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Peter had been at Ned’s house for the better part of the last hour and a half pacing back and forth across the bedroom floor. He’d just gotten back from a lab session with Tony, and the man had made a comment. Several comments, actually. And they had all piled up until he found himself having something of a mini-crisis.
For the last several weeks, his pubescent love life had become the topic of choice and he still wasn’t entirely sure how to handle that. Because in order to fully participate in the playful discussions, he would have to come out to his super-hero mentor and he simply wasn't ready. Though the man was obviously taking his reluctance to participate as embarrassment and that seemed to be enough to keep him going full throttle.
“Instead of stressing out about it, why don’t you just tell him?” Ned repeated for what had to have been the seventy-fifth time, as he watched Peter attempt to wear a hole into his carpet.
“I can’t just tell him, Ned!” Peter strained, momentarily halted in his steps. “ He thinks you’re my best friend and I don’t know how to tell him that he’s got it all wrong.” He was having trouble figuring out how he was supposed to naturally slip that little bit of personal trivia into a casual conversation. Coming out to, literally everybody else- his aunt included, had been a million times easier.
“I mean, technically I am your best friend,” Ned said. However, when no answer came, he narrowed his eyes slightly. “Right?”
Peter chuckled and sat down on the edge of the bed beside his boyfriend so that he could rest his head against his shoulder. “No. MJ is my best friend,” he easily corrected and then paused for thought. There had been a time when he would have declared Ned to as his very best friend without hesitation and he supposed that, in all honesty, he still was. But at the same time, he had become so much more than that. “You’re my best- everything,” he mumbled, for lack of better words. Being around Ned tended to do that to him.
“Okay. I am equally flattered and disgusted by the cheesiness of that comment,” Ned said, as he teasingly nudged Peter off of him. Though he couldn't exactly claim that he felt any differently. There was something special about dating the person you have been such good friends with for so long. “But I love you too, Peter.”
Instead of responding in kind, Peter flopped backward with a frown. “Coming out to literally everyone else was easy. Why can't this be easy? What am I going to do?” he beseechingly questioned.
Ned sighed and looked beside him with an exasperated shake of his head. “I feel like you’re overthinking this and I have no idea what else I can say to convince you that it’ll be fine,” he said. Because honestly, he’d been repeating the same assurances for what felt like days. But for whatever reason, his words had never managed to sink in. “He likes you and I highly doubt that your sexual orientation is going to change that.”
“Maybe. But you’ve never heard the way he talks to me about girls. I mean, I know he’s teasing and I could easily put a stop to it but,” Peter said. Then hesitated as he carefully weighed what it was that he was genuinely worried about. Because Ned was right. Tony did like him and wasn’t likely to be upset. “-I don’t want him to be disappointed.”
Ned nodded his head in mild understanding. “If you’re going to make it into that big of a deal, then feel it out first. Mention the parade that’s happening next weekend and when he’s totally accepting about it, you can tell him then,” he suggested as a last-ditch effort.
“Yeah, Ned. Maybe I’ll try that,” Peter sighed as he changed positions to lay his head on his boyfriend's lap.
Ned smiled down at Peter and ran his fingers through his curly hair for a moment before abruptly moving to stand. “Great. Can we stop freaking out and go to the arcade now?” he asked, laughing as the other boy glared at him.
“Fine,” Peter agreed before breaking out into a relaxed grin. “But only because I need to wipe your initials off of the pinball machine’s leaderboard,”
“As if you have half a chance,” Ned scoffed as they walked out the front door.
A few days later, Peter was back in Tony’s lab, fretting over whether or not he should keep his mouth shut. Ned had been very insistent that he should just get it over with quickly. Like ripping off a band-aid but he couldn’t bring himself to do it. So he fell back towards the suggestion of feeling things out.
He was halfway through his task when he looked over at his mentor to see what he was doing. The man was casually flipping through schematics, not looking terribly invested in any of them and Peter figured that it was probably a good time to bite the bullet. “Have you heard about the big parade planned for next weekend, Mr. Stark?” he asked, holding his breath in anticipation as he waited for the answer.
Tony looked to the side and raised an eyebrow at his young mentee. As far as he knew there was only one event taking place the next weekend and it was well advertised and highly anticipated. You would be hard-pressed not to know it was taking place. “The Pride Parade?” he asked just to make sure he wasn’t missing anything. When Peter expectedly nodded his head, he turned back towards his holographic screens. “Of course, I’ve heard about it, Kid. Everyone’s heard about it. It’s a pretty big deal. Are you going?”
Having not anticipated that particular question, Peter felt a tingle of anxiety creep up his neck. His brain stalled and he suddenly wondered if Tony already knew he was gay. But that didn’t make any sense because he was constantly pestering him about women. And why would he do that if he knew? Unless. Unless he was bothered by it. But that didn’t really make any sense either. Because why would the man so pleasantly inquire about his potential attendance if he was disapproving? It was confusing, sending all of those thoughts cycling through his head on repeat until he realized his mentor was looking at him with anticipation. “Why would you think I would be going?” he blurted out, to which the man raised a single eyebrow in amusement. That alone, sending Peter into a stuttered explanation. “I mean, I’ll probably be busy. With patrol and stuff. So-”
“-Exactly,” Tony picked up when Peter's words trailed off. “I thought Spider-man would be available to help out with public safety and whatnot.”
“Oh. Yeah. That makes sense,” Peter distractedly replied. His brain was still going ninety miles a minute, leading him into a string of continuous rambling.”-I’ll probably definitely be there to do that. To help out, I mean. I'm good at helping out with that kind of stuff so it would totally make sense for me to be there. As Spider-man. To keep everyone safe.”
“You doing okay over there, Kiddo?” Tony asked when the kid finally snapped his jaw shut. He was sure he’d not seen him look that nervous since their first day in the lab together.
“Huh?” Peter responded a little too quickly. The question hadn’t even had time to properly process. When it did, he swallowed hard and took a steadying breath. “Yeah. Totally. Perfectly fine,” he replied with more calm than he actually felt. Then, after a pause, he slid his chair back and abruptly stood up. He needed a few minutes alone to think. And maybe come up with a new plan. “Actually, I need to pee- get a snack- both of those things. So, uh, I’ll- I’ll be right back,” he announced and then hurried towards the door.
Tony watched the kid go, oblivious to his silently mounting distress, and shouted, “Hey, bring me some coffee when you come back,” before he could reach the sliding glass door.
Peter shot the man a quick thumbs up and then scurried into the hallway where he leaned against the wall and groaned. He’d definitely overreacted. Though he wasn’t convinced that Tony had actually noticed much. Outside of a few amused looks, it seemed as though the man had simply written his antsy behavior off as nothing. That was probably for the best. Things would be easier to mitigate that way.
He blew out a breath as he ran a hand over his face and checked his watch. There were still a few hours before he would need to head home and that was more than enough time to correct the awkward situation he’d created. All he had to do was find the right moment. Then, realizing he couldn't go back to the lab until he procured the requested coffee, he started towards the penthouse.
As the fragrant coffee dripped slowly into the pot, Peter realized that he actually was hungry and went about gathering up what he required to make a sandwich. He ate it quickly and decided that having food in his stomach had done wonders for his nerves. And once he’d filled the travel mug to Tony specifications, he was able to go back to the lab feeling much calmer.
“Thanks, Kid,” Tony said before taking a long sip of the hot drink. When he lowered the mug again, the satisfied smile subtly shifted into a smirk. “You know, I’ve been thinking about the charity gala I’ve got coming up at the end of the month, and I think you should be there,” he said as he kicked his feet up onto his desk.
“Really, Mr. Stark?” Peter asked with cautious enthusiasm. The man had taken him to many different kinds of events but nothing so prestigious as a gala. He didn’t even know what he would wear to something like that. The fanciest piece of clothing he owned was the second-hand suit he’d worn to homecoming. “Are you sure you want me to be there?”
“Sure. You’re my intern. It wouldn't be terribly unexpected for you to accompany me to events from time to time,” Tony replied with a flippant wave of his hand before grinning broadly. “-and as an added bonus, you could invite that MJ girl you like to come along as your plus one.”
Taking that as a sign that he was definitely going to be coming out that day, Peter took a deep breath. “I’ve already told you, she’s just a friend,” he mumbled.
“For now,” Tony interjected with a wink of his eye.
“No, you don’t understand, Mr. Stark,” Peter shot back with more passion than was strictly necessary. But he needed to say what was on his mind before he clammed up again. “I don’t want her to be more than a friend. I mean, I know she’s nice and pretty and everything but, uh-” he began, though the closer he came to revealing his secret, the more uncertain he became. “I’m already seeing someone else,”
Tony's expression instantly changed to one of surprise. “Really,” he asked with curious enthusiasm. “Why didn’t you tell me, Kiddo? Who’s this girl? What’s her name?”
By the time the man was done with his innocent probing, Peter had frozen up completely and was regretting having mentioned anything at all. He pulled his lip between his teeth and intentionally avoided eye contact while the room grew silent between them. So silent that it was making it hard to breathe. When he glanced up, he could see that Tony’s brows were creased with concern, and tried to say something. However, his words caught in his throat and all that came out was a pathetic voice crack.
“You don’t want to tell me about her?” Tony asked without any legitimate judgment. But when Peter remained quiet, he tilted his head in thought. At that moment, it hit him what the trouble might be, and attempted to blindly correct himself. “Or- him? Them? Is that it? Who you’re seeing doesn't identify as a she at all?”
Peter swallowed hard and continued to stare at a small burn mark on the lab’s tiled floor. “Hypothetically,” he croaked. “Would you be cool with that?”
“Would I be cool with you dating someone who isn’t a girl?” Tony asked and waited patiently for Peter to nod his head in confirmation. “Pete. Buddy, as long as they’re treating you with the respect that you deserve, I don’t care who they are or how they identify. I just want you to be happy,” he said, suddenly feeling terrible about giving the kid such a hard time about getting a girlfriend. But he knew Peter had taken a girl to homecoming and he’d just- assumed. Something that he really should have known better than to do. “I’m so sorry, Buddy, I shouldn’t have-”
“-It’s Ned,” Peter exclaimed, cutting his mentor off in his apology. But once he’d started talking, an ardent need to get it all out into the open had taken over. “Ned and I have been dating for about eight months and- he definitely makes me happy,” he said all in one breath.
“In that case, I’m happy too,” Tony said as he stood up and crossed the distance between himself and his young mentee to pull him into a hug.
As his mentor embraced him, Peter could feel all of the built-up tension leaving his body. “Thanks,” he whispered and then sighed deeply, allowing his head to fall heavily onto the man’s shoulder. Knowing that Tony wasn’t disappointed and supported him fully, was a relief.
The moment Peter loosened his grasp on the back of his shirt, Tony took a step back so he could look the kid in the eyes. “And just so you know, I care about you, Kiddo. And there’s nothing you could ever say or do that would change that,” he said and gave the boy’s shoulders a reassuring squeeze.
“Are you sure about that, Mr. Stark?” Peter asked in mock seriousness.
“What? Of course, I’m sure about that,” Tony returned without missing a beat. “Never been more sure about anything in my entire life.”
Peter hummed and looked towards his mentor with his eyes playfully narrowed. “What if I stole all of your company secrets and sold them to Oscorp to pay for college?” he asked without so much as batting an eye. Though there was a smile tugging at his lips that he couldn’t quite hide.
“Well for starters, I’m paying for your college, therefore rendering that unnecessary,” Tony said with a scoff. “And second, if you want to sell my company secrets for big bucks then Oscorp shouldn’t be your first choice. Fujikawa Industries would pay you three times as much just for the attention.”
For a second or two Peter said nothing while he properly registered the information he’d just been given. Part of him wanted to ask about the whole ‘paying for his college’ bit. However, he decided he could tuck that away to be unpacked later, choosing instead to keep the banter going. “Are you helping me take down your own company?” he ultimately asked.
“Nah. I know you would never do that to me, Kid,” Tony replied, wrapping his arm around the kid’s shoulders and pulling him into a firm side hug.
“You’re probably right, Mr. Stark,” Peter agreed with a thoughtful nod of his head. “Ms. Potts would murder me.”
Tony barked a surprised laugh and sighed contentedly. Then after a few minutes of merely enjoying one another’s company, he affectionately patted the teenager on the knee. “So. About the gala,” he said softly. “Should I add you and your plus one to the list?”
Tentative, at first, Peter nodded his head. “I can bring Ned? That’s okay?”
“That’s very okay, Pete,” Tony replied, momentarily tightening his grip on the kid’s knee. “In fact, I’m looking forward to it,” he added, smiling when Peter did.
Within the next few days, Tony had taken Peter and Ned to a gentry shop to be fitted for complimenting tuxedos and necessary accessories. As he did so, the difference between the two boys entertained him. While his mentee begged to have his tuxedo rented rather than purchased, Ned enthusiastically tried on various jackets while chattering about how he desperately needed a matching hat.
Much to Peter’s chagrin, Tony obliged. Then just before the had finally walked out of the shop, the man had gone to the counter to make one last additional purchase.
“Alright, boys. Do you know what you’re doing?” Tony asked as he promptly handed over the matching garment bags. But the sole response he received was Peter looking at him with his eyebrows raised in question. “I meant with the bowtie, smart ass,” he said as he knuckled the kid’s head just enough to make him giggle.
“In that case, no. We definitely don’t know what we’re doing,” Peter laughed and Ned agreed. And later, when they were dressed, they came out into the living room for Tony to help them get it knotted up. The man started with Ned before moving over to Peter and expertly straightening his bowtie as well.
“Alright. Now, let me see your wrists,” Tony said, as he reached into his pocket to remove one of the two small boxes he’d had hidden inside.
Peter cautiously held out his hands, unsure of what to expect because he was already wearing the watch that Tony had given him for his birthday. He watched carefully as his mentor quickly removed the simple black cufflinks that had come with the tuxedo and replaced them. With the man’s hands in the way, it took him a moment to see them. But when he did, he smiled giddily. They were small and subtle, but he loved them. “Rainbows,” he happily whispered, mostly to himself.
“Yeah, Kid, I thought you might like those,” Tony said as he finished up the process and stood back to admire his work. “I got some for Ned too.”
As Tony reached into his pocket to obtain the second box, Peter saw a flash of color just under his jacket sleeve. It was then that he realized that the man had gotten himself a matching pair as well. And before he could stop himself, he was already launching himself towards his mentor, nearly knocking him off balance, as he wrapped his arms around him.
“Woah, Buddy. You okay,” Tony said as he collected his balance and reciprocated the embrace.
“Yeah. I’m great, Mr. Stark,” Peter replied. He could feel sentimental tears starting to build in his eyes and tried his best to blink them away. The last thing he wanted to do was to cry on the man’s expensive jacket. “Just- Thank you for, you know, being supportive and all. It really means a lot to me. Like, everything, really. I just-”
“-Hey, It’s my pleasure Pete,” Tony said, pulling back so that he could tenderly wipe the tears off of the kid's face. “I’m so proud of you.”
“Thanks, Mr. Stark,” Peter said, giving the man one last tight squeeze before setting away.
“No problem, Kiddo,” Tony softly replied and then clapped his hands so abruptly that both boy’s flinched slightly. “Now let's finish up so we can get going. Because the party don’t start ’til I walk in.”
While Ned laughed humorously, Peter stood back and crossed his arms over his chest. “Did you? Did you just quote Kesha?” he asked in sheer disbelief.
“Who?” Tony shot back, with such a blank face that Peter couldn't tell if he was being serious or not.
“Never, mind,” Peter eventually replied even though he was still feeling slightly bewildered. But a look at his watch proved that there wasn’t much time to question it. Pepper would be waiting for them. “You’re right. We should really get going.”
“That’s the spirit! Tony smiled and then threw an arm over both boy’s shoulders as he led them out the door.