Archive of Our Own ^beta

Tony closes his laptop, he’s just finished a consultation for a costumers tattoo. They want several different flowers, some with petals plucked off, Tony could find references, but why do that when you work next to a local flower shop?

Tony stands, grabbing his wallet and phone, he leaves the back room and passes Natasha who is at the reception desk booking someone in, he gives her a nod and points to next door, she nods and he leaves the shop to step outside onto the pavement. It is a warm sunny day, and he smiles, soaking it in for a few seconds.

Tony’s phone vibrates in his pocket and he pulls it out, reading the text and smiling as he starts to walk to the shop a few meters away. It is from his Pepper, the mother of his daughter, and it is a photo of Morgan covered in paint, standing next to a painting she did proudly.

Tony is so distracted as he enters the flower shop that he doesn’t notice the young man.

There is a yelp, and Tony grunts, a young man stumbles back, dropping the flowers in his arms.
“Shit,” Tony exclaims, at once pocketing his phone, and kneeling to gather up the flowers that fell out of their wrapping and onto the floor. “Sorry, all my fault, I wasn’t paying attention to where I was going. I-” Tony breaks off as his hand touches another and he looks up from the floor to its owner.

The young man is beautiful, stunning, drop-dead gorgeous. He’s got brown curls that cascade across his forehead, and brown honey eyes, along with an adorable nose. Tony blinks before trying to regain his thoughts,
“If any are broken or damaged I’ll pay,” he promises. The man smiles wide and grateful at the words and at being given some back by Tony carefully.
“No that’s okay, they all look fine, besides, well uh, I didn’t buy them, I mean I didn’t steal them,” he backtracks quickly and almost looks horrified by the idea.

Tony laughs standing and offers the man a hand, he takes it and Peter helps him up.
“What’s the story then?” Tony asks curiously,
“May, the owner, she’s my aunt, when she has older flowers she can’t sell she gives them to me, and I take them to school and show my students how to press or dry flowers,” he explains. That warms Tony’s heart, and he grins,
“Wow, that’s so great, and sweet,” Tony says smiling, he offers his hand, “I’m Tony, Tony Stark,” he introduces himself. The man smiles, and takes his hand,
“Peter Parker,” he pauses,
“Wait did you say Stark?” he asks. Tony nods,
“Yep, why?” he asks, wondering why the man is suddenly staring at his hands.
“You’re Morgan’s Dad!” he exclaims. Tony blinks in surprise, and then the surname rings in his mind, Parker, Mr Parker. Tony’s face lights up in recognition and he smiles,
“Mr Parker!” he exclaims, “You know you’ve only been teaching Morgan four weeks, and I don’t think she’d ever liked any teacher more,” Tony praises. “She adores you, you know? I was beginning to get a bit jealous if I’m honest,” he says teasingly. Peter laughs,
“There’s nothing to be jealous of Mr Stark, Morgan talks about you so much,” he tells him, “She told me all about your job and tattoos,” he pauses and his cheeks blush, “That’s how I knew it was you, because of the ones on your hands,” Peter explains. 

Tony grins and looks at his right hand where vines covered in buttercup flowers wrap around his fingers and travel up to wrap around his wrist, covering the bottom of his bio-tech sleeve. Tony knows how much Morgan loves this tattoo and it is hers. He’d explained to Morgan when she was little, that tattoos are for fun, and art, but also represent important things to him, so Morgan asked if he has anything about her. He didn’t, and she asked him if he’d have one and of course, he said yes. So he got this one, buttercups just like his nickname for her. Morgan loves to tell everyone about it.

“Pretty recognisable,” he agrees, his eyes flick up to Peter’s face, “I’ll have to have a word with Morguna though,” he says. Peter looks at once worried,
“Why?”
“Well she didn’t tell her very single Dad how handsome Mr Parker was,” he says a very clear flirting lilt to his voice.

Peter flushes harder,
“Oh, I,” he stutters, hands holding the flowers tighter.
“Please tell me there isn’t a rule against me flirting with you?” Tony asks teasingly, Peter shakes his head,
“I-I, don’t think so Mr Stark but-”
“Please call me Tony”
“It would be unprofessional of me Tony,” Peter says brushing harder.
“Well no flirting at school, there’s a coffee shop nearby, maybe it’s casual enough it wouldn’t be professional there,” he suggests. Peter blushes and rubs his neck,
“I…” he pauses, looks at the flowers and then back at Tony. “I’d like that, but, I, um, have to take these home before they wilt, and, maybe, give me your phone number?” He suggests blushing.

Tony feels a rush of happiness,
“Sure of course,” Tony says eagerly taking Peter’s beat up phone and entering his number under, ‘Tony Stark ;)’ Peter blushes when he sees it and tucks his phone away.
“I’ll text you,” he says and it sounds more like a promise than a casual comment. It certainly isn’t a lie.
“Please don’t worry about waiting to not seem desperate,” Tony says, “Because I am very desperate,” he jokes. Peter giggles, so fucking cute and lovely as he brushes curls away from his face.
“I won’t,” he agrees, some fondness in his voice, he steps around Tony, Tony stepping back and holding the door open. Peter steps out but looks back at Tony, “Um, if you’re going to talk to Morgan, maybe, you should mention she didn’t say how hot her Dad was,” he stutters as he pulls a white rose out of the bunch and hands it to Tony, before rushing away.

Tony just stands watching him leave, unfortunately, he’s wearing a shirt long enough to cover his ass.
“Tony.”

Tony turns to see May, his friend and owner of the shop standing at the counter, an eyebrow raised. She’d clearly been watching the entire thing. Tony swallows,
“Hurt him and you’re never getting any flowers from here again, capisce?” she says voice low. Tony nods,
“Yes,” he pauses, “Why didn’t you tell me you had an unusually attractive nephew?” he asks. May’s glare is enough to send him running, laughing as he does. He can’t wait until the text and the date, and the second date, and the third, fourth, fifth, the one-hundredth!

Tony’s not normally a romantic or love at first sight guy, but Peter’s beautiful face has awoken in him a certainty that they will be together their whole lives.