Into the Light | Peter Parker x OC

Chapter Thirty-Five

A/N: hola

this is the million dollar chapter, you guys

hope you have tissues prepared...

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"Do you really see me

as your daughter, Tony?"
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All these years spent with the billionaire and she never could tell what their relationship really was.

She always thought that father-daughter sounded too hopeful. And strangers who happened to get along sounded too vague. She was always too afraid to ask, knowing that the answer would only end up hurting her. She also didn't want to put the pressure of being a father on him only because she needed a fatherly figure in her life. It wouldn't have been fair.

So time had passed and she never said a word to him no matter how badly she wanted to. She had started to see him like a father, but she couldn't say the same for him.

But when he told the entire world yesterday that she was his daughter, Adelaide felt...well, she didn't know what she felt.

Surprised? Warm? Confused?

Her broken heart told her it could have been a lie. She was fragile enough already, she didn't need to build herself up to a happiness that didn't really exist. But then she wondered where lying about that would get him and she realized it probably wasn't a lie.

But if it wasn't a lie, then that meant...

Adelaide was deep in her thoughts when she heard a knock on her door. It was really early in the morning. In fact, it was still dark outside. But even with all the pain meds and absolute exhaustion, she just couldn't sleep. There was too much to think about.

"Come in," she said.

To her surprise, it was Tony. She paused.

"Hey," she said unsurely.

He let himself inside the room and closed the door behind him. He took a seat on the bed, next to her feet. The man looked exhausted, even in the dark. He was still in the same clothes from yesterday and she had a feeling he hadn't slept a wink since then. Now that she thought about it, he probably hadn't slept properly in a few days ever since she had left.

It was really quiet for a while. Adelaide picked at the corner of the comforter anxiously. She wished he would say something, but she also didn't. What if he said something and it only hurt?

"How's the rib?" he asked quietly, staring at his hands.

"It's fine," she answered. He nodded.

"And the headache?"

"Gone," she said. He nodded again.

More silence. Long, unbearable silence. It stretched out for so long that Adelaide just had to fill it with something. Anything. So she said the first thing that came to mind.

"Took the gene joke a little far yesterday," she said. Tony looked surprised for a moment before he smiled a bit. The corners of her mouth tugged upwards slightly.

"I'm sorry," he said after a moment. Adelaide studied his face.

And then she knew she just had to ask, whatever the answer may be.

"Do you really see me as your daughter, Tony?" she whispered.

She held her breath in anticipation. She realized just how much power she had put into her question. With just one word, he could make or break her heart. Her heart thundered loudly in her chest, scared to hear the answer.