Peter was lost, he had no idea what to get his dad for his birthday. It was only two weeks away now and he had no idea where to start, what do you even get a man that could buy anything he wanted? He hadn't got him anything last year, sure they had been kinda close at the time but it hadn't really occurred to him to get the man anything. But this year he had to get something, he had no clue what though he had never bought a present for a dad before. His biological dad had died when he was young, he had barely been old enough to understand the significance of birthdays and even if there had been a gift with his name on it it was likely something his mom had bought and written 'from Peter' on. Then with Ben he had tended to make the man gifts with Aunt May, when he was younger it was often a drawing or something, money was tight so May would not buy something for him to give his uncle she said it wasn't necessary, so they just made his gift. By the time he was ten he was fairly good with electronics and gifts for Ben was where his love for dumpster diving came from but he couldn't get his dad something he picked up from a dumpster. Tony had the supplies to create any kind of gadget and owned any sort of technology that he could ever want or need so what would be the point?

He had asked his Uncles but they both said Tony would be happy no matter what he got him and he wasn't really expected to get him a gift anyway. The thing was he wanted to get his dad a gift, he wanted to do something for him but he just had no idea what. Peter sighed out loud as he continued to dwell on what to get his dad. After several more minutes he was drawn from his contemplation by a sharp elbow to the ribs. "Owww dude what the hell?" he yelped as he turned to look at Ned.

"I've asked you three times if you want to come over later to help with the new millennium falcon model, what is with you today?"

"Oh yeah sorry, sure sounds good I'll just text uncle Happy not to bother coming to pick me up."

"So….what were you thinking about?"

"Oh…well…it's just it's dads birthday in two weeks and I have no idea what to get him, what do you get a billionaire?"

Ned just shrugged and Peter sighed again, this was useless.

"Hey losers, can't help but hear you whining there."

Peter rolled his eyes good naturedly at MJ's interruption, he was sure she could have helped listening in but whatever, MJ was MJ after all. "Do you have any ideas oh wise one?" he asked the girl sarcastically.

"Well he isn't just a billionaire, is he? He's your dad, think about what to get a dad not what to get a billionaire. Sure, he could buy whatever he wanted but think of something he might like but won't have thought of. Dad's like any gift from their kids. Plus, he's a first-time dad he has nothing to compare your gift to, you could buy a mug and he'd be thrilled."

Peter nodded at her words deep in thought. She was right he supposed Tony was a first-time dad, what would someone buy a dad just after they became a parent? Something of their child, a baby book? Was that self-centred? Anyway, he was fairly sure May had got his dad something along those lines, a few weeks ago he had gone to the storage facility everything from the apartment in Queens had been moved to and found a small wrapped box with Tony's name on it which he assumed was for the man's birthday. He wasn't positive it was something to do with him but May had loved sentimental gifts and embarrassing him so it was highly likely. Maybe he could get his dad something they could do together? Sure, they worked in the lab together and watched movies together but how about a gift they could use if they were to just hang out together? Peter filed that thought away as the bell rang for afternoon classes, maybe he was onto something.

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The next day when Peter left school he practically ran to his Uncle's car. "Hey Uncle Happy, can we go to the toy store on the way home please? The one dad took me to when I was three?"

Happy simply blinked a few times as he digested what his nephew was asking, "you know they don't sell Lego there or at least not the difficult ones that you like to build kiddo, you sure you want to go there?"

"Yep, definitely. I need to pick something up, it's for Dad's birthday."

Happy just nodded resigned to spending the next hour or so in a children's toy store. He had known Tony for years now, he supposed making bizarre requests was just part of being a Stark.

When they pulled up the store Peter ran inside and headed straight to the Avengers section but stopped when he couldn't see what he was looking for. He could see plenty of Iron Man figures the same as the one his dad had bought him when he was a toddler and indeed he still had in his bedroom, but he couldn't see what he was looking for exactly.

"Excuse me?" He said as a staff member passed him by, "I'm looking for a remote-control Iron Man, do you have those?" At the man's nod he grinned but it quickly slid off his face when he was led towards robot Iron Man that you could make walk around but that was all, it was just the same as any other robot but had the appearance of his dads suit. "Ummm I was looking more for one that could fly? Do you have those?"

"No one has those kid, sorry, only these or we have a whole section of remote controlled cars and airplanes if you want one of those?"

"It's okay, thanks for the help." Peter sighed looked like that idea was out the window…or maybe not. Surely if he could manage to create a record player for Ben's old music out of things from the trash he could make a remote-control flying Iron Man in the lab. He could totally do that. Going back over he grabbed three of the Iron Man robots he had been shown before heading towards the section with the cars and airplanes where he helped himself to three planes and three helicopters. He had never owned anything remote control himself and surely the best way to see how they worked would be to buy some try them out himself and take them apart. Sure, he could do that with only one of each but what if he destroyed one by accident or something? Better safe than sorry, plus he never really spent what he earned while interning so it wasn't as if he was short on money. "Research" was all he told his Uncle when he was given a confused look earning himself an eye roll and the man muttering something about Stark men.

As soon as he was home he jumped out of the car and headed to the Intern engineering lab where he left his purchases before he ran upstairs to do his homework. His mom and dad were adamant homework always came first before lab time or Spiderman so he dropped himself down at the table and got started, the sooner he finished the sooner he could get started on his dad's present.

Pepper blinked when she walked into the kitchen to see her son working diligently. Sure the boy knew he had to do his homework before he could go to the labs or go out as Spiderman but he tended to watch some TV when he first came in, seeing him working was a surprise, especially as she knew he had only been back ten minutes or so, she had received an update from FRIDAY as soon as he came home with Happy. "You feeling okay there Peter, how come you are doing your homework already?"

"I want to go to the labs I have a project."

"Really, I didn't know that what is it?" She hadn't heard anything of a project, Peter usually told them what he was working on or when he had projects at his internship and she was sure he hadn't mentioned anything recently. At this time of year they didn't tend to give interns projects, college students tended to have exams and coursework, Peter would do soon as well so generally intern hours were cut down at this time, what could he be doing?

"Oh…um…it's a personal project, just an idea"

"Right, do you need any help? I'm sure Tony could come and give you a hand."

"No! No!...it's fine mum, really I want to do it myself, don't tell dad." Peter practically pleaded, eyes wide.

That statement set off warning bells in her head immediately. They didn't do secrets in this house…well not from each other.

At his mom's suddenly stern look Peter swallowed nervously. "It's just a surprise for dad…that all it's a birthday present…it's perfectly safe…well I think it is. I'll make sure I have someone check over my designs before I do anything, I have to do that anyway to use the labs so….please don't tell dad." Peter rambled desperately, he didn't want the surprise to be ruined too soon after all.

"Has this got something to do with you and Happy taking well over an hour to get home from school?" At her sons nod she smiled. "Okay, I won't tell Tony, but you have to get everything double checked, I will be getting FRIDAY to keep me updated." She grinned at her sons nod and ruffled his hair fondly. "Good boy, I'm sure he'll love whatever you make him."

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Tony couldn't help but notice his son had been working in the labs a lot recently and hadn't been out as Spiderman as much as usual. Sure he had been out a few times but in the past ten days only three times, usually he would go out five times a week when he could, it was strange. He tried to ask him if there was a reason but he just got a shrug in response and Peter claiming he had a project. But he knew Peter hadn't been assigned a project so what was he up to?

"What do you think he's doing Pep?"

Pepper rolled her eyes at her husband's question. He had asked the same thing five times in the past few days and it was getting annoying. "I don't know Tony, leave him alone, he said it's a surprise, I'm sure you'll get to see it when he's finished."

"I could help him."

"Leave it, I'm sure if he needed help he would ask, let him have his independence. You gave him this internship, so he could learn and earn his own money, let him. You can't always be there to help him with every little thing." Tony sighed at her words and slumped down on the couch, he supposed she was right, maybe he was being a little overbearing.

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Rhodey blinked when he walked into the intern lab the day before Tony's birthday, sure Peter was sometimes messy but he had never seen the kid's area in that much of a mess. There were wires all over the place and several toy Iron Man figures in states of disarray, it was as if the boy had decided to play operation with them. A couple were missing their heads and one had no arms, the most disconcerting however was the one that appeared to have been cut down the middle and turned partially inside out as well as slightly melted, what on earth was that about?

"Ummm should I be worried kid?"

Peter jumped at his uncle's voice, also the man didn't quite sound like he was joking. "Oh…no sorry, it's just for Dad's present I had an idea but those figures weren't good enough and the robot models were far too heavy" he pointed towards the pile of metal, plastic and wires that were once two Iron Man robots, "so I ended up making my own, I'm nearly finished now. I just need to finish up a little thing and then wrap it up."

Rhodey just nodded at the kid's words, he couldn't see from where he was standing exactly what the kid was working on and he couldn't really hazard a guess either. "What are you building? Do you want some help?"

"No!...no it's okay Uncle Rhodey, I want to do it myself and I want Dad to be the first person to properly see it, it's his present and I think he'll really like it…or at least I hope he does…"

"Pete…you could give him that mangled melted Iron Man over there and he would keep it on his bedside table."

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Tony grumbled when he was shaken awake the following morning. It was the weekend, he had no meetings why was he being woken up?

"Dad, daaaad, dad. Wake up. It's your birthday, come on we made you breakfast."

At the mention of food Tony's eyes shot open and he pushed himself up in bed grinning when he saw his wife and son standing at the foot of the bed with his breakfast on a tray. It wasn't that he had forgotten it was his birthday….he just hadn't really expected anything, sure he got gifts from some of his friends and of course Pep, Rhodey and Happy but he hadn't been expecting breakfast in bed. He pulled the tray towards himself with a grin pecking his wife on the cheek as he did so.

Peter swore his dad was taking ages to eat breakfast deliberately…or maybe he was just impatient. He just wanted to give him his present and at the rate he was going he wouldn't be able to for hours. The second his dad put the final slice of bacon in his mouth Peter grabbed the tray from him and ran to take it back to the kitchen. His mom said he could give him his present once breakfast was finished and everything was put away so he was going to ensure that was done as quickly as possible.

Tony did consider scolding his son for being rude but Pepper rested a calming hand on his shoulder before he could speak. "Leave him, he's just excited to give you your presents, he's been working hard for weeks."

Tony blinked as he registered his wife's words, so that was the mysterious present Peter had been working on in the labs, he hadn't been expecting a gift from the boy at all to be honest, but he didn't think it would matter what it was he knew it would be the best present he had ever received. "Better not keep him waiting then." He said as he climbed out of bed and grabbed his dressing gown before giving Pepper another kiss. "I've got to say breakfast in bed is a slightly different wake up call than you gave me last year for my birthday." He murmured in her ear roguishly, grinning as he saw a blush spread across her cheeks.

Tony left his wife spluttering behind him and made his way to the lounge where there was a small pile of presents on the table waiting for him. "Do you want me to open yours first Pete?" he asked the teen who was perched nervously on the edge of the opposite sofa holding a medium sized box in his hands.

Peter suddenly felt nervous about his gift, he had been so excited just moments before, what if his dad hated it? "Ummm…no it's okay open those first."

Tony just nodded, he could see the boy was uncomfortable so reached for the closest gift and began to open them.

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It took ten minutes for Tony to open the gifts in front of him but to Peter it felt like just seconds. He reached beside him to where the gift from May was, he would leave his own until last, he was sure May's would make the man cry so he wanted his to hopefully cheer him up again. "Ummm…I found this in the storage facility a few weeks ago I think May must have got this before…well….before….but it has your name on it."

Tony reached out for the gift honestly surprised to have received anything from the now deceased woman, he never would have expected it. He smiled softly as Peter put his own gift down on the table and moved to sit beside him, he could feel Pep move in closer on his other side. Peeling back the paper he immediately realised he was holding a book….well not quite, a photo album.

Peter smiled sadly as he saw the album in his dad's hands, it was so May. He was drawn from his musing when he heard his mom coo from his dad's other side, looking at the book he couldn't help but blush as he saw a photo of himself asleep on the couch wrapped up in a blanket lying on top of his dad.

Tony smiled as he looked through the album, there were plenty of photos from all sorts of occasions, there were a couple he was sure had to have come from FRIDAY as they were of himself and Peter in the lab, also there were some from his bachelor weekend and several of May herself with Pepper at the bachelorette weekend. He chuckled softly as he saw the numerous photos he himself had sent May from when Peter was turned into a three-year-old. The book was about half full and he smiled as he saw the note on the first blank page.

Tony

You are the best co-parent I could have asked for and the perfect Dad to our boy. I hope you treasure this album and fill it with more happy memories of this new family.

Love, May Parker

He had to wipe back tears at the note, it was short but it said all that was needed, he loved it, he had never thought he would be a man to use a photo album he had FRIDAY after all but this was amazing and he would always treasure it.

After several moments of silence and reflection Tony placed the book on the coffee table and reached out for the gift from his son.

Peter bit his lip nervously as he Dad began to open his present, he could only hope he didn't hate it.

Tony pulled away the paper to reveal a plain box, "nothing is gonna jump out of this right?" he asked unsure whether or not he was joking.

"No. It's fine, but you don't have to like it, if you don't like it it's okay I get it. It's maybe a bit lame."

Tony opened the box before his son could fall deeper into his self-deprecating pit. Inside were to Iron Man figures slightly bigger than the one he had bought for Peter when he was a child and under those two…controllers? Oh my god! "Peter…this isn't what I think it is is it? You made these yourself?" At the boys nod he grinned widely and pulled one of them out of the box as well as the remote. "Well show me how they work then kid, let's go."

Peter felt like his smile could split his face as he grabbed a control himself and the other figure. "So you just turn them on…they are powered by batteries right now, I was going to charge them up but then you'd have to wait to use them, if batteries die you can just replace them…I thought it was easier." At his dad's nod he continued. "The top bit of the controller is for land mode and this bit for flying, if you use it in land mode you can make him run and use the arms like this….then if you want him to fly you just use these and he lifts up see….and fly mode turns on the thrusters….they don't do anything they just make a light come on in the hands and feet and look cool you can't move the feet when you fly though or he loses balance, so magnets stick the legs together automatically when he flies….yeah and he makes that noise when you use thrusters because….well because that's cool too…"

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When Rhodey and Happy entered the penthouse three hours later they were met with the sight of Tony and Peter both still in their pyjamas on the couch racing Iron Man figures around the room under the bemused gaze of Pepper.

"Woah Peter….can I get one of these for my birthday…"