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Peter did not consider Tony Stark to be his father.
Tony is just a mentor of his.
Only a mentor. Nothing more.
So, what Peter couldn't wrap his head around is how he -- a young genius -- can be so fucking stupid.
Calling Tony "Dad" instead of "Mr. Stark" is one of the stupidest things Peter thinks he has ever done.
How does that even happen?
They're two completely different names.
One day in the lab . . .
"Is this good?"
Tony looks over Peter's shoulder, tilting his head as his hands move to his waist. Leaning most of his weight on one foot the genius begins nodding slowly, his mouth pinched to the side.
"Yeah, looks great, Pete." Tony confirms, giving the boy a quick pat on the back. "You want to test out the web fluid right now?"
"Sure, I mean, if you don't mind, Mr. Stark." Peter starts pulling at his sleeves nervously. "We don't have to--"
"Oh, shut it, Parker." Tony rolls his eyes, already starting to get out the chemicals they'll need. "I wouldn't have offered if I didn't want to test it out too."
"Okay. Sorry, sir." Peter mumbles, making his way over to the man so he can help him take everything out.
"One: no more apologies." Tony holds up his index finger. "And two: no more 'sir.' You got it?"
Peter smiles warily, giving a nod. "Yeah."
"Good." He starts mixing chemicals together, making sure to measure everything out carefully and correctly. "Am I mixing the right things together? Chemistry isn't usually my area of expertise, though it can be. But especially not with, well, your Spiderling fluid, mix you've made here."
Peter laughs, crossing his arms over his chest. "Do you want me to do this instead?"
"No." Tony glares over at Peter. "I got it."
Peter puts his hands up in surrender, trying not to smile too much at how angry Tony is getting. "Sure you do."
"For the love of--" Tony cuts himself off, pulling the safety goggles off of his face. He leans against the desk for a few moments, composing himself. "Just-Just do it."
Peter silently walks over and starts mixing the chemicals together. When he adds in the last one the experiment sort of bubbles up, creating some sort of foam. The boy stirs it and when he sees it's become web he stops, pulling the glass stirring rod out.
"There."
"There." Tony mocks, mumbling to himself in annoyance afterwards. "Well, it's getting late, kid. Have you at least texted Aunt Hottie to tell her you'll be late?"
"I thought I told you to stop calling her that."
"I do it to get a rise out of you." Tony smiles, not looking up from his notebook. "It's a rare thing to see you get all mad, kiddo."
Peter rolls his eyes. "Well, it doesn't help that she has started calling you 'Sexy Man', instead of 'Iron Man.'" He glares when Tony smirks over at him. "It doesn't even make any sense! Those words don't sound alike at all! You guys are so annoying when you team up to bug me!"
"I know." Tony hums, writing one last thing down before finally looking up at the kid.
"I should go." Peter speaks once he's looked at the time on his watch. "May will worry."
"That she will." Tony nods, shoving his hands in his pockets. "But I don't want you swinging home. It's too late for that."
"Fine." Peter swings his backpack over his shoulder as he walks to the elevator. "See you later, Dad."
Stupid.
The boy freezes where he stands. This nervous energy swallows him whole and he feels like he'll have a panic attack at any moment. He feels like a child who just called their teacher 'Mom' though he never actually did that. Not having liked any of his teachers and well . . . he hasn't been able to call anyone 'Mom' or 'Dad' for a while.
Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.
He almost wants to turn around. To turn and to see if Tony has even noticed what was said. Or to see if the genius has completely freaked out and decided to remove Peter from the internship. But he doesn't turn, he resumes his walk to the elevator that awaits him, walking way faster than before.
Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.
He's walking and walking, staring daggers at the metal box in hopes he'll will it to move closer to him somehow. Feet tripping over each other, Peter wipes his now sweaty palms on his pants. He reaches the front of the elevator after what feels like decades and is about to press the button--
But then a hand grabs his shoulder.
Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.
Shoulders pulling together, the young genius feels his face flush. He clenches his hands into fists, desperately trying to get them to stop their shaking movements. A queasy feeling spreads slowly through his stomach and a sharp pain shoots in his heart when the hand squeezes his shoulder and starts to try and turn him around.
Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.
He resists the hold until a shaky voice is heard from behind him and his heart practically drops into the pit of his stomach.
"P-Peter?"
Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.
"Y-Yeah?" Peter stammers out, not moving an inch from where he stands. "What i-is it? Did I forget something?"
"Peter."
Squeezing his eyes shut and pressing his chin against his chest in shame, the boy turns around slowly to face the man.
Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.
"W-What is it, Mr. Stark?"
"I just--" Tony cuts himself off, his eyebrows furrowing together. "I just don't know if I heard you right."
Peter swallows, trying to get the big lump in his throat to go away. It doesn't. "What do you mean, Mr. Stark?"
Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.
"Pete, I heard you." Tony whispers, his voice only audible because of the young superheroes super hearing. "I mean, I heard what you s--"
"I'm so s-sorry, sir." Peter shrugs Tony's hand off of his shoulder, much to the genius' surprise. "I'm sorry. I really didn't mean to. It just slipped out and I-I don't even see you as a-as a father."
Stupidstupidstupidstupidstupidstupidstupid--
"Pete-- bambino, I--" Tony's voice is overflowing with so many emotions that Peter can't seem to pick out any of them. "It's okay. Listen, I know you didn't mean to, er, to say it. And it's, um, okay if you don't want to call me that but, if you're comfortable with it. I would like it, uh, a lot if you did. But, of course, only if you want to."
Peter finally looks over at his father figure to see tears falling down the grown mans cheeks. The water falls freely and Tony doesn't even try and stop them as he looks at Peter with an overwhelming amount of love in his warm, brown eyes.
"R-Really?"
Instead of answering, Tony just reaches out and grabs Peter, pulling the boy tightly into his chest, one hand going to Peter's hair. The spider superhero can feel the cool of the arc reactor through Tony's shirt, it's sort of a calming and familiar feeling.
Almost as if they had hugged thousands of times instead of one awkward time in a car.
"I love you."
"I love you too--"
"--Dad."