Spider-Son & Iron Dad one shots

A Melody and a Dad

[Trigger Warning for Sensory Overloads]

Peter knew it was coming. He had been sensitive to lights and hearing things far off all day. He just hated that it had taken its full blow in the middle of class. The one right next to the orchestra room.

He scrunches his nose in distaste as a bass plays a faulty note, covering his ears. The metronome in the other class tapping irritably as students try to play on tempo.

He stared at his work, trying to drown out the sounds of the class next door, when something he heard caught his ear.

Amongst all the chaos, Peter shut his eyes tightly and focused hard.

"Michelle, can you play your part really quick? What's your progress?" The orchestra teacher asks loudly.

Peter tried focusing only on Michelle's voice, closing his eyes and holding his breath to avoid getting overloaded with a different sense.

Then, like magic, a perfect sounding note sounded throughout Peter's ears. Followed by another. And another. Michelle Jones, playing the violin in class, and it was the most beautiful thing he'd ever heard, especially right now.

He tapped his foot, immediately finding the rhythm MJ had set, even without a metronome. She played with so much emotion, but Peter wasn't too shocked.

Peter realized somewhere in his mind that he should tell her how much her playing helps during sensory overloads in class, but it didn't matter as much as the steady tapping of his toe and the brilliant musician in the other room.

His breathing slowed back down, and he opened his eyes when she had finished. Suddenly, everything was fine. The lights were okay, and the gentle talking and whispering throughout the class was just that. Gentle.

Peter looked at the clock, quickly shoving the paper in his backpack and running out the door just as the bell rang.

His phone buzzed, and he pulled it out while he was walking to lunch.

[Tony: Hey kiddo, your heartbeat was crazy a little bit ago, but it went away. Are you good?]

He replied with a short answer, seeing MJ walk out of class.

[Peter: Yep. Was having a sensory overload but someone helped me through it. Gtg]

MJ looks at him. "'Sup, loser?"

They walk casually through the hallway. Peter stutters.

"Yeah, I just, uh—I wanted to say you're really good at violin."

MJ narrows her eyes. "Viola."

"O-Oh."

MJ smiles at him weirdly and looks back at the cafeteria, looking for a table as she speaks. "How'd you know I played, Parker?"

"I went to one of the concerts," he lies. MJ nods.

"Cool."

He didn't talk to MJ the rest of the day due to sheer embarrassment. When the final bell rang, he headed to the parking lot and got in Happy's car.

"Hey Happy," he greets simply. "How was your day?"

"Fine," Happy grumbles, starting the car and driving away. Peter nods, knowing that was all he was going to get from him.

He glanced out the window, casually saying something about his patrols and getting (obviously) no answer.

Finally they made it to the Compound, and Peter hopped out of the car and jogged into the labs. "Hey Mr. Stark," he greets again.

Tony swivels around in his chair. "Hey, Spiderling."

Peter slows his movements, looking at Tony suspiciously. "Did—Did I do something? What's happening here?"

"Who's the person who helped you?" Tony asks, grinning and raising an eyebrow.

Peter immediately blushes. "Oh geez—Mr. Stark, really, it's nobody. She doesn't even know she helped."

"People don't blush for nobodies!" Tony sings out, grinning. "You totally like her, don't you?"

Peter flusters. "Well—Yeah. Yeah, I do."

"Wait, really?" Tony asks, his grin faltering. "Oh. Cool. Oh. OH. I forgot you could get crushes. You look like, eight."

"Mr. Stark!"

He laughs. "Kidding. But seriously. I want to meet this kid."

Peter shakes his head. "Absolutely not. Both of you two in the same room would just mean trouble for me. You'd be absolutely relentless."

"Ooh!! So she likes to embarrass you? That's one point for her."

Peter facepalms. "Mr. Stark, are you kidding me right now?"

Tony grins and puts a hand on Peter's shoulder. "I'm sure she's great, Pete," he says, sounding sincere.

Peter smiles for a second. Tony pulls his hand off and then pulls out blueprints, beginning to talk about ideas and math algorithms. Peter only half listens, his head stuck with a father's smile and a viola's melody.

(A/N: I've been planning on writing this chapter for like a month anksnwkek)