Unlike two years ago, Tony hugged Peter back instantly. A door closed in the background, but Peter didn't care.
"It's okay," Tony said. "Everything's okay, right, kid?"
"Yeah, it's fine," Peter said, finally pulling away. "I'm just so glad you're back."
Even though he knew he was alive and texted with him for weeks, seeing him again… it was great.
There was a gasp. "You're Tony Stark. You're Iron Man," Eddie couldn't look away. His eyes looked like they were going to pop out of his skull
Tony put his arm around Peter's shoulder. "Yep, but keep quiet about it. Pepper and I are going to announce I'm alive in a couple weeks. Want to keep it hush hush until then."
Eddie just couldn't seem to look away.
"I… how.." Eddie couldn't even seem to blink. "You're Iron Man."
"Yeah, we already established that," Tony said.
"But you're dead."
"That story is all very good, but not in the mood to tell it. All that matters is that I'm alive." Tony grinned at Peter and Peter couldn't help but smile back. "So who are you?"
"This is my new boyfriend, Eddie," May said.
"Oh… well it's nice to meet you, I guess," Tony said, shrugging. "You were the one lecturing my kid?"
"What?" Eddie asked, staring.
"When I was playing with the kid on Forkknife. The kid likes it so…" Tony said. "It's the least I can do. Playing with my kid. Besides, someone needs to teach him now to play. He's not that good."
Not that good? Tony was the one who wasn't good, and he knew that.
"It's called Fortnite, not Forkknife," Peter said, without reacting at all.
"Your kid?" Eddie asked actually taking a step back.
Tony just grinned. Peter knew he should say something, but he didn't.
"But I thought Peter was an orphan. He's not… he can't be your kid. His last name is Parker, not Stark."
"Last names don't matter." Tony touched Peter's curls. "And look at the two of us. Isn't he just a mini version of me? He has my eyes."
The funny thing was. Peter and Tony did have similar eyes. Almost exactly the same even if they weren't related.
"You…" Eddie looked back and forth between the two of them as if he was trying to figure out if it was the truth. "You do look alike…"
May smiled and shook her head. "Tony's teasing you. He's not Peter's biological father."
"Not that I know of at least," Tony said. "But I did get around a lot back when he was born so no one knows for sure."
Now it was Peter's turn to roll his eyes. "Tony…"
Yes, it was fun to trick people occasionally, especially Captain America, but now wasn't the time for that. There was no way that May was going to let him do this anyway.
Tony just grinned. "Oh, Eddie, don't tell anyone about me being here and, you know, alive. Pepper and I are going to have an announcement soon and if it gets out… well I'll know who did it."
Eddie still couldn't look away from him, but he somehow managed to nod.
"Good and that-"
"Why is Peter your intern? He's just…"
Even Peter could fill in the blank for him. Really without Spider-Man he was a normal kid. Nothing special really. Yes, he was smart, but that was about all. And it wasn't like he was a genius like Tony was. Before he had become Spider-Man, he had no athletic talent either and he was awkward and got too excited about things like Star Wars.
"He's just brilliant," Tony said.
May actually grinned when he said that.
"He's an amazing kid and Peter and I have a lot in common."
"You have a lot in common with Peter?"
Tony just nodded.
"Like what?"
Like the fact that they were both superheroes. Not many people would understand what that was like. Obviously, there was no way that even Tony would think to say that to Eddie.
"The kid and I both like to invent things. He helps me work on my Iron Man suits too." Tony grinned. "He helps me work on suits for other people in my team too."
He probably meant Spider-Man suits, but he had worked on some other ones with him too. It was fun working on them and an honor. The first time Tony had let him, he had been shocked. Working on the Spider-Man suit was one thing, but Iron Man and other Avengers' was completely different.
"And the kid is pretty much a genius."
"I'm not a genius," Peter muttered.
"Humble too, which is something that we obviously don't share."
"He… wow…" Eddie said.
"And now I really just want to talk to the kid alone," Tony said, grabbing Peter's arm and pulling him toward the front door. "But don't worry, I'll bring him back in a couple hours."
"Have fun, Peter," May said, beaming. She was taking that Tony was alive really well, not that it surprised Peter. Now she never seemed to be surprised by anything that happened that involved superheroes.
Eddie still just couldn't look away.
Peter let Tony pull him out of the apartment. Once in the hallway, Tony let go of him and put some very un-EDITH looking sunglasses on and a baseball hat. He completed the look by pulling up his hood.
"You know that disguise doesn't work," Peter said as he followed Tony down the stairs. "TMZ always catches people when they do that."
Tony gave him a look but ignored him. Peter just continued following him to the car which had been parked in an alley not far away.
"So…" Tony said as they both got in and he locked the door. The car's windows were tinted, and the car wasn't nearly as fancy as most the ones he drove, but it still looked like it stood out in Queens.
"I'm really glad you're finally back." Peter grinned. Maybe things would be less weird now. Even if they weren't, at least he would be able to look forward to hanging out with Tony as well as MJ and Ned. "I know you were going to go crazy if you were stuck in Wakanda any longer."
"I still can't do much," Tony said as he turned the car on and then pulled out of the alley. "But what I said about Pepper and I having a conference soon is true."
"That's great." And it would be. Now Tony wouldn't have to feel like he was in prison all the time. He had saved the world. He deserved to be able to whatever he wanted.
"Yeah so now I'm not going to lose mind." Tony ruffled Peter's hair before putting his hand back on the steering wheel.
"So what are we going to do today?" Peter asked.
"We can work in the lab." Tony shrugged. "I'd say we can do whatever but still in jail for now. Can't have people knowing I'm alive too soon."
"Yeah, people would freak out," Peter said, grinning.
"It would blow their minds," Tony said as he drove toward the tower. "So…."
"So what?" Peter asked.
"This Eddie guy? He seems…"
"He's weird," Peter muttered. "They're moving in together."
"I didn't know they were dating that long."
Peter just shrugged and looked out the window. Yes, he didn't like Eddie that much, but he wasn't going to act like a child about this. Besides soon he would be in college and wouldn't have to see him as much.
"You don't like him or something?"
"He's weird," Peter said again, still not looking at Tony. "But it's always weird when she dates."
That had been true, but no one had ever set off his spidey sense before. He even liked Happy. Yes, it had been strange especially when he stayed the night, but it was okay.
"So you don't like him?"
"May likes him," Peter said, wishing that Tony would just turn on AC/DC or Led Zeppelin or some other really old music.
"That's not what I asked."
"I'm seventeen. I'm not—"
"Yes, I know how old you are, remember?"
"What I'm trying to say is I'm not a child. It doesn't matter if I like him or not. I just want her to be happy."
"Kid, you're a good person, and it's sweet you care so much about your aunt's happiness."
"Well… it's… it's my fault what happened to my uncle," Peter confessed. Tony actually pulled over to the side of the road.
"What?" Tony asked, raising an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"
"I had just gotten my powers and I… I was being stupid. Trying to be rebellious and Uncle Ben was trying to find me and…" Peter wiped at his eyes. Even now it still hurt. "If I hadn't been stupid then maybe he wouldn't have been shot or if I had been there or—"
"It's not your fault," Tony said.
"I thought… with Beck. He said it was my fault what happened to you too."
Now Tony looked angry instead of just confused. "Really? That prick said that?"
Peter flinched. This had been a mistake. "Uh, he said maybe if I was better then you would be alive."
Tony slammed his hand on the steering wheel. "Well he's full of shit and I'm glad he's dead. There was nothing you could have done."
"Yes, there is," Peter muttered. He had thought about this a lot the last few months.
"And what is that?"
"I could have done the snap." Peter had the gauntlet after all. He had plenty of chances.
There was a long silence. It had started to rain and the only sounds that could be hear were cars in the background and the rain pattering on the window.
"Don't say that. Don't even think that," Tony said. Peter stopped looking out the window and saw Tony Stark gripping the wheel hard enough that it almost looked painful.
"I have powers and maybe I could have survived it."
"No! No! Just no. The last thing I would have wanted was for you to do the snap. Seriously, Underoos. You wouldn't have survived that. Bruce didn't even think Thor would have. It's a miracle I did." He rubbed his face with his hands and sighed. "I know you're grown sort of but you're still young and snapping would have been… Jesus, you would have died."
"I…" Peter felt a lump in his throat.
"I'm glad it was me," Tony muttered. "It's better than it being you. I would never have forgiven myself if you were the one who snapped. God, I hate the very thought of it."
Peter didn't even know what to say so he just looked at the dashboard.
"So don't ever let Beck or anyone blame you for what happened with me or your uncle," Tony said. His voice had calmed. He reached out and ruffled his hair.
"Okay," Peter said but it was hard to even say that.
"And I still want to know exactly what you think about Eddie. Not just that your aunt likes him. I'd hope your aunt would like him since the two of them are dating, Underoos."
"He's… I think he thinks he has to be all fatherly and like strict and weird."
"Strict?" Tony asked.
"He was bitching at me the other day for being up after curfew." Peter rubbed his arm at the thought, even though the marks he had that night had faded almost right away and it wasn't a big deal.
If Eddie had really tried to hurt him then he would do something.
"I was just Spidermanning, not that he knows that. It's none of his business and I don't want his to pretend like he's my dad and that he can order me around."
Tony studied his face as if he was trying to figure out if he was keeping some kind of secret.
"I can talk to him or May if he's being too much of an asshole."
"I don't need you to talk to May for me," Peter said. "I'm…" He was about to say grownup but then Tony would just go on again about that. "I'm Spider-Man."
"Yeah, but he's her boyfriend and you're so good and sweet that you probably wouldn't want to hurt her feelings."
Peter just glared at him.
But it didn't deter Tony. "And as for Eddie, I know you don't like to be an asshole, but I don't have a problem with being a dick."
"I can deal with Eddie. He's just an asshole. I've dealt with a lot worse people than him," Peter said.
"Yeah, but it wasn't like the Vulture or Thanos were living with you and dating your aunt."
Peter just shrugged, although that was a very disturbing thought.
"Just saying, kiddo."
"I just don't like him acting like he's my dad and like he can boss me around. I barely even know him. I already have father figures." Peter sort of regretted when that last sentence came out but at the same time part of him did not.
"You think I'm like a father to you?" Tony actually grinned. "Well, like I said before, you're like a son to me. I missed you all the time… before…" Tony's eyes brightened. "Tell Eddie he doesn't need to pretend to be your dad because I can do that."
Peter tried not to grin. He tried not to react too much at all. Hearing this… well, Peter liked having a father figure. Since losing Ben…
Well, maybe his issues were why he had been so eager to trust Beck.
He didn't want to look too happy about Tony saying things like this because maybe it would freak him out. He would never be his son.
"That… you don't have to."
"I want to. Good talk, kiddo."
Peter once again tried not to smile.
"Tell me if Eddie is too much of a dick. I'll deal with him."
"But I—"
"You're Spider-Man and seventeen. I know you can deal with him. You're strong. Way more than Eddie or me even, but I could still deal with him as a favor to you."
"But you don't have—"
"I don't have to do anything but I'd want to. So tell me if he becomes too much of an asshole, capiche?"
No, Peter could deal with this himself. Still he nodded. "But he's fine right now."
"Great," Tony said as he turned off the car. Before Peter could ask why he did that. He tossed the keys at him. "You're driving."
"What?"
"You don't have your license yet, kiddo?"
"No…" and he didn't practice driving much in the city either. He didn't need his license that much with all the transportation in New York City.
"Well then you need to practice. Get out of the car. We're switching places."
"Someone might see you, Mr. Stark." Peter tried to say, but Tony got out of the car and he had no choice but to also and switch places with him.
"See, it was fine. And I told you to cut it out with the Mr. Stark thing. I thought we had a good talk about that, and we were in agreement."
Peter just stared at him.
"Driving time," Tony said as he turned up his music. "Don't get me killed, kiddo. Just came back from the dead and don't want to die again."
Peter gasped and his eyes widened. He didn't want to get in a wreck and be the reason Tony got hurt.
"Kid, sorry, bad joke. I'm sure you'll be fine. I know you've driven around before. And I'm okay."
"Your car is so expensive. I don't want to ruin it."
"You won't. You'll be fine."
"Fine..." Peter said as he pulled the car onto the street. He was not looking forward to this.
It seemed like all the random people of New York wanted to do was walk in the middle of the road. The other cars kept cutting him off too and once a taxi car driver had swore at him.
The whole time Tony didn't seem to care and kept playing on his phone.
"Hey, so, kid, I want to show you some new plans I have for your Spider-Man suit. I have some designs here if you want to see them." Tony tried to show him even as he was driving. He kept putting the phone right in front of Peter's face.
"Stop that! I can't look at that now!"
"Geez, kid, you're going to be fine," Tony said, rolling his eyes. "Your spidey senses will tell you if you're going to crash."
Peter was going to tell him that he didn't know for sure that it would, but he stayed quiet.
And Tony turned out to be right.
They did tell him when he was going to crash, but it was too late to do anything then. He crashed into a stop sign when they were so close to the Tower.
"Oh my god! I'm so sorry. I'm such an idiot," Peter said. He couldn't believe it. Why was he so stupid? Tony was going to kill him.
"Wow… I didn't see that coming," Tony said, taking off his sunglasses. He wasn't yelling at him like he thought and instead was just staring at him, looking stunned.
"I'm so sorry, Mr. Stark. I didn't mean to ruin your car."
Why did he always have to mess up? He always ruined everything. He had been so close to the Tower.
"Kid…" Tony said as he unlocked the passenger door. "I'll deal with this."
"What?! No you can't! People will see you." Yes there wasn't that many people around but there was still people around. People would know he was still alive.
"I don't care. I—" he didn't get to finish because then someone knocked on Peter's window. He looked and of course it was the police. "Oh my god."
Tony rolled his eyes. "Just unroll the window."
Peter did what he said even though he was shaking. The police officer stared at him and he was about to say something when Tony leaned over.
"Hey officer, sorry about my kid crashing into that sign." Tony actually put his hand on Peter's shoulder and grinned. "My kid's just learning how to drive, but don't worry, I'll pay for all the damage."
The police officer's eyes widened. "You're… are you seriously Iron Man?"
There that was. The cop seemed to not even care about the whole Tony calling him his kid because the whole being alive when you were supposed to be dead was much bigger than Tony potentially having a secret child.
"Yep," Tony said, popping the p. "That's me."
"But you're dead!"
"It's a long story, but I recovered. There is going to be a huge press conference soon and you'll hear the whole story," Tony said.
"That's amazing," the police officer said. He looked at the two of them but mostly Tony. "Follow me. I need to talk to the two of you, but…" he looked behind him. There were people staring.
"Sure," Tony said.
"You can drive without getting in a crash?" the police officer asked Peter.
All he could do was nod.
The police officer left, and Peter did his best to follow him without crashing. He managed to do it but he was shaking.
And why wasn't Tony yelling at him? Peter almost wished he would just because waiting made it so much worse.
They stopped in a parking garage that somehow was empty. It was kind of sketchy, but Tony actually smiled weakly and put his hand on Peter's shoulder.
"Mr. Stark, I'm—"
"Don't call me that," Tony said without much emotion. He then got out of the car.
What was Peter supposed to do? Should he get out too or would he get shot if he did that? He'd be able to avoid if the cop tried.
Maybe but he was nervous and stressed because of the wreck so his senses were going crazy.
And maybe it would be a bad idea to avoid it since then the cop would know he wasn't a normal person.
Peter tried to wait in the car but after a minute it became too much and he stepped out. The police officer was still talking to Tony and didn't glance at Peter.
"You have no idea how grateful I am. My daughter was lost in the snap and now she's back. I could never repay you," the cop's voice broke and he looked down at the ground.
Peter froze.
Tony nodded. "I'm… it's the least I could do."
"You saved her. I wish there was something I could do."
"I guess there is. My kid here." Tony reached out and pulled Peter over. "He didn't mean to crash. It was just a mistake. My son's just learning how to drive."
Peter almost choked on his spit when he said this. His son. Yes, he might say he was like a son to him, but he never called him that in front of someone else unless he was playing a trick on someone.
He must think the cop was more likely to let him off if he said he was his son.
"And I'll pay for the sign obviously," Tony said. "And any other property damage."
Peter just looked down even as Tony put his arm over his shoulder.
"It's fine," the police officer said. "What's your son's name?"
"Peter," Peter muttered.
"So Peter Stark?"
Peter cringed. He wasn't a Stark.
"Parker actually. Peter Parker," Tony didn't seem fazed by this at all. Peter thought he would make up some kind of story about why he didn't have his last name, but he didn't expand on it. If anything that confused Peter more. Normally when Tony pretended Peter was his son and people found out his last name wasn't Stark, he'd have a big story as to why.
The police officer and Tony talked for a bit more. Peter stayed quiet pretty much the whole time only saying a couple words when he had to.
Eventually they finally could leave.
"Remind me not to let you drive Morgan anywhere," Tony said going to the driver's seat. Fine with Peter. He hadn't wanted to drive to begin with.
"I'm sorry," Peter whispered.
"You don't need to say that. It's fine. Whatever. I have plenty of cars. Rhodey didn't get all of them. I can have this car fixed anyway. There isn't that much damage."
"I'm still sorry," Peter murdered. "I messed up."
"I shouldn't have let you drive when you said you didn't want to." He shrugged. "So oh well. This car is the best for you to crash to be honest. It's a strong car. Spiderlings less likely to get hurt."
Peter stared at him. Really? Tony was the one who should be worried about getting hurt.
"You are okay, kiddo?"
"Once a building fell on me and you're asking if I'm okay after hitting a sign?"
"Don't mention that building incident. It freaks me out," Tony said, his eyes wide. "And you didn't say if you were okay."
"I'm fine." It was a good thing that Peter hadn't mentioned how he had gotten hit by a train in Europe. Tony would freak out about that. It wouldn't be pretty.
Maybe there was a way that Peter could make sure that Tony never found out about that, but he doubted it. Happy knew and he was bound to tell Tony.
Perhaps it would be better if Peter just told Tony himself. Maybe even now, but he couldn't get the words out. There was still so much that happened in Europe that Tony didn't know about.
The most horrifying thing was happened with EDITH. Giving it to Beck… Tony would be furious. He wouldn't be saying things about how he was like a son to him.
"You okay, kid? You look pale."
"I'm… I'm fine." Peter dug his nails into his skin. Once again, he tried to say something about Europe, and he failed. The words were caught in his throat, refusing to come out.
"You sure?" Tony asked.
"Yeah, I'm positive."
"Great. Let's go to the Tower now. We got a lot to do," Tony said with a sigh. He obviously didn't believe him.
All Peter could do was nod.
((AN: Thank you all for reading. Please, please, please comment.
I.D.'s Fantasy: I hope you enjoyed seeing this chapter and Eddie and Tony's interaction. I enjoyed writing it.
TravilingbyBooks: Thank you. I'm glad I decided to write fanfic. It's a lot of fun and different than what I normally do. But different in a good way.
Jonah J: I guess writing creepy characters is kind of my thing. My bread and butter in a way. I don't even do it on purpose sometimes.
ItsBeenAwhile8: Don't feel bad about not posting a comment earlier. I'm just glad that you've liked it so much. I wish we could have seen more canon interactions between Tony and Peter. Their father son relationship was so good. And I'm glad you like the pacing. I've been trying not to rush it.
UntamableWyldeRaptor: It's probably a good idea for you to trust your feelings when it comes to this.
Moorsey23: I'm so glad that you did, and you'll find out more about Eddie soon. Thank you again for reading.
PicassoPenguin: That's a problem that I often have. Telling too much and not showing. I struggle with it in my original works too. I'm glad Tony and Peter seem in character. Sometimes I worry I fail at that.
victoria: I should have Nebula in a later chapter. I love her. She's amazing.
Karlicm: Eddie should watch out. Karma might be out to get him.
Sorry if I missed anyone's comments. I try to get them all. Feel free to let me know if I missed yours. I apologize if I did again!))
