Hello!

Firstly a few notes about KJ's: Bruce Banner never left, Avengers never moved upstate, and this is pre-Civil War.

Secondly this is also put up on ao3 but im putting here too. This is one of the three(?) currently Marvel fics I plan to put up. So be on the look out for a one shot and another story.

Finally: This WILL HAVE REGULAR UPDATES.

-Jaz

~~~~

One

Tony didn't always blow off steam inside his suit, in his workshop, or even in bottle of booze. He did those things often enough.

No to blow off steam he'd simply head a few blocks away from the tower to a little place where quarters meant mindless hours of fun.

KJ's Fun Zone had been there for years, but the first time he had gone it had only been to duck out of the rain for a second and call Happy so he wouldn't have to get his new suit drenched before a meeting. Either way he had stepped in the arcade, which had been empty at the time, to find games both new and retro. He found himself drifting toward a PacMan machine and couldn't resist the urge to play. He only played for a short period time, but managed to get just below the high score (he could've gotten higher if Happy hadn't dragged him away).

So naturally he had to go back to beat the high score. And soon enough he was going there regularly, and he knew almost everyone who walked in that door and whose initials were on the leaderboard for each game.

So when he didn't recognize the "PP" displayed as the top score on his beloved PacMan machine he walked over to counter where the owner, a tall dark skinned woman named Lee, was rearranging some of the prizes.

Lee glanced over at him and he saw her roll her green eyes, "Are you finally cashing in your tickets or are you gonna hold onto them for another year Mr. S?"

"Someone stole my spot," Tony informed her.

"Win it back," Lee shrugged.

"But I gotta know, who's PP? I don't recognize it? I gotta size up my competition."

"Well there's not much to size up, kid's tiny."

"So you admit it!" Tony said shaking his head. "You admit that let someone steal my spot? Oh Lee, I should tell your father you're not doing your job."

"We both know he'd tell you to fuck off, and let him enjoy his retirement."

Tony shrugged knowing she was right, but bothering KJ was a form of entertainment.

"But no seriously who is PP?"

Lee gave him a smirk, "I rather let you figure it out."

Tony stepped back and pointed at her a response on his tongue when his phone rang. "This isn't over," He told her.

"See ya Mr. S!"

Tony answered his phone and headed out of KJ's just as a boy walked in and up to Lee.

"Hey Peter," she greeted.

"Was that Tony Stark?" He asked her eyes still on the door where the man had been.

"Who did you think TS was?" Lee laughed. "He is very upset you beat his record. Now help me out for a bit then go beat another one of his."

~~~~

After a few weeks Tony was still yet to see the notorious "PP" in person, but he saw the initials pop up ahead of his on more and more of the games.

"Damnit!" Tony shouted after failing to beat the score once more. He could hear the sound of Lee's laughter come from somewhere, defeated he rounded the corner and decided to try his luck on another game only to spy a boy playing Terminator Salvation.

He didn't recognize the boy, he had brown hair, and he was skinny with clothes which were too big for him and a bit dirty. Tony stepped behind him as the boy played, he was doing well, scarily well. Tony silently kept his eyes on the score wondering if his would be beat. But the game ended just hundred points shy.

"Damn second again," the boy sighed as he entered his initials.

Tony's eyes widened, "Your PP?"

The boy let out a yelp and turned quickly to look at him. His eyes were wide with confusion and his mouth opened a few times before he spoke, "Uh- Yeah... I'm PP, Mr. Ironman- Mr. Tony Stark uh-"

"You've been beating a lot of my scores PP," Tony told him.

"I'm sorry," he said quickly.

Tony shook his head and stepped forward putting a few quarters in the machine and picked up one of the guns. "Grab the other."

"W-what?"

"We've got the top scores, let's see how 2 player goes."

PP scrambled to do so as the game began.

"What's your name PP?" Tony asked him after a few minutes of silence other than the game.

"Peter sir. Peter Parker."

"Nice to meet you Peter, Tony Stark."

"I know."

"Yeah, well it's conventional to introduce yourself anyway," Tony shrugged.

Despite the two them setting the record on the game Peter seldom spoke, but Tony didn't give it much thought. Though the more Tony bumped into Peter the more he learned about the boy, and the more the boy spoke to him.

~~~~

"Do you ever go to school Pete?"

"Hi Mr. Stark," Peter replied not looking away from his game of Skeeball.

"Well do you?"

"I'm-I'm homeschooled," Peter answered. "I come here to get a break from it."

"You must get a lot of breaks."

Peter nodded mutely as he rolled another ball.

"He's a street kid," Lee told Tony later. "I give him food and some money and he helps me out with cleaning and he's really good with the maintenance of the games... Not that my father approves me helping him."

Tony shrugs, "Well if it means anything I think it's a nice thing to do."

Lee smiled, "It doesn't but thanks anyway."

Tony heard his phone go off and he sighed and gave Lee a wave as he moved toward the door. "I've got meetings to be late for."

"Bye Mr. S!"

~~~~

Tony hadn't gone to KJ's in weeks and he felt the need to. His hands were itching to hit colorful buttons and let loose. To do something other than work. With that thought in mind he dropped his gauntlet on the table and left the workshop heading for the arcade. He was a block away when he noticed the familiar brown hair on top of a skinny body with a backpack slung over one shoulder walking toward him.

"Peter!" He called hurrying a bit to catch up.

The boy responded to the sound of his name and his eyes searched until he found Tony to which he gave a wave.

"Hey kid, headed to KJ's?" Tony greeted walking up to him.

The kid shook his head then stopped suddenly his eyebrows scrunched together as if the action pained him, "Lee's been out of town for the past week, I'm going to the library."

Tony frowned, "Well there go my plans. Hm, maybe I'll grab something to eat. You wanna come?"

The boy's mouth opened and closed soundlessly before he spoke, "Oh no I couldn't- you're busy. I don't wanna get in the way and stuff."

"A teenager turning down free food? You feeling okay."

"Yes?"

"Come on Pete, free food."

Peter stated at him as if trying to think of ways to argue, but finding none he nodded.

They ended up going to a small sub shop and sat inside to eat them. Well Peter practically inhaled his.

"You want another?" Tony offered when Peter finished.

The boy turned a shade of bright pink as he raised his hands to shake them, "No! I mean thank you! But no I'm good. I still have this bag of chips anyway."

"You sure?"

"Positive," he nodded reaching for his soda.

Tony was about to ask him something when he couldn't help but notice a bruise on the boy's arm.

"You haven't been to KJ's in a while," Peter stated taking a sip.

Tony shifted his attention to Peter's face and shrugged, "Yeah I've been working on the suit. More specifically I'm trying to increase the output of my gauntlets by..." Tony went on explaining- well more thinking out loud (or rambling). He honestly forgot about Peter for a moment as he went on until Peter spoke.

Tony stopped short mid sentence and looked at him, "What?"

"Well if you can change the refraction rate shouldn't it fix that problem so you can move on to increasing the entire output?"

Tony blinked and stared at this kid in front of him, as he silently wondered how the kid knew that and if it work. As his mind raced Peter watched him silently eating his chips.

"That could work," Tony said finally. "Thanks kid."

Peter blushed slightly, "I didn't do anything..."

"Where'd you learn about all of this stuff?" Tony asked him.

Peter shrugged, "I go to the library a lot. I like science."

Tony nodded slowly, "Well maybe I'll bring you to the workshop one day. See if you can help me out with other stuff. I'm sure you'd get along with Bruce too."

"Bruce as in Bruce Banner?" Peter marveled. "He's a genius!"

"So am I," Tony said taking another bite of his sandwich.

"Well of course!" Peter said quickly. "You both are! It's just I see you all the time. Not that it means you're any different I just meant-"

"It's fine kid, I'm only messing with ya." Tony told him before he glanced at the time. "Well I'm gonna head out Pete, see if I can put your idea to use while it's fresh."

Peter nodded and gave him a wave as he left, "Thanks for the food Mr. Stark!"

~~~~

"I wonder what those are made of," Tony commented looking at Lee's iPad on the counter.

"What what's made of?" Lee asked him still watching the video.

"His webs."

Lee rolled her eyes, "Leave to you to see a video of Spider-Man fighting off six guys and your thoughts are on his webs."

"It's valid."

"No it's not."

"I'm sure Peter would agree with me."

Lee rolled her eyes, "I have no clue what either of you talk about most of the time."

Tony glanced around the empty arcade, "Where's the kid anyway?"

Lee shrugged, "Haven't seen him today. Or yesterday either."

"Isn't he usually here everyday?"

"Yeah, he hasn't been in here for a few days," Lee frowned. "It's kind of weird not to see him. But I have no way of contacting him. He has my number, but he doesn't have a phone so I don't have his."

"I'm sure he'll turn up. He kind of lives off the money you give him, since he won't take anything I give him... unless it's food."

"He doesn't like to feel like a burden... You know despite it being months since he first walked in here, I still don't know where he goes at night? I've tried asking him, following him, but no dice. He just seems to vanish."

"He vanishes?"

Lee sighed, "Apparently. I never pushed it too much because I was afraid he'd run off. He did that a few times in the beginning."

"Well if I see him I'll be sure to tell him you're waiting for him."

"Please do."

~~~~

Tony didn't see Peter anywhere, though then again it wasn't like he actively looked. He intended to when Lee has mentioned it, confused as to how a fourteen year old kid could vanish at random points in time, but then came work and Peter fell to the back of his mind. It had only been two days after all.

But then it was a week, and at this point Lee was close to convinced Peter has run off, Tony didn't voice it but he agreed.

It was certainly strange at KJ's without Peter, and without him Tony's high scores no longer had no competition. But he kept going to KJ's, because the arcade was his home away from home and Lee didn't mind his company. It was just like the way it was before Peter appeared, but even so it didn't feel normal. Peter had become an extension of KJ's and Tony assumed it would take him about a month to officially forget the boy entirely.

Only a month.

~~~~

F.R.I.D.A.Y. woke him up at an ungodly hour.

"What is it?" Tony groaned.

"Miss Lee Jacobs is on the phone for you sir," The AI stated.

"At 3 am?"

"Yes sir."

Tony gave a sigh and sat up grabbing his phone and answering it, "Do you know what time it is Lee?"

"I do and I'm sorry to wake you up but it's an emergency," Lee's voice said in a hurried whisper.

"What kind of an emergency?"

"I woke up cause heard someone downstairs," Lee whispered. "And I'm not stupid so I'm not gonna go investigate. You're Ironman and you live a few blocks away so you'll be faster than the cops."

"I'll be right there."

~~~~

He was faster than the cops.

When he arrived the dark arcade look just like that. He looked up at the windows assuming Lee is behind one, then turns his attention to the front door. It's clear it was broken into but it was hard to tell with what. He pushed it open and glanced around at first seeing nothing amiss.

"There's one heat signature on the ground toward the back," F.R.I.D.A.Y. informed him. Tony headed in the indicated direction three sharply turned a corner ready to blast whomever was there.

But the figure on the ground didn't move.

And when the lights revealed the figures' face Tony's heart skipped a beat. "Peter?"