It’s A Rich Man’s World
Peter?” Tony questioned, stepping forward. “What on earth? I..”
“Surprise,” Peter said, stepping back to hide himself away from the prying eyes. He put a hand over the growing bruise on the side of his stomach. He bit his lip and refused to look up at Tony, the man who he had grown close to.
“No, it can’t be,” Steve said, staring down at Peter. “I made you fall. I hurt you.”
“Steve, it’s okay,” Peter told him, his constant optimism shining through. “You didn’t know.”
“That doesn’t excuse it, Peter, and you know it,” Tony said, glaring at his teammate. “He could’ve died! Even if it wasn’t Peter under the mask, you should feel guilty. He didn’t show any sign of a threat but, you all decided that he was. You should all be ashamed of yourselves.”
Peter winced. He never liked conflict. It always reminded him of memories he wanted to forget. May and Ben were each other’s soulmates but, bringing a kid into their relationship wasn’t an ideal ride. It was hard. Money was short and time wasn’t a luxury. They didn’t always have the time for Peter. He remembered how much they argued over Midtown. It was the best school for their kid but, money was a problem. Tears fell from his face as he stood at the door and watched it unveil. It was all his fault.
Fury’s eyes locked back at him. “Are we sure he’s not a threat? We need to question him.”
“Question him?!” Tony shouted at the man. “He’s a minor. He’s also the purest person in the world. He’s definitely not a threat. The only threat I see in this room is that the director of SHIELD thinks that it’s okay to attack a stranger. You need proof for that kind of thing, Fury. If this kid died then I would’ve blamed you. Trust me, I wouldn’t have been happy.” Tony grabbed the key to Peter’s handcuffs from Fury’s grip, releasing the teenager. “I’m taking my kid home. If you have a problem with that then I won’t hesitate to call my suit.”
Fury blinked at the man. Tony had been angry with him before but, he’d never been this furious. His nostrils flared as he picked Peter up, holding him in the arms. He stared at the man before it, confused to how parental the man looked. He had never seen this look on Tony Stark before and it baffled him.
“Was that a threat?” Fury asked, watching Tony walk out of the door.
“Yes. I would do anything for this kid. Don’t make me show how far I’d go,” Tony said, finally leaving the group behind.
Steve and Bucky shared a regretful look, frowning as they watched the conversation unfold. Clint stared, feeling a little distant as he thought about his own children. He understood Tony’s anger, knowing that he’d do the same for his children.
When Tony set Peter down in the car, he looked at him with a frown. Brushing some hair out of the boy’s face, he managed to get a little smile from the teenager.
“Don’t think that we’re not going to have a conversation about this later, kiddo. However, I’d rather you be cleaned up before we do have that chat,” Tony told him, putting his seatbelt on. He jumped into the drivers seat and started to drive, glancing over at the kid every now and then to make sure he was okay.
“I was scared, Mr Stark,” Peter eventually said, as they were almost at the tower. His eyes didn’t meet Tony’s, however, as that fear was still bubbling in his gut. He knew he had let his mentor down and he couldn’t bear for him to hate him.
“I know, kid. Getting a hit from Captain America will do that to you. I got you now, though. I won’t let them hurt you.”
“No, that’s not what I meant. I mean, it kind of is. I was definitely scared but that’s not what I was talking about. I was going to tell you about Spiderman eventually but, only one other person knows. Being Spiderman is everything to me. Saving people makes me feel whole. It makes me feel like I’m not weak, like I’m not a failure. I was worried that you’d make me give it up,” Peter told him, finally looking over at Tony.
The man’s face looked worried, his eyes focused on the road. He pulled over to the side of the street, into a lay-by, and stopped. He felt like they needed a serious conversation and Tony didn’t feel like he could do that whilst driving.
“Peter Parker,” Tony said, turning around in his seat so they were looking at each other straight on. “You’re not a failure, how could you think that? I would never make you stop. I don’t have the authority to do that to you, kiddo. It does scare me, I’ll admit that. However, kid, I trust you. I believe in you.”
“I failed, Mr Stark,” Peter said, tearing up. “You shouldn’t believe in me. I didn’t save my Uncle. I didn’t- He got shot in front of me. I had my powers and I froze. I didn’t do anything. I could’ve saved him and he would still be here today-,”
“Kiddo,” Tony said, grabbing his hand. “Hey, buddy, it’s okay,” He wiped one of the kid’s tears and smiled softly at him. “Remember when you told me that I wasn’t at fault for the plane crash? It’s the same situation. It wasn’t your fault, baby. The only person who’s fault it is, is the man who pulled the trigger. You didn’t fail your Uncle. You continue to make him proud everyday by being you. You’re the best kid, Peter. I’m so proud of you and I know that everyone else is too.”
Tony’s hand fell to Peter’s face, cupping the kid’s cheek. Peter leant into the touch, his eyes fluttering shut. He let himself stay in that spot for a while before replying.
“Do you really think so, Mr Stark?” He said, his voice quiet as ever.
“I know it, kiddo.”
As they got back to the tower, Tony checked the kid into the med-bay to make sure he was okay. His doctor’s checked over the kid’s wounds, letting Tony know that he’d heal up just fine.
They went back to the tower’s living room, cuddling up on the sofa. Pepper joined them later in the evening, joining their cuddle. Peter grinned. He had found another family in the Stark’s and he couldn’t have been happier. He went home that night to May and felt equally as loved with her. He lost a lot in his life but, he’d gained more through the people that came into his life.
The next time Peter came over to the tower after this new discovery, Tony immediately took the kid into the Avenger’s training room. He made the team apologise to the kid before they started anything.
Natasha learnt about what happened in that moment. She glared at her teammates, putting a protective arm over Peter.
“You’re lucky that he’s accepting your apology,” She said, in a tone of voice that could’ve scared anyone. “Otherwise, you would’ve been on the other side of me. Trust me, you wouldn’t want that.”
Peter looked at Natasha, smiling a little. He felt warm, protected and happy to have yet another adult in his life.
When Peter found out what he was doing in the room, he wasn’t happy. He didn’t want to be trained, he felt like he was fine the way he was. He climbed to the top of the ceiling and refused to get down.
“That’s going to take some time to get used to,” Tony mumbled, laughing with the team.
When Tony met Steve’s eyes, he realised how guilty he looked. As much as he was still angry at the super solider, he knew that Peter would want Captain America to know he still idolised him.
“He doesn’t hate you. You know that, right?” Tony said, pulling Steve to the side as the rest of the team tried to get Peter down (who couldn’t stop laughing at the situation).
“I know. The guilt’s eating me alive though. I didn’t mean to hurt him, Tony. I was just following Fury’s orders. I should’ve questioned him. I’ve done it before,” Steve said, glancing up at the kid before turning back to Tony.
“It’s okay, Steve. You didn’t know. I was angry when it first happened so, I said some things that I didn’t really mean. Don’t get me wrong, I’m still upset. However, I don’t blame you and neither does the kid. In fact, he’s a huge fan.”
“I’m a fan of him. He’s a great kid, Tony. I’m happy to know him,” Steve smiled.
Tony agreed, turning to face the kid. He walked over to the group and laughed at the kid. “Peter! I swear, If you don’t get down then I will get a broom and smack you down.”
“No you won’t,” Peter giggled, pouting.
“Don’t test me, kiddo,” Tony said. It wasn’t a threat, it was more of a joke.
When Peter jumped down and pouted, telling him that he was no fun, he couldn’t stop the laugh that escaped his mouth. He hadn’t felt this happy in a while. When Peter pouted at the laughter and told him that he was such a dad, his heart froze.
He never thought that he could ever be a father figure to anyone, never mind somebody as perfect as Peter. His father wasn’t the best person to look to as an example. He didn’t know how to be a good dad. He never thought that he would be so he never thought about how to act. The kid walked past him, with the rest of the Avengers (except Nat), and started to train.
“Congratulations, it’s a boy,” Natasha smiled at him, patting him on the shoulder as she left to join the rest of them.
When Peter went back on patrol for the first time in a while, he was joined by Tony.
“I think you’re getting a bit clingy now, Mr Stark,” Peter quipped as he used his webs to fly through the neighbourhood, the Iron Man suit flying behind him.
“I just like to hang out with my biggest fan. I’m a man of the people, Spiderling,” Tony laughed. His heart skipped every time the kid shot a web, scared that he’d fall down to the floor.
Peter noticed something in the corner of his eye. Without telling Tony, he dropped down to the scene. Tony flew after him, not wanting the kid to get hurt.
When Tony finally found the kid, he already finished. The criminal was all webbed up, their back against the wall. Peter was talking to a lady, passing her purse back over to her. She had a huge smile on her face, offering the kid some money. Tony grinned, watching from a distance. He watched how the kid refused the cash. Instead, he made sure she got back to where she was supposed to be safely. Watching this interaction, he realised that the kid was just fine. He also realised that this boy was the most selfless boy he knew.
“Mr Stark? I thought I lost you,” Peter said, swinging up to a building where Tony was sat, out of the suit. “Where did you go?”
“Thought I’d let you do your thing, kid. You don’t really need me to be behind you in every moment. I feel like an overbearing parent.”
Peter chuckled to himself. “If it makes you feel better, uh, I-I like it. I like how protective you are over me. It makes me feel safe, like I always have someone in my corner.”
“Well, that’s good,” Tony said, walking over to him. “Now that we’re having this conversation, are you okay? Did anyone get to you?”
“No, I’m way too fast,” Peter smiled. “Trust me, Mr Stark. I’ll be okay.”
“I sure hope so, kiddo.”
“Mr Stark?” Peter said, his eyes filled with love behind the mask.
“Yeah?”
“I love you,”
Tony’s heart swelled. He leant forward and took the kid into a hug. He pressed a kiss to the side of his head, over the mask. “I love you more, kiddo.”
Days later, May had finally gone on holiday without Peter (reluctantly). She had been invited by some of her friends from work. Her rich friend, Mary, offered to pay but couldn’t spread enough money for Peter. Peter wasn’t sure if he even wanted to go to London with four middle aged woman anyway.
That’s how Peter found himself in the back of a car, his suitcases in the boot. For a period of almost two weeks, Peter was going to live in the Avengers tower with Tony Stark and the rest of the team.
“Are you sure this is really okay?” Peter said for the tenth time, his head poking out from the seats.
Tony rolled his eyes, an exasperating sigh falling out of his mouth. His eyes glanced over to Happy who had an amused smile on his face. “Kid... For the last time, of course you can stay.”
“I just- I mean, I know it’s a big place but I cost a lot. I eat loads and, uh, well- there’s travel costs to go back and forth to Midtown every day,” Peter rambled, his back hitting the seats. His trembling hands moved to the tassel on his backpack, biting down on his lip anxiously.
“And I’m a billionaire, Peter,” Tony said, his head looking back at the kid. “Seriously, sweetheart, it’s fine. You’ve stayed here before.”
“Yeah... but-,”
Tony wiggled his finger at the kid, gesturing for him to stop talking. He put his finger against the kid’s lips to quieten him. “No buts, I said what I said.”
The car that Peter sat in was worth more than his and May’s apartment. He looked forward, his eyes tracing the silhouette of his mentor. Tony had more money than he could ever use. Things that Peter would catch May crying over would be pocket change to someone like Tony. So whenever Mr Stark brought him something, something that he never would’ve had the opportunity to get before, guilt would eat him alive.
The car arrived before Peter’s mind could drag him further down. His door was opened before he could think about it. As he stepped outside, Tony’s arm moved over to his shoulder. His suitcases were taken by staff as Tony walked him inside. Peter felt like he didn’t even have to lift a finger, everything else was done for him. It was a life away from home.
“I got some people to work on changing your room up,” Tony said as the doors opened in front of them. “I had to change that mattress you had if you were sleeping here more.”
“Mr Stark, the mattress was fine,” Peter said, “It was the comfiest one I had ever slept on.”
“Kid, you don’t know what comfort feels like. Trust me.” Tony took his arm away from Peter’s shoulder, moving it to ruffle his hair. “I changed it to the same one I had, upgraded the bed size to a super king.”
“That’s like five times bigger than my single at home,” Peter said, “Thanks Mr Stark, that’s awesome.”
It was cool. Peter was incredibly grateful, but he couldn’t stop that guilt from moving up into his heart. He thought of the people out on the street, just like he and May had been once. They deserved money; they deserved what Peter had now. He didn’t.
Tony must of clocked on to Peter’s face, quickly changing the subject. “You want to go humiliate Captain America by beating him in Mario Kart?”
Peter’s face lit up. “Of course I do, Mr Stark!” He chuckled, grabbing Tony’s hand. He pulled the man to the upstairs common room.
Tony watched the kid. The kid’s head was on Sam Wilson’s knee, much to the man’s annoyance, as his legs leant onto Bucky’s. Bucky’s smile was wide as he looked over at Sam’s, his own arm slipping over his friend’s shoulder. A smile crept onto Tony’s face before he could help it. Peter just looked so innocent, like nothing bad had ever happened to him.
It had been a long day for the kid. The drive wasn’t short and Steve had kept him up for hours, trying to beat him in the video game. He never did win, however.
“I’ll take the kid of your hands,” Tony said.
“Thank god,” Sam said, “I’ve got a cramp.”
“You love him really,” Bucky smiled, moving his arm. His hand moved some hair out of Peter’s face, letting the trio see the kid’s sleeping face.
“Sure,” Sam said, a little smile forming on his face. When the other two men in the room looked at him, his resistance crumbled. “Fine. The kid might be adorable and impossible to hate, is that wanted to hear?”
“Before any of you get any ideas, he’s my kid,” Tony reminded them, putting his arms around the kid so that he could lift him up. The kid’s legs automatically wrap around Tony’s waist, making the pair look like a keeper holding a koala. “Don’t say anything.”
Peter squirmed around in Tony’s hold, his head falling into the man’s shoulder. “M-Mr Stark,” The boy mumbled in his sleep.
“I got ya, kiddo.”
Tony walked away from Wilson and Barnes, leaving them to either squabble or kiss (he wasn’t sure which one was more likely at this point). He opened the door to Peter’s new upgraded room, the one he had completely done up for Peter’s stay. Tony put the kid down onto the mattress, tucking him in.
“Love you Pete,” Tony said, kissing him on the forehead. “I love you loads and loads.”
“Loads and loads,” Peter mumbled, repeating Tony’s words back to him, his body morphing around the comfy blankets.
“Yeah, Pete. Loads and loads.” Tony said, turning around to let the kid go to sleep. He turned the light off, letting the glow of the stick on stars light the room up (he knew the kid didn’t like to sleep completely in the dark).
Peter woke up with a start, his chest moving up and down. Sweat covered his brow, his hands clutching at his covers. His head turned from the pillow to his alarm clock, checking the time. It was only four AM. He thought about slipping out onto his balcony to look at the starts, forgetting where he was. However, as he looked up at the ceilings, he noticed the stars Tony placed on the ceiling. His heart trembled, the man knew him so well. Before he could think about moving, FRIDAY’s voice came through the speakers, completely contrasting his life at home.
“Hello, Mini Boss. I have noticed that your heartbeat has elevated, would you like me to notify Mr Stark?” She says, concern almost in her voice.
“Mini Boss?” Peter questioned.
“It is what Mr Stark calls you here, Peter.”
“Oh.” Peter said, taking a deep breath. He shook his head to himself. “No. Don’t notify him, Fri. I’m fine.”
“Okay.” Friday said, leaving Peter be.
Peter climbed down to the bottom of his bed, grabbing his backpack. Opening his bag, he took out his wallet. Inside his wallet, he only has a few bills that he’s got from people during patrols (only some from people who never gave up, he didn’t usually accept money). He definitely doesn’t have enough to pay Tony Stark rent.
It’s a Sunday. Peter’s tired but he cannot sleep. He looked over at the alarm clock again (this time it’s 5.30am). He didn’t even realise he’d been up for this long.
Tony’s face showed up at his bedroom door. Peter would’ve flinched, but it was Tony. He was never scared when Mr Stark was around him. The man opened the door, his face falling when he realised that Peter is awake.
“Expected you to be asleep, Bambino.”
Peter scrambled to put his wallet away, throwing the backpack onto the wooden floor. Peter’s eyes move down to the sheets, almost ashamed that he wasn’t sleeping.
“Not a bad thing,” Tony said, stepping across the floor to get to Peter’s bed. He sat down on the side of the mattress, wrapping an arm around him. He kissed the side of the boy’s head. “Just worried, baby.”
The endearment made Peter yearn. It made him feel like Tony’s son, that he’s someone that deserves to be around him. He feels like Uncle Ben’s still here. He’d never replace Ben but, he filled the void left behind. He’s not Ben, he’s Tony. He’s another father figure added to the long list and if Peter’s not careful, he’d be gone next.
“Peter?” Tony said, poking the boy’s head gently. “What’s going on in there?”
“Nothing.” Peter said, leaning back into the man. “Just woke up. Maybe I just went to bed early, don’t really remember it.”
“I put you down. It was at like 8 or something,” Tony told him.
“Oh.” Peter sighed. “Mr Stark?”
“Yeah?”
“I love you.”
Tony’s smile spread across his face. “Love you too, sweetie.”
“I mean it, I really mean it. You do everything for me, more than everything. I do nothing in return for you, Mr Stark. I- I’m not-,”
“Hey, kiddo- you do everything for me too. Having you and Pepper with me, that’s all I need. I just need my family. I don’t need you to give me anything. Remember that.”
Peter just nodded. He sat up after Tony left the room to make them breakfast. Changing his clothes from the ones he came in, Peter felt a bit like a fraud. His wardrobe is full with clothes that Tony had gifted him since they met. Subconsciously, he picked out the cheapest ones so that he could remember what it felt like to having nothing.
His eyes glanced around the room. He looked at the new consoles, the games, the expensive clothes and the bed. His thoughts fell back, back to a time where he caught an argument between May and Ben.
Ben Parker was a responsible man, a police officer. His hair was a light brown, a colour similar to Peter Parker’s. His eyes were the same colour as his brother’s, as his nephew’s, and his smile was the one passed down the family tree. He never really lost composure, which is why Peter was frozen when he watched tears falling down his Uncle’s face. His Aunt and Uncle didn’t know that their thirteen-year-old boy was watching them from the shadows, watching them argue about wether or not to get Peter the new playstation for his 14th birthday.
Money was tight, it always was. Peter noticed how different his life was to his best friend Ned. How different it was to Flash, to MJ, to most people in the school. He was one of the only students on a scholarship, the only one who got in on his own accord. People didn’t like that. People would scoff at his worn down boots, his jackets that he’d share with Ben (drowning his body). So Peter stopped asking for things that were expensive and focused on doing odd jobs to slip money into the bill pot.
His thoughts brought him away from reality. He was only brought back by a soft knock on the door. He shook his head, walking up to the door. Opening it, he smiled at who was at the other side.
“Hi Pete,” Pepper smiled. “Just letting you know that your breakfast is ready.”
“Thanks Miss Potts,” Peter said.
Pepper took his hand in hers, making Peter calm. He wasn’t as close to her as he was Mr Stark but, he still loved her. Walking down the tower’s hallway, it almost felt like he was a part of their family, like he was the Stark’s son.
“It’s Pepper, Peter.” She reminded him, like she did almost every time they spoke.
“Good luck getting him to stop,” Tony said, wrapping one an arm around Pepper’s waist, the other around Peter. “I might just keep you both here all day, keep you in my grip.”
After almost suffocating in a sandwich between the two adults, Tony let him go. He ate the two plates of food that the man provided for him, enjoying the taste of cooked food. May worked a lot for the both of them but, that meant Peter was alone in the apartment a lot more than May ever wished. He hadn’t learnt to cook, not eating as much as he should for his metabolism.
“So, Peter Parker, what would you like to do today? Should we go to the movies? Or we could go watch a show? I could get you some stuff at the mall... anything your heart desires, bambino.” Tony said to him, putting their dirty plates in the dishwasher.
“Uh,” Peter said, not wanting Tony to spend money on him. “Should we just go for a walk?”
“A walk?” Tony said, humming. “If you want to, baby.”
“Yeah, I’d like that,” Peter nodded.
“Right, go grab your coat then. I got you a new one.”
Peter sighed, taking a deep breath. He walked down to his bedroom, looking at the brand new Gucci coat on his mattress. He put it on, stressed at the amount of money it must of cost. He grabbed his wallet again, taking the crumpled bills. Instead of putting them back, he snuck up to Tony’s bedroom and placed them in his top drawer. Everything he had, he put in there.
Peter stepped out of the room, running back down to Tony. Tony was dressed in a similar coat and his hair was messy, covered by a black snapback. He wore a pair of sunglasses on his face, obviously trying to hide his identity. Tony takes the boy’s hand, walking him down to a park.
“You know, kiddo, I used to do this with my mother,” Tony said, squeezing Peter’s hand. “I’m glad I got my own kid to do this with now, makes everything worthwhile.”
Peter’s head whipped up to Tony’s before he could think, his eyes wide. “You- uh- what? You think of me as your-,”
“Kid, do I really need to explain this again?” He said softly, walking them towards a bench. He sat down, letting the kid take the spot next to him. “Of course I do, you’re my boy.”
“I-,” Peter looked down at his trainers, a pair that he’d been gifted. “You could have so much better than me, Mr Stark.”
“I don’t want to,” Tony told him, “You’re my kid.”
“B-Because I-I-,”
“There’s nothing you can tell me, there’s nothing you could do, that would make me want someone else as my son. You’re my boy, Peter.” He told him.
Peter smiled softly. He took Tony’s hand, closing his eyes and letting himself calm down as he snuggled in to the other’s grip. Tony’s finger traces around Peter’s other palm, humming underneath his breath.
“I got you something.”
“Again?” Peter said. “Mr Stark, I-I don’t need anything else.”
“Well, think of it as a birthday present.”
“My birthday was seven months ago...,”
“Well, think of it as an early present for your next birthday.” Tony told him, handing him a wrapped present.
“Hmm,” Peter mumbled, taking the box. He unwrapped it, a Rolex box suddenly in his hands. “Oh my god... Mr Stark?! You d-didn’t?!”
Tony displays his wrist. “We’re matching now.”
“T-This must’ve c-cost loads, I-I can’t even i-imagine! B-But, I-I-,”
“You deserve something this good, Petey. You deserve more than this, really. You do so good, you’re so selfless and you save so many people. I just want to treat you whilst you’re with me.” Tony explained, as he grabbed the watch out of the box. He attached it to Peter’s wrist. “Looks amazing on you.”
“It’s b-beautiful,” Peter whispered. “I love it, thank you.”
“That’s okay, Peter.”
Tony and Peter take a walk down the park, stopping to buy ice cream. People see past Tony Stark’s disguise. Hordes of paparazzi surrounded them after a while, making Tony angry. Tony holds Peter close to them, wrapping an arm around his waist as he tries to get him away from the flash of the camera.
When they get back from the walk, Tony walked into the living room with a furious look, his fist clenched. Peter looked down to his feet, not wanting to look Tony in the eye for fear that he disappointed him.
“Not mad at you,” Tony said, propping down onto the couch. “Mad at those vultures.”
“What happened?” Steve said, walking down to the two of them with Natasha, Clint, Bucky, Sam and Bruce trailing behind him.
Natasha stepped over to Peter, wrapping her arm around her favourite kid. “I saw what happened, the paparazzi ruined my favourite kid’s day.”
“Nat, I’m fine,” Peter said, chuckling. “Mr Stark helped me.”
“So she’s Nat and I’m Mr Stark? I’m betrayed by my own kid,” Tony groaned.
“Nat is scary, Mr Stark. She doesn’t like being called Miss Romanoff,” Peter explained, propping down next to Tony as soon as Natasha stopped hugging him. “Anyway, what we watching for movie night?” He asked, cuddling into Tony’s side.
“It’s the baby’s choice tonight,” Sam told him, sitting down in Bucky’s spot. Bucky retaliated by just sitting down on-top of the man.
Clint and Bruce ignore the commotion, sitting down on a different sofa. Steve sits down with Natasha, next to Peter and Tony. They all watch Sam and Bucky arguing for a while before turning to the TV, pretending they weren’t there.
Peter chose Harry Potter, ignoring how Tony rolled his eyes. He ended up falling asleep on Tony’s chest.
The next morning, Tony drove him to school. Peter never expected that he’d ever show up to Midtown Tech in one of Tony Stark’s cars. He felt small as soon as he stepped out of the door, everyone’s eyes on him. Tony stepped out, giving him a hug goodbye.
Ned ran up to him, his eyes wide. Before he could speak, Peter interrupted him. “You knew I was staying with him.”
“I didn’t know he’d take you to school in a 500,000 dollar car!” His eyes fall to the vehicle and it drives out of sight. Ned’s eyes immediately look down, noticing the watch. “Woah! Also didn’t expect... that!”
“Neither did I, Ned,” Peter mumbled.
Throughout the day, he got hundreds of questions from his classmates about the car. People had crazy theories about his new watch and his new clothes, even his teacher’s stared at him as he walked into the room. He couldn’t exactly tell people the truth, that the richest man in the world was like his father. Instead, he ignored each question and pretended that he couldn’t hear.
He wasn’t used to being in the spotlight. The only time people noticed him was when Flash yelled at him through the hallways or the day after the news of his Uncle broke.
People treated him like glass for a month after Ben’s passing. When he walked down the hallways, his eyes downcast and red, people would stare at him with sympathetic looks.
It was the opposite of that day. It was like the sunlight shone down on his watch, on his new Gucci jeans and the jacket (a brand that Peter hadn’t even heard of before). People looked at him like he was a brand new person. Ned thought the attention was brilliant, like they finally became popular. Peter, however, thought the opposite.
Back at the tower, Tony finally decided to have a clean up in his bedroom (from the request of his fiancé). He had almost finished, close to the time when he had to pick Peter up. He opened his drawers and noticed the crumpled up bills.
Tony stared down at the money in his hands. He never kept his money here and they never were in this condition. He stared for a bit longer, wondering where they came from. Suddenly, he realised. Peter.
Peter had put the money in. His kid had tried to pay him for living in his home. Tony sighed, shoving the money in his jacket pocket. There was no way he was letting this happen. He was giving this money right back and some more.
When Peter walked up to Tony’s car later that day, he walked with his head down. As he opened the passenger door, he quickly closed it behind him; Peter was clearly ignoring his classmates as they stared at him.
“Good day?” Tony asked. Peter replied by slowly nodding his head. “I was cleaning my room out today. Can you guess what I found?”
“N-No?”
“I found some bills. I can only assume who put them there, you know?” Tony said, pulling the money out of his pocket. “Did you really try to pay me, kid?”
“I-I can get you more! I know it’s not enough!” Peter frowned.
Tony sighed. He looked at the kid for a while before taking his hand. He placed the money in the kid’s palm, closing his fingers over it. “Peter. I don’t need your money. Please, kid. I just want to look after you. I don’t want you to pay me. Think of it as a sleepover if you can’t think of it as a second home. Could you tell me why you’re finding it so hard?”
“I- uh- I don’t know, Mr Stark,” Peter mumbled, his eyes moving to the back mirrors of the car they were driving. His classmates were still staring, wishing Tony would drive away. “C-Can we just go back to the tower?”
“Sure, kid,” Tony sighed, pressing his foot down onto the pedal.
It was a silent trip. When they came back, Peter walked straight into his bedroom. He jumped onto the bed, burying his head in the pillows.
Tony sat at his breakfast bar, thoughts scrambling around his head. Something was up with the kid and he wasn’t sure what it was. A bit of him felt like he was at fault, like he had done something awful to upset the kid. He didn’t want to press the kid. He didn’t want to upset him.
“Go talk to him already,” Natasha said, sitting down on the stool next to him; she had come out of nowhere.
Tony jumped, putting a hand over his heart. “You scared the crap out of me,” He sighed, looking at her. “I don’t want to upset him further.”
“Then he’s just going to brood in his room and get more upset. Just find out what’s going on in his head. If he’s upset for a while then he’s upset but, at least you’ll know what’s going on in his head.” She explained, pushing Tony to go talk to his kid.
Tony decided to take her advice. Partly because he realised she was right, the other half of him scared that she’d yell if he didn’t. He knocked gently on Peter’s door and waited for the boy to respond.
Peter was staring down at the expensive watch on his wrist. As much as he felt guilty to have something so valuable in his possession, he loved the feeling of matching with Tony. He loved the idea that Tony cared so much that he wanted to spend money on him. He just didn’t feel deserving of it. He heard the knock, his head whipping up. He let out a small, “come in,” smiling softly as Tony walked in.
Tony didn’t beat around the bush. He asked the kid straight away if he was okay. “Hey, kiddo. We both know that something is going on in that head of yours. I can help, if you’ll tell me what is up.”
Peter sighed. He cuddled into Tony’s side as the man sat down. “Just feel a little guilty that you’re spending so much on me, Mr Stark.”
“Does it make you feel bad? I can stop, if you’d like.”
“I know you like buying me things. I know you like buying everyone things. I just feel weird knowing that I’d never have this much if I ever met you. I feel like I shouldn’t have it all,” Peter explained. “It’s weird, I-I-,”
“It’s not weird. It’s just how I express my love, kiddo. It probably comes from how I grew up. My dad threw money at me rather than loving me so, I kind of have a screwed up way of showing people that I love them,” Tony told him, looking around at the room. “I can see that I might’ve gone a bit far. It was just exciting to have you stay over.”
“I get it, Mr Stark,” Peter smiled. “It makes me happy that you think of me. I just don’t think I need this much. Like you said the other day, I’ve got everything I need in you, Pepper and the team. I love you all.”
“We love you too, kiddo.”
Tony looked over at all the presents. “Hmmm, how about whenever I go to buy you a present... I’ll use the money I would’ve spent and donate it to a charity of your choice? Would that make you feel better?”
Peter’s face lit up. “Yes! That’s brilliant, Mr Stark. That’s such a good idea.”
Peter’s life had been a rollercoaster since the day he was born. Sitting in that plane, he thought that he was going to die at four. He didn’t think he was going to have a life. When he survived, he realised that life was worth living. Going through such a trauma at the young age made him stronger and more resilient. Losing his second father figure made him crash but, he quickly got back on track. Yet something felt like it was missing.
Fixing that robot in Tony’s lab during the gala, he never expected that his life would change so much. Tony, Pepper and the Avengers made his life worth living. He felt like the hole in his heart was fixed.
Becoming Tony’s Stark protege and then his son was one of the best things that happened to Peter Parker and it was also the best thing to ever happen to Tony. Life was complete because, they had each other.