The Boy Who Couldn't Leave

Chapter 10

(AN: Tony is delusional) 

This isn't right. It isn't right. This is not how things were supposed to go!

Peter was supposed to love him as a parent and eventually call him dad. They were headed in that direction! WHAT CHANGED?!

Calm breaths Stark, calm breaths. Let's just see what happened.

Tony and Peter both sat in their usual seats. He decided to buy Thai. The one food the kid didn't seem to hate.

When they both had enough food on their plates, Tony decided to test the waters. "So how was your day?"

Peter suspiciously looked right at him "It was fine. Explored my new phone a little."

Tony didn't know what to make of that. He simply said "Okay that's good. I actually wanted to talk to you about something. I'll just come out and ask it. What changed?"

Peter scoffed "What changed? My life changed Tony! You orchestrated this entire thing just so you can force me to live with you. So if you were hoping to continue things the way they were before, you're insane."

Tony breathed in deeply "I don't know how many times I can tell you this! I saved you! Don't you get it?! With May, you were never gonna go anywhere! You would've been doomed to some low-rate state college and your potential would be wasted!"

Peter sarcastically said "Oh thank you! Thank you for saving! Without you, I would be wasting away!"

Tony huffed "Cut the sarcasm. I understand you're not happy, but you'll get there. We were there once, we can get there again."

Peter stood up from his chair now "I. Don't. Care. You are insane!"

Tony stood up too "Do not talk to me that way young man. And you do not call me names! Show some respect."

Peter was baiting him now "Or what? You'll slap me again?"

Tony stepped dangerously close to him "My father slapped me all the time and I turned out fine."

Peter scoffed "Whatever. I'm out of here."

He stormed off before Tony could say anything else. 

Tony roughly scrubbed his hands over his face. That wasn't how the conversation was supposed to go.

He asked out loud "Friday? Where did the kid go?" She responded that locked himself in his bedroom. Tony groaned out loud "Great, just great."

Just when he thought his day couldn't get any worse, his cell phone rang. 

"Hey Pep."

"Tony? Is there anything you need to tell me? Anything new in your life?"

Tony began to pace "I went to that stockholders meeting today if that's why you're asking."

He could just hear Pepper narrow her eyes in seriousness. "So does this mean you didn't adopt a 14-year-old boy?"

Tony stopped pacing. Shit shit shit. What should he say?  He cleared his throat and said, "Yes I adopted Peter Parker, my new intern. His aunt was severely neglecting him. You should've seen the place Pep. I couldn't let the kid stay there. He's upset with me right now because he wants to be with her, but I just can't let him go back to that situation."

Yeah, that'll do it. 

He could hear Pepper's voice on the phone gasping "Oh my gosh, that's awful! When he called me last night and told me you're forcing him to stay there, I was upset! I was ready to ream you out, but it sounds like this is for his own good."