Chapter Text
September 8th, 2023
“Can you pass me the torch?”
“The blue one?”
“Yeah, the one with the longer handle.”
“Got it.”
Peter reaches for the torch and hands it over. He shouldn’t be touching the torch. He’s a minor, they both would be in trouble if anyone saw that. If they saw much of anything Tony allows in the lab, honestly. It’s why Pepper refuses to come down unannounced, claiming she doesn’t want to see a potential heart attack. May used to try and sneak up on them to find out if Tony was endangering her nephew, but Friday had an ‘Aunt Hottie’ protocol which would tell them when to switch out the torches for screwdrivers.
The lab is dangerous, but it’s fun, and it’s a safe place to be while the weather cools down for the fall.
Tony puts the torch down and pulls his safety goggles off, and so Peter does the same. Ready for another task. Or maybe lunch. He’d like some lunch right about now.
“Do you need a ride to school tomorrow?”
Right , school. “Did you really need to bring school up?”
“It’s the responsible thing to do! I’m being responsible.”
Peter rolls his eyes, “You’re being a downer. Here I am, having fun-“
“You’re having fun while you watch me torch this thing?”
“- And you bring up school! That is a while-I’m-leaving topic. You say ‘Need a ride to school?’ And I go ‘I’m good, thanks. Bye!’
Tomorrow is the first day of school. His first day back after being gone for five years. His first day back without Aunt May to make him his special first day sandwich, or be sure that she’s there in the morning to say goodbye.
He zones back into the conversation abruptly at that thought. No use in being sentimental right now, he hasn’t even had lunch.
Tony’s finishing up his dramatic little speech about how it’s so tragic that Peter doesn’t appreciate how invested Tony is in making sure he gets to school on time.
“Seriously, Bernie’s giving me money for the subway. I’ll get there on time, promise.”
Bernie is Peter’s foster mom, and she’s actually not giving Peter any money. Also, Peter is staying at Ned’s house tonight and is paying for the train with money from Ned’s mom. He actually hasn’t been back at Bernie’s house for weeks.
Tony smiles at him and makes him triple swear.
Peter laughs, and suggests that they go get some lunch.
-
September 9th, 2023
The next morning in Ned’s house is pure chaos. His parents both stayed home to see them off. They insist on millions of pictures and packed lunches of the best quality for their first day back. All fine, except Peter still can’t look them directly in the eye. Part of it is guilt that he’s part of the reason they lost their son. Another part of it is that they’re five years older and it startles him. They’ve aged ever so slightly and it makes him uncomfortable; there are worry lines that weren’t there before, aches from minor injuries that Peter never saw heal.
Peter privately wonders what May might have looked like, aged five years. As he watches Ned’s parents run around all morning he misses having this. He misses having her.
“Peter, here’s the money for the train. Don’t lose it, it’s enough for the rest of the week, too. Actually, you know what, I want to see you put it in your bag. Do that now so I know it’s not lost.”
“We get free transportation after today Mrs. Leeds. I don’t need this.”
He tries giving it back, but the woman points to his backpack. “Use it for food then. You’re always so skinny.”
“We have to go!” Ned shouts from the front door. He must’ve used Mrs. Leeds being distracted with Peter to get through the living room unnoticed.
Peter quickly puts the money in his bag and enthusiastically thanks her for her kindness before getting up and practically sprinting away from the conversation about him being too skinny. Sometimes he thinks Mrs. Leeds knows more about him than she lets on.
“Bye Mom, Bye Dad. See you guys later.”
“Bye, sweetie! Peter, are you coming back tonight?”
“Nope! I’m staying home tonight.”
“Oh, bye then. Have a good day, dear!”
The door shuts behind them, and they both breathe a sigh of relief.
It’s not that it’s quiet outside. It’s New York, it’s never quiet. It’s just less suffocating. The city is vast, and walking past them on the streets is people who don’t know they were gone for five years. They never mourned them. It’s strange to interact with people who have already mourned you, it feels a bit like you don’t belong there. Like you’re only a memory to them.
“You can come back tonight. If you want. You know that, right?”
Ned says this every time Peter decides not to stay over. He extends the invitation as if his house isn’t the only home Peter has known since he came back. He stays over Ned’s house more often than not, actually, and the Leeds are always very accommodating. He knows he’s welcome back tonight, he just knows he needs to give them some space. It’s the first day of school, and he already intruded on that because he wanted to be clean and well rested on the first day.
Peter shakes his head as they walk down the subway stairs. “I have work tonight. I don’t want to come in super late anyway.”
“They scheduled you for a night shift? I thought you told them you have school!”
“I mean, I did. I guess Denny wasn’t really listening. I’ll talk to him again tonight.”
Ned pays to enter the platform, and then waits for Peter to do the same. Much to the displeasure of everyone else who was walking behind him.
Truthfully he told Denny, his manager, that he had school and an internship. And then Denny asked him if that meant he needed less hours. It was clear that the ultimatum was less money or stretching himself a bit thin, so instead of saying yes, he asked for later shifts. It’s a good thing he's working under the table, because overnight shifts for sixteen year olds are hard to explain to the government.
But he needs the money. It’s not like it was even really an option not to work. And he can’t stop his internship, because then he has to cut back on being Spider-Man. And oh, wait, Spider-Man. He hadn’t thought of that. When is he going to be Spider-Man?
The train arrives, and they have to temporarily split up so that they can fit in with all of the commuters. Which saves him from explaining his packed schedule to Ned, but also unfortunately leaves Peter with his own thoughts. That’s almost never good.