Author's Note: Hello, hello, my readers! Welcome back to Raise Me Up! We are back with CHAPTER 29! So obviously picking up where the last chapter left off, Peter is sick…on the day he's supposed to go to Wakanda, and of course, he gets sick. So, naturally, Tony and Pepper are there to take care of him! So, I hope you all enjoy it, BUT…before we get to that…REVIEW REPLIES!
Wandamarie: Nope, no fun at all! But Tony and Pepper will be there for him!
Radiant Arabian Nights: Thank you so much! I hope you continue to enjoy this story!
Disclaimer: I do NOT own anything related to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Chapter 29
"So, I guess Peter's not excited?" Rhodey asked with a smirk as Tony brought out his own luggage and placed it next to Peter's suitcase and duffle bag in the kitchen.
When planning the trip, Rhodey and Tony agreed that the former would come over to the tower before school would let out for Peter so that they could go to the airport together once they picked Peter up.
"Oh no, he's absolutely dreading it," Tony retorted earning a chuckle from his best friend. "He hates me for even thinking about bringing him along."
They both chuckled again at the moment of banter before falling silent again.
"But in all seriousness," Rhodey finally said after a moment, "how is he doing? Overall…I mean…"
"Honestly," Tony began as he sat next to Rhodey at the counter, "he's been doing great. I mean…he still misses May, not that I blame him, but he's been doing well…adjusting. Pepper and I got some books on how to help him in case we need them, but…I think we're all getting along great."
Rhodey couldn't help but smile. "I'm really happy for you guys," he said patting Tony on the shoulder.
"Thanks, Rhodes," Tony replied with a smile never leaving his face. "I mean, it…hasn't been easy, but—"
"That's not a bad thing, man. That's just life. Nothing is ever easy, and that's okay. It's just…whenever I look at you…and Pepper…and Peter…you all seem so happy…like you really do belong together."
Tony smiled at Rhodey knowing that he was right. Despite how he came to live with them, Tony and Pepper were happy having Peter in their care. They both loved that Peter was living with them for the past 5 months, and since he had been, Tony felt happier because Peter was in their lives more frequently. He could tell that Pepper and Peter were too, but his heart swelled seeing Peter every day in the penthouse, every time he came into the kitchen in the morning, every time he came home from school or Spider-Man patrol or came into the lab, every time he laughed and even cried, every time he got excited, and even every time he went to bed at night. Ever since he and Peter first met just over a year ago…when he needed help with bringing Steve and the other Rogues in, Peter always found a way to make him happier…to make him smile…and to make him feel better, and he loved every minute of it. "Honestly, I am, Rhodey," he said after a minute. "He's been such a bright spot in my life…in both our lives, you know? Ever since we first met…and I mean—it—it doesn't change what happened to May, but…he…it's almost like he gave me a purpose, you know? He's made me so happy…both Pepper and me happy…" He couldn't help but chuckle. "God, I love him. Honestly, I think I have for a while."
Rhodey couldn't help but widen his smile. "Something tells me that May saw that," he said.
"She must've," Tony replied, "but, hey, I'm not complaining."
"Good," Rhodey replied, "but…your little monologue brings me to my next question: have you and Pep given adoption some thought?"
Tony furrowed his eyebrows together and looked at Rhodey. "Adoption?" he asked.
"Well, yeah," Rhodey said, "you said at the press conference that you guys were going to see what the future held, and…from what I'm seeing and hearing, it sounds like you and Pepper are much more than Peter Parker's guardians and that he's more than just Tony Stark's ward. So…you guys thinking about it?"
Tony was just about to answer when…his phone rang in his pocket. He quickly excused himself and took it out only to see that it was Midtown calling. "Sorry, platypus, I got to take this," he said. "It's Peter's school." He didn't wait for Rhodey to answer and picked up his phone. "Hello?" He paused allowing the caller to answer. "Speaking." He paused again. "Oh, hello, Ms. Wright, what can I do for you?"
Rhodey watched as Tony's eyes widened slightly before his face fell.
"Oh no…" Tony said, "is he okay?" He paused allowing her to talk as she explained that Peter had a fever and a sore throat, and then she asked him to come pick him up. "Yes, absolutely, I'll be there as soon as I can. Thank you for letting me know. Tell him I'm on my way." He paused. "See you in a bit. Bye." He hung up the phone and stood up from where he was sitting. "Sorry, honeybear, I got to get to Midtown. Peter's not feeling well."
"Is he okay?" Rhodey asked with concern.
"Well, not really," Tony replied. "He's got a fever and a sore throat. Do you mind hanging out here while I get him?"
"Tones, come on," Rhodey said rolling his eyes, "of course I don't mind. Go, my nephew needs you."
Tony couldn't help but stop upon hearing Rhodey refer to Peter as his nephew, and he rolled his eyes and chuckled as he walked out texting Pepper that Peter wasn't feeling well and that he was going to get him. "FRIDAY, send word to Helen Cho," he said. "Tell her Peter isn't feeling well and to meet us back here in the Med Bay."
"Yes, boss," FRIDAY replied.
Tony wasted no time in getting in his car and driving from the tower all the way to Midtown. He hated that he couldn't get to Peter quick enough, but he also knew a car was more comfortable and subtle than a metal suit. Thankfully, it was in the middle of the day, so traffic wasn't too bad. As soon as he made it to Midtown, he found a parking space in front and got out of the car making his way to the school. He couldn't help but think back on the night May died…the night he brought Peter home from the hospital…and how different things were now. That night, he was scared out of his mind. He was scared that the copy he had of May's will wasn't enough to prove he was to be Peter's new guardian…that the social worker wouldn't hear him out and take Peter away from him. He was scared about how—if all went well—he would even raise a teenager, and now he still got nervous occasionally wondering if he was doing right by Peter and Pepper. However, now…he felt more at ease. Of course, he was worried because his kid was sick and needed him, but as he signed in and asked where the nurse's office was, he felt more at ease…more relaxed. It was like he and Pepper told Ms. Walker…they all had just clicked, and like Rhodey said, the three of them truly belonged together. It didn't change what happened to May. It could never, but it felt like a gift from her…like Peter said…a beautiful gift.
He was jolted out of his thoughts when he saw that he arrived at the nurse's office, and he saw the woman sitting at her desk. The billionaire gently knocked on the door getting her attention.
"Oh, Mr. Stark," she said with a smile, "come on in."
"Thank you," Tony said a smile of his own, "I…I hope I'm not too late."
"No, no, not at all," Ms. Wright said shaking her head. "He's asleep on the cot over there."
Tony looked across from the nurse's desk and saw his kid sound asleep on the cot. His heart broke seeing how pale Peter looked.
"You said he has a fever of 101?" Tony asked.
"And a sore throat," she replied watching Tony walk over to Peter and sitting on the edge of the cot. "I'm thinking it's strep throat."
Tony grimaced as he placed a hand on Peter's forehead feeling the heat radiating off his skit. "Yeah," he said, "he had a sore throat this morning, but no fever." He mentally kicked himself for not trying harder to convince Peter to stay home for the day, but he quickly pushed it down. He couldn't think about that. He needed to get Peter home, so he gently shook Peter's shoulder. "Hey, Pete? Pete, wake up, buddy," he whispered gently.
Peter slowly opened his eyes and turned onto his back only to see his guardian staring down at him with smile, and he smiled in return. "Hey, Tony," he said despite the pain in his throat.
Tony couldn't help but cringe at how throaty Peter's voice sounded. "Yikes," he said, "sounds like you've gotten worse since this morning."
"Yeah, I feel worse," Peter replied rubbing his eyes.
Tony ran a hand through Peter's brown hair. "I know, bud, but don't worry. I'm taking you home, okay? We just got to see the doctor, and then we'll get you into bed, okay?"
Peter nodded with a small smile…until he remembered what he, Tony, and Rhodey were supposed to do…after school. "But what about-?"
"Don't worry about it, kid," Tony said with the smile never faltering. "We'll see what the doctor says first, okay?"
Peter stared at his guardian for a brief moment before nodding. "Okay," he said.
"Okay," Tony repeated, "come on, the doctor's waiting for us, and then we'll get you home."
Peter nodded again before sitting up in the cot. His whole body ached, and he wanted nothing more than to lay down and never move again. However, that still didn't stop the nagging worry that he was going to miss the trip to Wakanda, but the fever and the sore throat kept him too occupied to think about it anymore. Like Tony said, they needed to see what the doctor had to say first. So, he watched as Tony signed him out and grabbed his backpack for him before wrapping an arm around him and leading him out of school to the car. Despite how he felt physically, he smiled to himself knowing that Tony and Pepper would be there for him and take care of him.
"Thanks for coming to get me, Tony," Peter said as they got in the car.
"Always, buddy," Tony replied with a smile of his own. "Let's get you home, okay? Dr. Cho is waiting for us to look at you."
"Okay," he said still smiling as they drove off.
"Ahh…" Peter said as Dr. Cho shined a light in his mouth.
"I'm definitely seeing some white spots on the throat and tonsils," Dr. Cho said studying his throat closely, "and the tonsils themselves look huge."
"Well, that would explain why he sounds like he swallowed a golf ball," Tony said as he watched his most trusted doctor examine his kid.
"Thanks, Tony," Peter said as Dr. Cho stepped away from him taking the light away. "Love you too."
Tony winked at Peter as Dr. Cho chuckled placing her hands on Peter's neck.
"Don't listen to him," she said to Peter. "He never knows what he's talking about." She then began touching Peter's neck feeling his glands. "Hmm…your glands are definitely swollen. Is there anything else bothering you, Peter?"
"Other than the sore throat, the fever, and the aches," Peter replied, "nope."
"Okay," Dr. Cho said as she typed something on her computer, "it sounds like a case of strep throat, but I want to do a strep test just to be sure."
"Please," Tony said, "do whatever you need to do."
Dr. Cho nodded as she went into a nearby cabinet and took out the supplies she needed for this specific test. Once she had everything ready, she took a long cue tip and walked back over to Peter. "Okay, Peter," she said, "I'm going to need you to open your mouth, and I can swab it for a sample."
The teenager did as he was told and opened his mouth allowing the doctor to swab the inside of his mouth for a sample for the test. Once she had what she needed, she used the test placing the cue tip in a solution and waited along with Tony and Peter for the next few minutes. They all waited in silence before time was finally up, and once time was up, Dr. Cho then looked over at Tony and Peter.
"Well, you're officially positive for strep throat, Peter," she said.
"Aw man," Peter moaned. "So…I guess this means I can't go to Wakanda this weekend."
Tony felt his heart break even more seeing Peter as visibly disappointed that he couldn't go on the trip with him and Rhodey. As relieved as he was that Peter just had strep throat, he hated seeing his kid feeling so down. "I'm afraid not, kid," Tony said, "but…think of it this way, do you honestly want to be on a plane with a 101-102 fever for hours instead of being in your own bed where you can eat, sleep, and watch movies as much as you want?"
Peter sighed realizing that Tony was right. "Yeah, that's true," he said. The more he thought about it the more appealing resting in bed sounded.
"Don't worry," Tony said sitting next to Peter and putting an arm around his shoulders. "The trip can be rescheduled, and Pep and I will be here with you to take care of you, okay?"
Peter looked up at Tony with widened eyes shocked over what he just said. He knew Pepper would be here with him to take care of him no questions asked, but…he thought that Tony and Rhodey would still go on the trip without him, not to be mean of course. However, this was a meeting with the King of Wakanda. He just didn't think it was polite to cancel on the king…any king or queen or whatever leader of any country for that matter. "R-Really? Are you sure?" he asked.
"What? Did you seriously think I was going to throw you into bed and take off to Wakanda?" Tony asked incredulously. "Hell no, my kid needs me. I'm staying home with you and Pep."
"But what about-?"
"Don't…worry. Rhodey and I will take care of it, okay?"
Peter couldn't help but smile at his guardian. "You're the best, Tony," he said.
"Yeah, I know," Tony replied with a smile of his own.
"Don't inflate his ego, Peter," Dr. Cho said as she typed something on her computer.
Both Tony and Peter had forgotten that she was standing there, and Peter couldn't help but blush.
"Oh, please," Tony said, "my kid can compliment me as much as he wants."
"Sure," Dr. Cho said, "but too much of anything is never good." She walked back over to them. "Anyway, I have Peter's medicine ready. Of course, I specifically modified it to fit Peter's metabolism, so it should help him get better within a few days or so. In the meantime," she looked at Peter, "get plenty of rest, drink because you need to stay hydrated, and try to eat soft foods like scrambled eggs, soft pasta, ice cream, lukewarm soup, and all that to soothe your throat, okay?"
Peter smiled and nodded. "Thanks, Dr. Cho," he said.
"You're welcome, Peter," she said with a smile of her own. "Now, you sit tight for a little longer. I'm going to get your medicine. I want to see you take the first dose, and then you'll be free to go."
"Okay," Peter replied.
Once Peter took his first dose of the medication Dr. Cho gave him, he and Tony were good to go back up to the penthouse, where Rhodey still waited, so that Peter could get some rest. Tony had been texting him and Pepper updates throughout the whole ordeal, so Rhodey wasn't surprised to see how sick Peter looked when he and Tony returned.
"Hey, Rhodey," Peter said as they walked off the elevator into the penthouse.
"Hey, Peter," Rhodey said as he stood up from the couch to greet them, "Tony told me what happened. How are you feeling?"
"In all honesty," Peter replied, "like I got hit by a truck."
Tony and Rhodey chuckled at his comment.
"I'm sorry you came all this way for nothing, Rhodey," Peter said after a moment.
"Don't worry about me, kid," Rhodey said patting him on the shoulder. "You just focus on getting better, okay?"
Peter's smile widened just a bit before he nodded.
"And you can start doing that by getting your pajamas on and into bed," Tony gently reminded Peter. "Bring your bags with you. I'll be right in to check on you. I just have to talk to Rhodey and take care of some things, but if you need me before that, have FRIDAY call me, okay?"
"Okay," Peter said, "I need to text MJ and Ned anyway. I promised them I would let them know how I was feeling." With that, he gave Rhodey one last smile before grabbing his backpack, duffle bag, and suitcase and heading toward his room leaving Tony and Rhodey alone in the kitchen.
"So, strep throat, huh?" Rhodey asked as soon as Peter shut his bedroom door.
"Yup," Tony said crossing his arms, "101 fever edging on 102, swollen tonsils and glands…the whole nine yards, which explains why he sounds so throaty."
"That sucks," Rhodey said looking down the hall Peter just disappeared into with a sympathetic look. "Pepper knows?"
Tony nodded. "She's going with Happy after work to get some ice cream for him," he said. "Cho gave us some medicine to give him, so he should be good in a few days." He then grew quiet as he realized what he needed to say next. "Uhh…listen, honeybear, I know…I know we planned this meeting with T'Challa, but…Peter…he…he needs Pepper…and…and me. So, I—"
"Tones," Rhodey interjected, "say no more, okay? Your kid is sick. Of course, we should cancel."
Tony smiled grateful that he had someone like Rhodey as his best friend. "Thank you," he said.
"Besides," Rhodey said, "I would hate to go to Wakanda without my nephew."
Tony could only chuckle and shake his head. "Alright, well," he said, "I guess we should cancel the jet and let the King of Wakanda know that we're not coming. We can call him down in the lab. I don't want to disturb Peter when he's resting."
Rhodey nodded and followed Tony down to the lab as his best friend asked his AI to monitor Peter's temperature and vitals.
"I apologize for the last-minute cancellation, Your Majesty," Tony said to the King of Wakanda through a holographic screen in the lab.
"It's not a problem, Mr. Stark," T'Challa said with a smile on his face. "I know what it means to put family first. You make sure your son gets well soon. I would love to meet him once he's well again."
"Thank you for being so flexible about this, Your Majesty," Rhodey said with a smile of his own. "Tony and I will reach out again in the next few days to talk about new dates."
"Fantastic," T'Challa said, "and, Stark, tell your son the King of Wakanda said to get well soon."
Tony couldn't help but feel a swell of happiness in his chest hearing T'Challa refer to Peter as his son. He was tempted to correct him, but at the same time, hearing it felt good. He did refer to Peter as his kid from time to time, but hearing him being referred to as his son felt different. It felt amazing. He smiled. "I will, thank you," he said. "I know he will appreciate that."
With that said, the three men said their goodbyes and hung up.
"He took that better than I thought he would," Tony said after a moment.
"He's got a mom and a sister, Tony," Rhodey said. "He gets it, and we're going to him. He's not coming to us."
"True," Tony said. He paused for a brief moment after remembering what the King said. Then he smiled. "He called Peter my son."
Rhodey smiled. "I heard," he said, "and you didn't correct him."
Tony shook his head. "It…it felt good hearing it," he said.
Rhodey's smile widened knowingly. "Well, maybe worry about it after your kid is feeling better," he simply said.
Tony chuckled. "Yep, now, I get the whole weekend to make sure he does," he said. "FRI, give me an update on Peter's temperature."
"Yes, boss," FRIDAY replied. "According to my scans, Peter's temperature is at 101 degrees Fahrenheit. He has just taken his Tylenol to bring it down."
"Okay," Tony said nodding, "and what's he doing now?"
"He's currently sleeping, boss," FRIDAY replied as Tony and Rhodey went into the elevator to go back up to the penthouse.
"Oh, good," Tony said, "keep monitoring him and that fever of his, dear. I can give him Cho's medication when he wakes up." He looked to his best friend. "I know our trip is cancelled, but are you free to stick around for dinner with us? Pep and Happy should be home soon."
"Yeah, sure," Rhodey said with a smile, "I got nowhere else to be."
After coming back to the penthouse, Tony and Rhodey checked on Peter, who was indeed sound asleep in his bed, so the two veteran superheroes decided to let him rest and to hang out in the living room. Tony told FRIDAY to inform them once Peter woke up again. A couple hours had passed before Pepper and Happy finally arrived with a couple of groceries.
"Hey, Pep, you're back," Tony said as he cooked soup for Peter at the stove.
"Yeah, and we got some ice cream for our patient," Pepper said as she took the food out of the bags and placed them in the fridge. "How's he feeling?"
"Still has a fever and a sore throat," Tony replied as he turned the stove off and poured the lukewarm soup into the bowl. "He's been sleeping, and FRIDAY just told me he woke up not too long ago. I was just going to see if he wanted to eat with us or in bed."
"Oh good, I ordered pizza for us," Pepper replied, "so it should be here any minute now."
The two of them completely missed the looks Rhodey and Happy shared with one another watching Tony and Pepper act like a well-oiled machine when it came to taking care of Peter. They both loved the sight of their best friends clearly so happy with their new little family.
"Well then, shall we go see our beloved kid?" Tony asked.
"Yes, I need to see him," she said. "You've been doting on him for a good part of the day, and now, it's time for me to get in on that."
"Yes, ma'am," Tony simply replied.
"Happy, Rhodey," Pepper began turning to their friends, "would you mind setting the table for us?"
"You got it, Pep," Rhodey said as he and Happy got to work.
While Rhodey and Happy set the table, Tony and Pepper went to Peter's room to check on him, and Tony knocked on the door asking Peter if he and Pepper could come in. As soon as he gave the okay, the billionaire opened the door, and they found Peter on his phone while laying down in bed.
"Hey, guys," Peter tried to say despite the pain in his throat.
"Hey, buddy," Tony said as he and Pepper walked in.
"Hey, sweetie," Pepper added walking over and sitting down on the edge of Peter's bed, "how are you feeling?"
"Still like crud," Peter said shrugging. "I feel like my body is on fire."
Pepper wasted no time in placing her lips on Peter's forehead to feel the heat from his fever. "You still feel warm," she said pulling away.
"FRIDAY, what's Peter's temperature?" Tony asked.
"Peter's temperature is currently still at 101 degrees Fahrenheit," she replied. "May I also remind you that Peter is due for his next dose of Tylenol and his medication from Dr. Cho?"
"Thank you, dear, noted," Tony replied. He then turned to Peter. "So, kid, what do you think about food right now? I made some soup for you, and Rhodey and Happy are outside in the kitchen. You up to eating with us?"
Peter smiled weakly. "Yeah, I would really like that," he said, "eating with you guys."
Tony smiled. "Good," he said. "Now, come on, buddy, let's go eat. The sooner you eat, the sooner we give you more medicine and get you back to bed."
After a nice and quiet dinner with Happy and Rhodey, once Peter took his medicine, they all decided to sit on the couch and watch some TV for a couple hours. Once it started getting late, Rhodey and Happy decided to take their leave for the night to allow Peter to get some rest. They wished Peter to get well soon before saying their goodbyes before Tony walked them to the elevator leaving Pepper and Peter alone on the couch.
"You up for some ice cream to soothe your throat, sweetie?" Pepper asked Peter once Rhodey and Happy left.
"Yeah, Pep just got some today," Tony added as he walked back over to his fiancée and their kid. "She got your favorite."
"You know, yeah," Peter replied after a moment, "that does sound good. Okay, I'll have some."
"Coming right up," Tony said before going into the kitchen leaving Pepper and Peter alone on the couch again.
"I'm sorry you had to miss your trip," Pepper said running a hand though his brown hair.
"Thanks, Pep," Peter said with a smile, "but I'm sorry Tony and Rhodey cancelled because of me."
"Sweetie, there's no reason for you to be sorry," Pepper said. "Tony and Rhodey are big boys, and they refused to go without you, especially Tony. He hated the idea of leaving you home."
"Yeah? He told you that?" Peter asked.
"He didn't have to," Pepper replied. "I know him too well."
Peter smiled sneaking a glance at Tony in the kitchen before turning back to Pepper. "To be honest," he began, "I'm really glad you both are home with me. It would've sucked if he decided to go. I mean not that I don't love you, Pep, I do, but…I love having both of you. Whenever I got sick as a kid, I always loved hearing both May and Ben around, you know?"
"Hey, don't worry about it," Pepper said. "I love that we're both here for you, too, and I know Tony does too. Now, we can spend the whole weekend together."
Peter's smile widened, and he was about to answer when…
"Okay, I got some ice cream for the sick boy," Tony said as he came back over with not one…but three bowls of ice cream, "and for my lovely fiancée…and…me."
After eating some ice cream, Peter started feeling tired, so they all took this as a cue to go to bed. Once they made sure he took his medicine, Tony and Pepper brought him to his room and tucked him in after he brushed his teeth.
"Okay, now if you need anything during the night," Tony said as he and Pepper put Peter's blanket over him, "you tell FRIDAY, okay? She'll wake us up. I also made sure that she's monitoring your fever, so if it spikes, she'll tell us."
"I got you some Gatorade, too," Pepper said nodding to the glass on Peter's night table. "Make sure you keep drinking, okay? Dr. Cho said you got to keep hydrated."
"Okay," Peter said nodding tiredly, "thanks, guys, for taking care of me. I love you guys…very much."
Tony and Pepper both smiled at their kid.
"You don't have to thank us, kid," Tony said. "We love you, too."
"So…so much," Pepper added. "Just focus on getting better now and get some sleep, okay?"
"Okay," Peter said as his eyes closed.
"Night, buddy," Tony said kissing Peter on the forehead.
"Good night, sweetheart," Pepper added kissing him the forehead as well.
"Night, Mom…" Peter said sleepily. "Night, Dad…" He was then sound asleep within seconds…not realizing what he just said.
Tony felt his heart drop as he looked at Pepper with widened eyes only to see that she herself had the same look on her face. Did he really just say that? Did Peter just call them Mom and Dad? He wasn't sure what to say or do for that matter.
Thankfully, Pepper snapped out of her shock faster and quickly shushed Tony gesturing for them to leave the room to let Peter get some much-needed sleep. Tony quickly agreed, and once he was sure that Peter was indeed sound alive, he led Pepper out of Peter's bedroom and into their room.
"Did he say what I think he said?" Tony asked quickly as he shut the door.
"I—I—he—he did," Pepper said with a huge smile on her face. "He said that, Tony."
"He actually said that? I wasn't hearing things? He…he actually called us…Mom and Dad?"
Pepper nodded with tears in her eyes and a huge smile on her face. "He did," she said.
Tony exhaled shakily as he quickly gathered Pepper into his arms hugging her tightly. "Oh my god," he said with tears of his own, "oh my god, Pep, he called us Mom and Dad. He really called us Mom and Dad."
"He did," Pepper replied. "He really did."
Tony felt like he was on Cloud 9. Their kid referred to them as Mom and Dad. Peter called him "Dad" and Pepper "Mom." His heart swelled even more with happiness. He couldn't stop smiling as he hugged his fiancée tightly. It had never occurred to him that Peter would eventually call them that. He was perfectly fine with Peter finally calling him "Tony" and her "Pepper." He never considered the possibility of "Mom" or "Dad," and perhaps, that was a good thing because when Peter said it, it felt so right…like it was meant to be. Peter was his son…their son, and they were essentially his parents. Rhodey was right. They were much more than his guardians at this point. However, he quickly realized one important detail…Peter was feverish and sleepy.
"Wait, wait," Tony said suddenly pulling away, "he-he…do you think he realized what he said? I mean…he's got a fever, he's not feeling well, and he was really tired and went right to sleep."
Pepper's eyes widened as she herself realized that Tony was right. Peter had a fever and was tired, so…he probably didn't know what he just said. "I-I-I don't know," she said. "I-I mean…y-you're right. He…he…maybe he didn't know he said it. He went right to sleep."
Tony cringed. "Uh-oh…" he said simply. "Well, w-what…what do we do? I mean…should we say something to him?"
"No, no, absolutely not," Pepper said quickly.
"Why not?" Tony asked. "I heard it. You heard it. FRIDAY heard it."
"Because, Tony, if we do, it could make him feel embarrassed," Pepper said. "He might overthink what he calls us or think that he's in trouble for saying it or that we're forcing him to call us that when he's not ready to. We have to wait for him to talk about it if and when he feels ready."
Tony sighed knowing that Pepper was in fact right. If they were to talk to Peter about this, especially when he didn't realize it, then he might not take it well. He might think that he was in trouble and that they didn't want him to call them that. He could also shut down and be careful…very careful as to what he called them and overthink everything he said to them ruining all the progress they've made over the past year and the past 5 months since May died, or he could see it as them forcing him to call them Mom and Dad when he wasn't ready. He had just lost May 5 months ago. Calling his new guardians Mom and Dad was probably the last thing he was thinking about now. "Okay, you're right," Tony said. "We should wait for him to talk about it…when he's ready."
"Exactly," Pepper said with a small smile, "I know you're excited. I am, too, but I think this is something we need to take slow…wait for him to come to us about it."
"Do you think he will?" Tony asked.
"Eventually, yeah," Pepper said. "It's obviously on his mind, or he wouldn't have said it. We just need to be patient and take our time…just like with adoption."
Tony nodded. "You know…before the school called me today," he began, "Rhodey asked me if we gave adoption any more thought, but I didn't have a chance to answer him."
"What were you going to say?" Pepper asked.
"I-I don't know," Tony said, "but…the more I think about it…Peter's more than our ward…you know? He's practically our kid…our son, and I think we're more than his guardians, you know?"
"I know," Pepper said with a smile, "but let's not rush into anything, okay? Let's continue with what we've been doing, focus on getting Peter better right now, and go from there."
"Okay," Tony said, "but we can still be happy he called us Mom and Dad, right?"
"Yes," Pepper said smiling and laughing before they hugged each other again.
Author's Note: Annnnnnnnnnnd that's all for now, boys and girls! WHOA! That was a lot! Peter called Tony and Pepper Mom and Dad! YAY! BUT…he was sleepy and has a fever, so who knows if he knows what he said? Well, we'll just have to find out in CHAPTER 30! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Don't forget to leave a review! Thanks, guys!
