I'm Just Human

Prologue

Updates on Tuesday's and Saturday's

(This is just the oneshot from my oneshot book so sorry it's nothing new. Chapter one on Saturday!)

There's a knock on his apartment door startling Tony out of his restless sleep. He's sitting in a lounge chair, toddler passed out in his arms.

He carefully shifts Peter up in his arms, making sure to keep his movements slow and even to not wake his kid.

There's another knock on the door, luckily not too loud and luckily not the doorbell either.

Tony opens up the door just an inch to see who it is, keeping Peter secure on his hip.

"Hey, Tones," Rhodey murmurs, keeping his tone hushed. He knows Peter's sleep schedule like the back of his hand. He's Peter's number one babysitter.

"Hey, Rhodey. I thought you were working until later," Tony says, frowning in concern as he opens the door wider to allow his friend into the apartment.

"Boss gave me the afternoon off. Said I looked tired and business was slow as is," Rhodey replies, smiling gently down at the sleeping toddler.

"Kid not sleeping well?"

"No. He hates sleeping by himself lately. I've tried nightlights and leaving the door open and I've bought him a new stuffed animal and a new blanket, but nothing is working. He only sleeps like this," Tony explains, shifting to let Peter's head rest gently in the crook of his neck.

"It's cute and all, but I thought you had to work on your homework?"

"I do. I've got a 5-page essay to do by nine am tomorrow," Tony groans, using his free hand to rub at his eyes. To say he looked tired is a vast understatement.

"Here, I'll take the kid for a few hours since I've got the night off," Rhodey says, gently shifting Peter from Tony's hip onto his own. Peter babbles a little in his sleep before relaxing against Rhodey's side.

"Thank you. You're a lifesaver, you know that?" Tony replies, letting out a relieved sigh.

"You've told me that a few times before, but it's always nice to hear it again," Rhodey teases in return.

Tony smiles, but the exhaustion is evident in the way he can barely hold it for a few seconds.

The lightbulb in the hallway flickers momentarily before going out and Tony curses a few times, trying the light switch.

"Hey, hey, hey. Watch your language, Tony. Peter can still hear you," Rhodey chastizes, but Tony's too stressed to even care.

He turns on Rhodey with big, hopeless eyes. "I can't keep doing this, Rhodey."

"What do you mean?" Rhodey says, shifting Peter to his other hip.

"Even with you and Carol babysitting, I just... I'm falling apart," Tony admits, shaking his head. "With work and Peter and homework and classes..."

"Your parents still haven't come around?" Rhodey questions.

The apartment Tony lives in is small and the heating only works occasionally and that's if Tony has the money to turn it on. When Tony's parents found out about Tony getting someone pregnant and being told he has to keep the baby, they flipped. They told him that they wouldn't pay for his things anymore, cut off his allowance and credit cards, leaving Tony absolutely stranded. He borrowed the money from Carol to rent the apartment and has barely been able to keep up with rent and food since then on his job. There's been more than one occasion where Tony has needed to beg someone for cash just so he doesn't get evicted.

"Last month I didn't have the money for rent because Peter had that doctor's appointment. I called Dad and begged him for the money. And he laughed and told me it was my fault for getting myself into this situation in the first place," Tony says, a wave of bitter anger tinging his voice.

Rhodey sighs. "If there's anything I can do, man... just let me know."

"You're doing plenty by babysitting for free."

Rhodey had to pay for half his tuition so he doesn't really have the money to spare to lend Tony, as much as he wished he did. He still lives in a dorm room because he doesn't have the money to afford an apartment yet, but there's not enough space in Tony's one-bedroom for them to share the cost of rent. There's barely enough room for Tony and Peter as is.

"What are you going to do?" Rhodey asks.

Tony lets out a heavy breath and sits down at the cramped dining room table, letting his head fall in his hands.

"I don't know what else to do... There's only one option for me, Rhodey..."

"You can't be serious," Rhodey exclaims, quickly shushing Peter when he whines from the back of his throat.

Tony looks up, eyes radiating hopelessness. "It's what's best for Peter."

"It's not what's best for Peter! Putting him up for adoption isn't going to fix anything," Rhodey warns, subconsciously holding Peter tighter against his side.

"I don't know what else to do. We're about an inch away from getting evicted every month. Half the time, I don't know what to do with him because I've got classes and I've got work and I've got homework and I can't just take Peter with me. I just... This isn't what's best for him."

Rhodey's jaw clenches in determination. "What's best for him is you, Tony. You've given up everything for him. You can't just give up now."

Anger sparks in Tony's eyes and he stands, bottom lip trembling almost as badly as his hands. "I'm not good for him. He's going to be starting school in 2 years and I won't have the time to drive him and I just- I don't want him to grow up to be deprived of what he deserves."

"He deserves to have a dad that cares about him as much as you do," Rhodey argues, shifting Peter to his other hip again to keep Peter quiet. The last thing the toddler needs is to hear this fight.

"He deserves to have the security of knowing there'll be food on the table and electricity in the house every day. He doesn't have that here. If he got adopted by a nice loving family, he'll get the childhood he deserves."

"And he'll grow up wondering what happened to his dad. Do you think he'll just be able to forget about you? After everything?"

Tony sighs again, losing the fight in him. "I don't know what else to do anymore..."

"What you're going to do is get that essay finished. I'm going to call Carol and see if she has enough money to cover rent for you this month. I'm going to cover your electricity bills. Tomorrow, you're going to submit your paper and then the four of us are going out to the zoo. My treat, but Carol's going to pay for the ice cream and for lunch. You're going to realize just how much Peter loves you and that you have our support. No matter what. If you're still serious about adoption, I won't stop you," Rhodey explains, no room left for negotiations in his tone.

Tony looks up, eyes full of unshed tears. "Will my parents ever accept my choices?"

"Doesn't matter. You don't need them. By the time Peter's starting Kindergarten, you'll be finished with Uni, and me, you, and Carol can move out to a cute little neighbourhood and we'll figure it out, okay?"

Tony can't help the smile that takes over his face. "You're the best, you know that?"

"You've told me that a few times before, but it's always nice to hear it again," Rhodey repeats, pressing a kiss to Peter's soft curls. "As much as you like to pretend you're not, you're a really good dad."

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Future chapters will be longer than this one will be don't worry

I'm super hyped for this book y'all you have no idea

The new trailer today literally murdered me okay

Lyss