Chapter 3
Transcript of CNN interview with Peter Parker
R: So, Peter, I think a lot of people are wondering, why did you decide to make yourself known now?
P: Well, I guess I was just tired of having to hide. It’s going to be my senior year in a few weeks, and I want to start it as being truly myself, you know?
R: Understandable. Do you have any plans for college yet?
P: My dad wants me to go to MIT, of course, but I’ve only ever lived in the city, so I’m not sure I want to leave. I’ll be honest I’ve been a bit nervous to start looking. It’s a big decision, and I want to make the right one.
R: Well, I’m sure you’ll get into whatever school you decide on, with your intellect. Speaking of which, Tony Stark said that you may be smarter than him. How do you feel about that?
P: I don’t know, honestly. I know I’m smart, but Tony is something else, and I’m not sure I’ll ever live up to his legacy.
R: You mention legacy. Do you know if you’re going to be his heir? Would you like to be?
P: I’m just a teenager, ma’am, I think it’s a bit too soon for me to be thinking about inheriting a company when I can’t even pick a college.
R: Of course. There’s been a lot of buzz about your involvement in the prosthetics department of SI, but I’m curious, what other projects are you a part of, or are interesting in pioneering?
P: I mostly just help out where I can. But I got inspired by that Disney movie, Big Hero Six, and I want to make something like Bay-max. Our doctors and nurses get exposed to tons of dangerous viruses, so I think having something to safely administer care in those cases could be really beneficial. I need to talk to hospital staff before I do anything though, to see what would be most helpful.
R: Sounds great. One last question for you, in your initial press conference, Pepper Potts mentioned recovery. Can I ask what she was referring to?
P: I have anxiety and PTSD after living on the streets, and I also have sensory issues that complicated things. And when I first came to the tower, I had a lot of health complications too. I have Celiac’s disease, lactose intolerance, and a lot of allergies, so I struggled to find things to eat on my own. By the time Tony found me, I had severe malnutrition. It took a while for things to bounce back, which is why I didn’t return to school until high school.
R: Well, we’re glad you’re better now. Thank you for joining us Peter.
P: Thank you for having me.
“How’d I do?” Peter whispers to Natasha as they leave the CNN building after the interview Pepper had hastily set up.
“You did fine, why are we whispering?”
“I don’t know.” He laughs. “I feel like I was giving stupid answers.”
“Nah, you did fine. People are going to love you, I promise.” Nat pulls him in for a quick hug before they get into the car. She drives them back to the tower, where everyone else had apparently been watching on the TV. Other than Pepper, who was at a meeting and not happy about it, and Tony, Steve, and Clint who got called out for a quick mission.
“Your dad said they’ll be back in fifteen, with dinner,” Sam looks up from his phone, his feet currently in Wanda’s lap. Wanda does not look happy about it, but she doesn’t move him. She’s nice like that.
“What are they bringing?”
“Sushi. Tony found out I have never had any.” Wanda sighs. “I haven’t had any for a reason, but he insists I must try it.”
“It’s actually pretty good.” Peter flops down onto the couch, knocking Sam’s legs off to make room. “Like, I know it sounds gross, but it doesn’t really seem like you’re eating raw fish.”
“It looks slimy.”
“Definitely not slimy.” Nat laughs. “Hey J, did he order me curry?”
“He did not, Spider Mom. Shall I add curry to the order for you?” Jarvis asks. Sam snickers at the Spider Mom comment.
“Yes please Jarvis.” Nat smiles pleasantly at the camera in the corner, before glaring at Sam. “Shut up.”
“Okay, so Peter is the one who changed it.” Sam laughs more. “If it was Tony, you’d definitely be getting stabby.”
“Stabby is not an emotion.”
“Yes it is.” Everyone but Natasha says.
“In this family, it definitely is.” Wanda shakes her head. “I’m going to wake up Bucky for food.”
“Speaking of stabby…” Natasha sighs. “Good luck.” Wanda waves her away, headed towards the elevator. Peter joins Natasha in the kitchen, setting out glasses of water like he always does while she sets out forks for those who won’t be eating the sushi. And one for Wanda, because she’s already trying sushi against her will, they don’t need to torment her with chopsticks too.
The elevator dings, Wanda and Bucky joining, and a minute later the slightly soot-stained Clint and Steve come in, with a perfectly clean Tony behind them.
“Dinner time!” Tony announces. They head to the dining room, Steve trying desperately to stop the mad dash to tear apart the take out bags and failing entirely. Getting between Natasha and her curry is generally a bad idea. Getting between Clint and any form of food is asking for an arrow in your butt.
“Are you sure this is edible?” Wanda pokes at her plate.
“Just eat it for god’s sake so we can stop hearing him complain.” Clint groans. Wanda tries it.
“It’s actually… not bad.” She sighs. A cheer rings out, with Tony grinning proudly.
It’s lovely. Just sharing takeout with his family, after the chaos of CNN and the interview and all those cameras and being suddenly thrust into the spotlight. Seeing Clint drop hot broccoli down Sam’s shirt just to be a little shit, getting tackled to the ground before Bucky hauls both of them up by the collar with a growl. Being asked to join Nat and Wanda at the spa tomorrow, even if that used to be a girls' day thing. They know he finds it fun, so it’s now a girl plus Peter day thing. Morgan showing Steve her drawing from daycare, running in with Pepper a bit late. Just the normalcy of the whole situation is such a relief.
“Oh, I have an announcement to make,” Tony breaks the chaos, clearing his throat.
“What is it? Don’t say you’re pregnant again, it was bad enough the first time,” Clint whines.
“Oh shut up, I’ve got two kids, I don’t need more,” Tony rolls his eyes. “No, I’m not pregnant. But there is someone new coming to live here.”
“Who? Is Dr. Cho moving in?” Bruce asks, perking up from where he was slumped over some beef and broccoli.
“No. Harley.”
“Harley?” Peter frowns. Tony never mentioned a Harley to him.
“Is that the kid who saved your ass a few years ago?” Natasha gives Tony a Look Peter doesn’t understand.
“Yea. He got into a great school here and I offered to let him live at the tower while he does. It’s a great opportunity for him to get out of Hicksville, Tennessee.” Tony smiles.
Peter sees through it in an instant. Tony’s lying about something, and the sad look Pepper gives Tony just makes that even more obvious. He knows the others notice it too, or at the very least Nat and Bucky. No one points it out though, respecting Harley’s privacy he guesses. Peter’s going to figure it out though, once they get on their floor.
If this kid is going to be living with him, without Tony telling him in advance or even just telling him about this other kid he’s apparently known forever, then he deserves to know okay?
And if he feels just a bit of jealous at it, then that’s his business.
“Well, we’ll be glad to have him,” Steve says. The others murmur their agreement. Dinner passes by a lot more subdued after than.
When they get back to their floor, Pepper sends Morgan to her bedroom to get ready for bed, before turning to Peter.
“We need to talk.” She says.
“No shit! Who’s this Harley? Why - why didn’t you tell me earlier he was coming? I don’t - is he going to my school, you - you didn’t ask or - or anything and -“
“Peter,” Tony grabs his hands to stop him from yanking at his hair, leading the way to the couch. “We wanted to tell you, trust me, but things were rushed. It was an emergency, and he needs to get away from his town, so we made plans quick. I’m so sorry kid, I know we should have talked to you first but there just wasn’t enough time.”
“Why not? What really happened?” Peter bites back tears, trying his best to keep the anger rather than fall apart into anxiety and nerves and fear over someone new coming into his safe place, someone he doesn’t know anything about who’s just going to be interrupting all his routines and everything and -
He needs to calm down. Take a few deep breaths, just like Lucy taught him. It’ll be okay. It will be. He knows by know that changing routines doesn’t mean it’s the end of the world, it’s just - he just changed things by revealing himself to the public and now this? His home was supposed to be the one constant, but now even that’s going to get ruined?
“Peter, breathe for me, sweetie. It’s okay,” Pepper whispers, rubbing his back in soothing circles. “It’s okay, I promise. I know it’s going to be difficult, but you’re going to be alright.”
“Why - why does he have to come here?” Peter clenches his fists in the loose fabric of his sweatpants. “What really happened, dad?”
“Well…” Tony runs a hand through his hair, sighing. “Someone from school outed him online and the whole town found out. He got jumped on his way to work this morning and hurt really bad. His mom’s real supportive of him, she’s known for a while, but she knew he wouldn’t be safe there. It’s a real homophobic town apparently, and even if he didn’t get jumped again, his school would be hell. So she called me from the hospital after he was rushed there in an ambulance, and I told her he could stay here. Dr. Cho and Happy are taking a jet to go pick him up right now.”
“Oh.” Peter swallows. He… hadn’t been expecting that. Somehow, it’s even worse than what he expected. He thought maybe his parents died, and that’d be bad, he knows that, even if death has always been an insignificant thing to him. He’s gotten over a lot of things in the five years he’d been free from Hydra, but he still doesn’t quite understand the fear or pain that normal people feel from death and dying.
But for whatever reason, the thought of this Harley kid having his entire town turn on him for something as simple as being gay just seems so much worse. Especially when his family is still supportive. He’s having to leave his mother, who clearly loves him if she’s at the hospital and making plans to keep him safe because the people he grew up with hate him now. Just for being like Bucky and Steve.
He knows about prejudice against omega-omega or alpha-alpha couples, he learned about that when MJ started dating an alpha girl and people at school got pissed off about it. But he thought people stopped hating same-gender relationships back in the forties. Steve and Bucky had to hide then, but they don’t now, after all.
Guess he was wrong.
Really wrong.
“What school did he get into? Or… how could he get into something so quickly?”
“He didn’t, we just didn’t want to have to tell the whole team his business.” Tony shrugs.
“We were hoping you might be okay with letting him go to Midtown. That way you could keep an eye out for him, and he’d have a familiar face.” Pepper rubs his arm, smiling hopefully.
“Could he get in?”
“Oh for sure. He’s another little genius, and god knows I have sway at Midtown. Especially now that everyone will believe you’re my kid.” Tony smirks.
“Is he… smarter than me?” Peter frowns. He’s not sure why that makes him so nervous. But it does. Tony’s apparently known this kid for a while, but he never told Peter, so what if it’s because Harley’s better than him? And what if when Harley comes here, he won’t want anything to do with Peter anymore?
“Don’t tell him I said this, but no,” Tony pats his shoulder. “Hard to beat you kid. But he is very smart, and he’ll honestly do great at Midtown. He always complained that his school was too boring. Of course, that’s only if you are okay with him going, there are other tech schools in New York, of course.”
“I’m… okay with it. Midtown won’t be mean to him about it, not after MJ and I scared them off. Flash might get on his case but not for being gay, just for hanging around us.”
“Is Flash still bothering you, honey?” Pepper freezes up behind him.
“No, no, it’s fine mom, I just mean we’re the weird kids, and Flash is still a bully, so that might cause problems. But he stays away from MJ and me so it’s okay.” That’s a lie, but he doesn’t want any more trouble with Flash.
Unless he goes after Harley. Then he’ll tell his parents and let them cause trouble, because Harley just had his town turn on him, he doesn’t need his new school to hurt him too.
“Alright. You’ll tell us if he does, right?” Peter nods to that, unable to directly lie to his mom.
“Sir, Forehead of Security says that they are five minutes from landing and would like directions on where to bring Harley,” Jarvis announces.
“Shouldn’t he be in the med bay?”
“Dr. Cho has cleared him for release.”
“Alright, tell Happy to bring him here then,” Tony says, before turning to Peter. “If you don’t want to meet him right now, you can go to bed, Peter. It’s been a long day, so I understand if you don’t have the energy.”
“I’m…” Peter looks at the door, stomach rolling. “I’m going to go to my room. I’ll meet him tomorrow?”
“Sure thing honey.” Pepper gives him a hug and a kiss, followed by Tony.
“Mommy I’m ready for bed!” Morgan comes bounding down the hall. Peter gets an idea.
“I’ll read you a story, Morgs, how about that?” Peter scoops her up, grinning. She cheers.
He’ll meet Harley tomorrow. He’ll be ready then. Just needs time to adjust to this. Right?