home ; peter parker

epilogue

A few weeks later...

Peter wasn't sure how the logistics of everything had worked. Peter wasn't very versed in the legal system. Though, Tony said he'd had everything handled, so Peter took his advice and didn't worry about it. Now, he was legally under the care of Tony Stark. It felt surreal to think about.
     Peter had been in recovery for a while, and when he was finally discharged from the MedBay, he was excited to see his friends and the Avengers.
He still had years of therapy ahead of him, but his resentment for it grew into appreciation. His sessions were now biweekly, at least for the time being. He was grateful for having the privilege of therapy and found himself getting a lot out of it. He worked through his issues with the therapist, forming appropriate coping mechanisms and unrooting his trauma.

When Peter walked into the living room of the compound for the first time after his discharge, side-by-side with Tony, the couches were filled with his favorite people. The Avengers, along with Ned and MJ, fled over to him to engulf him in a hug.
"Wh-Wh...?" Peter managed, automatically hugging them back.
"I can't believe you had to go through all of that on your own," Wanda said, stroking his hair. "It's okay now. You don't have to worry about anything now."
"I appreciate everything you guys have done for me," the boy smiled. "But... What about the assassins?"
"For the meantime, they're in prison. If they somehow get out, you'll be here on lockdown while the rest of us take care of it," Steve spoke up, then glanced at Peter's two friends. "You guys will probably have to stay here too."
Peter bit his lip in thought. "No, I won't just stay here. If the time comes, I'll help."
"You've got guts, kid," Sam chuckled, patting the boy's head.
"Well then," Natasha spoke, "I guess we'll have to train you to be ready, eh?"
Peter's eyes brightened, nodding. Training with the Avengers? That would be a dream!
"Now let's just wait a minute," Tony said, smiling in amusement, "let's not forget Pete was just discharged from the hospital."
"Oh, c'mon Tony," Peter pouted, displaying his puppy-eyes.
"Don't do this to me," the man groaned, putting a hand over his face to cover his smile.
"'Tony', huh? Looks like you finally got what you wanted, Stark," Natasha commented, the corners of her mouth tugged in a smile.
(Though, Tony was even more ecstatic—and emotional, but don't tell anyone—when Peter slipped the word 'Dad' a few months later in his lab.)
"We should watch a movie!" Ned proposed, tugging on his friend's arm. Peter grinned in response, wrapping his fingers around Bucky and Ned's wrists and bounding over to the couch. The rest, in turn, followed.

     Sitting on the couch, surrounded by the Avengers and his two friends, he felt safe. Even amongst the chaos of movie night, he felt warmth all around him. He knew he had found his family, as dysfunctional as it may be. And at last, he'd found his home.

fin.

authors note;
thank you all for reading!
this book has been a journey, and i'm grateful to all those who have stuck with me through these past few years ❤️.
i've grown so much as a writer because of this book and i'm grateful for the experience.
i encourage everyone to write, even if no one is reading! i honestly just got lucky with the amount of attention this book caught, so don't be discouraged easily!
i love you all, thank you!