Discovering Fatherhood (Irondad / Spiderson)

Chapter 4: The Pain of Lie

"What?!" Peter shouted bewildered, his father had just told him that he was Captain America, one of the Avengers team members, it was the most surprising and shocking news Peter had ever heard in his life.

Or well... until now, he had yet to find out the news that would change his life forever, that news was that he was the biological son of Tony Stark and Pepper Potts, the news wouldn't only change his life but also the life of Tony and Pepper when it came out.

The irony was that Peter hadn't the slightest idea that his biological father, whom he hadn't bothered to look for because he thought he had abandoned him, was in the same room as him, a few steps away, looking at him with concern because he knew that Steve's confession had hurt him, but well... Tony was in the same conditions as him, the tycoon had no idea that he had a son and it was Peter, all due to Pepper's cowardice years ago to look for him and tell him that they were both going to have a child, however... it wasn't long before father and son found out the truth.

For her part, Pepper wasn't aware that her son was alive, she thought he had died in childbirth but... would she still think so when Peter went to the Avengers Tower and saw him for the first time? when did she notice the resemblance the boy shared with Tony and her?

"Did you... tell me... that you're... Captain America?" Peter asked his father in a small voice, he wanted to make sure that he had heard correctly and it wasn't his imagination.

Tony felt very sorry for Peter, the boy didn't look good, his lower lip trembled and judging by the expression on his face, he seemed about to start crying, his eyes were watery and he was breathing irregularly. Tony felt a strong and inexplicable impulse, he wanted to approach Peter and hug him to comfort him but obviously he wouldn't, for that the brat had his father, Steve Rogers.

May looked worriedly at her adopted son, obviously the news hadn't pleased him, and why not? she and Steve had kept an important secret from him for years but they had done it with his well-being in mind, May really hoped that when Peter got over the anger of the moment, he would understand.

"Answer me." Peter asked his dad with a bad tone, he had started to get angry because his father kept quiet. "Are you Captain America?"

Steve squatted down in front of his son, still holding him by the arms, sighed and nodded with a serious look, showing that he wasn't kidding, at that confirmation, Peter's eyes watered more, the brown-haired boy was on the verge of shedding tears.

Peter took a deep breath, trying to calm down, he didn't want to start crying so he tried not to shed any tears, he really tried but the news his dad had given him... it was too strong, more for a 15-year-old teenager who had just gone through a defining moment in his life.

A few days ago Peter had been bitten by a radioactive spider and had obtained his powers, which was an irreversible fact, Peter wouldn't be the same boy as before, his DNA had been modified forever, that was already strong enough to assimilate and coping, now added the lie of his father.

Because yes, his dad had lied to him ugly, he had hidden very important news from him for years, he hadn't trusted Peter enough and that is why the brown-haired boy was not only surprised, but also angry and hurt. His dad had practically hidden who he was in fact, he had hidden an important part of his personality from him, Peter felt that he only half knew him, that he couldn't trust him again.

The first tear rolled down Peter's cheek and that was followed by many, the chestnut had succumbed to crying due to the mixture of feelings he had inside, he felt helpless, hurt, angry, betrayed, this last feeling was the one that affected him the most. Peter couldn't assimilate his father's lie, he couldn't believe that he hadn't trusted him enough to trust him with such an important secret.