Work Text:
“Aww, crap.”
Tony, having gotten sucked into the peace of working on his project alongside with his protégé, blinked at Peter’s sudden sigh. He looked up across the table where Peter was working on upgrading his web shooters. Tony himself was workshopping a new prototype StarkPhone that they wanted to hit the market next year.
“What’s got your spandex in a twist?” Tony asked, putting down his screwdriver.
Peter was already up out of his seat and haphazardly stuffing completed homework sheets into his bookbag. “May wanted me home by 8:00 tonight,” Peter answered. “She has the evening off of work and said it’s been too long since we had a night to just us.”
Tony glanced at the clock on the wall and saw it was already 7:45. “Yikes. When did it even get that late?” Tony said aloud. He stretched his arms high above his head and groaned when his back popped in all the right places. “Do you want a ride home? You’re going to push it trying with the subway.”
“Nah, I’ll just swing,” Peter shook his head, already equipping his web shooter back onto his wrist. He made sure to pull his sleeve down to hide it from prying eyes before he could change into his suit.
Tony huffed and shook his head. “Really, kid. It wouldn’t be that big of a problem,” Tony offered again.
“Yeaaaah, but I think NYC traffic would beg to differ,” Peter joked.
Chuckling, Tony couldn’t help but agree. Traffic in the city was a real problem on a good day and only cleared out when the city was under threat of being destroyed. Though, to be fair, the cars were only cleared from the road after the drivers abandoned them and were used as artillery by heroes and villains alike.
“I’ll text aunt hottie that you are on your way if you want to just focus on heading out,” Tony offered.
“That would be great,” Peter said and pulled his mask out of his bookbag. Since he did have a short trip to make before he could put it on, Peter stuffed it in his pocket for safekeeping. “Is the roof available?”
“Should be,” Tony shrugged. “No one else uses it but you.”
“Sweet,” Peter grinned.
“You know you could just use the front door or even the window here if you have to jump and give me a heart attack,” Tony said, pointing at the closed windows lining the lab. Peter snickered at the exasperated look his mentor gave him.
“I like starting up high for my swings,” Peter said and hopped back towards the door. “I’ll see you after school tomorrow!”
“Don’t get in too much trouble before then,” Tony grinned, waving at Peter. The kid turned around and trotted the rest of the way into the elevator that Friday already had waiting open for him. The doors closed with a soft thud and shot off to the roof for Peter to head home. With him gone, Tony decided to continue his work since Pepper was also gone for a trip. “Friday, drop the needle.”
“Yes, sir,” Friday said helpfully and Tony’s rock-and-roll playlist started blaring through the speakers.
As much as he liked to work with his music, Tony also was more than happy to go without it when Peter was over. The kid’s hearing was so strong that on a good day, Tony’s music volume was a knife to his ears. On the bad days – well, Tony hardly dared to even dare breath near Peter in fear for causing the kid pain.
It was a welcomed change to his life after learning the joy of being able to mentor someone as brilliant as Peter. Tony could already tell Peter was going to be the best of them all and he was honored to have played a role in helping Peter get to that point. The kid was as sharp as a tack and then some.
Because of Peter’s status of Spider-Man and not wanting many outsiders know his identity, Tony had been walking a thin line of making sure the team and Peter didn’t meet more than necessary. It was hard but at the same time, not impossible with the team mostly sticking to the compound. Whenever they did come to the tower unexpectedly, Tony would have Peter stay in the lab to work on his suit and then have Happy take him home when it was time.
To help facilitate Peter’s true reason of being in the tower, Tony and Pepper had written up official paperwork for Peter to be Tony’s first and only personal intern. It was great on paper as it looked amazing on resume credentials for the future and gave a legitimate reason for Peter to be hanging around the renowned inventor. The two had even gone to a few conferences together – legitimate conferences with May’s permission – and the tabloid had caught pictures so it was common knowledge that Tony had an intern.
Tony even used it to his advantage at times to get out of boring S.H.I.E.L.D. meetings. He would cite that his intern was coming over for an important project and then duck out. The team had questioned why Tony took on an intern out of the blue after years of saying he would never do that but accepted it. They even sent a few treats when they returned to the tower from a café that were quickly scarfed down by a grateful teenage with a truly bottomless appetite.
“I really need to get him to use that credit card I snuck into his wallet. He’s getting too skinny again,” Tony murmured to himself. Peter was always hungry from his enhanced metabolism but still refused to use the credit card Tony got him to buy all the food he wanted except for very serious instances where he had to eat something or else he was going to pass out.
“Sir, if I may, Captain America is on his way back to the tower,” Friday called from above.
“Must have finished their mission early,” Tony commented absently as he did know Steve was planning on coming by afterwards to discuss something with his co-leader of the Avengers. He continued his tinkering for a while before he was struck with a sudden thought that had him sitting up straight and looking at the ceiling. “Wait, Friday, which cap?”
“Both,” Friday answered.
Tony didn’t have much time to despair over the answer as the reason why happened the next second. A form that Tony very well knew went flying past the lab’s window that was quickly followed by another. Tony felt his blood pressure rising and it spiked when one Sam Wilson with his wingsuit on came flying back up to the lab’s window, staring daggers through the glass.
“Tony, why the fuck was your intern jumping off the roof?!” Sam yelled through the window.
And in his arms was a very disgruntled Peter that hung there looking like a wet cat.
“I’m going to be so late now,” Peter complained and Tony smacked a hand to his face.
“Tony, what the hell are you doing to your interns here?!” Sam yelled, hands on his head as he paced. “You’re working the kid to the bone! Do you see how skinny he is?! And those bags under his eyes!”
Tony and Peter sat on the common floor couch on opposite sides as Sam paced in front of them. Steve stood slightly back with his DisappointedTM look and arms crossed over his chest. Peter was texting in a rush on his phone to May who was questioning why he wasn’t home yet even thought Tony said he was on his way home.
“You say that like I have more than one,” Tony snarked but was shot the stink eye by both men that shared the title of Captain America. He sighed and slouched in his chair to cover his face with one hand in annoyance. “It isn’t what you think it is,” Tony tried weakly.
“It sure as hell looks pretty obvious!” Sam continued. Tony couldn’t blame the man. He would most likely have the same reaction if the roles were reversed. “What type of person doesn’t have the roof of his tower locked?! What would have happened if I hadn’t been flying in at that exact moment?! Wait – I know – your intern would be dead on the sidewalk below!”
“You guys are really making a big deal out of nothing,” Peter grumbled.
Sam sputtered in disbelief. “A big deal out of nothing? Kid, we just stopped you from committing a permanent end to a temporary problem.”
Peter looked up from the phone with an exasperated look. “But I don’t have a problem,” Peter said.
The anger that hardened Sam’s edges melted away as concern flooded through him. He stopped his pacing and crossed the space so that he could kneel in front of Peter. “Kid, it’s alright, you can talk to me. I’m a trained counselor. Whatever could be wrong, I’m here to help,” Sam said in a soft voice.
With an eye twitching, Peter shared a look with Tony. “Aunt May is going to be so mad at me,” Peter said.
“I already sent a text,” Tony shrugged. Though, it was more like he told Friday to send it that Peter was going to be a bit due to an unforeseen circumstance. “Not my fault you got caught.”
“You knew that he was going to jump?” Steve scoffed. His disappointed glare deepened.
“I mean, how else was I going to get down from there?” Peter added with a roll of his eyes.
Sam sputtered more and placed a hand on Peter’s knee. “Kid, I am so sorry I didn’t see the signs earlier. I can even talk to your aunt and help her understand. What can I do in this exact moment to help you?”
“Stop getting in my way and let me jump out the window already,” Peter murmured much to the detriment of Sam’s and Steve’s twin looks of horror.
Tony burst out in a round of snickers and covered his face more. Steve narrowed his eyes at Tony. “What’s so funny about this, Tones?” Steve asked.
It took Tony a moment to rein in his laughter enough to not burst out laughing again. The entire time, Peter was shooting him a flat glare that didn’t have the heat he intended. “It’s just like the kid said – you two are making a big deal out of nothing,” Tony snorted.
Something like heartbreak flashed over Steve’s face. “I never thought you were this callous,” Steve said.
Peter whined and reached across the couch to smack Tony on the arm. “Mr. Stark, I really need to go,” Peter said.
“Yeah, yeah, I’ll take care of this. I’ll come up with something,” Tony sighed with a wave of his hand. “Tell aunt hottie I say hello.”
“Tony, you can’t just let him go by home after trying to jump off the roof,” Sam stressed.
“I would be home already if you just let me,” Peter grumbled. He ignored Sam’s confused look and stood up off the couch. “Mr. Stark, if it makes things easier, you can just tell them.”
“You sure?” Tony asked. He really didn’t want to spill the secret if Peter wasn’t 100% okay with it. It wasn’t his secret to share.
“Tell us what?” Steve asked, looking between the two.
“It’s not like it will be a secret from the avengers forever,” Peter shrugged. A shit-eating grin formed on Peter’s face as he placed his hands on his hips. “Besides, it’ll answer what I’m about to do,” Peter said.
“What are you going to do?” Sam asked, furrowing his brow.
Tony figured it out a beat later and sighed, placing his face in his hand. “You are such a menace to make me deal with this on my own,” Tony sighed.
“There’s a reason why the Daily Bugle calls me that,” Peter cackled. Steve furrowed his brow now, slowing connecting the dots but not reaching the answer quick enough.
Without waiting, Peter jumped off the couch and hightailed it towards the windows. Friday took the initiative of opening one for him. All of the color in Sam’s face drained as he realized was going to happen.
“Kid, wait—!” Steve called after Peter.
“Bye Mr. Stark!” Peter called over his shoulder and reached into his pocket, pulling a bundle of red fabric with black line details out. “See you tomorrow!”
“Try not to get caught again,” Tony chuckled with a lazy wave.
With that, Peter jumped out the window like it was no big deal.
“Peter!” Sam called in alarm and ran towards the window with full intent of jumping out to follow him. He hadn’t changed out of his wingsuit so he was fully prepared to fly down and save Peter again. The only reason he stopped was the familiar thwwp of a web strand shooting that only one superhero could do.
Spider-Man – sans the suit as it was still covered by his clothes – appeared briefly in view as he used his web strand to fly up in the air. He gave a cheeky wave and was grinning with how the large white lens of his mask thinned. The hero arched through the air from the momentum of his swing and as he started to fall again, he shot off another web to carry him through the city.
Tony snorted and shook his head. “That show off.”
Steve’s eyes were wide as he looked away from the window and at Tony. “Spider-Man?” Steve gasped. “Your intern…is Spider-Man?”
Tony gave a half-hearted shrug. “Peter is mine, Spider-Man is Iron Man’s. Don’t want to get the two of them mixed up or else the tabloids will have a field day.”
This time, it was Sam’s turn for his eyes to grow wide at Tony. “Your intern is the kid from Berlin? The one that webbed me and Bucky to the ground?”
“He was so proud of himself for doing that,” Tony snickered to himself. “You should have seen how he bragged about it in the hotel room.”
Sam was quiet as he slowly digested the information. Steve had a hand on his forehead as he dealt with the emotional whiplash he had just gone through. Tony let them process it as he did know how much of a surprise springing it on them was. At least it solved the possible headache of trying to come up with a lie to explain why Peter had unrestricted access to the roof.
Sam was the first to recover and he gulped past the lump in his throat. “I—he’s actually okay?” Sam squeaked out.
“As okay as someone with his shit luck,” Tony shrugged. “If you can actually get him to talk about his problems, I’ll give you $1,000 but good luck with that.”
“So,” Steve started, recovering now, “all this time when we’ve been asking you if you have any clue how to contact Spider-Man again to bring him on the team, he’s been in your lab?”
“Or hanging out with Pep in her office or annoying Happy in his,” Tony snickered. Steve shot him an unimpressed look. “Oh, don’t give me that. The kid wants to stay street-level so let him. He’s too young to be dealing with Hydra and the like.”
Sam nodded along enthusiastically. “Now I know, I whole heartedly agree.” Sam stood up on shaky legs and dragged himself towards the kitchen. “If you need me, I am going to go process everything.”
Steve and Tony watched Sam disappear into the elevator. Tony turned to his co-leader that he was internally grateful that they were able to settle their differences after the fight in Berlin before it could fracture the team. Steve stood there with his arms over his chest and foot tapping on the ground.
“You good there, grandpa?” Tony snarked.
“It is now occurring to me that you brought a fifteen-year-old to Berlin to fight against a team of superheroes,” Steve said, his disappointed glare returning. “Want to explain that?”
With a sigh of resignation with Tony knowing he wasn’t going to get out of this, Tony smacked a hand to his face. “I should have never given him access to that damn roof,” Tony grumbled to himself.