Author's Note: Hello, hello, my readers! Welcome back to The Many Adventures of Iron Dad and Spider Son! Today, we're starting the year of 2017, and to top things off, we got a gala event that Tony and Pepper invited Peter to. Peter gets to accompany his mentor to the event! This is going to get just a teeny bit angsty, but comfort won't be too far behind. BUT…before we get to that…REVIEW REPLIES!
Sillysammijo: Right?! I love these two so much!
Cato Yugi: So much awwww!
Disclaimer: I do NOT own anything related to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Big Gala (January 15, 2017)
Christmas 2016 and New Year's came and went as the world greeted 2017 with open arms. While Tony and Peter weren't together physically for Christmas, they made sure to FaceTime and text during the day, which continued to make Peter beam from ear to ear, and they agreed to do the same for New Year's. Thankfully, Peter and Tony made sure to have another one of their lab days on the Friday before New Year's Eve, but that was when…Tony had a proposition for Peter. There was going to be a charity gala event on January 15—a Sunday, and Pepper and Tony were invited to attend. They were also allowed to bring a guest, which gave Pepper the idea to invite Peter along.
She believed that since Peter was Tony's intern, it would be good exposure for him to come to the events and learn more about companies similar to that of Stark Industries. Plus, she knew the teen would be able to keep Tony from leaving early and keep him occupied, which earned a chuckle from Peter. Of course, both Tony and Peter were not expecting this, but it made sense. As an intern, it would be beneficial for Peter to learn more about the business and what Tony and Pepper do to help keep Stark Industries in the public's eye and how to promote projects Tony designed. After talking to May about it, it was agreed, and Peter was delighted…but also extremely nervous. What if he messed things up and made Tony and Pepper looked bad? What if he accidentally exposed himself as Spider-Man? May and Tony both tried to calm him down, and it helped a little. However, as the night grew closer, Peter found himself becoming more nervous.
Finally, January 15 finally arrived, and Peter tried to take a few deep breaths to calm himself down as he put on his suit—the same suit he wore on Homecoming. He hadn't worn it since then…since the night he left Liz to go after her dad…the Vulture. While he saved Toomes' life, crashed Tony's plane, and apologized to Liz, he still felt horribly guilty for that night, but he refused to think about that night. He wasn't going to let that ruin his chance to impress his mentor and his mentor's fiancée. However, that was proving to be more and more difficult when he was still trying to follow a tutorial YouTube video on how to tie a tie…and said a mentor was supposed to arrive in just a few minutes to pick him up. He was just about to call for May to come help but stopped when he heard a knock on the door…
"Aw crap," Peter said as he tried with all his might to get the tie just right.
"Peter, are you almost ready?" May called out as she practically ran over to the door to answer it. "I think Mr. Stark is here."
She opened the door, and sure enough, Tony was standing in the hallway smiling. "Mrs. Parker," he greeted.
"Mr. Stark," she greeted in return as she stepped aside allowing her nephew's mentor to come in. "Come on in. You certainly look dapper tonight."
"Why, thank you," Tony said as he walked in. "Ms. Potts said the same thing."
The two adults shared a light chuckle as May closed the door behind them. Tony looked around the apartment, and he noted that this was his first time seeing it. Peter and he met before they made the move…before the Vulture incident.
"I…think Peter is almost ready," May said eying Peter's closed bedroom door, "but he…hasn't emerged yet. I'm going to go check on him." She was just about to walk toward his room when…the door opened.
"No need, May," Peter said quickly as he leaned on the doorframe, "I'm ready. Oh, hey, Mr. Stark, I didn't hear you come in. What's up?"
"Oh, you know, I'm about to take my intern to a gala event," Tony answered with the same casual tone. "Nothing too much." He then eyed Peter's tie and noticed how lopsided and disheveled it looked. "Uhh…you…you need help with anything…maybe with that tie around your neck?"
Peter cringed and groaned. "I knew it didn't look right," he said. "Those tutorials just don't do it for me. I can make web fluid, but I can't tie a tie."
"Okay, honey, it's okay," May said taking a step toward Peter, "let's just—"
"I can help you," Tony suddenly said aloud making May stop in her tracks and both her and Peter look at Tony with widened eyes.
"Really?" Peter asked hopefully. It wasn't that he didn't think Tony would help him if he ever needed it. Of course, Tony would help him if he needed it, but…shouldn't he be expected to know how to tie a tie?
"Yeah, why use a tutorial when you can get help from a primary source, kid?" Tony asked.
"Well, I just don't…want you to think I expected you to…waste your time on something like this," Peter said fiddling nervously with the tie. "Plus, shouldn't I be expected to know how to do this?"
Tony sighed and shook his head. "Alright, kid, first of all, I know you don't expect me to do anything," he began. "Second of all, I want to help you, and I never do anything I don't want to do. You know that. Third of all, no one expects you to know how to tie a tie. It takes practice and teaching…which—quite frankly—is all part of having a mentor, isn't it?"
Peter looked at Tony and then at May, who simply nodded and shrugged. Tony did have a point. Tony was his mentor both in terms of superheroism and Stark Industries…a business…that relied on Tony building technology and using research and development. Of course, things like tying a tie would be included in the mix. "I guess you're right," Peter finally said with a small smile. "Can you help me, Mr. Stark?"
"Absolutely," Tony said smiling in return as he walked over to Peter. He gestured for Peter to undo the tie, which Peter did.
"Still sorry about this," Peter said as Tony began to redo his tie.
"No reason to be, Peter," Tony said smiling. "I'm hoping to do it, and again, I never do anything I don't want to do. Besides, I love imparting wisdom on my intern. Next time, I'll come by a little early, and we can go through it step by step."
"Really?" Peter asked excitedly. "That would be great!"
"Done," Tony said proudly as he took a step back.
Peter looked down at his chest only to see that his tie was perfectly tied around his neck. "Wow, it looks perfect!" Peter said excitedly. "Thank you so much, Mr. Stark!"
"You're welcome," Tony said holding his hand up in a fist for a fist bump. "You ready to get going?"
Feeling just a little more confident, Peter nodded and bumped his fist against Tony's. "Ready," he said. He turned to his aunt but frowned when he saw that she was staring at them, so he frowned his eyebrows together. "M-May, are you okay?"
"I'm perfectly fine, baby," she said with a smile. "It's just…y-you look so handsome and so grown-up."
Peter couldn't help but blush and scratch the back of his neck awkwardly. "Thanks, Aunt May," he said. "I'll see you later?"
"Absolutely, you two go and have fun," May said. "Tell Pepper I said hi."
After giving her a hug, Peter followed his mentor as Tony wished May a good night, and she did the same. The mentor and the mentee stepped out into the hallway and made their way down to the front of the building, where Tony's Audi waited for them.
"Happy is with Pepper," Tony said as he and Peter got into the car. "We're going to meet them there, and Happy will get us through the paparazzi."
Peter nodded Tony and Pepper had told him about the press, and they would just say that he was Tony's intern, which was the truth, and nothing more, but he sighed to calm his nerves as he felt his heart pounding yet again.
"Don't worry, kid," Tony said with a comforting smile. "You're going to be just fine. I'm going to be with you the entire time, and Happy will make sure none of them bother you. Just stay close to me, and you'll be fine. Not that you have anything to worry about, people will love you."
Peter smiled at Tony feeling her nerves settle down. "Thanks, Mr. Stark," he said, "but seriously, if I ever embarrass you and Ms. Potts, please do whatever you need to do to stop me."
"I don't think we'll need to do anything," Tony replied as he started the car and pulled out into the street. "You'll be just fine."
"Well, I do feel slightly more confident with how you fixed my tie," Peter said looking his chest. "This…sounds a little silly, but with my dad dying when I was little and Ben dying…last year…I guess…I never got the chance to learn how to tie a tie. So, thanks…again."
Tony felt his heart drop hearing Peter talk about his late father and uncle…not being around to teach him something every boy should learn from his father, uncle, or any other male figure in his life. It brought him back to when they first met months ago…when Peter explained to him why he was doing what he was doing as Spider-Man: to stand up for the little guy. He realized that this teenager had little to no guidance to learn the life of a superhero and that he needed a mentor. He didn't think about needing anything outside of that. Peter needed someone to boost his confidence to call the girl, MJ, and he needed someone to help him tie a tie.
"It doesn't sound silly at all, kid," Tony finally said. "I know you have your aunt, and I know we just see each other once a week, and FaceTime every once and a while, and patrol together. But…if you ever do need help with anything, you can come to me."
"Yeah, I know, Mr. Stark," Peter said with a smile. "If I get hurt out in the—"
"Not just that, kid, I…I meant with not just Spider-Man or internship-related things…but with the little things, too, you know?" Tony said as he kept his eyes on the road taking quick glances at his intern, "like tying a tie or…you know…calling that girl, MJ."
"R-Really? Y-You mean it?"
"Yeah, Peter, I do."
Thanks, Mr. Stark…again, again."
Tony chuckled and shook his head. "You're welcome, kid…again, again."
Peter couldn't help but smile even wider. He knew he could trust Tony if he needed help with anything related to the internship or Spider-Man, but hearing that Tony was willing to be around if Peter needed any help with anything outside of that…it was nice. It felt nice knowing that his mentor wanted to help him in any way he could if he asked.
They soon arrived at the Marriott, where the gala was to be held, and sure enough, there were flashing lights from the cameras. Peter could easily see there was a valet and Happy waiting outside by the sidewalk.
"Okay, remember what we talked about, kid," Tony said as he watched Peter stare out the passenger window at the paparazzi. "Wait for me to come around and stay close to me, okay?"
Peter looked at Tony and nodded. "Okay, Mr. Stark," he said. He took another deep breath as Tony got out of the car and walked around the front to Peter's door.
The door opened, and Peter slowly stood up and got out of the car. As soon as he stepped out, the cameras continued to flash, and the people behind those cameras appeared to talk louder once they saw him and Tony. He could feel his mentor wrapping an arm around him pulling him close to his side leading him into the hotel with Happy in front of them. Within a minute, they were finally inside, and it stopped.
"Look at that, kid," Tony said smiling at him and rubbing his shoulder. "We made it."
Peter exhaled and shook his head before giving Tony a small smile. "That was crazy," he said. "Are they always like that?"
"Sometimes," Tony said as he guided Peter deeper into the hotel. "Their curiosity piqued when they saw my brilliant intern, but you'll get used to it, don't worry. Now, the real fun begins."
As soon as Tony said that, the mentor and mentee saw Pepper waiting for them by the elevator.
"Look who I found, Pepper," Happy said with a smile.
"Thank you, Happy," Pepper said with a smile in return.
"Hi, Ms. Potts," Peter said smiling at his mentor's fiancée, "thanks again for inviting me."
"You're very welcome, Peter," Pepper said placing a hand on the teen's shoulder. "Thank you for coming. I need someone to keep Tony occupied."
Tony rolled his eyes before giving Pepper a chaste kiss on the lips. "How about we head inside and mingle, hmm?" he asked.
"Sounds like a plan," Pepper replied before leading Tony, Peter, and Happy into the elevator to go up to where the dinner was being held.
So far, the event was going very well. Tony had told Peter that all he needed to do was be himself, stay close, and not mention Spider-Man, and he was doing exactly that. Tony and Pepper had been introducing him to some well-known scientists and businessmen, and needless to say, it was very exciting. What teenager would get the chance to say that he was Tony Stark's intern and that he got to meet some of the most brilliant minds on the planet? One or two might've tried to swindle him into becoming an intern for their companies, but he politely refused. Tony was his mentor, and he could never imagine leaving Tony. Not just because Tony helped him with Spider-Man and the internship, but because they had been spending so much time together, whether it was lab days, patrols together, or weekends. He would never want to leave that or Tony behind.
The mingling continued until the two superheroes and the CEO found themselves face-to-face with…the CEO of Oscorp…Normal Osborn.
"Tony Stark, also known as Iron Man," Norman said as he walked over to them, "and Pepper Potts."
"Hate to break it to you," Tony said raising an eyebrow, "but we know who we are, Osborn, especially Pepper."
"Hmm…well," Norman said before looking to Peter, "I'm afraid I don't know who you are, young man."
"Oh, I-I'm Peter Parker," Peter quickly said holding his hand out to shake, "Mr. Stark's intern."
"Tony Stark's intern," Norman said as he shook hands with Peter, "very nice." As soon as as he shook hands with Peter, he chuckled. "Wow, you got quite a grip there, Pedro."
Peter immediately froze as soon as he heard that name…the very nickname Adrian Toomes had given him just a few months ago. "Uhh…I-I'm sorry, s-sir," he said as his heart pounded. "W-What did you say?"
"I said, 'you got quite a grip there, Pedro,'" Norman replied smiling innocently.
Peter released his hand and took a step back not even noticing Pepper and Tony's confused looks as he felt his tie constricting around his throat. It was getting harder to breathe, and his heart was racing.
"Come on, Pedro."
"Hey, Pedro."
"Excuse…excuse me," he said before turning around and bolting out of the room. The teenager walked quickly out of the room and into a hallway trying not to bump into anyone and to hopefully find a bathroom.
He wasn't sure how, but he found a hallway and plopped down against the wall trying to get his breathing under control, but it was getting harder and harder. It was almost as if he was back in that house with Toomes, alone in his car, and in that warehouse…before it collapsed.
"Peter!" a voice said. It sounded familiar, but far away. "Here you are, are you okay?" The voice suddenly appeared in front of him, and it turned out to be his mentor.
He tried to answer but could only gasp for air, but he watched Tony's eyes widen in what looked to be realization.
"Shit, okay, okay, Pete, listen to me," Tony said as he took Peter's hand into his. "We're going to get that breathing under control, okay? Just focus on my voice and keep your eyes on me. Ready? Do it with me. In through the nose," the billionaire took a deep breath, "out through the mouth," he breathed out.
Peter could only nod and followed his mentor's lead and his breathing patterns. He took in a shaky breath and then exhaled before repeating it, and it was still a little shaky before he did it again before succumbing to a coughing fit as he tried to catch his breath.
"There we go, buddy," Tony said keeping his hand on Peter's shoulder. "Just take it easy. You're okay. Catch your breath."
Peter did as he was told and tried to catch his breath feeling himself come back to his senses, and when he looked at the billionaire, he suddenly remembered what happened just a minute ago. He groaned as he rested his head back against the wall. "Aw, man, I'm sorry, Mr. Stark," he said. "I just embarrassed you in front of Norman Osborn, didn't I?"
"What?" Tony asked in complete shock. "No, Peter, you didn't embarrass me. You could never embarrass me. I was worried about you. Both Pep and I were."
"I just had a panic attack in front of your rival," Peter said furrowing his eyebrows together. "How is that not embarrassing?"
Tony sighed. He and Peter had talked a lot about the superhero life, their projects, Tony's time with the Avengers before the Accords, Peter's life, their loved ones, everything over the past couple months, especially once Peter started coming by every week. However, there was one thing Tony hadn't mentioned to his intern, and it wasn't all because he didn't want to. It was also because it just never came up. Peter and Tony had met when the anxiety attacks weren't as prevalent as they once were, and he hated the idea of Peter being ashamed of the way his body reacted to something. The veteran superhero took a deep breath.
"Because, kid, you're talking to someone, who's dealt with an attack like that before," Tony finally said after a moment.
Peter looked at Tony as if he had grown an extra head. "W-Wait, you?" he asked. "You get panic attacks? W-Was it…was it because you were kidnapped in '08?"
Tony scoffed as he moved so that he was sitting next to Peter. "No, not because of that," he said. "I mean, I got nightmares here and there, but no. I…started getting those attacks…after the Battle of New York…when Loki brought his Chitauri buddies…and I thought it would be a good idea to fly a nuke into the wormhole."
Peter remembered that day vividly. He was in school…just 11 years old, and May and Ben picked him up early and took him to a hotel in Westchester. They watched the story on the news, and he remembered seeing Iron Man flying into the wormhole with the nuke…and falling. Tony saved the city by doing that, and it never once crossed Peter's mind that his mentor dealt with panic attacks because of it. "I…I never realized, Mr. Stark," he finally said aloud. "W-What would trigger them if you don't mind me asking?"
"Not at all," Tony said with a small smile. "It's pretty silly, but usually whenever someone talked about it around me…like if they mentioned the words 'space' or 'wormhole' or 'aliens' something like that. The first one happened when I was out with Rhodey and these two kids came up to me asking for an autograph. I was doing just that, and one of them asked me about how I got out of the wormhole. I ran out like an idiot and put on my suit because I thought there was something else wrong."
"So those were triggers for you?" Peter asked while making a mental note to be extra careful to not mention anything about the wormhole, space, or aliens around Tony going forward.
"Precisely, so…can I ask what triggered yours?"
Peter mentally cringed. Now that Tony shared his triggers and anxiety attacks, it was only fair that he did the same. If Tony could talk about it, he could too. So, he took a deep breath. "It…it was…when Osborn called me…umm…you know..."
"Pedro," Tony added mentally.
"Yeah," Tony said aloud not wanting to pressure Peter into actually saying it in case it triggered another attack.
"Umm…someone else called me that," Peter said, "around Homecoming." He looked up at Tony nervously hoping that his mentor would understand.
It took Tony almost a few seconds to figure it out. It certainly wasn't May or Ned or the girl, MJ. It definitely wasn't Flash. Peter had told him that Flash liked to call him "Penis Parker," and Peter was always annoyed at this kid. Never once had mentioning him triggered a panic attack. He tried to think who the culprit would be, and then he remembered, a certain weapons-smuggler who fought Peter in Coney Island.
"The Vulture?" Tony asked in shock.
Peter nodded. He had a feeling this was bound to come up at some point, especially once he started seeing Tony more frequently and growing closer. There was a bit of a gap between Coney Island and when Tony offered to make him part of the Avengers, and Tony and Peter didn't talk at all…especially during the ferry incident. Even after when Tony first reached out to him and when they started talking a little more frequently, nothing much about Homecoming or Adrian Toomes ever came up again. As far as Peter knew, Tony only knew that he stopped the Vulture.
Tony let out a shaky breath. "B-But…that doesn't make sense," he said. Then…it dawned on him. "He…figured out who you were?"
Peter nodded again. "I didn't meet him as a civilian until May took me on the night of Homecoming to pick up my date, Liz…this girl I had a crush on," he began. "The Vulture was her dad, and as soon as I heard his voice, I knew who he was. Then…he drove us to school for the dance, and Liz told him that I had an internship with you and that I was on decathlon with her and that…I was in D.C. and that I mysteriously disappeared then…and on the night of her party…when he first met Spider-Man."
"He put two and two together," Tony breathed as his eyes widened.
Peter nodded. "He just called me 'Pedro' a couple times that night," he said, "and when I heard Osborn say it…"
"It brought you back to that night," Tony said in understanding. However, there was something telling the billionaire that there was more to this story. Yes, Toomes found out who Peter was, but there was no way someone like the Vulture was willing to let that information go to waste. Not only that, but if nothing else happened, why did Peter have a panic attack hearing the name? "There's something else that happened that night, isn't there? Something you're not telling me…"
Peter took a deep breath preparing to finish the story. "Well…uh…" he began, "he…he dropped us off at the school. He said that it was on his way to the airport, and he…told Liz to give him and me a few minutes to talk alone."
"You were in the car alone with this jackass?" Tony asked.
Peter nodded. "He…uh…said some things to me," he said. He could still remember hearing Toomes taking the gun out of the glove compartment and holding it in case he needed it and talking to him with the tension in his voice. "Umm…" he took a deep breath, "he…as soon as we were alone, he…I-I didn't really see it…but he…he pulled out a gun…maybe out of his glove compartment."
Tony immediately felt like he was going to throw up. The thought of anyone pulling a weapon on Peter…a minor…his intern scared him. It scared the living daylights out of him, and not only that, but…it was after the ferry incident…after Tony demanded that he returned the suit. Something could've happened to his mentee, and he would've found out too late. Now, Peter was likely traumatized because of it, which made him feel worse. "D-Did he say anything?" Tony finally asked trying to stay calm for Peter's sake.
Peter nodded again. "He…first, he asked me if Liz knew about me being Spider-Man," he said, "and…of course she didn't. He…said that there was nothing was more important than family and that he would never forget that I saved his daughter's life in D.C. So…because of that, he gave me one last chance to forget about everything and pretend it was all good and to just have fun with Liz, and…if I didn't…" the teen let out a shaky breath.
Tony gripped Peter's shoulder just a little tighter…both to reassure himself and to reassure Peter that everything was okay…that he wasn't in the car…with the Vulture. "What…What did he say, buddy?" he asked.
"He…he said that if I didn't…he would kill me…" Peter said.
"I'll kill you…and everyone you love. I'll kill you dead."
"He would kill me and everyone I love," Peter added after a moment.
Tony let out a shaky breath as he kept his hand on Peter's shoulder trying with all his might to stay calm. So far this was getting worse and worse by the minute, and he just knew that there was more. "Did he…" he took a deep shaky breath, "did he say anything else, Peter?'
He saw that he was right…when Peter nodded. "He said that he…saved my life and asked me what I should say," the teen said aloud, "so…I thanked him. Then he…let me get out of the car, and…well, that's when everything else went down."
"He made you thank him…" Tony said in complete shock. He then shook his head in disgust. He knew that Toomes was on the clean-up crew from the Battle of New York in 2012, and he was smuggling alien-tech weapons. The fact that he did this to his own daughter…behind her back while under the guise of "protecting his family." Then, not only that, but he threatened a teenager when he was trying to do the right thing…to look out for the little guy…and caused him to have a panic attack months later.
"I-I'm sorry," Peter said quickly. "I-I didn't know what else to say or do…That was all I could think of, Mr. Stark, and I went after—"
"What?" Tony looked at Peter in absolute shock. "No, no, kid, you have no reason to be sorry. You did the right thing. That jackass had a gun and threatened you. You did what you could to protect yourself and your loved ones." He sighed and shook his head. He mentally kicked himself for not asking about any of this once his internship started or not taking the time to get more details of that night and how Toomes and Peter ended up in Coney Island. "If there's anyone who should be apologizing, it's me, Peter."
Now, it was Peter's turn to look at Tony. "What?" he asked incredulously. "M-Mr. Stark, w-what are you talking about?"
"I should've asked you about it," Tony said rubbing Peter's shoulder. "If I asked you more about it and looked into it, I could've…I could've done something. I could've…talked to you and helped you."
"You're helping me now," Peter said after a moment. "You just helped me come down from a panic attack and listened to me talk about it. I mean…I know it was a stupid reason, but…"
"Ah-ah! I'm going to stop you right there," Tony quickly said. "There is no such thing as a stupid reason from a panic attack."
Peter gave a small smile and chuckled. "Okay, okay," he said. "Anyway, it's easy to talk to you about it. Yeah, we didn't do it sooner. But we can't dwell on the past, that's what Ben always told me. We can only focus on moving forward. We're talking about it, and…you said in the car I can come to you for the little things and not just for Spider-Man or internship stuff. So, I don't think you should beat yourself up for not doing something sooner, especially when we weren't exactly where we are now."
Tony stared at his mentee in awe astounded by what he just said. Once again, Peter never ceased to amaze him with how mature and wise he really was, and the kid was proving more and more every day how Spider-Man was better than Iron Man…how Peter Parker was better than Tony Stark. Nevertheless, the kid was right. There was no sense in dwelling on the past. They could only move forward, and going forward, like he told Peter, he was going to be there for Peter whenever and wherever the kid needed him. "And I meant it, kid," Tony said squeezing Peter's shoulder. "Whenever you need me…for anything, I'll be there."
Peter smiled. "I know," he said. "Thanks, Mr. Stark, for helping me and…listening to me."
"You're welcome. You ready to head back inside now? Or do you want to sit here for a few more minutes? To be honest, I'm partial to the latter, but if you want to go back, that's fine, too."
"M-Maybe just a few more minutes?" Peter suggested. "I don't think we should leave Pepper alone, but I'm not fully ready yet."
Tony smiled even wider. "That's just fine, kid," he replied. "If anyone asks, we'll just tell them I wanted to make sure you were okay."
"If you even cared, you'd actually be here."
Once again, Peter realized just how wrong he was to say that to his mentor after the ferry incident. Tony was distant for a while until the Vulture started causing trouble, but…he had shown multiple times that he did care…listening to his voicemail, calling the FBI, rescuing him from drowning, coming to save him and millions of other people from the ferry, taking the suit when he didn't listen. Now, for the past few months, things were different. Tony was showing that he cared in other ways…texting and Face Timing, joining in on patrols, meeting once a week for Lab Days, giving him a project for both of them to work on…together, helping with a minor injury, helping him come down from a panic attack…helping him tie a tie, listening to him, reassuring him, and…telling him that he could come to him for help in…the little things… Tony Stark cared and was actually there for him. The billionaire actually wanted to be there for him and has been for the past few months, and Peter loved every minute of it.
"Okay," Peter said. He held up his fist for a fist bump.
Tony gladly returned the gesture practically beaming.
Tony kept his arm around Peter's shoulder as they walked back in. They could see that everyone was moving to the tables to sit down for dinner, which was a huge relief for both Tony and Peter. This meant that they wouldn't have to deal with Norman Osborn. However, they were able to see Pepper saying something to Osborn before turning to Peter and Tony and walking over to them.
"Peter, honey, are you okay?" Pepper quickly asked.
"Oh yeah, I-I'm fine, Ms. Potts," Peter said holding his hand up. "Mr. Stark helped me out. It's all good."
"Are you sure?" Pepper asked.
"I promise," Peter said with a small smile. "I just—"
"Ah, Peter," Norman Osborn said as he walked over to the three of them, "are you alright? You seemed—"
"Uh, you know what, Osborn," Tony suddenly said angling himself so that he was in front of Peter, "how about we talk another time? Maybe have your people call my people? I mean, I might put you on hold. Like I told Secretary Ross, I like to watch the line blink."
Before Osborn could say anything else, Tony quickly guided his intern to their table, where they were assigned with Pepper in tow.
"You didn't have to do that," Peter whispered to Tony as they walked over to the table.
"I know," Tony said, "but I want to look out for my intern."
Peter couldn't help but smile as they sat down at the table.
Author's Note: Annnnnnnnnnd that wraps this one up, boys and girls! I hope you all enjoyed this one as much as I enjoyed writing it! Tony and Peter have taken another step in their relationship! YAY! Now, keep in mind…Peter only told Tony about Toomes threatening him in the car…He still hasn't told Tony about the warehouse. And trust me…it will come up again! Up next, though, we're going back to some lighthearted reading! GIRL TROUBLE is next as Peter asks Tony for some advice! I hope you all enjoyed this! Don't forget to read and review, thanks, guys!