One shot collection

Spider habits

Finding out that Peter Parker was Spider-Man came as a big surprise to the Avengers. Peter was as skinny as they came and incredibly meek. He was a genius, a nerd, and such a sweet, innocent boy it was hard to correlate him with the snarky vigilante that spotted off quips at every villain and had single-handedly saved the world on numerous occasions. And, to top it all off, he was only fifteen. It was sometimes difficult for the older heroes to stave off their protective instincts during a battle when the teen was in danger, and even harder for them to accept that their youngest teammate could indeed carry the weight of the world on his narrow shoulders.

So, when he came to live with the heroes after his aunt died in a tragic accident and Tony officially adopted him, it was only a matter of time before the secret was revealed. Surprisingly, no one made a big deal out of it. While all of the older heroes were displeased by his young age and dismal backstory, they respected his decision and dedication.

Natasha in particular was perturbed due to her background in the Red Room. Child soldiers were a sore spot for her; and justifiably so. But the love she held for the younger arachnid was more than enough for her to set aside her indifference. She even began training him and made it her personal mission to guide him.

Spider-Man, or rather Peter Parker, was one of the most powerful mutants anyone had ever seen. He'd proven over and over again that he was capable of holding his own. But that didn't stop his dad, aunts, and uncles from being overprotective. No one messed with their little spider.

But the heroes would be lying if they said living with a teenage mutant didn't come with some surprises. Not necessarily bad surprises, but definitely weird spidery ones.

******

"Peter? Bud, where are you?" Tony called out as he entered the living room on the communal floor where the other heroes were gathered. After a long day of training and team-building exercises, the team was getting ready for a movie night. Something they often did to bond and exercise their familia ties. "Has anybody seen Pete?"

Natasha shook her head, pausing the TV to give the billionaire her full attention. "I haven't seen him since the training ended. He said he was going to shower then meet everyone here."

"I'm sure he's fine, Tony," Steve reassured when he saw the concerned look on the billionaire's face. The entire team adored Peter, but being the boy's father, it came as no surprise that Tony was even more protective of the teen. "He's probably just finishing up."

Ten minutes later, and Peter still hadn't appeared. Call it paranoid, but everyone was getting a little worried. Hero's work was dangerous, and Peter had the tendency to get into trouble. More than once he'd been labeled a trouble magnet; by his friends and enemies.

"FRIDAY, where is Peter?" Tony asked the AI who also had a soft spot for the spiderling.

"Peter is currently in the kitchen. His vitals are stable, and he is in stage two of the sleep cycle." There was a fondness in her voice reserved only for Peter. KAREN, Peter's own AI, was equally as protective of the teen.

Tony chuckled quietly to himself, his smile shared by the rest of his team. "I'm gonna go get 'im," he said as he headed in the direction of the large, open-concept kitchen.

"No way, man," Rhodey laughed, "I wanna see this. If he's anything like you," he playfully poked his best friend's shoulder, "which he is, there's a good chance he fell asleep standing up."

"I have not fallen asleep standing up," Tony scuffed, feigning offense. The entire team followed him into the spacious kitchen, eager to see if Rhodey's hunch was correct. "Sleeping isn't my forte, but I don't think I ev- he's not here." The kitchen appeared to be completely empty; no sign of the teen despite FRIDAY's reassurance.