Work Text:
"I'm thinking about having a 4th child"
Tony said, as he still didn't turn away from his project.
Peter lifts his head, and slowly turns to Tony.
"4th?"
Tony immediately freezes, he knows where this is going, he looks up from the project and directs his eyes at Peter
"Yes?...
why?"
"Uh-
Mr. Strak, you only have 2 children?"
Tony feels his heart drop, Peter doesn't consider Morgan or Harley as his siblings?
"Ok, let's talk Peter"
Tony says dropping his tools on the table and taking off his safety glasses.
Peter starts to get nervous, drops the web shooter he was working on and spins around in his chair to face Tony.
"Look, I know the whole idea of Harley suddenly showing up is creepy and all, but I really think we can work this out if y-"
"What are you talking about???"
"Oh, uh...
About you not thinking Harley is my son?"
Peter's expression turns to one of shock, as if this were the most absurd idea in the world.
"WHAT!? NO!
Harley IS your son!
He even framed the adoption papers in his room! You really think I would think that just because he is not a blood child he isn't your son? I'm not that kind of person!"
Tony finds himself letting out a breath he didn't know he was holding.
Peter considers Harley his son, what a relief...
Wait, so that means... oh no, he should have known this would happen, having a child during the blip and then revive Peter? Of course he would find it weird, EVEN TONY finds it weird.
He takes a deep breath, preparing himself for what is probably the most difficult conversation he has ever had in his life.
Explaining to Peter the most difficult equations of humanity as if it were nothing?
Easy.
Explaining to him how Morgan is his sister and not a "replacement" for him?
Mission impossible.
"Pete, Look, I understand, the blip was difficult, and everything has been confusing since you got back."
Peter does that cute puppy thing where he tilts his head a little to the side when he's confused, Tony feels a little calmer at the sight.
"But you have to understand that Morgan IS my daughter, and even if it happened during a moment that you will never be able to recover, it doesn't mean that it doesn't exist."
Peter gets up from his chair so fast that the chair he is sitting on falls behind him
Leaning towards Tony with a furious expression.
"MR. STARK!
WHAT KIND OF PERSON DO YOU THINK I AM!? MORGAN IS YOUR DAUGHTER NO MATTER WHEN YOU HAD HER!
WHAT'S HAPPENING TO YOU TODAY!?"
Well, Tony is relieved, but now also confused, if he knows that Harley and Morgan are his children, then why would he- oh... OHHHHHH...
shit Tony, you're supposed to be a genius, how did you not notice that!?
"Look Peter, I think I know what's going on here, and-"
"WHAT MR. STARK!?
THAT YOU THINK I'M SOME KIND OF IDIOT, SMALL AND PREJUDICED!?
DO YOU REALLY THINK I'M GOING TO BE BIASED AND SPOILED ENOUGH TO NOT THINK HARLEY IS YOUR SON BECAUSE HE WAS ADOPTED!? OR THAT MORGAN IS NOT YOUR DAUGHTER BECAUSE I WASN'T HERE WHEN YOU HAD HER!?"
Tony was paralyzed, he had never seen Peter scream like that, he didn't know whether to be proud or worried.
Then Peter stops screaming and catches his breath, he lifts the chain behind him and sits down putting his hands on his thighs, as if trying to calm down.
"The thing is... I KNOW they're your kids, okay? You don't have to tell me that..."
Tony feels his heart drop, how can he think of Peter like that?
The boy was too good for the next good, of course he wouldn't discriminate Morgan and Harley by their troubled origins.
He gets up and goes a little closer to Peter, placing his hand on his shoulder, looking at him with the softest gaze possible, a gaze that was reserved only for Peter, as much as he hated to admit it, he could only look at Peter like that, probably as a result of him being a little walking ray of sunshine.
"Underoos, I'm sorry, I should never have imagined anything like that about you, I know you would never think like that, I'm so sorry"
Peter's eyes turn to him, a small tear on the edge of his retinas, Peter blinks and wipes his eyes quickly, even though the tears haven't actually fallen.
"Thank you... and, I'm sorry for yelling, I... I don't know what came over me, I think I'm taking my stress out on you, I'm so sorry..."
"No no no Peter, don't apologize!
You didn't do anything wrong for me to think something bad about you, I'm the one in the wrong, let me apologize so we can get through this together"
Peter smiles, placing his palm on top of Tony's hand on his shoulder.
Tony smiles too, he is so lucky to have this boy with him...
"Well... Let's forget about this ok? Let's talk about my future 4th child!"
"You only have 2"
Oh yeah, right, he had forgotten about that, well, on to the awkward "you're my son Peter" conversation and crying hugs and movies with lots of pizza and soda.
"Oh yeah yeah, uh, I think I forgot to tell you, well I have a 3rd son, he's kind of..."
Tony wanders mentally, trying to think of a way to describe Peter, he has so many qualities, how do you describe someone perfect?
"He's funny, adorable, a little silly but that just makes him more endearing!
He is also very intelligent and mature when he needs to be, he is really everything I could ask for and more..."
Tony rambles and then looks at Peter, hoping that would be enough for him to understand.
But Peter had a face that said "how dare you?"
"Uh... what happened there boy?
Having a stomachache or something?OUCH!"
Tony feels his hand being crushed, and immediately groans in pain, sometimes he forgets that the child is strong.
"How...how could you?..."
"shit shit shit-
you're going to break my hand here boy-"
"HOW COULD YOU!?
DO YOU THINK YOU CAN JUST GO AROUND ADOPTING CHILDREN AND MAKING THEM YOUR CHILDREN AND NOT EVEN TELL ME!?
HOW CAN YOU DO SUCH A THING!?
Peter says, standing up and letting go of Tony's hand, which luckily didn't break.
"U-uh!?
What the hell are you talking about Pete???"
"I'M TALKING ABOUT YOU SIMPLY ADOPTING A RANDOM CHILD AND NOT EVEN TELLING ME!
AND NOW YOU COME SAYING YOU WANT TO DO THIS AGAIN!? I AT LEAST KNOW THIS "3RD SUUUUUUUUPER SPECIAL SON" OF YOURS!?"
Tony didn't know if he wanted to laugh or cry now, Peter hates the idea of being his son so much that even when he describes him he can't imagine himself as Tony's son?
Would he rather believe it was some random kid Tony found on the street and decided to take home?
Is he really that bad of a father figure?...
"Oh Peter, you got it all wrong kid, it's not what you think at all-"
"Ohhhh so now I'm the one in the wrong? great! JUST great!
Why don't you just go there with your 3 CHILDREN and your wife to the park and leave me at home?
And don't mind telling me about anything that happens, okay? I'm not worth your time, am I?"
Tony wanted to scream too, scream about how wrong he was, say something like: "What are you talking about? You're worth all the time I have!".
But he couldn't, damn imaginary barrier between feelings and the people he likes that he created for years, damn idiot father who deprived him of emotional education, because of that he doesn't know what to do at this moment.
Peter, still angry, seems to get tired of Tony's expressionless face, He lets out a long sigh of anger and turns around, grabbing his backpack and web shooter from the table.
"I... I'm going home, see you in thursday..."
He speaks and leaves the laboratory with a step a little faster than normal.
Tony stands there, frozen in place, until his legs give out and he slumps back into the chair.
He rests his face on his hands and leans forward, placing his elbows on his legs, It was his fault, it was completely his fault, he should have spoken explicitly from the beginning, instead of joking around about such an important subject.
Peter is sensitive about it, damn the kid lost almost all his family by the time he was 14, of course family is a complicated subject.
Tony feels tears wet the palms of his hands and running down his arms until they fall onto his expensive pants.
Tony should have known better, how is he going to explain this to Pepper later when she finds him in this deplorable state?
He doesn't know, but he just HAVE to know...