Calm Before The Storm
"You dirty, disgusting faggot!" Mark's voice screamed across the hall. He was new to Midtown High, and was the worst kid Peter had met. Even Flash, the former resident bully of the high school, was someone Peter considered more of a frenemy than an enemy. Mark was totally different. However, for once, Peter wasn't the target of bullying. The honor of that position went to Eli, Ned's boyfriend, a wiry kid whose eyes were brimming with tears. Ned's eyes were trained on the floor. Peter bit his lip. He remembered, very distinctly, his Aunt's warning -
'Stay out of trouble, honey,'
and Tony's warning -
'Don't let them know who you really are. It's too dangerous.'
But they didn't understand how it felt to be mocked with no one coming to your rescue, and Peter would be damned if he didn't help someone out in the same predicament.
"Hey!" He yelled, throwing a pencil at Mark's head. As usual, he didn't miss, but others would probably take it as blind luck. Mark turned his head.
"Are you defending the slime?" He taunted, "Maybe you want to taste his dick too, huh? Like your gross, fat, low-life of a friend!"
The bystanders' laughter died a little. Peter had gained social status in Midtown High - not much, but enough to avoid the worst taunts. This may or may not have had something to do with his internship at Stark Industries, a position that could make any the tiniest bit cool.
"Beating others to a pulp just to feel good about yourself isn't going to get you anywhere in life," Peter distracted him. "You'll just end up a jerk whose sole enjoyment in life is going to a bar Friday evening, watching football and drinking yourself into oblivion to avoid thinking about the fact that your life is falling apart around you.
"Goody-two shoes has spoken," Mark laughed. Peter was pretty sure the comment had gone over his head.
"Oh, shut up" a voice from the crowd. With a sick feeling, Peter looked at the speaker and his eyes landed on the ripped jeans and denim jacket of MJ.
"Dude, just back off," she gave Mark a withering look.
"Standing up for your wimpy boyfriend, bitch?" Mark's eyes glimmered with sadistic power. Peter saw red. Nobody, nobody, insulted his friends, and Eli, Ned, and MJ had all been targeted. He landed a punch so solidly on Mark's jaw that the boy stumbled backward and he could hear a quick cracking noise. Mark punched him back. Peter could have stopped him but he thought it was only fair that it was a punch for a punch. Peter had the advantage with superhuman powers and didn't want to hurt Mark too badly. Then he saw Ned comforting a crying Eli and he grabbed Mark's legs, flipping him onto his back and stomping his foot on his groin. Mark doubled up, and (of course, Peter's luck) Principal Rennings stepped out of his office at that exact moment.
He sighed dramatically. "Go to my office."
Peter considered offering Mark his hand to help him get up, but he caught MJ's eye and she gave him a look that clearly said, 'Stop being nice.' He followed Principal Rennings inside his office. Peter had only ever been there twice - once, when Aunt May couldn't pay tuition and they had to come and negotiate more financial aid, and the other time when he and Ned hacked the school's mainframe and put pictures of Sidney getting drunk and admitting that he had cheated on his old girlfriend. Both times Principal Rennings had looked calm, collected, and open to whatever they would say. This time his expression was firm and intimidating.
"Peter, what were you doing?" He asked. Peter knew that Mark would mock him for being a snitch if he told the truth but he needed to reduce the amount of trouble that he was in or else Aunt May would have a heart attack. He had already broken one of her rules, no need to push it.
"He insulted my friends for being gay," he explained, "I punched him out of rage. I'm sorry. It won't happen again."
"No, it won't," Principal Rennings, "We'll discuss punishments with your parents, since this was your first physical offense. Mark, care to explain your side?"
"The runt punched me! I didn't lay a hand on him," Mark glared at Peter. Peter gestured to his split lip.
"Well, it was self-defense," Mark amended, "But he punched me first."
"Did you insult another student for their sexuality?" Principal Rennings asked, rubbing his temples.
"God made us to love the opposite gender," Mark growled, "He's a sinner."
"You have in-school suspension for two weeks including Saturdays and Sundays for bullying and your third physical offense," Principal Rennings declares, "No parental intervention will be allowed. I'll send an email to them. Go into the back room and start doing the past three homework's that teachers have reported you missing."
"Sir?" Peter asked tentatively, "my aunt is working. Is it possible that we could all talk after school?"
"Who's your emergency contact?" Principal Rennings asked, "We have to do this now, sorry. It's protocol, so that you don't get any ideas in between now and then."
"Right," Peter said slowly. This would be awkward to no end. "Um, my emergency contact is Mr. Stark.
Tony Stark received the phone call on his fly back from a minor mission involving two thugs who had decided to beat up an old lady. Tony had knocked them unconscious and then set their pants on fire so that when the police arrived the brats were in their undies. FRIDAY announced in her normal Irish tones,
"Boss, incoming call from Midtown High School," she informed him.
"Why the hell would a high school call me... and how do they have my cell number?" Tony muttered.
"I do believe that is the high school that Peter Parker attends," FRIDAY commented.
"Ah, yeah," Tony sighed, "You think he's in trouble?"
"Nothing life-threatening, or else Karen would have reported it," FRIDAY pointed out. Karen was the AI installed in Peter's spidey suit.
"True," Tony agreed, "Well, better see what he needs. Set course for Midtown Highschool."
He stepped out of the suit a couple blocks away and it folded itself into a suitcase. He called Happy to let him know that he needed a ride home from Peter's high school. Then he resigned himself to a lecture from a principal. When he walked in, he did not expect Peter to be bleeding. It wasn't bad, but Tony might have slightly panicked.
"What happened to my kid?" he demanded, "My intern. Whatever."
Principal Rennings raised his eyebrow but chose not to comment on his choice of words.
"He got into a fight -"
"A what?" Tony asked incredulously. Peter could beat any of these lousy kids in a fight any day of the week. Principal Rennings took the surprise as anger.
"There was minimal harm caused to either of them," he said quickly.
"Can I speak to him alone for a sec?" Tony asked, "We can talk about consequences after."
"Of course," the principal graciously stepped into the back room.
"Hi, Mr. Stark, I'm really sorry for bothering you this is nothing I'm really really really -"
"I've told you to call me Tony a million times, kid," Tony corrected, "And it's not a problem. How did you get hurt? You could beat him up in a second."
"It seemed fair. I had the advantage with the superhuman abilities," Peter shrugged, "And you wanted me to stay incognito."
"Not at the risk of your own injury!" Tony protested, "That's not what I meant!"
"It's a split lip," Peter said, "Nothing is even broken."
"Yeah, well, I hope you broke his di-"
"Mr. Stark!"
"Tony, kid, Tony. Anyway, why'd you hurt him in the first place?" Tony asked, "Was he killing someone?"
"He was mocking my friends," Peter said. He looked the smallest bit nervous. Tony wanted to scream at him, but this room wasn't soundproof, so he settled for speaking in a very quiet angry voice.
"You nearly revealed yourself for some lowly insults?" Tony stared him in the eye.
"Yeah, well-" Peter began to raise his voice.
"Keep it down, kid, don't want Rennings to hear," Tony warned.
"Look, just discuss my punishments with the principal and then we can talk about what you want me to use my powers for.," Peter said angrily.
"That's not what I-" Tony began, but stopped when Principal Rennings re-entered the room.
"Are you two ready for me?" he asked, looking between their two flushed faces.
"We're ready," Tony said, "We'll ground him, not let him visit his friends for a week, read only nonfiction books, no internet..." Tony looked helplessly at Peter. He wasn't the best at arranging punishments. Peter was half glad Aunt May wasn't here.
"I expect you to talk to him about what he did wrong?" the principal added.
"Very sternly," Tony agreed, "Yes, that too."
"One day of out of school suspension that will be wiped from his record after this school year."
Tony was confused (why suspend him if they would just wipe it from his record?) but he acquiesced with a nod of his head.
"You are dismissed," Principal Rennings said, and headed back into the back room. Peter and Tony slipped out a side door, quickly hopping into the black Ferrari that Happy had brought round.
"It makes me eligible for Prom King," Peter said out of nowhere. Tony frowned, turning to him. "The one day suspension. Not that it matters, you just looked confused. I mean, not confused, because you're never confused, but I just meant that-"
"I was," Tony interrupted. "Confused. Thanks for clearing it up, kid."
There was an uncomfortable silence for the rest long drive to Stark Tower with various opera and pop songs alternating on Pepper's mixtape that had been left in the car. When they reached the two got out, Tony could've sworn he heard a relieved sigh from Happy, but that might have been his own.
The elevator was just as quiet except the music was jazz. The doors finally opened with a loud beep and the pair stepped out.
"Alright, kid, listen," Tony began, "You can't let others know who you are."
"They needed someone to stand up for them!" Peter protested.
"Well, get someone else to do it."
"It doesn't work like that, everyone is too scared," Peter insisted, "except for me. I'm Spider-Man! This is what I do. I help people in need - and not just big shots like all you other superheroes help, I help ordinary people!"
"You can't help ordinary people if you're dead!" Tony shouted.
"What on earth?" Peter said, "Dead? Where did that come from?"
"If people know who you are, enemies know who you are," Tony said in a slightly quieter voice but not much, "And then enemies target Peter Parker, not Spider-Man and everyone you love and care about! Sure, it sucks when your friends get teased but that's better than your friends getting killed!"
"What was I supposed to do?" Peter's shoulders sagged, defeated, "I couldn't just let him hurt them, especially since Ned knows that I'm Spider-Man."
"You need to have a talk with your friends, kid," Tony sighed, "And get used to letting them down. Being a superhero means choosing your battles and sometimes you leave some angry people in your wake."
"I'm gonna go do my school work," Peter said. It wasn't a real response but at least Tony had gotten Peter thinking. The teenager swung his bag over his shoulder and headed to the kitchen, his walk a little sober.
"Hey, kid," Tony called after him. Peter turned around expectantly. Tony blushed a little.
"You did good," he said, "I'm proud of you."
A smile spread over Peter's face - slow, but bright as the sun.
"Um, Mr. Stark?" Peter asked nervously. Mr. Stark was busy hammering away at something in his workshop and took a moment to register Peter's presence.
"Yeah, kid?" he asked, for once too engaged with his project to correct Peter's choice of names.
"Aunt May is working double shift today. She won't get back until late. Can.... can I have Happy take me home?"
"Huh?" Tony looked up from his work. He seemed to realize what Peter was saying, "Oh, no. You can just crash here for the night. If that's okay with your aunt."
"Re...really?" Peter asked, surprised. The 'staying over' was not a line that they had crossed yet. Peter had assumed that Tony was relieved when he left for home.
"Yeah, really," Tony sounded amused, "I have plenty of bedrooms and I think enough food for breakfast."
"Sir, I have out of school suspension tomorrow," Peter said.
"Even better," Tony grinned, "You can sleep, maybe spend a few more hours here."
"I'll... I'll call Aunt May," Peter could barely hide the excitement roiling around inside him. Apparently he did a good job because Mr. Stark frowned.
"If it's okay with you, too," he added thoughtfully, "I mean, I can understand if-"
"It's great with me!" Peter cut in quickly. Tony laughed.
"Alright, kid, call Aunt May."
Peter stood awkwardly at the door of Tony's workshop. He wasn't entirely sure what he was supposed to do - most of his time here he spent on his work or doing projects that he had brought (mind you, these were projects like advancements for his suit not a vinegar and baking soda volcano). He'd finished his homework and he hadn't prepared for staying with Mr. Stark. Tony stopped his work for a minute to look at Peter curiously.
"What do people do?" He asked, tilting his head slightly.
"Excuse me, Mr. Stark?"
"Tony, god you sound like you work for me," Tony groaned, "What do people normally do other than... well, work or go to parties?"
"Um... well, watch movies?" Peter suggested.
"Okay, kid, let's watch a movie."
"If your work is important you don't have to-" Peter said quickly.
"You worry too much, Pete," Tony grinned, "What's a good movie?"
They had moved to the living room now and Peter glanced at all the DVDs that Mr. Stark owned.
"Those were my dad's," Tony said quietly.
"Than it's our job to watch all of them," Peter announced, "What's the first? Pirates of the Caribbean? Your dad had good taste."
Tony laughed, "That he did. Let's go, The Curse of the Black Pearl awaits."
Peter slid the movie into the DVD player and began the movie.
"Captain. Captain Jack Sparrow," Peter quoted in sync with Johnny Depp. Tony glanced at him with a slight grin on his face. He didn't quite understand why he liked Peter so much. It wasn't that he was opposed to minors it was just that they generally tended to be annoying. And Peter should be, too, but for some reason he wasn't.
"Want some ice cream, kid?" Tony asked quietly, trying not to talk over the dialogue.
"Are... are you sure?"
Tony just raised an eyebrow.
"That would be awesome, Mr. Stark!" Peter said, "Thank you!"
Tony couldn't help but chuckle at Peter's awe. He grabbed some Mocha Chocolate Core (the kid was obsessed with Ben and Jerry's core ice cream) from the fridge and headed back to the movie. Peter had spread out across the couch, and Tony decided to give into an instinct he had been fighting for a while.
"Lift up your head, Pete," he ordered. Peter did that and Tony slid underneath him. He kept awkwardly holding it up and Tony fought the urge to laugh. He forced Peter's head on his lap and he relaxed. They shared the Ben and Jerry's cup, spoons occasionally fighting for the same bite. Eventually, Peter fell asleep on Mr. Stark's lap. Tony supposed that this was expected to happen but, when the movie finished, he wasn't quite sure what to do. He gently swung his arms underneath Peter's slumbering form and picked him up. Peter was by no means light but he wasn't heavy either. He felt like a solid weight, tying him to earth. Tony carried him up to his bedroom, tucking him in under the covers.
"Goodnight, kid," he whispered.
"'Night," Peter mumbled back. Tony left the room then, cursing himself for getting so attached. When he slid into bed himself, he missed Pepper's warmth beside him and longed for someone next to him.
He slept fitfully until he felt a solid warmth pressed against his side, and then he could finally sleep.
Peter woke with a sense of strange but comfortable warmth next to him. Was Ned sleeping over? No... he was at Mr. Stark's house. But why was there someone next to him? Peter realized with embarrassment that he was in Mr. Stark's bed. With Mr. Stark next to him! He must have crawled in here because... he paled suddenly with the remembrance of what had brought him in here in the first place.
He was standing on the precipice of a craggy cliff, staring at a raging beast snapping up at him. He could only see the creature's gaping maw that seemed to stretch the length of the bottom of the ravine. If he feel down it, he would fall directly into the creature's mouth. He was just out of reach of the monster's teeth, standing there mocking it. The air was hot and heavy, dust swirling in clouds around him. It smelled of rotting meat, and he was pretty sure that was the monster's breath. He was coughing up the dust and he didn't know what to do, paralyzed with indecision. Then, in the distance, he heard a raw shout.
"Peter!" That was Mr. Stark.
"Peter here!" Aunt May. He looked up on instinct and realized with horror that Ned, MJ, Aunt May, and Tony Stark were falling from the sky - right towards the open maw of the creature.
"Please catch us, Peter!" Ned shouted.
"You're the one who got us here - get us out!" MJ let loose a scream of pure terror as they gained speed. Peter shot out a net of web to catch them, silvery threads shooting across the canyon. If they attached to the opposite end of the cliff, it would form a net that would bounce his friends and family back to safety.
They web missed the other side.
His only friends, the only people he loved and cared about, plunged to their death.
And it was his fault.
Peter shivered. He was immediately glad that Mr. Stark slept quietly next to him. His presence was the only thing keeping Peter from having a full on panic attack. He knew that the exact circumstances would never happen, but something similar could. The thought both terrified and devastated Peter. He knew he wasn't good enough, but somehow he had the power anyway. His breathing quickened as he remembered the feeling of desperation, and he ducked into Mr. Stark's side without thinking. He felt his mentor stir, and a blush crept across his cheeks as he made to move away. Before he could, Mr. Stark put his arm around his shoulders.
"Kid, you okay?" He asked, his voice still layered with sleep.
"Y...yeah," Peter stammered. Embarrassment at being caught in Mr. Stark's bed coupled with the remaining traces of fear from his dream made it difficult to speak at all.
"What's wrong?" Mr. Stark asked.
"Night-m..nightmare," Peter managed.
"Wanna talk about it?" He suggested.
"No!" Peter answered quickly.
"You wanna stay here?"
Peter knew he should say no. He was in high school, he shouldn't be sleeping in an adults bed just because he had a bad dream! Especially an adult whom he idolized and so obviously did not need Peter himself. But hopelessness flooded over him as he thought of returning to his bed alone. He nodded his head with shame. He felt Mr. Stark laugh a little at his side.
"Kid, no need to feel ashamed," he assured him, "We all need someone sometimes."
Peter let the tension drain out of him as he took in Mr. Stark's realness beside him. He fell asleep curled into the man's side.
Tony woke up and slipped away from Peter quietly, getting ready with as little noise as possible so as not to wake the sleeping child in his bed. He was new to this whole parenting thing, but for some reason he knew instinctively what to do with Peter. Of course, he continuously worried about messing up, but the kid was pretty resilient.
His first thought once he got downstairs was, I have to feed him. What do I normally eat?
He was lost there. He forgot meals so often that he had no use for food in the house. If he was eating with no prompting he usually just ordered food in - or got FRIDAY to do it. Maybe he should put in a little more effort for Peter. Omelettes couldn't be that hard.
"FRIDAY look up a recipe for a basic omelette," Tony ordered. FRIDAY displayed a recipe on the holoscreen to the left of Tony's T.V. He took a deep breath. This was cooking. He could master astrophysics overnight. He could cook a goddamn omelette. Tony found four eggs in the fridge and broke them in a pan.
"Boss, have you greased the pan?" FRIDAY asked in Irish tones. Tony grimaced.
"Uh, no," he shrugged. "Oh, well. It can't matter that much."
Ten minutes later the floor was covered in egg. Some, Tony was positive, was on him. The fire in the stove was flaming over the spilt oil on the kitchen counter and somehow a few of the chairs had been flipped over. He stared dejectedly at the small amount of unburnt egg on his arm.
From door of the kitchen, a small voice said, "Um, Mr. Stark?"
"Tony," he corrected absentmindedly, "You're up, huh?"
"Uh, yeah," Peter smiled shyly, "You wanna get take out?"
"I think... I think that's a good idea," Tony said. They stood in awkward silence for a moment, then Tony started to snicker. It triggered a bout of laughter from the two, sitting on the floor of the kitchen, laughing their hearts out.