Chapter Text
Peter had always loved kids, with their endless enthusiasm and optimism not yet knowing the pain of life as they skipped through each day with just as much energy as the last, never wanting it to end
And kids seemed to love him, whenever he went to volunteer at FEAST with May he would always end up with a crowd of kids gathered around him as he worked, May said they were like puppies given expresso, excitable balls of reckless energy with no off switch that always got under your feet, Peter thought they were just excited about someone new to play with, after all most of the volunteers would focus on helping the parents get food or blankets not play with the children, Peter thought entertaining them was almost just as important, it gave their parents time to rest as well as keep them from bothering the other volunteers, but most importantly it kept them happy, and every happy moment for these kids delt a bad hand was a moment worth fighting for,
Peter always loved helping people, loved brightening someone`s day or just lessening that ever present burden, people had to stick close to survive the cities suffocating fumes after all.
So, he did what he could, he did what he was sure most people given the chance would, he helped, he would help Sarah the single mother of twins on 81st with childcare whenever she had a job interview or just needed a break, he would help Ewan the barista from the coffee place near times squares daughter with her schoolwork when he had a double shift, he helped the VanBuren Boys by tutoring them until he could cheer himself hoarse while they opened their A level results, he helped them make their cv that week, helped them prepare for job interviews and cried with them when the first pay check came in, he didn’t help by beating the gang down, no he helped by getting them a honest steady income.
He knew he couldn’t help everyone but he hoped, he hoped that every tutor session he held for the gangs of New York or every hour of peace he gave to stressed parents would help lighten the burden just a little, he hoped that every smile or compliment would make someone’s day just a little brighter
May called him a saint, he called himself a person trying, trying not to let another person drown, another person get swept away in this fast moving city.
He didn’t know when it started, maybe it was when he spent the summer building heating unites for the misplaced people of the city in grade 9, or maybe it was when he would help calm down the babies in the apartment block during thunderstorms at only six years old, it could have started when he patched up gang members not out of fear but out of compassion, because Peter believed with all his heart that everyone deserved kindness and love, and if someone couldn’t find any then he would be damned if he didn’t give it to them.
When it started Peter didn’t know but he did know that he was now known as Mama to half of New York, he had been told it was because of his Mama bear instincts that everyone swore gave him some sixth sense for when someone was upset or stressed so he could appear in his baggy hoody and comforting smile to kiss them all better.
So when Chloe asked him to fill in for her at the nursery for the day he didn’t hesitate.
Mr. Harrington had been talking about the Pythagoras theorem for half an hour when Peters phone rang, and really he wasn’t interrupting much, everyone seemed more interested in catching up with sleep then the lesson, Peter included which is why it took him a few agonizing seconds to realize that it was his phone that was ringing, by the time he had finally located it after a desperate scrabble in his very unorganized bag all of his classmates were looking much more awake as they stared at him like vultures awaiting his doom ( okay maybe he was spending to much time with the foster kids who had been in the system too long)
Mr. Harringtons almost looked sympathetic as he gestured to his phone “ speaker please Peter”
Peter gripped his phone tighter as he desperately looked at his favourite teacher “ please sir, I promise I`ll put it on silent for the rest of the year” he pleaded only to be met with a shake of the head “ sorry Peter you know the rules, you`ll just have to remember to put it on silent next time”
Chloe`s desperate voice shaking with relieve as he pressed answered instantly engaged his “Mama bear” “ Mama! Thank god, I-I said that I would- I would work o-on Saturday but I can- cant because I`m meant to-to take Mom to her hos- her hospital appointment and I-“
Peters smooth voice cut over her panicked one “ okay, okay don’t stress yeah? I`ll fill in at the nursery for a little and you take care of your mom” his class looked on in bewilderment as the shy nerdy persona melted away to reveal the confident set of his shoulders as he effortlessly took control of the situation
Flash was whipping his head around the room in confusion, since when was Penis so sure of himself? “ Oi Penis! Did she call you Mama? What is that some sort of kink? you mommy now” his arrogant voice filling the room as his cocky grin slid into place only to fall instantly as Mj called from her seat at the back of the room “ it isn’t healthy to project your own kinks onto others you know Flash” her crisp voice silencing the quiet muttering that had filled the class “ and you should really let go of your weird fascination of Peters dick.” Flashes spluttering red face glowered indignantly as he lowered his head in embarrassment,
“ thank you so much Mama! You’re a life saver, I promise I`ll repay you” the relief evident in her voice as she let out a breath
Peter shot Mj a grateful look as he ignored Flash “ don’t worry about it Chloe just tell me how it goes with Mrs. Wopply and say hi for me” he chuckled
“ of course Ma, you’re the best. The shift starts at 8, Daphne will be there but I`m sure she wont mind you covering for me we all know your responsible enough” she laughed as if she had said the funniest thing ever “ kay love you” “ love you and good luck” Peter replied smiling at the phone as he hung up,
His face quickly took on the shade of his spider suit as he looked up to see his whole class staring at him slack jawed “ Pete” Abe breathed “ what just happened” he asked looking as if he were speaking for the whole class as they stared at him expectantly
“ uhm I uhh was just helping a friend out?” the confidence he had just had falling away instantly as he once again became the bumbling shy nerd they all thought they knew, “ so uh Mr. Harrington the Pythagoras theorem?” he asked desperately looking for a distraction
Mr. Harrington hesitantly continued the lesson as he picked up his forgotten chalk once more “ right. Just uh silence your phone next time alright Pete?” “ yes Mr. Harrington” Peter sighed as he hunched lower in his seat
“ dude” Ned breathed “ what was that? Are you actually going to help at a nursery on Saturday? The ONLY free day you have” he asked bewildered by his friends choices “ yes Ned I am, she needed help and as you said I`m free so…” he looked nonplussed as if this was the simplest decision in the world which for Peter it probably was Ned thought “ I`ll just do my homework in the evening or on the way to Mr. Starks lab on Sunday”
Peter and Mr. Stark had gotten closer after the events with the vulture, he still didn’t know about the warehouse but Peter thought that was probably for the best, he would only blame himself even though it wasn’t his fault Peter had decided to go after the Vulture by himself. Not that he regretted what he did, he got the tech after all.
the bell announced the end of school releasing the stampede of students racing to get home, Peter said his goodbyes to Ned and Mj as he raced to get out before Flash could approach, it seemed the gods had taken pittie on him when he made it out without incident, putting in his headphones he started the short trek home before homework and patrol, waving at people as he went.
He really had to wash his Spider suit more often peter thought as he sniffed it experimentally before pulling it on, he was only planning on going out for a couple of hours so he could have a solid nights sleep so he wasn’t a walking zombie as he tried to look after a group of toddlers tomorrow,
And he was on track for doing just that after stopping two robberies, one attempted rape and helping miss Obrian with her groceries after she got that hip replacement last week, all in all not to bad he thought as he sat starring out at the city from a rooftop, his legs swinging gently below him
Of course that wouldn’t remain the case, stupid Parker luck he sighed at the sound of breaking glass in Marla`s café four blocks away.
“ hey man, you know you could just ask for the opening times if you wanted tea and cake that badly” Peter says swinging through the broken window, the intruder jumped in surprise as he whipped around to face him, his eyes filling with fear behind his ski mask ( how unoriginal) “ spiderman” he whispered low enough so that Peter wouldn’t have heard him without his enhanced hearing “ the one and only” Peter replied easily as he leaned against the wall crossing his arms “ you know, stealing is illegal right?” the man scoffed, but didn’t raise his gun “ I hear it doesn’t have very good benefits or holidays either, very stressful I`m sure” he continued as the man now dubbed Frank because why not stared at him in confusion after he realised he was not in fact webbed to the nearest solid surface “ so, why`d you feel you have to break in?” Peters voice softening as he studied Franks defensive position,
He had learned that very few robbers actually wanted to rob someone, most the time they just needed an income. So Peter had decided to try help anyone willing to cooperate and right now the fact that Frank hadn’t shot at him was definitely looking cooperative,
“ don’t try to- try to stop me” Frank seemed to have finally found his voice as he took a careful step back “ I`m just going to take the cash in the register and go, I don’t want to hurt anyone”
“ that makes two of us” Peter replied steadily raising his hands in the global gesture of peace “ but, this wont last you long, next week you’re going to need more money, and the week after that so unfortunately I expect this will happen again if I just let you go, so… I`m going to give you an address of somewhere you can go for help okay? To a friend of mine that will help you get an honest job, he wont ask for any payment so don’t worry about that, he just like me wants to help okay?” he had been slowly stepping towards Frank as he spoke “ just let us help you” he said stopping a couple paces Infront of him,
A couple of years ago, Peter had found an old underground utility grid that had been forgotten, he had spent his free time clearing it out and designing his own help centre, it was now fully equipped with homemade heating and water systems as well as air ventilation that he had designed to be completely off the grid as it drew power from the vibrating subway tracks above it, he had tried to make it as homely and inviting as possible with sleeping pods along one wall that were made purely from recycled materials he found in scrapyards for anyone that needed a safe place to sleep, he even had his own fully equipped mini hospital, you would be surprised how much perfectly good supplies a hospital would throw out because of packaging malfunctions or rips that could easily be fixed.
Thus the Web was built. a safe place for anyone in need no matter what, no questions asked
Peter would now offer help or housing while he was Spiderman, he would give people the location and go in the next day as Peter Parker the city’s Mama bear, never as Spiderman no, they needed a real life person they could rely on, a person they could see not as their superior but as their equal.
And so, Frank was invited, Peter knew allot of business owners after all his years of helping out so all he would need to do is ask a friend to give Frank a chance, if he excepted
Frank genuinely looked like he was having a crisis in real time as he bouncing between relief, distrust and bewilderment over how he had got himself into this situation “ why-why would you do that? All you heroes don`t mind what happens, your not meant to care” his voice was quiet as if afraid of breaking something
“ because I`m a person too, I take of this mask and I`m just like you, not a billionaire, not a war hero, not an avenger I`m just a person I have a family, I have friends, I go to work, I worry, I cry, I care.
And I can help so I do.”
Frank was silent as he stared wide eyed at him “ I- I never thought” he stuttered, eyes filling with recognition of another person, another human who didn’t live in a big glass tower overlooking New York but a person who just like him would worry about rent and work “ okay” “okay?” Frank nodded in conformation “ okay, where’s this friend of yours”