58. “You smell like a wet dog.”
“What do you mean you’ve never played in the rain before?” Peter asks, giving Tony an incredulous look.
Tony shrugs. “I’ve been caught in the rain before, which is basically the same thing, and I’d imagine it’s just as unpleasant.”
“But that’s different!” Peter protests. “When you’re caught in the rain, of course it’s unpleasant! You didn’t, like, consent to it.”
Tony stares at him, eyebrows raised. “Excuse me?”
Peter cringes, face reddening. “Okay, not the best way I could have phrased that. But you know what I mean.”
“I really don’t think I do,” Tony tells him, eyes sparkling with amusement at the look on the kid’s face. It doesn’t last long, though. Peter’s face brightens suddenly with excitement, and Tony groans inwardly.
“Well, there’s no time like the present to fix that!” Peter says enthusiastically, looking to where the rain is pattering against the window.
This time Tony groans audibly. “Absolutely not. I’m – busy. Paperwork. You know how it is in the life of a genius, billionaire, philanthropist. Sorry, it can’t be helped,” Tony says, not sounding sorry at all.
Peter crosses his arms over his chest and scowls. “Come on, this is the best time for it! There’s not even any lightening or thunder.”
Tony toys with his tablet to avoid looking Peter straight in his puppy eyes, knowing that as soon as he does, the battle will be lost. “Sorry, kid. Things to do. Places to be.”
“You’ve been sitting here for the last two hours watching Cap’s PSA videos on repeat and laughing,” Peter points out. “I’ll tell Pepper about that time you lost control of your gauntlet and burnt a hole through her favorite painting and had to pay for the original artist to replicate it,” he threatens smugly.
“Oh, you little shit.” Tony narrows his eyes at him. He huffs, feeling himself already giving in. Brat. “Fine. But only for a minute.”
“Yes!” Peter cheers triumphantly, grabbing Tony’s arm and hauling him to his feet. “It’s be great, I promise.” The kid looks so damn excited as he drags them to the door leading outside the Compound that Tony can’t help the small smile that comes to his face.
Tony stops them right before they step out, staring dubiously at the falling rain. “Is this really necessary?”
“It’s practically a rite of passage, old man,” Peter insists.
“Um, who do you think you’re call-” Tony doesn’t get a chance to finish before Peter flings the door open and tugs him into the rain. “Jesus, that’s cold!”
Peter just laughs loudly and runs forward, holding out his arms enthusiastically as rain quickly starts soaking through his clothes. Tony curses under his breath as the cold water seeps to his skin, and he shivers lightly.
“Don’t be a baby, Mr. Stark!” Peter taunts with a mischievous look on his face. He quickly darts a hand out and taps Tony’s arm, and Tony gives him a baffled look. “Tag, you’re it!” Peter calls before running off.
Tony closes his eyes for a second, wondering how the hell his life has come to this. “Really? Oh, that’s not childish at all!” Tony says sarcastically, but Peter just looks back at him with a dopey smile.
And all at once, it hits Tony: Peter still is a kid. He just rarely gets a chance to act like one. Tony shakes his head and wipes the water out of his eyes, grumbling, “I’m too old for this,” before taking off after the kid.
Peter yelps delightedly, slipping and sliding on the wet grass as he runs. It’s an unfair game from the start – Peter is younger and more sure-footed as he runs, while Tony is struggling not to fall and bust his knees.
Sure enough, Tony hits a slippery patch of mud, and his feet skid before he loses his footing entirely. “Shit!” he curses loudly, and Peter stops and looks at him, eyes wide.
“Mr. Stark, are you -” Peter starts to go to his aid, but Tony pushes himself up on his elbows, cringing at the squelching sound. He doesn’t need to look to know he’s covered in mud. He glares at Peter, who looks like he’s biting back a laugh now that he sees Tony’s okay.
“You, Mr. Parker, are entirely too clean,” Tony tells him, and the smile dies from Peter’s face as horror takes over. Tony smirks playfully and lurches to his feet. He commands his suit to form around his feet and hands, letting it lift him into the air and hover above the ground.
“Wait, that’s not fair!” Peter whines, already taking off across the field.
Tony flies after him, staying close to the ground. “Who said anything about fair?”
As Tony gets closer, Peter starts zig-zagging, and Tony lets out a bark of laughter. “I’m not a damn crocodile, Pete! That’s not going to help you.” Tony reaches out to grab him, but Peter ducks his head out of the way and tries to double back.
“I don’t think so!” Tony flips in the air and follows him.
“Oh, come on!” Peter exclaims in exasperation. “It’s not my fault you can’t keep up and fell!”
Tony laughs in disbelief. “Well, now you’ve done it. No mercy from me, kiddo.”
Tony lines up next to Peter and snags his arm, retracting the pieces of his suit and letting them both fall to the ground, angling himself so Peter doesn’t take the brunt of the fall.
Peter yelps loudly and wiggles, trying to escape Tony’s grip as the man carefully pushes Peter into the mud, laughing at the look of disgust on his face.
“Mr. Stark!” Peter yells, swatting his mentor away, even as he grins widely, accepting his defeat. Content that the kid is now just as dirty as him, Tony pushes himself to his feet and holds out a hand to Peter, who clumsily pulls himself up.
“You played dirty!” Peter accuses him, giving Tony a mock pout.
“Literally, it seems,” Tony jokes. Peter rolls his eyes. “Oh, come here,” Tony says, slinging an arm around the kid and pulling him to his side.
“No, I’m mad at you.” Peter bats at his arm half-heartedly, even as he leans into the embrace.
“No, you’re not,” Tony says matter-of-factly, ruffling his hair as they head back into the building and out of the rain. He scrunches his nose. “You smell like a wet dog.”
“And who’s fault is that?” Peter says pointedly.
“Uh… yours, actually. It was your idea to play in the rain,” Tony reminds him.
“Whatever,” Peter says, and Tony laughs.
“Come on, kid. Let’s get changed before Pepper comes in and yells at us for tracking mud into the building.”
