Chapter Text
Peter fidgeted nervously in the back seat. His leg was bouncing so fast a speedster would have been impressed.
"Kid, stop the banging," Happy warned, making eye contact with Peter in the rear-view mirror.
"Sorry Happy," Peter quickly apologised as he stilled his leg. He hit his web-shooters briefly to make a ball of webbing and began squeezing and toying with it.
"You got a nest of hornets up your ass or something?" Happy asked after a moment of glancing between the New York traffic and the clearly nervous teenager in the back seat.
"Hmm? Oh no."
"Then why the jittering?" Happy raised an eyebrow.
"Just excited to get in the lab with Mr Stark," Peter tried to give one of his best smiles but it came out as more of a nervous grimace.
"Ok then." Happy dropped the subject, despite his tone of voice laced with doubt, and didn't comment as Peter exhaled. He was excited to get in the lab with Mr Stark and see what projects his mentor had started since the weekend and find out what he had planned for today's session, but he was also scared.
He unzipped his bag to check the permission slip was still there, it was. All he had to do was give it to Mr Stark, he could sign it and Peter could hand it in tomorrow. If not, he'd just call in sick regardless of what the school would say. He firmly zipped up his bag, but before he could return to his whirlwind of thoughts, Happy interrupted him.
"Front door today, I have to shoot off to pick Pepper up from the warehouse. Sorry kid." Peter hesitated as he unbuckled the seat belt. "You've come through the lobby several times, it'll be ok. Also, the sooner you talk to Tony the sooner you can stop worrying. There's nothing Tony wouldn't do for you kid. Now go," Happy said in his weird soft but firm tone, leaving no doubt in Peter's mind at Happy's words.
"Thanks, Happy, have a safe drive!" Peter said as he slid out of the car. Happy pretended not to have heard but he still waited until Peter had walked through the doors anyway.
Peter paused on the other side of the doors, the expansive open lobby loomed in front of him. It was decidedly busier than the last couple of times he had been here. He swallowed his nerves, glancing at the reception desk and the security checkpoint as well as all the groups of people milling about. There were several groups of business people with their sharp suits and briefcases; a handful of scientists in their lab coats checking through on their way back to the labs after a break; there was even a group of college students either finishing a tour or about to start one.
Peter stepped forward and then stopped suddenly. 'How could I be so stupid?' Peter thought. Everyone in the lobby was wearing a badge or collecting one from security. "Think. Think. C'mon Parker you're smart, think," He mumbled to himself, resisting the urge to copy Winnie The Pooh's move of tapping his head as he said think repeatedly. "How did I get through the last couple of times when I don't have a badge?" He mumbled.
He took a couple of calming breaths and then remembered why he didn't have a badge. "Of course, I don't need a badge because Fri has my biometrics," He mumbled again. He pulled his backpack tighter over his shoulder and walked towards security. He kept his head low as he joined the queue, Peter didn't recognise the guards on duty and hoped there wouldn't be any problems. Parker Luck decided otherwise.
"Hold it. Badge?" One of the guards stepped forward and placed a hand in front of Peter, halting him.
"I don't have one, Happy said I keep losing them and he's fed up with giving me new ones," Peter explained, pulling his rucksack tighter.
"Sure kid, step aside so we can check your bag and tell us who's your parent." The guard spoke.
"I'm telling the truth! Friday will know it's me!" Peter exclaimed, moving towards the security gate. The guard grabbed Peter's bag and tried to yank it off him. "Hey! That's mine and the contents are classified!"
"Give the bag up for a search. It's protocol." The guard said stiffly.
"I'm Mr Stark's intern! I have classified project designs in my bag that you don't have clearance for!" Peter exclaimed, having to let go of his bag so his superstrength wasn't given away. "You can't look in there!"
"We'll see." The guard grumbled, throwing the backpack onto a tray to be sent through the X-ray machine. "What's it say, Wilks?" He called out to the other guard, whose eyes were wide. Peter glanced around the room to see several people now watching the commotion.
"It's a red screen. Says Access Denied, Level 10 required," Wilks called over to the other guard. "Boseman you have to see this." The guard, Boseman, who had taken the backpack from Peter glared at the teenager and then huffed as he stomped around to see the screen for himself.
"Mini-Me, why are you in the lobby?" Tony's voice filled the entrance of the tower, the room falling silent. Peter sighed, collapsing in on himself as he felt his face flush with embarrassment. "What's the holdup? I need my intern!" Tony's voice called out again.
"So much for subtlety," Peter murmured under his breath. Peter's keen hearing picked up several mutterings of people whispering about him to each other. There were several 'is that the kid?' 'I thought he was a ghost story to scare interns?' 'Is he Stark's son?' 'He can talk to the AI? I have been trying to do that for weeks!' 'No way he's Stark's intern, he's a high schooler!'. Peter kept his head bowed as he quickly snatched his bag back from the security bin as they stared between him and the screen.
"Welcome back, Mini-Me. Boss is waiting for you, the elevator is waiting." FRIDAY called out as Peter quickly shuffled through the now open security gate, her voice just loud enough for the now silent lobby to hear. Peter spotted the doors for the private elevator opening and bolted for them. The security guards shouting and calling after him were silenced as FRIDAY closed the elevator doors behind him. Only then did he relax, letting out a long slow breath as he sunk down to the floor.
"Hey Fri, thanks for the lift," Peter managed to stammer out, then smiled at the accidental pun. The AI chuckled.
"You are welcome, Peter. Boss instructed me to announce to the lobby rather than just the security gate, specifically with that nickname from the list."
"Of course he did," Peter muttered under his breath before turning his attention to the AI and speaking louder and more clearly. "It's ok. Can you pass on to Happy about the guards? I don't want to be causing a problem every time I have to use the lobby," Peter smiled sheepishly. "I didn't think it was going to be an issue."
"I have already alerted Mr Hogan of the issue. It will be resolved this afternoon, with a formal memo being sent out this evening." FRIDAY informed him. A quiet ding alerted Peter to the elevator's arrival. He pushed himself up off the floor as the doors opened and then stumbled out as he saw Tony waiting for him.
"Want to tell me why the Security department are shouting about a security breach? Actually, first of all, why are you late to lab?" Tony quizzed, crossing his arms and raising an eyebrow over his glasses.
"Hey, you caused half the commotion with your announcement to the entire lobby!" Peter exclaimed, waving his hands in Tony's general direction.
"Why were you down there anyway? We have a private entrance for a reason." Tony pointed out, turning away from Peter and heading into the common area. He headed straight to the kitchen, pointing at a stool at the counter. "Sit, snack time."
"Happy had to drop me at the front today, he said he had to go get Miss Pepper from the warehouse," Peter explained, dropping his bag against the counter with a thud and sliding onto a stool. "I've been through the lobby a couple of times and it's been fine, I think those guys hadn't heard the rumours or were new."
"What? You have rumours now?" Tony asked.
"I have heard things, nothing accurate," Peter mumbled trying to get Tony to move on which thankfully he did.
"Fri, is it being handled?" Tony called out as he smeared peanut butter on some bread.
"Mr Hogan has already notified. Both Miss Potts and himself will be stopping by Security on their way up to handle the matter." FRIDAY announced. Tony nodded, seemingly satisfied with the answer.
"The few times I've been through the lobby it's been Rachel at the front desk and Mr Luxton at Security, they're really nice. Please let Happy know so they don't get yelled at for no reason." Peter looked up to the ceiling.
"Of course, Mini-Boss."
"Hey, when did that get added?" Peter's head snapped to his mentor who slid over a stacked plate of PB&J sandwiches.
"I don't know, that's not on me." Tony held his hands up defensively. "I'm not the only one to hand out nicknames, I swear FRIDAY likes to add some she's heard people using. Eat." He pointed at the plate. "So they just let you run past them without any further confirmation? Top security my ass." Tony scoffed.
They sat in silence for a few minutes whilst Peter ate the stack of sandwiches, the gnawing hunger in his stomach a dull twinge after the last one. Tony leant against the counter scrolling through emails on his phone. Peter remembered his permission slip and started to wring his hands nervously, he didn't notice Tony glancing up at him worriedly.
"What's up buttercup?" Tony called out, slipping his phone back into his pocket. Peter startled. "Happy mentioned you were worrying about something, spit it out." Peter stared at his mentor.
"Oh, urm, it's nothing." Peter muttered. Tony raised an eyebrow.
"It's not nothing, the last time you said that it was a stab wound." Tony pointed out.
"It's actually nothing!" Peter defended. "Also that stab wound was a scratch that you overreacted to!"
"Brucie and I beg to differ," Tony scoffed. "You can ask me anything, you know that right Roo?" Peter nearly melted at the shortened nickname. He'd worked out that Tony only used it when he was really trying to get Peter to understand, to show Tony really did care. "You can tell me anything," Tony stated firmly. Peter nodded.
"I know Mr Stark, I'm just not quite ready yet. Maybe later?" Peter tried to deflect slightly. He knew his mentor wasn't going to leave it alone, but he was still too nervous to outright ask. A plan formed, he could leave it on the workbench when they were swapping projects. Not a direct ask, but still asking. That would work, right?
"OK, but you will tell me what's bothering you before you go on patrol." Tony decided.
"Deal." Peter nodded, giving his mentor a small smile. Tony sighed and sauntered out the kitchen and towards the lab, waving for Peter to follow him.
"C'mon Mini Me! We have work to do!" Tony called over his shoulder, his back to Peter. The teen quickly grabbed the slip out of his bag and stuffed it into his pocket then Peter nearly tripped in his haste to catch up with his mentor. He glared at his shoes. They really were on their last legs now, barely held together by his webbing and superglue and covered in tomato soup from yesterday's lunch. The teenager barely managed to contain his sigh of relief as he stepped into the comfort of the lab.
Tony chuckled as Peter dramatically dropped onto a stool and whizzed over to his main workbench across the lab. He patted DUM-E and U as he passed, the bots letting out happy beeps at the kid. Peter suddenly swung around to catch the shoebox Tony had thrown across the lab at him, his spidey sense flaring slightly at the incoming object.
"What's this?" he called across the space.
"Lab safety. No open toe shoes in the lab, Pete. You know that." Tony pointed to Peter's feet, a piece of his webbing starting to dissolve to reveal Iron Man fluffy socks. Peter's face heated as he blushed.
"Sorry Mr Stark. I lost my good pair last night on patrol, along with my change of clothes, these were all I had left." He said sheepishly, opening the box. "No way! These are so cool!" He exclaimed in excitement. He held the pair of shoes up as if showing off a prize possession. "You got me Spiderman Converse! I didn't know they make them!" Tony smirked at the kid.
"They don't. Custom order." Tony's smirk grew into a grin as Peter's jaw dropped.
"I didn't think they did custom orders!"
"They do when it's me asking." Tony sat on his own stool and flicked at the screens around him. "Daddy's back and it's time to play!" He called out to the lab, on cue FRIDAY started their lab music (a cohesive blend of both Tony and Peter's music tastes) over the lab speakers, the volume adjusted now that Peter was in the lab. "Get those shoes on so we can get started. R&D revisions or Project Proposals?"
"How about both? We can flick back and forth?" Peter asked, slipping the new shoes on and grinning at the black webs over a red background with blue laces.
"Tag team?" Tony asked, already snapping and pointing at screens with FRIDAY obeying the commands to set the idea up. "U, clear the space. DUM-E get out the way, don't make me put you in the corner!" Peter turned to his workbenches, clicking his fingers before tapping his desk a few times. He spun around to snatch the tool Tony flung across the lab at him. "Your benches are proposals, mine are revisions." Peter nodded, clearing some space on his desk.
"Target board for refusals?" Peter asked, pointing to the blank section of a ceiling wall. The blue hologram forming as he pointed it out. "Thanks Fri." The pair got to work, bouncing back and forth as they spun from different projects. A scoreboard appearing, with a tally for project submissions completed, next to the target. As they sprung back and forth Peter fished out his permission slip and left it in the middle of Tony's main workbench before pushing off towards his desks for more proposals.
"What is this?" Tony called out across the lab, the music dropping in volume and the holograms stilled. Peter froze.
"What is what?" Peter tried for innocence, turning his doe eyes on his mentor as he turned around. Tony held the permission slip in the air as he stared at Peter. "Oh, that."
"This what you were worrying about?" Tony's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. Peter nodded, wheeling over the other side of the desk. Tony focused fully on the piece of paper. Midtown High School's logo sat proudly at the top, then detailed out the information below. "You trying to sue me, kid?"
"What?! No! I wouldn't - it's not-" Peter's eyes sprung wide as he stammered. Peter took a steadying breath. "It's a permission slip for school," Peter explained.
"I see that. Why give it to me? That's May's department." Tony asked, still very confused as to why Peter had given it to him. Tony pushed the piece of paper over the surface to him.
"She can't sign it. Please just read it?" Peter asked, gently pushing the piece of paper back in front of his mentor. Peter pushed back on the workbench in the direction of his own looking for something to busy himself with to give Tony some space. Peter ran his thumb over the peeling label on the side of the metal frame, Property of Parker-Stark, he gave it a small smile before sifting through his various work-in-progress projects. It didn't take much for him to get sucked into upgrades for his web-shooters and fall into project bliss, the world melting away from his senses. He certainly didn't notice Tony having a near-enough panic attack as he read the permission slip.
Bring Your Kid To Work Day. The phrase glared at Tony on the page, taunting him. Your Kid shouting particularly loud. 'Why wouldn't May just sign it? She signed all of the slips. Was he even able to sign it?' Tony's mind raced trying to work out why Peter had given it to him. "Why hasn't May signed it?" Tony called out across the lab as he tried to keep the shaking out of his voice, Peter replied without breaking out from his focus.
"May can't take me to the hospital, so I'd have to stay at school with the teacher's whilst everyone else is out. I can't call out sick anymore, they busted me last year for it and I got called on it already this year. I want to spend the day with you anyway, whether it's for this or just tinker in the lab like on weekends." Peter shrugged, he didn't even look up from the tablet he was working on, completely oblivious to the spiral Tony was trying to claw himself out of.
Tony stared at the piece of paper. He hadn't thought Peter looked up to him that much. He wasn't a good role model, let alone a father figure, but a small part called out that he already thought of Peter as his kid and that was the same as Peter being his son. So maybe the kid saw him as a Dad too, right? Maybe that was just crazy to even think about. Tony just wanted to protect the kid and give him everything he possibly could. Tony would give him the world if he could.
The paper felt far too delicate in his calloused hands and he didn't know what to do with it, what he should say to Peter. Before he realised it, he swept out of the lab and into the elevator, heading for Pepper. Pepper would know what to do, she always did. He ignored her assistant Caroline trying to stop him and barged straight into her office. He staggered to a stop to stare at the unknown man in front of her desk. Tony vaguely took in the man's appearance of a military uniform and portly shape before focusing entirely on Pepper.
"Tony! I am in a meeting, you are supposed to be busy!" Pepper glared at him.
"I need your wisdom." He stated, looking straight at her, he tried to plead with his eyes as he dropped the permission slip onto her desk.
"By all regards, you are not the most important person on the planet, Tony. Whatever it is, can wait," she said firmly.
"This can't. Tell me what to do. For him." Tony pleaded, tapping the paper and trying to embody his kid's puppy dog eyes. Pepper softened, then picked up the paper. As she read she smiled and then started laughing. "What? What's so funny?"
"Sign it." Pepper ordered as she brought her laughter back under control. "I shouldn't need to tell you that."
"What if I screw it up? What if that's the worst thing I could do?" Tony questioned.
"You won't. If you doubt me, call Rhodey," Pepper said, a twinkle in her eye. Tony knew she was right, she knew that he knew, she just wanted him to call Rhodey so his best friend could also laugh at him.
"Can't you sign it?" He pleaded.
"No."
"Are you sure? Isn't it covered under your duties as CEO?" Tony tried. Pepper just levelled him with one of her looks. "You know how much I hate signing things."
"It's not for you, remember. Now sign it and get out, you are busy with project proposals and I am busy with a meeting that you aren't able to attend." Pepper said, she turned to the man and smiled sweetly at him. "I apologise for Tony's behaviour, he is just swamped with referrals from the R&D department I think he missed his afternoon nap."
Tony huffed and snagged one of her fancy pens and scrawled his name on the slip. He looked up at Pepper again, just to double check and she nodded at him with a smile. Tony snapped up the piece of paper, dropped her pen on her desk, and flicked her motion desk ornament as he left the office. Tony stepped back onto the waiting elevator, tapping his foot nervously as FRIDAY returned him to the lab, expecting Peter to still be working on his web-shooters. The lab was empty.
"FRIDAY?" Tony called out, scanning the lab. He raked his gaze over every inch of the lab, including the walls and ceiling just in case Peter was curled up in a corner. "Where's my kid?"
"Peter does not want to be found at the moment. He is safe." FRIDAY answered after a moment's hesitation.
"What? Is he ok?" Tony asked, his anxiety spiking. Had he hurt Peter? Was Peter scared or upset because of him? "Tell me!" He snapped.
"Peter needs some space Boss, give him some time to calm down before you search the building." FRIDAY tried to reassure Tony but anxiety started to ache in his chest.
"Ok, fine. I don't like it but I'll give him space. He has 2 hours before I start hunting and I will be banning Hide and Seek after this, for at least a month. You will not continue to block me after that time is up. Understood?" Tony warned his AI, carefully folding the permission slip and putting it in his pocket. "Get my calendar up, we have a day to plan."
"I'm not sure I understand, Boss?"
"Kid is going to spend next Friday with me instead of school. We are not going to just spend the day in the lab, let's show him the day-to-day. Give Pep and Happy a copy when we are done. I will not tolerate any interruptions or deviations from the plan unless it's Underroos's idea." Tony stated, already sifting through his routine checks. "Oh, we are definitely going to do a building tour to formally introduce him. I don't want a repeat of this afternoon."
"Understood Boss," FRIDAY answered smoothly, shutting down all the holograms and projects she had up and running in the lab. The AI collapsed all the screens down, leaving only the 4 on Tony's desk in operation with his calendar and task list open. The pair got to work.