An-Ned grows out of Peter's friendship

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Peter came into the living room crying freely as he sat heavily in one of the couches. He pressed his knuckles into his eyes, seeing stars dance across his vision. He felt someone sit down next to him gently and start rubbing his back. Peter looked up and saw Tony and sniffled, his head hurt and he just wanted to sleep.

"You okay Pete? You never cry." Tony said gently, Peter sniffled again.

"Do you think I'm childish?" Peter asked quietly, Tony's eyes widened in surprise.

"Well Pete, you are a kid," Tony said cautiously, Peter sighed.

"Do you think I'm childish?" Peter said, firmer this time, more desperately. Tony shifted uncomfortably.

"You've always acted a little younger then you are, but I don't think you're childish. It's ok to have interests people think are for kids, or need a little more physical affection than other kids your age." Tony said gently, squeezing Peter's shoulder, "What brought this on kiddo?" Peter looked up at him, his eyes shining with tears.

"Ned said he doesn't wanna be friends anymore," Peter said softly, playing with his fingers in his lap.

"Oh god Peter, come here buddy." Tony said softly, opening his arms up for Peter to fall into his lap, "You wanna tell me what happened?"

"I was talking to him about the new LEGO set I got for my birthday and Ned told me to shut up. He then said that he was sick of being friends with me because he gets picked on for it. And he said that everyone makes fun on me cause I'm a baby. Cause I like Star Wars and I like LEGO and action figures." Peter said, hiding his face in Tony's stomach.

"Pete you can like whatever you want. You can do whatever you want, it's your life. It's his loss kid, you've always been an amazing friend, kind and compassionate, and Ned doesn't deserve that. You'll find other friends, and they'll treat you with the same kindness you treat others with." Tony said, rubbing Peter's arm.

"You think so?" Peter asked softly.

"I know so." Tony said firmly, "Now let's put on some TV, I had FRIDAY install the tenth season of Stargate, you wanna watch?" Tony smiled when Peter nodding, turning so that he was still in Tony's lap, but so he could see the screen.

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Peter hated this, staring at an empty table, picking at his food. Ned was already in with Flash's group, so that left Peter alone. Peter hated the silence but at the same time the deafening noise of the cafeteria. But the library was closed so he was sat in the cafeteria alone staring at his food with tears in his eyes. Ned and he had been friends since they were babies, and suddenly Ned ignored him and refused to talk to him.

Sure, maybe Tony and the team were great, encouraging him to talk about his interests and favourite tv shows and movies, but he missed being able to come to school and forget that his parents were famous. When someone's lunch tray slammed down in front of him he snapped his head up to look at the person, blinking away his tears to stare at the kid who had sat there. He was in his well-being class, Peter was only in there because in two years he'd lost two guardians. He didn't know why that kid was in there, apparently, he was troubled.

"You're that kid that likes Star Wars, and Stargate and Star Trek right?" He said, Peter's friendly smile dropped.

"If you're here to make fun of me I've had enough of that recently. I'm not gonna sit here and let you call me a baby." Peter said firmly, picking at his food with his fork again.

"Actually no, I was gonna ask you what you thought about the last episode of Stargate SG1." He said, Peter looked up at him and blinked, someone actually wanted to sit with him and talk about Stargate, other than Tony?

"Why?" Peter asked nervously, looking around for someone filming or laughing at him.

"I heard around the grapevine that you're our resident nerd. Wanted someone other than my old man who I could talk with it about." He said, Peter didn't peg him as the type to like Stargate; he had the typical punk aesthetic type going, spiked up hair, piercings and dark eyeshadow. Peter didn't think he'd be talking to him any day.

"No, but like why are you sitting with me? No one sits with me unless they're fucking with me or want to beat me up." Peter said stiffly.

"I dunno, you're a cool dude, educated and informed, not like all these other fuckers from Midtown." He said, pushing his lunch tray away from him.

"Lack of Ignorance isn't the only reason to hang out with a loser like me," Peter said, looking down at his food again. He pushed it away with a disgusted face.

"You aren't a loser. You're just hurting. That Ned kid hurt you you bad. I've always wanted to be your friend, but that Ned was too protective of you for me to get close, he practically bared his teeth every time someone tried to befriend you." He said, the name clicked, Cyrus. Peter rose an eyebrow.

"Yeah, he was a bit manipulative, to be honest," Peter said with a small smile. Cyrus laughed, deep, from his chest.

"A bit? Say you have a nickname?" Cyrus asked, Peter shrugged. Then a smile grew on his face, he only let Tony call him it but he felt like he trusted Cyrus.

"Pete, or Ben, or Benny or Benji," Peter said offhandedly. Cyrus looked up at him curiously.

"You haven't let someone call you that since your uncle died." He said bluntly, Peter shrugged, a grin on his face.

"Lots of things have changed," Peter said, Cyrus nodded, grinning back at Peter.

"Alright Benny, how what do you think of the last episode of SG1?" Cyrus said, smirking slightly. Peter smirked.

"Well my dad and I cried, I mean come on, how could you not?" Peter said, Cyrus sniffled, making Peter throw his head back and laugh.

"I gotta admit I cried too. Say how bout you sit with me and my friends?" Cyrus asked, Peter smiled.

"I think I'd like that." Peter liked that Cyrus didn't ask what he meant by his dad.

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Peter shoved Cyrus particularly hard, making him stumble. Johnny laughed at the scene.

"You can't do Daniel dirty like that, he's a fucking god," Peter shouted, Cyrus rolled his eyes, stepping out of the elevator with the rest of the group.

"You're just a simp for Daniel." Cyrus teases, they all knew of Peter's adamant crush on Daniel.

"Proudly," Peter said, dropping his backpack on the floor.

"You pick that backpack up and take it to your room before your mum rips us both a new one," Tony muttered, pointing at the backpack expectantly. Peter looked him in the eyes as he picked it up.

"I'm only picking it up because mums scary as." Peter said, "Do I even get a hello Peter how was your day my son who I love greatly?" Peter asked, raising an eyebrow. Tony rolled his eyes.

"Hello, Peter how was your day my son who I love greatly?" Tony said, Peter's face broke into a wide smile.

"It was great! I got the solo in band, and in the glee club." Peter said happily. Tony nodded.

"Good job kiddo, glad you took back up band and glee, you love those things," Tony said, Peter nodded. Walking up to him and hugging him, Tony rose an eyebrow.

"You're in a good mood," Tony commenting, Peter nodded.

"I am! Brought friends over, I hope you don't mind." Peter said, Tony shrugged wheezing when Peter squeezed him.

"Care to introduce me?" Tony asked, prying Peter off of him, "You never bring friends over." Peter nodded.

"That's cause you and the team are weird whenever I bring friends over," Peter said.

"We are not," Tony said.

"Sure. Anyway, Cyrus, Johnny, MJ, Dylan, and Jasper." Peter pointed to each of them, they wither raised a hand of dismissal or smiled.

"Okay cool, they staying for dinner?" Tony asked, rocking on his heels with a knowing smile, Peter swatted him.

"Sure, we'll eat in the lounge room though," Peter said with a firm nod.

"Cool, cool, cap's making pasta," Tony said.

"Dinosaur pasta?" Peter said hopefully.

"Yes Peter, dinosaur pasta," Tony said, Peter smiled wide again and turned to his friends.

"You guys get to see my room," Peter said, shifting his backpack strap. He opened his door nervously, his walls were covered in TV posters, band posters, his ceiling was hand-painted to look like a galaxy. His desk was littered with paints and brushes, graphite pencils and art paper. His shelves were covered in books and action figures.

"Wicked dude," MJ said, examining his art materials.

"How long did this take?" Cyrus said, clearly in awe. Peter shrugged.

"A couple of weeks, my mum and dad kept trying to help but I practically hissed whenever they tried to help," Peter said sheepishly. Cyrus nodded.

"It is literally amazing Benji." Cyrus breathed, Peter blushed darkly and awkwardly tidied his stack of comics on his bedside.

Hours later they were sitting in the lounge room, Peter happily took the bowl from Steve as he handed it to him, "Thanks capsicle." Peter said with an innocent smile.

"No problem Pete," Steve said, handing the other kids their bowls as well. They were a weird mix, they had the typical geeky dressed kid, the punk, the artist, the sporty one, the too many layers, and the all skin. Peter loved them honestly, maybe one of them more than the others.

"You're too much like your dad for your own good," Steve muttered, Peter rose an eyebrow, tripping Steve on his way out by being his leg out at a weird angle.

"You love me," Peter said sweetly as Steve got up, muttering about something.

"Woah! I didn't know you were so flexible." Dylan shouted, Peter hummed, digging into his pasta.

"Hidden talent?" Peter said innocently.

"So. We know you're simping hard for Daniel Jackson, but who else are you simping for?" MJ said just as innocently. Peter blushed and hid his face in his bowl.

"No one," Peter said with a shrug.

"Oh come on, you're always all blushy and flustered when you're with us!" Johnny insisted.

"Am not!" Peter protested, placing his bowl down on the floor.

"Damn you eat fast. And you so do!" Jasper countered, pointing his fork at Peter.

"Do not!" Peter shouted, flopping down onto the floor on his back.

"You so do? Who is it?" Cyrus asked, leaning towards Peter onto his elbow. Peter blinked at him making Cyrus smirk, "Oh my god, it's one of us isn't it!" Cyrus exclaimed, Peter open and closed his mouth and flushed immediately.

"Well it can't be me, you're gay as fuck," MJ said, Peter rolled his eyes at her.

"No shit," Peter said, looking back up at the ceiling.

"Is it Dylan?" Cyrus teased, Peter groaned, rolling over onto his stomach, "What about Jasper?" Pete groaned again, his glaze blazing red.

"It's you, you idiot," Peter said, blushing darker when Cyrus met his eyes.

"Oh." Cyrus said, blushing darkly.

"Yeah oh you asshole," Peter said.

"If it means anything I like you too, like that. More then a friend I mean." Cyrus blurted out. Peter's eyes bulged out of his head.

"Oh," Peter said, shutting his mouth firmly.

"Yeah. Oh." Cyrus said, looking away from Peter.

"Oh my god, just fucking kiss already." MJ groaned. Peter and Cyrus made eye contact for a moment before lunging at Cyrus, crashing into him, being him to the floor, kissing him hard. Cyrus paused for a moment before kissing back equally as hard, they both had their eyes screwed shut. Peter pulled back and blushed darkly, jumped off of Cyrus quickly.

"Sorry. Spur of the moment got ahead of myself." Peter mumbled, Cyrus nodded in a daze.

"No problem." He breathed, Peter sat next to him nervously, Cyrus took his hand, Peter looked up at him before hurriedly looking away. Tony walked into the room whistling before he stopped in his tracks and narrowed his eyes at Cyrus and Peter's linked hands.

"Why do I feel like I missed something?" Tony asked suspiciously. Peter looked up at him.

"Because you did," Peter said nervously, Tony clicked his tongue.

"Ooh, do this is the same Cyrus you've been crushing on since-" Tony was cut off by Peter lunging at him, covering his mouth with his hands.

"You said you wouldn't tell." Peter squeaked, Peter uncovered his mouth for him to reply.

"That was until FRIDAY informed me that someone was taking my son's innocence away-" Peter clamped his hands over his mouth again, pushing him out of the room.

"How about you go do old man stuff while I hang out with my friends and try to get myself out of the mess you put me in?" Peter said, Tony protested as Peter pushed him out of the room. Peter turned back to his friends nervously.

"Who wants to watch pixels?" Peter squeaked. Once they had all gotten seated on the couches Cyrus gently sat next to Peter and took his hand, smiling softly.

"You're really cool Benji." Byrd's said softly, Peter smiled.

"You too Ci."