Here’s some sleepy!peter for all yall. read it on ao3!!
Tony tapped on the counter to snag the attention of the bar tender.
“Martini, very dry, with olives. Lots of olives, like three.” Tony ordered, waving a twenty towards the young bartender who snatched it up and got to work. There was a tug on his suit jacket. He turned.
“Mr. Stark,” Peter tugged Tony’s jacket again, bending the man over so he could speak in his ear. “Can I go back to the tower?”
It was a valid question. Tony, and by association Pepper and Peter, had been invited to an Oscorp launch party. Tony decided it was best to show up and see exactly what he was competing with. He had to keep Oscorp at arms length so he knew exactly how to stay one step ahead of them. Keeping your friends close but your enemies closer bullshit. Presently, he was thoroughly unimpressed and laughably so. Pepper agreed to come along to reign in Tony’s temper and Peter was there for no reason but for Tony to be pompous. My baby genius is smaller and smarter than yours, he had thought to himself whilst getting ready. Oscorp could suck on that for a while.
“Why? What’s wrong?” Tony pulled back, sweeping a look over Peter. The bartender slid the glass to Tony and the billionaire picked it up and took a sip.
“Nothing, nothing. Jus’ tired.” Peter shrugged. “I can swing over, if you’re picking up what I’m putting down.” Peter winked, a goofy grin taking over the majority of his face.
“Is that safe? You’re like 8 years old. Someone might mistake you for an infant and try and call the authorities.”
“Mr. Stark, I’m 17. And...aren’t we the authorities?”
“No, we’re the Avengers. The police still exist. See, this is why I don’t want you out there alone. It’s late.”
“I am a responsible adult, Mr. Stark!”
Tony took a long sip of his martini. “What’s your debit card pin?”
Peter blinked up at him. He sniffed. “Uh, 7?”
“Oh wow, you’re missing...just...so many digits. Okay, let’s get you home.”
Peter flushed, his ears tinting crimson, matching his tie. “No, Mr. Stark! You don’t have to go. I know you’re trying to prove a point here.”
Tony watched the kid rock from his heels to his toes and back again. Now that the light caught him right, he did look awfully tired. Dark circles caressed his vast doe eyes. Despite the exhaustion permeating the air around him, his hazel eyes never stopped sparkling. His hair wouldn’t obey the laws of physics because no matter how much gel Peter had put in it, his wild curls stood askew all over his head. And the suit jacket he wore must’ve been a size too big because it dwarfed his shoulders and hung past his finger tips. God, he had brought a baby to an Oscorp party. They needed to bounce. Immediately.
“The fire inside me burns brighter than the fire around me.” Tony downed the rest of his Martini and slid the cup back across the bar.
Peter paused, the gears visibly turning. “What...what does that even mean?”
“It means let’s blow this popsicle stand, put on our pajamas and drink hot chocolate while we watch Back to the Future.”
Peter seemed to like the sound of that because he lit up.
____
“Okay, Parker, when I put you on snack duty, I didn’t expect you to bring the entire fridge!” Tony blinked at the coffee table which was covered in ever snack and assortment.
“Well, I grabbed the chips because I know Pepper likes them. And you can’t watch a movie without popcorn but we had three kinds so I grabbed them all. And we always drink hot chocolate together, Mr. Stark. We can’t break tradition. I put marshmallows in it just how you like.” Peter shoved the mug of cocoa into Tony’s unexpecting hands.
“The Oreos were for my sweet tooth but I had to balance it out by grabbing the pickles. And then I grabbed the ice cream because I need something cold," Peter motioned to the pint of Stark Raving Hazelnuts. "But then I thought it would be too cold so I heated up the thai in the fridge and then I grabbed the carrots because I need to stay healthy," he paused, hoping to receive praise for his smart choices. He was met by silence. He went on. "But then I remembered I can’t eat carrots without ranch so I grabbed the ranch which reminded me that we had left over pizza so I grabbed that too...” Peter grinned, sheepishly. “I’m hungry.” He admitted.
“Jesus,” Tony breathed. “Alright, Gordon Ramsay. Sounds good to me. I know you're a growing Spider-boy.” He nodded at the couch. “Get comfy.” Tony got the movie cued up and then sat next to Peter. Immediately, the kid shifted closer, staring up at Tony with longing gaze laced with insecurity.
“Come on, Itsy Bitsy. You can come closer.” That was all Peter needed because he pressed himself against Tony’s side, snatching up the jar of pickles. “Don’t make yourself sick, bud.” Tony placed a hand on Peter’s back. He lifted the mug to his lips, glad he had traded his martini for hot chocolate. The domestic life really had its perks.
“Never, Mr. Stark.” He looked up at the sound of footsteps. “Oh, hey, Pepper!”
“Oh, so you can call her Pepper but you can’t call me Tony?” Tony sighed, pinching Peter’s ear. The kid yelped, and Tony chuckled.
“I’m special.” Pepper settled on the other side of the couch.
Tony nodded, sipping his warm beverage. “You are.”
“Shh! The movies starting.” Peter squirmed, getting situated beside Tony again. He discarded of the now empty pickle jar and grabbed the bowl of popcorn.
“Right, absolutely.” Tony settled back, watching the opening scene of the movie.
Sometime during the movie, Tony felt Peter grow significantly heavier and warmer. When the popcorn bowl began to slip from his grasp, Tony grabbed it quickly before it flipped out of his hands. By the time the credits were rolling, Pepper had cleaned off the coffee table and shuffled off to bed.
"FRIDAY, turn off the TV.” The television went dark and room was swallowed by darkness, except for the dim lights coming from above the stove in the kitchen only feet away.
Tony looked down at the sleeping boy in his lap. God, Peter was so young. He was wearing a hoodie and sweatpants and without the stress of expectation weighing on him, he looked impossibly young. Unbelievably small. Tony breathed it in. This was a kid, he was holding. A kid with a future. No, not just any kid, he thought. My kid.
I would burn down the world to protect you, Peter Parker.
To ruin the perfect moment, Peter shifted, snoring and smacking his lips together before he settled back down against Tony. He didn’t have the heart to wake this kid. He really had looked so tired.
“What have you done to me, kid?” Tony asked as he pulled the afghan off the back of the couch and draped it over Peter. Tony reclined and let his eyes slip shut. “What have you done to me?”
They stayed like that the rest of the night, perfectly intertwined and breathing in tandem.
