Work Text:
“Usually kids have to sneak out to go to parties.”
“Well usually kids don’t sneak out to get shot either.”
Well she isn’t wrong...
He had been sitting on the couch next to his mother who had been typing a mission report. Kiska was sleeping with her large head on his lap and he was reading a book - a nerd book as Tony called it, but fuck him okay he enjoyed a nice story that didn’t need to follow scientific laws every once in a while, it’s call being a kid, Stark.
It was a calm, peaceful evening he had come to increasingly enjoy - especially after patrols - until out of the blue Natasha had told him Harley was going to a high school party. He didn’t understand why he’d need to know that, Harley can make his bad decisions as early as he wants it’s not like Peter had a leg to stand on. That is, until he understood that Natasha wanted him to go too - because she was a convoluted little snake like that, queen of vaugueing on twitter.
The thing was, high school parties weren’t his thing. Yeah, he grew up in a sort of bad neighborhood which had addicts riddling the streets and apartments and gangs fueling said addiction like a messed up corrupted cycle, but high school parties were riddled with underage drinking and light weights who couldn’t keep a gram of cocaine down - never mind these were the rich bitches Peter used to go to school with. He’d been surrounded by adults who did drugs and drank until they couldn’t see straight - hell he had worked part-time at a merc bar until a few months ago - he didn’t want to be surrounded by teenagers like that.
Also bright lights and loud noises, so a no go for his senses.
It was just a bad idea overall - no this has nothing to do with the fact that he can’t socially interact, which on another note he can’t.
Still Natasha seemed to settle in her resolve and even without arguing, he’d known she had won. Cause she was a snake set out to make his life a living hell and wow parental dramatics really kicked in huh Parker.
“I don’t get shot intentionally.” Peter pouted and crossed his arms as Natasha clicked the enter button.
“Does anyone ever get shot intentionally?” she asked with a quirked brow as if the answer was no.
“Have you met Wade?” Peter scoffed and Natasha sighed, his parents didn’t really approve of his other teammates, or wait no scratch that, his parents didn’t approve of Wade. But the undeniable fact was that the man was an invaluable resource into getting their kid back somehow, Peter still isn’t quite sure, he doesn’t think Nat and Bucky are either. So they just tend to avoid the topic of Wade Wilson and his plethora of bad influence. “I don’t even go there.” He said. She raised a brow at him.
“Did you just quote mean girls, seriously?” Natasho was unimpressed. Peter felt almost offended that that was what needed to be clarified.
“It is a teenage party.” Peter snorted, mean girls seemed more appropriate. Or legally blonde… either way there were going to be a lot of chick flick references if this conversation went on.
“You’re saying that like you’re not a teenager.” She said and Peter pouted, even deeper? His pout intensified? How does one intensify one’s pout? Oh well, that’s what he did.
“I graduated, doesn’t that count for anything?” Peter asked in almost a whine and Natasha sighed like this was the seventh time explaining something like this - which okay it was, kinda, but that wasn’t relevent.
“No, and this is mostly so you can keep an eye of Harley. He wants to go and Tony-“ Natasha tried to lie. Peter smoothly saved her from the hardship. Goes both ways Mama.
“Harley doesn’t need a babysitter. He’s older than me.” Peter reminded in an unimpressed tone.
“Who says you don’t need a babysitter that’s younger than you?” She asked gesturing to the large sleeping dog that he was sinking into. He blushed a bit.
“Okay a.)Kiska isn’t my babysitter, she is my emotional support animal and b.) she’s a dog, that like transcends everything, even age.” He grumbled but he knew it wasn’t true, he glomped Kiska sinking into her fur to possibly get away from this conversation and pretend like his mother wasn’t right. Kiska made sure he ate and slept on time. She was practically his friend, agenda and keeper all wrapped into a big overgrown slobbery ball of fluff.
“Anyway, Tony knows that you won’t do anything insanely stupid. At least not at a party without a mask.” Natasha said flippantly. Then why isn’t he asking me to go? It’s not like Tony hasn’t asked him something stupid before to make sure his kid was okay. Peter tended to swing by Midtown to check on his son when he was day-patrol and report back, it’s not like it was a big deal. He could just stakeout this party, and keep an eye on Harley. besides , if Harley was going so were MJ and Ned and they got into no trouble at all, MJ doesn’t put up with shit and Ned is less likely to get peer pressured with MJ around.
“And you trust me to not do something stupid like drugs or some shit.” Peter asked with a quirked brow. He thought he was supposed to try to stay out of trouble. Going to high school parties was only inviting them in.
“Are you gonna do drugs or some shit?” Natasha raised a brow and Peter stopped. He wouldn’t. She knows that he wouldn’t. Knows that he’s too afraid to. Because he’s seen the affects of drug addiction at its peak and those affects ruined his entire childhood. She was playing that card and ugh, Peter hated that she knew he had that on his MO.
Maybe that’s why he was so afraid to go. He didn’t want to be surrounded by flashes of his past. He didn’t want to smell the alcohol that would be taking more of the air. He didn’t want to get the smoke of vaporized drugs in his eyes. He didn’t want to hear the pounding base that stayed in tune with a headache. He didn’t want to taste the salty air of people who were too drunk to know what they were doing. He didn’t want to feel the body heat of high sweaty people - kids.
And what’s worse they’d be kids, teenagers, his age. They didn’t know what they were doing to their bodies like Peter did. If they did know they’d be afraid too, but they weren’t.
Maybe that’s what separates him from them, he was afraid of what they sought and they were afraid of what he brought. Heh, that should be a quote or something.
“To piss Tony off...maybe…” he said lamely instead of voicing his fears and he buried his head into Kiskas fur. Natasha pursed her lips, almost like she was disappointed and sad. He wouldn’t tell her he was afraid of the effects of drugs, or more so why - but he’s sure she has her guesses and some of them aren’t too far off she just was waiting for him to give the go ahead to have that particular chat. He wasn’t ready for that yet and it was stupid as to why.
“You won’t and everybody here knows it.” Natasha said in a low but soft note and it was also true. Peter had been surrounded by drugs and alcohol and bad decisions his whole life. If he really wanted to do it, he would’ve already done it. He probably wouldn’t even be in the tower if he had though, sometimes he wished he had. Then maybe he’d have a normal life, living in blissful ignorance of the world and problems around him. A constant gaze being the vail to reality.
“I don’t wanna go to a party…” Peter admitted lamely “it’s useless.” It’s the thing that I could’ve become. He didn’t say that out loud but he thinks Natasha sort of gets it because she brushed her arm over his elbow lightly.
“Yeah, but teenagers do useless things all the time. It’s for the experience of Petya.” She said in a gentler tone, he averted his eyes as she nudged him to look up at her again “you can’t keep watching kids be normal, it’s not the same.” And goddamnit, he knew she was right. But he wasn’t a normal kid. He was a mutant, a cross breed, enhanced. He was never normal even if he wasn’t any of those things but he didn’t like thinking about that. It made him different and sometimes he just wanted to be the same.
“Nothing good can come of this, you know.” He said, because by the end of the night he’d either be traumatized or gave into temptation. Or both. Neither sounded appealing.
“The more bad decisions you make tonight the better.”Natasha said honestly and Peter wasn’t sure what she was trying to say.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Peter balked and Natasha smirked.
This was gonna be awful.
OoOoO
“I dunno, this could be fun Spidey.”
Of course, Wade was enthused that he was going to a high school party. Like a real high school party - as if they heaven’t had some real fun not being at one of those overly hot, overly crowded get togethers with the real booze. Even if he wasn’t in high school anymore. And the party would be underwhelming compared to everything he’s been apart of. It was lame. But Wade was excited at the stupidest things, so this didn’t count.
“Make bad decisions?” He scoffed under his breath at his mother’s words “I make them all the time, I mean I still hang out with you don’t I?” Peter said indignantly. He wasn’t talking to Wade, even if he was referring to him. He was trying to prove to his mother that she wasn’t right, that he was capable of being stupidly irresponsible with no regrets. Even if she was here...or anywhere near within 25 miles his radius.
“True…” Wade mused “But I think she means just to let loose with people your age. You know, teen appropriate bad decisions and such.” He said. He was defending her? That’s not fair, Peter was the victim here! His innocence was about to be ripped away (even if that's already happened oops. Oh well, more of a reason not to go, with his track record he could get into some serious shit).
“I do have fun! You and Red are entertaining enough and I used to work at a merc bar for fucks sake. I know how to have fun.” Peter insisted petulantly.
“Then why don’t you?” Wade said in his sing-song voice. And what was up with every adult saying he had to make this decision, for once he was taking the responsible choice. He expected this behavior from Wade, but Natasha?
You know what? Fuck Wade and fuck that, fuck bad decisions.
He’s not going to the party.
OoOoO
The car ride to the party sucked.
Just like how the party was-
“This is gonna be great.” Harley smiled at Peter excited. Peter raised a brow at Harley. He’d figure the guy would go to more, but nope apparently this was his first one. Well first real one. Somehow that didn’t surprise him, Harley had a cool aura but he was still a hardened nerd. Nothing would change that. Peter could, at least, take comfort in that much.
“You’ve been to parties before?” Peter raised a brow. He knew the answer.
“Yeah, but none with you. You’re gonna have so much fun.” Peter scoffed and looked out the window. He wondered if Harley meant Peter Parker or Spiderman, either way he was a wet blanket when it came to these types of things. Usually he was knocking drugs out of people’s hands, not passing bongs with them.
“What kind of party attitude is that? How’d you even get invited?” He grumbled. He was acting too excited, not cool - he was gonna get picked on. Dammit, stupid voice. Peter gritted his teeth at it.
If the voice was making an appearance tonight, maybe he’d make some bad decisions after all. Oh wonderful.
“How would you know?” Harley asked coyly.
“Chic flicks.” Peter said blandly and Harley balked at his honesty. He’d never been invited to parties when he was in high school (but then again who invited freshmen to parties anyway. Even if he hung out with seniors). Even if he was he wouldn’t go. He had enough bad choices surrounding him at home and didn’t need it to be amplified by disco lights.
“Chic- oh my god. You think this’ll be the stereotypical party but you forget I go to a school for nerds.” Harley said confidently. Not if Flash was hosting, which he is.
“I didn’t forget I went to the same school. And if this is Flash Thompson’s party, there will be more cliches than you know.” Peter said and Harley looked at him oddly “what? I never went to any, but I still know. MJ said they were so standard.” He said, MJ of course was invited, although Peter never thinks she went. She has her own network of sources after all, maybe even more extensive than his at some point.
She was trying to find you, of course she’d get her hands dirty, you’re not exactly easy to find.
He shook his head of the possibility that MJ could’ve seriously gotten hurt or killed trying to dig up his location. She obviously hadn’t dig deep enough, but still she had dug pretty deep. She doesn’t play around when she’s serious and it’s terrifying.
“Then I’m glad that Spidey is here to put it over the top.” Harley smiled and Peter wrinkled his nose.
“Spiderman isn’t a party trick. I didn’t even bring the suit.” He said with a set glare at the boy.
“You didn’t have to.” Harley smirked and Peter ignored the blush creeping up on his cheeks.
He didn’t need the mask to be Spider-Man...
OoO
If the car ride was sucky, the party was awful.
Music was too loud. The lights were too bright. The smell of alcohol was too strong. They didn’t even get the good kind of cocaine to spike the drinks and Peter has had to pluck Martinez out of Harley’s hand three times because he thought it was Sprite.
“Come on Pete. Where’s that Queens bad boy.” He whined, the adrenaline of the party coursing through his veins. Peter rolled his eyes and dumps the drink into a house plant with some satisfaction.
“Penis is a little goody two shoes. You show up here with a babysitter Keener?” Flash mocked as he sauntered over. He turned around to see the boy as he inspected Peter. He was taller, stubble growing in. But the annoying smug smirk was the same that Peter just wanted to punch out. Ah good old Flash.
“Just cause I know how to have a good time doesn’t mean I should.” Peter mumbled. Even if some of those times were decidedly not good.
“So you’ve never had a good time before yeah right.” Harley scoffed.
“I worked at a bar.” Peter said blandly “and I know how to spike a drink.” He threw the cup at Harley’s head. “They didn’t even get the good shit.” He mumbled, he wished Kiska was here, then he could bury his face into her fur and pretend he wasn’t here.
“What do you mean?” Harley asked and Peter wanted to groan, because seriously? Wasn’t Harley supposed to be a kid genius? Guess social queues go over his head, just like you.
Social queues make me paranoid, shut up before you get me admitted.
“I mean the stuff that really messes you up. It’s more ‘fun’.” Peter wrinkles his nose. Why was he even telling Harley this? Wasn’t he like anti-drug or whatever. He was Spiderman, he shouldn’t be telling kids they were missing out when they took the watered down shit - not that kids should be taking any shit at all. Why did Nat think it was a good idea to let him come to this thing?
“Can you get any?” Harley asked, almost too hopefully and Peter sagged his shoulders.
“I got a guy.” Peter said after a minute.
25 minutes later he was buying some garage made meth from a dude that had stopped by the party with Harley’s cash.
How did my life come to this? He asked himself as he walked back into the house. Because you want to prove Romanov wrong and show her that this isn’t something she can use against you. The voice whispered back. Nat said to make bad decisions, and here he was making them. Cuz when Peter Parker fucked up, he fucked up bad.
“You got it?” Harley bounced over with some bottles of whatever was on the shelf apparently. Peter sighed. Why was Harley enabling him, ugh he wished MJ was here - although he wasn’t sure if she’d enable him or stop him.
“Your dad is gonna kill me.” He mumbled and they sat down on a couch and spread out the contents on a coffee table. Two minutes later they each had a spiked drink and Peter looked at it warily.
Was this peer pressure? Was Harley a bad influence?
This is your first time taking drugs willingly.
“You ever done this before Parker?” Flash asked he looked apprehensive too. Harley just kept staring, he didn’t have a read on the kid. Maybe he had snuck in a few drinks when Peter was watering the plants.
“Not willingly.” Peter shrugged and downed his drink. They both looked at him in awe. Super metabolism, they could suck his goddamn ass“Oh come on Flash, you said it yourself that I was a stoner in eighth grade.” he teased, feeling the buzz that would go away within the hour.
“Yeah, but I didn’t think it was actually true.” Flash scoffed and him and huh, so he was just speaking out of his ass.
“Why do you think I didn’t defend myself?” Peter threw back and Flash laughed a bit.
“Okay here goes.” Harley said and downed his drink. He opened his eyes and they were blown wide.
“The fuck! How fast does this thing go through Parker?” Flash said and Peter shrugged.
“I told you this was the messed up shit.” He said and Flash looked at his drink.
“I wanna mother one!” Harley slurred and lunged for the meth as Peter held it out of reach.
“You’re gonna overdose dumbass.” He mumbled. It was kind of ironic, he stopped drug dealers only to get some for the stupidest reasons. He knew this was a bad idea. Why was he fucking doing it?
“Yeah, nah you made your point Parker.” Flash put his drink down. Flash? Making a good decision? The world really was ending.
“Come on Flash.” He smirked, speaking out of his ass “you gonna chicken put on me. I’m fine.” He said mockingly and Flash glared and downed his drink. Why… Peter thought to himself Was he ever listening to Wade’s advice.
Now he had two high as a kite dumbasses and Peter wasn’t sure weather to leave or take pictures. He was only sober cause his metabolism was insane. He barley even felt it and also he grown immune to this shit a while ago even before the bite. Maybe he had an unfair advantage.
Make more bad decisions.
Fuck.
“Let’s get an Uber.” He said to the boys and they both drunkenly agreed as he dragged them out of the house and called an Uber on Harley’s account. The Uber driver showed up and Peter pushed them in.
“Saint Margrets in Hell’s Kitchen.” He said to him, no way in hell was he gonna take Harley home now. Maybe at two when it wore off a bit but not now.
When Nat said to make bad decisions this probably wasn’t what she had in mind.
When he got there he wasn’t surprised to see Wade at the counter waiting for him. Because of course he was, and Peter wanted to deck him.
“So you blew them out with Meth and brought them here?” He asked, as if Peter had even spoken to him or explained.
“They wanted a good time.” Peter shrugged “and they won’t remember being here.” He said as the two high boys stumbled around the bar area. No one dare disturb them cause they came with Peter.
“And you did?” Wade asked with an inquiring eye.
“I made some bad choices.” Peter glared accusingly “You told me to, this is your fault.” he diverted
“Usually that means for you to get high but hey, you do you man.” Wade shrugged and Peter smirked. He hated when he wasn’t in control of his own body. They wanted to try it, this isn’t your fault.
“Hey Pete. Isn’t that the kid who used to pick on you?” Weasel asked and Peter looked over to where Flash was popping imaginary bubbles and he just kidnapped two kids didn’t he? The hits just keep coming.
“I guess.” He shrugged.
“Nice.” Weasel smirked approvingly and Peter wonders if what he did was really as bad as he thought. If these idiots approved then maybe he went too far.
“They’re gonna throw up before one.” Wade smirked.
“They’re gonna throw up in the next 30 minutes.” Weasel wagers.
“Give it ten minutes.”Peter decided to pitch in.
“50 bucks.”
“Real cash?”
“Duh”
“Deal.”
Peter ended up winning.
OoOoO
“You gave him what?!”
So Tony was mad. Natasha looked slightly amused but kept her face neutral and right now he had a passed out Harley hanging off of him as they stumbled home. There was no avoiding Tony, Flash was on his own - and maybe this was pay back for when they were kids, after this they were even.
“You said to make bad choices.” Peter shrugged.
“No i- What- Nat?!” He whirled at the woman who just shrugged, her face not betraying anything.
“Where did you even get meth?” Steve asked disapprovingly, he would scold Peter on his own time, Peter was sure.
“I grew up on the streets with a hardcore addict as a caretaker.” Peter said in a bland tone. Honestly that was just offensive, like Peter didn’t know where to get the most messed up stuff, seriously?
“Where?” Steve gritted out
“I know a guy.” he said challenging him and stared the other man down. That...wasn’t the correct response was it.
“Why did you even do that?” Tony asked and Peter looked down at Harley.
“Dunno.” He said honestly. “I did it too. It’s not… he isn’t gonna get addicted.” Peter mumbled.
“Willingly?” Natasha asked slightly impressed.
“Yeah…” He said and grimaced.
“Impressive.” She smirked.
“Wait...is this…?” Tony looked astonished and completely done with this.
“Progress? Yeah.” Natasha smirked “not the most ideal way to get over it but hey I’ll get what I can take.” natasha shrugged.
“How the fuck is this progress?!” Tony nearly screamed.
“I had a fear of drugs.” Peter said almost in a daze. “My aunt was a druggie and yeah, you can see where that went. I don’t like painkillers or anesthesia and...” Peter groaned “nice play Romanov.” He hid his smirk as he turned back to the elevator to take Harley to his room.
Natasha smirked back at him.