Maybe I Can Be Happy, Just This Once.

4:20

Five months.
It has been five months, since aunt mays death.
Five agonizing months since Tony has last seen Peter smile or eat a decent meal.
The whole team is worried, but mostly Tony.
Anybody can see the worry in Tonys eyes when Peter walks in, or when Peter denies a full plate of food. Tony asks him, but its always the same answer.
"Im fine Tony." Hes never called Tony dad again. Its always 'Tony'.
"Im not hungry."
Tony talked to him once, but it didnt end well, and Tony didnt know what to do so he stopped asking. He still kept a watchful eye out though.

Once the team walked in on Tony asking JARVIS what Peters weight. When Clint gave him a questioning gaze Tony just shrugged and walked off.

At school Peter is still a grade A student but Flash, Flash was treating him differently. He was still mean when he wanted to be but, Peter finally felt he had friends. He was popular.
The first time he noticed Flash actually being nice was the third day of coming back to school after his aunt died.

Peter was walking through the halls going to his locker to get his things for first period. When he got to his locker he saw Ned waiting for him.
"Hey Peter, how are you doing?"
"Im fine Ned."
"Ok. But you know you can talk to me, right?"
"Of course." And their conversation ended. Ned had to get to his class so he left, and thats when flash came.
"Hey Parker!"
Peter groaned.
"What flash? Im not in the mood to be pushed into the locker today, rain check?"
Flash laughed.
"No im not going to push you into lockers. Thats not what friends do."

"Were friends now?"
"Listen parker,-" Flash said straining to be gentle.
"-im inviting you to my party. My house six thirty. Ok? Be there."

"Wait, can Ned come?"
"Peter, yeah. fine whatever."
And with that he left.

When he told Tony. Tony was protective but let him go. He was glad the kid had some friends trying to make him feel better.
He told him to be back by ten but didnt really expect him to be back by that time. When Tony went to parties when he was a kid he never came back on time.

At the party, the lights, the people, the drinks. There was water and beer. Flash hamded them both a beer, but neither of them drank, they got waters and started walking around. Ned and Peter were inseperable, probably their anxiety, but the never left each others side. Ned finnished his water and they went a got a new one for him. It wasnt when Ned started to slow down, Peter just thought he was tired. It was when Ned started to stumble, either over words or his own feet, Peter started to worry. He started rambling about random things, but their was only one constant, the water. Peter smelled the water and took a little sip. It wasnt water, it was vodka. Clear vodka.
Flash came over and saw Ned srumbling,
"Couldnt handle his drink?" Was all he said.
It took around twenty to thirty minutes to get Ned home.
Then he remembered he was supposed to be back by ten.
'Tony is going to be so mad' he thought.

The kid came back at ten thirty. Tony had thouhht he was going to be out until at least twelve. Peter came back, apolagizing profusely.

"Tony im so sorry, I meant to come back at ten i swear i just lost track or time! Im really sorry."
He had left out the part of his friend getting drunk.

"Kid, its fine. I knew you were going to be out a little later, all teenagers do it."
And with that Peter nodded and went to his room.

Still no smile, still no laugh.

But one party changed everything.

"Hey Parker you coming to my party tonight?" Flash came up to his locker.