Chapter 83 - Fathers and Sons
It had been a hard couple of days. Between the effort Tony made in trying to avoid every single person he could - most of all his kid - and the need of still being productive, he felt a lot more tired than he had in a long time.
"They've set bail for 500K, so unless Clarke finds a generous donor or the police union rediscovers their loyalties to him, I think we're good." Natasha was perched on the couch in his workshop, legs dangling over the armrest while she was staring at her phone. "Reamington has done quite a good job in firing up the resistance too, so Clarke will likely stay in custody till the trial."
Tony eyed her. "What's the deal with you and Reamington. Do I need to be concerned?"
"Nope," Natasha said, popping the 'p'. "Clarke got onto his radar all by himself. Plus, the dude's a Cap fanboy."
Tony huffed out a breath. Cause he was.
"We'll know more when Rhodey gets back," she added, still focused on her phone.
Tony's eyebrows shot up. "You talked to Rhodey?"
"Nope," she said again, popping the 'p' just the same.
"Wise choice," Barton mumbled. He was bent over the workbench that was usually Pete's reading through some of Ben Parker's documents. It irked Tony to see him there instead of his kid but this wasn't the time to get hung up on all that. He was leaving all that for later.
"You can't run from him forever," Tony huffed out instead. "You're supposed to be a master spy."
"Well..." She put down her phone just long enough to look at Tony directly. "My definition of spying includes avoiding unnecessary confrontations."
"Unnecessary?" Tony pursed his lips then turned back to his own stack of (digital) documents detailing Clarke's time at the precinct in New Hampshire.
She waved off his implication. "He'll get over it."
Tony wasn't too sure about that. So far, Rhodey only suspected that something was fishy about the way Ross had died.
Yes. It was official now. Thaddeus E. "Thunderbolt" Ross, former Lieutenant General of the United States Army, Secretary of State, had died as a result of 4 bullet wounds to the lower intestines. It wasn't a quick way to go, Natasha was as good of a shot as she thought herself to be though. She had known exactly where she had wanted to hit him.
Still, time alone likely wouldn't be enough for Rhodey to get over his suspicions. It wasn't like Tony couldn't keep a secret, but he didn't have a lot of practice keeping one from him.
The door to the lab buzzed open then. There was no need for Tony to even look up. He had been expecting her after all. Hiding in the lab only ever worked for a very limited amount of time.
"Do you have a minute?" Pepper's voice was neutral, but that wasn't unusual with Tony not being alone.
He wasn't really sure if he wanted to have a minute. "A little tied up right now, Pep. So, maybe in—"
"Pete's friend Ned and his mother are at the Compound right now."
Tony cringed at the projection in front of him.
"His best friend and his best friend's mother," Pepper repeated like it was an important detail. "I think it would be very helpful if you could show your face and make a good impression."
Tony huffed out a breath. "You think showing my face right now will make a good impression?" He smacked his lips where the cut he had earned two days ago still stood out angrily red.
Quietly but not unnoticed by either him and Pepper, Barton and Nat made the wise choice to steal out of the room, leaving Tony ripe for the picking.
"It's important to your son," Pepper stressed.
Tony huffed another breath. "I'm pretty sure he prefers if I stay the fuck out of his business."
"When has that ever stopped you?"
Irritation gnawed at him.
"Tony—"
A wave of his hand pushed the projection aside. "I don't have time for all that, okay?"
He pulled away from his desk, from her, only that there was nowhere to really flee to. He'd be cornered in his office just the same, if not worse if she were to follow - which, duh, she would. So instead, Tony stared down at the documents Clint had been reading. Ben Parker's documents that were spread out on the desk Pete had worked at for months.
It made his stomach flip to think of the kid. Every time. He could still see his face right in front of him, the anger and betrayal.
"I'll pretend to be father-of-the-year material some other time when I don't have to protect us from these lunatics."
She was still standing behind him and Tony could practically feel the annoyance radiate off her.
He pretended to shuffle through the papers in front of him. "I have a press statement in like an hour and about 1000 documents to go through before I should even give a statement, so if you'd excuse me..." His hands kept low-key shaking. Tony balled them up into fists instead, desperate to make it stop. "Honestly, I can't even remember the last time you asked me to forego my responsibilities to take care of my private life."
"No?" Her voice was flat. "Not even that day we fought last December?"
Tony swallowed hard. The day she had broken off their relationship after he had been spiraling with the Ultron disaster. The ultimatum she had issued that he hadn't been able to meet. Hadn't even tried to meet because deep down he had known, it would be impossible.
"Well, maybe you had the right idea then. Maybe you should take the kid and stay in LA for the foreseeable future until I straightened out all these assholes."
His voice was harsher than he had meant it to sound and just as fast as the words had rolled off his tongue, he turned to face her.
"I didn't..."
He blew out a low breath. Pepper's arms were tightly crossed over her chest. With two steps, he was in front of her and squeezed her lower arm.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that just... maybe... maybe it's not the worst idea. Getting the two of you out of here."
It was the worst idea. The idea of being separated from the two people he loved most in this world made his skin crawl. But maybe it would be for the best. Maybe—
"You've tried that a couple of weeks ago." Pepper didn't take her eyes off him. "How did that work out?"
"He'd be with you," Tony mumbled, still holding onto her arm. "It would be different this time."
"No." She shook her head and pulled away.
His arms dangling next to his body, Tony simply watched until the doors of the lab closed behind her. What else was he supposed to do? He couldn't guarantee their safety in the city. He couldn't even keep himself safe, much less a hyperactive 13-year-old with a savior complex.
With a curse, Tony shook his head. A simple hand gesture had FRIDAY bring back the projection from earlier. The documents alleging to Clarke's corrupt scheme in New Hampshire. Transactions from different companies and wealthy individuals that were involved in some sort of investigation with the local police force. Those were important files. Very important. Every single incidence would solidify Clarke's permanent stay behind bars.
It was also a convenient distraction for Tony. While he hadn't outright lied about the statement to the press he still had to give, there was no fixed time until when he would have to face the press. In fact, there was even an option to do this via a written statement but there was no question that holding his beaten face into the cameras would give serve as an additional opportunity to shift all of the blame for this mess onto Clarke.
"Tony."
His eyes shot up, back towards the door.
"Jeezes, Barton." Tony clutched his heart in mock exaggeration even though his sudden reappearance had truly startled him. "I know you're good at the sneaking around. You don't have to scare the living shit out of me to prove it."
"I need to talk to you." Barton stalked a little closer, his face set.
"Oh?" Not more bad news. He couldn't handle any more bad news.
"About the special commission."
"Oh." Once again, Tony waved the projection of Clarke's long list of transgressions away.
Another big item on his agenda. The negotiations on the Rogues' possible pardon. In just a couple of days a special government commission would meet, first in DC for the initial launch, then in Manhattan so they wouldn't have to risk moving Rogers and Barnes across four states, or - the officials worst-case scenario for some reason - put them on a plane.
"I can't do this anymore. I don't care what they want from me. Which concessions." Barton swallowed hard. "I don't care what Steve will try to barter for Barnes. I need to get back home. I need—" Barton pressed his lips tightly closed, his head tilted the side as he tried to settle himself. "I need my family. I don't care what the commission wants. I need to get back to them. Please..."
Tony gave a shaky nod, gritting his teeth. This wasn't a simple request. This was Barton asking him - if push came to shove - to advocate for his interests, regardless of the hard bargain Rogers might want to push.
"This can backfire badly, Clint," Tony tried for a calm approach. "Not just for you."
"He lied to me." Barton's hands were clenched into fists.
With a shrug of his shoulder, Tony sighed. "He omitted some details."
"Crucial details."
He wasn't wrong of course. Barton had trusted Cap to make the right call. That trust shattered once, Tony couldn't blame him for taking matters into his own hands.
"I know you understand. With your boy back." Barton shook his head. "I can't do this anymore, Tony. I need them back."
"I'll try," Tony said and he meant that. He would try. He hadn't forgotten how Clint had sought him out, how he had offered to help find Aiden. "They might demand to take you into custody though until things are settled and I can't promise this will go our way."
"I don't give a shit," Barton hissed. "Not anymore. Whatever it takes."
Tony sucked in a couple of deep breaths, then nodded. "Alright."
Barton, too, gave a sharp nod. "Alright."
He stepped up to Tony, extended his hand. This was how things were done with those spies and it flustered Tony every time. People who lived off deceiving others, putting their trust in the binding agreement of a strong handshake. Barton's eyes didn't stray from his face. Fighting the urge to grimace as a wave of goosebumps traveled down his back, Tony slowly extended his own hand and grasped Barton's in return.
Just like that, the tension in Barton's shoulders lifted. "I'll get back on Clarke. Natasha's gonna be back in a bit if you want to wait to discuss the press statement."
"I'm good." The idea of Natasha counseling him on the wording of the condolences for the man she shot at point-blank range made him feel dirty. "I've got it. Just gotta write it all down."
Barton didn't question it, instead returned to his pile of paper.
It was more like 2 hours later when Tony stepped in front of the press. They had escorted a select number of reporters into the large conference room that doubled on occasion as the press room at the Compound. The press had been advised that Tony would not take any questions at this point, would simply read his statement and if they wanted to be asked back for future press conferences they better adhere to that rule.
As advised by both Agent Hill and Natasha, there was no make up covering up the bruises on his skin, some he had collected at the courthouse, some in the basement of the precinct later on. It made his skin crawl, the vulnerability, but this was the only way. Everything would depend on the public's perception of him. He was the victim in this and truthfully, it wasn't hard to sell that narrative even to himself.
"Ladies and gentlemen," Tony cleared his throat, forcing himself to look up from the tablet in front of him.
The rest of it was sort of a blur to him. He read out his statement, commiserating the death of Secretary Ross, taken too soon at the peak of his service to his country.
Service to his country. That part had left a particularly foul taste in his mouth. Ross had been serving nobody's interests but his own.
None of that mattered now though. The only thing that mattered was that his death was a convenient way for Tony to ensure that neither Ross nor Clarke would ever lay a finger on his kid again.
"Mr. Stark."
Tony's eyes shot up to a lady from the Times who had stood from her seat across the room. Maggie, Mary, Marge, or something. Maggie. Maggie something.
"I know you said, no questions and this isn't a question, I just wanted to share the overwhelming sentiment we are receiving from our readers who are so moved and relieved to see you reunited with your son."
There was a bit of affirmative murmur from the other reporters.
"And I just want to assure you, that the Times will not turn a blind eye to the deep-rooted corruption that has put your family in this situation in the first place."
A few people clapped their agreement but Tony didn't linger. He tried to put an appreciative look on his face before he left the room through the same backdoor he had entered it. Away from all the attention, back to the safety of his lab before anyone could set things straight and point out what a disappointment of a father he had turned out to be.
It was well past 9 and Tony had ignored the pinch in his stomach more than once, when the doors to the lab buzzed open once again. Rhodey had been back from the city for a couple of hours now and ever since, the spy duo had miraculously evaporated, despite the fact that Rhodey's stop at the lab had been a short one. He had gone to find an empty room to return a bunch of calls and emails instead. This time it was Pepper who walked back into the lab, carrying a plate with a salad and chicken breast bites though Tony knew better than to see it as a peace offering. She set it on the workbench in front of him, then held onto the tabletop as if to steady herself.
The persistently stubborn voice in the back of his head wanted to ignore it, to stew in his misery a little longer. But the more rational part of his brain had been overriding his worst instincts for the past few hours. Plus, his stomach was practically spasming. In fact, it gave a growl at the sigh that was loud enough for Pepper to raise her eyebrows at him.
Tony grimaced, giving in. "How did it go?"
He picked up the fork and popped a couple of chicken pieces into his mouth. Pepper was kind enough not to pretend like he had anything but Pete on his mind.
"The boy's mother sat in the common room reading a guide to family law for most of the day."
Tony squinted at her. His throat burned as he swallowed his food only half-chewed. "Oh?" He resisted the urge to rub the sting away from his throat. "Should we be worried there?"
With a slight shrug, she crossed her arm. "I don't think so. Rhodey chatted with her for a bit. She seemed charmed enough then."
Pushing the food around the plate with his fork, Tony stared back down at the table. It was clear that Pepper would have wanted him to do the sweet-talking, but right now, he just couldn't bring himself to any more acting the part.
"I ordered them food for dinner and then his friend and the mother left for the city. That was a couple of hours ago. He's been in his room ever since."
"You ordered take away and I'm getting rabbit food and chicken breast?" He glanced up at her. "Your punishments have lost a bit of their bite."
"If you want to talk punishments..."
Tony held up both his hands in surrender. "I really, really don't."
The tension in her shoulders lifted and she leaned a little closer, bracing herself against the workbench. "Are you gonna come to bed?"
"It's just past 9, Pep..."
Her back straightened as she was ready to launch into another argument but Tony was fast enough to stop her.
"I will. I promise, okay? I just need another—"
He stopped, eyes on the doors of the lab as they had once again buzzed open. Hands in front of him, picking at each other, his eyes round and wide as he stared at them huddled together over Tony's workbench, Pete was standing just outside the room.
"I... I'm sorry. I didn't realize..."
He was about to shuffle back down the hallway, his cheeks flaming red when Tony dropped the fork in his hand.
"No, it's— come on in. Come in."
His throat was dry, swallowing his nerves almost more painful than swallowing the mouth full of food as he glanced over at Pepper, then gestured at Pete to come closer. "You okay? Do you... do you need anything? Hungry or... I don't..."
He was rambling too much. His nerves were too bare. His worries laid open just by a look at his kid after two days of trying to give him space.
"No, I'm good. I... I ate. Pepper, she... er..." Pete's eyes shifted away from him to Pepper instead, his feet shuffling nervously underneath him.
"There is something Pete wanted to talk about," Pepper prompted, her hand squeezing Tony's behind the workbench, out of the kid's sight.
A warning for caution. Or maybe patience.
"Okay." Tony held onto her. "What... what do you want to talk about, buddy?"
"It... well..." His eyes were not really meeting Tony's. "It's just that Ned... my friend, who... er..." He gave his head a little shake. "He asked how long we'll... how long I'll stay here and... and I didn't know and... and Pepper said..." His eyes shifted to her for just a moment, then back to the floor. "Pepper said that it would depend and... and that we should like... talk... so..."
Pete gave his shoulders another little shrug like he was done. Like this should be enough for Tony to go on.
"I think that..." Tony cleared his throat but it didn't do anything for his voice. "That it will depend on how things develop in the city. For now, you'll be safe here. I'll be here most of the time. Pepper will be here." He shot a glance at her. "Most of the time."
Pepper would still have things at SI to manage. They could only get by so long with her attention focused elsewhere.
"I mean, I guess you could... you could take Pete." The pressure of her hand intensified but Tony reciprocated. "I'm not saying for good. But you'll have to get do HQ at some point and—"
"I'm fine handling everything remotely for now." She shook her head at him, not willing to go there again.
"So, er..." Pete's feet scraped across the floor as he shifted his weight from side to side. "What... what about school?"
"Right." Tony nodded. Of course. School. The kid was invested in his education. He knew that. "We'll get you a tutor."
"But..." He stepped a little closer, his eyes now on Tony. "But what about my friends? About the decathlon and—"
Tony stopped him with a wave of his hand. "Your friends can visit. That seemed to have worked out quite well today?"
"But I—"
"Pete, you don't even like your school." Tony pressed out a breath that he hoped would sound less annoyed than it felt. He pulled his hands out of Pepper's hold, ignoring how she shifted a little closer. "You've been complaining about all these people you don't like, how superficial and mean they are constantly."
"But, it's school!" Pete shook his head, his arms crossed around his torso. All the picture was missing really, was him stomping his foot in defiance. "I need to learn all that. That's what you said! That I need to learn how to deal with them. I can't run away from it. You told me that!"
He had told Peter that, not his son. There were other rules for them. "Things are different now."
"But..." He swallowed hard, his voice growing more desperate. "But you said—"
"You'll not go back to that school, Pete. End of discussion." For two deep breaths, Tony did his best to calm himself the fuck down. Why was it always such a struggle between them? It had never been such a struggle before. "I'll get you the best tutor there is. Hell, I'll get you five for whatever subject you want and even a couple you can hate if you're into the torturous high school atmosphere."
"But that's not the same!"
"I know. That's the point!"
Pepper grabbed him by the arm, pulling him a little towards herself. "Tony, just..." She looked at him intently like he was the problem. "Can we just think about how we could make this work for Pete?"
"I already thought about how I can make this work for Pete and my conclusion is—"
"No." A hand on his chest stopped him, her eyes burning into his. "You thought about all the reason why this won't work for you but this is important to—"
"I've already made my decision on this! It's not safe, okay?" With a sigh, he sidestepped Pepper and looked at his kid directly. "You think this is fun for me? That I want to tell you no? I don't, alright? I want to give you anything you want, buddy, anything. But this, I can't do."
Pete had shut his mouth, his chin wobbling, as he stared at the ground. "Fine," he pressed out, and just like that he turned on his heel and vanished through the doors.
"Pete, wait..." Tony followed him for a couple of steps but quickly gave up before he had even left the lab. There was nothing he could really say. It wasn't an option. Definitely not now. In the city where Clarke's lackeys were still roaming? No way.
Pepper groaned behind him. "Would it have really been too much to ask for you to at least think about it?"
"What do you want me to think about?" He spun towards her. "You want me to lie to him? To stall him? It's never going to work."
"I want you to consider how much he needs some normalcy."
"This isn't a question of normalcy. He'll get a good education. A great one!" Tony waved her off. "I had tutors, too, and I went to MIT when I was 14! Graduated first in my class."
"Jeez, is that true?" She threw her hands up in mock defeat. "Please, tell me more. I haven't heard that story before."
Tony cracked his jaw. "He doesn't need high school to be great at what he wants to do!"
"Not if he wants to be a great engineer, sure. How did that high-speed race from school to school work out for you in becoming a respectable balanced adult?"
"I'm not sure how insulting me proves your point!" He pulled away from her and muttered a low "I'm respectable" under his breath.
"Honey..." She stepped up to him, slung both arms around him as her head came to rest on his shoulder. "I know you're scared, but you can't keep him locked away from the world."
"Watch me." His voice was harsher than he had meant it to sound.
Her arms tightened around him. She pulled him so close he could feel the slow and deep throbbing of her heart, however that was possible for the erratic beat of his own should drown out everything else. He sucked in a deep breath then reached up and grabbed a hold of her lower arm across his chest, keeping her close.
"It's never gonna happen. It's too dangerous. He's been kidnapped twice for god's sake! I won't send him to a school in the middle of fucking Queens!"
"He has just lost everything he's ever known. His whole life is getting turned on its head. Just... maybe consider that before you lay out landmark decisions like that for him."
Tony blinked hard. "I can't risk him, Pep. It's not gonna happen."
"Maybe we can find a compromise? Some hours? Certain classes? Don't isolate him."
'Don't be your father' was what she really wanted to say.
He dropped his hand from her arm and wound himself out of her hold. "Thanks for dinner."
With that, he moved over to his desk, eyes back on the same old documents. He didn't pick up the fork again until the doors of the lab had buzzed shut behind Pepper.
The living room was dark when Tony made his way into the quarters. With a flick of his hand, FRIDAY kept it like that even when he walked inside. There was just enough light for him not to knock into anything but it was something else that made him stop in his tracks. Frozen for a long moment, Tony pressed his eyes shut when he recognized the noise. It was coming from Pete's room.
His legs were glued to the floor just like his eyes were to the door. There was a soft whimper followed by a louder gasp, but it was the "no" pleaded in a desperate tone that had his legs move to the door that led to Pete's room at last.
"Buddy?" It was whispered low, maybe even too low for Pete to hear, so Tony tried again. "Kid, is everything alright?"
There was no answer only another whimper that sounded even more pained than before. It was enough for Tony to have FRIDAY unlock the door.
The lights in the room were blindingly bright. Pete was on his bed, curled into a ball on top of his sheets. One arm was wrapped around his lower torso, a fist clutching the fabric of his shirt. It had ridden up exposing unblemished skin where a few months ago Tony had sown a gaping knife wound back up. Pete's other arm was tightly pressed over his eyes. With a shaky hand, Tony grabbed the fabric of his own shirt right above his heart as it gave a painful squeeze in his chest.
"Kid?" He shuffled closer to the bed but Pete wasn't looking at him. The way his body was squirming it seemed like he wasn't even awake. "It's alright, buddy..." As he sank to his knees right next to the bed, his hand was in Pete's hair, slowly rubbing circles against the top of his head. The other one was on the arm that was slung around his abdomen. "Wake up, buddy. You're alight..."
Pete's skin was damp with cold sweat, chilling Tony to the bone.
"It's just a dream..." He was talking to himself as much as to his kid, his own nerves screaming at him. "Come on, baby, wake up..."
His mumbled words didn't do much for either of them and the way Pete was shaking didn't stop until a violent shudder went through him. All of a sudden, he sucked in a wet gasp, then froze under Tony's hands.
"You were just dreaming, kid. You're okay." Tony's hand was rubbing up and down his arm. "You're safe. It's okay."
Every muscle on Pete was still tense until he slowly let go of the tight hold on his shirt then just as cautiously moved his arm away from his face. His eyes were squinting against the bright light as he craned his neck just enough to look down his body. Fingers trembling, they scanned his own skin, his chest heaving with every breath. It was all too obvious what that nightmare had been about.
"You're good, buddy. You're alright." Tony grabbed his hand, squeezing it tightly. "We took care of all that. It's all good now."
Pete's breaths still came in heavy pants and instead of answering, he turned his face back against his other arm, hiding from the brightness of the room. Or maybe from Tony.
"FRI, lights down to 15%." He shuffled a little closer to the top of the bed, his knees screaming at him as they scraped over the hardwood floor. "You're safe. It's okay."
Bit by bit, even more cautiously than before, Pete moved his arm away from his face. He didn't look at Tony at first and it was a little too dark for Tony to make out more than the outline of his features. Like the dreams were dripping into his consciousness moment by moment, Pete's chin started to wobble. He sucked in a wet breath but unlike Tony had feared, he didn't make a move. He didn't flinch away when Tony leaned a little closer, no, he held onto him instead, hiding his face against Tony's arm.
"You're good, buddy. Just breathe, okay? You're alright."
Tony clutched him a little tighter, felt his own pulse even out a bit more as he finally felt useful holding his kid. This, he knew. He'd been here before. So many years ago, but it was still no different from all those times when Addy had been woken by nightmares in the middle of the night. The way his hands were clutching Tony's shirt, how he pulled himself closer and closer until his face was buried in the crook of Tony's neck.
Only this time, the nightmares were a little more earned.
Pete's breathing was heavy against Tony's neck. Again and again, Tony rubbed his back, his arms, repeating in the same calm voice that he was safe. That everything was alright. After a few minutes, his knees were aching so much, his legs started to cramp.
"Just a second, buddy," he mumbled, slowly rising off the ground. At once, Pete tried to back away from him, back into himself. Like this was a dismissal. "No, no... you're alright." His arms still tightly wrapped around Pete, Tony maneuvered himself onto the bed next to him never loosening his hold. Once Tony settled, the tension in Pete's body lifted little by little. With a heavy sigh, he leaned back into Tony, his head on Tony's chest.
They were just lying there for a bit, Tony trying to control his heartbeat, his fingers brushing through Pete's hair. His other arm was wrapped around him and the kid didn't seem to mind the close contact. Quite the opposite, his own hand held onto Tony's lower arm with an iron grip like he was trying to make sure that Tony wasn't going anywhere.
"Mr. Stark..."
Tony bit his lip hard, easily reopening the split he had brought home from the courthouse. "Kid, I know you're mad. Because of the school stuff. Because... because of what I did at the courthouse. For locking you in. I get that you want me to feel the pain a bit but we talked about the 'Mr. Stark' thing..."
"N-no, no, I... it's not..." The color of his cheeks was hidden in the darkness of the room, but not the way he blinked his eyes to the side, away from Tony. "I don't... That..." With a huff, he stopped looking for excuses. "I've said some things and... and I wasn't sure..."
"I've said some things, too..." Emboldened by the layer of darkness between them he hugged him close. "I love you, buddy, you know that, right? It doesn't matter what you say to me, I'll never not love you." He pressed his eyes shut, almost content with his son back in his arms. "Sure, it might hurt me a little more hearing some things coming from you than... than from like fucking Connor from the TV round-table from hell..."
At that, Pete's chest vibrated with a wet giggle and he buried his face back against Tony's chest.
"There's still a lot to figure out. A lot for us to... to disagree on." His head dipped down against Pete's. "I just... I can't lose you again. I can't, buddy."
Pete gave a short nod, not once shifting against the tight hold Tony's arms had on him. It was so dark in the room now that Tony hadn't realized how his eyes were still shut, his mind drifting off, until Pete's voice rang in his ears again.
"Tony?"
He sounded a bit shaky, uncertain and at first, it seemed like the kid was just trying out his name under the cover of darkness. Then he noticed Pete's fingertips as they slowly traced the roughed up skin around his wrist.
"Ned said... he said they arrested you." Pete's throat moved as he swallowed hard and with it, a shudder went through him. "That Clarke took you in."
His voice shook at the name. It wasn't a question so Tony didn't bother to confirm. Honestly, he'd been trying to think as little as possible about the hours he had been trapped in Clarke's custody.
"He won't get away with what he's done, buddy. Not with what he's done to you and not..." Tony pressed his eyes shut. "And not with what he did to your uncle either. He'll pay. I promise you that."
One way or another, Tony would make him pay.
"He hurt you," Pete breathed, his fingers still running back and forth across the skin on Tony's wrist in a slow rhythm. Once again, it wasn't a question. This time though, Tony swallowed hard to little effect. The lump in his throat only grew.
"I'm fine, buddy." Tony's head came to rest against the top of his kid's. "It'll be alright."
"You always say that," Pete whispered. "Even after Siberia."
"And I was, hm? I had you there with me. And Pepper. And... and Rhodey." With a deep breath, Tony twisted his arm enough to clasp Pete's hand.
It wasn't like the kid's fingers hurt the marks on his wrist - not physically anyway - but Tony needed him to stop. To stop worrying. About this of all the things.
Tony squeezed his hand tightly. "We'll be alright, buddy."
As often, as Tony had said it before, he had never meant it quite like he did now. Pete's breaths were warm on his skin, even through the fabric of his shirt. He was here. He was breathing. He was going to be fine. They both would be.
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[author's note:
Thank you guys so much for reading and the lovely comments!
This reunion was supposed to be part of the last chapter but it had just gotten wayyy too long and I didn't want to cut anything, but a 10.000 word update seemed a little too much ;)]
So, it's an additional chapter instead. Hope you enjoyed it ;)]
