26 | Cheering In Your Corner

                                    

                                          
Sweaty and tired from battle, Tony and Peter sat in silence for majority of the helicopter ride back to New York. Tony had spent weeks mulling over how he would eventually tell Y/N he was her father, playing over the plethora of scenarios in his head.
                          
"Hey Underoos, can I chat to you about something real quick before we get back to base?" Tony said quietly, turning to Peter as they sat in the back seats.
                          
The mission was brief, short enough that Tony asked Peter to assist him as it 'would only take about an hour'. It did however take three hours excluding the celebratory shawarma they got for dinner afterwards. 
                          
"You've never asked me that before. And you definitely haven't used the word 'chat' to me before. You okay Mr. Stark?" Peter squinted, talking to him through their headsets. The helicopter was descending but it was still extremely loud to hear each other without  the microphones.
                          
"Can you keep a secret?" Tony asked, a million thoughts running through his head as he contemplated telling Peter about his newfound daughter.
                          
"I think I am because I keep the whole Spider-Man thing a secret but then in junior year Ned told me he liked Betty and I ended up telling half the Mathletes because I was so excited for him. Oh! And then when Aunt May liked Happy I might've told him... And I know I said I kept Spider-Man a secret but Ned saw me in the suit, and MJ figured it out it so maybe I'm not good at keeping secrets at all..." Peter rambled.
                          
"Y/N is my biological daughter," Tony blurted out, not listening to what Peter was saying and focusing on his own thoughts instead.
                          
Tony had managed to control his anxiety attacks for years, his medication keeping them at bay. However, he had struggled to sleep since finding out about the positive test results; it was all he could think about when things got quiet.
                          
"Wait, what?" Peter said pulling the headphones off his head in shock as the helicopter turned off after landing.
                          
"Um, we took a paternity test- actually no. I took a paternity test on behalf of the both of us and it um, it came back positive. Which is actually really scaring me... My meds are helping me with my anxiety but I uh, I'm really struggling with this one kid, I don't know what to do," Tony sighed, lingering in his seat before leaving the helicopter.
                          
"She doesn't know?! M-Mr Stark I'm sure you're breaking some sort of law... I don't think you can do a paternity test with someone behind their back... Wait, how did you get her DNA?!" Peter said running his hand through his hair as he followed Tony across the airport tarmac.
                          
"I got Happy to uh, grab a bit of her hair. From the pillow, not from her head... Peter please you need to promise me not to tell her before I do. I just, I just don't know how to do it," Tony sighed, getting in the backseat of Happy's car.
                          
"You got Happy involved?! Happy, you're an accomplice!" Peter frowned, closing the car door as Happy began driving towards the city.
                          
"I'm an accomplice to what?" Happy said, glaring up at the two in his rear vision mirror.
                          
"I told the kid about the paternity test," Tony sighed, putting his sunglasses on and staring out the window.
                          
"So I'm assuming it was positive then, congrats Tony. Do I get a teddy bear and a balloon saying 'It's a Girl' for you?" Happy joked casually, turning around at the red light and smiling.
                          
Peter's phone started vibrating in his pocket as he screwed his face up at the screen.
                          
"Coach! Hey, what's up?" Peter said nervously, not understanding why the college swim coach was calling him.
                          
"Peter, where are you mate? The semi final heats begin soon and you're the only one not warming up," he said, causing Peter to clench his jaw and smack his face with his palm.
                          
"Yep! I'll uh, I'll be there really soon I promise," Peter said before hanging up and groaning loudly. He begged Happy to drive as quickly as he can, dropping Tony off on the way.
                          
"You won't make it in time, Happy just drive straight to the college and you can drive me home after," Tony shrugged, tapping Peter on the thigh and assuring him they would make the swim finals in time.
                          
Happy drove as quickly as he could legally, darting in and out of lanes to overtake slower drivers. The campus car park was packed with parents, friends and competitors from other colleges.
                          
"I'll just get out here, thanks Happy you're the best," Peter said putting his hand out to shake Happy's before Stark opened his own door unbuckling his seat belt.
                          
"I want to watch you. Practice being a good parent or whatever. Parents watch their kids do sport right?" Tony said nodding to Happy to find a park as he got out of the car with Peter; who was in shock.
                          
"Y-you really don't need to come and watch Mr. Stark, it's not even fair because I use my powers to swim and it's a given that I end up beating everyone else. It's a complete lie, it'll be boring for you," Peter sighed, walking quickly towards the aquatic centre.
                          
"Then I'll lie too, pretend like I'm supporting your incredibly amazing and super surprising swimming skills. You'll hear me screamingly the top of my lungs from the stands, that's what embarrassing parents do hey?" Tony laughed, putting his hands in his pockets as he followed Peter.
                          
"I'm not the kid you should be bonding with, Mr. Stark. You need to tell her... Her parents are kind of shit anyway, I think she'd be happy to have someone in her corner for once," Peter said turning around to Tony as they got to the door.
                          
"You really think so?" Tony sighed.
                          
"I know so. But you really don't need to watch me, it's going to draw a lot of unwanted attention," Peter said gripping the door handle before entering.
                          
"Unwanted? I love attention," Tony grinned, raising his hand and waving to people as he entered the packed grandstands, everyone squealing and cheering at the fact he was at college swim finals.