Peter Benjamin Parker was something else.
He’s a sixteen-year-old genius to say the least. He’s a natural at building things, he’s top of the class without trying, he’s an important member on his school debate team, his grades make colleges drool over and he have a heart of gold. However Stark doesn’t know those things about him until later on, when they started to become mentor and mentee. What caught his eye was the fact that this kid was Spiderman.
Also that he needed him to fight with him against the other avengers. Not one of his proudest moments, but oh well, he met peter doesn’t he?
He’s also one of the very few people that somehow managed to make a place in Tony’s heart. Yes, you heard it right, Tony Stark has a heart. It’s obvious to people who knew tony but most people who don’t, tend to assume he doesn’t. Which to be completely honest with you, he doesn’t care.
Anyway, back to the spider-kid.
As he was saying, peter was something else. He’s a mystery but to others, seems an open book. And that ‘others’ was tony himself. See, he thought he knew everything about the kid. He knew why peter decided to be Spiderman, he knew how peter’s face lit up whenever he talk about something or someone he love, he knew peter will sometime plaster a smile on his face (even when he could tell the kid’s clearly uncomfortable) just because he doesn’t want to make others feel bad.
He knew about his little (huge) crush on that girl name Michelle. He knew the kid’s schedule and which tests he have. He knew about the kid’s obsession with Legos and Star Wars. He knew his favorite color, food, books, you name it! He also knew that peter had a part time job at a bar, though he’d never gotten into detail about what it was. So yeah, Tony stark knew everything there is to know about Peter.
He was pretty confident in it too, until one day when he found himself at a local pub down the block with the rest of team, Bucky and Vision excluded, tagging along.
He didn’t plan to, it was a last minute decision, which is why he didn’t invite Peter. So here they were, cramming in the back of the building, in their disguises (which is just them being in normal clothes and of course with their famous caps) drinking cheap beer and having some “team bonding time” as Steve puts it.
Although Steve and the other rogues have been pardoned, it was all still a bit awkward.
Sure, he doesn’t have the urge to kill Bucky, or Steve, when he sees them anymore; he and Bucky even developed this weird bond between them. It was mostly mutual respect if you ask him. He was grateful that they’re back and the team’s relationship was mostly fixed, but sometime it was still a bit awkward.
One example would be these “bond times” that Steve does.
He was so caught up in his own head that it startled him when Rhodey started speaking to the bar tender.
“Excuse me, are there going to be any performances here?” he asked, pointing his gaze to the stage at the other side of the bar.
“Yup!” the bartender, ‘nick’ as his ID badge says, said. “There’s one at five. He performs here every weekend. Darn good at it too.”
Tony looked down at his watch, it was five minutes till five pm. He supposes he could wait for a bit, and the idea of entertainment doesn’t seem too bad. He just hoped it wasn’t something too cringe worthy. He scrolled through his phone, doing nothing in particular and before he knows it, the lights dimmed down around him.
He glances up from the screen and as expected, the performance was about to begin.
Spotlight was shown onto the middle of the small stage and in came the performer. He wore a green collar shirt with lighter green patterns decorating it. Its button wasn’t all the way up but rather, it was only half way done. He paired it with ripped jeans and brown boots. His black hat was tilted down at an angle, covering his face; but underneath it, tony could make out some brown curls. He got a microphone in hand, which was decorated with silver rings. His posture screams confident, like he was born for this.
Applause rang through the crowd. The performance hasn’t even started but some were already cheering. He suddenly had high hope for it, and as he looked around the table, he knew he wasn’t the only one thinking it.
Before he can think any further the beat of the song started.
“One, two, three, four”
“Straight of a plane to a new hotel,
Just touch down you can never tell,”
His voice rang through the room. It was somewhat deep but still had that childlike tone to it. Tony assumed right away that he’s probably just a bit older than Peter. Though he must admit, he felt like he knew that voice from somewhere, but he couldn’t pin point who it was exactly.
“Big as party with a crowded kitchen,
People talk shit but we don’t listen.”
He turned toward Steve with a shit eating grin. Of course he said “Language” to him, who would Tony Stark be if he hadn’t.
Steve wasn’t amused. Tony count that as a win.
The beat started picking up.
“Tell me that I’m wrong, but I do what I please.
Way too many people in the Addison lee.
Now I’m at the age when I knew what I need, oh, whoa.”
Tony could hear the smile in his voice. It makes the corner of his mouths twitch upwards. He always admires the ones who love doing with they do.
There was a small pause from the singer before the chorus hits.
“Midnight memories, oh, oh, oh
Baby you and me
Stumbling in the street
Singing, singing, singing, singing.”
“Wow he’s good,” Clint commented, taking a sip of his beer.
Like everyone else, his attention was sucked into the man’s (boy?) singing. A mummer of agreements floats through the table.
When a cheer erupted from the crowd, Tony looked up to see the guy dancing around the stage like he owns it. He sounded like he was having the time of his life and tony had no doubt that he actually was. A smile found itself onto the billionaire’s lips.
“Yeah, he’s not that bad,” he finally said.
“Don’t know where I’m going but I’m finding my way
Same old shit but a different day.”
He couldn’t explain why he was so fond of the unknown singer, but just something about him make Tony wants to protect him at all cost. Maybe it was the passion, or the potential, he couldn’t tell. Oddly enough, it reminds him of a certain spider man.
It was also impressive how his hat still managed to cover his face, though Tony assumed it was just because of the distance between them.
“Midnight memories, oh, oh, oh
Anywhere we go
Never say no
Just do it, do it, do it, do it.”
His movement graceful and confident as he moved around the stage, capturing everyone’s interest. None of them would be surprised if this singer turns out to be the next big popstar.
Maybe he could hire him, Tony thought. It would certainly be a big opportunity for the lad’s career, and Tony had a feeling that Peter would love the singer. Maybe he might even influence Peter with his confidence, Tony found himself thinking.
The singer walks back to center of the stage while the beat start to pick up yet again.
“You and Me and all our friends
I don’t care how much we spend,
Baby this is what the night is for.”
Many instrumental consisting of electric guitars and drums start to become louder and faster. He was singing some pretty high notes, Tony noted, and there was a certain rasp to his voice that compliments the lyrics beautifully.
“I know nothing’s making sense,
For tonight, let’s just pretend.”
The notes were getting higher and higher as his voice become raspier.
“I don’t wanna stop to get me more, moreee ahhh”
Tony eyebrows shot up as the singer hits the high note. Applause rang through the crowd, many were cheering, other shocked and some were even giving standing ovation. Glancing around the other avengers, they all had the same reaction too. Even Natasha looked impressed.
That’s it. Tony is hiring this unknown kid, whether if it meant kidnapping him. Okay he’s joking about the last part.... half joking. But either way, he knows talent when he sees one and this, this is talent. There might be a slight problem on what he’s going to be hiring the kid for but he was sure he could make some job up. Or he could sign him up to a label?
And bonus point, everyone know he love a good rock music and he knew that the singer can nailed it if he sang one. He couldn’t possibly let such a voice to be thrown down to a local pub. He still wasn’t over that rasp.
The song continued as the singer sang his heart out. Then the last line of the song was sung.
“Just do it, do it, yeahhh,” he hit the last note effortlessly.
Then, Tony was met with one of the most “Surprise bitch” moment of his life.
While the audience cheered loudly, the unknown singer made a small bow, taking in the moment. Suddenly he changed the angle of his hat, making his face visible to everyone in the building.
Behind the hat was none other than Peter Parker himself.
The crowd went wild.
Tony’s mouth dropped.
Peter’s chocolate curls were slicked back with some sweat just like the one that was forming on his forehead. A huge grin was plastered on his face and his microphone was waved above his head. He stood tall and proud, catching his breath after the performance he just gave.
Tony couldn’t believe what he was seeing. That was his kid on the stage! That was his kid that sang like an angel! That was his kid that own such a talent and Tony doesn’t even know it! The shy, clumsy, introverted genius that he thought he knew was the same guy that just performed with such confidence, passion and grace on stage.
To say he was surprised would be an understatement of the century. (Which now that he thought of it, wasn’t all that surprising after all, he had always known the kid was talented in more than one area.)
The rest of the team seem to agreed too judging by their reactions.
He could hear Clint cursing in shock, Nat’s expression remained neutral but Tony could see that she was surprised too, and a small “oh my lord” from Wanda.
Everyone was speechless to say the least, expect for Thor, who found the situation funny.
Peter was oblivious to all of this as he took in the moment for a few more seconds.
The applause died down by the time peter went backstage to come back with a microphone stand and a guitar strapped around his chest. He put the microphone in place and cleared his throat.
“Thank you everyone” peter started, his voice was deeper than normal.
“The next song I’m going to perform is an original called ‘Don’t let it break your heart’, I wrote this a while back so umm yeah I hope you enjoy.”
A small round of claps scattered through the crowd before they gave their attention to the boy standing on stage. Tony shook away his shock for the moment while the Avengers did the same, eager to hear Peter sing, especially him singing his own original song.
Peter’s finger starts to move along the strings as a soft tune escaped and the song begin.
“On our way through twenty-seven,
Got a place on the other side of London,
Doing better, doing better.”
Unlike the last song he sang, his voice was softer and the song itself was slower.
“And I know you left a part of you,
In New York under the bed and the box,
But you’re doing better, doing better.”
Peter wore a small smile on his face but this time, there was hint of sadness in it.
“Life gets hard and it gets messed up,
When you give so much,
But it’s not enough,
When the high’s too high,
And the low’s too low,
When you love someone,
But they have to go,”his voice was barely a whisper when he said the last line.
Tony closed his eyes as he took in the words. He could relate to it, and he hated it.
He shouldn’t be able to, he shouldn’t be able to relate to a normal sixteen-year-old. When he was the kid’s age, he was nothing but immature and yet here is Peter, singing about feelings and things he doesn’t deserve to experience. Peter shouldn’t be carrying this much responsibility on his shoulders.
“Don’t you let it kill you,
Even when it hurts like hell,
Oh whatever tells you apart,
Don’t let it break your heart.”
This wasn’t a naïve sixteen-year-old, this was someone who have seen too much, gone through too much for his age. This was someone who have experience the cruel reality of the world.
“Time take time to heal it
You can't do it by yourself,
Oh whatever tears you apart,
Don’t let it break your head.”
It hurts Tony to think about how fast this kid was force to grow up, force to be mature. He deserves the world but the world doesn’t deserve such a pure soul.
“What hurts you is gonna pass
And you’ve learned from it,
When it comes back you’ll be doing better,
Doing better.”
Not a single sound was made. Everyone granted their silence to the boy that was far too wise for his age.
“Life gets hard and it gets messed up,
When you give so much,
But it’s never enough,” his face scrunches as if in pain.
“When the high’s too high,
And the low’s too low,
When you love someone,
But they let you go,”his voice cracked at the last note.
He looked so vulnerable standing up there. He sounded as if he’s holding back tears and they wouldn’t blame him if he was, because not a single eye in the room were dry either.
His emotions shown as bright as day throughout the song as the audience allowed themselves to be as vulnerable as he was on stage.
“Don’t let it break your heart.”
Finally, the song ends with peter drawing out the last note.
Cheers erupted through the building and this time the avengers were included when giving a standing ovation and among the crowd, peter gaze landed on Tony.
His eyes widen for a second before a huge grin paint itself on his face. He bowed down once again, tilting his hat downwards before waving the crowd goodbye and disappearing back stage.
And if he was later greeted by a hug from Tony, let’s just say peter wasn’t complaining.