wet pants and hugs
In retrospect, Tony should have seen the situation he is currently caught in 10 miles away. It certainly was written out in every strange action the kid has had for weeks. Tony is intuitive and smart, a genius for the record, and he should have been able to pick up on these things before it had gotten this far.
But Tony knows he is not the best when it comes to his socialization and sometimes he misses social cues like they are puzzle pieces that simply disappeared on him. He tries his hardest to get it, but sometimes it’s hard and he feels like he is drowning in missed childhood experiences and memories of shitty parents and he wants to collapse into a pool of mushy nothingness and never have to function again.
Often, he doesn’t even try when it comes to other people and he secludes himself away, isolating himself from others and focusing only on himself. Tony is bad at self care however and sometimes locking himself away is the most destructive thing he can possibly do to himself. He is bad with people and that’s that and he stopped expecting things from people, because then he can control the disappointment that seeps into his veins like poison when someone lets him down.
But Peter is the one and only exception to that rule. Tony would do anything for Peter, for his kid, and the brat sure seemed to know it. Puppy dog eyes and pouts definitely were the way to Tony’s heart and only in his mid-forties, after somehow acquiring a literal child, did the man learn it.
Tony sighs, while he pinches the bridge of his nose to bring him back to the present from the cloud of his rambling thoughts. He still wishes the only weird behaviors the kid had were the thumb sucking and attachment issues with a stuffed crocodile; because god, the man is not ready to deal with a hysterically crying 15 year old who just wet his pants like a toddler. In fact, he wants to run away and hide and never have to deal with the scariness of responsibility and taking care of a real, tangible child ever again.
But the way Peter is staring at him through big, glassy, red rimmed eyes makes him want to take care of the kid, despite the smell of urine and pitter-patter of it dripping from the boy’s soaked pajama bottoms onto the floor of the kitchen and the way his heart feels like it’s beating out of it’s chest.
“Ummm” Tony drew out the word, as if it is possible that he’s simply imagining the entire situation and maybe if he wishes enough it’ll go back to normal. Peter will have dry pants and won’t be slipping his thumb into his mouth after he wet his pants from waiting too long to go to the bathroom. His kid will be a normal teen once again, instead of the image of an overgrown toddler who needs to be protected at all costs.
But Peter is still a mess when he is finished drawing out the word and no amount of wishing will make the situation normal again. The boy’s lips are quirked down in a giant frown, tears running down his face and dripping down the slope of his chin. He is wearing a large shirt, one of Clint’s worn out graphic tees (which is really quite strange in Tony’s opinion), and the bottom of the fabric is stuck to his wet groin. The boy’s sweatpants are clinging to his skinny, shaking legs and Tony is a tiny bit grossed out by scent and appearance of the pee, but mostly wants to scoop the boy up into a hug and never let go ever again. He wants to hug him and rock him and promise that he’s never going to be hurt ever. He wants to always have the boy’s stuffed crocodile on hand and help him not have accidents and feel happy and young and Tony is beyond confused.
Tony shakes his head once to physically get rid of the feelings of confusion before he reaches his arms forward, pulling the boy into a bone crushing hug. The boy’s wet legs connected with his thighs and Tony scrunched up his nose slightly, before sighing. It’s a little gross to think about, but he loves the boy and it’s a father’s job to be covered in gross bodily fluids anyways.
“I should’ve reminded you to stop and go to the bathroom…” He says tentatively, not sure how to respond to the boy’s teary eyes and shaking and not sure whether he truly should have had to remind a 15 year old to go to the bathroom. It seems out of the realm of responsibility for a parent of a child this old, but Tony sometimes didn’t pick up on things like this.
But when he glances down at the boy in his arms, he can’t help but see the boy as far younger than he is and it confuses him. Peter is a 15 year old and not a small child; but this poor boy in his arms is so soft and sweet and young and Tony wants nothing but to protect him.
“I’m sorry for having an accident pa-” Peter cut his words off like he was being electrocuted and Tony wants to, needs to, press him for more information. But then there are more tears in Peter’s eyes and he decides to leave it be for now, in favor of comforting the kid.
“I know it was an accident, sweetheart, and I’m not mad at you.” The words seem to come to him like they are preprogrammed in some mystery part of his brain reserved for parental thoughts. “I know that I should have reminded you and that’s my fault.”
Peter whines, nestling his tear stained face in the crook of Tony’s neck, making the man chuckle. “I’m not mad, but I do want to get you all cleaned up and into new jammies.”
Peter’s arms circled around Tony’s neck like he’s a perfect, tiny, baby koala bear. “Don’t wanna.” The boy pouted and wow, Tony is so confused. But he knows that it is his job to take care of the boy in his arms.
“You have to change, sweetheart.” Tony told the small boy in his arms,” And then we can watch a movie and cuddle.”
Peter sighs so loudly his breath hit the bare skin of Tony’s neck and he shivered in response. The man is not sure what he expects the kid to say, but it certainly isn’t what the boy says next. “I’ll only change if we watch Cinderella.”
Tony wants to scream, why the heck does his kids want to watch a movie for little girls? But he doesn't scream and only chuckled softly and smiles at the kid. “Alrighty, sweetie. How about you go get you all nice and clean and then we can watch Cinderella.”
Peter nods his head once, before dislodging himself from the man. He opens his mouth as if to ask Tony for help, but then shakes his head once.
“Alright, I’m gonna go get changed.” Peter says so softly and sweetly that Tony wants to hug him again. But before he can, the boy turns to leave and then he is gone and Tony is left only with confusion and a warm pit of parental love in his stomach.