Hey Everyone!
So here is chapter 1 for a prompt that I picked up on Avengerkink because I just can't leave this fandom, and this pairing in particular, alone. I'm by no means abandoning any other fics, just adding another to my long list of works in progress. I'll finish them all eventually! I swear it. :D
Tony ran as fast as he possibly could through the sunny streets of his best friend's suburb. He lived blocks away but took every chance he could in order to come and play with his friend Peter. Usually his parents were too busy to take him anywhere and Peter always wanted to spend time with him.
Chest heaving with the effort of running four blocks in order to get to Peter's house, Tony pushed open the gate into the garden. Peter would probably be in the back yard while his guardian, Steve would be somewhere in the house. This place was so unlike his own, less technology but much more open and more room to play. Steve always made time to play with Peter and Tony when they needed an extra person to play a certain role or just spent time with them when they ate lunch.
Steve was so totally unlike his own parents, they never spent time with him at all. Unless of course, they decided to take him to some fancy function or out to his dad's work. None of their time was ever spent playing with him and they barely ever looked at his inventions when he finished them. Peter was so lucky to have such a guardian.
Tony could brag that his dad was taller than Steve or more muscular but really it meant nothing. If ever Tony did brag about his parents, it was just to make himself feel slightly better and Peter always saw straight through him.
Peter and Tony had been best friends since kindergarten, inseparable for three years already. Every afternoon they would play together, outside whenever they possibly could and inside whenever the weather took a turn for the worst. They went to the same school and generally just played with each other. Peter didn't have many other friends and despite being quite popular Tony didn't have all that many close friends.
"I'm here Peter!" Tony yelled out as he ran into the garden.
No one was in sight but he knew that within seconds his friend would be out here with him. The door on the porch swung open and out stepped Steve, looking pale in the bright sunlight.
"Peter's just getting his new toys for your two to play with, he'll be down any second," Steve said, smiling widely.
Tony grinned back, lips pulled back wide to show off all of his teeth, including the spaces where he should have had some teeth. The door swung open again with a terrific bang and Peter raced into the yard, waving a couple of toy water guns in the air.
"Look at these. Steve got them for me yesterday! We can shoot each other and everything," Peter gushed in excitement before handing Tony one of the water guns.
The two bounded over to the tap at the edge of the yard in order to fill up their weapons and start their game. Soon after the two were chasing one another around, laughter filling the air each time they got hit with the water. The sun beat down on the two friends as they enjoyed their time together. Tony's rather gloomy memories of home drifting away on the light breeze as he enjoyed life like any primary school child should.
The game wound to a close as the suns dropped from its high position in the sky. Both of the young boys were lounging on the concrete at the edge of the building, relaxing after their energetic game. Glasses of water sat beside them on the ground along with a rather empty plate which had once held cookies.
"I bet we had more fun just then than any of those other guys at school did playing Starship Troopers on the playground," Peter stated emphatically as he stared at the grass in front of him.
"There's no way they could have had as much fun as that. It doesn't matter if we aren't invited to play with them, we'll always have a better time of it," Tony agreed as he glanced over at his friend.
Peter wasn't as outgoing as usual. To many others at school it seemed as though Peter was rather reclusive but Tony knew differently. It was hard for Peter to talk to people he didn't know well but as soon as he knew you well there was no way you would be able to get him to stop talking. Usually throughout their games there would be a running commentary about nothing in particular but there was always lots of noise.
Today had been different, quieter. It was certainly unusual and Tony wanted to know why there was this different, why his friend was acting so differently. It seemed as though Peter wanted him to go home, but there was no way that he wanted to go home yet. His dad would be home and undoubtedly would want him to go and work on another invention or learn some new maths. Staying here was always so much more pleasant.
Peter, as if sensing Tony's thoughts looked up from the grass, an anguished look in his eyes. Something wasn't right, something was wrong. What had happened? Tony had never seen this look in Peter's eyes before.
"We won't be able to play this again Tony… I have to move away," Peter said, eyes once again glued to the ground, as though there was something interesting there.
Tony stared at Peter aghast. They were science buddies, sometimes inventing totally new things when they met up. They spent all the time they possibly could together, they were best friends. Peter couldn't just move away, what would Tony do? He didn't have any other close friends and would be stuck at home all the time. He would have no one to talk to when stuff went wrong with his parents and he wouldn't have anywhere to run to when his parents didn't want him in the house anymore. This couldn't be happening.
Never had Tony ever thought that Peter would move away, that they would no longer be best friends. It seemed as if they had known each other forever, despite the relatively short time they had spent together. Tony had no clue how he had managed without a best friend like Peter and had no clue what he would do now.
"I… I'm sorry. We have to move because of Steve's work and there isn't any way we can stay here. I have to go to LA or somewhere because that's where the business has been moved to. I wish I could stay; I have no clue how I'm going to be able to make any new friends or what I'll do without you to play with. I tried to convince Steve to stay here but there is no way we can. I'm so sorry," Peter rambled on, knowing just how bad this was going to be for Tony.
Tony felt a wave of sadness come over him, followed swiftly by a numbness he had felt many a time before. It was the same feeling he always felt when his parents brushed him off, going out to fancy parties or jetting their way across the world to somewhere in Europe. It was a deep-set feeling of betrayal that spread it's way through his core.
He knew he couldn't blame Peter but where would this leave him now? He would be alone, he didn't have any other friends. Or, well he didn't have any friends that meant anything to him. You couldn't even call them friends; they were more like acquaintances really. Who was going to be there for him when he needed to escape the house for a little while or when he really couldn't do the English homework?
Shaking himself out of his thoughts Tony focused his attention back onto Peter. His friend looked really nervous and certainly seemed to be expecting an outburst of some kind. Really, Peter looked devastated and suddenly Tony realised it wouldn't be as bad as he thought. They would both be trying to deal without one another and who knows, maybe just knowing that one another were in the same predicament would help them through it.
"It's okay Peter, I understand. I mean, you couldn't help it could you? Maybe you'll come back sometime or maybe you'll come and visit."
The two friends looked at each other, sadness reflected in their eyes. This was their last time together. Maybe they would meet again or maybe not but they each knew that while they were parted they were going to be missing their best friend.
Hope you enjoyed! Thanks for reading, new chapters will come as I write them...which means slowly.