Chapter Text
It was safe to say that Peter was friends with the Avengers. That they all liked the kid and looked out for him. You could also say that Tony Stark was some sort of father figure to the boy. That there was more than just a mentor/mentee relationship.
So week by week, Peter stopped by the compound for lab days and to hang around with the Avengers. After the accords had been dissolved, the team was reunited and slowly turned back into the family they once were.
And Tony loved it.
He loved waking up every Friday and looking forward to seeing the boy that evening. He loved getting out of bed and knowing that he would be spending his night with the boy, working in the lab or watching movies when it got late. He loved it when the team hung around, teasing and joking with Peter and keeping him happy.
Peter loved it too.
He loved looking forward to seeing Mr. Stark. He looked forward to helping the man build things in his lab and to chatting on the sofa with the team. He loved getting away from school. From the bratty teenagers, gross food, and loud noises. He loved getting away from his apartment. From the smell of alcohol, the constant bruises, and pills scattered over the floor. He loved getting away from his room. From that one dent in the wall that he was smashed into, the drops of liquor splattered on his desk, and the pillows that were starting to stain from his tears. He loved getting away from May.
All Peter could do was look forward to the compound.
Of course he couldn’t tell Mr. Stark. He wouldn’t want to be taken away from the one person he looked up to and shoved into some random foster home. He didn’t want to say goodbye to the team that he had grown to love and care for. He just couldn’t say goodbye. So he didn’t say anything at all.
The alcohol had started two months ago. First when May had just had a bad week at work so she pulled out an old bottle of wine. But then she started to have bad weeks all the time, which soon turned into bad days. More and more bottles of alcohol entered the house, causing May’s temper to flare.
She hadn’t hit him until three weeks after her first drink. And even then it hadn’t been horrible. Sure it had stunned Peter to silence and made him cry himself to sleep that night, but it was nothing compared to recently. May had found an obsession with breaking glass, specifically on Peter. And of course he didn’t say anything. He couldn’t. So he didn’t.
He let it happen. He let himself suffer in silence. Even Ned didn’t know. His friend had asked about it once noticing Peter’s sudden change in demeanor, but had chalked it up to stress with patrol and school.
000
Tony hadn’t noticed any problems with Peter. At least not many. The only time he had been concerned was when Peter had shown up to the compound with a black eye after school. That day the boy had swung to the compound and had excused it as a mugging on the way over.
Tony didn’t push. Why should he? He knew Peter wouldn’t ignore something like that if he could help it. So they started working and the conversation was dropped.
Peter had almost wished Tony had pushed. That he wouldn’t let the subject drop until he got the truth. But the man didn’t. And Peter couldn’t say anything about it. So he didn’t.
It had been three weeks since Peter showed up at the compound with a black eye, and the boy kept on coming back with different injuries on his face or arms. He kept on saying that it was just from patrol, and since Happy was still on vacation and Peter had been swinging to the tower after school, there wasn’t much Tony suspected.
Today Peter had showed up looking fine, and the two had gotten right to work in the lab without much talking. They made small talk about what the other person did that week and what Peter had been doing at school. After spending several hours working on upgrades for his suit and web shooters, Peter and Tony headed to the common room for dinner where they would meet the other Avengers.
When they walked into the room, everyone was already piled around the table besides Steve and Bucky, who were standing over the stove in the kitchen. Tony led Peter to the table with an arm wrapped around the boy's shoulder, and they both took their seats.
Peter took a seat by Clint while Tony moved across the table to sit by Rhodey, leaving two empty chairs. About five minutes later, Bucky was helping Steve carry dinner to the table, and soon everyone was filling their plates and talking. Peter gave himself a light helping, knowing that if he took too much May would get mad. Not that she would be able to find out. The boy normally ate as much food as Steve, sometimes even more, but today he only ate about half of what the super soldier had.
One of the empty seats had been by Peter, so Steve had filled it once the food was on the table. When Peter had cleared his plate and didn’t go for seconds, Steve raised an eyebrow. “Don’t you want more food Peter? There’s plenty to go around.”
Peter paled a little and stared down at his plate. “No thanks,” he said quietly.
Tony had seemed to notice Peter’s lack of hunger and piped in on the conversation. “You feeling alright, Pete?” He asked with concern.
Peter looked up to see that now everyone's eyes had turned to him. Realizing that they were waiting for a response, he thought of something as fast as he could. “Yeah I feel fine. Me and May had a big breakfast this morning and I ate a lot at school,” he lied. When no one answered the boy said the only other thing he thought of. “Plus I have to save room for popcorn.”
A few of the others at the table huffed a laugh at the boy while Clint started to talk. “Speaking of, I’m picking the movie tonight. Tony picked last week and I am not letting him turn on another one of his stupid science movies.”
Tony’s jaw dropped in mock offense and he was quick to defend himself, changing the subject from Peter.
Once the credits rolled in on the TV screen, the members of the living room stood up and started to stretch out, getting prepared to call it a night. Peter had dozed off on Tony’s shoulder and the man was now shaking him awake so Happy could take him home.
“Peteeeerrrr, time to get up,” he said. “Happy’s ready to bring you home, c’mon bud.”
Peter groaned and stretched his legs with closed eyes while burying himself deeper into Tony’s side. “Five more min’s,” the boy complained.
Tony smiled at the boy’s innocence while shaking him again. “No, let’s get going now or you’re going to have to deal with a cranky Happy. C’mon Pete, aren’t you excited to go home and see May?”
Peter shook his head and hid in Tony’s side, not realizing what he was saying with his brain half asleep. “May’s mean,” he complained.
Tony thought it was odd for Peter to say something like that even if it was a joke, because that’s just not who Peter is. But everyone else just assumed that Peter was saying that because he didn’t want to get up. Tony started poking the teen in the side in hopes of annoying him awake. It mainly worked, as Peter finally opened his eyes and started swatting Tony’s hand away, but then buried himself right back into Tony’s side. “No, kiddo. Up, up, up.” Tony said as he shoved the boy off of him and to his feet.
Peter protested but wiped his eyes and stretched out so he could wake himself up enough to make it to the car. “You guys are bullies, can’t you just let me sleep,” he mumbled under his breath as grabbed his backpack and threw it over his shoulder.
Tony heard the boy and smiled while ruffling his hair, much to Peter’s dismay. “We’re just so mean to you, aren’t we Pete?” Peter nodded and then pulled Tony into a hug, much to everyone's surprise, but the boy acted like it was the most normal thing.
“Bye,” Peter said simply and everyone in the room smiled at the kid’s adorableness and sudden clinginess.
A chorus of goodbyes rang across the room as Peter headed for the lobby of the compound.
000
After the first time May had hurt Peter badly, she had threatened him. Told him that if he was going to go tattle on her to the Avengers, she would be taken away and so would he.
“They’ll send you away to some foster home hours from here and you’ll never get to see your precious Iron Man again.” Those had been her exact words. And of course he believed her. Why would Tony Stark take in some random kid from Queens that would be nothing but a burden to him? Peter had started to believe that Tony cared about him more than just a mentee. But day after day, as May drilled those horrible things into his head, he stopped believing it. He thought that if he asked someone for help, he’d be sent away. He couldn’t say anything if he didn’t want to be taken away. So he didn’t say anything at all.
Back to the present, two months living with an alcoholic aunt, Peter swung home from Patrol Thursday night. He hadn’t eaten yet today besides the piece of toast that he had earlier for breakfast, not nearly enough to feed his metabolism. May had limited his food in the house to one meal a day, saying that if he wasn’t grateful for the roof over his head he would have to learn to appreciate it. That morning Peter had woken up late for school, causing him to only have time to grab a piece of toast before he was out the door. She also decreased his lunch money, only giving him half of what he needed so he could only buy lunch every other day.
So, as the vigilante climbed through his window, his stomach was growling louder than ever. He quickly stripped from his suit and pulled on some sweats before running to the kitchen. He still had five minutes before May’s shift was over, and another fifteen before she got home. He quickly grabbed a box of cereal and poured a massive bowl. He shoved it back in the cupboard and turned to grab milk from the fridge to see May standing in the hallway.
He froze in terror as she stared him down and glanced at the bowl behind him. “May…”