Marvel Moments: A Collection of One-Shot Adventures

Filler chapter 37

Peter Parker was bisexual. Nothing more to it than that.

Harley Keener was gay. Nothing more to it than that. Except the fact he had the deepest crush on Peter, had since he came to visit Tony and met the kid.

Peter did not like Harley. He barely could keep a conversation with the stuttering fool. Harley stuttered whenever he was speaking to him and no one else and he hated it. He didn't even like the boy, just was civil towards him knowing he was close to Mr. Stark. But since Harley has been staying at the tower, Peter has spent less and less time there, and when he was there he was in his personal lab on Bruce's floor. Peter had two personal labs, one next door to Bruce's lab and one next door to Tony's lab.

Tony could see how deeply Harley felt for Peter, wanted to push them in that direction. He could see how much Peter meant to Harley. He wanted to know how Peter felt about Harley, and since the kid was going back to Tennessee for the week that evening, he had the perfect time to ask Peter. Not that he's seen him in a while.

"FRI, where's Pete?" He asked standing from his desk.

"He's in his lab on Green Giants floor, boss," FRI replied so Tony went down there. He stopped in Bruce's lab first, just to hug his close friend since he'd been off world for a while with Thor and he'd barely seen him.

"Hey, babe," Tony said waltzing in and hugging Bruce who hugged him back tightly.

"Hey, love. I'm home," Bruce said softly.

"How was Asgard?" Tony asked pulling back and glancing through the one way mirror to look at Peter who was working on a project.

"It was great, pretty fun experience. Go talk to the kid, I know he's been away from you for a while. I went to ask him why he was down here but didn't get an answer, you probably will though," Bruce said softly.

"I will. We'll catch up later, okay, baby?" Tony said beginning to walk out.

"Okay, love," Bruce said as he left. Tony knocked on Peter's door and let himself in, shutting it behind him.

He walked over to see what Peter was doing and smiled seeing him doing his mathematics homework. "X equals four to the power of five," Tony said looking at the equation he was working on. Peter wrote it down as Tony sat on a chair next to him.

"Hey, Mr. Stark, what has you down here?" Peter asked softly. He turned towards the man and stopped working.

"What has you down here? You're not down here often," Tony said softly.

"I just felt like it. Is that okay?" Peter asked softly. Tony just leaned over and hugged the kid.

"It's your lab, come down here whenever. I gave you multiple labs for a reason. I've nearly finished a new upgrade for your suit," Tony said pulling back from the hug.

"Really?" Peter asked as his eyes lit up. Tony smiled. He loved his joyful and happy and thankful this kid was for anything. He loved Peter, that's why he'd adopted the kid when May passed away.

"Yeah, I've got some cool new features. I'll take you out tomorrow and I can check them all out. Can I ask you something?" Tony said softly.

"I'd love that, thanks Mr. Stark. What's up?" Peter asked. He called Tony Mr. Stark as he wasn't comfortable changing that. May had only died two weeks before. He loved the man like a father but wasn't ready to tell him that yet.

"Don't lie to me. What do you think of Harley? You keep away from him. Tell me your thoughts," Tony said softly.

Peter tilted his head. "I don't really like him. His stuttering sets off my sensory overloads which wouldn't bother me if he had an actual stutter but it's only around me and it hurts my ears. There's other people I'd rather be around. It's why I'm down here, my senses are a lot higher than anyone else's, I don't want a full blown sensory overload. I've been staying at the apartment a lot because I've been feeling trapped lately. It's why you don't see me often, I bought it after May passed so if I needed to leave, I could get somewhere quick," Peter said softly. "Are you mad at me?" He asked seeing the look on Tony's face.

"I'm not mad at you Petey, I could never. I love you. He's got a huge crush on you, that's why he stutters around you. I'm sorry you've been feeling trapped. Is there anything I can do to make you feel better? He's gone for the week back to Tennessee so you could come work with me if you want," Tony said softly.

"Wasn't expecting that but okay. It's just poor mental health. I'll be alright. Hugs, lots of hugs all the time would help. I'd love to come work with you, I've still got all my work in your lab," Peter said softly.

They worked together that week, strengthening their bond. The day Harley was due back Peter turned from his work bench to look at Tony.

"Are you mad I still call you Mr. Stark?" Peter asked. Tony stopped his work and wheeled the chair over to Peter's desk.

"No. I'm your adoptive father, but I'd never force you to call me anything you aren't comfortable with," Tony said softly.

"I know you are, dad. And I'm very thankful for it. I'm just not there yet. I couldn't do it all the time, I'd break down. I'm still not getting over aunt May well. It's really broken me. I can't get over it quickly," Peter said as tears filled his eyes. Tony pulled him into a hug, picking him up and taking him to the penthouse.

"It's okay. I never expected you to force it quickly. Maybe start with calling me Tony a few times, it might help you loosen enough to get to dad one day. Take your time, babe. Don't force yourself, set your boundaries and keep to them. I never want you hurting," Tony said as he placed Peter down on the couch. Harley was due back in the next half hour. "I'll make us some tea and we can watch Bones? We're on season three, almost the end of the season," Tony said.

"Thanks, Tony," Peter said softly. Tony came out with two cups of tea as Harley came into the room. Peter's phone rang and he instantly answered it, taking a cup from Tony as he did so. "Hey, Princess," he said into the phone.

Tony hugged Harley before sitting next to his son, Harley sitting on an armchair across from them. "Hey, Harls," Tony said.

"What?" Peter said his tea spilling down him causing him to flinch slightly but put tue cup down on the coffee table. "You're coming here?" He asked into the phone. Tony took off Peter's button up shirt before pulling his own hoodie off and pulling it over the kid.

"Careful, Pete," Tony said softly.

"Oh sorry, baby. It's my dad, I just spilt tea down me. You're coming home? When? Monday? I can't wait. You've been gone for months on that foreign exchange programme,"
Peter said.

"What's he on about?" Harley asked Tony who shrugged.

"I know. You'll be back for our anniversary. I'm so happy, I've not even told dad about the relationship let alone the engagement," Peter said causing Tony to freeze. Harley felt his heart break. Peter was engaged?

"Okay, I'll let you too, see you soon," Peter said before ending the call.

"She's coming home?" FRIDAY spoke up.

"I can't wait, FRI. You know she's all I ever talk about," Peter said before looking at his dad.

"Who was that?" Tony asked still in shock.

"Her names Ella-Marie. We've been together since we were thirteen, she's eighteen and I'm nineteen now. We've been engaged for seven months, she's been in Italy through her foreign exchange programme. I've really missed her," Peter said bouncing in his seat slightly.

"I'm so happy for you," Tony said pulling him into a hug. He was, he wanted the kid to be happy. And it seemed he really was happy.