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Being a Stark [Superfamily]

Chapter 14

Peter has in fact been scolded by Aunt May when she’d heard the news about Peter’s detention. He’s got house-arrest, and isn’t been allowed to leave except for school or the internship. Peter understands it completely, and never even tries to talk himself out of that sentence.

So once he’s home, he greets his aunt, helps her out for dinner, and after eating he heads to his room to finish his homework and then game a bit with Ned, who has quickly become a good friend to him. Probably even the only one he has at school.

The school is undergoing some reparations due to the whole conflict between Wolverine and Deadpool, causing for some classes to be relocated until it’s finished. Other clubs have been cancelled for the time being, including the Decathlon team that Ned had been anxious to join (and also bugging Peter to do so as well) ever since he’s gotten here.

Classes go in a haze, and during lunch, Peter and Ned are once again seated together as they discuss the difference of strength between the Hulk and Thor. One table next to them, a few of the students are chatting about the heroes as well, only on a whole different scale.

“For me it would be… Fuck Falcon, Marry Thor and… kill Widow,” somebody says. The other girls laugh, and Peter, too, snorts at the idea that she would try and kill Widow. Peter got to meet her a few times, and he knows there’s no way for anybody to kill her except if you’re the Winter Soldier – and even he has failed at it so far.

“I would go… Fuck Cap, marry Iron man and kill… Jeesh I don’t know, the Hulk?”

“Good luck with that,” another says. “Besides, I don’t think you’re the Cap’s type.”

Peter’s head shoots up in alarm upon that. Has anybody figured out that Steve might possibly but very surely have a crush on a certain super-intelligent billionaire? A crush that even Peter shouldn’t know about but does because he’s seen the guy stare and pine for the past two months? A crush that may or may not be returned but it’s not easy to say since said super-intelligent billionaire is master in keeping his thoughts of that quiet?

“What do you mean?”

“I mean I got the best gaydar in this entire school, and I can tell you right here that our beloved Captain America doesn’t swing for your team,” the boy sitting at that table says. From the way he’s speaking, Peter quickly figures out that he probably knows what he’s talking about.

“Well, then, if your radar is so good, you spotted any other gay Avengers?” the girl asks mockingly, and the boy holds up his finger to think. Before Peter can hear what he’s going to say, Ned starts talking.

“They’re just telling crap,” the boy mutters under his breath, and Peter suddenly finds himself snorting.

“He’s actually kind of right,” Peter gets out before realizing what he’s just said. Immediately, his hand flies up to his mouth, and his eyes go wide open. He feels like he can’t breathe when Ned’s surprised expression meets his. Crap, crap, crap!

“Wha- how do you know?” Ned asks, and Peter groans when he comes to understand that he can’t take that back. Luckily, others haven’t heard it. The conversation next to them is still going.

“Because I think the guy has a massive crush on my dad,” he says, once again realizing too late that he said the wrong thing. In frustration he smashes his head against the table and groans loudly. What’s next? Revealing that he’s Spider-Man? That would bake the cake!

“Your dad? Peter I thought you lived with your Aunt?” Ned asks, now obviously completely confused. Peter shakes his head and smashes his forehead a few times more to punish himself. Then he looks up, holding up his hand pleadingly.

“Please, please, please never repeat what I’m about to tell you now,” Peter begs of him. He doesn’t know Ned all that well, but he knows he can trust him about this. They’re both friendless ‘losers’ who don’t stand out in school. He can share this.

“Okay, I promise,” Ned assures him, still not sounding entirely keen on what is coming next. And then Peter starts talking. He explains again about how he’s gotten to the suspicion that Mr. Stark might be his father, following by how he came to the discovery that he actually is. He tells everything while keeping the Spider-Man stuff out of it, explaining how he got into the Stark Internship, how at first the plan seemed to fail but eventually succeeded when Mr. Stark invited him to work at the Compound instead. And as Ned listen, Peter feels another weight escape his shoulders. Just like when he did his story with his Aunt.

There are still worries, just a little less now.

“Okay okay, rewind, not only do you know practically all of the Avengers,” Ned starts, but Peter quickly interrupts him to say that that’s not true, “but you’re also the secret and only heir to Stark Industries?”

Huh, Peter never really thought of it that way… Would he really be next in line to inherit his father’s company when he’s older? He doesn’t even want to think about that. He’s not a business-man, and he wouldn’t really care about all that money.

“Uh, apparently, so,” Peter huffs out. “But the problem is that Mr. Stark doesn’t know. And I don’t know how to bring it up with him without trying to sound like the kid that wants to pull a gigantic practical joke to become rich?”

Ned shrugs. “You convince him to do the DNA-test again? I’m sure he’ll believe you once he’ll get the truth.”

But Peter knows he can’t do that; if Mr. Stark would go to Dr. Cho about it, she would recognize Peter’s altered blood immediately. Other doctors would be fascinated by it, and research it further. They would know that Peter isn’t exactly a hundred percent human, but slightly spider as well. He can’t have the secret spreading further.

Harry already knows, and that already brings enough danger with it.

Though, on the other hand; Dr. Cho has to keep everything to herself. Would it be really that bad if she knew?

Next to them, the conversation is still going.

“My choice is simple; I would fuck Widow, Marry Cap and kill Iron Man,” one last girl says. Peter feels his entire body go cold at the confidence the girl has about her decision. He shouldn’t let it bother him, but it still does.

“Wait, why would you kill Iron Man?” another asks. The girl shrugs.

“Because he’s just a rich bastard. Besides, the suit can just be remade, no matter who is flying it. See War Machine, practically the same, just a better hero inside,” she explains. And Peter then stands up angrily, causing his chair to scrape over the floor and make a painful sound that could make ears bleed.

The people around him turn to look at him, some of them confused as to why the school-nerd would be looking so pissed-off right now. But Peter glares at the girl who just had no trouble insulting his father. Oh, how he wishes he could tell her off, explain to her that she’s wrong and that Mr. Stark is an amazing hero even outside the suit. But he doesn’t.

He stays quiet, because this can’t blow out much more. So instead, he grabs his plate and takes it back to clean it away. Then, he hurries out of the cafeteria, Ned hurriedly following him. He needs a little moment to breathe. Or to punch something.

Anything that could get this anger away from him.

The rest of the day – heck, even the rest of the week – Peter receives stares from the people that saw him storm off.

Steve stays gone for six days.

Granted, it’s not as long as Tony would have expected, but it’s still six days. Most of them filled with Tony roaming around the compound with Rhodey whenever Peter isn’t there. Sometimes they sparred, sometimes they played chess. There are few occasions Vision joined them, and the game would be a hopeless case since the android always won.

The days that Peter is there, the two Avengers decided not to look after Tony anymore; not because they think Peter can do the job for them, but mostly because it’s just the two of them, and they would like to enjoy some parts of their day without babysitting Tony, which the man obviously understands.

But that means that Tony is left alone with Peter; the genius sixteen-year-old teenager with mental issues and who also happens to be Tony’s only (as far as he knows) son. Said son who knows that Tony is his father, but doesn’t know that Tony knows.

Heck, it’s getting complicated here.

Peter is suspicious of something; Tony knows it. That has probably something to do with the fact that Tony keeps on staring at his son without really thinking about it. Each time Peter is looking away, working on whatever next Tony is going to add to this suit they’re making, the inventor takes a little time to once again take in what he has created without knowing it.

But, that’s the thing right there; all he’s created about Peter is just the shell. He sees it in Peter’s nose, and his eyes. He sees it in the small freckles on his cheeks, or in his smile. But that’s about all he’s done to create Peter.

And he wishes he’d done more. Or that he’d at least had a chance to do so.

Everything that makes Peter Peter is the result of his parents, or his Aunt and Uncle. They made Peter into the brave teenager that he is today. They’ve had his baby-years, taught him how to walk or talk. They changed his diapers, went to his parent-teacher conferences. They helped him with his homework, and gave him all their wisdom about the world.

Tony has had no part in that. Thanks to the choice Mary made, Tony has never had any influence in Peter’s life.

Aside for, maybe, the Iron Man and the Avengers-part.

Today, on the fifth day that Cap is gone, Tony sits in his workshop once more. Vision has already left, though what he likes to do in his spare time, nobody really knows.

Tony is tinkering with a heating layer he’s going to add into the fabric of the suit when Peter curses and something falls down to the ground. Tony startles, immediately glancing to where Peter is sitting finding him at his usual desk – because he’s already got his own freaking desk here!

“Pete, you alright?” Tony asks. He drops his stuff and stands up.

“Y-yeah, I’m fine. I just accidentally cut myself,” Peter assures him, but Tony is not so easily sated. When he stands next to Peter, he takes the hand the teenager is directing towards his mouth and inspects the cut on the boy’s finger. It doesn’t look too deep, but it must have stung.

“I have some antiseptic, wait here for a moment,” Tony tells him, but Peter shakes his head.

“No, I’ll be fine. I was just startled,” Peter responds. Tony gives him a long look before the teenager starts to get uncomfortable. Then eventually he gives up. “Alright, I’ll wait here.”

Smug because of his victory, Tony walks away from the desk and heads to the counter where all his medical stuff is put. There have been too many times where he’s had to patch himself up, so he’s gotten an entire stash out here instead of having to call Pepper all the time to bring things down.

Once Tony returns with a cotton drenched in cleaning alcohol, he feels Peter’s eyes on him. He’s aware the teenager is looking at him with those big brown peepers, but he tries not to let it show. He doesn’t need Peter to start asking questions, because first Tony needs somebody to talk about the issue with.

Or, somebody else, that is. Because when he told Rhodey, all he got was laughter and a ‘I knew there would at least be one mini-you walking around’ and one more ‘just freaking tell the kid, Tony. It’s not like he doesn’t already know’. Tony needs a second person to confirm this course of action, and calling Pepper is not a good idea.

Vision reminds him too much of JARVIS to try that. The only two he’d consider telling this two are Nat and Steve, and while everything inside him is telling him to go for the latter, his brain is warning him that, no, he should tell Nat. She will know what the best course of action will be.

Or maybe she’ll glare at him and think him an idiot for wanting to bring his drama to her.

“Mr. Stark, is everything alright?” Peter asks, pulling him out of his thoughts.

“I’m fine, kid,” Tony assures him.

“It’s because… you said we needed to talk that day with the principal, but so far you haven’t said anything about it,” Peter continues. Tony sighs as he puts a bandage on Peter’s bloody finger. He’s cleaned it, but it won’t stop bleeding so it’s better to just put something on it for a moment. At least, that’s how Tony does it all the time.

“I don’t really think it’s my place to give you a hard time about that, Peter,” Tony says, hating himself for it because he knows he’s right. He’s got no right to scold Peter for punching another kid, no matter how much of a bully he is.

“Isn’t it?” Peter asks in a whisper, probably not wanting Tony to hear it. But the man does, and he looks up to him with wide eyes and a mouth fallen open.

Is this what Peter wants? Does he want Tony to be his father? To be the parent that helps him with his homework in those few years he’ll still have some? Or to talk to about some girl that he likes? Does he want Tony to be the one to congratulate him when he does something right, or to scold him when he’s done something bad?

“I think you know you shouldn’t punch kids, and I know that kid pushed your buttons that day. I’m not saying that excuses you, but… I guess what I’m trying to say is that I’m not so sure I wouldn’t have punched him either had I been in your shoes,” Tony says while cleaning up the mess and closing the first aid box again. Before he heads back to the counter, he turns to Peter and puts a hand on his shoulder. “If you ever… want to tell me about what happened in that bell-tower, I will listen.”

Peter’s eyes are a bit wet when Tony says that, but the hard stance in his jaw indicates that Peter is not trying to show his emotions about it. Then he nods and looks down.

“Or, if you want to tell me about Gwen, I would love to hear about her as well.”

Peter smiles lightly before letting the first tear roll out of his eye. Tony panics; it wasn’t his intention to make the kid cry! He can’t comfort people, he’s horrible at it! Usually he just buys them presents and hopes that it distracts them from whatever happened.

“Uh,” Tony gets out, squeezing Peter’s shoulder a bit. Then the teenager takes a step forward and puts his forehead against Tony’s shoulder as he cries some more. Awkwardly, Tony raises his hands and gently taps Peter on the back. “It’s alright, Peter.”

Here they are; two people suffering from depression who also happen to be father and son, holding each other in a loose embrace that makes Tony shiver. Never once has his father held him like this. Howard never even kissed him goodnight or gave him a hug when they saw each other again after a long time. Now, standing like this, Tony never really realized he doesn’t ever want to let go at all.

But eventually, Peter pulls back. He uses his sleeves to dry his tears away, and then he lets out an awkward chuckle. Tony just clears his throat, and the two take a step back, probably right on time before he lets out the famous ‘I am your father’-quote without thinking better of it.

“Uh, do you have any more of those feedback-papers that I have to fill in for school?” Tony asks in an attempt to lighten the mood a bit. For his internship, in order to earn himself more grades at school, Peter has to hand in some documents with positive feedback he’s gotten from his workplace. As far as Tony knows, at first Peter handed it to Francis back when he still worked in the tower. Now, Tony, too, has already gotten a few of them.

While normally he doesn’t take paperwork so seriously, with this he’s paid all his attention to it. At first out of a strange sense of loyalty towards Mary. Now, though, it’s because he wants his son to succeed his year. Peter is not out of trouble yet, but he’s almost there. His grades have gone up surprisingly fast, and despite the two unfortunate occasions of detention, his teachers seem be happy with his progress.

“Yeah, I already filled in my part, though I’m running out of things to say without revealing our super-secret project,” Peter admits with a light chuckle. His eyes are still red, but there are no more tears in his eyes. Relieved, Tony takes the paper, pulls out another chair to Peter’s desk and sits down while motioning for Peter to sit down next to him.

“Tomorrow you just write that you updated Dum-E’s protocol or something,” Tony tells him while taking a pen.

“And get another detention for trying to make the teacher believe you’ve got a robot called ‘dummy’?” Peter asks, now laughing genuinely. As Tony writes stuff down (only positive things), he, too, chuckles a bit because of it.

“We can add a picture of you and Dum-E, then. His name is very obviously written on his base,” Tony says calmly. “Now what should I say? That you do a spectacular job, or an amazing one?”

“Uh, I don’t think the teachers will go for either,” Peter admits. Tony snorts before going with extraordinary instead. “Do you know when the others will be back?”

Tony shakes his head as he finishes his sentence. “No clue. They’ve left a few messages to report what they’ve gotten so far, but nothing about when they’ll be back. What, you’re missing Wanda?” Tony wiggles his eyebrows, and Peter pokes him in the arm in return.

“Shut up,” he responds with red cheeks. Tony can’t help but laugh even more. He knows that Peter and Wanda will never be a thing, but he can’t help but want to tease a little bit about it. Peter’s probably not even ready to think about new romance, right now. It hasn’t even been a year.

“Oh, impolite to mentor? That deserves a mention in here,” Tony bluffs, and Peter quickly pulls the paper out from under his hands and tries to run away with it.

“No, no no!” he calls out in a faked panic, and once more, the two of them start laughing. Tony feels light inside, with something feeling like luck welling in his chest. His lips seem to be going permanently upward. His heart is beating faster as he sees Peter there next to Dum-E, protesting when Dum-E takes the piece of paper from him and starts rolling off – copying Peter.

He’s never felt more lucky than right now; his kid, right here. No matter how horrible life has treated him, he’s not unable to laugh again. And it gives Tony this weird feeling of wanting to pull him into his arms again, and never to let go. It’s only been 5 days, but this has been building up for much longer. That protective vibe he’s been feeling around Peter has been there since the beginning.

Even if Peter hadn’t been his biological son, Tony is sure that he would have considered him his either way. Everything about the kid screams ‘mine! Stay off!’, and Tony isn’t sure if that should worry him or not.

At eight, Happy arrives to take Peter back home and Tony heads to the gym to work a bit on his sparring with Rhodey. At midnight, surprisingly, Tony goes to bed, more tired than he’d imagined. The moment he lies down, he’s gone, lulled into a deep sleep, only to be awakened again five hours later when he hears the Quinjet land on the platform.

Steve is back.

Before realizing it, Tony throws the blankets off and jumps out of the bed with a speed he didn’t know he had. By the time he’s in the hallway, he sees Nat and Wanda already heading towards the bathroom with their towels in hand. Sam is carrying some things out of the Quinjet, and Clint is popping open a beer.

He hears Steve before he sees him. The man is calling out some more instructions to some of the workers. Things about bringing weapons away for inspection and whatever else. Tony doesn’t listen, instead hurrying to the source of the voice.

Seeing Cap, completely filthy from dirt where his mask hasn’t been, Tony finds his breath catching. He doesn’t know why his impulses brought him here. Hadn’t he just told himself days earlier that he wouldn’t think too much into whatever is happening between him and Steve? How is it that, now he’s right here again, those ideas have flown out the window without a single warning?

“Tony, you’re up?” Steve asks when he sees Tony standing there, wearing his dark tee and grey sweatpants, bare feet on the cold floor. Cap, in turn, is still in his uniform. There’s no obvious blood on him, just dirt and a few scrapes. Tony walks towards him without saying anything, but after two steps he stops himself.

There are too many people around. He doesn’t want them talking about this. Not yet…

“Uh, yeah,” Tony gets out then, scratching his hair. “You should get washed, you’re filthy.”

Steve looks down at his appearance and then chuckles while shrugging.

“I know… got thrown into the mud,” he explains. Tony feels the corners of his lips go up, and then he blinks a few more times before turning back to the hallway that leads to his room. He has no doubt that Steve would follow him once he’s washed up.

And he’s right. Twenty minutes after that, there’s a knock on the door. Tony storms up, opens it, and before he can get out a greeting Steve’s lips are once again pressed against his. Tony closes his eyes, shuts the door with his foot without moving another inch of his body, and just revels in the kiss.

Steve smells nice now that he’s clean again. Like flowers, somehow, but in combination with… cherry, maybe?

“Thought about this the entire time,” Steve admits against his lips in a groan. Tony lets out a breath before starting to pull Steve along with him.

He can’t say that he’s been thinking about the same thing, but he can’t help but admit that he likes this. Steve feels amazing, so close to him, and for a moment all his worries about Peter are gone.

So, wanting the distraction more than ever, Tony pulls Steve’s shirt up while still guiding him towards the bed. Steve doesn’t complain at all. Not the entire night they spend together, bodies close and lips locked on each other almost constantly.

It’s sweaty and it gets Tony breathless a few times as they move together despite the awkwardness in it as well. They don’t go all the way – they’re not ready for that. But every moment spent together is just as enjoyable.

And at noon the next day, Tony wakes to find a sleepy Steve next to him, and he smiles. Steve, in return, smiles as well, reaching out his hand to get some strands of hair away from Tony’s face.

“I’m glad you’re back,” Tony finds himself saying in all honesty. Steve leans forward to kiss him once more.

“I’m glad to be back,” he answers.

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