Chapter Text
To anyone who didn't know him, Peter Parker seemed like a perfectly normal 17 year old.
He had a good social life, good family (although a bit chaotic), everything was great to an outside perspective.
From an inside perspective though, his life was a bit odd. That's putting it lightly.
His life was complicated from a young age, all starting when his parents abandoned him at his uncle Ben's house and then promptly passed away in a plane crash, everything went downhill from there.
His uncle Ben and aunt may had raised him well, they never tried to replace Peter's birth parents even after how close they had all grown to eachother.
Their relationship wouldn't typically be looked at as if they were Peter's true parents anyway, most guessed quickly that it was likely they were Peter's aunt and uncle.
Though they weren't his parents, they were closest things to them. Uncle Ben almost like a fatherly role model, aunt may acted as a lot of different things. She could be like his mother, sister, friend, or aunt, all without hesitation.
Uncle Ben and aunt may were the only family he had left.
So... when uncle Ben died,
it was hard to believe it.
Peter had small bouts of depression every so often during his life but nothing could compare to how bad it got after his uncles funeral.
He suffered through months of derealization and panic attacks caused by the stress. His aunt had noticed how hard he was taking this, everyone had.
She tried doing what she could but nothing seemed to work. The boy hardly left his room for anything other than school and the bathroom. If you caught a glimpse of him at all through the day then you were lucky, otherwise you would be left wondering if the boy was still alive in his room.
May dragged his friends into the loop to try and help (having MJ show him some drawings of an incredibly upset flash after getting a few remarks thrown back at him after he made fun of Peter behind his back, had definitely helped some, as well as ned showing him the new Star Wars LEGO lightsaber that was almost as tall as he is).
It took him months to feel even a bit more normal, his aunt many suggested a therapist but he declined.
He thought that the only way to feel better was to go out and find the man that shot his uncle, he threw so much energy into stopping crime that he was close to failing classes but he thought it didn't matter as long as he was useful.
Everyone noticed the difference in his attitude, his grades, the bags under his eyes, and the bruises he came home with after being out until the early morning.
His aunt was worried sick, so were his friends (though MJ wouldn't say it out loud).
Aunt may would constantly wait up until she heard him sneak in through his window, so that she at least knew he was alive.
No one knew how to help him, hell, Peter didn't even know how to help himself.
He felt so different, like such a freak since he got bit by that spider.
He hated hiding from everyone, he just want to tell someone, anyone...
So, when Peter got home from an early day of fighting crime to see tony freaking stark sitting on his couch talking with his aunt, you can say he was a bit throw off.
He had just gotten home from his morning patrol when he snuck in through his window only to hear his aunt talking to some man about him.
He made quick work of changing out of his suit and into some casual clothes so he didn't expose himself to whoever the hell was in his living room.
When he creeped into the living room he saw the one and only tony freaking stark sitting with his aunt and eating some cookies. He could hear their conversation loud and clear with his new super hearing.
"Peter didn't even tell me he applied for the internship, I thought SI didn't take anyone under 18?"
Mr.stark looked hesitant, like he was working out what to say in his head, you could almost see when the response formed in his head.
"Well typically we don't but Mr.Parker made such a compelling case and he has a lot of potential that could help our company."
May nodded in response before looking to the doorway Peter was hiding behind, as if she could sense him watching.
"Peter is that you?"
She called out, Mr.stark raising an eyebrow when he didn't see him at first.
He cautiously stepped out from behind the wall, his hands behind his back as he runs his thumbs over his spinnerets on his wrist as sort of an anxious tic.
He gives a confused wave.
"U-um, hello Mr.stark. What- um.. what are you? You doing- what're you doing here?"
Mr.stark looks a bit happy as he walks further into the living room.
Mr.stark stands up with a small smile and holds out his hand for Peter to take.
"Mr. Parker, nice to finally meet you in person. I was just talking to your aunt about how stark industries accepted your application for the internship position, I assume you've gotten my emails the other day informing you about this?"
He looks at Peter expectantly as if he wasn't throwing him through a whirlwind of emotions.
Peter looks back and forth between the two adults in front of him.
Mr.stark nods his head slightly at Peter as if trying to get him to understand what's going on.
Finally Peter decides to just go along with it instead of asking questions.
"R-right the internship, I almost forgot! I got your emails but I've been a bit busy and haven't read them yet."
May is bouncing over to him in a matter of seconds, pulling him into a bear hug and squeezing as tight as she can.
"Why didn't you tell me you applied?!"
He looks at tony who looks uncomfortable with this situation and then back at may who is still bouncing with excitement.
"I- I didn't think I'd get in and I didn't want to get your hopes up, I'm sorry."
She looks at him likes he's gone a bit mad and gives home a big kiss on the forehead.
"Nonsense, there's no need to apologize, I'm just so happy for you!"
They both stand there for a while before tony clears his throat.
"Ms. Parker, if I may, would it be possible to speak with your nephew alone for a few minutes?"
May looks between both men with a smile and nods before walking into a different room and shutting the door.
Once the door audibly closes Peter looks insanely confused at tony, before he can get a word out tomy interrupts.
"There is no internship, at least not till you're 18."
Peter nods hesitantly before being able to speak.
"Yea I figured, so why are you actually here?"
He asks in almost a whisper.
Tony sits back on the couch.
"Kid, I know you're spider-man."
Peter's eyes become as big as saucers as he stutters out his words.
"W-what n-n-no I'm n-not! A-ar-are you c-crazy?!"
Tony looks at him with a disbelieving stare that makes Peter want to crack.
"Kid I've got video evidence of you sneaking into this apartment dressed as Spider-Man, so either you're spideys best friend and you know who he is or you're Spider-Man, either way I know you know something."
Peter's eyes all but bulge out of his head as Mr.stark pins Peter down with an accusatory expression.
Peter lets out a tired sigh, he didn't know how he'd get himself out of this so he finally gives in and drags himself to his room, motioning for tony to follow.
Once they're both in he throws himself face first into his bed after closing the door.
He blindly grabs a pillow and sits up with it in his lap before he speaks in a whisper.
"Fine you got me, I'm spider man, happy?"
Tony lets out a sad sounding sigh while putting his head in his hands.
"You're just a kid, you shouldn't be doing this.."
He whispered into his hands, Peter could see a slight tremor in his hands.
Peter looked down at his hands that were clenched into fists around his pants.
"I couldn't just sit around doing nothing with these powers. I just need to feel useful, I needed to find the man who..."
Peter felt the bed dip and a hand on his shoulder before he could even finish talking.
He didn't realize there were tears running down his face until a hand softly swiped them away.
He looked at Tony with eyes that were clearly holding back tears, Tony looked close to crying but he looked like he understood.
"It's not your job to save the world kid.."
Tony sounded so kind and soft spoken in that moment, Peter was questioning if this was even real.
"I need to do something with these powers, I need to make sure no one goes through what I went through.
If I can help even one person not have to go through losing someone then that is enough for me."
Peter whispered, tears flowing freely from his eyes.
Tony made slow work of pulling him into a side hug.
"Okay."
Tony said quietly.
Peter looked to him in confusion.
"Okay?"
Peter asked questioningly with a tilt of his head.
"Okay, I want to help you, I want to make sure you're prepared to continue doing this. I can't tell you what to do but I can help make sure you don't die sooner than you're meant to."
Peter looked at Tony like he was insane.
"You're not going to make me stop?"
Tony could only shock his head "no" in answer before Peter was throwing himself fully into his arms, almost knocking them off the bed.
Tony was surprised but held on firmly to the kid.
"Thank you."
Peter said quietly.
..........
After they talked a little more they made a plan to hide what they were actually doing, they decided that they would make it seem as though Peter had an internship but instead Peter would actually be training with the avengers to become stronger and more prepared for anything thrown his way.
His aunt may didn't question it, she just decided that they needed to invite MJ and Ned over to celebrate this exciting news.