Archive of Our Own

Peter Parker has the brain of a scientist. He gets curious so he researches. Therefore, he questions everything. He’s that guy in every horror movie that everyone yells at to run, but instead he is searching in the ominous darkness for the creature that’s hunting him down. He was the kid that would walk into a grocery store and touch every item he could reach. This led to broken flower pots and half eaten boxes of graham crackers. Peter used to drive his teacher’s insane by his ad nauseum use of the word “why.” People labeled him “nosy,” but he prefered the term “inquisitive.” For the most part his parents encouraged him to follow his investigative line of thinking, but even Peter has to admit there are downsides of his anomalous line of thinking.

For example, Peter found out early on what was going on when he heard the low groans from his dads. He shouldn’t have opened their bedroom door. He also learned that one traumatic experience can stay with an individual and affect them for the rest of their lives. Sneaking out of his bedroom in the middle of the night to see his Uncle Bucky have a panic attack taught him that.

Peter can’t cease his brain to act like the scientist, it’s the type of person he is. Besides there are undeniable benefits. He always wins first place in the science fair (but that may have something to do with his intelligence). Peter gets that sense of accomplishment when he asks a challenging question and learns something new in return. He wants to absorb all the information he can find so he can use it to change the world for the better.

This is one of those times when his sciency brain is going to end up biting him in the ass. He was hanging out in his dad’s lab and started looking around at the many different shiny gizmos and gadgets. His father has a policy of “NO TOUCHING UNLESS YOU WANT TO BE GROUNDED FOR ETERNITY” rule when it comes to items in his laboratory. His other father has a policy of “No touching because we want you safe” which seems the more level-headed rule of the two.

Nevertheless, there is a sparkling hand-sized ring that starts to glow and shoot electric blue waves. Peter becomes enamored with the bright light. He reaches out to tap the metal and gets zapped. The pain shoots from his finger to the entirety of his body. The light starts to fade from his eyes and he becomes entrapped in the blue sparks.

“Jarvis, call my dads. NOW! Get the iron man suit. Something. HELP!” Peter shouts frantically.

By the time Jarvis responds it is already too late. Peter is sucked into the the growing portal. He feels his head start to spin on top of all the excess pain. His body drops onto tiled floor where he proceeds to promptly passes out.

Peter wakes up to rapid shaking of his shoulders and cold water. “Hey kid. Wake up.”

He blinks his eyes open and adjusts his eyes to focus. He has a killer headache that prevents him from being fully engaged in his surroundings. He looks up to find his aunt peering down at him. “Aunt Nat?” Peter whispers quietly. No, this isn’t his aunt, but it is still Natasha. This women has longer hair and less wrinkles than his aunt. She appears to be younger than his aunt.

“What did you call me?” Natasha pulls Peter up by the collar of his shirt to give him a closer look.

“Jarvis? Where am I?” Peter cautiously asks.

“Answer my question or I’ll-”

“I mean no disrespect ma’am, but I don’t think you’re going to hurt me. I just want to know where I am.” Peter retains eye contact with the infamous formidable Natasha Romanoff.

She tightens her grip on his shirt and attaches her piercing eyes to his persona. She flips him onto his stomach and secures his hands behind his back. Natasha pushed her right knee into the small of his back.

“Oh really?” She scoffs at him.

“You could’ve hurt me, but instead you contained what you perceive as a threat. It seems like I’m right.” That’s the thing with a scientist brain, he can’t seem to shut up his observations and he can’t help but boast when his hypothesis turn out to be right. He inherits that last part from his dad. His statement causes Natasha to dig her knee a bit more into his spine. Still, she doesn’t purposely hurt him.

“Miss Romanoff, I’ve contacted sir and informed him of the intruder.” Jarvis’ overly mechanical voice cuts through the air.

“What’s your name?” Natasha interrogates. “And I’ll ask again, what did you call me?”
“My name is Peter Parker.” He struggles against her tight grip. He could never escape Black Widow’s death grip, but if he squirms enough she may feel remorse and loosen up. Natasha has always had soft spots for teenagers and for Peter Parker. With those forces working together he has a chance of not getting long-lasting red marks on his wrists. “I called you Aunt Nat. Where I come from you are my aunt. There is something wrong. This isn’t my world. I could be in an alternate universe or a different earth or in the past.”

Inevitably, her grip lessens. Peter slips out of her hold and he bolts for the other side of the room. He learned from the best on how to get away fast. He knows it would be idiotic to run any further because Natasha can capture him and she won’t be as friendly the second time around. He spins on his toes and faces Natasha head on who is know giving him a death glare.

“I’m your aunt? Who are your parents?” Peter can tell she is just humoring him, but he takes the chance.

“Umm. Could I get more information on where I am? I’m not sure if I say anything if it’ll affect anything. If I’m in an alternate universe I could mess with their heads. If I’m in the past I could mess with the timeline. They could never date or marry or adopt me. I don’t want that to happen.” The grim situation dawns on him and all he wants to do right now is be grounded for the rest of his life. The fear must show in his face because Natasha’s eyes soften.

“We’re in New York, December 2001. You can tell me because I’m your aunt right? That can’t affect the timeline and I can keep secrets. I promise.” Natasha puts her hands out in front of her in a calming matter.

“Two thousand and one?” Peter squeaks.

The elevator opens and both Natasha and Peter snaps their heads towards the opening.

“Who the hell is this?” Tony Stark shouts angrily. Peter has to take a step back. He peers into the entryway to see Steve Rogers and Bruce Banner follow Tony. Too bad Clint isn’t here. Peter could probably convince Clint to runaway with him.

“This is Peter Parker.” Surprisingly, Natasha steps in and to protect Peter. She goes from holding him down to sheltering him.

“Oh yeah? How the hell did Peter Parker get into my tower?” Tony asks still using his outraged voice.

At this point all eyes are on him. Peter just feels scared, but he wants to explain himself. He has never felt his dad’s gaze look at him with such disdain. Tears start leaking out of his eyes he really messed up this time. “I don’t know. I was messing around in my dad’s lab.” Peter starts to choke up. “I shouldn’t have done that, but it look so cool and it zapped me into a portal and now I’m in 2001 and no one knows who I am and-” Peter starts to sob.

“Wait,” Tony interrupts. “You’re saying 2001 like it isn’t your present. Oh wow! Did you just time travel. I think I get it. You’re Reed’s son from the future aren’t you? How dare he discover the secret to time travel before me.” Tony continues his rant until Peter starts to sob even louder. “You okay, kid? I can bring you to your father if you want. He figured it out the first time he can do it again,”

“Tony,” Steve puts a firm hand on Tony’s shoulder. “Let’s not jump to conclusions. We need to talk to him first. Two seconds ago you were yelling at him and now you’re giving him a father. If he did just time travel, I’m sure he is disorientated. Listen to what he has to say.”

A hand starts to rub Peter’s back. Peter watches as his Uncle Bruce attempts to comfort him. It seems like all the Avengers don’t exactly know how to handle a crying teenager.

“You’re right Cap! This is amazing. I need to know every last bit about time travel. Pete, tell me about your experience. Maybe I can replicate it.”

His dad calling him Pete hits him in his heart. “You have to send me back to the present!" His heart can’t slow down its rapid pace.

“What year are you from?” Steve asks.

“Two thousand seventeen.”

“You have to admit that’s cool.” Tony interjects.

Steve pointedly ignores Tony. “How did you time travel?”

“My dad is an engineer.” Peter turns his head downward. He can’t risk messing with the timeline. He can’t reveal too much. “He has a laboratory and I enjoy being in there with him. While I was in there alone I began messing around with his inventions. One was a metal ring. It spewed blue sparks and I touched it. It expanded into a gateway and I ended up here” Peter shifts his footing, “I didn’t even know time travel could be real.”

“Do you know what type of metal it is?” Tony asks in his giddy voice.

“Tony…” Steve warns.

“Rhenium.” Peter answers.

“Rhenium? That’s genius.” Tony mutters to himself.

Peter isn’t surprised at all by the Tony’s excitement, but he is surprised by how little Tony has changed in sixteen years. He is exactly like his father with a bit of sharpness around the edges which isn’t anything new.

“How do you know this is your past?” Steve questions.

Steve on the other hand is more standoffish than his present-day dad.

“Because I recognize the Avengers. I imagine they are only on one earth. Plus from the small part of what I’ve seen of the world, nothing is out of place.”

“How do we know you’re telling the truth?” Steve’s eyes harden slightly as he voices the question.

“As if I could lie to you,” Peter murmurs. Then he understands what that sounds like and tries to play it off smoothly, “I mean you are Captain American, right?” Since his fathers adopted him, Peter could never lie to Steve. Something about the trusting gleam in his eyes bring out nothing but complete honesty. Yes, Peter did take Aunt Pepper’s lipstick and draw on the walls. Yes, he is dating Wade, the attractive and juvenile delinquent. Yes, he ate all the frozen stuffed crust pizzas.

“Okay, that’s enough for right now. It’s late and I want to talk to Peter alone,” Natasha requests.

“Jarvis?”

“Yes, sir?”

“Let Pete have the second floor to himself. Help him with anything he asks for,” Tony commands.

“Of course, sir,” Jarvis replies.

“Nice to meet you Peter,” Bruce mumbles. Peter knows that Bruce acts introverted with strangers. Peter is now a stranger to him.

Bruce and Tony exit the room with the technicalities of time travel laced in their conversations. Steve and Natasha stay behind.

“Steve, why don’t you head off to bed or the gym,” Natasha suggests.

“You’re Tony’s son aren’t you,” Steve states in his serious ‘captain’ tone.

Natasha curses under her breathe, “Dumb boys always ignoring the obvious, disregarding what I say, and-” She vacates the room in a huff.

Peter could never imagine his father watching him with such unequivocal anger for being himself. Why was Steve so resentful?

“Jarvis, tell me everything about disrupting timelines by use of time travel,” Peter orders. Peter skims through holograms of information whilst hiding from the younger version of Steve, from his dad. Temporal Paradoxes are scary and he doesn’t want to be stuck in one.

Steve gets quiet. Usually this means he is satisfied and relaxed. By the look on Steve’s face, right now, it means he is anguished. Peter just can’t understand why.

Steve carries his voices across the room with vulnerability, but confidence. “Don’t worry, you don’t have to confirm it. It’s obvious. You’re just as bright and you babble like him. I’m sure in the future your father is proud of the person you are becoming.”

“My fathers are proud of me,” Peter bursts out. Oops. He couldn’t help it. He just wants Steve to know. It’s hard not being completely honest with him.

“Fathers?” Steve’s voice cracks at the word. “Tony has a husband?”

Then it finally hits Peter. Steve doesn’t realize how much Tony loves him. He is oblivious to affection. Steve is just like Tony in the thinking that he doesn't deserve to be happy or in a loving relationship. And Peter realizes that he has fucked up. Wow his entire family are self-loathing idiots himself included.

“I never said Tony was my father,” Peter argues.

“Oh yeah? List the laws of physics,” Steve dares him.

“Okay, this is actually really interesting. First there is classical physics which deals with the movement of objects under their own momentum which also falls under quantum mechanics-”

“You’re Tony’s son. Even if you are adopted.” For the first time that night Steve sends him a cautious and encouraging smile.

“I can neither confirm nor deny that statement.”

“Well, I’m not sure if this means anything to you, but I’m proud of you,” Steve admits.

Steve has no idea how much that means to him. Peter is full of pride and happiness knowing that his dad from the past still can see his intelligence and full potential by being himself. If only Peter could save Steve from that heartbroken smile on his face.

“Is he happy?” Steve asks tentatively.

Peter wants to tell him the truth. They both are in lovesick happiness. They are soulmates that support, cherish, and protect each other. They are powerful and change the world by being superhero role models and best of all, his fathers. Peter wants to spill his guts about the first day he can remember until now, but he is scared. He can’t mess up that reality for his parents. Peter would never forgive himself. Therefore, Peter responds with the undeniable truth without context, “Yes.”

Peter witnesses something crack within Steve. He watches as Steve’s entire world fall apart. Peter doesn’t know what else to do so he just stares at him. Steve takes a staggering step back.

“Good,” Steve grunts. “I want him to be happy.”

“Uh look-” Peter is at a loss. What can he call him? Steve is just weird. Uncle Steve is off the table because it’ll break his heart even more. If only Peter could call him Dad again, or Pops like he did as a toddler.

“No. It’s fine. We’ll talk again tomorrow. Have a good night Mr. Parker.” Steve makes a beeline to the staircase.

Mr. Parker? Ugh, Dad only calls him that when they have important business person guest or he is about to get grounded. More importantly, Peter just single handedly broke his dad’s heart. How could he fix this?

“Psst, hey kid!” Peter is getting real tired of being called a kid. He is almost an adult. In six months he’ll be eighteen, it’s not his fault he looks young for his age. Wait, is that noise coming from the ceiling? No not the ceiling, the air ducts?

Peter’s reflexes kicks in, “Uncle Clint?”

A head pop out from the air shaft, “So Natasha wasn’t pulling a fast one on me. There is a kid from the future here.” Clint slips out of the vent, flips once in the air, and gracefully lands on his feet. “She filled me in on all the information, and I mean all the information.”

“What do you mean?” Peter asks.

By now Peter is used to Clint dropping in, literally, and making himself at home. Clint has always has a knack for making himself comfortable in other’s spaces. It should be annoying, but Peter relaxes when Clint is at ease. Considering the fact Clint is taking his socks off and jumping on top of Peter’s guest bed, Clint is definitely at ease.

“She told me that she’s your aunt and that Steve got his panties all in a twist because he think that Tony is your father. You know, the basic soap oprea bulshit.”

“You seem surprisingly relaxed for someone meeting their future nephew,” Peter observes.

“I know how you got here and I know how you can leave. I’m not concerned. Your parents are destined to fall in love and have at least one child. Should I be concerned? No, this isn’t a new revelation.”

Clint grabs the tv remote and starts to flip through different channels.

“Parents?” Peter gulps.

“Yeah, Steve and Tony. The superhero power couple bound to be together.” Clint barely glances over as he lands on the abc channel.

“What?” Peter question nervously. “I never said that!”

“You didn’t have to, I just did,” Clint replies.

“B-but.” Peter stutters and he doesn’t know what to do. Did he just interrupt the time line? Will he ever be adopted by his parents? Will his parents ever get together? What has he done?

Clint pierces through his thoughts like an arrow and gestures towards the television. “You know I never understood the show scandal. How could someone as intelligent and strong as Olivia Pope always run back to Fitz? How can Fitz always fall back in love with her? Especially in the toxic and unforgiving environment they both live in as powerful and influential leaders in government.

“It’s because they both have hearts.”

“Yes, young grasshopper. Otherwise they wouldn’t be alive.”

“No, I mean they are emotional and they let their love for each other be their guide to happiness.”

“It makes them weak,” Clint says rolling his eyes.

“It makes them strong.” Peter argues. “It’s the reason Olivia’s father is deranged and why Eli loses because he even though he has the capability to feel profound love and empathy, he can’t let himself to be strong enough to become immersed with it. It’s is his fatal flaw.”

“Or he’s the only smart one on the show.” Clint retorts with a snide smirk.

Peter responds by throwing a pillow at his future uncle. “You’re wrong. Eli still loves people. He loved Sandra and he loves Olivia, which makes him vulnerable. This would only make him weak if he didn’t express his love, if he suppressed it. Which he did which makes him go crazy, kill people, and have a control complex. This is just the exaggerated way a subdued heart can make people weak.” Peter eloquently puts.

Clint winks at him, “Yes.”

“Yes?”

“Yes and you have to prove it.” Clint takes a fun-sized packet of skittles out of his pocket.

“What?”

“Prove. It.” Clint enunciates ripping open the package.

“Why? How?”

“Right now the Avengers are the most dysfunctional team in the history of this planet. Trust me, I’ve seen preschoolers work better than us and we can’t protect the world if we can’t work together.” Clint pours the skittle into one hand. “We have two strong confident leaders that clash heads every single time they have a conversation. It’s not because they hate each other. Quite the opposite in fact and you can fix it.”

“How can I do that?” Peter asks.

“Prove that love is an asset, not a liability.” Clint holds eye contact to make sure that Peter understands the severity of the situation.

“I’m not supposed to be here.” Peter bites his lower lip and tips his head down holding back tears.

A small spherical object bounces off the top of Peter’s head. Peter looks up to see Clint tossing skittles at him. “HEY!”

“Kid, I’m your uncle. Do you really think I would ask anything of you that could ultimately harm you?” Clint pops a red skittle in his mouth.

“You can’t possibly understand the fragility of time travel-”

“No, but I believe in Tony Stark and he would never build a machine that could potentially hurt his son. You’re here for a reason. You need to prove that it’s okay to feel love. Can you show your dad that? Can you make Steve see that his isn’t crazy, weak, or gross for feeling the love of Tony Stark?”

Peter takes a yellow skittle from Clint’s hand. Yellow has always been his favorite color. It’s the color of sunshine and bubbling happiness. “You want me to singlehandedly motivate the entire plot of parent trap?”

“Yes. I’ll help of course, but you’re the one with the nurture of a brainy nerd and a patriotic fighter with both parents being heroes. I’m sure nature will take over at some point.”

“Wait. You said my dad may think love was gross. What did you mean?”

“Peter, I’m sure it’s different in the future, but at this time, Steve just woke up. He remembers his past life in the forties. Where you go to jail for being attracted to the same sex.”

Peter cringes. His parents have always taught him that everyone deserves love and respect, he can’t imagine Steve having internalized homophobia. “It probably doesn’t help that marriage equality isn’t legalized nationwide, yet. Most of the world still hasn’t woken up to the inevitable civil rights coming up to date.”

Peter still has a vivid memory of when marriage equality became legal across America. It was June 26, 2015 and Peter received a text message from his friend giving him the news. Peter ran into the living room jumping up and down in exhilaration to find the most loving scene before him. “Happy” by Pharrell Williams was blasting from the stereo and his parents were dancing around the room with beaming grins on their faces. They stared at each other with such love and admiration that Peter had to stop in his tracks just to observe them. They carried each other in a graceful sweep across the room without taking their eyes off one another. Then, Steve dropped to one knee and looks up adoringly at Tony.

“I love you, Tony Stark, will you marry me?” Steve has tear running down his face.

“We’re already married you dork! But yes, always.” Tony pulls Steve back up by his collar and lays a giant smooch on his mouth.

That snaps Peter into action. “Eww! Dads!”

Steve and Tony just giggle and tackle Peter into a bear hug and tickles, ignoring the fact that Peter is a teenager and not a toddler anymore.

Peter will do anything to give that happiness back to his parents. “Okay, Uncle Clint, how do we set up my parents?”

Under Clint’s advice Peter sets up movie night with the excuse of team and outcast from the future bonding.

“Wait. We’re just going to listen to what a pubescent teenager says?” Tony complains walking into the living room and examining his teammates in pajamas with bowls of popcorn. There are fuzzy blankets and feathery pillows thrown about and movie disks lined up waiting to be chosen. “We don’t even know who this kid is and instead of helping him back to the future we’re watching a movie with him?”

“Um,” Peter squeaks, his dad usually doesn’t turn down any of his suggestion, especially with this amount of force.

“Tony, sit down and relax with the rest of us.” Steve orders.

“Yeah, Tony.” Peter agrees loudly feigning relaxation, “You can eat some of my delicious gummy bears. I’m only offering the transparents ones though.

“Why only the clear ones?”

“They taste gross.”

“So you give them to me? Spoiled brat!” Tony complains.

Nonetheless, Tony does sits down next to Steve and ceases his bickering.

“Peter what are we watching?” Natasha asks.

“Love actually.”

“What?” Tony flails his arms. “It’s mid-July not December. Plus there are many other fitting movies for this moment. For example, Back to The Future, About Time, even Ferris Buller’s Day Off makes more sense. Besides romantic comedies are meant for dumb girls.”

Peter narrows his eyes and tosses a pillow at Tony. “Girls should be allowed to like what they like without getting ridiculed for it. And I’ll have you know that my dad loves lovey-dovey movies and this is one of his favorites. My dad could also beat you to pulp.”

Natasha gives him a high-five while Steve gives Peter a strange side glance. Clint presses play on the remote.

Peter gets sleepy halfway through the movie and passes out. Drool runs down his chin and soft sniffles leave his nose. Peter didn’t get the chance to see Tony gradually cuddle up to Steve. He doesn’t see Steve doe eyed when watching and holding a sleep deprived Tony. He doesn’t witness Tony’s gaze become fragile as he watches the two children Sam and Joanna kiss at the airport. Or Steve shedding tears as the movies ends him and squeezing Tony to his chest when Tony tries to shuffle out of his grip.

It’s fortunate that Peter doesn’t have to watch to know it happens. Peter automatically assumes it happens because that’s what always happens when he gets stuck watching Love Actually with his parents. Steve insists on watching it and Tony protests and then they both end up crying and cuddling. Time travel doesn’t change personalities or destiny.

Of course, Natasha leaves to do whatever it is she wants to do, Bruce falls asleep, and Clint munches on popcorn and stares at the tv screen with sharp intensity. Christmas is All Around plays is soft and dulcet melody.

Part one was a success.

The next morning, Peter found a plate of eggs and bacon waiting for him on the kitchen table. Steve was sitting at the table reading a book. Peter clatters his way to the food like a parched man in desert. He is a growing teenager after all. Steve looks up over his book and gives him a greeting.

“Good morning, Peter. I figured you’d want something to eat.”

“Thanks.” Peter wolfs down forkfuls of food into his mouth.

“And I thought we could talk.” Steve says.

Peter chokes a bit and gulps down the remaining mouthful. He recognizes that voice as his dad’s ‘I’m-disappointed-in-you’ tone of voice. “Have I done something wrong?”

“No!” Steve corrects Peter’s thoughts and waves his worries away. “Of course not. To be honest with you, I’m just a bit worried about Tony. He’s been a bit of a shut in. Plus, I’m sure you’re missing a bit of normalcy lately.”

“What are you saying?”

“I want you to spend some time with him. I think it would be good for both of you.” Steve explains sincerely.

Peter wants to laugh but Steve looks exceptionally concerned. If only he knew they have had a recent father-bonding conversation. Steve seems to be the peacekeeper in their lives in every time moment. It’s incredibly endearing. Now to implement a seed.

“Sure. I’ll spend time with dad, but I think it’ll be easier for both of us if you joined us. I mean you know him better than I do. I only know future father him.”

Steve looks profoundly touched by the offer, but declines. “No. I think this should only be for father and son.”

“Well, if you change your mind…” Peter leaves the thought hanging in the air and descends to Tony’s workshop.

Peter knocks on the door and enters. Tony is welding part of the iron man suit and headbanging to AC/DC. Peter decides not to announce his presence just yet because snooping is part of his identity. Although, he has learned his lesson and won’t be poking around his stuff like last time. The first difference is the amount of empty glass bottles litter the room, previously filled with alcohol. Peter hasn’t seen either of his parents drink. He read articles about Tony from the past, but Peter is a writer and he knows there is always an angle with journalism and the truth gets bent. However this much seems excessive. Maybe his dad had an actual serious problem with alcoholism. The second thing Peter notices is what isn’t there, pictures. In Peter’s present, there are picture all over the lab of special occasions of their family. Birthdays, Christmas, Halloween, and other fun holidays and activities usually surround Tony when he is working. His other dad hangs up sketches of family portraits and of Peter alone around the lab. Peter catches Tony staring at the drawings when he doesn’t realizes he is watching. The pictures remind Peter that he is never alone.

“Hey kid!” Tony says muting the music. “What the hell are you doing in here?”

An idea pops into Peter’s head. “I wanted to work on my project.”

“Oh really,” Tony raises an eyebrow and frowns crinkling his face. “What is the project?”

His dad would never knowing help Peter get hurt, but this version of Tony 1) isn’t a father and 2) doesn’t know Peter is his son. He might as well try get help from a genius. This is the best way of father-son bonding Peter can think of. “I’m trying to artificially replicate spider webs strong enough to lift and swing an average human.”

Tony hums to himself with a small smirk. “Okay, kiddo. Why?”

A little white lie couldn’t hurt anyone. “I need to win first place in the science fair and this is my best bet.”

“You NEED to win? Why’s that? Are you trying to impress a girl?” Tony is already pushing his robotic arm away to clear the way for new blueprints. His dads couldn’t resist a great challenge.

“Uh actually, I’m trying to impress a boy. He is super funny and he is really really nice to me. He stood up for me when I was getting bullied in school. He is sweet and puts a positive spin on everything.” Peter rambles. He doesn’t know how progressive his parents are at this point.

Tony puts a firm hand on his shoulder and gives him a warm smile, “Let’s impress your guy.”

Peter grins up at him relief spreading through his body. They begin working together and bouncing ideas off each other.

If only his dad knew how much he hates Wade Wilson in the future.

It was around midnight when the drowsiness started to infiltrate Peter’s mind. While Tony is still running on adrenaline, he is also feeling tired.

“And if we build up the proteins in the spider silk,” Tony yawns. “We can make the web shooters stronger to create a safe rate of velocity for a teenage male.”

“That’ll only be safe for the web not to break, but I’ll still impact a wall or the ground at a dangerous speed that can cause-” Peter swallows his incoming yawn. “-injury.”

“I don’t think we can make a spider web that slows down to stop injury and still carries you through the air. However, we can make you a suit. I’m am the best at creating armor.” Tony takes a sip of his can of rootbeer. “If you want, Pete, you can start on the design and I’ll begin to find the best materials. What kind of suit to you want? I wouldn’t mind making something like Natasha’s suit. That would be the best to easily cut through the air. Or it can be bulkier like Steve’s uniform. Or we can make actually armor like iron man. Peter?” Tony turns his head to see Peter passed out on the desk. His head is resting on his arm which is alarmingly close to Tony. They definitely crossed into each other’s personal bubbles. Peter is already drooling on Tony’s desk. Instead of freaking out and shaking Peter awake, he just smiles and start to sketch a Peter-the-spider suit.

The door to his lab swishes open and in walks the glorious Steve Rogers. “Hello, Tony.”

“Hey Cap’n, I think I tired out the kid. Did you figure who his parents are? I think he may be a genius in the most technical definition of the word. He can get into MIT without a problem. I can only imagine what his SATs score with be.”

“I’m glad you two got on so well.” Steve gives him a withdrawn smile. “Of course he’s brilliant.”

“His sexuality adds to it. Did you know that it’s scientifically proven that that people of the lgbtq+ community have higher trends in intelligence quota.” Oopz. Tony has always had loose lips when sleep deprivation kicks in.

“He told you that he was a part of the gay community?” Steve asks flabbergasted.

“I asked him if he was doing his science project to impress a girl and he said he was trying to impress a boy. I’m not surprised by his comfort level. Human rights always goes in the right direction as time goes on. Soon I can marry a man.” Loose lips.

“Uh do you want to?”

“I am bisexual. So I guess I have a high statistical chance of falling in love and marrying someone who happens to be a man.” Tony yawns again and his vision begins to blur. “Could you carry Peter to his bed? I don’t want him to be uncomfortable.”

Steve picks Tony up bridal style and walks towards the elevator. Tony flails forward. Steve compensates by pulling him closer.

“What are you doing? I asked you to pick up Peter.” Tony says disoriented.

“I don’t want you to be uncomfortable either and you’re about to pass out. I’ll come back for Peter, don’t worry.”

Tony grumbles, but ultimately falls asleep in Steve’s arms. Steve presses a soft kiss to the top of his forehead.

Part two is an unintended massive achievement.

Lunch the next day was interesting. Bruce, Tony, and Peter were all sitting around the table discussing Peter’s obsession with arachnids.

“Black widows are special because they have venom fifteen times stronger than a rattlesnake. Female black widows may kill and eat their male counterpart. Black widow is a great badass name for Natasha.” Peter chimes in.

“Let me guess. You’re the weird kid that kept a spider as pet.” Tony groans.

“They’re super duper cool!” Peter defends.

“Your poor parents…” Tony frets.

“It could be worse, he could be enamored with snakes.” Bruce points out.

Steve walks in and immediately “I Kissed A Boy” by Cobra Starship starts to boom throughout the room.

All eyes turn to Tony for an explanation. Steve’s cheeks transform into a crimson red.

“I WISH I COULD TAKE CREDIT FOR THIS, BUT IT’S NOT ME.” Tony shouts over the music. “You got something to confess, Steve?”

Steve takes a step back out of the room. The music abruptly shuts off. He takes a step in and it sets off the music again, this time even louder. Steve jumps backwards and the music stops.

“This isn’t funny.” Steve hisses.

Bruce giggles under his breath and Peter is too shocked to react.

“Stark, stop this!” Steve scolds.

“It’s not me!”

“I don’t see humor in this humiliation. You’re bisexual too.” Steve protests.

The silence after that sentence is thick with tension. Steve flees the room.

“The war hero from the forties is bisexual?”

Peter isn’t sure what to make of the incident.

In order to get out of the house, Peter claimed he need to get some fresh air. Steve and Tony didn’t think twice about letting Peter out of the house. His parents on the other hand, wouldn’t let him do such a thing without at least a buddy and his cellphone. At this point Steve and Tony aren’t his parents.

All he wanted to do is get an ice cream cone at a store a few blocks away. He remembered when his Aunt Pepper would bring him there is he was extra good to her. He knew the store would be open because there is an older couple that has owned it and had it since the 90s. He couldn’t wait to get a taste of the sweet sugary chocolate-ly-ness that is their classic hot fudge sundae. The appearance of this sundae is to die for, it has the aesthetic of every fake ice cream commercial. He’s the type of person to scrape the bottom of the plastic bowl to get every last bit of his dessert. He craves the chunks of cookie dough his spoon will dig-

“-Please, stop.” Someone pitifully groans to Peter’s right.

Peter jumps and turns to see a three guys beating up a kid in an alleyway.

“What are you going to do about, nerd? You shouldn’t have opened you mouth in the first place.” The leader of the pack sneers and kicks the boy on the ground.

Peter is about to spring into action when someone beats him to it.

“Oh. My. God.” A girl exclaims with a over exaggerated valley-girl accent. She approaches the scene with a swagger in her step and a sly smile on her face. Peter watches the scene play out from a distance. She puts her palm on one of the bully’s shoulder. Not the leader, but one of the followers.

“You are so hot,” she giggles leaning into his personal space. She moves her hands onto his biceps. “And you’re strong.”

The guy is bugged-eyed and staring at the girl like she’s an alien, but his shock passes by and is replaced with a cocky smirk. “Yeah? You wanna go to my place? I can show you how strong I really am.”

She giggles even louder and rests her head on his chest. The main bully is furious. “What about me? I’m hotter and stronger.” He complains, walks up to her, and grabs her by the front of her shirt. “You don’t want him. I’m better.”

Surrounded by two of the three men, she smirks ups at them and says with a delighted twinkle in her eyes, “Men are so stupid.” She knees the man that has a hand on her shirt. He falls forward with a loud grunt. She grabs the other man by the back of his neck and pulls him down on top of the other bully. She flips out other the way so the two of them are groaning in pain on the hard concrete. The teen glances at the third and final bully, “You should run or I will destroy you.” As expected he fled immediately.

Peter has never gains so much respect for someone in less than a minute.

She helps the teenage boy up off the ground. “Are you alright? I can drive you to the hospital if needed.”

“No, I’m okay. Thank you.” The boy ran away from the scene before Peter could see all the damage to his body.

She walks out of the alley and spots Peter grinning at her.

“What you you staring at, twig?” She snaps.

“A brilliant warrior.” He replies without a hint of sarcasm.

She pauses and looks him up and down. “I was quite simple. Weak men follow dumb leaders. Weaker men are the dumb leaders. If you destroy their hierarchy, they are become even more feeble. The limited violence was the easy part. Men are stupid.”

“I agree.” Peter wholeheartedly approves of her bold statement. Men are more often blinded by distractions and ego than by common sense. “My dad tells me that women are the strongest of humankind because they not only think for themselves, but they actually evaluate a situation and find the best option for a solution. Plus, they are smarter, and more empathetic which is exactly what our society is in dire need of.”

She stares at Peter for a second trying to find a downside to his praise.

“It’s completely up to you, but I’m going to this ice cream place because I have a major sweet-tooth. If you want to join me, I’d love to her what you think about intersectional feminism and Buffy the Vampire Slayer.” Peter offers.

“I’m not interested in a date.” She clarifies.

“Neither am I. I like boys.” Peter blurts out and blushes. He is living in the past right now so he can’t just come out like he usually would in 2017. He could get physically hurt for offhandedly saying things like that.

“I like girls and boys,” she whispers back to him. “I’m Daisy.”

“I’m Peter.”

They go get ice cream sundaes and Peter finds himself spilling his guts to her. “I made a disastrous mistake and all I want to do is fix it. The worst part is that I don’t know if I can fix it. So right now I’m meddling in other people’s lives that I have no business being in to try and salvage the ashes of my regrets.”

“So you’re fixing the present to ignore the consequences of your future?” Daisy asks.

Peter stares at her carefully, but it seems to not realize how ironically accurate she is when talking about hypotheticals. “Yeah.”

“Peter, this may not be the answer you’re looking for because I’m an obsessive person, but what I would do in this situation is throw myself into temporarily fixing the problem. If there isn’t anyway to mend my mistake, I would ‘salvage all the goddamn ashes’ I could. Don’t feel guilty about fixing everything you can.”

“Thanks, Daisy.”

“You’re welcome, Peter. Now I need a favor from you.”

“Okay?”

“When the fallout of this situation happens, hug the person you scared. I’m sure they’ll need it.” Daisy gives him one last smile before dashing out of the ice cream store.

Peter is left to his own devices and wonders who she is in the future. Peter begins to implement part three in his head. Clint basically took the plot of the parent trap and mushed it into a plan. If he can’t go back to his present, he’ll do whatever he can to make his parents happy.

He texts his favorite uncle (who has moved up on the list due to taking Peter under his wing without knowing him) and tells him to start part three of the plan.

The whole point of the plan was to get Tony Stark to sweep Steve Rogers off his feet and save his life during an Avengers training. Clint and Peter were not expecting anyone to get kidnapped. Especially Peter himself who only knows how to defend himself in a fight, not escape captors.

It started off harmless. Peter alters some of the bots to be less stable, but he has a kill switch so no one is in real danger. Peter is sitting in a room outside the training facility and watching as the scene unravels. Black Widow was having a field day beating up erratic robots. Hawkeye uses his new explosive arrows. Captain America and Iron Man simultaneously fight and bicker.

“Why didn’t you test the lasers before you used your prototype against us? This is dangerous I thought you knew what you were doing!” Steve raves.

“What better way to test out dummies than having the Avengers fight them? If we can’t fight prototypes we shouldn’t be fighting alien villains.”

Then one of the bot erupts and flies apart in Captain America’s face. Iron Man jumps on top of him to shield him from any damage.

“Well, they weren’t supposed to do that,” Tony admits.

Natasha and Clint stare amused by the wreckage and Steve’s bulging neck vein. “That definitely WAS NOT SAFE!” Steve shouts.

A hand covers Peter’s mouth and nose. Peter first instinct is to grip the hand to shove it off his face and to kick his attacker. Unfortunately, a sharp prick to the side of his neck and Peter starts to pass out. He lists the types of tranquilizers in his head to engage his brain. He can’t pass out now. No one knows he’s hurt. He needs to stay conscious. He needs to make a scene and get someone’s attention. Alprazolam. Chloroform. Diazepam. Estaz-

He doesn’t recognize the room he wakes up in. It’s dark. Pitch black dark. The type of dark that seems like the lights has been physically sucked out of your eyes. It smells damp and moldy. Rough rope digs into his hands that are tied together in front of him. Peter can’t see his hand even when they are right next to his face. Peter doesn’t know what to do. He breathes in deeply to calm himself down. He gets a strong whiff of mildew. Peter feels the rock hard mattress he is laying on he wiggles to make sure all his limbs are working. He can’t think of anything to do. He shuts his eyes tight hard enough to cause himself minor pain. He throws his head back and slams it repeatedly against the bed. Peter panics. He whimpers in growing fear. Then he starts to scream. Deafening loud. He needs to hear himself. He doesn’t care anymore he needs to freak the fuck out. His scream becomes muffled when his own ears are numb from his own voice. Sob shake his entire body. “Daddy! Help please! PLEASE!” He screeches at the top of his lungs.

Eventually Peter tires himself out and blacks out again with tears drying on the side of his face.

Plan three was catastrophic failure.

The next thing Peter knows is that he’s being carried out of the pitch black room into a long corridor. “You got company, kid. You don’t want to miss this.” The gruff voice says dragging him along.

Peter gets strapped into a metal chair. He can’t bring himself to care because he is exhausted and at least now he can see his surroundings. A man carrying a grenade launcher stands in front of him with the creepiest smiles Peter has ever had the misfortune of seeing.

“You know when I kidnapped a kid from the Avengers tower. I expected some search parties and maybe even Captain America to fall into my trap. I didn’t expect to also get the one and only Iron Man to also get caught in my ruse. Finally Hydra can rejoice after today because I will have killed the Captain and the billionaire. The leaders of the Avengers, the only thing standing in our path to world domination. So thanks, kid.”

That’s when Peter spots Tony and Steve in separate contaminants both unconscious.

“No.” Peter whispers.

“Oh yes and all thanks to one stupid kid.” The man taunts.

“No!” Peter screams struggling to break free from his confines. His wrists starts to bleed because they’ve been rubbed raw. His brain kicks into overdrive, but nothing comes to mind that could save anyone’s life. He’s at a lost.

“They must really care about you to throw themselves into danger so willingly. That’s dumb on their part.”

Peter sees a large machine, it looks like a canon that one would see at a circus. It’s the deadly weapon that can kill both a super soldier and a human genius. It’s the single most malicious view of a robot Peter has ever seen.

A couple Hydra Nazi Agents maneuver Steve, Tony, and Peter so they both face the beam.

“STEVE! TONY! WAKE UP!” Peter screams.

“That’s not going to work, kid. It’s useless. I win.” The grenade launcher man says. “If you try anything, I’ll blow this whole place up.”

“Steve. Tony. Please.” Peter begs.

“It’s every superhero’s weakness, love.” The guy goads.

“You’re wrong.” Peter chokes up as he recites Steve’s, his future self’s words. “Love will always be an asset, not a liability.”

Peter glares at the main ugly Nazi. Peter can’t help but speak from his heart, “You’re too fucked up and dumb to see it, but even as I’m tied up to this chair about to die, I’m still stronger than you. My empathy and love makes me the strongest and smartest people in this room. So go ahead kill us.”

“Don’t mind if I do.” The man presses the button. The cannon begins to fire its deadly beam. Peter has a split second to react. Only Peter has a secret weapon that the Hydra Agents couldn’t find on him.

Tony and Peter created the perfect web shooters for the science fair. Peter went ahead and installed it, with the help of Jarvis, underneath his skin. He flicks his wrist towards Captain America’s shield towards the back of the room.

Peter only has one shot at this. The webs flings itself from Peter’s wrist and attaches to the star of the shield. The shield automatically pulls itself towards Peter’s body. The giant guns fires towards the superhero family. Like an eclipse, the gun and the shield perfectly line up. The ray bounces off the shield and onto the smirking creepy Hydra agent, instantly killing him and perpetuating a detonation.

Everyone is thrown across the room. Peter may not have thought his entire plan through because then he promptly passes out when his head makes contact with the wall.

“What the hell was he thinking? He’s more reckless than you, Tony.” Steve’s disapproving voice cuts through Peter’s sleepy daze.

“I mean if he did save our lives by being reckless. And you’re comparing him to me. I think you should call us both heroes.” Tony replies.

“Uh… morning?” Peter opens an eye and peeks at Steve and Tony.

“Morning? That’s all you have to say? You almost died and you downloaded Tony’s tech into your body without permission and I heard you provoke a Hydra Agent.” Steve rants putting his hands on Peter to check him for any further damages.

Peter realizes he’s on the Avenger’s couch, cocooned with various fluffy blankets and pillows. The younger versions of Uncle Clint, Uncle Bruce, and Aunt Natasha were standing on the other side of the room watching Peter with relief.

“Yeah! How dare you become a badass at seventeen and save our lives! You’re grounded.” Tony sarcastically butts in and rolls his eyes.

Their attitudes are uncanny to his fathers. Peter misses them so much. He just wants to be with them again. He begins to sniffle. Then as the first tear sheds, Peter begins to hysterically cry.

“Damn kid, I was kidding. If it makes you feel better I’ll tell your parents not to ground you.” Tony shifts uncomfortably as Peter sobs harder.

“Oh Peter,” Steve murmurs. He embraces Peter in a bear hug completely engulfing him in warmth and love. Steve rubs his back in slow small circles. Peter clings to him. “You're alright. I promise you, that you are going to be perfectly fine. Do you know how I know that?”

“How?” Peter hiccups.

“Because you are loved. So you are never alone.”

“I love you, Dad.”

Peter begins to glow brightly. His head gets fuzzy, but Peter isn’t concerned, he feels unconditional love. Peter opens his eyes again to see Steve, not just any Steve, his father Steve.

“DAD!” Peter exclaims his heart races as he concludes he’s where he belongs. He throws his arms around Steve.

“What? No hug for your other frantic father?” Tony asks.

Peter sticks his wrist out and presses his middle and ring finger into his wrist. A web shoots towards Tony and pulls him forward into a group hug.

“I’m so sorry, dads.”

“I’m sorry, too.” Tony retorts. “I lied to you. You are totally grounded for the rest of your damn life.”

Steve giggles at Peter’s’ sudden stiffness. “Yup, but you can still go to prom with Wade. Only if you’re back by ten p.m.”

“B-but daaaad,” Peter whines.

“Hey, you’re lucky kid. You tried to meddle in our past relationship. Can you imagine the consequences?” Tony asks.

“I just wanted you two to be happy together,” Peter defends.

“Petey, we were already dating when you showed up.” Steve admits.

Peter stares at his fathers trying to spot a falsehood. He turns to Steve, “You didn’t think you were my father.”

“I thought Tony was having an affair. Not that you need to know about that.” Steve gives him a stern eye.

“I wasn’t by the way. Steve like to be an insecure idiot.” Tony kisses Steve on the cheek. “Uncle Clint called he said the plan technically worked. I’m banning him from the tower.”

“No you’re not.” Steve argues.

Peter never felt more at home.

Peter Parker may have the brain of a scientist, but he has the heart of a warrior.

Epilogue

Peter tightens his black bowtie and poses in front of his long mirror.

“Not bad.” He says aloud.

“PETER! YOU’RE OBNOXIOUS ANNOYING BOYFRIEND IS HERE!” Tony calls from the intercoms. It doesn’t make much sense for him to be yelling into the microphone, but his dad has never been normal.

Peter races downstairs to see his parents interrogating his boyfriend, Wade Winston Wilson. Wade is shifting uncomfortable with his head angled downward, but he appears to be answering all his parent’s questions.

Peter opens his mouth to speak, but as soon as he steps through the doorway, music starts to blast.

“I KISSED A BOY AND THEY LIKED IT. GOT ALL THE HONEYS IN THE CLUB EXCITED. I KISSED A BOY-” The stereo roars.

Peter feels the sickness of deja vu and darts his eyes around the room to make sense of the situation.

“PETEY, WHY IS YOUR HOUSE OUTING YOU?” Wade screams over the music.

“I DON’T KNOW.” Peter screams back. He begins to blush and steps back out of the room to avoid further embarrassment. Wade starts to giggle.

Natasha and Bucky enter the room with sly grins on their faces. Natasha has a remote in her hand and says, “Like father, like son.”