If They Knew All About You

Settlements and Secrets

The first few days at the Tower had flown by faster than he would have expected. Tony had given him free rein to set up the new lab he'd get to use and maybe... maybe he had gone a little crazy with it. Late that first day after the move, they had ridden the elevator down to the SI labs on the 39th floor and Pete got to stick post-its on every piece of furniture or equipment he'd like to have in his new lab. It was like strolling through a giant IKEA only less Swedish-designs-vibes and more of a full chemical-engineering-robotics-blast. By the next morning, Tony had shown him to the newly equipped lab that was on the same floor as his, only facing south, just like Pete's room.

"Hey, I could get some of those poles and slide right down here from my room!" He was biting his lip, eyeing the ceiling. "You know, like Batman."

Tony snorted. "You want a cape, too?"

A cape on his suit. That would probably look badass as hell. He rolled his lip between his teeth. Though if it got in the way and he got entangled with his webs and face-planted against a building, that would look a lot less badass.

"Yo, earth to bat-kid, you know that the lab is not for you to turn into your superhero lair, right?" Tony's eyebrows were arched up high. "It's for school and for the projects you want to try out, strictly non-crime-fighting related."

"Yeah, right. I know, I know." Pete slung his arms around himself, grimacing to himself. Non-crime-fighting related. Tony would go out of his way not to put the words 'Spider-Man' in his mouth. Even when they were talking about it, which was almost never, he treated Spider-Man like a 'He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named' type of situation.

Just then, the elevator behind them buzzed opened.

"Oh, good lord." Pepper stalked into the room, one hand on her forehead. "Now the calls from R&D make a lot more sense." She glanced at Tony. "You know, when I said you should take Pete down there to pick out furniture and stuff he might like, I meant: stuff that we could then order in from the manufacturer. Not stuff that you should steal from downstairs."

"How is it stealing, if it's my stuff in the first place," Tony huffed.

Her eyes were pressed shut for a deep breath. "The company's stuff."

"Potayto - potahto." Tony waved his hand at the thought as he looked around the room and shrugged. "I think it looks great." He clapped a hand on Pete's shoulder. "Great taste, kid."

They bickered for a bit but it was thoroughly amusing, the quick wit, Tony's easy smile. Things were settling into place.

By the time his tutor Connor showed up, they both wandered back to work, Tony to his own lab, Pepper back upstairs, and the day flew by. It was past 5 pm, his stomach already growling in anticipation for dinner, when Pete's phone buzzed next to him as he was scribbling down the last notes on the project Connor had left him to finish on his own.

Without even looking, Pete tapped the screen to accepted the call. "Dude, I can't wait for you to come and see the new tools—"

Ned didn't even let him finish. "Dude, are you back out there?"

"What?" Pete shook his head. Out where? "What are you talking about?"

"You know... the..." Ned's voice dropped into a low whisper. "The Spider stuff."

For a moment, Pete stared at the phone to make sure it really was Ned calling. That question didn't make any sense whatsoever. "Course not. I mean... Tony won't even say that name out loud let alone give me the suit and well, if he had you'd be the first one I'd tell!" He shrugged to himself and added with a mumble: "The first and only one."