Hopeless || A P. Parker destruction story ✨Irondad✨

Nine

It was like a series of pinches along the back of his arms that woke him up the next day. It took him a moment, in his disoriented state, to realize that it had been his spider sense.

What was he being warned about?

Yawning Peter rolled over and checked his phone.

Oh.

It was 7:35. Breakfast had started and since he wasn't in the kitchen he had missed it. McCarey did not suffer latecomers and that included to breakfast. He couldn't believe he'd been stupid enough to miss his three alarms.

Peter sighed, his stomach gurgled and he tried not think about how it will ache untill lunch. At least he had some cash for the week, even if it was a tight budget.

So he got dressed, pulling on some clean jeans and a marron jumper that said 'Don't trust Atoms... They make up everything!'. He loved the small collection of jumpers May had gotten him, each one corny in its own way and all the more special for it.

He packed his bag (slowly, in an attempt to fill up the time, avoid McCarey as she left for the morning and not think about how he wasn't having breakfast).

Peter heard the front door open and slam and a second later a pinch at the back of his neck alerted him before he heard the knock at his bedroom door.

Dela stood there with a single piece of buttered toast. She looked sheepish " I'm so sorry it's all I could snuggle out! McCarey was playing happy families this morning"

Peter almost cried. It was silly, it was only toast. But he didn't think anyone would care he'd missed breakfast.

Dela caught his look, or she simply understood him more than he gave her credit for. "I know, it's just one meal, but you're the one that's always going on about not skipping meals, and I read somewhere that breakfast is most important...." She rambled, firing off in a way that was almost half Ned Leeds, half Hermione Granger.  "I know it's not much but.. Well, I just want to say thank you again for the cash. It really means a lot".

Peter smiled. The toast would hardly scratch the surface of his hunger but that wasn't the point, the point was Dela, caring just enough.

"Thank you Dela, and don't sweat it about the cash, it's why I did it" smiled Peter as he grabbed the toast, wolfing it down in seconds.

"Well then don't thank me about the toast" joked back Dela. "We've got to stick together in this house".

Wasn't that the truth.

"I'll catch you later! I think I'll head to school early" said Peter, and then he was off.

*

Lunch was more bearable now he could afford to eat. His stomach had growled and grumbled and ached all morning, but now he tried to satiate it with a burger and fries. It wasn't working well but it would have to do.

He sat with Ned and MJ as usual, though he wasn't entirely tuned into the conversation. No, he was thinking ahead to this evening, his next shift at Stark Industries.

What would Mr Stair have him do?
Write up an experiment? Look over theories? Calculate complicated equations that could lead to a discovery of a new element? ( He was probably not going to be doing the last one).

It was fun — and daunting— to guess.

There was a sharp pinch in the spot right behind his left ear. A series of pin pricks and a second later his hand shot up and he caught a.... French fry(?) That MJ had apparently thrown to get his attention.