Archive of Our Own

Peter loved Christmas, it was one of his favorite holidays. Christmas is such a magical time of year and his parents had loved it and his Aunt May and Uncle Ben had loved it, which in turn made him love it just as much. He remembers when he was little and he had a home to decorate, he would spend hours picking out the best ornaments and picking the right place on the tree for them and he would pick out the best looking cookies to leave out for Santa. It was the best part of the year, especially since he’d also get presents and he’d get to give his loved ones things.

But when his parents died and then his aunt and uncle died he didn’t really care to celebrate, not that he had anyone to celebrate with. The home he was put in was filled with kids, way over capacity, so no way they were going to shell out money for something like Christmas decorations. Now that he wasn’t there he definitely didn’t celebrate. He very rarely even had his own place, no way would he have money to celebrate Christmas.

He did miss when Christmas was magical, when he woke up early in the morning and woke up his guardians by jumping around on their bed. He missed the big Christmas dinner where he ate so much he felt a little sick but he would still eat dessert. Peter felt like he kind of took it for granted back then, he hadn’t thought about what it would be like to not have that because that hadn’t happened before.

But now, when he was living on the street rather than in his own home, he really missed them. He’d love to have a soda glazed ham with pineapple slices and maraschino cherries on it again, especially since he usually got to eat most of the pineapple slices off the top. He’d love to be in a warm bed and wake up to presents for him under a tree. Peter missed it and now that Christmas was going full force through New York he just missed it even more.

The streets were decorated and there were always kids running around excitedly with their parents, dragging them around as they looked at all the bright lights or at the decorations in the shops. Central Park was decked out too, all the trees were wrapped in wonderful lights and the giant Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center was up. Peter loved it really, he loved seeing all the happy faces and it also seemed like there was a bit less criminal activity for him to stop. But it also left a bittersweet feeling in his chest, because while he was happy to see all the happy faces he was upset that he had to be alone like this instead of being excited about the nearing holiday.

The only time he really got to enjoy the holiday was when he was at Stark Tower. The Avengers had decorated the common area, Tony and Pepper had decorated their penthouse too. So when he went he got to experience just a bit of the holiday magic he used to experience. Tony was the only Avenger that really knew how old he was so he suspected that the man thought he would be excited about the holiday cheer in the tower and decorated more extravagantly because of that, but he wasn't wrong. When Peter had first seen the decorations he had been extremely excited and was practically jumping around the tower looking at everything. 

He was really grateful for Tony, not just because he was giving him a taste of the Christmas magic he missed, but also for the suit. The suit’s heater was probably the only reason he was alright out on his own with the low temperatures that it’s been hitting. His biology was affected by cold weather and he often felt sluggish and wanted to just curl up in a warm spot and sleep forever, which turned bad if he got too cold and couldn’t thermoregulate back to a warm inner temperature. The heater helped him fight that though. Sure, it couldn’t keep him completely warm as it only went up to a certain temperature, but it did keep him at an almost normal temperature. The cold might sometimes bite at him but he can put up with it way easier with the heater helping him.

Peter swings through the street while humming along to the song he had heard a group of carolers singing a few blocks back. He was trying to find a nice place to rest for the rest of the night. He usually tried to stay near his old apartment building in case Tony checked the tracker in the suit but it was hard to find a place not illuminated by Christmas lights these days so sometimes he had to stray. 

He lets out a triumphant noise when he sees a dark alley, landing on the roof next to it and glancing down to make sure no one was hiding out. When it was scanned and cleared Peter crawls down the wall a bit before using his webs to make a hammock to rest in for the night. With a soft noise he tucks into the webs. “Goodnight Karen, make sure to wake me if anyone comes too close while I’m sleeping.”

“Alright Peter. Goodnight.”

He hums in reply before closing his eyes. He was already tired from a long day of fighting and swinging around and he had only had a hot dog he got free from a vendor, he had stopped the man from being robbed, so he wasn’t keeping up with his metabolism and it made him tired too. It all had him falling asleep pretty much the moment his eyes were closed.

“-eter! Peter!”

Peter’s eyes shoot open and he looks around quickly as snow falls off of his body, the sun was just barely peeking up over the horizon but the light let him see a bit. There was no one in the alley under him so he’s a bit confused at the sudden wake up call. “Karen?” He mumbles.

“Peter, your internal temperature is eighty-five point two degrees fahrenheit and is rapidly dropping. You are in moderate hypothermia. It is recommended that you get inside and into warm clothes, with your internal temperature you are at risk for cardiac arrest and may lose consciousness. Should I alert Mr. Stark?”

As Peter listens he notices how he can barely feel his hands or feet and how the numbness seems to be spreading up his limbs. He’s not shaking though, so how can he be that cold? He also notices how it seems like he’s not getting as much air as he should be. When he hears Karen he shakes his head, even if it is a slower shake then he wanted it to be. “No! Don’t alert Mr. Stark.”

“Peter, I rec-”

“I know I know! I’ll just go to the tower and warm up a bit, but don’t alert Mr. Stark. I’m fine, promise.”

It’s quiet as he climbs very slowly out of the web hammock and starts swinging towards the tower. His movements feel slow, like he’s watching himself through a slow motion camera. He knows why he got cold, the heater that he was enjoying is now no longer working. That was just his luck too, he had been sleeping for who knows how long in freezing temperatures in just spandex. “I have alerted Mr. Stark of your condition.”

“What! Karen!” Peter exclaims, betrayal clear in his voice as he continues his swinging. It was hard for him to activate the web shooters since his fingers moved so slow and were a bit numb but he had to get to the tower. “Why?”

“As per the Nice Try, Kid protocol I have overridden your order.”

“The what protocol?” He groans.

He doesn’t understand why he needs all these protocols! He’s sixteen, he can make his own decisions! They may not be the smartest but they are his to make. “The Nice Try, Kid protocol is to ensure that Mr. Stark is informed if you are injured in any way.”

Peter groans again, shaking his head, he gets stabbed one time and doesn’t tell and now there’s this. He spots the Stark Tower and quickly speeds up his swinging as much as he can, wanting to get there before Tony could freak out too badly about his condition. Or maybe the man would still be asleep and wouldn’t have heard the announcement, it was still pretty early. He really hopes that is the case.

He swings to the tower and tries to stick his arms and legs out to catch himself against the glass but his limbs don’t move fast enough, leading to him face planting into the windows. The air is knocked out of him and he scrambles to properly attach himself to the building before he starts falling. It’s embarrassing to face plant into the building but he is glad that there wouldn’t be a lot of people in the building at this time, the doors not yet open. It saves him from being seen smooshed against the windows. Peter is quick to start crawling up the building, scrambling up as fast as he can as his body seems to just move slower and slower, his arms and legs getting number and number. He can’t even really feel his face where he just hit it, which does not seem good.

He gets to the common floor and pushes the window open, sliding in and pulling it closed with a web. When his feet touch the floor he practically crumbles into it, the tower is much warmer than it is outside but he doesn’t know what to do. “Karen? How is my inner temperature?”

“It is at eighty-two degrees fahrenheit. You are in severe hypothermia. It is recommended you dry off, change into warm clothes, and cover with blankets. You are at risk of losing consciousness and death, your inner temperature is still currently dropping.” Peter hums to show he heard and he knows he has to get up and do those things but his body doesn’t seem to respond when he tells it to push him up. “Peter?”

“Yes?” He mumbles, eyes closing.

“I do not recommend going to sleep. It would be best for you to stay awake and get warmer. If you fall asleep without warming up you run the risk of your heart rate slowing even more and your breathing becoming even more shallow.”

He knows this but he can’t really force himself up, his body feels numb and he can’t even tell if his fingers are even moving when he tries to squeeze his hands into fists. It’s quiet for a few moments and he almost falls asleep but suddenly there’s hurried footsteps coming his way. “Pete?”

He opens his eyes in time to see Tony leaning over him. “M’sr. ‘tark,” He mumbles in greeting.

Tony gives him a very worried look and picks him up. “Jesus Kid, you’re freezing.” Peter wants to say something but he’s not really able to, just laying limp in the man’s arms. “Just stay awake, alright?”

Peter hums, able to turn his head just enough that it leans against Tony’s shoulder. The man always smells of fancy cologne and oil, it’s a comforting scent. He tries to keep his eyes open but they slip shut and when he realises and opens them again he is somehow in the guest room he sleeps in sometimes when he works in the lab too late into the night and FRIDAY is talking. “It is recommended he gets out of his cold clothes into warm dry ones. He should be wrapped in blankets. Do not get him wet or make him too warm too fast.”

“Okay… I’ll be right back ‘Roos, don’t go anywhere,” Tony tells him, resting him on the bed before rushing out of the room.

Peter wanted to make a remark about obviously not being able to go anywhere but that doesn’t really happen. He lays there staring at the ceiling for what seems like only a second before Tony runs back into the room. His head won’t cooperate so he can’t see what the man is doing but he feels things being laid on the bed next to him. “How is his heart beat? His oxygen levels?”

“Heart is slowed, at risk for stopping if he gets too cold. Oxygen levels are also low, he is in severe hypothermia. Body temperature at eighty degrees and continuing to drop.”

“Shit…” He’s grabbed and moved and it takes him longer than it should to realise that his suit is being removed, a towel being dragged over him after. Fluffy pants are pulled on him and then a shirt and hoodie is pulled over his head and arms. “He’s blue, is that normal?”

“Pale, grey, or blue skin is a common sign of hypothermia, Boss.”

“Okay…” Socks are pulled onto his feet and then he’s picked up once again. He’s carried out to the couch and sat down, Tony crouching in front of him and looking at him worriedly. “You alright? You better be… I’d never forgive myself if you weren’t,” Tony says. Peter can’t really respond and just blinks, trying to clear his slightly blurry vision. “I’ll be right back. I’m going to get you some blankets and see if there’s any heaters around here that can be put near you.”

He lets out a soft hum and Tony seems to take it as a reply and rushes off. His eyes drift shut for a moment, head slumping back against the cushion behind him. It’s only for a moment though because suddenly there’s someone rushing towards him, though it doesn’t sound like Tony's steps. “Peter?” He fights to open his eyes and he sees a very worried Pepper in front of him. “What’s going on? What’s wrong?”

“Peter has severe hypothermia. Boss is grabbing blankets and heaters,” FRIDAY answers for him, which he is thankful for.

“What?!” She gasps out, reaching out to cup his face. “Oh Sweetie, you’re cold to the touch… Your lips are even a little blue…” She pulls away and rushes off, he wants to call after her and assure her that he’s fine, he doesn’t want people to be so worried about him. He’s Spider-Man, he can handle a little cold weather. Pepper comes back much faster than Tony does, holding a giant comforter. “Here we go…” She mumbles, lifting him slightly and wrapping the warm blanket around him.

He lets out a soft hum at the blanket, relaxing into the warmth that it was giving him. She sits next to him and runs her hand over his hair, he can feel her worried look as she does but he can’t turn his head to look at her. He closes his eyes again, Pepper’s hand was warm, it felt almost like a heating pad against his cooled skin. Tony walks back in after a few minutes but he doesn’t open his eyes, just trying to enjoy the warmth from the blanket and the hand on his head. “Okay… Blankets and then heater…” Tony mumbles and Peter can hear things being put down on the coffee table in front of him.

“Tony what happened?”

More blankets are laid on him as Pepper pulls away, the blankets are wrapped around him and layered over his whole body, his face being the only thing not covered. “I don’t know, Karen had contacted FRIDAY and said that Peter had moderate hypothermia and was on his way but then I found him on the floor of the common living room and Friday said he had already dropped to severe hypothermia. His toes, fingers, and lips are all blue. I don’t know how this could have happened…” Tony explains as blankets are continuously wrapped around him.

“Does he not have heat at home? How could he have even gotten hypothermia in the first place?”

“Peter does not have a home. Karen has informed me he has been living on the streets,” FRIDAY states. Peter wants nothing more than to be swallowed by the Earth right now, he can’t believe they’re finding out. “To answer the question about hypothermia, Peter is not able to thermoregulate on account of his spider DNA. His suit heater broke when he was asleep and his body was not able to try and keep his inner temperature high, Karen was not able to wake him until he already had moderate hypothermia.”

It’s quiet for a moment and Peter feels anxiety bubbling in his stomach, what are they going to think of him? What if his suit is taken? What if he’s in trouble? “Why didn’t he tell us? Surely he knows he could stay here?” Pepper asks, sounding upset. “How long has he been on the streets? Tony, did you know?”

“I don’t know why he didn’t tell us and no I did not know… Maybe I should have checked his tracker or looked through the Baby Monitor protocol more… I thought he was alright, he never said anything,” Tony mumbles.

“No, it’s not your fault,” Pepper assures quickly, which Peter is glad for. He doesn’t want Tony to blame himself, it was all Peter’s fault that he was on the street, it wasn’t theirs. “FRIDAY, do you know?”

“Peter has been living on the street since he was fourteen, his aunt and uncle who were caring for him died during a home invasion when he was not there. Karen says that he sometimes has an apartment, which is the one that Boss visited, but often he does not have the money for rent or bills. He once lived in a group home but it was too overpopulated and he ran away.”

Peter would surely be blushing out embarrassment if he wasn’t freezing to death right now, this was humiliating. He didn’t want anyone to know this stuff, Karen had promised not to tell but he guessed that since he was in danger it overrode her promise, she was still just an AI. “Why didn’t he tell us? He spends so much time here, do you think he doesn’t enjoy it?” Tony asks quietly.

“No, I don’t think that’s the case, he seems to really enjoy his time with you. He might just be embarrassed Tony. He’s been on his own since he was fourteen, he’s used to living on the streets. But you’ve apparently been helping him without realising, your suit has been helping him live out there,” Pepper tells him. 

Peter feels some warm heat hit his body suddenly and he fights to open his eyes, seeing a heater pointed at him. “Boss, it is advised to be careful about warming him too quickly. The heater should be pulled back.”

“Right…”

Tony grabs the heater and moves it a few feet away from him, the heat is no longer hitting him directly but he does still feel some of the warmth. There has to be at least seven blankets wrapped around him, many of them thick, and since the comforter he was covered with was already warm he can feel some of the warmth radiating off of it. “His condition is stable, his inner temperature is no longer dropping.”

Tony and Pepper sit on the coffee table in front of him and he sees the way they practically sag into each other in relief. It’s then that Pepper catches his eyes. “Oh, Peter,” She smiles softly. 

Tony looks at him quickly and he blinks blearily, probably resembling a frog. “You scared me half to death, Peter.”

He lets out a soft noise, trying to respond even though his body refuses to listen to what he tells it to do. “It’s alright Sweetie, we’ll talk after you’re feeling better. FRIDAY, is Peter okay to sleep for a little while?”

“Since he is warm and stable and you are around in case anything goes wrong Peter should be safe to sleep.”

“Hear that Underoos? So take a little nap, we’ll be right here and we’ll make sure you’re kept nice and warm.”

Peter doesn’t nod but he does let his eyes close again. He feels himself being laid down on the couch and tucked in with a few more blankets and it’s only a few minutes before the warmth from the blankets lulls him to sleep.

Peter’s eyes open when it feels like he’s suddenly blinded with a flashlight. He lets out an unhappy noise, trying to turn and cuddle back into the warmth that was around him. “Who are you?” Steve asks.

His eyes open quickly and he jumps up, the warmth of the blankets no longer around him as he starts to shiver. He looks around quickly, the sun had only risen a bit since he was last awake and it was letting in plenty of light for him to see the other Avengers that stood around him. “Peter, your inner temperature is only eighty-eight degrees, it is recommended you stay covered up like Boss left you.”

“Peter?” Natasha asks, raising an eyebrow. 

“Peter!” He turns to see Pepper and Tony rushing in and he looks away out of embarrassment. “You’re awake,” Tony says, sounding out of breath as he pushes the others out of the way to grab his face and look at him. “You didn’t sleep long and you’re still looking a little blue…” He hums as he turns Peter’s head back and forth. 

“Who is Peter?” Steve questions, glancing at him.

Peter sniffles a bit, shivering even with Tony’s hands on his face. They are warm though and he finds himself relaxing into them. “Cold…”

“Let’s get you covered back up, Pepper has some warm soup made for you and it might help bring your temperature up a bit,” He tells him, wrapping the big comforter around him again. Peter glances at the Avengers behind the man and Tony shakes his head. “I’ll handle them, you just worry about feeling better.”

Tony helps him stand up, making sure the blanket is still wrapped around him as he’s pushed towards the kitchen. Peter glances back, keeping a tight grip on the blanket as he watches Tony turn to the others. Natasha is still watching him and he quickly turns away from her gaze, slowly making his way towards the kitchen. His whole body is shivering and he has to keep a really tight grip on the blanket since his fingers and toes still feel numb. 

Pepper smiles warmly at him the second she sees him. “Hi Peter, I wasn’t sure what kind of soup you’d like but I made you some chicken noodle soup, is that okay? There’s some rolls too but you should probably focus more on eating the warm soup,” She explains. 

“Any soup would have been fine, thank you Mrs. Potts,” He mumbles, voice shaking from the shivering.

“You can just call me Pepper, Sweetie. I’ve told you that..” She is already turned around and getting him a bowl of soup as she talks.

He smiles softly, settling onto one of the stools at the breakfast bar. He tucks the blanket under him a bit so it’ll stay on as he lets go of it, moving his hands out to rest on the table. As he does he takes a look at them, noticing the blueish-grey tint that travels from the tips of his fingers towards the palms of his hands. He opens and closes his hands a few times, it’s weird seeing them move but not really being able to feel it. 

Pepper walks around the breakfast bar to sit beside him, holding the bowl of soup and a few rolls. He glances at it, holding his hands out for it. “No, you tuck those hands away for warmth, they’re still blue, just like your lips. Plus, I doubt you’d get very much soup in your mouth with that shaking.”

Peter listens, tucking his hands back into the blanket, a bit embarrassed that he’s not able to feed himself. “You-You don’t have to do that.”

“I want to, you deserve to be taken care of. You almost froze to death Peter.” He pouts a bit but nods, he knows why she’s worried of course, but he’s not a kid and he can feed himself. He’s Spider-Man! She grabs a spoon of soup and holds it out for him, which he is quick to accept. The warm broth feels like it is warming him from the inside and he can feel the warmth of it traveling down as he swallows. He glances behind her towards the living room when she moves to grab another spoonful of soup, his powers must be a little messed up from his hypothermia since he can’t hear any of them talking. “Tony will handle them, don’t worry.”

“He won’t tell them anything… embarrassing… Will he?” He asks slowly, accepting the next spoonful of soup that’s held out to him and taking his time chewing the noodles.

She smiles reassuringly at him, a sad look in her eyes that makes him glance away from her. “He wouldn’t tell them anything that you wouldn’t want him to tell them. He’s pretty good at respecting boundaries like that, especially with things that have to do with you.”

Peter looks back at her, nodding slowly. He’s confused at the last part of her sentence but doesn’t say anything, instead just continuing to accept spoonfuls of soup. His body is still exhausted and he knows he probably would have slept longer if it wasn’t for Steve uncovering his face and letting the sun hit him right in the eyes. He wonders if it’d be okay for him to take another nap after he’s done eating. Plus, he can’t leave until Tony fixes his suit, so he might as well get some much needed sleep before he has to go patrolling.

The soup is gone and he’s eating the last bite of his roll when Tony walks in, dragging his hand down his face. “Those guys are so annoying sometimes, don’t know when to mind their own business.”

“Hm, much like someone else I know,” Pepper states from where she is washing the bowl Peter was just eating out of.

Tony glares playfully at her before his attention moves to Peter. “Hey ‘Roos, how are you feeling?”

He takes a moment to think about it before answering, he’s still pretty cold and the shivering he’s still doing shows that, but really he’s just very tired. “Cold and tired,” He answers, pulling the blanket around him tighter.

“Yeah, you didn’t get to sleep long before they came and woke you up. They thought you were just a pile of blankets,” Tony hums. “Why don’t you sleep some more in your room? We’ll grab your blankets and heater.”

“It’ll probably be best for you to get a bit more sleep anyway, your body needs time to heal,” Pepper adds.

Peter nods, ignoring that Tony called it his room, it was just a guest room that he slept in sometimes it wasn't really his. He climbs off the chair and lets Pepper walk him to the guest room, she pushes open the door and waits for him to settle into bed. She makes sure to take the comforter that is wrapped around him and tuck him in with it before using the actual blanket on the bed. Tony comes in and adds the other blankets on top of him and then plugs in the heater. “There you go Pete, sleep as long as you need and when you wake up just come out and we’ll get you something to eat,” Tony tells him, running his fingers through the curls in his hair. 

“M’kay,” He mumbles, letting his eyes close.

Before, when he had first been covered with the comforter from Pepper, he had been too cold to really focus on it but now that he was feeling a bit better he could smell Tony’s cologne and the oil that he usually smelt like along with a bit of Pepper's perfume. It dawns on him then that the reason the blanket had been so warm was because it was the one off of their bed, the one they had just been using right before he almost passed out on the floor of the common floor living room.

He opens his eyes to peek at the two as they turn to leave. “Thank you.”

They turn to look at him. “No reason for that Peter, we’re glad we can help,” Tony tells him.

The two leave and Peter closes his eyes again, trying to go to sleep now that he is away from the others. He really hopes that Tony didn’t tell them that he is Spider-Man. They’ve never seen him around the tower. If he wants to hang out with them he stays in his suit, they don’t know what his face looks like at all. He only ever walks around the penthouse or around Tony’s workshop without his mask since the man already knows his identity. 

It’s not like he didn’t trust the Avengers, it was just hard enough stopping Tony from seeing him out on the streets. He didn’t want to have to worry about the others seeing civilian him sleeping somewhere and finding out he’s homeless, especially since Natasha is such a good spy. He wouldn’t be able to tell if she was following him since she wouldn’t be trying to hurt him, his spidey sense wouldn't really pick up on her since he tunes out the part that tells him people are looking at him. It would take too much out of him to focus on it all the time and it was just too much to worry about. Now, it’s just embarrassing. It’s embarrassing that Tony and Pepper found out he was homeless and he really hopes they don’t find out too. 

When Peter wakes up again he feels much warmer than he did before. He curls into the bed a bit more, nuzzling into the pillow as he continues to wake up. None of his body feels numb anymore and he’s not shaking but he is still a little tired. Being tired like this isn’t out of the ordinary for him though, he’s not getting nearly enough food to feed his super-sized metabolism which leaves him a bit tired no matter how much he sleeps. Usually he’s getting at least two good meals, or as good as school meals can be, but now that school is out for winter break he’s really only getting meals here at the tower. It leaves him more tired than usual but he’s learned to put up with it.

He pushes himself up slowly and looks around the room as he throws the blankets off. He’s much warmer now, too warm actually, since he was under so many blankets and has a heater pointed at him. He climbs out of the bed and turns the heater off, stretching out a bit. Now that he’s not freezing to death he lets himself take stock of his own body.

His hands aren’t blue anymore and he can feel them so he’s sure that he’s okay now, he doubts his toes or lips are still blue. He takes in the look of his clothes, frowning a bit when he sees a pair of pink Hello Kitty pants, but the frown leaves his face when he notices the blue MIT hoodie he’s wearing, it’s a blue MIT hoodie that he’s seen Tony wearing around the penthouse quite a few times. He looks at it for a few moments before smoothing his hands over it, the sleeves were long on him and covered his hands a bit but he can’t help but smile. 

After a few minutes he walks out of the room, looking around the penthouse as he does. It’s late, he can tell the sun had set a few hours ago from the sight out of the windows, so he doesn’t expect the other Avengers to be running around. They should be on their own floor doing their own things. He hears Tony talking in the kitchen so that’s where he heads, wanting to talk now that he was able to. 

“And lots of egg rolls, the kid loves them,” Tony adds.

“Alright. The order has been sent Boss,” FRIDAY states as Peter rounds the corner to the kitchen.

“Hey Pete, just in time. I just ordered dinner,” Tony greets from where he’s leaning back against the counter with a cup of coffee. “You got plenty of sleep so now it’s time to make sure your spider belly is full.”

Peter moves to sit at the breakfast bar again, looking at his hands as he plays with his fingers. “Thank you.”

Tony puts his cup down and walks closer, leaning against the other side of the counter that is in front of Peter. “Like I said earlier, no reason to thank me. I’m just glad you’re okay. Feeling better?”

He looks up at the man, embarrassment clear on his face. “Yeah, I’m not cold or anything anymore.”

“You don’t look blue or anything either, which is good. I was really worried Pete,” Tony tells him and there’s a sincerity to his voice that makes Peter feel bad.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to worry you. The heater broke while I was asleep…”

Tony sighs softly. “Why didn’t you tell us that you were out on the street? It’s not safe for little spiderlings to sleep out on the street, especially when it’s getting so cold at night.”

Peter shuffles in his seat. “Well I’ve been on my own for a long time and I figured I could handle it, especially now that I have the heater in the winter. It was way harder before.”

“But you don’t have to be on your own, we’re here to help Pete, I know the other Avengers don’t know you as Peter Parker but me and Pepper do. We like you just as much as we like Spider-Man, probably even more to be honest. If you need help we want to know, Pepper was so worried she didn’t want to go to any meetings today and you know how much of a stickler she is about going to meetings,” Tony tells him, reaching out and resting a hand on his shoulder. Peter looks at him a bit closer, actually meeting his worried gaze. “Did you think we wouldn’t help you?”

He chews on his lip, that wasn’t the case at all, or it kind of was. He was worried they’d be mad, even if they did help. “I thought you guys would be mad at me…” He mumbles. “Or that you’d take my suit away.”

Tony frowns. “There is no reason for us to be mad at you, none of this is your fault Peter. And I know I took your suit once but I won’t ever do that again, what I did was wrong back then. I don’t want you to not have a suit that is made to protect you and can give you access to calling me whenever you need back-up. I know I can’t stop you from being Spider-Man but I can ensure that you’re safe while you’re doing it. I don’t want a repeat of what happened with that Vulture guy..”

Peter looks at him, making sure he isn’t messing with him. But Tony once again had that sincere tone of voice and he was looking at him with such a worried face. He feels a bit guilty. He didn’t realize that Tony would feel so bad about him being on the street, or that he felt so bad about what happened with the Vulture. “Sorry. I didn’t realise you felt like that… I know you guys cared about me but…”

Tony’s hand moves from his shoulder as he moves around the counter, pulling Peter into his chest and resting his hand on the back of his head. It makes him relax, closing his eyes and listening to the sound of the older man’s irregular heartbeat. “We both know I’m not one for touchy feely stuff Peter so I’ll only say this once, at least for now. I love you and I want you around. If you are in any trouble, tell me.”

Hearing Tony say that he loves him and wants him around has him raising his arms to wrap them around the man, happiness and warmth settling in his chest. “I don’t want to be a bother.”

“Kid. You could call me at three in the morning because McDonald’s forgot the honey mustard you ordered and you know what I’d do?” Peter pulls away slightly to look up at him, raising an eyebrow. “I’d go down to that McDonald’s right then and make sure you got all the honey mustard you want and more.”

Peter giggles softly. “Really?”

“Yes,” Tony answers and he sounds so honest that Peter can’t help but lean in and hug him tighter. 

Tony hugs him back just as tight. Peter closes his eyes, just relaxing into the other. It felt… nice to be loved like this. He missed getting warm hugs and having someone in his corner like this. “I love you too Mr. Stark. I’m sorry for making you worry… I should have told you.”

A hand cards through his curls and he lets out a soft sigh. “It’s alright Pete. Just know I’m not letting you go back out there, you can stay in your room here and we can get you anything you need. You try to run away and I’ll put you on lock down so fast. Pepper’s already working on all the paperwork too, it was the only way that she’d go to the meeting.” Peter snorts a bit as he listens, nodding slightly. If they wanted to help him then he’d let them, it was just a room after all, he can pay them back for the other stuff that they help him get. “And before you even think about it, we’re not taking any payment you try to give us. You’re a kid, you should focus on school work, you already have Spider-Man to worry about too. It’s important that you don’t spread yourself too thin. You deserve to relax. You don’t have to worry about us buying food for you or letting you live here.”

Peter pulls away to look at Tony again. “You’re sure?”

“Of course Peter. Seriously, you never have to worry about money or anything with us. Genius, billionaire, philanthropist, remember?” Tony snorts.

Peter rolls his eyes. “Yes, I remember. It’s pretty hard to forget. I just feel bad, I eat a lot and you want to buy me things I need.”

“There’s nothing to feel bad about, I want to spend my money on you, you deserve it. You’ve struggled a lot and you’ve had a hard life Peter, I want to help make sure that you’re doing okay. I want to make sure that you have all that you need and that you’re healthy. I’m in a position to help. What’s that thing you always say about bad things happening because of you if you don’t help when you have the power to do so?”

He supposes that makes sense and he’s sure he can talk Tony into not buying him as much stuff so that it’s really not all that costly. If Tony really wants to help him and doesn’t mind then he won’t stop him. “Okay. If you’re really sure.”

“I am.”

Peter nods, letting out a soft sigh. “Okay.”

“Good, now we can just focus on getting you fed and keeping you warm. No itsy bitsy spiders allowed outside until your suit is upgraded with a much better heater.”

“What?” He gasps. “That’s not fair and you know I hate the itsy bitsy spider!”

The itsy bitsy spider has been used against him too many times for him to like it anymore, what is with criminals and making fun of him with that song? So not cool. “It is fair. You don’t thermoregulate, you need a better heater that will keep you nice and warm so you don’t scare us again like that. Think of it as a Christmas break from Spider-Man, it is only a week until Christmas.”

He sighs again, pouting. “Fine…”

“Boss, the food has arrived.”

“Great!” Tony says before walking towards the elevator.

Over the next few days Peter settles into his new room, though it’s just the guest room he usually stays in. Tony and Pepper buy him some new clothes, focusing more on winter clothes for the time being, some new shoes, new sheets, blankets, and some posters. Peter was a bit overwhelmed with it all but he knew they meant well, he could see how happy it made them to have his room decorated and it made him relax over the money being spent, getting used to the new routine he had now in his new home. The two also made sure he had plenty to eat, which was a bit hard to get used to at first. Having full meals three times a day made his powers grow to their full potential and it took some getting used to but they did their best to help him and he was grateful. 

It was actually very nice to stay with them, they were so nice and didn’t make him feel like he was disrupting them or anything and often invited him to do things like watch movies with them. It took some getting used to for Peter, he was used to just hanging around all the time as Spider-Man, but now he had plenty of free time and was able to do things he wanted to do. He was able to relax and let his body rest completely in ways that it hasn’t been able to do in a long time.

He wants to pay them back in some way, even though Tony said he didn’t need to. Christmas was coming up and he figured he could try and get them something nice, he does still have some money saved up. When he wakes up to Tony and Pepper away at meetings he decides it’s the perfect time to try and do his plan. He hunts down Happy, who is answering emails in his office. “Happy!”

The man doesn’t even look up from the computer. “Yes, Kid?”

“I was wondering if you could drive me to a few stores?” He asks, putting on his best pleading face.

This does make him look up, shooting Peter an unimpressed look. “You didn’t get enough stuff when Boss had us driving around the other day?”

Peter flushes slightly, shaking his head quickly. “No no, it’s not for me! Mr. Stark and Mrs. Potts have been doing so much for me and I wanted to get them something for Christmas…”

Happy looks at him for another moment before the corner of his lips just barely twitch up. “Yeah, we can do that, come on.” He stands and grabs his coat.

He nods, following after Happy as he leads them to a car. He was already dressed in the new jacket and hat that was bought for him the other day so he’s ready to go. Happy very rarely actually said no to him so he knew to be ready. Peter had some ideas for what he wanted to do and he figured he’d be able to do it as long as he had enough money for the supplies he needed. He wanted to make them something special rather than just buying them gifts. “So, where to first?” Happy asks as they settle into the car.

“Well I figured I could make them something so probably a craft store,” He answers.

Happy nods and starts to drive. Peter looks out the window as they do, it was honestly a lot easier to enjoy the Christmas spirit that was spreading through the city now that he wasn’t on the streets. The new clothes also kept him very warm, he was able to enjoy everything as Peter rather than Spider-Man, it meant he didn’t have to worry about people watching him or worry about watching out for bad guys.

They reach the craft store quickly and Peter is quick to head inside, Happy trailing slowly behind. He knew all about melting metal and making things with it from Tony in the lab so he figured he’d be able to do a much smaller version of that and make some charms to add to a bracelet for Pepper and for a pair of goggles for Tony. The man doesn’t really wear them in the lab but maybe this pair will make him do so, since he really should be protecting his eyes.

He didn’t have to worry about buying the actual metal but he did need paint, something to make the mold with, some clear protective coating, and a basic metal charm bracelet and a pair of goggles. As he looks around he also grabs a chain for a basic keychain, figuring he could give something to Happy too. This would be easy, he’s sure of it.

Together the two of them hunt down everything he needs, including some small gift boxes and some nice silver wrapping paper. Peter was really happy about it, especially since he had just enough money to get it all. He was so excited and he refuses to tell Happy what he’s making no matter how many times the man asks, insisting it would ruin the surprise. When they get in the car to go home he swears he sees Happy smiling softly as he pulls out of the parking spot. “Should we stop to get donuts? I’m sure the others would appreciate them, plus, Tony has been very strict about me making sure I’m feeding you enough so we’ll get you a whole box for yourself.”

Peter rolls his eyes with a small smile, Tony had fed Peter until he was full then done math to figure out how much his caloric intake should be. Since then Peter has been given tons of food to eat at each meal. “Okay, that sounds good. Is Mr. Stark going to be done with his meeting when we get back?”

“He’s in a meeting with the other Avengers so I doubt it. Those meetings always run long since they butt heads a lot.”

Peter snorts softly, he knew that very well, most of the time Tony would work off some steam in the lab after meetings with the Avengers. Happy pulls into the drive thru and places the order, he even let Peter choose all the donuts in his box. Peter was very happy, he couldn’t wait to get to his room and work on everything. 

When they get back home he’s quick to thank Happy and grab all his bags and his food, rushing to his room before he could be stopped. He decides the best thing for him to do is work on it in a place that it can’t be just stumbled upon, so the ceiling it is. He uses his webs to hang a big flat piece of wood to the ceiling that could be used as a desk, hanging the box of doughnuts next to it. The bags are just stuck to the ceiling with webs, he can just dig in them when needed. So, with himself sitting cross legged in front of his make-shift desk, he starts his work.

Peter works quickly on his presents and ends up finishing them on Christmas Eve, so he wraps them quickly and rushes out to the living room, sliding the two presents for Pepper and Tony under the tree. He’d give Happy his when he saw him next, he had gone to his own home Christmas. With the presents safely hidden in the other mountain of presents, ignoring how most of them had his name on them, he heads for the kitchen. “Excited for tomorrow Underoos?” Tony asks when he walks in, looking up from his phone with a smile.

“Yeah, it’s gonna be great. I’m really excited for the Christmas dinner,” He says, smiling back.

“I’m sure you are, I’ve seen you eyeing the candied cherries in the fridge that are for the ham.”

“They’re just so good!”

“Trust me, I know, that’s why we put them on the ham,” Tony snorts. “But what should we have for dinner tonight? Most of our fridge is filled with stuff for tomorrow night.”

Peter snorts, pretending to think about it. “Hm… Maybe some cheeseburgers?”

“Now that is an amazing idea! Fri?”

“Ordered your usual Boss.”

“Good girl.”

Peter smiles softly and follows after Tony as he walks to the living room. “Is Mrs. Potts having dinner with us?” 

“Yup, she’ll be here any minute.” As if hearing Tony say that, the elevator opens and Peter listens to Pepper’s high heels as she walks off the elevator and towards the living room. “Oh there she is, guess I was right.”

Pepper walks into the living room and smiles at the two of them. “Dinner already ordered?” She asks, taking her heels off. 

“Yup, me and Pete picked it out,” Tony answers.

“Cheeseburgers?”

“Mhm,” Peter answers with a smile.

“How’d I know? I really should stop leaving you two to pick dinner,” Pepper sighs with a smile. “Well let me go get changed so we can eat together.”

“Hold on now, don’t forget the special presents we have for tonight.”

Peter looks between the two, confused. “What special presents?”

“Well most kids get to open one present on Christmas Eve, right? Then the others are for when you wake up. So we got a special present for tonight,” Tony explains, standing up and walking over to the tree.

“Oh yeah, I forgot,” Pepper smiles, moving to sit next to Peter.

Tony grabs three presents and then walks back over, handing one to Pepper and one to Peter. Peter smiles softly as he looks at the snowflake wrapping paper. He remembers doing this with May, she would always give him a special present, he had always been so excited, especially since he was always begging to open the presents that were under the tree. “Go for it Kid,” Tony tells him as he settles into the spot next to him.

Peter glances at the two of them before doing as told, ripping the present open slowly and then opening the flat box. Inside, there’s a set of pajamas. It has a black t-shirt and red, plaid, pajama pants. He can smell soap on them and can tell they were washed before being put in the box, which he is happy about. Sometimes May would forget and the pajamas would be itchy. “Woah,” He mumbles, reaching out and feeling the clothes. The other two open their presents and Peter watches them pull out the same pajamas and he smiles. “We’re matching!”

“Yeah! We figured we could get some matching pajamas for us,” Pepper explains with a smile. 

“So let’s all get changed and then we can watch some Christmas movies while we eat, alright?” Tony asks.

“Okay,” Peter nods quickly, standing and walking to his room.

This was exciting, it felt like when he was celebrating Christmas with May. For the first time in years he was actually happy about it being Christmas Eve, he was looking forward to waking up on Christmas. He knew that he’d wake up in a warm bed, get to hang out with people that liked him as Peter as much as Spider-Man, and he’d get a big meal. It was going to be so nice and he couldn’t wait. It reminded him of when he was younger.

He showers quickly and slides on his new pajamas, smiling softly as he walks out of his room. Tony and Pepper are setting dinner out on the coffee table when he walks out. “There you are, ready for our movie? What should we watch first?” Tony asks.

Peter is quick to settle in the middle of the two adults. They’re all wearing the matching pajamas and it makes him feel like he’s part of their family, a warm feeling in their chest. “How about that old movie Home Alone?”

“Kid, if you keep calling the movies I grew up seeing old you’re going to make me feel old,” Tony tells him.

“Well you are old Mr. Stark.” Peter smiles cheekily. 

Tony sends him a playful glare but Peter just smiles, reaching for one of his burgers. “Now now, you’re both old,” Pepper teases. “Now start the movie.”

“I am not!” Peter and Tony speak at the same time, both looking at Pepper.

Pepper giggles softly, not saying anything as she eats a fry. Tony glares at her just as playfully as he did Peter before telling FRIDAY to start the movie. Peter settles near Tony's side, making his way slowly through his food. Ever since he started having a healthy amount of food for himself he’s been doing really well at not scarfing food down, which has really helped lessen some stomach problems he’s had. When he’s finished he settles back against the couch, practically cuddled into Tony’s side now rather than sitting near him, not that he’d admit it if asked. Being here has fixed so many of the problems he’s been facing for the past few years, he was really grateful for the two of them. He really hopes that his presents show that. Tony has been helping him for so long. 

When Iron Man himself had shown up at Peter’s door he remembers almost passing out, much too excited for his own good. He just couldn’t believe that the genius was at his door. He admired the man for being Iron Man and for his genius mind, he loved reading about the new inventions the man had made or the new tech he was pushing out. So when Tony showed up at his door talking about needing his help he had been overjoyed and quickly agreed. He had no idea that it would lead to him being here, living with Tony and Pepper and now getting to celebrate Christmas with him. He wouldn’t change anything though, this was so nice. For the first time in a long time he felt actually loved, like he was in a place where he belonged.

Peter isn’t sure when he fell asleep but when he wakes up he’s in his room and tucked into bed. It seems early from the look of the sun outside but he can hear Christmas songs being played through FRIDAY’s speakers. “Fri?” He mumbles, pushing himself up and rubbing at his eyes.

“Good morning Peter, Merry Christmas. Boss and Pepper are waiting for you in the living room.”

“Hm?” He questions quickly, looking at the time on his alarm clock. “Mr. Stark is up early.”

“He wants you to open your presents.”

Peter blinks in confusion, pushing himself out of bed and walking into the living room. The Christmas songs are playing in here too and he sees a few boxes of donuts on the counter, he can smell the coffee and tea that Tony and Pepper are drinking too. “There you are Pete! You ready?” Tony calls, raising his cup of coffee.

There is somehow more presents under the tree now than when Peter had been out here last night. He doesn’t know how they somehow got so many presents to fit under this tree and he doesn’t know how they got so many of them for him. “I’m surprised you’re up Mr. Stark,” He snorts a bit as he walks over to the couch.

“He was very adamant we get up early so you could open your presents,” Pepper tells him, amusement clear in her voice.

“That’s what kids like, right?” Tony asks, smirking at him.

Peter rolls his eyes but happily rushes over to the couch, not sitting down yet. “I’m sixteen you know, I’m not exactly a kid,” He tells them, even if he is very excited as he looks at the tree.

“Still a kid in my book. Now, go pick some presents out and get opening.” Tony nods his head to the tree as he talks.

Peter walks over to the tree, sitting down next to it and looking at the presents. There’s tons of different wrapping papers on the different presents and he picks out one with blue reindeers and trees on it, hunting down the name tag before passing it to Pepper. “This one is yours,” He tells her before grabbing another present with the same wrapping paper. He wants them to open presents together and he figures they can take out one type of wrapping paper at once, makes it a little less overwhelming to look around all the presents. When he finds one with Tony’s name on it with the blue wrapping paper he passes it over. “We can open them together!”

“Sounds good to me ‘Roos,” Tony hums in agreement. 

The three of them open their presents together and Peter’s eyes widen at the sight of a Millennium Falcon lego set, he and Ned had been talking about wanting this one. “Woah!” He gasps, looking over the box completely. 

“Like it? I heard you on the phone talking about wanting one,” Tony smiles.

“Yeah! Me and Ned have been wanting to build this one since we finished his Death Star!” He explains excitedly, looking up with a big smile. Pepper and Tony were both looking at him with warm smiles and it makes Peter’s chest feel a bit tight, he was so happy. “Thanks.”

“Of course Peter, we’re glad you like it. I hope you like all the other presents just as much,” Pepper tells him. “So what should we open next?” 

Peter nods, quickly setting the lego set down and grabbing a new set of presents for them to open, excitement and happiness settling into his chest. He really does feel like he did when he was younger, surrounded by family and opening presents. As they all go through the presents under the tree the feeling just gets more intense. Everything makes him feel so happy, he feels so seen for the first time in a long time.

Pepper and Tony somehow knew the perfect things to get him, they knew exactly what he’d want and the things he liked. He doesn’t remember telling them any of this either, they must have picked it up all on their own or heard him talking about it to his friends. It added a magic to Christmas that he liked, it was like they really were Santa, even without a list they knew what was wanted.

When they’ve gotten through all but his own presents there are piles of lego sets, Star Wars merch, different tools for when he’s working in the lab with Tony, old movie posters that he had mentioned liking, and tons of other things piled around him. His cheeks hurt from smiling and he was watching Tony and Pepper pointing out things they had gotten each other, they both had accidentally gotten each other the same mug and Peter thought it was really cute. “What are those?” Tony asks, motioning to the silver-wrapped presents. 

Peter watches Tony and Pepper glance at each other curiously, probably trying to figure out which one of them had left the presents. “They’re for you guys!” Peter explains, grabbing them before standing and handing them out. “I made them for you so I really hope you like them.”

“Oh Peter, you didn’t have to do that,” Pepper tells him, looking at the wrapped present carefully.

“I wanted to, you guys have done so much for me. This is the best Christmas I’ve had in years and you guys have made me feel so… seen. This is really nice of you, you guys didn’t have to help me but you are letting me live with you and you bought me a bunch of warm clothes and decorated my room with me. Then you got me a whole bunch of Christmas presents that are all stuff I like, you somehow knew what I wanted and it’s just so nice,” Peter explains, smiling softly at them. “I’m just really grateful so I hope the presents show that.”

They both stare at him for a moment and Pepper blinks a few times, Peter swears her eyes are a little wet but they’re blinked away before he can really tell. “Pete, we’re so glad we can give you that. You mean so much to us, we’re glad we can provide you with a safe space where you can feel at home. We love you, I hope you know that.”

Pepper nods in agreement as Tony talks. “We really do. You’re a part of our family Peter, we’re so glad we were able to give you a good Christmas this year.”

Peter smiles, really trying not to cry, it was so nice to hear them say that. “You guys are part of my family too, that’s why I wanted to give you presents too.”

Tony and Pepper look at each other before opening them. “Woah! They look just like my suit,” Tony says, admiring the goggles. “And where’d you get this Spider-Man charm?” 

“Mine has Spider-Man charms too and Iron Man,” Pepper says, showing Tony her bracelet.

“I made the charms and painted them myself, Happy helped me get all the supplies,” Peter explains.

Tony and Pepper look at him before Pepper stands and pulls him into a hug. “Thank you Peter, that’s so sweet. I’ll wear it everyday, I promise.” 

Peter hugs her back tightly. “I’m really glad you like it Mrs. Potts.”

“If you don’t start calling me Pepper I might start calling you Mr. Parker,” Pepper jokes, still hugging him.

He giggles softly. “Sorry, M- Pepper.”

“Hey! I want in on this hug and I want in on being called by my first name,” Tony states, rushing over to pull both of them into a hug.

Peter snorts softly. “I don’t know Mr. Stark, maybe just the hug,” He teases.

“Nuh uh, you called her Pepper and now you have to call me Tony, it’s the rules kid,” Tony quickly tells him. “Especially now that you gave me such cool goggles to wear in the lab.”

“Fine, I guess I can call you Tony,” Peter fakes a big sigh.

“First name basis, I never thought I’d get here since you always ignored me when I told you to call me Tony,” The man chuckles.

They pull back and Peter rolls his eyes. “Well I guess it’s a Christmas miracle.”

“It must be,” Tony teases, ruffling his already messy hair. 

Peter waves his hand away, smiling at the two of them. “Well, how about we make you some hot chocolate and have some breakfast now that we’ve opened all our gifts,” Pepper offers, clipping the bracelet around her wrist easily as she talks.

“Yeah!”

“I’m good with that too, I need a refill of coffee anyway,” Tony says, grabbing his mug.

Pepper gives him one of her stern looks. “You’ve had your two cups for the day and you know it.”

Tony groans but doesn’t argue. “You can have some hot chocolate with me Tony,” Peter tells him as he makes his way to the kitchen.

“I guess I will since I have no say in this,” The man sighs dramatically. 

Pepper rolls her eyes as she moves to make two cups of hot chocolate and as she does Peter looks through the boxes of donuts, eyes lighting up at the different Christmas themed donuts. He grabs a powdered one that has some frosted on details to look like a snowman as Pepper slides the mug of hot chocolate towards him. “We’re out of marshmallows.”

“Aw,” He pouts, looking at Tony as he raises his own mug to his mouth.

“What?” Tony raises an eyebrow at him, lowering his mug slowly.

“We’re out of marshmallows.”

“I heard Kid, I’m not that old yet.”

Peter smiles shyly. “Well yeah… But I want some. Don’t you remember what you said about the McDonald’s thing?”

“McDonald’s thing?” Pepper asks, looking at Tony with a raised eyebrow.

“Tony said that I-”

“Ah ah ah!” Tony quickly cuts him off. “No time for you to explain that, we gotta go get your marshmallows Kid.”

Peter laughs softly. “Are you embarrassed?”

“What? Me? Embarrassed? Never, now come on.”

He’s pulled from his chair, donut and hot chocolate left behind as Tony pushes him to put on his coat and all the other warm clothes they got him, Pepper’s laugh following them into the elevator.