Second Chances

Thirty-four

“Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit!” 

So...Steve wasn’t home.

“Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit!”

Everything was probably okay.

“Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit!” 

Maybe Steve decided to take a detour before he went home. Maybe he didn’t even go home! 

Tony wasn’t freaking out.

“Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit─”

Tony tore through Stark Tower’s lobby, ready to head to the lab. He would do anything to find Steve, even if finding Steve meant catching him at a grocery store because Steve was going to be okay. Aldrich and Hammer were still in the tower when Steve left! 

It was okay. And maybe Tony was being a little cautious with the Iron Man suit, but it didn’t matter. Honestly. It was a good use of his resources.

“Hey! Mr. Stark!” Peter called as Tony did everything but run down the hallway, beelining towards his private elevator.

“Mr. Stane wants to see you!” Peter called, jogging to catch Tony.

“Not now, kid!” Tony said as Peter caught up to him.

“He said it was urgent! Mr. Stark, really. He looked super freaked out!”

“Yeah, well, Obie can wait a damn minute. I don’t have time for a criminal.” 

“A what?” Peter slowed to a stop, and Tony stopped, taking a deep breath through his nose.

He turned around to face Peter and gently grabbed his shoulder, giving it a little shake. Peter’s eyes got wide, the corner of his mouth twitching in a smile. He swallowed and cleared his throat, trying to make his expression serious.

“You’re a good kid, you know that?” Tony smiled at Peter, knowing exactly what he was doing.

Maybe it was mean to abuse his privileges as the kid’s idol, but Tony didn’t have much of a choice and seeing Obie was not that choice. 

“Oh, Mr. Stark─” Peter started, and Tony waved a hand to cut him off.

“No, I’m serious. You’re a good kid. Excellent worker. Couldn’t ask for a better intern. You are really passionate about STEM and that means a lot to an old nerd like me.”

“You aren’t that old, sir,” Peter murmured, and Tony smiled.

“And you’d be the first to say that, wouldn’t you? That’s why you’re so great!” Tony tucked his hands into his pockets, and Peter looked over at his shoulder with awe, as if he was contemplating whether or not he was ever going to wash it again. 

“Now, I’m dealing with something very important, and I’m going to need your help. Can you help me?” Tony bent his head slightly so that he could look into the kid’s eyes.

Peter opened his mouth before shutting it and silently nodding.

“See! This is why you’re so great! Now, I need to get out of here. Fast and unnoticed, but I can’t do that if Stane knows I’m leaving. Right?” 

“Right,” Peter repeated.

“Awesome, you’re catching on! Now, go distract Stane. Make up a lie for all I care. Tell him I hate some bad sushi. Just, distract him. You got that?” Tony asked, and Peter nodded.

“Yessir.” 

“Wonderful. Now, go get’em, tiger!” Tony shooed Peter away, and Peter turned and started towards the staff elevator that would bring him to Stane’s office.