Safe & sound

15

"You're screwed!" Harley yelled as Angela beckoned them to continue following her.

But they couldn't move. They were stuck, staring through the window. and they were all stunned into silence until one person broke it.

"God have mercy on my soul."

"I need a bible."

"He's gorgeous."

"He's an angel."

"I'm? Dying."

"Come- come on,kids of Midtown let's go." Angela called but was keeping in laughter herself.

And the class did, reluctantly, but eventually, they shuffled after Angela, and Lisa and Abe were at the back carrying Jamie, who had fainted.

Lisa had a murderous expression, unlike everyone else in the class, because she did not want to be carrying her stepbrother during a tour with the Avengers. He was so going to hear about this later. It took all she could not to just drop him and leave, so instead she just cussed under her breath and said, "You're so fricken gay."

The class advanced down the white painted halls, mostly just whispers and squeaks, but of course, one person had to break it.

"Okay, what the fuck?"

-------------

"So... Peter... What do you want for your birthday?" Harley asked. Peter narrowed his eyes at him.

"Why are you asking? Are you gonna get me a present!?!" He said with excitement, like it was a surprise or wish that could come true. Harley looked at him weirdly.

"Of course I am, did you expect me not to?"

Peter just shrugged.

Harley rubbed his forehead, colouring it orange from the cheetos. Peter stiffled the gigle behind his hand. Harley of course saw it, and frowned. "What? Why are you laughing at me?"

"Orange head," Peter giggled, then let out a laugh he couldn't contain any longer. While Harleys eyes went wide as Peter words dawned on him, all Peter was thinking was I'm so screwed and oh well.

It'll be fine, he decides.

Once his laughter is under control and Harley's forehead is more or less rid of the cheese dust, Harley asks again, "Seriously though, what do you want?"

Peter stops tinkering to think aout it. "Um, really just to spend it with my family. With everyone I love, dad, mum, everone, you, ya big goof," He says with a grin. Then it fades and he answers honestly again. "I'm just so lucky to be spending it with you and everyone, I couldn't ask for a better family, or a better present. You guys are all I need."

And Before Harley can reply on how sappy that was, they heard a little sobbing noise at the other side of the lab. Frowning at each other, they silently agreed to go investigate. What they found was certainly not what they expected.

Instead of a Hydra agent, or sneaky intern, or a malfunctioning DUM-E, they found something worse, yet so, so so much better; Tony Stark, the genius Billionaire Philanthropist, the Iron Man, was crying on the floor, in the center of the lab, a screwdriver in one hand and his other supporting his head.

Peter raised his eyebrows. It was something Peter had gotten used to over his year here, seeing Tony cry in his lab over a failed project or when he got panic attacks or guilt wormed it's way into his mind again; but this was still a bit of a shock, especially since he was full-on sobbing and didn't even pretend to notice Harley and Peter entered the area.