When Peter finally opened his eyes the next day, he was pleasantly surprised to see the light streaming in from the windows that lined the left side of his bedroom. He had slept through the night, and to him, that was a miracle. To further his surprise, Peter couldn't remember if he dreamed while he slept. Turns out Bucky had been right, the sound of rain did really help him get some sleep. He still felt tired, but he felt more refreshed than he had since he came back from Titan.

Sitting up in his bed, Peter reached his arms over his head in an effort to stretch his stiff muscles. Almost immediately, his body gave off a faint shiver from the coolness of the room. If he had been more awake, he would've just asked FRIDAY to turn the temperature in his room up a bit, but instead, he got out of bed and dug in his closet for a hoodie. The hoodie he eventually decided on was a faded navy blue MIT hoodie that he had taken from Tony a while back.

Guess it's been years now, Peter thought sadly as he pulled the garment over his head. A feeling of warmth and comfort flowed over him and he let out a sigh of relief as his tense muscles finally fully relaxed.

"FRIDAY, what time is it?" Peter wondered.

"Good morning, Peter, it is currently one in the afternoon," Friday answered. "My sensors indicate you are cold, do you want me to turn on the heat?"

Peter felt a faint smile form on his face at the AI's concern. "That's alright, FRIDAY, I'm not cold anymore."

"Very well, Peter."

Once FRIDAY went silent, Peter's stomach let out a loud growl.

"Geez, alright," Peter placed a hand on his stomach. "Okay, food."

Walking downstairs, Peter emerged into the living room to see Sam and Clint playing Call of Duty while Wanda and Vision were sitting on the couch, lost in their own little world. Natasha was watching the action on the screen with practiced disinterest, but Peter secretly knew that she was really waiting for an opportunity to give Sam and Clint crap.

Sneaking his way past them, Peter walked into the kitchen to see Bucky sitting at the counter while Steve was standing at the stove, cooking something that smelled like absolute heaven. As soon as the smell entered his senses, his stomach let out a loud growl. The sound was loud enough for the two super soldiers to turn and look at him and Peter flushed in embarrassment.

"Well, look who's finally awake," Bucky smirked. "We were worried you turned into Sleeping Beauty."

Peter raised an eyebrow at that, "How do you know about Sleeping Beauty?"

Bucky's cheeks tinted a faint pink at that. "I heard you talking about it?"

Steve chuckled, "Don't let him fool you, Pete, he's been on a Disney animation marathon."

Bucky spluttered at that, "I am not! Steve's the one watching them!"

"Because you invited me to watch them with you," Steve stated.

Peter laughed at that, "Well I mean they are good movies."

Bucky rolled his eyes before his face softened, "Did you sleep okay?"

Peter glanced between the Winter Soldier and Steve, wondering if Bucky had spilled the beans about their late-night conversation. He could see that Steve was trying not to obviously eavesdrop on the conversation but subtly was never his strong suit.

"Did you tell him?" Peter asked.

Bucky looked guilty.

"I'm sorry," Steve apologized. "I pried it out of him."

Peter just shrugged, "I've never been good at hiding things. For the record though, what you said, it helped a lot."

Bucky looked satisfied at that. "Good, I'm glad."

"So, uh, thanks, I guess," Peter shuffled back and forth on his feet.

"No thanks needed," Bucky shook his head before gesturing to the seat beside him. "Sit down, Steve's making lunch."

Peter's eyes widened, "I can make something for myself I don't want to intrude..."

Steve turned around to look at him sternly, "You're one of us now, Pete. You'd never intrude. Sit."

Peter raised his hands in surrender and went to take a seat beside Bucky. In his still half-asleep state, Peter just stared at the stove and watched Steve steaming some vegetables. He wasn't sure how long he zoned out before a thought occurred to him.

"Has Mr. Stark arrived yet?" Peter wondered, breaking the silence.

Bucky and Steve shared a look that crushed any of Peter's hopes of seeing his mentor this weekend.

Peter just sighed while muttering, "Typical."

Steve looked sad when he said, "He reached out to us this morning saying he wasn't sure if he was going to make it this weekend. Morgan fell ill yesterday. He wanted us to tell you he was sorry."

Peter wanted to believe Steve when he said Tony was sorry, but he couldn't find it in himself to do so. Things had changed ever since Peter had gotten back from the snap. He hasn't been Tony's priority in the few months since his world had been turned upside down. The weekly lab sessions that have happened before Thanos had ceased completely and Peter would be lucky to even receive a call from the billionaire once every other week. Even when Tony did call, it was never really about Peter. Instead, Tony was always focused on the life that he had managed to build for himself. The thing is, Peter was really happy for the older man, he truly was. All Peter ever wanted was for Tony to be happy, he just always thought that maybe he'd also be in the picture.

When Steve served Peter a plate, he accepted it politely before excusing himself from the kitchen and making his way down to the lab. At that moment, Peter had just wanted to be alone and find something to distract himself from his pessimistic thoughts. So, as he ate his lunch, Peter began sketching out some new features to install in his web-shooters. From then on, Peter let himself get drawn into his work, forgetting everything that was happening in the present time.

If it was one thing that Tony and him had in common, or at least had in common, it was that there was no better distraction from reality than working. Whenever Peter was stressed, he needed to find an outlet that would clear his mind. Just like swinging in the streets as Spider-Man forced him to focus on what was happening in the present, working in the lab with Tony made him soak in the joy of the moment. Now, as Peter worked alone in the lab, the quiet was overwhelming but not fully unwelcome. For, he was still able to work to the point where he couldn't think of anything but what he was doing in the present moment. However, Peter would give anything just to have Tony there with him, looking over his shoulder and offering suggestions to make his blueprints perfect.

You are too codependent for your own good, Parker, Peter chided himself. No one likes a crybaby. Maybe that's why Tony decided you weren't worth his time anymore.

Peter frowned at the intrusive thought and quickly shook off his sour mood.

Remember what Uncle Ben used to say, He took a deep breath. You can't know what another person is going through and therefore you should never jump to conclusions without knowing the facts...

Peter sighed and looked up at the ceiling, fighting back tears. "Wish you were here, Uncle Ben. You always knew what to say."

You always knew what I needed to hear to feel better, Peter couldn't bring himself to say.

"Peter, you seem distressed," FRIDAY spoke up. "Would you like me to alert one of the Avengers upstairs?"

"No, no, no" Peter burst out louder than he intended. "Wait, no, I didn't mean to raise my voice... No, Friday, I'm alright."

"Your current state of emotions says otherwise," The AI noted. "Are you sure? My protocols indicate that..."

"FRIDAY, please," Peter nearly begged. "It's nothing, it's just me being stupidly overemotional. I... I was thinking about Uncle Ben." At least that small part was true and not fully a lie.

"I understand." Peter could've sworn he detected a trace of sympathy in the AI's voice. "However, if your vitals fluctuate again, my protocols require me to reach out for assistance."

Peter pinched the bridge of his nose to try and rein in his emotions. "Got it, FRIDAY, thank you."

Stupid, Peter, you're causing a fuss just because you're lonely. Peter scolded himself. People have moved on, maybe you should too.

Closing his eyes, Peter forced off the negative thoughts and turned back to his work. He wanted to get lost in a project and forget how his life has essentially gone to shit. Peter had been a superhero for a little less than three years, that he's been alive for at least, and the universe just hands him a giant "Fuck You" card like he's been given a birthday present. He never asked for this to happen to him, he never asked to be dusted for five years. He never asked to have ceased to exist like he was expendable. He never asked for Tony to essentially boot him to the curb, or for his Aunt May to remarry to a really kind guy with a son who was willing to welcome him, a stranger, to his home. Sure, he wasn't fully a stranger, but to George and Alex, he was. They didn't know Peter the way May knows him.

Stop being negative, Peter mentally shouted at himself . You're the one sulking in the lab alone when the others upstairs were more than welcoming to you.

The truth behind that though? Peter was scared to open himself up to the other Avengers. He had lost so many people over the years that he was scared they would eventually either leave him or be ripped away from him. Besides, Peter had so much baggage that none of the Avengers should have to bear on top of their own baggage. In a way, Peter just figured this would be his way of blowing off steam before going back upstairs with a convincing fake smile plastered on his face.

Peter didn't know how long he sat stewing in his own negativity, but just as he was getting into the zone, the elevator door opened and Steve walked out, carrying two plates full of lasagna towards him. Peter didn't dare to look up, worried that Steve would see straight through him and call him out for not being okay.

Instead, Steve set the plates down beside him and asked, "What are you working on?"

Peter was taken aback by the genuine curiosity in the soldier's tone. "I don't want to bore you with the details."

Steve chuckled, "I may be old, but I'm pretty spry, Kid. Try me."

"Okay, uh, well, I ran into this issue recently when out patrolling," Peter began and looked up at Steve. "I just... Can you keep a secret?"

Steve's eyebrows furrowed in concern. "What kind of secret are you talking about?"

"It's nothing serious, at least I don't think it is..."

Steve's eyes narrowed at that, "Peter."

"Okay, so, uh, I've noticed a few changes ever since I came back."

Steve raised an eyebrow at that, "Look, Kid, I don't know what you've been told but change at your age is perfectly normal..."

Peter's face scrunched up in confusion. "What? No, that's not what... no! Geez, I meant my powers, not..."

Steve's eyes widened "Oh! Uh..."

Peter waved it off, "Look, I was swinging through the city one night on patrol and everything was fine. Usually, I go through at least one container of web fluid a day, but that's just because I use it a lot. Well, I noticed that night I hadn't needed to replace any of it, and then I realized that I kinda... wasn't wearing them?"

That caused a confused look to appear on Steve's face. "How were you using web fluid with no web-shooters?"

Peter shook his head, "That's what I was asking myself, and then I pulled up my sleeves and..." Peter pulled up the sleeves on his hoodie to show thin-white patches on the inside of his wrists.

Steve's eyes widened once more before taking one of Peter's wrists in his hands. "Is that what I think it is?

"Organic webs? That would be correct," Peter nodded. "Somehow when I came back, they were there as if they'd always had been."

Steve dropped his wrist, "Does Tony know about this?"

Peter felt a spark of anger at the mention of his name. "How's he supposed to know? Not like he's made an effort to give a damn about me recently."

"That's not..."

"Don't tell me it's not the case, Mr. Rogers. He doesn't even seem to want to talk to me anymore."

Steve sighed before coming to lean against the workbench. "Look, it's been a weird adjustment for all of us since everyone came back. People cope in their different ways, but Peter, I swear to you, Tony cares."

Peter's mouth twisted into a bittersweet smirk, "Tell that to him ghosting me and only reaching out on his own time. And let me just say, the term 'reaching out' is a very kind, but inaccurate way to put it. He never talks about me, he only talks to me."

Steve frowned at that, "Isn't that the same thing?"

"No, it is not. You see, when someone talks to you, they talk to you about what is happening in their life, not yours. So when they don't talk about you, they really don't give a crap about you."

Steve was silent for a moment, "I still think you should tell Tony, Peter. He'd want to know."

"Know what? That I can't wear short sleeves anymore because I have organic webbing that would essentially give away my identity?" Peter shuffled in his seat. "People notice too, they always question why I wear long sleeves or hoodies during the hottest part of the fall season. I can hear what people say at school, they think I..." His voice broke and he turned away in embarrassment "I just thought that if I could find some way to either hide it naturally or maybe extract it..." Peter shook his head in frustration

Steve placed a grounding hand on his shoulder. "All the more reason to talk to someone who might be able to help you. You might be a genius, but sometimes it takes two geniuses to brainstorm the perfect idea."

Peter glanced off to the side, cursing at the tears he could feel forming in his eyes once again. Hasn't he already teared up enough?

Steve cleared his throat, dropped his hand from Peter's shoulder and said, "We missed you today."

That just made Peter feel even guiltier.

Steve looked like he wanted to slap himself. "That was not supposed to come out like that. I didn't mean to make you feel bad."

"I know," Peter managed to get out. "You're worried."

Steve bit his lip before saying, "You're just really quiet, Pete. Tony always went on about how you were the joyful, talkative kid that never knew when to stop talking. He always said that was his favorite part about you."

"Yeah, well, this Peter's been through quite a lot," Peter muttered.

"Look, this is coming out all wrong," Steve waved his hands in a dismissive manner. "We're having a game night if you're interested in joining us, and we'd really love it if you did."

Peter was quiet for a moment before the guilt won out and he nodded to Steve. "Yeah, I'll join. No use hanging by my lonesome if I just get lonely."

Steve didn't like how he phrased the answer, but he looked relieved that Peter was at least coming up to join them. For the next couple of hours, Peter did his best to be that joyful kid that Tony bragged about, not just for his personal sake but for the Avengers' as well. After all, there's no use in being selfish if the one person you wished was there seemed to vanish into thin air.

That night, Peter couldn't sleep. He had tried Bucky's trick with rain sounds and when that didn't work he tried sounds of the ocean. Both things failed to calm his raging mind and so he just laid there and stared at the ceiling. Usually, it's the fear of nightmares that leave him terrified to close his eyes and go to sleep. However, this time it was a mixture between anger and uncertain trepidation. Overall, it was a weird combination. He was angry at the world for messing with him just for the sake of a plot he didn't want to be a part of. He was angry at Tony and his lack of communication. Apparently Tony could tell the Avengers he was not coming, but he couldn't reach out to tell Peter directly? It was those instances where Peter missed how things used to be before Thanos. It was those instances where Peter wished more than anything that this reality was a sick and twisted nightmare that he'd eventually wake up from.

Then there was the anxiety that had no cause. Peter wasn't a stranger to the feeling of his Spider Sense going wacky. When he first got the sixth sense to detect incoming danger, he thought he had lost his mind. He couldn't control it and he'd jump out of his skin every time a door slammed or a phone would ring. He worked his ass off finding a way to get the sense under control and since then, it only flared up when he had the beginnings of a sensory overload. This wasn't a sensory overload, that much he was certain. He didn't have any other tell-tale signs: the periodic chills, a low-grade fever, his ears weren't ringing infinitely, and his eyes didn't feel like they were being blinded by the light. The fact that his Spider Sense was going off faintly for no reason caused him to be a little uneasy.

Maybe it's stress, Peter wondered. That was a fair possibility. His powers did act up when he was under a lot of pressure.

After laying in bed for a few more minutes, Peter got up before changing into a pair of sweats and a loose tank top. Another few minutes later and he was in the gym, punching the shit out of a punching bag. He wasn't sure if he was imagining the bag to be someone or just if it was representing the overall current situation he was in, but either way, the anger flowing out of him was rather concerning. He never used to be an angry person, Peter was usually a calm-minded human being that worked out a peaceful solution if given the chance. This anger was pure anger, something he hadn't felt since the day that Uncle Ben was wrongfully taken from the world.

"Geez, Kid, what did that bag ever do to you?"

Peter almost jumped up onto the ceiling at the voice scaring the shit out of him. However, his feet managed to remain fully planted to the ground and instead he let out a scream of surprise, something he'd never admit to in the future. Turning around, he saw that Natasha was standing in the gym's doorway in a pair of joggers and a black t-shirt.

"You scared me," Peter clutched his chest as he gasped for breath.

Natasha looked amused, "You flatter me."

Once Peter's breathing was under control he walked over to the bench where a towel and water bottle sat. Reaching down for the water, Peter opened the bottle before taking a big gulp of water.

"You never did answer my question," Natasha said. "What did that bag ever do to you?"

Peter just shrugged.

"Shouldn't you be in bed?" Natasha raised an eyebrow at him.

"Couldn't sleep," Peter wasn't going to be caught lying by the famous Black Widow. He knew she'd be able to read the lie for what it was. "My senses were going haywire. Just wanted to blow off some steam."

Natasha looked thoughtful for a moment before nodding, "Alright, come on."

Peter frowned as she walked towards the sparring mat. "What?"

"You said you needed to blow off some steam and I do too so come on," Natasha stood in the middle of the mat.

Peter looked hesitant. "I don't want to accidentally hurt you."

Natasha scoffed at that. "Look, you couldn't hurt me even if you tried. Now come on, I don't like waiting."

Against his better judgment, Peter walked over to where Natasha was standing on the sparring mat. "Tell me to back off and I will, I don't want to..."

Peter didn't get to finish that sentence, as Natasha took him by the arm and flipped him onto his back. Peter let out a startled huff as all of the air rushed out of him involuntarily.

"Stop talking, Kid, it's just sparring. I spar with Steve all the time. Trust me, I can handle myself just fine." She held out a hand and Peter took it, Natasha hauling him to his feet.

For the next couple of hours, Peter let himself get lost in the fight choreography that kept him on his toes. As much as he tried to hold his punches, it didn't matter. Natasha always managed to dodge his punches with ease, making the sparring more of a dance than an actual fight. It wasn't until Peter was thrown into the mat for the fourth time that he finally surrendered.

Natasha scoffed in amusement, watching as Peter struggled to sit up into a criss-cross position. She walked over to him, handing him a new towel and his water.

"Thank you," Peter said.

"Feel better?" Natasha came to sit beside him.

Peter was relatively surprised that he did indeed feel better. He felt physically fatigued to the point where he felt like he could pass out for a solid night's sleep. Not only that, but his mind had quieted and his sixth sense was no longer causing the hairs on the back of his neck to stand up. "Yeah, thanks."

Natasha shrugged off the comment. "No thanks needed, sometimes the best way to blow off steam is to just punch something."

Peter snorted at that, "That's quite the role model compliment."

Natasha smirked at that. "What can I say? I'm an assassin not a philosopher."

"For an assassin, you sure have a soft side," Peter gave her a friendly nudge.

"For the record, if that had been anyone else, I would've decked them," Natasha warned.

"So I'm a favorite then?" Peter beamed at the possibility.

Natasha fought off a smile as she said, "Us spiders have to stick together."

"So I'm essentially your padawan then?" Peter's eyes widened.

Natasha shook her head at that, "You and your random references. I have no idea what you just said so I'm going to say no."

Peter laughed at that.

Natasha studied him. "You seem more carefree than you have been since you've been here."

A wave of sadness washed over Peter at the mention of it. "I guess in the moment I was just able to forget it all."

Peter could've sworn he saw tears in Natasha's eyes when he said that. "You have no idea, Kid. Think you can sleep now?"

Peter thought for a moment before nodding cautiously. "Yeah, I think so."

Natasha hummed and said, "I'd go before the feeling wears off, then. It never lasts as long as you'd like it to."

Peter sighed, knowing Natasha was right. Getting to his feet, Peter began to walk out of the gym before Natasha stopped him.

"Kid?"

Peter turned back around to see Natasha getting to her feet. "Yeah?"

"How're you handling everything?" Natasha wondered curiously. "Usually I can read people like a book, but there's something different about you..."

Peter smiled sadly at that, "Aren't we all a little broken?" Leaving it at that, Peter left the gym, thankful that Natasha didn't follow him.

Once Peter got to his bedroom, he didn't even bother to take a shower. As soon as he fell into his bed, he was out before his head even hit the pillow.

Was it good? Was it bad? Feel free to let me know!