Thanks, Dad

An awkward half-hug with his dad and two days later, Peter is trying to decide whether he should tell Ned the whole thing, just everything from Spider-Man to being a Stark by blood so the pressure will get off his chest. 

Peter doesn't know what to feel about this new way of things. On one hand, he finally, officially met his father not just looked at him smiling in a photo, the man even put his hand on his shoulder; on the other hand, Stark only seemed interested in Spider-Man and remained distant. Again, on one side, this was good since the man won't find out this way and Peter won't have to deal with being told that he doesn't want anything to do with him, on the other side, Peter was disappointed that he can't even have the opportunity to make a bond between them.

He only knows that this whole thing is a mess and he has to talk about it with somebody. Since May has enough problems without having to deal with all this and he's not sure he's even comfortable with telling her, Ned is the only other option. The problem is, Ned means well but he can't shut up sometimes. Peter wasn't sure if he could keep this mess of secrets and he didn't want to risk the whole school knowing who is by the day or the night. Not to mention it would eventually spread further than the school grounds and for Dad to find out things that way was even worse. But, maybe, if he gets Ned to understand how important this is, he will keep it a secret more easily...

"Mr. Parker, are you with us?" the physics teacher asked and Peter realized he had been staring in his empty notebook for quite the time. 

"Yes, sorry, Ms. Warren," he replied and scribbled down a one-sentence summary of what they're studying in class currently, so he has a vague idea what he has to know for the tests and such. If it's something he hasn't studied yet - which he highly doubts since this is early high school category -, he will look it up later.

"Dude, what's up?" Ned whispered immediately, sensing something was wrong because of course, he did. Peter was surprised he didn't call him out on it sooner. He could tell him it's nothing of course but he had a feeling it would be just easier if he told him and now, he honestly wanted life to just stop so it was as good a time to potentially ruin it as any.

"I... It's just, I have a lot of things going on and I... I'll tell you after school, alright?" And just like that, Ned nodded and it was done. Peter felt like it was a lot less dramatic in real life than in his head. Wouldn't be the first thing either.

"So, what's up dude? You were distracted all day." Peter took a huge breath. They were in his room, it was his idea. May wasn't home and he figured it will be easier if he has the letter and pictures at hand, to show physical evidence of what he was going to say. Also his Spider-Man suit for the later part of the story.

"Look, this is going to be a lot, but I need you to promise me you keep all of this secret. It's really important, okay?" It looks like that only enhanced the worry in his friend, but Peter needed that promise. "Please."

"Okay. Okay, I promise but you're starting to freak me out."

"Thanks. I just never told this to anyone before and I... Nevermind." He looked at his hands, opened his fingers, and closed them again. "I was eight and I found a shoebox sitting with all the other boxes but this one didn't have the content written on it. It was addressed. To sixteen-year-old me. I was a curious kid, so I opened it."

"Of course you did," Ned said, rolling his eyes. Peter shot him a look before getting up. He walked to his desk.

"Anyway," he said, gently opening the drawer. "I found this inside." 

He gave the letter to Ned, who looked at it curiously before reading it. Peter waited anxiously, pulling the photos out of the drawer one by one, looking at them. He knew all the writings on the backs by heart now.

A picture of Mum and Dad eating shawarma, stuffing their faces like squirrels. The docks, eight-something pm. The air smells like fish and we got food from a cabin. I hope we won't get food poisoning but Eddie doesn't seem to mind. 

Another picture, this time Dad is laughing, Mum crossed her arms. Why are you writing on the back of these? Eddie! Don't steal my pen! It's for remembering.

Do you remember? Peter thought. Do you remember this, Dad? You weren't at the funeral.

Do you remember?

"Wait, this is true, Peter?" Ned's voice interrupted his thoughts and he looked over at his friend. It didn't surprise him that Ned looked shocked. 

"I think so. The notes are real. She printed copies." He gave them to Ned, along with the pictures. "The pictures can't be photoshopped. I checked through all pictures in all servers including his private, nothing she could have cropped it from." 

"You hacked into his servers? We're talking about Tony Stark, right?"

"He's not a god, Ned; his code can be faulty." Peter rolled his eyes, the experience of being used to breaking through his Dad's 3 AM-made coding showing, and Ned looked at him, then at the letter, then back at him, then at the letter, then back at him. In any other situation, this would have been comical but Peter wasn't in a humorous mood. 

"You know this explains a lot of things," his friend finally said after seemingly having won his internal battle. Wait, can someone lose an internal battle? Meaning both sides are you so looking at technicalities- Focus, Peter.

"I thought you'd be more freaked out, honestly," Peter chuckled nervously. The most stressful part was still left to explain but it did calm him that so far Ned remained non-panicky. Is that a word? Of course, he guessed this won't remain for long but Ned wouldn't be Ned if he didn't freak out, at the very least about Spider-Man and Peter would rather have him panic here in his room when May's not home than anywhere else where people might actually hear.  

"I am but I'm trying to contain it. You look like you've got more to tell." 

Peter debated about this before and he thought it would be easier to just be straight-forward about this one and have it done with because letting Ned guess is long and probably will bring weird conversational topics up. "Well, yes. The next information bomb I'm gonna drop on you..." He quickly got the suit from where he was hiding it while he spoke and threw it in Ned's lap. "Is this." The room was silent for a few moments, then his friend gaped and looked at him.

"Peter Benjamin Parker, you're shitting me, dude!" Peter grew a small, nervous smile, and then Ned talked again, without wasting precious time on mundane things like breathing. "You designed Spider-Man's new suit and tech! You're helping him? The guy from YouTube? That's awesome, man!" 

For a little while, Peter just stared, unbelieving, then he started to laugh uncontrollably. 

"What's so funny?" Ned asked now in an offended voice and Peter laughed harder. This was absolutely not the reaction he anticipated and it was so ironic that as he tried to save himself from Ned's assumptions with the quick way, and managed to create another one.

"I'm... Spi- Spider-Man!" Peter coughed out, his throat a bit dry from all the laughing. His friend looked at him both in awe and doubt. Peter took it as a dare, so he jumped up to the ceiling and stuck his feet to it, then let go of his hands. The teenager was standing on the ceiling now and his upside-down friend was gaping at him with absolutely no shame. Peter decided to voice his 'concerns' about keeping a mouth open like that too long. "Man, you're gonna catch a fly."

Ned quickly closed his mouth and Peter separated himself from the ceiling. "This is so cool! I can't believe it, you- how long? Wait, how can you stay on the ceiling? How did you choose the name? Why didn't you tell me earlier?"

"About six months, I don't really know yet, a spider bit me, it's a long story." Peter tried to answer but he sensed Ned had more questions so he cut in quickly. "Do you remember the field trip to Oscorp?"

"Wait, you mean when you weren't in school for the next days and had that fever, you..."

"My body was mutating, I think, yes," Peter finished. "You see, a spider bit me but it wasn't normal." Ned started to look dangerously excited, so Peter hurried to add. "It died."

"Ow, come on," Ned whined but Peter could tell it wasn't entirely genuine. Ned just wanted to calm down by delaying the part when the conversation gets serious again. Peter would've loved to spare Ned but he couldn't back out of this now. If he was telling Ned his secrets, then he was telling him all of them. He just hoped it won't come back to bite him in his behind.

"If you've seen videos, then you know I had a suit change." Ned connected the dots fast and Peter wasn't surprised. Ned was smart, as were most people who went to Midtown.

"So, the Stark internship? Wait, but he's your dad, then you met him- Damn, does he know? Did you tell him?" Peter didn't need his sixth sense to tell him that if he doesn't explain, Ned will just keep spitting questions. 

"He came to my apartment," he told his friend everything that happened. 

"Wait, you fought the Avengers?" Ned gaped.

"Yeah, I mean, it was only Cap and Hawkeye who were there from the six and were against me and I didn't fight with Hawkeye but yeah." Peter ran his hand through his hair, feeling a bit awkward.

"Wow," Ned gasped.

"Anyway, Cap was totally out of line from what I could see-"

"Aren't you a little biased, though?" Ned raised an eyebrow. Peter shot him a look.

"Maybe, but Cap literally told freaking Iron Man that the Avengers were screwed ever since he joined the team," he shot back just a bit irritated. Whatever was their conflict exactly, whichever side was right, that comment was completely uncalled for and untrue. Ned seemed to think the same because he had a look of disbelief on his face and shook his head. "Anyway, I don't know what happened afterward but next time I saw D- uh, Mr.Stark, he looked more beat-up than before. Maybe I was just imagining it. I haven't seen him since but now we're in contact in a way and I'm just worried..."

Peter laid down on the floor now, looking at the ceiling, his thoughts heavy. His friend did not tease him for almost saying Dad this time and instead focused on the problem. "But what are you worried about, that he will find out?"

"Well, yes," answered Peter. He couldn't understand how Ned didn't see a problem. "I mean, most likely he wouldn't want anything to do with me but would feel an obligation to keep contact because of Spider-Man and then it would all just be really awkward and I- I mean, it's just..."

Ned got in a position so Peter could see his face better. "Dude, what are you talking about? You're awesome, you're a genius, you're a superhero, you're kind, polite and just the coolest best friend anyone could ask for. If he can't see that, then he's not a really great guy." 

Ned always knew what to say when he got serious. It was a rare thing, a trait that Peter admired and learned to appreciate. He was usually silly and in fanboy mode but when Ned truly recognized the heaviness of a situation, he was in mission mode. "Thanks." 

"Anyway, it's not like he can find out. You have all the documents here, even your birth certificate is here and another one declaring Mr. Parker as your adoptive father. And I'm sure the digitalized versions are well protected..."

"I hacked them, they are." Peter nodded and Ned first looked at him like he is insane, then let it go.

"Okay... well, then he only knows if you want him to."

"True," Peter sighed and felt better now about this whole thing. This is fine. Everything is fine. "Hey, do you wanna see a Star Wars meme I found?"

"Sure," Ned grinned and passed Peter's phone from his desk to him.