Tony should have known something was up when Peter didn't answer his phone. It's been less than a week since the Rogues had invited themselves into his home to invite him into theirs for dinner, but tonight is the night. Dinner with the Avengers. Before the snap, he's sure Peter would have been thrilled, but now the kid is nowhere to be found.
He's on his way back from a meeting with the principal of Midtown Academy to confirm Harley's enrollment since school starts in a couple of days when he tries to call Peter again, but the phone goes straight to voicemail. He calls Harley instead.
"Please tell me you're dressed."
"I am. Not sure about spider-baby, though."
Tony hears a muffled: "It's Spider-Man" and lets out a breath now that he knows Peter is okay. He's not out somewhere swinging around in his suit running from this.
"Tell your brother to get dressed and learn to answer his damn phone. I was two seconds away from calling May."
There's a groan in the background of the call, but Harley doesn't seem impressed.
"He heard you. He said okay."
An even louder groan is heard and Tony laughs. At least he's not hurt. Things are getting better and Tony's glad for it.
"I'll be home in 5." There's shuffling on the other side of the phone and then Peter's voice is coming through not panicked but slightly anxious.
"Do you mind if I uh...Can I meet you in the garage?"
Tony knows that Peter's doing it because he misses him but also to scratch his itch to protect the people he cares about. The kids have been a lot clingier now that he knows that he can be without the threat of anyone berating him for it, especially after what they're now calling the Breakfast Breakdown but he also gets this look on his face like he isn't all there. Like he's lightyears away on a planet he never should have been on fighting a big bad that Tony should have been able to protect him from.
They've come back to the Compound for a bit of scenery and a nice change of pace. It's nice having everyone there even if he doesn't sit with them much, if at all. It doesn't feel so much like a ghost town like when he and Nebula first landed.
"Yeah, kid. Meet me there." The phone clicks off as he pulls onto the property. He doesn't want to spend free time with Steve Rogers any more than Sam Wilson wants to spend time with him, but he's trying not to feel like he's driving to his own funeral.
Peter is at the connecting door the second he pulls into his spot. Bursting in just as he cuts the purring of the engine.
"I would've been here sooner if I didn't get stopped by Captain Rogers. But," Peter adds happily, "you'll be glad to know I didn't punch him this time either."
"I'm both proud and surprised," Tony says with a grin as he walks over ruffling the kid's hair.
"As a matter of fact, I actually thanked him for inviting us to dinner."
Tony smiles over at him with tears in his eyes. His smile grows softer. Fonder.
"I'm glad you're starting to feel like yourself again, Pete."
"Me too."
When they make it to Tony's quarters, Pepper is tugging off her work shoes for a pair of more comfortable flats and Rhodey is coming from the extra bedroom talking on the phone, they both smile when he comes in.
Pepper comes over to him and it's now that he realizes Peter has been tugged away by Harley to put on something that wasn't a science pun printed on a t-shirt.
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Our Dad's an Ir⎊n Dad || Marvel
Fanfiction[sequel to A Dad of Iron Will] Tony's retired. Mostly. He brought his kid back (and half the population with him), but it's been months since he and Pepper have had a full house. Now Harley's home and Peter's back and not even Tony knows what they'l...
