A/N: Possible spoilers for anything MCU. If anyone has a request for anything Tony and Peter, hit me up.
Sunny
MCU
Tony and Peter
Truth or Dare
The Iron Man suit's facemask retracted, revealing the sweat and dirt smudged face of an exhausted Tony Stark. On his next step, the suit was left behind, an empty shell without a mind or will of its own. At the moment, Tony wished he couldn't feel emotion or physical pain, as both were assaulting his not-as-young-as-it-used-to-be body, unrelenting and inevitable. At least until he had a moment to hit the showers and maybe down a few fingers of his favorite single malt analgesic.
Bruce and the medical team quick-stepped alongside the gurney carrying Peter still in his Spider-Man suit with the mask laying on his stomach and one arm out. An IV went into the back of Peter's hand, the life signs monitor beeping a steady rhythm from its place between his blanket covered lower body. Blood trickled from a headwound and dark bruises stood out against his fair skin.
Tony rubbed the sweat out of both eyes, letting out a long sigh that ended on a groan.
"What's the damages, Tony?" Bruce asked even as he downloaded the information from the monitor. "Just the high points."
"You're the doctor, doctor." At Bruce's pointed stare, Tony relented, attempting an offhand tone. "Oh, the usual. Fighting, missiles, bombs, explosions, bad guys. Wrong place, wrong time for a sixteen-year-old. He, uh, took fairly big blast protecting a group of civilians."
One side of Bruce's mouth turned up in an ironic smile. "Boy's got guts to spare." They reached the Medbay as Peter was being placed on one of the new biobeds that would monitor him twenty-four hours, seven days a week, and alert the medical team if there were any changes.
After putting on a mask, scrubbing up, and putting on gloves, Bruce followed the computer's assessment with a hands on one of his own. He lifted one of Peter's eyelids, flicked the beam of a small flashlight in his eye several times then did the other. The flashlight clicked off and was stuck in its accustomed place in his breast pocket. "We'll do a full work-up and let you know, Tony. Did anyone call his aunt?"
"Yeah. She, uh, I sent a car after her."
Bruce gestured and another doctor came forward to lead Tony away, and he surrendered without the usual long, involved list of logical reasons why he didn't need medical treatment.
Sometime Later
Much to Tony's consternation, Bruce and his medical Nazis had diagnosed him with a concussion too, not to mention the bumps, bruises, contusions, and one broken bone: the little toe on his right foot. Hence, he found himself confined to the Medbay next to his protégé. Peter had been given pain meds and a sedative to help him sleep. Peter's tolerance was so high, all it did was make him loopy… and talkative. The boy would not shut up.
Tony begged Bruce to up the dosage, if not for Peter, then for himself so he wouldn't have to listen to the constant stream of words, most of which made no sense. And then there was the singing.
The nurse checked Peter's vitals and IV, made notes, then did the same for Tony. And just for a few minutes, there was blessed silence. But it didn't last long.
Eyes seemingly focused on a point somewhere between the end of his nose and Asgard, Peter grinned dreamily. A long sigh ended on a contented groan. "I love sleepovers, don't you, Mr. Stark?"
Holding in a huff, Tony reminded him yet again, "This isn't a sleepover, Peter. You're in the Medbay."
The boy lifted his head to look around the room, patting the IV pole. "But we got special drinks 'n snacks." He picked up the unopened cup of Jell-o and shook it.
"That's an IV and Jell-o. You were badly injured, internal bleeding, concussion, the works."
"Innit where the blood s'pposed to be, dawg? Inshide?" Peter giggled and raised the head of his bed. "Since we're havin' a shleepover, lesh play a game." He winked broadly. "Troof or dare."
Intrigued, Tony didn't dismiss the idea out of hand. To make matters even more annoying, Bruce and Happy chose that moment to visit.
Still waiting for an answer, Peter's eye lit up expectantly.
Bruce, seeing where this was going, shook his head. "Tony, no," he warned.
"Tony, yes," was the slurred response from Peter.
Stepping between them to break Peter's line of sight, he gave Tony a sharp stare and a head shake.
Smirking, Tony firmly replied, "Okay, Spider-boy. Dare.
Peter leaned to the side, pointing and winking at him, "Lesh make it a double dare. Not juss a double dare. I double dog dare ya."
Eyes wide and more than a little frustrated that his advice was being ignored, Bruce issued another warning, "To-ny…"
Shrugging helplessly, he added his patented smirk. "You heard the man. He double dog dared me. If the owner of Stark Industries were to crap out on a double dog dare, the news agencies would have a field day."
Going back to stand with Happy, one hand rubbing down his face, Bruce muttered, "It's Ultron all over again and we're all stuck in another Stark loop."
Looking at the Jell-o as if he'd never seen it before, Peter mumbled, one finger in the air, "Dare numero uno, I dare ya to tell us when did you fall in loooove with Ms. Potts?" Two more fingers joined the first. "Numero two, I dare ya to tell us when did you realize you was in lo-hic-ove with Ms. Pottssss?"
~~O~~
Watching Tony closely because, dammit, he really wanted to hear the answer, Bruce waited for his friend's response.
"Truth. I Meant truth."
"Um," Bruce interrupted, "wouldn't the answers be the same?"
Apparently, the question was more than Peter's addled brain could grasp and he stared at Tony in confusion.
Happy, his expression living up to his nickname, moved a step closer. "Can't change once you've chosen. It's the rules, Boss. And I got a twenty riding on this."
Tony rubbed his forehead, his gaze roving over the room, stopping on Pepper who had just joined them. She crossed her arms, all weight on one foot. "Yes, Tony. Do enlighten us."
From the corner of Bruce's eye, he saw Happy anxiously waiting.
Their patience was rewarded when Tony finally gave in. "Okay, fine. When? Her second day working for me. Realized? While fighting the Hammer-bots."
"Yes!" Happy shouted, doing a fist pump. He held out the other hand to Bruce, gloating. "Did I call it or what, Dr. B.?"
Turning to check out Pepper's response to the revelation, both men saw she was now sitting on the side of Tony's bed, the couple engaged in a passionate kiss.
Tony came up for air, muttered, "Pay the man, Banner," and went in for another kiss.
Bruce reluctantly laid a bill in Happy's palm. A loud snore interrupted the group. Peter had finally fallen asleep. He herded Pepper and Happy to the door, stopping to watch Tony, who was watching Peter. Just for a moment, there was a look of sadness and regret in his eyes. Then, it was gone, and Tony laid back, pulled the covers up to his chest, closed his eyes, and sighed.
End
