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It was a few days after Peter had recovered from a patrol-related injury, and the late afternoon of his first day back at school since the injury. Pacing back and forth in his lab, likely wearing holes in the floor, Tony glanced to his watch. Five minutes. The kid was five minutes late for their lab time and- okay, maybe he was overreacting. The subway could have been late, or the school bell, or maybe he was walking a little slower than usual... The man cleared his throat and looked back to his project, clipping a few wires here and there but not really concentrating, just trying to keep the illusion of not panicking. Maybe Happy had been right earlier in calling him a helicopter parent. He picked at a few more wires, accidentally breaking the thing and he groaned as smoke spewed out from the device.
"Dum-E, no-" his words were cut off as the robot sprayed foam in his face.
----🕸🕷🕸----
Peter's day couldn't have been going any worse. First, he woke up late, thus having to skip breakfast in order to make up the lost time. He'd been late for lunch after having to go and see some of his teachers in order to make up for work he'd missed during the time off school he'd spent recovering. Luckily he managed to shovel in some food but yet again skipped drinking anything... which he felt the effects of strongly during his last two lessons. Head feeling strangely heavy and yet light at the same time, he'd muddled through a Spanish quiz, feeling relief flood through him with the thought that it was a lab day and so Happy would pick him up, and he usually had some sort of snack for him in the car.
But upon leaving the school and standing in the carpark for a few moments, seeing no telltale signs of the man's vehicle, it was then that he remembered Tony texting him that morning that Happy would be busy and he'd need to catch the subway instead. Which he managed to miss, of course. He should have stopped somewhere for a drink as he waited for the later one but he didn't want to risk missing another train. So instead, he waited around on the platform until it arrived, before stumbling into a seat.
His head fell back as he closed his eyes briefly, feeling the light headache picking up to a more noticeable, pounding pain. Making a mental note to himself to never get this dehydrated again, he rubbed a hand against his temples. In his slight delirium, he neglected to text Tony that he'd be late to the Tower.
The time that passed from leaving the subway to arriving at the tower seemed to fly by, before grinding to a halt as he stepped into the tower elevator. Something didn't feel right, and it wasn't the dehydration this time. His spider senses were tingling and he glanced about him. No one was in the elevator with him, and checking his phone, he--
"Ohmygosh--" the words flew out in a rush as he looked at the time. Half an hour late for his lab time with Tony. After the scare of his sudden injury out on patrol, and how his mentor had been fretting over him for the past week... yeah, the man wouldn't be happy. He gulped, then coughed a little, finding his throat was dry. The man wouldn't be pleased, and that was an understatement- but surely he wouldn't mind Peter going to get a drink first.
And he didn't. But as soon as Peter walked into the lab and then tried to step past him, without a word of where he'd been or even a sorry, Tony felt a strange feeling burn in his chest. He stepped in front of the teen, gaze stern, arms folded in a final gesture which sent Peter stepping backwards.
"-and where do you think you're going, Peter Parker?" At this, the teen cast his gaze downwards. Using his full name, meant the man definitely wasn't in a good mood. He understood he was worried but... things were starting to look a little funny. The headache was spiking into more of a migraine and he squinted his eyes against the harsh lighting of the lab.
"Not a call, not a text, not even a, a, 'Sorry I'm late, Tony'- I've been worried sick here, kid, you could have been injured again, you could have been kidnapped-" In his ranting, Tony had started to pace, thus not noticing as Peter seemed to sway a little, face pale.
"Mr Stark, I'm-"
"Alive, thank God- but you might not have been. And I. Wouldn't. Have. Known." He gripped at his hair briefly, before taking in a shaky breath.
"Look, kid, I'm sorry, I'm just worried... you could have been anywhere, and..." he paused again as Peter made another move towards the kitchen, blinking in shock as he felt the kid bash into him.
"What are you-" but his sentence was interrupted at once by the thump that followed, and he was met with the collapsed figure of his mentee sprawled on the floor. His anger was replaced with shock, and then, an ugly mixture of worry and guilt flooding into his body as he quickly knelt down beside him.
"Peter? Kid? Pete, Pete?!" He shook the boy lightly, calling his name but when he only elicited a groan in response, then he opened his mouth to call FRIDAY.
But somehow, the AI already knew as she chimed in quickly with, 'I've notified the Medbay, and Dr. Banner is coming now.'
He sighed in brief relief, before turning back to Peter, who was starting to stir. There was a small wound on his head, and without prior context, he got the horrible feeling that his anger had caused this.
Tony stayed a step away from the stretcher in the elevator and as they got into the Medbay, fearing that the kid might bolt if he saw him again.
----🕸🕷🕸----
"Prolonged dehydration and fatigue, huh?" Tony whispered, sat on an armchair beside Peter's bed. After Bruce had found no danger from the slight knock to the head and had planned proper fluid intakes for the water-deprived Spider Boy, they'd taken Peter back to his room. The two hadn't spoken until now.
Peter cast his gaze downwards, nodding slightly, biting his lip.
"I... kid, I didn't mean to make you feel like you couldn't tell me you needed something. I know I went off on a rant and got all, helicopter parent, as Happy puts it-- but I care about you, first and foremost. Just interrupt me, tell me to shut up-" he stopped mid-sentence as Peter gasped at that, and he couldn't help but chuckle.
"Mr Stark, I couldn't..." Although, he didn't sound too hesitant about it.
"You can. Or at least let FRIDAY know in advance if you think I've turned into... into Mr Stark-raving-mad, I dunno. But I just need to know before you go all swooning on me, okay? I know I'm used to it with all my adoring fans but," he chuckled again as Peter buried his face in his hands, cheeks flushing, "in all seriousness: just tell me." He reached across, brushing a finger lightly over Peter's chin to stop him from hurting his lip.
"I... yeah, I will. I know I was stupid, I should have drank something earlier.." he paused, turning his head to the side a little, away from the lights, which Tony promptly noticed and he turned the switch down.
"Well- we're getting there, Underoos. The main mission is protect the Spider-Boy from himself, but I don't know if I can get a protocol for that when you're not wearing your suit."
Peter gasped in mock horror as pressed his face against the pillows. Tony just smirked fondly, reaching across and brushing back his chocolate brown curls. He mumbled something into the pillows.
"I hope that was 'I love you Tony, you're the best'," he teased, to which Peter tilted his head to the side, only to poke his tongue out at Tony before going back to his pillows.
"But you know you love me. Anywho... I'll leave you in peace. I know Brucey Bear said to let you get some rest and sleep off the dehydration headache so- get some rest. I'll come check on you later." And then, as he stood up, pushing back the chair, he smiled as he looked over his kid. "Love you, Pete."
And then, he left, leaving Peter in peace. He tugged the blankets up a little higher. Once the tiredness and headache went away he'd probably go and apologise to his mentor over and over until he was the one getting told to shut up, but for now, he felt content. Well, content in the sense of a domestic bliss, stemming from the way Tony seemed to... care about him, and for him. Though he thought his mentor was long gone, he lifted his head and mumbled a sleepy, "Love you too, dad..." before dropping his head and promptly falling asleep.
Standing outside his door, Tony might have cried. Just a little. But no one had to know.