When You Need Me

This wasn’t supposed to happen. Going over to Cooper’s house and having dinner with them was supposed to be relaxing. He was going to do work, be fed, and watch movies. What else could he have asked for? What he didn't realise was that entering the wrong building meant interrupting Tony Stark's personal time. Though Peter was here now, so he'll just have to deal with the consequences.

Classic Parker luck.

Peter quickly began composing a mental will in the back of his mind as the gauntlet pressed harder on his skull and the only sound in the room was the ticking clock, and if Tony had the ears for it- he’d hear Peter’s heart which was beating way too fast for him to still be standing upright. Peter didn't have much he could give away, but there was the odd thing he wanted to see Ned inherit in his untimely passing. Take, for example, his LEGO sets, which he treasures so much. There wasn't a better person to take them in and care for them like his own.

When Tony Stark spoke to you like that, there was simply no way out. Counting his blessings and getting his tidings in order was the only thing he could do now.

Cooper didn't tell him he was living with an avenger. If he did, Peter would not have entered buildings without first doing a thorough inspection. Though, thinking it through, this was always a possibility. For crying out loud, this is the Avengers compound. Tony's father, Howard Stark, literally used to own this land himself. If anybody would randomly be on site- it would be him.

Oh my god

Was Tony Stark Cooper’s father? Surely not...

It would, however, make some sense. Tony is an important man. It would easily explain all the bodyguards on Cooper's first day and the consistent favouritism in their classes—no one wants to be the person that offends Tony Stark's family. They would be signing their own death sentence in that case. Tony didn't even have to damage someone physically to put an end to their existence. With a single click and a few buttons, they could say goodbye to whatever future they had. He had that kind of authority.

Was this the same Tony who built and designed Cooper's room too? Cooper did say it was his dad's friend, not his dad, but who would say "Tony Stark is my father" without any solid evidence? Peter would never have believed him. In fact, he’s having trouble believing all of this is real right now.

So many questions were spinning around his mind that he almost forgot the dangerous situation he was in.

“I’m going to give you five more seconds to say something before-,” Tony said, his voice strained and clearly annoyed. Not murderous, though, so that was a bonus.

“I’m Cooper’s friend!” he says quickly. “I’m so sorry, Mr Stark. Happy pointed over here, but I must’ve accidently walked into the wrong building. I didn’t mean to intrude or anything- I just- I’m here for a group project.”

Tony sighs (very dramatically) and drops the gauntlet. It goes away into nothing and Peter openly gapes at the nano-tech. He’s seen it before from far away as Spider-Man, but never this close. As his gaze drifts to the work Peter had just completed, Peter watches and waits for Tony to say anything. He is indifferent that Peter is watching the tech. Peter even wonders if he is proud of it. Despite his pride, he has a pained face. It's very humanising to watch, and if Peter weren't so afraid, he'd strive to understand Tony better. Because all he’s ever wanted to be like was Tony.

…Oh no. Peter had just corrected the Tony Stark’s calculations. He was going to kill him. Get the coffin and book the church, for this was Peter Parker’s last day on earth. He’s had a good ride. It’s a shame he only made it to fifteen, but at least he made some changes. A good legacy means you never truly die anyway.

He wasn’t scared of Tony. Just Tony’s power. He was one of the most influential people on this planet. As Spider-Man and Iron Man, they got along fine, but this was Peter and Tony, a billionaire philanthropist. Peter was a poor, skinny kid from Queens who had no right to be in the same room with him. Tony most likely saw him as an ant that he could crush with his Gucci boots. At least he’d look stylish when doing it.

Tony rolls his eyes. “Relax, kid,” he says (as if that’s easy when you’ve just had a gauntlet pressed to your head, Peter wonders how he’d react if the shoe was on the other foot), “I’m not going to hurt you.”

“Right,” Peter nods. “Cool, cool- that’s nice of you.”

Tony walks over to his desk and picks the sheet up. “Hm. You’re smart. Smarter than most people your age,” he says, staring at it closely to see what Peter had done. There is an eery silence in the room as Peter shifts on his feet anxiously to see if (or when) Tony was going to flip. “Take that compliment and treasure it. It’s probably the last one I’ll ever give you.”

He looks at the corrected work once more and then turns back to his own to compare. He doesn’t look angry or embarrassed that he wrong. Peter thinks that most of all- he’s tired. He looks like he’s been down here from a while. He hasn’t got a sparkle in his eye like he would have on TV or in interviews, but now Peter’s stood here wondering if he ever did at all.

“…Are you Cooper’s dad?” Peter says.

Classic ‘foot in the mouth’ syndrome. Peter never knew when to be quiet. What if Tony didn’t want anyone to know he had a secret son? What if he had technology that would take away his memories? Peter has great memories that he’d like to keep- he’d rather they weren’t stolen. Tony doesn’t look like the type to do such a thing, though, so Peter reckons he’s in the clear.

Tony throws the piece of paper in his hand and turns to face Peter as if he's been shot. People often refer to Tony Stark as dramatic in the media. But no one could have predicted how far that would go. He must camouflage that well on the field... (if Peter paid attention, he’d know that wasn’t the case. Tony and Steve were often at odds over Tony's 'dramatic' nature). Because all Peter asked was one question (that, given the circumstance, made sense to ask), and now Peter thinks he might have to put his CPR skills to the test. Tony was still, his hand on his chest and a look of utter bewilderment on his face.

Peter stares as Tony glares at him. “…So, is that a no- or…”

“No!” Tony says. “Jesus, kid. You think I’d have some random son running around the place?”

Peter shrugs. “Well-,”

“Don’t answer that.”

“Rhetorical question. Got it,” Peter nods.

Tony cracks the tiniest smile which you’d have to have a microscope to see. Tony sighs once more, running his hands up and down his blazer jacket. Peter does that too- although it’s with his academic decathlon jacket which he didn’t have to pay for- as a nervous quirk. He wonders if it’s the same for Tony.

Peter was concerned that he was disturbing Tony, but he hadn't been thrown out of the room yet. Something was still bothering him though. Peter knew a lot of people. He encountered them on a regular basis, whether as Spider-Man or Peter Parker. He understood their eccentricities and when they were agitated, and he felt like Tony was a partially open book right now. He was displaying his anxiety and irritation, but he was otherwise blank. Was he worried for any particular reason, or was it simply his personality?

Peter didn’t have time to sit there and psychoanalyze Tony Stark. He had questions. Ones which Tony must have the answer to.

“Do you know who his dad is then? Am I allowed to know? Because I’m so confused right now,” Peter elaborates.

Tony huffs, taking a seat in one of his office chairs. He relaxes into it, blinking rapidly and then looking over at Peter as if he’s confused why he’s still there. He still speaks though, meaning Peter felt like he was in the clear to walk over and stand closer to him. “How good are you at keeping a secret? That’s probably the first thing I should know.”

“Oh, you have no idea- I’m brilliant at keeping secrets. Sometimes I’m so good that I forget that I’m keeping it, and I then eventually forget what I was keeping in the first place,” Peter says. He’s stood there, his eyes glancing back and forth at the empty chair. He wonders if he should sit down. Would Tony find that rude? “What I’m saying is that if you, hypothetically, told me who Cooper’s dad was- I wouldn’t tell anybody else. Not even my best friend.”

“Not even your best friend, huh?” Tony mumbles. He looks up at Peter, raising his eyebrow. “Keep your eyes still. You’re annoying me.”

“Sorry- I-“

“Just sit down, kid,” Tony sighs, kicking out the chair that was beside him towards Peter.

Peter takes the seat, and for a second takes in his surroundings. This morning he woke up to May getting in for her night shift. She had been exhausted, leaving some old food out on the side for him to have for breakfast. Peter had cleaned the whole apartment, making sure to change out the bucket as the leak persisted, and had one bite of the food before realising it didn’t taste right. And now, even if he is starving, he’s sat about one metre away from Tony Stark in a lab that looks like it’s straight out of a film. His life was crazy like that.

And Tony Stark- who most would say knows all the world’s secrets- didn’t know that he was one metre away from Spider-Man. The hero whose identity he’s been trying to figure out since Peter first came out on the scene in that first homemade suit. All his recent studies were right in front of him, and he had no idea.

So much for asking if he could a secret. His whole life was one.

“You’re staring off into space a lot. Do all kids do that?” Tony asks.

“I’m not a kid,” Peter mumbles.

“Oh, yes. Look at you- you must be what- twelve? Your childhood is long behind you. I wonder how you’d ever remember it,” Tony says, deadpan. He rolls his eyes (the number of times he’s done that in this small conversation towards Peter is getting insulting), “this is why I don’t talk to anyone below the age of thirty-five.”

“That must’ve been so hard for you growing up, Mr Stark,” Peter jokes. “I mean- could you even talk to yourself? I’m so sorry you had to grow through that. Thirty-five? Wow. It must’ve taken a long time for you to finally speak to your peers.”

There’s that tiny smile again, although this time it’s more pronounced. Tony turns to his side, hiding his face. Peter watches in awe. Even if it’s tiny, he made Tony smile. Not Spider-Man. Peter. Sometimes the two identities get blurred and he forgets who he really is. It’s time like these, when people seem to react well to Peter, which he appreciates both sides of himself. And not just the super-human side.

“By the way, I’m fifteen.”

“You’re a kid then,” Tony says, turning back. “But putting that argument to the side, you want to know who Cooper’s dad is? You’re aware that you’ll probably meet him when I take you to the actual building you were supposed to be in?”

“I’m not good with surprises, Mr Stark. In my head, his dad is like Barack Obama. I can’t just walk in and meet Obama like this. He needs a better introduction than a t-shirt that has like two holes in and shoes that are turning to dust as we speak. I’d have to save up, sure, but I’d need a formal outfit at least. Maybe some cake. Although, I wouldn’t trust my aunt to make it. She’d probably accidently poison it and then I’d be in big trouble.”

“It’s not Obama,” Tony says. “You’re going to be so disappointed if that’s your quota.”

“Then who is he?”

“It’s Clint. AKA- Hawkeye.”

“Oh.”

This time Tony lets out a laugh. “Wow, that’s sure a reaction. I’m sure Clint would love to hear how excited you are.”

“No- no! That’s awesome. So, is- Cooper a mini-Avenger? Like an agent? Or is Clint his actual dad?” Peter asks.

“That’s what I said!” Tony says.

Peter grins. Tony starts to relax in his chair, a sign that maybe he’s getting more comfortable. But just as Peter was about to respond, Happy came running in. Out of breath and red in the face, he looked between the two and flashed an apologetic frown over at his boss.

“Tony, I’m so sorry- the kid went in the wrong building,” Happy says. “We thought we lost him for good. Clint’s been running around the fields trying to see if he wondered off- I didn’t mean for this to happen. I pointed at the Barton’s house; I swear.”

It looks like Happy is just as scared of Tony’s wrath as Peter was, even if it’s obvious that they’ve known each other for so long. “You said it was this building,” Peter says from his chair, because if someone is going down for this it isn’t going to be him. He looks around at Tony and shrugs. “He did. Don’t listen if he says otherwise. It’s all lies with him.”

Tony gets up and looks at Happy with relief. “Kid, it was nice to meet you and all,” he says. Peter thinks he must be lying, because he looks so happy at the thought of being alone once more. He tries to pretend like that doesn’t sting. “But it’s about time you get out.”

“Oh, okay.”

“Yeah, come back when you’re thirty-five and maybe we could talk then.”

“Tough blow, Mr Stark,” Peter says, grabbing his backpack from the floor. “It was nice to meet you too.”

“You’re not going to ask for an autograph?” Happy asks as he escorts Peter out of the building.

Peter shakes his head. “Gosh, have some respect, Happy. He deserves his personal space like any other human does. I can’t believe you’d try and violate that.”

“You’re an irritant, kid,” Happy mumbles. Peter laughs as he’s pushed out into the open air. His smirk is still plastered on his face by the time they get to Cooper’s house. “Now, this is Cooper’s. Remember this for next time, okay? Tony doesn’t like strangers, especially kids, and I’ll be the one that has to deal with his mood after all of this. So, please, remember where you’re going.”

“Maybe next time you show the person that you’re escorting to the house instead of widely pointing at like ten different buildings,” Peter says. “That might’ve helped.”

Peter walks into the living room and smiles. This is much more homely than the lab. A lot more obvious that a family lives there. It’s bright, colourful, and has all the latest trends in interior design. It’s got a luxury contemporary feel, the sofas long and dark grey with only a few pillows increasing their comfort. The rug is shabby and white, covering most of the carpet. It looks a bit like a show home, in a good way, and is undoubtedly one of the nicest rooms he’s ever seen in his life.

And look, no leak!

To say it’s on the opposite spectrum of his own home is a massive understatement. And right in the middle of the living room stood Cooper. Cooper who was, now that he saw them side by side, a spitting image of his father. His father who Peter had met countless times on missions, who fought by his side- who was also standing right next to him (his mother was there too) with his bow taped to his back. Did Clint take that thing everywhere?

Peter walks in, “Sorry for the confusion. Happy’s not a good tour guide.” Peter looks over at Happy as his frown tightens. He looks angry, and Peter has the decency to feel a little guilty. This is a man’s job after all. “I’m kidding. I just got lost and thought I went to the right place. Turns out I didn’t.”

“Hey, Pete!” Cooper runs over, grabbing Peter’s arm and pulling him closer to his dad. When Peter looks in the background he sees Natasha Romanoff, AKA Black Widow, sat on a kitchen stool next to a young girl. He pretends not to be surprised, turning his attention to his friend instead. “This is my mom and dad. Mom and dad, this is Peter!”

Peter offers an awkward wave. Peter is aware that Clint has been an agent for years and that he can pick up on any secret. Was he going to figure out that Peter was Spider-Man? Peter's entire life would be ruined if he did. If Clint knew, then so would the rest of the Avengers, who would then inform Aunt May. Somewhere down that line the whole world might end up knowing. And how could he be the friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man when everyone knew who was behind the mask?

Peter has been disguising his true identity since the bite. So far, Ned was the only one who knew both sides of himself. Despite the numerous bruises and wounds that were getting increasingly visible, no one had ever suspected it was him. This might be due to his age. Most people would think that whomever he is must be of legal drinking age at least. But he wasn’t- and he didn’t care. His ability to ensure he lived in a safe environment was not limited by his age. What mattered was his heart, and he had enough of it to go around.

“It’s lovely to meet you,” Peter smiles, shaking both of their hands. “Cool bow, Mr Barton.”

Clint smiles. “Isn’t she? She’s been by my side for years. We’ve saved the world together. The day I first used her was the happiest day of my life.”

Laura stares, “I’m going to pretend you didn’t just say that.”

“Apart from our wedding and the birth of our children, honey,” he says. Before turning to Peter and giving him a sly wink. Clint’s eyes seem to stare deep into Peter’s soul, if possible. Peter guesses he’s trying to see if anything was off about him. Part of his job is trying to figure out threats. If his son’s friend was one, he’d need to eliminate that as soon as possible. Though, knowing that doesn’t make it less scary. “So, Peter- would you mind if I just did a quick background check-“

“Clint,” Laura says, elbowing her husband in the ribs as Cooper looks over at him with a big frown. She pushes Clint aside, putting her arm around Peter’s shoulders. “You ignore him, sweetheart. Come on, Cooper and I will walk you over to his bedroom.”

“Hey! I was just-,” Clint says, sighing as soon as they’re out of the room. Cooper and Mrs Barton might not hear him anymore, but Peter still can. In the back of his head, as Cooper starts to apologise to him about his father’s ‘behaviour’, he unwillingly listens into Clint’s conversation with whom he guesses is Natasha Romanoff. He just can’t seem to block it out. “There’s something familiar with him, Nat. What if whoever broke into my house sent him to get to Cooper? I need to know more about him…”

“He is familiar, you’re right. But I don’t think it’s in a bad way,” Natasha says.

Does She know? Peter stares at the corridor as they walk, his heart beating out of control. If anyone would know, it would be her. He tries not to make his fear obvious. A part of him feels as if he’s in a horror film, edging closer and closer to the climax. If it was, he’d be listening to some pretty suspenseful music right now.

“Do you think you know him?” Clint asks.

He hears Natasha sigh, “I don’t know yet. There’s something. Do you want me to figure it out?”

“You know Laura wouldn’t like that. She wants the kids to have a normal life. Getting their godmother to tail their friend from school who they’ve just met probably isn’t what I’d call ‘normal’,” Clint says. “But- if I don’t ‘ask’ you… and you do it on your own free will…then surely, she couldn’t be mad.”

“What you’re saying is ‘go ahead’, just don’t tell Laura that you said anything.”

“Does that make me a bad person?” Clint asks.

“Maybe,” Natasha replies. “But when have we ever played by the rules?”

If Peter knew that coming over to Cooper’s house would get Black Widow to follow him then he would’ve suggested his own apartment for their meeting. Sure, there’s the leak and his bed that barely stays together but it’s got a big enough living room for the two of them. There’s no security guards and he doesn’t live with any avengers, but he does live with a superhero. Not that Cooper would know that.

As they enter Cooper's bedroom, he takes a deep breath, attempting to hide his shock at the thought of Clint asking Natasha to follow him. His head is elsewhere as Cooper shows him around since he has no idea how to deal with a super spy on his back. But when he sees Cooper looking at him with a worried face, he immediately puts the switch on and tries to forget about what he heard.

As he looks around for the first time, Peter notices the minor details. Placed here are items which are unique to Cooper's interests. Only stuff that someone who knew him well or had done their research would put there. As a result, it’s obvious that Tony, as nonchalant as he appears to be, obviously cares even if pretends not to. There's plenty of affection for people other than himself inside his heart, even if it's so deep that even he can't believe it.

Peter is well aware that they will almost certainly never speak as Peter and Tony again. He didn't Tony liked him that much, despite his best efforts. But at least he knows that Iron Man's on-field protectiveness of Spider-Man is genuine. It’s not PR, it’s just how Tony is. For Peter he finds comfort in knowing that.

However, Peter decides to forget about all of that for now. They had work to do- and it would be rude if he had other things on his mind. So, he sits down on Cooper’s bed and starts their assignment. Not long after they start, Natasha Romanoff is a long-forgotten thought he’ll have to remember later.

Tony

Peter reminded Tony of himself. Quick witted, funny, and smart for his age. If Tony didn’t know any better, he would’ve thought this was an illegitimate son of his coming back to ask for all the missed child support. So, looking through this work, his heart felt funny. He didn’t know why. He wasn’t good with kids. He didn’t like them, even if they usually liked him. It wasn’t his fault- they just spoke so much and asked questions he couldn’t be bothered to answer.

Tony went upstairs, walking into his personal living room where Rhodey was sat on one of his sofas. He didn’t expect him to be there. Yet another ‘surprise’ visit of his day. This one was warranted though. He hasn’t seen his best friend in such a long time that he was beginning to worry about him.

His eyes immediately glance down to Rhodey’s legs. Ever since the accident, Tony’s perpetually worried about him. Is his tech enough to keep him healthy? What if he fell one day and nobody was there to pick him up? Tony couldn’t live without him. But when he looks up, Rhodey is frowning at him.

“What?”

“I’m fine. You don’t have to stare every time.”

Tony sighs, walking over and sitting beside him on the sofa. “I just worry about you. I don’t mean to look.”

“I know,” Rhodey says. “I’ve been worrying about you a lot too recently.”

Tony shakes his head. “You shouldn’t.”

“I do, though,” Rhodey says. He adjusts how he’s sat so that he’s facing Tony, his stare unrelenting as he analyses Tony’s every move. “You haven’t shaved in a while. You look tired. When’s the last time you slept for at least eight hours?”

“Well-“

“Days?”

Tony nods. “But I’ve been busy with stuff for Stark Industries-,”

“Don’t bullshit me, Tony. I know what you’re like,” Rhodey interrupts. “And Pepper wouldn’t force you to do that much work.” He sighs sadly. Looking around the room, he finds the bottles Tony hadn’t put away and seems to get even more upset at him. If possible. “You’ve been drinking a lot again. You can tell Clint if having the kids around makes you feel worse.”

“I’m not – I can’t just do that to him, Rhodey. He needs somewhere to stay, and this is the safest place for them. It’s not his fault if I can’t handle being around a lot of people. Especially kids.”

“Okay,” Rhodey says. He knows when to argue with Tony and when not to, and Tony wonders if he’s realised this is one of those times where he wasn’t going to get through to him. “Talking about kids- I heard from Happy that one of Cooper’s friends got into your lab today. How were you with that?”

Tony can’t help the smile that comes on his face. He pushes it back down seconds after it raises, but Rhodey’s always been ridiculously attentive. He catches it.

“He was annoying. Not awful, though,” Tony shrugs. “But it doesn’t matter. It’s not like we’re suddenly besties. I tolerated him. That’s it.”

Rhodey grins. “I never thought I’d see the day. Are you broody? Should I start telling Pepper to prepare herself for a kid?” he jokes. Tony pretends that his heart doesn’t tighten at the thought of having his own a kid- a kid he’d undoubtedly mess up. “What made this one so different?”

“You want me to answer that seriously?”

Rhodey raises an eyebrow. “Sure.”

“I think he’s the best of a bad bunch. Kid was smart and funny. You don’t see that very often,” Tony shrugs. “I…I could see myself hiring him in the future. But now? I’m hoping I never see him again because you know how I mess kids up. Remember Harley? I was supposed to be there for him, but I haven’t spoke to him in years.”

“You have to stop being so afraid, Tony,” Rhodey says, softly. “I know it’s hard to suddenly switch it around, but maybe taking this kid under your wing would be good for you.”

“We don’t even know if he’s going to be around that often. Cooper might find someone else to latch onto after this whole project is over. So… I’m just going to drop it,” Tony says. He gets off the couch and walks over to the sink where he pours two glasses of water. He passes one to Rhodey on the way back, gesturing for him to drink it. He worries over how healthy he is, which is hypocritical since he can’t even take care of himself. He just wants the best for him. “Now- tell me how your last physio session went, and if I need to make any changes to your leg braces.”

Hours later

Tony wonders up into the main living room after hearing that the kitchen staff had the night off and Bruce was the one who made dinner today. He loves Bruce’s dinner. Other than Tony himself, his ‘science-bro’ was most likely the most well-travelled out of the group. The combination of spices and ingredients always would pick Tony up after a long day.

Walking into the main room, he sees two extra plates set up than usual. He assumes one is for Rhodey but can’t quite figure out who the second is for. He sits down at his spot, frowning when he realises the empty seat is beside him.

“We’re totally going to get an A,” he hears Cooper laugh as he runs into the room. When Tony looks over, he sees all the Barton kids plus Peter walk in. He makes eye-contact with the kid and waves, trying once more to hide whatever glimpse of a smile he has when Peter’s eyes brighten. Cooper walks over to his dad and tugs on the end of his sleeve. “Dad, you need to introduce Peter to everyone.”

“Thor, Bruce, Rhodey-,” Clint calls to the only people in the room that hadn’t met Peter yet. They turn their heads in synch, looking over to where Clint’s stood over his son and Pete. “This is Peter, my son’s new friend. I’ve heard he’s a major fan of you all.”

“This is the coolest day of my life,” Tony hears Peter whisper to Cooper.

Peter draws them all in like a fish to water. He's an immediate hit with everyone in the room, which makes him feel even more guilty over the original dismissal he had of the kid. He exudes such charm that anyone who despises him would need to be analysed. Tony is convinced that, if Peter so desires, he could have a successful career in the public eye. He's chatty, but in a way that encourages you to continue the conversation rather than fleeing.

And weirdly- he seems to have taken a shine to Tony himself.

Maybe it's their common love of science, or the fact that Peter has seemingly read every single one of Tony's papers that he could ever comprehend, but Peter is keeping a close eye on him. He imitates how he uses his knife and fork, indicating that he does not know how to properly eat the food in front of them. But he tries- and Tony can't help but admit that it's adorable. He only laughs at some of Thor's jokes when Tony does, since he isn't sure when it's acceptable to do so. Thor never has had the best punchlines.

That's why Tony being a mentor figure for him isn't right. Because he doesn't want Peter's aspirations to be broken, and Tony is well aware that's exactly what he'd do to them. After dinner, Peter asks about the possibility of working in the lab with him. Tony shakes his head, attempting to hide his amazement at how bold he was. He answers no, hoping it didn't hurt as badly as it appears. He apologises by placing one hand on Peter's shoulder and telling him to keep studying and maybe one day he'd be one of his employees. He stands there watching as Peter shrugs and says it's about time he headed home. He's gone in an instant. Riding the subway at the most inconvenient time of the day with nothing to defend himself.

But it isn't his issue. It never has been, and it never will be. Tony's stomach definitely doesn't turn at the prospect of Peter travelling alone in a train full of people triple his age at this time of night. It doesn’t. And he’ll have no nightmares with a fluffy hair kid at centre stage. At all. It’s not going to happen…

Everything’s going to be fine…