Work Text:
He’d just wanted an access key.....
After the Vulture fiasco, Tony had been taking the “Stark Internship” angle slightly more seriously
… Okay, slightly was a generous term.
Peter would be going to Tony's newly refurbished lab in Stark Tower 2 times a week now. If it were up to Stark it seems, it would be every day. They tinkered with devices that it seemed Stark built specifically to see if Peter could pull them apart and tell them how they worked. He helped Peter fine tune his web shooters and Peter even helped with the nanotech in his new Iron Man suit! Him! Peter Benjamin Parker! Helped with Iron Man’s suit!
And what did he have to show for it? Really nothing. Sure, he could tell Ned and Aunt May, but as for everyone else …
No one believed him. He couldn't blame them, honestly. He'd been flaky about it, and then he’d “lost the internship” and now he had it back? He seemed like the worst kind of bullshit artist.
So he’d gone up to Mister Stark and just asked for an access key.
“Why do you need that? You have clearance from FRIDAY” He’d responded, not even looking away from the repulsor he was tinkering with
“Well, yeah I know but uh, I don't actually have any proof about this internship and no one believes me” he explained “I was just, um, wanting to show them something tangible?”
Tony stark raised an eyebrow at Peter, who just continued to feel more ridiculous the more he stood there
“Uh, nevermind it's dumb, sorry” He reneged, sitting down at his work bench “You uh, wanted me to take this core apart?”
Tony looked at him with a more serious stare, but shrugged it off “Yeah, kid. I want you to know that thing inside and out. I'll be right back” he got up and left the workshop, leaving Peter to quietly berate himself as he worked on dismantling the power core
--
As Tony stopped by the kitchen to get two cans of Dr. Pepper, he contemplated the kid’s request, while in said contemplation, he asked “FRIDAY, how's Pete doing on the core?”
“He seems to be halfway done with the dismantle…” Tony couldn’t help the smirk at that. “...And has taken a moment to talk to his aunt over the phone… His heart rate is slightly elevated. I think he might be anxious, sir”
“Give me an audio feed” He requested, and the live audio feed of his workshop filled the kitchen as he opened one of the cans.
“-What? No of course I didn't say that!” Peter scream whispered. Did that kid really think he couldn't hear? “Because it doesn't matter, May. It's healed, it's fine”
....Healed? What healed?
“Aunt May I got shoved into that locker before I was Spider-Man…. Yeah it's gotten worse but I'm also like, superhuman so it actually doesn't affect me for nearly as long.” He reasoned. There was a pause “... May, I doubt that would actually help. Flash is just an assho- sorry! Sorry aunt May…” Tony got a chuckle out of that.
Peter sighed “Flash is Flash, whether I have proof or not he’s still gonna be a jerk.”
There was another pause “The ribs were bruised, not broken”
Tony Stark tensed, staring blankly as the audio continued
“No of course not! He was just - May, its -.... No, of course not, May, its just… Heh, yeah yeah yeah, sure… “ May talked for quite a bit before Peter interrupted “No, no !! You will not tell him about that!! That was a year ago already! … It was just a broken wrist, it healed right up”
“Sir, your soda”
FRIDAY snapped him back to reality, followed by the feelings of crushed metal.
He looked down at his hand and lamented the crushed Dr Pepper in his grip. The audio continued as Tony tried to quickly clean it up, while listening to the call end with a few “I love yous” and the sound of his tinkering return.
“Turn off the audio, FRI” Tony grumbled, grabbing another soda and headed back to the lab.
His brain was already churning with thoughts, a lot of them giving him high blood pressure. Started feeling almost normal with this kid.
Peter's attention was on organizing the component parts by the time he got back. God damn this kid was smart. He looked up when he heard the can clack against the table. “Oh, Mister Stark! I just finished. Looks like one of the wires got crossed and that caused the core to function at half capacity”
“Well aren’t you fast” He casually commented/complimented, which left Peter beaming at the praise. He decided not to bring up the call.
He was already formulating a plan.
--
Chemistry was final period. Chemistry only had 15 minutes left. And Chemistry had involved answering a question Flash got wrong, and a note passed to him with an ominous “lets break em this time” scribbled in just, the worst handwriting and no punctuation.
Peter was already trying desperately to formulate a way to get out of school before Flash could gather up his cronies and “hold’ him down for a beating. It was almost alarming how violent Flash had become, but it had always been an escalating series of events- he supposed. And despite very much being able to punch all of these people into next Tuesday he wouldn’t. Of course he wouldn’t. He wasn’t a bully.
Didn’t mean he couldn’t get hurt, though.
He really wasn’t looking forward to breathing being a pain for a few hours after, but if it meant that they didn’t beat on anyone else, he’d take it
But just as he was resigning himself to his fate, the door opened
“‘Scuse me, is this Misses Fitzpatrick’s AP Chem class?” His eyes shot open and he sat straight up at his table, staring at the door
None other than Tony friggin Stark was standing there, dressed more casually than he’d usually seen him in public. Jeans and the light grey AEROSMITH shirt that was nearly black from grease stains. In his hand he had his phone and wallet
“Uh, uhm, yes” The kindly old chemistry teacher bumbled around her words. The entire class was staring at the billionaire, who looked out and made eye contact with Peter almost immediately
“Peter, there you are!” He started walking over. Peters brain was going a mile a minute. Mister Stark never called him by his first name, ever. “Took me forever to find this classroom. The hell is even up with room numbers in schools? It's ridiculous” He reached into his wallet and pulled out a card “Sorry this was so delayed, had to double check you background because Happy is strangely paranoid”
Peter nervously took the card and looked at it. It had “STARK INDUSTRIES” written in big letters, underneath those words read “Special Clearance” along with his name and a red square
“This is for emergencies, y’hear?” Tony explained “Put your thumb against the red and swipe. Its the only way it works” He instructed.
“...Uh” Peter just held the card in his hands
He put his wallet in his pocket and looked at the time on his phone “Ayyy its 5 minutes to schools out. I’ll be waiting for ya outside in the Lambo- the blue one. You were right by the way, looks way better in blue. You got an eye for design too, kid”
“... M-m-m-mister Stark, whhhhaaaat’re you doing here?” He finally got up the gumption to ask
“Giving you that access key, kid!” He tapped card in Peters hand “Don’t lose it now. But uh, if you do lemme know and i’ll deactivate it” He grinned. He then deliberately ruffled up Peters hair “See ya soon, kid. I need your input on the nanite recovery process for the new suit” He finished “Thank you for you time Misses Fitzpatrick” he clapped and rubbed his hands together, looking around the still silent and befuddled class. He then just… left.
Peters cheeks felt like they could fry an egg
Tony Stark. Anthony Edward Stark. Owner of Stark Industries. Iron Man. One of the most influential people on the planet… just came into his classroom to give him a card he didn’t need, and then ruffled his hair like an amused Dad.
He felt his classes eyes remain on him even as poor Misses Fitzpatrick tried to wrap up the lesson. The minute the bell rung he bolted out of there, making a beeline for his locker and texting Ned that he was going to be picked up and not to meet him by his locker to talk today. He didn’t want to stay any longer than he had to. With any luck Flash was gonna be so flabbergasted he wouldn’t try anything-
His locker was slammed closed.
- Peter had always had really lousy luck.
“Okay Parker, what kinda stunt was that”
“.... What stunt? The correcting you thing?”
Flash looked whatever the opposite of amused was.
“No, you jackass.” He got into Peters face as he tried to back away “What the hell was Tony fucking Stark doing here? Or was that even really him?” He shoved at him “Did you hire some look alike to make it look legit? Seems like something you’d do”
When Peter didn’t answer, he shoved again, knocking Peter to the ground as other kids scrambled away.
“Flash, I didn’t-”
“Save it, Penis Parker” He sneered “Why the hell would the biggest genius in the world care about a flaky moron like you?”
“Well that’s an easy answer”
Flash scrambled to turn around, greeted by a less than amused Tony and a surprisingly peeved Happy, who stood behind him with his arms crossed.
"Not one you're gonna be getting, however"
Next to Tony was Principal Morita, who looked just about ready to expel Flash on the spot. He was very much looking like photos of his grandfather in his office, that's for sure.
“Flash, Office. Now. I’m calling your father”
Flash almost ran into the office at top speed, as Tony reached out and helped Peter up.
“M-mister Stark, I-”
“Dont.” he stopped him “No apologies. Nothing to apologize for, Pete” He assured him, holding his shoulders and making firm, reassuring eye contact “Now come on, your principal and Happy have this handled. I do need your help on the nanites” He threw and arm about Peter in a way that he’d become accustomed to, and walked them out, while Happy stayed behind with the Principal- mostly for Tony to be assured that the kid actually got punished for what he’d done rather than just slapped on the wrist.
As they walked down the stairs Peter wondered how he ever got at this point in his life.
They got in the car, and Tony peeled off
“..... He’s an idiot, you know” Tony started
“Hm?” Peter looked back at him from the window
“That kid, Flash. He has no idea what he’s talking about”
“We-well of course. He’s Flash. He thinks he knows everything but he doesn’t” Peter shrugged
“ … You’re not a moron, Pete” Tony continued
“... I know” Peter responded, looking away again
Tony tried to think of something to say to change the mood
“Hey, how about you call May and tell her you’re staying over tonight. I finally got that Harry Potter Box set you were raving about”
“Wh-what!!” Peter nearly jumped in the seat, but recoiled “But uh, the nanites”
“Nanites can wait till tomorrow. It's a Friday, I don’t have any work related stuff till Sunday” he glanced over at Peter “and I think we could both use the night off”
Peter contemplated for a second, before smiling the Brightest, biggest smile in the entirety of american history and nodding. “We have to get you sorted into a house first, just so you have some people to root for. I like to think i’m in like, Gryffindor but Ned says i’m totally a Hufflepuff, which is impossible since-” and he continued on, going into detail about the houses in this fictional universe of witchcraft and wizardry with a vivacious zeal that bought a warmth to Stark.
Tony Stark most certainly had a heart, and it was melting in the hands of this bright, funny, kind teen.
Tony glanced at Peter one more time and focused back on the road. He’d have to have a good, long talk with Pepper about the prospect of having kids. Cause if their kid was half as great as this one was, they would be set.
He’d settle for adoption, though.