Tony Stark Has A Heart - Tumblr Posts
Tony Stark Has a Heart Fic Recs
Hello everyone!! I've gathered up some Irondad fics with the tag "Tony Stark Has a Heart" for you, and I hope you enjoy reading them! I have a lot of these bookmarked, so I might make a second post with even more of them at a later date!
Don't talk to me or my son ever again by Maicaly (2.7k)
Tony is having the worst day ever, and now he has a meeting with the Rogue Avengers. What he doesn't expect is certain spider baby to proclaim himself Tony Stark Protector.
I'm Not Going to Wake Up if You're Going to Yell At Me by itsreallylaterightnow (2.8k)
“Well, I think there’s a cave right up the side of that hill. I should be able to get us a fire started easily enough. That, or run the risk of having a popsicle of a Peter to return home to your aunt.”
“S-s-she’d kill you.” Peter said, his tone light, but the weight of the situation was settling on him.
“Yes, she would. Which is why I don’t intend on letting that happen any time soon.”
Career Day by superhusbands4ever (3.5k)
“Hey, sorry I’m late,” Peter’s enhanced senses picked up the familiar voice from outside the door. “I had a meeting this morning and then I got lost looking for the class… anyway, I’m here for Peter? Peter Parker?”
He frowned at hearing his name, still unsure what exactly was going on. He watched as his teacher continued to stand and stare out the door for a minute before seemingly remembering herself and taking a step back.
“Of course! If you could just go sit next to him until your turn, he’s in the back on the right side.”
The man stepped through the door and Peter gaped with the rest of the class as Tony Stark, in his signature suit and goatee, sporting a pair of red sunglasses and carrying a suitcase walked through the door.
and stay out! by iron_spider (3.6k)
“Okay,” Peter says, and he grabs Tony’s wrist. “Okay but I’m actively escaping. At the moment. That’s what I’m doing, at the moment, and that’s what I’m doing. Right now.” He lets out a little huff. “So that’s what I’m doing.”
“Yup,” Tony says. “A bang-up job.”
“Thank you.”
“You’re really killing it.”
“I know.”
Tony is nervous, because the kid is slurring and he’s severely loopy and that can only mean drugs. Were they to keep him docile? Were they to fucking experiment on him? Tony’s not in the suit anymore so he can’t see his heart rate but he knows it’s probably skyrocketing.
Cyanide? In My Shawarma? by losingmymindtonight (4.7k)
Pepper convinces Tony to bring Peter along on his first dinner with the Rogue Avengers since their pardoning.
Poor Tony had thought the whole thing was a recipe for disaster before someone decided to shove some cyanide in his food.
'Cause You're Hot Then You're Cold by sparksaam (5k)
Only Peter Parker could get both heat stroke AND hypothermia, all within the span of an hour.
Responsible For Making Sure You're Responsible by blondsak and Marvelous_Writer (6.8k)
Peter knows he’s hurt badly enough that he can’t just slap a bunch of band-aids on his injuries, and especially the giant, still-oozing puncture wounds on his back and along his shoulders from the tips of Toomes’ wings. But it’s not like he can just stumble into an emergency room and ask to get stitched up. So where to go instead?
May would have a heart attack if she saw him right now, not to mention immediately figure out his secret. Ned would also definitely freak out, probably waking his parents in the process. Mr. Stark was an option, but Peter wasn’t about to bother him, not after how the man had made it crystal clear that he didn’t want anything to do with Peter ever again.
So no hospital, no May, no Ned, and no Mr. Stark just left… Happy.
it's hard to dance with the devil on your back by MagicaLyss (8.1k)
Tony woke to the same damp old cave he’d woken up in last time. Except one thing is different.
There’s a boy, no older than sixteen years old, chained up in an identical wooden chair across from him. The boy is unconscious, curly hair falling in front of his eyes, head resting against his own chest.
A boy.
Not a man. Not an adult. Just a child.
In a cave, somewhere in Afghanistan with crazy terrorists who’ve already done open-heart surgery on Tony without anesthetics. Who knows what they would do, or have already done, to the boy across from him.
never become by krystalpomme (9.3k)
after a lab day gone wrong, peter travels back in time to 1992. he needs tony's help to get him back to his own time, but can he trust himself to not reveal the truth of their relationship to his 21 year old father figure?
meanwhile tony is fighting his own battles. peter makes him realize his one true fear would never come true.
The Morning Will Come (and the dream stealing your sleep will end) by Winterturtle (12k)
After a tragic incident, Peter Parker is left orphaned for the second time in his life. With no one else to take him in, Peter decided not to take his chance on foster care. Living in an abandoned building and the crows as his only company, the young hero is doing his best to maintain the illusion of a happy kid in front of Mr. Stark - one of the two remaining links to his past, happier life.
Look, technically, Peter wasn’t lying. It was just that Mr. Stark has never asked specifically.
Good publicity by Bergen (16k)
Between Peter Parker barely speaking, and Spider-Man being the ultimate chatterbox, how was Tony ever supposed to figure out that they were one and the same person?
Whatever it Takes by sparksaam (21k)
Peter froze suddenly, his heart practically leaping into his throat. His eyes had made contact with the man in the front seat, only to realize that the person gazing back at him was not Tony. Instead, a tall, gruff-looking man with a hoodie and a red bandana over his mouth occupied the place where Mr. Stark had been sitting just minutes before.
“Don’t move,” the man grunted forcefully “or we’ll blow Stark’s brains out.”
Technicalities by Tess_Moon (21k)
“Multiple kids of wealthy and influential individuals have gone missing this morning. NYPD is actively investigating the disappearances.”
Tony didn´t think much of it when he first read the headline. Technically he didn´t have any kids, right...?
Too bad the kidnappers didn´t care about the technicalities of those things.
hope is the strongest power by sarayin (24k)
“I want you out of my house. Pack your things and leave,” May said in as strong as a voice as she could through the tears in her eyes. She blinked them away and shook her head before making her way into her room, not stopping to look at Peter even once.
Not Peter, she corrected herself. Spiderman.
OR the one in which peter gets kicked out after may finds out and has to now learn how to survive when hope seems bleak.
5 times Tony joked about Peter being part spider by KatinaMoon (33k)
+1 time he definitely didn't
The One Where Peter is Tony's Weakness by JinxQuickfoot (53k)
“I see you are confused. In a moment, I will allow you to look closer. But first, you must understand the position you are in, in full.” Banich rolled out an ancient TV screen and, when he turned it on, Tony felt like he’d been kicked in the stomach.
It was Peter.
OR A Sokovian doctor needs Tony's help to 'fix' his granddaughter, and Peter gets pulled into the middle of it.
Come, My Darling, Homeward Bound by buckleyirondad (62k)
Held captive for five years in an eleven-by-eleven foot shed, Peter and Morgan finally break free.
Peter is thrown back into the life that he was torn from and struggles to find his place in the world.
Morgan was a baby when they were taken, so she experiences everything and everyone, for the first time.
Tony struggles to take his eyes off them. May wants to hold them in her arms, for the rest of time. Pepper can't stop counting the days they've lost.
It's difficult - Peter is a changed person, and Morgan has no memory of them.
Let Me Know if It Gets Above a Six by Sundial_at_Night (65k)
“Mr. Loki?” asked the Spider cautiously. “Aren’t you—like—a bad guy?” he asked, voice full of only curiosity, as far as Loki could tell.
His first thought was, yes.
His second thought was no.
His third thought was, sometimes?
“It varies from moment to moment,” Loki answered honestly, prying his eyes open after they threatened to fall close.
“But on a scale of one to ten, where are you at right now?”
“Maybe a three?”
The Spider-child nodded. “Cool,” he replied. “Let me know if it gets above a six.
Neon Liar (Hiding in Plain Sight) by isaDanCurtisproduction (70k)
Peter is stuck between a rock and a hard place. Or more literally, he's stuck between the will of ten other teenagers and the knowledge that if anyone finds out he's living with the Avengers he can kiss his normal high school life goodbye. Can he keep it a secret from his classmates that he's living with the world's loudest superheroes? And can he keep it a secret from the Avengers that he's accidentally bringing his classmates home for a field trip?
And once he starts hiding things, keeping secrets, and lying, will he be able to stop?
And even more importantly: will Ned be able to keep his mouth shut long enough for Peter's secrets to stay a secret?
At least MJ can be trusted to keep a lid on things
Priorities by JLMonroe1234 (149k)
Tony had been in the cave for a month. Waiting. Planning. Healing. Biding his time until his creation would be ready and durable enough to get him home. With Yinsen's help and Tony's expertise, he would save them both.
But when an injured teenager is brought into the mix, Tony must reevaluate his priorities and decide what's more important; a speedy escape, or rescuing the boy with the spider tattoo?
ever in your favor by iron_spider (153k)
Peter startles awake when someone shakes him.
“Sorry, honey,” May says. Peter blinks a couple times and she comes into focus, her hair pulled back from her face. She’s trying not to look a certain way, but he can see it in her eyes anyway. She clears her throat, keeps talking. “But it’s…” She glances away, wets her lips. “You gotta get ready.”
He remembers what day it is, and his heart beats like a drum at someone’s execution. But he tries to put on a mask, make it all seem normal. It’s everything but, despite the fact that he’s been dealing with reaping day since he was born, between himself, Ben and May. That fear that one of them could be taken away. Sent to surefire slaughter. But now Ben is gone, taken despite never having his name drawn from a bowl, and May’s finally safe. Now Peter’s name is in there alone. The last Parker sitting on the chopping block. He doesn’t know how to be. He doesn’t know what normal is, when the Hunger Games are looming on the horizon.
Happy reading, and thank you to all of these fantastic authors for sharing their works with us! If you ever want to request a trope for a fic rec list or just want to chat, please send me an ask! And in the meantime, I hope you enjoy these fics as much as I did :D
Tony Stark Has a Heart Fic Recs pt 2
Hello everyone!! I still have plenty of fics with this tag left in my bookmarks, so we're back for a part 2! I hope you enjoy reading them <3
You can find part one here.
xvii. drugged by tempestaurora (2.3k)
“Well,” the doctor said, “it seems you two can only tell the truth. I’ll call the team in to start working on a fix, but I do recommend you don’t leave the tower in case you say something you usually wouldn’t.”
“I’ll be fine,” Peter said.
The doctor raised an eyebrow but didn’t look at him. “Peter, are you Spiderman?”
“Yes.” Peter blinked. “I see your point.”
Peter Parker's Incorrect Quotes Page by EmilyWeaslette (2.5k)
Peter opens an 'incorrect quotes' account for the Avengers on Twitter, without telling them. When the team discovers the account, and Peter is too embarassed to come forward as it's creator, panic and hilarity ensue as the team try to figure out how private conversations are being eavesdropped on. Peter's just trying to avoid being caught.
Besides.
It was all Shuri's idea.
Candy from Strangers by peter_parkr (2.8k)
Peter heard footsteps approaching the bathroom. Tony pushed the door open and hesitantly poked his head in.
"Oh, shit." His eyes were met with the sight of Peter, whiter than a ghost, crumpled on the floor in fetal position. Peter tried to smile up at Tony, but it came out as more of a grimace.
"Hey, ms'r strk. Welcome to my h'me." Peter flopped his arm over on the floor in greeting. Tony sighed... this was going to be a long night.
Where my heart lies by Maicaly (3.5k)
Peter Stark is taken from his school's parking lot, and 46 hours later, Tony receives a message with a location. Steve, Rhodey and Sam follow him to an abandoned building with a unpleasant surprise inside - that will put Tony's nerves at test.
Repeat After Me by battybatzgirl (3.8k)
Tony’s face hardens as he says, “What kid.”
“I don’t know, some twelve year old—”
Below him, the kid coughs out, “Fifteen.”
“—Fifteen year old—”
Tony scrubs a hand across his face. “Don’t tell me he’s wearing a dorky shirt with a chemistry pun on it.”
Rhodey frowns. That was oddly specific. Glancing down, he looks at what little he can see of the kid’s shirt—which isn't much since there’s so much blood now, but what could be once called a cartoon joke is printed on it. “Um, yeah?”
“Son of a bitch.”
Love, hate on by madasthesea (3.9k)
She’d planned for this moment for two years, seven months, and eighteen days: As she’d stood above her daughter’s freshly dug grave, she’d decided that Tony Stark would die by her hand. And now was her moment.
She had only intended to grab Stark, tell him what he’d done that merited the punishment she was going to give, and kill him fast before anyone started looking. But here was this kid, an act of providence.
She didn’t have to tell Stark now, she could show him. She could make him suffer like she’d suffered, make him pay for his crimes. An eye for an eye, a child for a child.
kidnapping by killerqueenwrites (4.6k)
Steve wakes up cuffed to a chair, which is kind of annoying considering he has a meeting today.
He’s just coming to the conclusion that he really might be in trouble when he notices the kid across from him.
or Steve and Peter get some bonding time, and Tony is freaking out.
Um, I'm Invoking Parental Rights by teaandtumblr (5.8k)
5 times Peter calls Tony "dad" to bail him out, and the 1 time he means it.
Perhaps He's Not Missing Out After All. by NotYoCheese (6.6k)
Peter is devastated after he is told that he is not allowed to go on the field trip with the rest of his class tomorrow. Tony steps in and tells him that he can stay at the tower on the day of the field trip. Only, Peter didn't realize that the field trip was to the tower, and guess who the lucky intern who gets to give them a tour is . . .
Featuring a shocked class that finds out that Peter isn't lying, a very angry Flash, and maybe even some IronDad Fluff
Planes, Trains, and the Trauma Response by imgoingtocrash and savvysass (6.9k)
The world around him is solid. It makes sense. Despite the existence of aliens and literal gods in their galaxy—the science of it all makes sense. They just have yet to figure it all out.
Then he’d been thrown into a spiral of falsehoods—one after another, all so fast, all so real—and suddenly he’s in
the Netherlands. It’s too nice compared to the horrors he became used to—a far cry from the real world: a world of dead parents, dead uncles, and half of a universe, dead with the snap of one creature’s fingers.
Where once there was certainty…now there’s fragility.
So, when he sees Tony step out of the plane instead of Happy…he falters.
Mr Stark Enough For You? (another field trip fic bcs we dont have enough) by Livinei (7k)
Peter isn’t worried because he thinks Tony won’t say yes, he’s worried because he’s sure Tony will. And he’s not sure how he feels about having his entire class waltzing around the place where he spends practically more time than in his own home, where he has his own room, and where he regularly eats Lucky Charms with one of the most influential men in the country, in his pajamas. Not that they’d ever know any of that. Tour groups don’t go to the living quarters of the Tower anyways, they hardly ever go past the 50th floor, Peter knows that. And it isn’t fair to his class if he doesn’t ask just because he…spends a lot of time there?
Yeah, Peter sighs, he has to ask. He promised, anyways.
you'll always get there first by crowkag (7k)
Home, home, home home home. It played on loop in Peter’s brain, loud and tumbling and distracting…
But not in a way that would have him miss the silver Audi speeding toward him in the opposite direction, a sight that made him do a double-take for two reasons.
One, because the fancy car was a foreign presence after nothing but rusty, dented Ford pickups for the past hour.
And two, he was pretty sure that was Tony in the driver’s seat.
Peter Parker's Super Secret Snack Stash by coconutknightshade (7k)
"It's D, Peter. We talked about this."
“No it’s not, Ned. Because if it were D then I would be wrong and that would put me at a 65% already on this practice exam and we haven’t even gotten through it all. I can’t fail another history exam, Ned! This last one is worth 60% of our grade! If I fail this final then I’ll fail the class and if I fail the class then I’ll be kicked out of school-”
“You’re top of our year, Peter.” You can almost hear Ned’s eye roll as he talks over Peter.
“- and if I’m kicked out of school then I’ll be forced to live on the streets exchanging sexual favors for money and I can’t do that, Ned! I wouldn’t even know what to charge- I mean, what’s the street value of a blow job, Ned? Do you know? Because I sure as shit don’t.” At this point Ned is outright giggling over Peter’s theatrics.
Pickle Starburst by Bergen (7.5k)
One mundane evening, an awkward, wide-eyed teenager with strange enhanced abilities tumbles into Tony’s office and claims he is from the year 2017, twelve years into the future.
Tony doesn’t really do kids. Or whack jobs. So a combination of the two is a challenge.
But when has Tony ever backed down from a challenge?
for the love of freefall by sagemb (7.9k)
Happy does not, in fact, pick Peter up on Wednesday. Instead, when he and Ned walk out of the school building, there’s a small crowd gathering next to a convertible orange Audi R8 idling in the fire lane. A man with a familiar goatee and rose-colored sunglasses is sitting in the driver’s seat.
Peter’s brain short-circuits for a second.
5 Times Peter Sleepwalked And The 1 Time He Pretended He Did by losingmymindtonight (8.7k)
Peter sleepwalks, Tony stresses.
Man in a Can by JinxQuickfoot (10k)
Peter could hear the voices floating down to him, muffled by the floorboards nailed into place above his head and cemented over with the industrial strength tiles that made up Tony’s workshop floor. The last thing he had remembered was a dark figure appearing over him in bed, then he had woken up here, groggy and exhausted and unable to move.
Unable to move because whoever had grabbed him had covered him in concrete from toes to mouth, repaired Tony’s floor, and left him there.
We Will Foresee Obstacles by blackwatchandromeda (11k)
The war is over. Thanos has been defeated, the population has been restored, and Peter has lost one of the most important people in his life.
After the funeral, Peter meets Harley and Morgan. They're all in the same position, all missing the same person, and it's not long before they come up with a scheme to save him.
That is, if they can pull it off.
When You Assume Wrong by TentativeTreason (14k)
Tony is hiding something.
The Avengers notice the little discrepancies in Tony’s behaviour, and they eventually come to the only conclusion they can think of: Tony is having an affair.
Five Times Peter Parker Pretended to Be Asleep by blondsak (16k)
...and the one time he actually was.
Or: sometimes, faking sleep can work to your advantage. When it comes to trying to fool a certain genius, overprotective, superhero mentor, Peter finds this to be doubly true.
Definitely Worth It by jennylarner (16k)
Peter doesn't want to go on a field trip to Stark Tower. It's a recipe for disaster. His class doesn't believe him, his teacher doesn't believe him. If he makes it through the entire day without being suspended, it'll be a miracle. Unfortunately for Peter, he's never much believed in miracles.
What I Really Need is You by happyaspie (18k)
Five Things Peter Needs From Tony and One Thing He Wants.
@ironman follows you by malyin_roza (27k)
“Eighteen detentions last month alone, disgraceful amount of absent hours – often odd classes mid-day or half a day. I won’t mention the after-class clubs, or nerd groups, or whatever it is you do for ‘fun’ that actually counts in to your records anyway.”
Peter sat frozen on the spot, his face growing hot and red after rapidly paling when Tony began talking.
“I – I – look, I, let me explain – “
“That’s,” Tony pointed at him, silencing with one look, “that’s where we might start.”
“Start?” the teen repeated uneasily.
Sweet Jesus, what did he have on him?
“I solved it all, you’re welcome.”
A beat of silence as Peter blinked at him.
Cloak and Dagger by Velnetta (34k)
After being kidnapped with some of earth’s greatest defenders, Peter is grateful that it appears that their captors aren’t aware that he’s Spider-man.
The problem? To the Avengers, he's just Tony Stark's teenage intern- and Peter intends to keep it that way.
turn back the clock (and I'll try again in the morning) by madasthesea (35k)
Peter gets stuck in a time loop. In it, he lives through some of his worst nightmares, only to wake up that morning and have no one remember. He needs Tony to help him get through.
And if that isn't bad enough, his identity is revealed over and over, every day.
Time to Pretend by Rowan_M (38k)
A villain attacking New York sends an injured Peter back in time to the year 2000. Not knowing how to get home, Peter asks Tony Stark for help and ends up finding out a lot about his and Tony's past.
Peter is given an opportunity to change the future, or leave things be.
In My Dreams by MaryaDmitrievnaLikesSundays (48k)
Red.
Red was quite the color.
The color of love, the color of hate.
The color of glowing cheeks under a streetlight, of smiling lips and sweet rose petals. The color of a sour lollipop in a child’s young hand.
The color of war, of blood, of pain. The color that plagued the nightmares of the bravest men.
Yes, red was quite a few things at once, but right now, it was the color that coated Peter Parker’s hands as he stumbled away from the warm corpses of his aunt and uncle, silhouetted cruelly by the neon store signs, and into the unknown of a quiet, star-dotted night in Queens.
A Hundred Feet Under by thisisnotourlasthunt (59k)
Months after the events in Civil War, a chemical outbreak causes the whole world to fall in a comatose state. The Avengers, who had to reunite when people began to fall, are forced to trap themselves inside a bunker until Bruce Banner and Helen Cho can figure out an antidote. This leads to new friendships to form, and others to heal. All of this a hundred feet underground.
Things go well, until they don't.
While Tony and Steve revisit their actions in Civil War and deal with being a team once again, one of their team members was silently compromised by the chemicals. None of them knew until the effects began to appear. Emotions are shared. The team becomes a family once again and some learn that despite their past actions, there will always be people that will love and care for you. Also, Tony is a stressed dad to a teenager with concerning lack of self preservation skills.
It's a Secret to Everybody by Snapdragon_in_the_Snow (97k)
Peter gets to spend all summer living in Avengers Tower with Tony. When the Rogue Avengers get pardoned and come back to live at the Tower too, they're confused as to who Peter is. However, once they see how Tony acts around Peter, that confusion goes away, as they know for certain who Peter must be - Tony's secret son.
Tony and Peter decide to make the most of the situation, and play along. They hope they can keep up the act all summer. But they soon learn that they barely have to act at all.
built from scraps by peterstank (138k)
“Everybody needs someone. That’s what you said, right?” Pepper meets his eyes and he’s struck by the way she’s almost pleading. “We both lost. We can help each other.”
Her hand, palm up and open, stretches into the space between them.
Peter hesitates.
Then he takes it.
or: the one where tony was dusted instead of peter, so he and pepper try to figure out the whole ‘family’ thing together.
(oh, and it turns out that the man who died in peter’s arms on an alien planet is his biological father. who knew, right?)
Brave as a Noun by edema_ruh (161k)
Some people think that Peter is Tony's son. Why shouldn't they? Peter seems to be orbiting Tony all the time, and it's not like the billionaire tells him off. They have a nice relationship - Peter is glad to have a father figure, and Tony cares for the kid as if he's actually his son.
The first problem regarding this arises when the people who think that Peter is Tony's son kidnap him for ransom.
The second problem regarding this arises when one of the people who kidnaps Peter turns out to be Mac Gargan, the Scorpion, and he's hungry for revenge.
Identity Theft by KitCat992 (267k)
It's been months since the events of Civil War, and the Avengers are doing their best to remain a team, having promised to forgive and forget. Unfortunately for them, Tony Stark's latest invention has been stolen and recovering it causes tension to reappear.
Meanwhile, in Queens, Peter Parker has two main priorities on his plate — complete his midterm finals, and track down a fishbowl wearing criminal that may or may not lead him right into the hands of the Avengers.
Somehow between all of this, Spider-Man's identity is revealed to the Avengers, Steve and Tony's friendship may permanently be damaged due to continued hidden secrets, and Happy struggles to buy a youth-sized casket for Peter's funeral.
Things were a lot easier when they were fighting over Bucky Barnes.
Stab Me in the Back (I'll Catch You From Behind) by Lansfics7 (296k)
"I am going to find Tony," the man hisses in Peter's ear, his gaze cold and cruel. "And when I do, I will kill him, slowly. What do you say to that-" The man stops short because Peter's shoulders are shaking, and before he can curl his lip in victory, he hears a snicker. When he lets go of Peter's hair, the teen's head slumps to his chest, but it's not out of exhaustion or defeat...it's to hide a smile.
The boy lets out a laugh, shaking his head before glancing to the sides admitting apologetically, "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, it's just- it is so fun to mess with you!" He looks around before snorting, "Tony Stark? That's your play? You're not screwing with me, right? You actually thought that would work? Sorry guys." Peter straightens in his chair with a sneer and a cocky wink, "Tony doesn't give a flying crap about me."
And that's it! Happy reading, and if you have any other fics to rec with this tag - whether they be yours or your friend's - please share them with me! And, as always, thank you to all the amazing writers who share their works with us.
I had this idea and I NEEDED to conceive it anyway XD
6 Reasons why Tony Stark is a Helena owner
1 He Has An Evil Twin Brother
2. is a workholic who only has time for a cup of coffee and this affects his romantic life
3. but there's always time to reflect on Leblom's beaches
4. suffers from a very serious illness
5. is in love with a much older man
6. Has a Best Friend Who Is Your Employee
Bônus +1. Lost his memory and now he doesn't remember someone very important (because as we all know is tony stark still alive?
everyone always focuses on Sokovia and Ultron and Tony's involvement but no one ever thinks about how Bruce was also involved completely because they're both scientists. no one thinks about Wanda purposefully going in and digging in Tony's head, amplifying his PTSD and putting visions of all his friends dead in his head with the intent of making Tony create Ultron
Everyone always focuses on blaming Tony for the bomb that killed Wanda's parents but no one thinks about Tony being so shit faced he couldn't see straight at that time bec he was so deep in self-medicating his trauma that he could not even run his company and that it was Obidiah Stane that was the one in charge of the company and illegally selling the weapons that killed her parents
Everyone focuses on Tony selling weapons in the first movie but no one thinks about how it was Howard Starks company and that Tony was groomed from birth to run it and that he had tried multiple times to make something else of the company but was constantly shut down with guilt tripping until he was kidnapped and he forced the manufacturing to end
Everyone focuses on Tony being "conceited" and "arrogant" and not "caring about anyone but himself" but no one thinks about how every single action he makes in his movies are about protecting the people he loves and cares for. His biggest fear is his friends- not himself- dying. he goes into every battle he's in fully prepared to die and does make the sacrifice play many many times
everyone always focuses on what Tony did wrong, but no one thinks about how much he has grown and how he spends every single waking moment trying to be a better and better man who cares so deeply about everyone and is trying to protect everyone the only way he knows how- and that is with the brain and intellect that had been the only thing about Tony that was ever praised about
besides the well-known fact that tony stark's arc reactor literally powered his heart and symbolised his second chance at life, it's been not just alluded to but clearly stated by marvel from the very first iron man film that it represents his heart:
this point is made very clear again when it's used to portray his death:
of course they did this; they're such obvious metaphors that are easy to rely on for beautiful visual storytelling. they undoubtedly were aware of the potential for these scenes and carefully considered them since the beginning.
but you don't really get to use each of these moments more than once if you want them to matter, so they had to choose which one of tony's stories needed to be told through carefully picked parallels.
and who did they use them on?
yup, that's right. steve rogers. steve, who literally ends their painful fight by breaking his heart.
steve, whom tony literally hands his heart and says "here, take this" while he's devastated, disappointed, and at one of the lowest moments of his entire life.
so, platonic, romantic, alterous — the intricacies of his feelings don't even matter. they're only for tony to know.
but what we as an audience know, what we were explicitly told by marvel, is that the feelings tony had for steve were so strong that they were the equivalent of getting his heart actually shattered into pieces, and being reduced to offering your desperate, mourning heart on a platter as a way of saying "take it all, there's nothing left of me that you don't own now".
these were not accidents. we were meant to understand how profound his feelings were. so many things spiraled out of their falling out — the entire universe's faith was at stake as a result. tony was not indifferent to him. his problem was that he felt too much.
tony's achille's heel was always steve rogers, and that will forever be the backbone of the marvel universe.