Spider-Man: Unmasked

Chapter Four

Peter really needed to learn how to not lose a backpack. Thanks to losing his latest one, he had to make up a whole lot of work and explain - read as lie- to his teachers why all of his suppliers that were in that backpack were gone. He kept a fair portion in his locker and room to be prepared for stuff like this, but that didn't mean there was nothing to make up.

As he redid his English essay, he heard a knock on his door. "Come in," he called, looking up and closing his laptop, throwing it gently onto the pillow. 

Both of his dads walked in and he knew what was coming.  None of them had talked about that night when he ran away much, still in a bit of shock and confused.  Now, they must have been coming in to talk about the events of the said night. Peter knew that he wouldn't get away with not talking about it at all, but he still hoped.

"Hey bud," Tony said, slowly.  He and Steve sat on the edge of Peter's bed.  "We need to talk to you about.... about what happened the other night."

Peter sighed and nodded.  He knew it.  "Yeah, Alright."

Steve was the first to speak.  "Why did you do it?"  He asked.

Peter bit his lip.  "I-I don't know.  I was just... stressed.  I mean, with school and losing my backpack again, I... I lost it."

Tony nodded.  "Was it really just school?   Is there something else?  You haven't been yourself lately, and it doesn't seem to be just school stress."

Peter looked down.  Should he tell them now?  No.  This wasn't the right time.  He didn't know how, but he could tell.  "It's just... I've been being bullied.... a little bit.... because of... well... everything." he mumbled.  That much was true.  People, especially Flash, would annoy him and bully him relentlessly because of his dads.  "I guess that's been part of it."

Steve and Tony stayed silent for a moment.  Steve stared at his hands while Tony stared straight at Peter, making Peter feel even guiltier without trying to.  "I- I'm sorry," Tony finally said.

"It's not your fault," Peter said quickly. "It's mine for not dealing with it better. I should've... I don't know. I'm sorry, pops, dad. I shouldn't have run away in the first place. I was an idiot and I didn't think of how you two felt. The missions and hero stuff... You guys can't control these things. I should've just told you how I felt instead of running away and making you worry."

Tony and Steve shared a look before they hugged him, surprising Peter a bit. He hugged back, pushing down the shame he felt for lying to them.

"You're still in so much trouble," Steve said as he pulled away from the hug, a hand lingering on his shoulder.

Peter laughed softly. "Yeah. I know. What's my punishment?"

"No phone for a month unless given permission and..." Tony said, smiling softly, "No going to Neds everyday after school. We need you to be around sometimes too."

Peter was about to argue when he thought it through. "Yeah, that's fair." He'd survive without his phone. The only thing was talking with Ned and MJ, and he could do that at school. As long as he was still able to swing around the city a few days after school, he'd be fine. If anything, Peter was lucky this was all he was getting.

"Now come on, Pete," Steve said, standing up. "The Avengers are coming over."

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Ah, the Avengers, earth's mightiest heroes. Also known as Uncle Bruce, Aunt Natasha, Uncle Thor, and Uncle Clint. Also known as the group that can't make it twenty minutes into The Lion King without sobbing. Well, except for Natasha, Tony and Peter.