Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

A gentle nudge to the arm jolted Peter from his anxiety-fueled daydream, or rather waking nightmare. He shot an apologetic smile at Ned before sitting up straighter in his chair and slowing his leg bouncing from a violent shaking to a soft jiggle. He was anxious, his spider sense was blaring, and nothing he had done over the past four days had been able to make that stop. 

You see, five days ago, the Avengers had been called out to a mission somewhere in Europe. Without him. 

Gotta keep you in school, kid. Tony had said. You’re still just a baby .

Even though he wasn’t in the briefing, he had managed to squeeze a few details from Clint while he had collected his updated arrows and other gear from Peter and Tony’s lab. Knowing they were headed to a possible Hydra control center did not help Peter feel better about his extended family leaving without him. 

Iron Man, Captain America, the White Wolf, Black Widow, Hawkeye, the Hulk, and Thor left together early Friday morning, destination unknown. They had been in regular contact until Saturday when comms had failed as they arrived at the location. The weekend had been strained for everyone who remained at the tower, waiting for an update on their arrival. 

Now, it was Tuesday. Monday had been tortuous, but Pepper and Happy had been optimistic that the Avengers would be returning soon. A day later, with no word and everyone was tense. Peter’s morning text to their group chat with Pep, Happy, and May asking about updates had only been answered with a short No from the head of security. 

Peter checked his StarkPhone once more, scrolling between his tower group chat and his messages with Karen and FRIDAY. The last messages in all his chats were the same. There were no updates on the Avenger’s, or on Tony. Letting out a quiet huff of frustration, Peter tucked his phone back into his pocket and tried to focus. He sat forward and grasped his pencil as his Chemistry teacher began to talk about their upcoming test. His anxiety would have to wait.

…..

After the last bell rang, Peter couldn’t stand it anymore. There was no way he would be able to focus on finishing his homework, and May was working a late shift at the hospital and wouldn’t be home until after dinner. He stashed his backpack with the unfinished work in an alley near the school, and took off, needing to make himself forget the thoughts running through his head.

Swinging rapidly between buildings, more to burn off energy than to patrol, Peter listened to the sounds of the city, while Karen directed him to where he was needed. A few hours later, having helped a young woman carry her groceries, some lost tourists find the subway, and directing traffic at a broken traffic light, Peter had calmed himself. Helping the people of Queens could always put him in a good mood. It was already dark and his stomach loudly indicated it was time to head home for dinner when Karen interrupted his thoughts. 

“I have been informed that the Quinjet has been detected in New York airspace. Approximate arrival time 17 minutes,” Karen said in his ear. The flight path and ETA appeared in Peter’s HUD, blinking as the plane slowly closed in on the Tower. 

“They’re back?” Peter confirmed as he swung between buildings. 

“Yes, it appears so.” Karen replied. “However, there is no connection with the jet and FRIDAY cannot connect to passenger vitals.” That was surprising. Usually FRIDAY was able to update the MedBay to the Avenger’s vitals as soon as they entered NYC airspace when they were returning from a mission, letting them all know if there were injuries that needed to be treated. Peter had a feeling in the pit of his stomach. His spider sense told him something was wrong, but FRIDAY not knowing raised his senses even more. 

“I’m on my way,” Peter told Karen. He stopped his movement mid swing, flipping over himself and dropping a few feet before he sent out a web with a thwip. He flipped around to quickly head in the opposite direction of his apartment, swinging towards the Tower. 

…..

Peter arrived to the landing platform before the Quinjet. He stood next to Happy, watching as the jet hovered and landed in front of them. Frozen, Peter stared at the ramp as it lowered, eyes fixed on the feet appearing at the top. He held his breath as the Black Widow and Hawkeye slowly exited, leaning heavily on each other. Peter could see the bruises and cuts on the pair, even in the dark. Natasha’s eyes had dark circles under them and Clint’s were bloodshot. Thor followed slowly. Even the god looked exhausted. As they limped past Peter, he didn’t take his eyes off the jet. He took a step forward and paused as he saw more figures emerge. 

Peter watched in horror as Captain America and the White Wolf emerged from the jet, carrying between them the limp form of Iron Man, still in his suit. Bruce Banner followed behind them with a Starkpad monitoring the vitals of the unresponsive figure. From the corner of his vision, Peter saw the Med team and Dr. Cho rush forward with a gurney, shouting for updates on Tony’s status. 

“His oxygen is low, and he’s losing blood.” Dr. Banner told them. “He’s non-responsive, but stable for now.”

As the team wheeled Tony towards the entrance of the tower, Peter heard Steve say, “We know he’s injured, but can’t figure out where. He got knocked out and we can’t get him out of his suit. All our tech got fried and FRIDAY won’t open it. Somebody get a can opener before he bleeds out.”

That jolted Peter out of his shock. He ran over to the iron clad figure, stopping the gurney where it was about to move through the glass doors. Without needing to think the command, the nanobots in his suit retracted from the fingers on his right hand. As they slowly peeled themselves back, he pressed his fingers to the arc reactor in the center of Tony’s suit. A light flickered across the reactor as it scanned his biometrics. 

“FRIDAY, remove the suit.” Peter said hoarsely. “Override code PBP37, KGMOOTSN.” His hand remained in place, falling lightly to Tony’s chest as the iron suit retracted around him, Iron Man’s own nanobots retreating to their case in the arc reactor. The first thing Peter saw was the gash across the side of Tony’s head, blood staining the side of his face.

“Come on, we need to get him to MedBay now.” The team rushed forward, a swirl of movement and shouting as everyone vied to assess the injured man. Peter watched, his arm still extended as the still figure was wheeled away from him. 

A hand fell heavy on his shoulder, “Let’s go, kid.” Happy sighed. “We need to let Pepper and May know that he’s back. And try to find out what the hell happened out there.” Peter just nodded and let the older man lead him inside. 

…..

Natasha briefed Peter and Happy about the mission. They had been sent to a suspected Hydra control center. There were more agents than expected, and they were ready. When the Hydra agents had attacked, they sent a blast of energy that damaged all of the Avengers tech equipment. That included Tony’s suit. When he was still conscious, he was able to fly and fight but FRIDAY had become disconnected and the inertial dampening protecting him from major damage in the suit was disengaged. When rammed with a sonic cannon, courtesy of Hydra, Tony was blasted back into the side of a concrete building, causing his injuries and giving him a concussion. By the time he had been able to get himself back to the Quinjet, the damage had been done and he fell unconscious. The rest of the Avengers had managed to subdue the enemy, holding them there until SHIELD arrived to take over. Once released, they had rushed back to try to get Tony treated.

Two MRIs, an x-ray, surgery, and many hours later, Peter sat in the Iron Man Suite of the MedBay. His eyes were fixed on Tony’s face, calloused hand grasped in his own. He felt his spider sense ebb away, now knowing that Tony was out of danger, but his worry and anxiety at the man’s state remained, even increased. As he clutched his boyfriend’s hand, his thoughts spiraled back to when they had first gotten together. 

They had been dating for a few months now. But waiting at the bedside of a superhero never seemed to get any easier. Tony had been Peter’s mentor for almost 4 years now. Peter was in his last year at Midtown, and had turned 18 at the beginning of the school year. For New Years Eve, Tony had hosted a party for the Avengers, friends and family, and SI staff that worked closely with them. 

The common area where the party was held was full of people. Most of them Peter had worked with directly, others he had seen in passing. Earlier in the evening, he had spent time nerding out with the R & D interns, who were excited for the chance to finally talk to the Avengers themselves about the tech updates they had all worked on earlier in the year. After that, he and Bucky had tried to see how many skittles they could add to Clint’s drink before he noticed. The answer was 13. Now, he was where he most liked to be. At Mr. Stark’s side, laughing and scheming with the man who meant the most to him. 

“So, Mr. Stark,” Peter said, checking his watch. “It’s getting close to midnight. We’d better start looking for someone for you to kiss for New Year’s Eve.”

“You’re right, kid.” Tony replied mischievously. “Where’s Aunt Hottie? Think she would approve?”

“Mr. Staarrrkkk.” Peter whined, rolling his eyes and slapping the billionaire lightly on his arm.

Tony laughed. “Ya know, I think I am going to make your New Year’s Resolution be to start calling me Tony. No more Mr. Stark for you.”

Peter just rolled his eyes. He couldn’t count how many times they had had this conversation. He mostly just called him that now to annoy his mentor.

“Whatever. But you’re out of luck with Aunt May. I saw her making out with Happy a few hours ago over by the bar.” Peter shuddered. He definitely did not want to be thinking about his aunt making out with someone in the new year. 

“Oh well,” Tony shrugged. “She’s not really my type anyway.”

“No?” Peter asked, confused. Why did he call her Aunt Hottie if she wasn’t his type? He wondered. “What is your type then? We have a few minutes to find someone for you. Let’s narrow it down.”

Moving to stand at Peter’s side, shoulder pressing into his own, Tony looked out over the crowd as if in deep thought.

“Hmm, well, brunette,” he started. “Sassy, hot, tall but not too tall.”

“Still sounding like Aunt May, here.”

“Funny, adores me, obviously.”

“Okay, definitely NOT Aunt May.” Peter said, laughing to himself.

Tony turned his body so he was directly in front of Peter.

“Smart, a genius, smarter than me even.” he continued, eyes flicking across Peter’s face. The boy craned his head, still searching the crowd beyond the billionaire, trying to find someone to fit the list he was creating. There were a few people that fit that description in the room, although the options were becoming more and more limited. “Someone who is constantly a little shit, maybe someone who has super strength.” Peter took a sharp breath in, dragging his eyes to meet his mentor’s. “Curls that are begging to have my fingers run through them.” Tony raised his hand and ghosted his fingers around the edge of the unruly curls in front of him. “Get’s themselves into sticky situations, has a thing for webs… Sounding like anyone you know?” 

In the background, Peter could only faintly hear the party-goers around him start the countdown. He was so caught up in the man in front of him he didn’t really care though.

Ten.

Nine.

“Mr. Stark?”

Six.

“What do I need to do to get you to call me Tony, Pete?” 

Tony lightly cupped the side of Peter’s face, leaning in to kiss him as everyone around them shouted and blew their noise makers. Far too quickly, Tony pulled back, resting his forehead against Peter’s. 

“Happy New Year, Pete.”

“Happy New Year, Tony.”

Since that night, they had been even more inseparable than as mentor and mentee. Given their age difference, Tony wanted to take things slow. He knew how crazy the media would be if they saw them out together. He didn’t want to expose Peter to that while they were still trying to figure out how to be a couple, much less while he was still in high school. Their routine didn’t really change much anyway. They still had lab days and Avenger’s movie nights. But now they also had date nights in the Tower and started cooking together every so often. Tony was trying to correct May’s terrible influence with his own tried and true Italian recipes and cooking know-how courtesy of years of bachelor living. 

Once they told May, she sat Peter down for a very uncomfortable discussion. Reminding him that no matter what Tony said, Peter could say no at any time. It didn’t matter that Tony was his mentor, a billionaire, or Iron Man, if he was uncomfortable, he could leave. And that if he ever needed to talk about anything May would be there for him. After that, she had an even more uncomfortable conversation with Tony, while she held Ben’s heavy baseball bat, warning him that if he hurt a hair on Peter’s head, or broke his heart in any way, she would destroy him, and would tell Pepper, too. She also required Tony to come to their apartment at least once a month for dinner together, and started joining them for movie nights at the Tower when she was off work.

If Peter was hurt on patrol, anything more than a superficial scratch, he would now automatically head to the Tower to check in with Tony. Tony would either patch Spider-man up himself, or take him to the MedBay to be examined. Even though he could now see how startlingly often Peter was wounded, it relieved Tony to be able to care for his boyfriend in that way. The first few notifications from Karen about unchecked injuries had sent Tony into panic attacks until he could check Peter out himself. Peter would do the same for Tony after a mission, checking his wounds or sitting beside him in the MedBay. But more often showed his support and care by making Tony eat and sleep on a regular schedule, instead of bingeing in the lab surviving on coffee and inspiration all the time.

This was just one more time that Peter would sit by Tony’s side as he recovered.

Dr. Cho had done all she could to stabilize the fractured arm, dislocated shoulder, bruised ribs, slipped discs, cranial trauma, internal bleeding, and cuts and gashes across his body. She had been most concerned with his cranial trauma, electing to keep him in a medical coma for the night to give his body a chance to begin healing. She, Tony, and Peter had been working on a new treatment for advanced healing based on Peter’s spidey healing factor. After a few smaller scale trials on minor Avengers injuries, Tony's injuries would be the first application of the rapid healing for major trauma. While Dr. Cho expected it to work with Tony’s unenhanced biology, he would still be in for weeks of recovery. 

Peter planned to stay by his side throughout it all. 

The sound of the glass door sliding open jolted Peter to the present. Cap quietly entered the darkened room. Steve sat in the chair next to Peter, the repetitive beep, beep, beep, of the heart monitor and whooshing of the ventilator filling the silence between them. 

“He’s gonna be ok, Pete. Dr. Cho and Bruce did everything they could. It’s just gonna take him a few days to heal before he wakes up.” Peter just nodded, not taking his eyes off of the still figure in front of them. After a few more minutes in the silence of the hospital room, Steve asked him. “How did you get the suit off him, anyway? We couldn’t get FRIDAY to do it, even though she knew he was injured.”

That roused the teen. Shaking his head slightly, he mumbled. “Biometrics.”

“Huh?”

Peter sighed and turned towards Steve. He noticed the track marks of dried tears on the boy’s face, his hair was ruffled from running his fingers through his curls constantly, and his face was taut with worry. “Biometrics,” Peter said louder. “We programmed his suit to be linked to Tony’s biometrics. The suit will only respond to his data and commands to deploy and for special modes, like Instant Kill or Self-Destruct.”

“So then why did it open for you?”

Peter looked back to the hospital bed, his already worried face turning sad. “We added it as a failsafe. Just for fun. My biometrics are linked to his suit, and his are linked to mine.” He huffed a bitter laugh. “Not that he would need it for my suit. He would just cut it off and make me a new one if anything happened.” He sniffed, holding back as his eyes began to water. “It was supposed to be for laughs. Override code ‘Kid, get me out of this suit now’. It was just supposed to be another silly code giving me access to FRIDAY. Like how FRIDAY automatically records every time Tony falls asleep while working, just so I can make fun of him. Or how I can override the elevators to stop at every floor when I need FRIDAY to stall Tony when I’m planning a prank.” Peter wiped his eyes. “It wasn’t supposed to be for anything like this.” 

Steve didn’t reply. He wrapped his arm around the teen’s shoulders and pulled him into a hug, letting Peter sob into his shoulder until he finally quieted and pulled away. “Thanks, Cap.”

Steve just nodded, then stood to leave the two alone. He would do anything he could to help out Tony’s better half. Because they all knew that that’s what Peter was, Tony’s better half. No matter the doubts any of them had when they first got together, the two reflected the best of each other, and they had never seen either of them happier.

Chapter Text

Once again, Peter swung through the streets of Manhattan, webbing himself to the skyscrapers that lined his path back to Queens. After two nights sitting by Tony’s side in the MedBay, he couldn’t take it any more. Aunt May had let him stay by Tony’s side each night, but she and Happy had forced him to go to school during the day. Pepper was on her way back from Hong Kong, but had agreed that he needed to go to class. Dr. Cho and Bruce had both assured him that even though he was still asleep, Tony was fine and was just healing, so it would be fine for him to be away from his side for a few hours each day. Peter complied, but every second he could, he spent by his bed. Happy drove Peter to and from school on Wednesday and Thursday, just to be sure that he actually went. The rest of the team brought food and snacks throughout the afternoon and night, keeping Peter company and trying to ensure he didn’t ignore his metabolism and fall ill as he worried.  

He had been in the hospital for the past two nights and most of the day before he couldn’t sit still any longer. He needed to get out and stretch himself, distract himself by fighting crime. Usually he felt guilty if Spider-man hadn’t been out helping the people of Queens for a few days. They needed someone to protect them, and Peter was the one to do it. This time, however, his concern for the people of his neighborhood were not the reason Spider-man was roaming the streets. He wanted a fight. He needed something to take his mind off his worry, to make him feel anything aside from the spiraling sadness he felt without his partner. 

Peter instructed Karen to alert him to any robberies, fights, or other dangerous activities for the night, ignoring smaller scale events that Spider-man would normally respond to, like cats in trees, old ladies crossing the street, or saving damsels (or dudes) in distress. After stopping a corner store robbery, street fight outside of a bar, and a few muggings, Karen alerted him to a bank robbery in progress.

Being so late in the day, Peter knew the bank was currently closed, nonetheless, as he crept closer, Karen informed him that there appeared to be one hostage alongside the six robbers. It seemed that the bank manager had stayed late to work on some paperwork and was away from his desk when the robbers broke in. They had not been able to activate a silent alarm, and the police had not been informed. Peter told Karen to call the police as he surveyed the location of the robbers in his HUD. Once the police had been notified, Peter dropped down and casually entered through the door the robbers had used. 

“Is this bank doing late night hours now?” He asked as he casually webbed the lookout to the wall with a flick of his wrist, jerking his gun away with another. Peter quickly webbed the guns of the two other robbers in the room. “Their hours are just never convenient for me. So much swinging, so little time.” He jumped over one of the masked men, pushing him headfirst into a trashcan before dodging a punch from another. Webbing the two up, he followed Karen’s signals further into the bank. 

He glanced around the corner, assessing the situation as the bank manager was forced to watch the robbers drill into the vault door. Focusing on the armed men, he quickly webbed their guns away from them. He told the hostage to get away from them and run out to the front of the bank where the police were arriving. Peter let the criminals get close enough to him for an actual fight instead of webbing them up immediately. He dodged and weaved around the wild punches, easily subduing the men when neither had been able to land a punch. The masked man drilling into the vault finally stopped and looked around at the sound of the other two being webbed up. With a crazed smile on his face, the robber threw his drill at Peter, just before Peter could react. The drill slammed into the ribs on his left side with force, winding him. Doubled over, Peter webbed the man to the bank vault, rubbing his side. 

“What are you smiling at?” Peter asked as he rubbed his side. “You just failed to rob a bank.”

The man’s grin got larger just before his spider sense screamed and he heard a rustle of clothing behind him. He tried to turn but it was too late. A knife was stabbed into his right side and was quickly ripped out. Peter looked up, wondering who he could have missed when he came in. 

“You?” He exclaims. “Man, I just tried to save you!” He webbed the bank manager to the floor, grabbing the knife from his hand. “This is how you repay Spider-man, by stabbing him with a small knife? Not cool, man, not cool.” Shaking his head, Peter walked around the webbed attempted robbers, snuck out a side door and into the back alley, away from the police at the front of the building. 

“Spider-man, I have reported several injuries. Should I inform Mr. Stark?”

Peter paused, the anxiety that had finally been released from the fight came flooding back to him. “No, Karen. He can’t help right now anyway.” 

“As per the Baby Monitor Protocol, I must inform FRIDAY,” Karen responded after a moment. “She will inform Mr. Stark as soon as he is recovered. However, since the injuries are not life threatening, they will be flagged for monitoring unless they worsen. If they worsen, Mr. Stark and the rest of the team will be informed immediately.”

“Ok,” Peter sighed. “Thanks, Karen.”

In the alley, he webbed up his bleeding side before swinging to his and May’s apartment, finally drained of his energy.

…..

When he had gotten home the night before, May was still at work. There was a note on the counter saying she was working a double shift, and wouldn’t be home until the next morning. After watching a few YouTube videos, he stitched his stab wound closed, ate a snack, and fell asleep until his alarms sounded the next morning. 

Peter arrived at school on Friday morning right at 8am. He had sprinted from the subway station to the school, unwilling to receive another tardy warning in his first period class. His sides still ached from the bank, his wounds not healing as fast as they should. There was probably a reason but he didn't stop to think why it could be. He slowed however, when he noticed students and a school bus outside the front doors. Ned perked up and waved when he saw Peter approaching.

“Hey, man! You made it! I thought you were going to be late and miss the field trip.” His friend said as they did their secret handshake. 

“Field trip?”

“Yeah, man. Don’t you remember? We have the surprise field trip with the AcaDec team today.” 

Peter paled slightly. No, he hadn’t remembered. With the Avengers mission and Tony still unconscious in the MedBay, Peter had completely forgotten about their field trip.

“Hey, loser,” MJ greeted as she walked up to them. “Forget about the field trip?”

“I can’t believe you forgot, Peter!” Ned exclaimed. “It’s so exciting, they still won’t tell us where we’re going. It’s gotta be someplace great for them to keep it secret.”

“Yeah, sure.” Peter said with a half smile. They had all been excited when the trip had been announced a few weeks ago as a celebration for winning the regional tournament. Even though Peter had a terrible track record with field trips, this one was going to be in the city and was supposed to be even better than their previous trips. They even had to sign an NDA with their guardians along with their school permission slips. “MJ, you’re the head of the AcaDec team, do you know where we’re going?”

“Don’t worry about it, loser.” She said, neither confirming nor denying her knowledge. “You’ll have fun. And I’ll have fun watching it all.” She held up her Crisis Journal, smiling scarily. Ned and Peter both groaned as they were herded onto the bus. 

…..

The drive through the Manhattan traffic passed quickly. Ned and Peter argued over the newest Star Wars conspiracy, plans to build a new lego set the next weekend, and what movie they should watch at next week's movie night. MJ sat in front of them reading a thick book and occasionally adding to their conversation. They only began to look at the city around them when Mr. Harrington stood up at the front of the bus to make an announcement. 

“Ok everyone, we’re getting close to our destination.” Several students cheered. “I know, I know, we’re all excited. But, I want you all to remember that you are representatives of Midtown during this trip. You are all being acknowledged for your academic excellence and we want that to be reflected in your behavior during this field trip. I expect everyone to follow the rules, listen to the tour guide, and most importantly,” he met Peter’s eye as he said the following, “No running off.”

Their other chaperone, Mrs. Warren stood up from her seat as well. “Don’t forget you all signed NDAs and won’t be able to talk about this trip with anyone, but I don’t want you to be getting into any trouble while we are there, either.” She also looked at Peter, although her glare wasn’t as friendly as Mr. Harrington’s exasperated glance. “I don’t want to hear anyone talking about anything related to this company, except what we learn on the field trip. If anyone acts out of line, you will be sent to the lobby to wait for the rest of us to finish the tour.”

Peter gulped. Looking out the bus windows, he realized he recognized the area where they were. It couldn’t be. They couldn’t possibly be touring where he thought they were touring. 

He was wrong. 

“So, without further ado,” Mr. Harrington exclaimed, clapping his hands together, “we are going to be touring Stark Industries!”

Students shouted with excitement as the bus pulled up in front of the main entrance to the Stark/Avengers Tower. Peter just sat back in his seat, a stunned look on his face. MJ hurriedly turned back to him with a smirk and started sketching his face into her notebook. 

“Come on, everyone, off the bus. Line up and let’s get this tour started.”

Everyone oohed and awed as they entered the glamorous lobby. Peter followed their lead, pretending to look around and be impressed by the bright space, as if he didn’t see it almost daily. As Mr. Harrington went to check them in with reception, Mrs. Warren led them to one side. 

Spider sense nudging the corner of his mind, Peter waited for the inevitable. 

“So, Penis, ready to have your lies exposed?” Flash said, pushing Peter as he walked by. Peter lightly gripped his right side, wincing as his stitches were jostled. 

“He’s not lying, Flash.” Ned defended.

“Whatever, nerd. If you want to believe Puny Parker has an internship here, that’s on you. The rest of us are going to enjoy watching him get kicked out because of his lies.” Laughing derisively, Flash turned his back to walk over to his friends. 

Having heard the last part of the mean comment, Mrs. Warren approached them. “He is right, Peter. Your lies will be exposed today, whether you like it or not.” Peter stared at her in shock. “You should come clean now and admit you don’t have an internship here, before someone hears you. One misstep here and I will be sure to inform Principal Morita and you will face suspension.”

“Mrs. Warren, I have an internship here.” Peter started. Mrs. Warren cut him off, raising her hand to stop him.

“I don’t want to hear it, Peter. No more lies. I don’t want to hear another word about this fake internship. Behave and be quiet.”

She walked away. Peter, Ned, and MJ stared at her, unable to comprehend how one of their teachers could act like this.

“Didn’t you have to send in paperwork to the school about your internship?” MJ asked, incredulous. 

“Yeah, and Tony sends in reports each month with my projects.” Peter sighed and ran his hand over his face. For a brief moment he had forgotten where Tony was right now. “I know Mr. Harrington believes me at least. He and I talked about working with Dr. Banner a few weeks ago. He went to college with him.”

Their conversation was cut short as Mr. Harrington returned with their tour guide. 

“Hello, Midtown. I’m your tour guide Annabelle Herrera. I am an intern here and I work in the PR department. Before we start, I am going to pass out your visitors passes. These passes must be visible and present at all times while you are in the building so the building AI and security can identify you quickly. Please come up when I call your name. Sally Avril, Betty Brant…” One by one the students approached to collect their white visitor passes. Peter rubbed his temples at the headache that was forming, adding it to the list along with lingering pain in his sides. He hoped the other students and teachers wouldn’t make a fuss that he, Ned, and MJ didn’t receive passes. 

Once the tour guide had finished giving out passes to the other students as well as the teachers, she looked up. “Is there a Ned Leeds and Michelle Jones here?” 

Ned and MJ raised their hands. 

“It says here that you already have passes, do you have them with you or do you need temporary passes for the day?”

Luckily, they both had their passes in their backpacks and quickly pulled them out. Both passes were black with a red and blue border. 

Before Annabelle could continue, Flash jumped in, “Parker didn’t get a pass.” Peter groaned to himself. Of course Flash had noticed. “I bet he doesn’t already have one either.”

“Actually,” Annabelle said, looking down at her list again, “it says here that Peter Parker has already been issued one, too. Mr. Parker, do you have your pass with you?”

Peter patted his pockets, not remembering if he had grabbed it from his night stand after the last time he had used it. “Uh, no. I don’t think I have it with me.”

“Oh, that’s alright,” Annabelle said. She hesitated for a moment, looking confused, “Huh. That’s odd. The notes say you do not need one, so let’s just move on. We can ask security if an issue arises.” 

She walked over to the security scanners designated for visitors and tours. “Now, when you come up here, you will scan your passes, then pass through here to check your bags and electronic devices. Small bags, such as purses, can be taken with you on the tour, however larger bags such as backpacks must be checked. Your bags will be searched both before and after your tour to make sure nothing unauthorized is entering or leaving the building. Cell phones are allowed on the tour, however photography is only allowed in the Museum and the cafeteria. No video or audio recording is allowed at any point during the tour. Still photography only, no live photography. If you do not think you can follow these rules, your phones can be stored in the lock boxes with your other items.”

“Stark Industries is powered by Mr. Stark’s personal A.I., FRIDAY. She will be monitoring your activities throughout the trip. If any unauthorized activities are identified, security will be notified and the incident will be addressed accordingly. Additionally, please remember, Stark Industries has a zero-tolerance policy on bullying, not just for its employees, but for all persons inside the tower at all times. At a first offense, a warning will be issued. If there is a second offense, the offender will be removed from the building by security. Most of all, please remember, Stark Industries is a workplace. Although you get to tour it today, everyone here is actively working and their work may be confidential or dangerous. Always be aware of your surroundings and do not touch any equipment or ask questions to workers without their permission. Understood?”

The students murmured their agreement, ready to start the tour.

“Great,” Annabelle smiled. “Now, please form a line and come up to scan your passes.”

Flash pushed himself to the front of the line, eager to be the first to enter Stark Industries. He scanned his pass and walked through the scanner. 

“Eugene Thompson. Level 1c. Visitor.” 

Everyone looked around trying to find the speakers for the disembodied voice. “What was that?”

“That was FRIDAY. As I said, she monitors everything. Aside from announcing your clearance level and the floors in the elevator, she typically does not interact with anyone aside from high-level employees or in emergencies.” Annabelle motioned for Flash to continue. “Now, keep going forward to store your items with security.” She motioned for the next person in line to step forward. 

After the other students and Mrs. Warren had passed through the security gate, it was time for Ned, MJ, Peter, and Mr. Harrington to step forward. 

“Ted, Level 9a, Guy in the Chair.” Friday announced as Ned stepped through the gates, grinning. Usually he went through the back entrance with Peter and had never had his name and level announced like that. Peter rolled his eyes, of course Tony still had him labeled as Ted, no matter how many times Peter corrected him.

“Michelle Jones, Level 9a, Scary Lady #3.” MJ maintained a blank face as she walked through. The only indication of her pleasure at being called Scary Lady #3 after Pepper and Natasha was the quirk of a smile in her eyes. 

“What? Why is their’s different?” One of the students already through the gates exclaimed. Peter didn’t see who it was. All hopes of his team members not hearing his own status flew out the window.

“They already have passes issued and that is the information linked to their profiles,” Annabelle explained, guiding the line of students to the next security officer.

“Come on, Peter, you’re up,” Mr. Harrington said, motioning for him to walk through. “We can talk to one of the officers since you don’t have your pass.”

Peter just shook his head, put his hands in his pockets, and walked through, bracing himself for what was to come.

“Peter Parker, Still Just A Baby, Level 10a, All-Access.” FRIDAY’s robotic voice said before switching to the warmer lilt Peter was used to. “Welcome home, Mini Boss. You have 15 new messages and requests from R & D, Legal, and the Interns. Would you like to hear those messages?”

“No thanks, FRIDAY.” Peter shook his head, looking up at the camera in the corner of the scanner. “Are there any updates since… the last time I was here?”

“No, Peter. There have been no changes since last night. Status remains the same.” 

Peter let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. He visibly deflated learning that Tony was still up in MedBay, unconscious. 

“Should I inform everyone that you have arrived to the tower?”

“Yeah, you can tell them I’m on a field trip and will be up there as soon as I can. Thanks, FRI.”

Peter continued through security, passing his backpack to the security guard to be checked and locked up. He looked around at the astonished faces surrounding him. Even Annabelle and the security guys had surprised looks on their faces, never having heard someone having the highest clearance level, let alone FRIDAY have such a conversation before. When Peter did come in the front entrance, he alway chose the scanner farthest to the right, the one that didn’t announce his clearance level or require a bag check.

“What do the levels mean, Ms. Herrera?” Betty asked, breaking the awkward silence.

Jolting to turn to look at the student, their tour guide responded. “Oh, you can just call me Annabelle. Great question. The levels indicate your clearance access. The levels are 1 through 10 with sublevels a, b, and c. You guys are a visiting school tour and have the lowest clearance level, 1c. The press and visiting business tours have levels 1a and b. All level 1 passes must be accompanied by a higher level passholder. Level 2 clearance is for low level employees who are restricted to their one or two working floors, such as our cafeteria workers, and lobby receptionists. Levels 3, 4, and 5 are for interns and regular staff. My clearance as an intern and tour guide is 4b. Levels 6, 7, and 8 are high level workers and department heads. Level 9 is for the executives, board members, and personal guests of Level 10 passholders. And Level 10 is for the Avengers, our head of security and Ms. Potts. Finally, level 10a is restricted to only Mr. Stark, and his personal intern.”

Annabelle finished her spiel as she showed the AcaDec team into the elevator. Peter felt all eyes turn to him at her final explanation. Peter kept his eyes down, examining the frayed edge of Ned’s sweatshirt in front of him. 

“You’re not Tony Stark’s intern, Parker.” Flash scoffed. “He would never hire someone like you. How did you break into his A.I.?”

“That’s enough, Flash.” Mr. Harrington said, exasperated by his attitude. “Peter didn’t hack the A.I.”

Annabelle took a deep breath and asked FRIDAY to take them up to the SI and Avengers Museum. She could tell this was going to be a long, but interesting day.

Chapter Text

After touring the museum, marketing, PR, and having lunch in the cafeteria, Peter was finally starting to feel comfortable during the tour. His injuries only ached if he turned too quickly, and his headache had diminished after finally eating some food. Mr. Harrington’s rebuke had kept Flash off his case and Peter was enjoying learning more about Tony’s company. The only downside was that every time anyone mentioned Tony Stark or he saw a project they had worked on together, his anxiety spiked. After leaving the museum, they had all been instructed to turn off their phones if they still had them, so he hadn’t received any alerts or updates on Tony’s status. Peter knew that FRIDAY would inform him if anything bad happened to his partner, but wouldn’t interrupt his tour as long as everything was normal.

Next on the tour, they were headed to the R & D laboratories. Standing in the glass lined hallway, Annabelle waited for everyone to focus on her. “Alright everyone. Now we are going to go into one of our Research and Development Labs. This lab is one of the intern labs where products are designed and built before they pass on to testing and production. When we go in, there will be a short presentation by the Laboratory Director, a demonstration, then you can walk around and ask any of the interns about their projects.” The students whispered excitedly amongst themselves, ready to finally see some of the science they loved applied to real technology. “Please remember, DO NOT touch anything. Assume everything in this lab is dangerous, unless told otherwise. Do not bother anyone who is working, sleeping, or otherwise occupied. You can talk to the interns after the demonstration, but if they decline, please respect their wishes. After this, we will head to another lab where you will be working in groups to build your own product, so pay attention and listen for any inspiring ideas.”

Ned was bouncing on his feet, grasping Peter’s arm in excitement. Peter knew this was a part of the tour for STEM schools like theirs and for college students, but he hadn’t been on a tour to experience it yet. He was excited for Ned to ask a million questions to the interns and build his own tech. On the other hand, Peter was not excited to enter the lab. This was one of the labs he frequently visited. Dr. Kalari, the lab director, knew him well and often contacted him when one of the interns had a problem that they couldn’t solve and needed an extra set of eyes. Through the window, he recognized Melanie, Amir, and Qora as interns he often worked with. He knew there was no way to hide from them all, and squared his shoulders to prepare himself for whatever came next. 

Dr. Kalari presented herself and the interns, explaining how the lab worked, the projects they worked on, and what they did when a project was approved or denied. Peter’s classmates were captivated. At the end of her presentation, she asked for questions.

“Do you decide on the projects or are you given projects to work on?” Sally asked.

“Usually, we have set projects that we take on. For example, we always work on the upcoming model StarkPhone, fixing issues from the previous version and designing new materials for updated functionality. There are some projects that I choose, or that the interns vote on working on. For example, Melanie,” she motioned to the curly redhead in the corner, “is working on a project we voted on together. Melanie?”

The girl stood up from her work and explained to the group, “We voted together to work on this. This is a robotic home surveillance device designed by Mr. Stark’s intern. The idea is that the robot will not only monitor home security, but will also alert first responders to medical emergencies, such as for the elderly or disabled. This is the first step towards a First Response drone that would be able to dispatch medical aid before first responders are able to arrive at the scene.”

Pressing a few buttons, the small robot beeped twice before greeting the students and walking around the table. Melanie demonstrated a few commands and functions of the bot.

“Thank you, Melanie.” Dr. Kalari said, turning back to the tour group. “Are there any other questions?”

“Can high school students be interns?”

He expected Flash to ask that at some point today. Unsurprised, he waited for Dr. Kalari to respond. As anxious as this field trip would have made him if he knew about it in advance, as it was, Peter couldn't care less. His side burned where the skin from his stab wound pulled at his stitches. He had checked it in the bathroom earlier and it wasn't healing as fast as it should. On his other side, his fractured ribs ached and a large purple bruise covered most of his side. His headache had subsided but was still a constant thrum behind his eyes and he couldn't wait to get back to the MedBay. Whether he was awake or not, at the end of this trip, Peter was going to curl up on the bed next to Tony and drink in the fact that his partner was alive and next to him. 

“Stark Industries does not accept high school interns, unfortunately. So if,” before she could continue, the lab director was rudely interrupted. 

“Hah!” Flash practically yelled. “I knew it, Penis! They don't hire high schoolers as interns. You're just a pathetic liar!”

“Mr. Thompson, that is unacceptable!”

“Flash, stop that right now!”

Annabelle and Mr. Harrington both tried to control the smug looking boy. Mrs. Warren just looked on with a similar smug expression, glaring at Peter.

“If you would let me continue,” Dr. Kalari raised her voice over the protests and continued insults of the bully. “I was going to say that if any of you wanted to apply, you can after your second year of college. But you, Mr. Thompson, is it? Have no need to apply. You will be immediately rejected.” Flash's grin turned into a scowl. She continued “There is one exception to the intern rule, however. Mr. Stark's personal intern is a high school student. Peter Parker is the only exception to this because he is technically employed by Mr. Stark himself, not SI.” Dr. Kalari watched as the students turned once again to stare at Peter. He blushed and waved back at them all. “We have all personally worked with Peter both by himself and alongside Mr. Stark on many occasions. He has proven himself countless times to be an extraordinarily intelligent and kind person that rivals most of the lab directors, let alone the interns.”

“Thanks, Dr. K.” Peter said quietly, blushing furiously at both the attention and praise. He looked at the faces staring at him. Flash glared daggers at Peter, seething. Mrs. Warren scowled, even if he wasn't lying, Peter was still her least favorite student. Mr. Harrington smiled fondly at his student, finally getting direct confirmation of what the internship reports stated. MJ drew furiously in her Crisis Journal trying to document all the surprised looks of their teammates. Betty and Abe looked surprised that the lab director gave him such high praise, but were also happy for him. The other AcaDec team members looked shocked, that both Peter hadn't been lying and that he had such a huge influence.

Clapping her hands together to bring the attention back to her, Annabelle addressed the group. “Alright, well, why don’t you all wander around the lab for a little bit and talk to the interns. Please remember to not touch anything and do not bother anyone who is working.”

Releasing them, the teens began to disperse around the lab. Peter took a second to refocus himself before going over to thank Dr. Kalari. They spoke for a few moments before she was called away by one of the interns. Peter started to walk towards Ned and MJ on the other side of the room when his senses began to tingle.

“Whatever, Penis.” Flash muttered with anger. “You're still just a stupid orphan.”

With that, the bully sharply elbowed Peter and shoved him as he walked by.

Peter gasped, pain radiating through his side. Unbalanced by the sudden pain and the shove, Peter fell against one of the tables, barely muffling a scream as a crack echoed through the room. Everyone went deathly quiet as he grasped the edge of the table to prevent himself from collapsing. He clasped his other hand firmly against the wound on his right side, placing pressure over the surely bleeding injury.

Before anyone could react, FRIDAY's voice sounded loudly through the ceiling. “Injured Baby Protocol activated. Assistance will be arriving shortly.” 

…..

When Peter and his team had passed through security around 9am that morning, FRIDAY had been correct in discretely informing Peter that Tony Stark was still unconscious in the MedBay. It wasn't until the tour group had finished in the museums and had entered the marketing department that there was any change. Because Peter had turned his phone off, he did not receive the alerts from FRIDAY, Karen, Pepper, or Happy that one Tony Stark, love of Peter's life, Han to his Leia, was now awake. And that he was asking for him. 

Happy had informed Tony that Peter was currently on a field trip there in the building, but that he wasn't allowed to interrupt said trip until Bruce had thoroughly looked him over and cleared him of any lasting damage. Unhappily, Tony agreed. Not that Pepper would have let him do otherwise anyway.

Both Bruce and Dr. Cho had run a number of tests, checking him for signs of brain damage, his vitals, and the progress of the healing patches before forcing him to eat and letting him debrief with Steve. Tony remained in his drab hospital gown throughout, instead of changing into the pajamas Peter had left on a side table for him. Tony laughed when he saw them. Of course the little shit would bring him Spider-man pajamas. He knew that was Tony’s favorite Avenger.

Once Steve, Happy, and Pepper finally left, Bruce stayed with Tony to talk about what he could expect for his recovery and how he felt actually using the advanced healing patches as the first test subject. They wanted him to stay in MedBay to be monitored over the next few days to see if there were any complications from the patches, and would be checking them every couple of hours. Their conversation about the strange creeping feeling Tony felt along his spine as his discs slipped back into place was interrupted by an alert from FRIDAY.

“Injured Baby Protocol Activated. Medical assistance required on Floor 37, Lab 7A.”

Tony and Bruce both jumped at the emergency message. “FRI, what happened?” Tony asked.

“Mini Boss has been injured. He is currently bleeding, showing three broken bones, and is experiencing difficulties breathing.”

Before the AI could finish her message, Tony had ripped out his IV, leapt out of the bed, and grabbed the pajama pants from the table next to him. Not waiting for Bruce to react, he ran to the already open elevator, trusting FRIDAY to take him to the right place. Before the doors closed, he saw Bruce dive over a desk to grab his medical bag and run after him to the adjacent awaiting elevator.

…..

“Mr. Parker, stop being dramatic and come over here.” Mrs. Warren huffed sourly, moving towards Peter. “Stop interrupting the class with your behavior. You should be interacting with the interns, not causing problems.” She moved to grab his arm to pull him towards the group of students, but stopped when he raised the hand not covering his wound.

“Don’t,” he wheezed. The teacher glared at him once again, but paused her advance. 

“Peter, are you OK?” asked Dr. Kalari. “Do you need to sit down?”

He shook his head, attempting to breathe slowly. He couldn’t think through the pain. “Just- just give me a m-minute.” Noticing the bent edge of the metal desk he had been grasping, he forced himself to loosen his grip before anyone noticed the damage his superstrength was causing. After a few breaths, he tried to stand up straighter to continue on with the tour. He felt a pull and something wet on his hand. He looked down and pulled his hand away from his side. It was covered in blood. Gasps echoed through the room as both the students and interns noticed.

“Peter, you’re bleeding!” one of the students shouted. 

He didn’t know who it was, too busy processing. Examining the blood dripping from his open hand, he thought This is more blood than there should be. I should’ve healed a lot more than this by now. He closed his eyes and swayed slightly against the desk, suddenly nauseous. Hopefully his medical assistance would arrive soon and he could be excused from this hellish tour. Without looking, he pressed his hand firmly back against his side, taking another shallow breath.

Slightly more composed, Peter channeled his Spider-man persona, a sheepish grin plastered across his face. Eyes opening, he smiled towards his teammates. “I, I’m fine. I j-just n-needed a minute to c-catch my breath.” Trying to reassure them, he continued, “You guys should keep looking around.” The teen paused to take another rattling breath. “A-Amir is working on a solar powered phone battery, and Johanna has designed a s-sonic taser.”

The class just stared back at him. While they no longer had shocked looks on their faces, most continued to be concerned. MJ had been texting furiously on her phone since the incident, anger radiating from her. Everyone’s gaze snapped from the injured boy to the main entrance of the lab as a figure stumbled through.

“Peter?”

Clad in a hospital gown and Spider-man pajama pants, Tony Stark rushed through the door, limping slightly. His hair was askew, he was barefoot, and blood slid down his arm from the hastily removed IV, but his gaze was fixed on one point. Peter Parker. 

At the sound of the door opening, Peter had turned, expecting Bruce or Dr. Cho to come to help him. To say he was surprised would be an understatement.

“Tony?” He took a hesitating step away from the desk he had been supporting himself on. 

 “You’re awake?” His voice broke as he took another step, and stumbled.

Tony sprinted forward, catching his partner in his bandaged and casted arms, holding him as they both collapsed on the floor. Peter’s eyes didn’t leave Tony’s as the older man hugged him tightly before pulling away to look over his boyfriend. 

“Yeah, sweetheart. I’m awake. I’m fine, just a little beaten up.” Peter felt his eyes begin to fill in relief.

“Oh, thank the gods.” he whispered as a tear fell down his cheek. Tony pressed a soft kiss to his lips before he reached up to wipe away the tears.

“I know, tesoro. ” Tony whispered. “I'm ok. You can't get rid of me that easy.” He wrapped his casted arm around Peter, settling him more comfortably on the floor in front of him. “What happened? Why did FRI send an emergency medical alert?” 

They both ignored the gasps around them as the door once again opened and Bruce rushed to their sides with his medical bag. Tony’s gaze didn’t leave Peter’s face as the doctor began to look him over. His arm stayed looped around his shoulder, supporting him as Bruce motioned to his torso. 

“Flash elbowed me.” Peter started. “Caught me off balance. Ruptured my stitches.”

Bruce moved Peter’s blood stained hand away and lifted his shirt to reveal the wound. He let out a hiss at the sight. Tony looked down, anger flickering across his face before falling behind a calm mask. He couldn’t let Peter know how upset he was, upset that his tesoro was injured and he hadn’t known. 

As Bruce cleaned up the wound, Tony asked. “Pete, why do you have stitches?”

“Got stabbed.”

“When?”

“Last night. Bank robbery.”

“Why didn’t you tell me? Why didn’t you come here to have it looked at?” They had gone over this time and time again. If Peter was injured during patrol, or any other time, really, he was supposed to let Tony know. Karen should have informed him and made Peter come in to be patched up.

Tears dripped down Peter’s face at the question. “I couldn’t.” He whispered. “You weren’t there. You were un-unconscious. I had been waiting at your bedside for three days for you to wake up.” He sniffed, gasping lightly at the pain in his ribs. “I couldn’t. I couldn’t come back and see you like that again.”

Tony hugged him closer, nuzzling his nose into his partner's hair. His own eyes watered at the devastation in the younger man's voice. 

Bruce pulled his stethoscope from his bag, grabbing Peter’s attention. “Pete, your breathing doesn’t sound too good and FRIDAY said your oxygen levels were dropping. Have you had any lung damage?”  

“Ribs.” Peter answered shortly. Bruce lifted the other side of Peter’s shirt revealing the dark bruise extending from under his arm to his abdomen. 

“Jesus, Pete.” Bruce exclaimed. Tony let out a string of curses while simultaneously squeezing Peter's shoulders. The doctor moved closer, gently prodding his ribcage, focusing on a spot in the middle where his skin was indented.

“Fractured them last night. When Flash pushed me, I lost my balance and fell against the desk.” he said, more composed, nodding to the metal desk closest to them. “They broke.”

Finishing his examination, Bruce sat back on his heels. “You have a punctured lung.” He said to Peter. Turning his head slightly, looking at the camera in the corner of the lab, he addressed the A.I. “FRIDAY, get Steve and Bucky here ASAP. Tell Cho and the medical team to prep the OR and have the X-ray on standby. Kid, we need to get you into surgery before it starts to he-...” he cleared his throat, correcting himself. “Before you damage your lungs anymore.” Bruce, Tony, and Peter all knew the damage it would cause if Peter’s healing factor began to kick in, healing his lungs around the broken ribs that penetrated it. The rest of the observers, however, did not need to know that information.

Everyone turned as once again, the lab doors burst open, this time revealing Captain America and the White Wolf. “Guys, what happened?” Steve said, taking in the scene.

“Peter’s hurt. We need to get him and Tony back up to the MedBay right now.” Bruce said, taking the lead. “Bucky, can you grab Peter?” 

Bucky knelt by the boy, looking him over before lowering his shirt to cover his wounds. “What hurts most right now, Pete?”

Peter thought for a second, assessing his pain. “Ribs,” nodding towards his left side. 

Moving to the side where Tony was currently clutching him, Bucky scooped Peter up with one arm under his knees, and his metal arm behind his back. Peter groaned in pain as he was lifted by the supersoldier.

“Sorry, kid.”

“It’s ok. Thanks, Bucky.”

“You’re welcome, Petey.” They exited the door quickly, moving as fast as the White Wolf dared.

“Steve, come help me with Tony. He still shouldn’t be out of bed.” Bruce motioned to the billionaire, moving to help him up off the floor. 

Once standing, Tony turned to the tour group, face darkening. Ignoring the teenagers, he addressed the lab director. “Dr. K, I'm sorry about all the excitement. I'll have someone sent in to clean up the mess. Make sure no one gets close to it until then.” He gave her a curt nod.

“Thank you, Dr. Stark.” Dr. Kalari replied, moving forward to stand between the students and the blood that had dripped onto the floor. She glanced behind her at the sound of squeaking wheels being rolled across the tiled floor. “Ah, but it looks like that may not be necessary?”

Ned walked forward, covered in disposable biohazard gear and gloves, rolling a cart with towels, cleaning agent, and supplies to properly dispose of and remove Peter's mutated blood from the room.

“Nedward.” Tony said, nodding at the boy. “You remember what to do?”

“Yes, Mr. Stark, Iron Man, sir. Peter showed me what to do. I’ll take care of it.” Ned replied before starting to clean. 

“HA!” A laugh echoed through the still quiet lab. “So not only does Parker lie about being an intern here, Leeds is a janitor? What a loser!”

Tony turned and glared daggers at the boy he knew to be Flash. “If it isn't the reason we are all here. Ted is not a loser, nor is he a janitor here. It just so happens that he hangs out around the Avengers often enough that he knows how to properly clean up a blood spill. Something you will never have the occasion to learn.” Tony stepped closer, pulling Steve forward with him as he leaned heavily on the super soldier. “I’ve heard all about you, Eugene Thompson. I know how you have bullied Peter for years. Ned, too. Pete’s too good of a person to fight back, but I’m not. Touch him again, speak to him, hell, even think about him one more time and you will get much, much worse than you could ever do to him.” The bully paled, trembling at the enraged superhero. “I don’t know why he puts up with your shit. I would have had you expelled years ago if he would have let me.” 

Disgusted with the boy, Tony turned to the teachers. “Roger, I know you’re Peter’s favorite teacher and that you’ve supported him. Make sure this incident is reported correctly. You, other, likely terrible teacher from Midtown, I expect proper actions to be taken. If I hear that this was swept under the rug, I will not hesitate to sue you all. I know you look the other way for kids with rich parents, but believe me. I have more money than all those parents. Combined. Tripled. And I’m not Peter’s parent. I am much, much more important than that. And he is much, much more important to me than that.” Having thoroughly cowed the teachers, he turned once more.

“Ted, MJ, once the tour is over, come upstairs. I’m sure Pepper has gotten all of your texts, MJ, but I want to hear it all. Ted, we have a new lego set in the Penthouse that Peter has been waiting to put together with you. I’m sure he will appreciate your company while we are both recovering. Don't forget to give the bag to Brucie when you're done.” Nodding, he turned to Steve, and limped to the elevator, anxious to be by his partner’s side. 

Ned quietly passed a black light along the area Peter had occupied, checking for any missed droplets that could be used to identify or replicate the enhanced genes his friend gained from his spider bite. While Ned had plenty of opportunities to learn to clean up enhanced bloodstains, it wasn’t because he spent time with the Avengers, as Mr. Stark had told everyone else. Ned had been cleaning up Peter’s injuries long before Tony Stark figured out who Spider-man was. He even had his own biohazard kit stuffed into the back of his closet for the times Peter stumbled through his window, exhausted, bruised, or bleeding after a patrol. Once Peter started his internship and began to spend more time at the Tower, he showed Ned how to clean up after the other Avengers, as well. Since Peter now went to the Tower to be fixed up by his partner, Ned’s cleaning duties mostly consisted of helping his friend out when he stabbed himself with a screwdriver while they were messing around in the lab. Either way, Ned knew the importance of eliminating all evidence that Peter was enhanced. All it would take was one drop of blood from an unsuspecting student to fall into the hands of some supervillain and they would have an army of spiders attacking New York. 

Ned shivered at the thought as he stuffed the dirtied towels and biohazard gear into the bag. He neatly tied it up and handed it to Bruce. “Here you go, Dr. Banner, sir. That’s all of it.”

“Thanks, Ned. Good work.” Bruce smiled at the boy as he picked up his own medical bag along with the biohazard bag. He caught Mr. Harrington’s eye as he finished speaking with Flash. “Roger, are we still on for coffee tomorrow?”

“Of course.” Mr. Harrington replied quickly. “I’ll see you at our regular spot at eleven.” Surprised murmurs passed through the class as students heard the interaction. Did their dorky science teacher really know the Hulk? They had all thought that his story that he went to college with Bruce Banner was a myth, or at least an exaggeration, not that they regularly had coffee together.

Nodding, Bruce turned and joined Tony and Steve in the elevator before the doors closed and the heroes were gone. 

The lab was silent as the Avengers left, they were shocked, amazed, and horrified by what had just occurred. Most of the students and interns were worried about their companion, knowing that Dr. Banner and Mr. Stark would take care of him. Mr. Harrington was horrified that Flash’s bullying had been going on for so long and had apparently been pushed under the rug by his fellow teachers. He was ashamed that one of his students had treated another so cruelly. 

“Alright, everyone.” Annabelle said, composing herself. “I think that has been enough for the tour. Let’s go down to the lobby and you guys can visit the gift shop or ask me any questions you may still have. Mr. Thompson, Mrs. Warren, I will escort you to security where you can wait until the rest of the group has finished. Your actions have surpassed the zero-tolerance policy of SI and you will not be invited to return in the future.” Cooly, Annabelle herded the group towards the exit, thanking Dr. Kalari and the interns for their hospitality as they left.

…..

Later that night, Peter curled up to Tony's side in the billionaire’s hospital bed. The surgery had quickly readjusted his broken ribs and Dr. Cho was confident that with rest and an IV, Peter’s advanced healing would start to kick in soon. Pepper, MJ, and Ned had waited with Tony, updating him on everything that had passed between Peter and Flash over the past few years, and about the past week without Tony. While Peter was recovering (in a bed added to Tony’s room), he and Ned started putting together their pre-release Lego Stark Tower that Tony had pulled strings to get them. MJ read on the sofa across from them, every once in a while standing to add a piece to the tower, or making a quip about how nerdy they were. Tony watched them from his hospital bed, happy that they were enjoying themselves and hadn’t been too traumatized by the field trip. After a dinner of cheeseburgers and fries, Happy drove the two teens home, finally leaving Peter and Tony alone. 

“Why do you get to get out of your bed, but I have to stay in mine?” Tony complained. 

“Because I’m a super spider and you’re just a regular guy.” Peter snarked as he nestled his head against his boyfriend’s chest. “You heard Helen, I’m already half healed. You still have a lot to go. You haven’t even been conscious for 12 hours yet.” 

Tony ran his hand up and down Peter’s back, reveling in the gentle weight pressed against him. 

“Yeah, yeah. Whatever. I guess it’s not so bad as long as I have my breathing weighted blanket with me.” Peter playfully nudged him in the stomach, laughing at the comparison.

“Yeah, and I have my personal space heater.” 

Tony kissed Peter’s curls. “I’m sorry it’s been such a rough week for you. And that I wasn’t there to help you through it.”

“It’s ok. It was a shit week.”

“Language.” Peter rolled his eyes.

“But you had it a lot worse. I can deal with some worrying while you are out on a mission, but seeing you come back like that was horrible.”

“I know, baby.” Tony said quietly, fingers running through brunette curls. “And I know you can deal with it, but you shouldn’t have to. Bruce told me that the reason your healing factor hadn’t kicked in was because of everything that had happened this week.” At Peter’s confused hmm, he continued. “FRIDAY told me you’d been worried since we left. Said you haven’t been eating enough, haven’t slept, your anxiety was worse than it has been in a while… I know it’s because of me, but I need you to take care of yourself, even when I’m not here to help.”

“Oh,” Peter said, not looking up from where he rested his head on Tony’s chest. “It was ok until the comms went out. After you hadn’t answered in a few days, and Fury wouldn’t let us go look for you, it got bad.”

A hand to his chin lifted Peter’s gaze to his boyfriend’s eyes. “Pete, I’m never gonna leave you if I can help it. But we both know I won’t be around forever. I need to know that you will be ok. Happy, Pep, May, the team, even Ted and MJ are all looking out for you. Let them help.” Peter nodded, unshed tears glistening. “I never imagined that you would want to be with an old guy like me, but you did. And I won’t let you change that.”

“You’re not that old, Mr. Stark.” Both laughed at Peter’s imitation of his younger self. It had taken years for Tony to convince him to stop calling him Mr. Stark. It was only after their first kiss that Peter had dropped the moniker and started calling him by his name. “We both have dangerous hobbies, Tony. I might not always be here either. You’ve done so well since we met, and I don’t want you to be reckless either, when I’m not there to stop you. You have to be careful. Iron Man is strong, but not invincible. Spider-man can heal quickly, but isn’t immortal. Our alter-egos are only one part of each of us. I want to spend my life with Tony Stark as Peter Parker. If there comes a day when it’s too dangerous to be Iron Man and Spider-man, or we just don't want to anymore, we have to accept that. I can’t lose you, Tony. You’re too important.”

Tony felt his throat clog with tears, his vision already blurry as they ran down his face. His only response was to pull Peter even closer to him, silently crying into his hair. They stayed like that until Tony’s arm began to go numb. Pulling back, he met chocolate eyes. 

“I love you so much, Peter. You deserve so much in this world and I am going to do my best to make sure you get it.”

“I love you too, Tony. The only thing I want is you.”

Peter gently kissed his lips, tears mingling. They both knew that they would continue to be part of the Avengers for as long as they could. Even though they were very different people from their alter-egos, their identities were such deep parts of themselves that they would never stop being heroes. Together, they fell asleep on the narrow hospital bed. Iron Man and Spider-man put on hold while Tony and Peter enjoyed life.