Bonding and Binders

It was an understatement to say that there was tension in the compound after Tony had told his teammates.

You could practically feel it in the air. Static electricity whenever he and Steve got to close. The odd feeling of trying to push two magnets with the same polls onto each other would be how he'd best describe it.

They hadn't had a falling out just yet, just avoiding each other and hm ignoring the glances he'd get from the team.

It was like the accords all over again.
He'd stopped trying to talk to them as they simply wouldn't respond whenever he did. He'd stopped trying to talk to all of them, even the ones that tried to keep up conversations with him like Bruce or Thor.

He'd lock himself in the lab more often, wouldn't get invited to come up for dinner or the movie nights they'd all agreed to go to as an effort to bond with the team again.

They'd stopped dragging him out of the lab, stopped worrying he'd work himself into the ground or forget to eat for too long and faint. Stopped caring if he did.

The days Peter came over were the once most of the team disappeared, either of to the gym that they had somehow been able to lock or 'visiting friends'. Being called away on missions had been thrown into the mix of excuses a few times as well, though not too often because otherwise, it might become suspicious.

And it was fine, honestly. Because Friday reminded him about how Peter would be there in an hour, he'd get up from whatever desk or workbench he was working on, take a shower, get into some proper clothes, made sure he ate something so he wouldn't faint when the kid was there and then went upstairs, still enough time left on the clock for him to force his hands to stop shaking from simply being up there, in the space he wasn't wanted. In his compound that he was no longer welcome in.

The days Peter came over were the once that he actually smiled, talking about the kid's day at school or their most recent -not dangerous- project.

And he knew it had gotten worse.

He knew it had gotten bad because Pepper came down to the shop the first few days, trying to pry him off of his work and into their bed so he could sleep.
He knew it had gotten bad because Pepper came down to the shop one day and told him she needed a break, would come back when he had figured this all out. That she was sorry that she couldn't help him but that this one he'd have to do alone because it was hurting her mental state as well.

He knew it had gotten worse because he doesn't remember what he said back to her, though he thinks he agreed because that was the last time she'd come down there.

He knew it had gotten bad again because now Peter snapped his fingers in front of his face, a frown deforming the kids normally so happy face as he looked at his mentor.

Right. The kid was here, no time to zone out. Focus Tony, focus.

"Sorry champ, what'd you say?"
"It's okay Mr Stark don't worry. I was just asking why I never see the rest of the Avengers around anymore. I know they're busy saving the world and stuff but if you're still here then those missions can't be that important right?"

He gave the kid a smirk at that last bit. It was honestly cute how he still thought of him as a hero, as the most important one even. He briefly wondered if there had ever been a time where he had seen himself as just that, a hero. A good guy.
There must've been right?

"I'm flattered kid, but I guess the team just have other things to do. Thor is down in Asgard again but that can be excused, Bruce... Bruce is still here I think. Yeah, he should be wandering around somewhere, at least he was the last time we-" "Bruce went to Asgard with Thor, Mr Stark. He's been there for two weeks now as I haven't seen him the three times I was here."

Two weeks. Or three times his friend had fled the scene just like the others.
Even Bruce had given up on trying. Huh.

"Oh yeah. Yeah, you're right kid, sorry my bad. My brain is too fast sometimes you know?
Well, let's see. the Totally-Spies duo is probably of training baby assassins how to do a kickflip or something like that. Bucky is probably hanging with the captain and Steve-" why did it hurt to say his name, it shouldn't hurt to say someone's name! "Is either working out like there's no tomorrow or of somewhere serving justice and his spandex."

Peter nodded along, though it was obvious the kid started to doubt the excuses he had prepared for these types of questions. It had been four months goddammit, four months of asking why none of his favourite heroes was around to talk to him would make a boy suspicious, especially one with brains like Peters.

"Mr Stark, are they avoiding me?"

And wasn't that just heartbreaking, the kid thinking it was somehow his fault? He wouldn't stand for that though. Not in any of the nine realms or whatever Thor would usually say.

"No Pete, no no no. The team loves you, bud, don't you worry."

He should tell him, shouldn't he... God this was going to be awful.

"They really love you kid, I promise. They're... They're avoiding me. Yeah, the whole telling them about being trans thing didn't go as well as I'd hoped. But it's okay. They're taking their time and when they want to we can talk it out. No biggy."

Peter's frown deepened, not having expected that in the slightest though now worried about his mentor.

You see, where most people would describe Tony Stark as being dramatic and always blowing things out of proportion, the truth was that he more often than not made things out to be much better than they actually were.

Meaning that if he said that 'things didn't go as well as he'd hoped,' Peter was expecting an actual fistfight had happened with at least one of them trying to kill Tony.

"Friday, can you pull up the footage from that talk they had."
"I'm afraid Boss deleted it, Mr Parker. "
"Run override code Spiderling to get the file back and on my server okay?"
"Pete, I don't think you wanna see that. It was boring anyway, nothing to worry abo-"
"Footage restored Mr Parker. Shall I play it?"
"On the big screen please Fri. Thank you for your help."

Son of a bitch. His AI turning against him was the last thing he needed right now.

"Kid, I'd really rather you wouldn't hack into my tech or watch that foota-"
"Why the team meeting?'
'Man, why the hell did I have to wake up from my nap?"
The voices of Steve and Clint sounding all through the room and, what felt like, through the entire compound, had him snap his jaw shut so fast he was afraid he'd chipped his tooth, the footage going on and on while Peter looked at it intensely and Tony turned his back.

Peter watched through the entire eight minutes, right up until the point of Tony leaving the room and the camera switching to the one in the hallway to show his mentor slumping against the elevator wall, chest heaving as the doors slowly slid shut to hide him from any prying eyes that might be looking.

"That's enough Friday thank you so much."
"Of course Mr Parker. Shall I call for an emergency team meeting?"
Sometimes Peter really loved Tony for making his AI so independent and able to read the room.

"Yeah Fri, thank you. Mr Stark, you stay here okay? I'll clear this up."
Tony just stared at him with wide eyes, trying to understand what in the world the kid needed the entire team for. The entire team, having a discussion without him right above his head. A discussion he wasn't wanted in.

"Pete, what in the world-"
"Don't worry Mr Stark. I just want to catch up with them a bit. Haven't seen them in four months after all."

See, he would've believed the kid. If it wasn't for the ice-cold tone he said those words in, expression unreadable and jaw clenched.
Oh, the kid was livid.

He was to slow to stop him though, because as soon as those last words had left his mouth he walked towards the door in long, fast strides, the glass door sliding shut behind him and as Tony tried to open it, staying shut as well.

"Boss I think it's best you stay here. Being in captain Rogers presence had proven to be a massive blow to your mental stability these last four months."
"Fine Fri. I'll stay. But only because Pep would be mad at me if I destroyed another door.

-

It took the team all of ten minutes to all stagger into the living room, seeming as if none of them really wanted to be there or anywhere near those three comfy couches, one of which Peter was sat on, back perfectly straight and eyes cold as he watched them all walk in.

Thor and Banner were the first to come back, the Bifrost lighting up the clouded sky as they landed on the platform Tony had made specifically for Thor to land on. Both of them had the decency to look worried and ask Peter what was wrong as they sat down beside him.

Next were the two assassins, a miraculous five minutes it took them to emerge from their rooms. Yup, their rooms.
Seems like they had actually been hiding out and not on some missions as Tony had suggested.

"Nat, Clint, sit down please."

The cold tone seemed to stun them all a bit as the two immediately sat down, both tense while glancing at Peter every few seconds as if he were a bomb about to explode.

He felt like one, anyway.

Though the anger really brimmed when, after Bucky had walked in two whole minutes before him, Steve Grant Rogers strutted into the room, looking ready to shout at someone, probably Tony, for calling an unnecessary team meeting, as he laid eyes on Peter.

"Hey Peter, what'd you need the whole team for?"

The whole team. As if this was it. The whole team. As if Tony had never been a part of it and they weren't standing in a compound the genius had bought and personalized for all of them.

And Peter could feel his anger rising to the surface. Though he pushed it down for now. Instead, remaining icy calm as he motioned for Steve to sit down.

"How are you all doing? Haven't seen you in, like what, four months?"
The team shifted in their seats, uncomfortable with the topic and the clearly fuming teenager in front of them.

"Pete, is this what you called us in for? Because I don't think this is an emergency..."

Peter smiled at Bucky, showing his teeth like a shark before continuing.

"Yeah, sorry Mr Barnes, you're right. That isn't at all what I called you in for! Because frankly, I couldn't give two shits about how any of you are doing! What I am interested in though, is how my mentor is doing. Have any of you wondered that lately?"

The mood shifted from nervous to highly uncomfortable as they all exchanged glances with one another. Steve even shifted further back into the couch as if Peters ice-cold tone and the heat of his boiling anger just beneath it were burning him.

Good.

"I'm worried about him Peter, you know that. If this is about what happened I want you to know that I fully support him and don't agree with the way that the situation was handled at all. Neither does Thor I think."

The kid turned towards Banner who had said that, noticing how the scientist seemed as if he was about to cry.

"I know Dr Banner. Can you and Thor maybe go downstairs and see if Mr Stark is alright? Maybe get him some food or try to make him sleep. Thank you."

They could go. They had tried to stop the argument and, honestly, they were not the once he thought about impaling right now.

"Mr Barnes, you can go too. As long as you promise not to get dragged along in the captains anger again."

Bucky nodded quickly, giving Steve a shaky smile before practically running in the direction of their rooms.

None of them had seen Peter mad before. And honestly, it was fucking terrifying.

"Clint, Miss Romanoff, I hope you know how much you screwed up. He trusted you both. Started to call you his friends again. You pull this sort of stunt again and I'll make miss Potts kick you out of the compound.
Make sure he knows how sorry you are and just be his friend. God knows he needs those."

The two assassins nodded, standing up quietly and going off to their room. Later on, they would laugh about how someone that was just a kid could have intimidated them this much. But for now, they were happy to escape the anger while they could, giving Steve a sympathetic look before their room doors slid shut.

That left him completely alone with the captain.

And oh boy, he didn't think he'd ever been this angry before.

"Kid, in my defence, it's not okay to hide these things from the team, so honestly I think I-"
"I'd advise you to shut up now Steve ." Peter was about to explode, he could feel the anger flooding his veins. The captain seemed to be blissfully unaware though.

"Now, please explain to me what kind of bullshit you must have been thinking to think it was okay to not only belittle the man that makes you living here and having all these cool gadgets possible but also straight up tell him that you'd rather he fucking disappeared?!"

He was nearly screaming now, Steve simply sitting on the couch with his arms crossed, acting as if he didn't care for this conversation. As if Peters points were invalid.

And that, that sheer level of carelessness, was what made him go off.

"You fucking know how low his self-esteem is and yet you think it's somehow okay to basically tell him to go kill himself while he's just opened up to you about something that makes him very vulnerable? He had a panic attack, the first one in over a month Steve, and you're the one that caused it and you sit here like I'm the one that's wrong?"

"I know it wasn't tactful but you have to understand-"
"DAMN STRAIGHT IT WASN'T TACTFUL! YOU TOLD A MAN WITH CRIPPELING LOW SELF ESTEEM THAT HE WAS WORTH NOTHING!"

He was fuming, voice shaking with anger as he screamed the words into the captains face.
And maybe it was military training or the many times he'd had to keep a straight face while doing press, but Steve showed no emotions except for indifference.

And it made his anger even worse.

"He tells you he's transgender because he trusted you. Because you accepted me with no trouble at all and he thought it was safe. He told you because he Trusted you and you hammered him into the ground as he told you he'd just killed a puppy. Are you even aware of how fucking painful that is? Do you even realise that miss Potts had to literally slap a blade out of his hand because he took your words to heart?! You say you're the captain and yet you belittle your own teammates as if they're worth nothing. "

Now Steve did show a bit of emotion. Shock, most clearly.

"He tried to kill himself?"

"He tried to follow orders after you told him you'd all rather he disappeared."

"Shit. I- Peter I didn't think he'd actually..."

"Of course you didn't. That doesn't excuse you from telling someone they're not worth anything though."

"I need to apologise to him. I'll-"
"You stay right fucking here captain. Wait until he finds the trust to get back up here again and then we'll see. You can apologise all you want as soon as he decides it's safe enough to actually walk around in his own building again. Beg for forgiveness on your knees for all I care.
Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to see if Thor hasn't accidentally overstepped his boundaries and tried to hug Mr Stark. Goodbye captain."

With that he spun on his heels and walked towards the elevator, hands clenched into fists as he took deep breaths. He hadn't killed him so that was a plus.

He just yelled at Captain America.
Holy shit he just cursed out Captain America!
Though when the elevator doors closed he found he somehow couldn't care less.

He also then and there decided that he'd give the cap poster and plushy he had in his room, surrounded by all the Iron man stuff Tony had gotten him, either to Ned or to the little kid that lived next door.

This situation had definitely moved cap down a bit on his ladder of favourite superheroes.

-

"So, you really gave the golden boy a piece of your mind huh?"

They were sitting on the ledge again, the night sky clouded and the lights below them shining a faint light on them both.

This time it was him that Friday had woken up, telling him that Mr Stark had had a nightmare and that, if Peter wanted to, he could try and ease some of the tension from his mentor's shoulders.

"Yeah. he deserved it though."

Tony gave him a smirk, eyes less sunken in and tired looking than last time. His eyes wrinkled at the corners, age lines carved into his face becoming more prominent as he smiled.

Tony Stark was getting old.

"That he did kid. That he did."

They sat there for over two hours, the sky already tinting lighter when they finally got back to bed, Peter told his mentor that he could sit in the chair this time to watch over Tony, said man simply giving him another smile and a pat on the shoulder as he told him that he'd be fine now that Pepper would be back in a day or two.

And Tony wasn't okay. The argument having broken the relationships he had had with his teammates meaning they'd have to start all over again. The nightmares about moments long past not frequent but they were there none the less and on top of all of that his back was killing him.

No, Tony Stark wasn't okay. But as he hugged Peter goodbye the next day, telling him to come over whenever he felt like it, he thought that maybe, maybe he would be.

And as Pepper came back that afternoon, little Morgan squealing in delight at seeing her dad again after two weeks, letting them both know just how happy she was about it by saying her version of dad ('Papa! Papa!') over and over again, he realised that he was sure he would be okay.