They had a good time.

Tony hadn't played in a while, but he had been formally trained by his mother, who had been a perfectionist in everything that she did. He could read music, easily, and there were a few songs included with the instrument. Once the rust had been shaken off, he was good, and his fingers flew across the keys, the notes coming to mind as if he were back in his youth sitting beside her.

Peter was littler, of course, and had only been playing a few years. He'd learned before his parents had died, and when he'd moved in with May, the lessons had stopped. Obviously when he'd been placed into foster care they hadn't been started up – although Eric had promised that if there was time he'd see about making it happen, again.

He had a good ear, though, and as Tony played something, the little boy would repeat it. Or, even better, would play around the tune the billionaire was playing. They both enjoyed the time – it was a reminder of their mothers, and a time when each had a simpler life. It was also a good chance for them to bond over something that wasn't superhero related.

"You're pretty good at that," Tony told the boy when he finally called a halt.

His fingers were sore.

Peter blushed with pleasure.

"You are, too. It was fun."

"Yeah, it was," Stark agreed. He was surprised when he looked at the clock and realized how late it was. "We should probably get you to bed. Especially if we have to make sure you're up and ready to go by eight o'clock."

"I'm not sleepy," Peter told him.

"No?"

The boy smiled and shook his head.

"No."

Tony got to his feet and pulled Peter up into his arms.

"JARVIS? Do we have any knockout gas?"

"We are out."

"How about a big rock?"

Peter giggled, holding Tony as the billionaire carried him into his bedroom.

"You can't use a rock," he chided. "Pepper and Natasha wouldn't like that."

"How about we settle you in bed and I read to you?"

"I know how to read…"

"But it's a dad thing," Tony pointed it out. "And I've never had a reason to do it, before. Now I do. Please?"

Peter nodded.

"Okay."

Tony put him into his bed, covering him up, warmly, and then went to the bookshelf.

"Harry Potter?"

"No."

"Lord of the Rings?"

"No."

"Advanced calculous?"

"As a bedtime story?"

Stark shrugged, looking back at the shelf.

"How about Charlotte's Web?"

"What's it about?"

"A pig and a spider."

"You read it?"

"That's what's on the cover."

"Oh." The boy shrugged. "Okay."

Tony carried the book over to the bed and sidled up beside the boy. He felt warm and gooey inside when Peter shifted so that he could put his head on Tony's stomach. That way he could look at the book, but still be comfortable – and close.

"Ready?"

"Yeah."

"Comfy?"

Peter nodded, and surprised himself by yawning.

"Yeah." He looked up at the man, though. "Tony?"

"Yeah, buddy?"

"You told Natasha I was your son, now."

"Because you are."

"But not really."

"In every way that matters."

"Really?"

"Yep." He put an arm around Peter – the one that didn't have the book in that hand – and hugged him close. "It'll take some getting used to, I know. For both of us. But I'm going to treat you like you're my son, and eventually, maybe you'll believe it."

"And I can treat you like you're my dad?"

"Yeah. Of course. I mean, you can't start being rebellious, though. You have to give me at least a few years before you start getting angsty and obnoxious."

Peter smiled at that.

"I'm not going to do that."

"We'll see. JARVIS? Save a recording of what Peter just said to archival files. Label it appropriately, and then remind me it's there when Peter turns thirteen."

"Noted."

The boy giggled, and then sighed.

"I'm glad you're going to be my dad."

"Not going to be," Tony corrected him. "Am your dad. Are your dad. Is?" He scowled. "I am your father…"

Peter was movie nerd enough to catch the reference.

"Nooooooo!"

Tony chuckled at that, and hugged him.

"Now that we have that settled, pipe down, close your eyes and listen to me read to you."

"Okay."

Stark licked his finger and opened the book to the first page. Then he stuck that wet finger in Peter's ear, making the boy squirm. Grinning, he used the Ironman pajamas to dry him, and set to reading.

Peter made it through the first chapter and a half before the day caught up to him and he fell asleep. Tony didn't notice, immediately, and then, when he did, he continued to read a little more – just to make sure. He carefully set the book on the stand next to the boy's bed and pulled away, situating him and then covering him, warmly.

He leaned over, brushed a kiss against Peter's forehead and then left, closing the door behind him.

"Let me know if he wakes up, JARVIS."

"Yes, sir."

Tony went into the kitchen and poured himself a cup of coffee and then turned on his tablet.

There was always research to do, and he wasn't ready to sleep, yet.

"JARVIS. Bring up all the footage we have of Peter's skills, will you? The weird skills," he added. Peter had a lot of skills, after all. "Sticking to the walls and the strength thing."

He hadn't forgotten the boy's abilities, but they had been put on the back burner in favor of the holidays, the Santa thing and – even better – the adoption thing. Now, though, he wanted to go over those talents, again, at his leisure. Just to see if he and his AI could figure out a way to help Peter learn to use them.

The strength thing wasn't complicated, but the sticking to everything definitely was.

As he watched the videos, over and over, though, the only thing he could think of to figure that out was to experiment. Not on Peter, he told himself. But with him. Maybe help him learn how to unstick himself. He wondered it was mental, or if it was something that the boy wouldn't be able to control. Did it work through a lot of layers? He'd had shoes on and stuck to the wall, but maybe it had all been his hands, using his strength to hold him up,

"JARVIS? Extrapolate all data you have observing Peter – in his daily life as well as when the odd things have happened. See if you can see any comparisons to any particular insect. If we can figure out what bit him, maybe we'll get a better idea of what we can expect as he gets older."

"Very good, sir."