midnight_ams_reads

"Mr Stark!" Peter says excitedly, his hand holding the gift behind his back.

His mentor is amused. "Kid, I thought you dropped that eons ago."

"Mr Stark," Peter says purposefully, like the name itself bears a great significance to him.

Now Tony gives in and laughs. "Yeah kid that's my name."

Peter buzzes. "Today is your birthday."

Tony squints at him. "Uh-huh. Am I to worry about you conspiring something with my offspring?"

Peter almost sighs dramatically. He didn't expect Morgan to maintain the secret about the party completely. But he purely blames Tony's dad sense more than anything.

He merely shakes his head. Tony raises his brow as retort.

The anxiety Peter tried to mask with unfiltered excitement crashes in his veins. He grips the frame he held behind him more tight. The thought about overstepping boundaries has been a worry of his, despite the whole heart-to-heart conversation about being part of the Stark family after the Hulk brought the other half of the populations back with the Snap.

Tony frowns at him, the silence not sitting well with him. "Pete? What's going on in that head of yours?"

This is it. Peter extends the photo frame to Tony, his eyes closed. "Mr Stark, I just thought that it'd be a great idea to put together some pics and got the frame done. I've no idea if this is a good present for you cause I've no idea what to even get for you but gosh I hope you'd like it ---"

"Kid, breathe."

When the frame leaves his hand, Peter opens one of his eyes to witness the reaction. He expected a smile, a pat in the back and maybe at the most, a hug.

He didn't expect to see Tony visibly tearing up.

Peter's breath stutters in his chest. Oh gosh he totally misstepped Mr Stark definitely hates it ---

Tony's words are tearfully. "Kid, this is beautiful."

The frame was filled with collage of photos. Photos starting from the baby pics of Tony's which Peter got from Rhodey -- at absolute swearing of secrecy, one from Tony's graduation at MIT which was merged with Tony standing with Peter at his graduation from the same college. More photos from Tony as Ironman, some with the avengers but those were weighed out with the one took with Spider-man and War Machine.

But maybe, the photos that moved Tony visibly were the one with his family. Pics with Pepper at the wedding after the first Snap and the vow renewal after the Snap was undone. There were some with Rhodey and Happy. Some with May and him -- their bond strengthening after their kid has left their nest to make his own name. Many, many moments with Peter and Morgan.

But the one at the centre, the one that Pepper snapped at one of their many movie nights. It was the one with Peter dozing off with his head in Tony's chest, Morgan safely tucked in Peter's arms. The look of pure, unadulterated adoration in Tony's eyes at the serenity of the moment.

Below that are the words, half Peter's handwriting and the other Morgan's.

Happy birthday daddy!! reads Morgan's part.

We love you, dad, reads Peter's.

And that was enough to bring forth the tears.

At Tony's delayed reaction, Peter asks almost hesitantly. "You.. like it right, Tony?"

Holding the frame with one of his arms, Tony pulls Peter into a tight hug with the other. The kid has definitely grown taller than him but doesn't have any issues with burying his face between the crook of his neck and shoulder and fitting himself perfectly into the embrace.

"This is the best gift I've received ever, Pete." The sigh of relief speaks words. Tony presses a kiss into the kid's hair. "Thank you, kid."

Once upon a time, Tony Stark didn't do thanks. Time has eroded into his abrasive self and left him as a parental person at the end. And he wouldn't have any other way.

Peter only shakes his head. "Thank you, dad."

This is the best birthday that Tony could've ever celebrated, surrounded by his people, surrounded by the feeling of pure love.

They crossover we need

And then Cassian asks who he is. And Syril realizes that this hunt was pointless too.

And then he gets shot in the head.