I See Them

Visitors and Hunters

He never had anyone that cared about him growing up; no mother or father to hug him or dry his tears when he was afraid, tell him they loved him. No one had ever looked out for Peter, only seeing him as a burden or waste of space. His friendship with MJ and Ned had been a sturdy rock in his otherwise melancholy life. Peter looked up to the Avengers, seeing them as not just teammates but also family.

It meant the world to him that his heroes were looking out for him and trying to be supportive, but that did little to reassure him. Because under no circumstances could anyone find out that May was neglectful, verbally abusive, and physically abusive. His problems were his and his alone. He didn't want to burden anyone else with his issues, not after they had been kind enough to let him into their lives. Neither his friends nor the Avengers deserved to feel May's wrath.

Each time someone asked him about his home life, Peter said, "May's busy and works a lot. She's rarely ever home, so we don't interact much."

Avoiding the actual question; a tactic Tony was familiar with, having used that tactic as a way to avoid questions from Pepper or Fury. "What happens when both you and your aunt are home at the same time?" He chose each word carefully, making sure to cover all of the bases so Peter couldn't divert his response to anything else.

"She ignores me most of the time," Peter answered honestly. "She's never wanted anything to do with me. So long as I do my schoolwork and keep the apartment clean, she doesn't care what I do." He explained. "She doesn't like mutants and what we can do. Honestly, I... I think I scare her."

Tony's heart broke for the hundredth time that day. What Peter was going through hit way too close to home for the billionaire. Growing up with Howard as a parent, Tony knew what it was like to want someone's love and attention but get the complete opposite instead.

"Are you afraid of what you can do?" Tony asked, already knowing the answer.

"Yes, sometimes."

"You do know that none of us are afraid of you, right? None of the Avengers, Happy, or Pepper. We are not afraid of you. We care about you, Peter." Tony stated adamantly and with as much conviction as he could muster. He needed Peter to know that he meant it. "We love you, kid. You're a part of our crazy family, and we'll stick with you, no matter what."

There was a moment of silence before Peter opened his bedroom door, causing Tony to fall backward. Peter couldn't help but laugh as he helped the billionaire to his feet, the surprised look on Tony's face beyond funny. "Sorry 'bout that, Mr. Stark."

"Why you little..." Tony gave Peter a playful shove before putting him in a headlock and giving him a noogie. Peter continued to howl with laughter even after Tony had stopped roughing around, leaning into the older hero. He pulled the teen tightly against his side and wrapped him in a hug. "I do have one more question for ya, though," Tony said as the two heroes made their way to the elevator.

Peter's big brown eyes found Tony's, and he tilted his head to the left, causing Tony to bark out a genuine laugh. Peter looked like a curious little puppy.

"Are you still mad at me?"

"No, Mr. Stark." Peter leaned further against his mentor in a display of complete trust.

"Hey, kiddo." Clint greeted his favorite teenager as he and Tony exited the elevator. He shot the billionaire a harsh glare before turning back to the teen, his smile quickly returning. "You feelin' better?"

Peter smiled, not leaving his spot beside Tony. "Yes, Mr. Barton. I feel better now."

"Good," Bucky said as he approached them, "'cause there's someone here to see you. Came through one of those sparkly gold portal things."