Please, a moment of silence for Peter's life.
"Mr. stark! My aunt is not insufferable, she just, she doesn't want to depend on your money, or anything like that, you know how it is. She... she wants to have things for herself."
"Yeah well, I didn't expect her to work for free, although I wouldn't refuse to give her a salary of I don't know... 40,000 a month?"
"Mr. stark! Please, thank you for being so kind and serious. It's just fine."
"Yeah, right, you're just saying that because you're content with the pittance I give you, on a forced monthly basis."
"Mr. stark... I really thank you, you don't know how much. Only ... that with what you have made me save from your generous payments, I can simultaneously go to MIT, Harvard, Princeton and any Ivy League I want 50 times in my life and still have money left over. "
"Well boy, that's called investing the money."
Tony took a long sip as he smiled at Peter, who tossed him a cushion from the nearest couch.
"Admit it, you love me kid."
"Thank you Mr. Stark."
"Oh no..." Tony said as he gestured a dramatic swoon.
"Mr. Stark, it's just. It sounds more respectful". Peter said as he sat in a chair and played with a Rubik's cube.
"I felt like my dad, like my grandfather, my great-grandfather, my great-great-grandfather, my great-great-great-grandfather, my great-great-great-grandfather...."
"SR STARK! "shouted Peter as they burst into laughter.
Tony's heart shattered a little when Peter mentioned him as just Mr. Stark. He knew he meant it with respect and affection. But so many months and almost a full year of missions with the boy had made him want to change that word to dad. Well, maybe it was a bit hasty? The boy didn't have a strong father figure, he was alone and although he only came on weekends, that represented everything to him. Even Clint, Natasha and the others already teased him that he was in irony mode.
Seeing the boy laugh was a warm feeling, definitely. He would have to talk it over with Pepper, though he knew he would be very much in agreement, he was no stranger to the fond looks she gave him when he fixed the curls or they ate in the evening. Somehow he would have to get to that father base, for the moment he had a very very close guardian phase. Even if May hated him for offering his dirty, filthy money to go live with Happy. Happy was his brother, what more did he want than a little country pent-house, well, May didn't take it very well, because he had previously told her about Germany and she felt she was buying Peter.