Never gonna give you up
Never gonna let you down-
Disclaimer: Short Chapter. Derp.
The meeting with Gwen was short, and even though Peter had said he would tell her everything it was Tony who had decided to speak in his place. Before he knew it, his girlfriend was leaning forward on her living room couch, listening intently to Tony's exaggerated story of what really happened.
"Then I saw Peter, he looked like a corpse! So I-" Tony continues on, while Peter zones out in his own private flashback of HYDRA idiots who were trying to brainwash him or- no- that wasn't what happened. They were looking for the formula in his memories. Those maniacs had searched through his brain. It was possible that they had found out he was spider-man, and that in itself was very dangerous.
Speaking of Spider-man... his... costume... where was it? Home? In his room? What if HYDRA had looked through his room and found it while abducting his aunt?
He started to sweat nervously. He needed to check his home now.
"They might have said they were looking for us everywhere, but it looked like they had just been sitting on my couch for years!" Tony laughs unnecessarily. Tony was like that parent who loved embarrassing his children by acting like a complete idiot around their girlfriends when they bring them home for the first time.
"Well- I'm glad you're okay." Gwen laughs sincerely, and it's beautiful. She's beautiful. Thank God for Gwen.
"Peter, it was scary not knowing what was going on, I'm so thankful that you're here." She adds in, Peter catches her eye, and they both have an intimate staring contest. "I mean- hah- if you had died I don't know what I would do... I would probably turn into a vigilante and go on a rage."
Peter narrows his eyes at the sentence. If she had done such a thing, he wouldn't have approved of it. Not by a long shot. It was his job to protect Gwen, not turn her into something like himself. That's the last thing he would want for Gwen.
Peter had bid Gwen farewell, though reluctant to let them leave, and found himself at the Avenger's tower instead of his home. Of course, he had asked why, and Tony had told him that SHIELD had his home under wrap. That meant no one was allowed to check it out yet, and immediately Peter's concern for his suit shot out of the roof.
"You'll be staying with us. I just couldn't let you stay at SHIELD headquarters, it's so... boring there." Tony explains while he pushes Peter into an obnoxiously large room that was the size of his entire house. He stuffs some belongings that Tony claims to have snatched from, as he put it, Fury's claws into Peter's chest as well.
"So that means I'll be living right under... The Avengers?"
I mean, he was a super-hero himself, but the other's didn't know that. But he doubts they would be thrilled or excited to know that THE Spider-man was living right under them. If he recalls correctly, he was under Hawkeye's room, which was rarely ever used due to Hawkeye always going out on missions for months on end. Sometimes he would be there, sometimes he wouldn't, or at least that's what Tony says.
"Yep. Nothing strange about it, we're normal people too right?"
"Haha yeah, normal people who have extraordinary things happen to them. You also have a god on your team." Peter mumbles. After all, every hero has a sad back story, that much he's learned over the years.
"Anyways, we've got everything here." Tony gestures around the room, "Radio, Windows, JARVIS, T.V."
Just to prove his point he picks up a remote from a coffee table and clicks a button. It isn't long before a T.V. descends from the ceiling and flips onto Jameson's ugly face.
"We've been free for weeks from that wall-crawling menace! Where could he be?! Is he planning a new disaster for our city New York?"
Tony snorts.
"That guys been on the spider-crawling guy's back for years. But now that he mentions it... haven't seen the spider anywhere... he's usually running around all over the place."
Tony strokes his chin thoughtfully before turning to Peter.
"Met the spider once, helped me take out a secret drug base, and the bug is pretty alright. Dunno' why everyone hates him."
Tony probably wasn't aware of it, but Peter was feeling incredibly happy all of a sudden. Probably because of all the compliments Tony had just showered his alter ego. Too bad Tony didn't know the vigilante was standing right in front of him, hearing every single word he was saying.
"You'll probably rest though. Call JARVIS if you need anything, he likes helping. In fact, he likes it so much that sometimes it annoys me."
"I am afraid that is your fault sir." JARVIS muses, Tony scowls.
"Yeah well, whatever, he's here. By the way, set up cameras everywhere except for the bathroom, you know, just to be safe. Those HYDRA goons are probably all over the place looking for you."
Peter says nothing but he does nod to show he understands. Tony takes this as a satisfactory answer before bidding farewell and leaving Peter to his own antics, while JARVIS watched his every move. It would be hard getting his suit now, or even going out to give his house a visit considering it was under SHIELD watch and probably had SHIELD agents all over it everyday looking for some sort of evidence for anything really.
The things in his hands- a toothbrush, folded clothing, his camera, a picture frame of uncle Ben and aunt May, and a simple comb- were apparently the only things Tony could really save from Fury's clutches. He had wished though, that Tony had worked harder on getting his backpack to him, because it most likely held his familiar sweaty suit.
Somehow, despite all the chaos of the day, he had managed to fall asleep. And, oh, how incredibly thankful he was to actually get a nice sleep. No more cold floors, sore legs and arms, or stiff necks. It was just nice fluffy pillows and blankets. The packaged ticket for a good night's sleep.
"Mister Stark would like me to inform you that it is Christmas Mr. Parker."
Peter stops everything. Christmas? It was Christmas? Already? What?
"He has a present for you I believe."
"I..." Peter begins, but he stops himself, because he doesn't even trust his own words. Would it be selfish to say he didn't exactly want to celebrate Christmas at the moment? He was not in the mood to be celebrating at all. No. He wanted to sit in the corner of his room planning a way to get his suit back before his secret was released to the world, and planning for a way to get his precious aunt back.
"He insists you come. Despite it being Christmas he has not decorated yet, and would like your help before the other Avengers arrive."
So, from what he gathers, all of The Avengers excluding Tony weren't here, and they were going to come soon because... well... he concludes that the team was their family. And what do most people do when spending Christmas? Spend it with their family. Captain America certainly doesn't have any family still living, Thor's family is somewhere else off Earth, Bruce... uh... well.. he doesn't really know about Bruce.
"Tell him I'll be there." He mumbles. He'll do it for them, even though he's sure that Tony is more than capable of decorating himself.
