Hello lovely readers!

Thank you so much for the love you are showing this series! I'm so glad you guys are all still enjoying it!

PROMPTS ARE CLOSED!

Dae00 from a03 - I have a prompt: Peter has been kidnapped (maybe by Hydra or someone else) and Tony rallies the Avengers to save him. He just forgets to tell them who Peter is, either as Spider-man or to Tony.

AND

Anjve on a03 - was also thinking of a prompt like this, but then the forgetting part would be that it wouldn't be realized at first Peter was missing, maybe thinking he would be on a decathlon meet or something but forgetting it was cancelled.

I hope you enjoy and apologies for any mistakes!

Don't Take My Son-Shine

Tony Stark will never forgive himself for waiting so long.

Of course, he hadn't known that Peter was missing at the time. Peter had supposed to come to the Tower after school, like he usually did, for his internship. It had been a condition of letting Peter become Spiderman.

("If you're going to use it as a cover for Peter extracurricular activities, then it should be true." "Aunt May, I don't think SI takes high school students –" "It's my company kid. My rules. You've got yourself an internship.")

It was half an hour after Peter was due in the lab did Tony notice that his young protegee hadn't arrived. Tony had been so swept up in what he had been working on that he hadn't noticed. Peter wasn't usually late to lab day and Tony wondered if he had gotten the day wrong. It wouldn't be the first time he emerged from work thinking it was a Wednesday only to find that was now Friday and he had been working for two days straight.

So, it wasn't outside the realm of possibility that Peter was at a decathlon meeting, Tony simply have forgotten about it. Tony would always worry about Peter though and so he had FRIDAY track where he was.

"I'm sorry, Boss," FRIDAY said after a moment of hesitation. "I am unable to locate Peter Parker."

Tony's blood had turned to ice in his veins. "What?"

"I am unable to locate Peter Parker," FRIDAY had repeated.

"Where is Spiderman?" Tony demanded.

"Location beacon has the Spiderman suit at the Parker resident. It has not been moved since last night when Peter returned home. Karen has not spoken to Peter since finishing his patrol."

Tony felt as if he had been physically punched in the stomach. He swayed where he stood, his running mind screeching to a halt. No. This wasn't happening. This couldn't be happening. Tony had lost many things in his life; his parents, almost his life a dozen times but he refused to lose Peter Parker.

There were many things Tony could survive but that would not be one of them.

So, Tony had called the Avengers and asked them to find Peter.

Steve must have seen the desperation in his eyes for he didn't ask questions. He just gathered the troops, and they used every bit of power they had to find Peter. In the end, Peter had been taken out of the city, away from the populated areas and to what appeared to be an abandoned farm. It was anything but and Peter was just one among the teenagers and kids they had found on the property.

Peter had been snatched on his way to the Tower, injected with something that Tony had his team analysing as soon as Peter was safe in the Med Bay, tucked up in a bed. Whatever it was, they had used a lot on Peter for his kid was still knocked out, small snored coming from his parted lips.

A look on his watch showed that it was nearly two in the morning.

May Parker was curled up on a comfy armchair that Tony had brought in for her. He had long ago draped a blanket over her shoulders to keep her warm. Neither were planning on leaving Peter's side, not wanting him to wake up alone. They had no idea what trauma Peter had experience in the time he was missing. Tony hadn't asked, simply relied on the other Avenger's to take care of it. When Peter was up and feeling better, Tony would make sure that nothing like this ever happened again to anyone's child.

"You never told us you had a son."

Tony didn't startle at the sudden voice. He looked over his shoulder to see Steve leaning against the wall near the door, arms folded across his chest. His expression was soft, and his voice was quiet.

Tony stared down at Peter. He looked so much younger than he was in the hospital bed. Tony just wanted to wrap him up in bubble wrap and never let him out of his sight again.

It wasn't the first time that someone had mistaken Peter for Tony's son. Rhodey had been the first one to ask, looking at Tony suspiciously. When Tony had finally convinced his best friend that no, he wasn't Peter's secret biological father, there had been a lot of teasing.

It was only Rhodey, Pepper and Happy who knew of Peter's existence. It's not that Tony was hiding Peter from the others. The Avengers were aware Spiderman and had been placated when Tony told them that he was looking out for the vigilante. That had been enough for them to not go hunting down the kid.

(Though Tony was sure that Natasha had probably done some digging into finding out who was under that mask. If she had found out anything, she had never let on that she had.)

Tony had been called many things in his life but paternal was not one of them. Tony couldn't blame them. He wouldn't have called himself that either but now…

Peter had changed him. Had wormed his way into Tony heart, into a spot that Tony didn't know existed until Peter had lit it up spectacularly. Suddenly, Tony was worried about school pick up's, making sure the kid was eating enough and that he was doing his homework before getting lost in the lab. He had given Peter a room at the tower, curated it for his needs and for when he crashed over the weekend.

Tony was co-parenting Peter with May Parker (yet another fierce woman in Tony's life that he had no desire to ever get on her bad side again. The lecture he had received when she found out that Peter was Spiderman and had been working with Tony still made his ears ring.)

"I'm sorry," Steve continued before Tony could say anything. "That you felt you couldn't share this with us."

"It's new," Tony said, his voice coming out rough with the lack of use.

Steve shifted off the wall, taking a few steps closer to Tony. "You only just found out?"

Tony chuckled, shaking his head. He gently smoothed a hand over Peter's curls, the boys stirring slightly under his touch but not waking. "He's not mine, biologically. But he is mine."

"Family," Steve said, voice soft.

Tony looked back over to Steve and found that he drifted even closer, now on the opposite of the bed. He was staring down at Peter, a small smile on his face. Steve glanced back up at Tony, smile widening. "You sure he's not yours? He looks like you."

"You're not the first to say," Tony said, amused.

"Is that his mother?" Steve asked, indicating to May curled up form with a jerk of his chin.

"His aunt," Tony explained. "Parents passed away when he was about four years old. His Uncle passed away about a year ago."

Steve winced, his expression falling. "He's been through a lot."

"Bravest kid I know," Tony said, a wave of pride rushing through him as he stared down at his kid.

"How did you meet?" Steve asked, looking to Tony curiously.

Tony shifted. "That's not my story to tell."

"M' Spdierman."

Steve and Tony whipped their head down to stare at Peter. Tony's knees nearly buckled at the relief of seeing Peter squinting open an eye, looking at them sleepily. He smacked his lips together, reaching a handout to Tony.

Tony took it quickly, taking it in his and squeezing it gently.

"Hey, Spiderbaby is supposed to be resting," Tony scolded lightly. "It's way past your bedtime."

"Not a baby," Peter protested around a yawn. He wiggled under the sheets, shifting to get comfortable. "'sides you talking 'bout me."

"Sorry we woke you," Steve said softly, still looking surprised by the bomb that Peter had dropped on him. "I'll let you rest."

"Thanks," Peter said, looking to Steve. "For coming to rescue me."

Steve smiled down at Peter. "Anything for family."

Peter squeezed Tony's hand tightly.

Tony knows Steve caught the action as his smile went gooey.

"Get some rest, Peter. I'll come back when you're feeling better," Steve said. He looked up at Tony, giving a nod. "You too, Tony. Get some rest."

Tony nodded and watched as Steve left the medbay. He looked back down at Peter was looking at him. He pointedly moved over to the edge of the bed, dropping Tony's hand to pat the space beside him.

"Kid –" Tony started to protest.

"Cap gave the order," Peter said, his voice sluggish and his glare as fierce as that of a puppy. "Rest."

Tony chuckled, shaking his head. He slid onto the bed, making himself comfortable and stretching out. In an instant Peter was cuddled into his side, resting his head on Tony's chest, near his heart.

"Better?" Tony asked, holding Peter close and gently carding a hand through his hair.

"Much," Peter sighed, already drifting back to sleep. "Love you dad. Thanks for saving me."

"Always," Tony vowed. "And I love you too, kid."

Tony held Peter, counting his breaths as he drifted off to sleep. It hit him that he may not have been doing this tonight. That there were many ways this day could have ended differently. He tried to banish those thoughts, taking in a shuddering breath and hugging Peter closer. His kid was safe in his arms. Everything was going to be okay.

Happy reading :D