Sorry, I know I said regular updates but its exam time so I've been studying nonstop. Took a short break to put this up though.

-Jaz

~~~~

Four

"Rise and shine Underoos," Tony called loudly as the lights to Peter's room came on.

Peter gave a groan in response and seemed to sink deeper into his bed.

"It's the first day of school," Tony announced. "Get in the shower and then grab some breakfast."

"Can we just... just not ?" Peter yawned.

"Not an option."

"Yeah you can go back to sleep and I'll stay here," he murmured pulling the blanket over his head.

"Considering I have a meeting right after I drop you off not happening. So come on, get up before I decide to have F.R.I.D.A.Y. blast songs you hate."

Peter gave a few grumbled words of annoyance as he climbed out of his bed and made his way into the bathroom.

Satisfied Tony retreated into the kitchen and made himself a cup of coffee and read up on the topic of his meeting. When Peter finally emerged from his room dressed he sat down and frowned at the plate of eggs in front of him.

"Did you cook this?"

"God no," Tony told him. "This tower wouldn't be standing if I had to cook. Cap gets up early and I asked him to make you a plate. Now eat and lets go."

~~~~

"Happy will pick you up this afternoon," Tony told Peter as they got close to the school.

Peter nodded mutely.

"You nervous or something?"

"I haven't exactly gone to school in a while... and not this school. It's just... I'm gonna be the weird new kid."

"If Spider-Man can survive everything that's been thrown at him, then you, Peter Parker, can survive high school."

"We're two different people," Peter protested.

Tony shook his head mentally tabling that discussion, "You can do this, Peter," he tried as they pulled up to the building. "Text me if you need anything."

Peter nodded as he took a deep breath before he climbed out of the car.

~~~~

"Something wrong?"

Tony looked up at Pepper in surprise, "No, why?"

She gave him an unimpressed look, "You spent the entire board meeting looking at your phone with a worried face.

He let out a sigh as he checked his phone again, "It's Peter's first day of school. He was really nervous this morning, and Happy should have picked him up by now so I thought maybe one of them would text me."

"You've been reduced to a worried father already," she chuckled.

"I have not!"

"Either way next meeting starts in ten, why don't we head in now and see if we can get out quickly?"

"Thanks Pepper."

~~~~

"Hey, how was school?" Tony asked when he stepped out of the elevator to find Peter watching TV with a textbook in his lap.

"I got a stupid amount of homework for it being the first day," Peter replied looking up at him. "I just need to finish reading this, but it's more than boring."

"What is it?"

Peter's eyebrows furrowed as he looked down at the page, "I barely know."

Tony gave a chuckle, "But all in all school was good?"

"I guess."

"And how are the people?"

"They're people."

Tony shook his head deciding not to push, "Anything in particular you want for dinner?" He asked instead.

"No."

As if I forgot I was living with a teenager , Tony thought before he shook his head. "How about Italian?"

"That's fine."

"Well uh, I'm gonna see if anyone else wants anything before I try to order."

When Peter didn't reply Tony headed to the elevator.

"So how's the kid's first day go?" Natasha asked Tony when he got upstairs.

Tony shrugged, "Besides the fact that he got homework I assume it went okay, considering I can't get proper answers out of him."

"He's a teenager," she shrugged. "And it was his first day at a new place, I'm sure he's just trying to figure it out himself first."

~~~~

Almost three weeks later and Tony still hadn't gotten anything concrete about school out of Peter.

The two talked about everything else, Peter had even gotten to update his webshooters, they had negotiated when he was allowed to go out as Spider-Man (on weekends when he told Tony before he went, or on certain school nights after homework was done and he had permission) and when he wasn't, they had talked about Ms. Evans, and they had gone and talked about KJ's. But nothing about school.

Over that time all advice he had gotten was similar to that of what Natasha had initially told him, well except for Sam who had suggested he just tell Peter to give him answers which were longer than two words. Tony had done so, and Peter seemed to take it as a challenge and now all of his responses were three words long.

He had been sitting at his desk thinking about ways to talk to Peter, thus barely listening to the man talking to him, when F.R.I.D.A.Y. interrupted.

"Boss, Peter has left the school as Spider-Man."

Tony's eyes widened and he held up a hand to the man talking to him, "Just leave it here," Tony told him. When the man left Tony took a deep breath, "Call him."

"Uh hello?" Peter's voice asked confused.

"We had a deal kid," Tony started. "You ask me before you head out to be a Spiderling."

He heard Peter curse, "I uh, I just wanted to blow off some steam after school- I'll - I'll still get my homework done. Can I just have an hour or two?"

"Blow off steam about what?"

"Stuff..."

"Peter?"

"Well uh..." There was a brief pause in which Tony was able to hear a shout from the other side. "I gotta go Tony! These guys are trying to mug a lady!"

"2 hours Peter!"

"Bye!" Peter shouted before the call disconnected.

"Should I call him back?" F.R.I.D.A.Y. asked.

Tony shook his head with a sigh, "Just tell Happy he no longer has to pick the kid up."

~~~~

Tony made it a point to finish work early and get home within two hours, he made it in one hour and thirty six minutes to be exact. And surprisingly enough Peter was already sitting at his desk doing his homework in his room.

"I'm sorry," Peter told him looking up from history homework. "I was just upset over a Spanish test."

"Why do I feel like you're not telling me everything?" Tony frowned. "You know you can talk to me."

"Boss, Steve Rogers is asking for you. He says it's urgent," F.R.I.D.A.Y. interrupted.

"Tell him to handle it himself," Tony replied not taking his eyes off of Peter.

"Shouldn't you go help?" Peter asked sounding almost hopeful that he could get out of this conversation, but Tony wasn't going to allow that.

"You're my priority not him."

Peter gave a sigh and hung his head, "Well it's uh... it's been a few weeks since school started and well I still don't have any friends. Like I'm trying, but I don't know. They just don't like me. So I got upset over that and my test and I decided to be Spider-Man because well... people like Spider-Man a lot more."

Tony clapped him on the shoulder before giving it a squeeze, "People like Spider-Man but they'll learn to love Peter Parker. Just give it some more time, I'm sure it's just a matter of time."

Peter nodded, "I guess."

Tony gave him a smile and squeezed his shoulder again, "Well you know what? I have a good feeling about tomorrow. Things are gonna change and you'll get friends out it."

"You can't tell the future Tony."

"Or can I?"

Peter cracked a small smile, "Then can you tell me the answers to my history test tomorrow?"

Tony shook his head and stood, "Do your homework kid."

~~~~

"A fight?" Tony repeated.

"Yes, a fight occurred between Mr. Parker and two other boys earlier. All are alright, but fighting is not tolerated and so we would like to talk to you and Peter about a suitable punishment."

"What exactly happened?"

"I am still piecing together details," The principal sighed. "But the other parents and guardians will be here in about a half hour, I trust you will be joining us?"

Tony was the last to arrive.

He stepped through the door into the Principal's Office to find Peter and two boys sitting in chairs. The two boys had parents behind them, but Tony was more focused on the bruise on Peter's face. At his gaze Peter didn't say anything but he did readjust the ice pack he was holding to his face.

"Perfect timing Mr. Stark," the Principal -Griffin according to his name placard on the desk- greeted. "I have already talked to each of the boys individually and was about to involve the parents. So anything you boys would like to say before we begin?"

"It's Parker's fault," one of the two boys said quickly.

"He attacked us first," the other added. "Then-"

Tony frowned at the both of them before he spoke, "And yet neither of you have a mark on you."

"Just because you can't see them doesn't mean they're not there!"

"Are you calling my son a liar?" One of the mother's challenged.

This was going to take a while.

In the end the two boys gave in after they apparently had told different stories about the event. Though the long and short of it was they had attacked Peter.

"You didn't fight back," Tony stated when the two of them had climbed in the car.

"What makes you say that?" Peter asked looking out the passenger window, the first words he had spoke since Tony arrived at the school.

"Because I know you're strong Peter. You're stronger than the normal person. If you fought back it would show."

Peter was silent for a moment, "I didn't wanna accidentally hurt them for real."

Tony gave a small smile, "You're a true hero kid."

"A hero who got detention."

"Well if it's any consolation I'm sure Cap will be proud of you."

"Really?"

"Really... but Peter there is something I have to ask, what started this fight?"

Peter frowned, "I... I don't get along with them. They don't like me, because- because of you."

Tony froze taken aback by Peter's words, he didn't even realize the light he had stopped at had turned green until honking broke him out of his reverie.

"Everyone sees you drop me off in the morning," Peter continued. "They said I must think I'm special to be Tony Stark's kid. And they found out I used to live on the streets, so that's just fuel to the fire... To them it's fun to pick on me and... yeah..."

"You said you didn't have friends, you didn't say you were being bullied," Tony frowned. "And this is something you could've told me- I could've-"

"You doing anything is exactly what they wanted!" Peter protested. "They think I can't stand up for myself because I have Ironman. That my grades don't matter because I have Ironman. This past month has been hell, but I never said anything because despite all of it I enjoy our rides to school! And... and I didn't want to stop because of them."

Tony heard Peter give a sniffle and he reached over to give the boy's shoulder a squeeze. "I'll talk to your principal tomorrow," he decided. "I'll drive you to school, walk you in, and go talk to him. Show all of them that they didn't get to you or us. And I probably shouldn't be saying this, but I've never been considered a good role model before so why start now? If the time comes where they try to hurt you again, fight back . Show them that you can handle yourself."

Peter gave another sniffle, "You're a terrible role model."

Tony smiled, "I'm aware... And since I'm already terrible, how about some ice cream before dinner?"

"You're the perfect amount of terrible, Tony."

"Please tell that to everyone else in my life..."