Work Text:
It was a quiet Saturday afternoon at the Stark Tower penthouse. The soft hum of the city outside was barely audible, and inside, things were just as peaceful. Tony had spent most of the morning tinkering with his latest invention—a self-adjusting suit that could potentially save him a few extra minutes when getting dressed in the mornings. A small luxury, but hey, every second counted.
Peter, in the meantime, had been lying on the couch, scrolling through his phone. His sneakers were kicked off to the side, and a hoodie was slung over the back of the couch. It had been a busy week with the Avengers, so a day of doing absolutely nothing sounded perfect.
“Mr. Stark,” Peter called, his voice muffled by the phone, “I’m kinda hungry. You want to order some pizza?”
Tony looked up from his work, raising an eyebrow. “You hungry? Are you sure? You’ve been eating like a bottomless pit lately.”
Peter grinned sheepishly. “Hey, I’m a growing teenager. It’s a scientific fact.”
Tony chuckled, setting down his tools. “Yeah, yeah, I get it. You’re all about the science.”
Peter’s grin grew wider. “So, pizza?”
Tony shrugged dramatically. “Fine, fine. I’ll place the order. But you better not eat the whole thing this time. Pepper will have my head if I keep letting you eat an entire extra-large by yourself.”
Peter flashed a smile. “No promises.”
As Tony grabbed his phone to order, Peter shuffled around the couch to grab his backpack, pulling out some papers he’d left in the side pocket. The papers fell onto the floor with a soft thud, but he didn’t notice. He was too focused on finding a pen.
Tony, now on the phone ordering pizza, didn’t notice either, but after a minute, he glanced over at Peter’s mess of papers on the floor. He was about to remind Peter to clean up when something caught his eye.
A few pages, stacked neatly but with a title written at the top, lay just within his line of sight: Pros and Cons of Tony Stark Becoming My Dad.
Tony blinked, narrowing his eyes. He had to double-check. But yes, the list was real. His first instinct was to leave it alone. Peter had probably just been doodling or working on something for school. But curiosity—his greatest enemy—got the best of him.
“Hey, Pete,” Tony called, holding up the list. “What’s this?”
Peter froze, his eyes widening. “Uhhh… nothing?”
Tony raised an eyebrow, standing up and walking over to the papers. “Nothing, huh? You know, nothing is a pretty interesting title for something that’s labeled ‘Pros and Cons of Tony Stark Becoming My Dad.’”
Peter flushed bright red, and his fingers immediately went to the papers, trying to grab them back. “Mr. Stark, I—uh—I didn’t—”
“Too late, kid.” Tony chuckled, already scanning the list. “Let’s see...”
Peter was about to make a run for it when Tony cleared his throat and read aloud. “‘Pros: 1) Super cool tech and gadgets. 2) Possible access to an Iron Man suit... maybe? 3) Could teach me how to be as genius as him—’”
“I mean, that’s a solid reason,” Tony interrupted with a grin.
Peter groaned, slouching back against the couch. “I wasn’t serious. It’s just a list, okay? It’s dumb.”
Tony ignored him, continuing to read with a dramatic flair. “‘4) Always makes breakfast. Sometimes waffles.’” He glanced up at Peter, eyebrow raised. “You’re seriously putting waffles under ‘pros’? Really?”
Peter mumbled something incoherent, but Tony didn’t miss the slight blush coloring his cheeks.
“Alright, let’s see the cons,” Tony said, flipping the page. “‘Cons: 1) Can be a little... too sarcastic? 2) Might not be able to make it to all of my school events... he’s busy with work. 3) Probably won’t show up to parent-teacher conferences... which, let’s face it, would be a disaster. 4) His suits take up the entire garage and it’s really hard to park my bike in there.’”
Tony laughed, his eyes twinkling with amusement. “Okay, okay. I see your point there. The garage is a bit of a tech disaster zone.”
Peter ran a hand through his hair, his embarrassment only deepening as Tony read through the cons. “Mr. Stark, I swear it’s not that big of a deal. I didn’t even think you’d see it—”
“Oh, but I did, kiddo.” Tony’s voice softened a little, a playful smirk still on his face. “And I’m definitely not complaining about the whole ‘might not make it to parent-teacher conferences’ thing. I mean, those things are terrible, right?”
Peter bit his lip, trying to keep the nervousness at bay. “Yeah, but—”
“But,” Tony continued, not missing a beat, “the fact that you made a list about me becoming your dad is... well, that’s something else.”
Peter’s eyes darted to the side, his fingers fidgeting with the hem of his hoodie. “I didn’t mean for it to be a big deal. I just... I just wanted to think it through, y’know? You’re... well, you’re not exactly like other dads. And I didn’t want to make any assumptions.”
Tony paused, his playful grin fading into a more genuine, softened expression. “I get it, Pete. I really do. I mean, I’m not exactly the ‘traditional dad’ type. But hey,” Tony added with a wink, “I’m all about improving my rankings. You know, once I’ve got the whole ‘making it to parent-teacher conferences’ thing under control, I’ll move up to at least a ‘solid’ grade in your book.”
Peter let out a shaky laugh. “You’re probably right.”
Tony sat down next to Peter, looking over the list one more time. “You know, kid,” he said, his voice quieter now, “I might not be able to go to every school event, and yeah, the garage is kind of a mess... but if you ever did want me to be your dad, I’d... I’d do my best to show up. Maybe not to parent-teacher conferences—but definitely for you.”
Peter looked up, his eyes wide, the words sinking in. “Really?”
Tony nodded, his expression soft. “Yeah, really. You’ve got me, kid. I might not have all the answers, but I’ve got your back.”
Peter’s smile returned, and this time, it was a little less awkward, a little more sure. “Thanks, Mr. Stark... for everything.”
Tony ruffled Peter’s hair affectionately, a small but genuine smile spreading across his face. “Anytime, Pete. Anytime.”
With the pizza arriving soon, Tony placed the list back on the table, giving Peter a soft look. “Now, let’s get that pizza, huh? I’m definitely showing up for that.”
Peter grinned. “Best dad ever.”
Tony rolled his eyes with a teasing grin, but his heart was full. “I’ll take the compliment.”
And as the two settled in for a night of pizza and bad movies, Tony couldn’t help but think that maybe, just maybe, being Peter Parker’s dad wasn’t such a bad gig after all.