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The day he got the phone call was the worst day of his life, tied with the day Uncle Ben died. It was a Friday night, Peter had just gotten back from patrol to see that May still hadn’t come home yet. An odd feeling stirred in his gut but he pushed it aside, heading to the fridge to pull out some leftovers.
An hour later and there was no sign of May, at this point Peter was ready to go out looking for her. He called her a few times only to be sent straight to voicemail, her sweet voice telling him to leave a message, which he did, 19 times.
Just as Peter was pulling on his mask to go searching for her his phone lit up with a number calling him. Peter raised a confused brow, maybe May’s phone had died and she needed to borrow a stranger's phone to call him.
“Hello?” Peter answered, holding the phone to his ear.
“Peter?” a wet voice came through the line. He recognized the voice as one of May’s co-workers who he’d met a few times during May’s girl nights when she would invite a few girlfriends over to have drinks.
“Mandy? Hi, how are you? Everything alright?” Peter chewed at his bottom lip, his heart constricting painfully because something was wrong. Why would Mandy be calling him?
“Oh, Peter… I’m so sorry to tell you this. But May was in an accident on the way home…” she spoke and Peter’s vision began going dark around the edges, his body swayed as he was hit with a wave of dizziness.
“Please-” Peter choked on the word, closing his eyes to take a moment to compose himself. “Please tell me she’s okay,” he pleaded. The line was dreadfully silent.
“She died on impact… I’m so sorry, sweetie.”
Peter’s knees buckled under him and he collapsed to the ground on his knees, phone slipping from his hand as he pressed his forehead against the cold wooden floorboards, clenching his teeth together as he fought back his tears and sobs.
Peter could hear Mandy trying to talk to him through the phone and he shakily reached his hand out, picking up the phone and bringing it to his ear.
“Peter? Are you with me?” her voice sounded even more wrecked, sobs making their way into her words.
“Y-Yeah,” Peter stuttered, his jaw quivering and his chest tight.
“Okay that’s good, Pete. Someone is on their way over to come get you since you don’t have anyone as your next of kin.” She told him, sounding sympathetic. But Peter just felt a surge of panic. Mandy continued to talk but Peter drowned her voice out as he scrambled to his feet.
“Peter?! Pete, what’s going on?”
“I’m sorry. I have to go,” he said before ending the call, cutting off whatever Mandy had to say.
Peter rushed into his room and pulled out his suitcase from under his bed. He began tossing in clothing, school books, chargers, cash, and anything else that he needed because there was no way he was being put in the system.
He filled his bag to the point where he could barely zip it shut. Peter stood and felt a tear slip down his cheek, he set down his suitcase.
The teen, orphaned again, wandered out into the living room and down the hallway to May's bedroom. Upon entering Peter felt more tears well up in his eyes at the smell of her comforting perfume.
Peter walked over to her dresser and smiled at the picture of her, himself, and Ben when they had gone to the Stark Expo. Peter was on Ben’s shoulders with his cheap plastic ironman mask and hand extended to pose as Iron Man while May stood next to Ben looking up at Peter in amusement.
Peter felt another tear slip down his cheek.
A thump of a fist was heard at the door and Peter jumped. He quickly opened the picture frame and grabbed the picture, folding it and slipping it into his suit pocket before running down the hall and into his room.
Peter grabbed his mask off of his desk and pulled it over his head. Just as he heard the door being unlocked Peter grabbed his suitcase and opened his window, turning back to look over his room one last time, knowing he was never going to see it again.
Turning, Peter climbed out of his window and shot a web, disappearing into the dark.
Peter was planning on telling Ned, he was, he just had to pick the right time. How do you just come out and tell someone “Hey, so my Aunt died in a car accident a few days ago and I’ve been living in some dirty alleyway and fighting off the rats from trying to steal my dinner.”
Peter planned on telling him, eventually.
Peter walked to his locker with his textbooks in hand since he hadn’t thought to grab his backpack when he was fleeing CPS. He balanced his books against his hip as he put in his passcode.
Peter set his books down and rubbed his eyes. He winced and rolled his shoulder. Sleeping on the concrete with nothing but a cardboard box as cushioning wasn’t very comfortable and his body was paying for it.
It had been 5 days since he got the news. Peter was still grieving, but he couldn’t cry. It was like his body wouldn’t let him. He would settle down on his makeshift bed and feel the sobs building up in his chest but as soon as he would try to let them out, they wouldn’t come.
At this point, Peter felt numb to everything.
“Woah, Pete. Are you doing alright? You look like you got hit by a bus.” came Ned’s voice. Peter flinched and spun around. His senses have been on high alert ever since he started living in some shady alleyway.
“Oh, hey Ned. Yeah, I’m alright. Just didn’t sleep very well.” Peter brushed off his friend's concern with a shrug, wincing when it pulled at his sore muscles.
“May keep you up with her and her girlfriend's bad karaoke singing?” Ned teased with a smirk but Peter felt his heart constrict painfully in his chest at the mention of May. Peter tried not to let his frown show on his face at that. Instead, he let out a chuckle and gave a weak smile.
“Something like that,” he murmured.
The day passed slowly. Everything had been passing slowly ever since May died. Peter felt like he wasn’t inside of his body. Like he was floating above himself and watching himself move and do his new routine mindlessly.
The only time Peter felt like he was back inside his body was when he was patrolling.
He did the usual helping old ladies with their groceries, saving cats from trees, stopping a mugging, catching a convenience store thief, stopping some scumbag trying to rob a homeless man of whatever money he had.
He’d been asked more than once if he was okay by the people he helped. The usually chirpy and happy superhero had gone silent and Queens was worried for their friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man.
Apparently Tony was too.
Peter had ignored every text and phone call from both Happy and Mr. Stark. Tony’s messages went from nonchalant to more worried every time Peter wouldn’t reply. Peter felt a pang of guilt every time Tony would give up, ending the one-sided conversation with;
Okay, kid. I just wanted to see how u were doing. Hope everything is okay. Hope to see u in the lab next week. U know ur always welcome.
On Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday Peter had seen Happy’s car waiting for him outside of school and Peter had ducked his head, slipping past it without being noticed and ignoring Happy’s messages asking where he was.
This goes on for weeks, and it turns into a month.
Peter still hasn’t told Ned yet. But he had the feeling Ned was getting suspicious and close to finding out. The other boy began picking up on the way Peter would tense at the mention of his Aunt. He noticed the way Peter was losing weight and he looked even smaller under his baggy sweatshirts. He noticed that every time he asked to hang out Peter asked for it to be at Ned's place.
Peter thinks Ned knows but has decided not to say anything.
One day when Peter is going to his next class he hears his name called through the speakers, telling him to go to the office with all of his stuff. Peter is immediately suspicious.
He slips through the crowd of teenagers moving to their next classes and freezes when the windows to the office come into view. There’s a professional-looking woman with a clipboard and glasses who's waiting inside.
Peter forces himself to continue forward. He opens the office door and slips inside, when the woman spots him she gives him a sad smile and stands up.
“Mr. Parker I presume?” she says and Peter nods silently. “I’m very sorry about your Aunt, but since you aren’t 18 yet I’m going to need you to come with me so we can get you situated in your new home,” she told him and Peter felt his heart drop, fight or flight kicking in.
Peter didn’t give the woman another chance to say anything before he was running, she yelled after him and school security tried grabbing him. He slipped past them and out onto the streets, he took off running and didn’t once look back.
Two months have passed since May's death and Peter still hasn’t cried.
Peter hasn’t returned to school ever since the lady had turned up there to take him away. He’s been ignoring Ned, Mj, Happy, and Mr. Stark's messages and it’s been killing him. Peter has never felt so lonely in his entire life.
Peter was reported missing on the news so now it’s even harder to go out in public without having to hide his identity as Peter Parker too. Tony is freaking out and messaging Peter every chance he has, asking where he is and if he’s okay.
Peter desperately wants to tell him that he’s okay just so he can ease his worries. But he knows that he won’t be able to hold everything back if he acknowledges Tony. News reports that Ironman was spotted flying around Queens and Peter knows the reason is because he’s trying to find Peter and the teen smiles a little at seeing how much he means to the man.
Peter goes out as Spider-Man more often since he doesn’t have much to do now that he doesn’t attend school anymore. On a late Saturday night, Peter spots Tony and the man spots him too. Peter’s heart drops and he freezes.
“Pete?” Mr. Stark says, opening his helmet so Peter can see that he’s actually there. Peter feels tears prick at his eyes because god he missed Tony so much. But as much as the teen wants to run into Tony’s arms, he instead turns around and shoots out a web, vanishing before Tony can even think to chase after him.
Peter finally decides to visit his old home.
But when Peter gets to his window he looks inside to see that his room is empty, looking so much bigger without his belongings there to crowd it.
Peter leaves and never goes back again, that isn’t his home anymore.
Three months pass and Peter barely weighs 100 pounds even soaking wet, his ribs protrude and his cheekbones are sharp against his skin. Peter’s stomach aches and growls, begging to be fed but Peter runs out of money to provide himself that food.
Peter whines at the sight of the snow falling from the sky and landing on the concrete next to where his head rests.
Winter is going to suck.
Peter’s phone gets stolen one night when he was asleep, as well as his suitcase that held all of his clothes and other items. Luckily his suit wasn’t inside it because Peter was smart enough to hide it under the cardboard box he was sleeping on as well as the picture of him, Ben, and May.
Luckily a few of Peter's clothes had been strewn about the alleyway as if the thief was in a rush to get away before Peter woke up and spilled some of the contents of the suitcase. Peter didn’t understand why anyone would steal from him, he didn’t have any money and the only thing that was somewhat expensive was his phone yet they decided to take his suitcase too.
Peter didn’t think too hard about it and was just grateful he wasn’t left with just one outfit. He knew he definitely didn’t smell like roses at the moment and he wanted nothing more than a nice warm bath. His greasy curls had gotten longer and wilder without his usual hair gel he used to tame it.
Peter grabbed whatever clothes were left behind and pulled them around himself, bundling up in the cold weather.
Peter was an idiot. An absolute idiot.
He couldn’t believe he let the mugger catch him off guard like that.
He had been doing his nightly patrol when he came across a man trying to mug a pretty young girl in an alleyway. It was only when he realized that it was MJ who was being robbed that he was caught off guard.
He’d dropped down, scolded the mugger for his crimes, turned around to check on the girl and promptly froze when he was met with MJ’s fierce eyes looking back at him. Her brows were drawn together to come off as intimidating but there was fear behind her eyes.
He hadn’t seen her in what felt like forever.
Michelle's eyes suddenly widened and she pointed behind him.
“Look out!” she screamed but Peter was too late and he let out a gasp when he felt the knife plunge into his stomach. Peter spun and kicked the man in the chest, sending him flying and crashing to the ground. Peter walked over and webbed him up to the wall. Peter had disabled Karen so she couldn’t contact Mr. Stark which made reporting stuff to the police harder because he always had to find a payphone and call them that way.
“Are you okay?” came MJ’s voice and Peter jumped when he realized how close she was, he spun around.
“Uh, y-yeah I’m okay, don’t worry about me. Are you okay?” Peter questioned and MJ raised a brow but kept her expression soft.
“Peter, I know that’s you,” she said suddenly and Peter took a step back. No no no she wasn’t supposed to know.
Fight or Flight.
“Just get home safe alright?” Peter said before jumping up onto the building, climbing out of sight.
Peter did make sure she got home safe, watching her from afar and up high until he watched her step into her apartment building. Peter returned to his alleyway and gingerly touched the handle of the knife sticking out of his abdomen.
“This is going to suck,” he grumbled to himself, taking a readying breath as he wrapped his hand around the handle and pulled it out. Peter bit his lip to bite back his cry of pain. He slipped off his suit and pulled on a sweatshirt and jeans and hid his suit under the box before sitting down on his cardboard bed.
He opened the old sewing kit he found in one of the dumpsters and got started on stitching himself up.
Peter shivered as a cold wind blew through the alleyway and sniffled as his nose began to stuff up. He finished stitching himself up and laid down, closing his eyes and welcoming sleep.
Flash Thompson was trekking through the snowy streets while pouting to himself. His butler was supposed to pick him up like he usually does but his parents needed their butler today which left Flash having to walk home in the cold and snowy weather.
He spotted a dry alleyway and began making his way down it only to pause when he could hear whining, it sounded like an injured animal and Flash continued onward to investigate.
What he was not expecting was to see an old grubby man wrestling some kid onto the ground and feeling him up. The boy was whining and weakly trying to fight off the wandering hands but to no avail, the man was stronger than him.
Flash felt a surge of anger rush through him and he picked up a discarded shoe that was laying in the alleyway and tossed it at the man's head. It nailed him dead on and the man's head flew up, his eyes wide at being caught.
Flash then took off his own shoes and began throwing them at the man.
“Get the fuck off of him you dirty old pervert!” he cursed and the man scrambled off of the teen, turned and fled out of the alleyway. Flash scoffed as he watched the man run and rushed over to the boy.
Another thing flash was definitely not expecting to see was Peter Parker himself.
“Penis?!” Flash gaped. The teen had been reported missing two months ago and all this time he had been living on the streets. Flash was at least happy to know he hadn’t been kidnapped and killed, but almost being raped was just as bad and Flash was extremely grateful he had shown up in time to prevent that from happening.
“What the hell are you doing out here?!” he hissed and Peter’s head rolled, his eyes opening into slits and zeroing in on Flash. Only then did Flash realize how bad Peter looked. He was extremely skinny and his cheeks and nose were so red that they were almost purple, the rest of his face that wasn't red was pale and he was sweating despite the cold weather.
“Oh shit, Parker. You’re not doing so well.” Flash paled.
“Flash?” Peter slurred and Flash winced.
“Yeah, it’s me. We gotta get you somewhere warm. I’m surprised you’re not dead already. Why the hell did you just disappear? Is this where you’ve been staying for the past three months?” Flash ranted. Peter just groaned miserably and Flash sighed.
But as Flash looked over Peter again he noticed where Peter’s shirt had been lifted from the disgusting pedophile's hands that there was discoloration on his skin. He furrowed his brows.
“Hey, Parker. I need to check you for any injuries alright. I’m going to lift your shirt.” he told him before gently lifting Peter’s shirt higher and exposing his stomach where a wound had been stitched together. And it was infected, very infected. And Peter was very sick.
“Oh jeez, c’mon man what the hell.” he face-palmed. He was beginning to feel really bad about how he’d been treating the boy for the past few years. “Do you have a phone? We have to call someone, how about your Aunt?” Flash suggested but Peter whined.
“May’s dead.” he whimpered and Flash felt even more horrible.
“Oh... Man, I'm sorry.”
“S’kay,” Peter murmured.
“Who else can I call for you? Because there's no way I'm leaving you out here to die or be assaulted again.”
“T’ny,”
“Tony? As in Tony Stark? C’mon Parker this isn’t the time for your lies.”
“T’ny,” Peter repeats and Flash sighs.
“Fine, I’ll take you there. But if I’m about to embarrass myself for nothing then I’m killing you as soon as you get better.”
As Flash helped Peter stand the box flattened cardboard box under him shifted revealing the Spider-Man suit. Flash stared with his jaw dropped.
“Holy shit!”
And that’s how Flash ends up with a half-dead teenager hanging off of him as he drags him into the lobby of Stark Tower. Flash almost makes it to the elevator before he’s stopped by security.
“What do you think you kids are doing?”
“Uh, are you blind? Or can you not see that he is dying .” Flash smart mouths and the man glares at him.
“I’m going to have to ask you to leave or you will be removed.”
“C’mon man, this is serious. I need to speak with Mr. Stark. Peter is his intern and he’s in need of serious medical attention.” Flash pleads. Suddenly a lady at the desk perks up at the name.
“Did you just say Peter?” she questions and Flash nods. The lady comes running over as fast as she can in her heels and her jaw drops at the sight of the half-conscious Peter Parker leaning against Flash.
“Oh my god! Peter! Let them pass, I know Peter. I’ll inform Mr. Stark that you're on your way up, FRIDAY will take you to the right floor.” The lady says with a hard professional look on her face and Flash thanks her, pushing past the security guard and into the elevator.
Peter was moaning in pain and struggling to stay standing.
“C’mon, Pete. Just a little further, you’ll get to see Mr. Stark which, I cannot believe you actually know personally that's insane. And you’re Spider-Man this day cannot get any crazier.” After seeing the suit Flash had made work to hide it in a spot where no one would find it so Peter could go back and retrieve it as well as the family photo.
The elevator dinged and when the doors opened Flash was met face to face with Tony Stark, Flash held back from squealing like the fanboy that he was.
“Peter?!” the billionaire exclaimed and raced forward, helping Flash support the deadweight teenager. “We have to get him down to medbay. FRI,” he said and the doors closed once again, taking them down a few floors.
Flash was sitting outside the Medbay once Peter was set up in his own hospital room that apparently had been made for him after so many Spider-Man injuries and ohmygod I cannot believe I was bullying Spider-Man all these years.
Flash had explained how he found some man trying to take advantage of Peter while he was out of his mind with fever and the genius had promptly stiffened, his face stone cold and fists clenched, he looked a second away from going out and finding that man himself.
Tony had thanked him and offered to let him stay the night since it was late and Flash’s parents didn’t really seem to care where he was. Flash had accepted the offer, wanting to make sure Peter would be okay.
Tony sat next to Peter’s bed for days, the boy stayed asleep which Tony wasn’t surprised about. Apparently, he had been severely sleep-deprived and needed to catch up on his sleep. Flash eventually went home but not before checking up on Peter one more time and Tony giving him his number so he could update him (Flash totally didn’t fanboy when Tony Stark gave him his phone number).
Tony tried calling May multiple times but she must’ve changed her number because every time it said the number was no longer available.
Peter was put on a feeding tube that his body desperately needed because the kid was skin and bones. The nurses had cleaned his hair and wiped down his body, wiping the grime, and sweat off of him.
His stab wound was disinfected and properly stitched this time. Peter’s fever dropped until his temperature was back to normal and Tony could finally relax.
After nearly a full week of Peter sleeping, he finally woke up.
Peter sighed blissfully at the feeling of cushioning under him and not hard concrete. But as he registered that it was not concrete he panicked, jolting and sitting upright.
“Hey, Pete. You’re okay. I got you, buddy. You’re okay now.” he heard a familiar voice say and was immediately comforted by it. He relaxed and laid back down, letting his eyes roam around the dimly lit room until it landed on the man the voice belonged to.
“T’ny?” Peter rasped and the older man smiled.
“Hey, kid. Long time no see.” he reached up and brushed a stray curl away from his eye.
“Hi,” Peter slurred sleepily. “What happened?” he questioned and Tony's smile fell.
“Your ex bully, Flash, found you half-conscious in an alleyway with some perv trying to feel you up,” Tony told him and Peter felt his heart skyrocket. Tony saw the panic on his face and quickly assured him.
“He said nothing happened, he scared the guy off before he could do anything. Jeez, sorry, I guess there’s no easy way of delivering that kind of news.” Tony muttered the last part to himself. Peter relaxed at that. “He knows you’re Spider-Man because he saw your suit but he promised not to tell anyone.”
The two sat in silence, trying to figure out what to say next. They hadn’t seen each other in three months after Peter’s mysterious disappearance. So Tony said the one thing he’d been wondering for the past three months.
“What the hell , Peter?” he said suddenly and Peter tensed. “Why did you just disappear. I couldn’t find you anywhere. You were on the news for god sake. Do you know how scary it is to see a picture of your face saying that you’re missing? It’s terrifying. I thought you were kidnapped, or dead in a ditch! Don’t you ever do that to me ever again!” Tony stood up and began pacing.
“I’m sorry,” Peter whispered, his voice not strong enough. Tony stopped pacing and sighed, sitting back down in his chair.
“What happened, kid?” Tony asked and Peter couldn’t hold back anymore.
“May’s dead.” he said, and suddenly he was sobbing. He was crying for the first time in three months and it felt so good to finally get that out.
He suddenly felt the bed dip and arms wrap around him. He buried his face in Tony’s chest and let himself sob his heart out. Tony did nothing but hold him tightly, securely. Eventually, Peter’s sobs calmed enough for him to explain everything.
He explained that May had died in a car accident, that he fled when CPS came to take him away, he went to school pretending nothing happened and then stopped going when CPS showed up there too, how he was living in a dirty alleyway for three months with no money to buy food so he resorted to dumpster diving.
Tony did nothing but listen and hold him. Peter was so touch-starved and was happy to be held again.
“Why didn’t you come to me?” Tony asked gently and Peter sniffled, keeping himself buried against Tony’s chest.
“I didn’t want you to die too,” he told him and Tony tensed.
“What are you talking about?”
Peter looked up at Tony.
“Don’t you get it? I’m a curse, Mr. Stark. Everyone who I get close to dies some tragic death. First my parents, then Ben, then May. You would’ve been next, you still could be next. I thought if I stayed far away then you’d be okay.”
“That is the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard. You are not a curse and I don’t want you to ever say such a thing ever again. You’re my kid and I love you. What happened to your parents and May and Ben was not your fault. Life is a bitch but nothing you did caused their deaths. I need you to understand that or we’re gonna have a problem mister.” Tony scolded and Peter let out a wet laugh.
“Thanks, Tony. I love you too.” Peter sniffled with a small smile.
“Good, then when you get the good to go from the doctors then you and I are going shopping to get you some clothes and about 30 big macs because you really need some meat on your bones, kid.” Tony began saying but Peter was staring at him in confusion.
“What are you talking about?”
Tony raised a brow.
“Have I not made it clear? You’re staying with me kid. I’m not letting you out of my sight ever again until you’re like 80.”
Peter let out a surprised laugh.
“You won’t be here when I’m 80 unless you're some kind of god.” Peter laughed and Tony gasped, mocking hurt.
“Are you trying to say I’m not a god?” Tony accused and Peter burst into a fit of giggles, the sound blessing Tony’s ears, god how he missed that laugh and smile.
“As I said, you’re my kid and I love you,” Tony said and pressed a kiss to the boy's curls.
“Love you too, Tony.” Peter smiled .