A/N: I hope everyone enjoys this little baby ficlet. On to more Irondad love!
Chapter 2:
It's four hours into Peter's treatment when F.R.I.D.A.Y informs them that he is now out of the critical stage and should be transferred to a hospital bed with warm IV infusions for the remainder of the recovery period.
"Stoooop," Peter whines, shoving away Tony's hands when they try to move him from his comfortable position. "-just wanna sleep, Mr. Stark."
"Trust me, kid; you are gonna go right back to la-la land the moment I get you across the room," Tony replies, relieved to see he recognizes him, even in such a poor state.
Taking Peter out of the heated invention is almost harder than it is getting him inside of it.
Steve insists he be the one to lift him as he watches his friend struggle with manhandling the boy, but Tony carries on anyway.
"You getting this, kid? Grandpa Cap's trying to push me into an early retirement."
Hearing the strain in his voice, Peter squashes down the exhaustion and attempts to wrap his arms around Tony's neck.
"That's my buddy. I gotcha," Tony says as he shifts his charge out of the glass case, smirking at Steve victoriously.
"I'm still the favorite."
"Well, you're his dad, so…" Steve smirks when a blush rises to Tony's face as he rolls his eyes, sniffs and pivots around him.
Bruce enters just then; his mission accomplished with a stack of Tony's comfiest clothes.
'He's already had to endure four hours in his birthday suit; I'll spare him the shame of another twelve in a paper dress.' Tony had said before sending him off minutes ago.
The fact that Peter's becoming more alert by the second drives his mentor to move faster before self awareness becomes problematic. The last thing he needs right now is the kid falling and injuring himself just as he's starting to bounce back.
Grabbing a shirt off the pile in Bruce's arms, he pulls it over Peter's head while Steve holds him in place. The kid pushes his arms through the sleeves out of instinct alone and then tries to droop backwards, growling when someone doesn't allow it. "Better get the rest on quick or he might give the Hulk a run for his money," Steve says with a chuckle.
"I think I might die," Peter says so suddenly that all three men startle.
Tony drops the clothes and lifts up the boy's chin, adrenaline pouring back in his veins as he checks for something overlooked. "Pete, talk to me. What hurts? What's going on?"
Peter's head sags backward to look up at Steve, coffee colored eyes eventually falling back to Bruce and Tony. "Do I…reall' gotta explain m'self righ'now?"
Realization dawns on their faces as everyone exchanges awkward glances. Because Ironman, Captain America and Hulk putting on your undergarments is about the most embarrassing scenario any of them can come up with, and yeah they'd probably want to die if they were in his position too.
"Listen, Banner's a doctor. It's nothing he hasn't seen already," Tony begins, scrambling for more silver linings to attach with, what would probably be marked down as, the worst day of Peter's existence in a secret journal somewhere later on. "…and Cap was in the Army…I'm sure he's dealt with many a physical check up…war wounds?" Steve eagerly nods his head as he reads the 'Help me!' written all over Tony's face.
"Not helping," Peter moans, resting an arm over his eyes, "Can you please…jus-"
The billionaire doesn't wait for him to finish, not wanting to drag out the kid's suffering any more than he has to.
Peter swallows when he feels Tony grabbing one of his ankles and then the other, slipping them through a pair of briefs. He keeps his eyes screwed shut when he feels the soft material brushing up his legs and sliding beneath his backside. Nightmare now complete, Peter feels the blessed warmth of a blanket covering over him, but it does nothing for the shame leftover.
He doesn't fight it when Tony gently pries his arm away from his face, but he's still not ready to look at his mentor. Why did they have to wake him up? Tears of exhaustion soon slip down, pooling into his ears as he listens to the other two caretakers murmur in hushed tones in the background.
"Hey, Underoos."
Peter's arm rips away from Tony and returns to its place upon hearing the perfectly timed nickname.
"….s'not even…remotely funny, Mr. Stark," he murmurs, feeling the corners of his mouth turning upward as he shakes his head from side to side; but Tony's ridiculous giggles are infectious, and it's soon bubbling forcefully out of him as well. More tears follow and he truly doesn't know if they're from embarrassment or the silent laughter that's now wracking his weakened frame.
Peter wishes it would keep going, but silence returns the moment they're both trying to catch their breath.
"Can I sleep now?"
"After you look at me."
Peter pauses and takes a deep breath; Tony allows him the time he needs.
The arm comes down, slowly but surely, and bloodshot eyes finally find the courage to stare up at his hero.
"Hi," Tony says as he leans closer to examine the shy face.
"Hi," Peter replies, and he feels stupid the moment he does.
"Bruce has got a nice, warm IV infusion with your name on it when you're ready," Tony can't stop himself from patting Peter's chest…can't keep from running a thumb across those flushed cheeks.
"C'mon, Pete. It's me," he says with a sigh, smoothing the boy's hair back a few times, though he feels it's not his role to do so.
"Because it's you," Peter whimpers, lip trembling as he glances over to the window and back.
"I know I'm still just a little kid in your eyes."
My kid…
"You're always having to clean up my mess-"he continues.
"Hey-" Tony cuts in with a warning tone.
"I'm jus' a giant screw up."
"Alright, that's enough-"
"Now you're even having to dress me!" Peter cries out, his whole body shaking as he forces the words out.
"Because it's YOU!" Tony shouts, making Peter jump and release a floodgate of tears.
The fact that Bruce and Steve are turning to watch makes everything that much worse.
"You listen up…No. Nope. Eyes on me, kid." the billionaire says.
He forces his charge to meet his gaze and squashes down the urge to wrap Peter up in his arms when the boy's bottom lip quivers skyward.
'You're scaring him.' Tony tells himself, 'Don't be like your dad-Don't be like your dad-Don't be-'
"Buddy, I don't really give a crap what it says on your birth certificate…or what your Aunt May has to say about it…I don't even care what you think," his voice cracks on the last few words.
He pauses there….because in all actuality he cares way too much about what he's about to reveal and he's suddenly so scared that his love will, undoubtedly, bleed out of him because of it, and it may, very well, push the kid away.
"You're my boy."
Peter's shocked expression makes his mentor sniff in amusement. He feels like bursting when he hears the precious two-word reply.
"I am?"
Tony straightens himself for a moment and stares at the ceiling, clearing his throat and slipping off his shoes before scooting Peter's frail body over just a little to the left. There are so many things he could say…a cluster of one-liners await their turn on his tongue, but none of them are worthy enough for so pure a moment.
Climbing onto the hospital bed is risky. Scooping the kid into his arms is even riskier, but his gamble pays off. Peter doesn't even hesitate to cling and snuggle into his chest the moment he realizes what's happening. It's as if the kid's been waiting for this his entire life, and despite how cold Peter still feels against him, Tony's melting into a puddle of paternal goo because of it.
"Do I really need to explain myself right now?" Tony asks, imitating the kid's dramatic line from a bit ago and he feels Peter respond with a smile against his shirt.
The sound of Velcro erupts from behind them as Bruce appears to their left, a mixture of affection and duty painting his features as he gently lifts one of Peter's arms and wraps a blood pressure monitor around his bicep. "Hate to, uh, break this up," he says, gesturing to them both with a wide sweep of his hand, "…but we gotta get that IV in you, pal."
"Still got some thawing to do," Steve adds, slapping Tony on the shoulder as the pair share something unspoken when their eyes meet.
Bruce has the needle in and fluids coursing through Peter's veins in under two minutes. The warmth it provides, coupled with Tony's body heat, pacifies the heightened teen. His head eventually sinks downward, but Tony catches it and returns him back to his chest, keeping a hand there to ensure it doesn't happen again. "Night, Petey Pie," he whispers, eventually surrendering to a nap as well.
Peter ends up sleeping well through the night. It's almost sixteen hours later when he finally wakes, turning to look out the window at the swirling snowflakes pelting the glass and piling up at the sill.
He remembers the cold…wanting to tear at his clothes when the ice stings his skin like a legion of wasps.
Captain America had rescued him...carried him in his great big arms…
And Mr. Stark…Mr. Stark…Mr. Stark…
Peter lets out a pained and drawn out groan as all of yesterday's events come flooding back into his memory. He glances down to see he's still wearing Tony's clothes and any hopes he had of it all being just a dream are instantly dashed to the ground.
'You're my boy.'
The teenager freezes and bolts up in bed, pressing a palm to his temple when it throbs from the movement.
Had he really said that? There's no way Mr. Stark had said that.
Another gasp escapes him. Had he seriously spent all of last night cuddled into Iron Man's arms?
That part's a dream. That part's TOTALLY just a dream. There's no freaking way-
"It's aliiiiiive." Tony enters the room just then with a tray of hot food and sets it on a table next to the hospital bed. "Or…deer in the headlights, maybe? You've been out for quite awhile, kid," the billionaire adds, leaning down to plant a kiss on top of Peter's head before plopping himself in the chair.
He rolls it closer to the bed while the boy continues to stare blankly back at him, mouth slightly open as if he's processing something beyond comprehension.
"Hello, Hello?" Tony tries snapping this time, pleased when it pulls the kid from his trance.
"I wasn't dreaming?" Peter murmurs.
"Forget it kid," Tony interjects and it makes the boy's heart drop a little. "All of it…"
Peter swallows and stares down at his blanket. Maybe his mentor had given him special treatment because he had come so close to death. That wasn't such a stretch to imagine…just comfort from a superhero…a mentor's words to soothe a child.
"…except the Kodak moment we had after I pulled up your drawers. That you can keep,"
"Kodak moment?"
"Seriously?" Tony replies, feeling his age more than ever, "Okay, we'll save it for another day."
Peter's hanging on the man's every word; waiting for something to click…seeking for proof that Tony really and truly wants him.
"The stuff I said yesterday," His mentor starts, "…this whole…father son thing we've got going on, it's about time we went public with it, don't you think?"
Peter's suddenly having to hold himself back by pressing his lips together and wringing his hands in his lap because of the joy currently abounding in his soul. His efforts are commendable, but Tony clearly sees the fireworks going off above his head and he gives the boy a genuine grin.
"Come here, kiddo," he says, and Peter falls on him, arms latched over strong shoulders as he allows himself to believe that he really does have a dad, and his name is Tony Stark.
"I love you," he whispers.
"I love you too, Pete."
…..
