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Tony hated Christmas. It was by far the worst holiday. Except when he was the one buying the gifts for people. Money didn’t mean a thing to him, at all. But being able to buy nearly anything in the world for the people he loved? That meant something to him. It meant more than the money he had burning a hole in his proverbial pocket, at least.
No, the thing he hated most about Christmas was when people tried to buy him gifts. It wasn’t that Tony didn’t like them. He just knew that he was impossible to buy for. What he didn’t own already, he could buy himself. And what Tony couldn’t buy, he could make. How on earth was anyone supposed to manage to get him anything with those circumstances? It wasn’t fair to them.
So, he never expected a gift from anyone—Tony implored people to not get him anything every year. Most people took him up on that. Pepper had stopped buying him things altogether. Happy gave him a personalized card every year. And Rhodey would just take him out to a nice dinner and spend a day together, which was nice as they were both busy anyway.
But Peter never listened to—well, anything Tony said for the most part, but especially this. The college kid already didn’t have spare cash to be throwing around and Tony wasn’t about to let the kid buy him something. Not that he didn’t try to sneak money into Peter’s bank account. That was a whole other fight the two frequently had.
So, when Peter came strutting out of the elevator into Tony’s penthouse after class with a package wrapped with gaudy paper in his hands, Tony was understandably irritated that Peter didn’t listen. Again.
Well, until he saw what Peter had on.
The sweater he was wearing could be called nothing less than a travesty to fashion. It was ugly as sin and Iron Man themed. The kid was wearing an Iron Man ugly Christmas sweater. He couldn’t tell if he was touched or appalled.
“What is that?” Tony asked flatly, not really sure if he was asking about the sweater or the package.
Peter sat next to him on the couch and turned to face him. “Oh, this?” Peter held up the box, grinning. “It’s your Christmas present.”
“Why?”
And, of course, because fate loved giving him a taste of his own money, Peter had to sass back at him. “I know I’m not as experienced as you, but I’m pretty sure people still give each other gifts when they are in relationships for Christmas, Tony.”
Tony waved away Peter’s words like they were specks of dust in the air. “No, that.” Tony pointed at the sweater Peter was wearing.
“Do you like it? I thought you would like seeing me in your colors for once.” Peter said before handing the box to Tony. “Here, open it. It will make more sense.”
Tony took the gift wordlessly and opened it. He pulled a similar-looking sweater from the box, letting it fall to the ground with the paper, forgotten. Except this sweater was red and blue, with spiders and webs on it instead of red and yellow with arc reactors and Stark Industries logos on it. It felt soft, warm.
“Do you like it?” Peter asked shyly. “I wanted to match, and I thought you would appreciate the simplicity of it, all things considered.” Peter hesitated before continuing, “And I would be lying if I said I didn’t want to see you in my colors, too.”
Tony let the sweater pool into his lap and pulled Peter into a hug, tucking his nose into the crook of Peter’s neck, inhaling. “I love it, Pete. It’s no tailored suit, but I will wear it with pride.” He pressed a kiss to Peter’s neck. “Besides, everyone knows that Spider-Man is my favorite Avenger.”
If the Avengers give him and Peter amused looks in the halls, that was on them. Peter could have given him a potato sack and he would have worn it. Because this was the best gift, he had ever received—well, that and Peter’s smile of course.