AN: Tumblr prompt: Tony being such a dad to peter and Danny please?
Drabble 103-Father
The Avengers Tony had unofficially become a parent, years ago. However, he hadn't realized it had happened until much later. Looking back, now, he's wondering why he didn't see it sooner.
He was the provider of the Avengers. Money, tech, armor, protection, food, a home. He provided it, because he could and because he cares. He doesn't like to admit it, and he sure does have lot of trouble showing it, but he does. In fact, some would say he probably cares too much.
He gave Peter over 500 different kinds of webbings to choose from and gave him gliding capabilities and an internal heater to prevent hypothermia. He gave Danny an updated thermos, so it's bigger on the inside, more lightweight, and will hold stronger ghosts longer than before. Tony also added a safety feature to prevent Danny from being sucked in, which he knew the ghost boy greatly appreciated.
Needless to say, he had become a sort of dad to the two boys.
He knew they probably needed it. Peter's only father figure was murdered, and Danny, well, ever since the fallout with his parents he's kind of been lacking with parental supervision and wisdom. Tony had accidentally filled the Dad Slot a long time ago, when he met them. The first time he saw them, laughing and eating pizza together, every part of his being told him he would protect them no matter the cost.
He would literally give anything for his boys.
The Avengers had seen landed themselves in some pretty sticky situations over the years, what with the world saving and apocalypse preventing, but for Tony, watching Danny being held in the air by his throat by Dr. Doom was worse than any of that.
They had gone in with a plan, but Doom was smarter than any of them had anticipated. He quickly neutralized a good number of them, leaving Iron Man, Phantom, Spidey, Cap, and to some extent Falcon, left standing. They had fought and fought and fought. Been fighting for hours, and they were near their end.
Steve was concious, but he could barely stand. And Falcon? He had been shot down, and was currently mumbling gibberish, so he was basically useless as well. And Peter...Peter was being crushed under Doom's foot, wheezing as his back was forced deeper into the ground. Tony sat up on his elbows, looking at them with emotions he wasn't quite familiar with.
Doom looked over at him, and even through the mask he wore, Tony could tell he was smug. He would kill the boys-his-boys, right in front of him, before coming for Tony. He didn't need to say any of this, it was practically written all over his covered face. And that made Tony see red.
Tony, who had been sitting up on his elbows in his shattered armor that was being held together by a few wires and bolts, managed to drag his legs under him and stand up. Danny looked over as he gasped for breath, and he could see Peter's struggling quiet down. He needed to hurry. The pounding in his brain didn't slow him down as he shot himself forward at Doom, tackling him hard.
He wasted no time in straddling the villain, ripping off his mask before letting him really have it. His gloves had long since been destroyed, but for his boys he would get any number of split, bloody knuckles.
"You-won't-hurt-my-boys!" Tony yelled, accenting each word with a hit. He didn't let up until Doom was unconscious, and his hands were covered in both his and Doom's blood. This is what that mother felt like, Tony supposed, when she lifted a car to protect her kid. Because now that the fight was over with, exhaustion was running through Tony's veins like caffeine, drawing him to sleep.
"Peter, Danny, quit fussing!" Tony laughed as the boys pampered him. He was confined to the hospital wing, with Danny and Peter there to keep him company. It had been a few days, and the bruises around Danny's throat were almost gone, and he noticed how it had progressively become easier for Peter to breathe. They would have gotten off a lot worse if it hadn't been for Tony's maternal take-over.
"So," Peter said, attempting to lean on Danny's shoulder. He was trying to be casual, but it was coming off as awkward due to Danny being much taller despite being younger then Peter. It was kind of comical. "We're your boys, huh?"
Danny and Peter were smiling down at Tony, their eyes wide and bright and so fucking happy. The happiest he had ever seen either of them. And Tony was the one to do that. He was the one that made them happy, and he was the one that looked out for them. He grinned up at them and nodded.
"Yeah. You two are my boys."