"T-tony?"

"Peter?" The kid sounded wrecked, and the shudder in his voice had Tony tracking his phone within seconds. "What's wrong, kiddo?"

"I-I need…" A sob broke through Peter's voice, and Tony's legs were carrying him towards the garage before his brain could even process the action. "I need you."

"I'm coming, kid. I'm coming. Where are you?" He changed his course suddenly, swerving away from the cars and towards the launch pad instead. He'd take the suit and have Happy meet them with a car afterwards, if it was even necessary.

Shit. Should he be calling an ambulance?

"The hospital."

Tony started. "Are you sick? Peter, are you hurt?"

He needed to get to his kid now.

"N-no. Not me, Mr. Stark. M-my aunt."

Before Tony could respond, F.R.I.D.A.Y.'s voice sounded through the intercom. "Sir, Peter is currently located at Lenox Hill Hospital. You should be able to reach his location in approximately 15 minutes using the suit."

"What happened, kid?"

"I don't-"

Suddenly, Peter's voice was cut off by another.

"Mr. Parker? Is that your emergency contact?"

"Y-yes. He-he's coming."

"Please give me the phone, Mr. Parker. I need to talk to him."

"O-okay."

There were muffled noises as the phone was transferred.

"Hello? This is Avery Nickles from the Department of Social Services. I understand that you're Peter Parker's emergency contact?"

Tony's whole body went cold. Social Services. That meant…

No.

The suit closed around him and the call was quickly forwarded to the comms. He took off, streaking towards the distantly glowing lights of New York City.

Too far, he thought, I'm too far away from him.

"Yeah," he forced the words through the lump in his throat, "yeah I am."

"Has Peter informed you of the situation?"

"No. You didn't really give him a chance." Tony didn't even attempt to conceal the bite in his words.

The worker sighed, taking on a tone of practiced sympathy that made the billionaire's skin crawl. "I'm very sorry to inform you of this, but May Parker was involved in a fatal car wreck this evening. She passed away a little under an hour ago. As you may be aware, she was Mr. Parker's last living relative. Peter needs someone to sign for his temporary guardianship until Mrs. Parker's will can be retrieved and reviewed. When I asked him, Peter said that you may be an option. If you're unwilling or incapable, I can place him in a foster home until-"

"I'm on my way." Tony snapped, stomach twisting at the image of Peter, grieving and alone, being shoved into a house full of strangers. "I'll sign whatever you want."

"Thank you. For security purposes, and to streamline the process once you arrive, I'm going to need your name. To ensure his safety, a simple background check will be necessary before we can release Peter to you. I'm sure you understand. I can have the process begun immediately. Hopefully it'll be complete once you arrive."

"Tony Stark."

The line was silent for a few moments. If he hadn't been so worried about Peter, Tony might have felt a grim satisfaction at breaking her professional resolve.

"Ah. Right. I see."

He rolled his eyes.

"I'm about ten minutes out. Is that all?"

"Uh, yes. We'll speak more once you arrive."

"Yeah. Sure. Can I speak to Peter?"

"Of course."

A second later, the kid's wobbly voice came back across the line.

"H-hey Mr. Stark."

"Hey there, kiddo. I heard what happened."

The kid just sniffled.

"Listen," Tony started, heart pounding at the prospect of having to comfort a crying child, "just hang in there, okay?"

"Okay."

"I'll see you soon."

"Yeah."

The moment that call ended, Tony made another one.

"Tony?"

"Rhodey!" Tony exclaimed, finally letting his panic slide up his throat at the sound of his best friend's voice. "I need you to call my lawyers. All of them."

"What did you do this time, Tony?"

"I'm adopting a kid."

"You're," Rhodey paused, sputtering over his words in a way that was entirely uncharacteristic of the usually suave Colonel, "you're doing what now?"

"Peter's aunt is dead."

"Tony… Tony, I'm so sorry."

"It's not my tragedy."

"Right, well," Rhodey's voice went deadly serious, "what're you gonna do?"

"I just told you, Rhodes. I'm heading to pick him up now. I'll sign temporary guardianship papers until they get the will."

"What if she's got a guardian already lined up for him in the will, Tony?"

"She does."

"Who is it?"

"It's me, dumbass."

"It-it's you?"

"Jesus, Rhodey, thanks for the vote of confidence. Yes, it's me. She changed it four months ago."

"So… why do you need to adopt him? You'll be his guardian either way."

"Because…" Tony took a deep breath. If it was hard to admit this to Rhodey, it was going to be impossible to tell anyone else. "Because I don't want this to be a temporary thing. I'm in it for the long haul, and I want the kid to know that."

"Man, Tony." Rhodey said, voice filling with awe and something that sounded a little like pride. "You're really going to do this."

"Yeah, I am." He landed heavily on the sidewalk outside of the hospital, startling every bystander in the vicinity. "Listen, I'm here. Call the lawyers. Get them working on it, but keep them off my ass for tonight, okay? I've got bigger things to worry about."

"Of course, Tones. Remind me why I'm doing this and not Pepper?"

Tony sighed. "You know she's got those massive negotiations in Beijing this week. Not sure it's the best time to spring this on her."

"You're going to have to tell her eventually."

"I know that, Rhodey. Just not now, okay?"

"Alright… do me a favor and shoot me a text when you're almost to the Compound."

"Sure. Bye, Rhodes."

"Good luck."

The second the call clicked off, Tony scrambled out of the suit and sent it to wait on the roof, forcibly ignoring the stares he was getting from passersby.

When he got inside, a nurse directed him to the right floor, and he jogged through the corridors in a blur of barely contained panic until he zeroed in on exactly what, or who, he was looking for.

Oh, Peter.

The kid looked lost. He was sitting in an office with glass walls, tucked in a large, leather recliner that dwarfed his tiny frame. His hands were hidden in the sleeves of his sweatshirt and his head was bowed as though the weight of the word was resting upon it. Every breath shook through his shoulders, and it was obvious that he was crying.

Across from Peter sat a well-dressed woman. She was completely ignoring the sniffling teenager in front of her, opting instead to focus on the computer sitting on her desk.

Taking a deep breath, Tony shoved his shoulders back and strutted into the room exuding as much of his "I am Tony Stark" confidence as possible.

The woman's eyes instantly shot up to meet his. "Mr. Stark! I'm so glad you could make it here so quickly."

Tony shook her extended hand with practiced ease. "Mrs. Nickles. I wish we could've met under less tragic circumstances."

She nodded, sending an entirely unsubtle look Peter's way. "Yes. I agree. Shall we get everything settled?"

"Please." Tony said. It unsettled him that the kid hadn't even acknowledged his mentor's presence. "I'd like to take him home as quickly as possible."

"Of course." The social worker gestured for Tony to follow her back to the desk. "You just need to sign these papers to agree to temporary guardianship. We'll be contacting you within the next 48 hours about Mrs. Parker's will. If you don't mind me asking, are you aware of whom Mrs. Parker chose for Peter's guardianship in the event of her death?"

Tony saw Peter flinch at the worker's bluntness and felt an instinctual need rear up inside him to rush over to the kid and drag him as far away from this woman as possible. Instead, he took a steadying breath before responding.

"Yes. I think you'll find that I'm the one Mrs. Parker has listed."

Peter's head snapped up, looking at Tony for the first time since he entered the room.

The social worker looked surprised, too.

"And…" she paused, seeming unsure how exactly to proceed. "and are you willing to undertake these responsibilities?"

"Why do you think I'm here?"

She blinked.

"Of course. Well, if you'll just sign here, you can be on your way."

Tony casually scrawled his signature across the line she pointed to. "Would you mind getting a copy of these for me to give my lawyers?"

"Ah, yes. Of course, of course."

As she bustled over to the copy machine, Tony finally let his legs do the thing they'd wanted to do since he picked up Peter's call.

Go to his kid.

"Hey, Peter." The teenager looked up at his mentor with bloodshot eyes.

"Tony." Peter whispered. "Tony."

"Yeah, kid. I'm here."

The teenager didn't respond. Instead, his eyes trailed up to look at something hovering over Tony's shoulder.

"Mr. Stark? Here are the copies you asked for, as well as my card. I'm assigned to Peter's case. If you need any help or have any questions regarding your new responsibilities as his guardian, please let me know. I understand that this is going to be a difficult transition for both you and Pete-"

"Thank you." Tony said, taking the folder she offered and cutting her off abruptly. "I'll be sure to give my lawyers your number, in case they have any questions."

She just pursed her lips and nodded, silently heading back to her desk.

"Okay, kiddo. We're free. Ready to head on out?"

Peter just shrugged.

Suddenly, Tony was struck by just how out of his depth he was. He had no idea how to handle a grieving teenager. Hell, he barely knew how to handle himself.

He shook his doubts away just as quickly as they'd emerged. He didn't have time for them. Right now, Peter needed him to have his shit together. And if that's what Peter needed, that's what he would do.

Tony reached out and gently gripped Peter's forearm, guiding the monotone boy to his feet and out the office door. The kid moved like a zombie, listlessly allowing the older man to tug him along. Tony used his free hand to text Happy.

Tony Stark: you here?

Happy Hogan: Parked outside. How's the kid's aunt?

Tony winced before responding. He'd forgotten that he hadn't told anyone besides Rhodey that Peter was now an official member of the orphaned kid club.

Tony Stark: Gone.

Happy Hogan: Holy shit. I'm so sorry, Tony. What's gonna happen to Peter?

Tony Stark: He's mine.

Tony shouldered open the exit and guided Peter through behind him, double checking that the heavy doors wouldn't bump into the trance-like teenager as they swung shut. He spotted Happy instantly, leaning against his black Audi with a concerned expression creasing the space between his eyebrows.

The man jumped to pull open the backdoor, glancing worriedly at the vacancy on Peter's face.

"Hey there, kid." Happy said quietly.

"Oh." Peter looked at Happy dazedly, as if he'd just realized the other man was there. "Hi."

The driver shot Peter a kind smile, something that would've surprised the kid any other day, and then moved to open the front door for Tony.

"I'll sit with the kid, Happy."

Happy just nodded, moving around the hood to slide into the driver's seat.

Tony hopped in beside Peter, pushing him gently across the bench seat and buckling him in. Peter made no indication of even noticing Tony treating him like a toddler. Instead, he just stared blankly at the back of Happy's headrest.

As Tony tried to pull away from the kid, however, he hit resistance. A glance at his sleeve confirmed that Peter's fingers were gripping the fabric tightly.

After a quick moment of consideration, Tony slid into the middle seat and tugged the seatbelt into place. He pretended not to notice the way Peter leaned into his side.

The drive to the Compound was spent in tense silence. Peter, who was usually vibrating with pent up energy by the time the car pulled up to the front door, barely moved at all. Tony shot off a quick text to Rhodey, letting him know when they'd arrive, but otherwise matched the kid's motionless quiet.

Rhodey was waiting for them when they pulled up, much to Tony's shameless relief.

"Hey, Peter." Rhodey greeted when Tony tugged the kid out of the car. His voice was soft. "It's good to see you."

Tony felt something uncoil inside of his chest when Peter made eye contact with Colonel.

"Hi."

Well, talking was good, even if Peter seemed incapable of saying anything other than "Tony" or "Hi."

"Alright, Peter." Tony said, trying to make his voice as comforting as possible. "Do you want to go to your room and be alone or would you like somebody to stay with you?"

"Tony." Peter's voice sounded frantic, his apathy suddenly melting away as his hands scrambled for the front of his mentor's shirt. "Tony."

"Okay, okay." Tony said quickly, guiding the boy into the elevator and noticing Rhodey slide in behind them. "You want me to stay with you?"

Peter nodded.

"Cool. We'll watch a movie."

Peter said nothing, eyes quickly regaining their detached quality as the panic faded. His hands didn't relinquish their hold on his mentor's shirt.

The elevator delivered them to Tony's personal quarters. He tugged Peter over to the couch, pushing him down against the plush pillows as gently as he could. The boy just folded, letting his knees drop out from underneath him without even the smallest spark of resistance. Tony knelt in front of the kid, using a finger to tilt his chin up so their eyes met.

"Hey, kiddo. Think you can let get of me for a second? I need to have a quick talk with Rhodey and then we'll get that movie started and you can cling like a Koala all you want."

Another nod, and Peter's fingers reluctantly uncurled from his collar. Man, Tony was really missing the kid's ceaseless chatter right about now.

Tony gave Rhodey a nod towards his office, which was connected to the living rooms by a short corridor. The moment the door shut behind them, Tony leaned heavily against the wall and put his head in his hands with a shaky breath.

"Tones?" Rhodey whispered.

"You don't have to be quiet." Tony said, the rasp in his voice grating painfully against his ears. He pulled his hands away from his face and turned to his friend. "It's soundproof. Spider-kid can't hear us."

Rhodey regarded his friend intently for a moment. "You okay?"

"No. Now tell me what the lawyers said."

For a second, it looked like the Colonel was going to protest. Thankfully, he didn't. Tony wasn't sure he could handle a fight right now. It seemed that Rhodey sensed that too. "They're drawing up the paperwork now, but they wanted me to caution you about the… permanence… of adoption. And what it could mean for the company."

"You mean that it would make him my heir? That's sort of the point, Rhodes."

"Unless you state otherwise in your will, he'll get everything, Tony."

"My statement still stands."

His best friend just shook his head. "You're actually serious about this."

"Why does no one seem to believe that I want this kid?"

"Because you've never wanted kids, Tones."

And it was true. Tony Stark had never wanted kids. But he did want Peter.

And Tony Stark had never been very good at not getting what he wants.

"I know, Rhodey. But he needs me."

"You know this is going to be hard, right?"

He was right. It was going to be so hard. Harder than anything Tony had tried before, and he was currently elbows deep in trying to convince the UN to issue pardons for the rouge Avengers.

"I do."

A sigh. "Alright, then. I guess that means I'm an uncle now, huh?"

Tony smiled.

"You'll be a great one."

His best friend gave his shoulder a playful shove. "Damn right I will be."

After a few breaths of laughter, Tony steadied himself. "I need to go back to him, now."

"Yeah, you do." Rhodey moved to open the door, pausing briefly at the handle. "I'll be in my room if you need me. Just have F.R.I.D.A.Y. call."

"Will do."

Tony was disappointed, but not surprised, to see that Peter hadn't moved an inch while he and Rhodey were talking.

"F.R.I.D.A.Y.?"

"Yes, Boss?"

"Play Star Wars: Episode V, will you?"

"Right away, Sir."

Tony sat down next to Peter as the opening scrawl rolled across the screen. "I'm back, kid."

"Tony?"

The kid's gaze latched onto him at the same moment his hands did, effortlessly rediscovering their previously occupied spots on his chest.

"Yup. That's my name. Don't wear it out."

Peter just blinked up at him. Eventually, with the comforting drone of Star Wars in the background, the teenager's exhausted body melted into his mentor's side. They watched the movie in a silence that was far easier to bear than the one they'd been burdened with on the drive to the Compound.

As the credits rolled, Peter's soft voice drifted to Tony's ears.

"She's really gone, isn't she?"

Tony felt himself inhale sharply. "Yeah, kid. She is. I'm sorry."

A sob broke its way through Peter's throat, accompanied by a full-bodied shiver. Tony felt the kid's misery deep in his chest.

"What-what's gonna happen to me now?"

Jesus Christ. The kid's last living family member just died and he felt like he had to worry about who was going to take care of him. Fuck that. "You'll stay with me."

Peter's next words felt a little ridiculous, considering that fact that the kid's legs were splayed over Tony's thighs and his face was pressed into his mentor's chest. "You don't have to take care of me."

"No, kid, I don't." Tony didn't miss the way Peter tensed at the words. "But I want to. Will you let me do that? Will you let me take care of you?"

A wobbly voice responded. "I think… I think I'd like that."

"Good, because I'd like that, too."

And he'd never meant anything more in his life.