Chapter Text
Peter was almost as nervous about this as Matt was. He knew Matt didn’t particularly care for the Avengers, that Matt thought they focused too much on big power struggles and the little people underneath them always seemed to suffer. Though Peter hesitantly agreed, after years in the role of the disaster clean up squad it was hard to change how the public expected them to operate. Spiderman and Daredevil worked the ground to protect the little guy, while the Avengers stepped in for monster invasions and other shit normal humans shouldn’t have to deal with.
That didn’t stop Peter from being part of the team though.
Sure, Peter really only stepped in when shit got really rough, but he was part of the Avengers family all the same. Tony had basically become a father to him at this point, and Peter even made the pilgrimage upstate every month or so for weird Avengers family dinner. Because bonding. He guessed. He didn’t really know why, maybe Tony just gets lonely in the complex sometimes.
Peter knew that one of the “family” dinners was the perfect time to tell them; Get it all out of the way with all of them at once. He’d been a part of this team since he was a kid, and as weird as it seemed, these super humans were just as much his family as May was. But Matt and the Avengers had never really been on the same page, and Peter didn’t have the slightest clue how they’d react.
Not to mention, and this was a big one…
The Avengers were still under the impression Peter liked women.
Sure, he’d dated a few girls in high school, but who really has their sexuality figured out at 15? Now, at the (mostly) grown age of 23, Peter was pretty damn sure he knew where his interests lie. Specifically, with a blind stubbly vigilante who liked to beat people with sticks. He really should ask Matt about the sticks. Such an inefficient choice of weapon…
“Something on your mind, Peter?”
It was Bruce’s soft voice that prodded him from his anxious spiral. He looked around the table, swallowing nervously when he realized all eyes were on him. He turned back to Bruce, as he was sitting directly next to him and his concerned gaze was somehow easier to meet than Tony’s pinched one of worry.
“I… guess you could say I’ve got something on my mind, yeah.” Peter answered before returning his gaze to his plate. He stuck his fork in his mashed potatoes just to give him something to do with his hands.
“That’s not a promising tone.” Steve observed, folding his hands in front of him on the table, “Is something wrong?”
Peter put down his fork, rubbing the back of his neck nervously.
Damn it Parker, just man up and say it!
“I.. well there’s something I’ve been meaning to tell you guys.”
“You’re seeing someone.” Natasha said with a faintest hint of a smile on her lips. It was not a question, and Peter felt his insides boil.
Clint threw back his head in a laugh, patting Nat on the back. “Look at the kid’s face! You struck gold!” Clint then leaned forward over the table, grinning at Peter. “So who's the lucky lady, little man?”
Peter huffed, damn spies and their creepy… spying! Nat always seemed to know what was going on, even when it made no damn sense!
“You’d better not be spying on me again!” Peter accused the Widow.
Nat only chucked with that same sly smile. “I don’t need to. I can read you like a book, Parker.”
“Alright, alright, knock it off.” Tony interjected, clearly feeling Peter had been teased enough.
“Ooooh Big Daddy’s stepping in to protect his little boy, eh?” Clint laughed.
Steve swatted Clint on the back of the head, and beside from the soft “ow!” from the archer, the table fell silent.
Peter sat there for a moment, feeling hot and awkward and desperately racking his mind for words.
“Just ignore the peanut gallery.” Tony said in that easy way that always seemed to diffuse Peter’s anxiety, “Tell us about her.”
Feeling like the pressure had built up too high to hold in any longer, Peter dropped the bombshell. “H-Him, actually.”
Silence.
For several excruciating seconds, only silence.
“Could you elaborate on that?” Bruce prodded gently.
“Not a her. Him. The person I’m seeing is a man.”
Peter was relieved when Tony did not allowed silence to overtake the table again.
“Please tell me it’s not that crazy guy you hang out with so much. I know you’ve been telling us to give Deadpool a chance, but he kills people-”
“Did I say anything about Deadpool?!” Peter snapped, feeling even hotter under the collar now than before. “I’m not dating a schizophrenic mercenary Tony, Jesus Christ!”
“Always jumping to conclusions.” Pepper grumbled, speaking for the first time in a while but still not looking up from her work tablet.
That exchange seemed to disperse the tension at the table, letting words flow more freely.
“I’m guessing it’s not someone we’d know?” Steve inquired.
Peter hesitated. He and Matt had obviously come up with a story about how they met to tell family and friends who didn’t need to know Matt’s identity, but knowing Tony he’d walk away and immediately dig up every little thing he could find on Matt. And a genius like Tony would easily put the pieces together.
Best to be honest.
“His name is Matt.” Peter began, “He’s a lawyer in Hell’s Kitchen. Though uh, you guys might know him better as… Daredevil.”
The only reason Peter was saved from silence was because Sam reentered the dining room with a basket of hot rolls at that moment. But if Peter had been hoping Sam wasn’t listening in the kitchen, he was wrong.
“Isn’t dating another vigilante a little dangerous?” Sam asked carefully. For his part, he did sound genuinely concerned as opposed to judgmental.
Peter actually laughed at that. Matt? Dangerous?! That was absolutely absurd. Matt was a big bumbling puppy dog. Send him the wrong signals and he’ll take a bite, sure, but scratch him just the right way and he’ll happily roll over and show his belly. Matt was aggressive only because he was protective: Of the innocent, of The Kitchen, and now, of Peter. He had never been anything but kind and gentle to his young partner, and Peter trusted him wholeheartedly. The idea that he was a danger to Peter was completely laughable.
“How exactly is he dangerous?” the young man snorted, “I’m not dating a supervillain! Wouldn’t my partner having my back be, I don’t know, a good thing?”
“Yeah, if we knew anything about the guy!” Tony objected.
“Just because he doesn't wanna get to know the Avengers doesn’t mean he’s some unknowable shadow.” Peter shot back, trying very hard not to be offended, “He keeps his secret identity close to his chest, so what? So do I. But considering I’m dating him you don’t think I know a little bit about him at this point?”
“He’s been prowling around for quite some time,” Natasha commented carefully, “Just how old is he?”
“Ughh!” Peter groaned in exasperation, “For fuck’s sake, I’m a grown man! Is it so damn shocking the person I’m with is an adult?”
“Language.” Steve reminded, which only caused Peter to groan again.
“I swear, this is why I didn’t tell you guys!” the spider snapped.
“I’m sorry, Peter, I’m just concerned.” Tony said, “Daredevil doesn’t seem to have the same moral compass you do. What if he just wants something from you?”
“He’s not just trying to get in my pants, if that’s what you’re insinuating.” Peter deadpanned.
Steve choked on his drink, which caused Clint to snigger.
“Dating men isn’t the same as dating women, Peter.” Tony tried to continue, but Peter had heard enough.
“I’m out!” He exclaimed, throwing up his heads and getting up from the table, “I am not having this conversation with you. Nope, nope, I refuse.”
“He’s just trying to look out for you, kid.” Clint said, though his grin was a mile wide. Fucker was enjoying this.
“This isn’t my first rodeo,” Peter breathed in exasperation “I am twenty-three Gregorian years old, I’m not some sweet innocent flower fresh out of puberty. Just because this is the first guy I’ve told you about doesn’t mean it’s the first I’ve been with!”
There a pause for a beat before the next question came.
“How many is ‘not the first?’” Steve asked, sounding genuinely concerned.
Of course it was Steve who was concerned. Back in his time being gay got you beat in back allies, and raped in gutters. At least Steve’s concern made sense.
Peter sighed, and tried to be gentle this time. “I’m not resitting my entire sexual history to you, but I know what I’m doing, alright? I’m a smart guy, I know what it looks like when someone is trying to take advantage of me. And that’s not Matt.”
Pepper stood up and spoke in that authoritative way that made people remember she was, in fact, CEO of Stark Industries. “You should invite him over next time.”
Well that came out of nowhere.
Tony tried of object, “Come on, Pep, don’t you think-”
“We should meet him ourselves and stop bickering like children about someone we’ve never met? Yes. That’s exactly what I think.” She fixed Tony with a look, and he fell silent.
Peter hesitated in shock for a moment before he found his voice. “Al-Alright. I’ll invite Matt to the next family dinner.”
“Good.”
And that, as they say, was that.
Matt was gunna have kittens.