close_to_the_ground

He's okay. That's what Strange kept trying to tell Peter as he'd tugged his mask over his head and immediately started webbing through the city, trying to get home. He didn't care if he was wearing his civilian clothes, didn't really give two shits who saw him.

Tony got hurt. And okay wasn't gonna cut it until Peter saw it with his own two eyes. He still didn't understand what had happened. He got beat up? That doesn't make sense and even without the suit Tony Stark can handle random muggers or whatever so there's gotta be more to it than that.

God, it's Peter's fault he doesn't even have a suit, anymore.

He swings to one off the windows of the penthouse because taking the stairs from the roof is too slow and pops the window open, stumbling into the living room.

"Mr. Stark!" he yells, pulling the mask off, hair hopelessly messed up. "Mr. Stark?"

This is weird.

This is just, it's really weird.

Mr. Stark let him drive which means they're in the sedan because Peter's sixteen now but he keeps putting off the driving test. He just doesn't like it. It feels unnatural and it makes his senses go haywire but Mr. Stark insists it's a skill he may need. Like the swimming.

They haven't tackled cooking, yet, since Peter still isn't allowed to touch the fancy knives.

But now he's going to the Parent-Teacher-Student orientation with Iron Man, his new dad, because that is his life now.

"So, uh, are you weirded out by this?" he rambles as he parks. "I mean, it's weird right? Are you okay with this, you're sure? Because it's gonna be boring and you're gonna have to make small talk with teachers and other parents and people are gonna ask questions and think I'm your son. God, I hope their science labs don't suck. But they'll suck, right? I mean compared to Midtown they're gonna suck."

"Hey Mr. Stark!" Peter calls as he bounds into the apartment. It's construction day and painting day. Or something. Whatever, Peter's in clothes he doesn't mind ruining (that is all of his clothes, honestly) and a pair of sneakers and comes bearing chocolate croissants freshly baked by Greta. He knows Mr. Stark will bitch about the carbs but Peter knows he'll like them. Tony works way too hard not to let himself have something good. Besides, Peter more than owes him. He's responsible for Tony having to ruin a two million dollar suit, having to have his Porsche's interior redone, having to replace all his bedding again and not to mention how much all that medical equipment has to cost.

Anyway, Peter also realizes that with all the drama about The Gardener, Peter's not sure if Tony is taking care of his own health things. Once he'd felt like himself again, Peter couldn't shake that worry. He's not like Peter, he's not just gonna bounce back. Tony doesn't have a Tony to take care of him. He's just got Peter.

"I brought you some food."

"Hey PEGGI, do you think I'm gonna get any taller? Because, I'm only fifteen and Uncle Ben said my dad was like average height but I wonder if the Spider DNA changed any of that. Can you tell?"

In my best estimation, judging from your bone density and general skeletal framework, it seems unlikely you will achieve much more than two more inches at most.

Man, Peter kind of misses Karen. It's not that he thinks that AI would have lied to him, but she always seemed really reassuring. PEGGI is a little too honest.

Ugh, he's so bored. He sits on top of the courthouse, legs swinging, waiting for something to happen. It's a weirdly quiet night for Darrow. Who knows, maybe all of the big heroes are already out and took care of everything? Maybe Peter will just turn in early. Maybe he'll go by Panoptes and see if Mr. Stark is feeling any better. The KIRIN bio-goo thing is really messed up and Peter's not sure if Tony is gonna totally keep him in the loop on how sick he is.

He's just getting up to swing away when he hears a scream from down below and, uh, well. There's a hedge chasing some lady. He's actually halfway through swinging down when he realizes it's a hedge and not a monster. That's a hedge. Shaped like a bunny. He kicks it out of the way of the woman as he lets go of his web, flipping out of the way when it tries to bite him what the HELL.

"Hey not cool!" he shouts, webbing it to a tree and watching it struggle for a moment before all his senses fire and he's ducking, seeing the edge of a razor sharp blade out of the corner of his eye.

"It's Pruning Time for you, outsider scum!" he hears and sees holy shit some crazy dude with freaking shears for hands and a rig of hoses and containers strapped to his back.

"Wait, did you say Pruning Time? Seriously?" Peter asks, as he fires web after web, the shears cutting through them like butter. He jumps up, just missing the swipe of a vine coming off a nearby tree and hears an ominous rustle as hedge after hedge starts to flank him.

"Uh, Peggi? Can you just maybe ask Mr. Stark if he knows who this guy is? Like, I've got it covered but maybe anything about magic, killer hedges? With thorns? That cut through all my webs like crazy?"

He hears PEGGI connecting to Tony just as the hedges dive at once, forcing him to jump closer to this Gardener weirdo to avoid their rapidly extending thorns and then all at once, there's a huge burst of dust raining out of one of the hoses.

"Did you just, did you just try and bug spray me?"

Peter only slept for three hours last night. He didn't even patrol. He tried, but he was too nervous and if he got himself injured because he was distracted he was never going to be allowed to go on another date again. The rest of the night was spent worrying about the snacks (which Mr. Stark said would be there) and worrying about what to say or not say and how to talk about himself without the Spider-Man part.

Then he spent another hour berating himself for not finding a decent pair of swim trunks because now he's gonna have to show up in Iron Man trunks that Tony packed in his backpack before he noticed. Peter doesn't even know where he found them. The rest of the night, morning and late morning basically go exactly like this until Peter is charming his way into the city and over to the other orphanage.

It is...not as nice as his. Yeah.

He waits outside the main door, texting Beverly that he's here and stands there, shuffling his feet. Oh man, he crushed the flowers. Simon said girls like flowers and there are lots of wildflowers at the orphanage but now they are kind of crushed and sweaty and what is she even going to do with them?

Also, maybe he should have just worn the normal clothes in his backpack. Why did he wear the Iron Man trunks? Oh God, why is he wearing his Pi(Pie) Pun shirt? Are his hands sweaty? They're probably sweaty. Oh man, he's hungry.


Okay Beverly tag first and that top level is for Peter only you monsters. Add your own and treat it like a gathering post. Peter and Beverly will be first to the pool so they'll be in there when everyone else shows their faces

It's suit day.

Peter had really, really hoped that Mr. Stark would be willing to make him another suit but apparently there were like, a bunch left over from the other Peters which is kind of creepy and weird but it's a suit and he's not gonna complain. Or say anything at all because he's so ready to get back to being Spider-Man. He hasn't been back to Not Stark Tower since his orphanage magic stole him out of there but Mr. Stark said he could come over today to look and see what the options are or whatever.

The orphanage really isn't bad at all. It's actually super fancy and there are other kids his age and stuff and the magic guys who run it seem nice. It's just, it's still an orphanage which isn't great but he's not exactly Oliver Twisting it. Plus they gave him clothes and a new backpack. He somehow missed like, an entire half a year of school since it's summer so hopefully Mr. Stark will help him catch up.

He trots up to the tower and texts Mr. Stark, not really sure if he should stroll through the front door or if there's a cool hidden entrance or something.