#thefriendlyneighborhoodexchange

[theherothechampiontheinquisitor]

Peter Parker’s Best Birthday Ever

By @theherothechampiontheinquisitor (MelissaBosquez on AO3) for @superherotiger

Read it on AO3 HERE

For the 2020 Friendly Neighborhood Exchange @friendly-neighborhood-exchange

Rating: G

Relationships: Tony/Pepper, Peter Parker & Tony Stark

Characters: Peter Parker, Tony Stark, Pepper Potts

Summary: Peter Parker was orphaned at the age of 11 when his family was killed an a car accident. Luckily he wasn’t alone for long when billionaire and literal superhero, Tony Stark, swoops in one day and agrees to become a foster parent. However, Peter can’t help but think even as the years go by that he always has one foot out the door, waiting for the day that Tony will decide he doesn’t want to be a parent anymore…he just didn’t think it would happen on his 16th birthday.

OR

Peter overhears a conversation and is convinced that he is going to be sent back into foster care, but not everything is as it seems.

Peter’s alarm clock shrilled through the air, shockingly early that morning, stunning him out of a peaceful sleep. It was only 8am which on a weekday might be considered a good time to sleep in until but today was saturday, and it was definitely way too early to be up. Why had he set it for that early?

Peter felt a nervous anticipation in his stomach as his mind tried to work, still too foggy from sleep to be fully functioning, when suddenly it all clicked into place.

Today was the day!

Peter threw the covers off of him and jumped out of the bed in his excitement, swaying slightly on his feet from the head rush of moving too quickly. He rushed to stand in front of his floor length mirror and inspected his facial features and body intently to see if anything looked differently.

Today was his sweet sixteen birthday.

Biologically he looked the same, though he thought maybe he had just a few more bits of facial hair starting to crop up, not that it was enough to really mention, but every day was one more step to losing the soft baby face features he had carried with him from birth. He’d get there eventually. He hoped.

Not wasting anymore time he ran into his closet and pulled out some clean clothes before rushing to his bathroom and taking a shower and completing his morning routine. Today was his birthday and as such that meant that today was the day that Pepper would be in the kitchen making all of his favorite breakfast things, followed by an obnoxiously extravagant birthday party, as had always been the case since he had come to live with Tony and Pepper five years ago.

It had been just before his eleventh birthday when Peter had experienced the most horrible day of his life. Peter, his parents and his aunt and uncle had all been loaded up in his father’s SUV to celebrate something or another, Peter could hardly remember that day, when another vehicle had jumped the center divider and crashed into their car.

Peter was the only survivor.

With no other family to speak of, the hospital had tasked a social worker to begin the process of finding him a foster home to stay in when he was finally cleared from the hospital.

It had been by complete chance that day that billionaire and literal superhero, Tony Stark had been visiting the Children’s ward of the hospital. According to the chatter from the nurses it was a fairly common occurrence, the man often stopping in to visit and dispense gifts like some kind of Santa Clause.

Peter had always admired Tony, first for his technology, having always held a certain affinity for science and creating, but that had spread ten fold after he became Iron Man. He had even met him once at a Stark Expo, getting an autograph and a pat on the head that he would use to fuel him through bad days for years.

When the man had visited though, Peter couldn’t bring himself to care. He had just lost his entire world and was about to be dropped into an unknown future where he’d probably be pulled out of his school and away from his friends. He’d never get to hug his parents again or never hear his Aunt May laugh at his Uncle Ben’s corny jokes and not even the latest Stark Pad could ever hope to put a dent in that pain.

So, he had kept himself turned away from Tony’s theatrics as he handed out gifts and sat and spoke to all of the kids and their parents. There were no parents to sit with Peter. He had been alone, but thankfully neither that or Peter’s cool reception had been able to stop Tony.

Tony sat and talked to him for hours that first night, first telling funny jokes and stories trying to get Peter to smile, but then he changed tactics.

“The nurse told me your situation. I know it’s not the same but I lost my family when I was really young too.”

That had caught Peter’s attention because he hadn’t realized that. So, he began to open up a little. He responded to Tony, and for the first time  since the accident he didn’t feel so alone anymore.

They continued on like that until Peter recovered and they would talk about everything, science, tech, baseball, Iron Man. Each night it grew a little bit harder to say goodbye to Tony at the end of visiting hours but even though he was busy he always promised to come back the next day and he always kept his word.  

The day that Peter had been discharged he felt like he was losing the one little bright spot in this entire disaster, having to leave before the time that Tony would normally come and see him, so he didn’t even get to say goodbye.

Little did Peter know he’d find himself stepping out of the social worker’s dinged up Volvo and being met at the bottom of Stark Tower by none other than Tony Stark.

“Surprise,” Tony had said, holding his hands open and stretched out into the air. “This is okay, right? I just…couldn’t let you go yet, kid.” The thin veneer of confidence had faded and shown through to his true emotions, the apprehension evident in his face and the way he shuffled his feet.

Peter had immediately rushed into the man’s arms and hugged him, thankful that if he had to go through this nightmare, he at least was able to go through it with someone who seemed to like him.

That didn’t mean they never had their ups and downs. Tony had no experience being a foster parent or a disciplinarian. Peter’s emotions would often swing back and forth wildly, especially that first year, from sadness to anger and they would fight and misunderstand each other and there was a steep learning curve but they got through it, mostly with the help of a therapist for Peter and the guidance of Tony’s long term girlfriend Pepper Potts. Without Pepper, Tony would have been a mess and they all knew it.

They had finally married last year and Peter had been the best man. He finally felt like he was part of a family again and he hoped that maybe one day they could all make it official.

Peter finished drying his hair and pulling on his clothes, flashing himself a smile in the mirror before rushing out to partake in Peter’s birthday breakfast tradition.

He approached the kitchen quietly, hoping that he’d maybe be able to sneak up on his foster parents and  give them a little birthday scare when he heard them speaking in hushed whispers. Peter got excited when he realized that it was about him and more than likely what was in store for his birthday party that day. He pressed his back against the wall around the corner from the kitchen and listened in.

“Tony we really need to tell him now, before the baby gets here,” Pepper said, cracking an egg and letting it drop into the skillet.

Peter almost gasped. A baby? He smiled brightly at the thought. He knew it was something that Tony and Pepper had been tossing around in discussions since they first got married but now it was a real tangible reality.

Then the darker side of his mind chimed in, the side that was filled with all the insecurities and pain that came from becoming an orphan and dealing with the major trauma of that loss. It had been hard to silence that part of himself and though he was better about it now, it was always there lurking in the background, like now, saying that now that Tony and Pepper were going to have their own baby, they wouldn’t want Peter around anymore.

"I know we do, I just don’t know how I’m going to do this, Pep.”

“Just tell him the truth. It’s been coming for years now, I’m sure he has to expect it at this point. Now that we are having a baby, it just moved the timeline up a bit,” she said, gently squeezing Tony’s shoulder. “This was never going to be forever.”

“That doesn’t make it any easier or mean he’ll be happy about it. It’s a delicate situation. I have to break it to him gently and just hope he doesn’t hate me.”

Now Peter’s blood pressure was rising. They weren’t just talking about the baby. They were talking about him, and all of his worst fears were coming to light. They really were wanting to get rid of him, send him back to foster care after all this time. Just when he thought that maybe someday they would want to adopt him, call Peter their son.

He had been so stupid.

He thumped his head back against the wall, stupidly alerting the Starks to his position. The chatter immediately ceased and then Tony popped his head around the corner, his face lit up in a smile.

“THERE’S THE BIRTHDAY BOY!” he shouted, loud enough for Pepper to hear him and fondly roll her eyes.

“Happy birthday, Peter!” she smiled as she finished up their breakfast and Tony wrapped an arm around his shoulder and drug him into the room.

Peter smiled and laughed and ate his blueberry pancakes with the whipped cream and blew out the birthday candle that it was always topped with. He played the part of the happy sixteen year old but inside his heart had been filled with dread and anxiety wondering when exactly Tony was going to tell him that he was being sent back to foster care.

“Hey Pete, did you get everything you wished for?” Tony asked coming to sit down on the couch next to Peter, an arm instantly going over the young boy’s shoulders and giving him a quick squeeze.

Pete gave a half smile because he didn’t want for Tony to think that he didn’t like his gifts or his party. He knew that he and Pepper always went to a lot of trouble to make sure that he had everything that he needed and to make him feel wanted. It really was a great day once he had been able to forget the Stark’s hushed conversation that morning but now that his friends were gone and the party over, he was once again left alone with the dread and the fear.

“Mostly, I think.”

“Mostly? Hmm. That won’t do.” Tony hummed and squinted his eyes up in thought.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to seem ungrateful, I loved everything, really. You guys outdid yourselves.”

“Well, sixteen is an important age. Your first taste of being an adult y’know?  You can get your driver’s license and the curfew extends an extra hour and was it just me or does there seem to be a little bit of a romance blooming with you and MJ?”

Peter’s cheeks heated a little at the mention of MJ and how they maybe hadn’t been quite as secretive as they had thought. Tony just smiled knowingly.

“So, you really did have a good day though? The balloons and photobooth too much? You know Pepper talked me down from most of what I wanted to do because she’s not fun like we are.”

Peter laughed. “Yes, yes. I promise it was great. Maybe a taaaad overboard with the balloons though,” he said kicking at the cluster gathered around their feet, sending colorful balloons flying in every direction.

“Yeeeeeah, maybe just a tad. I’ll cut it back a little next year, deal?” he asked, producing his fist for Peter to bump.

Peter rolled his eyes, like he would even be here next year, but for appearances fist bumped the man anyways, even if no one fist bumped anymore.

“So…” Tony started and then stopped, letting loose a deep sigh. “There is uh, just one more thing that I needed to discuss with you today.”

Peter’s heart started thumping wildly. He hadn’t expected to have this conversation so soon, he just thought maybe he’d be able to get through his entire birthday before having Tony tell him they didn’t want Peter anymore.

Peter swallowed thickly over the lump that formed in his throat and wiped his sweaty hands against his jeans. He was never going to survive this conversation if he let Tony ramble through this conversation like he knew that he would. Tony was good at public speaking but these little heart to hearts always made him nervous. Maybe it would be better for both of them if Peter just ripped the bandaid off right out of the gate.

“Yeah, I already know…”

Tony’s eyes narrowed. “Already know about what?”

“You know,” Peter began, hand flailing in the air ineffectually between them, “about what you’re going to tell me…about Pepper right?”

“Okay, kid, out with it. What do you know?”

Peter really didn’t want to say it. He didn’t want to admit to his eavesdropping and he certainly didn’t want to say out loud the words he had heard that meant that his life was about to shift in the most dramatic way possible for what felt like the millionth time in his short life. If he repeated what he heard out loud it made the words real, concrete, inescapable. Maybe this hadn’t been the best idea. One glance at Tony’s concerned face told him though that there was no way in hell that he was going to escape this conversation.

“I know about Pepper and the baby…” he finally said out loud, popping up from his seat and making another section of balloons bounce and scatter about. His heart was pounding so quickly, he could scarcely hear over the rush of blood in his ears and he shoved his hands in his pockets.

Tony leaned forward off the couch, pushing the sleeves of his sweatshirt back to his elbow and clasping his hands together in front of him on his lap.

“You’re right. I am going to be a father…” Tony started but Peter cut him off before he could get started.

“Which is great! I am really excited for you guys. I know it’s something that you guys have wanted for a really long time and now you can finally have it all…only you can’t. Because you have me.”

“Pete…” Tony started again.

“No, it’s okay, really. I get it. You guys finally can have your own family and I am not really a part of that. I appreciate everything that you guys have done for me, really, I couldn’t have asked for a better pair of foster parents and even though I know I’ll never get this lucky again, I just want you to know that I-I won’t fight you on your decision.”

He was telling the truth. As much as the thought of being sent to another foster home actually gutted his insides he could do this for Tony and Pepper. He couldn’t blame them for wanting a fresh start and getting rid of Peter and all of his baggage was the logical way to go. Maybe if he was lucky he’d still get to visit sometimes, or if that was too much he always had his friends to fall back on for support.

“My decision??” Tony gave him an incredulous look and his voice remained low and flat. It was that same look and tone that he would give Peter when he had been caught in a lie about studying when really he and Ned had been building with Legos all night or if Peter had ate the last piece of pizza on movie night.

“Yeah…” Peter said, reaching his hand behind him to rub at his neck. “Now that you’ll have your own kid…you don’t need me anymore and will be sending me back into the system…I heard you tell Pepper that you had to break it to me gently and hope that I wouldn’t hate you. And I don’t. I get it.”

Now Tony looked absolutely horrified. His mouth was slightly agape and his eyes were wide, hands clenching and unclenching in his lap. Peter should have just let Tony speak first and drop the bomb on him instead of Peter having to painstakingly reveal each moment. It would have been easier for him and the looks of it, easier on Tony. Peter’s gut clenched and he could feel the sting of tears behind his eyes as he thought about having to leave this place.

“Pete…” Tony began once again, his name spoken in a whisper. “Do you really think so little of me?”

“W-what do you mean?”

“Do you really think that after five years I’d just-” he broke off, unable to finish the sentence, turning his head away from Peter as he tried to get his emotions in check.

Confusion began to settle back over Peter and he slowly sat back down on the couch beside Tony, folding one leg beneath him as he turned and adjusted to face the man that had been like a father to him all these years. Tony wasn’t often an emotional man. He was sappy, and corny and every bit that type that loved to do Dad jokes but as far as actually showing tears, that level of emotion was rare and for the first time that morning he wondered if he had got it all wrong.

“I just…I heard what you and Pepper were saying…I’m sorry, I don’t understand. If you guys don’t want to send me back then what did you want to talk about?”

Tony took a deep breath, getting his emotions back in check before turning and reaching into the end table drawer beside the couch and pulling out a rectangular wrapped gift, holding it tightly in his hands.

“Okay, clearly we still have some things that we need to work on to make you feel safer and more secure with us. I hope that this will be a good first step.”

He passed the gift to Peter and it felt thin and floppy in his hands. Gently he tore at the paper, revealing an ordinary looking manila envelope. There was no writing or anything distinguishing looking on the outside as he flipped it over and folded the tongs up. He wasn’t sure what he was really expecting when he pulled the small stack of papers out, all of them signed and dated by Tony and Pepper. It definitely wasn’t a ticket back to the foster care system.

“Is this…” he choked out and covered his mouth, his eyes wildly moving back and forth as he began to read over the document.

“You were right, Peter. I am going to be a father…but I hoped it would be to two children.”

“This is for real? You’re serious?”

“Pepper and I have been talking about it for a long time. I was ready to sign these papers years ago but Pepper thought it was better to let you heal and adjust first. I won’t do it if you don’t want me to, I still won’t send you back to foster care, I don’t want you to ever worry about that, but if you don’t want this then just say the word.”

“Yes.” Peter immediately spoke, looking up from the documents into Tony’s eyes.

“Yes?” Tony questioned cautiously.

“Yes, I want for you to adopt me.”

As soon as the words were out of his mouth Peter immediately felt himself being wrapped up in Tony’s arms, hugging him as tight as he could. Peter reciprocated and wondered how he could have ever thought that Tony would toss him away like trash. Tony loved him. Tony was…his dad.

“Pepper has been nagging me to tell you for weeks,” Tony spoke over his shoulder, unwilling to relinquish his grip. “I just couldn’t. I didn’t think you would want this. You’re almost an adult and you’ve already been through so much, I wouldn’t have blamed you, but I wasn’t sure what I’d do if you’d have said no. Gotten over it I guess, but I am really, really happy that you said yes. I swear I wasn’t this nervous when Pepper and I got married,” he laughed wetly, a couple of tears escaping.

Peter laughed with him, his own happy tears starting to fall. “I’m sorry I ever thought you capable of anything else.”

Tony pulled away first. “You have nothing to apologize for. Just promise me that in the future you’ll talk to me first when you start to feel any doubts like that. I love you kid.”

“I will, I promise.”

“Good. Now, did you get everything that you wanted for your birthday?”

“Yes,” Peter grinned, still holding tightly to the adoption papers in his hand. “I really don’t know how you’ll top this next year. This was the best gift I could ever get. I love you…Dad.”