[A/N: This chapter goes out to @be-my-Bucky @Gigi_Gonzalez and @jordataka for the chapter drug deal lol. It happened during an... interesting comment thread at the end of the last chapter.
(I really hope I spelt the usernames right)]
Peter burst through the door of John's apartment, the man was sitting at the table looking over the ciphered map.
He only raised an eyebrow slightly at Peter's entrance but soon went back to work as he etched down coordinates on a small piece of paper.
"Sounds like someone had a fun night, heard you got picked up by the cops again. Didn't think you'd be back," He said plainly as he continued his work.
Peter walked over to the fridge pulling it open. He grabbed a few of the ham sandwiches he'd made a few days ago. During his idle moments while in John's apartment he always felt the need to be useful.
He always did the dishes, he cleaned the apartment, even went out to get groceries as well as prepare meals to be stored in the fridge, neither of them had reliable eating schedules so preparing meals that could be refrigerated then eaten cold or microwaved later was the best approach.
His efforts in cleaning made the entire apartment look pretty decent compared to before, though it still lacked the homely touch of personal items and pictures. Despite how much Peter wanted it to be, it was no home, he was pretty sure John thought that to.
It was more of a work space you live in. He wondered if John even had a home other then the apartment, he'd never seen the man leave for extended periods of time so he strongly suspected no.
Peter walked over to the table then fell into the chair just in front of John on the other side of the table, he aggressively tore into the plastic wrap of the sandwich before eating.
He was angry, exhausted, and to hyped up on adrenaline to go to sleep any time soon. He was barely in time to catch the package before it hit the ground, and he was way past his delivery time.
He had a few guns pointed at him because of it, if it weren't for running out of the club as quick he did he'd probably be dead in some alley with a bullet in his back... well, more like bleeding out slowly. His enhanced body would still attempt to fight against death with everything it could.
That image probably shouldn't have bothered him, but his only thoughts about it were ' Shame, could have gotten out of this hell of a life.'
"Moody much?" John asked as he watched Peter devour the second sandwich.
Peter just let out a heavy sigh along with a wave of a hand as if if to say 'leave it, I'm fine.' John just responded with a shrug.
"Whatever you say," he muttered, "Anyways, with the cops adding patrols, and now your newest arrest, you'll be taking a break for awhile. Might be a few days, maybe a few weeks, not sure yet," John slowly got up with the paper in hand as he took his cane which was leaning next to the table. He started limping his way into his bedroom.
Peter only tapped the table in a sign of understanding to his words.
Maybe it was better he laid low for awhile, he hadn't realized Mr. Stark was looking for him. He thought they ended things with the internship, he really couldn't understand why the man was still trying to reach out to Peter. Peter couldn't give him anything he wanted, the guy was a genius and a billionaire, anything he'd ever want or need he could buy or build.
Was he after information? For the mobs he couriered for? Well he did say he wanted to help Peter and the mention of the fire... he probably wanted information on May. Was he trying to make a mutual deal?
He helps Peter if Peter give him information?
Peter just sighed as he looked down at the empty plastic wrappers that sat on the table near the edge of the map.
Either way, it didn't matter. He didn't want help, he was fine with how he was. He was keeping his friends safe and that's all that mattered. Though, he'll admit he was glad for the break. He barely had enough time to sleep as he dealt with the jobs and his own homeschooling.
He just sat there for a long while as he looked at the map, he wasn't really focused on it as he aloud his thoughts to wander to comforting memories of MJ and Ned. He wasn't sure why, but the memory of how he met MJ was the first that came to mind.
"Hey, you!" MJ shouted as she walked over to Peter.
He knelt on the ground as he gathered his books and papers that Flash Thompson had recently knocked to the ground. First day back from winter break and he already ran into the school bully, judging by the angry tone and aggressive stance of the girl in front of him, he may have just run into another.
He looked up at the girl standing over him with a bit of nervousness. He tried to read her expression, but it was on the border of apathy and annoyance. Whether towards him or something else he couldn't tell in that moment.
"Someone knock those out of your hand?" She asked accusingly.
Peter was a little taken back but nodded quickly as he gathered up the last papers before he quickly stood up.
"It was Flash wasn't it?" She asked raising an eyebrow.
Again Peter nodded.
"He's a dick, so whatever he's said don't take it to heart," She scoffed as she glared off to a small crowd, Flash was included in it. She narrowed her eyes at the back of Flash's head before turning back to Peter. "Names MJ, by the way. You're the kid that can't talk right?"
Peter just furrowed his eyebrow as he nodded, he then scrambled to pull out his new phone. He got it over the break, though, May was sure to tell him it wasn't a Christmas present, he didn't deserve those. He only had it so she could get in contact with him whenever she wanted.
<My name is Peter Parker> Spoke the text to speech app. It was one of the first apps he ever downloaded on the phone, he hadn't even gotten around to changing the backgrounds yet.
"PeterPeterPeter!" Ned said rushing over to Peter. "Star Wars: The Force Awakens! THE FORCE AWAKENS!! They made a 7th one, oh my god, I might just die!"
<This is my best friend Ned, Ned this is MJ.>
"Oh, uh, hi?" Ned said awkwardly.
"Sup," MJ said with a upwards nod.
Shortly after introductions the bell rang.
"Anyways, see ya at lunch losers," MJ said before walking off down one of the halls. Peter and Ned watched as she smacked Flash upside the head as she passed him, he protested something but Peter couldn't tell what it was. He almost wished he had super hearing so he could hear Flash's response as MJ walked away with her middle finger held high.
"You invited her to lunch?" Ned asked curiously.
<Um, no, I think she just invited herself.> Peter typed as he tilted his head slightly. He watched as the strange girl walked out of sight. He wasn't even bothered by the fact he'd be seeing her again later.
Peter's head hit the table with a quiet thunk and he quickly jerked awake. He sighed rubbing his eyes, now was as good a time as any to get some sleep. He slowly stood up stretching before he grabbed his trash to throw away. He walked over to the small closet he called a room before falling into the cot.
******
"How's Peter? Did you talk to him? Is everything ok?" Pepper asked quickly as Tony walked through the elevator of the penthouse. Though she could immediately sense his frustration as he headed straight to the stairs that lead to the shop.
"Nothing's changed! I'll tell you more later!" He yelled up the stairs, his frustration with now confirmed in his tone.
She sighed as she heard the workshop door slam shut. She soon walked over to the kitchen as she prepared a cup of tea.
It was about an hour later that he came back into the living room, Pepper had a book in her hands and a half full cold cup of tea sitting on the small table next to the loveseat she was curled up in. At some point she had fallen asleep with the book resting in her lap, her fingers loosely wrapped around the binding.
Of course she still enjoyed physical copies of books, despite knowing for a fact she had this exact copy on her digital library.
Tony looked at her for a moment, wondering how he got lucky enough to convince her to marry him... though, the wedding date had been postponed till he could solve the situation with Peter.
He was luckier still that she actually agreed to that.
He quietly approached her before gently moving the book to the side table, then maneuvering himself so he could pick her up.
He took her to their room before laying her down in bed, it was then she shifted awake.
"Sorry, tried to do that without you waking up," He said with a small laugh. He knelt down next to the bed so he was eye level with her. He then lightly pushed some loose hair out of her face.
Who knew Tony Stark would end up with someone as wonderful as her.
"What am I, 5? You didn't have to carry me to bed," She said with a small frown.
"You barely get any sleep lately," he cupped her cheek in his palm.
"Neither did you," She replied putting her hand on top of his.
"Yeah," he gave a tired laugh.
"What happened at the police station?" She asked quietly, any sleep in her eyes from before was gone and replaced with a focus that proved he had her full attention.
He let out a heavy breath before explaining the events earlier that night.
"I thought I was so close, I thought he would let me in," His voice was barely above a whisper and he felt Pepper pull him into a small hug.
"Tony, he's been with this woman almost his entire life... he probably doesn't know what it's like for someone to care for him, let alone be able to recognize it."
There was a small moment of silence between the two as Pepper just held Tony. She gently started to run her fingers soothingly throughout his hair. Eventually they shifted so they both laid in bed with their arms wrapped around each other.
After what was probably half an hour, Tony was the one to break the silence.
"Pep?" He spoke in a low tone.
"Hm?"
"If... somehow, Peter finally gets away from May, he won't have anywhere to go..."
Pepper shifted her head on the pillow so she could look Tony in the eyes.
"I know you don't think I'd be a good father-"
"I never said that," She interrupted, "I just didn't think you were ready," She said quietly as she gently put a hand on his neck rubbing circles into his jaw.
"And now?" He asked quietly.
"You've proved me wrong," she smiled. "I'd be more than happy to let Peter join our family."
Tony just grinned at her thankfully as he pulled her close, "I don't deserve someone like you."
******
The week past, Peter had never had so much reliable sleep since, well, ever. The guilt of not going out as Spider-Man wasn't nearly as strong as he thought it would be, but he still thought he should take the opportunity to go out some.
It'd be nice to feel the wind in his face as he swung through the city, actually help people again. He hoped that the feeling from helping someone hasn't faded with everything else.
He had to sneak back into May's apartment to grab his homemade suit, it was easy enough getting the window of his room open and with the added luck of May not being there he changed quickly before heading out.
Being Spider-Man was just as good as he remembered it, he helped where he could. Stopping a child from getting hit by a car, averted a robbery, helping an old lady up the stairs to her apartment building. He really did miss it, but he felt slightly uncomfortable in the brightly colored suit. Something about it he just didn't like anymore.
As he stood atop a roof he watched over the street below, he wouldn't mind being Spider-Man all the time if he was being honest.
A morbid thought crossed his mind.
What if he killed Peter Parker? Maybe then he could always be Spider-Man.
With his current line of work it wouldn't be that hard to fake his death, but providing a body might be difficult.
Pros would be getting away from May, not having to participate in illegal activity, his friends would no longer be in danger, and he could commit full time to being Spider-Man, helping more people than he ever had before.
But then there were the cons, he couldn't see his friends again, they would mourn for him, he'd never finish school, and Mr. Stark would still know it's him.
Well, there weren't nearly as many cons as he expected, but the one concerning Mr. Stark was his biggest problem. Maybe take up a new identity? He'd be a different hero but he'd still be helping people, he'd need to figure out on how to change his fighting style, as well as make the appearance of the new hero not coincide with his faked death, Mr. Stark would figure it out immediately if he didn't do it right.
Peter continued to think of the plan as he headed back to May's apartment, his thoughts were interrupted by when spidey sense spiked in warning, signifying May was home.
He snuck in quietly, before taking off his suit. Just as he was about to hide it back in the crawl space above his room.
He nearly jumped onto the ceiling as the blasting trumpets of the opening Star Wars theme rang out through the room. He was confused and panicked as he tried looking for the source, until he remembered that was the ringtone to his phone.
The device was sitting on his dresser, he was surprised the thing still had power after the months of neglect.
But he didn't have long to think about his phone's battery life. Almost immediately his spidey sense sent a painful spike down his spine and his door was flung open.
"What the hell are you doing here," May practically snarled. She looked up at Peter as he stood on the chair of his desk to reach the crawl space.
Despite knowing she was coming he still fell off of the chair in a panic as he crawled backwards away from her in fear.
Peter didn't answer but as she looked up at the partly closed crawl space he could see red sleeve of his suit sticking out.
Peter's heart rate pick up as he watched her. He felt paralyzed in her presence.
"Oh? Hiding something are we? You know what I've told you," She glared at him before stepping up on the chair.
Peter felt powerless, there was nothing he could do. If he attacked her she'd hurt his friends, if he tried to stop her any other way she'd get suspicious and look anyways.
He screwed up.
He screwed up so bad he didn't even know what she would do.
He should have been more focused, he shouldn't have let himself get surprised by his own phone of all things.
As she tugged the crumpled up suit, pulling it down from the crawl space, a wicked smile spread across her face as she realized exactly what the fabric was.
"Oh, my dear Peter, keeping secrets?" She started to laugh, Peter only felt dread. "A big one at that," her grin widened.
She smiled like that cat who got the cream. She dropped the suit to the floor before walking out.
"I've got a few calls to make, stay right there," She ordered, he didn't dare move from his position on the floor.
He wasn't even sure he could, his body shook as he tucked his knees to his chest. He couldn't run, he couldn't hide, and now he couldn't even escape as Spider-Man because she KNEW!
God, she knew .
He actually wished she was angry about it because the smile on her face was worse.
He could hear her calling someone from the other room, he quickly covered his ears, he didn't want to know what it was, he was too scared to find out.
With the small moment he had before she came back, he wanted to pretend everything was alright. That he was in his room waiting for May to go to sleep so he could sneak out to be Spider-Man, the times before the jobs, before he was taken out of school.
He never knew he'd miss the times of ruined childhood movies, cold showers, and being locked in a closet.
"Peter darling," her voice chimed in a sweetness that felt more like venom.
Peter went rigid and immediately looked up at her. "You're talents are wasted as a courier, I have better plans for you."
His spidey sense spiked warning him of further danger.
Run.
[A/N: A little shorter then normal, but I have big plans for the next chapter... you guys are soooo going to hate me.]