AN: SURPRISE BITCH. Bet you thought you saw the last of me 😬

Yours truly has plunged back into the depths of Iron Dad (along with my annual EG rage).

A huge thank you to all the feedback. I'm honestly surprised I'm still getting comments.

As some of my wonderful commentators picked up on AO3, this fic indeed has The Game Plan vibes which was intentional because the title was inspired by it (sporty reference, get it?). I rewatched the movie and didn't realise how similar some of the lines were to my own story (with the kid even being eight) and, unless I subconsciously plucked them from my 2007 memories, any similarities you do find is purely coincidental.

Part II

Pepper plucked off her heels and sighed in content when the bare skin touched the mansion's floors. Sometimes she had the urge to kick the person who invented heels, but her feet were in enough pain after trampling in her six-inches all day.

"Good evening, Ms Potts."

"Evening, JARVIS." Pepper walked up the stairs to the room she shared with Tony and set aside her briefcase and heels by the closet. Taking off her grey blazer, she asked, "JARVIS, where's Tony?"

"He is currently in the study area by the living room. I should also mention that Boss is under stress and has indulged in a concerning amount of whiskey."

Pepper's eyebrows furrowed, an alarm sounding in her head. The last time Tony spiralled was when he was dying a few months ago. She didn't think she could handle the news if Tony was going through that again, especially now that they admitted their feelings for each other.

The door was opened by the time she reached him and found Tony surrounded by the chaos of what Pepper could only describe as the aftermath of a bomb.

She stood for what Pepper felt like was an eternity, waiting for Tony to say something. He stood facing her, so he knew she was in the room. The desk behind him was turned, and Pepper could only assume it was pushed that way in a fit of rage. His eyes, Pepper noticed, averted downwards and the knot between his brow held the weight of worry. There was a glass of whiskey in one of his hands and a beige file in the other, and Pepper could only assume this was the burden of his trouble.

Unable to cope with the silence any longer, she whispered, "Tony?"

At the sound of her voice, he finally looked up and blinked away the dizziness from the drink. He didn't say anything for a long time, then slowly handed the file over to her.

Pepper took it warily and began rummaging through the papers, expecting some kind of will. When she realised they were some kind of gagging order instead, she asked, "What is this?" The confusion in her voice amplified the further she raided the legal documents, her eyes briefly settling on Obie's familiar signature and another she couldn't recognise. "Tony, what is this?"

Tony sighed, swirling the drink in his hand. "I got a visitor today. My son."

A ray of emotions raided Pepper's face - confusion, shock, disbelief. "What're you talking abou-"

"That-" he pointed at the documents in Pepper's hands, "is the paperwork Obie had Mary sign when she was pregnant with my child nine years ago."

Pepper's jaw dropped and her attention immediately turned down at the papers, connecting the dots.

Tony continued, "Did you know about this?"

"What?"

Tony repeated, more slowly, "Did you know about this?"

"No! God, no, Tony. You know I would have told you the second I found out."

Tony nodded. He didn't doubt Pepper, but a part of him needed that confirmation, that the love of his life didn't betray him in the worst way. Because if the past taught him anything, it was that people could surprise you. "Figures. It's probably why he didn't involve you."

Pepper shut the folder, unable to look at it any longer. "You," her breath wavered, "have a son."

Tony felt his legs give out and he slowly slid down and sat with his back against the desk. Pepper soon followed after and sat beside him. She placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"What're you going to do?" Pepper asked.

Tony shook his head. "I don't know."

"How old is he? Eight?"

"Yeah."

"Why would Mary come looking for you after all this time, after all…" she pointed to the folder, "This."

"She didn't. She died four years ago, along with her husband."

"Oh my God…" Pepper sighed. "I'm sorry to hear that."

Tony nodded, absently. "She was wicked smart, top of her field."

Pepper rubbed his arm in comfort. "What about the boy? Who's looking after him?"

"His aunt and uncle." A pause. "They, uh," he looked down at his drink, "they asked me to stay away." Tony swigged the remaining alcohol swiftly and then set the glass aside with a loud thud.

Pepper gazed at him sympathetically. She placed her head on his shoulder and rubbed his upper arm in comfort. "And will you?"

Tony leaned down to look at her. "I don't know. I was hoping you'd give me some kind of answer. Do you think I should?"

Pepper smiled sadly. "It doesn't matter what I think."

"Come on, Pepper. You're always riding me about the decisions I make and the one time I welcome it you have nothing?" Tony didn't sound snappish, only desperate for the right words. He had been immersing himself in his thoughts since the Parkers had left over an hour ago, and Ben's words rang in his ears like a distress signal.

Tony met his son.

An eight-year-old boy with starry-eyes and untold potential.

And Tony couldn't see him. He knew it was for the right reasons. It was the right decision.

Yet, why did it feel so wrong?

xXx

Two weeks later

This was probably a bad idea, Tony decided. A really bad idea. It was probably one of the worst decisions he could make.

He kept twisting his feet from both directions, his mind rehearsing what he was going to say almost a hundred times. Even then, he still felt unprepared for what he was about to do. He imagined how it would go in his head, followed every script, but once he was actually facing the real deal, he froze. There he stood, in front of a closed apartment door in Queens, pacing like a madman.

One one hand, this was his son. He had a right to ask about him at the very least...right?

On the other, this was his son only in the biological sense. He had been absent for eight years and Peter's guardians, Peter's legal guardians, told him to stay away and he's choosing to ignore that.

Great start, Tony, he reprimanded himself. This is sure to get on their good side.

Just when he determined that this was, after all, a bad idea, the door in front of him suddenly opened, and his imaginary script was tossed out of the window.

Now he stood in front of an open apartment door in Queens, under the surprised gaze of Ben Parker, feeling so overdressed and so naked at the same time. There was a new feeling.

A few seconds passed before Tony's brain finally merged together some words before the door was abruptly shut in his face. "Hi," he said, too casually for the situation. "I was, uh, in the neighbourhood and I thought I'd...stop by."

Ben's eyebrow raised in doubt. "You, who lives in Malibu, were in the neighbourhood?"

"Well I had business here and that was in the...neighbourhood." He wasn't lying, he did have a meeting with Stark Industries New York associates, but he left out the fact that he had never attended them himself until now. He figured now would be as good as any time to visit his...son.

After a few seconds Tony's brain seemed to connect more dots and he brought up the red backpack he was holding. In a rush of words he explained, "Peter left this. And I thought I'd bring it back. It has his inhaler, which I figured he would need…" he trailed off, staring into the unamused eyes of Peter's uncle. In a lot of ways, he felt like he was that seven-year-old kid who just suffered a lecture from Howard. Only, Ben seemed more gentle than cruel, and Tony thanked the universe for not allowing his son to undergo a similar upbringing.

"Ben?" May's voice called out. It got louder the closer she approached the door. "Who is it?" When her eyes met Tony's, they widened in surprise. "Oh!"

"Mrs Parker," Tony nodded politely.

May blinked, then her gaze averted downwards at a familiar backpack. Tony saw the understanding register on her face as she said, "Well, I'm sure you've been standing out here long enough. Why don't you come in?"

Tony looked at Ben in respect. He didn't want to step on any toes. Who was he to invite himself into their lives when he had been absent throughout Peter's? Even if he didn't know about him, there were always ways to find out.

Maybe that was why he didn't attempt to try, Tony realised. He was always afraid of the answer.

When Ben nodded and held the door open for him, Tony felt his shoulders relax a little. "Thank you," he said promptly and proceeded to find himself standing in the middle of their living room.

The apartment was small, but modest. It was also very clean and smelled of a home-cooked dish that was boiling on the stove. He was surrounded by pictures of the couple and Peter as he grew up. Without thinking, he took small steps towards a picture of Peter above the fireplace and picked it up. A party hat sat on the boy's head as his face gleamed with excitement. Tony could only assume he was celebrating a second or third birthday. He gulped down a lump forming in his throat and set the picture aside before he could get lost in the memories of where he was when it happened.

Tony turned around to find Ben and May watching him. He didn't know them well enough to translate their expressions, but that didn't mean he missed the way their eyes hinted a tinge of sympathy.

Before either of them could say anything further, a squeaky voice broke the silence.

"Aunt May, I can't find my-" the kid of the hour walked in (or he should say bounced in like a ball of energy) and his eyes widened with enthusiasm when they landed on Tony. "Mr Stark!" He ran towards him and hit the man at full force, his arms encircling with a tight hug. "I knew you'd come, I knew it!"

Tony laughed nervously, avoiding Ben and May's gazes. "Hey, squirt," he said, staring down at the boy's grin (which now held a missing front tooth) and ruffling his hair lightly. "You left this in the lab." He lifted the bag and handed it to the boy.

Peter took the backpack. "Oh, thanks!"

"Why don't you open it?"

Peter gave him an odd look but did as he was told. He rummaged through to find the things he left behind and, to his delight, something that wasn't in the backpack when he forgot it. "What's this?" He pulled out a neatly wrapped box with a bow.

"I know I'm a couple of weeks late, but happy eighth birthday," Tony smiled.

The kid gleefully made his way to the couch, placing his bag on the floor and eagerly ripping open the wrapping paper. "Whoa, cool! Uncle Ben, look!" Peter held up a box with a lego-set display of a fishing boat.

"That looks nice, Peter, and…" he turned to Tony, "expensive."

Tony shrugged. "I got a good deal."

"I wanna build it right now." Peter grinned and said to Tony, "Do you wanna build it with me?"

"Uh," Tony, suddenly feeling like he was imposing, turned to the couple who looked just as uncomfortable.

"We can do it in my room. Can I show him my room, Uncle Ben?"

All three turned to the man. Ben watched Peter's face light up like a Christmas tree and couldn't have the heart to dampen his mood. What was he going to say? No, Peter, you couldn't spend any time with your father who happened to be your hero and bought you a thoughtful gift. Ben sighed with accepted defeat, "Sure, Pete."

Peter laughed with delight and ran up to Tony, taking his hand and pulling him towards his room. May and Ben smiled when they heard the boy say, "Come on! I have to show you my Iron Man action figure."

Tony spent the next hour sitting on the floor of his son's small room and putting together the gift he had bought for him. Peter was so happy he didn't stop in his excited rambles long enough for Tony to even get a word in. But that was okay, not only was the kid's excitement contagious enough for Tony to smile himself, the surreal situation of sitting down with his child rendered him almost completely speechless the entire time.

When Peter talked about school, Tony couldn't help but feel proud. When he talked about some kids that were bothering him, he almost made plans to talk to the school board.

It wasn't until Peter started sharing stories of himself growing up, that Tony realised not only had he wanted to be a part of his son's life, but that he would fight for it.

He was not going to miss out on more scraped knees, science fair ribbons or the part of him that felt somehow whole where the death of his parents left a gaping void.

Tony stuck around for dinner, May insisting that it would be rude for him to leave without feeding them first. Ben agreed, wanting to be a hospitable host, and Peter certainly didn't argue with his pleading.

Tony listened to them talk about their day, a part of him felt longing for the familial feeling. Even when his parents were alive, most of their dinners were spent in silence, at least when he wasn't spending it with Jarvis while his parents were away on business most of the time.

Tony snapped out of his reminiscing when Ben asked him a question. "I'm sorry?" he asked, not catching the question the first time.

"I asked what sort of business you were tending to here in New York."

"Oh, just standard company procedures. Boring stuff."

The conversation died after that and a few minutes later they were clearing up the table. Tony offered to help but May didn't have it. "You're the guest here, Mr Stark."

"Please call me Tony." He turned to the kid who picked up his plate to place over the sink. "And that goes for you too."

Peter smiled at him. "Really?"

"Of course." In any other situation, it was rather ludicrous to have a child happy at the prospect of calling their father by their first time, or formally as "Mr", but Tony's life had been dealing with a deck of ludicrous circumstances recently, starting with a car battery that kept him alive.

"Peter," Ben said, "Why don't you get started on some homework while Tony and I have a talk?"

Peter moaned but did as he was told, waddling off to his room. Ben helped to clear off the rest of the plates and May then placed some cups of tea on the table as they both sat across from each other facing Tony.

"Okay, if we're going to do this, there are going to be some ground rules," Ben said. The change of pace was so sudden Tony could only blink in response as he kept going. "One, we do not involve the press."

Tony's brain caught up. This was it, they were letting him into Peter's life. Tony nodded. "We're in agreement already. I'll make sure he stays out of the papers."

"Good. I don't want Peter to grow up with a camera shoved in his face everytime he walks out. Two, you can visit him anytime you want given that you provide a heads up. I don't want you pulling him out of school without telling us. In fact, don't ever pull him out of school unless it's an emergency."

"Done and done. Anything else?"

Ben opened his mouth, then closed it. He said, "Just...that this is a commitment. If you're going to be a part of his life you can't just flake out because you don't feel like it. That kid back there?" he pointed towards what Tony deduced was Peter's room. "He adores you. And if you do anything, anything at all, to upset him, we will cut you out of his life without hesitation."

Tony gulped. "I understand."

"There's one other thing. It should go without saying but…" May said. "Peter has lost so much. Mary and Richard died in a plane crash and he took it so hard he didn't say a word for a long time. It took a year for him to open himself up to people again." Tony listened to her silently. "I know what you do for a living. Being Iron Man is admirable, not to mention Peter loves it, but I'm asking you to please be careful. I won't have my nephew lose another parent."

Tony leaned forward and said quietly, "I can't promise that one day I might end up...in over my head, but I can promise that while I'm on this earth, I'll do everything in my power to give Peter what he needs."

Ben said, "We're not asking for money-"

"That wasn't what I meant. But, full disclosure, it comes with the package."

May and Ben looked at each other and sighed. Tony didn't know them well enough yet to decipher what their looks meant. Then May spoke, "I'm glad you came today." Tony's eyebrows lifted, palpably not expecting that response. "It made Peter so happy."

Ben softly chuckled. "He kept going on and on about how you'll visit. I was afraid he might pull another stunt like last time."

Tony tried to hide his smile. "Did you invest in that leash?"

May looked confused and Ben searched his memories before remembering the last conversation he had with Tony. "No," he chuckled. "And obviously, he's too smart to stay distracted." The air between them came to a lull. Then Ben said, "I… I wanna apologise, Mr Stark."

Confused, Tony blinked at him. "For what?"

"For trying to keep you out of your son's life. May and I… Peter is all we have after my brother and Mary passed away. Once I realised that you didn't actually know about him, I was afraid that you'd…"

Tony caught on and he felt his heart constrict. He said, carrying genuine honesty in his voice, "I would never take Peter away from you."

Ben smiled at him. "I know that now. May sorta knocked some sense into me after I told her what happened."

"She did?" His last interaction with May wasn't ill-natured by any means, but he did feel there was some sort of tension lying under the pleasantries.

"I just couldn't believe what that man did to you and Mary," May said, putting down her mug of tea. "It's not your fault what happened. He didn't just screw over Mary and Peter, he screwed you over too. You missed out on the decision to be in your son's life, and we can't blame you for that."

"Yeah," Ben agreed. "I was actually going to call you at some point during the week. I knew I had to do right by Peter. I don't think he'd ever forgive me if he grew to learn that I prevented him the chance to get to know you. As his hero or as his father."

Tony inwardly flinched. He didn't know which one of those made him more nervous. But the sincerity behind their decision to allow Tony into their lives pushed down any doubts he had since stepping into their apartment. "Thank you, from the bottom of my heart."

Ben nodded. "So how long are you sticking around New York for?"

Tony leaned back in his chair. "Since this evening went much better than I hoped, I'm thinking maybe a little while. I do have a condo in Manhattan that I keep around for long business trips like these. It's very cosy."

May raised her eyebrow. "Is that an invitation?"

"It certainly is. How about you and Peter come around for dinner sometime? It's the least I could do for your wonderful hospitality," Tony leaned forward to take a treat sitting in the centre of the table, "not to mention these flavourful date loaves."

Ben caught his eye and hid his knowing smile behind the mug of coffee in his hand.

May turned to her husband. "See? He likes them!" She turned to Tony. "My husband says he doesn't want an expensive trip to the dentist."

Tony wasn't surprised. They're almost as tough as a hockey puck. "They're not the worst thing I've tasted."

Ben pushed the plate forward. "In that case, take them all."

May playfully punched him and they all laughed into the night.

xXx

Not long after his unofficial custody agreement with the Parkers, Tony had prepared to host a dinner two evenings later in his very own condo. He had hired his usual Chef in New York who specialised in French cooking, made sure the entire place was free from dust bunnies, and asked Pepper to stay in case he said anything stupid, which his record proved time and time again would definitely happen. He was in less formal wear but still dressed to impress in his comfortable designer jeans and clean Oxford shirt, topped with a casual suit jacket.

Tony looked in the mirror in his getup and almost laughed at himself. He hadn't felt butterflies in his stomach since he was going on his first date. In retrospect, he should be nervous. These people had the right to take away his chance to get to know Peter if he stepped on any of their rules. Not that they weren't unreasonable, but he had already started off on their wrong side for years before he even knew it.

He needed to prove himself, and not just tonight - every time he asked to spend time with his kid, he had to prove that he could be trusted to look after his own son.

Tony wondered if he would've ever stepped up like he did today before everything, before Iron Man, before Afghanistan. His partying ways, his lack of attachments, his ignorance to his company's responsibility. That truly felt like a lifetime ago.

But Tony had changed. He knew that within him. He may have never planned for kids to ever be in the picture, but sometimes life threw a curveball. You either followed and caught it, or let it slip through your fingers.

"Sir, the Parkers are on their way up as we speak," JARVIS informed him.

"Thanks, J." With one final pull at his lapels, Tony walked out of his room to greet a curious aunt, a firm uncle, and one starry-eyed, little scientist.

"You ready?" Pepper said to him as she waited by the lift in her more comfortable heels and sensible black dress.

"Nope," Tony snarked as the elevator dinged. The doors opened and immediately everyone was greeting each other. Peter ran up to him and Tony was more prepared this time for one of his enthusiastic slam-hugs.

"Hi, Mr Stark!" Peter said.

Tony placed a warm hand on his curly hair. "What did I say? Call me Tony." Peter giggled in response.

Pepper offered to take their coats and with that, the Parkers scrutinised his space.

"Whoa!" Peter said as he let go of Tony. "You live here?"

Tony grinned. "That's right. And you're welcome to stay here anytime, kiddo. This place is yours now too."

Ben and May exchanged looks behind Peter's back as he continued to display his excitement. "Really? I can stay?" He looked at his aunt and uncle. "Can I?"

Ben smiled. "Only if you're good."

"And you do your homework on time," May continued. "And eat your vegetables."

Peter's shoulders sagged. "All of them?" Even Brussels Sprout?"

"Even Brussels sprout."

Tony grinned. Maybe he should take notes. "Is everyone feeling hungry?" Tony asked, and without waiting for a response he continued, "Good, I have a delightful set waiting for us in the dining area." He paused. "No one's allergic to anything, right?" In a brief panic Tony thought he should've asked this before. Damn.

May answered for him as she sat by her husband at the large dining table, filled with finely-made cutlery and China plates, "I'm not. My husband can't have soy and Peter can't even be near oysters."

"Oysters?" Tony's eyebrow raised. "Isn't he a little young for the aphrodisiacs?"

Ben chuckled slightly, which relieved the tension in Tony's shoulders. He helped push Peter's chair under the table where he sat facing the front. "Peter once snuck into the kitchen while May and I had some guests over and ate one. A trip to the hospital was not how we planned to end that night."

"I'd imagine not. And you won't have to make any trips tonight either. Neither of those two are on the menu."

"I hope strawberries aren't on the menu either," Pepper said beside him, a little jest in her tone.

"That was one time! And I never bought strawberries again."

"I never said you weren't allowed to buy strawberries-"

"So you'd prefer I keep them in the fridge and have their residue all over our food?"

"Why are you putting words in my mouth?" Pepper lightly bickered back.

May and Ben snickered. May asked, "How long have you two been married?"

Tony and Pepper halted, staring at them, then at each other.

"We're not-" Pepper pointed at themselves.

"I mean-" Tony said over her. "Not yet."

"We only started dating a few months ago."

"But we've known each other for years."

"He was my boss."

"Now she's mine."

Ben and Aunt looked back and forth between the two as they fumbled through their explanation.

"Oh look, food's here," Tony finally said, straying far away from the topic. The chef walked in with their salami appetisers.

As more minutes went by the air between them became more comfortable, mostly around when the champagne arrived. Peter pouted at not being allowed to participate in the beverage, instead was given a glass of sprite. In solidarity, Ben opted to drink the same to make Peter feel less left out (the real reason being that he was the designated driver). That seemed to acquiesce the kid.

By the time dessert rolled around, Peter but all forgot about the champagne and dipped in his ice cream sundae. His aunt May told him to slow down before it gave him a brain freeze. Peter didn't listen and grabbed at his head just a few scoops in. Everyone laughed.

It was nearing the end of the evening, Pepper and May sat in the living room talking about long work hours and the best place for takeout, Peter fiddled with the legos Tony put out for him before they arrived, and Ben snuck off to the bathroom. When he didn't arrive after ten minutes, Tony followed him to make sure everything was alright, even though JARVIS would tell him otherwise.

He found him outside by the balcony, staring at the wide view of the city below them.

Tony walked up to the ledge. After a few moments of peaceful silence watching the bustling city below, he said, "It's why I bought the place. You can't find a view like this anywhere else in the city."

"Unless you can afford it," Ben said without turning to him.

Tony looked at Ben, then back out, feeling like he said something wrong. "I'm sorry. I don't mean to sound like I'm bragging-"

Ben laughed slightly. "Don't worry about it. I was just teasing. And yeah, it's a great view."

Tony sobered up. "I've been meaning to talk. About Peter." The boy's uncle finally looked at him. "Do you think...maybe...I don't know, maybe I could watch him sometime?" Ben looked down at his drink and Tony took it to mean that the man didn't agree. He instantly backtracked. "Or not. It's okay, I get it. You don't trust me."

Ben sighed and looked out into the world, swirling the lemonade in hand. Then he said something Tony wasn't expecting, "I'm not really allergic to soy. I just didn't want my wife to replace my good ol' fashioned cow's milk." Ben smiled slightly. "I do trust you, Tony. But looking after a kid is a whole other ballgame."

"For the record, I did look after him when he came looking for me. Last I checked, you picked him up alive."

Ben smirked. "That is true." He looked at Tony with curious eyes. "You know what? Okay."

"Okay?"

Ben nodded. "Okay. It's the summer holidays and Peter deserves to have some time spent getting to know his…" He waved his drink around Tony.

"Yeah," Tony blinked. "Yeah, that'd be great. You still have my number?" He took his phone out. "How about next Tuesday? Would Peter be interested in a trip to MoMA?" Before Ben could answer Tony continued to ramble, "No, of course, not. He's eight. Standing around looking at overpriced paint-splatter sounds even pretentious to me. How about the zoo? What's Peter's favourite animal?"

"A dog, and slow down. You'll get to know him as you spend more time together." Ben grinned. He was beginning to see where Peter got his overzealous babbling from.

"So...this is for real. This is happening." Tony let out a nervous huff. "I'm getting to know my kid."

Ben placed a warm hand on his shoulder. "You get used to it." They stared out at the view once more. "Tony?"

"Yeah?"

"Please don't get him a dog."

xXx

Tuesday rolled around quicker than Tony had anticipated. He was going to spend a full day with Peter. As they have agreed to keep the press at bay for the time being, Tony crossed off the zoo and decided to start small and take Peter to one of his favourite quiet spots.

It was a park that his father had brought him to once when they were in New York City, earning Tony one of the few memories where Howard wasn't completely emotionally detached from him. Tony had been five and his mother had fallen ill to pneumonia. His young hands had clutched his stuffed monkey, his round eyes gathered tears, his lips trembled, and despite his father telling him that Maria was going to be just fine recovering in the hospital Tony had decided that in all of his five years on this earth he had never been so scared.

Maybe it was the lack of sleep that melted his usually cold guard, but Howard sighed, took his son's hand, threw away his gross cup of hospital coffee on his way out, and drove Peter to a park that Howard grew up playing in. It was a rookery garden filled with large plants, trees, flowers and narrow pathways that made him feel like he was about to embark on an adventure. The place was mostly private, open to certain upscale events. Only his family's connections managed to get him exclusive access.

He remembered how amazed he was when he first stepped into the park, his monkey was forgotten and fell from his hands. His father would usually reprimand him to be more responsible with his things or he would stop buying Tony any toys. But this time, maybe it was the heavy toll of having his mother in a 'hospitable', Howard decided to set aside the lecture, pick up the stuffed monkey and allow his son some peace from the worry. It was like Tony's very own Secret Garden.

And now he was about to share that same wonder with his very own son.

Tony parked in a private space and told Peter to stay seated until he unbuckled his seatbelt himself. He made a mental note to buy a booster seat as Peter was not only still eight, but quite small for his age. Having him sit at the back of a car that was not exactly family-friendly to begin with already made him look and feel like a bad parent.

He opened the door and Peter pushed himself out. "Where are we going?"

"You'll see." Tony grabbed his cap and sunglasses from the passenger seat. He made sure not to dress in his usual impeccable suits and instead opted for simple jeans and a Metallica t-shirt. The last thing he wanted was to attract any attention. He closed the door and locked his car.

As they reached a crossing Peter made a grab for his hand. Tony wasn't prepared for it and out of years of not wanting to be handed things he reflexively flinched away. Instantly he looked down and apologised. "Sorry, old habits. Here," he opened his palm for the kid to take. After some hesitation, Peter accepted the offer. "I'm still new at this parent-thing so I ask that you be patient. Just out of curiosity, am I supposed to hold your hand?"

"Aunt May said I have to hold hands with a grown-up when I cross the road." He shrugged. "I tell her I'm not six anymore. I can cross the road by myself. But she said if I didn't we wouldn't get ice cream."

Tony smirked; the sneaky little squirt was attempting to bargain. "You know, kid, I'm not your aunt. I can get you that ice cream for free."

Peter grinned toothily at him.

xXx

Watching Peter's face light up in wonder brought a feeling of warmth in Tony's chest. Maybe not so much when he caught Peter climbing up a tall tree. He knew that kids did this shit all the time; even he had memories of climbing high monkey bars. And falling. He broke his arm once trying to do some trick his mother warned him not to do.

Kids were a lot more resilient than given credit for, but they're also reckless and have to learn things the hard way. Tony yelled at him to be careful and stood close by in case he needed to catch him.

"You need to come up here! It's amazing," Peter yelled back at him somewhere in the midst of the branches.

Tony couldn't see him anymore. "Trust me, Pete, when you reach my age a high climb looks far less tempting."

"Oh come on, old man! You're supposed to be the greatest superhero ever. You can fly but can't climb?"

Oh, he got him there. "Alright, you little gecko. Make room." Tony inwardly groaned and asked his back for forgiveness. "Where are you?" he managed to croak out as he lifted himself onto the second branch.

"Up here!"

Tony looked up where Peter sat four more branches above him. "Uh-uh, if I climb any higher I'll reunite with my gelato and I have a feeling it won't taste the same."

Peter giggled. "Hold on, I'll come down." He easily managed to slip through branches until he found himself sitting next to Tony. He took a few breaths from the exertion and asked, "What's a gecko?"

"It's a type of lizard. It doesn't have eyelids, so it keeps its eyes clean by licking it."

"Cool! Do they make good pets?"

Tony turned to Peter. "Is your aunt a fan of the reptile species?"

"Not really."

"Then no."

Peter pushed up his round glasses. "Mmm...how about an Iguana?"

"No."

"A snake?"

"God no."

"A turtle?"

"Too much work."

"A water dragon?"

"A what?"

"They have these claws and they bite."

"Noooo."

"A chameleon?"

"That could work."

After a few minutes of appreciating the green scenery from their height, Tony said, "How about we start getting back down? My butt's getting numb."

Peter chuckled. "Mine too."

"I'll go first, okay?" Tony climbed back down and thanked his lucky stars he didn't break a joint. He looked up, ready to catch Peter in case he slipped. "Alright, buddy. Come on down."

They spent more time walking through the rookery and Peter pointed to every little creature he found and spilled trivial facts about it. Tony remembered being that excited about life and Howard frowning in annoyance by the third "Did you know?".

But Tony looked at the bright-eyed eight-year-old and smiled, responding to the kid's facts with a "That's really interesting" and an occasional "You should host a documentary."

Tony found himself sitting in an open field space watching Peter doing cartwheels when suddenly the kid took a break and spoke, "Mr Stark-"

"Tony."

"Mr Tony."

Tony almost snorted. Close enough. "What's up, squirt?"

"When I was born, how come you didn't want me?"

Whoa. Okay. He wasn't expecting that all of the sudden. Just a second ago Peter was laughing about a funny looking squirrel that ran past them.

Tony didn't expect to have this conversation here. What should he even tell him? The truth?

Why not, he thought. Peter was eight, but he was smart and he deserved to know at least the parts he understood. "Come here, kid," Tony patted the grass beside him and Peter obligingly sat beside him. "Sometimes, grown ups do bad things."

"Even you?"

"Even me. I make mistakes. That's what makes us human, right?"

Peter nodded. "Mmhm, Aunt May tells me that too. Like when I accidentally broke a plate. My fingers were greasy from the pizza and it slipped and fell. I thought she would get mad but she said it was okay because it was an accident and I said sorry."

"Yeah, something like that. But sometimes, people do bad things on purpose."

"Like the evil man you stopped at the expo?"

"Yeah, exactly. Like the one who almost hurt you. And the friend I was telling you about when we first met? The not-friend?" Peter nodded. "Well, he did a really bad thing and didn't tell me about you."

Peter looked curiously at him, trying to work out what Tony was saying. "How come he knew about me but not you?"

"Good question. You see, Peter, when your mother was still pregnant with you, she visited me to let me know about you, but my not-friend stopped her."

Peter furrowed his eyebrows. "Why would he do that?"

"Because he didn't want me to know about you."

"But why?"

Tony inwardly groaned. This was growing harder to explain. "It's very...political. You'll understand when you're older."

Peter crossed his arms petulantly. "I hate when grown-ups say that."

Tony smiled slightly. "The point is, Peter...it's not that I didn't want you, it's that I didn't know about you. That is until you found me."

Peter blinked. "Does that mean I can visit you more?"

"Of course. And I can visit you."

"Really? Like all the time?"

"Well, not all the time, I do live across the country but I'll make the effort. Look at us right now, I'm doing all this so I can get to know you. And I hope you're enjoying getting to know me too."

"I know everything about you, Mr Stark!"

"Oh do you now?" Tony raised his eyebrow in amusement.

"Yeah, I researched everything myself. You have a big engineering company. You built your first circuit when you were only four. I built my circuit last year too!"

"Oh yeah? Maybe you could stop by my lab and we could work on more of that together?"

Peter grinned. "That would be so awesome! You have the biggest lab ever."

"Well, I'm talking about my lab here in New York. It's not as big but just as cool."

"Will DUM-E be there too?"

"No, DUM-E is just my lab assistant back in Malibu. Which, again, you are more than welcome to visit. Just make sure to tell your aunt and uncle this time."

Peter laughed sheepishly.

"What else do you have on me, kid?"

"Mm…" Peter put a finger to his chin. "You got lost in the desert once." Tony frowned. "Which was scary cause everyone was saying you died, like my parents." Peter wasn't looking at him anymore, and instead focused on his hands playing with the grass beneath him. "But now you won't get lost, right? You're Iron Man. You can fly everywhere."

Tony's heart did a flip. He remembered the conversation he shared with May. The past couple of months aside, he had always been quite reckless with his heroics, and now was a good time to follow through on his promise to May (and Pepper) to be careful. This wasn't about him anymore, this was about his son and how he needed to consider him before making a decision that could potentially affect the both of them. Before Tony had the chance to respond, Peter was looking up and pointing at the weird-looking squirrel that passed them again. And that was the end of that conversation.

The sun was setting by the time he was carrying Peter back to the apartment. The poor kid had worn himself out to the brink of exhaustion. After they left the park, Tony had bought them pizza from a local café owned by an Italian family, and a small Sicilian dessert for Peter under the promise not to tell his aunt and uncle the amount of sugar he consumed that day.

Peter was in and out of consciousness in the backseat and he finally gave in to sleep once Tony parked by an area that wouldn't have his car spotted easily (in retrospect, picking out one that cost six figures was probably not the best decision for a day where he had to lay low). Now Tony was carrying an eight-year-old, who was getting heavier by the minute, up seven flights of stairs because the building's lift was broken. Tony huffed his annoyance and mumbled a few curses at the landlord.

By the time he reached Peter's floor, he breathed a sigh of relief and stood for a few moments to catch his breath. He mainly took this brief time, though, to reflect. It had just hit Tony that he was going to have to deal with not knowing when he was going to see Peter next. His flight back home to Malibu was early the next morning, and then it was straight to meetings and lab work.

His feet carried him to the Parkers' door and he shifted Peter in his arms to comfortably free his hand. Ben immediately answered the door and smiled at his nephew's sleeping form.

"Looks like he had a long day," Ben said as he took the kid from Tony's arms.

"I'd be exhausted too if I climbed up trees and performed fifteen cartwheels in a row without throwing up."

"Fifteen? Wow, that's a record. He was really excited today."

Tony smiled. "So I fed him and made sure he didn't break a bone."

Ben chuckled. "That's when you know it's been a successful day."

Tony agreed. "Where's May?"

"Work. She was called in for a shift."

Tony nodded, feeling a little awkward in the silence where Ben had taken Peter to his room.

When he came back out, he asked, "Do you want some tea or coffee?"

Tony shook his head. "Thanks, but I have to get going. I've got an early flight to catch."

"Right," Ben nodded. "So-"

"I have-"

They laughed and Tony gestured with his hand, "You first."

"I was just going to say, have...a safe flight?"

"Thanks. And I was going to say that I have this," Tony reached into his pocket and whipped out a phone. "I know I live miles away, so I want to be able to have some facetime with Peter even when I'm not here in person."

Ben nodded. "That's a good idea."

"It has my number."

"I figured it would," Ben replied, with an unsaid 'duh' within the sentence.

Damn, what was it about this man that made Tony feel so small? The age difference wasn't that large and the height differences weren't that off, (and yeah, okay, the man may or may not have more muscle mass on his shoulders but that's neither here nor there), yet Tony felt like this man held all the power.

Well, in a way, he did.

"Right," Tony clapped his hands together, signalling the end of his visit. "I'll get going."

Tony was outside the entrance when Ben said, "Thanks for taking him out today, Tony. He had a lot of fun, I could tell. And not just because you fed him more sugar than you were supposed to."

Tony frowned. How did he…?

Ben answered, "I saw the ice cream stain on his shirt."

Damn.

"Well, today was fun for me too. Make sure to tell him that."

He nodded. "We'll see you around, Tony."

Tony made his way downstairs and unlocked his car. Just as he was sighing in content at a job well done, his phone rang.

Figures. Tony almost rolled his eyes. No rest for the weary.

He answered, "Go for Tony."

"Hey," Rhodey responded from the other line. "How was your day with him?"

"I got the kid home alive and in one piece, if that's what you're wondering."

"See? You're already getting the hang of this."

"Your faith astounds me." Tony stepped into the vehicle and shut the door. He pulled his seatbelt over his torso. "Is that why you called? To make sure my recent parental responsibilities didn't end in the ER?"

"That, and I wanted to know what time your plane lands tomorrow."

Tony spent the next few minutes letting Rhodey know the details of his schedule and briefly catching up with his old friend before hanging up. He looked at the parkers' building one last time, caught in a bittersweet feeling as he pulled his car away.

It had been a long time since he had a day where he felt at ease. Don't get him wrong, looking after an energetic child was by no means any less stressful. But after almost a year of kidnappings, psychotic engineers with electric whips, contemplating imminent death, conferring with one-eyed agents and creating a whole new element so his voltaic heart wouldn't kill him, this was the kind of stress he welcomed with open arms.

TBC

AN: I'm planning to write bits and bobs of Tony spending time with Peter throughout the MCU timeline. But don't hold your breath for the next update. This is the first time I'm publishing anything in two years (cause, you know, depression) so idk when I'll be back next.