Received: Erik :) 6:53 am.
pete can u help me study for my math test tomorrow?
It was barely seven in the morning, Peter had paused at the bench before he was going to go around for another lap on the track when he'd noticed the message from Erik. With a heavy sigh he lay back on the bench, holding his phone above him.
He didn't have the time to help Erik study, Peter had to study for his own tests, not to mention the mountain of homework he was amassing from being in calc III and Linear Algebra. He had thirty questions to do for calc tonight and an in depth analysis of a complicated slope to do for linear. It was not going to be a fun night, plus they had the scrimmage with a local public highschool on Saturday, Peter definitely did not have time for all of this.
Sent: Peter 6:57 am.
maybe. I'm pretty busy tonight. I can throw together a quick study guide for you but i dont think i can study w/ you.
Received: Erik :) 7:00 am.
Don't worry about it. I'll get Bucky or someone to help me.
There was something about the way the text was written that made Peter think Erik was upset. Peter rarely ever turned Erik down, and when he did the man got pretty pissed, but Peter needed to take some time to himself occasionally. This year was hitting him faster than he expected, and it was only the fourth day.
Received: Ball Boys 7:10 am.
starlord: party at scott's house on saturday night.
Peter rubbed his face, it was a little early in the morning to be hit with a party invite. Quill had learned a couple of days ago that he could create a group chat, change everyone's names in it, and title it "Ball Boys." There was a general consensus that he was abusing his texting privileges.
Received: Ball Boys 7:11 am.
god of mischief: Quill, it's seven in the morning. [7:12]
starlord: and this was very pressing news! [7:12]
captain america: will there be alcohol? [7:14]
starlord: would it be a party if there wasn't? [7:15]
captain america: bucks and i might sit this one out then [7:16]
winter soldier: speak for yourself old man! [7:16]
ant man: if ya'll don't shut the FUCK up there will be no party [7:18]
starlord: i have something rlly important to ask tho [7:19]
ant man: I'll allow it, but you're on thin ice [7:23]
starlord: whats a better group name: Ball Boys or The Soccer Avengers? [7:25]
ant man: blocked. [7:25]
Peter couldn't help but crack a smile at their antics. Since the chat had been formed it was basically non-stop chatter, but Peter thought they were a group of the funniest guys he had ever met, so he didn't mind all the constant talking.
The scrimmage went really well, Peter even scored a goal and got cheered by his team. They won 2-0, but it was all just friendly rivalry. They'd played the other team a couple of times and usually won, but they were all great guys. Their coach was Thor and Loki's sister, so she was kind of a bitch, but they didn't really interact with her.
"Hey guys listen up!" Coulson tried to shout above their after game banter. Everyone's spirits were high and they were pumped that they had won. It didn't even mean anything in the long run, but they were never tired of winning.
"COUCH SAYS SHUT UP!" Sam yelled and everyone immediately stopped talking and turned to listen to their coach.
"Alright, it's almost eight so I won't keep you for much longer, but I know what you all are gonna get up to tonight! Not gonna try and stop you but just... Don't be idiots. Bucky, TC, and Scott, remember you are off the team if we catch you smoking again. Quill and Thor, Dr. Strange knows a hangover when he sees one so at least have the decency to hide in your rooms next time. Alright that's it. Good game, see you guys Monday night for practice." He broke the circle, shared a crisp high five with everyone as they hit the showers, and then made his way back to the main building.
Coulson was a good coach, strict in all the right areas. There had definitely been some times in the past year that Peter had been there that someone should have gotten kicked. To be fair, Thor and Quill had a one game suspension for the hangover incident that they'd tried to pass as food poisoning, but Strange was like a fucking wizard when it came to sniffing out illicit activities.
"Hey Petey! You wanna ride in the scott-mobile?" Scott asked, jogging up next to him. Scott, Thor, Loki, and Quill were the only ones on the team with cars on campus. There wasn't really much of a point unless they were driving an hour to Scott's house, and in that case it worked out pretty perfectly.
"Yeah, yeah absolutely. I'll meet you down by it in like a half an hour?" He asked and Scott gave him a thumbs up before jogging off to go take off his kit and shower.
Peter headed back to the main building to shower in one of the more private bathrooms. Every four kids had their own bathrooms, Peter shared his with TC, Bucky, and Bucky's roommate who he didn't know. The gym showers were fine, but Peter liked to unwind a little after a game, not just furiously scrub mud and sweat off of himself.
Luckily, Peter had gotten all of his homework done for Mr. Stark's class on Friday, but Erik was very noticeably pissed at him. He hadn't really spoken a word to Peter since he'd gotten his test score back yesterday and had received a stellar 72% on it, which he was quite obviously blaming on Peter.
In the shower Peter slicked his hair up with conditioner and leaned against the wall. His phone was buzzing off the hook, no doubt with texts to the group chat that had simply been renamed: The Avengers, after a brief debate between that, "Ball Boys," and "Guardians of the Balls." There was basically non-stop chatter on it, but Peter thought everything they said was funny so he didn't mute it.
Another person he thought was funny recently was Mr. Stark. The man was just kinda weird. Peter figured that he'd never taught before, which was odd since most teachers start in their twenties and go till they're dead, but Stark must have been doing something else before this. He was confident and commanded the room when talking about math, but was shy and reserved when talking about anything else. He cracked jokes easily, but shut down when a kid tried to start banter. Tony seemed to be phenomenally more open in the Linear Algebra class than he was in Calc and Peter figured it was because there were thirty kids in Calc in only the six in Lin.
Everyday so far he had arrived dressed nicely, perfectly fitted jeans and another shirt that was just a little too tight. Peter had to stop himself from zoning out in class on the mans biceps and remind himself that Erik's biceps were just as good. He felt like things with Erik were strained recently, and Mr. Stark was just a stupid pipe dream that he wanted desperately to stop thinking about. He would rather fix things with Erik than pine after the math teacher.
Finally rinsing off and drying himself Peter tied the towel securely around his waist and checked his phone.
Received: The Avengers 8:10 pm.
ant man: i'm taking peter in my car whats everone elses plan
starlord: i'm taking drax [8:11]
god of thunder: i don't want to, but i guess i'll take loki [8:12]
god of mischief: Fuck you. [8:12]
winter soldier: thor can you take steve and i? [8:13]
god of thunder: yeah fs [8:13]
god of mischief: someone willingly letting thor drive them? i guess you like having your fucking brain sloshed around. [8:15]
god of thunder: Fuck you. [8:16]
falcon (bird boy): i'll take the awkward, sexually tense seat between steve and buck [8:17]
god of thunder: the Thor Cruiser is now full. see you guys at scotts [8:18]
black panther: i'll ride with quill [8:18]
killmonger: i'll ride with quill [8:18]
killmonger: fuck! [8:18]
starlord: sorry the U.S.S Quill will not accept both brothers [8:19]
ant man: steve-mobile won't either. no hard feelings, just don't want blood on the leather [8:20]
Peter had checked the messages just in time it seemed and shot out a quick text of his own, the nick name flashing as Spider Man. Quill had decided all the nick names and had informed Peter that his was chosen because he looked so "bendy" and was also secretly poisonous. Whatever that meant.
spider man: ride with scott and i erik [8:21]
killmonger: as long as he never calls his car the scott-mobile again. [8:22]
ant man: are you insinuating that the "U.S.S Quill" is any better? [8:23]
killmonger: it's a huge step up from the "Gamora Love Wagon" [8:24]
ant man: ah yes, his totally real girlfriend that none of us have ever met [8:25]
starlord: stfu and go to the party you douche nozzles [8:26]
That was actually the first time that Peter had endeavored to send a message to the chat. He was always a little intimidated to speak up around them unless he was spoken to first, but it would have raised some weird questions if Erik had ridden with Quill and Drax instead of him. There were cliques within the soccer team but Erik never really seemed to fit into any of them. Neither did Scott, but he and Scott had each other, sometimes Peter couldn't say that about him and Erik.
Peter grabbed his phone charger from his room and changed into a pair of jeans with a loose fitting grey sweater. It was cashmere and Loki gave it to him for his last birthday, having rich friends sometimes had perks.
Scott was waiting in the parking lot, leaning against his car. It was a classic bug that his parents had gifted him, it was a dusty 1960s orange with a canvas hood that Scott had already put down. It was just a quick drive through the city so it would be fun to have the top down.
"Hey man, thanks for volunteering for me to drive Erik around." Scott said with a small eye roll, but there was a smile on his face and Peter could tell that he wasn't actually mad.
"Sorry, I just hate it when people snoop into our lives and I didn't want to make a scene by riding in separate cars." He explained and slid into the passenger seat next to Scott. Some Beastie Boys album was pumping softly through the speakers, the subwoofers in the back rocked the car a little with each hit of the bass.
They sat in otherwise smooth silence for a moment though, waiting for Erik to come out. Thor had driven off in his pompous Lexus, and Quill had left in his lifted truck. They were the last ones in the lot, but Scott's parents were out of town and everyone knew where he lived.
"Peter, I know I already said this on Monday, but something just seems off about you this year dude, I mean you were super hyped during the summer for this year, you and Erik seemed to have had a great time. What's going on with you?"
Peter was trying to gear himself up to respond but then Erik was jogging through the parking lot and sliding in behind them. "Sorry I took so long." He apologized and buckled in.
"All good! It's barely even nine, too early to get drunk anyway." Scott joked and pulled out, more like peeled out since he definitely didn't respect the fragile mechanics of the old car. Peter was constantly under the hood fixing things, usually with Steve's help. Peter didn't have a particular affinity for cars, but he understood how they worked, and Scott's parents had gotten mad when he'd been taking it to the mechanic like once a week so Peter offered to keep it up in working shape.
"Petey you know that's like my least favorite sweater on you right?" Erik asked from the back and when Peter looked back at him he had a grin on his face and reached his arm out to clap in on Peter's shoulder.
"I wore it to piss you off." He said cheekily, but Scott's hands were tightened on the steering wheel, obviously not appreciating what he'd said to Peter. "By the way, do you wanna go shopping with me tomorrow?"
Erik dropped his hand from Pete's shoulder. "Why?"
"It's almost Bucky's birthday, I wanna get him something." Peter wondered how Erik had forgotten, what with Steve talking about it basically twenty-four seven. Honestly, Steve was talking about Bucky all the time regardless of the occasion.
"Bucky? Man for real? You're not still smoking with him anymore are you?" Erik asked, well, more demanded that Peter answer. Obviously he didn't want to go shopping what Peter and was just going to change the subject to something they could argue about.
"What the hell Erik? I smoke one cigarette with him, one time, and suddenly I'm a chain smoker?" Peter shot back. He was usually quiet and reserved around Erik, but sometimes he just wouldn't take the mans shit. He was basically fully turned around in his seat now looking at Erik.
"Oh one time? That's your fucking lie now. Sam told me it was more than once!" Was Erik's response and Scott was visibly uncomfortable now.
"So you're going to take Sam's word over mine? Since when have you even talked to him? Last time I checked I was your only fucking friend!" He yelled, well it was barely above his normal talking voice, but it was more heated than Peter usually got. He hated fighting, but he didn't understand why Erik was constantly instigating arguments. And it honestly had been one time that Peter had smoked with Bucky and Erik had stumbled upon them. He'd been with TC too, which also pissed off Erik who was constantly worried his super straight brother was going to steal away Peter.
"Shut the fuck up Peter. I'm this close to being done with you after you fucking set me up to fail my math test."
And then Scott had enough of them arguing and he turned up the music so loud that Peter couldn't hear himself think, the only thing in his mind was "You gotta fight for your right... To partyyyyyyy." Which was much better than whatever bullshit Erik was going to say after that.
Peter shot Scott a quick smile, letting him know that what he appreciated the effort.
When they arrived at Scott's house everyone was there, but a couple cars full of students from the local public high school that they'd invited after the scrimmage. Quill had even invited his girlfriend if rumors were true.
Peter got out of the car and Erik caught up right behind him, roping an arm around Peter's shoulders.
"Oooh, I have a sunburn on the back of my neck." Peter winced and Erik immediately withdrew his arm, moving it down to wrap tightly around Peter's waist.
"Ouch baby, I rub some aloe on it for you later." Erik promised and pressed a soft kiss to the back of Peter's neck.
The inside of the house was already full of tipsy teenagers, a lot of whom Peter didn't know.
"Wanna go get me a drink Er?" Peter asked and looked up at him.
"Of course baby. Be right back." He promised and took off towards the kitchen where the alcohol was always stashed.
Peter wandered a little further into the sea of people, glad that Erik was actually trying to be nice to him right now. Peter had always thought it was like a switch with him, whether he was going to be nice or a dick. Peter took a seat on one of the couches in Scott's huge living room, just enjoying lounging around. In the morning he and the rest of the guys would stay late into the morning cleaning everything up before Scott's parents got home, and then would head back into Cantu.
"Hey! Left wide midfielder!" A guy called out, taking a seat next to Peter on the couch, Peter recognized him as a center for the other team. Another guy took a seat next to him who Peter was pretty sure was the goalie.
"Yeah, I'm Peter." He introduced himself with a smile.
"I'm Logan, this is Wade. That goal you shot today was seriously cool." Logan commented and flashed Peter a huge smile. He was a really attractive guy, tall, bulky, a little bit of stubble on his chin that actually looked good.
"You want a hit Petey?" The guy, Wade, asked, holding a joint out to Peter. He thought to comment on the nick name for a moment but Logan beat him to it.
"Don't mind Wade, he's fucking weird." Logan explained. Peter chuckled and took the blunt as Wade jokingly slapped Logan's thigh.
"I'm not weird baby boy, everyone else is. Let's go get more drinks." Wade urged and then pulled Logan up, before Peter could give them the joint back they disappeared back into the crowd. Oh well, he though, probably wasn't there's in the first place.
Peter took another long drag. He didn't smoke all that often, but he liked it. Occasionally Coulson would drug test them, which kept most of them from doing it in the middle of the playing year, but so early in the year Coulson wouldn't think about it. He tipped his head back on the couch and let out a puff of smoke, glad that he'd worn the sweater because the windows were wide open in an attempt to let smoke out.
"Uh oh, watch out, Peter's gonna get high and moody." He heard someone's voice say, Bucky maybe, and then the person was gone to another side of the room and Erik was returning, taking a seat on the couch next to Peter and handing him a red solo cup with blue liquid in it.
"What is it?" Peter asked, taking another, probably ridiculously long hit and sloshing the drink around.
"Gatorade and Vodka, know you hate the taste, thought this would help." Erik said and gingerly took the blunt from Peter, taking a few drags himself.
"Aw, you're so sweet, always thinkin' of me." Peter drawled and grinned over at Erik.
"Hey! Peter almost forgot our joint, mind if we take it back?" Logan suddenly reappeared behind the couch and Erik got with the program, passing it back to Logan.
"Thanks for the weed man." Peter thanked him and then he was gone as well, seemingly drawn away by Wade.
"Was gonna ask where you got that. Didn't think it was from some hot guy." Erik commented and then in one gulp he chugged the contents of his cup, Peter did the same.
"Not as hot as you." Peter remarked and Erik set his cup on the ground, pushing Peter back on the couch and propping himself up on his elbows over Peter.
"You're damn right. But I think you shared some saliva with him, so we gotta fix that." It was a cheesy sentiment, but Peter let Erik press his lips against his own, he blindly set his cup on the ground, somehow not spilling it.
"I'll share saliva with you anytime." Peter joked and deepened the kiss, which really just entailed them opening their mouths more and using more tongue. Peter was a little too high for a passionate and loving kiss at the moment.
"I forgot how fucking not hot you are when you're high." Erik said and smiled against Peter's lips before kissing back against him.
"Get a fucking room you two." Quill's voice came from where he was standing above them, just kind of drunkenly watching.
"We're in a room, you just happen to be in it." Peter slurred out and then broke out into chuckles.
"Can't argue with that logic, carry on."
But Peter and Erik couldn't really get back into making out once they were drawn out of their own little world, so Peter got up off the couch and tried to socialize.
Received: Scotty 5:32 pm.
ok i'm at target. what do you want me to get for buck?
"Would you stop checking your phone every five minutes? I get you don't want to be helping me, but seriously, a little respect Peter." Erik said, looking up at him from where he'd been writing math equations in messy handwriting in his notebook.
"Sorry, sorry, Scott's picking up a present for Bucky at target." Peter answered and quickly shot a text back.
Sent: Peter 5:35 pm.
idk, he likes reading right? what about a book?
"Just, would you help me out here? I'm seriously going to fail math if you don't help me." Erik drew his attention back and Peter set his phone down, following Erik's finger to where it was on a problem about the quadratic formula.
"Oh, you just have to plug the variable into the quadratic formula and then solve it out." He said and glanced down at his phone, no reply.
"Mind dumbing it down a little for me Einstein?" Erik asked with an eye roll. He was always impatient with Peter when it came to math, and Peter was never anything but patient and understanding with him.
"Oh yeah, uh let me see," Peter took the pencil from Erik and wrote down the formula on his paper. "So basically a is 32, b is 3, and c is 102. Now just solve the equation like you normally would." Peter explained and then two short vibrations came from his phone. Erik looked pissed but didn't comment.
Received: Scotty 5:39 pm.
okay a book, what the fuck does he even read? I found something about nature by Abbey, he's pretty good? There's a book about world war two? He's into history right?
Sent: Peter 5:40 pm.
world war two book for sure. thanks scott ur a life saver
And then there was a text from a number that Peter didn't have saved in his phone.
Received: 678-547-8937 5:39 pm.
Hey, is this Peter?
Sent: Peter 5:41 pm.
yeah, who is this?
Peter glanced over at Erik and saw that he had solved the problem correctly. He gave him a small kiss on the cheek. "Hey you did it babe!" He congratulated and then Erik moved onto the next problem without a word.
Received: 678-547-8937 5:45 pm.
Sorry! It's Logan, from the party. Another guy named Peter gave me your number haha.
Sent: Peter 5:46 pm.
Oh! awesome haha, never really thanked you for that blunt lol
Received: Logan 5:47 pm.
no worries, i'll share a blunt with you anytime
Sent: Peter 5:48 pm.
rad! was that wade guy your boyfriend?
"Peter, who the fuck are you texting?" Erik snapped, looking over at Peter's phone but not focusing long enough to read any of the texts.
"Oh, that guy from the party who let me have part of his joint." Peter explained and set the phone back down on the table, turning the screen off.
"Really? You're fucking texting some random dude while your boyfriend is trying to get you to fucking help him?" Erik accused and when Peter tried to defend himself he shoved him in the ribs and Peter shut up.
His phone vibrated a few more times but Peter ignored it, leaning over Erik's shoulder and watching him work out the math problems. About ten minutes passed and Erik was breezing through all of them, before Peter asked. "Look like you have it under control. I think I'm gonna go work on some of my own homework. See you tomorrow morning."
Erik dropped his pencil and shot to look over at Peter, one eyebrow raised. "Really? You're fucking pushing it recently Peter. First you won't help me study for my test and now you won't help me on my homework? You probably just wanna go back to your room so you can send pictures of your twink ass to that disgusting dude."
Peter looked down at the table, trying to focus on the wood grain and not Erik's eyes boring into his skull. "I'm sorry, I'm help you. I can do my work in the morning." Peter said quietly. "I'm just going to go to the bathroom, I'll be right back babe." He promised and then grabbed his phone and got up.
Out in the hallway Peter leaned against the wall with a sigh. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and opened it up to see a new text from Logan.
Received: Logan 5:49 pm.
naw, like I said, he's a fucking weirdo
Sent: Peter 6:04
sorry I have to go, but boyfriend is being an asshole
Peter did actually make his way to the bathroom, glad that it was empty so he could splash some water on his face and take a breather.
Received: Logan 6:06 pm.
sorry to hear that. dont let him push you around
Sent: Peter 6:07 pm.
I mean, i'm kind of a push over when it comes to him so...
Received: Logan 6:08 pm.
that sucks pete. you ever want to talk to someone i'm around
Sent: Peter 6:09
that's super sweet logan, thanks. i'll take you up on that sometimes. rn tho i think i've been pretending to be in the bathroom a little too long. ttyl.
Later that night Peter changed Logan's name to 'L' in his phone so that Erik wouldn't realize who it was.
Peter woke up horrifically late in the morning. He only had time to throw on his clothes and jet down to Stark's class. He didn't have any breakfast, his teeth weren't brushed, and he hadn't woken up early enough to do his homework.
So he was fucked.
He'd been up till ten trying to help Erik finish his homework since the man had done no assignments since school started. To be fair, all three of them had been due today, but there was no reason Erik should have procrastinated them for so long. It would have been a perfectly reasonable workload if he had done them the night they'd been assigned.
Peter slid into his desk just as the bell rang and Steve shot him a half confused, half worried look.
Mr. Stark looked around the room briefly and then marked roll on his computer. "All right, everyone's here. Okay, let's see... Announcements! Soccer practice tonight at six, golf at four. Dinner will be over at six so that the cafeteria can be deep cleaned. First soccer game of the season is this Friday, it's a home game so everyone should probably go. I here our team's not half bad." Mr. Stark said and flashed the three of them an innocent wink. Peter couldn't help but turn a little bit red. "Okay that's it, just get your homework out from last Friday and I'll take it."
Peter sat awkwardly in his desk as the other five kids got their work out. It was monumentally worse to have not done his homework in a class this small, painstakingly obvious that he hadn't done it. He was glad he didn't have any homework in any of his other classes.
Steve and Loki gave him a surprised look but didn't comment.
Mr. Stark grabbed the papers from everyone else and lingered in front of Peter's desk for a moment. "Why don't you stop and talk to me for a minute after class Peter?" And all he could do was nod in response.
The class got easier after that but Peter was dreading when the bell would ring and he would have to stay back. The clock ticked by faster than it usually did, the class seemingly going by in ten minutes instead of fifty, and then the bell was ringing.
Loki clapped him on the shoulder on his way out and Steve gave him a pursed lipped look, but both of them left with the other three and then Peter was left alone with Mr. Stark. He knew that Stark didn't have a class this period, he'd basically memorized his timetable.
"I'm so sorry Mr. Stark, I can have it done for you by the end of the day, I promise, I never do this." Peter tried to explain when it was obvious that Mr. Stark wasn't going to start talking first.
"Peter, Peter, calm down, it's fine. And I know you never do this. You have a basically perfect record at this school, nothing below a 98 in any class, ever? That means you don't forget your homework often. Wanna tell me what happened?" He asked, leaning against his desk and crossing his arms against his broad chest. Peter had to look away, but then he was looking at the mans thick thighs as they pressed into the table and fanned out, so Peter looked at the desk in front of him.
"I uh, I just forgot to do it." He said quietly.
"No." Was all Mr. Stark said and Peter looked up at him, meeting his gaze.
"What?" Peter questioned, of all things, not expecting that response.
"I said no, that's not true. Tell me what really happened and I'll give you an 'a' on the assignment anyway. No strings attached."
"I, erm, uh, my boyfriend, Erik, he didn't do any of his homework I was trying to help him catch up." Peter finally admitted after a few long moments. For some reason Peter knew that Stark would be able to tell if he was lying, would basically be able to see right into his soul. So Peter told the truth.
"Erik... Ah, he's in my Calc I class, you telling me you did all of his homework for him?" Stark questioned and Peter looked back down at his desk.
"No! Not at all, I was just helping him. He's not great at math... Or any subject I guess. Listen he's smart, he just procrastinates and I didn't help him study for this test the other day and I felt bad, and he needed my help and..." Peter trailed off with a long sigh, and all of this is ridiculous, he though.
"And... None of that's your fault Peter. What's your day look like Peter?" He asked, looking straight at Peter with unwavering eye contact as if the kid was actually looking at him.
"My day sir?" He questioned, not sure what he meant.
"Yeah, like what else are you doing today?" He reiterated the question.
"Just school, then soccer, then homework." He said softly and very slowly looked up at Tony.
"Why don't you come in after school and you can help me work on something? Gives you a reason to tell that boyfriend of yours to shove off and do his own homework." That made Peter laugh a bit, and then Mr. Stark laughed too and Peter saws the lines of his eyes crinkling up and Peter thought it was the most handsome thing he'd ever seen.
"Y-yeah, that sounds good sir." Peter said, giving him a lopsided grin.
"Alright, you're free to go Pete. No more missing assignments though!" He warned and Peter nodded, flashing him one last quick glance before he made his way out into the hall.