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Tony takes a deep breath before walking swiftly up the steps to his old high school. He’s not sure how Rhodey talked him into coming to this stupid thing but here he is. He supposes since he’s in town for two weeks he should try to catch up with all the old crew, but that means running into the old crew that he doesn’t want to see.
It’s a weird mix of nightmare and nostalgia as he walks into the worn-down gymnasium. It’s decorated painfully, with a few pathetic streamers and some sad balloons on the floor. The same cheap tables converted by plastic tablecloths, just like they had been at all the dances growing up.
He smiles at a few familiar faces as he makes his way to the catered bar. There’s no way he’s going to get through this without a whiskey. An hour. He just has to last an hour, and then Rhodey (the traitor who isn’t even here yet) won’t give him a hard time.
“Tony? Is that you?”
Oh, for fuck’s sake.
He lets out a long exhale before turning around with a fake smile. His eyes land first on the last person he wants to see. Mary his ex-fiance who he thought he was going to have his white picket fence life with. Then she had cheated on him and all his dreams had been dashed.
Then his eyes flicker to the young man standing next to her. He’s pretty, with brown curls and wide eyes, staring at Tony like he’s a museum exhibit. He has the fleeting thought that he’s cute… until he realizes he has Mary’s nose, and his chest tightens as a thousand memories flood his mind.
“Tony, I’m pregnant,” Mary says tearfully. “I know we weren’t planning on-”
He laughs and wraps her in a giant hug, spinning around. “Honey, that's amazing!”
Seven months later. “The baby isn’t yours, Tony,” Richard says with a grim expression. “I’m sorry… it’s mine,”
Fighting. Arguing. Slamming the door. Demanding the paternity test.
He stares at the judge with a grim expression as the envelope is opened. “Mr. Stark is not the father,”
He rips his eyes away from the young man. He can’t handle the thought that this is the boy he might’ve- He focuses instead back on Mary.
“Hey, Mary,” he says with more excitement than he’s actually feeling.
“I didn’t expect to see you here!”
“Yeah,” he says slowly. “I’m uh- here for an SI thing, work trip. Just here for another week,”
The young man nudges Mary’s arm. She turns towards him with a jolt. “Oh right, um- this is my son Peter,”
Her son. His fingers twitch around his whiskey glass as he nods to the kid. “Tony. Nice to meet you, kid,”
“You too,” he says with a tight smile. Tony wonders if he even knows. He wants to ask, but he doesn’t dare be the one to open that can of worms for him. Then he surprises him. “I’m a big fan of your work. I did my engineering final on the arc reactor,”
His eyes widen in surprise. He mentally does the math and realizes the kid must be twenty-two or twenty-three now. “Wow. Where’d you go, kid?”
“MIT,”
Jesus Christ. Maybe he should ask for another paternity test because this kid sure acts like his. “Good school,” he says awkwardly. “Congrats,”
“Thanks,” he smiles, and this one seems genuine.
There’s an awkward moment of silence, but luckily, he spots Rhodey walking in. “Uh, it was nice to see you both,” he says with a nod before he walks away. He doesn’t bother worrying if it was rude because, quite frankly, it’s justified if he is.
“Were you just talking to Mary?” Rhodey asks in disbelief when he walks up.
“And her son,” he grumbles with a sip of whiskey.
“Geez, Tones, I’m sorry,” he sighs. “I didn’t think- well at all clearly,”
“Clearly,” he snorts. “It’s fine, just gonna follow you around and fulfill my obligations,”
Rhodey sighs and claps him on the shoulder. “Come on,”
He follows Rhodey around for the better part of the next hour until he finally bugs off for another whiskey. He decides to just sit at a table and nurse it, letting people come to him now. Hopefully, no one would, he’d spoken to everyone important.
But a few minutes later, he gets a very surprising visitor.
“I know I’m the last person you’d want to talk to,” Peter says as he slides in a chair. “But ten minutes, that’s all I’m asking,”
Tony stares at hi,m stunned. “I- um- sure kid,”
He sighs in relief, but there’s still a tinge of anxiety to him. “Thank you,”
“Got something to get off your chest?” he asks with a raised eyebrow over the rim of his glass.
“I just- I just wanted to talk to someone who might understand,” he says nervously. “What it’s like to feel betrayed by my mom,”
Tony’s brow furrows as he sets his glass down. “What’s she done to you kid?”
“Richard isn’t my dad,”
Tony’s jaw drops, and he’s sure glad he wasn’t taking a sip. “What?”
“I’m sorry,” he says with a pained expression.
“How did you even figure that out?”
He exhales slowly as if this is the part he really wants to say. “Um, well, I’ve kind of always known. Or guessed. When I was seven, he must have found out because he kicked Mom and I out. The entire Parker family cut us off, and I had no idea why. I just thought maybe Richard was a shit dad,”
“Okay…” he says slowly.
“But six months ago, I did a DNA test,” he gulps. “And I got a match… Ben was my bio dad,”
Tony’s jaw drops again. “Ben?!” And then his brain catches up, and he remembers that the older Parker brother had passed away in an accident several years ago. “Oh god, Peter, I’m so sorry,”
He turns his head away for a moment, but Tony doesn’t miss the way he quickly wipes his cheeks. “It’s um- yeah, it was a lot to find out. I got in touch with his wife, May. So that’s been nice to talk to her, but um-“ he sniffs. “Everyone else still doesn’t want anything to do with me,”
“That’s awful,” he frowns.
“Yeah, it uh- really fucked up my life,” he laughs bitterly. “Everyone calls me the ‘affair baby.’ I couldn’t get a job in high school. I had to work my ass off for my MIT scholarship because all my teachers were biased and didn't want to give me good grades. My whole life has been an uphill battle because of what she did,”
The venom in his voice is unmistakable, and Tony knows it all too well. It’s just starting to sink in that Mary cheated on him with more than just Richard. Maybe even more than just Ben. But he can’t help but feel some sort of sympathetic affection for the kid, so he pushes his own thoughts aside.
“People in this town are assholes,” he says simply. “It’s why I got out when I could. A smart kid like you? Surely you don’t need to stick around here,”
“I’m not,” he says firmly. “I graduated. I can go anywhere I want now,”
He makes a note to look the kid up later. Maybe he could offer some sort of internship or something. “I’m sure you can,”
He nods once, his eyes unfocused with thought. “Anyways, I just um- I thought you might understand. No one else does,”
“I do,” he agrees. “And for what it’s worth, I’m sorry,”
“Thank you,” he smiles softly. Then he jolts and pulls out his phone. He hesitantly starts to stand. “Ah, I gotta go, but thank you-“
“He,y wait um-“ he stops him, surprising both Peter and himself. “Let me give you my number. If you need to talk more,”
His eyes light up. “Are you sure?”
“Yeah, it’s the least I can do,”
They exchange numbers, and Tony watches him leave the hall with a weird sense of dissatisfaction. His mind is still reeling from not only the fact that Ben had been Peter’s actual bio father but that the Parkers had been so cruel as to cast them out. Ben must’ve not known, or maybe there had been more than just them, and he had found that out as well. It all made his head swim and left him with a sense of obligation.
But he doesn’t know if it’s those seven months where he thought Peter was his rearing its ugly head or the kid’s pretty brown eyes that he can’t seem to forget.
★★★★★
Unknown number: Hey Mr. Stark it’s Peter- from yesterday? I wondered if you’d have more time to talk tonight
He was surprised when Peter texted him so soon. But if the kid wanted to talk, he could listen. So he had texted him a time and the address of the hotel he was staying at and now here he sits, letting him ramble on about everything and nothing at the same time.
And Peter is just… incredible. He’s incredibly wise for his age though how he got to that point makes Tony feel a bit sick. The bullying and the anxiety and shame. All because of Mary’s choices, not his own.
On top of that, he’s just smart and funny. And once he gets a couple of drinks in and loosens up his personality really shines, joking and laughing with Tony even though he’s venting about some of the hardest parts of his life.
It leaves Tony with this strange sense of pride—and also guilt. On the one hand, he’s amazed at what he’d accomplished despite all his roadblocks, but on the other, he can’t help but wonder what his life would’ve been like if Tony had raised him instead or had at least stuck around.
But then Peter’s eyes crinkle at the corners as he laughs, and Tony’s stomach does a few flips, and it leaves him wondering if that feeling is really some sort of pseudo paternal instinct… or something else entirely.
As the hour draws later and later, Peter gets drunker and drunker until Tony realizes he's in no state to drive home, nor does he know his address to send him home.
“Hey, kid,” he says clearly but gently. “I’ve got an extra bed in my room. Why don’t you come up for the night?”
Peter giggles (he’s apparently a giggly drunk) and places his hand on Tony’s arm to steady himself. “You’re really nice, Mr. Stark,”
And well, it’s not a yes, but it’s good enough for Tony’s conscience. He wraps an arm around Peter’s shoulders and guides him out of the bar. He’s surprisingly pliant for someone who can’t even walk straight. Tony gets him all the way to his room without fuss and sets him on the spare queen bed.
He digs around in his stuff for a spare set of pajamas, but by the time he turns around, the kid is curled up in a tiny ball, half asleep already.
“Lightweight,” he snorts. Gently, he removes the kid's shoes and drapes an extra blanket over him.
“You know, Mr. Stark,” he mumbles. “You would’ve made a good dad,”
Tony freezes at the words, heart clenching. Then, softly, hesitantly, he strokes his hand through those pretty brown curls. “I would’ve done my best,” he whispers.
Peter hums and his eyes fall closed. In the next breath, he starts snoring softly. More heavy breathing than anything aggravating.
As he gets ready for bed, he can’t get rid of the tight feeling in his chest, though. He finds himself occasionally glancing at Peter and noticing things about him. His long lashes, how soft his skin is, and the adorable way his fingers clench the edge of the blanket. He sighs as he gets into bed and stares at the ceiling.
He can’t.
He shouldn’t.
Peter is his ex-fiancé's son, and he is literally young enough to be his kid.
But fuck he wants to.
★★★★★
“I am so sorry about the other night,” Peter says sheepishly.
Tony laughs softly, shaking his head. “It’s alright. Just glad I had the spare bed,”
“I’ve got your clothes,” he says, gesturing to the backpack at his feet. “Thanks for that again,”
“Honestly, Pete, it was no big deal,” he assures him.
“Still,” he breathes out. “Think I’ll stick to soda tonight,”
“Fair enough,” he hums. He was doing the same, after all.
They order appetizers instead of drinks this time, and the conversation is much less trauma dumping and more finding coming interests. Once again Tony is left reeling at how incredible Peter is. He feels slightly greedy for his company, if he’s honest.
“You’re leaving soon, aren’t you?” Peter asks after a while.
“Monday,” he agrees. “How about you, huh? You gonna fly the nest?”
“Depends,” he shrugs. “I’m waiting to hear back on some job offers. It’s kind of hard to move when you don’t know where to move,”
Tony raises an eyebrow at him as he sips his drink. “You know… I mean, I’ve got connections. Not just at SI but in other places, too. I could put in a good word for you,”
His lips part slightly in surprise, and his cheeks flush pink. “You’d do that for me?” he asks softly.
His tone is hard to place, but it makes Tony’s stomach flip. Maybe he had a chance. He knew he’d kick himself forever if he didn’t at least try.
“I- um- I’d do a lot of things for you, I think,” he says, equally soft. Tentatively, he slides his hand over until just their pinky’s brush, and Peter gasps softly. “If you’d let me,”
Peter stares at him wide-eyed, and for a moment, time stands still. But then he rips his hand away suddenly and shakes his head. “I- um- I should go. It’s late,”
“Wait, Peter-“
“No, no, um- thank you for your time. It's been really nice talking to you,” he says shakily as he stands from his seat.
He’s gone before Tony can even get a word in. He sighs and scrubs a hand over his face before asking for the check. He’s about to leave when he realizes that Peter left his backpack. Wincing at the awkward situation that’s going to make, he decides to just grab it and deal with it tomorrow.
You’re an idiot, Stark, he thinks as he walks into his hotel room. Why would Peter be interested in him? He had probably just been hoping for some sort of paternal friendship, not… not what Tony wanted.
Just as he’s deciding to shower and have a pity party, his phone dings.
Peter: Are you in your room?
Tony sighs at the message, glancing at the backpack. That’s probably why he was asking.
Tony: Yes- I brought your bag up if you want to come get it
The knock on the door is immediate. Tony’s stomach does about a thousand flips on his way to the door. He peers out of the peephole, and sure enough, Peter is standing outside, hands wringing nervously. With one last deep breath, he pulls the door open.
“HI,” he says simply.
Peter pushes past him into the room, brow furrowed in concentration. Then he spins around and points his finger at Tony like he’s in trouble. “I shouldn’t like you,”
“And I shouldn’t like you,” he breathes out, hope rising in his chest.
“But you do?”
He nods. “A lot,”
Peter swallows thickly. “I didn’t come up here for my bag,”
It’s all he needs to hear. He crosses the room to him in two long strides and grabs him by the waist. Peter goes willingly, wrapping his arms around his neck and meeting him halfway. Lips smash against each other, and Tony groans at how soft his mouth is. He runs his hands all over Peter’s body, down his sides, across his lower back, over his ass, grabbing everywhere he can.
“Fuck, Tony,” he gasps between kisses.
“God, you feel good,” he moans back. His hands finally start to work more than mindless grabbing, tugging at Peter’s shirt up and over his head. Slender fingers push at his suit jacket and he lets go of him long enough for it to fall to the floor.
“Can I- mmm- I wanna suck you off,” he pants. “Please?”
“Fuck, yeah, okay,” he gasps.
Peter drops to his knees like a ragdoll, frantically scrambling at his belt. When Tony’s cock finally springs free, he sighs in relief. In the next breath, he groans as Peter sucks him down nearly to the root, and he has to put a hand in his hair to steady him. He moans around his cock when he tugs at those silky brown curls.
“That’s it,” Tony praises, chest heaving with frantic breathing. “Good boy, just like that, oh god,”
Peter’s eyes roll back at the praise, and he increases his efforts.
“Fuck, Pete, I’m gonna- you gotta ease up baby,” he says regretfully, pulling him off his dick. He whimpers softly in complaint. “I know, I know, here come here,”
He yanks Peter to his feet and into another bruising kiss, relishing in the soft moan he gets. “Please,” he whimpers. “Need you so bad,”
“I know, me too,” he pants. “I think I’ve got lube around here somewhere. Let me- you bed, jeans off,”
“Kay,” he whimpers, forcing himself away.
Tony frantically digs in his suitcase for the lube he had packed because, hey, you never know when you’re gonna need it. Though fucking the kid who could’ve been his is not quite the scenario he had in mind when he tossed it in. He finally finds it and snags it triumphantly, turning at the same time back towards the bed.
His breath hitches when he sees Peter laid out on the sheets, brown curls gently spilling over the pillows. Miles and miles of creamy-toned skin that Tony wants to make up until it’s mottled with pink and red. He gets what he wants when Peter notices him staring and blushes, the color spreading down his shoulders.
“You’re still sure about this?” Tony asks as he starts to unbutton his shirt.
He inhales shakily, and his eyes flutter shut for a second as if he’s bracing himself. “I didn’t know about you until I was twenty and started asking questions. Not what you were to Mom. Before that, you were just my celebrity crush and my gay awakening, so-“ He lets out a long exhale. “Yeah, I’m fucking sure,”
He raises an eyebrow at him. “Seriously?”
Peter bites down on his bottom lip and nods shyly. “Does that- if that changes things-“
“No,” he says in a rush as he tosses his shirt. “God, no, I want you so bad,”
His eyes light up, and then they refocus on Tony’s body, and he moans softly. “How are you so hot- fuck, please-“
“Easy baby,” he chuckles as he pushes off his pants. “I might just think you like me or something,”
Peter rolls his eyes but then grins and makes grabby hands at him. It’s so cute it makes Tony’s heart clench, and he’s helpless but to do what he wants. When their bodies settle together, they both sigh in relief, kissing each other slower but no less passionate. Peter’s hands slide over his shoulders and up into his hair, and it feels like heaven.
“God, you feel so good, baby,” he moans into his mouth. “Could kiss you for hours,”
“Maybe- maybe after?” he whines breathlessly, even as he tilts his head back so Tony can reach his neck. “M’so empty daddy please,”
They both freeze at the words, and Tony pulls away with a gulp, just enough to look at him. Peter looks mortified. Realizing he needs to save this, he brings one hand up to smooth a few loose curls. “Is that so, baby?” he hums. “You need daddy to fill you up? Split you in half?”
Peter exhales in a shaky moan, leaning into his touch, his whole body slumping with relief. “Yes, please, daddy need you so bad,”
“That’s it, good boy,” he purrs, kissing him one more time before sitting back on his heels and reaching for the lube. “I don’t have condoms. That gonna be a problem? I’m clean,”
“I’m clean too,” he says shakily, eyes fixated on Tony’s hands squirting out lube. “And I really want to feel you so-”
“Me too,” he admits. He wastes no time in pressing a finger against Peter’s rim, groaning when it sinks in easily.
Peter moans, and his back arches off the bed. “Fuck, fuck-“
“So sensitive,” he teases. “That feel good, baby?”
“Yeah,” he whines. “Fuck, more Daddy, please,”
“Greedy boy,” he murmurs, even though he gives him exactly what he wants. He presses a second finger into him, crooking them up until Peter gasps. “There it is,”
“Daddy-“ he whimpers, squirming so much that Tony has to pin him to the bed by one hip. “Fuck please- ah!”
“God, I hope that’s enough I need in you now,” he growls out.
“Yes fuck please fuck me,” he begs, almost sobbing.
Tony lines himself and pushes in, groaning at the tightness. Peter’s back arches off the bed, perfect pink lips parted in a silent scream. For all the tension and tightness, Tony slides in easily, laying claim to the boy’s body like he was meant to be inside him.
“Oh fuck, you feel good,” Tony moans. The moment he bottoms out, he pulls back, starting a slow and steady fuck.
Peter whimpers, his arms falling above his head as he writhes. “Fuck– Daddy, oh god,”
“You okay, kid?” he pants, voice choked with the way he’s squeezing him. “Try to breathe, baby,”
“Mm– yeah, I’m– I’m okay,” he moans in a shaky exhale. “Fuck you’re right on my– oh god–”
Tony grins in triumph, realizing he really is fucking him good. He kicks the pace up a little until neither one of them can speak, only moan and pant in synchronized harmony. The sounds are deafening, echoing around the small hotel room, the bed slightly shaking with each thrust of Tony’s hips. Peter’s nails dig into his biceps and shoulders, creating tiny pinpoints of pain that contrast deliciously with the pleasure.
“Daddy! Daddy– I’m gonna– fuck, I’m gonna cum,” Peter moans. “Please,”
“Right behind you, sweetheart,” he pants. “Cum for me baby, it’s okay,”
Peter lets out a sobbing cry as his cock squirts between them, adding to the sweat and scent of sex in the room. He clenches so tightly around Tony’s cock that he can hardly move, and it’s enough to do him in. He groans as he cums, dick pulsing in the tight space. It seems to never end, rope after rope of cum filling Peter up. He collapses down a little, and Peter opens his arms so he can lay on his chest, carding shaky fingers through his hair.
“Fuck,” Tony gasps out as air finally fills his lungs again, his dick giving one last valiant twitch.
“Mmm, that was so good,” Peter says hazily, then he laughs a little.
“What’s so funny?” he snorts.
“Just–” He laughs again, an almost delirious giggle. “Thought about how funny it would be if we sent a picture to mom,”
It takes a minute for the words to sink in, and then Tony laughs as well. The concept is so ridiculous. His laughter is almost uncontrollable, and so is Peter’s. They giggle and laugh for a minute, Tony having to roll off of Peter to catch his breath until it melts back into easy silence.
“Ugh, I’m sticky,” Peter sighs, still sounding a little dazed. “Shower?”
“Mhmm,” Tony agrees, getting up with a grunt. Once on his feet, he scoops Peter up right off the bed, making him squeak and cling to him tightly. Tony laughs and kisses his cheek. “You’re adorable,”
The hot shower washes away the evidence of their escapades, though they do descend into a soapy makeout session. It’s just kissing for the sake of kissing, lazy movement of mouths until they're both half-hard again and tempted for round two. But then Peter yawns, and so does Tony, and they agree that sleep can come first. So they dry off and cuddle up in the clean bed, Peter’s head on Tony’s chest, fingers tracing soft patterns on the other’s skin.
But his mind is still stuck on something.
“You could,” he finally says.
“Huh?” Peter hums.
“Send a picture to your mom,”
He sits up a little, brown eyes wide. “You can’t be serious,”
“Sure, why not?” he shrugs. “Bare chests, nothing crazy. A giant fuck you to her? Why not?”
Peter laughs in disbelief. “I– I could send it on Instagram with the view once feature. So it’s not like– she can’t keep it,”
“Even better,” he grins. “She probably won’t think it’s real at first,”
“Okay,” Peter says, still a little stunned. “Yeah, okay, let’s do it,”
Tony grabs Peter’s phone off the nightstand and hands it to him. The boy takes it and opens his camera, holding it high above them. Peter smiles, and Tony decides to kiss the top of his head instead of a general smile. The sheets cover most of Peter’s body, but Tony’s bare chest is fully on display. There’s definitely no mistaking where they are and what’s happened.
Peter’s brow furrows as he types something, and then deletes it, and then laughs and types something else. He holds the phone up for Tony to approve before sending it.
I can finally call him Daddy.
“You’re a menace,” Tony grins. “Go for it,”
Peter grins and hits send. Within seconds, Mary is calling and he answers, putting it on speaker. The following screaming match is one that Tony would love to forget. Between him and Peter, it’s an outpouring of complicated feelings and tangled trauma while Mary just screams at them. Finally, Tony rips the hand out of Peter’s hand and hangs up, staring at him determined.
“You don’t need that,” he says firmly. “You don’t need her,”
Big tears well up in his eyes and he sighs, putting his face in his hands. “I need to get out of here– out of this town,”
“Come with me,” Tony says instantly. “I’ve got plenty of room. Come to New York and work for me,”
He raises his head, jaw dropped. “Are you sure?”
“I was going to suggest it even before this,” he says, wiggling a finger between them. “Even if this was a one-time thing, you’re a smart kid, Peter. You’ve got potential,”
A pink flush washes over his cheeks, and he looks nervous. “And– and if I want it to be more than a one-time thing?”
“Well then,” Tony grins, leaning over to kiss him. “Guess I get to be a Daddy after all,”