Chapter Text
“Daddy!” Tony had just enough time to adjust his blazer as Morgan rounded the corner into the master bedroom.
“Easy there, little miss.” Tony cautioned, scooping her up. Morgan giggled and he pressed a kiss to her cheek.
“Mommy said she wants you to come to the living room.” Morgan said. Tony chuckled and headed down the hall, Morgan happily babbling about something. He smiled as he took in the living room, tables and decoration set up.
“Well, look who decided to join us,” Nat said with a smirk as she placed some plates on the table. “You think he’d help us set up his own son’s graduation party.” She pointed at Tony, the gold wedding band glinting off the light in the room.
“Bruce, are you going to handle your wife?” Tony asked.
“Not a question I ever plan to answer,” Bruce said, holding his hands up, a matching gold band on his hand.
“I knew I liked you for a reason.” Nat grinned and Bruce chuckled at that. “And I knew you,” She continued, pointing at Tony. “Were trouble all along.”
“Little miss, are you just going to let your aunt be mean to me?” Tony asked, looking at Morgan.
“But Mommy says you like causing trouble.” Morgan pointed out. Tony gaped at that as the other adults chuckled. She wiggled out of his arms and ran over to Pepper.
“And people wonder why I have favorites.” Tony grumbled just loud enough for Happy and Rhodey to hear. Rhodey snorted at that and Happy rolled his eyes.
“Speaking of my nephew,” Rhodey spoke up. “Where is Peter?”
“He went to Queens.” Tony explained, walking over to Pepper. “Needed to make a stop.” All of the adults in the room nodded, understanding what Tony meant. “So let’s get this thing set up for when he gets back, huh?”
“Oh, now he wants to be in charge.” Pepper teased. Tony scooped Morgan out of Pepper’s arms.
“It’s a good thing Mommy loves me, huh little miss?” Morgan giggled and Tony kissed her cheek, followed by Pepper’s. “Alright, what do we still need to do?”
“It’s so good to be home and for the four of us to all be in the same place!” Peter smiled at Betty’s comment as he drove. MJ was in the front seat, a bouquet of flowers on her lap. Ned was sitting in the back seat, his arm wrapped around Betty.
“I know, right?” Ned agreed with a smile. “And we’re all going to be in the same city for the first time in years.” Peter nodded as he glanced at his best friend in the rearview mirror. Peter had attended MIT (much to Tony and Rhodey’s excitement). Ned had been nearby at Harvard, but being in the same city didn’t mean the two friends got to hang out as much as they had in high school. Betty had gone to Yale (for journalism of course), while MJ stayed in New York and had gone to Columbia. It had been a crazy four years, but they had all graduated college and were more than happy to be back in New York full-time.
“When do you start your internship?” MJ asked, looking back at Betty.
“July first!” Betty said excitedly. “I can’t believe I got a paid gig with NY1! I’m going to work for a legitimate news source!”
“I thought all the work you did for the Yale Daily News was pretty legit.” Ned said, earning a smile from Betty.
“What about you, MJ?” Betty asked. “Are you joining these two at Stark Industries?”
“I wish.” Peter said, glancing at his girlfriend. MJ rolled her eyes, but there was a smile on her face.
“Pretty sure Mister soon-to-be CEO wouldn’t get any work done if I was around.” Peter’s ears turned red at that. It didn’t matter that they had been dating since high school or spent countless hours traveling between New York and Massachusetts, there were certain things that still managed to embarrass Peter.
“She also got a great offer to intern with the Department of Energy.” Peter explained.
“The couple that saves the world together stays together.” Betty said with a smile. “Sometimes, I still can’t believe you’re Spider-Man.”
“I can’t believe how calm you were about it.” Peter countered and Betty shrugged. Peter smirked as he pulled into a parking spot. As he stared out the front window of the car, he blew out a breath. MJ reached for his hand, giving it a squeeze. Peter nodded and then got out of the car. MJ, Betty, and Ned followed suit. Peter led the way, his friends staying a step behind him. When he almost reached his destination, he turned to his friends.
“We’re right here.” MJ said, handing him the flowers. He nodded and then took the final steps, standing in front of the headstone.
“Hi, May.” He said gently, kneeling down in front of the headstone. Peter laid the flowers down on the ground and sighed. “I know it’s uh...it’s been a while. I just graduated from MIT. And I start at Stark Industries soon.” His fingers ran along the smooth stone in front of him. “I think about all these great moments - getting adopted, seeing these new parents of mine get married, going to college, Morgan being born...they’re all wonderful and sometimes I just wish you were still here to experience all of them with me.” His eyes teared up and Peter let a few tears drip down his cheeks. “But I know you wouldn’t want me to think like that. How your last words to me were that it was going to be okay. And it just reminds me of how amazing you were and how I was lucky to be raised by you.” He looked up at the sky and smiled a little, as a few more tears fell. “I love you, May. And I always will.”
He stood up slowly, wiping the tears away as he did. Peter touched the headstone and smiled, before turning back to his friends. MJ pulled him into a hug once he reached his friends.
“Okay, no more tears.” Peter said. “We’ve got a graduation party to get to.” MJ nodded and took his hand. “Shall we?”
“Lead on, dork.” MJ said and Peter chuckled, before heading back to the car.
“Petey!” Morgan rushed towards the elevator as soon as she saw Peter step out.
“There’s my favorite little sister.” Peter grinned, scooping Morgan up. The little girl giggled as she wrapped her arms around Peter’s neck.
“I’m your only little sister.” Morgan countered, earning a chuckle from Peter’s friends. Peter walked into the room, holding Morgan, followed by Ned, MJ, and Betty.
“Ah, my favorite sight.” Tony said, smiling upon seeing Peter and Morgan. “My two kids.”
“Isn’t Dad just the silliest?” Peter teased, looking at Morgan. Morgan just nodded and Tony chuckled. She then proceeded to wriggle out of Peter’s arms and run off. Peter watched as Morgan ran over to Happy and latched herself around his leg.
“You doing okay, kiddo?” Peter turned back towards Tony. “I know what you were doing today probably wasn’t easy.” Peter just smiled and Tony wrapped his arm around Peter’s shoulder.
“I’m okay, Dad,” Peter assured. “Really.”
“Okay, good.” Tony nodded. “Because I did want to go with you, but your mom insisted that I let your friends help you instead of hovering.”
“I appreciate the hovering.” Peter said with a smirk. “And I feel bad for any of Morgan’s teachers if they ever get on your bad side.” Tony barked out a laugh and ruffled Peter’s hair.
“There you two are.” Pepper greeted, approaching with Morgan in her arms, whom she had wrangled away from Happy. “Can’t have a graduation party without the guest of honor.”
“Hi, Mom.” Peter said, earning a smile from Pepper. It was about six months after Tony and Pepper got married that Peter started calling Pepper ‘Mom’. Pepper had, of course, burst into tears the first time he said, but she was also very pregnant at the time and blamed it on the hormones.
“I hope this is okay.” Pepper said, indicating to the party. “I know you said you preferred something low-key.”
“It’s perfect Mom, thank you.” Pepper smiled at him. Tony looked at his wife and two kids and couldn’t help but beam. Life had somehow become pretty perfect.
“Alright, come on you four.” Tony said. “Let’s celebrate this brainiac’s successes.”
“Dad.” Peter groaned, a hint of embarrassment in his voice.
“My son graduated MIT summa cum laude.” Tony pointed out. “I am going to shout that from the rooftops.”
“Please make him stop.” Peter begged, looking at Pepper.
“Can’t,” Pepper said, patting his arm. “I’m going to be shouting it too.” Peter sighed as Tony and Pepper chuckled.
“Look, I get it. I love you guys too.” Peter said. “But do you have to be so embarrassing?”
“Always, kiddo.” Tony said, wrapping his arm around Peter’s shoulder. He pressed a kiss to the side of his son’s head and then Peter was still pouting at how embarrassing his parents were, he couldn’t help but smile.
So although he knew he was going to spend half the party fighting off embarrassment, Peter still wore a grin on his face.
Peter sat on the couch, Morgan fast asleep on him, her small face pressed against his shirt.
“She is really cute.” MJ was sitting next to him, playing with his hand. Everyone else had left a while ago, Happy driving Betty and Ned back to Queens. Bruce and Nat had left sometime after that, Nat having to pull Bruce away from excitedly planning projects with Peter for his first day at SI. Rhodey was helping Pepper and Tony clean up in the kitchen, while Peter and MJ kept an eye on Morgan.
“Yeah, she is.” Peter agreed, glancing down at his sister. He had been worried that it was going to feel weird when Morgan was born, like he wasn’t going to be a part of the family. But Morgan being born brought them all even closer. And of course, Peter adored his little sister more than anything, which he never thought was possible, and yet here they were.
“Do you ever think about...” MJ started, nodding towards Morgan. “You know...your future?” Peter looked at MJ and noticed a blush cross her face. Peter gently lifted Morgan up and placed her down on the couch. The little girl didn’t seem to notice and stayed fast asleep. Peter moved closer to MJ, gently pulling his girlfriend towards him.
“Whatever my future holds,” Peter started. “I just hope you’re still a part of it. Forever.” MJ smiled at that and moved closer to him, her lips hovering just above his.
“Forever’s a long time.” She whispered. Peter pressed a kiss to her lips and she smiled into the kiss, grabbing a hold of his shirt collar.
“Not long enough for me.” He whispered back. She smiled at that and kissed him again before pulling away.
“I should head home.” MJ said, getting up.
“We’re on for lunch tomorrow?” She smiled and nodded. “Cool. I’ll see you then.” Peter watched her go, a dopey smile on his face. MJ waved from the elevator and his smile only grew. Once the doors shut, he sighed and stood up
“Good party?” He smiled as Pepper and Tony walked over and nodded.
“Yeah, it was great.” Peter said with a smile. “Where'd Uncle Rhodey go?” It had taken a full year from Peter’s adoption, but Rhodey nearly had a heart attack when Peter finally referred to him as uncle.
“He left while you were making out with your girlfriend.” Tony smirked.
“We weren’t making out.” Peter grumbled, his ears turning red. Tony chuckled and Pepper just gave her husband a look as she picked up Morgan from the couch. “The alpha female certainly is tuckered out.”
“Well, she does love a party.” Pepper murmured, rocking the little girl gently in her arms. “Wonder where she gets that from?” Tony shrugged and Peter chuckled at that. “I’m going to tuck her in and then head to bed. Night, boys.”
“Night, Mom.”
“Night, Honey.” Pepper smiled and then left the room, leaving just Peter and Tony. Peter walked over to the large window overlooking the city. Tony watched his son, wondering what was on his mind.
“Did you ever think this is where life was going to end up?” Peter asked, glancing back at Tony. Tony thought about the first time he met Peter, that awkward teenager, who could barely get a word out at first. He thought about all those days in the lab, Peter making dumb pop culture references and not knowing any of Tony’s favorite songs.
And then he thought about that fateful evening, where everything changed. When he was suddenly thrust into fatherhood (though it took Tony a while before he realized that was what had happened). And yet, it had all felt so natural, being a parent, specifically being a parent to Peter. He would’ve done just about anything to protect the kid, his kid. And now, Peter was his son. And it felt natural to say. When he was asked about his kids, Tony was more than proud to brag about his brilliant oldest child and all his successes at MIT.
What had started off as tragedy, had brought Tony one of the most precious things in the world. And he wouldn’t give that up for anything.
“Life has a funny way of surprising you.” Tony shrugged, walking over to the kid and wrapping his arm around Peter. “But I’m so glad it did. I love you, kid, and I hope you never forget that.”
“Never could, Dad.” Peter said with a smile. “Love you too.” Tony pressed a kiss to the side of his son’s head and squeezed his shoulder. Peter looked back at the city, the smile still on his face.
Life had taken so much from him when he was younger. But for all that it took, it had given back tenfold. He had great friends, an amazing girlfriend, and the most supportive and loving family he could ever ask for. He sniffed a little, a tear suddenly rolling down his cheek.
“Peter?” Tony asked gently, realizing his son was crying. “What’s wrong?” Peter laughed a little, wiping the tears away.
“I finally realized, Dad,” Peter said, smiling through the tears. “I made it through. You...you told me the morning of May’s funeral that the only way through was forward. I made it through, didn’t I?” Tony’s words were clearly etched into his memory all these years. And Peter remembered the days when forward seemed the hardest, when grief wanted to swallow him up and never let go. But he had made it through. He had made it to the other side, where he had so many amazing things. And he also knew that May, wherever she was, was proud of him for making it through.
Tony pulled Peter into a hug, a mixture of emotions cycling through him.
“Yeah Peter, you sure did.” Tony said, hugging him tightly. Peter nodded, wiping the tears away, the smile still on his face. “Took you long enough to figure it out, huh?” Peter laughed at that.
“Better late than never.” He replied and Tony chuckled. Then, father and son went back to looking over the skyline, a sense of peace between them.