Chapter Text
Prologue
Peter Stark was born on the 10th of August, 2004 at exactly 2:00 in the afternoon, almost four months before his due date. He was so small; he could barely fit in his father’s palm. The birth was unexpected on everyone especially Mary Fitzpatrick, who by all accounts should have survived and delivered baby Peter at the right time if not for the accident. She was supposed to meet Peter’s father for the first time since his conception when a drunk teen driver T-boned her car rental. The fact that Peter survived at all was a miracle itself.
Mary Fitzpatrick and Tony Stark weren’t a couple but they were good friends since they were children. Being Jarvis’s niece, it was almost impossible for Tony and Mary not to get along whenever he visited England or she visited America. As they got older, their friendship had other benefits too. Friends sometimes have sex. That’s normal. It’s not like they both have time for relationships anyway. Mary was the head of a biochemical research team in England and Tony had Stark Industries. Plus, Mary lived in London while Tony locks himself in his lab in Malibu. They both knew it would never work between them.
So, when Mary called him one night panicking about how she missed her period and was having symptoms, Tony was just as frantic. They were always careful when they have sex. But they’re also both scientific people who know birth control pills don’t always work. A quick pregnancy test (or five) later, they realized things are about to change drastically.
Regular calls and text messages were exchanged. Tony wasn’t ready to be a parent, and neither was Mary. Abortion was on the table for a few days until they finally decided on going through the pregnancy and raise their child as co-parents. She was her best friend, and there was no way Tony was going to leave her to fend for herself, no matter that Mary’s the most independent human being he knows.
As much as Tony wanted Mary to come to America as soon as possible, she had responsibilities in London. Just a few more months, Mary decided, and she’ll come to America. She’s already accepted an offer in New York. Everything was supposed to be fine.
Tony was supposed to meet her at the airport, but Obie suddenly dumped a billion-dollar deal meeting on him. He tried to wiggle his way out, yet his godfather always knew how to make him do things.
That was his first big mistake.
When he received the call from the hospital, he was still in the boring meeting. Tony hadn’t moved for what felt like hours until Pepper, his assistant, all but slapped him back to attention.
And then he ran.
She died on the operating table, they said. They had to remove the baby via cesarian. Mary, bloodied and mangled, had taken a single look at her son, smiled, and breathed her last. All the doctors and nurses thought the baby wouldn’t survive as well. Premature babies at only 24 weeks rarely do. Premature babies at 24 weeks whose mother had been in a car accident was almost unbelievable.
But the baby did. Survive, that is. He was immediately brought to the NICU under strict observation from the best Neonatologists in the world. One would be if the father of the child is possibly the richest man in America.
Tony screamed and raged when he was told about Mary. He demanded the drunk bastard who killed his best friend and the mother of his son be sent to him so he could kill him himself. Those who heard him felt bad for thinking the kid was lucky he died on the spot, for having the infamous Merchant of Death bid his demise would be way worse.
Right then and there, Tony decided he was never touching a single drop of alcohol again.
The first time he caught sight of his son, Tony fell on his knees and cried for what felt like hours. There he was, unable to breathe on his own but looking so goddamn beautiful. He was told he couldn’t hold his son for a while because his immune system was basically nonexistent. He was about the size of his own hand, but Tony knew his kid will be bigger than the whole world when he grows up. If he grows up, Tony thought painfully.
And still, against all odds, his son survived. Tony was able to touch the nameless baby through a pair of gloves. He cried for another hour.
Obie took care of Mary’s funeral. She wanted to be cremated when she died because she hated people looking at her dead body in a coffin. Tony was lucid enough to demand Obie follow it through. Two weeks after the accident, Tony reluctantly left his son in the hospital to take Mary’s ashes back to London where her distraught family was waiting.
She was an only child, but she had two cousins: one named May who was married to a man named Ben, and David Jarvis who Tony still believes is part of the MI6. They dumped her ashes on the ground where her parents were buried and sang her favorite song, Blackbird. And then Tony crumpled to the ground, David squeezing his shoulders in solidarity.
May told her Mary wanted their son to be named Peter Anthony. It was supposed to be a surprise. She would have told him in person.
And so, Tony named their boy, Peter Anthony Stark. Just like what Mary wanted.
It was the worst month of Tony’s life. Far worse than when his parents died in a similar manner. The separation from his son had given him the chance to finally think for once. It was a bad idea. Once he started thinking, he couldn’t stop.
It was his fault. If he’d only picked her up, she wouldn’t have died. If only he didn’t make his father mad before his parents left for Bahamas, his dad wouldn’t have been so distracted and crashed the car. He was poison. Everyone he cared for died because of him. He couldn’t let that happen to Peter. His precious son won’t be tainted by his curse. He had to do something before that happens.
That was his second big mistake.
Peter Anthony Stark was released from the hospital six months after the accident. But instead of being taken home to the Stark Mansion in Malibu, Peter was flown straight to London.
Tony had done it. He spent every single day with Peter in the NICU, relishing on the counted days he had with his son. And then he begged May to look after Peter for him, telling her all sorts of reasons ranging from being too busy with SI to focus on his son and Peter needing a connection to his mother. May didn’t believe a single word out of Tony but promised all the same. She knew Tony Stark since they were kids. And she knew Tony loves Peter with all his heart, but was afraid. May thought Tony only needed time to grieve.
Yet a year passed and Tony didn’t take Peter back. Sure, he visited frequently, sent toys and expensive baby equipment almost weekly. On Peter’s birthday, he spent the whole day staring at Peter from afar with so much pain. How can he not be in pain when the day his son was born was the day his best friend died.
The thing was, Tony never held Peter no matter how much May pleaded. No matter how much Peter cried for his father. Tony would always shy away and insist he didn’t want to make Peter sick with his germs.
True to his word, Tony stopped drinking. It wasn’t easy. Sometimes, Tony almost picked up another bottle, but one look at Peter’s photo on his desk had him throw the expensive scotch on the wall. Instead, he spent more and more time in the lab, getting lost in between projects. Obie loved the new Tony. Pepper and Rhodey were concerned for their friend.
It became a routine for Tony: bury himself in his work, clean up and fly to London for a visit, come back to Malibu distraught, and then work again. The pictures of Peter May send him every day was the only thing keeping Tony afloat.
But when Peter grew older, it was getting harder and harder for Tony to leave. His son was asking questions now, wondering why daddy has to go away again and again. Tony couldn’t handle seeing his baby cry every time he leaves. It would be easier just to take Peter back to Malibu and raise him himself, but Tony was adamant to keep his distance lest he put his son to harm. Instead, he cut down the visits to twice a year: Peter’s birthday and Christmas day.
It was hard, but things became easier. Tony learned to deal with the pain.
Peter is a smart boy.
At four years old, he knows his daddy didn’t want him around. His aunt and uncles always say his daddy loves him so much, and that he is just busy with work across the pond. Daddy sends him toys and books every Sunday since forever, but he only ever sees him during his birthday and on Christmas. Daddy always looks sad when he looks at Peter.
Peter doubts his daddy loves him that much. If he did, he would be with him now. His friend’s daddy also works a lot but Mike tells him his daddy comes home to kiss him and ruffle his hair every night before bed. Peter’s daddy never even kissed his head once.
Even then, even if his daddy doesn’t love him, Peter loves his daddy a whole lot. He knows his daddy is very smart and is the boss of Stark Industries. Peter sees him on the TV more than he sees him in person. He wants to be like his daddy when he grows up because his daddy is the coolest and smartest person in the world!
All year he prepares for the two days his daddy comes to visit. He made sure he does very well in school and earn as many stars as he can to show his daddy. The special suit he’ll be wearing for his birthday or Christmas hangs inside a separate closet, ironed and dusted every week. He cleans his room and arranges his toys to a near perfection. He even practices his words and greetings in front of a mirror every morning the week before daddy comes to visit.
It was all worth it in Peter’s eyes when his daddy comes inside his room and pats his head softly when he sees all the art paper cut-out stars displayed on Peter’s desk. It’s worth it when his daddy has this small secret smile whenever Peter reintroduces all his stuffies and action figures. His daddy doesn’t say a lot when he visits but Peter is just thankful he does.
And when Peter has to go to the doctor again the very next day for another test, he doesn’t feel so scared anymore.
It’s a common concern inside the Parker-Stark household that little Peter is not the healthiest kid in the world. There’s a virus going around the city, for sure Peter gets it. No matter how May and Ben try to bubble wrap their nephew, Peter just seems to get sick a lot. His asthma flares up even from just running after a butterfly in the park. His lungs work their barest minimum, and his heart isn’t as strong as it should be. Being born as premature as he was, it’s not really a surprise to everyone.
Having Tony Stark as his father can only do so much. Tony paid for the best emergency medical equipment installed in the Stark townhouse, put up the most expensive air purifiers, and bought nothing but hypoallergenic furniture and toys for Peter. But still, it wasn’t enough for the little boy to stay healthy.
Peter has to have biweekly check-ups with his pediatrician. Sometimes, when he’s feeling particularly drained, Dr. Samson makes him do an echo or a blood test. He hates blood tests the most because needles hurt him.
Today, though, Peter didn’t have to do the blood tests. Dr. Samson stuck tapes to his chest and his back again but it was fine because those tests didn’t hurt. The big noisy machine also didn’t hurt, but he always finds it hard to stay still. It was fine. Peter would rather stay still than be stuck with needles again.
The aged man didn’t have the smile on his face like he normally does, and Peter didn’t like seeing his favorite doctor sad. After the test, May and Dr. Samson made him play in the waiting room while they have their adult talk. Peter wished he was allowed in those, even if he really liked the Lego sets Dr. Samson keeps in his shelf for Peter.
Aunt May is sad when they left the room. She has a smile on for Peter, but Peter knew those weren’t real because her lips wobbled like she wanted to cry. Whatever Dr. Samson said must be bad.
No one told Peter anything. When they got home, Aunt May made him nap in his room even though his nap time isn’t for another two hours. She only ever makes him do that when she needed to talk to Uncle Ben in private. Peter is a good kid. He doesn’t eavesdrop.
So, he didn’t know his heart was failing him. Peter didn’t know he’ll need to have an open-heart surgery to patch the hole in his heart. It’s putting too much stress on the organ, and his lungs are getting affected. They can’t afford to wait until Peter’s older anymore.
“Got a family?”
“Yes, and I will see them when I leave here. And you, Stark?”
“A son. His name is Peter. I haven’t seen him for a while. I… I don’t think he really knows me.”
“Why is that?”
“Kept my distance. That sort of thing. He’s much better without me. Peter… he’s perfect, you know? Didn’t want to taint him with all this shit. Better keep him uh, away.”
“So you’re a man who has everything… and nothing.”
…
“Hey, I’m gonna go buy you some time!”
“Stick to the plan! Yinsen!”
…
“This was always the plan, Stark.”
…
“My family is dead. I’m going to see them now.”
…
“Don’t waste it. Don’t waste your life.”
The sound of military choppers whooshing had Tony nearly sob in relief. He has been walking in the barren desert for what felt like days. He thought he would die even after escaping his kidnappers. The only thing that kept him alive was the thought of seeing his son again.
At the sight of his best friend, Tony pushed his body to meet him halfway.
“Rhodey! Rhodey, please! Peter!” He pleaded; voice hoarse from the dryness of his throat.
“God, Tony! Let’s get you outta here!” Rhodey exclaimed, not hearing Tony’s words.
Tony let himself be helped up onto a gurney, too exhausted to resist. There was a medic on board who immediately looked over his burns and injuries. Rhodey was barking orders through his comms and trying to get them to the nearest hospital.
And yet Tony didn’t care one bit.
“Rhodey! Where’s Peter? Where’s my son?” Tony pleaded again. This time, he was heard loud and clear.
“Tony,” the Air Force colonel started, looking at the billionaire with concern and something else he couldn’t decipher, “Peter… he’s with May and Ben.”
Tony shook his head. He knows that. Peter was never without May and Ben. “I need to see him! Please, Rhodey! I need to see my son.”
Rhodey seemed anxious, though Tony was too distracted to notice. “Soon, Tones. Soon. I promise.”
When they got to a hospital in Kabul, Tony was taken directly to surgery. His chest suffered damages from the explosions and while Yinsen did a nearly perfect job keeping the shrapnel away from Tony’s heart, it had to be removed immediately.
It took the doctors twelve hours to declare Tony Stark’s condition stable and another two days for him to be safe to transport back to the US. All the while, Rhodey was wracking his mind with how he could deliver the news to Tony without putting him in a panic.
“Yes, Pep. He’s cleared for transfer. We’re flying back home tonight,” Rhodey said over the phone as he paced back and forth inside Tony’s room. The sound of machines beeping keeping him grounded.
“That’s great. May will be glad, too. Peter… he’s not doing great. They don’t think he’ll… Rhodey, what if…” Pepper stuttered. Her voice hitching as if trying to stop a sob from escaping.
Rhodey sighed and paused his pacing. His eyes closed and his heart broke for the hundredth time since finding out the news. “Pepper, he doesn’t know about Peter.”
“What about Peter?” Tony’s rough voice interrupted behind him.
Freezing, Rhodey mentally cursed. “I gotta call you back,” he said before ending the call. He turned to his best friend who was already looking at him with furious eyes.
“Tony…”
“James Rupert Rhodes, I’m asking you, what about Peter?”
And so Rhodey told him. He told him about May calling Pepper just two days after Tony disappeared and cried about the doctor’s prognosis. About Peter’s health decline and subsequent surgery. He told him everything. They were all at their wits end dealing with the kidnapping of one Stark and the health of another.
“He’s in a coma, Tones, I’m so sorry.”
And Tony… Tony cried.
Chapter 2
Notes:
Warning: mentions of cancer and death of a child
Chapter Text
PETER’S HEART
CHAPTER 2
Every time the doorbell rings, Peter secretly hopes that it’s daddy coming for a surprise visit.
It never is.
One— because daddy never knocks. He’s got his own keys with a bright red Tamagotchi keychain. Peter loves to play with them whenever he can, and when his daddy found out, he gave Peter his own blue one.
And two— because his daddy never makes surprise visits, even when he’s in the country. Daddy always calls Peter’s Aunt May.
Still, Peter hopes it’s daddy.
Uncle Ben opened the door because Peter’s not allowed, even though he’s just sitting at the bottom of the staircase near the foyer playing with the T-Rex Lego set he got from Uncle David. It wasn’t daddy on the porch but a tall man Peter has never seen before. He’s a little disappointed, but not really surprised.
He tuned out the conversation between the man and his uncle. It wasn’t interesting enough for Peter. He’s got enough to worry about– like how to attach his T-Rex’s arm on. He seems to be missing a piece. He spent the next couple of minutes picking up and examining Lego pieces one by one.
“Peter, darling? Can you come here for a second?” his Aunt’s voice called for Peter before he could find the missing Lego. The child huffed but carefully stood from where he was kneeling, dusting his hands on his shorts— a force of habit. He glanced down to where his unfinished T-Rex was lying and frowned when he realized he might not get to finish it before lunchtime.
Peter found his Aunt and Uncle in the sitting room with the tall man from the porch. He went to stand next to his Aunt’s chair without speaking, only tapping her arm in greeting. He’s always been shy, especially around new people.
“Peter, do you remember when we said we’re going to meet another doctor for you?” His Aunt asked him softly, holding Peter’s hand in between hers. Peter nodded. Dr. Samson told him he has a friend who can make him feel better for a long time.
“We’d like you to meet Dr. Parker,” his Aunt continued.
Peter’s eyes widened, and he looked at the tall man more carefully. “Dr. Parker? Like uhm, you and Uncle Ben?”
Uncle Ben laughed next to his Aunt. “We just have the same name, buddy. Dr. Parker is from New York. You know where New York is, right?”
Peter nodded again, smiling. His daddy was born in New York. He wants to go there when he’s all better.
“That’s right,” Dr. Parker told him, leaning a little bit forward to look at Peter, “Hello Peter. It’s nice to meet you.”
“Nice to meet you, too,” Peter responded shyly. Dr. Parker smiled at him. He’s got a nice smile, Peter thought.
Turns out, Dr. Parker knew Peter’s daddy. When he asked if they were friends, the man told Peter ‘we could call it that’ and grinned at Aunt May and Uncle Ben. Peter might only be four but he understands a joke well enough. Dr. Parker and daddy might not be friends, but Peter could be. He’s good at making friends.
The adults in the room talked about a lot of things that flew over Peter’s head. As far as Peter knows, Dr. Parker would be helping Dr. Samson in making him feel better. They didn’t say much about how they’ll do it. They never do when Peter’s around.
Dr. Parker didn’t stay for too long. He has to check into his hotel, he said. He smiled at Peter again and promised to do his best. Peter thanked him even though he didn’t really understand. It seemed like the right response at that time.
Then it was lunch time. His T-Rex didn’t get finished until supper.
—
Two days after Dr. Parker came to visit, Peter saw him again in Dr. Samson’s office. It was a test-day. Peter hates test-days. He has to get blood drawn and lots of staying still inside the big noisy machines.
The only great thing about test-days is that he gets to see some of his friends from the hospital. Tests mean he has to stay for a night or two in the hospital which means he gets to play with the other kids in the playroom. Some of his friends won’t be around at the same time as him but there were also some who do, like Michael. Peter calls him Mikey. Mikey is a couple of years older than him and has a little sister named Jane. He doesn’t have hair and always wears the funniest hats Peter has ever seen in his life. Mikey lets him borrow them sometimes.
“Peter! Have you seen the new Toy Story movie?” Mikey yelled as soon as he saw Peter in the hallway. Technically, they weren’t allowed to make lots of noises but the nurses in their floor never scolds them about it.
Peter grinned and nodded. “Yeah. Uncle Ben took me to the pictures. It was awesome!”
The older boy’s smile widened. “Mummy took me and Harry to see it last week.”
Peter was just about to say something about how Lotso is a big meanie when Aunt May tapped his shoulder. Peter looked up to see his aunt smile at him and Mikey.
“Hey, Michael. How are you doing, honey?”
Mikey grinned and took off his Batman hat. “Look! My hair’s growing back.”
Peter gasped and put his hands over his mouth. It looks a little fuzzy, and he has never seen Mikey with hair before— even just a little bit.
Aunt May knelt next to them and gave Mikey a hug. She always gives the best ones. “That’s so great, honey! I’m so excited for you!”
Peter was excited for Mikey, too. He knew that hair growing back meant Mikey’s getting better. Peter didn’t really understand why not having hair makes people sick. One of Uncle Ben’s friends didn’t have hair either but he wasn’t sick. Maybe it’s just bad for kids. May told him that Mikey (and Alana and Alec) has a disease called cancer. Peter doesn’t have it because he still has all of his hair, but he does have what Dr. Samson calls Congenital Heart Defect. He knows how to say it too. Peter practiced saying it a lot so he’ll know what to say when he’s asked why he’s always sick.
Peter and Mikey went to play for a while in Peter’s room while Aunt May and Mikey’s mummy talked outside. He brought with him the new RC cars his daddy sent last Sunday.
“Are you here for the tests?” Mikey asked after they decided to have a quick snack break. They were laying on the carpet, munching on the pretzels Mikey’s mummy gave them.
“Uh-huh. Dr. Samson made me use the big noisy machine twice,” Peter shared with a pout.
“Ohh, an MRI! I liked those tests. Way better than lumbar ones. I really hate those,” Mikey huffed, “it hurts a lot and the table is always cold.”
Peter frowned and turned to look at his friend. “I haven’t had those tests. Do I hafta get one?”
Mikey shook his head. “I don’t think so. You have that heart thing, right? Mummy says the lumbar puncture is for testing if I still have to get chemo.”
“Oh,” Peter sighed in a little bit of relief. He didn’t like missing any of his tests even if he hated some of them. Aunt May says his daddy is really proud of him for being so brave on his hospital visits.
“Yeah. What’s they gonna do to you now, anyway? Do you have to be inside the clean room again?”
Peter made a face. He still remembers how boring the clean room was. He wasn’t allowed to do anything. Well, he really couldn’t do much that time because he wasn’t feeling very good at all. But still, it was really boring. His aunt and uncle couldn’t even come inside the room without having to wear those big white costumes.
“No. I don’t know. I heard them say something ‘bout surgery,” Peter shrugged. He didn’t mean to eavesdrop but Dr. Parker forgot to close the door when he and Dr. Samson talked after one of his tests.
Mikey sat up and looked at Peter with wide eyes. “You’re gonna have surgery?”
“I guess,” Peter shrugged again, “have you had one?”
“Yeah! Like a few months ago. Remember when I told you I might not come back to play anymore? Dr. Wilson gave me a surgery to remove the cancer from my kidney.”
“They’ll remove it from my heart, too?” Peter asked curiously.
Mikey hummed. “Maybe. Don’t worry, Petey. It doesn’t really hurt. I do remember sleeping a lot. I thought I wasn’t gonna come back. Jason— you haven’t met him— he had surgery in his brain and he didn’t come back. Daddy said he had to go to heaven.”
“He died?” Peter gasped. He didn’t wanna die!
Mikey frowned but nodded. “That’s why I thought I wasn’t coming back, too. I even said goodbye to mummy and daddy and Janey.”
“But you’re still here, Mikey. You’re not dead,” said Peter, trying to comfort his friend innocently.
Mikey’s frown turned to a grin. “I know! I’m really happy Dr. Wilson got all the cancer out.”
Peter grinned back, but then realized something that made his stomach turn. “If I hafta have surgery, do I hafta say goodbye too?”
His friend tilted his head and tapped on his chin like he was thinking very deeply. “I guess so. It’s not very nice to leave without saying goodbye.”
Peter could say goodbye to Aunt May and Uncle Ben and Uncle David easily. They’re always around. His daddy, though. Peter has no idea how to say goodbye to his daddy. He only visits a couple of times and he just had his birthday visit. Christmas is still so far away.
“Daddy might not be here when I hafta get the surgery,” said Peter. He hugged his stuffed penguin to keep himself from feeling very sad.
“Oh,” Mikey responded, sounding a little sad too. “Maybe you can write a letter, or record a message. You know, like one of those videos where people talk to the camera?”
The idea took root from that. Peter was really interested in recording a message for his daddy. Maybe Aunt May can send it to him before the surgery. The letter sounded nice so Peter was gonna do that too. He’s got a lot of awesome pens and paper at home. He doesn’t have a camera, but Mikey said they could borrow from Nurse Gomez or Mikey’s mummy.
They talked about how they’ll record the message and a couple of other things for a while until Mikey’s mummy came back in and said he had to go back to his room.
It took a couple of hours before Mikey came back. His mummy dropped him off Peter’s room again with a warning to behave. They’ll only be outside the door, she said.
“I told mummy we’re making a video for your daddy and she let us borrow her camera,” Mikey told Peter with a big smile, showing him the pink camera. “Do you know what you’re gonna say to your dad?”
Peter nodded. “I guess so. Will you help me make the video?”
The older boy giggled and poked Peter lightly. “‘course I am! I love making videos.”
Peter smiled. Maybe when he’s done making his ‘goodbye message’ to daddy, he’ll make other videos too. It does look like a lot of fun.
—
When May found out her cousin Mary was pregnant with Tony’s child, she almost threw the most massive of fits. She knew Tony well. They all grew up knowing each other. Tony Stark may have been a very good friend of theirs and almost like a baby brother to her, but she also knew he wasn’t ready to be a dad yet.
But Mary didn’t want to hear it. She believed in Tony too much. And regardless, it wasn’t like May had any say in their decisions.
And they both decided to keep the baby. It wasn’t long after that May had begun to fall in love with the idea of a niece or nephew herself. She and Ben couldn’t have children of their own despite the numerous attempts; but with Mary’s child, she could help raise them like her own.
But then the accident came. It threw them all in a state of grief— Tony more than anyone else. And when she saw the man she doubted could be a good father cry at the sight of his son with all the tubes attached to him, May knew then and there that Tony truly loves his son. She was there at every doctor’s appointment watching not only Peter but also how focused Tony was listening to everything he had to do to take care of his baby. How Tony had tears in his eyes every time he was allowed to hold his son. How he never left the NICU even though everyone including herself tried to make him go home and rest. It was like Tony knew nothing else was more important than Peter.
The first month Tony left Peter to her and Ben’s care, May thought it was only because he had things to take care of at his company before he could really become a full-time dad like May knew he wanted to be.
Then the second month came, then the third. And next thing May knows, Peter was officially living with her. Tony visited a whole lot the first one and a half years. He was in London almost every other week, watching Peter but never letting himself get too close. It wasn’t until Peter turned two that the visits became less and less. Peter was starting to notice by then how the man he called ‘dada’ was always leaving. The little boy would cry and cry until he’d pass out every time Tony left. So naturally, Tony decided to cut his visits to a minimum.
They fought— or at least May fought. She fought Tony so hard about him leaving Peter. Even though she would have loved getting full custody of her nephew, it was clear to anyone who knew Tony that nothing was more important to him than his son. Despite it all, Tony never retaliated when May fought him. He took and took it every time until May just… stopped. Peter was nearly four when she gave up nagging Tony Stark. It’s not her job to make the man step up and be a father to his son. It’s her job to make sure Peter does not become a casualty in his dad’s self-loathing. The little boy had enough health problems to deal with alone; adding the emotional turmoil of an absentee father would only cause more tears and heartache.
So when she got Pepper’s call that one Wednesday evening, she hated herself for being a little glad Peter didn’t really know his father very well.
“We promise you, May, we won’t stop looking until we find him,” she heard Pepper’s shaky voice through the call.
May only nodded dumbly, not knowing what to say. The only thought in her mind at that moment was how she’d tell the sleeping 4-year-old upstairs that his father was missing.
“Rhodey is leading the search. They have all the resources at their disposal. In the meantime, please don’t let Peter watch any news. The press release will be tomorrow and we both know this won’t die down easily.”
“I’ll get Ben to keep the telly off for now. Thank you, Pepper. Peter is… he’s not doing very good. I’m afraid if he’ll know his father is in danger, he might get worse. His heart’s already weakening as it is. Another heartbreak might just…”
“I know, May. God help us. Tony’s missing and Peter’s health is not… I don’t know what to do anymore.”
“I haven’t even talked to Tony about Peter’s prognosis yet. He’s supposed to fly straight to London after Afghanistan.”
Pepper’s tired sigh echoed loudly. “Tony made a nightlight for Peter, made it using a new power source or something so it won’t ever go out. He showed it to me and Rhodey. He plans on giving it to Peter when he visits.”
May smiled softly despite the tears in her eyes. “Peter told him about the power outage we had last month. He’s a little scared of the dark.” She remembers that. Peter had been extra jolly that day. He always was whenever his father arranged a video call.
“They’ll both be okay, May. They have to be.”
rachelrose31 on Chapter 1 Wed 11 Jun 2025 06:38PM UTC
Comment Actions
sharpieink on Chapter 1 Thu 12 Jun 2025 10:54PM UTC
Comment Actions
MissChispasCM on Chapter 1 Sun 15 Jun 2025 01:09PM UTC
Comment Actions
captainunderpants on Chapter 1 Sat 21 Jun 2025 10:20PM UTC
Comment Actions
Anelim77 on Chapter 1 Mon 30 Jun 2025 09:34AM UTC
Comment Actions
lingdingyang on Chapter 1 Tue 22 Jul 2025 12:35AM UTC
Comment Actions
hannibalslittlemeetball on Chapter 1 Thu 24 Jul 2025 10:57PM UTC
Comment Actions
Aapples on Chapter 1 Sat 02 Aug 2025 12:46PM UTC
Comment Actions
MorenaVra on Chapter 2 Sun 26 Oct 2025 03:23PM UTC
Comment Actions
Petrifiedlilly on Chapter 2 Sun 26 Oct 2025 05:26PM UTC
Comment Actions
Crovieel on Chapter 2 Mon 27 Oct 2025 12:13PM UTC
Comment Actions