Pride Is Not The Word I'm Looking For

Chapter 13

-+*+- Tony -+*+-

What did the kid mean by skip? Was it a name? Tony was confused but he knew the kid was stressed out so he held him to his chest and let him cry.

They stayed like that for a while before Tony checked the time and saw that it was almost 3:00 in the morning. He gently pulled Peter off of him and asked if he wanted to watch TV before he went to school.

Peter nodded and they flipped through the channels until they stopped on The Amazing World of Gumball. It wasn't that funny or interesting to Tony but he knew the kid liked it and made references every now and then so he played the episode.

They sat on the couch for a while with Peter curled under Tony's arms. He didn't ask what skip was. Or who it was. He knew Peter would tell him in his own time.

Before he knew it it was 6:00. He nudged Peter and told him to get dressed if he was going to school. Peter obliged and came back out wearing jeans and a familiar MIT sweatshirt. Tony didn't mind. The hoodie didn't fit him anymore so he naturally gave it to Peter.

Peter sat back down on the couch and curled into a ball in the corner while nibbling on the pop tart. Tony didn't say anything but instead let Peter be. This kid was going to give him grey hairs and it wasn't even his fault.

Tony heard quick and light footsteps coming down the hall. Natasha. She was supposed to drop him off at school today.

Natasha entered the room not a second later with a broad smile on her face. "Morning Peter!" She greeted.

Peter looked up and his eyes instantly lit up. "Morning Auntie Nat."

"Woah! Auntie Nat?" Tony asked in disbelief. He still couldn't get Peter to call him Tony instead of Mr. Stark and Natasha somehow got him to call her Auntie? This was unacceptable.

Peter shrugged at Tony's outburst and Natasha laughed.

"Ready to go squirt?" Nat asked.

"Yeah." Peter got up and slung his backpack over his shoulder, following the assassin to the elevator.

"Bye Pete," Tony called after him.

Peter turned around and his face flushed. "Bye Mr. Stark."

-+*+- Peter -+*+-

Natasha dropped Peter off with a quick hug and goodbye. Peter liked Natasha. She never tried asking him about his past but instead let him come to her. It was freeing. He didn't hate Tony for his questions but sometimes it was overwhelming. He was grateful that Tony didn't ask about...Him.

He hooked his thumbs through his backpack straps and made his way up the school. He noticed a lack of name-calling and shoving so he assumed that Flash was absent that day. Thank God. He wasn't up for being messed with today.

He roamed the halls looking for Ned. He still had ten minutes before the warning bell rang and he wanted to find Ned and talk to him before they were confined to a classroom.

He found him at his locker.

"Hey Ned," he greeted softly.

"Oh my God! Peter!" Ned launched himself onto Peter and he winced from the slight rubbing on his burn. "Where did you go?" Ned asked, "You were gone for like, ever, and I tried calling you but you never picked up."

"Yeah, Sorry I'll catch you up during lunch or something and I'm sorry for not answering. These past two weeks have been... Stressful."

"Oh, alright, you're sure you're okay?" Ned asked.