https://archiveofourown.org/works/14134578/chapters/50253428
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The happy moment didn’t last long. Tony practically beamed seeing Peter’s shining eyes at the new revelation, and wanted to keep talking to him, keep making Peter happy – but Ben’s voice came barreling through.
“Stark. We’ve gotta talk.”
Tony looked up at him from his kneeling position. “What? Right now?” He gestured to Peter. “Can I just finish -- ?”
“What is there to finish?” said Ben, standing up, looking very unhappy. “You told him – you’re his dad. Now we need to talk.” He jerked his head, indication that Tony needed to follow.
What the fuck was wrong with this guy? He was so fucking weird. First he was mean, then he was snarky, then he was pissy. What was his problem? Was he pissed about Tony getting his sister pregnant? Or was he upset at Tony for just showing up at his house?
He didn’t want to fight with this man in front of Peter. Instead, he stood up as well and looked Peter hard in the face saying, “I’ll go talk to him. But I’ll be back, ok?”
Peter looked completely dumbfounded – happy, but dumbfounded. Tony couldn’t blame him. So many things had happened for such a young kid in just a few hours. But, he nodded slowly and whispered to Tony, “Okay. I’ll wait for you.”
Tony crinkled a smile. Fucking cute kid. He couldn’t believe how alike they looked. Except, the kid had a mop of curly hair. That had to be all his mom. Even though it had been so long ago, he still remembered Mary Parker’s long curly hair.
Tony’s self-esteem was in the toilet tonight. His form of self-care was to go to the bar, get drunk, and hopefully take a woman home. This bar tonight was nice and loud, with plenty of numbing alcohol to go around. He scanned the room, being conceited and looking for the prettiest girl in the room.
She caught his eye instantly. Her dress was completely backless, legs darkened by tights, and lips a deep red stain. The coiled, thick ringlets in her hair fell past her shoulders. Tony smirked, already knowing what to ask her.
“Is that your natural hair?” He questioned her enticingly, striding forward and amplifying his voice over the club music. She looked up at him from her seat at the bar, eyes widening when she saw who asked the question.
Tony waited for it. The, ‘oh my gosh, you’re Tony Stark!’ and the obvious, desperate flirting that followed. But she surprised him. Instead, she changed her surprised expression in a flash and smiled slightly.
“It is,” the woman answered, tone even. “Real boobs too, if that’s what you were really wondering.” She turned back to her drink.
Tony actually had been wondering. He was going to bring it up in a smoother way than that, but fuck. Maybe women thought that was stupid? Or maybe just this woman. All the others couldn’t stop giggling when he’d asked. ‘Tony Stark thinks I have nice boobs? Oh my gosh I can’t wait to tell my friends!’
He sat down on the stool next to her. “Can I get you a drink? Anything you’d like. I could swing something fancier than what you’ve got there,”
She turned her head and held his gaze. There was something about her eyes. They were stunning, hardened, no-nonsense. “Oh Mr. Stark, trust me,” she took another sip of her drink. “I could get any drink in this place. You think I don’t know why you sat next to me?”
“All right, all right,” Tony held his hands up. Gosh, he was so fucking intrigued how. Sex be damned, (well, no, sex with this woman would probably rock) something in him wanted to ask this girl all about her life, find out what was going on in her head. “I’m sorry. I just –” He let out a laugh. “What’s your name?”
She was still looking him in the eyes. “Mary,”
“Pretty,” Tony said. “I’m – well, you know.” He shrugged.
Mary laughed. “Yes, I do. But I’m sorry, Mr. Stark. I have a boyfriend.”
Psh. Tony didn’t skip a beat. “Is he a good boyfriend?”
Her face darkened. But again, she changed that expression within a second. But Tony was quick. He saw.
“No?” Tony prodded further. Mary’s lips were tightened in a line.
“You’re getting a little too personal here, Mr. Stark.”
“I prefer Mr. Stark,” She crossed her legs to the other side, so her foot was dangling the other way. “It keeps a distance.”
“Okay Mary,” Tony said. “I don’t want to be a bother, it’s just –” He placed his hand on top of hers gently. She didn’t flinch away. “When’s the last time your boyfriend told you how absolutely stunning you are?”
Mary blinked. Her mouth curved a little and she rolled her eyes. “You’re very predictable, Mr. Stark,”
“I know, I’m boring. I’m not nearly as interesting as people think – but just this one question –”
“Five years,” Mary interrupted, looking at Tony again. “We started dating five years ago, and once he had me as his girlfriend, he stopped telling me I was beautiful.”
It felt like all the breath left Tony’s lungs. He squeezed her hand, which he was still holding. “Well,” Tony choked, feeling horrible. “You are. You’re beautiful. And interesting. And –”
“Do you want to get out of here?” Mary ventured boldly, interrupting Tony again. He didn’t mind the interruption. It was mildly refreshing.
“I mean,” He laughed. “That’s why I came over here, to be honest.”
“No honesty needed. I know.”
“But we don’t have to do that,” He told her quickly. Something about this girl – he didn’t know. He didn’t want to be just one of those guys to her. “We can go get something to eat, um, go to central park. I um –” He thought frantically. What would impress her? “I have a private jet, ya know, if there’s ever somewhere in the world you’ve wanted to go –”
Mary coughed up some of her drink she’d been taking another sip of. “What?” She said, looking bewildered. “What the hell? You can’t be serious.”
Tony grinned at her. “I am. Why not? What the hell else do I have to do?”
Mary’s eyes sparkled. “Uh, yeah. Yes. Okay.” She sat up a little. “I have something in mind.”
Tony followed Ben into the kitchen. He still couldn’t quite pinpoint what the deal was with this guy. While Mary had been so likable and genuine, her brother seemed to just be – a bit of a loser.
Ben rounded on Tony quickly. “Listen here, Stark,”
“Listening,” Tony shot back in a sing-song voice.
That earned a glare from Ben. “I don’t know who you think you are just walking in here, fucking uninvited –”
“Okay, seriously? If Peter hadn’t almost gotten kidnapped today, all this would have happened very differently. But we don’t exactly have time for that. There’s people after him – I didn’t even know he existed until they sent threats to my friends –”
“So you’re gonna take him? That’s it? You’re here to take him away?” Ben’s jaw was set.
Tony paused for a moment, baffled. How had he jumped to that conclusion? “What? No, no – “ He thought of Ben’s harsh words towards Peter, the insults. “Do I need to take him away?”
“His mother made me swear I’d take care of him. She didn’t want you for him, she wanted me. He stays here.”
“Okay! I was never planning on taking him away –”
“Fucking bull. You just said –”
“Well I won’t! Okay? I’m here so we can protect him, all right?”
Ben’s face was screwed in anger, but unclenched the fist that had been at his side the entire conversation. “All right. You can do that. But he –”
“Stays here,” Tony finished for him, hiding the hurt swirling inside. “Got it.”
They stood there in stagnant, uncomfortable silence for a few seconds. Tony burned with disappointment, upset at the first meeting with the son he’d never known about. And, the more he thought about it – why hadn’t he known about Peter? Why didn’t Mary at least write him a letter? The time they’d had together – it had been incredible. Wouldn’t she have wanted Tony in Peter’s life? Why was Peter trapped in this craphole anyways?
A horrible thought Tony hadn’t considered entered his thoughts.
“Where is Mary?” Tony asked, burning fear sweltering in his stomach. “Why does Peter live with you?”
Ben didn’t answer right away. He roamed over to the fridge, pulled out a beer, took a long swig of it, and said harshly, “She’s dead. Died years ago.” He then retreated into his room and slammed the door shut.
After taking about a minute to be in shock, Tony shakily poked his head back into the apartment’s living room to check on Peter. The kid was slumped on the couch, elbows on knees and head drooped.
“Hey, bud,” Tony said carefully. Peter’s head shot up instantly.
“Mr. Iron – um, Stark! Tony!”
“There ya go, you got it on the last one,” He walked further into the room. “Just Tony,”
Carefully, he sat next to Peter on the couch. Peter picked at the sides of his nails. He didn’t know what to tell him, his own kid. He opened his mouth to say something stupid, but Peter beat him to it.
“So there’s people that want to get me,” Peter said glumly. “That’s why you’re here?”
“There are people that have discovered you’re my son, yes. They want to use you to hurt me.”
Peter kept picking his nails, head back down. “I’m sorry,” He muttered.
“Hey,” Tony put a hand over Peter’s. “Please don’t be – there’s nothing for you to be sorry for. I – I don’t –” He let out a big puff of air. “I’m going to be honest here, kid. I don’t really know what I’m doing. This situation, I don’t –”
“This… situation?” Peter questioned.
“Yeah, like, having a kid. All this. I don’t know –”
“What do you know?” Peter said, not unkindly. It was a genuine question, a desire to understand Tony’s real intentions, who he was, what he wanted. Tony marveled at the twelve-year-old’s quiet wisdom and maturity. He deserved a real answer.
“I know that –” He paused. “I know that I’m really happy I have a son.”
Peter’s eyes sparkled, just like his mother’s. “You are?” he breathed.
“Yes.” Tony grasped Peter’s hand, so his wasn’t just resting on top. Peter, wonderfully, grasped back. “I know I felt so excited when Rhodey – or War Machine – told me about you. I know I’m – I’m scared that there’s people who know you’re my son. Because a lot of people don’t like me.”
“That’s ok,” Peter assured. “No one really likes me either.”
Tony knew Peter didn’t mean that to be the saddest fucking comment ever, but damn. That was the saddest fucking comment ever.
“Kid, don’t say that. I’m sure lots of people like you.”
“No,” Peter said simply. “I mean, I guess my friend Ned. He likes me. But no one else at school likes me. Or my teachers. Or – or –” He looked sorrowfully at Ben’s closed door.
“Well,” Tony continued on with the earlier question. “I also know that I like you. And – I want us to try and spend some time together. Would you like that?”
“Yes,” Peter answered quickly. “Yes, I would. I’d really like to.”
“It’s a deal, then,” Tony patted Peter on the shoulder. “I should probably head out, I don’t wanna offend your Uncle or anything.”
Something that looked like dread filled Peter’s eyes. Maybe the kid was scared? That would make sense – he had gotten freaking attacked today. “Of course,” Peter said. “That’s – probably smart.”
“But I’ll have someone watching this house, night and day. You’ll be perfectly safe. If anything happens, I can be here in minutes.” Tony stood and pulled Peter up with him. “I promise.”
As Tony was leaving the apartment, he felt a strong desire to hug Peter, wrap him up, get him out of this messy and sad apartment. But who was Tony to know what was best for the kid? He hadn’t been with him for any of his life. How could he be so arrogant to think he’d be any better for Peter?
So he held himself back. But he needed to say something in parting – something that would help Peter know how much he cared.
“I’ll see you soon, bud,” Tony told his son at the door. Peter brushed some hair from his face. “And, well – there’s one more thing I know.” He knelt down one more time so they were eye-level. “If I’d have known about you sooner, I would have been here in a second.”
It was almost impossible to turn around and close the door on Peter’s sweet, awestruck face. Once out in the hall, there was a loneliness inside that he’d never felt. He missed this kid who he hadn’t even known existed a bit ago. Despite what he’d told Ben, he truly did want to take Peter home with him.
Please, Tony thought harshly to himself. He’d hate living with you. You could never take care of a kid.
As he headed outside to see multiple angry texts and missed calls from Rhodey, more dark thoughts filtered into his mind. The darkest being the realization that Ben hadn’t even asked – or cared – when Tony said his nephew had almost been kidnapped today.
