Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Early Monday morning brings with it a text from Mr. Stark. The screen of Peter’s phone lights up with the notification where it sits on the kitchen table next to the Spanish assignment he’s reviewing while he eats breakfast (Peter hates that he has Spanish first thing in the morning – he’s not awake enough to think in English, much less a foreign language, but it is what it is).

Peter drags his eyes away from paper in front of him and a thrill runs through him when he catches sight of Mr. Stark’s name flashing across his screen. He quickly abandons the homework assignment in favor of seeing what Iron Man has to say this early in the morning. 

“Well, that perked you up,” Aunt May says from where she’s eating her own breakfast. “Who’s texting you this early? Is it MJ?”

The teasing tone in his aunt’s voice brings a flush to Peter’s cheeks and he sends an exasperated sigh her way. “Please stop.” Honestly, he regrets telling her about his crush on MJ. “And, anyway, it’s not her. It’s just Mr. Stark.”

“Oh, my apologies. It’s just the most famous man in the world. Carry on then.”

Peter looks at May with a smirk. “I thought you guys were getting along now,” he says as he unlocks his phone to see the message. 

“We are, but that doesn’t mean I can’t still tease you about it.” May’s expression is all loving mischief and it makes Peter laugh as he turns his attention completely towards his phone and the text message he got from Mr. Stark. Hey kid, you should have gotten an email from HR this morning with a bunch of forms you need to have signed before you can start as a real intern. If anything’s unclear, just let me know. Welcome to the team, kiddo!

It’s not much – mostly informative, really – but even still, the fact that Mr. Stark reached out at all, and with words of congratulations no less, makes Peter feel all warm inside. 

“So, what does Mr. Iron Man want this early on a Monday morning?”

Peter’s thumb is already navigating to his email as he glances up at his aunt. “Oh, he just wanted to let me know about an email with a bunch of papers that need to be signed for the internship.”

“Let me know what you need me to sign,” May says. She tilts her head as she looks at him from across the table. “So, are you excited about getting to intern with Tony Stark for real?”

Peter looks up from his phone, email app open on his screen. “I am,” he says, words spoken emphatically, heart racing at just the thought of getting to be Mr. Stark’s intern. There’s something else beneath it, though, a hidden wellspring of panic that’s just starting to make itself known. “But, it’s also a little scary, I guess?”

It speaks to how well May knows him that she nods sagely. “That makes sense, it’s a big first step, isn’t it? It’s kind of like getting your first job, you know? Not knowing what the rules are, how’s it going to work, all that stuff.”

“Exactly,” Peter says with a rush of breath. “So, yeah, I’m excited, but I’m also kind of scared.”

May smiles at him and reaches across the table so she can lay a comforting hand on his arm. “You’ll be great, Peter. This is going to be so good for you. From how Tony explained it, this is going to open so many doors for you. You’re going to learn a lot and make such a good impression on everyone.”

A blush creeps up Peter’s cheeks at May’s praise. He feels like he doesn’t deserve it – he never does – but he loves her for it all the same. “Thanks, Aunt May.” He gives her a smile and, once the moment is over and May pulls her hand away, Peter refocuses his attention back onto his phone and the open email app that’s waiting for him.

Just like Mr. Stark promised, there is indeed an email waiting for him from a [email protected], with the way too energetic subject of “Welcome to Stark Industries!” With a gulp, Peter taps on the email and is almost immediately hit in the face with a bunch of text.

“Hello Peter,

If you haven’t already, allow me to be the first to welcome you to Stark Industries! My name is Summer Grey and I am the Director of Talent Acquisition here in our HR department. Due to the unique nature of your internship, I have been asked to personally oversee your onboarding process here at SI.

In this email, you will find a number of resources that make up our standard Welcome Packet, as well as some required documents that you will need to sign and return to me so we can get your information uploaded into our systems. Additionally, given your age, the State of New York requires that a parent or guardian sign a permission form to allow you employment. Last, if there are any documents your school requires, please obtain a digital copy and send them to me so that we can have them processed before your first day.

Once we have all your documents received and processed, along with a completed background check, we can have you come in for your first official day where you will receive everything you need for building access and along with any other equipment as outlined in the requirements of your position. If I can get all your documents within the next couple of days, this could be scheduled for as early as next week! Mr. Stark has made getting you onboarded as quickly as possible a priority, so I would imagine we can schedule you for Monday or Tuesday.

If you have any questions at all, about this email or any of the documentation or resources, please don’t hesitate to ask. It’s my job to make this as easy and smooth as possible for you so you can jump straight in to the things you were hired for, which after being selected personally by Tony Stark himself, sounds like great things.

Once again, it is my absolute pleasure to welcome you to Stark Industries and to the SI Family, and I look forward to meeting you in person to complete your onboarding!

Best,

Summer Grey, MBA, SHRM-SCP

Director of Talent Acquisition, Human Resources

Email: [email protected]

Cell: 646-555-0157

Building the Future – SI Proud! ”

Below the email signature is a whole list of links to various resources – enough to make Peter’s head spin. And below that are 3 separate documents: an application form, a permission form for May, and a clearance form for a background check. Peter clicks on the application form and immediately blanches when he sees that it’s 10 pages long.

Maybe Mr. Stark was right about the paperwork, Peter thinks with a suddenly queasy stomach.

“Uh oh, you’re not gonna puke, are you?”

May’s question helps ground him and lets Peter drive back the sudden nausea. He closes his email app and looks up at his aunt. “Jury’s still out, I think,” he says with a weak laugh. “Stark Industries sure does have a lot of paperwork.”

May lets out a fond laugh and shakes her head with a sign. “Oh, Peter, it’s not just Stark Industries – that’s just Corporate America for ya.”

Peter’s almost at school when he realizes that he hasn’t told Ned about the offer for an official internship. He told Ned everything else about his lab day with Mr. Stark – like always, just as he promised – but when the opportunity came to tell Ned about the real internship offer, Peter just… didn’t say anything. Mostly because he was still wrapping his head around it (is still wrapping his head around it, if he’s being honest). 

But there’s also a part of Peter that doesn’t believe it really happened. Yes, the official email with all the paperwork he received earlier that morning helps a lot. It’s just so surreal, though. Like how is this really Peter’s life, where one of the most famous people in the world offers him a prestigious internship that any smart kid - or adult even! - would kill to have? 

Peter may have gotten bit by a radioactive spider, but this is the thing that seems the most unbelievable.

Peter shakes his head at himself with a breath of a laugh as he heads up the steps in front of Midtown. Got to get it together, Parker – this is real life, now.

Peter ducks and weaves his way through the hallways on his way to his locker. It’s his and Ned’s Monday morning tradition to meet up at their lockers before heading off to 1st period together. This time, though, they’re going to have to take a small detour. Peter needs to get the paperwork from the front office so Stark Industries can file his internship with the school and, given the official tone in the email he got from the HR lady, he knows he’s going to want to get as much of the needed paperwork filled out, scanned and sent over to her as soon as possible, which means heading to the computer lab during lunch period where he can use the printer and scanner.

This also means that Peter’s going to have to tell Ned pretty much first thing since there’s no way Ned’s not going to have questions about why they’re stopping by the front office on their way to Spanish.

The countdown to what Peter assumes is going to be Ned’s mind exploding begins when Peter gets to his locker and sees that Ned beat him there by about a minute. It’s not unusual for whoever gets there first to keep an eye out for the other and Ned spots Peter almost immediately, hurrying up with putting his afternoon textbooks into his locker so he can bounce over to where Peter is starting his own morning prep.

“Peter, hey!” Ned’s always so chipper in the morning and Peter kinda hates his best friend a little bit for that (or wishes he had some of the same energy, Peter isn’t sure which). “Ready for the soul-sucking last week before Winter Break?”

“Hey, man,” Peter says in greeting. “And it wouldn’t be so soul-sucking if we didn’t have Spanish first thing in the morning.”

“No es bueno,” Ned says with a sigh in poorly accented Spanish, which makes Peter laugh. “But, hey, at least we’re wrapping up that Thermodynamics lab this week, which means….”

Peter grins and makes a sound mimicking a movie explosion, hands moving outward to illustrate. “We get to blow things up!”

“Hell yeah, we do.” Both boys are all giddy smiles at the thought of getting to do school-sanctioned explosions. Learning’s so much more fun when it’s cool.

Peter quickly finishes stuffing the books he’s going to need for the afternoon in his locker, most def relying on his powers to make short work of it, before he closes his locker with a casual slam.

He and Ned start walking in the direction of their Spanish class, which just so happens to pass by the front office. Peter swallows the lump in his throat and speaks. “Uh, hey, I gotta make a quick detour to the front office.”

Ned looks over, brow furrowed in concerned curiosity. “What for?”

Unbidden, one of Peter’s hands comes up and scratches at the back of his neck, a nervous tic he can’t ever seem to get rid of. “I, uh, need to pick up some forms. The, uh, the internship ones.”

Ned’s one of the smartest guys Peter knows and it’s really no surprise that, the genius he is, Ned puts the pieces together in almost the blink of an eye. Peter knows this because Ned freezes, feet rooted to the floor, and stares at Peter with wide eyes and mouth agape. “Oh mY–!”

The leading edge of Ned’s impending freakout spurs Peter on and he hurries to clap a hand over Ned’s mouth to try and contain the explosion. “Dude, wait, not here. Hold on, just–” Peter drags Ned down the hall about 10 feet to an empty classroom and shoves Ned inside before ducking in himself. He gently shuts the door behind them before turning around to face his best friend who can’t contain himself any longer.

“Internship forms? Like, for a real internship?” Ned’s not exactly being quiet now, but the door is shut and the air outside the classroom roars with the volume of students arriving at school, so Peter figures no one can hear them.

“Yeah, so, um, there’s maybe… one thing I kinda forgot to tell you about the lab with Mr. Stark.”

“Peter!” Ned says, a shocked whine in his voice. “One thing? One thing? Uh, maybe a really important thing, don’t you think?”

Peter holds up his hands beseechingly. “I know, I know, I’m sorry. It’s just… dude, it’s huge.”  

Unable to help himself, Ned cracks a smile and Peter knows what Ned’s about to say before he can even say it. “Heh, that’s what she said.”

Peter laughs, temporarily distracted. “Nice one.” Another breath and he refocuses. “But for real, Mr. Stark offered me an internship. Like a real one. Now I gotta fill out a bunch of paperwork and have Aunt May sign a permission form and I gotta get it all done, like, this week.”

“But, dude, a real internship? Like, what are you gonna get to do?” Ned’s question is asked breathlessly, naked awe in his voice and expression.

At this, Peter smiles so wide he thinks it might break his face. He’d never admit this, not out loud, but part of him loves being able to impress Ned with his life as a superhero and kid who gets to hang out with Iron Man. After growing up poor and looking at everyone else's life with envy, it’s kinda nice to be on the other side of the equation for once. “Oh my god, Ned, everything. Like, I’m not just going to be an intern – I’m going to be Mr. Stark’s personal intern.”

“Whoa,” Ned breathes, mouth going slack. “Peter, that’s –”

“Insane, right?” Peter says, cutting Ned off and finishing his sentence for him, his own excitement beginning to take over. “Like, totally and completely insane.”

Some of Ned’s excitement dims as he looks at Peter. “So, why didn’t you tell me?”

“I think… it’s like it doesn’t feel real, you know?” Peter says after a couple of seconds, sobering under the gentle accusation. “This is the kind of thing that happens to other people, not me. I’m just… still wrapping my head around it, I think. Maybe I kinda don’t think I deserve it, I don’t know.”

Ned gives him a supportive, if exasperated smile. “Well, Mr. Stark seems to think you do, otherwise he wouldn’t have offered. I mean, he’s Iron Man.”  

There’s a level of hero worship and sense of infallibility, no matter how close they get to their idols, that’ll never fully die, Peter thinks. Even in all the time he gets to spend with Mr. Stark, there’s still a part of him that’s that 9 year old boy at the Stark Expo, just waiting for the tiniest glimpse of his ultimate hero and knowing, no matter what, that he’ll always look up to Iron Man and Tony Stark. Iron Man may be cool, but he wouldn’t exist if Tony Stark wasn’t a scientific genius. Tony Stark made science cool when Peter was little, made him feel like he, too, could be cool one day, and Peter will always have a little bit of hero worship because of that.

Still, Peter knows what Ned’s trying to say and he smiles. “Thanks, Ned. Maybe you’re right.”

Ned scoffs. “Dude, I know I’m right.”

“Yeah, yeah, ok, ok,” Peter says with a roll of his eyes before he remembers something he wants to make sure he says. “And you can’t tell anyone about this.”

The immediate disappointment on Ned’s face is like a gut punch. “But why? Dude, this is the coolest thing ever! You have an internship with Tony Stark. Like, a real one, as Peter Parker. Besides, someone’s going to find out someday and you know it.”

Peter cringes, but nods all the same. “I know, just… let’s cross that bridge when we get to it, ok? Like, if people find out on their own, fine. I just… I don’t know. It’s one thing with you, but I don’t wanna brag about it. Plus, no one will believe me anyway and I don’t want Flash making fun of me any more than he already does.”

Ned grins as the two boys head towards the door to the classroom, moving in an unspoken understanding that the secret portion of their conversation was over. “Bet you MJ would come to your defense if Flash made fun of you in front of her.”

Peter blushes to what he swears must be the roots of his hair. “Ned!” His voice leaves him in a squeaky yell, no louder than a high-pitched whisper.

“What? It’s true and you know it,” Ned says with an apologetic shrug that is clearly anything but apologetic. “I don’t know why you two just skip this whole dance you’re doing and just, like, go out or something already.”

Ever since MJ took over as team captain for AcaDec, Ned’s been convinced that MJ has a crush on Peter like Peter has one on her. And maybe Ned’s right – sometimes Peter catches MJ looking at him and it makes him start to think maybe. But Peter can’t go forward on “maybe”. He takes leaps of faith all the time, literal leaps of faith, trusting in his ability to catch himself before he falls. But this is just one step too far for him. If Ned’s wrong and MJ doesn’t return Peter’s feelings? Well… let’s just say Peter isn’t ready for that kind of rejection, not when he’s still feeling the burn of how everything fell out with Liz.

Peter reaches for the closed door to the classroom and opens it, taking a deep breath before he responds. “Dude, I gotta be sure, you know?” he says as they walk out into the hallway. “You know how hard she is to read.”

“That’s why you ask Peter,” Ned says with a roll of his eyes. “So you’ll know.”

Peter gives Ned a look. “Alright, tough guy, how about we see you ask a girl out and then we’ll see how easy it is.”

A queasy expression ripples over Ned’s face and he ducks his gaze. “Or, you know, you just admire from afar. That’s nice and romantic, too.”

Peter laughs, but doesn’t rub it in Ned’s face beyond that as they continue to make their way to the front office.

Peter succeeds in grabbing the right forms from the front office and spends most of lunch filling out the application form, printing out the permission form for May to sign, and scanning and sending what he can for Summer so she can work on his paperwork. It’s the most awkward email Peter thinks he’s ever written in his entire short life, trying to be professional and adult and feeling a lot like he did when he used to dress up in Uncle Ben’s clothes and pretend to be a grown up in clothes meant for a man 3 times as big as he was.

But Peter manages to send it off with what he thinks is as minimal cringe as possible and there’s a sigh of relief at the end of the school day when he checks his email before going on patrol and sees that Summer’s response doesn’t even so much as hint that she knows he’s a big giant faker.

The relief carries him all the way through the text he sends Mr. Stark before he heads out on patrol, perched on the ledge of a rooftop, completely kitted out as Spider-Man:

Me:
omg u were right. so much paperwork, mr. stark

It doesn’t take long for Mr. Stark to text back and Peter watches the three little dots jump across the screen before the message finally appears.

Mr. Iron Man:
See, told ya. A metric ass-ton of paperwork

Me:
mr. stark, i don’t think ur supposed to swear at me. aren’t u my boss now? 😜

There’s a long moment before Mr. Stark responds that has Peter feeling a bit nervous.

Mr. Iron Man:
Rhodey says you’re right. But I make the rules, Peter-man

A rush of embarrassment fills every inch of Peter’s veins. Please have Mr. Stark not be talking about this with actual, real life War Machine right now, please….

Me:
ugh, i introduce myself like that ONE TIME……..

Mr. Iron Man:
Yes but it was how you introduced yourself to Pepper, which means I can never let you live it down

Me:
rude

Mr. Iron Man:
Eh, you love it and you know it. Part of my charm

The annoying thing is that it kinda is. Being gently teased for what, in the grand scheme of things, is an insignificant if embarrassing detail is how Mr. Stark lets people know they’re in his inner circle, that he’s paying enough attention to remember things about them. Peter won’t lie, it does make him feel special that Mr. Stark cares enough about him to treat him the way that he does.

Me:
still rude tho

Mr. Iron Man:
I’ll make it up to you later, promise. Maybe I’ll let you pick the music in the lab sometime or something

Me:
*gasp* mr. stark, im truly honored. i will one day tell my grandchildren about this special moment

Mr. Iron Man:
Aaaaaand that’s lab music privileges revoked. A new record, I gotta say

Me:
no wait im sorry! i didn’t mean it 😭

Mr. Iron Man:
Uh huh, we’ll see when you swing by the lab later this week if I change my mind. Anyway, aren’t you usually patrolling at this time?

Me:
haha yes. gtg mr stark!

Mr. Iron Man:
Stay safe on patrol, kid. I look forward to hearing from you when you report in. And if there’s an emergency, that’s what Karen is for

Me:
got it mr stark 👍👍

Peter locks his phone and puts it away in the special, hidden pocket of his suit Mr. Stark put in, a smile on his face the entire time.

“Alright Karen,” Peter says as he gathers his limbs beneath him, ready to leap off at a moment’s notice. “Tell me what we got today?”

Rhodey watches as Tony’s entire universe boils down to texting on his phone with the kid. Peter, his mind reminds him. The kid’s name is Peter.

Tony hadn’t been able to keep it a secret very long, who Spider-Man really was. At first, Rhodey was appalled – what kind of person drags a 14 year old kid into a battle between the Avengers? But, once Rhodey listened to the words behind what Tony was saying, he picked up on what was going on pretty quick.

First, once Rhodey stopped and actually lined up the details of the timeline, it was obvious that Peter was out there as Spider-Man well before Tony reached out and got the kid properly suited up (honestly, that sweatsuit get up was ridiculous and Rhodey was a teenager in the 80s, so that’s saying something). And then, as he kept on listening to Tony talk about Peter – about the patrols he went on, the scrapes he got into – it was clear Tony was just as worried as he was, if not more so.

A real mother hen, he’s turning into, Rhodey thinks with a barely perceptible smirk, one that’s more of a fleeting sensation than an actual expression. It’s clear that Tony needs someone he can vent all that worry to. Rhodey’s sure Pepper gets an earful too, but for all her fierceness, Pepper’s not out there on the frontlines everyday, so she doesn’t get it, not intimately.

But Rhodey’s used to worrying about the kids he’s responsible for as they get into harm’s way, the soldiers who step up and put themselves between innocent lives and the bad guys. This is uncharted territory for Tony, who seems to be trying not to overburden Peter with this, even if he doesn’t know that’s what he’s doing.

But there’s something else that’s been happening, something Rhodey’s only aware of now that he’s here, watching as Tony texts back and forth with Peter.

Shit’s been busy, so Rhodey hasn’t been by in a handful of weeks, but that’s long enough for things to change without Rhodey being aware that they have. And the look on Tony’s face isn’t just the look of a general communicating with his subordinate.

No, it’s more than that. It’s not just protective, it’s fondly protective, it’s caring. Hell, Rhodey would even go so far to call it paternal. Not that he thinks Peter is Tony’s kid, or anything. God knows there’ve been scares along those lines in the past, but Rhodey knows that’s something Tony would have definitely checked out and if Peter was really his son, he’d have told Rhodey all about it by now (for as much as Tony tries to deny it, he’s an open book to Rhodey and the both of them know it).

But a kid doesn’t have to be biologically yours to be your kid, as Rhodey is well aware of. It’s clear that this has been developing over the past several weeks in Rhodey’s absence and, honestly, it’s a good look for Tony.

Not that Rhodey’s gonna mention this, or anything. Nobody spooks easier about this kind of stuff than Tony Stark, that’s for damn sure. But maybe, maybe, this will help a long way in Tony getting over his extreme emotional constipation.

One can only hope, Rhodey thinks with a grin.

Honestly, being able to see this change in Tony is kinda the only reason Rhodey’s not annoyed right now. Yes, they’re not actively doing anything at this very moment – Tony’s running diagnostics on Rhodey’s leg braces and they’re just waiting for the results – but it’s been weeks since they’ve hung out and there’s usually a lot more catching up and shooting the shit happening right about now.

But, Rhodey thinks he’s ok sacrificing it this one time if only to see the beginnings of a new side to his best friend, one that feels like it’s been a long time coming.

Still, that doesn’t mean Rhodey can’t have a little fun with it…. “So, when am I gonna get to meet the infamous Peter?” he asks as Tony finally looks up from his phone. “I mean, since he’s your official intern and all, now, I figure I gotta get to meet him soon.” From what Tony’s said about Peter and how smart he is, Rhodey really isn’t surprised at the whole internship thing. Anyone who really knows Tony knows he likes collecting and surrounding himself with people who have potential.

Tony sniffs as he puts down his phone and grins over at Rhodey. “Look, it’s not my fault you haven’t been by since Peter started hanging around more often. But, if you’re so eager, come over on Fridays some time during our weekly lab night.”

Rhodey returns Tony’s grin, but his is definitely more shit-eating. “Weekly lab night, how fucking adorable.”

“You know what, I don’t have to install software updates for your braces.” The threat’s an empty one, given the lingering hint of a smile still on Tony’s face.

But, still, Rhodey plays along and holds up his hands in surrender. “Ok, hey, sorry, man, just calling it like I see it. It’s not like you to rearrange your entire schedule for a regular lab night with a kid.”

“Why, Platypus, I do believe you’re jealous,” Tony says, using humor as a deflector, a normal habit for him. “Don’t worry, you’ll always be my Honey Bear.” He presses a kiss to the palm of his hand before reaching over to put his palm against Rhodey’s face.

“Ah, hey, no, I don’t need your gross cooties on me, man,” Rhodey says with a laugh, backing up away from Tony’s outstretched hand, though there’s only so far he can go while sitting on a table in Tony’s lab while FRIDAY runs diagnostics on his braces. “But, yeah, ok, maybe I’ll come by one of these Fridays and meet the kid.”

“Great, awesome, we’ll make a night of it. Fair warning, Peter has a tendency to word vomit when he’s star struck.” Tony pauses, laughing. “When he met Pepper, he introduced himself as ‘Peter-Man’ and then spent the next 30 seconds trying to fix the mistake without a lick of success.”

Rhodey chuckles. “And, knowing you, you’re never going to let the kid forget it.”

The look that spreads across Tony’s face is pure incredulity. “Are you kidding? I’ll be on my deathbed and still be making fun of the kid for that.”

That pulls Rhodey up short, that kind of casual remark about how long Tony’s expecting Peter to be in his life for. There aren’t many people who can say they’re part of Tony Stark’s “forever” club – Pepper, Rhodey, and Happy have been it for years; Bruce too when he was around, before he disappeared off the face of the planet.

That Peter has somehow managed to worm his way in this close to Tony speaks volumes and Rhodey’s more eager than ever to meet Peter, see with his own two eyes the kid who seems to be capturing Tony Stark’s heart.

Huh, maybe we’ll make a dad out of you yet.

Peter somehow manages to get all the paperwork back to Summer by Wednesday and by the end of the week, he has an appointment set for the following Monday for his official orientation and onboarding. To say that he’s a hyped up combination of nervous and excited is somehow an understatement, but Peter figures if it’s possible, he’d be the one to find a way to manage it.

But, overall, despite the fact that he is nervous, he’s mostly just so fucking excited. He’s gonna be an intern! A real one, with a badge and a job title and everything! It’s something he never imagined ever really having and which probably won’t feel real until he’s actually in the middle of it, knowing his luck. It only hypes Peter up even more, knowing that it’s going to be so much more than he could possibly imagine.

“So, I take this whole fidgeting act is you being excited about Monday? If it’s not, I’m going to be horribly offended, I hope you know this.”

The question, asked by Mr. Stark in the middle of their usual Friday night lab session, startles Peter so much, the spare web-shooter he was experimenting with crumples beneath his grip as his fingers contract quickly into a twitching fist.

“Shi– uh, I mean, whoops.” Peter flinches as he catches himself mid-swear, but his heart is still coming back down from where it leapt up into his throat. And then he looks down at the ruined web-shooter and he can’t help but pout. “Aww, man.” It’s not like this is his only one – he has several back-up pairs here in Mr. Stark’s lab – but it’s the principle of it. Peter hates waste and, with the metal as crumpled as it is, he’s not sure how much he can salvage, if any.

“Whoops, sorry, didn’t mean to startle you,” Mr. Stark says.

Peter looks up at his mentor to see the older man looking at him with a pinched, apologetic expression. “No, it’s ok. Sorry, I was a million miles away.”

Mr. Stark shrugs, the very picture of casual ease. “No worries, it happens to all of us at some point. We can just toss it into the recycler so we don’t waste the materials. So, what’s up? Superhero woes or trouble in civilian paradise?”

Peter pulls a face, nose crinkling and lips pursing, at the two options. “Neither, really. Just like you said, actually: excited for Monday – like, really excited.” He pauses for a sec, thinking, and then speaks again, words tumbling out of his mouth before he’s really fully aware of them. “Nervous, too, I guess. And maybe a bit scared?” Peter doesn’t think that should have ended sounding like a question, but there’s enough uncertainty about exactly what he’s feeling, that he doesn’t think he could have said it any other way.

Cringing a bit – because what kid wants to come across as anything less than “with it” in front of someone like Tony Stark – Peter forces himself to not look away as Mr. Stark looks back. And, instead of scoffing in disgust at the “wimpy emotions” like Peter would have feared he’d do once upon a time, Mr. Stark offers him a warm, reassuring smile and steps away from the lab table he’s seated at. “C’mon, sounds like you could use a bit of a break, take some time to unwind and relax a bit. Pepper has an endless supply of teas and I know I have a package of Oreos the Kitchen Warden hasn’t laid her grubby hands on yet.”

A tremulous, fleeting smile ghosts across Peter’s lips as he follows Mr. Stark’s example and stands up. “Does Ms. Potts know you call her that?”

The look on Mr. Stark’s face is all mischievous humor, wide grin and twinkling eyes. “Of course – she has to sign off on the nicknames I give her. It’s in our relationship contract.”

That’s just enough to give Peter pause. “Wait, you don’t really have a relationship contract, do you?” Sometimes, it’s hard to tell when Mr. Stark is joking and when he’s just making light of something real.

“Not for Pepper’s lack of trying,” Mr. Stark says with a chuckling snort as he guides Peter out of the lab. “But I’m sure she’s gonna try to sneak some of that into the pre-nup somehow.”

Peter wrinkles his nose again as he lets Mr. Stark steer him down the hallway, the older man’s hand warm and comforting where it’s loosely clasped on his shoulder. “Grown ups are weird, Mr. Stark.”

“Hey, you’re not too far away from that yourself, Spiderling. Just a couple of short years and you’ll be 18.”

“Yeah, but I don’t think I’ll ever feel like a grown up,” Peter says, tone morose.

That has Mr. Stark letting out a cracking laugh. “Oh Peter, let me let you in on a little secret: no adult feels like they’re grown up. We’re all just pretending.”

“Don’t tell me that,” Peter says with a weak laugh. “You’re killing my dreams.”

“Eh, you’ll figure it out,” Mr. Stark says as they enter the kitchen. He gives Peter a gentle push towards the kitchen island while he heads over to the sleek cabinets. “And, if you ever get stuck, that’s why you have me.”

The words make something warm flutter inside Peter’s heart, something giddy and almost hysterical in relief, but Peter does his best to keep it in the background. The little hints that Mr. Stark keeps dropping that he’s assuming he’ll still be in Peter’s life well into the future make Peter feel almost overwhelmed with emotion he can’t quite name because of just how profound it is. So, it’s easier to just ignore it.

“Thanks, Mr. Stark,” is what Peter says instead as he slides onto one of the bar stools that surround the island counter, sitting at the corner of the nearest side to the door. In front of him is a floor-to-ceiling view of Manhattan from over 100 stories up, only interrupted by the breakfast nook staged just in front of the window. The fact that Mr. Stark and Ms. Potts eat breakfast in front of that view everyday… it’s the kind of luxury Peter can’t even begin to fathom getting to experience.

Mr. Stark gives him a smile over his shoulder. “Anytime, kid.” For a bit, there’s not much in the way of talking. Mr. Stark fills a couple of mugs with water from the hot water dispenser next to the faucet and then places the mugs next to a box that has a bunch of tea packets, neatly organized by type, within Peter’s reach. While Peter sorts through the box, eventually settling on an apple cider herbal tea that sounds perfect for the December temperatures they’ve been having, Mr. Stark goes over to one of the cabinets tucked away in the corner and digs in the back for the promised Oreos.

“You know, Pep probably does know these exist and she just lets me keep them so I can feel like I’m getting away with something. Yeah, that sounds like something she’d do to mess with me. But, for the moment, we’re gonna pretend like these are illegal contraband,” Mr. Stark says as he sits down next to Peter, the corner of the island between them. And it’s only once Mr. Stark has chosen his own tea – something called Rooibos that Peter’s never heard of – and the packet of Oreos is opened does he speak again. “Alright, so tell me what has you nervous and scared.”

Peter breaks open an Oreo and eats the half that has the least amount of filling. “I’m not that nervous and scared,” he says. “I really am mostly just excited to start on Monday – and thank you again, honestly. I won’t let you down, I promise.”

Mr. Stark waves a hand and lets out a “pfft”. “Please, you couldn’t let me down. I wouldn’t have offered you the position if I didn’t think you could do it.”

Mr. Stark’s casual and unhesitant confidence in Peter’s abilities is probably one of the most affirming things Peter’s ever experienced. That he – Iron Man himself! – has so much faith in Peter means more to Peter than he can even begin to say. Emotion wells up inside of him, forcing Peter to swallow it down before he can speak. “It’s just, I’ve never had a real job before, you know? What if I mess up or do the wrong thing?”

Mr. Stark leans forward, an Oreo grasped lightly between thumb and forefinger, elbows folded on the stone countertop. “Well, first of all, you’re reporting to me directly, so you don’t have to worry about that – I’ll guide you through what I want you to do and how you should behave.” He takes a bite of his cookie followed by tea that’s still steeping, cringing at the temperature and/or the taste, Peter’s not sure. “And second, it’s completely normal to be nervous before a first job. All of us have been there. Literally almost everyone has a first job and the people around you understand that. And if they don’t, you tell me, ok? We didn’t work so hard becoming a Great Place to Work to slip in the rankings now.”

Peter frowns, not entirely understanding what Mr. Stark’s saying – rankings? For being a good place to work? – but he does get the spirit of what Mr. Stark’s trying to say. “Thanks… I think.”

Mr. Stark chuckles and reaches over to ruffle Peter’s hair. “Anytime, kid.” He reaches for another cookie. “So, what else is going on with you? Any other existential crises I can help solve for you?”

Peter laughs, feeling like some of the weight has been lifted off of his chest. “No, I think I’m ok for the moment. But I’ll call you later if I think of something.”

“You better,” Mr. Stark says with a sniff. “I better not hear of anyone but May helping you with life stuff. You’re my mentee, and don’t you forget it.”

Peter takes a sip of his tea and sighs around the mouthful. “Like I could ever, Mr. Stark.”

“...Hey, any chance I could convince you to start calling me ‘Tony’?”

“Not today, Mr. Stark. Not today.”

“Eh, figured it was worth a shot.”

The talk with Mr. Stark on Friday night helps, but Peter still spends most of the weekend hyped up on excitement interspersed with occasional bouts of crippling nervousness. So it’s not much of a surprise when Peter finds it almost impossible to fall asleep Sunday night. 

He’s scheduled to be at Stark Industries at 9AM (it feels almost cruel to have to wake up that early during winter break, but the reason for it is about as good a one as he could possibly ask for), so he knows he needs to get a good night’s sleep. But he lays there for way too long, tossing and turning, mind racing a million miles an hour, all nerves and anticipation and curiosity.

He must fall asleep at some point because he startles awake at the sound of his alarm, almost gasping as his pulse races lightning fast inside his veins. The initial adrenaline rush of being forced awake by the alarm fades, but the excitement for what’s waiting for him carries Peter through getting out of bed and ready for the day.

May walks him to the subway stop that will take him into Manhattan. “I can’t drop you off for your first day, but I figure this is the next best thing,” she explains over the sounds of Peter’s groan. 

Despite the mild embarrassment of feeling like a little kid being dropped off for his first day of school, Peter still easily accepts the hug May gives him before he heads down into the subway station. “Have a great first day at your internship, hon. I’m so proud of you.”

There’s so much unspoken in May’s voice that is still so loud, it’s practically screaming at him. That not only is she proud of him, but Uncle Ben and his parents would be too and that she wishes they were here to see Peter reach this important milestone so they could celebrate with him. 

Peter hugs her back just a little tighter, overwhelmed by the old ache of loss. “Thanks, Aunt May.”

May pulls back and presses a kiss on Peter’s forehead, careful of how he’s done his hair. “Now, I want you to tell me all about it when you get home. And don’t let Tony push you around too much. You're his intern, not his slave.”

Peter chuckles and feels himself smiling despite his increasingly jittery nerves. “I don’t think he’ll do that, but I’ll tell him you said not to. I think he’s kinda scared of you?”

The grin that spreads over May’s face is almost feral. “Good, he should be. Now, go kick some serious butt on your first day.”

It’s corny, but it still makes Peter smile. “I’ll try. Love you.”

“Love you, too!”

With a final wave goodbye, Peter turns and heads down into the subway station. The station is crowded, but Peter pops in his headphones – custom made by Mr. Stark to compensate for his super-hearing – and with his music playing in his ears, the crowd just kinda fades away. 

People are milling all around the entrance to Stark Industries once Peter finally gets there. He looks around at the people dressed all professionally – suits and blazers and everything – and he hopes he’s not standing out too much. Underneath his winter coat, he’s wearing a pair of navy blue chinos and a black sweater, which are pretty much the nicest clothes he owns besides his only suit.

Trying to look like he’s supposed to be there, Peter walks inside the main entrance and shucks off his winter coat. He’s never actually walked through the main entrance of the Tower despite how many times he’s been there, and his jaw drops at the cavernous space. It’s a sleek, towering space, stretching up for what must be 5 or 6 stories, marble floors encased by floor-to-ceiling glass windows.

The only structure is the security desk that guards the way back to the rows of elevator banks – there aren’t even benches or anywhere for people to sit – so that’s where Peter heads. The instruction in the email he got setting up the appointment said he should check in at Security and Peter’s always prided himself at being able to follow basic directions from an adult. 

The guard sitting behind the desk is a middle-aged woman, hair pulled back in a tight bun that compliments her pressed and clean-looking black suit, and she doesn’t even look up at Peter until he clears his throat to get her attention. She looks up at him and peers at him primly through stern glasses. “Can I help you, son?”

“Um, yeah, I, uh, have an appointment with Summer Grey? At 9? I’m Peter Parker.” Peter’s voice cracks and trembles and he wishes he had his backpack with him so he had something to do with his hands besides try not to stuff them into his pockets.

The security guard gives him a single nod and turns her attention to her computer screen. Her fingers clack on the keys, rapid-fire, and Peter just stands there awkwardly as she reads whatever’s come up on her screen. After several long seconds, though, she looks up at him, face softening just barely with a smile. “I’ll send word up that you’re here. If you’ll step aside, she should be down here shortly.”

“Oh, um, ok. Thanks.” Peter moves out of the way a few steps and watches as people stream through the security checkpoints, badges beeping with FRIDAY’s voice sounding with mostly “Access granted”, but with the occasional “Access denied, please visit security.” 

Peter doesn’t know exactly how long he stands there – each minute passes by with agonizing slowness when you’re as awkward as Peter – but he figures it must be about 5 minutes before he hears the sound of his name being called out. “Peter Parker?”

Peter’s immediately alert, standing up as straight as he can while he looks for the source of his name. His gaze locks with a woman who’s probably not as old as May, but he’s not the best at guessing an adult’s age. What he can tell, though, is that she’s immaculately put together, wearing a sleek, black skirt and silky white blouse, and that the high heels she’s wearing clack loudly against the marble floor.

The woman smiles at him as she gets closer and despite the fact that it’s warm, the expression is all business. “You must be Peter Parker. I’m Summer Grey. We’ve been emailing this past week.”

Peter tries to smile like a regular person, but he’s afraid it probably comes out looking weird as hell. “Um, yes, hi, I’m Peter, Peter Parker.” He sticks out his hand, probably a little harder than necessary.

Summer takes his hand and gives it a shake. “It’s nice to meet the young intern personally picked by the big man himself.” She takes her hand back and reaches up to push a strand of blonde hair back over her ear with the rest of her coifed hairdo. “I have your badge all ready to go – you were already in our system, so that wasn’t as bad as expected. Here you go.” She holds out her other hand to show the same thin, credit-card shaped badge that every other employee has, complete with thin, black lanyard hooked into one end. The badge is all white except for the Stark Industries logo engraved on the bottom right corner.

“Um, thanks,” Peter says as he takes it.

“Of course! Most of us wear our badge around our necks – like this,” Summer says as she holds up her own badge from where it’s dangling from the lanyard she wears like a necklace. “But you can keep it in your pocket if you like. The key is don’t lose it.” Peter can hear the stern emphasis in her voice. She starts walking with the unspoken assumption that Peter will just start walking with her, but it takes his brain a half second too long to respond and he finds himself rushing to catch up to her. “If you do lose it, though, email the Security Desk immediately. The building’s AI also checks basic biometrics to allow entry, but it’s still a security risk if the badge gets into the wrong hands.” She pauses and looks over at him with a smile. “Don’t worry, we’ll cover all of this again during your orientation. And it’ll be in the employee manual if you ever forget. So don't worry about trying to memorize it all now.”

Peter lets out a weak laugh. “That obvious I’m new, huh?”

“We’re all new at some point in our lives, Peter,” Summer says with warm empathy. “People here are real understanding about that, so no one will expect you to know everything on your first day.”

“Good, that’s good,” Peter says with a sigh of relief.

They approach the security checkpoint and Peter watches as Summer runs her badge over the scanner. FRIDAY’s voice immediately comes online – “Access granted.” – and Summer steps through the electronic gate that’s now open for her.

Once she’s through, it’s Peter’s turn. He takes the badge in his hand and does his best to run it over the scanner just like Summer did. He’s not close enough the first time so it doesn’t work, but he gets it on the second try. “Access granted,” FRIDAY says, just like before. But then she adds. “Hello, Peter. Boss said to tell you to have a good first day.”

“Um, thanks, FRIDAY,” Peter says with an awkward laugh, eyeing Summer as she looks at him with wide eyes. 

“You’re welcome, Peter.”

“Well, that’s never happened before!” Summer says, amused and curious, as Peter steps through the gate. “Clearly you’ve been here before.”

Peter blushes and can’t quite bring himself to meet Summer’s gaze straight on. “Uh, yeah, Mr. Stark’s had me come over to work in his lab a couple of times. But, uh, I’ve never gone through the front entrance.”

“Must be where Mr. Stark saw something special in you that made him want to bring you on board. You’re a lucky one, Peter.”

Peter’s never really felt lucky until he got to meet Mr. Stark, so he kinda can’t help but agree. “Yeah, I know. Hopefully I won’t let him down.”

Summer gives him another warm smile. “I’m sure you won’t.” 

She leads him over to the elevator bank and they head up to the 15th floor. “This is where HR is primarily located. My office is back that way,” Summer says, pointing off somewhere in the distance of the cavernous, open workspace. “But we’ll be over this way for most of this morning,” she says as she leads him the opposite direction.

As he follows her, Peter takes the chance to look around. This is the first corporate office he’s really been in, so it’s all so new and novel. The entire floor is carpeted, making everything soft and muffling all the noise of people walking around. And there are cubicles everywhere . Some are as tall as him, some are waist high, but most every desk is surrounded by off-white cubicle walls. Lining the hallways are office and meeting rooms, all walled off with glass except for a few that Peter thinks must before private meetings or something.

It’s a lot. There are phones ringing and people typing on keyboards or having conversations with others. The smell of coffee is strong over the generic scent of industrial cleaner on every communal surface. It’s sterile and non-offensive in a way Peter thinks is supposed to be productive, but it’s still activating all of Peter’s senses and he’ll be happy when he’s behind a closed door or on a different floor entirely.

They end up in a small meeting room that Peter spends the next 3 hours in. Summer’s work laptop – a state-of-the-art StarkPad – is already set up on the table and Peter picks a seat with his back to the door so he can’t look out the windows that look out into the cubicles outside of it. At some point, someone from IT comes by to set up his own StarkPad, clearly meant to be the machine he does the majority of his work on, but most of it is just him and Summer going over what Peter has to assume is a personalized orientation.

It’s towards the end of this meeting that it finally occurs to him that this whole internship is being treated as pretty special. Summer’s official title is Director of Talent Acquisition and he figures that must mean she’s pretty high up, too high up to be running a 15 year old intern through his employee orientation. It makes him a little embarrassed, especially because he figures that Mr. Stark probably asked for this personally (or had Ms. Potts ask, which feels way more likely). But it’s also nice to receive this kind of personal attention, even if Peter doesn’t really feel like he deserves it.

But despite how special this all feels, by the end of the three hours, Peter’s mind is spinning, stuffed full of information he has no real hope of retaining anytime soon. They’ve gone through everything from the reporting structure he’s a part of (reporting directly to Mr. Stark himself) and what his compensation is (more money than Peter’s really comfortable with taking, but certainly won’t turn down) to how Peter should go about ordering any software he might need and all the various compliance trainings he’s required to take (“perks” of working for a company that contracts with the federal government).

“Kind of like drinking from a firehose, isn’t it?” Summer asks, clearly reading the overwhelmed look on his face correctly. “Like I said earlier, don’t worry about remembering everything. As long as you can remember how to navigate to SI’s intranet site and then how to get to all the employee resource pages, I have every faith you’ll be able to figure it out from there. And if you get really stuck, you can always ask Mr. Stark. He’ll point you in the right direction, I’m sure.”

“Or FRIDAY will,” Peter says on automatic, only realizing what he’s said after he hears the words. He blushes bright pink. “I mean–”

The sound of Summer’s laugh cuts him off. “Oh, don’t worry about it. Mr. Stark is pretty well known for needing FRIDAY and Ms. Potts to keep everything organized for him. Just don’t let him suck you into doing that for him, too. The expectations and requirements of your position are rather clear and he’s not supposed to work around them.”

“I’ll try,” Peter says.

The smile on Summer’s face says that she knows it’s easier said than done, but she lets the topic drop. “Well, I think that’s about the end of our time today, Peter.” She stands up, grabbing her StarkPad on her way up; Peter does the same and only fumbles it a little. “But if you need anything – if you ever have any questions or concerns or anything – I don’t want you to hesitate to reach out to me. If I can’t help you, then anyone on my team is more than capable enough to help you figure out how to get what you need.”

“Thanks, Ms. Grey. Thank you so much for everything.”

“You can just call me ‘Summer’, Peter. And you’re more than welcome.” The warm smile turns into an almost mischievous grin. “Now, come on – I have somewhere to deliver you to for lunch.”

Peter’s stomach grumbles outside his control and he blushes again. “Um, sorry about that. It’s been a few hours since I’ve eaten.”

Summer’s smile widens. “I have two teenage boys at home, so I’m very familiar with the teenage metabolism.” (Oh you have no idea, Peter thinks.) “If you’ll follow me, we’ll get you to your next appointment.”

Peter follows Summer back to the elevator. “FRIDAY, take Peter up to the Executive Floor.”

“Yes, Ms. Grey,” FRIDAY says.

Summer turns to Peter as the elevator doors open. “FRIDAY will guide you to where you’re going next. It’s been a pleasure meeting you Peter – I look forward to hearing about all the ways you’re going to succeed here at Stark Industries.”

“Thanks, Ms. Grey,” Peter says, unable to call her by her first name. “I really appreciate everything you’ve done to help me.”

Summer’s smile widens, warm and professional at the same time. “It was my absolute pleasure. You have a good rest of your day and go enjoy your lunch.”

Peter says goodbye with an awkward wave of one hand and he steps in the elevator to be whisked 60 floors up the building. FRIDAY guides him down a short series of hallways through a much more luxurious office space (makes sense, given that it’s the Executive Floor), all opulent offices and plush waiting areas. It all feels way too rich for Peter’s blood

FRIDAY’s directions end at a pair of glass, double doors and the nameplate on the right says “Tony Stark, Chairman and CTO”. And before Peter can even start peering through the glass doors to see if Mr. Stark is in there, he hears the man himself calling out. “Peter, there you are!”

Peter turns to see Mr. Stark walking towards him, dressed much more casually than Peter, but also certainly more expensively, in dark jeans and a t-shirt beneath a tailored blazer. His trademark sunglasses are perched on his nose, but he removes them as he gets close, a small smile on his face that is just about the most comforting sight Peter’s seen all day.

“Mr. Stark, hi! What, uh, what’s going on?”

The smile on Mr. Stark’s face turns into a grin and he tucks his sunglasses into his blazer pocket before he slides an arm over Peter’s shoulder. “It’s lunch time, that’s what’s going on. And we’re going out for a business lunch to celebrate – my treat as your new boss, so don’t even think about complaining – before we come back to the lab and get down to it. Sound good?” He starts guiding Peter down the hall and it doesn’t take Peter long to realize they’re heading to the Executive elevator.

“Sounds good, Mr. Stark. I’m starving.”

“Yeah, well, an enhanced metabolism will do that to ya,” Mr. Stark says. “So don’t think about holding back, ok? I got us a private room at a little bistro Pepper and I go to sometimes – not super fancy, but they do host a lot of high-profile customers – so you just order how ever much you want without worrying anyone’s gonna be spying on you, alright?”

It’s not alright, not really – it feels like a lot, almost too much – but Peter’s so hungry, he’s willing to look past it for practicality sake. “Yeah, ok. Thanks, Mr. Stark. You didn’t have to go out of your way like this for me.”

“You kidding? It’s what I do for all my new direct reports, so don’t freak out like you’re getting special treatment.”

Mr. Stark’s telling the truth, Peter can tell that much. But it still feels like a lot just for him. “If you say so. And, for the record, I do not freak out.”

Mr. Stark just gives him a look beneath one arched eyebrow as they get to the Executive elevator. “Kid, I’ve seen you lose your shit over gummi bears.”

“But you have the fancy gummi bears, Mr. Stark!” Peter exclaims in an explosion of energy. “It’s not like –” He stops when he sees the smug look on Mr. Stark’s face, a point proven. “Yeah, ok, maybe I do freak out sometimes.”

“Sometimes, he says,” Mr. Stark says with a snort. “But, I’ll take it.” They get into the elevator and it’s only once the doors are closed that Mr. Stark turns to him, expression fond and curious. “So, you having a good first day so far?”

For as much as he was overwhelmed just a little bit ago, standing here with Mr. Stark, on their way to go out to lunch, it all feels so much more manageable to Peter. And he realizes that almost all of his nerves have gone away, partly because he’s with someone he knows now, but also because everyone he’s met so far has been nothing but nice… or at least not condescending because he’s a kid.

And it’s only going to get better from here.

“The best, Mr. Stark. Just the best.”

Mr. Stark smiles. “Good. After all, you’re my intern. Nothing less than the best allowed. We’re gonna do great things, kiddo. Just you watch.”

And the even better part? Peter absolutely believes him.