Work Text:
Peter texted Tony, “You busy?”
“In a meeting. What’s up? Please, give me something good so I can tell Pepper I need to leave.” Tony texted back quickly.
Peter smiled but the pain in his stomach caused him to text back quickly, “May’s out with a friend for dinner and my stomach hurts really bad.”
Tony frowned, “What kind of pain?”
“The normal kind?” Peter responded.
“Pete.” Tony sighed while typing, “Like throw up or pain pain?”
“Both?” Peter said.
“I’m coming to get you.”
~
Peter slid into Tony’s car holding his stomach, “You think I’m dying?”
Tony pulled out into traffic, “Unlikely. What did you eat today?”
“Normal stuff.” Peter grimaced.
“PETER.” Tony gave a side eye toward his mentee.
“I may have had a little of May’s leftover pasta. It was a just a couple bites!”
“You know gluten makes you sick, Kid.” Tony sighed.
“But it’s not fair.” Peter pouted.
“It may not be fair but that’s why you’re in pain.” Tony pulled into the garage, “This is why Dr. Cho warned you to be extra careful.”
“She only told me that a week ago. Don’t I get an adjustment period?” Peter pouted.
“No. Come on. Let’s go upstairs. This is not going to be a pleasant Saturday for you.”
~
Peter changed into pajamas that someone had left in the dresser for him in the penthouse. They were the softest pajamas he had ever felt in his life. Hopefully they distracted him from the pain in his stomach for a while. He climbed into bed and hugged a pillow to him.
Tony knocked before coming in, “You want a heating pad or anything?”
Peter shook his head, “I think we both know that my body needs to reject the food or I won’t feel better.”
“Anything I can do?”
“No.” Peter closed his eyes, “I’m fine.”
“I’ll be in my office if you change your mind. Pepper’s been nagging me to get that paperwork done.”
“She only nags because you never do it the first time she asks.” Peter mumbled.
“Stop taking her side.” Tony paused in the doorway, “You’re my mentee.”
“Tony?”
“Yes?”
“Go away. I’m going to have explosive diarrhea soon and I’d rather you not be around to hear that.”
“I remember when you would stutter when you talked to me and now we talk about bowel movements.” Tony teased.
“Tony!” Peter pleaded.
“I’m going. Let Friday know if you need me.” Tony made his exit.
Peter accepted his fate. He was going to spend the day in the bathroom and headed that way.
~
Tony closed his laptop at the end of the work day and went down to Peter’s room. He found him snoozing on the bathroom floor. It was clear he had been in there most of the day. His laptop was still playing a movie on the floor. Tony closed it and gave Peter a gentle shake, “Wake up, Bud.”
“My tummy hurts.” He mumbled.
“Tummy?” Tony teased.
“That’s what’s it is.” Peter whined.
“How bad is it? You said you only ate a couple bites.” Tony told him.
“I lied.” Peter groaned, “Didn’t want you to get mad.”
“I’m not mad. I know allergies suck. But we did those tests because you were in pain all the time. You’ll feel better if you avoid the foods your body can’t process, Bubba.”
“Tony? Please make the sharp pains stop.” Peter begged his mentor.
“How about you get into your real bed and try to sleep this off?” Tony suggested.
“Will you lay by me?”
Peter looked at him with those big brown eyes and Tony knew he wouldn’t say no. He nodded motioning him to the bedroom.
~
“How’s my favorite guys?” Pepper asked softly from the doorway when she got home that evening.
“I think he’s rejected all of the food his body didn’t want. He’s been asleep for a couple hours now.” Tony looked up from his Stark Pad to answer his fiancé.
“Poor kid.” Pepper came into the room pulling the blanket over the teenager so he wouldn’t get cold.
“He’s fine.” Tony rolled his eyes.
“He can’t regulate his temperature.” Pepper glanced at her fiancé.
“I know that. I’m his—“ Tony cleared his throat.
“—His?” Pepper teased.
“You’re being mean.” Tony told her.
“You started it.”
~
Tony had been in the lab for a couple hours when a sleepy Spider-Baby came downstairs and sat on the stool across from him, “Feeling better?”
“I think I’m starving.” Peter nodded.
“Pepper saved you food in the fridge.”
“I love her.” Peter grinned.
“Peter?” Tony stopped him, “Can I ask you something first?”
Peter stopped in his tracks and sat back down, “Sure.”
“Um. I was talking to Pepper earlier and I might have almost called myself your dad. I realize I’m only your mentor. I was just thinking if you were okay with it then maybe I could call myself your dad. You can say no though. It’s fine. I won’t be upset. I know I didn’t have a good example so you might not want me.” Tony rambled.
Peter’s eyebrows shot up, “Are you actually nervous?”
“Yes.” Tony answered honestly.
Peter went around the desk and hugged the man, “I didn’t know you could get nervous.”
“So?”
“So what?”
“Are you cool with it?”
“We don’t get to choose our parents. The universe just gives them to us. The universe gave me you. I’m not going to argue with that. Can I go eat now?”
“Yes.” Tony couldn’t wipe the smile from his face, “Love you, Pete.”
“Love you too.”
~
Peter woke up the next morning and found Pepper and Tony going through everything in the kitchen, “Morning. What are you doing?”
“Making the kitchen safe for you.” Tony said without pausing his search of the fridge for anything that could hurt his kid, “We’re going fully gluten free.”
“You don’t have to.” Peter shook his head.
“Of course we do.” Pepper frowned.
“Why?”
“We don’t want you to have to question what you are eating in your home.” Tony explained.
“Oh.” Peter loved this couple, “I can help.”
“Or you could go get us coffee.” Pepper pleaded, “You can take Tony’s car.”
“One of the least flashy ones.” Tony told him, “And not one that says Stark on the license plate. I don’t want the media to come for you.”
“Oh. May hasn’t added me to her insurance yet.”
“I added you to mine a week ago.” Tony didn’t miss a beat, “But drive safe. I want you home in one piece.”
Peter smiled, “Okay. Text me what you want.”
“But don’t look at it until you get there.” Pepper warned.
“Do you want me to go or no?” Peter rolled his eyes, “You seem unsure.”
“No! We’re not unsure. We trust you.” Tony promised, “It’s everyone else we don’t trust.”
“I’ll be safe.” Peter promised heading to the garage.
He got into one of the cars and went to turn on the radio. It wouldn’t go on.
“Sorry, Peter. The boss has suggested I keep the radio off to avoid distractions.” Friday told him.
“But an AI is not distracting at all. He’s such a helicopter parent.”
“Would you like me to send that message to him?” Friday asked.
“No. It’s fine.” Peter put the car in drive, “I kind of like it.”
“Very well.”