Tony
Tony is in his lab, pacing furiously back and forth and trying not to look at the time every 5 seconds. Rhodey is meeting up with Peter today. The man told him last night that he was picking Peter up at 11:30. It’s already after one and he hasn’t heard anything. Not that he’s obsessing or anything, because it shouldn’t be any or his business. He’s not good for Peter. He established that already. He should just let the kid go.
His lab doors slide open, and despite his previous reservations, he whips around and rushes to the open doors.
“Well?” He asks Rhodey anxiously.
“Well What?” His friend asks, feigning confusion. Tony does not have time for this.
“What do you think?” He asks sarcastically with his best irritated look. “Did Peter tell you anything or not?”
“He told me a lot of things.” Rhodey says cryptically. “We talked a lot about how upset he is that you haven’t reached out yet to even ask if he’s okay.”
Okay. So Rhodey is annoyed with him now too. Great. Tony sighs loudly.
“We discussed this already yesterday, Rhodes. I’m not involved anymore...but just out of curiosity, he is okay, right?”
Rhodey sighs and rolls his eyes. “Yes, he’s fine. He says he still feels pretty sore and crappy, but better than yesterday.”
Tony exhales a breath of relief he didn’t realize he was holding. His kid is okay. No, not his kid. The kid.
“Did he say anything about the foster family?“
Rhodey hesitates before responding.
“He did, but I’ve been sworn to secrecy.”
Tony raises his eyebrows. “Sworn to secrecy? This isn’t a joke, Rhodey.”
“I know it isn’t. Peter wouldn’t tell me anything unless I promised not to tell you, and I won’t break his trust by going against my word.”
Tony is dumbfounded. “Peter asked you not to tell me specifically?”
He tries not to sound too resentful, but he can’t believe Peter is talking to Rhodey about this and not him. He knows he fucked up yesterday, but he thought they were close before that. Now he’s telling Rhodey that he specifically can’t be trusted with this information?
Rhodey reaches out with his hands placatingly. “It’s not what you think. It’s not that he doesn’t trust you. If anything, it’s the opposite. He’s wanted to tell you everything he told me today for a long time, he was just so worried about how you would react because he cares so much. He doesn’t know me as well, so it’s easier to talk about upsetting things.”
Upsetting things? Tony feels the ball of guilt and worry forming more intensely in his stomach.
He swallows thickly. “So it’s bad then?”
“No! No, it’s not all bad. He just asked me for some time. He wants a couple of days to figure out how to tell you, and he asked me to pass along that he’ll be here for lab day on Saturday if you’ll have him.”
“You went there to find out if Peter was being abused or not. You can’t tell me whatever secret information he told you wasn’t all bad.” Tony is getting really frustrated with all the secrecy. “He’s probably just waiting until Saturday so he can come up with another lie to tell me.”
Rhodey huffs, annoyed. “No, Tony, you know that’s not true. Peter is a good kid, and if he doesn’t tell you the truth on Saturday, then I will.”
“And how do I know that you’d be telling me the truth either since you and Peter are apparently both keeping secrets from me now?!” Tony asks, raising his voice.
“Peter is a child, Rhodey! If he’s being abused by his foster family, he doesn’t get to just make the decision to keep it to himself and deal with it!”
“Peter is a teenager, Tony!” Rhodey yells back, raising his voice as well. “And he’s been through a lot more in his short life than most adults! He hasn’t had the opportunity to make any decisions in his life in years! He’s been dealing with these people for almost a year now, and if he says he needs two more days before he wants us to get help, then I’ll give him the two days!”
“That’s ridiculous!” Tony screams. He feels like he’s about to start pulling his hair out. These two are driving him absolutely crazy. “I’m calling fucking CPS before those psychopaths can do anything else to the kid.”
“And what’s CPS going to do?” Rhodey demands. “Move him to another home. Possibly one out of the city. Possibly one where he’s going to experience even worse abuse. This is exactly why he didn’t want to say anything in the first place!”
“What do you want me to do then?!” Tony screams. “I can’t just leave him there!”
“Have you ever even considered asking if Peter wants to stay here?!” Rhodey asks loudly, like Tony should’ve been seeing that solution the entire time.
“Of course I have!” Tony exclaims. “But he can’t! And I’ve told you why over and over and it’s getting really fucking irritating that you keep asking. I’m a horrible human being, Rhodey. You of all people should know that. I’m selfish, I have a horrible temper, and I will never, ever, be a father.” His screaming dies down by the end as he loses the momentum of the speech. He’s getting tired of all this fighting.
“And if Peter asks you to be? What will you tell him then?”
Tony just shakes his head. “I won’t do it. Peter should have better than me.”
“Maybe he should!” Rhodey agrees. “But you’re what he’s got.”
Tony and Rhodey stand staring at each other in awkward silence for a few moments. Rhodey backs down first, and he turns to leave, clearly done with this conversation. Before he’s through the door, he looks over his shoulder to say one more thing.
“Peter will be here Saturday morning. You better get your shit together before then. If you think Peter deserves better than you, then step up and be better.”
He continues on his way out of the lab, leaving Tony to his thoughts.
He waits until he’s completely alone again before exploding into a fit of rage. He scream loudly in anguish and throws a couple of the lab stools to the ground, letting them clatter loudly across the floor.
Rhodey is wrong. He couldn’t be more wrong actually. Tony has known this would happen from the very beginning. Why did he ever let himself become this close to Peter in the first place? He can’t even hear the word “dad” or “father” without thinking of Howard.
Howard, who hit him the first time when he was five and he didn’t behave properly at a gala he was dragged to, because it was late and he was getting tired. Howard, who destroyed anything Tony made right in front of him if it wasn’t made to perfection. Howard, who shipped him off to college at 15 just so he didn’t have to deal with him around the house. Tony struggled his entire young life trying to live up to that man’s expectations of him, expectations that no one could’ve hoped to fulfill.
He can’t do that to another kid, especially a kid as good as Peter.
He pulls out his cell phone, and dials CPS.
“Hi, I wanted to put in an anonymous tip on a foster family that I know….Yeah I would qualify it as an emergency. If you have someone to go get the kid out of there asap, that would be the best option.”