The Life of Peter Parker

The one with the Three Letters

“Peter! What are you doing on the ceiling again? You have to go to school or May won't let you stay over anymore“, Tony yelled.

“Geez dad, don't worry I'm already ready“, Peter said not realising his mistake.

“Dad? Did you just call me dad? I-“, Tony said before breaking out into laughter. Peter's face was red all of a sudden.

“No! No I didn't call you Dad. Why would I...“, Peter stumbled out but Tony interrupted him. “Oh my god you so did. Why would you ever think that I'm your dad?“, Tony said laughing even more at Peter's embarrassed state.

This was all way too much for Peter so he left. And Tony didn't even notice...

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A month later Tony knew he fucked up big time. Usually Peter would come to the Tower on Thursdays and Fridays. They loved spending time together. Peter liked that Tony taught him all that cool stuff and Tony needed someone to lighten his mood and to sometimes pull him out of the lab. So it was good for both of them.

Tony started worrying on Friday when Happy said that Peter never showed up when he was supposed to pick him up. Tony didn't think too much of it. Maybe he had a field trip or something.

He worried some more when Peter didn't pick up the phone. He tried the whole weekend plus the week until Friday. But Peter didn't just not pick up, he clearly sent him to voicemail.

When Happy showed up on thursday without Peter following like a lost puppy he was getting sad. What had he done? He didn't come over on friday either.

And Peter dodged his calls again and again and again. He didn't come over the week after that. And Tony was distressed. Did the kid hate him? What did he do wrong. It couldn't be because he laughed at him right? Because of the dad thing?

He didn't show up for another week and Tony's sadness started to turn into anger. Nuh-uh. Nobody was going to ignore him. So he made a plan of his own.

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Peter meanwhile just wanted to crawl into a hole and die. Why was he so stupid? He didn't even want to call Mr Stark dad. It just slipped out. Peter was so embarrassed that he just left right after school. Not going to Happy because that meant he had to see Mr Stark again and at the time he wasn't emotionally stable enough.

Tony kept calling him and he kept sending him to voicemail. He couldn't even think about talking to him right now. He still had the noise of his laughter imprinted into his head. Man, he was so incredibly humiliated.

Three weeks he ignored Tony's calls. He felt bad but that didn't keep him from feeling extremely embarrassed.

When he went to school on monday he thought about it all. He thought if maybe he should visit him again and just make up a lie. As he was thinking he went to his class. He sat down and thought some more. He didn't even notice when the teacher announced they had a special guest.

“Day dreaming much Mr Parker?“, Tony said in his formal voice. “What no I'm sorry Mrs... Mr Stark?“, Peter practically screamed.

“Oh so now it'sMr Stark again? If I remember correctly you just called me...“, Tony started but Peter cut him off. “Please don't... I'm begging you. Don't tell them it's already humiliating enough“, Peter begged.

“So I was right. That's why you've been ignoring my calls for a whole month. Pete that's...“, Tony couldn't find the right words. He felt bad for laughing because he knew how hard it's been for Peter with father figures.

The students were meanwhile rather confused. How were these two so close. Didn't Peter just have an internship? If every intern gets treated that way then damn...

“Pete I'm sorry for laughing it was just a reflex. But why did you even..?'', Tony started again. “You sounded just like him..“, Peter answered in a small voice. “And I didn't think and it just slipped out and I'm sorry, it won't happen again“, Peter added on.

“I'm sorry what won't happen again? Did he break into your lab? Did you find out he told everyone he had an internship?“, Flash said smugly, thinking he finally had him.

“Oh so you must be Eugene Thompson? Peter's been telling me all about you“, Tony said.

“O-only good things I hope?“, Flash said now a bit flustered.

“No quite the contrary actually but I'll let it slide we have a bigger problem. We need to solve the mystery around why my kid is being stupid“, Tony said looking at Peter again.

“I'm sorry.. your kid?!“, Betty asked.

“Yeah my kid... I'm sorry Peter for laughing when you said those three letters. I was panicking honestly. I've actually thought about all that stuff surrounding that topic too“, Tony said smiling slightly.

“You have?“, Peter asked unsure. “Yeah let's discuss this when you get home... Maybe not in front of all of these people. Forgive me?“, Tony said.

Peter got up and gave him a big hug. “Of course. Why wouldn't I“, he said.

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When Peter got home he saw a smiling May sitting on the couch. “How's school been honey?“, she asked with the biggest grin on her face. “Oh he told you didn't he?“, Peter answered. “He did. And he brought something for me to sign and you to read“, May said pulling out a stack of papers.

Peter stared at it for quite a while actually. With May's signature Tony was officially his second emergency contact and in case anything happened to his aunt, Tony would get full custody over him. There was also a letter from Tony's lawyers. He apparently wrote in his will that Peter would get parts of his stuff when he died.

Peter got up to his phone and dialed a number. “What the fuck dad?“, he said.

~1010 words