#3--April 16, 2019
Father’s Day
Who did you lose?
It’s a simple question. A very simple question. But it pulls the air out of Tony’s lungs, it almost immediately makes his eyes burn and prickle with tears, and it easily breaks his mask of indifference with everyone staring at him expectantly. Because they don’t know who he lost. If he lost.
Tony clenches his jaw and balls his hands so tightly that you can see through his skin and to the bone. Because the answer should be simple. It really should. But who is–was–Peter to him? He wasn’t his son. Not biologically at least. He wasn’t really his intern, either. His mentee? Yeah, that could work. But the moment Tony opens his mouth to say he lost his protege, his heir–because yes, Tony decided to make Peter the heir to his fortune and company–those aren’t the words that escape him.
“I…” he says in a strangled sound, clearing his throat as everyone’s eyes pierce into him. Except for Rhodey. Rhodey knew the kid, his kid. He’s probably the closest person to Peter other than his Aunt and Pepper. Tony turns to his best friend, his pain and grief evident in his eyes.
“Who did you lose, Tony?” Natasha says calmly, soothingly, because she can see it in him. The others asked the question offhandedly because Tony still has Pepper and Rhodey and even Happy. They don’t know that he has a son. Had one.
“Did you even lose someone?” Clint asks, his tone taking on that of slight annoyance, fury, pain, grief. Tony stays silent and that riles him up even more. “You’re just sitting here, Stark! Acting like you lost someone! Steve lost Bucky and Sam, Natasha lost Wanda, Scott lost his family, I lost my family. My wife. My kids–”
“He was my kid." The soft broken whisper shouldn’t have cut off Clint’s angry tirade. Tony doesn’t lift his eyes from his shaking hands. The shock in the room is almost palpable. "I lost my kid.”
“Tony…” Natasha says softly, heartbreak clear in her voice. They’ve all lost someone and she doesn’t seem to care about masking her emotions anymore. “You had a kid?”
Tony just nods his head, gesturing up towards the ceiling. “Friday? Show them my private files." Friday does so without a word, the conference room darkening as the blue of the hologram monitors turn on. After a few seconds of silence, Tony lifts his gaze to stare at the screens. His breath hitches in his throat at the smiling boy on the screen and it completely disappears when the video begins to play. It’s not a video that he’s seen before.
It’s one of the videos Peter recorded with his mask, and by the skyline behind him, Tony can tell that Peter recorded this while on top of a building. The kid’s arm is covered in a red and blue webbed fabric and Tony can just about make out the spider emblem on his chest. Tony hears the group’s breaths hitch at the sight. They’ve just figured out the kid Tony lost is–was–Spider-Man.
"Hey, Mr. Stark!” Peter’s ridiculously high-pitched adorable voice echoes around the silent room. Tony feels his heart stutter in his chest and can feel his throat tightening in emotion. “I’ve, uh, just decided to record this for you. I don’t know why." Peter shrugs, his eyes widening as he nearly slips off the edge of the building.
"I had a good patrol today. Stopped a few muggings, webbed some robber to a lamppost because he was annoying me, and I even got to pet a few dogs! I saw that old lady again, the one who gave me that churro two years ago? She got me another churro." Peter holds up the remains of the cinnamon dough bread treat before sticking it in his mouth with a grin.
"I bet you wished you had a churro, too, huh?” Peter says after swallowing the treat. Tony chuckles wetly, shaking his head. Yeah, Pete. I wish I had you instead, though. “Anyway, Mr. Stark. I just wanted to say something." Peter looks into the camera lens now. For the majority of the video he was staring at the buildings below. "It’s June 16–well not when I’m recording this but it is for you–and I’m not sure you know what the significance of that day is?" Out of the corner of his eye, Tony sees Clint deflate.
"I went to their graves today,” Peter says quietly, seeming to lose his confidence as he looks down again. “Dropped off some flowers and told them how my day was, what’s happened since the last time I visited them.
"Uncle Ben and I used to go to Delmar’s every father’s day to get sandwiches. Before that, my dad and I used to go get ice cream. But…” Peter’s expression turns a little wobbly and Tony can see tears building up in his eyes. “They’re not here anymore, Mr. Stark. But, you are." Peter looks into the lenses again. "And I guess I just wanted to say this because you wouldn’t be watching this if I were sitting next to you. I told Karen to send these videos to Friday so that you can see me if I’m no longer around.”
Peter shakes his head and bites his lip. Tony feels tears begin to spill down his cheeks. His chest jumps with silent sobs but he doesn’t remove his eyes from the screen. “So, uh, happy father’s day!” Peter says, suddenly his happy self again after he wipes his eyes. Tony can make out the pain in his eyes, though. His kid’s face softens. “I love you, Dad.”
The video clicks off, leaving them all bathed in blue light. On the screen is a date. Today’s date. June 16, 2018.