Tony had finished going through the results of the analysis and had returned to the living area about an hour ago.
He decided it was probably a good time to go through those papers for the next Board Meeting. Pepper had asked him to do it long ago and he didn't want to have to deal with an angry fiancée.
Ever since he'd handed the reins over to Pepper, the number of meetings he had to sit in had reduced significantly. But that didn't mean he enjoyed the ones he attended.
Tony raised an eyebrow when he heard soft footsteps coming his way. His lips automatically curved into a smile, eyes crinkling fondly when he saw the kid walking towards him, one small fist rubbing his eyes.
"Nice nap?"
Peter nodded, lazily leaning over the arm of Tony's sofa and peering at the files. "Whatcha doing?"
"Boring stuff. Definitely not som— what are you trying to do, kid?"
The boy in question was trying to climb up the arm of Tony's sofa. Trying.
"Wanna sit." Finally successful, Peter sat his butt down on the armrest and swung his legs around so that his feet were resting in Tony's lap.
"Comfy?" Tony regraded Peter, considerably amused by the Spiderboy's antics.
"Yup."
Rolling his eyes, the billionaire rubbed his knuckles gently on the kid's head. "So aren't you gonna ask me?"
"Ask you what?" Peter's eyebrows pinched together in confusion.
"About the analysis, hotshot."
Realisation flashed across his face and only then did Peter seem to recall that he wasn't really a six year old. The previous day's events came back to him and his ears turned pink with embarrassment.
"Oh yeah, I sorta forgot," Peter replied, one hand awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck.
"So good news is, the antidote is pretty easy to nail. Bad news is it's a slow process so it's gonna take at least a week."
Peter shrugged. "A week isn't so bad."
"Great. By the way, Aunt Hottie had called while you were in dreamland."
"Oh. Was she worried?" Peter's voice came out small and hesitant and Tony didn't blame the kid.
"She was, but I told her to enjoy her vacation and that I'd make sure her boy behaves himself. I have her full permission to string you upside down by your ankles if you get into anymore trouble."
"You won't do that, Mr. Stark."
"And why's that?"
"Because I love you and you love me."
It was like the air had been sucked out of the room. One small sentence wasn't supposed to turn him into a mushy puddle. But it did. Tony had always known that he loved the kid.
But to hear this sixteen-turned-six year old say it like it was the absolute, unshakeable truth... that certainly stirred something in his heart.
"You're right, Petey-Pie, I do."
They sat in comfortable silence after that. Tony handed Peter a Starkpad and the boy engaged himself while Tony went back to work.
A while later, the genius' finger accidentally brushed against the sole of Peter's foot which was still comfortably resting in Tony's lap.
A small giggle erupted from the small figure next to him.
Instantly, Tony's lips curved into a wicked grin and he looked at the Spiderling who was staring back at him with those doe eyes.
This time, he deliberately ran a finger across the small foot and giggles erupted once more from Peter Parker.
"All these months and I can't believe you kept such an important piece of information from me, Underoos. I'm hurt. Where else are you ticklish?"
Peter's eyes widened to the eyes of saucers and he wrapped his arms around protectively around his stomach. "Mr. Stark... you wouldn't."
"Oh but I most certainly would. Since I'm feeling kinda magnanimous today, I'll let you have a five second headstart before I attack. Five..."
"Mr. Stark..."
"... four. Better run while you can, Spiderboy."
Within a second, Peter hopped off the sofa and bolted away, still laughing.
Feeling younger than he had in years, Tony got up and chased after the kid.
While Tony may have not been able to catch Teenage Peter because of the whole superpower shtick, Little Peter was much easier to get a hold of, simply for the fact that his legs were a lot shorter.
Within seconds he closed in on the laughing Spiderling and scooped him up. Peter shrieked delightedly, the sound sending jolts of happiness through Tony's chest.
"Mr. S'ark... come on... not fair!"
The words contradicted the laughter in the boy's voice.
Tiny settled Peter on his hip and poked the kid in the stomach, eliciting another shriek from him. "Unfortunately for you, Pete, I call the shots on what's fair and not."
"You're mean."
"I'm absolutely evil, Underoos."
Tony's phone rang and he pulled it out of his pocket, figuring it was probably May calling again.
He frowned when he saw the Caller ID. "I've gotta take this, kiddo." He set Peter down (regretfully) and ruffled the kid's hair.
"FRI, keep an eye on him will you? This should take half an hour tops. Try not to set the place on fire, kid."
Tony let out a strangled gasp as the shield came crashing down into him.
Once... twice... thrice
Icy blue eyes bore into his own and in that moment, all Tony felt was betrayed. As he lay in a broken suit, in agony and freezing to death, the only emotion that courses through him was an overwhelming sense of betrayal.
Tired, he closed his eyes and waited. For what, he wasn't sure.
He felt a hand on his cheek, patting him gently. He could hear someone calling him. He knew that voice.
"—ark? Can you... bad dream... Friday lights... Mr. Stark?"
The voice sounded young, so very young and far too worried. The hand was tapping his cheek again.
"Please, sir, can you try and open your eyes?" The kid sounded quite distressed.
Summoning every bit of strength, Tony tried to wrench his eyes open. When he succeeded, a face came into view.
That wild mop of unruly curls, chocolate eyes that had widened with worry. Peter.
He wasn't in Siberia. He was back in his own room with his scaled down Spiderkid hovering over him.
Groaning, Tony sat up. "Pete? What are you... what are you doing here?" His voice sounded raw to his own ears. He instinctively ran a hand through the kid's hair to soften the sting from the harshness of his tone.
"Couldn't sleep."
Tony tried not to let the guilt nag him. He should be the one checking in on the kid, not the other way round.
He rubbed a hand down his face and cleared his throat. "I'm fine, kid. I swear." The words sounded weak to his own ears.
Judging by the disbelieving expression on Peter's face, the kid seemed to agree.
"I'll be fine," he amended. "Why don't you get back to bed? It's insanely late for Spiderbabies."
Peter nodded but didn't move from his spot.
Tony noticed the kid's hesitation, his hardly subtle glances towards the bed, the small fist which was still firmly curled in Tony's sweatshirt.
"What's the matter 'roos?"
The kid bit his lip. "Don't want you to be alone."
Gosh, Peter was gonna kill him from all the adorable that he brought with him. He didn't deserve this kid.
Tony gave the boy's cheek a gentle pinch and gestured to the space next to him. "Alright kid, you win. Get in here."
The relief that flashed on Peter's face assured Tony he'd made the right decision.
The child dived under the covers and shifted around a bit until he had pressed himself against Tony's side.
"Hey, what gave you the right to use me as your life sized teddy bear?" Tony teased, even as his arm came to rest around the kid's shoulders, drawing him closer.
"You were the one who said that I was one of the two people with the clearance level to do this. 'M just 'njoying the pri'lege," Peter mumbled, lazily draping his arm and leg over the man's middle. "Besides, you're kinda fluffy, Missr' S'ark." Half of his words were drowned in the enormous yawn he let out.
"Fluffy? Peter Benjamin Parker, are you calling me fat?" He glared at the kid in mock outrage. "I'll have you know, I've destroyed many for less. I'm Tony Stark: billionaire, genius, ex-playboy and superhero extraordinaire. My enemies tremble at the mere sound of my name." His words would've had better effect if he hadn't been playing with the kid's hair throughout his little monologue.
"More like cuddler ex'ornaire." Peter let out a content hum and buried his nose deeper into Tony's chest. "S nice."
"What is?"
Peter threw a hand up to bat at Tony's fingers which were still combing through his hair. "Uncle Ben used to do this whenever he hugged me. Then May started doing it too. You do it all the time too. I just sorta miss him sometimes: Ben, y'know?"
Tony looked down at the kid in surprise. Peter hardly ever mentioned Ben Parker. All the genius knew about him was that he'd been a good man, one who Peter had respected and loved a great deal.
"I get it, Pete."
"Aunt May had been sad too. She's cried a lot y'know, when he went away. Promised Ben I'd take care of her. I tried not to cry, cause I had to be strong, but ended up crying anyway."
As Peter rambled on softly, Tony marvelled at the wonder that was Peter Parker. To have gone through so much and still be able to smile bright enough to light up the whole room... this kid was a real gem.
"I bet you did great, kid," Tony whispered, meaning every word of it.
Peter fell silent after that and Tony was nearly certain that he had nodded off when he spoke up again.
"What was your bad dream about? Did you get hurt? S'alright, Mr. Stark, you can—" yawn "—tell me."
Tony absently pressed a kiss to the top of Peter's head and brushed his curls before replying.
"I did get hurt, quite a lot, but it doesn't as much anymore,"
And that was the truth. Unlike before, the pain from everything that had gone down that night didn't consume him anymore. Sure, he wasn't over it, but he wasn't overwhelmed by it either.
The answer seemed good enough for Peter who hummed contently. "That's good."
"Hey, Mr. Stark?"
"Hmm?"
"Can I play with DUM-E tomorrow?"
"Nuh-uh, absolutely not. Only one little troublemaker in the lab at a time. You can see him once the teenage you is back. I can at least trust that guy around the chemicals and tech that's down there."
"But I wanna play with him. Please, please, please? I'll be good, I promise and DUM-E will be good too. FRIDAY can keep an eye on us."
Tony regraded the kid who was currently wielding his most powerful puppy eyes. He was certain he'd feel like crap if he denied the kid now.
"You got yourself a deal, kid."
Peter had Tony Stark wrapped around his finger and the kid didn't even know it.
"Now go to sleep or the deal's off."
Peter's answering giggle was the only response Tony received.