Parent Teacher Conference

by snarkymuch

Summary:

Written for a prompt on tumblr asking for a bullied Peter with Tony comforting him. I spun that a little and wrote it from Mr. Harrington's perspective.

Roger Harrington cared about all his students, he’d had many who stood out over the years, but none ever burned as bright as Peter Parker. The boy was a genius, and Roger had to continually change things up just to challenge him. When half the world vanished, and Peter went with it, the world was a little darker for his loss. Thankfully, the heroes saved the day, Iron Man nearly dying to stop Thanos, and slowly, the world rebuilt.

*Chapter Two added 11/3/20. Peter and Tony's POV*

Notes:

Still got a few prompts to catch up on. If you're waiting, it hopefully won't be too long. I'm trying to work through my pile as things inspire me. The next up is a Ned centric fic, hopefully. If I can get it right.

Chapter 1

Roger Harrington cared about all his students, he’d had many who stood out over the years, but none ever burned as bright as Peter Parker. The boy was a genius, and Roger had to continually change things up just to challenge him. When half the world vanished, and Peter went with it, the world was a little darker for his loss. Thankfully, the heroes saved the day, Iron Man nearly dying to stop Thanos, and slowly, the world rebuilt.

It had been months since the children had returned to school, including Peter, but much to Roger’s dismay, he learned that Peter’s aunt, May Parker, had reappeared in traffic and died before Peter got the chance to see her. Stories like that were common in the news right after the vanished were returned. Roger wasn’t sure who had stepped in to take care of Peter, but rumor had it that it had been a distant relative.

Peter didn’t smile as much as he used to, and Roger couldn’t blame him. When he challenged him with work, he barely reached the bar. His studies started to slip, his grades falling. The brightest, happiest kid in the class had become withdrawn and anxious, making him a perfect target for bullies, Flash Thompson being the worst of them all.

Roger tried to intervene where he could, but he knew he was missing much of the abuse. And Flash wasn’t the only one. A few other students had taken to ribbing him about his internship with Stark Industries, something Roger had seen the paperwork for but was a little hard-pressed to believe himself.

He’d seen stranger things, though, and if telling people he had an internship helped Peter cope, who was Roger to say otherwise. He just wished there was more he could do for the boy.

The class was nearly over, the kids were paired off, working on their presentations, and Roger couldn’t help but let his gaze drift over the students and fall on Peter and his friend Ned. They were two peas in a pod. Flash didn’t seem to notice Roger watching as he leaned toward Peter with a grin and whispered something too low for Roger to hear. Whatever it was, it made Peter frown, and Ned shoved Flash’s shoulder. Roger pretended he didn’t see that. As far as he was concerned, Flash probably deserved more than a shove. He’d been riding Peter hard lately, harder than usual since he’d rejoined the decathlon team, and in doing so, pushing Flash back to alternate.

The rest of the class went quietly, and once the bell rang, the students packed up and filed out of the room. Peter was one of the last to the door, and Roger stopped him by calling after him.

“Peter, can you hang back a moment?”

Peter frowned, looked to Ned, then told his friend not to wait. With his bag slung over his shoulder, he walked over to the desk where Roger was perched on the edge.

“How are you doing, Peter?”

Peter shrugged. “Good, I guess. Nothing special going on. Am I in trouble for something?”

Roger shook his head with a smile and then pushed up his glasses. “Nothing like that. I just wanted to talk to you. I’ve noticed things between you and Flash are tense. Anything you want to say about that? Remember, you’re not in trouble.”

Peter’s frown deepened, and he scuffed his shoe against the floor. “Everything’s fine. Flash is great.”

Roger crossed his arms over his chest, then rubbed his chin. “I know what he’s doing, Peter. I might not have heard everything he’s said or seen everything he’s done, but I know a bully when I see one. My question for you is, why haven’t you come to me before? There are things I can do to help, but I can’t fix what I don’t know about.”

Peter shrugged again, looking at his shoes. “It’s really nothing. Can I go now?”

“Actually, I’d like to have a meeting with you and your guardian. The sooner, the better. Maybe even after school today if that works. I think we need to all get on the same page.”

Peter’s startled, looking up at Roger with wide eyes. “I—can’t we just forget about this? It’s not a big deal.”

“I’m sorry, Peter. I’ll call the office and have them contact them. Once I know when the meeting is, I’ll make sure it’s passed onto you.”

Peter’s shoulders curled forward, and he nodded his head, his hair falling into his eyes. “Thanks, Mr. Harrington. Can I go now?”

“Yes, I’ll see you later. Hopefully, this afternoon.”

---

During his last class of the day, the office called and told him that they’d contacted Peter’s guardian and that they’d be there at three-thirty to meet with him. Roger had thanked them, then finished up his lesson as he thought over the points he wanted to discuss. Peter’s grades were slipping, for one thing, Flash’s bullying was another, and Peter’s refusal to report the bullying was another problem by itself. 

It was like his light had been dimmed. He didn’t stand up for himself anymore. He didn’t laugh things off as quickly had he had in the past. Instead, he just absorbed whatever negativity was sent in his direction. Roger wondered how much of it was related to the loss of his aunt. Peter had been made an orphan twice over, losing two sets of parental figures before adulthood. That wasn’t easy for anyone.

Three o’clock came around, and Roger set up two chairs in front of his desk. It made it a little more comfortable for everyone, rather than Peter and his guardian sitting at the student desks.

Roger watched the clock, feeling nervous. It was never easy to meet with parents. You never knew what to expect. Sometimes they blamed themselves; other times, they took their frustrations out on the staff. It was always a crapshoot. He just hoped that whoever would be coming along with Peter today cared about the boy. Like so many, he had been through so much. He had the potential to do so much good if he could just find something to fight for.

At three-thirty sharp, there was a knock at his classroom door. Roger stood, calling for them to come in.

Nothing could have prepared him for what he saw when the door opened. It didn’t make any sense, not in any way. The man who walked into the room was none other than the hero Tony Stark. The scars from the famous battle still stood out brightly against his face and neck, but it didn’t detract from his powerful presence. Roger was pretty sure he’d forgotten to breathe for a moment as his brain tried to catch up.

Mr. Stark gave him a half-smile and patted Peter on the shoulder, pulling the boy into his side. Peter fell against him, pressing his face to the older man’s side. He didn’t look like he wanted to be there. In fact, he looked even more anxious than usual. His eyes were a little red like he might have been crying before coming in, and Roger couldn’t help but wonder what might have been said between the two.

The older man kept an arm around Peter’s shoulders and guided him into the room.

Roger cleared his throat and motioned to the chairs he’d set up beforehand. “Welcome, Mr. Stark, is it? I didn’t realize—”

“We didn’t want it known, for obvious reasons, so if you could limit who you tell, that would be appreciated.”

“Of course.” Roger blinked, taking a seat after Peter and Mr. Stark each sat. “My name’s Roger Harrington. I’m Peter’s science teacher and advisor.”

“You can call me Tony. It’s nice to meet you. So, I’ll preface this by saying I tried talking to Peter, but he wouldn’t tell me what this was about, but I’m hesitant to believe him that it’s nothing like he insists, not with how he begged me not to come.”

Roger sighed, folding his hands together on the desk. He looked at the other man. “Grades haven’t been posted for this quarter, so you wouldn’t have seen, but there is a trend I’m seeing. Peter seems to be struggling, and I don’t think it has anything to do with his grasp of the material.”

Mr. Stark looked at Peter. “Kid?”

Peter kept his gaze on his lap and shrugged a shoulder.

Mr. Stark sighed, looking back to Roger. “I don’t suppose you have any ideas?”

“There’s been some bullying going on. I’ve reprimanded the parties involved as much as possible, but Peter refuses to report it, which ties my hands. If I don’t see it—”

“You can't stop it.” Mr. Stark pinched the bridge of his nose. He dropped his hand and met Roger’s gaze. “What do we do here?”

“That’s why I called this meeting. I want us to all talk and maybe get to the root of why Peter doesn’t feel he deserves better. Because part of me thinks that’s what it is. I’ve seen him in class. Before the Blip, he would laugh it off, but now he takes it in. I don’t like this turn of events, coupled with his dropping grades, I’m worried.”

Peter’s shoulders were turned in, and his hands were twisting in his lap. Mr. Stark turned in his chair and ducked his head to try to meet Peter’s eyes.

“Hey, hey, kid, look at me,” the man tried, and after a second, Peter lifted his head. His eyes were glossy with tears, and he sniffled, wiping his nose on his sleeve. “Gross, I’m sure if you asked, your teacher could spare a tissue.”

Roger snapped to it, reaching for the box of Kleenex and passing a tissue to Peter, who took it reluctantly. He blew his nose. The poor boy seemed miserable. Mr. Stark leaned forward and brushed Peter’s bangs out of his eyes. The touch was something he’d expect to see from a parent, and it reassured Roger that the other man wasn’t just there for show.

“Why didn’t you say something, Pete? Tell me what’s going on in that big brain of yours. Is this internship related or you know?”

Roger was pretty sure the death of his aunt was what was going unsaid. It didn’t seem like an internship could be the cause. He wondered why the man had even suggested such a ridiculous thing. 

“It’s not the internship—the internship is great.” 

Mr. Stark sighed. “Your aunt wouldn’t want to see you like this, you know. She’d want you happy. She’d want to see you do well, not shutting down. I blame myself for this, Pete. I should’ve seen you weren’t okay. It shouldn’t have gotten this far. But what I don’t know is why you’re not standing up for yourself? You’re better than letting some kid shit all over you.”

Roger raised a brow at the language but otherwise didn’t remark.

Peter shrugged again, dropping his gaze back to his hands. “Because they’re right. I’m an orphan. I get everyone close to me killed. I’m worse than bad luck..”

“Ahh, Kid. No. None of this, any of this, is your fault. You don't deserve the shitty hand you got dealt, and you sure as hell didn’t bring it on yourself. You’re not bad luck. I’d say if anything, you’re pretty damn good luck. Look at all you’ve accomplished with your internship.”

Roger frowned, looking between them. He cleared his throat awkwardly, “You’ve got some great friends, too, Peter. They’re lucky to have you. You’re a good kid, internship or not.”

Peter wrapped an arm around himself and nodded his head, a tear rolling down his cheek. There was a lot left to unpack, Roger could tell, but he knew it was past his pay grade. Peter was struggling, and maybe talking it all out with someone would be the best course of action.

“I can recommend some counselors, Mr. Stark. I think it could help Peter to see someone. He’s got a lot on his plate.”

“It’s Tony, and I have some numbers already, but thanks. If that’s everything, I’m gonna get Peter home.”

“Yes, yes, I think that’s it. If you need anything, please contact me. Peter’s a special kid. I want to see him succeed.”

Mr. Stark extended his hand, and Roger shook it. Then he watched as the man bent and pressed a kiss to the side of Peter’s head and whispered something in his ear. The boy nodded and then got up. Mr. Stark put an arm around him again and walked him out of the room, leaving Roger feeling more secure than he had before the meeting. The affection the two shared had been real and honest, it was love, and Roger knew that Peter was in good hands.

Chapter 2

Peter’s body was tense after he left Mr. Harrington’s classroom, his hands balled so tightly in fists that his fingernails dug into his palms. The little pricks of pain gave him something to latch onto and hold him the moment.

He missed his aunt. He missed Ben. He missed his life before everything became so complicated. Coming back from the snap wasn’t easy. What should have been a moment to rejoice was lost in the chaos of battle. He’d watched as Tony nearly died to save them all and breathed a sigh of relief when Tony was stabilized at the hospital. 

After the dust settled, he tried calling May, but the line was disconnected. He tried not to worry, though.

Then the news stations had started rolling reports on the bottom of the screen with the names of the deceased. There were a lot of casualties, people reappearing in unsafe places, places that didn’t exist anymore. Innocent lives were lost just to the luck of the draw.

It was a Thursday when he saw her name on the screen, and he didn’t want to believe it. His world fell apart in the seconds it took to read her name. He’d been standing in the waiting room of the hospital, visiting Tony, and collapsed into one of the hard chairs, barely breathing, or maybe it was the other way around, and he was breathing too much. Either way, he remembered the feeling as clear and sharp as if it was seconds ago. He remembered how wrong everything felt, how his lungs burned for air, how the grief sunk its claws into him.

That was how Pepper had found him, coming to his side and holding him tight. She stayed until he calmed, and then she smiled with teary eyes and told him it would all be okay. Without even asking Tony, she offered him a place to stay, a place to call home, and Peter found himself saying yes.

The overwhelming pain of loss that consumed him in the first weeks eventually turned to a gnawing ache that quickly became his new companion, never straying far. He started to learn to live again after a few months, even if just a little, despite the grief that followed him.

Going back to school should have been a welcome reprieve, a return to his old routine, but it turned out that the universe hated Peter more than he thought because it wasn’t just Flash who harassed him now; it was Brad and his friends, too. School turned out to just be additional salt in his festering wounds.  

The last thing Peter wanted was for Tony to meet with his teacher, to have the damage laid out for everyone's eyes to see. He didn’t want Tony to know he was struggling. He knew Mr. Harrington would tell him about his grades, and that alone would worry Tony. Peter had always been an A student, and now he was slipping into B territory.

And then there was the bullying. Peter could only imagine the concern in Tony’s eyes, how his brows would pinch, and the corners of his mouth would turn downward. He didn’t want to see Tony worrying about him. The man would probably be hurt that Peter had hidden the abuse from him. He’d be disappointed, and that was worse than anything else.

It was already enough that Tony and Pepper had taken custody of him after his aunt had died. Tony shouldn’t have to feel responsible for him. He had Morgan to look after, who deserved his full attention. He didn’t need Peter taking time from his daughter. 

And it wasn’t like the bullying was that bad--or maybe it was. If it was Ned on the receiving end of the abuse, he’d be the first in line to protect him. Why couldn’t he protect himself? Maybe he felt like he deserved it, even if that didn’t make the most sense. 

The things that Flash said had been hitting close to home. His jeers and taunts had taken a darker turn, maybe a reflection of Flash’s own issues. Like in class that day, Flash had leaned in, calling him an orphan and loser. It was childish and mean, but that was Flash. No matter how much Peter wanted to blame him, hate him, he couldn’t. He knew Flash lashed out because his own life wasn’t that great either. Peter had heard him on the phone with his father once, and yeah, he didn’t have it easy. At least May had loved Peter. He wasn’t sure Flash got the same kind of attention from his parents.  

It was fine, though, or at least that’s what Peter told himself. He could handle it. He was handling it, just not how Mr. Harrington or his other teachers might like. Instead of reporting it, he let it roll off the best he could. He tried not to let them see it get to him. His Uncle Ben had always told him that the best revenge was not letting them see it get to you. 

Besides, if he reported it every time Flash or Brad gave him shit, he’d spend half his day in the office. Yeah, it wore on him, and maybe some days he did want to stay in bed rather than deal with Flash and Brad some more, but he didn’t have that choice. He had to put on a good face and deal with it. He had to keep going because he didn’t know what would happen if he stopped long enough to consider any other option. People say sometimes you laugh because otherwise, you might cry. Well, Peter kept moving forward, pretending it was okay,  because he was terrified of what would happen if he didn’t. 

The bell had already rung for the next class, but Peter hadn’t left his spot in the hall. He didn’t think he could face sitting through English with so much on his mind. Shifting the strap of his bag higher on his shoulder, he headed to the boy’s bathroom. At least there no one would bother him, and he could hide. 

He made his way to the end stall, checking the others to make sure he was alone on the way. Thankfully, no one else was around. He went to the last stall and locked himself inside, sitting down on the toilet and dropping his bag between his feet. He scrubbed a hand over his face and then reached into his hoodie pocket to get his phone. 

He rubbed his thumb over the screen for a moment before sighing and unlocking it. He knew his only hope was calling Tony and talking to him before the school got a hold of him. Maybe he could soften the blow, make it sound less important, and convince Tony he didn’t need to come. 

After pressing the green call button, he lifted the phone to his ear and closed his eyes as he waited for Tony to pick up. It took three rings but then the phone connected. 

“Hey, Pete, aren’t you supposed to be in class. Is everything all right?”

Peter gnawed his lip. “Has the--has the school called you?”

“Yeah, funny enough, they have. We have a meeting with your teacher at three-thirty today. Why? Is there something I should know?”

Peter considered his options, but he couldn’t think of a good way to ask Tony not to come without raising suspicion. “No, no, there’s nothing.”

“Are you sure? They didn’t tell me what the meeting was about.”

“It’s no big deal. You don’t even need to come, actually. I know you’re busy.”

“Of course, I need to come. If something is going on, I want to know about it. You’re my responsibility. You know that.”

“Yeah, I know.” 

“You sure you’re all right? You sound off, more than the usual.”

Peter sighed, mumbling, “Are you sure you have to come?”

“You know it. I won’t push for now, but we need to talk about whatever this is. You know that, right?”

The bathroom door opened, and Peter heard footsteps. Ignoring Tony’s question, he lowered his voice and said, “I gotta go. I’ll talk to you later.”

He disconnected the call before Tony could respond, stuffing the phone back into his pocket. 

“Is that Penis Parker, I hear?” Flash’s voice came from outside the stall. 

Peter’s heart clenched, and he sucked in a breath. His nerves were already fried, and he wasn’t in the mood to deal with Flash’s abuse. He debated whether to respond, whether to stay behind the closed door, and hope Flash just got bored and went away. There was only so much he could take. Flash’s jabs picked away at Peter’s resolve, making it hard to just look the other way. At some point, maybe he’d started taking some of the things Flash said to heart, even though he knew he shouldn’t. 

Grabbing his bag from the floor, Peter hitched the strap over his shoulder and unlocked the stall, letting the door open. Flash was standing against the wall opposite, his arms folded over his chest. His eyes raked over Peter, and then he kicked off the wall and shoved Peter hard in the chest, making him stumble back a step and smack into the stall door, making it clang loudly. 

“You should be more careful, might end up hurt.”

You didn’t need to be a genius to pick up the threat. Peter let out a controlled breath, flexing his hand at his side but staying quiet.

“What? Cat got your tongue? Little orphan Peter has nothing to say? No one wants you, Parker. No one. I don’t see why you don’t just do the world a favor and end it.”

Peter’s throat felt tight and thick, and it was hard to swallow. He ducked his head, hiding his eyes, not wanting Flash to see the emotions swirling in them. He didn’t want Flash to know how much he agreed. It shouldn’t have been May that died. It should’ve been him. Feeling tears welling up, he gripped the strap of his bag tighter and pushed past Flash without saying a word because he couldn’t trust his voice. He didn’t even know where he was going, just anywhere but there. 

Flash shoved him from behind, making Peter stumble, but before Flash could do more than call after him, Peter ran for the door. Once he was clear of the bathroom, he ran toward the exit. He couldn’t handle going back to class, not now. He went out to the parking lot and sat on the ground against the fence, his bag beside him, and his knees pulled up tight to his chest. He wrapped his arms around his legs and rested his forehead on his knees. His chest felt tight, and his throat clogged with emotion. Squeezing his eyes shut, he waited for Tony to arrive.

If he hadn’t been so upset, he might have fallen asleep, sitting and waiting for Tony, but because his chest ached and his mind raced, he ended spending the next few hours tearing out blades of grass and tossing pebbles at the ground in front of him, anything to keep his mind occupied. 

School was dismissed at some point, kids and parents alike bustling by, then it got quiet again.  At three o’clock, a familiar silver Audi pulled into the lot. He parked and got out, standing with the door open as he pulled off his sunglasses and looked at Peter, who was still sitting on the ground by the fence. A frown creased Tony’s forehead as he pursed his lips. Putting his sunglasses back on, he shut the car door and crossed the lot to where Peter was sitting. 

Tony stopped in front of Peter, looking him over through his tinted glasses. Peter didn’t know what to say, so he gave him a weak smile and waved half-heartedly. “Hey, Mr. Stark.”

“Back to Mr. Stark, huh? What’s going on, kiddo?”

Peter shrugged, twisting a blade of grass between his fingers. “Can we just go?” 

Tony sighed and then sat down next to him. Peter raised his brows, not expecting Tony to sit with him. 

“What’s this about?” Tony asked.

Peter looked down at his hands. “Do you ever wonder if the world would be better without you?” Once the words were out, Peter wished he could take them back. He hadn’t meant to say that.

He heard Tony suck in a breath next to him. “Pete,” he breathed shakily. “Do you really think that? That it would be better?”

Peter’s throat felt like it was closing. “I don’t know.”

“Peter, look at me,” Tony said, and Peter turned his head to meet Tony’s gaze. There was something panicked in his eyes. “I lost you for five years. I know what the world is like without you, and, Pete, I don’t want that life. Never again.”

Peter nodded and looked back down at his hands. He chewed his lip as he tried to get the swelling of emotion in him back under control. “I wish it had been me, instead of May. I think about it all the time. She deserved happiness. She deserved a life.”

“So do you.” Tony took off his glasses, dangling them between his fingers. “Look at me, Peter, look me in the eye, so I know you are hearing me.” Peter sighed and then turned to face him. “You deserve a life. You deserve happiness. May would want you to be happy. You aren’t a burden or whatever else it is that you’re thinking.” Peter started to look away as tears were in his eyes, but Tony grabbed his chin and turned his head back. “You deserve to live, Peter. And it’s scaring the shit out of me that you might not think that.”

“Sorry,” Peter mumbled, and when Tony let his chin go, he dropped his head again. 

“Don’t be sorry, Peter. You can be anything else, but sorry? Nope. You don’t get that one. You did nothing wrong, and none of this is your fault. We’ll figure this out. And until we do, don’t think I’m going a moment without reminding how important to me you are, how important to everyone you are. Just think of Morgan. Do you think she would be happier without you?”

Peter chewed over the thought, and as much as he felt like a burden, he could admit that Morgan loved him, just as if they were real siblings, which might have had something to do with the stories Tony told Morgan about him before he came back. Tony had laid the groundwork for him to be her big brother. 

“Yeah, you’re right. I guess I’m just having a bad day.”

“I think this is more than a bad day, but I’ll let it slide for the moment. It’s nearly time for our meeting, so we’ll put a pin in this and come back to it when we get home.”

Peter wiped his eyes and nodded, getting up more gracefully than Tony, and then they walked together into the building. 

---

Tony’s mind was still reeling when they got to Peter’s classroom. Tony tried to push back his racing thoughts and focus on what needed to be done. He still wasn’t sure what the meeting was about, and he hoped they could get it over with quickly so he could talk to Peter some more. Tony wanted to wrap him in a blanket and feed him all the pineapple pizza he could eat, anything to bring the kid a little comfort. Tony hated that Peter had been suffering so much, and he’d somehow missed it. That was on him. 

After knocking on the door, a voice called from the classroom, telling them to come in. Opening the door, Tony stepped inside, Peter close behind. The teacher, Roger Harrington, Tony had looked him up while waiting at home, stood by his desk, looking awestruck. Tony fought the urge to roll his eyes and instead reached over, patting Peter on the shoulder before pulling him tight to his side. Peter melted into him. Tony guided Peter into the room.

His teacher cleared his throat, motioning to the chairs in front of the desk. “Welcome, Mr. Stark, is it? I didn’t realize—”

Tony knew that no one expected him to be showing up at a school meeting for Peter, but then, that’s what they’d wanted. Peter had asked them not to make a big deal of his adoption, and Tony was fine playing along. 

“We didn’t want it known, for obvious reasons, so if you could limit who you tell, that would be appreciated,” Tony said flatly. 

“Of course.” His teacher blinked, looking like a deer in headlights. After a moment of awkward staring, he took a seat at his desk. “My name’s Roger Harrington. I’m Peter’s science teacher and advisor.”

Tony and Peter sat as well. Tony couldn’t help but notice how stressed Peter seemed. His knee was bouncing, and he was wringing his hands in his lap. Not for the first time, Tony worried about what the meeting might be about.

“You can call me Tony.” He smiled. “It’s nice to meet you. So, I’ll preface this by saying I tried talking to Peter, but he wouldn’t tell me what this was about, but I’m hesitant to believe him that it’s nothing like he insists, not with how he begged me not to come.”

His teacher sighed, folding his hands together on the desk. His eyes met Tony’s, and Tony braced himself for whatever was to come.

Mr. Harrington licked his lips and then started. “Grades haven’t been posted for this quarter, so you wouldn’t have seen, but there is a trend I’m seeing. Peter seems to be struggling, and I don’t think it has anything to do with his grasp of the material.”

That didn’t sound right. Peter was always on top of his grades unless he’d been out too late as Spider-Man, which he hadn’t lately. He looked to Peter for the answer. “Kid?”

Peter kept his gaze on his lap and shrugged a shoulder. It was such a Peter gesture, and it made him sigh. He looked back at Mr. Harrignton. “I don’t suppose you have any ideas?”

“There’s been some bullying going on. I’ve reprimanded the parties involved as much as possible, but Peter refuses to report it, which ties my hands. If I don’t see it—”

“You can't stop it,” Tony finished, pinching the bridge of his nose. He dropped his hand and looked at his teacher. “What do we do here?” 

It was a loaded question, and Tony wasn’t even sure who he was asking, the teacher or himself. Things were starting to click together, and the picture the puzzle pieces made wasn’t pretty. Peter was a good kid, a sweet kid. It burned Tony that someone would hurt him. It made him irrationally angry, or maybe it was rational. Tony didn’t bother thinking too hard about it. He just knew if he had the chance, he would love to make some dirtbag kid pay for hurting Peter. 

“That’s why I called this meeting,” Mr. Harrington said. Taking a breath, he continued. “I want us to all talk and maybe get to the root of why Peter doesn’t feel he deserves better. Because part of me thinks that’s what it is. I’ve seen him in class. Before the Blip, he would laugh it off, but now he takes it in. I don’t like this turn of events, coupled with his dropping grades, I’m worried.”

Tony looked over at Peter, whose shoulders were curled in, his hands still twisting in his lap. Tony wanted to grab him and take him home and never let him back out again so he’d be safe. 

Turning in his chair, Tony ducked his head, trying to catch Peter’s gaze. “Hey, hey, kid, look at me,” Tony tried, and after a second, Peter lifted his head. His eyes were glossy with tears, and he sniffled, wiping his nose on his sleeve. “Gross, I’m sure if you asked, your teacher could spare a tissue.”

A second later, his teacher was passing a tissue to Peter. After Peter blew his nose, Tony reached out and brushed Peter’s bangs out of his eyes. He wished they were anywhere else, so he could pull Peter into a hug and tell him it would all be okay. The one thing that wouldn’t leave Tony was that he’d somehow not seen this happening. He shouldn’t be caught off guard when it comes to his kids. It was his job to know what was going on. He’d really dropped the ball. 

Taking a breath, he let his fingertips linger on Peter’s face.“Why didn’t you say something, Pete? Tell me what’s going on in that big brain of yours. Is this internship related, or you know?” He chose his words carefully, knowing they had an audience. 

“It’s not the internship—the internship is great.” 

Tony sighed. So it wasn’t Spider-Man related. That didn’t answer much, though. Their earlier conversation was still on his mind, and it worried him. 

“Your aunt wouldn’t want to see you like this, you know. She’d want you happy. She’d want to see you do well, not shutting down. I blame myself for this, Pete. I should’ve seen you weren’t okay. It shouldn’t have gotten this far. But what I don’t know is why you’re not standing up for yourself? You’re better than letting some kid shit all over you.”

Peter shrugged again, dropping his gaze back to his hands. “Because they’re right. I’m an orphan. I get everyone close to me killed. I’m worse than bad luck.”

“Ahh, Kid. No. None of this, any of this, is your fault. You don't deserve the shitty hand you got dealt, and you sure as hell didn’t bring it on yourself. You’re not bad luck. I’d say if anything, you’re pretty damn good luck. Look at all you’ve accomplished with your internship.”

Mr. Harrington cleared his throat, making Tony tear his gaze away from Peter. “You’ve got some great friends, too, Peter,” his teacher said. “They’re lucky to have you. You’re a good kid, internship or not.”

Tony looked back at Peter, who had wrapped his arms around his middle. He had tears running down his cheeks, and he was chewing his lip. It broke Tony’s heart. Homeschooling, keeping Peter safe at home, was starting to sound like a great idea. 

Mr. Harrington started again, “I can recommend some counselors, Mr. Stark. I think it could help Peter to see someone. He’s got a lot on his plate.”

“It’s Tony, and I have some numbers already, but thanks. If that’s everything, I’m gonna get Peter home.” And he would be making some calls. A lot was going on, more than Tony had realized, and Peter needed the support. A chill went through him again when he remembered how hollow Peter had sounded when they’d talked outside. He hoped Peter wasn’t suicidal, but the thread was there, and it scared Tony. 

“Yes, yes, I think that’s it,” Mr. Harrington said. “If you need anything, please contact me. Peter’s a special kid. I want to see him succeed.”

Tony glanced at Peter to reassure himself that he was okay, or at least going to be, and then turned back to his teacher, extending his hand. Mr. Harrington shook it. Dropping his hand back to his side, Tony bent and pressed a kiss to the side of Peter’s head, whispering into ear too low for his teacher to hear, “It’s gonna be okay, kiddo. I’ve got you.”

Peter sniffled, then nodded, getting to his feet. Tony put an arm around him and gave him a half hug. They had a lot to figure out, but Tony would find a way to make this better. There just wasn’t another option, but first, he needed to make sure Peter was okay. It was triage, making sure the gaping wounds were tended to first. Right now, Peter needed comfort. He needed to be told it was okay, that it would get better, and Tony would say again and again until it came true. He wouldn’t leave Peter to figure this out alone. They were a family now. There was no going back. 

Notes:

What did you think? It didn't feel like my best work, but it was okay, at least I think. Let me know.

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