Summary: where peter, your boyfriend of many months, finds out that you're tony stark's daughter
Requested by anonymous: Can you do a peter parker x reader imagine where they're dating and her dad is tony stark but nobody knows because she uses her mom's last name and lives with her mom and basically doesn't like her dad and then could you make it be like how peter would react to finding out about that
Word count: 4.4k
Warnings: angst, swearing, daddy issues
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You didn't like Tony Stark.
Sure, he was your dad, but after what he'd done to you and your mom, your dislike for him had grown immensely. You could barely remember living with him; you were so young that only bits and pieces of your life then stuck with you. Most of your memories with him seemed to be happy, yet you couldn't stand to even hear his name.
Although it was so long ago, you could still remember the day you and your mother left. She was crying, but being so young, you had no idea why. You were too young to understand why you'd moved, but a few years later your mom explained to you that she and Tony both decided it was best for both you and your mom to move away. She never went into detail why, saying it wasn't her place to tell you, which led you to assume that Tony wanted to live out his playboy lifestyle with nothing holding him back, even if that meant abandoning his daughter in the process. The last time you spoke to your father was the day you moved out all those years ago.
Even after all of that, you still had Tony's number saved in your phone. It was silly, but you couldn't make yourself delete it. Somehow, having his number saved kept you connected to that little bit of happiness he gave you in your younger years. The only time he called was on your birthday each year, and you always let it go to voicemail. He'd leave roughly the same message each time, usually saying 'happy birthday' and that he loved you.
He never said he missed you.
You'd listen to those voicemails over and over again, each and every replay digging into your soul. Deep, deep down, you knew you missed him, but you'd built up so many walls that the sadness manifested as resentment in your heart. Even hearing his name could make your blood boil; a defense against the cold, prying fingers of loneliness and longing.
Shaking your head to bring yourself back to reality, you realize that you're sitting in the lunchroom next to your boyfriend, Peter Parker.
"He just treats me like... like his own kid, you know?" he says adoringly, taking another bite of his sandwich, "He always listens to my ideas and encourages creativity and thinking outside the box. Whenever I suggest something, he takes it into consideration instead of waving me off for being just a kid."
If it were anybody else, you'd try to change the subject or politely leave to do something else. However, neither of those options worked with Peter. Even if you changed the subject, he'd somehow find his way back to Tony; plus, he knew you way too well to tell if you were trying to leave because you were upset. So, you just sucked it up and tried your best to filter out all of the Tony Stark talk. Now, you were sure that if you ever told him about your situation, he'd immediately stop. After all, he would never do anything to hurt you.
However, telling Peter wasn't a risk you could take.
If anybody ever found out that you were Tony Stark's daughter, your life would never be the same. People would only befriend you so they could use you, and you would always be compared to him. You wanted to be your own person and make a name for yourself without the help of your famous dad. Critics would most definitely blame your success on your bloodline rather than your brilliant, science-oriented mind, which wasn't something you wanted to deal with.
"So, I was talking to Mr. Stark," Peter's eyes grow wide with excitement, "and he said I could invite my friend to come to the lab with me sometime! I figured with how much you love science and how brilliant you are, you'd have a blast with us. It's like a scientific playground up there!"
"Uh," you rub the back of your neck awkwardly, "As much fun as that sounds, I think I'm busy. Maybe another time?"
"But I didn't even give you a date-"
"It's just... not a good time right now, Peter," you emphasize, giving him a look that told him you weren't budging.
"Oh, that's okay.." he looked disappointed, which crushed your heart, "It's too bad. I mean, I honestly think you guys would get along great. You're actually super similar! Sometimes I think you're, like, his long lost daughter or something. You know, just the other day he-"
"Peter, can you just- can you just stop?" you snap, unable to listen to any more. Peter didn't know any better, but you just couldn't listen to him talk about Tony for a second longer.
"Is everything okay, Y/N?" he asked, concern evident in his voice, "You know, you can tell me anything."
"Just- just forget it, okay? I'm fine, I promise," you lean over and plant a kiss on his cheek before standing up to go to class, leaving him sitting confused and alone at the lunch table.
Later that afternoon during your free period, you were sketching plans for a new invention when your phone began to buzz on your desk. After throwing an apologetic look the teacher's way, you slipped out of the classroom before holding the phone up to your ear.
"Peter, I was in class, you know," you say only half-seriously, smiling a bit.
"Sorry, sorry," he apologizes, "Um, I was just calling to make sure you're, uh, okay."
Your smile falls, the events from earlier that day flashing across your mind. In all honesty, you had been preparing for this phone call, so you knew pretty much exactly what you were going to say. It was simple: you weren't feeling well and you just needed some sleep, that's all. Before you could speak, however, a familiar voice speaks in the background of the call.
"Who ya talkin' to, kid?" the muffled voice of Tony Stark poured into your ear, causing you to freeze in place and blurt a quick 'i'm fine' to Peter before hitting the end call button as quickly as possible. You take a moment to control your breathing, your heart beating a million times a minute.
________
Frowning at his phone, Peter pulls it away from his ear and turns to Tony.
"What, girl problems?" he smirks at Peter, giving him a soft punch to the shoulder.
"Yeah, uh," Peter stutters, "It's- it's nothing, let's keep working."
Peter doesn't see Tony's eyes widen when he sees your name glowing on the top of the screen as he sends you a text telling you to meet him at the coffee shop later. A small picture of you making a kissy face accompanies a million yellow hearts and heart eyes decorating your contact name.
Tony clears his throat as Peter turns off his phone, shifting his focus back to the task at hand.
________
The door to the coffee shop makes a light ding as you open it, the fairy lights strung along the windows illuminating your face in the darkness of the night. You scan the room to see Peter sitting nervously at the table in the corner by the window, the table you two always sit at.
"What's up Pete?" you say nonchalantly as you take a seat, even though you already know what he's about to ask.
"Is- is there something you're not telling me?" he asks, cutting straight to the chase as he looks up at you with his wide, brown puppy eyes.
"I wish I could tell you that everything is fine, Peter," you sigh, "But I just can't. And as much as I want to tell you why, I can't."
"Why?" his voice breaks, your heart breaking along with it, "Why can't you tell me?"
"I just can't," you whisper, voice raw with emotion.
"If we're in this together, we have to-" he paused and took a deep breath, lowering his voice a bit since people were beginning to stare, "We have to trust each other, Y/N."
You remain quiet and fiddle with your hands, unable to force the words out of your mouth. After holding them inside for so long, you didn't know how to let them out. A squeak from Peter's chair causes you to look up at him, taking in his cold face as he stands up and looks down at you with disappointment.
"Peter, wait-"
"Talk to me when you're willing to tell me the truth," he states before walking out the door, leaving you sitting alone at the table.
________
You didn't know how long you sat at that table before you went home, tears streaming down your face. When you walked into the house, your mom was already in bed, so you quietly snuck into your room and clambered underneath the covers. You didn't care if you were still fully dressed; you needed to sleep and forget about the events of today for just a little while.
No matter how long you sat there with your eyes closed, sleep never took you away. You were stuck in bed, replaying your conversation with Peter over and over again in your head until you were sick of thinking about it.
"Ughhh," you groan, sitting up and rubbing your face before murmuring to yourself, "I can't believe I'm doing this."
Sliding out of bed and into your vans, you tiptoe through your house and close the door gently behind you, not wanting your mom to know you left the house so late. With a quick glance at your phone, you note that it's nearing 1 am, so Peter would most likely be asleep. Whatever, you think to yourself, pulling your hoodie sleeves down over your hands to protect against the cold as you make your way towards his apartment.
When Peter open the door, it's clear that he's been crying, which shatters your heart.
"Couldn't sleep either?" you try joking, but he doesn't seem to return the sentiment.
Cracking jokes at a tense time? The Stark in you was really starting to shine through.
"Why are you here?" he replies, his nose and cheeks tinted pink from the amount of tears he had shed, while yours were tinted from the cold.
"Peter, you have to understand that I- I want to tell you everything, but i just can't," you try to explain, the desperation clear in your voice.
"I don't even know what to say, Y/N," he exasperates, opening and closing his mouth a few times before letting out all the words he'd been trying to find, "I don't know what's up with you, but you've been so different lately. You've pulled away from me ever since I told you about Spiderman and the Stark Internship. I invite you to things, really cool things like working in a lab with Tony Stark, because I care about you and I want to share these experiences with you and you just- just blow me off like it's nothing to you! I don't know why you never want to talk about the internship with me or go on visits-"
"BECAUSE HE'S MY DAD, PETER!" you finally yell, not caring if you wake up the neighbors.
"W-what?" he stutters, eyes going wide.
"Because he's my dad and he left me and I cannot stand to think about him, let alone talk about him, okay? There. That's the big secret, and now you know it. Are you happy now?" you snap, finally putting your truth out into the open.
Instead of answering, Peter stands there shocked, hurt filling his gaze.
"Pete?" your voice is quiet now, worried you'll scare him off because of the look in his eyes.
"I think you should go," his voice is soft, cracking with emotion at the end of his sentence.
"Wait-"
"Go." his gaze hardens before he shuts the door in your face, sliding down the other side of it as another round of tears spill down his cheeks. He felt so betrayed; how could you ever keep a secret like that from him?
You stand there for a moment, numbness spreading across your whole body. That wasn't the reaction you were expecting, but it was definitely the one you feared the most. You didn't even register that you were walking down the hallway, lost in thought about how Peter would most likely break up with you.
You're going to lose the person you loved the most.
And you can't let that happen.
Suddenly, it was like everything was clear again. Before you can take another step down the stairs, you spin on your heel and run back up to Peter's door, knocking.
And knocking.
And knocking.
"Peter, please let me in," you plead, leaning your forehead against the door as you continue to knock, wishing that he would just open the door.
With a sigh, you lean back and slide your phone open, going to his contact in your messages. One tap later, you take note of the small dot that reperesents Peter moving quickly across the map.
"Fuck," you breathe, sliding your phone into your back pocket and running back down the hallway. There was only one place he could be going; the place you never thought you'd return to.
Much to your surprise, you only hesitate for a moment once you're outside of the tower before running inside and demanding to be let up.
"I need to get upstairs!" you urge, giving the very tired receptionist an exasperated look.
"The tower is closed, Ma'am," she repeats, annoyance clear in her voice, "You can come back tomorrow during our work hours."
"Please..." you take a glance at her name tag, "Katy. Please, I need to get up there and talk to Tony."
"If you don't leave the premises, I'll have to call security," she warns, reaching for her phone.
"No!" you reach out towards her and she raises an eyebrow at you, "I mean, please, I'm begging you. Just call Tony and tell him that Y/N Y/L/N is here to see him and he'll let me up."
"I'm sure that he's asleep-"
"I can guarantee that he isn't," you pressure, leaning over the counter and giving her the biggest puppy eyes you could muster.
After a few more moments of consideration, she caves, sighing a quick "Alright" before lifting up the phone and speaking quietly into it for a few minutes.
"You're clear to go," she gestures to the door, and you catch a small bit of surprise in her voice as she did so. Clearly, she wasn't expecting Tony to let the random teenage girl from the lobby upstairs.
You walk towards the elevator, heart in your throat as you press the button for the floor that the receptionist told you Tony was on. Each floor you pass makes a small beep, each one elevating your heart rate slightly until the final ding of the elevator rings out.
When the doors open, he's there.
Tony Stark, the man you hadn't seen in years.
You stand awkwardly for a moment, frozen in place until finally he coughs and gestures toward the living room, blurting out a quick "Pete's in there." Giving him a simple nod, you walk past him and began walking down the hallway, nervous to see Peter because of what he might say to you.
As your nerves begin to build, your pace begins to quicken as well, growing from a casual walk into a full on sprint. After what seems like an eternity of running, you finally slide to a stop in the doorway, trying to catch your breath as Peter's head jerks up to look at you with red, puffy eyes.
"Peter, I-"
"Why didn't you tell me sooner?" he falters, looking you straight in the eyes. You can't hold eye contact with him, so you stare at the ground as he continues, "It was so, so hard to tell you about Spiderman. Did you know that? Did you know how hard that was for me? I trusted you with that huge secret, Y/N, yet you couldn't tell me something as- as little as this."
At those words, you jerk your head back up, raising your eyebrows at him. You can tell that he regrets the words as soon as they come out, but you can't just let it go.
"Woah, woah, woah, Peter," you feel the anger begin to rise within you, "this is not 'little.' Just because it isn't some sort of secret identity superhero reveal doesn't mean it isn't a huge part of me. It's almost impossible for me to talk about, so for you to say that it's 'little' really fucking hurts."
"That's not-" he takes a deep breath, "That's not what I meant."
"Then what did you mean, Peter?" you cross your arms, waiting for an explanation.
"Mr. Stark is one of the most important people in my life. He's helped me with so much and I don't know where I would be right now without him. Probably dead, to be honest. At this point, he's my father figure, you know? And I just can't believe you kept something like this from me for so long. It hurts that you didn't trust me with it, especially when I've trusted you with so much in my life."
"You think that this didn't hurt me too, Peter?" you retort, "You think that keeping this secret from not just everybody, but you, the person I love most, was easy? It was so so fucking hard to hear you talk about him every day, Peter. It was so hard to pretend like I was busy every time you invited me to things or like every time you spoke his name it wasn't like a knife was being shoved into my chest, because he's giving you the love he could never find in himself to give me. I understand that he's your father figure, Peter, but he isn't mine. I'm so happy that he loves you, but it's really hard to hear about that when I know that he never loved me."
You wipe away tears that you didn't know you'd been shedding until that moment before whispering, "I never meant to hurt you, Peter."
He was looking down at his shoes, so you had no idea what he was thinking or feeling. All you wanted was for him to say something, anything, in reply. At this point, you were ready for anything he threw at you.
"He talks about you, you know."
Okay, maybe you weren't ready for that.
"W-what? I don't- How do you know that?"
"I-I never knew it was you until now. I always assumed that he just kept his kid a secret from the world for their own sake, which I guess is actually somewhat true," he swallowed harshly, "I guess your mom keeps him updated on your life because he always talks about how smart and accomplished his kid is. He'd tell me about how they won the science fair when they were only in third grade and were competing against middle schoolers, or how they'd scored a major internship that only five kids were awarded nationwide. I must be pretty thick since I never put the pieces together until now, but Y/N, he does love you. He loves you and he's so, so proud of you, even if you don't know it."
"Then why- why didn't he ever tell me?" you ask, unable to comprehend everything Peter just told you.
"Because-" he pauses for a moment, thinking, "Because, if you didn't want anything to do with him, he probably knew that and stayed away because he didn't want to upset you. At least, I'm assuming that's why."
You take a minute to take everything in, reconsidering everything you've ever thought about your father. All this time, you might've been wrong about him. Looking back on it, you can remember times when your mom would attempt to talk to you about the situation, but you'd always refused, not wanting to even think about him after what he'd done.
But now? Now, you were willing to listen.
"I'll be back," you blurt out before running out of the room, pushing all thoughts about Peter to the back of your mind as you search for the person you need to talk to the most.
When you find him, he's sitting on the steps of a staircase with his head in his hands, looking rather gloomy.
"Uh, Tony?" you clear your throat awkwardly and Tony looks up at you slowly, not believing his own ears when he hears your soft voice addressing him.
"Oh, hey kid," he says calmly, attempting to brush off any nervousness, "So, you and Spiderling, huh? I gotta admit, I didn't see that coming. Didn't think that kid could love anything more than he loves his homework-"
"Tony," you tentatively place a hand on his arm for a moment before pulling away, effectively stopping his rambling. While he was talking, you'd managed to make your way up to sit next to him on the stairs. "I-I want you tell me what happened."
"Well, it all started when I met your mom at a bar-"
You give him a look and he closes his mouth, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly.
"You know what I mean."
"Why do you want to know?" he asks, genuinely confused as to why you were suddenly open to discussion after so long, "After all these years, why now?"
"Because," you pause, trying to find the right words, "I think I've had the wrong picture in my head my whole life. Why we left, why you never called. All of my assumptions have caused a lot of hurt for so many people in my life, and I just want to know the truth now."
He nods, taking a deep breath before explaining everything to you. When you were born they kept everything a secret from the press, wanting to give you as normal of a life as possible before you were inevitably discovered. However, the older you got, the harder it was for them to keep you a secret. They could continue to keep you hidden for your entire life, but what kind of life would that be? Limited to the confines of the tower, never allowed to see anyone outside of immediate family. After plenty of long, solemn discussions, your parents decided that it was best for you to move away with your mom. Tony would rather see you grow to your full potential from afar than near him and weighed down by the burden of fame.
And just like that, everything suddenly makes sense to you. While you knew it would take time to grow back into a father-daughter relationship again, you also knew it was something that you were determined to accomplish someday.
After the conversation dies, you sit quietly with him for a few minutes. As you sink into the comfortable silence, a sudden thought crosses your mind, it's urgency causing you to jump to your feet.
"Wait- how did you knew Peter and I were dating?" you blurt out, turning to look at the amusement in Tony's eyes.
"Saw your name on the kid's phone. It had lots of little heart emojis by it, so I assumed," he shrugs, smirking slightly.
"Speaking of Peter, I should, uh, probably go back and talk to him," you begin to walk down the steps, nearly making it to the doorway before Tony yells after you.
"Hey, keep it PG!" he shouts, shooting you a wink when you turn over your shoulder.
Shaking your head, you try to wipe away the smile creeping up on your face as you turn back around and make your way back to the boy you love.
Once back in the living room, you're surprised to find that Peter is nowhere to be seen. You're about to pull out your phone and give him a call when suddenly, you're attacked with a hug from behind, a yelp falling from your mouth.
"Peter!" you laugh, melting into his arms, "You scared me!"
"Mmm," he mumbles, giving you a tight squeeze before letting go and spinning you around to look you in the eyes, "Where'd you run off to?"
"I, uh, talked to my dad," you explain, finding it a bit odd to call him Dad after so long.
His gaze softens as he tucks a strand of hair behind your ear, "And how'd it go?"
"Pretty good, actually," you admit, a bit surprised yourself by how smoothly it went.
"Listen, I never apologized for earlier," he says quietly, guilt shining in his eyes, "It was wrong of me to ever say those things-"
"Shh," you put a finger to his lips, "Yes, you may have said some things you shouldn't have, but you were rightfully upset and I know you didn't mean them. I'm sorry for hiding this from you for so long. Even if Tony and I weren't talking, you still had a right to know about my past, because it's what makes me who I am today."
"But-"
"No buts, Peter. We're both at fault here. Communication is key, and we both kinda failed in that area. We can talk more about this tomorrow if you want, but I'm exhausted and in need of some ice cream. Care to join me?"
Smiling, you grab his hand and try to pull him in the direction of the elevator. Instead, you were jerked backwards, shooting him a glare when you realize that he has planted his feet into the ground to prevent you from going any further.
"Actually, I have a much more efficient way of getting there...." he grins, wrapping his arms around your waist and carrying you over to the balcony outside.
"Peter, oh my god, I am NOT going to do this- AAAAA!" you scream and close your eyes as he jumps over the edge, letting your bodies fall. Your arms wrap tightly around his shoulders as he holds you close, swinging from building to building with ease. (You could've sworn you felt him laugh at you.)
Before you knew it, your shrieks of terror turn into shouts of glee as the wind rushes by your face. Peter assumes that you've gotten used to the sensation of flying through the air as he takes a quick glance at your now open eyes and wide smile. However, the real reason you're no longer afraid was because of a single thought that crosses your mind as your hair whips around your face.
Nothing, not even swinging high above the city in the dead of night, was as scary as losing the people you loved most.