Rockabye
Tony trudged warily up to his fourth floor apartment with a groan. His arms laden with grocery bags. He slowed to a stop in front of his apartment and let out a wary breath. It had been a very long day. He'd been yelled at by two different costumers at the garage, and he's slipped on the ice during his lunch break cracking his elbow hard and to round out an already shitty day the coffee machine in the break room had finally died. Tony had been patching and re-patching the relic for years but it had finally had enough.
Tony struggled to dig his keys out of his pocket and managed to unlock the door without dropping anything. He stepped into the apartment.
"Daddy!"
Tony smiled warmly as the reason he put up with everything came running to greet him. "Hey Champ." He set down the bags and crouched so that Peter could jump into his arms, the 5 year old chattering happily about his day, arms wrapped tight around Tony's neck as he hugged the boy back.
"Were you a good boy for Mrs, Parker?" He asked.
"Yes daddy!" Peter smiled, May smiled warmly as she approached them.
"He was an angel as always." The sweet old lady would wait for Peter each day after kindergarten when the carpool would drop him off and stay with him until Tony returned home from work.
"Thank you so much May." Tony reached into his pocket and fished out a couple of crinkled twenties. "Here's for the week." May took it with a polite smile, she always insisted that Tony didn't need to pay her anything. She adored Peter and would happily watch him for free but Tony knew money was just at tight for her since her husband passed away and she did so much for him that it was the least he could do.
"I'll see you tommorow Peter." She leaned down to hug the boy who kissed her cheek and said his goodbyes.
"Come on little man, help daddy put away the groceries and then we'll get dinner started hmm?"
Peter nodded and moved to grab the bags but let out an excited squeal when he spotted something poking out of the top of the bag. Tony grinned, he'd had just enough time to swing by the used bookstore and found the next volume in the How to Train Your Dragon series. Peter loved it when Tony read to him at night and they'd been working their way through the series for a bit now.
"Daddy! Daddy can we read it please!" Peter's hazel borwn eyes got so big and eager that Tony melted.
"Of course buddy. After dinner and bathtime, we'll head straight for Berk."
Peter squealed with excitment and clutching the book in one hand moved to help Tony put the rest of the groceries away before Tony got started on dinner, he was too worn out to do anything fancy so he went with hot dogs and a salad. Peter was a weird kid in that he actually loved fruits and veggies. Must get it from his father Tony mused slicing up a cucumber.
Steve... The man had wandered into the bar Tony had been working out to put himself through trade school. He'd looked so good in his uniform that Tony couldn't help but flirt with him. He'd blushed at the attention and one thing led to another. He'd shipped out the next day and Tony hadn't heard from him since, not that he'd expected to. About nine months later. Peter.
Tony glanced to his son who was sitting at the small kitchen table with his book, his eyes slowly working over the words trying to read them. Peter was so smart. Tony had already started a college fund for the boy, he was determined that Peter would have all the options he'd never had.
"Hungry Pete?" Tony brings the salad over to the table setting it down infront of him.
"Yeah!" Peter carefully closed his new book and set it aside before scooting closer to the table and taking the fork from Tony. "Thanks Daddy."
"Your welcome buddy."
The two ate dinner and then it was into the bathroom for bath time. Tony started to run the water, wincing that it never quite got hot enough in the winter but at least it wasn't freezing.
Peter was in and out before the water could turn cold, the two having the routine down pretty well. Soon Peter was in his favorite Ninja Turtle pajama's and settled into his bed. Tony arranged the three blankets around him, the warmest ones they had and settled down beside him with the book. Peter curled into his side eyes bright and eager.
They made it through four chapters. Tony doing voices and everything, before Peter started to fade. Tony slipped a bookmark into the book and set it down on the bedside table.
"No daddy... Read more..." Peters eyes were drooping.
"Tommorow champ. Now it's time to sleep." Tony kissed the top of Peters head taking a moment to breath in the scent of shampoo from the chocolatley curls. Everything he did, he did for Peter. "Your life isn't going to be anything like mine buddy... I'm gonna make sure you have a good future... No matter what I have to do. " Tony stood up slowly and made sure the blankets were snug around the sleeping boy before he turned and headed out into the living room leaving the door open a crack and turning off the light.
He made his way over to the couch were he slept. The apartment has one bedroom and he let Peter have it. He groaned sitting down. He wanted to take a shower but he was too tired and decided to wait till morning. Pulling his beat up ancient laptop out from under the couch, he powered it up and bit his lip as he logged into his email and reread the message there. It was from an old friend of his Natasha, she would occasionally offer him jobs... The sort of jobs that made Tony's skin crawl. He'd always turned her down but... His hours at the garage had been cut and Peter desperately needed a new jacket and winter boots.
Glancing at Peters door he sighs and types a response, hitting send before he can change his mind. No one matters like Peter and Tony would do whatever it took to ensure he was safe and happy.