Chapter Text
“The boy is worthy!”
Once everyone had stopped cheering Manahil had said that the tour was officially over. Tony reminded everyone not to discuss anything they’d learned today, that included Peter wielding Mjölnir. He also convinced Mr. Herrington to let Peter stay because “he’s coming right back here after school, it’d be a waste of time for him to go back.”
So Peter had said a quick goodbye to Ned and MJ, promising to see them again on Monday. When everyone was out of the room and headed towards the exit, he slowly turned his head (while still perched on Thor’s shoulders because the god refused to put him down) towards Tony.
“Well Dad? What are you planning to do to make up for this before Aunt Pepper gets home?”
There was a sharp intake of breath by the door, Peter snapped his gaze and saw a shocked Flash Thompson flickering his gaze between him and Tony.
“Uh, how much did you hear?”
Flash didn’t answer, instead, he squared his shoulders, stared Tony dead in the eye as he walked up and slapped him across the face.
.
.
.
.
“Wanna tell me what that was for?” his dad said, probably torn between confusion and anger.
“I’ve seen Peter’s bruises, no one has any right to hurt their kid like that! Not even some billionaire philanthropist! I don’t care what your excuse is! Even if you had a shit childhood that doesn't mean you can drag Peter into your sick-”
“Flash!” Peter shouted, slipping from Thor’s shoulder and moving to grab his peer (friend?) by the arms. “Look, I know what you think those cuts and bruises were, but you have no idea. I promise you my dad has never laid a hand on me.” Peter took a deep breath “I’m not going to tell you where they came from. And I’ll be honest they probably won’t stop anytime soon; but if you can be certain of anything, it’s that he’s a good dad. I let you think what you did because the truth would have put us both in danger. And also if I’m being honest, you were nicer after you saw them.” Peter dropped his hold on Flash’s arms and ran a hand through his hair. “Look just… I’m safe here, you don’t need to question that, alright?”
Flash’s eyes flickered between him and Tony, judging the sincerity of Peter’s words. “Yea. yea okay.” he looked towards Tony sheepishly “sorry for hitting you, sir.”
“I’ll let it slide, and this is a promise, not a threat. If you so much as think this in the direction of the media I will make sure you and your family are at the mercy of the entire Stark Industries legal team. Capisce?”
Flash nodded sincerely, “capisce.”
Tony smirked, “right, this has been an eventful day, now scram before the tour group comes looking for you.”
Flash nodded again before turning to the seat he was in during the Q&A, grabbing his phone, and leaving back out the doors.
“I think I need a nap,” Clint said, flopping down into a nearby chair.
“You need a nap Barton?! I just got slapped in the face by a twelve-year-old!”
The bickering and familial banter followed them back up to the common room where Steve offers to make Arancini with Tony tagging in, offering to make homemade pasta. Peter accepts the olive branches for what they are, then dismissed himself to hang out with Loki until dinner.
Pepper and Happy walked in, bags in hand, just as the food was being finished.
When the food was plated and everyone was settled, Peter allowed himself to relax in the warm ambiance of family, food, and the knowledge that the second Pepper asks what happened while she was gone everyone at the table was gonna get a disappointed Pepper look™ and that just made everything worth it.
Disappointed looks dished out, food eaten, Peter asked if he could ask Pepper a question as he started clearing away the plates.
They ended up in the kitchen Pepper washing plates and Peter drying. “What did you wanna ask me Pete?”
“Well- y’see, uh.” Peter heard his face flush and cursed the ‘no hiding yourself in your own home’ rule* “there's this- I have a friend.” Peter blushed harder and took a deep breath. “My friend MJ really looks up to you and she’s writing this thing and I was wondering if you’d mind letting her have an interview sometime?”
*This included 1) no photostatic veils 2) no hand paint and 3) free rein of the ceilings {tony tried to carpet the ceilings but Peter declined on the grounds that it would impede his ability to stick}
Pepper laughed, a light airy laugh that Peter didn’t know how to react to. Before his brain could go into overdrive Pepper started talking. “Of course she can, did you happen to catch what it was about?”
“I think she said ‘the importance of women in places of capitalistic power’”
She laughed again, “MJ sounds lovely, why don't you ask her what day works best. Happy can bring her here with you after school, she’ll probably want a few days to get her questions in order.” Peter nodded. The rest of the dishes were washed and dried while talking about all the cool things that Pepper saw in Hong Kong.
The weekend was spent between normal weekend things and worrying about school come Monday. He’d talked to Loki about it and she’d said there was nothing he could do but wait. So that wasn’t very helpful.
The two days off passed in a blur (except the lunch he had with May, but that was really the only thing that broke up the haze of the weekend) and Monday was fast approaching.
When Peter woke up (with another confusing dream about MJ fresh on his mind) his reluctance to get out of bed was driven by more than just a desire for sleep. Nonetheless, he dragged himself from bed and worked through his morning routine, even eating a full breakfast of eggs and pancakes, courtesy of Clint down on the common floor.
Walking into school was… suspiciously normal. No one was whispering behind his back or staring at him, heck they weren't even shooting him weird looks. It seems as though everyone had actually kept their mouths shut.
If he shared a class with an AcaDec member they seemed a little more inclined to get his help when they were stuck, and Flash was actually throwing him looks, (but if he were honest, if he wasn’t doing that Peter would be even more concerned)
He was thankful when lunch rolled around.
Plopping down next to Ned with a heavy sigh he started picking at the tater tots on his tray. He glanced up and saw MJ reading a book. “Oh yea, MJ?” he said, getting her attention. “Ms. Potts said she’d do the interview.” MJ’s face lit up, she was even (almost) smiling!! “She said you can come to the tower with me after school, she also wanted to know what day you wanted to do?”
“Either Thursday or Friday, whichever works best for her.”
Peter nodded and pulled out his phone to text Pepper. The rest of lunch went by without incident and the rest of the day passed with minimal awkwardness. Gym was a little weird though. After his sparring match with Nat, it became clear to his classmates that the only reason he was ‘bad’ at gym was that he wanted to be. Whatever conclusions they draw about his reasons aside, no one commented.
Getting in the car with Happy at the end of the day was a relief. Peter knew that the first day was the worst, meaning the worst was behind him. Happy offered to get ice cream for surviving, and what was Peter supposed to say? No? (he got Stark Raving Hazelnuts)
Friday
It was the day of MJ and Pepper’s interview and the two teens were currently on their way to the tower. MJ was doing some last-minute rewording of her questions, Peter on the other hand… well, he realized that he might, maybe, kinda sorta, has a crush… on MJ. he was currently thinking whether or not to ask her about it.
Now or never. “Hey MJ?”
“Yea loser.”
“Well uh, I was thinking… now I just want to say that I don't expect you to feel the same and I’m not trying to pressure you into anything but I uh-- maybe kinda, like you?”
“Is that a question?” she replied, smirking, not even looking up from her flashcards.
“O-oh um, I- no, no it's not a question, I just-”
MJ cut him off “I’m just fucking with you dork, I don't care if you ‘like’ me or whatever but I’m aro* so” she shrugged.
*Aro: aromantic: not having romantic attraction (aro and ace are not mutually exclusive)
“Oh! That's cool, I just wanted you to know.”
“Alright kids, we’re here.” Happy called to the back as he parked the car in the private parking lot
“ wait MJ,” Peter said just as she went to grab the door handle “So are we-- still friends?”
“Obviously loser.” She got out of the car and started towards the elevator. “now come on, I’m not gonna be late for this interview!”
Peter frantically climbed out of the car and jogged to catch up to her, a dopey smile still plastered on his face.