CHAPTER ONE
❝ the life of a normal teenager ❞
"NICE TO SEE you again, Aster. Or, Miss Stark, now, is it?"
Two months had passed since the Avengers split. Two months since Aster had last worn her Starlight suit. Two months since she had been adopted by Tony. And most importantly, two months since Ross told her she could continue to stay with Tony, only if they met and went over the terms of the agreement that the UN decided on.
After Ross spoke, Aster glanced over at Tony. He was sitting opposite of her, with one fist covering the bottom half of his mouth and his elbow resting on the table. He raised a subtle eyebrow, trying to remind her of their agreement beforehand.
Get on his good side. We can negotiate.
So, even though it physically pained her, Aster gave Ross a tight-lipped smile. "Yes. Nice to see you, too."
The surprise on Ross' face was clear. He wasn't expecting her to be so pleasant. Nodding, the grey-haired man clasped his hands together on the table. "So, I met with the UN and went over a few things with them. Even though you didn't sign the Accords, we agreed that you should be able to live with Mr. Stark." He raised an eyebrow in Tony's direction. "As long as he stays fit as a guardian in our eyes."
Tony swiveled his chair to face Ross, pulling his hand away from his mouth to make a face at him. "What, you don't trust me?"
Ignoring his sarcasm, Ross went on, "Miss Stark, I know this is going to be hard for you to hear." Aster bit down on the inside of her cheek and braced herself. "But we still don't think it's a good idea for you to continue as Starlight. At least for the time being."
Her jaw dropped. "What—?"
Tony lightly nudged her shin with his shoe under the table. When she met his eye, he slowly shook his head.
Aster shut her mouth promptly and cleared her throat. Taking a much gentler approach, she took a deep breath and leaned forward. "Listen, Secretary Ross. I love being Starlight. I love helping people. It's a part of who I am," she emphasized. "What am I supposed to do if I'm not an Avenger?"
"That leads me to the other term we came to."
Aster tiredly glared at him. "Which is..."
"The UN is concerned with your..." Ross trailed off, in search of the correct term he wanted to use. "Experiences."
Shaking her head, Aster squinted. "I'm not following."
"To put it simply, they're concerned you haven't had time to be a kid. You've always been hanging around adults. You've never been properly exposed to kids your age."
Making a face, Aster crossed her arms across her chest and leaned back in her chair. "And I'm doing just fine."
"For your best interest," Ross stated, clearly disagreeing with her claim. "The UN has decided to enroll you in Midtown School of Science and Technology. You will be starting as a high school sophomore next week."
Tony grimaced and shifted his attention to Aster, waiting for her reaction. She was still in her seat, staring at Ross indifferently.
And to both of their surprise, she laughed, right in Ross' face.
But after a moment, she realized he wasn't kidding. The smile on her face dropped. "I'm sorry, what?"
"I know you may disagree with our terms—"
"I don't just disagree. I would rather die."
"Ace."
Aster scoffed, holding a hand up. "Hang on, putting me in school is useless. I already finished my schooling a long time ago." She had to bite her tongue to hold back from telling them to call Fury to back her up. To Ross and the rest of the world, her old boss was six feet under.
"As I said before, it's about your experiences. Not your smarts. We enrolled you in an advanced high school for a reason," he told her. "We can re-evaluate these terms in the near future. But for now, that's what's going to happen."
With that being said, she knew he wouldn't negotiate further. Done being nice, Aster scowled at him. "Are we done here?"
"Yes."
"Good." Aster pushed herself out of her seat and made her way to the door. "Hope the rest of your day will be as terrible as mine, Ross."
A heavy sigh escaped Ross' lips. "Always a pleasure, Miss Stark."
When Aster slammed the door shut behind her, Ross shot Tony a look. The billionaire was busy trying to stifle a smirk of his own, seeing way too much of himself in her.
───
"I'm not going."
"Ace, get up."
"Nope. Not gonna happen."
Her first day of school came too quickly. Tony knew she wouldn't get up on her own accord, which is why he burst into her room far too early in the morning. Already awake, Aster kept herself buried under the covers of her bedding, with only the top part of her messy brunette hair peeking out.
Tony stared down at her with an amused smirk on his face. He sat on the edge of her bed and tugged at the covers. "What do I have to bribe you with?"
Aster flipped the comforter over to reveal herself, eyeing him wearily. "Well, there is one thing..."
Narrowing his eyes at her, Tony sent her a dubious look. He knew that mischievous look on her face all too well. "Okay..."
"I get my suit back."
A groan followed her words. "You're killin' me here, kid."
"Oh, come on!" Aster threw her arms out by her sides, sitting up in her bed. "Ross won't know. I'll be incognito. It can be our little secret."
"Yeah. Just one thing. If you get caught, then what?"
Aster scrunched her nose, tilting her head at him. "You think so lowly of me. I won't get caught."
Tony wasn't buying it. "Listen, if you go to school and prove to Ross that you can follow his guidelines, maybe, he'll let you start kicking ass again." Tony smoothed his palms down his suit pants and stood with a sigh. "Man, is this what it's like having a teenager?"
Still not wanting to go, Aster fell back into her plush pillows and sighed dramatically. "What if I get bullied? That's what happens in the movies at high school."
"You won't get bullied," Tony said simply. "This isn't just any high school. This is a nerdy one. Nerds don't bully."
Making a face at him, Aster frowned. "Are you calling me a nerd?"
"Twenty minutes," Tony loudly announced over his shoulder as he strolled out of the room. "I already made you an omelet to go." Aster's confusion doubled. She didn't know he could cook. "Happy's waiting in the car!"
Staring up at the ceiling, Aster rolled her eyes and groaned, finally pulling herself out of bed. "The only reason I'm going is that I'll be bored here if I don't!" she yelled back. Placing her hands on her hips, she let out a huff. "I should've just gone to live with the Guardians," she mumbled bitterly.
"I heard that!"
───
Aster peered out the passenger's window with a nervous grimace on her face. Turning to Happy, she smiled warmly at him. "How much for you to circle around and drop me back off at the compound?"
Scoffing, Happy sent her a look. "Nice try, kid."
With a disappointed sigh, she pulled her backpack onto her shoulders and shoved the door open with her foot. Before getting out of the car, Aster saluted Happy. "If I don't make it out of here, tell Tony 'I told you so.'"
"Stop being dramatic," Happy told her.
Wanting to be as dramatic as possible, Aster got out of the car at the speed a snail would.
When she finally shut the door, Happy rolled down the window and held an encouraging thumbs up. "Have a good day!" Using his free hand, he held up his phone and snapped a picture of her.
Aster made a face at him. "What the hell was that?"
"Tony told me to take a first day of school picture because he forgot to." Inspecting the picture, Happy grimaced. "You weren't smiling. Hang on, lemme take another—"
Aster was already backing away. "I've gotta go, Hap! See you later." She turned around, letting a tired exhale fall from her lips. She didn't leave her spot on the sidewalk until she heard his car pull away. Trying to stave away the inevitable headache that was yet to come, she followed the crowds of students leading up to the school, peering around the campus as she crossed the football field.
At least it was a pretty school. It was a perfect time of year, too. Fall was beginning, meaning it was still warm enough to spend time outside but the leaves were beginning to turn golden brown. Everyone was gathered out on the field before school started, some catching up with friends and others meeting with their respective sports teams. A gust of wind blew through the air and urged Aster forward, making her cross her arms over her soft blue crewneck and pick up her pace.
The only plus about going to school was the outfits. Leggings and a sweatshirt were much more comfortable than a tight suit.
Jogging up the front staircase, Aster dug her phone out of the side of her backpack and opened it, searching her camera roll for her schedule. She stopped in front of the doors, realizing then that she had no idea where any of these classes were.
With a huff, she crossed through the entrance of the school and joined the crowded hallways. Aster's attention was pulled to a TV in the top corner of the hallway when a peppy song began to sound from it. Two kids appeared onscreen as Midtown's news anchors, both with uncomfortable smiles plastered on their faces.
"Rise and shine, Midtown Science and Technology," the blonde girl started, clasping her hands on the desk in front of her.
An advertisement for the homecoming dance popped up on the screen, prompting the boy next to her to say, "Students, don't forget about your homecoming tickets." He glanced over at the blonde and Aster nearly felt sorry for her. "Do you have a date for homecoming?"
"Thanks, Jason, but I already have a date," she told him with a tight smile.
"Okay."
"Yeah."
Aster snorted at their awkwardness, pulling her eyes away from the TV when a drone buzzed overhead. She had to duck down to avoid being hit by it, shooting a look at the boy who was flying it. A man who she assumed was the principal grabbed it mid-air, wincing when the wings pinched his fingers. He cocked a finger over at the boy flying it. "Damn it. You, in my office right now."
Letting her eyes scan across the crowded hallways, Aster spotted the various elaborate projects students were carrying inside. It wouldn't take much for someone to realize that this was most definitely not a normal high school.
She glanced down at her phone, scrolling down to view her locker number. 1194. Aster picked her head up and narrowed her eyes at the line of blue lockers, walking slowly until she spotted hers.
Dialing in the combination, the locker popped open with no trouble. She shrugged her bag off of her shoulders and ripped the zipper open, digging through the inside to take out the notebooks she didn't need for her first-period Calculus class.
Dozens of conversations were happening around her. Still, her ears tuned into one when she heard a disappointed sigh, followed by the slam of a locker. "No, I can't tonight," a strangely familiar voice said. "I've got the Stark—"
"Mm-hm," another voice cut him off. "Stark internship."
Aster's eyes widened and she froze, slowly closing her locker door to peer around it.
The last thing she expected on her first day of school was to see Spider-Man, standing ten feet away from her at his own locker.
But alas, Aster's life was never boring.
This was the first time she had seen him out of his suit. The first time she had seen more of him than just the bottom half of his face. He had khakis and a sweater on, with a plaid collar peeking out over the top. He looked so normal.
She could only hope she blended in that well.
Slinging her backpack over her shoulder, Aster stifled the surprise on her face and shut her locker all the way, turning around when he and his friend passed by her. She slid into the crowd and followed them, doing her best to tune into their conversation.
"Yeah, exactly," Spider-Man sighed.
His friend seemed disappointed. "Always got that internship."
"Yeah, well, hopefully, soon it'll lead to a real job with them."
Clearly, whoever this kid was didn't tell his friend about his life as Spider-Man. To be fair, Aster wasn't even sure if there was any truth to his claim about an internship. Tony didn't really tell her about him, and Aster never asked.
He must be thrilled that both of them were in the same school. Easier to keep an eye on them both.
"That would be so sweet."
"Right?"
"He'd be all, 'Good job on those spreadsheets, Peter. Here's a gold coin.'"
And when he — Peter — turned to shoot his friend a look, every piece fell into place in Aster's mind. Her steps faltered behind them and her lips parted in realization. It suddenly made so much sense why she recognized him at the airport.
She had met Peter before. Back when they both were younger.
The boy was staring at her with wide eyes, still spewing apologies for running right into her. The sound of Chitauri slithering through the air overhead and more civilians screaming seemed to shock Aster back into reality. "You've— you've gotta get outta here," she breathlessly told him.
The boy opened his mouth to answer her until a scream from a woman in the distance cut him off. "Peter?!"
Peter turned around quickly, searching for the woman who yelled for him. His head snapped back to Aster as he began backing up. "Oh, uh, sorry again," he repeated, a bashful look on his face. "That's my Aunt May... I gotta go."
Peter was the boy she ran into back during the Battle of New York. Peter was also Spider-Man.
What a strange coincidence.
Aster stared at the back of his curly brunette hair and shook her head. Caught up in her daze, she fell behind a bit, unable to hear the rest of their conversation. The bell finally rang and the crowds in the hallway began to disperse. Willing to do anything but go to class, Aster kept walking in Peter's direction. He veered left at the end of the hallway, getting his books knocked out of his hands by some kid hiding around the corner. "Long time no see, Penis Parker!"
He backed away with a snicker, leaving Peter to clean up his books on his own. Peter just sighed and dropped to one knee. Aster frowned, able to tell that this wasn't his first time having issues with that kid.
Ironic that he fought Captain America, yet he didn't bother fighting his bullies.
Unsure if she should help him or not, Aster bit her lip and glanced around. Finally, she jogged across the hallway and knelt down behind him, picking up a pencil that had fallen from his grip. "Hey, you dropped this."
Peter had spun around before her mouth even opened, almost like he had sensed her. He stared at her with soft eyes and parted lips, glancing at the pencil that she was extending to him. "Uh, thanks. You didn't... you didn't have to help me."
I owed you, Aster wanted to say to him. Instead, she gave him a tight-lipped smile and shook her head. "It's fine. Besides, I would be lying if I said I didn't have an ulterior motive."
Peter gave her a questioning look. "It's my first day here," Aster clarified, "And I have no idea where I'm going."
A smile grew on Peter's face as he grabbed his last notebook from the ground, standing up after Aster did. He nodded, finally taking the pencil from her hands. "Oh! Yeah, I can help you..." he trailed off, waiting for her name.
"Aster," she told him with a small nod of her head. "Andromeda." She was registered at the school under Aster Andromeda for a reason. Aster Stark would raise too many obvious red flags.
Peter breathed out a laugh. "Your parents must have liked astronomy."
Aster laughed back, although hers was a bit more forced. "You have no idea."
"Nice to meet you, Aster. I'm Peter Parker." He held out his free hand for her to shake and Aster smiled in amusement at how formal he was being. And at how nervous he sounded. "What's your first period?"
After releasing his hand, Aster showed him her phone screen. "Calculus."
"I have Bio on the same floor," Peter revealed, meeting her eye after reading the classroom number. "I can bring you there if you want," he told her, a little more timidly that time.
"That'd be great," Aster said, following him down the hallway.
When she joined his side, Peter's eyes lingered on her. He narrowed them a bit, staring at her closely. "Do I... know you?"
Alarm bells went off in Aster's head. She did her best to act clueless, shaking her head. "Uh, I don't think so."
"You just sound familiar."
"I sound like every other teenage girl, Parker."
Peter blushed, letting his gaze fall to the floor. Clearly, he didn't speak to teenage girls much. "Right."
Aster's phone buzzed in her hand.
Tin Man
How's school? Any detentions yet?
Ace
Give me some time, I've only been here for ten minutes.
And just so you know, nerds do bully.
Tin Man
What?
Do I need to come down there and kick some nerd ass?
...
Ace?
AUTHOR'S NOTE!
HERE WE GO!
one chapter in and ross is already pissing aster off again.
so are tony and happy, but that's just a given lmao.
but it's all worth it because we get to see more peter now.
he and aster are so cute already, even if they both don't know it yet.
so, aster knows spider-man is peter, but peter doesn't know aster is starlight.
how long is it gonna take him to figure out?
or... will she tell him?
stay tuned!
thanks for reading, lovelies.
<3 mal