Chapter 2
Peter didn't know what to say as Pepper addressed him. His head was dizzy with questions that were left unanswered.
"Do-do you know why I'm here, Mr Potts?" He asked the confusion evident in his voice.
Pepper pursed her lips, her eyes shone with hesitance
"Mrs Potts?" Peter asked quietly, his nervous words shook her out of her daze
"I- yes-um I do, Peter." She affirmed. it was clear she was nervous about something. Peter's confusion was becoming irritated anxiousness
"I-mrs Potts, can you tell me? I've been here for an hour and a half and no one's told me anything im-" he was cut off, his tingle raising the hair on his arms he whips around to see may getting escorted by several FBI agents.
"May? May!" Peter called trying to get through the guards.
"Hey-! What-let me go! That's my aunt-hey!" He yelled indignantly as he pushed the agents away squeezing past them.
"Peter, honey-i-i don't know what this is about, baby just stay there-ill be fine I promise-" May pleaded to a horror-stricken Peter who just stared at his aunt, dragged into a room 3 doors away.
His heart felt heavy as it beat faster than ever.
"Is-is this a punishment? Did-did the FBI find out I'm Spiderman? Is that why I'm here? Is that why she's here? Mrs Potts hey-why do they have my aunt- why's Tony-mrs Potts?..pepper?" His voice went from panicked to soft.
Even In distress, the boy was so forgiving and sweet, giving to people and not remembering his own needs.
Pepper's eyes shone with tears
Those 12 years she missed out on. Those she could've spent with the boy in front of him. Taking him away from the struggle.
She took a deep shaky breath in. How was she going to explain to the sweet boy in front of her that she was his mom?
How would he..take it?
She felt her heart stop as she saw tears in the younger boy's eyes.
His lower lip quivered and he looked away scowling at the emotion that seeped through him effortlessly
"Are they...are they going to hurt her?" He asked softly, cautiously.
"No no no of course not Peter, no they- they're not." She assured her breath catching as peter enveloped her In a hug.
Her son hugged her.
She couldn't process it. Just this morning she had been signing papers and dealing with investors.
And now?
She had her son back.
Fuck anyone who was gonna try to take him from her.
Tony who had been in a paralyzed position his tears were only barely there as he gripped the chair he sat on his heart beat so fast.
Faster than was probably healthy.
4 long hours later, more questioning that was too vague to find its purpose
"Your name?" Agent Connor's voice rang in the room.
The exhausted teen felt his head pounding
"Like I said what? 2 hours ago? I don't think it's changed. It's Peter Benjamin Parker." He replied snappily
The older man's jaw clenched his eyes narrowing
"I understand you are tired, Mr ..parker. but this is our job. There are our questions." He answered
Tony grimaced behind the tinted window at the word parker.
It wasn't Peter's last name.
Peters's last name was stark.
Like how it should've been.
But now his poor boy was getting questioned like a criminal.
Tony raked a hand over his face, exhausted himself. Peppers walked in from talking with the agents that had interrogated May.
"Anything?" Tony asked
"She didn't know anything. She was just handed Peter when he was 6 while Mary and Richard left for a trip" she mumbled crossing her arms
"Bastards," Tony muttered gripping his phone.
"When do they let him back?" She asked softly
"In a few minutes. Or I'll demand them to. He's so exhausted. He needs sleep." The man's voice was hoarse.
"You need sleep too."
"He needs it more."
"He'd want his dad to be alive to see him."
"Does he even want a dad?" Tony replied his voice broken. His heart broken.
"He'd want you to be his dad even if you weren't his biological father." She said softly.
The man didn't reply and just stared through the glass. His fists clenched at his side as the agent asked.
At the 6-minute mark, Tony got impatient
"Okay, we're done here. He's exhausted and you're not torturing him by asking the same questions over and over again." Tony said fixing his suit cuffs
"Mr stark that isn't your call to make we-"
"It is my call to make. And I've made it. Let me take him or your jobs done."
Tony knew it was an unfair advantage. But it was his son. People should know better than to tell him what he needed to do with his son.
Peters eyes shifted to Tony's, for a split second he could see himself in Peter.
And holy fuck was it scary.
Tony walked over to him his hand resting on the back of his neck as he led Peter out
"C'mon, kid let's go." His smile tried to convey confidence. It didn't. His anxious words quivered and Peter could only flash him a sympathetic look before he was barreling into May's arms.
Tony let himself straighten up. He wants going to break down in front of the kid. No. No he wasn't.
He took a deep breath "may." He greeted anxiously.
May was too busy kissing Peter's head and cheeks hugging him tightly
"Oh, Peter- baby- I.." she took a deep breath hugging him closer than she had ever done.
"Does he know?" May asked her stomach flipping nervously
"Know what?" Peter asked
"No. He doesn't. Not yet." Pepper said quietly giving Peter a small smile that could only show sadness.
"I've had a long day, guys. And-and I'd like it if someone could tell me what's going on okay? I've been freaked out and no one's been telling me anything i- just tell me!" Peter pleaded angrily, the exhaustion clear from the bags under his eyes, he looked almost green like he was going to pu-
Peter's eyes widened as he leaned over a pot plant quickly spilling his guts out
"Great." He groaned clutching his stomach.
"Jes-uh shit-fu" Tony panicked seeing the vomit had seeped into the anxious kid's nerdy pun sweater.
Pepper flashed him a groan
"Take off your jacket."
"Huh?"
"Now tones!" She said taking off the man's leather jacket without another word.
Tony just watched as his amazing wife's mother instincts clicked in, she took Peter's sweater off folding it gently off to the side, planning to wash it later. She slipped on the bigger jacket on him it was a bit bigger but covered Peter perfectly.
It only hit him just then, so impactful..how much Peter looked like him.
The boys' curls fit exactly like Tonys, dark brown and small. His big brown eyes matched Tonys with no competition the kids freckles that you could only just see? Tony's.
The impulsiveness? Tony's. That wild, crazy, gleam in his eyes when he had an idea for his suit? Tony's. The calm, the kindness? Oh that was Peppers.
He was a carbon copy of the man though.
And Tony couldn't be any more prouder than he was at that point.
He just took a deep breath and as in autopilot his arm curled around the boy's shoulders gently leading him out
"Let's get you out of here bud." He said softly.
--
The car drive was awkward. May had driven her own car to the tower and Peter was assured he could go with Tony and Pepper.
Peter just listened, liking the warmth Tony's jacket gave him, a bit more than he would like to express.
Pepper hands kept wanting to fuss over Peter she just stared at the road her eyes narrowing as she swallowed down her urges and leaned against the seat.
And tony?
His mind was flying 100mph.
Peter. Peter. Peter. Peter. Peter. Peter. Peter. Peter. Peter. Peter. Peter. Peter. Peter. Peter. Peter. Peter. Peter. Peter. Peter. Peter. Peter.
He couldn't get the situation out of his head.
He didn't know wether he wanted to cry, laugh or scream. Maybe all three? Maybe when Peter left again.
Left.
Tony didn't want Peter to leave. Not ever. Not now. Not since he had gotten the boy back so soon.
"So..am I gonna be told what all this is about?" Peter asked his voice small and Tony's heart ached.
He cleared his throat nervously "hah yeah-uh you will. I just- wanna get some food in you. What do you want, kid. Thai? That Italian place? I know you've been meaning to try it-"
"Pizza's fine mr stark." Peter said quietly looking at his hands.
Tony chewed his lip staring furiously
Damn whoever took Peter. Why would they do this to him.
The rest of the ride was quiet both of the boys hearts seemed to be..aching.
The pizza arrived at the time they arrived.
Peter took off his shoes, a trait he had also picked up from tony, and made his way into the kitchen.
May arrived 5 minutes later and they all dug into the pizza.
The silence was awkward. Aggravating. Just so..annoying.
"Were here. I'm here. I'm fine. I've wasted most of my day in a FBI interrogation room, seeing my aunt get dragged in too. I want to be told! I'm not a kid!" Peter demanded his voice cracking the exhaustion and pain and regret seeping through the cracks.
Tony's eyes filled with remorse his hands finding its way to his lap.
"Mr stark. Please." His pleading voice rang out.
"I'm.." Tony paused.
"Peter. I'm your dad." The man's voice was straight. The lack of emotion he held back was unnerving.
"...huh?" Peter let out blinking.
"Is this a joke? Mr stark I'm not in the mood I'm-serious." His words were sterner
Tonys eyes dragged up to his
"..Tony?.." Peter choked out clutching the black jacket to his chest, as if it was like a sheild to protect him. Like ironmans armour. Only it was Tony. Tony was his protector.
"Peter.. I'm.." Tony gritted his teeth.
"It's not a joke. Its true. My kid, peter-"
"-edward James stark.." Peter finished his eyes wide. Watery.
Peter felt numb in that place. It was like he shut down completely.
Everything Peter and tony went through felt like a stab in the gut.
The ferry accident. Did Tony know?
Giving Peter the spider suit. Did Tony know?
Lab days. Did Tony know?
Teaching Peter Italian till he was fluent in they're shared language. Did Tony know?
The pranks. The hugs. The near death experiences. The names. Did. Tony. Know.
"...I..you-...did you know?" His voice came out flat.
Tony's eyes widened
"No! No Peter I promise!-" his hands lurched out to grab Peter's, Peter shrugged him off, he wasn't listening.
"Did you guys not want me. When you met me did you think I was pathetic Tony." He whispered tears in his eyes.
"NO- i- peter-" tony was near hyperventilation
"Bambino-il mio bambino- te lo prometto, ti volevo dal primo giorno, non ho mentito, lo prometto-" his words rushed out like a river the tears that Tony wanted to refused to let slip
"Voglio crederti." Peters voice was strained his eyes red and the frown on his face was heart breaking pepper could barely say anything her mouth refuses to move. Her body stuck to the couch
"Peter-" May called out getting up as Peter ran off, his school bag attached to him. The occasional metal water bottle that had several cringey Ironman and Spiderman stickers on it, clanking against his other school materials.
Tony could only watch in elevated breath, while Mary sent him a heartbroken look.
He watched the elevator for several minutes
Waiting, desperately for it to come back up.
For Peter to come back.
His baby Peter Edward James Stark.
Had grown up.
Would he hate him?
Tony could only let out a choked sound falling to the ground his knees clicking softly.
"Did I lose them both tonight?"