Chapter Text
Tony Stark was many things, as he once said, a genius, playboy, billionaire, philanthropist. But amongst all these things he was not a bad father. That’s right he, Anthony Edward Stark, was a proud father and even though Peter was a mistake, he was the best mistake that Tony ever made in his life.
------------------
He remembers when Pepper first brought the one year old into his office. Mary, Peter’s mother had died a few days ago and the child had no one else in the world except for Tony.
Tony did not agree with the responsibility. So he did what he deemed logical at that time, he threw money at the child. He got a nanny from the most finest establishment and handed the responsibility to the nanny, before going back to his eccentric lifestyle.
And that proved the biggest mistake he made with Peter.
___________________
Tony had just finished a 32 hour binge at the workshop and now seemed like the perfect time (2 am) to get some coffee. Now how can he polarize waves that are not transverse ….
Tony stopped near Peter’s room, he could hear faint whimpering coming from the room, which was odd because the kid was usually so quiet. Curiosity piqued Tony decided to investigate what was happening. He opened the door and was immediately greeted by the sight of a really pale sickly toddler. Thanking his lucky stars that he had already showered in the lab, Tony reached in the lifted the child into his arms.
“Hey buddy, what wrong?” reaching down to kiss Peter’s forehead. He has fever, a high fever. In panic Tony called Pepper.
“Peter’s sick. I came upstairs from the lab, the new prototype is done by the way, and the nanny is missing and he has a high fever, and you’re the only woman I can call since women know these things right?! He’s pale and… and…”
“Calm down Tony, Peter has a fever?” she asked calmly. Swallowing loudly Tony gave and affirmative.
“Well it’s too late to take him to a doctor so the only thing you can do is try to keep his fever down,” she explained as Tony juggles the wriggly baby.
Once he finished talking to Pepper, Tony stood in the middle of the room with gently rocking Peter, humming Hey Jude under his breath. The boy would nuzzle his nose roughly into Tony’s wife beater, most likely due to a congested nose and every now and then the babe’s whimper would turn into a wail.
Finally the whimpers subside enough for Tony to place Peter on the center of the crib. He fetched soft flannel cloth with lukewarm water and for five hours he stood vigilant near his son, his son! and later when he found out that he was close to losing Peter to pneumonia something just changed in Tony.
Tony realized something that day, he doesn’t know what he realized so he took on Peter’s responsibility because this boy would be the joy in his life.
---------------
“Now the quicker I start teaching you the better. Let’s start with Newton’s first law,” said Tony to his 15 month old son. Peter was sitting in his high chair wearing a pink onesie, sucking on his fist while Tony made breakfast.
“An object at rest stays at rest and an object in motion stays in motion with the same speed and in the same direction unless acted upon by an unbalanced force,” Tony looked at his son questioningly to which Peter sneezed. Smiling fondly Tony ruffled the toddler’s hair. Tony doesn’t expect Peter to know all this, he’s no Howard for expecting this from his son. Tony would be content no matter how Peter turned out to be. Tony sighed and looked at the bowl of oatmeal mush in his hand, he knew a bath will be necessary after this and not just for Peter
“Fatherhood suits you Stark.”
“Oh buzz of Rhodes.” Rhodey gave a hearty chuckle and pressed a kiss on top of Peter’s head. As Peter’s godfather, Rhodey made sure to visit when he was off duty and this meant spoiling the boy rotten with gifts. Peter adored Rhodey.
“Come to spoil my kid again”
“I missed you too Tones,” Rhodey said an sat down on a stool. He was wearing civilian clothes so he must have come from his mother’s house, Tony deduced.
“You okay?” Tony softly said. Since the first time Rhodes came back from Afghanistan, with haunted eyes and blood on his hand, Tony always asks the same question. He knows that people do not ask soldiers this question, fearing the repercussion, but Tony knows that sometimes you just got to ask.
“I’ll be okay,” Rhodes said with a smile “Can I feed Peter?”
“Suit yourself.”
After half an hour when he saw a mush covered Rhodes and Peter no one could blame Tony for taking a picture.
------------
“Do you have a family Stark?” Yinsen asked and Tony’s mind took him to his seven year old son. Tony was so grateful that no one did not know about Peter.
“Yes.”
When Tony crashed the Mark I and was stranded in the dessert, the only thought that was running in his mind was, “I’ll never see my baby again.”
And when Rhodey found him in the dessert all he thought was “I’m coming Peter.”
----------------------
When the plane landed in California, Pepper was waiting for him at the platform. Everyone were pleased to see him (Ha!) but Tony had only one thing in his mind, he wanted to see his son. So he asked for a cheese burger, he knew Pepper would understand.
And when he returned to the Malibu house Tony treaded with careful steps . “Jarvis, where’s Peter?”
“The young master is currently in your bedroom, but I do not think he is very keen on seeing you,” The AI said. Tony moved towards the master bedroom.
“I’m sorry buddy,” was the first thing Tony said to the lump on the center of the bed. Tony gave the kid a few minutes and changed into something comfortable, all the while trying not to focus on the blue glow in the center of his chest that had a network of scars, Tony doesn’t think he can ever look at a car battery the same way again. Once he was changed, Tony slowly got on the bed and toed the lump which snarled in response and then sat up.
Peter sat up, eyes red rimmed and face pale. Tony carefully pulled him into a hug, humming some nameless tune under his breath. “You okay Buddy?”
“I was scared,” whispered Peter sounding every bit as exhausted as Tony felt, Peter wrapped his arms around Tony as tightly as his hands could. “I thought I’d never see you again.”
“I’d never leave you buddy, not willingly.” Peter rubbed his face against Tony’s chest a habit he had since he was a baby, Tony thought fondly
When Peter noticed the reactor in his chest he traced it with his finger, curious. “What’s this?”
“It’s a mini arc reactor,” he said to which Peter made a confused sound.
“I thought that was impossible.”
“Well your daddy’s a genius,” he said to which Peter rolled his eyes. He should really stop Pepper from teaching these things to Peter.
------------------------
In the morning Tony woke with a sharp gasp, with the phantom feeling of water in his lungs. Thankfully Peter didn’t wake up.
He walked towards the bathroom sink and clutched the counter till his knuckles were white he could feel a headache coming on but he had to push through, his chest hurt and even though the shrapnel has stopped he could still feel them digging into his flesh.
“Hmm… dad?”
“Hey baby,” he turned to his son and tried to smile.
“Wha ya doin …hmm… here,” Peter asked his words slurring together.
“Nothing baby go back to bed,” he replied and Peter warily left him for bed.
Tomorrow he’ll ask Rhodey to take Peter to New York. Peter needs to stay safe while Tony deals with Obadiah Stane.
“You can’t do this, it’s insane!” 9 year old Peter said as he stared in horror as his father took a sip at the milkshake that DUM-E just handed to Tony.
“It’s not that bad,” Tony said with a cringe as the taste of engine oil hit his tongue “I take it back.”
Peter laughed and went back to his drawings. Tony looked at his son fondly, Peter was already showing signs of being a genius but Tony trying to make him enjoy childhood as much as possible even though he was home schooled.
Absentmindedly Tony rubbed his chest, he knew there were a spider web of black scars present. The heart that saved him before is slowly killing him. Secretly he made sure that Rhodey got War Machine, Pepper was the CEO of Stark Industries and most importantly his son had enough money and safety to last a lifetime and more.
But the one thing that’s eating up his mind was SHEILD, they’d sent a spy to watch over him (and they thought he wouldn’t notice, he’s a genius for Christ Sake) and god knows how hard he tried to hide Peter. If they did find Peter, Tony knows they’ll take him, SHEILD isn’t as clean as it seems.
“Hey Peter, you’ll be okay without me right?”
The boy gave Tony an inquisitive look “What’d you mean? Are you going on another business trip?”
“It’s nothing serious buddy,” Tony said and turned back to his workbench tears burning at his eyes. He would never see his baby grow up and become a great man that he would be. Tony had failed to complete his role as a father. When Tony’s mother died he had been older but Peter was still a child and he had no other family in the world.
Then Tony found May.
-----------------------
“Why are you doing this Daddy,” Peter wailed at Tony. But Tony had his back against his son, if Peter hated him the pain of his death might lessen
May Parker was a blessing of sorts. She was the widow of Benjamin Parker the brother Mary Parker. Mary had been estranged by her family when they found out she was pregnant with Peter. Ben had maintained contact with his sister for some time before Mary severed all contact. Before Ben had died he had asked his wife to find his sister and take care of her.
May had searched far and wide and this search had led here to Peter Parker Stark. “You are willing to give me custody?” she had asked dubiously and Tony had said “I have my reason.”
“I don’t want to go! Leave me!”
“Dad!”
“DAD!”
When the door closed with an automated click, Tony fell to his knees and wept. He wept for his friend, he wept for his death and he wept for the loss of his son.
-------------------
After Tony saw the reels that Howard left for him, he fell into deep thought before JARVIS alerted him of Peter’s presences, he had snuck in and was hiding in his closet. Wearily Tony went to look for Peter. He knew his son well enough to have prepared for this issue.
“Is it because you’re dying?” was the question Peter greeted him with.
“Yes.” Of course his smart boy had found out about his sickness. “May is your aunt she’ll take care of you when I’m gone.”
“I don’t want to stay with her dad, please,” Peter begged, as tears wouldn’t stop rolling down his baby soft cheeks.
“Baby, it’s for the best,” Tony said voice coming out strangled “When I’m gone...”
“Please ….”
And Tony cracked like an eggshell.
---------------------
Later when Tony made the new Arc Reactor core and beat Justin Hammer’s sorry ass, he was glad that he kept Peter with him. May had seen how Peter reacted being away from Tony and she conceded only asking Peter to visit her frequently.
Many thigs happened after that.
The Avengers formed, SHEILD fell. he removed his reactor, Ultron; but worst of all was that damn radioactive spider.