A/N: WOW! 2k reads?! Thx sm:D

Peter felt like he'd been hit by a truck.

The teenager groaned as sleep lifted off him like a wet blanket, peeling from his skin bit by bit. He'd been in and out of consciousness for the better part of three days, and the waking up part still hadn't gotten any easier. Or less painful for that matter.

  As soon as Peter's brain hummed to life, so did the rest of him. His shattered wrists ached, his chest screamed with every breath he took, and his back protested the smallest movement he made. It was almost impossible to get comfortable and to stay that way, and the pain medications did next to nothing with his metabolism.

"Mr. Parker, would you like me to notify Boss that you're awake?" Friday's voice came from overhead, offering Peter a small distraction from the agony running through his veins.

The teen twisted in his sweaty sheets. "Tell him to bring me a shit ton of drugs," he whined.

"Of course, Mr. Parker."

Peter moaned into his pillow.

***

  "Boss, Mr. Parker is awake and requesting you bring him a 'shit ton of drugs,'" Friday interrupted Tony's work to say.

Tony put down his screwdriver. "A shit ton of drugs you say? What makes him think i got a shit ton of drugs?"

"I'm not sure, sir," Friday replied.

Tony rolled his heads and grabbed a spare rag to wipe the oil off him hands. "It's called a joke, Fri. Tell the kid I'll be right there."

  It had been five days since the accident and Tony had to admit, things were kinda looking up. Maybe it was because Steve and his new best friends had yet to show themselves, or maybe it was because he was still on a fatherly high with Peter calling him dad and all.

Tony would be lying if he said he walked calmly to the medbay. He practically sprinted. Sure, he was nervous to see Peter, especially if he stayed conscious for more then five minutes. And according to Friday, he was actually forming thoughts? And jokes? Does that mean he'll still call him dad?

Mr. Stark stumbled into Peter Parker's hospital room, tripping over his own two feet.

"Last time i checked, most people don't run in dress shoes," came Peter's muffled voice from beneath a pile of pillows and blankets.

  Tony chuckled lightly. "You seem very alive today," He panted.

  Peter moaned. "I feel it too. Did you bring me pain killers?"

  Tony frowned. "What? Your meds wear off?"

Peter moaned again, coming out more like a whine. "Nooo, they just aren't worrrkinggg."

  Tony sighed and took the seat by the kid's bedside. "It just means you're healing, bud. Before you know it, you'll be swinging around NYC again."

  Peter became very quiet under the covers.

  Okay, maybe not the best time to mention his alter ego.

  Tony mentally cursed himself. He knows Peter is fragile, especially when it comes to Spider-man! Spider-man was what got him here in the first place!

  "Pete?" The billionaire tried. "I'm sorry. I-I wasn't thinking. Are you okay?"

There was a beat of silence between the pair before Peter nodded his head solemnly. He purposefully averted his eyes from Tony's gaze.

"That was the second time," Peter spoke so quietly, Tony wasn't sure he heard him right.

"What was that? Gotta speak up, I'm graying over here," Tony quipped, trying and struggling to lighten the mood.

Peter grimaced, clenching the thin bed sheets in a death grip. "That was the second time," he pronounced each word slowly, as if Tony wasn't getting old, but was a four-year-old instead who had to have everything repeated for him.

  Tony tried not to show just how confused he really was. "What was your second time?" He asked tentatively.

  Peter kept his brown eyes trained on his hands which kept clenching and unclenching the blanket rhythmically. He looked like he was about to cry or throw a punch, Tony couldn't tell which.

  "That was the second time I've had a building..a building dropped on me," the teen choked out, veins popping out of his forehead like it was more then just a mental struggle to say the words. His muscles tensed, adrenaline pumping through his veins, his heart speeding up to the point where it was the only thing he could hear. It was like he was getting ready to hold up a building a third time.

Tony stuttered as if his brain had short-circuited. "Excuse me, what?" The genius said.

All the color drained from the teen's face and he blubbered like a fish out of water. "Please don't be mad, Mr. Stark! It-it was a while ago! And I'm okay-!"

  "Wait, what did you just say?" Tony asked, fear creeping into his voice. "Did you just call me, 'Mr. Stark?'"

  Peter was taken aback, not quite sure where the man was going with this. "Yes?" He said it like it was a question.

  Tony cursed under his breath, muttering a stream of ugly words if only to release some of the frustration built up inside of him. He went to rise from his chair.

  "Wait, where are you going?" Peter asked, hurt displayed in his voice.

  Tony sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. He didn't know where he was going; he felt like he was running circles around this boy.

  "Mr. Stark?" Came Peter's voice, breaking through the bubble of self-loathing thoughts clouding Tony's brain.

  The billionaire groaned, shaking his head. "No, no, no," he chastised. "Nope. It's not Mr. Stark. You don't..you don't call me that anymore."

  Peter's brain struggled to comprehend what the man was trying to say. "Then...what do i call you?" He asked innocently.

  Tony shrugged, not quite sure what to say. It was obvious that the kid didn't remember waking up and calling Tony, dad. But he didn't want to ruin what they had, didn't want to force anything on him if he still did think of Tony as his father. And he did, right?

  "You can call me whatever you want, Pete," Tony said with another slight shrug. "Just no more Mr. Stark. Makes me feel old."

  "Oh, o-okay," Peter said, a small smile tugging at his mouth. "What about just Tony, then?"

  Tony smirked. "Yeah, Tony works just fine, kid."

  For now.