Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Sorry, bud,” Tony said, his brow wrinkling in empathy at the frustration in the dark-headed teenager’s voice.

“It’s fine,” Peter said, his slumped shoulders telegraphing the complete un-fine-ness of current events. 

“How did they manage to both get sick at the exact same time, but with different things?” Tony asked.

“Right?” Peter complained. “It’s ridiculous! Ned said his stomach felt off yesterday, and thought he’d just eaten something questionable, but today he said he’s definitely got what his mom had a few days ago, and probably won’t be feeling normal for several more days. And MJ said she just found out her co-worker has strep throat, which means there’s a good chance that’s what she’s been feeling this morning, too: sore throat, fever, the works. She just made an appointment with her doctor tomorrow morning to confirm and get some meds, but she’ll be down for the count for several days, too.”

“Did you tell them they were being awfully inconvenient, getting sick just in time for your birthday?”

“To-ny,” Peter whined in annoyance. 

But Tony could see the slight glistening in Peter’s eyes even as his newly-17-year-old kid acted like he was shrugging the whole thing off. 

“We still planning to celebrate with May at your house tonight?”

“Is it bad if I say I don’t really want to?” Peter sighed. “But yeah, cause she’d be all sad about it, for me, if I didn’t,” Peter sighed, settling his chin on his folded arms on the bar. 

Tony pushed the plate of brownies towards him gingerly. Chocolate usually cheered the boy up a little, but he hadn’t even looked at them yet, though he’d been at the Tower for nearly half an hour. 

May had been back from her travel nursing stint for several days, and Peter had moved back to his house when she got in. Which was fine. It was. It was good to not have to stick so closely to a “normal, grown-up schedule,” (Pepper’s words) or worry about feeding and entertaining a teenager. Or that’s what Tony told himself, anyway. But truthfully he was already missing having the kid around after having him as a pretty permanent fixture for the last six weeks. Everything seemed a little less colorful when he was gone.

Peter picked up a brownie listlessly and continued. “I mean, it’s still fine to celebrate. You and Pepper are still coming, right?”

Tony nodded. “And Happy.”

“Oh yeah. Sounds like a party for sure,” Peter tried to joke. He took a small bite, then another one, interest peeking through the clouds.

“Excuse me; are you saying I’m not a party all by myself?” Tony demanded. 

Peter just rolled his eyes and grabbed another brownie, having quickly inhaled the first one once he got started. 

“It still would have been better with Ned and MJ,” he grumbled. “And we were going to go to see the new Batman movie afterwards. I really don’t even wanna go now. We’re rescheduling that part for next week, at least.”

“Batman,” scoffed Tony with a disdainful sniff. “You have your very own billionaire superhero. Why would you need movies about that guy?”

His posturing had the intended effect, and Peter grinned at his ridiculousness. Tony had moved around the bar to his side, and pulled the teenager into a rough side hug, ruffling then smoothing his hair with a practiced gesture, and eliciting the expected squawk.

The gears in Tony’s head were turning though. Peter had wanted this birthday to be low-key, but he was pretty sure it was going to be underwhelming. Surely there was something he could do about that.

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Later that night, after Thai food and cake had been consumed and Peter had retreated to his room to at least talk to Ned and MJ, Tony very quietly quizzed May, counting on Peter’s distracted focus to keep him from hearing. 

“His birthday should be more memorable. Is there anything he’s talked about wanting to do? Something I could make happen in the next few days?”

May sat back, her brow wrinkled in concentration. “He did mention a few things that were on his ‘bucket list’ a few years ago. Let me think for a few minutes and see if I can remember any of it.” She looked up after a moment. “I feel like you’ve probably helped him check boxes off he didn’t even know were there,” she said with a grateful smile at Tony and Pepper.

Pepper’s fingertips were resting at the base of his neck at the back of the couch, and she squeezed his neck lightly. He knew she was always trying to remind him that he added value to Peter’s life, too. It wasn’t the one way street Tony sometimes imagined.

“I’m glad. But I still want to do something exciting for him. Something we maybe wouldn’t take time to do otherwise. Does he want to go to Paris? Bora Bora? I have an island in the Caribbean that could probably be prepped at short notice. What about surfing lessons in Hawaii? Hiking the Himalayas?”

Tony smirked, joking a little at that last suggestion, but May’s face had changed from contemplation to excitement.

“That’s something I remember from his list!”

“The Himalayas?” Tony choked out, a little concerned at what he might have gotten himself into.

“No, but have you ever heard of Angel’s Landing? It’s a hike in some national park back west. Maybe in Nevada? Or Utah… He saw a video about it when he was twelve, and he talked about it for weeks. That was definitely on his bucket list, though his asthma would have made it a real challenge for him back then, to say nothing of the cost of a trip like that.”

Tony sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose lightly. Peter would. “FRIDAY, will you have Daren look into the possibility of organizing something like that for this weekend?”

His watch vibrated softly in acknowledgement.

“This weekend as in the day after tomorrow?” May asked. “I’m working all weekend, and I’m not really into heights anyways. But if it’s something you could work out, it would be an amazing surprise for him.”

“Tony, do you like hiking?” Pepper asked doubtfully, keeping the laughter out of her voice (but just barely).

“What do you think?” he asked, his biting sarcasm softened by the patent look of long-suffering he affected for their amusement. “But if it makes Peter happy, I can probably handle a few hours of torture. I’m gonna call in reinforcements and label it team-bonding, though. He’ll have more fun hiking with a group instead of with the self-proclaimed ‘Scrooge of the Outdoors.’”

“Oh, you’re just being dramatic, now,” Pepper chided. You’ve enjoyed some of the outdoorsy-stuff we’ve done. And it’s not like you’ll have to camp overnight.”

Tony gave her a baleful look.

“I’m out, too,” Happy said quickly, the glower on his beefy face at odds with the careful way he held his small, fancy coffee cup. May liked to break out her grandmother’s fine china on special occasions. 

“And me,” Pepper said, “though I’d probably enjoy it. I have that board meeting in London I’m presenting at this weekend.”

Tony sighed. “Where is the solidarity?”

“We’re all behind you, honey,” Pepper cooed. “We’re just not willing to go hiking with you. Especially there. Make sure you bring up some videos of what the last half of that hike looks like.”

“You think I’m afraid of heights?” he asked incredulously. 

“Just… this is one time I wouldn’t fuss about you keeping a suit on standby,” she said, her voice just serious enough to compel him to look up what she was talking about later that night.

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When Tony told (not asked) Peter they were doing “something fun” for his birthday that required flying out west less than 48 hours later, he asked if there were any Avengers Peter would enjoy having along on an adventure. 

Peter had looked at him doubtfully, but had finally admitted he’d be interested in getting to know Natasha better, and he’d also like seeing Clint and his kids again, if they were available. 

Daren had sighed and been visibly disappointed in Tony’s life choices as he started researching and attempting to make things work out for the last minute trip, but had, of course, wrought miracles in the meantime, and they were all set.

“Your reservation for three rooms at the Lodge in Zion National Park was only possible due to bribing the desk clerk to give us last-minute cancellations,” Daren said, his tone smooth, but his eyes judgmental. “Which, of course, you shouldn’t mention.”

“Do I look like an amateur here, Anderson?” Tony grinned at the young man, secretly thrilled that this particular executive assistant had become ingrained enough in their lives that he was permitting himself to show some sass.

“It’s usually booked six months in advance this time of the year, but all of the insider websites insist the only way to have a pleasant, not-horribly-crowded hike is to stay inside the Park and get an early start, before the tour buses drop off their first loads. Of course, if you sleep in, and don’t get started before 6 AM local time, all of the work to get you rooms in side the Park will be wasted, and you’ll be sharing the trail with a lot more people,” Daren said warningly.

“Calm down, Tour Guide Ken,” Tony said, jerking his head to imply that Daren should follow him as he walked. “You’ll send all this info to the kid once we’re in the air, right?”

Daren nodded.

“You really think he’ll let me sleep in?”

“No, sir,” Daren said patiently.

“You know, you could always come along, like I said, and make sure we stick to the schedule,” Tony said enticingly. 

“Very unfortunately, three rooms was the best we could do,” Daren said drily, “with the Bartons in one and Ms. Romanoff and her sister in the other.”

“Hold up,” Tony stopped and spun abruptly, almost causing Daren to crash into him. “Nat has a sister?”

“Apparently so, sir. She said you wouldn’t mind if she came.”

“I don’t know if I’ll mind, but I’m not about to turn that down,” he exclaimed, and started walking again, his thoughts flying with questions and possibilities. Focus up, Tony. “Well, you could stay in town with Happy, but then you’d miss the hike,” Tony said speculatively, “what about—”

“I’m gratified you’d enjoy my company, sir, but hiking isn’t really my thing—”

“You think it’s mine?” Tony interrupted him back.

“—and the most pressing reason for me to refuse,” Daren continued calmly, “is that I’m going home this weekend. My sister is bringing her boyfriend to meet the family, and my mother has threatened anyone who doesn’t show up.”

Tilting his head curiously at the E.A., who had never mentioned his family before, Tony smiled slightly. “Well, I’m not going to argue with anyone’s mom. I’ll stop bugging you.”

“You’re not 'bugging' me, sir, it’s just a very bad idea,” Anderson followed up lightly.

“No problem, Daren. I appreciate the work you’ve put in. I’m sure it will be a great trip,” Tony said. “Even if we’re all in danger of falling to our deaths.”

“You’ve watched the videos, then.”

“Frankly, I’m surprised Clint’s allowing his kids to come.”

“He said they’ve done a lot of hiking and climbing, and will be fine.”

“You’ve been thorough, haven’t you?”

“Always, sir. There is a full complement of snacks, gloves, sun protection, and basic light hiking gear that will accompany you on the plane.”

“Hiking equipment. My favorite,” Tony deadpanned. He knew he’d brought this particular “adventure” on himself, but Tony couldn’t believe he’d complained about an Escape Room and cheeseburgers on Peter’s last birthday.

Chapter Text

“We’re doing what?” Peter’s eyes were wide with disbelief. 

“Is that okay with you?” Tony’s eyes crinkled happily at Peter’s surprise, and at the grin that was growing on his face.

“Well, yeah,” he said, “but how did you even know that’s something I used to want to do? Oh, wait, did May tell you?” Then more to himself, as his eyes unfocused in thought: “I didn’t realize she even remembered that.” Peter jumped up and started pacing in the tiny space of the Quinjet. “This is like… just amazing! And Mr. Barton, and Cooper and Lila are coming too?”

“And Natasha’s sister, if my information is correct,” Tony said, raising his voice to make sure the former spy heard him.

Natasha was acting as pilot, and she threw a coy smile over her shoulder. “She’s in that area anyway, and I thought you might be interested in meeting her,” she said casually, talking loudly over the hum of the engines. 

Happy was acting as co-pilot. He didn’t enjoy actually flying, especially the Quinjet, so he’d been happy to hear Natasha was joining them. “You’re great, Peter, and I’m happy it’s your birthday, but I’m not hiking any mountain with you. I’ll meet you guys afterwards for lunch,” he said gruffly.

“I’m not that into hiking either, so I’d better get big brownie points for agreeing to actually take part,” Tony teased.

Peter stopped pacing and he looked at Tony, his eyebrows raised in concern. “Oh. You don’t have to come if you don’t want to. I’m sure you can just hang out at the bottom, Mr. Stark.”

Whoops. He sometimes forgot how much Peter hated being a burden to anyone. “When’s the last time you knew me to sit around bored with nothing to do, kid?” Tony said, lacing his hands behind his head and leaning back. “Of course I’m coming.”

“Oh. Okay.” Peter smiled, a glint returning to his eyes. “Well, that’s good. Because I was just thinking you could probably use the exercise.”

“I plan this amazing trip for you, and this is how you repay me?” Tony blustered, trying to hide his smile.

“I’m just saying, sir, you did an awful lot of “supervising” at the training at the Compound last weekend…”

“Well, of course I did. What part of ‘co-team-leader’ don’t you understand?”

“Still, you could use the exercise.”

“He’s right, you know,” Nat shot from the front. “You haven’t been keeping up with your cardio. I can tell.”

Tony rolled his eyes. “Nobody’s on my side here.”

“Nope,” Happy said, not even bothering to turn around.

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Peter had been excited to see Cooper and Lila (who were really just a couple years younger than him, but Cooper was nearly as tall already) and Clint again, and the kids had been overjoyed to find their “Aunt Nat” on board, as well as having an opportunity to fly in the Quinjet.

“I don’t why this thing excites you,” Clint teased his kids. “It’s not comfortable at all.”

“But it’s awesome,” Cooper said, as if that overwrote all other concerns.

“And none of my regular jets could land at your house, or cut hours off the flight time,” Tony pointed out. 

Clint just shook his head. Thankfully, the Avengers tech did cut a lot of time off the flight, and they were able to avoid the airport entirely. Somehow Daren had found them a private helicopter pad near Springdale, the town outside of Zion National Park.

They teenagers tumbled out of the Quinjet first, marveling at the scenery and teasing Peter about smelling “fresh air” for the first time.

“It doesn’t count when you came to our house last time. You had all those geese with you, and all we could smell was them, too,” 13-year-old Lila insisted. 

Peter rolled his eyes good-naturedly, and Tony enjoyed seeing his excitement as he took in their surroundings. The landscape was definitely different from anything in New York, or even many of the other places he’d taken the kid in the last couple years. 

There was a set of SUVs waiting for them, with drivers, and after a 15-20 minute drive, Happy leaned out the window to show their reservation at the Zion Lodge. It was one of the only ways private cars were allowed into the Park proper. Visitors were usually expected to ride the shuttle buses or bike/walk in. 

Tony enjoyed watching all three kids’ faces as they drove deeper into the park and they reacted to the sheer red cliffs rising around them. Well, when he could tear his own gaze away from them. He’d been all over the world, and somehow there were still places like this in his own country that he’d never made time to visit. He should really work on that. You know, in between trying to piece together a new Avengers team, and advocating for the New Asgardians, and doing whatever Pepper said Stark Industries needed him to. Oh, and basically co-parenting a super-powered teenager.

“Whoa, this place is awesome!” Peter said, easily hefting several of the biggest suitcases out of the back of the blue SUV. The other vehicle had left, leaving one for Happy to drive back into town. They shouldn’t need a vehicle to fit them all again until they left in a couple days. 

“Which rooms are ours?” Cooper asked, looking up in awe at the truly giant tree in front of the main Lodge building.

“Luckily, they’re over here on the far end, and Anderson already checked us in online,” Tony said. It was always nice to avoid showing his face in the actual lobby, especially if he had to use a credit card with his own name on it.

“Bartons are together, as well as Peter and me. Nat, where’s this mysterious sister?”

“She’ll be in late tonight. You’ll probably meet her in the morning.”

“Yeah, bright and early,” he said with a grimace.

“Hey, Mr. Stark, this place looks a little old. It’s not gonna be like that road trip to Chicago, right?” Peter asked worriedly. “There are two beds, right?”

Tony raised faux-confused eyebrows at him. 

Peter looked more concerned. “ Right ?”

Tony shot him an evil grin. “I guess we’ll just have to see,” he said cryptically. “Besides, I wasn’t the one sticking to people in their sleep,” he reminded the kid quietly. 

Peter rolled his eyes and flushed slightly. Sometimes he was so easy to tease.

“But how will we open the doors?” Lila Barton asked in confusion, politely ignoring their conversation. We don’t have any of those key card things.” 

Happy pulled six generic looking cards out of his wallet and waved them. “FRIDAY programmed them before we left the Quinjet.”

Even Natasha looked impressed. But if they were surprised, they should all remember how far Tony was prepared to go to avoid inconvenience or public excitement when he didn’t want to be noticed. Which was more common now than it used to be. He’d found himself less and less interested in attention like that in the last few years. Probably since the wormhole, come to think of it.

The rooms were quaint, but seemed comfortable. 

“Not exactly the Four Seasons, huh, Boss?” Happy commented with a smirk.

“Not exactly. But we’ll make do. You gonna hang around, or go find your own hotel?”

“The one that I get all to myself? The one where you’re not even in the building to send me on late night ice cream, or duct tape, or scrap wire, or spaghetti runs? That hotel room? I’ll see you tomorrow after the hike,” Happy said with a huff of derision as he turned to go. 

“Save the drama, Happy Helper. You’ve been hanging around me too much.”

Happy shot him a rare grin. “That bag of stuff Anderson sent for the hike is in Nat’s room, by the way.”

“Check. Sweet dreams, Sleeping Beauty.”

Happy barely spared him a glance. “I’m going to go get dinner, Tony, not go to bed. I’m not a senior citizen, like you.”

“Fired, is what you are.”

“Now that would lead to sweet dreams,” his Forehead of Security shot back. “I placed all the silent alarms that will kick in if you’re asleep, but considering who you’re traveling with, I’m kinda counting on you all to save yourselves, if it comes to that,” Happy informed Clint more than Tony.

“Aw, Happy, what about Clint’s kids, and Nat’s sister?”

“No one’s gonna touch the super-spy-twins’ families, Tony,” Happy said with a roll of his eyes. “I’m not sure she even sleeps,” he said, his voice unconsciously dropping.

Tony shrugged slightly. Happy was right. Not about the sleeping thing, but about them protecting their own. Tony couldn’t imagine how much more he’d worry about something happening to Peter if he wasn’t enhanced. It was hard enough already. Sometimes the kid just didn’t think, and did stupid stuff. He’d gotten better, but his brain was still 16, even if his body could hold its own against super-soldiers. Er, 17. Tony frowned. Why did 16 seem so much younger than 17? He was not enjoying the constant reminder of Peter creeping towards adulthood.

They’d gained a couple hours with travel, so even though it was only 4:30, everyone agreed they were hungry. Tony, Nat, and Clint donned their don’t-look-at-me get-ups (mostly oversized flannels, even though the August evening was still plenty warm) and trucker hats, which had helped them blend right in at the convenience store they’d stopped at on their way in. Clint’s was particularly clever, with a fake mullet peeking out the back the exact color as his hair. It looked ridiculous, but no one looked twice. 

Natasha pinned her hair up with practiced speed and threw a light brown wig over her own hair. With her cute sundress, she looked the part of a suburban mom. She’d be low-key posing as Clint’s wife, which made sense, as easily as she mothered his teenagers, especially out in public. They grinned and sulked through it in equal measure, and had a twinkle in their eye when the had occasion to call her “mom.” Usually it was when one was complaining about the other. 

Peter smiled uncertainly at first at their strange dynamic, but soon stopped paying attention. The food was good, and they got a table outside near the edge of the patio where the kids could watch the not-that-wild deer who had come to graze on the giant lawn as the sun dropped a little lower. 

Tony had to admit he was enjoying the fresh air, too, and watched in satisfaction as Peter laughed and joked with the two Barton kids. He needed more of that. Ned and MJ were great, but it was nice for him to have other friends his age, too. At that stage Tony had been almost done with MIT, and had only had Rhodey in his corner. But he knew he was lucky to even have that, as difficult as he’d been as a precocious kid and teenager. Unlike him, Peter was easy to love, and had more sincere social skills. That made Tony feel content in a weird, twisty way. 

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That night Cooper and Lila came over to their room, and the kids played cards on Peter’s bed (yes, there were two) until Tony finally chased them out at 9:30 local time.

“C’mon, Pete. If you want to be up at the crack of dawn to get a good start and avoid the heat and the crowds, we need some sleep.”

“I couldn’t possibly sleep,” the teen protested, bouncing a bit on the bed. “Tomorrow’s gonna be epic, and I’m so excited to take some pictures, and to do the last part of the hike with all the cool chains”—Tony tried not to blanch at that reminder—”and see if we see any wildlife, and it’s gonna be amazing!”

Tony looked at him suspiciously. “Did you have caffeine at dinner?”

Peter huffed out a little amused refusal. “I’m just high on life, Mr. Stark. Whaddaya want me to do about it?”

“Put something on the TV I guess, and get ready for bed. At least lie down. I’m not hiking the death trail on less than seven hours of sleep.”

“Since when does sleep matter to you?”

“Since I can use its lack as an excuse to sit here and rock on the porch while you all climb a mountain instead of just flying up on repulsors like any reasonable person.”

Peter rolled his eyes, but did as Tony asked. Except he kept fidgeting and moving the pillows around while he watched the random 90’s sitcom. 

Tony got up to brush his teeth and turned the extra lights off. 

“Hold still, Pete. I’m trying to go to sleep,” Tony fibbed as he settled back against his pillows. He wouldn’t actually be able to sleep until Peter was out. Not somewhere unknown like this.

Peter sighed, and Tony saw his eyes roll just a little bit in the flickering light of the television.

Thankfully, once he settled, the baby superhero only lasted about ten minutes before his breathing grew heavier and he stopped moving completely. 

After about ten more minutes to make sure he was really out, Tony stood up to go turn off the TV, since Peter was snuggling with the archaic remote.

He paused next to the nearly-grown kid, and pulled the comforter up over him. He generally slept a little cold. Tony let his hand skim over the top of the boy’s head, feeling the familiar softness of his dark hair. 

“About ready for a haircut, huh?” he asked quietly. 

Peter shifted his chin up, unconsciously pressing into Tony’s hand a bit.

“Seventeen. Sheesh. Slow down a little bit, bud. I’m not quite ready for you to be even more independent than you already are. You barely need me as it is.”

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The next morning Tony found himself up far before the sun was, at least in this time zone. He didn’t feel as bleary as the clock said he should, but even in New York, it was early. Everyone was dressed and gathered in Natasha’s room, picking through the supplies Daren had sent, when Tony came face to face with a pretty blonde woman he’d never met before. Judging by the feeling that she could definitely kill him about 25 different ways, he was pretty sure of her identity. 

“Ah, Natasha’s sister, I presume? Nice to meet you, I’m—”

“Tony Stark. Yes, I know all about you. I am Yelena.” She fixed him with a calculating stare. 

Tony tried not to show his surprise at her comment, or visibly squirm under her gaze, but if she was anything like Natasha, she could probably read him anyway. 

“Well, I didn’t even know you existed until like two days ago, so I feel like you have the advantage.”

“Mr. Stark, here’s your bag. It’s already got water, and gloves, and snacks and—Oh, hi! Are you Ms. Romanoff’s sister, Yelena? She’s been telling us about you! I’m—”

“Peter Parker. Yes, I know! It’s so good to meet you, Peter Parker. Natasha has told me so much about you,” she said, with a much more pleasant expression than the one she’d given Tony. 

“Oh, awesome!” he said, his voice breaking just a little bit on the middle syllable.

Tony turned slightly to hide his smile. Yelena didn’t look like Natasha, but everything else about her was reminiscent of the redhead, especially when she wasn’t trying to downplay her confidence and abilities.

“Good stuff, I hope?” asked Peter nervously, pulling himself back together and handing Tony his pack. Yelena just smiled enigmatically.

“Tony, there’s sunscreen in there,” Peter continued, shifting his focus back. “You should probably put a little on, either now, or in a couple hours. Just in case.”

“Kid, how many times do I have to tell you, I actually don’t burn that easily. Phoenix was an outlier.”

“Hmm.”

“Everyone ready to go?” Clint asked, shouldering his pack, which he’d brought himself. 

Tony sidled up next to him. “Hawk-y Puck, that bag looks like you’re ready for a few days in the wilderness instead of a half-day hike.”

Clint gave Tony an unimpressed look for one of his worse-than-usual nicknames, and said, “It never hurts to be over prepared.”

“Well, it might literally hurt if you’re carrying ten extra pounds up the trail,” Tony said as they all shuffled out the door. Light was just starting to make the eastern skies glow, but a few stars were still winking brightly at them. 

“Yeah, but I’ve got kids with me, and I guarantee one of them will need something if I don’t pack it. Overpacking with kids is like insurance. If you have everything you could possibly need for different issues, those issues are less likely to come up.”

“That’s… that’s not a thing, right?” Tony asked doubtfully.

“Realistically? No. But experience says I’m right,” he said wryly.

The shuttles weren’t running this early, but it was only a 15-minute walk to the trailhead, and the sky was brightening quickly as they crossed the creek and started climbing slightly. 

The three teenagers were walking ahead of the four adults, chattering excitedly, and generally just having way too much energy for earlier-than-the-crack-of-dawn.

“So, Tony Stark,” Yelena said conversationally. “My sister tells me you have been skipping out on training, and we have made a bet on whether or not you will need help to reach either the top of the trail, or possibly to reach the bottom, since your knees are quite old.”

“Yelena!” Nat said, her laugh sounding half shocked and half amused. 

“What?” she protested, sounding very much like a little sister at the moment. “He should know what’s at stake!”

“Hold up, who bet I’d make it, and who bet against me?” Tony demanded, deciding that nothing in the world was going to make him ask for help on that trail today.

Clint and Nat traded guilty glances, but it was Yelena who answered. “You don’t get to know. It might affect the results.”

“Et tu, Clint?” Tony asked, glaring at the other Avenger who was obviously neck-deep in this little wager. 

Clint just smiled and shrugged. “It’s not that bad of a hike, Stark. I’m sure you’ll be fine.” 

Chapter Text

An hour into their morning, and about 45 minutes past the trailhead, they’d seen some beautiful scenery already. The sun was up, starting to chase the chill from the air, and much of the hike was in the shadows of the canyon walls. 

And Tony was fine, mostly. The trail wasn’t that strenuous, as long as they didn’t try to go too fast, which seemed more important now that they were approaching the switchbacks. He found himself grateful that Lila was with them, and that the group had mostly matched her pace. While she wasn’t having any trouble with the hike, she also had the shortest legs, and wasn’t trying to rush up the hill like Cooper and Peter were. They kept going ahead, and then coming back down to check in with the group, then going back up as quickly as they could. Well, as quickly as Cooper could, and keep his breathing rate normal-ish. Clint had to reign him in a few times.

“Coop, stay back here with us for a bit,” he finally said.

“Da-ad!”

“This isn’t a competition, bud. And it’s not like you’re going to beat him. I know you’re having fun, but give your body a breather.”

“Literally,” Natasha chimed in. “You’re more than 4,000 feet over the elevation you’re used to. There’s a little less oxygen.”

“Oh! I was wondering why I felt so out of shape! Is that why I’m having a harder time breathing?”

“Bingo,” Clint said dryly. “So take it down a notch. Save some for the scramble at the end.”

“Also, you’re probably out of shape.” Lila, in true little-sister fashion, couldn’t help but add.

“Whatever. I don’t see you keeping up with us!”

“Only because I know we have a long ways to go. I’m pacing myself.”

“Peter, you’re sounding a bit winded yourself,” Natasha interrupted, before things got heated between the siblings. “Just because you’re enhanced doesn’t mean your body doesn’t need oxygen.”

Tony looked up sharply, first at Yelena, (who didn’t seem surprised at Nat’s disclosure) then at Peter.. He’d been so focused on keeping his own breathing deep and even (and ignoring the slight twinge in his lower back) as they climbed that he hadn’t paid much attention to Peter the last few times he’d flitted by.

“Actually, according to the testing we did with Bruce a couple weeks ago,” Tony interjected, pausing for a deep breath himself, “your body uses oxygen at a higher rate than it normally would because of your enhancements.” He eyed Peter carefully for any other signs of struggle, but really he just seemed to be breathing a little faster than normally. Not even as hard as Cooper, or Tony, for that matter, but it was still out of the ordinary.

“Water break,” Natasha said authoritatively. 

The group paused, and Peter and Cooper rolled their eyes a little, but obediently got their waters out of their packs and drank. 

“Snack, too, Pete,” Tony pressed. 

Peter didn’t argue with that, and pulled out a Snickers bar.

“Hey, why does your bag have candy bars?” Cooper complained. “I just have like granola bars and nuts and trail mix and stuff.”

“Pays to have an in with the snack-packer,” Peter said airily. But Tony noticed he pulled another candy bar out of his back and passed it to his friend as they started moving again.

Before long they’d reached Scout’s Landing, which was as far as some people liked to go, according to Daren. (“There’s nothing wrong with just enjoying the views there, Mr. Stark,” he’d said, a slight twinkle in his eyes. “Not everyone’s up for the adrenaline hit from the rest of the trail.”) Little punk, Tony thought fondly. Pepper had probably put him up to that. 

“Is everyone going all the way to Angel’s Landing, or does anyone want to wait here?” Clint asked. “If not, drink some water, get out your gloves, and secure your packs. We don’t want stuff falling out. And we really don’t want anyone  leaving the chain and going after it. Speaking of, phones zipped inside your packs, kids.”

Cooper had his out in his hands, already taking pictures of the great view just from Scout’s Landing. “Dad, do you see those clouds? They’re huge!”

“Do you think there’ll be a thunderstorm today?” Lila asked curiously.

Clint’s eyebrows furrowed as he dug in his over-packed bag. “How should I know, baby? FRIDAY, what do you say?” Clint asked loudly.

Tony huffed at being bypassed completely, but FRIDAY responded after a beat. “The forecast does indicate there will be some precipitation and falling temperatures by early afternoon.”

“Awesome,” the siblings said together.

“D’ya think we’ll still be hiking?” Cooper asked.

“We will not,” Clint said. “The last thing we need is a bunch of wet, whiny kids,” he teased.

The “kids” all protested that they were not whiny. 

“Well, get ready to go, then,” Clint said in exasperation.

As everyone started to find the lightweight, grippy gloves Daren had provided, Tony looked at the relatively mild start to the narrow ridge they were about to attempt. He crouched down and opened his pack, his hand searching inside for the cool metal case housing the Mark 50. He pulled it out and attached it to his chest over his long-sleeved t-shirt.

“Not a bad idea, Mr. Stark,” Lila said seriously. “At least 15 people have died on this trail. I don’t know if even that’d be fast enough to save someone, but it might.”

Most of the group turned wide eyes to the young teen, while Clint covered his with a sigh, and Yelena looked contemplatively at Lila.

“Uh, yeah,” Tony said awkwardly. “Let’s just plan on no one falling today, okay?”

“No falling, check,” Peter said with a little salute, obviously trying to lighten the mood. 

“Like you’re the one I’m worried about, Mr. I-Climb-Buildings-For-Fun.” Still, as they continued up the trail and moved to a single-file line, Tony made sure to position himself behind Peter. Clint did the same with Cooper, and Natasha inserted herself into the line right behind Lila. 

“Everyone okay if I take the lead?” Yelena asked. “This looks very stimulating. I am looking forward to it.”

“‘Fun’ is the word you’re looking for, Shortstack,” Natasha said wryly. “It looks like fun.”

Yelena rolled her eyes at her sister. “I am not much shorter than you anymore. And I would challenge you to see who could reach this ‘Angel’s Landing’ the fastest, if it was not a bad example for the children.”

“Hey, we’re not children,” Cooper said in annoyance, suddenly seeming to realize the protective order the adults had settled into.

“It is true. But you are young enough and inexperienced enough that we are still expected to ensure your safety,” she said, with a wink at her older sister.

“Next time,” Natasha promised.

“Hey, no ‘next time,’” Clint said firmly, looking back and forth between the women. “Work it out in the gym, not with a thousand foot fall from either side.”

“You are right. He is so cautious,” Yelena said, her voice raised to reach Natasha, as they had started climbing.

“I told you.”

Clint just sighed loudly in non-verbal protest, as everyone else chuckled, and then they all settled down to concentrating on where they were putting their feet as they held to the sturdy chains. 

Tony had been worried about this part, but with the chains to anchor to, there really didn’t seem to be too much to worry about. They were all in good shape, (even him, thank you very much) and visibility was good, without the sun being high enough yet to be in anyone’s eyes. There were other people on the trail: a few very-early-birds ahead of them that they could see making their way up, and quite a bit more just arriving at Scout’s Landing. It wasn’t crowded like he’d seen in some of the videos, which he felt was where most of the danger came from. 

Still. “Pete, hands on the chains.”

“Mr. Stark, you know I could stick to the actual mountain just as easily,” Peter protested without heat. He’d mostly been using them, but there were areas where they ended and restarted, and Peter was sometimes slow to re-attach. 

“Just humor me, kid. I have a heart condition,” Tony said.

“You use that trump card too often, and it loses its power,” Peter said teasingly, but he did grab back onto the chains.

Clint and Natasha both offered a steadying hand a few times to Clint’s kids when they slipped a bit, but it was more out of caution than true need, and the rest of the climb went smoothly. The people in front of them set a good pace, and the people behind them never caught up, so there was no need for passing or waiting, and they made good time.

“Wow, Tony, check this out!” Peter said excitedly, pointing down towards the dark ribbons on the landscape that were roads. “We’re actually above where the birds are flying! They look like big ones, too.” Peter stared at them for a moment before sitting down on the closest rock. Tony was surprised to see the energetic teenager sitting, but maybe he just wanted a longer look.

“Probably golden eagles,” Lila reported, craning her head to see over the steep drop. She was holding tightly to Clint’s hand without complaint now that they’d reached the summit. “I don’t see any white on their heads. Zion National Park has bald eagles and golden eagles.”

“Guess we didn’t need to bring a guide book,” Clint teased, his eyes also glued to the view.

“Being informed is advisable and admirable,” Yelena said firmly. Lila smiled shyly and flushed a little at the praise from her Aunt Nat’s super-cool younger sister. 

Yelena looked unimpressed with their vaulted position, but Tony thought she stared around the 360 (add degree sign) view with just as much attention as the rest of the group. Clint gave it a few appreciative looks, but his attention was also constantly on his two kids. Lila was staying close, but Cooper and Peter kept getting a little closer to the edge than non-Spider-parents would probably appreciate. As his eyes brushed over Peter, Tony did a double take.

Though he was up following Cooper around, Peter’s posture wasn’t quite right, and Tony tilted his head in concern. He didn’t normally hunch like that. He moved quickly to the boy’s side.

“Hey, bud, you okay?”

“I, uh, yeah. Probably?” Peter turned and looked at him, and Tony’s eyes widened. 

“Sit down.” Tony swore under his breath. “You’re as white as a sheet, kid.” He put both hands on Peter’s shoulders and guided his unprotesting form all the way down to the rock under their feet. 

“I shouldn’t be worried about you, but it’s you and I kind of am. You shouldn’t look like this after what should have been an easy little hike for you.” Tony smoothed Peter’s hair back slightly, unobtrusively checking his temperature. He felt a little too cool rather than warm, and he was sweating. It usually took a pretty heavy patrol to make his Spider-kid break a sweat.

Peter laughed weakly. “Uh, sorry? I don’t know what’s going on.”

Tony raised his head and zeroed in on Nat, who was looking back at the scene with concern, and making her way quickly to their side.

“Nat, look at him. What are you feeling, Peter?”

Peter looked confused, like he either didn’t understand the question or was trying to figure it out.

“Karen? Vitals from the last five minutes. FRIDAY, scan him.”

Natasha came over and crouched down to look carefully at Peter’s face and touch his forehead as well. Even his lips were colorless.

“I… I guess I was feeling kinda shaky as we were getting near the top, and my stomach was hurting. But maybe I’m just hungry?”

Tony narrowed his eyes and glanced at Nat. She pursed her lips.

“Karen?”

Peter’s watch projected a small screen with revolving graphs chronicling Peter’s pulse and breathing rates. They were both too high.

Tony had been holding his arm still as FRIDAY scanned the boy. 

“Results inconclusive, boss. Other than the elevated pulse and breathing rate, symptoms are more subjective at the moment.”

“Do you want something to eat?” Natasha asked hesitantly. 

“I… not really? I kinda feel like I might throw up, actually.”

“Dizzy?”

“Yeah.”

Tony pulled a folded sweatshirt out of his bag and laid it on the ground. “Why don’t you lay all the way down?”

Peter did, and the rest of the members of their group converged quickly, their concern apparent. Clint and Yelena automatically positioned themselves and the other kids as a barrier between Peter and other curious eyes.

“His skin is a little clammy. Are you cold, Peter?”

“A little.”

Natasha was already pulling an extra sweater out of her pack and laying it over Peter’s top.

“FRI, is Helen still out of the country?”

“Yes, Boss. And it’s approximately midnight there.”

Tony sighed. “FRI, send Bruce the symptoms and results of your scan, please,” he said tightly.

“I’m sure I’m fine, my head just got kinda spinny, and it hurts now,” Peter said. Tony could hear the slight quaver in his voice that meant he was underselling things. Especially when he was underselling his pain levels.

“Anything else hurting?” he asked, letting his hand move lightly through Peter’s damp hair. 

“My stomach. Maybe just sick from the headache?”

“Maybe,” Natasha said. “But you shouldn’t have a headache. Clint, you have a pulse oximeter in your bag of tricks?”

“Um… maybe?”

“Not good enough. Hand it over,” she said, gesturing for him to pass her the bag so she could go through its contents.

As it turned out, Clint did have a pulse oximeter, which Natasha found after a few moments of them rifling through all his first aid supplies. Peter and Tony both managed to exchange a “what the heck” look, while Natasha attached it.

“FRI, what’s a normal reading at this elevation?” Tony asked. He thought he remembered it changed at higher altitudes.

“We are currently at 5,781 feet. A pulse oximeter reading on a healthy person should be approximately 90%,” FRIDAY said. 

The little device on Peter’s finger beeped. Then it beeped a second time, sounding less happy.

“Eighty-six percent,” Clint said grimly. “He’s not getting enough.” 

Just then Tony’s phone rang. 

“Dr. Banner,” FRIDAY announced.

“Bruce?”

“Hey, Tony. You know I’m not really this kind of doctor, right? I haven’t practiced at all in years, and even then it was field medicine stuff more than anything.”

“I know, but Helen’s in Singapore, and you’re the current expert on Peter’s specific situation,” he said vaguely.

“What’s going on? His vitals are a little weird, especially with the symptoms. A quick-onset virus? Was he feeling off this morning?”

Tony looked at Peter, who he knew could hear their conversation. 

Peter shook his head. “I mostly felt okay until about twenty minutes ago. Maybe a little lightheaded when Cooper and I would run ahead. But I just figured it was because there was less oxygen, like you said.”

“Huh.” There was some silence on the phone as Bruce probably reviewed some of the readings.

“We just did a pulse oximeter reading,” Tony said.

“And?”

“Eighty-six, at almost 6,000 feet.”

“Huh,” Bruce said eloquently, again. “Peter, have you ever spent much time at higher elevations?”

“Um. I don’t know.” He screwed up his face for a moment, thinking. “Is Berlin this high?”

“No,” Tony said flatly, rolling his eyes.

“Chicago? I don’t know, Tony. You know everywhere I’ve been, pretty much.” Peter closed his eyes, wincing.

“Yeah, he hasn’t spent any real time this high,” Tony told Bruce.

“Tony, I wonder if we could be dealing with altitude sickness,” his friend said slowly.

“How would we tell that?”

“Well, the symptoms all match up. Except it happened so quickly, and it usually takes a little longer, or happens at a higher elevation than that one. But you did get there last night, and strenuous exercise can bring it on faster. It would make sense that something like that could affect him more rapidly though, with his metabolism.”

“If that’s all it is, what’s the treatment?”

“Mostly just get lower. Make sure he’s hydrated. Rest? If his headache’s bad, do you have some of his painkillers with you?”

“Back at the room,” Tony admitted, his eyes flicking to Clint’s “I-told-you-so” stare. Okay, yeah. Maybe he should have packed some more “just in case” items for his kid, too.

“Okay. We’ll act on that supposition. Let’s get him down to the valley and see if things improve within a few hours. If not, it’s probably best to go ahead and bring him home.”

“Ugh. I don’t wanna move. Just leave me here to die.”

Tony sighed and looked heavenward for strength. “Pete, I’m gonna break out the suit and just take you down real slow, okay?”

“What?” Peter scrambled at the rock under him for purchase, raising himself slowly to a sitting position. “No way, Mr.—uh, Tony,” he modified, then lowered his voice, aware that they’d become the focus of some attention as more hikers started to join them at the top of the trail. “We really don’t need to make that kind of spectacle.”

“It’s not a big deal when it comes to your health, Pete,” Tony said, but he glanced back to see how many people were paying attention to what was going on with them anyway.

Yelena was eying them with interest. “How does his nature usually affect things like this?”

“What do you mean?” Tony asked lightly.

“I know he is the Spider-boy,” Yelena said quietly, and Peter’s face screwed up in mild offense. “Does that make this worse for him than a normal person, or better?”

Tony shot a dark look at Natasha. 

“What? I didn’t say anything to her!”

“Tony Stark, you are all so obvious. And you are hardly quiet about it, Peter Parker,” she said chidingly, but kindly. “Especially when you are around people who already know.”

“Oh, yeah. I guess I get kinda relaxed when I feel like everyone already knows.”

“We did all already know. You just did not know I knew it. So you should have been more careful, because if I hadn’t already figured it out before I met you, I would certainly know now.”

Tony just sighed. The whole secret identity was beginning to be a lost cause. “The answer to that is: we don’t know if it makes it better or worse. Pete, I think I should take you down.” 

“No! I mean, if I just rest for a little bit, like Dr. Banner said, and everyone can have a snack and take pictures and stuff,” he said, with a pointed look at Cooper and Lila’s backs, who were trying to politely ignore Peter and Tony while staring down curious hikers, “then we’ll just take it easy going down.”

Tony gave him a doubtful look.

“Really, it’s not like it’s hard to go downhill, and I’m sticky, remember?” he said, having the nerve to focus those big wide puppy-dog eyes, which should be illegal for a kid his age, on Tony. “Just let me sit for a few minutes. I’m already feeling better.”

Tony narrowed his eyes and sighed. “Whaddaya think, Nat, Clint?”

“I think it’s a dumb idea. But how should we know what works for him? Let him try. You can always suit up and sweep him off his feet if he starts swooning.”

“Ugh, Ms. Romanoff. Seriously?” the offended teenager protested.

“Yeah, it doesn’t hurt to try. Let him rest for a bit, and we’ll see how he does,” Clint said, not sounding confident in his answer. The archer turned to glare at Peter. “But you’d better tell us if you’re still feeling unsteady.”

“Yeah, yeah. Of course.” 

“Of course, nothing,” Tony said, joining him in staring the kid down. “That trail is not worth messing with. I’d rather have to juggle some attention and publicity any day than have to pick your sticky self off the side of the mountain after you slip and fall.” 

Tony didn’t give voice to the less likely, but still possible outcome. He was pretty sure he was going to end up flying the kid back down to the Lodge, but he might as well let him feel like they were giving him a chance to pull it together. Teenagers were so sensitive, and maybe Peter’s super-healing was kicking in. Nat was right. They didn’t have any experience with this, but Peter usually burned through regular sickness at superhuman speeds, when he even got sick, which was rare. 

“Okay. Thirty minutes, unless you start feeling worse. But I want you to eat and drink something, and stay down and rest the whole time,” Tony said. 

“Sure, sure,” Peter said, obediently pulling out a granola bar. He was looking at it doubtfully, though. Was he really feeling better, or was he just putting on a front?

“C’mon kids, take your pictures. Let’s get this done and get Peter back down to the Lodge,” Clint said.

“Guys, I’m fine. Just enjoy!”

He did look like he was feeling better, and had some color back in his cheeks. Hopefully it was a momentary thing.

Chapter Text

Thirty minutes had passed and Peter seemed to be in good spirits. He had stayed down, and had nibbled at the granola bar, and even laughed at Cooper and Lila’s antics as they felt braver on the outcropping. Clint was less amused at their attempts to get the best vantage points, and kept growling at them to stay back from the edges.

“Are you ready to try standing up, Pete?” Tony asked cautiously. He wished the kid would just let him take him down to the valley right now. But he really didn’t want to force it if he was okay. He was a little worried about the uneaten granola bar, though.

“Yeah?” Peter said.

“You don’t sound very certain there, Spider-bite.”

“I’m fine. Give me a hand?”

Tony did, and Peter carefully stood up. He winced slightly.

“What’s wrong?”

“My head still hurts. But I don’t feel dizzy right now. I think I’ll be okay to hike down. We should go, though, before it gets much more crowded.”

“You sure? Cause it would just take a minute to—”

“I’ll be fine, I swear,” Peter said with a little too much bravado.

And he was. At least for about ten minutes. They’d made their way part of the way down the ridge, Peter holding tightly to the chains this time, when it happened. Peter was in front of Tony again, and had been moving steadily, if a little more slowly than usual, when they had to move to the side to let hikers coming up pass them, as etiquette dictated. Tony looked down at his watch, where he’d just received a return text from Helen. Apparently she was up even though it was late. He’d sent her a brief explanation of what was going on and what assumptions they were operating under, since she was basically Peter’s general practitioner.

One minute Peter was standing in front of him as they waited, and the next he suddenly swayed and lurched sideways, falling. 

“Peter!”

Tony dropped as well, reaching out in vain for the boy who had plunged about six feet down to the next bit of mountain. Thankfully they weren’t on a sheer cliff where he fell, but if he moved much, he might slip off the side and continue falling. Tony was vaguely aware that Nat and Clint had grabbed onto his waist and were stabilizing him as he reached for Peter. He was nowhere near close enough unless Peter could stand up and grab his hand, but it didn’t stop him from trying.

“He’s not moving. Did he pass out?” Clint’s voice was tight with worry as Nat firmly ordered the other two kids to stay put with Yelena, and for Yelena to keep other hikers back.

Tony couldn’t quite see Peter’s face, but there was bright blood streaked along his temple. For a split second he debated what to do, since he couldn’t figure out how to get down on the small ledge without risking dislodging the teenager. There just wasn’t room to—

“Activate the suit, Stark!” Clint said impatiently.  

Ugh, right. Why hadn’t he done that instinctively?

Peter still wasn’t moving, so Tony quickly pulled back up to his knees, with Nat and Clint helping him, and triggered his bleeding edge suit, minus the helmet. The noise of his repulsors activating finally seemed to reach Peter, who stirred. 

Immediately, Tony was hovering close to the cliff’s edge, carefully scooping the confused kid into his arms. 

“Mr. Stark? What?” Peter’s face was white again, and he leaned his head heavily against Tony’s armored shoulder. 

“I’ve got you, kid,” Tony said soothingly, carefully filtering the panic and anger out of his tone. He dropped down a little further (so as to be more out of view) and looked up at Clint and Nat, who were watching worriedly.

“I’m going to take him down to the Lodge and see if he improves. If not, we’ll plan to get to the plane as soon as you guys get down?” Peter was a little awkward to hold onto with his pack, but Tony didn’t feel his weight much in the suit. It should only take them minutes to get him laying down.

“Yeah, of course. Let us know if we need to hurry, okay?” Natasha said. 

“If it is altitude sickness, just dropping back down a thousand feet or so might help,” Tony said. “And some rest. You guys don’t need to rush unless you hear otherwise from me.”

“Oh my gosh, this is so embarrassing,” Peter muttered, having finally taken stock of his situation.

“Yeah, and just a little bit dangerous,” Tony shot back, a touch of anger creeping in. “Pretty sure you just passed out on a steep climb instead of letting us know you were still feeling off.”

“Oh. Sorry! I really thought I was okay, but then things were kinda spinny again, and I guess I fell?”

“Yeah, you fell, alright. So now you’re headed to bed. Do not pass go, do not collect $200.”

“Mr. Stark,” Peter protested softly, sheepishly.

“Kid, you scared the living daylights out of me.” Tony hugged him a little closer.

“Sorry. I really thought I was okay.”

“How do you feel now? Truth.”

“Head hurts. Dizzy. Trying not to throw up on you.”

Tony’s eyes widened nervously at that. “What’s that Star Wars quote? ‘Do or do not; there is no try ?’”

“Hey, you got it right! Just for that, I’ll give you some warning if it’s gonna happen.” As distasteful as the conversation was, Tony was glad to hear a bit of snark make its way back into the teen’s voice.

“You do that,” he said dryly, settling carefully to the ground. Now to get inside quickly before too many people noticed him. Thankfully this suit could be nearly silent when he was careful. It was possible that no one even saw him land behind their building.

“FRIDAY, anyone out front?”

“Not at the moment, Boss.”

“Can you activate the door without my key card? It’s in my pack, which is either with Clint or still on the mountain...”

“I’m feeling a little offended that you have to ask that.”

“I can walk, you know,” Peter said, sounding indignant.

“That’s what you said last time,” Tony muttered darkly.

Peter just sighed as Tony quickly rounded the corner and touched his wrist to the key card reader. It clicked open, and Tony hustled inside, gently depositing Peter on the far bed. 

“Actually,” Peter said, “I think I’d better—” He stumbled abruptly up to his feet and into the bathroom. Oh, crap. Apparently he’d lasted as long as he could. 

 ┈┈┈┈┈┈🕸┈┈┈┈┈┈ 

A little over an hour later, Clint checked in with Tony and found him sitting upright in the far bed, working through some e-mails on his phone. Peter was curled up next to him, wrapped in a blanket, head (and shoulder and hip, actually) carefully bandaged, with his nose buried in the side of Tony’s leg. Tony’s arm was draped lightly against the boy’s back, and Peter was snoring very softly.

“How is he?” Clint asked, brow wrinkled in concern. “Do we need to pack up?”

“Not right now. Ironically, just before Peter fell, I guess Helen texted to tell me that according to data we gathered recently, Peter’s at high risk for his body’s version of altitude sickness. The extra activity and hiking even higher just made it hit kinda hard.”

“Oh, crap.”

“Yeah. He was pretty sick, but managed to eat and drink a little, and take some of his painkillers before he fell asleep. I talked to Helen, and she said if he’s not quite a bit better by this afternoon, it would be best to come home.”

“You might want to make that decision sooner, rather than later,” Clint said. There’s a pretty big storm building, from what it looks like. Probably won’t hit until mid- to late-afternoon though, according to the forecast.

“Good to know. Hopefully he’ll wake up feeling better.”

“Yeah. I’ll tell the kids to be ready in case we need to leave. But for now, we’re going to go get some lunch. You guys want us to bring something back?”

“Yeah, that’d be good, in case he wakes up hungry. Steak or chicken and fries, or anything with lots of protein and carbs for him. Maybe a sandwich for me.”

Clint left and Tony sighed, tightening his hand on Peter’s back for a moment. Sure, Spider-man was “sticky,” but apparently that didn’t help him when he was unconscious. Tony leaned his head back against the headboard, trying hard to think of anything except about how close he’d come to serious injury or death today. Theoretically he knew Peter had faced scarier circumstances during patrols, but he tried not to think about those either. And he worked really hard at separating “Peter” and “Spider-man” in his head whenever possible, as Peter had asked him to do.

But today he’d seen “just Peter,” his kid , fall, and lay so, so still. And it wasn’t an image he’d get out of his head quickly. He almost wanted to just whisk him back to the nearly-sea-level that was New York City before even finding out if he felt better. If altitude sickness was even the problem. But Helen seemed to think it was the most likely explanation.

As Peter slept for the next two hours, Tony busied himself working on Peter’s suit design. He’d been tweaking the kids’ own bleeding edge nanotech suit for a year now, and it was probably time to add some final coding and features and start testing. He didn’t like to think about “Spider-man” stuck somewhere with lower oxygen content and his body literally running out of air. The nanotech could totally be designed to pull extra oxygen out of the air for him when needed, or even filter outside air, like Tony’s suit could do. There were so many useful, protective applications for such a function. 

He felt Peter shift next to him, and the boy rolled over onto his back, groaning slightly. Sleep-addled brown eyes blinked up at him in confusion.

“Hey, Evil Knievel. How ya feelin’?” Tony waved his hand to minimize the holo projection back into his phone.

“Um, I don’t know.”

“Head? Stomach?”

“Head’s a little fuzzy, but okay, maybe? And I think I’m hungry?”

“Good signs.”

Tony moved his arm down to ruffle the side of Peter’s hair lightly, and the sleepy teenager leaned into his hand. 

“Clint brought some food earlier. It’s probably not hot anymore, but there’s a microwave. You want to try sitting up and eating?”

“I think so.”

“Then if you’re up for it, you have a few friends who have been bored out of their minds for the last couple hours while you were playing Sleeping Beauty.”

“Coop and Lila?”

“Mmm-hmm. Let’s see if we get to spend another night here in the quiet, or if we need to get you down out of the mountains.”

 ┈┈┈┈┈┈🕸┈┈┈┈┈┈ 

Hours later, after Peter had eaten a full lunch (as well as all the snacks in his pack and an armful of junk food from the vending machine,) Tony could hear the three teenagers talking and laughing inside. 

Yelena had headed back to wherever she’d mysteriously appeared from shortly before the clouds had broken, and the rest of them had watched the downpour from the relative dryness of the cabin-ish porch. They were used to long, rainy days sometimes in New York, but this storm had been short and violent in comparison. Clint had said it was “monsoon season,” according to their waiter at lunch, and the rain’s accompanying thunder and lightning had been impressive as it echoed through the walls of the large canyon. 

Peter had been excited, but had needed to dig out his noise canceling earbuds to help it keep from becoming overwhelming. He had also curled up against Tony’s side on the porch during the storm, reminding Tony of that first storm they’d spent together in the penthouse, before Tony had known Peter as well as he did now. But even then, the kid had accepted and appreciated his comfort and help filtering out the overwhelming thunder and dealing with the associated anxiety. Storms no longer seemed to bother Peter as much, but he’d grown a lot since then, in every way possible. Actually, the two of them barely fit on the two-person bench seat.

After he’d eaten and rested, Peter did seem to feel better. His color was back, and his head wasn’t bothering him anymore (with some help from his personalized analgesics). He’d begged to try staying one more night before they headed home, and since it was his birthday trip, and since neither Helen nor Bruce thought he was in any danger at this point, they’d decided to stay.

Clint, Natasha, and Tony sat quietly on the porch as the trees dripped excess water into the gravel and grass around them, and people were starting to move around outside in the storm’s aftermath. 

“Any more noise on the internet about Iron Man, FRI?” Tony asked quietly.

“It seems to be dying down, Boss. There weren’t enough people who actually saw you to make a big deal about it.”

“It’s pretty miraculous that no one saw you land or come inside though,” Clint said, sipping his drink.

“It’s true,” Nat said. “That was very lucky. It’s also very lucky how the first-hand accounts can’t seem to gain much viewership online.”

“I saw you working your dark magic on your laptop during lunch, Nat,” Clint said appreciatively. “I have no idea how you do what you do, but it’s effective.”

“It’s not a huge deal either way,” Tony said, stretching his neck a little. Even though he’d just hiked up, and not down, which had saved his knees, he was going to be a little sore. “But I do appreciate your efforts, and FRIDAY’s, at keeping it as quiet as possible. I don’t want any extra attention drawn to Peter in close quarters with Avengers. Not if we want to keep his identity secret.”

“Which we do!” the little eavesdropper shouted from inside the room.

“How ‘bout you be a little more careful your self , then?” Tony called back challengingly. Peter didn’t respond, and all three adults smiled knowingly at his silence. The kid was going to have to get better at hiding his abilities, or at least having a little more self-awareness. There were so many people who knew now, that it was sometimes hard for him to remember to hide it in mixed company, or in settings he was comfortable in.

Tony sat quietly for a few minutes, just staring at such a different landscape, and enjoying the relatively cool air that had followed the storm. 

“Does it ever get easier?” he finally asked, very softly, hoping Peter was too busy to listen in. The kids were laughing pretty loudly inside.

“What, having a piece of your heart walking around outside your body?” Clint asked insightfully.”

Tony sighed, caught. “Yeah. That.”

“I’ll let you know if it does. I thought it would be easier as they got older and I didn’t have to protect them from the world quite so much,” Clint said.

Nat chimed in. “But now there are so many things you can’t always protect them from. Friends calling it quits. Unrequited crushes. Bullies at school. Heartache stuff, that can’t be fixed with a few kisses and band-aids, right?” She wasn’t the Barton kids’ parent, but it sounded like she knew exactly what Clint was talking about.

“Yeah. All that is hard. And the world is still dangerous, but I can’t be physically holding their hand all the time, you know?”

“Intimately. This particular piece of my heart seems insistent at throwing himself into harm’s way, both on purpose and accidentally. I can’t possibly protect him from everything. But I can’t seem to stop trying.”

“There’s such a balance to figure out as they get older, and you came into it right as all that started shifting to the independent stage,” Clint said. “It can’t be easy.”

“It’s not.”

“But he’s still lucky to have you in his life, and I think you do as good of a job as any of us can,” Clint said. “It’s hard to watch them start to spread their wings. Especially when they make dumb decisions sometimes. But you’ve still got to let them.”

“Wow, Barton. Unexpected depth, there,” Tony deflected with a playful nudge of his shoulder.

It was nice to be back with people. With his people. Even if he felt he’d be holding back some trust for a long time, it was good to be able to share space and conversation with these two again.

“Yeah, yeah. Hey, Coop? Lila? Let’s go clean up for dinner. You guys want to eat in like 15 minutes? Happy’s meeting us here, right?

He was, along with some extra nutrients for Peter that Helen had suggested, as well as some portable oxygen, which she thought might help make sure he avoided symptoms through the night. He wasn’t going to love that, but Tony didn’t really care at this point.

The requisite grumbling ensued, but Clint, Nat, and the Barton kids were on their way within five minutes. Tony and Peter watched them go, and Peter sidled up next to him. The kid was barefoot, and Tony still had his shoes on, which made Peter seem more the height he’d been a few years ago, and Tony felt a wave of nostalgia. The boy had been terrifyingly danger-prone even then, but Tony had felt like he could protect him more easily then.

“Hey.”

“Hey, yourself.”

Peter didn’t say anything else, so Tony grabbed his elbow and pulled him back down onto the little wicker loveseat-or-whatever-it-was. “What gives, Underoos?”

“To-ny,” Peter sighed. He accepted a few other nicknames, but still protested that one. “I just… hey, I’m sorry I scared you today. I’m sorry I didn’t realize I was that lightheaded and sick. I should have let you fly me down.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. I was just… embarrassed, and really though I could do it, you know? It should have been no big deal.”

“But it was.”

“It was, and I’m sorry. I’ll try to be more careful. I heard you guys talking, and—”

“I was afraid of that. Do you ever not hear when we’re talking about you?” Tony asked ruefully.

“Sometimes. I was probably listening today. I knew you were upset, and I was worried about you.”

“I’m okay, bud.”

“But I know it’s hard on you, all the dangerous stuff I do, still, and I don’t mean to worry you.”

“You know I trust your judgment.”

Peter leaned back to give him a doubtful look.

“Ninety percent of the time. But that other 10% keeps me up at night.”

“But you’re always there to help me figure it out, and work out the hard stuff, and sometimes to catch me when I fall.”

“Yeah, I guess I’ve just gotten used to having you around. It would be a pain to train another intern, you know?”

Peter scoffed. “Yeah, I know.”

“Should we go to dinner?”

“Yep.” Peter jumped up and went in to get his shoes on. He re-emerged a few minutes later and they started walking over to the next building to meet Clint and company.

“Hey Tony?” Peter said, roughly bumping his shoulder against the older man’s before they stepped up on the porch to collect their friends.

“Yeah, Pete?”

“Love you, too.”

Surprised, not by the declaration, but by the timing, Tony glanced over at Peter, whose face was a mix of sincerity and amusement.

“I know. Thanks,” he said, sparing a quick quirk of a smile for his kid. “How about you show it by staying 100% out-of-trouble for the rest of your birthday trip?”

“Hey, this is my birthday, shouldn’t I be getting the gift?”

“Having me in your life is your gift.”

This time Peter’s face bloomed into a full-on grin as he knocked on the door.

“It sure is. I’m the luckiest. If you look up “blessed” in the dictionary, there will be a picture of me, just because of that.”

“Punk.”

“Helicopter parent.”  (Tony huffed a protest at that one.)

“Problem child.”

“All right, you two, let’s play nice,” Nat said dryly, stepping out between them.

“Peter started it.”

“Nah, you’re the one who came and dragged me off to Germany a couple years ago. Kicking and screaming.”

“You’re right, this is all on me.”

“Dang right it is,” Peter snapped back, a twinkle in his eye, as they started walking.

“Best mistake I ever made.”