Chapter Text
Peter Parker was not having a good week. On Monday, he got a bad score on his physics test, Tuesday, he was late to first period (he overslept and Happy was not happy LOL), and now on Wednesday he just had to have been shot… while patrolling after curfew.
“Karen, how bad is it?” Peter asked, resigned.
“The bullet is still inside, Peter. You need medical attention now. I will call Mr Stark.”
“No! Karen please don’t call him. I can make it back to the Tower. I promise. Please don’t call my Dad. He’ll take my suit off me again. I promised I wouldn’t get shot… again.”
Karen hesitated. “Very well Peter. But I will monitor your vitals, and if they get worse I am programmed to let Mr Stark know.”
“Thank you Karen!” Peter sighed gratefully, and then winced as it pulled on his side where the bullet was lodged. Harley was going to absolutely kill him.
Finally back home to the tower, Peter crept back to his room silently, knowing his Dad would still be awake and not wanting to tell him about the bullet. Once he finally got inside and closed the door, FRIDAY spoke, her gentle lilt filling the air.
“Peter, are you aware you are injured?”
“Yes FRIDAY, I’m working on it.” Peter snapped. Now he had stopped the pain was registering. It wasn’t the worst pain he had ever felt - after all, he had been crushed by a building - but the knowledge that he was going to have to dig around and get the bullet out himself was making him nauseous. “Sorry FRIDAY. I didn’t mean to snap at you. I know you’re only doing what you’re programmed to do.” While he might know that, he really didn’t want to have his suit taken and he knew his Dad would ground him.
“Peter I am letting Mr Stark know now.”
“No FRIDAY!” Peter shouted. “He doesn’t need to know!”
“Sorry Peter,” FRIDAY replied, sounding as sympathetic as the AI could sound. “Mr Stark was alerted as soon as you entered the building. He is extremely worried as you missed your curfew by two hours. And you do not have the authority to override Mr Stark’s programming.”
Peter’s shoulders slumped in defeat and he groaned loudly, rubbing a tired hand over his eyes. He understood that his Dad just wanted him to be safe and healthy, but his overbearing concern was annoying. Not to mention Harley was going to be pissed. He had promised him that he wouldn’t get banned from the lab again because they were working on a new bot together… he knew he would be banned for at least two weeks.
“Pete?” Tony knocked loudly at Peter’s door, worry mixed with annoyance in his tone. “You missed your curfew by two hours! And FRIDAY alerted me to your injury. You need to get your butt out here right now or you’ll be grounded from the lab for at least month.” He paused. “Maybe more depending on your reason for being late.”
Peter knew his dad wouldn’t let it go, and would get more insistent. The only reason he hadn’t come in yet was because when Peter was officially adopted by Tony and Pepper, Tony took a parenting class and learnt that teenagers needed to feel like they had a safe space without people barging in. Peter begrudgingly opened his door, holding his side gingerly.
“Dad I’m fine, I promise. It was just a graze and it will be healed by the morning!” He insisted. He had nothing against Dr Cho, but he hated the clinical feel of the medbay. The harsh lights and chemical smells constantly assaulted his senses and made him nauseous.
“Kid, I love you, but one, you’re a terrible lier, and two, that still doesn’t excuse the missed curfew. Lets go.” Tony’s voice was stern and unmoving, although there was a hint of softness that only seemed to appear when Peter called him dad. It had been six months since they had adopted him, and Tony still couldn’t quite believe that the kid was officially his. He couldn’t have asked for a better son and heir, even with all the grey hairs he was giving him.
Peter reluctantly walked with his Dad to see Dr Cho, secretly feeling more lightheaded by the minute. Finally making it to the medbay, Peter was half carried by Tony to a bed that had the doctor standing beside it, looking both unimpressed and concerned.
“How did this happen, Peter?” Helen asked, used to him coming in with various injuries.
Peter grimaced and snuck a look at his Dad, before turning to the doctor and answering guiltily. “Umm, so I know I’m meant to tell Dad if I need to extend my curfew… but the man had a gun! And he was holding like 15 people hostage in the bank! I thought it would only take a couple minutes! How was I meant to know he would have backup.” Peter pouted at his Dad and looked up at him with puppy eyes. “I’m really sorry Dad. I promise. But there were kids there, and he was getting angry and I didn’t know if you would get there in time!” Peter’s voice rose as he spoke, gesticulating wildly. Dr Cho tutted exasperatedly as she tried to keep up with Peter’s flamboyant movements while trying to look at his wound.
Tony almost caved. Those eyes were dangerous and Peter knew it. Ultimately though, his kid hadn’t listened and needed a consequence. Hesighed, and gave Peter a gentle hug. “I know you want to help everyone bambino. But you need to help yourself too. This is the fifth time you’ve been seriously injured this month! And you promised you wouldn’t miss curfew again. I’m sorry Pete but you’re off patrol until I say otherwise.”
As Peter started to protest, his dad held up a hand, stopping him in his tracks. “And I know you’ll say that the city still needs your protection, so in the meantime I’ll send Clint and Aunt Nat on patrol occasionally to set your mind at ease.” God knows Clint could use some entertainment, Tony thought to himself. That man hadn’t been in ‘retirement’ for long, and all the Avengers knew he was bored out of his mind. So some low level threats would give him something to do without keeping him from coming home to his kids, and Nat would be there to stop him getting overexcited.
Peter knew when to stop, so nodded his head reluctantly in agreement, and turned slightly to Dr Cho, who was still stood there listening. “So Dr Cho, how bad is it?”
Cho looked at Peter over the top of her glasses. “Bad enough that it will take at least a few days to fully heal, so you WILL take it easy.”
Peter agreed meekly, letting Cho tightly bandage his side.
As Peter went to jump off the bed, Tony cleared his throat, “Bambino, you’re off school until Monday. I don’t want you irritating your wound anymore than you have to, and I know you won’t be able to take it easy. So I’m making the decision for you.” Thinking about what Pepper would say if she was there and not at a conference in Wakanda, he added, “And I want your phone while you’re off school as well. You didn’t follow your curfew, and you know that’s the one rule we want you to keep when you’re out as Spiderman.”
Peter handed his phone over, feeling guilty for worrying his dad. He knew better than to stay out later than he was told, and he already felt like a burden for taking up Tony’s time. He knew it was irrational, and his dad loved him, but the thought was always in the back of his mind. He still worried his dad only agreed to adopt him out of a feeling of duty towards Spiderman.
Knowing where his kid’s mind had gone, Tony immediately stopped the racing thoughts with a tight hug and gentle words. “I love you 3000 bambino. And Pep does too. We worry about you, and you’ve definitely given me hundreds of grey hairs, but I wouldn’t change it for the world. I love you because you’re you, Peter Benjamin Parker-Stark. Not because you’re Spiderman but because you’re you.”
Peter let out a broken half sob-half laugh and gripped his dad tighter. “I love you 3000,” he whispered back and let his dad half carry him back to his room and into his bed.
Tony left his kid to sleep, kissing his forehead gently and tucking him in. Peter lay there with a peaceful look on his face, looming even younger than his 16 years of age. He looked up. “FRI take a picture please.”
“Of course, Mr Stark,” FRIDAY replied.
Tony smiled, and then left his son to go and find his own bed.