Truth Bomb

Peter didn't see Tony at all the next Friday at the internship. He assumed the man was out on company business, which was understandable, but Peter couldn't help but miss him a little bit. Was that weird? To miss your boss? But he was his mentor, too.

The intern department head, Lucy, caught Peter's shoulder as he was packing his things to leave at 5:00.

"Mr. Stark would like to meet with you in his lab right now, if you have time."

"Oh." Peter blinked. So he was around, after all. Maybe he'd just gotten out of a meeting..? Maybe with the Avengers. "Okay. Should I just wait here then?"

"No, it'll be in his personal lab. On the penthouse floor."

Peter's pupils blew wide. Are you sure you have the right person? "Oh. Okay. How...how do I get there?"

"If you head up now, Friday will give you clearance. The lab is down the hall on the right."

"Thank you," Peter said, instead of What the heck is going on?

"Glad to see you're feeling better," she added.

"Yeah, I am. Thank you." He smiled. Lucy walked away, and he swung his backpack over his shoulders and walked steadily to the elevator. He got in and pushed the button for the penthouse, his mind spinning. What could this possibly be about?

He could barely think straight as the doors opened. He stepped out into an empty living space, remembering with some effort that Lucy had said down the hall, on the right. He headed that direction, taking in the sleek interior and the silver and white color scheme with hints of wood. The lights were dim, and Peter wondered how much time Mr. Stark actually spent here.

There were a couple of doors on the right that could've been the lab, and he didn't want to pick the wrong one and be caught sneaking around, so he went with the safe bet.

"Friday?"

"Yes, Peter?"

He grinned. "You know my name. Um, which door is the lab?"

"The one on the left."

"Thank you." He walked the rest of the way confidently, pushing through and being startled to see the lights were all off. It was completely black, but he didn't miss the chance to use Friday again.

"Friday, can you turn the lights on please?"

That was all it took for the room to be lit up. Peter shook his head, smile on his face as he wandered inside. Having an AI at their apartment would be amazing.

He didn't want to be caught snooping, so he picked a safe-looking chair and sat tight, backpack slouched on the floor by his legs as he studied the room around him. It wasn't much different from the interns' lab, but it was filled with more impressive things, like parts of Iron Man suits and other prototypes.

He was only waiting for two minutes.

Peter felt something was different from the moment Mr. Stark walked into the lab. It was the way the man was looking at him, for one...Like he was studying his face so he wouldn't forget it. He walked in slowly, almost hesitantly for a man normally so self-assured. "Hey, Mr. Stark," Peter greeted as usual, with a lilt of curiosity in his tone.

If things weren't unnerving already, they became more so when Tony still didn't say anything. He looked almost...nervous?

"Um, was this a mistake?" Peter pointed at the floor vaguely. "Lucy told me to come here, but maybe she thought I was a…different…Peter."

"No, it's right," Mr. Stark assured. Instead of elaborating any further, he gave him a small smile. "Listen, Peter…we need to talk." The Four Words of Dread.

"Okay?" Peter quickly sat up straighter, body emanating nervous tension. Was he getting fired? Could an intern even be fired? Maybe he wasn't doing as well as the older interns, and Tony was letting him go. Maybe he'd messed up somewhere without realizing.

Crap, what did I do?

Tony noticed his anxious fidgeting and held up his hands. "Don't worry, kid, it's not bad. Well...I don't think you'll think it's bad." He cleared his throat and took a seat in front of the teen, and Peter slowly settled back into his chair.

"I have some news." He looked at Peter with a blank expression, not giving anything away. Peter took note of his vibe and tried to emulate it. He nodded.

"Remember when you got your blood drawn in the MedBay?"

Okay, that was nothing close to what he'd been expecting. "Yeah?"

Tony took in a deep, steadying breath, and Peter was alarmed to see fear in his mentor's eyes. "Oh no. Is there something wrong with me? Am I dying or something?" His heart beat harder. That had to be why Tony was dancing around the issue, and why he was looking at him like that.

The man shook his head. "No, no, you're fine, Pete. You're totally healthy."

"Oh. Good," he breathed, noticing the nickname again, and Tony looked amused like he always did when Peter acted more nervous than he needed to be. This time though, the man's eyes held a sort of shine to them. There was something he wasn't letting him on to.

"Anyway, there was actually...well, Friday brought something to my attention the other day." He spoke measuredly. Carefully. "She had my DNA information already, and when yours got added into the system too, she found a...commonality."

Peter was lost. A commonality between him and Tony Stark? Could they give each other blood or something?

"Peter...I don't know how to tell you this. I don't even know if you'll want to know this, but," he took in another breath and let it out. "Our DNA is a match."

The air rushed out of the room at once, leaving it hard for Peter to breathe. He knew that was significant. He was a young genius who understood concepts much more complicated than kindergarten-level genetics, but he couldn't figure it out right now, or maybe his brain just couldn't accept it because it was too impossible. DNA...Match. Him and Tony. The words pounded around his head, and Tony looked at him like this was all a big apology.

"Peter...you're my biological son."

At the word son, Peter felt his stomach lurch sharply. He couldn't be confused anymore. He knew what that word meant. No amount of denial could change that he knew what that meant. He just never, ever in a million years expected to hear it from Tony Stark.

"I'm..." Peter whispered, and he felt tears fill up his eyes without knowing why. Maybe it was because something in him, some sense, knew it was true. "You're my..?"

"I'm your dad," Tony said. "Technically, at least. I know I'm not Richard or Ben..."

He knew his family? How much research had he done on him? Peter was still reeling from having his own Luke and Darth Vader moment. "But I—but Richard was..."

"Your father in everything but DNA," Tony answered.

"What? But..."

"I know, it's a lot."

"You and Mary..?" Peter made the connection easily.

"It must've happened," Tony admitted sheepishly. "And neither of us knew that it was me. She met Richard not long after, so I think she always thought...well," He gestured to Peter, eyes glistening with an apology.

"I'm not a Parker." It was a question.

"Not technically." Tony winced.

"I'm a…" The name Stark wouldn't quite leave his mouth.

Tony leaned forward with his hands clasped. "I know, kid. I'm sorry. I know this is insane, and I just found out a few days ago so I'm freaking out too."

"Are you sure?" Peter said the words lightly. Carefully. Like he'd get in trouble for doubting the genius Tony Stark right in front of him. Even though the story wasn't so hard to believe and Peter was an above-average smart kid, he didn't feel in the realm of someone like Tony.

There was amusement mixed with the emotion in Tony's eyes. "Yeah, I'm sure. Unless science decided to start lying."

"Oh my gosh." Peter covered his face with his hands, trying not to let it all overwhelm him. He ran his fingers through his hair, body unable to keep still. Tony noticed the same behaviors he did himself when he was restless. "This is insane. This is...crazy. I don't-I can't..."

"I get it, Pete. Yesterday you were my intern and today..." he trailed off warily. "It's a lot," he repeated his words from earlier.

Peter shook his head. As much as he was freaking out, he was also flooded with a sort of relief. Tony wasn't just his boss, or his mentor. He was his dad. He was so much more...He was all that Peter had wanted him to be but wouldn't admit it out loud. He wanted to cry.

But—A single thought speared his happy emotions like a shish-kebob. "You don't actually want this to go anywhere, do you?" Peter asked in a small voice. "You have a life, and a company. And the media. And-and I have May, anyway." He tried to keep the disappointment out of his voice, but Tony didn't miss it. For the first time, the man reached toward him, his hand cupping his face. His thumb brushed at his hair, making Peter go completely still. He held his breath, the touch from Tony so startlingly gentle and fatherly that it made his chest hurt.

"Peter, I'm not just going to go on treating you like my intern when I know you're my son. I can't do that."

"But you don't want a teenager," Peter argued.

"I want you," Tony said firmly. There was no arguing with that tone, Peter already knew. He swallowed hard.

"But people can't know who I am. They'll never leave me alone."

Tony shrugged like the answer was simple. "So we don't tell anyone."

Just that simple drop of we, the thought of having Tony with him to go through all of this, made Peter feel a thousand times lighter.

"So I pretend I'm your intern in public."

"Yep."

"And then what?"

"You can stay here on the weekends, to start."

Peter hadn't expected him to jump headfirst into this, and he stopped and stared for a few seconds, his face undoubtedly a laughable level of shocked. He was touched, and excited at the prospect of living with his real dad part-time, but he had plenty of concerns. The man didn't realize how needy Peter was. How much he was committing to by doing this. "But you don't have a room for me."

"There're plenty of guest rooms. You can have any one of those."

"But how would I get here?"

Tony sat back and interlaced his hands, seeing Peter had hopped on the question train. "Happy will drive you. Or I will."

"Will I just bring a bag of clothes..?"

"You can. Or you can give me your sizes and I'll buy you a wardrobe." Peter's eyes widened. "And to jump ahead of the game a little—I'll buy you everything else you need too. Don't worry about it, kid."

"I have asthma, though," Peter countered. "I can't be around air fresheners or strong cologne."

"That's not a problem, Pete."

Peter fished his head for more questions. "How would I come in, though? Wouldn't everyone see me?"

"You'll come up after the internship on Fridays, like you did today, and you'll leave Sunday night through the underground parking. No one will see you."

"Aren't you busy though? With SI and Avengers stuff?"

"Sometimes. But I can clear the weekends up."

Peter ran out of questions. Emotion sprang to his eyes, but he willed himself not to start crying. He stood and, before he could think about what he was doing, he walked over to the man. Tony stood to meet him, eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

Peter threw his arms around him and buried his face in his collarbone before he could feel embarrassed for it. He wanted to thank him for his generosity, for taking him in without a second thought, for wanting him. "Thank you," Peter whispered.

Tony was completely caught off-guard, his hands brushing faintly against Peter's back. But when his kid said those words to him, Tony squeezed his eyes shut and held Peter closer to him. "Of course, kid," he murmured.

They pulled apart after a minute, and Peter could suddenly see it— the same brown eyes and hair, the same set jaw. Even their noses were similar.

Peter shook his head. "May is going to freak out."

"I'll be with you when we talk to her if you want me to be. This is my responsibility, not yours."

Just like that, they were in sync. Just like that, Peter knew he loved the man. "Can you be there? Please?" he added, and Tony squeezed his shoulder.

"Of course."

They stood in a few seconds of weightless silence.

Peter had a dad.

It wasn't Richard, but he found he didn't mind. He had been like a father for the few years he'd known him, Ben too, and that was enough. But Tony...He was here right now.

"We've lived minutes away from each other for fifteen years and we didn't even know," Peter said. "And I'm your intern. And you're Tony Stark." He laughed. "I grew up poor."

Tony joined in to laugh at the irony. "It's probably for the best." Tony in 2001 was too drunk and irresponsible to be the father Peter needed.

"Yeah, I believe you," Peter said. "It's just crazy none of this would have happened if I hadn't been picked as an intern."

Tony's eyes held a glinting look for a moment. "I know. I'm glad you were. And I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm glad you got hurt, or we never would've had your DNA in the system."

Peter laughed, and Tony's lips turned up at the sound. He stepped closer to him and wrapped an arm around his shoulders. "When do you want to break the news to your aunt?" They started walking to the door, Peter picking up his backpack on the way out. He leaned into the contact, comfortable next to the man.

"When are you free?"

"From now on, Pete, if you need me, I'm free."

Peter was dubious. "Won't that make Ms. Potts mad?"

Tony laughed. "Maybe. Probably. But I know when she meets you she'll love you."

Peter stopped halfway down the hall. "Wait...am I gonna meet the Avengers?"

"What, meeting Iron Man wasn't enough?" Tony teased. "Of course you'll meet them. They're something like my family, so I figure they can be yours too. Don't worry—they'll be wrapped around your finger in no time. Bunch of softies."

"Wow," Peter breathed. They made it to the elevator, and he was still trying to sort out everything in his head. Should they tell May today? Did Tony really mean he was always available for him? Maybe they'd go talk to his aunt another day, so he didn't seem too eager. But there was no way he could keep the secret from May for long.

He didn't get a chance to decide on anything, though, because an alarm bell went off, loud and blaring.

Tony's arm tensed on his back. "That's the Avengers' calling card. I'm sorry, but we'll have to go to Queens another time, okay?"

Peter nodded. "Yeah, that's fine."

He watched with interest as the man tapped at his wrist and the Iron Man suit came to life around him, encasing him in a sea of red and gold up to his neck. Peter couldn't help but be in awe.

"Is that nanotech?" He let himself geek out for a second, and Tony shot him a grin.

"It is. I'll let you look at it sometime."

The dopey smile couldn't be wiped off Peter's face.

"You know the way out, right? Sorry to just leave you here, but I'm about to jump out a window."

"Yeah, I'll be fine."

"Good." Tony studied him for a last long second, then turned to leave. "You've got complete security clearance, so you can go wherever you want. Don't abuse it!" He pointed a gloved finger at him, and Peter shook his head.

"I won't."

Tony paused at the window, eyes torn. "Bye, kid. I'll see you soon."

Peter waved. "Bye, Mr. Stark." Suddenly, the name sounded too formal. The man had developed a joint-custody plan in about ten minutes, so…yeah.

Tony turned as the last of the nanotech finished forming, and then fell out the open window, the sound of thrusters following him. The window slid closed thanks to Friday, and then Peter was left in silence. He took a last look at the penthouse that was about to become his part-time home. It felt cozier, now. Homier. He pushed the elevator button and when it opened, he walked in and hit the circle for the lobby with a sort of transcendent happiness. He smiled the whole way down.