I Was Joking

Have A Seat

Tony was a bit egotistical; he would admit that much.

Ever since he was a child, all he ever wanted was the spotlight, everyone's eyes, and their approval. The man craved attention so much, it became a drug that he was addicted to. He would do whatever it takes to get it. Unfortunately, that led to some pretty bad decisions on his part. Some with catastrophic consequences.

Maybe it was better at the time that Tony didn't know about Peter. That all the events that transpired did, so the billionaire learned to get over himself before letting a child that needs him to give constant attention rather than receive it in his life. The man bit his lip, looking at the floor as he waited for Peter to finish.

Despite the revelation, the two managed to be very productive in the lab together. With little to no awkward silence, just for bonus points. It was like nothing had happened, mostly because their thoughts had been too plagued with suit ideas and formulas to worry about anything else. As it should be.

The drive back to the apartment had its stretches of silence, but he didn't really consider it uncomfortable. If anything, it was calming. Which he kind of needed while driving; New York drivers are the worst.

The calming feeling left when the car parked in its now usual spot. Peter grabbed his backpack from the back and left the car quickly. The teen was panicking; Tony didn't need super anything to figure that out. Taking a deep breath to suppress his own nerves, the father wrapped an arm around his son's shoulders and pulled him into a side hug. Peter took this as a grounding point and calmed down slightly. Something was better than nothing.

Tony stood back as Peter quietly knocked on the door and waited. The door opened just a second later, May still wearing her reading glasses. "Hey, Peter.", the woman greeted gently with a sweet tone. "Hi, Aunt May.", Peter returned, grabbing Stark by the sleeve and dragging him in with him. "Tony.", she nodded, voice and smile getting tighter. "Mrs. Parker.", he responded, trying to act as if he wasn't absolutely terrified by the next few moments.

Peter sat down on the couch, clearing his throat and patting the sides next to him when the adults' attention was on him. The two glanced at each other and obeyed, taking the cushions opposite of each other. The teen took a breath before starting. "So, not even going to bother beating around the bush. We all know." He looked around, nodding in confirmation.

The adults repeated his gesture, following along. "Ok, ok.", the teen breathed in reassurance. "I've done a little thinking, and made a plan for the immediate future. Anything long term can be decided later; after graduation, if it can be helped. For starters, let's keep it between us. Well, us and Col. Rhodes, but I'm assuming he's keeping his mouth shut." Peter looked to Tony for reassurance. That's a conversation, the man noted, putting it in his to-do list. Nonetheless, the man nodded. "If anyone that we know and trust finds out, don't deny it. If it's anyone else, they're making up something. When it comes to the press,", Peter continued, looking directly at Tony, "tell them whatever you want. I don't care. Whatever it takes to keep them to a minimal degree." The man nodded in understanding. Of course, he was planning on keeping them away from the news as long as possible, but even the movies and ice creams and picking the kid up from school were pushing it right now. It was a miracle they haven't faced this challenge already.

The teen turned to May, who was looking at him with a somewhat hidden distress, but not entirely covered. "I'm not gonna leave you, May. Not after everything we've been through.", he told the woman gently. She physically loosened, releasing a tightly held breath. "Heck, the only thing I want to change about that is getting to go to the compound twice a month instead of once.", he admitted, holding his aunt's hand carefully. She nodded. Tony smiled. That was doable. The team would love to have him around more often.