Chapter Text
Three weeks passed by, before Peter even noticed.
Days blurred into nights, nights into even longer nights. His secret room somehow managed to become more "home" than his actual bedroom with the time he was spending there. The air was thick with the smell of solder and fabric glue. The walls were lined with scraps of old Stark tech, circuit boards and half dismantled gadgets.
Peter figured out the chemical formula for the web fluid after what felt like thousand failed attempts and a minor explosion. (He still hasn't cleaned off the scorch mark off the ceiling.)
The superhero suit- superhero suit woah thats so cool- get it together Peter. was coming together too.
If 'coming together' meant being stitched from a mismatched pajama fabric he bought online with a fake name. It wasn't pretty but it worked, in some way.
He hadn't talked much to his dad. Or anyone really. Pepper had tried but they were both still awkward with the other after the whole.. 'mom incident', Peter liked to call. Harley well, he would give him some snacks whenever he saw Peter look worse than usual. Morgan once laughed when Peter walked into the kitchen one Saturday with the way he was looking telling Tony that he looked like a zombie.
If that wasn't worse, it was his friends. Peter could practically feel their eyes every time he walked into the school exhausted. Especially MJ and Harry- speaking of Harry somehow that snobbish brat managed to adopt himself into their friend group.
Which made Flash furious.
So when Ned texted him to hang out on Friday, while he was cleaning off the rooms floor after some web fluid fell on it, he thought why not?
Maybe he needed some normality back into his life.
Except the second he walked into Ned's room after being greeted by his Lola, he realized that something was off instantly.
MJ was sitting cross legged on the bed, arms folded. Harry was leaning against the desk, looking entirely too amused for someone not in the joke. Ned.. Ned just looked nervous.
Great.
Peter stopped in the doorway, stared at all three who stared back at him. "Okay, I'm scared. Why do you all look like you're about to perform a cult ritual and sacrifice me?"
"It's not a cult ritual, Parker." MJ said. "It's an intervention."
Peter took a moment to process the words, then blinked. "A what now?"
Harry smirked. "You've been ghosting us for weeks, mate. You're not looking that well either, I mean.. just take a look at your eye-bags. Thought we'd drive you out of your mad ghosting phase before you actual turn into one."
Ned bit his lip. "And you've been talking to yourself more. Like, in a creepy way we never understand what you're talking about."
"I don't talk to myself." Peter said defensively. "Most of the time."
MJ raised an eyebrow. "That's really not helping your case right now, Loser."
Ned gestured towards the bed. "Just go sit down, man. Please."
Peter sighed, rubbing his hand over his face before actually going to sit down. "This is far too dramatic."
"Good." MJ said flatly. "Because you've been acting like hermit for several weeks now, with a coffee addiction. Peter, since when do you even drink coffee? You don't reply to texts, you fall asleep in class and-" she gestured at him. "You look like a mess."
Harry nodded solemnly. "Yeah, mate I don't wanna be the one to tell you, but you look horrid."
Peter crossed his arms. "Okay first off all, rude. Second of all I'm working on something important."
MJ tilted her head. "So important that you can't, I don't know, eat? Sleep? Function like a normal human being?"
Peter opened his mouth but no sound actually came out.
Harry's smirk faded. "Seriously though, whatever you're doing. You don't have to do it alone, you know?"
That made Peter pause.
He looked down at his hands, the smell of iron clinging itself back into his mind again. The noise in his head went quiet.
Peter managed a weak and small smile. "Yeah." he said softly.
"I kind of do."
There was a moment of silence after Peter's reply.
Then Harry ever the master of subtlety, tilted his head and asked. "Dude, are you bent?"
Peter blinked, once, twice. "What?"
Ned frowned. "What does that even mean?"
MJ's brow furrowed. "Yeah, what are you asking him, Osborn? Bent how? Like mentally.. emotionally? Because-"
Harry groaned, dragging his hand across his face. "No, Not like that. Bent- you know.." He gestured with his hands vaguely.
"Gay, or well homosexual or whatever you commoners call it."
It went quiet again, and Peter's eyes widened. "What?"
Harry shrugged, completely unfazed. "You've been acting weird, sneaking off all the time, not talking to anyone. So I kind of figured, that maybe you were figuring things out?"
Peter stammered. "I.. what..? No- I'm not, .. I don't think so? I'm not! Well- maybe? I don't know.. why are we talking about this anyway!"
Ned blinked rapidly, staring at Harry then at Peter. "Is this what the intervention was supposed to be about? Because I thought he was just depressed, er.."
"He is." MJ replied dryly. "We're multitasking now."
Peter threw his hands up. "This is so weird."
Harry leaned forward grinning. "You can come out, if you want to, mate. I won't judge, y'know I'm bi myself."
"I'm not bent- I'm not into guys!" Peter insisted, cheeks flushing a ridiculous shade of red. "I mean I don't think so- I never thought about it.. you guys know im literally into L-"
MJ raised an eyebrow interrupting him like she wanted an answer now. "Well are you?"
Peter stared at her. "You actually want me to answer like, right now?"
"Yes." MJ said. "We're killing two emanational birds with one uncomfortable stone."
Ned looked at Harry then at MJ who were both staring at Peter. "I feel like I shouldn't be here."
"Then leave." Harry answered cheerfully.
"It's my room you're all in!"
"No!" Peter snapped, glaring at every single person in the room. "No one is leaving! We're not doing this- this isn't even the topic of the intervention you're doing!"
Harry smirked. "So you admit that it's an intervention."
Peter groaned into his hands. "I hate all of you."
Ned patted his back sympathetically. "We love you too, man. Homo or no homo."
Harry let out a chuckle while Peter just exhaled. "Ned never say that again."
"You know Stark Junior-" Harry's sentence died with him when he realized he mentioned the Stark.
The room went quiet again and Peter mentally screamed. Ned looked nervous.
"Why do you call him Stark Junior?" Another look at the three boys. "And why do you guys look nervous when he does?"
Harry froze mid laugh. "Oh.. bollocks, er.."
Ned slapped a hand at his face. "Dude."
Peter groaned, again. "Harry."
"You know I find it really weird that you didn't tell- haven't told her, she's like- well you know what I mean, mate." Harry cringed and quite frankly so did Peter.
MJ's eyes narrowed. "Know what, exactly?"
Ned let out a nervous laugh that really sounded more like a panicked yelp. "So, MJ- funny story.."
Peter shook his head, cutting him off. "Don't, just don't."
MJ turned slowly to Peter, squinted her eyes and looked at him for two minutes straight before she opened her mouth. "Your Tony Stark's kid aren't you?"
Peter exhaled through his nose. "..Yeah."
"You're Tony Stark's kid, as in the billionaire Avenger Tony Stark?"
"Uh huh."
"As in your Dad is IronMan?"
Peter rubbed the back of his neck, he hated talking about his dad. "Yeah."
MJ blinked at him once, then twice before she flatly spoke up again. "No wonder why you're so weird."
Ned tried to cough off his laughter.
Harry, trying to be helpful, added on. "In my defense the only reason I even know he's Stark's kid because ive seen him at galas and like we met a month ago in the evening after he had a proper row with his father. Also in my opinion he's terrible at hiding it, you know.. he's got the same broody face and everything."
Peter pointed at him. "You literally caused this."
Harry grinned. "And I'd do it again, Stark Junior."
Mj folded her arms. "So you've been hiding this fact for how long?"
Peter muttered. "Well.. since I don't know. Forever? Ned only found out because he saw Pepper and Harley picking me up once and me and Harry met after I stormed off during a fight with my dad." he shrugged.
"Unbelievable." She sat back, shaking her head. "You're the son of Ironman. And you still can't show up to class or practice on time."
Ned laughed. "Or answer texts."
Harry added. "Or not look half dead."
"Or sleep." MJ said.
Peter glared at all three of them. "This is starting to sound less like an intervention and more like bullying."
"Friendly concern, more like." Harry said, smiling cheerfully.
Peter sighed, leaning back into the bed. "You guys are the worst."
"And you love us anyway."
It was late when Peter made it back to the Tower, he looked at the time, 9:58 pm. Peter exhaled, he was exhausted, he was going to eat and then throw himself into bed.
All he wanted was five minutes of peace.
The elevator opened with a soft ding, and FRIDAY greeting him back. He made his way to the kitchen.
The lights were on, and of course he heard his Dad's soft chuckle with Harley telling him something.
Harley sat on the counter spooning ice cream straight from the tub. Tony was making himself coffee as usual.
Peter stepped inside anyway, not caring about whatever they were talking about. "Hey." Peter greeted.
"Hello, Pete." Harley said with a half smile. "We were starting to think you got kidnapped or something."
"I was over at a friend's place." Peter muttered heading to the fridge.
His dad didn't even look up. "Friends, huh? You mean the ones where you vanish for hours and forget to tell us?"
Peter shut the fridge door a bit harder than necessary. "I texted."
"Right," Tony said dryly. "One word replies every time I do try to text you. You truly are nailing this communication thing, Pete."
Harley looked between the two, spoon halfway to his mouth. "Er. Are you guys gonna argue again because you've been doing that a lot recently and-"
"Stay out it." both Starks said in unison and Peter tried his best not to glare at his Dad.
Peter sighed, grabbing a snack bar from the counter. "I'm not doing this right now."
Tony turned, arms crossed. "Doing what? Talking? God forbid."
Peter shrugged. "You're the one projecting."
Harley cringed and froze mid bite.
Tony's jaw clenched, his tone was sharp and cooling. "You've been off, Pete. You look like hell- you barely sleep, most of the time we don't see you and don't think Pepper didn't mention that you aren't in your room either. Also you've been secretive as hell. If I didn't know any better-"
Peter glanced up sharply. "If you didn't know any better what?"
His Dad hesitated for half a second, then said. "I'd think, that you were doing something stupid. Like drinking or worse."
The silence that followed was sharp enough to split atoms.
Harley's spoon clattered onto the tub. "Woah-"
Peter laughed, bitter and cold. "Drugs? Seriously? That's the theory you're going with?"
Tony didn't back down. "I'm not saying you are, I'm saying-"
"You are." Peter's voice cracked with anger and something else, disbelief maybe? "You actually think I would do that after everything?"
His dad set down his mug on the counter a bit too hard. "You're acting like someone who has something to hide! What else am I supposed to think, Peter? Damn it- the last few months you've become so- so-"
"I'm not you, Dad." Peter snapped and the man went silent so did Harley who was watching the scene. "I'm not you. I would never- never do that to myself. And it's insulting for you to even think that low of me. I might look like you- but really, my worst fear is turning into you."
Harley bit his lip nervously. "Peter that was a bit harsh don't you think?"
Peter stared at his brother in disbelief before shaking his head. "I'm going to sleep."
"This discussion isn't over, Peter." Were the last words his Dad managed to tell him before the teen stormed off towards his room, quickly shutting the door.
Peter couldn't sleep as he felt the lump in his throat.
Peter wouldn't cry.
Really, he won't.