Welcome home

A teenage boy of sixteen was singing along merrily, stamping his foot to the beat. The music was playing loudly in Stark’s workshop, and man was assembling something at his desk. A new “Mark” is not an easy thing to do. It needs maximum concentration and diligence. Everything has to be thought out down to the smallest detail. In the last fight he damaged one of his armours and now he immediately needs to repair it. And also add some original elements. Without taking his eyes off his work, he rummaged around the table in search of coffee. – Hey, you… Hey, you immature adult, — Tony looked around in search of a student. — Where is my coffee? Peter looked at his mentor at the moment when he emptied cup of espresso. He put it on the table with a guilty face and muttered: – Uh. I accidentally… — he jumped out of his chair, almost tip the soldering iron. — I’ll go make a new one, — Peter muttered and, picking up the now empty cup, disappeared behind the partition where there was a coffee machine and a couple of other devices. – Kid, — Tony muttered, rolling his eyes. Of course, he is only sixteen years old, and his head is screwed on the right way, but this does not give him the right to drink someone else’s coffee. Peter has been interning with him for six months now, but he still hasn’t learned it. Stark exhaled irritably and, closing his eyes, shook his head in different directions. Without a good dose of caffeine, concentrating on work is much more difficult. Peter returned about ten minutes later, this time with two mugs. – Coffee! — he announced joyfully. He put one on Stark’s table, and took the other with him. – You know, boy, you’re very lucky, — man continued, taking a sip of the hot drink. — Free coffee is a luxury these days, you know. I even envy you a little. Peter just broke into a cheerful smile, returning to the soldering iron. – I need to leave early today, — he suddenly remembered a few minutes later. — Can I? — teenager clarified. Two brown eyes looked at Stark with guilt. – No, you can’t, — the billionaire answered after a short silence. — You stay here until you build me thirty more suits like this, — and he laughed, noticing the fear on boy’s face. — Of course you can. Finish your coffee and go wherever you want. – Then I’ll go, — he looked at watch again and hesitated. Peter could stay longer with Stark, but then he’d definitely get a few more bruises. Teenager froze in indecision. But as soon as Peter thought about Spider-Man, he immediately picked up his backpack. If Peter arrives later, he will definitely not be able to go out on patrol, and he will also receive significant injuries from his drunken father. — See you tomorrow, Mister Stark, — he exclaimed and flew out of the tower. The main thing is to get home before the end of working hours and to do homework. – Be careful on the road, boy! — Stark shouted after Peter as he ran away. — Children. They are in such a hurry all the time. — he sighed and continued further work alone. *** When Peter arrived home, his father was not yet there, and he spent the next half hour in silence doing his homework. But he forgot that today was the damn Friday and man came home not only drunk, but with two friends. The front door swung open with a bang, teenager cautiously looked out of the room and swallowed nervously. Men, laughing merrily, fell onto the sofa, placing a bag in front of them, apparently containing cheap alcohol. – Hey, you little bastard! Bring us something to eat! — father shouted and, without even turning around, turned on the old TV. Arguing with a drunken father is a stupid idea, and guy quickly took out snacks from the refrigerator and threw them on the table. – Get out of sight! — one of the friends barked angrily, and everyone laughed. Parker grimaced and silently slammed the door to his room. It was at such moments that he idolized Stark for the headphones he had given him earlier. No matter how much he denied, man still deftly threw the gift into the teenager’s backpack. For the first couple of hours, guy seriously thought about returning and giving them back, but when he realized how convenient it was, he decided to accept the gift. When he hastily completed his homework, Peter clicked the old lock of his room and took out the suit that had been prudently hidden. Reloaded the shooters, he fleetingly caught his reflection with his gaze. Stark’s sarcastic voice immediately sounded in my head: “You’re literally every model’s dream, Parker!” Peter shook his head, clearing away the thoughts. Even in the boy’s mind, Stark managed to tease him. Trying to concentrate on patrolling, he silently opened the window and shot a web at the building opposite. The guy returned at four in the morning. He jumped in the window and with horror noticed the open, broken door to the bedroom, while there was deathly silence in the apartment. Peter pulled off his suit, hiding it in the same loophole, and carefully, trying not to make noise, examined the door, or rather, what was left of it. The lock was hopelessly broken, and the door seemed as if it would fall to pieces at one touch. There was nothing to do. He trying to cover the passage into the room as much as possible. The minute he tiptoed towards the bed, the door creaked loudly as it opened back up. Peter shuddered in fear and immediately heard the grumbling of his awakened father. “Anything but this!” flashed through the teenager’s head. He jumped under the thin old blanket, hoping that he would remain unnoticed. A couple of seconds later, heavy footsteps were heard. Man burst into the room. – You’re back, bugger! — he yelled as soon as he noticed his son. Peter lay silently, trying to pretend that he was sleeping, but his plans were cruelly thwarted. Enraged father seized the boy by the collar and threw him to the floor. The crunch of torn clothes was heard, and Peter, unable to restrain himself, moaned in pain. – Speak when I ask! — man growled aggressively, grabbing his almost torn shirt and throwing the guy, like an unwanted kitten, back onto the bed. Teenager hit his head painfully against a thin wall, leaving a significant breach in it. Apparently, this time father was especially angry, because before Parker received no more than a couple of kicks. The resentment stabbed heart sharply, without asking permission. Guy suddenly inadvertently remembered Stark, how he carefully explained something to him, without swearing if Peter did not understand. He didn’t even notice how he sobbed, wanting to be in a cozy workshop, wrapped in a blanket, as he had been after one of the beatings. Of course Parker put the blame on unsuccessful bike ride, not wanting to burden the billionaire who had already done too much for him. That was the first time he felt truly safe. A blow to the face brought him back to reality. – Where did this clothes come from, I ask? — drunkard got really angry. But Parker was horrified. He completely forgot that he was wearing new clothes, which Stark had bought for him. Guy in thought slapped himself on the forehead, making a note to bother Tony as little as possible. – I earned it, — teenager mumbled and was immediately hit in the stomach. A dull groan escaped from the chest, bringing to mind a completely logical thought: “something is broken.” – So maybe you’ll buy your own food and pay for the water that you, ungrateful creature, waste?! Peter didn’t listen anymore. Everything floated before his eyes, turning both father’s screams and his silhouette into an incomprehensible hubbub. In his head, instead of thoughts, everything was mixed into a mess, without the ability to think sensibly, much less try to defend himself. The last thing he remembers was receiving another blow, but this time to the head with something heavy, feeling the taste of his own blood on his tongue, mixed for some reason with the taste of metal, and he passed out. *** Tony turned the mug over and the last drops of coffee that the teenager had brought him more than three hours ago dripped onto his tongue. It’s definitely harder to work without him, at least because there’s nothing to eat. It seems that in order to continue working, he still need to wait for Peter: he needs help, that someone can hold part of the helmet while he lasers it into shape. Of course, this can be done with the help of Friday, but he likes to listen to the teenager’s endless chatter while working. Tony is so used to Peter’s voice that he can no longer concentrate in the ensuing silence. When he put away his tools, Stark sat down in a chair and, for the first time in the entire day, allowed himself to relax and closed his eyes. Then was the sound of a opening door and Pepper entered the workshop. – Thanks God, — she said from the doorway. — I already wanted to send you to bed. But it seems that sensible thoughts still visit your head from time to time. – You underestimate my head, — when he opened his eyes, he turned his gaze to girl. — Believe me, there are a lot of sensible thoughts. I just like when you take care of me, — Tony smiled. Pepper rolled her eyes as usual. Tony chuckled. Usually this gesture means either “You’re an idiot” or “I like your tackles, but you’re still an idiot.” – Well, what is the reason of your visit? – It’s about about Peter, — she clarified briefly. — Guy is smart enough for his age. Are you planning to train him further? — The blonde raised her eyebrows. — He doesn’t work for us officially, although he receives a salary. Tony just waved it off and, having decided to pour some coffee anyway, headed to the coffee machine. – Let it be like this for now, everything suits him, — and almost immediately he noticed, — Me too. There’s no need to bother. – Are you planning to sleep today? — girl sighed heavily, but retreated and changing the topic. – Do you have better suggestions? — man grinned at her. — If there’s anything, I’ll be happy to listen. Pepper sighed, probably having long time resigned herself to her fate, and headed back towards the exit of the workshop. – I really hope that you won’t scare Peter with your… — turning around, she looked at him with an unreadable look. — Sorry for the expression, tired face. She apologized out of habit, without thinking at all that she had told a lie, but Tony was still sure that he had caught love in that last glance, although he himself, of course, would not admit that he had already learned to see everything in her eyes.