Hello friends! Here's an extra long chapter for you. The longest I have ever written. I wanted to split it into two shorter chapters but I'm going on vacation (finally!) and I don't know when I can post the next one. So I'm offering you this lengthy chapter and I hope you'll like it :)
Anyway, I'd like to thank you all for the reviews, follows and favorites. A big thanks to the dear guests, unfortunately I can't reply them in PM. I love you all guys, you're amazing!
Disclaimer: no, I don't own Marvel. I wish.
The next morning Tony settles by his kitchen table with steaming coffee and a tablet to watch the news. He swears if that damned Hal Wentworth didn't obey Peter, he'll personally drag the bastard to a police station to give a statement. That or he'll kill the guy. That's still an option that he finds quite hard to resist. Asshole would deserve serious punishment for the hit and run. Probably life sentence. But for all the pain and suffering he caused to Peter? Hell, he deserves to die! Slowly and painfully.
Throughout the night, Tony was extremely close to getting his suit and going to kill Wentworth. He got up to summon his suit like four times. But he always changed his mind when he remembered Peter's decision. The boy showed mercy to that dumbass and Tony has to respect that.
Fortunately, Peter's choice has turned out to be the right one. The news anchor announces that Hal Wentworth confessed the hit and run and also told about his father's involvement in the case. He even named a few police officers who helped them cover up the events.
Now all Tony needs to do is to stay out of this and not to pay the guy a visit in prison to make his life a little less nice. But he knows if Peter could spare the jerk's life, then he should do that, too. At least, he should try.
He turns off the tablet and glances at the clock on the wall. It's 11.20am. Kid could wake up anytime now. Or not, God knows he needs his sleep. Last night he insisted that he wasn't too tired to swing a few blocks to the Tower, but Tony took care to stay close enough in case he needed to catch him. Kid was drained when they got home.
When they finally landed on the rooftop, Peter's eyes were only half-open, so Tony put a hand on his shoulder to guide him to the guest room. The kid automatically flinched under the touch.
"S-sorry," he whispered, lowering his head in embarrassment.
Tony tried no to imagine what horrors could have happened to Peter that generated this involuntary response. Kid needed to sleep. That was the priority. He would have plenty of time to mull over this later.
"You can sleep in the guest room tonight," he said and went ahead to the elevator. From the corner of his eye, he could see Peter - even though he was half asleep - turning his head up and down, observing every little detail during their short walk. Yeah, when the boy had been here previously, he had spent all of his time in the med bay. This part of the building was new to him.
"Welcome back, Peter", Friday greeted him, once they reached Tony's living area.
"Hello, Friday," the kid answered, smiling at the ceiling.
"This is it," Tony opened the door to the guest room. "There's a small bathroom over there. And my room is the second door on the right, in case you need anything. But you can always ask Friday, too."
Peter nodded and stepped into the room, taking a good look around. It was not much; it mostly looked like a hotel room. Just basic furniture, nothing personal. Hardly anyone ever used this room. The Avengers had their own living quarters, Pepper stayed with Tony when she came over and he didn't really have anyone else to drop in.
Peter's eyes finally found the big bed in the middle and he immediately yawned.
"It's really late now," Tony smiled. "You should sleep. Unless you're hungry?"
The boy shook his head. The man wasn't surprised. After the entire emotional trauma earlier, he wouldn't have been hungry, either.
"Okay. But I guess you don't want to sleep in your suit, right?" Tony asked and without waiting for a response, he left. He grabbed some spare clothes from his own room, a shirt and sweatpants and returned to the kid. "These should do for now," he said, giving the clothes to Peter.
"Thank you, Mr. Stark," the kid muttered.
As Peter reached for the clothes, Tony noticed the suit was practically torn to rags over the kid's hands. There might have been blood, too but the suit was too dark to spot any. The man frowned. He couldn't recall any fight earlier that night that could have resulted in injuries like these.
"What happened to your hands, kid?" He got straight to the point like always.
Peter stared down at his hands as if he saw the wounds for the first time, too. Tony couldn't blame him; kid had other priorities after all.
"Okay, go get changed, then we take care of it," he suggested, deciding not to push it.
Peter was still looking so dazed that the man didn't think he would get an explanation from him. Not that he needed one. The injuries seemed familiar. Tony also had a bad habit of punching walls in frustration and God knows kid went through a huge amount of frustration tonight. The news he had stumbled upon probably pushed him over the edge. Absolutely understandable.
He left the room to give the kid some privacy.
"Friday, should I expect any more injuries?" he asked wearily as he walked into the kitchen for his two hundredth coffee refill that day.
"No, boss. Peter is terribly exhausted, that's all. But when you clean the wounds on his hands, you'll probably find some glass shards that need to be removed. Karen informed me that Peter had broken a window and punched the wall."
"Wonderful," the man grimaced. "Could this get any better?"
But no. He had no right to be sarcastic. It was really wonderful. All that shit with Wentworth was over, Peter was here at the Tower and he was safe. Bruised knuckles? Geez, it could be so much worse!
He drank up his coffee, grabbed the medical kit and returned to Peter.
The kid was sitting on the bed, wearing the way too big clothes, shoulders slumped, head lowered. He didn't even look up when Tony entered. The man wouldn't have been surprised to find the boy already asleep. He settled on the bed next to Peter, placing the kit between them. He reached out for the kid's hands and he obeyed.
"Friday, more light, please," Tony asked, examining the wounds. He started to clean the injuries.
They were sitting there in silence, while he was working. Tony tried his best to work as fast as he could, he didn't want to keep the kid from sleeping longer than necessary. He guessed it took a lot of effort from Peter to stay awake during the process.
"Thank you, Mr. Stark," the kid finally said and the short sentence turned into a yawn.
Tony nodded and continued working. He carefully removed some small shards, cleaned and bandaged the wounds.
"Here you go," he announced when he finally finished.
When he didn't get any response, he glanced over at the boy. Peter's head was propped on his hand that Tony had attended to first and he was already out like a light. The man smiled, wondering how the boy was able to sleep in such an uncomfortable position. But given how exhausted he must have been, it shouldn't have been surprising at all.
On the other hand, it was a bit surprising that the kid didn't wake up when Tony maneuvered him into a lying position and draped a blanket over him. Before he could have stopped himself, he ran a hand through the kid's messy curls.
"Sleep tight, buddy," he whispered.
"Good night, May," Peter answered in sleep.
Tony's stomach crunched and the fond smile disappeared from his face right away.
When he closed the door behind him, he asked Friday to keep an eye on Peter and went straight to bed.
He slept really, really well, better than ever. Why? Maybe because for the first time since he had met a certain spider, he knew the kid was safe?
In the morning, on his way to the kitchen to brew his first coffee, he stopped in front of the door of the guest room. It was all silent in there. He hoped that the kid hadn't left without saying goodbye, but he knew that was a very real possibility. Then again, Friday would have alerted him.
He carefully opened the door a little and peeped in. The room was dark and in the middle of the bed there was a pile of blankets and a mop of brown curls lolling out from under the heap. Tony smiled relieved.
And here he is now in the kitchen, finishing his coffee and wondering what he should offer the kid for breakfast. If the boy sleeps longer though, Tony should probably start thinking about lunch options.
But now breakfast. Right. Coffee is definitely out of question. Tony rummages through the cupboards, until his eyes find something interesting on a top shelf. A waffle maker. A Christmas gift from Pepper. Tony has always planned to turn this simple and boring thing into something mind-blowing like a portable rocket launcher or something like that.
But now it's more important to provide quality breakfast for the kid. So he instructs Friday to search for a foolproof waffle recipe and grabs the ingredients to whip up the batter. He is quite surprised that he actually does have every ingredient in his kitchen.
He chuckles when he realizes how hilarious it is that Tony Stark, aka Iron Man, genius engineer and billionaire owner of SI is on his way to turn into a domestic goddess just to make breakfast for a kid who he accidentally met a few weeks ago. If he can call it an accident. He decided to go after Spiderman after all. He just wasn't prepared for the answer he found under the Spider mask.
Peter Parker, 15-year old prodigy, nerd, superhero and kind soul.
When the boy entered Tony's life, he changed it for good. Tony just didn't want to understand it first. Didn't want to accept it. He's not good with kids, caring or emotions in general. He's irresponsible, reckless, selfish, unpredictable and arrogant. Barton once called him a drama queen and he wasn't wrong.
If anyone had ever asked him if he wanted a kid in his life, he would have said no. Never. Yet, no one asked. Peter just kinda showed up in his world without a warning.
And ever since Tony found out the kid was not only a superhero – which is quite a dangerous job for an adult, too -, but he was also a lonely kid without family or home, he couldn't rest. He couldn't stop worrying, thinking about the kid. Where is he now? Is he in danger? Is he hungry? Is he cold? Is he lonely and sad?
Tony first decided it was not his business. The kid made a decision, and even though the man didn't really think it was the right one, he tried to respect it and let the kid live the life he had chosen for himself. That was the fair thing to do, right?
But Tony just couldn't stop worrying. So he offered him his help and invited him to the Tower. And when the kid didn't take the offer, he made him a suit. He thought he did everything he could; he did his best to take care of Peter. Who could expect more of him?
But it's not like that. He helped Spiderman. And just like Iron Man couldn't be separated from Tony Stark, Spiderman couldn't be separated from Peter Parker either. It's not enough to help only one of them. And Tony can't pretend he doesn't care. He can't pretend it's enough to help Spiderman, like superhero to superhero.
No. It's not enough. He cares about Peter. He can't stop caring about the kid. And truth is? He doesn't want to stop.
Yes, it may sound ridiculous and the other Avengers would definitely tease him about it. Hell, he doesn't understand himself, either, like what the fuck is happening to him? Is he under some kind of spell or what?
But he just can't let the kid go back to the streets, back to his fucking warehouse! Peter's here, safe and sound in the Tower and Tony hasn't felt better for a long time. Not since he first met the kid. Finally, things are like they should be.
Like they should have been a long time ago. Because Tony was an ass for a long time, he lied to himself that he didn't care that much and Peter was just fine without him. And because of him, the kid had to stay alone on the streets longer than he should have. Out in the cold. Going hungry God knows how often. And going after his aunt's murderer, nearly killing him. Hell, if Peter had strangled Wentworth to death that would have been on Tony. Because he wasn't there for the kid.
But from now on, it'll be different.
Yes, he will be awful at this, awful at taking care of Peter but at least he will try his best. The kid would probably deserve someone much better in his corner, but Tony will try. He really will. He just needs Peter to accept his help. And geez, that's not gonna be easy! The kid has never taken Tony's offer to drop in the Tower. He has never come to ask for help with the suit, to ask for repairs or to suggest upgrades. Maybe he didn't think Tony was serious when he talked about helping him. But he will prove to the kid how serious he is. Hell, here he is making damned waffles, is there any more proof necessary?
Just as Tony places the last waffle on the top of a big pile, Peter emerges from his room. With his hair stuck up in all directions and eyes only half-open, he is slowly approaching the kitchen. Tony's first thought is that the kid is in serious need of a haircut. And second, the boy is practically skin and bones. Obviously, Tony's clothes don't do him justice, but the oversized clothes are probably not the only reason why the kid looks like a scarecrow. Tony seriously considers whipping up a second batch of waffles. He makes a mental note to ask Friday later to make a list of nutritious food that he could feed Peter with.
"Good morning, sunshine," Tony greets him, forcing himself to smile before the kid could see the concern on his face. He briefly wonders if it ever stops. The worrying. He thought if he knew Peter's safe, it would be gone. But it seems like the concern is here to stay for good. Fantastic. "I hope you're hungry," he says, pushing the plate full of waffles toward Peter, who hesitantly takes a seat, eyeing Tony with suspicion.
"Thank you," the kid says, though it sounds more like a question.
Peter gets suspicious when someone makes him food. Great. Of course, Tony understands the kid's distrust. It's not like he's got much help in the last few months.
Well, it's time to change that.
"Come on, eat up," Tony gestures at the plate and then grabs some berries from the refrigerator. When he turns back to Peter to offer him the fruit too, he's happy to see the boy is demolishing the waffles at an incredible speed. He suppresses the urge to tell him to slow down. Because then he would sound like a parent, right?
Tony pours himself some more coffee and settles at the table. "Blueberries, too, kid, don't forget about the vitamins," he says and immediately winces. There goes his plan no to sound like a parent.
Peter's eyes shoot up at him and he furrows his brow. There it is. The suspicion in his eyes again. And confusion. He obviously doesn't know what to do with the sudden care.
Tony decides to change the subject. "Previously on Spiderman Rules the World: Wentworth took your advice. He's going down along with his father and some corrupt police officers."
The kid simply nods and continues eating with a blank face. As if he has absolutely nothing to do with this. The intimidating superhero from last night is nowhere to be seen. This is just the poor boy who lost his family. Justice has been served, but Peter's pain is here to stay for now. The memory of the heartbroken, sobbing kid is still fresh in Tony's mind; it's an image he will probably never forget.
Okay. Time to change the subject again.
Tony leans forward and takes a deep breath. "Kid, we need to talk," he states, looking into Peter's eyes.
And those big brown eyes suddenly grow even bigger in fear. "Mr. Stark, I'm really sorry but I have school and I have some tests and homework…" he starts gabbling.
The man leans back and rolls his eyes. Here we go. Not the first time that the kid tries to avoid an uncomfortable conversation like this. Deflecting.
"We have this huge Spanish test coming up, like really huge and I can't miss that," Peter goes on. "And then Chemistry… I need to get to the school lab because I have almost run out of web fluid and I really need to make more. Like a whole lot more... And I also need to catch up with my friend, Ned. His dad has some health issues and Ned's freaking out and I just need to talk to him, be there for him, you know… And have I mentioned decathlon practice? Team's behind, Mr. Stark, we need to squeeze in some extra practices-"
"Are you done?" Tony asks unimpressed.
Peter opens his mouth but not a word comes out.
The man sighs. "Listen, kid, first of all, have you checked the time? School is not an option today, buddy. So you can't use that as an excuse not to talk to me."
The boy glances at the clock on the wall and his shoulders drop.
"Don't worry, your lovely made-up Aunt Julia saved you again," Tony shrugs.
"Friday?" the kid narrows his eyes.
"This time she was more helpful," the man snorts.
"You needed to sleep, Peter," the AI interjects.
"Thanks, I guess," the boy mutters, looking up at the ceiling.
"Anyway, here's the deal, kid," Tony starts, turning serious and placing both hands on the table. "You have absolutely no reason to be scared," he quickly adds, as Peter leans back as if trying to put more space between them. "I just want you to stay here. At the Tower… for a few days."
He so badly wants to say forever but seeing how terrified the kid already is, he just doesn't want to overwhelm him. Saying a few days should be a good start. For both of them to get used to the new situation. They can work with a few days. Baby steps.
And when those few days are up, they will be so used to their new life that Peter's stay will be automatically extended for good. They won't even have to talk about it; it'll be evident, right? Well, at least that's the plan.
But Peter doesn't look up; he's still staring at his now empty plate.
Tony didn't exactly expect the kid to start jumping for joy hearing the proposal. But he didn't expect absolute silence either.
"You can stay in the guest room," he explains, trying to break the uncomfortable silence, fidgeting with his mug. "I know your school is not that close, but I have a driver who can take you or you could just swing over there. Driving would be more discreet, though," he laughs nervously.
But there's still nothing from Peter.
Okay, this silence is getting more and more awkward.
"Kid?" Tony asks impatiently. And desperately.
Peter finally looks up at him. The only emotion that his eyes give away is confusion. "Can I… think about it, Mr. Stark?"
Tony staggers back in shock. Think about it? What is there to think about? He has just offered the kid a room in his penthouse; it is surely better than the empty warehouse that he currently stays in. And the room would come with regular food, of course. Should have he mentioned that, too? Wasn't that obvious? Geez, were those damned waffles that bad?
He wants to say to Peter that no, he can't think about it. It is decided. Tony has already decided. Peter's a kid and Tony knows better. It wasn't really an offer, it was a statement. An announcement. Peter stays. Discussion is over.
But of course it's not what Tony says. He has to give the kid space. He has been all alone in the last few months; Tony can't just swing into his life, telling him what to do. He can't force the boy. Peter needs to let him in.
Anyway, who cares? Obviously, Peter will come to his senses and realize Tony's guest room is far better than his abandoned building. And real food. Sleeping in a bed and eating enough food should be irresistible enough. And when you're a superhero by night, it's kinda convenient that you can stay with another superhero, right? Peter will understand this. Tony just needs to let him come to this conclusion by himself.
"Alright, kid, think about it."
Next time we're going to check up on Peter, alright?
Please review, I love reading your thoughts, that's my favorite hobby :) And now I'm heading to the kitchen, I'm gonna make some waffles :)
Thank you for reading!