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Chapter Text

The first time Tony showed up at the Parkers’ apartment, it was an impulsive decision. The formally rogue, semi-forgiven Avengers had moved back into the tower and within a week he’d needed a reprieve. Upon that realization, Peter and May’s faces had popped into his head. He didn't oppose it. He simply took off without so much as a text to announce his pending arrival. Although he did have the foresight to buy a bottle of wine before showing up on their doorstep. It was no Romanée-Conti, but he supposed the tiny corner store could only offer so much. With little debate, he’d snagged the priciest moscato off the shelf, paid a whopping twelve dollars and trekked his way up to the Parkers’ front door.

May cracked the door open, just wide enough to see into the hall. “Tony?” she questioned, then rapidly shut the door. The sound of the security chain being released could be heard on the other side. Less than a second later, the door reopened. May stood there for a moment, her eyebrows bunched together in a way that made it look like she was mentally assessing the situation. “Peter left for patrol about an hour ago. Was he- did he forget you two had plans?”

With his hands tucked neatly behind his back, Tony rocked casually onto his heels. “Nope. Just thought I’d stop by.” He brought the bottle of wine to his front, held up forward and smiled. “I bought wine.”

May’s expression shifted as she accepted the bottle of cheap wine. She still looked thoroughly bewildered, but amusement was starting to shine through. “I- Okay.” She blinked, took a few steps back, and held the door wide open. “I’ll grab some cups.”

Tony took that as an invitation and entered the quaint entryway. May led him though the small open living area. He glanced around, debating where to sit. There is a round wooden table with mismatched chairs on one side of the room and a well-loved brown couch on the other. “Table?” he asked, as May disappeared into the narrow galley kitchen.

“Sure! I'll be right there.”

Tony sat down in the chair closest to the wall and ran his hand over the pale yellow cloth place mat. There were five of them, one for each place setting and another in the middle. On top of the central one there was a green sage-scented candle in a jar, a Bob Ross Chia Pet and a set of salt and pepper shakers shaped like Legos. None of it matched or made sense, but it made him smile.

“Nice decor,” he called it the kitchen. “The Chia Pet is an exceptionally delightful touch. Who needs floral arrangements when you have that, right?

“Ha!” May paused what she was doing and leaned back to look around the cabinet door. “Peter got that from Ned for his birthday and decided it required a prominent place in the apartment. It’s fine, though. I make sure it's looking at him when we're eating.”

Tony chuckled, picked up the white salt shaker and turned it over in his hands. “And the Legos?”

“He bought me those for Christmas when he was ten.”

“Sounds about right.” Tony set the shaker down, leaned back in his chair and smiled. May was rushing out of the kitchen with a bottle opener in one hand and two bright blue plastic cups in the other. He looked at them in utter confusion before asking, “What’s this?”

“It’s a cup,” May replied dryly. “They’re used to hold liquids you wish to consume. In this case, red wine.” Her head canted to the side. “You don’t have cups in your swanky high-class kitchen?”

A grin spread across Tony’s face. He loved that May wasn’t the least bit star struck or intimidated by his presence. That was something that didn’t happen often, and it was actually really nice. “My wine is typically served to me in a glass with a stem.”

“Not today, Stark!” May popped the cork off and poured a hefty portion into each cup. “You’re going to have to rough it down here on my level.”

Tony picked up the cup, held it out. May did the same. The cups came together with a dull plink before they each took a drink. It wasn’t bad. But it wasn't good either. The company, however, was exactly what he needed. “Doesn’t seem so rough.”

They sat there for a while, the level of wine in the bottle slowly dwindling. May gossiped about her co-workers; the dramatic love triangle that no one was supposed to know about. But of course everyone did. There were theories and polls floating around every department. It sounded like one big entertaining disaster for anyone who wasn’t actively involved.

Meanwhile, he mostly complained. Mandatory Avengers meetings were a pain in the ass. Steve Rogers was annoyingly optimistic, and the group as a whole had turned his tower into a glorified frat house. It was loud and chaotic. Icing on the cake, someone kept dumping coffee grounds in the sink as if they didn’t know that was one of his biggest pet peeves.

As the conversation continued, May’s laugh started to get louder while his head became decidedly light. It was a lot of wine for twelve dollars. The way the deep plastic cups made it so easy to lose track of how much they’d had didn’t help.

At some point, while in the midst griping about his newly reacquired housemates' most deplorable habits, Peter came slinking in through the front window. His mask came off instantly as his head tipped to the side in curiosity. Like a confused puppy. That thought, along with the wine, made an unnecessary bubble of laughter explode from his mouth.

”Mr. Stark? What are you- what are you doing here?”

With effort, Tony bit back the rampant giggles and cleared his throat. “I needed a break from Saint Rogers and his rambunctious affiliates,” he grinned. ”So I thought I would stop by to-” He paused, racking his brain for a reason. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the mostly empty bottle on the table. “Bring your aunt some wine.”

Peter’s head drew back and his browns knit so closely together that they nearly became one. “I thought you had protocols to keep the other Avengers off of your private floors.”

“I do, but that’s not the point.” Peter opened his mouth to reply. Tony shushed him with a dismissive gesture. “What? I’m not allowed to visit my favorite intern and his ho- friendly aunt.”

Peter still bunched up eyebrows rose, his mouth curling into an unreadable expression. Whatever he might have said was cut off by May. “He brought moscato!” she reiterated. Then she thrust the cup into Peter’s hands.”Want to try it?”

Tony’s eyes doubled in size. He was no expert, but he was pretty sure you weren’t supposed to offer fifteen year olds alcoholic beverages. “Woah, May! Are you sure he can have that?”

“It’s one sip,” May deadpanned. “It won’t kill him.”

Peter accepted the offering and shrugged his shoulders. “It’s fine Mr. Stark. She lets me try stuff all the time. It’s not like she gives me my own cup.” He brought the drink up to his nose and gave it a sniff. His nose wrinkled at the smell. But that didn’t stop him from moving the edge of the cup between his lips. “Gross,” he stated with finality. “I still don’t know how you drink that kind of stuff.”

He and May both laughed jovially. Although he was the one to recover first. “By having a refined and mature palate.”

“Sure,” Peter happily placated. A beat passed. Tony tipped the last of his drink into his mouth. When he looked up, Peter was frowning. “You’re not like- driving home like that are you?”

Tony scoffed. “I’m not that irresponsible.” His words were slow and uneven. He rolled his eyes and gestured toward the kitchen. “I’ll have a glass of water. Call for a ride if I need to.”

“Water sounds lovely,” May agreed. “And Snacks. I’ll make snacks.” Peter perked up at the mention of food and followed his aunt into the kitchen.

While Peter filled three cups with reusable ice cubes and tap water, May rustled around the small pantry and refrigerator. When she returned to the table, she was carrying a low-budget version of a charcuterie board. Butter crackers, cheddar cheese cubes, celery sticks with peanut butter and a pile of pepperoni.

They ate and drank and talked for a while. Peter prattled about his patrol while Tony’s head gradually shifted from fuzzy to exhausted. He turned his head as the bird-themed clock on the living room bookshelf began to chirp, literally chirp, notifying them of the hour. It was well after one in the morning. “I should go,” he said, his smile sinking with disappointment.

May shook her head and started collecting dishes. Unsurprisingly, Peter hopped up to help her. “It’s already late. Why don’t you stay here?” May casually inquired. “We don’t have a guest room or anything. But I just washed all the sheets. You could have my bed.”

His first inclination was to accept the offer. He was admittedly tired. He supposed half a bottle of wine would do that to you. And the drive back to the tower was guaranteed to take at least forty-five minutes. But he wasn’t about to displace anyone. “Why would I take your bed, May? He asked, then shifted his gaze to Peter. “Don’t you have bunk beds?”

The bunched up brows and head tilt returned. “Uh- yes?”

“Great,” Tony reclaimed. “I call the bottom.I’m too old to be scaling ladders.”

A few minutes later, Peter handed Tony a spare toothbrush and they took turns getting ready for bed. The hall restroom was small. Small enough that he was certain the shower from his master restroom would occupy the entire space. Although it didn’t feel as claustrophobic as he assumed it would. He chuckled as he dropped his standard issue toothbrush into the cup beside the sink.

Peter’s room was cluttered but not in an undesirable way. There was a large desk taking up most of one corner. It was heaped with unfinished projects, books and action figures of varying sizes. The beds were in the opposite corner. On the floor was a tattered rug covered in planets. There were nine of them, giving away exactly how long it had been in existence. The kid couldn’t have been more than five when he acquired it.

He hesitated for a moment before kicking off his jeans. He folded them neatly and set them aside before lowering himself onto the bottom bunk. He laid on his back looking up at the thick metal slats. There were a few random stickers scattered across them. He smiled when he spotted a faded depiction of the Iron Man Armor. He was going to comment when Peter returned to the room. But as the kid climbed the ladder, the bed squeaked and shook with each movement. It was mildly unnerving. “This thing isn’t going to collapse in the middle of the night is it?”

Peter laughed.

Tony sighed. “Very reassuring, Kiddo.”

“Ned and I have been taking turns sleeping on the top for the last seven years. It hasn’t broken yet.” When Tony produced a small noise of dubious agreement, Peter huffed. “Don’t worry, Mr. Stark. It has all its screws and supports. It’ll be fine.”

Soon after, the lights went out. The door was still slightly ajar allowing a strip of warm light to flood in from the hallway. In the darkest corners of the room, dozens of star stars started to glow. Tony shifted onto his side. The mattress dipped below him, soft from years of use. It was by no means what he was used to, but it wasn’t terribly uncomfortable. He tucked a hand under the pillow and whispered, “Night, Pete.” Peter mumbled incoherently in return, pulling a languid smile to his lips. The kid was already practically down for the count. Honestly, he didn’t think he was too far behind. As he listened to the comforting sound of Peter’s soft snores, his eyes began to drift closed. He sighed contentedly and thought to himself, ‘yeah. Coming to the Parkers’ was a good idea.’

Chapter Text

The second time Tony showed up at the Parkers’ apartment it was slightly less impulsive. It wasn’t arranged well in advance or anything. But he didn’t just randomly show up at their door either.

After participating in not one, but two back-to-back Avengers training sessions, he’d gone down to his lab and initiated a Complete Blackout Protocol. Other than a very limited list of approved contacts, no one could come in, no one could call and FRIDAY could only intervene under very specific circumstances. It made it easier to concentrate; to get things done. It prevented him from over analyzing literally everything to do with himself and the Avengers.

He dug into his latest research. Nano-technology that could be coded to take on whatever shape or task he desired. It has started as a theory, but with the help of his Wakandan allies he’d seen an opening to make it work. It would require a large amount of energy and a reliable housing unit but he was certain that in due time, he could make it into a suit of armor. Bleeding Edge.

Plugging in numbers and running simulations was easy. With FRIDAY’s assistance he could calculate several ideas at once. It worked efficiently because the possibilities were infinite. By multi-tasking, he could see which test had the most encouraging results and tweak it to his likings. It took hours to finally get to a point where he could enter the practical experimentation phase, and that’s where things really got interesting. He was so absorbed in the spectacular failures and jubilant successes that he no longer had any concept of the passage of time.

“Boss?” FRIDAY called out in such a way that Tony was certain it wasn’t the first time she’d attempted to gain his attention.

“A little busy here, darling,” he grumbled under his breath, but never looked away from the trial collection of nano-bots. They were finally shifting their shape from a perfect sphere to an angular cube and back again. It was a small success that would lead into a bigger, much broader purpose. He just needed time and-

“Boss!”

“What, FRIDAY?” he snapped. A fist slammed down onto the workbench, before both hands flew haphazardly into the air. “What is it that’s so important that you can’t just let me work in peace? Blackout Protocol, remember?”

“Yes, boss. But the Blackout Protocol is superseded by the Human Maintenance Protocol. I must inform you that you’ve not left the lab in over twenty-four hours.”

He scrubbed a hand down his face, glancing between the nanites and the code he’d been meticulously tweaking. “I get it. I do. But I’m onto something.”

FRIDAY, undeterred, continued to nag. “Sleep deprivation and lack of appropriate sustenance can result in a lower attention span, lack of reasonable judgment and severely impaired cognition. I think you’ll find that taking a break would be beneficial to the research and development of your current fixation.”

Tony scoffed. “It’s not a fixation. It’s a- It’s-” He blinked stupidly. The word he so desperately needed was hidden somewhere completely out of reach. After several seconds of grappling, he gave in with a short growl. “Alright, fine. Whatever. I guess I'm done here. What do you want from me?”

“I highly recommend you start with a full meal and at least eight hours of sleep.”

All of his prior research and results began backing up onto the main server and his screens shut down. As did the power source for his prototypes. A hologram popped up in front of him; a scrolling list of every restaurant within fifteen miles. He glanced through a few of the menus. There was everything from good old fashion American cheeseburgers to imported Kobe Wagyu steaks. He could essentially obtain whatever he desired. But an idea struck and immediately swiped his hand through the hologram to dismiss it. He knew May wasn’t the greatest cook. But FRIDAY wanted him to eat and a questionable home cooked meal sounded like a good option. Immediately, he flipped through his contacts until he landed on Peter Parker.

The phone rang twice before the lines connected and the kid’s cheery voice could be heard coming through the receiver. “Hey, Mr. Stark. What’s up?” The pleasantries ended with a gasp of excitement. “Wait! Is there a mission?”

Tony chuckled lightly. “Calm down, Kim Possible. There’s no mission-” He didn’t get to complete his thought.

“How- how do you know about Kim Possible?”

“Does it matter?” he asked in reply. Before the kid could answer he followed up with a more relevant inquiry. “What’s cooking at your place tonight?”

The response he received was a extremely confused, “Huh?”

“Dinner,” he specified. “What are you having?”

“I don’t know. May’s making something.” There was a pause for thought. “It’s Wednesday. So probably meatloaf.”

“Sounds great,” he chirped, even though meatloaf was something that had never been anywhere near his radar. He actually didn't realize it was something people legitimately ate. He’d always assumed it was a running joke in all the eighties sitcoms. Suddenly, he was morbidly intrigued. “Tell your aunt to set an extra pace at the table. I can be there in-” He typed the address into his phone and gave the GPS a glance. “A little over an hour.”

“I- Yeah. I’ll let her know. Hang on.” There was a loud clunk as the kid dropped the phone. Tony waited patiently as a muffled conversation took place in the background. It didn’t take long, soon Peter was back with his usual amount of enthusiasm. “She said that’s totally cool and offered to order pizza instead. I highly recommend you accept the offer but don’t tell Aunt May I said that!”

Tony tucked the phone casually between his shoulder and chin, and leaned back in his seat. “Nah, meatloaf sounds- quaint. I’m looking forward to it.”

After that, goodbyes were exchanged, and Tony headed upstairs to shower off. The cool water and fresh clothes made him feel surprisingly refreshed despite his insistence that he could have remained in the lab for another forty-eight hours without issue. Not that it mattered. The stupid Human Maintenance Protocol allowed FRIDAY to systematically shut down lab equipment until he followed through with her self care recommendations. On any other day, being forced to leave the lab and his precious research would be extremely frustrating. Using the opportunity to visit the Parkers’ made it far more bearable. He smiled as he got behind the wheel of his car.

“Tony!” May happily greeted. The door swung open and the thick savory smells of cooking food wafted past his nose. He was exuberantly beckoned inside. “Come in. Come in. Dinner’s almost ready.” He’d barely crossed the threshold before she shouted, “Peter! Can you set the table?”

He stepped inside and watched the kid circle the small table placing a pink paper napkin and some dull cutlery at each place setting. Meanwhile, May opened the oven. A faint scent of charred meat filled the room. Peter generated a snide comment about the smoke detector getting reprieve. There was laughter as they all came together at the table. And Tony couldn’t help but think about what dinner was like during his childhood. Candles and glassware. Three different sizes of shiney forks and only the most serious of discussions. They were stiff and formal, and not at all the same as what he was experiencing at the moment.

May placed a slab of ketchup covered ground beef onto his plate along with some mashed potatoes and green beans that had most certainly come from a can. Tentatively, he followed Peter’s lead, scooping a dollop of potatoes and a bite of meatloaf onto his fork. If he ignored the burnt edges, he found the dish to be reminiscent of a meatball and a hamburger all at once. Astonishingly, it was good. When he said as much, Peter’s face scrunched into one of disbelief. He shrugged and took another large bite.

As they ate, conversations flowed around the table in exaggerated waves. Questions were asked, and subjects were drastically shifted in between bouts of comfortable silence. He accepted a small second slice of meatloaf while Peter piled a third heap of potatoes onto his plate. He laughed heartily as May tried to push another serving of vegetables onto his plate as well.

Once the majority of the food had been devoured, Tony sat there with a full stomach and drooping eyelids. He was starting to wonder if he was getting too old to be going twenty-four hours without sleep after all. He quickly decided that definitely wasn’t it. Instead, he blamed the warm comfortable atmosphere that was surrounding him. The Parkers’ were friendly and welcoming, and made him feel like he was surrounded by family. Very much the same way the Jarvis’s had when he was small.

He was wrenched from his nostalgic thoughts when May asked, “You going to crash here tonight?” The look of concern on her face gave him pause.

He glanced down at his watch, to find the hour didn’t match his level of exhaustion. Considering how long he’d been awake, he probably shouldn’t have been as surprised as he was. But still. “It’s only nine o’clock.”

May shrugged as she collected his plate and handed it to Peter to carry to the sink. “You look dead on your feet.”

Tony peered at May, then past her towards the kid. He thought about the last time he’d stayed the night. The accommodations were a far cry from his bedroom at home. At the tower he had a king sized bed with Egyptian cotton linens. His pillows were filled with down, and a cashmere blanket was spread below his decorative duvet. But something about that cozy bottom bunk and Star Wars sheets felt extremely appealing at the moment. “You know what? I’d love to stay.” He got up and sauntered over to where Peter was rinsing some plates. “You okay with having a roommate for the night?”

“Of course!” Peter replied. He smiled over his shoulder and used a soap hand to gesture toward the hall. “Your toothbrush is still in the bathroom and everything! There's some deodorant and razor in there for you too.”

“Perfect.” Tony yawned. It was good timing. It covered up the jolt of surprise he’d felt when the kid had mentioned the toothbrush. The gesture was reassuring, like they enjoyed having him there as much as he enjoyed visiting. He fought back the smile that was trying to creep across his face and ran a hand across the back of his neck. “I think I’ll probably go ahead and get ready to hit the hay. What about you?”

“Actually,” Peter sheepishly began. He rocked back on his heels and wiped his hands on a pink floral kitchen towel. “I was going to go out to patrol for a while. But you should totally get some rest! I’ll try to be super quiet when I get back so I don’t wake you up!”

Tony looked over at May who was wiping down the table while humming a tune he couldn't make out. There was a spring to her step and lively look about her. He was certain she was going to be ready for bed anytime soon either. Part of him wanted to force himself to stay awake out of stubbornness alone. At the same time he was so tired he could feel it all the way down to his bones. His gaze went back to Peter. He narrowed his eyes in a teasing manner and quipped, “You do that. Keep it down and let the old man sleep.” As Peter laughed, he carried himself down the hall, pausing just outside of the restroom door. “Stay out of trouble while you’re out there. Don’t do anything I would or wouldn’t do-”

“Gray area. Got it!” Peter replied, along with a quick thumbs up. He was already digging through his backpack, undoubtedly searching for his crumpled up spider-suit. Tony bobbed his head and took a step backward. As he did so, Peter stood up shouted, “Good night, Mr. Stark!”

When he finally made it into Peter’s room, he flopped down onto the mattress with a sigh. There was no time to admire the stickers, or stars, or that way the kid had definitely tidied up some since the last time he was there. He was out like a light in an instant, waking up a few short hours later when the bed began to squeak and jostle. He smiled to himself, happy to have first hand knowledge that Peter had made it home safe and sound.

Chapter Text

The third time Tony showed up at the Parkers’ apartment wasn’t necessarily impulsive. It could, however, have been under much better circumstances.

The Avengers had been called out on a mission for the first time since their, largely public, reconciliation. It wasn’t a difficult assignment. It wasn’t even that far away. Some nut job out of New Jersey had decided it would be a fantastic idea to create a yellow spotted super suit with a clunky  mechanical tail, vacuum suction gloves and a power source that strapped to his back. He was a menace more than a villain, climbing around, breaking into buildings to steal hightech property and constantly avoiding the authorities. Really, it was below the Avengers paygrade, but they needed some good PR and apprehending a ridiculously dressed serial thief was an easy target. The best part was, they guy called himself ‘The Gecko.’

After a good bit of tracking, a few solid misses and good old fashioned chase, Tony finally had the cornered in an alcove created by two buildings coming together at a corner. He hovered in front of the guy, just out of reach. His arms were crossed, his helmet was fully retracted and a triumphant smirk was plastered across his face. “You know, Gecks- I can call you Gecks, right?” He flourished his hand with an air of disinterest.“Anyway, I’ve got a wall crawling pal back in New York. You know what he does with his sticky-crawley abilities? Let me give you a hint. Not this.”

He expected a reaction; a big reaction given the guys flair for dramatics. But rather than shouting obscenities or making any grand efforts to get himself out of the corner he’d been backed into, the guy lashed out. His mechanical tail extended, instantly transforming into a much more streamlined design. He pulled it back until it nearly wrapped around his shoulders and sneered. There was no time for Tony to react before the articulated tail whipped forward. It caught him around his middle and threw him backwards and into a wall where he came to an abrupt stop. The force of the blow left him literally stuck in the bricks.

A bolt of pain radiated through his skull upon contact. After a second or two it dulled just enough that he could think. He blinked a few times and peeled himself off the wall. “Yeah, okay,” he mumbled to himself, watching with disdain as The Gecko got away.”Mistakes were made.”

The moment he re-engaged his helmet, FRIDAY’s voice rang through his ears. “A laceration to the back of the head and several contusions have been detected.”

“Thanks, FRI. Never would have guessed,” he sarcastically spat. He was suddenly extremely ticked off and wanted nothing more than to send a repulsor beam directly into the gecko guy's face. He took off after him at full blast. Although he did take a moment to inform his teammates of the whako’s newest party trick. “Hey guys? Just so you’re aware, the tail on this guy extends now. Not only that, it also packs a wallop.”

The comms crackled just before Steve’s voice came through “Are you injured? Should you head back to the tower for medical attention?”

“Cracked my noggin pretty good,” he said through gritted teeth. The back of head was throbbing with vengeance. Although he was trying his best to push through it. “But I know what day it is and the armor’s still intact. So we may as well go ahead and wrap this up, don’t you think?”

Suddenly, the comms were alive with raucous agreement. As Tony flew over the guy’s head a strategy was devised. He waited for the signal, then shot a repulsor at the same time Steve threw his shield. The double whammy was followed by one of Clint’s arrows. It hit the mechanical tail, short circuiting whatever electronic components were still functioning. Electricity arced across the battery backpack as the unconscious lunatic began to plummet. Although he never reached the ground. Natasha swooped in on a disabled powerline and caught him before he made impact.

The plan so quickly and seamlessly unfolded that in less than ten minutes the villain was already caught and cuffed. It should have felt like a victory. Yet a frisson of annoyance shot up Tony’s spine. “Why the hell didn’t we do that an hour ago?”

Clint was the first to respond. Tony could see him down below, shrugging his shoulders in an exaggerated fashion. It made him want to scream. “You said to put on a show,”

“I didn’t say it had to be an extended show,” Tony snarked. Had they started with that maneuver he wouldn’t have a three and half centimeter cut to the back of his head. He landed nearby, just out of the way of the news casters and local authorities who were starting to flood the scene. “Alright, guys. Just hurry it up and hand the guy over. I need an NSAID and a tuna fish sandwich.”

Within twenty minutes everyone was standing outside the quinjet. Tony stepped out of his suit, pinched the bridge of his nose and squeezed his eyes closed. When he reopened them, Steve was staring at him with wide eyes and a slack jaw. 

“You’re bleeding.” Tony agreed, but apparently that was the wrong answer. Steve immediately bristled. His head canted to the side and his arms spread in considerable frustration “Why didn’t you say anything, Tony! You need to go to Medical as soon as we get back.”

Tony scoffed and gently ran his fingers over his sticky matted hair. There was a lot of blood for such a small injury. It probably looked like something from a horror film. Although given the location, it wasn’t all that much of a surprise. That didn’t make him anymore eager to have it looked at. “Hard pass. It’s a head wound. They’re notoriously dramatic. I’ll be fine.”

Steve glared but let it go and Tony’s hand returned to the back of his head. Logically, he knew he should go see the doctor on call. His head was likely going to require stitches to stem the bleeding. But he’d never been a huge fan of hospitals. Not even his own. His lip curled at the mere thought. Then suddenly it occurred to him that May was a registered nurse. He instantly decided that he’d much rather go to her than his fully staffed medical medical floor. Without thought, he shot her a brief text to make sure she was home and let her know he’d be coming by.

Twenty minutes later, Tony landed on the roof of the Parkers’ apartment building and stepped out of the armor. He went down the dimly lit stairs and found his way to the seventh floor. He could feel blood trickling down the back of his neck. He had to resist the urge to wipe it away. He didn’t want to get any of it on his hands. Especially as he prepared himself to knock on the familiar front door.

Peter answered almost immediately. He peered out looking apprehensive. His lip was between his teeth and he was shuffling ever so slightly on his feet. “Are you okay, Mr. Stark?” he asked, making Tony wonder exactly how bad he looked. “I thought you were in New Jersey fighting that lizard guy.”

“Gecko,” he tiredly corrected. “Lizard’s already been done.” 

Peter cracked a smile and stepped back so could enter. Tony went inside and looked around the open space. May was sitting on the couch, her legs tucked nearly under herself while eating a bowl of ice cream. There were several books open, laying face down on the scuffed coffee table. They seemed to have been abandoned in favor of watching the romantic comedy playing on the small clunky television screen. 

He spanned the distance between them. As he approached, May paused the film. She looked over her shoulder and smiled around the spoon in her mouth. “Hey, May,” he forced a smile in return. It felt tight. “I was wondering if you could-”

He didn’t complete his inquiry. May gasped, causing the spoon to fall from her mouth and clank loudly into the bowl “Tony! You’re bleeding!” she shrieked. She hastily set the dish aide and rushed to her feet. The tan knit blanket she’d had across her lap slipping down to the floor, she nearly tripped over it in her haste to cross the room.

Tony sighed as she rushed into his personal space. He stuffed his hands into his pockets and rocked back on his heels. “Funnily enough, that’s why I’m here.” He grimaced as May grabbed his elbow and spun him around. He could feel her fingers begin to detangle his hair. He flinched more than he would have liked with each tug.

“Tony,” May said, sounding equally affronted and concerned. Reluctantly, he turned around to face her. “Tony, this needs stitches.”

“You’re a nurse,” he said, attempting to remain as casual as possible. As though asking your friend to sew up the back of your head was the most normal thing in the world. Just a regular mundane Tuesday kind of favor.

May narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms tightly over her chest. “And you think I keep suture supplies laying around my apartment?”

Tony looked at Peter, who happened to be wearing his web-shooters. Inwardly, he rolled his eyes. Because Spider-Man was at least eighty-eight percent of the reason he’d kept his medical floor staffed. Even during the Avengers hiatus. He was having a hard time believing that May, who had access to an abundance of first responder supplies, didn’t actually have any. He looked back at her and raised a challenging brow.

It took no more than two seconds for her to break.“Alright, fine. You got me. I have enough stuff to stock a very small ER in my master bathroom,” she said, sounding right on the verge of exasperation. However, his tone took an abrupt turn. The smile that had been on her face compressed into a tight thin line. She was worried. “But this is a head wound and you were just involved in an Avengers level fight-”

“Eh,” Tony interrupted. He raised his shoulders and tipped his head in a so-so manner. Reckless injury aside, taking the reptilian-themed villain down had been a piece of cake. “I feel like you’re giving the crazy guy a lot of credit.”

Before May could argue, Peter threw his hands up and shoved an accusatory finger into his chest.“Hey! You said I couldn’t come with you because the crazy guy was above my pay grade!”

“Yeah? And he was below mine,” he smirked. “This was more of a mid-level kind of threat.”

The banter ended when May stepped between them. “Tony! You could have a concussion!”

Tony sighed and shifted his attention back to May. “There’s no concussion. If there was, FRIDAY would have found it started nagging me about it. It just needs a few stitches. I’d do it myself but I wouldn’t exactly be able to see what I was doing back there.”

May shifted her weight from one foot to the other. Tony could practically see the wheels in her head turning. A moment later a resigned look overtook her features. “You trust me to do this?”

Without a second of hesitation, Tony assured her that he couldn’t imagine trusting anyone more than he trusted her. She gave him one last tentative look before walking down the hall. When she returned, her hair was pulled back and she was carrying an armload of supplies. Tony sat down at the table as directed and she got to work, clipping away some of his hair with a pair of tiny scissors and disinfecting the wound. He tried not to flinch too much as the needle made its way in and out. He knew she was being as gentle as possible.

As she tied off the third and final stitch, Peter wandered over. His eyes remained on Tony and widely away from the needle May was preparing to dispose of. “Do you want me to bring you a clean shirt? That one’s pretty gross. You could shower and change out of it.”

Tony rolled his shoulders. The dark moisture wicking top he’s worn under his armor was sticky with blood and sweat. If he was being honest, it was starting to itch. Although there was a bit of confusion considering he and the kid wore very different sizes. When he pointed that out, Peter was quick to assure him that he had just the thing. Tony nodded and started toward the restroom. He pulled a towel and washcloth out from under the tiny wooden cabinet and waited. Peter returned moments later with a white graphic t-shirt in his hand and a wide smile spread across his face.

Curious, Tony unfolded the shirt and snorted a laugh. It was the hastily purchased New York City tourist t-shirt he’d give Peter after the whole ferry fiasco.  He was a little surprised the kid had kept it. He didn’t give it much thought. He offered an amused thanks and closed the restroom door. 

He had to wait an extraordinarily long time for the water to heat and the pressure of the spray was weak at best. He didn’t complain. He was happy to be able to clean up. When he finally stepped out, May was still sitting at the kitchen table. Though all evidence of the impromptu medical procedure was no longer there. 

“You should stay the night,” she said, without looking up from the crossword puzzle she was scrutinizing.

Tony smiled softly and pulled out a chair to join her. He snagged the crossword puzzle and easily filled in the illusive answer. “I’m fine, May. Really.” They met eyes as he slid the puzzle back across the table. 

“I know, but- just in case you’re not, I’d rather you weren’t alone.”

“I have FRIDAY,” he assured. The look of concern never left May’s face. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Peter looking equally uncomfortable. He felt backed into agreeing, but he didn’t actually mind. “But, sure. If you’re worried, I can stay.”

Peter smiled and threw a fist into the air. “If Mr. Stark is staying, can we order take-out?”

“Sure kid, it’s on me.” Belatedly, he looked at May. “Unless of course you’re adamantly opposed.”

May released what sounded like a long suffering sigh. “Well, I was going to make fish sticks, but I suppose we can order in.”

He couldn’t help but laugh as Peter cheered.

They spent the rest of the late afternoon into evening playing board games. Food was delivered at a reasonable hour and eaten in the living room. It had taken a great deal of bargaining, but he’d finally convinced May he wasn’t concussed and was perfectly fit to watch a movie while they ate.

Afterward Peter went on his usual patrol. May made a pot of weak and scandalously decaffeinated coffee.  They sat on the couch, sipping from mugs and gossiping until the kid returned, happily out of breath.

May sent Peter to shower and go to bed, addressing that it was a school night. Not long after that, May excused herself to bed as well. Tony followed suit, brushing his teeth and slipping quietly into the kid’s room. He was amused to find a few new accessories have been added to the familiar bottom bunk. He chuckled quietly and carefully climbed into the bed. He lowered his sore head into the red and gold pillow throw pillow and pulled the plush Iron Man blanket all the way up to his chin. It was soft and comfortable, a complete juxtaposition from thin bleached sheets they used on the medical floor.

He smiled to himself and closed his eyes. He’d take the Parkers’ apartment over a hospital room any day of the week. 

Chapter Text

The fourth time Tony showed up at the Parkers’ it wasn’t nearly as impulsive as the decision that brought him there. One rainy Tuesday morning he’d stood beside the living room’s floor-to-ceiling windows. He sipped his coffee and watched the gray clouds swirl around the sky while his mind wandered from one thing to the next. Then all of a sudden he was filled with the innate desire to remodel the entire penthouse. New paint, new floors, new furniture, a complete one-hundred-point restoration. It took him no more than four hours to make a list, call in a few favors and set up a contract with the best interior designers money could buy.

The plan was for everything to happen quickly. The design team would work with the contractors, vendors and craftsmen. And everything would be completed within a few days' time. Four max, working around the clock. Starting the very next morning. That left him with a decision to make.

Obviously he couldn't stay in the penthouse during the renovations. The space would be loud, untidy and filled with an abundance of strangers flowing in and out at all hours. Of Course he had plenty of places he could go. The Tower was massive. There were ninety-three floors, several of which were filled with an abundance of luxury rooms and sprawling apartments. Most of them were set aside for the Avengers and their guests. The rest were there to support the Stark Industries team. It was a sign of goodwill to be able to offer exclusive lodging for business partners, both potential and established. He had access to all of it.

He also had enough money to reserve three nights in a deluxe grand suite at the Pierre. The stay would be pleasant with their exquisitely designed spaces; luxurious custom finishes, decorative embellishments, and bespoke lighting. He could spend his days lounging around the elegant sitting area, enjoying the vanity fireplace and sixty-five inch television. At night he could order room service and soak in the lavish marble tub. He’d maintain complete privacy for the duration of his stay.

Yet neither of those options sounded nearly as appealing as a few nights at the Parkers’ apartment. He was confident they wouldn’t mind. The kid had school, and May would be working for the majority of the time he would stay. In all likelihood he would have to work as well. Even if it was just a few hours of remote meetings and a handful of mundane emails. The lab wasn’t going anywhere, and he absolutely didn’t want to commute. Two and a half collective hours of gridlock a day? He’d give that a pass.

So, he called May. As expected, there was no push back about his unexpected intrusion. When he’d designated it such, she’d reminded him he was always welcome there, no fancy reservation required. 

The very next morning, Tony stood in front of the Parkers’ front door. He balled up the hand not holding his bag and briskly knocked on the door. No one answered. Instead, there was a shout from the inside instructing him to come inside. He pushed through the entryway and inhaled deeply. The smell of coffee and burnt toast hung in the air. He looked to the right, to find Peter sitting at the table shoveling cereal into his mouth. As he took a few steps in he could see May as well. Her purse and jacket were tossed onto the kitchen counter waiting as she filled a bright purple travel mug. They both turned to smile at him.

“Hey, Mr. Stark!” Peter greeted. He tipped the bowl back, swallowing the remnants of cereal and milk in a few gulps and hopped out of his chair. “I can get your bag!”

Tony chuckled, tucking the duffel behind his back. “It’s fine, Kid. I can carry my own bag.” It wasn’t like there was much in it. He only needed enough clothes to get him through the next few days; a couple pairs of jeans, a handful of shirts and the blazer he had on his back. And the only toiletries he’d bothered to pack were some hair wax and a bottle of cologne. Anything else he needed was already in the Parker’s hall restroom.

Peter enthusiastically led the way into the bedroom and slid the closet door wide open. The floor was filled with stacks of cardboard boxes with messy labels scribbled across the sides. On top of those were a few pillows and blankets with the odd stuffed animal tucked together in a haphazard stack. Above those things hung numerous shirts, jackets and what appeared to be several jedi robes. All of it had been shoved tightly to one side.

“Here! I made some room in my closet,” Peter announced. He waved his hand in the two-foot gap between his own clothing and the pale gray wall. Then he spun on his toes and practically skipped toward a black laminate dresser. “You can have most of the bottom drawer if you want. Or the top! I can move my stuff down and-”

Tony cut him off with a gentle wave of his hand. “Thanks, Kiddo. The closet space is great. It’s fine I promise.” He deposited the bag on the bottom bunk and shrugged off his blazer. They were fine where they were for the time being. He figured he could hang them up after he’d properly greeted May.

He followed Peter back out into the hallway and shoved his hands into his pockets. He could see May rushing about getting ready for work. Her hair was pulled back in a tight bun, her glasses perched atop her head. She looked up as he entered the more open part of the room. “Hey, Tony. I’m so sorry we both have to rush out on you like this. Do you want some toast? I have time to grab you some bread.”

“Pass.” Tony chucked and gestured towards the coffee machine. “I’ll have some of that coffee, though. Caffeine?”

May’s smile grew into a broad grin. “This early in the morning? Absolutely.” She pulled a mug out of the cabinet and placed it into Tony’s hands. “I’d pour it for you, but I really need to get going. There’s stuff in the fridge. You’re welcome to it. I’ll see you both tonight!” She kissed Peter on the cheek and, just like that, she was out the door.

With much less hurry, Peter put on his shoes and jacket. He slung his backpack over one shoulder and went into the kitchen to dig around in the pantry. “So. What are you going to do while we’re gone all day?”

Tony shrugged. “I might work on some proposals or answer some emails, probably sketch out a few ideas. I might even attend a meeting or two. If Pepper makes me.”

Peter laughed while shoving what had to have been half a box of granola bars into his pockets. “Well, have fun I guess.”

Smiling, he followed the kid to the door. “You too, Kiddo. Stay out of trouble. Make good choices. All that stuff.”

Once in the hallway, Peter spun around and waved. Tony waved back and closed the door. He finally went to fill his mug, carried it across the unoccupied room and sat on the couch. It was odd being alone in the Parkers’ apartment. Although he supposed it was a testament of how much they trusted him. He sighed and leaned forward onto his knees. There were still a few books strewn across the coffee table. He picked one up and thumbed through it. Fantasy. Not really his thing. He set it back down, careful not to lose the marked page and went to unpack his things.

The rest of the morning and well into the afternoon was spent toying around with some designs of both the personal and the business variety. He managed to attend to some mundane administrative tasks in between and eventually double checked his schedule for any afternoon meetings. There was only one he had to be present for and it didn’t start for another hour. He leaned back and extended his arms over his head. It was right at the tip of his tongue to ask FRIDAY to order him a late lunch. Of course, that wasn’t an option. Well, it was. He had FRIDAY programmed into his phone. But he wandered into the narrow kitchen instead. After some searching he discovered a loaf of bread, some lunch meat and a grocery list pinned to the side of the fridge. ‘Pickles, bananas, ranch dressing and canned soup’ were at the top of it. He swayed his head, amused by the combination. Quickly threw together a decent sandwich.

Not long after he’d hand washed and stacked the dish, Peter came rushing through the front door. The abrupt entry caused him startle. Apparently he’d become entirely too dependent on FRIDAY to tell him when someone was entering his space. He sucked in a deep breath and rounded the corner to where the kid was discarding all his things by the door. “Hey, Kiddo. How was school?”

“Good! Aced my algebra test.”

Tony leaned against the wall and smiled. That was no surprise. He’d seen the kid work through complicated equations completely in his head. He was told it drove the teacher crazy. “Knew you would.”

Peter looked up from where he was rummaging around and smiled. “Hey. So, I was planning on doing my homework then, um, going on patrol or whatever. Is that okay?”

“This is your house, kid.” Tony laughed, fully and completely. “What are you asking me for?”

Peter blinked back at him, a flash of confusion crossed his face and cheeks turned several shades of red. Although he did a valiant job of trying to hide it. He ducked his head so low it nearly disappeared into his bag. “I- I don’t know. I just-”

Deciding to have mercy on the kid, Tony smiled and waved his hand toward the hallway. “Yeah, yeah. Go do whatever you ordinarily do, Bud. I’ve got a meeting to log into in the next half-hour anyway.”

Peter nodded and drifted to his room. Meanwhile, Tony sat at the kitchen table and settled in for a good two hours of looking at pie charts. It was a little early, but he went ahead and followed the link he’d requested to join the meeting. He was sure Pepper would already be there, ready to congratulate him on his uncharacteristic punctuality. A window popped up, prompting him to enter his security code. He did as requested and sure enough, Pepper was at the font of the conference room.

“Hey, Pep.” As her eyes met his, he smirked. “Do I get bonus points for being on time?”

Rather than agree, disagree or even laugh, Pepper leaned toward the screen as though she were searching for something. Several seconds of scrutiny passed before she opened her mouth. “What is going on? FRIDAY said you were going to be gone for the next four days and then you requested a virtual meeting and- where- where are you?”

Tony smiled and leaned back as best he could in the hard wooden chair. He wished he’d grabbed a pillow from the other room. “The Penthouse is being renovated. I had to make arrangements to be elsewhere.”

A perplexed, borderline exasperated look crossed Pepper’s face. “We have a dozen unoccupied apartments right here in the tower.”

“I know,” he casually replied, because, naturally, he did. They’d both worked closely with the architect during the design process, and he had a photographic memory. He could likely draw a detailed floor plan of each level should the need ever arise.

“But you got a hotel room instead?”

Tony glanced over his shoulder. Behind him was the hallway with its soft yellow paint and white trim. He supposed it was just generic enough to pass as a hotel suite of some variety. “Nope.”

Pepper huffed and swiped her bangs off of her forehead in an annoyed motion. She continued looking at him expectantly. When he didn’t answer, she called his name.

“Chill.” He chuckled. He wasn’t trying to stress her out. That was part of the reason he’d decided to attend the meeting to begin with. She tended to worry. “I’m with some friends.”

“Friends?” Pepper inquired. Her eyes were narrowed. He could practically see the wheels in her head turning.

The question made his eyes grow momentarily wide with amusement. “What are you talking about? I have friends. ”Admittedly, he didn’t have many, but he did have some. She should know. She was among them.

Pepper shook her head, flustered. “Well, yes,” she insisted. If she was going to say anything else, it was cut off by the sound of the conference room door creaking open. “Never mind. The department heads are coming. We’ll talk later.”

Sure enough, a boatload of suits entered the room and took their seats around the elongated table. Pepper started things off with a bunch of analytics and the various departments checked in with their budgets.The expected pie charts began to pile up on the screen. He didn’t thoroughly look at the majority of them. His eyes had long since glazed over with boredom, transferring his mind somewhere else entirely. He was so far gone that he startled slightly when a youthful voice called out from behind him.

“Mr. Stark?” Peter said from half-way down the hall. Tony's head whipped over his shoulder as the kid approached, bright blue notebook and textbook in hand. “Can you help me with this? I got most of it, but this last section is-” He paused abruptly, his suddenly wide eyes locked on the laptop.“Oh god. I totally forgot. I’m so sorry. I’ll-”

Tony, back to his senses, swiftly muted his microphone. “Calm down, kiddo,” he casually interjected. He glanced at his screen and back to the kid who was still frozen in place. “I’ll be done here in a few and we-” He stopped short when he heard Pepper prompt the marketing department to start their spiel on target audiences and focus groups. He was certain the speech would be accompanied by at least six more tedious graphs. “Actually bring it over here. I can look at it while they prattle.”

Peter crept forward and took a seat, scooting the chair several inches away to ensure he wouldn’t be on camera. Tony glanced toward the screen. The majority of the attendees were pretending nothing had happened, while Pepper sent him a subtle but decidedly amused look. It took all of his internal strength not to roll his eyes.

For the next twenty minutes Tony bounced between making comments in the meeting and walking Peter through a particularly tricky equation. The kid caught on quickly. After a hasty explanation and slightly more streamlined method he was able to work through the final three problems with ease. He spent the last of the meeting watching the kid chew on his pencil and hastily scribble across the paper. 

Shortly after his laptop had been placed on a shelf below the coffee table, May walked in looking pleased to be home. He watched as she seamlessly drifted through her evening routine; starting with checking on Peter. 

Dinner was eaten around the table. Dried store bought pasta was dressed with a jar of sauce and topped with frozen meatballs. He chuckled as Peter doused his serving in a mountain of cheap Parmesan cheese and slurped it down likes he’d never eaten before in his life. Even after May had chastised him about ‘manners.’

“My alarm goes off at six for school,” Peter said while diligently helping his aunt clean up the table. “But I can set my watch to vibrate instead.”

Peter turned on the water and squirted some blue soap onto a yellow sponge. On a whim, Tony grabbed a small towel to start drying the dishes as they were being rinsed. “Do what you need to do, Kiddo. You’re not bothering me.”

With the kitchen back in order the remainder of the evening passed as it usually way. Peter went out on patrol and the adults chatted until he returned unharmed. Eventually, Tony excused himself to bed and the night ended with him falling asleep on the bottom bunk.

As promised, Peter’s alarm went off the next morning at the crack of dawn. The Imperial March. What a way to wake up. Tony blinked up at the slats for several minutes before easing himself out of bed. He walked down the hall and easily spotted two of his favorite people moving about the large open space. Peter was the first to notice his presence. He looked up from his breakfast and smiled.

“Morning Mr. Stark.”

May’s head shot up from where she’d been hunched over the kitchen counter. She looked at Tony, eyebrows raised. “You’re up.”

“Why wouldn’t I be up?” Tony asked. He meandered into the kitchen and grabbed a mug from the cabinet. 

“I don’t know. I figured you’d want to sleep in.” May shrugged and vaguely waved her hand toward a decorative spiral notebook. It was small and adorned with half a dozen little brown birds. “I was just writing you a note.”

“A note,” Tony echoed. When there was no reply he raised a brow and asked, “Well, do I get to see it?”

May ducked her head low and smiled sheepishly. It was highly reminiscent of the way the kid acted when he was flustered. A bark of laughter burst out of Tony’s mouth. “May Parker, are you blushing?” He grinned widely as turned her head. “Lordy. Now I really need to know what’s in that note.”

Hesitantly, May flipped through the notebook and tore a page out. She looked three seconds from ripping it into shreds. However, she ended up stuffing it into his hands instead. He held it up, still smiling as his gaze passed over the neatly scrawled words.

‘Tony, I know you’re our guest but I was hoping you could help with a few things while you’re here. You don’t have to, of course! But if you get bored or need something to do, the light in the kitchen flickers like crazy. Peter changed the fluorescent tubes but it didn't help. The window in the living room sticks when you try to open it and the toilet in the master bathroom runs constantly. I know you have-’  

The note mid-sentence. Likely when she’d realized he’d entered the room. He gave it a second read, looked up and smirked. “You made me a honey-do-list?”

“No!” May interjected, her cheeks redder than he’d ever seen. “I made a few suggestions in case-” She stopped and blinked, then raised her hands to either side of her face. “Okay, fine. I guess I did. But you don’t have to!”

Tony reached out to place a hand on May’s shoulder. She gathered a deep breath and smiled. “You know I don’t mind helping out,” he said and he meant it. There were very few things he wouldn’t do for the Parkers. But. “Don’t you have maintenance people for this kind of stuff?”

“Well, yes,” May hesitated. She pressed her lips together and crossed her arms over her chest. “But they’re always so busy and work requests seem to get lost all the time. The landlord is kind enough to keep out rent attainable. I try not to pester too much.”

“May,” Tony whispered with the intention of reassuring her that he was there for them; whatever they needed. He was unable to state a single word beyond her name before her gaze landed on the microwave’s clock. Her mouth gaped as she shouted over him.

“I need to get going! I’m going to be late!” She rushed out of the kitchen and pressed a kiss to Peter’s cheek. “I’ll see you later, Baby,” she said as she rushed to grab her things from the kitchen counter. To Tony’s surprise, she took the opportunity to kiss his cheek as well. His hand went to the spot her lips had touched as she hustled through the door, calling “I’ll see you two later,” and “Turkey Chili tonight!” as she bolted through the door.

The next few days went by in a similar fashion. With each passing day his routine becomes more and more predictable and intact. He’d join Peter and May for breakfast and see the kid off to school. He’d check his email, attend meetings and work on a few things around the apartment. He found that some of the repairs would require parts. So, he’d placed an order to be delivered from the local hardware store. While he was at it, he’d gone ahead and put one in for the groceries as well. 

That had been a unique task. Typically speaking, he didn’t place orders of that nature. He’d make a request and FRIDAY took care of it. Scrolling through and selecting groceries felt domestic in a way he’d never really experienced before. He wondered if mundane household shopping was something he might enjoy doing himself in future. At least periodically.

His favorite part of the day was the afternoon when everyone started coming back together. Peter would return first. He’d sit beside him at the table working on whatever assignment he was meant to accomplish. May would follow and by mid-evening they would sit around the table. 

Somewhere in the middle of his fourth day at the Parkers’ apartment, he received a call from the renovations team. Apparently the job was done and he was free to return to the penthouse. With that news had come a puzzling combination of relief and disappointment. He was more than eager to get back to the lab. At the same time, he was well aware that the last few days had been insanely stress-free and for him, that was a pretty big deal. 

He waited until everyone was home before announcing that he would be heading back to the tower after dinner. May gave him a hug and made sure he knew he was always welcome to return. Anytime. For any reason. She doubled down on the proclamation by giving him a key. It had been cut just for him and attached to a keyring, alongside a small acrylic spider. He smiled as he tucked it safely into his pocket.

“Are you sure you want to go tonight?” Peter asked as they all worked together to clear the table. “You could wait until morning; leave when we leave.”

Tony smiled softly. He supposed he wasn’t the only one who had gotten used to the new routine. “Pete. Buddy, I should probably get-”

“Please, Mr. Stark!” Peter begged. The soap on his hands dripped down to his elbows and onto the linoleum as he brought his hands pleadingly to his chest. “It’s Friday! It’s not like you have any meetings or anything. You could leave after breakfast and I could swing by later to hang out in the lab.”

Tony canted his head to the side and cocked a half-smile. “Theoretically, you could hang out in the lab tomorrow without me spending another night.”

“Yeah but-” The kid began to argue but Tony didn’t really require all that much persuasion. A lazy Saturday morning drinking coffee and lounging around in his pajamas didn’t sound all that bad. 

“You know what?” he interjected, but left no room for a reply. “One more night sounds good.”

Later that evening he went into Peter’s room to pack up. He lingered in front of the closet, looking at the clothes May had kindly washed the day before. He grabbed and reached for a pair of jeans, then drew his hand back. He had an abundance of clothes in his own walk-in-closet. And the means to buy more if he so desired. “Hey, Kid? Think it would be okay if I left this stuff here?”

“Yeah!” Peter smiled widely from where he was perched at the corner of the top bunk. “Then you’ll have everything you need right here when you come back.”

Tony crossed the room and laid down on the lower bed. He stared up at the slats and repeated Peter’s words in his head. ‘You’ll have everything you need right here when you come back.’ He tucked his hands behind his head and smiled fondly. Keeping some of his own clothes and personal items at the Parkers’ apartment was convenient. But he was one hundred percent sure that even if he packed it all up and took it home, he would still have everything he needed right there, waiting for him when he came back. His Kid. His friend. His family.

Chapter Text

The fifth time he showed up at the Parkers’ apartment, was admittedly very impulsive. But in the moment it felt exceedingly necessary. As though his entire world depended on it.

He’d been under a great deal of stress. A former employee had broken their non-disclosure-agreement in the most public way possible. They’d not just spilled beans about some upcoming Stark Industries products, they’d sold the information to a rival company. Tony, never one to be outdone, had taken the leak as a challenge. He made it his goal in life to quickly and effectively improve the leaked technology to the point that whatever information the other company managed to retain, would be rendered inferior. He locked himself in his lab, only coming out when FRIDAY insisted. 

He’d barely scratched the surface of what he wanted to accomplish when the Avengers were called to assemble. He wasn’t sure he was mentally prepared for any kind of immense battle but Steve had insisted they required his expertise. Aggravated and feeling back into a corner, he’d suited up to help search a Hydra base they’d located somewhere North of Socovia. He cracked the codes, downloaded several servers worth of information and wiped the entire system with less than seven seconds to spare. He’d felt the heat of the lair’s self destruction on his back as he’d hastily leaped into his armor. 

That little field trip had led to the possibility of at least six more. But only if Tony could decipher the complex fabricated language that had been used to record the locations. What should have been a piece of cake was proving to be rather difficult with Steve breathing down his neck about it. 

And as that wasn’t enough- as if he wasn’t already spreading himself thin between Stark Industries advancements and a potential world threat, he was summoned to testify before congress as an expert in his field. The best part was, he didn’t even know which one. He’d have to figure that out so he could start preparing. Although he wasn’t exactly sure when he was supposed to have time to do that. 

Tony leaned back in his chair, squeezed his eyes closed and pinched the bridge of his nose. His emails were piling up, his phone was constantly buzzing in his pocket and it was making him want to pull his hair out. It was like everyone wanted something from him all at once, and how was he supposed to accommodate that? Hysterically, he wondered if he should allocate a large chunk of his time into clone research. Just to provide more of himself to spread around. He was jerked violently from his thoughts when a hand landed on his shoulder. His eyes snapped open and once his vision adjusted, he realized Rhodey was suddenly standing beside him. He’d not even heard him come in.

“Hey. Tony. You alright, man??” Rhodey asked. The corners of his lips were turned downward and his forehead was creased with worry. “You good?”

“Yeah.” He blinked, despite the headache brewing just behind his left eye. “Yeah. I’m great. Just peachy.”

Rhodey appeared dubious. He stepped back and tilted his head to the side. “When did you sleep last?”

Tony’s brain clicked like an engine that wouldn’t quite start. He knew he’d slept at some point in the last twenty four hours. If he hadn’t FRIDAY would be all over him about his lack of ‘self-care.’ However, he couldn’t think clearly enough to decide when that might have happened. Or for how long. He glanced toward the ceiling, content to allow the AI to take over. “FRIDAY?”

“The boss has accumulated a total of six and a half hours of sleep over the past thirty-two hours.”

 “Hey, that’s pretty good for you.” A smile spread across Rhodey’s face. Although it didn’t quite reach his eyes. There was something in the way. Sympathy, if Tony had to guess.

“Stupid Human Maintenance Protocol,” he mumbled under his breath. Should he ever invent time travel, his first order of business would be to talk his past self out of implementing that directive. No matter how much Pepper begged.

Rhodey sighed, thus gaining Tony’s attention. “Anything I can help with?”

“Probably not,” he wearily replied. He glanced around the table until his gaze fell upon a thick white envelope adorned with the congressional seal. “Wait. Actually. Maybe.” He tossed the envelope at Rhodey’s chest. “Any idea what this is actually about?”

Rhodey pulled out the letter and gave it a quick once over. He looked up, his face bunched together with bewildered apprehension. “A summons?” he questioned. He peered at the paper for another half a second. “What for?”

“Good questions,” Tony tiredly replied. He was sure that had been the most vague speaking engagement invitation he’d ever received. And he’d received a lot of invitations. Although the majority of them weren’t quite so demanding. “I have no idea. Maybe you could sort that out while I work on all of-” He waved his hand to broadly encompass the entirety of the lab. It seemed he had something going in every corner. “This.”

As Rhodey tucked the letter into this jacket pocket, he looked around the room. There was a grimace on his face. It softened to something much more caring as his eyes made it back to Tony. “Why don’t you get some more rest-”

“Hard pass,” Tony interjected. There was a lot to do and, other than FRIDAY, he wasn’t going to allow anyone to bully him into taking a nap. He had at least twelve more hours before the AI started nagging. He didn’t need his friend to take a running head start.

“Tony,” Rhodey said, sounding sad and resigned. Tony had to resist the urge to roll his eyes. 

“Sour Patch.” 

Rhodey shifted his weight, stood up taller and crossed his arms over his chest. “Look, Tony. It’s one in the morning,” he stated without room for argument. “I can’t look into this for hours and you’re wound up so tight I’m worried you’re going to self-destruct at any moment. Go to bed. I’ll call you when I have answers.”

Tony looked to his right. There were several holograms open. All of them filled with his most recent Stark Industries designs. The ones that were meant to outshine the stolen intellectual property. 

To his left was a screen displaying the partially decoded cipher. Surrounding it was a pile of papers with scribbled notes and half-baked theories. He’d already figured out most of the numbers and sorted out what symbol was meant to represent the letter ‘e.’ As stupid as it was, that had been a massive breakthrough. It was likely to speed up the process by at least ten fold.

In front of him, Rhodey had the summons hidden in one of his pockets. It wasn’t an ‘out of sight, out of mind’ kind of situation. But he trusted his friend. Knowing he could call in a few favors to find out what the committee wanted from him was one small thing off of his shoulders. He’d still have to prepare for it and, you know, show up, but it was better. As he sat there looking at Rhodey’s worried features, he thought that maybe, just maybe, he could go to bed. Even if it was only for a little while. 

“Fine.You win,” he eventually conceded. He was tired and there were plenty of things he could have FRIDAY work through while he was in his room. He glanced at the ceiling. “FRIDAY? Be a dear and set me an alarm for six in the morning. While I’m out, I want you to keep running variables on that Hydra gobbledy-gook. Make sure to take into account all the newest information. While you’re at it, I also want you to run a simulation of the circuitry layout I just completed. We’re looking for a minimum twenty percent increase in efficiency without overheating the device. Think you can handle all of that?” 

“Of course, Boss.”

Rhodey nodded in approval, a self-satisfied grin across his face. Tony scoffed in response and stood up. His knees creaked from sitting for so long. He had to lean on the desk for support. He shot Rhodey a look, daring him to make a comment. When none came he sighed and crossed the distance to the elevator.

His bedroom, Tony decided, was a surprisingly welcome sight. He didn’t waste much time getting ready for bed. He wasn’t going to be in it for all that long. He simply used the restroom, kicked off his jeans and flopped onto the mattress. A sigh escaped his lips as his head hit the pillow and after that, he was out like a light. 

He didn’t stay asleep for long. Or he didn't think he’d stayed asleep for long. Because what felt like seconds later, he was bolting into an upright position. His heart was pounding in his ears and his lungs refused to expand. He frantically searched the room, his brain screaming, ‘Danger! Danger! Danger!’ Except he had no idea what he was searching for. All he knew was that something was wrong.

“FRIDAY?” he rasped, in between ragged breaths. “FRIDAY are we- are we under attack? Is there- are there aliens? Hydra? Is there a- supervillain? A jacked up-”

“Boss!” the AI interjected. The tone was enough to give Tony pause but not enough to clear the panic. “There was no attack. I believe you experienced a nightmare.”

With his heart still thudding against his ribs, Tony ran a hand over his sweaty forehead. He untangled the sheets from his legs and gathered a quivering breath. “Are you sure? There’s nothing? Everyone’s fine?”

“There are no reports of any disturbances in the area and everyone within the building is healthy and unharmed.”

What little calm Tony had been able to reclaim left him all at once. Everyone within the building was healthy and unharmed. There was no accounting for anyone outside of the building. An unwanted multitude of images abruptly flashed before his eyes. May bloody and beaten, Peter stolen and afraid, and the little Queens apartment, his sanctuary, ransacked beyond recognition. His stomach lurched as anxiety pulsed rapidly through his veins. 

“What about outside of the building?” His voice cracked on the last syllable. Tears sprang to his eyes and a painful lump formed in his throat. “Shit.” Logically, he knew the kid and his aunt were fine. Peter had super strength and there was no reason to believe that anything had happened to them. But he had to know for sure. He wouldn’t be able to breathe until he knew for sure. “I need a suit,” he barked while yanking his jeans onto his leg. He nearly tripped over the material in his haste.

FRIDAY didn’t seem to understand the urgency as she calmly recommended he not leave the penthouse. She offered to call Pepper. She offered to call Rhodey and Happy. She even offered to call Steve. Anger flared past the dread; just long enough to assert his authority. “Who’s in charge here, FRI?” It wasn’t really a question. It was a stern reminder. “Get me a suit. Now.”

There was a reluctant pause before the AI replied, “Right away.”

It didn’t take long for the suit to get him across the city. He landed on the Parkers’ apartment building, shed armor and hustled inside. He didn’t have to think about where he was going. He was on autopilot as he approached the front door. The terror-filled part of his brain wanted to kick the door down. It would be fine. He could fix it later. Thankfully, the more rational part of his mind jump started, reminding him he had a key right there in his pocket. With trembling fingers he attempted to slide the key into the lock. It took a few attempts to get it right. All the while tension was building. He both did and did not want to get the door open. He was terrified of what he might find behind it. 

The bolt finally clicked. He pushed through and into the dark living area. It was strange to see the typically lively area so devoid of life. It made his skin crawl. 

He turned a full circle, searching the room for any signs of disturbance. At the same time, he tapped the side of his glasses to awaken FRIDAY. “Scan for heat signatures,” he commanded, then pressed his eyes shut as the AI complied. When he reopened them he was relieved to see indications of two living breathing humans within the apartment walls.

“Alright. Alright, that’s good. This is- this is good,” he mumbled to himself. The raging dread began to ease. However, there was still niggling at the back of his head. He drew in a shaky breath and tip-toed down the hall to Peter’s room. The door was cracked open, making it easier to soundlessly slip inside. His eyes automatically drifted to the top bunk. When he found it empty, his heart leaped up into his throat. “There were two heat signatures, FRI,” he hissed. “Where’s the kid?”

When he received an answer, it wasn’t from the AI. There was a beat of silence. Then the sound of Peter’s muffled voice cut through the room. “Mr. Stark?”

Tony’s eyes fell to the bottom bunk. Peter was propped up on an elbow with his eyes squinted and his hair askew. Before he could stop himself, he fell to his knees and pulled the barely awake kid down into an awkwardly arranged embrace. 

“Mr. Stark? Are you okay?” Peter mumbled into Tony’s shoulder. 

“I am now.” He held on for another few seconds. After he let go, he gave the kid a moment to right himself before asking the one question that was still weighing heavily on his mind. “Where’s May? She’s here, right? She’s okay?”

Peter hummed in the positive and criss-crossed his legs. “Sleepin’” 

Tony blew out a breath. He ran his hands down his face and leaned against the side of the lower mattress. His heart rate was finally starting slow and for the first time since he'd woken up, his lungs fully expanded. 

“Are you sure you’re okay, Mr. Stark?” 

After another deep breath, he turned around to really look the kid over. His body was screaming exhaustion but his eyes were filled with worry. He cringed. Without the rush of pure adrenaline, Tony was suddenly filled with a potent combination of embarrassment and remorse. 

“I-” He swallowed hard and ducked his head. The admission on the tip of his tongue was making him feel raw and overly exposed. “I guess, I had a nightmare.” He sighed, tipped his head all the way back and stared at the star stickers. “That’s not true. I know I had a nightmare,” he admitted, then shifted his gaze back to Peter. “Sorry, Buddy. I suppose I could have just called  but-”

“Panic brain,” Peter interjected. 

Tony nodded, hating the way the kid had so easily been able to finish his thought.  That was something they probably needed to talk about. But not yet. He pushed himself up with his arms, moving to sit at the edge of the mattress. “Yeah, Bud.” He smiled softly. “Panic brain.”

“You staying here?” Peter asked. His mouth fell open and a wide yawn escaped. He lifted a hand to cover it. “I can move to the top.”

Rather than answer, Tony crammed himself onto the bottom bunk beside Peter. The width of the bed had them so close together that their elbows overlapped. He was certain the wall was the only thing keeping the kid from toppling to the floor.

Languidly, Peter giggled.  “I know they call it a twin mattress, Mr. Stark,  but I’m not sure it’s actually meant for two.” 

Tony tucked his hands behind his head and smiled. “Shut up, Parker,” he said, his voice clearly teasing. He reached over and covered the kid’s face with his hand.  “And go to sleep.”

Peter laughed and yawned, and rearranged himself until his head was laying across Tony’s chest. “If you insist.”

“I do,” Tony whispered. The weight of Peter’s head on his chest was comforting, allowing him to close his eyes as well. With any luck, he’d wake up feeling rested. Rhodey would call with the answer to his Congressional questions and once he got back to the lab, everything else would fall into place. 

Chapter Text

Over the next few weeks Tony spent a good bit of his time balancing himself between work, the lab, the Avengers and spending time with the Parkers. He made certain that at least one day a week was dedicated to having dinner at their apartment. And nine times out of ten, he ended up staying the night as well.

One evening while helping to clear the table, he could hear May and Peter whispering back and forth in the kitchen. Not wanting to pry, he stayed back stacking blue plastic bowls collecting spoons to carry to the sink. By the time he had everything gathered, May approached him with a bright yellow paper clenched in her hands. Her face was set to neutral but her body language was decidedly tense. “Everything okay?”

“Yeah! Yes, of course. Everything is fine,” May rapidly replied. She squeezed the paper a bit more tightly, causing it to crinkle in her hands. “It’s just that we got this notice the other day-”

“What kind of a notice?” he interrupted. He already had at least twelve dramatic scenarios running through his head. And none of them were ‘fine.’

Still clutching the paper, May’s hands went up in defense. “It’s nothing bad!”

“Yeah.The bad notices come on pink paper,” Peter immediately provided. May shot him an unimpressed look. To her obvious annoyance, the kid laughed. “What? They do!”

Mays sighed and reached up to massage her temples. “That’s not necessary information right now.” Before Tony could say it sounded like fairly necessary information to him, May moved on. “Anyway, it says they want to fumigate all the apartments one day next week. So, we’ll have to be out for twenty-four hours. They did give us a hotel voucher but-”

“I said we should just stay with you!” Peter cheerily interjected. “Doesn’t that sound awesome? We could come over in the afternoon and hang out with you!”

May rolled her eyes and handed Tony the paper. Only the most basic of information was listed on it. Stapled to the bottom was the aforementioned voucher. “He’s really excited about the idea, but I don’t want you to feel like you have to say yes. We do have another option.”

“A gross option.” Peter’s nose wrinkled in disgust. “I think the landlord made some sort of deal with that run down hotel down the street. It doesn’t look like it’s up to code but even if it is, it’s definitely haunted.”

“Haunted,” Tony repeated, trying and failing to keep the amusement out of his tone.

Peter crossed his arms over his chest and nodded solemnly. “Haunted hotels are a hard pass for me.”

Tony barked a laugh but he didn’t argue. Aliens, super soldiers and radioactive spiders existed. Why not ghosts? “Well, you’re always welcome at my place. It’s literally the least I can do.”

At the same time Peter’s fist flew triumphantly into the air, May asked, “You’re sure it’s okay?”

Grinning broadly, Tony fully extended his arms. “For you two? I'm always sure.”

The moment Tony returned home he stood in the middle of his open living space and turned a full three hundred and sixty degrees. It was well decorated, modern and classy. There were hints of his personality shining through here and there. Above the fireplace hung an Andy Warhol inspired painting of Iron Man. Pepper despised it.

He walked over to the black leather sectional seating that separated the room. It was far more comfortable than it looked. The cushions had just the right amount of spring to them, and the lumbar support was superb. He’d spent many nights falling asleep right in the middle of it while watching the evening news.

The entire penthouse, from the rugs to the lighting, was matched to create a flawlessly au contour aesthetic. He liked it. Loved it, even. But it was nothing like the Parkers’ apartment. There was nothing homey about it. There were no family photographs or folksy mismatched decor. And the sole thing atop his overly large glass top dining table was a deep gray vase filled with dull white flowers.

Despite the fact that he’s just completely redecorated the entire penthouse, he was suddenly overcome by the desire to start all over again. Not because he wanted a lumpy brown couch or wobbly side tables. He simply wanted May and Peter to feel just as at home in space as he did in theirs.

So, for the next several days he agonized over what he could do to make their stay more comfortable. It was a arduous task, maintaining the balance between his own personal preferences while also making his home warmer and more approachable. He started small. He did some research and purchased a few items to spread across the living space. He looked up recipes and purchased groceries based on the things he'd seen in the Parkers’ pantry. When he was mostly satisfied with the adjustments, he started on a completely different kind of project. He selected two of his four guestrooms and started transforming them into the perfect bedrooms for his friend and his kid.

All of that effort, and he still didn’t feel adequately prepared when Peter showed up on Friday afternoon. He stood by the elevator while the kid walked in, his mouth gaped in awe.

“Woah, Mr. Stark. This place is awesome.”

Tony tucked his hands behind his back and smirked. He’d made a few minor changes to the living area, but the real work had gone into the bedrooms. He was particularly proud of the one he’d prepared for Peter. It was filled with Star Wars merchandise, equipped with several electronics, and had a domed lamp that projected the solar system onto the ceiling. The kid was going to love it. “Wait until you see your room.”

“My room?” Peter’s eyes tripped in size. “You made me my own room? For real?”

“Well, yeah,” Tony chuckled. The look of surprise on Peter’s face was everything he’d hoped it would be, and the kid hadn’t even seen anything yet “Go check it out. It’s up there,” He gestured towards the steep winding staircase. “First door on the left. May’s is right beside yours. The restroom is just past that. You should have everything you require in there but let me know if something’s missing.”

Peter jogged up the stairs two at a time and disappeared behind the indicated door. A short handful of seconds later he charged out and leaned just a little too far over the banister. “Bunk beds? You got bunk beds for my room?” His smile was bordering on maniacal. “Are we going to have a sleepover?”

“I-” Tony began, thoroughly thrown off by the question. He’d heavily debated several different kinds of beds when setting up Peter's room. Although bunk beds hadn’t initially been on his radar. It wasn’t until he came across a very sturdy hand-crafted wood set that he’d actually considered it. Even then it was only because bunk beds were what the kid was used to sleeping in. He was jerked from his thoughts when Peter came barreling down the stairs.

“There’s a game system and TV too! Since it’s Friday we could play for like- hours.”

Tony’s brows knit together as he took the extent of Peter’s enthusiasm. Honestly, he was still a little confused by it. But it was hard to decline when the kid was practically vibrating with excitement. “Yeah. Okay. Sure, Bud. We can definitely hang in there for a while.”

“Promise?”

“Promise.” While Peter cheered he made a point of gesturing vaguely toward the abandoned school bag. A sure-fire way to change the subject. “Homework?”

The grin on Peter’s face hardly faded as he shrugged his shoulders. “Not really. Can we go to the lab until May gets here?”

Never one to say no to lab time, Tony sighed happily and wrapped an arm around Peter’s shoulders. “Sure, Kid. Why not?”

For a couple of hours Tony and Peter messed around in the lab. The former went over a few Stark Industries projects while the latter attempted to refine a new web fluid solution. They chatted and bantered in between, just like any other day. Except Tony was keeping a keen eye on the time. He had an approximate time for when May would arrive, but he had a few things he needed to get done before that happened.

He needed to start cooking dinner. Not order it. Not reheat it. He needed to go up to his kitchen, pull out supplies and combine them into a home cooked meal. He’d spent the week prior looking up various recipes and testing them out. When he finally found one thought might work, he used his teammates as his test subjects. As wary as they had been, the lasagna he’d prepared had been a hit. His mother would have been elated.

“Boss, if you wish to serve dinner at a reasonable hour, I suggest you get started,” FRIDAY announced.Promise.”

Peter promptly abandoned his task. He looked up at the ceiling and back to Tony, his face completely scrunched up in bewilderment. “You’re cooking?”

“Uh, yeah.” Tony chuckled. He supposed he could understand the confusion. He wasn’t exactly known for his culinary prowess. Still, he couldn’t help but feel at least a teeny, tiny bit offended. “Is that really so hard to believe?”

Peter’s brows smoothed out, a sparkle formed in his eyes and his mouth curled into a wide smile. “Well-”

Tony playfully narrowed his eyes and pursed his lips. “I’m making lasagna,” he blandly interrupted. Peter continued to grin. Tony arched a single brow and asked, “Want to help?”

“Yeah!”

Peter followed Tony upstairs and into the kitchen, Tony had FRIDAY pull up the recipe. It wasn’t excessively authentic. There wasn’t going to be any hand cut pasta or slow cooked tomato sauce. But there was a lot of work to be done.

They divided up the tasks. Peter started a pot of water to boil and assembled the ricotta filling under Tony’s watchful eye. A blend of ground meats were seasoned and fried in a pan. Afterward, a jar of pricey sauce and some fresh herbs were added to the mix. When everything was in order, they worked together to layer the lasagna in a deep rectangular dish.

The main dish had been in the oven for approximately half of his bake time when May walked in carrying two overnight bags. One for Peter and one for herself. “Hey, boys! It smells really nice in here.”

Before Tony could say anything Peter bolted toward his aunt and took both of the bags. “Yeah! Mr. Stark is cooking lasagna for dinner. I helped. And guess what! He made us our own rooms!”

“You made rooms for us?” May asked, her head canted to the side in disbelief. “Really?”

“Well, yeah.” Tony scoffed and meandered towards the entryway where May was still hovering. “I wasn't about to allow my favorite young adult and his lovely aunt stay in some boring old guest rooms. They were stiff and sterile. Very un-Parker-like.”

May hummed neutrally, but her face was shining with amusement. She glanced up the stairs were Peter was already putting away their things and wandered into the spacious living area. She moved to the mantel and looked at the various frames. There were quite a few there. Some of them were of him, his parents or the Jarvises. The others were of Peter. Of those, some had been tracked down, others captured by FRIDAY whenever the kid came to visit the lab. He had to admit, the addition of photographs to his walls and mantel had been an excellent decision. He wouldn’t trade them for the world.

Eventually May picked up one of the smaller frames. Tony looked over her shoulder to see which one had captured her attention. It was a somewhat grainy picture of a considerably younger, very unimpressed Peter holding up a third place Science Fair ribbon. His face was round, his curls untamed and his clunky blue glasses were sitting crooked on his nose.

After a few seconds she whipped around, her eyebrows raised high upon her forehead. “Did you print this picture from my facebook page?”

Tony froze. One hand went up the back of his neck while the other went into his pocket. “Uh.” He huffed a nervous laugh as continued to look him over with security. “Yes? No? Technically, FRIDAY did it.”

May’s head turned slightly, creating a side-eyed look. Although she didn’t appear to be angry or upset. Just- curious. “I didn’t even know we were friends on facebook. Wait. Do you even have a facebook page?”

Tony grinned and shrugged. “I'm reasonably sure Stark Industries has a facebook page.”

“Not the same thing, Stark.” 

Tony gave in with a barked laugh. “Yeah, well. I may have had FRIDAY work around a few things. But I did it for you! I thought some pictures would liven the place up. Make it more inviting and what not.” He paused to gesture towards the picture May still had in her hands. “And, come on, who doesn’t want a picture of those adorably chubby cheeks in their living room?”

May looked down and smiled nostalgically. “I can understand that.” A beat later she looked toward the commotion that was Peter reentering the room. “He used to be such a cutie. I wonder what happened.”

“Hey! I'm still cute!” Peter groused, but Tony could tell he wasn't honestly upset. If anything, there seemed to be a joke between them.

May laughed and continued to peruse the rest of the photographs. She looked up at the art above the fireplace and snorted. Then she looked down at the rug he'd purchased a few days prior. It was soft and round with a knotted fringe and a repeated diamond pattern.

“What is this?”

“It’s a Himalayan hand tufted rug,” Tony hastily replied. It was similar to the one that lay in front of the television at the Parkers’ apartment. Same size, shape and style. Just a slightly different pattern and color scheme. “You like it?”

May looked from the rug to the colorful throw pillows he’d added to his sectional. She took in the extensive line of picture frames and the lemon scented candle on the corner of one of the side tables. “Did you redecorate just for us?”

“Kind of?” Tony replied. He was starting to wonder if what had felt like a very good idea at the beginning of the week, had been just a touch too impulsive. The thought brought on a wave of minor embarrassment. He squashed it down by confidently lifting his chin. “I only added a few touches out here. The bedrooms were the real project.”

“The real project” May repeated. She blinked. Her lips parted but it was several seconds before she finally spoke. “Tony. Tony, you do understand that you didn't have to redecorate your home to accommodate us, right. Because I really need to know that you understand that.”

Rather than acknowledge the question for what it was, Tony tucked his hands behind his back and sagely inclined his head. “It’s the rug isn’t it. Replacing the rug was too much? Should I swap it out for the old one?”

“Yes!” May nearly cackles. He looked behind her to find Peter laughing as well. Their obvious delight allowed him to relax. His shoulders sagged and a smile crept across his face.

“Oh thank god. The pillows are all wrong, and I really hate that rug.” A second later he glanced to the side and asked, “The pictures can stay though, right?”

May smiled and hauled Tony onto a gentle side hug. “The pictures are amazing.”

Right about that same time, the oven beeped and Peter scampered into the kitchen. Quips were made about the lack of smoke and fire. Tony laughed, flicking the kid on the back of the head as started to collect what he needed to set the table.

He reached for the plastic plates he’d bought for the occasion. Then he glanced at May and drew his hand back. Instead, he pulled open the cabinet that held multiple sets of matching black and red stone wear.

Together, they sat at one end of the enormous table. Lasagna was dished out onto square plates, and salad was served in an accompanying bowl. The cups were made of glass and the silverware gleamed against the matte cloth napkins. The meal time setup was dramatically different from what he experienced at the Parkers. Although it didn’t seem to matter. The atmosphere and flow of conversation was just as pleasant.

While Tony loaded the dishwasher, Peter negotiated for some patrol time. Tony stayed out of it, allowing May to carry out the decision. Ultimately she decided to give him some time. They both cringed as the kid literally threw himself out of the ninety second floor window.

Tony offered May a glass of wine. It wasn’t the cheap stuff. And when she agreed, he theatrically poured their servings into two stemmed glasses and transferred them over to the sectional. They joked and gossiped, and talked about life until Peter crawled back through the window.

With very little prompting Peter carried himself giddily up the stairs and into the hall restroom to shower. They could hear the moment he stepped out and returned to his room. At that point, May tipped the last of her wine into her mouth and sighed. “I have a shift tomorrow. I should probably go ahead and get some sleep, if that’s okay,”

“Of course, it’s okay,” Tony chuckled. He stretched his arms above his head and collected both empty glasses. “Works out actually. I somehow ended up promising the kid a gaming marathon.”

“Somehow,” May mockingly echoed.

Tony rinsed the glasses and wiped them dry with a soft microfiber cloth. “It’s the puppy dog eyes.” He tucked the glasses away and walked back to the open living area. “We should really do something about those.”

“Leave my nephew’s eyes alone!” May laughed as if Tony would change anything about Peter’s innocently large brown eyes. She stood up still smiling and turned to face the stairs. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Tony. Have fun with your boys night.”

“Uh-huh,” Tony replied, falling into step behind her. “I’ll follow you up.”

May went into her room. Tony took pleasure in the way she quietly gasped upon entering. He’d designed the room based on a picture he’s seen in some country living type magazine. Rustic furniture, patchy quilts and accents in cheerful shades of muted yellow and green. The small confirmation that he’d gotten it right made his heart warm. He chuckled as he tapped his knuckles on the outside of Peter’s open door. The kid was sitting on the top bunk, one leg dangling over the side.

“Hey, Mr. Stark,” Peter greeted. He tossed Tony a controller before he could properly cross the threshold. “I have it all set up. What do you want to play first?”

“Whatever you want, Bud.” Tony stretched out across the bottom bunk. He had to lay on his stomach to see the television, but the mattress was comfortable enough to accommodate the position.

They played for hours. Peter creamed him in almost every game. The only one Tony seemed to maintain an edge in was an exceedingly racing game. He claimed experience. But that didn’t stop the kid whining every time he lost. “You’ll get there, Kiddo. Maybe Happy can give you some driving lessons.”

“Maybe you can give me some driving lessons,” Peter quipped in return. Tony couldn't see the kid’s face, but he was sure he was smiling. “In a Formula One car.”

“Pass,” Tony laughed. “I’d like my body in one piece, thanks.”

The playful banter continued until the games were tucked away in favor of watching a movie. And if Tony conked out before the first half of it- Well, he was sure Peter would tell May all about it in the morning.

If FRIDAY didn’t alert her first.

Chapter Text

Cutting Room Floor - Chapter 1 Introduction

The truth was, Tony liked having a tower in the middle of New York City. He liked being in the middle of the action. He liked his luxury penthouse, and he really liked having his home, his labs, his workshops and the entirety of his company all in one place. It was convenient and, frankly, having his name, tall and glowing, on the side of the building was an ego boost even for him. Which was exactly why he bought the thing back after the whole ‘Avengers Civil War Dissolution’ and reverted it back to its pre-two-thousand-twelve state. ‘Stark Tower.’

Naturally, the Avenger’s Compound still stood. He could have lived there. He had an apartment overlooking the south lawn. But he figured with the majority of the Avengers on the run, it was secure enough to re-establish himself in the heart of Manhattan. Besides, who would want to live alone in a huge empty compound?

He told himself he'd be happier in the city, surrounded by people. Even if he didn’t really have a reason to interact with much of anyone outside of his business persona. Then there was the kid to consider. Peter mostly carried out his friendly neighborhood Spider-Man tasks within Queens. But whenever he branched out, he tended to do so in the biggest, most chaotic and dangerous ways possible. Even with the Armor standing at the ready, being in Manhattan put him in a much better place for assisting whenever the kid dove into something above his pay grade. It also made it so much easier to grab the kid from school and haul him away for an afternoon of training or lab experiments. And that was probably the biggest draw. He found himself looking forward to afternoons spent with Peter. In time, he began to look forward to the phone conversations that took place with Peter’s Aunt May as well. She was lively and pleasant, and despite the lack of overlap in their day-to-day interests, they did have one thing very much in common. They both cared deeply about Peter’s wellbeing.

So, the extravagant tower and the opulent apartment on top of it was home.

Then the formally rouge, semi-forgiven Avengers moved back in. Why they couldn't be quarantined to the compound was beyond his scope of comprehension. And his scope was very, very big.

He didn’t have the time or the energy to fight it, though. He simply set up a few protocols to keep his most personal spaces remained personal and hunkered down. It was fine. He still liked his private labs. He still liked his penthouse. It wasn’t like he was trapped. He could venture down to the Avengers common floor anytime he wanted, mingle with whoever was around and leave whenever he was ready. It was literally his building.

But sometimes, just sometimes he simply needed to get out; to escape and evade the looming expectation of reacquainting himself with the team. But luckily, he had a pretty good idea of where he could go to do just that. He smiled to himself as he hopped into one of his sports cars and pointed himself towards Queens. And the Parkers’ apartment.

Cutting Room Floor - Chapter 5 Alternate Concept

It didn’t take long for the suit to get him across the city. He landed on the Parkers’ apartment building, shed armor and hustled inside. He didn’t have to think about where he was going. He was on autopilot as he approached the front door. The terror-filled part of his brain wanted to kick the door down. It would be fine. He could fix it later. Thankfully, the more rational part of his mind jump started. It was the middle of the night and that much noise was bound to attract a lot more attention that he was prepared to handle.

So, he stood there in the narrow hallway, hunched over with a lock-pick kit in his hands. His heart hammered in his chest as he worked the pins. It was a cheap deadbolt. It shouldn’t have taken him more than a few seconds to crack it. But his hands were trembling, making it a much more difficult task.

Abruptly, a throat cleared behind him. He cursed, dropped the kit and flinched so hard his head hit the hard wooden door. That was followed by more cursing and a swift move to collect the dropped tools.

“Tony Stark, what are you doing?” he heard a familiar voice ask and whipped around. May Parker was standing behind him. He assumed she’d just returned from a late night shift. She was wearing a pair of mint green scrubs and her hair was in a loose bun. She seemed utterly confused. Probably wondering why he was lingering around the hallway.

“You’re okay,” he stated more so that questioned. His body was still buzzing with anxiety. But seeing her all in one piece certainly helped.

“Of course, I’m okay. I was at work all evening,” May said, her brows creased with considerable worry. “Why would you think I wasn’t okay?”

Tony swayed his head and placed his hand firmly against the door. “Is Peter-”

“We’re fine,” May insisted. A beat passed. Her eyes fell to the hand that was still holding the tiny wrenches and hooks. “Why are you picking the lock?”

Tony’s face flushed with embarrassment. There didn't seem to be a effective way to say he’d woken up from a nightmare, had a panic attack and impulsively decided that he needed to break into their home to check on them. “I-”

“You have a key,” May said, causing his cheeks to take on at least three more shades of red.

He looked down and mumbled an acknowledgment under his breath. When he ventured to peek up, May was extracting her own keys out of her purse. She gently pushed past and opened the door.

“You- want to come in?”

Tony stuffed his hands into his pockets and shrugged his shoulders. “Sure.” He gathered a deep breath and released it through his mouth. “In is good.”

Headcanon Moment 1 - Ned Sleeps Over

It was late when Tony entered the apartment. Late enough that all the lights were already out and both Parkers were already in bed. He couldn’t blame them. Not only was it well after three in the morning, he’d not so much as hinted that he might stop by. He’d been heading back into the city after a long trip. He was tired, and well- It just sort of happened.

He set his keys down on the kitchen table and meandered his way to the restroom. He changed into the sweatpants he’d carried in, brushed his teeth and tiredly approached the kid’s room. The door was cracked, as it often was, so he simply slipped inside. He leaned back and extended his arms high over his head, more than ready to get into the cozy little bed.

As he reached down to pull back the blankets. He released an extremely undignified squeak. His eyes, having finally adjusted to the lack of adequate light, had realized there was a very unfamiliar body already occupying his usual space. Thankfully the body didn’t stir at the noise. That gave him the opportunity to lean in and take a better look. ‘Ned Leeds,’ his brain sluggishly provided.

He took a few steps back and pinched the bridge of his nose. He supposed he had a couple of options. He could sleep on the couch. Although that didn’t sound all that appealing. It wasn’t exactly comfortable, and it would put him right in the middle of everything once everyone woke up for the day. He could wake Ned up and force him to vacate the bed. Waking Peter or May up would serve no purpose at all. He sighed and ran an exhausted hand down his face.

Peter sat up slowly in his bed, the rustling capturing Tony’s attention. “Mr. Stark?”

He turned around, narrowed his eyes and sighed. “Kid? What are you doing awake?”

“I heard you breathing,” Peter shrugged.

“You heard me breathing” Tony shook his head and placed his hand on his hip. “That's not creepy at all.”

“You’re the one hovering in my room while I sleep.”

Unable to argue with that assessment, Tony sighed. “Touche.”

Peter rubbed his eyes with the heels of his hands and yawned. “Want me to wake Ned up? He can sleep on the bean bag chair.”

“Nah,” Tony reluctantly replied. He glanced toward the door and crossed his arms over his chest. “I suppose I can take the beanbag chair.”

“I could take the beanbag chair, and you could sleep up here,”Peter offered, and Tony gave the idea some thought. A mattress did sound better than the floor. He did, however, have a few concerns. Well, one. Mostly one.

“Will it hold me?” he asked, to which Peter nodded his head. Tony arched a brow. “You’re sure? One hundred percent, no niggling doubts, sure?”

Peter huffed. “It’s rated for up to like, two hundred and fifty pounds.”

“Total or per bed?”

“Do you want the bed or not, Mr. Stark? I'm tired,” Peter whined, sending a twinge of guilt through Tony’s gut.

He smiled, resigning himself to his fate. “Just go back to sleep, Buddy. I’ll get comfy on the bean bag chair.”

He was convinced his back would hate him for it but he wasn’t going to displace either kid. It was Peter’s bed, and if he was being honest he wasn’t confident he had the capacity to deal with the exuberance that would come from waking Ned up.

So he grabbed an extra pillow and a few blankets from the closet for cushion. He set it all up and settled down on the bean bag chair. It wasn’t as bad as he thought it would be. Or maybe he was just too exhausted to care. Either way, he was completely out within minutes.

* The Next Morning

“Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god! Peter! Peter, wake up! Tony Stark is asleep on your floor! Dude! What is your life?”

Headcanon Moment 2 - The Snow Day

Tony startled awake. He could feel a relentless hand shaking his arm and Peter’s voice filtering into his ear. Although it took several seconds for his hazy brain to start processing the words.

“Mr. Stark, you have to wake up! Come one!”

Groaning, he rolled from his side onto his stomach and buried his face in his pillow. He had no idea what time it was but it sure didn’t feel like morning. He would have fallen straight back to sleep, but Peter was still nudging and whisper-shouting demands for him to get out of bed. “Why?” he practically whined. He chanced a peek at his watch. It was just shy of five o’clock in the morning. On a Saturday. “Seriously, Pete. Why?”

A giddy laugh filled the room. “It’s snowing!”

Tony blinked. “We live in New York, Peter. It snows all the time. Every year.” Peter continued to look at him with childishly bright eyes and an unwavering grin. “Go back to bed.”

“But this is the first time it’s snowed this year,” Peter persisted. He waved a hand toward the window and bounced on his toes. “And it’s sticking.”

Tony flopped onto his back and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Great. I hope they do something about the roads before I head out.”

“You could always stay an extra night!”

“I haven’t finished this night, Kid,” Tony interjected. He’d not actually fallen asleep until well after midnight and for once in his life, he actually wanted to sleep in. He really should have known something would stop him. Though he would have never guessed ‘Peter being excited about a little bit of snowfall’ would be the reason. He looked at the kid and frowned. “If it’s sticking, it’ll still be there later. Go back to sleep. At least let me go back to sleep.”

Peter shook his head and started digging through his dresser. Within seconds he was holding an armload of clothing. “I’m going outside.”

“It’s five in the morning!” Tony protested. He finally sat up and rubbed his hand vigorously up and down his face.

“And it's snowing!” Peter darted across the room and threw open the curtains. Against the deep navy sky, a flurry of white flakes could be seen circling to the ground. “Come look out the window! Everything is covered. It’s pretty.”

Tony flopped back down onto the pillow and draped and arm over his eyes. “Pass.”

Not two seconds later, Peter was back to prodding and pleading. “Please, Mr. Stark! At least look!”

With a deep sigh, Tony returned to an upright position. He looked the kid over with scrutiny and sighed all over again. “You’re not letting this go, are you.”

Peter grinned widely. “If you go outside with me, I promise to let you take a nap later.”

Tony scoffed. He had a very hard time believing he would be getting any additional sleep. Not with the level of enthusiasm the kid was currently displaying. “Like that’ll happen. But it’s whatever, Kiddo. I’m up.”

“Yay!” Peter shouted, one fist pumping into the air.

Within minutes they were both bundling up. Tony insisted Peter add on at least one more layer before getting into his coat. There was very little argument before the kid darted back to his room to throw on an additional sweater.

Meanwhile, Tony put on the coat, scarf and hat he’d arrived in. He was lacking gloves, but Peter was quick to find a pair of May’s for him to borrow. They were a lovely shade of powder pink. He pulled them on, figuring there would be no one around it really notice. And at least his fingers wouldn’t freeze.

As they made it outside of the building Tony realized there were quite a few kids already out there, along with a handful of supervising adults. He watched as Peter ran up and down the sidewalk, intentionally sliding on the slick surface and catching snowflakes on his tongue. When enough snow had accumulated on the hood of his car, Peter ran over to build a tiny snowman right in front of the windshield.

Tony raised a brow as Peter happily displayed his newest wintry accomplishment. “You know it’s going to die a breezy death when I leave later, right?”

“Yeah. That’s why I'm taking a picture,” Peter replied. His phone was already in his hand, turned towards himself for a selfie. He paused before taking the shot and tugged on Tony’s arm. “Hey! Come stand with me!”

They leaned closely together, the little snowman just visible between them. Tony could feel the kid starting to shiver. He had to admit, he wasn’t exactly toasty himself. “Had enough fresh air?” he asked once a few pictures had been snapped. “Ready to go in now?”

Peter stuffed his phone into his coat pocket and smiled. “Hot chocolate?”

Tony looked down at his watch. It was still early; not quite six. There was still time to get a couple of hours before they reached a reasonable waking hour. He hoped he could spend at least some of it trying to go back to sleep. He looked Peter over and raised a hopeful brow. “Hot chocolate followed by a nap?”

With narrowed eyes, Peter appeared to think it over. He tapped his chin and quietly hummed. “Together? With extra blankets?”

Tony couldn’t stop the laugh that burst out of his mouth. “You’ve got yourself a deal, Parker,” he said, wrapping an arm around the kid’s shoulders. “Let’s get back inside.”

Headcanon Moment 3 - Dadding Accusations

[Takes place after chapter 5]

Tony Slowly exited his executive office. He’d only gone in there to collect a file he accidentally left on his desk. Having already obtained it, his plan was to escape to the lab before anyone could catch him and ask him any questions. He failed miserably when he ran into Pepper directly around the first corner.

Coffee in hand, she raised her brows and looked him over with mild surprise. “You’re back.”

“Of course, I’m back.” He scoffed and held his hands, palm up in front of himself. “Did you actually think I wasn’t coming back?”

“No.” Pepper smiled in a way that made Tony wonder what she was up to. He narrowed his eyes slightly as she began to speak. “I knew you were coming back. I just wasn’t sure when. Especially since you seemed to be enjoying the whole ‘dadding’ thing.”

Sufficiently confused, Tony arched a brow.“‘dadding’ thing?”

Pepper nodded, the same smile still plastered across her face. “During last week’s meeting. The one where you spent more time helping Peter with his homework than you did paying attention.”

Without thinking, Tony’s hands crossed defensively across his chest. He rocked back on his heels and pursed his lips. “Since when is helping a kid with his homework considered ’dadding’? Is that even a word? Dadding?”

“Oh it wasn’t the act itself.” Pepper’s hand went up to her mouth to stifle and obvious giggle. “It was the look on your face while you did it.”

Tony dipped his chin, raised his eyebrows and looked up through his lashes.

Pepper rolled her eyes. “FRIDAY? Can you pull up the file from last week’s team lead accountability meeting? About half-way through. Look for the part where Peter shows up in the background.”

“As you wish, Ms. Potts.”

The requested video popped up. Tony watched his own head whip around as Peter appeared behind him. His microphone had been on at the time, so he could hear the kid asking him about math. A few seconds later, his video self turned back toward the screen to cut off his audio. On his face was a soft relaxed smile. After that an exchange took place between himself and Peter. After which, the kid joined him at the table. Once Peter settled, he was nowhere in the frame but Tony could see himself leaning to the side, arm outstretched like he was pointing to something while he talked slowly.

He couldn’t tell exactly what he was saying. His end of the call was still on silent. Though he could still hear the endless prattling of whoever was at the front of the conference room.

“Skip ahead by about twenty minutes please,” Pepper requested. FRIDAY obliged and the video stopped. It restarted almost instantly.

Tony was still the only one on the screen. His chin was propped up on his one hand and his head turned to the side. The same gentle smile was on his face. He could tell he was making the occasional comment. Sometimes he laughed, his eyes crinkling up at the corners. He wished he could remember what they were saying.

“Do you have anything you’d like to add, Mr. Stark?” someone from within the video asked.

Tony watched his video self flinch and turn to properly face the screen. He recovered quickly, unmuted himself and cleared his throat in a professional manner. “I have nothing to add at this time.” When no other questions were asked, his attention was once again lost.

Pepper waved her hand toward the ceiling. “That’s enough, FRIDAY. Thank you.” A few seconds passed before she looked at Tony and grinned smugly. “See? ‘Dadding’”

Tony wanted to argue. But if he was being honest, he could maybe see where she was coming from. That didn’t mean he was going to admit it out loud. He stuffed his hand into his pockets and cut his eyes to the side. “I don’t know what you’re talking about Mrs. Potts.”

“Rhodey agrees, by the way,” Pepper added. “He thought the video was adorable.”

Tony’s posture went from casual to mildly affronted. It was one thing for Pepper to accuse him of being fatherly. It was another for her to drag his best friend into it. Not that Rhodey wouldn’t have figured it out on his own eventually. It was the principal. “Hey! You-”

“How did the kid do on that assignment by the way?” Pepper interjected, her head tilted ever so slightly to the side.

“Oh.” Tony blinked. His entire tirade was erased. In its wake came a feeling of immense pride. “He got a one hundred but that one’s not really all that important as far the final grade goes.The good news is he’s a super smart kid. Now that he’s got this down, he should be all set for finals in a few weeks. But no matter how many times I tell him that, he still wants to keep working on it, just in case.”

Pepper hummed.

Tony sighed. His shoulders drooped and his weight shifted to one foot. “What?”

“Nothing.” Pepper shrugged and shook her head in an innocent manner. “Tell him and May I said hello next time you see them.”

Smiling, Tony flourished his hand. “Easy. I’m going over there for dinner tonight. May’s making a new recipe and the kid wants me to go over his science essay.”

A giggle escaped Pepper's mouth. That time she didn’t even try to hide it. “So, you’ll be dadding then?”

Realizing he’d fallen right into her playful trap, Tony huffed. “Will that be all Ms. Potts?“

Rather than answer, Pepper smiled until her eyes squinted. “You love it.”

With a look of defeat, Tony smiled and slowly bobbed his head. “Yeah,” he breathed out. “I suppose I do.”

Headcanon Moment 4 - Saturday Morning Cartoons

On Saturday morning, Tony woke up much earlier than he would have wanted to. He and May had stayed up well into the night chatting and enjoying a large pot of decaffeinated coffee. His bladder was keen to remind him of exactly how much of it he’d consumed.

With a soft sigh, he sat up and looked at the window. The sun was coming up, so he supposed it could have been worse. He checked his watch to confirm. Six-thirty in the morning. That meant he’s gotten a solid five and half hours of rest. That was a good number for him. Therefore, the likelihood of him getting any more sleep after using the restroom was slim.

Quietly he slipped out of the room. He took care of his pressing needs and slinked into the kitchen. The carafe from the night before was still on the counter with the remnants of drying coffee at the bottom. He went ahead and washed it and started a new pot, double checking that he had the caffeinated grounds before adding them to the filter.

The appliance hissed and sputtered to life filling the quiet kitchen and living area with the bitter-sweet scent of coffee. He waited patiently as the deep brown liquid drizzled into the pot. As soon as there was enough to top off a mug, he paused the brewing to fill one. He closed his eyes and took a sip. It wasn’t as good as the imported blends he kept at the penthouse but it was strong enough to make him feel a little bit more alive.

He carried the mug over to the window and pulled back the soft yellow curtains. The neighborhood was aglow with bright warm tones. A few people were starting to emerge from their buildings and several cars were already on the road. He was glad he didn’t have anywhere to be. As far as he was aware, the Parkers didn’t either.

After a minute or so of observing he let the curtain fall closed and moved to the couch. He wasn’t sure if he should turn the television on or not. The apartment walls were thin, and he didn’t want to chance waking anyone.So, he simply sat there, scrolling through his phone slowly consuming his coffee. He was most of the way through his first mug when he heard a pair of feet padding down the hallway.

“Mr. Stark?”

Tony turned around. Peter was standing at the end of the hall. He was still in his pajamas and had a blue plush blanket wrapped around his shoulders like a cape. “Hey, Bud. I didn’t wake you up, did I?”

Peter shook his head, sending his wildly untamed waves bouncing side to side. A few beats passed before he asked, “What are you doing?”

“I woke up early.” Tony shrugged his shoulders and tipped the last of his coffee into his mouth. “I didn’t think I’d be able to get back to sleep, so I came out here.”

Peter hummed in acknowledgement and looked towards the dark television screen. “You could have turned on the TV, if you wanted to. May sleeps like a rock.”

The image of May laying on her side with drool tricking out of the corner of her mouth entered Tony’s head. He chuckled lightly and got up to refill his cup. As he did so, he grabbed the remote from beneath a magazine and tossed it in Peter’s direction. “Why don’t you come pick something?”

“K,” Peter replied, catching the remote with ease. He carried it to the couch but didn’t turn anything on. He simply set it and the blanket down before heading into the kitchen himself.

“Coffee?” Tony asked, to which Peter wrinkled his nose. He laughed at the face and clutched his mug close to his chest. “More for me.”

Instead of returning to his seat, Tony watched Peter shuffle around the kitchen. The kid pulled out a bowl and filled it with colorful cereal and milk. He collected a spoon and carried it all to the living area.

“You sure you don’t want to pick?” Peter asked, sitting criss-cross under his blanket on the couch. He had his cereal bowl propped in his lap and was scooping spoonfuls of sugary rings into his mouth.

“It’s Saturday morning,” Tony said. He blew a layer of steam off the top of his mug and smirked. “Aren’t kids supposed to watch cartoons?”

“You know there are channels where you can watch cartoons twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week now. Not to mention the on demand stuff. It’s not really a Saturday Morning thing anymore.”

“Tragic,” Tony quipped. He had plenty of fond childhood memories of sitting in front of the television, too early in the morning on the weekends. “That was the best part of growing up in the seventies and eighties. The Saturday morning cartoon lineup. Jarvis would help me look through the TV Guide-”

Peter dropped his spoon into his bowl and scrunched his face up in confusion. “What’s a TV Guide?”

Tony blinked. “Oh my god.” It was those moments that reminded Tony just how long he’d been alive. “It was a book that had a chart of what every station was playing at what time.” Peter nodded and hummed. Tony took that as confirmation that he could proceed. “Anyway, Jarvis- the real Jarvis, would help me go through and highlight all the things I wanted to see. And he always made sure I had a box of chocolate covered doughnuts to eat while I watched. It was a rare moment of peace. Just me, the television and a dozen junky doughnuts all to myself.”

A thoughtful look crossed Peter’s face. He scraped a few more bites of cereal into his mouth before asking, “What did you watch?”

“Flintstones, Jabber Jaw, Scooby Doo,” Tony casually replied. He smiled a little as another show crossed his mind. “Richie Rich was a thing when I was around nine or ten. Never liked that one.”

Peter chuckled and set his bowl aside. He picked up the remote and flipped the television on. “Want to watch Scooby Doo?”

Tony looked at the genuine smile and the kids face and smiled back. He leaned back on the cushions and allowed the feeling of nostalgia to warm him. “Sure, kid. Let’s watch some Scooby Doo.”

Headcanon Moment 5 - The Ol’ Switcheroo

Content Warning for illness/vomiting

It was Wednesday night and Tony was over at the Parkers for dinner. May had invited him over to celebrate Peter’s last day of exams before the holiday break. The plan was to order Thai food and enjoy a casual evening together, doing whatever the kid wanted to do to kick start his vacation. He even went so far as to plan ahead. He told Pepper he wouldn’t be there until mid-afternoon the next day. She’d given him a knowing smile as she adjusted his schedule accordingly.

He arrived at the apartment at just after six. He half expected the kid to be on patrol seeing as he wouldn’t have any homework to do. But he was the first one to greet him as he walked in the door.

Peter smiled at him from the back of the couch but made no move to get up. “Hey, Mr. Stark!”

“Hey, Bud,” Tony stuffed his keys into his pocket and hung his jacket in the entryway closet. “I thought for sure you’d be out gallivanting in the suit.”

Peter flopped dramatically onto the couch with audible ‘oof’ “Nah. It’s been a long three days. I’m beat.”

“Think you did okay?” He patted Peter’s leg to get him to move over, so he could sit.

Peter hummed and curled his legs beneath him. “Pretty sure I nailed everything but Spanish.” He reached up to cover his mouth as a wide yawn escaped. “Should be passing still, though.”

May arrived shortly after with several large plastic bags full of food. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the kid’s nose wrinkle, but he didn’t think anything of it. He rushed to help May get all of the cardboard boxes and Styrofoam containers lined up around the table. Plates forks and napkins were set out as well, so they could have buffet style dinner.Tony popped a single fired appetizer into his mouth and motioned for Peter to join them. “Come make a place, Kiddo. We’ll clean up your scrapes.”

Peter chuckled lightly and made his way over to the table. There was a great deal of what looked like hesitation as he loaded up his plate. Tony looked him over and rolled his eyes. “You know I was kidding right?”

“Yeah,” Peter smiled. “I’m just pacing myself. There’s a lot of food here to work through.”

May shook her head and started her own plate. Once they were done Tony grabbed himself some food as well. They all convened on the couch where Peter was allowed to pick the movie. Tony had Star Wars already cued up before they even asked him. Out of what was surely spite, Peter asked for Jurassic Park instead.

They ended up watching the next one too, at the kid’s request. Although he didn’t quite make it to the end before his eyes were drooping close. May tried to offer some less passive activities. Peter declined them all.

May sighed and ran a hand up and down Peter’s arm. “I know it’s not quite ten, but you can go to bed if you want, Peter.”

A groan of frustration escaped from Peter’s mouth. “But Tony came over to hang out and-”

“Kid,” Tony interjected with a flourish of his hand. “I come over to hang out all the time. If you’re tired, you’re tired. Go to sleep.”

A few beats passed. Peter’s face morphed from mild annoyance to resignation. “Fine. Yeah. I’m going to bed.”

He sluggishly stood up, bracing himself on the arm of the couch. May grabbed his hand and patted it softly. “You feeling okay, Sweetheart?”

Peter gathered a breath and nodded his head. “Yeah. Just- really tired.”

“Alright,” May sighed. They both watched the kid shuffle down the hallway. As soon as he reached the door, May called out, “Goodnight, Baby. Sleep tight.”

Tony waved to the kid as he disappeared and turned towards the television. The second Jurassic Park movie was paused, somewhere towards the end. There were no cheaply generated dinosaurs. Just a character he didn’t even recognize frozen on the screen. Admittedly, he’d not been paying one lick of attention to it. “Are we finishing this movie?” He held up the remote, a hopeful look upon his face.

May laughed. “Absolutely not. The plot is like Swiss cheese and the science is dubious as heck.”

Tony laughed with her, as they flipped through a few old nineties sit-coms. It took them a while to pick one, which was sort of a waste since neither of them ended up actually watching it. Instead, they turned the volume low and talked their way through at least five episodes, if not more. He wasn’t counting.

May decided to head to her bedroom around midnight. At that point, Tony considered simply driving home. He waffled over the decision but ultimately found his way into the bottom bunk. If for no other reason than to see the kid in the morning.

He’d just settled down enough that his thoughts were starting to shift into dreamy territory when he felt the whole bed jolt. A high-pitched whine followed. Tony’s eyes flew open prepared to ask what was happening, but he didn’t get the chance. He looked at the end of the bed to find Peter rapidly descending the ladder. The kid skipped the last two steps. His feet hit the ground, and he took off across the room with one hand cupped over his mouth.

“Pete?” Tony questioned. The kid didn’t answer. Without pause, he continued through the bedroom door, into the partially lit hallway. Light flooded in from the hallway. Tony had to hold up his hand to block it, as he watched the kid go.

Unclear as to what was going on, Tony got up and followed. Although the answer to his unspoken question was answered rather quickly. The moment he approached the hall restroom door, he could hear retching followed by the distinct sound of vomit hitting the water.

“Oh, Kid,” whispered, mostly to himself. He and May had casually discussed how the kid hadn’t been himself since he’d gotten home from school They had both determined that it was likely a combination of relief form the end of finals and general exhaustion after having spent over weeks cramming for them. Peter being sick hadn’t crossed either one of their minds.

Carefully he approached the open restroom door and tapped on the frame. Peter turned his head. His eyes were watery and red, and there was a string of saliva running down his chin. He was the picture of absolute misery.

Tony smiled softly and leaned his shoulder against the open door. “Not feeling too good, huh?”

“Sorry, I did-” Peter began, he was cut off by a brand-new wave of nausea. He gagged a few times, shivered and looked up through his long damp lashes. “Sorry. Sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you up or freak you out or whatever.”

“You didn’t freak me out or wake me up, really.” He was going to say more, but Peter groaned and dipped his head back over the toilet. It didn’t sound nearly as productive as the previous rounds and was over quickly. He cringed when the kid rested his cheek on the seat. “Should I get May?”

Peter shook his head. “It’s not like she can do anything.”

With mild hesitation, Tony entered the restroom and sat on the edge of the tub. He ran a hand over Peter back and smiled half-heartedly. “Oh, Buddy. She could keep you company? Make you feel better.”

The kid twisted his head around. Tony could practically see the wheels in his head turning. His brows were furrowed, and his mouth was set in a weak frown. “I have you.”

For half a second Tony’s brain stalled. The kid had just indicated that his presence was just as comforting as May’s and he wasn’t sure what to think about that. He smiled softly and got up to grab a washcloth. He ran it under the faucet and handed it to Peter, so he could clean his face. “I’m going to get you some water, okay?”

He waited for Peter to nod his head before exiting and returned moments later with a plastic cup of cool water.He watched the kid swish some around in his mouth and spit it out before taking a few tentative sips.

“Think you’re done for now?” Tony asked, tipping his head towards the toilet.

Peter hummed and Tony helped him up off the floor. Together they went back into the bedroom, and that’s where Tony hit a metaphorical speed bump. The kid was already heading towards the ladder, and he really wasn’t sure that was such a great idea. With an air of casualness, he made a suggestion. “Maybe we should switch for the night.”

Peter paused in his steps and drew his lip between his teeth. “You don’t like the top.”

Suddenly, Tony felt bad for every negative comment he’d ever made about the integrity of the bunk beds. He inclined his head and held out his hands in a placating manner. “I’ll get over it, Bud. You’re sick. You should be on the bottom. Easier access to the restroom.”

With his hand clutched over his abdomen, Peter shifted from foot to foot. He looked longingly at the bottom bed and back to Tony. “You’re sure it’s okay.”

Tony smiled and placed a hand on either one of the kid’s decidedly warm shoulders. “Would I lie to you, kiddo?”

Without so much as a split second of hesitation, Peter shook his head. Tony sighed happily and nodded his head. .

“In that case, let’s get you all tucked in.” He pulled the blankets down and Peter immediately dropped down on the edge of the lower mattress. When the kid didn’t immediately lay down, he asked, “You want anything from upstairs?”

Peter ran a tired hand over his face. He could have been wiping away a few tears. It was hard to tell in the dim lighting. “Can I have my pillow?”

Tony made a noise of affirmation and swapped out the pillows. Afterward Peter finally laid down. “Are you all set now? Need anything else?”

Peter rolled onto his side and rubbed the edge of the top blanket between his fingers. “Could you- I mean, May usually does- but do you think you could maybe rub my back for a few minutes?”

“Yeah, Buddy,” Tony gently replied. “I can do that.”

The kid rolled to face the wall and Tony sat beside him. He ran his hand up and down, and in little circles over the kid’s back. He stayed long enough that his own back was starting to protest. But he didn’t want to get up until he was sure Peter was asleep. 

The moment he heard the tell-tale soft snores, he said a little prayer and slowly climbed the metal ladder. He laid down and closed his eyes. With any luck, he’d get a couple of hours of sleep before the next mad dash to the hall restroom.