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The kid was completely silent as they made their way down the corridors to the exit. Tony had told Rhodey to stay behind until he got the boy outside, in order to not startle him. Rhodey had easily agreed, telling Tony he had to make a call for someone to clean up the mess they made and arrest the criminals.
It seemed as though the boy felt nothing when he looked down at the fallen Hydra members, the kid's face blank. The expression was shockingly different to the pure fear he had shown when they were in that room only a moment ago.
The kid alternated between crawling along the walls and hesitantly walking on the floor. Tony could tell this was hard for him, this was new. How long had that dark room been all the kid knew? Tony had to suppress a shiver at the thought.
A set of large, metal double doors came into view and Tony guided the enhanced towards them. He looked back at the kid to see him fidgeting in place, his gaze whipping back and forth in search of danger. When the two made eye contact, Tony attempted a reassuring smile. "Here's the exit." Tony pushed a door open with a creak.
Late afternoon light gently streamed into the building as Tony took a step outside, hoping the kid would follow. After a beat or two, the other door was opened and a mop of curly brown hair peeked out. The kid was breathing heavily as he reluctantly stepped outside. Tony briefly wondered if the fresh air would blow the teen away. He looked horribly underweight. Tony really wasn't surprised, he couldn't imagine Hydra supplying him with three meals a day.
Tony brought his gaze over to the jet that had just arrived to pick them up. Rhodey must have called for one when he learned that it wouldn't just be him and Tony returning home. Tony was grateful; he really did not want to carry a terrified teenager home with the Iron Man suit.
The two of them flew here in their suits right when they got the news that a building had Hydra connections. And the group had been purchasing illegal drugs and serums for a while now. Tony wished that they had found this place earlier, had cared enough to search for Hydra bases before the last couple years. But that sort of stuff wasn't on their radar. And because of that, this kid suffered longer.
Speaking of the kid, he was currently standing hunched over with his arms folded defensively around himself. But his expression was a striking contrast to his behavior. Wide brown eyes were taking in the pair's surroundings. To Tony, it was just a bunch of trees and grass. The building had been in the middle of nowhere. But to the kid, this must be new to him, if the shining of his eyes was anything to go by. So he really must have been locked up for a good while, huh. Tony couldn't fathom how horrible a life this kid must have lived.
Tony tried to get the kid's attention, gesturing to the jet. "That's where we're going next."
A pair of eyebrows were scrunched together. The enhanced seemed confused by this. "Why?"
"Well… It'll bring us somewhere safe. The Compound's big enough for you to have your own place there. It's probably a good idea for us to help you get acclimated to society before we just throw you in the deep end." Tony suspected that the kid was not listening to anything he said because after Tony's first statement left his mouth, he stared at him with an unreadable look, shifting slightly.
"... Safe?"
Tony felt his breath catch. That's what the kid had focused on? "Yeah. Safe. I don't know what exactly the future holds for you, but for now, you're safe. Alright, kid?" The boy nodded slowly. Now that he thought about it, he didn't know what to call him. "By the way, do you have a name? Mine's Tony Stark."
Usually his name would garner lots of attention, shocked gasps or starstruck looks. But the kid just continued to give him the same wide-eyed, jittery stare. He opened and closed his mouth hesitantly before whispering, as though telling a secret, "Peter."
"Nice to meet you, Peter," Tony smiled and led them to the jet, Peter's steps slow behind him. Oh yeah, he must feel pretty exposed out here without any walls or ceilings to climb up. He quickened his pace towards the jet.
Peter only startled twice before the jet took off for New York. The first time was when he spotted Happy. The man was surprised to see a teenager crouched down on the ramp, hissing. The tension was resolved when Tony asked Happy to stay in the cockpit for the time being. The second time was when they were settled down in their seats and Rhodey walked into the jet, the kid scurrying up onto the ceiling and bristling, fangs bared. Rhodey decided to sit at the front of the jet in order to disturb the kid the least.
Both men removed their suits and Peter watched them curiously as they stepped out of the metal encasing them. Tony was used to receiving looks like that when it came to his technology but he couldn't imagine just how strange this was for the kid.
Eventually Peter cautiously came down from his spot and Tony looked over to see the kid peeking outside the jet window as they took off. It was the first time Tony had seen the boy smile. It was a wide, amazed one, showing off his sharp fangs. His brown eyes crinkled in wonder at the view of the colorful sunset outside the window. Tony was shocked to find the smile strangely adorable as he sat back in his seat, gaze on the kid across the jet.
Tony pulled out his Starkpad and began mindlessly playing Candy Crush to pass the time. After about an hour into the ride, Tony heard a small tapping noise. A glance over showed Peter hanging upside down from a web, poking the Iron Man suit and then flinching back as though it might come to life. Tony chuckled.
"Hey, Peter, no touchies. That's a multi-million dollar suit." Though honestly, Tony didn't mind all that much if the kid touched it.
The kid retreated back to his spot on the wall, staring out the window obediently. Tony went back to his phone and the rest of the ride was spent in silence. Too silent. Tony almost wished the kid was loud or a chatterbox. Instead of only speaking one word at a time. But it seems as though Hydra hadn't been too fond of chattering experiments.
That was something Tony couldn't stop thinking about. What had their goal been for this kid? Was he just a guinea pig? Or did they plan to use him as a weapon or a spy of some sort? It was strange that he had been the only test subject in the building. He must have been important to them, but why hadn't they protected him then? Rushed to keep the result of their research safe? It didn't make sense, but then again anyone who decided to experiment on a child wasn't thinking logically.
---
Peter stared up at the Compound in awe and Tony couldn't help but let out a chuckle. Rhodey rushed inside, saying he had some calls to make, and Happy went to park the jet, leaving the two of them to enter the building alone. Tony decided it would be best to enter through one of the side doors, in order to avoid as many people as possible. He knew just how stressed new people made the kid.
They rode in the elevator silently, Peter pressed up against the wall the whole time. With how much fear the boy was displaying, Tony worried that maybe this hadn't been a good idea. But what else could he have done? He couldn't have left him there in that dark room all by himself. And if Tony didn't take Peter with him, SHIELD would have found him. Tony didn't want to think about what they would do with the spider boy, the thought made his blood run cold.
It felt like years went by before they arrived at Tony's penthouse floor. He had decided to keep the boy close to him since it seemed as though, for now he was the only person Peter trusted at least a little.
Tony stepped out and heard the sound of hesitant footsteps behind him. He pointed down a hallway where the guest rooms and Tony's room were located. "That's where you'll be staying for the time being. First door on the right."
Peter chose to completely ignore Tony, leaping onto the ceiling and beginning to thread webs from corner to corner. He scurried around, his eyebrows squeezed together in concentration. Tony stared incredulously at the teen. Well, at least that meant he was comfortable, right? "Okay, I guess you can have the ceiling too. I don't really need it."
Tony headed for the kitchen. The kid was dangerously skinny, and Tony assumed he would want to eat before he went to sleep for the night. "What do you want to eat, kid? Flies?" Tony was joking, but Peter turned to him in excitement and nodded slowly. Huh. "No, I… I don't have any flies. Just maybe some crickets though." Okay, he needed to stop joking and get serious. The kid was now narrowing his eyes at him in confusion.
"I can make you a sandwich. Anything you're allergic to?" Tony asked while opening the fridge and peering inside. He pulled out some bread, peanut butter, and grape jelly.
Peter tilted his head, not comprehending. Tony tried again. "Uh… Is there anything you can't eat?"
The spider boy shrugged, whispering faintly, "I don't know…" Oh. So he could say more than one-word sentences.
"Alright, PB&J it is."
---
After they both finished eating (Tony made himself a sandwich, too), Peter seemed to be dozing off, but he kept his eyes open in case of any danger. Tony was actually glad that Pepper was on a business trip overseas, because if she was here, Peter would be even more alert. "Get some sleep, Pete. I'll be in my workshop if you need me. It's just one floor up," Tony called as he got in the elevator.
Tony needed to build something. To blast music and work on a project. To allow himself to forget for the night that he lives in a world where children are experimented on. The kid looked as though he had lived in that room for much too long, and it weighed on Tony's mind. He knew it was irrational, but there was guilt pooling in the pit of his stomach. How many other children or teenagers were subjected to a life like the one Peter had lived?
And now for some reason Tony had taken Peter in, at least for the time being. His only other option was SHIELD and that didn't sit right with the man. They would likely continue the experiments, test the boy to figure out how he ticks. So, Tony would let Peter stay at the Compound. It couldn't be too hard, right? He was old enough to be mostly independent. Or was he?
Tony decided to let himself become absorbed in his work for the night. He could think about this whole mess later.
Of course, he only got a couple hours of solitude before FRIDAY interrupted. "Boss, Peter is on his way."
Tony hastily turned down the volume of the music to a faint hum, knowing that it would definitely startle the boy. He wondered why Peter wasn't sleeping. He must be exhausted after the day he just had, and yet, he was coming up to the lab where he knew he could find Tony. It was odd.
Only a couple seconds later the boy arrived, sitting on the top of the elevator and peering out into the workshop. He crawled onto the workshop ceiling, curiously scanning the room with half lidded brown eyes. "You tired? Why aren't you sleeping?" Tony wheeled his chair over so he was below the teen.
Peter bit his lip worriedly. "Not… safe alone."
"You don't feel safe by yourself?" The boy nodded timidly, unconsciously creating small webs around himself. "You can keep me company if you want."
Owlish eyes blinked at him uncertainly before Peter let the ghost of a shy smile grace his lips, his fangs peeking out. He nodded.
Tony went back to work on his project as the enhanced teen made himself a complex set of webs on the ceiling, snuggled up in the white material. Tony suppressed a sigh, knowing that in no time at all, the ceilings of his penthouse and workshop would be covered in the webs. A glance up at Peter found the boy fast asleep curled up safely in a corner. Tony whispered for FRIDAY to dim the lights.
---
The engineer must have fallen asleep because the next thing he knew, his cheek was pressed against his desk, light was filtering into the workshop, and there were large brown eyes staring at him.
Wait, what?
Tony shot up in his seat, cursing. The boy dangled upside down in front of him only blinked. Tony took a second to catch his breath and run his hand through his hair absentmindedly. "Are you trying to give me a heart attack?" He muttered.
"Bathroom?" A small, hoarse voice asked. Oh, yeah. Humans had a basic set of needs. Sometimes Tony didn't even take care of himself, how did he expect to take care of an enhanced teenager?
That reminded him of the raggedy set of clothes the boy was still wearing. Tony planned to get him into new clothing as soon as possible. Who knew how long he had to wear that same white t-shirt and shorts?
Tony shook himself out of his surprise and pointed to a door against the far wall. He occasionally spent days on end in here, so it was only a matter of time before he got a bathroom installed. Peter looked where his finger was pointed and darted off.
"FRI?"
"Yes, boss?" The AI chimed back.
"Order some clothes for Peter. Preferably a couple sets that would fit a scrawny boy in his mid-teens."
"Right away, boss."
Tony stood up and headed up to the penthouse. He quickly got changed and then made his way to the kitchen to prepare breakfast. He wondered what sort of food the kid liked. Earlier, it was no problem for him to scarf down the sandwich Tony made, but he also needed to eat something with more substance. It occured to Tony that he'd actually have to teach the skinny boy that it was important to eat three meals a day. That concept was almost foreign to Tony himself.
He put two pieces of bread in the toaster and cracked some eggs into a pan, watching them sizzle away. At least he could make a mean toast and eggs.
Just then, a call from Pepper came through. Tony let out a curse. He hadn't told her about the situation yet.
After hesitating for a second or two, Tony answered the phone. "Hey, Pep."
"Good morning, Tony. I'm just calling to see how yesterday went," Pepper's calm voice filtered through the phone.
Yesterday. The day Tony busted a Hydra base and let an enhanced kid stay at the Compound. On their private floor. "It was fine. Ya know, the usual. You coming back soon, Pep?"
There was a brief pause and Tony cringed as he imagined Pepper frowning and narrowing her eyes. He had sounded too suspicious, hadn't he? "Tony… did something happen?"
"No-," Tony cut himself off with a sigh. She always saw through him. He might as well just come clean if she'd figure it out soon anyways. "-Yeah. Something happened. We found a boy - a teenager. They had been experimenting on him. He… he looks like he's been through a lot, Pep."
"Oh, Tony…," Pepper sounded genuinely pained, her tone laced with sympathy. "Is he alright?"
"Well… kinda? He was really jumpy." Like those little jumping spiders. "I didn't think SHIELD would handle this the best way, so he's…"
"He's what, Tony?"
The man sighed. "He's staying here for now. At the Compound. Listen, I know it probably wasn't the smartest choice, but he has nowhere else to go. He was terrified, Pep. And you need to be prepared for that when you come over, okay? Peter's- oh, right, his name's Peter, by the way. He's, like, part spider or something? He climbs walls and builds webs and has fangs and shit, it's kinda odd, but we shouldn't judge. We have a floating android with a stone on his forehead living below us, so honestly-"
"Tony, Tony, slow down, okay? I don't mind if he stays with us for a bit," there was humor in Pepper's tone as she interrupted Tony's rambling.
"You don't?"
"No, in fact, I'm excited to meet him."
Tony let the tension leave his shoulders, slumping against the kitchen counter. "Thanks, Pep."
She chuckled. "I've gotta go now, but I'll see you later, Tony."
"Bye, see you later." Tony hung up and then finished up the breakfast. He spread butter on the toast and set it aside to remove the eggs from the heat. Once everything was plated, he headed to the fridge to prepare a glass of orange juice for Peter. He made a cup of coffee for himself and relaxed against the island, waiting for the kid.
A minute later, FRIDAY chimed in, "Boss, Peter is on his way. He appears to be in distress."
Tony was surprised by how long it took Peter to make his way to the penthouse, and now he's told the boy's in distress? Did something happen down there? If it was an emergency FRI would have told him, so what happened? It was weird for Tony to be so concerned about someone this early on, but Peter had been through a lot and he deserved a chance to relax. That was it, right?
Peter scurried into the room when the elevator arrived, frantically looking around. When his gaze settled on Tony, the boy dashed over to him and while still upside down, he lowered himself with a web so he could better stare at Tony. Now that they were face to face, Tony could make out Peter's furrowed brows and red eyes. There were tear tracks along his face and his chest was rising and falling with quick breaths.
"Woah, what happened, kid?" Tony tried to escape the boy's intense gaze which was searching the older man's face.
Then, ever so slowly, Peter reached out with a shaking hand to gently poke Tony's cheek. The boy's shoulders grew less tense. "Real," he whispered.
Tony felt his heart break a little. "Yeah, I'm real. As real as they come."
"Lost you," Peter's voice was coated in deep-rooted fear, his eyes never leaving Tony's face as though the man would disappear any second now.
And it made sense. He thought Tony had left him. This boy never knew someone who hadn't hurt him or used him. Of course when he finally felt a smidge of safety, he would expect it not to last. Tony sighed heavily, reaching over slowly in case Peter wanted to move away. Then, he poked the kid's cheek in the same manner he had done to Tony earlier. At first, Peter looked as though he wanted to retreat, but he steeled himself and let Tony touch him, his eyes wide. "I'm not lost. I just went up here to get you some food. You hungry?"
Tony went over to their food, shaking off the uneasiness he felt at the two of them being so 'heartfelt'. The man wasn't used to getting close to others, to taking care of someone else. It was uncomfortable. He looked back over his shoulder to watch Peter nod and hold out his hand for his plate of food. The boy appeared to be attempting to focus on food, on the routine that came with meals, instead of the fear he felt only a moment prior.
When Tony delivered the breakfast, the kid crawled over to sit on the wall by the large windows. It must be easier to drink and eat when you're not on the ceiling, or that's at least what Tony thought before he saw the way Peter's eyes lit up as he stared out the window. He seemed to be completely mesmerized. Tony realized with a pang that this boy had spent such a long time locked inside, and Tony hadn't thought to ask him today if he wanted some fresh air.
They both ate in relative silence, Tony planning out what they would do today. The kid definitely needed a shower, and hopefully the new clothes would arrive soon. FRIDAY knew to pay for the quickest shipping as that was routine. Peter also needed to go outside, even if it made him nervous to not have a ceiling to crawl all over.
When they finished up their food, Tony cleaned up the dishes, before turning to Peter, the boy's eyes still fixed out the window, and asking, "Hey, Peter. You wanna go outside for a lil bit?" Maybe when his clothes arrived, then they could attempt to get him settled in the guest room and cleaned up.
Peter alternated between staring at him and the large glass window for a few seconds before he gave a small nod, his curls bobbing.
Tony snatched up a blanket from the sofa and headed for the elevator. Peter watched him for a moment, before he seemed to understand the cues because he climbed in as well. "FRI, take us to the roof."
"Of course, boss." Peter jumped at the AI's voice, gaping at the speaker on the ceiling. Tony was sure that Peter had heard FRIDAY speak before but the shock must not have dissipated yet.
"Oh, it's alright, Pete. That's FRIDAY, she's uh…" How does he describe it to him? "She's a computer, basically. She's in every room in this building. She's not alive like me and you, but don't let that fool you. FRI's more knowledgeable than either of us. Just talk to her if you ever need any help."
Peter didn't seem to completely comprehend what Tony said, but he nodded anyways, relaxing a bit. That changed when they arrived at the roof, the breeze hitting the boy and causing him to tense up. He looked around cautiously.
Tony didn't hesitate to step out and set the blanket down, spreading it out. He wanted to prove to Peter that there was no need to be afraid. He knew that the kid was nervous of open space but Tony could tell he was curious. Ultimately being outside in the fresh air was what this boy needed, and it didn't take a genius to figure that out.
He sat down, patting the space next to him. "C'mon. I swear it's much better than staring out a window."
Peter studied Tony's face as though he was looking for any signs of deception. When he found none, he lowered himself down to the floor, shivering when his bare feet touched the ground. Tony gave the boy an encouraging smile, and slowly Peter padded over looking every which way for any danger.
Something akin to pride swelled in Tony's chest when he saw the kid making those steps. It was strange. He had only known Peter for less than a day and he was already invested in helping him overcome his fears.
Peter sat down on the blanket a foot or two away from Tony. The boy was looking up at the forest in front of them, green as far as the eye could see. Then his eyes drifted to the sky and didn't move. Staring at the bright ball of gas above them.
Tony chuckled and resisted the urge to pat the kid's shoulder. He didn't want to startle him. "Don't stare at the sun, Peter. You'll hurt your eyes. Everyone knows that." Tony cringed at his choice in words. Peter hadn't known that. Children who grew up in dark rooms as science experiments didn't know that.
Brown eyes fixed on Tony. "It is… sun?" The boy rasped. Tony hoped his throat would start to get used to speech again. Maybe that's something they could work on: talking.
"Yep, it's called 'the sun'." Tony tried to find more to talk about. He pointed towards the forest. "Do you know what those are called?"
Peter squinted and after a couple hesitant seconds, replied, "No, Mr. Stark." Oh. Peter had never actually addressed him before. It felt like a small accomplishment.
"They're called 'trees'. When there are a lot of them together we call it a 'forest' or 'woods'. I'm gonna be honest, kid, I don't really know the difference, nor do I care."
"Trees. Fore-est. Woods." Peter repeated the words, occasionally pausing to ponder the pronunciation. He then blinked up at Tony quizzically. "What is… 'honest'?"
Tony blinked right back at him. "It's… It's when you know you can trust someone. Oh, you know the word 'real'. It's like that. When someone is being 'real' and telling the truth." Tony really didn't think he was cut out for being a teacher. What if he said something wrong and messed up this kid's whole world view?
Peter nodded thoughtfully and then gave one of his rare smiles, causing Tony's worries to quickly feel insignificant. Peter then pointed upward at the expanse of blue in front of them. "That?"
"That's the sky. It changes color depending on the time of day."
"What time… now?" He hesitated, obviously confused about how to phrase his question.
But Tony understood. He glanced at his watch. "It's 10:23 a.m. right now."
Peter was suddenly focused on the blanket below them, his fingers fiddling with the soft, blue material. "This?"
"That's a blanket."
A frustrated look flashed across the kid's face. He shook his head, before pointing at the blanket and then the sky. "This?"
Tony had no clue what he was trying to ask. Peter jutted his lip out in a pout, and Tony stifled a smile at the rather cute expression. The kid reached forward and pointed at one of Tony's worn navy socks. Then he pointed at the sky and the blanket. Oh.
"Blue? They're all blue. It's a type of color."
Peter grinned wide in relief and exclaimed, "Blue! Like blue."
Tony couldn't help but let a smile break free at that. "You forgot 'I'. Not 'like blue', say 'I like blue'." Peter seemed to understand proper grammar when others spoke, but it appeared to be much harder when he had to form sentences on his own.
"I like blue."
"Good job, kid!" Tony praised, reaching over to tousle Peter's curls. The boy's eyes widened and he flinched back, unconsciously hissing.
When Peter realised what he did, he curled into himself in shame, murmuring, "Sorry."
Guilt welled up inside of Tony. He jerked his hand back and leaned down to meet the kid's eyes. "You don't need to apologise, Peter. Just know that I won't hurt you, okay?"
Peter nodded. After that they both sat in silence, the only sound being the breeze blowing through the trees and the occasional bird song. Peter would startle at any noise he didn't know, glancing at Tony questioningly. Tony gladly explained them all to him. "That was a car." "One of the interns must be testing out a project." "That's a bird. Don't know what kind, though." "An airplane flew overhead. Like the jet we took to get here."
There were moments where Peter would jump and Tony hadn't heard anything. Just complete silence and then Peter was wildly trying to find the source of a sound. The behavior led Tony to believe Peter had enhanced hearing. It would make sense considering how sensitive he had been the past day.
Tony felt himself drifting off, leaning back on the blanket. He really should have gotten more rest last night, though he'd never admit to it. He could've brought some coffee up here with him. Not to mention, Tony rarely ever sat around doing nothing, and it was oddly relaxing.
Eventually, he got an incoming text from Pepper telling him she had arrived at the Compound. He sent out a quick text in response before pocketing his phone.
This would be a good opportunity for Pepper and Peter to meet. Tony didn't know exactly how the kid would react to new people, but he assumed it wouldn't be easy for him, if how he reacted to Rhodey and Happy (and even Tony himself) was anything to go by. Nevertheless, Peter was going to have to interact with others in the future, and that was just life. It would probably be a rocky road, but Tony knew it was what's best for Peter.
"You wanna go back inside, kid? We can go make some lunch." Peter glanced towards the elevator and nodded. Tony stood up, stretching his legs, and watched as Peter hurriedly made his way to the lift. He must be excited to be back on a ceiling. Though it wasn't difficult to tell that the enhanced enjoyed spending time outside. But they would probably need to start slowly to acclimate him to the change.
The two of them rode down to the penthouse floor, Tony aware of brown eyes watching him as he played a cheap game on his phone to avoid having to make conversation. Peter was obviously curious about the device, but he opted for discretely observing it from above then actually asking about it.
It occured to Tony that he should warn Peter of their visitor, but by the time he had the thought, the elevator was stopping at their floor. The pair walked out into the open space. Tony spotted Pepper out of the corner of his eye sitting on the couch with her Starkpad in her hand.
"Wait, Pete, before-."
But he wasn't quick enough, and Peter was always alert so why would he not have seen her? The boy recoiled, wide eyed with a loud hiss on his tongue. Not even a second later, Tony watched helplessly as Peter swung out of the living area into the guest room, using short little webs to propel him to go faster.
Pepper stood up, worry shining in her eyes, her phone forgotten. "Tony, was that Peter? Is he alright?" She must have only gotten a quick glimpse of him before he dashed off.
Tony sighed. "Yeah, he's got a 'stranger danger' thing going on. Sorry about that."
Pepper swiftly shook her head. "There's no need to apologise for him. I can't imagine what the poor boy's gone through." She looked off towards where he went. "Should we…?"
"I'll go see if I can calm him down."
Honestly, he didn't know if he could. It had worked before with Rhodey, but now Peter probably felt betrayed. He had been brought to a place where he could feel safe and then some stranger had invaded his home without warning. Hung out underneath his webs without a second thought. It must be causing some anxiety, that's for sure.
Tony made his way to the guest room, slowly pushing the door open. "Peter?" He called out in what he hoped was a quiet, placating voice.
The top half of the room was completely covered in intricate webbing. Light from the open window reflected onto the white strings, the sight oddly pretty. Peter must have hastily set these all up in an effort to ease his nerves and feel safe again. Tony ducked down in order to not collide with the webs. No thanks. It took a second for the man to spot Peter, the boy curled up in the far corner, his dirty, white clothes blending in among the webbing.
"Hey, kid, you wanna come down so we can talk this through?" Peter did not agree with that, hissing harshly from his secure spot on the ceiling. Tony ever so slowly took a couple more steps towards the bundle. But whenever he got closer the kid would hiss and when Tony was only a foot or two from standing directly below him, he could have sworn he heard the kid whimper slightly.
Tony sighed, pity curling around his heart. But he wouldn't give up. The man plopped down on the guest bed, the black sheets feeling much too generic. These wouldn't do. Peter liked blue. "I'll just sit and wait. I can wait forever." Well, not forever. Even if Tony liked to pretend that he didn't need food or sleep, he knew the kid did. Tony would eat the three meals a day if it meant convincing Peter to do the same.
So Tony waited. Eventually staring at the webs above him got boring (big surprise), so he texted Pepper to inform her of what was going on. She offered to make them lunch, and he reluctantly agreed, knowing the woman would go through with it whether he said yes or no.
A half an hour passed without so much as a hiss from Peter, and Tony glanced up to make sure he hadn't slipped out of the room. Nope, still there. It was hard to see his facial expression with all the webbing in front of him, but Tony assumed he was staring right at the man.
Tony let another minute pass by, before murmuring, "Pete, I know you're apprehensive - er, scared of this new world you've been pushed into. I know this must all feel suspicious and dangerous to you with the way you grew up. But, I swear, we just want to help. I just want to help. I can understand the trust issues, kid. I'm not good with that stuff either."
He paused, but Peter remained silent. "But I trust Pepper, kid, 'cause she's real. She's kind, smart, and one of the only people that can put me in my place. I want you to meet her because she lives with me and if you end up staying here for the time being, well, you have to be able to be in the same room as her. Plus, I personally believe she'd be good for you. You both could be friends."
Throughout Tony's one-sided conversation, the kid was slowly peeking out of the mass of webs. By the time Tony finished, Peter's whole head was out, as he listened attentively to the man's words. Hesitantly, as if he believed that if he spoke aloud, it would break a spell and danger would find him, Peter whispered, "What is 'friend', Mr. Stark?"
"You should say 'what is a friend?'," Tony corrected, only receiving a slightly sheepish look in return. "Friends are… people who you're close with. You like spending time with them. You trust them to be 'honest' and 'real' with you."
That was enough for Peter to finally push himself enough to fall onto the bed, sitting in front of Tony. His shoulders were rounded with tension, his eyes still wide as he occasionally glanced at the door for danger.
The boy blinked at Tony. He pointed towards the man's chest. "Friend?"
And, well, Tony had never made a friend this quickly in his life. He was one for distance and fake smiles. Not for comfort and reassurance and peacefully sitting on the roof for an hour straight. But there was something about this kid that made him so easy to care about, so easy to spend time with. He was pure and smart (Tony was surprised how quickly Peter was picking up on totally foreign concepts) and he actually wanted to be around Tony.
He must have taken too long to respond because Peter seemed to be drawing back into himself, his gaze worried. "Please?"
Tony quickly rushed to reassure the boy, to get rid of the fear in those eyes. "Yeah, Pete, of course. We can be friends." He paused to think over his next words, taking in the relief on Peter's face. "Pepper and I are friends. More than that. How about you try being friends with her, too?"
There was uncertainty in Peter's eyes. He nervously bit his lip with his small fangs, and Tony found it odd that he was worried the boy would bleed. "Maybe you can just meet her first? Say 'hi' to her? I swear she won't bite, but I can't say the same for you."
Peter didn't seem to mind the joke, as he nodded. Tony didn't wait any longer to head for the door. He was tired of sitting in that dull guest room. They both spotted Pepper in the kitchen, plating some salads for them all. She looked up as they walked in and gave a hesitant smile at Peter who was, as usual, crawling along the ceiling.
Peter obviously was having trouble, his eyes as wide as saucers and his body poised to dart away if need be. "Pepper, this is Peter. Peter, meet Pepper Potts."
Pepper didn't even pause, smiling pleasantly at the boy and answering, "Hi, Peter. How are you? I made you both lunch."
The enhanced teen continued to stare at her for a good couple seconds, nervously looking back at Tony as the man nodded in reassurance.
Carefully, Peter took a step closer and replied softly, "Hi, Ms. Potts."
Tony considered that a job well done.
---
They all ate lunch together and then Tony spent a good portion of the afternoon sitting on the couch and filling out paperwork related to the Hydra raid. It was all pretty much standard and he would have been done sooner, if he didn't have an enhanced teenager asking him questions about everything in the penthouse. Not that he minded. They turned the TV on and the kid was instantly startled, but it didn't take long for him to become enraptured by the boring nature documentary that was playing.
Ending a long work call she had been on for the past hour, Pepper plopped down next to Tony with a sigh. "What are we watching?"
"Dunno. Whatever it is, Peter can't take his eyes off of it."
Which wasn't entirely true because he spotted Pepper approaching, and he unconsciously tensed and scooched farther away. Tony noticed but he decided to not pry. He knew that it might take awhile for Peter to become completely comfortable with Pepper and that was okay. He had already made crazy progress this past day.
The documentary was mainly about aquatic life. Tony assumed the message was something political, probably about global warming and pollution, but Peter's eyes were fixed on every bright little creature that appeared on the screen. He seemed to find it mind boggling that there were other animals in the world, that colorful life existed all around him. He had grown up in a horrible dark setting after all.
Eventually Peter's clothing arrived, and Tony was relieved to finally be able to see him dressed like a regular teenager. Tony was anxious for him to change after getting cleaned up: he never wanted to see white on the boy again.
It took a bit of persuading, but finally Peter relented and took a shower. Tony instructed him on how it worked and the boy seemed very disappointed that there wasn't a way for him to take one while upside down. Tony still needed to explain gravity to him.
The billionaire had finished up his paperwork and asked FRIDAY to order his usual from the nearby pizza place, when Peter crawled into the living room. He was wearing a plain grey t-shirt and jeans, his wet brown hair dripping water onto the carpet.
It was a pleasant night inside and Tony could tell Peter was less alert and on-edge, even if he did retreat far away from them to eat his food, and when night came around, he slept curled up in his webs (though he did decide to sleep in the guest room, which was a change from last night).
Tony went to sleep earlier that night than usual with Pepper's warmth beside him. He pondered on how he had somehow brought a teenager to live in the Compound with him. Let alone an enhanced teenager that needed much more attention than a 'regular' teen.
He had no clue what the future held for the boy. Maybe when he had acclimated into society enough and was less skittish, they could send him off to CPS? He was still a minor after all. Tony wanted to believe there was still a chance Peter could live a normal life with a normal family.
For now, he could stay as long as he needed to feel safe. That was Tony's main goal: he just wanted to help the boy feel safe after all he'd been through. It was the least Tony could do.