A/N: Totally a fluff chapter! Thanks for the patience!

Chapter 37: Dog Days

Peter's POV:

I was swinging from one building to another, free falling before shooting off more web. It was raining pretty heavily now, and although I still had another hour before curfew, Pepper had ordered me home. I hadn't even bothered arguing because even with the heater my suit had, I was still freezing. I was about to shoot off another web when I saw a group of kids running below me. Curiosity peaked, I landed on the side of a building and watched as they chased after a dog. They were yelling and throwing things before cornering it in an alley.

Anger building at the abuse of an innocent animal, I immediately jumped down, placing myself between the dog and the kids. Standing tall, I crossed my arms and stared down at all three of their wide-eyed faces. With the new, deeper voice Tony had integrated into my mask, I menacingly stated, "I think it's about time you ran along home now, boys. Oh, and if I ever catch you treating an innocent animal like this again, I'll web you up butt-naked in front of a police station, understood?" The kids looked petrified as they nodded and assured me this would never happen again. I made a shooing motion, and they hightailed it out of the alley. I couldn't help but smirk.

Turning around, my concern rose as I saw the dog was curled up into a small, shaky ball. I slowly approached it, and it looked at me with wide, scared, brown eyes. It didn't even growl or try to get away from me. I reached out a tentative hand, surprised when the dog's snout met my hand, nudging me. Smiling, I began to gently pat the dog's head, which caused its tail to begin wagging. I looked over the animal, searching for any injuries, and finding it to be relatively unharmed. It was definitely a stray as its fur was dirty and matted, and it was really skinny. There was a scar on its left front leg, but it was clearly an old wound. Running my hand through its dark fur, the dog didn't wince, yelp, or even try to get away from me. It just continued to wag its tail, and attempt to lick me.

"Hey, buddy," I cooed, having discovered it was a boy. "Wanna come home with me?" I asked, and when his tail began to thump even faster, I took that as a yes. Without thinking, I placed my arms underneath the dog and slowly picked him up. He was really light for his large size. He began to lick me more and more when he was in my arms, and I laughed, lifting my mask up enough so that I could place a kiss on his head. "Okay, okay, buddy, let's go. We're going to go home, and I'll bathe you and feed you and give you a warm bed." Dog in my arms, I walked up the side of the building before beginning to jump from one room to the next. The dog froze at first, frightened by my speed, but he quickly overcame his fear and began to bark in excitement, causing me to laugh in delight.

Upon arriving home, I got into my room through the hatch, which was a little awkward with the large, moving dog in my arms. As I landed lightly on my floor, I set him down, and he got himself up on shaky legs to walk around. Throwing off my wet mask, I looked to Friday's camera with a pleading look. "Can you please not tell anybody about this?" I begged.

"Do you plan on keeping the dog a secret forever, Peter?" she responded in amusement.

"No, I mean, I will tell them or ask them eventually, but not right now," I explained badly. "I'm gonna clean him up, get him food, and train him up a bit before asking if I can keep him. If I can show my parents that I took care of him without them knowing, then they'll have to let him stay." That made sense, right?

"Very well, Peter," Friday said with continued amusement, "I will keep your secret as long as your new friend stays with you or in your room."

"Got it," I said, noting the dog was lying on the floor panting heavily. Poor guy. He was probably thirsty and starving. "Stay here," I whispered to him before darting out of my room. I figured I'd run to the kitchen to grab some leftovers for him. Walking into the kitchen, I groaned internally when I saw Tony sitting cross legged on the counter, cold pizza in one hand, tablet in the other. Hopefully, he wouldn't nag me about getting food. Sometimes he was too inquisitive.

"Hey, Spiderling," he greeted, without even looking up from his tablet. "How'd it go tonight?"

"Pretty good," I responded as I opened the fridge, looking for food suitable for a dog. "Pretty quiet night, probably cuz of the rain." I saw leftover tri-tip from yesterday, so I just took it all out and decided to heat it up.

"Hey, you're soaking wet, why haven't you changed into dry clothes yet?" Tony chided suddenly, all dad-like as he looked me over in concern.

"I'm hungry," I defended, throwing him a mildly disgruntled look. "It's not like I'm going to catch a cold or anything. I'll put dry clothes on when I get back to my room." The microwave went off and I took out the meat, placing it on a plate.

"You're going to eat all that?" he asked curiously, and I just shrugged. "I'm a growing teenage superhero, Dad, so yeah I'm gonna eat it all." I began to walk away, internally groaning again when he called my name out.

"You planning on eating it with your bare hands as well?" he asked with a raised eyebrow. "Pretty sure Pepper would want me to tell you, you were not raised by wolves." My face reddened as I forced out a chuckle.

"Oh yeah, utensils," I murmured, quickly grabbing a fork and knife along with a napkin.

"Don't make a mess or Pepper will have your head," he warned and I just rolled my eyes at him, avoiding his kick when I walked by. "Night, Pal," he yelled, and I smiled as I replied, "Night, Dad."

Going into my room and closing the door, I was surprised to see the dog hadn't moved from where he had laid himself down. Poor boy. I quickly sat down next to him, putting the plate of food down by his mouth. His nose twitched and he began to sniff the plate, slowly lifting himself up. I began to rip the meat into smaller pieces, hand-feeding them to him one by one. He greedily ate each piece, which I took as a good sign. I fed him about half the plate before deciding to cut him off. I didn't know when the last time he'd eaten was, or what he'd eaten, and I didn't want to overwhelm his system. I'd have to get out and buy food for him tomorrow.

I placed the food somewhere he couldn't reach before leading him into the bathroom so I could bathe him. I turned the water on, watching as he stared at it in fascination, coming closer to investigate rather than running away. I waited until the water was at a comfortable temperature before lifting my dog up and placing him in the tub. He lapped at the water eagerly, reminding me that I hadn't gotten him any water to drink. I'd sneak out later when I was sure Tony wasn't there anymore. I turned the shower knob on and got into the tub with the dog.

I ran my hands through his fur, but it didn't seem to do much good. Globs of dirt and grime were falling off, but the fur was matted, and I realized it would need to be shaved. Huffing in frustration, I realized I'd need to take him to a groomer. Thankfully, though, tomorrow was Saturday, so I had time. I already had plans to get together with MJ, so I'd rope her into helping me out with the dog. I cleaned him as best I could, getting off the worst of the dirt before calling this a job not-so-well done. I'd leave this to the professionals. I tried to dry him off, but his fur was so thick, I realized it'd take hours to dry. I sighed heavily before leading the dog out of my bathroom.

I changed into pajamas and then opened the door to my small balcony, hoping if he needed to use the restroom, he'd go out here rather than in my room. Sitting myself on the floor with the dog, I messaged MJ what'd happened. She immediately responded her agreement with helping me take care of the dog tomorrow. She also said she'd help me come up with a better name than "the dog". I smiled, pulling the dog in for a hug, feeling its tongue licking my face over and over. "I'll take care of you, pal. You'll never go hungry or be afraid again, you hear me?" I asked rhetorically, but I felt he understood me because his tail was wagging frantically as he placed himself in my lap and licked me over and over. I buried my head in his fur, feeling content.

I woke up early the next morning, surprised to find the dog in bed with me rather than on the ground where I'd left him last night. He was snuggled up right next to me, and I smiled widely, giving him a kiss on the head. He opened an eye and gave me a nudge as I sat up and yawned. Standing up, I was glad to see my room in one piece. The plate that I'd placed on my desk was empty, causing me to laugh. Apparently, he'd been well enough to stand up and eat off it. I didn't see or smell a mess, and walking out into my balcony, I didn't see one either. I decided that I best leave soon before an accident did occur. He probably hadn't had enough sustenance to have a bowel movement, but after all that meat…let's just say I rushed through my shower before rushing out of my room, costume underneath my clothes.

"Woah! Where you going, honey?" Pepper asked as I hurried past her in the hallway.

"Meeting with MJ," I stated breathlessly, before leaning in and giving her a kiss on the cheek. "Morning, by the way. See you."

"Be careful," she advised, and I nodded before rushing out. I took the elevator down a couple floors, changed in an empty room, and then climbed out one of the windows before crawling up towards my room. The dog was waiting for me on the balcony, and I picked him up slowly made my way back to the window I'd climbed out of. Changing back into regular clothes, I took the elevator the rest of the way down and walked out of the building.

I drove us to MJ's house where we picked her up. When she got into the car, she grinned widely when she saw the dog, saying, "Oh my god, he's so cute! And so big! Wow, and you really didn't tell your parents?"

"No," I answered, "I didn't know what they'd say, and I really, really want to keep him. I want to get him all cleaned up and a little trained before I ask."

"I don't think you need to go to all that trouble," she reasoned, "as I'm sure they'll say yes."

I shrugged. "I don't want to take the chance. I love this guy already, and what if they say no?"

"What if they say no even after he's clean and trained, and you've grown even more attached to him?" she argued back, and I bit my lip, not really having thought of that.

"They won't," I insisted, and she just rolled her eyes.

"Like I said, just ask them now. I guarantee you they won't say no, especially if they see how much you want him," she assured me.

"We'll see," I hedged. "Anyways, I need to get him to a pet groomer. His furs all matted and stuff."

"I know a place," MJ informed me. "It's called Pawsh Groomers, and we take Gizmo every couple of months. She's really good and affordable." She instructed me how to get there, and when we arrived, she was barely opening the door.

"Hi Martha," MJ greeted.

"Well, hello Michelle, I wasn't aware Gizmo was scheduled for another cut," she remarked before catching sight of my dog.

"Hi," I greeted with a little wave. "I'm Peter, and I just got this dog, and he's kinda matted and stuff. I tried bathing him, but it didn't really work."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Peter, and does your dog have a name?" she asked, kneeling down to get a better look at him.

"Uh, no, not yet," I admitted sheepishly. "I only got him yesterday. Well, I found him on the streets. Some kids were abusing him, and with how skinny he is, I figured he's homeless. Yeah…"

Martha smiled in understanding as she stood up. "Good for you, Peter, good for you. Kids these days can be so cruel. I'd be happy to give this boy a good bath and haircut. I recommend getting him shaved down this time to get rid of the matting. Since you found him on the streets, I'd also recommend getting him checked out at a vet." She opened his mouth and looked at his gums. "He's pretty young still, which means he'll need shots," she mused aloud.

I nodded in understanding, wondering if a vet would let someone underage take a dog in for a visit.

"Luckily for you two, I just had a client cancel on me last minute, so I've got a slot open for our new four-legged friend," she informed us. "Now, while I get to work, why don't you two go and get some breakfast?" she suggested. "It should take me at least an hour to get this fella done. Leave me your number, Peter, and I'll text you when he's ready, okay?" I nodded, giving her my number before walking out.

MJ and I ate at a small little bakery, and we had a great time just talking. I could see people out of the corner of my eye glance over at us repeatedly, some pointing fingers, but nobody took out a camera or made to come over, so I let it be with barely a roll of my eyes. MJ just shrugged.

"We're going to make the tabloids one day," she remarked uncaringly, and I grimaced, not having thought of how my newfound fame would affect her and Ned. "Famous Peter Stark swept off his feet by"—I covered her mouth, telling her to shush.

"How much you wanna bet that turns up in some magazine tomorrow?" I huffed in mild irritation, glad she seemed to find some amusement in my status.

"Who cares," she remarked flippantly, throwing back a couple of donut holes.

"You say that, but wait until they start snooping into your life, and then you'll be singing a different tune," I warned somewhat seriously, knowing she wouldn't want people knowing about her brother. She seemed to stiffen slightly, frowning thoughtfully before shrugging once more. "So, what if they know? They'll judge me, probably say stupid things like you shouldn't date me for some dumb reason or another, but in the end, it only matters what you think of me." I marveled at her ability to see things this way.

My phone dinged, and I saw that it was Martha messaging me that my dog was ready. We arrived in minutes, and I couldn't help but looked surprised when I caught sight of the shaved down dog. He looked so different! His long, thick, matted fur was gone. He was definitely skinny, and he had some scars around his neck and back shoulder. His two ears stood straight up, and I could see that he was a good sized dog. He had dark brown fur with a big white patch, completely circular, at his chest. It kind of reminded me of the arc reactor Tony had in his suit. Upon seeing me, the dog's tail waged rapidly back and forth as he bounded on over to me.

"Hey there, bud, look at you!" I cooed softly, rubbing my hands all over his soft, clean fur. "You're such a handsome boy, aren't you?"

"And he's a sweetheart," Martha added, "which is rather surprising seeing as it looks like he was used as a fighting dog. That's where those scars come from. People these days," she grumbled unhappily, and I frowned as I looked him over once more. Poor guy had been forced to fight before getting beaten up by humans. How could he even trust me when it seemed no human had ever shown him kindness?

I thanked Martha for her work, paid her, and then set off for a pet store. When we arrived at Petsmart, I immediately headed to the collar and leash center. The dog followed me around really well, but still, it was required by law. The second we arrived and saw Avenger themed collars, we shared a glance before grabbing the Iron Man themed collar and leash and putting them on our dog.

"Y'know," I mentioned as we headed to food, "with the white patch on his chest and the scar on his front leg, he reminds me of Tony."

MJ laughed as she replied, "So, is that what we're naming him? Tony?"

"It'd suit him," I stated as the dog looked up at us with a happy grin, his tongue flopping out of his mouth. "The women love him already," I whispered in amusement as we watched a group of women coo over how adorable and handsome he was.

We both burst into laughter at the thought of Tony's reaction to us naming a dog after him. "Let's make him more sophisticated, though," MJ added. "Instead of Tony, because it would admittedly get a little confusing for Pepper, how about we call him Anthony?"

I grinned, liking the name. "What do you think, boy? Is Anthony a good name for you?" I asked, kneeling down to give him a hug. He gave a loud bark before licking my face, so I took that as an affirmative. "I think he likes it."

We finished the rest of our shopping, getting him food, bowls, toys, a bed, and a tag for his collar. "Oooohhhh, we need to get him an Iron Man costume for Halloween!" MJ exclaimed, I roared with laughter as we went over to the costume section for pets. Lo and behold, there was a costume, and we immediately put it in on Anthony, who immediately began to strut around in it.

"You should introduce him to your parents like this," MJ recommended as we walked out of the pet store and to my car. "One look at him and they'll melt," she remarked with a smirk.

We grabbed a drive thru lunch afterwards, deciding to eat it at a park so we could give Anthony some exercise. We took him out of the costume as he ran, not wanting to draw even more attention to me and MJ. Iron Man's kid with an Iron Man dog? Yeah, the media would eat that up! Anthony had a lot of energy, so I knew I'd have to take him out at least twice a day. I could take him on a run before school like I used to do with Nat, and then again when I got home.

"What are you going to do with him when you're at school?" Michelle asked curiously.

"Keep him in my room, I guess," I remarked uncertainly. "I'll keep the balcony open, and he'll have food, water, and toys, but I can't let him wander around while I'm gone."

"Oh god, Peter, just tell your parents!" she exclaimed in exasperation. "After all we did today, they're not going to tell you, you can't keep him. Come on, I'll go with you if you're scared," she said, standing up and grabbing my hand.

"I'm not scared," I defended, and she just raised a disbelieving eyebrow at me.

"Fine, let's go then," I grumbled with a huff, hating that she was right. "Let's go Anthony!" I yelled, and the intelligent dog immediately stopped chasing the squirrels and came to me. I looked down at him in wonder. Despite mistreating him, it seemed his last owners had trained him somewhat or shown him some compassion. How could he be such a wonderful dog if they hadn't?

The drive home was quick and amusing, Anthony's head being stuck out the window the whole time as he barked at people and animals alike. He seemed so happy. We got to the tower and as I parked I saw that both Tony and Pepper's cars were here. I began to grow nervous.

"What if they say no?" I asked MJ, and she let out a sigh.

"We'll convince them," she declared firmly.

"But what if?" I pressed, and she looked me straight in the eyes and said, "Then I'll take him for you, or I'll help you hide him here." With those words, she placed a kiss on my lips before getting out of the car. I smiled, finding myself really loving that girl.

She grabbed hold of Anthony's leash while I grabbed everything else. We got into the elevator and took it all the way up, my heart beating nervously the entire way. When the doors opened, I let out a sigh at seeing nobody on our floor. We quickly ran to my room to drop everything off, and MJ insisted on putting the Iron Man costume on Anthony. I had to admit, if Tony and Pepper said no after looking at this cute face, then they just might have no heart.

We set up the dog area in a corner of the room, putting his two new Iron Man themed bowls on the floor and filling them. I lay out his bed next to mine and tossed a couple of his toys around the room. Anthony immediately latched on to the Captain America stuffed toy that squeaked every time he bit down on it. He lay himself on his bed and began to chew on it, pausing every minute or so to look at me with a lopsided grin.

"Friday, where are Tony and Pepper?" I decided to ask.

"They are both downstairs on the Avenger floor, preparing to have dinner with Colonel Rhodes, Vision, Mr. Hogan, Dr. Banner, and Agent Romanoff," she responded. "I've already alerted them that you are home and with a friend, a human friend, of course." I grinned, knowing that meant she hadn't informed them of Anthony. "They would like for you to join them for dinner."

"Tell them we're on our way," I responded.

"You going to bring him up?" MJ asked, and I bit my lip before shaking my head.

"Nah, I don't want to introduce him to everyone at the same time. He might get scared," I explained, and she just gave me a knowing look before walking out. "Be good, Anthony," I advised before following after her. We made it downstairs in a couple minutes to see everyone serving themselves.

"Hey lovebirds!" Tony called out with a teasing grin, and I just groaned in annoyance.

"Hello Tin-head," MJ returned dryly before giving Pepper a smile. Tony laughed at her teasing name before coming over and slapping me on the back.

"I like her," he mock-whispered to me, and I gave him a jab in the side. He grimaced, but the teasing look never left his eyes.

Dinner was enjoyable. I really loved the nights we all got together to eat. It's like right here, right now we weren't CEOs, super heroes, or secret agents. We were just a family of people who loved each other. We were just regular people, making dumb jokes, telling stories, teasing each other, and just relishing in each other's company. This was MJs first time attending a family dinner, and she was taking it in stride. She'd met everyone briefly, but had never really had conversations with any of them. I couldn't help but feel proud of how easily she was able to get along with everyone. I knew a lot of people, even Ned, found my family to be rather intimidating, but she treated them like regular people.

I was extremely unsurprised to see her attach herself to Natasha nearly from the get go, although, I did find it somewhat worrisome. Natasha clearly liked her, and for most of dinner, they were both engrossed in quiet conversation. Vision, although he didn't eat, always sat with us during these meals, and he and I spent dinner talking. He found the concept of school interesting, both the social dynamics and what we were learning. I was explaining to him the project I was doing for science class, and how Flash, a former bully of mine, was one of our group members.

"And, you chose him willingly?" Vision questioned curiously.

"Yeah, well, he's not like he used to be. Since towards the end of the last school year, he started to lighten up and treat me differently," I explained as best I could. "We're not friends or anything, but it's like I kind of earned his respect or something. Anyways," I continued with a shrug, "after everybody found out about the adoption, he was one of the few who didn't treat me any differently, and I really appreciate that. I chose him because I knew he wouldn't be annoying about Tony being my dad. I have to admit, though, he's been a great group member. He's smarter than he lets on."

"Wait, wait, wait," Tony interjected disbelievingly, "are you talking about Flash? The kid who bullied you for years Flash?" I threw the man a disgruntled look as everyone's conversations stopped to focus on this one. Thanks for embarrassing me, Dad, I couldn't help but think dismally.

"The very same," MJ supplied all too happily.

"You're working on a project with him?" Dad asked in disbelief. "Willingly?"

I rolled my eyes as I responded, "Yes, Dad, we're working with him and we're doing it willingly. He's not the same anymore. It's been ages since he's bothered me, and honestly, I'm grateful he doesn't treat me any differently because you adopted me. I'm still Parker to him, the scrawny nerdy kid who he used to torment; well, at least until I became a bit of a rebel. He seems to think you've been an awesome influence on me," I informed him sarcastically, and the man blinked.

"Not sure whether to be proud or offended given it's Flash who said that," Tony remarked evenly. "As long as he's not bothering you, I guess, then I'll leave him be."

"Tony, that is a sixteen year old boy we're talking about, so, of course you will leave him alone," Pepper spoke up sternly, giving her fiancé the evil eye. Chuckles were given as he held up his hands defensively.

"He is afraid of coming here," I had to add, and MJ snorted. "He knows you don't like him."

"Good," Tony declared with a nod. "Nobody messes with my kid." At Pepper's darkening glare, he hastily added, "Of course, if he were to come here, then I would be on my best behavior, not bothering him at all. Let bygones be bygones."

I couldn't help but laugh at how quickly he changed his tune because of Mom. She certainly knew how to handle the billionaire, but I guess she had many, many years of practice.

"I'm glad you can show maturity, Peter, unlike this father of yours," Mom commented, throwing me a proud look that warmed my heart.

"Peter's just good like that," MJ stated casually, and I couldn't help but blush at her praise. The blush deepened when I heard snickering from not just Tony, but Rhodey and Happy as well. Two smacks echoed in the room, followed by two pained yelps. It seemed Pepper had smacked Tony while Natasha had smacked Rhodey. Happy hunched down, throwing both women an apologetic look when their eyes turned to him. MJ and I laughed loudly as they all looked properly chastised.

"Thank you, boys, for volunteering to clean up tonight," Natasha drawled before standing up and excusing herself. MJ and I immediately got up as well, throwing the men smirks. Tony groaned over dramatically while Rhodey and Happy just sighed unhappily. Pepper followed MJ and I to the elevator and to our floor. When we exited, my eyes widened when we were accosted by Anthony the second the doors opened.

Pepper screeched, rearing back as Anthony tried to leap on her.

"No, no, no! Anthony, sit! Get back!" I ordered, grabbing hold of the large dog's collar and pulling him off Pepper. Oh god, now how could she ever say yes to this?

"I'm so sorry, Pepper, he didn't mean anything by it," I rushed to say as I helped her up. The dumb mutt was now seated as MJ pet him, giving us a big, dorky dog grin. "He's a real sweet dog, and he just wanted to say hi." Pepper threw me a mom look that clearly said, explain this instant, so I obliged.

"I found him yesterday when I was out as Spider Man. These dumb kids were chasing him and going to beat him up, but I intervened," I recounted. "He was shivering and hungry, so I brought him home. I gave him some food and tried cleaning him up, but his fur was matted, so I decided to take him to a groomer today. He was shaved down and then MJ and I went to Petsmart to get him food and stuff, and um…can I please, please keep him, Mom?" I tacked on to the end pathetically. "I promise to take full responsibility of him. He's a real good dog, just give him a chance, please."

Pepper looked from me to Anthony, and sighed as she knelt down to pet him. He licked her hand and then tried to lick her face, but she held him back. The dog's tail was thumping against the floor out of sheer happiness, and I saw as her face softened. She was scratching behind the dog's ear when she turned to look at me. "Did you say his name was Anthony?" she asked in disbelieving amusement. "You named him after Tony?"

I nodded sheepishly before kneeling down next to her and the dog. "Look, he has an arc reactor like Tony, and he has a scar on his left front leg like Tony. He's had a rough life, being bullied and stuff. He's got the same color hair, er, fur, the same color eyes, and the ladies love him," I explained, and the more I spoke, the wider Pepper's grin became until she was full blown laughing. She stood up, shaking her head.

"It's okay with me, honey, but you'll have to convince Tony, which might be a little difficult considering you named the dog after him," she told me, still looking extremely amused. "Is he in an Iron Man costume?" she then asked, somehow looking even more amused than before, and MJ nodded proudly.

"He's got an Iron Man collar, leash, bowls, and costume," she said. "We even got him a Captain America chew toy, which he seems to love."

"Dads gonna love that part," I said with confidence, and Pepper just shook her head in bemusement.

"You better make sure he doesn't cause a mess in this house, young man," she warned sternly, and I nodded emphatically, assuring her I would take care of him. She walked off, and MJ and I shared triumphant looks. The elevator doors opened again, and our triumphant looks turned anxious as the Tony walked out, stopping in his tracks when he caught sight of us.

"Uhh, why is there a dog dressed up as Iron Man in my house?" he asked in confusion.

"He's my new dog," I decided to just say, feeling being blunt was the best method.

"You're new dog? Since when?" he asked, still not moving from where he stood. Anthony was trying to get to him, but MJ had a good hold on him.

"Since last night," I answered. "I found him on the streets being chased down and attacked by a bunch of kids. Got him groomed today, and bought him the essentials. Pepper already said yes," I quickly said, hoping that if Mom said yes, he'd just give in.

He frowned minutely before walking over and kneeling in front of my dog. "Hey there," he spoke softly, reaching out a hand to pet his head, "aren't you a cutie." I relaxed, feeling that he was on board.

"I swear I'll take care of everything," I told him. "I've already bought everything he needs, and I'll walk him and clean up after him. He won't cause any problems. Is, uh, so, can I keep him?" I asked hesitantly.

Tony looked at me with a slight smirk as he nodded his head. "Sure, pal, I trust you to look after him. Just make sure he doesn't chew stuff up or get anywhere near my lab," he advised, and I nodded my head in understanding. "So, what's his or her name?" he asked, and I bit my lip, nervously exchanging a look with MJ, who promptly burst into giggles. Dad threw her a thoroughly confused look before reaching for Anthony's collar, or more specifically, his tag. I saw his mouth fall open before he exclaimed, "You named a dog after me?! What the hell, kid? Why?"

"He's a dog version of you," I explained weakly. "Look, he has a white patch on his chest like your arc reactor," I pointed out before pointing to the scar on his left front leg. "That's like your scar. He was bullied, and he's learned to fight to survive. He's a tough, smart dog, not to mention good looking," I added, deciding to stroke the older man's ego a little. "And the chicks dig him."

Tony threw me a disgruntled look, staring at Anthony straight on. The dog walked himself onto Tony's lap and licked at his face before nuzzling with him. He scoffed, but wrapped his arms around my dog's neck, rubbing a hand down his back.

"He also has your same fur color and eye color," MJ finally added, as if that settled the matter.

"You guys are idiots," Dad remarked in fond exasperation. "Of all the things to be named after me, you choose a freaking dog."

"I decided Anthony was more sophisticated than Tony," MJ said, "and it'd minimize confusion when Pepper or anybody else was looking for you."

My dad just chuckled before saying sarcastically, "Thank you for that bit of consideration. Nobody but my parents and Jarvis ever called me Anthony, so there shouldn't be any confusion there. Don't go shortening his name, though," he warned, throwing us both an evil eye that didn't faze either one of us as there was no heat behind it.

Standing up, he shook his head, much in the same way Pepper had done earlier. "Anthony," he murmured, more to himself than us. Rolling his eyes skyward, he just shook his head once more. "And I suppose, all the Iron Man themed stuff was to convince me to let you keep him?" he asked.

"Well, kind of," I admitted. "I mean, he is Anthony Stark, so I figured he could be Iron Dog. Maybe you should make him some real armor," I suggested amusedly.

Tony just huffed before letting out a laugh. "Yeah, right, that'll be the day. Iron Dog, honestly," he grumbled to himself as he began to head to the living room. "You two are impossibly adorkable." I grinned, knowing that he wasn't really annoyed with me.

I now had a dog!

A/N: Hope you enjoyed! Working on the next chapter already.