I'll be your family now

Comfort X

Peter should have seen the call coming, honestly, but he was still a little surprised with his friend's excitement and questions.

"Dude" Ned's voice rang through the phone "Dude, what? What the fuck?! One day I wake up and I find out that my best friend is now the adopted son of the earth's mightiest hero, what?"

Peter sighed, he knew it was coming. Suddenly he was glad that only a few people cared enough to have his phone number.

"Look, Ned, I'm really sorry, and I wanted to tell you, but I didn't find the time and I know you have, like, thousands questions, but let me say this first" Peter paused and grinned, wanting to say something that wasn't replayed to his adoption, he didn't know why, but he felt incredible awkward and uncomfortable talking about it "I'm offended that you don't think I'm the earth's mightiest hero. I'm your best friend, man!"

Ned laughed at that, only halfhearted, he really wanted to know about this new family of his best friend.

"What happened to May? Did she..." Ned didn't want to say it, just in case that it was true and his friend was still recovering, but he reasoned that it was the most logical option, why would they adopt Peter, then?

"No, no" Peter quickly reassured, he got over his aunt a while ago, but still every time they talked about her he felt a pinch in his stomach "She- She just, kind of, kicked me out...?"

"She did what?!"

"Yeah, she found out that I'm Spiderman and just, like, freaked out, a lot. But it wasn't only because of that, she got a new boyfriend that's a jerk and we've had been having a little troubles before, so..." Peter tried to explain and, gosh, it was hard. He didn't know what he was going to do when he got back to school, all those questions... at least it would be a new year, so he didn't have to worry about his teachers freaking out... much.

"Wow. That's a lot, Peter" Ned began "You could've talked to me, you know? I would have helped, or tried at least"

"Yeah, But I just... I don't really know. Don't get me wrong, you're my best friend and all but I- I kind of didn't feel comfortable talking about it" he tried to put his feeling into words, it was hard. He was pacing in his room, moments ago he had been playing Monopoly with Wanda, Steve and Clint (who was really competitive- he had found out-), but when he looked at who was calling he went to his room, knowing about what the conversation would be about.

"Yeah, I get it, don't worry" he heard Ned's mom, calling him, in the background, and then Ned's response "But, like, I go in a vacation and this all happens. Better I don't go out of the country anymore" he joked.

Peter laughed "Yes, I think this happened because you weren't in the country" his voice laced with sarcasm. For a moment he thought about telling Ned about his new chest piece, but reasoned that it was something that you have to see to really understand.

"Well, I have to go, my mom will ground me if I don't spend one with my family and sister" he could almost heard his friend rolling his eyes "Seriously! I live with them, what more time could I spend in their company?"

"Tell your family I say 'Hi'" he waved, then remembered that Ned couldn't see him.

"Yeah, bye, dude"

"Bye, Ned"

If Ned, his best friend, the one who knew about Spiderman and his relationship with Tony, reacted that way, how were going to react all of his classmates, all of the people who knew him and May? He wasn't sure what he was going to say to those people because, of course, Tony had told him that it was all going to be different now, and he had believed it, he knew it, but right now the reality of he situation has seeped in.