Chapter Text
Peter sighed, scrolled through his phone, debating his existence. A casual Tuesday for him when he's skipping class in the school bathroom. He looks over Tony's contact, wondering if he should text (beg) him to come pick him up. The problem is he knows he will, no matter how many truancy warnings he gets from Midtown. Anytime Morita warned Mister Stark, Tony would give him that look. The look he always gave Captain.
"I'm Tony Stark, I'd like to see you try and take my kid from me," was all he would say. Then he would slip his sunglasses back on, guiding Peter out of the school building.
Peter couldn't do that, though, because he's missed damn near thirty days of school, and it's only the first semester. As much as Tony supports him, dropping anything to come pick him up, Peter doesn't want to disappoint him. After all the shit Peter has made Tony do, he can't keep asking for more.
Instead, he opens Instagram, clicking through random classmates' stories. He sees MJ's, a picture of him passed out in English. Right below his tag, @peter_pumpkineater (he made it in 8th grade, shut the hell up), she typed out Academic Weapon. Maybe Peter should be mad, especially since MJ knew everything going on in his life right now. However, he laughs, hearting the story, and replying.
Replied to @mj_chelles story
4.0 gpa btw 😁
when u go to sleep tonight
that ticking under ur bed isnt an alarm clock
Oh!
is that a threat??
more like a promise
arent you in history rn??
the lion does not concern himself w going to class
bro Morita is gonna whoop ur ass
nuh uh my dad is tony stark
gonna send that to him
make him cry
no pls dont
alright kitten daddy won't
but making tony stark cry is on my wishlist
kick him in the balls
im sure that'll do it 🙏
physical wounds will heal
i want to make him unable to recover emotionally.
this is why he is scared of u diva
A diva is the female version of a hustler
so he should be scared of me.
Where r u rn?
family bathroom by the art room
it's the cleanest one
and no one can hear me over the choir students screeching
and mr Garcia still thinks WERE the ones who are unprepared
bro why did u have to quit marching band
bc mr garcia is an evil man
and that fuck ass tuba is too damn heavy
we sound like ass without u now
a lie but i still appreciate it
okay mr harrington is getting offended im on my phone
he also says he hopes ur okay
And acadeca misses you
which we do btw
tell mr harrington that he is my father
and I watch him while he sleeps at night
and I preform sacrificial tributes to him
he said "thanks nice, buddy"
okay bye kitten
Peter sniffled, pulling his jacket around himself a bit tighter. As clean as this bathroom was, it was absolutely freezing. Still, better than being in PE with Coach Wilson. Ever since his score on the Captain America fitness test, he's been scouting him out for Football. As if he isn't 5'7, and besides, Tony would never let him do that.
"Have you seen what happens fo kids in football? I'd rather not see you with your brains spread across the terf."
It's not like Peter really wanted to play football, though, but he does sort of miss Marching Band. The tuba should be easier to carry now, given the whole spider thing. He doesn't know how he managed to hold that instrument for hours on end before the spider bite. He supposes he's never really been all there in the brain.
Especially not now.
Just then, he hears keys jiggling down the hall. He pauses, eyes widened with fear, a pool of fear in his stomach. Please don't be Morita, please don't be Morita, please don't be-
The knock on the bathroom door seals his fate. "Mr. Parker, I know you're in there," he hears Principal Morita call from outside their bathroom, and Peter rolls his eyes to no one except the four walls. "For such a clever kid, you always pick the same hiding spot." The older man remarks, and Peter slings his backpack over his shoulder, opening the bathroom door.
He turns to Morita, who is giving him an annoyed look with concern laced through it. "Maybe you should invest in better hiding spots then." Peter jokes, but Morita just stares, hands placed on his hips. His eyebrows were raised, and Peter sighed. "No good? Well, they can't all be bangers." Peter says, and Morita shakes his head.
He jerks his arm down the hall, in a direction Peter had walked plenty of times before. "C'mon, march kid, you know where to go," Morita commands, although he never really sounds intimidating when he does so. He always sounds exhausted, and Peter does feel kind of bad that he is most likely the cause.
Genius student who refuses to use their potential. Something almost everything single staff member, including Morita, has yammered off into his ears. Peter can't help but laugh because they had never cared about his potential until he started wasting it. He's going to the best STE(A)M school in the state, and he got a full-ride scholarship here.
He guesses he shouldn't be too surprised, or judgey. Peter thinks it's protocol for school staff to be more vocally caring when your parent dies. Still, he can't supply too much understanding to them, because there was one teacher in this school who didn't treat him like broken glass that needed to be put back together.
"Is Mr. Harrington available? No offense, but I'd rather talk to him." Peter asks, even though he already knows the answer. Mr. Harrington doesn't have a free period till sixth, and it's only fourth. Morita shakes his head, "No, he's teaching right now. Besides, I'm sure I already know what we're going to do after this conversation." Morita grumbles out the second half, but Peter hears it loud and clear.
The walk to Morita's office isn't too long, thank God. Not because he would get tired from it, but because he hates that awkward silence. At least Morita had the decency not to lecture him in the hallway for bystanders to overhear. Maybe he should start, though; it would probably keep him in class so he could avoid public perception of himself.
Morita leads him into his office, which looks like it was ripped straight from 'Minimalist Principal Furnishings Magazine'. Wooden desks and chairs, with a single lamp. Peter collapses into the uncomfortable, shiny wooden chair, and Morita sits down in his comfy, cozy office chair. How disrespectful.
Peter sits up straighter, eyeing the office landline he had. He turns his attention to Morita, who already has the 'Incident Report' form out. "You should probably just call him, since that's what we always do." Peter requests, not meaning for it to sound so rude. Morita doesn't seem phased, but looks up at Peter, clearly frustrated. Peter gives a forced smile, not even showing his teeth.
"Or you could go back to class, which is the easier option for both of us," Morita says, and Peter fights every urge to roll his eyes because no. No, it really wasn't. Peter hates class, which is crazy because only a few months ago, Peter loved school. Well, maybe not loved. He loved being good at something. Now, though, he wishes he wasn't good at anything so everyone would just leave him alone.
Morita continues writing, "You have potential, Peter; we all hate to see you waste it like this... no matter the circumstances." Morita tirades on, and Peter digs his nails into his forearm. Peter has never used his circumstances as an excuse for how he acts. Not his parent's, not Ben, and not... May. Not May.
"We all want the best for you, and-" "Just call him... please." Peter cuts Morita off, the words bringing tension to the office that Peter didn't intend. Morita looks at him for a long time, but inevitably ends up picking up the phone, punching in a number. The motion had become something Peter recognized.
It didn't take long for him to answer. "Hello, this is Principal Morita of Midtown High School. I'm calling regarding Peter Parker," Morita calls off the practiced script he uses for every student, and Peter can hear chatter from the other line. Morita then looks up at him, and Peter knows what's coming.
This is the worst part. "Would you like to tell him, Peter?" Morita asks, and Peter knows by now it wasn't a question. He would be telling him. Peter takes the phone, holding it up to his ear. "Hello," Peter whispers, nervously fiddling with the strings on his hoodie.
"Hey kiddo, what's goin' on?" Tony asks, and his voice is filled with concern. It makes Peter feel sick. "Skipped class.. again... I'm sorry." Peter murmurs, and a beat of silence follows, and then he hears keys jiggling. "Okay, I'm comin' to get you, alright? I'll be there soon." Tony says, and Peter can hear talking from other people. Familiar voices, and Peter realizes that today is Tuesday.
Avengers Team Meetings are on Tuesday, and he just interrupted one. His face quickly flushes, because, of course, this had to happen to him. "Are you.. you sure? You don't-" Peter attempts to rattle off, but Tony shuts him down swiftly. "If I wasn't sure, I wouldn't do it. I'll be there in no more than twenty minutes, okay, Roo?" Tony tells him, and Peter can hear his boots clacking against the ground. Then the dig of an elevator. Peter scratches at the back of his neck, "Okay, Tony.. I'm sorry." Peter mumbles out the last part, and he can practically hear Tony shaking his head through the phone.
"Nuh-Uh, Mister. No apologies, it's a banned word for you anymore, and you're gonna be fined." Tony remarks, and Peter huffs out a laugh. "FRI, be a dear and take me to the garage," he hears Tony ask his AI, "I'll see you soon, Pete." Is all that Tony says, right before the older man hangs up.
Peter sniffs, handing the phone back to Morita. "He's on his way," Peter mutters out, and Morita looks like he's fighting back his own words. He wouldn't say anything, at least not to his face, let alone Tony's. Although, through his countless emails, it wasn't hard to tell that Morita didn't enjoy Tony's parenting style. Peter couldn't care less what Morita. It wasn't his to worry about... well, maybe it was. Still though. Peter's point still stands in his own mind.
Morita continues writing the incident report, while Peter sits there trying to avoid eye contact. Until a knock at the office door, and the wooden door was carefully opened. "Mister Morita, someone is here to see you." Miss Flores states, a stout lady who worked as a secretary.
Morita pinches his nose, and Peter kisses his teeth because this didn't feel like a conversation he was meant to hear. "I'm a bit busy right now, can you tell them-" "Sir, it's the Storm family, they-" just then, a hand rests on Miss Flores' shoulder. Their nails were professional, a simple French tip. A shiny ring rested on their finger, a diamond that was probably worth more than this entire office.
The Storm family. Everyone knew the Storm family, which now also included the prominent Richards name. Those names were so important because they were three out of the four members of the Fantastic Four. The second most well-known superhero group internationally.
That's how most people knew the Storm family, which now was just Susan Storm and her younger brother, Jonathan Storm.
Not Peter though.
"Pardon me, Miss Flores, but I really am in a rush," Sue squeezes past Miss Flores, who does not attempt to stop her because she is literally the Invisible Woman. Sue meets Morita's nervous eyes, a familiar smile on her face. "You must be Principal Morita, sorry for the inconvenience, but I..." Sue starts, her professional tone on, the voice you usually hear when she's on TV.
Halfway through her sentence, though, her eyes fall on Peter. Her smile falters a little bit, and her eyes quickly examine him. Peter suddenly feels a tidal wave of nostalgia cover him from head to toe. It felt like he was drowning in it, because yeah, this just had to happen right now.
Of course, May's childhood best friend, Susan Storm, had to walk into this office. Of course, Susan Storm, the older sister of Peter's childhood best friend, Johnny Storm, was standing right in front of him and recognized him without a second to spare. That Parker Luck still seems to be alive and kickin'.
Sue stammered on her words, like she was having a system reboot. "I- Uh, you- I'm... I'm here to, uh, talk about..." Sue can't seem to finish her thought, eyes fixed on Peter. He tries to avoid her gaze, but when you see someone who used to be your second emergency contact, it's hard not to look.
Morita coughs, not seeming to take notice of the weird dynamic between Sue and Peter. Instead, just noticed that she hadn't finished her sentence. "About Jonathan Storm's enrollment, correct?" The words hit Peter like a metal baseball bat, or maybe a truck. His head snaps to Morita, who looks as casual as ever, not understanding the significance of this.
Sue chokes, but quickly nods. "Mhm, yeah. He's, uh, waiting in the lobby.. we could come back later, you seem-" "No, no. Mister Parker, do you mind waiting in the lobby?" All the air in Peter's lungs suddenly evaporates, and he forgets how to breathe. Johnny's in the lobby. Johnny Storm, The Human Torch, is in the lobby. Johnny Storm, teenage heartthrob and celebrity crush to thousands, is in the lobby.
Johnny Storm, his childhood bestfriend who he hadn't seen in years, is in the lobby.
Peter coughs and nods along, because Morita isn't asking for permission. He is sending him to that lobby. Peter lets out a shaky sigh as he slings his backpack over his shoulder. He brushes past Sue, avoiding her eyes, which hadn't left him. Morita gestures for Sue to sit, then meets Peter's eyes at the exit.
"We will talk more tomorrow, alright?" Morita speaks softly, trying to keep their conversation as private as possible. Peter doesn't really take in any of his words, though, just nodding along. Suddenly, and very swiftly, the office door is closed.
What the fuck is happening? Am I dreaming right now?
He pinches himself. Ow. Yeah, definitely awake. Peter slowly makes his way to the main lobby. Which was to his right, down the incredibly short hallway from Morita's office. He felt like his knees were about to give out, and his brain was full of cotton balls. It's okay, it's all going to be okay, just act normal, he probably won't even recognize you-
Peter's thoughts are cut off by Miss Flores, ever the poignant support system. "Peter! Just take a seat, sweetie, I'm sure your father will be here soon." Peter doesn't correct her. He tells himself it's because she's new, and he doesn't want her to feel bad. However, he knows the real reason he doesn't correct her. He can't bring himself to say it aloud.
Still, that is the least of Peter's worries right now. Peter awkwardly smiles, and it doesn't take more than a few milliseconds for his eyes to land on Johnny. The blonde hadn't seemed to notice or care about Miss Flores' words. Peter doesn't know how to feel about that, because to this day, when he hears the name Johnny, his heart skips a beat. Right now, though, it felt like his heart wasn't beating at all.
The lobby was tiny, despite the money the school had to improve it. There are only three chairs that students could sit in. All were up against the window right beside the door to the school. Johnny was sitting in the middle seat, and Peter wanted to wrangle the blonde boy's neck. That would be a pretty gnarly greeting after so many years.
The chairs were those cushion chairs, with the thick armrests, but there was still only a few inches of space between them. Peter inhaled and quietly made his way over to the chair. It was the one closest to the door, so at least when Tony got here, he could book it out without tripping over Johnny's feet or something. God, the thought alone of that made him nauseous with embarrassment.
Peter slides his backpack on the ground and sits down. He doesn't even take out his phone; he just sits. His hands were clammy, and he could feel them starting to stick together. Damn you, spider powers.
Johnny seemed consumed by whatever was on his phone. Peter made glances at him, and he felt his stomach doing cartwheels because Johnny's eyes still looked the same. I mean, obviously, they would; it's not like those can really change much. Still, they looked the same. Identical to when they first met, and when they had to say goodbye.
Peter tightens his grip on his sweats, and he fully takes in how unkempt he looks. He's wearing grey sweats and Uncle Ben's old Queens Fire Department hoodie. Along with his beat-up Converse. Tony had offered to get him new ones, but Peter brushed it off. He said he liked them beat up, which wasn't a lie. Still, it wasn't really helping him now.
It's fine, he hasn't even looked at me, it's-
"Hey, do you know how long my sister will be? You probably don't, but I just- Holy shit!" Johnny starts talking - no, not just talking. He starts asking Peter a question. Johnny wasn't really looking at him when he first started speaking, until Peter made the mistake of looking slightly towards him.
As soon as Johnny looked at Peter, realization had hit him. The curse slips out before Johnny can stop it, his blue eyes widening. Peter felt his hands shaking, taking in Johnny's appearance. Some of his childhood features had faded, like his chubby cheeks and short stature. His eyes - God, his eyes - were still that same shade of dazzling blue. His blonde hair was tussled, but in a cool way. Basically, the opposite of Peter's messy mop of hair. His jawline was sharper, and Peter couldn't think straight.
"Petey? Is that you?" Johnny asks, using that childish nickname that Ben used to call him. Peter feels his eye twitch, and he hesitantly nods. "Johnny.." Peter whispers out, and Johnny looks to have a full-body reaction to the word.
A nervous smile forms on Johnny's face. "I- you... Pete. You go here?" Johnny asks, his voice pitchy, and despite it being such an obvious question, Peter doesn't tease. He isn't sure he can do that still. So, he just nods, and Johnny's smile changes to something a little different, something so excruciatingly familiar. "I shouldn't be surprised, you're the smartest person I know," Johnny remarks, saying it like it's the easiest thing in the world.
Peter can't help but furrow his eyebrows, "Don't you live with Reed Richards?" Peter inquires, feeling very out of breath. Johnny waves it off, "Reed's got nothin' on you." Johnny says, and Peter flushes, turning his face away with a smile.
A beat of silence fell between the two. However, Peter can't stop himself, because when has he ever?
"I missed you." Peter can't stop the words from tumbling out. His face heats up, and he waits for scrutiny. It doesn't come, though, because it's Johnny, and Johnny doesn't judge him. He never has.
He feels a hand on his shoulder, "I missed you more." The words feel like everything and so much more. They feel bigger than themselves, and maybe the whole world. He never realized how long he'd been waiting for those words.
Peter smiles, unable to break eye contact with the blonde. "Still just as competitive, I see." Peter teases, testing the waters that he hadn't been near in a long time. Johnny flashes that million-dollar grin, the one that had every teenager swooning. Peter was the recipient of it, and he isn't sure how to feel about that.
Johnny shrugs, removing his hand from Peter's shoulder. Peter fights the urge to chase after the warmth. "Some things never change, Pete." Johnny's words are soft, like they were only meant for the two of them.
All good things must come to an end, because his phone starts buzzing in his pocket. Peter huffs, pulling it out, seeing Tony's name flash on the screen. Against his better judgment, he swipes an answer, putting his phone up to his ear. He tries to avoid eye contact with Johnny, who is still looking at him. The blonde had one hand gripping the armrest and the other holding his phone. It looked like he was fighting something, fighting the urge to reach out.
Definitely not. What a silly thought.
"Hey." Peter greets on his phone. "Hay is for horses, and also I'm outside. Do they need me to come in there, because I would really rather not?" Tony chatters off as soon as Peter picks up. It sounds practiced, but the scary thought is that it wasn't. Tony is just a peculiar person.
Peter hums, "I dunno, Morita is kind of..." Peter glances over to Johnny, who still has his captivating eyes on him. "Busy." Peter continues. Tony tuts his tongue, "Good, he's such a buzz kill." Tony comments, and Peter sighs, trying to bite back a smile.
"That's not very mature of you, Tony." Peter remarks, quoting Steve from a previous meeting they had. He hears Tony groan, basically dry heaving. "Don't utter those words, or I'll make you stay and ride the bus home." Tony jokes, but Peter is not taking those chances. He's gone a long time without using public transit, and he has no plans on going back.
Peter smirks, "What words?" He asks, pretending not to know what Tony was talking about. He hears a brief chuckle, "Smart boy. Now hurry, I hear a Five Guys burger calling my name. It's like a siren song, Peter, we must follow it." Tony banters, and Peter fondly rolls his eyes.
"Okay, okay, gimme a second, I'll see you soon." Peter says, hanging up on Tony, who was mimicking the siren call that Five Guys was apparently doing to him. What a weirdo.
Peter turned his attention back to Johnny, who looked very confused. "Who's Tony?" Johnny asks, and Peter blinks because, yeah, he wouldn't know. In that moment, Peter fully processes how much his life has changed from the age of eight to seventeen. Johnny didn't know about Ben, or May, or his Spider-Man'ing, or how Tony Stark was his legal guardian.
Johnny didn't know, and it wasn't a story Peter could explain with a few short seconds. "It's, uh, a really long story." Is all Peter can muster while he pulls his backpack over his shoulders. Johnny sat straighter in his chair as Peter got up, signing his name on the Sign Out sheet. Peter winces when he sees that his name has already taken up a slot from last week.
Before Peter managed to scurry past Johnny, he felt a hand grab onto his forearm. Once his eyes met the other boy's, he couldn't bring himself to look away. He couldn't even bring himself to move. "Just.. hold on - uh, gimme your phone." Johnny pleads, and Peter manages to look towards the glass door. He could just walk away. Beg Tony to let him do online classes or something.
However, he was already pushing away the thought and pulling out his phone. Peter unlocks it, handing it over to Johnny. It's not like Peter had anything bad, but he definitely had evidence of himself being Spider-Man on there. Still, he fully trusted Johnny with that tiny computer that carried his whole life, despite not truly knowing him since they were eight years old.
It was Johnny. Not Johnny "The Human Torch" Storm. Only Johnny, the way Peter knew him when they first met on the playground, by May and Ben's apartment.
Johnny pressed a couple of buttons, typing something in, a small smile twitching on his face. Then, he handed his phone back to Peter. "I'll text you, you're not getting rid of me again, Pete." Johnny softly joked, ending with a wink. Peter tsked, trying his best not to fall for the blonde's antics.
Peter looks at the screen, reading what Johnny had sent himself.
hi Johnny Storm, im your biggest fan!
He fought back a laugh, looking at the blue-eyed boy in front of him with raised eyebrows. Johnny gives a few coy blinks, "You know it's rude to keep your ride waiting?" Johnny teased, and the words fell off his tongue so easily you would have thought they hadn't lost contact for a decade.
Peter opens the glass door, not breaking eye contact with Johnny, who had slumped back in the seat. "You're right, Firefly, some things never change." Peter smiles, the old nickname sliding off his tongue. Peter came up with it on a cold, breezy summer night. On the fourth of July, before any fireworks had been set off. They had traveled upstate, to where Johnny's family was from. The rich part of New York.
While adults were grilling, or chatting about grown-up stuff, or gushing about pictures of their kids, Peter and Johnny were playing in the large backyard of Sue's friend's house. It was the largest field of grass Peter had ever seen, and it was also the first time he'd seen a firefly.
Peter tightened his grip on Johnny's hand, who was trying to soothe him. "It's okay Petey, they won't hurt you." Johnny mutters in Peter's ear, but Peter still cowers next to him. He hated bugs -anything creepy crawly wasn't something Peter enjoyed.
Johnny, brave as ever, lets one land on his hand. The light on it was still glowing, then would dim out, and would then start glowing again. "They are nice, Susie says they light up so they help people see in the dark, so if someone's lost, they can see where they're going!" Johnny explains, and Peter feels his beating heart start to slow down. He pushes his thick-rimmed glasses back up.
He sniffles away any incoming tears, "Like stars?" Peter asks quietly, and Johnny quickly nods. Peter loved space, and Johnny loved it just as much. It's how they became best friends. "Yeah, they light up so they can help us, so we aren't alone." Johnny continues, his blue eyes shining against the moonlight and the glowing, yellow haze of fireflies.
Peter smiles, holding out his hand to let the bug crawl on him. "Just like you with me, you're my firefly, Johnny." He says with a toothy grin.
The memory fizzles out from there, but the nickname stuck, and it still does. It carries a different weight to it now, given Johnny's new abilities and public persona.
Johnny's eyes widen, like that nickname was the last thing he expected to hear. Still, his smile grows, and his sun-kissed face flushes. Peter gives a small wave and swiftly makes his exit before he somehow makes a fool of himself.
As soon as he's out of the building, he practically sprints to the black Audi waiting in the pickup lane in front of the building. As he opens the door, climbing into the passenger seat, Tony is already complaining. "Jeez, I was about to make a dramatic entrance, what took so long?" Tony says, pushing his sunglasses up to look at Peter. He had one eyebrow raised, a hand landing almost immediately on Peter's shoulder.
Tony's demeanor shifts slightly, "Did they say something to you?" Tony questions, rubbing at Peter's shoulder to ease out a response. Peter immediately shakes his head, "No, no, I just got caught up with something." The words tumble from Peter's mouth, sliding his backpack onto the floor of the car between his legs.
Tony looks curiously at him, then absentmindedly brushes Peter's hair out of his face. "Hm. Was it with what's his face.. Fred? Or DJ?" Tony inquires, getting his friends' names wrong on purpose. Peter glares at Tony, who fakes confusion. "Tony. You know their names." Peter's tone was blunt, and Tony acted like this was the first time they had had this conversation.
Tony starts the car, turning the steering wheel and pulling away from his parked position in the Pick-Up lane. "I literally have no idea what you're talking about." Tony jokes, and Peter playfully flicks his shoulder.
The turning signal echoes through the vehicle as Tony turns right, heading to the closest Five Guys. Peter is surprised that Tony is bringing him back to the burger joint, given that last time, while they were ordering, Peter said, "Of course you would want five guys.". Tony's head damn near snapped off his neck with how fast he turned to Peter, his eyes widened. It takes a lot to shock Tony Stark, but the gay allegations normally do the job. Well, Tony says they're allegations, but Peter's gaydar is never wrong. Unless it was with himself - that discovery took up until freshman year. "So, are you gonna keep avoiding my question?" Tony asks, and Peter bites the inside of his cheek. Of course, Tony wouldn't let it go, when has he ever?
Peter tries to act as normally as possible, "Uh, just a friend. They are, uh, new... to Midtown." Peter stammered out - yeah, real nonchalant, Peter. Tony gives a confused look, "How do you know this friend?" Tony questions, and Peter fights back his teenage instincts to reply with a brooding, snotty remark to get Tony to leave him alone.
Peter just shrugs, "I dunno." Peter supplies, extremely unhelpful. Tony hums, fighting every fiber in his body to not to pry. Peter is grateful, not just because he isn't sure how to subtly drop that Johnny Storm was his childhood best friend. However, also because it would mean he'd have to discuss May. He was never really good at that, at least not yet. Sometimes, though, he doubts he'll ever be good at talking about her casually.
Not after... everything.
Before Peter had even realized it, they were in the Five Guys drive-through. "Whaddya want, kid?" Tony asks, pulling behind another car. Peter sways his head to the side, shrugs his shoulders. "Whatever you're getting, just without tomatoes." Peter requests, and Tony nods, clearly taking note of Peter's strange attitude. Instead of bringing it up, he just brushes Peter's hair out of his face once again.
The funny thing is that his hair wasn't even in his face. Pepper told him Tony does it because he isn't sure how to talk about emotions, so he just shows them. Despite how much it poofs out Peter's hair. Tony always says he should wear his curls more, even though he has curls too and never wears them.
Peter's attention slips off, and he doesn't come back to himself until a greasy takeout bag is placed in his lap. He can hear the cashier, who is clearly too new to realize how Tony practically has whatever the frequent flyer pass is for Five Guys. They are stuttering over their words, shell-shocked at who is in front of them.
Tony smiles, pointing at Peter, "Yeah, he's pretty cool, right? Don't even know why he hangs out with me." Tony says, and as much as it is a joke, Tony tells it to people so often he's starting to believe he might mean it. Keyword being might.
The older man quickly steers out of the drive-through, making Peter tighten his grip on the bag. He winces at the grease seeping at the bottom, but he knows he won't be complaining when he actually eats it. He supposes it's all worth it, although the smell does become a bit unbearable. His heightened senses can make that already poignant smell become like a fog surrounding him.
It's not like he'll tell Tony; he'll just wait until he has a panic attack over it on a particularly rough day.
Peter slurps at his Dr. Pepper. He nervously glances over to Tony, who takes a small sip of his water. That was a new development - the water thing. Tony said he's on a health kick because Pepper told him to. Pepper said she never said anything, though, so Peter has no clue what Tony's deal is. When has he ever, though?
He coughs, "Uh, sorry... for interrupting your meeting... I should have just. Hm.." Peter mumbles out, and Tony starts shaking his head as soon as the apology leaves his mouth. "Aht, no, no no. We've talked about this, no apologies, I think you've gotten your apology fix." Tony jokes, but his intentions were fully sincere. Peter silently nodded along, but both he and Tony knew he was not going to listen.
Uncle Ben, now having been dead for three-ish years, always taught him that respect was earned, and you can only earn respect when you are polite. Ben was no perfect man, but Peter was convinced he was the closest thing to it. At least, he did when he was a child. However, when he hit his teen years, Ben started telling him about his past.
Ben, unlike what many people believed, was not his father's brother. May was his father's sister, and she was born a Parker. Benjamin Merediz was born in Havana, Cuba. It wasn't hard to tell - especially when he first arrived in America with his Mom - with his sun-kissed, copper skin.
Peter didn't understand why people hated other people because of their skin. He had witnessed people make backhanded remarks to Benny's face about who he was, about something he couldn't change. Peter thought Ben was the most beautiful person ever. And the funniest. And the coolest. Ben, though, often traded off his own self-respect for politeness. Unfortunately, Peter thinks that's where his need to apologize comes from, because that's what Benny had always done. Not May, though. May apologized only when she needed to. That's why they were so perfect for each other.
"I- uh.. think I got it from Ben. He always apologized to everyone, even when he wasn't in the wrong. He's Cuban, did I tell you that? I know New York is pretty progressive, but mean people are everywhere." Peter told Tony, and Tony's eyebrows furrowed, and a slight frown molded onto his face. Peter liked talking about Ben, and... sometimes May, that one was still a bit fresh. Everyone got weird when Peter talked about them, though, even Tony. It doesn't help that Tony didn't know Ben, so all he knows is that this guy who meant the world to Peter is dead. How sad. So now, at the mention of him, it was sad.
Peter sighs, deciding not to bring up the vibe, but still pressing on. "I wonder what he would think of me being best friends with Tony Stark." That remark managed to get a chuckle from Tony, which Peter smiled at as he fiddled with the wrapper on his burger. "He liked you, y'know. After you donated all that money to the Fire Department, he was a firefighter." Peter told the older man, whose eyebrows rose in recognition.
Tony nodded along with a smile, "Yeah, I think I remember that? It was when the Avengers first formed, after the battle of New York, when we made a mess of everything," Tony explained, and Peter began to unfold his burger. "I didn't know he was a firefighter.." Tony remarks, maybe to himself? Peter isn't too sure. So, he just nods along, as if the awkwardness stripped him of the ability to speak.
The drive to the tower was pretty quiet after that. Unsurprisingly, Peter had a talent for killing the mood. Especially with him gaining another traumatic experience to add to the list.
So, he just continued to eat his food as carefully as he possibly could. Tony had said how he didn't mind if Peter made a mess, but after the car accident, Peter swore he would never make a mess of anything Tony owned. Not after he threw up in the back seats of the Audi, just from the visceral picture of May, he couldn't get out of his head.
The image swarmed his head. May's brunette hair matted with blood, laying stagnant against the steering wheel. Her blue scrubs were mangled, and droplets of blood were leaking onto her pants. Peter could still smell the metal and smoke, and could hear the honking of other cars and distant screaming.
Peter pushes the thought out, because he refused to throw up - or worse, start crying - in front of Tony.
Tony pulled up to the gate around the garage entrance in the back of Avengers Tower. "FRI, open Sesame," Tony says, and like clockwork, the gate doors open, along with the garage door a few feet ahead.
As soon as Tony pulls his car into the garage, the doors are swung back closed. The design seems like it would be easy to break in, but any unrecognizable face that attempts to break in will be hit with horse tranquilizers. Peter has only seen it happen once before, and one second, some guy in a ski mask was standing upright with a machine gun, next he was out cold on the ground.
Tony sighs, checking his Stark watch. He then turned to Peter, "Everyone is still there, including Fury and some SHIELD people. You don't have to talk to them if you don't wanna." Tony says, and Peter shrugs at the suggestion, his face twisting. "Is that rude? I did kind of interrupt.." Peter mumbles out, and Tony immediately shakes his head, scoffing at the idea.
Tony turns to face him a bit more, "All the Avengers have lives - boring lives but still, lives nonetheless. If they don't know that you will always come first for me, then I think we both need to find a new team of superheroes." Tony says, lightheartedness laced within his tone. Peter smiles, and nods along to Tony words.
Tony then pats his shoulder, "Alright, let's get inside, I'm cold." Tony jokes, and Peter huffs out a laugh. Tony refused to admit he was old, despite his old-man behavior, like being cold when it's mid-September. Peter doesn't say anything, not wanting to subject himself - and the Avengers - to an extremely long conversation about how "Hip and Cool" Tony is.
Instead he just follows Tony into the elevator, silently watching as the doors close. "Do you think they'll be mad at me?" Peter asks Tony, who was scrolling through texts on his phone. Tony frowns, "No kid, I don't, because they never would be." Tony answers, and Peter isn't surprised by the answer, given it's the same answer it always is.
Still, he feels the need to ask every chance he gets. "Are you sure? You know, my school shows us these PSA's of Captain Rogers, and he says attendance is the route to success. Maybe Cap thinks I'm a failure." Peter said it as a joke, but Tony doesn't like those kinds of jokes, at least not from Peter.
Tony's eyebrows furrow, and he gives a look towards Peter that could cut glass and turn a man to stone. "Peter, don't joke like that. Steve loves you. Anytime you're not here, he always asks about you." Tony informs, but Peter could only feel so comforted by the statement.
A soft sigh rolls out of him, "I'm always here though.. Don't you think that's a problem?" Peter questions, and Tony shoves his phone back into his pants pocket, his attention fully on Peter.
Tony turns Peter so they're parallel and gently rests his palms atop Peter's shoulders. "No, I don't. Peter, you went through something traumatic. You're grieving; it's normal. It's the fact that you still try that's important to me. Okay?" Tony's words are soft, a softness that Peter had only begun to get used to.
Peter nods in response, "Okay.. Thank you, Tony." Peter mumbles out, tightening his arms around his chest. Tony's eyebrows briefly furrow, as if the words 'Thank' and 'You' were the silliest thing Peter could ever say. "I'll still talk to them..?" Peter tells Tony, but it came out more like a question. Peter still isn't fully adjusted to having Tony Stark as his guardian, so he can't help but turn everything into a question.
Tony nods, his mouth flattening to a tight, straight line. "M'kay, still think they don't deserve your time, but your wish is just my mere command," Tony announces, talking about Peter like he was the Pope, and his presence was so holy the Avengers didn't even deserve it. Peter can't help but laugh, shaking his head at Tony's words.
The elevator dings open, and it doesn't take long for Peter to hear the boisterous group. Well, it was mostly Thor, but in all fairness, he had been getting better at volume management. Not when it came to snoring, however, that's why he has to sleep four floors below the rest of them.
Tony walks in with no hesitation, as Peter slowly trudges behind him. "Honey, I'm home!" Tony shouts to the team, earning an exaggerated groan from Clint and Sam. Rhodey gives a long blink, seemingly used to this type of behavior. Mister Captain America seems slightly annoyed, but graciously gives Peter a soft smile.
"Peter, it's good to see you, Son." Steve says directly to him, and Peter can feel Tony giving that 'I told you so' look. Peter puts on his best smile, "Thank you, I just wanted to apologize for, uh, interrupting.. I'm sorry." Peter says, and while the apology is for everyone, Peter can't help but shift his eyes from Steve to Tony to the floor.
Steve looks like he about to say something, only for a certain Norse God to interfere. "Man of Spiders! No need to apologize, you only provided a brief recess to this incredibly boring meeting!" Thor says, in his classic booming voice, and in response, he earned a glare from Steve.
Peter can't help but laugh at the antics of it all. The Avengers were so far from how they portrayed themselves on TV, or maybe just how people viewed them. He remembers how scared he was to meet Thor, only for the Thunder deity to greet him like they'd known each other for years. They were all so peculiar in a nice way, the kind of way that made Peter feel normal. Even though he most definitely was not, neither were any of them.
The Avengers were kind, and despite their personalities being so different from each other's, they still managed to get along. It was nice, the way they all acted, distracted Peter from his life. They were nice... except for one.
It wasn't like Nick Fury was mean; however, he never went out of his way to be nice. Peter didn't mind it when people acted like that - quiet, determined, and self-assured - it comforted Peter. As nice as the Avengers were, they still treated him like glass that was already cracked, and was just a few wrong moves from shattering. Fury, though he wasn't an Avenger, didn't treat him like that.
However, Fury wasn't mean. He was just weird, and he looked at Peter with this gaze that Peter couldn't read. Just like how the Avengers treat him like cracked glass, Director Nick Fury looks at him like he's already shattered into small pieces on the ground. That isn't what Peter found an issue was; the issue is that he doesn't know why Fury looks at him like that. Everyone knows what happened to the Parker family, but Fury's look had something deeper behind it.
Maybe he should tell Tony, but once he tells Tony, that makes it so much more of a mess than he wants it to be. Tony, bless his heart, can't take a comment from Peter at face value. One time, before Peter even lived with Tony, he complained that his computer was slow. The next day, he had a brand-new Stark Computer on his bed. If Peter tells Tony that Fury is kind of weirding him out, he might try to execute him.
Tony, as if he was reading Peter's mind to deduce the perfect time to interrupt his thoughts, rests a hand on his shoulder. The gentle touch quickly gets his attention. "Well now that our star celebrity has graced you with his presence, it's time for him to do his school work!" Tony says, directing it more towards Peter. Peter didn't have the heart to say he didn't have homework, and frankly, if he did, he most likely wouldn't do it.
Tony presses a soft kiss to Peter's temple, "Okay, shoo, spiderling, I have to be a businessman now." Tony's words earned a laugh from almost everyone in the room, several of the Avengers acting like that is the stupidest idea anyone has ever come up with. Tony's attention is quickly shifted to his teammates, putting on an offended act.
The whole scene gave Peter enough time to briskly walk up the stairs. The chatter of the team from below went from boisterous to almost silent as he closed his bedroom door. Peter had enhanced... well, everything really, that includes his hearing. Tony had graced Peter with a noise-cancelling room, so he didn't have to be subjected to the other dozen people who lived in Avengers Tower.
He slung his backpack off his shoulders and slid it on the ground. Promptly, he collapsed into his bed. Even after months, he still wasn't fully used to having a queen mattress. May didn't even have that at the apartment, instead just a full. Peter didn't realize there was a difference until he saw his room at the tower. It was hard to think a bed could be even bigger - that was until he saw Tony's room.
Peter then felt his phone buzz from his pocket, and the events of what happened this morning hit him like a ton of bricks. As if Peter's life couldn't get any stranger, he is once again disproven. He pulls his phone from his pocket and sees just what he expected.
hi Johnny Storm, im your biggest fan!
Why thank you kind sir! that is so kind of you to say
A laugh crawled out of Peter's mouth.
wow, arent u in class??
No, i start tomorrow
Lemme send you my schedule
Only a few seconds later, Johnny sends a picture of his schedule to Peter. His perfectly manicured thumb in the shot. Peter carefully analyzes the schedule, and his stomach feels like it's about to turn inside out.
we have harrington, english, and gym
and lunch
Perfect.
I've missed you Peter
like, a lot
so ive heard
I missed you too johnny
also a lot
You look different
is that an insult?
No, just an observation
I wanna talk to you
we are talking silly
No, bug. I wanna hear you
I want to see you
Peter feels lightheaded at the text, which feels so stupid since it's quite literally just words on a screen. Yet, they are Johnny's words, and the childhood nickname from so long ago, and Johnny wants to see him.
i have a life yknow
Ooooohh is Mister Parker too busy for Lil 'ol me?
say it ain't so :(
🙄
Johnny
idk what to say, my life isnt the same anymore
That could never bother me, Pete
we are friends, even after years
everything changes, my life has changed too
I know that
ur made of fire now
🔥
i dont live in that apartment anymore
thats fine
is it the place Ben and May talked about?
Peter felt sick when the words popped up in that blue bubble. The funny part is that Peter can't even remember what place Johnny was talking about.
Johnny
a lot has happened in my life
And thats okay Peter. I wouldnt expect your life to stay the same just because I left.
Somehow, trying to explain this was harder than any other time he explained how May and Ben were gone. Harder than when he had to fumble through his words to Tony, explaining what had happened to May.
Peter, talk to me please
He couldn't help but laugh, because Peter is completely unaware of how to go about this. He ran a hand through his tangled hair, and pressed his thumb into his right temple. As if at the touch, it would give him the answer he was looking for. It did not, of course, because he was stuck with spider powers instead of infinite knowledge.
This is incredibly apparent in how he decides to tell Johnny.
Ben is dead, and so is May. Im sorry.
If Peter had felt sick earlier, he now felt incredibly nauseous. He tosses his phone across his bed as he shifts to his side. He curls into a tight ball, "Please take me away from this.." he silently begs any deity that feels an ounce of pity for him. Nothing happens, though, when he opens his eyes, he is still in his bed.
Instead, he feels his phone buzz from across his mattress; the noise vibrates in his bones. He doesn't want to read it. Not because he knows Johnny will be rude, or dismissive, or whatever. No, Johnny would never do that. Peter has finally gotten to a point of numbness, and once he reads that message, he knows that he will be destroyed.
Of course though, as if on perfect cue, someone has to disrupt him and his wallowing. FRIDAY's voice chimes through his room, "Peter, it seems you have received a message from 'Johnny', would you like to hear it?" FRIDAY asks, and Peter curses to himself, because that's a feature Tony would add.
Peter rolls onto his back, looking up at the perfectly polished ceiling. "I don't know," Peter whispers, which doesn't matter, because FRI can hear anything. "Johnny seems to care about you, Peter. I doubt there is any way to avoid this message. However, the choice is up to you." FRIDAY's words make sense, which only upsets Peter even more. She is right, there is no avoiding this text, not anymore.
He forces himself to take a deep breath, and push the words out of his mouth. "Go ahead, FRI." Peter says, fidgeting with the cuffs of his hoodie. It takes a while before FRIDAY starts speaking, but then she starts.
"The message from Johnny says, 'why are you sorry? I dont deserve the apology. Im sorry I wasn't there for you, Peter. Im so sorry'... Would you like to respond?"
Peter feels his hands shaking, and he doesn't realize he's crying until the salty tears hit his lips. God damnit. This is what he was trying to avoid. Once he tastes the tears, he realizes there is no stopping them. With that realization, he feels like he's back where he was when May died, or when Ben died. The endless tears that no matter how hard he tries to stop, they won't listen.
"Peter, you seem to be in emotional distress. Would you like me to send Tony to your room?" FRIDAY asks, and even though he knows she doesn't mean it, the question still feels so demeaning. He's seventeen fucking years old, and he still needs Tony to come running to his rescue like when he was fourteen.
Peter scoffs and shakes his head before the words come out. "No, no thank you." Peter says, and crawls over to his phone. As soon as he puts in his passcode, the message sits there. The same way FRIDAY had said, and Peter scrubs the tears from his cheeks.
ur too nice for your own good
He doesn't expect an answer, especially not as fast as it comes. His phone buzzed in his hand only a few seconds later.
you're my bestfriend
you barely even know me now
maybe
but we have time
ur in new york for good?
no more Cali?
No more Cali
I have a lot to tell you though
I do too
soooo let me see you
tonight
please 🥺🙏
Peter sighed. Not the annoyed kind of sigh... well, maybe a little bit, but that annoyance was only directed at himself. Johnny has definitely changed after years, but Peter knew that. He, in fact, saw it happen. Not in real life, but instead on social media, the TV, and news sites.
Maybe that's weird, but Peter couldn't help it. After Johnny left New York, Peter thought about him constantly. Even after they grew distant, Peter still stalked everything Johnny did. Which was no easy feat... until the accident happened.
Thinking too much about that day - and the weeks that followed - makes Peter a bit sick. However, the birth of The Fantastic Four made it a lot easier to social media stalk Johnny. It was weird, Peter is well aware of that, but he refuses to believe he's the only one to scroll through old best friends' Instagram.
pick me up down the street of avengers tower
Avengers Tower??
any reason why?
its a cool building
close to where i live
If you insist
I'll be there at 6
wow, that's earlier than id expect from u
I need my beauty sleep
Figured we'd be talking for awhile
you figured?
I know
Peter... didn't know what to say to that. So he just ignored it.
see you soon, Firefly
See you soon, bug 💙
Peter's heart seized, and he didn't understand why. God, it's just Johnny, and it's just a stupid heart and a stupid nickname. So why does it feel like his heart is trying to burst from his chest? Peter doesn't know, and he really doesn't feel like figuring it out.
What he does know is that Tony won't let him hang out with some mysterious friend without meeting them - and Peter really doesn't want Tony and Johnny to meet, and he really doesn't want to explain how he knows Johnny. Not that he's ashamed of Johnny, Peter might tend to be a dick, but not like that.
More so the unspoken rivalry going on between the Avengers and The Fantastic Four. Peter doesn't think the Avengers know that they're in New York now, because Peter just found out. He can't help but smile at the idea of figuring out something before Tony, or hell, even Natasha. He'd brag about it if he dared to say anything.
He wonders what Johnny is gonna want to do. Whatever it is, he hopes it's sweatpants-friendly. Should he ask? No, that's cringe... is it? Fuck. Peter pushes the anxiety-inducing questions away, rolling over in his bed. He had things he could be doing right now to pass the time, but he also doesn't really feel like doing that. Are his grades steadily slipping? Yes, however, his bed is very comfortable.
So instead of actually being a contributing member of society, he scrolls on his phone until 5:30 eventually rolls around.
A buzz from his phone wakes him out of his doomscrolling. A text from Johnny, and the message was short enough to fit in the notification. Still he pauses the TikTok he was on - some video with depressing text on a screen and sad music in the background - and he clicks on the message.
Im on my way
... Shit. Peter shot straight up, realizing that Johnny was truly on his way, and Peter didn't know how to sneak out of this place. FRI is the biggest snitch of them all, and he lived with the literal Avengers. I am unbelievably cooked.
Okay, no, this is fine! He'll just say he's going to study with Ned, and he forgot to tell Tony. Will he believe that? Will anyone believe that?
Peter isn't a liar, so it's not like Tony would be suspicious. However, Peter isn't a liar because he sucked at lying. He knew that. Almost everyone knew that; he's still unsure how the world hasn't figured out he's Spider-Man.
Peter sits still on his bed, phone grasped tightly in his hands, his knuckles turning white. He breaks from this trance to realize that he had Five Guys for lunch, and the smell was still lightly stuck to his crewneck. So for the next ten minutes, he scrambles around his bedroom to find the quickest way to smell good.
By the time his panicking is over, and he looks in his bathroom mirror, he still looks like he's coming down from a line of cocaine. He sighed, "Jesus Christ..." he muttered under his breath - he looked a mess. He didn't have time to freak, because Johnny could be down the street by now.
Peter shakes it off and shoves his phone in his sweatpants pocket. He takes a deep gasp for air before exiting his room, still racking his brain for the lie he's about to tell. Group project? Oh, that could work-
All thoughts are knocked out of him at the impact of someone bumping into him. Before he could fall on his ass, he felt familiar hands hold him steady. "Shit kid, didn't mean to scare you. I was heading to check on you." Peter silently blinked at Tony, nodding along to his words.
Then followed the silence, as the two of them just stared at each other. "So... you wanna watch a movie? The meetings over, finally managed to get Cap to stop talking, which I'm telling you might be harder than being Iron Man-" Tony rambles on, something he does a lot. It was honestly a shock when Peter first noticed it, maybe because it seemed so unlike the image Tony maintains, or maybe because it felt so much like Peter.
Before Tony could continue, Peter interrupted. "Can I go hang out with Ned?" Peter blunts out, quickly getting Tony's attention at the sudden question - or maybe at the interruption, which now makes Peter feel like an asshole.
Tony's eyebrows flicker in confusion, "I- sure," Tony nods along to his own answer, then something blooms in his eyes. A look that Peter has grown upsettingly familiar with - Tony's never-ending concern. "Any reason? You feelin' okay?" Tony questions, as he tries to avoid crossing his arms. Clint said it's because he's trying to have a more 'welcoming aura'.
Peter nods, conjuring all his strength not to grimace at the question. He hates it. He hates that everyone feels the need to walk on eggshells around him. He hates being treated like a ticking time bomb that might combust and take the whole world with him. He just wants to feel normal again, like any other teenager whose part-time job is being a web-slinging superhero, who also lives with the Avengers... When Peter words it like that, he realizes he can't expect anyone to treat him normally, because his whole life is far from it.
He just smiles, a weak smile, but a smile nonetheless. "Yup, 'm fine. Just want to see him.." Peter avoids Tony's gaze like he were Medusa, and one brief second of eye contact would turn him into a rock solid stone. He feels Tony's hand brush through his frayed hair, and silently melts into the touch.
"M'kay, well, do you need me to drive you? Or maybe Happy-" "No! Uh, no, I-I actually was wanting to.. walk?" Peter rushes out, words spilling from his lips before he could make an actual believable lie. Tony didn't seem to notice, or maybe he did, and just felt bad for Peter and his terrible lying skills.
Tony nods, sliding his hand down to Peter's shoulder. "Well, be safe, I'd rather not have to save you from becoming spider meat." Tony jokes, but there is a hint of sincerity in his tone. Peter huffs out a laugh and shrugs, "I don't know, if someone tries to eat me, not sure how I'd fight back." The response earns a half-joking glare from Tony. "Yeah, well, me neither, so don't get eaten. Actually, just don't do anything I wouldn't do." Tony says, and all Peter can do is stare at him in disbelief.
"So, do you want to go through the list of all the stuff you've done, or am I going to start selling weapons of mass destruction tonight?" Peter asks, and Tony tightly closes his eyes and pinches the bridge of his nose. The older man does end up sighing, "Yeah, that's fair, don't do anything I would do then. Now shoo, Ted is probably waiting for you." Tony presses a kiss to his temple, and Peter rolls his eyes. "You know his name, Tony!" Peter shouted out to the man as he walked off, most likely to his lab, or maybe his room, to get changed out of his suit.
Tony just gave an exaggerated shrug, looking back at Peter, "I have no idea what you're talking about!" Tony shouted back and rounded the corner with a simple wave. Peter couldn't help but laugh, and not one of those fake ones he has to force out at school, or when Steve or Bucky tells a joke that goes straight over his head. Tony just has that effect, he guesses - not like he'll ever tell him, it'll just boost his ego.
Thankfully, there was no more surprise Avengers he had to get past as he made his way into the elevator, directing FRIDAY to take him down to the lobby.