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2019-06-26
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The Hoodie™

Summary:

The one in which Tony overhears Peter telling his roommate that the MIT hoodie he's wearing is his dads.
The one in which Peter never plans to call Tony 'dad' to his face but the universe has other plans.

Notes:

This work was inspired by a Tumblr post I read yesterday by: tony-wheres-my-supersuit

Link at the bottom!
Follow me on Tumblr at the same username!

I hope you enjoy!

(See the end of the work for more notes.)

Work Text:

Peter is hunched over in his underwear with one leg down his jeans when his roommate comes barrelling through the door. They freeze, eyes locked on the other for a half minute before they both burst out laughing. Harry claps him on the back with a shake of his head as he walks by, causing Peter to stumble forward with a laugh. 

“Jerk,” he teases under his breath. Harry winks at him good-naturedly. They aren’t exactly friends, not yet anyways. Move in day had been a little awkward. Peter had insisted on moving into his dorm room alone, knowing full well that he wouldn’t be able to keep it together if May had been there with him. It hadn’t mattered much, both he and May were emotional as he packed up the latest on the market Jeep Grand Cherokee that Mr. Stark had insisted on getting him upon graduation- To the surprise of literally nobody but Peter. The official move-in day had been only a few weeks prior and as it would turn out his roommate came from a long line of Harvard graduates, which begged the question as to why they were moving their kid into an MIT dorm. They had asked Peter a million and one questions about his future as well as a few questions about his family. The answers to which Peter had kept vague. 

With the initial orientation officially over and classes in full swing Peter Parker’s life up to this point has been a whirlwind of simultaneous excitement and exhaustion . Fortunately, the last several years spent with Tony in the lab until the wee hours of morning (or until Pepper pulled them our kicking and screaming) has prepared him for minimal hours of sleep. UNfortunately, today it is rapidly catching up to him. He’d slept restlessly the night before, texting Tony until nearly 3AM - “Did you know on the last day that you’re allowed to drop classes everyone pushes a piano off of Baker House? Were you part of that when you were here? Hey, how’s Morgan by the way? I miss her. Can you believe May and Happy are together? Is Happy going to propose? You would know and you’re legally obligated to tell me if he is.” - before finally crashing hard. Because of this Peter hadn’t rolled out of bed until mid morning and hadn’t showered until noon, which brings him to the present. Half dressed and unintentionally putting on a show for his roommate. 

“This campus is massive. I mean, I’ve already gotten turned around 3 times today ,” Harry says in amazement as he hauls himself up onto the bed. The two of them had gone out and bought bed risers so they could create lofts after having decided that placing their desks beneath them would leave more floor space for them to work on any projects they had brought from back home. It means Peter has the room he needs to lay out all of his tools so that he can work on his suit whenever Harry is out. And more fortune for Peter, he’s learned early on that his roommate is the party type and as such he’s already had three nights to himself to work. 

East Campus is MIT’s second oldest dorm building but she’s sturdy. Peter loves it. Not only are the undergrads allowed to physically alter their dorms however they like (one kid installed what she calls a Domino’s Button that automatically orders Dominos whenever pressed), they’re also allowed to paint the rooms. This brought Tony much satisfaction, as evident by the text he sent Peter in the wee hours of the morning, most assuredly after a 30 hour day - “Don’t worry, Spiderling. I’ll send you some red and gold paint. I’m also sending you a care package filled with Iron Man figurines, Iron Man boxers, and a custom Iron Man comforter. You’re welcome. XOXO” And so long as they comply with the fire code, they’re allowed to alter the common areas as well. Their floor has already had several brainstorming sessions on what they could do to be original this year. Peter is living for the sense of community. Walking through the halls is an experience in and of itself- Nearly everyone keeps their doors open, much like Harry had done when he practically fell through the door. Odd music blares through the halls, as does the occasional peals of laughter. Sometimes it’s too much to handle but fortunately one of Tony’s many parting gifts had been small nondescript ear plugs that effectively dial the world down to a more normal level. Peter had stared down at them in amazement… “I- Mr. Stark, I can’t thank you enough. This will- Will help so much, wow.” “You can thank me by having a good time, kid.”  

In all, Peter is more comfortable than he initially anticipated given the fact that neither Ned or MJ were there with him. 

“The campus is massive. And swarming with children and parents,” Peter adds absently, digging through his dirty laundry hamper for something comfortable. It’s the start of Family Week and the place is crawling with people. Students excitedly pull their family through campus. The university is hosting picnics, social events, and even several free seminars throughout the week for family members to attend if it tickles their fancy. Next week is First Year Residential Exchange (FYRE) and the East Campus dorm has already began working on what will be a fully functioning roller coaster in their courtyard. Parent alumni are encouraged to assist. 

Peter is grateful that Family Week is, well, family week . May on occasion still works long hours at the hospital, and with MIT being four and a half hours from home hitting a 24 hour period, or even a 48 hour period just wouldn’t have cut it. As such, May (and Happy), will be there come Thursday and Peter is quite literally counting down the days. He considered asking Mr. Stark, who Peter definitely considers family, but he had hesitated. While he’s sure that Tony feels the same way about him, Peter still has those pockets of insecurities. After having lost his parents and his uncle Peter oftentimes worries about losing the rest of his family, even those not of blood and recently acquired. 

“Whoa, that’s really neat?” Harry’s questioning voice pulls him from his thoughts and Peter glances up as the kid hops back down off the bed to stand in front of Peter. His eyes are trained on Peter’s chest and he reaches out to tug at the fabric. “That’s got to be vintage now, right?”

Peter looks down at his MIT hoodie that he’d just slipped over his head. Well, it isn’t his per se. It’s actually one of Tony’s old hoodies. One that Peter had stolen - long term borrowed, thank you very much - several years back, not long after his sixteenth. Tony had been on a mission with the Avengers. It had been overseas and dangerous enough that Peter had been told under no circumstances was he allowed to tag along. He’d pouted for a few days, wallowing in the anxiety that gripped him whenever he thought about them leaving. Blame the anxiety on his spidey sense, for as it would turn out, Tony and the others had quickly found themselves driven underground for nearly two and a half months. So far underground that they had gone completely radio silent. Director Fury had insisted that it had all been part of the plan and that while Tony wasn’t in contact with Pepper he had certainly remained in contact with the Director. All lies. 

Those two months of silence had been a nightmare. He’d spent nearly every weekend, occasionally skipping days of school, with Pepper at the tower. They had both failed miserably at distracting each other from the crippling worries that something was definitely wrong. But it had been a bonding experience and Peter remembers clearly the night he was woken by FRIDAY to Pepper having a breakdown on her bedroom floor after having found out that she was pregnant and, “God, Peter, what if Tony never comes back?” After an emotionally charged night Peter had slipped into Tony’s closet and dug around for something, anything , of Tony’s that might offer comfort. Something that might help him sleep better at night when the fear of losing yet another father figure threatened to consume him. That’s when he found the hoodie. It was comfortable and late in the night when Peter felt tears sting his eyes and when the world felt like too much of a burden, being wrapped up in it felt a lot like a hug. 

Peter loves this hoodie. He’s never told Tony about it and the man has never indicated that he’d noticed one missing. And up to this point Peter has never been asked about it. 

“Yeah,” Peter says soft and a little awkwardly, scratching at the base of his head. “It was my Dad’s.” 

The word rolls off his tongue so easily, as if he’s said it a thousand and one times when in fact he’s never done so before. Not out loud at least. Saying it now though feels like the most natural thing in the world- It feels right. And the thing is, Peter does consider Tony to be his Dad. He has a Father, Richard, whom he loves very dearly, but who he has very few memories of. And of course he has his Uncle Ben who he also loves to the moon and back again. But he only ever thought of the man as such. Tony though… Tony feels like his Dad - A title different from both Father and Uncle. 

Yeah. Tony is his Dad. And though he’s never said the word out loud, never admitted it even to his two closest friends and absolutely never to Tony himself, Peter had internally drafted the man into the role several years back when Tony had gleefully shoved him towards one of the Audi’s and said, “Today’s the day, Underoos. You’re going to learn how to drive while we take a road trip down the coast.” In the city, with all the public transportation and given the fact that May could never afford a vehicle for him, Peter hadn’t given much thought to learning. There was no rush. Tony, however, felt differently. 

“Was?” Harry asks eyebrows knit together in confusion before softening. “Is he, you know, dead?”

“Wha- No,” Peter huffs, quiet laughter in his voice at having been caught off guard by the question. “He’s very much alive and well.” You can hear the findness in his voice as he absently tugs at the hem of the hoodie, almost bashful in the way his eyes drop down to the worn out frayed MIT logo on the front. 

“Well,” a voice, a very familiar voice, cuts in, “Pepper might disagree with you on the well part, kiddo.”

Peter whirls around to see Tony Stark, the man he’s just referred to as Dad to his roommate, standing there in the doorway with his signature sunglasses hiding whatever emotion was there behind the eyes. Peter can’t be sure just how much Tony has overheard, but he suspects the man heard it all. Something in his gut tightens- What if Tony doesn’t react well, or possibly worse, what if he doesn’t react at all? 

Peter misses the way his roommates jaw drops as he stumbles back a step or two in surprise when Tony steps further into the room, casual as ever. In a single fluid motion he removes the sunglasses and, as if he doesn’t see the other kid at all, smiles warmly at Peter. Maybe, Peter thinks, Tony doesn’t mind what he overheard afterall. 

“Pepper says I need to watch my cholesterol.” He pauses for a moment before adding, “And my attitude. I told her I could only watch one or the other.” He winks at Peter, shaking him from his thoughts, and Peter playfully rolls his eyes while ignoring the remaining tendrils of anxiety that bleed into his veins. Tony strolls across the room and pulls Peter’s head toward him so he can kiss the side of it- “You’re too tall, kid. Make it stop.” - before ruffling his hair and wrapping an arm around his shoulders to pull him in snug against his side. Tony makes the move, something he’s never done before, feel so effortless as though it were something normal between them, as if he really is his Dad. Peter doesn’t hesitate to lean into the man's side. He’s tugging harder at the hem of his hoodie now. No way he can keep it under the radar at this point. Tony’s eyes are trained on him, as if watching for Peter’s own reaction to the display of affection, and Peter’s lips widen into a blinding smile, full of warmth and admiration. 

Harry casually clears his throat, distracting the both of them, and Tony turns a press worthy smile to the kid before leaning forward to shake his hand. 

“Hey kid, name’s Tony. But you already knew that. I’m Peter’s Dad.” 

Harry, still dumbfounded and glancing between The Tony Stark™ and his roommate, shakes the man’s hand far longer than one would consider normal. “Harry Osborne.”

The two exchange quick pleasantries but Peter doesn’t really hear any of it. Tony has just told a complete stranger that he was his Dad and he hadn’t even hesitated in doing so. He’s pulled Peter into a hug, ruffled his hair fondly, and introduced himself as Peter’s Dad. No qualifiers. No “Well, not biologically of course.” No “He was a stray I picked up and decided to keep.” He ducks his head with a small smile that Tony must have caught anyways because suddenly he’s being pulled even tighter against his mentor. His chest- Peter wonders if Tony’s reaction to being called Dad mirrors how he feels hearing Tony refer to himself as his Dad. 

Peter can’t help himself, he laughs, giddy in the surrealism of the moment. It pulls him from his thoughts and his cheeks color when he realizes Tony is watching him closely, face serious save the smallest quirk of the corners of his mouth. Harry has sidestepped over to his desk, sliding into the chair with a muttered, ‘Tony Stark is in my fucking dorm room. What the fuck is my life?’ as his eyes flicker between the two of them. 

Tony pulls Peter further to his side of the room and brushes a hand fondly across the top of his head, messing once again with the damp mop of hair. The knot of anxiety in his gut completely unravels and he’s positive that Tony takes note of the way he physically relaxes. 

“What?” Tony teases. “Did you think I wasn’t going to spend a solid week embarrassing you at every opportunity presented? What kind of Dad would that make me?” And there it is again. Peter’s stomach flips. “I’ve booked a room across town for the week. I’m going to take you out, show you all of the secret hidey holes on campus. It’s gonna be gr-”

“I don’t know,” Peter looks hesitant and it stops Tony in his tracks. “The fifties was so long ago- They might’ve demolished some of those buildings since then.” He looks so serious Tony has to blink a few times to shake the confusion. Then Peter’s serious expression cracks and the kid is smirking far too similarly to the way Tony does.

“You’re a rotten kid and I’m telling May. And Morgan. I’m going to facetime her right now and tattle on you.” Tony flicks Peter’s ear, clicking his tongue in disapproval and ignoring the wide amused smile the kid is sending his way. Peter nearly giggles and Tony hooks a hand around the back of his head and drags him in against his chest for a bruising hug that Peter accepts eagerly. His heart swells and he wraps his arms tight around Tony, fingers curling into the back of his Armani suit. He buries his face into the crook of Tony’s neck, hiding his embarrassment when Tony says, “I’m so fucking proud of you, Peter.”

He doesn’t even try to whisper and Peter squirms, always awkward under praise. Something that hasn’t changed over the years, much to Tony’s delight - “Pepper look! He saw the Decathlon trophy I put up on the mantel in pride , and he blushed. Isn’t this kid great?” Tony doesn’t let him pull away, but he does lower his voice. 

“You’re fucking brilliant and you deserve to be here. May told me what you said- And I know you’ve wondered whether or not I had any involvement in your admission process and I want to make it unequivocally clear that I spoke to no one prior to you submitting your application nor after the process began.” He flushes when Tony pulls away, keeping his hands on Peter’s shoulder and dipping his head to catch the kids eye. Tony’s expression is so serious that Peter struggles to maintain eye contact. He had wondered about whether Tony had spoken to anyone in admissions. It wasn’t like Peter didn’t know that the man had connections. And it’s not like Tony had been subtle in the way he dropped hints about MIT. Peter found brochures everywhere- His backpack, the drawers in the kitchen, his bedroom, “The bathroom, Tony? Really??” Of course Peter had wondered. Now he feels shame for ever considering such a thing. The man has more integrity than that. Tony, for his part, is already shaking his head. He knows Peter well enough to know where the kids thoughts are going. 

“Listen Petey, it makes sense, I know it does. However, I would never get involved in something of this magnitude. This...MIT?” he lets go of Peter to sweep his arms around, turns his body as if to encompass everything around them. “This is all you, kid. Absolutely one hundred and ten percent your success. You and you alone. I never once doubted, not in the least. Christ, Peter, I’m so proud of you.” 

Peter’s heart feels like it’s going to burst under the praise. Under Tony’s praise. His Dad . And wow, it felt so good to let that thought cross through his mind so openly, like a weight has been lifted and permission for using the term fully granted. Peter huffs a laugh and quickly brings a fabric clad wrist up to wipe away the tears he hadn’t realized were threatening to slip down his face. Tony’s got a hand pressed to the side of his head, thumb brushing across his cheek bone and fuck he just looks so fond and so proud and Peter can hardly take it. 

“You’re so dramatic… Dad .” Peter chokes the word out, emotion thick in his voice nearly as much as the hesitation there at the end. He breaks eye contact with Tony, deciding instead to count the polka dots on his pocket square. Blood is pounding in his head and when Tony doesn’t immediately respond he swallows thickly and looks back up. Tony is outright beaming now and Peter realizes he’s been chewing at his lower lip in thinly veiled anxiety. 

Tony huffs, standing up straighter. “I’ll have you know, Underoos, that I have absolutely never been dramatic a single day in my magnanimous life. Not once. Ask Pepper- Wait no, don’t ask. She won’t back me up. But she’s also a liar, so.” Peter rolls his eyes but bursts out laughing at Tony’s obvious theatrics and nearly throws himself back against Tony’s chest. Tony lets out a little oophf when he hits his chest but Peter doesn’t notice and Tony doesn’t mind. Peter is only aware of the comforting weight of Tony’s arms as they wrap around him. He feels safe. He feels loved in a way he hadn’t really noticed before. Somehow both everything and nothing about their relationship seems to have changed with a single word. 

 They stay like that, silent and really revelling in the moment before Tony breaks it with a soft, “Love you, kiddo. I couldn’t ask for a better son.” It’s such a sweet moment, such a serious moment and well, it’s Tony . He gives it about four seconds before taking a deep serious breath and adds, “Alright. Now let’s get this bread.” 

Peter groans, mortified, and playfully shoves Tony away from him. “You’re the worst. I’m taking the internet away from you. Cancelled. Denied. Child locks enabled.” 

“Is that any way to speak to your old man?” Tony scoffs and Peter rolls his eyes. “You’re grounded.” He tugs Peter, his son , against his side and guides him out of the room. “No, really. Now that you’ve been admitted I wholeheartedly intend to show you off to every administrator on campus that I know. Because that’s what you get to do when you’re a Dad.” 

“So that’s why you’re in the Armani,” Peter hums in amusement, stomach once again doing flips as Tony embraces being called Dad by a kid he’s made it very clear that he thinks of as a son. “It’s all coming together now.” Tony looks over and winks at him conspiratorially. 

“Just for today. After that it’s all jeans and MIT shirts for the rest of the week. We’ll match! Loving you in the hoodie, by the way. It was the first one I bought when I hit campus. Not sure when you lifted it from me, but it looks good, kid. Pepper and Morgan fly in tomorrow. Be ready- Ever since Morgan you know how Pepper is with the pictures.” Peter cringes. He’s pretty sure more photos of him have been taken over the last several years than had been taken in his entire life up to that point. He can’t complain though. He loves his family. 

 

Notes:

I hope you enjoyed it!

Link to the initial post: https://tony-wheres-my-supersuit.tumblr.com/post/185829022252/ok-can-someone-write-me-this-fic
Her blog is amazing, so much wonderful content! I heartily recommend! <3

FUN FACTS: The Piano Drop Day is a legitimate thing as is the name of the building they push it off! FYRE week is a legitimate thing! East Campus is an actual dorm building, they're actually allowed to paint the rooms and alter the common areas AND the Dominos Button is a real example. AND BEST of all- The roller coaster in the dorm courtyard was something they actually constructed during FYRE week! FYRE week is Freshman Year Resident Exchange in which they open all of the residential halls and encourage freshmans to explore them all to see if they want to stay in their dorms or transfer! Basically anything related to MIT aside from family week (though to be fair I'm pretty sure every campus has a family day or week) is accurate.