Slight spoilers for NWH, if you haven't seen it please do it was incredible.

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Peter's life had been crazy since he had been bit by that spider all those years ago. It felt like a lifetime ago now. But that was nothing compared to the hell he had been going through since Beck had outed him to the whole world. Police reports and being arrested and Mr. Murdock defending him, he was a strange but skilled lawyer. But it didn't end after the charges were dropped, none of this ended it just got worse. Phones always in his face and people protesting him and throwing things at him and his family and friends. This was a nightmare he couldn't seem to wake from, Ned and MJ helped but there was only so much they could so with all of this craziness going on. What's even worse was they were both going to be gone for a week leaving Peter all by himself to deal with this insanity.

"I could stay, my grandpa would understand." Peter couldn't stop the sad smile that tugged on his lips at hearing MJ's voice. God he loved her, he let his eyes slide open looking up at her. They were on the school's roof again, it was quiet up here and it was one of the few places that Peter actually felt safe. He wasn't sure if he even felt safe at Happy's apartment, no where felt safe. It was like he was always buzzing inside with anxiety that the other shoe was about to drop. MJ was snapping her fingers in front of his face again, oh right she had said something about staying.

"No MJ you have been looking forward to this for months, I will be fine I am Spiderman after all." She rolled her eyes at him but her face was still just as serious, she was not going to let him just brush past this.

"Peter, I know how hard this has been and I know me and Ned have been like your only support so if you need me to stay I can." He leaned up and kissed her, she huffed into his mouth as he curled his fingers into her mess of curls. Always as wild and free as she was, her hair like a reflection of his spirit. Okay maybe he needed to lay off the romcoms, he was making parallels between her spirit and hair. He pulled back and let his forehead rest on hers, soaking in the small comfort it brought before he spoke.

"I know and I will miss you like crazy but this is a small chance for you to experience some normal, I want that for you and Ned hasn't seen these members of his family in years and besides how could I tell him not to go soak up the sun on the beaching freaking Hawaii?" MJ laughed and laid next to him again, wrapping herself next to him and he couldn't be more grateful for her. He would be fine, she had earned a break and he would make it a point to be okay, he had to be...for both of them.

***

He was not okay, this was a bad idea, no this was the worst idea on the face of the earth. It almost made him want to be dust again, well no but being far away might be nice. Ned had left two days prior and MJ had left last night. He had put on his brave face and convinced her he was going to be okay and he almost believed it himself. Though what he had forgotten maybe on purpose was he hadn't been a fan of tight spaces since he had a warehouse fall on him. No lets be honest here he hated them with a bright burning passion. Apparently that stomach twisting fear had translated to not liking being boxed in by people.

Peter had thought he had gotten used to the crowds but when he went into school he had MJ there holding his hand. Which made him feel like a child but the small grounding touch was enough to keep him calm until they got inside the building. Ned was always behind him and it made him feel safe, but they weren't here. He walked into school alone and there were still troves of people waiting outside, the police kept them back but they were still so loud. Classes slide by and Peter kept his head down and his hood up, he felt overwhelmed and that made him want to curl into a ball and cry like a baby.

But now he needed to walk home and that scared him, what if these people kept following him because he wasn't getting escorts from the police anymore? He pulled out his backpack and rummaged around inside, he grinned sadly when a ball cap came out. It was a navy blue and had the Stark logo on the front. Tony had stuck it in his bag before Thanos when Peter and him had gone for lunch and he had taught his signature hide from he press outfit. Sunglasses and a hat, which Peter had made fun of before they had done it and no one seemed to know who they were. He put on the hat and slide on the Edith glasses which he had somehow managed to hang onto through this mess. He yanked on a new jacket he had in his locker and then the cap and glasses. He pulled his hood up and made his way out the back door of the school. So far his plan was going off without a hitch, no one seemed to know who he was which was nice for a change. Maybe this would be okay? Maybe he could get through this week and it would all be okay no matter what the world thought. Spider-sense screamed barely giving him enough time and someone grabbed him by the back of his hood and yanked him back.

"LOOK! I told you it was him! Murderer!" Peter didn't know what was happening, but suddenly he was surrounded by a screaming crowd of people.

"Parker! What was it like meeting Iron Man?!"

"Hey Spider-Bitch, you gonna kill my Nana next?"

"You think you're so much better than us huh?!"

"You aren't above the law!"

Those were just the ones he could make out, the shouting was causing his already sensitive ears to scream in protest. He couldn't think, it was all so loud and his spider-sense was going so crazy he couldn't tell where the danger was coming from. Then he got hit, really hard in the head by he wasn't sure what and he was down on the ground. He was being trampled and kicked and shoved and he didn't know what to do. It was all so loud that all he did was curl into a ball, tucking his head into his chest and covering it with is arms. It hurt, his skull pounded from the blow to the back of his head. Was this how the amazing Spiderman was going to die? Trampled and beaten to death by people from his own neighborhood? Just as suddenly the person wailing on him was yanked off so fast Peter couldn't process the blow stopping. He heard a new voice then, it was booming and deeper than the others.

"Get the fuck off of him! What's the matter with you people?!" The voice was almost scary sounding as the crowd pulled back a bit, Peter was looking through his arms and saw the hoards of feet stepping back. Just a single pair of thick black combat boots stood over him. Placed on either side of Peter's body, the energy rolling off of the man was almost feral in feeling. This guy was not having it, it was like a lion had stepped into the crowd and everyone was instinctively wary of him. "Get lost, you should all be ashamed of yourselves he's a kid!" This guy must be frightening enough in just his looks because the crowd jumped back as he practically growled the last few words. Peter could've wept in gratitude, he couldn't move and breathing was still hard and tight feeling but at least the blows had stopped. He couldn't stop his flinched when a hand laid gently on his back, it was accompanied quickly but a voice, low and deep and way too gentle.

"Pete? Is that you?" Peter knew that voice, he sounded so familiar but his brain wasn't working at the moment. It hurt to think, it hurt to move but that hand was warm and if he closed his eyes he could pretend it was Mr. Stark and not whoever this way. Mr. Stark who was still in a medical induced coma because of the snap. Peter was drawn back to his current plight when he heard that voice again, more authoritative this time as he pressed his hand more firmly between Peter's shoulder blades, "Peter? Hey kid you need to talk to me all right? Let me know you can hear me before this gets more complicated." Peter very, very slowly moved his hands and arms from his protective stance over his head and opened his eyes. Everything was blurry, his eyes moved slowly as not to make himself even more dizzy. He found those boots again, this time crouched next to him blocking Peter from onlookers. The boots had dark jeans, a dark shirt and was he supposed to have a jacket? Where was this guys jacket it was cold out, it reached Peter's brain then that the jacket was pressed to the back of his own head. That's when the pain finally made itself known again and his head was now splitting. He tried to get away from the pressure the man was putting on him but that pressure just followed. He whined but his eyes finally found the face that were connected to the boots.

Dark hair and storm blue eyes that were way too intense for a normal human, he was sure this guy could beat a blind person at a starring contest. Wait, that didn't make sense...Jesus his head hurt. Then it slammed into him, the faint glint to the left, the flash of metal fingers. The man crouched over him, who had scared away the angry mob and was now cradling his head in his hand was none other than the former winter soldier himself. Sargent James Barnes, or Bucky as he preferred to be called. He looked different then the last time he had seen the man, no longer with long hair but cut short so he looked more like the Bucky that Peter had always seen in pictures. His face was different to, it wasn't that pained blank stare it was filled with two emotions that Peter could make out. One being concern, but the other seemed to be rage. Why was Mr. Sargent Barnes angry?

"M-Mr. Barnes?" He finally was able to get the words out, everything seemed to be moving so very slowly. Taking him much longer then it should be to get his words out. But even at the small choked sounding voice Peter had answered with Bucky seemed to sag with relief.

"Jesus kid we have been over this, call me Bucky." Bucky? He wanted him to call him Bucky, he could do that right? He could manage that couldn't he? Why was the earth moving? It needed to slow down before he puked.

"You saved me?" He hadn't met for it to come out so questioning but he saw that dark cloud go over Bucky's face again. Was that what the winter solider looked like? Because if he looked half that scary a minute ago he would understand why people had cleared out so fast.

"Of course I saved you, I shouldn't have had to save you in the first place why didn't you jump up on a wall or something? Get away from them?" Peter had somehow curled closer toward Bucky, the man was giving off this protective comfort that Peter craved. He hated being strong for everyone he was always saving everyone else and for this once in a long time someone was actually saving him.

"Scared me...too small too fast." Bucky's eyes filled with understanding as he nodded, he pressed a bit harder on the back of Peter's head making the teen hiss.

"Sorry have to have pressure on this, so claustrophobic huh? Yeh I get that, okay Pete let's get you off the ground huh? I will take you home and will look at that knock you got hm? Just can't sleep on me okay?" Peter didn't get much more warning then that before Bucky was sliding his other arm behind his shoulders and was heaving him upright. Oh boy the world was spinning again, he grabbed Bucky's shirt to try and make it stop. "Okay easy close your eyes for me so I can get you into the car." Peter did as he was told and closed his eyes, he was then lifted with ease into the other mans arms. Peter wondered if this was what having a big brother was like, did they all just hoist their younger ones into their arms with so little effort? Bucky huffed a laugh, had he said that aloud? No, he couldn't have. Peter was then being set into a car, the chair reclined back and that jacket pushed on his head again, of that was the jacket what was being laid over him? It was soft, this was nice, so safe feeling.

"Parker I need an address kiddo, is it in your phone?" Peter vaguely thought he nodded to him because Bucky took his phone and then slide into the drivers seat. He faintly heard the man talking but he was too tired to listen. He maybe heard something about calling his Aunt and Mr. Willson, but for now he didn't care he knew he wasn't supposed to sleep but his eyes were too heavy and he was asleep as the car grumbled under him.

***

Peter came too with someone shaking him, a firm hold on his shoulder, "Come on Parker slept long enough, Sam says wake up."

"Hey, don't you be blaming me, you shouldn't have let him sleep to begin with, a head wound like that."

"You try and keep him awake, kid was tired besides it's better he slept through the stitches." Stitches? He pulled his eyes open and he was on the couch at Happy's apartment, on his side and looking at the concerned gaze of Bucky again. "There he is, how you feeling?" Peter looked around and saw Mr. Willson coming into the room drying off his hands. When had he gotten there?

"Mr. Willson?" The other man laughed as he shook his head and pointed his gaze to Bucky, making a gesture Peter couldn't make out. The world was still kind of spinning, but he remembered now. Remembered the panic that had seized him at being boxed in, oh now his heart was racing again.

"You weren't kidding with how polite he is, Jesus kid call me Sam-oh shit Bucky he is freaking out." How did Mr.-Sam he said call him Sam, how did he know he was panicking? That big warm hand was back, jeez was he always so warm?

"Peter? Hey now you are safe you hear me? Look here at me kid." Peter was trying he really was, but he was under that warehouse again, he was in Thanos' grasp again and he was dying and he couldn't breathe and all there was is ash and dust and gone. Someone had his arm again, warm so very warm and firm and real. Bucky, he was there he had saved him Bucky was safe Bucky would protect him. He sagged into Bucky's chest and curled as close to him as he could, Bucky grunted in what Peter could only assume was shock as the much older man wrapped his arm around Peter's back and shoulders. He seemed to know where and how to hold onto Peter without hurting him more and he needed a hug okay?

"Well, all be damned Buck, kid likes you." That was Sam, he was the new Captain America and Peter knew he probably should be very embarrassed about clinging to Bucky like he was but he didn't have it in him to care.

"I am likable Wilson, shut your face about it." Bucky's voice had no real malice in them, he was speaking so softly and that was nice. Peter felt sleepy again but this time he didn't let go of Bucky. He fell asleep with an iron grip on the man. Because this was all he had at the moment to keep him rooted to the real world and he only prayed this wasn't a dream.

***

The next time Peter woke up it wasn't as blinding when it came to the pain department. It was more a deep ache when he moved so if he didn't breathe and didn't move it didn't hurt. Progress, he was laying with is head on a pillow which was in someones lap. When he pried his eyes open he looked up at Bucky who was looking down at him again. It was dark now and the clock in the corner read 1am, shit how long had he been out?

"Just the day kid don't worry about it." Peter met his gaze again and couldn't help but squirm, the look was again what he would imagine a older brother to give the younger and he wasn't fond of this.

"Thank you Mr-Bucky I mean Bucky." Bucky smirked a bit as he set a book down he must've been reading, the title Dune winked at him.

"Dune?" Peter couldn't stop the question before it popped out, it made Bucky laugh.

"Yeah, unlike Steve I like tech and such always did who do you think drag him to the Stark expo all those years ago? I did that's who and besides I've also always like reading, once Sarah, that's same sister, once she learned I liked reading she gives me a stack of books every time I see her." Peter was surprised with how normal that sounded, that Bucky seemed so human but he was human wasn't he?

"I like that one a lot but only the first three, they get weird after that." Bucky nodded but he was looking at him again and Peter was getting the feeling he wasn't going to get out of this conversation no matter how hard he tried to.

"Peter I know it hasn't been good for you, trust me I get that bad publicity stuff you know I do. But what was that yesterday? You don't have an escort or anything? You could've been killed." Peter drooped at that, Bucky was upset and he didn't want another person to be so disappointed in him.

"Um the police don't have anyone to spare for on my way home anymore, I tried to get away but I panicked and it came on so fast and I didn't know what to do and it was the first time I hadn't had MJ or Ned with me and I thought I could handle it but-" Bucky slammed his hand over Peter's mouth to stop his never ending stream of words.

"Okay, I am getting the picture and don't worry about freaking out it happens."

"Even to superheroes?" Peter couldn't keep the bitter disappointment out of his own tone which made Bucky frown.

"Especially superheroes, okay here is what is going to happen, I am going to start taking you to and from school-shut up let me finish." Peter had barely had his mouth open to protest before he was silenced,"I don't live that far and it isn't an issue and if I am out of town on a mission or something one of my friends like Sam or someone else will take you this ends now." That was it end of the topic, Bucky had made up his mind and Peter only prayed it wouldn't back fire.

***

It wasn't until a few days later that Peter went back to school and he got to experience the full have an older brother experience. Bucky picked him up in his car and the sight of the beauty made Peter's mouth drop. It was a sleek black classic muscle car, a charger by the looks and with only two doors you had to push the chair up to get in the back. Bucky was also in all black but he wasn't wearing the gloves he normally wore to hide his metal fingers. The dark black metal glinted with the gold bits catching the light.

It was a bit nerve racking, at first sliding into the new old car, but Bucky just grinned at him and winked and he put the car in gear. It took Peter a little but to relax but he did with Bucky's help, the man was way cooler than Peter had thought. They talked about books and life and he asked Peter about his own life, not Spiderman's. Just plain old Peter Parker, it was during the drive that Peter learned that Bucky loved movies and TV shows. That he had almost all streaming services so he could get caught up, at the moment he had just finished the new season of the Witcher and was working his way through Game of Thrones. This made Peter go crazy because he didn't peg Bucky as a fantasy guy, it also rocked the young heroes world when he learned Bucky was a bigger lord of the rings fan then he was.

But this bliss could only last so long, they got to Peter's school and the crowds were still there. Shouting and protesting, Peter was grateful that they hadn't started throwing things yet that normally waited until Peter got there. He jumped when there was a hand on his shoulder and he turned to meet Bucky's eyes again. Safe, Bucky was going to keep him safe that's what that look said. Peter nodded that he understood, Bucky gave that sharp nod in return and put on his shades and got out of the car. It took Peter a few minutes bu with shaking fingers and his head down he stepped out of the car. The mob went crazy, shouting unseemly language as Bucky walked with him up to the door.

Peter snuck a look at Bucky from the corner of his eyes, the man was a good head taller than Peter was and he had that still as stone look on his face. It took the crowd until they were almost at the door for them to start yelling and demanding to know who Bucky was. As Peter waited his turn to go inside a reporter tried to grab Peter but Bucky was faster stepping between them. No one touched him, he was okay. The reporter was barking at Bucky for a story, Bucky keeping his face like the winter soldier spoke so calmly it made the man step back.

"Sargent James Barnes." The crowd started to hiss with whispered shock, they knew who he was now. Best friend of Steve Rogers, worked closely with Sam Wilson the new Captain America. HIs name demanded one of two things, fear or respect. It took the reporter to gather himself again as he spoke to Bucky.

"Sargent Barnes what is your relation or connection to Spiderman?" Bucky shot back just as quick.

"WE saved the universe together." The reporter was getting frustrated, Peter was inching towards the door, only 3 people left in front of him.

"Then what are your thoughts of him killing a man?" Bucky shot back just as fast.

"He didn't, all charges were dropped MR?"

"Conway."

"Mr Conway, Peter is a 17 year old high school student. Now I don't know about this day in age but in mine we didn't harass a minor to the point he has to go to a hospital and I can't help but think the media isn't helping in the matter, so let me be clear there will be charges filed on the attackers who mobbed him on the way home yesterday and so help me God if I see anything like that again you will be sent to the raft and I will make sure of it." The words were uttered so cold it sent a chill down Peter's spine. He never wanted to be on the receiving end of that wrath. The crowd was silent until once voice piped up.

"Why would you help him?" Bucky gave Peter a side glance and winked he said.

"Because, that's what older brothers do."

***

The news went crazy after Bucky's statement, but Peter knew that Bucky had taken him under his wing. He had always wanted an older brother and now he had one, a 6ft plus dark and brooding other brother but a big brother never the less. MJ and Ned had flipped when they got back, because now Bucky would pick each of them up and take them to school. MJ and Peter slide into the back seat leaving the passenger to Ned. Who talked Bucky's ear off but the older man didn't seem to mind too much, or if he did he never mentioned it to them.

Yes, people still hated him but they were less likely to try anything with a former brainwashed assassin behind you. If Bucky couldn't take him then someone else always showed up, Sam had driven them a few times. Clint Barton had even taken once or twice, but it was mostly Bucky. The guy even brought coffee for them from time to time and Peter always gave him movie and tv recommendations.

Yes, his life was still insane, yes he was still overwhelmed and yes MIT was going to be harder then he thought but at least he wasn't as alone as he had once believed. Because this once he didn't feel like he needed to protect someone, because finally there was this person who Peter believed could take care of himself and Peter.

So maybe he would make it after all, with the help of this big scary cyborg who had claimed him as a baby brother.

How about that

A/N

Hello my friends it has been a while since I have posted on here but life has gotten even more insane if I hadn't thought it was before I have recently changed jobs within the last week and a half but I am now working from home which I'm super excited about and hopefully I'll be able to get more writing done because I now have a set schedule.
This little idea just came to me because I love the idea of Peter having big brothers yes I have seen the new Spider-Man movie I try to keep this a spoiler free as possible because I want everybody to be able to experience this movie like I did.

I think Bucky would be a great big brother and I think Peter needs that in his life so this just flowed out of me I put the car down below.

Merry Christmas 🎁🎄

Natasha Romonoff
Aka
TheRealBlackWidow