Looking back on it, it wasn't the worst thing that Peter could have done. It wasn't the worst thing Peter has done. Really, Peter went out almost every night and stopped crime, so why was he getting yelled at for sneaking out of a hotel room with his decathlon team to go swimming. He'd missed out on doing so last year because of Spider-Man. This year, he had left his suit back at home with May.

Peter hadn't even planned on going outside of his hotel room, instead thinking that he'd study his notes for the competition that was the next day, and going to sleep at what would (for once) be a reasonable hour.

It's just- there was a knock on Ned and Peter's room door, and he hadn't expected it to be Abe standing there with the rest of the team creeping past. Abe had hurriedly told them that they were going to the pool once again to practice as a team that M.J had surprisingly agreed to. And since the whole team was there… Peter missed enough practices anyways. He could go and hang out with the others as a team bonding… thing.

Ten minutes later Peter found himself on Ned's shoulders as he went up against his teammates in a game of chicken grab. An hour and fifty minutes later, Peter and the rest of the team stand getting told off and scolded by Mr. Harrington.

The day they get back from winning the competition Mr. Stark picks Peter up instead of May who was out of state because of work. Peter and his teammates had all shared the growing dread of getting picked up, the bus ride back had been silent as everyone had chosen to communicate through the group chat they had. They were unified in the fact that they were all probably going to get in trouble when they got back, and wouldn't stop sending what they wanted their funeral to be like.

As they got off the bus, they all shared one more glance of, 'If I don't see you on Monday, you know what happened,' and went their separate ways. They were a team that spent hours with each other a week after school. They knew how to have silent conversations.

Peter trudged over to the sleek car that was waiting for him. Happy had been leaning on the side of the car, peeking his eyes up at Peter over his glasses. Peter met his eyes for a second before returning his gaze to the ground. He didn't want to see the disappointment or disapproval in the man's eyes. He'd already almost worked himself into a panic attack on the bus thinking about how angry Mr. Stark would be.

Happy motioned with his head to climb in the back and took Peter's bag from his hands. The teen mumbled a small thank you and climbed in the back. He didn't even notice that there was another person in the back with him until he had fully closed the door and put on his seat belt.

"H-Hi, Mr. Stark," Peter stuttered out.

Tony put his glasses on and sighed, "Wanna tell me what happened on the trip?"

Peter's fingers twitched as he looked for something to fidget nervously with. That sigh absolutely radiated disappointment, and Peter almost wished that Tony would just yell again. The silent disapproval was a hundred times worse. "We, um… we won?" Peter answered, not looking at Tony.

"And what else happened?"

"We, uh- we went to the pool?" Peter cautiously glanced at Tony. He could tell the older man was staring at him even with those glasses on, and Peter hated it.

"And…"

Peter sucked in a breath. Why couldn't this have waited until after the car ride? He didn't even have an escape strategy in a car other than jumping out of it, and that wasn't something he really wanted to try today. "We snuck out of our rooms and went to the pool," Peter admitted quietly.

"There you go!" Tony's voice dripped with false enthusiasm, and it made Peter close in on himself. Why wouldn't Tony just yell at him. "You know you weren't supposed to be out after ten, Pete. Why'd you go with the others?"

Peter just shrugged without moving his sights from the car floor, because the excuse of 'Everyone else was doing it!' seemed really stupid.

Apparently Tony didn't really like that because the next time he spoke his voice was sharp, "Peter."

Peter felt a sting behind his eyes, and blinked the feeling away. He couldn't trust himself to answer without his voice cracking, or bursting into tears because the disappointment was enough for Peter to accidentally bend his zipper that he was fiddling with.

He wanted to explain that it wasn't only the fact that everyone else was doing it. It was the fact that he wanted to bond with his team. He wanted to explain that he'd been putting his team to the sidelines in favor of being Spider-Man for way too long. That Peter had just wanted to spend time with people his age because he wanted to actually act his age for once. That the little less than two hours he had spent at the pool was the most fun Peter had had in a long time.

He wanted to explain it all, but the words felt stuck in his throat.

Tony must have took his silence as an act of stubbornness, because he snapped at Peter, "Peter, answer me."

Peter opened his mouth to speak, but the only thing that came out was a small noise. He closed it again, took a deep breath without looking at his angry mentor, and opened his mouth again, "I… I just wanted to have some fun with my friends."

Fuck. That had been a stupid excuse. He was going to get the suit taken away again, and he was going to lose the internship again, and he without the suit he would get injured because who knows how many times KAREN had saved his ass. He really wouldn't be showing up to school on Monday, huh?

"That's a poor excuse and you know it, Peter," Tony nearly growled, "Tell me the real reason."

Peter felt irritation swell in his chest. That was the real reason! "I'm telling the truth," Peter mumbled, hating himself for how weak the protest come out.

"Peter."

"I am!" Peter defended, not able to keep quiet about it. He could handle being yelled at, really he could, but he couldn't handle his fath- his mentor thinking that he was lying. He hadn't done anything for the older man to believe that he had been lying.

"Peter," Tony started, "If someone's pressuring you then-"

"Nobody was pressuring me!" Peter growled, turning to finally meet the billionaire's eyes. "I was invited to go to the pool, with my team who I don't spend enough time with anyways, and I accepted! Why is that so hard to believe?"

"Because I didn't think that you were one to do things like this, Peter!" Tony replies in a loud voice.

"How come?" Peter demanded, "Is it because I'm Spider-Man?"

"No, it's because you're Peter Parker!"

"Sorry to break it to you, Mr. Stark, but Peter Parker and Spider-Man are the same person," The teen hissed, even if he didn't fully believe the statement himself. He'd spent more hours than he could count just thinking if Spider-Man could just… be Spider-Man without Peter Parker.

Tony just looked at the younger with wide eyes as if he'd just made a devastating realization. Maybe it was because the tears Peter had been holding back had finally fallen, but he didn't have a reply to what Peter had said. Peter sniffed, horrified at himself for crying.

"I just… I just wanted to have some fun with my friends," Peter repeated quietly as he turned to look away from the older man.

"Oh," Tony whispered.

Oh? What was that supposed to mean? Was he going to take away the suit? 'He probably is,' Peter thought sharply to himself, 'Who wants a hero that breaks rules just hang out with some friends?' A small part of Peter screamed that a lot of people did just that. That it was normal thing for a teenager to do.

Then there was also the fact that Peter just wasn't a normal teenager. He couldn't afford to break the rules just for the fun of it. He already risked enough if that just by being some web slinging vigilante.

"Pete," Tony's voice was noticeably softer, "Was it really just to have some fun?"

Peter nodded sharply.

Tony took a deep breath, and Peter prepared himself for it. For his suit to be taken away because he couldn't follow simple instructions yet again.

Instead, Tony said something completely different, "Okay." It was a whisper, and Tony leaned back in his seat without another noise.

Peter had to correct himself. Silence was worse than fake pity.

"Okay?" He couldn't help but wonder.

Tony nodded, and took his glasses off, "Yeah… okay."

Peter glanced up, and met his mentor's eyes. What did he mean by, 'Okay'? Was there something that Peter was missing here?

Tony took another deep breath, "That… wasn't fair of me to do. Not believe you, I mean. You haven't done anything to make me doubt you like that."

Peter swallowed while turning his body to face the apologizing man more. "It's okay," He muttered weakly even though it wasn't.

Tony shook his head, agreeing with Peter's silent thought, "No… not it wasn't okay. I should've believed you. You have just a right as anyone to act your age."

"I still shouldn't have broken the rule."

A shrug, "It was a small rule. I mean, swimming in a pool that doesn't go past six feet? You and your friends would have been fine."

Peter gave Tony a disbelieving once over before turning his view back outside the window. "You're sure you're okay with what happened? I'm not, like- grounded or something?"

Tony raised an eyebrow, "Do you want to be grounded?" Peter quickly shook his head and Tony chuckled, "You're fine, Pete." Peter sighed in relief and slouched a bit. Finally slowing himself to relax from the tense bus ride back.

Tony clapped his hands suddenly and grinned, "Now. Want to go get some ice-cream?"

AN: Thanks for reading everyone! Don't forget to follow, favorite, and review! Up next, Day Three: Taken.