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Tony rubbed his eyes. It was dark as he pulled into the parking space. That was part of the plan. Peter was knocked out cold in the passenger seat. It hadn't taken very much time. They'd gotten off the plane in the dark and Peter'd tried to stay awake long enough to determine where they were, but Peter'd conked out before they hit the highway.
Tony smiled. He was actually going to pull it off. He'd actually get to surprise the kid. He got out of the car and quietly shut the door. He went to Peter's side and opened his door. When he unbuckled Peter, the teen opened his eyes slowly.
"Tony?" He didn't put up any resistance when Tony picked him up.
"You're alright, kid. You can sleep." Peter wasn't a light kid, given how muscled the super-teen was. But Tony would carry him. He'd never had the chance to carry his son when he was little and he was going to take what he could get while he could.
"Mmkay." Peter grabbed Tony with one arm and snuggled into his chest.
Tony carried him the short way to their lodging. Peter woke long enough to help them get through the door. Tony found the key right were he'd asked the staff to put it. He carried the kid into the room, then Tony put him down on the bed. Instantly, Peter curled up and snuggled against the pillow. He leaned down and pressed a kiss to Peter's curls before he left and got their bags.
Tony didn't bother unpacking. He closed the curtins and pulled out the sofa. He pulled Peter's shoes off and covered the boy in a blanket. "Sweet dreams, tesoro."
-
When Peter woke up he wasn't exactly sure he'd equate where he was with Tony Stark. The cabin was clean, but small and obviously older. He'd been in a hotel like this before with May and Ben, but it didn't seem like the kind of place a billionaire would stay. Even though Peter knew enough about his father to know he wasn't snobish, he did like to have nicer things, so his surroundings were a little out of place. The curtain was closed over a window and a dim light was glowing orange beyond them. There was a shower running in the next room, so Peter got up and looked for his bag.
When he found his suitcase he realized that he'd been put on the bed, because Tony had gone to sleep on the marginally less comfortable pull out bed. Peter's heart warmed. 'Thanks, Dad.' Peter thought. He took a deep breath and dropped his suitcase. It was the first time he'd ever called Tony that, even in his head. He wondered what it would feel like to say the word aloud. He tried to make it come out, but it caught in his throat. Maybe it could stay inside his head for a while, until he got used to it.
He slipped on his clothes and climbed back onto the bed, getting a little more rest. "So...where are we?" Peter asked after Tony stepped out of the bathroom. Tony didn't look much like himself. He was wearing casual shorts and a t-shirt. He wore a hat on his head and anyone who looked at him probably wouldn't equate him with a billionair superhero.
"You'll find out in a few moments. Calm down, bambino." He knelt down to put on his shoes.
"Bambino? Like Babe Ruth?"
Tony snorted. "No, it's an endearment in Italian."
"The air smells different here. So...?"
"The only hint you're getting is that you've never been here and neither have I." Tony shrugged. "We're gonna get breakfast after we go for a short walk, then we're likely going to go for a walk, so wear comfortable shoes."
"Okay." Peter nodded and slipped on sneakers.
"Come on, tesoro."
Peter followed him out of the lodge and took a breath. The air smelt weird. Fresh, but also like dirt. And the ground wasn't brown. It was reddish orange. The pine trees smelled nice and there were people out and about. The sun was already up, even though it was too early for the sun, at least in New York. He walked with Tony down a path. "The rocks look weird." Peter pointed out, picking up a small one that was bright red.
"They do." Tony agreed.
"So you've never been here either? Why'd you choose this place?" Peter wondered as they walked through the woods. It didn't seem to add up. Tony loved technology, it seemed a contradiction to be in the middle of nowhere.
"I do like going outside, and I've heard this place is wonderful. Never did make it out here, though." Tony shrugged. "Thought it might be a good experiance."
Peter hummed in agreement. Even this, just walking in the woods was nice. Peaceful. Then Peter caught sight of sunlight through the trees. It was striking something colorful. "What's that?"
"I have a good guess." Tony smiled. It was only another minute before they stepped out of the trees and onto a rocky ledge.
Peter's jaw dropped. He'd never seen anything so bright and colorful and massive and gorgeous. It almost hurt his eyes, but he couldn't look away. The Grand Canyon. That's where they were. "This is amazing." Peter whispered.
"It is." Tony responded after a second.
Peter's eyes hurt a little bit. The sun was just so bright, even though it didn't feel too hot. He pulled on his sunglasses, they were a temporary version. They'd made his headset and earbuds first, because his hearing usually was what started his overloads. The sunglasses didn't take away the beautiful colors, they just dimmed the light a little bit.
"Are you alright?" Tony put his hand on Peter's shoulder.
"Yeah, just a little bright, the glasses help." Peter smiled reassuringly. "Thanks."
"Let me know if it ever gets too much, okay? We have plenty of time to explore. Vacation is meant to be enjoyed, you know?"
Peter nodded and walked to the edge.
"Be careful, kid." Tony warned.
Peter laughed, checked to see if anyone was around, then he sat on the edge, stuck his hand to the rocks and leaned out over the canyon, looking down. The view looking down would probably make most people dizzy, but Peter loved being able to look down at all the ways the shadows played over the straight-down drop below.
"Jesus, underoos."
"Come see. I won't drop you." Peter promised, holding up his free hand.
Tony slowly sat on the edge and planted his feet on the rocky wall of the canyon. Peter stuck his feet to the wall to free up his hands. He helped Tony stand on the side of the canyon, the same as him. "You are crazy strong."
"You're not even heavy." Peter shrugged. "Isn't it cool though? From this angle you can see the depth better."
"It's cool, a little dizzying though."
Peter helped Tony back up onto the ledge and stood with him. "We get to hike this?"
"Yup, anywhere you want to go. But breakfast first, kid."
"Sounds like a plan."
After eating, the two of them filled a bag with water and headed out. Peter insisted on carrying the bag for them and Tony agreed only after Peter made the argument that he did have superstrength. They wandered the canyon and Tony got a few pictures and videos of Peter climbing the rocks and doing backflips off of boulders. (Tony cringed a little bit at that, but Peter promised he'd stick the landing, and he did.) They made their way back only after they exhausted their snacks and most of their water. Near the top, they sat on a ledge together, feet dangling as they took one last break. The sun was just starting to set, changing the colors of the rocks and the sky brilliantly.
"Hey, do you two want your picture taken?" A soft voice called.
Peter turned his head instantly. "Sure. It is a nice spot." They hadn't gotten a decent picture together. Selfies just didn't turn out perfect, because you couldn't get all the scenery in the picture.
He got up and handed the woman his phone. "Thank you!" He turned and offered a hand to help Tony up.
"The things you drag me into, kid." Tony sighed, but he had a smile on his face.
"Smiles!"
Peter wrapped his arm around Tony's shoulder and Tony returned the gesture. The woman snapped a few pictures and held out the phone to Peter.
"Thank you. I can take yours if you'd like." Peter offered, but the woman declined and headed off. Peter looked down at his phone and smiled. They were great pictures. They looked so happy. And the sunset was perfect.
"That's a good picture." Tony nodded in approval.
They headed back up to the lodge and got dinner before they got cleaned up from the day of hiking. They sat on the bed and watched A New Hope, until Peter fell asleep, his head sliding over and landing on Tony's arm. Tony smiled and before he could think to move Peter into a more comfortable position, he fell asleep.
-
The headed back home on Monday afternoon. Peter texted Aunt May a few pictures as they flew back to New York, the ones that wouldn't make her freak out. He looked up at Tony who was leaning back in his seat, but still awake, nursing a sunburn on his arm where he'd missed a spot with the sunscreen. Peter smiled softly. He hadn't been on vacation in a long time. Not since before Ben had died, and even then they had rarely gone very far. It simply wasn't something they did a lot of. But Tony (aside from the private jet for safety reasons) had given him a vacation that hadn't been extravagant or over the top the way a billionaire might go about it. In fact, Peter was pretty sure most familys could have done exactly what they did. It felt nice that his father had thought about what they could do together that wouldn't make Peter feel...guilty. It was thoughtful and Peter'd had a lot of fun. He hoped Tony did too.
"That was awesome, huh?" Peter asked.
"It was nice. You hear people talk about places like that but, pictures and words don't do it justice. I don't usually get a lot of fresh air, that was good." Tony grinned. "Did you have fun, kid?"
"Yeah! It was cool."
Tony's smile grew warmer.
"Thank you," Peter tried to add 'Dad' at the end, but it didn't quite come out. It just felt like a huge step.
"Any time, Peter." Tony grinned.
Peter was glad that he still had two days to spend at the Tower with Tony. He wasn't really ready for the weekend to end. He grabbed his ear plugs and pressed them in to drown out the noise of the plane and catch a nap before they got to New York.