"Okay Mr. Smith, I'll get you the money by Thursday. Okay. I will." Peter said calmly into the phone before hanging it up. He rubbed at his temples some feeling a headache come on. It had only been a month since his aunt's passing , that he needed to figure out a way to pay the bills. He sighed heavily looking at his iron spider suit displayed on the wall. Sure he was an avenger, but that didn't have a paycheck.
He'd already tried several times to get a job in town, each time it fell through. He really needed money by the end of the week. Heck he needed the money last week. Peter grabbed on his jacket suppressing a yawn. He stepped out onto the roadway and hurried along. It was close to six in the morning, and honestly he should be asleep right now, still. Peter passed by the still closed convenience store. It was tempting. Too tempting.
"I'm so sorry Mr. Stark. Forgive me for this." Peter mumbled softly.
He walked close to the door grabbing a safety pin from his jacket and worked on the lock. It clicked open and in Peter stepped. The place wasn't alarmed ,but that didn't mean he could take his time here. Peter could practically here Tony yelling at him for this, but he had no other choice.
He sucked in a breath, and made his way behind the counter. The register was within reach, and he quickly pressed the button on it, snapping the drawer open. There was a wide assortment of ones, fives ,tens and twenty stuffed neatly into the various slots. Peter took the money stuffing it into his jacket pocket and shut the drawer. He took off outside , rushing to get away as fast as possible. Peter felt his heart racing and his chest tightening on him.
This was wrong. This was oh so wrong. He's the good guy. He saves people.
Peter calmly made his way back to his apartment. The money still stuffed in his pockets. It was enough to pay rent , get food and then some for the next three months. He got to his apartment block and rushed up the steps. Once Peter was finally back in his place, he sat down on the couch.
He snapped off his jacket and quickly dug out the money from his pockets, laying it on the table before him. Peter felt sick to his stomach. He shouldn't have done this. This really wasn't right at all.
He gathered some of the money needed for the rent for Mr. Smith and then hid the rest of it. Peter calmly walked down the hallway, knocking on his landlords doorway. "Ah Mr. Parker. Is that the rent money you owe me?" Mr. smith asked smiling warmly at the young teen. Peter nodded his head , handing him the money.
Peter then turned on his heels wanting to get away from him as fast as possible. He got back inside his place snapping the door shut and slid down it. This was just going to be a one time thing and that was it.
Peter hadn't expected the knock at his door suddenly and about jumped out of his skin. I Panic welled up inside him, fearing it was the police, fearing that the money he stole had some type Of tracker on it. He slowly got up preparing himself for the worse, but was a bit shocked to see Pepper standing there. "Oh hey. It's been a while." Peter said softly opening the door to let her inside.
"Yeah it has. You know you always have a room at the tower. Regardless of everything that's happened. It's still yours." She said warmly with a small smile. Peter sighed softly rubbing the back of his neck some.
His eyes were bloodshot and it looked like he had dark marks under them as well. It didn't help he was slightly shaking as he stood either. It just Pepper worry about him more so.
"I know Pepper ,but it's fine. I'm okay. I swear. Besides I can't do that to you after everything that has happened." Peter said seriously making Pepper sigh sadly.
"Peter things were said that shouldn't have been said. It wasn't right on either party. But you need to know that if you need any of us, will we be there to help. You got to remember that. Okay." Pepper said gently to him seeing his face fall suddenly.
"Here can you give him back the suit. I haven't touched it since the incident." Peter said honestly taking the suit down from the wall and handing it off to pepper. She looked at the suit shocked and then to Peter.
"Peter Tony gave you this suit for a reason."
"I don't deserve it anymore pep. Not after what I've done." Peter said shoving the suit into her grasp.
"Peter. Tony didn't mean any of that. He was just upset, that was all. Come back to the Tower, please Peter it's taken me this long to finally find you." Pepper said gently to him.
"I can't face them Pepper. I just can't. I'm sorry." Peter said seriously his head down in shame.
"You don't have to. Just thought I'd let you know, you still have another home to go to, should you ever get tired of being alone in this one." Pepper said gently.
Peter walked her out helping her inside her car and then walking back inside. Pepper sighed softly the suit laying next to her in the seat of the car. She looked so sad as she slowly drove off for the Tower. The moment she pulled into the driveway, she broke down crying. "P...He gave back the suit." Tony said softly looking at it with regret.
"He said he doesn't deserve the suit. Not after what he's done Tony. You need to fix this, dammit!" Pepper snapped at him through tear soaked eyes pounding on the car's horn, scaring a few pigeons nearby.
"How." Tony said simply making Pepper sigh sadly.
"I don't know….I don't know. He looks like a wreck Tony and he hasn't touched the suit since the incident." Pepper said softly rubbing at her eyes some.
"He hasn't since……" Tony got out softly rubbing his temples some.
"Where did you find him." Tony said seriously grabbing the suit back.
"The apartment complex near Liberty and Tony, you're not gonna like what you see." Pepper warned him as he took off.
Tony landed at the apartment complex with a thud and slowly made his way inside. He found Peter's room and slowly knocked on it. Peter sighed softly standing up from the couch and opened the door shocked. "Mr. Stark. What are you…." Peter got out before his iron spider suit was handed back to him.
"No...no. I don't deserve this suit Anymore, I don't." Peter said panicking some as Tony insisted on giving the suit back to him.
"Peter yes you do…" Tony said firmly making sure Peter kept the suit. Peter broke down crying suddenly his head down.
"You don't understand Tony." Peter said his head down in pure shame and Tony stood there confused.
"Yes you do Peter. Don't ever forget that." Tony said gently.
"No...you don't understand Tony. I...I robbed the convenience store." Peter said seriously his head still down in shame.
"No...no Peter. Dammit. Why didn't you ask for help? We would have helped you." Tony said seriously to the younger man.
"I couldn't face any of you after all that happened. I just couldn't. I'm sorry. It was only once and it was two months ago. I was just...I was desperate for money for the bills. That's all." Peter said looking up at Tony through tear soaked eyes.
"I don't know what to say Peter. What you did wasn't right at all. Robbing someone. That's not you...that's not you." Tony said seriously ashamed of himself , for letting Peter think he had to turn to robber.
"But...what how we reacted all those years ago wasn't right either." Tony said placing his hand on the boy's shoulder.
Peter looked up at him and stood up with Tony's help. "I still have most of the money. I only used it to pay for rent and that's it." Peter said shakily.
"You haven't been eaten have you Peter." Tony said softly following him inside. Peter peeled off a loose floorboard and gathered the remaining money, shoving it into Tony's hands.
"How could I...after the fight with all you, then May's passing and this…" Peter said gesturing to the money.
"I don't know what to do Mr. Stark. I don't….." Peter said burying his face in his knees.
"I tell you what you need to do. You need to come back to the Tower. I'll talk with others about what's happened. Okay. You don't have to be alone anymore Peter. You still have us as part of your family. You need to always remember that." Tony said helping Peter up.
Peter sniffled some making Tony pull him close and hug him. "I shouldn't have kicked you out like I had Peter, and I'm sorry. " Tony said seriously making Peter cry more so.
Once Peter seemed to be calmed down, Tony let him go. "Now ,then, put on your suit and let's get going." Tony said simply.
Peter stared at the suit sucking in a breath as he placed it on. "Welcome back Peter. It's been a while." Karen's chirpy voice greeted Peter.
"Ready to go?" Tony asked Peter getting a faint head no from him.
"Next stop avengers tower." Tony said talking off with Peter close by him. It had been awhile since he flew in the suit, so he was a bit shaky.
Peter has almost forgotten how big the city he lives in is from this high up. It was almost mesmerizing. It made him wonder why he stopped doing this.
The duo landed at Avengers tower and Peter just stood there in the driveway. "Pete you coming?" Tony asked looking back at him. Peter looked at him wide eyed ,not budging.
"Hey...this is still your home just as much as that apartment room. Remember that." Tony said placing his hand on Peter's shoulder and giving it a squeeze.
"Yeah...okay...okay…" Peter said softly shaking his head and following Tony on inside.
"Peter!" Pepper said happily rushing to greet him. She snapped her arms around him, hugging him, like a mother's whose child got back from college. Peter hugged her back not expecting this reaction from her.
Tony led Peter inside to some more familiar faces all of which just stared at the young man. "Spider baby is all grown up." Sam said breaking the silence and slapping Peter's shoulder friendly. Peter sighed some shaking his head at that.
"Is that the money from the convenience store. Dam you two find it…." Sam said as Tony placed the bills on the counter.
"Actually…."Peter got out before Tony interrupted him.
"Peter found it and the guy." He said simply making Peter give him an odd look.
"Good to know you're still out there being spider man." Steve said sincerely making Peter look at him sadly.
"I can't lie to them Tony…." Peter said looking at Mr. Stark sadly.
"I'm the one who took the money in the first place." Peter said his head down.
"No...no Peter. You didn't….tell me you're lying." Pepper said to him sadly. Peter looked up at her with watery eyes and shook his head no.
"Why….why didn't you come to any of us for help. We would have helped you in a heartbeat peter. We would have." Pepper said seriously.
"I couldn't face any of you after what happened. I still feel uneasy being here right now pep." Peter said honestly rubbing the back of his neck some.
"Peter" Steve finally said making Peter look up at him.
"You're a good kid. I'm assuming you took this because you were desperate for money." Steve said honestly making Peter nod his head.
"That's all I used it for was for rent. That's it. I swear. I didn't want to...I was just...I was so desperate and after what happened here , I couldn't ask for help. I couldn't…" Peter said sniffling some. Steve got up walking over to Peter.
"Then that's that." He said simply making Peter look at him rather confused.
"I don't understand. You're not gonna turn me into the cops? I...I robbed that place." Peter said still ashamed of the fact.
"Did you threaten anyone?" Steve asked getting a head shake.
"Did you hurt anyone?" Steve asked getting another head shake.
"Then it's okay. You only did this once Peter. Everyone makes mistakes like this, in times of desperation. It's okay. The money will be given back to the convenience store and that will be the end of things." Steve said gently to Peter.
"But I'll know. And that's the problem." Peter said his voice shaking.
"Don't Peter. We just got you back and we won't be losing you behind bars. Most the convicts in town have been placed there ,because of us and they'll love to pick you apart." Tony said seriously making the others nod their heads in agreement.
"But I…."
"No buts Peter. We will handle things. Alright. We will." Steve said calmly to him. Peter sighed softly nodding his head , before making his way into the living room area. He settled on the couch, after having snapped off his suit.
Maybe , just maybe He could stay.