Christmas
Tony came to see Peter a few days before Christmas about what was happening on New Year’s Eve.
“SI usually has a Gala around this time of year, and we’re gonna host it on New Year’s Eve and have a big party to ring in the new year,” Tony explained about all the important people that would be there, along with all the Avengers, their families, and members of the board and such.
Peter nodded his head. “Okay, that’s fine, I can stay here. Maybe I can have MJ and Ned over or something and—and maybe I can just FaceTime you at midnight or whatever and we can see each other—”
“No, Pete,” Tony shook his head. “I want you to be there, too. I’m not making you stay home on New Year’s Eve while we go out to a party.”
Peter began to stutter almost immediately. “B-But what about—I mean, we’ve tried to k-keep me a secret and won’t I—won’t people get s-suspicious if you’re hanging around with a—a kid all night—”
“That was what I wanted to talk to you about. You know how I’ve named you as my heir?”
Peter scoffed. “Oh yeah, I forgot that little nugget of information.”
“Alright, enough with the sarcasm, that’s my thing. Anyway, I was wondering what you thought about maybe telling people. Not releasing your Spider-Man identity, but just introducing you to everyone and announcing you as my heir? Cause if you think about it, if you’re gonna run the company one day, you need to start coming to events and things that SI holds so people don’t get suspicious as to why I’ve named you, right? Anyway, I just wanted to ask you and see what you thought would be best. If you’re uncomfortable with it, we don’t have to do it. Not yet, anyway. I just thought it might be time, that’s all.” Peter could tell Tony was nervous because he wasn’t even looking at him, instead he was picking the edge of Peter’s desk and seemed suddenly very interested in the floor.
“You mean that people would know who I am? As Peter Parker?”
Tony nodded. “Yeah.”
Peter took a deep breath and considered his options. It would mean a massive change in Peter’s life. Things would never be the same again, he’d probably have people following him anywhere like they did Tony. He’d probably have to have security. School might be better, though. Flash might at least get off his back if he found out Peter was actually telling the truth about everything.
“And what about me living with you? Are we telling them that?”
Tony tipped his head from side to side. “That’s up to you, really. I could just say that you’re my intern and you’ve been working with me on Avengers tech and I think you’d be the best thing for the company. Which is all true. Or I could also tell them that you were my intern and then certain events landed you in my care. People at school are gonna be able to put that together anyway, right?”
Yeah, that was a good point. Flash would know immediately that Peter was living with Tony since he knew that May was dead. Might as well tell everyone instead of trying to get the most loose-lipped teen in the whole of New York to keep a secret.
“Okay, I think we should tell them.” Peter nodded.
“Are you sure?”
He took a deep breath. “Yeah. I think it’s time. Tell them that I’m under your care and that I was your intern to begin with and you’ve named me heir or whatever. It saves us from trying to keep more secrets. Apart from Spider-Man. “
Tony smiled warmly at him. “Of course. We’ll do whatever you’re okay with.”
Christmas Eve was everything Peter had ever wanted it to be. He woke up just before lunch (teenager, of course) and found Steve making breakfast in the penthouse with Bucky and Sam.
“Morning, guys,” Peter greeted, wiping the sleep out of his. eyes.
“Afternoon,” Sam teased and Peter shot him a glare.
“Give him a break, Sam, it’s Christmas Eve.”
Peter sat down at the kitchen island and Steve presented him with a plate of fresh pancakes, bacon and maple syrup. Peter looked at it with heart eyes and looked up at the man.
“Have I told you that I love you recently?”
Steve grinned and rolled his eyes. “Eat your breakfast, Underoos.”
“Where’s Dad?” He asked and Bucky took a sip of his coffee.
“He’s down in the lab. Said he had some last minute things to do for our Christmas presents.” The soldier shrugged, drawing his attention back to the newspaper. “Said he’d be back up this afternoon to bake with you or something.”
Peter smiled warmly. Tony had promised that they could bake cookies on Christmas Eve (under the supervision of a responsible adult, of course). Peter planned to make the cookies and then give everyone their Christmas pyjamas so they could take some photos and all settle down for their movie session that night. They were gonna order Thai food as a nod to Ben and May and they were gonna watch the last two movies on Peter’s list: Love Actually and The Muppets Christmas Carol.
The pyjamas, of course, were outlandishly awful. Everyone looked absolutely ridiculous and Peter thought he’d never be able to erase the sight of the Winter Soldier in a Christmas onesie.
Peter thought everyone looked great.
Many photos were taken that night, whether they were proper ones taken in front of the Christmas tree or goofy selfies Peter took on his phone. Tony had even agreed to post one on the Avengers’ socials, and Peter had raced to get in it because he wasn’t missing out on a group photo just because he had a secret identity. Plus, if Tony was going to announce him as heir at the New Year’s Eve party, as long as Peter didn’t post the video until January 1st, he wouldn’t have to blur out his face. He just about managed to squish everyone in the selfie, Tony’s arms wrapped around him from behind and Vision having to float in the back to be seen. The only one missing was Clint because he was spending Christmas with his family on the farm, but they’d FaceTimed with them all earlier on and wished them Merry Christmas. Nat was going over there tomorrow night to see them and they were coming over on New Years Eve.
Peter snapped a few photos and logged into the Avengers’ Instagram account, bringing the photo (sans Peter) up on their feed with the caption ‘families that dress in ugly matching Christmas pyjamas together, stay together. Happy holidays from the Avengers!’ and posted it. He then did the same for their Facebook and Twitter accounts. There was even an Avengers TikTok, and Peter had been filming clips of their Christmas Eve so that he could edit them all together and post a video of Christmas with the Avengers on there tomorrow. Everyone thought that it was the PR department that ran the account, and that worked out for Peter. As long as he wore his mask, everything was fine and Spider-Man could be in the odd video or two.
After the last movie of the night, the team started to trickle off to bed, promising to wake up reasonably early so Peter could open his presents. Yes, he might be fifteen years old and far too old for silly childish occasions like waking up at the crack of dawn on Christmas Day, but he was damn well gonna keep doing it. He knew Tony was just as bad for it anyway.
When it was just Peter and Tony left awake, they put a plate together of cookies and a glass of milk. Again, something that Peter knew was childish and unnecessary, but he was still adamant about doing it. Besides, it meant that he got a few cookies out of it.
They set the plate down in front of the stockings that were pinned over the large fireplace. Tony turned to Peter and wrapped his arms around him.
“Merry Christmas, kiddo.” Tony said, pressing a kiss to the side of his head.
“Merry Christmas, Tony.” Peter paused for a minute. “I miss them.”
“I know you do. The holidays are the toughest. But it’s okay, they’ll be here with us in spirit. They’d want you to have an awesome Christmas, and I’m gonna do my best to make sure that happens.” He rocked them slowly from side to side.
“I love you.” Peter mumbled and he felt Tony smile against him.
“Love you too, buddy.”
Tony didn’t go straight to bed after Peter. He still had some last minute things to do before the morning, and Peter still had to put the finishing touches to Tony’s present.
Aside from the adoption papers, Peter had taken Tony’s idea from his last birthday and made him a photo album. It wasn’t nearly as fancy or thoughtful, it didn’t have any message from a lost relative in the back, but it was filled with meaningful photos that showed Tony just how far they’d come as a family over the past few months.
The Avengers were a complete mess when Peter had come into Tony’s care. They weren’t a functioning family. They weren’t even friendly, they didn’t even speak. And yeah, it had been awkward for a few months and it had definitely taken some time to adjust and to work through the long-lasting problems that had been created thanks to the Civil War and Siberia. But eventually, they’d created a new normal, and Peter had undoubtedly been a huge part of that. He was the reason that the team had bonded again, going to see him at his Academic Decathlon meets and cheering him on and celebrating the team’s win. So Peter had had the idea to make a photo album to show Tony that they were a family again, and that they’d made it through to the other side.
There were photos of the whole team, and Peter planned to print out a few more that he’d taken over the past couple of days. He wanted to frame the team photo, or maybe put it on the fridge. There were photos that had been sneakily taken when nobody was paying any attention. For example, Wanda had been wandering (HA) around the top floors of the Tower one evening and had found Tony and Peter lying on the sofa watching a movie together and she’d snapped a photo of the two of them from behind, their heads pressed together. There were photos of Peter teaching Bucky how to play Mario Kart and photos of Sam messing around with them. There were photos of the team brunches on Saturday mornings and Peter had put extra emphasis on the photo of Steve and Tony together, Steve’s arm around Tony’s shoulders and Tony’s face crinkled with laughter at something the old man had said.
Of course, there had been many many occasions over the past months where people had gotten injured or had argued with one another, but Peter thought that meant it was even more important to remind Tony of the good times that they had together, despite all that they’d gone through. He’d mixed in some older photos of the team before the break-up, alongside photos of Peter, Tony and Pepper on vacation in Malibu. It was a nice selection, and Peter was pretty proud of what he’d ended up with.
He thought about writing the card he’d bought Tony. He thought about what he might write in it, how he might ask Tony to officially become his father, but then he realised it was pointless. Because as soon as Tony opened the papers and saw what they were, any words Peter would try to use would be utterly pointless. And really, he didn’t know what he wanted to say. All he wanted was for Tony to be his dad and that was it. He didn’t need a card or some heartfelt speech. Tony knew how he felt about him. Tony knew what he meant to him.
The papers themselves, Peter had placed into a thick envelope and sealed shut. Peter’s signature already rested on the dotted lines where it was needed, just waiting for Tony’s. He stared at the envelope and it grew heavy in his hand. This was it. This was what the last ten months or so had all led to. Another six or so hours and Peter would have his answer.
He padded out of his room to eat the cookies he’d left out, leaving crumbs everywhere and no doubt annoying Pepper, but he couldn’t help it. He chugged the glass of milk but at least had the decency to leave that in the sink once he was done with it before traipsing back off to bed.
Peter awoke to the feeling of someone brushing their thumb over his forehead. He slowly prised his eyes open and a quick glance to the windows told him it was eye-wateringly early. And considering he’d gone to bed pretty late the night before, he wasn’t too thrilled about being woken up.
But all his grumpiness melted away when he saw Tony sat on the edge of his bed with a warm smile stretched across his face.
“Merry Christmas, Underoos,” Tony said warmly and Peter gave him a little smile.
“Merry Christmas.” He rubbed at his eyes to try and wake up properly. “What time is it?”
“Early,” Tony answered simply and Peter groaned. “I know, but it’s Christmas morning and I’ve been awake for an hour already trying to give you a lie in but I’m done waiting now. I’ve already told FRIDAY to wake the team up and I got a lot of curse words back through so they’re awake now. They’ll be up in a few minutes to open presents with us. I lasted as long as I could, I promise.”
“I thought the kids were supposed to wake the parents up on Christmas Day. Last time I checked, I was the kid.” He moaned.
“Well yeah you were but you kinda dropped the ball, buddy. The parent couldn’t stay asleep any longer.”
Peter smiled and shook his head. “I’ll be out in a second, okay? I just need to brush my teeth.”
After greeting everyone with a hug and settling down in the living room, Peter pulled out his phone and filmed a quick few seconds of everyone and the presents and the Christmas tree to add to the TikTok. Once everyone started to open their presents, Tony sat on the sofa with Peter on the floor resting back on his legs and he passed his present down to him.
It felt like a box file and it intrigued Peter. He tore off the wrapping paper and opened it up, his eyes blowing wide when he realised what was inside.
There were about 10 different paper files, one for each member of the team. Peter opened the first one for Nat and saw specs for a new variation of Widow Bite and the start of some rough ideas for suit upgrades. The next file was Rhodey and the initial blueprints for a new set of leg braces that would reflect light and appear invisible. It was still mostly in theory but there was a little math trying to work it out. Peter sifted through the rest of the files and looked up at Tony.
“What—I don’t—upgrades?”
Tony chuckled. “They’re initial ideas for Avengers upgrades. I want you to work on them with me. I want you to create a whole new line of Avengers tech. We can make whatever you want. These are just some ideas for stuff that we could do, I thought that you could take the lead and have it be your own project that we do together.”
Peter’s eyes widened. “Oh my god, really? This is amazing! I get to design everyone’s suits and—and weapons and everything? Really? Are you for real?”
Tony nodded. “Totally for real. I’m giving you free reign of my lab, kiddo. I figured if we’re telling people you’re working on Avengers tech, you might as well actually work on Avengers tech. Let’s make some kick ass suits.”
“Oh this is going to be so awesome.” Peter whispered to himself and everyone laughed at how excited he was.
Peter handed Tony the album and he flicked through it with tears in his eyes, and the book was passed around the team so everyone could have a look at all the photos. Tony hugged Peter tight and thanked him. A few more presents were opened and Peter got a couple more science pun t-shirts from Sam and Bucky.
There was the envelope sill in Tony’s stocking and Peter stood up to get it, handing it to Tony with a slightly shaking hand.
Tony pressed his lips together. “What’s this, huh?” He raised an eyebrow and Peter looked intently at the envelope. He felt someone take his hand and he turned to smile at Pepper. He settled down on the sofa in between the two of them, facing Tony as he opened the envelope.
He pulled the papers out and Peter stared at him, waiting for the moment where it clicked in his brain. He was going over what he was going to say in his head, how he was either going to play it down if Tony didn’t want to, or promptly burst into tears if he said yes.
“W-What’s this?” Tony’s hands shook as he fingered through the sheets of paper.
Peter wiped his clammy hands on his pyjamas as he psyched himself up.
“I—I realised—well, actually it was Ned and MJ that made me realise—that I’m the only one that’s stopping myself from being happy. I’m the one that’s overthinking things and worrying for no reason, a-and I’m fed up of it. You mean so much to me and I—I love you and you’re my dad and I just—I’m ready—I want it to be official.” There were a few sharp intakes of breath as the rest of the team realised what was happening. Peter risked a glance to the side and saw Sam throw his arm around Bucky, whose shoulders were shaking.
Tony was still quiet, his eyes focused on Peter’s movements and Peter thought the worst.
“If—if you don’t want to, that’s totally fine. It was just I thought that maybe—”
“You really want this?” Tony asked and Peter’s eyes snapped up to meet his.
“I—I do. I’m ready for it to be official. I haven’t had a dad since I was three and I—I’ve missed it.” Everyone knew that Ben was like a dad to Peter, but there’d never been that connection between the two of them and Peter had always called him Uncle Ben. This was different. This wasn’t like having a fun uncle that you lived with. Tony was a father. He was Peter’s dad.
Suddenly tears filled Tony’s eyes and he put the papers on the coffee table. He reached and grabbed Peter’s hands, pulling him into his arms and squeezing him tight.
“I—Is that a yes?” Peter mumbled, gripping Tony.
He felt Tony shake underneath him as he chuckled. “Yeah, it’s a yes. Nothing would make me happier, kiddo. I love you.”
Peter crumpled, sobs of relief tearing through his body and tony’s grip on him tightened. “I love you too, Dad.”
There was another sob but it didn’t come from either of them and they pulled apart to see who it was.
Bucky was trying to keep himself together but he wasn’t doing a great job of it.
“Buck? You okay, man?” Steve asked and Bucky nodded, waving him off.
“I’m just so happy.”
Nat rolled her eyes. “Since when did you become a sap? I thought you were tough.”
Bucky glared at her. “I don’t need your judgement, Natasha. You and I both heard you crying at the tv the other night when you were in your room. I know it was Queer Eye.”
That seemed to shut Nat up and she tried to avoid the sets of eyes staring at her.
“In Nat’s defence, Peter made me watch all the episodes of that and I will admit it’s a physical impossibility not to cry at every single episode.” Tony raised his hand and Nat gestured to him, nodding her head.
“Thank you.”
While everyone started making breakfast, Tony slipped away to make a phone call and Peter glanced at Pepper, who rolled her eyes and mouthed the word ‘lawyers’. Peter smiled, shaking his head. That man had no chill.
Steve had been put in charge of Christmas dinner and immediately started cooking straight after breakfast. There was enough food in the kitchen and pantry to feed like five thousand people, and Steve was about to cook every last bit of it. There were enough pigs in blankets to sink a battleship. Peter couldn’t wait for the inevitable stand-off (sat down, of course) between the three with super metabolisms to see who could eat the most. Peter backed himself, of course, but thought Bucky would be his biggest competition. The man could eat like a horse.
While the food was cooking, Pepper helped Peter to set the table, getting out the fancy cutlery they only ever brought out for special occasions. He even went on YouTube and watched a quick tutorial on how to fold the napkins into Christmas trees (it helped that they were green). Nat had bought everyone Christmas crackers, being one of the very few people who could still get away with going to a mall without being recognised, and Peter placed one at every setting. He took a quick video for the TikTok and put his phone away, stepping back and looking at his handiwork. He was pretty impressed with himself.
Dinner was a huge success, and Peter just pipped Bucky at the post for the biggest eater award, going in for a fifth serving of turkey and stuffing. He could tell Bucky was considering it, not wanting to be beaten by a skinny ass fifteen year old. He stuck another one of the pigs in blankets on his fork and brought it to his lips, gagging when the smell met his nose and his stomach said fuck no. And thus, Peter was crowned the champion. Steve had bailed out a while ago, having had a lot of food whilst cooking it. For professional tasting purposes, they were all assured. Peter knew it was bullshit. Another clip was taken showing everyone leaning back in their chairs, cradling stomachs like a dozen pregnant women. Sam even had the meat sweats. Vision just eyed his plate full of food and sighed. One day, someone would remember it was unnecessary. One day.
Everyone simultaneously refused dessert. Another morsel was sure to cause a chain reaction of violent chundering that Pepper was not prepared to clear up. Slowly but surely, people started to trail off to bed to sleep off the lethargic state everyone had fallen into. Others moved to the living area and promptly fell asleep on the sofas… or the floor, in Peter’s case.
He’d find out later that Sam took a video of him sprawled out on the hard floor in front of the tv in attempt to tease him and Peter would use the same video in his TikTok.
After a few hours, people started to wake up again and come back to join everyone, nibbling at leftovers from the table. Everyone had dessert at some point, lord knows there was enough gingerbread in the tower to quite literally make a life-sized gingerbread house. They settled down for the cheesy tv Christmas specials and a movie. Peter was tucked into Tony’s side, his head resting on the man’s chest and his legs stretched out. Tony’s hand fingered through his hair and gently massaged his scalp, lulling him back to sleep. He felt a kiss being pressed to his head.
“Love you, kiddo.”
“Love you too, Dad.” Peter mumbled.
Yeah, it was a pretty great Christmas.