Hello!

Sorry I have been MIA over the past week! I have been super busy and just have not had the time to do any writing! Thank you all so much for those who have left comments and kudos! I'm so beyond thrilled that so many of you are enjoying this series! Thank you!

A huge thank you for everyone who left nominations and voted in the Irondad Creator Awards! I am so thrilled to announce that I won two awards; the Best Prolific Writer award and the Best Series Award for this series! Thank you so much for everyone who voted! I am so ecstatic!

PROMPTS ARE CLOSED until further notice. For anyone whose left a prompt I am so sorry but I will not be able to do it at this time.

This prompt is from Radiance3Sun on Ao3 - Shortly Homecoming, Peter gets a job (waiter, photographer, usher, etc.) to help out May, but is too embarrassed to tell Tony. He ends up working at an event that he forgets Tony is attending/hosting and they have a talk about their developing Irondad relationship?

I apologise for any mistakes and I hope you enjoy :)

To Serve and Protect

Had Peter been thinking, he would have turned down his boss's offer to work. He would have said thank you, but no thanks. He would have stayed at home with Aunt May and watched a movie on TV or gone out patrolling. But Peter hadn't been thinking and had accepted to work as a waiter at a fancy event the restaurant had been asked to cater.

The money would almost be double than what he made in a single evening of work – part of the reason as to why he accepted the job so quickly. Had he not been giddy with excitement over the money he would have stopped to ask what the event was. But he had forgotten too. Instead, he rocked up to the address he had been given in his best dress shirt and black pants, eager to get to work.

It wasn't until the music had started and Peter was making the rounds of the room with a tray full of Hors d'oeuvres that he wondered if maybe he should have asked what the event was for.

"Excuse me, would you like…." Peter trailed off, eyes going wide as the woman he had approached turned.

"Peter?" Pepper Potts lips parted with surprise.

Peter's eyes widened as he took in the beautifully styled Pepper Potts and his mouth went dry.

He hadn't told Tony that he had picked up work as a waiter. When he couldn't stay for a lab session, he had let his mentor assume that he had gone back home to do homework or build Lego's with his best friend Ned. He hadn't told them that he had picked up a job to help May with the bills. He didn't want Tony to look at him and remember that he was just some kid from Queens.

May's hours had been reduced at work and while she had told him he had nothing to worry about, Peter had felt bad and decided to get himself a job. His Aunt had done so much for him and he had put her through so much that he decided it was only right that he helped her out. She had been reluctant to let him help her but, in the end, she had pulled him into a tight hug and kissed his forehead firmly.

"What did I do to deserve a nephew like you?" She whispered against his hair line.

"What are you doing here?" Pepper asked, her eyes flicking to the tray in his hand before looking back to his face.

"I – umm – I'm not," Peter stuttered, his heart pounding his chest. This was bad. This was really bad. If Pepper was here, then that meant that Mr. Stark wouldn't be far. If Peter had better luck, Mr. Stark wouldn't be there at all. But this was Peter and Parker Luck was a real thing (no matter what his aunt said).

"Here you go Pep," Tony appeared at his fiancé's side, a glass in each hand. He pressed the glass into Pepper's slack hand and finally his gaze flicked to Peter, flicked away and then rapidly flicked back. "Peter?"

Peter parted his lips, the words getting stuck in this throat. With a whimper, he promptly spun on his heel and walked away. He weaved through the crowd of people, his breathing loud in his ears as the panic started to claw in his chest.

"Pete! Peter!" Tony voice followed him.

He had nearly made it to the doors of the kitchen when a hand grabbed his upper arm, halting him in his steps. Peter kept his head bowed; his gaze focused on his tray of food.

"Hey," Tony voice was soft and his hand squeezed Peter's arm gently. "What if I wanted one of those?"

Peter swallowed thickly at the gentle teasing in Mr. Stark's voice, his breath stuttering in his chest.

"Pete?" Tony prompted.

"I – I," Peter stuttered, panic clawing its way up his throat.

Tony took his hand off Peter's arm, moving it now rested on his back and propelled him through the door that Peter had been trying to disappear into.

The kitchen was loud and busy as they entered but nobody spared them a glance at the entered. Tony peeled the tray out of Peter's grip, placing it on the nearby work bench before continue propelling him further into the kitchen. The passed the cooks and the other staff until they were going out the back into what was the staff room.

The room was empty, and Peter wondered how exactly Tony knew about the room. He blinked at kept his head down, even when he felt Tony move to stand in front of him.

"Hey, Pete, can you look at me?" Tony asked.

Peter shuffled from foot to foot before looking up at Tony. "Hey."

Tony's lips twitched with the beginning of a smile before his face grew serious. "Want to tell me why you tried to pull a disappearing act on me just now?"

"M' sorry," Peter whispered.

"You don't have to be sorry, kiddo," Tony shook his head. "Why didn't you tell me that you had gotten a job?"

Peter twisted his hands together, licking his lips. "I didn't want you to remember."

Tony blinked, brows furrowing. "Remember what, kiddo?"

"That I'm just some kid from Queens," Peter muttered quietly.

"I'm going to need a little more info kid," Tony face and voice full of confusion, something that Peter rarely saw on his mentor face.

Peter sighed, letting his hands drop to his side. "It's been so much fun hanging out with you and learning from you. I didn't tell you that I needed a job because I didn't want you to remember that I was just some kid from Queens. I didn't want to stop seeing you."

Tony lifted a hand and scrubbed it down his face. "Oh kid."

Peter sniffed, tears welling up in his eyes. He had ruined everything.

"Hey," Tony's hand touched his shoulder, giving it a squeeze. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay," Peter sniffed again. "I understand."

"No, I don't think you do," Tony said. "I'm sorry that I hadn't made it clear that I like you, kid."

Peter blinked back the tears. "What?"

"Pete, I don't do things I don't want to do," Tony explained. "Unless Pepper forces me but she's a force to be reckoned with. I like spending time with you. I like teaching you things. I look forward to our lab days."

"You do?" Peter asked, hope blooming in his chest. Maybe he hadn't screwed up everything.

Tony face softened and he smiled at Peter. "Yeah, kid. I do."

"Oh," Peter said. "I thought…"

"You were some kid from Queens," Tony finished for him. "Well, we'll have to change that way of thinking. You're special Peter and you are going to do amazing things. Not a question of if but when."

Peter felt his cheek flush as Tony's words.

"I know now isn't the best time to be talking about this," Tony shot a look to the door. "What time do you finish?"

"Ummm, food stops being served at 11," Peter said. "I'm not old enough to serve drinks."

"11," Tony looked at the watch that adorned his wrist. "Great. Pep and I will take you home after you've finished."

"I was just going to swing home," Peter said.

"Of course you were," Tony rolled his eyes. "Pep and I will drop you home. I want to ask your Aunt if I can steal you over the weekend."

"Really?" Peter brightened at the idea of spending the whole weekend with his mentor.

"Yeah," Tony grinned. "Now, let's get you back. I do not want to tell your Aunt or Pep that I got you fired."

Peter sniggered at the idea and before he could second guess himself, he hugged Tony tightly. He smiled when Tony patted his back. He couldn't wait for his shift to be over.

Happy Reading :)