The people from the arcade, the ones with their cellphone cameras out, didn't sell their videos to TMZ. They posted them to YouTube.

It'd been funny, at first, hearing Tony tease Happy about becoming an internet celebrity, but then the views kept going up. The comments kept pouring in, and no matter how many times Pepper or Tony or even Ned told him to stop reading them, Peter couldn't.

His mind always went back to that video. His thumb opened YouTube automatically whenever his phone was in his hand. He never tried to fight it, knew it was a losing battle. People were talking about him, speculating about him, and he needed to know the rumors, even if knowing them was slowing driving him insane.

Even if it was distracting him from being Spider-Man, even if it was distracting him from the one event him and Ned had been looking forward to the most, the Star Wars premiere. Even if it meant ignoring Tony, who was invading his bedroom, attempting to get him to climb down from his web hammock to get ready for said Star Wars premiere.

Tony talked fast, saying things that bounced right off Peter's ears as he scrolled through the YouTube comment section. He couldn't understand or even begin to wrap his mind around why this video was so popular. The confrontation at the arcade wasn't entertaining. Not enough to warrant a million views and counting, but Peter suspected the view count had more to do with the clickbait title than it did the actual content.

lady harasses Peter Stark at an arcade

Peter Stark.

The title caused his biggest problem, caused the speculating and the rumors, and probably, had spawned the comment section's favorite conspiracy theory. That Peter was Tony's biological child. That he was illegitimate, and a son Tony would never officially claim.

"Peter," said Tony. His head was titled, gazing up at Peter. "Are you even listening to me?"

"Yeah, for sure," said Peter. He refreshed the page and looked for fresh comments. Maybe a few people to debunk what obviously wasn't true. Peter wasn't a Stark.

"Then get down here," he told him.

With an eye roll Peter knew Tony wouldn't see, he rolled off the hammock and fell with a soft thud to the floor.

"Please tell me you weren't looking at that stupid video again," said Tony. Peter couldn't successfully lie to Tony, so his silence answered for him, and after his silence, came an explanation. A full detailed account of the theory that bothered him so much. "That's ridiculous, of course I would claim you."

Peter frowned. He hadn't expected that would be the most ridiculous part of the theory to Tony. He expected that Tony would think, like he did, that the most ridiculous part was how easily everyone seemed to be buying into the idea that they were related biologically. The thought brought back the urge to look at his phone again, to check to see if there were anyone with common sense denying this theory, but he never made it past his lock screen.

"Ok. Enough. Hand over your phone."

"But- "

"It's almost time to go, and you need to get ready," said Tony. "Hand it over."

Peter gave up his cellphone to Tony's waiting hand, then allowed Tony to push him towards his closet, where his suit hung. He changed quickly. He still wasn't used to wearing suits, but the past months he lived with Tony taught him how to at least get it on and make it look decent. He paused at the tie. He knew how to put that on, too. He learned with May.

The memory was still there, and painful, even now that there was distance, even now that he was starting to feel better. He looked at the tie in his hands, then back at his reflection in the mirror, then made a decision.

A decision to erase that moment from his memories the same with May erased him from her life.

He walked back into his bedroom, where Tony stood still waiting for him, with the tie in his hand. He held it up.

"Umm I need help with this," said Peter. He wondered if Tony would call out his lie, would state what was obvious to both of them, that Peter had worn ties to galas and parties with him and Pepper a few times, and had never needed help before. Tony's eyes darkened, and he titled his chin up, looking at him as if he were trying to solve a puzzle.

"You need help tying your tie?"

"Yeah."

Tony looked at his watch and must have decided they didn't have time for an interrogation or follow-up questions. "Okay, come on."

They moved in front of a mirror, so Peter could watch and learn, and he did. He watched Tony tie the tie around his collar. He listened to him explain what he was doing, even though he already knew.

Peter stared into the mirror. At himself. At his fresh hair and his expensive suit. At the tie now around his neck. Somehow, Tony made it look better than Peter would have, anyway. From their reflections, he felt like he got it, how so many people believed rumors that he was Stark by birth. He wasn't exactly the same Peter Parker that lived in Queens anymore.

Maybe that was what the cameras captured that day at the arcade, and would again, in less than an hour, when Peter stepped out a fancy car with his best friend and new family. The world shifted under his feet, the room spun, and although his breath was still coming, he felt like something was choking him.

"Uh, maybe," said Peter, as he took a breath and will the panic away. "Maybe we shouldn't go. Maybe we should just watch it in our theater, here."

"What?" asked Tony. He gripped Peter's shoulders and spun him around, so they were facing each other.

"I mean, there's just going to be a lot of people there, and press and actors – "

"-That's kind of the point of going to a premiere, Brainiac," said Tony. He frowned at him, his eyes darkened again, and Peter felt guilty under his gaze. He didn't want to be ungrateful. It was a thoughtful and generous present. One Peter didn't feel like he deserved. "I thought you were excited about this. God knows I had to listen to you and Ned talk about this hotshot director and what you were going to ask him for hours – "

"-it didn't last for hours."

"Yes it did. It was the entire flight from New York," said Tony, and Peter sighed.

Tony stared at him again, the same way he stared at him before, like his eyes were scanners that saw right through him or were at least trying to. Before Peter could react, Tony had a hold of his arm and guided him to the bed, where they both sat down.

"What's going on?"

"It's just… I mean, the press is going to be there," said Peter. "And they'll be asking questions."

Peter thought it was pretty safe to assume videos of reporters asking Tony Stark questions with him in the background would spark a lot more attention and a lot more speculation. There was a part of Peter that knew he could only hide behind the conspiracy theory for so long before the world knew the truth.

He wasn't a Stark. He was just unwanted by his real family.

"This is about the YouTube video again," said Tony, and when he got no response, he continued. "Peter… that's going to happen. People are going to talk about you, and they're going to get it wrong and I'm not denying it's annoying as hell, but you can't stay inside because people have too much time on their hands and a keyboard under their fingers."

All that was easy for Tony to say. He'd grown up with all this. He was used to it.

"I'm not going to make you go, but listen, this is just nerves," said Tony. "And you'll be mad at yourself in a few weeks if you sit this out. Not to mention, Ned would probably kill you."

That was without a doubt true. He couldn't do that to Ned, who was such a good friend, and got so little in return for it. Between ignoring his calls, and not having as much time for him, Peter wasn't going to be winning any friend of the year awards. He owed it to him. He could deal with his nerves and anxiety if it meant Ned got to have a good night.

Peter took a deep breath. "Okay, let's go."

Downstairs Pepper and Ned were waiting for them. Ned wasn't nervous, like Peter, or at least didn't seem to be. He was jittery and excited and rambling about everyone they were going to meet. Peter gave a tight smile, and nodded, as they all walked outside to the car Happy had waiting for them.

He sent Tony a panicked look while Pepper and Ned got inside the car, but he couldn't read the one he got in exchange. Tony's eyes were covered by sunglasses, so Peter didn't know they must have had sympathy in them until after they were seated in the black car and Tony's arm slid over his shoulders.

Tony took off his sunglasses with his free hand, and offered them up to Peter, who took them, hesitant and confused.

"Put them on," said Tony. His low tone made it clear his words were just for Peter. "It helps. Puts distance between you and them."

With one skeptical look at Tony, he put the sunglasses on, and wondered if his earlier assumption that handling the media was any easier for Tony. He thought about all the times he saw Tony photographed in magazines wearing sunglasses, now supposing their purpose was the opposite of the watch. Not for style, necessarily, but all for function.

Arriving at the premiere was still stressful. Getting out of the car and stepping into flashing camera lights and an excited crowd still made Peter grip the cuffs of his suit, but it was missing an edge. There was distance. Peter didn't have to keep the panic out of his eyes, and for all the press knew, he was calm and collected as they snapped pictures of him helping Pepper out of the car.

In the end, Tony only stopped to take one question, from someone near the end of the line, who'd pointed to Peter and Ned and asked who they were.

"My son," said Tony, he pulled Peter forward by wrapping an arm around him. He nodded in Ned's direction. "And his friend."

"Yes, but… biologically?"

"Practically," said Tony, then dismissed them. All of them.

He pushed Peter forward, away from the crowds and cameras, and into the theater. Peter walked it with a smile on his face, because practically was vague. It was indirect. It was a confirmation, but also a non-answer. No doubt, there would be a lot of speculation by what Tony meant by practically, except now it seemed funny. Like the press and the conspiracy theorists were at the end of the joke instead of Peter.

The rest of the night was magic. It was shaking hands with the director of Star Wars, and it was having conversations with the actors, who were all just as star struck to meet Iron Man as Peter and Ned were to be meeting them. That, and the press being locked outside for the most part, made Peter forget about his stress, made him glad he hadn't picked staying inside and watching it in the theater at home.

And the movie itself was pretty great. A legitimately good Star Wars film, but Peter thought he'd probably remember the word practically over any other word of dialogue. Practically. Virtually. In effect. As if it were common sense. All those words were better than biological.

On the way home, when he didn't have his cell phone and the comment section to fuel his anxiety, instead he listed all the definitions of practically in his head until he was too tired to keep his eyes open. He slumped over to his side, head falling over on Tony's shoulder, and coasted into his dreams.

A/N: Hey! Happy Wednesday! I hope everyone's anxiety over Endgame isn't too bad! Please enjoy some fluff!

Just a heads up that I'm changing my username on here! If you're reading this and it's past Wednesday, it's probably already changed, but it's still me! Springtime22! Just a different name!