Spiderson Oneshots

Ch 96 - Prepared for the Worst

Uh, Tony?»

The older mechanic looked up from the science journal he had been leaning over the past ten minutes or so. As much as Peter didn't want to disturb his mentor while reading and relaxing for once, he really, really had to do it now.

It was the perfect setting: They were at their usual spot in late Friday evenings. Lounging around the lab for a break, after working more than three hours straight in bettering the performance of Peter's web fluid, hidden away in their own cosy, little corner made up of a sofa so soft it felt like sitting on marshmallows and blankets so fuzzy it reminded Peter of the little plush rabbit he had had as a child.

He also remembers vaguely how upset little Peter was, when Uncle Ben by mistake had thrown his little 'wabbit' in the dryer after he had washed it because it had fallen into a mud puddle, only for him to retract an unrecognizable, fuzzy ball that once had been his beloved 'wabbit'. Little Peter never ever had agreed to wash his plushies after 'wabbit's' untimely demise ever again-

He shook his head. Now was not time to dwell on the past! He had more important matters to deal with.

And they casually happened to be handing Tony Stark his adoption papers and asking to become his legal guardian.

Still thinking about it that way made Peter want to laugh until he cried at whoever came up with that absurd notion. Like, him, scrawny, awkward, embarrassing Peter Parker and genius, the coolest, rich, completely awesome superhero Tony Stark? Tony Stark adopting him?

Nah, never in a million years.

Peter would've rather believed someone telling him they for real, built a Jurassic Park and that there was now a dinosaur apocalypse happening than this.

But life does have a way to prove him wrong, doesn't it? Because here he was, exactly doing what he never ever would've thought to be doing. Thinking back (again?) to his seven-year-old self, at how unbelievably obsessed he was with Tony Stark, he remembers how his biggest dream was getting to meet his hero. Since Peter could remember, nobody else had ever been able to topple Tonys place as his number one hero. Not even Luke Skywalker or Han Solo. No Captain America.

It wasn't Iron man and his fancy repulsors. Or his ability to fly or how no matter what enemy it was, everyone seemed to tremble before the invincible Iron man, that made him Peters hero.

No, it had always been the man underneath the metal mask, Tony Stark.

Tony, who had the strength and bravery to build his first suit in a cave, with nothing but scraps, only thing being a certainty his own death looming over him day and night. Tony, who flew a nuke into the wormhole in New York, ready to sacrifice himself for all of humanity.

Tony, who after Ultron, even though it wasn't entirely his fault, still went to Sokovia personally for more than a month and helped with the clean-up. Tony, who after everything he had been through, just kept becoming sturdier and more compassionate with each hurdle the universe threw at him.

Tony, who took Peter under his wing and just kept on giving and giving, even though Peter was a nobody and Tony could've literally dropped him after Germany.

That and so much more, made Mr. Stark in his eyes the biggest hero.

And here he was, ready to ask his greatest hero to become his legal guardian because his life just was as crazy as that now.

Five months ago, Aunt May and him had a discussion.

It was after one of his nightly patrols, when he returned home and, unsuspecting, and unaware of what had concurred, had found Aunt May, unconscious on the kitchen floor. He remembers vividly the pure panic which had seized control of him, desperation clinging on every breath and making it unbearable to breath, as he listened to the voice on the other end of the phone telling him an ambulance was on their way.