Just like you

Chapter 8: May 29

Tony had been trying to avoid the kid for weeks now despite Peter weekly voicemails, it killed him to hear the voicemails slowly get more and more frantic and upset. But May Parker's words kept him at bay. 'She's right, I'm not his father. It's in the kid's best interest for me to keep my distance.' but it seemed the boy was as persistent as the genius himself. 

"Mr Stark, Mr Parker is at the door." F. I. R. D. A. Y told him. 

"It's 9 a.m!" Tony protested.

"Shall I open it?" 

"Shouldn't he be at school?"

"It's Saturday, Mr Stark."

Tony pushed off the desk and spun on his rolling chair to see the screen. (Pepper insisted that if he wasn't doing something with it he shouldn't look at any screen) "F. I. R. D. A. Y,  show me the security camera footage for the front door please." The screen switched on. There was Peter, looking awkward and nervous as ever but he was carrying a grocery bag and a paper birthday hat. 'Typical, I never told the kid my birthday but he still knows it.' Tony thought, affectionately. Peter raised the bag to the camera, "Happy Birthday Mr Stark, I have a present and..stuff. And I'm sorry for whatever I did."

That did it for Tony, the kid have woken up at who knows what time on a Saturday so he could walk (because there was no way May had driven him here) to give him a present. "Let the kid in, F. I. R. D. A. Y."

"Yes, Mr Stark." He saw Peter's smile widened on the cameras and bounce into the tower, Tony stood up from his chair and went to the entrance to meet him.

***

"Hey, Mr Stark!" Peter smile was as wide as a melon slice, "Happy Birthday!" Tony couldn't help his own smile, he slung his arm around the boy's shoulders and ruffled his dark brown hair. "Hey, Kid! What you are doing? I didn't think May would let you come see me." Peter went pink and looked down at his feet, "Well, she didn't...but it's your birthday."  

Tony grinned, "How the hell did you find out?!" Peter smiled back shyly, "Hate to break it to you, Mr Stark but you're kind of famous. All I had to do was google you." Tony chuckled and ruffled his hair again, "No need to stress, I like being famous." They both burst out laughing.

***

"So, Kid, what have you got for me?" Tony asked as they both flopped onto his couch in his living room, "Lots of stuff, mostly to celebrate," Peter pulled something from his bag, "and breakfast." It was a large brown paper bag and inside were two huge muffins. "Stark-stuffed muffins!" Tony cried (as in shouted). Peter ran his hands through his already must up hair, "What were you expecting? Hulkleberry* fudge?-I mean, if you want I-I could get some-"

Tony held up a one finger. "Kid, Stop. You're rambling again." Peter stuttered to a holt and blushed again, then he smiled and pulled a pile of DVDs from the bag. "I also brought all the Star Wars movies, you can't not watch them. They're awesome!" The billionaire sighed amused. "Kid, you live in the world of actual superheros, why do you even like these?" 

Peter went to turn on the movie. "Because they're awesome!"

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*I did mean to spell it as in 'Hulk'