Chapter Text
It did take quite a while before Tony finally managed to gather the courage to call May about his kid’s stay in the Med Bay. It had been a simple thing to explain to the Leeds family that Peter would not be able to stay the weekend with Ned due to Peter having been in an accident and instead bring Ned to the Compound, but talking to May, telling her that Tony failed her boy two days before he was even supposed to stay with him? That Peter ended up shot the very day she left for her business trip? That was something Tony had struggled to do. He had asked both Pepper and Helen to do it instead, to reassure May she could stay on the trip because Tony would not be the one carrying the responsibility of Peter’s safety with him, but rather Pepper. He had failed his kid, he couldn’t be doing it for a whole two weeks!
But Pepper and Helen had insisted that Tony would be the one calling May…
God, how Tony wished he could ask Rhodey to do it instead, but with him not knowing that Peter is Spider-Man, there was no way Tony could burden the responsibility on him… For heaven’s sake, he didn’t even know Peter was shot! How could his friend explain anything to the boy?
There was no getting out of it, so Tony locked his lab, making sure that Rhodey would be unable to enter during or hear anything about this conversation, then sat down in front of his main screen. The least he could do after ruining Peter was to give his guardian his full attention…
“FRIDAY, call May on the emergency line!”, Tony instructed his AI, taking a deep breath.
It took half a moment for May to appear on his screen, her clothes perfectly made for a nurse’s conference, her hair in a proper bun, a sandwich in her left hand - seems like he interrupted her lunch – while sporting a scared, panicked look in her paled face.
“What is it, Tony? Did something happen to our kid?”, she urged, eyes wide. “There haven’t been any news alerts, so spill!”
Tony sighed. How was he to explain how much of a failure he was? How much Peter deserved better than him?
“Peter was shot a few hours ago”, Tony explained. “P-”
“WHAT?!”, May burst out, her face losing even more colour, her eyes widening, her breath shortening. “I’m coming home immediately! How bad is it? Give me Doctor Cho! Is our kid alright? Is he conscious? I want to speak to him!”
She was already moving to for sure come back home, but Tony wasn’t about to allow that. This was her chance to step up in life, he wasn’t about to let her drop this. She deserved to be fulfilled at her job, to have options, to choose…
“Peter is fine now. He has already been released from Med Bay!”, Tony jumped to explain, trying to calm her, apparently effectively. “It wasn’t a bad wound. The bullet landed in his arm, but his healing took over immediately, he hardly lost any blood. We gave him the food and nutrients he needs for his healing to kickstart, aided his thermoregulation a bit, but there wasn’t much to do. He is mostly fine now, nothing to worry about. A small scratch but by tomorrow, he won’t even need the band-aid anymore.”
May looked significantly calmer now, nodding along as the colour reappeared in her face. “Okay.”, she mumbled. “Okay. Peter is okay.”
“He is.”, Tony agreed. “We will need to keep the band-aid for a few more days bec-”
May’s eyes shot up, wide. “You just said he didn’t need them anymore! Do not lie to me, Stark, how bad is our kid?”
“He doesn’t need them, honest!”, Tony reassured, worried about this exchange. When will she insist that Tony doesn’t belong in her nephew’s life? “It-”
“Then why, Stark, should he still wear them?”, May said with her controlled neutral tone, her eyes blasting fir at him. Tony could feel himself shiver at the look she shot him, feeling like she might murder him (successfully) if he said anything wrong right now.
“Rhodey saw him at Med Bay!”, Tony said a bit too quickly, rushing to explain. “He doesn’t know about Peter’s enhancements, so we have to pretend that it is still there under the band-aid.”
“Oh”, she answered, lost for words. “Of course. That is very thoughtful of you, Tony. Just keep him safe, will you? I’ll talk to Peter and Pepper in a second. Talk to you later!”
She was about to drop the call when Tony interjected: “Aren’t you going to yell at me?”
That seemed to only confuse her. She raised her eyebrow at him, looking surprised. “Is there more to this story?”, sho wondered.
“Well, no. But I failed Peter. He got shot on my watch!”
“Yeah, so?”, she asked, her eyebrow shooting up higher.
“He got hurt because of me! I shouldn’t be in contact with him if I endanger him like that!”, Tony tried to reason, unable to grasp her nonchalance. Why wasn’t she angry at him for that? Why wasn’t she demanding that Tony stay away from her nephew? It didn’t make any sense! He was a horror, a monster, he neglected their kid’s safety!
He seemed to get her anger now, it seemed. “Don’t you dare drop him again, Anthony Stark!”, she yelled, her eyes blasting. “You know how devastated he was when he lost you the first time! He is your kid, no matter what, and you cannot just step in and out of his life because of single mistakes! He needs you, Tony, and that doesn’t change! He will be brought to you just as we agreed! You will do the role of his parent, he will come to your wedding, you will teach him how to be a superhero as long as he still wants that, you will do whatever it is you are doing! Because our boy is thriving like this and I expect him to be happy, is that clear to you?!”
“But I – ”
“No, Tony! No buts! I told you before, either you are all in or you are gone! You are good for him and I will not allow you to stop being there for him! He got shot on patrol! That happens!”
Tony really didn’t know what to say to that.
---
In the end, Rhodey understood that Tony and Peter's relationship was something special, something that couldn't be fully explained. It was more than the sum of its parts, more than mentor and student or father and son. It was a bond born out of shared experiences, trust, and love. And Rhodey was grateful to have been able to witness it, even if he would never fully understand it.
But it was clearly paternal in nature and Rhodey wanted his best friend to make the step in admitting it. Tony was a hyper-protective, loving, caring, supportive dad who’d do anything for his boy, trust his kid with anything, be anything for him. Spend any time with the boy, doing even the most secure projects in is lab, working on high security SI stuff and Avenger stuff together like the Spider-Man suit and Rhodey's own suits, and Tony’s suit, watching Star War multiple times a week, taking hours of his day just to make sure Peter would never be hungry... Sure, Rhodey could believe that they aren’t biologically related. But Tony not being Peter’s Dad? Yeah, Tony must be lying or completely oblivious. He does not care that FRIDAY and Pepper say they are not biologically related, Tony and Peter are father and son (and Pepper is a mom, though she was not oblivious about that). Was it really that hard? It was obvious for anyone; he was not hiding it. So why could he not say it? Why was Peter not saying it either? Was it so hard for them? It was just a three-letter word each! One syllable? Could Peter not say “dad”? Could Tony not say “son”? Peter was already saved as Tony’s kid in Tony’s phone. Why not say it out loud, towards Peter? Rhodey knew it must not be good for either of them to hide their feelings for each other for so long. Maybe Rhodey could speed it up as well… He should ask May and Pepper; they could help him find a plan to make the two idiot geniuses admit to their relationship…
So, he went to speak to Pepper about it that very day. The two of them sat in her office, looking at each other, waiting for the conversation to start. Rhodey just wasn’t sure how to properly explain what he wanted…
“Listen, Pepper, it … I know … Ugh!”, Rhodey tried, unable to formulate it. “God, this isn’t easy, but I wanted to apologize. I have been a jerk lately, to all of you and especially to Peter. I know you think of him as a son, and I kept assuming things and that acting on these false assumptions and being mean and everything. I know how wrong this was. I am sorry.”
Pepper smiled at him, a satisfied look in her eyes. “Yeah, you were not what I would have liked around my son. But I accept your apology.”
A few seconds of quiet entered between them as Rhodey thought how he could formulate the rest of what he was here for.
“Do you need anything else, Rhodey?”, Pepper wondered out loud, looking at her friend questioningly.
“I just, I don’t know how to say it, but what about Tony and Peter?”, Rhodey wondered out loud, knowing he wasn’t making the issue properly clear at all. That was evident by the now sceptical look Pepper threw him.
“What about them?”
Rhodey sighed. This was not going well at all…
“It’s just … I know it is not biological, I get that, but there still is something… They still are…” Rhodey took a big breath, starting again. “Tony is clearly Peter’s dad. Peter is clearly Tony’s son. I know there is nothing biological about it, you don’t have to say it. But these two are denying their feelings right now! I think it is important that they talk it out. They need to admit it, and they will not do so on their own.”
“I see.”, Pepper answered, sighing, and shacking her head. “I get where you are coming from, I really do, Rhodey, but I don’t think you are on the right track here. Just leave it be, Rhodey. They’ll notice eventually. They are oblivious right now, sure”, Pepper laughed. “We all can see it; it is clear as night and day. They love each other. But they aren’t ready to admit it, and we both know why they aren’t. And that is exactly why they need to do this on their own timing.”
But Rhodey did not want to leave it...
---
As time passed, Rhodey continued to watch Tony and Peter's relationship evolve. He saw how they supported each other, how they laughed together, and how they leaned on each other in times of need. And even though he knew there was still much he didn't know about their relationship, Rhodey was grateful to have been given a small glimpse into the bond between Tony and Peter. It was one of the most genuine, loving relationships he had ever witnessed, and he was honoured to be able to witness it first-hand.
It was noteworthy that even though the injury was minor and required but a band-aid that Tony and Pepper got even more protective of Peter afterwards. Even May called to check up on the boy from her business trip, asking whether she should come home, but was quickly convinced that Peter was save with Tony and Pepper.
Since Peter was supposed to spend that weekend at Ned’s, they had brought the boy over to the Compound instead, much to the kid’s delight. Right now, the boy sat at the sofa, the boys talking, while Tony and Rhodey prepared lunch for them - Lentil Spinach Lasagne, Ned’s favourite – the home feeling tranquil and happy as any home was. Only the view over some trees would have made Rhodey feel more like he was back at his parents’ home, with Sammy and Beck, over the holidays.
“And Spider-Man really got shot? So cool!”, Ned cooed loudly, Rhodey hearing it from the living room. He guessed Peter shushed the boy afterwards, since he was not remotely as loud now. He heard hardly anything after that, but he was still confused why Tony and Pepper hadn’t brought it up again in the entire day and a half since they went out to help the young hero. They are here, doting on Peter, yet haven’t spoken a single word about Spidey’s injury or recovery.
But right now, this wasn’t relevant to Rhodey. He had a clear objective in mind. He wants his brother and nephew to realize who they are for each other. He wants them to do what is necessary to be ther one hundred percent for each other. And he will manage to do it!
“Listen, Tony, how did you meet Peter? Did he apply for the internship?”
“Well, you know about the September Foundation?”, Tony asked, shifting a bit while putting another layer on the lasagne, carefully adjusting each vegetable and ingredient for perfection. There was something wrong with Tony and the way he reacted, but Rhodey wasn’t sure how that is. All he knew was that Tony took a deep breath, taking his time before answering, adjusting the lasagne more carefully than necessary. But that wasn’t very interesting to Rhodey. What was relevant was Tony’s answer. Did he know about the September Foundation?
Yeah, Rhodey remembered the foundation. He remembered how exited Tony had talked to Rhodey about this for years, planning the idea since they were in MIT. Rhodey had financial issues after Sammy died and Tony had been happy to help, which had motivated Tony to think about it. Tony had been really excited about the opportunity to help poor families at university, to help them deal with life, get food and housing, pay for tuition, work on projects, anything they needed, really. And he named it after Sammy, his birthday being the tenth of September, which was very meaningful to Rhodey, easily making him willing to contribute in any way he could. Rhodey’s situation and all the things he told Tony about Sammy was what got him the idea, after all. Tony had been impressed by Sammy and what kind of person he was, Sure, Tony had hardly met him himself, but it was enough to see Rhodey’s brother as a hero, as a motivation, as a muse. Anything for this great teenage boy who deserved so much more than he got. Sammy was an angel. Anyone could see that, Tony included. Anything for his little late brother to stay in the memory?
Then, the holidays came. Back then, Rhodey did not know that much about Howard Stark besides him not being the most attentive father and being very business oriented. He didn’t think much when he told Tony to pitch the idea to his father. It was his father, surely Howard would think about it and see whether the idea was feasible, right? Any father would be excited to see their fifteen-year-old son open for the world, ready to help, generous, kind, and interested in business! It was the perfect dream situation for Howard Stark!
At least that was what Rhodey had thought. When Tony had come back, he did not talk about the September Foundation anymore. Tony got snappy any time Rhodey mentioned it. It was like Tony had been exchanged. No fifteen-year-old kid anymore, willing to do something for the world. There was only fifteen-year-old Stark, protecting his family fortune, doing the projects for the company his father had assigned him. Weapons building in his dorm, blueprints instead of homework, frustration and late nights trying to finish it all.
That was hard to watch for Rhodey. Tony had struggled doing both schoolwork and Stark Industries assignments at the same time before, sure, but this was even worse. It was like everything Tony just disappeared into this snappy anxiety boy, just leaving Tony Stark, heir, snob, rich boy.
Later, Rhodey had learned why. He had assumed a long time, but only after Howard had died did Tony tell him everything. And Rhodey would have done anything to change this for Tony.
“He us’d to hit me.”, Tony had slurred, deadpan, drunk, about a week after the accident. “I ‘lway’ trie’ ev’thing, bu’ tha’ wasn’t ‘nough for dad. ‘Be the Company’, he us’ t’ say. ‘Be like Steve.’ Or ‘Stop being such a weakling.’ I come to h’m for ‘e Foun’ation, yeh kno’? Like you sug-ested. Told him ev’thing. ‘member this fol’er with all the calcu’tions? With S’mmy? I g’ve him tha’. Was the first thing I wa’ ‘cited about SI, yeh kno’? Dad didn’t care. Was angry I was’ed my ti’ with it. Bu’ed ‘e folder. Said if I haff time for chil’ish gam’s, I shoul’ double the pro’ects for SI. Got real mad. Passe’ out during it, not sure wha’ happ’ned. Dad really didn’t like it. Thought he woul’. Sammy was like ‘ad said Ste’ was. Thought he ‘ould like it. Yeh know? Cap’ain ‘merica. That’s who my dad wan’en to be. Never was, though. Always wasn’t ‘nough. Might not try that much, huh? ‘M not good ‘nough, an’way.”
Tony had mumbled a lot that day. Basically told Rhodey everything. For a while, Tony had tried to distance himself from Rhodey, but Rhodey didn’t let that happen. It took a while for Rhodey to convince Tony not to listen to his father that much, to do things his way, to trust himself. But after a while, the September Foundation was re-born as an idea. And just a few months ago, the Foundation made it finally into the real world. Rhodey remembered advising Tony to tell Spider-Man to use the Foundation as a cover story. If anyone deserved it, it would be Spider-Man. He was so much like Sammy… But the Foundation was alive, and that was all that mattered to Rhodey. People could read about Sammy when looking up the Foundation. Sammy was still out there in the world, doing good. Even if Sammy’s body was underground, his ideas and values were carried around in the world. And Rhodey could not be any happier.
Of course, Tony knew that Rhodey knew everything about the September Foundation. Its works, its options, its sub-divisions…
“Well, Peter applied with a great project. Got recognized by our intern programme, so he came here, rising through the ranks very fast.”, Tony explained, having a smile on his face that would look like fond admiration to anyone else. Rhodey, however, noticed immediately that it was Tony’s fake smile. That surprised Rhodey. Tony was always fond and loving towards Peter… Why wouldn’t he be about this? Rhodey had a feeling Tony was lying about Peter and how they met, though he was unsure why Tony would bother… Especially to lie to him… There was clearly something going on they were still not telling him.
“A really great project of his. It was so good and big, it landed on my desk, and I wanted to get more information, you know? Scientist to scientist. So, I went to find the scientist working on it and it turned out to be fourteen-year-old scrawny Peter Parker, High School intern! Imagine my surprise there, huh, Rhodey?”
“So, you met him and made him your personal intern?”, Rhodey questioned, surprised. Tony wasn’t exactly known to give an intern that much attention.
“Of course! You see how amazing the boy is! I needed to show him all his possibilities! All his options!”, Tony exclaimed, his fond look now turning real.
“And that is how you became a dad, then?”, Rhodey asked, going for the kill.
Rhodey laughed loudly as Tony spluttered, his face red and shocked. “I’m not his father!”, he yelled between coughs, clearly embarrassed.
“Of course not!”, Rhodey answered, sarcastically. “And I’m not in the military!”
“I thought we already had this discussion! I’m not a dad, Pepper is not a mom! Peter is just an intern! An extremely qualified intern, but just an intern!”, Tony disagreed, clearly flustered and frustrated.
“Listen, Tony, you do not need to be biologically his father to be his dad. We are brothers.”, Rhodey pressured on. “I mean, he calls me and our sister Uncle Rhodey and Aunt Beck! Why do you think that is?”
“Please stop it, Rhodey.”, Tony begged, teary eyed. “I’m not his father. He needs someone better as his father. He deserved so much more than I could ever give him. I would just damage him, hurt him!”
Looks like this attempt failed, Rhodey thought dejectedly. He needed to take care of Tony’s emotions first.
“You know that’s not true, Tony.”, Rhodey tried carefully. “You are great with him. You are there, spend a lot of time with him. You take care of his food and his exercise and watch movies you don’t like just for him! Tony, you are a great dad! You are the most loving, caring, always-there father in the universe! You love him, we can all see that!”
---
“Why did you tell him to leave it be? He could have been useful!”, May questioned, her face looking down upon Pepper in a critical way.
“Well, he might ruin the bet! It would not be fair.”, Pepper tried to justify for the bet. It was true, of course. She wanted to play fair. But what she told Rhodey was true as well. And the wellbeing of her fiancée and son was far more important, though they all knew that and behaved accordingly. But Pepper didn’t want to risk that her meddling might pose. Tony was struggling with his insecurities for a very long time. She worried that it wouldn’t go over well if Tony would acknowledge it, but Peter wouldn’t. She might think of Peter as her son and she knew Tony loved him like his son, but did Peter love them like parents? May seemed to believe so, sure, but she wasn’t sure.
“But you'd win!”, May argued, but it wasn’t enough. Pepper’s worries and insecurities won this battle.
“I want to win fairly!”