“It’s really no trouble, kid.”
“Mr Stark, you’ve gone out of your way to drive me home from school. That is a big deal.“
“Kid, I’ll have us back in the lab in half an hour, relax. We’re saving time here.”
Peter gasped.
“That means you’ll have spent over an hour in the car just to pick me up! That doesn’t even count the time you’ve spent waiting for me-“
“Oh good. He knows how math works-“
“Mr Stark! You really didn’t have to. You’re my-“
“I’m your boss, I know.” Tony pressed on sternly. “And it’s my job-“
“I’m sorry you had to go out of your way Mr Stark, I really am, sir... But it’s not your responsibility to get me to and from work and-“
“Heck kid I do that for everyone-“
“Really?”
“I send employees on business trips all the time. Who do you think provides and pays for the transport?”
“Uh, I guess I never thought of it like that…”
Tony cut him off. “Listen in. Mentoring moment. Never be afraid to ask for things kid, especially from your boss.”
Peter hummed thoughtfully, “Sure. Raises don’t grow on trees. Right?”
“Exactly. Do you want a raise?”
“Nope. Definitely not. Mr Stark you give me everything, I don’t wanna be paid.”
“Yes you do.”
“No, I definitely don’t-“
“Zip it the adult is talking. Besides, you don’t have a choice, I’m your boss. I decide how much you get paid. You’re a good kid, you’re getting an allowance. I’ll set you up a bank account. See, All you had to do was ask.”
“I uh, never mind.”
Tony drove them back to the tower in comfortable silence and they settled into their usual internship routine when they arrived. They worked well into the night and things were great!
Until they suddenly weren’t.
Peter had been feeling a little off ever since his chemistry class earlier that day. Naturally he’d been ignoring and avoiding mentioning that fact to anyone until things finally got dire enough. It all came in typical Peter Parker fashion, leaving him in yet another awkward situation with his boss.
Peter clutched his stomach.
“I’m not feeling so good Mr Stark…”
“That’s fine. You’re done. Go upstairs and I’ll sort out the guest room.”
“Wait, no. Mr Stark! I’ll swing home, it’s fine. I don’t wanna intrude, you’re my boss-”
“Kid what did I tell you about asking for things?”
“I didn’t-“
“No kid, you told me you were tired before...”
“Yeah only for a bit. I’m almost done here anyway… A bit of dizziness can wait. Just let me just get this done I’ll get outta your hair-“
“Dizziness?! Stop working kid! Also, my hair is fine thank you very much! You’re 100 percent staying here… or I’ll call Aunt May.”
“Well yeah, I gotta call her anyway… Just wait-“
“Peter BENJAMIN PARKER. For the last time kid- Put down that angle grinder before you hurt yourself!”
The tool immediately clambered back onto the bench and Peter had that bewildered look on his face again.
Tony wasn’t having it.
“Upstairs. Now. I’m getting you some water and food and you can stay the night here. It’s too late and you’re too sick to be holding power tools or swinging around in the cold-“
“But sir-”
“Nope. Not going into this again. Peter-“
“I can’t, you’re my boss! Plus it’s a school night, and it isn’t your job to look after me...”
Suddenly Peter felt warm butterflies flutter in his chest and a blush rose in his cheeks in realisation-
“Are you… You’re acting like my d-“
“Quiet kid. A boss’ job is to provide for his employees...” Tony quickly saved,
“I care about your wellbeing just like anyone else who works for me. I might be in charge but that doesn’t mean I’m heartless. People work late for my company all the time, and I even have employees coming from overseas, so it’s only fair that I accommodate them for free as well. There are business suites downstairs-“
“Oh o-okay…”
“But they’re all booked out.“
It was incredible. How did Mr Stark just happen to know all his suites were booked out??
“Hm.” Peter hummed quietly, shivering in his seat. Oh how he wished for a toasty blanket to curl up into right about now.
“Friday!” Tony called out watching the boy’s teeth chatter, “Put the heater on in the penthouse guest room immediately please-“
“The room next to yours boss?”
“Yes. And have freshly warmed blankets delivered there as well.”
“Is this a sleepover? Can we watch a movie Mr Stark?”
“Absolutely not. No tv when you’re sick.”
Peter sighed longingly, exhausted.
“You sound just like aunt May.”
Without anymore debate Tony led Peter out of the room with a hand on his back. Peter didn’t miss the way Tony casually fiddled with the tag on the back of his shirt, clearly searching for a size.
“And Fri?”
“Yes boss?”
“Get me a comfy set of pjs delivered as well. Spider-Man themed if you can. Extra small, extra quick. Yep. Thanks darling.”
Later that night Peter woke up with a jolt.
He quickly rushed to the bathroom just in time before retching his guts out into the toilet.
It was easy to cry when you were vomiting and caked with sweat, especially alone, in an unfamiliar place. So that’s what Peter did, quietly curled up in the corner of the dark bathroom.
All the while, Tony couldn’t sleep. He wanted to go back down to the lab, but was also aware that sort of thing would make him a bad host, especially since he had his unwell protégé to keep an eye on next door.
Just when he was finally going to give in and go to sleep for the night, he heard the sound of vomiting and crying next door.
Tony jumped up and Friday switched on the lights.
“Peter?!Where are you kid?” Tony frantically called out as he crashed open the guest room door, almost knocking it off its hinges.
“I’m here Mr Stark…”
The kid’s voice was so timid and weak, Tony just wanted to pick the kid up and hold him as tightly as he could.
But he couldn’t. It was inappropriate for their professional relationship…
“Kiddo…” Tony sighed, crouching down and finally meeting eyes with Peter on the bathroom floor.
Peter looked back at his concerned mentor, not being able to avert his gaze after seeing his mentor’s eyes soften at the sight him.
“I w-wanna go home!” He eventually blurted out, bursting back into tears.
Ugh what the heck? Tony ignored all his racing thoughts and instead took a chance to hug the kid in his arms...
A boss could hug his employees every so often right?
They were friends… kind of. In a Tony-was-in-charge- kind of way. It didn’t feel weird at all… At least not for Tony. The kid always tried to hug him, albeit, never covered in vomit, but that was the least of their concerns right now.
Peter stiffened in his mentor’s arms, before gradually falling limp.
“I d-don’t wanna make you sick Mr Stark..”
“Be quiet kid, I’ll have whatever you’re having. I need a day off work anyways-“
Peter snickered weakly, brushing back tears.
“But h-how will I get to school tomorrow?”
Tony scoffed. That was the kid’s first thought?
He repositioned the kid in his arms, still holding him in his embrace and allowing the teen to rest on him in any way he felt comfortable. Peter leaned into him heavily, nestling himself against his chest.
Tony smiled. Peter smiled. They could both get used to this.
“You’re not going to school tomorrow, young man.”
“B-but I have… homework.”
“I’m gonna pretend you didn’t say that.”
“But sir, it’s due tomorrow!”
“You know me too well to be calling me sir, kid.”
“But you’re my boss?”
“So? I have this name. And people call me it at work all the time.”
“What’s that?”
“Tony, kid… You can call me Tony.”
“Okay Mr Stark!”
After a few minutes they finally made it back to the connecting guest bedroom.
“We’re gonna have to change these sheets buddy. Go to my room and pick out some new clothes.”
Peter had that bewildered look on his face again.
“No way. I’m not snooping around in your drawers Mr Stark!”
“Kid it’s fine, Pepper works for me and she takes stuff out all the time. It’s just clothes-“
Tony turned his attention back to the bed, grabbing the corner of the sheet.
The biggest surprise came when Peter snatched it right off him.
“No. I’m sorry, sir. But I’ll do my own sheets, thanks-“
“Kid be quiet, you’re my… you’re my guest!And besides you don’t even know where the new ones are.”
Peter pouted and crossed his arms but eventually gave in when Tony gave him a stern look.
“Friday, show him my walk in wardrobe... Go find some fresh clothes kid and come back when you’re done.”
Peter came back in a few minutes wearing an extremely baggy t shirt. The thing was so big it almost reached down to his knees.
“What happened kid?” Tony smirked, holding back a laugh.
Peter shot him an annoyed look, “What? It was the smallest shirt I could find! Besides, what happened with the bed?” He quickly deflected, “Did you forget how to make it or something?”
Tony quirked his eyebrows at the newfound sass. It was unexpected but nice. He clearly taught the kid well, or maybe he was just getting overtired.
“Well, I still can’t find the sheets. I’ve looked everywhere. Either the cleaner has moved them or they’ve stolen them cause they’re gone.”
“It’s fine, seriously Mr Stark, I’ll take the couch.”
“No you won’t. You’re sick, you actually need to sleep. I’ll sleep on the couch, you can take my bed.”
“Aren’t you the one with back problems?No. I’m not stealing your bed. Mr Stark, this is already too much... I get that you’re my boss and that you care about me, a lot! But not sleeping for me, and giving me your bed feels borderline crossing the line. I won’t let you.I’m not going to bed!”
“Fine. Then we’ll just have to share.”
“What?? No! Mr Stark, you don’t have to do that!”
“Why? I want to. Kid, I’m your mentor-”
“It’s just, You’re doing too much. There is nothing professional about this!”
“Well if it makes you feel better, I once had to share a bed with Rhodey on a business trip-“
“That’s different.”
“How is it different?”
“He’s your best friend! That’s a sleepover.”
“Call it a sleepover then. We’re friends, right?”
Peter and Tony both furrowed their eyebrows, not quite meeting each other’s eyes.
“Yeah, I guess so… But it feels different too. Like you always look after me and teach me and make sure I’m okay, and you always tell me what to do as well. And that’s fine by the way! We are friends, but you’re just, way older and way more protective than my normal friendship crowd would be.”
“You’ve just described my job for me, kid. I’m your mentor and your boss. Of course I’m older and wiser. And yeah I look after you and tell you what to do, but that doesn’t mean I’m not your friend. They aren’t mutually exclusive y’know.”
“I guess you’re right... But honestly, if I had to pin point it, you feel more like… my dad than anything else.”
Tony sighed.
“Peter, I’m sorry bud, but Stark’s are just not built to be fathers... I don’t want to turn out like my dad. I promise it’s not personal… I just, I can’t screw this up for you... I’m trying to break the cycle of shame here, not recreate it… I’m still your mentor, is that okay?”
Silent tears sprung unbidden into the kid’s eyes as he nodded and Tony took it aboard himself to quickly wipe them away. He never meant to make the kid cry, so he felt an odd sense of duty to make it all better again.
Tony’s heart strained with hurt, but he wasn’t entirely sure why. He was only being honest. If he were to become Peter’s official father figure, he imagined things would only turn out badly for them both…
People liked to joke and tell him he was Peter’s father all the time, but the kid deserved the truth, and so much better than him.
“Come on kiddo, you’re tired. Let’s go to bed.”
“O-okay, Tony...”
To Tony’s surprise, despite their chat, the kid sniffled and cuddled into him all night despite their professional relationship concerns…
At first the kid was a little shy to go near him, but the longer Tony chatted away, calming him down and soothing him to sleep, the closer Peter inched on the bed. Before they both knew it, Peter too lethargic to be properly aware of his own actions, had landed himself back against his mentor’s chest, in an almost identical way to how Tony had embraced him earlier before.
It was nice for the both of them and so Tony happily let the kid cry into him with open arms until he fell asleep.
They were officially ‘friends’ now, so it was fine.
The next morning Tony groggily woke up to a knock at his bedroom door. Peter was still in his arms, clinging tightly with his sticky spider grip and safely tucked away beneath the covers out of sight.
“Yes?” Tony called out for the both of them, hoping Peter didn’t wake up and his fiancé wouldn’t notice the irregularly shaped lump of spider-kid as she clicked open the bedroom door.
“Tony?” It was Pepper.
“Come in Pep, good morning, how was Italy?”
“You mean how was Stark Industries Italy. It was… A lot of board meetings Tony. Hardly relaxing. You were supposed to join the call last night.”
“Pepper, you know it was a lab night with the kid. I never sacrifice stuff like that.”
Pepper smirked and crossed her arms, “Because you’re such a good dad, I see.”
“Pepper how many times do I have to tell you that I’m not Peter’s dad… Gosh, do you really think I’m anything like my father?”
Pepper rolled her eyes, “Oh come on Tony, we both know the truth.”
“Yeah the truth is I’m his boss.”
Pepper made her regular, ‘are you serious right now?’ face.
Waking up, Peter fearfully scrambled beneath the covers after finally coming to his senses. More specifically, his spider senses. Even in sleep he was alerted to the fact that there was suddenly another person in the room, and then, the even more pressing realisation that he’d literally just slept, and woken up in his boss’ bed.
Pepper folded her arms.
“Tony, he’s sleeping with you right now, isn’t he?”
“Quiet, he’s sick and… Oh, kid? You awake?”
“Hey honey…” Pepper hummed sweetly, carefully pulling back the covers in the most non threatening way possible. She was well acquainted with her fiancés ‘mentee’ by now and had taken quite the liking to the boy and the newfound responsibility he gave to Tony.
Tony could feel the kid hyperventilating against his chest and he wanted nothing more than to hold him back and calm him down, rather than pull him away. Watching Peter stress out like that made his protectiveness skyrocket like nothing else.
“Hey buddy, it’s okay.” He shushed, “Sorry about the rude interruption there, kiddo. Shh, don’t mind us, you can go back to sleep.”
Peter was in no position to sleep however. He was literally just listening to two of his most major Stark Industries superiors fight over him.
“A-am I f-fired?” Peter cried.
“No.” Both Pepper and Tony immediately confirmed at once.
“Kid, what did I tell you before? I’m your boss and your friend” Tony sighed. “Of course I wouldn’t fire you!”
“Friend?? Gosh Tony, you really are something else! Peter, your dad has a lot of explaining to do. Don’t listen to a word he told you!” Pepper huffed eventually, looking angrily into Tony’s eyes. Ms Potts had the scariest death glare known to man kind.
Peter gulped.
“He loves you like a son, Peter. Tony for all our sakes and sanity, just admit it!”
“No, hey! Listen here, I’m trying so hard to be anything but my dad!”
“And in the process you’ve become the biggest dad of all! So stop giving the poor kid mixed signals!”
Tony rolled his eyes, “Pepper! Boundaries are good. Let me do this my way.”
“Tony! Please, boundaries?? I would reassess that statement if I were you. Besides, this facade you have up is doing more harm than good… Look what you’ve been teaching him!”
“Excuse me Ms Potts, sorry to interrupt-” Peter said quietly, surprised when both adults immediately stopped fighting to hear him out, “It’s okay, I get it. Mr Stark is just my boss… He was only concerned I couldn’t get home last night. There was no more business suites available for me so he let me stay here with him-“
“Peter, honey…” Pepper looked genuinely concerned. She took a seat on the edge of the king size bed, prepared for a serious discussion.
“Please don’t tell me Tony’s taught you that it’s normal to sleep with your boss. In the same bed no less. And that it’s normal to wear your boss’s clothes and cuddle him-“
Peter looked horrified at the comment. “No! I-I know that’s not right!”
“So then you know that Tony is more than just your boss... He’s your father figure and he loves you like his own son, only he can’t admit it for selfish reasons-“
“Hey!” Tony cut in defensively. “I’m not being selfish! And alright I get it, I have favouritism! Sue me. Kid, I’m your mentor, so of course, I care about you so much more than anyone else who works for me.”
Pepper narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms, “It’s so much deeper than that. Just say it Tony.”
Tony looked down and sighed shakily, sitting further up on the bed. Pepper was right, he couldn’t hide it forever. There was so much he was holding back from the kid.
Overtime it felt like he’d built up an emotionally barricaded dam. Except, somehow without Tony noticing, the kid had broken through his defences, and the truth about their relationship was bound to spill any day now. It couldn’t be helped. Cracks had already began to show and so it was finally time to let the honesty flow without holding back.
“I’m scared I’m going to ruin you, kid. I’m scared I’m going to ruin everything and you’ll hate me for it, just like I hated my own father.”
“What do you mean? I could never hate you Mr Stark!”
Peter’s lip wobbled and he sat himself up as the towering wave of declarations came crashing down.
“The truth is, the day I met you, I knew you were the best of us… And the longer I’ve known you, the longer I’ve realised you were the single most important part of my life. You’re my light and legacy. It’s so mushy and over the top but- I hate when you’re gone kid, that’s why I didn’t pawn you off to some random business suite… I miss you when you’re not here and I worry about you all the time... And all of that comes down to one thing- Peter, kid… You’re like a son to me.”
“C-can I have a hug?”
“For you kiddo? Always…”
“I still remember the day you told me we weren’t there yet…“
“We’re there now kid, we’re there now.”
They both sniffled into each other’s shoulders and even Pepper sat back and wiped a happy tear from her eyes.
She smiled happily, smoothing over Peter’s curls and kissing Tony’s cheek.
“I’ll leave you boys to it.”
The door closed. Tony felt Peter cuddle tighter.
He held him for a while, happy to stay in the moment for a while longer.
Even if Mr Stark had never admitted it, to Peter he’d felt like a dad all along.
“You’re so small in my arms... How can you be so tiny?” Tony eventually said, his voice filled with so much mirth and raw emotion that Peter wasn’t sure it was even real.
All those suppressed feelings were finally coming back now, leaving Tony suddenly awestruck by the sight of his own precious son…
He hadn’t really taken the time to look at him, not properly at least.
He wasn’t looking at his favourite employee anymore.
He wasn’t looking at some random super powered teenager he’d plucked off of YouTube anymore.
He was looking at his baby, And as odd as it was, Tony felt like was he was meeting his newly appointed son for the first time all over again.
Now that the final piece of Tony’s paternal brain had suddenly clicked into place, things felt almost too unreal to properly express. A surge of immense fondness, adoration and almost animalistic overprotection for Peter suddenly escalated to exponential heights, leaving the next few words to slide out a little too easily for his son to be prepared for.
“Look how cute you look in my clothes. My spider-baby is the single most adorable thing in the whole universe...” Tony fussed and fawned making Peter blush, just about as red as his spider suit.
Peter chuckled wetly in self conscious embarrassment, his eyes still glazed over and sparkling in the morning sunlight, “You’re so mean Mr Stark. I’m bigger than you think. Also since when did I ever look ‘cute’ and ‘adorable’-“
“Since you became my baby son... You’re still so young. You still need your dad, right? You’re never allowed to grow up… Not on my watch. Stay extra small forever…”
“I-is this your over the top, crazy way of saying you l-love me, dad?”
Tony had to fight back a sob. He was not prepared for any of those words so soon, “Peter. Kid, of course I do. Son, I love you. I love you 3000. You have no idea how long I’ve been wanting to say that.”
“Mr Stark? Are you gonna be my dad from now on?”
Tony took Peter’s hands in his own,
“Yeah kiddo, I will be, I promise...
I know I can’t replace either of the previous men who had the honour to call you their son, but I’ll do my very best to love and look after you the same way they did before me.
But honestly though kiddo, I have a feeling that your Irondad might just become a little more overprotective than what you’re used to Underoos, so I hope you don’t mind when things shift a little differently between us…
Our dynamic is very quickly changing over the course of a few hours kid, and I’m still learning what it means to be a good dad to you-“
“Th-that’s fine. Thank you for being in my life, Mr Stark, um, Tony. Dad. Really, a-and I already know that it’s going to take a lot of adjusting, cause I’m still adjusting to it too...
I don’t know how I’ll ever stop calling you Mr Stark. I know you don’t like it, and I’m sorry I keep messing it up-“
Tony barked a laugh, “You’re too polite for your own good bud, please don’t ever apologise for that. It’ll come naturally the longer I look after you.”
“Y-yeah. Yeah that makes sense dad.”
“Kiddo… you’re shaking like a leaf! Why are you shaking? What do you need? I know, it’s a lot to take in… Do you need something? Some water?” Tony panicked, immediately worried there was some kind of urgent medical emergency going on with his kid. The sudden desperation completely unfounded.
“So much adrenaline-”
“I’m going to call Bruce-“
“N-no dad! Don’t! I’m fine, I-I’m fine… Just… Hold me. Can you please hold me Mr-I mean- dad!”
Instinctively, Tony became very much aware how his own panic seemed yo rub off on the kid. So as much as he worried about Peter right now, he realised what his son needed from him the most in stressful situations was a calm, level head.
“Yeah buddy, whatever you need… Shh, just relax, I got you… we’ll calm you down-”
Battling against all unwavering paternal concerns, Tony calmed his tone for his son and spoke to him gently as he comfortably lay them down in bed. He tucked Peter against his chest and stroked his back as the kid sobbed into his shirt.
Peter tried his best to calm his breathing and slow his racing heart. It definitely felt a little easier when Tony pulled the doona sheets back over his head and handed him the juice box he’d thoughtfully put into the bedside mini fridge for him last night.
“You’ve cried me a river kid. Time to rehydrate.” He simply said, reaching in and shoving the tropical punch against the kid’s burning up cheek.
Peter grabbed it, thanking him.
When the kid struggled undoing the straw in the dark of his little undercover den, Tony simply took it back out and undid the wrapper himself.
They stayed comfortably relaxed with each other for a while longer. With Tony on his Stark-pad, reading a bestseller parenting book, and Peter sipping away at his juice box under the covers, they were very quickly becoming more comfortable with their newfound dynamic.
Once Friday has officially informed Tony that Peter’s high levels of stress had made their way back to normal, he decided to make his next declaration of the day as he carded his fingers through his son’s fluffy hair-
“You’re grounded for a month for giving me a heart attack.I’m giving you 9 different curfews and 400 new safety protocols!”
“C-can we go get ice cream first?”
Tony thought on it for a second, very much on the verge of giving in.
“My throat still really hurts!”
“What about your tummy?” Tony replied sceptically.
Peter coughed weakly in a pure, very much fake and undisguised attempt to play on his dad’s emotions “It’s okay now! Just, my throat needs ice-cream-“
Tony bit back a smirk, and hummed aloud in thought. He’d already made up his mind, they had cause to celebrate after all…
“Hm… Ice-cream for breakfast during winter? That seems kind of reckless...”
“Aw!”
“So let’s go make the most of it before Pepper yells at us.”
“Yes! Thank you Mr Stark!You’re the best dad ever!”