but also gives him something to do. They're simple because he wouldn't want me to spend too much money on him, so simple, but thoughtful."

Steve snorted. "The hammock idea is perfect. He lays on the ceiling like it's normal."

"And you run thirty miles before most people have a cup of coffee. We're all weird here."

"You have good ideas." Steve frowned. "I still have no idea what to do." He reached out and threw a hand over Tony's chest, resting his palm over Tony's heart, but not without gently rubbing over the reactor. Steve always took a second to touch the reactor. It was the thing that kept Tony's heart beating safely, and he took the time to appreciate it protecting the man he loved.

'Weirdo.' Tony thought and turned onto his side. Steve followed suit and Tony slid up behind him. "You'll figure it out, Steve."

"You were cut out for the parenting thing, Tony, really you were."

"Not sure about that. Sometimes I'm sure I've fucked it up, but Peter is a good kid, he seems to understand that you and I are new to this and not perfect. Usually, parents get a small bit of warm up, starting with a baby and easing into the crazy teenage stuff...but we jumped in right in the middle of a mess (not that that's Peter's fault, but it is undeniably a mess). He knows we're new and confused and scared, but that we're trying. We'll get close someday." Tony pressed his forehead to the back of Steve's head. "He's hanging in there, he gets we're not the best at this yet. Just do what you feel is right, Steve, he understands we're trying to do the right thing, even if we don't always hit the mark. He's getting better at teaching us what he needs too, so don't be afraid if you screw up, he'll probably let you know."

"Okay."

-

"Ned, I need your help." Peter said, rushing into Ned's apartment, at least as much as he was allowed to rush by his doctors.

"Nice to see you too, Peter." Ned's mother called from the kitchen.

Peter came to a stop when he was half-way to Ned's room. His chest hurt when she said that. A lump formed in his throat and the emotions bubbled up. He tried to reassure himself that she wasn't mad at him, but the negative voices in his head were loud. "I'm so sorry, Mrs. Leeds." He turned and headed for the kitchen. "How are you? And thank you, for letting me come over. I'm sorry about the short notice and I'm-"

"Peter, you've been coming here since you were a damn toddler, you might as well have a key by this point. I just wanted you to come here." She was wearing her usual orange apron with the kool-aid stain Peter and Ned accidently spilled on it and the spot that once got burned on the stove. It had two off-color patches on it to cover holes. Peter was pretty sure him and Ned had done most of the damage to it, but he was always happy to see Mrs. Leeds wearing the apron, because it meant good food and company. Dinner at the Leeds' home was always fun.

Peter stepped around the corner and found himself instantly pulled into warm, loving arms. "Oh...this is nice." Peter hugged her back and buried his face against her shoulder.

"Boy, you had me so worried. You could've always come here, Peter. I'm sorry if I made you feel like you couldn't somehow, but you should know you're always safe here. I'm so sorry. I know it doesn't change what happened, but I'm just sorry, Peter."

"It's not on you, Mrs. Leeds." Peter promised. He tried to think on his therapy work, tried to breathe and calm down.

"You're too thin, baby, I'm gonna make lots of food." She promised, kissing his cheek. "You have fun with Ned, okay? And you come over any time. And if your new foster parents make one wrong step you let me know, got it? I'll give them hell."

"Yes, Mrs. Leeds."

"Alright." She pulled away and wiped tears off her face. "You go on now, Ned's in his room."

"Thank you, Mrs. Leeds." Peter wiped his own eyes and darted toward Ned's room. He closed the door behind him and closed his eyes, trying not to cry. He hated this, that his mind rebelled on him. He went from scared of Mrs. Leeds to glad to be in her arms and his whole mind was on a roller coaster, confused about what to feel or think.

"In four, hold four, out four." Ned said quietly, putting his hand on Peter's shoulder. "Just breath, bro, you've got this. In four, hold four, and then out."

Peter hated feeling like this and looking like a mess in front of his friend. He breathed with Ned though, until the irrational panic and twisted emotions faded. "Sorry." It only took a few deep breaths for it to ease away.

"Nothing to be sorry for. You alright?"

"Things got really twisted for a moment. It happens sometimes." Peter frowned. It was getting less and less. He was starting to recognize the patterns his brain used against him. Sometimes he could fight back and debunk them, but most of the time it still twisted out of his control, even if he knew someone like Mrs. Leeds wouldn't hurt him or that Tony or Steve wouldn't hurt him. Still, at the end of it Peter hated that he could tell when his brain went off the rails, he just couldn't pull it back in sometimes.

"It's okay. Um, you said you and your fosters have a scale, right? Where you at?"

"Um, three? It's not bad, I know my brain's just freaking out. The breathing helped alot, thank you. Sorry about that."

"That's what besties do. I mean, you remember that time in fifth grade..." Ned commented.

"I thought we weren't supposed to talk about that." Peter frowned.

"Yeah, but see? It's cool. You help me, I help you. We're friends." Ned sat down on his bed. "So, what's up? How are things with the fosters?"

Peter liked that Ned called Tony and Steve his fosters. Peter didn't know what to call the superhero pair. He couldn't call them his parents, it was too painful. Calling them foster parents reminded him of the others before them. Calling them anything else was just weird. Fosters seemed to be the best, most neutral ground. "They're good, but I'm here because of that. I um don't know what to do about Christmas."

"Ah..." Ned nodded and picked up a small death star plush ball. He tossed it to Peter as they usually did. Peter tossed it back.

"I'm not sure how I feel about Christmas and all. But I want to get them both something. I don't have much money, I'd rather not spend what I have...just in case...though that's probably paranoia talking." Peter caught the ball. "I want to make something for them or something. They've been really supportive and nice. I just don't know what to do."

Ned shrugged. "What do they like?"

"Building things, coffee, music, movies.... Working out, painting, and cooking. They have different interests for the most part." Peter tossed the ball at Ned and sat on the ground against the dresser.

"So, maybe you can make something to help them with the things they like."

"Ned, I've got a week and I'm...not really able to stay in the lab for prolonged amounts of time. Mr. Stark doesn't really want me in there alone when I'm, you know, still not top shape." Peter nodded down to his still slightly too-thin body. "And I won't be able to do be in the lab after Christmas either, Dr. Cho is going to break my wrist."

"What?!" Ned exclaimed.

"It set wrong when it last broke." Peter shrugged. "So they have to reset it." He moved his wrist and frowned when it didn't move at its full range of motion. He wouldn't be able to be Spiderman if there wasn't a way for him to swing through the city at his peak levels. He needed his left wrist or he might not be able to do what he needed to do to help people when the time came. Though, his healing was speeding up again. Maybe he'd only be in the cast for a week or a few days, that'd be nice. After his wrist healed and he hit a hundred-and-thirty-five pounds, he'd be able to start rehab (as long as he ate what he was told to). Even at 135 pounds, he'd be twenty shy of his normal weight, but he knew much of his muscle mass had atrophied and he hadn't had much fat to lose, but he'd lost that too. If he stayed on track he'd be allowed to do some sparring and working out by January. If he recovered even more...maybe he could be back to patrolling by March...if Steve and Tony signed off on it. Helen seemed to think he'd be back in shape (physically, at least) in February.

"That sucks, man." Ned frowned and tossed the death star again.

"Yeah. But I think I'll be back to school in a month or so. Probably Mid-January."

"That'd be cool."

"I miss it as stupid as that sounds. I just want things to be more normal, you know?" Peter threw the ball back and Ned fumbled it. It bounced off the bed and hit the floor.

"Dammit." Ned frowned. "Alright, you get to pick the video game today."

"Dude, I threw that perfectly."

"It bounced off my hand, bro." Ned reached down and pick it up. "What's it gonna be?"

"I dunno... Smash Bros?"

"I guess that's cool." Ned nodded and started the game up. "We'll come up with something for your fosters, okay? Let's just think about it."

"Yeah, I'm at a loss right now."

"It's all good, we'll figure it out." Ned promised. "In the meantime, I'll kick your ass at Smash."

"Come at me, bro."

-

Peter couldn't sleep. He never was able to on Christmas Eve. May and Ben never slept on Christmas Eve. Usually they stayed up all night, drinking hot chocolate and watching movies until sunrise, when they had breakfast and opened presents. Tony and Steve, in contrast, had gone to bed. Peter was left in his room, craving hot chocolate. He climbed out of his bed and headed to the living room.

"Do you need anything, Peter?" JARVIS asked quietly, turning on the lights on a low level for Peter. JARVIS was very mindful of Peter's enhancements, making sure to keep his voice and the lights lower when Peter was in the room.

"No. Well...do we have hot chocolate?"

"I'm not sure." JARVIS responded. "I can look in the pantry for you?"

"They're packets, sometimes they have mini marshmallows in them?" Peter opened the door to the pantry and looked around.

"I have no record of Sir ordering those packets. Should I order some for you? Sir says you're allowed to order any food you wish, you know?"

Peter sighed. He had to concur with JARVIS, there wasn't any in the pantry. "No." Peter hunched slightly. It seemed he'd miss out on his hot chocolate too. "It's okay. It wouldn't get here in time anyway. It's fine."

"Please do not be upset, Peter." JARVIS sounded actually distraught at Peter's somber mood. "I've looked up several recipes for how to make hot chocolate. We have the ingredients it requires in the pantry. It seems rather simple too. You can still have hot chocolate. Would you like me to walk you through the process?"

"That would be awesome. You're the best, JARVIS." Peter grinned, feeling lighter. "I'm not very good at this stuff though."

"It only requires measuring and heating water or milk. If it were Sir, I'd have doubts, but I'm fairly confident that you can do this. It is more like chemistry. You're very good at chemistry, Peter. You will do just fine."

"Okay." Peter nodded.

"Alright, Peter. You will need cocoa powder, sugar, milk, salt, and cinnamon if you'd like it. In the comments, one man seemed to like to add a whole candy cane to the mix, if you like peppermint."

"Bleh! No. No peppermint for me."

"Noted, Peter. Is that part of your spider mutation?" JARVIS asked.

"Yeah, ever since I got my powers peppermint has made my tongue feel tingly and my throat itch and...I just don't like it anymore. I mean...I ate it when I had to, but I think I'm pretty allergic." Peter frowned. He'd been given some snacks with peppermint in them once from a donation center. He'd eaten them. He felt like he'd be asking too much if he would have asked for a different type. He'd felt horrible every time he'd ate one...but food was food, if it wasn't killing him, he ate it when he lived on the street.

"Then we will avoid that, Peter. I'll make a note of it. No peppermint for Master Parker."

"JARVIS, remember, just Peter."

"Of course. Sorry, Peter. But I've made a note of the allergy. I've even sent the information to Dr. Cho."

"Thanks." He went back into the pantry and received the items, stacking them in his arms.

"Peter, I've done some research. Are you able to eat citrus?" JARVIS asked.

"I haven't had a problem with it. I mean, at school they served fresh oranges and they didn't bother me. And I think there was a grapefruit dressing thingy on something I ate here during the internship. I don't think I'm allergic to citrus. Weird, huh?"

"Yes, but this information is helpful, thank you." JARVIS said.

"Helpful?" Peter asked as he began to measure out the ingredients.

"I have whole protocols dedicated to making sure you're healthy and safe. This information helps me keep you safe. I like doing my job well. Thank you for the help."

Peter froze. That had to be Tony. Tony had reprogrammed his AI to look after him? Tony was...really cool. Peter blushed lightly. "Oh."

"Could I ask another question, Peter?"

"Sure?" Peter answered.

"What temperature would you like your room at in the night? I've noticed that you prefer it warmer." JARVIS commented.

"Well, I can't thermoregulate. Once I get cold I can't get back to warm on my own. I used to get cold a lot and no amount of blankets would help. If you're not creating warmth then the blankets don't get warm and...well neither do you. I just like it warmer right now. Maybe I won't be so...worried about the temperature later on, but right now I'd rather be warm than cold."

"That's important. Thank you. I'll try to remember to keep your core temperature in mind. Perhaps I could run a trial. I believe I could keep your room warm enough without making you sweat uncomfortably as you have a few times this last month. Would you trust me with that, Peter?"

"Um...sure."

"I can warm your room further any time you wish, but I would like to try to keep you comfortable at all times, neither too hot or cold."

"Thank you, JARVIS." Peter smiled at the nearest sensor he could find. Hell, even the AI was kinder than his last fosters had been. How was a machine kinder than human beings. "Thank you for being so kind, JARVIS."

"I am not quite sure what you mean, Peter. I only wish for you to be comfortable and healthy."

"That's more than what I've gotten in a while. Just...thanks."

"You're welcome, Peter. I'm sorry that people have been unkind to you."

Peter wiped his eyes and straightened up. "Me too." He wasn't going to let his Christmas get ruined by thoughts of those people. "Now how do I do this, JARVIS?" He made a large batch with help from JARVIS, knowing he'd want more than one mug, then he walked to the living room. "Can I watch Christmas movies?" He sat on the sofa and smiled at the tree. Steve had helped Peter get a few of the ornaments from his family out of storage. It had been nice, touching, really. Peter wasn't sure if he was happy for Christmas or just...sad. He couldn't remember Christmas with his parents, but he'd had so many good ones with his aunt and uncle. It would be weird to not have them with him.

"Which would you like, Peter?"

"Elf." Peter grinned. The movie began to play. He drank his hot chocolate and frowned when Buddy and Jovie began to sing together in the bathroom. Uncle Ben and Aunt May used to sing Baby it's Cold Outside together.... A tear slipped down his cheek.

"Are you alright, Peter?"

"Yeah, I'm okay." Peter nodded and wiped his eyes. "It's just difficult sometimes." JARVIS didn't answer. Peter settled in and watched the movie. He nodded off somewhere near the end. He woke up to a blanket being draped over him. He cracked open an eye and saw Steve walk away, heading for the kitchen. JARVIS had picked a new Christmas movie, The Polar Express was playing now. Peter closed his eyes again, not sure he wanted company just yet. He listened to the movie and could tell Tony had walked in too, because his heartbeat sounded different from everyone else's.

"Guess he was trying to see when Santa got here." Tony whispered.

"Possibly." Steve commented. "Want some coffee?"

"Yeah. It's almost morning, he'll probably be up soon. Need the energy to open everything."

"Not a big Christmas fan?" Steve asked.

"Christmas is great with the right people. The older I get, the more I like it." Tony answered. "Thanks for the coffee, babe."

"You and your pet names." Steve scoffed.

Peter heard them come to the living room and sit down on the other sofa, but neither of them moved to wake him. Peter was grateful for that, he just wanted to be there for a moment more.

"I've never seen this movie." Steve whispered.

"It's a good one." Tony said. "You'd like it, probably for the animation."

Peter let them watch the movie. Silently he prayed. He prayed that his family was safe and happy in heaven, that they were doing alright, that they weren't mad at him. He'd never been a hundred percent sure about God or heaven, not for him anyway, with how he seemed to hurt everyone around him, but his family believed, and he'd found a safe home in the house of God, so...maybe he wouldn't be excluded when his luck finally caught up with him. Either way, he wanted to make sure they were the first thing on his mind today. He wanted them to know he still loved them, still cared, still missed them every second of the day. But he also wanted to try to be happy.

This time of year was supposed to be about gratitude and giving. While he had a lot to be upset about, he had a lot to be grateful for and he and his therapist made it a goal for him to focus on the good, without feeling guilty. He had a home with heat and water and food and safety. He had two fosters who actually cared about him. He had someone to help him with his mental heath and someone to help him with his physical health. He could talk to his friend again and no one was hurting him. It was alright to be grateful for those things.

But Peter still wanted to honor his aunt and uncle, because he still loved them and missed them and he didn't want them to think he'd forgotten them or all the love and fun and happiness they'd had. It was hard to balance and bittersweet, but Peter was going to try. He took a few slow breaths, and he knew his 'sleeping' gig was up, but he didn't open his eyes.

As he suspected, neither Tony or Steve commented, and he appreciated it.

Peter collected his thoughts, mentally told his family he loved them, and reminded himself that he was allowed to be happy and still honor the past. That his family would want him to be happy. After a few, deep breaths, he opened his eyes.

"Good morning, underoos." Tony said as Peter stretched.

"Merry Christmas." Peter smiled. "So, um...what's the itinerary?"

Steve's nose wrinkled. "Itinerary?"

"Yeah...like, do you do food or presents first or do you have any traditions or something? I didn't really ask."

"Not really. This is our second Christmas and we don't really have any set traditions." Steve shrugged. "Last year we opened presents and had breakfast and just hung out for the day, sound okay?"

"Yeah." Peter nodded.

"Wanna sort them out?" Tony asked.

"I can?"

"Yup." Tony smiled. "Santa's not judging right now. He takes a day off after delivering everything."

"It's scientifically impossible for one man to deliver all the presents in the world in one night. Though...considering that there are now gods of thunder and superheroes...I suppose I could suspend disbelief." Peter shrugged.

"Sound logic, maybe their is a Santa." Tony said thoughtfully. "Remind me to ask Thor, it seems like his type of weird."

Steve laughed. "Yeah, probably."

Peter headed to the tree and pulled a stack of presents out. He walked toward the couch and started handing them out. He tried to burry his own presents to them under their presents to each other, he didn't really want them to be the first things they opened, but he didn't want them to be the last either, somewhere in the middle was ideal. He was grateful at the amount of presents though. There didn't seem to be too many. Given how much money Tony had, there could be hundreds of them, thousands, but he'd kept it tame, as promised.

Peter swiped the last presents from under the tree and then grabbed the large one from behind it. His name was on the big box, so he put it next to his spot and passed out the rest. The last one in his hand was for him, so he moved and sat down in his spot.

"Alright, time for a game plan."

"Lord, I'm so glad I don't fight on your team of superheroes." Tony rolled his eyes at Steve. "It's presents. You overanalyze everything, I swear." Tony grabbed one and ripped the paper open. "See? Not rocket science, and I would know."

"If you were an Avenger, you'd be the most insubordinate person ever and I'd probably want to strangle you."

"And that's why I'm happy to be the bad guy instead." Tony winked.

"Don't follow his example, Pete. Be a good guy."

"Or join the dark side, we have cookies." Tony laughed and rolled his eyes. "But don't you dare think you're gonna end up with the Avengers kid, that's big league stuff. You need to stay lower to the ground for a bit."

"Yeah I think I'm more of a neighborhood Spiderman." Peter nodded and picked up a present.

"Steve, this is perfectly ridiculous. I love it." Tony said, holding up a tie that looked straight out of a Harry Potter movie. It was blue and silver, obviously Ravenclaw themed, but the tie clip was a pair of round glasses with a lightning bolt over it.

Peter was in the middle of unwrapping the large box and he looked at the tie. "I'm guessing there's an inside joke?"

"If I have to wear a monkey suit, I might as well irritate Obie with it. It's become a great past time of mine." Tony grinned proudly.

"Dude, you're kind of pushing it. Didn't he try to kill you?" Peter asked.

"Tried. Failed." Tony shrugged. "I've almost got his goose cooked. One extra tie won't be too much. Plus, they seem to brighten Pepper's day."

Peter smiled at that. He hadn't met Miss Potts, not really. She'd been there during his internship, but he'd never talked to her. From what he'd heard, she seemed like a feirce lady. He pulled open the rest of the wrapping, opened the box, and his eyes widened. The box was full of netting. The ropes were strong, but not abrasive. "Is this a hammock?"

"More or less. I was aiming for safety net. Should cover a good portion of your ceiling."

"That's awesome!" Peter grinned.

Steve laughed. "Yeah, you may have scared the hell out of us when you fell asleep on the ceiling."

"It's comfy up there."

"And now you won't fall all the way to the floor when your alarm goes off." Tony said.

"Plus I like being in high places. I don't know, it's just comfortable." Peter smiled. "Thank you."

"Any time, kiddo."

They continued opening presents and chatting happily. Peter was glad, his gifts felt normal, like things May or Ben would get him, nothing out of his comfort zone. He loved the blue sweater Tony got for him. It felt soft and warm. He'd need it during the winter and spring. The black hoodie from Steve also looked amazingly comfortable. Both looked a little big, but Peter appreciated that, it was their way of showing him he was getting healthier, back to his normal weight. When he finally made it back, they'd fit perfectly.

"Peter, did you make this?" Steve's voice asked.

Peter looked up and blushed a little. He'd had to pull apart an old briefcase and fixed the insides, not to mention make sure to make pockets for paintbrushes and a palette and a case for paint. It also had space for a foldable easel stand. The outside he'd retrofitted to hold a canvas and protect it from the elements. "Yeah... I thought you might want to paint outside sometime, so I made a portable kit. And some paint."

Steve opened the paint case and his jaw dropped. "You made the paint?"

"Yeah. You'll have to test it to see if it's right. It worked for me, but I'm not an artist or anything and any old thing looks fine to me, but if you like them I can make more or tweak them to make them better."

"Thank you, Peter. I'm sure they're perfect."

Peter was glad he liked it as he opened his next present. It was a shoebox, but it was empty, except for an envelope. He opened it and read the note inside.

'Peter,

You told me you liked to dance and used to take lessons, I tried to pick out good dancing shoes...then realized I had absolutely no clue about any of them or what kinds of dance you do, so, let's go together. I might even try a lesson with you.

Merry Christmas,

Steve'

Peter froze. "You're okay with me dancing?"

"Yeah, of course." Steve nodded.

"But that's... That's awesome! I did some like...freeform street dancing and some ballet. Ballet is really hard, but so fun, especially the spiny stuff... You know, I'd probably be a lot better at it now, I haven't done it since the bite. I bet my balance is way better, plus I'm super flexible. I really want to try ballet again."

"Then we'll get you some shoes." Steve grinned.

"Thank you."

Steve just smiled. "I'll try it too, but maybe not in public."

"That's cool, I can teach you a few things, but I'm not an expert or anything."

"Well, I'm not an expert artist and we muddled through that lesson." Steve grinned.

"But not until Helen gives the green light, you two." Tony reminded them. "No strenuous activities 'til the green light."

"I know. I know..." Peter nodded. "Gives me another reason to want to get better though." Peter opened his next present and grinned, these tools were exactly what he needed to finish his project with Tony. Maybe he'd have a working power source that could help a lot of people. They'd have to start small, but...over time Peter knew he could help a lot of people out...maybe starting with the homeless people and foster kids in New York. "Wait...am I allowed to finish this now?"

"Yeah. And maybe we can test it, see how long it can run my lab before it needs a recharge." Tony smiled.

Peter may have made an indescribable noise in excitement. "It'd be so cool. And it could help so many people. I mean in that halfway house alone one of my power sources could have given heat and more reliable light and maybe a more reliable fridge.... That alone would boost quality of life. And if I could find a way to make bigger units without making them too expensive, think of the other places that could be taken off the grid and have light and warmth for the first time in a way that's renewable and... That'd be so cool."

"And not as expensive as an arc reactor." Tony agreed.

"Look, there's no way I can reach that level of energy output, but still...even with something simpler...a lot of lives could be made better."

Tony smiled proudly. "I think I may have some tough competition in the future."

"Whaaaaaat? No...I'm not that smart, nah." Peter shook his head and blushed.

"Don't speak too quickly about that, kid." Tony grinned then froze, looking into the box he'd opened. "Peter."

"Sorry, sorry. I know I wasn't supposed to be in the lab or anything by myself. So I didn't do any of the work, but like, when we fought I noticed some things on the suit that could be upgraded and...you know if someone in my strength class figured out how to hit you the right way...that'd be bad, so I figured out how to reinforce stuff and I didn't do any of the upgrades, cause I didn't want to break the rules. And you're like super smart, way smarter than me, so I don't wanna overstep, but these might be able to help...maybe. And I didn't want to upset you or break the rules but I had to go into the lab and JARVIS helped me get a closer look at the suits. And I'm sorry if my schematics aren't perfect, but I thought it might help with the next update and-"

"Peter, shush." Tony lifted the round object and set it on the table. He pressed the button and a holographic image of his suit came out. As he pulled the image apart different things were highlighted, added notes and components were added onto his suit.

"But I-"

"Blah, blah, blah. Shush." Tony held up his hand. He then continued to examine the changes on his armor. "Well that's...huh. But that interferes with...but if I changed that too, then it'd work. That might conflict that system but...oh, that's good. You managed to bypass that entirely without interfering with...wow."

"You shouldn't have given him something to work on, it was supposed to be a day off." Steve teased.

"Zip it, Captain Tight-Ass." Tony said without bite.

"Language." Steve retorted. "Kid present."

"Sh." Tony retorted. "Hey, kid, this chestplate, how did you figure out that design?"

"That particular structure doesn't break as easy. If you have one more layer...it'd take me a lot more force to break through or even dent it like I did. You'd be a lot safer."

"But how does that not inhibit range of motion?"

"I've got an idea, with the right chemicals I may be able to make something that maintains an optimal flex to stability ratio. I got some of the idea from the suit you're working on for me. I mean, my webs can withstand a lot of force. If I tweak the recipe...I might be able to make something very small, but very strong."

"I need to get you your genius certification, because you belong in the club, kid." Tony grinned. "I mean, two heads are always better than one, but I haven't thought about these things. Kid, we've got some work to do."

Peter blushed. "They're just suggestions...I know they probably won't all work. But there does need to be reinforcment...so your arc reactor is less likely to get damaged."

"Good looking out, kid." Tony smiled and reached forward, ruffling Peter's hair.

"Is the less than genius person allowed to talk?" Steve asked.

"Hm? Sure." Tony nodded and sat back down next to Steve. "Always, honey." Tony kissed his cheek.

"Is that an apology for shushing me?"

"If you want it to be."

"It's as close as I'm going to get, so I accept." Steve chuckled. "You two can clean up and then go play with your new toys in the lab. I'll get breakfast."

"You sure?" Tony asked with a grin.

Steve took a deep breath. "Yes, but after breakfast no more lab time, it's Christmas. Lab time starts now, but clear up the paper first."

"We gotta hurry, kid." Tony commented, jumping to his feet.

"I'll get a bag." Peter said, flipping over the sofa to save time. He was only a little dizzy once he landed.

"Slow it down, Pete, no spider stuff until Dr. Cho says." Steve reminded with a laugh. Then he turned to Tony. "He's so much like you, it's ridiculous."

"Stevie, you're standing on the paper!"

Steve sighed heavily. "I'll just go get breakfast ready then..."

Notes:

Again, sorry this was late and sorry if it's shit.
Also, with the virus that's going around, be safe and smart. Wash your hands and just don't go out if you feel unwell. Treat it the way you treat flu season. Be kind and take care, okay?

Chapter 20: Ohana, Worthy One

Summary:

Peter meets the Avengers and friends.

Notes:

Sorry if this chapter is a mess. It's probably as scattered as I am. The sheer amount of anxiety in this world right now is not helping me at all. But, I'm gonna try to stay chill. Panic helps no one. I hope all of you are staying safe and sane. Just keep swimmin' right?

Steve was stirring hash when his phone vibrated in his pocket. He lifted it and flipped it open, pressing it to his ear with his shoulder as he worked. "Rogers."

"You need to stop answering your phone like that." Nat huffed. "Merry Christmas, Steve."

"Merry Christmas, Nat."

"We still on for tomorrow?"

Steve paused. "Tomorrow?"

"Yeah. We always do the Christmas party day after... Is that a surprise to you or something?" Nat laughed. "I mean you've been spacy lately, but that seems like something big to forget. Actually...you and Tony have been distant recently. Is everything okay?"

Steve looked up when Peter and Tony walked in, laughing and heading to the sink to wash up.

"Steve?" Nat asked. "What's that noise?"

"TV, sorry." Steve signaled for the two to be quiet. "Yeah, I'm fine. Tony and I have just been taking some time off."

"For what? Are you both...doing okay together? Or, God, I haven't seen Tony in a while. Is HE okay?"

Tony walked forward and wrapped his arms around Steve. "Phone, gimme."

"Tony." Steve protested lightly, but let Tony take the phone.

"Hello..." Tony said as he pulled away.

"Hey, Tony." Steve could hear Nat answer.

"Oh, hi, Nat, Merry Christmas." Tony said.

"I was just quizzing my fearless leader."

"Sorry I've been keeping your team leader busy. I've not been feeling great recently." Tony said.

"Oh, is it your heart again? You have been skipping out on some of your work meetings."

"Stalking much?" Tony asked.

"I'm a spy, Tony. It's my job."

Tony snorted and rolled his eyes at Steve. 'I am Iron Man.' He mouthed sassily while covering the receiver. "Well, yeah, I've been a bit out of it, he's been taking good care of me." Tony kissed Steve's cheek.

"Oh, stop being cute. I can see Steve blushing from here." Nat laughed. "Are you well enough to come to the party tomorrow?"

"The party? The party! Oh." Tony looked at Steve with a conflicted 'help me' expression.

"Get it now?" Steve asked, rolling his eyes.

"You guys can go, I'll be okay." Peter whispered.

"No, no, we're not doing that." Steve shook his head. It was Peter's first Christmas with them, they weren't going to party with other people the next day without him. Plus Peter...Peter probably needed people around, given his year. It was his first year without both his aunt and uncle, he'd been homeless, out of school, abused mentally and physically...it was a delicate time for Peter and they weren't going to leave him. He turned to Tony. "Just say no, we'll visit some other time. It's okay."

"Nat, I'm doing okay, but um...we'll consider it and get back to you. The usual place is all fine. There's food for everyone up there. Is Thor coming in too?"

"Yeah, he said he was. It's literally two floors though, Tony, so I hope you and Steve can drop by at least for a moment. Steve's been missed and you're sort of an honorary Avenger at this point, with how much help you've given us, boss."

"Actually, Steve's the boss. I just pay for everything...design everything...make everyone look cooler, provide housing and food and security, and help you solve problems. It's fine, no need to call me the boss." Tony laughed.

"Speaking of your endless help, that we DO appreciate so much, honestly."

"Ew. Don't get mushy, Nat. But I appreciate the gratitude." Tony smiled genuinely. "What do you need me for?"

"Have you narrowed down your list of potential identities for Iron Man?"

Tony rolled his eyes. "CREATORS, Nat. The important part is who created the machine. Any idiotic asshole could likely run it, but you have to figure out who MADE it."

"And have you narrowed down THAT list?" Nat huffed.

"The list of people with the brains and the funds necessary, given the complexity and composition of the suit, is currently at thirteen, fourteen if you count me."

"Do you really suspect yourself?" Nat snorted like the very idea was ridiculous.

"No, not really, but I am on the list of people with brains and means, so...count me a suspect."

Nat laughed. "Yeah, right, I've seen your medical records."

"Again, the guy IN the suit doesn't matter."

"No, but you ARE a control freak. If you made a suit that advanced you wouldn't let anyone else use your baby." Nat wasn't wrong.

Tony smirked. "Fair assessment, Nat. I should send you my list and you can analyze them instead."

"Super spy, Tony. I could help. Come down if you can. No work, just Christmas and friends. Okay?"

"We'll think about it, Nat. Merry Christmas."

"And to both of you. Take care."

Tony hung up and looked up at Steve. "Huh."

"Yeah."

"I don't see a problem here." Peter commented. "Just head to this party thing. It sounds like it's happening here, so just go visit. You shouldn't lie to your friends about your health. That freaks them out."

"Well, to be fair." Tony tapped his arc reactor. "Not always the best and if you're going to lie to a spy you need to have something believable."

"Why not just tell them the truth?" Peter asked. "That fixes everything. I mean, you trust them, right? They're your friends."

Steve frowned. They really didn't want Peter's story getting out. The last thing the recovering teen needed was people looking over his shoulder, watching his every move. He and Tony also both had enemies and, especially while Peter couldn't fight back at his full strength, they didn't want to expose Peter to that. "Tony who's on the list?"

"Pepper, Happy, Rhodey, Nat, Clint, Bruce, Thor, and you and me." Tony answered. "So...the kid has a point."

"Yeah, they'd be safe...trustworthy." Steve agreed.

"Hey, kiddo, how do you feel about meeting our friends tomorrow?" Tony asked bluntly.

"Tony."

"What? It's his choice. It's his life, he's allowed to have a say in this."

"I was hoping for more tact." Steve said. "Shit." He quickly took the hash off the stove before it burned.

"Language, Cap." Tony teased. "Look, these people won't tell anyone about you. Hell, two of them are spies, they'll keep their traps shut."

"I'll think about it." Peter laughed. "Are you kidding? They're the Avengers! And Miss Potts, from what I hear, basically keeps Obie from being able to control your whole company, all while she works from behind the scenes, she's a badass."

"Annnd, language." Tony teased. "But yes, Pepper's a badass. I'm surprised you haven't talked to her yet."

"I'd love to meet them...like as long as I don't have to tell them about...all my stuff...you know?"

"You don't have to tell them anything, Peter. You were my brightest intern (now my only intern), and we grew to care about you, and we noticed you were in a rough situation so we took you in. Real simple and mostly true so it'll be easy for you to keep track of. A good cover story."

Peter paused and seemed to think about it. "Sounds fair."

"And you've met Happy a couple times...it'll just be a bit different, context wise."

Peter frowned. "I'll mentally prepare later, but right now food sounds good."

"Dig in, then, kiddo." Steve smiled and grabbed a plate from a cupboard, handing it to Peter.

Peter grinned and dug in.

It made Steve happy, seeing how freely Peter loaded his plate. It seemed like he was finally getting it that he'd have food, that no one was going to take it, and that tomorrow it'd still be there. For the rest of the day they watched movies and chatted. The three even put up Peter's new hammock, which Peter promptly dropped into from the ceiling and declaired it the 'best thing ever' with a grin. It would certainly be better than him falling all the way to the floor, that was damn sure.

Overall it was a great Christmas.

-

Peter woke up and fidgeted. What if they asked weird questions? He'd have to lie, to the Avengers of all people. That would be weird. But he'd also get to meet the Avengers. He got up and pulled on a new button-up and the soft blue sweater that Tony'd gotten him over the button up. It was so warm and comfortable. Peter was pretty sure that if love were an article of clothing, it would be that blue sweater. He'd marry the damn sweater, it was THAT nice. He put on a good pair of jeans and slipped on a pair of converse before heading out.

"Hey, bud. You look nice." Steve said.

Peter looked down, he was still a bit shy on his weight, so the shirt was a little loose, but well, it was nice. "Thanks."

"Tony made smoothies, he said this is his take on a pina colada with a boost of protein." Steve gestured to a large cup. "There."

"Awesome, my favorite." Peter said, taking the cup and sipping. "He may burn everything else, but he is good at smoothies."

"Hey now, don't insult my cooking, only I can insult it." Tony snarked, entering the room. "I boosted the calories for you. We'll be having lunch downstairs, but don't worry there's snacks down there too if you get hungry. Steve keeps lots of pudding and Thor has this addiction to pop tarts. Plus, Nat loves cookies, so there will be plenty to snack on before lunch if you want."

"So will there be a present thing?"

"Yeah, sorta Secret Santa." Steve nodded.

"I didn't get anyone anything." Peter frowned.

"Don't worry, Pete, you didn't expect it, we didn't even think about it, so don't worry." Tony nodded.

"Could I help make lunch then, or something? I make good hot chocolate. JARVIS taught me a recipe." Peter said. He couldn't just show up to a party without something. That would be rude right? As it was he was already crashing. It wasn't like he had an invite.

"If you want to." Steve nodded. "You could help me. Usually Pepper and I tackle food, so an extra set of hands would be nice."

"Just don't let the whole Iron Man or Spiderman thing slip, let's try to avoid our alter egos, sound fair?" Tony asked. "They don't know who I am and I doubt you want them to know who you are."

"Gotcha." Peter nodded. "Is it normal to be nervous?"

"They're just normal people, Peter." Steve soothed.

"Normal people?" Peter asked. "Normal people aren't gods from another planet. Normal people aren't super spies. Normal people don't turn into a big green giant. Normal people don't secretly run a corporation behind the CEO's back-Pepper is SUCH a badass. And Colonel Rhodes, from what you told me, is awesome, and he's like a legend. And Happy's awesome, I mean, I know he gets annoyed by me, but he's always been nice anyways, he has the patience of like a therapist, really, and that's pretty amazing."

Tony chuckled and walked forward, squeezing Peter's shoulders. "Okay, try not to geek out too much, and remember to breathe, alright? Breathing is good. Drooling is bad." Tony teased.

"Ugh, stop it." Peter ducked out of the hold and took a few steps back. "I'm totally cool, and I don't drool." It was nice...to have someone tease him in a good-natured way. He hadn't had an adult do that since May... It felt normal, made him feel lighter.

"He says that, then he's going to meet them. Anyone want to place bets?" Tony asked cheerfully.

"I'll give it ten minutes before he freaks out." Steve nodded.

"Hell no, he'll be losing his shit in less than three, for sure."

"You're the worst." Peter sighed.

Tony put a hand to his arc reactor mockingly. "Ouch, right in the artificial heart. You wound me."

Peter rolled his eyes. "You're so dramatic. Plus, you have a heart, I can hear it, even if it sounds funny."

"It sounds funny?" Tony asked.

"Sounds fine to me..." Steve shrugged.

"It sorta echoes in the casing. I can always tell when it's you or Steve. The sounds are very distinct."

"You have better hearing than me. Cool." Steve grinned.

"Not always a good thing." Peter winced and made a mental note to let Tony know about all of his senses when they started working on his new suit. Tony said he wanted to see Peter in action before working on it, but Peter'd need new lenses for sure, since his had broken. "Anyways, you're a drama king, there is definitely something beating in there." He downed the rest of his smoothie. "But you do make a good smoothie."

"That fixes everything." Tony laughed and ruffled Peter's hair. "Time to go, kiddo. Try to stay calm, and take deep breaths."

"I'm cool. I mean it."

But when Peter made it downstairs he was the opposite of cool. "Oh my God, oh my God." He whispered.

"Five seconds on the nose, Steve you owe me." Tony commented.

"Mr. Stark, that's Dr. Bruce Banner." Peter said with wide eyes. "It's Bruce Banner."

"I really hoped Bruce wouldn't be here when I placed that bet." Steve sighed.

"Bruce is always early, Stevie." Tony grinned and kissed his cheek. "Bet on THAT. I love to win."

Bruce, Nat, and Pepper were the only ones in the large living area and all of them stood to look at them.

Peter wanted to rush forward and ask THE Dr. Banner all sorts of questions...but part of him also wanted to hide in the nearest dark corner.

"Tony, Steve, good to see you. And..." Pepper walked around the sofa and looked at Peter, curiously. "I've seen you before, I'm sorry, your name's escaped me. You're the intern, right? Tony was gushing about you, but I never did get an official start date or any paperwork for you just yet."

"Um, I'm Peter, Peter Parker, Miss Potts."

"Nice to meet you, Peter." She said, holding out her hand to shake his before looking at Steve and Tony with questions in her eyes. "Did you kidnap him or just promise him Bruce for Christmas?"

"Um, that's a long story, we'd prefer to tell it when everyone's here." Tony said.

Peter felt nervous when he saw the way Nat stared at him and sighed in relief when Steve wrapped an arm around his shoulders and pulled him closer, like a he was a shield between Peter and everyone else.

"Hello, Peter." Bruce got up from his seat.

"Oh my God, Bruce Banner just said hi to me. What do I do?" Peter asked, feeling so small.

Tony laughed. "Breathe and say hi."

"Oh. Hi." Peter grinned. "I'm a huge fan of your work."

"My, my work?" Bruce asked.

"Yeah, I've read all of your papers. You're amazing."

"Pepper said you are an intern, right?" Bruce asked.

"Um," Peter glanced at Tony then back at Bruce. "Yeah, I got the internship with SI."

"I heard about that competition. Very impressive." Bruce smiled awkwardly.

"He's a brilliant kid, he keeps me on my toes." Tony said. "Let's not crowd the kid."

Peter felt relieved when he was pulled into the living room to sit on the sofa. He found himself safely between Steve and Tony. But his spidersense was going off, and he could tell it was going off because of the way Nat was looking at him.

"Steve...?" Nat started.

"I know, Nat. I'll explain. Just stop, I see what you're doing."

"Understood, Captain." Nat relaxed her posture and leaned back in her chair. "Clint is arriving soon, got held up in traffic." She reported, her tone almost bored.

"Happy's bringing Rhodey, should be here any second." Tony added. "Speak of the devil." He said as the elevator doors opened. Rhodey and Happy stepped out of the elevtor and Tony got up, walked to Rhodey and hugged him.

Peter knew he probably shouldn't listen, but he couldn't NOT hear, given his enhanced senses.

"Honey bear, I know you're going to be upset with me." Tony started as he hugged his friend.

"What'd you do this time, Tones?" Rhodey asked, patting his back.

"Just don't be upset now. The kid'll be spooked enough as it is. You can yell at me for not telling you later."

"Kid?" Rhodey asked.

"Just...roll with it the way you usually do." Tony pulled away. "Merry Christmas, Rhodey."

Peter looked at Steve and ducked closer to his side. He didn't want to get Mr. Stark in trouble with his friends.

"Number?" Steve asked, quiet enough that the others wouldn't hear him.

Peter uncurled his hand over his knee, showing four fingers.

"Okay." Steve nodded, pulling Peter a little closer.

Peter felt his stress go down a little bit at the protective hold. Happy helped by walking right in and dropping off presents by the tree before holding out a fist to Peter. "Hey, pipsqueak."

"Hi, Happy." Peter smiled gently letting his knuckles meet Happy's.

"You look good, new sweater?" Happy wondered as he sat in the armchair.

Peter knew exactly what Happy was referring to and it wasn't the nice sweater, but Peter appreciated the subtlty. "Yeah, got it for Christmas, thanks." Peter grinned. "Did you try Delmar's like I suggested?"

"Yeah, they do make a mean sandwich, that's for sure. Thanks for the tip, kid. If I'd known you were here I might of brought you something, like I dunno, a churo?"

"Dude, churros are awesome! But you don't have to get me stuff." Peter nodded, feeling much more relaxed. Sure, everyone was stealing glances at him, but he was safe. Steve had his back and Happy acted like it was all normal, him being there. Then Tony sat down next to him and Peter felt pretty invincible. He just hoped he didn't make them look bad. These were their friends, he didn't want to make a fool out of himself in front of them or maybe... Shit. Peter tried to avoid the thought, but it slipped in anyways. This horrible thought that if he embarrassed his foster parents bad enough they may not keep him. What if the Avengers didn't approve of him? Would his foster parents give up on him if he caused too much trouble?

"Peter?" Tony asked quietly. "What's the square root of 33.4084?"

"5.78." Peter answered automatically.

"As a fraction?"

"289/50? Maybe." Peter answered, looking at Tony, confused. "What's up? That's like easy math, you didn't need me for that." Then he saw the gentle grin on Tony's face and realized he'd just been distracted from his own panic. "Oh. Nice."

"I try." Tony nodded.

That was the precise moment the elevator opened and Clint walked in, carrying presents. He looked from Peter, to Tony and Steve, and then to the others. "I'm guessing I'm not the only person who noticed the baby elephant in the room. Cool, moving right along then. Merry Christmas, everyone." He walked by, putting the presents under the tree. "So, do I ask the question or are we just not talking about it? Because, I already approve and it's adorable. Just saying."

"You don't even know what 'it' is Birdbrain." Nat said tossing a pillow at the archer, who caught it and chucked it back. She dodged it neatly.

"Merry Christmas to you too." He said before sitting on the loveseat next to her. "Long time no see, Cap."

"Hey, Clint." Steve smiled at the archer.

"Should I start?" Tony asked after an uncomfortable pause.

"What about Thor?" Steve asked.

Tony snorted. "If anyone would take everything in stride and not need any explanation at all, it'd be Thor."

"Fair point. He's very open minded. We probably won't even have to tell him, he'll just know." Steve nodded.

"Alright." Tony got up and looked at Nat. "First off, I should apologize. The heart's been fine." He patted his chest, over the reactor. "Well, no worse than usual anyway, that was a lie yesterday."

"Don't lie about that again." Nat said, a vague threat in her voice. "You may not be an official member of our rag-tag team, but you matter to us. Don't make us think bad things."

"Got it." Tony saluted her. "So, elephant in the room-"

"Baby elephant." Clint corrected.

Tony snorted. "This is Peter Parker. Steve and I are fostering him. We don't want it in the public right now, so it doesn't leave this room. We've all been adjusting so we've needed some time to get our feet under us."

Pepper laughed, breaking the silence. "Sorry, sorry. It's just... I said "you should have an intern" and you said "let's find a kid."" She shook her head. "I should be surprised. I think I can't be surprised by you two anymore. After all, you were gushing about him nonstop."

"Was not." Tony protested.

"Was too." Pepper grinned. Then she looked at Peter. "Nice to meet you, Peter. He didn't kidnap you, right?"

"Oh hush!" Tony rolled his eyes.

"No, Miss Potts." Peter commented. Though, technically there had been some kidnapping for a brief time.

"Pepper, sweetie." She corrected. "No need to be formal with me."

"Right, um...Pepper."

"How did this come to be? I mean...sorry if it's personal, but... I'm curious." Bruce commented.

"Well..." Tony looked at Peter.

"I lied on my internship forms. I um...was in the system for a while...but not anywhere, um...good. I lied and said I still lived with my aunt."

"And I may have found out he lied and found out he was in the system." Tony said.

"He got hurt during the internship and that's when we noticed he wasn't being treated well. We already cared a lot for the kid and couldn't let it continue, so we took him in, alerted the authorities." Steve turned and ruffled his hair. "He grew on us."

"Like a fungus." Tony teased with a wink.

"I'd rather compare myself to a puppy than a fungus, but go off I guess." Peter waved his hand.

"I'll say, cute as a puppy." Nat laughed before getting up and holding out her hand to Peter. "Nice to meet you, Peter."

"Uh, thanks." He shook her hand with wide eyes. Surprised that she'd just...accepted him.

"Nice to meet you, Peter." Clint waved. "Give those two hell for us, alright?" He winked. "Damn, if I'd known we were having a kid for Christmas I would have brought extra presents. I still might, what do you like, kid?"

"You don't have to." Peter shook his head and held up his hands.

"I suppose we could settle for pranking the others together, that'd be fun."

Peter grinned at Tony. "He's cool."

"Nope, no. He's a bad influence, you will not be spending time with Clint." Tony said.

"I'm not that bad, but hey, we can just prank you first. Right, kid?"

"As long as everyone's happy, it's cool." Bruce nodded, and stopped the plots before they could be planned. "I get why you two didn't say anything, but next time check in, we were worried something was going on with you two. Usually your more social, you know?" Then Bruce smiled at Peter. "Maybe we can work in the lab sometime, kid."

"Oh my God. Really?" Peter turned to Tony. "Mr. Stark, can I? It's Dr. Banner! Can I please?"

Tony smiled gently. "How about in a couple weeks? After the scheduel's a bit more...normal?"

Peter nodded in agreement. He would be going back to school again soon and he'd be allowed to be on his own more once his weight recovered a bit more. He was glad there were things to look forward to in January, because it was going to be a horrible month, he could tell it already. "I'd love to, Dr. Banner."

"Refreshing to meet someone who isn't just interested in the green guy."

"Aw, it's okay, I love you, Brucie-Bear." Tony said. Then he turned. "Sourpatch, you're being quiet."

"Trying to decide on what's appropriate to say."

Peter frowned. Col. Rhodes was Mr. Stark's best friend and...did he not like Peter? That sucked, BAD.

"What do you mean?" Tony asked, a strange edge in his voice.

"Well, shit, there's only one thing, right? Hey, kid, you can call me Uncle Rhodey."

Peter tensed for a different reason than he thought he would. He did NOT like that. He didn't know what it was, but he didn't like the idea of calling anyone an Uncle. Nope. Just NO. Peter made a snap decision to turn to Steve and he was glad he did because his grip got super tight, tight enough that he would have broken Tony's bones if he would have grabbed him instead.

"Nine." Peter whispered, trying to hide against Steve.

"Gotcha. Let's go to the kitchen, maybe start on lunch, huh?"

Steve, like a mother fucking hero, picked Peter up and took him to the kitchen, but he didn't set him down, instead he held on tighter. "What's wrong, Peter?"

"Don't know, just hurts."

"Okay, that's fine, just breathe." Steve knew by now that things didn't always make perfect sense. And trauma showed its ugly head in strange ways sometimes. He'd gone through it. He'd seen Tony go through it, and now Peter.

"Shit, did I say something?" Rhodey asked worriedly.

"It's okay, Rhodey." Tony assured him. "Just give him a moment and maybe not use the 'U' word, I think that was the problem."

"I'm sorry." Rhodey sighed.

Peter hated it. Here he was in a room of heroes having damn near a panic attack over something he had no clue what the fuck it was. He was supposed to be spiderman, a hero! Instead he was sobbing in the kitchen like some child.

"Do you mind?" A soft, female voice asked from behind him.

"Nat, not right now." Steve whispered, still holding Peter tight.

"I can help." She hopped up onto the counter. "Hey, kiddo, what are five things you can see?"

Peter couldn't see anything, given how he'd buried himself against Steve. Slowly, he turned his head and looked at the kitchen, naming a few of the utensils.

"Sweet. Four things you can touch?"

Peter took a deep breath and answered.

"Good, паук." She whispered. "Three things you can hear?"

Peter answered, feeling his grip lessening on Steve. "What does that mean? What you said? I didn't understand."

"I'll tell you later, Peter. Two things you can smell."

Peter was feeling much better as he spoke to her.

"You're doing great. Now, one emotion you can feel."

"Relief." Peter pointed out instantly.

"There you are... Feeling better?" Nat asked.

"Um..." Peter pulled away from Steve and wiped his eyes. "Ye-yes." He wasn't perfect, but he didn't feel out of control anymore, that was nice. He glanced at Steve. "Six."

"Good." Steve nodded, gently carding his fingers through Peter's hair.

Peter turned to Nat. "Thank you."

"It's no problem. I've had my fair share of panic attacks. They suck, huh? Mine usually come out of nowhere. Suddenly I have no idea what I'm feeling, but it's scary."

"You have panic attacks?" Peter asked with wide eyes.

"Hun, I don't think there's a single person in this room who hasn't had one." She nodded over to the living room.

"They may as well slap a panic disorder on me." Tony said, raising his hand.

"Not since the Hulk, but when I was younger...used to be anxious a lot. Test days were the worst." Bruce nodded.

"Totally happens." Clint agreed.

"I babysat Tony Stark for years." Pepper said teasingly. "No, seriously, I've had one before, I got lost when I was a kid and...well it wasn't good."

"I'm not sure if I've had one. I had asthma attacks a lot as a kid, though." Steve said honestly.

Happy shrugged. "I haven't, but it isn't a problem, kid."

Pepper smiled sadly from her seat. "No one here's going to judge you, Peter."

"I've had them too, you know." Rhodey said, standing up straight. "Sorry for...whatever I said."

"It's okay Mr. Rhodes. I don't know what happened." Peter said, shaking his head. "Can I do something else now?" He looked to Steve for help.

"Yup. How about we start on food?"

"That's my cue to go." Nat grinned and gently patted Peter's cheek. "Just keep breathing."

"Pepper, we're going to need backup, care to help?" Steve asked.

"You got it."

Easy as that the Avengers & Co left the panic attack unmentioned, which Peter found relieving. There was still talk of him out in the living room, but no one seemed to be questioning his past, another nice thing, instead they seemed more interested in the things he liked and what year he was in school and what he was working on in the internship. Tony handled most of the talking, but as Peter regained himself he started answering some of the questions too. By the time lunch was made, Peter felt much, much better.

-

Peter hung back as the other's grabbed plates of food. Tony swept forward and grabbed a plate. "Whatcha want, kiddo?"

"Me?" Peter asked, confused. Why was Tony grabbing him food?

"Yeah, it's Christmas, sky's the limit. What do you want?" Tony asked, tilting his head toward the food.

That's when it clicked. Peter was allowed to eat. He didn't have to wait for the adults to serve themselves, he was entitled to food the same as they were. Tony wasn't going to get his own food until Peter got his plate. Peter didn't even realize that he was waiting on the others. He walked forward and took the plate from Tony. "You'd probably get gravy on the bread."

"And how's that a problem?" Tony asked teasingly, grabbing his own plate only after Peter put a roll on his plate.

"Soggy bread is the absolute worst!"

"What about Thanksgiving sandwiches?" Tony asked. "You get the potatoes and stuffing and the turkey and the gravy, it's perfect."

Peter faked a gag. He was greatful he hadn't had a typical Thanksgiving with Tony and Steve, the idea of those sandwiches would've probably made him sicker than he had been.

"Is that a deal breaker?"

"Yeah, I'd probably be sick. That's gross." Peter shook his head. "I mean...if I had to eat it, maybe, but even then..." He shivered. Even on the street he probably would have been better off not eating something that would make him gag.

"Good to know. Any other foods you find repulsive?" Tony wondered.

Peter shrugged. He'd grown up with pretty bad home cooking. And he'd lived on the street, so he wasn't too picky all things considered.

JARVIS spoke up when Peter didn't. "Sir, Peter is not fond of peppermint."

"Peppermint?" Steve asked.

"Oh, yeah!" Peter said. "Forgot about that. I think I've become allergic to it. I tried some and my throat got all tight."

Tony put his plate down on the counter and turned to Peter, leveling a look at him. "Seriously? Kid, you should tell us that."

"Peppermint doesn't really come up that often, right? I mean it's pretty easy to avoid, right?"

"Kid, there are candy canes all over the damn tower right now. And I've got peppermint oil for anxiety." He glared at Peter.

Peter frowned. "But it's fine, I haven't had any problems."

"Because I haven't used it. Jesus, kid. Any other allergies we don't know about?"

Peter thought about it. "Not that I know of."

"This kid." Tony shook his head and ruffled his hair. "I'll get rid of the oil. Stay away from the Christmas trees. If you get hives it's on you, I've warned you now."

Peter laughed. "Okay." He sat down between Steve and Tony. It felt safer there, but he didn't feel so uncomfortable with the others. Even Nat who scared the crap out of him had proven to be nice. He flinched and turned his head as he felt something strange coming, his spidersense going off. Then he heard something, wooshing through the air.

That was when Steve turned his head. He put his plate on the coffee table and stood up. "That'll be Thor, I'll get the door."

Peter sighed in relief and relaxed. Glad to know that it wasn't any baddie. He turned his head and found Nat looking at him with a knowing, gentle smile. She leaned forward slowly. "More hot chocolate, Peter?"

"Sure." He got up and walked with her to the kitchen, having a feeling that you didn't just say no to Black Widow. She put her plate in the sink and poured him another mug and refilled her own as Peter grabbed another dessert. He went to grab his mug from her, but she put her hand over it.

"Spiderman?" She asked, her voice nearly silent.

Peter froze.

"It's okay. I won't tell anyone...but the two idiots looking after you know about it, right?"

Peter nodded.

"Good. That's what паук means, spider. I thought I was right..." She let go of his mug. "I've seen your work out there, kid. Impressive. Maybe we can spar sometime if the wonder-fosters allow it." She winked and walked back to the living area.

Peter's mouth fell open. Spar? With Black Widow? Oh my God, he nearly fell off his unicorn. He could spar with Black Widow?

"Pete, you alright?" Tony called from the sofa.

"Huh? Yeah." He said before walking toward the living room.

"Friends! Merry Christmastime!" Thor walked into the room, his smile was infectious.

Peter may have always had a bit of a man-crush on Thor. Because...well, Thor.

"Merry Christmas!" Pepper called.

"Hey, Point Break." Tony grinned, leaning back in his seat and wrapping his arm around Peter's shoulder. "Fair warning, he will hug you, put your food down unless you want it spilled." He whispered to Peter.

"Oh my. Have I been gone so long that our Captain and Tony have had a child?" Thor asked. "And a handsome child at that."

Peter blushed. Thor just called him handsome. Thor, the literal god of thunder called him handsome.

"There's a resemblance?" Tony asked, looking at Peter.

Steve, however, just nodded. "I see how you made that leap. He does look a bit like Tony."

"Huh?" Tony asked Steve.

"Me?" Peter shook his head. "No. Mr. Stark's handsome and confident and all that stuff, I'm just...you know, plain."

"Naw, totally look like the fluffy little kid I met at MIT." Rhodey shrugged. "I see the resemblance too. Except Peter doesn't seem to be as much of a little shit as Tony was." Rhodey glared at Tony.

"Hey, you decided to be my friend, honeybear. You signed up for the bullshit that comes with my badassness."

"Language." Steve sighed.

Thor walked forward and pulled Peter up from the couch and into a tight hug that Peter was pretty sure was too tight for most humans, so he huffed out a breath and made a noise of protest for show. "Sorry, forget humans are more fragile. Nice to meet you, Starkson."

"Okay, few things there, Thor. This is Peter Parker. Steve and I did not have a baby while you were gone, it's only been a couple weeks since we last saw you."

"Parker? Would he not be a Stark?" Thor asked.

"Why not a Rogers?" Steve huffed.

"Clearly Tony is the more dominant of the two of you. Which seems odd, at first, but then again I saw you that one time after-"

"Thor! Children present." Steve protested, his face turning red.

"Plus, the boy clearly looks like Stark." Thor said, pulling away from Peter. "Same eyes, similar hair. Yes, more Stark."

"I'm not a Stark or a Rogers, Mr. Thor, sir. I'm just Peter Parker."

"We're fostering him, Thor." Steve explained.

"Fostering? I do not know this concept." Thor frowned. "What is it?"

"It's um... You know, I've never had to describe that to someone before." Tony frowned.

Peter sat down next to Tony. "It's... My parents died when I was little. I was adopted by my aunt and uncle, but they passed away too." Peter cringed. "Foster care is...when kids who don't have a place to go are given one." For better or worse.

"Like adoption. Got it."

"Close, but not really." Peter shrugged. Fostering was temporary, fostering only lasted until the parents got fed up or decided to abuse the system or the kids in their care or until the kids got old enough to be shoved out on their asses into the real world. Adoption was more lasting.

"It's alright. My brother was adopted."

"Great guy, Loki. Really, my favorite." Clint said, giving Thor a thumbs up.

"Well..." Thor nodded and shrugged. "Perhaps not the best comparison, I give you that. Nice to meet you, Peter Parker."

"You too." Peter smiled.

"Ah, is that hot chocolate? I've always wanted to try this drink. Where might I find some?" Thor asked when he saw the mugs around the coffee table. He put his hammer on the table.

"Oh, I'll show you." Peter said, getting up. "Anyone need any more?"

Everyone, except for Clint, declined. Peter took his mug and walked with Thor to the kitchen, getting the god of thunder a mug. When Peter returned to the others, he lifted the hammer and moved it out of the way so that he could safely put Clint's mug down. Dr. Banner spit up his drink and began to cough, choking on his drink.

Clint gapped at him. "What the fuck?"

"Did that just happen?" Happy asked.

"Huh..." Nat said, her eyes narrowing on Peter. "You really are interesting, aren't you?"

"You owe me fifty bucks, Capsicle." Tony commented. "Damn, I'm on fire today."

"What? How?" Pepper asked. "Ju-just how did you do that?"

"Do what?" Peter asked, looking around at all the stunned faces. He felt huge hands land on his shoulders.

"Quite simple, everyone. Peter is worthy." Thor said in a happy, booming voice.

"Worthy of what, exactly?" Peter wondered.

"Kid, we've totally got to fill you in on some things."

"Captain, Tony, you must keep fostering this child. He is a worthy young man to add to our family." Thor said, swiping his hammer and sitting in his own chair with his mug in his other hand.

"Family?" Peter asked with a whisper.

"Ohana, kid." Clint said, holding up his mug.

"That is a classic movie. Love it." Tony pointed to the archer.

"What are you talking about?" Pepper wondered.

"Oh, we're totally doing a movie night. I don't think Capsicle's seen it either." Tony looked at Peter. "You good to socialize a bit longer?"

"For Lilo and Stitch? Always." Peter nodded, taking his place between Steve and Tony again.

"Square deal, presents then Lilo and Stitch."

Peter sat and watched the others quietly as they opened presents, but his eyes found Steve and Tony the most. Maybe they'd meant it when they said they wanted to actually adopt him. They didn't seem ashamed of him, even though he'd freaked out over nothing in front of their friends... It was one thing for two heroes to want to fix up some broken kid who was skin and bones, but another thing entirely to let said kid make a fool of himself (and by extension them) in front of their friends.

Still, he really wondered what all the craziness surrounding the hammer was about.

Notes:

Take care.
Also, Lilo and Stitch is the best animated film ever. Fight me.
Also, "Baby elephant in the room" was my favorite joke. First time I've laughed in a while. So I wrote it twice. :D

Chapter 21: Hell Day...but it's Not All Bad

Notes:

I have a habit of piling all of my bad/stressful shit onto one day so I can get it over with, so I'm totally projecting on Peter. This is a long one and probably riddled with errors... Sorry.
Hope you're all doing well and staying healthy and safe. My job is still working and people (both employees and customers) are being really gross and unhygienic and it's really fucking with my anxiety levels...but I digress.
Also, I used google translate for the Italian, so argue with that page if you want. I don't know Italian at all, just saying.
Also, Deadpool comes with his own warning, right? Maggie's here for a moment too. I needed something fluffy.
Another also, I'm not a medical professional...wacky health stuff ahead. I try to be vague.

Peter waited in the living room, tapping his foot. Steve and Tony came out a few minutes later and smiled gently at him. "Are you two sure you're not busy?" He asked shyly. The day was already packed to the brim with shit to do...then he'd added this to their list.

"Not at all... Are you sure you want us with you?" Tony asked.

Peter shrugged. He didn't know how he felt about any of it.

Steve put his hand on Peter's shoulder. "How about you walk on ahead of us and...if you need us just say the word. I'll hear you."

Peter nodded slowly. That might work.

"Okay, kiddo. Want to head down to the car?" Tony asked tenderly. He didn't even bother with trying to make a joke today.

The ride was hellish and silent even in the early morning traffic, but Peter somehow survived it. He got out of the car and grabbed the flowers, slowly walking across the grass. It had already been a year. A whole fucking year. He crossed the grass and looked at the plot of land. He pulled three roses from the bunch and placed one on his mother's grave, the next on his father's, and then one on his uncle's before he looked down at his aunt's grave. One year ago she'd been alive, smiling at him, telling him that she 'larbed' him. Tears fell down his cheeks.

"Hey, May. I brought you flowers. I know you think it's silly to do that, but I also know you secretly adored getting flowers so..." Peter knelt down and put them in front of the stone. "I miss you. It's been..." His voice cracked. "It's been a really hard year, May, and you'd be so angry with me..." He laughed. "I ran away...spent a couple months on the street, became a superhero...for Uncle Ben." Peter glanced over at the other stone. "I lived on the streets, May, and I know you'd be angry, but...I had no where else to go. I didn't feel safe. I'm sorry. I know you'd tell me I was dumb and toss a pillow at me or something.

"It got really bad, May, and I missed you every second of it. But...good things happened too. I helped lots of people. And I got the internship I always wanted! I even put you down on the sheet...I thought part of you would want to be there. I'm safe now. I think... I think Mr. Stark and Captain Rogers are actually going to take care of me. So don't worry." Peter wiped his eyes and took a deep breath. "I hope you're happy in heaven. You should be with Ben now so...that's gotta be good." He nodded. "I'm going back to school soon...and they're taking me to get dancing shoes today. I'm actually allowed to do some activity now, so I won't have to be cooped up all the time...

"Aunt May, I don't know what to do. My life's all over the place. I don't know where I'm going or what's happening. I mean, have you seen that huge building I'm living in? May, I can do laps in my bathtub and it feels so weird and sort of icky. I'm grateful, really, that I have a place to live but...I miss you and Ben. Things were so much easier. I just feel like a burden, you know? Plus I can't tell anyone where I'm staying and it's just...complicated." Peter sighed. "I'm going to do my best though. I don't know where I'm going or what I should be doing but...I'll try as hard as I can to make you proud." He sniffled. "I'm sorry, May." He touched her headstone and wiped his eyes.

He couldn't stay any longer. He should, but he just couldn't.

"I'm sorry. I love you...all of you."

He walked back to the car and got in, surprised to find that Tony had relocated to the back seat to sit with him. Peter leaned against him and cried. Tony played with his hair and held him as Steve pulled away from the cemetery. "Ti voglio bene, bambino." Tony whispered. "Andra tutto bene, tesoro. Stai bene. Sei al sicuro. Mi dispiace. Ti voglio bene, bambino."

Peter had no fucking clue what Tony was saying, but it sounded kind and comforting. He pressed closer to Tony, hiding his face against his ribs. He felt Tony shift and swore he felt Tony's lips press to his head, but he was distraught and probably imagining things.

"Vorrei poter aggiustare tutto." Tony whispered before holding him and going quiet.

Peter cried and listened to Tony's strange heartbeat, taking in every sound it made as it echoed in his chest and then in the metallic reactor shoved inside of him. He felt comfortable there, safe. After a few minutes Peter felt his tears dry up and his body stop shaking.

"Hey, underoos. You alright?"

Peter nodded and slowly sat up, still staying close to Tony.

"Do you want to go back ho-, I mean to the tower or do you still want to go out?" Tony asked.

Peter wiped his face. "I think I'm okay to go out."

"Alright, speak up if that changes." Tony wrapped an arm around him.

"Okay." Peter nodded.

Steve drove them the rest of the way to the store. Tony let go of Peter. "Go ahead, this is for you and Steve."

"You're not coming in?"

"Believe it or not, Steve blends in better than me, even if he is a Dorito. And I doubt you want...well, people to know who you're spending your time with."

Peter wrinkled his nose. No, he didn't want anyone to find out he was staying with Mr. Stark and Captain Rogers. He had too much of his own shit to juggle, adding on fame and being stalked or any of the attention that would follow that particular reveal, would be horrible. "Okay."

"I'll see you in a moment, kid."

Peter followed Steve out of the car and into the store. "Alright," Steve nodded. "So, you said you wanted to do ballet. Does that mean pointe shoes?"

Peter looked up at Steve and shook his head. "No, guys rarely wear pointe." He looked around the store and pulled Steve forward. "Here. They're slippers. Usually canvas or leather. I prefer canvas." Peter handed Steve a shoe.

"They're really thin."

"Flexible. They have to be flexible." Peter said, looking through the selection, finding a split-sole shoe he liked. He pulled off his own shoes to try them on, pausing. Ben had been with him the first time he tried on ballet slippers. Ben had been supportive of all Peter's different dance classes. They'd helped a lot with his asthma, which was later healed by the spider bite, but...still. He smiled gently and then slipped on the shoes.

He shifted standing on his toes. It was easier than it had been before the spider bite. "Dude, it's a gift that keeps on giving."

"What is?" Steve asked, looking up from his phone.

"You know...the thing. It's so much easier to do this." Peter grinned and then spun. "Ooh, these are nice. Like, really nice. Are you sure I can get these?"

"Multiple pairs of them." Steve said, slipping his phone into his pocket.

"Huh?" Peter asked.

Steve rolled his eyes. "I looked them up. Some dancers can wear through a pair or two in a week."

"I won't be dancing that often!" Peter protested. "That's for pros. I'm not going to be going to lessons every day or anything."

"No, but you will wear through them, so get a couple pairs, okay?"

Peter took a step forward and tentatively hugged Steve. "Thank you."

Steve hugged him back. "Of course, Merry Christmas, Peter."

"And thank you for today...for...you know?"

"Any time, Peter. You know, I visit my mom and dad still, and even . Tony visits Jarvis and Ana every year...he even visits his parents-always his mom, of course. We get it, both of us do in our own ways." Steve said, rubbing his back. "You're not alone. We may not all have the same story, but we can understand some things."

"Thanks." Peter smiled.

"Peter?" A quiet voice asked.

Peter turned and saw a familiar young woman who was dressed in a sweater, jeans, and a pair of gloves. "Maggie?" He asked.

The girl crossed the store and smiled at him. "You're okay." She looked him up and down. "And you're safe. I'm so glad. You look a lot beter too."

"Yeah." Peter itched his head. "Um, thank you for the food and all." He didn't mention that he still had some of the cans hidden in his luggage. After Christmas he'd managed to unpack the picture he had of his family, sure that Tony and Steve wouldn't try to damage it as other foster's had. But he hadn't worked up the nerve to get rid of his meager stash of food or unpack the rest. He felt pretty accomplished for just putting it in the closet, really.

"You're welcome." Maggie nodded.

"Who's this?" Steve asked quietly.

Maggie looked up to him. "I'm a friend, sort of. We only met a few times." She tilted her head and looked at him, her eyes narrowed on Steve for a moment. "You won't hurt him, that's good to know."

"Hurt him?" Steve asked, sounding almost insulted.

She pointed to her temple with a gloved hand. "I have this ability...I can see when people are in danger, or going to be. Peter isn't. He was all the time when he was living on the streets." She whispered.

"Ability?" Steve asked.

She looked between the two of them and folded her arms over her chest. "You don't own the corner on mutations. There are a lot of us." Maggie shrugged.

"Well, thank you again." Peter grinned then bent down to take off the slipper.

"Mags, where'd you go?" A man's voice wondered. "Marco?!"

"Polo." Maggie muttered.

"Oh, there you are, little red." A man with burns across his skin wrapped an arm around her shoulders, then his eyes widened. "Oh my God, it's Captain Tight-Ass, loved you in Winter Soldier, probably my favorite film of yours."

"What? What's a winter soldier?" Steve asked.

"Ooh, and look at those fantastic buns. Aren't you a cutie, baby boy?" He continued, tilting his head to the side to look at Peter.

Peter stood up straight and then realized the man's eyes were on him. "What? No, no, no." Peter blushed and wrinkled his nose.

"Oh, hush, you're making them uncomfortable." Maggie swatted the other man. "Captain Rogers, Peter, this is Wade, my guardian. Sorry he's an ass. He also has no filter. He can be very rude."

"Not to them, look how cute they are." Wade grinned, gripping her shoulders and standing behind her.

"I'm pretty sure they're trying to keep a low profile. Go fanboy at a distance, won't you?" Maggie huffed.

"Okay, little red, but there will be fanboying and crocs." He grinned, winked, and waved at the two before walking away.

"Sorry... He's...an acquired taste." Maggie frowned at Peter.

"I taste like daffodil daydream. Just so you know!" Wade called.

Maggie turned and whatever look she gave him had him covering his mouth and attempting to stay quiet. Then she turned back to Steve and Peter. "Sorry again. You do ballet, Peter?" She asked curiously

"I used to. Cap-Uh, Steve is getting me lessons again. I got to find a place to go."

"The address I gave you before. I don't know if you still have it. It's the dance studio I attend." Maggie explained. "They've got classes for all skill levels and they teach you whether it's your life's dream or if you're casual. It's for all sorts of people, anyways. You could come check it out. If it's your kind of people then that'd be cool. They have a placement test and stuff, but it's nothing to sweat over."

"Cool." Peter grinned. "Thank you, Maggie."

"Mmhm." She nodded. "You have no reason to trust me or anything, but... I really can tell when people are in danger. I'm glad you've found a place where you aren't." She glanced at the wall, seeming to look through it. "Both of them really want to help you. It's nice to see." She nodded. "Well, I should go. I need to figure out how to get Wade out of here so he doesn't see Tony Stark." She whispered the name quietly. "He has a huge thing for him. And if I don't keep him out of trouble Vanessa will be pissed." She rolled her eyes. "Take care, Peter. Maybe I'll see you around."

"Yeah, you too."

Maggie turned waned walked up to Wade. She linked her elbow with his and pulled him back toward another wall. Wade looked over his shoulder and made a heart with his hands, only for Maggie to pull him around again.

"Wade... How do I know that name and voice?" Steve asked.

"Pretty sure he's Deadpool." Peter said with a wrinkled nose. "We met once, on the street. Good thing they don't know about...you know." Peter made a gesture with his hands, one he made quite often as he swung through the city as Spiderman.

"Don't hang around with Deadpool, he's bad news." Steve warned firmly.

"I've heard... Maggie seems nice though. I've never felt unsafe around her..." Or Wade, but Peter wasn't going to mention that. Though the Merc had a lot of kills on his hands, Peter'd taken note that he never hurt kids, in fact, he seemed to go after people who hurt kids with more fury than he did any other type of bad guy. Peter figured he was in the 'protected from the Merc' club because of his age alone.

"Maggie seemed fine." Steve agreed. "Cute too." He nudged Peter with an elbow.

"What?" Peter blushed. "No. I mean she is nice looking, but I wasn't looking at her like that and-oh stop it."

"You're adorable when you're flustered. Now I see why Tony teases me. It's cute." Steve laughed. "Let's go check out, sound good?"

"Mm-hm."

-

Peter slipped his new shoes into his room and stepped into the hallway, to go back to the living room.

"Are you sure about this, kid? It seems like a lot for one day." Tony frowned.

Peter had a few big issues to get through in January. Visiting his family, going to school, getting his wrist re-set (aka broken), and getting medically cleared for activity. He was going back to school in a week, so he figured he might as well get the rest done in one go. "It's fine. Plus, I think Dr. Cho promised o bring me a lollipop this time."

"A lollipop?" Tony asked, appalled. "How come I don't get one?"

"Because you're an adult." Steve scoffed.

"I have child-like qualities." He protested.

"Maybe she just likes me more." Peter shrugged.

Tony gasped. "Betrayed!"

"Peter does do what she asks." Steve laughed. "We both fight against her orders. Peter listens so... I could see him getting candy."

"Yeah!" Peter high-fived Steve. "Let's get this done. I don't want to worry about it anymore, and if we do it now my wrist should be back in shape by school time so... And I'm feeling lucky. I think I finally hit the weight goal."

"Well, let's go find out, huh?" Tony asked with a gentle smile. "But I claim like...twelve percent of that lollipop." He teased.

Peter was glad for the tone and for the casual nature of the talk. As a rule, they didn't joke about food. In fact, Steve and Tony were very serious about food and never talked about keeping it from Peter. This though, felt a bit more natural, normal, and Peter could tell Tony didn't mean it. "How about none? I earned that lollipop."

"Okay...fine." Tony huffed. "You keep the lollipop, you've been doing lots of good work." He ruffled Peter's hair.

They went down to the medical wing and Cho greeted them with a smile, a sucker in her pocket and a huge lollipop behind it. "Hey. How's my favorite patient?" She grinned. "I brought presents. One for each goal we're trying to get to." She grinned. "Come on over and have a seat."

Peter knew the drill by now.

"How are you feeling, Peter?" She asked as she began her exam.

"Alright. Less tired, for sure. I'm up and about more without fatigue or anything."

"How are you eating?"

"Good. Um...I only needed like two reminders this week. I've been good."

"Your skin looks a lot better, good color and everything. It's actually...huh." Cho paused with her hand on his arm. "Have you been doing any strength training?"

"What? No. I'm not allowed."

"You have quite a bit of muscle for someone who hasn't." She scoffed.

"Yeah, tell me about it. I got bit by the spider, went home feeling sick as a dog and woke up the next morning with twenty extra pounds of muscle and abs, that was a shocker."

"You're body is a wonder how fast it repairs itself. It's like it is constantly trying to perpetuate an 'optimal' build. Fantastic. Well, a gift and a curse. You just have to keep the metabolism fed it seems." She shook her head. "You said it healed other things too?"

"I used to have asthma and I had really bad eyesight, but now I can see like...everything."

"It's just so interesting." Cho smiled. "Let's hop up on the scale real quick." She said, letting him up. "And, good news. The poking a prodding you suffered through was not in vein. Me and my team managed to make some pain meds that should work with your metabolism. It's a bit more powerful than Captain Roger's drugs, but they should do the trick for you." She grinned.

Peter listened to her talk, not daring to look down at the scale.

"You can breathe, Peter." Cho said. "Do you want to know the number?"

"Um...sure." He opened his eyes and looked at her.

She held up the sucker. "One-fifty-eight. Welcome back, Peter."

"Really?!" Peter looked down and grinned. "I did it!"

"And you've earned the sucker, but you can't have it just yet." She frowned. "Now that your healing isn't overtaxed, we gotta do the ugly stuff."

"It's okay. I'd rather it be right than not." Peter nodded.

She smiled gently. "Okay, wanna tell the foster's the good news? Before the other thing."

"Yeah." Peter grinned and left the room. Outside, as usual, Tony and Steve were waiting in the chairs.

"Hey, kiddo. I see you got a treat. Good news?" Tony asked.

"I'm back to my normal weight!"

Steve beamed. "Congrats." He pulled Peter into a warm hug. "I'm proud of you. I know it was hard work."

Peter hid his face in Steve's chest, feeling very small suddenly. Then, he felt even smaller when he felt Tony's arms wrap around both of them.

"We're so happy for you, Peter. You did awesome."

Peter felt tears in his eyes. His throat constricted. "Thank you. Both of you...so much." He cried against Steve. He wrapped one arm around Steve and reach back with the other to grab Tony.

"Always, bambino." Tony responded.

Peter felt something bubble up in him and he almost said it out loud. God...he loved these two. He'd always had an aunt and uncle. Yeah, they'd raised him, but there had always been this sort of understanding that they weren't his parents. It was like they hadn't wanted to overstep the memory of Mary and Richard. This...this almost felt like what having parents might feel like. They felt like parents. How had he gotten so lucky to have these two in his life?

"Thank you." Peter whispered again.

He felt them squeeze him one last time before pulling away. "You did it, kiddo, awesome." Tony gave him a high five.

Peter noticed that both of them had huge smiles on their faces and tears in their eyes. They cared. Damn they cared so much.

"One last step to get everything set." Cho frowned. "Hate to rain on the parade. But, once the wrist heals up good, I can officially stamp you healthy enough to do whatever it is you enhanced super-teens do." She smiled gently.

"Okay." Peter sighed heavily. "Let's do this."

"I'm going to put you under, numb you up. Considering how sensitive you are and strong, I don't want to deal with any...potential nasty reflexes. Want them with you until you pass out?"

Peter glanced at them. He didn't like medicine or hospitals or being forced to sleep. His spidersense got all weird. He hoped that they'd be okay with staying with him until he was out.

"We'll come with you if you want us to." Tony assured him.

They did. They followed him and held onto their hands. His spidersense was going haywire at the weird gas he was breathing.

"Don't fight it, Peter, you're alright." Steve promised from his left.

"You're alright. Breathe." Tony said.

Well, if they said it then he'd be okay. Now he just needed to convince his spidersense to listen to him. He breathed, he felt a little dizy. "Why are the lights so bright?"

"We'll turn them down." Tony promised. "J, lights."

"Nice and floaty, right, Peter?"

"Mmhm. I can't feel much." Peter tried to squeeze his hands, barely able to feel Tony and Steve's.

"Good. I'll get you the good stuff now. Try to count backwards from ten." Cho said.

"'K. Ten. Nine. Ei..."

Black.

-

Peter woke up with a cast around his arm, but it wasn't one of the ones that needed to be sawed off. It looked like it could easily be unstrapped and taken off. Peter blinked his eyes and turned his head. Tony and Steve were at his bedside.

"Welcome back, kiddo."

"Feeling alright, bud?"

"Mm-hm. Still floaty."

"Good, that'll be the meds." Cho said. "Everything went fine. Given your healing, I'll see you in a few days, but no lifting anything with that arm. You should make a full recovery before then, but I want to be safe. After you're all healed up from this, I think you can start training if they're okay with it." Helen grinned. "You're going to be alright. After that appointment though, I'd like to see you on a regular basis for a while to make sure you're doing okay."

"Okay." Peter nodded.

"And here's the second gift. You're a trooper and the best patient I've had up here...ever. Lollipop, as promised."

"Thanks!" Peter grinned and took it. "Yay. Look, I have candies. Wait, where did my sucker go?"

Tony snorted. "Captain Righteous kept it so I wouldn't take twelve percent."

"Here you go, bud."

Peter took it. "I've got two candies."

"How long is the high-thing going to last, because this is funny?" Tony laughed.

"He'll be his normal self in no time. He burns through everything so damn fast. Once he's upright make sure he eats some and gets fluids." Cho smiled fondly at Peter and ruffled his hair in a very uncharacteristic gesture. "You're awesome Peter. Great job. Model patient."

"Thanks, Dr. Cho for helping me."

"Any time, Peter." She grinned. Then she turned and looked at Tony. "What? He's adorable. Tell me you don't have a soft spot for him." She huffed. "You are all good to go."

-

Peter snuck out of his bed late at night. "JARVIS, is anyone up?"

"No, Peter, would you like me to wake them up?" JARVIS asked.

"No. Please don't. And...don't tell them about this." Peter wasn't sure he was ready for them to know about...well, all this.

"As long as there is no harm done to you, Peter, I am your confidant."

Peter grinned. "Thanks, JARVIS." JARVIS was one of his favorite people, and, as a side note, getting really good at keeping Peter's room the perfect temperature. He walked to his closet and pulled free the suitcase inside with his un-casted hand. He opened it up and sat on the floor. Carefully he pulled out what remained inside. He put the food goods in a stack and then pulled out his personal belongings...well, what little remained from his life with May and Ben. He unpacked them and put them on display in his room. It didn't take long.

Once the suitcase was empty, he retrieved his uncle's old suitcase from under the bed and emptied it of everything. He put his personal documents in his desk. Hung his aunt and uncle's wedding rings from Aunt May's favorite necklace. He put his parent's wedding rings on his bookshelf. He took the money he'd hidden and put it in the wallet Steve had bought him. He tended to all he had wanted to protect. Then he looked at the pile of food on his floor.

His brain screamed at him to hoard it, to keep it all to himself. He plucked up a single protein bar and put it in his side-table, before he hauled the rest to the pantry in a few trips. When he came back to his room, he felt a lump form in his throat.

It almost looked like home.

Maybe it could be home.

"I won't say anything to the others, but I would like to remark that I am very proud of you, Peter. That was a big step." JARVIS commented, quietly.

"Thanks. Do you think my aunt and uncle would be mad?" Peter whispered. He'd just visited them that morning, just cried over their graves and now he was moving into someone else's home.

"No. I am a machine, but from what I can understand of love, any parental figure who loves their child would want them to feel safe and happy and healthy. This is just that, Peter."

"I'm all over the place today." Peter wiped his eyes, but knew JARVIS was telling the truth.

"Well, you did do a lot today. It was a pretty intense schedule. Perhaps, next time, you shouldn't take on so much in one day. Sir has that problem too, I find it drains him."

"I can see why." Peter said. He felt wrung out, tired, but happy too. It was a mix...a bittersweet thing. So much good had happened today...and so much sadness too.

"The best cure for that, I've found, is sleep, Peter." JARVIS advised. "Perhaps things will be less muddled tomorrow."

"Okay." Peter nodded. He walked to his wall and climbed up the wall with one hand and his feet. Then he snuggled in above his hammock, just in case he did slip while he was asleep. Plus, he'd stowed a few pillows in the netting and a blanket for such falls, just so he could get comfortable afterwards.

"Is the temperature acceptable, Peter?"

"Yeah." Peter nodded again.

"Good. Sleep well, Peter." The lights slowly dimmed and went out.

"Thanks JARVIS."

"Goodnight, Peter."

Peter snuggled into the ceiling and fell asleep.

Notes:

Take care.

Chapter 22: Meetings and Sparring

Summary:

Peter heads back to school...for better or worse.

Notes:

I made Peter a little stronger than comic book Peter, because if you do the math MCU Peter is actually one of the strongest versions of Spiderman so...strayed a bit away from source stuff, but whatever.
Also, Flash is a dick and poor Peter has a panic attack, so mind yourselves.

The school was quiet, but that was the point of it. Instead of one of Tony's exotic cars, they'd taken a non-descript car Clint had offered to them. They were just there for a meeting with the principal, in truth, to help Peter get onto his feet in school without a hitch. Tony and Steve had given Peter a choice to come or stay home and Peter'd tagged along and chatted happily about how his arm was fully healed and free.

Tony grumbled about 'stupid enhanced people powers.' Peter had laughed at him.

They walked to the office, the door was open, and Morita jolted upright in his seat when they appeared in the doorway and he looked at his watch. "Oh, I wasn't expecting you for a little bit. I was going to meet you."

"Don't worry about it." Tony shrugged, leaving on his sunglasses.

"Hi, Peter, nice to see you again." Morita smiled.

"Hey." Peter smiled and sat in a chair that was usually reserved for people who were in trouble, but he felt pretty alright when Tony and Steve sat on either side of him.

"Alright, introductions, right? I know we spoke over e-mail, but I'm Captain Steve Rogers. And this is-"

"Oh, come on, he knows who I am." Tony scoffed.

"I'm Principal Morita."

"Any relationship to Jim Morita? I've been meaning to ask." Steve asked.

"My grandfather. I grew up to stories about you." Morita nodded with a warm smile. "Nice to meet you."

"And you."

"Alright, so I hear you have concerns as to Peter's return to school. But I am a bit confused as to the situation between the three of you."

"Technically, I'm the recognized foster parent." Tony waved his hand. "But we both went through all the training and such. I'm the one by law but...Steve's just as in this as I am."

"Yeah, and once this bozo decides to finally pop the question, I can be recognized in that capacity by law too." He glared at Tony.

"Oh, shush." Tony rolled his eyes. "The point is, either of us can pick him up, sign him out, things like that. Steve is certainly trustworthy."

"And you feel that way, Peter?" Morita asked.

Tony smiled, instantly liking this principal a lot better. Here he was facing an Avenger and one of the most powerful man in the world and he took the side of the fluffy teenage kid.

"Yeah. Totally. I mean, I didn't know there was official things or anything. They've sorta been 'co-parenting' I guess."

"Okay." Morita nodded and looked to Tony and Steve again. "So, I know you brought up some concerns about possibly feeling overwhelmed and eating habits. I don't need any details if you don't want to share, but I'd like to know more about these concerns so the staff and I can keep an eye."

Tony turned his head and looked at Peter. "Wanna field this one, kid?"

"Um...sure." Peter nodded. He fidgeted. "I um... I'm supposed to eat pretty often. And I..."

Steve draped his arm around Peter's shoulders as Tony grabbed Peter's hand.

"You've got this, bambino."

Peter shifted and nodded. "Um... I've been having panic attacks sometimes and I'm sometimes up and down. I want to be in school again through. I want my normal life back...as much as possible though."

"Okay." Morita nodded. "So about food. I can put an alert to make sure you're getting lunch every day. About snacks, you can have some throughout the day if you need, but not in the science lab, just in case."

"Yeah, totally." Peter nodded. "That works."

"And of course, we have a consoler if you need to speak to someone."

"Um, I have a therapist already...but...yeah that's cool." Peter said lamely, but he knew school consoler's were shit, especially after he'd gone to his own therapist. When he'd gone to the consoler after Ben was killed it hadn't been helpful...he wasn't likely to go back again, especially since he couldn't share most of his issues with the school consoler and trust that they'd stay confidential.

"I have another concern." Tony raised his hand. "We, as our little...Ohana, don't want the world finding out that Peter has joined our family just yet. Given the recent events and how we're all still adjusting, we don't want to add fame and all that stress on top until he decides he's ready for that."

"Understandable. You will be listed as his legal guardian, but I will make sure anyone with access to that information will keep it in confidence."

Tony leaned forward. "Sorry, don't exactly trust that. I've been burned by well-meaning people before. Can I get a list of people with access to that information? I'd like to send out some NDA's."

Morita paused for just a second. "Yeah, I can do that. And to and from school, I imagine you're both quite busy, is there someone else who may be bringing him in?"

"It'll usually be me." Steve shrugged. "If it isn't me or him, probably Happy."

"Happy?" Morita asked.

"Harold Hogan, but he hates that so we call him Happy. He's my head of security and one of the few people who I trust to look after Peter."

"Happy's a cool guy... Though sometimes I think I annoy him. He picks really good food though. We always stop for good food when he drives me." Peter grinned.

"That's why you're always a little late." Steve realized. "Huh, you should raise his pay, that's really nice of him."

Tony lifted his phone and pressed a button. "JARVIS, take that into account. And send Happy something Downton Abbey related, a collectable or something, he loves that show."

"Does he?" Peter asked with a wrinkled noes. "Does he realize it's a soap opera?"

"Kid, don't even start that argument with him. He thinks it's elegant or something. I've tried to explain it, but I can't." Tony scoffed.

Peter shrugged.

"Any other concerns?" Morita asked.

"No, we just want to make sure Peter's safe here and that he adjusts as best as possible." Steve nodded. "The smoothest we can make this, the better, I think." He squeezed Peter's shoulder gently. "I think we're all set, but still, we want to make sure thinks are safe and comfortable."

"We hope that too. We want that for all of our students." Morita nodded.

"Good." Tony said in relief, adding a few more things he was concerned about.

Steve and Peter shared a look, obviously not understanding how Tony had such an extensive list of worries, but they relaxed while Tony tried to strengthen the security of the school. Peter looked at Steve. "Dude, I'm a superhero." Peter whispered so low that Tony and Morita couldn't hear.

"So am I and the rest of the Avengers and you should see how he goes mother-hen on us." Steve smiled. "He'll do this. He takes on every problem as if it's his own. He keeps the people he cares about most safe. It's an honor to be in that club."

"Yeah..." Peter grinned in agreement.

"Just wait until you see his plans for your suit." Steve patted his shoulder and put his arm down.

"Wait, there's plans already?" Peter whispered, sitting up straight.

"You okay, Peter?" Tony asked because he obviously noticed the shift.

"Yeah, totally."

Steve chuckled, then whispered. "Peter, he's got a million ideas for your suit and he can't wait to start working on it with you."

Peter raised his hand. Steve high-fived him.

"What are you two doing?" Tony asked.

"Having a secret conversation without you." Peter grinned at him.

"Smart-aleck." Tony rolled his eyes.

-

Peter sat in the back of the car. It was Clint's again, as it was discreet and Clint liked to keep his 'baby elephant' and prank-buddy safe. Peter felt nervous and didn't understand why. He'd been to school before, his whole life. Why was he nervous?

"You alright, kid?" Tony asked from the driver's seat.

"Yeah. Just nervous."

"If it's ever too much, you can come back home. I know it could be a lot. It's been a long couple of months. Just take it easy, you know?" Steve nodded.

"Okay. I think I'll be fine." Peter took a deep breath, then spotted Ned at the gate. "Ned's here."

"You ready, bud?" Steve wondered.

"I think so."

Tony turned and pulled off his sunglasses. "You've got this, okay? And we're can pick you up if you need it?"

"Thanks." Peter smiled.

"And, I'll be here at the end of the day. Nat said she'd join us for sparring this afternoon."

"Really? Sweet!" Peter was pretty sure he could make it through anything now. Even all the weird looks he was probably going to get.

"Yup, and we can work on the new suit if you'd like. But only after homework, okay?"

"Sounds like a deal." Peter grabbed his backpack. "Alright. See you after school?"

"Yup. Go get 'em tiger." Steve grinned.

"He's actually a spider, honey." Tony snorted.

"Shut up."

Peter smiled. God he loved his new parents. "See ya." He got out of the car and pulled his bag over his shoulder, heading right for Ned.

"Hey, bro. How were the holidays?" Ned asked as they shared their handshake.

"Pretty good. Dude, I have some stories to tell you."

Ned frowned and grabbed Peter's arm. "Wait, didn't you say they were gonna rebreak this? Is it okay?"

Peter winced. He had told Ned that. Shit. "Yeah. Healed super quick. It was a minor fix, no big."

"Cool. So what do you mean stories? Like, cool ones?" He asked as they walked into the school.

Peter leaned in. "Like, I spent the day after Christmas watching Lilo and Stitch with the Avengers, bro. That kind of cool."

"Holy shit! You met the Av-"

Peter covered his mouth. "Dude."

"Right, sorry." Ned smiled sheepishly. "Cool though, dude. I want all the details."

"Promise."

"Hey, Parker."

Peter turned and saw MJ standing in the corner. "Hi."

"Nice to see you back."

"Thanks."

"Yeah, well, whatever. Hope you were practicing for decathlon."

"Yeah, of course." Peter nodded. "See you at practice tomorrow for sure."

"Good, finally we can kick Flash off the team." She smiled. "Welcome back."

"Huh, she wasn't mean or anything." Ned whispered.

"I'm not expecting a lot of nice today, so that was a pleasant surprise."

"I've go your back, bro. Let's do this."

Peter smiled. He really did have a great friend.

-

Peter felt his phone vibrate. He pulled it out and looked at the text. He couldn't label his contacts with the real names, just in case. So he'd made up joke-ish names.

'FEmale' was Mr. Stark. Captain Rogers was 'Discus.'

He had a text from Steve about him having a good day. But the new text that just came through was from Tony, reminding him to have a snack. He sent a smile face and a thumbs up to Captain Rogers. Then he sent a picture of a protein bar to Tony before unwrapping it and taking a bite. He tried to keep it discreet. He knew the teachers knew he was allowed to eat any time, but he didn't want any of his classmates to get upset about it. He was a little hungry though. He was used to eating all the time at the tower. He'd have to get used to the different eating schedule.

It was a great protein bar, though.

"Hey, Penis."

Peter sighed heavily, but didn't move. Maybe Flash wouldn't be a total dick.

"Heard you were shoved into another foster home. What? Someone else decide they didn't want you?"

"Dude, shut up." MJ snapped because Ned wasn't there to.

Peter balled up his fists, but didn't move. He looked at the bar and tried to take a bite. His stomach turned.

"Well, at least these ones didn't have to die to get away from you like all the other ones. But hey, there's still time for these new ones to get cold feet...or you know, crash and burn."

Peter froze. He couldn't breathe. It was like the building that had collapsed on him. The weight of it keeping him from breathing.

"You fucker." MJ snapped slamming her hands down on her desk.

"What? It's true. They gotta get away from the loser somehow. Anyone want to place bets on how long the new fosters last before they kick him out or off themselves? Better yet, simpler bet: will they off themselves or give him up first?"

A book flew at Flash's face, but he dodged MJ's very heavy calculus book.

"Ever think of going it alone, Penis? It'd probably be easier on everyone if you just lived in a gutter somewhere. I heard a rumor that you already did. How was it? I bet that snack is a feast to you."

Peter felt struck. At one point the simple protein bar was a feast. How did the school already know that he'd lived on the streets? Ned barely knew that and he wouldn't tell anyone. So how did anyone find out? He couldn't breathe. Why couldn't he breathe? His spidersenses were going off all over the place. Everything felt like it was covered in glaring neon 'danger' signs. He needed to get away.

"You are a fucking asshole." MJ stood up and lifted her fists, ready to deck Flash.

"Don't." Peter choked out. "Don't...just..." Peter couldn't breathe. He needed out. He needed to get out of that room. Now.

"Peter are you okay?" MJ turned, her eyes widening in concern when she saw him.

Peter saw her move and suddenly recalled he too had legs. He shoved his chair back. He probably got out of the room faster than a normal person could. The lockers were spinning, and there wasn't enough air, even in the empty hallway. He ducked into the empty band practice room and fell onto the carpet, trying to remember how to breathe. He'd been taught how to stop this, he know he had, problem was he couldn't remember.

He was too scared to worry about his pride. He grabbed his phone and dialed Steve's number, knowing Tony had meetings today, important ones he couldn't miss, one with Obediah and Peter didn't want to get Tony in trouble with that murderer.

"Rogers." Steve answered on the second ring. "How's school going, Pete? Is it lunch already?"

Peter tried to speak. He felt marginally calmer, hearing Steve's voice, but he couldn't get the words out. "H-"

"Peter? Buddy, what's wrong? Hey, are you okay?" He could hear Steve set something down in the background and almost see his shoulders straighten.

"H-he-elp. Can't b-bre-eathe." Peter barely managed to get out. "P-pan-"

"Panic attack?" Steve asked when Peter couldn't get it out. "Hey, bud, it's okay. I'm with you. I need you to breathe for me. That's the first thing I need you to focus on: breathing."

"C-can't."

"Yes you can, Peter. You've done it your whole life. You can do it. Okay? Breathe in for me, Peter."

Peter listened and tried. He tried to follow the pattern. It got easier, bit by bit. And as soon as the world stopped spinning and the air was getting to his lungs, the shame kicked in. His pride hurt. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'msorryI'msorry." He hadn't even made it to lunch. He was hiding in an empty classroom and his spidersense was going off like crazy. He was in school. It wasn't like it was war or even patrolling. He was just in stupid school.

"Don't be sorry, Peter. Just keep breathing. I'm almost there."

Steve was coming to get him? Peter felt worse, sick to his stomach. All this over a stupid bully he could literally destroy with one punch? It seemed so petty. So small. "I'm sorry."

"It's alright, Peter. You've got nothing to be sorry for. Just breathe. Are you somewhere safe?"

"Mmhm." Peter nodded, but his spidersense begged to differ. It was convinced he was surrounded and definitely not safe.

"Good. Can you get to the office?"

Classes were still in session. Peter probably could get to the office without getting spotted. "I think so."

"Alright, bud. How about we meet there, okay? I'll stay on the phone, but you should go there, alright? I'll stay, you just have to go, okay? I don't want you alone right now."

Peter took a few more breaths before he left his hiding place and headed for the office.

"Did you make it, bud?"

"Yeah."

"Oh, Mr. Parker, are you alright?" The receptionist asked. She had a gentle concern in her face.

"Can I just sit down?"

"Of course. I'll get you some water. Is that a guardian on the phone?" She asked as she got up.

Peter nodded. He felt tired.

"Peter, I'm about five minutes away. You still good?"

"I'm upset with myself and...wrung out."

"That's okay. You can be tired, but it's not your fault, alright?" Steve assured. "Relax. I can see the school, bud. I'm almost there."

"Thank you." Peter whispered.

"Here you are, sweetie." The receptionist handed Peter a cup of water. "Would you like to talk about it?"

Peter shook his head as fast as he could. "Thank you for this." He took a sip and the cold water felt amazing. It took all his restraint to keep from downing it all in one go.

"Of course, Peter." She patted his shoulder.

He flinched away from her and heard Steve's footsteps on the front stairs. How did he know? Because he'd heard that walk before. It was the 'Captain on a Mission' walk. He'd heard it many times. "I can hear you." Peter whispered.

"Good, focus on that. I'll see you soon, bud."

"Okay." Peter hung up. He listened to the footsteps get closer in the empty halls. The closer they got the calmer he felt. Then the door opened. Steve's strong hands were on his shoulders in an instant and the man knelt in front of him.

"Hey, Peter." Steve smiled gently. He almost looked normal in his jeans, jacket, and hat, but if anyone got a good look at him they'd know exactly who he was.

"I'm sorry. It's so stupid."

"If you're upset then it's not stupid." He rubbed Peter's shoulders gently. "Wanna look at me?"

Peter slowly looked up at Steve. "Sorry."

"Don't be sorry." Steve ruffled his hair. "Want a hug?"

Peter nodded and leaned forward, hugging Steve. He hated that he'd pulled Steve away from whatever he'd been doing, especially over a little bullying. It wasn't new! Flash had always been an asshole. He was supposed to finally be back, be okay, and yet he let someone's words get under his skin. He felt safer once he was in Steve's arms, even the constant sense of danger eased. "You won't leave me, right?" He found himself whispering.

"No, Peter. I'm not leaving." Steve kissed his temple. "I'm right here."

Peter hid his face in his shoulder. "Sorry."

"No more apologies. How about we get you back home...to the tower?" He corrected, sounding unsure of what to call it.

"I think..." Peter sniffled, but didn't move his face. "I think we can call it home now."

Steve smiled hugely, then kissed Peter's cheek. "Okay, bud. Let's get you home and get you some food and some sort of destressing, okay?"

"Okay."

-

On the way home, Steve didn't ask what had happened. Peter didn't offer it up. It was nice to not get questioned about it. It still felt a bit raw. "Pizza or burgers or something homemade?"

"Um...pizza seems easiest." Peter shrugged.

"Cool. The usual?" Steve asked.

"Sure."

"JARVIS, did you hear that?" Steve asked.

"Yes, Captain. The food will be delivered shortly after your arrival."

"Thanks, JARVIS." Steve said. "Food, movie, and then something to destress?"

"Okay." Peter tried to relax as they drove and when they got home they both headed to the living room. Peter got on the couch and instead of choosing a movie, he put on Bob Ross. Steve got the pizza and brought in two plates. "You didn't tell, Mr. Stark, did you?"

"No, Pete. Unless you want him here."

"No...I think I'm okay." Peter nodded.

Steve sat next to him and held out a plate. "Anything you want to talk about, Peter?" He wondered as Bob continued to paint a landscape.

Peter frowned. "Um... I have this bully at school." He thought Steve might ask how a super-powered teen got bullied, but Steve didn't say anything. "He talks a lot, always has, but I couldn't stand up for myself before and...now I could throw him through a wall. But...I can't, you know?"

"Yeah, I get it." Steve said. "I get bullies."

"Um... He was talking about placing bets one how long it would be until I was passed off into another home. And...he said something about me living in a gutter on the streets. It just. He was probably guessing but, it made me feel like everyone knew. I panicked and didn't know how to get calm again."

"Bullies are the worst." Steve frowned, his jaw tight. "You know, Tony and I could do something about that if you want. Talk to the principal or...this kid's parents."

Peter shrugged. "May and Ben did that, back when it started, but it didn't help. His parents don't seem to really...care about him. Plus, if he isn't picking on me he'll pick on other kids."

"That's not an excuse to let someone bully you, Peter."

"But I'm Spiderman. I can take it better than those other kids."

"Peter," Steve sighed and shook his head. He folded his hands together and put his elbows on his knees, leaning forward to look at Peter. "You know, I really, really love that about you, Peter. I'm pretty sure you were Spiderman long before you got your powers, bud, because you have the heart of a hero. But, Peter, it's okay to stand up for yourself."

"But I can't. Captain Rogers, it's... I can't. I'm so much stronger than everyone else. It's not like I can shove people back when they shove me. I always have to be so careful about everything. I couldn't fight back before and now...if I did, I could really hurt someone."

"You rescue kittens out of trees, walk granny's across streets, dent Iron Man's suit, and survived a collapsed building. I don't think physical strength is a problem, bud. You've got that part under control." Steve sighed. "I don't want you to fight this kid, Peter. I won't be mad at you for it, because I used to try to fight every bully I could-not that I ever won those fights... You're not that kind of kid, you're better than I was. You don't assault the bullies, you let them beat on you so that someone with less strength doesn't have to take it. That's a real hero, Peter. In fact, every hero out there should be asking themselves 'What would Spiderman do?' because you are always trying to the best for as many people as you can. But here's the problem. Maybe the shoving doesn't bother you like it does other kids, but the words hurt. Don't they?"

Peter nodded. "They think it's funny."

"What's funny?"

"That everyone leaves me... When I was little, they used to tease me about my parents. Then when Ben died. Then when May died. Then with each foster home I ended up in... Now he was trying to get people to place bets."

"On what?"

Peter fidgeted. "Whether you'd kick me out or die to get away from me first."

Steve clenched his fists, then relaxed them. "That's NOT okay, Peter, you know that right?"

"Well..." Peter shrugged.

Steve leaned back in his chair and sighed heavily. He took a few breaths to calm down. "Peter, did you know Stane used words to kick Tony out of being CEO? He didn't kill Tony with that whole Afghanistan thing, he failed, so he started telling people he was incompetent, started telling people about his depression and PTSD. He talked until the rest of the board decided to kick Tony to the curb."

"That's different." Peter shrugged. "It's not like I'm facing an evil guy, it's just a kid."

"Peter sometimes you are so freaking difficult." Steve tugged on his hair. "You and Tony, I don't know how two geniuses can be so stupid sometimes."

"Genii."

"Don't be a smartass." Steve chuckled and shook his head.

"Language."

"I'm calling you Mini-Tony for the rest of the day, so help me, I will." Steve massaged his temples. "Peter, let's go about it this way. If Ned get's shoved, what would you do?"

"Stop the person who shoved him."

"And if someone made him have a panic attack, what would you do?"

"Help him...and make sure it NEVER happened again."

"You gotta have that compassion and kindness for yourself too, Peter." Steve nodded and patted his shoulder. "Look, I'm not going to tell you what to do. I'm not going to tell Tony, because he'd be pissed and at your school faster then I could get the story out. But, I want you to know, Tony and I, we have your back. 100%. If that means you deck the kid, well, I'll turn the other way, Tony probably would too."

"We're not allowed to settle arguments with fists like in the old days."

"Well, that really isn't an improvement, is it? Welcome to the future, we cause mental scaring instead of just getting it over with, one and done." Steve rolled his eyes. "Sorry, I'm an old-schooler. I think if we dropped the passive aggressive and just decked each other now and then there might be a lot less real fights and problems." He laughed. "Look. If you need someone to go in there and make it stop...I'm pretty sure Tony can scare the shit out of anyone, and having an Avenger in your corner can't hurt. But it's up to you. But, I'm not going to hold back very long, bud. Someone hurts my ki-um I won't have anyone hurting the people I care for. The only thing that's stopped me from gathering the Avengers and putting an end to Stane is that we don't actually have the evidence we need... Tony's getting close though."

"And what happens after? When you finally get him? I mean...people think Iron Man's a bad guy...but Mr. Stark could do so much good."

"We've got plans. You know, technically he's destroyed his own property and not left anyone with more than a broken bone or two unless they were actively trying to hurt someone so...we'll figure it out. But PR's more Tony's game, I'll leave that bit to him." Steve sighed. "But, back to the real point. Tony and I have your back, okay? And we're not going anywhere."

"Okay." Peter nodded.

Steve pursed his lips in consideration, then leaned forward, kissing Peter's temple. "Okay, eat up, before it gets cold."

"Okay."

-

The two super-humans knocked out five pizzas without any regrets and watched a few more episodes of The Joy of Painting. Steve sat up. "Alright. Wanna de-stress some more? Because there is a whole workout space downstairs you haven't seen yet. And... I just got a text from someone who's calling herself 'spider-momma' who wants to spar. Working out usually helps me relax so, I thought the three of us could hit the gym for a bit."

"What? Really?" Peter asked, excited.

"Yeah. Nat figured you out, huh?" Steve asked with a grin.

"At Christmas... She's kept it quiet, right?"

"Not even Clint knows, and that's saying something." Steve nodded. "So, feeling up to it?"

"Uh, yeah. Let me go get on some shorts!" Peter was out of the room quickly, mostly because he jumped over everything in the way.

"Kid's excited." Steve laughed and shook his head. It was nice to see Peter happy.

They made it down to the fitness floor and Peter's jaw dropped. "Whoa. Holy shit!"

"Language." Steve chuckled, squeezing Peter's shoulders. "JARVIS, no entry from anyone." He said after spotting Nat on a bench, tying her shoes.

"Yes, Captain. Does this include Sir? I'm not sure I can keep him out, but I could request it." JARVIS responded.

"Oh, Tony's fine, just keeping Peter's secret identity under the radar, is all." Steve waved JARVIS off.

"Understood, Captain."

"Hey, паучонок, Captain." Nat nodded, standing up.

"Nat." Steve smiled. "You doing okay?"

"Yeah. How about you, kid?"

"I'm alright." Peter shrugged, forcing a smile.

"You left school, you've been crying, so you're lying to me."

Peter's mouth fell open. "But... How?"

"I'm a spy, паучонок." She grinned. "Anyone I need to beat up for you?"

"No, I already offered my services." Steve grinned. "I'm GREAT with bullies."

Nat snorted. "I'll go warm up, but I'm going to see your moves, kid. Don't think you're getting out of here without a fight." She poked his shoulder and walked past him, heading for the weights.

"That wasn't terrifying at all." Peter whispered.

"Yeah, she does that to people." Steve grinned. "What do you wanna do?"

Peter looked around. "Is that an obstacle course?"

"Sure is."

"I wanna do it." Peter rushed to it and stood at the black line where it started. On the wall there was a score board. Steve, Thor, and Nat were at the top.

"Peter, how would you like to run the course? Would you like moving obstacles, added targets, or projectiles?" JARVIS asked.

"Um, let's do a vanilla run, JARVIS. The kid's just back on his feet."

"Well, wait... You can make the walls and floor and poles and ledges and stuff move?" Peter asked.

"Yes, Peter." JARVIS answered.

"That option! I wanna test my reflexes. Don't want to be rusty." Peter grinned. "So do you time this thing or something?"

"Yes, Peter. As soon as you step past the line the clock starts."

"Cool!" Peter looked to the board and the order of the names had changed, apparently, each setting of the course had different champions.

"Just take it easy to start, okay, bud?" Steve asked.

"Okay...but, just so you know. They call me Peter Parkour for a reason." Peter said, stretching out his muscles.

"What?" Steve asked.

"Boo! Puns are lame." Nat called from the bench press.

"You'll regret hating on my pun when I kick your ass off the leaderboard." Peter grinned and jumped up and down a few times. "JARVIS, play some epic music."

Shoot to Thrill began to play.

"JARVIS, I love you, you're literally my new best friend." Peter grinned. "Let's go." Peter kicked his shoes off and threw himself past the line as fast as he could. He ran along the first wall and leapt toward the next one, but his spidersense went off and he twisted grabbing a pole and swinging around it as the wall he meant to go for disappeared. He threw himself up and landed on top of one of the walls, that quickly began to drop. He jumped up and grabbed the net hanging from the ceiling, throwing himself threw a tiny crack in the wall ahead of him that was moving up and down. He slipped through the space without touching it, even as it jerked up and down.

"Holy shit." Nat got up and walked up next to Steve. "This kid is very flexible and quick."

"Yeah...no joke." Steve whispered. He knew Peter was good, but...damn.

Peter flipped off the last obstacle and landed past the finish line with his hands up in victory. "Dude! That felt awesome."

"New record has been set. Very good, Peter. You beat the leader by forty-eight-point-two seconds."

"Bet I could do it faster with my webs. Ya'll need to add some more contortion stuff...or faster moving obstacles. But that was a fun stretch."

"A fun stretch?" Steve asked.

"You walked on your hands across the ceiling." Nat commented.

"He sleeps on the ceiling." Steve told her.

"How have he and Clint not run into each other?" Nat wondered.

"Because Tony has our vents on their own system. Clint can't physically get into them unless he's on our floor to begin with. Tony's paranoid...rightfully so though."

"It's not paranoia at this point, it's preparedness and I appreciate it." Nat nodded.

"Cut the music, JARVIS."

"Yes, Peter."

"So, did I do good?" Peter asked Steve with wide, excited eyes.

"You did great." Steve nodded. "And really? AC/DC?"

"They're epic. Mr. Stark and I listen to them all the time in the lab. I'm starting to like them a lot more." Peter's eyes widened. "Are those weights? How much is over there?"

"Um...many tons. Thor has to be able to work out, after all."

"Duuuuude.... I wanna see my max. Well...not my max strength. I mean. I don't have adrenaline going or anything, but I could get like a baseline. That'd be cool."

"Go try it. I'll spot you."

"He's high energy." Nat grinned.

"I've been trapped inside and unable to do anything. I'm so bored! I've missed doing stuff." He rushed over to a bench.

"P-Peter. Wait until I can spot you, Jesus. I don't want you to get crushed." Steve walked over to Peter, standing behind him. "Please start small."

"Is a ton small?"

"Peter." Steve said in warning.

"But I can stop a car with my bare hands. They weigh a few tons, some of them."

"Peter, start small. You've...not been well."

Peter looked up at him. "Okay. How heavy is the bar?"

"Five hundred pounds."

"Okay. I wonder when things'll get heavy." Peter reached up and grabbed the bar. He lifted it, lowered it and raised it. Then put it down. "Um...I think I could lift that with my pinky finger." Peter stood up and did just that. "Yeah... Can I try more?"

Steve rubbed his forehead. "Don't tell Tony I let you. You'd give him a heart attack. Let's add weight."

They kept working and adding more weight.

"Peter has officially passed your highest recorded lift, Captain."

"Okay, maybe you should stop, kid. I can't spot much more than that." Steve said worriedly. But he was curious. Just how much could Peter lift?

"A spotter is a helper. If I can lift this and you can lift this, then we're good for at least double the weight. Plus." Peter pulled on his shirt. "I'm not even sweaty."

"Jesus, help me." Steve rubbed his head. "Okay, more weight."

At eleven tons. Peter actually began to sweat during his reps. He put the bar up and breathed out. "Should stop. I think I could do more, but that's getting heavy. I think I could do a little more...and who knows what I could lift under duress.... Cool. Plus, you looked like you might have an aneurysm." Peter got up and put the weights back.

"Yeah, um...my heart's pounding a bit. You're just so small."

"They say awesome things come in small packages." Peter grinned.

"Jesus... You know, only Thor and Hulk can lift more. And they give me a heart attack sometimes when I see what they do."

"Sorry? For...being awesome." Peter winked.

"That's the kind of confidence you need." Steve said. "Wanna spar?"

"Yeah. We can?"

"Of course."

"Are you gonna use the shield? Cause if you get a shield, I should get my webs."

"I think we can go without the fancy stuff, right?"

"Can I use my sticky-ness?"

"It's a natural ability, so sure, it's on the table."

"Alright."

Steve and Peter went a few rounds. Steve won every time, but Peter was getting better and getting in a few hits.

"Go for the legs, Peter!" Tony called as he strode out of the elevator, pulling off his tie.

"The legs! Got it!" Peter grunted, slipping out of Steve's hold and doing just that. "Whoo! I won." He declared a moment later.

Steve laughed as Peter helped him up. "Good job, bud." He patted Peter's shoulder. "We need to work on some tactics, I think."

"Honey, get over here." Tony called.

"Yes, darlin'." Steve walked over and kissed Tony.

"Alright паучонок, my turn." Nat said.

"What does that mean?"

"Baby spider. If Clint can call you a baby elephant, then I get to call you baby spider." Nat grinned. "You've got a lot of good stuff going for you kid, speed, flexibility, strength...but it's all raw energy. Now, if I could give you some brains to go with that brawn, you'll be all set."

"Okay."

"Let's go, паучонок." Nat smirked.

Notes:

Take care.

Chapter 23: Heart to Hearts

Notes:

So...I wasn't going to initially make this a series...but then I just kept writing and writing and well... Now it is?
One Superfamily crisis at a time I guess. Oh, and the next crisis is hinted at big time.
Thanks for sticking with me. I love all of the support and kindness you've shown. Hopefully I can get more on top of my writing. (Let's hope.)
Hope you enjoy this. <3

Steve frowned after pulling away from Tony. "Hey, you okay?"

Tony shrugged, then grabbed Steve's hand and nodded to the elevator.

"Okay." Steve followed Tony, wiping the sweat off his brow as he followed him. They rode up two floors and got off. "Hey, what's up with that?"

"Oh, I trust Nat with the kid, but I don't want him to worry...and he's got super-duper hearing so...two layers of soundproofing should do it." Tony sighed and then held out his phone.

Steve took it and read the article on it. A small town had been decimated overseas...by SI weapons...black market, SI weapons. "Oh, Tony. I'm so sorry." He pulled the shorter man into a hug.

"I wasn't there to stop it. I didn't even know they had them. I-"

"Hey, it's not your fault."

"I thought I was getting all of them." Tony sniffled into Steve's shoulder.

"Darlin'...I'm sorry. We'll stop this, okay? Do you need more hands on this? I can help."

"Can't go tainting your perfect American charm. It's bad enough you slum it with me as your boyfriend, getting you associated with Iron Man isn't a good call."

"I think it's a great call. I bet Iron Man would be a fantastic teammate. Dedicated to helping everyone he can, smart, strong...and with the biggest heart I've ever seen."

"Please, you've met Peter, I don't come close."

Steve opened his mouth. "Okay...it might be a tie." After all, the kid was taking the heat from bullies just so other kids weren't made a target, that was kinda...well almost exactly what Tony was doing...if different in context.

"I can't do this. I need something. Some way to fucking pin him down. Steve, I'm...I'm tired of him winning."

"Hey...you've got this. Okay? He'll slip and when he does, you've got him. He's already trapped, he just doesn't know it yet." Steve kissed Tony's temple. "You look exhausted. How about a bath? Maybe a massage."

Tony smiled gently. "Sounds nice."

"Alright. And, Peter's been killing it today. He's...God, he is a strong kid."

"I know he is. JARVIS was sending me the data. Did he have trouble in school today? Some of the timestamps...he was home early."

"He was tired. You know? It was rough, I think, that much at once. I think he just needs to get his feet wet a little slower. We maybe should have taken the half-day route...but we'll figure it out." Steve said, walking Tony toward their bathroom. "I think I'm actually getting the hang of this."

"Of what?"

"Parenting. I mean...I'm starting to feel more comfortable...like I'm not a complete fuck-up."

Tony kissed his forehead. "You're doing great."

"He called the tower 'home' today." Steve said, tossing Tony's phone on the counter where it couldn't disturb them with bad news.

Tony beamed. "That's nice."

"Very." Steve agreed, unbuttoning Tony's jacket. "Only good things now, okay?"

"Yeah."

"Shut your brain off for a moment."

"I know something that shuts it off really well." Tony smirked.

"The massage or the happy ending?"

"Both, but I didn't realize there was a happy ending package." Tony's eyes appraised Steve hungrily.

"If you'd like it, but it does cost extra."

"Money's no object to me." Tony grinned.

"Then we've got a deal, darlin'." Steve laughed and kissed him gently.

Tony frowned and leaned against his collarbone. "I feel like I shouldn't smile."

"That's why I'm going to prove you wrong. You deserve every ounce of happiness and more. Come on...let's get you clean and relaxed."

-

Peter's face hit the mat. He had a new respect for Black Widow. He was stronger than her, faster than her. She was waaaaay smarter than him. Sure, he could win and beat her, he had a few times. But she could stop him, use his own momentum against him and make him fall over himself. And somehow, she had a knife pressed to his throat.

Peter froze. He could get out, his spidersense screamed at him to get out. But his impulse was to throw her clear across the room, so he didn't move, because he'd probably hurt her.

"Get me off of you, Peter. You can get out."

"Nope." He patted the floor twice.

She huffed and climbed off him. "Why not?"

"I might've thrown you too hard."

"Why?"

"My senses are a bit crazy. I can sense things coming before they happen...but, if I move the way I instinctually want to...it's um...not always gentle."

"Fair enough." Nat shrugged. "Was just a friendly spar so, it's best if we don't actually hurt each other. You're pretty good, паук."

"Thanks, Ms. Romanov." Peter blushed.

"Call me Nat." She grinned. "My friends call me Nat."

Peter blushed darker and grabbed a towel, wiping the sweat off his face. "So um...how'd you know I was Spiderman?"

"Well, a couple months ago, Steve asked me for help finding a missing kid." Nat said, wiping her own face as she sat down on the mat. "He didn't give me much to go on, but he's Steve, so I helped. I went looking for you. I put a few things together... I mean. I did find you a couple times, but it seemed like every time I got close you vanished."

"You were the reason my spidersense kept going off!" Peter frowned. "Ugh! I knew I was being followed. I thought it was Mr. Stark or Captain Rogers, though."

"You were really thin, Peter...too small to be patrolling the streets." She raised an eyebrow at him.

"Okay, how did you know I was Spiderman?"

"May have caught you changing in an alley once. By the time I crossed the street you were over the side of the building." She snorted. "I could see all your bones, ребенок паук, and you were still helping the people. Seems pretty heroic to me. But...it's nice to see you healthy. Where were you hiding? I never did find you. It was frustrating."

"A church." Peter answered, but didn't tell her which one. She seemed to notice, but didn't press further.

"Are you doing okay, really?"

"Mostly." Peter nodded.

"What's wrong in my baby spider's world?"

"Not much. I mean...I'm healthy. I've got two really nice parent-um foster parents. A pretty unbelievable home. I'm starting to get my normal life back... And I can use my powers again. It sucked being only half myself, you know?" Peter frowned. "It's been tough this month, but...I'm working on it. Things are mostly good."

"Did you have another attack today?"

How did she know this shit? "Yeah." He wasn't going to lie to the spy who could probably kill him in his sleep.

"What asshole said things to you that hurt?"

The last thing Peter needed was a spy trying to kill Flash. He'd feel responsible for that. At least he didn't think Steve would kill Flash... Nat just might, given how sharp her eyes were. "Just some kid." He shrugged.

"Next time, deck him. I know you can hold back."

"Hitting him won't help."

"Maybe metaphorically, Peter. You've got people on your side, but at the end of the day, you have to care about you to make it stop. Put on that cocky 'Peter Parkour' mentality. Be confident in yourself, trust me, that'll help."

"Really?"

"Yup. People can sense confidence. Plus, it might help if you let Tony and Steve deal with some of it. They'll put a stop to it, but you can keep it from happening again if you put your shoulders back and lift your chin. Posture works wonders and how you hold yourself tells a story." She nodded and stood up. "Just a suggestion." She raised her chin. "They treating you well, Peter? Steve and Tony?"

"Yeah. They're great. Super supportive and kind. They're better than I could have ever hoped for."

"You deserve it, you're a good kid." She patted his head.

He cringed and wrinkled his nose. She shouldn't have to feel his sweat-filled hair.

She pulled away instantly. "Sorry."

"Oh, it's fine. I'm just gross."

She snorted. "You think you're gross, avoid Clint's socks at all costs. He uses them like grenades." She grinned then grew serious. "You should tell them, by the way."

"Tell them what?"

"I'm a spy, Peter, I noticed the slip. You're scared, I get it. But you love them...as parents. I know they'd like to know that. Because they certainly love you as a son."

"How do you know that?" Peter asked.

"It doesn't take a spy to hear the way they talk about you or see how they look at you. Steve was very worried about you even back then when you were missing. And I watched them both at Christmas and they babble about you now that the secret's out. So...lots of evidence." She leaned forward. "I'm just saying, it's always nice to hear you're loved."

"Oh..." Peter nodded.

"Hey, take it all with a grain of salt, kid. Everything goes in your time."

"Yeah, they always say that." Peter agreed. They always cared about his comfort, his pace. He really did love them. They were so kind and warm and...maybe he should tell them.

-

Tony sighed in contentment and pressed a kiss to one of Steve's pecks. The feeling of those warm, strong hands running down his spine made him feel safe. "Ten out of ten, would do again."

Steve chuckled. "The shower, the massage, or the happy ending?"

"All of it. Fantastic, honey." Tony closed his eyes, taking in the warm afterglow. "I'm sorry, I've been a mess."

"It's okay. We're all going to be fine." Steve promised, kissing the top of Tony's head. "Better than, we're going to be perfect."

"I love you."

"I love you too."

Tony's stomach growled and he laughed. "I know how to ruin a moment, don't I?"

"It's not ruined. Just means we get food. Plus, Peter's probably hungry. It's dinner time."

"Gotta get dressed then, huh?"

"Yup."

"Five more minutes?"

"Deal."

When they did get up, they both headed to the kitchen and started dinner. Tony was in charge of chopping vegetables, but wasn't allowed near anything that actually cooked food. Peter showed up shortly after and waved before heading off to get a shower.

"Did you really let him lift eleven tons?" Tony asked.

"Hey, he...just did it."

"Yeah, and you couldn't stop him?" Tony smirked.

Steve shrugged. "Maybe I wanted to know when he'd...actually have to start putting in effort."

"Right after he got cleared?" Tony asked, folding his arms over his chest."

Steve bit his lip. "It was for science?"

"That is the only time you get to use that one, mister." Tony said, pointing the knife at him. "I know you don't put much into science."

"But you do, so...I was helping." Steve grinned.

"Moron." Tony rolled his eyes and then continued to chop the veggies. "Those measurements will help me make him a better suit though."

"I'm glad to be of assistance, Mr. Stark." Steve did a little bow.

"You're lucky you have a nice ass and you can cook." Tony laughed.

Steve beamed and wrapped his arms around Tony from behind, kissing his neck. "I seem to recall that you liked me for other things just a little bit ago."

"Well, your ass isn't your only good attribute, though it's up there on the list. Stop mouthing off."

"Didn't you say you liked my mouth? I think I've got some proof that you like it."

"Oh my God, stop!" Peter said with his nose wrinkled.

"What? We're just talking about how much we love each other."

"No. You weren't. Super hearing. And at least have the decency to let me run to somewhere soundproof before you do something that'll scar me for life-again. Because I've had powers in too many places with too thin of walls and I just... nope, no more scarring me for life, please."

"Well, that does take away the romance of spontaneity." Tony said, stroking his beard in a pondering manner. "But I guess we can try to keep it behind closed doors for you, kid."

Steve snorted and kissed Tony one more time before pulling away and getting back to working on dinner.

"Thank God." Peter sighed.

Tony picked up a piece of carrot and chucked it at Peter.

Peter caught it and took a bite. "Thanks."

"No problem, how was school kiddo?"

"Mmmm...well it could have been better."

"How so?"

"It got a bit overwhelming. We came home early today and destressed." Steve interjected calmly from the stove.

"I'm sorry, kiddo." Tony frowned. "You okay?"

"I think I'm going to be fine." He left it at that. "Do you need any help?" Peter asked.

"Yeah, bud. Want to get the pasta started?" Steve nodded to the boxes at the end of the counter.

"Sure."

-

Peter went to school the next day and made it through. The only one who seemed to talk shit to Peter was Flash. No one knew he'd really lived on the streets, it was just Flash being an asshole. His spidersense went off dully through the day, but it wasn't so bad. Peter even made it through decathlon practice with him and headed out to the curb to wait for his ride home.

"Penis! You're going to be waiting for a while. I heard your fosters decided to leave you here."

Peter could have said something back, like that time when Flash's parents had forgotten about him after practice. But Peter didn't. He wanted to be better than that. Instead, he didn't slump, didn't let the weight of the words crush him.

He'd have a ride. He had two loving parents. Not something everyone could say. He was going to work on counting his blessings. Peter's phone went off in his pocket and he pulled it out.

FEmale: Hey, kiddo, we're just around the corner, stopped to pick up a bunch of burgers because two super metabolisms means lots of fast food. Hope you had a better day today. See you soon, kid.

Peter smiled.

"What the fuck's with you, Penis?"

"Just ready to go home." He turned when he heard a car horn. Tony'd driven one of the few cars that people didn't know he owned. It was beautiful though, and of course, red, because he was Tony Stark.

"UNDEROOS!"

Peter blushed, but grinned at the man's antics before he jogged up to the car and opened the back door. "Holy shit!" He stared at the bags and bags of fast food in the back seat. "You weren't joking about the food."

"Steve and I got a workout in, if you know what I mean." Tony winked into the rearview mirror.

"Ugh. You're the worst."

"But we got you your favorite." Steve snorted. "Don't mind Tony, he's been a bit of a brat today."

"Cool." Peter nodded.

"On a serious note, kid. Do you have time to work in the lab today or do you have homework?"

"I'm free, what's up?" Peter asked, buckling his seatbelt as they pulled away.

"Just wanted to work on your mask. I heard a certain spiderkid has crazy senses we need to dial down...so I figured I should have your input."

"That'd be awesome! But not too long, because Captain Rogers and I have a rematch scheduled today." Peter grinned. But it felt wrong...weird calling him Captain Rogers.

"Alright, sounds like a plan."

-

Peter survived through all of January. And it got easier in February. But half-way to March there was something off. Peter couldn't help but come back to Nat's words about telling people that they're loved. He wanted to tell them, but he didn't know how.

"Kid, the broccoli is going to feel left out if you just keep staring at it and not eating it." Tony pointed out.

Peter straightened in his seat and looked at his plate of food. "Sorry."

"Don't worry." Steve shrugged. "Are you feeling alright?"

He was likely asking if Peter was having one of his off days...the kind where he didn't like to eat. But it wasn't that. Peter was fine. "I'm just thinking about stuff."

"What's on your mind?"

Peter opened his mouth, but didn't know what to say. What was he supposed to do? How was he supposed to say this? "Um...can I talk about it after dinner? I sort of want to get my thoughts around. I don't know what I'm thinking."

"No pressure, kid."

-

After dinner the three ended up in the living room chit-chatting. Peter tugged on his sleeves nervously. Then he looked at Steve and Tony. "Um, I wanted to tell you guys something."

"Alright, what's on your mind, bud?" Steve asked.

Peter opened his mouth, but he didn't know how to say it. "I...um..." How did people just say this? I mean, with his aunt and uncle he couldn't remember the first time he'd told them he loved them, it was just a thing that had always been true. He didn't know how to say it without it sounding...weird. Then, he got an idea and for the first time, he didn't feel any panic at all when he thought about it, actually, he felt sure and calm. "Just one second." He got up and ran out of the room. He needed something out of his drawer...and something to write with.

"What's that about?" Tony asked.

"I don't know. He seems in a good mood, right?"

"I thought so." Tony nodded. "Now he's being a bit...off."

Peter reappeared with a folder in his hands. "Um...so... I didn't want to do this for the wrong reasons, you know? But... I just..." Peter choked back a sob.

"Hey, you alright?" Tony stood up.

"I'm fine." Peter nodded. "Really. Um, it's just... I'm not good with this stuff. But...when you gave this to me I was scared and I didn't want to accept it because I was scared. And part of me thought that if I did accept it something bad would happen to you two, but I'm done believing that shit."

Tony looked down at the folder and his eyes widened, his heart beating faster. "Peter..."

"It's just... I know I should have told you both a while back..." A tear rolled down Peter's cheek. "But... I've really come to love you both. And I want to stay, if I can. Can...can this be home? I mean...can it be my home?"

Tony's face softened and he reached out. He took the folder and put the papers down on the coffee table and threw his arms around Peter, tightly. "Can I say: welcome home, son?"

Peter sniffled and couldn't speak, but he nodded into Tony's shoulder.

"Welcome home, son." Tony said, kissing his neck gently and pulling him in tighter.

Steve's arms wrapped around them and he pressed a kiss to Peter's curls. "Love you, Peter."

"Love you both." Peter whispered. "Thank you for...for loving me."

"Oh, Peter. Easiest thing I've ever done." Tony promised.

"Peter, I know it's been a hard road. But you belong here. We love you so much." Steve assured him.

"Hey, now you're not just 'kid,' you're MY kid, OUR kid." Tony laughed.

"Our kid. I like it. So when are we getting married?" Steve asked with a watery laugh.

"Whenever, wherever, Steve. But Peter's my best man."

"You can't-"

"DIBS!" Tony called, tugging Peter closer to him within their group embrace.

"That's not fair." Steve huffed.

"He did call dibs first..." Peter nodded, still crying against Tony's shoulder, but not sad tears. "So um...what do I call you guys?"

"Whatever you want, Peter."

"Okay, I'm not trying to be weird, but it could be a bit confusing."

"Oh." Steve said after a second of thought.

Tony snorted. "Okay, you got us on that one, kid. That's why you're getting your genius certification."

"I...well, I always called my old man 'papa'." Steve suggested. "That'd...be fine, if you wanted."

"I sort of see myself as 'dad' if...that's okay?"

Peter pulled back but kept one arm on both of them. He couldn't remember ever calling anyone dad or papa. Those titles didn't ache when he thought of them...unlike aunt and uncle. "I love you, Papa, and I love you, Dad." He looked at each of them in turn. Both heroes had tears on their faces and huge smiles that couldn't be described. They just seemed so happy.

"Love you, son." They said together.

Peter grinned then turned to Steve. "And, Papa...I think I've got that thing handled...but I know I can ask you guys if I need help." He could do it now. It didn't matter what people thought of him. He had a family that loved him a home and a bright future. Sure, the past was dark and smudged over, but Peter wasn't going to let that ruin what he had now. It didn't matter if people were placing bets or if they thought he was the problem. He knew he had a home and family that would actually be there for him, no matter what.

It was a long road, but Peter was home. He wasn't going to let anyone take that from him. Not even himself. He would embrace it. May and Ben would have wanted that, wanted him to find a home...and family.

"Always, Peter."

"Wait, what happened?" Tony asked, wiping his face.

"Nothing." Peter said. It was time Peter learned to be compassionate and kind to himself. That meant he had to stop pushing himself down and start accepting the hands of people helping him up. "That doesn't matter. I mean, it does matter, but...I think I know what to do now."

"God, we should be celebrating. Ice cream or cake? What should we do?"

Steve raised his hand. "Um, how about desert, engagement rings, and a movie?"

"Sounds like a perfect night."

-

They fell asleep on the sofa watching The Princess Bride. Steve and Tony were wearing matching vibranium bands. Tony's had a tiny ruby set in it and Steve's had a tiny sapphire. Tony'd curled up against Steve's side and fell asleep under his arm. Peter was pressed against Tony's side, sleeping peacefully with Steve's hand in his curls.

There were signed adoption papers sitting on the coffee table in a folder and three empty bowls of ice cream.

JARVIS may have taken video...and pictures. Lots of pictures.

-

Obadiah Stane looked at the suit he'd had shipped back from the desert. How was it even fucking possible? Tony Stark, had somehow made a super-suit in a cave with nothing but scraps while starved, tortured, and dying. Now he was using an updated version to stop all Obadiah's hard work.

Business was getting difficult. The people buying Stark weapons weren't happy that the product was destroyed before it could reach them. And while part of SI was falling apart, it seemed every fucking thing Tony Stark touched was selling, and not just a little, a lot. The board was starting to wonder who should really be in charge of SI and that wouldn't do.

Stane would have to stop it.

The only problem was his suit used way too much power. They couldn't keep it off the ground for long.

And they only had a partial of Stark's suit.

"We're missing something. Where's the rest?" He demanded, turning around.

"We found three more pieces. They're being shipped back as we speak."

"Good. As soon as they're in I need to see them. Something's missing." He'd find it and he'd crush Stark and even the Avengers if they got in the way. Though, if he could ever get Stark on his own, away from the crowds, that'd be a good time to strike. His heart, after all, wasn't in the best condition. It made for an easy target...if he didn't surround himself with Captain America at nearly all times.

Stane lifted the mask from the desert and frowned. If he was going to survive, Tony couldn't keep breathing. This would have all been easier if he'd just died the first time.

-

Tony sat up and blinked, confused. He had a strange pit in his stomach. Had he had a nightmare? He felt a light weight against him and turned his head, seeing Peer sleeping against him. He smiled and pressed a gentle kiss to the top of his head, then turned to Steve's sleeping face. He kissed his jaw gently. "Hey."

"Mm, yeah?" Steve asked sleepily.

"We should get our kid to bed."

"Five more minutes?" Steve asked quietly.

Tony's arm was numb where Peter lay on it. His shoulder was tingling. His back and neck ached. But Steve was holding him tight and Peter's sleeping face was glowing, pressed against the arc reactor. He smiled at his fiancé and their son before tucking his head back under Steve's chin.

"Yeah...five more minutes."

Notes:

As always, take care.

Notes:

Take care.

Series this work belongs to:

• Part 2 of Found Family