You Can Let Go Now Daddy

Spiderling

Tony's leg was healing nicely. He'd been let out of the hospital only days earlier with his cast and crutches, Peter bouncing and babbling between him and Pepper.
Now it was Sunday and Pepper had proposed they take a break from all duties to take Peter for his first family outing to the park.
Naturally, Tony was concerned about the whole "famous" thing, but slapping his signature shades and hat on him, Pepper insisted they'd all be fine.
"Peter needs time with children his own age, Tony. He can't just hang out around us and the Avengers all the time." She insisted. Tony didn't see a problem with this, but he gave into his girlfriends pleas.
Peter hopped down the stairs, Pepper had dressed him earlier that day in clothes for outside (blue overalls and a red t shirt underneath). As he reached the bottom, he held up the Iron Man action figure in his hand.
"May I bring this to park with me?" He asked shyly, holding it up so Pepper and Tony could get a good look.
"Of course Peter. Come on, let's get your shoes on..." She immediately bustled into what Tony jokingly called "mom mode" even though she'd only had Peter for less than a month and he wasn't even legally theirs.
"Tony!" He snapped out of his thoughts and began hobbling to the pair.

Tony set his crutches against the bench and Pepper helped him sit. At first, Peter had not wanted to move from Tony's side, his little face peeping out from behind the man's leg at all the slides and swings.
Now, he sat in the sand pit playing contentedly with his action figure.

Peter looked up when a shadow passed over him. An older kid was hovering there and he didn't have a very nice look on his face. He glanced over at the adults but they were too preoccupied to notice.
"Are you a fan of Iron Man?" The kid snatched his action figure, smirking as he began to pull on the toy too harshly for Peter's liking.
"S-Stop that. Please... Some nice people bought that for me. I think they love me, I think they want to keep me." He tried reaching for the toy, but the boy was definitely taller and stronger than him.
"You're puny. Nobody wants a kid like you." The kid laughed and just like that ripped the head of the action figure clean off, tossing it to the sand. Peter's eyes widened in horror. Don't cry... Don't cry...

He looked up at the older boy, sticking his arms out he pushed really hard and the boy fell. Peter triumphantly picked the pieces of his action figure up, waddling back to Tony and Pepper, who hadn't noticed yet something was wrong.
"Did you have fun?" Pepper asked looking down at Peter. The boy wordlessly held his action figure up and told them quietly what happened.
"You know pushing that boy was wrong, right? So you have to apologize." Pepper told him, gently and Peter nodded.

Once the older boy had been apologized to and his parents bought Peter a new action figure, the small family headed home.
Tony sat on the bed reading one of the books about spiders Peter loved. He was just finishing when Peter sat up again, pulling nervously at his bedsheets.
"Stark, do you love me?" He asked curiously. Tony blinked setting the book aside. Why would Peter ask a question like that?
"Yes... Pepper and I love you very much, kid. Why?" He asked, but Peter ignored him.
"Do you want me? Are you going to send me back to the other families? Because I don't want to go back. I want to stay here and play with my action figures and read spider books and go to the park and help Bwuce solve... Roo... Rubix cube." He stumbled at the end, face twisting up slightly as if he was about to cry.

"No Peter. We're not sending you back. Relax. Calm down, big guy. You're safe, spiderling." He promised gently. Peter didn't seem satisfied with this answer yet.
"Don't lie.. Lying is bad." He warned, little finger pointing up at the older male and Tony smiled.
"Yes it is. That's why I'm not doing it. Come on, get some sleep, spiderling. Or as much as you can before you decide to join me and Pepper." He chuckled, ruffling the boys hair and pulling the blankets back up to Peter's chin. Peter smiled.
"Wait. Can I have a hug?" He stuck his arms out for Tony and Tony laughed, pulling the boy close.
Peter fidgeted in his arms. "Can... Can I call you daddy? I mean, I don't have a daddy and I'd like one because they're big, strong and protective but they sit and read books and play too. Like you. I mean, only if you want." He shyly pressed his face to Tony's shoulder.
Tony felt his heart skip a beat. "Whatever you want, spiderling." He agreed, tucking Peter back in and kissing his forehead gently.
"Light on or off?" He asked and Peter smiled.
"On please. I love you, daddy." He smiled hopefully up at Tony, fidgeting with the blankets.
"I love you too, spiderling."