Spider-MAN (Trans Peter Parker Story)

Chapter Twelve: Buggie Blues

(Title pic credit: Mechi)
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   "Peter?" May called.

"Yeah, May?"

"Tony's on the phone."

Peter walked into the kitchen. "Why didn't he just call me? He has my number."

"He wanted to bring me up to date on things. Here. He wants to talk to you."
—
Peter took the phone warily. "H-hi Tony." He cleared his throat. I probably sound like a girl over the phone. What if T's not helping?
"Peter! Uh, about yesterday," Tony said.
"W-what about yesterday?" Peter winced a bit, looking over at May. May made an "eeks" face.
"Deadpool, huh?"
"Um. Y-yeah? I-I don't know. I was just beating up bad guys and out of nowhere, he just... showed up."
"Yeah, okay. Is there... anything you want to tell me?"
"Uhhh. No? No. Don't think so."
"Alright, well, I was just... browsing around the internet. Most of the videos on you specifically is that skyscraper fall... and uh, flipping around and saving people... but there's a lot of people setting you up with a certain someone."
"You mean shipping?"
"Sure."
Who would people ship me with? It can't be Liz, she left. And it can't be MJ, right? They would only know I'm friends with her if they knew who I was...
"Who.. who is it?" Peter asked.
"Do you wanna tell me about 'Spideypool'?"
   Spideypool? Oh...
"People are shipping me with Deadpool?"
"Quite a bit, yes. There's inappropriate content about it. I was just wondering if maybe there's another letter in LGBT you want to tell me about? It's okay if there is."
"Hey, what can I say? I swing both ways," Peter replied with snark, smiling to himself proudly.
"You just outed yourself," Tony responses nonchalantly.
"Worth it."
"Wait, hang on one second. Was that a pun?" Tony asked, sounding both disgusted and proud at the same time.
Peter chuckled. "Yes. Yes it was."
Tony made some sort of snort, and Peter couldn't tell if it was a sound of laughter or horror. "But really, about Deadpool," Tony added in a serious manner.
"Tony, it's not like that. I swear I didn't do anything with Wade, er, Deadpool."
Dammit, keep your mouth shut, Peter. Now Tony knows his secret identity.
"Alright. I was just checking if you liked... never mind. And also yes, you're much too young to be doing anything."
"Yeah. Yeah, don't worry about me. I don't... I don't really have a uh... partner right now, sooooo..." Peter wandered off.
"What about that Liz girl?"
"You remember about her?"
"Why wouldn't I?"
"You had a lot to drink that night... I don't know..."
"Drop it, son."
"Okay." Peter licked his lips. "Tony?"
"Peter?"
"Why do you call me that?"
"You do want to go by Peter still, right? It's okay if you don't."
"No, it's not that. And yeah, I still like Peter. I was just wondering why you uh... why you sometimes call me... son."
Silence.
"Not that I don't like it or anything. Uh, actually a lot of random um... dude... man... guys... call me that." Peter gave an awkward laugh. "Kill me," Peter whispered to himself.
"Are you alright, kid?" Tony asked.
"What? Uh, yeah."
"I don't have to worry about you... trying anything, right?"
"Oh! No-no-no! I was just... it's a Gen Z thing."
"Hm."
"You didn't answer the question, though." Peter held his breath.
   Stupid, stupid, stupid. What were you thinking?
"Uhhh... tell you what. You ever see all those IronDad "ships" or whatever blowing up everywhere?"
"Well, yeah. Why?"
"I guess that's the closest explanation I have."
"That you saw the pictures and decided to?"
"That's... not what I meant."
"What did you mean?"
"I meant... I don't know."
"Please tell me."
He didn't answer for a while. "Sometimes I see you-," Tony paused. "Almost like my own son... I... uh, I guess. And... I don't know, I want to give you the dad I never had. The father figure you deserve."
Peter's heart melted.
"Can I..." Peter paused. What if he gets weirded out? "Can I tell you something?"
"I don't see why not."
"Sometimes, I see you like... a father... dad... and stuff."
Tony smiled. Peter didn't see that, though. He also didn't see May's small smile from the living room.
Tony sniffed.
"Are you crying?" Peter asked.
"No. Allergies."
"Don't you have like, a billion dollars to fix that?"
"Shut up, smartass."
"Takes one to know one."
Tony laughed. "Alright, kiddo. Oh yeah, by the way, the reason I called in the first place. Some of the Avengers are going over to Hawk's for the weekend."
   "Just because? Or is it for a mission or something?"
   "Mainly just because. But also, we think something big is coming. We haven't had a meeting yet but we will eventually. But before then-," Tony sighed. "I need to make up with Bucky for Steve."
   Peter was glad that Tony and Steve had already made up after their "civil war" argument. Tony was still a little bit on edge around Bucky, though.
   "Anyway, go pack. Granddad is picking you up," Tony continued.
"Don't you mean Grandpa?" Peter asked, remembering when Tony had called Steve that.
"That's Capsicle. He'll be there too, but I'm talking about Guyliner."
"Bucky?"
"Nothing gets past you, kid. Sam will also be with you. The four of you in Steve's bug. Lots of leg room," Tony said sarcastically. "Give Buckaroo a good kick in the pants while you're in there, will ya?"
Peter rolled his eyes. "I don't know, maybe. I think Sam and I will have to Rock Paper Scissors for that opportunity."
Tony laughed on the other side of the phone. "Yeah, I think so too."
The two avengers sat there, grinning like idiots. May was watching Peter, the twinkle in his eyes, his smile reaching up to his ears.
May smiled to herself. It was really nice seeing him as the happy boy he was.
"Anyway, May already knows. Pack up. They'll be there in half an hour or so."
"You know, I can drive now," Peter said.
"I know. Don't get into too much trouble until I get there. Okay, Pete?"
"Okay."
"Remember, don't do anything I would do. And especially don't do anything I wouldn't do."
"Okay, Tony."
Tony chuckled. "See you, Squirt."
"See you." He hung up.
—
   Peter handed May's phone back to her.