Peter Parker: Intern

Chapter 3

"It's your turn, bird-boy," Nat says to Sam with a smirk, lightly shoving him off his seat.

Sam stumbles a little, turning around to make a face at her. "So I'm still not clear on the rules here," he looks at the rest of the team. "Are we trying to wake the Kid or is this like Jenga, whoever wakes him loses?"

Steve grins, shrugging, and raises his beer in a mock salute. "We'll..."

"..."

"Figure that out later," he smirks, taking a pull from the bottle.

Sam chuckles and heads to a large pile of blankets they've collected from the closets near the common room and walks quietly to the couch.

Peter lays sprawled out on his back, one leg resting partially over the back of the couch. The occasional soft snore cuts through the quiet, this close to their target.

Sam gently spreads yet another blanket over the sleeping intern, raising his hands in victory as he turns and heads back to the kitchen, accepting his drink back from Nat.

"Good work, Soldier," she winks before sliding off her own seat to take her turn at whatever this game is.

Sam takes his seat again, turning to Clint as a thought strikes him, suddenly. "Hey man, did I hear that you found the Spider the other day?" Taking a drink and nodding with respect to Nat as she returns, he nudges Clint's shoulder. "How'd that go?"

Clint has just finishing recounting the tale of his encounter when Tony steps out of the elevator. Glancing at the couch, he frowns at the mound of blankets and steps over to investigate, smirking when he catches sight of a piece of paper stuck to the couch above Peter's head. "Here Lies Peter Parker," it says written in Sharpie, "He Will Be Missed"

Tony glances at the team, wondering who might have put the epitaph on the kid. "You guys trying to kill my intern?" Tony checks to make certain he is still breathing before wandering into the kitchen and fixing a drink.

"No Stark," Clint grins, turning around to face Tony over the island. "We haven't killed your son."

Tony scoffs and waves his hand in denial, "I've told you before, Clint, Pete's not my kid."

Clint leans his chin on his arms, grinning as he pokes at Tony. "Don't deny it, Tones, we all know you have a long-standing love affair with science, it's only obvious that you'd end up with a love-child out of it."

Tony squints at the drunken archer who just laughs at the attempt at intimidation.

They all turn, momentarily distracted from the banter as a loud groan issues from the 'grave'.

"It's ALIVE!" Nat points gleefully, black magic marker in hand, as the mass of cloth shifts, pausing for a second with a sound of crinkling paper and a grunt before Peter blinks bleary-eyed at them. He drapes himself over the back of the couch, his "headstone" clutched in one hand, body still mostly covered with blankets.

Shaking the paper slightly at the kitchen he croaks, "M' I dead?" a jaw cracking yawn interrupts him. "Dangit... if I'm dead my girlfriend is gonna kill me."

The Avengers chuckle and Tony grabs his chest and gasps like he's hurt. "Girlfriend? But Pete!" he huffs, "I thought we had something special!?"

Sam laughs "Wait a sec, Stark, I thought he was your kid just a second ago."

Peter frowns, looking a little lost. "What'd I miss?" He glances at the now cackling team and looks even more confused.

Clint repeats his Spider-Man story for Tony and Peter (who has to resist correcting him on several points or cackling outright when he deviates too much from reality once or twice).