The Scattered Stories of Spider-Son and Iron Dad

The 'Father' Dilemma - Rhodey

Tony was fiddling with the wiring in his most recent suit, having pulled one of the gauntlets apart just for something to do, and Pepper was laughing at him. Laughing! And he had not said anything close to funny. This was about Peter's life! What could she be thinking?!

"Virginia, this is serious!"

She just laughed harder at that, and he could almost see her slipping farther into her seat on the jet as she flew over the Atlantic. He fought a grimace as he began stripping the end of one of the wires.

"Pepper this is Peter's life, we're talking about! Okay. Maybe he was just joking. But mark my word, Ms. Potts! No kid of mine is going to Caltech! And such blasphemous words will never be spoken in my Lab! Of all places, Pep. He desecrated my lab!"

Tony did not feel even a little guilt at pulling the most absolutely unnecessarily dramatic pout. Seeing as this was a voice-only call, their connection a bit more spotty than normal, it's not like Pepper would tell him off for it. But as his Fiancé tried to get her breathing back under control again, he began fighting a grin.

"Tony, honestly! If Peter applies anywhere other than MIT, I'm pretty sure they're all going to be near New York. Or on the East Coast, at the very least! Now, you may think you're sneaky, but I know you only brought this up to get out of agreeing to the teleconference tomorrow morning!"

It was only a few minutes later that, after getting Tony to agree-though it was like pulling teeth-that Pepper said her goodbyes. Tony thought over their conversation, already missing Pepper. Merlin had been right, years ago, to tell him to open his eyes and see what was 'right in front of you'! And in a couple days when he saw Pepper in person again, he was going to tell her that. Not that he hadn't told her that. But Tony Stark was a man of action, not necessarily a man of words.

Tony couldn't help but grin to himself, since he had updated her accommodations after she had made the plans, to something a little more comfortable. He was trained to give things as a show of affection. And while he had learned good ways to do that, he generally preferred to do it quietly. Honestly, being the billionaire that he was, no fiancé of his would be staying...

'No kid of mine-!'

The engineer heard the clatter of the pliers he was holding hit the workbench in front of him. But the reverberating clang seemed to echo all around him. He had said- Had he said that to Pepper? Had he said that out loud? He had called Peter...

It felt like only a couple seconds later that he felt someone grab his shoulder. He jumped up from the stool, turning as he went and almost falling over his feet. He looked up to see Rhodey looking at him with startled concern. Hand still outstretched, he slowly released a breath. And Tony copied him, as he reached up, pulling his hands down his face in frustration. He sighed as he felt the tang of adrenaline on his tongue, and his heart still hammering in his chest.

"Shit, Rhodey! Try to warn me next time; you of all people should know I have heart problems!"

If it was possible, Rhodey's face switched from concern to alarm on a dime.

"Tony... I was calling your name. Pretty much as soon as I came in here. You weren't... you didn't respond. I don't know... I thought you had a stroke or something, Tones. You didn't hear me?"

Tony shook his head, scanning the work station around him, until his eyes landed on the clock hanging on the wall. He had scoffed when Pepper had insisted on the incredibly low tech addition to the place where he built the future. But now he was thankful.

He had glanced at the clock just before signing off with Pepper, so she could properly berate him for spending too much time in the lab. That had been 5:48 pm.