Rhodey And The Mystery Boy

Chapter 5: Family Reunion - A Bit of Pep in your Step

AN
Well, I have been writing on the next few chapters for a while and kept writing on this one, too. You and up getting to chapters because I somehow managed to write over 10k words for what was supposed to be a chapter around 2k to 3k words. Enjoy the chapter split in two!

Over the next few days, Rhodey promised himself to watch the interactions with Peter, May, and Tony more closely, not missing any moment in their lives. Rhodey will not allow himself to be blindsided or lied to, he wants to know what is going on in the life of his loved ones and help them! Rhodey would do anything for Tony, Peter, Pepper, and May no matter what they need! Therefore, Rhodey spend a lot of time in the Compound watching them interact and seeing Tony react to them or any information related to them. He would see something relevant eventually and get to the bottom of this, make Tony tell the truth, finally. And then he could be the uncle to his nephew he was meant to be. 

Sure enough, every time Peter was around, Tony's demeanour changed. He became more protective, more nurturing, and more paternal. Rhodey watched Tony and Peter interact with a newfound sense of awareness. He saw the way Tony doted on Peter, making sure he had everything he needed and offering advice when he asked for it. Rhodey loved every minute of it, though the crippling self-doubt never truly left. The more Rhodey observed the two of them, the more convinced he became that Peter was Tony's biological son, making Rhodey smile in immeasurable happiness and huge worry at the same time. Every time May was around, Tony became expressive and open and soft. This was more confusing for Rhodey. He surely enjoyed May’s company, but he did not think that Tony was ever interested in anyone but Pepper. Not truthfully.  

  

Regardless, Rhodey knew his friend had a child and a girlfriend that he hid from him. Rhodey could see it every second of the day, at every last look he gave, at every situation, in every moment. Peter was Tony’s son, there is no denying it. And May must be Tony’s girlfriend, though the romance aspect seemed to be rather new. They were close, though. The relationship between the three was abundantly clear. May was Peter’s mom and Tony’s girlfriend. Peter was Tony’s son. It was clear in every interaction they shared. In the way Tony cooked health food in vast abundance, the way Tony took the time multiple times a day to chat with them even if they are visiting the Compound that same day, the arms thrown around shoulders, the cuddling, the love and care, the movie night on Saturday, and wherever Tony and Peter are leaving to for hours when Peter is staying over, making it impossible for Rhodey to spy on them.  

If it were just Tony, Rhodey would have a suspicion about where he is going. But with Peter? No, it is impossible! Rhodey could not even enter the lab most of the time, and he graduated from MIT with Tony, known Tony for decades! No, Tony would never let a child in there. There were labs in the Compound Peter might be able to enter, but certainly not Tony’s personal lab. There were all the company’s secrets, all the Iron Man suits, all the Avengers’ equipment, even material for the newest recruit, Spider-Man. Tony has probably started working on things for Ant-Man now, too. He definitely is in contact with T’Challa working on new options. Rhodey has already heard some of it when Tony was visiting. The king’s sister also was in contact with Tony, designing some things together. And they expect the highest security for any material or ideas given to them. They would not let him take it to a different lab than the one with the highest security, and that would only be Tony’s personal lab or the locked, unused, empty lab of Bruce that was planned long before Bruce disappeared. And Tony never even set foot in there since it finished, It was just after his disappearance. Aside from Rhodey, Bruce was the closest to Tony, and he was there from the start. Technically speaking, Rhodey only entered the Avengers after Bruce was basically gone already. So throughout most of Tony’s time as an Avenger, Bruce was the closest in there. Sometimes Rhodey wondered whether he might have been the only friend in there whatsoever. Considering how fast they broke apart, what kind of things were not spoken about, …