Work Text:
The One Time Tony Helped Peter with His Homework...
Peter awkwardly stared at his reflection in the elevator walls as he rode up to Tony's workshop, soft jazz playing that made him want to tear his ears out. Even though Pepper had told Peter many times that he was perfectly welcome when ever he wanted to drop by, and the man himself had said that his workshop could be used by Peter whenever he so desired, the boy still kinda felt awkward simply...walking into Stark Tower and taking an elevator ride up to Tony's private floors.
But today he had a good reason. He needed help with homework.
Well...ok, maybe that wasn't the whole truth. See, to put it plainly, Peter Parker was a genius. He definitely could design and code this robot by himself, but when you have Iron Man as a friends with a huge expensive lab filled with fun tools that would simply push his design over the top and score him that extra credit that he needed after missing a couple classes because of Spiderman stuff...well he just couldn't pass that up.
The elevator gave out a soft ding as it came to a stop, with a peppy voice telling him he had reached the 64th floor, Tony Stark's lab, and to have a great day. "Uhhh thanks, you too," Peter said, cursing himself when he realized he had just thanked an elevator.
Feeling temped to sneak through the halls, he instead walked as fast as he could without seeming suspicious, allowing himself to slow down only when the familiar glass doors came in sight. "Friday, can you let me in?"
"Of course Peter," the AI answered and the door opened, allowing Peter to step into the lab. He'd been here enough times and the faint smell of metal, alcohol, gas, and whatever else was lying around made him relax. He let his bookbag slide from his shoulders, glancing around, but seeing no sign of Tony.
"Uhhhh Mr. Stark?" Peter called out, stepping around some tools scattered on the floor. "You here?"
A thud and a curse came from across the room. Tony Stark crawled out from under a desk, holding a wrench and several papers. "Ahhh kid!"
"Hello Sir." Peter walked over and helped Tony stand up. He seemed slightly intoxicated, hence the smell of alcohol. "You ok?"
Tony waved off Peter's concern. "Absolutely. What are you doing here, did you damage the suit again?"
Peter groaned. "One time sir. I broke it one time."
Tony grinned at his protege. "Yeah, never gonna let you live that one down. You sat on it right? That's how you broke it, you sat on the retina display and you broke it."
"Ned sat on it actually...but no that's not why I'm here, the suit's great, amazing actually, you're a genius sir."
"You're right, I am a genius."
Peter rubbed his hands together nervously. "So you see, I have this extra credit thing I gotta do, missed a couple classes because, well, ya know, big lizard, anyway it's for robotics and maybe you could help me with it? I mean it shouldn't be that hard and if you're busy that's totally fine, I can just get Ned to..." He broke off frowning. "Uhhh, what are you doing?"
Tony was staring at him with a huge stupid grin on his face. "You want me to help you with homework?"
"Well, yeah, if you have time."
"Kid! Of course, let's do it!"
"Wait, really?"
"Kid, I'm not gonna say it again."
"Oh. Awesome, wow, I didn't think you were gonna agree to this, I mean you have so many other things you could be doing..."
Tony cut him off again. "Ok, let's do it. You said robotics right? Perfect, right up my ally. Did you have any rough designs, plans you scribbled out, anything to start us off?"
"Yeah actually," Peter looked around for where he dropped his bag, grabbing his notebook filled with ideas, talking as he went, telling Mr. Stark about his goals, what would guarantee him the extra credit, ect. Tony looked on at the kid eagerly sharing his ideas and a smile crept back onto his face, seeing himself in the boy in front of him.
They worked through the night, with Pepper ordering them pizza for sustenance, and finally just when the sun was peeking over the hazy towers of New York, they were finished, gazing with bleary eyes at their finished project. Tony slapped Peter on the back, filled with pride at what they had accomplished together. "If your teacher doesn't give you that credit, I'll come down myself and make her."
"Thanks Mr. Stark."
"Anytime."
Just before Peter walked out, he heard his name. "Yes Sir?"
"I mean it kid. Anytime you need help on homework again, I'll be waiting."
"...I'll remember that."
"I'm always here for you kid."
**************
The One time He Didn't...
Five months later, Peter found himself back in the elevator, with another project weighing heavy in his bag. Time to see if Tony really meant what he said.
The moment the doors opened, he set off down the hall, not even caring if the security guard watching through the cameras found him suspicious as he ran towards the glass door. "Friday, open up please."
Entering the lab, he nearly missed Tony walking past. "Woah kid, what's the emergency?"
Peter gulped, realizing just what he was doing. "Making good on a promise. I need help...with homework."
"Absolutely. What is it this time, Physics? Calculus? Hell, Algebra?"
"Uhhhhh, Home Ec?"
And that's how Tony Stark, genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist, found himself in one of the barely used kitchens the tower, Pepper's apron covering up his AD DC shirt, listening to Peter read off the ingredients they needed for waffles.
Waffles.
How hard could waffles be?
He designed his first Iron Man suit after being kidnapped. He had survived several visits from aliens, had survived almost dying in space, and most recently, Thanos for God's sake.
He could handle waffles.
****
Tony Stark could not handle waffles.
"Wait, read that part again kid."
"Beat egg whites until you get stiff peaks."
"Stiff peaks? The hell does that mean?"
"I don't know! I missed this lesson, that's why I came to you for help."
Tony rubbed at his forehead, feeling a headache coming on. He needed whiskey for fuck's sake...wait. "Kid, I got an idea."
Peter watched as Tony dumped a generous glug of expensive whiskey into the egg whites. Shit, that one pour could have paid for his college tuition. "Um Sir? I don't think that's what stiff peaks means."
"Sure it does, it looks better already!" Tony poured himself a glass. "I certainly feel better already. Trust me kid, this is all gonna turn out fine."
Peter somehow doubted that, but didn't argue as he dumped the egg mix into the waiting flour and gingerly poked at it with the whisk, mixing until most of the noticeable lumps were gone. "Ok, that's it then. We just have to wait for the waffle machine to heat up."
Tony's eyes popped open where he was sitting and nursing his whiskey. "Wait, you need a waffle machine?"
"We don't have a waffle machine?"
"Kid, whenever I want waffles I just order them, of course I don't have a waffle machine."
Peter looked at the mix, which was slowly starting to separate with a filmy layer developing on top. "Well, looks like we're having pancakes instead."
"I'm going to need more whiskey."
Several minutes later, after Tony finally found a pan, at least he had that, the two men were gathered around the stove, watching the uneven scoop of waffle/pancake/whatever-it-was batter sit in the middle of the cast iron.
"How long does it take to cook?"
"I don't know, it just says to flip 'when bubbles are visible on top.'" Peter read from his phone, after having looked up a pancake recipe last minute to see how they were cooked. "Do you see any bubbles?"
"Not yet," grunted Tony, taking another sip of his drink.
Five minutes lapsed. No bubbles.
Ten minutes. Still nothing.
Fifteen. Not one bubble in sight.
"...Did you turn on the stove."
"...No. Did you?"
"..."
"Fuck. Do you think your teacher will notice if you bring in waffles from that cafe around the corner?"
"...No."
"Cool."
****
Tony Stark couldn't handle pancakes either.
Peter failed his Home Ec lesson. Next time, he was going to ask May for help with that subject. Tony fully agreed.