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Peter exhales when he holds a breath he didn’t even know he was holding. When he enters the school, all he thinks of is finding Ned. But it probably wouldn’t be hard when his friend always somehow finds him first.
Opening his locker, an arm is slung onto his shoulder and he immediately smiles. It was a force of habit at this point and basically muscle memory to smile whenever Ned comes around.
”Ned! Thought you were gonna meet me at the front? Something come up? Was it Flash? If it was him, Ned—“ He was briefly interrupted by his friend’s laughter, Ned shaking his head.
Like music to his ears. And Peter loved music.
“You just took too long, idiot. Why don’t you ever swing to school? Aw, that’d be so cool! Then you’d like, walk me in with everyone seeing us ‘n stuff. And! And— and you wouldn’t almost be late every time!” Ned rambles, and Peter just listens while he gets what he needs in his locker. Peter normally talks more, because they’re both talkative, but right now? He just wants to listen while he can. Maybe even pitch in occasionally.
”Also, wanna get the new Star Wars set today? I really wanna buy it with you and probably take the last one from little kids.” Ned snickers which makes him snap out of his own world and makes Peter’s cheeks heat up.
Why did he have to be so immune to Ned’s antics? Just when he was oblivious too?
”Are you okay, Peter? You’ve been sitting there staring at the wall for like there’s something so interesting there. Is there?” Stark pauses momentarily, raising a brow. “FRIDAY, is there anything on the wall I’m not seeing?”
And from that, Peter snaps out of his thoughts and supposed day-dreaming to quickly shake his head and answer Tony before FRIDAY could. “No! There’s— uhm, nothing there, Mr. Stark. It’s okay. Sorry, I just— just kinda zoned out for a bit. Sorry about that,” Peter stammers.
”Why? Lab days becoming boring for you, kid? Should we do somethin’ else?” Tony teases and Peter clumsily shakes his head again.
”It’s—It’s not that, Mr. Stark. I’ve just been thinking about a lot recently. Like, about school and homework and stuff. I promise it’s not anything about you or—or our lab days.” Peter says as he continues to tinker with the suit they were upgrading. Currently, they had been working on the gauntlet and its storage for more fuel.
Like FRIDAY had read the boy’s mind and to sell him out— much to Peter’s dismay — she does a quick scan of the boy due to the new detection. Like the Baymax movie Peter, Tony, and Pepper watched during one of their movie nights. What was it called again?
”Boss, I detect a high level of heat signature coming from Peter as well as a quickened heartbeat from him,” FRIDAY says with the boy now immediately panicking. He groans in embarrassment and whines FRIDAY’s name. God, he could not deal with the backstabbing AI sometimes.
”FRIDAY’s lying! I swear!” Peter yells in an unusually high voice.
”I know this isn’t a health problem, kid—“
”And it isn’t! Nothing else, Tony!” At this point, they had put down every tool they used at the moment to work on the suit.
”It’s Mr. Stark to you, Peter! And unless I find out what’s wrong with you, you keep those pretty little hands off of my suit and those doe-eyes stay on me. Tell me what’s going on with you. And maybe I’ll even get May and Pepper involved if it’s really serious,” Tony crosses his arms. Yeah, Peter knows this is serious.
A moment of silence crosses them.
…
”Is it Ned?” Tony asks.
Peter’s head shoots up to look at the man. “How— how’d you know? Did FRIDAY tell you or something?” The older man only scoffs followed with a playful roll of eyes.
”C’mon kid, it’s very obvious. You actually zoned out earlier because of homework? Of school? I’ve been keeping an eye out on your grades and you’ve practically been excelling. Teachers might even thank me for it. You have no need to bring your homework here anymore, making me kind of assume you’re stress free. And I’m assuming it isn’t Flash either because of— well, you know.” Tony explained with an unreadable expression on his face.
”God you’re very observant.” He takes a deep breath and glances away. “So how does that lead you to believing it’s Ned? Making up rumours now, Mr. Stark?”
“You go home early on lab days an hour early saying Ned is coming to your house. And you’re practically bursting with joy whenever you tell me that.”
”No I am not!” The same unusually high voice comes back.
”Let me finish— and lately, you’ve been talking more about him like a middle school girl having her first crush. Hell, you probably know more about Ned than FRIDAY does,” Tony finally places his hand on Peter’s shoulder.
Peter, a bit taken aback by the sudden seriousness, shrugs off the hand on his shoulder. Finally, it was like the long awaited question came. One that no one ever asked him, and if anyone did— he really wouldn’t know what to say. It’s what kept him up at night, what made him zone out (like earlier), and where his mind goes to whenever Ned talks to him.
”Do you like him, Pete?” And Tony definitely didn’t mean it in the ‘friend’ way.
He debated just saying no and denying that he liked Ned. All the self-consciousness and worries suddenly came washing over him like a goddamn tsunami.
”I dunno,” Peter shrugs, swinging his legs on the high stool they sat on. “I might— I might be mistaking it for platonic love. That I would do anything for him, take a bullet for him. Save him if he needs it. Probably platonic love. Right?”
“Could— could be platonic love. But we could have, you know, figured it out together if you just talked to me about it.”
”That’s the thing Mr. Stark. I didn’t because… well, er, since you’re…” Peter took awhile choosing what words he should say in order to make it as nonchalant as possible. “Since you’re old and stuff— hold on! Let— let me finish!” Tony had such a playful and offended look in his face, making Peter burst out into a fit of giggles.
”Be— Before you get mad!” Peter only smiles once he starts explaining, taking a breather to stop his fit of laughter. “Since you’re old and all that, I figured you— you were kinda homophobic and would not like to hear my love life about a guy.”
”Okay, first of all! Pepper would kick my ass if she ever find out I was homophobic or anything like that. I’m not that old to be an asshole to people who are just minding their business, you little shit.” The boy has such a wide smile on his face that it warms Tony’s heart. He swears he will protect the kid with his life, from any danger that was to come.
”And Stephen is bisexual, I am definitely not homophobic,” Tony says. Peter snickers at that which makes them both smile.
A deep breath, and the man keeps explaining. “Second of all, I don’t care if it’s a boy or a girl, or whoever you kids are into these days. I’d always be happy to hear about whatever’s going on with you, Pete. Talk to me about anything, I really don’t care.”
He keeps the urge to talk about his father never supporting his decisions or how he would call him such horrible names if he ever found out Tony supported the community. That would definitely bring down the mood.
But Peter didn’t care. Tears burned at the back of his eyes and felt his vision blurring. A lump had been in his throat and his chest tightened.
God, why did he have to get so emotional?
A sudden pair of arms wraps around Tony, startling him. “Oh Jesus kid, don’t suddenly hug me like that. I have a heart condition. Battling weird aliens from space gets you cautious all the time, y’know?” But nonetheless, his sweet father had hugged him back.
Tony loved moments like these. Where he could just bask in the sweet scent of his beautiful boy and melt in his arms. Well, they both did, but who cares?
”I— I love you so much, god, I couldn’t have asked for a better dad,
And suddenly their emotional time just — stopped.
”What did you just call me? No— No, wait hold on!” Tony was the one who burst out into the huge fit of laughter and excitement now, finally having his Peter call him Dad.
”Oh- Oh my God I’m so sorry Mr. Stark! I’msososososorry! Fuck— Shit!— Sorry for swearing!” Peter stammers in panic, feeling the heat slowly crawling up to his cheeks to embarrass him even further.
”FRIDAY, please pull up the footage of Peter calling me Dad!”
And suddenly the lab was filled with lively screaming, whining, and laughter.
Tony and Pepper’s eyes shoot up to watch intently at their Peter dragging Ned to his room. They were holding hands as well! Tony had never been more proud than that moment in his life.
Ned had been holding a new Star Wars lego set and awkwardly smiling at them. They swear that Ned had murmured a meek ‘hello’.
”Door needs to be open at all times! 3 inches minimum!” Tony yells.
”Dad!”