Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

1

Peter woke with a start, his alarm clock buzzing loudly right beside his bed. He quickly reached over to shut the darn contraption off and stared up at the ceiling for a while. Today started another week of school. Horrible horrendous high school. Taking a deep breath, Peter rolled out of bed and sloppily made his way out of his room and to the bathroom.

He had a mouth full of toothpaste when there was a knock on the door. He gave a small grunt to acknowledge the person on the other side. The door opened as Peter began gargling some water to rinse out his mouth. Turning off the faucet he smiled at the man standing at the doorway. “Morning, sir.” He said, morning grogginess still in his throat. Steve, a captain in the military, did his morning checkup routinely. Peter never knew when his father was going to show up to make sure he was ready for school in a decent amount of time, but the times he didn't Peter always managed to be late for school, so this might be a good thing. “In my defense, the alarm clock never went off.” He lied sheepishly while Steve looked at his watch and crossed his arms.

“That’s funny, because I could have sworn I heard it go off at exactly zero-seven hundred hours.” He leaned against the door frame while Peter chewed the inside of his bottom lip and then smiled with a shrugged.

There was a small knock behind Steve and he turned to see Tony standing there, looking half asleep in a robe. “Leave the boy alone Steve. You’re just wasting his eating time.” He gave a small wink to Peter and shuffled into the bathroom. “Everyone get out! I gotta take a piss.”

The two other males left the bathroom and Peter quickly descended the stairs and half ran to the kitchen. Steve was close behind and made his way into the kitchen as well, watching Peter make a bowl of cereal. Peter tried not to look up as he sat at the table and shoved a spoonful of Frosted Flakes into his mouth. “Dad, am I about to get the only lecture about time? Again.” Peter let his spoon sit in the bowl as he finally looked up to eye the other.

Steve took a seat across from the teen and smiled. “No, I suppose I’ll spare you this morning. Hurry up though, I’ll drive you to school.”

Peter shook his head quickly. “No thanks. I don’t need to be showing up to school in your truck.”

“What’s wrong with my truck?!” Steve asked, eyebrows furrowing.

“It’s a piece of shit.” Tony said as he descended the stairs. He made his way into the kitchen and started making coffee. “I keep telling you to buy a new one.”

Crossing his arms and leaning back in his chair, Steve looked over at Tony. “Now that is a classic Ringbrothers 1958 Ford F-100.”

Peter snickered and looked over to Tony in the kitchen. “Hey dad, remember when we had to fix the engine three times in one hour?” He asked then shoved another spoonful of cereal into his mouth.

Tony laughed as he got a mug down from the cabinet. “I do. Damn thing belongs in a museum.”

Steve stood up abruptly from his seat and went into the other room, grabbing his coat and hat. Entering the kitchen again, he snatched up his keys and pointed to the teen. “Laugh all you want. But I better not get another phone call about you being late, Peter.”

“Yes sir.” Peter looked down at his almost empty cereal bowl and suddenly didn’t feel that hungry. Once Steve had given Tony a quick kiss and ruffled Peter’s hair, he left and Peter placed his bowl in the sink. “Why is he always so uptight?” Peter asked Tony.

Tony took a sip of his coffee and leaned against the counter. “Military life. That’s what it does to people.” He looked out the window and took another sip from his mug. “Get dressed, I’ll drive you to school.”

0o0o0o

Peter arrived to school on time thanks to his father’s crazy fast driving. He shoved his winter coat and scarf into his locker and pulled out all the books he’ll be needing for his morning classes. Slamming his locker shut, he ran down the halls, sliding a few times on the melted snow filled floors. He barged into the classroom just as the bell rang, getting the attention from the teacher and all of his classmates. Quickly feeling his face go red, he looked down and made his way to his seat. Sitting down, he didn’t bother to look up at the teacher who he knew was still watching him.

“Late Rogers-Stark.” The teacher said as he made his way around his desk and to the board.

At this Peter looked up at the man who now had his back turned to him. “What?! But I made it in the classroom before the bell rang!” He watched as the teacher, along with the rest of the class turned to look at him.

The teacher moved his glasses down the bridge of his nose and shook his head. “Your behind needs to be in your seat before the bell rings in order to be on time in my class young man.” With that he pushed his glasses back up his nose and turned back to the board. “Now class, let's open your textbooks to page one-eighty-four.”

Peter felt his stomach sink. There goes another L on his attendance mark and his loving military father was going to have a fit. He opened his textbook to the assigned page and laid his head down, suddenly not caring about the lesson. This teacher had it out for him. Ever since that time Peter corrected him on a math problem which the teacher was positive was his way or no way. But Peter was smart and knew the teacher was wrong. So in front of everyone, he proved the teacher wrong. Ever since then, the teacher has grabbed any little excuse to get Peter into trouble.

“Head up in my class, Peter!” The teacher yelled.

Sighing, Peter slowly rose up into a sitting position. He rested his chin in his palm and stared at the board. All this was easy. Peter had his father, Tony, to thank for teaching him a bunch of complicated stuff early on. He grew a love of science thanks to Tony. So math seemed to come naturally to him since it shared a link with science so often. Peter felt a rough nudge on his back and he sighed, turning around slightly to see his school bully smirking at him. Peter rolled his eyes and turned back around.

The teacher gave them a set of problems to do and then sat at his desk. Peter set to doing the work in his notebook quickly, wanting to complete them so he could nap the rest of the track. Another nudge on his back told him this was going to be anything but a smooth class today. Peter turned around once more. “What, Flash?” He asked just above a whisper.

Flash tossed his notebook at Peter and sat back in his seat. “Do the problems for me.” He looked to his little goon friend sitting next to him and smiled.

Feeling the trouble today, Peter turned around, Flash’s book in his hands and set off to doing every problem wrong. He finished off his own work before handing Flash back his notebook and standing to hand his work in to the teacher. The teacher looked most unpleasant at having Peter up there first, but checked off his work and half congratulated him on getting them all right.

Taking his seat, Peter watched as Flash got up from his seat with only a minute left of class to get his work checked off. Grabbing his bag and shoving his books into it, Peter watched as the teacher looked over the work and shook his head. He’ll have to run to his next class if he didn’t want to go home with a black eye. Flash turned to glare at him, and Peter couldn’t help the smirk that came onto his face. Now Peter watched the clock as Flash returned to his seat. Ten seconds to go. He was already halfway off his seat. The sound of books being shoved quickly into a bag behind him. Five seconds.

The bell rang and Peter flew out his seat and out the door quickly. But he knew Flash was just as quick to chasing after him. Running down the hall, he shoved his way into the staircase and flew down the stairs, skipping some, in hopes of making it to his next class without a sore rib. “Peter!” He heard from way too close behind him. As he pushed through the doors into the next hallway, it was packed with students. Peter pushed through the crowd and receiving complaints from the students around him. Someone tripped him, and Peter hit the floor hard, pain shooting up his elbow. He rolled over, grabbing at his elbow and sighing in pain.

When he noticed Flash push through the now formed circle, Peter scrambled to his feet and made to get away. Flash was quick to grab Peter’s backpack and yank him back. Peter turned quickly to face Flash in hopes of blocking what he knew would be a hurtful blow. Not quick enough. Flash’s fist hit Peter hard on the corner of his left eye. Before Peter could come back from that blow, there was another fist hitting him hard in his stomach. Doubling over did nothing as Flash pulled Peter upright once more and hit him in the face, this time Peter was so dazed he didn’t exactly know where he was hit.

Suddenly Peter was looking up at Flash. He must have fallen to the floor from that last hit. Boot made contact with his rib. So much for trying to make it to class with his ribs not hurting. “Trying to make me look like an idiot, huh?!” Flash yelled.

Peter could hardly hear the words coming out his mouth, but he understood them. Even the cheers from the crowd seemed distant. “You…are an idiot…Flash.” Peter managed to choke out.

Another boot to his ribs. These were going to stay bruised for a long time if they weren’t already broken. He sure did feel the pain as if they were. Flash continued his questions, Peter coming to at the last one. “Are you that pathetic? Fag fathers, no friends, no life. Are you a faggot too? Huh?!”

Now Peter had done a lot of internal therapy to not take anything Flash says seriously. But at this moment with his head pounding, ribs burning, stomach on the verge of sending his morning cereal to his throat, those words hurt. He loved his fathers, and didn’t care if he had friends or not. And in the end, it was he, Peter Rogers-Stark, that would have an outstanding life, not Eugene ‘Flash’ Thompson. Blood seemed to rush back into his head and Peter began to rise to his feet. It wasn’t for long though as Peter received another punch to his stomach and was once more down on the floor.

“Flash!” Peter heard someone yell. There was arguing. Yelling. But of what Peter had no idea. The bell rang and the first stupid thought that came to Peter’s mind was that he was late to class again. “Hey.” Someone said to him, snapping their fingers in front of his face.

Peter blinked a few times, not realizing his eyes were closed in the first place. He looked around to the empty hallways and then up at the person sitting beside him. “Gwen…Stacy?” He asked, attempting to sit up but feeling his head spin like crazy and lay back down.

Nodding, Gwen turned his face from side to side, checking for bruising and cuts. “Yes, and your name is?”

“Peter.” He replied, closing his eyes once more, but the snaps woke him up quickly.

Gwen shook her head. “No sleeping. Come on, we have to get you to the nurse.”

Peter quickly shook his head and pulled together all the energy he could muster and stood up. He hated school nurses. Not only did they never know what they were doing, but they would call someone to come and pick him up or inform them of what happened and the last thing he needed was either one of his father’s coming down here. Especially Steve. Peter had been humiliated enough for one day. “No, I’m okay really. Just late to class. And I made you late. I’m so sorry.” The words came out in a rush, stumbling over one another that he’s not sure if Gwen even heard them all.

Raising an eyebrow, Gwen held up her hand. “How many fingers am I holding up?” She asked.

Peter looked to her hand. “One of those punches must have messed up my glasses.” He said sheepishly. In truth, the room was spinning and all he wanted to do was go to sleep. It was a nanosecond later that cold water was being splashed on his face. Peter woke with a start and stood up abruptly. He looked around to see he was in a school bathroom. The worst part was it was the girl’s bathroom. “What?” He asked, suddenly feeling wide awake as the cold water dripped down to his shirt, making his chest feel cold.

The faucet was shut off and the sound of heels brought Peter to look at his caretaker. Gwen grabbed some paper towels from the dispenser and patted Peter’s face dry. He was in such shock and flustered that he just watched as she carefully dried the now swollen bruises on his face. “Don’t worry, no one comes in this bathroom. Hasn’t worked all year. Except the sinks of course.” She tossed the paper towels into the nearby trash.

Still in a stunned state, Peter just stared at her. He caught himself and shook his head, attempting to clear it and looked down. “I--” He began but didn’t know what else to say. Well, he did, he wanted to thank her for stopping Flash, for helping him clean up, for taking care of him when everyone else just stood around and watched. This Gwen Stacy was something else. And he knew her. Not exactly know her, but knew her. He’s seen her around school. He shares three classes with her. He knows she’s on the debate team and that she’s super smart. He knows that she’s very beautiful and that he’s had a crush on her since the first time he ever lay eyes on her back in freshman year. He also knows until today, he’s never spoken to her before. And now she knows him as the wimp who got beat up by Flash. Again.

She eyed him and raised her brows. “Are you feeling okay?”

Peter quickly looked back up at her and nodded in response, giving a sheepish smile. “Yeah.” He managed to choke out of his throat. “Thanks.” He added in a rush.

Smiling at him, Gwen picked up her bag and books, also handing Peter his bag. “You’re welcome. Might want to get class before you miss the whole thing.” She spoke kindly and softly.

Whether it was to be kind to his throbbing head or because she was just sweet, Peter didn’t know, but he took his bag from her and nodded, smiling a bit wider. “Right.”

Gwen said her goodbye, Peter waved, and she left the bathroom. Peter hung back for a bit, relishing in the kindness of this girl whom he never thought would give him the time of day in any situation. Also in hopes that by standing here the swelling in his face would go down. Placing his backpack on the floor, Peter lifted his shirt to see his ribs and parts of his stomach were bandaged. His face grew hot and he felt embarrassed all over again. Gwen had patched him up while he was unconscious. Or maybe he was awake, he just couldn’t remember. The point is she had seen him practically shirtless. Peter felt a large amount of hate for himself at that moment.

Pushing his shirt back down, he scooped up his backpack and walked with his head down out of the bathroom. He didn’t want to go back to class. Not after everyone had seen what happened. Not after no teacher came out into the hallway to help him. Not after Gwen had been so kind and he felt just so stupid. Running to his locker, he grabbed his coat and scarf, shoved his books into his locker, and left the building. He knew he could go home right now and not get into any trouble. His father’s worked long hours. It was rare if he got to see them come home at all. Most nights he spent eating dinner by himself.

Tony was the owner of Stark Industries. He built weapons even though he was against the idea completely and wished to one day make his company into something more humane, but as he states, it’s money. Steve was a captain in the military and was often at an office filling out paperwork or commanding a training base. Both of them did very amazing things in Peter’s eyes. Sometimes though it’d be nice to have dinner as a family like they used to when he was a kid.

Either way, Peter chose not to go home. Instead he ventured to the subway and made his way to Times Square. He listened to a few street performers play their homemade instruments and tossed a few bucks into the hat that was on the floor in front of them. Then he walked around the crowded streets and sat on the TKTS red stairs.

Feeling a bit hungry, Peter put on his hood and walked to the nearest hot dog vendor. He looked around at all the other people here and wondered if any of them have ever skipped school after getting beat up and humiliated in front of the girl you liked. Didn’t seem like it, seeing how there was a couple feeding French fries to one another. Looking down at his meal, Peter quickly finished and tossed everything into the trash.

He entered the subway once more and took the long ride down to Coney Island. The amusement park wasn’t opened and normally you weren’t allowed on the beach this time of year, but Peter went anyways and sat on the snow filled sand. It soaked his pants, but he didn’t care. He tossed a few snowballs lazily and watched as the waves crashed onto the shore, melting the snow and revealing the dark brown sand underneath. As he stared out at the water, his phone began to vibrate.

This could only mean one thing. The school called his parents and now one of them was calling to see where he was. If it’s Steve, it’s a loud phone call. If it’s Tony, it’s a calm but serious phone call. Pulling out his cell, he looked at the screen and cursed himself as a picture of Steve showed on the screen. He had to pick it up but he didn’t want to. In truth he was a bit scared. Sliding the green bar over, he placed the phone to his ear. “Hey dad.” He said, trying to keep the fear out of his voice.

“Where are you?” Steve replied roughly. Anger was clear in his voice, but Peter could hear the worry and panic in his voice as well.

Peter looked out to the water once again. “Coney Island.”

“Good, so am I. I’ll pick you up. Stay by the Cyclone.” With that he hung up.

Sighing, Peter lay back in the snow covered sand. He stared up at the cloudy sky and wondered just how long he would be grounded for this time. After a good five minutes, Peter gathered his bag and began walking toward the roller coaster. He stood there at the corner for another three minutes before his father’s ‘classic’ truck pulled up. Peter got in, keeping his hood on and looking out the window as Steve drove.

Steve turned the radio off and put the heat higher. “So, are you going to tell me what happened at school today?”

Peter stood quiet for a moment before looking down at his lap. “Just stupid stuff.” he mumbled.

“Can’t hear you. Speak up.” Steve said in his more military tone.

Peter couldn’t help but wince at the curtness of his father’s tone. “Just…stuff, sir.”

The truck came to a stop at a red light and Steve turned to look at Peter. “Like what?” Peter gave a shrug and Steve shook his head. “Not good enough. Peter look at me when I’m talking to you.”

When Peter shook his head and looked back out the window, the light turned green in his favor and Steve was forced to pay attention to the road. They were quiet the rest of the ride. The truck pulled up in front of their house and Peter grabbed his bag, opening the door quickly. “I’ll see you later.” He got out of the truck and shut the door, hurrying up the small steps to the door.

He heard the other door slam shut and the boots on the steps. “Peter, we still need to talk.”

“No, we don’t. I’m home now. You can go back to work.” Peter unlocked the door and made his way up the stairs.

Steve stepped inside and closed the door behind him. “Peter get down here!” He yelled. He waited a moment until Peter slowly descended halfway down the stairs. Steve pointed in front of him and Peter sighed, walking the rest of the way down the stairs to stand in front of the much taller man. “Take off the damn hood.” Steve said, crossing his arms.

Peter had no choice now. He took off the hood, but kept his head down. It didn’t take long for his father to notice the swellings. He placed his hand under Peter’s chin and lifted his head to get a better view. “Not as bad as it looks.” Peter said with a grin.

“What happened to you?” Steve said, worry clear in his voice.

“Bully is all.” Peter replied.

“Who?” Steve demanded. Shaking his head, Peter made his way into the dining area and took a seat, letting out a yelp of pain, regretting it as soon as his father walked in, demanding once more to know where else he was in pain. Peter lifted his shirt to show the bandaged up areas. Steve peeled off the bandages to reveal several dark bruises, though they seemed to be healing up quickly and evenly. Nothing broken. “At least you patched them up expertly.” Steve complimented.

Peter nodded and thanked Gwen a million times over in his mind for helping him heal faster. “You know the one I’m always talking about? Flash? Well, he did this.”

Nodding, Steve took a step back and sighed. “I see. Well, we’ll just have to give this Flash kid a little scare now, won’t we?”

“Oh gosh pops, please don’t.” Peter knew that Steve wasn’t afraid to teach a person a lesson or two. He’s done it before.

“You’re right. This is your battle. Just...do the right thing.” Steve fixed his cap and took his keys out of his pocket. “I’ve got to get back. But this conversation isn’t over young man. Room, now.”

“Yes sir.” Peter said, smiling at his father. It was nice to have Steve actually give him a chance to take care of something by himself. He made a mental note that his sometimes stuck up military father has a soft side that loves and worries for his family’s safety. He made another mental note to seriously thank Gwen tomorrow. Not only did she help him, but this gives him another chance to speak to her. And maybe it will turn into more chances. Peter lay on his bed, the pain of the day kicking in once more. He got up, took some aspirin, and threw himself back on the bed, pulling the covers over him and finally going to sleep.

0o0o0o

When Peter awoke again his room was dark. There was some shuffling downstairs and he could smell a smoky sauce in the air. Getting up hurt, a lot. He left his room and quickly jumped in the shower. The hot water did little to stop the pain, but it released some of his tense muscles. That was a plus. Getting out, he dried himself and tied the towel around his waist. Heading back into his room, he pulled out a pair of winter pajamas and put them on, noticing as he buttoned his shirt that the bruises on his stomach and chest were just about gone.

Walking downstairs, Peter entered the kitchen where he found Tony over the stove, an apron over his suit minus the jacket, and Steve at the counter dicing up tomatoes in his own uniform minus the jacket. He didn’t speak as he watched them for a moment. There was no memory of these two ever cooking at the same time and as of late years, either of them cooking at all. Especially not dinner. Crossing his arms, Peter leaned against the wall and cleared his throat, grabbing both of the male’s attention. Tony smiled and motioned to the cabinets. “Care to set the table.” It wasn’t a question but more of a do-this-now demand.

Reaching over the cabinet nearest Steve, Peter made eye contact for a moment and they smiled at each other. Peter could already tell what the dinner conversation was going to be, but he didn’t fear it now as he did earlier. Not after what Steve had told him before he knocked out. But he did still have to explain to Tony why he had some bruises on his face. Good thing everything seems to have swelled down after his nap. Setting the table, Peter sat in his chair and watched as his father’s finish up their cooking.

Steve took his seat as Tony brought a hot pan around and placed hot spaghetti onto each of their plates. Setting the pot back onto the stove, Tony then brought three water bottles to the table and handed them around before finally taking his seat. “Dinner is served!” He boasted proudly. “This pasta is handmade, so hope you enjoy it. I’ve never made it before. Might kill all of us.” He picked up his fork and twirled it around in the strings, moving them to soak up the sauce.

Eyeing the plate, Peter now feared for his life. But he picked up the fork anyways and twirled some strings onto it. Bringing the fork up to his lips, he looked around the table and realized his fathers were at the same position. They all gave a small nod and shoved the forks into their mouths. Peter first tasted the sauce which must have been home made. It was bursting with way too much tomato paste and what he thought to be pepper. The pasta was a bit stale and probably not cooked all the way through. But it was the first meal they’ve all had together in a long time and Peter was determined to make the best out of it. He swallowed and looked to Tony with a smile. “It’s good.” He said in the most delighted tone he could muster up.

Steve on the other hand, dropped his fork onto the plate and sat back in his chair. “This sucks.” Closing his eyes for a moment, Peter looked over at Steve and raised his eyebrows. Sighing, Steve picked his fork back up and smiled at Tony. “I’m just messing with you. It’s…good.” He twirled some more strings around his fork and took his time in bringing it back up to his lips.

Looking back and forth, Tony placed his fork back into the spaghetti and shrugged, looking to Peter. “Steve made the sauce.” He accused.

Realizing the blame was being put on him, Steve dropped his fork once more and sat back in his chair again. “Oh, so it’s my fault now?”

“I’m not saying that. I’m just saying you made the sauce.” Tony set his fork down as well. “So defensive. Do you not like your own sauce?”

Glaring a bit at the other man and crossing his arms, Steve continued to bicker. “My sauce is awesome. You love my sauce.”

“Okay! Whoa!” Peter dropped his own fork and pushed his chair back away from the table. “Where is this going?” He held up his arms close to his ears, ready to cover them in any moments need.

Tony and Steve glanced at each other and then looked down to their plates. It was Tony that looked up at Peter first and motioned for him to sit close to the table once more. “Sorry son. We didn’t mean to…argue.” Picking his fork back up, Tony looked down at his plate. “Peter, what happened at school today? Heard there was some incident.”

Peter knew Steve was listening intently even though he didn’t look up as he shoved another forkful of food into his mouth and reaching for his water bottle just as fast. Motioning his own fork around the plate, Peter shrugged his shoulders. When this got Steve to finally look up from his food, Peter took a deep breath and thought of what to exactly tell his parents. He couldn’t really tell them that this guy usually threatens him into doing his work just enough so he can pass. Or that out on the field or court this same guy often has a knack for tossing a ball Peter’s way when he wasn’t paying attention. Or that this same guy tossed him into a very filthy garbage can just last week.

But he had to tell them something. And if he worked around this right, seeing how they already knew some of his history with Flash that he’s told them, he might get out of this with no punishment for leaving school grounds. He shoved some food into his mouth and chewed on it quickly, then took a large gulp of water. “Um, that Flash guy I told you about before, he uh, thought I called him an idiot.” He shoved another forkful of food into his mouth, letting this sink into his parent’s heads.

Tony shrugged his shoulders as he looked at Peter. “But he is an idiot.” Unable to help the laugh that escaped him, Peter clamped his hand over his mouth. Steve on the other hand nudged Tony. “Right, sorry. So what, you called him an idiot. And that gave him an excuse to beat the hell out of you?”

Nodding and shrugging his shoulders at the same time, Peter took another gulp of his water. “In his mind, it is. Anyways, I got my behind beat. But Gwen helped me patch up so everything is cool.” Wait, did he really just say her name? To his father's? Peter could feel his face fall as he slowly looked up at the two men whom exchanged a glance and then looked to Peter. He could already hear the millions of questions coming at him, but if he answered the first one right, he could change it from millions to just a few.

Smirking a mile wide, Tony set his fork down and leaned back in his chair, water bottle in hand. “So, who’s this…Gwen?” He rolled the name out in a soft purr and giggled before taking a sip of water.

Peter was shaking his head already. “No one. I mean, she is someone--but no one that I--we’ve never even-- until today but.” He took a breath, hating himself for answering that first question in the worst possible way. His face felt as hot as it was probably red and he looked down at his knees.

“Quite the stutter, Peter.” Tony boasted. “That’s how we could always tell you were nervous.”

This was just horrible. Peter didn’t want them making comments at him for liking someone, but he didn’t want to put Gwen’s name in a bad way. Mustering up his words, Peter looked back at his parents and gave a small grin. “Her name is Gwen Stacy. She helped me out today. After Flash that is. Gave me some medicine or something. After Flash.” He stopped and took a deep breath. Repeating himself was going to get him nowhere. “She’s a really nice girl.” Peter couldn’t help the genuine soft smile that came onto his lips as he thought of her wiping his face after the cold water woke him.

The two adult males were quiet for a moment, watching Peter with interest. Giving each other another glance, Steve cleared his throat and got up from his seat. “Well good for her. But you left school grounds during school hours. Punishment, finish eating and then clean the dishes.”

Peter just nodded and kept his smile on. The thought of Gwen’s kindness melted his heart in a positive way. Finishing this meal was going to be a piece of cake. And he never minded cleaning up. He did it every day anyways. When all was said and done, Peter made his way into his room and finished up the homework assignment from the only class he made it to. Pushing his book bag to the side, he opened up the side draw of his desk and pulled out his camera. Peter had saved up a lot of allowances to purchase this camera, and since Christmas wasn’t far off, he planned to take some pictures of the decorated houses tomorrow after school. This was a favorite hobby of his, and he figured it would clear his mind greatly. There was a knock on the door and Peter set the camera down atop his desk. “Come in!” He called as he dug in his drawer once more for a memory card to put into the camera.

The door opened and Tony leaned against the door frame in his robe and smiled at the teen. “Hey kiddo. Just wishing you a good night.”

“Night dad.” Peter said, looking up and smiling at his father, then setting back to his task.

Tony made to leave, but then turned back. “Hey, Peter. Next time, give that kid a run for his money.” When Peter looked up at him, Tony winked and then closed the door.

Peter giggled to himself. The day he could take on Flash would be the day he could fly through the streets of New York City. But it was fun to mess with the big dumbass. Maybe when it gets warmer, he’ll lead Flash and his coon pack on a wild chase around the city on his skateboard. Finding the memory card, he shoved it into its slot and turned the camera on. An empty card. Perfect. Everything was set and ready for tomorrow and Peter decided to call it a night, shutting off the light and crawling into bed.

Chapter Text

2

The sound of the lenses capturing the picture made Peter smile. It had been such a long time since he snapped a picture and it delighted him. But this was just the day time, Peter longed for the sun to set so the holiday lights would come on and he could snap pictures of that. It was warming and he loved the way the lights from the decorations danced in the final outcome of the pictures. Some he kept original, when they were brighter than the sun. He let his camera hang on its strap around his neck as he continued walking the rest of the way to school. This morning he had been up bright and early, eager to get out and catch a few morning pictures before the morning buzz filled and blocked the sights.

It was a sure fact that Steve was shocked to see his son up before himself, but he felt proud and delighted and they made breakfast together. Tony had walked down the stairs into the smell of eggs, toast, and bacon. Though he nagged about not smelling coffee, he thanked his family for the meal before heading off to work. Steve had done the same and Peter was last to leave the house. Still, it was a hell of a lot earlier than he was used to. So here he stood now in front of the school to a practically empty parking lot.

Taking up his camera again, Peter stood in the middle of the parking lot and snapped a picture of the school building. It looked eerie this empty so early in the morning. The sun was up, but the clouds covering it gave it a gloom depressed look. Perfect for a high school. Peter smiled at the thought and took a few more shots. There were some soft footsteps behind him but he paid no mind, simply checking his camera, trying not to be caught taking pictures of the school. Others didn’t understand photography like him.

The footsteps continued and there was a soft laugh. “Those will have a lot of meaning behind them.” A soft voice said.

Peter immediately recognized the voice as Gwen’s and he turned around quickly to see her standing just a few steps away from him. He smiled at her and waved a shy hand, letting his camera go so it hung once more. “Morning.” He said just above a whisper. He hated his shyness.

Gwen waved in return and smiled. “Morning. You look better.” She complimented.

Running a hand over his face quickly, Peter felt no swelling but knew there were still light bruises on his face. “Thanks.” He said, this time a little louder. “I also--thank...for yesterday, you know?” He spoke with his hands moving all over the place and quickly shoved them into his pockets. Looking down to the snow covered ground and smiling.

Unable to help it, Gwen laughed and took a few steps closer. “It’s no problem. But I wasn’t talking about the bruises. You look better. Happier than I’ve seen you in the last few weeks.” She came to a stop just in front of him now.

Looking up, Peter held back his most inner thought. She said the last few weeks. That means she noticed him. Watched him. Probably not as much as he watched her, but she noticed and that was enough to make Peter smile a mile wide at her. “I got my camera back.” He felt sheepish as the words came out his mouth. He gave a small laugh and fingered the camera a bit. “Uh, I mean I didn’t lose it or anything. I just hadn’t really had the muse to take photos lately.” He bit his bottom lip.

Nodding her head, Gwen looked at the camera and gave it a poke. “I can see that.” She said, placing her hands into her pockets. “The pictures of the school, they’ll give off a great sense of gloom. The snow, all the dead trees, the dark clouds. Kinda expresses almost every student’s emotions here.” Tilting her head to the side, she eyed Peter, waiting for a response.

He was amazed that she understood his world of photographic meaning. He tried to say something, but it ended with just his mouth opening and closing a few times before he smiled and nodded his head a few times. When Gwen nodded her head as well, they both broke out into small laughter. Peter seemed to relax a bit and let his shoulders drop. “Yeah, that’s the exact concept I was aiming for.” He finally said, all of it coming out smooth and not in a fit of broken words and stutters.

“Well, I’d love to see them when they are developed.” Gwen said, kicking at some snow.

Peter nodded enthusiastically. “Yeah of course. You like photography?” He asked. He noticed one of his hands made its way out of his pocket and moved as he spoke. Quickly he shoved it back into his pocket.

“Yeah.” Gwen said quickly. “I mean, I’ve never done any myself. But I’ve always loved to interpret what others capture.” She spoke in a rush and then smiled after, laughing.

That lovely sound of her laughter touched Peter’s heart and he just stood there with a smile on his face. An idea hit him and his hands flew out of his pockets. “Hey, I’m going out snapping pictures of the holiday decorations tonight. Do you--” He stopped, his voice suddenly catching in his throat. Was he really just about to ask Gwen Stacy out? What if she rejected him? His face would turn beet red and then he’ll be way too embarrassed to even meet her eye to eye.

“I’d love too.” Gwen said softly. She looked around and noticed more people had arrived, the front doors now open. “Come on, let’s get out of this cold.” She intertwined her arm with Peter’s and they began walking toward the school.

Peter could not figure out how he wasn’t melting into the snow right now, or how his legs were even moving. It sure wasn’t on his own because his mind couldn’t focus on walking. All he could think about was his arm wrapped with Gwen’s own and how fast his heart was beating. He heard the whispers around him, saw the faces turning their way, but he didn’t care. If this moment could last forever, he’d capture it on his camera and print it immediately. But it also scared him.

They walked into the building and separated to go to their separate lockers. They weren’t far, so Peter quickly shoved his coat and scarf into his locker, taking out the books he’ll need and kept his camera around his neck. Slamming his locker a little harder than necessary, Peter half ran over to Gwen’s locker, smiling as he leaned on the lockers next to her own.

Gwen took out one last book and closed her locker. “So, where are we going tonight?”

Peter looked up to the ceiling, the smile never leaving his face. It wouldn’t even if he tried. “I was thinking around east midtown. They have a bunch of houses there that decorate every year.” He looked back down at her, holding his books in one arm and keeping his other firmly in his pocket.

She nodded her head and pursed her lips in approval. “Sounds like a plan.”

“Do you like pizza?” Peter asked in a rush. The words escaped his mouth before he could catch them. This definitely wasn’t him. Something must have taken over his body to speak so boldly, so clear. Maybe Flash’s punches unscrewed something in his head. Gwen nodded and Peter smirked. “There’s this great oven baked pizzeria on Second Avenue. We could swing by there after if you wish.” The words came out slow and low, but he knew they were even so he felt proud of himself.

The smile that spread across Gwen’s face was the brightest he’d had ever seen. “Peter Rogers-Stark, are you asking me out on a date?” She dropped her head a bit and looked up at him from under her eyelashes.

Once more Peter went to say something but nothing came out, his eyebrows raised. He took a deep breath and smiled, shaking his head a bit but not enough to say no. “I didn’t--I mean if you want…or there, so--it’s up to you really--that place is really nice.” He leaned off the lockers and swayed on his heels.

“Yeah, that place.” Gwen giggled. She took out a piece of paper and started scribbling something on it and then handing it to Peter. “Here is my number. Give me a call after school around seven and we’ll meet up.”

Peter took the paper and shoved it in his pocket. “Right, cool.” The bell rang loudly over their heads and Peter realized just then that the hallways were filled with many students now all scrambling to get to class on time. “So, seven. Phone. I’ll call you.”

Gwen nodded her head and took a few steps back. “Yep. Okay, see you later.” She turned on her heels and walked away, taking a glance back and smiling at him once more.

0o0o0o

Peter paced in his room, his cell phone in one hand, the paper with Gwen’s number in the other. He dialed the number already but had yet to press the call button. It wasn’t seven yet. It was five minutes till and he counted down the seconds. His heart pounded, his face hot with nerves. He couldn’t help thinking the negatives of what this phone call could bring. Perhaps she’d cancel and then he’ll go out to take the pictures alone. He didn’t mind going alone, but the thought that Gwen was supposed to be there as well would give him an unsettling feeling in his stomach and he wouldn’t enjoy the night.

There was a knock on his door and Peter came to a halt. He hadn’t realized anyone else was home. Rushing over to the door, he opened it quickly. “What?” He asked once the door was fully open, regretting it the instant he saw Steve standing there, his eyebrows furrowed and his arms coming up to his chest, crossing over. Peter cleared his throat and swallowed a few times. “I mean, uh…yes, sir?” He asked in a rush of words.

Steve tilted his head to the side and glanced Peter up and down for a moment. “Going somewhere?” He asked, obviously amused.

Nodding, Peter looked down at his clothes. He wore light blue jeans and a button down red shirt, the top two buttons open. He looked back at his father and smiled a bit. “Going out to take pictures.” He had to admit his attire said differently, but that actually was the truth.

“Guess we just decided to forget that you left school yesterday and are grounded?” Steve smirked, obviously toying with his son.

Peter felt his heart fall into the pit of his stomach and frowned. “Wait...you guys never said anything about being grounded. You said to do the dishes.” He quickly tried to come to his own defense, but anything against Steve was futile.

Steve acted as though he were seriously considering the argument before shrugging and looked around the room. “What’s all the noise up here anyway?” Steve finally asked, leaning against the doorframe.

Peter shook his head, confused. He wasn’t making noise was he? “Nothing.” He spoke softly.

Staying there for a moment longer, Steve straightened up and ruffled Peter’s hair. “Just press the call button.” With that he walked down the hall and descended the stairs.

Peter looked at the time and closed the door quickly. It was one minute to seven and he decided the last minute shouldn’t matter. He pressed the call button and placed the phone to his ear, taking a seat on his bed. His leg continued to shake as the phone rang and Peter had to hold it down. It stopped ringing and he heard her soft voice on the other end. “Hello?” She answered and Peter was stuck for a moment.

He cleared his throat quickly and smiled. “Hey Gwen. It’s Peter.”

“Peter!” She responded and he was certain she was smiling into the receiver. “Gotta save your number into my phone.”

It was like a dream come true. Her number in his phone and his in hers. It just all seemed so cereal. “Um, are we still on?” He found it easier to talk to her on the phone rather than in person where he had to keep himself from blushing.

She giggled on the other end. “Of course. Where are we meeting up?”

Peter already had this planned out. He picked up a piece of paper on his desk and began reading off the directions he wrote. “We can meet up on Thirty-Third Street...Lexington Avenue. We can walk it from there.”

“Okay, I’ll head out now.” She responded and Peter could hear some shuffling and a door close.

“Yeah, okay, so I’ll see you in a bit.” When she agreed, they said their goodbyes and hung up. Peter shoved his phone into his pocket and grabbed his camera and wallet. He ran down the stairs and quickly got his sneakers on, grabbing his coat and keys.

Tony walked over to where Peter stood and smiled at him. “Be careful out there.” He said, taking a sip from his beer bottle.

Nodding, Peter took the beer bottle from him and rushed over to the kitchen to pour its contents out. “The doctor said a month without it dad.” He tossed the glass bottle into the trash and then headed back to the door.

Pouting, Tony crossed his arms. “It was just one. Your less cool father said you were going out to take pictures?” When Peter nodded his head, Tony moved into the living room and motioned for Peter to follow. Taking a seat, Tony crossed his arms and eyed his son. “I know it’s not by yourself. It’s not with him, is it?”

He knew who Tony was referring to. Looking down, Peter shook his head slightly. He hadn’t thought about him in a long time. In the last year, Peter chose to focus on school and not pay attention to what had happened. “N-no, dad. He’s gone.” His words were just loud enough to be heard.

“Who is it with then?” Tony questioned, his tone a little lighter than before.

Peter still wasn’t ready to say he was going somewhere with anyone. He knew it was just Tony being protective of him because of what happened. But he didn’t want them to put their two sense in. For some reason, it boiled Peter’s blood. That’s what made shit hit the fan last time. “By myself, dad. I’m going out by myself. Can I go now?”

Tony heard the aggression. It wasn’t well hidden and he wasn’t too sure Peter was even trying to hide it. Giving a small nod, Tony cleared his throat and stood up. “Okay. You need any money?” He asked as he dug into his pocket and took out his wallet despite Peter’s protest. “No, here, take it. It’s just twenty bucks.”

Peter took the money and thanked his father before leaving the house and speed walking to the train. He didn’t want Gwen to get there before him and have to wait in the cold and the dark, plus he needed to cool off before getting there. He was lucky to catch the F train just as he swiped his metrocard and took a seat. Fiddling with his camera, Peter made sure all the settings were correct and snapped a few pictures of the practically empty train. He’ll edit the people’s faces later.

The train stopped at the 63rd street station in which he transferred to the six train. Peter felt that he was making good timing and within the next twenty minutes he had made it to his destination. Gwen wasn’t there yet and he was happy about that, but of course his mind began rummaging through the negatives. Maybe this was a trick and she wasn’t going to come. Maybe she would tell everyone how he waited out there in the cold and dark for her and she had no intentions of going in the first place. Just as he began feeling that unsettlement in his stomach, he felt a pat on the back and turned to see Gwen smiling up at him.

He sighed in relief and blushed when she gave him a greeting hug. “Glad you made it.” He said, his throat drier than he thought. Quickly he cleared his throat and smiled at her. “This way.” He said, pointing in the direction.

They began to walk and soon enough the lined houses came into view. They were decorated practically ground to roof in lights and signs. Peter turned on his camera and began snapping away. Gwen watched him with a smile, she spoke about how she loved the decorations and which were her favorites. “Can you teach me?” She asked suddenly.

Peter looked up from his camera. “How to take a picture?”

Gwen shook her head as she walked up to where Peter stood in front of a blue lit house. “How to be a photographer for the night.” She spoke in a whisper.

Goosebumps traveled up Peter’s arms and he nodded his head with a crooked smile, taking his camera from around his neck and handing it to Gwen. He faced her toward the house and stood behind her, guiding her hands on the camera and glad she couldn’t see the blush on his face, because he knew he was redder than a beet. “You twist this here to zoom in. Twist the second one to get it into focus.” He spoke right next to her ear lowly. Peter doesn’t know what was coming over him, but he felt this boost of confidence to be this comfortable with Gwen.

She followed everything he said, leaning back to rest her back against his chest. He prayed she couldn’t feel his heart pounding. “Like this?” She asked, repeating what he had guided her hands to do.

Peter nodded quickly, guiding her hands to new spots on the camera. “This is to set the mode. This is to shut on and off the flash. And this is to take the picture.” He let her go and took a few steps back. “Angle however you want and take the picture when you feel it’s right.”

Gwen nodded and looked at the house, moving around before finally bringing the camera up to her eyes and taking a picture. She smiled as she walked over to Peter and handed him back the camera. “Let me know how it looks.” She said happily.

“I’m sure it looks beautiful.” Peter said and then stumbled over his next few words before sighing and giving Gwen a small smile. “May I?” He asked, holding the camera up. Gwen nodded and posed in front of one of the houses. Peter angled his camera a few different ways, taking multiple pictures. When he felt he got the right one, he put the camera back around his neck and they moved to the end of the block.

He let Gwen take a few more pictures, she even took some of him which he didn’t mind but he wasn’t one for being in pictures. He half smiled in almost all of them and shied away on a few. Gwen stopped in front of a house that had a tree decorated and called Peter over. “Let’s take a picture together.”

Peter felt his face heat up for the millionth time that night as he walked over to Gwen. They stood close together as he held the camera out in front of them and snapped a picture. They shared a laugh and took a few more on Gwen’s command. A funny face picture, a cheesy smile one, a serious one. After that, Peter began leading Gwen to the pizzeria. “Thanks for coming with me. It was really fun.” Peter said as he shut off his camera.

Gwen slid her arm into his and giggled. “It was fun for me too. I can’t wait to taste this pizza you spoke of.”

Nodding, Peter spoke of the first time his father’s took him there when he was smaller. Afterwards they would go to the movie theater across the street and Tony would always insist on bringing a pack of Zeppole from the pizzeria in as a snack. Gwen listened and laughed. Peter felt more comfortable than he did earlier with all of his negative thoughts. She was really cool. Way cooler than he had thought. And he was really liking her. Once they made it to the place, Peter ordered two oven baked slices and four Zeppole before he and Gwen took a seat. He felt happy that he could pay for the meal. It showed Gwen, he hoped, that he was a gentlemen and would never let a woman pay for a meal.

The place was hot compared to the outside freezing air so the two took off their coats and scarves. Peter gave Gwen a quick up and down look. She wore her usual knee high boots and tight dark blue jeans with a gorgeous emerald green blouse. His voice caught in his throat and he held his breath for a moment. Finally catching himself, he cleared his throat and smiled when Gwen looked up at him. “You look amazing.” He said in a half whisper. Peter cursed himself in his mind, he wanted to say that clear and loud to really let her know. Not to let her know that he was too breath-taken away. He chewed on his bottom lip and looked down, feeling like a wimp.

Gwen chuckled and took his hand, causing him to look up at her. “Thank you, Peter.” She whispered in return, smiling. “You look dashing yourself.”

Peter continued to curse himself because he couldn’t peel his eyes off of Gwen’s which means she could definitely see the blush that was playing across his face. He closed his hand in hers and smirked. “Thanks.” He still spoke in a whisper and excused himself to go and get their readied pizzas. Upon returning he placed the pizza’s down and set the bag with the Zeppole to the side. “Careful, it’s hot.” He went back to grab their drinks and then sat back down.

The steam from the pizza could be seen and they had a fun moment blowing the steam at one another. Finally when the pizza had cooled down a bit, he and Gwen took a bite. “Oh gosh!” Gwen boasted. “You’re right, this pizza is good!”

Laughing, Peter took another bite from his own pizza. “Oven baked really gets the flavor in it.” He felt accomplished that Gwen liked the pizza. This was a good thing. She had fun taking pictures and now she was enjoying dinner. Yes, this was really good. They spoke as they ate their pizzas and once they finished Peter pulled over the bag of Zeppole. “These treats are simple but awesome. They are messy though.” He handed one to Gwen and took one for himself.

Together they bit into their Zeppole, each getting the white powdered sugar all over their fingers and lips. They laughed as they wiped their mouths with napkins. “It really is delicious.” Gwen commented, taking another bite.

Peter gave himself another prop in his mind. Picture fun, good dinner, and delicious snacks. This night was turning out better than he could have ever hoped for. Once they were done, they thanked the chefs and left, arm in arm, back into the cold. They walked back to the train, talking about school and what they had planned for the holidays. They rode the six train together, taking a few more pictures. “What stop do you get off on?” Peter asked her as he placed his camera back around his neck.

“Grand central.” She answered, resting her head on Peter’s shoulder.

Once again he prayed she couldn’t feel his heart pounding. Peter looked to his watch, it was really late. “I’ll walk you home. Make sure you get there okay.”

Gwen looked up at him and smiled softly. “Thanks Peter.” She then rested her head back on his shoulder.

They transferred trains and then rode the second one for a while. Peter stood awake while Gwen fell asleep on his shoulder. He thought the day through and just kept feeling like the luckiest guy in the world. Here he was with the girl he’s been crushing on for four years trusting him. Spending a night out with him and sleeping on his shoulder as he took her home. Never in a million years did Peter think this would happen to him. But it is happening. Right here, right now, and he figured he literally was the luckiest guy in the world. If not luckiest, then damn sure he was the happiest. They were rounding her stop and Peter lightly shook her, calling her name softly.

Blinking a few times, Gwen sat up straight and rubbed her eyes. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to doze off.” She said groggily.

Shaking his head, Peter stood up and helped her up as well. “It’s okay.” Exiting the train, they walked in a comfortable silence to her apartment building. Peter noticed it was a very tall building at first and looked very classy. The doorman out in front nodded his head to Gwen and smiled as he opened the door and let them in. They took the elevator up to the twentieth floor.

When it opened, Peter held the door as she got out and turned to him. “That’s me down there.” She pointed to her door and then looked back at him. “Will I get to see all those pictures?” She asked with a smile.

“Of course.” Peter answered, returning the smile. “I’ll edit them tonight and print them out for you to see at school tomorrow.”

“Yeah, I’d like that.” She answered. “Thanks for tonight, and for walking me home.”

Peter flustered and stammered over his words, deciding just to nod in response. The elevator tried to close, but he held the door open and looked down to the floor. “I guess I’ll see you tomorrow?”

“Yes.” Gwen replied, biting her bottom lip.

Peter nodded a few times and then looked up at her. “Good night, Gwen.”

“Good night, Peter.” She gave him a hug before walking down the hall to her apartment.

Letting the door close, Peter rode the elevator back down and went back into the cold, but felt none of it. He got home way past his curfew but didn’t care. No one was up when he arrived and he locked himself in his room. He knew he wasn’t going to sleep tonight as he turned on his computer and brought up his editing software to fix the pictures. His stomach floated with butterflies when he got to the pictures with Gwen posing. They flew like crazy when he got to the pictures with the two of them. He made a special note to print the pictures she took herself. They really were good shots and he made the lights shine brighter.

The sun was already coming up when he finished his editing and started printing them. As they printed, Peter left to take a shower and wash up, returning to his room and dressing for the school day ahead. The final picture finished printing just as his alarm clock went off. Peter shut his alarm clock off and scooped up the pictures, placing them into a folder and putting the folder carefully into his backpack.

Chapter Text

3

Steve was shocked to see Peter already walking out the door while he was just waking up. Something was wrong. Something was very wrong. In Steve’s mind, there was no way today was right. It wasn’t going to be an easy swell day. “Peter?!” He called just as the teen was about to close the door behind himself.

There was a split second where Peter fights on the impulse to pretend he didn’t hear his father call him and just run down the block. But if interrogated about it later, he knew he would crumble. So he opened the door and took a step in, smiling at his father. “Morning, sir.” He said with his usual sheepish smile.

A moment passed. Steve crossed his arms but couldn’t really get a word out. If there is one thing he noticed it’s that Peter looked really happy. He looked him up and down. He was dressed like any other day. His backpack slung over his shoulder, a pop tart in his hand, his camera hanging around his neck. Steve smiled slightly and shook his head, letting his arms fall to his sides. “Have a good day at school.”

“Thanks.” Peter replied, rushing out the door once more.

0o0o0o

The school yard was empty again upon his arrival. This made him smile. He shoved the remainder of his pop tart into his mouth, smacking his hands against his jeans to get the crumbs off. Leaning against the building wall, Peter watched as students began to arrive in the lot. His eyes were scanning the area, searching, and finally stopped on who he was looking for. Pushing off the wall, he gave a small wave as Gwen spotted him. She waved in return, walking straight up to him. “Morning.” He said with a smile.

“Good morning.” She replied, taking off her scarf. “It’s cold out here.” Gwen slung her scarf over Peter’s bare neck and tied it.

Peter looked to the scarf, a blush creeping up to his cheeks. “What about you?” He asked, running his fingers gently over the scarf.

“I’ve got a turtleneck on.” Gwen pointed to her neck.

Peter just nodded in reply as he took off his bag and pulled out the folder of pictures. “I touched them up. Well, edited them. Cropped and stuff…stuff like that.” He cleared his throat as he held the folder out to her.

Smiling, Gwen took the folder from him and took out the pictures. “Wow, these are really beautiful.” She gasped as she flipped through them.

Peter stopped her to point out certain things on the pictures. He pointed out the ones that she took, saying how amazing they were for her first time. She paused on one of her, the house behind her was dimmed so that the lights shined around her as if she was glowing. Peter cleared his throat when she looked up at him, he didn’t meet her eyes. “That…that one was, uh, very nice.” He spoke slow and low.

Gwen smiled and then continued to flip through the pictures, laughing at the ones with both of them making funny faces. She stood a bit too long on the one of him and her smiling. “It looks so natural.” She stated. “Our smiles, you know. Not staged in front of a camera. But natural.” She looked up at him.

He finally met her eyes, his heart practically stopping. It was unconsciously, or so he figured, as his feet angled themselves so that he was facing Gwen directly. His eyes must have been playing tricks on him, or so he thought, because it seemed as if she was getting closer to him. Everything kicked back into his mind when he felt his hand grab hers, their faces mere inches apart. Peter took a deep breath and quickly took the pictures from her hands. “Anyways, these are yours to keep.” He nodded, taking a few steps back and placing the pictures back in the folder.

Smiling, Gwen took the folder and placed it in her backpack. “Thank you, Peter. I had a really great time yesterday.”

“Me too.” He cursed himself under his breath for answering too fast. Looking around, he noticed the student body beginning to build up. “Well, I’ll see you later.” He waved quickly and rushed into the school. Peter gathered what he needed from his locker, his camera still around his neck as he rushed to class.

Since the class started, Peter has had an incredible amount of paper balls thrown at him from the bully sitting behind him. It’s only ten minutes into the class, but Flash was wasting no time in crumbling up another sheet. Peter sighed to himself. “Not like he was going to use them anyways.” He mumbled to himself as he tried to pay attention to the board and copy notes as another paper hit his shoulder and landed on his desk. He pushed it off his desk, the paper joining the growing pile at the side of his desk.

Finally the teacher gave them a page number in their textbooks and told them to work on the problems at the end of the chapter. Only the odd numbers. As if on cue, Flash was shoving his book into Peter’s hands. “Better do it right this time, Rogers.” He said through gritted teeth, cracking his knuckles.

Peter rolled his eyes and opened his textbook. His father’s words flashed through his mind at that moment, and maybe today he would give the bully a run for his money. Grabbing one of the crumpled paper balls, he set to doing the problems; not only wrong, but the even numbers instead. He doubted Flash was paying attention enough to know they were supposed to do only odd. Actually he doubted Flash even knew the difference between the two.

Peter took his time as he finished up his own work and then Flash's. The longer he took to hand in the work, the larger his head start will be. With only a minute left, Peter turned in his seat and handed Flash the paper before rushing to the front desk to hand his in to the very unamused teacher. Once his paper was marked off, Peter returned to his seat and scooped all his belongings into the bag just as his bully went to the front desk. The bell rang and Peter was out the door the moment the teacher looked down at the paper.

Good head start, and he wasn't going to slow down for a minute. Peter ran through the hallways and down the stairs to his next class. Today he wanted to go to all his classes. Especially since he had his next one with Gwen. Peter arrived to the classroom safe and sound, though he realized he'd have to try and avoid the big idiot for the rest of the day. But all that didn't seem to matter as Gwen entered the room and smiled at him. She walked over to his table and sat next to him. "Hi." He said and cleared his throat.

"Hi." Gwen responded as she took out her notebook and the folder Peter had given her earlier. "So I looked over the pictures some more. These are incredible. Have you ever thought about going pro?" She asked as she opened the folder again and started going through the pictures.

Peter shook his head; soon realizing that she wasn't looking up at him and had no idea he technically answered her question. "No. But I don't really want to do this professionally." He answered honestly.

Seeming as if this was not an answer she had been expecting to hear, Gwen looked up at Peter. "What do you mean? Peter these...no one can take these pictures." She pulled one of the pictures out to emphasize her point. "Look at this! It's really outstanding."

The smile that spewed across his features was immaculate. Peter let out a small laugh as he took the picture from her hands and looked at it carefully. "Except for one thing." He said, looking up to see her waiting expectantly. Turning the picture over, he held it out to Gwen so she could take it back. "You took this picture, Gwen. Not me."

The bell rang just before she could counter her argument. Peter shrugged his shoulders and took out his notebook, looking up to the front of the class with a delighted smirk. His gaze never stayed on the board for long. Instead his eyes kept sweeping the area and landing back on Gwen. Noting everything about her and the little habits he was picking up on. Like how when she was done writing something, she always flipped her pen and tapped the bottom onto the paper. Every few minutes she'd brush a few strands of hair behind her ear even though they just kept escaping. Every time she would raise her hand to answer a question, there was always a slight moment's hesitation before she raised her hand.

By the time class finished, Peter knew more about Gwen then the topic the whole class just discussed. Gathering up his books, Peter stood up and made to leave the room. Gwen caught up to him quickly, walking along beside him with a smile. "But you showed me how." She said to him without looking directly at him.

Peter looked down at her, his brows creased in confusion. "I-I'm sorry...um...what?" Peter shook his head in confusion and waited for an answer.

"I may have taken those pictures. But it's because you showed me how. So it's your good eye that caught the image." Gwen was satisfied with her side of the argument and turned to face Peter, a whole new topic on her mind. "We go on Christmas vacation tomorrow. Do you want to maybe come over to my house for dinner? Not Christmas dinner. You have that with your family of course. But um, the day after. If you want that is." Her words were a bit rushed, but Gwen was overall happy.

The blood rushed to Peter's cheeks as Gwen stared at him. She was inviting him over for dinner. To her families house. It was surreal. He'd meet her parents. Was this really happening? Nodding his head, Peter smiled nervously and fumbled with his backpack strap. "Yeah. Yes, yeah I'd love to. That sounds...yeah." Peter chuckled to himself and just nodded again.

Smiling brightly, Gwen swayed on her feet. "Okay. Okay good. I'll text you on Christmas and let you know what time. I mean, I was going to text you on Christmas anyways. But...I'm rambling." She laughed just as the bell rang. "We're late. I'll see you later Peter!" Gwen waved as she rushed off down the hall.

It took Peter a moment longer before he was able to peel his feet from the ground and rush off to class.

0o0o0o

"I told you it was for a project!" Peter said into his phone as he leaned back in his desk chair. "Had to be up and out early cause I kinda forgot about it last night. Needed to get to the school lab."

The sound of Tony grunting into the receiver made Peter roll his eyes. "If you say so. It's not like you to get up early. Just so long as it's not drugs...is it drugs?"

"It's not drugs, dad. It's this horrible thing called school." Peter joked as he pulled up an internet browser and pulled his keyboard forward. Even if he was lying about why he left early, he actually did have some homework to do. Peter decided early on he would finish all the Christmas break homework tonight. And having a computer in his room was the most helpful thing his parents could have ever gotten him. "Anyways, I'll see you later? " Peter asked.

Tony stood quiet for a moment. The sound of papers on the other end made Peter understand the momentary silence before Tony even spoke. "I'm backed up here, kiddo. I won't be home until the early morning. Don't wait up. You got school tomorrow?" Tony asked.

Shaking his head, Peter remembered he was on the phone as he began typing away on the keyboard. "No, vacation starts tomorrow, remember?" He asked a bit irritated but quickly brushed it off. "Anyways, I'll just make myself some canned soup or something."

"Steve will be home soon." Tony added quickly and hopeful.

"No, he won't. He's not coming home until after Christmas. He called me already. Said he has to stay at the base." Peter stopped typing as he thought of what this Christmas was going to be like. He had all the love in the world for his father's. But they both worked too damn much. And it's always been that way. He shouldn't be angry about it now.

A bit of silence before Tony cleared his throat. "I have to work Christmas Day as well. But, I'll come in early and we'll have Christmas dinner together! Or we can go to your dad's base and eat there." Tony offered.

Peter smiled but shook his head, once again forgetting his father couldn't see him. "No pops. I hate being there. Don't worry about it. You both have New Year's Eve off. We'll all be together then. Anyways, I have homework to do. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Alright. Make something better than canned soup to eat. Goodnight, Peter. I love you." Tony said before hanging up.

"I love you too." Peter said even though the lines were disconnected. Putting his cellphone down, Peter sighed and pushed his keyboard away. "Don't you dare cry. You're too old for that." Peter half yelled at himself as his hands rubbed his face vigorously.

But he could feel the lump in his throat and no longer felt the grand desire to finish his homework early on. Getting up from his desk, Peter made his way over to his twin sized bed and dropped flat onto it. He wished he had grabbed his iPod from the table but didn't feel like getting up to grab it. Instead he pulled his pillow close to his chest and tried hard to breath evenly. There was no doubt Peter was going to cry. And why shouldn't he? He'd thought his fathers had learned from the many missed Christmas mornings and birthdays and school plays. But the older he got the less those things seemed to matter.

"Wonder if they'll even show up to my graduation." Peter mumbled to himself.

His phone started buzzing on the desk as his inexpensive ringtone played. The little Spider-Man jingle always made him smile, but right now he was reluctant to get up and answer. When the culprit on the other line seemed to hold strong that he would answer or would leave a message, Peter rolled off the bed and hopped over to his phone.

Maybe he was being bold. Or maybe it was the initial shock that made him hit the answer button. Whatever the case, Peter rose the phone to his ear and stood quiet for a moment. "Hello." He said into the receiver rather than questioned. Caller ID was a beautiful thing.

"Hey." Gwen responded on the other end. The first thing Peter noticed was that she didn't sound like her chipper self. Her voice cracked a bit and was horsed deeply.

"What's wrong?" Peter asked immediately. A sense of protectiveness overcoming him and he was already putting on his winter boots.

She was quiet on the other end for a while. Peter could hear her trying to calm herself before speaking. "Are you busy?" She asked and when he responded with no, she continued. "Can we meet up? Union Square maybe?"

"Yeah. Of course." He said. The two hung up and Peter grabbed his coat, keys, and the scarf Gwen had lend him before leaving the house.

Chapter Text

4

"Kinda the same old stuff." Gwen said as she dunked the small spoon into her cup of ice cream. Despite the cold weather, she and Peter had stopped at one of the many stands out on Union Square and got ice cream. Every year around the holidays, the place by the park would fill up with lights and booths selling holiday gifts. And some treats for the shoppers. She ate the chocolate ice cream as she spoke. "Ever since I was a kid I worried if my dad would come home or not." Gwen said before looking up at Peter; searching for understanding.

He nodded as he took a bite of his vanilla ice cream. Peter did understand. Gwen's father was a captain in the NYPD. His father was a captain in the U.S Army. Both never knew if their respected parents would make it home for the holidays, let alone dinner any night for that matter. The worst fear he had for Tony was that someone would try to rob him. But his other father was quite skilled in many forms of martial arts. "I know what you mean." He answered, letting the cold sweet ice cream fill his mouth against the night’s air. "It's not easy. And there's a fine line of understanding they don't know about. We get it. But we don't like it." Peter turned to Gwen and gave a small shrug.

With a light shove to his shoulder, Gwen smiled and held her ice cream cup with both hands as if warming them despite the cold. "You always seem to know the right thing to say, Peter. And I'm sorry. That was selfish of me." She said as she looked down into the cup. "Here I am saying how angry I am that my father calls and says he won't be home Christmas night for dinner. But he is going to be there in the morning. Your dad though...he won't be home until way past Christmas. And..." Her words had begun to trail off as Peter gave off a chuckle.

"Really, Gwen, nothing to apologize for. I'm quite used to it actually." Peter finished off his ice cream and tossed the empty cup into the nearest trash can. "Besides, you have every right to be upset. It's better to let it out rather than keep it all bottled up. Trust me."

"How do you do it?" Gwen asked, taking another bite from her chocolate treat.

Peter thought for a moment. As a kid he used to cry. Only an hour ago he had wanted to do the exact same thing. Then he got angry at himself for wanting to cry, and then Gwen had called. Yet that wasn't the case when he was younger. He and Gwen had only recently started speaking and hanging out. He thought for a moment more before finally giving her the best answer he could come up with. "The anger. Like I said before, you have every right to be angry. And you should be angry. Because it's something you should never have to accept. Your father putting himself in the line of danger is a risk. Never give in to the fact that it's 'just his job' cause then if something bad happens... 'just his job' won't deem him the hero he is. So be angry and never stop. In the end he knows it's because you're scared. And you're scared because you love him." Peter took a deep breath and laughed sheepishly. "Sorry, I didn't mean to preach." He scratched the back of his head as he spoke.

Giggling, Gwen finished her ice cream and tossed the cup into the trash. "No, no. It was very inspiring. Practically poetic. Ever thought about writing, Mr. I-Don't-Want-To-Be-A-Photographer?" She told him with a smile.

"Never really good at writing. English class isn't my best subject." Peter playfully retorted. They had stopped walking and now looked at each other in comfortable silence.

It felt like an hour which could only have been a single minute; Gwen finally tore her eyes away to look at the ground. "We are one plate short, um, for dinner. Do you want to come over? For Christmas dinner that is." Gwen sounded so hopeful and was shyly looking at her boots instead of his eyes.

Internally, Peter was thankful she didn't look up at him. If she had, he would have not been able to turn down the offer. There was something about to her house and meeting her family on such an intimate holiday that scared him from the prospect of saying yes. "That's very nice of you, Gwen. Thank you...but I'll have to decline. I have prior engagements." Which wasn't a lie, he did have prior engagements. He didn't even have to call beforehand. This was more routine than anything.

Gwen nodded and smiled up at him before linking their arms together and pulling them further into the depths of the dealer’s booths. "Alright Mr. Non-Writer. But you've already agreed to dinner after Christmas. Better not bail out on me. Got that?" She questioned and pointed a stern finger in his direction.

Holding up his free hand in mock surrender, Peter chuckled. "After Christmas and before New Year’s I'm all yours." He laughed before blushing at his choice of words. "I-I mean, I'm coming...I'll be there! For dinner, that is. After Christmas but--and it'll be fun." Peter decided to stop speaking before he dug himself any deeper.

Gwen seemed to not have noticed, or maybe she did but kept her thoughts about it to herself. "Good then. I'm holding you to that. So! Where are you going for Christmas dinner?" She asked just as they were freed from the festive area.

"Brooklyn." Was all Peter said in reply.

0o0o0o

Peter rang the doorbell with his free hand, quickly retreating to the warmth of the underside of the plastic container he was holding. The door opened a few moments later and Peter smiled a mile wide. "Letting your hair grow out? At this age? Really?" He questioned the man who opened the door.

"Get in here, nerd." The man said as he pulled Peter into the house, his single star tattoo arm wrapping around the others neck to pull him in. Once Peter put the plastic container down, he was pulled into a tight embrace. "Missed you like crazy kid. Merry Christmas."

Laughing, Peter wrapped his arms around the slightly taller guy. "I missed you too, Uncle Bucky. Merry Christmas." He said before letting go and pointed to the food he had brought. "Mashed potatoes, gravy, and stuffing. Couldn't get my hands on any cranberry sauce."

"That's alright, I've got a can in the cabinet." Bucky said as he grabbed the container and led the way into the kitchen. "Is all of this store bought or did you actually manage to cook some of it?"

"Bit of both." Peter said as he took off his jacket and draped it over the back of a chair. "I mean I did have to buy it from the store. But after buying it all, I cooked it. Even peeled and mashed the potatoes myself!" He laughed and laughed even harder from the look Bucky was giving him.

"Alright smartass. Set the table." Bucky said and Peter happily complied.

Of course, Bucky wasn't Peter's real uncle. But he was close enough to the real deal. Steve and Bucky, real name James, had grown up together in Brooklyn and both had joined the army once they were of age. The two had remained close friends even though their respected MOS were different. Tony knew Peter's real parents well and so when Peter was adopted by Steve and Tony after his real parents put him up for adoption, Bucky had helped the then newly married couple settle and would often babysit Peter. Everything had gone smoothly with the adoption, though Tony never likes to talk about it. When Peter started school, it was often Bucky who picked him up and helped him with his homework. His job in the military didn't demand his immediate attention. But when it did, Uncle Bucky would be gone for months at a time without a single word. Not even Steve knew where James would go or for how long. His orders came from farther up. As a kid, Peter swore his uncle was a super-secret spy. He still stands by that to this day.

Once the table was set, Peter went over to the stove and grabbed the dishes that were ready to be served. He placed them as neatly on the table as he could. The aroma that filled the house made Peter's mouth water and his stomach grumble. Due to Bucky living alone, he had to learn how to cook for himself. He had told Peter before, the way he saw it, just because he cooked for one didn't mean it had to be half assed. All in all, the man could cook. Peter was certain his fathers would be jealous after their failed attempt at making pasta not too long ago.

Bucky opened the stove and took out the ham first. He placed it onto a glass dish and handed it to Peter before going back to the stove and taking out the turkey. Facing his nephew, Bucky shrugged his shoulders and smirked. "Since I missed Thanksgiving and I know you didn't have the best one ever, thought you and I deserve to go all out tonight." He placed the turkey onto the table, took off his mittens, and then sat down with a content sigh. "Come on, Peter. Sit down."

Doing as instructed, Peter sat down and the two started to fill that plates. There was way too much good for just the two of them, but he already knew his Uncle had made extra for his parents. Well, at least for Tony since Steve wouldn't be home for another few days. Before they started eating, Bucky said his grace. Steve often did the same thing on holidays and large gatherings. Peter and Tony shared different beliefs from the best friends but respected them nonetheless. At this moment with only the two of them, Peter bowed his head and waited for Bucky to finish. Once it was over, they dug in.

"Damn, Uncle Bucky! I don't understand how you can cook this good. I mean, other people cook and it's great. But this?" Peter dramatically pointed to the piece of turkey currently stabbed into his fork. "It just amazing. My dad's are okay at cooking, but they can't even come close to you." Peter boasted and quickly finished off his first plate.

Bucky laughed as he continued to finish off his own first plate. The two started refilling the emptiness before eating at a slower pace. "Wanna know something funny? Steve taught me how to cook. Well, started me off anyways. With much practice, I just got better than the teacher." He laughed.

They carried idle conversation while they ate. Finally both stuffed and unable to eat another bite, they started packing the food away. Peter made sure to grab a good amount for Tony to eat as well to have leftovers for lunch tomorrow. With the food all packed away and the kitchen cleaned, Bucky invited Peter into the living room to play games.

"So, how goes school?" Bucky asked as he turned on the television and the gaming system, handing Peter one of the controllers.

Peter went to sit in the recliner by the Christmas tree and rocked slightly. He thanked the man for the controller as it was handed to him before answering the question. "School is school. How goes being a super-secret spy? Did you get your next mission yet?" Peter asked with a large smile.

Rolling his eyes, Bucky made an attempt to turn the focus of the conversation back onto Peter. "Come on! Details! Are you passing all your classes? Any friends? Girlfriend or maybe boyfriend? Whichever you prefer...maybe both if that’s still the case?" His line of questions came pouring out, forcing Peter to stay off the topic of his military job.

With a small sigh, Peter focused his attention on the game for a moment. After setting his character up with the equipment he liked, the game started. “I’m always passing my classes, Uncle Bucky.” He laughed as he fired his weapon in the game at the enemy. “Friends? Uh, yeah. A few. No girlfriend…and I, at the moment...I’m staying at one side. Not after what happened with...well you know.” Peter of course took no offense to the question.

Bucky seemed unhappy with the short replies to his questions, but decided not to get into it. Peter was always open to him so if there was something, Bucky would let Peter decide when and how he wants to tell him. After all, the last time something happened, Peter came straight to him even before going to his parents. So he turned the subject a bit back to school topics. “Any science fairs coming up?” He asked as he pressed the buttons on the controller a bit harder as the game intensified.

“Not any that I know of. Even so, I’m tired of entering science fairs. There’s never any good competition.” Peter joked as he pulled his controller closer to his chest. “Though I was thinking of maybe going to Oscorp for an internship. Teachers been talking about their science programs. Think it’s worth looking into?”

“Oscorp? Why wouldn’t you go to Stark Industries? I mean, after what happened, is that the best place to go?” Bucky asked, turning a little to Peter.

The way the question was asked, Bucky sounded a bit concerned. It made Peter a bit unsure of how to answer the question. Was Oscorp not a good place to intern? “Well, it’s more for science whereas pops is all about machinery science. I really don’t want to know how to make weapons for the military. I have enough of that life at home. And I’m not going to let what happened stop me from getting possible scholarships into the programs and field I want to be in.” He sounded more honest than he thought he had been. Whatever worked.

Nodding, Bucky seemed to accept that as an answer and turned his attention back to the game. “Well, if anything happens just let me know. I have no problem putting that punk in his place.” They had played for quite some hours when Bucky’s phone went off. Ignoring Peter’s quick questions of who was it and if it was his next mission, Bucky answered the phone. “Hey Stark. Shut up Peter, it’s your dad.”

Tony laughed a bit on the other line. “You saved me some food right?” He asked.

“Nope, ate it all up.” Bucky placed the phone between his ear and shoulder, continuing to play the game with his nephew. “On your way?”

“Yep. I’m just pulling up. There better be turkey left.” Tony said seriously into the receiver.

“There’s no fucking turkey for you.” Bucky matched the serious tone.

“Is this a serious conversation?” Peter asked without taking his eyes off the television.

Bucky nodded his head and paused the game. “Your dad is outside.” He hung up the phone and stood up. The two got the food and Peter’s jacket. “Come by anytime, you little nerd.”

“I will.” Peter said as he hugged his uncle and then rushed out into the cold. Getting into the car, he buckled his seat belt and waved goodbye as Tony pulled the car away. “How was work?” Peter asked as he sat back in his seat.

Tony ignored the question and handed Peter a small wrapped gift box. “Merry Christmas, Peter.” Tony smiled.

Peter looked at the box and smiled as he tore the wrapper off. Inside was a small tag in the shape of a bone. Peter looked at it with his brows knitted until he realized it was a dog tag. “Wait…are you serious?!” He asked and turned to look at his father.

Tony laughed and took the tag from him, flipping it over so the name showed. “He’s waiting at home.”

Peter looked at the name and smiled. “Jarvis, huh? I like it.”

Chapter Text

5

Peter woke up with his husky puppy cuddled at his feet under the blanket. He yawned and reached for his phone. The light was strong and caused him to squint his eyes, but he fought through to read the text that had come through from Gwen. “Good morning. Hope you had a wonderful Christmas. Still holding you to your word. See you at South Street Seaport at six tonight.” Peter read the message out loud before tossing his phone somewhere on the bed.

He stretched and pulled the blanket off of himself, revealing Jarvis to the sunlight. “Sorry there buddy. But come on, rise and shine! Gotta take you for a walk.” He told the puppy and then headed off to get ready.

By the time the two got outside, the quiet Queens street was a little less quiet. Kids enjoying the days off school were bustling about in the snow. And so was Jarvis. Peter knew huskies enjoyed the cold weather and smiled as his puppy hopped into the huge mounds on the side of the street. He walked the dog a little further than he intended before turning back and heading to the house. "A little extra since I won't be home until late tonight." Peter said to the dog as they went up the stairs together.

Peter opened the front door and ushered the reluctant dog inside. Kicking off his boots, Peter made his way into the kitchen. "Morning dad." Peter said when Tony was spotted at the stove.

Tony peered over at the teen, his eyes narrow from the early morning sun. "You're in a good mood. What's got you all up and jumpy?" He asked as he placed the coffee pot back and took his cup to the table.

"What's got you all down in the dumps?" Peter countered as he grabbed the cereal and sugar from the cabinet. He placed them on the counter and turned to face his dad who was sipping his hot coffee already. "Or don't answer me. But I mean...come on! It's right after Christmas. It was a good day yesterday." Peter boasted as he got a bowl down and started making his breakfast.

Keeping silent for a moment, Tony stirred his coffee with his finger as he sulked down in the chair. "Last night should have been a ‘get lucky’ kind of night. And every married couple got lucky. Except for me." Tony whined.

"Dad!" Peter flushed as he got the milk out and refused to look at his father. He didn't say anything else though. After all, Tony was right. Steve not being home was taking a toll on the poor guy. Even Peter wasn't as distraught. But for a married couple, military life is hard. Sitting down at the table, Peter placed a comforting hand on his dad's shoulder and smiled. "Don't take it personal dad. You know he would have been here if he could have been."

"Don't you have school?" Tony spoke fast and low as he narrowed his eyes at the boy.

Rolling his eyes, Peter started eating his cereal. "It's Christmas vacation dad. Anyways, I'm going out tonight." Peter looked down at Jarvis who was waiting for something to fall from the table.

Tony nodded and stood from the table. "Well I'll be in my room. Self loathing." He walked away and headed up the stairs.

Peter shook his head before noticing Tony had left his coffee cup. Finishing up his breakfast, he poured some food into Jarvis’s bowl before grabbing the coffee cup and heading upstairs. He stopped just short of the last step, catching a hint of an odd smell. Bringing the cup up to his nose, the scent of whisky hit his senses. With an agitated sigh, Peter angrily walked the rest of the way and knocked hard on the door.

He didn’t wait for a response before opening the door. Tony lay on the bed under the covers flipping through the channels. Looking confused, he noticed the cup in his son's hand and sighed. Peter placed the mug a bit harshly down on the bedside table and crossed his arms, ignoring the splash of coffee that spilled. “Really? What part of you shouldn’t be drinking for a while, did you not understand when the doctor told you?” He hated sounding like the parent in situations with his parents, but this was a serious ordeal.

Waving his hand nonchalantly as if to brush it off, Tony continued flipping through the channels. “I didn’t put in a lot. Just a hint to help my mood. Relax. You’re starting to sound like Steve.”

“Good, at least one of us does.” Peter said, furious that Tony seemed to not think that his health was at risk. “You know what, dad? I can’t anymore. You do this to yourself! You pour this out. I’m going out, and if something happens, don’t call me.” With that, Peter left the room and rushed out of the house.

0o0o0o

After taking a long walk out in the cold, Peter returned quietly home and went straight to his room. Part of him wanted to check if Tony had poured the spiked coffee down the drain, but the stubborn half of him wanted to keep his father at a distance to portray his anger. He loved his father and regretting some of the things he had said, but he could only try so hard. Locking himself in his room, Peter stripped of the semi wet and cold clothes and started to look for clothes for his date. Was this considered a date?

It only ever seemed he had no clothes when he actually wanted to dress nicely. Meeting with Gwen shouldn't be this nerve wrecking. But for Peter it was proving to be so. Even though they've gone out before, something about the holidays made it seem a bit more romantic to him. Figuring they'd have coats on, it didn't really matter what he wore underneath. He grabbed a white t-shirt and black sweater, closing his closet door with a bit of disapproval at it. It didn't do him much justice this time.

Jarvis lay on Peter's bed, watching him dress and move about the room. The puppy husky jumped up when he felt Peter's phone vibrate and he gave a yelp at it, which was supposed to be a bark.

Scooping up his phone, Peter pulled the sweater over his head and placed the phone against his ear. "Hello?" He answered.

"Hey there, squirt." Steve said on the other line. "Merry Christmas, even though it was yesterday."

"Merry Christmas, pop." Peter smiled into the receiver as he leaned to pull on his pants. "Dad got me a puppy! A husky! His name is Jarvis." At the mention of his name, Jarvis jumped off the bed and rushed over to Peter's legs.

Steve was quiet for a second on the other line before chuckling. "That man will do everything I say not to do when he's mad at me. But I'm glad you like the dog, Peter. What else did you do?" He asked calmly.

"I went over to Uncle Bucky's for dinner. Dad had to work but he picked me up. The food was great. Did you have a big dinner?" With his pants on, Peter sat on his bed to put on his socks and boots. Jarvis wrestled with one of his boots and Peter had to pry the puppy off.

"Yeah, we did. The soldiers were happy. It's better than the normal DFac food. And they had pie so I was happy. Had my good ol' American apple pie!" Steve boasted with a laugh.

Peter rolled his eyes but laughed as well. "You need to call dad. He's self loathing in the room. And...just being stubborn." Peter decided not to tell Steve about the spiked coffee.

Steve signed on the other line. "Yeah, he's pretty mad at me. I'll give him a call. Have a good day son. I'll be home for New Years."

They said their goodbyes just as he finished getting ready. Looking down at the puppy, Peter pet his head and smiled. "You can't come with me. Though I'm sure Gwen would love to see you." He told the dog. "Maybe next time." Peter rushed downstairs and grabbed his coat, leaving before he changed his mind about bringing Jarvis with him.

0o0o0o

It took him a bit of time to get to South Street Seaport, but he seemed to arrive before Gwen. Taking the time to walk around the mall, Peter realized he hadn’t gotten Gwen a Christmas gift. Slightly cursing under his breath, he started going from store to store. Finally he came across a small shop with vintage looking accessories. Walking in, Peter browsed through the items in search of something she might like. Coming across a blue scarf with a white line design, Peter smiled and picked it up. “Perfect.” He said in a hushed breath.

He paid for the item and walked back outside. Good thing about going to areas after Christmas is the rush was a lot calmer. Peter spotted Gwen crossing the street under the bridge and rushed over to meet her. “Hey.” He said, his breath visible in the cold air. Gwen looked chilled to the bone. “Come on, let’s go inside. The food court upstairs has a place we can get hot chocolate at.”

With a smile, Gwen followed him inside. “Guess this wasn’t too smart of a place. Literally at the waterfront.” She laughed as they rode the escalators up to the last floor.

“That’s true.” Peter chuckled. “But the crowds are low. That’s always a good thing.” He got them large cups of hot chocolate and they picked a seat closest to the large windows to look out at the view of the Brooklyn Bridge.

The two spoke in idle conversation. Talking about how much they ate for dinner last night and what they got from their parents. Gwen laughed when she heard the dog's name and nodded in approval. Peter was happy to hear that she had a good Christmas despite how upset she was the other day that her father wasn’t going to be able to join the family. Peter took a moment to wonder about Tony and hoped Steve called him. Lately there was such a strain on their little family. Maybe he should talk to his parents. Make sure everything was okay between them.

“Oh, I got you something.” Peter boasted and reached into his coat inside pocket. He pulled out a plastic bag and smiled sheepishly, mentally hating himself for not buying a gift bag. “Sorry I couldn’t wrap it or anything...I, uh, hope you like it even so.” He stumbled over his words a bit, quickly clearing his throat.

Gwen looked shocked at the fact he had gotten her something. With a warm smile, she took the bag from him and waved away his worried words. Taking out the scarf, Gwen let out a small gasp and smiled brightly. “Peter, it’s beautiful. Thank you!” She reached across the table and pulled him into a hug.

For a moment, Peter swore his heart was going to burst out his chest. Though that didn’t happen, he knew his face was embarrassingly red. “I’m happy you like it.” He said in relief, leaning back in his seat and taking a sip of his hot chocolate. Things seemed so perfect, so relaxed. Gwen was every bit amazing and beautiful as he had always imagined. A good way to spend the day.

Until the day wasn’t so good.

Peter’s phone buzzed in his pocket and he dug for it. His uncle’s picture popped up on the screen and he automatically answered it. “Excuse me a moment.” He said to Gwen as he stood up and walked a few paces away. “Hey Uncle Bucky. What’s up?”

“I need you to get home. Now. I’m here with your dad. Just...come home.” Bucky spoke into the receiver, obviously trying to stay calm.

Peter’s heart sank immediately. Did something happen to Steve? Was Tony okay? Who was hurt? What was wrong? All the questions flooded his mind, one right after the other. “Is everything okay? Where’s dad?” He asked, really asking about both his father’s.

Bucky stuttered into the speaker for a moment. “Listen, take a taxi. I’ll pay for it when you get here.” The sound of sirens sounded through the receiver. “Hurry up.” With that the call was dropped.

Putting his phone frantically in his pocket, Peter rushed over to Gwen. “I’m so sorry, I have to go. Something is wrong at home. I’ve gotta get a cab.” He gave her a hug and apologized over and over again.

Gwen immediately heard the worry in his voice. She placed her hot chocolate down on the table softly and stood up. “It’s okay, Peter. I understand. Come on.” She took his hand softly as to reassure him and led them out of the building.

“Are you going to be okay?” He asked, now thinking about how far they were from her home. There was no time to drop her off first. Bucky sounded too serious; Peter needed to get home now.

Gwen offered him a smile and caressed his cheek. “Don’t worry about me, Peter. I’ll catch a cab. Just, update me later, please?” She asked and smiled softly when he nodded.

Together they walked to the road and said their goodbyes as they got into separate taxis. Peter took out his cellphone again but there were no text or any missed calls. It seemed whatever was going on, it was staying between him and Bucky. With a sigh, he could do nothing but wait until he got back home. When he got there, an ambulance was parked outside and the EMT’s were loading the stretcher into the truck. Bucky stood next to it, his arms crossed as he spoke to one of the EMT’s. The cab pulled up behind the truck and Bucky excused himself to pay it.

Peter quickly got out and rushed over to the back of the truck. A tall man tried to stop him, but Peter shoved past him and climbed into the back. “That’s my father! Dad?!” Peter quickly grabbed onto Tony’s hand. His eyes were shut and he had an oxygen mask attached. “What’s going on? What happened?!” Peter looked to the emergency response team as they climbed into the truck and started closing the back doors.

Before he could protest, Bucky waved to him and pointed to his motorcycle. “I’ll meet you there!”

The doors shut and locked, the sirens blazed on, and off they raced toward the hospital.

Chapter Text

6

1 Year Ago…

His dad had been drinking again. Steve was on a long term deployment and Tony always got depressed when Steve had to leave. Peter understood it came with the job. And since Tony had his own company to run, they never relocated with Steve. So Peter was able to stay in New York and never had to transfer schools. That’s where he met his best friend. They were in the same class in first grade and the rest of grade school.

Both their fathers were respected businessmen, and so when they were dragged to boring business gatherings, the two would sneak off and play. As they got older, they became more than friends. Harry Osborn was his first boyfriend. Neither had ever really questioned their sexuality; having come from such similar backgrounds and always confiding in each other, the relationship blossomed.

The two kept it quiet and to themselves. They had just got into the same high school and didn’t want to be outed with a label when they didn’t feel the need to label themselves. They were best friends, they were comfortable with each other and that’s all they cared about. It wasn’t until their junior year that they stopped hiding.

Walking down the school hallways hand in hand granted stares from the other students. Sharing a quick kiss as they separated to head to their classes drew much attention. But not always the kind they would have preferred. And so the bullying started. It usually kept to the locker rooms. Shoving and pushing, a punch here or there. Then it started happening in the lunchroom. The hallways, classrooms; the whole school was a wrestling ring for the boys.

The two spent every day after school together to make up for the bad days. During the weekend they’d spend time at Harry’s since his father was never home. It didn’t take long before sexual tension started rising.

“When does your dad get home?” Peter asked, his breath at a lost as Harry quickly reconnected their lips.

With a shrug of his shoulders, Harry got Peter’s shirt off and smiled as he pulled back from his kiss. “Pretty sure he forgot he actually has a home outside of that office.” He joked, lightly pushing his boyfriend down onto the bed. “Besides, it’s not like he cares what I do.”

Peter chuckled as he lay back on Harry’s bed. “I usually feel like that about my dad. Well, both of them actually.”

Harry walked over to his bedside table and started digging through it. “Well, it’s not like it’s anything new for either of us, right?” Harry chuckled as he continued to look for something. Finally, he pulled out a small brown bag and closed the drawer. “I found something that helps though.”

Peter turned to lay on his side, propping himself up on his elbow as Harry sat down on the bed next to him. “What do you mean? Peter asked as he watched Harry open the brown bag.

He pulled out a few things first, things Peter didn’t recognize. Then he pulled out a small plastic bag with its contents. Harry held up the small bag and smiled at Peter. “Takes off the edge. I’ve been smoking for a while now, a buddy of mine showed me how to roll it up.” Without waiting for a response, Harry got a small try off his side table and set to work.

Slightly unsettled, Peter rose from where he lay and watched as his boyfriend seemed to effortlessly roll the blunt. “Um, Harry?”

“Yeah?” Harry asked as he brought the paper to his mouth and licked to seal it.

Peter rubbed at his arm in nervousness. “My pop will kill me if I--”

“How is he gonna even know, Peter? He’s on a deployment. And it’s not like Tony is ever home, or even sober when he is, right?” Harry turned back to Peter and held out the freshly rolled blunt to him. “It’s not gonna kill you. Besides, there’s talk of making it legal, which means it can’t be all that bad.” He said the last part as more of a joke in hopes that it would help his boyfriend relax.

Unknown to Harry, who was a lot stronger than Peter, his words hurt. Yes, Steve was on a deployment, but that didn’t mean he wanted to start acting out just because he’s not home. Yes, Tony had started drinking again, but that just meant all the more that Peter had to be ready to help him.

As though Harry could see all of Peter’s worries, he sighed and stood up from the bed. “Wait here.” Was all he said before leaving the room. It didn’t take him long to return with a bottle and two glasses. “Maybe this will help.”

“No, Harry, I can’t drink. You can’t even drink! We’re not of age.” Peter felt his heart beat faster as Harry ignored him and poured them each a glass of some dark looking liquid. When the glass was held out to him, he tried to protest but Harry pushed it into his hand. “I’m n-not too sure about this.”

Harry sat back down next to Peter, the bottle closed and tossed on the bed. “Peter, do you really think I haven’t drunk before? Come on, I promise it’ll help you relax. Just toss it back fast, don’t give yourself time to think about it. Just say ‘fuck it’ for one night and lets you and I live for once.”

Feeling a bit overwhelmed, Peter did exactly as he was told and quickly tossed back the liquid in the glass. The taste was immediate and absolutely disgusting but he quickly swallowed it and took a deep breath once it was down. “Fuck! That is absolutely disgusting Harry! Why would anyone drink this?!” Peter wiped his lips with his arm and looked to Harry.

His glass was still in his hands completely untouched, his eyes wide. “Well, I mean, it's scotch so you're more supposed to sip it.” He said before he burst out into laughter.

“What?!” Peter yelled as he watched in horror as his boyfriend laughed at him. “B-but you told me to just drink it! Why...why would you if...what?!” Peter felt the utter confusion course through his head at the situation and looked at his empty glass.

Harry grasped Peter’s chin and turned his head to face him. “You’re so gullible. It’s adorable.” He said before he downed his own glass and connected their lips. “It is pretty gross, but just wait, you’ll feel light as a feather.” Harry poured them both another glass which they gulped down together.

And then another glass.

Peter was feeling flushed and he stood up, his head starting to spin from the simple action. “Woah...that’s...different.” He said and chuckled slightly.

Grabbing the lighter from the brown paper bag, Harry lit the blunt and took a drag from it. He held it for a moment before releasing the smoke. “Here.” He said and held it out to Peter.

Peter took it this time without resistance and looked to Harry first before taking a drag. The smoke entered his mouth and back to his already burning throat. He inhaled deeply and instantly regretted it. The burn was strong and it almost itched in a sense. He began to cough and heave but found himself laughing for some reason. “Holy shit, that burns. Why?” Peter asked as he passed it back to a laughing Harry.

“I coughed my first time too. I still cough every now and again once that burn really starts at the throat.” Harry placed the blunt between his lips as he grabbed the bottle and poured Peter another glass. “Come on, drink up.”

In a bit of a haze, Peter took the glass and drank it. His lips were becoming numb from the harsh dark liquid, but he didn’t really care. Taking the blunt back, Peter took another drag, this time prepared for the burn. He still coughed but insisted on taking another drag before handing it back to Harry.

Harry smiled as he lay back on the bed and placed the butt of the blunt in a small ashtray. “Hey?”

“Yeah?” Peter asked a bit slurred.

Harry laughed, the way Peter seemed to completely be gone from the drinks and weed was hysterical for some reason. “Come on, let’s fuck.” Harry said.

Peter laughed, Harry’s bluntness never changing whether he was drunk, high, or sober. That was just Harry. “Hmmm, fine, but I’m fucking you this time.” He said before he grabbed the bottle and drank straight from it.

The waiting room was packed. There were police assigned to keep out reporters. It wasn’t every day that a businessman as big as Tony was carted away in an ambulance. Nonetheless from his own home. Peter’s hands were folded over his lips as his leg refused to stay still. The tears reluctantly spilled from his eyes as he waited to hear back from a doctor.

Bucky had gone to get them something to eat as it seemed they would be there for a while. So Peter sat alone, people in the waiting area looking at him every now and again as the TV showed the news and his father’s story being broadcasted. He hated this. Why was everyone in Tony’s business? It wasn’t as though they actually cared. It wasn’t as though they would cry if it came to the worse.

No one else actually cared.

“Peter?”

Completely frozen by the voice, it took Peter a moment to look up.

“Harry?” He said in a gasp.

Harry was panting, as though he had been running. His black peacoat was covered in a shiny layer of melted snow. “I...I saw it on the news.” There was silence as Peter stared at Harry for a while, his mouth slightly open in clear shock. “I’m sorry. I know I shouldn’t have come. But…”

Peter closed his mouth as tears quickly overtook him once more and his chest heaved with sobs. “Harry!” He got up and rushed over, quickly throwing his arms around Harry who met him with a tight embrace.

The night was just as hot as the day had been. “I hate the summer.” Peter groaned as his uneven steps somehow kept him going forward.

Harry chuckled as he unbuttoned part of his shirt. “Same.” He pushed some hair out of his face, his usually fine combed hair a complete soaked mess after their sexual encounter. “Man, this is New York City! Why can’t we find an open corner store?!” He asked in frustration, his hunger getting him more irritated with each step.

Peter laughed and shrugged as he pulled at the collar of his  shirt. “Man, I smell like weed. Imma have to burn this shirt!”

“What if we tossed it in the East River?!” Harry asked, complete excitement taking over him.

It took a moment for the words to sink in, but when they finally did, Peter nodded dramatically. “We can burn it and then toss it into the river!”

The boys managed to find themselves on a bus a short time later to South Street Seaport. The bus had no one else on it and the two made out in the back seats. They had been so preoccupied that they almost missed their stop. The seaport was completely dead at night. The large ships creaking in the silence of closed shops and the occasional car on the highway above. The two ran hand in hand to the edge of the railing and Peter took off his shirt in a rushed mess.

Harry snickered as he took out his lighter and tried to keep the flame on. The two uncontrollably laughed as they attempted to light the shirt on fire, but too strong winds kept putting it out. They did manage to burn a few holes in it before a flashlight was shined on them. “Hey! What are you kids doing here?! The seaport is closed!”

Two cops had been patrolling the area and had heard the boys laughs. The cops were too close for them to try and go anywhere. And if Peter was being honest, he didn’t think his slurred mind would be able to outrun either of them. “Uh, we...uh.” He was at a loss for words.

Harry snickered beside him, his lighter still in his hands as Peter put his burnt holed shirt back on. Peter started laughing because Harry was and the two were suddenly unable to hear what the cops were saying over their hysterics.

At the police station, they separated the two into different holding rooms. The cop that came in every now and again kept forcing Peter to drink water. By his third cup, he had a splitting headache and had to use the bathroom. After they let him go to the bathroom, they took his fingerprints and picture.

“Where’s my boyfriend?” Peter asked as they ushered him into a cell.

The cop grunted and closed the gate. “Your boyfriend? He went home about an hour ago. Mr. Osborn came to pick him up.” The cop said before walking away.

Peter stood there in shock. Harry had left him there? After it was his idea to get drunk and high. After it was his idea to head out after they had sex to find snacks when Peter just wanted to sleep. “No.” Peter whispered as he moved to sit on the small bench that was in the cell. His eyes began to burn with tears.

An hour later, Tony rushed into the police department, more furious than Peter had ever seen him. “Get my son out of that cell!” He yelled to the closest cop. They spoke for a while before the cop shook Tony’s hand and walked over to open the gate.

For a moment, Peter was unwilling to leave with an angry Tony. Maybe spending the night in jail wasn’t so bad after all. But he wasn’t given that chance as Tony walked into the cell and grabbed Peter’s arm and dragged him out.

Not a single word was spoken until they both were in the car. “Dammit, Peter! What the...what?! Why would you do something as stupid as getting drunk when you’re clearly underaged and, smoking? Really?! Drugs?!” Tony hadn’t started the car yet, his eyes fixed on his son in the passenger seat.

Gulping down the lump in his throat, Peter took a shuddered breath and tried to find words. “Dad, I...I’m sorry.”

“No! Fuck no. You do not get to just apologize and think everything will be better! You could have gotten seriously hurt. That shit is on your public record now.” Tony took a deep breath, his anger keeping his voice high. “Mr. Osborn came by my office today, furious. Said that you went over to Harry’s and had him break into his father's liquor cabinet and you drank his best scotch!”

“Woah, wait. No, dad, I-I did not pressure Harry into doing that. He was the one who wanted to relax and said that would help. He had the weed on him. I don’t even know where to get weed!” Peter defended. Did Harry really blame him? Why would he throw him under the bus like that? Had he done something wrong?

Tony could see the hurt in his son’s eyes and knew he was telling the truth. “So maybe Harry lied to his dad. But why would you take it, Peter? Why would you allow yourself to be manipulated like that?! You are responsible for your own choices, and by shit, you sure fucked up this time buddy.”

There was a long silence. Peter didn’t know what to say. He was completely brokenhearted that Harry had betrayed him like that. He regretted agreeing to drinking and smoking. If Harry wouldn’t have blamed him for it, then all this would have been worth it. They had an amazing night, and Harry was right, Peter felt better and relaxed when he was drunk and high. All of his problems at home forgotten. His eyes began to burn again and fresh tears slid down his cheeks. “I loved him. He’s been there for me since pop left overseas. Cause you’re never there! All you do is drink!” Peter answered, his sobs turning harsh as he openly wept.

The only noise was Peter’s cries. Tony was struck by Peter’s words. He had no idea the two were seeing each other. He had no idea how his son felt. Ever since Steve left, Tony occupied himself with work, and of course a few drinks. He hadn’t realized just how much he wasn’t paying attention to his son. He reached over and pulled Peter into a hug. “I’m sorry, Peter. I didn’t...hey, it’s alright.” He tried to comfort his son who was unable to stop crying. “I’ll calm down with my drinking okay? And I’ll come home every night for dinner. I don’t want you to hurt yourself like this...I’m sorry.”

The car ride home was silent. Once home, Tony prepared a hot bath for Peter. The two ate a quick dinner and then headed for bed. There was a knock on Peter’s door and Tony walked in, sitting at the edge of his son’s bed. “Hey.” He said softly.

Peter offered a small smile. “Hey.”

“So...uh...I don’t want you to see that boy no more.” Tony was hoping he wasn’t opening fresh wounds. He didn’t want to see Peter cry again.

Shaking his head, Peter took Tony’s hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. “Don’t worry dad. I won’t. But you have to do something for me.”

“What’s that?” Tony asked, his shoulders relaxing.

“You have to go and see a doctor. With all your drinking, I think it’d be best.” Peter wondered how his father drank so much. The aftermath didn’t feel so great.

Nodding, Tony patted Peter’s hand as he stood up. “I’ll go tomorrow. Good night pal.”

Peter had a hard time falling asleep that night. But finally, he was so drained from crying into his pillow that he fell asleep.

The two held onto each other for a while before Peter pulled away. “Why are you here?” He asked.

Harry looked down to the floor nervously. “I saw that your dad was being rushed to the hospital on the news. I...I wanted to come and support you.”

“Why? Why now? Why didn’t you support me last year, instead of throwing me under the bus?!” Peter yelled. “You blamed me for what you pressured me to do! You told your dad I made you do it! We had such a great night and you left me in that cell and…” His words were lost as the tears began once more.

“No, Peter, I never told my dad that. I told him that it was all my idea and that I pressured you into drinking his bottle with me. I would have never...but you didn’t return my text. And you blocked my number. I tried to come and see you, but your dads wouldn’t let me. My dad had then transferred me to a different school and...I stopped trying.” Harry looked up at Peter now, his eyes red and shining as he fought back his own tears. “I loved you, Peter. And you abandoned me.”

“Hey!”

Both boys turned quickly to the source of the yell. Bucky quickly came to stand in front of Peter, the bag of food tossed onto the seat. “What the hell are you doing here, huh? Get away from my nephew.”

“No, Uncle Bucky, it’s ok.” Peter grabbed onto his uncle's arm and pulled him back. “He was just here to send his good wishes. He was leaving.” Peter looked at Harry with pleading eyes. His uncle would not stand for Harry staying there to support him. Uncle Bucky was there for him through his depression after the incident. He knew how hurt he was.

“I’m sure he was.” Bucky said, never taking his eyes off of Harry.

Harry frowned and nodded. “Yeah. I was. Hope your dad is okay, Peter. Number is the same.” He said before turning and leaving.

Bucky watched until Harry was completely out of sight before he turned to Peter. “Are you okay?” When Peter nodded, Bucky relaxed and grabbed the bag of food. “I got burgers.”

“I’m not hungry.” Peter said as he sat down.

Sitting next to him, Bucky handed Peter a burger anyways. “Eat.” There was a silence for a while as they are. “Don’t you dare contact that kid. His number is blocked, leave it that way.”

Peter took a bite of his burger and nodded.

A doctor came out and walked over to the duo. “Peter? James?” The doctor asked as he watched the two quickly jump out of their seats.

“Is my father okay?!” Peter quickly asked.

The doctor hesitated for a moment before he spoke. “Your father mixed his heart medication with alcohol and went into cardiac arrest. We are prepping him for triple bypass surgery immediately.”

“Heart medicine?” Bucky asked, looking at Peter.

But Peter had frozen on the spot. Heart medicine? When and why was Tony taking a heart medicine? Did Steve know? Was Tony going to be alright?

What would they do if Tony didn’t come out of this?

Chapter Text

7

The waiting room was quiet.

Too quiet.

It was a little past three in the morning and Peter had yet to fall asleep. He sat in the uncomfortable hospital chairs waiting for word about Tony. Bucky was pacing right outside the waiting area, his phone pressed between his his ear and shoulder as his hands rested in his pocket. He’d been trying to get in contact with Steve since they received word of Tony’s emergency surgery. Unfortunately, he had been sent out with his platoon and the battery had been trying to get in contact with him.

There was a weird unsettling feeling in the pit of Peter’s stomach. Tony was in surgery and Steve was deployed and they didn’t know where he was. His whole world was crashing down around him. If he lost one of his dads it was bad enough, but the thought of losing both? He’d be an orphan. He’d be alone. Most likely would live with Bucky, but what happens when he gets deployed on his long term unknown missions?

Peter pressed his palms hard against his eyes to wipe away the tiredness and tears. His leg wouldn’t stop bouncing with anticipation and every time a doctor walked by, he’d hold his breath and only let go once they were out of sight. Peter needed air, but wasn’t aloud to go outside due to the press still hanging about the entrance.

But he needed to.

Standing up, Peter walked over to Bucky and tapped his shoulder. “I need air.” Bucky took the phone in his hand and away from his mouth to speak. Before he could, Peter held up his hand and stopped him. “I’ll take one of the smaller exits through a staircase. I have my phone.” When Bucky nodded, Peter nodded in acknowledgment and headed for the closest staircase.

Descending the stairs quickly, Peter took out his phone with shaky fingers. He opened the door to the exit and was thankful when it led to the side street of the building, no one around. He crossed the street quickly and continued down the block. The streets of the city were quiet this early in the morning, but a Taxi every now and again shined its headlights and beeped to see if he was in need of service.

Rounding a corner, he spotted a twenty-four hour diner that looked to be pretty much empty. Pulling the door open, Peter walked inside and grabbed a small booth far from any windows. A waiter came over with a glass of water and a menu. Once the waiter left with his order of just a coffee, Peter looked to the phone still in his hand. He needed to speak to someone about what was happening. No. That wasn’t true. He didn’t want to speak to just anyone.

Harry.

He wanted to speak to Harry Osborn. If his number was the same, then he knew it like the back of his hand. Before he could think rationally, Peter was dialing in the number he knew all too well and pressed the green circle to call. But he didn’t put it up to his ear just yet. He watched the seconds start to tick on by as the call started. Slowly, he put the phone up to his ear and heard the end of a ring before there was shuffling on the other end.

“Peter?” Harry’s voice sounded on the other end of the line.

Had he recognized his number? Or had he never deleted it? Peter felt the bile rise in the back of his throat but took a quick sip of his water to push it down. There was silence for a long while, and Peter could tell Harry was okay with that, understanding that he was having a hard time forming words let alone a single thought. A car beep outside had Peter looking up at the door before he swallowed the lump in his throat.

“Where are you?” Harry asked, and it sounded like he was getting up and moving some things around, no doubt getting dressed. “This might be easier for you in person.” The confirmation that Harry knew Peter all too well.

With a nod, Peter looked back down at the table just as his coffee was brought over. “Um...I’m at a diner. Close to the hospital...I don’t know exactly where.” The words were barely above a whisper, having had to clear his throat a few times and force the words out.

“I’ll find it. I’m on my way.” With that, Harry hung up.

Peter put the phone on top of the table and sighed. Grabbing the sugar, he poured a good amount before opening the small milk packets one by one. His coffee tasted bitter and like it was leftover from a pot made earlier in the day. But he didn’t care. He finished it and when the waiter came around and poured him more, he drank that too.

It wasn’t long before the front door was opening and Peter looked up to see Harry walking over to him. He looked just as he had earlier and Peter couldn’t help the funny thought that no matter what, Harry wouldn’t leave home before doing his hair. But he didn’t mention it as Harry sat down and the waiter came over with a menu, leaving the two while the newcomer decided.

“Did you eat?” Harry asked, not touching the menu. When Peter shook his head, Harry sighed and pushed the menu toward him. “You need to eat. Gotta have strength.”

“I’m not really hungry.” Peter said, motioning to his coffee.

It was a short while before Harry pulled the menu to himself and opened it. After a moment, he closed it and motioned for the waiter. “Turkey club. No tomatoes.” With the the waiter took the menu and left. “Or do you now like tomatoes?”

Peter shook his head, his eyes still having never left his coffee. “Shouldn’t have done that.” He said just above a whisper.

“Well, you gotta eat.” Harry spoke definitely, almost as if nothing had changed between the two. Crossing his arms over his chest, Harry finally peeled his eyes off the other male and sighed deeply. He bit at his bottom lip as he tried to mule over what to say. But no words came.

“I saw the news...about your dad earlier this year.” Peter started suddenly. “I’m sorry for your loss. I can’t imagine...well...I know what you must have been feeling cause, Tony…” Peter lost his words at the thought of his father still undergoing surgery.

Harry reached across the table and took Peter’s hand in his own. “Hey, it’s gonna be okay. If there’s one thing I know about Tony, is that he may be snarky but he is strong.” Hatty squeezed Peter’s hand in reassurance, hoping that in some way this was helping more than he feared it was doing damage. “My dad had been sick for years, you know that. It was only a matter of time.”

“That doesn’t make it any less painful for you.” Peter choked out, the lump in his throat thick.

With a small shake of his head, Harry reached forward with his free hand and caressed Peter’s cheek. “It happened months ago. We were never really close anyway. I’ve been over it for a long while now. But this isn’t about me. This is about how you are coping.” His words were soft and kind.

Back then, Harry had always been a rather cold guy. And even a bit bossy. However when it came to Peter, he usually took it down a notch. But not like this. This was a side of Harry that Peter had never seen before. He partially wonders if it’s because of the trauma after they had their incident and Peter never reached out. At the moment, Peter had a million questions about that night and what followed. But now wasn’t the time for that.

“I’m not coping well. They...t-they can’t find Steve on his deployment. What if I’m losing them both?” Peter finally looked up from his coffee to see Harry staring back at him in sorrow. Peter’s own eyes were red and glassy with fresh tears. “Who am I without my dads? What am I going to do without them?” His bottom lip trembled as he looked back down, releasing Harry’s hand as the waiter came over to place the order on the table.

When the waiter left again, Harry sighed softly and sat back in his seat. “We don’t know anything for sure right now, Peter. You don’t want to keep putting the worst possible thoughts to the front line of your mind.”

“How do I not?” Peter asked, his tone stronger and a bit agitated. “I-I didn’t even know Tony had heart issues! My own father was taking medication for his beating heart, and here I was just thinking the doctor said he drank too much so his liver needed a break!” Peter realized his voice had risen to above an inside level and he cast his eyes to the floor, clearing his throat sheepishly.

They were silent for a minute, Harry giving Peter a moment to cool down before speaking. “It’s not your fault. You do know that, right?”

Biting his bottom lip, Peter tried to take a deep breath in through his nose but fell short as a sob escaped him. “I found the drink.” He said horsley. “I knew h-he was spiking his drink and I left it right beside him.” Peter was openly crying now, the walls coming crashing down.

Harry got up from where he sat and moved around the table to sit beside Peter in the booth. He wrapped one arm around his shoulder and pulled him close. The other moved to Peter’s hair, running his fingers through it in a calming manner. Peter buried his face in Harry’s chest, tears streaming down his face and onto Harry’s jacket. “Shh, it’s okay. It’s going to be okay.” Harry said softly.

Peter didn’t know how much time passed by as he couldn’t control his tears. But eventually he seemed to have no more tears to cry and Harry was pushing a glass of water into his hands. Peter took it gratefully and kept drinking until the glass was empty. “Thanks.” He whispered as he detached himself from Harry.

Standing slowly, Harry moved back around to his side of the booth and sat down. “You should wash your face with cold water. And then, eat.” Harry placed his chin in his palm as he offered a small smile.

Nodding, Peter stood up and headed to the bathroom. The cold water felt amazing as it splashed onto his heated face. He took many deep breaths before drying his face and heading back to the table. Once seated, the food placed before him did look rather appetizing. He took a bite of his sandwich and sighed contently at the taste. “Thanks. For this and...today.” Peter gave Harry a small smile before taking another bite.

They sat in silence while Peter ate. Harry was just happy being there for the company, so long as Peter needed him. Once the meal was gone and the waiter took the plate, Harry made his way to the front and paid the bill. The two left the diner and out into the cold morning air. The sky was beginning to receive it’s hint of sunlight. The dawn was approaching.

“Did you want me to walk with you to the hospital?” Harry asked as they reached the crosswalk.

Peter did want him to, but if his uncle saw them together, Peter wouldn’t know how to explain it. So he shook his head shoved his hands deep into his pants pockets. “It’s okay. I know the trains at this time are super slow.” Peter said sheepishly.

With a nod, Harry seemed to understand the undertone reason behind Peter’s resentment to him walking along. “I get it. But...call me whenever, okay?” Harry’s words sounded more like a plea rather than casual conversation which caused Peter to meet his eyes. “I just...I know it won’t be the same. But I think we should talk. We owe it to each other.”

Before he could stop himself, Peter found he was nodding in agreement. “Alright. I will. Tomorrow.” Once Harry nodded in agreement, Peter slid his hand out of his pocket and gave an awkward wave before heading in the opposite direction and back to the hospital.

The waiting room was slightly more packed than when he left and he found Bucky sleeping in a chair. Peter sat down next to him and rested his head on his uncle’s shoulder. Not a minute later, Peter found himself giving in to the drowsiness and fell asleep.

--

When Bucky stirred, Peter felt his head loll and jolt him out of his sleep. “What?” He asked, but Bucky was already standing as a doctor stood in front of them. Peter quickly jumped out of his seat and wiped the tiredness out of his eyes. “My dad? Is he okay? Is the surgery over?”

The doctor smiled softly at Peter and placed a hand on his shoulder. “He’s going to be just fine. The surgery was a success, but he will be spending some time here to recover.”

Peter felt his legs weaken with the relief and a fresh wave of exhaustion washed over him. He reached back and gripped the armrest of the chair, using it as support as he sat back down. Letting out a long sigh of relief, Peter ran his hands through his hair and chuckled softly as tears pooled in his eyes.

Bucky spoke with the doctor a bit more before turning to his nephew. “Hey kid, come on. Let’s go see your dad.”

They followed the doctor down the halls and into an elevator. Tony had been given his own room to recover in and Peter was grateful for the privacy it provided. Upon entering the room, the sound of monitors buzzed and beeped. Tony lay awake, looking tired and pale, but he smiled when he saw them enter the room. “You both look like shit.” He said, his voice cracking as his throat was dry from the breathing tube during surgery.

“If we look like shit, you look like death.” Bucky said with a chuckle.

Peter said nothing as he rushed over and kneeled next to the bed, grabbing Tony’s hand and pressing it against his forehead. He took in a shuddered breath as he placed a hard kiss to the back of Tony’s hand. “Don’t you ever, ever, ever...do that to me again.” Peter said, looking up to his father with fresh tears in his eyes.

Tony smiled, though his eyes were red with tears as well and squeezed Peter’s hand as tight as he could muster. “I’m so sorry, Peter. I should have told you what was going on. But...we didn’t want you to worry. You have so much on your plate with school and getting into college and finding yourself...you shouldn’t have to stop all that to worry about your old man.”

Shaking his head frantically, Peter inched closer, his chest pressing against the bedframe as his knees started stinging from the hard floor. “Don’t you ever for a moment think that I would be so selfish as to not care if you or pop are going through something. Yes, I have my own life to live, but that stuff can come later. College will always be there. You needed me, and I didn’t even know it...and look what happened.” Peter wiped away a tear angrily before speaking again. “No. I need you and pop to always be open with me. So...so I can help out. I’m not a kid anymore. I can get a part time job or just come home after school and take care of you. You’re my dad.”

“And you’re my son. It’s my job to take care of you, not the other way around.” Tony smirked as he ruffled Peter’s hair lightly.

“It’s our job to take care of each other.” Peter retorted with a smile.

“All of us.” Bucky chimed in, placing a hand on Peter’s shoulder. “He’s gonna stay with me while you recover.”

Peter smiled up at Bucky. “And the dog too.”

Bucky frowned a bit before sighing. “And the dog. Which reminds me, that poor pup must need a walk, food, and water. Besides, your dad needs rest. Come on buddy.”

“Rest? I just slept all night in surgery.” Tony teased.

Peter stood up and placed a kiss on his father’s forehead. “Go to sleep dad.”

Tony waved his hand dismissively. “Later, later. Did anyone talk to Steve yet?” He asked.

Both Peter and Bucky froze. There was still no word back from the battery on Steve and his platoons wearabouts. They looked at each other and contemplated what to tell Tony. Bucky took the initiative and turned to smile at Tony. “Not yet, but I’m sure we’ll be hearing from him soon. I’ll come by once he does so you guys can talk.”

With a nod, Tony grabbed the remote from the side table and turned on the television. “I have my phone, tell him to give me a call. You too Peter, call me every now and again. And go to school.”

“I’ll come by everyday after school.” Peter ruled in before saying their goodbyes and leaving with his uncle.

“Alright kid, we gotta get your stuff and puppy. Same rules apply just like when sleepovers happen. We good?” Bucky asked, tossing his arm around Peter’s shoulder and leading him out of the hospital.

Peter smiled and grabbed his uncle’s hand as he shoved it away. “Sir, yes sir!” He teased, which got him thinking about Steve. “Uncle Bucky...do you think my Pop is okay?”

Bucky frowned as he led Peter toward the parking lot. “He’s the strongest man I’ve ever known. I’m sure he’s fine. Might just be running a bit late back to post.” Once they reached his motorcycle, Bucky gave Peter the helmet and the two got on. “I’ll call again once we get home and actually get a good sleep in.”

--

Peter sat on his bed, his bag packed and ready to go as he waited for Bucky to get back from walking Jarvis. He had his phone on the charger and opened his contact list. He started a text message to Gwen, letting her know that he and his dad were alright. He hit send and then went into his call log. Peter let his finger hang over the most recently called number before pressing it to call.

The answer was almost immediate and Peter couldn’t help the smile that formed. “Hey, my dad’s gonna be okay.”

“That’s great to hear.” Harry said into the phone, a soft sigh escaping him in relief. “Is he coming home?”

“Not for a while...I’m gonna be staying with Uncle Bucky.”

“That’s good.” Harry said a bit disappointedly.

The chance of being able to have their conversation was slim with Bucky. Whenever Peter would spend anytime with his uncle, the guy was like an overprotective hawk. “I’m going to the hospital to see my dad after school tomorrow. Meet me at the diner around five?” Peter questioned. He knew he needed to get this out the way so he’d be able to move on from Harry.

“Yeah, o-okay.” Harry said, his tone a bit lighter, almost hopeful.

Peter heard the door downstairs open and he looked up nervously. “I gotta go. See you tomorrow.” With that, he hung up and grabbed his charger and bag, rushing downstairs. He stopped at the bottom stair as his phone buzzed with a text message from Gwen.

But Peter didn’t open it. Instead he shoved his phone into his pocket and smiled down at Jarvis. “Ready to go? I’ve packed his bowls and food in that bag by the door.”

Bucky nodded and grabbed said bag before opening the door. “Taking your dads car. I’ll come back for my bike at a later time.” Peter nodded in response as he lifted Jarvis into his arms and they headed out.

Peter took one last look at the house before getting into the front seat of the car. He was grateful that this wasn’t a goodbye to the house he grew up in. That his family will be returning to this house soon, all together again...soon.   

Chapter Text

Chapter 8

Even though it was still the holiday vacation, Peter headed to the school to use the photo lab. He liked the comfort the red light gave him as he soaked the image paper in the solution. It’s dimness was a nice escape from his day to day worries as of late. Everything kept replaying in his head. His father being loaded into the back of the ambulance, the frantic calls to Steve which led to a mystery of where he was, Harry showing back up, his distance from Gwen since their date was cut short.

It was a lot to take in all at once, and Peter felt that all too familiar feeling in his gut to pull away. To just take pictures and come to the school’s lab and just shut down. The quiet was nice, and the warmth from the cold winter was drowsing. With a small sigh, Peter hung the last picture up and put his camera back into his backpack. Knowing no one else used this lab, Peter was fine leaving the pictures to hang and dry overnight.

Heading back out into the hallway, he made his way to the security desk and handed the lady the key. “Thanks again. See you tomorrow?” He asked with a forced smile.

The security guard smiled at him fondly and nodded as she took the key. “I’ll be here.”

Peter slumped his backpack over his shoulder and headed out of the building. It was just starting to snow and Peter stopped to watch the calm large snowflakes fall to the ground and stick. Pulling his hood on, he began the journey to the train station.

An hour later, Peter arrived at the Bellevue Hospital and headed towards his father's room. Tony was asleep when he got there and Peter sat in the visitor chair quietly. It seemed like no time passed at all as he toyed around on his phone while his father slept. Suddenly his phone started vibrating in his hand and an unknown number showed on the screen. Standing up to move away from the bed, Peter swiped the green circle over and put the phone to his ear. “Hello?” He answered.

“Hey kiddo. It’s me.” Steve’s voice sounded on the other line.

His knees felt weak with the relief of hearing Steve’s voice. “Pop. Y-you’re okay.” He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

“I heard Bucky called a lot. I’m sorry if I worried you all. Things...well everything is alright. Are you okay?” Steve’s tone changed to one of instant worry at his question.

Peter looked over at Tony. Steve had every right to know. But would it do any good with him so far away? Peter took a moment before taking a deep breath. “Did you know dad was on some sort of heart medication?” Peter asked, sounding a bit more accusing than he had intended.

There was silence on the other end, which was all the answer Peter needed. But Steve sighed and answered truthfully. “Yes. He told me about a year ago, after a visit to the doctor on your request. He didn’t want you to know. Said you both had an...understanding of something and that he wanted you to stay focused.” Steve paused for a moment before taking a shuddered breath. “Peter...is...is Tony okay?”

“He mixed alcohol with his medication. I don’t know if it was intentional, or if he’s just used to spiking his coffee. Uncle Bucky found him and rushed him to the hospital where he then went into cardiac arrest. If I’d had known...” Peter trailed off. “I-I left the spiked coffee at his bedside. I was angry at him. So I left it there. And now he’s in the hospital and had to have surgery overnight and he’s hospitalized for recovery.” His voice cracked as fresh tears streamed down his face.

“No, no Peter. That’s not your fault. Don’t you even think it.” Steve said calmly into the receiver. “He should have known better. And maybe it was an accident, maybe not. But whatever the reason, it is not you.”

Peter tried to take a deep breath, but it was shaky and hard to fill his lungs. “I should have been there. I should have cancelled my plans. He needed me.”

There was some noise on Steve’s side of the line and Steve spoke quickly. “Peter, I need you to listen to me. This is not your fault. But I need you to be strong and be there for your father while I’m away. I have to go, but I will be in contact as soon as possible.” There was a hesitated pause. “I love you, son. And I love your father.”

“I love you too, pops.” The line went quiet, and the call ended. Peter went to the bathroom and washed his face before leaving a note for Tony and heading out of the hospital.

He was mixed with so many emotions. He could feel the stoic expression creeping its way onto his face. Plans to meet with Harry again just seemed like to much of a task. Peter felt the energy and desire to do anything leave his body. Instead, he headed to the train station and began his journey back to his uncle’s. He slept on the train and, after almost missing his stop, Peter began the walk home. The snow was coming down harder now and Peter wanted nothing more at the moment than to curl up in bed.

Once he arrived at his uncle’s, he sent Bucky a quick text and went to the room he was staying in, Jarvis at his heels. This had always been Peter’s room at his uncle’s, and it was a bit alarming how identical it was to the one at his own home. Same color sheets, same plain white wall, a desk with a computer and lamp. Peter looked around the room before dropping his bag and picking up the puppy. Laying on the bed, Jarvis happily lay beside him and Peter pet the puppy until they both fell asleep.

0o0o0o

Jarvis barked at the sound of the front door opening, pulling Peter from his sleep. He slowly got up from the bed, seeing a blurry silhouette of Jarvis at the crack of the door. Opening it, the puppy ran down the hall quickly and out of sight. With a yawn, Peter made his way to his uncle and offered a small wave. “Dinner?” He asked groggily.

Bucky shook his coat at the door before hanging it on a hook. “You still haven’t eaten? It’s one in the morning, kid.” Bucky kicked off his boots before wrapping his arm around Peter’ shoulder and leading him t the kitchen. “Did you come home and just sleep?” Bucky asked lightly, but his eyes searched his nephews face and demeanor. He recognized it all too well.

Peter nodded, not really feeling for a conversation. Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, Peter took the phone out of his pocket and sat down. There were a few missed calls and a couple of text. Missed calls from Harry. Text from Harry. Text from Gwen. Peter took a deep breath before turning his phone off completely and setting it face down on the table.

“How about breakfast for dinner? You used to love that as a kid.” Bucky asked enthusiastically, making his way over to the fridge. He watched as Peter shrugged in response and decided to make it anyways, in hopes it would cheer him up. “I’ll fry up some bacon, you toast the waffles. Sound good?”

“Sure.” Peter replied and got up to grab the waffles. Soon the house smelled like it was a bright cold morning as he placed the waffles on a plate and Bucky put the sizzling bacon on top of the waffles.

Bucky put the pan in the sink and grabbed the ice cream from the freezer. “Chocolate or vanilla?” He asked. “Oh! Vanilla ice cream and hot chocolate. Yes, that sounds like a plan.” Bucky set to work and smiled to himself when he heard Peter chuckle.

Soon, they were both seated and eating, each slipping some bacon to Jarvis. “Did you see your dad today?” Bucky asked as he sipped on his hot chocolate.

Nodding, Peter perked up slightly as he sat up in his chair. “Pop called me today. I told him about dad. He knew about the pills. Though now I’m thinking everyone knew. Anyways, he had to go, but it was good to hear from him.” Peter ate the last bit of his waffle before grabbing his dishes and heading over to the sink.

Standing as well, Bucky took his dishes over an attempted to continue the conversation. “That’s great to hear he reached out. Did he say if he’s coming home soon?”

Peter shook his head in reply as he placed his dishes on the drying rack. “I’m gonna go shower and head to bed.”

As Peter walked away, Bucky sighed and decided to leave it be for the night.

0o0o0o

Peter spent much of the rest of the vacation in his room. He’d leave to walk and feed Jarvis. Every now and again he’d grab something to eat. Tony called him every day, telling him to stay indoors since the snow was turning to ice and slush. The New Year rang in, he and Bucky stood up together with some more hot chocolate.

Eventually, school started back up. Peter skipped the first day. He had ignored all the calls and text from everyone except Tony. Steve had not called back since they last spoke. With everything going on, Bucky was ok with letting his nephew stay home and informed the school of his absence. But after a full week of skipping out, Bucky woke early and knocked on Peter’s door. “Let’s go, kid. You have to go to school.” Bucky said through the closed door.

When there was no answer, he knocked a bit harder, hearing Jarvis come from down the hall. “Hey buddy. You didn’t sleep with Peter last night?” He asked, and then looked to the closed door again. “Oh no.” He whispered and opened the door.

The room was empty. The bed made and everything organized. His backpack was gone, but his phone was on the desk. “Dammit, Peter.” Bucky mumbled. “Your dad’s are going to kill me.”

0o0o0o

No snow fell this morning, and the streets were salted and shoveled for the most part. Of course they would be cleaned up in an expensive area like this. Peter knew the way like the back of his hand and it didn’t take him long to get to the right building. The doorman standing outside wore a large coat and gloves, though he still looked absolutely frozen. He opened the door for Peter and offered a small nod. Peter thanked him in return and walked into the large lobby. A woman sat at a desk, a security guard on either side.

She looked up at Peter, greatly taken back by his appearance. He wore his coat, a hoodie underneath which was pulled over his beanie. Nothing like the rich people she sees coming in on a daily basis. It angere Peter, the look she was giving him as she cleared her throat and the to security guards seemed to each take a step closer. “Can I help you?” She asked, her tone obviously pushing out an authority level to show she was not afraid if he turned out to be robber or whatever.

Peter didn’t even crack a smile as he took his hands out of his pocket and leaned onto the counter. “Tell Mr. Osborn that I’m here.”

The woman almost narrowed her eyes. Surely, someone like Mr. Osborn had no association with someone like the teen that stood in front of her. She picked up the phone and began dialing an extension. “And your name?” She asked a bit bored, expecting him to be turned away quickly.

“Peter.” Was all he said in response before moving around the desk and waiting for the elevator to be called.

She motioned for the security to stop him from going further just as the sound came on the other end. “Ah, Mr. Oborn. I am sorry to bother. A boy has requested for you. His name is Peter. Shall I turn him away?” Peter watched as she almost stood at attention and noticeably lowered her voice. “I apologize, sir. Of course...that will not be necessary...o-of course, sir. I will let him know.” She put the phone back onto the receiver and fixed her jacket.

Motioning for the security to back off, she now offered Peter a smile. “Mr. Osborn said he will collect you momentarily.” Just as she sat back down, the elevator chimed and opened.

Peter took a deep breath. He’d stood-up Harry when they were supposed to meet again. He didn’t answer a single call or text. He didn’t even call to ask if he could come over. When Harry walked out of the elevator, he looked like he had rushed out the apartment and to the elevator. “Harry.” Peter said barely above a whisper. “I, um, I shouldn’t…” He was at a loss for words.

Harry walked past Peter and over to the lady at the desk. “This gentleman is always to be let in. Even if I am not in. Understood?” He said angrily.

The woman nodded and replied quickly. “Yes sir.”

Harry didn’t take another moment with her and walked back to Peter. “You must be freezing. Come on.” Harry took Peter’s bag from him and walked him to the elevator.

The ride up was quiet and Peter was very confused. He half hoped Harry would turn him away, tell him to get lost and fuck off. But no, not his Harry. Peter knew that his Harry was too good. That Harry would always forgive Peter even when he didn’t deserve it. The elevator opened directly into his penthouse, and the two walked in silently.

Finally, Harry cleared his throat. “You know where everything is. Go take a hot shower, it’ll warm you right up.” He offered Peter a soft smile as he handed him back his bag and walked toward a room. The door closed behind him and Peter heard the click of the lock.

Chapter Text

Chapter 9

Harry had been locked in that room most of the day. After Peter had showered, he sat on the couch, a pillow in his lap as his knees drew up against it. Maybe Harry was mad at him and just didn’t want to make a scene in front  of the lobby people. Whatever the situation, at this moment he’d rather deal with any remarks from Harry then go back to that dreadful school. To deal with teachers who never understood, to deal with Flash who, no doubt, had a million remarks about his dad being in the hospital. But most of all, to deal with Gwen after completely ignoring her for what was now two weeks and maybe a couple of extra days.

Why had he not just replied to one of her text? He had been so nervous to even ask her out. So nervous to even say hello in the hallways. But she had been so kind to him and genuine. This is how he repays her. This is how he repays everyone. By shutting down, ignoring everyone, just staying in his room for hours on end. Sometimes he’d go on his computer, sometimes he’ listen to music. But most of all, he just slept. Nothing seemed worthy of getting out of bed. Food seemed unappetizing and he couldn’t focus long enough to read or play a game. Sadly, he knew this feeling all too well, and this was his only idea on how to get help.

With the hours ticking by, the sun began to set, causing the warm light to pierce through the large windows. Peter had no idea what time it was, and the sun always set pretty early in the winter. Now dark, Peter didn’t bother to turn on any lights. Instead, he felt his eyes begin to heavy themselves and just before sleep overtook him, he heard the click of the lock and the door opened. The light lit up such little of the large penthouse and Peter watched as Harry fumbled for a light switch.

Once the light was on, it took Peter a moment to adjust, his eyes squinting at the harsh brightness. He heard the soft footsteps reach him and felt the couch dip as Harry sat down. “Alright, vampire. Time to talk.” Harry said lightly and chuckled.

Peter’s eyes finally adjusted and he looked over at a smiling Harry. He was still fully clothed and despite his smile, he looked really tired. “Long day?” Peter asked, having to clear his throat afterwards as the words barely escaped. He hadn’t realized how little he had been using his voice recently.

With a nod, Harry rested his arm on top of the sofa’s edge and cupped one leg under the other. “Yeah, a bunch of bullshit my father left behind. Not easy being a teen and having to run a company all by yourself. But at least I’m done with school. So that’s a plus. Guess that boarding school was good for something.” Harry laughed as he pulled at a loose strand on the couch.

The two sat in silence for a moment, Harry eyeing Peter but not rushing him to speak. He knew his friend all too well. Even without speaking for a full year, Harry knew more about Peter than anyone. “Are you hungry? You don’t look like you’ve eaten anything in like, ages. I’ll order up some grub. How does Chinese sound?” When Peter nodded, Harry gave one firm nod before standing and heading over to the kitchen. He grabbed a menu from the draw and pulled out his cellphone. He didn’t bother to ask Peter what he wanted, the guy never changed his order. He knew him.

After ordering, Harry sat back down with a small sigh. “They said forty-five minutes to an hour.”

“I’m sorry.” Peter said, the words being forced out as he pulled his knees tighter against the pillow.

Harry knew he wasn’t just saying these words. The force that it took to get them out wasn’t because he didn’t want to say them, but because he almost couldn’t physically speak them. Harry knew he had to coax the thoughts out and help Peter speak his mind. “For what?” Harry asked. He tried not to put too much concern in his voice, but more of a demand. A demand for an explanation in full.

Peter took a moment, his mind racing with everything he wants to say, but his throat kept closing up and not letting a single thought escape. When he heard Harry ask again, a bit more harsher than the last time, Peter took in a shuddered breath and tried to form words. “For everything.” He knew that was not going to be good enough for Harry, so he continued on quickly. “I was supposed to meet with you, and I didn’t. I didn’t even bother to text or to call you or...anything. Instead I left you flat and that was stupid and wrong of me.”

“Why did you do it?” Harry asked. He did not ask this accusingly, instead he lightened his tone for a more deeper reasoning. A question not to be answered for Harry’s sake, but for Peter to really think about the events of the day.

Another moments pause as Peter thought back to that day. “Pop finally called me. I had to tell him about dad. He knew. He knew about the medicine and didn’t tell me. Knew because I made him go to the doctors, but dad never told him why because of my secret. I kept a secret, so they kept one from me. Too many secrets and look where it got us. Pop is deployed and I haven’t heard from him since that call. Dad is in the hospital. And I’ve just been so...so worried that I pushed everyone away.” Peter felt the lump in his throat but tried to keep it down. “I didn’t feel like it. You know? I didn’t feel like meeting up, or calling, or texting, or eating, or conversing, or anything. I just felt so tired and I just wanted to go to sleep. Hoping that by the time I woke up, dad would be released from the hospital and pop would be coming home.” He angrily wiped away a tear that managed to escape before he took a deep breath and relax his muscles.

It was quiet for a moment before Harry placed a hand on Peter’s knew, smiling softly when he wasn’t shrugged off. “It’s okay to be scared, Peter. Your dads are important to you, as they should be. But remember that they are not your only family. You have your Uncle Bucky. You have me. You will always have me.” He let his hand slip from Peter’s knee and kept his smile on. “And you have Gwen.”

Peter’s brows furrowed as he looked over at Harry. “How...You know Gwen?”

Harry laughed and patted Peter’s knee friendly. “She’s an intern at Oscorp. Plus, when you got here, the first thing I did was call your uncle. I let him know you were okay and safe. I told him to give you some space and that I would take care of you. He said you left your phone, but that a girl had called numerous times. I hope you know he answered her call.” Harry chuckled.

Peter’s face grew red as he buried himself into the pillow to hide. Though once he thought Harry’s words over, he sprung back up. “You called my uncle?”

“Of course I called your uncle, you dope. The man hates me as is. The last thing I need is him pounding at the front door.” Harry leaned back against the couch and sighed. “I had to let him know you were okay. I know what it’s like to not know. And Gwen deserves the right to know as well.”

Peter took a moment before sighing. He was quite a moment longer as he thought about what he told Harry and what Harry had just said to him. A small smile played at his lip and a chuckle escaped. “I’ve been so stupid.” Peter said, his laughter growing all the more.

“Yes, yes you have.” Harry laughed in return. “But at least you realized and can now make it right.”

Peter wiped away a tear that had fallen from laughing. “You’re right. And I really am sorry, Harry. For everything. Even now, you know how to help me.”

“I know you, Peter.” Harry said firmly. “I know you better than anyone else. Hell, I know you better than you know yourself. Just like you know me.”

With a nod, Peter tossed the pillow aside and pulled his friend into a hug. Harry didn’t hesitate to hug back and Peter relished in the tight warm embrace. “Thank you. And I’m going to tell my family the truth. About that night. About us. I don’t want the to hate you because we were being dumb teenagers. I don’t want us to never go a long time without talking again.”

It was Harry’s turn to stay quiet and try to push down the lump in his throat. “Thank you. Life was hard without my best friend. My only friend.” There was a buzzing sound toward the elevator and Harry tightened his embrace before letting go and answering the intercom.

A few minutes later, the two sat in front of the television, digging into the containers of their meal while watching a bad holiday movie and mocking it the whole time. Eventually, once the dinner was done and the movie over, it was time to call it a night. Peter changed into his packed pajamas and the two were no strangers to sharing a bed. With a full stomach and a bunch of pent up emotions of his shoulders, Peter fell asleep quickly and soundlessly.

0o0o0o

The school building looked just as uninviting as ever. Now with the browned slush everywhere and the snow pushed to the sides in a messy fashion, Peter looked to Harry in the driver's seat and took a deep breath. “I don’t think I can do this.”

“Get out of my car.” Harry said, reaching over and opening the door for him. “You have to go to school, Peter. It’s your last year. And you’ve missed quite enough of it.” Harry said, pulling his sunglasses down his nose a bit to eye his friend.

Peter took a deep breath and nodded. “You’re right. I have to go. I need to catch up on what I missed. Pop would be furious if my grades dropped.”

“You have to talk to Gwen.” Harry added.

“I have to talk to Gwen. Right. Yes. Yeah, and that too.” Peter practically coached himself as he forced himself to get out of the car. “Uh, Harry? Are you…”

Harry pushed his sunglasses back up the bridge of his nose. “I’ll pick you up after school. Now close the door, you’re letting all that cold air in here.”

They said their goodbyes and Peter had to walk into the school before Harry drove off. He knew him too well. Now inside the school, Peter felt suffocated. There were so many bodies around him that he could barely breath. Pushing his way through the crowds, he exited to a staircase and made his way to the photo lab. Surely by now, someone had taken down his pictures and tossed them into the unclaimed box. Or into the garbage. He opened the door to the lab and greeted the teacher. “Hey, um. I had some pictures that I left hanging over the holiday break. Are they in the unclaimed box?”

The teacher smiled at Peter, he took off his glasses before speaking. “Nice to have you back with us, Rogers.” The teacher said as he opened a drawer by his side. “Oh, wait. A friend of yours came down and claimed them for you. Stacey was her last name.” He said and closed the drawer.

Peter felt his heart sink. Now he really had no choice but to confront her. Which he was going to do, for sure. But maybe had not planned it for today. “Thank you, sir. And it’s Rogers-Stark.” Peter smiled before leaving the room. He had opened the door to exit the lab and stopped dead in his tracks.

Gwen stood right outside the door, a large envelope in her crossed arms. “I was ready to ask my dad to file a missing persons claim.” She said through a smirk. Gwen held out the large envelope and gestured for him to take it. “I had come down here everyday just in case you showed up. I didn’t want these to get thrown away or anything.”

Reaching out, Peter took the envelope. Without a moment's hesitation, he pulled Gwen into a hug. She hugged him in return, a soft chuckle escaping her and a sniff as a tear strolled down her cheek. “I am so sorry. I am an idiot. So scared of what was going on that I shut down and pushed you away.” He let go of the embrace to look at her. “I do that to the people I care about. I push them away. I...I don’t know why I do it and I never realize when it’s happening. But I need you to know that I’m sorry.”

Shaking her head, Gwen pressed her hand softly against his cheek. “It’s okay, Peter. Your uncle told me everything that was going. Maybe he shouldn’t have, but I’m glad he did. You’re my friend, and I want to be there for you in times like this. I’ll always be here for you.” Gwen spoke so softly and at the same time, so certain.

Peter knew he could trust every word she said. He felt confident, a bit like his old self again. Leaning forward before he talked himself out of it, Peter pressed their lips together in a gentle kiss. He was relieved when he felt her lean closer and kiss him in return. When pulling apart, they smiled sheepishly at one another and intertwined their fingers, heading to the staircase to start their day.

The rest of the day went by uneventful. Peter was given multiple sheets by his teachers for all the work he had missed, and he handed in his completed holiday homework. School seemed like such nuisance compared to his last two weeks. But he pay attention in class and got all of his work done. He was most shocked when in math class, a pat on his shoulder indicated Flash and the torment soon to follow. But instead when Peter turned around, he was met by a calm Flash who fiddled with his pencil.

“I’m sorry about your dad. Being in the hospital and all. I get it. I, uh, hope he gets better soon.” Flash said before looking down at his textbook and starting on the work.

“Thanks.” Peter said in obvious shock before he turned back around and started on the work.

He and Gwen sat together at lunch, chatting idly and laughing. It was nice and he had to admit it felt good to be out of the house and talking to Gwen again. He took a bite of his pudding cup and remembered something Harry had said. “Oh, so you intern at Oscorp? How come you didn’t tell me?” Peter asked with a smile.

Gwen nodded and pinched his arm. “I would have but someone wasn’t answering his phone.” She smiled in return. “It’s a great opportunity to get a science scholarship. Gosh, does that sound too nerdy?” She laughed.

Shaking his head, Peter finished up his pudding. “No, not at all Bill Nye, I mean Gwen.” The two laughed together and soon lunch came to an end.

The final bell rang and the couple left the school building together. Peter smiled when he saw Harry leaning against his car, hands in pocket and quite frankly, looking like a boss. Harry stood up straight when he saw Peter and smiled when he saw the woman next to him. Peter ushered Gwen on over with him and embraced Harry in a hug. “Gwen, I’d like you to meet my best friend. Harry Osborn.”

Gwen held out her hand and smiled widely. “Nice to meet...wait, Harry Osborn. Like, the Harry Osborn?” She half froze at the realization.

Harry smiled and shook her hand. “As in owner of Oscorp, yes. Peter’s best friend and ex-boyfriend.” Harry winked.

With a smile, Gwen looked over to Peter and chuckled. “You dated Harry? You never told me you were into guys as well.” She teased, grabbing onto Peter’s arm.

Peter blushed and scratched at the back of his neck. “Not something I bring up in most conversations. But uh, yeah. I’m bisexual.”

“And I am down for a polyamorous relationship. Now get in, both of you.” Harry said as he walked over to the driver's seat and got into the car. Peter held the front seat door open for Gwen and then sat in the back seat. Harry pulled out of the school lot and drove toward the city. Peter quickly felt instant regret on letting these two sit by each other, as they simply joke on him the whole time and he felt his face become beat red as he tried to defend himself.

Seeing them laugh made Peter smile a mile wide, and he knew he was lucky to have them both in his life.

Chapter Text

Chapter 10

The day Tony came home, Peter stood home from school to help. Tony had lost some weight and needed help walking, even though he kept trying to fight his son on this. Bucky held the front door open as Peter helped Tony into the house and directly to the living room. Once his father was seated, Peter sat next to him with a warm smile. “Welcome home, dad.”

“Good to be back.” Tony said, leaning back against the sofa as a content sigh escaped his lips.

Bucky walked into the living room, Jarvis quick at his feet. “Glad you’re doing better old man. Wish I could stay, but duty calls. Don’t give the kid a hard time while I’m gone.” He set some bags down and moved to give them both a hug.

"Fuck you, I give everyone a hard time. He is no exception." Tony exasperated. 

“Wait, you’re deploying?” Peter asked once he let go of his uncle.

With a small smile, Bucky shrugged his shoulders. “Something like that. But I’ll be gone for some time. Make sure no one breaks into my apartment?”

Peter nodded, frowning as he waved his uncle off. Once Bucky was gone, Peter grabbed a cup from the cabinet and filled it with water. “Let’s get you in bed so you can take your medicine, dad.” He said loudly so Tony could hear him.

“Yeah, sure.” Tony answered, starting to get up from the couch. He felt a hand under his arm, and appreciated it for the moment as Peter helped him up. “I could have gotten up, you know.”

“Sure.” Peter chuckled. Together, they walked to his parents bedroom and got Tony in bed. Covering him with the quilt, Peter handed his father the cup of water and dug in a bag for his pills, giving him one.

Tony took the pill and set the cup down on the side table. “There’s something on your mind. What is it?”

Peter laughed and sat on the edge of the bed. “What makes you say that?” He saw the grin Tony gave him, and sighed. “Okay, yes. There is something I wanted to talk to you about. Don’t get mad. Just...hear me out?” He spoke nervously, but he was determined.

Crossing his arms, Tony leaned his head back against the headboard and closed his eyes. “I’m listening.”

Taking a deep breath, Peter began to explain. “Well, when you were in the hospital...Harry came to see me. He had seen on the news that you were taken to the hospital. We spoke and he explained to me what had happened that night. How his dad had told you a lie and blamed me for what happened. It was still wrong what we did, and I am not playing that down. But...we talked. And he stuck by me while I was terrified. With you in the hospital and no one being able to get in contact with Pop, I was not in a great state of mind.” He took a moment to let Tony say something if he wanted, but when Tony kept quiet, Peter continued.

“I thought a lot about this. Fearful I was about to dig myself back into bad choices. But I came to realize that Harry was not a bad choice. He was my best friend and for a while, he was my boyfriend, my lover. I would be lying if I said I didn’t miss him. But we aren’t even considering that. I met Gwen, and we’ve hit it off really well. So...we are going to try at being friends again.” Peter finished. He felt this was as much detail he could go with before he just started rambling.

There was a long moment of silence. For a brief moment, he thought maybe Tony had fallen asleep. But suddenly, Tony leaned forward and opened his eyes. “Look, you’re eighteen years old. You’re about to graduate high school. I can’t really stop you from having the friends you want to have. Maybe Steve thinks he can, but I’m a little more level headed than him. If you want to speak to Harry, that is your choice. I know the kid lost his father not too long ago and Norman wasn’t really the greatest person to be a father. Do I like this? Not really. But, I will be here in case of anything, I will be here for you Peter. Always.” Tony offered a soft smile.

Wrapping his arms around his father, Peter hugged Tony. He had always felt close to Tony, able to tell him certain things that maybe he was too afraid to tell Steve. “Thanks dad.”

Leaning back, Tony held up a single finger and his features returned to a more serious look. “On one condition. We both have to take care of ourselves. That means if I have to take my pills, you have to take yours.”

--

Peter stood in the bathroom getting ready for school. He stared at the bottle in his hands and felt his heart pounding in his ears. It had been so long since he had taken his antidepressants and was actually feeling nervous about going back on them. But if this meant Tony would take his heart medication, Peter would do it. He took a single pill out and put the bottle back in the cabinet.

Tony was already seated in the kitchen, two glasses of water on the table. “I was going to make breakfast but got a little dizzy.”

“No, it’s fine dad. I’ll make us something.” He placed the pill on the table next to his cup of water and saw Tony had done the same. Peter set to scrambling some eggs and popped waffles into the toaster. Once plated, the two ate breakfast together and then each grabbed onto their pill. Together, they took their medicine before Peter gathered the dishes and cleaned up. “I’ll come home right after school to make us dinner. Remember, your lunch is already made and in the fridge. Just put it in the microwave.”

Tony began making his way into the living room, Jarvis following him slightly behind. “Don’t worry about me. Go to school!” He sat down on the sofa and grabbed the remote. “Come on Jarvis. Up.” He patted the space next to him and the puppy jumped onto the couch next to him.

Shaking his head, Peter grabbed his backpack and headed out for school. The days were getting warmer, and that meant the school year was coming to an end soon. For Peter and Gwen, that meant high school was coming to a complete end. Prom was around the corner, but both had decided not to go. Instead, they planned to go on a date. They had not gone on a date since their Christmas one was cut short, so this was long overdue.

Shoving his skateboard into the locker, he rushed over to meet Gwen at her locker before the bell rang. “Good morning!”

Gwen looked up at him with a smile. “Wow, good morning. Haven’t seen you this happy in some time.” She nudged him lightly before closing her locker. “I take it your dad settled in well? How did the talk go?”

Shrugging, Peter began escorting Gwen to her class. “It went better than I expected. We have...an understanding. I’ve always been pretty close to my dad, and I felt comfortable telling him about Harry.”

“Uh-oh, don’t tell me you’re going to take him home instead of me now.” Gwen joked, linking her arm with Peter’s.

Chuckling, Peter shook his head. “Harry and I are great friends. But we may have been a bit toxic for each other. Either way, we are just happy to be back in contact.” They stopped in front of a classroom and Peter took Gwen’s hand in his own, a bit more bold as the days go on. “Besides, we have a prom date. Just you and I, right?”

“Hmm, I don’t know. I think you’d look great with me on one arm and Harry on the other.” Gwen smiled, giggling when she saw Peter blush. “While this is still a true fact, yes, prom date is just you and I.”

The bell rang and the two separated, heading off to their respective classes. They only shared one class together, and didn’t even sit close to each other. So naturally, the day went by slow. The two ate lunch together, and finally the last bell rang. Peter waited with Gwen for her train and then headed to his.

When he got home, Tony was still in the living room, but the empty plate on the small coffee table was a good sign that he was taking care of himself. “Hey dad! I’m going to take Jarvis for a walk, then I’ll start dinner.”

Tony smiled over and stood up from the couch slowly. “Sure thing, I’ll start getting things ready.” He moved slow, but was determined.

Peter took Jarvis around the long blocks twice before heading back inside. Tony was still in the kitchen looking a bit tired. Letting the puppy off his leash, Peter took off his jacket quickly and rushed into the kitchen. “Hey, I got this dad. Go sit down, okay?” Peter grabbed onto his arm and helped him back to the sofa.

“I’m sorry. I tried to reach for the seasoning spice in the cabinet and just…” Tony seemed out of breath.

“It’s okay dad. You had a big surgery, you shouldn’t be overdoing it. Just stay put. I got this.” Planting a quick kiss on his father’s forehead, Peter set to cooking dinner.

--

The next few weeks were the same. The duo took their pills in the morning, Peter went to school, came home, walked the dog, made them dinner, prepared his father’s lunch for the next day, helped Tony into a hot tub, took a shower, went to bed. It started to become routine and he had felt weird getting dressed after getting Tony into bed.

Finals were over, the weather had warmed and Spring was here. It was mid-May and prom night. Peter put on his tux and grabbed the corsage off his computer desk. “Hey dad! I’m going to head out now to pick up Gwen. Are you sure it’s okay to take your car?”

Tony lay in bed with his laptop resting on his legs. He had a lot of work to catch up on and had spent the last few night up on his computer. “Just don’t scratch it. And don’t have sex in it.”

His face turned a bright red and Peter stuttered out some words before clearing his throat. “We aren’t at that stage yet dad.” Before he could say anything, Jarvis started barking hysterically and rushed to the front door. Confused, Peter gave Tony the corsage to hold and rushed after Jarvis.

The front door opened and the loud boot steps sounded the foyer. Peter froze as he looked at Steve close the door and drop his bag. “You must be Jarvis.” He said, holding his hand out to the puppy who started wagging his tail happily. Steve looked up to see his son dressed for the evening. “Hey kiddo. Prom night?”

“You’re home!” Peter shouted in joy, rushing over and crashing into Steve in a big hug. It was almost like hitting a brick wall, the man was so built compared to Tony. “Why didn’t you call, I would have made dinner.” Peter said as he pulled away.

Steve raised his eyebrows and smirked. “You’ve been cooking?”

“Yeah! Well, I had to take care of dad, so I had to learn. Uncle Bucky showed me a lot.” Peter couldn’t get the smile off of his face. Maybe the pill had something to do with his better upbeat mood, but no pill could enforce the pure joy he was feeling at his dad being home.

“Wow, you’ve grown so much since I’ve been away. I’m proud of you.” Steve placed a firm hand on Peter’s shoulder and gave it a squeeze.

“Thank you, sir.” Peter answered, standing straight up and actually proud for a moment.

Steve’s eyes glanced just over Peter’s shoulder and his gaze softened. “Tony.” He said.

Peter moved aside and looked at Tony as he slowly made his way over, his eyes red with tears. Steve didn’t make him walk all the way, and quickly moved to pull him into a soft hug.

“You’re home.” Tony said, his voice cracked with the onslaught of emotions. “Steve. My Steve is home.” He said into the other man’s shoulder.

“I’m home.” Steve answered, pulling away slightly to place a soft hand on Tony’s cheek and kiss him.

Peter smiled at his father’s having a moment. He crouched down to pet Jarvis who sat there panting and wagging his tale. He felt his phone buzz in his pocket and looked to see a reminder for a reservation. “Oh! I’ve gotta go. Pop, I’m so glad you’re home, but I’ve got a date. Make sure dad gets back in bed. He’s already had his last pill tonight, but should drink at least one more glass of water. No more heavy foods, no matter how much he pleads. He is on a fixed diet.” Peter took the corsage Tony held out to him and gave both his father’s a hug before heading out the door.

Steve looked to Tony and smiled. “What did you do to make him so...responsible?”

Tony patted his chest. “It wasn’t easy. I had to battle aliens and got this nasty scar to show for it.”

--

The waitress sat the couple down at a reserved table. The Dim Sum restaurant was bright and colorful, giving off a party feel to it. Gwen marveled at the corsage Peter gave her, admiring his taste. They had both dressed as if going to prom; Peter in his black and white tux and Gwen had a deep dark cherry dress on. They chatted for a while and ordered their food as a hot pot of tea was setdown for them.

“So, what’s it like interning at Oscorp?” Peter asked, pouring Gwen some tea and then a cup of his own.

Smirking, Gwen leaned in as she cupped the small glass in her hands. “Topic already back on Harry, huh?” She chuckled.

Peter rolled his eyes and set the hot teapot down. “Come on, what’s it like?” He asked with a smirk of his own.

Gwen took a sip of her tea and set the cup down. “It’s definitely a challenge. But nothing that I can’t handle. After graduation the internship ends and Harry offered me a full-time job there.” She spoke but didn’t sound too interested.

“That’s great though! A full-time job right out of school. And pays well too. Why aren’t you interested in it?” He asked, blowing on his tea.

“It’s not that I’m not interested. I mean...it’s a hell of a job. He said he’d put me in any department I want. But I want to go to a good university. Earn my own, you know?” She took another sip of her tea before continuing. “My dad always works so hard, and he had to really push for what he has. I don’t want to be handed things. He inspired me to push myself to the fullest of my potential. I think I got a really great shot at some top universities I’ve applied to. I don’t want to be tied down due to a job.”

Peter smiled and set his cup down. Reaching over, he intertwined their fingers and gave her hand a soft squeeze. “You can do anything you set your mind to. I know that much about you already, Gwen. Think of it this way, you take the job on for the summer for some money to pay for books. Those universities only teach the top notch stuff. So you know those books are going to be expensive. I’m sure you won’t have to worry about tuition. What place would be dumb enough to not give you a full scholarship?!” He boasted encouragingly.

“You’re just saying that.” Gwen laughed, leaving their hands together as she brushed her thumb against his.

Peter shook his head in defense. “Um, have you met yourself? Have you ever seen your grades? Who was just named valedictorian?”

They shared a laugh and Gwen relaxed against her seat. “But, what if it’s a school overseas?” She asked nervously.

A moment's pause as Peter was a bit shocked at the admission she applied for schools that were overseas. He took a deep breath and smiled a smile he hoped looked true. “If they will take you, they’d be very lucky. And I’ll be here. My dad insist I start working for him right after the summer. But pop wants me to go to school. Either way...I support you Gwen.”

She smiled and let go of his hand just as the food arrived. “Thank you, Peter.”

“Wait, is that why you’ve been so pushy about Harry?!” Peter asked, faking shock.

Gwen laughed as she pointed her chopsticks at him. “No! All I’m saying is I know there is history and chemistry between you two. So, if you ever wanted to, you know...I’d be okay with a poly relationship.”

Peter shook his head but smiled and picked up his chopsticks. “I’m assuming you talked this over with Harry?” He asked jokingly but a part of him really wondered.

“Actually, yes.” Gwen answered, pulling a soup dumpling onto her plate. “When he offered me the job and I told him I would think about it. Somehow we got into the conversation.”

Peter didn’t say anything. Who brought it up? Did Gwen really see something a little more between him and Harry? Did Harry say something because he wants to get back together? Peter took a moment to realize Gwen was talking about being in a relationship with him almost as if they already were. It took him a moment, but he pulled a soup dumpling onto his plate and decided to ask. “We, uh...you and I are...we me, I mean are we?” He hated himself for suddenly getting so flustered. The whole night he had been confident and making sure he kept his cool and yet here he was, back to his stuttering habit.

A light blush spread across her cheeks and she played a bit with her food. “If you don’t--” But her words were cut off.

“That’s not what I meant. I mean...we never said, or rather I guess I never…” Peter took a deep breath and cleared his throat. “Gwen, would you like to go out with me? I mean, be together. We are out and have gone on dates. But I mean...officially?” That had sounded better in his mind.

The blush on her cheeks deepened and she smiled. “Yes, I’d like that.”

They were both shy for the next couple of minutes, but settled into the environment and ate their meal. Once done, Peter paid the bill and they left the restaurant. Leaving the car in the parking lot, Chinatown was lit up with lights and life all around. Hand in hand, they walked to the park where many people still sat around playing games.

There was a group of older men playing some music. One older man noticed them enter the park, dressed up for the prom and motioned to his buddies. He picked up his Pipa and started working his fingers across the strings. The rest picked up their instruments and started playing an upbeat tune.

Gwen pulled Peter over to the music players and laughed. “Come on, dance with me! It’s our prom after all.”

Nervous at first, Peter placed his free hand on her waist and let her lead for a while. The music kept going, tune after tune, and he felt himself loosen up and just have fun. The two laughed together, and clapped after every song. Some other people had joined in and danced in the park with them.

The small band had started to play a slow song, and the gentleman playing the Pipa gave Peter a small wink and nodded to him. Peter smiled and slow danced with Gwen. “I don’t think the school would have gotten a band this cool.”

Shaking her head with a laugh, Gwen placed her hand on his shoulder as they danced close. “No, I don’t think so. I mean, a live band in general is not their style.”

Before he could talk himself out of it, and remembering that they had just made their relationship official, Peter leaned down and was happy when Gwen leaned up to meet his lips. They kissed for a moment before pulling away and smiling. Soon enough, the song came to an end and the small band stood up to bow.

Peter left them a tip and thanked them before heading out of the park with Gwen. “It’s getting late. I should take you home if I wish to make a good impression on your father.” Peter led them back to the garage and opened the door for her.

“Well, I better make sure you get home on time as well then. I’ve got two father’s to worry about impressing.” Gwen winked as she got into the passenger seat.

Getting in the driver's seat, Peter shook his head. “Nah, it’s really just Steve you gotta worry about. He’s the more strict one. Pretty sure if I was a female, he’d have gone with us.”

The ride to Gwen’s was too quick for his liking, but was happy with the goodbye kiss Gwen initiated. It felt right, it felt like this was a thing they could do now. He didn’t have to be so nervous and he didn’t have to worry about the social structure of school pressure. Maybe he was out of his league, but she didn’t care.

Once home, Peter checked in on his dad’s. Both were sound asleep; Tony most likely due to the pills and Steve from a very long travel. Peter tried his best to be quiet as he took a shower and got in bed. Jarvis curled up at this feet and fell asleep quickly. However, Peter was wide awake. Everything in the last few weeks had begun falling into place for him. He had a girlfriend, his best friend was back in his life, both his father’s were home, and he had a puppy to top it off.

Maybe being back on his medication wasn’t so bad. Maybe he could stop taking them. But he promised Tony he would stay on them this time. Was this something he should tell Gwen? Was taking antidepressants an important thing you tell someone you really care about? Suddenly, he felt a bit fearful of what the outcome could be if he did tell her, a knot in his stomach made him feel slightly sick. Peter decided for the time being, he would not bring it up.

Chapter Text

Chapter 11

“It’s too hot to wear all these layers.” Peter whined as Steve fixed his hair. “Pop, really, the cap will fit over my head.” He chuckled and swatted his father’s hands away.

Steve eyed the mess of hair on his son’s head and crossed his arms. “I don’t know. I think it’s time for a haircut.”

“Don’t touch my hair.” Peter quickly pulled the graduation cap onto his head and held it down while walking towards the front door.

Today was the day at last. Peter was about to put high school behind him and live his life to the fullest. Looking in the mirror by the door, he liked the blue of the cap and gown, but June in New York City was hot. Under the cap and gown, Steve made him wear a suit. Peter was sure by the time they made it to the graduation, he’d have become a wet puddle on the ground.

“Do we really all have to wear suits? Have you felt outside?” Tony grumbled as he came out of the bathroom, fixing his tie.

Peter quickly chimed in to agree. “Yeah Pop, it’s like, a million degrees outside.”

Steve rolled his eyes as he was fixated on fixing his own tie. “Can’t believe you are graduating high school when you think the earth can get to a million degrees. Are you sure you didn’t cheat on any test?” He joked, finishing his handy work on his bowtie and grabbing his blazer. “It’s too late to change anyways, we gotta go. Peter, go grab my bag in the kitchen please?”

“Sure.” Peter skipped over to the kitchen to grab the bag. Taking in the moment, Peter watched as his dad’s helped each other look their best. Brushing off lint on blazers, putting stray hairs back in their place. It all seemed so normal. With a content sigh, Peter decided that what he was looking at is normal. That maybe one day, society would understand their family is just as strong as any other.

The doorbell rang, Jarvis quickly jumping up and barking. He’d gotten big in the last few months, and Tony had to maneuver around him to get to the door. He opened it and his face became a bit hard. But he took a quick deep breath and forced a smile. “Harry. Come on in, we are just grabbing the last bits of...well I don’t know. Come in.” Tony left the door open for Harry to come in.

A bit hesitant, Harry walked into the foyer and was quickly approached by the Husky. “Hey Jarvis. You’re getting too big.” He smiled as he pet the massive pup.

Peter quickly came over and smiled, taking in Harry’s outfit. “I still think we are all overdressed.” He chuckled. “But you look great.”

Harry wore a slim dark blue suit to match Peter’s own. “I’m pretty sure this color matches me better then it does you.” He smirked.

“I think so too, red is more my color.” Peter grinned as he leaned in and gave Harry a kiss.

With a smile, Harry kissed Peter back before pulling away. “Sorry, I still get a little nervous around your dads.” He said in a whisper.

Peter gave a soft nod. “It’s okay, it will take them getting used to. When I brought up the conversation after we had agreed to start dating again, I had to explain to them what a polyamorous relationship was. Especially Steve. He’s extremely old school.”

“Well, I am happy you were able to ease them into it.” Harry said before pulling Peter into another kiss.

Tony gagged behind them. “Alright, move it along, before Steve starts cadencing us out the front door.”

Steve followed quickly behind, grabbing his keys from the bowl. “Hey that’s not a bad idea.”

“No!” Tony and Peter yelled in unison. Peter grabbed Harry’s hand and quickly pulled him out of the house, following Tony to the car.

Smiling, Steve looked to Jarvis and patted his head. “You’re on duty. Guard your post.” He then locked the door and made his way to the car.

--

The place was packed when they arrived with ten minutes to spare. After finding a parking, Peter gave his dads a hug and Harry one last kiss before separating to join his classmates in the student section. He walked over to a teacher for his seating arrangement. Since he had two last names, they would be putting him in the R section since Rogers was first.

Before heading over to his seat, Peter searched the S section for Gwen. She was easy to spot, with her valedictorian sash on. She spotted him and smiled, waving just as the principle took the podium.

“Everyone, please be seated so we can get started!” The principle said, pointing at people to sit down.

Peter rushed over to his seat as the ceremony began. It was long, and he began dozing off every now and again. First they did awards, the classmate next to him nudging him awake when he was awarded the science award; as well as the photography award. Eventually it became time for the valedictorian's speech and Peter sat upright, his phone out to record.

Gwen looked a bit nervous, but she smiled anyways and kept her head held high. She took a moment to take in the clear sky, sun shining down on a perfect day. “It’s easy to feel hopeful on a beautiful day like today, but there will be dark days ahead of us too, and there’ll be days where you feel all alone, and that’s when hope is needed most. Keep it alive.

No matter how buried it gets, or lost you feel, you must promise me, that you will hold on to hope and keep it alive. We have to be greater than what we suffer. My wish for you, is to become hope. People need that. I know that we all think we’re immortal, we’re supposed to feel that way, we’re graduating.

The future is and should be bright, but, like our brief four years in high school, what makes life valuable is that it doesn’t last forever, what makes it precious is that it ends. I know that now more than ever. And I say it today of all days to remind us that time is luck. So don’t waste it living someone else’s life, make yours count for something. Fight for what matters to you, no matter what. Because even if you fall short, what better way is there to live?

I know it feels like we’re saying goodbye, but we will carry a piece of each other into everything that we do next,  to remind us of who we are, and of who we’re meant to be. I’ve had a great four years with you, and I’ll miss you all very much.”

The crowd cheered, Peter himself standing to clap as he shoved his phone back into his pocket. Soon they turned on the generic graduation music and began calling names. It took quite some time, but eventually his row stood and waited in line by the stage stairs. Finally, his name was called. He grabbed his diploma, shook the principles hand and walked over to Gwen, quickly pulling her into a kiss.

With the ceremony finally over, Peter found his dads and Harry, giving them all a hug as well. “Here, this is for you. Hang it up, put it in a bin in the attic, I don’t care.” Peter joked as he handed his diploma and awards to Steve.

“Give me that, smart ass.” Steve laughed as he took the stuff and put it into his bag. “I’m proud of you son. Congratulations.”

“Thank you, sir.” Peter looked over to Tony, his sunglasses hiding his eyes. “Are we gonna go eat now? I’m starving.”

Tony smiled. “That’s my boy.” He pulled Peter into a hug. “Congratulations. And yes, we are going with the Stacy’s for Dim Sum. Harry...will you, uh…be joining us?” The words were choked out, but Tony was making an effort.

“Oh, um…” Harry stumbled for words, but was quickly saved.

“Yes, he is.” Gwen said, as she surprise hugged Harry from behind. “He doesn’t have a choice. We are all going.”

Harry sighed and leaned into her embrace a bit, relieved to be out of the spotlight from Tony. He soon turned to give her a proper hug and congratulate her. “So, how about that position at Oscorp? Felicia could use some help.”

Gwen shrugged her shoulders. “I guess. But only until I hear back from the universities.”

“Then you’ll work remotely.” Harry said, closing the matter and turning back to Peter. “What about you, slacker? Need a starting position at Oscorp?”

Tony butted in quicker then Peter could. “Oh no. Peter is coming to work for Stark Industries, full time!”

Steve cleared his throat. “I thought we agreed on him continuing his education at a good school?”

“Nice to know decisions are made for me.” Peter deadpanned.

--

The restaurant was packed but luckily the Stacy’s had made a reservation early on. It was still pretty early in the day, so it became more of a lunch gathering. They were seated at a round table and a different assortment of food was ordered so they could all share. Dishes were placed in the centerpiece which turned so it was easy to pass plates across the table. The environment was loud, but joyful and conversations around the table varied.

Peter sat between Gwen and Harry, currently speaking to Gwen while Harry had a heated debate with Tony about something scientific; though Peter was glad to see them getting along. Steve was speaking with Captain Stacy and his wife, one officer to another it seemed.

“So, which university are you hoping most will reply?” Peter asked as he scooped another helping into his bowl.

Gwen grabbed another soup dumpling as she thought about it for a moment. “Oxford is probably  my top choice, even though it’s abroad. But really I’d be happy if any of them granted me an interview.”

“Well, I’m sure they all will.” He smiled at her.

The meal was filled with chatter and idle conversation. Harry and Tony ignored everyone else as they began speaking mechanics and Peter know Harry had finally won Tony over. Soon the food was gone, the bill was paid, and they all left the restaurant.

“Hey, we are all gonna hang out, I’ll see you at home?” Peter said, handing his blazer and tie to Steve who put them neatly in the bag.

“Will you have dinner at home or out?” Steve asked.

“Out. But I have my phone, so I’ll call if anything.” With that, he waved off his dads and met back up with Gwen and Harry.

Together, they rode the Q train from Canal Street all the way to Coney Island. The sun was starting to set, and the amusement park was as lively as ever. They rode some of the rides, ate some carnival snacks on the boardwalk, and headed onto the beach to watch the sunset. Peter leaned his head on Harry’s shoulder as they sat in the sand. Gwen leaned on Peter and held his hand.

“They do the fireworks at night here. Want to get on the Wonder Wheel before they start?” Harry asked, taking Peter’s other hand and rubbing smooth circles with his thumb.

Peter nodded as he closed his eyes, relishing the moment. “That sounds like a plan.”

Before the sun set completely, the trio made their way to the Wonder Wheel. Harry got them to the express line, so they were on quickly. They had reached a little after the very top when the fireworks started. The scene was beautiful, the lights sparkling in the skies, the ocean dark behind it. Peter held onto their hands tightly, feeling that if he let go the moment would pass too quickly. So long as he held their hands, this moment would last forever.

Slowly, the fireworks became less until they stopped and the cart door opened for them to exit. The train rides home were peaceful for the time of night. First they took Gwen home. Then Peter insisted on getting Harry back to his place safely. Now on the train alone, Peter felt at peace.

He got home and took Jarvis out for a quick walk. The house was quiet, when he arrived. Checking in on his dads, they were both asleep, the TV still on. Peter quietly searched for the remote and turned off the television, smiling as they didn’t flinch or wake at the lack of sound.

After a shower, Peter lay in his bed Jarvis taking up most of the leg space, and grabbed his phone. He texted both Gwen and Harry that he had made it home in their group message.

Harry: Good, glad you made it safe nerd.

Gwen: Yay! Glad you’re home. Rest up!

Peter: You too.

He hesitated a moment before he send another message.

Peter: I love you both. And I’m grateful to have you both in my life.

He didn’t look at his phone for a moment, but he felt the vibrations of response. He was nervous for some reason, but finally looked at his phone.

Gwen: I love you too. And I love you Harry!

Harry: Love you both too. Now go to bed, please. But really, love you Pete.

With a smile, Peter put his phone on the charger and headed off to bed. He was excited to spend the summer with his girlfriend and boyfriend, with both of his dad’s home and safe, it was going to be an exciting summer vacation.

END.