Deal. No joking about that or related topics. It is, unfortunately, part of our job description to sometimes discuss those things, but I'll keep it serious and professional if that time comes.
[ In the meantime, he's going to do everything in his power to avoid that kind of situation, both for himself and for Peter. Maybe he's not as active as Iron Man anymore, but he knows that he'll be there for major events, a big gun held in reserve until he can't pretend he's satisfied being retired.
There are more pressing matters at hand, however, and he's still largely focused on them. Peter's confession, while straightforward, had also been simple. Tony needs to make sure he understands the position he's coming from before they can figure out how to move forward, and Tony's never been very good at just picking up on deep emotions without having more time to observe. Here, now, he feels he owes Peter a response and that means cutting to the chase with a possibly embarrassing line of questioning. ]
Alright, so, you kissed me and said you like me. That points to romantic interest. Any idea if it's also, uh— Could it just be some affectionate but ultimately platonic feelings? Or is it— [ He vaguely waves his free hand through the air— ] sexual?
[ He hates this already, and he doesn't anticipate Peter's reaction to be a good one. He's really not trying to be condescending, he just wants to know what it is that Peter feels for him. ]
Also, when did this start? I really don't want it to be deep-seated hero worship, but also more recent development points to accidental grooming and I really really don't want to go there, either.
[ He can handle discussion of things like that for 'professional' scenarios and situations. As much as he doesn't ever want anyone to die, he knows it's sometimes a possibility. Though he hopes he never gets used to it.
These are not the questions he was expecting at all. They are things he's kind of thought about, but not what he was expecting.
Tony's first question makes his face flush. Which is probably just as much answer as anything he would say. But he looks at Tony's face when he starts to respond. ]
Um -
[ He swallows nervously. The butterflies in his stomach jazzed up their dance a bit. And his whole body decided now would be a good time to heat up. What the actual hell? ]
N-not... not just platonic.
[ Talking is not what he wants right now. He really wants to kiss Tony again. A lot.
He does wish that he was better at talking about this sort of thing. But he's still so confused about what's going on in his own head and why he's just realized it now, and why it's both terrifying and exciting, and how he's having a really hard time telling the difference. ]
What?
[ He's reacting to the grooming comment over the hero worship. ]
Tony - no. It's - it's not like that. You... you didn't.
[ His hand comes back up, but it rests on Tony's chest, rather than his face. ]
Please - please don't think that. My brain is stupid and dumped all of this at me tonight - more consciously - but it's not because of anything you did that guided me that way.
Hell, you've kinda almost made sure there was no way that would even be the case.
[ Tony didn't even hug him aside from that one time out on the field during the Thanos fight. Sure, they'd spent tons of time working in the labs - designing suits and suit upgrades, but Peter couldn't remember anything that had felt even remotely romantic. The closest he could figure is the bantering they always did.
Maybe that seemed a little flirty sometimes? Peter hadn't ever seen it that way.
He sighs a little and decides to just... ]
The hero worship started the night you saved my life, Tony. But I was nine. Girls had cooties and I didn't have any idea that I liked guys then. I just knew that a cool superhero helped me.
That day you showed up at my aunt's? I'm surprised I was coherent. I'd never really been star-struck before that.
[ His body flushes again and he's sure his face is red all the way to his ears. ]
But that still wasn't it. I mean, maybe that was something. I - man this is hard, and weird.
[ He takes a deep breath, hoping to tamp down some of his nerves. ]
I... I just figured out that I like both guys and girls over the summer. Kind of by accident. But it made some stuff make a lot more sense. Stuff about me.
I don't know exactly when this started. I just know how I feel right now.
[ He looks away again. The only thing he can think of that Tony did that would have triggered anything was talk about being into men when they were texting tonight about the girl smoking weed through a trumpet. ]
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no subject
[ In the meantime, he's going to do everything in his power to avoid that kind of situation, both for himself and for Peter. Maybe he's not as active as Iron Man anymore, but he knows that he'll be there for major events, a big gun held in reserve until he can't pretend he's satisfied being retired.
There are more pressing matters at hand, however, and he's still largely focused on them. Peter's confession, while straightforward, had also been simple. Tony needs to make sure he understands the position he's coming from before they can figure out how to move forward, and Tony's never been very good at just picking up on deep emotions without having more time to observe. Here, now, he feels he owes Peter a response and that means cutting to the chase with a possibly embarrassing line of questioning. ]
Alright, so, you kissed me and said you like me. That points to romantic interest. Any idea if it's also, uh— Could it just be some affectionate but ultimately platonic feelings? Or is it— [ He vaguely waves his free hand through the air— ] sexual?
[ He hates this already, and he doesn't anticipate Peter's reaction to be a good one. He's really not trying to be condescending, he just wants to know what it is that Peter feels for him. ]
Also, when did this start? I really don't want it to be deep-seated hero worship, but also more recent development points to accidental grooming and I really really don't want to go there, either.
no subject
[ He can handle discussion of things like that for 'professional' scenarios and situations. As much as he doesn't ever want anyone to die, he knows it's sometimes a possibility. Though he hopes he never gets used to it.
These are not the questions he was expecting at all. They are things he's kind of thought about, but not what he was expecting.
Tony's first question makes his face flush. Which is probably just as much answer as anything he would say. But he looks at Tony's face when he starts to respond. ]
Um -
[ He swallows nervously. The butterflies in his stomach jazzed up their dance a bit. And his whole body decided now would be a good time to heat up. What the actual hell? ]
N-not... not just platonic.
[ Talking is not what he wants right now. He really wants to kiss Tony again. A lot.
He does wish that he was better at talking about this sort of thing. But he's still so confused about what's going on in his own head and why he's just realized it now, and why it's both terrifying and exciting, and how he's having a really hard time telling the difference. ]
What?
[ He's reacting to the grooming comment over the hero worship. ]
Tony - no. It's - it's not like that. You... you didn't.
[ His hand comes back up, but it rests on Tony's chest, rather than his face. ]
Please - please don't think that. My brain is stupid and dumped all of this at me tonight - more consciously - but it's not because of anything you did that guided me that way.
Hell, you've kinda almost made sure there was no way that would even be the case.
[ Tony didn't even hug him aside from that one time out on the field during the Thanos fight. Sure, they'd spent tons of time working in the labs - designing suits and suit upgrades, but Peter couldn't remember anything that had felt even remotely romantic. The closest he could figure is the bantering they always did.
Maybe that seemed a little flirty sometimes? Peter hadn't ever seen it that way.
He sighs a little and decides to just... ]
The hero worship started the night you saved my life, Tony. But I was nine. Girls had cooties and I didn't have any idea that I liked guys then. I just knew that a cool superhero helped me.
That day you showed up at my aunt's? I'm surprised I was coherent. I'd never really been star-struck before that.
[ His body flushes again and he's sure his face is red all the way to his ears. ]
But that still wasn't it. I mean, maybe that was something. I - man this is hard, and weird.
[ He takes a deep breath, hoping to tamp down some of his nerves. ]
I... I just figured out that I like both guys and girls over the summer. Kind of by accident. But it made some stuff make a lot more sense. Stuff about me.
I don't know exactly when this started. I just know how I feel right now.
[ He looks away again. The only thing he can think of that Tony did that would have triggered anything was talk about being into men when they were texting tonight about the girl smoking weed through a trumpet. ]