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Friday’s are a day full of anticipation for the weekend, excited energy, and Avenger movie nights. No matter how shitty the rest of the week has been, Friday’s always seem to make up for it. There’s no question that it is Peter’s favorite day of the week.
When his alarm beeps, Peter quickly jumps out of bed, and rushes to get ready. Not because he’s late, but because the faster he is out for breakfast, the better chances he has for persuading the team on the movie choice for the night. If he can suggest the movie and hype it up before Clint can do the same, 95 percent of the time Peter wins. And when that doesn’t work, giving his famous puppy dog eyes and saying “I’ve been looking forward to this movie all day” does the trick.
Clint calls it cheating. Peter calls it using his resources.
As he enters the kitchen, Peter is happy to see only Steve, Tony, and Nat are up. “Good morning!” Peter chirps excitedly as he grabs a plate of the breakfast Steve made.
“You seem to be in an extra good mood today.” Steve acknowledges, while Tony and Nat - still half asleep and waiting for the coffee to finish brewing - groan in greeting.
“It’s Friday.” Peter answered around a mouth full of food.
“Don’t talk with your mouth full.” Tony said, rolling his eyes. “Or we won’t watch your movie choice tonight.”
A pink blush spread on Peter’s cheeks, but he still gasped, placing a hand over his heart. “You wouldn’t dare.”
“Try me.” Tony challenged as the coffee finished. He quickly poured himself a cup, ignoring the scalding heat as he took the first sip. He was already starting to feel human again. “Besides, I think I’m starting to gain immunity from your puppy dog eyes.”
Natasha laughed, filling up her own steaming mug of coffee. “Nobody will ever be immune to that face. Just look at him. He’s adorable.”
“Aw, thanks Nat.” Peter made sure to give his biggest, brightest, most sincere smile to the assassin. He really does have the best pseudo family.
“Anything for my favorite.” Damn it, this kid is making her soft.
The four of them sat in silence while they ate their various breakfasts, just enjoying being in each other’s company. Peter was about to suggest they watch ‘Harry Potter’ for their movie night, but FRIDAY interrupted. “Mr. Parker, I must inform you that Steven Westcott just entered the building. Would you like me to call the authorities?”
Steven Westcott.
Peter hasn’t heard that name in years. Not that he could ever forget the man. Steven Westcott, aka Skip, used to be Peter’s babysitter. The only babysitter Peter even had. The babysitter who molested and raped him when Peter was only 8.
It’s been 7 years since Peter had to give a formal testimony to a judge and room full of lawyers. Ben and May had spent hours making sure Peter would be alright. Having to explain in detail everything Skip would do to him, on all those different nights, was almost worse than the actual assault. Almost.
Skip was sent to juvie until he was 18 - which was only two years after he raped Peter. While he wasn’t put on the sex offender registry because he was a minor when it occurred, Skip still had it on his permanent record for potential schools and employers to see.
The lawyer May and Ben had hired brought up the idea of a restraining order. He said that because Skip will only be in juvie for two years, filing a restraining order will prevent Skip from trying to contact Peter when he gets out. The judge granted the order, and the only other time Peter had heard about Skip was when the judge had to inform them of Skip’s release.
So why the fuck is Skip currently in the lobby of S.I? Okay, that’s not fair. The man probably doesn’t even realize that Peter is there. It’s not like the media has been spreading his picture around after news broke that he’s Tony Stark’s personal intern. Half the people in the city are convinced that Peter is secretly Tony’s biological kid, and that’s why the older man is seen hanging out with a teenager.
However people view their relationship doesn’t matter. What matters is that Peter’s childhood rapist is breaking his restraining order, and Peter’s not going to let him do that. Forgetting about his breakfast, Peter makes his way to the elevator, denying the A.I’s request to call the cops. He can handle Skip on his own.
“Peter?” Tony calls after him, stopping the teen from going to the lobby. “What’s going on? Who is this Steven guy, and why is FRIDAY offering to call the authorities?”
“You don’t have to worry about it, Mr. Stark.” Peter steps around Tony, closing the doors to the elevator before the man could ask more questions. He doesn’t need his mentor fighting his battles. Peter can do this. He’s Spider-Man. He can handle Skip.
The adrenaline coursing through Peter’s body has him bouncing on the balls of his feet, but does nothing to show how he’s really feeling. If Peter is being honest, he’s terrified. Terrified of Skip refusing to leave. Terrified of what the man might say to him. Terrified of his team finding out, and thinking less of him.
When the doors open, Peter only hesitates for a second before bounding out into the busy lobby. It’s just before 8am. Of course it’s going to be busy. This is the time when employees and interns are going through security or meeting up with coworkers to grab breakfast from the Ma and Pa coffee shop Stark Industries hired to work in the lobby.
The movement and noises and smells are a bit overwhelming for Peter’s heightened senses, but he has to push it off. He has one goal in mind. Find Skip, and kick him out.
It doesn’t take long for Peter to spot the familiar face hidden in the crowd - the red hair and freckled skin stand out in the sea of people. Peter’s stomach drops at the sight of the man, his childhood rapist, standing in a place that’s always represented comfort and safety. What bothers Peter even more though, is the Stark Industries employee badge clipped onto the front of Skip’s jacket.
Before he can think, Peter is standing behind Skip, ignoring the group of people the man was talking to. “What are you doing here?” He asks, trying to keep his voice from trembling.
Skip turns to look at Peter, but instead of looking surprised like Peter thought he would, the man smirks. “Well hello to you too.”
“You can’t be here.” Peter squared his shoulders, ready for a fight. He can’t back down. This is his chance to redeem himself. “You need to leave.”
“I’m hurt, Pete. I really thought we connected.” Skip feigned a pout. “Don’t you remember all the fun games we used to play?”
“Ha!” The cold laugh echoed in the lobby, drawing attention to their conversation, but Peter couldn’t care less. His focus was on Skip. Crossing his arms, Peter spoke again, this time his voice eerily calm. “And what game are you talking about? The one where you hit me so hard my nose started bleeding? Or are you talking about when you raped me?”
The collective gasp throughout the lobby was enough to break Peter out of his anger. Looking around, all eyes were focused on the two men. Several people had their phones out, presumably recording the interaction.
Tears stung Peter’s eyes as he noticed his team frozen in place just outside the elevator. The only people he had ever told about Skip - outside of the testimony he gave - were his aunt and uncle, and Ned. And now he just told a room full of strangers, and probably the whole internet. Damn it.
Taking one last moment to focus on Skip, Peter lowered his voice. “You need to leave. You’re violating the restraining order, and I won’t hesitate to call the cops if this happens again.” With that said, Peter turned to leave the building. Everyone was still watching, still recording, and it was suffocating.
Peter left the tower, grateful for the fresh air when he stepped outside. He was still blinking back tears as he walked down the sidewalk, going to the one place he knew no one would bother him. He just needs to be alone.
Did Peter just...close the elevator doors in Tony’s face? “Did that really just happen?” He asked Steve and Natasha who were watching from the kitchen. They were both wearing expressions that convey exactly how he’s feeling. Confused. Worried. Scared.
“FRIDAY, who is Steven Westcott?” Natasha asked, breaking out of her stupor first.
“Steven Westcott, 23, newly hired as a public relations advocate in the marketing department for Stark Industries.”
“Okay, but why did you tell Peter that he is here?” Tony further prompted.
“I recommend you go down to the lobby, Boss.” FRIDAY said instead of answering.
Sighing, Tony set his coffee down, moving to the elevator. He didn’t try to stop Steve or Natasha from following him, only rolling his eyes when Clint chose that moment to walk in the room, and ask where they were going. “To the lobby. Something’s up with Peter.” Natasha answered, motioning for him to come.
The ride down seemed to take forever, and FRIDAY wouldn’t answer any of Tony’s questions, only asking if he would like her to call the authorities. Tony is going to have to take a look at her coding after this, but nevertheless, he did confirm for her to call the cops. If she’s going to be so adamant about it, she obviously knows something more than he does.
Tony is used to the people in the lobby staring at him whenever he ventures down. He expected it to happen again, and was only partially concerned by the fact that he was in jeans and an oil stained t-shirt. The public never really saw that side of him, and he tried to keep it to a minimum. Can’t let people know he’s a normal person.
Instead of hearing people whispering about his presence, Tony heard an abrupt laugh, followed by silence. Turning his head to the direction of the noise, he saw Peter talking to a man. Steven Westcott, he presumes.
What he heard next made his blood run cold. “And what game are you talking about? The one where you hit me so hard my nose started bleeding? Or are you talking about when you raped me?” Peter said, a fire to his voice that Tony had never heard before.
He didn’t have to look to know his teammates were just as shocked by this revelation as he is. Peter Parker. Their spider baby. Raped? Tony’s head felt heavy, as he struggled to take in a breath, only moving again when he made eye contact with Peter. The kid’s eyes were shining with tears, and he looked terrified.
By the time he made it to where Peter had been standing, the kid was gone. But the other man was still there. His face hardened, and he enjoyed the look of fear on Westcott’s face when he noticed it was Tony who now stood before him.
The crowd was still watching, waiting to see what was going to happen next. As much as Tony would have liked to give the man a public comeuppance, this involves his kid. “Don’t you all have work to be doing?” He snapped. “FRIDAY, erase all video footage of the last five minutes from the surrounding devices.” He quietly instructed his A.I.
With the crowd dispersing, Tony finally addressed Westcott. “In case it isn’t clear, you’re fired. Give me your badge.” The man fumbled with the ID clipped to his jacket for a minute, quickly handing it over. Taking it, Tony handed it to Happy who just approached from behind. “Take Mr. Westcott to a security holding room. The cops will be here soon. Have FRIDAY tell them what she knows. I have to find the kid.”
Tony would have preferred to put the fear of God into the man himself, but Peter needs him. Besides, he knows the rest of his team will do a fine job of it themselves.
“FRIDAY, track Peter’s location.” He told his A.I as he stepped back onto the private elevator.
“Mr. Parker doesn’t have anything I can track on him, Boss.” She answered, sounding guilty.
“What do you mean? He’s a teenager. They always have their phones.”
“It seems he turned it off, sir.”
“Fuck.” How is he supposed to find the kid now? “Tell me as soon as he turns it back on, okay?”
“Yes, Boss.”
Tony is losing his shit.
Peter left the tower 12 hours ago, and has yet to return. The kid’s phone has stayed off the whole time, and no matter how many times Tony or any of the other Avengers have gone out to look for the teen, he’s nowhere to be found. Peter didn’t even show up for school, which honestly, is probably more worrisome than anything. He didn’t even want to miss school when he was shot, and the bullet shattered a rib.
He is all for giving Peter space to clear his mind, but 12 hours! Seriously? The sun is almost completely set, and Tony knows the kid hasn’t eaten since breakfast. Peter has nothing on him besides his phone. It’s a fucking mess, and May is going to kill Tony if anything happens to Peter.
The only thing that kept Tony from flying around all day, was looking into who, how, and why, Westcott was hired. Stark Industries has a strict ‘clean record’ policy for all employees. It’s a tech company, they can’t have ex-cons working around dangerous materials, or valuable information. It’s even worse though that Westcott has a record for sexual assault of a minor. Whoever overlooked that information is getting fired. In the hiring process, Stark Industries runs an extensive background check, so it’s not like this information could have been withheld in any way.
Pulling up the information, the first thing Tony sees is the highlighted red box that explains the criminal record. Tony quickly finds the name of the HR employee who hired the man, then had FRIDAY email the information to Pepper, and briefly explain the situation.
He met Pepper in her office, a little surprised when the hiring agent in question, ducked out of the room right as Tony got there. The man looked like he had seen his worst nightmare, which is fair. When it comes to protecting Peter, Pepper is scarier than most - only being out intimidated by May Parker.
“You did the fun part without me?” Tony asked, smirking at his angry looking fiance. He loves how much she loves Peter. Tony swears, seeing her so bent out of shape because she was fighting for the kid, is the sexiest thing he’s ever seen.
“Trust me, you should be glad you weren’t here.” She responds, smoothing out her skirt as she walks towards Tony. “I scared myself with how angry I got.”
“Sounds like it would have been amusing to watch.” He muses against her lips, before closing the gap in a kiss.
Pepper pulled back, raising a perfectly shaped eyebrow at Tony. “You’re going to ask FRIDAY for the video footage, aren’t you?”
“Mhmm.” He leans in to kiss her again, but she ducks out of the way, walking back to her desk.
“FRIDAY, don’t let Tony see the footage. Authorization: ‘I am the real boss’.” Pepper winks at Tony as FRIDAY confirms the order, looking amused as he gasps.
“Betrayed by my own child.” Tony shakes his head, but smiles, sitting in the chair across from Pepper’s. “So what did you find out?”
“The hiring agent, Kent, is Westcott’s cousin. He was returning a favor, giving Westcott a job that he was under-qualified for, and hiding the criminal record. He’s been fired, and I have the legal team filing a lawsuit against both Kent, and Westcott.” She answered, passing Tony the written confession from Kent.
“Have I ever told you that I love you?” Tony couldn’t think of anything else. He got so lucky, and he will never take Pepper for granted. “You are seriously, so amazing.”
“Even if I turn your A.I against you?” Pepper leans back in her chair, crossing her arms, smirking at Tony’s eye roll.
“Even if you turn my A.I against me.” Tony confirms.
When he left Pepper’s office, Tony was hit with a new determination to find Peter.
That was 12 hours ago, and his determination has not dwindled yet. So, for the tenth time that day, Tony is letting his suit wrap around him, preparing to go look for the kid again. He’s desperate at this point. It’s not like Peter to go under the radar for this long. Flying out the open window, Tony starts along the path he’s flown all day. There are only five places Peter usually goes when upset, so if he keeps circling around those areas, he’s sure to find the kid at some point. Peter and May’s apartment, Midtown high school, Ned’s house, MJ’s house, Delmar’s. Over and over and over again.
An hour passes far too slowly, and Tony is getting ready to call for an official search party, when FRIDAY tells him Peter has turned his phone back on. “Location! Now!” He demands, breathing a sigh of relief when a red dot appears on his screen.
As Tony approaches Peter’s location, he freezes. His heart breaks all over again for his kid.
St. Mary’s Cemetery. Where Peter’s parents and uncle are buried.
His suit retracts back into it’s holding unit, and Tony slowly enters the graveyard. He’s never been here before, so he’s grateful FRIDAY switched the tracking location to his glasses. It takes a few minutes, but Tony finally spots Peter, curled up in a ball next to one of the headstones.
Slowly, so as not to scare the kid, Tony lowers himself on the grass in front of Peter. He can see the shine of tears on the kid’s cheek, glinting in the light from the lamps above. “Hey, Underoos.”
“Hi.” Peter whispers, closing his eyes as more tears begin to fall. “I’m sorry I skipped school.”
“Don’t worry about it.” Tony reassures, wanting so badly to pull the kid into his arms, and never let go. “How about we head back to the tower? We’ll get you warm, and feed your crazy metabolism.”
Shaking his head, Peter curled in on himself even more. “I want to stay here.”
Tony’s heart shattered even more at the broken sound of Peter’s voice. It was obvious he had been crying a lot. He wasn’t going to force the kid, though. He’d wait. Despite what people may think, Tony can be patient. “Okay, kid. We can stay here.”
Instead of responding, Peter launched himself at Tony, clinging onto the man like his life depended on it. Sobs ripped through Peter’s chest, as he buried his face against Tony’s shoulder. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”
“Shhh. It’s okay, kid. I’ve got you. You’re okay.” Tony comforted. He feels so useless at that moment. Tony is a fixer. But this isn’t something he can fix. So he holds the boy closer, whispering reassurances in his ear.
The sobs eventually died down, only a few sniffles here or there. Still, Tony doesn’t say anything, wanting Peter to come to him when he is ready. They sit in silence, Tony rubbing a hand in soothing circles on Peter’s back, with a hand carding through his messy curls.
“He was my babysitter when I was 8.” Peter finally says, pausing to see if Tony was going to say anything before continuing. “I didn’t tell anyone about him because I was afraid they wouldn’t want me. Aunt May and Uncle Ben were so sad when they found out what he had been doing to me, but I thought they were mad at me. But when I told Ben what I was thinking, he took me out for ice cream. I asked him what he was doing, and he said, “I’m proving to you that I’m not mad. If I were mad, would I be buying you ice cream?”.”
Peter laughed a little, the sound filling Tony’s heart with hope. Hope that his kid will be okay. Hope that he’s doing something right. “That night, after the ice cream, Ben let me sleep with him and May. He promised to protect me from Skip no matter what.”
When Peter stayed quiet for more than a minute, Tony decided to respond. “He sounds like he was a good uncle.”
“The best.” Peter confirms. “That’s why I came here. I just wanted…”
“You wanted what?” Tony asked after Peter trailed off.
“N-nothing. It’s stupid.” Peter looked down, playing with a string hanging from his shirt.
“It’s not stupid if it’s important to you.” Tony placed a hand under Peter’s chin, lifting it until the kid made eye contact. “I’m not going to judge you, bud. You can tell me.”
“I wanted Ben to protect me again. And this is the closest I can get to him.” Peter’s eyes filled with tears again, but this time none fell.
“That’s not stupid, Pete. I did the same thing with my mom.” Tony pressed a kiss to the top of Peter’s head, wrapping his arms tighter around the kid.
Tony’s not sure how much longer he and Peter sat there, but when Peter started shivering, he knew they couldn’t stay. Thankfully, the kid agreed, and was more than willing to let Tony carry him back to the tower.
As they landed in the living room, the rest of the team was quick to swarm them, each one pulling Peter into a hug or commenting on how relieved they are that he’s safe. Peter, the champ that he is, smiled and accepted the comfort.
“Movie night?” Tony asked as Buck finished giving Peter a hug.
“Only if we can watch Harry Potter.” Peter responded, giving his best puppy dog eyes to Tony.
“That’s not fair!” Clint replied indignantly. “Nobody’s going to argue with you after the day you’ve had.” Peter laughed as Clint yelped from the smack to the back of the head he received from Natasha.
“I was wrong.” Tony sighed, pulling Peter into his side, leading them toward the couch. “I am not even close to being immune to your puppy dog eyes.”