The elevator slowed and Peter took a deep breath, closing his eyes for a moment. It was the first time he had seen Mr Stark after their discussion and the first time he’d seen the Avengers since Mr Stark found out about his art. Raising an arm, he swiped the beads of nervous sweat from his forehead and straightened out his jacket.
Ping!
He had no more time to prepare before the doors opened, revealing the Avengers. Their position was so similar to the first time Peter met them that he wanted to cry. The Avengers had become the family he’d lost in the plane crash so long ago, the family he never knew he needed. Peter didn’t - couldn’t - lost them over something he could have so easily avoided.
”Hey Pete! How’s it going?”
It would be so easy to pretend like nothing was wrong, that nothing was different. The elephant in the room nudged him forward with it’s massive trunk and Peter stumbled into the room.
”Peter, come look at this. What do you think?”
His attention diverted, Peter made his way over to the armchair where Steve was sitting. A gasp pushed its way past his lips as his eyes stared disbelievingly at the scene in front of him. Sitting in Steve Rogers’ lap was one of Peter’s drawings but… different. It was like someone had reimagined the scene, drawing it in their own style. They’d painted it too, a skill Peter had never managed to master.
”It’s one of yours isn’t it?” Steve asked after a beat of silence.
”Y-yeah. Who drew it? It’s…different?”
”I did.”
Peter’s head shot up. ”You can draw?”
Immediately, his face started burning and Peter looked down to the floor. It was so easy to forget when the Avengers were huddled around in the common area but Steve was Captain America. Of course he could draw, Captain America could do anything. Peter was such an idiot.
A chuckle brought him out of his thoughts. ”Yeah I can. You have talent, kid.”
Peter waited with bated breath for the lecture he was sure to follow. Silence echoed in the air, Steve’s face growing more concerned the longer it stretched.
”Wait…you’re not going to give me the talk?”
Steve’s eyebrows furrowed and his head tilted a little to the side, the face of classic confusion.Peter’s fingers itched for his sketchbook. This was the first time he had seen this expression on Captain America’s face and he yearned to document the man’s more human side.
”What talk, son?”
”The one about not posting pictures of others online without their permission. I thought that was why I was called here.”
Peter was well aware he was digging himself into a hole. It was entirely possible that the others had forgotten - except that it wasn’t. Steve had shown Peter his art, had even redone it in his own style. So why wasn’t he being lectured? He hated to look a gift-horse in the mouth but his burning curiosity wouldn’t let him do anything else.
”I was under the impression that Tony already did that?” Steve asked with a glance at the man in question. Mr Stark nodded from where he was engaged in a furious Mario Kart battle with Clint Barton. Steve turned back to Peter. ”I think, and I’m sure the others would agree, that if Tony already talked to you than there’s no need for us to get involved. I can’t speak for Clint or Natasha but the rest of us are used to being photographed. It’s more the sheer principal of the thing.
Peter nodded, muscles relaxing. For the first time, his brain registered what Steve said to him earlier. Captain America said he was talented! Ned was going to freak when Peter told him.
—
Over the next few months, Peter upped the amount of time he spent at the tower each week. He still spent Wednesdays and Fridays in the lab with Mr Stark but now when he stopped over on weekends, he would also spent time with Steve. Peter had been right. Ned was ecstatic when he told him that Captain America compliment him on his art but he was more even more excited when Peter told him that Steve was going to be giving him lessons. It was beyond surreal.
With everything seemingly so perfect, Peter should have known something was going to go wrong. The infamous Parker Luck wouldn’t have had it any other way.
”Hey Mr Stark.” Peter called, chucking his school bag in the general direction of his desk before making his way over to his mentor.
The man in question raised his hand in acknowledgment. ”Aren’t you supposed to be with Steve today?” He still hadn’t looked at Peter. Not even once.
Peter’s forehead crinkled, heart rate starting to increase. ”I-I just thought I’d pop in before going upstairs. I-I’m sorry if I’m disturbing anything.” Peter paused his rambling to examine his mentor’s face. He knew that Mr Stark had mastered the art of wearing a mask at a young age and that he excelled at it but he rarely used his expertise around Peter. But now, Mr Stark’s face was blank, in a way that was only seen when Peter had done something really bad. Had he?
His eyes bore into his mentor’s back, silently begging him to turn around and say something, anything that would give him a reason to stay. Peter knew that he was probably just over thinking things, Mr Stark was most likely just busy, that’s all but nothing happened and his ever present anxiety hummed. It was almost like Mr Stark hadn’t heard him say anything.
”I’ll just go then, I guess.” He lingered for a few more seconds before turning around and walking back to the elevator.
His chest was heaving with pent up emotions, his anxiety whispering in his ear. See? Mr Stark doesn’t care about you. He only cared because you were Spiderman and because you were a shiny new toy. Now you’re old and rusted. He doesn’t want anything to do with you anymore. You know it’s true. The best thing you can do is leave him alone. Don’t impose yourself on those who obviously don’t want you.
A lone tear dripped down Peter’s face, wiped away quietly before the elevator doors dinged open. Peter took a deep breath. He was going to meet up with Steve and dive into learning new things. Not about science, about art. He was going to lose himself in drawing and not think about anything that just happened.
He gave himself a small nod. Yes, that was what he was going to do.
—
It had only been half an hour of leaning over the table, watching Steve work his magic on the paper in front of him when a hesitant knock echoed against the door.
”Uh, hi guys. I didn’t mean to interrupt. Yeah sorry about that. Peter just left his bag down in the lab so I uh, yeah I’ll just leave it here. Sorry to interrupt.”
With that, Mr Stark turned around and walked back to the elevator, not giving Peter enough time to call out to him. He closed his half-opened mouth and turned back to Steve with a sigh of disappointment. Something was going on with Mr Stark. Peter knew it was most likely about him but he wanted to know why. May always said that one day his need to know would cause him pain. All Peter could do was hope that today wouldn’t be that day. He crossed his fingers underneath the table and looked up to see Steve looking at him with a puzzled expression.
”Is something going on between you and Tony?”
”Maybe? Probably? I-I’m not sure.” Peter admitted.
”You are both idiots, that’s what’s going on.” Another voice sounded from behind them, causing both Steve and Peter to jump.
”Nat! Don’t sneak up on me like that!”
She shrugged unapologetically and Peter grinned. Aside from Mr Stark and Steve, Natasha was probably the Avenger he was closest with and he loved spending time with her. She just had a way of making everything feel better, more manageable.
”маленький паук (little spider)! Are you listening to me?”
”Sorry! Sorry! What were you saying?”
She gave an exaggerated sigh. ”I was explaining how both you and Tony are idiots. He thinks you are replacing him with Steve and you think he doesn’t care about you anymore. You are both completely and utterly hopeless.”
——
It was a few days later and Tony walked into his lab to see Peter leaning over the table.
”Kid, what…?”
Peter’s head jerked up and a bright red flush spread across his cheeks. ”H-Hi Mr Stark. I was just…I was just popping in. Yeah, popping in. Just…”
With a sigh that made Tony’s heart skip a beat (Peter was sick of him, he knew it), Peter started walking towards him. Tony automatically tried to move out of the way but Peter walked right up to him. Tony held his breath but Peter passed him all the same, only slowing down enough to push a crumpled piece of paper in Tony’s hand.
It was only when the elevator dinged, signally Peter’s departure that Tony regained enough of his senses to gently unfold the paper. He gasped, a tear trickling down his cheek.
——
”Deep breaths, Parker, deep breaths.” He murmured to himself but even as his anxiety sung, his lips still formed a smile. A real smile. He hoped Mr Stark liked the drawing but even if he didn’t, it was still worth all the lost sleep just to remember all the good times they’d had.
The smile remained for a week and only increased after Tony came up to the common room while Peter was with Steve and sat down with them. Peter stiffened at the unexpected company but as the minutes ticked away and Mr Stark didn’t say anything, he started to relax, enjoying his time with his two mentors.
A rollercoaster ride it may have been, but it had been a good few days.