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Since Tony’s discovery a lot has changed and Peter couldn’t say he liked it. But that became his new norm and he tried to be okay with it.
First, it started when one night, rushing to the penthouse for their lab slash movie night, he stopped on his feet because something was really really wrong. Upon a first glance he quickly realised what exactly was wrong. The living room, where he has spent at least hundreds of times, laughing with his favourite people, watching Star Wars, building Legos .. This living room was not familiar to him. Not in a sense “I have never been here before”, rather “what the heck happened in 2 days while I was away?”
Instead of a cold laminate, his feet stepped on a luxuriously soft carpet. It felt like he was stepping on a bunch of bunnies, from how soft it was. He looked around, with wide eyes and very mixed emotions.
The coffee table, the lamp and even the couch, it all have been changed. Instead of the sharp, angular almost tens of thousands dollars black couch, there was now a huge, creme-colored sofa, that was reminding him of those ones he saw in a fancy magazines or rather Hollywood movies.
The lamp that always stood by the sofa was suddenly gone, replaced by pure emptiness.
Carefully, he stepped closer and went to the kitchen. He sighed, relieved. At least nothing has changed here..except. Now, when he was more aware, he could see that at the edges of the kitchen counter were small pads. The ones that parents use to secure the kids from getting life threatening injuries until they can start developing at least 1% of conscious awareness. And of course, there was another rug.
He narrowed his eyes and suspicious thoughts started to fog his mind. Hmm, it was interesting. Very interesting. How coincidental it was that changes happened right after his episode.
Very suspicious, if you ask him. Veeery suspicious.
Then a thought flashed through his mind that he hasn’t consider before: “parents”. “secure the kids”..”the k-i-d”.
“K-I-D”
Maybe..maybe it wasn’t because of him…
An imaginary light bulb appeared above his head.
Maybe…maybe Pepper was pregnant.
If..if this was true..wow.
After his lab session, he will definitely need to talk to Ned. ASAP.
***
To be completely honest, Tony didn’t know how Peter would react to him babyproofing the whole penthouse and the Avenger’s level. He was also thinking about doing the same at the Compound and pretty much in the whole Tower, but Pepper stopped him and asked him to take it slowly. Tony sighed deeply, agreed and clicked “paid”, buying foaming padding in bulk. Just in case.
Pepper recommended him to smoothly talk with the kid and explain to him that he is worried and it would make Peter safer and Tony less concerned.
He loved his wife, he really did. That’s why he thanked her and did the exact opposite. (Their family councelor told them that it is healthy for a couple to disagree sometimes.)
He decided to act as though nothing really happened and to wait until Peter will notice it and talk to him. Then maybe he will talk with him about his feelings. Only maybe. He was expecting Peter the second he would see everything, to be agitated and aggravated. To shout some gen z slang at him, to roll his eyes and to beg him to return the old furniture.
As soon as Peter got out of elevator and his look stopped at a new sofa and other new things, his happy rambling stopped. Very slowly he dragged his feet through the rug to the kitchen and just stood there silently.
In that moment Tony wanted so bad to just joke and to emphasise about how great is the couch or how cute is the colour of the pads. But he knew better.
Peter was almost frozen for a whole minute and Tony started to get actually worried. The kid was scanning the room and he looked genuinely horrified. But something changed in his features, he looked like he realised something. Maybe the kid finally grasped why Tony did it. And he was not wrong.
Because Peter closed his eyes,for a second, just to open them and to just softly smile at him.
“What are we doing today, Mr.Stark?”
Tony let out a loud breath he didn't know he was holding. He glad a kid understood his decision.
***
Peter didn’t know, whether he should have acknowledged the pregnancy and congratulated the man or just wait till they tell him the news together. But Tony wasn’t a man of big words, maybe this babyproofing was exactly how Tony wanted to tell him but in his own way? Doubting, Peter remembered the look Tony has given him, how he was slowly examining him and waiting to see some reaction.
Crap. He missed the chance given to him.
***
Even though he got some reaction that was showing that perhaps Peter’s wasn’t mad, he still needed confirmation.
Over the next couple of hours, Tony still tried to discreetly ask him about it. Just to be 100% sure that the kid isn’t super mad.
They were working on the new upgrades for Spiderman costume, which included better thermoregulation technology and also some parachute upgrades, that they worked on for weeks prior.
It was awfully quiet and Tony hated it. Any question he had asked, Peter easily dodged and no amount of “kid, is everything alright?” looks he gave to the kid, earned him the answer he was hoping for. He was started to get tired of this game and wanted to just straightforwardly ask if Peter was okay. But the kid seemed normal, except for not talking. Not counting the deep furrow of his brows and chewing on his lower lip, there was nothing concerning, so he just dropped it. For the time being. Tony tried to reason with his agitated mind.If the kid would be mad, he would throw a temper tantrum rather than just keeping his well earned by the constitution of United States of America distance.
Finally deciding that if until the dinner the boy won’t start talking his ears off, he would need to use a heavy artillery (aka Pepper Potts).
***
Dinner came really fast. The fact that Peter wasn’t fully chatting for 3 whole hours was now more than concerning. It was a catastrophe. But the kid seemed fine. He was still smiling, still answering questions, just more thoughtfully and carefully, as if he was afraid to say something wrong.
“Are you okay, honey?” Pepper Potts asked worriedly for a second time, her gaze switching from Tony to Peter, as if waiting on who will give her a proper explanation.
Peter, seeing how stressed he and Pepper are, immediately hurried to shout as fast and as trustworthy as possible, "I'm fine, I swear!! Just thinking…”
Tony decided not to dance around this topic anymore and just ask. Wow, how genius of him, how mature.
“Are your mood swings have any correlation to the new furniture in the living room?” Tony asked directly, hoping to hear “no” but deep down feeling like he already knew the answer. He really hoped he didn’t make his protégé feel helpless at the sight of his sometimes overbearing nature. But Tony needed Peter to understand.
Peter bit his lower lip and looked down.
“Yes and…no. Just overall thinking, you know? It’s useful to think sometimes, right?” he joked a little, slightly smirking at adults and waiting for their reaction.
“Yes, it would be cute if you would have used this skill more on your patrols,” exasperatedly answered Tony, rolling his eyes but still eyeing the kid.
Peter just puffed a laugh but tried to cover it, immediately pouting afterwards.
This kid.
Pepper looked at their interaction, genuinely smiling. She never thought that one day she would be that fond of the boy near her.
“Well, it’s really reminding me of one man who happens to sit with us today..”
Tony stopped her indignantly.
“You’re not talking about me, are you?” Pepper just smiled and without any more words mysteriously took a sip of wine.
She thought they nailed it and Peter, with whatever has bothered him, had finally started to come out of his shell.
But looking at the pale as a4 paper face, wide doe eyes and a bit opened mouth, she realised they fucked up. Only, how exactly?
“Hey, hey, Pete, what’s wrong?” as if he sensed the inevitable, Tony was immediately near him, the arm reassuringly tracing circles on kid’s back.
Peter shook his head and in silent shock watched as Pepper dumped her glass of wine on the table to look at him.
God, like this he looked even younger than 15 years old, Pepper thought, gulping.
“Peter, what’s wrong, sweetie?” Pepper moved closer to him. She tried to stay calm but it was so unlike Peter to be this pale.
Normally, the kid had almost always a bit of a natural blush on his cheeks, that was truly adorable. But now, it was just plain, scary white.
One moment Peter tried to open his mouth as to say something, the other his eyes rolled back and he just…slumped over. Pepper immediately jumped trying to catch Peter, but Tony was faster and closer. Immediately, he grabbed the kid by the shoulders, one arm on his forehead, just right before he could smash his face in one of the pasta dishes near him.
Carefully he sat Peter on the chair, keeping him upright and kneeling down near him, checking his pulse.
Two seconds and Peter’s eyes slowly started to open and tiredly, he looked at his surroundings. Immediately, he saw almost as pale as him Tony and near him Pepper Potts, who ruffled his hair with trembling hand. He needed another second to realise what had just happened and when he did, he was as horrified as Pepper looked, but for completely different reason. He wanted to smack himself. Or maybe kill, he’s not sure.
Because…really, Peter? You decided to scare the fuck out of pregnant Mrs. Potts? Very mindful, very demure of you.
“Kid, how are you feeling?”
The hand became a little tighter as if to make sure he stays in the world of not sleeping spiders for awhile. As if to make sure he’s awake. Slowly Peter put his hand on Ms. Pott’s hand and looked her in the eyes.
“Are you okay? Please don’t worry about me.”
Tony and Pepper exchanged glances and looked funny at him.
“Sweetie, I’m fine, it’s just not the every day you see your kid losing consciousness.” Pepper swallowed hard, as if trying so damn hard to not to retrieve the memories of the past seconds again.
And in the hindsight, if his mind wasn’t blanking on him with worry for Pepper, he would have freaked the heck out. Or maybe cry, he’s not sure yet.
“Yes, we’re just worried about you. But besides that we okay,” Tony said softly, trailing his fingers through the curls.
“Can we get back to normal?” asked Peter quietly.
Two adults near him looked at him hesitantly. Tony sighed heavily and rubbed the bridge of the nose, guilt was read in his face.
“Kid, I would love you to, but I spent hours an hours in Bruce’s lab and we couldn’t come up with anything. Right now there is no cure-“
Peter stopped his “the guilt eats me alive” monologue and pointed to the plate of unfinished pasta in front of him, that looked like heaven on Earth.
“I meant can we go back to eating? Because I don’t know about you, but I’m like super starving right now and if you don’t want me to die-“
Tony looked at him for two long seconds, just blinking and then laughed breathlessly.
“Of course kid, whatever you want.”
He didn’t go too far. Tony only moved his chair closer to Peter so that between the bites the kid could rest his head on his shoulder. Pepper looked at the scene and her heart felt like it was going to burst. She wanted to raise the glass to her mouth but was abruptly stopped by very unsure Peter.
“I-I don’t think you should drink this,” he said in the smallest, tiniest voice possible.
Pepper inspected the glass of wine curiously while Tony just raised an eyebrow.
“It’s just wine, sweetie, theres like 15% of alcohol and besides I’m only drinking one glass.” tried to reassure him Pepper, not knowing what to say because at some occasions she drank around him and it was never a problem.
“I know, I know, but I’m still not sure that it is safe for the..for the kid, you know?” gulped Peter while Tony looked at him incredulously.
“Why wouldn’t it be safe for you?” asked Tony, completely bewildered.
Peter silently looked at Ms.Potts, trying to convey some sort of message through his eyes. She looked at him , not understanding…but then…then it just randomly clicked in her head. She started to finally understand everything. Why he hadn’t said anything about the babyproofing and why he was on nerves the whole day.
He thought she was pregnant.
“Peter, sunshine, im not pregnant,” she said, taking his hand in hers and laughing quietly.
Peter looked flabbergasted while Tony was coughing and fighting for his life.
“What?” the only thing the teenager could ask.
“But what about…what about babyproof?” Peter asked as if to try to puzzle over everything.
Pepper looked at Tony, laughing at her fiancés face, while twirling the spaghetti on a fork.
“Kid, it is for you, for God’s sake,” said Tony, finally being able to breathe again. Wow, he won’t ever take breathing for granted.
“Oh…OH, ” from realising to outrage in 1 minute. The teenagers, Tony sighed tiredly but the smile that was forming on his face betrayed him.
“Mr.Stark, im not a kid, im like 15!!”
“That’s my point, you’re basically 5, Pete, and we’re not talking about it any longer. The babyproof stays where it is. Say thank you to Pepper that I hadn’t put you in a helmet yet.”
“mR.sTaRk!!”