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CHAPTER 1: Tony Would Mark This Down As A Win. 

At the age of 16, Peter Parker finds himself entangled in a web (baddum-ts) of challenges. May, the hardworking and devoted aunt she is, grappled with mounting bills and erratic work shifts, including an overwhelming amount of overtime at the hospital. Faced with the strain of her responsibilities, May (reluctantly) made the decision to ask Tony for help. She asked Tony if Peter would be able to live with his mentor and (not so secret) father figure, Tony Stark. This arrangement, spanning three months now, stemmed from May's recognition of not being able to provide care and life she wanted for Peter.

The decision extended beyond the lack of accommodation May could safely supply.  she longed for Peter to forge deeper connections, especially after losing so many people in his short time on earth. She also wanted her nephew to have some semblance of normalcy after returning from the blip. Peter, however, made it his mission to shroud himself in an air of increasing reservation, and pulled further away from the people he loved so dearly. 

Peter’s life had returned to as normal as it could. Sure, some of his classmates and the people that he had grown up with had moved on. yes, it was weird, but Peter had experienced much weirder. I mean, he was bitten by a radioactive spider that gave him powers. Nothing could get much weirder. 

Well, maybe other than the fact that, even as a superhuman vigilante, Peter still suffered with normal teenage problems. He still had tests to take, club meetings to attend, and friends he made commitments to. Yeah he was Spider-Man, but he still freaked out and turned into a blushing mess when MJ smiled at him. He still got sent to detention for being tardy or (unintentionally) disrupting class and he spoke to Ned. 

But there was something big that had been bothering Peter. His mind. See, Peter was always supposed to be the one saving other people. He resented being treated like a helpless kid, even when he needed it most. He knew it wasn’t healthy, and was willing to ask for assistance when it came to fighting giant spaceships and the big baddies of New York, but when it came to his personal life? That was a different story. 

There had been one person that Peter had dreaded seeing return from the blip. Eugene “Flash” Thompson. Sure, he was just a typical rich kid bully who picked on others in order to feel less insecure, but this knowledge didn't help Peter escape the torment. Peter had begun to shut down more as Flash’s brutal words about his familial death toll, his “fake” internship at Stark Industries, and how Peter would never amount to much more than a bodega worker. What really hurt was the physical abuse he had to suffer through. Forced to maintain his “weak and puny” status to avoid suspicion, Peter quite literally rolled with the punches. It was beginning to take a greater toll on him, and people (mostly his friends, May, Tony, and Pepper) were starting to notice. 

In her concern, May had attempted to breach the walls Peter had erected. Nothing eye opening resulted from their long-winded talks, as Peter was nothing if not a good liar. Seeking resolution through conversations with Ned and MJ also resulted in zero progress, as they had been sworn to keep their mouths shut in order to prevent the premature death of a teenaged Flash. 

So, May turned to Tony. Tony and May had several discussions about what they had noticed. Eventually they came to an agreement that Tony would employ his influence as a mentor in an effort to coax Peter into opening up about the burdens he carried. The delicate dance of familial bonds and unspoken troubles continued, with both Tony and Peter treading lightly to avoid upsetting the other. .

Finally, Tony Stark sat his mentee down in the sleek, high-tech living room of the Avengers Tower. The hum of the TV surrounded them as Tony took a deep breath, concern etched across his face.

"Kid, we need to talk," Tony began, his tone serious but empathetic. Peter could feel the tension in his shoulders tightening. "I've noticed you've been keeping things to yourself, and I want you to know that you can trust me. I'm not just your mentor, you know. You're family."

“Yeah, but you’ve got a real family to worry about” Peter thought as he fidgeted, avoiding eye contact, the weight of his undisclosed burdens pulling him in on himself. “Mr Stark, I promise I’m okay. You don’t have to worry about me.” Tony continued, "First, what have I said about the ‘Mr. Stark’ thing? And second, May's worried, kid.  Your friends, even though they refuse to tell us what’s going on, are worried, and I’m worried. You shutting everyone out isn't helping anyone, especially not you."

Peter sighed, shoulders slumping. "It's just... I don't want to burden anyone, Tony. You've got your own family, and I don't want to add to your plate."

Tony leaned forward, his gaze piercing through Peter's defenses. His tone was stiff and factual. "Kid, you're not a burden. We're a team, A family. You are part of my family, and that means we share the load. Plus, I've been through my fair share of tough times. I get it. But keeping everything bottled up? That's a recipe for disaster."

He softened his tone, emphasizing the sincerity of his words. "You're not alone in this. Whatever you're dealing with, we'll tackle it together. I've got your back, Peter. Always."

Peter met Tony's gaze, the vulnerability in his eyes reflecting a mix of gratitude and self-doubt. Tony reached out, placing a reassuring hand on Peter's shoulder. It was a silent promise of support, a reminder that sometimes, strength came from opening up rather than shutting down.

Peter, the stubborn idiot, was still stuck in the mindset that he was just another task on Tony’s list. He spoke again to try and lie his way out of the conversation. 

“Thank you, Tony. I’ll try to be more open in the future, but right now, I have some homework to catch up on. I’ll see you at dinner.”

Tony smiled gently and watched as Peter excused himself. He knew that was a cop out, but he wouldn’t push any further. Sometimes, getting someone to open up takes time. Tony knew he hadn’t made a lot of progress, but any progress was good progress. Tony would mark this down as a win.

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Chapter 2: The Nightmare Was Just About To begin. 

Peter had vanished for an entire hour, diligently patrolling the surroundings as Spider-Man, unbeknownst to Tony and the rest of the Avengers. 

It wasn't until Tony emerged from his room, past Peter’s open door, and into the tower's living area for dinner that he realized Peter was gone. 

“Hey, guys. Wait…where’s Peter?” Steve returned from the kitchen with a plate of homemade Thai food. “Peter hasn’t been out of his room yet. Why?” 

Tony groaned. “Cause I just passed his door and he’s not there! FRIDAY, is Peter anywhere in the tower?” Friday responded swiftly. “No, Boss. Peter left about an hour ago.”

This sparked confusion among the team as to how the teenager could have left without any of them seeing him. With a decisive tone, Tony assured the others that Peter probably just snuck out of his personal lab through the garage. Tony mumbled that he would handle the situation and headed to his lab, with Pepper quietly following, Morgan on her hip.

Discovering Peter's knack for hacking his suit once again, Tony was pissed. 

Tony's initial anger morphed into devilish amusement, though, when a message from May revealed Peter's upcoming field trip to Avengers Tower in just two days. Tony, now balancing worry and his plot to punish Peter, promptly filled out the online permission form. 

He very much enjoyed the school's shift towards a paperless system, as he didn’t have to go up to the school to confirm his identity, he could just submit a copy of his driver’s license and be on his merry way. 

When Peter returned, worn and injured from a battle with the rhino, Tony's worry escalated once again into a frenzy. Upon seeing the puncture holes in the young superhero's abdomen, that worry increased tenfold. 

“ Peter, kid, I don’t know if you know this, but you aren’t supposed to have puncture holes in your abdomen! Again!” Peter wobbled on his feet, clearly having lost a lot of blood. “Oh, hey Tony. Didn’t see you there.” 

An exasperated Tony rushed Peter to the med bay, Pepper couldn't help but find her husband’s fatherly instincts and mannerisms towards Peter endearing. Morgan's presence added an unexpected soft touch, curled up next to Peter as he slept, while Tony, exhausted, sat beside the bed.

Pepper regarded Peter with a fond smile, as she watched him lay in the bed, healing.  She finally recognized him in that moment as the son she had subconsciously come to see him as. 

With a gentle voice and plenty of reassurance, she explained the events to Peter, urging him to get some rest for the busy day that awaited him. Peter eventually gave up on figuring out what his not-mom was talking about, and succumbed to Pepper's comforting presence and the light strokes of her hands through his hair. 

Peter has nightmares about not being able to breathe and several times is woken up by Tony who calms and relaxes him to a normal heart and breathing rate. After the third time, Peter had successfully managed to fall into a deep enough sleep that the nightmares couldn’t reach him. Little did he know, the nightmare was just about to begin.

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Chapter 3: If Only He Knew The Half Of It. 

After a semi-normal night, Peter got up and acted like everything was fine. Peter tried his damndest to conceal the lingering guilt he felt about occupying Avengers Tower. 

His breakfast, limited to a single apple, spoke volumes about his struggle to justify his right to take up space, despite the team's open acceptance of him. 

And yeah, that meant food, clothes, and other basic necessities. As he sits at the breakfast table, Tony at one end and Peter at the other, Peter remembers the ‘busy day’ Pepper had mentioned the night before. 

 The tension in the air becomes palpable as Peter noticed the shit-eating grin his not-dad was sporting.  Tony, perhaps sensing Peter's unease, decided it was the perfect moment to drop the bombshell. 

“Hey, guys. Just a little heads up, but Peter’s going to be on a field trip today, and guess where he’s going!”

Peter raised an eyebrow as he began to eat his breakfast. Clint is the first one to speak, doing so with his mouth full. “He goin’ to Disneyland or some shit?” Tony’s grin became a smirk. “Better, Katniss. He’s coming here for a tour with his class!”

The announcement catches Peter off guard, and he nearly chokes on his apple. Tony, ever the concerned dad mentor, jumps up in a bid to save him, but Peter manages to recover. 

Confused and upset by the unexpected revelation, Peter questions the decision incredulously. The prospect of facing the team’s antics and dealing with the likes of Flash on the field trip only intensifies his reluctance. Damn Parker luck seemed to be on a power trip again. 

In a rush, Peter decided to leave for school, unable to shake off the uneasy feeling that this field trip might bring more trouble than he could have ever imagined. If only he knew the half of it.

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CHAPTER 4: It Can’t be that bad, right?

Peter goes over his plan to get out of the trip all the way to school and only stops once he gets there.

In the brightly lit school hallway, Peter Parker hurriedly navigated his way through the mass of students. The weight of textbooks and the burden of his mind pressed on his shoulders. Unbeknownst to his classmates, Peter bore the scars of a hero, hidden beneath the well crafted appearance of an average, nerdy, teenager.

As he approached his locker, Peter’s Spidey sense went off at the familiar presence of Flash Thompson. 

Peter wasn’t dumb. He knew that Flash, fueled by insecurity, saw Peter as an easy target for his relentless bullying.  When Peter turned around to head towards his first class, Flash intercepted him, knocking his books to the floor. The echoing laughter of onlookers fueled the humiliation.

"Watch where you're going, Penis," Flash taunted, his voice dripping with disdain. Peter, known for his resilience as Spider-Man, felt a pang of vulnerability in his civilian life. He knew he couldn’t fight back, so he bent down. Peter hastily collected his scattered books, avoiding eye contact to shield the raw fury he knew his eyes carried

The air hung heavy with tension as Flash continued his verbal assault, exploiting Peter's perceived weaknesses. Yet, in the face of adversity, Peter's strength flickered beneath the surface. He clenched his jaw, swallowing the pain, determined not to let his body react in the way it so desperately craved. I mean, Flash was just so punchable .

The scene unfolded, a silent battlefield of words and glares, leaving Peter Parker grappling with the loneliness that accompanied his double life.

Peter had been struggling with the aftermath of flash bullying him and the torment he suffers. With May being gone and Tony taking care of him, Peter feels like a burden. His anxiety has been getting worse and he knows that, but can’t bring himself to get help. He’s supposed to be the one who saves people. Not the other way around. 

Peter pushes past Flash, with the bully promising the hell Peter will pay for it. Peter goes to class anyway and sits down next to Ned and MJ as mr. Harrington rambles about the field trip. 

“You okay, bro?” Ned asks as Peter slumps forward and slams his head on the desk. “Flash was being a dick in the hall and we’re going to Peter’s house as a field trip. Of course he’s not okay, Ned.” Peter grunted in agreement. A “What MJ said.” Was muffled by the desk. 

“He is a great addition to my sketchbook, though.” MJ smirked and she quickly copied down Peter’s form. Peter raise his middle finger to salute his crush and one of his best (and only) friends. She laughed as Ned patted Peter on the back and attempted to make him feel better “It can’t be that bad, right?”

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CHAPTER 5: A Stark Reminder. 

Plot twist, it was, indeed, that bad. 

They eventually board the bus and Flash chose to sit behind Peter so he could pick on him about how his ‘lies’ will be exposed. Great. 

“Come on, Parker. Just admit that you’re a liar and a fraud. This will make things so much easier for the both of us.” Peter ignored Flash, but it only seemed to piss him off more. 

Flash reached over the top of the seat and grabbed Peter’s hood, pulling back on it hard and effectively choking his victim. 

Luckily, MJ saw this out of the corner of her eye from where she was seated next to Peter. 

She raised her sharp pencil in her fist as she sat on her knees, turning around in the seat and grabbing Flash by his preppy polo shirt collar, growling. “Flash, knock it off before I stab you, you prepubescent little bitch. ” 

Flash released his grip on Peter and MJ dropped back into the seat. 

“Thanks, MJ.” Peter whispered, catching his breath. MJ scooted a bit closer to Peter, whispering back “No problem, loser.”

As the school bus rumbled towards Stark Towers, the excitement among the students buzzed like static in the air. Peter Parker, however, was buzzing with a mix of apprehension and anticipation etched on his face. 

The looming structure of the tower stood ahead, a stark (hehe) reminder of what was to come.

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CHAPTER 6: A Taste Of Your Own Medicine. 

Upon arrival, the students spilled out, their chatter filling the sleek lobby. Tony Stark himself, with his ever present charm, welcomed the group, but he was searching for someone specific. His keen eyes honed in on Peter, detecting an underlying unease.

Peter noticed he was under the watchful gaze of his mentor, and lifted him a smile, though it didn’t reach his eyes. 

Everyone got their tour badges, Peter, MJ, and Ned, silently flashing their own Intern/Personal Assistant badges to Laura from the front desk. She nodded and welcomed the three back. This did not escape the notice of Flash and while everyone else scanned their badges, with FRIDAY reading off their name and status quickly, he cornered Peter.  

“Who’s dick’d you have to suck to get that badge, Penis?”  Peter, almost fed up, was about to respond when Ned appeared. “You know, Flash, for a guy who claims he’s completely straight, you sure do have an obsession with phalluses. You sure you’re that secure in your sexuality, or are you just that far back in the closet?”

Flash burned the color of a tomato and stormed away to join the group once again, cutting the line and scanning his badge to get into the large elevator with his class. 

Peter smiled at Ned. “Dude, that was so funny, did you see how red he got?” Ned and Peter snickered, walking up to get in the short line to scan their badges, right behind MJ. 

As FRIDAY read off the trio’s statuses, there were a couple gasps and murmurs of confusion as to why MJ, Peter and Ned had such high ranks. Tony then revealed that they each worked for him and Pepper under internships. 

Flash’s face was priceless

 As the tour progressed, Peter found himself silently navigating the fine line between his insatiable curiosity and the burden of his mind. 

During the first stop on the tour, Tony led them all into a massive gallery full of Avengers memorabilia. The students were told they would have an hour to look around the vast museum freely, or stick with Tony for the stories behind each piece before they were gathered back up for the next stop. 

Flash, eager to impress Ironman and prove that he was way more knowledgeable than Peter was, stuck with Tony. A good sized group of students were also sticking with the Avenger. 

Peter thought it best to go explore on his own with his friends, but Tony called him back. “Peter, MJ, Ned, why don’t you guys stick with me and help me explain some of the artifacts?” Flash glared at Peter while Tony had his back turned. 

MJ shrugged and Ned nodded excitedly. “Yeah, sure, Tony!” Peter, ever the skilled liar, masked his internal turmoil with a face and voice of enthusiasm. The contrast between the lively atmosphere and Peter's internal thoughts was not lost on him. It would actually be pretty funny and ironic if he weren’t the one experiencing the torture. 

And so, they began to walk down the winding maze of glass display cases, plaques, and photos. Tony talked mostly about the memories he had with building and using the pieces, while Peter and Ned piped up and spoke on the historical and technological aspects, with MJ shared her experiences with the objects through the stories she had been told by Pepper. 

Flash kept trying to interrupt Peter every time he went to speak and beat him to the explanation, but he was always wrong. Peter got a lot of enjoyment out of correcting him, but kept his face neutral and calm. 

Soon, the group had made their way to one of the most recent additions to the gallery, and when Peter saw it, he nearly cried. There was a sign hanging over the  section. 

“Intern Hall Of Fame.” The sign read. And there he was! Peter, MJ, and Ned each had pictures of their first day on the job with their different bosses. Peter with Tony, Ned with The coding director, Kilani, and MJ with Pepper. Next to the pictures, there was a plaque that said “Stark Industries is proud to welcome our youngest interns, Michelle Jones, Ned Leeds, and Peter Parker. We hope they will, one day, work for us full time. Their work ethic and dedication have sparked many new ideas, and they each challenge us all to work harder.” Below the plaque were some of their best works, descriptions explaining what each one had meant. 

Ned immediately started to vibrate in excitement. “Mr. Stark! This is so cool!!” Peter nodded in agreement as he took the display in once again. Even MJ appreciated the gesture, as she gave Tony an approving nod. 

The color of Flash’s face was mottled and ugly as he fumed. “There’s no way in hell these idiots actually work here. This is such bullshit!” Tony turned and raised an eyebrow at Flash like he was gum on his shoe. 

“I’ll have you know that these three are some of the best damn workers here, whatever your name is.” Tony said sternly. 

Flash’s head snapped towards Peter and he started to lunge for him, blinded by rage, but a swift kick to the back of the knees by Betty sent him tumbling to the floor. “Flash, I don’t know when you’re gonna get it through that thick head of yours that they aren’t lying. They never have been. Now clean up your act before we all get kicked out.” 

MJ fist bumped Betty and the group moved back towards the elevator while Flash stumbled to his feet, humiliated. 

One thought echoed through Peter’s brain as he joined his class in the elevator. “How’s it feel to get a taste of your own medicine, Flash?” 

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CHAPTER 7: Flash Is An Idiot And Never Listens. 

The next stop was the W.A.L.T. Lab, or the “Weapons for Avengers Level Threats” Lab

During the tour, Peter got to engage in lively conversations with his friends and colleagues about his latest projects. 

However, Flash, true to his usual behavior, maintained a disruptive and unpleasant attitude throughout the entire experience. 

He thought better of it to make an ass of himself again, though, so he kept the dickbaggery to a minimum by muttering his snide comments under his breath. 

As the group paused the tour for lunch and made their way back to the elevator, Peter's  spidey sense alerted him to potential danger.

 His attention was immediately drawn to Flash, who lingered behind near an unfinished widow bite, meddling with it.

Peter is swift to yell out. “Flash don’t touch that wire, it’ll-“

Needless to say, Flash is an idiot and never listens. 

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CHAPTER 8: The Loud Call Of A Hero.

The project explodes. (Because of course it does.)  A giant fireball engulfs the room. Peter's need to improvise, and the field trip, took an unexpected turn. The elevator doors were closing. In a last ditch effort, Peter dove through the opening and burst through the fire, Tony screamed at him the entire time.

 Peter ignored the pleas and he looked around, grabbing the closest thing to him. The closest thing to him were(conveniently) his new prototype web shooter bracelets. The employees, Sarah, James, and Felicia, were all panicked as the tried to figure out what to do.

Flash was, luckily, unconscious but fairly uninjured. “He’s lucky to not be dead.” Peter had thought as he checked his tormentor’s pulse  

Peter tried to calm his friends before he gave up, turning to the nearest window. He punched it three times, shattering the glass and bloodying his hand. Peter picked out the glass from his knuckles and shot a web grenade out of the window where it caught and formed a safe landing pad. 

His co-workers were stunned when Peter turned back, a stone cold look on his face. Peter hauled Flash onto his shoulder. Peter then directed Sarah and Felicia to the window where they both jumped and landed safely. Then James made his way out and was caught by the web. Peter was about to lower flash down to the others when the heat of the fire licked at his feet.

The wall of flame is spreading and crackling pops and hisses are heard as more gadgets catch fire and explode. One of Clint’s crossbows (ever so plot conveniently loaded with an explosive arrow) misfired at the elevator.

 The doors crumpled on impact and the building shuttered. In his panic to save his class, Peter dove straight out the window, safely holding Flash. 

Once Peter was out and Flash was in the care of the only employee with any background in medicine, Sarah,  Peter turned back to the Tower. He had the loud call of a hero thrumming in his chest. 

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CHAPTER 9: Tony’s Screams Are Louder. 

Felicia and James both yelped in alarm as Peter ran to the building, pleading for him to come back. Peter doesn’t listen and pulls his hood over his head to at least attempt to hide his face from the Public. It would be easy to explain the web-shooters as being tech that he worked in as an intern, but sticking to walls? That would be a little harder to lie away. 

 He scaled the tower all the way back to the window and was immediately met with screams of terror coming from the elevator.

 The fire had grown in intensity and his jacket caught fire, the sprinklers doing nothing to fight the flames.  Peter threw the jacket to the ground and looked for his flame retardant suit. Of course, it wasn’t there, and Peter forwent his only sense of protection in order to save his class. 

Leaping through the fire once again, Peter hissed at the feeling of his skin and clothes burning, his shirt smoking and becoming riddled with holes and singed spots. Nonetheless, Pete persisted in pulling the doors apart. 

Peter’s adrenaline kicked in and he was able to rip the elevator doors open after having heard Friday tell Tony that his boosters couldn’t keep the elevator and the children upright if his heart rate didn’t slow down due to her medical emergency code. Tony cursed loudly at his AI to disable the code and make sure that his kid is ok. 

Now, any person with more than two brain cells might have figured that Tony was worried about his child that had run towards danger. But Peter, the child always running towards danger, had maybe half a brain cell left that bounced around like a DVD video logo until it hit a corner just right and Peter had a coherent and logical thought. This was not one of those times. “God, I didn’t even think about Morgan. I hope everyone is safe.” 

Still, Peter squeezed through the opening he had created and stuck to the wall. Once Peter could see into the elevator shaft, he realized the problem. The cables had snapped and the elevator car was about a floor down. Tony was the only reason the whole thing hadn’t sent them all to their deaths. 

Peter scaled down the wall of the shaft and pried open the emergency exit. Tony was relieved to hear his kid was alive, but quickly told him that they didn’t have much time and that the team was on their way to help. 

Peter climbed into the elevator as gently as possible and pulled open the elevator doors for the second time. Once the group had exited safely and the Avengers had arrived to get them outside, Peter returned to the elevator shaft and tried to web the elevator carriage in place. 

Peter hopped back down into the elevator and told Tony he could let go, he mutters something about his secret being out and how fun of a conversation it’s going to be with the team and his class. Tony laughed, gently let go, and stumbled out of the elevator. Tony turned and reached out to take Peter’s hand, his suit melting away. 

The building shuttered once again and the webs started to snap. Peter’s horrified expression absolutely shattered Tony as his son’s hand slips from his grasp and Peter plummeted. MJ, Ned and the avengers all surge forward, but it’s too late. Tony was pulled away from the elevator as he tried to follow after his child. 

The crash was loud. Tony’s screams are louder. 

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CHAPTER 10: One More Minute. 

“THAT’S MY SON! LET ME FUCKING GO! RHODEY, GET OFF ME!” 

Cap and Bucky grab Tony as Rhodey steps back, a look of sorrow on his face, and they hold Tony back as he cries. Clint fires a grappling arrow into the top of the shaft and Natasha begins to grab onto it when Morgan peaks out from her mom’s office with Pepper on her heels and looks around for Peter. Seeing his daughter, Tony calms down and stops resisting, but he’s still crying. 

“Daddy?” Morgan looks worried as she scans the room, “Where’s Petey?”  Pepper takes in the empty elevator shaft, webs hanging from the top, and realizes what happened. She gasps and mentally pleads for there to be some other explanation. “Tony? Where is he? Where’s our kid?” Her voice breaks at the end. 

Tony’s words catch in his throat and only managed to whisper, “I wasn’t fast enough.”

Pepper stumbles into a wall, overcome by grief as she begins to sob. Morgan stands firm, even though she’s beginning to cry as well. 

“We have to go get him! Daddy, he’s gonna be scared if we don’t go get him!” 

Tony’s tears don’t stop, but his face hardens into something so distinctly Stark. He rips his body away from Steve and Bucky and practically shoves Nat out of the way. 

The team protests loudly as Tony slides down the cable, skin burning as it’s ripped from his hands, but Tony doesn’t care. He tightens his grip and stops just before he lands on the wreckage that held what was surely the mangled body of his favorite hero. 

No. Peter was more than that.

Peter was a friend. He was a nephew, a classmate, a student, a colleague, a genius, and goddamn kid. Yes He was a hero, but he was so much more. Peter was family. Not only was he family to the team waiting above, but he was a part of Tony’s family. He was Morgan’s big brother. He was Tony and Pepper's son. 

That’s why Tony was determined to get him out. He knew there was no saving his child, but he would never forgive himself if he let Peter stay in that fucking elevator one more minute than he had to. 

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CHAPTER 11: Scream.

It was dark. Dark, but not cold. Peter was keenly aware of the spreading warmth he felt, and he knew it was the blood that was spilling from his body. 

“Parker luck is back at it again. This sucks.” Peter’s brain muttered as he attempted to redistribute the weight of the elevator to keep from crushing him to a slow, painful death.

See, even though Tony Stark prided himself on state of the art technology, elevators could only get so fancy, apparently. So, when the carriage fell, slamming into the side of the elevator shaft, the(very expensive and nice) marble floor of the damn thing kinda just…fell off, leaving Peter to free fall to the bottom.

 Well, it was sort of the bottom. The second elevator, one that was moved up and down by a giant hydraulic system, had been, mostly, unaffected.  You know, besides the hydraulic system being on the fritz due to the power surge the tower suffered after the explosion. 

So, as Peter fell, he was slammed into by the bottom elevator as it was forced upward. The impact forced the second elevator to stop. This wouldn’t have been so bad if the first elevator’s floor and wreckage hadn’t fallen on top of him about a second later. 

Peter had mustered all of his remaining strength to keep the damn thing off his chest to avoid being squashed like a tube of toothpaste underneath a semi, but he could feel his strength being sapped from his body as he bled. 

“Head injuries are a bitch.” Peter thought as he tried his damndest to keep breathing. The strain he was putting on his body, just to inhale a shallow breath, took Peter back to one of his most haunting moments. 

He could practically feel the vulture’s presence as he fought to stay alive. Then, suddenly, he was there again. Trapped under that stupid warehouse and gasping for air. Peter’s body seized and he tried his best to remain calm and remember where he was. 

He wasn’t that scared little kid anymore. He was a hero now. He didn’t have time to panic over the past, yet, he still managed. (Because of course he did)

All Peter could feel was the white-hot pain of being crushed by tons of rubble. He could hear the Vulture screaming at him, but he couldn’t understand what he was saying.

 He felt so cold, not only caused by his spilled blood now cooling. He barely registered the sounds coming from above him, his ears ringing with the weight of his memories and the present. 

“No,” Peter told himself. “This is not supposed to be how I go out.” He felt something warm and wet slip down his cheek. That’s when Peter realized he’d begun to cry. That's also when he understood what the vulture had been saying the whole time. 

“I’m coming, Pete. I’m so sorry, kiddo. This is all my fault. I couldn’t protect you and now you’ve paid the price.. again . God it feels like Titan all over again.” Peter barely recognized the sound of Tony’s voice. The man had sounded so broken. Peter gathered the minuscule amount of strength he had left, and pushed the wreckage off of him where it had slowly started compressing his chest. 

Then, he began to scream. 

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CHAPTER 12: Finally Free. 

As soon as he heard Peter’s desperate cries, Tony’s suit was on and he was ripping the panels of the elevator off. 

“PETER! RHODEY, GET YOUR ASS DOWN HERE AND HELP ME!! HE’S ALIVE! MY KID’S ALIVE!” Tony tore away at the metal and wires, relieved he could hear his son, but destroyed that he couldn’t yet see the damage done to him. 

Rhodey was down the elevator shaft in his suit and helping to pull away the pieces within three seconds. Soon, the pair had made their way down to the flooring that had trapped Peter. Rhodey paused for a moment and told Tony to back away. 

“What? No. He’s right there, I’m not fucking going anywhere, Rhodey. That’s my goddamned child.” Tony stood his ground firmly until his best friend explained the plan. 

“We can’t lift the entire floor by ourselves, Tones. If we drop it, it’ll kill him. We have to bust it up into pieces first.” 

Tony processed the plan for a second before he spoke again, this time, to Peter. “Hey Bambino, we have to break the floor so we can get you out of there. I need you to stay still for me. Can you do that?”

Peter let out a delirious laugh. “ I don't have anywhere to go.” The laugh turned to a whispered plea “Please  hurry, I can’t hold it for much longer.”

Those words sent Tony back into a manic state. He aimed his palm at the floor, telling Friday to turn it to the lowest setting. He fired and prayed to a god he didn’t believe in that his son would be okay. 

Rhodey moved into action as soon as possible, Tony close behind. The pair continued to hover over the wreckage and pulled the floor away, piece by piece, until Peter was free. Rhodey yelled up the shaft for a room in med bay to be prepared. 

Peter gasped for air, he was finally free. 

Chapter Text

CHAPTER 13: I’ve Got You. 

The first look Tony got at Peter made Friday threaten that, unless his heart rate slowed, he would be auto piloted to the med bay.

 Peter was half conscious, covered in blood, bruises, and burns, and barely breathing. Tony crouched next to the spider and ran a hand through his hair as tears filled both of their eyes. 

“Hey, underoos.” Tony whispered. Peter’s glazed and bloodshot eyes flickered over to him. “Hey, Dad.”

 That was it. The floodgates were open. Tony started crying harder and gently clutched his son in his arms. 

Peter had nothing left in him, so he tucked his head into his dad’s neck and cried with him. 

Tony then gingerly pulled Peter up into his arms in a carrying position and flew out of that wretched elevator shaft and back to the people who were impatiently awaiting their arrival.

Tony’s mind was racing with one thought. “Hold on, kid. I’ve got you.”

Chapter Text

CHAPTER 14: Desprate. 

Morgan was the first of the group to see Peter out of the elevator. She tackled her dad’s leg as his suit melted away. Morgan's eyes had widened at the sight of her brother. 

“Daddy, is he okay?” she asked, gripping Tony's leg tightly. Tony's voice cracked with relief and emotion, “He's alive, sweetheart. He’s gonna be okay.” 

As Tony gently cradled Peter in his arms, Morgan's concern turned into slight relief. She backed away and turned to her mother to cling to her side

Bruce came back from med bay with a gurney and a mobile IV. Peter was gently laid down and hooked up. The teen, weakened, battered, and starting to fade from consciousness, stretched his hand toward Tony. Detecting the gesture, Tony rushed to Peter's side, gripping his hand firmly.

The spider was starting to fall asleep. "Thanks, Dad. I... I didn't think I'd make it out of there."

Tony’s heart began to beat faster at what his son had called him once again, and he fought the smile that was bubbling up towards his face. He knew Peter was just exhausted and barely awake from the IV he’d been hooked up to. Nonetheless, Tony’s heart swelled with pride.

 "You're tougher than you give yourself credit for, kid. We're here to fix you up. Just relax."

Peter managed a weak smile, grateful for Tony's reassurance. Bruce took Peter to the medbay with the help of Tony as they precariously balanced and moved Peter down the stairs to the floor below. 

Meanwhile, Natasha and Pepper were scaring the student group and Mr. Harrington into signing NDAs. Happy, who had gotten there with the rest of the team, led the group, minus MJ and Ned, down the stairs to the first floor where the police and EMTs were waiting. They would all be handled by Pepper's team and taken care of. 

Once everything was settled and Happy was back in the common area, Bucky snapped. 

“How the hell did he keep the fact that he’s Spider-Man from us?” Bucky stood up as he yelled.  Steve rose to face his partner and reached out to touch his shoulder. “Hey, Buck, calm down-“ Bucky yanked his arm away. “No! He’s a kid , Steve. A 16 year old child. And we fought him!” Bucky sat down on the couch with his head in his hands. Steve sat next to him and pulled him into his side. Bucky accepted the touch this time. 

Sam was perched on the arm of a chair, feeling a similar rage to Bucky. “How could Tony have let him fight? And why does he fight so damn well?” Nat piped up. “I thought Peter was a terrible liar. How could he have slipped under my radar?”

Pepper, Ned, MJ, Rhodey and Happy came to Peter and Tony’s rescue. 

“First of all, Peter was a vigilante before Tony met him. He was running around in his Pjs and getting hurt every other day.”MJ defended, crossing her arms. 

“Tony tried to get him to stop, but the kid’s just like his aunt. He’s headstrong and fights to help people however he can.” Happy said

Ned spoke up as well. “And he trains with you guys. I would be surprised that you guys hadn’t figured it out yet, but Peter’s always been a good liar.”

Rhodey nodded. “And don’t feel bad about having to fight him. Peter never held anything against you guys for that. He says you were all just doing what you thought was right in a complicated situation.” 

Pepper shook her head in agreement. “He’s part of the reason Tony let you guys come back. Peter talked to him.  While he didn’t agree with the way some of the issues were handled, he ultimately, like Rhodey said,  felt that everyone was trying to do the right thing. He opened Tony’s eyes to that.”

Everyone let out a breath of relief, and the tension in the air melted. They all slumped into seats and sat in silence for a second, Happy stepping out to make a call to May. 

Wanda broke the silence and asked possibly the one question everyone wanted answered. “Pepper, when did you and Tony have Peter? How did you hide the pregnancy, and why didn’t you tell us?” 

Pepper, who had been sipping on a glass of water that Clint brought her, choked. Clint, who was still passing out the water, came over and patted her on the back. After she collected herself, Pepper set the glass down.

“I’m sorry, what was the question?” Vision piped up from next to Wanda. “Wanda asked when the two of you had Peter, as you both described him as your son earlier.”

Pepper smiled uneasily. “Well, he’s not ours. Not biologically. But, we both see him as our kid. He just didn’t seem to want to accept that, so we hadn’t really mentioned it to him.” She looked down at her lap, a little dejected. Morgan tucked herself into her mother’s side once again. “He’s my big brother, though. He’s always there for me. Even when I’m sad.” Morgan looked like she was ready to cry again. “But he’s hurt right now, so he can’t be here yet.”

Ned glanced at MJ, seemingly asking for permission. MJ nodded and Ned stood up and made his way to sit next to Pepper and Morgan. 

“Miss Pepper, Peter does think of you guys as family. He’s just been afraid to admit it.”

MJ spoke as well “Yeah. He’s so used to having the people closest to him get hurt, so he never admits how he feels until he’s too tired or hurt to care about what comes out of his mouth. He even referred to you as Mom the other night when we were on the phone. He was getting tired and his filter slipped.” She blushed when Ned wiggled his eyebrows. “Shut up, Ned.” Ned raised his hands in defense. “Hey, I’m just saying you guys have been dating for at least a month, even if you two are too stubborn to realize it.”

Morgan looked confused. “I thought Peter said he was gonna marry MJ.” She looked at her mom. “They aren’t dating?” Pepper smiled and saw MJ turn a furious shade of red. “No, baby. They aren’t dating. Even though they’ve been on four ‘totally not a date’ dates, have spent the night here together, and are constantly talking.” 

Morgan frowned. “I don’t get it.” Ned smiled at the girl. “Me neither, Morgan. They’re silly.” MJ calmly stood up, grabbed a pillow, and whacked Ned in the face. Then, she crouched in front of Morgan. “I’ll tell you what, kiddo, when your brother gets back, I’ll go on a real date with him. That sound good?” 

Morgan nodded and smiled. “Can I be the flower girl at your wedding?” Clint made a squawking noise. “No way, Morgana! Sam and I already called dibs on being the flower girls!” MJ blushed again, but smiled. “How about the ring bearer, then?” Morgan smiled brightly and wrapped her arms around the older girl. MJ returned the hug. She was desperate with the hope that Peter would be okay. 

Chapter Text

CHAPTER 15: Slipping Through His Fingers. 

Once Peter arrived, The medics swiftly took over, attending to Peter's injuries as Tony kept a watchful eye on the young hero, a silent understanding passing between Dr. Cho and Tony in the midst of the bustling room. 

“ He’s gonna be okay, right?”

“I’m working on it, Stark.”

As the medics continued their efforts, Peter gradually got fixed up. 

Soon, Peter was stable and Dr. Cho gave Tony the update he’d be so (Im)patiently waiting. 

“He’s all good, Stark. Besides a minor skull fracture, a couple broken ribs, and some pretty nasty bruises, he’s fine. He’s lucky those puncture wounds healed up so fast. Otherwise, we would be having a very different conversation. His healing should kick in soon now that he’s in better condition, and he’ll be good as new by tomorrow afternoon. Just let him wake up from the meds on his own. 

 Tony, visibly relieved, grabbed his phone to start making calls. He stopped to look Helen in the eyes. “Thank you. I mean it.” Helen rolled her eyes and patted Tony on the shoulder. “You got it, Stark. You can let his friends and family know, but only three people at a time.”

Tony smirked and tapped Pepper’s contact. The call immediately picked up. 

“Tony? Is he okay?”

Tony smiled as he sat down in a chair that had been brought next to the bed. He grabbed Peter’s hand gently as he spoke softly to his wife. “Yeah, Pep. He’s good. You guys can come visit, but only three people in the room at a time.”

Pepper sighed in relief. “Oh thank God. We’re on our way. Happy called May earlier, so he went to pick her up. They should be here in a minute.”

Tony sighed. “I’ve got a hell of an explanation to give her.”

Pepper laughed. “Yeah, but I’m sure she’ll understand.”

“I love you, Pep.” Tony said before she ended the call. “I love you too, Tones. 

As soon as the call ended, Tony’s phone rang again, this time, he was the one receiving the call.

“T’challa??? The fuck?” He thought, answering the call quietly anyway. 

“Hello? King T’challa?”

A voice that was definitely not T’challa answered. “Nope. Not my dumb brother. This is Shuri.” Now Tony was even more confused. “What can I do for you, Princess?”  There was someone screaming at her in the background to get on the ground. “I got a notification from Peter’s bracelet that he was in trouble, so I flew in to make sure he was alright, and now your security is about to get their heads chopped off by Okoye. I suggest you call them off before we have more carnage on our hands.” 

Tony thanked Shuri, hung up, and called Happy. He picked up instantly.“Hey Tones, I’m gonna have to call you back, May’s pissed-“ May interrupted. “I am not pissed. I am worried about my nephew.” Tony sighed and spoke gently. “Hey, May. Listen, I know Happy explained what happened to Peter, but he’s safe now. Med bay got him fixed up and he’s on the mend. However, my security is about to get chopped to bits if Happy doesn’t call his guys and tell them to escort the king and princess of Wakanda down here.” There was a pause. 

“I’m on it, Tones. We’re almost there anyway.”

“Thanks, Happy.” The call ended. About three seconds later, the door to Peter’s room opened. Tony let go of Peter’s hand, a flash of his son slipping through his fingers fresh in his mind. 

Chapter Text

CHAPTER 16: The Anticipation Was Deadly.

Pepper and Morgan stepped through the entrance. Peter stirred at the noise and barely cracked his eyes open to see what was going on. He closed them though, as soon as he realized who was in the room and where he was. He decided to just listen to the conversation as it passed above him. 

Morgan approached first, her eyes searching her brother for any injuries. “Hi Petey. I don’t really know if you can hear me, but I’m glad you’re okay. 

Pepper’s presence radiated both worry and gratitude. She gently touched Peter's hand, a silent acknowledgment of him actually being alive.

“You scared us, Peter." She whispered.

Tony, now standing beside Pepper, placed a hand on her shoulder. His usually confident demeanor had softened with the weight of stress and adrenaline. 

Tony spoke a little louder than he had been. "Seriously, Kid.  You need to start taking it easy. We can't keep having these close calls. We can lose you, babino. Not again."

Peter then made the decision to open his eyes. He cracked them slightly and then let them adjust to the light before opening them fully. 

“Hey, guys.” All three heads snapped up to Peter’s eyes. 

Tony breathed a sigh of relief, Pepper had tears in her eyes and a smile on her face, and Morgan looked like she’d just won a pony. 

“PETEY!” Morgan climbed on the bed and crawled to hug Peter. “Morgan! Get off your brother!” Pepper reprimanded. 

“Brother?”  Peter’s mind questioned. 

Then the memories of what happened hit him like a train (which, ironically, had also led to Peter ending up in the medbay. He still wanted to claim he was catching the runaway train, but eventually, he admitted that catching a train is usually how you get on it. Not underneath it while you’re dragged along until you stop it by webbing up the wheels.)

Peter remembered everything. That included the man he saw as a father crying out for him and calling him his son. He also remembered the look of grief, pain, and utter relief on Tony’s face when he got out from under the rubble. 

Peter clutched Morgan to his chest tightly. He began to cry as he held the little girl. His sister. 

Pepper’s eyes widened and she moved around to the other side of the bed to sit on the edge. She put a hand on Peter’s cheek. 

“Peter, honey, what’s wrong?” She asked gently. Tony sat on the other side of the bed. “Are you hurting anywhere?” He asked.

Peter shook his head and relaxed his arms so Morgan could lay more comfortably against his chest. Morgan looked up at Peter and practically read his mind. “He remembers,” she frowned, “but Petey why are you crying if you remember. Is it like a bad dream?”

Peter took a shaky breath. “I do remember, Morgan. Mostly the good parts, so it’s more of a good dream.” His voice softened into a whisper. “I was just scared it wasn’t real.” 

He glanced at Tony and Pepper, then looked back at Morgan. “I was scared that Mom and Dad didn’t really mean what they said. 

Morgan looked confused, but the adults understood. They understood so much, and it broke their hearts a little. 

“Hey, Morgana, how about you go talk to Aunty Nat for a minute so Mommy and I can talk to Pete?” Tony asked, getting up and going to the door. 

Morgan perked up, but hesitated. “Is he gonna be okay if I leave?” She looked at her brother and tried to discern whether or not it was okay. Peter smiled at her and nodded. “I’ll be okay, Morgan. Go say hi for me.” Morgan nodded enthusiastically and gently climbed off of Peter before bounding out the door to go talk to Natasha. 

Tony returned to the bedside and noticed how Peter was avoiding eye contact with him as Pepper ran her fingers through his curls. 

“Okay, kid. We need to have a serious discussion.” Peter cringed slightly, but finally looked Tony in the eye. “No lying, no holding back, or I’m bringing MJ in here to smack you.” 

Peter blushed at the comment, but nodded. Tony looked his son dead in the eyes and asked his first question. “Why do you hide from us?” 

Peter looked down at his lap. “Because I’m scared of losing you guys.” Pepper stopped her movements and frowned. “Peter Benjamin Parker. You could never lose us.” She grabbed his hands and held them.

 “Look at me, Peter.” Peter obeyed, tears beginning to fill his eyes. “No matter what happened in the past, we won’t leave you. We will fight to the very end to make sure that our family stays together. You are a part of that family.” “You have been for a long time, kid.” Tony said, sitting on the bed again. “Hell, we invented time travel to get you back. I’m not letting you go anytime soon.” Tony ruffled Peter’s hair. “You can’t get rid of us that easy.” 

Peter laughed and smiled. “Thank you. Seriously. You guys are the best accidental parents I could ask for. I love you guys.” Pepper smiled. “You’re our kid, sweetheart. It’s kind of our job.” She kissed Peter on the head and gave him a hug. “I’m gonna go make sure Nat isn’t teaching your sister any more spy stuff. You rest up and I’ll send in…?”

“May and Happy if they’re here.” Peter said, propping himself up on the pillows.

Pepper nodded and slipped out of the room. A few seconds later, May poked her head in the door and when she saw her nephew sitting up, she rushed over to give him a bone crushing hug. “Hi May. Can’t. Breathe.” Peter forced out, struggling to get oxygen . “Didn’t I tell you not to do this again the last time we were in here?” May sniffed as she released Peter from her death grip. Happy had also made his way into the room and smirked at the scene. 

“Sorry, Aunt May. Hey, Uncle Happy.” Happy nodded. “Glad to see you’re not dead, Parker. You almost gave everyone a heart attack.” 

Peter laughed slightly. “Unfortunately, I have a feeling it won’t be the last time. I kinda have a knack for getting into trouble- Ow! May!”

May lowered her hand from where she smacked Peter. “You pull something like this again and I’m grounding your little ass.” She huffed and sat next to Peter on the bed. 

Peter looked to Tony for help “Dad, she can’t do that, right?” Tony raised his hands in defense. “I’m sorry, kiddo, but she scares me.” May smirked. “You’re damn right.” Peter groaned. 

The group continued to chat and banter back and forth for a minute before May and Happy left to let Ned and MJ in. 

Peter’s best friends immediately went to hug him, MJ berating him the entire time for being so stupid while Ned complimented his heroic actions. 

“Bro all I heard was like, WHAM, WHAM, WHAM, and then there was glass breaking and then a minute later you heard BOOM and the crunching of metal and then you were in the elevator! Dude it was so cool-“  MJ interrupted. “Dumb.” “ Cool.  when you forced open the elevator doors like that!! I know you’re strong but like, damn!” Ned continued, brushing past MJ’s snide remark.

“Thank you, Ned. I appreciate the encouragement.” Peter sent a pointed look at MJ. She rolled her eyes and pushed herself away from the wall she was leaning against. “Ned, get out. You too Tony.” 

“Uh, no thank you, MJ. My best friend just survived being crushed to death by an insane elevator. I want to talk to him-“ MJ’s furiously red face made Ned realize what was about to happen. “On second thought? I’ll give you two some privacy. Come on, Mr. Stark, let's go give an update to everybody on how Peter’s doing!” 

Tony was dumbfounded. “I’m not leaving my 16 year old kid alone in a room with his girlfriend, Ned.” Peter sputtered and turned a bright shade of red. “Dad! She’s not my girlfriend, Jesus!” 

MJ stayed quiet and eyed Tony up and down. “Leave and I won’t tell Pepper the truth about the time she had to make Morgan get webs cut out of her hair because you forgot that you gave DUM E a spray can full of prototype web fluid and you blamed the literal robot for getting into your things. ” Tony blanched. “Fine, but I’m giving you five minutes and then I’m coming back in.” MJ nodded and waited for the two to leave. The anticipation was deadly. 

Chapter Text

CHAPTER 17: A Deep Breath.

As soon as the door closed, MJ’s stern face dropped and she turned to look at Peter. He fidgeted with the sheets until he felt the weight of MJ on the bed and a hand resting on top of his. 

“Peter, look at me.” Peter obliged and panicked at what he saw. MJ had tears in her eyes. Peter sat up all the way and pulled a hand to cup his crush’s face. “Hey, what’s wrong?” Peter’s eyebrows were furrowed as he searched for what could possibly make MJ cry. 

“You got hurt. You almost died. I thought you were dead, Parker.” Peter’s shoulders sagged and he pulled MJ into a hug, reclining into the pillows once more, now with one of his best friends in his arms. 

“I’m okay, MJ. I promise. “ MJ looked up at him “you are so lucky you’re cute.” Peter was confused for a split second before MJ’s lips brushed against his own. 

In that moment, Peter melted, froze, and melted again. This was happening. This was real. His crush was kissing him. And he was kissing back ! Maybe his Parker luck was turning around for once. 

Their lips moved together and all of their unsaid words were communicated in a single gesture. MJ finally broke the kiss when neither of them could breathe anymore. Both of their faces were flushed.

Peter tilted his head forward to rest his forehead on MJ’s. They sat like that for a second, processing what just happened. 

“Hey Parker, guess what?” MJ said, a smirk in her voice. “What, Jones?” Peter said, smiling as he came off the high. MJ spoke confidently. “I kissed you first.” 

Peter laughed and leaned up to kiss the girl of his dreams again. When they broke, it left MJ breathless. Peter smirked up at her. “Hey Jones, guess what?” Luckily, MJ humored him. “What, Parker?” Peter smiled. “I kissed you better.”

MJ hummed. “Well maybe I can redeem myself on an official date instead of the little waltz we were doing before.” Peter grinned. “Let’s see if you can keep up, babe.” 

Then Tony knocked on the door. “ I’m coming in in 5 seconds! You two better be clothed!” Tony started a countdown, but MJ rolled her eyes, stood up, and yanked the door open, sending Tony stumbling in with a hand over his eyes. 

“Jesus, Tony. We were just having a conversation.” MJ Scolded. Tony uncovered his eyes and he brushed himself off. “Yeah, yeah, whatever. All I’m saying is that you two clearly have it bad for each other, so you should stop doing that little dance you two keep doing and just go out already.” 

“MJ and I have taken care of that, Dad. That’s why we were talking.” Peter muttered, words muffled by the hands he had over his face. MJ laughed. “Bye Peter. Text me later and we’ll talk some more.” She shut the door and went to get the next people in line to see Peter. 

Peter smiled as she left, a look of love in his eyes. “So.” Tony drawled. “I’m guessing that went well?” 

Peter blushed and looked anywhere but at Tony. “Yeah. Good. Great, even. Amazing.” He said. 

“Thank God . I was wondering when you guys would finally admit your feelings.” Clint was the one to say this as he walked in through the door. “Oh shut the hell up, Barton. You confessed your feelings to Laura 6 months into what she thought was already a relationship. She thought you were gonna propose.” Nat teased, following close behind. 

As Natasha and Clint argued, Tony and Peter sat back and watched. The looks of glee and short bursts of laughter were evident on their faces. 

Soon, though, Natasha asked her most burning question. “Peter, how did you lie to me? I’ve never met anyone I thought I could read so well and been wrong. ”

Peter’s expression dropped. “I just…I didn’t want you to worry about me.” Clint frowned. “Kid, we worry about you anyway. I know you’ve heard this a lot, but you’re family. Hell, you’ve babysat my kids!” Natasha nodded, smirking. “And now I can call you my ребенок-паук instead of wondering who the kid in spandex was.” 

Peter deadpanned. “Nat, you also used to wear spandex. I don’t want to hear it from you.”

Nat scoffed jokingly and smacked Peter on the head. “You shut your mouth, Parker, or I’m telling Cap about this bullying.” Peter’s face darkened a bit at the last word. It did not go unnoticed by the three adults. Peter took a deep breath. 

Chapter Text

CHAPTER 18: One Hell Of A Surprise. 

“Speaking of bullying, if I’m going to be honest and share my problems, I should probably come clean about that.” Peter said, rubbing the back of his neck. “Woah. Hold on. You’ve been getting bullied?” Tony said incredulously. 

Peter winced. “Yeah about that… you know that Flash kid?” Tony nodded. “Yeah, the little shit who kept trying to talk over you and show off. And the one that exploded the damn lab.” Peter hesitated for a second, as if debating what to say. Then he shook his head and looked Tony in the eyes. “He’s been bullying me since freshman year, but it got worse after the blip and now instead of just the verbal abuse…it’s physical, too.”

Tony was livid, to say the least. But, To his credit, Tony kept his cool instead of hunting the poor bastard down and ripping him a new asshole. Natasha on the other hand, went full ‘Mama Spider Mode’ and immediately walked over to Peter, kissed him on the head, and left in search of Flash. 

“We can talk about this some more later, Peter. Thank you for telling us.” Tony said tightly.  Peter nodded. Clint promised Peter he would make sure Nat kept the kid alive, but maiming was not off the table.” Peter accepted that the deal was the best he was gonna get.

After Clint left, Bucky and Steve came in next. The couple profusely apologized to Peter for what they had done to him in Germany and thanked him for helping Convince Tony that they could come back. 

Peter smiled, brushed it off as no big deal, and hugged them both before they excused themselves. 

The next group to come in was Sam and Bruce. Sam, in all his sarcastic glory, teased Peter relentlessly while Peter bantered back. Soon though, Bruce asked the question of where Peter’s webs came from and Peter excitedly answered, showing Bruce all his ideas and thoughts about how to make them better. Bruce even suggested that they work on it together one day and Peter almost exploded. 

“Alright, nerds. That’s enough chemistry talk for the next millennia.” Sam said, not understanding a single thing they were talking about. “Sam, respectfully, Shut up. You’re just mad your birdbrain can’t keep up. It’s not even that difficult, but if you want, I can dangle something shiny from the ceiling so you can actually pay attention.” Peter quipped.  

Sam nodded. “I’ll give you that one, kid. But remember, birds eat spiders.” 

With that, Bruce and Sam exited the room to allow Rhodey to come in. 

Rhodey kept his visit short. He gave Peter a hug, ruffled his hair, and asked him to please avoid elevators from now on, since he seemed to have bad luck with them. 

Then he said that the next visitor would be “one hell of a surprise.” 

Chapter Text

CHAPTER 19: A Sharp Upswing. 

The room wasn’t void of visitors for very long, though, as Okoye barged into the room and swiftly surveilled the area for danger before she called for T’Challa 

“My King, come in.” Tony stood to greet the royal guest. Peter tried to get up to greet him as well, but was immediately yelled at by Okoye. “Peter, sit your ass down in that bed. You are supposed to be healing.” Okoye asserted herself swiftly, and Peter stopped trying to get out of the bed. 

“Hello, Tony. Hello, Peter. I am glad to see that you are doing well.” T’Challa spoke, a kind smile on his face. “Thank you, Mr. King T’Challa, sir.” Peter said, a bit flustered and confused. The smile that the King held immediately dissipated when Shuri shoved him out of the way. “Move, T’Challa! I have to see my other broken white boy!”

T’Challa began to yell at his sister, “Shuri, be careful!” But Shuri crashed into her science bro anyway.  “Shuri!! When did you get here?!” Peter exclaimed.  The two separated and Shuri immediately responded. “I got here about an hour ago, but that is no matter. I’m just glad you’re okay. Your bracelet told me you had suffered a rough impact and a panic attack.  I got very worried when you didn’t answer my calls.” 

Peter stared at her. “So you flew from Wakanda? Because you were worried about me??” Shuri shrugged. “Yeah?  You’re my science bro and my partner in Vine.” 

Peter fake sniffed and placed a hand over his chest. “I’m honored, Shuri.” The princess smirked and smacked Peter on the back of the head. “Oh don’t get emotional on me, Parker.” She sat on the bed. “Now, tell me what happened with MJ. She told me it wasn’t her place to tell, but she may have mentioned that you two are going on an actual date.” 

T’Challa, Tony, and even Okoye got invested at that point, wanting all of the information. As Peter excitedly explained what went down, T’Challa interrupted. “I am sorry, I was under the impression that the two of you were already dating?” 

Peter turned a violent shade of crimson. “It’s…complicated.” Shuri laughed, looking at her brother. “It can’t be any more complicated than you and Nakia, T’Challa.” 

As T’Challa protested, the five fell into an easy banter. They laughed and joked around like Peter hadn’t almost died a short while ago. 

Soon, however, it was time for dinner. Tony called in Dr. Cho to see if Peter would be cleared for release.

“He seems to be healing up faster than I thought,” Helen stated after she checked Peter’s wounds, “He’s good to go up for dinner, but if anything goes wrong, come and get me.” Tony thanked her as she left.  

Then, Tony turned to the royalty before him. “You are more than welcome to stay for dinner and leave when you are ready in the morning, it’s Bucky’s turn to cook, and he mentioned that he would be making roasted chambo and braised oxtail.” Okoye smiled. “He was actually learning how to make that recipe when he left. He picked up on it very quickly, and I would like to see if he has improved.” 

Shuri nodded. “The white boy can cook, I will give him that.” She looked towards T’Challa. “What do you think? Can we stay for the night?” T’Challa nodded, turning to Tony. “We will take you up on the offer, Stark. Thank you.”

Tony smiled. This day was turning out better than he though. Sure, it had its…terrifying moments where his only hope was that it was just a nightmare, but the day had taken a sharp upswing from there. 

Chapter Text

CHAPTER 20: We Love You 3000.

Everyone gathered at the tower for a dinner to remember. The vibrant mix of Wakandan royalty and Earth's mightiest heroes created an atmosphere of excitement. 

The food was delicious, Bucky having thoroughly outdone himself. All conversation dropped as soon as he brought out the beautiful dishes and everyone tucked in. 

After dinner, the discussions and stories picked back up. Shuri, with her witty remarks, had everyone laughing, while T’Challa shared tales of Wakanda's rich history, captivating the audience.

Okoye, ever the stoic warrior, engaged in discussions with Natasha and Pepper about combat strategies, public relations, and global security. MJ gravitated towards the conversation and shared some pretty interesting thoughts on the matter. The group found common ground, bridging the gap between different worlds.

 Meanwhile, Ned couldn't contain his awe at the technological wonders showcased by Shuri. Peter and Ned sparked lively conversations about the intersection of Wakandan and Stark tech with Bruce and Tony. 

Pepper, Morgan, and Peter ended up sharing their most  heartwarming, and embarrassing, memories of Tony, with Morgan stealing the spotlight with her bright excitement and accidental roasts. 

 The Avengers, normally focused on saving the world, embraced the rare opportunity to unwind and enjoy the company of friends. The tower echoed with laughter and the clinking of glasses, signifying the bonds that had formed among these extraordinary individuals.

As the evening progressed, the sense of unity prevailed, breaking down any barriers that might have existed. The group had moved into the living room for an unexpected movie night. 

As the night wound down and people drifted off to bed, Tony found himself surrounded by his family. 

Peter was leaning against his right shoulder with his eyes closed, Pepper on his left, and Morgan sprawled across the three of them, half asleep. 

“Thank you, Tony.” Pepper whispered, thinking both of their kids were asleep. Tony hummed. “For what?” Pepper smiled. “You saved our kid. He’s okay and we’re all together because of you.” Tony smiled. “No, Pep. Thank you. You’re the greatest wife and mother anyone could ask for. I love you.” It was Pepper’s turn to hum. “I love you too, Tony. And I love our kids.” 

There was a slight noise as Peter shifted. “We love you too, guys. Right Morgana?” Morgan yawned. “Yeah. We love you 3000” 

The Motherfuckin’ End