Work Text:
"Hey, Mr. Stark,“ Peter mumbled as he walked into the lab and tossed his backpack, giving it a kick for good measure. He’d started Health Class at the beginning of the semester and the study unit they were about to start had him out of sorts. Not because it was the sex-education portion of the course so much as he’d been asked to go over a packet of topics with a parent. Topics like sex, abstinence, birth control, and the social aspects that came along with those things. The worst part was that there was no getting out of it. He had to have the last page sighed and turned in on Monday. It seemed unfair, everyone else in his class had a father or grandfather to have that discussion with and he was going to have to sit down with his aunt. Despite their close relationship, he felt awkward about it, and knowing that the conversation was going to have to happen had left him in a sour mood.
Tony greeted the kid and looked up just in time to see him flop into his chair frowning. "You okay?” he asked with a quirk of his brow.
"I’m fine,“ Peter grumbled, then scrubbed a hand over his face. "It was a weird day, that’s all.”
"Weird how?“ Tony asked with mild concern because typically the kid loved school and came bouncing into the lab with a million stories right on the tip of his tongue. He wasn’t used to him being so quiet. "Someone giving you a hard time?”
Peter forced a smile and shook his head. “Nothing like that, Mr. Stark. Just a class I’m taking. The teacher sprung an assignment on me and I’m not really happy about it.”
"What kind of assignment? Maybe I can help,“ Tony offered, already crossing the room.
"It’s fine," Peter returned with a vigorous shake of his head. "I just don’t like it, that’s all. I’ll figure it out, I swear."
Tony chuckled and placed a hand onto the overly-stressed teenager’s shoulder. "I have no doubt that you’ll figure it out, Kiddo. I was just offering,” he said, giving the boy a reassuring smile.
Peter looked towards his mentor and then back down at his desk. “Thank you, Mr. Stark but I think I’m on my own on this one,” he said, hoping that would end the conversation but of course it didn’t.
"You know you’re never actually on your own with anything, right?“ Tony worriedly asked. "I don’t care what the assignment is, you’re allowed to ask for help. Hell, asking for help is a life-skill. One I’m hoping you’ll master while you’re still young” he added, leaving the words ’unlike me’ unsaid.
Peter sat up and turned to meet his mentor’s eyes. “It’s not like that Mr. Stark!” he nearly shouted. He’d not meant to imply that he was avoiding assistance. “It’s just that I have to ask May to sign a paper and talk about some stuff and it- it’s sort of embarrassing,” he explained, a blush rising to his cheeks as he spoke. “It’s not really nephew-aunt kind of material."
Tony nodded his head on mild understanding. Though he couldn’t fathom what kind of material the kid wouldn’t want to mention to his aunt. But there was only one way to find out. "Mind if I take a look?” he asked, holding his hand out in anticipation.
Peter chewed his lip and allowed his hands to hover over his bag. At least Tony was a guy and that might make it all easier to talk about but, then again, the man hadn’t seen the topic yet. “Are you sure, Mr. Stark?” he hesitantly inquired.
"Kid, whatever it is, I can handle it,“ Tony replied with a roll of his eyes and waited for the kid to hand him the papers. Once he had it, he flipped through the pages and abruptly understood the kid’s hesitance. "Oh,” he said once he’d made it to the last page.
Having taken the man’s reaction completely wrong, Peter’s cheeks turned three more shades of red. “See I told you, Mr. Stark! I’m so-”
Ignoring the teenager’s flustered interjection, Tony tapped the top page.“-Have you read through this already on your own because there seem to be quite a few gaps in their information.”
Slightly taken aback, Peter blinked at the man for several seconds before answering. “I- I just skimmed it,” he said.
Tony nodded and beckoned the boy towards the opposite side of the room. “Well, let’s take this to the couch so that we can read it together. I’ll fill in the obvious blanks and then you can ask me whatever else you want to know. Sound okay?” he asked and was pleased when Peter agreed.
From there, they sat down and reviewed the packet. Tony added a lot more to the material, personalizing the facts with a few personal anecdotes that had Peter both blushing and giggling. Then once they had gone through the final topic, Peter asked a few questions and when everything had been seemingly clarified, Tony suggested they order dinner.
Peter nodded his head but made no move to stand up. “Hey, Mr. Stark?” he asked and waited for the man to hum in acknowledgment. “Thanks for, uh, for doing this. You didn’t have to,” he said with nothing but gratitude.
"I wanted to do it, Buddy,“ Tony returned and then grinned teasingly. "Besides who am I to not impart my superior wisdom when it comes to the wild world of-” he began and wasn’t surprised when he was cut off before he could finish his exclamation.
"-Okay! I get it!“ Peter hurriedly interjected, laughing the whole time. "But seriously, thank you,” he added once the laughter had died down.
Tony just smiled in return and ruffled the kid’s already unruly curls. “Anytime, Kiddo. Anytime.”