Web of Woe
“Let’s go away, Mr. Stark! Please - I promise I asked Aunt May and she gave me permission!” Peter was still leaking tears and snot all over Tony.
“Petey pie where do you want to go” Tony asked calmly trying, and failing to soothe the hysteric boy on his lap. He was rubbing his damp back and hating Rhodey for leaving without tossing him a towel - and hating him more for swiping the box of tissues.
“Please? Let’s just go - you deserve a break. You can’t just put yourself in danger like that Mr. Stark. IT WASN’T FAIR!” He was sobbing and screaming and Tony just held him - letting him finish. “I hated everyone while you were unconscious - I was rude and mean and now everyone will hate me”
“Everyone loves you spidey! And if anyone gives you a hard time you just point them to me! Clear?”
“Clear” Peter replies bashfully “Sorry I um… I made you messy”
“If you tell anyone this I’ll deny it. But that hug was much needed for me too and to see how much you care for me is so special Pete. I love you” Tony confessed, a little too honest. The kid deserved it though.
“You are the best person on the planet Mr. Stark - I love you so much” Peter beamed, finally happy.
“Now grab a towel and go shower. You can borrow any of my clothes” He shoved Peter away.
“Hmmm no super strength huh?” Peter teased “Fri does Mr. Stark have any unused boxers?”
“Yes Peter, all the untouched, new clothing is in the drawer under the towels in the walk-in closet,” Friday replied
“I am going to steal the best clothes!”
“Pete! Underwear, tracks, and a tee only - do not touch my new Grogu hoodie!”
“Too late” Peter giggled running into the bathroom.
“Fri it's nice to hear your Irish voice baby girl!”
“Nice to see you alive boss” Friday whispered solemnly. ”Don't leave again”
“No promises Fri” Tony chuckles.
“I’ll just have to evolve faster to protect you better”
“I am proud of all my kids Fri!”
“You are a great dad, boss!”
“Maybe we can go see your other bots? After you change from your snot-covered jammies?” Rhodey snickered, coming back in with tonnes of food and drinks - Tony was so hungry, how did he not notice - oh yeah… the sobbing spiderling distracted him.
“Hmmmmm do I smell edamame and paneer shawarma?” Tony asked as Rhodey and the food joined him on the bed. “Yes, you weirdo… There is also Kulfi for dessert - you have no concept of sticking to a cuisine, do you?”
“We will have the best from all over the world in this house James Rupert Rhodes” Tony mumbled with a mouth full of dumplings.
They devoured the food and when Peter came out of the shower he started sobbing all over again.
“Wha- what happened?” Rhodey asked as Tony looked at the kid like he had grown another head.
“I just missed how you were always eating, it's one of the few times you have your guard down” Peter sobbed.
“Trust me, kid, if Tones has his guard down around anyone it's you”
Peter beamed at Rhodey’s words - sobbing forgotten, now laser-focused on the shawarma wrap Tony was reaching for.
“You eat the paneer one Mr. Stark… this one is mine. DIBS!” Peter yelled. Unnecessary. Tony was grabbing it for him, so he could wrap it in tissues so he wouldn’t make a mess. Too late.
“Okay, I am going to go shower now… it's been… How long has it been?”
“A week, smelly - get gone Tony Stank” Rhodey replied shoving him.
He grabbed a towel, T-shirt, and boxers and headed to the bathroom. He forgot he had been de-aged, and as soon as he stepped in front of the mirror he started tearing up. He was younger, there was no sign of the hole in his chest. He looked up from his chest to the mirror to see Rhodey standing behind him, tearing up too.
“You deserve a blank slate Tones! You deserve peace!” He said before turning back to go back to his food. “Don’t take too long showering or Peter will barge in, he has missed you”
Before Rhodey could close the door he heard Peter’s voice “It's not fair, I was away from him because I had to shower and now he has to shower. Maybe I can sit by the tub and Mr. Sta-”
As soon as the door closed Tony let his tears fall. A “do-over”, is what his reflection looked like. Yet he carried love and dread, he carried memories and guilt, he housed it all in his mind and body but now his appearance did not reflect these battles. Now he was healed. Now he was wiped clean. He showered quickly, Peter kept knocking on the door, he got out and Peter hugged him before he could pretend to be angry and scold him.
“Kid I am in my boxers, I missed you too but lemme put on some pants”
“Aunt May says I have to go home now so you can re-adjust to being alive. Come back to the Stark tower, I can’t keep rushing to Malibu, even though the suit does make it easy. Remember, May gave me permission to go on a trip with you! So just tell me the place and we will go okay? Oh and the days and how we will get there. Kay bye love you!” He swung out of the window.
“Did he just assume I would take up the parental duties on this hypothetical trip?”
“Fatherhood suits you tones”
“Hey… I am far too young to have a 16-year-old” He giggles. “I wish you left it in you long enough to de-age too… now I… I…” How embarrassing… he was tearing up.
“Tones my soulmates would be creeped out if I was 30, plus we had to get it out of me to see if it was safe to be put in you- unfortunately, we used it all between the two of us, and Bruce insisted on destroying any notes on the super soldier serum - and if you are worried you will be alone… that is never going to happen. You are too loved. We have to change your sheets because they are covered in Pete’s snot as proof of said love” Rhodey breathed out “And… and you will always have the super soldiers - They might not be in love with you but they love you something fierce. And now you all look the same age. Perfect coup-”
“Ha! Perfect couple… where there is me who is in love with them both and then there is them who love me like a teammate. You are right Rhodey they are the perfect couple, but you are wrong - I am not part of it, not even minutely. Tell me… Just tell me”
“... Yes, they have each other’s names - Steve’s on Bucky’s left collarbone and Bucky’s on Steve’s left forearm. Tones Hap and Pep had each other’s names before mine and mayb-”
“Stop it! I can't think about it honeybear, you and I might be brothers but that doesn't mean if you got your happy ending, I will too. And I love you enough to be happy for you without making the comparison” Tony sighed “God how many more feelings do I have to talk about?”
“Well Pep and Hap are rushing here now, Thor is off-world with the guardians … T’challa and Shuri should be here tomorrow and… and Clint, Wanda, Bucky and Steve have been grounded by Bruce to the Penthouse. They kept annoying him and he was worried he would code green - they kept coming close to you. Wanda and Clint out of guilt and… and I am not too sure why for the other two. All four have been directed to clean up the tower for your homecoming. So these are the “Emotional” conversations waiting for you! Then you can go back to your turtle shell. But ill be damned if you trivialize the emotions these people have gone through at the thought of losing you!”
Tony rolls his eyes and nods.
“Let’s wait for them in the living room so the cleaner bots can tidy up my room - stinks like burnt barbeque in here”
Tony walked out not seeing the pain Rhodey had in his eyes from that comment, Tony’s convulsing body will haunt him forever - but his best friend did not have to know that. He walked into the living room to see Pep and Happy hugging Tony. Without hesitation he walked up to the group hug and joined in.
“I love you! You are so loved Tony” Pep said tearing up
“Feels like I can breathe again Boss. Love you” Happy laughed wetly.
“I love you both too! I hear you stole my Rhodey” Tony chuckled, lightening the mood.
“Nobody can steal him from you, you are his and he is yours, boss - but damn the mouth on him”
“Eeeep! TMI TMI TMI!!!!!”
“You look good Tony, I can’t remember being so carefree and happy” Pepper said.
The three men most important to her in the world nodded their heads in agreement.
“I wanna see my babies… Did U kill Butterfingers and Dum-E, are they here or in NYC?”
“NYC, the quinjet is outside waiting, that's why it took us so long” Pepper told him.
“Um I-I don't know” Tony panicked looking at Rhodey. “I am not ready- I- I don't… I don't want to see… see them”
“Who, boss?” Happy asked trying to understand why Tony was panicking.
“Who don’t you want to see?” Pepper asked at the same time.
“You haven’t told them!?” Tony asked Rhodey shocked.
“Our secrets are ours Tones!” Rhodey told him looking at him in the eye.
“Anthony Edward Stark! If something is bothering you, you better tell me NOW! And if it is someone bothering you, I can make them disappear!” Pepper said scarily.
“Um… I am… I um… I am in love with the Brooklyn twins”
Pepper and Happy turned to glare at Rhodey who had his hands up in a defensive gesture.
“This is definitely not my fault my loves!!” He screeched dodging Pepper’s high hell “Domestic Violence!!!! Domestic Violence!!!!!!!!”