"mistake" • spiderchelle

dad

Tony Stark can be described in many ways. There's genius, billionaire, playboy, and philanthropist, but there's another word that the world would never think to use.

Dad.

Fifteen years ago, Pepper put caution tape and a sign that said nursery in construction on an old guest room door. That's how she broke the news to everyone. The Starks were adding another genius to their family.

Nine months later, Pepper was screaming at Tony to grab the fucking hospital bags. Twelve hours later, she was holding her son in her arms.

"Peter Benjamin Stark. If you don't put your shoes on right now, no lab with daddy this week," Tony was threatening his four year old. Peter pouted, then grabbed his ironman vans and put them on. "There you go buddy. It wasn't that hard," Tony told his son. "Ice cream now?" Peter asked, gesturing Tony to pick him up with grabby hands. Tony picked him up, "Yes. We can get Ice cream now." "Yay!"

"Oh my god," Peter sighed, laying his head on the kitchen table. "What's wrong?" Tony asked his ten year old, sitting down beside him. "I can't figure out what a prepositional phrase is!" Peter said, his head still laying on the table. Tony laughed, "I'm no good at English, but I'll try to help you. Friday, what's a prepositional phrase?"

"Hey Pete," Tony called his fourteen year old over to his side of the lab. "Yeah?" "Check this equation," Tony told him, pointing at his holotable's projection. Peter examined it for a minute. "You added wrong," Peter laughed, "Two hundred thousand plus one hundred fifty four thousand doesn't equal two." Tony's eyes widen, "What'd I put?" He looked over his work, "Man, I must be really sleep deprived." "Yeah, I think coffee isn't cutting it as much anymore," Peter laughed, fixing his dad's mistakes.

Five years ago, Pepper announced her second pregnancy by cooking with Prego spaghetti sauce. She had cooked Tony's favorite meal, spaghetti, but instead of using her mother's recipe, she used Prego. When Tony asked her why it tasted different, she went to the cabinet and grabbed the sauce. It took Tony a minute, but he soon figured out the hint. They told Peter, who was sitting there confused, and he bounced with joy.

Nine months later, Pepper was yelling at Tony to grab the freaking the hospital bags agains. This time, she watched her language, knowing Peter was in the room down the hall with Natasha. Ten hours later, her daughter was in her arms.

"I'm going to need a superhero to come save," Tony said dramatically, pretending to fall from Morgan's bed. The two year old crawled over, and slapped her dad's face. Startled, Tony quickly sat up, "I think that's enough saving right now." He picked Morgan up, "Let's go watch Princess and The Frog again." Morgan squealed.

"Daddy, can you come play princess with me?" Morgan asked Tony, putting a plastic tiara in his hands. Tony bent down and look at his four year old, "Of course I'll play pretty pretty princess with you." He picked her up, and walked to her room. "Which dress should I wear to the ball? I wanna be the prettiest princess," Tony asked her, making Morgan laughed and drop her own dress.

"Look daddy!" Morgan said, holding up a piece of paper to Tony. "What is this?" Tony asked his five year old. "It's you, me mommy, and Petey," she told him. "It's beautiful baby." Morgan smiled, "Everyone is in their suits, see! Mommy is in rescue, you in ironman, and Petey is spiderman!" Tony smiled at the picture, "I love it squirt. Now we just need to figure out a suit for you."

word count: 624