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The worst sound Tony Stark has ever heard was the sound of his alarm clock going off at seven in the morning.
He was a late sleeper by far, and looked forward to weekends the most because at least then he could sleep until nine (if he was lucky.)
“Mmph,” Pepper groaned beside him. “We better get up.” She rolled over, ready to throw off the covers when Tony threw an arm around her torso, pulling her to him. She laughed. “Tony.”
“Five more minutes. Maybe ten,” Tony mumbled into her hair.
“As great as that sounds,” she began, “I don't think Peter is able to wait that long.”
Tony blew out a breath. “He won't even notice. He doesn't pay attention to time.”
Pepper chuckled. “Yes, he does. And he's excited for today. It's all he's been talking about for days.”
“I know, I know.” Tony withdrew his arm, rolling over in bed. “I'll wake him up if you want to start breakfast?” The two usually rotated the morning routine every other day, and today was Tony's day to get Peter up and ready.
At least it wasn't Monday. Those were the worst days for this job.
They both got out of bed, Pepper pulling on a pair of shorts and Tony throwing on the first shirt he could find, before heading down to Peter's room to wake him up.
However, when he got to his door, it was slightly open and he could hear Peter talking to himself.
Quietly, he pushed open the door and poked his head around the corner, finding his kid standing on his bed, wearing a plastic Iron Man mask Rhodey had gotten him for his birthday a few months ago, arm out, making sound effects.
“We need Hulk!” Peter yelled. “Where is he!?” He jumped off his bed, running over to the giant cardboard box he had colored with Tony last weekend. “There's people inside. I'll help them!” He got into the box, banging on the sides of it.
Tony stood in the doorway with his lips pressed in a tight line, trying to keep any noise in.
“They're safe!” Peter yelled, storming out from the box. “They - Dad!” Peter screeched, running over to Tony and slamming into him. Hard.
“Oof!” Tony said, wrapping his arms around Peter. “What are you doing in here?” He smiled down at the boy, looking at his eyes through the holes in the mask.
“Playing. Today is dress as your hero day at school. Did you forget?” Peter asked.
Tony reached for the mask, sliding it up so it was sitting on top of Peter's hair. The kid stuck out his lips in a pout, and Tony laughed. “Of course not. I take it you're dressing up as Iron Man today?”
“Well I can't paint my body green,” Peter replied. “And I'm not allowed to carry arrows inside school.”
“So Iron Man is third choice, huh?” Tony asked. He couldn't believe he was below Clint!
“Nah, he's just the best choice,” Peter said, pulling the mask back down over his face. “I'm taking this to school!”
Tony walked in the room to the dresser against the wall. “That's fine, but the Captain America pajamas aren't. Come on, let's put on something real.” He pulled out jeans and a red shirt, matching the whole Iron Man theme Peter had going on.
Peter ran over to Tony, grabbing the clothes from his hands. “I'm going to do it by myself,” he declared, pulling off his pants.
Tony leaned back against the dresser. “Are you, now?”
“Yep! Mommy lets me do it all the time.” He pulled up his pants, struggling with the button. “But she always has to help me here.”
“I can help you, too, if you want it?” Tony asked.
Peter nodded, still wearing his mask. “Okay, but I do my shirt!”
Tony buttoned his pants for him, handing Peter the shirt. “You sure you got this.”
“Totally!” Peter sang, going to pull off his shirt, only for his arms to get stuck in the air. “Help!” he yelled. “I can't move! Daddy!”
“Okay, okay, calm down!” Tony soothed, trying not to laugh. “You're going to have to take the mask off first. It's too big to fit through the hole in your shirt.” He pulled the pjs back down, sliding the mask off Peter's face. “There.”
“If it's too big, then how do you get dressed in the mornings?” Peter asked seriously.
Tony choked on air. “Excuse me? Are you saying I have a big head?”
Peter giggled. “If my mask is too big, how does yours work!?”
“It's a little different than that plastic mask, bud. I can show you sometime.” He pulled off the shirt and handed Peter the red one. “Do you still want to do it yourself?”
Peter shook his head. “Nah.”
“Okay,” Tony laughed, putting on the shirt. “There. Let's brush your teeth and hair and meet Mommy down in the kitchen, okay?”
“Okay!” Peter raced to the bathroom attached to his room, and pulled out the stool under the sink. He climbed on top of it, waiting for his dad.
Reaching for his toothbrush, he also grabbed the bottle of toothpaste and squeezed the tube onto the bristles.
“Calm down there, Petey. That's a lot of toothpaste.” Tony grabbed the tube from Peter, closing the cap and placing it back on the counter.
“You say I put too much, Mommy says I put not enough. Which is it?” Peter frowned at Tony's reflection in the mirror.
Tony raised a brow. “I think your mommy and I have experienced different tooth brushing times. You need to find just the right amount.”
“How do I do that?” Peter asked, sticking the brush in his mouth.
“I don't know how to begin to explain that to you,” Tony admitted.
“Uncle Rhodey says you know rocket science which is harder than life but you don't know how much toothpaste I need?” Peter asked, his words jumbled together.
“Harder than life, huh? You need to stop listening to Uncle Rhodey. He doesn't know what he's talking about,” Tony says.
“Hey, he says the same thing!” Peter accused.
“Does he now? Well-”
“Sir,” Jarvis, Tony's AI, interrupted. “The lady would like to know if you're almost done.”
Tony smiled. “Tell the lady we are just finishing up.” He grabbed the comb on the counter and brushed through Peter's wild curls, trying to get them all to one side. How did Pepper do it?
“Done!” Peter declared, spitting into the sink and throwing his toothbrush back in the holder. “Let's eat!” He jumped off the stool, not caring that the comb was still halfway through brushing his hair.
“I could have yanked your hair out, kid!” Tony called after him.
Peter called back, “Mommy says I need a haircut anyway!”
Tony shook his head, following Peter out of his room and down the hall. “Yes well, that is where we disagree.” Tony let Pepper pick out most of Peter's clothes and toys, but when it came to hair, that was Tony's department. If he couldn't rest his hands in Peter's hair while reading him a book at night, then what was the point?”
“Mommy!” Peter cheered, throwing his arms around Pepper's waist.
“Good morning, sweetie. Did you have a good sleep?” she asked, running her hand through his hair.
“The best!” Peter said, climbing into his chair at the table.
Tony went over to Pepper and kissed her on the cheek, earning a “Yuck!” from Peter.
“I'll come over there and give you one, too,” Tony threatened.
Peter covered his cheeks with his hands. “Nuh uh.”
“Alright, you two,” Pepper said, setting down a plate of eggs in front of Peter. “Let's eat before we mess around and are late for school. It's hero day, remember?” She looked over at Peter.
“I remember,” Peter confirmed, stabbing his eggs with his fork.
“Trust me, he didn't forget,” Tony said, going to grab Peter's backpack off the hook by the elevator. He brought it over to the counter, unzipping it and pulling out his folder. Inside was a nametag that read:
Hello, my name is _______.
Apparently, if the kids at school decided to dress up, they wore one of these, telling other kids who they were dressed up as that day.
“What do you want me to write on here, kiddo? Iron Man?”
Peter shook his head, swallowing his eggs before answering, “Your name.”
Pepper let out a small laugh when Tony asked, “You want me to write Tony Stark down?” He was confused, to say the least.
“No!” Peter yelled, giggling. “That's not your name.”
“Then what is?”
“Dad,” Peter answered, shoveling more eggs into his mouth.
Pepper looked over at Tony, a wide smile on her face. “Cute,” she mouthed.
“I thought you were taking your mask to school?” Tony asked.
“I am. But Iron Man is my dad, so.”
If that's all the reason Peter needed, then that's what Tony would follow. He wrote “dad” on the sticker, peeling it off and placing it on the front of Peter's shirt.
“You almost ready?” Pepper asked, standing from her seat at the table.
“Yes, let me go get my mask!” Peter dashed from the kitchen back to his room.
Pepper walked over to Tony, wrapping him in a hug. “That was cute.”
“What?” Tony asked, placing another kiss on her forehead.
“It's hero day, Tony. And he's going as you.” She poked him in the sides.
“He is going as Iron Man,” he corrected. “He's getting his mask and everything.”
Pepper rolled her eyes. “I love you, but you are so blind sometimes.”
“What?” Tony asked. “What's that supposed to mean? And while we are at it, what's this I hear about a haircut?”
“Peter, you almost done!?” Pepper yelled down the hall.
“I'm coming!” Peter hollered back, his feet pounding on the floor as he rounded the corner, mask in hand. “I'm ready.”
“Get your coat and let's go. Happy will be driving us today,” Pepper said.
“Alright!” the boy practically screamed, grabbing his coat from the same hook his backpack was on.
Tony zipped up the back and held it out for Peter to put his arms through the straps. “Have a good day at school, bud. I'll pick you up after.”
“Bye, dad!” Peter said, throwing his arms around the man and squeezing tight. “Love you!”
“Love you too, bud.” He watched Peter bound towards the elevator, Pepper in tow.
When the two got in the elevator, Tony peeked at the nametag on Peter's shirt one more time.
He wondered how many other kids would be going to school as their parents today.
Probably none.