I’m afraid to fall
Tony was reading a book to Peter later that night after he had a bath and was dressed in his bedtime ducky onesie.
They had a quiet rest of the day which was nice since Tony got to spend time with his kid alone which he didn’t get to do that often anymore. He had a feeling he was going to be doing it a lot more often now but it didn’t bring him peace to think about that. He knew he was making a mistake.
“Roar tiger!” Peter yelled and pointed to the tiger on the page of the story book that Tony and him bought down in the hotel shops earlier on, the sudden yell pulled Tony from his thoughts.
“Good job, baby. And what’s this one?” Tony asked Peter and pointed to a lion on the next page.
Peter pointed at it and let out a roar which was close enough.
After the book was done, Tony pressed a kiss to Peter’s forehead and replaced Peter’s milk bottle with his pacifier.
He then laid there and just watched his baby sleep. It was probably his favourite thing to do at the moment since Peter was so beautiful when he slept and always made Tony feel extra protective of his baby.
A few minutes later, there was a knock on the hotel door. Tony sat up quickly and hesitated. No one knows where they are so he shouldn’t have anyone knocking on his hotel door at seven in the evening.
Tony got off the bed and looked out the peephole but he relaxed when he saw that it was Pepper. Then he tensed up again because of their fight and the fact that they weren’t exactly talking right now.
He opened the door anyways and stood there without saying anything.
She looked sad but relieved to see him. “Can I come in?”
“I don’t know if that’s the best idea.” Tony crossed his arms and leaned against the doorframe. “I thought you didn’t want anything to do with us.”
Pepper sighed loudly. “Stop it, Tony. I don’t know what I said or did to make you think that but it is not true and you know it so stop.”
Tony stepped aside to let her in. He shut the door and walked into the room to see Pepper staring at Peter’s sleeping form.
“He just fell asleep about fifteen minutes ago.” Tony told her but he didn’t even know why he was. She probably came to take her stuff and leave. “Uh, well I left your bags here and-”
“I want to adopt Peter with you.” Pepper blurted out.
Tony paused and almost choked on his words. “You what?”
Pepper walked towards him so they were face to face and she looked extremely desperate. “I don’t know what I did to make you think that I don’t want this,” Pepper gestured wildly with her arms and then pointed to Peter passed out on the bed, “or him. But I do, I want it all and more, Tony.”
Tony didn’t say anything so Pepper continued. “I want to love Peter as my kid too but you won’t let me. Now I don’t even know if you notice you’re doing it or not but you are.”
Tony didn’t know what Pepper was talking about. He didn’t think that he did that but now that it was brought to his attention, it made a lot of sense.
Pepper continued. “If we’re doing this then I want equal say in everything revolving around Peter.”
Tony shook his head and went to go sit down on the bed that Peter was sleeping on.
“See,” Pepper walked over to him and sat down next to him. “this is what I’m talking about. You’re acting like you’re the single dad and scared to let his new girlfriend into his son's life.”
Tony laughed dryly. “Isn’t that exactly what this is?”
She looked at him, hurt. “No Tony. I have been in your life for over ten years now and I know you better than you know yourself. I was there when fourteen year old Peter came into your life as well as when you pushed him away. Who was there to knock some sense into you? I was. So stop this. I love Peter just as much as you do.”
Tony shook his head again because that just wasn’t possible. “No one loves Peter more than I do.”
Pepper grabbed his hands and squeezed them. “Tony. Please. We’re in this together. I want this life with you and with Peter. So please, will you let me adopt him with you?”
Tony was nodding his head before he even thought about it just because he knew that this was supposed to happen and that they were supposed to raise Peter together to give him a proper life with a mother and a father.
“Y-yeah. Yeah.” Tony cleared his throat and smiled at her. “Yeah, you can. I uh, I would tell him the news but he doesn’t understand.”
Pepper wiped a few tears that had fallen and pressed herself against Tony for a hug. “Thank you. I want to make him ours legally as soon as possible so we should get started on that right away.
Tony couldn’t agree more. He was done with Peter being a Parker by law and he just wanted to make Peter his officially.
Tony looked at Pepper. “I’m sorry. I know I don’t say that enough and I should.”
“Oh Tony.”
Tony held up his hand so she would let him talk. It was long overdue. “No, I’m sorry. I just, I know I’m being paranoid because May is gone and Peter doesn’t have any other family but I just… I keep getting this feeling like someone will figure everything out and take him away from me one day.”
Pepper rubbed his back. “You know that’s not going to happen but I think you’ll feel better once we get settled into a house. Everything just feels a bit off right now.”
That was one way to put it. “Everything just feels… temporary.”
“It won’t always. We have to find a house and move into it.” She said.
“Yeah. You’re right. And I’m sorry. Again. I just… I feel responsible for everything that happened and I just, stopped thinking. And the thing that kept running through my mind was that you were going to leave us after everything because it wasn’t what you wanted anymore and… Peter needs a mom and a dad. I can’t do this without you, Pep. And I’m sorry.” Tony was pouring his heart out which he tried to do more now but it was still extremely hard for him.
“I know you are but we’re in this together. Forever, Tony.” Pepper promised him and Tony felt like he could relax now.
It was going to be okay.
.
.
.
The next few days were extremely busy.
Tony and Pepper were juggling a toddler who was just starting his terrible twos now, house shopping as well as the process of adopting a child all while living in a hotel room.
To say Tony and Pepper were stressed was a huge understatement.
The whole adoption process wasn’t actually an adoption process at all which made the whole thing more complicated and stressful.
Tony wanted to make it so that when the day came where May did get out of jail, he wanted so that it was impossible for her to find Peter under the name Parker.
He was aware of all the phone calls that were being sent to May’s phone at the old apartment and how the school was wondering where Peter was after he got de-aged, although no one knew that he was de-aged.
Before, Tony had helped May set up an alibi for Peter and said that he went to his Uncle's house in Canada near Muskoka for a few months so people stopped asking but Tony knew that there were holes in that alibi now since it had been way too long.
Tony had to set a plan into action and one that had no holes in it, tying ‘teenage’ Peter that no longer existed to toddler Peter.
For now though, Tony had to make sure that Peter was his. And Pepper’s of course. He was sitting in the hotel room, on the phone with three lawyers while Pepper took Peter down to the pool for a swim so he could work in silence.
The plan was to use the file from their hospital visit that he had FRIDAY hack into and erase Peter Benjamin Parker’s name so instead it was Peter Benjamin Stark.
His lawyers were being paid good money to keep everything private and Tony knew they would keep their mouths shut because Tony knew that they knew how powerful he was.
By the end of the long day plus days in advance worth of research and hacking, legally, Peter was a Stark and was his and Pepper’s son.
They didn’t want to announce the news to everyone that Tony Stark had a secret two year old son with Pepper Potts to the world just yet.
Tony knew that it would put a lot of eyes and attention on them and that wasn’t the best thing to do when they were currently living in a hotel in Malibu so they had to wait until they found a house and moved in.
The story was, Pepper got pregnant shortly after her and Tony got back together a little over two years ago and then nine months later, Peter Benjamin Stark came along. Then they chose to keep him hidden from the public eye for as long as possible but with their move across the country, it just wasn’t going to stay hidden anymore so they decided to make it public knowledge.
Tony made sure to cover every part of the story and the rest was history.
All they had to do now was find a house and move in then he had to hold a press conference and share one or two pictures of Peter and their little family.
Then he had to take care of the teenage Peter that no longer existed but in all honesty, Tony had absolutely no idea how he wanted to go about that yet.
Although that problem was for another time. He put his computer and phone away and then changed into his bathing suit and went downstairs to the lobby to go find his girlfriend and his son.
He could see the two from the window so he quickly opened the door and went inside. He put his stuff down on the pool chair and looked down at the two of them. “Hi.”
“Dada!” Peter yelled and started splashing in the water excitedly. Tony jumped in and took Peter from Pepper. “Daddy daddy!”
“I’m here, Petey.” Tony held Peter in front of him and spun him around in the pool before sitting Peter up on the ledge so he could press a bunch of kisses to his chubby tummy. “Did you have fun with Pepper?”
Peter nodded his head and stuck his little tongue out. “Babanba!”
“Woah. I don’t really know what that means but okay.” Tony looked over at Pepper who started laughing then grabbed onto Tony’s arm.
“How did it go up there?” Pepper asked him and Tony could tell she was a bit nervous.
He pulled Peter back into the water and smiled at her. “It went well. Peter is ours now. In every way.”
Pepper screamed excitedly and threw herself into Tony’s arms. “Ah! Really?! Are you serious Tony? Oh my gosh. I’m so happy. That’s great news.”
Tony pressed a kiss to her temple. “Yeah, now all we need to do is find a house to move into so we can tell the media and get the word out there.”
“Well we have more showings tomorrow so hopefully we’ll have some luck.”
Tony could only hope that tomorrow they found a house for them because after days of house hunting with a toddler, they had zero luck and it got to the point where Tony thought that it was for a reason and that they should just move back to New York into the tower.
Peter pulled Tony from his continuous thoughts by farting that blew bubbles in the water and made all three of them start laughing.
“Excuse you, mr.” Pepper laughed and squeezed Peter’s foot.
Peter swatted her hand away and started laughing more before his face scrunched up which Tony and Pepper knew all too well to be Peter’s poop face.
“Okay. I guess we’re done here.” Tony lifted Peter onto the pool deck and Peter got into his signature pooping pose so Tony was grateful that they were the only ones in there. “Did you bring down any diapers or anything?”
Pepper looked regretful. “No. I forgot.”
Tony lifted himself out of the pool and grabbed a towel to wrap himself in then handed the other one to Pepper after she got out. “That’s fine. I’ll just put him in the bath as soon as we get up.”
“Are you ready to go back up now, Petey?” Tony asked but lifted Peter up without waiting for an answer. He wrapped Peter in a towel so he looked like he was in a little cocoon and then they all headed up.
Tony immediately went into the bathroom with Peter and pulled his swim diaper off and wiped him down as he ran a bath. He wasn’t originally going to put Peter in a swim diaper but Pepper suggested that they do which he was grateful for now.
He didn’t want to have to clean poop out of the pool. Even if it was his kids.
“Daddy’s turn.” Peter said and went to smack Tony on the back for no reason.
“Ow, Peter. That wasn’t very nice.” Tony turned to look at Peter who was grinning at him. It didn’t hurt him but he didn’t want Peter to think that hitting was okay.
“Daddy baf’.” Peter pointed to the bathtub and then looked up at Tony.
“I’m not going in the bath, you are so come here.” Tony picked Peter up and placed him in the bath but Peter immediately started crying. “What’s wrong?”
Tony quickly lifted Peter up and set him on his leg so he could reach into the water because his first thought was that he just accidentally burnt his kid with the water being too hot but that wasn’t the case.
The water was set as it always was so Tony didn’t understand why Peter was crying. “Peter, what’s wrong? You have to use your words because I can’t understand you when you’re screaming.”
Peter threw his head back and then quickly started to stop his crying. He rubbed at his eyes and then pointed towards the ground and said something that Tony couldn’t understand.
“You want me to put you down?” Tony asked Peter as he was placing Peter on the floor but once Peter was on the ground, he started stomping his feet and reaching up to Tony with the tears returning.
Tony was extremely confused. He picked Peter back up and walked back into the room. “I don’t know what’s wrong with him.”
Pepper had her computer out on her lap and then looked up at the two of them when they walked out. “I’m looking up sudden outbursts at two year olds and it’s hard because of the whole de-aging thing but I think the terrible twos are starting now.”
Tony set Peter on the floor because he was squirming in his arms and he watched Peter fun off to go play with his toy truck. He looked back at Pepper. “How long does it last?”
“Well, it’s called the terrible twos so until he’s three.” Pepper said like it was obvious and it was but not for Tony who could be pretty stupid sometimes for a genius.
Tony groaned. “Why is he just starting now?”
Pepper looked back at the computer screen as if she was looking for the answer. “I think because it took him awhile to get adjusted to his new life and so once he felt comfortable enough, I guess it started.”
Tony didn’t want Peter to go through the terrible twos but he knows that it’s necessary for Peter to learn right from wrong.
“This is gonna be fun.” Tony muttered sarcastically and walked over to Peter. “It’s bath time. You can play tomorrow.”
The crying started again and all Tony could do was feel bad for their hotel neighbours. He placed Peter in the bath and sat down on the ledge. He prepared for it to be one hell of a bath but after a minute or two, Peter stopped crying and sat down to start splashing in the water.
“Daddy, swim.” Peter said and looked up at Tony.
Tony didn’t know if it was a question or not but he took advantage of Peter’s good mood to wash his hair and the rest of his body. When it was time to take Peter out, Peter started crying again.
“Peter, please. I’m just taking you out.” Tony lifted Peter out of the bath and walked into the room to dry him on the bed just so he didn’t accidentally drop his wet toddler on the hard bathroom tiles.
He laid the towel out and laid Peter on it then dried his hair and the rest of his body. “Are you tired, Pete?”
Peter shook his head and tried to kick Tony. “No! Wan’ baf’!”
“Nope. No more bath tonight because it’s bedtime.” Tony grabbed a clean diaper but as soon as Peter saw it, his crying got louder so Tony placed it down on the bed for now. “Okay, no diaper for a few minutes. Go air dry.”
Tony lifted Peter off the bed and watched him run back to his truck and then Tony sat down on the bed, exhausted. “I’m so tired.”
Pepper didn’t say anything. Tony sat up and looked at her. “I know we haven’t talked about it in a few days but… I’ve been thinking about our last conversation and I want to retire from the company.”
Pepper looked up at Tony with an unreadable expression on her face and then shut her computer and put it off to the side. “Are you sure, Tony?”
Tony nodded. “Yes. I’ve been doing a lot of thinking. Even before we came here. I just, I know it’s the right thing to do and it’ll benefit everyone in the end. Especially Peter.”
Pepper looked over at Peter who was pushing his truck across the floor and making little car noises. “I don’t know.”
Tony sighed. He knew she wouldn’t be on board with it right away, or maybe at all. “Especially with the terrible twos starting, I’ll need to be home as much as possible.”
Pepper just watched Peter and didn’t say anything. Tony knew she was thinking it over and the possibility of Tony retiring from the company.
“And you would still be working. Obviously only if you want to, which I assume you do.” Tony added. “I would prefer if you take more time off but we’ll see how things go.”
Pepper looked away from Peter and at Tony. “You know how crazy the company will be?”
Tony nodded. “For the first few weeks, yeah, but I mean, I’ll be here either way if things get too out of control plus, common, Pep, you and I both know I wasn’t really involved in it for the past year anyways.”
Pepper laughed weakly. “I know. Ever since Peter came along.”
Tony looked down at Peter and smiled. She wasn’t saying it as a bad thing, just stating facts.
“Yeah, well…”
“Okay.”
Tony looked over at Pepper with hopeful eyes. “Okay? What?”
Pepper smiled at him. “I said okay. Yes. I think it’s a good idea. I think it’s your idea based off on what you think is best for Peter and I think so too so yes.”
Tony pulled Pepper in for a tight hug and pressed a kiss to her neck. “Thank you. Thank you, Pep.”
Pepper kissed him back on the lips and then pulled away from him with a serious look on her face. “But what about Iron Man?”
Tony’s smile dropped. That topic was a bit harder for him. He had been Iron Man for many years and he never thought the day would ever come where he would give up being Iron Man but here he was.
And he was doing it all for family.
For a chance of a happy life with Peter.
The simple life.
“I’m done with Iron Man.”