When It’s Meant To Be

“Pete! Get back here!” Tony yelled after Peter bolted out of the bathroom butt naked.

Tony got up to chase after the naked toddler as he ran out of the bathroom and down the hallway. Tony had just given him a bath after a very messy lunch of Mac and cheese with yogurt but Peter seemed to have other ideas as he ran away.

Tony stepped into the living room and looked around for Peter but didn’t see him. He walked closer to the other end of the couch and heard the kid giggling like crazy behind the couch.

He decided to surprise Peter by slowly popping up on him so Tony quietly walked around the couch and looked over the side, seeing Peter sitting against the couch with his knees pulled up to his chest.

“Boo!” Tony saw Peter’s head snap up to look at him before breaking out in giggles and getting up to run away.

Tony laughed then watched Peter run into the kitchen but instead of chasing after him, Tony decided to take his time. It was Peter’s nap time but it didn’t look like the kid was even close to tired so he wanted to try and tire him out at least until Pepper got back so he had another person on his side and Peter was out numbered.

As Tony was slowly making his way into the kitchen, he realized that he couldn’t hear anything coming from Peter. The kid had been giggling non stop ever since he made his naked dash out of the bathroom but now there was silence which meant that Peter was up to something.

“Pete?” Tony called out, feeling his heart race. He picked up his speed and turned the corner, entering the kitchen.

His eyes immediately landed on Peter who had pulled the flour out from one of the cabinets and was currently laying on his stomach with the flour all over the flour.

“Peter. What’s going on in here?” Tony asked amused but also annoyed because now Peter needed another bath and the floor had to be cleaned.

Peter turned to look over at Tony and his whole face was covered in white flour and was even in his hair making him look like he stuck his whole face in the bag and knowing Peter, Tony knew that that’s exactly what Peter did.

“Daddy, I make lunch.” Peter explained then rolled onto his back so he could sit up and clap his hands, causing a puff of powder to go everywhere. Peter grinned.

Tony shook his head, not even knowing where to start with the mess. Clean the child first or the floor?

He also wasn’t sure if he should yell at Peter or not. It was extremely cute but Peter shouldn’t be praised for doing something like this because then he would think it’s okay.

“Wan’ it?” Peter grabbed some flour off the floor and held his hand out towards Tony.

He couldn’t stop the smile from shooting across his face. “No thank you, baby.”

Peter brought his offered hand back to his mouth and started to eat the flour but coughed after he breathed some of it in.

Tony pulled out his phone to take a few pictures for memories and because the moment was too cute to forget, although usually everything about Peter was too cute to forget.

“How about we go get you cleaned up again, bud?” Tony stepped towards Peter and held his hand out for him which Peter stood up and took.

Tony walked him out of the kitchen, ignoring the mess for now. Just as he was about to pass the living room, the elevator doors opened revealing Pepper who had actually went to the store to buy diapers and some other baby stuff since the order was going to take a few hours and Peter needed new diapers now.

She paused at the scene in front of her and then laughed. “I leave for twenty minutes and you turn Peter into a snow monster.”

Peter turned around to face Pepper, still holding onto Tony’s hand. “I no s’ow mo’ster.”

“Yeah, Pep. He’s not a snow monster. Get it right.” Tony joked then started walking with Peter back into his bedroom.

Inside the bathroom, Tony let go of Peter’s hand to start the bath but he knew that would take too long. He just wanted to quickly rinse Peter off and then get him in his crib for a nap.

“How would you like a shower, bud?” Tony asked as he moved to turn the shower on. Peter didn’t say anything, walking over to Tony after Tony held his hands out for him then Tony put him under the water spray and rinsed him off.

He used one hand to hold the water handle and the other to get the flour out of the crevices on Peter’s body.

Peter took advantage of Tony being close to him and splashed him with the water every chance he got. “Hey! You little bugger.”

Peter giggled as he tried to sit on Tony’s lap from the way he was kneeling down but it resulted in Tony getting soaked. Once he decided that all the flour was off if his kid, he turned the shower off, lifted Peter into his arms and stepped out of the large shower.

He carried Peter into his bedroom, grabbing a fresh towel on the way then laying out the towel on the bed and laying Peter down so he could wrap him up in it.

Tony dried him off and ran the extra part of the towel over his hair, making his curls stick up and go all over the place. He then opened up the towel to let Peter air dry a bit before he put a diaper on him then leaned down to press a bunch of kisses to Peter’s exposed belly just as Pepper walked in.

“All clean?” She asked, setting a diaper and cream on the bed.

Both of them ignored her so she sat down next to Peter and ran her fingers through his damp curls.

Tony stopped before he got peed on and grabbed the cream. “This ones new.”

Pepper nodded. “The other one ran out. Plus this one is vegan. It’s better for him too.”

Peter lifted his legs up and looked over at Pepper.

“Hi Peppo!” He smiled at her with his toothy little grin that always made her heart melt.

“Hi sweetie. Did you have fun with daddy while I was gone?” She asked him, poking the toddler on the stomach.

Peter kicked his legs forward and let out a loud sound that caused both adults to pause and stare at him.

“You good, Pete?” Tony asked alarmed.

Peter grinned. “Yeah!”

That had Tony and Pepper bursting out laughing and despite Peter not knowing what they were laughing at, he joined in as well.

Once the laughter died down, Tony opened the diaper cream, dipped his finger inside and started applying it on Peter which Peter was okay with as always but as soon as he saw the diaper he started crying.

“No di’per! No, daddy!” Peter tried to roll onto his stomach to crawl away but Tony held his legs.

“Yes, Peter. Diaper.” He used one hand to lift up Peter’s legs and then used his other hand to slip the diaper under Peter’s butt.

“No! No no no!” Peter cried out but made no effort to get away from Tony which just proved how exhausted the toddler was.

Tony ignored him as he let go of Peter’s legs and brought the diaper forward to do up the straps. He picked him up in one motion and walked out of the room to put Peter down in his crib.

He didn’t want to put Peter in any pyjamas right now because that would take too long and Peter would only end up taking them off.

Tony placed Peter in his crib and moved to grab his pacifier and RoRo. Peter was standing on his tippy toes trying to reach for Tony over his crib rails.

Peter reached out his RoRo and immediately cuddled the rabbit close to his chest, stopping his crying instantly and reaching his free hand out for his pacifier that he saw in Tony’s hand. Tony handed it to him and watched as Peter placed it in his mouth and started sucking on it as if his life depended on it.

“Lie down, baby.” Tony helped Peter onto his stomach and laid a thin blanket over him. He was expecting more of a fight but thankfully Peter was too tired to do that.

Peter closed his eyes and was out in seconds.

Tony turned on his nightlight and double checked that the baby monitor was on and working before leaving the room and leaving the door a crack open.

He walked into the kitchen to clean up the mess but was surprised to see that it was already cleaned up.

“I cleaned it for you since you were busy with Peter.” Pepper walked up behind him and said.

He loved this woman. “Thank you.”

“Of course.” She pressed a kiss to his neck and let go. Tony immediately missed the comfort from her but that wasn’t true, his monkey was sleeping so he missed having that constant physical contact with someone.

He ran a pot of coffee and sighed, knowing what he had to do. He’d been dreading this ever since he got the calls that he had been ignoring the past few days.

Calling May back.

He would need a lot of coffee for that.

Tony checked the time and saw that it was 12:47pm meaning that Peter had little over an hour before his nap was over and he knew that talking to May was going to take a lot longer than that.

He took a sip of his coffee then turned to Pepper. “I have to go call May back and talk to her about whatever the hell she's been spamming me about. Can you wake Pete up at two?”

“Yeah, I’d love to. I haven’t spent one on one time with him in a long time.” Pepper responded happily.

At least one of them was happy, Tony thought as he grabbed his phone and went down to the lab.

He sat on his stool and dialed Mays number. At first Tony thought it was going to go to voicemail but it sadly didn’t.

“Tony? Why are you just calling me now after three days of nothing?” May greeted into the phone.

Here we go. “Nice to hear your voice too, May. How are you?”

“Don’t bullshit me, Tony. You can’t just take my kid and disappear off the face of the earth.”

“Let me stop you right there. First of all, Peter is my kid. Secondly, I told you that we were going to be busy for the next three days and I wouldn’t be able to talk to you.” Tony took the last sips of his coffee and got up to make himself another cup.

May scoffed. “Oh yeah? And where did you make him? Out of the country? Miami?”

Tony rolled his eyes then put his phone on speaker so he could use both hands to make himself a coffee. “Not that it’s any of your business but Pepper and I took him to her friends house in the country who recently had a baby girl.”

May was silent on the other end for a few seconds before speaking. “Well I was calling you because now that this situation is permanent, I want to discuss what times you have Peter and when I have him.”

Tony almost dropped the mug he was holding in his hand. What the fuck. That was never the plan. Peter was his kid and was staying with him.

“I’m sorry, what?” Tony asked into the phone.

“He’s my kid too, Tony. I have the right to see him whenever I want and to raise him. Again.” May spoke like it was obvious. As if the two of them have discussed it in the past.

“You can see him. Come over to the tower whenever you want but you’re not taking him back to your house with you.” Tony was not going to let that happen. No way.

May sighed. “Tony, Peter deserves to have me in his life. You can’t take him away from me.”

Tony wanted to say watch me and hang up the phone but that would only make the situation worse. He wasn’t sure what kinds of rights May had over Peter right now. He should probably call his lawyers later.

May spoke up again since Tony wasn’t saying anything. “I think it would be a good idea if I see him this weekend. See how that works out.”

Tony stayed silent so May continued. “We can start with weekends. I get him on weekends and you get him during the week for now and then-”

Tony cut her off. “Hold up,”

When Peter was a teenager and Tony and him just met, he immediately knew about Mays money struggles and how she had to work long hours just to have enough money to provide for Peter. Tony also knew that Peter missed his Aunt whenever she would have to work long hours, especially on weekends so Tony considered secretly making sure the hospital gives her more time off and more money so she could still provide for Peter but also spend time with him.

Now however, Tony wanted to make sure the hospital never gives her time off just so she couldn’t take care of Peter.

“You want to take my kid every weekend even after he clearly wants to be with me and not you?” Tony knew it was a low blow and kind of childish but he didn’t care.

“Excuse me? Peter only wants to be with you right now because that’s what he’s used to. He’s a baby so if you let him he’ll become attached to me instead.” May argued but now Tony was about to lose it.

“Why would I want that.” He asked rhetorically.

“Tony. You can’t keep Peter away from me. Please. Let me see him this weekend. Just for a day and a night. You can pick him up early the next day.” May was practically begging but Tony wasn’t giving in. Peter was his kid so it was up to him whether May got to see him or not.

“No.”

She sighed. “Tony. Please.”

He stayed silent. He turned the baby monitor that was one of many around the penthouse and in his lab and he saw his kid sleeping soundly with his steady heart rate posted on the side.

“You can come to the tower tomorrow to see him for a few hours. That’s it. He’s not going home with you.” Tony felt bad. He really did but Peter didn’t even want to go with his Aunt, he wasn’t in his teenage mindset like he used to be so for all Tony knew, Peter doesn’t even remember May so sending him with May would be like sending him with a stranger.

“You can’t do this. I’ll bring a lawyer into this and I know… you are a fucking billionaire and you can afford the best lawyers out there but-but I have legal rights to Peter. I’m his legal guardian and that’s something. In the name of the law you are nothing to him, Tony. Money or not, I’d win.”

Tony couldn’t help but scuff. “Are you threatening me, May?”

“Maybe I am. Just… think about what I said. I want to have Peter this weekend. It’ll just be for one day and a night.” May sounded desperate but Tony wouldn’t allow her to dictate to him. Maybe before when he had a lot of respect for her but not anymore.

“No can do, May. You don’t call my phone nonstop for three days straight and then threaten me into letting you take my kid for the weekend. No fucking way. Don’t call me again.” With that, Tony hung up the phone.

He felt bad, he did. He actually felt awful and knew that May deserved at least a little bit better than that but he was scared if he was being honest.

He was scared that Mays threat held some real heat behind it and that she would actually go as far as to go to court over it.

He was also terrified of sending Peter with her and then when he goes to pick his kid up the next day and his kid refuses to go with him.

Peter possibly having some long term memories that got brought back from all the years that May has with Peter. She has fifteen years of knowing his kid. He has less than two years.

Tony ran a hand over his face. Was he being too overprotective? Was he being over jealous and hogging the kid to himself? Maybe he should let May see Peter.

“Was I too hard on her FRI?” Tony asked, scared of the answer FRIDAY would have.

“I believe May Parker deserved to be put in her place and that she still has her rights to see her nephew.” FRIDAY answered but Tony wasn’t sure if it made him feel better or not. Probably not.

He finished filling up his coffee and saw that it was 2:30pm. He hadn’t realized he was on the phone with May for so long.

He needed to calm down before going up to see his kid first.

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Pepper walked into Peter’s bedroom at 2pm to wake him up from his nap.

She was excited to spend the next few hours with him.

To her surprise, Peter was already awake and was quietly playing with his RoRo. She walked over to his crib and smiled down at him.

Peter looked up at her and grinned. “Peppo!”

“Hi Peter. How did you sleep?” She reached in and picked Peter up after he raised his arms up for her. Usually he cried when he was awake to let everybody know that he was awake and wanted attention but he didn’t this time.

Peter didn’t answer her but Pepper expected that. She grabbed the pacifier out of Peter’s mouth and set it inside the crib only for Peter to place his thumb in his mouth instead.

“Let’s get your changed and then we can go play.” Peter bounced in her arms in excitement as they walked over to the changing table where Pepper laid Peter on his back.

“Daddy?” Peter took his thumb out of his mouth to ask.

“Daddy’s working until his lab. You’ll see him later.” Pepper told the toddler then took off his dirty diaper, quickly wiping him clean and then putting a new one on.

“All done!” Peter yelled excitedly and clapped his hands together.

“Yep! You have a clean bum now.” She picked him off of the changing table and set him on the floor. “What do you want to wear?”

Peter ran to his corner and grabbed his fire truck. “No c’othes.”

“Not even a shirt?” She asked Peter but she knew it was a no. Peter was too focused on playing with his toys now.

“No. Wan’ play. Come.” Peter pushed his fire truck over to Pepper and then reached out for her hand so she took Peter’s chubby hand in hers and they walked to the living room together.

Peter pointed to the ground. “Sit.” He demanded.

Pepper was the CEO of a multi billion dollar company who sat at the front of a board meeting table, respected by everyone who met her since she holds so much power and yet, she sat for Tony’s two year old son because that’s what Peter wanted.

Peter placed himself in Peppers lap after she sat down and then he grabbed a book out of nowhere and opened it up. He bent his neck so he could look up at her. “Read it p’ease, Peppo.”

“Okay, sweetie. I’ll read it for you.” Pepper began reading the children’s book but once she was done, Peter wanted to read it again so she did. After about the sixth time reading the book, Pepper decided to do something else with Peter.

“Do you want to go make some pudding, Peter?” Pepper asked and Peter excitement jumped out of her lap and jumped on the spot with a huge smile on his face.

“Puddy!” He exclaimed excitedly but Pepper shook her head fondly.

“It’s pudding, Peter.” She exaggerated the ing but it didn’t work.

“Puffy!” Peter then ran off towards the kitchen and was already trying to climb on top of the counter. He turned around and saw Pepper so he started whining and jumping up and down with his arms raised more aggressively. “Up! Up up.”

“Help me get the bowls out first.” Pepper didn’t want Peter sitting on the counter top while she wasn’t there to supervise him.

“‘Kay.” Peter put his arms down and walked over to the cabinet with the mixing bowls and pulled them all out before Pepper could stop him.

“Perfect! This ones big enough.” Pepper grabbed the red bowl but Peter screamed.

“I wan’ ‘ellow bowl.” He explained and grabbed the yellow bowl off of the ground and handed it to her.

“Okay. This one works too.” Pepper knew she had to get used to the tantrums that came with raising a two year old and Peter wanting the yellow bowl instead of the red one wasn’t even the start of it.

“Now up?” Peter asked with hesitation but Pepper shook her head.

“Not yet. We need to get the milk and powder first.” Pepper opened the fridge and grabbed the milk then looked down and saw Peter trying to climb the up the shelves to get inside. “What are you doing, silly?”

“I help.” Peter said but Pepper lifted him up by the underarms and placed him on top of the counter top so they could get started.

“I need you to pour this bag into the bowl for me.” Pepper opened the pudding mix and handed it to Peter.

He looked inside the package and sniffed it. “Mmmm. Wan’ daddy to go ‘mmm’ too. Where he?”

“He’s in his lab, remember?”

“Daddy in lab?” Peter asked, despite Pepper just saying that that’s where his daddy was. She nodded and Peter shrugged his shoulders. “Daddy come here.”

“How about we make the pudding and then after it’s done we can call him up and he’ll come and eat it with us, sound good?” Pepper asked. She knew Tony was talking to May and she didn’t want to disturb him.

“Daddy come?” Peter asked again, desperate for Tony to be with him.

“After we make pudding.” Pepper felt horrible because she couldn’t give Peter what he wanted but Peter had to wait.

“‘Kay.” Was all Peter said and then they got to making the pudding.

Making pudding was probably the easiest thing to do in the world but having to do that with a two year old made it the hardest thing to do. Peter wanted to help with every single step which made the whole process twice as long but Pepper wouldn’t change that for anything.

Once it was done, Peter stuck his whole hand into the yellow bowl filled with pudding. He took his hand out, laughing and then stuck his fingers in his mouth to lick the dessert off.

As if Tony was watching them and knew to come up after they were done, he appeared in the kitchen. Pepper thought that that exactly what he was doing down there.

“What are you guys doing?” Tony asked, walking into the kitchen.

“Daddy! Pe’er and Peppo make puddy!” Peter explained and threw his arms up into the air, reaching out for Tony.

“I can see that! Does it taste good, baby?” He asked Peter as he noticed that Peter had the pudding all over him. Peter nodded and held his hand that was covered in licked pudding, out to him. “Oh wow, thanks, Petey, but I’m gonna get my own bowl. You know, so I can dip my own fingers into it.”

Pepper handed Tony a bowl of the pudding and slid it over to him but before Tony even got the chance to take a bite of it, Peter stuck his hand into that bowl as well and then brought his fingers up to his mouth to start sucking on it.

Both adults laughed at Peter and how cute he was but it still didn’t stop Tony from grabbing a spoon and eating the pudding. Peter was his kid and he changed his diapers so this doesn’t phase him.

While Peter was distracted with eating his own bowl of pudding, Pepper turned to Tony and asked in a low voice, “How did things go with May?”

Tony looked down. He hated what was about to come. “Not good.”