Hey there! Here's the second chapter, stay home and read :)

Thanks for the follows, favorites and reviews, you've made me really happy, guys :)

Enjoy & stay safe!

Disclaimer: I don't own Marvel. I wish.

Peter is sitting in the dining hall eating his tuna sandwich. He smiles when he remembers the stray cat he met this morning. The feline would have probably preferred the tuna to the ham and cheese sandwich he dropped. Anyway, these sandwiches have one thing in common: they're both too small. Especially, when he drops half of them on the ground.

Peter is so hungry. Since he became Spiderman, he's appetite has become like huge. He could eat all the other kids' lunch in the canteen right now. It's really great that he has superhuman strength, can stick to walls, have senses that warn him of danger and has an incredible healing factor, but if he could pick just one of his newly gained abilities to give up, he would definitely choose the extraordinary appetite. He loves eating but he hates that food equals trouble now and not a wonderful variety of flavors like before. Food isn't something he enjoys anymore but a problem he needs to work out.

And being hungry is not the only problem that comes with the lack of food, he also feels weak and his injuries heal way slower when he doesn't have enough to eat. And that really sucks if you go out as a superhero every night to fight crime. It's not like criminals would take it easy on Peter just because he had to skip dinner again.

"So what are you saying? Are you coming over?" Ned asks from the other side of the table.

For a second, Peter doesn't know what his friend is talking about. Then it clicks. Right. The weekend. Ned asked him if he could come over for the weekend.

After Peter moved in with Aunt Julia (according to the official story), Ned has invited Peter to spend the weekend with his family several times. Aunt Julia lives in Brooklyn, which is not that far but if Peter stays for the weekend at Ned's, they can spend more time together. That means more Lego building, more video games and more movies.

And to Peter, it also means a few nights in a warm place, even though he sleeps on the floor in Ned's room, but that's okay compared to the old mattress in the warehouse. So much more than okay. And it also means home-cooked meals. Being with people. Being with family. Snippets of a normal life just like Peter's life was up until a few months ago. Now that life seems like an old dream. So far out of his reach that it might have never even happened.

Yeah, it would be nice to stay with the Leeds' for a few days. Pretending everything is okay. Ignoring the stinging feeling that just a short time ago, he also had everything Ned still has. Suppressing the feeling of jealousy. Not complaining that it's not fair.

Because it's so fucking unfair that it's always him who loses everyone and everything, while life goes on for others and they still have their families and homes and they don't have to stay alone in a cold warehouse every night crying themselves into sleep.

But... that's not the real reason why Peter can't go. The last time when he accepted the invitation, he almost blew his cover story about Aunt Julia's family. Mrs. Leeds asked Peter how Julia's family was doing. She asked if her daughter was still sick. For a minute, Peter had no idea what Mrs. Leeds was talking about. Then he remembered.

A few days before, Ned had told Peter he had looked sick. Of course, Peter hadn't been sick; he couldn't ever get sick since the bite. But Ned couldn't know that, he couldn't know Peter was just exhausted after patrolling all night. So he had told Ned Julia's daughter had caught the flu and Peter might have caught it from her, too.

After remembering the conversation, Peter assured Mrs. Leeds that the little girl was just fine. But Ned stared at him weird. It turned out Peter said a wrong name for the girl. When Ned pointed it out, Peter laughed embarrassed and explained the girl had this crazy idea to change her name and asked everyone to call her on the new one. And that's exactly what Peter did.

Fortunately, Ned believed the stupid lie and moved on. But Peter could never rest after the incident; he kept reminding himself to think twice before speaking. And the weekend that should have been like a short vacation, turned into a nightmare because he could never let go, he was in a constant fear that he might let something slip and his cover would be blown. He could hardly wait to get back to his warehouse that suddenly seemed like a safe haven.

At least, he doesn't have to lie to anyone there, he doesn't have to put a brave face on and act as if everything is alright. Yeah, he knows the reason for that. He doesn't have to lie to anyone there because there's literally no one in that damned building. He's utterly alone.

Peter knows he could always come clean to Ned. His friend would feel sad and disappointed that Peter didn't tell him the truth at the beginning, but he would quickly forgive him. Peter knows that. Ned has such a good heart.

And it would be awesome to finally share at least some of his secrets with someone. Because Peter's life has been so full of secrets lately. Secrets about the place he lives, the people he stays with and the extra job at nights. Peter practically lies to everyone in his life. Not that there are so many people in his life but still. And sometimes he feels his secrets are about to crush him. And he's so tangled in the web of lies that he'll never get out. Or maybe he will. When he accidentally blurts out something he shouldn't and exposes himself as a liar. That would be spectacular.

But then again, what would happen if he came clean to Ned? Ned would feel sorry for Peter. He couldn't offer anything to Peter but his empathy and pity. Plus, Ned would feel just as miserable as Peter. Yeah, he doesn't want to do that to his best friend. Ned doesn't deserve that.

So Peter sticks to his earlier decision not to tell anything to Ned and in order to avoid any possible embarrassing and dangerous situation at the Leeds', he passes on Ned's invitation. He says he needs to take some extra shifts at the store because he needs money to buy a birthday gift for Aunt Julia. She has been so kind to take Peter in, right? He wants to show her how grateful he is.

And it's actually only a half-lie. Because Peter will take extra shifts. Money is always good and what else could he do at the weekend anyway?

It's 10pm and Peter is settled on a rooftop looking over Queens. It's one of his usual lookout spots. In the past few hours he caught three muggers, stopped a motorbike theft, helped out a group of elderly Japanese tourists who couldn't find their way back to their hotel and also helped a five-year old girl find her lost teddy bear she can't sleep without. Just another average night. A few more hours and Peter is heading back to the warehouse to sleep a bit before school. Or maybe he could call it a night now because tomorrow he's gonna have Spanish and Calculus test, so he could really use some extra rest.

But criminals would never hold back just because Spiderman has tests the next day, right? He should stay a bit longer. He takes a granola bar from his ratty backpack and pulls out his phone. He absentmindedly scrolls through the news while snacking. He only reads the headlines. Until he finds a report on an award gala where Tony Stark presented one of the awards. It's some kind of science stuff. Peter takes a long look at the photo of Mr. Stark and the honored scientist.

One day that'll be him. The scientist guy receiving an award from Mr. Stark. And Mr. Stark will offer him a job at Stark Industries and they will work together in his lab. Mr. Stark might even let Peter help him work on one of the Iron Suits. And Peter will suggest upgrades to Mr. Stark, yeah, he'll come up with tons of brilliant ideas. He might even suggest integrating web shooters into one of the suits. How cool that would be? On the other hand, Iron Man's repulsors are pretty effective as they are. And Iron Man can fly so he doesn't really need webs to swing around. Still. This is Peter's dream. To work with Tony Stark. His idol since his childhood. Superhero and genius in one person. Is there anything cooler than that?

Suddenly, an alarm goes off on the street underneath. Peter gets up and leans over the ledge to take a good look. Two guys – not much older than Peter himself – are attempting to steal a car. Setting off the alarm couldn't have been a part of their plan and now they are discussing if they should go on with the stealing or just leave the car behind and run before the police arrives.

Peter decides to help them with the decision. He pulls down his mask, shoots a web to a lamppost on the other side of the street and swings down, landing on the top of the car in question.

"I agree with you, you should really leave, guys" Spiderman says pointing at the shorter boy with red hair and freckles then hops down to the ground.

The guys stagger back shocked. Then the red-haired one turns to his friend. "See? I told you!"

"I'm not taking advice from a nobody in a shitty Halloween costume!" the other guy yells and launches forward to Spiderman with a crowbar in his hands.

The superhero swiftly moves out of his way and the guy plummets into the side of the car, breaking the window with the bar. He slowly straightens up swaying on his feet.

All of a sudden, police sirens sound from the distance.

The red-haired boy turns to Spiderman frightened. "Please, Mr. Spiderman, let us go! We won't do anything bad ever again!"

The superhero smiles under his mask. "Nothing illegal?" he asks trying to force as much authority into his voice as possible.

"Nothing, never!" the boy swears and without waiting for a response, he runs away.

His friend makes a different decision, though. He shakes his head trying to get rid of the last bits of dizziness and attacks Spiderman again.

But he has no chance against the senses and extraordinary speed Spiderman owns. The superhero jumps out of his way again and this time the guy lands face down on the ground. "Really?" Spiderman snorts rolling his eyes. "It's the best you've got?"

Feeling encouraged, the guy gives another try. Then another. And another. And Spiderman easily dodges every weak punch, every lame attempt to attack. Meanwhile, the police sirens sound from a closer distance.

"Okay, this is getting boring and I have a tough day tomorrow. I don't have time for this," Spiderman shrugs and webs the guy to the car. "Say hi to the police for me, will you?"

He shoots a web to the roof where he left his backpack and swings up. Once on the roof, he collects his stuff and decides to call it a night. It's getting late and he's really tired now. He yawns and steps up on the ledge to swing back to the warehouse.

But then a few blocks away, he can see some weird purple lights flaring up. He decides to check it out. No, he shouldn't. It must be just some kind of party, nothing illegal or dangerous. He has school tomorrow. Two tests. He has to go to sleep.

But who is he kidding? Of course, he will swing by and see what's going on. He has to know. If it's really nothing – and probably it is –, he'll be on his way. It'll take only a minute. What could possibly go wrong?

Famous last words, right? :)

Anyway, I know Tony had only a cameo here but trust me, next chapter is gonna be all Iron Man ;)

Thank you for reading and I'd love to hear your thoughts.