It's the middle of the night, and I'm a creature of too much tea and regret, but enjoy this crappy homeless peter fic I started on a whim.

Hope you all like this, and I will consider whether to write more or just get rid of it depending on the reaction this gets. So please, if you decide that you may like to read more of this, leave a comment and tell me?

Enjoy

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~avengers~~~~~~~~~~~~

Go out Bruce, they said. It will be fun, they said. Nothing bad's gonna happen, they said.

Well, they got one thing right. Because this? This isn't bad, this is a disaster.

Why? Well for starters, Bruce is running, which itself is an awful thing because Bruce isn't much of the running type (He prefers sciencing, thank you very much.) But that's not even the worst part, because not only is he forced to run, he is also being chased, and not in the fun 'playing tag' sense of the word either, but in the 'we're-a-group-of-villains with-questionable-senses-of-fashion-and-we-wanna-kill-you' sort of way.

If this was a movie, now would be the time when the frame froze and the famous 'Yep, that's me, you're probably wondering how I got into this mess' line came up. Unfortunately, this isn't a movie, which means that Bruce doesn't have the fortune of time freezing while he does a flashback and has to in fact do it all while running for dear life.

'Yep, that's me,' Bruce thinks bitterly while he passes one of the security cameras on the street, glaring hard and hoping the avengers are watching this right now so they can feel the sheer loathing in his gaze. Very unlikely, but pretending makes him feel better. 'Let me tell you how I got into this freaking mess.'

"Come on Bruce," Tony says as he pushes the unwilling scientist toward the elevator, the doors already opening to let him in, "You can't just lock yourself in your lab all the time! Go out and have some fun, feed the ducks or something, use your hours of freedom to escape this terrible 'organic-food' zone and buy some greasy snacks." He leans down, whispering in his ear, "And then try to sneak some in for me without Cap noticing as well, would you? He keeps confiscating my junk food. Says I have to eat healthy," He mutters, making an over-exaggerated disgusted face, "But he won't think to search you. So just go to a supermarket or something and get me some snacks, Okay?"

"But Tony…" Bruce tries to protest, "What if…"

"Nothing's gonna happen," Tony says impatiently, rushing him forward, "you're just going to supermarket and back, what are the chances of someone attacking you?"

Well, judging by the group of villain currently chasing Bruce, he'd say the chances are rather high.

"Oh my god," he moans as he runs for- well, not his life, but the life of those around him. The men following him have already pulled out what he's 99 percent sure are guns, and he's still in the middle of a crowded street with people stupid enough to stand and gape at him instead of running for their lives, because, hello, Hulk here!

After this is over, Bruce is going to kill Tony, and he isn't even going to Hulk out; Oh no, he's going to chock him with his bare hands.

(Or maybe he'll just sit on him and eat all the junk food by himself while Tony cries and begs on the floor. That seems like a good plan as well. )

The first shot snaps him out of his thoughts, and he has to fight down both panic and the green beast as he takes a sharp turn into one of the darker alleys around. Bruce is by no means a physical man –well, at least, his calmer, not-green self isn't- and he knows better than to try and run from a bunch of obviously trained men with guns in a public place where not only can they easily shoot him and hit the target, but can also miss and hurt the innocents around. Besides, he's already beginning to tire, his breath coming in short, quick pants and his knees shaking under his weight. He won't be able to run for much longer.

So, the scientist does the reasonable thing and tries to get as far away from the public as he can before he's cornered. There's no hope of making it to the avengers before the men catch up to him since he panicked and ran in the opposite direction of the tower when he first spotted the group and is now pretty far from home; so the best he can hope for is losing his tails when he runs in the maze of the backstreets and narrow alleys of NY, and sinks deeper and deeper into the darker and more questionable parts of the city.

By the time he remembers that he's an unfamiliar with this districts as the ones he's trying to lose, it's already too late to turn around, and he's trapped in a dark and dirty dead-end with nowhere to go and footsteps that keep getting closer and closer.

He takes a step back, and flinches when his back his the wall. He takes a quick look around, desperately searching for an escape route. By the looks of things, he's out of luck. The only things in the alley are a couple of torn trash bags and a half-blind street cat that screeches and runs away as soon as it sees Bruce; so unless he starts throwing rotten fruit and empty tin cans at his pursuers, there's nothing of use. He's officially cornered and there's nowhere to go and nowhere to hide, and by this point his skin is more green than white, and he no longer can fight back the panic that's spreadi-

Suddenly out of nowhere, a hand shots out and covers his mouth, another grabbing his arm and dragging him back. He struggles, trying to bite the hand, but his kidnapper just groans and shoves him in a tight spot before following himself. "Be quiet," the kidnapper –is it a guy? Bruce isn't sure. The voice is far too high to be a man's, but the body pressing him into the wall clearly lacks the curves of a woman's- hisses at him, still not removing the hand from his mouth, "Do you want them to find us?!"

The high pitched voice surprises Bruce, helps him fight down the green showing up on his skin and shocks him enough that he stops struggling. He takes a deep breath, leaning back on the wall and examining his surroundings as he hears the footsteps run past and then stop. He turns his head at the direction of the sound, keeping his breath as he peeks from the opening in the wall and sees the men searching for him.

Bruce notices that he's still in the same dead-end, hidden in a small, narrow space between two of the walls. It's a pretty good hiding place, if a little crowded. It's only just big enough for him and his mysterious kidnapper to squeeze into and its entrance is hidden from sight due to the slightly tilted brick wall at the end of the alley and the way the trash bags are placed.

The men look around for a while, seemingly confused with his disappearance. Bruce notices his rescuer –because it's probably rude to keep calling him a kidnaper when the guy has just saved his butt- crouch down and pick up a tin cane from the ground. He's about to hiss at him to stay still before someone notices them when the guy lifts his arms and throws the tin so far it lands about twenty meters away from the wall. The men snap to attention at that, one of them shouting orders in a strange language as they go running back the way they came.

They stay still for a while, listening for the footsteps to fade, and then the mysterious guy jumps back, exiting the hiding place easily and then turning to give the scientist a hand (Who, to his embarrassment, has far more trouble getting past the tight gap). Bruce follows the guy out with a gasp, panic still clutching at every fiber of his being and skin still colored with a tinge of green, but much more under control than a moment ago. He puts his hands on the wall, catching his breath and focusing on calming himself. That was close. He's never leaving the tower to get Tony snacks again.

"Dr. Banner!" The stranger exclaims, his voice snapping the other out of his thoughts, "You're Dr. Banner, right? Sir I'm such a huge fan! Your work on Gamma radiations was truly fantastic! The theo-"

Bruce stops listening, staring in shock at the guy as he keeps ranting about his work and how amazing his last new paper on god-knows-what was. Any other time, he'd be pleased to see someone who appreciates his achievements more than his part-time job as a green beast; but right now he's too busy staring at the kid who just saved his life.

He's young. Certainly no older than fifteen and maybe even younger. He's much too short and far too thin for it to be healthy, and is clad in dirty and baggy clothes. Bruce knows for a fact that he's much stronger than his small figure suggests, considering he was being dragged around by the same tiny teenager only minutes ago, but he can't help but notice how fragile and small he looks. It's hard not to, especially when the kid is swimming in a jacket three sizes too big for him and has a deep, nasty bruise on his jaw.

The guy stops mid-sentence when he notices Bruce staring, a light blush covering his cheeks, "Oh my go- I didn't hurt you, did I? I didn't mean to push you around like that, I was- I was just trying to get you to safety and I didn't stop to think it through! I'm glad that you didn't hulk out on me though- Not that I don't like hulk, I mean he's cool, but I don't like being smashed to death, you know? And anyway you seem so much nicer and smarter and- god I'm rambling again, aren't I?" He stops to take a deep breath, sticking out a hand with a shy smile, "It's an honor to meet you Dr. Banner. I'm Peter."

Bruce only stares some more, still too shocked after everything to react. The kid's face falls when Bruce doesn't say anything, and he snatches his hand back as if burned. "I'm such an idiot." He mumbles to himself, trying to hide his dirty hand in his pocket, then louder he says "Sorry sir I just got excited and forgot about the-" He shrugs, looking embarrassed as he plays with a lock of his long hair. "Just- just follow me. I'll take you to the main street."

He half turns to go, face red and eyes cast downward.

"Bruce Banner," Bruce says automatically.

The kid blinks, "What?"

"That's- Um, that's my name," the scientist stutters, pointing to himself. "Though you already know that… anyway, It's- Um, It's nice to meet you Peter. And- and I'm glad Hulk didn't smash you too. " He adds, holding out a hand.

Peter's whole face lights up, his brown eyes widening with joy. He grabs the offered hand and shacks it enthusiastically, smiling all the while.

"Thank you Dr. Banner," He says happily, "I'm so-" a loud 'clank' from the other side of the wall cuts him off, and Peter freezes, stealing a glance at where the noise came from.

"Follow me Dr. Banner." He whispers lowly, all traces of lightheartedness gone, "It's dangerous to wander around here for long. Stay close to me and I'll take you back to the avengers' tower."

With that, he turns to go, hesitating only a second before he grabs onto Bruce's arm and drags him along.

Peter drags him through narrow streets and dim passages alike, passing dank alleys full of shady people who stare at them unnervingly as they pass. Bruce feels panic once again began to fill his chest when they pass a particularly dark path crowded by shadows hiding in the corner.

Bruce can say in a glance that this is much worse than the other places they passed in the way. The whole alley smells of alcohol and drugs, and the air is thick with the metallic scent of blood and the taste of vomit. He has to watch where he steps as to not put his put his foot inside the suspicious puddles on the ground, and also keep his mind away from trying to guess the contents the said puddles hold.

All around the place, there are men and women sprawled on the ground. They're badly dressed and dirty, and all thin and pale; but there's something different about them, something that sets off alarm bells in Bruce's already frantic mind and warns him that these are not like the other homeless people they came across in the way, but something darker, something fouler.

These aren't men looking for a place to stay the night, but thieves and dealers instead, and not the sort that gets involved with crime because they have to either. They are the kind that likes spreading fear and inflicting pain, the kind that takes pride in cruelty and enjoys being wicked.

Bruce knows he must seem like easy bait with his well-worn but expensive shoes –curtesy of Tony- and clearly new coat, and is expecting one of them to jump out with a knife and threaten him any second now. It almost does happen, with people who get close enough for him to see the flash of greed and hatred in their eyes, and Bruce has to bite his lip to keep calm and not let his other half come out.

But the weird thing is, it never gets to that stage because as soon as they catch sight of peter, they quickly scrambles back to the shadows, muttering things like 'Thought this wasn't his district' or 'What the fuck is the brat doing here?' under their breath.

Peter doesn't react in any unusual way, and only turns to give him a small apologetic smile before quickening their pace; but Bruce can't help but stare as this small teenager with his oversized dirty clothes and kind brown eyes scares off thugs three time his size with nothing but a look.

He doesn't get what about Peter scares them so. The teenager looks more non-threating than even Bruce and the scientist's been told he looks like a soft giant teddy beer. Now, he knows all about not judging a book by its cover and all that, but it's just… the kid is so small and thin, it's ridiculous that anyone would see him as a threat, let alone be scared of him. He looks like a normal teenager, if dressed in old and torn clothes that are far too large for his skinny frame and with hair that is a little too long and disheveled. He's clearly a homeless kid, running from CPS most likely, and it concerns Bruce greatly to see him find his way through the maze of the dark backstreets of NY like he knows it. Like its home. Yeah, the bruises on his skin and the thinness of his arms are worrisome, but perhaps the most heartbreaking thing is the kid is too young to have any business in such shady parts of the city, and he still walks like he belongs.

"We're here!" Peter's cheerful voice announces and Bruce looks up to see that they've reached the main street while he was lost in thoughts. "Well, it was an honor Dr. Banner, I mean really, how many people can say that they ran into the Bruce Banner while hiding from the co-" He cuts himself off with a cough, looking away from the scientist, "anyway, we're, Um, we're here." He repeats awkwardly.

"Oh, Um, ye-yeah," Bruce stutters, feeling just as awkward, "Peter, I- I don't know how to- how to thank you but you really- Um, here," He reaches into his pocket and takes out his wallet clumsily, holding it out to the boy, "Here. Take it. It's nearly empty because I didn't think I'd need much for a snack run but- Here. Think of it as my way of- of saying thank you."

The boy takes a step back, holding up his hands. "Dr. Banner, sir! I can't accept that! That's too much! And anyway, I didn't do much other than to shove you into a gap in the wall and then drag you through one of the worst districts of NY so..." He shrugs, a light blush covering the tips of his ears as the he shuffles his feet in embarrassment.

"But-"

He shacks his head firmly, "I can't accept your money Dr. Banner."

"Then what about something else? like…" Bruce says desperately, looking around for anything he can give to the teen, when he notices the bag of snacks he's still clutching in his hand. He blinks at it, as if not expecting something as normal as a bag of snacks to still be here after the surreal morning he's just had. "Here," He says blankly, holding up the bag of food. "It's not very healthy but…" He shrugs helplessly.

The kid tiptoes toward him and slowly takes the bag, cautiously peeking inside. His face lights up when he sees the snacks and he quickly clutches it to his chest and takes a step back, as if afraid Bruce might try to snatch it back.

"Thank you sir," He says with a hesitate smile, and Bruce finds himself smiling back.

"Your welcome." He says to him, thankfully not tripping over the simple words and making a fool of himself again. Seriously, after this day he wouldn't blame the kid if he decides that Bruce isn't cool enough and finds a new scientist to geek over. "But are you sure that's all you need? Maybe if you come with me to tower… Tony would be happy to reward you properly."

But the kid is already walking away, going backwards as to not turn his back to the scientist and still hanging to the bag of food for dear life, but he smiles and this time his smile is brighter, livelier.

"There's no need Sir!" He shouts, "Just if you end up with any extra food you didn't need… well give me a call!"

Bruce is ninety percent sure the kid is joking, but that doesn't stop the sudden ache in his heart as he thinks of the boy's skinny arms and hollow cheeks. "But how do I find you?!" He shouts after the boy.

This time, there's a laugh before the answer comes, "Just get lost in the backstreets again, I'll find you!"

And with that, Peter is gone.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~AVENGERS~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ok, so, done. I wanted to write more but we're going on a trip tomorrow and I wasn't sure if I'd get to update then.

Sooooo, how do you like it? Please leave a review and tell me, and don't be afraid to share any homeless!Peter headcanons you have, cuz I love long comments, and enjoy reading all of your reviews so much.

Just a quick reminder… I have no idea I'm doing with this, and I honestly worked my ass off to write this in the middle of all the work I had, so If you like it and want to see more of it, please please please tell ne, If I see that no one cares, well I guess I'll just delete this or at least not write anymore chapters.