Work Text:
Tony shuffles in quietly, making sure not to wake anybody up as he joined the puppy pile with a blanket of his own. Natasha - who he swore was snoring a second ago - smiles at him and goes back to sleep.
It was Saturday movie night at the Avenger’s Compound – well, it was past midnight now, so Sunday, technically - and as much as Tony had wanted to join a lot earlier, he also wanted to wrap up all his work today so that he could spend the Sunday with his favourite Avenger. Speaking of which, he looks around for a familiar set of brown curls, and smiles fondly when he sees Steve cuddled up in the couch with his arms around a pillow.
Movie nights almost always ended this way, and even though the day sometimes changed from Friday to Saturday to Sunday, depending on what Avengering looks like that month, it was a tradition nobody was willing to let go of. The mornings that followed usually included Steve and Clint making pancakes for everyone, and then everyone just had a nice, quiet day.
When Tony’s sure the teenager was nowhere to be found in the lumps of blankets and cushion and Thor, he gets up to his feet again, and makes his way upstairs to his floor to see if the kid was in his room. He contemplates knocking the door – he knows how much teenagers love privacy, even if Peter would probably not care – and decides against it because he didn’t want to wake the kid up if he was asleep.
He opens the door slowly, and sees Peter wearing headphones on and bobbing his head as he typed away on his Starkbook. Tony leans against the frame, grinning at the kid and the way he’d decorated his room. He still remembers how surprised and excited the kid was when he first told he could have his own room. It’s been a few months, and even though he’s seen this almost every other day, his heart still does a little dance when he sees the soft blue walls and all the Stars Wars and Avengers posters. Yes, the kid actually had an Avengers poster that was signed by all of the Avengers. And he had a special arc reactor night lamp. Tony swears he didn’t cry when he saw it first – Peter made it himself – but everybody knows that’s a lie.
“Hey”
The kid turns around, his eyes wide as he pulls his headphones off, leaving his curls in a mess. Tony walks over with a smile to smooth them, and sits down on the bed.
“Hey Mr. Stark. You’re not all knocked out and asleep yet?”
“Thought I’d ask you the same thing”, Tony says, raising an eyebrows. “What have you got there?”
“Ah”, Peter says, shrugging. “Just have a lot of homework”.
“What subjects?”
“Oh I’m doing Calculus right now, but after this I have Chem and then I’ll study just a little for AP History – oh, do you think Mr. Rogers would be okay quizzing me on that tomorrow?”
“I’m sure he would be, buddy, but it’s pretty late-”, Tony says, glancing at the clock. It was nearly 1 am. “How much of this is due tomorrow?”
“Oh, the test is on Monday, and the homework is due tomorrow night? I just want to get them over with”, Peter says, smiling sheepishly as he twirls on his chair.
Tony sighs, leaning back on the bed and stares at the ceiling. “You can just do this tomorrow, then?”
“But Mr. Stark-”
“Okay, how much of Calculus do you have left?”
“It’ll take me another hour, maybe?”
“Okay. Sleep after that and I will get Steve to help you with History tomorrow”.
“That’s not even a deal, Mr. Stark, he’d do it anyway”.
“Oh, it’s like that now?”, Tony says with a grin, sitting back up.
“Yes. Yes, it is”, Peter says cheekily with his chin raised.
“Alright”, Tony says, getting up. “I was thinking of making hot choc-”
“That’s blackmail! You can’t blackmail me!”
Tony dusts his joggers for show, looking at Peter again. “I’m the adult, I can do anything I want”.
“That’s not- I am so gonna use that on you when I turn 18”.
“Which isn’t happening in forever”.
“Three-”
“Nope, never ever. Hot chocolate, or no?”
Peter pouts, and then rolls his eyes. “Fine.”
Tony grins to himself as he leaves the room and makes his way to the kitchen. What? He does make amazing hot chocolate. His head wanders around in the peaceful silence that envelopes him as he watches the milk boil.
Peter’s still working when he goes back with two mugs in his hand, but he’s expecting it now so he just turns around with a smile and mumbles a weary thanks as he takes a sip. Tony sits cross-legged on the bed, drinking his own hot chocolate as Peter continues to finish his homework. He’d offer to help, but Peter didn’t probably didn’t need it, and honestly, he doesn’t mind just sitting quietly and watching his kid do his thing.
After an eternity, Peter crawls up close, yawning.
“Sleepy?”
He nods quietly, and Tony puts their mugs on the bedside as he hugs the kid, making him get into bed.
“Ugh Mr. Stark. Stay”.
“What, you’re gonna miss me?”
“Yes. And you need to wake me up at six so I can finish Chem”.
Tony nods, knowing full well he wasn’t going to do that. Peter could probably get FRIDAY to set an alarm, but he can’t ever wake up that way. Kids these days, he swears to god.
“Shuffle in, then”, he says, letting the teenager cuddle up close and kisses his head. “Good night, bubba”.
“Story”, Peter mumbles, pulling the comforter tightly. That kid liked sleeping in a damn furnace, all cocooned up. “Tell me how you learnt to make the hot chocolate”.
“My mother”, Tony starts, feeling warm. Peter’s probably going to fall asleep halfway through anyway. “When I was a lot younger than you, I would sit in the kitchen whenever she cooked anything. I'd sit on the counter and she would let me lick the last of the chocolate batter when she baked or just nibble on random things all the time. Jarvis and Anna always cooked, but sometimes Mom missed her Italian roots or just wanted to make something herself.
“When I was a little older, maybe ten, she started teaching me actual recipes. Hot chocolate was the first thing I learnt, actually. Although I definitely messed up that first time. I got cocoa powder all over the floor and myself, and was sure I'd never be able to do anything in the kitchen ever again", he says, laughing to himself softly.
“Mmh”, Peter mumbles. “You teach me?”
Tony thinks his heart will completely combust one of these days, and as he watched the kid finally fall asleep, his breaths becoming even, he doesn’t think he minds. He can get another arc reactor if he needs it.
“Tomorrow, bubba”, he whispers softly.