Got You Always kid

chapter 39

Tony watched Peter walk past him, making sure to hit his shoulder on the way out

He sat in shock. He had remembered all the times the young boy had come to the tower a few days a week to help in the lab when Tony was beginning to mentor him. Peter would have laughed at the thought of talking to Tony the way he just had. But no matter how hard he tried, Tony couldn't control his anger over this situation, not anger at Peter, but anger at himself, for being no better than howard.

"It just means he trusts you" clint interrupted his fuming thoughts, leaning up against the door frame.

"What do you know, hawk shit?" Tony said, just wanting to be left alone to his thoughts.

"A little bit more than you" Clint said, implying his own kids.

"In general? Or with crotch goblins. Because you're standing next to one of the smartest men on earth" Tony said with his usual sarcasm.

"He knows you're a safe space. That's why he's okay with saying all of that stuff to you. He knows you're consistent for him and he won't have to worry about you leaving him or kicking him out, so he tells you what he's thinking" clint said from experience

"I'm not sure how much of that is true. The kid has spent half of his time here waiting for me to trust him into being his own superhero without thinking I want to get rid of him" as much as he hated saying those words, they still came out of his mouth.

"You know that kid got teary eyed when I told him how much pain you were in when he disappeared into that stone? I think he wants to take care of you just as much as you want to for him"

"First off, why are you telling him my secrets, I need to put a strict time restriction on how long you two talk, second, it shouldn't be like that. He's had so much loss and misery. I should be creating a place for him where he feels like he can just coast, instead he's in a constant state of worry of needing to prove something, or thinking he's a goddamn burden. He could never be a burden. I'm the goddamn one who needs to prove myself to him. I could live a thousand lifetimes and never deserve that boy." Tony said, looking up at clint.

He saw Clint look down the hall from his position leaning against the door frame. He heard shuffling coming closer and soon enough Peter was a few steps into the room. Peter looked small with his shoulders slumped and a tear streaked face.

"That's not true Mr. Stark" his voice was soft, nothing like it was when he had just yelled at the older man

"I just wanted to show you that I could be okay on my own" Peter said weakly, sounding defeated, looking worriedly at the man who has always been so strong sitting in the chair, slouched and stressed.

Tony took a deep breath "how many times do i have to tell you, I know you'll be okay, but i have to worry. I'm new to this whole parenting thing. I went from nothing to taking care of a super human."

Peter looked as if he didnt know how to respond. He understood where tony was coming from and the anger that came with the need to prove himself began to diminish. He thought of all the times he would watch Tony on his tv and reminisced about the time when actually being able to speak to the hero was a joke, and entering the tower was merely a dream. Now he calls ironman dad and joked around with Thor like he was simply an uncle. Life had taken him so far and all his brain was doing was finding a way to make issues out of nothing.

"Pete-" tony was cut off with the window crashing open followed by somebody quickly entering. Peter looked at tony in panic as he beckoned the suit.

hi guys! sorry for the short chapter and not updating life has been super busy recently, but I'm getting back into it