The first time Roger saw that jaded look in someone's eyes was during college.
It was a look that screamed out, "What's the point of trudging on if I'll just fail again?" It was a look that people had when they've truly given up on themselves.
It was in the gaze of the pizza-delivery guy who stared him down as Roger turned around in his chair, waiting to receive the heavenly-smelling pizza. And for goodness sakes, it was a look that a pizza-delivery guy, savior of mankind and all things cheesy, shouldn't have had.
So Roger called the pizza man a hero of men, because it was true, since he was starving and ready to dig into the sticky gloriousness. He got his pizza, and the delivery person got his inspiration. When in doubt, pizza always works better than tape for slapping things together.
Months later, he can't help but hysterically laugh as he watched the same pizza-delivery man pick up a truck and throw it across the road on television. But the guy was a lot more greener, ten times taller than before, and way more muscular, as if he downed a bottle of steroids.
They called him The Hulk.
And to imagine, that same terrifying, green beast used to deliver pizzas.
Years passed, and Roger became Mr. Harrington. His appearance slowly morphed out of the hippie stage and more of a normal high school teacher. His fondness for tinkering machines and computers turned into days of teaching of math and technology. Even his hair grew thinner, which wasn't a pleasant surprise, although his love for pizza still stayed the same, which honestly, will never change.
Teachers came and went. The love of his life did too, and he spent months moping and eating mint ice cream after she stormed out with a suitcase in hand. He still doesn't think he's completely over her either, because whenever her glowing face pops up in his memory, his heart gives a painful throb.
The students too, some of them pretty strange, but all of them are bright and brilliant. One particularly outgoing kid asked him if he wanted to supervise the Decathlon. Saying yes was one of his best decisions he ever made.
The same student died when drunk driver t-boned their bus that was on the way to the semi-nationals.
He wonders if he also has somewhat of a jaded look now, because there are some days where he just can't stop thinking of what he has lost, and there's an emptiness in his chest that just aches.
There's this kid in his class this year that is just… weird.
No, it's not Michelle. Although he does have to admit, she's strangely perceptive on things that no one else picks up on.
It's Peter Parker.
It's not that he pushes people around or is a jerk or anything. Actually, it's the complete opposite, because if anything, Peter is the kindest kid he's ever seen. He's awkward in a charming way that basically only teens could accomplish, but a pretty typical high schooler.
He's extremely brilliant also. Even if he zones out half the time, or watches Spiderman videos under his desk (seriously, what's up with his obsession), he somehow manages to conjure up the correct answer from midair, like a magician pulling up a rabbit.
But that's not it.
It's the times when Peter staggers in his class late, looking bedraggled in a way that suggests he somehow managed to run through aisles of cacti or tumbled through an extremely pointy rose bush.
It's the times when Peter hands in a homework assignment, apologizing for getting tomato sauce over it. It's only when Roger drives home and inspects the worksheet closer that he realizes that it can't be tomato sauce. He's the pizza expert, and he knows what tomato sauce looks like. Tomato sauce doesn't look like the smudges of red on Peter's paper that are much more darker and… almost rusty looking.
And his lateness is so atrocious at times that it's almost like a talent. There's been weeks where he's been so late, he's nearly missed the whole class, and he only has a hastily written note that suspiciously has the same handwriting as Peter himself.
There's even been times where Peter's actually disappeared off the charts, like yesterday, during the competition near the Washington Monument. How could a kid be unavailable for a competition when he was inside the hotel before they left? It wasn't the city, with its familiar buildings and stores, so it's not like Peter could have just, like randomly wandered off.
He's definitely keeping an eye on this kid.
It's the fifth time Peter's been late to class. In a row.
He trudges into class in the middle of a calculus lesson, eyes on the ground, looking a lot smaller than usual. His shoulders are slumped, and he isn't as… chatty as he normally is.
Roger mentally sighs. He hates giving the speech.
"Peter, I understand you have other responsibilities, but you can't be late to class and expect to saunter in without any repercussions."
Peter doesn't look up. He nudges an invisible rock with a battered sneaker, and shifts his backpack awkwardly.
"Mr. Harrington, I'm sorry, I really am. Something just came up, and I… it wasn't… it was just a problem and I couldn't stop it. I tried going to school as fast as possible, but then the bus left..."
Roger lets out a regretful breath, because, well school policies. "I still have to give you detention."
Now Peter looks up, and meets his gaze. His eyes are unnaturally dark, and are just plainly terrifying.
It's the first time Roger sees him this furious, but he's seen that look before, years ago when he was still in college. If it looked unnatural on the pizza-delivery guy, it looked even more out of place on Peter's usually cheerful face.
Blankly, Peter responds, "There wasn't anything I could've done, Mr. Harrington."
His voice is blank. There's no inflection in the words, no excitement, no sadness, not even anger. It's so off-putting that Roger mentally reels back and has to hunt for words.
"Talk to me after class," he manages to say.
Peter stares at him for one second longer, with that look that shouldn't belong on a teen's face, before sitting down at his seat.
The entire class is silent, staring at Peter, who's rummaging around for a pencil. Roger turns around and finishes the equation, but not before he spots the pencil in Peter's hand slowly get crumpled into wooden splinters.
He is so looking forward to this talk.
Roger faces Peter as the remaining dregs of students trickle out of the classroom, watching the worn-out way his shoulders slump.
"You really can't keep on doing this."
Peter nods dejectedly. "I know. But when I was going to class, there was a crime going on, and a mugger shot at this poor lady. I couldn't do anything to stop it because I… no, Spiderman wasn't fast enough. She got shot, and she almost died and the ambulance came and it just wasn't fair. And the bus already left so I had to wait for another bus, and it was just a terrible day..."
Roger inwardly winces as Peter glances up, and that look is aimed at him full force. But he clasps Peter's shoulder as he turns away, because no kid should ever feel responsible for something they can't control.
"Don't blame yourself. There wasn't a way you could have done anything."
An exasperated snort falls from Peter's mouth.
"But that's exactly the point. I could have done something, but I was too slow."
Roger shakes his head.
"There's always the 'ifs' and the 'buts', but trust me, there was no way you could have stopped that from happening. Even Spiderman can't predict the future, but he still saved the lady in the end, and honestly, that's what really matters."
Peter opens his mouth to protest, but Roger cuts him off.
"I'm cutting you a break today, but please don't be late again. School policy."
He lets go of Peter's shoulder, and waves him out the door.
"It's not your fault, so don't let it eat you up."
Peter glances back from outside the classroom, and finally, that look is gone from his eyes. He gives a weak smile, but he looks like Peter again, not the devil's incarnate.
"Thanks, Mr. Harrington."
The whole Mr. Harrington meeting Bruce is canon actually, did some research on that scene. Otherwise, I hope the whole "Roger" thing wasn't too awkward, since personally, calling a teacher by their first name is weird. Thanks whoever reviewed, faved, and followed, because that made my day, and hope you enjoy this one!
