"WANT ME TO COME IN WITH YOU?"

Natasha had been watching Peter stare out of the car window for the past five minutes. Usually she didn't interrupt his staring, knowing that his mind was most likely running a mile a minute, but there was only so long she could sit and look at the torn expression on his features.

It was his first day as Tony Stark's intern.

His duty was to 'just do science' which had baffled the teenager at first. Peter thought he'd have been taking coffee orders, making notes or trailing after the billionaire. But the only thing Tony had said to bring was himself and comfortable clothes to, and quote:

"Do science and maybe blow stuff up."

The teen blinked at the sudden question, taking a few seconds to process. Natasha tilted her head, allowing an amused glint to show in her eyes as she waited patiently for a response.

"I don't think entering with the Black Widow is going to do much for my cover." He mused.

Peter's gaze focussed back on the high-rising building across the street; it looked impenetrable despite being able to walk straight through the double doors. Natasha hummed beside him, catching his attention so that he looked at her instead, "And I don't think interning under Tony Stark is going to do much for your cover, yet here we are." She said simply, not looking too annoyed at the complaint and the obvious risk that they were taking- his lip quirked upwards before his head yet again turned to look back out of the window.

Natasha's expression dropped when he took in a long, steadying breath but made no sign of moving.

Realistically Peter knew his worries were ridiculous. He'd swung off the tower many times when patrolling the city, but it was the idea of entering the building that had Peter's stomach roiling with unease. He'd been inside the tower a grand total of two times- one for a brief visit to get a glorified pager and the other because he had been bleeding out. So, the idea of entering now? As Peter Parker with no mask to hide behind and no clear exit? His sense hummed in disapproval.

"Come on. You'll be late." Natasha nudged him.

He made a face at the slight jostle it caused but said nothing when she leaned over to open the door for him, before retreating and getting out of her own side of the vehicle. Swallowing back the most of his nerves, Peter reluctantly clambered out of the car and dragged his backpack with him before following the redhead into the building.

The main entrance was filled to the brim with people in work attire, bustling around with files and briefcases. Phones rang continuously as did people swiftly typing away on keyboards.

He followed Natasha through the glass doors, eyes jumping from person to person, mentally assessing threats and dangers while she weaved between the usual workers with grace- Peter mimicked the movement on her heels which made a few workers look up and acknowledge the duo.

Peter felt the moment everyone's attention shifted to him and Natasha, the files and tasks for the day suddenly unimportant in the face of the Black Widow and a teenage boy.

On the surface, Natasha remained indifferent to the stares. Though Peter was under no illusion that she hadn't taken a note of the change in behaviours around the room; wasn't analysing her findings thoroughly as she engaged in pleasantries with the secretary.

The traces of unease and anxiety disappeared in an instant from Peter who straightened his back under the sudden scrutinizing stares- it only made the occupants of the room whisper more.

"Thank you so much." Natasha finished, handing a pass to Peter.

On instinct, Peter accepted the object without much objection and fell into step with the assassin, prompting the room to continue with what they had been doing before the duo had arrived. They headed for the elevator and Peter let out a breath of relief when the doors slid closed, effectively shielding them from the prying eyes of nosey workers.

The elevator ride was quiet, Natasha letting him have some time to settle himself before the doors dinged open, announcing the floor.

"Have fun kid." Nat winked, pushing him into Tony's lab. Peter squeaked in outrage and turned to complain but the door had already closed. He swallowed down his instinct to find an escape, and hesitantly walked further into the room.

His eyes trailed along the lab, nerves dissipating and drowned out by his bubbling excitement.

"Peter!" Tony flashed an award-winning smile as he wandered over to the teenager who was staring in amazement at the technology around him with wide eyes. "Ready to do some science?" He questioned, enjoying the look of sheer enthusiasm that glinted in Peter's eyes before he hesitated, sobering slightly. He paused in his gawking of the lab to turn to Tony directly.

"This, wasn't what I really had in mind when you asked me to intern." He admitted.

Tony shrugged, moving to a work bench and clearing some stuff off. "Why would I have a smart kid like you serving coffee when I could give you access to a range of resources so you can invent something brilliant?" He rambled off, glancing over his shoulder.

Peter made a face. "But why me? There are plenty of other kids just as smart-"

"Kid." He sighed, "Can't you be happy?" Tony teased, patting the work bench. "You'll work here."

Tentatively, Peter dropped his backpack at the workbench as Tony handed him a blank blueprint and a pencil. "Any ideas jumping to mind?" He asked, and Peter couldn't help the slow grin that overtook his features- it only ever appeared when he was presented with science and technology.

Any lasting nerves were snuffed out completely when the pencil hit paper.

-

Sometimes, people just clicked.

Tony and Peter were proof. Over the few weeks Peter interned under Tony, it hadn't taken long for the pair to work seamlessly around the other; they communicated in half sentences and long strings of equations that only made sense to them and thoroughly bewildered outside perspectives. Sometimes it surprised even Tony how quickly and how strongly he had taken to liking the teen ever since their long chat at the farmhouse- Peter had effectively captured his heart and neither of them knew it.

"Mr Stark sir- can I have the screwdriver please?"

The use of his full name roused Tony from his intense stare down with a holographic blueprint; usually he'd have ignored anyone else, but as always Peter caught his attention.

He had barely looked up from the dismantled machine in front of him when requesting the tool- Peter had finally convinced Tony to let him take apart a Roomba and put it back together again after weeks of asking, and partial begging. The older man was still slightly annoyed that out of all the tech in the room that Peter could have taken apart, he chose a vacuum. "Sure thing, kid."

Tony leaned over to a drawer and rummaged around before grabbing a screwdriver.

He stared down at the tool in his hand, hesitating for a moment as his eyes flicked between the teenager and the object. He wasn't a hundred percent sure, and Tony was already thinking through all the ways it could seriously back fire if the kid wasn't who he thought he was and that Pepper would have a field day berating him for endangering a minor, and he didn't doubt for a second that Natasha would somehow hear of the incident and lay into him too. She'd taken a surprising liking to the teenager, and despite Tony really not wanting to invoke her wrath, he had a hypothesis (a stupid, ridiculous hunch) that required experimentation, (an unwitting Peter Parker).

Without warning, Tony threw the tool across the lab.

On impulse, having sensed the object flying towards him Peter's hand shot out to casually catch the object without his gaze ever leaving his project. Then the realisation hit him. The tool fell from his hand, body tensing as his shoulders hunched forwards like an animal waiting to strike or be struck.

Slowly, Peter looked up to meet Tony's eyes that were wide- he didn't think it'd work.

His instinct was to run or lash out at the billionaire across the room but he couldn't bring himself to move. He didn't want to fight Tony- he liked the man- but he also didn't want to have to run from Shield and leave behind Natasha and Clint and Harley- his hands latched onto the workbench at the thought in a tight grip as he struggled to control his strength. "You know. How?"

Tony shrugged, as if what he was going to say held no weight; but it meant everything to Peter who was studying him closely and listening avidly. What the man said next dictated what happened next.

"Looked you up. You went missing after your aunt and uncle were shot, completely off the grid." Tony explained slowly, deciphering that he was on thin ice with the look Peter was shooting him- the kid seemed almost dangerous. But he couldn't picture the Peter Parker he knew being capable of violence- the kid got excited over a Roomba and wore ridiculous science shirts. "You were a kid and Hydra was known for kidnapping children and murdering their families at the time of your disappearance." He added, a look of sympathy crossing his features. Peter ignored it, biting down on a remark that teetered on the tip of his tongue. Tony grimaced internally as he watched Peter carefully pull away from him; mentally and physically- he was edging towards the elevator as if to make a dash for it- Tony didn't blame him. "Then you reappear at the age of fifteen living at a farmhouse? You don't have an uncle Barney. But there's a classified file on a Barney in Shield's database, no last name, so I put two and two together." Peter arched his eyebrow silently.

"The logical assumption is that your Spiderman because Hydra was searching for a missing mutate and you're the only new mutate on the block."

Peter took in a deep breath, face stoic as he licked his lips, chest rising and falling quickly.

An urge to run was mounting in his chest when the sound of the elevator dinged. Someone else entered the lab but Peter relaxed unconsciously at the voice. "I just spent the last hour shooting a potato gun at Clint in the training room- think I blinded... him... Pete?" Harley announced, confusion painting his words while his eyes bounced between Peter and Tony.

He approached his boyfriend, noticing the tense way he held himself. "What is it?" He mumbled, attention shifting to Tony who looked suddenly confounded by the turn of events.

"He knows." Mumbled Peter, shooting an indecipherable look at Harley who made an 'oh' face. 

A/N

Dun. Dun. Dun!! I love that Tony deduced it for himself and was like "lemme test something real quick". Also I love their dynamic so much, but Natasha was peak parent by walking him into the building- I don't make the rules :/ ;)

Anywho! Let me know of any spelling mistakes! xoxo.