Pride Is Not The Word I'm Looking For

Chapter 7

Good evening children! Tis I, your angst provider!

Anyways good luck with this chapter and the next. You're in for a fun ride.

OH! BEFORE I FRICKING FORGET!

Thank you so much for all the reads! You guys are so awesome!

***

-+*+- Peter -+*+-

"You know?"

Natasha nodded her head and gave a sad smile.

"Super spy remember?"

Peter looked down at his lap. Was he that bad at keeping secrets? He could feel his eyes welling with tears as he let his thoughts consume him. God he was so pathetic. He only had one job, 'keep his identity a secret' and he failed. He failed.

She was going to tell the rest of the Avengers and they were going to reveal his identity to the world. Everyone he cared about would be in danger, all because he was so obvious.

He looked back up at Natasha with pleading eyes.

"Are you going to tell anyone?"

She shook her head no. "I think that's something you have to do, but Peter, it's hard to keep a promise like the one I just made you if the Avengers need to bring you in for identification. You need to tell them eventually. They'll kill themselves if they hurt you without knowing, and you know Tony," she didn't finish her sentence but Peter understood.

If anything happened to him, Tony would blame himself. He didn't want that after all the billionaire had one for him. He had come to like Tony over the past couple of days, but he was cautious. Parker Luck would strike again if he got too close to his mentor. Something would happen to him and it would be all his fault.

He bobbed his head in understanding and Natasha asked him a surprising question.

"Can I give you a hug?"

Peter's eyes widened in surprise. She wanted to hug him?

He nodded his head again and she wrapped her arms around him. It was so calming and peaceful. He couldn't remember the last time Aunt May had hugged him. Was this what parental love was supposed to feel like? Jeez, the fact that he had to even ask that question killed him. Normal people were supposed to have this regularly. He wasn't normal. He wasn't normal. His eyes brimmed with tears and willed them away. He had already cried enough for a lifetime.

When Natasha let go he felt like some of the weight he had been carrying on his shoulders evaporated. It wasn't all of it but it was a start. He smiled at her with sad and burdened eyes. There was a chance he was going to be okay.

***

When breakfast rolled around they ate quickly. Peter and Tony were up the earliest, excluding Natasha who never seemed to sleep, they wanted to work on the AI system that they were discussing the previous day.

"So," Tony started with a mouthful of cereal stuffed in his face, "what're we gonna name 'er?"

Peter responded almost immediately, "Karen."

Tony blinked several times before asking, "Like, Plankton's wife from SpongeBob?"

Peter smiled and his eyes lit up.

"Exactly like Plankton's wife from SpongeBob."

Tony barked a laugh and shook his head mumbling about 'kids these days'. Peter heard what he said and rolled his eyes.