iron-padre

[iron-padre]

"You got one call."

Peter was freaking out. He had just been arrested. Him, Peter Parker, had been arrested. That sounded so crazy, he would never commit a crime, hell, he stopped crime on a daily basis. And he got arrested.

Jesus Christ.

He couldn't call May. He couldn't. If he did, she would freak out and Peter really doesn't like making May worried. He would also be grounded for life, which doesn't help the situation at all.

What does he do? He only has one call, but who the hell is he supposed to call. He needs to be bailed out but he has no one to ask, if he called Ned's mom she'd freak out just as much as May and she certainly wouldn't keep it a secret.

Oh god. Oh god. Oh go-

Oh no.

There was no way he could call Mr Stark, but did he really have an option? He'd kill Peter, but Peter figures death would be better than calling May.

"Hey, sir, could you, um, could you search a number for me, please?" He sounds ridiculous, he knows.

"You want me to search a number for you?"

"Um. Yes." Peter could just die right there, from embarrassment.

"You see, I don't want to call my guardian because I'll get in trouble and this is the only person I can think of calling but I don't know his number."

The cop sighs, "who is it?"

"Tony stark."

If Peter wasn't in jail right now, the look on the mans face would've been hillarious.

"I know how that sounds but I swear I intern at stark industries."

"Alright", he says exasperatedly and looks up the number for him.

Peter sighs in relief. He knows how unbelievable that lie is, god knows why Mr Stark thought it would work.

He types in the numbers as the officer reads them out and the phone picks up after three rings.

"Hello, Stark speaking."

"Hey, Mr Stark. It's Peter."

There's silence for a moment then, "this isn't your number."

Peter inhales, "yeah, I'm calling on someone elses phone." He cringes after saying it.

"Why, whats up?" He asks, "you in trouble?"

"Yeah, but not the kind of trouble you think."

He can feel the officers eyes on him, watching and listening in on the conversation.

"What do you mean? What kind of trouble are you in?"

"Well, Mr Stark, I'm kind of... calling you from jail."

"I'm sorry, could you repeat that for me? I'm not sure I heard you."

His hands are sweating and he's trying not to grip the phone too tight.

"I, uh, said that I'm calling from jail."

"You're in jail?" Peter bets if he could see Mr Stark there would be steam coming from his ears.

"Yes, and um, I was wondering if maybe you could bail me out?"

He voice goes up a few octaves and he squeezes his eyes shut.

Mr Stark sighs and says, "which jail are you in?"

"Oh my god. Thank you so much, Mr Stark, the guy said I only had one call and I was freaking out, you should see me, I'm literally shaking."

"You didn't tell where you are." He points out.

"Oh! Right!" Peter exclaims.

-

Peters lying on the hard jail cell bed when the officer walks up and says, "you've been bailed out."

He jumps up, then freezes for a second. He wants to get out of there more than anything but he's terrified of what Mr Stark will say.

He slowly trails behind the officer, freaking out when he sees Mr Stark.

He looks furious. Peter guesses he was right about the steam thing.

They go to the car in silence and Peter drags his hands down his jeans, palms sweating bullets.

"I'm so sorry, Mr Stark. Thank you so much for bailing me out. I'm really sorry you had to come and get me."

The man just hums in response and starts driving.

Peter tries to swallow the lump in his throat but it hurts and there's tears welling in his eyes. 'God,' he thinks, 'I'm such a child. I can't believe I'm almost crying over this. No wonder he doesn't trust me.'

His hands stark to shake again and he realises what's happening. An anxiety attack.

It feels like his throat is closing in but he manages to speak, "Mr Stark," he winces as he hears his voice, "you really don't have to drop me off. I can just walk."

His voice is shaking as much as his hands and he prays his mentor doesn't notice.

"I don't mind." His voice is also strained, not in the scared, anxious way Peter's is, but in anger.

"But really, Mr Stark, I'm fine-"

"No you're not fine, Peter, you just got arrested." He hisses and parks the car on a random street.

Peter flinches and swallows again.

"I'm sorry."

"I've told you before that sorry doesn't cut it. I tell you to better than me and you go and get yourself arrested."

Peter squeezes his thighs and breathes out.

Tony turns to face him and his anger dissipates, replaced with concern.

"Peter? Shit, I'm sor- no, I'm not sorry, you-" he cuts himself off and looks away, dragging his hands down his face.

A moment passes and he faces Peter again and asks, "what happened?"

Peter chokes out, "what?"

Tony sighs, "what happened, kid? It's not fair of me to just assume you're in the wrong."

He figets in his seat, "um, it's stupid, Mr Stark, I don't really want to say but thanks for asking me, I know you're really mad right now."

"I'm not mad, kid."

Peter eyebrows furrow in confusion, "you're not?"

Tony shakes his head, "no, I was dissapointed but I shouldn't be when I don't know what happened. Please tell me, pete."

He sighs and looks down, "I dropped my bag and some of your tech fell out. They thought I stole it."

"What?" Tony exclaims.

"Yeah" Peter looks up at him with an awkward smile.

"Why didn't you tell me that on the phone?"

"Um, well," he says, "I was kind of freaking out."

Tony sighs, "Christ kid, you okay?"

Peter nods, "yeah. I mean, it was sorta traumatic but I'm okay."

"Good."

He starts the car again and they drive all the way to Peter's appartment in silence.

Just as he's about to open the door, Tony speaks up.

"Hey, Pete. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have yelled at you. God, I'm trying to be better than my dad but I'm just like him."

"You're not," Peter tells him, "at least, I don't think you are. I never knew your dad but from the way you talk about him he seems like a bad person and you're not. Thanks for bailing me out, Mr Stark."

Tony pats his knee, "course, kid, and if May asks, we were working in the lab and lost track of time."

Peter smiles, "thanks." Tony ruffles his hair and tells him, "get outta here."

He laughs and leaves the car, saying "bye, Mr Stark" as he closes the door. He watches as he drives away before heading inside.

"May, I'm home!" He calls and freezes as he walks into the living room to see May, arms crossed with the news on the TV.

"Tony Stark seen bailing a young teen out of jail..."

"Uh. I can explain."

[iron-padre]

Tony’s grip on the frame tightened once he caught sight of the photo. He remembers it like it was yesterday. Not bearing to look at Peter’s smiling face without seeing the horrifying image of him turning to dust, he looks up.

He lets out a deep breathe, ‘I can do this’, he thinks, 'I can bring him back.’

“It’s not about how much we lost, it’s about how much we have left.” But that didn’t mean he wouldn’t fight to bring Peter back, no, it means he would fight harder because he’ll be damned if he lets the mad titan take away the closest thing he had to a son.

'I’ve never lost before’, he looks back down at Peter’s picture with determination gleaming in his eyes, 'and I’m not going to start.’

"We can do this” he announces. The “for Peter” goes unspoken but he prays that if his kid can somehow see him, if people can really look down on you from the dead, that he knows everything Tony is about to do, he’s doing for him.