The Scattered Stories of Spider-Son and Iron Dad

The 'Father' Dilemma - May

It was more than a week later. Barely more, but more none the less. Now it was 9:45 AM on Thursday, and Tony Stark was in Queens. Peter was still at school, and May had Thursday off this week.

Tony knew all of this because he had miraculously remembered to call ahead to confirm that he could actually come over to talk to Peter's guardian and last remaining family member. But now he stood on the landing outside the Parker's apartment, hand poised to knock but stuck hanging a couple inches away from the door.

He had talked to Pepper and Rhodey both a few more times over the last week, in regard to Peter and his role in the kids life. He had even scheduled an appointment with Julia specifically to bring up his struggle between Howard and Peter; Tony had unsurprisingly left the Therapist's office exhausted, but miraculously lighter. He had even taken some time with Dr. Warren near the end of their hour planning how he might broach the subject of the 'father figure' with Peter. He was going to ease into that as slowly as need be; Even though Tony was afraid he was going to hurt the kid somehow, he didn't want to scare him off first.

Tony took a deep breath and tried to clear his mind-a nearly monumental task, mind you-and then knocked on the door.

"It's open!" May's voice called from inside, and Tony was struck by the simultaneous urges to chuckle and groan. But he turned the nob, opened the door and walked in with barely a sigh.

"I install a state of the art security system for the two of you and you leave the door unlocked?" Tony followed the sound of May's laughter around the small corner that led to the kitchen just to his right. She was pouring lemonade into two glasses and smiling. He wished it would put him at ease, but he was sudden struck with a thought: this is where May makes Peter Breakfast, and that living room is where they watch movies together, and she sleeps just down the hall from him. They live here, and she raises him.

"Tony?"

May is standing only a few feet in front of him, half way to the couch with both glasses in her hands. He shakes his head a little as he closes his eyes, but he sees the panic as it flashes through her eyes when he looks back up.

"Peter's fine."

That is apparently the right thing to say. May sighs and a small smile creeps back onto her face as she turns once more to the living room and sets the glasses down. Tony follows her and seats himself on the other end of the couch. He picks up the glass to take a sip-half to steele his nerves and half to be polite-and is happily surprised that May's inability to cook does not seem to apply to drinks. He takes a deep breath before he looks at May once more, meeting her eyes.

And everything he's realized he's afraid of, everything he realized he wants, everything that has been plaguing him for the last week surges to the surface. For a moment all of the air in the room seems stuck in his throat, and he can feel the minutes dragging on; A moment later he knows it's only been a few seconds. Just say something.

"I called Peter my kid."

May's eyebrows shot up, her mouth falling open almost with an audible pop, as she sucks in a breath.

"What did he say?" The words are almost whispered, and Tony almost misses them.

"Oh! No, To Pepper. He was joking about going to Caltech last week, and then later I was talking to Pepper about it-"

"Oh, Good! I would have lost out on about fifty dollars," May said, leaning back sipping her own lemonade.

"What?!"

"Yeah, Rhodey, Pepper and I made a bet. Now, it mostly revolves around when it will happen, but I bet you would refer to Peter as your son before he called you 'Dad'." May just sat for a moment, smiling at the genius from the other end of the couch, before she giggled at Tony's inability to speak.