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“Pete, what’s this?”
Glancing up from where he was eating his bowl of cereal, Peter noticed his father-figure was holding up a slip of paper that, he realized with disdain, should have been in the trash.
He dropped his spoon, belatedly speaking when he noticed Tony was waiting for an answer. “Oh, um, it’s nothing. I meant to throw it out, really. Just forget about-“
“‘Career Day Sign-Up Sheet’.” Tony interrupts, smirking at Peter. “Now, tell me, why should this have been thrown out, hm?”
Peter’s cheeks flushed, and he shoveled another spoonful of his breakfast into his mouth. “Well, May said she couldn’t because her schedule’s all blocked with shifts, and I know you’re too busy to come to some stupid high school career day, so...” he trailed off, pointedly not looking at Tony while placing his now-empty bowl in the sink.
“‘Stupid’? Career Day isn’t ‘stupid’, Peter. Sure, it’s boring listening to adults drone on about a job you’re clearly not interested in, but it isn’t ‘stupid’. Now, when’s it happening?” Tony inquired.
“Today,” Peter listed offhandedly, grabbing his backpack and making his way towards the elevator.
Tony watched as the kid left for school without so much as a “good-by,” and sipped from his coffee mug with a glance towards the sign-up slip.
“Who do you think is presenting this year?” Ned asked as he sidled up next to Peter on their way to class.
“I don’t know. Probably Abe’s dad again. He does it every year.”
Ned groaned. “Man, do I really have to listen to him talk about- hey, what was that for?” the boy whined as he bumped into Peter’s suddenly-stopped frame.
When his best friend didn’t answer, Ned tracked his field of view into the classroom in front of them.
“Dude, what’s Mr. Stark doing here?”
Peter shifted his gaze back to Ned. “How would I know? Do you think he needs me for a mission?”
Ned’s eyes widened. “That would be so cool!”
Peter only frowned in return and approached the classroom door. Upon entering, Tony turned and beamed at the two boys.
“Ah, Mr. Parker, Mr. Leeds, great of you to join us,” the billionaire greeted, gesturing to the rest of the already-seated class. “Why don’t you go find a seat?”
Ned nodded frantically, swiftly sitting at a desk while Peter confusedly trailed behind.
As soon as he sat down, he felt a brush of hot breath behind his ear.
“Hey, Parker,” Flash whispered from the desk behind him. “Who’d you pay to convince Tony Stark to show up for a Career Day?”
Peter rolled his eyes. “No one, Flash.”
The teen scoffed in response. “Yeah, right. Like I’ll believe that. If it wasn’t money, what was it? I bet you-“
“Ah, Peter! Why don’t you come on up here and help me demonstrate!” Tony’s voice requested, silencing Flash and causing the class to all look at Peter.
He rose from his seat, glancing forlornly at Ned as his friend gave him an encouraging thumbs-up and a too-enthusiastic smile.
Peter joined Tony at the front of the room, and, as the man handed him an arc reactor prototype, Peter whispered, “What are you doing here?”
Tony only grinned, replying, “What? Can’t your old man help you out by inspiring the youth of the world?”
“Career Day isn’t going to do that.”
“Maybe not, but the look on your face earlier was priceless.”
Peter huffed, handing the prototype back to Tony. “I hate you.”
“No, you don’t.”
“Yes, I do.”
“You don’t. Also, you’re welcome for saving your class from whatever that man in the back with pie charts was planning on presenting.” Tony stated, glancing to where Abe’s father sat with an awe-stricken face at either Tony or the arc reactor- Peter wasn’t sure.
Peter snorted. “Yeah, I’ll give you that one. This would have been my third year of hearing his speech.”
Tony chuckled, now brandishing the newest edition of the Stark Phone and holding it up to class. Addressing the students, he asked, “Any questions?”
All hands immediately went up, and Peter was sure he saw Ned raise both of his hands. Tony pointed towards a girl in the front corner of the classroom, but one student stood and spoke without preamble.
“So, you really know Pen- Peter?” Flash demanded, causing Peter to sigh heavily.
Tony simply raised a brow, commenting, “Excuse me?”
“I said, do you really know Parker, or is he-“
“No, I heard what you said,” Tony interrupted. With a quick glance towards Peter, he continued with a hardened expression, “What did you call him?”
Flash’s eyes widened the slightest bit, but then he proceeded to state, “‘Peter’. I called him ‘Peter’.”
“Yeah, that’s not what I heard.” Placing his hand on Peter’s shoulder, Tony restated, “What did you call him?”
“‘Penis’.” Flash mumbled.
When the bully received no further response, he glanced up at the man at the front of the room, only to be met with steeled eyes. He paled, shrinking into himself.
“That’s what I thought.” Tony muttered, placing the cell phone back into its slot in a briefcase and closing it shut. “I will not tolerate any harsh words or actions directed towards my son, or any other person, for that matter. Do you understand?” he voiced, not noticing the way Peter, Flash, and the class’ eyes became enlarged at the word “son.”
Flash hastily agreed, sitting back down, and Tony directed his gaze towards the teacher.
“I apologize for cutting this short, but I will be taking Peter out for the rest of the day.”
The teacher could only nod, watching as the man took Peter out of the classroom with his arm around the boy’s shoulder.
With one look back towards the class, Tony called out, “Ned, dinner tonight,” and shut the door as they left.
Dazed, Ned bobbed his head up and down in a semblance of a nod, and the class sat bemused at the prior series of occurrences.
As Happy drove back to the Tower, Peter looked over at Tony from his seat beside him. “Did you really mean that?”
“Mean what?”
“The part about you seeing me as your son.”
Tony paused, as if only just then realizing he had said that. Glancing down at Peter’s hopeful eyes, he replied, “Yeah, kid, I did.”
Peter smiled. “I see you as my dad, too, by the way.”
For the rest of the ride back, Tony could not keep a fond smile off his face.