"Do I really have to?" Peter makes puppy dog eyes up at Tony, who is forced to look away.

"I mean it, Peter. You've been away from school for almost an entire week. You're going to miss too much and get in trouble. Plus, no one knows about me or Aunt May." He gives Peter a stern look. Peter stares for a second, trying his innocent look for a second more before giving in.

"Alright, alright. You have a point, and I do miss my friends." He sighs and heads towards his room to get his things together for the next day.

"I know I do. I'm always right!" He calls after Peter. He receives an aggravated sigh in response. Laughing, Tony starts to focus on another problem. Routine.

Tony Stark has never been one for routine. He's always promised something to himself, but no matter how much he tries, he can never do the same thing everyday. It's boring, and dull. The only thing he can count on happening every day is his work in his lab. But that's less of a routine and more of a pastime. Still, he's taking care of Peter, so that means that he's going to have to get into some sort of routine.

Sliding his hands through his hair, he thinks through the logistics. Peter will need someone to drive him to school everyday. There's Happy or Pepper, of course, but he know that Happy isn't super fond of Peter and Pepper is very busy. So, he'll have to do it. It wouldn't be the worst, maybe he could use the time for some of the bonding that Pepper is trying so desperately for them to have.

And then there's lunch. Tony can hardly remember to feed himself, or even cook oatmeal without burning it. Plus, what does Peter like to eat? Sandwiches might be too boring, but anything else could be too difficult. Tony groans and sets his head in his hands. Only one way to find out what to do with Peter.

He walks down the hall, but stops as he hears Peter's voice. Peering into his room, he sees the kid sitting on his windowsill, dangling his feet out the open window. Tony's first instinct is to tell Peter to get away before he hurts himself, but then he hears what Peter's saying and stops dead in his tracks to listen.

"Sometimes I miss her so much, you know?" He sighs, kicking his legs slightly. "Everytime my phone buzzes, I expect it to be an apology text from her, or every time the doorbell rings, I almost think it's her, standing there with open arms. I love it here, but I... gosh. I miss her so much." He pauses for a minute before continuing to talk. "And then there's Mr. Stark. A couple days ago he called me 'his kid'. If Aunt May never takes me back, maybe there's a chance that I could live with him. I mean, if he doesn't get tired of me by then, of course. Still, I feel bad, staying here for so long. I know that I only have so long before-"

"Before what?" Tony finally says, causing Peter to whirl around. He nearly falls out the window, but shoots a web just in time to catch himself.

"M-Mr. Stark?" He stutters.

"Kid," Tony sighs. "You're not a bother, and I love having you around. You're welcome to live with us, in fact, I'm only allowing you to live here. And..." He hesitates before continuing. "I guess what I'm trying to say is that I want you to stay. You're a great kid, Pete. Anyone who can't see that is fooling themselves and are pretty messed up. I mean, they're probably-" He's cut off when Peter smiles at him, his eyes shining. "Thanks, Mr. Stark." They wait a minute before Tony asks, "So, how do you even do school?"

The next morning, Tony grumbles awake with his alarm. Well, his fourth alarm. He slips on a pair of decently clean clothes and stumbles to the kitchen for a cup of coffee, the only thing he can't burn. As Peter comes bounding into the kitchen, he slowly awakens and starts to make him a lunch. A normal peanut butter and jelly sandwich, per Peter's request. After throwing in some other snacks, he zips the lunch box shut and tosses it towards Peter's large backpack.

"Yikes, it that all for you?" Tony cries as Peter swings it onto his back.

"Well, honors classes give lots of homework." He shrugs. Tony gives him a skeptical look, which Peter counters with an innocent one.

"I'm not buying it. Get your Spiderman suit out." Tony says, leaning against the counter and sipping his coffee.

"What?" Peter complains. "But I always do Spiderman after school!"

"Yeah, well if you leave it here, I'll let you work in the lab with me after school."

"Deal!" Peter says eagerly. A second later, his suit is laying on top of the couch and they're off to school.

"Now, be nice." Tony says, once they arrive at school. "Ignore any weird looks or things people ask. Don't tell them you're living with me."

"Yep, I know." Peter says distractedly, staring out the window.

"Don't mention the entire situation. Your cover is that you were sick, got it? Tell Ned to back you up."

"Yeah, makes sense!" Peter is still distracted.

"And Peter?" Tony says with such seriousness that Peter turns to finally look at Tony.

"Yeah?"

"If Aunt May comes to the school, don't go with her. I'll be in this exact spot at 2:30. Meet me here. If you don't show up within five minutes, I swear to god that I'll search every inch of this place, got it?"

"Yes, Mr. Stark." Peter grins, opening the door. "Thanks for the ride."

"You're welcome, kid." Tony smiles back. "2:30, don't be late!" He calls after him as the door shuts. Peter waves goodbye before sprinting off to catch up with Ned.

Sighing, Tony drives home. He's met with a problem that he didn't think he'd have. He had no idea what to without Peter at the house. Gosh, how did he manage before? It's so boring!

Meanwhile, Peter is having a hard time as well. After being spotlighted by several teachers for being absent for a week and explaining to at least twenty people that he was gone because he was sick, he was ready to just go home. Still, he wasn't allowed to do that.

"Peter Parker to the Principal's office." The monotonous woman's voice crackles through the PA system. Sighing, Peter heads to the office and into the man's office.

"Take a seat, Peter." The Principal smiles warmly. Worriedly, Peter sits in the plush chair across from the leather one belonging to the principal.

"Principal Morita, am I in trouble?" Peter says nervously. The Principal just smiles and shakes his head.

"You're not in trouble, I am just curious as to the real reason why you were absent. Normally, May would give us a call saying that you are sick. No calls from her, except for one yesterday." Peter's blood runs cold. "W-what did she say?" He tries to say as casually as possible, but his voice raises a half octave.

"She asked if you were at school, Peter." Principal Morita leans forward. "She's very concerned, and asked where you were. We had no idea, so I told her as much. What happened? Did you run away?"

"No!" Peter cries. "Well, sort of." He looks down at the ground. He doesn't know what to say without giving away that he's Spiderman or getting Aunt May in trouble.

"We just had... a fight. I went to stay with a friend for a week while she cooled down. We're still not on great terms, Principal Morita." He sighs. "I would appreciate it if no one else knew about it, either."

"Of course, Peter. I hope things become better soon." He offers a sympathetic smile before dismissing him with a wave.

As quickly as he can, Peter speeds to his next class. Ned is waiting expectantly and nervously, anxious to hear the news.

"What happened? Are you in trouble? Is he kicking you out for missing so many days? Does he know about Mr. Stark?" Ned says in a single breath.

"Dude, chill." Peter laughs. "And no, I'm fine. He just asked what happened between me and May."

"You told him right?" Ned's eyes widen.

"Of course I told him, I just didn't say why she got mad or that I'm staying with Mr. Stark." Peter says in a hushed whisper. "I really don't want everyone to know." As if on cue, Flash Thompson rounds the corner.

"Well, well! If it isn't Penis Parker." He snickers. "Finally back from the dead, I see."

"Hey, Flash." Peter says quietly, trying to move past him.

"How was it? Being all on your own?" Flash makes little crying motions with his hands. "Did Aunt May kick you out because she realized how annoying you are, or because she finally got sick of you?" He taunts. Peter shuts his mouth tightly, not wanting to release his anger on Flash.

"You're not supposed to know that." He says simply, thinking about everything else he desperately wants to say.

"And you're not supposed to be staying with Mr. Stark, but here we are." Flash leans in close to Peter's face.

"Shut up." Peter growls, shoving past him.

"Oooh, I found Peter's weak spot!" Flash laughs, running after him. He opens his mouth to say something else, but he clamps it tightly shut when a teacher rounds the corner. With a winning smile, they both turn their separate ways, leaving to get to class.

Peter waits through the entire day, excited for 2:30. Not really to get out of school, but more to get to work with Mr. Stark in the labs. He's seen them, sure, but being in them and working in them is on a whole other level. Finally, the bell rings and he sprints out, getting caught in the usual swarm of students all heading away. He bids Ned goodbye and moves towards the front parking lot.

Suddenly, he's yanked to the side of the school. He's thrown roughly against the brick wall, and he stares forward at his attacker. Flash, with a smug smile, stares back.

"Listen Flash, I've really got to go." Peter says, getting up. Flash aims a kick to the ribs, knocking Peter back down.

"You know, I've always wondered why people take in such absolute losers." Flash says, as if he's actually considering the answer. "Usually, it's for publicity, but in your case, it must be pity."

"Shut up." Peter gasps, still trying to get his breath back as another kick lands hard in his stomach.

"But I mean, Tony Stark isn't known for his amazing personality. He's just got dumb luck, and maybe a bit of smarts in there somewhere. Really, though, he's just a selfish, arrogant jerk. Everyone knows it. Must be why he took you in. Has to make himself look good somehow."

"You're... wrong." Peter wheezes. A kick to the ribs. Another kick in the stomach, and then he's lifted to his feet and slammed tight against the brick wall by the collar of his shirt.

"It wouldn't surprise me if you're on the streets within a week." Flash spits. "Although a loser like you with a freak like him? Maybe it just might work out." He starts punching Peter. A sock to the jaw. A punch to the head. His nose, his stomach, his cheek. Everything hurts, and he can feel a warm trickle of blood flowing from his nose.

"Because that's what you are, Peter Parker." Flash sneers after dropping him against the pavement. "You are a complete, utter failure. No one wants you, no one needs you. After all, why would May get rid of you so easily?"

Peter's eyes threaten to shut, but a sound causes him to open them wide. Iron man's blaster charing up. He watches as Flash whirls around, Iron Man's extended hand inches from his face.

"I'm sorry," Tony coos to Flash. "What were you saying?"

Ten minutes later, Peter is sitting in the car with several ice packs laying on various parts of him. Flash is in the Principal's office with his parent's and Tony, "discussing his options". By how angry Tony was, Peter figures that can't mean anything good.

A few minutes later, Tony swings into the driver's seat, sighing.

"Well?" Peter says weakly. Tony just turns around to look at him. "Uh, I'm sorry." He says. "You almost died and all you can say is 'well'? I want to know why you didn't fight back, you could have easily taken him, Pete."

"I can't use my powers..." Peter takes in a haggard breath. "For things like that. I swore that... when I got them, I'd use them for good."

"Defending your life is a good cause, Peter." Tony says. "Believe me."

"One punch from me could have sent him to the hospital, Mr. Stark." Peter says. "I'd never do that to anyone, no matter what I have to endure." He smiles weakly, before wincing and putting an ice pack on one of his eyes.

"Unbelievable." Tony shakes his head. "We have a pure-hearted person in the car, everyone. You may just be a better person than me. I just spent ten minutes explaining exactly why he should be kicked out of school for this."

"Oh, no please, Mr. Stark, don't do that!" Peter cries, sitting up so quickly that an ice pack flies off his rib cage. "He doesn't deserve anything like that."

"Maybe he does." Tony says. "After all, this isn't the first time he's done something like this, is it?"

"Well, uh, no." Peter says in a small voice.

"Exactly. Whatever happens to him, he deserves it." Tony says, starting the car. "I was worried, Peter. Just, try to protect yourself better next time, okay?" He turns the rearview mirror so he's looking at Peter.

"Of course, Mr. Stark." Peter says.

Later that night, Peter sits on his bed. Sure, he has homework, but he's too lost in the things that happened today to think of anything else. A quick vital analysis from FRIDAY confirmed that he has three broken ribs, a black eye, and a bruised spleen. If you had told him last week that you could bruise a spleen, he would have laughed. Now, he was one hundred percent convinced. After all, the pain was coming from somewhere, right?

"Kid?" Tony creeps into the room. "It's almost midnight, what are you still doing up?"

"Why are you still awake?" Peter says, a weak attempt to shift the attention from himself.

"I live off coffee, therefore I never sleep. But you didn't answer my question." In the dark, Tony navigates to Peter's bed and sits on the side, next to Peter.

"It's nothing, I'm just-"

"In my professional opinion, if it's keeping you up at night, it's not nothing." Peter can hear Tony's worried expression through his voice.

"Well, Mr. Stark, do you think that I'm weird?" the second the words are out of his mouth, Peter regrets saying anything.

"Weird?" Tony says surprisedly. Out of everything keeping someone at night, they're worried that they're weird?

"I don't think you're weird, Peter. A dork, maybe, but not weird. Why do you ask?"

"I don't know, just something that Flash said." Peter shrugs in the dark, before realizing that Tony can't see him.

"I see. And what else did Flash say?"

"Nothing much..." Even Peter admits that his voice sounds guilty.

"Peter." Tony says in a warning tone.

"Well, he said that you're an ego centered jerk, that you're going to kick me out, and that I'm a failure and that's why Aunt May kicked me out." His voice gets very quiet when he says the last part, but Tony still hears it.

"Peter, listen to me. You're not even close to a failure. You're the smartest, kindest, and overall sweetest kid that I've ever met. As for me kicking you out, I'd never do that. I'm taking care of you, whether you like it or not. Peter, you're stuck with me." He grins in the darkness and pulls the teenager in for a hug. Peter is surprised at first, but hugs him back. He buries his face in Tony's shoulder, and allows himself to finally feel comfortable and at home.

"And as for the ego centered jerk part," Tony chuckles. "Well, I would say that he may not be so far off." Peter laughs along, but assures Tony that he's nowhere close to that description.