Chapter 3
Peter immediately called Ned- perhaps he should keep it a secret, but his best friend didn’t count. Peter talked to Ned about it, and Ned couldn’t be more thrilled.
“This is awesome! Tony fucking Stark is living in your apartment!” Ned exclaimed, rather loudly.
“Ned keep it down! It’s supposed to be a secret.” Peter glared at his wall.
He would trust Ned with his life, but sometimes, he got so excited about the superhero part of it all… Peter still told him everything nonetheless, but Peter was often careful to filter Ned out when he felt like he was about to blurt something out.
“I just… I don’t know why here? Am I really the only low-profile person he knows?” Peter asked.
Ned hummed, “It sounds like you don’t want him there, Peter.”
“That’s not it!” Peter defended. “It’s just… he ignored me for months, and I understand he’s a busy man… but why now?”
There was a short pause, that was filled by Ned’s breathing.
“I don’t know what to say… you can just, I don’t know, ask him about it?” Ned suggested.
“I tried. I got nothing… and besides, I don’t want to come off as needy. He has more important things to worry about than me.” Peter said bitterly.
“Then why did he make you the suit to begin with”
“I don’t-“
“Peter Benjamin Parker, it’s one in the morning… I understand it’s not a school night, but you need to go to sleep. Ned can wait.” May’s voice came from behind him.
Peter’s stomach dropped- had she been there the whole time? Had she heard what he said? When he turned around, he saw his aunt, who looked like she had just woken up, standing at the doorway. Maybe she hadn’t been standing there the whole time…
“Sorry May, I’ll go to bed right now.”
Ned’s voice sounded from the other side, “Is that May? Tell her I said hi!”
“Ned says hi.”
May rolled her eyes at his best friend. “Tell Ned to go to bed too.”
“May says go to bed.”
So they did. Without second thought.
***
Peter woke up to the smell of bacon… which was strange. May couldn’t cook to save her life- though her date loaf was pretty good. Peter yawned, remembering the events of yesterday. Tony Stark has taken shelter in his home, abruptly, and he was going to be here for a while.
Peter got up, thinking about how he never saw Mr. Stark as a morning person… but the smell of bacon definitely wasn’t May.
Sure enough, when he walked into the kitchen, Mr. Stark was standing over a skillet… at seven in the morning. Peter quietly sat down at the table, staring at his mentor… and thinking about how odd this whole situation was.
“Morning, kid.” He greeted, quickly glancing at the younger boy.
Peter gave a small smile, “Hey Mr. Stark.”
Peter was still a little tired because he went to bed at one in the morning. He then stood up, and decided he should do something.
“Do you need help, Mr. Stark?” Peter asked.
The man shook his head, “Nah, I got it. You can set the table, though.”
Peter nodded, grabbing three paper plates out of the pantry, and setting them around the table. Footsteps could be heard, as Aunt May entered the room, shock evident on her face.
“Tony! You didn’t need to go through this much trouble..”
Tony smirked, “It was my pleasure, Mrs. Parker.”
Peter rolled his eyes, as his phone buzzed in his pocket, when he took it out of his pocket, it was a message from MJ. His eyes widened.
“Um, May, I know this is less than ideal, but I asked a friend to come over to work on a chemistry project…” Peter said.
May narrowed her eyes, “Which friend?”
“MJ.”
May nodded, and looked at Tony, “What do you think.”
Tony shrugged, “If you think this ‘MJ’ is trustworthy.”
“I do!”
“Then go ahead.”