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Peter hated family days. Or Any day that required bringing someone to school for that matter, was hellish. For most people was normal, cool even, if a bit embarrassing depending the parent or kid, most of the school still didn’t forget junior year where some kid of a recognized bussiness man brought his dad, and the guy gave starkphones to the whole AP history class (if not for the phones a whole class owned, everyone would think it had been either a rumor, joke or dream).
Peter normally skipped those days, specially the upcoming one, where the whole school -plus parents- would be in the auditorium eating crappy desserts and participating in annoying ‘bonding’ activities. But Peter couldn’t skip this day cause he so happened to have skipped almost half the year and his grades were going to be irreparably affected with a few more absences.Grades that, mind you May and Tony weren’t ‘dropping’ he just happened to skip a little more than normal- he couldn’t afford to have more absences though, or they would start to drop
The students are supposed to sit in the grandstands of the gym with their accompaniment and then principal Morita would give some speech, and teachers would give out food for everyone after moving them onto the tables that would be laid out in the court floor. Or that’s what he got from Ned’s explanation (before the boy started ranting about how extra disgusting the pizza from the school cafeteria was that day and they ended up talking about how LEGOs helped minimize crisis and numbers of depression)
Peter knew he couldn’t ask May to come with him to the presentation, he already asked so much; the twelve backpacks she had to get him before Tony started putting trackers on them (and he still somehow lost them some days or found it malouvireshed or burning), the simply living with her or just eating made him feel bad, and eating was just it before the bite, now he needed six times more than a normal human, and even if he could eat at the tower, he wasn’t always there. The money that went on school, even with a full ride scholarship, the (slightly) dropping grades made everything worse. So, asking her to come to the school when she needed to work was out of the question, he just needed to ask if going alone was alright, May really should take on Tony’s offer of letting them live at the tower. He understood why she didn’t agree though
…
“Alright, you’re dismissed, don’t forget to sign your forms with whoever is coming with you and have them in my desk by wednesday. Firsts and lasts names” the man said glaring at an specific student who, as everyone said, had accidentally scribbled his uncle's embarrassing family nickname in the official paper last year and that had ended up as the name of the table “so we can arrange correctly everything” Mr Harrington spoke from behind his desk, the class started closing notebooks, grabbing backpacks and shuffling out of the room in indistinct excited chatter for the lunch break.
“Peter, you coming?” Ned asked him, already next to the door, MJ a little bit ahead concentrated on a book. Or not, he didn’t know with her anymore, now that they were -probably- friends, he was grabbing a grasp on her but it was still very little what he knew about her. They’d been eating together for months like, maybe twice a week, trice if they’re lucky before he had to leave in the middle of class because of an apparent robbery at a nearby walmart and MJ covered for him, he tried to explain later but she just blurted out “you’re spider-man.” And walked away. So yeah, they were kind-of friends
Plus they had a groupchat!
“I’ll meet you- guys?- there, you’ll be there right MJ?” She just looked up to him with a neutral face, blinked and then down to her book again, so.. yes he guessed. The whole thing was still very confusing but she’d stayed behind with Ned so that surely meant yes.
“Alright, i’ll get you some pizza!” Ned yelled, already skipping down the corridors with MJ following close behind. With a nod that Ned prolly didn’t see, he turned to his teacher
“Can i help you Mr Parker?” The man talked softer than he usually did to Peter, if he was biased, that was his business, and his business only. honestly he always had a soft spot for the boy and he was getting worried lately of how unlikely it was for him to skip or fall asleep in class, his genie never stopped though, always being the first one to turn in exams or class assignments when he wasn’t too busy fighting his dropping eyes -which was maybe once a week- or skipping class
“Uh, i was wondering if it was necessary for someone to come with me? I mean i can make it alone thats no problem, i can even sit with somebody who might be willing to be my accompanion, doesn’t have to be like, someone that close, right?” he talked nervously.
Roger knew how the boy didn’t like to get pity or exceptions because of his life situation, an admirable thing to do or think, truly but he also knew how Peter had to get exceptions once in a while due to this, a lot of people didn’t like it, some classmates poked on him a lot because of this, specially two and their friend group but Roger wasn’t always there to catch him in the act beyond nicknames and even if he did, with Thompson, things never got further than one detention. And he was familiar with the rumours of the boy that were talked about in the teachers lounge -some theories even made by teachers- like his internship, which he knew was real, not only because he was the teacher to turn in the paperwork but because of obvious things like the robots he once in a while brought (not really-) hidden that looked way too advanced to be made by a normal high schooler with above average intelligence, and the literal black audi that picked him up at least trice a week
“I’m afraid you can’t come to the activity with someone that you don’t or barely know, due to the activities being for a more.. bonding environment" he said with sympathy, Peter’s face fell a little but was able to gather himself and with a quiet “thanks Mr Harrington” he slipped out of the classroom, grabbing a permission slip just because he knew he had to attend
…
Peter arrived to the lunch table more down than when he was dealing with a migraine or a morning after a bad patrol, which was weird because nothing seemed to be more important than superhero-ing and the night before they’d gotten a (very detailed) text (read: twenty because Peter couldn’t be a normal person and resume everything in just one) saying patrol had gone well and everything that happened during it
“Hey man whats wrong?” Ned asked, a bit mutffled by the slice of pie he was eating “want some?, nana made it” He offered
“No” Peter said, his head in his arms on the table “thanks” he added as an afterthought
The boy just shrugged and offered the slice of pie he’d tried to give him to MJ, who instead of taking the one he had in his hand, took one from the recipient the whole pie was in and narrowed her eyes at Ned, giving it a try and after a few moments of silent chewing with awkward eye contact, a thumbs up and a slight smirk to which the boy absolutely beamed at
Then, she turned back to Peter and poked him with a pencil that had been lying at the table
“So, what’s up with you?” She asked with an arched eyebrow, taking another bite to the slice in her hand
He finally looked up to his friends from his arms “If i have one more absence this semester, im doomed and but don’t have an accompaniment for ‘family day’ in which I apparently can’t go without an accompanion” he imitated quotation marks in the air “and I can't be with some random because there will be bonding activities, like someone cares about some stupid school activities”
“Well I mean the trimester ends in like two weeks dude! You can totally make it without absences” Ned exclaimed
“Idiot. You just missed the whole point of his rant” MJ told him, at Ned’s squint, she just sighed and said “he can’t come to school on Friday without an adult he’s familiar with”
“Ohh! What about Mr Stark?” Ned turned to Peter who stared at him as if he’d just requested they threw themselves off a building. Which honestly was almost the same as asking Tony Stark billionaire, genius-airhead owner of a whole ass mundial company and billions of dollars, first public and literal superhero who’d sacrificed himself for the world on the very same day the group of earth’s heroes were founded, that same Tony “i am iron man” freaking Stark to come to a crappy High School’s family day for a teenager he coincidentally had to keep an eye out for because he found him on youtube being irresponsible.
No way in hell - he thought aggressively, because that’s definitely a thing
“C’mon why not!?” Ned’s voice exclaimed and brought him back to the crowded, smelly school cafeteria
Alright maybe he didn’t just think it
“Yeah, isn’t he like your dad?” MJ said, sipping her juice and grabbing another slice of pie
Static. What the hell.
Tony wasn’t his dad! He was just taking care of him because if he didn’t his Aunt would cut his head off, and because he couldn’t just like let a random teen go around with super strength and, you know, the whole superhuman pack with which he could do a lot of bad things if a bit moody or something, because he’d messed up with the whole incident a few months back and now had to make up for it intern-ing -if that’s a thing- for Tony, even though he never really did much intern things anyways, they almost always ended up testing Peter’s own new projects or eating something when it became obvious Tony hadn’t eaten more than a few snacks in the last 10 hours but of course that- “-No he is not my dad!” He yelled and when he noticed MJ’s unimpressed stare and the way everyone around his table turned to stare at his volume he retreated, he hadn’t even noticed he’d stood up as he did so
“he isn’t my dad.” He half-whispered, taking the four slices of pizza Ned had got him as he’d said
“Sure, he isn’t” she said dismissively as if her tone wasn’t implying otherwise and he wasn’t freaking out at her for it
“Seriously. Knock it off, we’re not— there“ he gestured unhelpfully to the air “he’s not like, my dad“ he shrugged exaggeratedly but ended up sighing defeated at MJ’s plain stare “whatever”
“Dude i don’t get why you’re surprised, If it helps I thought it was obvious you saw him as a dad and he saw you as a son” Ned said
“That does not help. And that’s not true, I-“ he exhaled “I do but it's just… I shouldn't ask so much like this because he’s been helping me so much and I can't just- you know… do that to him?” He explained
“Do what exactly?” MJ questioned from where she was finishing her second slice of pie
“You know” he motioned to the ceiling, hanging his head from the back of the chair “he hates children, doesn’t want any, there was an interview where he said it, he’d never see me that way” he said, taking his second slice off the plate
“Right because it's common sense that if you hate kids so much, you take one in and treat him like one. Plus wasn’t that 10 years ago? When he was still fucking with every women who would let him?” MJ arched him an eyebrow
“Shut up…” he muttered, and they changed the topic as Ned found the color of the cheese disgusting and Peter agreed, but shoved the third slice into his mouth, which MJ complained about but bet he couldn’t finish it in under thirty seconds. Ned said he totally could. She entered her next class with 10 extra dollars
…
Riiing
Riiing
“Hey May, what’s up?” The recognizable voice of one genius billionaire called from the phone
“Nothing much, what are you doing on Friday?” May asked — tone if a bit too loudly because of the distance— to the phone that was sitting in the dining room’s table, occupied in the kitchen with some reports she’d forgot to turn in a few hours ago. Peter’s teacher had sent a message about how lovely it’d be if Peter had someone to go with him to the dreaded ‘family day’. And she knew how much he didn’t like those events but from last to this year, Tony had become a consistent part of his life, in lots of aspects but especially in filling the father figure he needed — more since her job stopped her from being around as much as she’d like to and he needed — so she thought that assisting to a school event would just be the next step
“Nothing that i know of… why?” From the phone —so, from wherever Tony was; she guessed his workshop or where he played… he didn’t have a cave like batman right?…— a whirring sound followed by a low “shit” was heard. She decidedly ignored that
“Peter has an event this friday, he needs to go with an adult though, i thought it’d be nice if you could go with him” she mentioned, it really wasn’t a big deal in her opinion, they didn’t do much and it probably wasn’t a fun thing to do for a guy who lived in his own company and had a super suit but it was important for Peter. Plus his grades, he was not having one more absence if he didn’t want his spider-suit absent
“Oh.. like- when there’s family crap or something?” He sounded.. surprised, maybe?
“Sure” she answered, the word coming out mure like “su-ah” because of the pencil in her mouth
“Cool. Send me the details” click, the call ended after Tony’s stiff voice talked.
Man, are those rich guys rude
…
Tony wasn’t freaking out. He didn’t, really he was just surprised in a very intense way. May Parker? Asking him to go with Peter to a school event? A family one no less? That was something that could’ve managed to catch him off guard even in his most anxious moment. Sure he and Peter were close, yeah. And he stayed on weekends when May picked up extra hours or even when she didn’t so she could rest or pass some time with Happy because he was kind like that, alright. And yeah, he and Pepper had considered officially making Peter their heir, they had serious talks about it and everything, and alright, everyone joked about him being the kid’s dad. But he wasn’t. No matter how- if he wanted to, which he didn’t, obviously why would he- but he just didn’t expect May to let him get this close with her nephew
So if he was going, he was going all out, he’d make sure to embarrass and brag the hell out of his- the kid
…
Arriving home, Peter expected May to apologize as usual for not being able to attend on Friday —because he guessed his teacher had already sent out the information to parents— and him brushing it off, bringing up somehow the absences thing, he really didn’t want her to cut off any hours on work because of him, he knew she needed them and she already did so much, but maybe she could give him an out. Just speaking with a teacher, or showing up a few minutes, just enough for him to not miss the whole thing
He’d smelt the burned food from the entrance of the building and knew already that they would be eating takeout but he was surprised and proud at how at ease May seemed when she saw him. either she didn’t get the information or she actually had a solution. Or maybe she just didn’t know about the absences. He wished the second
“How was school?” She asked, raising an eyebrow and smirking. It was the smirking part that made him shudder
“Fine, MJ sat with us at lunch today” he said, sitting in the couch next to her
“You always say it like its news and she has weeks sitting with you guys” she rolled her eyer good naturadleky
“Is just.. nice” he smiled and knew her smirk had turned soft
“I’m glad you’re making new friends. Just friends, right?” She elbowed him in the side. The action used to hurt him less than three years ago, he’d always swallow through the pain and smile every time she did it, now he actually enjoyed it, it felt teasing and familiar. Without his fragile body he could see the action was meant to be playful and wasn’t supposed to hurt much more than a touch
“May! Just friends…” he grumbled, feeling the heat creeping up in his neck
“Right. Anyways about tomorrow” his smile didn’t drop, but it fell significantly enough for her to raise her eyebrows
“Don’t worry i won’t attend. Your boring aunt can’t make it, such a bummer..”
“Shut up” he said, barking a laugh “I need to attend though.. i can’t afford another—“
“Oh, i know. You are not affording a single absence more. I was actually talking about Tony. He’s going in my place” and if she for some reason hadn’t have his attention earlier she definitely did now
“What?!” He yelled, a bit too loudly and May just raised her eyebrows, which she seemed to be doing a lot lately
“Sorry.. wait, no but seriously, WHAT?!” And what was the total and complete understatement of the year because Tony billionaire, superhero, philanthropist, genius “i am iron man” “i accidentally bought a five star hotel in the most expenssive country in the world on accident but oh well i guess” fucking Stark, his mentor, hero, role model and possibly father figure was attending his stupid school where they’d sit in a gym surrounded mostly by people you don’t know and eat pastries slightly better than the food the cafeteria gives in a good day. Which meant bad by the fact that it was comparable with school cafeteria food.
“C’mon, the food is here” she stood up and walked to the door, taking a few dollars out and thanking the man on the other side, then walking to the table and leaving the pizza in the middle.
When she turned to him, he was in the exact same place she’d last seen him
“Oh, please, it isn’t that big of a deal, he basically already adopted you” she said while grabbing a plates and sat in one of the chairs
“Why does everyone say that..” he mumbled and stood up, walking to the table. May had already served herself the single two slices he’d known she’d grab, leaving him the carton box of pizza —with six left— to himself.
“Because it’s true” she said, pointing the pizza to him as if to prove a point “ We’re considering to officially and legally co-parent you at this point.”
“Don’t joke with that” He didn’t protest. Just stared down at the half-a-pizza in his hand conflicted. May just looked at him with amusement “no protests i see?” She teased
“I’m not sure how comfortable Tony would be with that.” He really hadn’t meant for it to come out like that. May’s face softened but the amusement was still clear as a recently cleaned window “If anything, he’d be the one to bring the topic up”
“No way. He’s terrified of you” Peter said, grabbing a new slice of pizza
“As he should” May nodded in approvement and Peter smiled, storing the info of Mr Stark for later and enjoying his food
…
The next day, Peter was still utterly mortified. He’d gone to sleep soundly and safely after patrol and a shower before he remembered that Tony Stark would be attending his school. In front of literally everyone and their parents. He was so dang screwed. He stared at the ceiling contempling how many years of therapy and healing it would take him to recover from the embarrassment he just knew deep in his gut and ghostly in his spider-sense he’d suffer in friday. Tony was the walking description of ‘no self-respect or dignity’, and he was (according to both, May and his friends, not that he thought of Tony that way) basically his kid, which only made matters a bit of a hundred times worse
Next day, when he turned in his permission slip —signed by May, the name accounted being Tony— Mr Harrington smiled at him
“Glad you’ll be able to make it after all” he said
“Me too sir” he said widening his eyes
When at lunch Ned and MJ commented about the whole Mr Stark thing right in fromt of his face as if he wasn’t there, he ignored them and ate his toast as if the morning was great, already having accepted his fate.
…
Tony Stark arrived midtown high at eight with fifteen o’clock. The event had started fifteen minutes ago but that was just Tony for you. If someone asked, he’d tell you he either didn’t know or had gotten stuck in traffic. Something that for those close to him, knew was total bs
“Hey, would you know where they are hosting today’d event” he asked a woman —probably a parent running late, since she was the last person standing outside— who looked startled at him, as if not quite believing he was adressing her
“The- to the left and then to the right and uh.. the big blue double doors next to the throphes, you won’t miss it” she said, she looked so out of it though, that Tony didn’t know if believe her or not
“Well Thanks” he flashed her a smile and took her directions, getting lost in a hallway with lots of lockers —seriously, did they need this much lockers?— he chose to follow the first guy he saw, that was walking out of the bathroom ane followed him through the maze that the place was until he saw after so long (literally like 20 seconds) the gym doors the woman had described, the man in front of him still unaware of someone following him — he could’ve kidnapped him and the guy would have found out hours later
He entered the gym behind him and all heads turned to the sheepishly looking dad that went to sit next to his kid and then to the easily recognizable face of the man that had been standing behind him, scanning the crowd
The room went quiet and after a few seconds of him looking around, he spotted his- Peter. Peter sitting, hands in head, and ears the slightiest bit of red in the second floor of the benchers, in the other side of the room
He walked towards the kid, around the basketball floor, making a show of taking off his glasses and putting them hanging in his vest
When he reached the stairs, he walked to the kid, who was sitting next to an excited looking boy with his parents and behind him, an amused girl with curly hair. Michelle and Ned, he guessed
He pointedly sat next to the boy. Smirking
Peter leaned the slightliest bit into him “Did you have to come full yacht dad mode?” He muttered from behind his one hand that was covering everyone’s eyes from him
“That’s the best part” he whispered back “i didn’t have to” he said with a thumbs up and a too-cheerful smile
Peter just groaned and he looked back to the center, where who he assumed was the principal was standing, furiously talking to his secretary hushedly, and after giving him a last glance, clearing his throat, the sound for a moment being to loud in the speakers of the gym
“As I was saying, it is a pleasure to have you all here with your children who have showed us countless times how smart, dedicated and disciplined they. We organize this kind of events for you. To thank who made it possible for your kids to be here and to let you know we are grateful of the awesome job you are doing raising these kids, preparing them for their successful futures…” he droned on and on about ‘talents’ and ‘children’ for Tony to care, apparently also for a part pf the crowd that was still quietly staring and whispering his direction and a few others that were simply staring at their screens or politely pretenfing to pay attention, he knew that look, it wqs the one he’d mastered after so many years having to be in front of boring plain rich assholes and their obsessive love with their own voices. The standard speech went for at least ten minutes before passing the word to a few teachers and then finally letting them sit in the tables assigned in groups for about four groups of students and parents in each table
when they sat —Ned's parents, him, Cindy's parents and her— Tony spoke
"Hey you don’t have your watch on" he noticed, lifting an eyebrow
"Oh, yeah. I forgot to put it on this morning" he dismissed