Peter walked into the Avengers tower on the second week of Summer break, completely unaware of the utter chaos he'd be getting himself in the middle of. May had important business to take care of for the whole summer aside from their first-week Vacation to Italy, letting Peter to his own services mostly after that.
He had just returned yesterday from their vacation with her Aunt - the last week she could relax before getting herself into her stressful work. When Peter woke up to a scribbled note from her, saying "love you Petey, take care", he decided he was to stay with the Avengers - he was there most of the time anyways. He gave a heads up to Mr. Stark, grabbed most of his things from his room as he didn't plan to get back until after the very last day of summer break, and he was on his way.
And now he found himself in the center of a daily chaos of the Avengers Team. He swore they acted more like bratty kids sometimes than responsible adults, and he was supposed to be the teenager here! He sighed as he ducked out of the way of a blue pillow, making his way over to his room. Yes, his room. Mr. Stark has insisted that he had his own space at the tower as the others did, and he took the opportunity happily. A few months later, here he was, the walls decorated with his interests, as well as the shelves packed up with Legos or little robots he made.
He didn't bother with unpacking, stepping out again and making a beeline for the living room, plopping down next to Mr. Stark, who was apparently explaining something rather...aggressively? Intently?
"Mr. Stark", he said, trying to het the man's attention. "What the hell is going on?"
The man looks at him, nearly offended that he doesn't know, but sighs.
"These bunch of losers," he says, vaguely motioning to most of the Avenger's Team on or near the other couch, almost pouting "Have never been on a courage test." He finishes, huffing in annoyance. "I'll make them one tonight because apparently they don't even know what camps are!" Tony says the last part, raising his voice, offended.
"I spent my childhood at HYDRA, Stark." Nat responded, sounding like she already made this point known a hundred times today.
"Aaand I was a pathetic little kid with a shit immune system and poor parents." Adds Steve, slumping comfortably into the cushions.
"Language." Chides Bucky almost out of reflex with a teasing smile.
Peter sighed.
"My point is," starts Tony with a held up pointer finger to stop the others from sharing their childhood "A courage test is the ultimate summer camp experience. So I'll be kind enough and let you guys have that." He bows, expecting clapping and cheering. When he doesn't get either, he huffs in annoyance and stomps out, starting to plan the courage test.
Peter looks after him for a moment, then turns back to the others.
"What is a courage test?"
Clint snorts at his question. Harley grins at him.
"Tony says it's basically just going through a path in the dark with scary sounds playing and writing your name on a piece of paper on the end. Courage list or whatever." Explains Bruce, rubbing his temple.
"Sounds easy if you ask me, kid." Nat says, shrugging.
"It should be fun, my friends!" Thor beams, sitting on his new bean bag. (He ruined the old one, they still kept finding the stuff from the inside of it.) "We used to prank each other all the time in the dark with Loki. Right, brother?"
"Adopted." Is all Loki says. He doesn't look up from his book.
They hear a loud bang from a lower floor, followed by Tony's cussing.
"Should we be worried?" Asks Peter, trying to hear more via his enhanced hearing.
"Nah," comes the response from Harley.
"Mr. Stank-Boss is just fine." F.R.I.D.A.Y pipes up, followed by more banging from a lower floor.
"Yeah, we know that, Fri." Smirks Harley. "And you know how do I know?" He asks, almost laughing.
"Because you're connected, we know." Say the others in union, some sending a look to Harley. (He keeps playing this joke, it's getting old for them.)
They fall back into a comfortable silence, all of them doing their own thing. None of them bat an eye at the noises or curses coming from afar, and soon some flee off to their rooms, Bruce goes to the lab, Nat decides to train a bit.
Harley looks up from his phone at Peter, who's glad to relax.
"Yo," he calls, struggling to get up from the position he'd gotten himself into on a couch. "Wanna watch Star Wars?" He offers, dusting himself off and pocketing his phone.
"Sure, why not." Peter says, excitement shining in his eyes as they disappear into Harley's room since Peter says it's comfier.
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It was nearing 10 pm when Tony stumbled into the living room, asking FRIDAY to call everyone there. It was already dark outside, starts shining on the night sky, surrounding the bright, almost full-moon.
When Sam stumbled inside as the last one of them, Tony brightly explained his plans for tonight, leaning on the wall.
He apparently made a place to set fire and grill some things on outside, and planned out the whole courage test. It was a small route into the forest nearby, with two hidden JBL-s playing those classic horror movie sounds, some hanging ghost puppets, and on the end, there was a lamp, slightly shining on a piece of paper where they needed to write their names.
"You guys will get only a candle to go through the dark, write your names on the list and come back to the fire to chill." Tony clapped, ending his little speech. "Bring some sweaters and we'll meet down in ten."
"Remind me again why are we doing this?" Groans Nat, getting up.
"For fun!" Says Thor, completely convinced by Tony's idea.
"Fun starts where I can involve knives." Loki stretches gracefully, not moving to get up.
"You can cut up the food we'll eat." Says Tony flatly.
Loki glares at him.
Harley giggles.
Aside the complaints, they all meet up outside by the gently cracking fire.
They sit around the fire, grab a bunch of blankets and pillows to sit on, and start on their food. Tony has them sharing old funny stories to get them into the whole summer camp feeling. It works, kind of, and Bucky is already into the fifth embarrassing/funny story of pre-serum Steve. The man is blushing furiously while constantly shushing his friend and of course, saying his own bits. Nat snickers at the stories, storing as much info as she can for future blackmail, and the others are either listening or chatting softly among each other. It's a nice break from FRIDAY, even if the A.I. is helpful, it feels calming sort of to just...be outside.
Soon, Tony asks Bruce for a pen (because of course Banner always has one, he's a nerd) and has everyone scribble their name down on a small paper. Peter thinks if he should write his full name, Benjamin and all, but he goes with Peter instead and gives the folded little piece of paper (dead wood, literally) back to his mentor who puts it in a bowl with the other ones. Loki sighs, seemingly annoyed, but Peter knows his body language - he secretly enjoys the whole thing. The little hidden smirk and his constant snarky remarks just happen to prove that. He is surprised to see that everyone is a bit excited - but really, he shouldn't be. The only responsible adult from all of them is probably Natasha, and even she is smiling timidly. (Yes, Clint does have kids and a wife but that doesn't make him less of a giant sized child.)
Then, the fun starts - Rhodey awaits them at the entrance of the path, giving them nothing but a small candle as a source of light. He doesn't go in - he helped with the plan, it wouldn't be fair. The rest of them go back to the fire as the first to go in is Harley - he's back after, like, fifteen minutes and munches happily on the food he stole from Sam. They try to ask him what was there, but he just smiles apologetically and takes another bite of his grilled chicken.
The next up is Steve, and he gets up with ease. The group watches him as he goes inside with the candle from Rhodey. He gets back after eighteen and almost a half minutes and they don't even try to ask him about it.
Then goes Nat, Sam, Thor, Bucky and even Loki but Peter is still sitting there, waiting. He busies himself with bickering back and forth with Harley, and he knows he isn't afraid - what is a little dark going to do to him? Nothing. He goes out on patrol in the middle of the night, so a bit of a dark and some "scary sounds remix" on YouTube won't scare him, especially if he knows Tony set it all up with Rhodes and everyone before him got back just fine.
There goes Bruce, but only after getting reassured that no, there isn't anything scary enough for him to have high blood pressure and Hulk out. He's back after seven minutes tops, and some gape at him and here he goes, maybe his name gets pulled out finally - and yes, it is his turn.
"C'mon, Underoos, you're up." Tony calls on him and he's on his feet, walking over to the billionaire, feeling excited. He's lead to Rhodey, who hands him a recently lit candle.
"If it gets blown out you can't return for another, okay, kid?" He asks, and Peter nods. "You'll have to go through to the smal clearing. There's a log in the way, you can step over it on the right side. It's simple: go to the end, write your name on the paper and come back."
"Easy." Nods Mr. Stark, then pats his shoulder.
He goes inside. He's protecting the candle and covering the light from his eyes so he can see better because he isn't about to cheat - even if others likely did. He's fine, and he finds the log - he goes to step over it when he hears a sound and his spider-senses just... go off.
He retreats his foot, steps a couple steps backwards, breath quickening more and more. He goes to turn and kind of rushes back but — he can do this. It's nothing serious or scary...he would be laughed at if he couldn't do it. He turns around again and starts to walk when he feels something stare at him.
There are hairs standing on every part of his body, he backs into a tree breaths hitched as he looks around, frantic. He slides down by the tree, clutching the candle, his breath is fast, too fast and why is he panicking now? He can't calm himself and then there's tears leaking from his eyes as he curls up as much as he can. He looks up to the sky but is met with only leaves and branches instead and dark, pitch black dark — and then there is a sound — it's distant, but loud, and when he deciphers it's a ragged cry for help, a scream, he spirals even more. He can't breathe properly anymore but he tries, constantly taking in big, hitched bunches of air but they just get stuck in his throat, not actually making their way into his lungs and god, his lungs burn— he sees small black points dancing over his eyes and he hopes he'll just pass out now but even though he can't breathe properly, he still gets just enough oxygen to stay conscious. He pushes his arms closer to himself and he tries, he really does try to get up but he just can't. He doesn't know how many minutes has passed, left his phone back at the fire - worst decision of his fucking life - and he just cries.
Then he distantly hears steps and the first thing he does is just sob but then he heaves for air again and he hugs himself, dropping the candle, effectively ruining his only source of light.
Suddenly he's being pulled up and wrapped into two arms - it smells like oil and some expensive cologne - then they're going forwards. He still has trouble with getting enough air into his system, but now he hears properly - someone is constantly talking to him and he just breaks down even more because it's Mr. Stark and they're out of there and he's so fucking scared —
He hears others talking but Tony never stops beside him, leading him back inside and clutching the shaking kid to his chest in the lift, telling him in little whispered words that he's safe, he's okay, he just needs to breathe.
He's sat down into the couch and he can breathe again but it's still too quick, he's shaking violently and he sobs openly, hugging himself tight. Mr. Stark is squatting down in front of him, and he just shakes. He curls into himself, leaning down into his knees and pressing his palms into his eyes to stop crying, just stop damn crying but he just ends up shaking even more.
"Easy there, kid. Easy." He hears Mr. Stark repeat over and over. It helps. He finds himself just softly sniffling into his hoodie's sleeves, tears coming down his cheeks.
"Hey," the older man whispers. "It's alright, Pete. You're safe now."
That just makes him tear up more.
"I don't - I d- I," he stutters, trying to say something, anything.
"Take your time, Bambino," he whispers again, rubbing his knees. He's still squatting down, and Peter thinks shallowly that that must be uncomfortable for him before the thought slips away from his grasp.
He tries again after some time.
"I don't know w-why that happened." He grits out, almost too quiet for the old man to hear.
"It's okay." Tony says and he's now sitting beside him, pulling him into his side. He goes without a fight, relishing in the comfort now. "We'll have to talk about it tomorrow, though. You're good now. I've got ya, kid. You aren't alone in this."
He's offered some water a second later and he gladly sips at it, still not quite alright but he's not shaking as bad now and only the occasional sniffles interrupt his breathing. Tony pulls him in close, and now he can hear the others are talking outside - he can't make out just what about, but he has a strong suspicion that it's him. It takes everything in him to not just burrow into Tony's chest and never let go, instead he relaxes and let's his head drop to his mentor's shoulder.
He's shaken up and tired. Tony's comforting silence and little rubs on his back are pleasant and quite relaxing, and he sinks into the touch more. He drifts off peacefully on Tony Stark's shoulder, letting sleep wash away his problems for now.
"I'm here for you." Is the last sentence whispered for almost two hours.
When the avengers enter the floor again, FRIDAY greets them with a picture of the two sleeping, telling them to keep quiet.
If Tony put that as his lock screen the next morning, well, that's no one's business.