Chapter Text
“Are you sure you need to go?” Peter asked his dad while hugging him goodbye, “Maybe you can find someone to cover for you instead?”
Tony hugged his kid tighter, “I have to go but you’re going to be just fine. Rhodey is flying in later tonight to stay with you while I’m gone.”
Peter knew he needed to be okay with this. He was a teenager, and he should be able to handle his dad going on a business trip, except most teenagers hadn’t been dusted away for five years and then come back later to fight an evil villain. And lost their last remaining caregiver. Yeah, nothing about his life screams normal teenager, “Okay. Love you.”
Tony struggled with releasing the hug, but they both needed this. Life had to go back to normal at some point. “Love you too. Don’t be late for school.”
~
Peter hadn’t been late for school. He pushed himself through class after class. He tried to pay attention to Ned and MJ and ignore the way his thoughts went in circles, telling him something bad was going to happen to his dad. He got home and smelled something cooking, “Uncle Rhodey?”
“Hey Pete. I have dinner almost ready. How was school?” Rhodey came out of the kitchen.
“Fine.” Peter hung his backpack by the door and kicked off his shoes, “Do I have time to call dad before we eat?”
“I think he may be in a meeting, but you can try and catch him.” Rhodey tried to figure out what the kid was thinking. His best friend was so good at reading Peter, but Rhodey didn’t have it mastered yet. He just knew something was wrong.
~
“Dad didn’t answer,” Peter told Rhodey while they ate the chicken and wild rice soup his uncle had made for dinner.
“I’m sure he’ll call back.” Rhodey dipped a piece of bread in the soup, “I heard you have a field trip at the end of the week.”
Peter made a disgusted face, “Yeah, to Stark Industries. I live here. How exciting.”
“You could try to make the best of it instead of thinking it’s going to be terrible and boring. You’ll be with your friends at least.” Rhodey didn’t know how his best friend did this. Raising teenagers wasn’t for the weak.
“I guess.” Peter’s phone lit up with Tony’s contact calling him, “Can I?”
“Yes but come back and finish your dinner, please.”
“Dad?” Peter answered with the first smile of the evening, “I miss you.”
“I miss you too. How was school?” Tony wished he was sitting at the dinner table with his kid instead of at a hotel desk with take out.
“Fine.”
“Hmm.”
“What?” Peter rolled his eyes, “You aren’t even here so you can’t act like you think I’m lying.”
“I just want you to tell me if you’re struggling.” Tony took a bite of his orange chicken, “Or Rhodey. He loves to listen to the Stark men whine about their problems.”
“I’m a Parker though.” Peter felt his eyes tear up at the thought of his parents and May.
“I know, Bub. I didn’t mean to imply otherwise.” Tony tried not to push Peter but he loved him like he was his own biological child and sometimes things slipped out.
“Can I skip the field trip coming up?” Peter knew what Tony would say but he had to try.
“No. Nice try though.”
“How was work today?” Peter asked.
“I know you don’t want to hear about work. Just tell me what’s going on, Pete?” Tony was prepared to go home. His kid sounded weird and he hated being too far away to try and figure out what was going on.
Peter shrugged but he knew his dad couldn’t see that.
“Pete?” Tony said softly, “Do you need me to come home? It’s okay if you aren’t ready for me to be gone.”
“No. You can stay there. Rhodey is here. I’ll be okay.”
~
Peter was at school the next day with a headache that made him nauseous. He was trying to listen to his chemistry teacher but he also felt like he might vomit. He laid his head on his desk trying to block everything out.
“Mr. Parker.” Mr. Timothy called out, “This is not nap time.”
Peter groaned and held his head, “Don’t feel good.”
Mr. Timothy sighed, “Go to the nurse.”
Peter gathered his belongings and made his way to the nurse, “Migraine.”
The nurse started to fuss over him, “Poor thing. You haven’t had one in a while. Let me call your aunt.”
Peter felt his face drain of color and had to fight tears.
“I’m so sorry.” Nurse Lilly shook her head, “I didn’t mean too—“
“—My uncle is watching me right now.” Peter sat down on the medical bed, “Can you just call him?”
“I believe he is now listed as your emergency contact. Let me reach out.”
Because May is dead and now Tony moved from secondary contact to first.
~
Nurse Lilly waited until Peter was picked up before reaching out to his father.
“This is Stark.”
“Hello, Mr. Stark. This is Lilly at Peter’s school.”
“Hi.” Tony’s tone softened. The nurse was always kind to Peter, “Is something wrong?”
“Peter was picked up by James Rhodes with a migraine but I actually called to follow up about something else. I was talking with Peter and I slipped up and said I was going to call his aunt. I apologized and he acted like it was no thing but I think it really upset him and I was hoping you could check on him.”
Tony cringed, “Thank you for calling. I’ll check on him tonight.”
~
“How is he?” Tony asked his best friend on the phone that night, “I didn’t want to call him if he was sleeping.”
“He just seems off, Tones.” Rhodey sat on the couch in the room only dimly lit in case Peter came out of his bedroom.
“Senses?”
“Yes, but it’s more than that. It’s like he’s shut down. He says the right things and he doesn’t misbehave but he needs you. I think it’s too soon.” Rhodey had to be honest. If he loved his nephew and he did then he had to put his needs first.
“I’ll work on getting someone to cover for me so I can come home.” Tony would never second guess Rhodey’s call on this. If he said he was needed at home then he was. Point blank.
~
Tony walked into Peter’s bedroom early that morning after a long travel day. Bless Pepper for making this happen. She hadn’t even questioned if he was needed at home. She just jumped into action to get him here. He sat down and ran his fingers through Peter’s curls.
Peter stirred slowly, “Dad?”
“It’s me.” Tony was soon holding a crying teenager, “I’m here. It’s okay.”
Peter shook his head against him, “No, something’s wrong. I don’t know why I don’t feel okay. I’m just broken.”
Tony hugged him tighter. He should have stayed home, “You aren’t broken. I promise. You’ve been through a lot.”
“I don’t feel good. My head hurts.” Peter wiped at his wet cheeks.
Tony put his hand against his kid’s forehead, “You don’t feel warm. Why don’t you lay down. I’ll call you into school.”
Peter laid back down and felt his dad cover him back up and kiss the top of his head. He felt better already.
Tony walked out and found a grinning Rhodey, “What?”
“You’re adorable when he’s sick.”