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Ever since finding out that they are soulmates, Peter has been spending a lot more time at the compound. After May found out about Spiderman and that Peter and Tony were soulmates, she agreed to let Peter go to the compound after some school days and on the weekends. Since May was constantly busy working at the hospital, she felt better that Peter had more people looking after him.
Peter and Tony spent endless nights building in the lab, upgrading suits or working on random ideas that come to mind. The only thing that was stopping them from passing out down there was Pepper and Rhodey coming to get them to eat and go to sleep.
Today was one of the days he got to go to Mr. Stark’s place after school, and he was practically jumping from excitement since he woke up. Mr. Stark said that they would order out food and promised to watch Star Wars with him later that night.
When he arrived at school, he was greeted by Ned and MJ by his locker. Ned excitedly greeted him and they did their handshake with ease, MJ fondly rolled her eyes with fake disgust. Peter’s glad that he has friends like them, they are the only two in the school who know who his soulmate is.
The first couple of classes go without problems, he has the first two with Ned, then the 3rd and 4th periods with MJ. Soon, lunch came and the trio gathered at their empty table. They enjoyed each other's company, discussing weekend plans and new Lego sets there are. Peter should have known that his good day was too good to be true.
All he wanted to do was throw away his trash, he should have paid more attention to his surroundings, but he was too focused on the conversation he just had with Ned. His senses only seemed to warn him a split second before it happened, Flash suddenly appeared before him, clearly wanting to start something. Peter didn’t stop himself in time from running directly into Flash, spilling his leftover food all over Flash’s shirt.
Even though it was clearly Flash’s fault, his face was only filled with anger. “Look Flash, you know I didn’t mean to do that” Peter tried, even though he knew it wouldn’t work.
All Flash did was violently mutter “You're dead, Parker.” while grabbing him by the hood, and dragging him out of the lunchroom. Out of the sights of the rest of the school, and into a bathroom.
Flash pushed him into the wall of the bathroom, and shut the door behind him. Peter didn’t even get to say anything to try and defend himself before his senses were warning him that danger was coming. Peter knew he couldn’t react and fight back or else people would get suspicious of him, so all he could do was force himself to stay still as Flash punched him in the gut.
“Did you think that was funny, Parker?” Flash’s face was red with anger.
“You know that I didn’t mean to, Flash.” Peter said, trying to deescalate the situation before it got worse. He didn’t want any bruises for Mr. Stark to see… Who knows what Tony would do if he found out Peter was getting bullied.
Of course Peter never gets his wish, because Flash responds with a punch to the side of his face. “Your soulmate won't even care for someone like you” Flash said, trying to get on Peter’s nerves. “So don’t even dream of them ever being concerned for your bruises.” Flash laughed again as he kicked Peter to the floor. All Peter could do was try and shield his face, and hope that Mr. Stark didn’t look in a mirror or something…
He knew that if he tried to fight back, that it would only make Flash angrier. After the warning bell rang for lunch to be done, Flash made his way out of the bathroom. Peter pulled himself up from the bathroom floor, and stumbled into a stall, locking it behind him.
Peter wished that his super healing would work fast enough so that Mr. Stark wouldn’t see the already darkening bruises appear on the left side of his face. Oh man, Peter hopes Mr. Stark is not in a meeting right now…
Just as he was about to get out of the stall, he heard frantic footsteps enter the bathroom. “Peter? Are you here? I saw Flash exit and you didn’t come back to the table” Ned’s worried voice filled the bathroom.
Peter sighed with relief and unlocked the stall door, “yeah, Flash didn’t think it was funny that I accidentally spilled food on him. I didn’t even get to say anything.” Ned’s eyes went straight to the side of his face. “Aw man, Is it that bad already?” Peter walked to the mirror and low and behold, dark bruises were forming.
“Mr. Stark might notice, what's he going to think?” Ned spoke up.
“I hope my healing kicks in quick enough that he won’t see or be told about them.” Peter mutters as he pokes at the bruise. Just as he finishes his sentence, the second bell rings, officially marking both of them late to the next period.
“Let's just get to our next class” Peter and Ned walk slowly to their next class, which they thankfully have together with MJ. When they walk through the door, the teacher gives them a look, and mutters under her breath about lazy kids and tem being tardy. Peter looks down and sits in the desk to the right of MJ, with Ned sitting to his left.
Class was long and boring, the only thing keeping him occupied was the occasional drawing from MJ and the worry that Mr. Stark would come to the school, guns blazing with questions about the new bruise.
Half of the class had passed when the intercom system went off. “Mr. Parker to the office, Mr. Parker to the office please.” anxiety filled him, ‘Oh no, what is Mr. Stark doing.’ he panicked internally as he got up, grabbing his bag and saying a quiet goodbye to MJ and Ned.
When he arrived at the office, all they told home was that May had signed him out, and that there was a car to pick him up. Peter heads out the front doors of the school, only to see the car that Happy usually picks him up in. with dread filling him, he makes his way to the car and opens the back door and takes a seat.
Happy is the only person in the car, thankfully. “Hey Happy, everything good?” Peter asks in his ‘nothing is wrong voice’.
“Everythings fine with me, kid. However, Mr. Stark had some peculiar things appear, happen to know anything about that?” Happy replies with slight amusement, driving off a little too fast for what the speed limit should be.
“How worried is he?”
“Well, when Rhodey told him that the whole left side of his face was turning a dark red, the first thing he did was call me to pick you up kid.”
“At least he wasn’t around random people…” he trailed off, the car going silent for the rest of the drive to the compound.
---
Once they had arrived at the compound, Happy led Peter inside and towards Tony. When Peter entered the room, Mr. Stark quickly turned around. Peter’s eyes immediately went to the right side of his face, a red bruise covering the exact places Peter’s bruise was. He could tell that Mr. Stark was looking at the bruise on his face as well, both of them were moving subconsciously towards each other.
“Hey Pete, mind telling me what happened to your face?” Tony relaxed once Peter was standing right next to him. “And don’t even try lying, or I’ll call up Ted and make him tell me” Tony joked, lightening the mood.
Peter laughed, “It’s nothing serious, Mr. Stark. It's already fading!”
“Well it has to be serious enough for the entire side of your face to get a bruise.” He said a little more seriously. “Kid, did someone give you that bruise? Do I need to call the school?”
“It might have…” Peter finished his sentence with an incomprehensible mumble.
Mr. Stark sighed, “You're getting bullied aren’t you?” Peter’s body hunched a little bit in defeat, which only confirmed Mr. Stark’s theories.
“I’m calling your school kid.”
Peter jolted at that, “Mr. Stark it really not that bad! MJ and Ned usually help me get rid of him! He doesn’t even bother me most days, I just accidentally ruined his clothes today.”
“Pete, If someone is bothering you, I want to stop them.” Tony replied firmly.
“I don’t want you to say anything! I promise I’m fine, once MJ finds out Flash cornered me she’ll make sure to get him.” Peter pleaded. He didn’t want anything drastic to happen.
“All right, all right. I won’t go after him yet, but if it happens again I'm after this kid.” He paused for a second, “and who names their kid Flash?” Tony said with amusement, “and you're letting MJ deal with it and not me? Im hurt kid”
Peter sighed with relief, he actually won this argument. “He actually just calls himself Flash. And MJ is scary enough on her own, he will back off. I promise Mr Stark.”
Tony nodded his head, “You're lucky I pulled you early from school. Let's relax and watch a movie, kid.” he said while leading Peter into the common room. “And don’t you dare pick Star Wars again. We have watched that too many times in the last month”
“But there are multiple Star Wars movies to watch!” Peter pleaded.
Tony laughed with amusement, “of course there are kid.”
Tony and Peter sat on the couch right next to each other, with snacks laying on the table in front of them. The newest movie to the series played, making Peter whoop with excitement, and tucked himself to the side of Tony. Tony smiled with affection and pulled him closer, wrapping his arm around Peter.