Next chapter up!
So everyone is saying they want more fluff…but the reviews come pouring in when there's a chance of Peter whump. XD
As always, I am forever impressed and grateful to those of you who share even a few words of support or even constructive feedback in the reviews.
I've mentioned something, especially highlighted in this chapter and I'm wondering if I'm the only one to ever notice it. Tony Stark sniffs. Like…It's a personality quirk of his and I love it. Hopefully it comes across well and I'm not the only one who noticed it. Seriously go back and marathon movies he does it in all of them. Usually when he's being serious about something.
Peter woke late the next morning to find Tony gone. Bruce was there checking him over and couldn't hide his smile at the way brown eyes searched the room for the missing man. "Don't worry, Tony just stepped out." Peter didn't speak to confirm he'd been looking for the missing man, but he did nod slightly. Bruce ran him through a few coordination tests, all of which Peter passed with ease. Similarly, his bloodwork and body scans showed there was little reason to keep him in the medical wing any longer.
In addition to the regular once over Bruce also asked Pete about some of his Spiderman specific abilities. A tablet offered out which Peter managed to hold onto even with his palm flat and upside down. Yes, it seemed that being removed from the harmful environment had his powers were returning. Bruce made him promise not to do anything crazy and to take it easy when he left which Pete agreed to around the same time Tony came in.
The man looked far better, face clean shaven- save for his iconic goatee, and freshly changed in jeans and a black ribbed shirt that seemed to proudly show off his nanotech housing. Peter was a little jealous, he hadn't had a shower since he arrived, even if the medical team had bathed him to remove any foreign contaminants- and that was sorta embarrassing so he didn't want to think about it.
"Hey kid! How're you feeling?" He wondered, a bundle of clothing set on the bedside for him.
"Good." The simple but honest answer as he took at look at what had been brought, a t-shirt that appeared too big for him and simple gray sweats with the Avenger's A on it along with some house slippers.
"Good." Tony repeated, "Bruce are we clear?" He wondered, not wanting to delay in springing the kid from the medical wing, no one ever wanted to be there after all.
"Uh yeah, Pete just put this on okay? It'll help me monitor you in case anything happens." Which he didn't think anything would, but it was always a possibility. The Fitbit like bracelet was offered out and Peter dutifully put it on. The little screen display showed the Avenger's A on it and he smirked. Naturally this was all Stark Tech and designed to be so much more than a regular monitoring device.
"Alright kid, get changed and I'll give you the tour." Tony offered before he and Bruce stepped out to give the kid some privacy.
"What? Mr. Stark, can't I shower first?" If he was going on the Avenger Tower tour in pajamas at least let him be cleaned up.
"Don't worry kid, you'll be fine, tour now- shower later." He groaned as the door shut when the two adults stepped out.
Outside Bruce fixed his friend with a serious look, "No Subfloors Tony. I'm releasing him but I still want him to take it easy. Tony. Tony promise me." The other gave, exasperated.
Tony rolled his eyes, "Fine. You know I wasn't going to just toss him down there or anything. Honestly. You people have no faith in me." He gave back in an 'I'm offended' tone of voice, one he'd perfected over the years.
"Tony. You brought a fifteen-year-old to an all-out Avengers throw down…"
"Yeah, shame on Cap for not surrendering when there was a helpless minor involved." Bruce only sighed, sometimes Tony would never see reason, it wasn't a battle worth fighting.
Whether or not Peter could overhear their conversation was unclear, the teen simply opening the door when he was changed. Tony looked him over, Jesus...the kid was swimming in the shirt. Tony wasn't exactly on the tall side but at least he had mass to him. The kid was scrawny, there was no other way to put it. At least in that shirt he was.
"Alright, come on. Tour." Tony beckoned and Peter followed with a quick 'bye' to Bruce who waved them off.
"So this is medical, and across the way there is Bruce's personal biochem lab. It's small but private and you're not allowed in there right now because apparently the stuff in there will kill you dead." It was where the samples from the group home were being stored to be worked on. "But, once we're done with those tests and the lab is decontaminated I'm sure Bruce would love to see your webs and help you develop new ones." Some of the samples were already in testing in one of the lower labs but Tony wasn't taking Peter down that far. Straight to the elevator they went, the doors parting for them on cue as Tony led the way in, "My floor Friday."
"Right Boss." Came the polite answer, Peter noticed there were no buttons on the elevator, so that meant the AI completely controlled it. They only went one floor down before the doors opened into a sleek and expansive living space. Everything here screamed 'Tony'. Peter felt out of place. There was no other way to describe it. Everything from the decor to the tech to the furniture was sleek, tech forward and perfect. And here he was in his frumpy sweats.
"So this is my level." He motioned around the impressively large space and then over towards the floor to ceiling windows that showed the New York skyline below the impressive Tower. "I decided to move up here to get away from the peanut gallery. Man needs some private space. I still have access to come and go in the suit." A flick of his hand showed several glass panes sliding open revealing the smaller landing pad. At one time he used it to exit his suit when that was still a relatively manual process. With his nanotech it was no longer required but still allowed him to come and go as he pleased in the suit without having to drop down to the floor below. "The larger platform below is the landing pad for the Quinjet." It made sense at least.
"Nice right?" Tony wondered, Pete only nodded. He was impressed, for sure, and maybe there was a time when he would have geeked out over what was available, what he was seeing. Right now he felt hollow. Seeing how Tony lived did nothing to stop him from worrying about his own uncertain future.
"Are you underwhelmed?" Tony had to wonder. Where was the excitable teen who was amazed with everything he had to offer? Constantly impressed and the ultimate fanboy? The somber teen that walked with him now was only a ghost of his former self.
"Huh? What? Oh…" Peter blinked from his thoughts, "No...no Mr. Stark that's not it." He tried to amend quickly, stumbling over his words. "This is...it's great. Seriously. I mean...Ned's whole house isn't even as big as your living room…" Let alone his and May's apartment, which he no longer had to call home. So where was home?
"So what is it?" Tony wondered, head tilting to the side and eyes squinting just a bit as if Peter was a puzzle he was trying to figure out.
"It?" Right, if he wasn't underwhelmed, why then wasn't he overly impressed? He shook his head, "Nothing...Really it's nothing." Quick Peter! Think of something plausible! "Just hungry I guess." He shrugged. Tony observed him for a few seconds longer and Peter resisted the urge to squirm.
"Alright." The billionaire finally declared, "Since my cooking skills mostly top out at ordering take out… let's head downstairs and get you something." He made a motion and Peter followed the man back onto the elevator to head down one more floor.
Peter knew he wasn't being a great guest. Tony was showing all this to impress him and he just couldn't bring himself to be impressed. He was too worried. What did his future hold? He'd wanted out of the medical room because who really wanted to be stuck in one? But now he wondered what that meant for him.
Stepping out of the elevator Peter followed Tony as he led the way into an equally large space that clearly spoke of being lived in. There were still high-end items everywhere, from the electronics, to the furniture, but it seemed more homey in Peter's opinion. Maybe that was simply because the ridiculously large TV was on, playing some random show and he could see the backs of a few heads over the back of the couch. Tony led him towards the left however, away from the open space of the living room and straight towards the expansive kitchen. This too was huge. Was everything here crazily oversized?
Tony knocked on the island counter, causing Steve to look up from his current task, "Kid's hungry." He motioned to Peter who blinked. Was Tony actually asking Captain America to make him lunch? He hoped no one could see his embarrassment.
Before he could protest Steve nodded, "Pete I'm making club sandwiches, sound alright?" He wondered, the captain already done with three of them having all the necessary items spread out of the counter.
Peter nodded. In truth his comment about food had simply been meant to explain his lack of enthusiasm. He felt too nervous to eat and yet, when a plate was nudged in front of him with a ready to eat sandwich on it, he couldn't help but dig in. Steve had several made already and continued using the rest of the bread loaf and supplies. At first Peter wondered if Steve was making lunch for everyone, after all Tony stole a sandwich too. When Peter finished his first the billionaire moved another one in front of him he nodded to the teen, "Eat up."
Peter glanced between the two and Steve offered a smile, "One drawback to being super enhanced." he offered before taking three of the sandwiches for himself. Any hesitation was gone then and Peter dove into his second sandwich. He had to admit, real-not hospital food, was amazing. Especially since it was enough to actually fill him, not that he'd been hungry during his recovery. Still, there hadn't been nearly enough at the group home to keep him full.
"So what are you two up to?" Steve wondered as they stood and sat at the island.
"Tour. Showin' the kid around. Bruce forbade me from showing him the sublevels, for now." Steve merely rolled his eyes.
Peter watched with interest, for a moment he forgot how embarrassingly he was dressed, seeing Ironman and Captain America here, talking and eating sandwiches. He got to watch it all.
"You know Rogers. I got a barber, could take care of that thing growing on your face." Tony teased, motioning to his now once again perfect facial hair.
Steve rolled his eyes, "You don't like it? Thor approves."
Peter couldn't help himself, "Thor's here?" He wondered. He'd never met (or faced off against) the Asgardian. The attention turned to him when he spoke up and Peter felt like shrinking back.
"Uh well, he's on Earth, but he's not 'here' here. Why kid, you crushin' on him?" Tony teased and Peter groaned before trying to hide behind his sandwich.
"Ignore him Peter." Steve offered, giving him the best piece of advice he could about dealing with Tony's snark. Peter only smiled.
When the meals were done the teen was ushered onward, he'd tried to move his plate to the sink to wash it, but Steve merely waved him off, letting him know he'd take care of it, and that it was no problem. Tony made a sassy comment to both of them, reminding them that they owned a dishwasher and the dishwasher could take care of it.
After he'd moved along, crossing the space and seeing that the living room was so much more than a few couches and a tv. It was a massive space with a club sized bar to one side, a pool table, dart board and more. Yes, this area seemed far more alive than Tony's private floor.
"Alright, Spiderling. Consider yourself lucky. Only me, the Avengers-" He paused in thought, "And housekeeping." Yeah that was accurate, "Get to see these rooms. All designed by me of course and perfectly tailored to the needs of each and every Avenger." Leading the way Tony moved down the hall with Peter in tow. Even if he was worried about his own future he was curious to see how they lived. The battle waged on within between wanting to be excited for the experience, and also to avoid drowning in panic at his own situation.
The first door they passed had an iconic shield on it. "Three guesses kid." Tony offered dryly and at least that got a smile from the teen. "Each room has a biometric scanner to keep people out...but we're all pretty chummy so no one really locks their doors." He shrugged but showed Peter where the scanner was just beside the door. Looking down the row of rooms he could see that each of them was similarly designed.
"Get ready to step back in time." Tony offered before the door opened and they moved into Rogers room. Peter was impressed with several things. The size for one. Everything in the Tower seemed so...oversized. Steve's room, Peter was certain, was bigger than the apartment he'd lived in with May. Tony was prattling on, explaining how each room had a bedroom, and their own living area that doubled as an office space. Each one designed to the specific needs of the Avenger. For Steve that clearly meant a lot of wood, or at least, the tech was more subtle here. He still had Stark issued devices here and there but everything had a more rustic feel, even down to the couch.
Of to one side there were stacks of canvas and other art tools scattered about and Peter took it all in. It just seemed right this seemed like a place Steve would take comfort in. Peter did too, in a way. He loved things high tech but he also loved the simple things in life, a place that looked and felt like home, not some high end hotel.
Tony, for his part, noticed the teen's lack of...well just himself, his normal, run at the mouth inability to sensor himself or control his outbursts. It was troubling but only time would help the teen recover.
After Steve's room they ducked into Clint's and Sam's after. Both bird themed in a hilarious way. Clint had been on the team longer so his room looked less like a bird's nest than Sam's did but both still sported little signs from Tony.
Peter also noticed that the more senior members of the team had larger spaces while the newer Avengers rooms seemed to be more moderately sized- even if they were still huge compared to his old room.
They didn't look in every room, but they did pass doors which reflected all the team members logos in one way or another. There was a door with a spider on it, but it was clearly not his- the iconic Black Widow marking was impossible to miss.
Even though his hopes were dashed at not seeing his sigil and thus, knowing he had no place here, he at least gave a half smile when Tony showed him Scott Lang, or Ant Man's room. "Yeah I know, little on the small side but he shouldn't mind right? Should feel lucky I didn't stick him in a shoe box." The room was ridiculous. The walls and furniture all themed to give the appearance of being a giant Ant Farm. Peter felt bad for the other hero but it was overshadowed by growing worries of his own living arrangements.
Tony had said it was his fault Peter had ended up in the group home...but he hadn't exactly told him where he'd be staying now that he was doing better, Peter was too scared to ask.
"Alright." Tony gave, breaking him from his thoughts and concerns. "You know, I was hoping to get more out of you, but clearly you're tired and in need of a nap. I expect more excitement when I show you the sublevels later." Passing the teen on the way out of Lang's room he patted him on the shoulder. "Come on." Peter followed dutifully, silent but confused as Tony stopped them in front of another door that had no logo.
"Hop along cottontail." Tony ordered when the teen trudged along after him. "Here, hand up. On the scanner." He motioned stepping back and letting Peter move forward, cautious but doing as told.
"Biometric scan complete." Came Friday's voice and Peter took in a sharp intake when the door just, just changed. Not the whole door but at eye level where the rest of the logos were, his own spider came to life, etching itself into the surface of the door.
His heart skipped a beat as he looked over to Tony, the older man smiling. There he was, the excited, hopeful teen he remembered. Peter continued to stare and he finally rolled his eyes with a motion, "Well go on. Check it out."
Peter didn't need to be told twice stepping through the door before freezing in his tracks. It was so much to take in. He was pretty sure his heart stopped entirely, and he was completely unaware of Tony standing behind him, enjoying the sight of Peter seeing his room for the first time.
The walls were a more subtle blue, not as dark has his suit but still close to that shade- it was easy on his eyes. Accents were in red but they were few and carefully placed throughout the space. Clearly thought and detail had gone into making sure his room did overwhelm his heightened senses.
It wasn't just the color scheme though, his gaze lifted. His room. His room- Was about as big as Scott's (which was still larger than any space he'd ever had to call his own), on the smaller side compared to Steve's, but it was two stories tall. Here on the floor with them was clearly his living area, a couch, an obnoxiously large wall TV complete with more game systems than he could count. His bed, however, was elevated up on a free standing loft of sorts, even higher and on the opposite side a platform containing a desk, but it was weird, there appeared to be a normal set up on the platform but underneath it was...was there an upside down computer station?
He glanced back to the older male, so many questions crossing his features. Tony smiled with a motion, "What are you looking at me for? Go on."
Peter didn't need to be told twice. Despite each platform having a discrete set of stairs or a ladder to reach it, Peter didn't need to bother. He leapt straight up onto the bed platform, higher than any human could feasible jump. "Oh my God." He gave, instantly seeing his Spider sigil on the embroidered bedspread. The bed itself larger than one he'd ever owned. A queen? Maybe a king? "Oh my God…" If he sounded like a broken record he didn't care.
Peter barely spent ten seconds on the bed platform before he'd jumped across the room even higher to the desk. "Whoa...Mr. Stark! This...This is amazing!" He gave, looking over the three monitor setup. His laptop was here, the one that had been taken from him at the group home, and like everything that came out of that house it had been very thoroughly cleaned. Tony hadn't gotten rid of it but did make sure Peter had all the best upgrades available to him.
He leaned over the edge while Tony leaned against the doorway, arms crossed, watching the teen jump from one spot to another, looking at everything. At the highest part of one corner there was a web like netting and Peter gave Tony the most adorable head tilt of confusion. "Kid. I have seen some of the videos from your suit. You have this freakishly adorable need to make yourself web hammocks. I figure since those dissolve, you might want something more permanent."
"Really?! No way Mr. Stark!" True joy, he hadn't felt this in so long.
"Yeah just be careful, Clint is addicted to crawling through the framework of the Tower so he might invade your little nest to make it is own.
"Oh my God." Peter was still in shock as he leaned over the desk platform, "Mr. Stark is that…?"
The billionaire nodded, "Upside down work station? You bet. It's all linked so it works together, I don't know if it's because of your mutation or you just being weird but let's be honest, you find excuses to hang upside down sometimes. Figured it might be something that helps you think." No different than Stark baring his music loudly.
Attached to the desk platform there was a simple and unassuming door. Out of all the features Peter could see in his room it was rather bland but after he'd had a chance to see everything, it drew his attention. It was about on the second level of his room, didn't that mean…?
Clearly his confused expression caught Tony's attention, "It's a door to my floor." He answered simply, as if the logistics of the place didn't give that away.
Peter was, he didn't know what he was. Slowly he slipped under the railing for the desk platform, letting himself down more from his abilities than actually climbing down the ladder normally. "Mr. Stark I…" He started, voice far calmer now.
"What? Don't like it? Too much? We can change it." The older man motioned with a sniff as if completely unaffected either way.
"What? No! No no. Mr. Stark it's great, it's perfect." Peter lifted his hands to wave; as if to ward off any thoughts Tony had of changing it. "It's just...I...I didn't expect, well, any of this." He let slip one of his fears and Tony watched him closely for several seconds.
Peter didn't know what to think, when Tony looked at him like this. He did it every now and then, ever since they first met. The billionaire would just stop the conversation and watch him. Peter always thought Tony was looking for something that wasn't there, in reality Tony was always just flabbergasted at the kid, at the fact that someone like Peter actually existed and he got to know him. He'd meant what he said before, Peter was supposed to be better than them. Than him.
"Okay." He decided suddenly. "Pop a squat kid." He ordered, motioning over before moving to sit on the couch. Peter seemed to shrink into the overly large t-shirt and sat himself down on the coffee table facing the other.
Tony sniffed thumb brushing the space between his nose and upper lip. It was a subconscious gesture, just one of many mannerisms that made him tick. It was a subtle hint that he was being more serious, switching gears. "Alright Spiderling." He gave, hands moving to his knees, patting the fabric there, almost nervous one might think- but he was Tony Stark. Tony Stark did not get nervous. "We gotta talk, but what we really need, is for you to ask and me to answer." He'd tried before, with the question game, and even before that when he'd took the blame for everything that happened. None of it gave him good insight into the kid's mind.
The billionaire knew the teen in front of him could handle upwards of twenty tons- he'd seen it, but he still looked so small and fragile in this moment.
Peter fidgeted, gaze anywhere but on Tony. The silence lingered and stretched and the longer it went on the more antsy he felt.
So many questions, so few answers. The room, did it mean he could stay forever? He wanted to believe so but he'd had his hopes crushed in the past. Subconsciously one of his knees bounced in place, eventually shifting as resolve broke. "I don't know...Mr. Stark…" Where to begin? The most straight forward question would be whether or not he could stay permanently but he was afraid to ask, fearful of the answer.
"Did you like...steal me?" it was almost squeaked out.
Good Lord Tony would need to work with him on his confidence, seriously "I'm sorry did I? Did I steal you? First, I believe you're the only thief between the two of us." If his comment about taking money was to be believed, "And second, you can't steal a person. Care to try again?"
Peter was flustered. Embarrassed and guilty about having taken money and being called on out it, but more so because he knew what word Tony wanted him to use and it would only play into the whole 'Peter Parker isn't an adult' theme.
"Uh…" He hummed as he thought, "Did you abduct me?" Ha! There, Tony rolled his eyes as the kid preened.
"Okay, nice word choice, but for the record kidnapped is way more points in Scrabble." Peter gave a confused look, wondering if Tony really knew that or was just making it up. "Moving on. No. I didn't abduct you. We've got Rogers to thank for that- but you ever mention that to him and I swear kiddo, you'll wish you'd never been born." Threat sufficiently given, he continued.
"Anyway. No. If you want the truth, I had documents forged to show May gave legal secondary guardianship over to me. That meant I could take you freely and if the state wants to make a fuss I'll be able to ask why they never alerted me, as the legal guardian in her absence, of your situation in the first place."
So Tony had broken the rules to make it happen. "My end goal is to help you file for emancipation. Funds have already been moved into accounts with your name, you've got a paid internship with a commitment letter from Stark Industries to hire you on full time at the moment of your choosing-hopefully that's after college." He scratched at the back of his head then, "Even got a loft here in midtown in your name- with a cosigner of course." So he had a living space, employment and funds to live on his own.
Peter tried to take it all in. "So...so when it's done. That's...that's where I'll live?" He wondered, hesitant, was all this just temporary. He knew what emancipation meant, something the lines of being able to live on his own, an adult before he was legally 18.
Tony blinked, "What? No. Of course not, don't be stupid." The billionaire half snapped before realizing who he was talking to and resettling, "I mean...Pete. If you want to live there, sure, by all means. We'll have to furnish the place though." Currently it was just a shell loft, empty and used only for the address. "No, Peter. Listen to me. I know I haven't given you all the best reasons to believe me when I say this, but kid, I don't want you going anywhere. Alright? You think I gave any of those other yahoos access to my floor? No. And for good reason." He glanced towards the door that led to the Avengers floor, "Mostly because they piss me off." He sighed, realizing he probably wasn't making any of this very clear.
"Truth is- and I know I haven't made this very apparent kiddo, but I do like having you around."
Peter had to draw in a breath then, at hearing it, out loud. He tried very hard to keep himself together, realizing his fingers had found the hem of his overly large shirt and begun messing with it. "Mr. Stark?" A dark eyebrow raised as the older man gave his attention to the teen. His voice was soft, not accusing, almost fearful, "Why didn't you come get me?"
So there we have it, another chapter down, can everyone just feel Tony cringing with that hesitant question from Peter? Peter's too kind to be angry and so he's scared to ask and that's just going to eat at Tony's soul more than it already had. XD
Hopefully I did okay explaining Peter's room, it might not be functional for any normal person but Pete isn't normal and Tony's known for his theatrics right?